Volume 45, Issue #1

Vol. 45, Issue #1

The

September 27, 2019

Knightly News

p. 3 Teacher Summer Reading

p. 6-7 Candidate Positions for 2020

p. 12 Pace Athletes Compete at Maccabi Games

ICGL Scholars Tackle Waste Francesca Vaneri

News Editor Class of 2020

Junior Tommy Assaf and senior Rekha Sashti, ICGL scholars, hope to educate the Pace community.

“As we look forward to the next couple of themes, we’re going to be taking a turn, so we wanted a year to wrap up and talk through and review as a community what we’ve learned through the lens of waste before we move out into slightly different topics like global health, education, etc.,

that aren’t so strictly scientific in nature.”

The students will address all types of waste. “We’re focusing a lot on what I would say people would refer to as unconventional waste sources,” said Sashti.

“Literally everything we interact with every day produces waste

Photo: Francesca Vaneri

Since the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) Scholars program began in 2014, four upper school students have been selected each year to explore different themes related to climate change, a problem that will undoubtedly shape our future. This year, juniors Tommy Assaf and Jack Brown along with seniors Sophie Lettes and Rekha Sashti are embarking on a journey to study one of the most misunderstood aspects of climate change: waste.

This year is particularly important for the program because it is intended to be a review of all that the community has learned with past themes.

“The theme is a culmination of the previous five years in that all of them – water, food, climate, conservation, energy – have to do with waste,” said ICGL Program Director Trish Anderson.

and pollutes the earth.” While people often think of waste as the things that they usually put in the trash, the scholars will try to raise awareness of the types of waste that people do not think of.

“We’re going to be thinking about tech waste, food waste,

power waste and more,” said Assaf. “Personally, I’m really interested in tech waste. Just think of all the waste created by phones and TVs and laptops when people just throw away their older models instead of reusing them. Most people don’t think about that when they’re upgrading their phones every time a new one comes out.”

To prepare for a year of learning and educating the Pace community, the four scholars read the book “Cradle to Cradle”

by Michael Brungaurt. The book discusses how the “reduce, reuse, recycle” motto that has been used in environmental discourse has created a misunderstanding about waste in our society.

“There are a lot of misconceptions in environmental rhetoric,” said Sashti. “Like, when someone says that something is recyclable, or reusable, or helping the earth, that doesn’t actually mean it is.” “Cradle to Cradle” is considered one of the seminal books on reducing

(Continued on page 5)

Ted Ward Brings Big Ideas, Energy to His New Role Darren Rosing Opinion Editor Class of 2021

While Mr. Ward’s office is on the bottom floor of the Upper School, his job entails collaboration with all divisions. Here, he works with Pace sixth graders. like that,” said Mr. Ward. “And then I became pretty empowered by the Civil Rights Movement.

It wasn’t just the racial tension aspect, but actually how a group of people could change not just their own outcomes but also societal outcomes without conflict.

All of my interest in history up to that point was based on bloodshed, but this was just as significant.”

His two-year tenure at the

Center was both impactful and productive, but Mr. Ward still did not feel like it was as expansive or robust a job as he had envisioned for himself. His ongoing collaboration during the 2018-2019 school year with Pace’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion Joanne Brown piqued his interest in working full-time at Pace.

In July 2019, Mr. Ward officially joined the Pace faculty

Photo: Ryan Vihlen

“My grandfather was a probate judge in Henry County, Alabama during the ‘60s,” said new Associate Director of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) Ted Ward. “I was born into that same privilege, and I decided I was going to try to lift people up with it.”

Recognizing his privilege from an early age is just one of the many influences on Mr. Ward’s commitment to global community outreach. Another is an experience he had as a student at Brookwood High School.

“In 2003, Brookwood High School was an affluent, upperincome, pretty white public school,” said Mr. Ward. “But while I was there, I got an opportunity to mentor some students at Radcliff Middle twice a week, where the population was mostly foreign-born kids. That experience is what opened my eyes not only to education, but also to how I could be involved in diverse education.”

After college, Mr. Ward began teaching at Peachtree Charter Middle School. He taught several inclusion courses where students with learning disabilities worked alongside general education students.

During Mr. Ward’s tenure there, the school eventually tailored courses that welcomed students whose first language was not English as well. After a few years at Peachtree, he began teaching history at Dunwoody High School.

“You hear it all the time – to follow your passion – but I think it’s really difficult to know what exactly your passion is,” said Mr. Ward. “I got lucky in that I knew history was my thing.” But, in 2017, when Mr. Ward realized that there wasn’t room for him to expand and grow as a leader in education at Dunwoody, he started looking for a change. A job offer from the National Center for Civil and Human Rights was his opportunity. When asked why he chose this particular route, Mr. Ward circles back to his love of history.

“I had always been really interested in military history, like battles and weapons and stuff

full-time. “While Ted’s role is to lead Pace in global initiatives and community engagement, he will also be a tremendous resource for the work of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Mrs. Brown. “His personal and professional experience around this work will provide an important lens to all that he does for and with us at Pace.”

(Continued on page 4)

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

knightlife.paceacademy.org/knightlynews

Pace News

September 27, 2019

The Knightly News - Page 2

New Faculty Join the Upper School Jamie Kornheiser Managing Editor Class of 2021

Kalissa Greene

Online Editor Class of 2021

Photo: Jamie Kornheiser

Every August, new faces join the Pace community and begin to acclimate to their new surroundings. In addition to the influx of new students, new members of the upper school faculty are also adjusting to their new school.

BETSY COSTLEY has joined the science department as a Conceptual Physics and Math Physics Honors teacher.

She moved to Atlanta in 2012, but then moved to California in 2016 for her husband’s job. After living there for two years and working for IXL, an educational technology company, Mrs. Costley and her husband moved back to Atlanta. Last year, Mrs. Costley worked at Pace as a long-term substitute teaching Conceptual Physics. She attended American University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in physics.

Although Mrs. Costley went to college to study political science, she fell in love with physics after taking a general education class. “I had several professors who were really passionate about students’ learning about about physics in general, and that really resonated with me,” said Mrs. Costley. “Their example sparked [my] love of teaching and physics.”

In addition to physics, Mrs. Costley is passionate about astronomy. She loves how the general physics laws she is teaching her students can explain extraordinary phenomena like the formation of planets and how stars move. She also enjoys playing board games like “Pandemic” and “Gloomhaven,” as well as spending time with

(Clockwise from top left) Tamara Maravalli-Neiley, Jennifer Wilson, Diane Hagner, Jordan Silverboard and Mary Thielman are excited about the school year. friends and family, cooking and knitting.

New in the math department is Algebra I, Algebra II and Discrete Mathematics teacher DIANE HAGNER. She grew up in Buford, South Carolina where both of her parents served in the Marines. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston and a master’s degree from the College of William and Mary. Ms. Hagner served in the Navy where she used her strong science and math background to work in the Naval Nuclear Power Program.

It was in high school that Ms. Hagner fell in love with calculus.

“I remember thinking I wish I could have a job where I could just do calculus all day,” she said. After teaching in the Navy, she realized she loved teaching and eventually became a teacher in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“Last year I taught BC Calculus, AB Calculus, and I was like, I kind of have my dream job. I’m doing calculus all day,” she said.

She taught in Minneapolis for over 25 years before moving to Atlanta this past summer.

Photo: Amalia Haviv (L-R) Betsy Costley and Abby Schirmer are settling into the new year at a new school.

In addition to calculus, Ms. Hagner loves to bake, play tennis and golf and watch sports, especially SEC football. She is excited to go “to the student activities and [to] get to know them outside of the classroom.”

The English department added Literary Heroes and World Literature teacher TAMARA MARAVALLINEILEY. After growing up in Vermont, Mrs. Maravalli-Neiley got her bachelor’s degree at Union College, where she graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa.

It was during Harkness discussions in school that she realized she wanted to become a teacher.

She has helped out and taught at many different schools all over New England, and most recently she taught at Gulf Stream School in Gulf Stream, Florida.

Mrs. Maravalli-Neiley moved to Atlanta in June, immediately after finishing the school year. Just days after, she married her now-husband Eric Neiley, an ice hockey player for the Atlanta Gladiators. In her free time, Mrs. Maravalli-Neiley loves to be outside and hike with her husband.

Mrs. Maravalli-Neiley is looking forward to the soccer season when she will be one of the assistant coaches of the girls varsity team. “I can’t wait to meet some of the other female students who are in other classes,” she said. She is also “looking forward to getting to know the school more, including faculty in other departments.”

The debate team has a new coach, ABBY SCHIRMER, the Director of Speech and Debate.

She has plenty of experience as the former head policy debate coach at the Marist School and years of teaching 7-week summer debate camps. She also debated in high school and college.

At Michigan State, she earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations. Debate has been a part of her life for 12 years.

Ms. Schirmer has a unique way of teaching debate; she strives to replace lectures with stories. “I am a storyteller and I really like telling stories,” she said. “Teaching really gives me

that platform.” She feels that “a lot of young people do not know how to advocate for themselves,” and through teaching debate she hopes to give students a voice.

This year most of her debate team is “new and fresh,” according to Ms. Schirmer. However, she is not fazed by only having a few returning members and feels this is a great opportunity for her first year. She said that she is prepared to build this new team with “good critical thinking skills, good research skills and good advocacy skills.”

