Vol. 43, Issue 5

Vol. 43, Issue #5

The

February 2, 2018

Knightly News

p. 2 Pace Welcomes New College Counselors

p. 6-7 Spirit Week Reviews

p. 8-9 Pace Celebrates Valentine’s Day

Ricks Carson To Retire in May said Mr. Carson. Another one of

Blair Myers his favorite parts of teaching is Staff Writer Class of 2019

Photo: Blair Myers

After 39 years at Pace, beloved English and creative writing teacher Ricks Carson will retire after this school year. The Pace community, Mr. Carson’s students and colleagues especially, will miss him, as he has touched the lives of many.

While he looks forward to retirement and a new daily routine, Mr. Carson will always love the many different aspects of being a teacher. “I am going to miss the exploratory nature of being with high school kids,” said Mr. Carson. When students connect with the material, and take it in a new direction, that’s when he feels the magic really happens.

In addition, Mr. Carson will miss the comforting feeling of just being in the school environment. “There’s a really optimistic feeling that comes with that,”

seeing students become writers who weren’t before. This could be through the form of all types of poems or short stories.

As for the future, he looks forward to learning about new topics that he hasn’t had time to explore. “[Georgia State] has courses on the universe, and I’m very interested in that even though I’m not a physicist,” said Mr. Carson. He also hopes to take a course on African American studies at Georgia State, where he will participate in non-degree classes. In addition, he plans to do a lot of reading. “I have a stack of books, probably 20 books tall, that I don’t have time to get to now,” he said.

Many students over the years have enjoyed the creative way Mr. Carson conducts his classes.

One of his current students, sophomore Erin Hood, noted how much she enjoys the way Mr. Carson teaches students to interact with the material.

“When we were reading “The Tempest,” we made all of these wind noises and banged on the table to simulate the storm,” said Hood. She also loved the time that the class went outside and collected leaves to represent the changing of the seasons in a poem they were discussing.

Mr. Carson has played a large role in the Pace community over the years. He was the varsity boys soccer coach for 10 years and the junior varsity boys coach for 12 years. Currently, he is a faculty advisor for Knight Gallery, Pace’s literary magazine featuring student work. Mr. Carson is an accomplished poet himself, having been published numerous times. His poem “In the City of God” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2004.

English Department Chair Marsha Durlin has been working with Mr. Carson since he arrived at Pace and will miss having him as a colleague. “I will miss talking to him about ideas that he has for his classes and his ap-

Mr. Carson works with sophomore Tanner Walton in the library. proach when we’re both teaching the same poem or book,” said Mrs. Durlin. She admires his careful planning of each day, every activity and how he is al-

ways coming up with new ideas.

She knows he has many plans for retirement. “I am confident he is never going to be bored,” said Mrs. Durlin.

dressing the fact that being a bystander to bullying is equally as harmful as perpetrating the act.

The Pace Honor Council also plays a role in combating bullying. Dean of Students Gus Whyte spoke about the Honor Council’s ability to react to issues of bullying when students do step forward. “From the discipline side of things, we can only act on what comes across my desk,” said Mr. Whyte. “If a bullying situation comes to us we will take it to the Honor Council, but outside of that, I think we have to continue to talk to the students about the importance of treating each other with respect.”

A surprising 51% of the Pace students who reported having been bullied said they would not feel comfortable talking about it to a school counselor. As evidenced in social media and current news events, it can often be a difficult thing for a victim to speak up and let their voice be heard. “I think the students try to manage it themselves rather then get me involved,” said Mr. Gannon.

Despite this hindrance, Pace has taken a number of measures to combat bullying of all

kinds. “The two biggest things I see Pace doing is, first, having the diversity and inclusion program,” said upper school counselor and AP Psychology teacher Amelia Tuttle. “We don’t realize that the words we choose can be offensive, and having this program helps students understand the power of their words.

The other is the character education pieces, and having little tolerance for bullying.”

The survey results and interviews with students indicate that the atmosphere of Pace is, for the most part, positive. “I haven’t personally seen any bullying at Pace,” said junior Sam Assaf. “I think Pace is a safe community.”

But while no one has been physically bullied, crude jokes and hurtful teasing can be heard in the hallways. While the intention of this language may be playful, many students do not realize the impact their words have on others.

Despite these lingering issues, school administrators like Mr. Whyte are optimistic. “Hopefully, we can work to change that culture and to make this a place where that does not happen,” he said.

School Works to Combat Bullying Charlie Warren Staff Writer Class of 2019

Photo: liquidlibrary/Thinkstock

Bullying is an issue that is by no means new to high school students. It’s often portrayed in movies when the jock belittles the nerd or steals his lunch money. These days, society has become more concerned about bullying and has sought to combat it through school assemblies and closer monitoring of social media. However, a recent survey of Pace high school students conducted by The Knightly News indicated that out of 33 student responses (out of a possible response rate of 472 upper school students), 53% still feel or have felt like they have been bullied.

None of the respondents to the survey reported that they were bullied through physical abuse. But while many think of bullying as the physical intimidation of another, hateful language used to belittle someone can be equally as damaging.

Some of this hateful language stems from jokes that have been taken too far.

A recent survey revealed that some students still felt verbally bullied.

Bullying can also take the form of a nickname imposed on someone that might seem funny to others, but is actually hurtful to the person. This kind of bullying is similar to the anonymous intimidation feasible through the use of the internet. “I think that the online version of it is far easier and more cowardly than

the face-to-face bullying I saw 20 years ago,” said Head of Upper School Mike Gannon.

According to the survey, 24 Pace students of the 33 respondents have witnessed some form of bullying without stepping in to stop it. This happens even though Pace has held several assemblies and programs ad-

GET CONNECTED - KNIGHTLY NEWS SOCIAL MEDIA HOTSPOT

Want quick updates?

Follow us! @knightly_news

Get more photos!

Like our FB page: fb.com/paceknightlynews

Wanna be artsy?

Follow us! knightly_news

Online at paceacademy.org/ knightlynews

Pace News

February 2, 2018

The Knightly News - Page 2

Ambler, Wescott Join College Counseling Office Blair Myers Photo: Molly Shapiro

Students visited the Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam.

Students Kick Off New Year in Germany Sloan Wyatt News Editor Class of 2018

Ben Wescott and Pam Ambler are joining the Pace college counseling office following the departure of Associate Director of College Counseling Amy Secor and Director of College Counseling Gavin Bradley.

While Mr. Wescott officially started his new job at Pace on January 29, Mrs. Ambler will be coming in the summer. Former Associate Director of College Counseling Jonathan Ferrell assumed the role of director in January.

Upon taking on his new position, Mr. Ferrell plans to continue running the office as usual.

“This office, for a long time, has done really great work, so we’ll continue to build on that,” he said. While there will be a few minor adjustments with the new counselors, Mr. Ferrell wants to assure students that there won't be any major changes.

Mrs. Ambler, a Woodward Academy and University of Georgia alumna, looks forward to working with the junior class. She is currently working at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School as associate director of college counseling.

“The community at Pace is like no other," said Mrs. Ambler.

"Students, parents and faculty

To Mr. Hornor, Germany's history is central to the history of both the West and the world.

"Germany demonstrates several things at once: it represents the best in Western Civilization but also the worst, including the Holocaust," said Mr. Hornor.

"These are experiences so much more powerful and vivid as compared to reading about them in the textbook."

Senior Morgan McCullough has been a student of Mr. Hornor's in both AP European History and AP Art History. In class, she studied the Kylix of Dionysus, the Ishtar Gate and the bust of Nefertiti, all of which she was able to admire during the trip.

"It was really cool being able to see all of the art we had studied in class," said McCullough.

"Mr. Hornor knew the museums extremely well and made sure we saw our favorite pieces from AP Art History. [Senior] Khaki [Loughran] and I even got to buy souvenirs from the gift shops of our favorite pieces of art."

Along with the historic monuments and palaces, the students also toured Dachau, a German concentration camp. For senior Aly Satisky, the trip to Dachau was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. Having come from an Atlanta Jewish day school, Aly had a profound background in Holocaust education. She had always imagined what it would

be like to visit a concentration camp, but nothing could prepare her for "standing in the same spot that Hitler started his regime and strolling through the same grounds where thousands of people were murdered."

Satisky felt especially impacted by Germany's modernday progressiveness. "I was moved by the fact that only 60 years later I could visit Germany without facing any discrimination," said Satisky. "It is evident how much guilt the country has for its past and instead of forgetting, they honor and remember the victims.”

The ICGL trip to Germany is unique because it is one of the few trips that occurs annually.

Faculty sponsor Mr. Hornor has run the trip for eight years with math teacher Jason Smith as chaperone, and this year, math teacher Heather McClosky chaperoned as well.

