Volume 46, Issue 1

Outlining Prep's COVI D Procedures Page 2

2020 Summer in Review Pages 6-7

Your Streaming Guide Page 12

Complete Fall Spor ts Outlook Page 18

Don't Ban TikTok! Page 16

Follow us on I nstagram and Twitter @SJPHawkeye or read our issues online at issuu.com/thehawkeye6

The Student Newspaper of St. Joseph's Prep

1733 West Gir ar d Ave. Philadelphia, PA, 19130

October 8, 2020

Ranalli '00 Named Acting Pr incipal

By Daniel Sponseller ?21 A pivotal announcement that was sent out to the entire Prep community on Wednesday, September 23: Mr. Daniel Ranalli ?00 is now the Acting Principal of St. Joseph?s Prep.

By Caleb Datto ?22

(Photos: St. Joseph's Prep)

During this summer, Mr. Andrew Cavacos suffered serious injuries while outside on a run.

Given the severity of these injuries, students were surprised to find that Cavacos was not at school at the beginning of the school year, walking the halls and popping into classrooms as he was accustomed to do last year. As time progressed, Cavacos needed more time to recover from his injuries, and because of this, Father Swope SJ ?72 appointed Ranalli to fill in. ?With the Jesuit ideal of cura personalis at the forefront of all that we do,? Swope wrote in the announcement, ?please know that we always operate with the care and best interests of you and your family as our top priority.? Swope continued by saying, ?Mr. Ranalli is an exceptional leader and is managing the academics of the institution,? bringing optimism

to the road ahead.

Ranalli?s title at the beginning of this year, as it was last

year, was Assistant Principal of Academic and Faculty Development. In order to fill this position, Swope then appointed

(Photos: St. Joseph's Prep| Facebook) Mr. Woods, Associate Campus Minister for Ignatian Service, addresses a team of staff and students at the Prep Grocery Giveaway on September 26.

?Solidarity is expressed as a desire to be with people, but we're being asked to keep our distance. In order to show solidarity we have to be apart,? said Associate Campus Minister Mr. Dushel.

While the Year of Solidarity has begun feeling a lot more like a year of ?solitary? for the Prep community, that hasn?t stopped the Prep from continuing its mission of promoting Ignatian and Jesuit values.

That has much to do with the Ignatian Engagement Committee, a collection of teachers, administrators, and support staff, whose focus is on promoting the messages of the Apostolic Preferences through service and inclusion.

The Apostolic Preferences, a guide released for Jesuits and Jesuit institutions in 2019 on what their main focuses should be, was the inspiration for the Year of Solidarity, as well as the Year of the Examen last year.

?[The Ignatian Engagement Committee?s] job is to introduce and help people grow in a deeper practice and commitment to the mission of the school,? said Mr. Gambone, a religion teacher and member of the Ignatian Engagement Committee. The committee decided to center each school year around one of the preferences outlined in the Apostolic Preferences, hoping this more concentrated focus would leave a lasting impact on the school.

Despite the circumstances that the school year has begun in, for members of the committee, this is a chance to engage the school in solidarity even more. Gambone said, ?This year just happened to be walking with the excluded and the marginalized and [...] it happens to coincide with all the social unrest and the injustices,? said Gambone. ?[I]t all see I GNATI AN p. 3

This academic year, the Prep started using a software known as onCampus by Blackbaud.

Formerly, the administration had encouraged teachers to use Google Classroom as the learning management system and PowerSchool as the school?s student information system. As both a learning management and student information system, onCampus merges the individual softwares into one academic platform.

Mrs. Colleen McManus, the former Director of Academic

A learning management system, like Google Classroom, allows teachers to post assignments, assessments, and announcements for their students to access and submit. A student information system, such as PowerSchool, ?is used to enter and track the following: student demographics,

see RANALLI p. 3

see SYSTEM p. 4

With Principal Mr. Andrew Cavacos on medical leave during the first semester, Mr. Daniel Ranalli '00 (above) has been appointed Acting Principal.

Year of ?Solitar y?: Prep Finds Solidar ity Amid Separ ation

By M ur phy Bonner ?22

Blackbaud, Flexisched Switch Explained

(Photo: Dan Labbe | cleveland.com)

Vol. 46, I ssue 1

Legends Never Die, RTJ4 Headline Relatively Sluggish Summer Releases

By Colin Bir kmire ?23 Summer 2020 looked different from practically every summer in anyone?s recent memory, and this was shown greatly in the music industry.

While summer 2019 saw huge releases such as Tyler the Creator?s Igor and fantastic festival lineups and tours from the likes of Lollapalooza, 2020 saw significantly fewer earthshattering albums compared to summers of years past, and no festivals or tours.

This isn?t to say that no worthwhile or noteworthy releases came out this summer.

One of the most important and timely albums was Run the Jewels? RTJ4, which was released just days after the murder of George Floyd, while this injustice was still raw to the American people. The album tackles difficult subjects and

excellently articulates them.

One half of the duo, Atlanta rapper Killer Mike, was brought onto the Atlanta news on live television to address the rioting and looting of Atlanta in reaction to the killing of George Floyd.

He said, tearfully, ?We don?t want to see Targets burned, we want to see the system that sets up for systemic racism burnt to the ground.? Killer Mike?s speech alone should tell you about the content that is explored on RTJ4 and along with hard hitting production from the other half of the duo, El-P, and features from the likes of Pharell Williams, Zach de la Rocha, and Josh Homme, this challenging and perfectly timed album is filled with protest anthems that defined the summer of 2020. see SLUGGI SH p. 14

2 | News | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | The Hawkeye Table of Contents

News: 1 - 5

Features: 6 - 8

A L etter from the Editor s Dear Hawkeye readers,

Enter tainment: 9 - 14

Op/Deb: 15 - 17

Spor ts: 18-20

A L etter from Student Council President, K ier an Donaher '21 Dear fellow students,

Well, we made it to a new year. That?s a feat in and of itself.

We are thrilled to be bringing you Volume XLVI of this historical publication! As you all are aware, 2020 has been an unforgettably turbulent year thus far. In the early months of the spring, none of us could have imagined the impact COVID-19 would have on our country and the Prep Community. But here we are, nearly eight months later, with our classrooms semi-full and ready to take on the challenges of the ?new normal.?

Although doors closed in mid-March, The Hawkeye stayed committed to informing and entertaining the Prep community. As a student-led newspaper, we understand the weight placed on our shoulders to bring a curated source of information to our peers during a national crisis. We published three online issues this spring, all with an average of 1500 reads per issue, and received first place recognition by the American Scholastic Press Association for the second year in a row. The Hawkeye did some serious damage. Even more importantly, our publications this year will serve as an essential source of documentation in the written history of the Prep.

We also understand that the events of this summer have brought a racial reckoning to the forefront. As the proud sons and grandsons of Asian-American immigrants, all three of us know the value of diversity and are thus committed to bringing bold, structural change to the Prep Community through a commitment to the value of Ignatian solidarity as well as writer equity and inclusion on our staff.

Lastly, we are sincerely grateful to last year?s editors-in-chief Reza Ali ?20 and Christopher Zack ?20, whose mentorship guided us to where we find ourselves today.

As we continue this unprecedented start to the school year, I hope that you are all doing well and that your families are staying safe and healthy as we build our way back to normalcy. I would personally like to thank you all for trusting in me to lead us in the 2020-2021 school year. My vice presidents, Bryce Jones and Kevin O?Brien, along with my treasurer, Jimmy Janco, and secretary, Joe Massaua, are all extremely capable and devoted Student Council members, and we will be working to our fullest extents to get things back on track at the Prep to make this a successful, memorable school year.

I came into office as an outsider to the student council government. Witnessing the damaging effects of the global pandemic, the ongoing disconnect between the staff and the students, and an extreme lack of hope from our Prep community, I knew that someone had to step up.

I ran my campaign showing that I am a man for the people. That is why I believe that you, the students, should be made aware of what is going on at the Prep, and have a say in what issues are brought to the table. One of my primary goals this year is to streamline communication. Having the student body and the Prep community in the fold, and involved with the decision making, is the best way to provide a successful learning environment for each and every one of our students.

I have seen the values of education, faith, and brotherhood during my time at the Prep. It is for that reason that I know we can bounce back as a Prep community. My Executive Board and the Class Representatives are already hard at work, planning fundraisers, organizing school events, and communicating with the student body on ways to improve our school. Our goal is not only to make this a successful 2020-2021 school year, but also to pave the way for the Prep to be a distinguished institution that values education, excellence, and inclusion of all people for years to come.

Students, know that the Student Council is here for you. We will work to make this a successful, fulfilling year, we will listen to everything that you have to say, and we will get the Prep back on track.

Be safe, stay healthy, and don?t forget to mask up!

Your Student Council President,

Sincerely, Matt Bae, Benicio Beatty, and Garrett McCloskey

Kieran Donaher '21

The Hawkeye | Thursday, October 8, 2020 |

The Prep's New Reality: COVI D Procedures

News | 3

Year of Solidar ity I GNATI AN from page 1

kind of came together at the same time, which is a big opportunity to lean into this apostolic preference.?

A large aspect of ?walking with the excluded,? a tenant of the Year of Solidarity, comes with serving the neighborhood around the Prep. Mr. Woods, Associate Campus Minister for Ignatian Service, has his focus on ?protecting our communities who are marginalized and exposing students to those opportunities [of helping them out] because there is a great amount of need.?

Left: Athletic Trainer Jon Cartwright records temperatures of students before they enter the school building. Right: Student desks have been spaced out in order to maintain social distancing. Also, because of the hybrid schedule, only one-half of the class is present for in-person instruction while the rest of the class connects via Zoom.

By L iam Stephens ?21 The airborne nature of COVID- 19 means that groups in closed rooms or buildings are at a much higher risk of contracting the disease. Therefore, Prep was forced to completely transform their regular schedule for the safety of the students.

The answer is that St. Joe?s Prep created a hybrid schedule with socially distant regulations. For the purposes of limiting the number of students in the building, the student body has been split into two parts? Crimson and Gray. The geographical location would determine which group the student would belong to in order to reduce the risk of students interacting with each other and possibly spreading the virus. Crimson is specifically in- school Monday and Tuesday, while Gray is Thursday and Friday; Wednesday being all- virtual for all students. Wednesdays are also used to sanitize the school building.

In order to reduce the risk of COVID- 19, the Prep has attempted many in- school adjustments to keep the students safe. Apart from eating lunch, all students and staff have been

required to wear a mask at all times in the building. The seating areas such as the cafeteria, fieldhouse, MPR, and classrooms have individual desks that have been set six feet apart in an attempt to keep students socially distant. Finally, most stairways are strictly designated as going up or down, along with hallways instruction one-way foot traffic.

However, the precautions have not been perfect in their attempt to keep COVID- 19 from the Prep. It was reported by the Prep that two students came into the building while being infected by the virus, on September 3 and 9. This caused Prep to go all- virtual until Thursday, September 24, after only a week and a half of the hybrid schedule.

on those guidelines we get from the state and the city, and of course those guidelines depend on the status of the coronavirus.?

The progression of the cases of the coronavirus in Pennsylvania have stayed at a somewhat steady rate, giving no certain indication of when a decline could occur, therefore the Prep community is unsure if there is a possibility of returning full time. This indecision also applies to sports, as there is a constant back and forth as to whether fall sports could be moved to the spring.

Some students still have hope that the student body will still have a chance to experi-

ence a year similar to the past.

Kris Malitas ?21 said, ?I hope to experience a more normal senior year,? suggesting that Prep should hold ?senior prom and graduation? inperson.

The precautions that Prep has taken have immensely changed the regularites of school life. ?What we as a school cannot control is what students do when they're not in the building,? said Greene. ?We will do our part. We need the students to do theirs.? The in- person changes have left the students living their new six- feet apart reality in the building, a reality which has no foreseeable end

Students who live in the "Crimson" cohort attend in-person instruction at the Prep on Mondays and Tuesday, while student in "Grey" cohort attend classes on Thursdays and Fridays. All students learn via virtual methods on Wednesdays while the school building is sanitized.

Ranalli Well-Equipped RANALLI from page 1 Data Analytics, as the Acting Assistant Principal of Academic and Faculty Development.

Luckily for the Prep, Ranalli adds up to be well equipped to take on being Acting Principal, with education being at the forefront of his career. He is a Prep alumnus, graduating from here in 2000. He went on to Loyola University Maryland, where he double majored in Spanish and Classics and minored in Comparative Cultural and Literary Studies. Upon

graduating from college, Ranalli returned to the Prep as a part of the Alumni Service Corps (ASC) in the 2004- 5 school year, teaching Spanish.

The following year, he was hired as a modern language teacher at Loyola Blakefield, which is a Jesuit high school near Baltimore, MD. He eventually rose in the ranks to become the chair of the modern language department. While at Loyola Blakefield, Ranalli was also in charge of coordinating the Chilean Exchange Program. Over the years, Ranalli

The service is not just to log hours, but to hopefully reaffirm the Prep?s connection with its neighbors.

Dushel said, ?There are so many things that affect our neighborhood in North Philadelphia, so we wanted to kind of reemphasize that we stand in solidarity with our neighbors and will support them.?

