Vol. 49, Issue #3

Vol. 49, Issue #3

The

December 8, 2023

Knightly News

p. 4 Twenty Minutes with Dr. DuPree

p. 11 OG Fortnite Returns This Winter

p. 13 The Battle of the Christmas Movies

GET CONNECTED - KNIGHTLY NEWS SOCIAL MEDIA HOTSPOT

Find our PDF versions!

issuu.com/paceknightlynews

Check out our Tiktok Follow us! theknightlynews

Stay updated with our staff! knightly_news

Follow us online:

knightlife.paceacaemy.org/knightlynews

Pace News

December 8, 2023

The Knightly News - Page 2

ICGL Global Health Fellows Bring Awareness to AIDS

Photo: ph images

Dec. 1 symbolizes World AIDS Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV is spread through the exchange of bodily fluids with an infected person.

HIV attacks the body’s immune system, making a person with HIV easily susceptible to many other illnesses and diseases.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for HIV at this point, and if left untreated, it can be fatal.

Although there is no cure, there are medications that can mitigate the effects of HIV. If the effects are successfully mitigated, the medication can allow someone infected with HIV to continue living and makes them

The red ribbon is the global symbol for AIDS. unable to transmit HIV to others. There are about 39 million people globally who have HIV. Additionally, there are ways to prevent getting HIV at all. There is a medicine called pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, that

people at high risk for HIV take to prevent it.

AIDS appears at a late stage for people infected with HIV that has gone untreated or unnoticed. It is widely regarded as the most severe stage of this

virus. HIV, in its late stages, becomes known as AIDS and, at this point, becomes untreatable and fatal. The average expectancy of time before death once diagnosed with AIDS is three years. Additionally, if the person

In middle school, Kohn attended Davis Academy, the largest Reform Jewish Day School in the country, so she was thrust into a different world when she entered Pace as a freshman. Though she initially hides her Jewish identity for fear of being different, she comes to realize that “those differences make us who we are.” Kohn completely changes her perspective over the course of high school and now proudly accepts her Jewish identity.

The third speaker was Boys Varsity Basketball coach Sharman White. In his speech, Mr. White details “what it takes to be a champion.” White shares his coaching journey from an assistant coach at a middle school to being Pace’s head coach. He describes how he learned lessons of character and culture and how continued success takes more than talent and hard work.

White thanks his family for their continued support of his coaching career.

The fourth speaker was senior Carly Cannon. Cannon details her love of dance and how she overcame the harmful ideas of body image placed upon her at a young age. She describes how she let Kurbo, a weight loss app for kids, control the types of foods she was eating. Eventually, she began doubting her appearance and temporarily quit dance.

Cannon says it was her ballet teacher Cinnamon Dizon who inspired her to love the art of dance again. “I found the courage within the subject matter.

Much of what I was speaking on is often kept under wraps and considered uncomfortable, but I knew that I wanted to put words to that insecure feeling that many of us experience and that certainly kept me going throughout the process,” said Cannon.

The fifth speaker was eighth grader Gus Loomis. In his speech, Loomis details the struggles of moving to a new school and how he overcame other people’s perceptions of him. Loomis shared how his need to please his teammates and coaches in football began to bleed into his social life. He was losing who he was to please others. Through the help of his parents, Loomis found the courage to decide his own identity for himself. When the school play rolled around, Loomis decided he would join. “I can be

an athlete and an artist.”

The last speaker was junior Bea Boehner. Boehner details how music has helped her deal with her extreme case of OCD. When she was a child, Boehner’s OCD would compel her to create elaborate routines or even wash her hands until they were bleeding. As she grew older, the OCD changed from an obsession over germs to one about perfection. Though perfection is unobtainable, Boehner shared how songwriting provided relief in this endless chase. “Two people inspired me to write my

diagnosed with AIDS also has another illness caused by their weakened immune system, their life expectancy is shortened to one year. There is no known cure for HIV once it enters the AIDS stage, and because of that, about 630,000 people die annually due to AIDS. HIV and AIDS are prevalent issues, especially from a global health lens, and have affected a variety of people. Famous singer Freddie Mercury and model Gia Carangi both died from HIV/ AIDS. Another factor that makes this virus so vicious is that people of all ages can fall victim to it. Due to the prevalence of this virus, in 1988, Dec. 1 was determined to be a day dedicated to AIDS awareness.

This year, Pace students in the ICGL Global Health Fellows Program plan to honor the day and use it to bring awareness to the issue.

Pace Hosts Fourth-Ever TEDx Event

Photo: Instagram@paceacademy

On Nov. 5, English Teacher Robert Kaufman, senior Martin Andra-Thomas and juniors Kate Grice and Harper Auchincloss hosted Pace’s fourth-ever TEDx talk with the theme of “Do I Dare.” Based on T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” the speeches dealt with themes of self-reflection and courage. “I resonated with the poem and Mr. Kaufman is a big fan as well, so we were both enthusiastic about making it our theme,” said Andra-Thomas.

“This year’s TEDx was the best one we have had at Pace because students dared greatly to destigmatize talking about mental health and what makes them vulnerable, which requires laudable courage,” said Mr. Kaufman.

Junior Marco Juarez was first up to speak. Juarez described his struggles with mental health after his dad’s death.

“Mental health is not something to keep quiet,” said Juarez. “Everyone goes through challenges and should never think that asking for help makes you weak.”

Despite his depression and regret over not cherishing his relationship with his father, he explained how therapy helped him heal and gave him the strength to share his story. “I want to dedicate my speech to my dad because his death was the reason I wanted to speak about mental health,” said Juarez. “Enjoy the time with loved ones and keep those memories forever.”

The second speaker was senior Vivian Kohn. She described her struggles to balance her Jewish and American identities.

speech. Taylor Swift, who is my idol, because she has never been afraid to speak up and speak out in regards to personal issues, inspired me to write it,” said Boehner. “And my mom, who is my ultimate inspiration, gave me the courage to speak it.”

She shared that the most anyone can ask is to try their best. “I think the biggest takeaway from my speech is the three lessons I touched on at the end: “dare to craft your voice, dare to be undone and dare to get better,” said Boehner.

Junior Marco Juarez holds up a miniature version of a truck as a memento of his father.

Pace News

Vol. 49, Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 3

Pace PRUMC Basketball Returns

Photo: Harrison Silver

nior teams, “Air Jesus,” is junior Drew Thompson, who looked forward to his team’s upcoming season, saying “Our PRUMC team is looking very good this year. We have hopes to win the During the winter, Peachtree championship this year after Road United Methodist Church making it to the quarterfinals (PRUMC) hosts a basketball last season.” league in which Pace teams This year, the Sophomore often participate. This year, boys, the “28th Infantry,” have a there are multiple teams per fairly new roster and are looking grade, and they to make the playoffs. enter themselves “PRUMC has a lot “PRUMC has a lot of to compete against of tough competition, tough competition, other school teams but it’s nothing we but it’s nothing we in the area. can’t handle. We’ve can’t handle. We’ve Varsity basgotten a lot of back- gotten a lot of backketball players lash from our season lash from our season aren’t allowed to ending loss last year ending loss last year participate in this against the past seagainst the past seleague, so most of niors, but that doesn’t niors, but that doesn’t the players in the faze us.” faze us,” said “28th league aren’t on Infantry” player school team rosters. sophomore Ethan Holmes.

Teams compete in eight “It’s an honor to be the coach regular season games against of the infantry,” said coach other teams in their grade, and Venturi. depending on their record, some One of the Senior teams, the teams will go to playoffs in “White Cheddah Gremlinz,” which all grades are combined. started off their season with a Although the games don’t count strong win. Senior Ross Berfor anything, teams take the nath, named offensive MVP of league very seriously and play game one, is one of the best in to win. Sophomore coach Luca the league averaging 30 points Venturi said, “It’s a fun way to a game and hopes to lead the spend time with friends.” Many “Gremlinz” to the championteams appoint coaches who often ship. “It’s way too easy and the dress very professionally. competition is not good at all,” The coach for one of the Jusaid Bernath. New to the high

Pace Juniors pose for a picture after winning their first game. school division, the freshman team, the “Buzz Ballerz”, hope to shock the league and make it

to the playoffs.

The season will come to an end in March, and the winners

will have a banner hung up at the PRUMC gym with their team name on it.

Pace Miracle Knights Hosts Charity Pickleball Tournament

Photo: Instagram @miracleknights

Pickleball has taken the sports world by storm. Being a relatively easy sport to pick up and with endorsements from celebrities like Lakers star Lebron James and retired tennis star Serena Williams, pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport.

According to the Pro Pickleball Tour, there was a 15.6% increase in the number of courts in America, with 6,000 new courts added in 2023.

Additionally, there are currently 36.5 million pickleball players in the United States, an increase of nearly 158.6% over the last three years per the Association of Pickleball Professionals.Pace has also noticed the sport’s popularity. With the new pickleball club, many students play pickleball in their free time and their free periods.

“Pickleball is an amazing activity that you can do for exercise and play with your friends,” said senior Noah Benz. “It’s a great social sport.”

On Oct. 29, Miracle Knights and the pickleball club joined forces to host a pickleball tour-

Juniors Thomson Brumfield and Harrison Silver pose after winning the Pace pickleball tournament. nament at Pace to fund money for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

“This was one of our big fundraising events,” said copresident of Miracle Knights

Reid Richardson. “We decided to partner with the Pickleball club because we thought it would

be a great opportunity for both clubs.”

Though there was a $20 entry fee, there was still a massive crowd of 40 students excited to compete for the championship.

