Volume 46, Issue #3

Vol. 46, Issue #3

The

December 11, 2020

Knightly News

2020

COVID-19 Pandemic, Fight for Racial Justice and Divisive Election: The Year That Changed the World

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Pace News

December 11, 2020

The Knightly News - Page 2

Spotlight on Faculty Passion Project: ‘Let America Be America Again’

Photo: Omar López Thismón

“Let America be America again. / Let it be the dream it used to be. / Let it be the pioneer on the plain / Seeking a home where he himself is free” Upper School Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Omar López Thismón first heard these words from Langston Hughes’ 1936 poem, “Let America Be America Again,” about four years ago. “As soon as I read that poem, the visuals started to pop in my head,” said Omar. “The language alone is very, very visual.” Four years later, he carried out his vision and published on Oct. 30 a short film (less than five minutes) adapted from the original Hughes poem: a project of pure passion.

This isn’t his first passion project, nor his first film adapted from Hughes’ work. Five years ago, Omar released a video titled “Black Like Me” inspired by a collection of Hughes’ poetry.

While “Black Like Me” communicates many of the same themes as the newer “Let America Be America Again,” the first project was much smaller-scale.

It was after the 2016 Presidential election when Omar decided to produce “Let America Be America Again.” Omar couldn’t find the time to start such an ambitious project until summer 2020, though, when his

Omar López Thismón (left) discusses a scene with Bilan Adden, who is featured in the film. desires to produce the film were heightened by acts of violence and racial injustice along with the looming elections. “In the late summer, I promised myself to make something before the election,” said Omar.

The release of “Let America Be America Again” was timely.

While Americans sought to elect new representatives, Omar’s film highlights the importance of re-evaluating the common understanding of patriotism.

“The poem by Hughes reframes patriotism in a way that we don’t typically think about it,” said

Omar. “We think of patriotism as some certain ‘loving the country entirely without criticism.’

But patriotism in the eyes of Langston Hughes was more like noticing the flaws in the country and doing your best to fix those flaws to make the country better.

That’s true patriotism.”

Omar worked with a team of close friends and creators. Garrison Hayes, who is credited with co-directing the film, is a pastor in Washington, D.C., whom Omar knows from college.

Hayes helped mostly with designing visuals that matched the

language of the poem. Charles Cammack, who is credited as a producer, is one of Omar’s best friends. “He’s a very organized person so he helped put together schedules and ensure everybody was informed about where they needed to be at times,” said Omar.

Omar typically funds his projects through freelance work done during the year. COVID-19 effectively limited the number of freelance gigs he could pursue in preparation for the creation of this film, so he didn’t have access to as much funding as he

would have liked.

Originally, Omar wanted to hire actors to play the parts in the film. “I wanted specific facial expressions, specific things actors could do that might not seem natural to coach a normal person through,” said Omar. But with freelance projects being canceled, the video had to feature ordinary people in the roles.

Using non-actors ended up being a blessing for Omar, in that he was able to experience the genuine, entirely human reactions of normal people being forced to confront the many painful subjects that the film features.

For example, there is footage in the film of a Black father and son watching the television. Before the cameras began rolling, the two of them were watching continuous footage of police brutality on Black people in an attempt to elicit tangible, raw emotion.

Two of the “real people” filmed happen to be Pace Academy affiliates: Director of College Counseling Jonathan Ferrell and Class of 2020 graduate Jesus Tadeo. While the general public sometimes thinks about policies and politics as far-off and distant concepts, Omar hopes that in seeing these familiar faces in the film, Pace students might realize how close to home political decisions may strike: just another surprising benefit of using real people.

Mr. Assaf Offers Advice to Stay in School Photo: Jamie Kornheiser

With winter break quickly approaching, students, parents and faculty are beginning to feel some anxiety regarding the return to school in January. However, Head of School Fred Assaf is committed to the in-person school experience, and he will do everything within his power to protect it.

As indoor sports enter the middle of their seasons, it is important for Pace students to adhere closely to the COVID-19 protocols. “We feel like playing is better than not playing, even if there are some restrictions,” said Mr. Assaf.

Athletes involved in sports where players do not wear masks or cannot remain socially distant must get tested on a weekly basis according to Pace’s COVID-19 protocol guidelines. Wrestlers and basketball players are among those getting tested whereas swimmers and divers are to stay distant and follow other protocols in order to stay safe.

Once all students are dismissed for winter break, it is up to each individual student to follow protocols to protect themselves and others. Pace students will face more exposure than ever as people travel to see extended family or relax in

heavily populated vacation areas. “We have to rely on people’s good judgement,” said Mr. Assaf. “It is impossible for us to monitor people so you have to care enough about Pace and your fellow students to do it right.”

Before the school year, Pace decided to pause all international travel for Isdell Center for Global Leadership study tours.

This policy now extends to students’ personal travel. If a student decides to travel internationally at any point for the remainder of the school year, they must participate in virtual learning for two weeks before returning to campus upon their return.

It is also important to remember that Georgia itself is experiencing a rise in COVID-19 cases as well as relatively relaxed restrictions. “Georgia is an infected area,” said Mr. Assaf. “It is hard for us to limit travel to [infected] areas because that is us.”

Upon returning from winter break with fresh minds and rested bodies, students prepare for one of the year’s most anticipated traditions: Spirit Week.

Amid the pandemic, there is tremendous uncertainty regarding the event; however, Mr. Assaf hopes and believes that it will still take place. “I think of Pace students as being able to conquer Spirit Week and keep everybody safe,” he said.

While he keeps his hopes high, Mr. Assaf knows that Spirit Week will have

Senior Jamie Kornheiser traveled via airplane to New York for the Thanksgiving holiday, albeit in a coronavirus-safe fashion. to look different if there is any chance students can participate. As of Dec. 4, the week will continue to consist of banners, dress-up days and decorations with the added bonus of a video from each grade.

There will be no dances like those in the past where large groups of people gathered in the Inman Center.

It is still unclear how students will transition back into school after the break.

According to Mr. Assaf, it is possible that students will have to get tested, and Pace is discussing using new COVID-19 test-

ing that yields quicker results.

In the event that students return to school with COVID-19, Pace is prepared to transition to online learning. However, Mr. Assaf wants to assure students that it will only be for a short period of time.

“My advice is to be vigilant about keeping up with protocols, and do everything you can to keep us in school,” said Mr. Assaf. “We owe it to our teachers.

They have made a tremendous sacrifice to be here in person. We owe it to them to do our best.”

Vol. 46, Issue #3

Pace News

The Knightly News - Page 3

Q&A with Pace Contact Tracing Team

Photo: Stella Nelson

Knightly News: What was it like preparing for the school year with COVID-19? What did the summer consist of?

Nurse Megan Turner: The summer consisted of reading lots and lots of CDC guidelines, new protocols and medical journals. It’s been really helpful, too, that the Pace community as a whole has a ton of doctors, and they are versed at Grady, Emory and Piedmont, among other hospitals. And most of them are all working in COVID-19related situations so we definitely bounce things off of them when we need advice. I have learned a ton from their expertise, so that’s been really great.

We also did webinars, like with Children’s Healthcare. Every few weeks, information and guidelines change, so we are constantly trying to stay up to date.

We also want the most information on what is happening in the Atlanta area, not as much so like in California, because it pertains to us.

KN: How has protocol changed for this school year?

What do you do if there is a positive case?

MT: We have three contact tracers this year, including myself. Two people on our team, Lower School Nurse Anna Gretchen and Head Athletic Trainer Pete Dewar, are new to Pace. We’ve all taken a class offered by Johns Hopkins. It’s the same that the Department of Public Health takes.

When we do have a positive case, we go through every single class, look to see if you’ve been to the college counselor, or anything else. It’s very detailed.

