Nexus Volume 10, Number 2

HENRY W. GRADY

HIGH SCHOOL // JANUARY 2014

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HENRY W. GRADY

BOARD EDITORIAL

HIGH SCHOOL // JANUARY 2014

Millions of people are proud to call Atlanta home. It has numerous amazing sights for urbanites from the creatively decorated BeltLine to wonderful art galleries, boutiques and holiday light shows. It is a city that is worthy of praise, but now it may be a city full of heartbreak. Atlanta’s beloved baseball team, the Braves, have lost key players and announced plans for leaving the place they once called their home, Turner Field in 2017. How will Atlanta react to this brave new change?

NEXUS 2013 STAFF

Editor-in-Chief: Mallory Hazell Managing Editors: Tia Borrego and Kelsey Woods Advisor: Dave Winter Staff: Tia Borrego, Colin Bray, Zac Carter, Elijah Dumitrescu, Declan Farrisee, Mallory Hazell, Alex Jones, Kameron King, Emma Kohanowich, Talia Lockridge, Peter Mastin, Mallory McFarlin, Axel Olson, Sarah Smith, Tyrell Tolan, Faye Webster, Kelsey Woods Advertising: Nexus is a nonprofit organization that relies on advertising and the generous support of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction to generate revenue to cover printing and maintenance costs.

If you would like to advertise with and or distribute Nexus, please contact us at nexusghs@gmail.com Submissions: Nexus accepts and welcomes submissions of stories and photos. Submissions should be submitted to Mr. Winter in room E106, or to any Nexus staffer. They can also be sent to us through email at nexusghs@gmail.com.

Nexus is a bimonthly publication of: Henry W. Grady High School 929 Charles Allen Drive NE Atlanta, GA 30309 Printer: Florida Sun Printing

THE BELTLINE

“I’ve always loved the vibrant scenes on the BeltLine and the constant change of art continues to intrigue me. With every season comes new installations, which brings a wider variety to the art community of the Atlanta.” -Mallory McFarlin, senior

L UA VI S

Garden Spectacular lights up the night As the winter chill sets in, it seems to be getting harder and harder to find a reason to go out. As far as most of us are concerned, nature is for crazy people and those poor souls who have a moral obligation to their dog’s well being. To cure this winter lethargy, several venues around the city have been working hard to get Atlantans up off the couch.

All over Atlanta, houses are getting ready for the holiday season. Residents drape lights over every inch of property, leading a silent revolution against the urban scrooge, and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens conservatory is no exception. The Atlanta

Botanical Gardens, a local wildlife conservatory just across Piedmont Park, hosts a number of events throughout the year, but for the past three years it has opened its doors and joined the holiday festivities with its new Garden Lights event.

Boasting over a million ecofriendly lights, the Garden’s event has been a fantastic success, sporting a glow bar, a luminescent maiden in blue and the infamous candy cane trees. In addition to the ethereal lights display, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens also strives to make its Holiday Lights event a night to remember for the whole family with a kids section featuring an

unforgettable miniature train park, fire pits for roasting marshmallows, cuddling by the fire, or warming up to prepare for the next leg of the park. While concessions aren’t cheap, they’re well worth the money. The numbing temperatures, combined with the Gardens’ no food and drink policy make its $3 hot chocolate taste a little sweeter.

The Botanical Gardens make a great outing for the whole family and while the refreshments are a little overpriced, the event more than makes up for it with its intown location, fantastic displays and family friendly atmosphere.

-Talia Lockridge

DIARY OF A FILMY KID

Writer/director Derek Cianfrance’s film resume is rather only allow me to focus more on directing and shooting the limited, including only two well-recognized works: Blue film, an area where I felt Dead Beat was also lacking.

Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines. The latter was I had originally planned to shoot the film over the summer, given a limited release in the beginning of the year, which but I was not fully prepared, and the few days we spent made it difficult for many fans of his previous work to get shooting did not satisfy me. I rewrote the script in the fall out to theaters to see his second film. I, however, made my and began to plan way ahead. Come December, it was time pilgrimage to Midtown Art to submit a five-minute Cinema to see Cianfrance’s application film for the third feature.

University of Southern The second the credits California. I cut down several began to roll, I knew I scenes of A Kingdom to fit had to start writing a the requirement and decided new film. In my opinion, to shoot that cut separate my previous film, Dead from the 30-minute version.

Beat, had a very shallow By early November the story and undeveloped weather was already frigid. characters, which worked Nonetheless, shooting for the dark-comedy, went smoothly despite Ryan Switzer and Daniel Griffin in A Kingdom but I wanted to focus on the freezing temperatures. portraying a more meaningful message in my next work.

The only production hiccups were issues with setting up Inspired by the dramatic writing and universal themes of lighting and a fog machine to sell the fire effect. Directing my The Place Beyond the Pines, I began writing a script in teachers was also an interesting experience, considering I am which the main themes and ideas were drawn from my used to them directing me. When shooting, however, Larry personal life at the time. This time around, I made it my McCurdy and John Brandhorst took their roles seriously and objective to write until I felt the screenplay was finished, contributed greatly to the film. rather than setting a goal to complete a specific amount Normally a tedious task, editing on my new computer of pages. The result was A Kingdom. allowed me to learn the latest version of Final Cut Pro The script was merely 10 pages shorter than that for Dead through trial and error (a technique that has proven quite Beat, only 21 pages in total. A Kingdom is expected to run useful in my filmmaking endeavors). In less than a week the around 30 minutes while Dead Beat ran an hour. The final edit was ready to submit to USC. Now all I have to do is shorter run time, I decided, would cause no problems in hurry up and wait.

6 terms of character development and plot, and would

-Axel Olson

MYSTERY MISTER FRIDAY

The artist referred to as Mister Friday, a SCAD graduate, had his first art exhibition called Small Talks. The exhibit was displayed at the ArtWays Gallery in Underground Atlanta, which is the “Art” area of the Exchange Building.

The exhibition’s opening night was Oct. 3 and included music, beverages, friends and, of course, art.

Small Talks is an installation of 37 hand drawings by the African-American artist and focuses on the many controversies of the world including poverty, hunger, sexism, violence and death. Mister Friday strives to take all the unfortunate topics and turn them into humorous images.

The purpose of Small Talks was to raise not only “small talk” about the images but, actual conversation among the viewers about these controversial topics.

“Normally small talk is about nothing; it’s all just ice breakers,” said Louise Wilson, an employee at Art Exchange. “Mister Friday tried to put provocative messages in his works to generate conversation in the people who are viewing them.”

This wasn’t just your average art viewing. Mister Friday’s artwork was on display throughout the gallery Sarah Mackett, senior, observes a few of Mister Fridays fine art pieces. for patrons’ viewing pleasure. The text in the artwork is too microscopic to see with the naked eye so the viewer or provocative statements, the underlying message is must use a magnifying glass to read it. The use of the strong enough to strike conversation between patrons and magnifying glass forces you to focus on the subject of allows them to interpret the messages to their liking. the art and appreciate all the details in the drawings itself.

The exhibition was only open until the third weekend in You were allowed to examine the drawing up close, which November, but ArtWays Gallery in Underground Atlanta is created a more personal experience. open year round. This gallery has only been open for one With every single drawing came a different subject and year, but has become a popular venue for smaller artists. experience. Each piece of art is exceptional and has the ArtWays is a nonprofit organization that gathers the visual power to make the viewer ponder each issue the drawing art exhibitions and puts the works of artists on display for portrays. Even though most drawings have witty the public.

-Mallory McFarlin

DIY: FOR CRAYON OUT LOUD

MATERIALS:

• Canvas (any size) • Hot glue gun • Crayons (the bigger the canvas, the more crayons you will need) • Hair dryer • Trash bag

STEPS:

1.

1. First decide the order of crayon colors.

The standard pattern is to line them in a rainbow, but you can choose any sequence.

2. Next put a thin line of hot glue on the crayon (leaving the crayon label on) and another thin line on the spot of canvas where the crayon is going to be placed. Place the crayon on the glued section of the canvas and hold it down for about five seconds or until it is securely in place. Repeat this process with every crayon you are using.

2.

3. Once every crayon is glued in place, melt the crayons with a hair dryer.

Hold the canvas facing away from you with the crayons on the top of the canvas, and point the hair dryer directly down so the colors form a drip design. Depending on the angle at which you hold the hair dryer, you can create many different looks. If you angle the dryer left or right, it will create long splatters or if you choose to do it sideway, it will create a thick blend of colors. This step can be messy so cover your workspace or if possible go outside.

3.

4. The prep process will take about 10 minutes, and the melting process will take around 30 minutes for a 16-inchby-12-inch canvas.

5. Once you’re satisfied with your drying pattern, place the canvas upright for about 10 minutes to ensure it is dry.

Then hang it up for a beautiful DIY piece of art!

NOTE: Many different patterns and shapes of crayons can be created! This is a basic crayon art that is great to practice with before creating other shapes like hearts or circles with the crayons.