“It was the most fun thing I’ve ever done,” said junior Zachary Segall. “I think the event went really well,” said Richardson.

“We had a really big turnout, and I think everybody had a great time.”

In the end, juniors Harrison Silver and Thomson Brumfield won the tournament. “It was very fun and a good cause,” said Brumfield. “The tournament was kind of easy though.” This tournament will be the first of many. “We will definitely be hosting more tournaments in the future. We are planning on hosting one this winter so stay tuned!” said Richardson.

“Pickleball is a growing sport and is becoming very popular for all ages. I would not be surprised if Pace has a pickleball team in the next 5-10 years,” said Richardson.

“I think the event went really well. We had a really big turnout, and I think everybody had a great time.”

Pace News

December 8, 2023

The Knightly News - Page 4

Twenty Minutes with Dr. DuPree

Current Affairs Editor Megan Klingler

Photo: Pace Academy

Knightly News: How’s it going Dr. Dupree?

KN: Where did you grow up?

DD: A number of students wanted to hear stories about growing up in Rising Fawn, Alabama. That’s not quite the way it was. I grew up part of the time in North Carolina, in a little place called Angier, south of Raleigh. Part of my growing up time was in Montana.

KN: What were you like as a child?

DD: It’s hard for us to think about ourselves in the past. I would say to you that I was pretty much what I am now. My parents would say extremely energetic, imaginative and unlikely to be doing something predictable.

KN: What were your jobs before teaching, and where did you go to school?

DD: I went to college at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and after a short bit of graduate school at Vanderbilt. I taught my first class at Sewanee in 1977. I’ve been teaching ever since. I don’t know anything else other than teaching.

KN: Why did you decide to become a teacher?

DD: Teaching is fun. It’s fun to see individuals react to the things that you have to say. It’s

966 West Paces Ferry Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 (404) 262-1345 knightlynews@paceacademy.org Co-Editors-in-Chief: David Fu Ellie Siskin Reed Millner

Dr. Don DuPree has been an English teacher at Pace Academy for 22 years now. Because of Doc’s thought-provoking nature and fun classroom environment, much of the student body is interested to learn more about Doc’s life.

Dr. Dupree: As I keep saying to everyone, I’m plugging along.

I’ve had back surgery this summer but I’m plugging along, I’m here.

The Knightly News

Dr. DuPree poses for the camera.

fun to challenge individuals to be imaginative. The classroom is just a fun place to be.

KN: Who was the most influential person in your life and how did they inspire you?

DD: My father’s mother. She was opinionated and kind. For instance, during the 50’s and 60’s she ran the family farm. My grandfather had no interest in it, he was a lawyer, and she essentially ran it. I got a picture from her of women doing substantial, exciting things.

KN: What is the happiest time in your adult life so far?

Why? DD: One of the happiest times was getting to know the person who would ultimately become my wife. I certainly look upon that as one of the happiest periods of my life. Also, some others were the birth of our children and the establishment of a family. As I think back on them, I’m excited by the various adventures. My wife and I lived in Brooklyn in Park Slope for a year. I taught at Rutgers and my wife went to NYU to graduate school. That was an experience I would have never have predicted. It was fun because of some of the challenges involved. For instance, one of my favorite places in Brooklyn became the Polish market. I would walk around the corner on 7th avenue and cross the pedestrian bridge over the IRT and go to the Polish market.

There were Jewish people who had gotten out of Eastern Europe before Communism took over.

You could buy every sort of sausage imaginable, all sorts of things. They had a hot bar with homemade borsch that I adored.

KN: Who is your favorite author, and what is your favorite book?

DD: There’s so many authors I enjoy. The knee jerk reaction in my family is to talk about Jane Austen. I love teaching Beowulf.

I love Shakespeare. I have enjoyed all of the Salman Rushdie novels.

KN: What is your favorite musical artist and why?

DD: I very much enjoy discovering young talent. I have been very, very excited by the crossover genres. Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus worked together on Old Town Road. So when I discover somebody new, I’m excited by that. The only redeeming factor of the current student generation, and I mean that – the only redeeming factor of the current student generation is their eclectic musical taste.

KN: If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would you choose and why?

DD: Oh my gosh! Very definitely Wonder Woman. Because!

– The combination of superpower and imagination.

KN: Are there any passions

Online Editor: Zachary Meyerowitz Opinion Editor: Harrison Silver Pace News Editor: Alice Gash

Lifestyle Editor: Etan Gerber

Social Media Editor: Julia Goode

Managing Editor: Hannah Much

Sports Editor: Harrison Leusink

Multimedia Editor: Kaci McCray

Video Editor: Bennett Cummings

Staff Writers: Grant Chase, Jiya Patel, Hayes Pollard, Olivia Siskin, Brian Silverboard, Sophia Webb, Anne Weiss Faculty Adviser: Tamara Neiley Tech Adviser: Matt Walker

Editorial Policy The Knightly News is the student-run newspaper of Pace Academy. For over 40 years it has reported the news that affects Pace, as well as the opinions of students.

The Knightly News is published by the students of Pace Academy, and approximately 600 copies are printed by School Publications Company.

The Knightly News welcomes letters to the editor and guest opinions, which may be edited for spelling and grammar, as well as space constraints.

Neither Knightly News-generated opinion pieces nor guest opinions are reflective of the official policy of Pace Academy.

Every effort is made to publish accurate facts, but if you recognize an error or omission, please email knightlynews@paceacademy.org. or hobbies outside of school that people don’t know about you?

DD: I don’t think people know that I enjoy cooking – my whole family enjoys cooking. It’s the reason COVID-19 lockdown was not the world’s worst hardship, because we were all together and cooking.

KN: What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

DD: Don’t take any wooden nickels. That means don’t accept anything on face value and don’t fall mindlessly into the status quo.

KN: What is your favorite holiday tradition?

DD: I have one foot in the Jewish world and another foot in the Christian world. I love Shabbat. I love the tradition of every Friday evening gathering everybody together, and that bit of hospitality. The thing I love about Christmas is midnight mass on Christmas Eve and then breakfast on Christmas morning.

KN: Thank you for your time Dr. Dupree.

DD: Okay thank you.

Photo: Anne Weiss

Dr. DuPree discusses “Alice in Wonderland” with his class.

Current Affairs

Vol. 49, Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 5

What Does 2024 Look Like for the House?

House has already threatened Biden will veto the bill,” Fox News writes. Democrat and Majority Leader of the Senate Chuck Shumer announced the Senate is currently writing a separate bill that would also include support for Ukraine and humanitarian aid for Gaza, which has been damaged by Israeli air strikes.

The House will also be a combative spot for culture wars, which will undoubtedly continue into the next year, especially

independence at this time. Fighting erupted over the territory, with both countries claiming it.

Armenia stated it was theirs on account of the population being Armenian, while Azerbaijan maintained that the territory was theirs. A war erupted over the conflict and ended with Armenia occupying 20% of Azerbaijan.

However, Nagorno-Karabakh remained an independent territory, with strong relations with Arme-

nia. In 2020, fighting broke out once more. Russia interfered and brokered a peace deal between the two, ending with Azerbaijan retaking the land it lost in the last war, but with Nagorno-Karabakh remaining independent.

Additionally, there was a small passage left open to Armenia, allowing them to be connected to Nagorno-Karabakh, since the territory was so dependent on trade and aid from them.

with the presidential elections coming up. The new speaker is a member of the Southern Baptist Church and swings quite conservative on social issues. Johnson wrote a bill to prevent federal funding from going towards education on LGBTQ+ issues for children under 10, which opponents criticized as more “Don’t say gay’’ rhetoric. The bill didn’t pass, but a speaker with such staunch support for controversial issues may have a difficult time unifying the House.

However, according to the New York Times, Johnson’s calm temperament “is a departure from Mr. Trump’s brash and aggressive style” and could bring more civility back to politics, although his views sometimes align with Trump and other farright conservatives.

These views might help hold the House together in the upcoming political season, but either way, the country can expect a contentious political landscape.

Photo: Instagram @NBC News

The upcoming year promises to be an active political season, with debates over foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel, new budgets, culture wars and a presidential election looming around the corner. The House of Representatives will be a key battleground for many of these issues, and much hinges on the leadership of the newly elected Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson.

In October, Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson was narrowly elected to become Speaker of the House. His successful vote came after a long battle to decide McCarthy’s successor; Johnson was the fourth Republican to be nominated. Although he was able to unite both moderate and far-right Republicans under pressure to choose a leader, his past decisions have been very conservative.

The speaker’s primary role is to determine the agenda for the House and to be the spokesperson in their legislative decisions.

But the role is more than decorative. The speaker oversees committee assignments, accounting and structures the procedure for floor debates over bills.

Much of the burden of negotiation between the parties and the executive and legislative branches is placed on the speaker. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted after his messy handling of protracted fights over a budget bill needed to avoid a government shutdown.

McCarthy angered far-right members of his party when he attempted to compromise with Democrats on budgeting, and the Republicans voted him out.

Johnson will have to walk a fine line in maintaining sup-

port from the majority of House members while simultaneously trying to pass necessary legislation. He is relatively inexperienced compared to McCarthy, CNN reports. He was only elected to represent Louisiana in 2016 and has much less of a national reputation.

Johnson’s most controversial decision was his vote to overturn the 2020 election after Former President Donald Trump lost.

During the elections for Speaker of the House, he downplayed his role in the conspiracy, but his ascension might signal continued support for Trump in Congress.

Trump endorsed Johnson, showing Trump’s continued influence in national politics.