Although the trip is geared towards seniors, it is open to students in other grades. This year, sophomore Jason Rosenbloum traveled with the seniors and became social media famous at Pace Academy for his role as paparazzo, posting photos of the senior girls.

"At first, I was kind of shy and quiet," said Rosenbloum.

"But the seniors were friendly and made me feel like part of the group." Mr. Hornor joked that the trip was Jason's "peak."

Mr. Wescott and Mrs. Ambler are the newest additions to the college counseling team.

Bryan. "My passion and career took off from there."

And it did indeed take off.

He went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre from the University of Kentucky and his Master of Fine Arts in theatre from the University of Iowa.

He has performed in all sorts of shows, including musicals, dramas and Shakespeare's comedies. Not only does he act, but he has directed many productions.

Although Mr. Bryan enjoys teaching and directing shows at Pace, he is motivated to continue his acting career. “I am pursuing

the local theatre scene so that I can make connections and bring some talent in to do workshops at Pace,” he said. Mr. Bryan will once again take the stage in the upcoming musical "Buddy The Buddy Holly Story" at the Georgia Ensemble Theatre. He will be playing Buddy Holly’s manager in Act I and the New York agent in Act II. The production centers on the protagonist, Charles “Buddy” Holly, who was born on Sept. 7, 1936 in Lubbock, Texas. The singer-songwriter experienced a meteoric rise to

fame at a young age, with hit songs such as “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue." His life was cut short when he was killed in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959 at the age of 22. Despite his short career, Buddy Holly was viewed as legendary and was an early inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story" is a musical that features Buddy Holly's most iconic songs.

Opening in London's West End at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 1989, it has been performed for over 28 years in theaters around

Photo: Pace Communications

On Saturday, Jan. 6, while most students spent the day sleeping off an exhausting Spirit Week, 11 seniors and one sophomore boarded a flight from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to Germany. A little over a week's worth of picturesque travels lay ahead of them, but for the time being, the students could only think about sleep.

Despite the students' exhaustion, there was no downtime in Deutschland. From the moment the students landed, their schedule was filled with art exhibits, museum tours and lots of snacking.

For 10 days, the students trekked through freezing temperatures as they explored the cultural and artistic history of Germany after World War II. Many of the students were able to apply their knowledge from 10th grade AP European History or Western Civilization to the trip.

Similarly, AP Art History students saw much of the art they had studied firsthand. For these students, the trip was especially meaningful because their teacher for both courses was the trip leader and history department chair Tim Hornor.

Staff Writer Class of 2019

share a love for the Academy that is unparalleled.” As well as having experience as a high school counselor, Mrs. Ambler also spent time as an admissions counselor at Emory. She spends a lot of her free time outdoors, and right now she is working towards running a sprint triathlon.

Mr. Wescott has transitioned to Pace from working in admissions at Rhodes College. He worked at Rhodes for six years, and is excited to work with students on the high school level.

Having grown up in Lynchburg, Virginia, Mr. Wescott led his high school's male a cappella group and was a member of the school band.

Mr. Wescott has always admired Pace out of the many high schools he frequently visited when working at Rhodes.

“I’ve been in hundreds [of high schools] all over the country and chose Pace because it’s a place with big opportunities, but an intimate learning environment,” he said. He looks forward to building relationships with Pace students not only in the college office, but outside of that realm.

While the college office is currently focused on sending off this year’s seniors to a variety of different colleges, their next step will be to get to know the class of 2019. Starting this spring, the junior class will have their initial meetings with the college counselors, followed by a family meeting.

Sean Bryan To Act in 'Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story' Zachary Howard Staff Writer Class of 2020

Around Pace, Sean Bryan is known to most as the cheerful and enthusiastic theatre director and drama teacher. But his love for the theatre goes much deeper than what meets the eye. “My junior year of high school, there was an opportunity to audition for the musical and I had the night free, so I gave it a try and I fell in love with it," said Mr.

the world, including on Broadway.

Georgia Ensemble Theatre has already performed this musical once before. This time, however, it will be a bit more special.

“The artistic director of Georgia Ensemble [Robert Farley] passed away, and this was going to be his last show before he retired, so in that way it will be a homage to him,” said Mr. Bryan.

"Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story" will run April 12- 29 at Georgia Ensemble. For more information on the show and how to get tickets, visit http://get.org/.

Pace News

Vol. 43, Issue #5

The Knightly News - Page 3

RoboKnights Continue Excellence Genna Schwarz

The voice of junior Blake Rodriguez echoes through the Fine Arts Center as he announces the latest RoboKnight news.

The high school students listen, but many lack real understanding of the work Rodriguez does along with the other RoboKnights.

Rodriguez, along with fellow veteran RoboKnights – senior Ethan Much and junior Sophie Beck – work with six rookies, spending countless hours advancing their robotic skills.

"This year, the returning members' main job was to help teach the new students," said Beck.

"I’ve had the privilege of watching them progress and learn new

Photo: Paula Pontes

Disney Inspires Paula Pontes Eden Kerker

Lifestyle Editor Class of 2019

Pace Offers New History Electives Abby Meyerowitz Online Editor Class of 2019

To extend the opportunities offered at Pace, the curriculum committee has approved two new history electives for next school year. J.B. Fuqua Chair of Speech and Debate Shuntá Jordan will offer a course on African American history and history teacher Caitlin Terry will offer a course called Propaganda: from Revolutions to Retweets.

Offered both semesters to juniors and seniors, Ms. Jordan’s African American history elective will inspire prospective historians to dive deeper into the studies of African presence in America, especially the South.

Ms. Jordan, having been born and raised in Southern culture, has always been intrigued by the history of her ancestors.

“I have grown more curious about how the events of the past brought us into the present,” said Ms. Jordan. “So when thinking about this course, I wanted to offer an understanding of the African American past as a teaching tool for better cultural understanding and, hopefully, a better future for all of us.”

Ms. Jordan is also interested in the extensive impact that people of African descent had on this world. She will encourage her future students to learn about and confront race in a much more meaningful way. Ms. Jordan hopes that her students will gain a fundamental understanding of and appreciation for the history, legacy and continuing contributions of people of African descent.

Some of the hot topics of the course include deeper studies

into African inspired music, film, dance and sports, as many prominent figures in those fields were of African descent.

“Many Americans, including myself, have been unaware how African-descended people affected the ancient world and pushed modernity forward,” said Ms. Jordan. “Therefore, it is important to acknowledge how the ideas of the Africandescended people have affected politics on the world stage in late modernity.”

Also offered this coming fall, Mrs. Terry’s course, Propaganda: from Revolutions to Retweets, will focus on propaganda through three narratives: revolution, nationalism and world wars. The class will dive deep into the studies of the French and Haitian revolutions, German unification, the Dreyfus affair, World War I and World War II. “My background as a historian is particularly in the visual culture of the French Revolution and I'm interested in the power of images (be it a painting, print, poster, photo or film) and how they are created and deployed for

an audience.”

Inspired by a British Library exhibit called "Propaganda: Power and Persuasion” in 2013, Mrs. Terry has thought about creating a course like this for a while. “I want the opportunity to teach the Class of 2019 again, and to teach a college-style seminar history class,” said Mrs. Terry. “My aim is for students to define the term "propaganda," learn how to visually read an image, hone their critical thinking and analysis skills, and be prepared for small group discussions that typically occur in college humanities classes.”

Mrs. Terry also wants to emphasize the significance of the visual images around us and how they impact our lives. “In our age of constant exposure to and consumption of media, I think it is imperative that citizens are naturally critical of visual culture and what their authorities tell them,” said Mrs. Terry. “While ‘propaganda’ does not have any single definition, its influence (both direct and indirect) shapes individual and collective constructions of identities and politics.”

Photo: Abby Meyerowitz

Pace Spanish teacher Paula Pontes loves everything about Disney, from the classic movie “Snow White,” to the magic of Walt Disney World in Orlando.

Dr. Pontes first visited Disney World in 2004, and since 2007, she and her husband Diogo Pinheiro have returned every Thanksgiving and Christmas.

They also try and go during the summer and whenever they have a chance during other breaks from school. Their past trip there on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend was their 70th time visiting Disney World.

“Disney World is a whole new world,” said Dr. Pontes. “[The first time] I saw the castle I started crying because it meant I had achieved what I thought was impossible.” Growing up in Brazil, Dr. Pontes went to a private school on scholarship. A lot of her friends went to Disney World for their 15th birthday, but she knew her parents would never be able to afford a trip there.

It was when Dr. Pontes was

in graduate school at the University of Georgia that she had finally saved up enough money to visit Disney World for the first time. Disney World means so much to her because to her, "the castle symbolizes achieving goals."

