Volume 45, Issue #2

Vol. 45, Issue #2

The

November 8, 2019

Knightly News

p. 4 Students Join Workforce

p. 6 Metal Straws Won’t Stop Climate Change

p. 11 Esports Plugs into High School

Brianna Korb Says Farewell to Pace Mary Childs Hall Co-Editor in Chief

Class of 2021

Photo: Fred Assaf

In her ninth year of teaching in the Pace Upper School, science teacher Brianna Korb has decided to take a step away from the classroom. Whether it be in working with the annual Phlotilla for the freshman class or working with AP Physics students and the freshmen at Six Flags each spring, Mrs. Korb has undoubtedly left a lasting impression on her students.

Having joined the Pace faculty in August 2011, Mrs. Korb has taught classes from ninth grade physics to AP Physics and even freshman Transitions. She has also coached JV volleyball and robotics.

Mrs. Korb helped her students to gain skills of problem solving, experimental design and conceptual understanding of the natural world. By teaching physics to freshmen, she exposed her students to physical systems that would become applicable in their later science courses like chemistry and biology.

In an email written to Head of Upper School Mike Gannon,

Mrs. Korb has made a lasting impact on the Pace community, leaving her students with memories such as her work with Freshman Phlotilla, where she is pictured in this 2014 photo with Dr. John Pearson.

Mrs. Korb expressed her sentiments: “I’ve enjoyed working with hundreds of motivated students and wish my students well in their pursuits,” she said. “To my current students: I am sorry we will not complete this year together. I have enjoyed having each of you in my classes and want to encourage you to pursue your academic studies with passion and purpose.”

Many of Mrs. Korb’s former

students remember how supportive she was and how much she cared for each student. “She was a really hard teacher and her class was definitely not easy, but she was very helpful,” said freshman Hunt Stevens. “I always knew I could come see her, and I learned a lot from her.”

Other students reminisce on the projects that Mrs. Korb assigned each year, and how she helped them to become better

team players and problem solvers. “I specifically remember the thermos project because I liked being able to experiment with my creativity,” said junior Caroline McCullough, who had Mrs. Korb her freshman year.

Although students said that she was a tough teacher, many believe that as they grew older, they began to appreciate her more. “Freshman year was not easy for me, but having had her

for four months senior year, I started to realize how great of a teacher she was,” said senior Will Stratton. “I think as I matured, she began to like me more which in turn helped me to do better in her class. I believe this is a detrimental loss to Pace and I just want to say ‘thank you, Mrs. Korb, for letting me be myself and giving us a strong four months this year.’”

As Mrs. Korb has left midsemester, Technology Coordinator Neil DeRosa, science teacher Betsy Costley and science department chairperson John Pearson have already stepped up to teach her classes. Mr. DeRosa, who has served previously as an upper school science teacher and science department chairperson at Pace, has already begun teaching an AP Physics class, and he will do so until a replacement arrives for the spring semester.

“The kids are great,” said Mr. DeRosa. “They are super cooperative and very smart kids. I just want to get them to where they feel comfortable with knowing the material for the AP test. I hope to give them the same quality of instruction as they were receiving when Mrs. Korb was here.”

Award Created to Honor ‘First Black Knight’ Jamie Kornheiser Managing Editor Class of 2021

Photo: Fred Assaf

The idea of creating an association of black Pace Academy alumni was sparked during the spring of 2018 while alumni Ross Brown ‘07 and Kevin Linder ‘94 were participating in Leadership Pace. The two then spoke to fellow alumnus and member of the Pace Alumni Association Board Jason Lee ‘96 and Director of Diversity and Inclusion Joanne Brown to set the idea into motion.

Through a new association, they are already becoming more involved in the community, having hosted a breakfast to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as well as sponsoring a tailgate at the Pace/Lovett football game.

This year, their biggest project is “to endow an award

The Association of Black Alumni gather for a tailgate before the Pace/Lovett football game on Oct. 18. in honor of Pace’s first black graduate, Judge Clyde Reese,” said Mr. Brown, who is currently serving as president of the association and is an award co-chair with Mr. Linder and Mr. Lee. Pace’s integration story, which began with Judge Reese,

was highlighted by junior and Knightly News Online Editor Kalissa Greene who wrote “The First ‘Black Knight’: Pace Academy’s Integration Story” for the Feb. 8, 2019 issue of The Knightly News.

“This award is truly based on

the vision of Kevin Linder,” said Mr. Brown. “He has provided an extreme amount of support, passion and leadership with getting this award off the ground.”

In an interview that appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of the Knight Times, Alumni Relations

Manager Hayley Shoji talked with Mr. Linder to ask what the creation of this association and this award meant to him. “I really hope that the Association of Black Alumni will be an integral part of the alumni network,” he said. “As Pace continues to increase diversity in all of its shapes and forms, we will continue to partner with Joanne Brown to interact with students and to be a support for black students before and after graduation... Our shared experience is very powerful.”

The Clyde L. Reese III ‘76 Book Award will be given during the annual upper school Honors Day assembly (this year being held on May 7) to a sophomore or junior nominated by faculty and staff who is then chosen by the Association for Black Alumni.

As for the criteria, the student must have a “sincere and

(Continued on page 10)

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Pace News

November 8, 2019

The Knightly News - Page 2

Mrs. Hill Starts New Yoga Business Megan Hardesty Staff Writer Class of 2022

Mrs. Hill poses in Astavakrasana (eight-angle pose) on the Devil’s Courthouse trail in North Carolina. practicing yoga six years ago, during a difficult time in her life. Mrs. Hill had quit her job and begun grad school in order to become a teacher. “It was a really scary time in life when a lot of my closest friends and people that I loved were telling me I was making a big mistake,” said Mrs. Hill. “Simultaneously, I was having some back issues and a physical therapist told me

to go try yoga.” From that point on, Mrs. Hill fell in love with the practice, as well as with the mental benefits it provided.

“My favorite thing about yoga is that it is a practice and not just something that has an end goal,” said Mrs. Hill. “Yoga is always changing and moving forward.” Mrs. Hill is a physically active person, so she appreciates the physical aspect of yoga

Photo: Selby Hill

“Yonder is a place that you can see, but have not yet reached,” said English teacher Selby Hill. This definition is the foundation for her new yoga studio, Yonder Yoga. Yonder Yoga opened on Sept. 14 in Westside Village in Northwest Atlanta.

While teaching at a different studio two years ago, Mrs. Hill saw the potential to create a studio not centered around just one passionate yoga teacher.

“It was a great business model if the studio was actually run like a business, and had a strong brand behind it that was scalable for growth,” said Mrs. Hill. She has three business partners, and together they are determined to expand and grow their brand. A second location will be opening soon in Buckhead Court on Roswell Rd. Mrs. Hill is the main force behind the brand. She started

as well. “Yoga is still physically challenging, but you leave feeling rejuvenated and refreshed as opposed to defeated,” said Mrs. Hill.

Along with the physical aspect of yoga, there is a large breathing component. “I didn’t realize how much I didn’t breath during the day until I did yoga,” said Mrs. Hill. “Over time, I feel like I can breathe so much

deeper.” While breathing is a major part of yoga, she stresses how much more yoga can be. “It is not slow or boring; you are moving, and we play fun music, not spa music,” said Mrs. Hill.

Mrs. Hill encourages students to give yoga a shot.

She describes herself as having a type-A personality, and she finds yoga as a great stress reliever. “I love yoga because it occupies my mind on something else,” said Mrs. Hill. “It makes me think of something completely so I can’t focus on what is outside the room.”

Mrs. Hill teaches at 4:30 p.m. on Mondays and at 6 p.m. on Thursdays at the Westside Village location at 2260 Marietta Blvd. There are 21 teachers at the studio. Yonder Yoga offers seven different types of classes, but all are Vinyasa-style yoga, which is flowing movement with regulated breathing. The studio room is kept between 90 and 93 degrees with 60% humidity.

For those interested in giving Yonder Yoga a try, the first class is free.

Freshmen Engage with Ms. Smith Offers Atlanta Non-Profits Poland Trip Francesca Vaneri

News Editor Class of 2020

Gabriel Kadoori

On Oct. 16, while seniors took a day off to work on college applications and juniors and sophomores took the PSAT, the freshmen spent a day around Atlanta involved in community engagement.

After a brief assembly in the FAC where seniors Klara AndraThomas and Blaise Reyes shared their experiences and thoughts on community engagement, the class of 2020 loaded up onto buses by Transitions groups and spread across Atlanta.

The groups went to the Atlanta Beltline, Bloom Closet, Easter Seals, Helping Mamas, Kashi Atlanta, Slater Elementary School, Sylan Hills Child Development Center, the Women’s Community Kitchen and the Wylde Center.

The group that went to Helping Mamas helped pack baby supplies for new mothers. Freshman Marley Venturi went with her group to Helping Mamas.

“It was really fun to organize the supplies and know that I was helping moms in my community,” said Venturi.

Meanwhile, the freshmen who went to Bloom Closet organized clothes, hung them on racks and moved bins around.

“I really enjoyed spending a day with my friends organizing clothes,” said freshman Iowa Vance. “It was nice to spend a day out of the classroom but where I still felt like I was learning.”

Upper school history teacher Helen Smith is excited to announce that she will be offering a trip to Poland this summer in collaboration with the Isdell Center for Global Leadership and Model United Nations. The anti-Semitism and Model North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Study Tour will take place June 11-23.

The trip combines an opportunity to take part in a policy simulation with the chance to explore Poland, specifically Krakow and Warsaw.