We have also learned that every case is very individual, so it’s hard to tell in advance sometimes unless you are 100% social distancing. However, so far, we feel confident with our protocols, which include wiping desks and using hand sanitizer, that we are keeping Pace safe.

KN: How did you come about these changes?

MT: We had to sort out our protocols over the summer, which has been hard work but so far it has paid off. We met with other private school nurses, as Fred [Assaf] met with other Atlanta headmasters. With that, together we had to sort out everything because we all had no idea what we were doing. We were all sort of unified in trying, though. If somebody had a good idea, they would share it, and we would use their ideas, just as people came to use ours.

KN: What were expectations like going into this year?

MT: So far, the protocols have really exceeded expectations. We looked at Camp High Harbor as kind of what could potentially go wrong with school. But, since the start of school for us, things have been going great. We have always felt like we can keep the Pace community safe, which is our number one priority right now.

KN: What do you think has been the hardest so far?

MT: The hardest is that every day there’s something you can’t control. So we have a typical school day, with normal injuries or nurse visits, but then we are seeing COVID-19 on top of it. We’re just helping people navigate through different scenarios. Like if somebody doesn’t feel good, we want to help them get a test, and with that, explain how to deal with test results.

KN: What has testing for sports been like?

MT: We have only had to pause two teams this fall for a week due to COVID exposure. It sort of has been a way to tell us that the protocols at school are working because the results have been good.

KN: Are there any common issues happening with masks at school?

MT: We have extra masks here in case someone needs a new one. They say that for maturing kids, the mask can give you acne. We have also seen that because you’re breathing your own air constantly, it can dry out your nose, so there has been an an uptick in nosebleeds. Also, dehydration occurs if you aren’t making it a priority to go outside and drink water. Sometimes people forget.

KN: What are your biggest areas of concern or times when people should stay especially safe and be hyper aware of COVID-19?

MT: At school, lunch is risky and a time when people need to stay safe because it’s the only time all day when everyone’s masks are off. Also with senior privileges and being able to leave campus, students need to be wise.

Anytime we have extra days off, like Thanksgiving or winter break, everyone spends more time with people outside of their nuclear bubble. You are putting yourself in situations with more germs, so I think everyone needs to be aware. However, I feel confident that you can spend time with your family, and that there’s a safe way to do so. I definitely would say spending time outside is better than inside.

Pete Dewar: Be aware of who’s in your bubble. Just try to limit how many people are in your bubble, and make sure you know who the people you are with are. Pay attention to your surroundings.

KN: What do you think the future holds for us? What’s next?

Head athletic trainer Pete Dewar administers a coronavirus test to sophomore basketball player Maddie Swartz.

MT: To be all doom and gloom, this isn’t going away anytime soon.

PD: Yeah, this isn’t like an “I get through the school year, and things will be back to normal next year,” type thing. I think it is going to take a couple years to get back to things being more normal. I look back at 9/11 and how it changed air travel forever. There’s going to be things that linger from this for a long time. I think even when we start to get some level of immunity, or a vaccine, it’s going to take a long time to get the vaccine out to everyone. You might at that point not have to wear a mask, like in school, but you’re probably still going to have to wear a mask at a sporting event or a concert or on an airplane.

MT: So make good choices, because we’ve got the whole year like this, in these unusual times. But compared to other schools, who knew you would be so excited just to have a school day?!

ICGL Announces Spring Break Trips Illustration: Meghna Singha

States about eight times, he says. Students will spend their days hiking and exploring the various landscapes of the park, including mountain ranges, canyons and desert.

“There’s a lot to learn,” said Mr. Ballard.

“I want students to appreciate the place The COVID-19 pandemic stole many and the nature and the people.”

Pace traditions, such as live theater producUpper school science teacher Kaylan tions, the senior parade, dances and more.

Haizlip will lead a study tour to Denver, However, the Isdell Center for Global LeadColorado to study the food scene of the ership (ICGL) has worked to preserve the city. This trip combines the previous ICGL beloved study tours by planning domestic themes of food and waste. Students will trips that fit pandemic protocols while also study food equity and the relationship being enjoyable and educational. between food access and socioeconomic “We wanted to take this opportunity to status. help our kids appreciate the beauty in our They will work with GrowHaus, a own country,” said ICGL Director Trish Denver based indoor farm to learn about Anderson. “There is so much to see and exfarming and its importance in society. The perience within America and we think that study tour also focuses on Denver’s curThe ICGL program has announced trips over spring break to: California and Arizona; rent urbanization against the backdrop of our students can get a lot out of it.”

Each of the trips focuses on one region West Texas; Denver, Colorado and an unnamed wilderness area in the Southeast. the Rocky Mountains. of the U.S., including the Southeast, the The last spring break study tour has yet Southwest, the Rocky Mountains and West Texas. Each bubbles in Atlanta. Students will participate in a mileto be fully planned because Pace and Envoys are not coltrip also has a central theme such as social entrepreneurlong walk through the desert to get a partial sense of the laborating on it. ICGL administrators have decided that ship, science and technology, and environmental sustain- experience of refugees. it will center around camping and hiking. Odds are that ability. To ensure the safety and enjoyment of every They will also visit a border station and engage in a Class of 2022 Dean Ben Ewing and computer science student traveling, Pace partnered with Envoys, a youth Q&A session with an immigration lawyer. “The border teacher Charlie Bryant will lead students on the trip. travel company devoted to expanding the boundaries of has been an issue since I was in high school, and we As the pandemic spreads and uncertainty lingers, possibility for global education programming. Envoys still haven’t fixed the problem,” said Mr. Ward. “We these study tours and their content are subject to change provides a second layer of risk management, handling all hope this study tour encourages students to be activated as COVID-19 cases either continue to spike or are of the hotels and checking for virus protocols. around political issues and learn how to incorporate hubrought under control. “We just want to have a plan in The ICGL is offering four study tours during spring man rights into political policies.” place as long as COVID allows,” said Ms. Anderson. As the school year progresses, the ICGL will also release break. ICGL Associate Director Ted Ward will be leadAlso over spring break, upper school science teacher information about summer 2021 study tours. ing one to California and Arizona. This trip will examKevin Ballard will lead a study tour to Big Bend Naine the reality of immigration within the United States tional Park in West Texas. Mr. Ballard has led this trip to and encourage students to seek the truths outside of their the most remote national park in the continental United

Pace News

December 11, 2020

Bernes Is Back

What events define the 15-year odyssey of a Pace alumna back to the castle’s gates? For recently hired Associate Director of MS/US Admissions Heather Bernes ‘05, such a journey included the 1947-mile flight to Los Angeles and two Daytime Emmy awards. Regardless of what transpired along the way, however, Mrs. Bernes found her way back to 966 West Paces Ferry Road.

Having been a Pace Academy “lifer,” Mrs. Bernes offers unique insight into how Pace has changed in just 15 years. “I’d say that everything I loved about Pace still exists, but it’s just escalated and accelerated in the best of ways,” she said.

One example of such escalation is the recent creation of the Isdell Center for Global Leadership (ICGL) program. “That is one of the things that I think is particularly amazing that Pace has introduced and really gone on the run with,” said Mrs. Bernes. “We had school trips when I was a student, like I remember going to Spain in the ninth or tenth grade. It was a great trip, but it wasn’t this type of global leadership-focused, cultural immersion that the ICGL program does today.”

Other developments since Mrs. Bernes’ glory days

The Knightly News

are Pace’s STEM and robotics departments. “I wish that I had been a little bit younger, so I could have taken advantage of that,” said Mrs. Bernes. “I’m jealous!”

In addition to these advancements, Mrs. Bernes reflects on how athletics influence present day campus culture. “We had just started a girls lacrosse team when I graduated, and the football team didn’t come until after I had left, so now that I’m back on campus, I feel a renewed sense of school spirit in this way,” said Mrs. Bernes.