-Kelsey Woods 7

7

IO A U D

Locating Lotus Slide

founding. “Luke left because of musical differences with the band, but we were still on good terms,” Webster said.

Brown’s successor was Andrew Cleveland, a cello player who was new to the rock-n-roll game. Cleveland breathed new life into the band and carried them to victory in the Battle of the Bands at the High Museum’s Teen Night.

Lotus Slide performed at many venues around Atlanta including The Masquerade, The Drunken Unicorn, Smith’s Olde Bar, and The Red Light Cafe. The group brought the band’s career to a memorable close at the 2012 Grady Talent Show before graduated and went their separate ways.

In their final year at Inman Middle School, best friends Larson Collier and Jack Webster decided to form a band.

Collier took to the drums as he was the only one of their friends who owned a full kit, and Webster took to guitar and vocals, later accompanied by Jack Douglas on vocals and guitar, Steve Terry on keys and guitar, and Luke Brown on bass.

“We always idolized heroes from bands and trying to do the same thing they did was exhilarating,” Douglas said.

Because the five boys were already close friends, it took them little time to begin writing original songs. Their first few singles included songs such as “It’s Life” and the comedy tune, “Jump in the Pool”. After realizing their cooperative success with writing music, they decided to become more focused and dedicated to writing serious music. The band named themselves “Lotus Slide” and began practicing every week.

“Lotus Slide was a pretty huge part of my development as musician,” Collier said. “Unlike with school musical groups, we were able to really figure out what defined us, and grow stylistically.

Despite the bandmates’ increasing notoriety amongst their classmates and their heightening musical prowess, the band began to slip. Disagreements eventually led to the replacement of Brown, a few years after the band’s

E V E NT S 8

SHOWS

Graduation, however, was just the beginning of their musical careers. Webster, Terry, and Collier are currently enrolled at the University of Georgia where they are active members of the vibrant Athens music scene. Douglas is now at Colorado College pursuing both a solo career and performing in a new band called Touchit. Cleveland attends The Cleveland Institute of Music in Cleveland, Ohio where he studies cello to further his solo career called OneCello.

Webster and Collier recently formed a new band that maintains a sound similar to that of Lotus Slide called Big Morgan. The band also includes Kip Lacy, a Druid Hills High School grad, on drums and Owen Hunt, a Decatur grad, on bass. Webster has two side projects called Uncle Dad and Wanderwild that also perform frequently in Athens.

Terry joined a group known as Universal Sigh that includes Grady alum Pace Maynard and his younger brother Jones. Drawn to music through friendship, the members of Lotus Slide became closer than they could have ever imagined. The five musicians keep in touch regularly and see each other as often as college permits. Despite the band’s separation, their love for creating music has only strengthened and brought them to new levels of creativity through sound.

“We were the kids who listened to our Dad’s music,” Webster said, “We knew it front and back and more or less lived our lives around classic rock.”

-Axel Olson

RELEASES

Jay-Z December 27, Phillips Arena

January 7- Stephen Malkmus and the Jigs, Wig out at Jagbags

Black Lips December 31, The Drunken Unicorn

January 13 - Kid Cudi, Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon

Drivin’ and Cryin’ December 31, Variety Playhouse

January 14 - Broken Bells, After the Disco

Indigo Girls January 4, Terminal West

January 14 - Bruce Springsteen, High Hopes

Corey Smith February 8, The Tabernacle

January 20 - Young the Giant, Matter Over Matter

Robin Thicke February 21, FOX Theater

January 21 - Warpaint, Warpaint

G Love and Special Sauce February 22, Variety Playhouse The Eagles February 24, Phillips Arena

January 28 - Riff Raff, Neon Icon February 10- Eric Church, The Outsiders

COVERS BETTER THAN ORIGINALS SONG: “Hold On, We’re Goin’ Home” Original Artist: Drake Cover: Arctic Monkeys

SONG: “We Can’t Stop” Original Artist: Miley Cyrus Cover: Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox

Everything the Arctic Monkeys do is amazing; yet front man Alex Turner’s alternative twist on “Hold on, We’re Going Home,” originally by rapper Drake, is simply genius. The newly reborn alternativerock band not only included all the rap lyrics but sang them gracefully by adding a groovy vibe that improves upon the original considerably.

Scott Bradlee, a YouTube cover artist, took on “We Can’t Stop” by pop sensation Miley Cyrus, and not only changed everything about the song, but also made it 10 times better. Bradlee incorporated a 1950’s Doo Wop style to the already upbeat pop song and put Miss Miley to shame.

SONG: “Ignition (Remix)” Original Artist: R. Kelly Cover: Young The Giant Young the Giant’s cover of 2003’s hip-hop hit “Ignition (Remix)” by soulful singer R. Kelly is not only am original rendition of the song, but is also lots of fun. Sameer Gadhia, Young the Giant’s lead singer, utilizes his raspy voice. The guitars and drums, however, add a funky beat that also makes you want to dance at the same time. This creative cover is surprisingly powerful, making it better than the original.

SONG: “Ho Hey” Original Artist: The Lumineers Cover: Lennon & Maisy (Stella Sisters)

Lennon Stella, 14, and Maisy Stella, 10, also known as the Stella Sisters, covered The Lumineer’s charttopping song, “Ho Hey” on hit TV series Nashville.

Lennon and Maisy incorporate stunning harmonies with a little sweet and soulful sound to their voice.

Not even old enough to drive, the Stella Sisters prove to be just as good as most established artists.

‘REFLEKTOR’ REVIEW Arcade Fire has surfaced from its prolonged post-Grammy dive into Haitian, dance and electronic influences, and has emerged with a record that successfully combines these aspects into a bouquet of sound. Reflektor, Arcade Fire’s fourth studio album, has shed the band’s previous tags as instrumentally driven anthem rockers and changed them into purveyors of a whole new sound while still being an identifiably “Arcade Fire” record.

Fans and critics could analyze the pathway to creating Reflektor almost as much as the album itself. The band retreated from all publicity following their Grammy for Album of the Year for 2010’s The Suburbs. They went off to Haiti, returning to the homeland of co-founder Regine Chassagne’s parents. There they were immersed into a new realm of influences, mainly Haitian rara music. Recording for Reflektor began in an abandoned 1970s castle in Jamaica and was finished, after a year of hard work, in Montreal with producer James Murphy (formerly of LCD Soundsystem).

Reflektor begins with its title track and first single. “Reflektor” is more than seven minutes of synthesizers, snappy guitar and airy vocals from front man Win Butler. Its somewhat chaotic breakdown features David Bowie singing background vocals. It is followed by “We Exist,” a song with a chorus reminiscent of early Arcade Fire, and verses that

mirror the rest of Reflektor. The rest of disc one is highlighted by “Here Comes the Night Time,” a pace-shifting, grooving ode to nightfall in Haiti, and “Normal Person,” which contains a splendid chorus led by a vicious and snarling guitar lead.

The second disc commences with a sloweddown sequel, “Here Comes the Night Time II,” which is followed by “Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)” and “It’s Never Over (Oh Orpheus),” an excellent pair of songs that reference the Greek myths of Eurydice and Orpheus. Next is “Porno,” the album’s most electronic song, a sixminute pulsating tune that would fit perfectly in the soundtrack of Drive. The second-to-last song, “Afterlife”, is Reflektor’s brightest moment, despite its strong competition. Its conga-driven beat guides a stirring guitar riff, and some of Win Butler’s more potent lyrics through a perfect chorus, complete with haunting backing vocals from Chassagne.

Reflektor ushers the world into a new era of Arcade Fire.

Despite its deviation from traditional Arcade Fire works, this album is still true to the band’s roots. They have translated well into their new musical niche, and it’s a translation worth listening to. Reflektor will bring you into a cove of new influences and funky sounds. It will make you reconsider how you view Arcade Fire. And most of all, Reflektor will make you want to dance.

-Declan Farrisee

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A AR EN

FORMER FALCON IS THE REAL MC ’COY’

Former NFL player, Coy Wire, takes us through his journey step by step and reveals what it’s like leaving football behind.

Atlanta had always seemed to be “home” for former Falcons player Coy Wire. Playing for the NFL was a dream come true. Ever since Wire was a little kid, he always wanted to play for the NFL and was fortunate enough to play in the league for nine years total. His success started when he was drafted in the third round in 2002 for the Buffalo Bills for whom he played for six years after graduating from Stanford University. During his career in Buffalo, an unexpected neck injury resulting in surgery almost forced Wire to retire from football. One titanium plate and four screws in the neck later, the Atlanta Falcons called and gave him another chance to continue his dream. This marked the beginning to what Wire didn’t know was going to be the phone call of his career. He played with the Falcons for three more years. During those three years as a defensive back, linebacker, and safety, Wire fell in love with Atlanta, making the city his home.

“I really love the city of Atlanta and the Southern charm that can be found here”, Wire said in an exclusive Nexus interview. “I love the peace I find myself in once I escape the hustle and bustle”.

He is enamored by the laid-back lifestyle that can be found on rocking chairs and swings on the neighborhood’s porches. “The neck injury and surgery ended up becoming a blessing in disguise. It brought me here, which has become home.”