The Academic Resource Center (ARC) team added JORDAN SILVERBOARD, who serves as academic coach.

Before joining the ARC team, she served in a similar role as director of student services at Atlanta Classical Academy and as a transition specialist for high school students with special needs.

Unlike other new teachers, Mrs. Silverboard is an Atlanta native who went to Westminster.

Although she attended Pace’s rival school, she says that she “has no hard feelings against Pace and loves it here.”

After high school, Mrs. Silverboard earned a bachelor’s degree in English and international studies from Northwestern University. She later attended Georgia Southern University, where she earned a Master of Arts in teaching with a concentration in special education.

Mrs. Silverboard says that her time after college in the Peace Corps “got [her] thinking about teaching.” She worked in the Peace Corps in Ecuador which allowed her to work with youth and families on urban garden projects, academic clubs and more. While deciding where to work after her time in Ecuador, it was “the feeling of family and community” that drew her to Pace.

Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Silverboard enjoys reading.

“I was so excited that ‘Harry Potter’ was one of the summer reading books,” she said. This year she looks forward to “getting to know a lot of the students and faculty better” and to attend

the Pace tradition, Phlotilla.

While chemistry teacher Dr. Melody Walter is on maternity leave, long-term substitute MARY THIELMAN is teaching her honors chemistry classes.

Ms. Thielman is a retired educator after 37 years of teaching and being an Assistant Principal in the Cobb County School District. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Briar Cliff University and her M.Ed. and Ed.S. at Georgia State University.

Ms. Thielman first moved to Atlanta in 1982 from Iowa and learned about Pace while teaching at Lovett in the mid 1980s. She enjoys “Pace’s unique approach to teaching the whole child.” Her teaching style mirrors Pace’s approach as she “want[s] students to stretch their talents and abilities while learning new information.” “I want them to experience the joy found in exploring their potential,” she said.

Even though she will only teach at Pace until November, she looks forward to “meeting new people and sharing in the Pace experience.” Outside of the classroom, her life is filled with photography and gardening.

Joining art teachers Donice Bloodworth and Mark Knott in the Fine Arts Center is photography teacher JENNIFER WILSON. Mrs. Wilson moved to Atlanta three years ago from New York, where she was teaching art at Collegiate School in New York City, as well as serving as the chair of the visual arts department and as an 11th grade dean.

She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in two-dimensional studies from Bowling Green State University, a bachelor’s degree in photography from the Corcoran College of Art and Design and a master’s from the University of Delaware.

For as long as she can remember, Mrs. Wilson has always wanted to either teach or be an artist. She enjoyed drawing and painting while growing up, but something about teaching really appealed to her. “I knew I wanted to teach, and I think part of that was because I always felt like my teachers helped change my life,” said Mrs. Wilson. “I think somewhere I felt like that would be exciting to maybe be that person for someone [else].”

After taking a photography class in college, Mrs. Wilson fell in love with photography and realized she needed to find a job where she could combine her two passions.

Mrs. Wilson taught at Pace last year as a middle school science teacher and was quickly surprised by the students and their eagerness to learn. “One of the things that struck me very early on working here was how motivated the students were and how interested they are in learning new things,” she said.

Also new are Associate Director of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership TED WARD and Library Assistant TIGER BROWN. There are separate articles in this issue about them.

Pace News

Vol. 45, Issue #1

The Knightly News - Page 3

Five Minutes with Senior Class President Robert Cushman Aman Hashim

Co-Editor in Chief Class of 2020

ably going to go with water polo because every day is just so fun.

KN: Nice. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

RC: Whoa, these questions are tough. Probably bagels. Just a standard plain bagel.

KN: That’s good. If you could change one thing about Pace, what would it be?

RC: I would probably offer a wide variety of classes earlier in your high school years like Econ.

KN: What’s a song that describes your life?

RC: Hmm. I don’t know. We can come back to that.

KN: OK. What’s your go-to school day outfit?

RC: Long khaki pants and my pretty thin blue shirt because it keeps me cool but at the same time it’s just a collared shirt.

KN: What do you like to do on the weekends?

RC: Normally, if there isn’t a water polo game I’ll be hanging out with my friends or going places

Photo: Aman Hashim

KN: Hi Robert! How are you?

RC: I’m doing well. How are you?

KN: Great, thanks. How has your role on Student Council gone so far?

RC: It’s been pretty great so far.

We’ve had a great team and I’m really happy to have Paul Louis back as class VP. It’s been awesome to have his experience to help us.

KN: Why did you run for Student Council for this year?

RC: I decided to run because I didn’t really have any leadership positions and the best way to get experience like that is in a place where I can share my opinions for the school. I’ve spent a lot of time and energy on it and wanted to give back to the grade because they have been great to me so far.

KN: Cool. How long have you been at Pace?

RC: Nine years, since third grade.

KN: Whoa! How have you liked it thus far?

RC: Pace has been great. It’s obviously changed with the students and teachers but the core group of students has been pretty much similar. It’s been cool to see how people have changed over the years.

KN: Who has been your favorite teacher so far?

RC: I wouldn’t say I have a favorite, but the most influential teacher for me is the legendary Helen Smith.

KN: Why? RC: She really directed me away from learning for the sake of the grade to learning for the sake of learning and being curious. So it’s been a great transition from learning for the grade to something I genuinely love.

KN: What’s been your favorite Pace memory?

RC: Ooh, thats tough. I’m prob-

Senior class president Robert Cushman studies hard in the Seaman Family Commons during his free periods. with my parents.

KN: That’s all I got. Thanks.

Robert, and good luck this year!

RC: Thanks, you too!

who acknowledges why it was so hard for her to talk about racism and her cry to people like her to say that, yes, it is going to be uncomfortable.”

Math teacher Kimberly Goodstadt dove deep into World War II-era France with the novel, “The Lost Girls of Paris” by Pam Jenoff. The book is about Grace Healey, a woman who lost her husband in the war and finds a suitcase full of photographs of different women in Grand Central Terminal. She later discovers they are photos of spies sent from England to help with the war effort.

“Being a female, it was really amazing reading a story about women taking charge and about women’s roles in the war,” said Ms. Goodstadt. “Although it was still fiction it was based off of facts, so to know that something similar actually did happen, I thought was really inspiring.”

This book combines fiction with real-life events, providing the true story of female British spies during World War II as well as the fictional story of Grace Healey.

“How to Hide an Empire” by Daniel Immerwahr reveals the harsh truth that some Americans are afraid to accept: America is an empire. Read by Dr. Christine Carter, U.S. history teacher, this book exposes the imperialism, colonization and domination of other cultures that have characterized America since the 19th century.

Immerwahr shines a light on the American territories and islands that he says have been cast aside and ignored by America and its citizens, as well as how the citizens of these territories are looked upon as “others.”

“He pays a lot of attention to the importance of race in

building an empire and how it was used in justifying building an empire and obviously that is still very true today,” she said.

“Plus, he also goes up to 9/11 and Afghanistan which is still in the news right now.”

Dr. Carter can see the effects of this imperialism and racism discussed by Immerwahr in recent times. “I kept thinking about this with the hurricane in Puerto Rico and how a lot of Americans were treating Puerto Rico as though it wasn’t even part of the United States,” she said. “Puerto Rico is still really struggling and I think sometimes Americans justify that to themselves because they think of Puerto Rico as ‘other.’ They see those people as looking different from white Americans.”

Dr. Carter also read the powerful novel, “The Other Americans” by Pulitzer Prize finalist Laila Lalami. It follows the story of a Moroccan immigrant who was murdered and his family, as well as an Iraq war veteran, a detective, and an undocumented immigrant, each deeply divided by race, religion and class.

“Falter” by Bill McKibben is a harrowing non-fiction book that issues an urgent warning: climate change is real, and will destroy us. Read by Math Department Chair Gus Whyte, the book not only falls in line with the current ICGL theme of waste, but also with the climate crisis towering over humanity’s heads.

“One of the things I always say about reading is that it broadens our perspective and makes us more empathetic people,” said Mr. Ball. “Through books we can see heroes in all kinds of people that maybe we’d never seen before.”

Teachers Share Thoughts on Summer Reading Kathryn Hood

Visual Editor Class of 2021

Helen Smith is one of many teachers who read “White Fragility.”

Almost 100 Pace faculty members read the New York Times bestseller “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo, which seeks to explain why white people are uncomfortable when talking about racism.

Ms. Smith recognizes that this book will be difficult for many white people to read. She explains that it will make them focus on what they already know, that they are privileged.

One of the most eye-opening ideas in the book is that white people don’t think of themselves as a race; they think of themselves as “normal.”

This idea is even ingrained in law, institionalized, which was the most crucial point to Ms. Smith. “I think I will use it specifically in teaching because it will make me much more aware of the legal framework that has made this country white privileged,” she said.

It also brought a new level of awareness to herself. “It made

Photo: Kathryn Hood

What do teachers do over summer break? As one might expect, many of them spend their time reading, not only for school, but also for fun, with books provided by the Pace Parents Club. “The faculty summer reading program has been going on for many years, with the Parents Club generously funding it,” said Director of Libraries Matt Ball, who coordinates the program.

The 10 selections for this year included nonfiction books that touched on education, history, science and diversity, as well as some fiction.

Pulitzer Prize winner “The Overstory” by Richard Powers digs its roots into the ever-expanding climate crisis. The novel covers the story of nine main characters, each profoundly changed by an experience with trees. Their lives seem at first to be detached from one another, but underneath they are all deeply intertwined.

