The Southerner Volume 65, Issue 8 by David Winter

HENRY W. GRADY HIGH SCHOOL, ATLANTA

VOLUME LXVI, NUMBER 8

MAY 21, 2012

THE END OF INTERNSHIPS IS ‘ETCHED IN STONE’ T

By Olivia Kleinman he Grady administration has eliminated teacher internships for the 2012-2013 school year. Registrar Chinaester Holland said the administration made the decision because of what she termed “internal administrative concerns.” “The internship program as it exists definitely cannot resume,” Holland said. “That’s etched in stone.”

Holland communicated this decision to the faculty in an email on Mar., 30. “Due to excessive reporting errors for students scheduled as interns, we will not have internship positions for the 2012-2013 school year,” Holland wrote. When science teacher Gabangaye Gcabashe received this email with the news, he was caught off guard. “If only they could have addressed these

errors …but I don’t know what these errors are,” Gcabashe said. Gcabashe expressed disappointment about the policy change and said his two interns have been very helpful this year. “Because of the budget cuts there are fewer teachers and bigger class sizes, so it’s nice to have someone to help with the craziness,” Gcabashe said. “I’ve become dependent on them.” Many students have also expressed

concerns regarding the elimination of the internship program. “I don’t think they should get rid of [internships] completely,” senior Madison Keiger said. “They should revise the system to make it more efficient, but completely getting rid of interns won’t benefit anyone.” Keiger said when she was an intern for literature teacher DeeDee Abbott, her tasks see INTERNS, page 6

Stephens, Martinez, at least 7 others to leave Grady Creator of UrbanCouture to pursue passion for fashion By Olivia Veira incent Martinez has two letters tattooed to his ankle: UC. “Your ink has the power to tell a story,” Martinez said. “UrbanCouture has been a part of my life for 10 years and told a story.” For the past decade, Martinez has worked tirelessly to stage fashion shows that display the work of the fashion designers in his program, UrbanCouture. After 10 years of teaching fashion and art, Martinez has announced his resignation to pursue his interests in fashion. “I have reached a point where I am ready to pursue opportunities which, include everything from runway production to art direction to wardrobe styling,” Martinez said. “In order to pursue these career options, I had to resign from my job. It was also time. You know when the time is right, and the time is right.” Martinez’s co-worker, John Brandhorst, saw Martinez’s resignation coming. “I wasn’t surprised,” Brandhorst said. “He’s been involving himself at higher and higher levels in the fashion scene for the past few years.” Martinez’s resignation did, however, come as a surprise to junior Sophia Smith, who has been dreaming of becoming a senior designer since her freshman year. Smith said she will miss Martinez, but is concerned there will not be a fashion program after Martinez leaves. Despite the setback, Smith said she will push to make sure that UrbanCouture lives on and would work to produce a student-run show even if there is no of a fashion teacher to coordinate it. Martinez said he hopes the program will continue after he resigns. Even if he is not able to come back to oversee UrbanCouture next year, Martinez said he believes that the students, will ensure that the program will continue. “I can boast that my program can run itself for at least a full school year because I have taught my kids effectively and they know the expectations, the level of quality that we expect, so it’s very possible,” Martinez said. “It can be done. [The students] have what it takes.” To ensure that UrbanCouture does not go away, Martinez offered to teach senior design part-time at Grady. see MARTINEZ, page 7

10 a&e

A group of nine women from the class of 1957 have met every year since they turned 50. They will gather with their entire class for the 55th reunion on May 19.

Rachel Citrin

Olivia Veira

news

Olivia Kleinman

GOODBYE, AND GOOD LUCK: Atik Khan (top right), Vincent Martinez (left) and Scott Stephens (far left) are three of the teachers planning to leave Grady at the end of the school year. Among the other teachers leaving are Coach Douglas Slade, math teacher and swim coach Broderick Turner and Chemistry teacher Shameen Fatima.

Veteran teacher, literary magazine adviser to retire By Rachel Citrin and Olivia Veira fter 15 years at Grady, Scott Stephens is leaving his teaching position. He has spent his years with a full plate, teaching English, advising the literary magazine, The Unmaksing and coaching the tennis team. “I’m eligible for retirement and ready to do something different,” Stephens said. This news stunned some students. “I was surprised,” senior Eloisa Cleveland said. “I think that it’s sad because he’s such a good teacher. We were the only AP class that he taught, and I wish other students could have had the opportunity to have him. I’m glad we had the opportunity to have him as our teacher, though.” Journalism and debate teacher Mario Herrera was also surprised.

12 people

Senior AP Art students displayed their work on April 19 in the AP Art show. More than 100 members of the Grady community attended the exposition.

EXCLUSIVELY @theSoutherneronline.com AS SCHOOL YEAR ENDS, GROUP OF TEACHERS BIDS FAREWELL Visit our website for extended coverage of the seven other teachers who have announced their resignation. “He’s a teacher’s teacher,” Herrera said. “He manages to make literature come alive in a way [in which] I hope one day I am able to.” After retiring, Stephens has considered working part-time or traveling. Junior Chants Davidson is a member of the tennis team. He said he will miss Stephens dearly. “Best case scenario we’d have to find a new coach for the upcoming season, and that is quite the position to fill when see STEPHENS, page 7

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Senior Caitlin Wade has a passion for theater. Wade was the only senior who both wrote and directed a oneact play in this year’s Senior One-Acts.

Perri Bonner began to play soccer in elementary school. Now a junior, Bonner has verbally committed to play soccer for the UNC Charlotte.

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May 21, 2012

Editorial Board

the Southerner

Emma Aberle-Grasse Kate de Give Joe Lavine Hunter Rust Will Staples Alex Sterns-Bernhart Olivia Veira

Please give us your undivided attention Juniors of 2012: it’s been fun. We’ve gone from working on laptops to being the best newspaper in the state, from sitting on polar opposite ends of the Kleber living room last summer to planning a camping trip (maybe it will happen eventually). But we’ve gotten through it (relatively) unscathed, and we actually got out some pretty TTU issues. Yeah, did that. But before we burrow away into the office/cave to watch Criminal Minds, The Best of Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, let us impart some of our oh-soextensive wisdom to you, young grasshoppers: To News: Stay hungry—even if the food at late night fills you up. Get out there, find some scandals and befriend our good friend Keith (Bromery). He’s a cool guy. Oh, and don’t forget to cover the world ending in December. To Comment: Stay witty and passionate. We know it will be hard without your silent-but-deadly leader Gabrielle, but we have faith in you guys. Find the good and the bad—it’s out there. To People: Stay unique. Keep covering the people off the beaten path— even if it means finding the owner of some random burrito restaurant on Howell Mill that no Grady student will ever go to. To A&E: Stay…artsy. Get crazy with design. Go in, as Jasmine would say. Find out what’s going on around Atlanta, put on your own Sassy Pants and get some awesome pictures. And if you get them off Facebook, we will find you. To Sports: Stay active. Keep up the game coverage. Write about more sports that people didn’t know existed. And Jasmine will be reading from Boston to make sure you cover lacrosse. To Doubletruck/Design: Stay colorful. And remember, if you ever have any questions next year, just ask yourself WWLD—what would Liz do? Or, what would Shaun NOT do? To everyone: Don’t let them cut the room in half again. Also, remember, if you start using Oxford commas, Shaun will only be an hour and a half away. And more importantly, don’t forget to feed the rats on rats on rats. It’s been real. Maybe we’ll miss you. And we KNOW you’ll miss us— don’t lie. Love, The editors p

Removal of HBC flags now known I really appreciated the article “Student respect questionable after HBC flags pulled down,” about the recent incident involving the removal of several HBC pennants. I think that a lot of students were not aware of what had happened, and I think that the only way that we can move on from such an incident is through acknowledgement and discussion. For this reason, I appreciated that The Southerner chose to shed some light on the issue, hopefully opening up a discussion about the incident. Eloisa Cleveland senior

Spring musical recieves high-five The story “Putting their best foot forward,” about the Grady play “Something’s Afoot,” was well done. The writing style is simple and easy to read while still being engaging. I felt that the way the content is displayed is also well done in capturing

Fees empty pockets Two hours of waiting in line. Listening to the loud complaints of your neighbors in line. Watching anxiously as Ms. Rhodes-Igherighe slowly rips receipt after receipt after receipt. All to watch $87 per AP exam fly out of your wallet. Then, much to our chagrin, we get out of that line only to find that we must wait outside of Mr. Pilson’s room to find out whether or not our junior dues had indeed been lost when Mr. Henderson left the school. Many people don't factor in the amount of money it takes to get an education, even in public school. In addition to AP tests, students face the burden of affording yearbooks, prom, overnight field trips, graduation (cords, cap and gown) and Visions. Throughout the four years of high school, fees pile up, and it is our duty to pay them. It isn’t the fees themselves that are the problem, though; it’s their elusiveness. Until the time comes that we have to pay them, usually we don’t know they even exist. We public school students pride ourselves on having a nice, free education. We appreciate the fact that we can get into the same schools as students who pay thousands of dollars per year for their education. But the reality is that public school kids have to cough up the dough too. Take student A. Student A buys a yearbook every year, goes to prom and participates in graduation activities. Student A likes to challenge himself, so he took one AP class his sophomore year, two his junior year and three his senior year. By the end of high school, student A has said goodbye to $1,097. To say that the money isn’t worth it would be a lie, but it does not make up for the amount it costs. p

and displaying to the reader the excitements of what went on inside and outside of the play. It is a wonderful representation of the journalistic abilities and integrative writing style of The Southerner, and I plan to read more. David Carlock junior

Substitutes absent, yet story remains The issue discussed in the article “There’s no substitute for missing substitute teachers” is a problem that many students have encountered this year or in previous years at Grady. The article made me wonder what is going to be done about the problem. Even since the article has been published, there have still been instances of missing substitutes. With finals so close, we need as much instruction time as possible. It’s time for these subs to be held accountable for their responsibilities to our education. Reilly Lerner junior

Fan absence issue brought to surface I strongly agree with Philip Suitts’ opinion article concerning student discounts at Grady sports events, “Discounting student tickets would strengthen spirit,” and I think it was very well written. I hate going to home games and not seeing many students there to cheer on the athletes, and I think that giving students discounted tickets will attract more fans. Phillip supported his point with strong evidence about other schools and their policies, and it was overall a very well-written article. I never thought about this attendance problem or about a possible solution, but Phillip’s opinion column brought that all of that to light. JD Capeluto sophomore

We want to know what you think! Love an article? Hate one? Find an error? Tell us about it! The Southerner welcomes letters from any and all of our readers. Contact us at winterworks@aol.com.

uestion

f the month

What are your plans for the last day of school?

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I’m going to a water park with my friends.” D’Anthony Ross junior

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Probably kiss every tree in the school.” Deya Bowers sophomore

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C O R R E C T I O N S

Not being here.” Jennifer Steckl freshman

I’m probably the only one, but I’m going to Grady Fest.” Imani Stanard junior

In “Changes to Hope on legislature’s agenda” (April 17, page 5) we misrepresented Karen Taber’s belief about the proposed income cap plan. Taber is concerned that the plan doesn’t account for healthcare and retirement costs.

Southerner Staff 2011-2012 A&E/ People Team: Jolie Jones, Ciena Leshley, Simon McLane, Diana Powers, Megan Prendergast, Gracie White Comment/Sports Team: Emma Aberle-Grasse, Kate de Give, Joe Lavine, Hunter Rust, Will Staples, Alex Stearns-Bernhart Doubletruck Team: Sammi Dean, Olivia Kleinman, Lauren Ogg, Carson Shadwell, Olivia Veira News Team: Konadu Amoakuh, Rachel Citrin, Troy Kleber, Grace Power, Isabelle Taft

Staff: Ollie Aberle-Grasse, Mac Barrineau, Thomas Cox, Anna Fuller, Nile Kendall, Jordan Ross, Jasmine Burnett, Shaun Kleber, LeJoi Lane, Lucy Leonard, Elizabeth McGlamry, Audrey Vaughn, Lindsey Leonard, Alix Youngblood, Taylor Allen, Gabrielle Siegel, Molly Daniel, Lauren Harper, Kenny Cochran, Steve Terry, Lauren Scott Nally Kinnane, Phillip Suitts Advisers: Kate Carter, Dave Winter

An upbeat paper for a downtown school To our readers, The Southerner, a member of GSPA, SIPA, CSPA and NSPA, is a monthly student publication of: Henry W. Grady High School 929 Charles Allen Drive NE Atlanta, GA 30309

The Southerner welcomes submissions, which may be edited for grammar, inappropriate language and length. Please place submissions in Mr. Winter or Ms. Carter's box in the main office. Subscriptions are also available. For more information, please contact Mr. Winter, Ms. Carter or a member of the staff.