“Since we go so often, we don't feel the pressure to do it all,” Dr. Pontes said. “And since we know a lot, there is no stress of trying to figure things out. [We] just rest and [don't] worry about a thing.” Dr. Pontes and her husband never get bored there because there’s always something new each time they visit. This past summer “Pandora,” a visually magical world, was added to Disney World and Dr. Pontes is looking forward to the additions of “Toy Story” in 2018 and “Star Wars” in 2019.

Along with Disney World’s uplifting symbolism, Dr. Pontes’ other favorite thing about the theme park is its ability to make her “laugh, cheer [her] up and lighten the mood.” She even brings her love for Disney into her classroom. “I do like to decorate my classroom with Disney because I think it cheers me up,” she said. “And I often quote ‘Let it go’ to students. I would like to believe others like it, too.”

The team did not advance to the elimination matches of the FTC Calvary-Etowah-Purple League Championship, which are the playoffs at the end of the day. "Our performance in the tournament does not adequately reflect the strong season we had," said senior Eli Asher. "We accomplished so much this year and I loved being a part of the robotics team."

According to Ms. Snyder, she along with Ms. Korb, have high (L-R) Sophomores Ben Tolliday and Austin Kelly work on their robot. hopes for the future of the team. and being so focused on the bot, Along with the dream of being different types of participants. that can be hard to find time to competitive enough to make it to "I hope that more girls will do." the state playoffs and then move join the team," said Ms. SnyThe RoboKnights have on to the South Super Regional der. "Robotics is absolutely an activity that anyone can do. already reached milestones for a competition, their main goal promising future. This year was There's also more to the FIRST is to ultimately make it to the the first year that they created Tech Challenge than just robot World Championship. Howtwo complete robots and then prowess. We're supposed to be ever, the team isn't just looking working in the community, help- merged them into the compefor awards. They also want to tition robot they used in the ing other teams and talking to cultivate a new outlook towards league championship. engineers or other professionals, robotics in an attempt to attract

Photo: Genna Schwarz

Opinion Editor Class of 2019

skills."

Coached by computer science teacher Cristina Snyder and science teacher Brianna Korb, the team mainly participates in the FIRST Tech Challenge, a robotics competition that permits students to compete in diverse, head-to-head events. On Jan. 20, the team competed in the FTC Calvary-Etowah-Purple League Championship. At the end of the fall semester, the team was ranked second in their league and 11th overall going into the league championship.

"Robotics game days can be pretty stressful, but they're also exciting," said Ms. Snyder.

"Stressful because sometimes technology just glitches. Things happen for no reason. That can be really frustrating. But the day is also exciting because there's time for on-the-fly improvement."

Ms. Jordan encourages her current debate student, junior Kirk Spinelli, to sign up for her new elective for next year.

Lifestyle

February 2, 2018

The Knightly News - Page 4

'HQ' Trivia Game Gains Popularity Amy Butler

Co-editor-in-chief Class of 2018

Photo: Abby Meyerowitz

Starting daily at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. EST, frequent host Scott Rogowsky appears jubilant on viewers’ phone screens, interacting with the game’s players and giving shoutouts to his audience. This display signals that the countdown is over and the players must now eagerly wait for question one to pop up on the screen, starting the "HQ" game.

Created by the co-founders of the video-sharing app Vine, Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll, "HQ" is a new live trivia app on the iPhone. Bringing in hundreds of thousands of users for each game, the app is typically hosted by fan-favorite Rogowsky.

Viewers are able to interact with each other in a public chat as the game gets ready to begin.

The two-minute countdown winds down while Rogowsky explains the game and its rules.

There are 12 questions that go from easy to hard as the game progresses, each with three possible options.

Players only have 10 seconds allotted to answer each question, allowing little, if any, time to look up answers on the internet.

Despite this time crunch, statistics have shown that Google searches regarding the question topics skyrocket when the game is played. There are few oppor-

tunities to cheat, however it is definitely possible.

“When ‘HQ’ comes on, my friends and I gather around with a laptop so that we can look stuff up that we don’t know,” said senior Meggie Steiger. “A lot of times we can’t find the answer in time, but sometimes we get lucky.” Senior Ben Bernstein started wondering how many people it would take to play with to ensure a winner. “I tried calculating it, but had some difficulties along the way,” said Bernstein. “Nevertheless, we think it is around 20,000 people if you begin calculating after question three, because most people are able to get there.”

Many are skeptical about the game, however. Lots of questions have arisen regarding the prize money that is awarded at the end of each game. The app claims that the money comes from “Intermedia Labs, Inc. and sometimes affiliates, marketers and partners.” This vague description leaves many to wonder about the logistics behind the game show.

“I think it’s kind of spooky,” said junior Kayla Ross. “I don’t understand how they are able to give thousands of dollars away each day while not really making any evident revenue.”

But some users have noticed the implementation of a few advertisements integrated within the questions. For example, a recent question asked about which car symbol was comprised of two

(L-R) Juniors Adara Anthony-Jones, Kayla Ross, Joelle Zelony and Madeline Janki, and sophomore Taylor Doucet get ready to play HQ after school. letters. The answer was Volkswagon, and the signature “VW” appeared on the screen.

Initially, the prize money was $1,500, but recently it has increased to $2,000 as the app has gained popularity. Other times, the prize money has been up to $18,000. Even though these are large amounts of money, the award is split among all of the winners. Because of the growing number of viewers, winners in most games usually win from $5 to $100, and only people who win over $20 are able to cash in their profits.

Adding to suspicions about

the app is a recent controversy regarding the man who is widely regarded as “the face of the app,” Scott Rogowsky. Recently, he was interviewed by The Daily Beast for a profile piece about the newly popular trivia show host.

According to The Daily Beast, after the publication let app creator Rus Yusupov know about the planned article, Yusupov went ballistic. He said that the company did not have permission to write about Rogowsky or "HQ." He added that if the article were to be published, Rogowsky would lose

his job.

One quote in particular that was unacceptable to Yusupov regarded Rogowsky’s food preferences and newly-acquired fame from the app. Rogowsky said that “despite the attention, he’s still able to walk down the street and order his favorite salad from Sweetgreen without being accosted.” Because HQ does not sponsor Sweetgreen, Yusupov believed that mentioning the restaurant was improper and not allowed; thus leading users to wonder why the creator of the app would get so worked up about such a small comment.

Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency: The Future of Payment Graham Hurley

Social Media Editor Class of 2018

Photo: Flickr user BTC Keychain

In the month of December, your social media feeds were probably filled with information about bitcoin due to an absurdly large 1000% price increase. The current value of one bitcoin is $13,419. At its core, a bitcoin is a series of digits where each number is assigned to a bitcoin.

U.S. money works the same way since each dollar bill is labeled with a series of digits; however, U.S. bills actually have a face value.

Bitcoin does not have a set face value since it is purely a digital currency that cannot be exchanged physically. All money goes through a bank and has a middleman in a transaction. Bitcoin goes directly from "Party A" to "Party B" with no one in the middle.

Bitcoin was not the first attempt made at cryptocurrency, but it was the first that became relevant. In 2008, the domain of bitcoin.org was anonymously opened. Later that year, there was a document called "Bitcoin: A Peer to Peer Electronic Cash System" created by an unknown person under the alias of Satoshi Nakamoto.

The first bitcoin transaction was between Nakamoto and Hal

The Bitcoin value at the beginning of 2017 was $750 and on Dec. 15, the price shot up to a whopping $17,900.

Finney, a developer for the Pretty Good Privacy Corporation.

Nakamoto mysteriously disappeared and handed the reigns of bitcoin to Gavin Andresen who created the Bitcoin Foundation in September of 2012.

To this day, it's not generally known who Satoshi Nakamoto is. Bitcoin began to grow exponentially in 2011 when Wikileaks began to accept the currency as donations.

So what is bitcoin even used for? Bitcoin is a currency like any other, but its anonym-

ity allows for more private transactions, which explains why it is such a hit within the deep web. The deep web is the underground of the internet that can only be accessed through a virtual private network service called Tor. Within the deep web there are hundreds of marketplaces that can be used to make anonymous transactions. The deep web has a marketplace for illegal drugs, human trafficking and even assassination.

But bitcoin is not only used

to buy products and services on the deep web. Anyone can buy physical products with bitcoin.

Many huge companies accept bitcoin, like computer technology company Dell and even Expedia, a popular travel booking site.

Overstock.com, one of the biggest online American retailers for surplus home goods, began accepting bitcoin in 2014 as well as Newegg, an online retail giant that specializes in computer hardware and software. It would not be surprising if many

giant retailers picked up bitcoin as a form of payment in the near future.

