Opinion – The Sentry

OPINION: Big Brother commits to customer service! Who knew?

January 9, 2020

Among the worst scenes of inefficiency I have ever witnessed were when I obtained my learner’s permit and intermediate driver’s licence. On my fifteenth birthday, I got up early--long before I would normally get up for school--so that I could be one of the first in line to wait outside a dark,...

GUEST EDITORIAL: What if we called it a sanction? USA trade policy

By Ty Usey, Guest Contributor

December 17, 2019

With the hectic news cycle of the past year, you could be forgiven for not being informed the issue of tariffs against China. Donald Trump has raised taxes on trade with China, and, as with most actions in national politics, much debate has ensued over the tariffs. Trump says that the tariff incr...

OPINION: The Super Smash Brothers revolution

By Eli Venarske, Guest Contributor

December 11, 2019

There is a serious issue hiding in the underground culture of our school that must be addressed in order to preserve our integrity. As we all know, video games and video game usage have been on the rise in recent years, which correlates conveniently with the rise of violence in the United States. Cl...

The USMCA is a win for Americans

By Cass Rutledge, Opinion Editor

December 11, 2019

What if I told you that there was a single act that Congress could pass that would add 176,000 jobs and $68.2 billion to the American economy? Wouldn’t you want passing this act to be Congress’s top priority? The good news is that President Trump has negotiated just such a trade deal, the Uni...

Is chess a sport?

By Selby Ireland, Opinion Editor

December 3, 2019

This article was initially intended as a pro-con debate, but the Editors of the Sports Section, who are of the opinion that chess is not a sport, chose not to defend their side of the argument. Clearly, they need your help, so please weigh in. Write a Letter to the Editor to us at [email protected] The Sentry h...

GUEST EDITORIAL: Why I shaved my head at halftime

By Rimes Rutledge, Guest Contributor

October 15, 2019

When Ben Johnson told me I should go bald for the JA game while filming the JA video at the Madison airport with Ms. Scruggs, I jokingly told him to shut up or I just might do it. Apparently, neither Ben nor Andrew Purvis, who was also helping us film, realized there was a joke involved. To be fai...

OPINION: The dangers of the rise of Antisemitism and BDS

By Cass Rutledge, Opinion Editor

October 11, 2019

US Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) were recently denied access to visit Israel by its government. The mainstream media immediately said that Israel cannot take criticism and is oppressive to Muslims, leaving out all information that did not fit its narrative. Both Tlaib and Omar,...

OPINION: Is Mississippi in need of a flag change?

By Selby Ireland, Opinion Editor

October 1, 2019

Since Mississippi first became a state in 1817, we have had three different state flags. The original unofficial design, the “Bonnie Blue Flag,” was adopted from the period when Mississippi was a part of the territory of West Florida and was liberated from Spanish rule. The Bonnie Blue Flag f...

ALBUM REVIEW: Taylor Swift’s “Lover”

By Ainsley O'Quinn, Video Editor

September 6, 2019

“A love letter to love itself.” That is how Taylor Swift describes Lover. At 18 songs, Swift’s newest album, released on August 23, is her longest one yet. Some people might say that all of her albums are about love, but I think what separates Lover is that it covers every aspect of love. That is why it is so long. It’s about moving on, falling in love, and everything in between. Lover has wide range of song styles. There a...

OPINION: Kick Babies Off Airplanes

By Payne Bell, Graphics Editor

April 26, 2019

Thanks for visiting The Sentry. I’m here on whatever day you’re reading to bring your attention to one of the greatest societal ills we have faced in modern times. We’ve all been there. You’ve just waited in the security line at the airport for a borderline criminal amount of time (unless, ...

OPINION: Censorship is #[email protected]&%$

By Cass Rutledge, Assistant Opinion Editor

April 25, 2019

Recently, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a big problem that comes with new waves of technology, censorship. Republican senators seized the opportunity to expose their censorship of conservatives directly in front of Twitter and Facebook executives. Senator Ted Cruz slammed Twitter...

OPINION: Electoral College is here for a reason

By Cass Rutledge, Assistant Opinion Editor

April 12, 2019

Presidential candidate and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren came to Jackson State recently and held a town hall hosted by CNN and Jake Tapper. She suggested many things, including beginning reparations, giving people scholastic advantages because of their racial minority status, and taxing peop...