Vol. 39 Issue 3

Vol. 39 Issue #3

The

November 8, 2013

Knightly News

p. 2 Teachers’ Alma Maters Quiz

p. 6 Construction Update

p. 10 College Essay Prompts

Julia Beck

Features Editor Class of 2015

A classic story filled with pirates, Indian girls, lost boys and lots of flying, Pace’s highly anticipated fall musical “Peter Pan” is sure to be a hit. Working with director Dr. Mengert, new chorus teacher Susan Wallace and choreographer Jen McQueen, students began rehearsals in August to prepare for performances on Nov. 14-17. Dr. Mengert cast seniors Cory Bush as Wendy, Sam Downey as Captain Hook, Alexandra McCorkle as Tiger Lily, and junior Caillin Cooke as Peter Pan. “Peter Pan” was last performed at Pace in 1992. Dr. Mengert chose to stage it again because after “West Side Story” last year, he wanted a show “more suitable” for the lower and middle school students as well as the upper schoolers. Undoubtedly, the show will be compared to the Disney movie everyone knows and loves. But the musical is based strictly on the book, and as Dr. Mengert put it, is “limited to the confines of the stage.”

“I’m excited it’s such an iconic play with iconic characters. It’ll be fun for the audience to see people they know perform such a classic story,” Sam

Photo: Dr. Diane Duvall

‘Peter Pan’ Flies into Pace Theater said. Casting was complicated for such a large production. Dr. Mengert explained that they do their best to match actors with the role that would best suit them. “Another reason I chose ‘Peter Pan’ was because I thought we had the perfect Captain Hook this time. As a senior, I thought it was a good vehicle for Sam to go out on,” he said.

Students work very hard to produce Pace’s prodigious fall musicals, and “Peter Pan” is no exception. “The time commitment is definitely the hardest part, but the long rehearsals when everyone gets to hang out are one of the best parts about being involved,” said sophomore Tory Dancu who plays Alameda, an Indian girl.

Theater people are drawn to the shows because of the amazing relationships they form with each other while spending long hours at singing, choreography and blocking rehearsals. “Obviously I love singing, dancing and acting, but the real reason I do shows is because some of my best friends are the people I do them with. I love rehearsals with my Indian girls; they’re the best,” said junior Annie Butler, who is cast as Indian girl Hantaywee.

The fall musical always presents challenges, some of which are specific to each show.

Seniors have a unique pressure

Sam Downey and his band of pirates practice a number in rehearsal. put on them, especially with the middle school students involved in this production. Cory explained that it’s important to set a good example for the future theater seniors and help “set a standard,” so the younger kids watching them know to take it seriously.

Caillin faces a different test, learning how to act like a boy.

“I’m a girly-girl, so being a

boy is hard,” she said, “Though you’d think it’s nothing, the way a boy walks and talks is so much different. But I’m excited to challenge myself with such a cool role.”

Dr. Mengert also mentioned the hurdle that all theaters producing “Peter Pan” face with how to portray the crocodile.

He explained that it “presents a challenge” for everyone, and that

people will have to come “see how it works out.”

For almost everyone involved in “Peter Pan,” the flying is by far the most eagerly anticipated part of the production. Caillin, Cory, and the actors playing the Darling family children and their maid will all be flying.

“The best part about this show is the flying, and I don’t even get to fly,” said freshman Emma Downey, who plays Kangaroo.

Dr. Mengert brought in the same flying company as he did in 1992, The Floyd Company, based in Las Vegas. Compared to 21 years ago, this year’s cast will be investing more time in learning how to fly and spending more time with the flying director.

Overall, those involved are very excited for their next, or first, Pace production. “I love my role. People underestimate how much fun it is having a hook on your hand and being evil. I get to practice my evil laugh,” said Sam. Cory said that her favorite part has been discovering how deep a character Wendy actually is, with all the hard decisions she faces in Neverland.

“Everyone will definitely like the flying best in ‘Peter Pan,’” Dr. Mengert said, “Also, for people who enjoy really good singing, Caillin Cooke’s voice is amazing, and she makes a really cute Peter.”

Four Juniors Earn Rank of Eagle Scout Wilson Alexander Co-Editor In Chief Class of 2014

Photo: Patrick Moore

Many male students at the Academy signed up for Cub Scouts in elementary school in order to compete in the annual Cub Scout Derbies, raft on the Nantahala River or just relax with friends. For a variety of reasons, many of these students quit scouting after fifth grade.

However, for four Pace juniors, their commitment to scouting has continued well into high school. “I had gotten really far and to quit...would not be worth not getting Eagle. It looks good on resumés and builds character, so I kept with it,” said Ted Hobbs.

After five years of hard work, Richie Everett, Patrick

Patrick Moore (right) will continue scouting beyond earning Eagle.

Moore and Jack Spencer, along with Ted, recently earned the esteemed rank of Eagle Scout.

Earning the Eagle rank takes years of hard work, time and money. The process begins with earning the ranks of Scout,

Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life, and then Eagle.

There’s a six-month waiting period between Star and Life, and between Life and Eagle. “For me, I got my Star ranking but already had all of the require-

ments done for Life and most of them done for Eagle before three months of Star was finished. So, I had to wait around for a while,” said Patrick. While progressing through these ranks, a scout has to earn 21 merit badges, 11 of which are required to be an Eagle Scout. Then, while in that six-month waiting period between Life and Eagle, the scout has to hold a leadership position within his troop.

The scout also has to complete his Eagle Scout project and undergo an Eagle Scout board of review. In the board of review, the scout sits across a table from three scout masters who decide whether or not he has earned his Eagle Scout ranking. “The whole process is very nerve-racking,” said Jack.

The four boys agreed that the largest piece of their Eagle

Scout requirement is the service project. Jack designed and built an 80-picket privacy fence, complete with three DOGIPOT stations for his church that covered a gas line and an electrical box. Ted built four benches for Hammonds House, an AfricanAmerican art museum in central Atlanta where his father serves on the board.

After talking with Pace headmaster Fred Assaf and Director of Facilities Dave Fortier, Patrick decided to build an outdoor classroom on one of Pace’s off-campus properties. Richie modeled his wrap-around bench project at Vinings’ historic Pace House after senior Nathan England’s project last year and was recognized in the Northside Neighbor for his work.

All of these projects took lots (Continued on p. 4)

GET CONNECTED - KNIGHTLY NEWS SOCIAL MEDIA HOTSPOT

Want quick updates?

Follow us! @knightly_news

Get more photos!

Like our FB page: fb.com/paceknightlynews

Wanna be artsy?

Follow us! knightly_news

Online at paceacademy.org/ knightlynews

Pace News

November 8, 2013

The Knightly News - Page 2

Freshmen Provide Service to Community

Clockwise from top left: Freshmen work in the community garden at Inner Harbor; Jordan Payne helps in the classroom at the Guice Center; John Propst makes a new friend at PAWS Atlanta; Jessica Haidet and Jake Movsovitz sort goods at the Atlanta Community Food Bank; McRae Oglesby packs meals at Project Open Hand.

Photos: Sara Eden, Jonathan Day, Lee Wilson, Amy Secor, Jewell Marable

Joe Loughran Staff Writer Class of 2016

On a Wednesday when most students at the Academy were occupied with worries of writing college essays or taking standardized tests, the freshmen went off in different directions around Atlanta to serve the community. Freshman Service Day has become an annual event

on the day that the sophomores and juniors take the PSAT and seniors have a break to make college visits and work on applications. On Oct. 16, freshmen traveled with their Transitions groups to five non-profit organizations, including the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Guice Center, Inner Harbor, PAWS Atlanta and Project Open Hand.

Not only did the freshmen provide a great service to the

community, they had fun doing it. Freshman Jake Movsovitz enjoyed helping out at Food Bank, sorting different types of canned and boxed food and other goods.

Jake was surprised at the amount of eye vitamins in one box, saying that there were “thousands” just lying around.

Freshman Seth Swiecichowski traveled to Project Open Hand to prepare meals. At Open Hand, volunteers can help “give food to those who are physically unable

Matching Quiz: Teachers And Their Alma Maters John Morrison Staff Writer Class of 2014

The Nov. 1 deadline has passed, and most Pace seniors have already submitted early decision and early action applications to colleges. They will submit many more in the coming months as the final deadline fast approaches for most schools. This time of year creates anxiety for many seniors, who want to ensure that they are accepted into the “right” college.

