Vol. 42, Issue 6

Vol. 42, Issue #6

The

March 3, 2017

Knightly News

p. 2 Peoplestown Academy Launches

p. 5 Community Coaches

p. 6 Six New Tech Products

Sajat Rabbani ‘13 Finds Safety, Opportunity in U.S. Genna Schwarz Staff Writer Class of 2019

and ate the same lunch, so from that point of view, once everyone is in school, the differences in culture and wealth disappear.”

He felt completely embraced by the Pace community and thought that the students and faculty were extremely supportive and understanding whenever he faced challenges.

Sajat’s commute to school was much more difficult than that of the average Pace student.

It consisted of various teachers volunteering to drive him from MARTA to Pace and back every single morning and afternoon.

The trip home on MARTA included two trains and a bus, and then walking the rest of the way. "These kind gestures have remained with me as a wonderful memory of some of my teachers,” said Sajat.

Life at Pace was going great, but there were complications when Sajat was trying to get into college. He had very little idea of how the whole college process worked, and his parents could not help him much. He had to rely on his college counselor to help him figure everything out.

“The most complicated part of it was figuring out financial aid awards, something I’ve had to continue to deal with even in my senior year,” he said. Sajat currently attends Boston College.

“Getting into a really good school like Boston College is the fulfillment of an aspiration,” said Sajat. “Very few people in the world have such an opportunity, and I consider myself an extremely fortunate person.” He

is majoring in political science and will hopefully attend law school after graduation. “I would love to go into government, but I have a lot of loans to pay off so I have to get that sorted out as well,” he said.

Although his family members are sad he is so far away from home, coming from such a tough situation in Afghani-

stan they are extremely proud of all his accomplishments.

“The education I received is not something I have ever taken for granted,” said Sajat. “I grew up going to Pace, and a lot of my own character can be traced back to my experiences during my time at Pace. I am always proud to say I attended Pace Academy.”

new term to the media’s attention: “alternative facts.”

On Jan. 23, Press Secretary Sean Spicer declared that Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20 had “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe” at a press conference.

However, according to USA Today, “an estimated 31 million people” watched Trump’s inauguration on television, which is

“about 19% below the number that tuned in to watch Obama’s first inauguration in 2009, and it is far below the 41.8 million who tuned in for Ronald Reagan’s first inauguration in 1981.”

Regardless of these facts, Spicer told the press that “it was the most watched inauguration.”

Immediately following these false declarations, reporters began to challenge Spicer. “Don’t be so overly dramatic about it,

Chuck,” said Conway to NBC’s Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press.”

“You’re saying it’s a falsehood…

Sean Spicer, our press secretary, gave alternative facts.” MerriamWebster noticed a spike in the number of people looking up the word “fact” after Conway’s description of false statements as “alternative facts.”

This was not Conway’s only recent gaffe. On Feb. 3, Conway claimed that the city of Bowl-

ing Green, Kentucky was the scene of a massacre carried out

by Iraqis posing as refugees.

She was appalled that the U.S. media had not covered the massacre along with other acts of terrorism. However, there was a significant reason as to why this so-called massacre was not publicized: it did not exist.

“What does it mean when

Photo: Jennifer Smith

After escaping the Taliban, walking for 10 days from Afghanistan to Pakistan and later fleeing Pakistan and walking for many months to Iran and then Azerbaijan, Sajat Rabbani finally arrived in the United States at the age of eight. Sajat and his family endured unimaginable hardships on their journey, even being held up at gunpoint at the Azerbaijan border and forced to give up all their money.

Life as a refugee walking hundreds of miles in search of a safer, more stable life is another world from life at Pace Academy. However, the Pace alumnus and Afghan refugee from the Class of 2013 is no stranger to this extreme transition.

Sajat and his family "lived in Azerbaijan for a year and a half, waiting for [their] chance to make it to America," he said.

They submitted an application to immigrate to the United States, and "after a year of waiting and praying, the government provided the Rabbanis with visas and tickets," according to James Rushton ‘12 in his story in the Nov. 5, 2010 issue of The Knightly News.

More recently, according to Sajat, some of his distant family members have been trying to come to the United States, but immigrating to another country requires many years of vetting

and applications. “You must have a genuine case for seeking asylum,” said Sajat. “Anyone who wants to come to the United States needs to apply for a visa and this usually is rejected.”

Because some of his family members were unable to come to the United States, many had to immigrate to either Germany or England. These family members have had to wait months and even years to get approved to live in these countries.

“Global events have a huge impact on immigration as well,” said Sajat. “My family and I were in Iran when 9/11 occurred, and our application for asylum was delayed for a couple of years because of it. We had to go through many more steps to get approval to come to the United States.”

Stories of immigrants in the United States vary. “It depends on the culture and values of the people that come,” said Sajat.

“Of course, a certain amount of difficulty is to be expected.

Anyone who has ever moved to another country whose culture, language and religion were different could tell you of difficulties they faced. This is a common thing people all over the world experience.”

After attending both Indian Creek Elementary School and the International Community School in metro Atlanta, Sajat found his fit at Pace Academy in the seventh grade. “Pace life was helped by the fact that we were all students,” said Sajat.

“We all had the same homework

Sajat played on the varsity soccer team while an upper school student at Pace.