“You wind up getting invested in the relationships between the people and the trees, and you end up rooting for this gang of eco-terrorists,” said English teacher Emily Washburn. “A line blurs over what you are trying to save and when you can become an agent of terror.”

Some of the most compelling and beautiful characters in the novel are 200 feet tall, making it clear that there is an obligation to reverse the destruction, or, as with Mrs. Washburn, have more sympathy for people trying to help the environmental effort. “It made me wonder about what is our duty to the world,” she said.

me realize how different my childhood and my whole life has been because I can walk into any place and not think that people are looking at me because of my race,” she said. “The laws I’m assuming will be enforced fairly for me. I didn’t have to worry about being shot in a gas station parking lot because the music was too loud. We do not know how privileged we are to be white, and I think ‘White Fragility’ really helped me see that.”

As a person of color, Mrs. Brown was intrigued to hear the perspective of Robin DiAngelo, a white woman, as it would be from a completely different mindset than a person of color who is doing similar work.

“Learning new perspectives brings awareness to your own identity and helps with fostering that sense of belonging and inclusion around people that might be different than you,” she said.

“It’s refreshing for me to read an author who is a white woman

Pace News

September 27, 2019

The Knightly News - Page 4

Curtains Open on New Theatre Season Gabriel Kadoori Staff Writer Class of 2022

Photo: Gabriel Kadoori

There is a lot to be excited about this school year, including the shows that the theatre department has in store. This year’s productions are Qui Nguyen’s “She Kills Monsters,” Meredith Wilson’s hit Broadway musical and five-time Tony Award winner “The Music Man” and the annual Winter Showcase. When asked which of these performances he is most looking forward to, Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair Sean Bryan said, “It’s almost like asking, ‘What’s your favorite dish at Thanksgiving?’ Well, I like multiple dishes.”

The year will kick off on Oct. 22-23 with “She Kills Monsters,” a drama-comedy set in the world of “Dungeons and Dragons.” The role of protagonist Agnes Evans will be played by junior Audrey Holton. Agnes is mourning the death of her late sister Tilly (played by senior Lauren O’Sullivan) when she stumbles upon Tilly’s notebook which reveals that she had been well-known in the online gaming community.

Junior Jack Brown will be

playing Evil Gabbi who is Tilly’s bully and a monster within the game. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work on character development, as this character was originally female and I’m looking forward to playing it femininely,” said Jack.

“She Kills Monsters” will serve as Pace Academy’s entrant into the Georgia High School Association’s One Act Play Competition. Mr. Bryan is eager to show off the fight choreography and unique props that will be used for the show, set in the mid ‘90s.

The annual Winter Showcase will take place on Jan. 24-25.

For this unique production, the audience moves around the Pace campus to see the actors as they act out scenes in different locations in the FAC and the Upper School. The students look forward to this opportunity to write and direct their own material. The theatre department will once again collaborate with the Serenbe Playhouse for this show.

Both the students and Mr. Bryan are most excited for the spring musical slated for April 3-4. “The Music Man” first became a hit on Broadway in the late 1950s and since then it has been made into both a TV show and movie. It tells the story of

(L-R) Bea Chadwick, Stella Nelson and Nile Bennett rehearse their skits for acting class. con man Harold Hill who poses as a boys’ band organizer. The plot takes a huge turn when he falls in love with Marian, the librarian and piano teacher, and risks being outed to be with her.

“The music is so wonderful… it is just a great, simple story that asks a lot of great questions,” said Mr. Bryan. “It’s a classic musical, but I think it’s still powerful today.” Sophomore Shalizeh Thobani said she hopes to improve her singing, dancing and acting while working on “The Music Man.” A common theme among students who participate in theatre

is their love for creating bonds with other actors throughout the year. Rather than looking forward to a specific show or developing a certain skill, junior Elliot Mathis is most looking forward to “expanding her friend group” and meeting new people with whom she has not had the chance to interact. Similarly, O’Sullivan is excited to meet students in other grades during rehearsals this year.

Aside from the intimacy that comes with working alongside other students, Pace actors and actresses also appreciate the theatrical skills and knowledge

that Mr. Bryan has to share. “He is really great at casting,” said O’Sullivan. “He’ll pick a show and you don’t expect it to work out, but then he casts it so well and you can see his vision. You can also see how genuinely excited he is about theatre… so it’s nice to be a part of his process.”

This love for working with one another goes both ways. Mr Bryan described the Pace students as “kind, great kids with great hearts and intentions who apply themselves.” He is struck by their “empathy and willingness to step into other people’s shoes.”

ICGL Fellows Program Launches Ted Ward (Continued from p. 1)

Megan Hardesty Staff Writer Class of 2022

Photo: Ted Ward

Class of 2022 students, who were in fifth grade at the time of the birth of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) at Pace, are now serving the school as fellows in the new two-year global leadership program. The selected study topics for the program are Food Highways, Global Health (HIV and AIDS), the Five Freedoms and the Art of Urban Revitalization. Each section has around six students and two faculty advisors.

“The impetus for the program was really to reach a greater number of upper school students on a more consistent basis, in thinking around global issues and developing a global mindset,” said ICGL Director Tricia Anderson. “We really wanted to get a program in place that would attract more students and engage them more long term in thinking about global issues.”

History teacher Caitlin Terry is the advisor for the Food Highways group, along with new photography teacher Jennifer Wilson. “Food is a great way of expressing not only culture, but also care and empathy for other people,” said Mrs. Terry.

She was clear that Food Highways is not solely focused on food. Instead, she aims “to start developing relationships with the communities on Buford Highway, and to also have a

(L-R) Amalia Haviv, Shania Porter, Emma Stuart Maske, Maryam Dandashly, Allie Campbell and Harper White learn about sound art at Ponce City Market. greater understanding of the food movement, as well as immigrant experiences in America right now.” Mrs. Terry plans on utilizing her historical background along with Mrs. Wilson’s background in visual narratives to maximize understanding for her students.

Upper school math teacher Kimberly Goodstadt as advisor of the Art of Urban Revitalization cohort has similar ideas for the coming year. “We are going to try and meet with as many local artists as we can to get to know their story and hopefully get involved in some local art as well, she said. “That way we can participate and also bring something to the Pace campus and get our community involved.”

Ms. Goodstadt and her coadvisor, upper school painting teacher Donice Boodworth,

will be partnering with Atlanta United this year to explore the connection between art and revitalization in the Atlanta area.

The new ICGL fellows had many reasons for joining, with some wanting to explore a leadership role and others eager to learn more about their chosen topic. This was the case for sophomore Laura Arenth. “I am really interested in disease, and I don’t know that much about AIDS and HIV, so I thought it would be a really interesting way to research more about it,” she said.

Arenth has high hopes for the program, saying, “I want to be the messenger to the rest of the school, to communicate what we learn.”

The Five Freedoms group is focused on understanding the challenges that the Five Free-

doms face today. The Five Freedoms of the First Amendment are freedom of religion, freedom of speech, the right to assembly, the right to petition and the freedom of the press, which the group is focusing on. The faculty advisors for the group are Dean of Students Alison Riley and English teacher Emily Washburn.

“My three big goals are excitement and interest, communicating, and actually measuring success,” said Ms. Anderson when speaking about the fellows’ inaugural year. She hopes the fellows are curious and passionate about their topics.

Ms. Anderson is eager for the program to get going, and looks forward to the groups helping the student body learn more about global issues.

Shaped by experiences where he has worked to break down the walls that divide society, Mr. Ward’s mission at Pace is to build bridges that connect Pace students to different subsections of a much wider, diverse community. “Ted’s background at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights serves as a wonderful starting place to think about global issues,” said ICGL Director Tricia Anderson. “As a native of Atlanta, a previous teacher and an educator at the Center, he has developed incredibly deep relationships with local communities and nonprofits. He is used to thinking about local issues from a global perspective, and that’s precisely what we aim to do in the ICGL.” With an array of different responsibilities under his job description, including everything from the Community Engagement Council to the ICGL student council, Mr. Ward is excited to bring some of his own ideas to Pace’s existing engagement programs. One of his biggest goals for the next five years is to get outside of the zip code 30327.

“That’s the challenge I’ve given myself from Day 1: to provide the students with as many different opportunities with as many different organizations as possible,” said Mr. Ward. “I want Pace to engage in a meaningful way with every single zip code of Atlanta.” Most would argue that’s quite an ambitious goal, but Pace’s ability to think big is precisely why he loves working here.

Pace News

Vol. 45, Issue #1

The Knightly News - Page 5

Freshmen Bond at Skyline Retreat Ashley Myers Staff Writer Class of 2021

Photo: Omar López Thismón

Feeling anxious but excited, the Class of 2023 departed for Camp Skyline in Mentone, Alabama on Saturday, Aug. 10 and began high school a few days early. Forty new freshmen joined Pace Academy this year, and they were more than ready to bond with the returning students. “I was really excited to meet everyone on the retreat,” said new freshman Maddie Swartz.

Surrounded by the senior peer leaders and Pace faculty chaperones, freshmen engaged in a variety of team-building activities and icebreakers to facilitate a welcoming environment for all. The Skyline staff of outdoor educators led the students in activities like canoeing, rock-climbing and conquering a high ropes course. Students ate meals together in the dining hall and slept in cabins during their two-night stay.