In the midst of the application process, a few of Pace’s faculty members took the time to reflect on their own undergraduate experiences. As a whole, they suggested that students can receive a quality education at a wide variety of schools. “In some cases, it seems like undergraduate is a place to figure out what you

want to study,” said Mr. Fleming, “If you are not selected into the most selective school, it’s not the end of the world. I think what you do in college can actually say more about success later in life.” Mr. Day, who made a last-minute change in his college 1. Mr. Assaf 2. Mr. Bradley 3. Mr. Carson 4. Mr. Day 5. Mrs. Dickherber 6. Mrs. Durlin 7. Mrs. Eden 8. Mr. Fleming 9. Mrs. Kann 10. Dr. Link 11. Mr. Matanes 12. Mr. Newman 13. Dr. Pearson 14. Mr. Sargent 15. Mr. Smith 16. Ms. Stevens 17. Mr. Whyte 18. Mrs. Wilhelmsen

plans as a high school senior, agreed: “Where you go is not important. It is what you do when you get there.”

Pace teachers attended a wide variety of colleges as undergraduates. Can you match these? a. Bowdoin College b. Brown University c. Dartmouth College d. Emory University e. Georgia Institute of Technology f. Georgetown University g. Guilford College h. Johns Hopkins University i. Princeton University j. Swarthmore College k. Washington and Lee University l. Williams College m. University of Alabama n. University of Chicago o. University of Georgia p. University of Kansas q. University of Texas r. University of Virginia See key to answers on p. 9

to go out and get it themselves,” said Seth.

Seth also said that one of his classmates had quite an interesting experience at Open Hand: “Jack Rubenstein got kicked out of the kitchen for eating a cookie. One of the chefs told Jack that he could have one of the extra cookies, but when he ate one, another chef told him to get out of the kitchen.” Jack said he got conflicting reports from the staff: “One cook told us we

could have the extras, but while we were eating them the other guy came in and told us to get out and never come back again.”

Freshman Justin Rayman’s group worked with children.

“My group went to the Guice Center and helped out with some of the five-year-olds,” Justin said. He said he loved helping the kids, who are really “fun, loud, and crazy.” But his favorite part was eating lunch at La Fonda afterwards.

Juniors Adjust To Buses Morgan Palmerton Staff Writer Class of 2015

The building of the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School has brought new challenges for upper classmen, and some of these were not anticipated.

As the parking spaces for Pace faculty and students have been limited this year, juniors were the first to feel the cutbacks due to the construction. Junior year is the first year students can park at school, but due to construction only half of the junior class is able to park in the Pace parking lot each semester. Because not all juniors have parking spots at Pace, parking was made available at the St. Anne’s church off of Northside Parkway. All students that park at the church are transported to and from the school in the morning and afternoon in shifts via a bus.

The new transportation system has proven to be an efficient alternative for students to get to school, but there are still a few kinks in the system. "I have to

get to the church earlier and I can't leave school till 3:30 to get back to the church," said junior William Pair. Students who take the buses in the morning must be at the church by 7:40, otherwise they will be left behind.

Many students who either live far away or get stuck in traffic find it difficult to arrive at the church by that time. But junior Ginny Reynolds likes the new bus system. "I am not getting to school late anymore, so I have less tardies," she said.

After school, the first shuttle starts at 3:30 to bring students back to the church. Problems arise with students who want to leave school at 3 o'clock instead of waiting the 30 extra minutes to leave. "Not leaving school until 3:30 is very inconvenient for people like myself who have schedules after school," said junior Caroline Denny after explaining her strict rowing schedule. The school's solution to getting students to school is effective for those who need to get there and have no other way, but not all students agree that the experience is a positive one.

Pace News

Vol. 39 Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 3

Five Minutes with Hunter Cesinger Hayley Silverstein Co-Editor In Chief Class of 2014

Frisbee Club. Its true name is the Disc Ripping Club.

KN: I will make note of that.

HC: Disc ripping makes it sound cooler.

KN: For people who don’t know you, especially underclassmen, how would you describe yourself?

HC: I’m indescribable. I don’t really know. Eccentric, enjoyable, boisterous.

KN: Any more SAT words you want to throw in there?

HC: Probably cray-cray, curvaceous and voluptuous.

KN: What is the motto you live your life by?

HC: Never have any mottos.

KN: For you, what is the best thing since sliced bread?

HC: GTA5.

KN: What’s GTA5?

HC: ‘Grand Theft Auto 5.’

GTA5 is life.

KN: Alright. Thanks for your time.

HC: No problem.

Photo: Hayley Silverstein

Knightly News: How has senior year been so far?

Hunter Cesinger: It has actually been pretty cool so far. Mr. Gannon keeps telling us to tuck in our shirts or he will take away our off campus, but I already don’t have off campus, so it’s kind of like free reign to not tuck in my shirt.

KN: So, you have had some of the greatest Student Council election speeches over the years.

How do you come up with them?

HC: I don’t really know. I just write them down on my computer. I guess they just come to me.

KN: What was your reaction to not winning the student body election last year?

HC: Apathy.

KN: OK. How was your trip to

Italy over the summer?

HC: It was really good. There were a bunch of Italian things, I got to hang out with Donice, and I got to talk shop.

KN: What was the most memorable part of the trip?

HC: The funniest thing that happened was when we walked into the Sistine Chapel and [senior Marc] Bernstein looked up at the top and said, ‘I thought it would be bigger.’

KN: What is it like being a member of the Ultimate Frisbee Club?

HC: It’s great. We met last Friday, so you do the math for the date, and we had around ten people.

KN: How are your ultimate frisbee skills?

HC: I’m the best.

KN: Are you ready to take on the school in an ultimate frisbee tournament?

HC: I would win, no doubt. Also, we don’t call it the Ultimate

Hunter has became famous for his creative Student Council speeches.

Pace Debate Continues Winning Streak Julia Beck

Features Editor Class of 2015 The Pace debate team is undoubtedly the most successful team at the Academy. Coached by nationally renowned debate coach Ms. Jordan, Pace debaters put in unheard of amounts of hard work, but to members of the team, it’s worth it. “I love debate, and I love that I can do it with some of my best friends,” said freshman Jack McMillin.

With their 43-year history, there is a lot of pressure on

current debaters to maintain the team’s tradition of winning.

Last year, Pace won one of the national tournaments, and this year, debate partners and seniors Erik Howard and Anshuman Parikh have already qualified for the Tournament of Champions (TOC), the biggest debate tournament of the year. Junior debate partners Tanner Lewis and Clyde Shepherd are also well on their way toward qualifying for the TOC. This year’s debate team is younger than usual, after losing six seniors last year and gaining eight new freshmen. “Our goal

this year is to increase female participation on the team as well as teach the younger debaters how to get acclimated into the activity and how to balance debate and schoolwork,” said Coach Jordan.

Balancing school and debate is an inevitable struggle for debaters. Debaters miss school for weekend tournaments, attend practices throughout the school year and camps over the summer. “My least favorite part about debate is all the make-up work we have to do with all the school we miss,” said Anshuman. Despite this massive time

commitment, debate has its perks. “Debate fosters relationships between kids from high schools all over the country,” said junior Erin Rawls, “My favorite part of debate is the people, so I always look forward to national tournaments where I get to see everyone.”

The pattern of win after win becomes a self-motivater for most of the Pace debaters. When they work and do research on the year’s topic, debaters are helping the whole team, not just themselves, prepare for their next tournament. (This year’s topic is a foreign policy topic about

economic engagement with Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico.)

Pace does mostly policy debate, which is “fast-paced articulation of arguments,” while also comprehending and countering opponents arguments, according to Coach Jordan.

Almost all Pace debaters credit the team’s success to Coach Jordan. “Ms. Jordan makes sure everyone is doing the right work and is actually helping the team,” said freshman Will Movsovitz. Anshuman explained that their success is a result of “an awesome team dynamic and an amazing coach.”

Roboknights Gear Up for Success Hayley Silverstein Co-Editor In Chief Class of 2014

Getting a robot to hang from a bar that is two and a half feet off the ground is no small feat.

