Vol. 52, Issue #1
The
September 25, 2026
Knightly News
p. 2 New Babysitting Website
p. 3 New Faculty Join the Pace Community
p.7 Honoring Two Female Icons
Photo: Pngtree Photo: Fred Assaf
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Pace News
Vol. 52, Issue #1
The Knightly News - Page 2
Pace Launches New Babysitting Website The Knightly News
Co-Editors-in-Chief: Campbell Hanna Stiles Pilcher Managing Editor: Molly Luber
Photo: Fred Assaf
Last spring, Pace launched a new website, KnightCare, to help Lower School families connect with Upper School students looking for babysitting or driving opportunities. Many Upper Schoolers signed up the first weekend it was available but were not aware of the hard work it took to make the website a possibility. Senior Leah Tesema partnered with Head of School, Fred Assaf, to propose and eventually create the link between the Lower School and Upper School. “I have always loved babysitting and connecting with kids in the Lower School, but meeting the kids only happened through word of mouth. This made me think there should be a more convenient way for Upper Schoolers to connect with Lower School parents and kids”, said Leah. After Leah pitched the idea to the Parents Club, Mr. Assaf got involved and saw the opportunity to practice using AI for something like building a website. “With the help of the computer guys, the program that I built securely talks to the school database and the parent and student databases to ensure everyone is a part of the community”, said Mr. Assaf. So far, kids have had great success finding after-school jobs or even summer babysitting opportunities. “It’s such a good way to find great families,” said Senior Ava Grant. “KnightCare bridges
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
A group of highschool students mentor younger kids. the gap between the two schools, making it incredibly easy for Pace families to find trusted, familiar sitters within our own community, while giving Upper Schoolers a reliable way to find jobs,” said Leah, touching on why she believes the website has had great success. “Students are eager to make some extra money, and parents are more comfortable with their Upper School student sitting for Pace families and parents are more likely to trust a Pace kid to watch their Lower Schooler because of the inherent trust in the community,” said Mr. Assaf, highlighting that the reason a
website like this works is because of the small Pace community. For the first time, Pace has an official website that can link the entire community together. “My favorite part is how it strengthens the Pace community by connecting different grade levels. It is more than just a job finder; it builds lasting relationships between Upper-School mentors and Lower-School kids, making our school feel even closer and more supportive,” said Leah. The website can help anyone interested in babysitting or even driving students to afterschool activities find jobs from trustworthy families.
The theme emphasizes the idea that every student should feel essential to the Pace community. Just as an anchor keeps something grounded and provides stability, belonging can serve as a foundation for how community members interact, listen to one another and participate in school life. For PABB, creating a sense of belonging also means ensuring the school’s actions reflect the values it promotes. Throughout the year, the board hopes to encourage students to engage with perspectives different from their own and take an active role in strengthening the Pace community. PABB has contributed to several community events in recent years, including Diwali, Hispanic Heritage Month, Belonging Week, Civic Engagement Day, Lower School Kindness Notes and the Bean Soup Project. This year, the board plans to continue and expand these efforts through initiatives such as Lower School Reads, increased exposure to cultural events and increasing PABB meetups. “I like being on PABB because it has allowed me to
think of creative ways to unite all three academic divisions to create a space for learning and inclusion. I have been able to meet students in all grades, and I am so thankful for the opportunity!” said Senior Kitty Lubin. PABB also offers students opportunities to participate without formally joining the board. Students can volunteer for Lower School Reads, help brainstorm and execute cultural
PABB Anchors in Belonging for the 2026–27 School Year
Opinion Editor: Claire Jowers Pace News Editor: Molly Luber Current Affairs Editor: Leah Tesema Lifestyle Editor: Vivian Gerber Pace News Editor: Charlie Partin Sports Editor: Henry Sukenik
Online Editor: Harper Doheny Social Media Editor: Kiel Culpepper Video Editor: Katie Wrigley Staff Writers: Rebecca Wilbert Walter Torbert Leena Desai Bodhi Venturi Amy Cho Barrett Kenna Van Albert Madeline Siskin Faculty Adviser: Mrs. Tamara Neiley Tech Adviser: Matt Walker
The Knightly News Editorial Policy
The Knightly News is the student-run newspaper of Pace Academy. For 50 years it has reported the news that affects Pace, as well as the opinions of students. The Knightly News is published by the students of Pace Academy, and approximately 500 copies are printed by School Publications Company. The Knightly News welcomes letters to the editor and
guest opinions, which may be edited for spelling and grammar, as well as space constraints. Neither Knightly News-generated opinion pieces nor guest opinions are reflective of the official policy of Pace Academy. Every effort is made to publish accurate facts, but if you recognize an error or omission, please email knightlynews@ paceacademy.org.
events or share their perspectives on upcoming community initiatives. “My favorite cultural event at Pace is the Latino Heritage Month celebration under the tent. It’s so beautiful to see our community unite and celebrate so many beautiful heritages at once,” said Senior Aznariah Bienne. To interact with PABB,
students can reach out to any board member or DEI coordinator, attend official PABB events or stop a member for a conversation around campus. Whether through volunteering, sharing an idea or participating in an event, every student has an opportunity to help make Pace a community where everyone feels seen, valued and that they belong.
Photo: PABB
This school year, several of Pace’s core student leadership programs have undergone structural changes. As PABB begins a new year, the studentled organization is focusing on strengthening its connection with the student body and creating opportunities for students across all divisions, helping to build a more inclusive community. PABB operates as a studentled extension of Pace’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) team. Because its members are students themselves, PABB’s work is rooted in the everyday student experience. The board serves as both a peer-to-peer sounding board, where students can share honest feedback and experiences and an advisory bridge that brings student perspectives to the Pace administration. This year, PABB and Pace’s DEI programming center on the theme “Anchor in Belonging.”
Web Content Editor: Madeleine Ganz
Layout Editor: Ashley Hua
Pace students interacting with Civic Engagement Day 2026.