Don’t Trust Everything You Read, Hear Alexis Wilkins

Co-Editor-in-Chief Class of 2017

In his first month in office, President Donald Trump signed 12 executive orders, almost all of which have created some sort of controversy. These orders are not the only subjects of dispute, however, as Trump’s counselor Kellyanne Conway brought a

(Continued on Page 4)

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Pace News

March 3, 2017

The Knightly News - Page 2

Peoplestown Academy Launches Eden Kerker Staff Writer Class of 2019

Photo: Sophia Porson

Many Pace students are familiar with the summer program Keeping Pace, but Pace has now extended this program throughout the school year in partnership with the community of Peoplestown and the Rick McDevitt Youth Center. During the summer, kids from partnering neighborhoods attend classes at Pace, including Fitness and Wellness, Experimenting with Science, and individual math tutoring, along with many more.

“Keeping Pace has allowed me to interact with a group of children that experience a different life than me,” said senior McKenzie Baker. “However, many times I realized that we had a lot in common. This camp led me to grow into a better person and put others before myself.”

On January 10, Pace’s partnership with the Rick McDevitt Youth Center and the neighborhood of Peoplestown grew with the launching of Peoplestown Academy. “This new program was created to get the kids to come and focus on academic

work, continuing their involvement through the school year,” said program director and middle school debate teacher and coach Edward Williams. “It is an important initiative for Pace, in the sense that we need to be involved in the community.”

From 4 - 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, Pace upper school students and teachers shuttle down to the Rick McDevitt Youth Center to help with the tutoring program.

Peoplestown is a predominately low income community south of Turner stadium with about 25 kids in the tutoring program.

The kids range from grades 5-12, and as Pace teachers help the older kids, students are paired with middle schoolers to help them with math and reading. The current goal is to get a 1:2 tutor-student ratio.

“This program is a great opportunity to give back to the community,” said senior Max Irvine. “It’s a very different experience that people should be exposed to [in terms of] the area you’re in and the people you’re with. It’s just fun and different.”

For the past several weeks Max has been tutoring an eighth grader named Travis. “He could hardly read and couldn’t do basic multiplication and addition,” said

Freshman Sydney Thomas (L) goes weekly to Peoplestown to tutor middle schoolers.

Max. “Since I’ve started tutoring him, he has improved a lot. Now he is able to add fractions and he frequently reads to me.”

Some frequent student volunteers include seniors Alexis Benson and Ross Cefalu along with Max; juniors Sarah Davey, Sam Delman, Realus George, Sydney Muse, Ibum Obu, Sophia Porson and Jamaree Salyer; and freshmen Jason Rosenbloum and Sydney Thomas. Teachers

include Kacy Brubaker, Ricks Carson, Christina Snyder, Lee Wilson and Director of Service Learning Zeena Lattouf.

“As Pace students, everyone is very lucky to receive the education and support Pace offers, but with great knowledge comes great responsibility,” said Ms. Lattouf. “It’s in our power to now spread our knowledge to those who are less privileged.”

Ms. Lattouf also argues

that the relationships made through the program within the Pace community are priceless.

Ms. Lattouf says that she has been able to really get to know students and that people should invest the time, whether it’s three hours, three times a week or even just once a week.

“The return from the three hours of work is way more than the time you invested,” said Mr. Williams.

While reviewing the videos, Dr. Capper and the other teaching coaches (Spanish teacher and junior dean Allison Riley and Academic Resource Center Director Michael Callahan) focus on certain behaviors that matter for positive student outcomes.

“It’s divided into the emotional support that the teacher provides, how a teacher organizes their classroom or what sort of instructional strategy or support they provide,” said Dr. Capper.

Throughout this process, the coaches highlight the techniques that seem to work for the students. “Starting with a positive climate is the most important thing,” said Dr. Capper. “You have to build trust between the teachers and students. Students have to know that their teachers care about them and their success.”

It is important for the students to get a new perspective if they don’t understand the material, even from another student. “Sometimes a teacher can explain something, but it’s not until another student explains it that they understand the material,” said Dr. Capper.

“Teachers need to allow time for that.” Teachers additionally need to challenge the students to think deeper. “They allow the students to think on a higher level or they apply what they already know to a new situation,” she said.

Dr. Capper has seen growth with both the Pace teachers and students. “When I talk to the teachers, they say they believe their students are more engaged in intellectual conversations,”

said Dr. Capper. “Since teachers are allowing them to talk more, students can wrestle through some things they don’t understand.”

My Teaching Partner Benefits Teachers, Students Alike Abby Meyerowitz Staff Writer Class of 2019

Photo: Abby Meyerowitz

Adjusting the video camera at the side of the classroom, chemistry and psychology teacher Stephanie Harrell records her classes in order to improve her teaching techniques. “The reason that we film our classes is so that we have exact instances to reflect on how things went in the class,” said Ms. Harrell. “At the time, you may not realize what’s happening and you might perceive it one way, but then you have concrete evidence of what happened in class and you can go back and discuss it.”

Pace participates in a program called My Teaching Partner (originating at The University of Virginia), which helps teachers improve their teaching skills to further enhance students’ educations. Led by Director of Professional Development Marla Read Capper, participating Pace teachers record their classes once a month and review them later to reflect on studentteacher interactions and improve their strategies.

In addition to Ms. Harrell, history teacher Dr. Christine Carter, Latin teacher Elizabeth Kann and English teacher Emily Washburn have all been involved

in My Teaching Partner for the past two years. Participating for their first year are photography and sculpture teacher France Dorman, science teacher Julie Hall and Dean of Students and math teacher Gus Whyte.

“The program is set up where there is a coach and a teacher who work together,” said Dr. Capper. “The teachers set goals about becoming a better teacher, so they record their classrooms, allowing the coach to pick out moments that they think meet the teacher’s goals. Then, they reflect on it together through an online platform.”