Bitcoins certainly have value since there is a finite number of them. It is estimated that right now there are only around 21 million bitcoins. Some may call bitcoin a scam because other cryptocurrencies can be developed with their own set of numbers. Bitcoin's flaw is that it is a number and that there are an infinite number of numbers, so any cryptocurrency can come into existence and cause bitcoin's value to plummet.

Major companies like Microsoft are beginning to stop taking bitcoin due to its volatility and risk. Bitcoin at its core is a volatile currency since its value can change at any moment, and online vendors are beginning to develop a view that cryptocurrencies are unstable. Government currencies like the U.S. dollar and the euro are stable because they are highly regulated and the public trusts these currencies.

Will any cryptocurrencies be stable in the future? No one has an answer to that question at the moment. If a megacryptocurrency arises, then it could potentially overtake every currency in the world and every country could begin to use one currency. Cryptocurrencies have an exponential growth trend that continues to rise.

Lifestyle

Vol. 43, Issue #5

The Knightly News - Page 5

Facebook Prospers 14 Years Later Jill Rawls

Staff Writer Class of 2019

Photo: Jill Rawls

This month marks the 14th year since Facebook was launched by a group of cofounders, including current CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has grown into the most widely-used social networking site with over two billion monthly active users, according to the World Economic Forum.

Facebook allows users to upload photos, videos and updates to their profile for their Facebook “friends” to see and add likes or comments. “I like adding pictures to different photo albums so when I look back at them they will be very organized and compiled together properly,” said junior Sophia Lochan. “However, I mainly use Facebook to keep in touch with my friends from California. It’s nice that I am still able to see how they are doing even though I moved away.”

Junior Lily Wagoner, along with her sister, eighth-grader Norah Wagoner, also use Facebook regularly to advertise their jewelry business, TWIST By W. “It's a great way to grow the business to a variety of different people,” said Lily Wagoner.

“There are different tools we can use to get the word out about events and things like that.”

Facebook also offers a number of groups for users to be a part of, ranging from groups of seniors all planning on attending the same college to groups of people living near each other and buying and selling items with

(Front to back) Juniors Lily Wagoner and Veronica Sandoval look at one of Lily's handmade bracelets on her "TWIST By W" Facebook page. one another.

One group many Pace students are involved in is Buckhead Exchange Teen. This is a closed group with more than 12,000 members, designed for people living in Atlanta to sell and buy primarily clothes, shoes and jewelry, along with a wide range of other items.

“I use Buckhead Exchange because it’s so easy to buy and sell items without leaving your house,” said junior Veronica Sandoval. “It gives me the opportunity to browse for designer clothes at really cheap prices that I can later resell.”

Along with Facebook’s enormous success, however, comes many challenges. In 2004, twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss sued Mr. Zuckerberg, claiming that the idea behind Facebook was their own. They lost the lawsuit, but still received $65 million in a settlement. Today, the twins are billionaires after investing $11 million in Bitcoin.

Facebook, along with many other sites, played a role in the spread of fake news during the presidential election. Facebook was questioned by Congress about their role in the circulation of false information. As of

December 2017, Facebook updated their system of identifying misinformation, from a red flag icon, to listing a series of other articles to identify the false parts of articles containing fake news.

Mr. Zuckerberg does admit that the problem isn’t yet solved: “Our goal is to connect people with the stories they find most meaningful, and we know people want accurate information,” he said in a status update in late 2016. “We've been working on this problem for a long time and we take this responsibility seriously. We've made significant progress, but there is more work

to be done.”

Another challenge that Facebook faces is the dwindling numbers of young users. Teens and tweens have turned to social networking sites Instagram and Snapchat, spending significantly more time using those sites than they spend on Facebook.

The usage for monthly Facebook members between ages 12 and 17 fell by 1.2% in 2016, according to eMarketer. eMarketer predicted this rate of decline would grow to 3.4% by the end of 2017. While Instagram, which Facebook owns, doesn't present a threat, eMarketer predicted that Snapchat would attract more teen users than both Instagram and Facebook before 2017 came to a close.

In the meantime, Facebook has recently adopted a new algorithm to control what posts users see, in attempt to give users a more interesting and relevant experience on the site. The algorithm is designed to put posts from friends and family members at the top of users' news feeds, while scaling back posts from publishers and businesses.

According to The New York Times, Facebook executives believe that filling users' feeds with posts they want to interact with will decrease the mindless scrolling and reading that was proven in a psychology experiment to diminish student users' sense of well-being.

The Facebook team is aware that the new algorithm will cause users to spend less time on Facebook, and be less engaged in some ways. "But I also expect the time you do spend on Facebook will be more valuable," said Mr. Zuckerberg in a Facebook post on Jan. 11.

Artificial Intelligence To End World as We Know It Charlie Hirsch Staff Writer Class of 2019

Google acquired London-based startup DeepMind, a pioneer in AI research, in 2014 scientists have used artificial intelligence to monitor brain activity and produce images from thoughts. The previous method for producing images from brain scans utilized pixels, but now deep neural networks (artificial intelligence) can reveal overlapping images to produce a recognizable figure. The ability to mimic the methods and activity of a human brain could solve the AI problem and allow humans to upload their brains to computers.

Humans have maintained control of the planet because they are the most intelligent species on it. The arrival of a True Artificial Intelligence could end the reign of human control and cede power of the world to computers. The computer may sound like a paradise machine, but the most powerful machine in the world could be the most destructive if it's in incompetent or criminal hands.

Big names Elon Musk, Steven Wozniak and Stephen

Photo: Google DeepMind

Artificial intelligence could be the last problem humans have to solve. It could also lead to mass destruction and terror.

True Artificial Intelligence, also known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), is a computer with the intellectual capabilities of a human; that is, it can learn on its own.

At first it may sound like a purely science fiction phenomenon, but a poll of AI researchers at the 2015 Puerto Rico AI conference produced the year 2045 as the median guess as to when AGI will arrive. Most experts believed it will be here before 2060.

The Singularity is the famed possibility that the first True Artificial Intelligence will be the only AI because it will have the ability to replicate itself and take humans out of the equation. Theoretically, if it is connected to the internet, then it will be able to scan and learn at an exponentially increasing rate and become

an Artificial Superintelligence (ASI), an all-knowing computer that can solve any problem and potentially have infinite power.

This machine could accomplish feats no human could fathom, such as solving unsolvable human problems, curing diseases, creating nano technology, impacting space travel and creating more powerful weapons than humans can imagine.

The idea of an ASI is impossible to fully conceptualize, but the notion of levels of intelligence can help. A monkey is a level below humans in terms of intelligence, so it does not have human consciousness. Humans have language and drive cars and make art, and a monkey would be able to hear the language and see the art, but would never be able understand the nuances of human interaction (e.g. the art's meaning or how the car moves).

This could be how human experience would compare to a being that is more intelligent.

Humans could see the effects of this being, but the way in which it went about completing its goals would be incomprehensible to the human brain.

Most recently, Japanese

Hawking have warned against the development of an AGI. Hawking told the BBC: "The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race."

Ethics questions exploring if AGI should even be pursued and how the AGI should be programmed if it is accomplished pervade the AI field. It is certain that AI advancements are speeding up and there are no laws in the United States that hinder artificial intelligence research.

Spirit Week

February 2, 2018

The Knightly News - Page 6

SPIRIT WEEK Freshmen: ‘Phineas and ferb’ The Class of 2021 chose an animated show to begin their upper school Spirit Week career, with the Disney Channel series “Phineas and Ferb,” following in the footsteps of “The Incredibles” and “Fairly Odd Parents.” Covering the gardens with orange and blue streamers, as well as using chalk drawings

across the courtyard, this class had some of the better freshman decorations in recent memory.

While the final product may not have been the most finetuned, the freshmen showed great promise for the years to come. Their dance did not come without its obstacles, however, as the quality and volume of the

soundtrack was not the best.

The freshmen did their best to overcome this handicap through a battle between the titular characters, as well as solo dances by the freshmen playing the characters Candace, Isabella, Perry and Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

The costumes were reminiscent of past freshmen dances, simple

yet effective.

The Class of 2021 was able to utilize its budget well, despite having the smallest amount of money to work with. While the freshmen are never expected to excel in any particular category, this class did the best with the hand they were dealt and will look to improve in the future.

sophomores: ‘grease’ The sophomores took a big step forward this year, with the 1978 classic “Grease.” Taking the Academy on a tour through Rydell High, they turned the cafeteria into a 1950s diner, complete with menus and decorations throughout the area.

The dance was a great blend of new bangers as well as iconic hits off of the “Grease” soundtrack, and even included the famous hand jive from the National Bandstand scene. The

Class of 2020 improved its timing in order to stay on beat and had strong performances by its leads. This year's dance incorporated more advanced moves, including multiple well-timed back flips. The T-Birds and Pink Ladies took turns on center stage, as well as the Rydell cheerleaders and athletes, along with other students.