In fact, he loved Atlanta so much that he and his wife decided to stay when his NFL career ended. Once he retired, Wire Photo by: FOX Sports didn’t

know what to do with his life but he always wanted to write a book so he gave it a shot. It took him a little over a year but he managed to come out with his self help book Change Your Mind: 10 Unconventional Secrets to Retrain Your Brain. He wrote this book with a young audience in mind.

“It includes all the tactics and methods that I use to gain an edge as a lifelong underdog” Wire said.

This book sparked the beginning of Wire’s inspirational speaking career. He went around the country and spoke at high schools and companies using principles from the book.

Wire was asked to go on CNN a few times to talk about sport topics. CNN was impressed with Wire’s on-air presence and gave him his first job as a reporter. A few months later he got the opportunity to cover college football for networks in San Francisco. During six months in that role, Fox Sports noticed Wire on TV and asked him to join them. Next thing he knew he had a job as a TV studio analyst for Fox Sports in Los Angeles.

Wire currently lives a busy life while working for Fox Sports and is only home here in Atlanta Monday through Wednesday before Fox flies him off to Los Angeles where the studios are located.

It’s a lot of traveling but Wire enjoys the experience.

He loves living the city lifestyle and doesn’t regret any of his major career decisions because he couldn’t imagine his life anywhere other than Atlanta, where he belongs.

“IT BROUGHT ME HERE, WHICH HAS BECOME HOME.”

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-Faye Webster

Photo Courtesy of LSU Athletic Department

The FINAL days of the

B(C)S are upon us.

LSU won the BCS title in 2004 but shared a split title with USC. The following year USC won the BCS title while Auburn was left on the outside looking in.

Photo Courtesy of USC Athletic Department

With playoffs looming on the horizon, the college football landscape is about to change.

It has been heavily criticized since it started in 1998. Its method for crowning college football’s top team has sparked more controversy than any other postseason system in America. It is also going to be terminated at the end of this college football season.

The BCS, or Bowl Championship Series, will not be missed by many college football fans. In 15 years, it has only paired the Associated Press’s No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the national title game 12 times. The AP poll is college football’s most prominent poll and is considered the “official” rankings. Fans were left infuriated, scratching their heads, or simply shocked when an undefeated Auburn team was left out of the national championship game in the 2004-2005 season, in favor of also undefeated USC and Oklahoma. The system was also heavily criticized the year before when USC was left out of the 2003-2004 national championship game despite being ranked No. 1 in the AP polls.

After so many questionable calls that have often left the best teams out of the biggest postseason games, the BCS will be history after the 2013-2014 college football season. With the BCS leaving the college football landscape, what is coming to take its place? The answer would be the long-awaited college football playoff system.

The system will take the top four teams at the end of the season, selected by a 13-person committee.

The committee will also seed the four teams. The two bowl games that will serve as the semifinals will

rotate between the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and Chick-fil-A Bowl.

The teams for the other four bowls not serving as semifinals will also be chosen by the selection committee.

Unlike the BCS, the new system will not use polls or computer rankings in the selection of the 12 teams to participate in these bowls.

The selection committee is made up of 13 members, all with experience as either coaches, student-athletes, administrators, journalists or sitting directors of athletics. The selection committee was chosen by a management committee who was looking for qualities such as integrity, football expertise and objectivity. The committee will select the 12 teams based on winloss record, head-to-head matchups, strength of schedule and conference championships won.

Grady students generally feel that the playoff system will be an improvement over the BCS. “You will finally have teams that deserve to be in the national championship, instead of teams that are handed the opportunity, so it [the playoff system] will benefit it [college football],” sophomore Harlan Faddis said.

“I think that a playoff system would greatly benefit college football,” junior Chris Brown said. “I think that a playoff system would not only make college football more money, but I think that it would be much better for viewers who want to see a postseason. The excitement that the NFL postseason brings can be duplicated in college football.”

One of the most-discussed topics pertaining to the playoff system is whether four teams are enough.

“I think four teams are enough,” junior Ali Reynolds said. “I think the system sounds fine, and I wouldn’t change it.”

Faddis disagreed, saying there should be eight or 16 teams in the playoff. The NCAA basketball tournament, after all, takes 66 teams in its national playoff system. He stated that besides the number of teams, the playoff system sounds fine to him.

“In the inaugural year, I think four teams is enough,” Brown said.

“But I would like to see eight or maybe even 16 teams eventually,” Brown said. “Also, I wouldn’t give conferences automatic bids.”

Many people wish that the playoff system could arrive a year early and be implemented this season, as there are more than two teams that could make a case for the national title game. Grady students have a few different opinions on who should make the playoffs if they were to start this year. At the time of this writing, Reynolds selected Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Baylor while Faddis chose Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State, and Clemson.

Brown chose Florida State, Baylor, Oregon and Alabama.

The College Football Playoff sounds like a good system, and could be a big improvement over the flawed BCS. An expansion from a four team playoff would be nice, but the current setup is still a solid start and a step in the right direction.

-Colin Bray 11

ar en a

GRADY BALL PLAYERS TURNED D1

Upon entering high school many football players dream of playing at a Division 1 powerhouse, like Georgia, Clemson or Syracuse. When they step foot onto Grady High School’s football field they have a good chance of realizing their dream.

Grady has guided more than six players into a D1 college football program in the past three years and those players are living their dream.

The players are one step closer to the NFL dream that they have strived for since they began playing football.

Damian Swann, former Grady wide receiver and cornerback has become a big part of the Georgia Bulldogs team. Currently a junior, Swann is still improving every game. During his sophomore year at UGA, he was named a starting cornerback, and he gathered four interceptions, two fumble recoveries and 53 total tackles.

Two other Grady alumni, Dashawn Benton and Darren Dowdell, traveled together to East Carolina University to play for the Pirates. They both were star players at Grady Benton played wide receiver and safety while Dowdell played tight end and defensive end. Dowdell started all four years of his high school career while Benton came in his junior year and made an immediate impact.

Dowdell is currently redshirted for the year and hopes to play a big role next year. Dashawn Benton has seen some playing time as a true freshman.

When discussing what Grady did for him on his road to college, Benton stated, “Playing has made me a diverse and strong individual,” Benton said his high school experience prepared him well for playing on Saturdays. “It helped me experience new things,” Benton said. “It helped me gain confidence, a leadership role and showed me how

12

important accountability is. It showed me that nothing in life is given; everything is earned!! You want something go get it but you have to be willing to put the work in, set goals for yourself and don’t settle for less. If you hold yourself up to high expectations you will see how great you can be.”

Former Grady quarterback Kivon Taylor currently attends Connecticut, another D1 school.

He was the starting quarterback for Grey Knights during his junior and senior seasons and was a very influential player. This year as a true freshman, he was redshirted and is looking toward gaining some great play time next year.

“Coach Millen taught me the meaning of hard coaching and how to deal with it because in college if you mess up they move on to the next guy,” Taylor said.

Damian Swann starts for the Georgia Bulldogs.

“I was taught the true meaning Photo courtesy of K. Huff from the University of of being a quarterback.” His Georgia Grady experience taught him players not only how to play the that a quarterback must bear the game of football but also helps them responsibility of being the face of the achieve their life goals. The school team and leading off the field as well may not get as many college views as on it. as Sandy Creek or Gainesville, but “The biggest thing is having Grady has a lot of talent and if more character when no one is watching,” colleges took a closer look they Taylor said. would see just that.

Grady currently has a few players -Kameron King hoping to get college offers at the end of this season. Coach Millen teaches his

Dashawn Benton warms up at East Carolina University. Photo courtesy of Dashawn Benton

INJURED BIRDS NEVER TAKE FLIGHT After high expectations, the Atlanta Falcons have had a disappointing season It all started when running back Steven Jackson went down with a hamstring injury against St. Louis in week 2. Things only went downhill from there, as three other Falcons—Kroy Biermann, Sean Weatherspoon, and Bradie Ewing—went down week 2 as well. Biermann (torn Achilles tendon) and Ewing (separated shoulder) would be lost for the season. Weatherspoon injured his foot and didn’t return until week 11.

Then in week 4, starting left tackle Sam Baker (foot) and starting middle linebacker Akeem Dent (shoulder) went down with injuries. In week 5, starting wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White were both injured, Jones for the rest of the year with a foot injury and White for a few weeks with a high ankle sprain and a hamstring injury. Running back Jason Snelling went down in that week as well, with a concussion. Then linebacker Stephen Nicholas caught on to the theme and left the game in week 7 with a thigh injury.

Injured players have definitely been the theme of the Falcons’ season thus far. Sitting ugly at 3-9 after 12 games, the Falcons are far from the Super Bowl, a harsh contrast from the Super Bowl predictions made for the team in the preseason. Some people have simply attributed this lost season to injuries and moved on, claiming things would be different if half of the team wasn’t on the IR. Others say there were other problems, such as a porous defensive line.

“I think you can’t blame their disappointing season completely on injuries,” junior Brandon Kleber said. “Even though injured players never help, the base of the team wasn’t set going into this year.”