The purpose of the annual retreat is to create a smooth transition for freshmen from middle school to high school.

The 18 senior peer leaders who accompanied the freshmen on

(L-R) Freshmen David Grice and Davis Rice engage in an icebreaker activity to kick off the retreat. the retreat helped make this possible. “The retreat is really helpful because the kids go into high school with someone to lean on, whether that is someone in their grade or a peer leader,” said peer leader Payton Payne.

The peer leaders encouraged the students to go outside of their comfort zones and purposely mixed up friend groups so freshmen could get to know people that they might not otherwise spend time with. “I was actually really nervous about meeting new people, but it turned out really well because there wasn’t as

much tension as I thought there would be,” said returning freshman Will Hankins. “The peer leaders definitely helped relieve that tension.”

Freshman dean Allison Tarvin also reflected on the change in the grade dynamic from the beginning of the retreat to the end. “At first it felt very divided, but it was amazing how fast that dynamic disappeared and how fast the new kids were integrated into the grade,” she said.

The retreat helped foster new relationships between freshmen

as they attempted activities that they had not tried before. “When we would do certain activities, some people were really nervous and everyone would cheer them on, which definitely helped with bonding,” said Payne.

One of these activities was the Panther Pole, a 40-foot-tall telephone pole that students climbed up and jumped off while trying to grab onto a bar in front of them. “I really liked the Panther Pole,” said returning freshman Adam Schultz. “It seems scary when you’re looking up at it, but once you are up there

very strange and he constantly reminds me that he was here first,” said Mrs. Brown. “But I do love seeing him around school.” This is the first time Tiger and Mrs. Brown have shared the same campus, which is a big change for the duo since Tiger went to college on the West Coast and didn’t get to see his mother often.

Tiger is also a member of the football coaching staff at Pace. “He is an awesome coach who definitely tries to make practice fun,” said junior Ethan Greenberg. “I have also enjoyed seeing him when I walk through the library.”

Being a former Pace football player and a defensive back for the Claremont-MuddScripps team in college gives Tiger a great perspective from which to coach the players.

“Having played for [Pace coaches] Slade and Johnson, I understand how they coach so I can really translate it to the players,” said Tiger. He says he’s still learning and looks forward to growing as a coach.

Although he likes to relax and play video games outside of school, Tiger’s real passion is music. On top of his work at Pace, he is trying to make a career out of producing music.

His mom noted that he is so busy with music, he is hardly at home. “I am just trying to take it as far as I can go,” said Tiger about his longer term goals.

waste and designing products with their environmental impact in mind.

“The products we create are good,” said Ms. Anderson.

“They drive the economy. I mean, what would we do without products like the computer? But what the author is trying to say is that the product should be designed from the front end to be broken down easily into recyclable parts. Instead of thinking about how to recycle things once we’ve used them, we should design them with recycling in mind, keeping in mind that some things have more value as recycled materials than others.”

Beyond their summer reading and group discussions, the scholars will be supplementing their learning through travel. For their first trip they will be going to the Bay Area of California over the October break, visiting sustainable companies and talking with experts. However, the trip comes with a twist: the students and their chaperones will try to live a zero-waste lifestyle during the duration of the trip.

“It’s definitely going to be challenging, but I think it’s doable,” said Lettes. “We don’t know how we’re going to accomplish it yet, but hopefully as we learn more about how to reduce waste, we’ll come up with a plan.”

This year is also different from other years because the ICGL Program has welcomed a new associate director, Ted Ward, who hopes to combine his

it’s no big deal.” The Panther Pole was one of many activities that pushed students to expand their horizons. Returning freshman James Romig considered the Panther Pole his favorite activity of the retreat. “My favorite activity was probably the zipline,” said new freshman Graves Hamilton. “I was scared at first, but it ended up being a lot of fun.”

The freshman retreat helped relieve stress about the first day of school. “I felt more confident going into high school because I went in knowing some seniors,” said Schultz regarding the senior peer leaders. It also benefitted the new students because they could meet people before the first day of school. “The first day of school was good for me because I already knew people that I had met on the trip and we had already gotten the awkwardness out of the way,” said Hamilton.

Mrs. Tarvin witnessed the grade dynamic throughout the retreat. “They are really energetic and enthusiastic,” she said. “[They’re] the spontaneous dance party kind of group.” She has high hopes for the Class of 2023 in the upcoming years, and she loved the energy that they brought to the retreat.

Tiger Brown ‘13 Returns to Scholars Tackle Waste Continued from p. 1 Pace as Employee Bennett Boushka

Social Media Editor

Class of 2021

At the beginning of the school year, the Upper School welcomed a new addition to the library staff, Class of 2013 Pace graduate Tiger Brown. Following librarian Linda Teague’s retirement at the end of last school year, Tiger took MS/US Librarian Marty Hamburger’s place covering the lower library as Mr. Hamburger moved upstairs to replace Ms. Teague.

Tiger graduated from Clare-

mont McKenna College in 2017 and decided to take the job at Pace as library assistant while he pursues a career producing music during after-school hours.

Tiger described his return to the Pace Upper School as truly welcoming. “I’m coming back to a similar place, but it’s new in a lot of ways,” he said. “I love seeing all the kids come through and getting to interact with the students.” The students also love his young and friendly presence.

“I am known as my mom’s son here, which is different,” said Tiger. Tiger is the elder son of Director of Diversity and Inclusion Joanne Brown. “It feels

Photo: Ashley Myers (L-R) Tiger Brown kicks back with freshman Frank Caldwell in the lower library.

background in social justice with the program’s environmental themes. “I knew about the ICGL program before I started here, because it’s well-established and well-regarded in the Atlanta community,” said Mr. Ward. “So I was really energized to come into something that was already well down the road and further its reach into the Pace community.”

This challenge will also give the scholars what they hope will be some ideas to reduce waste that they can bring to Pace. “We want to make Pace less wasteful, whether that’s through education or steps to reduce our waste,” said Assaf. Mr. Ward agreed that one of the program’s ultimate goals is to create change in the Pace community. “While we look at it nationally and globally, I think we need to really reflect on how we deal with waste here at Pace, and how we can change our community’s consciousness.”

Despite the different aspects of waste that each of the four scholars are interested in, they are all united by one common sentiment: a conviction that what they learn this year is an essential part of the climate change debate. “It’s really unfortunate that waste is often left out of the conversation,” said Sashti. “At the rate that we’re growing as a population, I think waste will ultimately be our demise if we don’t start focusing on creating change from an individual perspective.”

Election

September 27, 2019

The Knightly News - Page 6

2020 Candidates on the Issues Joe Biden (D)

Former Vice President of the United States, former United States Senator

Cory Booker (D)

United States Senator

Pete Buttigieg (D)

Mayor of South Bend, Indiana

Kamala Harris (D)

United States Senator

Beto O’Rourke (D)

Former United States Representative

Joe Walsh (R)

Former United States Representative

William Weld (R)

Former Governor of Massachusetts

Andrew Yang (D)

Entrepreneur and Author

Sources: Politico, CNN and ontheissues.org

Economy

Civil Rights

Climate

Biden has spoken in favor of a fouryear free college system as well as a $15 minimum wage. He is also in support of progressive tax reform but maintains a more moderate stance than many of his Democratic candidates.

Earlier in his career, Biden voted in favor of legislation that was antiLGBTQ+. However, in a 2012 interview, he reversed his previous positions. Some of his work on criminal justice reform, especially his 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, has received criticism for its relation to mass incarceration.

Biden introduced the first climate change bill to the Senate in 1986. He is in favor of the Green New Deal, as well as rejoining the Paris Agreement, and helped introduce emission reduction regulations while serving as Vice President. He has recently introduced a $1.7 trillion plan to deal with the changing climate.

Booker would allocate $40 billion a year to the Housing Trust Fund. He also wants to create “opportunity accounts” for children that would contain $1,000 upon birth. He would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and support paid leave.

Booker believes in abolishing the death penalty, existence of private prisons, the cash bail reform system and the mandatory minimum sentencing program. He has also introduced the Next Step Act, which would reduce disparities in crack cocaine sentencing to 1:1.

Booker is in favor of the Green New Deal, banning fracking and increasing the use of nuclear power. By 2045, Booker hopes to achieve carbon neutrality with a $3 trillion plan.

Buttigieg supports raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and increasing the amount of paid leave for families. He also calls for a boost in taxes on the wealthy, but has not yet released a comprehensive plan.

Buttigieg is against the cash bail system as well as capital punishment, and believes that in cases of nonviolent drug use, mandatory minimum sentences should be abolished.

Buttigieg supports the use of nuclear power, as well as the end of offshore drilling and taxing carbon emissions. He has called for the Defense Department to create a role for climate security.

Harris has introduced legislation that would create a new tax credit for people who spend more than 30% of their income on rent. She also hopes to expand benefits for middle-class and low-income Americans. Harris wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and support more paid leave for families.

Harris is against private prisons and the cash bail reform system as it stands today. She is in favor of abolishing the death penalty.

Harris supports the Green New Deal as well as increased effort to fight climate change by developing new nuclear energy technology. She also hopes to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, however, her plan would cost $10 trillion.

O’Rourke wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and increase in paid leave for family and medical reasons. He wants to raise corporate taxes to 28%, keeping rates they were in 2017. He is also in favor of boosting taxes on the rich, although he has not stated his exact plan for this yet.