The Class of 2020 won this year's Most Improved Grade, and set a firm foundation to build on in their final two years. A bar has been set; now they must find a way to raise it again next year.

juniors: ‘monopoly’ Continuing the trend of previous years, the Class of 2019 wowed the crowd with their interpretation of the beloved board game “Monopoly.” Hanging up “Pass Go” signs on the wall of the Inman Center and money on the ceilings, and leaving rolling die on the tables, the juniors transformed the Inman Center into a real life game of "Monopoly."

The morning video focused more on the roasts instead

Ben Ginsberg

Staff Writer Class of 2020

Will Zook

Staff Writer Class of 2019

Photos: Fred Assaf, Laura Inman

of a solid plot line, which gave the seniors an easy win in that category. But once again, the juniors proved their ability to choreograph an outstanding dance. Whether it was the police guards arresting the jailbirds, the train conductors showing their awesome dance moves, or the Monopoly man himself dressed in his dollar bill suit, the juniors followed the beat and stayed in sync throughout the entire dance. For the second year in a row, the Class of 2019 earned their second place spot in the Spirit Week competition.

Spirit Week

Vol. 43, Issue #5

seniors: ‘alice in wonderland’ The Class of 2018 once again blew away the competition this year on and off the dance floor.

The senior class introduced their theme of "Alice in Wonderland" by decorating the entire high school with streamers, cutouts, furniture and signs with famous quotes from the novel such as "Follow the white rabbit."

The seniors started the final day with their morning dance, which included a grand finale of tossing powder in various colors into the air. Following the dance, the seniors showed their hilarious video of "Alice in Cumberland." The 10-minute long video followed the story of Alice, but instead of taking place in Wonderland, the story takes place in Cumberland Mall. The video was a big hit and led to a highly anticipated

dance later that afternoon.

The seniors began their dance with a large spiral surrounding Alice as she was lifted up in the center. The dance included many characters from the novel and depicted each in interesting ways. Not only was the seniors' dance exciting, some of the dance was improvised. According to senior Schuyler Drose (who played the Mad Hatter), the part where he was thrown into the air by David Roos and Gavin Guest was completely spontaneous. Another exciting part of the dance was when Jaden Steagall as the White Rabbit showed his impressive dance moves, revving up the crowd. Showing great improvement from last year, the Class of 2018 was the clear winner of this year's Spirit Week competition.

The Knightly News - Page 7

Valentine’s Day

February 2, 2018

The Knightly News - Page 8

Five Minutes with Jonathan and Nicole KN: Do you have any nicknames

Michael Simon for each other?

Co-editor-in-chief Class of 2018

Photo: Sloan Wyatt

Catch both of the Smiths at the Pace Academy basketball courts this Valentine's Day.

The Smiths Keep it Real Sloan Wyatt fourth floor classroom and be News Editor Class of 2018

Mrs. Smith, he is kind, attentive and helpful.

For the Smiths, family is never too out of reach. Mrs. Smith works in the Academic Resource Center and Mr. Smith is in the athletic office. Pace is truly their home. Even though the couple rarely run into one another at school, there is a calming feeling knowing their spouse is nearby.

In free moments outside of Pace, the family enjoys traveling. Mrs. Smith dreams of venturing to Bora Bora while Coach Smith reminisces on the couple’s vacation in Mexico.

But for now, it is basketball season, a fast paced, busy period in the Smiths’ schedule. Coach Smith is coaching the boys varsity team through another season and Mrs. Smith is his biggest fan. This Valentine's Day, at the end of a long night of basketball, you can find the couple either grabbing a quick bite at a neighborhood restaurant or at home with their sons. They do not need Valentine's Day to demonstrate their love. For the Smiths, romance is all in the details.

Couple Nicole Petrosky and Jonathan Rushton enjoy their first date together at an Atlanta United soccer game.

Can You Match Teachers to Their Favorite Candy?

1. Milk Chocolate M&M’s

1. Mr. Hornor

2. Reese’s Pieces

2. Mr. Al

3. Peanut Butter Dove Chocolates

3. Dr. Moss

4. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

4. Mrs. Lewis 5. Mr. Stevens

5. Almond Joy

6. Mr. Smith

6. Reese’s Easter Eggs

7. Mr. Whyte

7. Ritter Sports Bar

8. Dr. McCloskey

8. Haribo Gummy Bears

9. Mr. Smentek

9. Nerds

10. Mr. Hamburger

10. Butterfinger

11. Mrs. Terry

11. Snickers

See Answer Key on Page 12.

Photo: Amy Butler

In anticipation of Valentine's Day, many couples plan grand gestures weeks in advance to surprise their loved ones: elegant dinners, carriage rides or trips to the theater. But in the case of Ryann and Demetrius Smith, romance is in the details. When asked what their big plans were, both spouses replied, “basketball.”

Basketball, of course, meaning a romantic night spent in Pace Academy's Inman Center as Coach Smith leads the varsity boys team. Although the night will be a bit unremarkable, the two seem content with their choices. Valentine’s Day is not a major holiday in their family.

Nevertheless, Coach Smith never misses an opportunity to surprise his wife, even though the two agree each year not to exchange presents. On Valentine's Day, it is not unusual for Mrs. Smith to walk into her

greeted by a flower bouquet or balloons.

Small gestures like gifts and other surprises are characteristic of the couple no matter what day of the year it is. Details such as short texts throughout the school day or impromptu lunch dates maintain the positive energy between the two. The secret to their happy marriage? Focus on your spouse and communicate.

Communication, however, has never been a problem for Mr. and Mrs. Smith. In 2007, they met through mutual friends at a party. Neither were expecting to fall in love that night, but over ten years, including four years of marriage later, the two laugh about their original meeting.

Now with two young boys in tow and hectic schedules, both parents have little time for partying. Nevertheless, parenthood has certainly added a layer to their relationship. Mrs. Smith even said, when asked about her favorite aspect of Coach Smith, that she has loved watching him become a father. According to

Photo: Jonathan Rushton

Knightly News: Hey guys.

Nicole Petrosky: Hey! Jonathan Rushton: What's up?

KN: When did you guys start dating?

JR: September 21.

KN: How did you guys start dating?

JR: We went on a date two weeks earlier and just kept talking. I don't know what specifics you want. (chuckles) NP: I agree.

KN: What did you guys do on your first official date?

NP: Atlanta United Game.

KN: What is something that Nicole says a lot?

JR: Um, I don't know. She complains about how she's tired a lot.

NP: That wasn't very nice.

KN: What is something that Jonathan says a lot?

NP: (laughs) I don't know.

NP: No? JR: No. We're not really into pet names.

KN: What is your favorite thing about each other?

JR: Oh, that's a big one. Probably her smile.

NP: Aww. Mine's his laugh. (laughs) KN: What is something Nicole does that bothers you?

JR: Dang, we're getting deep. So many things. Probably how angry she gets when she's hungry.

She won't talk to me until she gets food. She gets "hangry."

KN: What is something that Jonathan does that bothers you?

NP: He always asks me where we want to eat, and I never know where we want to eat.

KN: That's not Jonathan's fault.

JR: That's on you.

KN: What is the hardest part about dating someone that is in a different grade?

JR: We take different classes, so it's harder to talk about teachers

and stuff.

NP: We have different friends so we never really hang out together besides when we just hang out.

KN: How well do you guys think you know each other?

NP: Pretty well.

JR: Decently well. Not in the superficial sense of what's her favorite color.

KN: Well, my next question is: what’s his favorite color?

NP: Red. JR: Yuh. KN: What’s her favorite color?

JR: Grey.

KN: What?

NP: Yeah.

KN: That not usually a typical favorite color.

JR: Well, she's pretty unique NP: Aww. (laughs) KN: What’s his favorite food?

NP: He doesn't have one. He likes all types.

JR: Because I'm a big boy.

KN: What’s her favorite food?

JR: Publix sandwiches.

KN: Thank you!

Mr. Hamburger opens a box of chocolates from a secret admirer.

Valentine’s Day

Vol. 43, Issue #5

The Knightly News - Page 9

Most Eligible Bachelorette: Kate Snyder Amy Butler

Co-editor-in-chief Class of 2018

Photo: Amy Butler

Looking at your calendar, you see that Feb. 14 is coming up. You go through the contacts on your phone to look for the perfect date, praying that you are not alone again this year on Valentine’s Day. Upon frantically scrolling through with no luck, you are about to give up until you remember this blonde, quirky girl with whom you had a previous encounter.

Her name is Kate Snyder, and she has been named the Knightly News’ Most Eligible Bachelorette for 2018.

As Snyder reminisces on Valentine’s Day 2017, a single tear runs down her face. She remembers a little too clearly that fateful night of listening to “My Chemical Romance” while sitting alone in her room, munching on Tide pods.