Pace News
Vol. 52, Issue #1
The Knightly News - Page 3
Reflecting on Pace ICGL Summer Trips
Photo: Pace ICGL
This past summer, over 155 Pace Academy students across all divisions traveled the globe through Pace’s Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) program. Pace reached far and wide, visiting amazing countries like Australia, Iceland and Japan. Throughout these trips, students were able to connect with their peers and faculty in a way that they would not at school, forming bonds that have carried into the school year. “I met a lot of new people from it, and my trip forced me to connect with others that I would not have been able to meet otherwise,” added Pace Senior Cameron Sneed while reflecting on his trip to Australia. Students also focused heavily on healthy interactions with the respective cultures, being respectful travelers and participated in activities that revolved around the 2025-2026 ICGL theme of climate. In Australia, students spent 12 days traveling around the East Coast, hitting major cities such as Sydney and Brisbane, as well as small beach towns like Noosa, and even spent a day at the largest sand island in the world, K’gari. A highlight for students was visiting the
Map of Upper School ICGL tour desitinations. Great Barrier Reef, where they snorkeled with wildlife and learned more about how to interact with the unique ecosystem there. Students also heavily enjoyed visiting the famous Australian Zoo, where they watched the Wildlife Warriors show, were able to interact with kangaroos and saw many unique animals such as echidnas and quokkas. “Visiting the Australia Zoo was so much fun and the best zoo I have ever been to! I particularly enjoyed petting the kangaroos and koalas, and getting to feed
special experience for students and faculty, as it was made up of 40 seniors. Due to this large number of students, Pace split the trip into 2 groups, each participating in the same activities. Students visited Kyoto, Ena, O-Tsumago, KisoFukishima, the Kaida Plateau and Tokyo. This trip partnered with WalkJapan to hike along the Nakesendo Way and visit most of the smaller towns during the visit, providing travelers with truly splendid memories. When describing her favorite memory from the trip, one of the chaperones, 10th grade Dean and English teacher Leslie Depietro said, “It’s really hard to pick just one! I already love hiking, so the conversations we got to have while we hiked along the Nakasendo Way were really special. I was so inspired by the constant optimism of the kids and their upbeat attitudes the whole time.” The groups were able to stay in traditional Japanese inns, or ryokans and explore ancient temples, allowing them to connect deeper with classic Japanese culture. “It was the trip of a lifetime. This is my fourth ICGL trip, every one is special, but I will never forget my experience in Japan with some incredible graduated Seniors,” said Upper School History teacher Mindy Lawrence, proving this trip to be one that is truly memorable.
the kangaroos,” said Pace junior Emma Alvarez. The group finished their trip with three nights in Sydney, where they explored the city, went kayaking in the harbor, and visited Bondi Beach. The Iceland group also spent a lot of time exploring the unique environment of the country, visiting Reykjavik, Vik, Höfn, Selfoss and the Westman Islands. One of the standout activities from the trip was snorkeling in glacier water in Thingvellir. “It was sort of surreal just floating in complete
silence 300 feet above the sea floor, and it was so calming being surrounded by natural beauties in every direction you looked,” Pace sophomore Isaac Tal responded when asked about the experience. Some other trip highlights were hiking the Vatnajokull glacier, visiting a goat farm and a high-energy puffin boat tour that took students around the Westman Islands. The group wrapped up their trip by returning to Reykjavik and receiving a tour of the city. The Japan trip was truly a
New Faculty Join The Pace Community Photo: Pace Academy
Photo: Pace Academy
Photo: Pace Academy
Photo: Pace Academy
As a new school year begins and students are getting adjusted to new classrooms and routines, several teachers do the same. This year, The Pace community welcomes four new faculty members are being welcomed into the Pace community, all coming from different backgrounds and hoping to bring new perspectives and experience to the campus. Keith Newman, who has taught at Pace before, is returning from Indiana to teach AP Business Finance and AP Econ. Originally from Vinings, Newman attended Campbell High School before moving on to a career in law and education. Before returning to Pace, Newman worked as an attorney and taught at Purdue. This year is not Newman’s first year at Pace, as he previously worked at the school before leaving. When asked why he chose to return to Pace, “I miss Pace” said Mr. Newman. He is especially excited to work with the students, saying, “Pace has the ability to attract the best all-around students.” Previously working in law, he believes his experience outside the classroom will help provide different perspectives to his students. “Give yourself options”, Newman said. He hopes to provide his students with options while encouraging them to learn, saying, “Never put your head on a pillow at night without saying you’ve learned something.”
Photo of Mr. Newman.
Photo of Ms. Efird.
Photo of Mr. Goodrich.
Photo of Ms. Singleton.
Emily Efird joins Pace after working with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for the past two and a half years, where she worked in a suicide prevention clinic. Originally from Gwinnett County, Efird went to Peachtree Ridge High School and has always enjoyed working with high school-aged students. After working at Children’s, Efird was looking for a change in pace and an opportunity to work in a school environment. She said high school age was her “sweet spot” because of the balance of being able to joke around with them as well as have more serious conversations. So far, Efird has loved her transition and experience at Pace Academy and is especially looking forward to becoming a part of the Pace family and getting to know students outside of the classroom. Efird believes in looking at the “Whole kid, not just the school kid,” and hopes her previous experience will help her do that
at Pace. For Pete Goodrich, who is becoming the grade-wide dean for the ninth grade, joining Pace Academy is also a return home. Mr. Goodrich grew up in Atlanta and attended Pace from seventh through 12th grade. “I never guessed I would be back here.” Said Mr. Goodrich when asked if he ever thought he would be back at Pace. Now back on campus, his wife works at Pace as a Lower School nurse, along with his three kids, who all attend the school as well. Before his return to Pace, Mr.Goodrich spent his last 15 years at Christ Church School, a rural boarding school in Virginia. While teaching History there, he also participated in coaching soccer and basketball, along with being the department chair and grade-level dean. Before being a teacher, Mr.Goodrich attended Rhodes College in Memphis, earned his graduate degree at
William and Mary, and spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji. When asked why he decided to join the Pace community again, he answered that he missed being somewhere with the kind of “Civic Energy” that he feels at Pace. He also cherishes the kind of backgrounds represented at Pace, saying, “There are not too many schools that value diversity like Pace does.” With his experiences teaching and living abroad, Mr.Goodrich believes he has developed “a deep sense of calm and patience,” which he hopes to use when helping his students. Maria Singleton is making the transition to the Pace Upper School this year after spending the past few years teaching in Pace’s Middle School. Originally from Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Singleton grew up studying languages, including English and French, although she was not always sure that she wanted
to become a teacher. Singleton first studied law but ultimately decided not to become a lawyer. She later moved to London, where she majored in French and minored in Spanish literature and art. Her teaching career has taken her around the world, including teaching Spanish and English in Paris and French and Spanish to middle and high school students in central London. After teaching at Pace’s Middle School, Singleton wanted the opportunity to spend more time with students and build stronger relationships with them in the Upper School. When asked what made her make the transition, her answer was simple: “Because of you guys.” She hopes to pass her passion for the Spanish and French languages on to her students. Outside of school, Singleton enjoys hiking, reading, and scuba diving. She also swims twice a week and enjoys participating in triathlons.