Nevertheless, Pace’s robotics team, the Roboknights, is determined to do just that. The Roboknights, composed of junior Jonathan Spalten and sophomores Rohan Malik and Andrew Wu, compete against other state and national robotics teams in the First Robotics Challenge on Jan. 4, 2014, the premier national competition.

Some students may have dabbled in robotics in Middle School as an elective; however, Roboknights is a step up from the Lego robotics team in the Middle School, with challenges requiring the use of metal parts and non-Lego motors. The tasks for competitions change annually and can vary wildly.

The Roboknights take the robot that they have worked on throughout the entire season and use it to compete in the annual challenge. There are three stages

Jonathan Spalten and Andrew Wu participate in GRITS on Oct. 5. of each challenge: an autonomous round, a driver controlled round, and a thirty-second endgame where there are specific challenges. “Last year’s challenge was one in which a robot would have to take a ring and hang it on a vertical tick-tacktoe board to score points,” said Jonathan, “In autonomous, there

was an infrared beacon placed under one particular column. If your robot could detect [the column] and place a ring on it, you would be awarded points. In the endgame, one of the challenges was to get one robot on top of another.” While having to watch the product of a year’s worth of effort perform in a competi-

Photo: Hayley Silverstein tion can be stressful, “competitions are normally a pretty fun experience. You are there with normally ten or so teams, and you are able to see how your bot performs against others,” said Rohan.

Each member plays an integral role in the team. Andrew usually programs, “since I think

more logically,” he said. “I enjoy programming the most because you pretty much start with a blank document that you add code to,” said Rohan, “Every line of code that you add is something that is then carried out by the bot. Lines of code that you write are translated into movement or plenty of other functionalities.”

With two programmers, Jonathan takes on the task of building. “It allows for the creation of a complete design from just a single idea,” he said, “Often, the idea is flawed and the robot reflects that, but half the challenge is to correct those bugs in the idea through the idea’s physical manifestation: namely, the robot.”

With the senior members of the team having graduated, the Roboknights are in a time of transition. “With the addition of an additional competition at the super-regional level, our chances of getting to state have diminished, and while it is still difficult to advance from the qualifier round, we definitely hope to improve our position from last year,” said Andrew.

Pace News

November 8, 2013

The Knightly News - Page 4

Unplug Day Raises Awareness

Eagle Scouts (Continued from p. 1)

Day shows students how much they have come to rely on their phones.

Grace Francour Staff Writer Class of 2015

Just as the hype died down after Apple revealed their iPhone 5s and new iOS7 software, Pace’s Student Advisory Board hosted the first ever Unplug Day on Sept. 30. Unplug Day stemmed from a similar project run at a camp for adults who need to detach and relax from the stress of daily life, with senior Alexandra McCorkle and sophomore Tory Dancu bringing

the concept to Pace. Their goal was to raise awareness of a new problem affecting students specifically: the overuse of technology. The focus for Unplug Day was on cellphones because they provide easy access to social media and every student uses them multiple times a day.

As many as half of the upper school students participated in the Unplug challenge, and many found the experience enlightening. “It made me realize that sometimes I unlock my phone just because,” said sophomore Lauren Pickman. Many stu-

dents felt “naked” without their phones, and spending a full seven hours without them made it apparent that some students feel too attached to their technology.

“It definitely opened my eyes to how many times I reach for my phone without even realizing it,” said junior Trevor Cefalu. “I think it went pretty well,” said SAB president Alexandra, “It was fun and exciting to see everyone out on the quad. I locked my phone in my car to make sure I didn’t use it and was surprised to see how productive I was all

Photo: Lee Wilson

of time and money. “The project took about 288 hours to complete and I had about 70 hours alone on the project, said Jack, “From the beginning of my planning to the finished product, [it] took about two years. The project cost $1,210.35, but luckily my church paid for it all.”

The other three weren’t so lucky in terms of securing funding for their projects. Ted spent eight months and $500 on his, Patrick’s cost around $2,000 out of his own pocket and Richie’s cost at least $800, but upwards of $1,000, over 437 hours.

Despite the huge commitment, these four boys agree that earning their Eagle Scout ranking was worth it. “It’s been fun, said Richie, “I’ve gained a lot of tools for the outdoors, but a lot of people don’t realize that Boy Scouts teaches values that you don’t really learn anywhere else.

It teaches you how to be a leader for others and motivate a range of age groups to accomplish a goal.”

Although Eagle is considered the ultimate goal, these boys will continue scouting. “I have a personal goal to try to beat my dad,” said Patrick, “He got Eagle at [age] 13. I got it at 16, but he only got two palms, a bronze and a gold, and so I’m trying to get all three to say I got one more than he did.”

SAB offered an unplugged zone in the Academic Village complete with food during break.

Ultimate Frisbee Offers Enjoyable Exercise

Two senior boys create club in hopes of providing alternative to Pace varsity sports.

David Martos

Sports Editor Class of 2014

yet, but club leaders plan on doing so once they get a larger turnout and practice more. Club member and senior Hunter Cessinger believes that with enough practice the team can beat Paideia, one of the best ultimate frisbee teams in the state. “I think we have a lot of potential to beat some really good teams like Paideia, mainly because we have more swagger, and that’s the biggest factor in Ultimate Frisbee,” he said.

Photo: David Martos

For students looking for a chill ambiance in which to play frisbee, look no further than Pace’s Ultimate Frisbee Club.

The club was started by seniors Jake Pokalsky and Jacob St. Amand. They wanted to get the club up and going because they believed it offered them and other Pace students who only play spring sports a chance to stay active and fit while having fun. “We all wanted to create a really chill place where we can rip disk and get swole in the process,” said Jake.

Club members are content with the way things have gone so far this year, but Jake says they are hoping to make the club more “legit.” Although they have had a good turnout at their scrimmages, the club leaders hope that more members will show up on Fridays when they play. “We definitely need some more people to come out,” said Jacob, “It makes it more fun when more people are playing and it makes it even more chill.”

The club also has plans to create their own T-shirts and possibly their own frisbees to give out.

Ultimate Frisbee has been expanding rapidly among private schools in Atlanta, and club leaders hope that the Pace club can grow and eventually compete with other private schools.

“One of my personal goals is to get the club good enough to beat a really good school like Woodward,” said Jacob, “If we can eventually reach that goal, I think we will all be happy.”

The club has not scheduled any games against other schools

Ultimate Frisbee Club meets every Friday after school.

day without it.”

Many studies show that not only are people too reliant on their devices, but social networking can actually be dangerous to both safety and health. According to The Social Times, doctors are now treating people for “social media overuse,” and 350 million people suffer from Facebook Addiction Syndrome. Many students would be surprised to learn that social networking while driving slows reaction time 17% more than driving under the influence of marijuana and 25.5% more than driving at the legal alcohol limit.

Most have heard parents grumble about it, but using technology to communicate actually affects students socially as well.

The ability to talk to friends and even strangers 24/7 through multiple networks, such as chat sites and Facebook, can have a very negative effect. Twenty-five percent of people have relationship difficulties because of online interaction. Not only is spending free periods checking social media apps or watching Netflix not the most productive use of time, but it also hinders students from cooperating or socializing.

There’s so much that happens every day; students run the risk of missing out, spending their days glued to their phones.

Cafeteria Reviews Mixed, on Par with Other Area Schools Josh Blank Staff Writer Class of 2015

Cafeteria food is often criticized, no matter which school one attends, but is Pace’s selection as bad as students make it out to be? When considering the quality of a school’s food, one must take into account that the cafeteria must produce mass quantities of food, seek to please every student’s palate and minimize unhealthy options. This can occasionally lead to foods that lack flavor.

“Sometimes the food is good, but sometimes it’s not very good,” said senior Jared Datoc.

These hit-or-miss lunch days steer many students away from the cafeteria and straight towards the snack bar. While the snack bar is a great option to have, buying food every day can get expensive. Students are forced to decide whether they go hungry, spend money for lunch, or settle with mediocre cafeteria food.

The salad bar, soups and sandwich station are great alternatives to the hot line or snack bar. “I like the salad bar, but not the hot lunches,” said

sophomore Stephanie Novellas.

“I thought the food was better in sixth grade.” Freshman Eno Reyes also weighed in: “Even though the recipes are constantly changing, I still enjoy lunch almost every day.” Some of the more popular lunch items are the Mangia Mangia pizza, chicken fingers, Sloppy Joes and lo mein.