However, this year for Valentine’s Day, she is ready for a date with a real man. She is looking

Kate Snyder enjoys lounging in the Student Commons surrounded by (L-R) senior Ben Bernstein, junior Charlie Trimble and senior Scott Leven. for a guy with a great personality and a pet cat, and who enjoys fondue for two. He must also be shorter than Kate and look like Guy Fieri.

Although she has not met

someone that embodies all of these characteristics, she believes that this ideal man is out there. “I am going to do everything in my power to find him,” she said. When she does,

her desire is for him to take her to play a big game of Twister, accompanied by her local pastor.

On a daily basis, she tends to generously swipe right on Tinder and watch “The Joy of

familiar, seeking to create their

Day each year. The gifts have also changed, from items such as jewelry and expensive chocolates to gifts of experiences.

The group tending to deviate the most from the typical Valentine’s Day gift giving are millennials. “I’m definitely searching for a great gift of experience rather than one of value this year,” said senior Ben Bernstein.

“I think they are more meaningful that way because it shows you have to put more thought into the gift giving.”

Although most Pace students think of Valentine’s Day in terms of romantic relationships, there is a growing emphasis on all types of relationships.

Friendships and family will also be celebrated this Valentine’s Day. “I’m planning on giving my mom her favorite flowers this year,” said junior Nate Robinson. “I know how much she loves them and Valentine’s Day seems like the perfect day to give her the

Painting” with Bob Ross. “Bob is just so enticing,” said Snyder. “His squirrels, especially, infatuate me.” However, her routine changes on the weekends. During her favorite time of the week, she frequently attends séances and speed dating events.

Nevertheless, most of the speed dating rounds have proven unsuccessful.

For people eager to learn more about Kate, she describes herself as quirky and angsty.

“I’d also say I’m pretty funny,” she said. Her fetishes are “most things” and the soundtrack to her life is “Pocketful of Sunshine”

by Natasha Bedingfield. “I think I embody this song immensely,” said Snyder. “I bleed rays of sun.”

Be sure to catch Kate while she’s still single and you may get lucky, like senior Jonathan Rushton during his freshman year. However, Kate’s biggest regret is texting him. One last thought that Kate wanted the Pace Academy men to know is that she is “here for a good time, not a long time.”

Valentine’s Day More Than Just Romance Genna Schwarz own traditions.

Opinion Editor Class of 2019

Every year on Feb. 14, couples continue the tradition of celebrating the romance in their relationship. Valentine’s Day is known for its many clichés, including but not limited to: chocolate, roses, fancy dinner dates and movie nights. However, many people are trying to move farther away from the

“This year I really want to come up with something unique to do on Valentine’s Day,” said senior Sam Delman. “I want to veer away from the ordinary dates and do something really exciting.”

According to the National Retail Federation’s annual Valentine’s Day spending survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, people are spending less money on Valentine’s

perfect gift.”

For everyone who is not planning on spending the day with their partners, a good way to get through the holiday is by spending the day with cherished friends.

“All I want to do on Valentine’s Day is hang out with my best friends and celebrate our wonderful friendships,” said junior Avi Arora. With all of the new ideas and ways to spend the upcoming holiday, not nearly as many will feel left out.

Most Eligible Bachelor: Walker ‘Dill’ Harris episodes of “Glee.” Harris fills

George Shepherd up his weekends with a variety Sports Editor Class of 2018

Photo: George Shepherd

As Valentine’s Day approaches, ladies at the Academy are thinking about who they’ll be going out with. Feb. 14 is only 12 days away, and the Knightly News’ most eligible bachelor is highly valued.

His easy-going personality, inquisitive mind and dashing style have distinguished him from the rest of the single men in the Upper School. He is a young man who is aimless yet ambitious, peaceful yet quarrelsome and affectionate yet aloof.

Upper school females may want to stop their accismus and approach this year’s most eligible bachelor: senior Walker Harris.

Harris’s list of hobbies and interests is bounteous. Our bachelor spends his downtime playing “The Sims” on Xbox with his brother, sophomore Sam Harris, and watching rerun

of activities, such as going to the University of Georgia to cheer on the Dawgs, or more low key activities such as enjoying musicals.

“My favorite musical is ‘Hairspray.’ I’ve seen it probably over nine times, and I’d be willing to watch it again with my date,” said Harris.

Harris is also an active athlete on Pace’s athletics teams.

Harris is a three-year varsity wrestler and played football as a freshman and sophomore. “It’d be nice to have a fellow state champion as my Valentine, but that really isn’t one of my top priorities,” said Harris.

Over summer break, Harris worked as an assistant chef at Ansley Golf Club and spent time at Fripp Island beach. “I learned so much at Ansley last summer that I’ve really become an extraordinary cook,” said Harris.

“If going to dinner doesn’t work out, I’ll have everything under control.”

Harris believes that although

he has a laid-back persona, he will be committed to treating his Valentine’s date to a wonderful evening. “After I pick her up, I’d offer up my auxiliary cord, as a sign of courtesy,” he said. Some of Harris’s favorite songs include “Fergalicious” by Fergie and “Break Up in a Small Town” by Sam Hunt.

Harris describes his ideal night as “going to Rock ‘N’ Taco for some dinner before driving to the Atlanta Botanical Garden to view the Venus flytraps.”

Harris’s final destination would be the Chastain Park fire pits.

“I’d build a fire and we would make s’mores together to cap off the evening.”

If Walker Harris sounds like your dream, you better first go through his wingman, senior Joseph Mathias to arrange the date. “Walker has a tendency to be shy if he doesn’t know a girl, so I help him fight through this dilemma,” said Mathias.

Harris’s advice to fellow bachelors on Valentine’s Day is to “follow your heart and the rest will fall into place.”

(L-R) Seniors Sienna Goren, Hannah Schrager and Jordan Shoulberg admire Walker in his second home, the Student Commons.

Opinion

February 2, 2018

‘Covfefe’-in-Chief: The Case for Impeachment

The Knightly News

966 West Paces Ferry Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 (404) 262-1345 Knightlynews@paceacademy.org Published by students at Pace Academy Member of Georgia Scholastic Press Association Co-Editors in Chief: Amy Butler Michael Simon

News Editor: Sloan Wyatt Opinion Editor: Genna Schwarz Lifestyle Editor: Eden Kerker Sports Editor: George Shepherd

Ethan Much

Guest Contributor Class of 2018

Staff Writers: Ben Ginsberg Aman Hashim Charlie Hirsch Zachary Howard Blair Myers Jill Rawls Charlie Warren Will Zook Social Media: Graham Hurley Faculty Adviser: Ms. Lee Wilson Tech Adviser: Mr. Matt Walker

Web Content Editor: Abby Meyerowitz

The Knightly News 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 500 copies are printed

by Florida Sun Printing.

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.

Since Donald Trump began his venture at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the American people, which includes the 1.8 million young immigrants known as DREAMers, have witnessed the most tumultuous presidency in history. Just in case you forgot, Trump’s immense 2016 highlight reel includes equating Neo-Nazis with their opposition, releasing tweets to incite a “little rocket man” who sits on nuclear weapons, and most recently, a verified report that during his campaign Trump paid $130,000 in hush money to a porn star to cover up the affair he had with her while married to Melania.

Additionally, Trump’s frequent, yet shocking, headlines have desensitized the American people. Even if you strongly dislike Barack Obama, could you fathom him doing even half of that? Putting Trump’s morals, or lack thereof, aside, the grounds for Trump’s impeachment, that include advocating illegal violence, obstruction of justice, violation of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, and endeavoring to direct law enforcement, are rather sufficient.

Luckily for Trump, both chambers of Congress are con-

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Managing Editor: Sydnie Jiang

The Knightly News - Page 10

Protestors rally against Trump in San Francisco last year. trolled by his Republican party, which means that he most likely has enough runway to remain president at least until the 2018 midterm elections. The major threat for Trump before the midterm election is the ongoing Russia investigation with Robert Mueller.

This impeachment deserves to receive bipartisan support, which would heal our ailing country. The widespread respect and trust of the president must be restored. Trump, who once claimed “no collusion” 16 times in a 30-minute interview with The New York Times, has lied repeatedly about the validity of the Russia investigation. Trump administration officials who haven’t already been fired have either been indicted or are on the chopping block.

Our nation is in need of a healthy two-party system, which will never happen if politicians stand by a sexist, racist, deceitful and divisive man, whose offense should transcend the political aisle.

Fiscally speaking, I speculate that my views are centrist or slightly on the right side of the aisle. But how could I possibly support Trump-esque conservatives who feel that they can deny science, the free will of women and their liberty to make personal decisions, and the constitutional restrictions put in place by our founding fathers?