O’Rourke wants to abolish the cash bail system, the death penalty and mandatory minimum sentences in cases of nonviolent drug offenses. He also believes that, on the whole, mandatory minimum sentences should be reduced.

O’Rourke supports the Green New Deal. He has a plan for a $5 trillion climate change budget that would include grants for farmers to better manage soil and adapt to new technologies.He is in favor of rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and has introduced a plan to reach net-zero emissions in the next 30 years.

He is in favor of lowering tax rates and he supports the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which ensures his position to refuse to create any new taxes.

Walsh holds an anti-gay-rights stance and believes that marriage can only ever exist between a man and a woman.

Walsh believes that the science backing climate change is “not definitive” and advocates for putting U.S. economic interests above those of the climate. He is also against the regulation of greenhouse gases and in favor of increased offshore drilling.

Weld hopes to balance the federal budget, as states balance their budgets. He is in favor of cutting taxes and zero-based budgeting.

Weld has advocated for LGBTQ+ rights as well as affirmative action throughout his career. He also believes that police should always be prosecuted for civil rights violations.

He is in favor of rejoining the Paris Accord, and believes that climate change is real and a serious threat.

Yang is in favor of a universal basic income and leaving the matter of minimum wage up to the states. His plan for “UBI” is perhaps what he is most known for, this policy would entail giving each American $1,000 a month. He has proposed a 10% value-added tax. He would also increase the capital gains tax rate so that it is equal to the normal income tax rate.

Yang wants to reform the cash bail system as well as abolish the death penalty and private prisons.

Yang supports the Green New Deal, as well as an increase in the use of nuclear power. He believes the government should invest in research on “decarbonization” and would move towards more nuclear energy. Yang would also tax emissions in order to fund his plan for health care.

Election

Vol. 45, Issue #1

Gun Control

Health Care

The Knightly News - Page 7

Immigration

He supports universal background checks as well as a voluntary buyback program.

He wants to build on the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), but opposes Medicare for All.

Biden supports a path to citizenship as well as guest-worker visas. He is also pro-DACA.

He supports a mandatory universal buyback program and universal background checks to close existing loopholes, as well as a gun licensing program.

Booker is pro-Medicare for All, but would settle for Medicare for some.

He plans on rethinking the entire ACA system.

He is in favor of repealing Statute 1325, which criminalizes entry into the U.S. “at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers,” and providing a path to citizenship for DACA recipients.

He wants to establish a voluntary buyback program, as well as a gun licensing system, and supports universal background checks.

On health care, Buttigieg believes in creating a new healthcare system and is in favor of Medicare for All but, like many other candidates, would settle for Medicare for Some.

Buttigieg supports a path to citizenship for DACA recipients and aims to repeal Section 1325.

Harris is a co-sponsor of a current Senate bill to ban assault weapons and is in favor of a full ban on assault weapons.

Additionally, she has advocated for an end to the importation of “AR-15 style assault weapons.” She is also in favor of universal background checks.

Harris believes that the current healthcare system should be redesigned and Medicare for All should be introduced, although she would be willing to settle for Medicare for Some.

Harris is pro-DACA, and supports steps to legalization for DACA citizens while they are waiting to become citizens.

She is also in favor of repealing Section 1325 and cutting off funds for the border wall effort.

O’Rourke has been vocal about his support of a ban on assault rifles and a mandatory buyback program, as well as universal background checks and a gun licensing program.

He wants to get rid of the ACA and rethink the healthcare system, although he opposes Medicare for All.

While O’Rourke calls for a “comprehensive rewrite of our immigration laws,” he is against repealing Segment 1325. He is pro-DACA and open to removing some portions of the border wall.

Walsh supports the individual’s right to own a handgun and to carry a concealed weapon.

Walsh is against any federal-level health care plan and is in favor of a free market. He is also pro-life, and believes that there is no reason for an abortion to be necessary.

In 2010, Walsh believed in using National Guard forces to secure the border.

Weld supported gun control up until May 2016, when he became the Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate. Along with this change, he switched his position to oppose gun control.

He favors adjusting Obamacare to include more choices for consumers, as well as increased access to Medicaid.

Weld is in favor of a guest-worker program, and believes in more lenient immigration reform, stating that Trump’s policies are like “Nazi Germany”.

Yang is in favor of increased background checks, a gun licensing program, and a voluntary buyback system.

His positions in favor of single-payer health care and Medicare for All make up one of his “3 Big Policies”.

Yang is in favor of increased border security and a path to citizenship for DACA recipients.

74%

Number of voters who approve of leading candidate Joe Biden, according to polls.

Five women are running for president: Tulsi Gabbard, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren and Marianne Williamson

19

Number of Democratic candidates still in the running.

Number of Republican candidates still in the running.

4

4 4

Four candidates support Medicare for All and four are against it.

Isabel Battista Lifestyle Editor Class of 2021

Kathryn Hood

Visual Editor Class of 2021

President Trump was not included in this piece as he is the incumbent Republican candidate.

For information on more candidates, visit the Knightly News website.

Opinion

September 27, 2019

The Knightly News - Page 8

What a Difference Four Years Make

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

Ben Ginsberg

Guest Contributer Class of 2020

Photo: Sophie Lettes

Just before school started, I had the privilege of attending the ninth grade retreat at Camp Skyline as one of the 18 senior peer leaders. It was a weekend jam-packed with activity, social opportunities and, for our incoming high school freshmen, looking ahead. For me, it was also a chance to look back and think about my own experiences as I stood in those freshman shoes.

I do not recall much about my beginnings of high school that August 2016 but I can recall every detail of that first morning of the mandatory ninth grade retreat as if it were yesterday.

We had just moved from New York City to Atlanta and I did not know a soul.

I remember with such clarity the emotions raging within me as I got out of my parents’ car to join the group assembling in the early morning mist of the Pace parking lot. I was anxious beyond description and I could not believe that I was being thrown into my new surroundings in such a drastic way.

I stood alone at the edges of the larger group, noting the ease with which the returning Pace students surrounding me reconnected with each other after the summer break and wishing that I could just be back in New York amongst the close friends I had left behind a few weeks earlier.

I recall my growing discomfort as the minutes passed, and the feeling that I wanted to be anywhere but there, when – out of nowhere – a peer leader walked up to me with a big smile and stuck out his hand to welcome me.

To this day, I do not know

Co-Editors-in-Chief: Mary Childs Hall Aman Hashim

Senior peer leaders Sophie Lettes (left) and Ben Ginsberg (in background in blue) meet with their freshman PL group in August. whether it was fortuitous or by design (because “anxiety” must have been written all over me) but before I had time to give it more thought, Rob Warren [‘17] had me deep in conversation about the weekend trip ahead and the fun things being planned.

The conversation continued as we boarded the bus, eliminating that awkward, where-do-I-sit moment entirely and, by the time we reached the border of Alabama, we had already figured out that we were both lacrosse players and he had already sought out a few other freshmen who would be playing alongside me that spring.

By the end of the three-day retreat, in addition to making some friends, I had the confidence in knowing that when school started that next week, the senior peer leaders who had guided our weekend would be waiting there in the hallways of Pace to answer the questions that I would be too afraid to ask, to help me decipher my indecipherable, rotating schedule, and to be the familiar face in a crowd of new faces.

I drew on that experience as

Managing Editor: Jamie Kornheiser News Editor: Francesca Vaneri Opinion Editor: Darren Rosing Lifestyle Editor: Isabel Battista

Whether it’s theatre or a

Staff Writer Class of 2022

Staff Writers: Megan Hardesty Amalia Haviv Gabriel Kadoori Meghna Singha Sloane Wagreich Sam Webb Jayla Wideman

smile, “Hi, I’m Ben! Welcome to Pace!”

As we boarded the bus alongside each other, knee-deep already in conversation about where he had transferred from and why, I could not help but

activities that interest you,” said Associate Director of College Counseling Pam Ambler. “It’s rarely about what you do, but why you do it.”

To many adults in the Pace community, sincerity and integrity make a student stand out.

In the words of English teacher Don DuPree, a “good student” has “intellectual curiosity” and the desire to learn rather than memorize. Have the mindset to structure your day with intentionality.

Senior Klara Andra-Thomas advises planning ahead. Create habits early on that will make future stress a little bit easier.

Class of 2020 Dean Grady Stevens suggests setting timelines and maybe not checking that recent Snapchat.

You hear it all the time: “It’s not the grade that matters.” “You are more than just a number.”

But let’s face it: grades matter to Pace Academy students. Don’t deny it. You probably compare yourself to your peers and constantly question if your recent grade will define your future. In a way, the grade can be important. It shows what you don’t know and need to work on.

Go into tests with an open mind, telling yourself that no matter the result, you still learned something. “Don’t use an outcome-oriented logic to find value in your life,” said Mr. Stevens. “Find value by defining what you care about and then having an answer to where you are in your depth of character.”

What being a good student all boils down to is being authentic to yourself and your values.

“It’s silly to only find value in school,” said Mr. Stevens. “Don’t get bogged down over temporary Sophomore Marielle Frooman juggles sports, school and friends. problems.”

Sports Editor: Zachary Howard

Faculty Adviser: Ms. Lee Wilson

Web Content Editor: Kalissa Greene

Tech Adviser: Mr. Matt Walker

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 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. think about how good it felt to channel the leadership of those who had guided me three years earlier and hope that this newto-Pace freshman sitting beside me might one day be able to do the same.

