On Saturday, Feb. 21, the Golden Eagles tennis team was able to complete a full sweep, despite less-than-favorable conditions. It was cold and windy as JBU competed against Southwestern University at the JBU Tennis Facility arena.

The match day started with the doubles games in which JBU players Andrew Aylor and Spencer Keeter won 6-2 for an early victory. In the second game, Grant Hinkle and Jonathan Hillock won 6-1. For the third game, Lucas Machado and Santiago Jaime were supposed to play, but Southwestern University didn't have enough players, so the game was won by forfeit.

After the John Brown University men’s tennis team swept the doubles games, the singles games began. Machado dominated the contest, winning the first set 6-3, the second set 6-1.

“In the first few games, I noticed that his backhand was his weakness. After realizing that, I started serving to his backhand to begin the points, which allowed me to open up the court and take control of the rallies. When returning his serve, I focused on hitting through the middle of the court at first, and then I began creating wider angles to his backhand. Overall, my strategy was to target his weakness and use it to my advantage,” Machado said.

For the second single game, Hillock won both sets 6-1 for a quick victory.

In the third single game, Jaime won the first set. Then for the second set, Jaime was able to have a bigger lead, winning the set 6-3.

“I felt really good during the game, and I think I did well overall. In the first set, I didn’t play so well, but in the second set I improved a lot by focusing more and playing smart,” Jaime said.

For the fourth and fifth singles games, which were played by Aylor and William Prochazka, they were able to complete a full sweep. Both won their singles games 6-0 in both sets.

For the last single game, Hinkle won the game by default because they didn’t have enough players.

The Woman's tennis team won by default all of the games because Southwestern University didn’t have enough players to play the games needed.

Photo by David Camacho Padilla

On Feb. 20, 2026, legendary folk group Mumford & Sons released their newest album “Prizefighter.” The band, tackles themes of love, acceptance, pride and mercy, and is famous for composing beautiful arrangements, adding to the folk-rock canon.

For readers who are unfamiliar with the group, Mumford & Sons is a British folk band formed in 2007 consisting of Marcus Mumford, Winston Marshall and Ben Lovett. This album marks the sixth studio album from the musicians, consisting of 14 total tracks. Below, I will list each song and my thoughts on them.

Here (feat. Chris Stapleton)

This track started off the album strong, with upbeat and rhythmic elements adding to the overall feeling of the song. The track featured popular country singer Chris Stapleton, known for his powerful accented voice. The blend of Mumford’s rough and gritty inflections and Stapleton’s clean and projected voice converges to make an uncommon and engaging two-part harmony. The electric guitar portion of the song reengaged me into the track and tied the song together for me. One gripe I often have with Mumford & Sons music is the reuse of the chorus numerous times to the point of exhaustion. This addition of the guitar and the horns helped negate that craft-fully.

Rubber Band Man (w/ Hozier)

This song featured an unexpected collaboration with Irish musician Hozier. He was a great addition to the band, and I enjoyed his harmony with the other members. This song makes use of their trademark folk backing track to its fullest, as well as a clever and concise bridge. Another thing I loved about this song was the lyrics. Mumford & Sons, while not being religious explicitly, have many allusions to the Christian faith.

“I've kind of separated myself from the culture of Christianity,” Mumford said.

Despite this, Christian ideas are not fully done away with in their lyrics. One line says, “Dying to raise the dead.” I found this creatively profound and made a connection with the crucifixion.

The Banjo Song

The Banjo Song has a great intro that is simple and evokes a very positive air about it. The overall sentiment is uplifting saying “And hey, when you call, when you fall, when you need someone, I could be your someone.”

Run Together

I loved the rustic banjo melody that is used in this song. Despite its minimalistic approach, it goes a long way. Also, the three-part harmony used in this song is incredible. Lyrically, this song paints a vivid picture. I particularly enjoyed the imagery of a tiger lying in wait as it has the protagonist in its mouth. It was captivating and showed me more of the storytelling side of their music.

Conversation with my Son (Gangsters and Angels)

"Conversation with my Son" has beautiful imagery instilled in the lyrics. They sing, "we're all tumblers and beggars," which I found to be gospel correlated. The most interesting thing I found in this is the allusion to W.H. Auden's, As I Walked Out One Evening, which says, "You shall love your crooked neighbour with your crooked heart." I love this reference and it connects to the overall song well. The focus on lyrics for this song as opposed to the chorus-heavy nature of other songs in the album, is also appealing.

Alleycat

The melodic hook of Alleycat is masterful. It combines Mumford’s experiences with a deep narrative allegory to convey the idea of mortality and finitude on earth. In an interview with Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio, Mumford says, “Alley Cat, I wrote in a prison actually. I go into prison and do poetry workshops and that came out of one of those sessions with the lads.”