In spite of such improvements, Mrs. Bernes asserts that Pace’s emphasis on teacher-student relationships remains the same, evoking some feelings of nostalgia for her former days as a student whenever she walks the hallways now. She recalls how she spent her time during free periods: conversing with and seeking help from teachers.

“What’s really cool is that some of my old teachers are still teaching here today,” said Mrs. Bernes. “I had Mr. [Jason] Smith for math a few years, and Ms. [Helen] Smith was obviously here then, and I had Cappy Lewis once or twice for Spanish... The fact that they’re still around proves how great of a place Pace is.”

After graduating, Mrs. Bernes went on to Charlottesville, Virginia where she had planned to get a nursing degree from the University of Virginia until she soon realized that a science discipline no longer aligned with her interests. She ended up graduating with an interdisciplinary major in media studies, politics and Spanish. At UVA, she also involved herself in a nonprofit Charlottesville radio station run by UVA students: her entrance into the entertainment world.

After graduation, Mrs. Bernes worked in various jobs within the media and entertainment industries before purchasing a one-way ticket to Los Angeles. Quickly, she was hired to work on the production side of “Let’s Make A Deal,” through which she ended up spending a few months in Las Vegas after the show’s relocation.

After three seasons of “Let’s Make a Deal,” Mrs. Bernes joined the production team of the game show “The Price is Right,” where she remained for four seasons. It was through her work on “The Price is Right” that Mrs. Bernes was able to win two Daytime Emmy Awards.

“I was in LA for about eight years when I decided that the closer I got to 30, LA was not a place that I wanted to stay long term,” said Mrs. Bernes. “So I moved back home to Atlanta in October 2017 and starting working as a CrossFit coach and doing some freelance work in TV, since, you know, Atlanta is the mini-Hollywood these days.” Ultimately, though, Mrs. Bernes’ desire for a better work/life balance would motivate her to abandon the TV/film industry altogether.

In February, Mrs. Bernes got involved with Leadership Pace through the alumni office, which is how she was reminded of all the things she loved about Pace.

Photo: Darren Rosing Heather Allen Bernes graduated from Pace in 2005.

The Knightly News - Page 4

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

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Managing Editor: Ashley Myers

Web Content Editor: Gabriel Kadoori

News Editor: Isabel Battista

Multimedia Editor: Amalia Haviv

Opinion Editor: Sloane Wagreich

Photos Editor/Social Media Editor Meghna Singha

Lifestyle Editor: Megan Hardesty

Visuals Editor Kathryn Hood

Staff Writers: Niko Karetsos, Emmy Mininberg, Stella Nelson, Ryan Varma, Jack Wagreich, Mary Amelia Weiss, Jayla Wideman Faculty Advisers: Robert Kaufman, Lee Wilson Tech Adviser: Matt Walker

Editorial Policy The Knightly News is the student-run newspaper of Pace Academy. For over 40 years it has reported the news that affects Pace, as well as the opinions of students.

The Knightly News is published by the students of Pace Academy, and approximately 600 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.

“Getting to come back to campus and seeing all the new developments made me feel so lucky to be a Pace alum,” said Mrs. Bernes. “It’s incredible that there was a job opening for me in admissions so quickly.”

On top of working for the admissions department, Mrs. Bernes is involved with the Jewish Affinity Group and hopes to insert herself into the middle school advisory program soon.

Ovie Nirgudkar Takes the Stage

Photo: Ovie Nirgudkar

Many of sophomore Ovie Nirgudkar’s peers are likely unaware of her advanced ability to play piano. Nirgudkar, who has played the piano since the age of four, has a passion for the instrument and has received national and even international recognition for her work.

But her level of skill comes with a huge investment of time. She works towards further improvement every day.

She practices daily for over an hour on weekdays, both before and after school, as well as on the weekends by herself and with her teacher. The time commitment is worth it, she says.

Nirgudkar has played in many competitions over the years in places around the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York City in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and Royal Albert Hall in London in 2018.

She has also performed at competitions in San Jose, California; Tampa, Florida; Denver, Colorado and St. Petersburg,

Russia among other places. “My favorite was Russia because I got to connect with people despite our language barrier,” she said. “We used a translator to understand each other.”

“I have to say that every day is not easy, and practicing is boring,” said Nigudkar. “But the important thing to remember is that it all pays off, and it’s worth it when you can perform on the big stages in front of tons of people.”

She added that it is definitely not always fun with the difficulty of her competitions, but she has done it enough times to know that it pays off in the end.

Nirgudkar said that her favorite type of music is from the Romantic period in music, from around 1830 to 1900. Her favorite composer is Chopin, whose work she has played many times.

Her favorite part of playing piano is getting to perform on stage. “When I was little I played because it was fun, but eventually when you start competitions you want to keep winning,” Nirgudkar said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself, but my teachers and parents do support me a lot. You have to be competitive to be able to practice all the time and win

Ovie Nirgudkar performs in St Petersburg, Russia. anything, but I enjoy the pressure.”

Nirgudkar also recommended piano as an instrument for others to try out for themselves. “I’d say if you’re a parent with a little kid and you want them to know an instrument, start with the piano because it’s the easiest starting point.”

She added that it’s harder for young children to play the violin, for example, and that the piano on a basic level is a natural starting point. “Not everyone has to take it as seriously as I do… everyone who enjoys it should play for sure,” she said.

Pace News

Vol. 46, Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 5

Anonymous Students Speak on Pandemic

Illustration: Jamie Kornheiser

In 2020, America has seen what is arguably the deepest political divide in recent history, and tensions only continue to heighten. The COVID-19 pandemic has only made the climate more politicized. The Knightly News interviewed two Pace students who wished to remain anonymous. They had differing views on the pandemic and how it should be approached by individuals and government.

Interviewee #1: KN: What are your thoughts on how other people have been handling the virus in America?

Interviewee: For the most part, it’s not being taken as seriously as it should be at this point. I feel disheartened by the fact that not everyone will put on a mask to go inside of a store. I think personal choices get trickier.

I don’t think it’s smart for somebody to be going to a huge party with a bunch of people inside of a house, but I’m not gonna hate on someone for hanging out with a few friends. I feel like that’s fine. I think it’s hard because everyone has their own limits, but it is kind of annoying to see people pretending like it doesn’t matter at all, like on college campuses.

At UGA, it’s getting out of control and there’s just no accountability for people that are going out without masks all the time. I guess my main stance is that if you wear a mask when you go places and you don’t hang out with a ton of people outside of your essential group, there’s not much more that you can do.

KN: So based on your response, I take it that you’ve just been hanging out with a few people and not going to big events.

Interviewee: Yes, right. I guess the biggest change is that I’m not really sleeping

out anywhere. I’ve only done it once since school started and that was only with two people. I haven’t gone to any big parties or anything inside with a ton of people.

I hang out with a few close friends, and even then it’s usually outside. I try not to go inside of other people’s houses and I wear a mask everywhere I go. I also don’t eat inside any restaurants.

KN: What would your message be to people who are just neglecting the pandemic and partying or going to bars?

Interviewee: I would just say that this kills people. In our community, we’ve seen the virus hurt people. Parents, grandparents... people can get really, really sick. I think it’s a selfish point of view to not even attempt to mitigate the spread of something that is killing so many people. I’d say that the fact that you don’t care about it is selfish. Just think about other people a little more, because this is real, and it does hurt people.

Interviewee #2: KN: What do you think of the President’s response to the virus and what do you think that the appropriate response should be from the American people?

Interviewee: It’s frustrating that the issue became partisan. It should have been both sides of the government working together to find a solution to an issue that’s pretty big. With President Trump, I think that the initial shutdown of travel from China was a good thing. It was quick and decisive.