An important issues in the next year will be foreign policy.

There is huge political conflict over funding for both Israel and Ukraine. Previously, Johnson voted with many other Republicans to end military and financial support for Ukraine, NBC reports, which might signal a more isolationist stance.

However, Johnson proposed a bill that would give over 14 billion dollars in aid to Israel.

The spending is funded by cuts to the IRS budget. The budget cuts have been popular among Republicans who support less tax audits, but the Congressional Budgeting Office warns that the cuts would cause the government to lose money due to decreased tax revenue.

The bill includes no aid for Ukraine. As the war continues and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushes for greater Western funding, there are heightened worries about whether the United States can be counted on to support efforts to counter the Russian invasion.

Johnson’s bill passed the House but it remains to be seen whether aid will be supported by the other branches. “The White

Speaker Mike Johnson is sworn in as House Speaker.

Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Resurfaces nia, would be closed, the region would undergo much economic development, ultimately benefiting the citizens. Due to the threat, 80% of the Armenians that lived in Nagorno-Karabakh fled their home and returned to Armenia as refugees. Armenia has opened their borders to the refugees, but are currently still in conflict with Azerbaijan over the territory, and a war that has spanned decades has reemerged.

Photo: Caucasus Edition

A conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has exploded recently. The Middle Eastern countries have had a tense relationship for hundreds of years, centered around a territory called Nagorno-Karabakh. This territory is home to Armenian people, however, it is located in Azerbaijan and shares no borders with Armenia.

Historically, Nagorno-Karabakh has always been a source of tension between the two countries. Originally, it was created under the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic by the Soviet Union. However, it has always been home to a population that is 95% Armenian. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan became independent countries. Additionally, Nagorno-Karabakh declared

In late September of this year, the dispute resurfaced.

Azerbaijan stated that by 2024, they would occupy NagornoKarabakh, and the region would be officially Azerbaijani. Armenia attempted to dispute the statement. However, Azerbaijan only doubled down on their threat, and stated that although the region would belong to them, and the Zangegur corridor, which was the pathway to Arme-

Armenian refugees flee Azerbaijan.

Lifestyle

December 8, 2023

The Knightly News - Page 6

A Look at Schools Around the World Hayes Conveys: Each country implements a different school schedule

Photo: Wikimedia

Would school be better with a different schedule? Schools all across the globe have different schedules and do not follow the traditional 5 days a week and 2-month summer break like in America.

Schools in Germany adopted a two semester schedule with no summer break.

There are short breaks at Easter and other holidays, but there is no break around Christmas. However, a German school day typically concludes around 1:00 p.m.

In France the school week consists of 36 weeks. There are five sections and four breaks throughout the year. Each week is 4 ½ days with a half day being on either Wednesday or occasionally Saturday. An average school day in France is from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a 1 hour and 30 minute lunch break.

School in Australia is very similar to school in America. The average day is from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and there is a summer break. However, the school year starts in late January or early February and ends in December. School in Australia is almost the exact same as America except for the different summer months where they get their break.

Switzerland has an original school schedule. There are two semesters and they are both split up by 12 week breaks.

A beautiful school stands in Russia. to Russia they also have an examination month, but it is in January. School days in Poland are from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., but between every class, there is a 45-minute break.

School in Poland and France seems to be the best scheduling in the world. The best thing about France is the half day throughout the week, and the best part about school in Poland is a 45-minute break in between classes. The best school schedule in the world is Poland’s because of the breaks in between classes and the long summer breaks.

tastebuds with healthy options.

On TikTok, @isabellebertolami is an American mother living in France as a registered dietitian. Her child attends a French school, and Isabella uses her platform to give an insight into France’s daily lunch meals at school and how their country prioritizes health and wellness for students. A typical lunch follows the same structure every day: a starter dish, a main dish, a cheese course and of course, a sweet treat at the end. Food is served on real plates with real utensils and about 80% of the food is organic that comes from local farms. An average French school lunch would be a salad of hearts of palm with tomato, croutons and

vinaigrette, fish with a side of potatoes, organic camembert and lemon sorbet.

With such complex foods, children are exposed to many flavors at a young age to widen their taste buds. Not only do their meals express their overall appetites, but their meals also give us an insight into their daily routines. Because this is definitely a heftier lunch than a typical one in America, according to tasteofhome.com, “the lunch provides about 40% of students’ calories for the day. Most French children also eat a breakfast, small afterschool snack and a dinner rather late, around 7:00 or 8:00 p.m.” So in essence, their lunch must keep them tied over until dinner time late at night.

In the United States, school lunch menus look a little different from France’s. A national school lunch program organizes school lunches around the country which limits the amount of variety due to a set structure that limits any deviation to enter new foods. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is “a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service which works towards the fight against hunger. Many meals orchestrated by the NSLP include average foods like pizza, hamburger patties and the famous soggy tater tots and chicken tender combo.

Other countries put America to shame when it comes to balanced and nutritional meals. According to Study International, meals in Japan are examined by nutritionists, and the students are educated on the foods that they are eating. The country believes that the key to a healthy lifestyle is oriented around what foods enter your body. Food is fuel and affects your overall mood and well-being. Meals include proteins, carbs, fats and milk to achieve a quality diet.

Foreign schools provide healthier daily lunches

School lunches are not the same around the globe. In fact, they look very different from country to country. Some countries prioritize nutritional value over others, and some follow a certain structure of courses to give children. In the United States, school lunches usually contain specific processed ingredients that cross boxes of what a meal should not entail. However, students abroad experience elevated meals that satisfy their

Photo: @healthy.foods.today This French lunch consists of kiwis, sweet potatoes, meat, green beans, cheese and apples to make the perfect balanced meal.

What do you want in life? Happiness of course. No, if that’s what you want in life I hate to break it to you, but you’re a complete fool. You don’t want happiness you want fulfillment. Happiness is both fleeting and uncontrollable. So what can we substitute for happiness along our journey for fulfillment? The answer is rather straightforward, it’s both controllable and can always be present, it’s gratitude. Gratitude is the grandfather of happiness. Why? because it’s up to you to control. You can choose to be grateful. So do it! Stop hoping for the such a restrictive thing like happiness and start developing an ever-present gratitude for life. Be grateful for the breakfast your mom woke up early to prepare for you.

Be grateful for the way the foliage of the trees in autumn color the world like a canvas. Be grateful for a bed to sleep in. Be grateful, because gratitude, unlike happiness, is something no one can take away from you. Gratitude is like a seed planted in the fall, water it and come spring it begins to sprout eventually blooming and spreading it’s roots into every part of your life.

Now, you’re probably wondering, “Hayes, how do I bring gratitude into my life?” What I’m about to tell you is something that will make you say, “Heck nah, that sounds boring, no way that would work.” Don’t listen to that voice. So what method is the gold medalist of all? It’s gratitude journaling. Simple yet effective, gratitude journaling enlists the use of paper and pen to write down one to three things you are grateful for everyday. After using this practice for a couple weeks I found myself simply looking at things and feeling gratitude for them. Waves of gratitude began to crash over me at random, and the same will happen to you.

Now you must decide to make a change.

Take the proactive step to be grateful. Be grateful for the beauty of the chirping of the birds in the morning. Be grateful for the opportunities you’re given by seizing them. But most importantly, be grateful for the people around you.

Photo: Lexi Pollard

The average day in Switzerland, school starts at 8:30 a.m. and then you go home at 12:00pm for an hour and a half lunch break and then return to school until 4:00 p.m.

School in Russia starts September 1 and ends June 1. However, the whole month of June is examination month.

Also, all schools in Russia have the same schedules, and their school day only lasts from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Poland has a very short school year.

Their schedule is divided into two 15-semester periods. However, similar

A Guide to Happiness

Sophomore Roan Dutta angelically appreciates a wild dandelion.

Lifestyle

Vol. 49, Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 7

Conveys: 2023’s Best Movies and Movies Hayes Why You’ll Never Achieve Your Goals to Look Forward to in 2024

As exam week comes closer, smart study strategies are more important than ever. The Pace library is always a great study spot option, but a change of scenery can definitely make a difference in efficient studying. Here are some of the best study spots around Atlanta.

Foxtail Coffee Co. Foxtail Coffee Co. recently opened a location in the Buckhead area near Lenox mall. It provides a friendly working environment with indoor and outdoor seating with access to outlets. To fuel your brain, they offer a variety of drinks and foods.

They serve basic coffee orders along with speciality drinks, assorted teas and many different unique flavorings. They sell delicious pastries along with bagels, sandwiches, and more. You really can’t

go wrong with any of the food. Besides the perfect study environment, the coffeehouse is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. everyday of the week which is great in comparison to most coffee shops that close around 4 p.m.

Dancing Goats Dancing Goats meets anyone’s study needs with great food, drinks, a welcoming atmosphere and space. There are multiple locations in Atlanta, including ones in Buckhead, Decatur, Midtown and Ponce City Market. These locations offer friendly and a little more lively atmospheres rather than a quiet library. Their locations are open until 7 p.m., but it is usually pretty crowded in the mornings on the weekends. Their coffee is some of the best in Atlanta, but don’t forget to grab a pastry to go with it.

Brash Brash Coffee Roasters is a well known cafe with multiple Atlanta locations. There is a Brash location within the Atlanta History Center which is

With 2023 coming to an end, it is time to take a glance back and reminisce over the best films of the year. The first notable movie to come out this year was “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”. Coming out in early April, this movie exploded with popularity and ticket sales due to everybody’s love for the Nintendo characters. The movie is a perfect representation of how to turn a beloved video game into a fun and enjoyable experience for all ages. A highlight from the movie includes Bowser, voiced by Jack Black, singing his famous song about his love for Princess Peach. Overall this film was lighthearted and enjoyable for all who made their way to the theater to see it.