“This year is particularly important because as anti-Semitism rises around the world, I think we need to be aware of how governments, through legislation and the judicial system, limit human rights even at times within supposed constitutional boundaries,” said Ms. Smith.

NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European States. The North Atlantic Treaty obliges each country in the pact to help defend against any attack by an outside party on a member state. Students will participate in a simulation for two days during the trip where they will learn about NATO’s relationship with China.

“Some students are con-

Staff Writer Class of 2022

Photo: Lee Wilson (L-R) Adam Schultz and Cayenne Davis clean up trash on the Atlanta Beltline on Community Engagement Day. Across town, freshman Josie Swain went to Hawk Hollow at the Wylde Nature Center, where she helped clean up the park grounds and spread mulch. “It’s a nice feeling to know that you’re helping someone out, even if it’s in a small way,” said Swain.

At Easter Seals, an organization that provides early childhood development services to families, another group helped load up supplies for the annual Trick or Treat Trot. “We spent the day helping with supplies, but also just learning about the organization and what it does,” said freshman Alex Goodrich. “I had no idea all the stuff they did

to help families, and it was really cool to hear about.”

Not only did Community Engagement Day create an opportunity to learn outside of the classroom, it also introduced the freshmen to opportunities to participate in community engagement that they can pursue throughout the rest of high school.

“Community engagement is a good way to give back,” said Venturi. “This day really showed me all the different ways I can get involved in community engagement and inspired me to continue through the rest of high school.”

cerned that this trip involves a policy simulation,” said Ms. Smith “That should scare no one because there is no grade; you just learn and interact with other teenagers from around the world.” Model NATO requires no extreme time commitment and provides an opportunity to learn about issues affecting numerous countries today.

The tentative itinerary in Poland includes tours of Kazimers, the Museum of the History of Jewish Groups, the Warsaw Uprising Museum and Auschwitz. The objectives of the trip are to study in one of the oldest European Jewish communities and learn about the development of Jewish identity, Jewish resilience, and Jewish cultural contributions, along with seeing how this was wiped out in the 20th century.

“I want us to see first hand, in Poland, how a history of anti-Semitism can be used by a government to gain power for itself,” said Ms. Smith. “As inciting hatred appeals to the worst instincts of human beings, the United States and our young citizens need to stand for the best.”

In a final pitch for why students should go on the Poland trip, Ms. Smith said, “You should go on this trip because traveling with me is fun, you eat good food, and learn about a new culture and issues facing us today with a group of involved students.”

Pace News

Vol. 45, Issue #2

The Knightly News - Page 3

Five Minutes with Sophomore Twins Giana and Alex Karamanolis Mary Childs Hall Co-Editor in Chief

Class of 2021

(L-R) Giana and Alex Karamanolis are pictured as young children and now as Pace sophomores. late in the morning (laughs).

I wake up at, like, 7:50 when school is starting. Let’s see about you, good chicken (looks at Alex). I don’t know, but our family always jokes that he should be a lawyer because he loves to argue with all of us.

AK: Yep, that’s me.

KN: Who is your parents’ favorite?

AK: Giana is 100%...

GK: No, I don’t think they have

favorites!

KN: Why do you say that Alex?

AK: Because she is the only girl in the house besides my mom.

KN: What is your favorite activity to do together?

AK: I have no idea.

GK: Drink water. We have always got our hydroflasks.

KN: OK, last question. If you two were stuck on an island, and you could only pick one meal to have for the rest of your lives,

Photos: Alex Karamanolis, Mary Childs Hall

Knightly News: Hi Giana and Alex, how are you two doing today?

Giana Karamanolis: Good, how are you?

KN: I am doing well. Thanks for asking! So, let’s get right into this. How has this school year gone for both of you so far?

GK: Um, it’s been a bit of an adjustment from last year, I think.

Sophomore year is just different.

But, it’s going…

Alex Karamanolis: It’s not bad for me.

KN: What is it like being twins?

GK: Very fun.

AK: I mean, it is just like being normal siblings to me. Giana is just like a normal sister to me, except for the fact that we are the same age and in the same grade.

KN: What is it like having older brothers who are also twins?

AK: Yeah, Chase and Tase [‘19].

It definitely makes the house very loud with all four of us running around. But again, it just feels pretty normal.

KN: So, do you two ever get into fights?

AK: Actually, not really. We get along well. Our brothers don’t

really fight, either.

KN: Who was born first?

AK: I was!

GK: He is very proud of that. He always brings it up.

KN: By how much?

AK: Uh, just by a minute or so.

KN: What’s it like sharing the same birthday?

GK: I think it’s actually really nice. It’s just double the fun for us being able to celebrate our special day together.

AK: We don’t really know anything else, so it’s pretty normal.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

KN: I know your family is Greek, so what does that mean for you?

GK: It is definitely a beautiful place, and we both love it a lot.

We go to this small town called Koroni, and it’s a fishing village.

There, everyone knows each other’s names and it is like a whole other home for our family.

AK: It just feels like a community there. It is a big part of our lives because we travel there for at least a month every summer.

It is something I always look forward to.

KN: Sounds great! What is your biggest pet peeve about your twin?

AK: (Giggle) She takes way too long to get ready in the morning.

I always feel like we are going to be late.

GK: I guess I just wake up too

what would it be?

AK: Oh, let’s see. Well, she’s a vegetarian now, so that is really tough for me (hmm). Let me think about this. I guess pad thai is alright.

GK: Yeah, pad thai would be a good choice.

KN: Sounds great. Thanks so much for taking five minutes to talk with us!

GK and AK: Of course. See you.

Alliances Create More Welcoming Environment Jayla Wideman Staff Writer Class of 2022

Photo: Jayla Wideman

As diversity grows at Pace, so have the number of groups to educate and support students around diversity and inclusion topics. This year, there are four active student alliances in the high school. All students are welcome to participate in the Black Student Alliance (BSA), Gender-Sexuality Association (GSA), Hispanic Student Alliance (HSA) and the International Student Alliance (ISA).

According to Director of Diversity and Inclusion Joanne Brown, an alliance is defined as “a group that brings together students who share a common identity and those who stand in solidarity with that group.”

A common thread within the alliances is the hope to be able to educate the general student body. “We’re planning on doing assemblies,” said junior Cole Middleton, one of the leaders of the BSA. “For Black History Month, we’re going to be the ones running all the assemblies, any activities that happen, posters and things that go up around the school, anything on the TVs.” Senior Sydney Thomas is also a leader of the BSA.

(L-R) Junior Cole Middleton and senior Sydney Thomas, Black Student Alliance leaders, meet with Director of Diversity and Inclusion Joanne Brown.

“At BSA, we plan on working together to do some community service projects to try to help some of our members get their community service hours before senior year,” she said. “One thing we’ve worked on already is the Bahamian project with [junior] Christian Bing and [ICGL Associate Director] Ted Ward.”

The project consisted of soliciting donations from the Pace community for Bahamian people affected by Hurricane Dorian. BSA members painted large boxes for the donations and transported the donated items

to the Bahamian consulate in Atlanta for distribution to people in need. The BSA leaders also cited discussion as one of their focuses.

Sophomore Allison Silverboard, one of the leaders of GSA, described GSA as “an association that aims to spread awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and spread acceptance and inclusion, while giving back to our community.”

The group has been active for years now, and each year new students are welcomed into the fold. “It’s a place where

LGBTQ+ students can find support and acceptance from their peers,” said Silverboard. “It’s like an unofficial family.”

However, Silverboard acknowledged that GSA occasionally has some problems garnering support. “It feels like sometimes people don’t want to come to GSA because they’re scared to be perceived as gay.”

She cited this belief as untrue, and said that there were plenty of straight people that attend the group’s biweekly meetings. “GSA welcomes all people at Pace, even if you don’t

identify with the LGBTQ+ community,” she said. “I just wish [that more people knew that].”

Founded in early September, the HSA is the newest alliance.

Senior Jesus Tadeo Pineda is one of the leaders. He cited the group’s focus as “[being a safe space] for Hispanic students to talk about their culture, and share their culture with other people and with the rest of the school.” He noted that they “welcome all cultures.”

Many of the Hispanic students at Pace recently showcased their cultures during an assembly for Hispanic Heritage Month, which concluded with a dance that drew loud applause.

“Since it’s our first year, we just want to kind of get the basics down for the club, for an alliance, you know?” said Tadeo Pineda. “And to create a safe space for Hispanic and Latino students, or just anyone who wants or needs a safe space.”

Spanish teacher Paula Pontes is the sponsor for the ISA, which she started in Spring 2009. She created the ISA to support international students who are first or second generation immigrants to the United States.

According to Dr. Pontes, families and students have come from countries as close to Atlanta as Mexico and as far away as South Korea.

Pace News

November 8, 2019

The Knightly News - Page 4

Pace Students Join Workforce works at Publix on Peachtree

Sloane Wagreich Road, assisting customers and Staff Writer Class of 2021

Photo: Nikki Rubin

Senior Nikki Rubin prepares one of Frutta Bowl’s signature açai bowls at the grand opening.

said Rosenthal. While it helps him with outside skills, it also allows him to further his academic career. “Looking at it from the teaching perspective really reinforces the knowledge and gives me a deeper understanding of math as a whole,” he said.

The list doesn’t end here.

Many students at Pace are motivated to step out of the Pace bubble to gain some experience in the outside world. Junior

Helena Harris worked at LifeTime Fitness over the summer lifeguarding at the outdoor pool while junior Evan Elster spent his time coaching tennis at the Jewish Community Center of Atlanta.