I think where Trump screwed up and lost a lot of trust with the public is his downplaying of the virus. Sometimes he would say things that are true, but a lot of it was just speculation. The appropriate response to this comes down to priorities.

The left prioritized public health a little more than the right while the right prioritized the economic side more. Person-

ally, while I obviously think that public health is important, I don’t think that the response to the coronavirus can be worse than the coronavirus itself, which is easier to say in hindsight where you see how bad the coronavirus has been. I feel like keeping the economy strong is important, but finding the balance between that and being able to keep people safe is very important.

KN: How do you think people should be viewing the virus on an individual level?

Locking themselves in the house, or going to bars and parties without wearing a mask? What do you see fit in these times?

Interviewee: Well that’s just it, I think it should be individualized. I think that if you’re COVID-19 prone and worried about it, then you should stay inside if you want to. If you’re not high risk and you’re in that group of people where you have a 99.8% chance of living, then do what you want to do.

I think that the government’s play in it should be to advise. I think that they should advise people not to congregate in groups larger than 10 people, to wear a mask in public, and to take proper precautions. Where you start getting into that gray area is when you have enforcements and restrictions, because then you’re impeding on people’s everyday pursuit of happiness.

KN: So based on that response, I’m assuming that you disagree with the government forcing businesses to shut down and imposing curfews.

Interviewee: Yes, I can’t agree with that.

Restaurants have taken a hit from the pandemic. I work at a restaurant so I see it first hand. We’re not hitting the numbers anywhere near we were hitting pre COVID. You have 40% of small businesses that don’t know if they’ll make it past this quarter. I think that those are the types of businesses that we have to be supporting right now, and not through government stimulus packages. We have to let them reopen and determine the safety of their business by themselves.

Holiday Plans Change Due to COVID-19

Photo: Katie Janko

The holidays are a time for gathering as a family, but as Georgia’s COVID-19 cases rise, holiday plans have been altered.

Gathering in larger groups and putting older relatives at risk has worried families.

With college students returning home for the holidays, the risk has only increased. COVID-19 numbers at colleges have been higher than ever, and The New York Times reports that more than 50 colleges reported a minimum of 1,000 cases over the course of the pandemic. Health officials have encouraged meeting only in small groups and not seeing older or high-risk relatives for the holidays for these reasons.

As a result, Pace students and their families have had to get creative with their holiday plans. Many Pace families chose to stay home instead of traveling like they normally would.

“Thanksgiving for my family usually has huge gatherings with

The Janko family celebrated Thanksgiving by playing baseball with masks in a socially-distanced way. a bunch of family and friends, but with COVID-19 we were just by ourselves,” said sophomore CJ Thomas. “It was weird but we managed.” Junior Allison Silverboard also celebrated Thanksgiving with her immediate family and used two tables to socially distance.

“We chose to travel up to Cashiers, North Carolina because it was really nice up there, and not too much changed for our family but we kept it to a smaller number of people this year,” said senior Josh Mininberg.

“We stayed in Atlanta because the risk of being infected or infecting others was too great, and we could not visit with relatives,” said freshman Walker Smith.

Sophomore Barri Seitz traveled to Florida with her family for Thanksgiving. “We didn’t go to any restaurants or eat in big public spaces like we normally would have,” said Seitz. “We also didn’t meet up with any friends while we were down there and wore masks on the car ride down with extended fam-

ily.”

Junior Kargil Behl said that from the time he was in lower school, his grandparents would come to visit from England for Thanksgiving. However, with the circumstances this year, his family celebrated sociallydistanced and virtually.

Many students are waiting for the December holidays to see family members they chose not to visit during Thanksgiving. “We decided to essentially ‘cancel’ Thanksgiving, so we stayed home and chose to wait

until Christmas to be as safe as possible because Christmas was more important to our family,” said sophomore Marisa Sapre.

She added that her aunt is very insistent they keep their tradition of visiting South Carolina for Christmas, so her family will get tested and quarantine before their visit.

Some students, however, don’t share the same hopeful sentiment for a more joyous winter holiday. “I think Christmas will be the same as Thanksgiving for us, and we will stay in Atlanta and not have many family members over,” said sophomore Brooke Fung Chung. Seitz, Mininberg and Thomas don’t anticipate big family gatherings, either. Seitz said that her family is planning to keep it small for Hanukkah and will be able to space visits out because there are eight nights to celebrate.

“We will definitely have to be very careful, especially with grandparents coming to town in December,” Mininberg said. “We usually have a big Christmas party, but this year that won’t happen,” said Thomas. “I’m just happy to be with my family at all during these times to be honest.”

December 11, 2020

Pace News

The Knightly News - Page 6

Inman Center Is 20 Photo: Gabriel Kadoori Knight Capital leader Jonathan Merlin (right) speaks to club members at a recent meeting while faculty sponsor Robert Kaufman looks on.

Knight Capital Teaches Financial Literacy Despite the United States having the world’s largest economy, only 57% of Americans are financially literate, according to The Tennessean. Researchers found that only 37% of Americans were able to answer simple questions regarding inflation, compound interest and diversification.

Mr. Michael Merlin, founder of Merlin Wealth Management and advisor to Knight Capital, believes that the lack of financial literacy in America is an issue that must be addressed. “I think it’s really important for kids to learn how to invest early,”

he said. “It’s not a class that is taught in school and I think it’s really important for there to be an avenue for students to learn financial literacy.”

Mr. Merlin said that “it would be incredible for there to be a curriculum for kids to learn financial literacy, because it affects everyone, no matter what career path you take.” Although Pace does not offer a financial literacy course, Knight Capital is a great alternative, as the club works towards educating students in investing while giving back to the community.

Before the school year, an anonymous donor granted $50,000 to Knight Capital for its investments. The group of over 50 students, led by junior Jonathan Merlin, meets every other Thursday during break in Eng-

Every November, many Indians and Indian-Americans come together to celebrate Diwali: the festival of lights. Observed by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs around the world, Diwali celebrates the battle of good over evil and light over dark. The festivities of Diwali are celebrated throughout a five day period, with the third day being considered as the main day of Diwali.

It is on this day when Hindus around the world come together to pray to the Hindu Goddess Mahalakshmi for luck and wealth, as well as celebrate the Hindu epic of the Ramayana.

The Ramayana is the story of Lord Rama, an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, and his triumph over the demon Ravana, symbolizing the battle of good over evil.

The celebrations of Diwali often include large gatherings

with friends and family, visits to temples, sharing food among communities and watching fireworks. Families also light oil lamps made from clay called “diyas.” The lighting of these diyas symbolizes purity, good luck and power and celebrates Lord Rama’s return back home after defeating the demon Ravana, marking one of the most important dates of the year for South Asian families.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people around the world had to change their Diwali plans. Families were not able to celebrate in large gatherings, food was not shared among communities and many were hesitant to visit temples for fear of contracting the virus.

Junior Saanika Tolmare, along with the help of the newly formed Not Your Model Asian Affinity Group (NYMAAG), led this year’s Diwali celebration at Pace. “I wanted to incorporate a celebration to our day to celebrate Diwali, but in a COVIDfriendly way,” Tolmare said.

Tomare and NYMAAG,

lish teacher Robert Kaufman’s classroom to discuss where to invest this money. At the end of the year, all profits are donated to Pace Academy for student scholarships. Last year, Knight Capital contributed over $8,000 toward scholarships.

During meetings, the group discusses the pros and cons of investing in different companies while “learning good tenets of investing,” as Mr. Merlin explained. “What are the characteristics of a great company?

What is diversification?” are some questions that the group explores.

“We’re teaching the principals first, and then deciding how we’re going to allocate our portfolio,” said Mr. Merlin. So far, the group has invested in Microsoft and Apple and will continue

to research other companies as the year progresses.

