The Plank
Varsity quarterback Trenton Dewar, a valued leader on and off the field
The Jesuit High School Sacramento athletic program is home to
many accomplished student-athletes, who are known throughout the
Sacramento area for their effort and excellence on and off their
field. One such student is quarterback Trenton Dewar ’23.
Opinion: “Retro Bowl” provides 8-bit fun for all football fans
The mobile video game “Retro Bowl” is an 8-bit American football
game with graphics that emulate nostalgia of the 80’s phenomenon
“Tecmo Bowl” on mobile devices everywhere.“Retro Bowl” was
created by British video game developer, New Star Games, who have
published a multitude of sport-based games in the past.
Opinion: Blockbuster “Dune” reaches for the stars and misses
Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” came out on Oct. 22, 2021, and made
$40.1 million in the box office. This would not classify the
movie as a hit by any means, but it’s still respectable. The book
“Dune” from 1965 served as the influence for the “Dune” film, as
well as “Star Wars” and “Star Trek.” I chronicled much of Dune’s
rich filmography in another article. However, the focus of this
piece is on only one part of Dune’s filmography, the newest
quagmire in the Dune franchise, Dune 2021.
“Ghostbuster: Afterlife” perfectly blends old and new for a new generation
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” was released by Sony Pictures on Nov.
19, 2021, and is produced by Columbia Pictures. The film is
directed by Jason Reitman, written by Gil Kenan, Jason Reitman,
and Dan Akyroyd, and stars Paul Rudd, Mckenna Grace, Finn
Wolfhard, and many more.
Opinion: Marvel’s “Eternals” suffers from massive mediocrity
“Eternals” was released in the United States on Nov. 5, 2021. The
film was directed by Chloe Zhao and released and produced by
Marvel Studios. The film stars Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Salma
Hayek, Angelina Jolie, and many more.
Opinion: “Yakuza” series Brilliantly handles complicated themes
The “Yakuza” series is one of the oldest and most beloved
creations in the gaming industry. Created by the industry titan,
SEGA, in 2005, the series created its own bizarre style that
continues to draw people in, and no game has been able to
successfully copy it yet. With the 16 year anniversary of the
series drawing closer, now feels like the right time to look back
on the Yakuza franchise as a whole and to explore why it’s so
beloved to such a wide range of people.
“UFC 4” is bland and uninspired with a deeply flawed online mode
One of my colleagues, Rowan Craig ’23, wrote an
opinion for The Plank calling the video game “UFC 4” a
fun installment in the “UFC” video game franchise. As a
distinguished video game reviewer, I was offended, because “UFC
4” is not fun at all; in fact, it’s a really boring game.
Why Jesuit students will be having a lot less final exams… and a lot more projects with exams.
Over the past 18 months, COVID-19 has at times changed finals or
at other times obliterated them entirely. This year, however, the
school made finals real once again.
Jesuit basketball winter season sees wins and losses
The Jesuit High School Sacramento varsity basketball team is
already 13 games into their season and have had mixed results,
amassing a record of 6-7.
Opinion: “Rocket League Sideswipe” revives the name of its 2015 predecessor
The mainstream video game developing studio, Psyonix, just
released a new mobile spin off of their poster game, “Rocket
League.” “Rocket League Sideswipe” has been available on IOS and
Android for Psyonix’s North American audience since Dec. 2, 2021,
and players are loving it.
Opinion: “You” explores the overlap between captivating and disturbing
“You,” the intense thriller and drama series available on
Netflix, released its long-awaited third season on Oct. 15, 2021.
This captivating show that first released on Sept. 9, 2018, has
grown immensely in popularity and is a big hit among many
teenagers and adults.
Jesuit’s nationally-ranked cross country team exceeded expectations for this season
After not having a cross country season last year due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the Jesuit High School Sacramento varsity
cross country team was finally able to compete this year. The
team had a successful season finishing first in the Delta League,
first in the Division I Section Championship, and fifth at the
Division I State Championship.
Daniel Craig’s farewell “No Time to Die” elicits mixed feelings
“No Time to Die” was released in theatres on Oct. 8th 2021, and
is the 25th and final film of Daniel Craig’s rendition of James
Bond. The film is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, and stars
Daniel Craig, Ana De Armas, Rami Malek, Lea Seydoux, and many
more.
Squid Game delivers deep messages to it’s audience at Jesuit
“Squid Game,” the South Korean hit Netflix series was released
Sept. 17, 2021. “Squid Game”is about a small group of wealthy
elites kidnapping and coercing the poor in South Korea, who are
in grave debt, to compete in life-and-death versions of popular
children’s games. “Squid Game” dystopian themes
incorporate many of the contemporary real world problems that the
world faces today.
“The Artful Escape” has simple gameplay but addresses mature topics
“The Artful Escape” is a new indie game on the market that
tackles the ideas of finding identity and the creative process in
a new and exciting way. Although the game had its fair share of
troubles in trying to get off the ground, it was finally released
on Sept. 9, 2021.
Jesuit Water Polo’s 2021 Season Saw Memorable Wins and Impressive Growth
The 2021-22 Jesuit High School Sacramento Marauders water polo season was a memorable comeback season after a 2020 season that was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Review: “Spider-Man No Way Home” looks to be a promising and ambitious film despite only a few details revealed
“Spider-Man No Way Home,” the long-awaited sequel to “Spider-Man Far From Home,” is directed by Jon Watts and will be released on Dec. 17, 2021. Some actors confirmed to be in the movie include Tom Holland, Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jamie Foxx, Alfred Molina, J.K. Simmons, and Willem Dafoe.
Jesuit students represent the school in Washington D.C. at Ignatian Family Teach-in
Jesuit High School Sacramento students took a trip to Washington D.C. for the annual Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice that took place at the Washington Hilton Hotel throughout the weekend of Nov. 6.
The group of nine students made the 2,500 mile trip with the objective of increasing their understanding of justice while also perpetuating it. While on the trip, the students visited historical museums, took part in a night protest, and spent time at the National Mall.
Review: “UFC 4” has something for sports and fighting game fans alike
“UFC 4” was released on Aug. 14 of 2020 and was developed by Electronic Arts Inc. and published under the company’s sports division, EA Sports. “UFC 4” is the fourth installment in the series following up “UFC 3,” which was released on Dec. 1, 2017.
The game follows the classic sports game template with a “Career Mode,” a “Play Now” mode and an “Online” mode. Even though the game doesn’t add to the classic format of sports games, it doesn’t stop the existing game modes from being fun.
Jesuit football season comes to an end after an impressive game versus Folsom
On Saturday, Nov. 20 the Jesuit High School Sacramento varsity football team faced Folsom High School in the Sac-Joaquin Section Semifinals. Jesuit came short of FHS by one point in a 21-22 loss marking their first loss in eleven games and the end of their season.