Next to come out was “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” which was a combination of the traditional Marvel action comedy, and added elements of sorrow.

The testing on animals and murder of populations was a bit graphic, but the film had the Guardians end victorious and defeat the villainous High Evolutionary. “This film made me shed a tear due to the cruelty shown to animals by the High Evolutionary,” said senior Ross Bernath, “When the Guardians defeated him, I screamed in satisfaction,” For being the third film in a series, this film did very well in the box offices, amassing a profit $358.9 million.

On the animated front, “Spider-Man:

Photo: @getfandom

Christopher Nolan hits big with Oppenheimer

Across the Spider-verse” was the headliner for the year. This movie was the sequel to the Miles Morales Spider-Man series and was fantastic. In this movie, Miles Morales discovers a whole multiverse of different Spider-people and he has to navigate through it while also dealing with an enemy and life as a teenage boy.

The animations for the movie are perfectly done and the film received a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. It outearned the first movie in the series. Overall the movie is a must watch for all those who have yet to see it.

Arguably the biggest film of the year, “Oppenheimer” covers the story of Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atomic bomb. This film was directed by Christopher Nolan, and to say that Nolan left his mark on the film community is an understatement. Receiving a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes just goes to show that everything about this film was perfect down to the smallest detail. Cillian Murphy plays Robert Oppenheimer and any description of his performance except for outstanding is unacceptable. Senior Vivian Kohn said, “I couldn’t believe how amazed I was by this film. My eyes were glued to the screen and I couldn’t turn them away or I would miss a fantastic scene.” This film is being considered for numerous film awards and recognition.

“Barbie” was surprisingly the highest grossing movie this year. With Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, the movie was a major hit. People of all ages flocked to the theater in their pink attire to watch Barbie take on the dangers of the modern world. Prior to the movie, it was anticipated that this movie was just going to be a joke and a silly movie about Barbie, but it ended up being much more. It had real themes such as women empowerment, toxic masculinity and so much more. This movie was such a hit that it is paving the way for other movies like it.

While all these movies were outstanding and made this previous year entertaining, next year is looking like it is going to have some major hits. The most anticipated of these movies has to be “Kung Fu Panda 4”. After years of waiting, the long awaited fourth movie in the series will finally release in March. With the success of the first three movies, it is

The Dragon Warrior gets ready for his next movie.

Photo: @oppenheimermovie

hard to imagine a scenario in which this movie turns out bad. I personally cannot wait and I know many kung fu enthusiasts cannot wait either.

Also coming out in March, is “Dune: Part Two”. The first part of the film featuring Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides was outstanding and a major hit, so this next part is much needed. The second part of this series will be the conclusion of the story as the first part only covered half of the original “Dune” book. Paul Atreides leading an army of thousands with giant sandworms is a sight and scene everyone can look forward to.

With the success of the live action “The Lion King”, Disney has decided to go ahead and produce a live action prequel called “Mufasa: The Lion King”.

This film will explore Mufasa’s reign as leader of the pride and show his childhood and upbringing. The cinematography and camera work associated with the live action films are always phenomenal, so the same awe factor is to be expected for this movie.

With 2023 almost in the books and 2024 on the horizon, it is time to say goodbye to all the great movies of the previous year and officially look forward to these awesome upcoming movies. With this new modern age, anyone can watch almost any movie anywhere, so be sure to watch all these great movies from last year and be ready to buy your ticket for this year’s movies.

Try Out These Great Study Spots open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends.

They serve coffee or matcha drinks, but it’s right next to Souper Jenny which has delicious soups, salads and sandwiches.

There’s indoor seating with an assortment of sofas, desk chairs and barstools. This study really offers everything you could want whether you need a focused atmosphere or a study place with friends.

Barnes & Noble Café This Barnes & Noble isn’t your typical Barnes & Noble because it has a special Starbucks within it. The Cumberland location is perfect for studying because of the quiet working environment and energy. The Starbucks serves all of the normal Starbucks drink menu items, but they have a much better selection of food options. Some Café specialty foods are cheesecake, focaccia sandwiches, cakes and more. There is also free wifi and many outlets to stay charged up until closing time at 8 p.m. or 9 p.m., depending on the day.

New Years comes around and you’ve set new ambitious goals for the coming year. You’ve been waiting for New Years to come so you can get back on your feet and start to achieve your goals. But by waiting you’ve already failed. If you can’t or simply won’t do something RIGHT NOW, you will never do it. Why wait? If the you right now can’t do it why would you in a month or 1 week be able to do it. When asking sophomore Jack Lynch when he will do his Spanish homework, he simply said “I’ll do it later,” how foolish. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, DO IT NOW! Now you must be thinking, “Hayes I want to start but, I just can’t.” The issue is your ego. If you want to start working out for the first time, I can guarantee that you’ll be unable to start working out for two hours five times a week. So why do we keep setting these ambitious goals that we never achieve? The reason for that is your ego. Erase your ego, start from square one and take the baby step first. It’s much better to do something easy consistently than inconsistently doing something very hard. So you say you want to start working out, okay then, do 10 pushups every night before you go to bed. Nobody is just suddenly amazing at something, not even the greats.

Kobe Bryant spent countless hours working on his shot. He got to the court before his teammates were even awake and was always the last one to leave. If you start with these little improvements then you won’t fall off track. Gradually, you’ll find that all of these little habits have built up to bring you nearer towards your goals. Then you can add on to the simple things.

Do you think motivational speaker, David Goggins, was always carrying “the logs and the boats?” Of course not, he was just your average guy, working in pest control and depressed about his routine, weight, and appearance, but then he made a change. He decided to go for a run. The first time he went running he told himself he was going to run for 15 minutes, he got 2 minutes in, gave up, and walked home. He let his ego get ahead of him. The next day he got up and it was raining, he told himself he didn’t have to run because it was slightly drizzling outside, pathetic. A week passed since he went for that first run, he set himself up against something much too difficult and the result was complete failure. But failure is okay. In fact, you will fail, but what’s important is that when you fail you don’t stop, you must get back up. And that’s just what David did. David went out for a run once again. He set himself the goal of 5 minutes and guess what, he got it done. Then he ran the next day, and the next after that. David slowly began to build himself up into the man we all look up to today, and you can to.

How? Set time and place specific goals that aren’t out of reach. For example, you could set yourself the goal of studying 15 minutes everyday from 7:15-7:30 p.m. in your living room every weekend. So what are you waiting for? Start RIGHT NOW! Build yourself up and soon you’ll transform. Change from the stone once rejected to the cornerstone supporting the rewarding life you’ve built up for yourself brick by brick.

Year in Review

The Knightly News - Page 8

202 December 8, 2023

March 17: Taylor Swift began her Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona, kicking off a year of her concerts dominating the media.

January 9: The Universtiy of Georgia (UGA) Bulldogs won the college football playoffs for the second consecutive year, led by quarterback Stetson Bennett.

February 5: Beyonce made history at the 2023 Grammy Awards as she broke the record for the most Grammy wins of any artist with 32.

February 4: The U.S. shot down an unknown weather balloon suspected to be a spy balloon from China.

February 7: Lebron James broke the all-time scoring record for the National Basketball Association (NBA) after scoring his 38,387th point.

March 1: Open AI CEO Sam Altman launched Chat GPT to the public marketplace, leading to the creation of similar models like My AI on Snapchat and Microsoft’s Bing Chatbot.

Through Pace’s View

June 18: The Titan submarine, funded by Oceangate founder Stockton Rush, imploded underwater in a commercial excursion to see the Titanic wreckage.

March 10: The Silicon Valley Bank was officialy shut down after it faced the second largest bank crash in US History.

June 29: The Supreme Court of the U.S. officially deemed Affirmative Action inconstitutional, making race-concious admissions decisions illegal.

Year in Review

The Knightly News - Page 9

023 Vol. 49, Issue #3

August 8: Hundreds of casualties were counted and businesses were destroyed as huge wildfires engulfed Maui, Hawaii.

September 9: 19-year old Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sablenka to win the 2023 U.S. Open, the first teenager since 1999.

July 21: The “Barbie” Movie premiered in theatres, later to generate around 1.5 billion dollars in revenue and become the defining movie of the summer.

July 14: SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors’ Guild, began their strike over emerging changes in the industry such as streaming and AI differences.

October 7: Hamas, a palestinean nationalist group, launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing over 2,000 Israeli civilians.

Year In Review

September 15: The United Auto Workers (UAW) began their monthlong strike against Ford, GM, and Stellantis for low wages and poor security in the workplace.

October 3: Previous U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was removed from his position after great disatisfaction among Republicans, and weeks of discussion.

November 2: The Beatles released their full-circle final song “Now and Then” using AI touch-ups and John Lennon’s unused music from the 1970s.

Opinion

December 8, 2023

The Knightly News - Page 10

Can You Spot the AI-Generated Article?

Artificial Intelligence has taken over the world and you may not know whether an article was written by a human or a computer. Both Bennett Cummings and AI wrote an article about when the best time to start Christmas preparations are. Can you spot the difference? (Answers at the bottom of the page)

How to Navigate the The Best Time to Celebrate the Christmas Countdown Holidays in the Wintertime Early November is a common time to start thinking about Christmas preparations. You can begin by making a list of people you plan to buy gifts for and brainstorming gift ideas.