Many agree that Pace’s lunch is better than or on par with that of nearby schools’ cafeterias. “The food at our school is not very good, but we do get smoothies, which is nice,” said junior Collin Headly of North Atlanta High. The food options at Westminster seem very similar to those at Pace. “Just recently we redid our cafeteria at Westminster, so that’s really helpful because they increased the number of lines. We have a bunch of different food stations like sandwich and salad bars.

The sweet tea is extremely popular,” said Westminster junior Jacqueline Baltz.

“The lunches at Woodward are good! My favorite are the chicken fingers,” said Woodward junior Palmour Hewes. Just as they are at Pace, chicken fingers are a popular menu item at many school cafeterias.

Opinion

Vol. 39 Issue #3

The Knightly News

Co-Editors in Chief: Wilson Alexander Hayley Silverstein Tech Editor: Dean Papastrat News Editor: Sam Rubenstein Opinion Editor: Wylie Heiner Features Editor: Julia Beck Sports Editor: David Martos

Online Editor: Aaron Wasserman Staff Writers: Josh Blank Grace Francour Max Greenberg Joe Loughran John Morrison Morgan Palmerton Elizabeth Roos Josh Sloan Faculty Adviser: Ms. Lee Wilson Assistant 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 Florida Sun Printing.

The Knightly News welcomes letters to the editor and

guest opinions, which may be edited for spelling and grammar, as well as space constraints. Neither Knightly News-generated opinion pieces nor guest opinions are reflective of the official policy of Pace Academy.

Every effort is made to publish accurate facts, but if you recognize an error or omission, please email knightlynews@ paceacademy.org.

Time for Solar Power at Pace Aaron Wasserman Online Editor Class of 2014

With students who attend a prestigious academic institution with excellent arts and sports programs, one would expect there to be more school spirit.

School spirit -- pride and enthusiasm for attending the school you go to -- is mostly missing from Pace Academy, and the school spirit that exists for brief moments is psuedo-spirit.

Pace has many activities and events for students designed to encourage school spirit; however, they are more of a burden to attend or participate in. Dances are opportunities to foster school spirit, and Pace dances clearly demonstrate what little school spirit Pace has. The students who normally attend are underclassmen who are still in the honeymoon phase of being in high school; many upperclassmen are too jaded, have better things to do that don’t involve school and generally just don’t care enough.

Pep rallies are the worst display of school spirit, especially when they are held in the morning. In Mr. Owens’s G period BC Calculus class this year, students asked to remain in class and work because they did not want to attend another burdensome pep rally that appeals more to lower and middle school students than to high schoolers. The most iconic symbol of school spirit, pep rallies at Pace create a false atmosphere of school spirit that vanishes once everyone meanders back to class.

School spirit should be most apparent at sporting events, but that spirit is lacking even when there is a large crowd. Student attendance at games, save for home basketball and football games, is minuscule compared to other schools, and considering the tight-knit community at Pace, one would think that more

Seniors appear unengaged at the Oct. 4 pep rally. students would go and support their sports teams. Basketball is the only clear example of school spirit, thanks to the Knights of the Round Table, but that only applies to the boys varsity basketball team.

One can argue that football always has a great turnout, but that’s only when they play at home, and attendance does not always equate to school spirit.

The atmosphere at football games underwhelms the players.

Students treat football games as a social event and often leave at halftime instead of being there to support their school and their team. Playing at home is supposed to give the team a home field advantage; however, the absence of school spirit removes that advantage, because the students treat the game as background noise.

There have been attempts to increase school spirit at football and basketball games by having themes for dressing-up. While it is difficult to participate in some of the themes, such as neon (Lets face it, what boy owns a neon polo?), few actually dress up for even the more traditional themes such as all blue; blackout; and red, white and blue, simply because no student cares

enough. Pace has always been an academic and artistic school, which could explain why school spirit is lacking at sporting events. However, Pace still has a lame display of school spirit in all other areas.

Spirit Week does not imply a week full of school spirit, but rather a week full of pseudo grade-specific spirit where each grade tries to outcompete the other, instead of having the school unite as a whole. School spirit is nonexistent during Spirit Week, because it is not about Pace, it is about each grade trying to beat the others. With the grades factionalized, school spirit evaporates.

During Spirit Week, there are dress-up themes for each day.

Granted, some themes are harder to dress for than others, but only a small minority of students dress according to their theme.

One would assume that with the grades factionalized, students would fully participate in the duties of Spirit Week, when in fact only a small portion of each grade are on the committees.

Also, it is rare to find a grade where everyone participates in the skit. Just because the week is titled “Spirit Week,” it does not mean that there is actual spirit.

Atlanta Weather Disappoints Elizabeth Roos Staff Writer Class of 2014

The trees begin to shed their multi-colored leaves. The days get shorter, the nights longer.

Sweaters and Uggs are uncovered after a steamy summer. The air feels crisp and cool. However, here I sit in late October, sweating excessively in shorts and a T-shirt. This magnificent fall season is merely a figment of my imagination, a wild fantasy if you will. To my dismay, it still feels like summer.

Although there are many benefits of living in a southern metropolis like Atlanta, the unpredictable weather is not one.

The weather simply can't seem to make up its mind. Atlanta weather has been described by many as "bipolar." It's 50 degrees in the morning, but 80 degrees in the afternoon. It rains, but the rain isn't quite rain, it is more of a drizzly mist. One day it feels like a lovely autumn day and the next a sticky summer. Should

I wear jeans and a sweater, or shorts and a T-shirt? Is it time to crack out the Ugg boots or stick with flip flops? All of these questions swirl furiously in my mind as I struggle to prepare for what comes ahead each and every day.

I am ready for it to get cool and stay cool. Fall is my favorite season, yet living in Atlanta, it is often skipped. I, for one, feel somewhat cheated. College football games, sweet apple cider

and the vibrant colors of fall leaves just don't seem to spark the same awe-inspiring magic when it still feels like summer.

I know that I do not stand alone in this sentiment. Junior Katie Nelson agrees wholeheartedly, saying, "Fall is awesome because it's not cold enough yet to where you're miserable stepping outside." Even though fall in Atlanta is often delayed and abbreviated, that doesn't take away from the magic it bears year after year.

Photo: Elizabeth Roos

When most people think of solar power they think of some far fetched idea that will never be anything more than a liberal's pipe dream. Thanks to vast advances in technology in the past 10 years, however, solar panel producers have been able to simultaneously make higher efficiency panels while lowering their prices to be economically competitive with other, more polluting energy sources. In Georgia nearly 70% of the power generated comes from coal and natural gas, with nuclear and hydropower making up the remainder. The most efficient solar panels on the market now boast a 24% conversion efficiency, a number that would have been unimaginable five years ago.

According to Forbes, the cost of solar panels has plummeted nearly 30% in the last two years alone, and further price cuts are expected in the near future.

In addition, new solar capacity will exceed new wind capacity for the first time ever in 2013, demonstrating the viability and

more widespread adoption of solar power across the U.S. With solar power becoming more affordable and efficient by the day, the time is now for Pace Academy to take advantage and lower its carbon footprint, while saving money at the same time. On average, Pace spends $22,500 a month on electricity, totaling $270,000 every year spent on electricity produced from heavily polluting sources.

There are many solar companies that now offer solar systems for no upfront investment but rather monthly payments based on how much energy the panels produce. This electricity is charged at a lower rate than electricity from the grid, meaning that Pace would save money and the environment by going solar.

In addition, during times of low usage it is possible that the energy produced from the panels would exceed Pace's total use. In this case, Pace would be able to send this excess energy back to the grid in exchange for energy credits that would be used during peak hours. This exchange, called net metering, has been a driving factor in solar's explosive growth in the last five years and would further lower Pace's energy costs.

Pace Lacks School Spirit Photo: Fred Assaf

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

The Knightly News - Page 5

Sophomores Jack Walsh and Carly Shoulberg endure the pouring rain.

November 8, 2013

Construction

The Knightly News - Page 6 Photo: Dean Papastrat

A Look Ahead

Images courtesy of New South Construction.

October 2013 - November 2013

November 2013 - December 2013

Above: A worker on a lift monitors the placement of a beam; Below: Workers construct the floors for the new building and continue to place and weld beams.