On top of partaking in the service, Woods also wants students to use it as a catalyst for gratitude as they reflect on their own lives. ?The value is really showing students that the times are hard for us,? said Woods, ?but it's important to also look at our circumstances and realize there are people who are worse off.?

Senior Sahmir Hagans, who chose to attend classes completely virtually, commented, ?[The hybrid schedule] is obviously not working and we need to go all virtual for the safety of the students.?

Pressed on whether he believes the school could later return to fully in- person classes, Acting Principal, Daniel Ranalli, said, ?[I]t depends on our guidelines and of course those guidelines depend

Protecting those communities comes in the form of new service projects that Woods has initiated in the name of solidarity and changing the communities perception of the Prep. These include distributing groceries to the community surrounding the Prep and cleaning up the Girard corridor on Saturdays throughout the fall.

has also earned two master?s degrees: one in Spanish from St. Louis University, and another in Educational Leadership from Loyola University Maryland. In the summer of 2019, he came to 17th and Girard a third time, this time as the Assistant Principal of Academic and Faculty Development, a brand new position that suited Ranalli through and through.

Besides being committed to the development of education here at the Prep, Ranalli has proven that he is a dedicated

servant to the Prep as a whole.

When asked about his recent title change, Ranalli said, ?I am happy to continue serving the Prep in whatever capacity is asked of me.?

The Prep as a whole remains hopeful that Cavacos will get well soon, with Swope writing, ?We continue to hold Mr. Cavacos and his family in our thoughts and ask for prayers for his full recovery and return to the Prep.?

The Year of Solidarity also takes place inside of the Prep.

Through the Men For All Committees advisory sessions, led by Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Mr. Bush, the Prep hopes to establish greater solidarity among its students. By discussing and investigating the concepts of bias, power, privilege, and oppression, the school community hopes to understand what it means to walk with the excluded. ?[Mr. Bush] has come up with ways to make it the best it can be because we can?t wait,? said Gambone. ?[L]eaning into some very difficult conversations about race and equity and diversity is something we need to do.?

Mr. Woods summed up the true meaning of walking with the excluded and ultimately the Year of Solidarity when he said, ?It's all about identifying the need and creating programming, relationships, and partnerships to get it done.?

4 | News | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | The Hawkeye

Student Council Campaigning Amid A New Beginning to SJP

By L uke Gallagher '23

moved back due to the inability for candidates to deliver speeches to the grey group when school closed on September 15. Final ballots for Class President were pushed back to September 25.

Amidst this pandemic, so many things have changed already here at the Prep. Student Council will have an even larger presence this year than in years prior due to this stronger need to embrace the brotherhood and strengthen the community. Additionally, this meant that campaigning for Student Council would be significantly different.

One of the biggest changes to Student Council this year was a much larger focus on online marketing and advertising. Although Instagram has been used in years past, almost all of the candidates this year chose to utilize Instagram pages to promote their campaigns rather than merely signs in the building. This would allow for more people to view and keep up with their campaign from at home.

Second to this was the creation of a campaign commercial. Due to the need to main-

(Photos: @kieran_donaher | I nstagram)

The outbreak of COVID- 19 may have stopped the Prep last fall but it will not stop the Prep this year. On Tuesday, September 8, St. Joe?s Prep was officially back and open for business. With students piling in, it was a nerve- racking first day of readjustment but also of staying safe. However, on that very same day, Student Council at the Prep was kicking off the school year with candidacy announcements due the very next day.

Aspiring Student Council representatives were asked to create a 90-second campaign advertisement in lieu of traditional campaign speeches. Kieran Donaher '21, who was elected Student Council President, relayed clips from his bathtub and outlined campaign promises while walking through Philadelphia.

tain a safe physical distance, speeches for all candidates except President were moved to a virtual format. This meant that candidates were allowed to choose from a campaign speech or a campaign commercial that centered on demonstrating what the candidate has to offer while allowing them to add a creative spin.

Student Body President Kieran Donaher ?21 produced a video that included endorsements from Dean of Students Mr. Greene and Administrative Assistant Ms. Haban. Vice President Bryce Jones ?21 created a spoof on Prep alum and Detroit Lions RB D?Andre Swift?s commitment video.

Secretary James Janco ?21 said that the new way of delivering speeches ?took some getting used to but was good overall because it allowed for creativity within the speeches and for the ability to make them a lot more personalized.?

Sophomore representative Liam Holden ?23 also said, ?Last year?s speech was really fun and exciting. I was able to walk among the crowd and get the audience really engaged.

Last year?s speech was going to be hard to top but it allowed for more of my own creativity.?

Specifically to the presidential candidates, voting was

In addition to all of these large changes, there were also many smaller changes that were made to the Student Council campaign process.

Firstly, only seniors attended presidential speeches on their assigned days in school.

Sophomores and Juniors were emailed campaign videos from the presidential candidates with online voting due for everyone by the end of the day on Friday, September 25. Secondly, physical signatures on posters by campaign advisors were not required. Finally, the placement of posters was extended from the Dining Hall to the MPR due to the new lunch arrangements this year.

Although there have been many changes already made to the physical process of Student Council, representing the student body will continue to be the primary goal, with a particular focus on ?maximizing the Prep Pride and school spirit during this year,? said Mr. Brown ?99.

As James Janco ?21, Student Council Treasurer, said, ?Campaign is symbolic of everything we are doing this year at the Prep - changing everything that we are used to to something that we are not and adapting to these new circum-

stances.? The St. Joe?s Prep Student Council will continue to do everything in its power to give everyone an unforgettable Prep experience even through these unprecedented times.

Daniel Sponseller ?21, candidate for Class President, said ?COVID-19 will affect Student Council just as much as any other club. It will make meeting all in one group much harder, but the Student Council will continue to make sure that it is meeting consistently to strengthen the Prep brotherhood through their actions.?

In short, the behind the scenes work of Student Council may be a little bit different this year and it may require more creativity to unite the Prep community, but the overall outcome and effect that Student Council will have will not change.

Secretary Joseph Massaua ?21 says that ?there will be more opportunities to interact on a more personal level with all Prep students and not just within.?

What this year will really be about is embracing the brotherhood and bringing the community together because the Prep has survived more than just a pandemic. The Prep has survived war, natural disaster, and even a fire through its years and a pandemic will be no different. The magis will go on at 17th and Girard and the Prep will come out of this pandemic on top.

Google Classroom, Power school Dethroned SYSTEM from page 1 scheduling, gradebook and report cards, attendance, health, and behavior,? according to The School District of Philadelphia. ?The decision to switch to Blackbaud was made in the fall of 2019,? said Mrs. McManus, Director of Academic Data and Acting Assistant Principal for Academic and Faculty Development. PowerSchool was making significant changes to the back end of the website? the portion of the site only visible to the software developers. ?It was coming to a point where we would have to update and make major changes or not use PowerSchool,? said Mrs. McManus.

In the fall of 2019, the administration was transitioning to their new positions and Mrs. McManus had just moved into her position after working as technology specialist for

twelve years. The prior director of academic data was Mrs. Kettinger, and with her retirement, the question arose about which software she should spend her time familiarizing herself with, PowerSchool, or Blackbaud. ?Our initial thoughts were to not switch to Blackbaud until September 2021, to give us all time, but then we thought if we're all going to have to learn it in PowerSchool, we might as well learn to do it in Blackbaud so that we don't have to do it twice,? said McManus.

For the administration, the decision to switch to Blackbaud was simple. ?Multiple proportions to our institution have been using Blackbaud for a long time,? said Mr. Ghee, Director of Transportation and Student Activities. ?Finance, admissions, and development mainly. The academic side was the only side that was not on

Blackbaud. It was a decision made so that all of our offices could communicate on one system.?

Blackbaud?s lack of a community hour signup page has created a hiccup.

PowerSchool offered a plugin called Adaptive Scheduler which would allow Prep students to sign up for community period offerings. Blackbaud does not offer any similar plug-in.

In an attempt to solve this issue, Mr. Ghee said, ?We choose based on some recommendations from schools what systems they have used, and we decided on FlexiSched.?

The transition to FlexiSched has been far from simple for students. When asked to comment about FlexiSched, Thomas Davies ?22 said, ?It works for me, but I know others who have had problems signing up.?

Anthony Hays ?22 said, ?I had trouble signing up at first, I repeatedly clicked on an offering and it would not register.? ?I do think that it is a very good program that is very malleable to our needs,? said Ghee. Mr. Ghee did not want to make a precipitous opinion about the program. ?Things will operate much more smoothly once the company knows our specific needs. We are a very unique institution with very unique needs and therefore I am not ready to make any judgement on it until we go through all the steps to make sure that this is as perfect as possible.?

Student Thomas Davies '22 pointed out some comparative differences between PowerSchool and Blackbaud. He said, ?The grade interface on Blackbaud is more confusing than PowerSchool.? PowerSchool has a matrix view of grades, while in Blackbaud,

grades are presented class by class. He added, ?For the first three weeks of school, Blackbaud only showed grade breakdowns per class, not showing my overall grade in a class. That was annoying.?

English teacher, Ms. Cook touched on the ease of having an integrated student information system and learning management system from a teacher?s perspective. ?I like how I can post the grade directly on the assignment and return the assignment to the student immediately, and not having to input that grade separately,? she said. ?The adjustment to Blackbaud is a gradual one, not without frustration and glitches. Three weeks into the year, I am finding the transition a bit more seamless, and am doing my best to be patient and magnanimous with students and myself during this time!?

The Hawkeye | Thursday, October 8, 2020 |

News | 5

Pinto, L ogan on COVI D College Concer ns

By I an Gomez ?23 It is a sad time to be a small, private college in America.

The situation can be summarized in one word; loss. Big losses. Colleges like the University of Michigan are reporting 400-1 billion dollars worth in loss, and a potential 20% of all the colleges in this country are at risk for closing, half of that from losses associated with COVID-19 alone. Money, students, and the reputation of many fine institutions are all going out the window as the coronavirus continues to disrupt the delicate institutions that have long run many aspects of this country. But, more importantly, what effect will this have on the students entering into the system? What can seniors expect the landscape of the college application and admissions process to look like?

Now these types of questions are at the forefront of the minds of seniors and most importantly, our college counseling department. The big question being; is getting into college any easier or harder than normal? And what can we expect in this year of applications?

To answer this, input from the head of the college counseling department, Mrs. Corinne Logan, as well as Mrs. Courtney Pinto, was required.

To each of them, this question was first posed: How will col-

lege admissions be affected by the coronavirus? ?No, I think it?s going to be harder,? said Pinto, ?for this senior class specifically, I think there are just too many unknowns.? ?I don?t know,? said Logan, ?I think there is a lot to be foreseen. There will be changes, but how those cards fall I think will really depend on a lot of factors.?

The factors she mentioned included the aforementioned financial strain on colleges due to the loss in revenue. However, a big change is that less emphasis is being placed on standardized testing, namely, the SAT. Universities are now choosing to become ?test optional,? with the downside being other aspects of the transcript are being put under more scrutiny, with some, like UC Berkeley, going completely, ?test blind.? The new difficulties in being able to do standardized tests in a coronavirus atmosphere has caused a noticeable shift in how colleges admit students, to focus more on essays, and as Logan put it, ?rigor on the transcript.?

However, in terms of a much bigger question; ?easier or harder?,? the answer is more complicated. Logan put it as ?positives and negatives? and Pinto put it as ?pros and cons.?

The general theme being, the college playing field is

The College Counseling Office has found new ways to make itself available to seniors during the all important college application season.

changed, and those changes both aid and disadvantage the student.

One of those changes is seen in the college visit. ?Simplified? as Logan put it, in regard to how visits are fully virtual, cutting out the hassle of travel and scheduling visits. The con?

College visits are also a major launching point in the search for the ideal school, so more emphasis is being put by the college admissions department on the junior class, in order to more fully prepare them for this new way of doing things.

One point brought up by Pinto was how the ?test optional/blind? system would affect prospective students of different socio- economic

backgrounds. By partially, or even fully, eliminating the need of standardized tests in college applications, the playing field between different socioeconomic levels has been leveled to reflect less on what a family can afford, and more on the student itself. ?It?s going to be really interesting to see whether this becomes a more level playing field,? said Pinto. ?[I]f colleges were forced to go through the test- optional process, and they still are able to build a class hitting all their demographics in terms of majors and regional recruitment, why should they go back to reviewing test scores??

There is a lot of turmoil and

unknowns in this year of applications, and for right now the general theme is this: we don?t know what exactly is going to happen. However, there is still a lot that students can do to put themselves ahead in the college process. ?Do some virtual visits, they can be really helpful,? said Logan. ?And the one thing I say to my family, and students is; it?s going to be okay. No matter what happens, it?s all going to be okay, and we?re here to help! And don?t stress, there?s nothing to stress about right now. So don?t stress, take it one day at a time, and tap into those virtual visits and opportunities, they can be really helpful.?

I nter national Studies Progr ams Put on Pause

By Dan Deeney ?22 Here at the Prep, a sizable portion of the student body has lived in suburbia for their entire lives, which can become a bit mundane after a while.