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May 21, 2012

Grades poor reflection of intelligence Public high schools are not efficient education systems. The concept of public schools was born out of the industrial age; public schools are modeled after factories. It is a cost-efficient method to put in something and come out with an altered or manufactured product, and it is an old, outdated method. Ollie AberleMost schools are not well tailored to Grasse fit the student. This leaves many students with an ill-fitting education. The kids struggling with their learning are left behind, and the kids who breeze through their classes are left bored and unchallenged. No one is happy in this defective system. There is slight variation in classes with honors and AP, but this alone is not a solution to the problem. There are still many kids falling in between the cracks of the misleading public school system. So kids go through this flawed system, struggling to keep up or struggling to keep their eyes open, and then they are judged on how they did in all these ill-fitting classes. Kids are adults

who have not fully developed yet. They are not necessarily going to recognize the importance of getting good grades starting in ninth grade. Smart ninth graders will realize how much they can slack off in their classes and still get by, thinking they are somehow beating the system, but without a strong drive and influence from parents, there is little reason for kids to get good grades until they come to 11th or 12th grade and start looking at colleges. Then suddenly, their GPA becomes very important, and all those easy B’s and C’s will come back to bite them. If only they had realized the consequences are much graver than they appear to be. Kids these days also struggle with various mental challenges, such as ADD. These conditions do not affect intelligence, but they can greatly affect a student’s test-taking ability. Schools have begun to take some of this into account, but not enough to even the playing field. When it comes down to it, grades are simply a depiction of the effort a student puts in or is able to put in, not what they actually know. Grades are a decent indicator of who will do well in college classes, but nothing more than that. p

While senior year of high school is said to host some of life’s best memories, it is also generally considered to be the most stressful year Audrey Vaughn of people’s high school careers. Not because of testing or AP classes. No, the stress stems from one enormously intimidating source: college. The applications, the deadlines and finally the decisions, not to mention the chestconstricting pressure provided by everyone around you, all drown you at once. The anxiety that comes with applying to college can seem insurmountable, which is why I am here to pass on some words of wisdom to those who will soon begin this odyssey. Most people have an idea of where they’d like to go to college by the time they reach their senior year of high school, but there are certainly others who feel absolutely clueless about the subject. Personally, I was in the clueless boat at the beginning of 12th grade, but after looking through countless college books and doing my fair share of research, my choices became pretty clear. It is a good idea to get the applications done early so that the rest of senior year can be enjoyed and stress-free. Though procrastination may be a favorite hobby for many of you, it is important to nip that habit in the bud when it comes time to fill out those infamous forms. Organization is a powerful tool when confronting the application process. For example, I kept a checklist for each of the schools I was applying to. That way, I had an easily accessible cheat sheet telling me what I had already done and what I still had to do for every school. I also always kept in mind the deadlines. Missing the cutoff date is never good. After the applications are sent on their way, an even more difficult stage begins— the waiting. During this stretch of time, don’t let anxiety and apprehension take their toll. Try to forget about college for a few months, and enjoy senior year! When the verdicts finally come in, be prepared for anything. Denials often seem unfair and arbitrary, but hanging on to the initial heartbreak isn’t helpful and will only make things worse. Celebrate the accep-

Will Staples

Road to college stressful yet satisfying

tances and forget about the rejections. You will end up where you are meant to be. Once the letters have all arrived, it’s decision time, which was the hardest part for me. It is crucial to consider all of the details and examine each school from every angle, including the financial aspect. Many people decide on a college that will place them into serious debt. We’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars. While going to a ridiculously expensive school may seem like the right choice at the time, don’t forget to take a step back and think about whether or not it is worth the long-term consequences. There are good schools in every state, and

going in-state can save a lot of money. Don’t get wrapped up in the idea of being as far away from home as possible because no matter where you go, home will seem light years away if you want it to seem that way. Although transferring is certainly possible, it is an unnecessary hassle that is best avoided. To current high school students reading this: when this notoriously stressful year rolls around, make sure your head is screwed on straight, and try not to get too overwhelmed by it all. Although the process can be demanding and at times difficult, everything will be worth it in the end. p

e with r u t a N

ALEX From fire to food, 3 plants with plenty of potential value By Alex Sterns-Bernhart Many people often overlook what the Earth has provided for us. I am talking about all of the plants that surround us. I have always believed that to become a better woodsman or woodswoman, one must open themselves up to the world of plants. I’m not sure if it is possible to learn them all, but we can always try. There are three plants that grow commonly in the Southern Appalachains and have an amazing spectrum of uses that everyone should know. The first plant to discuss is the White Pine Tree, sometimes refered to as Mountain Pine. This tree is one of the most helpful plants in the mountains, and lucky for us, it grows in great quantities up and down the Appalachian Mountains. Because it is a type of pine, the inner bark of the tree is edible, and in my opinion, it is one of the better tasting pines. The inner bark provides iron, carbohydrates, good fat and protein. The needles can be used to make a tea that promotes general healing. The inner bark makes a good bandage because it keeps a wound clean and promotes healing. The last important thing about White Pine is that fire can be made with this wood. When I say making fire, I am talking about using it to make a fire by friction. It is not a good wood for beginners, but it works well in a pinch. Sassafras is a tree that grows high up on mountains. The Native Americans called Sassafras Green Twig because the ends of the branches sometimes look green. A tea can be made out of the root. This tea helps to thin blood, boost your immune system to help cure food poisoning. In addition to its medicinal qualities, the tea is delicious. Shavings and leaves from the tree can help keep bugs away. The new-growth leaves are edible, but they are an acquired taste. If the leaves are gathered and dried, they make a marvelous soup thickener. Sassafras can also be used to make fire, but it is very challenging. I have only made a coal out of this tree one time; so if you have the choice, use another wood. Most of us that spend time in the Appalachians have had run-ins with Stinging Nettle. Well, although it does leave you burning and itching sometimes, it can also be very useful. The plant is edible if the leaves are boiled in water. The dried fibers from the stock can be used to make strong cordage. Cordage is a way of twisting fibers to make useable rope. A word of warning: when gathering this plant, be careful not to let the bottoms of the leaves brush up against you, as this will cause a burning itch that lasts at least seven minutes. Most of these plants must be gathered when they are green and alive. The gathering must be done carefully both for your sake and that of the plants. Try to use common sense when harvesting a plant and don’t cause any unnecessary harm. For example, if you need a branch from a tree, don’t cut down the entire tree. Just take what you need. Extreme caution must be taken when consuming any plant in the wild. These plants can be added to or start the list of useful plants. Now that you have a start, go and get out there. p

EXCLUSIVELY @ theSoutherneronline.com Capitalistic society beginning to make sense

Taking another step toward prom safety

Watching our economy crash in 2008 got me thinking about the nature of how capitalIf you walked into the theater on Friday, April 27, you would have seen seats filled with excited istic economies worked. Even though there were just as many resources in the economy in juniors and seniors clasping yellow papers exclaiming, “I pledge to make my car a ‘No Phone 2008 as in 2006, it wasn’t the same. This led me into thinking about what the goal of a ... Zone’ vehicle. Beginning right now, I will do my part to help put an end to distracted ...

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In-state schools carry a practical price tag

May 21, 2012

Out-of-state schools offer new choices By mallory akard

By maragh girvan

When you’re young, you have a very dramatized view of where you’ll be going to college. Perhaps you envisioned yourself on a beautiful Hogwarts-like campus with giant green quads filled with students playing football and sitting in study circles. Maybe you saw yourself in a huge city, reading a novel for your Spanish lit class on the subway while travelling to meet with your professor. These visions can turn to pipe dreams as you get older, and start to ask the questions that matter: What kinds of majors does this school offer? Is this school in a practical location for any internship or activities I want to do? And the biggest question these days: Can I afford it? These are the questions I had to consider when I was selecting a school from those that accepted me. After narrowing my choices to Tulane, Cornell, Auburn, Howard and Georgia Tech (the only state school I really considered), I surprised myself and decided on Tech. Though I only made the decision a few days ago, I feel really good about it. The first thing that seems to deter students from going to in-state schools is the proximity to home. Yes, in going to Tech, I will be 1.7 miles from my house, two miles from Grady, and only four miles from my preschool. But I will also be in a city that houses the corporate offices of 10 Fortune 500 companies like Home Depot, Coca-Cola, and SunTrust Banks, with five more based in other parts of Georgia. I will be in a city that is quickly becoming The Southern Hollywood, with more than 40 major motion pictures filmed here in the last three years. I will be in a city that is ranked one of the top restaurant cities in the nation. Basically, anything I want to eat, I can get in Atlanta. As close as I will be to home, Georgia Tech’s campus feels brand new. A lot of people will say that if you go to school too close you’ll have to see your parents all the time. The fact of the matter is, you don’t have to see them if you don’t want to. It’s up to you to assert your independence from your family, and that starts with college. And then, there’s the issue of money. The average cost of tuition and fees for students at four-year private colleges and universities in 2011-2012 was $28,500, compared to $8,244 at four-year public colleges and universities in-state. Even factoring in an annual grant of $12,400 (the average grant amount from a private college in 2008), out-of-state students would still have to make up $16,100. Add in the average cost of room and board for each ($10,089 at a private school and $8,887 at a public in-state school), and the person at a private university is facing at least $144,000 of outside loans and potential debt over four years of school, while in-state public students, only have to make up a little less than $40,000. When you consider this, going to school in Georgia at a public university looks pretty appealing. Bringing it back home, a lot of our parents didn’t have the same prospects that we have now at Grady, and a lot of them didn’t attend college themselves. You owe it to them to take advantage of the fantastic opportunities you have and further your education. Do you really want a six-figure sum looming over your head at a private college when you can have the same opportunities, at a much cheaper cost, in Georgia? p

e h T

Since senior year started, every senior has been asked about his or her college plans. And, ever since May 1, I’ve been asked the same question. “Where are you going to college?” Before I made my decision, that question was really annoying, but now, there is another question that annoys me: “Where is that?” To answer your question, I am going to Eckerd College and before you ask, it is in St. Petersburg, Fla. It’s a small liberal arts school with a big marine biology program, but that’s not what I’m interested in. If you remember Rachel Cruz, Rachel Feinberg, Anna Cunningham and Daniel Matthews, well, they all go there. I made the tough choice to go out of state for college. The grim reality is that out of the seven schools I applied to, I was only accepted to three of them, all out of state. I was one of many students to be rejected by the University of Georgia and Georgia College and State University because my test scores don’t reflect my personal aptitude. My options did not consist of one acceptable state school, an affordable out-of-state school and my one reach school; in fact, it was the opposite. Maybe it was a lack of foresight on my part to not apply to Georgia State University, but I did not know what was going to happen. To be honest, I only applied to UGA because my dad made me, and I have always wanted to get out of Georgia. College is supposed to be a completely new experience and no offense, but going to UGA and rooming with your best friend from high school isn’t a new experience. Going out of state forces one to become truly independent from your parents. I won’t be two hours away from mommy in Florida. Instead, I’ll be about eight or nine hours away from her with only a distant family friend two hours away. Gaining a true sense of independence and self-reliance comes from going out of state. I am really excited to be going away from home and meeting completely new people. The thing about out-of-state colleges is that they draw from a bigger portion of the country. It is important to me to meet people who come from a different state or hometown, and out-of-state schools offer that. You have access to different perspectives, ideas, situations and people that enrich your life. Eckerd encourages those different perspectives. Unlike the very competitive scholarship programs at UGA, I was offered a merit tuition scholarship renewed for all four years at Eckerd. I had a sense that Eckerd wanted me for me, and not because I was a statistic from a certain county and of a certain race with a certain test score. A smaller out-of-state school is able to offer me more than just a reminder of home and high school. I do understand that going to an out-ofstate school may bring on more hardships and challenges; however, I am ready to do new things with my life. I am ready to be in a new environment with new people. I am ready to start purchasing an amount of sunscreen equivalent to my tuition, and I am ready to start a life on my own. And I do feel that going to school out of state will supply me with that sense of independence and maturity that I yearn for. p

SENIOR

Stance

Which is better, in-state college or out-of-state college?

High Heists: count your cash, police your pockets First I was a victim. In 10th grade my phone was stolen from me in my physical education class. We left the gym to make our rounds on the track. When we returned to the gym, Coach Slade reminded us to check our purses to make sure our belongings were all there. Mine weren’t: my beloved pink chocolate slide phone Molly Daniel was missing. I thought I had learned my lesson about bringing valuables to school. Until the first semester of my senior year. It was third period—sculpture class. I usually hung my purse near the front of the class with the rest of the students’ bags, in plain sight. One fatal day, I arrived late to class, and there were no hooks left. I decided to hide my purse under the table where I sat. If you have ever had a sculpture class, you understand that you are rarely sitting in your seat for longer than 10 minutes. After class I returned to my seat and checked my purse.

I discovered my wallet on top with the money pocket half unzipped. It was very suspicious so I decided to count my cash, only to find that $80 had been stolen from right under my nose. If there is any advice I can bestow upon current and future students, it’s how to get through Grady Heist School untouched by thievery. Lesson one: don’t bring valuables to school. Never bring more than $5 or $10 to school. Why even bother to bring your wallet to school unless you absolutely need a couple bucks for lunch or bus money? That way a Grady thief will find nothing when they scavenge through your bag. If you can avoid bringing your phone to school, do not bring it. But living in the 21st century, this is nearly impossible. This brings me to lesson number two: If you have to bring valuables to school, then you should hide them as best as possible. Find the discreet pocket in the deepest section of your backpack in which to stow your phone and Ipod. This causes a Grady thief to take time to search through your

bag, raising the chances that you will catch them in the act, or the thief will lose patience and move on to another unsuspecting victim. The final lesson is to keep your purse or bag on you or in your sight at all times. This will eliminate the chances of thievery altogether. If you carry a backpack to school every day and you can’t keep the large bag on your person for the whole school day, put your phone, money, iPod and all other valuables in your pockets. Some more advice for Heist School students is not to fall into the tempting trap of Heist School thievery. As you leave a class and you see that someone has left their $85 TI-84 calculator behind, don’t snatch it up for yourself; please return it to the person who left it. We all know the sickening feeling when you realize you forgot your precious calculator in your last class and find it missing from every place you look. Follow these tips, Grady Heist schoolers, and maybe you will make it out of here with your wallets intact, which is more than I can say. p

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Will Staples

May 21, 2012

Big Brother is watching and teaching You always hear about students being taught by their parents—be it their mother or father— but you don’t usually hear of a student being taught by an Phillip Suitts older sibling. I had never heard of such a scenario until it happened to me. That’s right, I was taught this semester by none other than David Suitts, a 24-year-old student teacher from Emory University’s Master of Arts in Teaching program and my brother. When I first heard that my brother might be teaching me, I wasn’t filled with a sense of dread. In fact, I would say my emotions bordered on happiness. My brother and I have never had a “normal” sibling relationship. Our age difference—six years—always made my brother more of a mentor and a friend than an adversary. In many ways, I didn’t see his teaching me as any different than him giving me advice about colleges, school or soccer. My bubble of contentment was burst by my brother’s girlfriend. One night while watching a college football game with my brother and some of his friends, the conversation turned to the possibility of my brother teaching me. “You are going to be a second-semester senior and have your brother teaching you; do you really want that?” she said. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, my attitude toward my brother teaching me went from eager to apprehensive. As time passed I began to think more and more about my brother teaching me. I began to think about the awkward situations that would arise, like him coming over for dinner one night when I had homework due the

next day in his class, homework that I hadn’t even started. I began to worry and fret over that scenario and numerous other hypothetical possibilities that could arise if my brother taught me. In the midst of my anxiety, I heard that my brother might not teach me after all. But that escape proved ephemeral. I learned during the first weeks of the new year that my brother would be teaching my 2A AP U.S. Government class. The time for worrying and agonizing was over; now, it was time to make the best of the situation. But that was easier said than done. The first time my brother sat in on my class I was so nervous I could hardly concentrate on class. I kept glancing over at my brother as if to remind myself that he was really there, and then catching myself and turning my attention back to Mr. Campbell, hoping no one noticed my furtive glance. At the end of class, one of my peers asked me if the teacher sitting in on class was my brother. I asked him how he knew, fully expecting him to say he had noticed me glancing over in my brother’s direction all period; instead, he gave me an answer I truly didn’t expect: “He looks like you.” I was taken aback; I always thought my brother and I look nothing like each other. I soon learned, however, that not everyone at Grady shared my opinion on the matter. Soon enough, the whole class, and seemingly the whole school, knew Mr. Suitts was my brother and my teacher. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t “David’s little brother.” No, all over the school, Mr. Suitts was called “Phillip’s older brother.” I can’t lie: that role switch felt good. After living my whole Grady career in my brother’s shadow I was finally out of it and casting my own shadow in his general direction.