Photo: Pace Academy Communications department

December 2013 - February 2014

March 2013 - May 2014 The construction is currently on schedule.

Contstruction Progress June - October 2013 Photos taken by the Pace Academy Communications department. Graphics by Dean Papastrat.

Demolition begins on the old Upper School. The north, south, and original halls are destroyed one at a time, in a matter of days.

June

The old building is gone, and the ground is ready for terraforming. The Castle’s foundation is built up and reinforced to preserve it and ensure that no movement will happen during or after the construction.

July

Construction

Vol. 39 Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 7

Photo: New South Construction The company managing the project, New South Construction, takes monthly aerial photos of the building’s progress to show the work completed during each stage of construction. A time lapse will eventually be released showing the process of constructing the building.

Raising a Fortress: Building the Upper School Web/Tech Editor Class of 2015

From last year’s capital campaign, “Aim High,” to this year’s Fall Fair theme, “Raise the Roof,” Pace families and faculty members have displayed extraordinary excitement and support for the construction of the Arthur M. Blank Family Upper School, and the buildup of energy and emotion surrounding the progress of the new building shows no signs of slowing down.

Officially, construction began on Apr. 24, as crews moved in behind the Assafs’ house to clear and terraform the landscape, but several important events marked the evolution of Pace’s original academic building. Students said goodbye to the building by decorating the hallways, classrooms and everything else in vibrant colors of paint, an event sponsored by the Student Council, while alumni, faculty, and other

adults left their mark by participating in the “Hoedown Before the Teardown” and writing their favorite memories on white posters all around the building.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place at the end of the school year, and soon after, demolition began.

The destruction of the old building was a sight to behold.

Powerful vehicles slowly tore down each of the three structures that made up the old academic building one by one, then the debris was removed to allow for work to start on the foundation. In September, the foundation was completed and progress began on the vertical construction of the building.

Though the rapid placement of beams and floors may be the most noticeable change since the demolition of the old building, one of the greatest challenges of the entire project was actually completed during the summer, when the entire site looked like a gigantic mud pit. Since the

Photo: Fred Assaf

Dean Papastrat

construction required disturbing the land underneath the Castle’s foundation, crews had to closely monitor the Castle itself, shoring up the historic landmark to preserve it and prevent it from moving. Yet, this is not the only unseen challenge that workers have completed, as the seemingly normal faculty parking lot actually contains a massive amount of engineering beneath it, built to aid in storm water management as well as fire safety systems.

According to Pace parent and University Development Services President Bob Mills, “The two underground structures will hold a combined 100,000 gallons of water and are up to 11.5 feet deep—think of an underground swimming pool!”

In the coming days, the frame of the building will be completed and various utilities, such as water, electricity, etc., will be installed. Because the construction began early enough, the building is on schedule for completion by the 2014-2015 school year.

The foundation is laid for the new Upper School.

Mud work continues as crews work to stay on schedule.

August

A crane lowers a flag, tree and special beam signed by students and faculty members to mark the topping off milestone.

Vertical construction begins and progresses. Floors are installed as the building becomes taller. Utilities begin to be installed as the structure rises and gains more levels.

October

Lifestyle

November 8, 2013

The Knightly News - Page 8

Josh Blank Staff Writer Class of 2015

Families coming together, plenty of food and a plethora of football on TV are just a few scenes common to many on Thanksgiving. Most families also have their own particular traditions that create lasting memories. “We usually eat turkey and watch football,” said freshman Christopher Howard.

Thanksgiving can also be a time to give thanks and to help those in need.

Thanksgiving provides a time for families to gather and enjoy each other’s company.

“I go to Mississippi with my family every year and family

from all over goes there,” said junior Anna Hoffman, “We all sit around a big table and each family member says one thing they are thankful for. After our Thanksgiving meal, we go on a family walk.” Unique traditions like these make each family’s Thanksgiving Day special. “My family comes over and family from Texas flies into town,” said junior Lauren Hadley, “My mom usually cooks for most of the day, while the guys mainly watch football.”

A lot of people share similar Thanksgiving traditions, but once in a while, families veer from the norm. “My family doesn’t really like traditional Thanksgiving food, said Ms. Barbakow, “We usually go to the beach and have seafood like crab cakes. We usually take in people

who don’t have a place to go for Thanksgiving. No turkey, stuffing etc… The only thing we like which is traditional Thanksgiving would be broccoli casserole and sweet potato casserole.” Ms. Barbakow’s family even goes out to eat Italian on Thanksgiving.

Some families on Thanksgiving like to spend time together by playing sports. “My family and I usually play golf together every Thanksgiving day,” said junior Juliana DeRosa. Similarly, junior Danny Kaplan’s family gets together to play tennis.

Sporting events are a great way to have fun and work off a big Thanksgiving meal.

My personal top ten Thanksgiving traditions are: 1. Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey 2. Giving thanks

Photo: Karen Mullally

Students, Faculty Share Thanksgiving Traditions

The Thanksgiving meal takes hours of preparation and hard work.

3. Spending time with family, including extended family 4. Helping others or service projects 5. Watching football

6. Thanksgiving day parades 7. Catching up on sleep 8. Preparing for Black Friday 9. Family movies 10. Playing football

New Movie Releases Sure to Please Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson star in this modern tale about time travel and the struggle of finding love.

Another movie that will help brighten your night and make you laugh is director and writer Ken Scott’s comedy, “Delivery Man.” Vince Vaughn stars in this unusual story about a man who has unknowingly fathered 533 children through anonymous donations to a fertility clinic.

When 142 of the young adults sue to find out who their father is, he must decide whether or not to reveal his identity. “Delivery Man” opens Nov. 22.

One of the most highly anticipated movies of the year is the second part of the “Hunger Games” trilogy, “Catching Fire.”

Directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, “Catching Fire” is guaranteed to be filled with action, science fiction elements

and romance with the introduction of new conflicts and characters. One of the most talked about roles is Finnick Odair, a tribute known for his stunning looks and trident-wielding abilities, played by Sam Claflin.

Many students plan to attend the midnight premiere on Nov. 22.

Anchorman fans have been begging for a sequel ever since the comedy debuted in 2004, and their dreams will become reality on Christmas Day when “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” hits screens. Everyone’s favorite reporter Ron Burgundy, played by Will Ferrell, is back and better than ever in director Adam McKay’s sequel. This time Ron will be charming New York instead of San Diego. Part two is expected to be equally as comedic as the first, with a stellar cast including Jim Carrey, Harrison Ford, Kristen Wiig, Liam Neeson, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and Tina Fey.

Thanksgiving Isn’t Popular with Everyone

Wilson Alexander

Grace Francour Staff Writer Class of 2015

This season promises a variety of new releases.

Photos: thehungergamesexplorer.com, abouttimemovie. com, anchormanmovie.com

We all know that winter is right around the corner when Uggs pop up. Some of the first images that come to mind when people think of cold weather are cozy cups of hot chocolate and snuggling up in a favorite sweater to enjoy the new movie releases. This season promises an exciting mix of comedy, romance, and adventure with films such as “About Time,” “Delivery Man,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” and “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.”

Director and writer Richard Curtis’ “About Time” brings some long awaited romance to cold nights. The movie opened Nov. 1. It offers a unique twist to the traditional rom-com by adding an element of science fiction.

Teachers share their thoughts on the holiday.

Co-Editor In Chief Class of 2014

Photos: Wilson Alexander

Pictured left to right: Mr. Owens, Mrs. Kann and Ms. Stevens.

Lifestyle

Vol. 39 Issue #3

Sam Rubenstein News Editor Class of 2014

In the south, it’s Jalisco, located in the Peachtree Battle Shopping Center; in the north, it’s Taxco, located on Roswell Rd. near Chastain Park. A rivalry as epic as they come, the division it has created compares to nothing else.

Jalisco has held the title of “Best in Buckhead” for many years, and is known for its heavenly cheese dip. “I have been going there as long as I can remember, and the cheese dip is incredible,” said senior Erik Howard.

However, the tides may be turning. Following a failed health inspection and subsequent renovations several years ago, Taxco has been making waves in the fight to be the best. But after much discussion with Pace students, it became clear that many have never frequented Taxco, and choose Jalisco as their go-to for cheap, fast Mexican food.