It is time for “both sides” to come together. I implore you to engage in political dialogue – not arguments – with your peers. Political awareness is essential for the prevention of demagogues.

impact. After Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away in February 2016, a big question revolving around the 2016 election was whether his successor would be chosen by a President Hillary Clinton or a President Trump.

While campaigning, Trump promised to appoint a conservative to succeed Scalia and followed through on this promise as Neil Gorsuch assumed office as a Supreme Court justice in April 2017. Additionally, President Trump set a new record by confirming 20 federal judges in his first year.

However, President Trump and Republicans in the House and Senate failed to successfully repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as “ObamaCare.” This failure caused Americans to wonder if President Trump would be able to pass any significant legislation. This question was answered in December when Congress passed a $1.5 trillion tax cut bill.

Despite not receiving a single Democratic vote, the House passed The Tax Cuts and Job Act with a vote of 224-201, giving President Trump and Republicans the legislative win that they needed heading into 2018. The bill reduces the corporate tax

rate from 35% to 21% and people across all income levels will see a tax cut of some sort.

Several businesses have given immediate bonuses and pay raises to employees due to the tax cut. AT&T awarded 200,000 employees with $1000 bonuses and Walt Disney Co. soon followed by awarding 125,00 U.S. employees with $1000 bonuses, and plans to put $50 million into a fund that will help employees with tuition costs.

The unemployment rate continued its downward trajectory from the Obama years and is down to 4.1%, which is a 17-year low. Additionally, the GDP has increased to above 3%, the DOW Jones reached an all-time high, and 1.7 million new jobs have been created. Many of these economic successes have been attributed to President Trump’s deregulation. President Trump cut 17 regulations for each new one, which reduced regulation by almost 50% and saved $8.1 billion.

While it is almost certain that President Trump will continue to be impractical and at times aggravating in 2018, there is hope that he and his administration will do their best to continue to protect and serve in the upcoming months.

Trump Can Point to Some Successes Photo: whitehouse.gov Trump speaks at a press conference about South Asia strategy in August.

George Shepherd

Sports Editor Class of 2018

After a year of President Donald Trump in office, the U.S. has undergone significant changes. President Trump has gotten himself into some precarious battles that have made it hard for many Americans to take him seriously. Whether it be taking shots at media icon Lavar Ball, the National Football League or CNN, Trump stays on offense, which likely contributes to his

historically low approval rating of 39%. Most recently, President Trump has been under scrutiny because of the two-day government shutdown over the spending bill and DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival).

But despite President Trump’s numerous flaws, his accomplishments in office should not be overlooked. President Trump has impacted America’s military, politics and economy extensively in his first year in office.

One of President Trump’s focuses on the campaign trail in 2016 was to eliminate ISIS and

make improvements to the U.S. military. The Defense Department reported that 11 months into Trump’s presidency, there are an estimated 1,000 ISIS fighters and 5.3 million people have been freed, as compared to 35,000 ISIS fighters and 2.4 million people freed in the final 28 months of President Obama’s term.

In July, the Iraqi government declared that Mosul had been liberated from ISIS and in October, American-backed forces drove ISIS fighters from their headquarters in Raqqa, Syria.

President Trump and others in Washington credit many of the successes in the Middle East to Trump’s push for U.S. allies to pay more into NATO defense accounts and the deregulation of rules of engagement for the U.S. military.

Domestically, President Trump has made little progress on his campaign promise to build a wall spanning the United States’ southern border. But illegal border crossings have been down 60% from pre-Trump times, marking the lowest number of Southwest border apprehensions since 1971.

Likely the most enduring legacy of President Trump’s first year in office will be his political

Sports

Vol. 43, Issue #5

The Knightly News - Page 11

Baseball Swings into New Season Michael Simon

Co-editor-in-chief Class of 2018

Photo: Fred Assaf

These past several weeks have brought nothing but cold weather and even some snow.

However, the weather doesn’t stop this team, despite playing outdoors. It's already time to dust off cleats, bats and gloves, and "take me out to the ballgame," because baseball season is underway.

Last season, the Knights seemed to be rolling. Crucial wins over both Lovett and Westminster solidified the Knights as the two-seed heading into the state playoffs behind Redan.

However, a first round loss to North Hall rocked the Knights, sending them home early.

"The [North Hall] loss last year is not at all what we expected," said senior captain David Roos. "We worked so hard throughout the season with the goal of playing for a state cham-

Junior Brian Zeldin, a U Penn commit, deals out a pitch in the first round of the state playoffs against North Hall last year. pionship. We were all shocked."

North Hall went on to win the 3A state championship.

This year, the Knights

look to fill the void left by the graduation of first baseman Justin Rayman and catcher Jack Rubenstein, two vital contribut-

Where Does the NFL Go from Here?

Will Zook

Staff Writer Class of 2019

team this year. Jenkins will also see time at catcher and third base, while Zeldin will see some time in the outfield if he is not on the mound.

New to Pace this year, junior Darian Howard will be called upon to take over Rayman's role at first base. "Even though it's early into the season, the brotherhood of the team is shocking," said Howard. "Everyone on the team is so close, and I have had no problem fighting into my role on the team."

The Knights have six college commits on this year's team. Expectations for this year are high.

The Knights know what it takes to be a successful team, but at the same time know what it feels like to end the season on a disappointing note, which keeps them humbled and hungry.

“I expect a lot of leadership out of this group of seniors when it comes to defense, pitching and hitting, but also when it comes to building the culture of baseball at Pace,” said head community coach Seth LaFera.

Swimming, Diving Teams Head to State

like how laid back diving is, and

Photo: Yahoo Sports

As millions of football fans across the globe gear up for the Super Bowl, the future of the NFL seems more and more unsure. Growing concerns about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), as well as a rift between NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and team owners, have created uncertainty about the direction of the most popular American professional sport. Plummeting ratings and continued protest of the national anthem by players also have not helped.

The greatest concern that looms over the future of the NFL is safety concerns tied to CTE. According to Boston University, CTE is a progressive degeneration of the brain caused by repeated brain trauma. A study conducted by Dr. Ann McKee, director of the CTE Center at the university, was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association in July. For the study, Dr. McKee examined the brains of 202 deceased football players. Of those players, 111 played in the NFL, and 110 of those players were found to have CTE. Current players are aware of the risk involved and decide to play through it, but early retirements due to fear of injury are becoming increasingly more common. Former NFL stars Calvin Johnson and D’Brickashaw Ferguson both called it quits in their early 30's, surprisingly young for two of the best players at their respective positions.

In addition, concerns about long-term health effects have

ers to last year's success. Despite these losses, Roos and the four other returning seniors, Ben Bernstein, Zeke Diamond, Ryan Mazur and Jaden Steagall, look to guide the team to success in the upcoming season. Bernstein, Diamond, Roos and Steagall have all committed to play baseball in college next year.

"We have a core group of seniors on this team that are more than capable of leading this team," said Bernstein. "We have all played for Pace since our freshman year and know what it takes to be a successful team come the state playoffs."

The Knights also have a strong group of returning juniors, including Andrew Jenkins, Mitchell O'Berry and Brian Zeldin. Jenkins and Zeldin have played significant roles on the squad since their freshman season and look to extend their roles on the team this year.

Jenkins and Zeldin, both of whom have already committed to play baseball in college, will be the top two pitchers for the

Hits like this on Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (middle) create worry for long-term brain problems. led to fewer kids playing youth football.

But the future is not all doom and gloom. Efforts are being made to make the game safer, such as improved helmet technology and rules changes that penalize players for helmetto-helmet and other dangerous hits. While some players argue about the NFL becoming “soft,” these precautions are necessary in order to protect the players.

Another factor contributing to worry amongst NFL fans is the leadership of commissioner Roger Goodell. Even though he's disliked by a large number of fans, players and some owners (namely Jerry Jones), Goodell inked a five-year contract extension worth about $200 million.

Jones protested the lack of involvement pertaining to Goodell’s contract, and delayed contract discussions for weeks until an agreement was finally met. This fissure between owners and Goodell may create worry for the next few years, with NFL Players Association president and Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Eric Winston already saying that a lockout in

2021 is "inevitable.”

This past NFL season saw a decline in ratings by 15% from 2015, which equals 2.8 million viewers according to Nielsen Holdings PLC. A combination of the aforementioned problems have contributed to this severe dip in ratings. Some fans have boycotted the NFL, as they are unable to watch men destroy their brains by repeatedly crashing into one another. Others have boycotted because they're unhappy about players kneeling for the anthem.

Others simply do not care anymore, due to both oversaturation and dull matchups. NFL games are now on TV four days of the week (Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday in December), and it is simply too much football for the average fan. Sunday morning London games have not been the answer either, with some games only available online.