After one of his first days teaching (a class in which I endured numerous hecklings from my classmates), my brother came home with a sheet outlining what he believed was appropriate behavior between us inside the classroom. I never did fill out one of those sheets. After all, after the sheet was doing was giving both of us a chance to outline and write down what actions we thought were acceptable. I guess I assumed we didn’t need a sheet telling us what we should and shouldn’t do. Our intuition and instincts would make sure neither of us every crossed the “line.” I was proven correct in that assumption. Soon enough, my brother and I established some unspoken yet inviolable ground rules. 1. Never talk about class outside of school 2. Never talk about life at home during class and most importantly... 3. Never, ever raise my hand or speak out in class (just kidding! mostly. I always felt a little awkward asking “Mr. Suitts” a question). On my first graded assignment with Mr. Suitts, I got a “70.” I thought that would put a quick end to the “teacher’s pet” jabs. After receiving an A-plus on my next assignment, I was back to square one. Which was fine by me. Being taught by my brother was a great experience. It has given me a story which I can tell to my children, my nieces and nephews, my grandchildren and even complete strangers. But most importantly (at least according to my mom) I learned a great deal from my brother. So thank you Mr. Suitts, a.k.a. my big brother. p

High school exploits tweak priorities High school. It’s completely unique. I tried to think of a metaphor worth comparing it to, but after about 10 minutes of deep consideration, I gave up. It can be a place to learn new skills and expand your knowledge, or a place to sit and stare at a movie or play iPhone games. It can be a place to meet new friends and form relaGabrielle Siegel tionships, or a place to be taunted or bullied for being different. Whatever your experience, you will walk away with a better understanding of the world. While I acquired a lot at Grady High School, what stands out to me the most is knowing what really matters. All of my friends booked a party bus for prom junior year. Obviously, there wasn’t enough room on a bus that holds 30-something people. The rest of us got another limo, but some of the people who were left off the first bus were really upset and disappointed they weren’t in the “better group.” All of us went to prom. All of us had a great night. Prom doesn’t matter. Last year, I applied for the Posse Scholarship, which pays for a full ride to a select group of colleges and universities. I didn’t even make it past the first round. I still applied to and was offered

money from several universities. I’ll be attending a great school in the fall and couldn’t be more excited. If you’re determined and diligent, you’ll be fine in the end. Rejection doesn’t matter. Anyone can succeed at Grady, as long as you take the tougher honors and AP courses and actually do the work. Colleges actually look at the classes you took and whether you challenged yourself. Make a respectable grade in those courses too, because that’s important as well. Classes and grades do matter. When I’m old and gray, telling my grandchildren about what high school was like in “my day,” the first thing that will pop into my mind is my friends and all the fun times we had. The people you hang around can and will shape you, whether you realize it or not. They can either make you a better person or get you into trouble, so choose carefully. Friends do matter. If you get caught up in the little things, you’re making your life more difficult than it needs to be. You’re young, and high school is a time to have fun, but also to set your life in a positive direction. Before you start stressing about the latest drama, relax and think about if it will really matter in the long run. Usually, you’ll realize it’s insignificant in the grand scheme of things. If there’s one thing high school taught me, it’s what is worth worrying about in life. p

Senior year not full of fun and games, stress still lingers I find it completely ironic and mildly depressing when I take time to do a comparison of the time required to achieve and to actually receive a diploma. I spent four years of my life working for my Lejoi Lane diploma, yet it will take no more than an hour for me to receive it. Senior year is best described as the year of college applications, stress and a lethargic attitude. It has been one mountain after another, one valley after another followed by a much-desired plateau. We knew this tortuous path was coming and accepted the challenge with open arms and a game face. Applying to college isn’t exactly fun, more like excitement wrapped in pressure sprinkled with fear. There’s page after page of each application for each school. How many times can I write my name and address on the dotted line? And colleges don’t want to know just the simple things about you; they want a life history. Have you paid your taxes? Were you always an American citizen? How long have you lived at your current address? What’s your security question to remember your password so you can log back in to finish answering the myriad of other questions they must know about you? Then comes the daunting task of the essay questions. They are usually original enough to require you to think but generic enough to make you sigh in frustration, and through all this you still religiously check your e-mail praying for that acceptance letter. On April 1, you sit fingers crossed, eyes closed as you wait for the decisions page to load. Heart pounding, you peak one eye open searching for the word congratulations only to find that cyber traffic jam to the site has caused it to crash. You sigh and think to yourself “why hasn’t the college found a better method than this, knowing it crashes every year?” All you wanted to know was how the next four years of your life were about to play out. Basically you’ve worked yourself into a frenzy for nothing. You retire to bed knowing there’s no chance of finding out the college’s decision and hope the uncertainty doesn’t kill you before the page is able to actually load. Stuff like this is only a small proportion of the stress seniors go through. There’s a saying that goes “More money, more problems.” That is a horrid lie. It’s completely the opposite for seniors. The more money we get, the more contented we are. Money may not buy happiness, but it sure can pay for a good education if you receive enough of it. Stress comes in so many different forms as a senior that we lose the ability to recognize it. You have to worry about scholarships, AP classes, AP tests, sending of transcripts, maintaining good grades, prom, graduation activities, daily life and, because it’s harder than it sounds, maintaining good grades again. That’s why, despite a lack of physical activity, we are so tired. Occasionally we may don our Burger King crowns, but stress is the crown we seniors wear every other day. Since I’ve described the mountains for you and given you the scenic route through the valley, it’s only fair I talk about the plateau. This is where lethargy hits you like a 20-ton Mac truck. I’m awoken now from my fairy tale dreams by my blaring alarm clock. I get up, turn it off, glare at it as if daring it to come back on and scuttle back into bed. I toss and turn for the next 20 minutes finally deciding on simply staring at the ceiling as I try to persuade myself to get up and get ready for school. I can’t tell you the number of mornings I’ve sat watching the minutes tick by or how many times I’ve arrived home in the afternoon and sat debating with myself whether to start my homework or to catch up on last night’s Glee episode. These are the inescapable stages of a senior year. They mold us and shape us for the not-too-distant future, or so our teachers keep calling it. Oh sweet innocent juniors, smile cause you’re up next. Watch as we amble away and prepare yourself to pull on the heavy cloaks of seniorhood. p

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the Southerner

News Briefs

May 21, 2012

INTERNS dismissed from future missions

Student interns tasked with assortment of jobs, responsibilities

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12 konadu amoakuh and rachel citrin

consisted of helping with grading, running errands, organizing books and class work and occasionally creating vocabulary quizzes. “It was nice to have a class where I knew I wouldn’t get any homework, especially as a senior when I have all these other classes taking up my time,” Keiger said. Senior Camille Harris, who is an intern for math teacher Andrew Nichols, said help from interns allows Nichols to spend more time on other important tasks. “It is a lot of work getting papers graded and giving them back on time,” Harris said. Harris believes she benefits greatly from her internship with Nichols. “It helps me remember things I learned in the past,” Harris said. “Going over assignments brings it back to memory.” Junior Courtney Marshall said she carefully planned out her schedule for next year and hoped to intern with speech and forensics teacher Mario Herrera. Since Marshall recently joined the debate team, she believes interning for Herrera could give her more time to expand her writing and debate skills. Now, she is among many students who will have to resort to “Plan B” regarding next year. “I know they are canceling the program so students focus on other achievements in school,” Marshall said. “But I don’t see the point in taking unnecessary classes that don’t help us succeed and only serve to fill up space on our schedule.” Senior Kiernan Steen, who has internships with Gcabasche and English and social studies teacher James Campbell, shares a similar viewpoint. “What about seniors like me who have already earned all of their credits? Where would I be?” Steen said. “If I was not interning, I would be taking art. How would that help me more than helping a teacher would?” Steen said she has found flaws in the argument many administrators have presented: that it is

10 8 6 4 2 0

Grading Papers

Organizing

Cleaning

Running Errands

Creating Quizzes

Other

BUSY BEES: Info graph above is based on a Southerner survey of 15 teachers. “Other” includes creating lesson plans, typing, research, maintaining bulletin boards, database management, filing, SAT preparation and independent work. more beneficial for students to take classes than to be interns. Administrators, Steen said, aren’t considering the students who are served by interns. “You and your parents may want to know your grade so you can try to improve it, but you can’t make any progress since your teacher has not graded your assignments yet,” Steen said. While Spanish teacher Enoch Gill said he appreciates his interns, he believes it is crucial to limit the number. “Two of my interns work hard and are helpful, but with so many, it’s a mess,” Gill said. “I like having two, not five.” Math teacher Linda Brasher said she agrees. “I have six interns this semester, but not by choice,” Brasher said. “Students had holes in their schedule and needed to fill them.” Admittedly, Steen does not believe she has personally benefited from her experience as an intern, and she frequently observes other interns in the halls off-task during class. Gcabasche has determined a possible cause of some students’ unproductive internships. “It’s arbitrary,” Gcabasche said. “There are no

set criteria for interns.” As a solution, Steen believes teachers should clearly define tasks interns should perform. Librarian Lisa Taft said she immensely values her interns who assist her with processing books, completing inventory, cataloging, creating displays, posting on the bulletin board, writing overdue book notices and running errands. Taft’s interns are referred to as “office aides,” and this position will continue next year. Taft said not only do many interns frequently come to the library to study for other classes, but many students claim they are interns when actually they are not. “Kids are coming into the library without a pass, and when I ask if they have a pass, they keep walking and say they are an intern,” Taft said. Taft said students should have a schedule that helps academically, especially when applying to college. Taft does not feel internships benefit students. “There is a perception that an internship is an easy pass, but it is not in their best interest for the long run,” Taft said. p

High school cluster models formalized The high school cluster models for APS have been settled. The elementary schools that now feed into Inman and Grady are Centennial Place, Hope-Hill, Mary Lin, Morningside and Springdale Park. Some schools may receive money for expansion.

Four students earn Gates scholarships Twenty-two APS students out of 1,000 students nationwide earned the 2012 Gates Millennium S c h o l a r s h i p. Fo u r Gr a d y students—Raven Ford, Abena Amoakuh, Chantil Coleman and Shafiq Gyagenda—were chosen. The scholarship covers the students’ tuition, room and board throughout their undergraduate and graduate education, as long as the students pursue degrees.

Success at World Quest Competition Isabelle Taft, Sammi Dean and Sam Heller took second place at the state World Quest Competition on March 17 at Georgia State University. Despite being one member short, the team took home medals, cash, mp3 players and the respect of fellow competitors. They were second to the team from the Georgia School of Math, Science, and Technology, which won a trip to Washington D.C.

Library collection shelved by book theft discern if items are missing. “When things are appealing, it is tempting to walk out with it,” Taft said. “This hurts our ability to build upon a collection.” Taft estimated that the loss rate at libraries averages between 4 and 8 percent per year. At Grady, however, the average estimated loss rate for missing items is about 22 percent. “I know that there is a problem because with the recent interest in the Hunger Games series, I have purchased a few copies of all three books in the series,” Taft said. “In a couple of weeks, all but a few were gone. If there is a high demand for something, it disappears. People think that it is a harmless activity, but it isn’t.” Senior Kiera Hicks was disappointed when she tried to check out a book and found it missing. “It’s weird to steal books because there’s no reason to,” Hicks said. “All you have to do is check it out.” Taft said one of the solutions is to have a loss protection system. “All public libraries [have one], as did the DeKalb public school system, where I used to be a librarian,” Taft said. “The system, though, is around

$10,000. Though expensive, in the long run it would save money. But as the librarian, it is up to me to solve [the problem].” This increased expense would further stress the already reduced budget for the library. Funding is set up by the state legislature, and in 2012, the state allocated about $13 per student. Taft had until February to get the items, such as books, magazines, and DVDs, for the library. “We have less funding than before,” Taft said. “With the money, we are charged with the responsibility to get materials appropriate for the community. It is not easy since there are lots of purchasing guidelines.” Taft also said that there is low visibility in the back corner of the library that needs to be addressed and that she needs to make sure the library is secured when no one is there to supervise it. “At Grady, the first step is to meet with all the parties and develop an action plan,” said APS media services coordinator Warren Goetzel. Taft hopes to promote a cooperative community and encourages students to return overdue items and

check out items before taking them from the library. “It’s really discouraging,” Taft said. “I take my purpose seriously: I try to work hard and build a collection. When a student asks if there is an item, and I lead the student to the shelf and have to say that it is missing, it is disheartening. I want to do something positive. “ In addition, Grady has not met the recommended number of books by SACS, which is 15,000 books. Grady has 9,000. “We need to help staff and students become good stewards and realize that stealing resources is unethical and illegal,” Goetzel said. “All of the books are publicly funded by taxpayers.” Taft hopes students will realize this. “The library is like a national forest,” Taft said. “I see myself as Smoky the Bear. One of my jobs is to be a good steward of public resources. I believe that the community needs good books. But people don’t see the library like they would see a public park or a national forest. The library is a community resource as well.” p

Lisa Taft, librarian

photo llustration by Rachel Citrin and konadu amoakuh

By Rachel Citrin Grady librarian Lisa Taft led sophomore Ellen Erickson through the library to find a book for her school project. When they got to the shelf, however, the book was missing even though it was listed in the catalogue as being there. This is not the first time that Erickson has encountered the problem of stolen library books. “It’s really frustrating because you think [the book] is there, but then it’s not,” Erickson said. “We are so lucky to have the library but I feel like people are taking advantage of it.” Grady’s library has had an issue with stolen items for years. “This [problem] is different from things checked out and never returned,” Taft said. “These items [are] listed as being available in the catalogue but [are] not on the shelf.” Taft said it is hard to know whether there has been an increase or decrease in the number of stolen items. This problem stems from difficulty with the library catalogue system including missing books listed as being there and technical usage problems. Taft, therefore, has to conduct massive check-ins to

news

May 21, 2012

2004

STEPHENS to be missed

2007

Photos From The Southerner Archives

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2009

UC IS IN-VINCE-ABLE: Vincent Martinez launched UrbanCouture in 2004. In 2012, Martinez said his final goodbye to Grady, while hosting the ninth fashion show.