Recording the classes helps the teachers observe what techniques are effective based on students’ responses. “It’s almost like game film for an athlete,” said Dr. Capper. “You’re looking at what’s happening and the video does not lie. When you’re watching the video, you see that what you’re doing may be a little different from what you think you’re doing.”

Ms. Harrell has personally experienced how beneficial it is to film her classes. “A big part of it is having the video to go back and reflect on,” said Ms. Harrell.

“It makes me really aware of how different activities or different ways of wording things actually activates students to engage more readily, so I can really tell when students were interested.”

Ms. Harrell prepares her camera to record her classes.

Pace News

Vol. 42, Issue #6

The Knightly News - Page 3

Five Minutes with Kylie Blank Landon Goldstein Co-Editor-in-Chief Class of 2017

KN: Do you prefer your house here or there?

KB: I prefer my house there but I don’t think I could live there year ‘round. I want to when I’m older, though. I want to run the ranch. It’s a really big part of me.

Besides theater it’s what I want to do.

KN: OK, let’s talk about your acting. How did you get into it?

KB: Since I was a little girl I used to go see shows at the Fox, and when I was 12, “Annie” was playing there. They had a flyer in the playbill about an open audition, so I went and it was kind of luck that I got it that first time. But it’s like one of those things where you’re in once you’re in. So I got in then and absolutely loved it and never looked back from there.

KN: What was your role?

KB: I’m gonna say Duffy, one of the orphans. Yeah, it was Duffy.

I’ve done “Annie” three times and been Duffy twice.

KN: What other shows have you been in?

KB: I’ve done 11 since seventh grade, but not all performing.

Two of those were production, though.

KN: So what did you do?

KB: I was assistant stage manager, but I’m assistant producing the next show.

KN: Which do you like better, acting or being behind the scenes?

KB: I like singing the best. But when there is a show without singing or parts for someone my age I try and produce it and work on the other side.

KN: Where do you work?

KB: I worked at the Fox until I was in eighth grade, but Theater of the Stars, which is the company that put on the shows there, the owner retired, so

Photo: Morgan Pearson

Knightly News: Hi Kylie, tell me about the Super Bowl. How was it?

Kylie Blank: It was really hard for my dad and us. We all cried.

But he’s really optimistic about the next few seasons because they’re such a young team. He sees a really bright future. He just wants to make sure the fans don’t lose hope and give up because we’re just starting to gain momentum and it’s really important going into the new stadium.

He was just disappointed for Atlanta. We should have won.

KN: Tell me about your family. I know you have a lot of siblings.

KB: I have two full blood siblings, Max and Josh, and then three half-blood siblings from my dad’s first marriage, three step-siblings on my dad’s side and one on my mom’s side.

KN: So your twin brother Max goes to Woodward?

KB: Yeah, he switched from Pace in seventh grade.

KN: Are y’all still close, though?

KB: We’re pretty close, but like opposites. He’s super quiet. And he plays basketball.

KN: Are you closer with him or with Josh?

KB: I’m super close with Josh. I love Josh, he’s so funny.

KN: He’s at Elon right now?

KB: Yeah, he loves it. He’s playing soccer up there.

KN: I heard you guys have a house in Montana.

KB: Yeah, I spend all my summers out there. It’s a guest ranch so it’s open to the public. We horseback ride, hike and a lot more. I love it there.

KN: You mean it’s open to the public?

KB: We’ve got 25 guest cabins

on site and a main lodge. Families can rent it out for a week or so.

(L-R) Junior Virginia Hall and sophomore Kylie Blank hold hands while on horseback in Montana. they stopped doing shows. We switched over to the Cobb Energy Center. Like, our primary group of girls. Now I’m with the Atlanta Lyric Theater so I do my shows between the Cobb Energy Center and the Cobb Civic Center.

KN: What’s been your favorite show?

KB: I did “The King and I” at the Fox in seventh grade and that has always been one of my favorite shows. I love that show.

KB: The stage manager is in charge of scheduling everything, making sure props are bought, costume measurements, making sure everyone is on time, handing out scripts, taking line notes, coordinating with the set company, writing down all the block and transposing it for lighting.

KN: Wow. That’s a lot of responsibility.

KB: Yeah, it takes up a lot of

time. Rehearsals are really long.

KN: Is it hard to balance all of this and your school work?

KB: Yeah, it’s been really hard.

There have been times where I thought I couldn’t do it, and it’s always been a struggle since I was little. But I’m going to go to college for the arts, so it would be a really bad idea to stop now. I love it, so it’s worth the sacrifice.

KN: What is your daily schedule like?

KB: I normally leave school, do some of my homework, eat dinner, and I leave my house around 5:30. I get to rehearsal around 6 and I’m there until 11.

KN: Every day?

KB: Yeah, 6 to 11 Mondays through Thursdays. Fridays are our days off. Saturdays are 10 to 10 and then Sundays are either 10 to 10 or 3 to 11.

KN: That’s so much work.

KB: I know. I literally don’t have time off. And when I do, I really try and focus on getting caught up on sleep and school. I don’t really want to do anything else when I’m not rehearsing.

KN: Do you ever see your friends?

KB: Fridays I try to a lot. The first half of the school year I really didn’t see my friends at all. I don’t start rehearsals for my next show until April 14 so I’ve got a good period of time. This time I’ll spend with my friends, but it was definitely really hard not being able to go out with any of my friends.

KN: What have you worked on so far this year?

KB: My last show was “Peter Pan,” which I finished going into winter break. I just had a few cabarets here and there but I don’t start rehearsals for “Jesus Christ Superstar” until April.