Photo: Meghna Singha

It’s a brand new school year, a blank slate with space to write the story of the next year of your life. For many students, that means a chance to grow and become a better student. But what does that really mean – to be a good student?

There are many different opinions about what makes a student successful, but the one thing everyone can agree on is that it’s pretty tough to balance academics, extracurriculars and a social life, and still maintain a healthy lifestyle. All are important, so it’s helpful to cultivate the right mindset and the ability to prioritize.

bond between people that the 8-3 school day could never accomplish. They teach teamwork and leadership, but most importantly, they teach you when to take a seat on the bench. You will try something that you totally, utterly suck at, but the important thing is you tried.

To Associate Director of MS/ US Admissions Mac McCallum, the most valuable quality in a student is the “craving to stay past 3.” Have the courage and curiosity to put forth an effort to get involved and sample enough activities that you can find a passion to pursue.

When it gets to be too much (and it will), prioritize what you find joy in. Look for what makes your face light up, and follow that path to see where it leads.

“Create an intersection between

Social Media: Ashley Myers

I drove myself over to the Pace parking lot early in the morning to join our team of peer leaders who would be guiding the Class of 2024 retreat.

We waited together, this group of 18 of us who, over the last three years, had now become friends and who had bonded even more during our peer leadership retreat the first two days of August.

Under the guidance of peer leader advisors Michael Callahan and Sara Eden, we had armed ourselves with well-planned strategies for the weekend, including social icebreakers, action-packed activity from lawn games to pool time, sessions devoted to understanding the mechanics of high school, and so much more. We were ready to assume the role of the peer leaders who had guided us so thoughtfully three years before.

I scanned the crowd of freshmen who had started to assemble, taking it all in until I found him. Standing there at the fringe of the group, just where I had stood three years earlier.

Walking up to him, I conjured up images of that first welcome and extended my hand with a

What Makes a Good Student?

Meghna Singha sport, extracurriculars create a

Social Media Editor: Bennett Boushka

Opinion

Vol. 45, Issue #1

The Knightly News - Page 9

Shootings Reinforce Need for Congress to Act

Peppers Bar in Dayton, Ohio.

Nine people were killed along with 27 people injured. The shooter, Connor Betts, a 24-yearold white male, was killed by police officers within minutes of the first shots being fired. Betts’ sister, Megan Betts, was one of his victims.

Thankfully, large corporations, including Dicks Sporting

Goods, Levi Strauss & Co., and Uber are beginning to speak up. More than 145 CEOs sent a letter to the U.S. Senate on Sept.

12, advocating for universal background checks and stronger red flag laws. The red flag laws allow courts to order the removal of weapons from anyone who may pose as a threat to themselves or others.

“Doing nothing about America’s gun violence crisis is simply unacceptable and it is time to stand with the American public on gun safety,” the CEOs said in their letter. In addition, they stressed that gun control is a bipartisan issue.

President Donald Trump’s stance on this issue is questionable. “We cannot let those killed in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, die in vain” said Trump. Although this seems positive, he has also mentioned that background checks in the United States are already strong.

Trump’s stance on gun control is unclear, but he is assuring America that “legislation is moving forward.”

“Every day, 100 Americans are killed with guns and hundreds more are shot and injured” says Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that strongly supports “common-sense reforms to reduce gun violence.” Everytown explains that “nearly two-thirds of gun deaths are suicides” and almost 60% of U.S. citizens or their loved ones have encountered gun violence.

The solution is clear. There

ing without legal documentation.

he has found it fit to arrest those who are just trying to provide for their families, leaving said families destabilized and broken without them.

Even worse, last December, The New York Times revealed that Trump had undocumented workers employed on his golf course. It’s clear that he only cares about workers being undocumented when it doesn’t benefit him.

The human rights vs. lawfulness debate has split the country, even resulting in violence. On Aug. 14, one such incident involved ICE protestors who were sitting in front of the entrance to a detention center’s parking lot.

A guard driving up, seemingly angry at people using their right to assemble, accelerated and tried to hit the protestors (who thankfully got out of the way).

America, a country that claims to be the “land of the free” has – and let’s call it what it is – kidnapped so many people out of some misguided idea of justice. This country was once known for its welcome of immigrants through Ellis Island, both those seeking asylum and economic prosperity.

Seeking asylum is not a crime, and yet we seem to be treating it as such. People who cross the border are immediately intercepted and put into crowded concentration camps, places rife with sickness and filth. They’re held there for months on end, and any question about how long they’re going to be held is left unanswered. During Trump’s administration, 24 detainees have died in ICE custody.

Though in most other countries this would be cause for extreme alarm and distrust towards the concentration camps at the border and the detention

centers scattered throughout the U.S., Trump has still managed to retain his following despite the human rights abuses he’s caused.

He has heartlessly ignored the detainees’ (human beings) pleading for help and mercy.

“I started taking care of [name redacted, age five] in the Ice Box after they separated her from her father,” one 15-yearold girl said when interviewed about the conditions inside one of the Texas detention centers.

“I did not know either of them before that. She was very upset.

The workers did nothing to try to comfort her. I tried to comfort her and she has been with me ever since. [Redacted] sleeps on a mat with me on the concrete floor. We spend all day every day in that room. There are no activities, only crying.”

The Ice Box that she mentions is one of the holding cells, named that way for its frigid temperature. Women and children are held in these freezing rooms for days at a time. After just five days there, a 5-monthold girl was hospitalized with pneumonia.

These temperatures are just barely survivable without severe repercussions. Some women reported their lips chapping and splitting and children’s lips, fingers and toes turning blue.

Detainees reported being too scared to ask for food for fear of repercussions, and agents mocking them and spitting at them.

On June 22, Japanese internment camp survivors marched in protest of ICE outside of Fort Sill, a former internment camp that will likely soon be used as a detention center.

If you’re still struggling to see the parallels between this situation and atrocities in the past, maybe this quote will clear

Sloane Wagreich Staff Writer Class of 2021

Men and women gather outside of the Walmart in El Paso, Texas three days after the devastating mass shooting.

Photo: Wikimedia.org

On Aug. 31, people in Odessa, Texas experienced a devastating mass shooting that rocked their community. Gunman Seth Ator, 36, opened fire, killing seven people and injuring an additional 25. Ator had been arrested in 2001 and had previously failed a background check, making him ineligible to acquire a weapon. Despite his failed check, Ator used a legal loophole to purchase a gun through a private seller.

This was the third mass shooting in the month of August alone. On Aug. 3 in El Paso, Texas, a shooter opened fire in a Walmart, killing 22 people and injuring at least 27. Later that day, an online manifesto posted by the shooter revealed that the gunman was xenophobic, racist, and believed that “Latin immigrants were overrunning America.”

Less than 24 hours later, on Aug. 4, a gunman shot up Ned

must be stricter laws that prevent people from having easy access to purchasing guns and using weapons with high capacity magazines. The U.S. House passed a bill in February that would require federal background checks for all firearms sales and transfers.

On Sept. 11, the House Judiciary Committee approved three more bills, aimed at regulating large capacity magazines, preventing people convicted of a hate crime from obtaining a firearm, and providing grants to support state and local efforts to remove firearms from individuals deemed to be a danger to themselves or others. The full House is expected to vote on these bills soon.

The Senate has yet to act, saying it will not take action on gun safety measures until it hears from the President where he stands on the issues. It is imperative that Congress take action to pass stricter gun safety laws. Gun control is not a partisan issue; therefore, everyone, no matter their party, should be in support of regulating these weapons.

it up for you. “Terrible things are happening outside... poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart; men, women and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”

This describes the current situation for immigrants across America so well, you might think that it was written just yesterday, maybe a quote from one of the immigrants kidnapped in the workplace raid. It almost perfectly describes this summer for immigrants who crossed the border seeking asylum.

But this quote was written by Anne Frank in her diary, on Jan. 13, 1943.

History will remember this moment and it will remember which side you were on. When your children ask where you were when human rights were being abused in your own country, will you be able to tell them that you fought for life? Or will you be forced to tell them that you stood on the side of the oppressor?

There are things that each individual can do to help those being held captive. Protests are held often (in fact, there was one this summer in Atlanta), and you could even lead your own.

There are multiple organizations, such as the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, that are shipping necessary items to the camps that the children there need (but are not receiving). This organization has dedicated itself to protecting immigrants’ rights and has been at the forefront of almost every major struggle involving them, including legal battles.

Don’t wait. Don’t allow another life to be lost. Act now.

America’s Immigration System Is Inherently Cruel Jayla Wideman This left children hanging in Staff Writer Class of 2022

Immigration policy has been a hot topic in 2019, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to cool down any time soon. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was very publicly active over the summer, resulting in protests and an outcry on various social media sites.

The most recent large raid was Aug. 7, when 600 ICE agents visited workplaces across Mississippi, arresting 680 people who were suspected to be work-

limbo and turned many adults into sudden babysitters. “Please show some heart, let my parent be free with everybody else, please…” Magdalena Gomez Gregorio, an 11-year-old whose father was taken away in the raid sobbed on camera, pleading with the government. “My dad didn’t do nothing. He’s not a criminal.”