MARTINEZ says auf wiedersehen to UC continued from front page “Even though Dr. Murray loved the idea, a decision isn’t as easy as that,” Martinez said. “One thing I can guarantee is that Dr. Murray has the best interests of Grady in mind and I know he’ll do whatever he can do to keep UC alive.” Principal Vincent Murray did not want to discuss Martinez’s resignation until it was final, but he said at the end of the school year the human resources department will begin advertising the opening. On Jan. 20, Martinez received startling news: he owed APS $1,286 and had 10 days to decide how to pay it back. Four months later, APS is threatening to take legal action against Martinez if he does not pay APS back. “They’re mistaken,” Martinez said. “I don’t owe them anything, but APS refuses to look at individual cases. They just want money and they’ll go to any measure to collect money, even if it’s unethical.” Martinez said the recent APS pay scandal triggered the idea to resign, but ultimately, he decided to leave in order to pursue other opportunities. “My feelings for APS are different from

2010 my feelings for Grady,” Martinez said. “The district ... well, they have their issues and they’re not pretty. I’m proud to say I’m a member of the Grady family. I would never say that about APS. Grady is just an amazing, incredible institution.” Under Martinez’s direction, UrbanCouture’s annual senior fashion show has been well-attended by members of the Grady community. UrbanCouture has been featured in

publications such as Jezebel, The Atlantan, Atlanta Magazine, The Sunday Paper and The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Martinez said. “[UrbanCouture] shot a pilot for MTV about four or five years ago,” Martinez said. “We also created and sponsored a charity event called Feed the Models, Save the World where the proceeds went to support the education of the dangers of eating disorders.” Although Martinez will miss Grady and UrbanCouture, he is excited about his plans for the future. The fashion program has allowed Martinez to work alongside the most highly esteemed figures in the fashion industry. Martinez plans on doing freelance work in several aspects of fashion, varying from styling to art production. “I’m laying down all the groundwork for a very successful summer and a very successful fall,” Martinez said. “I’ve got meetings with top modeling agencies. I’ve got meetings with reality TV celebrities. I’ve got meetings with successful wardrobe stylists.” Brandhorst said he has enjoyed working with Martinez and hopes the fashion program will continue. “I’ll miss him,” Brandhorst said. “I’ll miss his rhythm. We’ve spent a lot of years building a friendship.” p

Mr. Stephens was the predecessor before you,” Davidson said. Stephens said he hopes to continue to coach the tennis team, though that will be decided by the athletic director. He said the team has a better chance to make it to the state tournament because the team will change regions next year. “Mr. Stephens is a really good positive reenforcement type of coach, and it made things a lot easier,” Davidson said. “He also has his fair share of a competitive drive, and I feel like it did the team a lot of good at times.” Stephens said that The Unmasking, Grady’s literary magazine, will continue after his departure. Although he had experienced running a literary magazine at the school he worked at previously, Stephens said it will be fairly easy for a new teacher to take charge of the program. He said he would be happy to talk to the new teacher about what it takes to run the program, but that it would probably be unnecessary because Grady has a medley of talented writers. “Someone else will take it over, and it will be just as good as it’s always been,” he said. “I inherited the program from another teacher. I think it’ll be fine.” Students have expressed their regret and remember the times they had in his class. “He is a really good teacher,” Cleveland said. “Our class is always really organized, and we have a ton of fun. He has really clear expectations, and I feel really prepared for the AP exam.” Senior Marius Jackson has had Stephens as a teacher twice. “He is open to all opinions; he really is,” Jackson said. “No matter what you say he has a lot to reference it to because he is so smart.” Though Stephens has loved teaching, he is excited for the future. He said his favorite part of teaching has been his interaction with students. “I’ve had some great students and colleagues,” Stephens said. p

APS chief announces, then postpones, plan to convert small schools to SLCs By Isabelle Taft Superintendent Erroll Davis announced on March 30 that the small schools in place at Washington, Carver, South Atlanta and Therrell high schools will be transformed to small learning communities for the 2012-2013 school year, sparking outcry from parents, teachers and students. “[The change] upset all of us at Carver Early College and really all over the Carver campus,” said Matt Westmoreland, a social studies teacher at Carver Early College, one of Carver’s small schools, and a Grady graduate. “We’re proof that this model, while not perfect, is more effective that what used to be on our campus.” Then, exactly one month later, Davis said the transformation will be postponed until the 2013-2014 school year. “We don’t want to do anything that’s disruptive to the learning environment,” said Keith Bromery, APS director of media relations. “What they’re trying to do is kind of enact this transition from the small schools to the SLCs over a longer period of time.” Former superintendent Beverly Hall implemented the small schools beginning in 2005 as part of the High School Transformation, an initiative to improve student performance by creating smaller learning environments. Comprehensive high schools were divided into separate small high schools, each with its own principal, faculty and thematic focus. Students take all classes within their small school.

“[Students] even eat separately,” said LaParis Brooks, the mother of a junior at Washington’s School of Health Science and Nutrition. The curricular pathways of each small school will be preserved as academies in the restructured schools, but students will have the opportunity to take courses across all academies at their school, said Tamiko Hudson, the SLC project director. Brooks said she supports the change. She believes the SLC model gives students the benefits of the small school but allows greater freedom. “[My son] found [the small-school model] constricting at first because he wasn’t sure exactly which pathway he wanted to go with, but he figured it out,” Brooks said. Hudson said the switch will reduce administrative costs because some principal positions will be cut and SLCs will be lead by a single principal. Additionally, the changes will enable more efficient use of human resources, Bromery said. “At Carver you have to hire four algebra teachers because they don’t share staff,” Bromery said. “At Mays, in the SLC model, they can share the algebra teacher over all the academies.” When Davis announced the transformation, he said the district would hire principals before the end of the current school year. Then the principals would work over the summer to hire the academy heads and any other new staff. Now the process will be extended to take place over

the coming school year, Bromery said. Jessica Reid, the mother of two Washington students, said she was relieved to hear the transformation would be postponed because she didn’t feel the district would be able to complete the hiring process before school started this August. She is still opposed, however, to the transformation itself. “Some of the schools have only been in the small schools for a couple of years, and according to the data that we’re receiving, there has been improvement from the first year to the third year,” Reid said. “If it’s working don’t break it.” Reid feels the district has not communicated well with parents. APS scheduled two community meetings in late April and early May for each small school. Reid attended both held at Washington but was disappointed with both the parent turnout and the distict responses. “We’re having public hearings where no one has any concrete answers because questions that we were asking, they couldn’t answer,” Reid said. The school board voted at its May 14 meeting to accept Davis’s recommendation to close the small schools. Reid fears the change will be disruptive for students. “In some households you have the student as the adult,” Reid said. “There isn’t always a lot of parental involvement, and that’s because some students are basically raising themselves. Then they come to the small school, and that’s their family.” p

EXCLUSIVELY @ theSoutherneronline.com POLICY DEBATE TEAM TRIUMPHS AT NATIONAL TOURNAMENT AT D.C. AFTER NINE ROUNDS OF COMPETITITION MOCK TRIAL TEAM PLACES SECOND AT NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION HELD IN ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Members of the policy debate team competed at the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues The mock trial team competed at the National High School Mock Trial Competition in AlbuNational Championship held in Washington, D.C. on April 12-15. Seniors Holden Choi and Ben querque, N.M. on May 4-5. Forty-eight teams from different states and territories competed and Dean were crowned national champions after five preliminary and four elimination rounds. Grady finished in second place, their best performance at nationals in Grady mock trial history.

Oh, the places you’ll go!

liv yO ion by

ia Kleinman, Illustrat

Samm i De

adwell

University; Katie Edge, Savannah College of Art and Design; Molly Daniel, University of Georgia; Benjamin Dean, Emory University; Riley Decartez, Emory University; Sarah Dillard, Tuskegee University; Brandon Edmondson, Spelman College; Ninti Edmons, Louisiana State University; Mendez Elder, Savannah State University; Trey Evans, Tuskegee University; Brianna Fairley, Alabama State University; Raven Ford, East Carolina University; Matt Fossett, Southern Polytechnic State University; Anna Fuller, Emory at Oxford College; Grayson Garrett, University of Georgia; Martha Gedefa, Kennesaw State University; Darion Gibson, North Georgia College and State University; Madeline Giradot, Air Force Academy; Maragh Girvan, Georgia Tech; Stanley Girtman, Bethune-Cookman University; Kadijah Gordon, University of Georgia; Erin Gore, Spelman College; Malik Grant, Morehouse College; Dorian Greene, Morehouse College; Kahlil Griffin, University of Georgia; Zoe Hamilton, Emory University; Lauren Harper, Appalachian State University; Camille Harris, University of South Carolina; Fredrick Harris Jr., Middle Tennessee State University; Nina Harris, Fashion Institute of Technology; Kiera Hicks, Spelman College; Ayolowa Hill, Parsons New School of Design; Jayde Howard, University of West Georgia; Marius Jackson, Syracuse University; Atiana Johnson, Georgetown University; Derrick Johnson, Georgia State University; Kyler Johnson, Morehouse College; Miracle Johnson, Savannah State University; Tatiana Johnson, Army; Kieno Jones, University of Richmond; Madison Keiger, University of Georgia; Kanile Kellam, Bethune-Cookman University; Nile Kendall, Howard University; Nycole Key, Valdosta State; Nally Kinnane, George Washington University; Shaun Kleber, University of Georgia; Quintavious Knight, Georgia Military College; Sydney Kruszeski, Indiana University; Maya Labat, University of Georgia; Krysta LaMotte, Eckerd College; LeJoi Lane, University of Georgia; Hughston Leaks, Murray State University; Emma Lee, Middle Georgia College; Lucy Leonard, Tulane University; Alex Lobban, Georgia State University; Jaylon Lucas, Georgia State University; Shoshana Lutch, North Georgia College and State University; Samantha Mack, Agnes Scott University; Nydia Manns, Georgia State

and Carson Sh

The places they’re going...

Tim Adcock, University of West Alabama; Mallory Akard, Eckerd College; Taylor Allen, Virginia Tech; Abena Amoakuh, Boston University; Natalie Anderson, Tennessee State University; Morgan Aspenson, Art Institute of Atlanta; Michael Baer, Georgia Tech; Malcolm Baldwin, Jackson State University; Carissa Barron, U.S. Army Reserves; Danny Baggerman, Indiana University; Maya Baumeister, University of Georgia; Kalan Bell, Morehouse College; Will Bradley, Young Harris College; Eve Brown, Bard College; Khadijah Brown, University of Georgia; Daniel Austin Burch, Georgia Tech; Jasmine Burnett, Harvard University; Imani Caesar, University of Kentucky; Clifford Calhoun, Going on Tour; Ethan Campbell-Taylor, Yale University; Zoe Cato, Georgia State University; Noor-Ul-Ain Chaundury, Georgia State University; Samantha Chiang, Agnes Scott College; Holden Choi, Georgetown University; Emily Clay, University of Georgia; Andrew Cleveland, Cleveland Institute of Music; Eloisa Cleveland, Wellesley College; Chantil Coleman, Wesleyan University; Larson Collier, University of Georgia; Kiana Colquitt, Georgia Southern University; Carlos Cook, Campbell University; Taylor Crawford, Warren Wilson

KID YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS: Val and Sal Julia Rapoport and Shaun Kleber are preparing to fly into Georgia Tech and UGA, respectively, this fall.