Fellow junior Nick Caamano agreed. “I feel that the injuries play a big part in how the Falcons are doing this season,” he said. “But even before any of the injuries, there were some internal offensive and defensive issues that weren’t addressed until it was too late.”

Most Falcons fans agree that the team had other liabilities that would have Photo Courtesy held the team back even if it were

healthy, regardless of the multiple injuries.

“I truly believe the Falcons would at least be doing better than they are now if they were healthy,” Caamano continued, “not sure about as good as last year though.”

Senior Zach Davis generally agreed.

“If the Falcons were healthy, they’d be doing alright. Maybe not the best right now, but they’d be alright.”

Kleber had a different stance.

“Even if all the players had been healthy this year, something still would be missing from the team,” he said. “I don’t think they would have lived up to the hype if they had stayed healthy.”

Of course, some injuries have more of an impact than others, as certain players are more critical to the team’s success than others. Everybody seems to agree that the most crucial injuries that the Falcons endured were the injuries at wideout.

“Roddy White and Julio Jones’s injuries were the most devastating,” Kleber said. Caamano agreed, claiming Jones’s injury had the biggest impact. Davis said Roddy White’s injury was the most devastating to the team this season.

A handful of fans had hoped that the Falcons could turn things around after a disastrous first few weeks, but the turnaround never happened, and the season kept going downhill.

“I don’t think there is still hope,” Kleber said as the Falcons headed to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers in week 11. “I think they need to focus as a team on building a foundation for next year that they can work off of.” Davis agreed that this season is leaving many fans distraught and wishing they could go back to last season and relive the feeling of having a winning record.

Caamano expressed his opinion bluntly: “There is no hope.”

-Colin Bray

of Curtis Compton/AJC

13

TURNER FIELD TO BE

ABANDONED IN 2017 McCANN HUDSON to

to

NEW YORK SAN FRAN

ATLANTA BRAVES MOVING TO The Atlanta Braves run at Turner Field has come to an end.

Beginning in 2017, the Atlanta Braves will migrate to their new home stadium in Cobb County at the intersection of I-75 and I-285 just outside the perimeter.

The proposed move was made public at the conclusion of the 2013 season and voted on in late November with four out of five Cobb County board members in favor of the move. The Braves said the stadium will cost $672 million, including the 60 acres of land and the actual stadium.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed confirmed the plan and suggested that it would of cost the City of Atlanta too much to keep the Braves at Turner Field: “It is my understanding that our neighbor, Cobb County, made a strong offer of $450 million in public support to the Braves, and we are simply unwilling to match that with taxpayer dollars,” Reed said.

While Atlanta taxpayers do bear some of the burden of hosting the Braves, many argue the economic benefits far outweigh the costs. According to a study conducted

by Georgia State University, Turner Field brings in $60.8 million of direct fiscal impact each year.

Circle 75 City residents and Grady students Parkway alike are less interested in the money Atlanta, GA and more worried about how they will attend Braves games.

30339 With the stadium moving 12

755 Hank Aaron Drive SE Atlanta, GA 30315

Baseball team plans to relocate to a new Cobb stadium in 2017 miles north, it will assuredly worsen transportation for Atlanta residents to Braves games.

“The Braves belong in Atlanta.” Grady senior Liam Henry said. “It will feel weird with them playing in Cobb County.”

Freshman Jack Paddock was more distraught: “I’m going to burn my tomahawk.”

Speculation surrounds the decision and various factors contributed to the decision. In the past, the Braves have asked the City of Atlanta for more parking area to help the traffic issue during games at the stadium. Also the lack of mass transportation to Turner field was never addressed by the Department of Transportation.

Supporters of the move argue that the restaurants, shops and activities that will surround the new stadium will make going to a Braves game more of an experience than just watching a baseball game.

The plans of the new stadium could be compared to stadiums like Wrigley Field where the shops and bars around the stadium are filled before and after games.

But in the end, for Grady students, Turner Field provides a short drive to Braves games. Even with the elaborate plans for the new stadium, it is still 12 miles farther to drive. While 2017 will provide the Atlanta Braves with a brand new stadium; they might just have to find a brand new fan base.

- Peter Mastin

CHOP TO THE

New location of Braves stadium causes an uproar among die-hard Atlanta fans It kind of hurts to be a Braves fan right now.

By now, if you are in anywhere in Georgia, you’ve heard about what I like to call the unholy trinity that has been Braves baseball in the past month or so. As if the devastating announcement of the Cobb County stadium move wasn’t bad enough, seven days later Braves all-star pitcher Tim Hudson signed a mega deal across the country with the Giants, one of the Braves’ most annoying playoff nemesis.

Just as Atlantans everywhere were writhing in pain, all-star catcher and clubhouse leader, Brian McCann, signed a free agent deal with arguably the most hated team in the MLB – the Yankees. The Yankees. I mean, really? The November 11 announcement was heart-wrenching enough, but the loss of the most beloved Braves to hated rivals with deep pockets on top of it all? Ouch.

Now, I know the loss of Hudson and McCann had nothing to do with the stadium move, as I’ve been mentally preparing myself all season to say goodbye, I realize that it has everything to do with money. Hudson signed for a two-year, $23-million contract and McCann signed a five-year, $85 million contract, making him the highest paid catcher in all of baseball. The closest the Braves have ever come to that kind of deal was last season’s deal with BJ Upton, and look how well that turned out! So instead, Braves’ cooperation, forget about trying to keep actual talent on your team and turn your attention to the true problem at hand – the decrepit ramshackle that is Turner Field.

Schuerholz’s Swing And A Miss

hundreds of millions of dollars -397 hundred million to be exact – on this new Cobb County ballpark.

“Unfortunately, the massive investment would not do anything to improve access or the fan experience.”

Right, because moving into a county that voted against having Marta and placing the park on the corner of two large interstates that will cause massive traffic and inescapable gridlock definitely improves access. Schuerholz brings up on of my favorite phrases from this whole fiasco – “fan experience.”

I’ll tell you why I’m a fan of baseball: I like baseball. I’ll tell you why I go to Braves games: I like watching the Braves play baseball. To be honest, fan experience has never even been a factor in my attendance because what does fan experience really even mean? I don’t want my ballpark to be a shopping mall, I want it to be a ballpark, complete with hot dogs, nachos, home runs, the kiss cam and Waffle House.

Turner Field has that and more, so I’d like an explanation, Mr. Schuerholz, on what more you need to create this miraculous fan experience. “[The new stadium] will thrive with action 365 days a year.”

Nevermind the fact that there are only 160 regular season games, and if next season is anything like the last, three post season games. (Here’s to hoping that won’t be the case, though.) If I want to go to a shopping mall for the other 202 days a year, I’ll go to Lenox.

Finally, Schuerholz ends with “This new ballpark will be in the heart of Braves Country.” Just not Atlanta.

Pointing the Foam Finger

Wait a minute, what’s that you say? Turner Field isn’t the repugnant ballpark John Schuerholz makes it out to be? I This deal isn’t just Schuerholz’s fault, though. It’s not really clear exactly whose fault it is but the City of Atlanta comes don’t think so either. In fact, I love Turner Field. But first, let me retrace my steps. Schuerholz, president of the Atlanta to mind pretty quick. I’ve read a lot of things that say the city chose the Falcons over the Braves and I tend Braves, released a video statement on that fateful November Monday. to agree. Rather than supporting the team This video is plagued with plenty with a fresh division championship under their belt, they chose to fund the lavish of ridiculous lines, but let me break down a few of my favorites. new Falcons stadium. I’m definitely not suggesting that the tables should turn, and “Turner Field, which we do not own, is in need of hundreds of they should support the Braves and not the millions of dollars of upgrades.”

Falcons, but the City of Atlanta should make This assertion is where it all a better effort to support both. I understand, as is often the case, that money is the root begins. Schuerholz sucks you in, of all problems. I get that, but what I don’t leading you to believe the Braves are ever so concerned about get is how the absence of the Braves will the impractical sum needed for help the city, and isn’t that what everyone these phantom upgrades. I say should be worried about? Bettering Atlanta, not losing an essential part of itself to Cobb phantom, not because I think Turner - Craig Calcaterra Field is perfect with no room for County.

This is all just speculation here, but I have improvement but because in this one minute and 27 second long to wonder how much Kasim Reed knew video, he does little to address about this before it was announced. It seems just exactly what these upgrades would entail. This is a little convenient that this news was held off to be released less than a week after Reed’s reelection was secure. My opinion really, however, just the first of many excuses because the Braves are actually perfectly willing to dish out on him has definitely changed following his reaction to the 16

is “Fandom inherently

irrational.”

HEART stadium movement news. Call me crazy, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask that our mayor actually care about the sports of our city, even if it is just for show. As for our governor, Nathan Deal, his response was “I’m glad they are going to stay in Georgia.” Ok, Nate, me too. Me too.