No prior knowledge of investing is required to join Knight Capital, as the club’s goal is to educate students. “I know it can sometimes be an intimidating topic, but that’s all the more reason to want to be in a group like Knight Capital,” said Mr. Merlin. “Our goal is to educate students and make them more excited about investing.”

“If you are interested in stocks, great,” said Jonathan.

“But if you like doing good for others and helping out the Pace community, that’s another reason to join.”

Any student who is interested in joining should contact Jonathan Merlin (404-6800188) or Mr. Kaufman at robert. kaufman@paceacademy.org.

Pace Celebrates Diwali

Photo: Omar López Thismón (L-R) Juniors Kargil Behl and Samuel Alkire place candles on the Pace front lawn for Diwali. sponsored by physics teacher Tahseen Kahzi, sought the help of the Pace Asian student population to help plan this event.

With the help of Pace parents, Tolmare and NYMAAG planned a mini celebration primarily centered around the symbolism of Diwali, and specifically, the symbolism of light. They set up a table outside of the Commons

filled with candles and asked students to take a candle and place it on the lawn in front of the Castle: a symbolic gesture to spread light and purity around campus.

While both Tolmare and other members of NYMAAG wish they could have done more, they are still pleased with the effort.

The year 2020 marks 20 years of the Inman Center, a “multipurpose student activity facility,” as stated in Pace Academy’s press release at the time of its opening. Having opened on Jan. 26, 2000, this 97,000 square foot center tripled the athletic and student activity space. The indoor track, 900-seat gymnasium, wrestling and gymnastics training area, locker rooms, cafeteria and office spaces were chiefly responsible for a next level Pace community.

“Prior to the construction of the Inman Center, there was a pool, and behind that, tennis courts,” says Pace alumna and now Director of Communications Caitlin Jones. According to the press release, the Inman Center began with the Educating for Life campaign.

The building was named for the Hugh McDonald Inman Sr. family which gave the first $2 million for its construction. Mr. Inman led a real estate development firm and raised two Pace graduates, Don and John Inman. (Their families also have children who graduated from Pace.) Other Atlanta foundations contributed to the funding of the Inman Center, and the campaign reached 95% participation from the Pace parent body.

A contributing factor in constructing the Inman Center was not only the attention to Pace athletics but also what came with that, including a spirited student body as students watched and supported their classmates.

“I think the Inman Center signaled a point where Pace began to take athletics seriously,” said History Department Chair Tim Hornor. “The center created a space in which you could go see a basketball game in impressive surroundings and gave a notable impression to outsiders coming to the school.”

According to Mr. Hornor, the Inman Center was the first domino to fall in establishing a new Pace, which later included the construction of a new middle school and upper school, as well as increased attention to athletics.

“We often think of athletics and academics sort of in rivalry with one another, but this new Inman Center created a different vision of what Pace could be,” Mr. Hornor said.

Mrs. Jones claims that the Inman Center not only grew Pace athletics, but that the game experience was taken to a different level of legitimacy, as players felt a newfound support, spirit and pride within the student section.

Opinion

Vol. 46, Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 7

More Diversity Needed in Pace Curriculum living in different time periods with a variety of life experiences.

In books such as “Let the Great World Spin” and “The Catcher in the Rye,” Christianity is brought up numerous times, whether it is to discuss the idea of fate or make a connection to God. While this may be essential in understanding the characters’ development and motivations, it is disappointing to see an absence of representation of other religions in the novels we read.

The fictitious novel “Life of Pi” is the only work that is read in the high school that incorporates Hinduism and Islam.

The protagonist, Pi, learns to accept and practice these religions along with Christianity, refusing to view only one as prominent.

It is frustrating to be a part of a diverse student body, school and community when the same sense of diversity is not reflected in the material we study in class. In addition to gender and religion, almost every character in the novels we read is straight. The sparsity of content that features LGBTQ characters is troubling. The almost exclusive focus on straight, white, Christian men in the Pace curriculum needs to come to an end and align with the views that our community works to promote every day.

There is currently work in progress to add more diverse books and novels to the reading list. Recently, English Depart-

Photo: Meghna Singha

“The Great Gatsby,” “The Catcher in the Rye,” “Let the Great World Spin.”

These are just three of the dozens of novels that are currently a part of the Pace Academy upper school curriculum. One may notice that they share a common theme: they are centered around a white, Christian male. While Pace has altered their curriculum in response to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, there is still a lack of gender and religious diversity within the books that are assigned.

While novels such as “The Great Gatsby” include female figures, the woman is usually not the focal point of the narrative but rather a side character or a love interest. This seems a bit ironic because in our community, we are encouraged to suspend the gender stereotypes that have defined our nation. For generations, our society has viewed men as the “dominant, more capable” sex. With this hackneyed mindset comes the idea that women are inferior, more emotional and not as competent.

While there are many people in our community who have a more progressive mindset, it is still vital to address the injustices and prejudices that women have

faced in the past and present. Novels such as “Jane Eyre” and “Little Women” illustrate these issues in a great way, bringing to light the harsh and unfortunate reality that some overlook. This is not to say that books like “Hamlet” and “The Odyssey” should be removed from the curriculum.

However, Pace would benefit from adding a few novels that do not revolve around the lives and conquests of men.

In addition to a lack of gender diversity, there is little to no religious variation in the books and novels we read and discuss in class. Throughout high school, I have read few novels about someone who is Jewish, Hindu, Muslim or a Buddhist.

Pace does their best to promote diversity among the student body; however, when it comes to what is being assigned in class, this same sense of heterogeneity is lacking.

The reading lists for all four grades only contain two books that center around Judaism: “Maus” and “Man’s Search for Meaning.” While this may seem like a positive step forward, there are still some flaws. “Maus” is a satirical graphic novel, as opposed to a novel, about a very serious event. Both of these books hone in on the Holocaust and center around individuals’ experiences during this traumatic time. This is not to say that the Holocaust should not be taught and is not important; however, it would be nice to see more books that discuss Jewish characters

Junior Jaxon Willoughby reads “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Some of the novels taught at Pace are displayed in front of him. ment Chair Marsha Durlin sought help from an outside consultant in an effort to add more inclusive texts to the Pace curriculum. Hopefully, Pace students and faculty will be seeing this change in the near future.

Domestic Disinformation Undermines Democracy

Photo: @realDonaldTrump on Twitter

In the digital age, disinformation and misinformation can spread easily and quickly, especially over the hyper accessible format that social media provides. No matter what the original source is, false information can reach the entire world in a matter of minutes, and it often becomes difficult or near-impossible to discern whether or not the information that you are taking in is accurate.

Starting on Nov. 10, the Pace Upper School hosted Nina Jankowicz, a Wilson Center fellow and expert on disinformation and media, as assembly presenter and visitor to 11 classes spanning each grade and many subjects. Over the course of a week, students learned about disinformation, how they may be affected by it on a daily basis and how certain countries use it to control elections to either maintain or gain power.

These visits came at the perfect time, just a week after the final day of the 2020 U.S. general election. Given the highly contested nature of this election, it should not come as a surprise that some disinformation, defined as false information spread with malicious intent, as well as misinformation, false information spread without malicious intent, was present in American media, on social media and even in speeches made by government officials leading up to the election, as well as in the wake of the announcement of President-elect Joe Biden’s win.

The New York Times, along with other news sources, has been tracking the spread of election-related disinformation in the “Daily Distortions” section of its website. Disinformation included videos and rumors about improper behavior at polling stations spread on Nov. 3 while polls were still open, along with President Trump’s allegations of widespread voter fraud that were subsequently flagged by Twitter. Americans also spread a false rumor that Sharpies were being used to invalidate votes in key swing states and the false allegation that 21,000 dead people “voted” in Pennsylvania, the state that pushed President-elect Biden over the 270 electoral votes mark.