Sophomore Sara Elizabeth Haydon worked as a camp counselor over the summer at Camp Evergreen and sophomore Henry Leusink is employed at the Publix on West Paces.

club does not have a strict schedule to follow. They occasionally hold practices on weekdays and compete against other schools on weekends. Pace was able to send two teams to compete in a 10-team tournament at Wheeler High School at the beginning of October, placing second and fourth. “We train at practices to try and improve our skills, but at the end of the day we just want to have fun and enjoy ourselves,” said senior Alan Tapper.

The Modern Music Appreci-

ation Club was formed by junior Marc Rosenthal for music lovers to have a place to both listen to and discuss new music. The primary focus of the club is to broaden people’s music horizons by expanding the types of music that students listen to.

“We facilitate interesting discussion and analysis about all types of music… at the end of the day if people come to the club and hear music they haven’t heard before and find new music that they enjoy, then

that would be a success,” said Rosenthal. The club meets every Friday morning before the start of school.

Women Mentoring Women continues this year with the aim of preparing young women to step up and take on leadership roles even when it may feel uncomfortable. The club, led by seniors Jordan Upchurch and Rekha Sashti, meets on the first Wednesday of every month.

Baking for Breast Cancer, another established club, strives to not only raise money for the cause, but awareness as well.

According to club leader and senior Mary Lawson Bring, this year the club hopes to raise around $300 per bake sale and to have one each month. Numerous baked goods are sold by club members in the Inman Center, including cupcakes and cake pops. Students contribute by baking goods to sell and by selling them during free periods.

Students who are interested in joining a club can still reach out to club leaders and join at any point throughout the year.

For a list of all club offerings and leaders, reach out to any student council member.

Junior Anthony Salazar scans groceries during his shift at Publix.

Clubs Offer Opportunities to Explore Interests partment chair Gus Whyte and

Gabriel Kadoori science teacher Kevin Ballard Staff Writer Class of 2022

Photo: Gabriel Kadoori

Thirty clubs are available to upper school students this year, providing plenty of opportunities to take part in Pace culture.

There are clubs for most every student’s interests, ranging from those that are leisure oriented to clubs focusing on societal issues.

The Airsoft Club is new to Pace this year and led by junior Jack Carson. Occasionally, the club convenes on Friday mornings in Mr. Kaufman’s room to discuss logistics, but most of the club’s meetings occur outside of school. They play airsoft in different locations on the weekends, aiming to provide a place for students to meet other students who enjoy the sport.

They also hope to help those who have never played get started. “All are welcome, the more the better,” said Carson.

“Airsoft is an extremely fun sport, especially when played with friends.”

Another addition this year is the Outdoors Club. Math de-

have led outdoor trips such as kayaking and hiking in the past, but these have never been part of any formal club. The Outdoors Club was created in association with Mr. Whyte to attract more students interested in such trips.

The club hopes to go on at least one trip before the end of this semester.

A group of active students joined forces this year to create the Ultimate Frisbee Club. The

(L-R) Juniors Hunter Williams, Marc Rosenthal, Charlie Janko and Jordy Elster discuss new albums in the Modern Music Appreciation Club.

Photo: Sloane Wagreich

helping out throughout the store. Working at Publix allows Salazar to step out of his comfort zone and interact with different As if homework, studypeople that he would not othering, sports and clubs weren’t wise have a chance to connect enough, a significant number with. of Pace students are employed “It has helped me talking at various stores with strangers “It’s interesting to talk which I don’t and restaurants around Atlanta. and interact with people get to experiGetting a job at school older and different than ence allows students because I to be exposed to me. Working at this job, know a lot various necessary I get to talk to people of the people life skills, such said and learn some good here,” as teamwork and Salazar. “I skills.” -Virginia Heiser have learned time management. Whether it to manage is checking people in at a front time and only work on weekends desk or tutoring kids, students so I can still get my work done in say that their jobs provide a time for classes. I also schedule sense of the real world and better around my extracurriculars so prepares them for their future. that I have time for running and Junior Anthony Salazar swimming as well.”

HomeGoods’ new location in Buckhead is where senior Virginia Heiser spends her time working. “It is really fun because I got to open the store at its grand opening,” said Heiser. “I am definitely one of the youngest people that work there but it’s interesting to talk and interact with people older and different than me. Working at this job, I get to talk to people and learn some good skills.”

Heiser is friends with all of her coworkers and they love catching up while working. Her hours are flexible and she is able to easily adjust her schedule if needed. “During the school year, my boss is lenient and I can work on weekends,” said Heiser.

Junior Jack Macrae and senior Nikki Rubin work at Frutta Bowls in Sandy Springs serving popular açai bowls to customers. “I’ve always kind of enjoyed working, like I used to wash the windows and stuff at home, and I also felt like I needed to get money, especially since I started driving, for things like gas,” said Rubin.

The environment at her workplace is positive and welcoming. “I have definitely made a lot of friends that I wouldn’t have met otherwise and also people that don’t even work there anymore I still talk to,” said Rubin.

Also working in Sandy Springs, junior Marc Rosenthal helps tutor math at Mathnasium.

According to Rosenthal, he sought an occupation that would provide him with new experiences while aiding others.

“My job helps me develop many important skills both in tutoring and in working with younger children in general,”

Opinion

Vol. 45, Issue #2

The Knightly News - Page 5

Is the Stress of Exams Really Worth It? study for the most. As the week goes on, they begin to lose focus Staff Writer and their scores can drop.

Class of 2021 Exams build up unnecessary pressure for students and enhance the academic stress that If you speak to any Pace stuthey experience on a daily basis. dent about what the most stressIn addition to high school exams, ful time of the year is, the most middle schools also test students. common response will probably This is justified by leaders of be exam week. At the end of schools, arguing that it is a great each semester, Pace students are preparation for high school; required to take exams for all however, it maximizes the presfive of their academic classes. sure of students at an early age.

AP students are required to take As bad as it is that schools are all five exams in requiring exams the winter, but they According to for middle school, may exempt spring “Sleep” Volume 42, it is worse for high exams if they have less than 20% of stu- school students. above a certain av- dents get even seven All final grades erage in their class. hours of sleep during that students receive Exams can raise finals week. are put on their students’ averages, report card and but in reality, they do more harm submitted to colleges in the than good. fall or spring semester of their “You don’t need a final exam senior year. It does not matter if to test how well you know the students maintained a relatively concept,” said freshman Marley high average in their classes Venturi. “Regular tests stress throughout high school; if they you out enough. We should get did not perform well on their rid of them.” Many students have exams, their averages will drop. difficulty studying and preparThere is no way for colleges to ing for a test on four or more know whether it was because months’ worth of material. If a of the final exam or it was a student has gotten good grades common trend throughout the throughout the semester and semester. does not do well on their exams, Many students end up cramthere is no reason why their ming months’ worth of material average should drop. This reduc- for their final exams. This pretion does not reflect their overall vents them from truly underperformance in the course and standing the information. In adshould not be the determining dition, it is bad for their health. factor of their final grade.

According to “Sleep” Volume Although it rotates, the order 42, less than 20% of students get of exams does affect a student’s even seven hours of sleep durperformance. Exams that fall at ing finals week. Ironically, this the beginning of the week tend particular week is when students to be the finals that students need the most amount of sleep

Sloane Wagreich

The Knightly News

due to the back-to-back assessments. Students stay up late at night and wake up early in the morning to cram as much information as they can before their exam. Although it may seem helpful at that moment, students retain less material and are not able to remember as much by the time of the test.

Many schools across the country have gotten rid of exams in an attempt to create a healthier environment. Schools as close as Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Buckhead and as far as Horace Mann in New York have put a stop to these semester tests.

In addition, Ransom Everglades School in Miami, Florida has terminated exams.

According to The Washington Post, schools in Loudoun County, Virginia, for example, have gotten rid of exams in an attempt to shift towards a more project-style type of learning.

“We’re trying to make sure the students have the 21st-century skills they need for the modern workforce, which is not necessarily sitting for a long test,” said Loudoun’s director of high school education Nereida Gonzalez-Sales.

This topic of exams still sparks debate at Pace. While many may think that students are opposed to exams, in reality, there are quite a few Pace students who enjoy exam week.

They argue that it is relaxed and enjoy only having to come to school for a few hours. Despite their preference for exams, there is a vast number of students who are passionate about getting rid of them.

966 West Paces Ferry Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 (404) 262-1345 knightlynews@paceacademy.org Published by students at Pace Academy Member of Georgia Scholastic Press Association Co-Editors-in-Chief: Mary Childs Hall Aman Hashim Managing Editor: Jamie Kornheiser News Editor: Francesca Vaneri Opinion Editor: Darren Rosing Lifestyle Editor: Isabel Battista

Social Media Editor: Bennett Boushka Social Media: Ashley Myers Staff Writers: Megan Hardesty Amalia Haviv Gabriel Kadoori Meghna Singha Sloane Wagreich Sam Webb Jayla Wideman

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.

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Fall Exams Are Needed for Student Success Bennett Boushka

Social Media Editor

Class of 2021

Photo: Bennett Boushka

Some schools across Atlanta are beginning to cut fall exams.

However, exams in both the fall and the spring are necessary to keep students invested and attentive in their classes throughout the year. Students who do not have an exam at the end of each semester run the risk of not fully understanding and internalizing concepts.

Instead, students will rely on only retaining information for the test, for there is no need to recall anything later. For example, information learned about Egypt in September will go unreviewed until May; the student will probably learn the material for the test, forget it and then relearn it before the exam.