Those who have enjoyed both restaurants will say that Taxco’s chips and salsa are better, and some even believe its cheese dip

Photo: Elizabeth Roos

Buckhead Divided Over Mexican Food

The Knightly News - Page 9

competes with the monumental, melted cheesy deliciousness that is Jalisco’s cheese dip. But junior Harris Quiner does not agree, remaining loyal to Jalisco as his go-to restaurant. He said that despite what many say, “Jalisco’s chips are never stale,” also claiming that Taxco isn’t bad, but it’s just not as good. Harris, like the bulk of Jalisco’s fanbase, lives south of West Paces Ferry Rd., which appears to be the dividing line for this hot rivalry, as well as the divider between the north and south sides of Buckhead.

The fierce clash has been perpetuated by masses of youth baseball players who are loyal patrons of their home turf restaurant. NYO (in the north) and Buckhead Baseball (in the south) are both geographically close to the respective eateries and as a result, the restaurants are popular for post-game meals.

The contention between the two ballparks has extended from the playing field to the dinner table. With no clear victor in this great battle, only time will tell which Mexican restaurant reigns supreme in the minds, hearts and stomachs of the Buckhead community.

Seniors Jessica Cooper and Will Egan wait in line to get food at the Atlanta Food Truck Park.

Food Truck Park Pleases Elizabeth Roos Staff Writer Class of 2014

Photo: Sam Rubenstein

Tired of the same old restaurants? Is the usual rotation of OK Cafe, Willy’s and Goldberg’s getting old? Do you want something new and fresh with a fun atmosphere that is reasonably priced? Check out the Atlanta Food Truck Park.

Housed just a few minutes up the road from Pace on Howell Mill Rd. at Interstate 75, the park is a treasure trove for your inner foodie. The options are limitless. New food trucks come into the park every day, bringing with them delicious meals from all over the city, country

and even world. “I love going to the food truck park, said senior Will Egan, a regular patron. “It is my goal to try something from every truck. One of my favorite trucks is the Croatian food truck.

I think it’s really cool that I’ve gotten to try food from such a distant country that I will probably never visit.”

Other favorites of Will’s include: Nana G’s, offering chicken and waffles; Masala Fresh, an Indian street food truck; Mighty Meatballs, exclusively selling meatballs; and Sweet Auburn Barbeque, the barbeque truck that made an appearance at Pace’s Food Truck Fridays.

Yes, the food truck craze has also made its way onto the Pace campus, thanks to the Student Council.

A favorite of senior Jessica Cooper is the truck that sells bubble tea, a tea-based Tawainese drink that was invented in the 1980s. “Bubble tea is both refreshing and delicious, and the straws are really cool,” she said.

The food truck park on Howell Mill Rd. provides not only food but also free entertainment. Every Thursday night there is live music at the park from 6-9 p.m. There is also a farmer’s market on the site every Saturday and Sunday, and an art market will be coming soon.

“Everyone should go to the food truck park,” said Will, “It is an awesome experience and has awesome food!” For more information, visit atlantafoodtruckpark.com.

Four Looks with Mackenzie Wylie Heiner

Opinion Editor Class of 2014

Every year, the members of the senior class vote on superlatives for their grade. What qualities make a class vote for the Best Dressed senior? Could it be the recipient’s witty sense

of style, their endless supply of clothes, or simply their begging of their neighbors in assembly to vote for them?

All three of these apply to Mackenzie Attridge, the winner of the Best Dressed senior superlative. “It was the only thing I worked for at this school,” said Mackenzie, and the class obviously took notice of such dedication. Mackenzie especially

likes to shop at Free People and Bloomingdale’s, but will occasionally pop in to her local Wet Seal.

Mackenzie said that her style inspiration comes from her dog.

Not only does she offer everyone advice on wearing deodorant at all times, but she also swears by “funky pants” and suggests that everyone get a couple of pairs.

Juniors Juliana DeRosa and Kate Mullally, who both live at the divisive border, are split over the preeminent dive Mexican restaurant.

Photos: Wylie Heiner Choosing the usual three looks was difficult, so we selected four for this issue.

Mr. Assaf - Johns Hopkins University Mr. Bradley - University of Chicago Mr. Carson - Washington & Lee University Mr. Day - University of Georgia Mrs. Dickherber - University of Kansas Mrs. Durlin - Emory University Mrs. Eden - Princeton University Mr. Fleming - Brown University Mrs. Kann - University of Virginia Dr. Link - University of Texas Mr. Matanes - Georgetown University Mr. Newman - Guilford College Dr. Pearson - Dartmouth College Mr. Sargent - Georgia Institute of Technology Mr. Smith - University of Alabama Ms. Stevens - Swarthmore College Mr. Whyte - Williams College Mrs. Wilhelmsen - Bowdoin College

Teacher Matching Quiz - Key

Lifestyle

November 8, 2013

The Knightly News - Page 10

College Essay Prompts Inspire Creativity Co-Editor In Chief Class of 2014

There is nothing more fearsome and intimidating to high school seniors than college application essays. While it is impossible to condense all of one’s dreams, passions and personality into an essay in under 650 words, the prompts allow for some creativity. Many colleges do not want an essay restating the Common Application, the application used by most major universities. They want something entertaining, which is one of the reasons why many essay prompts can seem a bit ridiculous.

Most students find the more abstract essay topics the hardest to write, because they call upon creativity, coherent writing, a sense of humor and enough confidence to take a risk. Examples include UNC’s current “What do you expect to find over the rainbow?” Bennington College’s 2010 prompt “Can a toad hear?

Prove it;” and Brandeis’ prompt for the same year, which asked, “If you could choose to be raised by robots, dinosaurs or aliens, who would you pick? Why?” The University of Chicago and Tufts University are known for their wacky essay prompts, and Tufts won this year’s informal competition, hotly debated on online forums, over who has the weirdest topic with, “What does #YOLO mean to you?”

Following are some of the more interesting prompts that have been part of the long debate over which school has the better prompt.

University of Chicago: “Find x.”

“So where is Waldo, really?”

“What does Play-Doh have to do with Plato?”

“Don’t write about reverse psychology.”

“Have you ever walked through the aisles of a warehouse store like Costco or Sam’s Club and wondered who would buy a jar of mustard a foot and a half tall?

We’ve bought it, but it didn’t stop us from wondering about other things, like absurd eating contests, impulse buys, excess, unimagined uses for mustard, storage, preservatives, notions of bigness… and dozens of other ideas both silly and serious. Write an essay somehow inspired by super-huge mustard.”

Tufts Univeristy: “Kermit the Frog famously lamented, ‘It’s not easy being green.’ Do you agree?”

“It’s Friday. Which of your mediocre talents are you going to post to the Internet this weekend, and why?”

“Discuss how you successfully conquered a First World Problem, White Girl Problem, Overeducated Problem, Stoner Problem, or another exaggerated obstacle of social, racial or habitual origin.”

“A great American writer once said, ‘Pimpin’ ain’t easy, but it sure is fun.’ Examine a personal experience that was hard work, but worth the effort.”

“You have been tasked with naming a celebrity baby, but you can’t use a name that has been registered in the United States since 1945, colors, or food items (even organic ones). What do you name the baby and why?”

Apple Unveils New Products Dean Papastrat Web/Tech Editor Class of 2015

Hannah Montana Is Dead Wylie Heiner

Opinion Editor Class of 2014

Provocative, gross, nasty, bodacious and hot are just a few of the words that Pace students used to describe Miley Cyrus when asked their opinions on the pop princess. Miley Cyrus is no longer the same girl that graced the television series “Hannah Montana.” Miley has changed quite a bit in the past year, and nobody can deny that. No longer is she the girl prancing around Disney Channel, but now the woman prancing around a stage half naked. Miley’s drastic change became evident when she Instagrammed a photo of her severe pixie cut and bleached locks. “She looks very [hygienically] clean,” said senior Aaron Simon. Sophomore Phillip Markwalter agreed, saying, “she is hot and her hair is trill.”

From this point forward, Miley set out to create a new image for herself. Her clothes have gotten skimpier, her actions have gotten more wild and her love life has gone downhill. Miley’s highly publicized relationship with Australian actor Liam Hemsworth recently came to an end when he terminated their engagement. Hemsworth was said to have been “mortified by Miley’s VMA performance,”

one that can only be compared to Britney Spears’ famous girl-ongirl kiss with Madonna at the same awards show years ago.