By Sammi Dean Senior Julia Rapoport has a lot of feathers in her cap: captain of the swim team, National Merit Scholarship finalist, designer of the 2011 prom invitations and valedictorian. Being named Grady’s valedictorian is a source of pride for Rapoport. “I’ve worked really hard for four years, and it makes me feel like the work has paid off,” she said. Rapoport credits her success to her inner drive. “I think it is definitely a personal quality,” Rapoport said. “It is just a part of who I am. My parents have been really supportive.” Rapoport’s dedication extends beyond academics. “The same things that motivate me for academics definitely motivate me in other aspects of life, like swim team,” Rapoport said. University; Chase Her sister, Allison Rapoport, is a sophomore at Grady. Allison Maxson, Birmingham Rapoport attributes her sister’s success to her competitiveness. Southern College; Nick “She is a perfectionist,” Rapoport said. “It’s not always that she McFarlin, U.S. Army National wants to beat other people. She wants to do the best she can.” Guard; Elizabeth McGlamry, Although Julia Rapoport is happy that her four years of hard work Duke University; Alexandra paid off, her position has forced Rapoport out of her comfort zone. Melton, West Virginia University; “I have a bit of a dread because I am ... a shy person. The idea of Danielle Miller, Georgia State having to do a speech kind of terrifies me,” Rapoport said. University; Kallie Monroe, Georgia Rapoport plans to attend Georgia Tech where she dualState University; Cheryn Moore, Howard enrolled her senior year. Despite being a high school seUniversity; Dakota Moore, Morehouse nior, Rapoport was near the top of her two Calculus College; Nona Morris, Fashion Institute of classes. She chose Tech partially because of her Technology; Tahvia MucCullough, Georgia interest in math and science. Even so, Rapoport is Southern University; Elizabeth Nace, Virginia unsure of her ultimate goals. Commenwealth University; Hai Nguyen, “I don’t feel like I have enough experience to know Georgia State University; Chris Oglesby Evans, exactly what I want to do,” she said. “But I know I want Georgia College and State University; Cecily to do something with math and science.” O’Neal, Virginia Commonwealth University; Rapoport is not only driven to succeed, but she Armani Owens, Morehouse College; Myers also is driven to do the right thing. Pierce, Auburn University; Chrystalia Pines, “It really bothers her when people do Georgia State University; Gray Quillor, Ohio things the wrong way or they take shortUniversity; Julia Rapoport, Georgia Tech; Sean cuts,” Allison Rapoport said. “She has Reddick, Georgia College and State University; very high standards for morals.” JahBria Roberts, Georgia Southern University; This integrity also applies to her soMichelle Romain, Georgia State University; Maria cial life. Senior Madison Keiger, who Rondel, Georgia Southern University; Erin Scott, has been friends with Rapoport since Maryland Institute College of Art; Lauren Scott, ninth grade, considers it to be one of International House of Prayer University; Gabrielle Rapoport’s best qualities. Siegel, University of Georgia; Olivia Simonton, “She is very sincere, but at the Columbia College Chicago; Sekayi Stewart, same time I know she is always goGeorgia State University; Adrienne Smith, Georgia ing to tell the truth and be honest,” State University; Phillip Suitts, University of Maryland; Keiger said. Adrienne Sumlin, Georgia State University; James Allison Rapoport admires her sister Taylor III, Georgia State University; Jasmine Taylor, and expects her to go far. Army Reserve; Krysten Taylor, Furman University; Jennifer “We are all really proud of her,” RapoThompson, Pennsylvania State University; Ngoc Tran, Holy port said. p Cross College; Steve Terry, University of Georgia; Micah Turpeau, Davidson College; Dyshendra Walton, University of Alabama; Caitlin Wade, Agnes Scott College; Kayla West, Georgia Highlands; Queen White, Brandeis University; Amber Williams, University of Florida; Annette Williams, Georgia State University; Jamil Williams, Boston University; Keerra Williams, Florida State University; Talore Williams, Georgia Southern University; Justin Wingfield, Morehouse College; Asa Wolfe, Georgia College and State University; Lily Zintak, St. Edwards University p

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these experiences he shares with me and the rest of my family, so we do not have to experience new obstacles,” Kleber said. “It helps us overcome the anxiety of something new.” “Shaun works really hard,” McGlamry said. “Ever since he was a freshman he has kind of adapted from what he has learned and worked really hard. He’ll work at something until it’s right.” Shaun Kleber considers mock trial to be both a formative and enjoyable part of high school. “It really shaped what my experience at Grady has been like,” Kleber said. “I was taught everything … how to handle myself in a courtroom to more of life skills like public speaking, analytical thinking, how to work with others [and] how to be a leader.” Kleber’s work paid off when he was awarded the University of Georgia’s Foundation Fellowship, the most prestigious scholarship given by UGA. “I viewed it as an incredible honor out of so many people who apply for it; to be in that select group of students,” he said. The fellowship includes full tuition, money for summer travels and programs, access to certain events and a Maymester—one month of school— at Oxford. “It is a great opportunity to be able to tap into any resource, to be able to travel the world,” Kleber said. One of the things Kleber said he will miss most about Grady is its unique atmosphere. “What I would not trade out for anything is the diversity. Not just racial and ethnic, but the diversity of interest and the diversity of skills,” Kleber said. “People from Grady come from so many different backgrounds. It has really given me a good view of the world.” p

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By Sammi Dean Senior Liz McGlamry has known Shaun Kleber for most of her life. “I like to think there are two Shaun Klebers,” McGlamry said. “One is professional, salutatorian, goodie two shoes Shaun that talks to adults and does not scare off people he first meets. Then the other Shaun ... He is crazy and weird and he loves Willy’s and he sloths around. You know it’s a privilege when you get to meet sloth Shaun.” Kleber’s dedication to academics is far from sloth-like. “There are days where I could be up until three in the morning or there are days where it could be midnight,” Kleber said. On any given day, Kleber said he could have three hours of mock trial practice, followed by four to six hours of homework. Even so, Kleber is not exempt from the distractions and procrastination that plague many high school students. “I am definitely not the most productive. There is a lot of time wasted,” he said. In addition to fielding the regular workload of a high school student, Kleber dual enrolled at Georgia State University, attended Governor Honors Program during the summer after his junior year, serves as co-managing editor of The Southerner and as captain of the awardwinning Grady mock trial team. According to Junior Troy Kleber, Shaun Kleber also assumes leadership in his home. “He gets introduced to all these new things ... then the knowledge he gains from

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Salutatorian’s full schedule leads to collegiate full ride

Senior’s motivation begets success

Oh, the places you’ll go!

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KID YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS: Val and Sal Julia Rapoport and Shaun Kleber are preparing to fly into Georgia Tech and UGA, respectively, this fall.

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Salutatorian’s full schedule leads to collegiate full ride

Senior’s motivation begets success

news

May 21, 2012

By Diana Powers When Helaine Buchwald, 73, was in high school, she lived, learned and played in many of the same places students around Midtown do today. But there were no cars for teenagers, no non-white students and hardly any female sports teams. The entire neighborhood participated in the football culture. There were parties at the popular Woody’s, mandatory home economics classes at school, cheerleaders with long skirts and social-club sleepovers. Much has changed over the years, but life at Grady more than five decades ago will be remembered at the 55th reunion for the Class of 1957 on May 19 at Mary Mac’s Tea Room. “To go to Grady back then ... it seems like a whole other world,” Buchwald said. “Just like today, though, there were good and bad things to it. But without the experiences in my life it gave me, I don’t know where or who I would be.” Virginia Taylor, a classmate of Buchwald’s in ’57, said most everyone knew each other at Grady because they all came from the same few grammar schools. “We took your basic language and history classes; we still dissected frogs,” Taylor said. “But there were significantly fewer choices in terms of what you took; there weren’t any AP classes or many foreign languages.” Taylor said the only female teams were basketball and tennis. Girls were required to take a year of a home economics class and by the end of the course had to sew a dress and wear it to school. “Maybe it was just because I was so terrible at sewing, but I hated that day [where] I had to wear my dress to school. ... It was a fate worse than death back then!” Taylor said. The boys took shop classes with wood, print or auto. Buchwald said her brother, Kenny, who worked in the print shop, was “much more of a troublemaker than the average highschooler.” Buchwald said one day he and his friend changed around their grades as the report cards

were being printed in the shop, and they got in “heaps of trouble with their teacher.” Taylor said Grady had an academically stimulating environment where 85-95 percent of every graduating class went to college. “We had some fabulous teachers who were really into Grady. But we also had some real strange ones,” Buchwald said. “I had a science teacher who used to have one of those shocker things attached to his hand so that when you shook his hand it would buzz you. So peculiar, that little man was.” Phyllis Hahn, class of ’57, said the biggest difference between Grady then and now was that back then, the school was still segregated. “There were all-black and then all-white schools,” Hahn said. “Sadly, most of us didn’t even question it.” Buchwald shared the same feelings about their ignorance of being separated by race. “Segregation was a very real part of our lives without us even knowing it,” Buchwald said. “I was a senior at the University of Georgia when it was integrated for the first time. I was so sick for those students because people were calling them these degrading names.” Regardless of segregation, Hahn said she feels Grady was “still a great melting pot in a way.” “Some kids came from pretty rich neighborhoods, and some had different religions,” Hahn said. “But we never cared about what someone’s parents did or where they came from. Being together taught us all to like one another, or at least have respect.” Grady held several dances for students at the school, including the Cinderella Ball and Sock Hop. Otherwise, Buchwald said, there weren’t many places to go, so students spent their time at Piedmont Park with friends. She said her favorite place still to this day is Woody’s, the nearby restaurant frequented by high schoolers at the time. “We still went to parties and stuff for fun, but it seems like it was a bit more innocent

OLD FACES, NEW PLACES: Grady’s Class of 1957 will gather on May 19 for a 55th reunion to reminisce about the past. The class stands during graduation (top). Fifty years later, the class reunited at Ansley Golf Club (bottom). back then,” Hahn said. “There was no drug scene at or near Grady. ... The worst that someone would do was have a beer.” But overall, the football games at the Grady stadium, one of two in Atlanta at that time, were the “main attraction,” Taylor said. “Football was the culture, and the entire school was surrounded by it,” Taylor said. “We would have huge pep rallies on Friday before a game. Being a cheerleader was the ultimate achievement socially.” The 55th reunion is so important to the alumni because they feel this may be one of the last times to reconnect, Hahn said. “Because we’re all over the age of 70, most are retired, or have moved, some passed

away,” Taylor said. “So this one might be smaller, but I will still enjoy seeing the people I grew through high school with.” With the date of the 55th reunion approaching, the alumni from the class of ’57 think about how Grady shaped them as people. Buchwald felt her years at Grady gave her some of the best of her life. “It was just a great life,” Buchwald said. “You don’t want to rush through it because it’s too much fun! All of a sudden you’ll wake up one day, realize you’re graduating, and be gone, just like that. Grady shaped who I am. And I think that it made me a good person, I really and truly do.” p

Students inspired, raise hundreds

EXCLUSIVELY @ theSoutherneronline.com FASHION SHOW BRIGHTENS AUDITORIUM, DISPLAYS STUDENT WORK Olivia Veira

Junior McKenzie Taylor (above) struts down the runway at the 2012 UrbanCouture fashion show wearing a dress designed by Sarah Nicholson. The show, held in the practice gym on May 12, displayed the collections of senior designers Verity Lister, Ayoluwa Hill, Eve Brown, Nona Morris, Edi Campis, Ninti Eddington, Cheryn Moore, Camille Harris, Tene Lewis and Nicholson.

Photos Courtesy of Helaine Buchwald

Back in ’57, Knights dissected frogs, attended balls

By Gracie White The documentary nearly broke ninth grader Billie Lavine’s heart. A particularly graphic scene depicted a little girl and her sister being taken from their parents, given a machete, forced to kill their parents and sit on top of their bodies once they had died. “The girls were later sexually abused.” Lavine said. “It was so [incredibly] revolting, and I just knew I had to do something, anything, to help those girls.” Inspired last January by the documentary Soldier Child, directed by Neil Abramson, Lavine and fellow freshman Hope Van Duyne created Change for Child Soldiers, an organization devoted to raising money and sending funds and aid overseas for child soldiers. “Before the documentary was even over, I glanced at Billie to find that she was looking right back at me,” Van Duyne said. “I knew then that we had the same idea: we needed to do something to help these kids.” Though Change for Child Soldiers has recently gained more support at Grady, the first months proved to be a difficult time to find benefactors. In the beginning, Lavine and Van Duyne sent the money collected to an organization called Invisible Children. After the “Kony 2012” video came out, however, support for Change for Child Soldiers quickly declined. It wasn’t the video that was so controversial but rather the Invisible Children organization and its policies concerning the allocation of donations. Viewers and supporters learned that Invisible Children was reducing the amount of donated money given to the children and increasing the amount of money spent on administrative and additional filmmaking costs. “At first people liked what we were doing and thought it was a good cause, but the release of the Kony 2012 video quickly changed that,” Lavine said. “People actually came up to me and started yelling in my face saying how our program was flawed and [how] we weren’t doing the right thing. It was shocking.” Lavine and Van Duyne then decided to alter their pro-

gram so that instead of sending the money they raised to Invisible Children, they instead sent it to another reputable organization they discovered on rescue.org, a website dedicated to identifying worthy charitable organizations. To donate money, Lavine and Van Duyne write a check and choose the project they want to support, and the website distributes the funds to the proper cause. Once they switched charities, support increased and they resumed raising funds. “It’s hard to describe how deeply these kids are hurting,” Van Duyne said. “They witness family and friends dying every day and are exposed to things no child should [be exposed to]. We wanted to take action by raising both money and awareness.” Funds for Change for Child Soldiers are collected during advisement period every Wednesday. Lavine, Van Duyne and other supporters of the group, including ninth graders Lucy Lombardo and Mia Panarites, visit each homeroom, explain their cause and ask for donations. They are also holding bake sales and send all of the proceeds to the child soldiers. “[Doing this project] is fun and makes us feel good, like we’re improving the world bit by bit,” Lavine said. “We’ve already collected almost $400. You get a sense of accomplishment in that you are helping someone in need at a critical point in their life.” Though the project is coming to a close, Lavine and Van Duyne have been more than pleased with the results. It’s an important issue that needed to be addressed and they were able to contribute money and awareness to the cause, Van Duyne said. “I think it is awesome that they found something they were passionate about, used the resources around them and their knowledge to take action on it, and get successful results,” said Mary Van Atta, social studies teacher and leader of the 21st Century Club at Grady. “I want to see more students approach community service like Billie and Hope do. Giving back like these girls is one of the best things that can happen to any community.” p

May 21, 2012

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‘Tis the season to be festive, enjoy Atlanta’s Festivals