With no exams at the end of a semester, students lose focus with the thought of holiday or summer break on the horizon.

Believe it or not, not having fall exams can actually bring

Junior Alivia Wynn learns about the Election of 1824 through Dr. Christine Carter’s launchpad progress check. more stress upon students. All of the teachers will be pressing to get final grades in as the semester comes to a close, and students will have assessments and projects due within the last two weeks. This will create an unnecessary amount of anxiety for students as they have to balance normal school life with these extra assessments. Furthermore, coaches and extracur-

ricular leaders will not adjust their rigorous schedules, simply adding more items to students’ agendas.

Fall exams, on the other hand, promote full internalization of concepts, and students realize that if they learn it in a way that they understand, it will be much easier to remember it for the exam. For example, in freshman physics instead of memoriz-

ing the formulas for gravitational pull, the students learn why effective radius and mass affects gravitational pull, making the formula intuitive. A study by the American Psychological Association states that students who have to recall information at least once a month have twice the chance of remembering it in the long term.

Holy Innocents’ near Pace experimented with only having exams at the end of the year, but the school has now moved back to two exam periods. “The information on the exam was a lot more broad,” said Holy Innocents’ junior Kate Bell.

She reported that having only one exam at the end of the year caused teachers to only ask broad based questions about material covered from first semester, meaning students did not have to retrieve a deep level of understanding.

Exams also offer a structure that is beneficial to students.

Teachers plan to finish their material with enough time to review the information, thereby

giving students less homework leading up to exams. This allows students to study in advance, creating an opportunity for reduced stress levels the night before. Although the thought of exams still frightens students, if they utilize their time wisely, review throughout the semester and get help from their teachers, exams should be nothing to worry about.

Students’ time is not just consumed by school. Most students participate in many extracurricular activities. The leaders of these activities know the students need extra time to study and prepare before and during exams. Activity leaders and coaches adjust accordingly, making the work load for exam week and the prior week lighter than normal. Coaches have also required players to attend no phone study halls to ensure an environment where their players are focused and preparing for exams.

Fall exams are productive and help students’ academic careers in the long run.

Opinion

November 8, 2019

The Knightly News - Page 6

Your Metal Straws Will Not Stop Climate Change... Here’s What Will.

Illustration: Darren Rosing In capitalistic America, power is awarded to those with resources and finances. Consumers have the power to change the world based solely on what they choose to buy and who they choose to finance. Money is your power, so endorse your vision.

It all started with straws that they’re supposed to replace. For example, an eight-minutethe new straw-less Starbucks lids use more plastic than News Editor long video of a straw would, and production of a metal straw can Class of 2020 a sea turtle with consume more energy and create more waste than the a plastic straw production of a plastic straw. jammed in its nose, The movement against plastic straws is a good start gasping for breath as blood ran down its face. It was for a wider societal reckoning about the way our cona video that would later launch the movement sumerism has driven climate change. But, it should be against plastic straws, dominating the environconsidered just that – a start. A focus mental headlines for much of 2019. But despite on straws is good, but the fixation its undeniable appeal and unexpected popuhas become a distraction from larity, the question remains: has the identifying far more impactful “Your anti-plastic-straw movement choices that we can make every metal straw actually produced results? day to truly have an impact. won’t save the While plastic straws are First of all, we need to remember problematic for the environour power as consumers in a capitalist world, but the values ment because of their shape, system. We vote with our wallets. that led you to buy it which makes them difficult to The movement against plastic recycle, they’re actually a minor straws has been a consumer can, as long as you source of marine plastic pollution. initiative; consumers demanded don’t stop there.”

Straws make up just 0.025% of the 8 change, and corporations remillion tons of pollution that flow into the sponded. ocean every year. In fact, the major sources It is essential that consumers build upon the of marine pollution are fishing nets, balloons, momentum of this moment. One possible policy plastic bags and cigarette butts. approach would be to push for Extended Producer And yet, despite their relatively small impact, Responsibility (EPR), under which producers are straws have become the scapegoat for the climate given responsibility – financial and/or physical – for change debate. It is common to see people with metal the treatment or disposal of post-consumer products. It straws, and in many restaurants people now have to ask is an approach that has seen success in countries such as for straws rather than have them automatically brought the U.K., France and Japan. with the drink.

But policy is not the only level on which we can creCompanies such as McDonald’s and Starbucks have ate environmental change. When it comes to personal promised to phase out their use of plastic straws, setting habits, the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) an example for the entire food and drink industry. But theme of waste for this school year is timely. We often these changes can often be more harmful than the plastic think of plastic products as acceptable because they can

Francesca Vaneri

Straws

make up only 0.025% of the 8 million tons of marine pollution.

In fact, the major sources of marine pollution are fishing nets, balloons, plastic bags and cigarette butts.

80%

of people

4%

of people

think climate change is caused by human activity think there is no such thing as climate change

59%

of Americans think climate change is affecting their local area

be recycled. Instead, we should start seeing recycling, or throwing things away, as a last resort. There are literally countless options for consumers hoping to cut down their environmental footprint. We can reduce or completely cut out meat from our diets. We can prioritize public transport, biking and walking over driving. We can use less water by making small adjustments, from taking shorter showers to turning off the tap while brushing teeth.

We can thrift or pass down clothes rather than buying new ones, particularly from fast-fashion sites that generate inordinate amounts of waste. We can reduce our food and plastic waste simply by being more conscious of our shopping and consumption habits. We can become educated on the ways in which we as individuals and corporations produce harmful waste.

In a remarkably polarized world, one simple statistic is promising for the environmental movement. According to Forbes magazine, 88% of consumers want the brands they buy from to support sustainable lifestyles.

And many consumers are putting their money where their mouth is, forcing companies to meet the demand for environmentally-conscious products and production.

Carrying a reusable water bottle won’t save the world, but it will pressure the producers of disposable water bottles to move into green efforts. Saying no to plastic straws in restaurants won’t save every turtle, but it will move the needle of profitability for companies who used to produce plastic straws.

The anti-plastic straw movement probably won’t do much for the environment, but it’s a symbol for what consumers can do when they believe in the power of their personal choices. Your metal straw won’t save the world, but the values that led you to buy it can, as long as you don’t stop there.

ASIA

is responsible for 40% of carbon emissions.

43%

of U.S. consumers

believe individuals have the greatest potential to solve social and environmental problems.

Opinion

Vol. 45, Issue #2

The Knightly News - Page 7

Diversity in Healthcare Saves Lives Jayla Wideman Staff Writer Class of 2022

Illustration: Kathryn Hood

The United States has the worst record in the developed world as far as maternal mortality goes. Though we are a leading power in the world, we are somehow incompetent when it comes to taking care of some of our most vulnerable citizens.

According to National Public Radio (NPR), this deplorable maternal mortality rate is disproportionately affecting black and Native American women.

First, some statistics: According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, black women are typically paid just 63 cents for every dollar that a white man makes. This means that they are making generally less than the nation’s median income. One study found that the average black woman makes $36,227, which is around $21,698 less than the median wages for white men.

This transfers to what insurance they are able to afford.

Compared to white women, black women are more likely to be uninsured and face greater financial barriers to care when

they need it. They are also less likely to have access to prenatal care.

These may be contributing factors to the death rate when black and Native American women give birth. Black and Native American women are about three times as likely to die in childbirth compared to white women in the United States.

However, the disenfranchisement of these two groups is not the only thing that causes their deaths at such a high rate in childbirth – it is the fact that their pain is often dismissed and ignored, while white women are listened to more carefully.

According to the American Heart Association News, even very famous black women, such as Serena Williams, have had their very real concerns brushed off during childbirth. This has led to life-threatening situations that could have been avoided or treated quickly.

“The Resident,” a popular TV show on Fox, confronted the issue head on in a heartbreaking episode that showed not only the complications that can occur in childbirth but the devastation for families afterwards when delivery goes horribly wrong. The episode was based on a real-life occurrence, one in which Kira

Black and Native American women are more at risk of dying from pregnancy than white women.

Dixon Johnson (the daughter-inlaw of TV Judge Hachett) died while in labor due to a medical mistake.

Twelve hours after her bladder was nicked during a planned Cesarean section, she was finally attended to – six hours after staff had been notified of blood in her urine. She died when they finally opened her up, due to massive blood loss. Her condition was fixable – if the doctors had listened to her when she first complained of discomfort.

Her husband formed a nonprofit

named 4Kira4Moms, an organization that strives to prevent more families from having to go through similar heartbreak.

This is not confined to only black women, however. According to Harvard Business Review, research found that black men treated by black doctors received more effective care. It has been argued that sharing a racial or cultural background with one’s doctor helps promote communication and trust, which led to the black men agreeing to more invasive, preventative procedures.

By encouraging more preventative screenings, a workforce with more black doctors could help reduce cardiovascular mortality by 16 deaths per 100,000 each year.

All in all, this shows a fact, pressing and urgent: people need to be represented in the medical industry. This includes women, black people, Native Americans, LGBTQ+ people and every other less privileged group. Having someone you’re comfortable with treating you can save your life and countless others.

Poverty doesn’t only exist in rural villages in far off countries. Poverty exists in our own backyards. According to a Bloomberg report, Atlanta has one of the worst poverty rates in the United States, with one in four people living under the poverty line. However, posting pictures of playing with orphans in Tanzania gets more likes than volunteering at one of Atlanta’s many soup kitchens.