Current Affairs
September 25, 2026
Knightly News - Page 4
Exploring Politics in Social Media
Photo: TikTok
attempting to spread information rapidly to a younger audience, political messengers have flooded to outlets like Tiktok or Instagram. Many Pace students remarked on having come across a White House Tiktok page in recent months, an account started in August 2025 after President Donald Trump took office. The page has a little over 7 million followers at this point and over 165 million likes. Both the Democratic and Republican parties majorly adopted TikTok in the last presidential election cycle and have continued its use until today. Both parties not only highlight their own successes using trends but have also begun to target the other parties failures through Social Media. The Democratic party, for example, used Charlie XCX’s ‘brat’ stardom to catapult former Vice President Kamala Harris into the young voter’s feed and therefore their ballot in 2024. Harris is in no way associated with Charlie XCX, however, through carefully calculated strategy the Democrats used ed-
Photo: TikTok
Social media is one of the most influential means of communication in modern society, especially for young adults. While this pertains to everyday communication such
as switching Messages out for Snapchat, it also means that modern campaign strategies and community messaging has switched to engaging media use. “Up to 95% of youth ages 13–17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media “almost constantly.” according to the Office of the Surgeon General. Therefore, when
Screenshot of the Republican party’s TikTok page. its and clips of speeches to make Harris seem more appealing to the young voter. Trump used a similar strategy in an opposite manner, focusing on patriotism and capitalizing on clips of his former presidency in collaboration with the Republican party to make himself seem like a reliable recipient of one’s vote. While enticing young adults into voter participation is an admirable goal, the use of social
media has further devolved cordial politics. Not only has it allowed for prolonged and continuous attacks between parties online, but it has also dragged younger audiences into polarized views based on emotional clips. Social media will undoubtedly continue to play a very important role in politics, however the line between pride and propaganda has never been more blurred.
solve neighborhood crime. These ment, people have gone so far as similar systems, but our cameras solar-powered cameras were to vandalize and take down the serve a much more limited purused for neighborhood control cameras around different cities. pose and are operated solely as a but were quickly adopted by One of the most popular security system for the shopping police to control crime. AI feagathering spots for Pace stucenter,” said Benator. tures were implemented recently, dents, West There are Junior Elizabeth Romig is allowing face and license plate Paces Shop“Our cameras serve a reported Flock tracked 19 times on her daily scanning. However, this feature ping Center, acmuch more limited purpose cameras, trip from Virginia Highlands has allowed police officers to has security cording to the and are operated solely as De-Flock map, to Pace. Romig is perhaps more abuse and mistreat the cameras; cameras but aware of this, as there are many they are not a security system for the near the West she is a member of “When I found out I cases of stalkpart of the Paces Shopshopping center.” the American at Flock network, ping Center and was tracked 19 times ing and tracking Home and Abroad everytime I come to ex-partners or according to at West Paces Fellowship, which friends. One court Andrew Benator, who is part Round. Also, there is a Flock school, I couldn’t case, reported by is studying Flock of the family ownership of the camera at the exit of Pace. That cameras in Atlanta CNN, stated that a center and who also happens to means Pace students’ cars and believe it.” and their effects on police officer used be a Pace alum. faces are likely being scanned the city, as well as the cameras to “I understand that recent and submitted into a database. other First Amendment issues. track his ex-girlfriend over 2,000 news coverage has raised quesFrom a security standpoint, “When I found out I was times. In response to mistreattions about Flock cameras and these Flock cameras could be tracked 19 times every time I come to school, I couldn’t believe it,” Romig said. “I just wish someone would’ve told me sooner.” Flock cameras manufactured by Atlanta-based Flock Safety - are cameras placed around cities to track crime and movement. These cameras are implemented by law enforcement agencies, police, neighborhoods and private organizations. Flock cameras have found over 10,000 missing persons in 2025 and recovered 42% of missing cars captured on camera, according to Flock’s official website. There are also over 50 stories about police misusing Flock cameras to stalk people, which has resulted in controversy and news coverage in recent weeks. Atlanta is the most surveilled city in the United States, and every Pace Academy student is probably being tracked when they drive to school. Flock Cameras were first implemented in 2017 in Atlanta, an idea started by Atlantans to An example of a Flock camera, stationed in Springfield, Ohio.
seen as a positive or negative. While they help control crime, their abilities also make people feel tracked or unsafe. Officer Chris Golphin, as part of the police force, has access to the Flock camera system. “If used properly, it helps,” said Golphin in scenarios like stolen cars and kidnappings. However, he chooses not to use it at all. Benator said feedback on the traditional security cameras has been positive since they were installed a couple of years ago. “Tenants and shoppers expressed appreciation that ownership was taking measures to improve safety and security at the shopping center,” he said.
Cameras All Around Us Screenshot of the Democratic party’s TikTok page.
Photo: CNN
Lifestyle
Vol. 52, Issue #1
The Knightly News - Page 5
Fidget Toys are Taking Over the Internet squishies were the dumpling blind box squishies, which like the name suggests, are dumpling shaped squishies with a slow rising foam filling. Each box contained one toy, and the different variants had different facial expressions and colors. The “ultra rare” glitter dumpling was the rarest and the one that most people sought to find. As the popularity of these dumpling
Various types of fidget toys that can spin, pop and click first gained fame in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Photo: squeezeluck.com
A popular vaseline filled transparent blue squishy. blind boxes rose, new types were introduced, including glitter, glow in the dark, tie-dye and many others. The role of fidget toys in a learning environment has been a debated topic for many years now. Some schools think that they are a helpful tool for staying focused, while some argue that they are a distraction. So far, the conclusion for what to do about fidget toys in schools is to allow
teachers and administrators, in addition to input from parents and students, to decide about regulations regarding fidgets. It is inevitable that fidgets will slowly lose their popularity as time goes on. However, they will likely rise back up again in a different form, similar to what happened this summer. The internet is looking forward to what the next fidget trend will be!