Other Preppers dwell in Philadelphia, but even city life can be dull at times. This is why so many students take advantage of the Prep?s International Studies programs. These programs expand students? worldviews. They forge connections between students and families in different hemispheres. There are myriad advantages to be gained from participating in one of the Prep's International Studies programs, but unfortunately, like so many other events, they have been hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aiden Vallecillo ?22, who was intending to participate in the Bolivia and Chile expedition, said, ?It?s a shame that the trip got canceled, especially because most of us were really looking forward to it coming up even after we got shut down.? Vallecillo is not the

only student who was still holding onto hopes that the trips would go as planned in March and even in April.

Many students who had signed up to travel to places like Costa Rica and Bonn, Germany were dismayed when the programs were officially called off around the middle of April.

The pandemic was also an obstacle for exchange students, who usually stay at the school for any duration of time between a few weeks and a semester. ?In the four years that I?ve been with the department, we were really showing a lot of improvement,? said Ms. Beza Wossene, Director of International Studies at the Prep. ?We were building relationships with not just Jesuit schools but Catholic schools [in general].

All of those smaller programs where the students were here for a smaller amount of time, where Prep families were their hosts, all of that was canceled this year.?

This is all the more lamenta-

ble considering the great conaccording to Wossene. Two intributions that these students ternational students who opted make, even though they are to return to China for their vironly at the school for a few tual classes have had to adjust months at the most. For into a twelve- hour time stance, students in A.P. Spandifference. ish will miss out on having Still, the International Studies help from their Chilean brothDepartment and the particiers in the class. The French pants in its programs have not and German Club will indulost everything. Many acadebitably regret not having Germic and social man exchange "Two international opportunities students enfor internagage in presentional and dostudents who opted to tations on Germestic students man culture. return to China for have continued All of the their virtual classes during the panPrep?s internademic virtually. tional students have had to adjust to a As Ms. have been adtwelve-hour time Wossene versely afpointed out, fected by the difference." ?Even though pandemic as it?s for a limwell. In fact, the federal govited time, I still meet with stuernment has limited and dedents for what we call Prep layed giving out F- 1 student Language Lab, our version of visas, which are specifically ESL (English as a Second for those coming to the United Language). Something new States for school, due to the and exciting is that even disease. There were a few Chithough our students from Chile nese international students accan?t travel to be with us in the cepted to the Prep that could fall, the Chilean school in Sannot start this year as freshman, tiago is organizing a program

with our A.P. Spanish teacher so that A.P. students can still virtually meet with the students and work on language skills.?

If a vaccine is developed in time for the 2021- 2022 school year, the International Studies Department has tinkered with the idea of sending out forms to Prep families to get a sense of how quickly they might be willing to serve as host families for foreign students. If the pandemic persists into the summer of 2021 or even into next year, there is a possibility that virtual relationships could be developed between families in different countries.

COVID- 19 has induced uncertainty and instability in almost every aspect of our lives.

The International Studies Department has fared no better.

Like everyone else, the department adapted. There are still ways for Prep students to enrich their cultural perspectives, albeit from the confines of their bedrooms.

6 | Features | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | The Hawkeye

(Photo: WI RED)

2020 Su in Re

On May 27, Governor Wolf announced the plans for reopening restaurants and other businesses across the state. It wasn?t until after Labor Day Weekend that restaurants were able to offer indoor dining in New Jersey and Philadelphia.

As schools began to reopen for in- school teaching, cases reached all- time highs among children. Two schools in Geor-

As of September 2020, over 200,000 Americans have fallen victim to the COVID- 19 pandemic.

President Donald Trump is hoping to have a vaccine ready by November, while CDC Director Dr. Redfield and infectious disease expert Dr. Fauci say that it will be likely that we won?t have a vaccine ready to be widely distributed until the spring.

Racial Reckoning On May 25, George Floyd was killed by police after Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for over 8 minutes. Floyd repeatedly told

The death of George Floyd sparked protests that started in Minneapolis, the city where he was murdered, but then spread throughout the country and the rest of the world.

While the majority of protests have been peaceful, demonstrations in a few cities descended into riot ing and looting, with more being marked by street fights and significant police brutality, notably against peaceful protesters and reporters. At least 200 cities in the U.S. had imposed curfews by June 3, while more than 30 states and Washington, D.C, activated over 62,000 National Guard personnel due

Following the death of George Floyd, protesters in Seattle took over 6 blocks and a park and then declared themselves an autonomous-zone on June 8. The zone was known as Capital Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), or Capital Hill Organized Protest (CHOP).

The zone was occupied after the Seattle Police Department left its East Precinct Building.

After a fourth shooting in or near the zone which killed a 16-year-old boy and left a 14year- old boy in critical condition, the mayor decided enough was enough and cleared the zone on July 1.

In Portland, the federal government deployed law enforcement officers and the National Guard for the stated purpose of protecting federal property. Most of the protests in Portland have been peaceful, but some have involved rioting, heated confrontations with police and counter- protesters, sometimes involving injury to protesters and police, and use of tear gas and other weapons.

There were instances of arson, looting, vandalism, and injuries. One person was shot and killed in a clash between protesters and counterprotesters. The deployment was criticized for not clearly identifying officers and for seizing protesters not on or near federal property, including

by Portland's mayor and most of the state's congressional delegation.

Protests continued throughout the summer, with many protesters calling for justice for Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake. Breonna Taylor was shot in her apartment on March 13, after police executed a ?noknock? warrant. It is unclear whether the officers announced their identity, and Taylor?s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired at the police with a legally owned gun. The police fired over 20 shots and hit Breonna Taylor 5 times.

Jacob Blake was shot 7 times in the back on August 23, 2020, in Kenosha, WI. Police responded to a call from Blake?s girlfriend, who said

(Photo: Complex)

The number of cases and deaths has continued to rise over the summer. In June, the US crossed 2 million cases of COVID-19. By the end of August, the US crossed 6 million cases.

After footage from bystanders went viral the following day, the 4 officers involved were fired. Chauvin was initially charged with third-degree murder and second- degree manslaughter, and was later charged with second- degree murder.

to the mass unrest.

(Photo: Allure.com)

Vir us

Colin Smyth ?22 said, ?I am not concerned about catching the coronavirus, but I am worried about my older family members catching it. I prefer being in person for school, but if people continue to test positive we should convert to being fully virtual.?

the officers, ?I can?t breathe,? ?please,? and called out for his mother.

(Photo: Washington Post)

?This year and summer of COVID- 19 and the unstoppable march of climate change has made all of society realize how quickly things can change for the worse,? said Eamon Coffey ?22. This past summer has continued the trend of a stressful year, full of a pandemic and racial reckoning.

gia were forced to close down after a picture of a crowded hallway with few students wearing masks went viral.

(Photo: New York Post)

By Aiden Ander son '22

(Photo: Citizen.org)

(Photo: Forbes)

(Photo: NBA)

(Photo: St. LA Times)

Features

The Hawkeye | Thursday, October 8, 2020 |

Features | 7

ummer eview that he was not permitted to be on the premises and had taken car keys while refusing to give them back. Witnesses also attested that Blake was attempting to break up a fight between women. When police arrived on the scene, they scuffled and tasered Blake. Blake eventually moved to get into his car when he was shot with his 3 children in the backseat. The police claim that Blake was moving to grab a knife, while his lawyer disputed that a knife was in his possession.

Soon after the death of Jacob Blake, protests and riots took place in the town of the shooting, Kenosha. Groups of vigilantes began to appear in the town in order to protect businesses.

Kyle Rittenhouse joined these vigilantes armed with an AR- 15, despite being from Illinois and under the legal age of owning a gun. On August 25, Rittenhouse killed 2 men and injured another, and was charged with first- degree intentional murder, among other charges. His lawyers hold that he was acting in self-

defense.

Election 2020 On June 6, former Vice President Joe Biden officially earned enough delegates to be the Democratic nominee against President Trump in the upcoming November election.

Biden was predicted to win the nomination after dominating the polls on Super Tuesday and Bernie Sanders? subsequent withdrawal from the race.

President Trump held a rally in Tulsa on June 20 amidst the COVID- 19 pandemic, which was his first public rally since March. Critics and health officials warned that as a large public gathering in a confined indoor space, there was a high probability that new COVID19 infections could occur at the event due to the lack of masks and social distancing. Amidst a recent spike in cases in Oklahoma, attendees were required to not hold the Trump campaign responsible for any COVID- 19 exposure at the event.

The original scheduling of the rally on June 19 was considered insensitive due to the Black Lives Matter movement, as it is Juneteenth, a day of celebration honoring the emancipation of African Americans, and Tulsa was the site of a race massacre in 1921.

Citing these concerns, the Trump campaign later delayed the rally to June 20. The rally attracted a smaller audience than projected by the Trump campaign, with an estimate of 6,200 by Tulsa's fire department - in comparison to the arena's capacity of around 19,000.

As promised at a debate against Bernie Sanders in March, Biden picked a woman as his vice president if elected.

The former VP announced California senator Kamala Harris as his running mate on August 11.

The 2020 Democratic National Convention was held from August 17 to 20, 2020, at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, and virtually across the United States. At the con-

vention, delegates of the United States Democratic Party formally chose former vice president Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris as the party's nominees for president and vice president.

Due to the COVID- 19 pandemic in the United States, Republicans? plans to convene a traditional large- scale convention were canceled a few weeks before the convention.

The party held the rest of the events and festivities, including Trump's acceptance speech, remotely from various locations including Fort McHenry and the White House. By tradition, because Republicans currently hold the presidency, their convention was held after the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

A recent crisis in the USPS has caused backlogs and delays in the delivery of mail. The crisis stems primarily from changes implemented by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy shortly after taking office in June 2020. The delays have had substantial legal, political,

economic, and repercussions.

health

There is controversy and speculation about whether the delays are unintended consequences of restructuring operations, or if they were intentionally created for political and/or financial gain. Donald Trump has publicly linked his opposition to emergency funding for the Postal Service to his desire to restrict voting by mail in the 2020 elections.

On August 18, 2020, under heavy political and legal pressure, DeJoy announced that he would be suspending the policy changes until after the November 2020 election. He testified to the Senate on August 21, and to the House of Representatives on August 24, concerning the changes and their effects.

8 | Features | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | The Hawkeye

A Summer of Racial Reckoning Decades of institutional racism in our city and our country came to a boil over this past summer. After several police shootings, Americans flooded the streets of major cities to protest the continuous violence of police against communities of color. The names and stories of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Elijah McCain filled the news and the minds of our country.

In Philadelphia, a few chaotic nights of looting and rioting in late May gave way to a summer of peaceful protests, marches, and slow but substantial change. The extremely controversial Frank Rizzo statue was removed from its location on the steps of the Municipal Services Building after it was vandalized during a protest in May. Throughout the nation, laws have been passed regulating the police and looking into cases of police violence.

Breonna Talyor?s case has been especially poignant. She was a Black woman who was shot and killed during a noknock raid by police in Louisville, Kentucky. One Wednesday September 23rd, one of the officers involved in her killing was indicted by a grand jury on three counts of wanton endangerment, but a great majority of the country felt like it was not enough, for the charges did not even relate to the death. Even those changes which have been made feel insignificant compared to the ever- growing number of

people of color murdered by police. And when the consequences are practically nonexistent, it creates a sense of both hopelessness and renewed anger, driving more people to speak out against the culture of systemic racism that permeates our society.

Bush says, an ?inclusive space,? but ?not a space where you have to think one way.?

Photo: Andrew, AP Harnik AP

By Bobby Woltj en ?22

Closer to home, the Prep was also forced to reckon with the racism that lives within our own halls. Just after the deaths and subsequent protests rocked the nation, an Instagram page, Protesters march on Washington in the wake of the George Floyd Black at the Prep, was created murder. to share stories of the subtle and not- so- subtle racism and you for this page? and that the The Hawkeye reached out to bigotry in our school. The acenvironment in the building is the account?s director, who told count was run and posted different. The fact that there is us about the need he saw. He anonymously, and took subeven a diversity plan of action said that ?...many people were missions from students, staff, is a step in the right direction.? creating platforms for their inparents, and alumni of color.

When asked about how it felt stitutions with the intention of Contributors told of racist Halto be a part of that change, he building a safe space for comloween coscalled it great, tumes, teach- "When you think about representation, you need saying that, ers making to make sure you encapsulate all the aspects of ?I?ve always insensitive believed it?s what that means." comments, important to and white stuleave a place dents un? Mr. Anthony Bush better than abashedly and how it was Director of Diversity unapologetiwhen you enand Inclusion cally using the tered it.? munity members of color to n-word.