There has also been anger at the fact that as of now, none of the business owners have been charged with hiring someone illegally. This can be attributed to Trump’s classism and xenophobia; rather than attacking the people who are truly to blame,

The Horror of ‘Saw’: LGBT People Hunted in Russia

Illustration: Kathryn Hood

Lifestyle

September 27, 2019

The Knightly News - Page 10

Use Caution with Your Number Neighbor Jamie Kornheiser Managing Editor Class of 2021

Thousands of people have been posting screenshots of their conversations with their number neighbors after the trend went viral. me that he has had his for 30 years, and he told me that his [other] number neighbor has had his for even longer.”

Shoulberg would not recommend others texting their number neighbors because of the uncertainty and her paranoia. “It kind of freaked me out by the end,” she said.

Senior Dominique Turner learned about number neighbors while scrolling through social media. “I found some funny

texts between some people and their number neighbors, so I decided ‘why not try it myself?’ so I did,” she said. Unlike Shoulberg’s experience, Turner got a response the first time, and they “got to know each other a little.”

Although she texted the person again, Turner did not get a response. However, she still suggests that others try out the trend. “It’s something to do when you have nothing to do and just want someone to talk to,”

Photo: Jonas Grinevičius and Ilona Baliūnaitė

Over the summer, popular trends like raiding Area 51 and texting number neighbors overloaded the internet. Though both trends amassed huge followings, the latter had to do with reaching out to strangers and attempting to begin conversations with them. Number neighbors, or text-door neighbors, are people who have the same phone number other than the last digit; the last digit is one number higher or lower than the other.

Junior Casey Shoulberg learned about the trend after she saw a post from a friend saying that her number neighbor responded. Shoulberg decided she would text hers as well to see what would happen. “I honestly don’t know why I did it besides curiosity,” she said.

After her number neighbor did not respond for a few days, Shoulberg decided to try once more with the text “ouch no reply,” which did indeed elicit a reply. She learned that her number neighbor did not respond initially because they had been texting their other number neighbor.

“I texted them a few times after,” said Shoulberg. “Probably only twice cause I got freaked out. We talked about how long we had our numbers and he told

said Turner.

At first glance, this trend seems like a fun and harmless activity, but according to some, it has the potential to be dangerous. In Los Angeles, a woman received death threats after playfully reaching out to her number neighbor. “The person on the other end of the text thread threatened to kill her in a series of terrifying messages, insisting that he was on his way to her house,” reported NBC.

“She received videos of someone loading two different guns and more than 70 calls.”

This is just one extreme example of the potential dangers of the number neighbor trend. Pace computer specialist Matt Walker wants people to be more careful and pay more attention to their cyber safety. “Beyond the whole stranger danger sort of thing that everyone talks about when they are a little kid, from a security standpoint, you are immediately giving away two very crucial pieces of your online identification – your name and your phone number,” he said. “That is the stuff that can be used to reset passwords for accounts. And if you have a protracted conversation with this person, if they are able to draw more information out of you, then you are basically spoon feeding them all this potential information that they have to gain access to any sort of account.”

Mr. Walker advises to stay safe while participating in internet trends, and always “keep it online at arms’ length and semi-anonymized.” However, this does not necessarily ensure safety. “If people can impersonate a phone number to make a phone call, they can impersonate a phone number to send you a text message,” he said. Mr. Walker is urging everyone to be cautious when it comes to internet trends because “your number neighbor may not be your number neighbor at all.”

Forget Popeyes. Hattie B’s Hot Chicken Serves up the Best Chicken Sandwich Zachary Howard Sports Editor Class of 2020

Hattie B’s occupies space that was formerly a gas station on Moreland Ave. in Inman Park.

Photos: Yelp.com

If you were lucky enough to sample the new Popeyes chicken sandwich, or are simply just a lover of Southern food and fried chicken, your next food destination should be Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. Their fried chicken sandwich was voted one of the best sandwiches in the country

by Food Magazine, and the regular fried chicken is critically acclaimed as well.

The franchise originated in Nashville before slowly expanding by opening up restaurants in surrounding states, including one in Atlanta at 299 Moreland Ave. The restaurant is located just south of Little Five Points in Inman Park. When you get there, you will almost always be greeted by a line out the door. However, don’t be discouraged – the food is worth the wait. When ordering, you can choose from many different types of chicken, including white meat as well as dark meat. You can also choose to get wings or tenders if you are in the mood for a more traditional meal.

However, the fixture of their menu, and the meal I purchased, is their fried chicken sandwich. You can

add a spiciness level to your sandwich with sauces of either Southern (plain), mild, medium, hot, or Shut the Cluck Up!, which is their original extremely hot sauce. I would only suggest Shut the Cluck Up for the most daring of diners. After selecting a spice (I chose medium), you can choose to leave or take off the coleslaw and their signature sauce, Nashville Comeback Sauce.

These ingredients are put between two buttered brioche buns.

Beyond the main meal, sides are also a must. They range from French fries and pimento mac and cheese to potato salad and coleslaw.

I chose the crinkly French fries and the pimento mac and cheese.

When the food finally came, it smelled delectable, the epitome of what Southern cooking is supposed to be. The food didn’t disappoint either, with the blend of spices and chicken melding together to make me understand why their sandwich is considered one of the best in the country.

The fries were perfectly fried and seasoned, and, surprisingly to me, the mac and cheese was excellent as well. All in all, Hattie B’s was exactly as advertised: one of the best authentic Southern restaurants in the country. It definitely lived up to the hype.

Hattie B’s renowned fried chicken draws hour-long lines.

Sports

Vol.45, Issue #1

The Knightly News - Page 11

Volleyball Pursues Three-Peat Bennett Boushka

Social Media Editor

Class of 2021

The varsity volleyball team began their season in August playing against some of their toughest opponents. In preparation for the year, the girls worked on their own, at different club teams around Atlanta as well as in open gyms and private lessons to improve their game. Six of the girls on the team play together on A5 club teams, with seniors Dominique Turner and Lucy Ferry on one team and Sasha Ratliff and Ada Jane Agolli on another team. Junior Kalissa Greene and sophomore Morgan Neill play A5 as well.

This year’s team is different than in past years. “We only have 10 people on the team which is small for us, making staying healthy a primary concern,” said head coach Anna Bush. Six players are on the court at a time, and the libero, the player wearing a different color jersey, is constantly subbing for hitters in the back row.

This leaves the team with only three subs on the bench at any given time.

The team gained only three new players this season, with

Photo: Smax Photography

Megan Hardesty Staff Writer Class of 2022

The varsity volleyball team messes around on team picture day. seven players returning. Agolli, Ratliff and Turner have already committed to play Division One volleyball at Brown University, University of San Diego and Marshall University, respectively.

Three of the four seniors have played on varsity since freshman year. “It feels like a new set of responsibilities that I have to take on to help the new girls,” said Turner. It will be their job to keep the team on an even keel during the regional and state tournaments coming up on Oct. 7 and Oct.19, respectively. “There’s a lot of volleyball experience and leadership skills in this senior class,” said Coach Bush. “They are the most talented senior class we have ever had.”

The three main hitters are Agolli, Ratliff and Ferry, all of whom are over six feet and create a wall at the net for blocking.

Greene is a nationally recognized setter, constantly setting her teammates up for a perfect spike. Last season, Greene was named All State MVP, AAA Player of the Year, and a member of the AAU All American team (16 Open). Turner, the libero, is the team’s primary digger and can be subbed in and out for anyone at anytime. Turner last year surpassed 1000 digs and continues to improve this statistic.

The group understands that volleyball is all about team chemistry and being on the same page. The small size of the team has led the girls to develop a strong bond. “The season is su-

per fun because we are all very close, and have all developed friendships,” said Neill.

Coming back to the season having won the state championship the past two years, the girls are feeling the pressure to make it a three-peat. “I set the tone that we have not done anything yet,” said Coach Bush. “I want to make sure we do not look past any opponent.”

“Returning as a senior after winning back-to-back gives me and others a sense of unfinished business,” said Turner.

As of press time on Sept. 21, the team’s record is 22-8. The team began the season with a win over Hebron Christian for the first time in Pace history.

After winning their first three games, the girls played in the

Marist State Finalist Playdate, where only the state finalists from across Georgia competed.

The girls got great competition, barely losing to McIntosh and Alpharetta and beating Harrison. The team closed out going 6-3, and although they lost to Westminster, state championship runner-up for back-to-back years, they may get a rematch later this season.

The girls headed to South Carolina on Sept. 13 to compete in a tournament at Dorman High School. They went 6-2 and won the Silver Championship bracket.

Greene and Ratliff were named All-Tournament players. Last weekend, the Knights became the 2019 Lovett Block Party champions, beating six schools, including Alpharetta in the final.

Cedar Grove,” said head coach Chris Slade. “Hopefully we will be a top four team in the region and go to the playoffs.” The coaching staff’s ultimate goal every year is to make the playoffs regardless of the seeding, but they do not want to look that far into the future.

To kick off the season, the team traveled to Douglasville and played New Manchester High School. In a tight game, the

Knights came out on top with a 7-6 victory. Then, over Labor Day weekend, Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy, former 1A state champions, bested the Knights with a commanding 49-0 win. ELCA was primed for the rematch after Pace snapped their 37-game winning streak a year ago in a come-from-behind, 17-16 victory that stunned the Chargers and their fans.

After the loss to ELCA, Pace came back the following week, defeating Monroe Area High School 25-0. The win was a confidence booster for the Knights, as they bested the team that stopped their playoff run a year ago.