Many people, including Pace students, saw her interview on Instagram this past summer. “A crew shooting me coming into the stadium, and following me all the time. I felt like a celebrity.” Described Dra. Pontes. When they brought her out to the pitch, she was suddenly awarded with a miniature FIFA trophy and VIP front row seats. Throughout the entire process, she was unaware of what was to come. Dra. Pontes didn’t just spend her summer doing volunteer
work, she was making an impact on those around her. Her kindness and generosity was recognized and didn’t go unnoticed. “I would walk around the stadium making sure everybody was ok, seeing if they needed help, and trying to figure out how to solve a problem.” Said Dra. Pontes. The World Cup united not only the world but also Atlanta, and was made possible thanks to amazing volunteers such as Doctora Pontes. Her work at Pace and beyond has created a better community for Atlanta.
Photo: amazon.com
First thought of in the 1980s, the fidget spinner toy became popular in 2017, taking over social media and quickly engraving itself into kids’ lives. Thought to reduce anxiety, help with ADHD, and promote focus, fidget spinners were only one of the many examples of fidget toys that rose to fame in the late 2010s. Other fidget toys include stress balls, putties, keyboard button clickers and more. Additionally, pop-its, which were silicon toys that could be pushed in and out to create a popping sound, reached their top popularity during 2021 and 2022. Coming in various colors, shapes, and sizes, there was thought to be a suitable fidget toy for everyone, increasing their attractivity to consumers and collectors. However, like all items and phases that go viral, they will inevitably fall and the search for new fidget toys will slow down. This dip has happened ever since 2023, even though they never fully went out of popularity. However, this summer, fidget toys have seemingly become more popular than ever. “U.S. squishy toy sales
quadrupled year-over-year to about $297 million in January through June,” said Jenny Lee of CNBC. Specifically, different squishies and clicker toys have gone viral on various social media platforms. Oftentimes resembling food, like cheese, butter, and more, squishies made of materials like vaseline and shaving cream have taken over the internet. Prior to these
Pace’s Unsung Hero
Photo: youtube.com
On June 16, 2022, Atlanta was officially chosen to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After eight matches, including a semifinal match, Atlanta proved itself as a qualified and exceptional host city. Atlanta made many improvements this year in preparation for the matches, such as, improving MARTA trains and their stations and repaving roads and sidewalks. We had the opportunity to speak with Doctora Paula Rodriguez Pontes, a Pace Upper School Spanish teacher, who was awarded the “Unsung Hero Award.” Dra. Pontes volunteered with FIFA for the first time in 2014 at the Brazil World Cup. Her motivation: making sure her home country was a good host. Her application and interviewing process started at the beginning of fall, about a year prior to the event. She was accepted as a volunteer manager, where she “Would help when people were checking in, welcome into the volunteer center, and help answer questions.” Said Dra. Pontes. Similarly Dra. Pontes acts as the
A post made by FIFA featuring Dra. Pontes.
aid for new staff at Pace, where she checks in often and provides support. Dra. Pontes explained how she had low expectations for Atlanta, but instead saw the community come together over soccer. “Atlanta is becoming a soccer city. Even people who aren’t really into soccer felt the good vibes in the World Cup,” explained Dra. Pontes. Although she worked inside of the stadium, Dra. Pontes really enjoyed getting to see the fan fest. The stadium even accom-
modated different cultures, whether making prayer rooms or adding different cuisine. “We have the southern hospitality that made everyone feel welcome, even though sometimes we start thinking too much about the differences.” Said Dra. Pontes. FIFA chose one volunteer from each city to receive their “Unsung Hero Award.” Their interest in Dra. Pontes started after hearing her name and her impact on the volunteers. She was asked to Zoom with them, followed by an in person videoed interview.
Lifestyle
September 25, 2026
The Knightly News - Page 6
Why Do People Rewatch TV Shows During the Fall? As we approach the fall, people everywhere are going to start rewatching and revisiting certain television series. Hits such as Gilmore Girls and F·R·I·E·N·D·S are two of the most popular, but there are a countless number of shows that people rewatch. What
is it about these TV shows that people come back to every Fall, without fail? Fall is often associated with a fresh start. The color of leaves changing signifies the beginning of a new school year for many, or a time to reset your life. Fall is recognized as the comfort season. The cooler weather initiates sweaters, seasonal recipes or dishes and time spent with your family. Some of these shows embody these aspects of Fall so
well. Gilmore Girls is a show that has made people call Fall, “Gilmore Girls season” because of the cozy, nostalgic, autumn vibe it brings to the screen. “The show took the season of Fall hostage,” said Lauren Graham during a speech with her co-star Alexis Bledel. According to Psychology Today, humans naturally crave predictability, the comfort of knowing what is going to happen. People go back to the mo-
ments during shows that they fell in love with it, because it gives them peace of mind. People like that there are no surprises, they know exactly when the theme song will play, and can predict what the characters will say next. When people have already watched a show and revisit it again, they usually have certain episodes that make them feel a certain way. They can go back to these episodes and can anticipate how they will feel when it’s over.
Photo: InStyle
They can depend on the show to give them comfort and feel at ease. Largely why people connect with and decide to revisit shows is because of the characters. We find shows that have characters we can relate to, or have personality traits that we are drawn to. People tend to gravitate towards characters that have warm traits, characters that are witty, friendly and kind. Another aspect that draws people into characters is their willingness to be vulnerable in front of others. This shows humans that these characters are not perfect, and therefore they can relate to problems or difficulties that the characters are facing. Most TV shows that people rewatch have these types of characters, the character that we can always rely on to make a sarcastic joke or the one that always asks if another is ok. Lastly, people rewatch certain TV shows because of the nostalgia it brings them. For most TV shows that became popular, it was because of the fact that they connected with an audience that was around the same age as the characters in the show. When this happens, people at certain ages really identify with the series, and it causes them to rewatch the show because they look back on that time with fondness. Relating back to the fall season, people tend to remember the comfort of that time of year, causing them to restart their comfort show as soon as the leaves change color.
Photo from the TV show F·R·I·E·N·D·S with the original main cast.