Teachers Have Lives, Too Eden Kerker Staff Writer Class of 2019

Photo: Eden Kerker

Ever wonder if teachers have a life outside of school? Well, contrary to popular belief, they do. Instead of sitting in front of stacks of papers and tests every weekend, they actually enjoy regular hobbies just like their students. Would you ever guess that geometry teacher Jewell Marable plays the flute in her spare time or that Woodruff Library Director Matt Ball enjoys knitting? Spanish teacher Laura Agront-Hobbs is a new fan of kickboxing and Student Affairs Director Beth Culp has been quilting and sewing for years.

When she was a fifth grader, Ms. Marable’s parents rented her first flute. When forced to pick up an instrument as children, many of us drop the hobby, but

Ms. Marable has always loved it and said she had a natural talent for it. “I love classical music and it’s a beautiful instrument,” she said. Ms. Marable believes that since the flute is not as common as some of the other instruments, people may not appreciate how precious the flute really is. “It’s a talent I don’t want to lose, so at least once a week I pick it up and start playing,” she said.

In Mr. Ball’s leisure time, he not only does something he enjoys, but something that benefits others as well. About five years ago, he picked up some yarn and needles and began knitting hats and scarves. “I initially started this hobby because I wanted to do something with my hands while watching soccer,” said Mr. Ball. Every day he picks up his projects and knits when he gets home from school. He then donates all scarves to various homeless organizations. “It’s a hobby that is fun and helpful,”

Mr. Ball displays some of the scarves he knitted to donate to others. said Mr. Ball.

As a former Olympic athlete, Sra. Agront-Hobbs has always loved working out. The newest addition to her routine is

kickboxing. About two years ago, Sra. Agront-Hobbs decided to join her husband in this fun workout. “It’s just something different,” she said. “I just hate

running, so it’s my substitution for cardio.” According to Sra. Agront-Hobbs, she goes to the gym to “get her frustration out” about twice a week.

Mrs. Culp has enjoyed sewing ever since she was young.

“I started as a child because my grandma did alterations and had me do simple tasks around the house,” she said. “I started off dressing my dolls and have loved it ever since.” About 25 years ago she began quilting, and she has received numerous awards and other recognition for her work.

She now needlepoints for her church. She said she loves handwork and almost every day she quilts. “Handwork is a dying art and that’s really saddening,” said Mrs. Culp. “I’m hoping it makes a comeback. If you enjoy a hobby, stick with it. Whether it’s playing an instrument, painting or singing, don’t let your talents and hobbies die out.”

Pace News

March 3, 2017

The Knightly News - Page 4

Awards Process Aims for Fairness Sarah Kitchen Online Editor Class of 2017

Photo: Caitlin Jones

Why do all of the awards seem to go to the same group of kids? Many students wonder this when awards season arrives each year. Various assemblies are spread throughout the spring calendar, from National Honors Society and Orkin-Cum Laude to Activities and Honors Days, recognizing upper schoolers for their accomplishments.

With so many assemblies and a diverse range of student achievements, a considerable number of students should ideally receive recognition, but many claim that awards only commend a small fraction of the student body. The perception is that certain students win multiple awards over the years, while others feel unrecognized and frustrated.

In reality, the awards process is quite complex and aims to recognize as many individuals as possible. Some awards are determined by specific groups of faculty members, such as departmental awards and athletic awards, whereas others are voted on by the entire upper school faculty. Students can receive multiple awards, but not from the same group.

The main selection process begins with an online ballot created by history teacher Emily Stevens, that teachers are “strongly urged to participate in.” The lists for each award contain all students who are eligible for earning the awards, as some of these awards have GPA requirements. Students who have been given a guilty verdict by the Honor Council are not eligible for any award within that academic year.

The online ballot involves approval voting, “which means that you vote for every student that fits the award,” said Ms. Stevens. After the results from online voting are analyzed, the faculty meets to match nominated students with the available awards. “It never goes straight from the [online] ballot to the

slate of who we’re giving awards to immediately,” said Ms. Stevens.

At this meeting, teachers speak on behalf of the top candidates, often sharing why they think a certain student deserves to be recognized. Teachers involved in voting may only know a fraction of the students being nominated, so by advocating for worthy recipients, all of the faculty can vote for individuals that they feel best deserve the award.

Faculty are urged to only share positive traits of the nominees. This component of the process used to be “divisive and acrimonious,” according to Ms. Stevens, but has evolved to steer away from negative stories about students and stay constructive.

Faculty voting leads to a rough slate of awards recipients after these notoriously long meetings, which often run between two and three hours.

These lengthy meetings are followed by shorter meetings that summarize the slate for faculty who were not able to attend the duration of the meeting or who could not attend at all. After the whole faculty approves the award recipients, Head of School Fred Assaf has a final say in the process.

At its core, the awards system seeks to identify who stands out, and recognize them.

But how many awards should Pace have? Many categories have been added, but university “book awards” and memorial awards established by families are out of the faculty’s control.

Pace has many talented students deserving of recognition, but the administration can only highlight a portion of them.

This may be considered unfair, but if everyone who was above a certain benchmark, say a certain GPA, were to receive an award, there would be too many awards to give out. Additionally, the faculty has decided to make certain awards societies, like Orkin, Cum Laude and National Honors Society, so that more students can win these awards.

Once a student has been inducted into a society, they will stay in it for the rest of their years in the Upper School, but

(L-R) Juniors Jamaree Salyer and Canon Lynch pose with their dean Ms. Riley after receiving the Courage to Strive award last year as sophomores. they are only recognized once.

A gender parity has also been created to help increase the numbers of recipients, so that one boy and one girl will each be recognized rather than just one of them.