Prizefighter

For the title track, Mumford & Sons pulled out all the production stops to make this a beautiful song. I was fascinated by the call and response that Mumford has with the backing track and the linear nature that the song takes on. The harmonies in this song were also angelic.

Begin Again

Begin Again has great use of wordplay and meter. The rhythm of phrasing was engaging and playful, but this was overall a generic song that seemed like it was made to be a soundtrack to an Instagram reel showing mountains and waterfalls. To me, it was nothing special, but it had some interesting lines.

Icarus (with Gigi Perez)

This track was strong and had once again a unique backing track. The allusion to the mythology of Icarus was fun and was a good vehicle for the themes of youth-driven choices. Two things I loved were the gospel chorus used in the background and the exciting drum fills.

Stay

This track slows the album down with its raw acoustic sound and a standout vocal performance by Mumford. The lyrics were glorious and elevated the song to another level as one of the best tracks on this LP.

Badlands (Gracie Abrams)

This track was a surprisingly captivating one amongst the album. Featuring singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams, this song has masterful meter. The contrasting voices between the two singers were so sonically pleasing to me, and I hope to hear more of that in future albums. Something about the arrangement and the lyrics perfectly evoked the feeling of nostalgia and progress for a brilliant track.

Shadow of A Man

Despite not enjoying repetitive choruses, this song’s chorus was enjoyable enough for me to want to hear it more.

I’ll Tell you Everything

This song was strong in its confessional-esque lyrics, specifically with the hook. He sings, “I was bank robber, then I was Superman.”

Clover

This final track has a beautiful melody. Christian ideas reappeared to me as he sings, “Isn’t normality a treat.” There seems to be some irony that makes me imagine a man speaking to Christ in His incarnation. It really evoked condescension to me, and I loved it. It ultimately ended in the most beautiful harmony in the entire album.

Overall Thoughts

Prizefighter was a great album with excellently clean production. Despite the consistent use of vocal inflection and chorus repetition, the lyrics and composition make up for it completely. If I had to rate it, I would give this album a 7/10.

Photo provided by Roberta, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Another St. Patrick’s Day is here and past! But who was he, and why is he still so celebrated? Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is known for several legends that surround his life, the most popular being that he drove the snakes out of Ireland and used the shamrock to explain the Trinity. However few know the true story behind this Irish mythic figure.

Who?

Patrick grew up in the church in Glasgow around the 5^th century in a practicing Christian family. However, in his teenage years, he denied Christ because of his love for earthly pleasures. But when Patrick was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery, he turned back to his Christian roots.

"I was sixteen years old and knew not the true God and was carried away captive; but in that strange land the Lord opened my unbelieving eyes, and although late I called my sins to mind, and was converted with my whole heart to the Lord my God," Patrick wrote.

After this event, he was rescued from his misfortunes and returned home with a new heart to spread the gospel. However, his influence has lived on beyond his life, with many traditions that honor the legacy of St. Patrick.

Wearing Green

Interestingly enough, if Patrick were here today, he would probably not understand why people wear green in his honor, as most artistic depictions and accounts of him show him in a blue robe. The green that is sported by holiday enthusiasts all around the world is representative of the Roman Catholic majority in Ireland at the time of the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Wearing Orange

Around the same time that green was adopted as a Patrick’s Day icon color, Protestants rebelled by sporting the color orange. This was in reference to the great William of Orange, who conquered the English monarch King James II in 1688 in what is called the “Glorious Revolution." This event was a key, rare point in history where a Protestant became the ruler of England, Ireland, and Scotland.

The Shamrock

It is almost impossible to go anywhere on March 17 and not see a three-leaf clover somewhere. Some say it brings good luck, while others say it explains complicated theological doctrines, but it is really a symbol of Irish pride. In the 16^th Century, England was increasingly assimilating Ireland into its territory, language and religious practices. Consequently, Irish folk adopted the symbol of the shamrock to display their Irish nationalism as a sign of rebellion.

The Leprechaun

The Leprechaun’s, despite having their own holiday, are associated with St. Patrick’s Day because of their ties to Ireland’s Celtic roots. Leprechauns are mythological fairies that originally were called “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.” They are said to be makers of shoes and brogues, which is a specific type of stitching pattern in leather shoes. Legend suggests that the sound of the Leprechaun’s cobbling hammer is a sign of his presence and that his treasure resides with him.

Now you know a bit of the long-lasting tradition of honoring the patron saint of Ireland. Have a happy St. Patricks Day!

Photo by Hope Brittenham