The narrative behind each of these stories came overwhelmingly from the President, his advisors and other key Republican officials and each centered around the idea that improper activity only worked in Biden’s favor.

Meanwhile, the Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council, along with the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees, released a press release on Nov. 12 announcing that “the November 3rd election was the most secure in American history,” prompting President Trump to fire Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Christopher Krebs. Krebs, a Trump appointee, has run the agency since its creation after the 2016 election.

It also appears that much of the disinformation that is being disseminated is sticking with Trump’s support-

ers. According to a POLITICO/Morning Consult poll conducted in the days following the announcement of President-elect Biden’s win, 70% of Republican respondents said that they do not believe that this was a free and fair election.

This number is in stark contrast to the data released by the CISA, and is double the number of Republican voters who held this belief prior to the election. Many of the reasons that these Republicans cited for why this election was neither free nor fair were statements or concepts that President Trump tweeted out in the days following Nov. 3.

There was also an increase from 18% to 64% of Republicans who believed that the results of the election would be unreliable before and after the election. This distrust, as well as the belief that Biden won the election based on voter fraud, is especially strong in key swing states that Trump seems to have lost. This should not come as a surprise, since he has filed largely baseless lawsuits in many close states and used language to provoke Republican voters’ sense of distrust in their state’s results.

The fact that so many elected officials, who are supposed to represent the will of the people and act for their

benefit, were willing to tweet, retweet, like and spread messages that were clearly false narratives set to call into question Biden’s decisive victory, says a lot about their moral integrity. The highly politicized nature of these messages was spread often with the intent to galvanize Trump’s most loyal supporters, those who would be willing to incite violence. Throughout his time as president, Trump has spent time dividing the country by spreading messages of hate and division, and the wake of this election has been no different.

Besides the danger of having an angry base ready to take action into their own hands, Trump’s refusal to concede this election may cause trouble for the early days of the Biden administration. After the 2000 Election, the delayed transfer of power was cited by the 9/11 Commission as a potential reason for the 9/11 attacks.

As the Trump administration refused Biden his right to a daily security briefing, the funds that are typically given to a presidentelect before their inauguration, and other information and services that would typically be allocated to a president-elect during the transition period, it is almost certainly going to come back to hurt the country in the long run. Trump’s team knows this. Without spreading disinformation that makes the election results seem contestable, there would be no reason to keep this act going.

As domestic disinformation becomes more widespread and increasingly more politicized, it puts the state of our nation’s democracy at a heightened risk. Even though President-elect Biden has promised to work for all Americans, not just “blue states,” he will still face an uphill battle with gaining legitimacy among Trump supporters who still refuse to believe that he will even take office in the first place.

In Georgia, which will remain at the center of national news until at least Jan. 5 when two Senate runoff elections will take place, expect to see more disinformation or misinformation in the coming months. Georgia GOP officials, including Party Chair David Shafer and U.S. Representative Doug Collins, have released tweets littered with false allegations about Georgia’s vote count.

Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has had to dispute these claims and call out disinformation, while also dealing with incumbent Senate candidates Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue’s demand for his resignation and claim that he and his office mishandled the election. Disinformation is quickly becoming a new norm, and it’s not going away anytime soon.

Year in Review

Honoring Those Who Passed in 2020

The Knightly News - Page 8

JANUARY

Jan. 20

KOBE AND GIANA BRYANT

First Case of COVID-19 In U.S.

Donald Trump’s Impeachment Trial

FEBRUARY

December 11, 2020

January through Early February The House of Representatives approved articles of impeachment in December that were submitted to the Senate on Jan. 16, making President Trump the third-ever American President to be impeached. The charges brought against him were abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He was not removed from office because the Republican- majority Senate acquitted him of charges on Feb. 5.

NAYA RIVERA CHADWICK BOSEMAN

Wildfires in Australia

Sept. 2019 - Feb. 2020

Raging for six months, the 2019-2020 Australian wildfires were unprecedented. More than 46 million acres were burned and 75 people died. An estimated 3 billion animals were affected.

COVID-19 Spreads in U.S.

March

After it overtook Asian countries in late December into January, COVID-19 spread across the United States in mid-March. As the number of cases increased, schools, restaurants and entertainment venues closed in hopes of containing the virus. By Dec. 6, the number of deaths in the U.S. had climbed to over 282,000, with the number of cases nearing 15 million.

C.T. VIVIAN Boys Basketball Wins State Championship

Online School Begins

March 17

March 5

JOHN LEWIS RUTH BADER GINSBURG

ALEX TREBEK

Graduation at Riverview August 1

Explosion in Beirut

August 4

In Beirut, Lebanon, a warehouse holding ammonium nitrate caught fire and a series of explosions ocurred, leveling buildings in the surrounding area. Nearly 300,000 people were left displaced or homeless.

Students Return to Campus

August 12

Am

OCTOBER

SEAN CONNERY

Wildfires in California ravaged the state over a period of months. There were 9,279 separate fires that burned 4.4 million acres of land, in the largest wildfire season ever recorded in the state modern history. Gov. Gavin Newson declared a State of Emergency in August, but fires continued into November.

AUGUST

EDDIE VAN HALEN

Wildfires in California

State of Emergency Declared In August

Oc

O

T R M c

Year in Review

Vol. 46, Issue #3

REVIEW THE YEAR 2020 IN

March

Presidential Primaries Begin February The presidential primaries kicked off with the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3 and the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 11. The U.S. would be consumed with election news from February through November.

ICGL Study Tours

MARCH

February 28 ICGL Trips to Australia and South Africa leave.

The Knightly News - Page 9

HOW HAS 2020 CHANGED YOU?

We asked this question of Gus Thomas, student body president and senior, and Jack Flaum, a first grader. Here are their responses.

It didn’t change me, it just changed what I have to do, like social distance, wash hands and wear a mask. It’s important to stay safe.

Pace Releases Racial Equity Plan

ctober 26

The World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6, in a delayed and shortened MLB season and with the stadium at only 50% capacity due to COVID-19.

JULY

May Through Summer

After the murder of George Floyd on May 25 by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin during an arrest, protests exploded across the country calling for justice in cases of police brutality and other racially motivated violence. Protests continued as more Black people were killed throughout the following months. Protests also demanded justice for Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky on March 13.

my Coney Barrett Confirmed to Supreme Court

October 27

Pictured are members of Pace Academy’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Team, which was expanded during the 2019-2020 school year.

(L-R): Omar López-Thismón, Joanne Brown, Nirvana Scott and Scott Shupe

Black Lives Matter Protests

Joe Biden Named President-Elect by AP

November 7

NOVEMBER

MAY

July 30

The 2020 election had the highest voter turnout ever with 156 million votes cast (66.7% of the eligible voting population).

Democratic candidate Joe Biden won the election, defeating Republican incumbent Donald Trump by over 6 million votes. With Biden’s victory, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris will become the first Black, first South Asian and first woman to serve in the office.

Volleyball, Girls Cross Country Win State Championships

November 7

Quarantine really helped put into perspective how blessed I am to be able to attend such a fabulous institution that has handled COVID-19 so well. I also have learned how grateful I am to attend school in person, especially as a senior. While in school, I have found a new appreciation for biology, as we have been able to take a scientific look at the virus.

Current Affairs

December 11, 2020

The Knightly News - Page 10

Markets Up Following Election, Vaccine News share the same viewpoint as investors. Albert Bourla, the Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer, sold nearly $6 million of the stock as it reached post-COVID-19 highs.

Bourla now faces allegations of insider trading. Moreover, the sale gives the stock and vaccine a faulty connotation.