You can also start decorating your home, especially if you enjoy having Christmas decorations up for an extended period.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which fall at the end of November, are popular times for shopping for Christmas gifts as many retailers offer discounts and deals. Early December is a great time to start purchasing Christmas gifts, as the holiday shopping season is in full swing. Be sure to check shipping deadlines for online orders to ensure your gifts arrive on time. Ultimately, the perfect time to start preparing for Christmas is when it feels right for you, and it can be a mix of these suggested time frames.

Halfway through the month of November is the perfect time to start preparing ideas for Christmas. Start by creating gift ideas and how to get ready for

the holiday season. By this time, decorating your home is essential. By the end of November, Black Friday deals roll around and create the perfect time to shop for others. Holiday shopping begins fully right after Thanksgiving. By this time, setting up your Christmas tree would be ideal, along with other Christmas decorations. Days

before the holiday, finalize all decorations, gift wrapping, and plan gatherings. Many people start celebrating at different periods of the season, but it all comes down to whatever you desire. The best time to start celebrating is whatever time seems right for you.

Photo: Bennett or AI???

Photo: Bennett or AI???

A warm living room is surrounded by many presents.

A cozy Christmas tree is sitting next to the fire.

Meta Faces Legal Scrutiny as Attorney Generals Unleash Lawsuits 48 states and territories sued Meta on grounds of antitrust.”

Companies have built-in harmful and manipulative tactics on these platforms. Back in 2021, Frances Haugen, a former Facebook emA group of 42 attorney genployee, released internal docuerals are suing Meta and claimments proving that Instagram ing that Facebook and Instagram knew of its impact on a teen’s have addictive features that body image. According to NBC target teens. This lawsuit focuses News, “One set of documents on children’s privacy concerns, about Instagram’s impact on negative impact on users and teens found that thirty-two perdeceptive cent of teen Meta had designed psybusiness girls said that practices, chologically manipulative when they including felt bad about product features to induce lack of their bodies, transpar- young users’ compulsive and Instagram ency. extended use of platforms like made it Ever worse.” Since since the Instagram. this discovincrease in popularity of Snapery, some states have passed chat and TikTok, Meta has been more laws focusing on protectsearching for ways to keep their ing teens from accessing sites younger users. Some features without parental consent or more similar to other platforms are regulations for tech companies. their Instagram Reel Page or stoThe 33-page lawsuit states ries. This is just the latest legal that the company’s motive is challenge for Meta as privacy profit. The attorney generand safety on online platforms als claim that Meta designed become more of a priority. algorithms, notifications, and The lawsuit isn’t new, as features that cause the infinite similar allegations began after scroll through the platform. All both a 2020 and 2021 invesof these features have a negative tigation into claims that Meta impact on youth’s self-image contributes to mental health and mental health. According issues among young people. Acto the New York Times, “Meta cording to NBC News, “in 2020, had designed [psychologically

“

Photo: Flickr

”

Meta Platforms Inc. operates platforms such as Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram. manipulative product features to induce young users’ compulsive and extended use of platforms like Instagram.” Along with the Meta’s impact on teens’ mental health, the company is alleged to use its data to violate federal laws on children’s privacy.

Colorado and California led a joint lawsuit filed by 33 states

Answers — Green: AI, Photo: AI — Red: Bennett, Photo: barnhillchimney.com

in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California claiming that Meta violated consumer protection laws by disregarding safety. According to NBC News, a Meta spokesperson stated, “We share the attorney general’s commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and

have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families. We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path.”

Opinion

Vol. 49, Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 11

OG Fortnite Returns This Winter As many people miss the old Fortnite map and gameplay, Epic

Games announced the return of “OG Fortnite” on Oct. 30. On Friday, Nov., the update took place and Fortnite peaked in number of players with 6.1 million people online. The Fortnite map changed back to the Season Five Chapter One and the game-

play is back to the Chapter One settings. Also with the return of Season Five, weapons and collectibles like the Hand Cannon, the Rift to Go and Boogie Bombs are back with other “old” weapons and collectibles. “No Builds” isn’t an OG game mode,

Photo: Wikipedia

but is in the game and allows is only supposed to remain for players to have an authentic about a month, with the number Battle Royale experience. Due of players, Fortnite might just to the lack of building, Fortkeep these settings for a while. nite has incorporated modern Usually, Fortnite offers a “Battle gameplay devices like ziplines Pass,” which allows players to and mechanics that allow sliding claim season themed items like and sprinting to help you move skins, emotes, and wallpapers, around the map with ease. “OG but this season, Fortnite is ofFortnite” players were probably fering the “OG Pass,” which is thrilled to log back on and feel a mix between modern items the nostalgia of the 2019 Fortnite and skins with “OG” items and era. “I rushed home after school skins. Twitch streamers have on Friday to play been getting Fortnite. When “During my free peri- more views I finally logged ods, I have been watching while playing on, it felt like I streamers like ‘Nick Eh 30’ Fortnite due was back in 2019 and watching Fortnite has to the update, playing with my never been more entertain- and Sophomore friends,” said Beckett Allegra ing.”

Junior Thomsaid, “during my son Brumfield. Popular locafree periods, I have been watchtions such as “Tilted Towers,” ing streamers like ‘Nick Eh 30’ “Pleasant Park,” “Retail Row” and watching Fortnite has never and other “hot drops” are back. been more entertaining.” For the “I used to always land in ‘Salty most part, Fortnite is back, but Springs,’ and now that I can land it’ll be interesting to see how there again, the game is so much Epic Games decides to update more fun,” said Sophomore Jake the game.

Haggman. Although this update

Epic Games hosts a Fortnite event for fans.

Re-listening to the Best Albums of 2023 Olivia Rodrigo and “Scarlet” by Doja Cat. “GUTS’’ was Olivia Rodrigo’s second album and it sampled songs from “SOUR,” her first album, but it added more rock elements. “Scarlet”

by Doja Cat was released in September and was very different from the rest of her albums by featuring more rap songs.

Despite this difference, fans got hooked on the album after hearing the single, “Paint the Town Red,” from it.

For Latin pop albums, Kali Uchis and Bad Bunny both released major albums. “Red Moon in Venus” by Kali Uchis was well-rated, including singles such as “Moonlight” and “Hasta Cuando.” More futuristic sounds were added to most of the album

Photo: Deviant Art

This past year, albums made by a variety of artists have been released. Here are our top picks for 2023! To start in the alternative category, Lana Del Rey’s album “Did you know that there is a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” was released in March and captivated listeners. Our pick for the best song on the album

goes to “A&W” a 7-minute track that took us through love and relationships. The 16-track album spoke to audiences and some named it as their favorite album from Lana Del Rey’s discography. The next album in this category is “Sunburn,” a smash summer album, released by Dominic Fike, including singles like “Mama’s Boy” and “Ant Pile.” In late July, Dominic Fike performed these songs at Chastain Amphitheater in Atlanta.

Our final pick for the alternative category is Mitski’s “The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We.” Our favorite song on the album is “My Love Mine All Mine” which features a clever use of bass.

In the pop genre, “GUTS” by

Lana Del Rey poses on the Album cover “Did You Know That there is a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” which releaesed on Valentine’s Day, 2023

Photo: The Okadale Post

creating a dreamy aesthetic. Bad Bunny released “Nadie Sabe lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana” which featured artists like Mora and Young Miko. His album aims to tell a story which these stellar guest vocals contributed to.

In the rap category, the two biggest albums of this year have been Travis Scott’s “Utopia,” released in July, and Drake’s “For All the Dogs,” released in October. When “Utopia” first came out, Scott chose to hide the features on the album from listeners, so they could figure it out themselves. It featured many major artists like Drake, The Weeknd, SZA and more on almost every song. “For All the Dogs” had controversial reviews when it came out because fans did not think it fit with the rest of Drake’s discography, but this

Olivia Rodrigo poses on her sophmore album “GUTS”.

album is very influential despite its different aesthetic.

For country albums, there have been three major albums released this year. In March, Morgan Wallen released his third album, “One Thing at a Time.” This album was a hit and 96% of fans enjoyed it as a continuation of his discography.

In June, Luke Combs released his album, “Gettin’ Old” just in time for the end of the summer.

He released this as a companion album to “Growin’ Up,” an album he released last year. The last album for this category was Zach Bryan’s self-titled album, “Zach Bryan” in August which was a big hit. He also released an EP in September called “Boys of Faith,” and both of these have quickly become fan favorites.

December 8, 2023

Holiday

The Knightly News - Page 12

Pace Faculty Celebrate During the Holiday Season

Photo: Ms. Millaway

With winter break approaching, students are excited about traveling and holiday festivities, but they often forget that teachers and staff do exciting things over the holidays too. These are some of Pace faculty members’ favorite Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years traditions.

Upper School history teacher Christine Carter has many fun Christmas traditions that she participates in every year. “My family always picks out a big tree,” said Dr. Carter “My dad used to search for weeks leading up to Christmas for the best place to get a tree, and I try to live up to his high standards …but I don’t put that much time into the search.” She also shared that her family puts lights outside their house, but “it is something that Mr. Carter usually does with the kids.” She enjoys watching “Elf,” “The Grinch,” with Jim Carrey and “It’s a Beautiful Life,” even though that one makes everyone cry.

Dr. Carter said, “We always go to church on Christmas Eve, and my sister and I show up early to get good seats for our big group in the balcony.” Every Christmas, she makes sure to honor her family. “I love taking out old family treasures that remind me of the people in my family who have passed,” said Dr. Carter.