The senior class learned recently that the graduation ceremony garb would be altered for their class. All students will now wear bibs with their graduation gowns. Bibs with a different cording on them will be worn by students who are in the top 20% of the class, rather than the old policy where students with a GPA of 90 or higher wore sashes. If this policy had not been changed, up to 80% of the seniors could have qualified, which would have only distinguished the students without sashes.

It can certainly prove frustrating to believe that you or a classmate deserves an award and then watch the top students in your class get multiple awards while you or your classmate receive none. Awards are particularly desirable to list on a college

application, and the number of awards offered significantly increases from sophomore to junior year. Most recipients are already at the top of the class and thus have their GPAs to help them, while the students who may need an award to level out their academic performance have lower GPAs and thus may not qualify for these awards.

This does not mean that students are doomed if they aren’t in the highest percentiles, though. There are still character, service, friendship, athletic and activity-related awards. Ms. Stevens adds that students are welcomed to suggest their ideas to make the process as inclusive as possible.

There appears to be no way to revamp our awards system and make it 100% fair, but the faculty is constantly revising the process to get as close to perfection as possible. Yes, sometimes a group of students seem to collect a disproportionate number of awards, but the faculty is still rooting for all students. The teachers truly want to recognize

their students who are above and beyond. If you have ever felt excluded by the awards system, here are a few things to keep in mind: While awards may complement a college application nicely, they certainly won’t make or break your acceptance.

Excluding athletic and GPArelated awards, the other honors do not have a specific target group of people. There is no list for the top five or so students that will determine who wins the Courage to Strive for Excellence Award, character awards, or subject-specific awards. Showing improvement, development over time, genuine interest or contributing to the class are large factors that determine who will receive these awards.

Don’t do good things expecting to be awarded. Instead, do good things because you want to, and if your passion is sincere, awards are likely to follow.

Don’t try to keep a 97 average in history for an award, but instead, because you want to push yourself.

[Donald Trump] says words?” asked CNN reporter Zacary Wolf. Over the past month, Trump has frequently tweeted about how The New York Times, ABC, CBS and CNN are creating “fake news.” He even declared that these media institutions are “the enemy of the American people” through his Twitter account on Feb. 17 and again at CPAC last week. But while he declares that American news sources are feeding people lies, he and his advisors are declaring alternative facts right and left.

So, how do we know what is actually real and what is fake? The best thing to do is

fact check. PolitiFact.com is an independent, non-partisan fact-checking website created to “sort out the truth in American politics,” according to the organization. The site is easily searchable by person and by topic and includes scorecards for individuals. Currently, PolitiFact rates 69% of statements made

by President Trump as “Mostly False, False or Pants on Fire.”

In a perfect world, everyone would have some degree of media literacy. But based on a recent study released by Stanford University, most people do not. Beyond fact-checking, people can check the domain and URL of websites, pay-

ing particular attention to sites with URLs ending with .com. co, which may not be legitimate.

Read the “About Us” section of websites, look at quotes in news stories, including who said them and what legitimate experts may be missing from the story, and check the comments.

Many online news outlets, such as The Onion, exist to satirize current events. However, some people share stories from these sites after interpreting them literally. If you see someone doing this, save them the embarrassment and tell them what they’ve shared is not real.

Everyone has to do their part to fix the fake news problem.

Don’t Trust Everything (Continued from Page 1)

Photo: Alexis Wilkins (L-R) Seniors Alex Ross and Jake Movsovitz debate politics in the Seaman Family Student Commons during a free period.

Opinion

Vol. 42, Issue #6

The Knightly News

966 West Paces Ferry Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 (404) 262-1345 Knightlynews@paceacademy.org Published by students at Pace Academy Member of Georgia Scholastic Press Association Co-Editors in Chief: Landon Goldstein Alexis Wilkins Managing Editor: Jonathan Rushton Lifestyle Editor: Sloan Wyatt Opinion Editor: Amy Butler Sports Editor: Michael Simon Online Editor: Sarah Kitchen

Social Media Editor: Margaret Bethel Staff Writers: Graham Hurley Sydnie Jiang George Shepherd Anna Stone Eden Kerker Abby Meyerowitz Genna Schwarz Faculty Adviser: Ms. Lee Wilson Tech Adviser: Mr. Matt Walker

The Knightly News Editorial Policy 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.

Community Coaches Lend Needed Expertise Jonathan Rushton Managing Editor Class of 2018

Although Pace requires a faculty member to be the head coach for every varsity team, almost all varsity teams need additional expertise, such as girls soccer, football and both lacrosse teams. This expertise is provided by a community coach, someone from outside of Pace who is hired just to coach a team, and almost every studentathlete at Pace Academy knows the impact they can have. But some have questioned whether all community coaches’ impact has been positive.

Pace has a reputation of hiring coaches in order to bring the most elite knowledge-base and experience to each and every team. Whether it’s new track and field coach Terrence Trammell (former Team USA Olympic athlete) or Randy Staats (assistant boys lacrosse coach and former All-American Honorable Mention and standout at Syracuse University), the coaching staff at Pace is loaded.

With hires like these, the community coach program at Pace can only be positive for the athletes and head coaches. These coaches bring sports prowess that would otherwise be hard to find with just everyday faculty members.

Community coaches bring experience, such as playing

in front of 92,000 people at University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium (varsity football WR coach Terrence Edwards), that can be used to help student-athletes deal with nerves before big games and high-level competition. The in-depth knowledge these coaches possess, coupled with their experience, help out every day during practice, in the weight room and in important games.