Diana Powers

Emma Aberle-Grasse

By Emma Aberle-Grasse and Jolie Jones Grassy fields, colorful booths, the hot sun and the sweet smell of funnel cakes fresh off the fryer are common festival motifs. Atlanta is blossoming with these popular festivities. The Inman Park, Sweetwater 420 and Dogwood festivals appear similar at first glance; however, festival veterans who frequent all three events maintain that they differ in style, demographics and attractions. For the second time in a row, the Inman Park Festival occurred the same weekend as Grady’s prom, from April 27 to 29. Many students were upset that they would be unable to enjoy the festival due to the immense amount of time spent getting ready for prom. “It’s weird not to go [to the festival],” junior Kate Taber, a resident of Inman Park and long time festival-attendee, said. “I only got to go a couple of hours Saturday morning. It didn’t feel like my usual festival weekend at all.” Taber’s family has been going to the festival since before she was even born. “My mom and grandma used to have a booth selling weird hippy T-shirts,” Taber said. “My sister, Linden, missed the festival for the first time in 19 years because she’s studying abroad. She wanted me to get her favorite fudge from one of the booths and freeze it.” The Tabers also participated in the Tour of Homes in the spring of 1988, 1996 and 2007. During the festival, their home was open for viewing. “My mom wouldn’t let me cook pasta in the kitchen because she didn’t want the house to smell like food,” Taber said. “She kept trying to get me to stay at a friend’s house so I wouldn’t be there to mess things up, but I said no way was I going to miss festival weekend.” Junior Madison Rubio was also upset about missing Inman Park Festival for prom,

The Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park offered new attractions such as a Carousel, a Tilt-A-Whirl, a Pirate Ship and swinging chairs. People believe that the rides make the festival family-friendly.

since she has attended the festival for several years. “I like the gyros, I always have to get one,” Rubio said. “Luckily I was able to go on Sunday morning and get one.” Along with the signature festival food, Rubio also enjoys the unique booths and art that the Inman Park Festival has to offer. “This lady had magnets and pictures of posters and other artists,” Rubio said. “My mom loves the Grateful Dead and she bought everything she sold that had them on it.” Junior Gabriela Tedesco chose not to go to prom this year, which allowed her to spend the weekend enjoying the festival scene. “It was still a lot of fun, but it made me sad that so many people I usually see weren’t there,” Tedesco said. This year, the eighth annual Sweetwater 420 Fest took place on April 20 to 22 with free music and entertainment for all ages. The food ranged from funnel cakes to Fox Brothers pulled-pork sandwiches. Many local organizations, such as the Epworth United Methodist Church, use this opportunity to raise money. “I’ve gone every year since I was 10 years old,” junior Christopher Carson said. “I throw the football or Frisbee with my friends.” Senior Larson Collier, another resident of Candler Park, enjoys the eccentric music offered at Sweetwater 420. “There have been some neat bands like Guster and Perpetual Groove that are pretty fun to see,” Collier said. Carson lives just a few blocks from Candler Park, where the festival is held. He said he enjoys being close by, but at times his proximity to the festival can have its drawbacks. “Friday and Saturday a lot of people kept parking around my house, so there was no space for my family’s car,” Carson said. “The music was also really loud and went late into the night.”

FAR LEFT: An attendee of the Sweetwater 420 Festival entertains onlookers by walking around with a plastic horse head and neighing at the other festival-goers. The Sweetwater 420 Festival took place April 20 in Candler Park. TOP: Sweetwater 420 Festival crowd looks up at a bluegrass band playing on the main stage. The listeners created a thick crowd that covered the entire upper grass field at Candler Park. LEFT: The Dogwood Festival offered more than just art. It offered rides, including a giant Pirate Ship that swang back and forth until it got so high that the riders were on the verge of being upside down.

Collier agrees that the festival’s location can disturb his daily life. “I don’t really like it crowding my neighborhood, though it is fun to have some action going on near your house,” Collier said. “But I wouldn’t want it to last any longer.” This year Carson said he saw more college kids than ever before. As the festivals have grown in size, the city passed an ordinance that prohibits visitors from bringing dogs, outside food/drinks and lawn chairs. The Dogwood Festival, located in Piedmont Park, has been around for 75 years and took place from April 20 to 22, the same weekend as Sweetwater 420. Unlike the 420 Fest, it attracts more families. The Dogwood is the only one of the three festivals to offer carnival rides; more rides were offered than previous years. The carnival attractions included everything from swings that spin riders into the air to a giant pirate ship rocking back and forth. The Dogwood Festival also offers a dog show where owners and their pooches perform tricks. Sophomore Mary Condolora stopped by this event during her time at the festival. “We went to the dog show and it was a really quirky event,” Condolora said. “It was cool to see people’s passion for their dogs. A small woman was paired with a huge German Shepherd; it was funny to see that dynamic.” Condolora noticed changes with added attractions, more kids activities and an overall increase in people. “I rode the Pirate Ship and Tilt-A-Whirl, but the Pirate Ship was my favorite,” Condolora said. The festivals around Atlanta attract a wide variety of characters, from locals and college kids to distant friends and relatives. What the festivals have to offer also ranges from live bands and festival food to carnival rides and zany booths. “With all the different neighborhoods and all the different people, there really is a festival for everyone,” junior Sofia Sifnaios said. p

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May 21, 2012

By Olivia Kleinman Visitors stand in line with their “boarding passes” grasped tightly in their hands. These boarding passes, however, do not list information about their owner. Instead, each contains the identity of one of the 2,228 passengers aboard the Titanic in 1912. Titanic: the Artifact Exhibition, which opened April 6 at Atlantic Station, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the ship, once thought of as “practically unsinkable,” according to The Shipbuilder Magazine in 1911. Visitors assume the identity of the passenger named on their boarding passes as they travel through the exhibit, which begins with the construction of the Titanic, the largest ship ever to be built at the time. A quote from the ship’s captain, Edward Smith, is pasted on the wall. “I could not conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel… Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that,” Smith said. The exhibit then walks the audience through the environment on the ship for first, second and third class and crew. It includes several artifacts, pictures, one meal plan (out of the anticipated 65,000 meals on the maiden voyage) for all three classes on April 14, 1911, and a re-creation of a first-class cabin. According to the exhibit, a first-class ticket cost $2,500, equivalent to $57,200 today. After traveling through a re-creation of the boiler room on the ship, a black room with red lighting, dark, zigzag hallways lead to the following room. This area explores the actual crash of the ship and includes an iceberg (a slate of ice against the wall) that visitors are encouraged to touch to achieve a better sense of the freezing temperature. A description of the collision from Violet Jessop, a stewardess on the ship, is written on a wall in glowing white letters: “Crash! Then a low rending, crunching, ripping sound as Titanic shivered a trifle and her engines gently ceased.” The final room of the exhibit includes the present condition of the sunken ship, 12,500 feet underwater where the water pressure exceeds 6,000 pounds per square inch, accompanied by a 3-D documentary

olivia kleinman

Comprehensive Titanic exhibit lays anchor in Atlanta

ALL ABOARD: In celebration of its 100th anniversary, an exhibition in Atlantic Station offers a historical tour that recreates the demise of “unsinkable ship,” the Titanic. of the Titanic’s doomed voyage, of the 2010 expedition to the wreck site. The names of the passengers who survived and those who perished in the crash are divided by class and listed on plaques that span an entire wall. Visitors can search for the name printed on their boarding passes to discover the fate of their passenger. Not only does Chris Veal work at the Titanic exhibit in Atlantic Station, but he also worked at the exhibit when it toured at the Atlanta Civic Center in 2006 and at the Georgia Aquarium in 2008. Veal said the artifacts in this location, however, are different than in previous incarnations. All of the artifacts were new to Atlanta except for two—a small, blue bottle and a handkerchief. “Some people stay for 15 minutes, some

people stay all day,” Veal said. “The ones who put themselves in [the passengers’] shoes get the most out of it.” While on the train on the way to work, Veal said he researches the names of passengers, and before the exhibit opens, he reads the books in the gift shop in order to expand his knowledge. He said he learns something new every day—there is no end. Veal said one of the most frequently asked questions is about the historical accuracy of the 1997 movie, Titanic. “There is no Rose, or Jack or necklace,” Veal said. “But some of the people are real, like John Jacob Aster, and some of the stories are real, like the band did keep playing until the ship went under.” Veal said the constellations in the shipwreck

scene of the re-released movie were changed to make it more astrologically correct for the seasons and the time of year. This is the only change from the original blockbuster hit. When the classic movie resurfaced in theaters in 3-D on April 6, opportunities were presented for both first-time moviegoers and old Titanic fans to experience the ship’s epic collision on the big screen. Sophomore Allison Rapoport had never seen Titanic until recently viewing it in 3-D. She said she has learned about the crash and the great tragedy, but she didn’t realize the extent of the entire event until watching the movie. “A lot of people in the theater were crying,” Rapoport said. “It was definitely a more solemn atmosphere.” p

By Carson Shadwell When the AP Art students first laid eyes upon the building that would be the location of their endof-the-year art show, they knew work needed to be done. The old plumbing office on Memorial Drive required sanding, sweeping, a new floor and a fresh coat of paint. “The building was a mess when we began work on it late February or early March,” AP Art student, Margaret McDonald, said. “It was a work in progress up until the show started.” AP Art teacher John Brandhorst was not deterred by the task of readying the space. “I think [the students] enjoyed the process,” Brandhorst said. “It’s necessary for students to know how much work it is to put on a show.” After many hours of preparing the small building for the exhibit, the interior was painted white, and a mural was painted on an outside wall of the building. Each student was given their own portion of wall space to display a selection of their work, allowed

Lindsey Leonard

AP Art show transforms plumbing office to gallery

HANDY ART: A patron observes “Master Hand”constructed by student Maya Baumeister. to choose their pieces and curate their own area. Senior Marius Jackson selected a collection of pieces done in watercolor and ink pen. “I was inspired by poems from the Harlem Renaissance,” Jackson said. “I wanted them to look professional, so it took time and attention to detail.”

McDonald’s final collection was a series of patterned circles. “The circle shape is easy to work in,” McDonald said. “The [patterned circles] I chose had an interesting progression.” On April 19, the night of the show, more than 100 students and spectators crowded into the small building to view the artwork. Al-

most every inch of the walls was covered in student work. AP Art student Madeleine Girardot was uneasy the day of the show. “It was nerve-racking to see everyone looking at my work,” Girardot said. Others were more excited to display their work. “It was amazing seeing [my] work in a professional setting,” McDonald said. “You start to feel like an artist.” Senior Max Kocsisszucs attended the show and was amazed by the talent of the AP students. “The variety of work reflected all the different types of people that do art at Grady,” Kocsisszucs said. Many artists chose to put their pieces up for sale. Girardot sold a few pieces of art at $40 a piece. Senior Luke Brown sold three pieces at $20 a piece to an attendee as well as to some Grady students. Others, like McDonald, chose to sell their pieces for more than $100. “I didn’t want to sell them for less because there is so much of

myself in them,” McDonald said. Sophomore Preston Choi, a prospective AP art student for next year, was inspired by the show. “I was totally excited to do stuff next year,” Choi said. “It’s kind of terrifying but looks like a ton of fun.” McDonald, who is going to St. Johns College to major in fine arts, felt the AP Art class helped her to develop a portfolio. “After that class, I have a much more cohesive body of work,” McDonald said. Her goal is to become a tattoo artist as a way to employ her artistic skill. Jackson wishes to pursue a future career in industrial design. “The class was challenging but rewarding,” Jackson said. “You learn what’s aesthetically strong and what’s not.” As the year draws to a close, Brandhorst reflected on the value of having an [AP] art show. “I am extremely pleased with the show,” Brandhorst said. “I base that on the pride of the kids. [The show] completes the circle. It gives their effort a public face.” p

people

May 21, 2012

By Grace Power Senior Caitlin Wade took a bow as Misconceptions, the 2012 Senior One-Acts show, came to a close. With two weeks left in her senior year, Wade finished directing her own one-act, an honor traditionally bestowed upon seniors who take advanced drama in their senior year. “Since freshman year, directing in Senior One-Acts has been what we were promised if we stick with theater,” Wade said. This year, six seniors each directed one play, but Wade is the only senior who both wrote and directed. Wade’s love for drama not only spans her high school years, but her entire life. Her passion began in the fourth grade when she participated in her school’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. After that, she was hooked. This love for theater didn’t end, even when it had to be put on hold during middle school because Wade’s school offered no theater program. When a friend turned her on to musicals in eighth grade, she rekindled this passion and was ecstatic to find that Grady has a large theater program and thespian society. At Grady, Wade’s love of theater was quickly discovered by literature teacher Lisa Willoughby, who was Wade’s homeroom advisor. “She’s been interested and fascinated with theater since freshman year,” Willoughby said as she referenced a wall of posters she assigned her homeroom to make during freshman year. Wade’s poster features the words “Cabaret” and “Broadway” in large letters, words that hinted at her dreams. Wade knew with whom to talk to bring these dreams closer to reality: history teacher Lee Pope. Wade was one of the few freshmen in the spring musical, Cabaret, a musical about an American journalist who ventures into the tumultuous world of the Kit Kat Klub in Germany. This was Pope’s first directing experience at Grady after a his-

tory of performing on Broadway. “She didn’t have a major role [in the musical]. She was in the chorus, but she took it and ran with it,” Pope said. “Everything I told her to do, she did, and it was amazing.” She’s been involved in almost every Grady production since, Willoughby said. The words that she drew on her poster four years ago still ring true today, as Wade entered her final segment of high school and embarked on yet another theater performance: writing and directing her own one-act play. “I really wanted the challenge of writing something that wasn’t poetry or an essay,” Wade said. “I wanted to use my four years in theater to create something representative of what I’ve done.” Willoughby, who attended a few of the practices for Wade’s play, “The Right Kind of Love,” was pleased with the dedication Wade showed to her work. “The words are so personal that she is more vigilant to have lines [performed] exactly the way they were written,” Willoughby said. “I wish all directors gave that respect to playwrights.” While she is dedicated to her script, Wade listened to and accepted constructive criticism from her actors on other components of the play, Willoughby said. “I was really impressed with her writing talent,” said Pope, reflecting on her time in his AP U.S. History class. “It’s incredible watching a play that I wrote come to life, watching my friends transform into the characters I imagined. It’s amazing,” Wade said. Her play, with its cast of three, begins on a park bench, with Candace, a little girl, sitting next to David, an attorney who will soon meet with the park manager for approval of the town’s firstever Gay Pride Parade. “I think a unique part of being at Grady is the awareness the students have of gay rights,” Wade said. “With Outwrite Bookstore closing and the Westboro Bap-