Last fall, the Pace football team won six out of its 10 regular season games, with the loss against Monroe Area High School in the first playoff round.

The season was led by seniors, including quarterback Jared Rayman, running back Keashawn Perryman and defensive end Sam Assaf along with many others.

“The group was the last remaining group in the state championship,” said coach Kevin Johnson. “So when you have guys that are used to winning, of course the team will miss them.”

With that said, the big holes in

the lineup allow for new players to show their worth.

Although the team faces challenges given their loss of key players to graduation, they have brought in many new players that have already proved their talent. Junior Evan Smith-Rooks and sophomore Quantaves Gaskins have been battling for the starting quarterback job.

Both are showing great skill and potential.

Many new freshmen with impressive resumés also join the Knights this season. Linemen Quincy Downing and Trovon Baugh fill holes left by former Knights Cameron Hamilton ‘19 and Chilton Tolliver ‘19. Other freshmen such as Jordan Sloan and Frank Caldwell III look to put up big numbers this year as well. Thus far in the season Caldwell has already run in two touchdowns.

The team still has many returning juniors and seniors that are ready to lead and perform.

“We are hoping to get some leadership from the seniors,” said Coach Johnson. “That’s what we want the most.” Seniors and captains Sam Harris, Jimbo Smith and Mbiti Williams are already displaying their leadership on and off the field. According to Williams, the captains have a

tough job because they have to focus on the entirety of the team, not just individual goals. “The captains are very supportive,” said sophomore Nile Bennett.

“We would not be the team we are now without them.”

The team not only has leaders returning, but also state-wide standouts. Junior Jayden Thomas along with Williams were selected to the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Preseason AllState team. Other notable players to watch in big games are seniors Chris Morocco and Evan Duncan, junior Justin Johnson and sophomore Deuce Jordan.

The upperclassmen have a great bond that is trickling down to the rest of the team.

“The team chemistry this year is as good as I have seen it since I have been head coach,” said Coach Slade. “The guys really care about winning over individual accolades and individual goals. A group of 45 boys with a common goal are going to be hard to take down.”

The team believes they are heading in the right direction.

The atmosphere on the field and in the locker room is something past Pace football teams have not obtained. “As the Falcons would say, we truly are a brotherhood,” said junior Pearson Bates.

Varsity Football Fills Holes with Newcomers, Upperclassmen Rise Up Sam Webb

Staff Writer Class of 2021 The Knights are 2-1 so far this season, and the team is looking to take each game one at a time and improve week by week, according to the coaching staff.

“The region consists of all the teams playing for second place behind [2018 state champions]

Photo: Fred Assaf Junior Jayden Thomas turns upfield against ELCA and outruns the defensive back for a big gain.

Sports

Vol. 45, Issue #1

The Knightly News - Page 12

Freshmen Play Key Role for Softball Mary Childs Hall Co-Editor in Chief

Class of 2021

Photo: Sybil Hadley

Starting a new season is full of non-stop work and strenuous competition, especially when the team is full of new players.

Now the varsity softball team is wrapping up their regular season, with a focus this year on incorporating six freshman girls into the chemistry of the team. Although this task can be difficult, the girls have proven that the new players have created a strong dynamic.

With a record at press time on Sept. 21 of 7-12, the softball team has been challenged by significantly larger schools outside the immediate area, such as Newnan High and Carrollton High. However, they did defeat other powerhouses like Lambert High, a 7A team with 3000 students, and Westminster. “We have a lot of potential this year,” said sophomore Marissa Goodman.

Their season began in the early summer with optional practices twice a week and weight room workouts. “A majority of the girls played on travel ball teams over the summer, too, which helped them to prepare for the season,” said head coach Jewell Marable.

After losing Caelen Corbally ‘19, who was a vital member of

Freshman Victoria Hadley is one of the contributors to the team. last year’s team, the girls needed a new approach for this year.

“I think this year is different because we actually have a full team,” said junior Sydney Silverstein, a pitcher for the Knights.

“The freshmen have helped a lot. We have an outfield this year that we can rely on, knowing the ball is going to get caught out there. They will dive after anything and go for it.”

Making up almost half of the roster, the freshmen have had to take on a role that most teams do not expect freshmen to assume.

“We would not have a team if it wasn’t for our freshmen,” said Coach Marable. “The new blood has helped us in ways we didn’t expect,” said Goodman.

Also, the two senior leaders have contributed greatly, making sure the girls know what is expected of them. As team captains, seniors Molly Buffenbarger and Caroline Landis have looked out for the younger players. “They also communicate with our coaches and represent our needs, which has been really important this year,” said junior

competed in sports including baseball, basketball, flag football, soccer, tennis, volleyball and seven others.

The athletes spent their free time learning, participating in community service and socializing, all geared to strengthen their Jewish values and connection with others in the community.

The service this year benefited the Shepherd Center in Atlanta and the Israel Sport Center for the Disabled.

The week was centered around two hubs in Atlanta: the Marcus Jewish Community Center (MJCCA) and the Marist School. Buses drove athletes and fans back and forth from those sites to their games. Dining halls were located at both hubs, but food was abundant at all venues.

Out-of-state and interna-

tional athletes were housed by local host families. “Kids from different cities live in the homes of families who live in Atlanta,” said sophomore Margo Kaye, who competed on the 16U girls basketball team. “The families take the kids to their games in the morning, and basically anywhere else they need to go.

On one night they bring their host kids to an activity of their choice, such as a pool party or fun dinner.”

Sophomores and twin brothers Will and Matthew Aronson played basketball. “All the food was kosher, we had the opportunity to put on tefillin, lots of people wore kippahs, and team Israel was there,” said Will Aronson. “The Jewish part of Maccabi was very noticeable and appreciated at the games.”

Athletes also engaged in Jewish dialogue together after watching a film about the Munich 11. “The Munich 11 were the 11 Israeli Olympic athletes who were killed by terrorists,” said junior Charlie Janko, who played basketball at the games.

“It made me realize how lucky I was to be able to still compete in the sports that I love.”

Charlie’s younger siblings, freshman twins Jack and Katie Janko, also played basketball.

Jack’s team won the championship for his age group. Another sibling pair who competed was sophomore Hannah Genser who played soccer, and her brother, junior Matt Genser, who played

Helena Harris. “The seniors hype us up before games too.”

Not only have the freshmen and seniors brought skills and knowledge to the team, but they have helped to create an even deeper bond among everyone.

“We are really close this year,” said Buffenbarger. “That’s the one thing that is different about softball. Because it is such a small team, everyone gets to be really good friends. Our team is really special because you could go up to anyone and be comfortable with them.”

The team has learned to translate their chemistry positively on the field and have learned how to work with one another. “Our team bond has helped us get through the tough games, and even through losses, we still stay connected and cheer each other on,” said Silverstein.

With Silverstein’s consistent pitching, Landis’s hitting and freshman Sara Mazur’s fielding, the team is primed for the competition before them. This season has been laborious and tough, but the genuine love for softball that each girl has shown unites all of the players.

“I know that this year has been different as everything feels so new, but everyone really cares about softball and being there for each other,” said Buffenbarger. “We have formed new traditions this year and have pushed ourselves to new heights.”

Adams, Blaha Twins Lead Boys XC Sam Webb

Staff Writer Class of 2021

Boys varsity cross country started their season on Aug. 17 with a big win over defending 6A state champions Pope High School. The team was led by sophomore Edward Blaha who finished 8th.

The next weekend the boys competed in the Saucony XC Kickoff Classic. With both Edward and George Blaha, seniors George and Sam Adams, and sophomore Robert Mallis placing in the top 10, the Knights brought home a trophy against 7A powerhouse West Forsyth High School.

Heading into September, the Knights placed 5th at the Carrolton Orthopedic Invitational, ahead of both Westminster and Lovett.

At the biggest meet of the regular season for the Knights, the Wingfoot XC Classic, a solid team effort along with a huge personal record from George Adams (15:54, second in school history) earned the squad a 9th place finish.

Pace Students Represent at Atlanta Maccabi Games Darren Rosing Opinion Editor Class of 2021

Photo: Maccabi Games Sophomore Cole Kaplan, a ping pong wizard, competed for Gold in Atlanta.

Photo: Jamie Kornheiser

This past summer, young Jewish athletes from around the world congregated in Atlanta Jul. 28-Aug. 2 for the annual Jewish Community Center (JCC) Maccabi Games, an Olympicstyle sporting competition for kids aged 12-16. Of the 1,600 participants, 21 were Pace upper school students.

The JCC Maccabi Games began in Memphis in 1982 and have since grown into a highlight of modern American Jewish life. The games began with an elaborate opening ceremony of torches and grand entrances.

Over five days, the athletes

(L-R) Juniors Jordy Elster, Jamie Kornheiser and Evan Elster hold the team Atlanta banner in the Opening Ceremonies at the Ameris Bank Ampitheatre. tennis. Junior twins Evan and Jordy Elster also both played tennis.

The week’s events and rivalry ended with closing ceremonies and a huge party at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 1. The pop band AJR performed and stuck around for an exclu-

sive meet-and-greet. Sophomore Marissa Goodman, who played tennis, said the party was her favorite part of the event.

Next year’s Maccabi Games will be held in San Diego, California on Aug. 2-7. Visit their website to register at www. sdmaccabi2020.org.