Summer Movies Set New Records Photo: The Cornell Daily Sun, IMDb
This summer’s movie lineup covered nearly every genre imaginable: a superhero sequel, an epic poem, animated toys and a viral horror story brought to the big screen. Some films broke box office records, while others brought controversy. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” was Tom Holland’s fourth movie as Peter Parker, following “Homecoming,” “Far From Home” and “No Way Home.” Critics have largely praised the film and it became the highestgrossing movie of the year and Spider-Man film ever, passing two billion dollars worldwide. It set the record for the biggest domestic opening weekend in history with 360 million dollars and became the eighth film ever to cross two billion dollars globally, joining “Avatar” and “Avengers: Endgame.” Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the film picks up after “No Way Home,” with Peter Parker forgotten by the world. Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic, “The Odyssey,” has become the bestreviewed film of Nolan’s career, scoring 96% on Rotten Tomatoes – higher than “Oppenheimer”
“The Odyssey”, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “Obsession” posters. and “The Dark Knight.” Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, the film has grossed more than one billion dollars worldwide. Despite this, the film has received criticism from Emily Wilson, the classicist whose 2017 translation of “The Odyssey” Nolan cited as an inspiration for the film. In the London Review
of Books, Wilson wrote that she “would be ashamed to have written any part of this script,” arguing the film lacks Odysseus’ psychological and emotional depth of the original poem. She also said Nolan, who wrote the script himself, should have hired a screenwriter. Nolan has not directly responded to Wilson’s critique. Made for less than one million dollars, “Obsession” has
grossed more than 150 million dollars worldwide, making it one of the most profitable films of 2026. Written and directed by former YouTube creator Curry Barker, the psychological horror film follows a man who makes a dangerous wish to win his crush’s affection, with unsettling consequences. The film holds a 96% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics have praised the lead actress, Inde Navarrette’s
performance as a breakout horror role. “Obsession” launched her career and she has since been casted in larger movies such as an upcoming Marvel movie. With “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The Odyssey” still growing popular, and horror breakout “Obsession” proving low-budget films can still dominate, summer 2026 is shaping up as one of the strongest movie seasons of all time.
Lifestyle
Vol. 51, Issue #1
The Knightly News - Page 7
The Loss of Two Female Legends school. This simple but effective tactic decreased the high school dropout rate from 35% to 6%. This success resulted in Dolly’s community spending more time and resources on keeping the dropout rate as low as possible. The Buddy Program was the first of many contributions Dolly made to her community and other communities. In 1995, Dolly started Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This bookgifting program for children under the age of 5 started as a local program but created an international movement. This movement focused on increasing the literacy rate at a young age and inspiring a love of books. So far, over 330 million books have been gifted worldwide,
Photo: CNN
In the last month, the world has lost two iconic female figures. On August 25, female music legend Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80. She was not only a beloved country singer, but she was also admired for her philanthropy. Gloria Steinem passed away shortly after Dolly on September 2 at the age of 92. She was best known for her feminist efforts in the United States during the late 19th century. While these two women may seem to have existed in different spheres, they
came together to advance women’s rights. Both women helped shape the world we live in today, and the loss of their presence is felt across the globe. Named the “Queen of Country,” most people know Dolly Parton as the most successful country musician, but her philanthropy through Dollywood and the Dollywood Foundation created a bigger impact and legacy. The Dollywood Foundation was created in 1988 with the intention of decreasing the dropout rate of Dolly’s local high school. With this goal, she created the Buddy Program, where Dolly promised to reward every 7th and 8th grader 500 dollars if they graduated high
Gloria Steinem (left) and Dolly Parton (right) pictured together.
Photo: Getty Images
and one in seven US children have received a book from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. So, while everyone knows Dolly for her country music fame, her real impact was helping to build a more educated community. Working for New York magazine, Gloria Steinem worked hard to beat sexist stereotypes, becoming an editorial and political writer in 1968. With this platform, she spoke out about a personal story of having an abortion and why it should be legalized; this sparked her engagement with the feminist movement. Gloria, along with other women, began to speak out about how the Ladies Home Journal failed to cover the women’s rights
Dolly Parton singing at a sold out venue.
movement and instead only focused on housekeeping. As a result, in 1972, Gloria cofounded the Ms. Magazine to cover the women’s movement. The Ms. Magazine is where Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem’s paths crossed. In 1987, Gloria wrote an article featuring Dolly as the woman of the year. In her piece, Gloria helped bridge the gap between traditional feminism and Dolly’s brand of southern womanhood. Together, they helped develop a new definition of feminism. Dolly and Gloria’s efforts will continue to impact millions after their passing, and they will not be forgotten.
Olivia Rodrigo Starts Muscial Festival
Rodrigo poses in front of the festivals entrance.
Photo: Daisy Chains Fields Official Website
The Official Poster with the Line up of artists.
festival celebrates the voices, artistry, and contributions of women in music, fostering an inclusive environment in which all are welcome. Daisy Chain offers more than live performances; it provides opportunities for education, dialogue and engagement around issues affecting women and girls in the United States. Daisy Chain’s core purpose is to cultivate joy and shared understanding, creating space for meaningful moments of connection across generations and communities” said Olivia
Rodrigo. The all female festival consisted of performances by singers Chappell Roan, Docheii, Mitski, Olivia Rodrigo, Sarah McLachlan and Stevie Nicks. These performances drew quite the crowd, with around 45,000 people in attendance. In fact the desire to attend was in such a large demand that the tickets sold out within thirty minutes of the announcement. Along with the singers, the festival hosted local Orange County food vendors, and art installations. An example of the art
Photo: Olivia Rodrigo
Along with being a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, actress and businesswoman, Olivia Rodgrigo added another title to her list of accomplishments: activist. On August 29 she created and hosted her inaugural Daisy Chains Field Festival, just two months after releasing her newest album “You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So
In Love.” The festival was inspired by Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan and the Lilith Fair performances which took place in the late 1990’s. Like Daisy Chains Field, Lilith Fair was a female focused festival which raised money for charitable organizations. Including, Center for Reproductive Rights, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Freeform, John Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health and National Domestic Workers Alliance. Rodgrigo’s festival took place in Irvine California at Grant Park. Similar to Lilith Fair, “the
included Yoko Ono’s interactive “Wish Tree” and Etsy’s “Creative Village. At the end of the night as Olivia Rodrgio gave her farewell speech she announced to the crowd the total amount of donations given at the festival and surprised them by informing them that their 10 million dollars would be matched by entrepreneur and philanthropist Melinda Gates, bringing the total donations to 20 million dollars total. Thanks to the festival’s impact, Rodrigo plans to make this an annual event.