Photos Courtesy of Debbie Livingston

Renaissance woman of stage writes, directs and acts

ONE ACT, MANY TALENTS: Wade has participated in an array of productions at Grady from acting in Cabaret in her freshman year to writing and directing The Right Kind of Love her senior year. She plans to further her acting career at Agnes Scott in fall.

tist Church coming here, I felt students would respond with as much passion as I hoped.” This play was among five others at Misconceptions, staged on May 4 and 5 in Grady’s black box theater. The directors have worked closely together to create the theme, to provide a support system and to assist with each other’s productions. “We’ve known each other and worked with each other for several years,” Wade said. “We’re all part of each other’s lives; it’s easy to want the best out of everyone.” This passion for the dramatic arts won’t end at Grady for Wade. She plans to double major in theater and physics at Agnes Scott

College in Decatur. Although physics is a new interest, which Wade attributes to her physics teacher, Jeff Cramer, Wade plans to use it in conjunction with her theater degree. “I feel like science and theater can be tied together,” Wade said. “I’m just hoping to bring something new to science.” who aspires to be a teacher, as well as an actress.” Wade aspires to be a teacher as well as an actress. “I’m not anticipating being able to feed myself with Broadway,” Wade said, without a hint of regret in her voice. She draws inspiration from Pope, a former Broadway performer. “[Pope] has always been my in-

spiration because he worked on Broadway and is now a teacher,” said Wade, who wants to teach AP and theater classes. “I think she’ll be a good teacher because she can relate to people, she’s smart, and she has a sense of humor, which you need to be a teacher,” Pope said. Pope said Wade is not only an artist but also a bright student. Wade focuses much of her energy on theater, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. “Well, I don’t really have any [other extracurricular activities]”, Wade said. “Theater is my life and my passion. I can’t imagine anything else I would rather spend my time on.” p

Piedmont Park provides positions and pay to pupils By Megan Prendergast In the heart of Atlanta sits the city’s expansive 189-acre Piedmont Park. Scattered across the park are concession stands that employ the city’s youth, many of whom attend Grady. Piedmont Park operations manager Korte Riggs is responsible for hiring the concessionstand employees. Riggs said the job is good for young adults since it has flexible hours. Riggs is able to accomadate the employees’ fluctuating schedules. Senior Nick McFarlin applied for a job just as the renovated pool was unveiled in 2008. It was the summer before his ninthgrade year, and he was interested in making a little extra cash. “I wanted to go out and do more things around town now that I had a bit more freedom,” McFarlin said. “And all of that required a bit of extra change.” A more recently hired employee, sophomore Marie Godiers, expressed her excitement for working at the park during the upcoming summer months.

“It’s great working in the park and getting to see all of the different types of people that come by,” Godiers said. “There are some really interesting people in Atlanta.” During the Gay Black Pride Day in the fall of 2011, McFarlin was surprised by the large influx of people. Since the crowds were not expected, the concession stand was understaffed. After requesting assistance, McFarlin joined his coworkers for a two-hour extended shift, while the employees catered to the constant flood of people. “I was expecting to have an easy day,” McFarlin said. “I called a few people in to help, so it did get easier as the day went on. But it was just constant person after person for many, many hours.” Sophomore Mallory McFarlin appreciates the location of the job. “It’s such a beautiful park, [and it] adds a lot to the city,” McFarlin said. “You get to peoplewatch, which is always fun.” Atlanta’s famously warm weather, however, presents a challenge for the stand employees.

“Since it’s a summer job, and there’s no AC, it gets really hot, which is not fun,” Mallory McFarlin said. Although the temperature can sometimes be unbearable, Godiers said, there are perks to working at the concession stand: socializing with friends, decent pay and a stress-free job. Junior Patrick Wise experienced one of the perks while selling pretzels at the Music Midtown Festival in 2011. “I got to go listen to the music for free,” Wise said. “I made a baby stack and got to watch a Coldplay concert. It was pretty ‘swag.’” When hiring, Riggs says he looks for certain qualities in his employees. He says he looks for team players and people who follow directions well and set a good example. “[Riggs] knows what he wants and is very organized but at the same time is really nice and easy to talk to,” Godiers said. Job responsibilities for the employees include selling food and drinks out of the concession stands throughout the park as well as keeping the stands presentable. With stands

located in different areas of the park, employees have weighed the relative benefits of each location—the pool, the fountains and the dog park. “The pool has AC and Internet but is the busiest,” Nick McFarlin said. “The dog park and the fountains are easier and have fans to keep you cool, but they do not have a lot of tips because of the [lack of] business.” Former employee Michelle Romain advises future staff members to take things slow. “In the beginning, things might overwhelm you, but don’t let them,” Romain said. “It’s better for you and the customers that you get their order right [the first time].” Romain got along with other employees, and they mostly just laughed off her initial mishaps and complained to each other about the heat. Working with friends is always a plus, said junior Zachary Caldwell. “A few of my friends are co-workers,” Caldwell said. “They save me from sheer boredom all the time.” p

people

May 21, 2012

Darden, the boys cross-country coach, has been a colleague of Cramer for almost 11 years. A close friend of Cramer’s, Darden says that Cramer’s personality and teaching style have rubbed off on him and making him a better teacher and person. “[Cramer] is rooted in a deep faith and values, has strong integrity, is an authentic person and loves his work,” Ann Cramer said. “He is the epitome of balance of mind, body, spirit and thoroughly enjoys the daily interaction with students, educators, parents and commu-

By Isabelle Taft

Felicia Calhoun, Class of 1987

Courtesy of Nathan Roark

Felicia Calhoun was voted Most Attractive and Miss Grady 25 years ago and is now a Grady parent herself.

Courtesy of the 1992 Orator

LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN: Cramer extends a helping hand to explain the forumlas above his board to students. nities in the classroom, at the school, on the roads ... and in the community.” Whether it is for his interactive teaching methods or his unrelenting support of his runners, Mr. Cramer is known as a man who works hard, appreciates life and cares deeply about others. “His level of commitment and dedication to his students is inspiring,” Julia Rapoport said. “With some teachers you feel like Grady is their job, but with Mr. Cramer, Grady is his life.” p

Decades after graduation, alums reflect on life, work

NOW

Courtesy of Felicia Calhoun

Courtsey of the 1987 Orator

THEN

By Konadu Amoakuh and Hunter Rust students to comprehend the curriculum. When he’s out and about in Midtown “Mr. Cramer is extremely dedicated to his and Inman Park, Jeff Cramer can be seen students and helping them understand the masporting his trademark neon yellow slicker. terial, even if that means he has to stay after The vibrant color of the running jacket school every day for tutorial,” Rapoport said. makes him stand out in a crowd. Wil Cramer, believes that Cramer’s sucWhen he’s on Grady’s campus teaching cess is due to his natural curiosity. and coaching as he has for almost 20 years “I believe he is genuinely inquisitive, ennow, Cramer doesn’t need vibrant joys learning and loves to share attire in order to stand out. Acwhat he has learned with others,” cording to the seniors who selectWil Cramer said. “Even at home, ed Cramer as the 2012 Marian P. he always wants to share some Kelly Award winner, it’s his pasnew little tidbit he’s learned or sion for teaching that commands explain in depth his interpretathe attention of others. tion of a favorite book or movie WINNER “He truly loves working with he’s seen recently.” and believes in the potential of young In addition to his dedication to teaching people,” Cramer’s son Wil Cramer said. at Grady, Cramer has faithfully coached “Every job I’ve known him to have in his the girls cross country team for 32 years. life (from his work as a juvenile detention His passion for running is contagious. guard when he was younger to his work “He sees running as a metaphor for life, and with Young Life in his 20s and 30s and it is a joy to be part of students’ lives when they now as a high school teacher) has allowed experience breakthroughs and overcome chalhim to serve as a teacher and mentor.” lenges,” said Cramer’s wife Ann. The couple Within the classroom, Cramer has a pen- has been married for 40 years. chant for imaginative instruction. Some Rapoport said when her sister, sophomore of Cramer’s interactive methods include Allison Rapoport, was injured and unable to levitation, disappearing acts, Slinkys and a run for half the season, Cramer helped her find daring trip to discover the inner workings ways to stay in shape. The attention he gave her of the cars on 10th Street. In each lesson, enabled her to jump back into the sport when Cramer ensures that his students learn the her injuries healed. lesson’s objective. “He helps people if they’re having trou“He doesn’t just tell students about phys- ble no matter what their problem is, and ics concepts, he shows them in a memora- he always includes everyone at all times,” ble way, which makes the material easier to Allison Rapoport said. learn,” senior Julia Rapoport said. With practices twice a week over sumHis lessons even influence fellow teachers, mer, every day once school begins and who hear about Cramer’s teaching methods. meets every week beginning Aug. 22, Cra“I’ve heard from my students over the past mer is always the calm eye at the center of few years that his class was the first mind- a storm of activity. broadening experience they’ve ever had,” AP “He’s always calm and always makes you World History teacher George Darden said. feel like everything’s OK and that’s really Beyond the exciting lessons, Cramer is important during meets and stuff,” Allison always willing to go the extra mile to get Rapoport said.

Mallory McFarlin

Steady Cramer follows law of inertia, stays engaging

Just around the river bend, Nathan Roark followed his dream of having a profession in outdoor education.

Felicia Calhoun, voted Miss Grady and Most Attractive by her classmates, walked across the stage at the Atlanta Arts Center at her graduation in 1987. This month, she will watch her son, Mendez Elder, baseball team captain, cross the stage at the Civic Center at the graduation ceremony for the class of 2012. “Grady has changed a whole lot,” Calhoun said. “When I was at Grady it was small. We didn’t have all the things Grady has now. But Grady was Grady. It’s a good school and that’s why I sent my son there.” Calhoun, who works for the Social Security Administration, said raising her son has been the biggest joy of her life. She returns to the school frequently to meet with her son’s teachers and pick him up from baseball practices. Elder is a top baseball player at Grady and secured a full baseball scholarship to Savannah State University. “[Going back to Grady] is a trip because when I’m at the school I see some of my classmate’s kids there and Coach [Douglas] Slade, who remembers me and now teaches my son.”

Nathan Roark, Class of 1992 The little cabin, nestled in North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains, was built from tree trunks. It is not connected to the power grid. It is a far cry from the glimmering lights of the Midtown skyline. But the man who constructed the cabin with his own hands, Nathan Roark, spent his high school years in the shadow of the skyline while captaining Grady’s varsity soccer team. Roark was voted “Best All Around” by the class of 1992 and was a copy editor and editorial cartoonist for The Southerner. Foreshadowing his adult commitment to a sustainable lifestyle, Roark founded Grady’s Earth Club. After Grady, he obtained a bachelor’s of arts in American Indian studies from Hampshire College in Massachusetts. Roark lives in his cabin with his wife, Holly, and daughters Cora, 13, and Madeline, 11. He has made a career in outdoor education, teaching high school students at the Outdoor Academy and now at the Buffalo Cove Outdoor Education Center, which he founded in 2001. “[When I graduated high school] my goal was to make a living from teaching people in the woods, and that’s what I’m doing,” Roark said. p

EXCLUSIVELY @ theSoutherneronline.com VISIT OUR ONLINE ADDITION TO READ MORE ALUMNI PROFLILES

FACULTY TAPS AS 2012-13 TEACHER OF THE YEAR: DR. SPEARMAN

Rachel Sandman, Class of 2002: Rachel Sandman is doing exactly what she hoped she’d be doing 10 years after graduation — dancing. As a principal dancer for the Minnesota Ballet, Sandman wakes up every morning at 5:30 a.m. to go to a Pilates class, followed ...

Dr. Cadence Spearman has been named Grady High School’s 2012 Teacher of the Year. On March 21, Spearman was in Athens attending the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair when she received the news from a faculty member. “I actually got a text message ...

sports

May 21, 2012

Team’s lone diver is a Kish out of water

Robotics coach learns, inspires By Simon McLane When Grady math teacher Andrew Nichols became one of the coaches for the robotics team eight years ago, he was closer to the age of the students than the team’s sponsors. “I was one of the kids the first year,” Nichols said. “I knew nothing about [robotics].” Despite having no knowledge of robotics his first year, Nichols has learned that coaching robotics is much like coaching anything else. “Much like coaching any other sport, you are guiding the development of a [player],” Nichols said. “There is hard work and teamwork as well.” Students often do not realize when they join the robotics team that it is a sport that requires discipline and lots of practice. “[In] sports like football, the person knows what they are getting into when they sign up,” Nichols said. “They know they have practice four days a week and a game and if they do not show [at practice] they do not play or are off the team.” Senior and team captain Danny Baggerman joined the team during his freshman year. He said Nichols’s style of leading by example is an effective coaching method. “He works really hard, it makes you feel bad if you don’t [work hard],” Baggerman said. “He instills a sense of duty in you and inspires you to work hard.” Senior and chief programmer Grayson Garrett, who joined the team during his freshman year, also appreciates the way Nichols teaches. “He has a way of teaching that makes you feel confident in your work whether it is robotics or calculus,” Garrett said. “He is a really good coach; he doesn’t do everything, but everything he does he does it well.” Robotics project manager, junior Henry Peteet, said

Nichols excels at teaching responsibility, thinking logically and analyzing problems. “Through his speeches and the amount of time he gives up, it makes him an inspiring character,” Peteet said. “He is always enthusiastic and is supportive but never takes things too far.” Members of the robotics team have six weeks to design and build a robot for competition. New team members do not have time to learn all that is needed to build a robot in that short amount time. Participation is much more task-oriented as new members learn the necessary skills to build a robot. “I teach a student how to do something then I give them a task to do,” Nichols said. “It is up to them to manage their time and get the job done.” During the robotics season the team competes in two competitions, Boosting Engineering Science and Technology and For Inspiration and Science and Technology. The B.E.S.T. Robotics Competition happens in the fall and places more restrictions on the weight and dimensions of the robot. The F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Competition takes place in the spring. “B.E.S.T. is our ‘JV’ competition,” Nichols said. “The operating skills that are needed are much smaller and it is not directly competitive. [B.E.S.T.] is about moving pieces and sorting things, and each year has a clever theme.” Robotics is not officially recognized as a sport by APS. Nichols has started an online petition and is working with the F.I.R.S.T organization, which is the largest robotics organization in the state, to get robotics recognized as an official sport. Nichols also plans to share the petition with Gov. Nathan Deal as well as the Georgia state legislature. “Robotics should be considered a sport,” Nichols said. “It challenges students, the experience is just as hard as a traditional sport and the students learn the same values.” p

COACHES

last in a series

courtesy of laura kish

Anna Fuller

DO THE ROBOT: Mr. Nichols shouts words of encouragement to the robotics team. The AP Statistics and AP Calculus teacher manages to balance teaching his rigorous classes with instructing and mentoring the Gearbox Gangstaz in many projects and tournaments.