One of the biggest criticisms of these community coaches is how tough they can be on the athletes. Frankly, if someone can’t deal with a little bit of extra running or some tough love, they shouldn’t be competing at the highest athletic level at Pace. At the beginning of every season, each Pace team has the same goal, winning a state championship in their respective sport,

along with other goals designated by the coaches and captains.

In order to achieve these goals, every team member has to sacrifice, and most community coaches know the level of sacrifice needed to be champions at the highest level. Therefore, if someone isn’t ready to endure these additional challenges, they shouldn’t be competing at the varsity level.

The community coaches at Pace only bring positive results for the athlete, because they deepen each athlete’s knowledge of the sport and prepare the team for the challenging road that each season brings. Without community coaches, Pace Athletics would lack the additional expertise that continues to pave the way for multiple region and state championships.

Photo: Fred Assaf

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

The Knightly News - Page 5

Coach Terrence Edwards provides comprehensive expertise for the varsity football team.

From the Department of Patriotism Miles Hsu

Guest Contributor Class of 2017

Lifestyle

March 3, 2017

The Knightly News - Page 6

W. Paces Fare Riddled with Calories

calories.

Another preferred fast food chain around the shopping center is McDonald's. One of the most popular meals at McDonald's is the Big Mac. The Big Mac meal can contain up to 1170 calories, including french fries and a drink. However, the Big Mac is not the item on the menu that has the most calories. The Double Quarter Pounder meal with

cheese contains 1370 calories.

The 10-piece Chicken McNuggets meal contains up to 1090 calories, and the Southern Style Chicken Sandwich meal contains 1040 calories.

Steak 'n Shake, another go-to restaurant in the area, also serves calorie-laden meals.

A Double Steakburger, one of the most popular items on the menu, contains 390 calories.

With regular fries, that value shoots up to 830 calories. Steak 'n Shake is also known for their milkshakes. A large chocolate milkshake contains 950 calories, and ordering that with your meal would push the order well above 1500 calories. A single Frisco Melt contains 750 calories, and the Frito's Chili Cheese Double Steakburger contains 1060 calories, fries and a drink not

included.

These restaurants do have healthier options, yet they still contain mountains of calories.

The grilled Chick-fil-A nuggets meal contains up to 800 calories and a simple Grilled Chicken Sandwich meal can contain up to 900 calories. Even a Chicken Salad Sandwich meal on whole wheat bread can contain up to 1090 calories. Similarly, the salads at Chick-fil-A contain up to 510 calories.

The salads at McDonald's make for a slightly healthier choice, containing about 450 calories. The smallest salad at Steak 'n Shake contains 45 calories, but all the rest of the salads offered contain more than 270 calories, and some contain more than 450 calories.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, on average, moderately active women should consume about 2000 calories per day, while moderately active men should consume about 2800 calories. That being said, one meal at Chick-fil-A, McDonald's or Steak 'n Shake could easily account for more than half of one's daily recommended calorie intake.

today and is currently priced at $299.99.

New Microsoft Surface Pro – The Microsoft Surface Pro is approaching a release in the spring. The laptop will come with a stylus, which is great, considering most styluses have to be purchased separately these days.

VR Products – Virtual reality exploded in 2016 with the release of VR headsets like the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift. The industry is continu-

ing to push VR forward with more and more games and apps.

The VR industry is innovating and we can surely expect to see advancements in this digital community. iPhone 8 – 2017 will mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, and Apple surely has something to prove with the iPhone 8. So far, rumors have circulated about it having a full glass screen, wireless charging and facial recognition. With high expectations to meet, Apple can

continue its reign of dominating the smartphone industry with the iPhone 8.

New iMac – There have also been a lot of rumors about Apple releasing a new iMac. This will be the first iMac since 2014. It is speculated to have VR support, a very strong processor, updated storage and a 27 inch 4k HD monitor. Apple desktop computers have been outclassed by Microsoft and Dell for the past two years. With this iMac, Apple is striving to become the desktop

leader of the industry.

Google Watch – Google is stepping into the realm of electronic watches with the release of the Android Wear line of smartwatches. These watches are special since multiple manufacturers like LG and even Michael Kors are making them.

These watches can look stylish while having the functionality of a smartwatch. However, the prices for these watches are not cheap. Each watch costs $350 or more.

Michael Simon Sports Editor Class of 2018

Photo: Michael Simon

It's 11 a.m. and you just finished your exam. What do you do? Of course, you go with your friends to get food at the West Paces Ferry shopping center. The fast food restaurants surrounding the center are quite popular among Pace students, but some of these restaurants are very unhealthy. Although tasty, the food served is usually fried, greasy and has tons of calories.

Perhaps the most popular fast food chain in the area is Chickfil-A. Famous for its chicken, this establishment offers a variety of entrees from chicken sandwiches to biscuits. All of these meals are well-known for being delicious, but people often overlook the overall unhealthiness of most of the options.

A classic Chick-fil-A sandwich meal can include 1040 calories or more depending on the drink. Likewise, the 8-count and 12-count Chick-fil-A nuggets meals contain up to 1000 calories. The 4-count Chickn-Strips meal has up to 1070

Junior Isaiah Kelly orders two Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches and a small chocolate milkshake, his usual order, which consists of 1430 calories.

Six Tech Products to Look for in 2017 Graham Hurley Staff Writer Class of 2018

Nintendo Switch – Nintendo’s last console, the Wii-U, was a huge bust, but the Nintendo Switch is hoping to see more success with clever ideas.

The charm of the Switch is that it can be used as a home console as well as a portable console.