Opinion
September 26, 2026
The Knightly News - Page 8
Pace Students Rate Recent Lunch chicken has been notoriously bad over the years. From others’ experience with this meal, the chicken is most often pink on the inside. Breakfast was voted as the second worst meal at Pace for lunch. “I had breakfast this morning, why would I want it again for lunch?” Said senior Grant Lemke. Breakfast tends to
be a very hit or miss lunch, with many people who enjoy it, but a majority of people who hate it. Finally, the salmon. “Salmon makes me sad. Everytime we have salmon for lunch I go to the snack bar,” said sophomore Humza Zubari. Out of every meal, salmon was by far voted the worst. Every person I talked
to had salmon in their bottom three, and most had it as their worst. Overall, while Pace lunch has its fair share of questionable meals, the students have made it clear that General Tso’s chicken reigns supreme while salmon remains the lunchroom’s biggest disappointment.
The summer of 2026 had major blockbuster movies, but “The Odyssey”, directed by Christopher Nolan, was one of the most popular films in theaters with over 200 million ticket sales in the opening weekend. With breathtaking sets, jaw-dropping practical effects, and an A-list cast, The Odyssey drew crowds to theaters. However, some academics and mythology lovers criticized the movie for losing sight of the epic tale that Homer wrote 3,000 years ago. Notably, Emily Wilson, translator of one of the most popular copies, famously spoke out against the movie, explaining that Nolan took the complications and layers out of the Odyssey. Freshman English teachers
have been teaching The Odyssey to 9th graders for years and gave their opinions on the film. The English teachers at Pace agreed that the artistry and set of the movie were extremely impressive. “Nolan’s an artistic genius, and his passion for bringing history to life is laudable,” said Freshman English Teacher Robert Kaufman. English Teacher Brandi Wheeler agreed. “The fact that there was no CGI was just absolutely incredible,” she said. When discussing the plot of this epic story, there were mixed reviews. After asking if Nolan missed anything from the book, teachers pointed to a couple of their favorite scenes that were pulled. Teachers missed parts of the underworld, meeting with Nausicaa, and other important scenes. “Nolan overcompensated and replaced the scenes with great choices,” said Dr. Kaufman. On the other hand,
some thought the film wasn’t as faithful to the text. “Nolan is definitely imposing 21stcentury values on a text that is 3,000 years old,” Freshman English teacher Emily Washburn explained. Mrs. Wheeler agreed that the book and the movie came at the story in different ways. Odysseus was an extremely controversial character in the film. Some critics believed that he was a watered-down, uncomplicated version of Odysseus. Mrs. Washburn had problems with his character, saying, “It’s a big lie at the end that he feels all this guilt. There’s no guilt in Odysseus.” Mrs. Wheeler agreed with this. “I think the movie focuses on him as an action hero, and he’s very bold and brave. You’re not getting all the shades and nuance that you do in the book.” These teachers agreed that Nolan showed Odysseus as a movie star instead of a Greek
hero. Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong’o, and other women’s characters’ roles were also debated heavily in the news and on social media. Dr. Kaufman, Mrs. Washburn, and Mrs. Wheeler loved the cast and thought it brought a new perspective to the movie. “I loved the diverse cast, and I thought the female characters, specifically Circe, were especially smart and strong and scary,” said Dr. Kaufman. Mrs. Washburn and Mrs. Wheeler thought that the roles were underrepresented at times. “I missed some of the ladies. I wasn’t as excited about how they were portrayed,” said Mrs. Wheeler. The teachers also had mixed thoughts on Emily Wilson’s review. Dr. Kaufman saw both perspectives. “It’s ok to have nuanced views of complex text and art. Nothing [Wilson or Nolan] said offended me. Mrs. Wheeler
also saw the benefit. “I love that the Odyssey is in the news and getting debated.” Mrs. Washburn said she sees how Emily Wilson could care so much about the text. “Fidelity to the original is important,” she said. A question on everyone’s mind is how the movie will affect the way that teachers teach the epic poem. For the most part, the teachers thought that this would have a positive effect on their classes. “It’ll have a great effect because a lot of people will come into the class enthusiastic because they saw this very sexy, visually stimulating film,” Mrs. Washburn said. Finally, when asked what rating they would give the movie, all teachers gave it a five out of five, with some caution. Mrs. Washburn summed up their opinion well. “I’d give it a five, and then I’d go read the real text”
of the trip, I constantly wanted to talk to my friends or look at social media,” added Graham.
By the end of his backpacking experience, Graham recognized that not having his phone
As students leave the Pace Academy campus for the summer and head in different directions, they begin their own summer journeys. Over these next two months, students may hold jobs, attend camps, go on family vacations, participate in an ICGL trip or branch out to do something else that drives them. Two endeavors Pace students commonly pursue are working at and attending camps and summer vacation programs. Depending on the program or camp, a lot of these summer experiences have some sort of cellphone policy. Some may be all for cellphone usage, while others strictly prohibit it. Students have grown accustomed to these various phone policies, and some enjoy being phone-free, while other
student voices shared that they think their phone is a valuable resource over the summer. Junior Eleanor Ganz spent her summer at Camp Thunderbird, where she has been going for the past few years. This summer Eleanor served as a CIT, and therefore had many more responsibilities than in previous years. While some CIT programs allow for phone usage, Thunderbird does not. “I enjoyed not having my phone because I connected so much more with the people around me than I would have if I were staring at my phone,” said Eleanor. Meanwhile, Senior Graham Smith also spent his summer away from his phone and found it a lot more difficult than he expected. Graham participated in a month-long backpacking trip that required not having his phone with him, and although he was ultimately glad that it wasn’t there, he still had a tough time adjusting. “At the beginning
strengthened the trip, since he did not have to worry about what was happening on his phone. Junior Emma Alvarez spent some time this summer in England, participating in a precollege program at Oxford where she found it essential to have her phone on her. “I enjoyed having my phone this summer to take fun pictures and document all the cool places I visited,” shared Emma. Emma also added that having her phone was important to her when she was so far away from friends and family, so that she could keep in touch no matter the distance. Ultimately, whether students thrived phone-free or leaned on their devices seemed to depend less on the policy itself and more on what the experience called for. Whether it was searching for a deeper connection with those nearby or staying connected to those far away, phone policies continued to dictate the summers of Pace Students.