While the NFL seems clouded in doubt at the moment, it has survived for over 50 years and will surely find solutions that can please fans and players alike.

Jill Rawls coming from a background in

Staff Writer Class of 2019 The Pace Academy varsity swimming and diving teams, led by head swimming coach John Ague and head diving coach Jim Ebert, kicked off the season on Nov. 15 with a victory against Loganville High School. Swimmers, alongside senior captains Melanie Crawford, Sophie Ferry and Catherine Sweeney, and junior captains Carter Frooman and Charlie Kaye, qualified for state in six events in the first meet alone.

Ferry, along with sophomore Erin Hood, freshman Amalie Little and junior Luisa Whitney won the medley relay with a state-qualifying time. Kaye made three qualifying times and Hood made two of her own.

“The team has taken a little while to really show just how talented they are,” said Mr. Ague, who has coached the Pace swim team for 19 years. “Each year is very different as we look for new leaders to emerge – some by their results in the pool, some by what they can do as leaders in and out of the water.”

In a meet against Woodward Academy on Jan. 11, Hood and Kaye both earned an Iron Knight award by qualifying for state in every event. “It is hard enough to make one time, let alone all individual times,” said Mr. Ague.

The success of the divers, both newcomers and veterans, has also been a big contributing factor in the team’s victories. “I

gymnastics I was able to pick it up quickly,” said sophomore and first-year diver Hayden Sample.

“My first competition was a little scary, especially because everyone is quiet in meets, which is very different from practice.”

At a meet on Nov. 29, freshman Lizzy Kaye, a veteran diver, broke the Pace Academy record with her score for the six-dive event.

Pace hosted around 200 competitors in the last chance qualifier meet, who came from several schools including Mount Paran Christian School, Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School and The Lovett School on Jan. 19-20. This meet was the last opportunity for swimmers and divers to qualify to compete in the championship.

Divers competed that Friday afternoon and sophomore Will Stratton earned first place for the six-dive event. Swimmers competed in the preliminaries on Saturday morning, and the top 16 swimmers for each event advanced to finals in the afternoon. Prior to this meet the male swimmers had not made any relay times to qualify for state, but in this meet, they qualified two of their relays.

“Both teams are very talented and we look forward to how they will perform at the GHSA State Swimming and Diving Championships,” said Mr. Ague.

The championship meet is Feb. 2-4 at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center.

Sports

February 2, 2018

The Knightly News - Page 12

Boys Lacrosse Jumps Into Spring Charlie Warren Staff Writer Class of 2019

Photo: Fred Assaf

While the inclement weather still threatens, making it feel like the dead of winter, spring sports teams are in high gear, particularly the mens lacrosse team.

The team has had an impressive preseason and aims to continue playing competitively. The team struggled in a challenging fall league and ended that season with a record of 1-7, but transitioned well to a winter box league.

The Knights were much more successful in their winter season, ending with a 4-2 record.

These relaxed off season games have allowed the team to become a unified group in preparation for the official season. The team was particularly cohesive due to the increased attendance by team members from every grade who participate in the off season games as well as off season workouts and throw arounds.

Senior Joseph Adams clears the ball against Westminster last year. The final was a 11-14 loss.

“The fall and box teams helped us bond as a team because we had no coaches," said senior Joseph Mathias. "We had to organize everything ourselves, and hanging out helped build team chemistry.”

A strong but small group of seniors led offensive production last season. Major losses to the team include attack-men Drew

Simons '17 and Josh Simons '17 and key ground ball midfielder Sammy Tanenblatt '17. In addition, offensive midfielder Jack Neill, a junior and former captain, left Pace at the end of first semester this year. With these losses, the team has looked to new members to add to the program and take on bigger roles.

Head Coach Grady Stevens

named senior Joseph Adams and junior Sam Assaf team captains this year, and he will likely name one more captain with the departure of Neill. The new captains have been enthusiastic and engaged with the team throughout the fall and winter season. “The captains have done a great job organizing the team early on so we will operate smoothly by the

start of the season,” said junior Brogan Smith.

In addition, underclassmen, including freshman Tripp Trimble and sophomore Thomas Siegenthaler, will be essential to the future of the team. “I feel good about this year’s freshmen and sophomores and I’m excited for the depth they will bring to the team as well as the development that this freshmen class will have as a whole,” said Assaf. A new group of freshmen, along with sophomores like Aidan Gannon and Ben Ginsberg stepping up their game, will increase the scope of the team for this season.

There will also be new additions to the coaching staff this year, including upper school science teacher Matthew Smentek, as well as players from the professional box lacrosse team, the Georgia Swarm. The Knights have a packed season and will kick it off with a scrimmage at North Paulding High School on Feb. 8. The first home game is against Mt. Pisgah on Feb. 16.

Juniors Lead Girls Basketball Team Online Editor Class of 2019

Photo: Fred Assaf

With an overall record of 13-6 and a regional record of 9-2 as of Jan. 29, the varsity girls basketball team is currently ranked second in Region 5-AAA. The team beat neighborhood rival Westminster twice this season, 41-31 and, more recently, 45-16. Their only two regional losses as of press time have been to the Lovett Lions, who are undefeated in region play and ranked No. 9 in Class AAA, according to MaxPreps.

With the absence of any seniors on the team this year, the juniors have stepped up to lead the team. “This year’s team has a much younger dynamic,” said junior Ann Rafeedie. “We get along really well because we are all so close in age.”

As the leaders of the program, juniors Paige Fleming, Madeline Janki, Kayla Ross and Joelle Zelony, along with Rafeedie, hope to guide the team to eventually win the region tournament. “Our biggest goal this season is to be at the top of our region,” said Ross. “But we also hope to continue building the basketball program and setting the tone for the years to come.”

The juniors have worked extremely hard to develop the team after the loss of last year’s seniors. “We are coping with the loss of some great girls but we seem to be doing pretty well,” said Zelony.

Head Coach Troy Baker is excited and enthusiastic about the season, and is pleased with the new team members. “The energy is positive, and the returning players have done a great job

welcoming the newcomers to the squad,” he said.

The team has progressed greatly since last year. The improvement can be credited to the team’s ability to finish their games strong. “Our biggest improvement is our ability to make sound decisions in the fourth quarter, which has been instrumental in our ability to close out close games,” said Coach Baker.

“Our margin of victory has been six points or less in most of our wins this season, which is a strong indicator that we are buckling down in crunch time.”

Over winter break, instead of skiing or tanning like some members of the student body, the girls basketball team played in the Hart County Tournament.

The girls left with two wins and one loss, placing them in third overall. As well as gaining more practice and improving their fundamental skills, the team also formed a strong bond that added to their overall chemistry. “The tournament really brought us all together,” said Janki. “We are now a much closer team and it is evident on and off the court.”

With these strong connections, the team truly cares about each other and thus plays harder for each other. “Relationships are the foundation of this program,” said Coach Baker. “Every game is more important when you care about your teammates.”

Although the team has been pretty successful so far, their two region losses to Lovett have encouraged them to work even harder. “There are some improvements we still need to make,” said Rafeedie. “We really need to work on our defense and communicating on the court.”

One of their most common mistakes is the number of turnovers recorded in games. “We need to work on controlling the ball and

Freshman Camryn Jones dribbles the ball in for a layup against Redan High School. making sure we don’t turn the ball over,” said Ross.

The strong chemistry of the team inspired others to try out for the team this year. Junior Devan Johnson saw the team dynamic and decided to give basketball a try. As the only junior on JV, Johnson’s leadership skills are truly put to the test. “All the freshmen were really welcoming,” said Johnson.

“I was nervous being the only junior on JV, but it’s a lot of fun and I feel like we’re family already.”

The excitement before a big game is one of the main reasons these girls love playing the sport as much as they do. “The feeling of all the fans riling us up while we run out of the locker room to the pump-up music and start our warmups is truly exhilarating,” said Janki. “It’s one of the reasons I love the game so much.”

This love of the game is what truly drives the program.

“My hope is that by the end of the season, every player and every coach will be thinking the same thing: I don’t want this

to end,” said Coach Baker. The regular season ends with a home game against Stone Mountain on Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m.

Valentine’s Day Candy Quiz Answers (from page 8) Mr Hamburger: Milk Chocolate M&M’s Mr. Whyte: Reese’s Pieces Mr. Smith: Peanut Butter Dove Chocolates Dr. Moss: Reeses Peanut Butter Cups Mr. Al: Almond Joy Mr. Stevens: Reese’s Easter eggs Mr. Hornor: Ritter Sports Bar Mrs. Terry: Haribo Gummy Bears Mrs. Lewis: Nerds Dr. McCloskey: Butterfinger Mr. Smentek: Snickers

Abby Meyerowitz