While it may be hard to find any one person to scapegoat, it’s pretty obvious money is the reason for this deal. Spin it however you’d like for transportation or location, but I think money is the foundation of all of this. That and it’s twin brother, greed. The Atlanta Braves got greedy. There’s no other way to put it. Pros and cons and location and video announcements aside, the Atlanta Braves couldn’t pass up Cobb County’s offer to fund virtually half of the entire stadium cost, and I almost wouldn’t blame them if it weren’t for the fact that they’re screwing over their homebase fans in doing so. In fact, it’s hard to really blame the Atlanta Braves at all. Yes, I am angry at them, I feel betrayed by them, but at the end of the day, as much as I hate to admit it, they are a business that made a smart business move. There, I said it. I gave merit to the move and now I will never do it again, but I love what Craig Calcaterra said on NBC Sports.

“Fandom is inherently irrational.” Calcaterra is right because even though I can recognize that the Braves actually made a wise business move that will make some very wealthy people even more wealthy doesn’t mean that I will ever like it. Fandom is irrational because you don’t cheer for your team’s business ventures, you cheer for their wins and triumphs, and to me, this move is no triumph.

Suburbatory Like I said earlier, I love Turner Field. I love it for a multitude of reasons, including one I think a lot of Atlanta born kids share: I feel like I grew up there. I’m an Olympic baby and Turner Field is an Olympic stadium. I love my dad’s seats, and I love the nosebleed seats. I love that guy that dresses up as a Native American and has been to every home game since Turner Field opened. I love the usher in my dad’s section that always starts

the LET’S GO (insert player or team name here) chants. I just really do love it all, but to be honest, the hardest part isn’t the loss of Turner Field itself. It’s the loss of having the Atlanta Braves play in Atlanta.

It’s painful to hear anyone say, even jokingly, “The Cobb Braves.” It makes me cringe just to write it. It just doesn’t even make sense to have the Atlanta Braves play anywhere but Atlanta. There will be no skyline behind the new stadium, no sketchy homeowners who will let you park in their driveway for $30 on playoff games. Will they have to import the Coca-Cola?

No matter how they spin it, the Braves will be playing in the suburbs of Atlanta, not Atlanta, and as a kid born and raised in the city, I’m programmed to hate the suburbs. Atlanta, with all its features and flaws, has got character. Cobb County has sidewalks.

At the end of the day, no matter where they are, I’ll always be a Braves fan. I’ve grown up with them as my team and they always will be, but I’m scared it won’t be the same. I’ve had summer weeks when I have gone to five consecutive games, but once I have to commute to Cobb, I doubt that’ll ever happen. I suppose this move means it’s time for some suburbia kids to get to have those kind of experiences, but it still doesn’t seem fair. The Braves belong in Atlanta. I fully intend to be bitter about this well through 2017, and while some may think my anger towards something out of my control seems like a waste of energy, I beg to differ. The Braves are a team worth caring about, and I do care even though I feel hurt and betrayed.

Rooting for the team after they leave will be about as hard as attempting to swing at a Craig Kimbrel fastball. And just like many hitters who have flailed and failed trying, I feel defeated and utterly hopeless towards the Braves.

- Mallory Hazell 17

E IN CU IS

LOCAL VENDORS FLOCK TO GRANT PARK MARKET

Georgia farmers come together in effort to provide the community with healthier foods.

The Grant Park Farmers Market, located on the corner of Cherokee and Milledge avenues, provides an environment where local farmers and food producers add healthy food to the Grant Park community. Many organic and fresh vendors gather at Grant Park on Sundays from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. from April through December, allowing a place for the neighborhood to come together. As a strict Farmer’s Market policy, the producer/owner must sell only his own produce or products. This requirement gives the community an advantage with the ability to interact with the local farmers.

Nearly 40 of Atlanta’s favorite vendors are located at the Grant Park Farmer’s Market such as Darby Farms, H&F Bread Company, Mercier Orchards, King of Pops, Octane Coffee, Sweet Georgia Grains and many more. One of the most popular vendors is Pearson Farms of Fort Valley. People stand in a long line to purchase bags of their sweet

homegrown peaches, onions and pecans. Some vendors have had even more success than their restaurant business, thanks to the neighborhood’s

pride and support. Each stand is distinctive yet they all accept cash, credit and debit. Parking on Cherokee Avenue fills extremely quickly, but parking on Milledge Avenue or Oakland Avenue (just one block down) is highly recommended. This petfriendly event allows the family to get out and discover Atlanta’s farmers and support the community.

These Sunday gatherings are becoming more sucessful as different communities gather in Grant Park to experience one of the best farmer markets in Atlanta. Rain or shine, you are guaranteed to find booths set up along the park ready to start off the morning. Fresh vegetables such as potatoes, squash, zucchini and broccoli are always available Sunday mornings at their designated vendor’s booth. The Grant Park Farmers Market gives the neighborhood a push in healthy food availabilty and education, ultimately benefiting everyone.

-Faye Webster

EYES ON THE PIE

For those who tire of traditional holiday pies, try Southern Living’s apple butter pie recipe for a sweet and savory taste.

Ingredients

- 8 ounces gingersnaps - 3 tablespoons butter, melted - 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk - 1 cup spiced apple butter - 3 large egg yolks - 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar - Garnishes: whipped cream, crumbled gingersnaps

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Pulse gingersnaps in a food processor 20 times or until finely ground. With processor running, pour butter through food chute, processing until blended. Press mixture into a 9-inch pie plate.

2. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together sweetened condensed milk and next 3 ingredients. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Chill 2 to 24 hours.

18

- Mallory Hazell

GLOBAL GRUB

Students with heritages from all around the world made some of their favorite dishes to battle it out as Grady’s favorite international cuisine You might be able to judge a book by its cover, but with food you have to dig in to evaluate it. Food isn’t just about substance; it has many meanings to everyone that tastes it.

It can transport you to a childhood memory, to a special someone, or a cherished family memory or tradition. Food is an essential part of everyone’s life. We can appreciate what we have, and what we have to celebrate. All over the world people celebrate the smallest of things during the winter season, and I believe celebrating some old traditions is well worth it. I wanted to figure out how some Grady students would react to different foods from outside their culture and traditions.

Because it is the winter season, it seasonal approach to select dishes have a sentimental holiday meaning towards for the chef. I began by trying to figure out all the students that I knew with a background from

a different country. I recruited Senior Ted Galanos who is from Greece , senior Alejandro Zorrilla who is Mexican-American, freshman Ripley Smith who is Anglo-American. I even tapped into my Scottish heritage for a recipe. Theodore Galanos made a chicken pot pie, I made pigs in a blanket, Ripley smith made apple turnovers, and Zorrilla made some rice pudding.

To conduct the serve I went to 5 different rooms earlier that day who I knew were having a class during 2nd period on B-days. I wanted to have a variety of students from each grade so using Ms. Scofield’s freshman engineering class, and Mr. Reeves Statistics class which had a variation of sophomores, juniors and seniors.

Being able to oversee this experiment, I witnessed the turned-up noses to the foods that didn’t have the prettiest of looks. But when that one hungry guy bit into the food

without looking at it, you could see the sparks in his eyes from the scrumptious food hitting his taste buds. It was outstanding, and I am very proud of how well my food did. At the same time I also enjoyed being able to taste the ranges of spices, from spicy to sweet, in the other dishes.

When I asked everyone which they some choose the chicken pot pie for its unique meaty flavoring while other choose the apple turnovers for their a very sweet sugary flavor.

Some choose pigs in a blanket because it was a more familiar dish, as it has been popular in America.

The rice pudding reminded some kids of their childhoods, so they selected that dish as their favorite.

After the food was gone, and the votes tallied, the winner was Galanos; for his chicken pot pie.

-Sarah Smith

Interested in making these delicious recipes? Check out nexusmagazineonline.com for instructions on how to prepare these delectable dishes.

Dunkin’ Donuts Mint Hot Chocolate

SEASONAL DRINKS

San Francisco Coffee Mexican Hot Cocao

This drink tastes like a big gulp of hot chocolate with an after dinner mint chilling in your mouth. The chocolate to mint ratio is a little off, however, and the overall taste is a bit watery as well.

McDonald’s Peppermint Mocha

Aurora Coffee Maple Latte

Starbucks Gingerbread Latte

Starbucks Peppermint Mocha

San Fran’s classic winter drink was the best hot chocolate I’ve had in a long time. It had a full, rich flavor with a strong cinnamon accent.

McCafe serves up a worthy competitor to Starbucks’ wintertime concoction of the same name. Mc D’s peppermint mocha tastes quite similar, although it was a bit watery, and not as flavorful.

Although this drink falls under the seasonal drinks section, nothing about its taste reminded me of the season. Maple flavors were nowhere to be found, but it was still an excellent, though sweet, latte.

The Gingerbread Latte sounds like a good drink; however, it didn’t work for me. From the first sip, I was hit with the molasses drizzle, which instantly made me regret my purchase. The drink is passable, but not worth Starbucks’ high prices.

A wonderful blend of coffee, chocolate and peppermint into one cup. This drink has all the flavors one might want in a winter drink, but the coffee flavor can get lost amongst the more prevalent mint and chocolate flavors.