The Nintendo Switch launches

Students Share Spring Break Plans

Landon Goldstein Co-Editor-in-Chief Class of 2017

Photos: Landon Goldstein

(L-R) Senior Josh Simons, freshman Insha Merchant, sophomore Tase Karamanolis and freshman Nikki Rubin reveal their spring break plans.

Sports

Vol. 42, Issue #6

The Knightly News - Page 7

Ty Johnson ‘Lifts Up’ the Weight Room Margaret Bethel Staff Writer Class of 2019

Photo: Mayhem Football

Calling all athletes and fitness fanatics to join in welcoming Coach Ty to the weight room team. This welcome is belated, as Coach Tykesia Johnson joined the Pace staff at the start of the 2016 school year. Working alongside coaches Clement Rouviere and Sekou Walton, Coach Ty brings the first official female presence into the Iron Knights’ arena.

“Coach Ty has been a great and much needed addition to the weight room,” said Coach Clement. “She brings a lot of positive energy and has been a great role model for our athletes.”

“I was born in Las Vegas where my dad was stationed in the Air Force, and we then moved to Greensboro, North Carolina,” said Ty. In North Carolina she attended Northeast Guilford High School and the University of North Carolina at

Coach Ty tears up the field in one of her Mayhem games.

Charlotte for college. After she graduated, she moved to Atlanta in 2014 and began her fitness career.

Along with working as an assistant strength and conditioning coach in the Pace weight room, Ty is also a coach at Blueprint

Combine Fitness Center and a coach at the Forum Athletic Club in Buckhead. Exhibiting her athletic prowess, she

also plays semi-pro football for the Mayhem 8-woman contact women’s league.

The Mayhem motto is “Play football; Have fun!” as established by the founder, Cedrick Walker in 2014. Coach Ty is number 43 for the Mayhem, and plays a variety of positions. “My positions include running back and defensive end, as well as wide receiver when my coach forces me to,” said Ty. When Coach Ty is not training student athletes or pushing clients in the gym, she can be found playing with her LabGerman Shepherd mix Pablo, watching movies and listening to old school music. Nevertheless, her passions are playing football and working hard.

“My special talents would be footwork, being able to do different flips and making pancakes,” said Ty. So whether a student needs some fitness conditioning or a hot stack of pancakes, Coach Ty Johnson is ready for action.

Tennis Teams Swing into New Season Michael Simon Sports Editor Class of 2018

Photos: Fred Assaf

Setting her feet in preparation for the shot, senior Zoe Weitzner catches a glimpse of her desired destination for the ball. Zoe follows through, ripping the ball cross court, sending it flying past her opponent. A perfect winner.

Tennis, one of the more overlooked sports at Pace Academy, might be one of the most successful, after both the boys and girls varsity teams made it to the state finals match last year.

In fact, last year was the second year in a row that the boys squad made the championship match.

With the season already underway, both teams are looking to improve on last year’s finishes. “We worked really hard this off-season to make sure we are ready for this season,” said senior Ben Siegel. “We came so close these past two years, so obviously we have high expectations for this season.”

Losing only one player from last year’s team, the boys varsity team returns ten players with varsity experience, including three seniors who have played on the varsity roster since their freshmen year: Prashanth Kumar, Josh Nash and Ben. Along with these seniors, the Knights also return all three of their singles players from last year: sophomore Will Funston (1 singles), sophomore Charlie Hirsch (3 singles) and Prashanth (2 singles).

On top of the returning talent and experience, the Knights have also added three freshmen to the

Senior Zoe Weitzner competes in the state semi-final match last year.

Junior Daniel Blumen competes in the state championship last year.

roster: Rojan Jatar, Finn LaMastra and Neil Shasti. To ensure that the freshmen are prepared for matches on the varsity level, they have been playing in some JV matches. This allows them to become accustomed to playing in high school matches and to make sure they are in “playing shape.”

Along with the help of seven upperclassmen, these freshmen should be ready to succeed on the varsity level. “I’m expecting the freshmen to have a significant contribution to the team,” said head coach Neil DeRosa.

“All three of them have tourna-

to make another run deep into the state playoffs, and we believe that we have the talent to do so.”

The biggest concern for the girls team right now is replacing Nicole Shafer ‘16 at 3 singles.

Nicole played varsity all four years of high school, moving around from 1 to 3 singles. Replacing Nicole won’t be easy, but freshman Rekha Sashti seems to be the best fit early in the season. “Rekha will be stepping into our #3 singles spot which was held by Nicole last year,” said head coach Matt Marsico.

“Nicole left some big shoes to fill, but Rekha has shown that

ment experience, and they are all steady players.”

Unlike the boys team, the girls team lost four players from last year’s state runner-up team.

Nonetheless, there are still seven players returning to their lineup, including three seniors: Alyse Greenbaum, Zoe Weitzner and Sophie Zelony. The girls are returning their top two players from last year’s roster: Zoe and sophomore Avi Arora.

Their roster features eight very talented and capable players. “We have a lot of talented players who can play doubles and singles,” said Avi. “We want

she has the talent to do it.”

Another factor to keep in mind with this year’s tennis season is that the Knights have moved up a class in GHSA. This may seem insignificant, but the move to AAA means that the Knights are now in the same class as Westminster, a high school tennis powerhouse, and other very talented schools.

“We don’t have much familiarity with the teams in AAA, so there are still some unknowns ahead,” said Coach Marsico. “I am confident, though, that if we control what we can on our end, we will be prepared.”

March 3, 2017

Sports

The Knightly News - Page 8

Olympian Coaches Track and Field Sydnie Jiang Staff Writer Class of 2018

Photo: wikimedia.org

The Olympic Games and the chance to represent one’s country at the most elite stage of competition are a dream come true for any athlete. This dream became a reality for Pace’s newest addition to the track and field coaching staff, Terrence Trammell.