This indicates a deeper problem than just likes on social media: why don’t these voluntourists save money and help out their own communities, ones they have a personal connection with?

Three words have been assigned to the blog posts preaching about the “poor” and “broken” communities that voluntourists claim to help: white savior complex. Also known as “Western savior complex,” this is a term for white people who “help” non-white people in a self-serving manner, more often used for those who believe they are the ones who can “save Africa.” For years, the Global South has been a place for white people to boost their egos, feeling that it is their duty to go and “rescue” a poor community in a global Southern country.

One of the most prominent examples of this is a post by Instagram user “jossajohansson.” In 2018, she posted a viral photo of her hugging a girl from Kibera, Kenya, the caption of which stated, “In two years you are going to meet a grown man that you have never met before

and you two are going to have a child... if you are lucky... he will probably leave you alone... in your small home made of mud and tree’s [sic]… Dreaming could be your savior, dreaming could keep you alive.”

The superiority she feels over the child, enough to even predict her (racist and stereotyped) future is a perfect example of the white savior complex. Posts like these can perpetuate the idea that only Western service can help the Global South, in turn perpetuating the white savior complex.

Earlier I asked the question, “What’s a more fulfilling vacation, laying around at a beach resort, or helping orphans in a rural Kenyan village?” The word “fulfilling” encompasses the entire issue with voluntourism: going to do volunteer work isn’t something you should do to just feel good about yourself, but rather it should only be done if you have a genuine selfless desire to do good in the community, and oftentimes it requires a connection to the community.

This isn’t to say all voluntourism trips are harmful and perpetuate white saviorism. By realizing that your individual volunteering won’t save the world, asking questions about the sustainability of the local communities when volunteering and committing to longer volunteering projects, you can ensure that your voluntourism won’t have a harmful impact. If you aren’t willing to use these measures, perhaps voluntourism isn’t for you.

Voluntourism: The Bad in Doing Good Kathryn Hood

We’ve all seen the photos – a Western white girl hugging a child from an impoverished town in Africa with a caption praising herself on how she’s changed the community, a missionary group abroad building a church or a school, photos of a starving child with a caption reading “WE NEED YOUR HELP.” These are voluntourists: customers of the exploding “voluntourism” industry, a form of tourism which offers an additional “do-good” aspect to the usual vacation and trip. This industry has continued to rise, with the VolunTourism Institute estimating that the number of voluntourists could reach 25 to 30 million by the end of the decade.

Maybe you’ve commented your approval and admiration, maybe you’ve thought about how good that person is and maybe you’ve clicked on that link to the organization. Maybe you’ve even “voluntoured” yourself. You might think, where’s the harm in this? Which is a more fulfilling vacation, laying around at a beach resort, or helping orphans in a rural Kenyan village?

Unfortunately, this is where the problems arise. Take the writer Pippa Biddle, who went on a school trip to Tanzania to build a library when she was in high school. She describes how

The post of Instagram user “ jossajohansson,” described by many as “pathetic” and “disgusting,” received a huge amount of backlash. the locals had to undo the foundations they built during the day, remix the cement and rebuild it at night so that their group was able to continue building without any worries the next morning.

As she demonstrates in the rest of her article, this perfectly exemplifies the dangers that come with voluntourism.

Oftentimes, the volunteers are people, even children, with little to no construction experience, building something that requires it. They spend thousands of dollars to create structurally unsound buildings that could have employed the country’s construction workers for weeks, which would have cost less and stimulated the local economy.

Also, most organizations send their volunteers out for a short amount of time – usually around a week to a month – compared to more effective organizations where employees

Photo: jossajohansson on Instagram

Visual Editor Class of 2021

or volunteers can be stationed for years.

A report by sociologists Linda Richter and Amy Norman on “orphan tourism” in Nepal demonstrated that short term volunteering can actually negatively impact the orphan children being “helped” by allowing them to form attachments to tourists who will soon disappear. Voluntourism organizations can’t, or won’t, see the big picture. Sure, a volunteer can teach English for a day, but once they leave, is there funding for that English program?

Most of the time, the answer is no. Voluntourism capitalizes on people’s empathy, dragging tourists in with pictures of orphans and sick children, and sending them off with heartfelt stories about how they made an “impact,” when in reality, they may have harmed the communities even more.

November 8, 2019

Lifestyle

The Knightly News - Page 8

ACT Announces Changes: Beware!

Darren Rosing Opinion Editor Class of 2021

Photo: Darren Rosing

One of the seemingly most important components of applying to American colleges is completing standardized tests.

To fill this daunting prerequisite, students across the world pursue one of two paths: the SAT or ACT. On Oct. 8, the creators behind the ACT announced huge changes that will affect the testing experiences of all future ACT testers, possibly attracting more students to choose the ACT route. While the changes appear to be only positive and sound very appealing, students should be cautious of them.

One of the biggest changes is the new option to take the test entirely online starting September 2020. The online test will only be administered at certified testing centers on official test dates, which occur just seven times throughout the year. The biggest appeal to online testing is that results should be available as early as two days after testing, whereas scores for the written test can take up to eight weeks.

While the ACT states that “receiving scores more quickly may alleviate anxiety,” testing online may not be as beneficial to raising scores as it seems.

Virginia Clinton, an assistant professor of education at the University of North Dakota, has conducted extensive research regarding which medium is better for people to comprehend reading: online or paper.

Clinton concluded that “readers had better calibrated judgement of their performance from paper compared to screens.”

Clinton’s 2019 assertion that

Junior Rory Flint reads his hardcover textbook while junior Laura Romig reads it online. Studies suggest that – based only on the different styles of reading – Flint will likely comprehend the material better. reading on print provides a higher quality of understanding than digital reading does is corroborated by countless other studies.

In 2012, Norway’s Anne Mangen studied 72 tenth grade students and deduced that “students who read texts in print scored significantly better on the reading comprehension test than students who read the texts digitally.” In 2013, the research of Leopoldina Fortunati and Jane Vincent suggests that “paper is more multi-sensorial and metacommunicative than using the... screen.” In 2017, the University of Maryland professors Lauren Singer and Patricia Alexander yielded similar findings.

One of the largest studies on this matter is a 2018 meta-analysis by collaborating researchers from Spain’s University of Valencia and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.

They concluded that digital

literacy’s emphasis on speed and accessibility “encourages a shallower kind of processing that leads to a decrease in deep comprehension.” The study advocates for continued use of print reading, but still acknowledges the unfortunate demand to train students for an increasingly digital reading environment.

While the research overwhelmingly suggests that students perform better on paper, ACT does offer a complete, free online practice test for potential online test-takers to see how they might score. Even with access to the online preview, though, there are still many faults with the digital platform.

Megan Stubbendeck at ArborBridge claims that “the biggest problem at this point is that students taking the ACT online will have limited ability to annotate the test.” Stubbendeck demands answers to the following relevant questions: Can stu-

dents annotate important lines in a reading passage? Can they work out math problems by hand and label geometric diagrams or will they have to do it all in their heads? Can they circle data points on a science graph?

ACT has not given answers to these questions as of now. Regardless, these are all important issues potential online testers must contemplate before saying goodbye to old-fashioned print assessments.

Another huge change to the ACT is the upcoming option to retake individual sections starting September 2020. The ACT test is divided into four sections: English, math, reading, and science. After testers have completed a full test once, they will soon have the opportunity to improve their scores by retaking individual sections instead of whole tests. Students may take up to three section retests on any one test date, though there are no

limits on the number of times a student may take a retest.

Assistant State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Thacker defends this ACT alternative by suggesting “taking only one test completely eliminates any mental fatigue” students might experience when they take all four sections the same day. While his statement is certainly attractive to stressed ACT test takers, students should not be quick to jump at this new opportunity.

It is fairly unknown how colleges will respond to the singlesection retesting opportunity.

Multiple professionals have reacted to ACT’s announcement by suggesting “the new policy could also have the effect of inflating test scores,” as USA Today’s Chris Quintana proposes. To expose an applicant’s underlying attempts to obtain a high score, several top universities already require that applicants submit all past testing history.

Some of these include Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, Stanford, the entire University of California system, UPenn and Yale. It can be hypothesized that as applicants are increasingly persuaded to continue improving their scores through retesting, more colleges will require all past testing history.

Additionally, ACT has not yet released the prices for taking individual sections. Currently, a full-length ACT with the writing option costs $68. If more students decide to take section retests due to their availability, it is possible that ACT could unknowingly privilege wealthy testers who have the resources to retake sections over and over again until they are satisfied, leaving students without such resources at a disadvantage.

Artists Find Success in Creative Marketing Techniques even more innovative techniques

Isabel Battista to reach a larger audience and Lifestyle Editor Class of 2021

In the technological age, many artists are looking towards updating their marketing techniques to reach a larger audience, causing them to find creative new ways to incorporate their music into the public sphere and expose more people to their work.

One of the most recent examples of this is The Lumineers’ most recent album, “III,” which was released in its entirety on Sept. 13.

Over a period of six months, “III” gradually made its way into the world, split into three major chapters. Each one of these chapters focuses on one member of the fictional Sparks family: Gloria, her son Jimmy and her grandson Junior.

The Lumineers have always been creative in the way that they promote their music, however, for this album they used

help spread their message about addiction.

In the album, The Lumineers explore Gloria’s battle with addiction and its effect on her close family. Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, the band’s two leading men, have both seen the effects of addiction on family firsthand, and they know that a large percentage of the population will be able to relate to this music. In order to reach this group of people, especially those who have not been fans of The Lumineers in the past, the group put in extra effort to make sure their message is heard.