By Kate de Give Every year at the Cardinal Hill Pool in Vienna, Va., the staff recognizes with an award a member of the dive team who’s the most committed, encouraging and positive diver, the one who shows up to practice ready to work every day. The award is usually given to a high school diver, but when freshman Griffin Kish was in fifth grade, he received the honor. After receiving his award, Kish’s family moved from Virginia to Atlanta. “When we moved to Atlanta, it was really hard to find a place for Griffin to dive,” said Laura Kish, Griffin’s mother. “Because Virginia’s school schedule was different, the dive season had already ended when we got here, and Griffin had to miss a season.” Kish found a small team at the Garden Hills Pool in Buckhead. “Coming from such a big team in Virginia made this team seem really small,” Laura Kish said. Kish’s dive team in Virginia had five classes with three or four levels in each class. The class and level were determined by the skill of the diver. The Garden Hills pool, by contrast, had only a handful of divers. Griffin said he adapted to the new team, but also began to dive year-round with the Atlanta Dive Association at Georgia Tech. Griffin said he’s always known he wanted to dive for Grady because it would be more fun and challenging than diving for his club team, but there were no facilities or coaches for a dive team at Grady. According to GHSA, diving is a swim team event just like the butterfly or the backstroke. In fact, even if the swim team MAN OR KISH: Freshman Griffin Kish is competing at a meet without the prop- prepares for a dive at the Madeline er facilities for diving, if the diver shows Jude Brown Invitational on Dec. 17. up, the team will earn points. The Grady team holds practice at a small pool at MLK Middle School that has no locker rooms, a rusted diving board and a hard-tofind, absent lifeguard. Though the Grady swim team was ill-equipped to train a diver, Coach Broderick Turner was eager to add one member to the team, making Grady an official swim and dive team. Turner said he researched diving extensively. He went on YouTube and learned a lot about diving. He also spoke with John Rives, a math teacher at Grady whose son is a competitive diver. Because of his mother’s dedication and coach’s assistance, Griffin managed to compete in numerous high school meets, and halfway through the season he qualified for the state diving competition. What Griffin didn’t know was how difficult it would be to actually dive in that meet. On the morning of the meet, Griffin showed up to compete, but there was no coach. Unfortunately, GHSA will not let a diver compete if the coach is not present. Turner had made arrangements for another teacher to be there, but this teacher lost his job a month before the meet and could not attend. It was also possible for Laura Kish to sign in as the coach, but that was difficult because the directors of the meet knew her. Despite all of the problems, Griffin was eventually allowed to dive, but the school faced minor penalties for the breach of regulations. “I think there was just a lot of miscommunication,” Griffin said. “What’s good is that I still got to compete, and I did pretty well.” Griffin did not score high enough to enter the finals. Competing in the state meet as a freshman, however, is still considered a high achievement. Even though harsh sentiments were exchanged between Laura Kish and Turner over the incident, both parties have put it behind them. “One thing I’ll say about Mrs. Kish is that she really cares about her son,” Turner said. “She is committed to making sure he can participate in the sport he loves.” Griffin said he’ll continue diving through high school, and he is looking forward to improving his performance at the state meet in 2013. p

Soccer captain bids farewell to final days of high school sports My goodbyes come in many different forms. One may come as a wave, a hug or even a simple nod. Most of my goodbyes are usually quick, simple and easy. As I approach the end of my high school career, goodbyes have become a much bigger part of my life: goodbye to my teachers, goodLauren Harper bye to Grady. Reflecting on all of the things I will miss most, sports at Grady definitely tops the list. Football games are a gathering of our community. We come together to support our classmates, our friends and our family. In college, I will know some of the football players, I am sure, but I won’t have my closest friends standing beside me cheering them on. I won’t know more than half of the people in the crowd. I won’t be at home, at Grady Stadium.

Our stadium has become a very important part of me. For the past four years, I have played on the girls varsity soccer team. I have spent countless hours under our stadium lights working hard, and most importantly, having some of the best times of my life. Soccer has not only given me an opportunity to meet new people but has created some of my closest friendships. Over these few years, our team has become a family. For some people, practice may be a chore. It may be the build-up to the reward of playing games. At times, this is true for me too. For the most part, though, I am having fun with my friends. We work hard together and we have fun together. Up until this year, I never thought about my soccer-playing days really ending. Life after Grady seemed a distant future to me. Up until this year, I did not appreciate soccer as much as I should have. Now that my games are numbered, I soak

up every minute of practice and of games. To all of my soccer girls: live it up. Enjoy every minute of every practice and every game because before you know it, you will be where I am now: nowhere near ready to say goodbye to soccer. To the classes of 2013, 2014 and 2015, here is my advice: go to every football game, baseball game, basketball game, soccer game and tennis match. Cheer on your classmates. Go out of your way to make them feel like their hard work has been worth it. In the end, it will be worth it to you, as well. All year I have been waiting for my name to be called at graduation, waiting for the last bell to ring at Grady and waiting to officially become a college student. Now that the year is over, I want to say goodbye to my school and my teachers. But most of all, I want to say goodbye to football, goodbye to soccer, goodbye to all Grady sports. You will truly be missed. p

the Sports section thesoutherneronline.com

HENRY W. GRADY HIGH SCHOOL, ATLANTA

MAY 21, 2012

VOLUME LXV, NUMBER 8

ATHLETE CO-BURNS DOWN THE TRACK TO UGA O By Joe Lavine

n April 25, 15 days before claiming the state championship in the 800 meters and the mile, senior Zane Coburn signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Georgia. Coburn, a high school cross-country and track star, received a partial scholarship to run at UGA. Coburn was the 2011 state runner-up in cross country and the 2011 state champion in the 800 meters. On May 10 and May 12, he added his second and third state championships in track by running the mile in 4:15 and the 800 meters in 1:52, both personal bests. Coburn’s accomplishments have led him to be ranked second in the state through all five divisions in the state and first in class AAA. It is no surprise that Coburn’s achievements in high school led to numerous college offers. The April 25 signing put an end to Coburn’s recruiting process, which he said he enjoyed overall but also called “the most stressful time of my life.” Coburn also received offers from Georgia Tech, Georgetown University, Georgia State University and some smaller schools. He built a good relationship with Georgia Tech Coach Alan Drosky during the recruiting process, but in the end, he picked UGA. Coburn was quick to say what the most difficult part of his decision was. “Definitely telling Coach Drosky … that’s why I waited so long [to make the decision],” Coburn said. “It was definitely the most difficult thing I’ve done in a while. … We built a really good relationship, and I felt like he was definitely already my coach, and then I kinda told him, ‘Sorry but I’m going to run at your rival school.’” Coburn’s coaches at Grady, who

SIGN AND SPRINT: Coburn (front) and the gang (Coaches George Darden, Jeff Cramer and Nick Stephens) laugh over a Cramer joke as Coburn signs his letter of committment to UGA. Coburn hopes to qualify for the 2016 Olympic trials in the 800 and 1,500 meters. EXCLUSIVELY @ theSoutherneronline.com

FOUR SOCCER SUPERSTARS COMMIT On Friday, four seniors signed letters of commitment, taking their soccer careers to the collegiate level. he says are “pretty much family now,” are happy about his decision to go to UGA. Cross-country coach Jeff Cramer said it was an “intelligent, well thought-out decision,” and cross-country coach George Darden echoed the sentiment. “I think it’s great,” Darden said. “He’s happy about it and that’s the most important thing.” Coburn said he feels good about his decision because UGA will be a better fit both athletically and academically. “At Georgia Tech they didn’t have much of a support system for their athletes, but at Georgia they have a really big student-athlete tutoring center, and I think it can really help me just to get acclimated

to my first year,” he said. “I’m ready to get out of 10th Street, too.” Darden said he and Coburn often discussed his decision. “It ultimately boiled down to the place that he wanted to go to college, beyond the cross-country and track team, and that’s fine,” he said. “He wanted to go to a place seeing himself happy not only as a runner but as a student and as a person. … I think that being in Athens, 70 miles from home, with a wider range of classes, a wider range of majors … I think that’s really what he had in mind.” Cramer thinks Coburn will adjust well to being a runner in college, but hopes he won’t train too hard. “Most freshmen go through a difficult transition period because they step up their miles and their training … and they get aches and pains,” Cramer said. “They get stress fractures, they get knee issues, and he’s gonna have to really use the physical therapy and training facil-

ity there. I think if he sticks with it all four years, then he’ll do well.” Darden also explained what he thinks about the adjustments Coburn will have to make. “I think it’ll be very interesting to see how well he adjusts,” Darden said. “When distance runners go into college, they sometimes struggle to adjust, not only because the races are longer, but they’re harder, and you’re running more.” Darden said Coburn’s summer regiment will be important. “I think that a lot of his ability to adjust to the running will be dependent on how well he is able to work this summer,” Darden said. “His coach will give him a program this summer, and if Zane is able to follow that program and do what his coach tells him to do, and still be able to rest, I think he’ll adjust very well.” Throughout his high school years, Coburn’s work ethic and competitive drive have been his greatest assets.

“He has a very, very strong competitive nature to him,” Cramer said. “You don’t ever count him out in a race.” Cramer remembers the region race during Coburn’s sophomore year when his competitiveness and desire to win made the difference. “He was way behind coming off the last turn, and he was in third place, and you have to finish first or second in region to qualify for state,” Cramer said. “No one believed that he had any chance of making it, and he outkicked the second-place person and nipped him at the finish line. That was one of the most dramatic finishes I’ve ever seen, and it was all guts.” Over Coburn’s years of cross country and track at Grady, he has developed a close relationship with Darden and Cramer. “They’re not just coaches,” Coburn said. “I think they really care about me as a person. They’ll try to help me out with what I need.” Cramer expressed how he has helped Coburn in high school. “Our relationship has been built more on trying to help him grow up and work through a lot of social issues rather than any actual athletic development,” Cramer said. Darden also spoke of his close relationship with Coburn. “We have kind of the unspoken bond that distance runners tend to have with one another that comes from the fact that you’ve spent so much time on the road working,” Darden said. “And so you have sort of the built-in respect for what one another have done.” “I’m really proud of him, and I wish him the best,” Cramer said. “[Zane] has been a lot of fun to work with.” p

Athlete injuries frequent, but ‘just part of the game’ By Troy Kleber (heel injury), James said the team has been enior Nate James’ high school soccer sea- challenged to play with a depleted roster. son ended on March 16 in a game against “The first one was Anderson breaking his North Atlanta. James was racing towards the leg, and we definitely missed him a lot, but ball when an opposing player ran into James, as the injuries accumulated, it became more causing him to twist his knee and fall to the and more apparent … the holes we have.” ground. James limped off the field with torn James said. ligaments in his knee and fracDespite the injuries, the team tured bones in his left leg. has not “missed a beat at all,” Statistical Nightmare Waller said. Even after injuries “It was a very, very, very, very nasty, deliberate tackle piled up, the team was able to reel [at] North Atlanta from one off an eight-game win streak. of their players,” said Thomas Number of sports-related Despite their inability to play injuries in high schools or practice, injured players like Waller, the coach of Grady’s boys soccer team. across the United States. James stayed active on the team. James and four others from “I’m still a captain,” James said. Source: Study by CDC the boys soccer team have suf“I still go to every single game. I fered an injury this season. As these players re- still go to every single practice. … I sit on the main on the bench clad in braces, boots, casts bench. I talk with the players during halftime. and crutches, their team has managed to fill the Before the games, I voice my input in what I holes and maintain a winning season. think we could do better.” Due to the injuries of James, sophomore At Grady, the boys soccer team is not alone Zach Carter (ankle injury), senior Thomas in facing injuries this year. Sophomore Tucker Ruder (hyper extended knee), senior Anderson Lancaster broke his arm in a lacrosse game and Price (broken leg) and junior Justin Williams said that sports-related injuries are inescapable.

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Waller said injuries are “just part of the the physicality of a sport, injuries ultimately ocgame.” He does not fault his players for cur as result of the players’ actions on the field. their injuries since he said they were simply “There’s a lot of players, even from our working hard. team, that were football players, and they “One of two people set the tone for physical are just using [soccer games] as a training soccer: the coaches and the referees,” he said. field and a way to stay in shape for football,” “Some coaches have the mentality that their James said. “You get a lot of players that play players should play physical. I don’t like that, soccer like it’s football.” but that’s just these coaches having a lack of In addition, James finds that players are more coaching knowledge. Referlikely to get injured against EXCLUSIVELY @ ees sometimes just don’t unless skilled teams. theSoutherneronline derstand when or when not “It’s almost harder playTERRIFYING INJURY ENDS SEASON to [control] the game.” ing against kids who don’t Lancaster agrees that the Senior Anderson Price shattered know how to play soccer,” referees play a big role in bones in his leg early in the soccer he said. “They’ll go out there reducing the athletes’ risk season but has since regained hope. and hurt you because that’s of injury. the only thing they can do. “Sometimes you have a very good referee That’s the brutal aspect of [the game].” who calls it well, controls the game well and After his injury-plagued experience in high prevents injuries,” Lancaster said. “And some- school, James has high hopes for the future. “I’m looking forward to playing soccer in times you’ll have a ref that won’t call anything. Players realize that very quickly, and they’re college because it weaves out so many of those much quicker to make a dirty hit, which can players that just shouldn’t be on the field,” he said. “I know that sounds mean, but there are a cause an injury.” Although coaches and referees can determine lot of players that shouldn’t be out there.” p