- Declan Farrisee 19

CO U TU RE

BEST BOUTIQUES FOR YOUR BUCK:

Next time you’re looking for a new outfit or some new accesories check out these Atlanta boutiques that offer original pieces at great prices.

American Threads: Located in Emory Point, this boutique exudes a classic boho vibe with a hint of urban fashionista. Dream catchers line the windows, and jewelry is displayed on vintage ladders. The walls are filled with sweaters and flowy tops that boast unique detail. Along with clothes they also carry cute floppy hats and retro sunglasses.

Featured above the clothing racks are different styles of purses like cross-body, boho and clutch just to name a few. If you’re looking for one-of-a-kind fall pieces to add to your wardrobe then this is the store for you.

Cherry Bomb Demure Located Little 5 Points is every fashionista’s dream. Cherry Bomb is on the higher end of the price spectrum, but the quality name brand clothes make up for it. Unif, Wildfox and Frankie B are a few of the awesome brands that the store carries. These brands are usually sold online so it is a treat to be able to try them on and buy them in person. Cherry Bomb also has really nice dresses. This store really is da bomb when it comes to homecoming and prom dresses. Once you look through the room hosting the clothes, you step into a whole other room full of shoes. They have one-ofa-kind boots and oxfords along with really dressy heels, not to mention they carry Jeffrey Campbell shoes, another brand that is hard to find in stores. If you’re a daring fashionista with a little extra money, drop by Cherry Bomb and you’re guaranteed to leave with 20 a one-of-a-kind outfit you’ll love.

Tucked away in the Edgewood shopping center is Demure boutique.

If you’re looking for a cute outfit with an affordable price tag, then this is just the place for you. With many different styles of dresses ranging anywhere from $30 to $75, there is something at Demure for everyone.

Rather than carrying one style, Demure incorporates many different styles into one store. You can expect to find girly tops, fierce leather jackets and boho sweaters, along with many other trends. In addition to clothes, Demure also carries two cases full of one-of-a kind jewelry, which exudes a very girlish vibe. They also have a great shoe selection that boasts heels and cute fall boots. Demure also has its own parking lot so you don’t have to spend 30 minutes hunting for a spot.

So next time you need a birthday gift for a picky friend, visit Demure and you’re sure to find something great!

Francesca’s With locations all over Atlanta, including Emory Point and Perimeter Mall, Francesca’s carries a variety of clothes and other accessories. Chic blouses and dresses line the walls, accompanied by quirky jackets and blazers. The number of accessories matches the clothes. With everything from jewelry and purses you can buy an entire look from here. Featured by the register is a table of one-of-a-kind ‘Francesca’s’ nail polish. With every color from light purple to dark green, there is a color for every type of girl.

Not only do they carry clothes, but also a whole section of knick knacks for your house. From cute coffee mugs and picture frames to skullshaped cookie cutters and fun books, Francesca’s has you covered. If you’re a very eccentric person who needs more than just clothes when you shop then Francesca’s is just the store for you.

-Text and photos by Kelsey Woods

STYLE PROFILES

Troy Hightower, senior

Tate Lancaster, sophomore

Where are your favorite places to shop? www.fabric.com and www. tobi.com

Where are your favorite places to shop?

My moms closet because I don’t have to buy anything.

What advice to have for people who shop online?

I like to look at the sale section first before going anywhere else.

Who is your style inspiration?

Chloe Citron, I like how she rocks a white dress.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Nobody inparticular, I look at magazines a lot to get ideas.

What is your favorite article of clothing?

My Coke earings during the summer because I wear a lot of red, white, and blue so they go with everything.

What is your favorite article of clothing?

My Michael Kors watch

What are three words to describe your style? sassy, fierce, and juicy

Max Fryar, senior

Who is your style icon or inspiration?

I don’t know, I’m not really inspired by anyone. I just try to be me.

Where are your favorite places to shop?

Urban Outfitters What are some tips for people who are shopping at Urban Outfitters?

Look in the sale section first before going anywhere else Where do you get ideas for your clothes?

Tumblr

Text and photos

by Faye Webster and Kelsey Woods

21

RU M RO ST

TOOLS FOR FOOLS

Self-improvement books have long been a source of interest to me. Whenever I stop by this section in Barnes and Noble, I am amazed at the quantity of people who claim that they know how to fix you and make your life better.

Even more amazing is that people actually buy into this racket literally! According to Forbes, in 2008, Americans spent $11 billion on the self-help industry. To put that into perspective, 2008 was also the year of fiscal failure and widespread unemployment, so Americans struggling to find jobs might have been more inclined to seek self-help books, but the fact that Americans ever spent that kind of money on what seems to be a somewhat foolish industry to me blows my mind. Despite my misgivings, it was with an open mind that I picked up Phil Stutz and Barry Michels’s The Tools: 5 tools to help you find courage, creativity, and willpower- and inspire you to live life in forward motion (try saying that five times fast).

The opening chapter appealed to me, especially when the authors encouraged me to read on with a skeptical mind, as that was something I could certainly do. In the first chapter, however, Michels talks about how when he started his psychotherapy practice, he felt something was missing. All of school had taught him to find the root of all his patients’ problems and work with that, but Michels, was confronted with a problem when he had a patient come in and say, “I know why I have this problem, and I’ve already confronted it; now I want to fix it.”

Focused on finding root problems, Michels was at a loss and decided he wanted to find a new, more proactive approach to his practice. This made sense to me, as my thoughts when it comes to self-improvement have been more in support of positive action, not just thoughts.

This new approach the authors came up with are The Tools. These

five tools that they absolutely swear, if used correctly, will change your life for the better. Sounds promising, right? So I dove in eagerly awaiting to hear all about these tools that could fix my problems.

As I read on, one thing became clear to me: these tools aren’t half bad. I think that they have good points and spring from most people’s everyday problems. I found that, however, I had a real problem with the authors’ proposed implementation of these tools.

Let me break it down for you.

The five tools are as follows: The Reversal of Desire, Active Love, Inner Authority, The Grateful Flow and Jeopardy. While these names are a little too 1970s for me, I found that some actually were useful. My favorite is The Grateful Flow. This tool focuses on positive thinking, which is the issue I was most hoping to improve when I started reading this book. The Grateful Flow teaches you to maintain a positive attitude of gratefulness for everything you have, which I think is a great quality to have. This positive attitude, however,

didn’t really hold for the rest of the tools.

The worst tool is The Reversal of Desire. In order to use this tool, you must accept the pain that comes from undesirable situations. Seems innocent and logical enough, at first, until you come to the steps to using it. Here, Stutz and Michels literally tell you to silently scream “I LOVE PAIN, BRING ON THE PAIN!” I get the concept of accepting necessary pain, but I didn’t sign up to become a masochist.

As is often the case throughout this book, the execution of these tools is weird. While the general message is good and wholesomeconfront your fears, try to love those who anger you, and keep a consistent positive mentality- the way the authors describe the tools seem cheesy, fake and insulting to the reader. Michels literally uses the example of loving a puppy to demonstrate how to love your enemies, and the example feels like a cop out. Puppies are not the enemy and his ridiculous analogy does nothing to illustrate the point he’s trying to make.

Overall, the authors means well.

They claim that the tools are all anyone can talk about in Hollywood, and I believe it, as the depth levels of Hollywood and the tools are about equal. The authors focus too much on “Higher Powers,” which hovers dangerously close to a memo at an AA meeting, and oversimplify examples that fail to impact the true meaning behind the tools. Despite its flaws, the book still managed to change my opinion on selfimprovement books. While this book may have not been the recipe to a better life, and there may not be any book that truly has one, I found that they can offer helpful messages. I found that using the tools that they provided in the book in my own way did change part of me for the better, and at the end of the day, I think that’s all they’re really trying to help the readers do.

-Mallory Hazell

[The authors] literally tell you to silently scream “I LOVE PAIN, BRING ON THE PAIN!” 22

YOU SAY GOODBYE, BUT I SAY HELLO Summer and seasonal jobs have come to an end leaving teens looking for the next best thing.

The summer months are a time of great opportunity for many teens. With the ending of another year of school and the absence of its related responsibilities, teens have more time to spend doing other things that they will enjoy or things that will enrich them. Many teens have taken advantage of the additional time provided by summer breaks and gotten jobs.

Teens in the metro Atlanta area, and even many at Grady, have an advantage when it comes to job hunting because of the abundance of employment opportunities in the area.

These teens find employment at amusement parks, grocery stores, summer internships or work programs. These jobs are perfect for teens because they provide stable pay to fund teen habits, while also providing direction and teaching leadership and responsibility.

Because the jobs pay and provide valuable life experience, teens find these positions especially rewarding.

“I work at the Atlanta City Hall,” senior Walter Cobb said. “I really enjoy the money and the knowledge I have gained from working there.”

Though the positive influence these jobs have on teens is clear, these jobs do present one conundrum: they are seasonal positions. A few weeks after summer ends, the positions are terminated until the beginning of the employer’s next “open season.”