In addition to the album, The Lumineers created a short film to accompany the music and to help clarify some of the details presented in each song.

This 44-minute movie, also titled “III,” has received a great deal of attention so far, especially given that it has yet to be released to the public. Part of the reason for this is that “III” was recently featured at the To-

ronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

While waiting for the full video to drop, listeners have had access to pieces of the film, which make up each music video. The band created some anticipation for these videos by using the “premiere” feature on YouTube, releasing one video daily directly after the launch of each chapter of “III.” The Lumineers have also worked in collaboration with Spotify to “take over” certain playlists created by Spotify, such as “Dark & Stormy,” “Rainy Day” and “Scenic Drive.” The songs on these playlists reflect the tone of “III” and each begins with a song from a chapter of the album.

The group also took this a step further on the “Roots Rising” playlist, where Schultz and Fraites worked with the Spotify team to film live versions of some of the songs featured on “III.” During these short videos located within the playlist, they discuss their inspiration for each song and how it has affected

them personally.

All of these creative new measures to spread the word about their work may be unique, but other artists that have had much more exposure in their lifetime are also beginning to move in new directions.

Bruce Springsteen has released several films over the span of his nearly 50-year career, however, his newest film “Western Stars,” which was released on Oct. 25 of this year, expands upon his album of the same name, which was released in mid-June.

In this movie, which was also shown at TIFF, Springsteen explores and discusses his career and features a live version of each of the songs that are in the album.

A major factor in his decision to make and release “Western Stars” is that this album is not going to be followed by a tour, which according to Rolling Stone, “is the first…since 1982’s ‘Nebraska.’”

On a different note, some bands have risen in popularity

in the wake of a large number of copyright claims issued by Universal Music Group.

One of these bands, Surfaces, has grown because of their open access music and the ease YouTubers can add this music to the “intros” and “outros” of their videos. The constant presence of their music in videos made by creators popular among high school-aged girls has allowed them to become popular within that demographic.

One of these YouTubers, Hannah Meloche, was even featured in Surfaces’ music video for their song, “Sunday Best.” Their tour stop in Atlanta was originally supposed to take place at Aisle 5, and tickets were set at $15. These tickets sold out during pre-sale, prompting the band to move their Jan. 3 concert to Buckhead Theatre.

Although these creative marketing techniques are being used by lesser known artists, big names such as Ed Sheeran, Drake and Zara Larsson have been using more social mediabased marketing for years.

Lifestyle

Vol. 45, Issue #2

The Knightly News - Page 9

Recycling, Reuse a Key Focus this Year Meghna Singha Staff Writer Class of 2022

Photo: Alision Siverboard

Between the waste from snack bar treats and use of single-use plastic bottles for water and sodas, Pace students have ramped up in the waste department, leaving behind tons of hard to recycle plastic that will end up in oceans and landfills.

Founder and CEO of Terracycle Tom Szaky spoke at morning assembly in September about the focus and goals of his company. They include eliminating waste by creating free recycling programs and developing new ways of repurposing hard to recycle items. Since then, the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) scholars have placed cardboard boxes around the school “in hopes that they inspire students to take initiative and recycle their own trash,” according to ICGL Scholar and senior Sophie Lettes.

In another assembly this fall,

Sophomore Allison Silverboard displays her reusable plastic bags. the Middle School presented the Upper School with an opportunity to recycle their trash in exchange for a prize of free car washes or the Middle School us-

ing the senior lounge for a week.

They created a challenge to see which division could collect the most plastic so it can be recycled properly.

But what if you didn’t have to recycle it at all? What if single-use plastics were not really single-use? By reusing and repurposing everyday items, you can cut down on unnecessary waste while also conserving natural resources. Reusing avoids the immense amount of energy and pollution that comes with the recycling process.

Organizations like Terracycle and CHaRM (The Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) accept hard to recycle waste and transform it into new objects.

Pace is partnering with CHaRM which collects electronic equipment, batteries, refrigerators, tires and more. In less than five months, the organization collected over 588,981 pounds of waste. Sophomore Allison Silverboard delivers unconventional waste, such as paint cans, to the CHaRM facility just south of downtown Atlanta. And on Nov. 23, CHaRM will be collecting hard to recycle materials at the Peachtree Presbyterian Church on Roswell Rd. in Buckhead.

Options are limitless when it

comes to reuse. “My family uses reusable plastic bags and beeswax wrap instead of the regular plastic,” said Silverboard. Other alternatives include using bottles as planters, silica gel packets to protect documents from moisture and plastic grocery bags as trash can lining.

Mr. Szaky’s book “Make Garbage Great” guides its readers to a zero-waste lifestyle. He recommends making a plastic bottle bird feeder, CD coasters and reusable food pouch bags.

“This is something that we all, even on a small scale, can get involved in on-campus, but we rely on our students to help us keep our waste streams uncontaminated,” said ICGL Director Tricia Anderson. “Whether it be in the classroom, in the Commons, or the cafeteria, students need to be thoughtful in how they dispose of waste. Our community needs to be held accountable to itself because if we are trying to do the right thing, but if no one is paying attention at the right times, we are going to keep failing.”

Upper School Fall Trends Arrive at Pace Catches Fantasy Flannels Football Fever Sam Webb

Staff Writer Class of 2021 Over the past two months, if you have walked through the Seaman Family Student Commons or the Inman Center, you have most likely seen boys circled around each other, talking, yelling and crying about their players and teams. In early September, the NFL season began, as well as a favorite activity among Pace high schoolers, Fantasy Football. The pastime is pervasive throughout the halls of the school, taking the place of homework and studying.

Before a league starts, a series of crucial choices present themselves. There are many online platforms that support Fantasy Football including ESPN, NFL, Yahoo and CBS. Most of the Pace leagues are created on ESPN or NFL, based on the preference of the group. “I like how the NFL app is centered around football,” said junior Eli Mautner. “ESPN has too much going on with all the other sports it caters to.”

Beyond the different platforms, drafting systems can differ between leagues. Most all Pace leagues follow the “snake draft” system which snakes back and forth through the various teams. For instance, if a team had a second pick in the first round, the same team would have a ninth pick in the second round. Unlike the rest, a sophomore league headed by Alex

Karamanolis prefers the “auction draft” system. “The auction is hype,” said sophomore Matthew Steiger. “It takes like five hours but involves strategy.” This system consists of receiving a set amount of money that is used to bet on players.

The culture that comes with Fantasy Football is beloved by its participants. During the season, lots of conversations revolve around the activity. “The best thing about Fantasy is the banter with your friends,” said Mautner.

“There is trash talk and always something to talk about.”

Throughout the day, friends converse and negotiate trades, which is a major part of Fantasy Football. “In my league, trading is pretty difficult,” said junior Noah Levenson. “People form a really special bond with their players, which creates roadblocks in the trading system.”

The relationship that is established between an owner and his Fantasy players is an ongoing roller coaster through the season. Relations with a Fantasy player could be great one week, then horrible the next due to an unproductive game.

Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays have become the favorite days of the week for Fantasy owners. “Thursdays are the best,” said sophomore George Blaha. “I love watching my players on a school night.”

Watching games takes up a lot of an owner’s time, and with games running throughout the day, homework sometimes takes a backseat for Fantasy owners.

A stylish way to stay warm in the cooler weather, flannels have become a popular item of clothing for high school students. Flannels have a collar, so boys often wear them unbuttoned on top of a non-collared shirt which adheres to the dress code. Girls wear flannel clothing in a variety of different ways, as skirts, sweaters and button ups. “I have seen so many people wearing flannels this fall,” said sophomore Maggie Pope.

Pumpkin Spice One popular trend is the emergence of pumpkin spice flavored foods and beverages. Many everyday items like ice cream, granola bars and cereals have a seasonal pumpkin flavor, and other spices such as cinnamon are added as well. “Every year my dad makes the best pumpkin bread as soon as fall hits,” said freshman Charlie Fleming.

Uggs

UGGs have been a feminine fashion trend for many years, taking over the Upper School as fall arrives, but now the boys have joined the trend. Boys commonly wear low cut lace-up UGGs. “I was so excited to finally break out my UGG slippers,” said junior Will Brennan. The girls often wear the original, boot-type UGGs. “They are so comfortable, how could you not wear them?” said Pope.

Letterman Jackets/Sweatshirts With the cooler weather, boys typically wear sweatshirts, often representing school sports or college teams, and khaki pants every day to school. Many upperclassmen will wear their letterman jackets on top of their sweatshirts to keep warm and embrace their varsity teams.

Yoga Pants

Yoga pants are possibly the most widespread trend across the girls, with many wearing yoga pants to school. Girls usually wear yoga pants with a sweater or sweatshirt on top. “They are so comfortable, and that is why most girls wear them,” said Pope. Being comfortable and warm make yoga pants the perfect thing to wear in the fall for girls and surely gives Lululemon their full pay.

Bennett Boushka

Social Media Editor

Class of 2021

Lifestyle

November 8, 2019

The Knightly News - Page 10

Impossible Burger Takes Over Ashley Myers Staff Writer Class of 2021

When you think of veggie burgers, you probably envision the dry, crumbling texture that comes from a mixture of lentils, soybeans and tofu. The Impossible Burger, a veggie burger made to mimic meat, is just the opposite. It boasts soft, savory “meat” that has a pink interior.

With each version, the Impossible Burger becomes more accessible to a wider audience.