In response to the issues that share their stories. As all of For many students, the acour school faces, Mr. Anthony their posts flooded my feed, I count was a wake-up call to the Bush, the new Director of Diknew, even as a recent alum of experiences their peers go versity and Inclusion, created the Prep, that our community through everyday. Aidan Valthe Men for All committee. It desperately needed a wake- up lecilio ?22 said, ?The Black at is a student- led initiative to call.? the Prep account put a spotcreate a new anti- bigotry curHe talked about how the Prep light on the racism that?s prericulum at the Prep. The first has moved forward over this sent at our school and in our semester is to focus on racism, summer, saying that, ?There community. The account is a and classes are divided into a has been much- needed change positive thing for all of us, reseries of advisory sessions in at the Prep. We?ve received gardless of race, especially if which the issues of bias and submissions and messages we want our culture to be more systemic racism will be exfrom students saying ?thank inviting and respectful.? plored. The sessions will be, as

He wants students to be able to make the connection between the Grad at Grad principles and the issues of racism and bigotry in our world. Bush said that he?s looking forward to the school, ?examining the way that that resource and the foundation of our mission speak to these larger issues of inequity.?

Both Mr. Bush and Fr. Frederico, SJ discussed the importance of diversity and representation. Mr. Bush called it one of the biggest issues at the Prep, saying that, ?When you think about representation, you need to make sure you encapsulate all the aspects of what that means.? And Fr. Frederico said that, ?When we have a diverse population, our conversations are better. When you have a diverse population, our attention to the world is more sharp and clear.?

Both the Prep and America are at a turning point, and it should be the choice of all people to get on the right side of history. As the school begins to examine our biases and the issues of systemic racism in our world, we need to, as Fr. Chuck put it, ?see the other with dignity.?

Only then, can we begin to, as Mr. Bush said, ?Connect [our] faith to how they show up to social justice causes and work to find common ground and understanding.?

Joe's Guide to Voter Registr ation

By Joseph M assaua ?21

A message for students who will be 18 by November 3:

The election is fast approaching! Regardless of your political affiliation, it is crucial to vote. Your vote matters! Pennsylvania is a swing state this cycle, important for either President Trump or Vice President Biden to win to ensure victory in the electoral college. In 2016, Pennsylvania was decided by less than 45,000 votes out of 6 million cast! (.72%) With that in mind, here is some information to get you started on the road to becoming an active and engaged citizen. The election day is November 3, 2020, however in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, early voting has already begun, and you can cast your vote now! Before you vote, you must first ensure that you are registered. You can check your registration status online at either state?s election commission website or register in less than two minutes!

On the day of the election (if you choose to vote in person) you must bring an approved form of identification if you are a first time voter at a precinct. Each voter is assigned to a geographical precinct near their house, from which you will cast your ballot if voting in person. Even if you will not be 18 by November 3rd, (myself included) there are opportunities to be a poll worker if you are 17. Reach out to me if you are interested in doing this! The Prep community needs to come together not only so that we ourselves can vote, but so that members of the local community can too--your vote really does matter!

Pennsylvania Registration deadlines Online: Oct. 19 By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 19 In person: Oct. 19 Absentee ballot deadlines Request: Oct. 27 Return by mail: Postmarked by Nov. 3 Return in person: Nov. 3 by 8:00 p.m.

K EY DATES:

New Jer sey

Registration deadlines Online: Oct. 13 By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 13 In person: Oct 13.

Absentee ballot deadlines Request: Oct. 23 Return by mail: Postmarked by Nov. 3 Return in person: Nov. 3 by 8:00 p.m..

IF VOTING BY MAIL, PLEASE PUT YOUR BALLOT IN THE ENVELOPE AND ENCLOSE IT IN THE SECONDARY SECURITY ONE TO BE COUNTED. (otherwise, it is a naked ballot and may not be tallied).

YOU MUST REGISTER TO VOTE AHEAD OF TIME: PA by October 19, NJ by October 13.

The Hawkeye | Thursday, October 8, 2020 |

Entertainment | 9

Entertainment Remember ing Chadwick Boseman

Playlists at the Prep

Often lost in the sauce is the fact that teachers are real people, too? people who listen to music. In this recurring segment, The Hawkeye features songs from a faculty or staff member's playlist. Consider adding these to your own playlist!

Compiled By Benicio Beatty '21

M r. Bush 1.

Candy Rain

M r. Dushel 1.

Soul For Real 2. That Thing

The Temper Tr ap 2. Monsoon

Laur yn Hill 3.

When You Touch Me

Jack Johnson 3.

Br andy As a catalyst for cultural change and an inspiration for all, Boseman's sudden passing was certainly difficult to comprehend.

By Jimmy K ing ?21 Chadwick Boseman, the beloved actor and pioneer for Black representation in film, died on August 28 at the age of 43. Boseman died after a long battle with colon cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2016.

He persevered through the fatal disease, playing many of his onscreen characters in between rounds of chemotherapy. His condition worsened as his cancer progressed from Stage III to Stage IV. He died peacefully, surrounded by close family.

Boseman played two of the most prominent roles in recent cinematic history, the first being the role of Jackie Robinson in the film 42. His portrayal of the first African American Major League Baseball player will not be forgotten.

The MLB went so far as to write on Twitter, ?[Boseman?s] transcendent performance in 42 will stand the test of time and serve as a powerful vehicle to tell Jackie?s story to audiences for generations to come.? Boseman died on the day that the MLB celebrated Jackie Robinson day.

Another notable character played by Boseman is King T?Challa in Black Panther, a film from the Marvel Cine-

matic Universe. Black Panther is one of the most successful Marvel movies, starring Michael B. Jordan alongside Boseman. The film was able to extend beyond the screen, boasting chart- topping songs

by Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, SZA, and many more.

After his impressive performance, Boseman became the face of a cultural movement centered around King T?Challa and Black Panther.

Boseman?s legacy will live on forever. A graduate of Howard University, Boseman became a true contributor to the Black Lives Matter movement. His roles in 42 and Black Panther gave a new face to the superhero concept, empowering members of the African American community to work for what they feel is right. The global community mourned his death together, with massive support over social media sent to his family and friends.

Chadwick Boseman will be missed, but his legacy will live on forever.

4. I'm So Into You

Vibez

4. Apar tment Young the Gian 5.

Dababy 6. Put Your Hands Wher e My Eyes Could See Busta Rhymes 7.

Gossip Folks Missy Elliot

8. Captain Hook Megan Thee Stallion 9. To Live & Die in L.A. 2Pac 10. Ready or Not The Fugees 11. Time Fetty Wap 12. Or Nah Ty Dolla $ign 13. Lions, Tiger s, & Bear s Jazmine Sullivan 14. Ear ly 2k Chr is Brown 15. The Weekend SZA

Never Let You Go Third Eye Blind

SWV 5.

Pr ovidence

Smile Like You Mean It The Killer s

6. Looker s The Menzinger s 7.

Dir ty Water The Standells

8. Hold On Alabama Shakes 9. We Move Like the Ocean Bad Suns 10. Lear ning How to Love Colony House 11. Just Like Heaven The Cure 12. Oper ator (That?s Not the Way it Feels) Jim Croce 13. Take On Me a- ha 14. Boyish Japanese Breakfast 15. 10,000 Candles in the Wind (bye, bye Lil?Sebastian) Mouse Rat

10 | Entertainment | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | The Hawkeye

Get to K now the Editor s

Ma t t Ba e '2 1

Be n ic io Be a t t y '2 1

G a r r e t t Mc Closkey '2 1

Mur p hy Bonne r '2 2

Bobby Wolt j e n '2 2

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Co- Junior Managing Editor

Co- Junior Managing Editor

Benicio Beatty: Germantown, Philadelphia. Our Mother of Consolation.

Garrett McCloskey: Villanova. Ss. Colman-John Neumann.

Murphy Bonner: Havertown.

Haverford Middle School.

Bobby Woltjen: Moorestown. William Allen Middle School.

Daniel Sponseller: Lansdale (The Dirty Dale). Gwynedd Mercy Academy.

Alex Currie Media.

St. Mary Magdalen.

Nile Andah: Philadelphia.

Waldron Mercy Academy.

Connor Siemien: Northeast Philadelphia. St. Laurentius.

Stephen Cain: Yardley. St. Ignatius of Antioch.

Matt Bae sending balls into orbit.

(Photo: Campbell Bonner)

(Photo: Upper Dublin Sports Center)

Matt Bae: Cleveland, Ohio. Gesu Catholic School.

(Photo : CBS This Morning)

Hometown?

Grade school?

Murphy Bonner trys to enjoy pancakes from The Hearth in Havertown, but the paparazzi finds him first.

What clubs/sports do you partake in?

MB '21: Tennis, TheHawkeye, Mission and Ministry, Prep Med

Garrett McCloskey found a way to watch a Phillies game and honked an airhorn at players while standing on a ladder. Whatta loser.

What kept you occupied during a quarantine summer?

BB: Mission and Ministry, Ultimate Frisbee, For All Advisory Committee, and TheHawkeye!

MB '21: Working out.

GM: TheHawkeye, Rugby, Film & TV Discussion Club, 17th and Girard Studios, Prep Dems, Prep Republicans, Writing Lab

GM: Hiking, caddying, and a lotta news reading

MB '22: Rugby, JSA, TheHawkeye, Pax Christi, Writing Lab, and the Men for All Committee

BB: Training for and running a marathon!

DS: Open Discussion Club (founder), Cape and Sword, Pep Band, Jazz Band, Concert Band, Treblemakers, Church Choir, running for Student Council President, and obviously The Hawkeye AC: TheHawkeye, Mission and Ministry, Writing Lab

AC: Taking a class, getting outside, and going to the shore.

NA: Cape and Sword, BLCC, Prep Dems, Mission and Ministry Leadership Board, The For All Advisory Committee, and The Hawkeye!

NA: Our weekly meetings for the For All Advisory committee, going to work, and trying to learn sign language.

CS: SAT prep (RIP), some light volunteering for the Biden campaign, Call of Duty, reading, and running.

SC: Playing in golf tournaments, going to the beach with my dog, and playing Madden.

SC: Varsity Golf, WSJP, SJP Writing Lab, and TheHawkeye

(Photo: Geoff Beatty)

AC: Never really got into podcasts.

NA: WeDon?t Biteand FiveThirtyEight Politics CS: FiveThirtyEight Politics, TheTicket, and American Elections WickedGame SC: Tiny Meat Gang and TheJoeRogan Experience

MB '21: Drug companies conspire to keep people sick to reap profits.

MB '21: Alone

MB '22: The government runs the dairy industry and uses Got Milk propaganda to sell its surplus of dairy products even though we are the only mammals who drink milk after infancy.

(Photo: Christine Woltjen)

DS: Spotify is solely for music.

Name a game show that you would win.

GM: Stevie Wonder is not blind.

Benicio Beatty ran a freakin' MARATHON this summer!!! Here he is refueling at Mile 15.

GM: ThePressBox and FiveThirtyEight Politics

What conspiracy theory do you most strongly believe in?

BB: I?m from another universe where TheBerenstain Bearsis spelled ?Berenstein?

Bobby Woltjen poses in an epic-ly cool way with his epic-ly cool sweatshirt after a hearty Italian meal in Florence.

BB: TheTedRadioHour on repeat

BW: I don?t do podcasts. If it?s not in writing, it?s not for me.

MB '22: Beach(ing?), gardening, chopping wood, Men For All meetings, and Hamilton

DS: Well, I was stuck down the shore for the whole summer, which might sound great, until you realize that there was literally no one else down there for much of the summer. I was so bored for much of the summer, and I actually wanted to go back to PA (that?s how bad it was). I did work as a cashier at Hoy?s in Ocean City though.

CS: Cape and Sword (Housing Staff, shoutout Mr. Lederer), Prep Democrats, Open Discussion Club and TheHawkeye.

MB '21: TheJoeRogan Experience, History Hyenas, GeniusBrain, and Thursday Afternoon Monday MorningPodcast

MB '22: CodeSwitch, Constitutional, The Daily, Philosophize This, TimeSuck, Fomo Sapiens, and Windsof Change, Leaflets

BW: Reading, writing, and some more reading.

BW: TheHawkeye, History Club, Mock Trial, Forensics, Pax Christi, Church Choir, and the Men for All Committee

What does your podcast lineup look like?

BB: I?d definitely crush it on Survivor GM: TheAmazingRace MB '22: AreYouSmarter Than a 5thGrader?

BW: Jeopardy!

BW: The government is hiding a whole lot of stuff that would terrify us if we knew that it existed.

DS: American Ninja Warrior, because from my activities you can clearly see that I?m extremely athletic.

DS: The government uses airplanes to spray chemicals in the air in order to limit our intelligence (chemtrails).

AC: ThePriceIsRight

AC: Our technology is absolutely always listening to us.

NA: Jeopardy!

NA: The Mandela Effect. Also birds are 100% government-issued drones.

CS: Aliens built Stonehenge.

CS: Give me like three months to study trivia and I think I could win a round of the Jeopardy! Teen Tournament.

SC: That we live in a simulation like in that one Rick and Morty episode.

SC: Definitely Wipeout. I?m very quick and agile.

The Hawkeye | Thursday, October 8, 2020 |

Entertainment | 11

Q& A

D a n ie l Sp onse lle r '2 1

Alex Cur r ie '2 1

Nile And a h '2 1

Connor S ie mie n '2 1

S t ep he n Ca in '2 2

News Editor

Features Editor

Entertainment Editor

Opinion/Debate Editor

Sports Editor

How long is your longest Spotif y playlist?

Who is your f avorite movie character?