Upper School counselor and psychology teacher Ellye Millaway loves to travel with her family during Christmas. “I have spent my last few Christmases in Mexico, Nashville, Asheville and New York City,” said Ms. Millaway. She has some very special traditions that she enjoys for Hanukkah. “We celebrate Hanukkah for 8 nights, and everyone in our house gets a present every night. We eat latkes, the ones from Trader Joe’s are the best, and play dreidel. And one of our favorite ways to celebrate is by inviting our non-Jewish neighbors and friends to come over and celebrate with us and learn more about the holiday,” said Ms. Millaway. Ms. Millaway also wants to note that Hanukkah is not actually a

very significant Jewish holiday, but people believe that it is because of its proximity to Christmas. She states “My favorite Jewish holiday is Passover!”

Like Dr. Carter, Ms. Millaway also believes that “Elf” is the best holiday movie. Ms. Millaway says “There are no good Hanukkah movies, and “Eight Crazy Nights” is objectively bad, but we watch the “Rugrats” Hanukkah episode every year.”

Head of School Fred Assaf loves Christmas and likes making Christmas last a long time. Mr. Assaf says, “Every Christmas we open half the presents and then we break for a big breakfast so that the day lasts longer. We make a big breakfast, in our house that’s like 20 pounds of bacon and pancakes and all that. And then we resume the opening. And then in the afternoon we usually all sneak into the Pace gym and play a sport.”

When it comes to Christmas decorations, Mr. Assaf says, “I am a big fan of very large blowup inflatable Christmas decorations. So I’m that guy.” The Assaf family usually travels during New Year’s to go to college football bowl games.

Class of 2024 Dean and Upper School history teacher Caitlin Terry loves fall and winter, and Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday. Mrs. Terry has a unique Christmas tradition that she adopted after going to Iceland for Christmas in 2015. Ms. Terry says “We learned about the practice of jolabokaflod, which translates to the Christmas flood of books. So, in Iceland on every Christmas Eve, you give someone a book. That’s our favorite Christmas Eve tradition. It’s honestly better than getting presents the next day because we know each other really, really well and we are both giant nerds.” Ms. Terry also loves to start off the New Year well by hosting an afternoon open house party.

Upper School Latin teacher Elizabeth Kann has great memories celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas since she converted to Judaism. Ms. Kann’s Christmas celebrations look different depending on where she is for the holiday. Ms. Kann said “If we are at home, we definitely get Chinese food and then watch a movie, like ‘Die Hard’ or the ‘Rudolph’ claymation movie. We also like to drive around and see lights or go to the lights at the Botanical Gardens. If we are with my family in Tennessee,

Ms. Millaway’s son Carter celebrates Hanukkah at school. we do Christmasy stuff with presents, a tree, stockings and more. If we are in Baltimore with my husband’s family, we always go to the lights display in Hamden. That’s a pretty famous display called Miracle on 34th Street that started the same year as the movie and it is totally fun and over the top.”

Ms. Kann does not consider herself to be a big decorator, but she hangs up lights, some Hanukkah decorations, sets out menorahs and loves to set out a Tree of Life. She even sets out a Ruth Bader Ginsburg menorah that says “I Dissent.” Ms. Kann said, “We always celebrate at least one night of Hanukkah with our friends we met when we were pregnant with our oldest children and we all go to be good friends.

We do latkes with them every year and it has been amazing to be so close for more than 20 years now. Otherwise, we usually light candles and give gifts at home.

Pretty chill because it is usually during exams and that’s a hard time to go all in!

Depending on the timing, we usually go to at least one of the nights of the lighting of the big menorah in East Cobb.”

Holiday Season Foods to Enjoy Last Minute Gifts in

Times of Desperation

Tier S: Turkey deserves its reputation as the best holiday food. The versatile meat is the face of Thanksgiving. The ability to cook Turkey in various ways, from roasting to frying or smoking, offers a wide range of flavors and textures to suit different tastes. Turkey’s excellence has led the public to call Thanksgiving “Turkey Day”.

Tier B: Gingerbread Houses are a staple of the holiday fun. The assembly of a gingerbread house can foster lifelong memories with family and friends. However, the construction of gingerbread houses doesn’t always go as planned.The fragility of the gingerbread pieces poses a challenge, often resulting in structural instability and collapse, potentially causing frustration during the building process. While it is tempting to eat the sugary treat, it can be stale or crunchy. Still, gingerbread houses are a fun activity to partake in during the holiday season.

Stuffing is regarded as a quintessential dish during Thanksgiving meals, offering a flavorful and comforting addition to the table. The versatility in its ingredients: bread, herbs, vegetables, meats and spices, contribute to the appeal. However, when not prepared right, it can be overly heavy or soggy. Its significance lies in its ability

Photo: TierMaker and Flickr

Tier A: Sweet potatoes with marshmallows is one of the best Thanksgiving sides. This dish strikes a perfect balance between savory and sweet, offering a comforting and indulgent addition to festive meals. The contrasting textures, with the softness of the sweet potatoes and the slightly caramelized, crispy marshmallows create the most underrated Holiday treat.

Latkes also deserves its title of being one of the best holiday foods. They are symbolic of the oil used in the origin story of Hanukkah. Latkes, which are typically eaten on Hanukkah, consist of a potato pancake that can be accompanied by anything from apple sauce to sour cream. Latkes, which are good both hot and cold, are a delicious part of the Hanukkah celebration.

Owala Water Bottle

A visual of the holiday tier ranking list.

Disposable Camera

Pickleball Set

Gift Cards

Ugg Boots

to evoke nostalgia and tradition. However, its enjoyment can be subjective based on individual palate preferences.

to make them somewhat good. Additionally, the process of cleaning and separating the seeds from the pumpkin pulp can be time-consuming, which makes the task of consuming the already mid food even less worth it.

Tier C: Candy canes, while iconic, are not as great as they seem. It is difficult to consume and it is hard to open making the candy less enjoyable. While eating a candy cane, one might find that it is hard to rip off the outer plastic on the candy cane. Additionally, the candy can get very sticky and disgusting. While a staple of the Holiday season, candy canes don’t live up to their iconic status.

Pumpkin seeds, despite the nutritional value that they provide, are not great due to their taste and texture. The shell or husk of the seeds can be tough and difficult to chew, which makes it hard to eat. The natural flavor of the seeds are too mild and require seasoning or flavoring

Tier F: Candy corn, despite its iconic status during Halloween, is overrated due to its overly sweet taste and waxy texture. The intense sugary flavor is overwhelming. Its lack of variety in taste and poor texture make it the worst candy available on Halloween. Additionally, the artificial nature of its ingredients and the high sugar content make the unhealthy treat not worth it.

Gravy, often used to complement turkey, doesn’t deserve its spot on the thanksgiving table. Its horrible taste only worsens turkey. Gravy is too heavy and overpowering and it is ultimately disgusting. Nothing ruins a Thanksgiving meal more than when a family member dumps way too much gravy on your turkey.

Holiday

Vol. 49, Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 13

The Battle of the Christmas Movies

Kevin freaks out after trying to use his dad’s aftershave.

Photo: Flickr

Photo: Flickr

Photo: Devian Art The Grinch and Max scheme on how to steal Christmas.

Buddy the Elf pours maple syrup and candy on his pasta.

The Home VS .

VS . Elf Grinch Alone DO NOT READ ANY OTHER ARTICLE ON THIS PAGE. There is no debate as to what is the best holiday movie of all time. It is unequivocally “The Grinch.”

When I think of a holiday movie I immediately think of “The Grinch.” I do not think of “Home Alone” or “Elf.” “The Grinch’’ is one of the most famous cartoon movies ever. It is a heartwarming story about a grinch who stole Christmas, but then feels love and happiness again and is transformed.

“The Grinch” has amazing characters. My favorite character is Max, Grinch’s loyal and adorable puppy, who dresses up as a reindeer in the film. The Grinch is a funny character whose mood makes the whole movie enjoyable. There are also lovable characters like Cindy Lou Hoo and many others.

The Grinch hates Christmas because when he was a child he had no one to celebrate with, and he had no presents to open. So, because of this, he hates Christmas and he hates everyone who enjoys the holiday. We got this insight into the Grinch’s life in the new Grinch movie that came out in 2018. This movie was still animated and was a longer version of the original, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” in 2000. I personally enjoy Dr. Seuss’ Grinch much more than the old one.

“Home Alone” cannot possibly be the best Christmas movie. The movie is so far-fetched and impossible to believe. Two robbers could not possibly fall for so many simple tricks. One of the robbers ran screaming out of the room because of TV gunfire, and they thought it was real.

“Elf” is definitely not the best Christmas movie because of its ridiculous plot. First, there is no way one of Santa’s elves could ever escape the North Pole. Second, everyone knows that elves are not human. There is no way Santa Claus decided to adopt a child on the busiest day of the year, while he is handing out presents to children across the world.

Every December sparks the question: What is the best Christmas movie? It is, without a doubt, the Christmas classic: “Home Alone”. This movie is not only full of laughs, but reinforces the values that Christmas is supposed to be about: appreciating time with family and spreading kindness through the holiday spirit. Even if they did leave him in the first place, Mr. and Mrs. McCallister made every effort to return home by Christmas so they could enjoy the holiday with their son, Kevin.

While Kevin enjoys his first introduction to independence in a house alone by doing the laundry, grocery shopping and eating junk food, he discovers that he truly does miss his big family and learns the value of spending time with loved ones.