For example, the most recent iteration, the Impossible Burger 2.0, is now gluten-free and tastes

even more like real meat than the first. “I was really surprised when I tried the Impossible Burger for the first time at how similar it tasted to a normal burger,” said junior Lane Brickley. “If I hadn’t known that it wasn’t real meat ahead of time, I wouldn’t have been able to tell.”

Impossible Foods aims to reduce the environmental impact of the beef industry on the planet. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the meat production industry contributes to about 14.5% of greenhouse emissions and significantly contributes to deforestation, water pollution and biodiversity loss. To put that into perspective,

Avellino’s: Good Pizza, Prices Zachary Howard Sports Editor Class of 2020

If you were to cruise around Atlanta, you might find countless spots to get one of the more coveted dishes in the world: pizza. From little neighborhood hole-in-the-wall restaurants, to bigger franchises like Mellow Mushroom and Fellini’s Pizza, it seems like you cannot go more than a block without finding some pie. Additionally, over the last few years, there has been a rise in consumer demand for more authentic Italian pizza.

This authenticity comes from two aspects of the pizza: the dough and how it is cooked. One neighborhood pizza joint combines all the desired aspects to create a great pizza experience: Avellino’s: Pizza + Pub + Social.

Located on Windsor Parkway, Avellino’s is right in the middle of a bustling and vibrant neighborhood. If you were to go on a random weekday, you could sit by yourself at the bar, cheer on your sports team and order an

authentic Italian pizza, pasta or calzone. Come on a Friday and you can join the crowd enjoying the fall weather on the patio. All in all, the location and laid-back atmosphere create a unique pizza dining experience.

That said, we all know what is far more important than the ambiance: the food. Since it was my first time going, the waiter gave me some suggestions on what to order. For starters (or antipasti as it is called on the menu), I ordered the garlic cheese bread, and from the insalate (salad) section of the menu, I went with the classic Caesar salad. The server was very helpful and courteous, and the appetizers came out in a reasonable time.

The cheese bread came with authentic Italian marinara sauce, and I dove right in. It was delectable. The doughy bread combined with the taste of the sauce to create a great overall appetizer, one I will undoubtedly get when I go back. The salad, while nothing to write home about, was also very good, but it is hard to ruin a Caesar salad.

Now for the main menu and what everyone has been wait-

ing for: the pizza. First, a quick backstory on why there is so much hype around this pizza.

We need to discuss the dough. It is very fine and comes out thincrusted, something unique from most other joints in Atlanta that put their emphasis on a thicker dough.

The dough is also imported straight from Italy, much like the restaurant Double Zero, but it is priced much more reasonably.

Lastly, they use a wood fired oven, as opposed to the bigger chains that use conventional ovens to mass produce pizza to generate more revenue.

On the menu side, they allow you to create your own pizza, choosing your preference of sauce, cheese and toppings. I ordered a regular sauce with cheese and meat, to which the server called me “classic.”

In time, the pizza arrived, thin crusted and slightly burnt for added texture. As I ate, I realized that I was eating pizza that was truly an art form rather than a food. It is unique in the city of Atlanta, with a luxurious taste at a fraction of the price that gourmet pizza restaurants charge.

Photo: Ashley Myers

Photo: Yelp The Impossible Burger, a veggie burger made to mimic meat, is available at Burger King, Farm Burger and YEAH! Burger.

the greenhouse gas emissions from producing meat contribute to global warming more than all transportation combined.

That’s where plant-based meats come in. Genetically engineered wheat, soy, corn and other common crops can be combined with the muscle protein, myoglobin, to produce plant-based “meat” that is very similar to real meat. The Impossible Burger contains 19 grams of plant-based protein the same as a ground beef patty, but with only 240 calories. Impossible Foods claims that their production method emits 87% less greenhouse gases, requires 95% less land and 75% less water than traditional meat production methods.

After the Impossible Burger’s debut in New York City restaurant Nishi in July 2016, it has spread from there to major cities throughout the country, including the metropolitan Atlanta area. Burger King recently added an Impossible Burger to select locations and by the end of this year, Burger King plans to expand the Impossible Burger to all7,200 branches nationwide.

The greater accessibility of vegan options is increasing the number of people who are trying the Impossible Burger simply because they are curious. “I thought it was really good,” said upper school biology teacher Kaylan Haizlip. A pescatarian since childhood, Dr. Haizlip was excited to see another burger option available to her.

Opinions regarding the Impossible Burger differ among students at Pace. “I’m not vegan, but I love the Impossible Burger and my favorite place to get it is

Junior Emily Butler devours an Impossible Burger at Farm Burger. definitely from Yeah Burger,” said junior Sloan Baker. Baker loves the taste of the plant-based burger.

On the other hand, senior Josh Pickman disagrees with the concept of the Impossible Burger. “The point of being vegan or vegetarian is to not eat meat, so why would you want to make the taste and texture of a vegetarian

burger similar to that of a meat burger?” said Pickman.

The Impossible Foods “cookat-home” “meat” expanded into grocery stores in Southern California on Sept. 20. The company hopes to offer their product for consumers to buy in grocery stores nationwide in the near future.

Award Created to Honor ‘First Black Knight’ (Continued from page 1) genuine interest to want to make Pace an inclusive environment,” said Mrs. Brown.

“I can think of off the top of my head a number of student leaders that are really passionate about inclusion work in the school community. It comes from a sincere place and has nothing to do with being recognized publicly, but all about how they are trying to create an environment where everybody feels like they belong and that their voices are heard.”

“This isn’t a black award or a Latino award or a white award,” said Linder. “This is an award for someone who celebrates diversity in all forms.

We’ve never had an award like this at Pace, and it is a big way to tell people that Pace is an inclusive community, and that the alumni are here for the students.”

Unlike many of the awards that are either in memoriam of a person or given by colleges, this award is unique

to the Pace community as it celebrates a part of our history.

“The demographics of the school have changed so much since any of the board members were students at Pace, and we as a group wanted to create something that acknowledges Pace’s progress and those students that are helping to move the school forward,” said Mr. Brown.

“The concept of the award is surprising and extremely gratifying,” said Judge Reese. “I also am wholeheartedly in agreement that the award should be open to each and every student in the applicable class range.” Judge Reese is also grateful for his cousin, Marsha Reese, and her cousin, Al Brown, who attended Pace with him from 1969 - 1976.

“Pace has come a long way in how it celebrates and acknowledges diversity,” said Linder, “And we want to honor the students who continue to work to promote diversity within our community.”

Sports

Vol. 45, Issue #2

The Knightly News - Page 11

Chad Wabrek Joins Athletic Department

School in Louisville, Kentucky, Mr. Wabrek won coach of the year in 2009.

“By design, I’m not coaching a particular team,” said Mr. Wabrek. “I am worried about the entire athletic department from top to bottom. I’m looking at things big picture.” Since he is not coaching, Mr. Wabrek is looking for new opportunities to get involved in the community and to embrace his love of

teaching. “Hopefully I might at some point teach an English class or teach a Transitions class or something like that,” he said.

“I’m a big student athlete kinda guy.”

When Mr. Wabrek is not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three sons whenever possible. He also has “been on a rampage of reading biographies” since he stopped teaching English. “I try to read a biography a month,” said Mr. Wabrek. “Because I am in athletics, they have been about a lot of coaches.”

Mr. Wabrek is very optimistic about the future, even when he considers what he is nervous about in his new environment.

“Any nervousness I have is not wanting to step on anyone’s toes, but at the same time politely bringing new ideas to the table.”

However, he is ready to take on the challenge because he has done it before. “Private school education has a tendency to pull you around the country, and that’s been OK because it’s been new experiences all the time.”

Mr. Wabrek believes strongly in living in the moment. “I don’t really keep a bucket list,” he said. “If you want to go do something you should just arrange it and go do it. The future is a whole string of nows. You have to enjoy the moment.”

Titan.”

Mr. Bryant has been intrigued by “League of Legends,” a multiplayer online action strategy game, so he is already accustomed to the competitive gaming world. “I figured among the faculty I would be the person that has the most enthusiasm for doing this,” said Mr. Bryant.

“Also, I’m super excited to start a new program and to create a new culture at Pace.”

The sport’s two main goals are to work on individual skill sets and to improve coordination as a team. Senior Austin Fuller joined the sport because he was interested in playing video games and simultaneously representing the school. He is an experienced “League of Legends” gamer, but is a part of the “SMITE” team for Pace.

Fuller is the middle player of the five “SMITE” team members, maintaining the middle lane and moving to the sides when the group needs help in a team fight. “We have learned from our first preseason loss to focus more on communication as well as more thought in the way we play,” said Fuller.

Many members joined the team because it was a chance to be a part of something new and to be founders of esports at the school. The team welcomes students at all levels of experience with the games. Senior Max Schiffer had no knowledge of either game before but sees his skills slowly improving for the “Rocket League” team.

Schiffer, alongside juniors Daniel Boddie and Aiden Critz, form the three starters for “Rocket League.” “I’m very optimistic for our team,” said Schiffer. “Between Daniel and Aiden, I’m definitely the newbie of the team but I try to learn the most from them. As far as the whole team, I’m hoping we can sustain ourselves for the whole season and get all the kinks out of our system.”

The fall esports season began on Oct. 14 and ends the week of Dec. 16. Playoffs are in January.

In their first match of the season on Oct.31, the Pace “SMITE” team won 2-0 over their opponent, the Herman-Dekalb Central School located in New York.

The eKnights “prevailed in a blistering 18 minutes – a standout result given that the average game time is 30-40 minutes,” according to Coach Bryant.