MB '21: 14 hours, 16 minutes

BB: Max Fischer (Jason Shwartzman), Rushmore

BB: Apple Music is better, but y?all aren?t ready for that conversation yet?

GM: Longfellow Deeds (Adam Sandler), Mr. Deeds

GM: 8 hours, 45 minutes

BW: Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), Indiana Jones: Raiders of theLost Ark

MB '21: White Goodman (Ben Stiller), Dodgeball

MB '22: Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), Back totheFuture

MB '22: 4 hours, 25 minutes

DS: David Rose (Daniel Levy) from Schitt?sCreek (I know it?s a TV show, but he?s too iconic to ignore)

BW: 11 hours, 10 minutes, 19 seconds and growing longer by the day.

DS: Rather lengthy,

AC: Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), ThereWill Be Bloodor Detective Gamble (Will Ferrell), TheOther Guys

AC: 4 and 1/2 hours

NA: Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey), BruceAlmighty

NA: 689 songs, 42 hours and 36 minutes...abolish theater kids.

CS: Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), Taxi Driver SC: Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler), Happy Gilmore

CS: 4 hours, 7 minutes.

SC: Apple Music is better because facts don?t care about your feelings.

Connor Siemien (far left) poses in front of a wall that he defaced. (For legal purposes, that is a joke. The squad was simply enjoying nature. That's all.)

What is your go-to quarantine meal?

MB '21: Grilled Chicken and Rice BB: Roast Beef Sandwich GM: BBQ Chicken Pizza MB '22: Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak BW: Any type of hot sandwich DS: Risking my life by leaving my house and going to Chipotle AC: Grilled Cheese NA: Salmon and Mashed Potatoes Dan Sponseller (right) believes Patches (left) could beat Iggy in a fight, should the opportunity arise.

"Here's a picture of me riding a bike in the summer.

I think it has some comedic potential," wrote Stephen Cain.

CS: Scrambled eggs SC: A nice PB&Jsandwich

Alex Currie after a tiring day of intense wedding crashing.

What is the best song f rom the iconic 2006-2013 music era?

Who is your f avorite media personality?

What is the most underrated place at the Prep?

MB '21: ?Take a Walk?by Passion Pit

MB '21: Dave Chappelle

MB '21: St. Michael's Room

BB: ?Get Lucky?by Daft Punk feat.

Pharrell Williams

BB: Hasan Minhaj from Patriot Act and TheDaily Show

BB: 5th floor J-Hall window

GM: ?Airplanes?by B.o.B. ft. Hayley Williams

GM: Scott van Pelt from ESPN

MB '22: ?Forget You?by CeeLo Green

MB '22: John Oliver from Last Week Tonight withJohn Oliver

BW: ?We are Young?by fun.

DS: ?The Way?by Ariana Grande AC: ?Good Life?by OneRepublic

GM: Raffa's Corner MB '22: Library Cubicles/Tables BW: The Gesu, easily the coolest place overall

BW: John Oliver

DS: The 17th Street doors

DS: Michael Che from SNL

AC: It was the CFL

AC: Al Pacino

NA: ?She?s So Gone?from Lemonade Mouth without question

NA: Alex Trebek

CS: ?Rolling in the Deep?by Adele

CS: John Oliver

SC: ?DJGot Us Fallin in Love?by Usher

SC: Will Ferrell

NA: The Theater CS: Center for Learning (CFL) Nile Andah looks at a picture he snapped of an oddly large New York City squirrel.

SC: The upstairs library

12 | Entertainment | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | The Hawkeye

What's New in Streaming?

Deaf U is a Netflix original documentary series that centers itself around a close group of friends who are deaf or hard of hearing. These young adults are all undergraduates at Gallaudet University, a university for the deaf and hard of hearing, in Washington D.C.. This one-of-a-kind docuseries invites the audience into deaf culture and the struggles that those with hearing loss face, as well as the struggles of regular college students. The 8 episodelong Season 1 of Deaf U streams in the U.S. on October 9.

On October 16th, Helstrom, a new Hulu original series begins streaming.

In this action-packed series based on the Marvel comic ?The Son of Satan.''

Damion Heltrom and his sister Ana have to fight against an evil their mother unleashed on the world. This second team-up between Marvel and Hulu follows their encounters with monsters as well as their quest to find out more about their past.

AM C Theater s Reopen, Tenet Among New Releases

(Photo : Wiki Commons)

Following the COVID- 19 breakout throughout the US, all non- essential businesses, including restaurants, gyms, and movie theaters closed down for the time being. Until recently, most movies that were supposed to be released were held back temporarily until theaters reopened so that they could make back production costs. Even large theater chains such as AMC were on the brink of bankruptcy for a little while.

AMC Theatres had to close all of its 661 U.S. locations in March.

Some releases, such as Disney's Mulan, skipped being released in theaters and went straight to streaming services instead. Mulan was also the target of a boycott after the star actress, Liu Yifei, shared posts in support of the Hong Kong police, during large scale prodemocracy protests in Hong Kong. That combined with the streaming only release caused the film to only make around $30 million back of its $200 million budget in the first

week. Other movies, however, chose to wait until theaters reopened.

Among those were Christopher Nolan's Tenet, the timebending spy thriller that I was able to see a few weeks back.

The movie follows a man referred to as the protagonist as he attempts to stop a catastrophic event backed by a Russian oligarch with a god complex by manipulating time to his advantage. Toying with time isn?t a first for Nolan, as he?s done it in many of his films from 2001?s Memento to 2014?s Interstellar. While the movie had great set pieces, stunning visuals, and good performances by John David Washington, Robert Pattinson (who will star as the next Batman in 2021), and other co-

stars, it suffered from subpar sound mixing, which caused many viewers to have trouble understanding what was said at times, making the already confusing plot even harder to follow. The set pieces are amazing, ranging from an explosive airport heist to a thrilling car chase, both made even more entertaining (and confusing) with the idea of time reversal.

The soundtrack is great, with heavy synths and bass erupting with every movement. It?s not a very emotional movie, and won?t be tugging at the heartstrings, or making heavy commentary on society, but it?s entertaining and will definitely leave you confused.

Time is at the forefront of Tenet, from the very first scene in which the protagonist wit-

nesses a bullet go backwards into a gun. The how is explained briefly, and unless you spend your free time studying physics and the process of entropy inversion, you probably won?t understand how the bullet moves backwards, and you won?t have to. Many scenes are filled with reverse fighting, reverse bullets, and reversed explosions, which will likely confuse you, as it confused me when I watched it. But it works, and it makes for a very interesting twist on the average spy movie.

One of my biggest complaints was the sound mixing.

In many scenes the music and background audio overshadows the dialogue, which a lot of the time was covering important plot points. Not hearing those made an already mind bending film even more con-

TENET RATI NG:

8/10 fusing. From a movie with a budget high enough to crash an actual Boeing 747 instead of using CGI, you would expect them not to overlook something as trivial as sound mixing, but it?s nothing new for Nolan. After Interstellar, fans had the same complaints, and Nolan responded saying that he wanted to emphasize how loud the background noise was.

For those who enjoyed other Nolan films such as The Dark Knight, Inception, or 2014?s Interstellar (which received 8 Oscar nominations), or anybody looking for an interesting action thriller, I would strongly recommend this. It isn?t Nolan's best film, but it?s a great puzzle of a movie with some minor flaws, and it's a new movie, something we haven?t seen much for most of this year.

(Photo : CNet.com)

By K ier an Hicks '23

As the cases began to go down in August, some chains decided to open back up again with new safety precautions.

Masks and spaced seating are just some of the changes being made to make sure that theaters don?t become the next breeding ground for COVID19 cases.

(Photo : Comingsoon.com)

On October 20th, the third and final season of the Amazon Prime original, Red Oaks, will be available to stream.

This quirky comedy set in a 1980?s country club follows David as he navigates growing up and finding his role in and outside of his job as a tennis instructor. Red Oaks is loosely based on its creator's, Gregory Jacobs, life as a young tennis pro at a country club.

(Photo : HotLifestyleNews.com)

(Photo : Wikipediacom)

This October the Netflix original Mank about the making of Orson Welles?most famous film, Citizen Kane, is set to start streaming. The biographical drama focuses on the strenuous relationship between the film?s screenwriter, Herman J. Mankiewicz, and its director, Orson Welles.

Specifically, Mankiewicz's battle with alcoholism and gambling addiction as well as his efforts to get adequate credit for his work on Citizen Kane.

The release date has not been officially set as of print.

A sneaker- obsessed stay- at- home dad named Devin succumbs to old and expensive habits when a long lost friend reappears. In this action-packed comedy series from Netflix, a rag- tag group of sneakerheads is in search of an infamous pair of Jordan?s that possess the power to change all of their lives. Season 1 of Sneakerheads streams on September 26.

(Photo : AmazonPrimeVI deo.com)

On October 31, Season 2 of the Emmy award- winning hit, The Mandalorian, will be available on Disney Plus.

Watch as Din Djarin, aka The Mandalorian, the Child, aka Baby Yoda, and a new host of characters venture out into unknowns of space in search of mysterious people called Jedi. The Jedi may be the only way for Baby Yoda to find his family, but are a long lost enemy of the Mandalorians.

(Photo : The Hollwood Reporter)

(Photo : Mashable.com)

By M ur phy Bonner '22

Director Christopher Nolan brings a unique twist to the spy genre in Tenet, one of the summer 's most anticipated movies.

The Hawkeye | Thursday, October 8, 2020 |

The Hawkword

Entertainment | 13

Cr uciver balist: Rober t Woltj en '22 Note: Spaces not included

Across

1. Traditional Danish shoe 2. Most common tree in the US 4. I?m so hungry, I could eat a _____ 7. Newspaper of Washington D.C. 10. String instrument slightly larger than a violin 11. Civil War battle fought in Tenessee 14. 2019?s best selling car 17. Animal known for its long neck 19. Opposite of yellow 20. Found at the front of a train Down 1. Cowboy accessory

8. Longest river in the Northeast

3. Capital of Idaho

9. Genre pioneered by Buddy Holly

5. President in elected in 1920 6. Language family stemming from Latin

12. School where John Keating taught

13. Team against whom D'Andre Swift '17 scored his first touchdown 14. Zodiac sign of someone born of Christmas

16. Who you might be 21. Roman emperor who built a greeted by in a hotel lobby

wall

18. Shirt of choice for a lumberjack 20. Captain Quint's boat

15. Marty McFly's ride

22. 2020 Libertarian presidential candidate 24. Hooded snake

Faculty Gr id

By Nile Andah '21

M s. DiGiovanni

M r. K uncken

M s. Becker

M r. Hensler

Hometown?

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Point Pleasant, NJ

Singapore

Collingswood, NJ

Favor ite ice cream flavor ?

Rum and Raisin

Cookie Dough

Coffee

Banana Cookie Dough or Chunky Monkey

Best song from your Summer 2020 playlist?

I didn?t add any new songs to my playlist; however, any song by Gary Allan is the best song for me

?The Bigger Picture? by Lil Baby

?Down To The River to Pray?

by Allison Krauss

Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)

by Looking Glass

Mrs. San Chirico, Cura Personalis & Cura Urbi

I've always wanted to teach at a Jesuit school. I did my undergraduate work at Saint Joseph's University and my Jesuit training is critical to the way I look at and understand the world.

What drew you to the Prep?

I considered it an opportunity to engage with students and a community where education is prioritised

the Prep's commitment to justice and the refinement of the mind

14 | Entertainment |Thursday, October 8, 2020 | The Hawkeye

This Summer in M usic Another noteworthy album released was the first of\possibly multiple posthumous albums from the late rapper Juice Wrld, who passed away in December of 2019.

(Photo : Grade A Productions | I nterscope Records)

The unfortunate trend of posthumous albums from rappers who were gone too soon has been very prevalent in the music scene for the past four years, and some rather lackluster outputs from the estates of XXXTentacion and Lil Peep only fueled the exploitative trend that is the posthumous album.

However, sometimes they are done in a respectful manner and do not capitalize on dead artist?s work, like Mac Miller?s fantastic Circles and Pop Smoke?s Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon. Luckily, Legends Never Die is more like Pop Smoke?s album than X?s album. Legends Never Die features some of the summer?s biggest hits including ?Wishing Well?, and some of the best features of Juice?s career, such as The Kid Laroi, The Weeknd, Trippie Redd, and Polo G. While the album was far from Juice Wrld?s best or biggest, it solidified him as an important artist of his generation and a

Legends Never Die is the third studio album by rapper Juice Wrld, who died in December 2019. The album was released posthumuously in July 2020. It debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.

(Photo : Charles Fox | The Philadelphia I nquirer)

SLUGGI SH from page 1

This summer concert and music festival scene was desolate, but it was not completely quiet. Drive-in concerts popped up across the country. In Philadelphia, The Struts, AJR, Dark Star Orchestra, and others performed concertgoers confined to their cars in the parking lot of Citizens Bank Park. Above: The Struts perform on August 22. talent gone far too soon.