Photo: Flik Website
Pace lunch has been an incredibly controversial topic over the recent years. With a variety of different meals, including fried chicken, chicken wings, chicken legs, orange chicken and pizza, the best and worst meals are a topic always up for debate. To find out the top lunches, I asked a number of students their opinions, and the answers were surprisingly similar across the board. General Tso’s chicken was unanimously voted as the best. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad day when we had General Tso’s for lunch,” said freshman Jaryd Grossman when prompted with this question. This opinion proved to be strong as others
such as sophomore Libby Rowe strongly agreed. Chicken tacos came in second place. “Especially the chicken tacos, they’re finger licking good,” said Junior Noah Frushtick. The tacos at Pace are a highlight of the week. Being incredibly juicy, when paired with some delicious cheese they become outstanding. To close out the top three comes the fried chicken sandwich. Although not agreed on by all, this meal was in most students’ top three, or an honorable mention. Alone, the chicken patty can be dry and distasteful, but with the addition of sauce this meal does wonders. Despite the good, Pace lunch has its lows, really low lows. The bottom three Pace lunches were consistent in their answers: lemon pepper chicken thighs, breakfast, and the infamous salmon. The lemon pepper
Food served by Pace Academy’s Flik Dining.
What do Pace English Teachers Think of Nolan’s “The Odyssey” Movie?
Do Students Prefer to Go Phone-Free Over the Summer?
Photo: Eleanor Ganz
Eleanor Ganz enjoys her summer phone-free.
Sports
Vol. 52, Issue #1
The Knightly News - Page 9
Diving Back into College Football hosted by Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and should draw record-breaking crowds. Around Pace, the hometown favorite is to be expected: the Georgia Bulldogs. With a lot of their roster returning from last year, there are a lot of expectations surrounding the team. “This year it’s championship or bust,” said Junior Carter Marsico. He is not alone with this opinion;
the years of domination and championships have caused fans’ expectations to skyrocket to unreasonable heights. This is a common occurrence in college football, and 99% of the teams come up short every year. Another crucial aspect of college football is the growing influence of NIL in the game. Colleges are paying players, and the price of a premier player can oftentimes reach seven
figures. This has substantially widened the gap between the top programs and those who simply don’t have the funding to keep up. As money becomes a primary factor in college football success, we will see the landscape of the game continue to change. Experts everywhere will be keeping an eye on how the influx of money in collegiate athletics will alter certain situations for better or for worse.
Photo: NBC Sports
As the college football season approaches, the excitement builds among fans all across the country. The beginning of the new season, however, has not come without lots of drama. A new loophole arose after new rules surrounding college eligibility were put in place. The new system gave players from the class of 2022 one more year of eligibility but didn’t include any specifications about players who had already gone to the NFL but would still have a year left. This has led to an onslaught of drafted players attempting to rejoin a collegiate team after already making it to the pros. Conferences only allowed this temporarily before ultimately deciding to ban professional football players from returning to college athletics altogether. As the schedule ramps up, there is less and less focus on this drama, but the attention on college
football only grows. Fanbases have high expectations and are itching to have their Saturdays packed to the brim with football. Notre Dame and Ohio State lead the charge as favorites to win the national championship, closely followed by Oregon and Georgia. These teams, among others, will endure a 12-13 game season in hopes of reaching the championship. This 2027 national championship is being
Fernando Mendoza and the Indiana Hoosiers celebrate their national championship victory.
Pace Knight’s Jump Back into Fall Sports Photo: Fred Assaf Photos
The softball season is off to a great start, with the team hovering at the top of their region. This season has been a great success, and games are drawing more student spectators than ever. Excitement surrounds the team, and the year is shaping up to be a playoff run. “This year has been so much fun, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve as a team. Our team is still so young, so I hope we can continue to build for the future,”
said junior Megan Wrigley. As the season ramps up, hopefully ending with a deep playoff run, continuous student support is crucial to the team’s success. As Pace students, we must continue to uplift the team and will them to do their best. The Knights volleyball team is off to a solid start to the season, especially considering they lost an unheard of amount of seniors from last year. This has shifted the team’s dynamic and caused new people to step up and lead the team. This will certainly be a tough task considering the immense amount of success our volleyball program has had in recent history, but it’s nothing that can’t be done. The Knights, led by head coach Kevin Johnson and seniors Jaxon Gasque and Kaiden Harley, have gotten off to a
Senior Kaiden Harley drops back to throw a pass against Holy Innocents Episcopal School.
rocky start to their season, losing their first three games. Despite these early losses to schools such as Holy Innocents, Lovett and Trinity Christian, the Knights still hope to turn it around. The team hopes to beat Westminster and finish their season with a
winning record despite early shortcomings. “We’ve been working hard and getting better every week, and I think this team has a lot of potential. We’re really looking forward to playing Westminster and hopefully coming away with a win. Make
Photo: Fred Assaf Photos
sure to come out and support,” said Junior JK Hasson. The cross country team is off to a strong start to their year, with the girls placing first, second, and first in the first three meets and the boys placing eighth and second in their first two. The boys’ team is seniorheavy, consisting of Zachory Blackwood, Davin Coles, Patrick Glennon, Connor Goldstrom, Noah Halpern, Brian Kim, Dillon Pinsker, Palmer Proctor, River Rumley, London Salter, Aiden Schechtman, Connor Smock, and Walker Souza. They hope to perform in this year’s Wingfoot Meet, the largest meet in the US. They also hope to surpass their performance at State last year and place better than fifth. “This year’s team has the potential and ability to perform well, hopefully better than last year,” said junior Henry Baddley. The girls team, led by Senior Adelaide Locker, has had many exceptional run times this season. Coming out of their recent success, the team hopes to have a great performance at State this year. In the past few years, the girls team has had excellent State performances; this years team hopes to build on that for an even better State meet.
The Knights softball team celerates a homerun as a group.