The movie not only instills important messages throughout the plot, but strays away from the common superficial ideas of Christmas including Santa and presents, unlike other movies such as “The Grinch” and “Elf”. This movie limits the idea of greed, and brings out a better representation of Christmas through Kevin’s perseverance against the two neighborhood robbers.

It embarks on a sense of creativity and innovation, which is a good representation for kids around Kevin’s age as a viewer of the film. Although, regardless of age, everyone who watches “Home Alone” can instantly relate to Kevin and his pranks because it speaks to the child inside all watchers of the movie on a subconscious level.

The fact that Kevin’s pranks work perfectly each time may be unrealistic, but it only enforces the idea of Christmas miracles. It brings a fun sense of light heartedness to the movie as the Wet Bandits, Harry and Marv, fail to get into the house. “Home Alone” will always remain a Christmas classic, and should go down as the best Christmas movie of all time for its ability to capture the magic of the season, no matter how many times it is watched.

If you believe anything you have read on this page so far, you are a “cotton-headed ninny muggins” as Buddy the Elf would say. There is only one correct answer in this debate. “The Grinch’’ and “Home Alone” are nowhere close to the cinematic masterpiece of “Elf.” Set in the live streets of New York City, the tale hilariously follows a human elf, Buddy, on his quest to find his family and save Christmas. Elf’s superiority comes from its lovable characters, timelessness and abundance of laughable moments and Christmas spirit.

First off, who doesn’t love Buddy the Elf? His infectious personality and smile cause laughs in the audience throughout the entire film. He brings a level of joy and Christmas cheer that is unmatched. Buddy touches the hearts of New York City and at the same time, ours too.

While “The Grinch” and “Home Alone” have their share of loved characters, who is more iconic than Buddy?

“Elf” is also a romantic comedy, which makes it appealing to a much wider range of audiences than other Christmas movies. It incorporates Christmas into a more serious plot about family and love.

Past its silliness, “Elf” teaches us the importance of family, helping others, and spreading happiness and love.

Along with this, Elf is timeless. Unlike “The Grinch” or “Home Alone” which have many remakes and sequels, “Elf” is a classic. Twenty years have passed since its release, and the plot remains untouched. It is unlikely that “Elf” will have to be updated, unlike many Christmas classics.

Finally, just watching “Elf” gets you in the Christmas spirit. From the impressive decorations of the toy department, to the workshop at the North Pole, to the iconic scene where Santa’s sleigh finally flies, you can’t watch “Elf” without feeling the joy of the holidays.

“Elf” is without a doubt the best Christmas movie, and if you aren’t convinced, as Buddy once said, “You sit on a throne of lies.”

Sports

December 8, 2023

The Knightly News - Page 14

NCAA Women’s Basketball Looks to Huge Season

Photo: @lsuwbb on Instagram

If you have not been a fan of NCAA Women’s Basketball in the past, this is undoubtedly the year to start watching. This season is promising to be both exciting and intense as some of the best players to ever go through the league all are after a singular national title.

As if winning the National Championship last year wasn’t enough for them, the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers added a huge asset to their roster during the offseason: University of Louisville’s star point guard Hailey Van Lith. Adding to such a talented team already, with 2023 Postseason Player of the Year Angel Reese and guard Flau’jae Johnson, is unheard of think of it as similar to the 2017 Warriors signing Kevin Durant onto a team already packed with superstars. LSU will almost certainly make a huge playoff run with the talent and experience they have, especially with such a deep and well-rounded team.

Reese also had a huge offseason including winning the ESPY, a yearly award given by ESPN, for Best Breakthrough Athlete, and still has two years left of eligibility to dominate. The Tigers did lose an early preseason game to the unranked Colorado

Hailey Van Lith attempts to score in her new LSU jersey.

Buffaloes, but they are expected to come back for a successful season.

The Iowa Hawkeyes, national finalists in the 2023 season, are also back with almost the exact same lineup as last year.

If you only know one player on the women’s side, it’s probably

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, arguably the best active college basketball player. Averaging around 30 points per game, Clark earned the first-ever 40-point triple double multiple times, was the Player of the Year for the 2023 season and is within reach of the NCAA women’s all-time

scoring record within her career.

Even beyond her stats, her game is incredible to watch as she seems to have a limitless range on the court and consistently drains long-range three pointers. Though Clark is definitely the main asset on the Hawkeyes, guards Gabby Marshall and Kate Martin were key players last season and look to make it all the way again. The Hawkeyes played in an exhibition match during the preseason with a crowd of over 55,000 spectators, showing their loyal fanbase and a general excitement around the team.

The University of Connecticut (UConn) is known for being a dynasty in women’s basketball, and is sure to be back stronger after not making the Final Four for the first time since 2007 this past year. Their key player Paige Bueckers was out an entire year due to an unfortunate ACL tear in the 2022 season but can return this year and looks to lead UConn to a long championship run. Bueckers has remained one of the most talented players in the NCAA since her freshman year, not only averaging around 20 points per game, but also earning countless honors such as the Naismith Trophy and the AP Player of the Year in 2021. She seems to be able to sink shots from anywhere on the court, and is a very smart and aware player, leading her team in assists and setting program records. Along

with her teammate Azzi Fudd, who also missed a portion of the last season due to an injury, UConn will be out for revenge after a disappointing finish to their last season and their best players back.

Besides these powerhouses, other top teams look to make an impact this season. Look out for Stanford’s Cameron Brink, Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley and Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes to be huge point scorers and assets for their respective teams. The University of South Carolina’s famous head coach Dawn Staley also has a strong incoming freshman class that will likely carry them far.

This season’s heated rivalries, even more intense than last year, will make it that much more exciting to watch.

Throughout the previous postseason tournament, Caitlin Clark faced conflicts with both Angel Reese and Haley Van Lith when playing their teams, with both sides taunting the other after big plays. Now that the two are united, a game between LSU and Iowa will not only showcase great basketball, but also lead to an intense matchup and surely some drama. In addition, with the Pac-12 having their last season this year, it will be the end of the classic west coast rivalries as we know them, making each team want to clinch the last conference title even more.

Are the NBA Finals Champions Really World Champions? world and remains one of the most international sports leagues in North America. In fact, over the last five years, the recipient of the MVP award has been an international player: Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019, 2020), Nikola Jokić (2021, 2022) and Joel Embiid (2023). There are also many other international stars in the league: Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Kristaps Porzingis, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Pascal Siakam, who are all the best players from their respective countries. These names are just a portion of the great international players who have played in the NBA. In the 2022-23 season, 24% of the

rostered players were born internationally. This all goes to show that the NBA is composed of the best players from around the world, which is why the winners of the NBA Finals are known as World Champions.

The best players on every successful team in the FIBA tournament were NBA players.

Germany, the champions of the tournament, were led by Toronto Raptors role player, Dennis Schröder. He was the MVP of the tournament and was never even an all-star in the NBA. This shows the level of difficulty in the NBA, and how even bench players in the NBA can get buckets on any given person who

cannot make the league.

The disappointment from the United States basketball community was high after coming short of a gold medal. After the disappointment of US’s elimination, Lebron James and other NBA superstars have decided to play for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris to prove that NBA players really are the best in the world. Along with Lebron, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Jayson Tatum have all expressed their interest in playing. Additionally, Embiid, who is Cameroonian, has eligibility to play for Team USA and plans to suit up with them in 2024.

Photo: Instagram @nojo18

In the midst of the 2023 FIBA World Tournament this autumn, 24 year old American Olympic sprinter, Noah Lyles, fired some shade at the talent of NBA players and what he believes is a lack of an international competition in the NBA. “You know the thing that hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head. World champion of what?

The United States? Don’t get me wrong, I love the U.S. at times, but that ain’t the world. That is not the world. We are the world.

We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag to show that they are represented. There ain’t no flags in the NBA.” Lyles said this statement just weeks before Team USA’s elimination from the FIBA basketball tournament, which came in a devastating loss to Germany in the Semifinals.

Lyles is not just any ordinary athlete. He won the 100m and 200m events at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. This accomplishment is special because it makes him the first male sprinter to win both races since Usain Bolt. So, it’s not like Lyles is just an opinionated fan who

is making a blanket statement on the differing competition in professional sports; he has the experience to back up his claim.

Lyles uses the example of Team USA losing in the FIBA World Tournament to explain that American basketball players are not the best players in the world. But, this argument is utterly mind blowing. The United States brought 12 players to the Philippines for the tournament, and out of those 12 players, only 3 of them were ever named all-stars (Tyrese Haliburton, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Brandon Ingram). Lyles could argue that this is USA’s fault for not selecting the best of the best and instead bringing a group of rising stars in the league. The coaches of USA must have thought that this group could bring the trophy home. After all, other stars were sitting out from other countries: Victor Wembanyama from France, Jamal Murray from Canada, and Domantas Sabonis from Lithuania. Spain was one of the top contenders heading into the tournament, but they ended up getting upset by Latvia, a country that has a population of 1.8 million people, and is definitely not known for their basketball prowess. So according to Noah Lyles, Latvia must be more talented at basketball than Spain. But, is this really true?

Lyles’ argument is preposterous and is built on no factual evidence. The NBA is composed of athletes from all over the

Noah Lyles poses for a photo after securing a gold medal at the World Athletics Championship.

Sports

Vol. 49, Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 15

Texas Rangers World Series Win Caps off Historic Season Playoffs:

Regular Season:

than the Diamondbacks, were heavy favorites. However, like the Braves, the Dodgers regular season success did not translate to the postseason. The Phillies postseason run came to an end when they lost two

The Rangers, who were the five seed entering the playoffs, made it to the American League Championship Series without losing a game. The Rangers then won the Championship Series against the Houston Astros four games to three, winning the final two games in Houston.