Another interesting development in the market after the election has been Tesla’s (TSLA) entry into the S&P 500. The S&P is an index that tracks 500 large companies, which usually is a good indicator of the stock market’s performance. After announcing the entry, Tesla’s stock shot up over 10%. Tesla’s investors and CEO Elon Musk enjoyed a massive boost in wealth because of this. In fact, Musk’s net worth increased by around $15 billion.

After the election results became more obvious, some interesting developments took place in the technology, healthcare, renewable energy and defense spending sectors. The technology industry surged off hopes of similar corporate taxes and less regulation in the market with a presumed Republican Senate.

On the other hand, healthcare stocks rallied with news of a Joe Biden presidency. Cigna (CI) and United Healthcare (UNH) were some of those winners.

Renewable energy companies staggered and fell amid finalized results. It is unclear why, but traders are not expecting far-sweeping plans to fight

Photo: Sam Webb

gains tax, a tax on the growth of investments incurred when an individual sells an investment, de-incentivizing investment. A Republican Senate will not only stop tax increases, but antitrust Given that lawsuits and legislation as well. claims of voter fraud are false, Whatever one’s opinion is President-elect Joe Biden will on trusts, one thing’s for sure: be inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2021. implementing legislation would Following the Nov. 3 election, hurt major corporations such as the House of Amazon and FaceRepresentatives The dismantling of book. The dismanremained Demosome of the largest tling of some of the cratic. If history largest companies companies in Ameri- in America would repeats itself, the Senate is likely ca would trickle down trickle down to to remain Repubto the entire market, the entire market, lican, pending hurting the market hurting the economy and economy in the the outcome of Georgia’s two in the short term. short term at least.

Senate runoffs on NevertheJan. 5. Historically, GOP turnout less, the market has pushed up is higher for runoff elections, on these hopes and on a few although these are not ordinary other factors. Pfizer (PFE) times, so the market’s future has announced a 90%+ effectrajectory is unclear. tive coronavirus vaccine and With the presumed scenario Moderna (MRNA) more recently that the Senate stays Republican, announced its vaccine is 94.1% the stock market pushed up after effective, and 100% effective the election. With a majority Re- in protecting against serious publican Senate, Joe Biden’s $4 illness. Pfizer and BioNTech trillion tax increase is not likely (BNTX) received emergency to occur, benefitting the finanapproval for their COVID-19 cial markets greatly, according vaccine in the UK. This news to the Wall Street Journal. has caused a general positive Biden’s proposed tax outlook in the market, affecting increases would be levied on all sectors according to US News corporations and higher-income and World Report. individuals, which combined However, Pfizer has had could negatively affect the some sketchy business after its stock market for the short term, vaccine announcement. Followat least. Additionally, Biden ing the announcement the stock wants to increase the capital soared, but one person did not

(L-R) Juniors Grant Thompson and Jude Black examine the longterm analytics of Apple (AAPL) and Lockheed Martin (LMT). climate change.

Unlike the energy sector, the defense spending sector has skyrocketed. Lockheed Martin (LMT) and General Dynamics (GD) are performing well with the upcoming Joe Biden White House, where cuts to military spending are unlikely according to the Washington Post.

Although cannabis stocks are nowhere near pre-pandemic levels, companies such as Aurora

Cannabis (ACB) and Tilray Inc. (TLRY) have reacted positively towards Joe Biden as presidentelect.

Overall, the Dow Jones Industrial Complex rose 11.8% in November, its best monthly performance since January 1987.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq was up 11.8% for the month, its biggest monthly gain since April.

The S&P 500 also rose, gaining 10.8% in November.

Is Political Polarization Forever?

Photo: Ashley Myers

Political polarization runs deep in America. Families are divided; friendships are broken.

When will we be able to heal and mend these relationships, and reconnect divided families?

Are these relationships irrecoverable? Will we ever be able to return to a time when political disagreement wasn’t a friendship-ender?

President-elect Joe Biden hopes to ease tensions and return to a bipartisan atmosphere as soon as possible. “The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another — it’s not some mysterious force beyond our control,” said Biden. “It’s a decision, a choice we make. If we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate. And I believe that this is part of the mandate given to us from the American people.

They want us to cooperate in their interests, and that’s the choice I’ll make. And I’ll call on Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to make that choice with me.”

Most Biden and Trump supporters agree with Biden’s sentiment and call for coop-

Just down the street from Pace Academy hangs a banner promoting “unity over division” and an end to the extreme political polarization in America. eration. According to the Pew Research Center, “in October, 89% of Biden supporters and 86% of Trump supporters said their preferred candidate should focus on addressing the needs of all Americans, even if it means disappointing some support-

ers. Only around one-in-10 in both camps said their candidate should focus on the concerns of those who voted for him without worrying too much about the concerns of those who didn’t.”

Advocates for decreasing political polarization in America

point to the media and the spread of misinformation as a main dividing factor between parties.

Andrew Hanauer, opinion editor at USA Today, explained that often the media “distills entire groups to stereotypes, caricatures and villains, erasing the humanity and complexity of its individual members” because content that is virally shared and reported on is often just the “worst behavior” of a “tiny minority of Americans.”

Furthermore, some of this information, especially that which is shared on social media, is not factually correct or is only partially true. Misinformation and disinformation are both prevalent on social media and in the news. The difference lies in intent, with disinformation defined by Merriam-Webster as “false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth.”

Nina Jankowicz, a Wilson Center disinformation fellow, encouraged everyone to “be skeptical of social media” and especially “beware of algorithmic bias.” On a large majority of social media sites, algorithms are used to predict content that the user would interact and engage with the most. Therefore, once the algorithm identifies the

user as holding a specific political view, the program will continually show that person content that goes hand in hand with their pre-existing beliefs.

The existence of algorithms allows disinformation to spread rapidly across social media platforms and the internet. “Our democracy depends upon truth,” said Jankowicz, after explaining that politicians should take pledges against the use of disinformation in their campaigns and daily work.

President Theodore Roosevelt (a Republican) once said, “Neither our national nor our local civic life can be what it should be unless it is marked by the fellow-feeling, the mutual kindness, the mutual respect, the sense of common duties and common interests, which arise when men take the trouble to understand one another.”

Jankowicz echoed this sentiment when she said that people need to have “real, in person, conversations” with one another.

She went on to explain that commenting on social media can cause more tension whereas taking the time to meet up and have a conversation is more likely to lead to genuine understanding of the other person’s point of view.

Vol. 46, Issue #3

Current Affairs

Candidate Positions - Senate Runoff Elections on Jan. 5

The Knightly News - Page 11

Photos: Wikimedia Commons

After Nov. 3, the presidential election was not the only subject of hot debate. Georgia’s Senate elections have captured the attention of the entire country these past few weeks. The Democrats flipped two Senate seats in the November election with Mark Kelly’s win in Arizona and John Hickenlooper’s win in Colorado. The Republicans flipped Senator Doug Jone’s seat in Alabama with the election of Tommy Tuberville. Republicans have now secured 50 seats and Democrats have 48, including two independents who caucus with the Democrats. With two more Democratic winners and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris (who acts as a tie-breaker), Democrats would reclaim the majority that they haven’t had for the past six years.

Both Senate seats in Georgia are currently up for grabs in the Jan. 5 runoff. One runoff is for the usual election that occurs this cycle, while the other is for a special election. The special election decides the seat that Republican Senator Johnny Isakson vacated after his health-based resignation on December 31, 2019. Governor Brian Kemp appointed Kelly Loeffler as Isakson’s interim replacement (effective Jan. 6, 2020) until voters had the opportunity to vote on the seat in the special election on Nov. 3.

With no primary election, 14 candidates were on the ballot for Loeffler’s seat, including eight Democrats and six Republicans. Democrat Reverend Raphael Warnock and Republican Kelly Loeffler emerged as the top two vote getters, with 32.9% and 25.9% of the votes, respectively. Because neither candidate hit the 50% threshold, a runoff was scheduled, in which voting will end Jan. 5.