Sports
September 25, 2026
The Knightly News - Page 10
Atlanta Braves Remain on a Hot Streak Entering Post-Season
In 2022, LIV Golf entered professional golf with the goal of challenging the longestablished Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour. Backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), LIV attracted some of the biggest names in golf by offering massive guaranteed contracts and large prize purses, with some contracts reportedly totaling up to 350 million dollars. Players such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Jon Rahm left the PGA Tour to join the new league. LIV also introduced a different style of golf, featuring 54-hole tournaments, shotgun starts and team competitions. While the league quickly became one of the biggest stories in professional golf, its enormous financial requirements would eventually become its greatest weakness. As LIV gained more players, the relationship between LIV and the PGA Tour became increasingly hostile, resulting in the PGA Tour suspending players who competed in LIV events and preventing them from participating in any PGA Tour tournaments. At the same time, LIV players faced difficulties with world-ranking points which can get them access to certain tournaments such as The Masters, US Open, PGA Championship and British Open. The divide between the two leagues created a situation in which many of the world’s best golfers were no longer competing against each other
on a regular basis. This divide also raised issues for the fans, as sophomore Sanders Honeycutt expressed, “It’s frustrating not seeing all the top players in the same tournaments.” In June 2023, the conflict appeared to be coming to an unexpected end when the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced a framework agreement intended to bring their business interests together. After months of lawsuits and public disagreements, the announcement shocked players and fans who had expected the rivalry to continue. However, the agreement never developed into the complete reunification that many had anticipated. Rather, negotiations continued for years without producing the larger deal originally discussed, while the PGA Tour received a $1.5 billion investment from Strategic Sports Group. This gave the PGA Tour another major source of funding as it continued to negotiate with the PIF. While the PGA Tour strengthened its financial position, LIV continued to require enormous amounts of money to operate. The league had spent heavily on player contracts, tournament purses and international events, while still working to establish a sustainable business model. Since its creation, the PIF had invested more than $5 billion into LIV. In April 2026, however, the PIF announced that it would no longer fund the league after the conclusion of the 2026 season. This decision immediately placed LIV in a difficult position, forcing the organization to search for outside investors while continuing to pay its players and operate its tournaments. As the 2026 season
score was 1-0 and the only run was a leadoff home run by Drake Baldwin. That final win now had the Braves record against the Dodger being 5-1 and this series sweep put the Braves in a better place for their playoff run in October. “I absolutely love watching the Braves, the energy in the stadium is so awesome I can’t
imagine rooting for another team,” says sophomore Nate Fogarty. The atmosphere has been nothing but electric this month. Starting in June, the fans in the stands started a new way to get the crowd hype. The fans call it “Tarps off”, where the men take off their shirts and start rallying with them in hand. This new tradition
has made the Braves playing at home even more of an advantage because of how hype the crowd gets. Especially with some close games in September, this new way of getting the crowd involved has helped the Braves. The Braves are continuing their September run in hopes of ending this month strong for playoffs.
Braves outfielders celebrate their win with a signature handshake.
Photo: Getty Images
The Braves have continued their winning streak! This last month the Braves were 16-10 and held a eight game winning streak going into this month, September. The team holds an overall record of 85-59 (as of Sep. 8) securing them as the number one seed in the National League East. The Braves this year were hoping to make a comeback after almost not making the playoffs in the previous season. They started off hot in the early months of the season but their roughest month this year was June, it’s the only month where the Braves have a losing record. People knew they had to turn around fast before their chances of playoffs slipped away. But the momentum changed when Acuña came back in late July, ever since then Braves have been hot. In a recent Colorado Rockies game, Acuña was moved down to cleanup and nobody loved that more than Micheal
Harris. Acuña had 3 hits scoring one run, Micheal Harris couldn’t wait to hit after Acuña, knowing that Acuña could score from first on any ball. The most exciting news this past month in Braves Town was the sweep against the Dodgers. The Dodgers, known as possibly the best team in the National League, was a huge matchup for the Braves. Both teams are ranked number one in their respective leagues so everyone knew it was going to be a battle for who was going to win the series. The Braves took game one late in the game, having Ozzie Albies hit a single for the go ahead run in the 8th inning. In game two in the most unexpected and shocking way possible the Braves walk it off in the bottom of the ninth. HaSeong Kim with a .076 batting average stepped up to the plate and delivered a line drive single to left field to drive in Albies from second. The best game to watch in the series was arguably the last game, to see if the Braves could sweep the Dodgers. Chris Sale took the mound and threw a 9 inning shutout. The final
The Fall of LIV Golf and What It Means for the Players
Photo: Jason Cairnduff - Reuters
Bryson DeChambeau hitting a tee shot at LIV Golf New York. progressed, signs of LIV’s financial problems became increasingly difficult to ignore. The league postponed an event in Louisiana and eventually canceled its team championship in Michigan, ending the season earlier than originally planned as well as beginning to lay off the majority of its employees. Although CEO Scott O’Neil continued to express confidence in the league’s future, LIV was simultaneously searching for hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment to continue into 2027. The uncertainty surrounding LIV has also begun to affect its players. Many golfers originally joined the league because of its guaranteed contracts and financial security, but now some are looking for opportunities to continue their careers outside of LIV. Several LIV players have contacted the DP World
Tour about their options for the 2027 season, while five players recently entered the DP World Tour’s qualifying process. Jon Rahm, one of LIV’s most recognizable players, has also faced questions about his future, although he has not announced a departure from the league. Despite these problems, LIV Golf is not officially finished. In August, O’Neil announced that the league had secured a new lead investor and was working toward a new ownership structure in which the players could become majority equity holders. The proposed version of LIV, sometimes referred to as “LIV 2.0,” would reportedly feature a smaller schedule of approximately ten events and significantly reduce the size of the organization. However, the league still faces major financial challenges, and Reuters reported that LIV could potentially seek
bankruptcy protection as early as September. Regardless of what happens next, LIV Golf has already permanently changed the professional golf scene for good. The league succeeded in attracting some of the world’s best players and forced the PGA Tour to respond with larger purses, new events and changes to its business structure. However, LIV’s dependence on Saudi funding prevented it from establishing the financially independent league it originally hoped to become. For the players, the future is currently uncertain. Some may remain with a smaller version of LIV, while others look for opportunities on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour or elsewhere. What began as a challenge to the PGA Tour has instead left professional golf divided, with the future of LIV unknown.