Her abrupt change in style is accompanied by her newest and highly anticipated album, Bangerz. This album veers strongly away from the usual music we are used to hearing from Miley, earning reviews from Rolling Stone that say, “Bangerz is the sound of ‘Hannah Montana’ gone ‘Miami Vice.’” With lyrics like “I’m dancin’ to the sound of my

words in the crowd, I’m too high to come down” and “I got two, ooh letters for you, one of them’s F and the other one’s U,” skeptics have argued that the majority of the album is actually about her breakup with Hemsworth.

Pace students have taken quite fondly to her album.

“When ‘Do My Thang’ comes on the radio, I turn that stuff up as loud as possible in my Jetta,” said senior Olivia Levine. Miley is unpredictable, and the world waits expectantly for her next move.

Photo: mileycyrus.com

On Oct. 22, Apple released several new products aimed at consumers as well as professionals: the Mac Pro, iPad Air, OS X Mavericks, iLife ‘13, iWork ‘13, and the new MacBook Pro. While the MacBook Pro went through an incremental update and price drop, the event focused specifically on the iPad, Mac Pro and new software.

The new Mac Pro, available this December, packs more power than ever before. The compact, black, cylindrical computer sports two blazing fast graphics cards that produce 7 teraflops of computing power, a next-gen processor that’s twice as fast as the previous one, up to 64 GB of RAM, a hard drive that performs at 1.2 GB/s, and a large collection of modern ports for peripherals including Thunderbolt 2 and USB 3.0. Overall, it’s a ridiculously powerful computer that could transform the

computing experience for professionals, and with a price tag of $3000 it’s relatively affordable in the spectrum of high-level computers.

The iPad Air, debuted alongside the new iPad Mini, is the next iteration of Apple’s flagship tablet. It weighs just one pound, features the powerful A7 chip, uses speedy MIMO Wi-Fi, and has an enhanced LTE transmitter, but lacks the Touch ID technology found in the iPhone 5S. OS X, iLife, and iWork all received updates. They all bring components of iOS to the Mac, and support the Apple ecosystem, heavily relying on iCloud.

Noteworthy features include multi-user editing of documents and presentations with iWork, iCloud-synced projects with iLife, and a number of under-thehood performance improvements with OS X Mavericks. However, the most important fact is that all of them are free; Apple is desperately trying to trap people in its ecosystem, and this is just one of many ways that they are working to ensnare unsuspecting consumers in the iCloud web.

Photo: With permission from CartoonStock

Hayley Silverstein

Miley Cyrus’ song “Wrecking Ball” now ranked number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, was previously number one.

Sports

Vol. 39 Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 11

Kameron Uter Commits to Commodores Aaron Wasserman Online Editor Class of 2014

Photo: Fred Assaf

As seniors across the country scramble to complete countless college applications, there is one Pace senior whose college search came to an abrupt and satisfying close on Oct. 20.

Standout football and baseball star Kameron Uter committed to Vanderbilt University on a full football scholarship immediately following his visit to Nashville. Kameron said that great academics at Vanderbilt, in particular the engineering school, was the main reason for him choosing to play for the Commodores.

Entering his senior football season, Kameron had already verbally committed to playing

Kameron’s dominating play on the field attracted the attention of coaches nationwide. baseball at Kennesaw State.

However, his dominating play on the football field (43 catches for 525 yards and 12 touchdowns through six games as well as two punt returns for touchdowns)

garnered the attention of football powerhouses across the country. Kameron had interest from Navy and Wake Forest earlier in the year, but once his senior highlights reached coaches, the

offers started rolling in over the fall break. This second wave of offers included Vanderbilt and Arkansas as well as heavy interest from Notre Dame, Tennessee and South Carolina. “It all hap-

pened so fast,” said Kameron, “It was overwhelming; everything happened in a span of five or six days.”

Kameron’s physical attributes and his tough-minded approach to the game are what attracted the attention of coaches nationwide. Kipp Adams, a nationwide recruiting expert on 247Sports, said, “Uter projects as a bigger wideout that can get downfield and use his size to go up and win the battle for jump balls. The Vanderbilt coaching staff also feels that further physical development could result in Uter growing into a hybrid tight end/H-back.”

Kameron plans on being a two sport athlete at Vanderbilt as long as he maintains a 3.0 GPA, continuing with baseball as a walk-on to the number two ranked Commodores in addition to dominating on the gridiron.

Pace Lacrosse Players Join Fall League Josh Sloan

Staff Writer Class of 2014

help the new guys improve and play better with the older guys,” said sophomore Aaron Davis, “Team bonding is definitely a big deal and having a bunch of players in this league definitely helps everyone bond before the season starts.” Junior and team captain Matt Tannenblatt thinks that the team’s involvement in fall league is just what they need to have success this spring. “I really think it’s chill and stuff for our boys to get swole and yoked in the offseason in the weight room, but fall league is really what we need to be prepared for the upcoming season and I think we will become a better team because of it,” said Matt.

The Pace Academy team’s

fall league adventure will continue through Nov. 10. The remainder of their schedule

includes games against North Gwinnett, McEachern and Whitefield.

Photo: Fred Assaf

Every Sunday since Sept. 8, a team of Pace Academy lacrosse players have ventured out to Lassiter High School to challenge other varsity teams and develop their skills. There are 14 other schools participating in this fall league. Pace Academy’s record is 3-2 after playing Kell, Hillgrove, Woodstock, Sequoyah and Westminster.

The Pace team is jumpstarting their season for many different reasons. Through participation in the Lassiter fall league, many players wish to

improve, and some want to gain exposure to the new realm that is high school lacrosse. “The fall lacrosse league is a great way for our team to practice and to love and work with one another as future teammates,” said freshman Sammy Tannenblatt.

The Pace team is working out twice a week in preparation for the spring season. “Every day we show up ready to work, and you can really see it in our play on the weekends,” said freshman Brian Sloan, “When we come together and succeed like we have, it’s a beautiful thing. I love the game and working out and playing with everyone on our team.” “I think the lacrosse league will really

Junior Austin Little is one of the many players on the Pace varsity squad who are participating in the fall lacrosse league.

NFC Playoffs May Include Some Surprises Max Greenberg

Staff Writer Class of 2014

As we enter the second half of the NFL season, one question is on the minds of football fans: which teams are going to make the playoffs? This year has been a shock to many, as most of the powerhouse NFL teams are lagging and those teams that have a history of under achievement are Super Bowl contenders. Here are the teams I project will make the playoffs in the NFC: 1. Seattle Seahawks - Right now, the Seahawks look like they have all of the tools to bring the Lombardi trophy back to Seattle. The Seahawks defense is ranked 2nd in passing yards allowed and 6th in rushing yards allowed, making it one of the best defenses in the league.

The offense, led by running back Marshawn Lynch and quarterback Russell Wilson, ranked 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards, but rank a mere 25th in passing offense - a worrysome statistic.

Despite the Seahawks apparently lacking a passing game, overall the Seahawks are bound to be a favorite to win the Super Bowl and will easily make the playoffs.

2. San Fransisco 49ers Being in the same division as the Seahawks, they will have to win the Wild Card to get into the playoffs. However, the 49ers are one of the best teams in the NFC and deserve a playoff berth. Last year the team relied on a very stout defense which has taken a slight step backwards this year.

They still rank 6th in opposing pass yards, but have fallen short in rushing yards allowed, with a mediocre ranking of 18th.

This dramatic change likely is due to the loss of linebacker/defensive end Aldon Smith, who is in rehab for drug addiction. The run-heavy offense is headed by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who makes up for his low number of passing yards with his 240 yards of rushing, which ranks 4th among quarterbacks.

3. New Orleans Saints The Saints look to bounce back this year now that the one-year

suspension of head coach Sean Payton has ended. Leading the NFC South by two games already, the Saints seem poised to lock a playoff spot. The defense has made vast improvement from last year, when they were statistically the worst team in NFL history.

Now, they rank 9th in passing yards allowed and 22nd in rushing yards allowed. The main weapon of this team is their passing game, which is led by future hall of famer quarterback Drew Brees. Brees averages a whopping 311 yards per game, which ranks 2nd best in the league. The rushing game is split between running backs Pierre Thomas, Khiry Robinson and Darren Sproles. Overall the core has done OK, averaging 86 yards per game, but it’s hardly needed with Brees at the helm.