While The Weeknd?s latest album, After Hours, was not released in the summer, it gained acclaim and success throughout the spring and summer. His biggest year since 2016?s Starboy and his best album since his massively successful Beauty Behind the Madness, After Hours was filled with emotional vocals and sonically enticing production. Hits such as ?Blinding Lights? and ?Heartless? are some of his biggest and best in

years. The persona he has been putting on in his music videos and performances in support of ?After Hours,? which takes inspiration from films such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Casino, have also added to the brilliant aesthetic of the album.

The Weeknd has also seen success from features on Juice Wrld?s ?Smile? and Calvin Harris? ?Over Now?. While he is receiving massive success from this album, he unfortunately has not had the opportu-

nity to tour it yet, and ride out the success with live performances.

Summer 2020 may not have lived up to the expectations of the summers of years passed, but it was certainly a summer to remember for reasons both good and bad, and the music that was released during it is a huge part of the legacy of 2020.

Follow @SJPHawkeye on Twitter for Exclusive Content & Online I ssues!

The Hawkeye Staff of 2020-2021 St. Joseph's Prepar ator y School 1733 West Gir ar d Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19130 Editor s-in-Chief

Enter tainment Editor

Alfonso Procaccino '21

Colin Birkmire '23

Matthew Bae '21

Nile Andah '21

Liam Stephens '21

Luke Gallagher '23

Joseph Tagliferro '22

Ian Gomez '23

Opinion-Debate Editor

Aiden Anderson '22

Kieran Hicks '23

Connor Siemien '21

Seamus Blaney '22

Liam Holden '23

Matthew Corr '22

Jake Wisniewski '23

I f you are interested in contr ibuting mater ials to The Hawkeye, contact an editor or our email (below) to submit an ar ticle, photogr aph, or to wr ite a letter to the editor.

L etter s should not exceed 600 wor ds. hawkeye@sj prep.or g

Benicio Beatty '21 Garrett McCloskey '21

Junior M anaging Editor s Murphy Bonner '22

Spor ts Editor

Caleb Datto '22

Matteo DeJesse '24

Robert Woltjen '22

Stephen Cain '22

Danny Deeney '22

Antoine Robinson '24

Brennan Fitzgerald '22

Mason Sullivan '24

News Editor

Staff Wr iter s

Andrew Flanagan '22

Daniel Sponseller '21

Kieran Dougherty '21

Daniel Law '22

M oder ator s

Matt Hopkins '21

Andrew Sergovic '22

Mr. Leo Vaccaro '05

Features Editor

Andrew Kallmeyer '21

Ethan Spillane '22

Mr. Kevin Kearney '06

Alex Currie '21

Jimmy King '21

Corbin Taylor '22

Joe Massaua '21

Bobby Woltjen '22

All mater ials pr inted by The Hawkeye are intended to both enter tain and infor m the Prep community as well as cultivate an environment that gener ates meaningful and productive discussion. The opinions and beliefs expressed in the adver tisements and ar ticles in this publication do not necessar ily reflect the values or mission of The Hawkeye Student Newspaper of St. Joe's Prep.

The Hawkeye | Thursday, October 8, 2020 |

Opinion/Debate | 15

Opinion/Debate Opinion: Commit to Prep Ser vice!

By Benicio Beatty '21 In this unpredictable time, one thing remains consistent both globally and nationally: the struggle of those most impacted by COVID- 19. How amazing would it be to have over 900 young men that are all fully committed to lessening the effects of the pandemic on the most vulnerable?

I would like to encourage everyone to take advantage of this ?slowed down? time to get closer to God and neighbor through the Ignatian Service opportunities this fall. With a number of previously scheduled activities being unfortunately canceled or moved to later months, there?s an abundance of time for Prep students to apply themselves in other ways.

In response to the extracurricular deficit, Mr. Woods, the Associate Campus Minister for Ignatian Service, has kept the opportunities for service hours flooding in with weekly block clean- ups, food drives, and much more. Service may look a little different this fall, but that?s no reason not to get excited about it. ?During these times, I find it very important for our young men to be involved in service, because serving those that are less fortunate, really helps them live a

first floor of J- Hall. Simply make it a point to stop by and identify service opportunities that you have interest in. That way, Mr. Woods can bring more of what students love to the table.

Freshmen unload boxed meals during one of Mr. Wood's Saturday service opportunities. life of gratitude,? said Woods. ?These times are tough and we are challenged in a number of ways, but our circumstances do not compare to what a great deal of our neighbors are facing.?

Many athletic associations, including the Philadelphia Catholic League (which the Prep is affiliated with) made the decision to proceed with sports cautiously. Though a few Prep teams have found ways to safely return to play,

many have been put on pause, leaving a gaping hole in the after- school schedules of nearly 70% of our student body. Why not use that time to pack a backpack for an elementary schooler or put together a toiletries kit for a homeless family?

Opportunities such as these are easy to get connected to through the Prep?s Office of Mission and Ministry. For all you new members of the Prep Community, it?s located on the

Sure, the ?old ways? of doing service may be unavailable during the pandemic, but the ?new normal? has also brought a number of novel and unique opportunities to the table that weren?t nearly as common just one year ago. For example, virtual school days have allowed students to leverage the time saved from their would-be commute to tutor a fellow peer or grade- schooler over Zoom.

Even space during the virtual school day can be utilized for service. Students with a free period can go out for a quick block clean- up, and convince their family to join them. I tried this with my younger siblings last week and found out just how rewarding it was to be spending time with my family as stewards of God?s creation.

In addition, service opportunities can be found beyond the Prep community. Perhaps you stumble upon an issue that you?re suddenly super passionate about and get connected with a related outside organization. That?s exactly what Colin Biddle ?21 did. As an Eagle Scout, he spent the

past month constructing a prayer path at a local convent. ?My favorite part was seeing the grateful faces of the nuns we served,? said Biddle. ?I know it sounds clichĂŠ, but it?s really amazing what we can do when we work together for a great cause!? Service opportunities don?t have to be arduous tasks that you do to simply check a box. If you tie in into something you love, I guarantee you?ll enjoy doing it a lot more!

Admittedly, these service opportunities may look different to the Gesu visits or open house tours that you?ve grown accustomed to, but that?s okay!

These new options are fresh and intriguing ways to better get to know the Prep Community and your own local community. Whether it?s tutoring online or going out to clean your neighborhood, I challenge you to pack your schedule with time spent in service to others.

Start leaning into these roles, and it?ll slowly become more than fulfilling a service hour requirement, it?ll become a lifelong mindset.

Be on the lookout for more service opportunities from the Office of Mission and Ministry via email or their brand new Instagram account! You can follow here @sjprep_ignatianservice

Take TikTok Off Chopping Block

By Andrew K allmeyer '21 Not a day goes by without one of your friends shoving their phone in your face, telling you that you need to watch a TikTok video they found funny. In many ways, it has consumed our social media usage with its addicting 5- 10 second videos. TikTok has mastered what so many social media sites before it failed to perfect- - the art of simple, quick user stimulation. Taking it away would be a nonsensical and unnecessary change to our way of life.

Important to note is the fact that TikTok has swiftly taken over the social media scene over the past few years. It quickly climbed app store charts in early 2019, and has currently amassed over 800 million active users, which rivals even Mark Zuckerberg?s Facebook empire. Think about

it--when someone sends you a funny video, more often than not, it?s coming from TikTok.

American corporations like Facebook have also repeatedly sold the data of their users to China. Zuckerberg made it known in 2012 that he shares data with several major Chinese corporations, some of which have been flagged by US Intel as untrustworthy companies (particularly Huawei, a cell phone manufacturer). There?s speculation that this data sharing has some amount of cash involved.

While not the most important of reasons, it still should be remembered that TikTok is a way of life now for America?s youth. To take it away would be like taking away Facebook from the Gen X age group, or Twitter from Millennials.

More importantly, the fears that are perpetuating a demand for the recall of TikTok are completely irrational. Many claim that TikTok and similar apps, which partially operate out of China, are using our data to spy on Americans. This is an issue for a few reasons, perhaps the most important being that this idea of data stealing is nothing new. The New York Times cites that Facebook exposed the information of 87 million users to the strategic communication firm Cam-

Despite calls to remove TikTok from the app store, Andrew Kallmeyer '21 argues it should not be banned. Photo: Junior Dawson Sakowski poses in a "viral" Tiktok video that garnered 760,000 views. bridge Analytica in order to target their customers with

more user specific ads and political posts.

Long story short, the executive push to ban TikTok is not only harmful, but irrationally harmful.

Concerns about American data are legitimate until you realize that these reservations have nothing to do with the safety of American constituents and everything to do with the interest of major American corporations. Truth be told, TikTok is probably the least of your data stealing worries.

16 | Opinion/Debate | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | The Hawkeye

Holden: End I n-Per son Classes long shutdown. And when that concludes the cycle will repeat itself, infecting more students.

Masks, temperature checks, and spaced out desks have become the norm for students, but sophomore Liam Holden contends the only way to keep students truly safe is to terminate in-person instruction.

By L iam Holden '23 It is the responsibility of a school to prioritize the wellbeing of its students above all else. By reopening this fall and risking the health and safety of the student body, St. Joe?s Prep has failed to meet that responsibility. By remaining open, the Prep continues to jeopardize the health of students, their families, faculty and staff, and the city we proudly call home.

If the Prep is to meet this moral imperative, the administration must indefinitely shift the school to a remote learning model without hesitation.

Reopening was never a reasonable position.

Philadelphia school districts understood this, which led them to make the wise choice of remaining virtual for at least the beginning of their school year. Many of the public high schools in neighboring Montgomery County also understood this, which is why

around 85% of them chose to open virtually. Considering that the Philadelphia Health Department still classifies Philadelphia as having a ?high risk of community transmission,? these decisions are unsurprising.

It begs the question: why did the Prep reopen? What exactly made the school so intent on reopening, or so sure they could contain the virus?

I would suggest it comes down to a single thing: money.

Since the Prep is a private institution, it must bring in money. Closing it, the administration reasoned, would make it difficult to justify the tuition and could give families reason to leave, risking the bottom line. It was a calculation many private schools made, with over 95% of private high schools in my home town of Montgomery County choosing to reopen compared to less than 15% of public schools.

This is unfortunate, since it

was a shortsighted calculation.

How shortsighted? We now know that a student came into school on their very first day with COVID- 19, so I would say incredibly shortsighted.

And while we hope he, and the other student who reportedly had COVID- 19, did not transmit it to any other students, we cannot know that for sure because exposed students are not required to be tested for the virus before returning to school. Not only does this prevent the school community from understanding the effectiveness of the school?s mitigation strategies, but it also poses a serious health risk. Any one of the exposed students could have brought COVID- 19 back into school with them at the conclusion of the school?s short shutdown. And they would doubtless have gone on to infect more students.

What will this lead to? Nothing but another cursory week-

Any students exposed to COVID- 19 is too many students exposed to COVID- 19.

The Prep should not be facilitating this danger.

Further, there is no justified educational basis for reopening. Despite the frequently espoused narrative that a return to school is critical to a strong education, a Harvard/Brown study of online learning in the spring has shown students? math progress here in Pennsylvania actually increased under online learning. Clearly the issue is not so cut and dry as we would be led to believe. And while I do not deny that an online education is not the same as an in- person one, I am not convinced that the difference justifies risking students?lives.

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep)

That is unacceptable.

Some, however, would suggest that there is little to no risk for students. This notion, while comforting, is simply not true. Though the rate of COVID- 19 cases requiring hospitalization is low in those under 18, public health official Dr. Anthony Fauci has stressed that young people are still faced with serious risks. ?We?d better be careful when we say ?Young people who don?t wind up in the hospital are fine, let them get infected, it?s OK.?No, it?s not OK," said Fauci. ?In individuals who are young and otherwise healthy, who don't require hospitalization but do get sick and symptomatic enough to be in bed for a week or two or three and

then get better, they clear the virus - - they have residual symptoms for weeks and sometimes months.?

And school has had a demonstrable effect on students? COVID- 19 cases, with pediatric cases rising 14% between September 10 and September 24. The American Academy of Pediatrics also reported a notable jump in children?s hospitalizations and deaths from COVID- 19 following the reopening of schools. Not only do these infections put children at risk, but they also put their families and teachers at risk. According to a South Korean study, teenagers are just as likely if not more likely than adults to transmit COVID- 19. Further compounding the issue, a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that a quarter of all teachers are at ?greater risk of serious illness if infected with coronavirus.?

People cannot learn nor teach a thing if they are hospitalized or, worse, dead.

It is time for St. Joe?s Prep to close its doors for the fall. Two students are already known to have been infected, and we have now received word that both a soccer and crew coach have as well. This did not need to happen.

If we stay open, more students and faculty will fall ill.

That does not need to happen.

Further, that must not be allowed to happen.

The school must close down immediately, or risk the health and lives of all those entrusted to its care.

Wisniewski on New Cor por ate Casual

By Jake Wisniewski '23

(Photo: Angela L ang/CNET)

The switch to ?business casual? was made this year, and it entails a standard polo, khakis, and casual shoe. In my opinion, it's presentable and simple.

This change was wellreceived from students. Frank Coar ?23 said, ?I like it. It's more lenient and comfortable.

It's better than the old one.? I agree. The increased comfort is a game-changer.