“Most impressive to me,” he said after the game, “is not the dominant performance our players had today, but the improvement in team communication and coordination from our first preseason match a couple of weeks ago.”

Fuller led the day with 42 eliminations playing in the Jungler role with Thanatos as his character, and freshman Will Hankins finished with a team high 24.5 KDA (the ratio of kills and assists to deaths.)

The eKnights “Rocket League” team was unable to compete due to technical issues.

That match will be rescheduled.

Jamie Kornheiser Managing Editor Class of 2021

Photo: Mary Childs Hall

Having just moved to Atlanta from Dallas in June, new Associate Athletic Director Chad Wabrek is embracing his new role. Previously, Mr. Wabrek worked as the Head of Athletics and Physical Education at the Greenhill School in Addison, Texas.

After his wife, Chelle, was offered a job as the new Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs at the Lovett School, Mr. Wabrek began looking for schools for his youngest son going into senior year. While on his search, Mr. Wabrek met Head of School Fred Assaf and found out about the Associate Athletic Director position opening at Pace following the retirement of Tim Walsh.

Although his son ended up at North Atlanta High School, Mr. Wabrek “quickly fell in love with the student body and the people [he] met” at Pace.

Mr. Wabrek and his wife are familiar with working at rival schools. “Because she and I are both in educational administration, we have actually worked at rival schools before,” said Mr. Wabrek.

Junior Madison Martin checks in with Mr. Wabrek at the Region 5AAA Cross Country Championship meet at Westminster on Oct. 23.

Though he is now in athletic administration, Mr. Wabrek has been in education for 25 years, serving as an English teacher, dean of students and an English department chair as well as a coach for football, ice hockey and lacrosse. He received a master’s degree in English from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College after attending undergraduate school at Hobart College. There,

he earned a bachelor’s degree in urban studies and a minor in American studies while playing football and lacrosse.

While serving as the head boys lacrosse coach at Suffield Academy in Suffield, Connecticut, Mr. Wabrek was a Western New England Secondary School Lacrosse Association Division II Champion in 2002. After becoming the head boys lacrosse coach at Louisville Collegiate

New Varsity Sport, Esports, Plugs into Pace Aman Hashim

Co-Editor in Chief Class of 2020

Photo: Aman Hashim

There is a varsity sport that takes place in the computer lab?

Yes! Electronic sports (esports), multiplayer competitive video gaming, is now a GHSA sanctioned sport. At Pace, students can now show off their creative minds in the virtual world, playing games such as “Rocket League” and “SMITE,” all while earning a varsity letter.

Last August Pace Athletics Director Troy Baker mentioned this new GHSA sport in a coaches-only meeting. Upon the meeting’s conclusion, computer science teacher Charlie Bryant bolted over to Dr. Baker and informed him that he would like to be the point person associated with esports.

Since then, Mr. Bryant has organized student interest meetings to attract members and has become the head coach of the new varsity sport. Esports has no GHSA regions, meaning there are no specific divisions for each school. The team does not need to travel for matches because games are held virtually, every Thursday in the computer lab.

Many people may not understand how video games can translate into a varsity sport, but Mr. Bryant thinks differently.

“The difference between esports and just playing video games with friends is analogous to play-

(L-R) Freshmen Alex Goodrich, Austin Scott and Jay Foster compete in the first ever esports regular season match. ing pickup basketball in the park and basketball in an organized league,” said Mr. Bryant. As the league kicks off its season, Pace has one team of three playing “Rocket League” and one team of five playing “SMITE.” According to the GHSA website, “Rocket League” is “a sports-action game that combines soccer with driving.”

Students compete in teams “to

score as many goals as they can in a five-minute match.”

“SMITE,” as described by GHSA, is “a multiplayer online battle arena where players pilot mythological characters and fight for control of a three-lane map. Teams of five players must work together to level up their characters and secure map objectives to siege the enemy’s base and defeat the opposing

Sports

Three-Peat!

November 8, 2019

The Knightly News - Page 12

Varsity Volleyball Wins State for Third Year in a Row, Defeating Westminster 3-0

Cross Country Boys, Girls Finish as State Runners Up

The boys entered the GHSA 3-A state Staff Writer championship meet Class of 2021 on Nov. 2 coming off an outstanding performance at the region championship where they beat both Westminster and Lovett. With that said, the Knights had high hopes at state that went unfulfilled. The team finished with 76 points, losing by only two points to Westminster’s 74.

Still, the boys showed great progress compared to the team’s fourth place finish last year.

Senior George Adams led the charge and finished third overall. Right behind him was sophomore Edward Blaha who finished sixth, making him the best sophomore in the AAA division. Coming up huge for the Knights, junior Robert “House” Houser, placed 17th and third for the team. Rounding out the top five for Pace were senior Sam Adams and sophomore George Blaha.

The girls team was unsure about what they could do after a third place finish at the region championship.

Sophomore Laura Arenth did what she had done all year, finishing fourth overall and first for the Knights.

Senior Payton Payne completed the course just eight seconds later, earning her the sixth place medal individually.

After sitting out the start of the season due to injury, junior Laura Romig helped the Knights tremendously with a 12th place finish. Senior Paula Sandoval ended her cross country career with a great race when it mattered most, placing 14th. Rounding out the top five for the girls was sophomore Jordan White, placing 19th, which put all of Pace’s top five girls in the top 20.

Sam Webb

Photo: Chrystal Moore Photography

The team shares a joyful moment seconds after clinching the GHSA Region 3-A state title on Nov. 2.

By Head Volleyball Coach Anna Bush –

Every season and every team is different. Yes, we had incredible talent. But it is how they managed and came to respect one another that created a synergy greater than themselves. It is rare that all that talent comes together at the same time. The semifinals was one of the greatest exhibits of perfection I have ever seen.

Everything clicked.

The state championship was different. I felt this team wanted to win for Sasha and Kalissa. This was Sasha’s first state championship as a player and as incredible as she is, she was really nervous. Kalissa broke her little finger in the semis and we did not know if she would be

able to play. Her teammates all knew they would have to step up and deal with the pressure.

Lucy Ferry took over late in the first set to give us a 25-21 win. Kalissa played with her usual brilliance despite her injured right hand. Ada brought her best game of the year, leading the team in kills. Sasha got over her nerves and was unstoppable.

Dominique, Morgan and Hannah never let Westminster get on a run. Megan had several key kills when we desperately needed a sideout. Taylor entered during important points in the match to shore up our defense.

Everyone played. That doesn’t happen EVER, but that is what happens when you have a true team.

Varsity Cheer Adds Competition Team After winning first place in their division, the team now heads to Regionals Kalissa Greene

Online Editor Class of 2021

Photo: Fred Assaf Pace varsity cheer performs during the school pep rally on Oct. 4.

Everyone associates energy and enthusiasm with cheerleaders, but the Pace Academy varsity cheer squad is so much more than that. This year Pace cheerleading has added a competitive cheer team led by junior captains Hayley Cavinder and Casey Shoulberg. According to head coach Lori Baker, this is the first GHSA competitive cheer squad ever at Pace.

“The competition team started because we wanted a way to become our own sport and try something more challenging than we’ve ever done before,” said Cavinder. At varsity cheer tryouts, girls were asked which teams they wanted to be on (varsity or competition), and based on performance at tryouts, the coaches decided who made competition.

“Some people on varsity sideline aren’t on competition, but everyone on competition is on varsity sideline,” said Cavinder. One example is Mary Paige Pope, a junior member of the varsity cheer team, but not competition team. “I enjoy varsity cheerleading because I get to be with my friends and the team balances fun and work very

well,” she said.

In terms of judging, points are based on the difficulty and execution of the different sections in a cheer routine, which include stunts, running tumbling, standing tumbling, jumps, cheer, dance and overall spirit.

The team with the most points wins for each division.

The Pace team has won their division for all three of their competitions. “We’ve gotten more points each time we’ve competed, which is our own personal goal and I’m really proud of everyone for working hard and making that happen,” said Cavinder.

Cavinder actually started off as a competitive gymnast for five years. Since she was a junior knight, she looked up to the varsity cheerleaders. “I was super excited to finally be a real high school cheerleader,” she said.

Cavinder was surprised that gymnastics and cheer were so different. “I had a lot to learn about stunting, dancing and a lot more, but over time I’ve become a lot more familiar with the techniques and skills required to do all of the cool flips and tricks we put in our routines and perform on sidelines,” she said. She has been a key part of the team’s success this year.

Another contributor to the cheer team’s success is their

rigorous practice schedule. Competition cheer practices before school every Thursday and after school every day with the varsity cheer team. Occasionally, they have practiced on the weekends and after regular varsity cheer practice in the afternoons. “Six a.m. practices are hard work, but they’re rewarding,” said junior Elizabeth Kaye. “That’s how we get better is just by putting in the time and effort to succeed in our competitions.”

Kaye, a back-to-back AAA state championship diver, decided to try cheer for her junior year to “branch out.” “It was a slow start at the beginning because most of the members already knew all of the cheers and dances, but with hard work I caught up and was able to use my diving background to help me with tumbling and flexibility,” she said.

The team now moves on to Regionals for Region 3A, slated for Saturday, Nov. 9. The final championship is on Nov. 16 at 9 a.m. for Region 3A. Both take place at the Columbus Civic Center in Columbus, Georgia.

“We are so excited for region and we have practiced new tricks and routines to make this a remarkable competition,” said junior Eve Kogan. “It is challenging to win our first season competing, but I am very confident in our team’s abilities.”