4. Green Bay Packers - The Cheese Heads are at 4-3 and at the top of the NFC North right now with both the Bears and the Lions at their heels. The defense, led by linebacker A.J. Hawk and injured Clay Matthews, averages only 79 rushing yards allowed

per game this year, which ranks 3rd in the NFL. Their pass defense, however, has let up an average of 267 yards per game, which ranks 24th in the league.

The Packer offense can only be described as spectacular. Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers is averaging 300 yards passing and a touchdown every game. The offense has also been helped by the addition of running back Eddie Lacy. The rookie out of Alabama is currently averaging 4.2 yards per carry on 83 attempts, allowing the Packers to have a more balanced attack.

5. Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys will make the playoffs based on what can best be described as a cheat code, since the rest of their division is riddled with injuries and poor coaching.

The Cowboys defense has been lackluster so far, allowing 291 passing yards per game which is 3rd worst in the league.

They have not done much better stopping the run, since opposing teams have been able to gain an average of 102 yards per game. The main weapon of the Cowboy offense is quarterback

Tony Romo, who has accumulated 2,010 passing yards this season, which was largely helped by his 509-yard and five-TD performance against the Broncos.

The rushing game has been hurt by the injury of starting running back DeMarco Murray, but he should be back soon.

6. Detroit Lions - The Lions have gotten off to a slow start this season, but still are one of the best teams in the NFC. The defense will have to tighten up, as it allows an average of 282 yards passing and 115 yards rushing per game.

Quarterback Matt Stafford has finally come into his own, averaging 294 yards per game, which ranks 5th in the NFL. Running back Reggie Bush has been taking most of the carries for the Lions, and averages 4.3 yards per attempts on 98 carries.

Bush is also an integral part of the underneath passing game and Bush combined with Calvin “Megatron” Johnson provides a deadly attack.

Tune in next month for my AFC predictions and my Super Bowl predictions.

November 8, 2013

Sports

The Knightly News - Page 12

World Cup 2022 in Qatar Yields Uncertainty Staff Writer Class of 2015

On Dec. 2, 2010, soccer fans and players worldwide were in shock when news hit that Qatar had beaten the United States for the 2022 World Cup bid.

Highly improbable, Qatar, with a population of roughly two million, got the bid with promises of air-conditioned world-class stadiums, fake clouds and stateof-the-art infrastructures which seemed believable due to Qatar’s great financial capacity from oil.

Today, these promises are unfulfilled and have left many wondering why Qatar was ever chosen over the U.S. Worker riots in Qatar that have delayed stadium progress and on-site deaths of workers are among the many problems that have provided critics with ammunition to question FIFA’s decision to award the World Cup to the small Middle Eastern nation.

Media sources around the world like FOX Sports and NBC Sports have suggested that the FIFA vote was rigged and FIFA members may have been bribed by the Qatar bid group.

Looking at the problems that have occurred, with more in the foreseeable future, FIFA should act now and relocate the 2022 World Cup. According to an article in The Guardian, the International

Photo: Qatar World Cup bid 2022

Josh Blank

Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) reported at least 700 Indian workers have died since the project was started in 2010 and 70 Nepalese workers died in 2012 due to construction, with the number of deaths projected to grow to 4,000 before games are even played. Most of these workers are migrant workers from surrounding countries.

Worker conditions have been described as “modern slavery,” with workers not receiving pay or food, and working excruciatingly long hours in extreme heat.

This could easily be prevented from continuing by changing the World Cup location.

Reports from FOX Sports say that FIFA is considering moving the World Cup to the winter due to extreme weather conditions during the summer.

This change would produce huge television rights problems and cause a tremendous drop in profits. The 2022 Winter Olympics, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, college football bowl season and the NFL playoffs would all occur at the same time. This would be a nightmare for TV stations, fans, soccer leagues and, most importantly, the athletes.

The world’s most popular soccer leagues (Barclays Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue Un and La Liga) play through most of the winter, putting the World Cup in direct conflict with league play. The best players would want to leave

The futuristic stadium designs lured many voters to pick Qatar. their clubs to play for their country, but this would dramatically hurt each league financially and competitively. One must wonder if each league would elect to suspend their season and wait until the World Cup is over. The problem with this solution would be the valuable time lost in the league year and the great financial loss for the clubs, leagues, stadiums and TV rights.

The final problem is Qatar’s current lack of infrastructure to hold such a massive event.

Compared to the United States, Qatar doesn’t have enough of the stadiums, restaurants, hotels or transportation required to host a successful event. Although Qatar has the financial power to fund the World Cup, its intense weather conditions and worker revolts could slow or halt the building

process altogether. If you were a FIFA member, what would you do? An event like the World Cup requires great organization, venues and infrastructures in order to be successful, but can Qatar provide all of those on time and without causing major problems?

Unfortunately, only time will tell, but hopefully FIFA will make a decision before it’s too late.

Issue of Payment Divides College Athletics John Morrison Staff Writer Class of 2014

On a typical Tuesday, Jake Abraham wakes up at 5:30 a.m. in order to attend a dawn workout. After lifting, he attends morning classes. If he is lucky, he will have an hour or two of free time before afternoon practice, during which he can do schoolwork. From 2:30-7, he attends meetings and practice with the rest of the Georgia Southern University football team.

Such a schedule equates to a 13-hour work day, and for Jake, it is routine during the fall.

So, how much does he receive for the amount of time that he spends? Not a cent.

Jake is a walk-on football player at Georgia Southern. Unlike many other athletes who are on scholarship, he and his family are responsible for all of the normal costs of attending college, such as tuition, books, meal plans and housing. In addition, he must pay for daily necessities like school supplies and clothing.

Many students are able to cover some of these costs with part-time employment, but for student-athletes, this is not an option. “It’s hard and very expensive considering I have no time for a real job,” Jake said.

Every year, collegiate athlet-

ics generate billions of dollars in revenue. Some of the money pays for athletic scholarships.

The rest goes to media outlets, individual universities, athletic conferences and the NCAA. Recently, former athletes and administrators alike have been voicing the opinion that athletes

deserve a bigger piece of the pie.

In July 2009, former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA. The case has been ongoing and seeks to guarantee that student athletes receive compensation for the commercial use of their images after

Photo: Jeffrey Abraham

Georgia Southern sophomore Jake Abraham is unable to find time for a job in the midst of his busy football schedule.

graduation. Electronic Arts Sports recently announced that it would discontinue its popular NCAA Football video game to avoid any further legal troubles.

The next day, EA Sports reached a settlement with the O’Bannon plaintiffs that will allow thousands of former student athletes to make financial claims. With the settlement of the EA Sports case, it is expected that the vast pool of television revenue created by the broadcasting of college sports will be the next battleground.

Among those who believe that athletes should receive additional financial compensation, there is still a disagreement over how much money should be distributed, and to whom. Some commentators have suggested that athletic scholarships do not cover the full cost of attending college, thus leaving athletes without basic necessities like food and rent.

One person to make such a claim was former Tennessee running back Arian Foster, who admitted that he accepted money from boosters in order to pay for food. Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe, who coached Foster at Tennessee, responded to the claim on the “David Glenn Show” in late September. “We’re not letting people go hungry.

Arian wasn’t hungry,” said Cutcliffe, “There have been a lot of successful people that have

come through college athletics, and I would say the majority of those people would say that they were not cheated out of their fair share.”

Some current players believe that athletic scholarships are more than enough, and that poor financial choices are the source of shortages. Athletes on scholarship often receive checks to pay for housing, but according to Florida football player Drew Ferris, some individuals “use their rent check for other things like tattoos, drugs or clothes.”

Football players have been the focus of the debate, but they make up only a small number of collegiate athletes who are on scholarship. But as a result of the O’Bannon v. NCAA case, athletes who play other sports may also soon be eligible for financial compensation.

Morgan Batey, a Pace alumna and womens basketball player at Vanderbilt, weighed in on the issue. “I think it is too difficult to determine which athletes deserve money, if some athletes deserve more than others, and if it is even necessary to pay athletes since you can argue athletes are being paid in the form of tuition, books, meals, housing, gear and so much more,” said Morgan, “Until universities can come up with a universal way to distribute this money back to their student-athletes, I think athletes should not be paid.”