Coach Trammell is an Atlanta-born Olympian who placed second in the 110-meter hurdles event during the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.

He also placed second in three International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships for the same event in 2003, 2007 and 2009. Coach Trammell reached the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008, but he had to pull out of his event due to a hamstring injury in the preliminary rounds.

Coach Trammell graduated from Southwest Dekalb High School in Atlanta and was named the 1997 Track and Field News Male High School Athlete of the Year during his

(L-R) Terrence Trammell and David Payne celebrate after placing second and third, respectively, in the 110m hurdle race in the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin. spite his young age. “My favorite was the 2004 Olympics in Athens,” said Coach Trammell. “The atmosphere was just electric.”

This electric atmosphere contained approximately 103,000 people and millions of television viewers around the world. It was at those Olympic games that Coach Trammell realized exactly what his goal was and how he was actually living it.

Track runners usually compete in the World Championships and the Olympics; the difference is that the World Championships are every other year while the Olympics are every four years.

“There are more chances to become a World Champion than an Olympic gold-medalist,” said Coach Trammell. “So I would say everything in between the Olympics is just a build-up to the

Although their first meet is not until March 15 at home against Ola High School, the team is already working hard.

Even at such an early point in the season, it has proved to be strenuous, with daily practices including running, conditioning and polishing the team’s skills in two of four events. Practices are five days a week, with an optional one on Sunday, which means that the team works hard all week long and the gymnasts are really dedicated to their sport. However, these difficult practices pay off as the team shows improvement from the start of the season to the end.

The team is off to a promising start with seniors Emma Downey, Molly Jacoby and Katy coming back for their last season. Although there is not a formal captain, all of the seniors have taken a role of leadership on the team and are always

willing to help out their younger teammates.

Some of the new faces for this year are freshmen Alexa Levine and Hayden Sample, who are already stepping up and showing off their skills. “Even though this is my first year participating in gymnastics at Pace, I already feel well assimilated with the team,” said Alexa.

“I think the team balances each other well because we all know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.” Hayden will compete as an All-Around, someone who participates in every event, while Alexa will compete as a specialist in a certain skill.

Coach Steve Cunningham is returning for his 36th year coaching gymnastics with big hopes for this year’s team. His goal for the team is for the girls to score 95 points or higher this season. “I really like how Coach Cunningham has been my coach for gymnastics since middle school,” said Hannah. “He has taught me so much and I have definitely improved throughout the years.”

Although gymnasts compete individually and gymnastics is not typically seen as a team sport, Coach Cunningham is very focused on the team aspect and what the girls can accomplish together. “I enjoy the closeness of the team. They work hard and are very supportive of each other,” he said. “I enjoy watching the girls light up with excitement when they or their teammate learns a new skill.”

Opinion Editor Class of 2018

Placing her grips delicately on her hands and covering them in white chalk, senior Katy Leitz prepares for her bar routine. Anticipating her liftoff, she eyes her target and takes a deep breath.

She runs and grasps the bars, gliding through the air as she circles the bars and hops from one to the other.

Gymnastics season has arrived, which means that gymnasts from all grades will push themselves to test not only their strength and balance but their mental limits as well. “Gymnastics is not only a physical sport,” said junior Hannah Schrager.

“What a lot of people don’t realize is that there is a big mental aspect to it.”

Senior Wendell Carter, Jr. poses after winning tournament MVP.

Photo: Pacesetter Coach Cunningham gives the team a pep talk before the start of a meet last year.

Photo: Fred Assaf

senior year. In the same year, he tied the national record for the 60-meter hurdles during the Georgia state championship.

He attended the University of South Carolina for track, where he became a six-time NCAA champion.

Coach Trammell made his first Olympic team at the age of 21, bringing home the silver medal in Sydney, Australia de-

Gymnastics Leaps into Another Season Amy Butler

games.”

Coach Trammell is no doubt a phenomenal athlete, but he’s also an exceptional coach to the short-distance runners on the Pace track team. “He is really hardcore and he has a strict regimen, but it’s because he wants us to be our best,” said junior Cameron Perchik. Coach Trammell also runs with the track runners from time to time to show specific techniques.

Coach Trammell is not only a retired athlete and a coach, but also a fashion designer. He designed the uniforms for the Guinea women’s track team in the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

“My mom used to make some of my uniforms when I was growing up,” he said. “And I think that’s how I got the affinity for athletic apparel.”

Coach Trammell continued to compete internationally after Beijing, placing second in the 60 meter hurdles at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Dohar, Qatar in 2010 before retiring. He now spends his time with TRAMMELL Athletics, a company he owns that trains young student-athletes who want to compete in college for any sport.

Boys, Girls Basketball Region Champs, Runners-up Michael Simon Sports Editor Class of 2018

The boys varsity basketball team won the region tournament for the 3rd time in a row and first time in 3A. The team defeated Redan 69-46 and Lovett 54-50 to advance to the championship game, where they faced a tough Cedar Grove team that had defeated the Knights earlier in the season.

Down by 4 points at the half, the Knights rallied in the second

half to pull out a 64-54 win.

Senior Wendell Carter, Jr. earned the title of Tournament MVP, while senior Barrett Baker and junior Isaiah Kelly were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The girls varsity team earned the title of region runners-up after falling to the Redan Raiders in the championship game.

The Lady Knights defeated Westminster 47-38 and Cedar Grove 47-44 on their way to the matchup with Redan. Senior Julia Ross and sophomore Joelle Zelony were named to the AllTournament Team.