World Series:

games straight to none in a games at home best of three to the DiamondRonald Acuña Jr. holds up the base after breaking the MLB record. series. backs in the The PhilaNational League delphia Phillies, led by two time season occurred when the Arizo- Championship Series. Similar to National League MVP Bryce na Diamondbacks swept the Los the Texas Rangers, the DiaHarper, took on the Atlanta Angeles Dodgers three games mondbacks caught fire and had Braves in the divisional round. to none. The Dodgers, who won a magical postseason run which Despite their historic regular 16 more regular season games led them to the World Series.

The 2023 World Series between the Diamondbacks and Rangers lasted only five games with the Rangers winning the series. The Rangers who were led by Adolis Garcia and Corey Seager got hot at the exact right time.

Corey Seager won his second World Series MVP. The Diamondbacks led

by Gabriel Moreno and Corbin Carrol found their postseason success through their starting rotation. But, they allowed on average over five runs per game in the World Series.

Despite the exciting and high scoring games, like the 11 to seven game three that the Rangers won, the series saw a decrease in TV ratings.

Photo: @ronaldacunajr13

The World Series which concluded on Nov. 1 marked the end of a new era of baseball. Rule changes implemented at the start of the year led to a record setting season.

Following the first year that the size of the bases were increased, the MLB saw its first 40 steals and 70 home run season by an individual in a single season.

Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves became the first player to have a 40/70 season and he broke the franchise record with 73 steals in a season.

The Atlanta Braves finished the regular season with 104 wins, the best record in baseball.

However, regular season success did not translate to postseason success. All three teams that finished the regular season with over 100 wins did not make it to the divisional round of the playoffs.

The Wild Card round of the playoffs saw all four series be non-competitive. Every team that won their wildcard matchups swept their opponents two

season, Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Atlanta Braves were unable to find success in the postseason losing to the Phillies three games to one. Perhaps the biggest upset of the

College Football Teams Pursue Playoff Berth

Photo: Instagram-georgiafootball

With the end of the regular season, college football’s top teams have all set their sights on their respective conference championships and the College Football Playoff. The College Football Playoff or CFP is a postseason football tournament comprised of the top four teams selected by a committee, in which they compete for the coveted national championship.

The CFP was first introduced in 2014 as a way to expand the postseason from the prior format which had just the top two teams compete for a championship.

Ever since this format has been introduced, a two loss team has never made it, so perfection and excellence is crucial for the teams who desire a CFP berth.

Prior to conference championships, the only teams to have a legitimate chance are: Georgia, Michigan, Washington, Florida State, Oregon, Texas, Alabama and Ohio State Most of these teams have to play in their conference’s championship game, so there are a variety of scenarios that could happen.

The biggest of the conference championships has to be the SEC championships. This year, the undefeated Georgia

Georgia Football Coach, Kirby Smart Hoisting the National Championship Trophy.

Bulldogs take on the one-loss Alabama Crimson Tide. This is Alabama’s last shot at a CFP berth and this is a must win game for them. Recently, when Alabama played Auburn in their historic rivalry, it seemed as if all hopes for an Alabama victory

were gone. They were stuck with a 4th and goal from the 31 yard line which seemed like an undoable task. Against all odds, the Crimson Tide scored a touchdown and won the game to keep their CFP hopes alive. While Alabama did sneak away from

Auburn with a win, they were not as fortunate when they faced the Texas Longhorns.

The Texas Longhorns are 11-1 and are headed into the Big 12 championship game against Oklahoma State. Due to Texas already having a loss and being ranked lower than other teams, they need a few things to happen if they are to make it to the CFP. Texas must win and Louisville, who faces the undefeated Florida State Seminoles in the ACC title game, must win. The Longhorns last major postseason push for glory was back in 2009 when they lost in the BCS, the predecessor to the CFP, National Championship. Texas has a strong team led by quarterback Quinn Ewers and the team’s talent and intelligent coaching is bound to bring them success.

Over on the West Coast, the Washington Huskies rematch the Oregon Ducks for the Pac-12 title. Washington is undefeated and beat Oregon when they had played earlier in the season. Led by their star quarterback Bo Nix, Oregon wants some vengeance on the team that took away their shot at the perfect season. Both teams look very good and this game has some serious CFP implications. The winner is most likely gonna make it and is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

While every other team has tough conference championship games, Michigan gets

a nice and easy week against Iowa. Michigan is coming off a big win against their rival Ohio State and is looking to claim their third straight Big Ten title.

Iowa has the defensive talent to give the Michigan offense some trouble, but the Hawkeye offense lacks any sort of real firepower.

Michigan appears to be somewhat of a lock for the CFP, unless a crazy upset occurs.

For my own prediction of who I think will end up making it, I think that Georgia will beat Alabama and be the #1 seed.

Michigan will follow as #2 after steamrolling Iowa. In an intense and amazing game, I think Oregon will defeat Washington and claim the #3 spot and lastly #4 will go to the Texas Longhorns.

Due to the loss of Jordan Travis, Florida State’s star quarterback, I don’t see them beating Louisville and staying undefeated.

The one thing that is always true about college football is that it never lacks excitement.

There is bound to be something unexpected and miraculous happen that will have some teams cheering with the joy of victory and the others with the agony of defeat. This season is the last of the four team playoff and next season it will expand to a 12 team format. No more will very good teams be left out for a tight loss, but now the 12 best teams all have a chance at history.

Sports

December 8, 2023

The Knightly News - Page 16

Winter Sports Bring Excitement to the Holiday Season Basketball: Looking to cap off last season’s impressive win in the State Tournament, the men’s basketball team, led by Coach Sharman White, hopes to continue their dominance over Georgia basketball and repeat as AAAA (4A) State Champions.

The team is commanded by two seniors who recently announced they would be continuing their athletic careers into college: Kyle (KJ) Greene (the University

of Central Florida (UCF)) and Lamar (LJ) Moore (the University of Chicago). The team has a great opportunity this year to play in Hawaii. Moore said, “I’m looking forward to getting a new perspective on basketball through the eyes of Hawaii. I’ve been to things like this before with Pace, but it’s always cool playing basketball in places that I don’t really associate with. Hopefully, we can bring another trophy back to the Castle.” Along with London the team will be playing in seven other tournaments this year. The season started off strong for the team with a dominant 90-55 win over Douglass.

FlagFootball: The flag football team began its fourth year as a program hoping to repeat its success from last season. Under the coaching of Ty Johnson, the program is yet to miss the State Playoffs and lose an Area Championship in their three years of being a team. The team has left all of their competition in the dust this year, handily winning a fourth area championship as well as cruising into the State Championship playoffs. Senior Erielle Harris said “The team spirit in Flag Football is unlike any other! The bond on the team makes it so much easier to fit in as a new player this year. I love it. We’ve already had so much fun this season and we still have so much more to prove. I hope we can all reach our goal and bring a ring back to Pace in just our third season.” This year, the girls have already won 12 games and look to continue their success into the playoffs.

pionship. Sophomore Grace Richardson said, “I’m really looking forward to this season.

We’ve spent a lot of time during the offseason in the pool making sure we are where we need to be to bring a State Championship to Pace. I’m also can’t wait to get closer with some of the other people on the team. ” The swimmers began the season with a split start, going 1-1, however, there is a bright future ahead for the Aquaknights.

Wrestling: The wrestling team is led by seniors Roland Foster and Will Moore. Losing no members of the team from the previous year, the grapplers look to capitalize off of their young squad and bring a little bit of hardware back to campus. Junior Dylan Hirokawa said, “We’re looking forward to seeing what our young team can do this year and in the next couple of years.

Hopefully we can continue the wrestling culture that has been established over the past few years. I think we’ve all put a lot of work in though and hopefully it pays off.” The team had successful meets against Mclntosh High School, at the Harrison Tournament, and the Archer Tournament, and will continue their hard work in hopes of a State Championship.

Photos: Fred Assaf

Swimming and Diving: The men’s swimming and diving team strive to accomplish a team State Championship this year. Led by Coach John Ague as well as seniors Lane Canova, Hayden Harris, and Walker Smith. The swimmers have broken many individual records as well as a few individual State Champions, however, they look to accomplish something that has never been accomplished in Pace history.

Sophomore Tyler Swartz said “After last year’s finish for the boys at state, we are all excited to get back in the pool and do our best at bringing home the hardware. After observing from the bench as a freshman, I am looking forward to seeing what myself and some of the other young guys can provide to the team.” The team has started off hot and looks to continue their dominance throughout the rest of the season. They have competed in two meets thus far, losing a close matchup to Loganville and defeating Lovett.

The women’s swimming and diving team is also coached by Ague and led by three seniors: Morgan Goldstrom, Claire Easterling, and Ansley Freudenstien. They hope to lead the team to a successful season including a strong appearance at the State Cham

Basketball: The women’s team is led by a solo senior this year: Reed Millner. Regarding the upcoming season, junior Kate Grice said, “I’m so excited for this season. It’s a super young team and all of the sophomores and freshmen have already proven themselves to be great players.

We played really well in our first few games, which has made us all super excited about what is in store for the rest of the season. I can not wait to see what the rest of the season entails.” The team has an incredible opportunity this year playing in a few tournaments such as Carrollton Girls Night Out and Cedar Shoals Winter Classic. The team began the season with wins against North Cobb Christian and Tucker High School.

Senior Walker Smith swims the butterfly in his 200 meter IM race.