One could argue that it isn?t as classy as the jacket and tie, but when you?re dealing with people of the ages between 1518, they?re going to prefer the most comfortable option, not the most formal. The short

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep | Facebook)

With a rather abnormal start to the 2020- 2021 academic year, the ever-so-iconic jacket, dress shirt, and tie have been moved aside for the time being, in favor of the more casual polo shirt.

Prep students display the new, optional dress code. Jake Wisnewski '23 argues that this change is a boon to student life and should be considered as a permanent option in the future.

sleeves provide much more freedom when compared to the dress shirt.

But there is a question in

everyone?s head: ?Is the dress code here to stay??

This is a tough question to answer. I think it?ll stay as long

as masks stay. Even if it's a temporary change, it's worth taking a look at it as a permanent change. I've been more comfortable during class, and

I've found it's easier to stay focused. The previous uniform is uncomfortable and can be pretty irritating in the middle of class, with the collar being considerably scratchy and tight. This doesn't go for everyone, but this dress code has actually improved my general performance in class just a bit.

Another aspect of this is the cost: blazers, ties, and shirts are expensive. By switching to business casual it would be helping families by saving a few hundred dollars on clothes.

It may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but saving money is saving money.

The dress code is a rather compelling topic that doesn't have a set answer. I'd love to see other options explored when the time comes to decide if it stays. But, for the time being, this dress code gets my approval.

The Hawkeye | Thursday, October 8, 2020 |

Opinion/Debate | 19

DEBATE: Should Spor ts Continue?

Yes

By K ier an Dougher ty '21 ers had been searching for during those lonely months. In the It?s no secret that 2020 following month and a half, has been anything but normal. after the return of the NBA, the Simply put, it is a year none of NHL, most of college football, us will ever forget. and even some high school I, for one, will remember the football came back into our several month- long quarantine lives. the entire country went Now, of through. When "The question being course, havI look back on ing all these those months I asked right now by the sports back remember two distinct feelstudent-athletes at the in our lives is amazing ings that I Prep should--and I and much would have on a daily basis. believe will--be 'When needed, but it also makes First, there do we get to work?'" me wonder was an emptiwhy those in ness that my charge of the decision believe baseball season had been taken that myself and my fellow Prep away from my teammates and brothers, along with the majorI after working so hard for ity of high school sports teams months to get to where we in the Philadelphia area, still were. Second was my constant can not compete in the sports search for normalcy. I needed that we have dedicated so something in my life to try and much of our lives to. convince myself that things would be okay. Even though it If others can do it, why can?t may take time, things would go we? back to normal.

As Mr. Coyle, head coach of I finally got some of that in the varsity soccer team, said, mid- July. In a seven- day span ?When you drive around this from July 23 to July 30, Amerregion and see thousands of icans re-obtained the one thing young athletes, male and fethat can bring us all together: male, participating in club socSports. cer training during the week and games on weekends, it The return of the MLB and suggests to me that it is possithe NBA were needed more ble to have a fall high school than most could imagine. It soccer season and to do it brought back just a sliver of safely.? normalcy that I and many oth-

Soccer is one of the few sports deemed "high-risk" by Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley. Plans to continue with the fall season are met with agreement and dissent. Photo: Owen Brown '21 presses forward with ball against Council Rock South in August 2019.

Sports are also more than just a place of extreme athletic competition. It is where lifelong friendships are made, life lessons are learned, and it is an escape from the madness of reality, which is so more relevant in today's world than in the past.

When asked about what sports can do for us right now, newly appointed Prep Athletic Director, Daniel DiBernardis, said, ?I believe sports are extremely important in the development and growth of young men, and especially in a time like this [? ] to get out and get some type of normalcy back into their lives is vital. We have to go about it as safely as possible, because there are some risks, but I believe when done safely, we can and should

offer sports.?

Of course, when it comes to the virus itself, the words of high school coaches and players are not heard as loudly as others.

However, the words of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are heard loud and clear by all.

Obviously, the CDC will not come out and say that it is completely safe to play sports, which all athletes understand.

However, they do say it is possible.

On the official CDC website, the CDC has made a detailed list on how they believe athletes can return to their sports in the most safe way.

Now playing sports is still considered a high risk activity.

Most athletes, however, like Duke football commit Sahmir Hagans ?21, are willing to take the risk. ?We just want to play football, that?s it,? said the senior wide receiver. ?Yes, of course we know what comes with the risks. That is why we have taken the necessary precautions of social distancing, wearing a mask at practice, et cetera.?

In the past three weeks, major steps have been taken in the full return of fall sports as the Prep stated their intent to have golf, cross country, and soccer seasons. They also committed to do all that is possible to have a football season.

With La Salle kicking off their football season on September 18th with a 35- 27 win against Manheim Township, there is no reason that football should not be played here at the Prep. When you look at all the facts laid out on the table, the question being asked should not be ?Should we play?? or ?Is it safe to play?? or ?Are we going to play??

The question being asked right now by the studentathletes at the Prep and all high school athletes in the Philadelphia area should--and I believe will- - be ?When do we get to work??

No

By Connor Siemien '21 Despite the incredibly low death rate for the ages that encompass our student body (according to the CDC the rate is roughly .003%), we must do more than merely care about our own lives: we must be Men For and With Others, and that entails indefinitely suspending sports and scrapping any plans in the near future for sports competition.

One rebuttal to my assertion might be something to the effect of ?if we can have hybrid learning, then we can play sports. It only makes sense.?

Respectfully, I disagree.

I say this for one main reason: the diligently formulated plans that make up the hybrid school day are impossible to replicate in sports practice and especially sports competition.

To compare, what does that diligence look like during a normal hybrid school day?

Well, the guidelines and rules are strict. During the day, Prep students must always wear a mask unless eating lunch, six feet away from others of course, attend school with half of the students at home, navigate the school in a sometimes circuitous way so as to avoid large crowds, wipe down the desks before each period, sani-

tize their hands several times a day, and so much more.

These detailed steps that have been largely followed by the student body seem to have worked thus far. Even when considering the COVID- 19 scare that shut down the Prep for just over a week, there is no evidence that those students spread the virus throughout the school, a ringing endorsement of these guidelines.

Common sense would suggest that those stringent guidelines are unable to be followed during competitions between teams or practice--especially in ?high- contact? sports such as football and soccer.

Do not take it from just my intuition, though, take it from Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley who said, ?[In] tackle football, there?s an awful lot of contact between people, a lot of spread and respiratory secretion,? in an interview with CBS Philadelphia in early September.

The same point is true for soccer, evidenced by it being the only other sport next to football to be considered as completely unsafe by Dr. Farley.

Another point made that disagrees with my point- of-

view? a point I empathize asymptomatic spreaders. gage in practices and competigreatly with? is that the stution against other schools, or I bring up this type of dents need to be out there on risk a potential COVID- 19 COVID- 19 case because the field; they need that stress outbreak. asymptomatic spreaders are alrelease, they need that continmost an epidemic within the Look no further than just last ued social interaction through pandemic? in fact, the CDC week for a microcosm of what their favorite medium. As I has said that roughly 40- 45% could take place in the future, have said, I understand the of people who are stricken when an adult associated with strong feelings that sports conwith the virus are asymptothe Prep Soccer program tested jure up in the public conmatic. positive for COVID- 19. That science, but I could be rebelieve that peated several we must care "The yearning for a sports season is strong, but more times- more about the as Men For and With Others, the yearning for across both lives of our soccer and loved ones the health and safety of our family and our footballthan a season. risking a community must be stronger."

Abundant spread from a These people can essentially caution is necessary in this student and eventually to a become super spreadcase despite our strong convicparent. That coach came to ers? showing no symptoms, tions to play sports because, practice not knowing he had they could potentially infect even though the potential seriCOVID- 19; this could be the their friends, their parents, ous illness of a Prep student is case for another coach or their parents?friends and so on; unlikely, Dr. Farley said in the player, and with the respiratory this is a risk that the Prep caninterview with CBS Philadelsecretion that Dr. Farley mennot take. phia that the potential is high tioned earlier, the results could for students to ?bring [COVIDbe catastrophic.

With the Prep on track to al19] home to their parents and low Prep soccer and football All of this considered, I unfamily members.? games, either ignoring or purderstand that the yearning for a posely flouting the guidelines This risk is even greater sports season is strong, but as of the Philadelphia Health among high school students Men For and With Others, the Commissioner, I believe the since the virus mostly, but not yearning for the health and administration is putting peoentirely, does not affect the safety of our family and our ple in danger. younger population nearly as community must be much as those in advanced stronger? and that is why I While it is obvious the Prep ages and those teenagers may believe it is in the best interest does not want to put people in not realize they have COVIDof our shared Prep family to danger, simply wanting to al19 until they have already discontinue sports indefinitely. low students to have a sports spread it to a parent, or season, it should immediately worse? they are completely reconsider their plans to en-

18 | Sports | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | The Hawkeye

Sports Prep Fall Spor ts Outlook

By Stephen Cain ?22 This year was supposed to be another annual reflection of Prep athletics.

The Hawks?football team was gearing up for another state title defense. Prep soccer was looking to avenge their loss to Roman Catholic in a heated penalty shootout last fall in the PCL playoffs. The SJP golf team also was supposed to prepare for another PCL title run and try to dethrone La Salle after being bested by them last season. But all of that changed with the COVID-19 epidemic wreaking havoc across the country, and one of the many repercussions of that has been the uncertainty of whether the show will go on for all Prep fall sports.

The likelihood of playing fall sports looked bleak for the Prep, along with all other PCL fall sports across the Philadelphia area. But the first tangible sign of the pandemic?s negative impact on high school athletics occurred when the PCL decided to push back the start of fall sports until August 31.

Then, things went from bad to worse, as on August 24, the PCL made a preemptive decision to cancel all fall sports and to push them to the spring. Fortunately, to the benefit of some independent schools like the Prep and La Salle, the PIAA issued a ruling three days earlier that allowed schools and leagues to play at their own discretion.

That seemed like good news, until another shutdown at the Prep on September 15 due to two positive cases caused fall sports to come to a screeching halt for yet another week. But on September 25, one month after the PCL postponed fall sports, the league reversed course and the Prep's Catholic League counterparts are now eligible for a delayed fall season.

However, all of these fall sports have each developed a plan to ensure that 2020 isn?t a lost season.

Soccer The Prep soccer team, for example, has agreed to play with the PCL after lots of uncertainty brewed that they wouldn't have a season. While their schedule hasn't been completely finalized, it has been confirmed that their season opener will take place against Devon Prep on Saturday October 10.

After training weekly on Wednesdays throughout the winter, they continued training during the pandemic with the help of Patrick Henigan '05, from the Jacksonville Fitness Academy, to conduct virtual training sessions for the team throughout the rest of the school year and summer.

Finally, when the current school year began, the team continued having practices three days a week. All of that training hopefully will prove to be beneficial for a team that lost 13 seniors last year and is only returning 8 players.

But Seamus Schultz, a senior who was named a captain of the varsity team for the shortened season, doesn?t think that will affect the team?s play. ?The loss of 13 seniors from last season means the loss of a lot of experience and a large number of players in our starting lineup,? said Schultz. ?However, I feel that we have younger players that will be able to step in and fill the empty roles. As long as we play at the high level that we are used to playing, I think that we will be fine.?

Not only the makeup of this team will look different, but so will the Prep soccer team?s venue, as due to COVID-19 guidelines, a high school soccer game still cannot be hosted in Philadelphia. This means that opposing venues such as La Salle and Holy Ghost are potential fields that the Prep could call home for a season.

Schultz also showed his elation to play this season, as he said, ?I feel it has been great to be able to get on the field with the team.

Considering the uncertain times, I feel we are extremely lucky to be able to have a season. The way I look at it, any day we are able to play or practice is a gift.? That statement has continued to ring true, even after the soccer team was recently forced to quarantine until September 29.

(Photo: St. Joseph's Prep | Facebook)

Golf

Rugby

The Prep golf team has also partaken in a similar effort to cobble together a season in such a tentative year. After having to deal with the August 5 PCL ruling pushing back the start of their tryouts from August 17 to August 24, the golf team then had to grapple with the reality that the PCL canceled their season after their first day of tryouts.

The Prep?s rugby team, while one of the top programs in the state, has also been weighed down by the might of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ever since their spring season was canceled back in early March, Coaches Dugan and McCloskey have shown level-headedness in the face of intense adversity.

In spite of this, they also have agreed to play against La Salle, Devon, and Holy Ghost in a six-game schedule, playing each of the three schools twice. The team even got to play their first match of the season against Devon Prep at Linfield National Golf Club before the September 15th school shutdown. They also will be playing in the District 12 Championship against La Salle on Wednesday October 7th.

Senior Jack Farkas, one of the two co-captains named for this season, also weighed in on his excitement to at least have a season to play. ?It?s been awesome to get back and see all of my teammates and just be grateful that we have a season,? he said. ?For a while it seemed like it may not be possible, so to just have the opportunity to have one final season with my best friends and one more chance to try and take down La Salle is all I could ask for.?