For teens who have become accustomed to earning money, however much or little it may be, it can be difficult trying to afford the lifestyle they enjoyed while earning a paycheck. So these teens face a big question: give up going out every weekend or find a new job?

“It is hard to find a job these days,” senior Eowyn Hoppe-

Cook said. “I was working with the Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse, but we close every year once winter starts.”

It isn’t always easy to find a job that offers the flexibility necessary to manager a rigid school schedule and extracurricular clubs.

“Right now, I am working, and it really affects my school schedule because I basically have to find a different time to do class assignments and work,” senior Ashley Ponder said. “Now, I really do not have time to participate in any of my school activities like HOSA.” Some of the most popular school-time employers are local malls, eateries, grocery stores, hospitals, school-endorsed work programs and, surprisingly, the military. These jobs give an optimistic outlook to teens who may still be looking for flexible yet reliable places to work throughout the school year and possibly even through college.

Some of these jobs may be available throughout their time in college, given that they stay close to home.

Regardless of the of employer, teens are avidly searching for new jobs and the next best thing to meet their financial needs and wants. Students looking for sources of employment throughout the school year may want to delve further into searching for part-time or “odd” jobs here and there, like baby sitting and lawn care.

As for seasonal jobs, they will remain as great positions for teens who desire to work during their summer vacations, but there are more feasible options for those who would prefer working year-round. Teens can also mix and match these jobs to gain an eclectic year-round work experience.

-Tia Borrego

COLD WINTER FORECAST IS SNOW JOKE

The winter of 2012-2013 was a disappointing few months of conflicting weather. Days of summerlike heat followed by bitter cold and rain left us wondering what was going on and what would come next. It was like winter was trying to take over but couldn’t quite make it, until finally it was springtime and the cold began to fade. This year, winter is predicted to be very cold, in fact Georgia’s record coldest, and it’s supposed to pick up quickly where last year left off, according to Dante Brown-Royal of Weather Advance.

While temperatures climb downwards even below the freezing point, things don’t look good for many native Georgians who are not used to long periods of harsh winter weather. Many people are not prepared for the low temperatures or the high costs of their heating bills.

“I don’t even own a big jacket, I normally just wear a few layers,” senior Isaac Rehg said. “I’m definitely going to have to buy one this year.”

Still many people at Grady are used to the cold, as they usually head north where it is much colder during the winter break.

“Nothing that comes to Georgia will be worse than in Chicago,” said senior Samuel Heller, who travels to see family in Chicago each year for the winter break.

One question begs to be answered: Will it snow? Will it snow on Christmas again? Will we miss another week of school like in the winter of 2012? Almanac.com predicts that there will be below average precipitation for the season but also predicts snow as early as Dec. 6 for the Southeast. Despite less precipitation, however, there will be above-normal snowfall throughout the region, with the snowiest period being in February, according to Almanac.com.

Although we’ll be getting a colder winter than normal and perhaps more snow than many of us Georgians have evewr seen, Almanac.com as well as Weather Advance both agree that this means summer will be hotter than normal. No matter how cold winter gets, Hotlanta will still retain its title come June.

-Alex Jones

The Weather Channel presents its temperature forecast for November 2013, which predicts Georgia to be cooler throughout the month.

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XBOX ONE OR PS4?

Recently, Sony and Microsoft released their new editions of gaming consoles, which attracted a lot of attention.

Both have great new features that are changing the way the world experiences home entertainment.

Games: Winner: Xbox One

Both systems have new titles that are highly anticipated.

Xbox One has games like “Dead Rising 3” and “Forza Motorsport 5” (which is supposed to be one of the best graphically stunning games ever). PS4, meanwhile, has the next installment of the Killzone series called “Shadow Fall” which is set 30 years after “Killzone 3”. Neither system has a large range of games available yet, but there certainly are some intriguing ones to keep you busy until more are released.

Both systems offer compelling game options. However, the Xbox One has the edge in most popular titles.

Motion Control/Voice Command: Winner: Xbox One

The One’s Kinect 2 is a fantastic addition to the gaming experience. The next generation of Kinect has a camera with 1080p and a 1:1 motion ratio with virtually no lag. Users can watch TV or listen to music with just a simple vocal command or wave of a hand. This feature is very cool and is especially nice if you’ve lost the remote again.

The Sony DualShock 4 controllers are the key to the motion control for the PS4. They team up with the PlayStation Eye to create the system’s motion control. The camera tracks movements using the light bar in the controller.

The Kinect is a great replacement for the modern TV remote and has a more advanced motion sensor than the PlayStation Eye.

Multimedia/Subscription: Winner: Xbox One

Microsoft is adding something new to this generation of Xbox. The Games with Gold program lets you download two games a month for free. Other programs include NFL on Xbox, Skype and Game DVR. The subscription also offers SmartMatch, which is a new matchmaking system that is smarter and faster for gamers who like to play online. A major attraction of the Xbox is that it can play live TV. With voice command, you can easily switch from gaming to your favorite shows in less than a second.

PlayStation offers something similar. Sony adds new games each month, making the collection larger the longer you’re a member. PlayStation Gold members can receive up to a 75 percent discount. One account covers all three most recent PlayStation systems (PS3, PS4, and PS Vita).

You may have to pay for some of the features but Xbox Live Gold has more to offer than PlayStation Network does. It is a complete entertainment system.

Specs: Winner: PS4

VS.

Both consoles have the same CPU and the Xbox has added a blu-ray player, which was already a feature in the PlayStation 3.

The PS4, meanwhile, has a removable hard dive while you can no longer remove the Xbox’s.

The main difference lies in the graphics processors. The PS4 gets more bandwidth than the One, which means it can process more data in a specific amount of time. The result is that the PS4 has better graphics.

Although the consoles are evenly matched in CPU, the PS4 can process graphics at a much higher rate. The removable hard drive is also a nice bonus.

Price: Winner: PS4

Microsoft has priced the Xbox One at $499 while Sony’s PlayStation 4 is $399. An Xbox One purchase includes the system, Kinect 2, controller, headset and a high-definition cable and power cord. A PS4 purchase includes the console, headset, controller and power cable. The PlayStation Eye camera costs $59 extra.

A $100 difference is quite a difference and definitely a notable advantage of purchasing the PS4.

Controller: Winner: PS4

The overall design of the One’s controller has not changed much from the Xbox 360’s, but a few cool new features have been added. The new controller includes new sensors in the triggers to increase the response time, but this isn’t the most important change. Microsoft replaced the larger analog sticks with smaller and more textured sticks for enhanced grip and control.

The One has made its controller small and simple, but the PS4 has really changed the look of its controller. The DualShock 4 controller is larger than the DualShock 3 but the newest and coolest feature on this controller is the touchpad and light bar, which will light up during game play. The light bar will also serve a purpose in some games. For example, “Killzone: Shadow Fall” uses it to show the character’s health.

Although larger, the DualShock 4 has better features. The new touchpad and light bar are features that haven’t been seen in console gaming yet and will add a little something extra to the game play.

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-Zac Carter

Winter Wonderland On November 21, the Winter Wonderland theme park opens in Atlanta for the first time. Located next to Turner Field, the carnival features replicas of famous monuments from around the world. The Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate Bridge and many more imitated monuments will be lit up with millions of LED lights. On top of that, largerthan-life animal, people and scenes that represent different cultures will be illuminated in the form of giant lanterns. These eco-friendly

lanterns are powered by solar panels and can be up to 50 feet high and 100 feet wide. In addition, the Winter Wonderland includes live entertainment, carnival rides and international food vendors. In addition, a large array the world’s holidays are celebrated to give the park a very multicultural feel.

The Chinese based company, IGO, first brought the theme park to the United States in 2011 but now will debut in Atlanta. IGO employees are very specialized and traveled

from China to construct and operate the theme park.

The park will be a great place for Grady students to go during the 2013 holidays. The theme park is not only great entertainment but also a way to discover new cultures and celebrations. From rides to arts and crafts the Winter Wonderland keeps visitors busy.

Unfortunately there is no student discount, but the park is definitely well worth a visit.

-Peter Mastin

New Sport Tumbles Into Grady Grady has more activities to offer for students this year.

One of the newest clubs to Grady is the Tumbling Club.

Three seniors at Grady, Ellen Ericson, Orli Hendler and Madeline Siegel founded the club and run its activities.

They meet on Thursdays after school in the practice gym. Hendler came up with the idea to start the club and knew that Ericson and Siegel had experience in gymnastics. The Tumbling Club was created to teach students about partner balancing and recreational gymnastics. Partner balancing is when you work with another person to balance out your weight and learn to control your body in various positions on the ground and in air.

Even though the goal of the club is to teach the basics of gymnastics and partner balancing, Hendler admits that she came up with the idea for the club for a few selfish reasons. Hendler teaches partner balancing at Circus Camp during the summer, but over the school year she loses her flexibility. Every summer it takes Hendler a few weeks to get back into shape. In order to save time over her summer, Hendler decided to

share her talent with Grady. At first the trio had a hard time finding a teacher to sponsor the club, until they made a deal with AP U.S. History teacher Lee Pope. Ericson offered swimming lessons to Pope’s son, and Pope couldn’t resist the deal and agreed to be their sponsor.

Tumbling is a great way to stay flexible, in shape and active. “It’s also a good way to exercise in a different way than just running,” Siegel said. Some people use partner balancing as a form of yoga. The goal as of now for the club is just to have fun and teach as many students the basics of partner acrobatics and gymnastics.

Contrary to common belief the club is not just for girls. Hendler has encouraged some of her guy friends to join who seem to really enjoy it.

“It’s good that we have boys [in the club]. They are very helpful as bases and spotters,” Hendler said. Ericson, Hendler, and Siegel hope that Grady will continue the tumbling club even after they graduate and one day it can be formed into a full on gymnastics team at Grady.

-Emma Kohanowich

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DisTURBING

Plotlines of favorite childhood films turn dark in adulthood Growing up, some of my fondest memories are centered around movies: watching them at sleepovers, having them already in the VCR when the babysitter came over, and if I was really lucky, actually getting to see them in theaters. Since my younger days, things have changed. VCRs became Blu-ray and I became the babysitter, but nevertheless, my love for movies hasn’t waned; however, as I recently sat back to watch Toy Story 3 one Thursday night with the kids I was babysitting, I was struck with a realization.

These movies we cherish as kids actually have some pretty dark scenes that are lost on us in our youthful days (it’s pretty heavy stuff when Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and Co. all join hands to accept their death in Toy Story 3) but as a much older, and hopefully wiser version of myself, I reflected on some of my favorite childhood movies and found these scenes to be more common than I initially thought.

When it comes to depressing examples of Disney movie plots, two movies often come to mind: Bambi and The Lion King. These two movies are classic examples of what seems to be a Disney office memo: kill off a parent or two. Halfway through animated flick Bambi, what starts off as an innocent scene of a deer and her baby frolicking in the forest turns into a dark picture. Gunshots are heard off screen, and sweet innocent Bambi is shown wandering around the forest searching for his 26 now slaughtered mother. Initially,

Disney wanted to show his mother getting shot, but somebody smart in the office that day decided blood and brains might be a little much for the first 50 minutes. When it comes to brotherhood betrayal and immense guilt, however, bring it on.

The Lion King has its infamous scene a little later into the movie.

If you’re one of the 0.01 percent who hasn’t seen The Lion King, I will briefly break this traumatizing scene down for you. Scar, the younger brother of the Lion King Mufasa, purposely baits his nephew, the king-in-waiting Simba into a canyon seconds before a giant trampling herd of antelopes come running his way and then rushes to tell Mufasa, Simba’s father, that Simba is in grave danger, feigning concern like only a deceitful Disney villain can. Just as it seems Mufasa has saved the day and Simba, he loses his hold on the cliff in his attempt to escape the stampede.

The scene makes you angry as a 5-year-old but as a young adult, makes you say, “Wait, is this really happening and that is really dark and kind of disturbing.” At the climatic moment, Scar says something snarky like “Long live the King” and then pushes his brother to an untimely death before Simba can realize what’s happening. As if fratricide isn’t enough, Scar then leads Simba to believe the death was all his fault and advises him to leave the kingdom and never return. Heavy, right? Well cue Nathan Lane and a farting warthog and all is forgotten.

One movie that freaked me out both then and now is Chicken Run, a Dreamworks Animation film that is literally based off of chickens trying to escape a slaughterhouse.

Just as they let you become as emotionally attached to an animated chicken as you can get, they show it getting killed by a hatchet to be that evening’s chicken pot pie. A bunch of irrelevant middle plot tomfoolery ensues but the movie ends with the chickens desperately trying to avoid a chicken death trap, pot pieproducing machine by constructing a plane to fly to freedom, an irony that has only recently dawned on me. One of the main voices in the film is Mel Gibson, so if that doesn’t tip you off that this movie is sure to be a weird one, I don’t know what will. Unlike many Disney movies, Dreamworks couldn’t think of a way to lighten this movie up other than to throw in a few comedic quips from various chickens which does little to deceive even young kids into thinking this isn’t a totally bizarre and frightening movie.

The list of children’s movies with dark scenes and plots could go on, as many studios think the key to selling kids movies is to entertain the parents, and after all, what mom of three using a movie as a way to quiet her kids doesn’t love deep family betrayal and deceiving your greatest enemy? It’s just like Grey’s Anatomy.

No matter the reason for these sometimes disturbing scenes, they seem to be a successful ingredient in the children’s movie formula.

- Mallory Hazell

NO LIKES FOR NEW PRIVACY SETTINGS What’s with these new privacy settings for teens on Facebook?

Have they eliminated any source of discretion for the privacy of teenagers? Or have they given teens too much discretion?

Facebook announced on Oct. 16 that it was making immediate changes to the accounts of users aged 13 to 17. Firstly, Facebook changed the default setting for a teen’s initial post from “friends of friends” to “friends.” This narrowed the potential audience for a teenager’s post to those Facebook users that he or she selects to be friends.

The other changes enable Facebook teens to share their messages with a much wider audience. Teen users can set their setting to “public” so that anyone with access to Facebook can view the posts. Users can also turn on the “Follow” function so that followers will see the user’s post in their news feeds. In addition, Facebook added in-line reminders that inform the facebok user ofthe range of audience enabled by each setting. According to Makeuseof.com, a shortcut menu makes the size of the audience of each post more transparent. The menu is added to the top toolbar and offers quick access to important settings such as who can see your posts and photos and who can contact you.

Lost in all this debate about Facebook’s decision to relaxed its privacy settings is a more essential point: some of the youngest Facebook users have no business being on Facebook in the first place. Facebook is supposed to be private, and teenagers should not have the option to share information with any random person who may or may not

be a predator, pedophile, bully or Internet stalker.

Now that Facebook has loosened its privacy settings, today’s teens are more vulnerable to the world of Internet danger.

And it’s a danger they themselves will elect to expose themselves to by changing their settings. Even though some teens paste their entire world on a Facebook page for everyone to see, that doesn’t mean Facebook has no responsibility to help safeguard teens’ privacy. This is especially true when you consider that Facebook stands to benefit directly when teenagers expand the audience of their posts. Every time a teenager makes a public post, they make more data available to advertisers who rely on Facebook to target their teen products to the likeliest of customers.

In the past, Facebook has shielded teen information from the public eye, so why are they reversing course now?

According to Newsday.com, Facebook wants to teach its users a lesson about self accountability. They believe that today’s teens are more tech-savvy than their parents and that the parents should bear the responsibility of teaching their teens about over sharing personal information.

What about the teens? How do they feel about the situation? These new privacy settings could possibly destroy their lives. Ever heard of the term cyber-bullying?

Teenagers could post images videos, and status updates that can potentially set them up for public online scrutiny.

It will be interesting to see how teen Facebook users respond. Will they stay on Facebook because they can connect with a wider audience or will they abandon the site for the same reason?

Or Facebook may turn out like MySpace: IRRELEVANT? -Tyrell Tolon

THE EX’TRAVEL’GANT LIFE OF SAJJAD ALI Sophomore Sajjad Ali has been to more places in the world than many adults ever will ever see in their lifetime.

He has been out of the United States about 25 times, taking trips to Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, an island near Madagascar, Singapore and Tanzania just to name a few.

Traveling around the world has allowed Ali to be exposed to many different cultures, which have influenced the way he perceives the world. His travels allow him to see the different customs and norms of other nations.

“Travel has made me a more global person,” Ali said. “We learn about other places in geography, but the best way to learn about them is to go there even just going out of the country once or going somewhere small for a really short amount of time. It’s like your shellshocked, it’s incredible.”

Exposure to different types of people, however, hasn’t been the only benefit Ali has acquired from him globetrotting.

He also gets to see how the rest of the world lives.

“You get to see a different part of life in the world,” Ali said. “America is definitely different than everywhere else in the world. It’s not just everywhere else is a Third World country, and America is the greatest. Everywhere they just live differently and act differently. In Europe they don’t have any of the same mannerisms as they do here; it’s really fun to see how the rest of the world works outside of the U.S.” Ali enjoys India the most because he has traveled there more times than any

other place, so he has gotten more time to immerse himself more deeply in the culture. He goes to India because he has a lot of family living there. “[India’s Culture] is different,” Ali said “People have a different life style, you live differently there.”

Ali added that “being in some of the flea market-type places is one of my favorite experiences.” He also goes around to see historic parts of India.

“One of my favorite places is the fort at Golcunda,” Ali said. “The fort is huge and is still lasting today. It’s really cool to go to because its very advanced and complex.”

This fort is in a city called Hyderabad located in south central India, where most of his family resides. The fort was built in 1518 by the fourth king of the Qutub Shahi Dynasty.

With all his constant traveling, Ali has become accustomed to packing light for his many adventures, but no matter what he brings, its what he takes away from his travels that truly matters.

-Elijah Dumitrescu 27

A Photo by Axel Olson