Back in late August, Rugby PA, the governing body of high school rugby in Pennsylvania, were still hesitant on whether to put on a Fall 7s season for each of their players. That situation has remained true for the past month, which has meant that weekly Tuesday and Thursday practices have been the only opportunity for each of the players to showcase their talents and prepare for the spring 15s season. However, these practices have been limited solely on what Coach Dugan calls ?rugby skills? and no tackling at all. These skills include conditioning, kicking and catching, along with reading defensive structures.

However, the lack of playing in actual matches has done little to dampen the spirit of this team.

For example, senior Titus Henkels, a notable senior leader on this year?s rugby squad, said, ?It think it?s great that we?re able to have a couple practices a week during this hybrid schedule. Rugby is a sport that?s very laid back and fun and being able to get out a couple times a week and just play some rugby with our great group of players and coaches is inspiring and makes us hopeful that we will have an awesome spring season.?

The Hawkeye | Thursday, October 8, 2020 |

Sports | 19

Salvaging a Season Ultimate Fr isbee The Hawks?ultimate frisbee team has also had to deal with the ramifications of COVID-19, as the league that they play in, the Ultimate League, was shut down due to the pandemic.

The team has also refrained from holding any type of group practices for any of their players, prioritizing safety over sport.

However, this doesn?t constitute a complete moratorium on all forms of ultimate frisbee practice, as Coach McCabe said, ?The team members are encouraged to practice on their own while being safe, sanitized and masked.?

This also doesn?t mean that the team will stop their pursuit of recruiting new freshmen, as Benicio Beatty ?21, one of the team?s co-captains, said, ?We're still trying to drum up some interest from the new freshmen so we can grow the team in the spring.?

Crew Top Left: Athletes train at soccer practice. Top Right: Rower Pat Lamb '21 takes an oar from the Gillin Boathouse to the Schuylkill River. Bottom Left: Cross Country coach Curtis Cockenberg '71 speaks to the team at practice. Bottom Right: Seniors Jaden McSeed (left) and Malik Cooper (right) before football practice.

Cross Countr y

Football

The Prep?s cross country team has also managed to thrive in these adverse conditions caused by the ongoing pandemic.

The Prep?s football team, currently ranked 4th in the nation for high school football according to MaxPreps, has had to do their best to try and balance between following COVID-19 guidelines and also being able to have practices to maintain their high level of play. Summer voluntary workouts for the players commenced back in June through a Zoom format rather than on a physical football field.

While the split schooling schedule has made team practices difficult, Coach Cockenberg '71 hasn?t had to face that challenge. He only requires runners to attend in-person practice during the two days that they are in school. If they are virtual on those days, Cockenberg lays out practice guidelines for them to follow on their own.

Unlike other sports, Cockenberg feels that cross country is one of the few already naturally equipped to deal with something as devastating as a pandemic. This explains why they are going through with a non-traditional PCL schedule with 3 meets at Tyler State Park against Holy Ghost, La Salle, and Devon Prep later this October. ?Cross country is one sport that this model can actually work. The athletes train in specific groups of 10-12 based on their conditioning level.?

Senior William Guckin, one of the co-captains of the cross country team, showed his excitement to be back out running again, as he said, ?Since there was a possibility of our season being canceled, I recognized that taking in the small moments with my teammates is something I was glad I did? from our times enjoying coach?s famous ?yum yums? to encouraging others up the hills at Belmont Plateau. This year, I think our team has unimaginable potential, and I think we can make a run at ?champs.??

Then, as the summer progressed, the team was given the green light to hold strength and conditioning practices throughout July. When the Hawks looked to begin heat acclimatization training on August 11th, the curse of COVID-19 struck once again, as the team was barred from practicing until August 31.

Ever since then, a feeling of normalcy has returned to the football program, as they have started holding consistent practices throughout September. Their schedule also recently been released. They are playing three conference teams (La Salle, Archbishop Wood, and Roman Catholic) and two non-conference games, one taking place at home and the other will be their season opener in Maryland on October 10. They are one of the lucky ones when taking into account the rest of the city, but unlucky when compared to what the rest of the state is doing in terms of football. According to Coach Roken, ?Only three teams can play football in the city of Philadelphia: the Eagles, the Temple Owls, and us. But we?re also the only team that can?t have contact practices.?

The Prep?s crew team has also refused to back down from the challenge of trying to row during a pandemic. After things looked bleak back in August, the team experienced a devastating blow, as all of their fall races were canceled. As a consolation for the crew team, the City Department of Public Health ruled on September 3rd that rowing on the Schuylkill River would be allowed for all boats.

Even though masks are still mandatory for all members of the team when off the water and even though erging inside the boathouse has been banned this fall, Fife expressed his joy about at least getting to row again in only practices, as he said, ?It has been incredible to get the team back out together again and just experience some sense of normalcy. The senior class is an incredibly talented group of guys and I am hopeful for a spring season.?

Patrick O?Connell ?21, one of the crew captains, also expressed his excitement to be back doing the sport he loves. ?To have our team separated over quarantine was particularly challenging for this reason, but as we returned to the water this fall our reunion was everything I had hoped it to be,? said O?Connell. ?Our time away taught us to appreciate every stroke we take, and the individual efforts of the rowers this spring ensured the team is as strong as ever. I'm thrilled to be back along with a new appreciation for everything we do at the boathouse and I'm looking forward to an awesome season to come.?

Finally, Fife also has arranged what he calls ?learn to row? opportunities for fellow Prep freshmen and sophomores interested in the craft.

His reasoning for this, Fife said, was ?to offer them something to do after school when so much has been canceled.?

While the COVID-19 pandemic has severely hampered all the SJP fall sports? ability to get back out on the field, course, or water, each of these teams have shown perseverance in the face of this global crisis in order to accomplish their most important goal: to get these student-athletes back out playing sometime soon in order to continue doing what each of them love to do.

20 | Sports | Thursday, October 8, 2020 | The Hawkeye

(Photo: K athy L eister )

Ultimate Showcase Year for Zavier Atkins '21

While his talents may be overlooked, senior defensive back Zavier Atkins has proven that he can execute on national stages. Still awaiting his first college offer, this season will be Atkins' final chance to perform in front of college scouts and coaches.

By Gar rett M cCloskey ?21 For Zavier Atkins, an extremely talented, yet uncommitted, senior defensive back on the Prep?s nationally ranked football team, any remnants of a season would be the ultimate showcase for college scouts and coaches.

Through the end of summer and even into early fall, his team was unsure whether there would be a season. A flurry of back-and-forth statements from officials at the PIAA, the Philadelphia Catholic League, and the Governor?s Office left a football season? and a final chance to put on a show for college coaches? in jeopardy. ?It was just hard to stay positive at times,? admitted the AllCatholic Honorable Mention.

But when the news percolated that the Prep would pur-

sue an independent sports schedule, it was time to get to work. Atkins? personal offseason workouts with his dad at a local field were soon replaced by official team practices.

Senior Dominic Richetti, who covers the squad for WSJP Student Broadcasting team, believes Atkins is ?criminally underrated.?

Richetti lauded the 5-foot-10, 190 pound defensive back for his ?extremely effective aggressiveness that allows him to succeed in man coverage and in zone.?

Richetti also noted his excellent open field tackling skills.

Of his 37 tackles last year, 28 were solo takedowns. ?Where other DBs might need help, he is able to take guys down on his own.?

However, the pandemic is

taking swings at kneecapping one of Atkins? personal goals? playing college football. ?Usually,? Atkins said, ?this would be the time to go to college camps and get your name out there, especially people who don?t have offers going into senior year, but a lot of those camps got postponed due to the coronavirus.?

Pandemic- induced restrictions have limited in- person visits from college coaches and forced the cancellation of the skill showcase events that produce great exposure for future college athletes. Atkins was invited to the ESPN300 Elite Underclassmen Camp in April, though it was canceled. For Atkins, who is awaiting his first college offer, every presented opportunity carries greater weight.

One of the few showcase events that was not canceled, a mid-July event in Connecticut, was perhaps the largest exposure to college coaches for the defensive back. It was one of two camps that Atkins was able to attend. Although he took most reps at the cornerback position, he also participated in receiver drills. At the camp, he was approached by coaches from Pace University and Assumption College, among others.

With limited opportunities for coaches to observe players firsthand, social media has become a major tool for selfpromoting athletes looking for exposure. Using clips from the Connecticut event, Atkins tried his hand at marketing himself.

A slick, self- produced video pinned to the top of Atkins?

Twitter profile includes clips of his weight training and fieldwork, as well as highlights from the event. The 65-second video boasts 4,500 views and 29 retweets. It also caught the attention of coaches from Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg. ?That was a really big boost for me,? Atkins said of the video. ?I went from a lot of people not really knowing about me to a lot of coaches reaching out [concerning the recruiting process].?

Richetti is ?extremely surprised? that Atkins has no offers to his name. ?Last year, his first year starting for the varsity team,?

Richetti said, ?he was immedi-

ately put in against [nationally ranked] teams [...] and 5- star receivers and definitely held his ground.? Atkins had 15 passes defended last year, second only to 4- star cornerback Keenan Nelson Jr. ?22, who had 19.

As for where Atkins is in the college recruitment process, he said he is ?playing the waiting game? with college offers, while still proactively making contact with other schools.

He has pinned Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina as his top choice. Atkins, who has an interest in kinesiology, is intrigued by the school?s Exercise and Sport Science major.

Other factors such as class size, southern location, proximity to the Myrtle Beach shores, and overall fit have drawn Atkins to the Division I Sun Belt Conference school.

Howard University, Florida A& M University, Towson University, and the University of Delaware, all of which offer Atkins? intended major, are also on his college list. He also said a strong academic performance in this year?s first semester can aid in his recruiting efforts.

Regardless of his personal aspirations for this year, Atkins? team goals remained the same: ?Go on the field, play together, and win another championship.?

Prep football plans to open its season on October 10 against Life Christian Academy (VA).

By Alfonso Procaccino ?21

him a terror on the field.

Keenan Nelson Jr. is one of the many young talents of St. Joseph?s Prep Football. The junior is an anchor for the Prep?s defense, and is looking to help bring the team its third straight state title this fall.

With a season in limbo and no schedule set yet, Nelson Jr.'s impact will be felt regardless.

Last year, Nelson Jr. had three interceptions and two of those interceptions came against Father Judge on October 18th. He also had 22 solo tackles on the season and assisted on nine of them, as well.

Finally, Nelson Jr. broke up 19 passes on the season.

At the Prep, Nelson Jr.?s career has been nothing short of remarkable. He is known as the team?s ?shutdown? man- toman cornerback and has fittingly given himself the nickname ?Stone Cold.? His versatility and well- rounded game make him the complete package in the eyes of college recruiters.

As an 11th grader, Nelson Jr. already has the size of most NFL cornerbacks. The six foot one, 200 pound Nelson Jr. has ridiculous length and an impressive body frame to trouble any opposing team?s top receiver. It?s pretty rare to see cornerbacks his age with such size and speed, which makes

Nelson Jr.?s renowned play has not gone unnoticed. He is ranked as a 4- star cornerback and the 2nd best player in his class in Pennsylvania according to 247Sports. He is also ranked in the top-60 for overall players in his class, and is arguably a top-10 corner nationwide. As one of the top players in PA as well as in the nation, Nelson Jr. has been selected to play in the prestigious 2022 All- American Bowl. This opportunity will allow him to showcase his talents on the national stage. Some of the NFL?s best, including Adrian Peterson, Odell Beckham Jr., and Chase Young shined in past All- Americans. The bowl also provides the platform for

(Photo: @K ennanNelsonJr 1 | Twitter )

K eenan Nelson Jr. Secures All-Amer ican I nvite

Junior defensive back Keenan Nelson Jr. is a top football recruit who was invited to the 2022 All-American Bowl.

many of the nation?s best players to announce their commitment to a collegiate team.

Trey Doyle ?21 gave high praise to one of his fellow teammates, as he said, ?He?s quiet and humble and lets his play on the field speak.? Also, Nelson Jr.?s patience and high IQ level when reading opposing quarterbacks are great assets to have. ?If I make a bad play, I don?t worry about it,? said Nelson Jr. in an interview with PhillyVoice. ?I like a challenge, and that does come every day going up against

Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyle McCord. That?s only going to make you better. That?s made me better.? Facing off against top high school talent like McCord and Harrison Jr. are definitely tough challenges that will prepare Nelson Jr. for college ball.

Because of all these accolades, Nelson Jr.?s collegiate future is looking very bright, as he has already acquired offers from top football programs across the nation, including Georgia, Penn State, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee, and Michigan State.

He?s also gotten other notable offers from schools such as Duke, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Maryland. The list will surely grow as offers will likely flood in during his junior year. ?I am glad to be recognized as one of the top players in the country. It is an honor to play in the All-American game with the amazing history it has, and now I have a chance to be a part of that history,? said the star corner when I asked him what it means to him to play in such a prestigious game.

All in all, Nelson Jr.?s speed, size, height, length, and frame are already impressive enough for a cornerback at his age and his play is nothing short of remarkable. His skillset is as varied as they come and he has barely any flaws in his game, which makes him a complete package. Not only is Nelson Jr. a lockdown man-to-man corner that can jam receivers in press coverage, but he?s also a phenomenal tackler and can attack in the run game.