The race for the other open Senate seat is between Republican David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff. At the end of vote counting, incumbent Perdue had 49.7% of votes, while Ossoff had 48%. Because neither reached the halfway point, the race is going to a runoff.

Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock

Republican Kelly Loeffler

Reverend Raphael Warnock is the current senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, the same church that Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. served. Here is his stance on various political issues, according to Warnock for Georgia.

Kelly Loeffler is an American businesswoman and currently holds the Senate seat through appointment by Gov. Brian Kemp. Here is her stance on various political issues, according to Loeffler for Georgia.

David Perdue has held the senior Senator seat since 2015. Before becoming a politician, Perdue held the CEO position of multiple companies. Here is his stance on various political issues, according to Perdue for Senate.

Jon Ossoff is an investigative journalist and has had experience as a national security staffer and aide to Representative Hank Johnson for five years. Here is his stance on various political issues, according to Ossoff for Senate.

Healthcare: Warnock supports the Affordable Care Act and plans to defend protections for pre-existing conditions.

He supports Roe v. Wade, and hopes to take action against biases in the healthcare system that cause problems like higher maternal mortality for Black women.

Healthcare: Rather than entrust more of the healthcare system to the government, Loeffler plans to expand healthcare options, believing a public option to be akin to socialism. She released a full plan that also aims at lowering medication prices, called the Modernizing Americans’ Health Care Act.

Healthcare: Perdue supported the bipartisan CARES Act in response to the COVID-19 crisis, an act that prioritized $16 billion for Georgia hospitals and healthcare workers. He also is “working with President Trump and the Senate to ensure transparency in prescription drug pricing.”

Healthcare: Ossoff supports the establishment of a public healthcare option, while maintaining private insurance choices. The public option would be comprehensive and “affordable for all” with “no deductibles for necessary care.”

Ossoff also promises to vote to strengthen the Affordable Care Act.

LGBTQ+ Rights: Warnock is a selfdeclared LGBTQ+ ally and hopes to fight for the Equality Act, which would protect members of the community from housing, financial and employment discrimination.

He would also push to expand access to PrEP, a drug which prevents contracting HIV.

LGBTQ+ Rights: Loeffler has no official statement on her website about LGBTQ+ rights. According to NBC News, however, in 2019, she supported an act that would remove the right of trans women to participate in female sports.

LGBTQ+ Rights: According to I Side With, Perdue supports same-sex marriage, but believes that churches should be allowed to refuse to marry them. He believes in equal adoption rights for LGBTQ+ couples, but doesn’t believe that gender identity should be added to antidiscrimination laws.

LGBTQ+ Rights: Ossoff plans to support the Equality Act and oppose the transgender military ban. He will support anti-bullying plans for LGBTQ+ students currently in the school system.

Climate: Warnock intends to push to

rejoin the 2015 Paris climate accord, an international agreement in which participating countries promised to try and fight climate change. He also supports the goal of having a clean economy by 2050 and believes that polluters and utility companies should be held accountable for any damage done to the Earth.

Criminal Justice: Warnock’s goal is

to reasonably fund police departments (how, exactly, he doesn’t say) and reduce needless gun violence. He also has made it his goal to help end mass incarceration, as well as private prisons.

Immigration: Warnock’s website does

not mention immigration. According to Bustle, he preached a sermon in which he posited that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream is incomplete without Dreamers.

The DREAM Act would allow Dreamers, the people who illegally entered the country as minors, to achieve permanent residency.

Jobs and the Economy: Warnock

believes in protecting the dignity of work by supporting “honest wages, protected retirement, and fair overtime compensation.” He also hopes to help small business owners, especially entrepreneurs of color and women, attain capital and support.

Climate: Loeffler’s website did not

mention the climate crisis, and she has no current track record on climate change.

Criminal Justice: Loeffler’s website

also did not mention the criminal justice system. According to the AJC, Loeffler has supported a Republican bill (never passed) that intended to make it easier for Georgia to declare a murderer “guilty but mentally retarded” (widely viewed to be an outdated term) and thus spare the accused from execution. According to her website, she also hopes to “fully fund the police,” a response to the current “defund the police” movement.

Republican David Perdue

Climate: According to I Side With, Perdue believes that the government should not increase environmental regulations to prevent climate change. He also supports fracking, a process largely deemed detrimental to the environment. He also supports the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Criminal Justice: According to his website, Perdue opposes the “lawless defund the police movement.” He supports the First Step Act, which removes mandatory minimums for first time, nonviolent drug offenders.

Immigration: Loeffler supports a Southern border wall and hopes to defund “dangerous sanctuary cities.” She also plans to enable immigration judges to crack down more harshly on those found breaking immigration laws.

Immigration: According to his website, Perdue believes in physical barriers at “strategic points along our Southern border” and wants to move towards a merit-based immigration system.

Jobs and the Economy: Loeffler

Jobs and the Economy: During his

supported a $6.1M contract for mask production in Georgia, producing 36 million masks a month and creating jobs.

She also announced that Georgia was to receive $15.2M from the U.S. Department of Labor to address the workforce impact of COVID and to help rural communities with workplace development.

time in office, Perdue has rolled back “onerous regulations and taken action to release our energy potential.” He has also cut taxes for Georgia families and small businesses. He also rolled back DoddFranklin regulations.

Democrat Jon Ossoff

Climate: Ossoff plans to support an

infrastructure plan that includes large investments in clean energy sources. He will also push for America to immediately re-enter the 2015 Paris climate accord and for a rapid ban on single-use plastics.

Criminal Justice: Ossoff plans to champion a New Civil Rights Act that strengthens civil rights laws and advances comprehensive criminal justice reform.

He will also work to reverse the militarization of police forces, abolish the death penalty, legalize cannabis and end incarceration for nonviolent drug offenses.

Immigration: Ossoff is staunchly against the family separation policy, and will work to create a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants already residing in the U.S. He believes in extensive reform of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and wants to crack down on those who employ undocumented immigrants.

Jobs and the Economy: Ossoff does

not believe in the “trickle down” ideology and claims that he will lower taxes for all but the wealthiest Americans, support fast and generous direct emergency relief during economic crises, support debtfree public college and free vocational training. He will also work to overcome American dependence on China and will support domestic producers.

Lifestyle

December 11, 2020

The Knightly News - Page 12

Cherish the Holidays in a Year of Chaos cheesy holiday flicks.

2. Play games and do crafts

This has been a crazy year, to say the least. With COVID-19 cases currently rising in all 50 states, many are wondering what the 2020 holiday season will bring. Travel can be risky, and people may not be able to spend the holidays with extended family and friends as usual.

But there are still traditional holiday activities that one can enjoy safely to raise holiday spirits. Here are some suggestions:

1. Watch movies

and listen to music

3. Give back to the community

It is important now more than ever to support others whenever possible. One option is to send holiday cards to deployed soldiers overseas. Head over to USASOA.org for more information.

Another option is to donate gently used clothes and other items to local shelters. You can give to Toys for Tots or research other service opportunities to give back. You can even host your own drive.

Botanical Gardens’ “Garden Lights, Holiday Nights”

This Atlanta tradition is still possible thanks to ABG’s COVID-19 measures. According to their website, the ABG limits the number of people allowed in, requires masks and employs various other protocols to ensure the safety of visitors.

This beautiful light exhibit is open from 5-10 p.m., and is available until Jan. 16. Tickets are on sale online, starting at $25. This is a great way to celebrate the holidays outdoors.

5. Bake and decorate

Making and decorating cookies is always a go-to to get into the holiday spirit. Decorate a gingerbread house, bake a cake or help your family cook your holiday meals. Consider learning to cook something new.

Photo: Flickr

Whether it’s Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You,” or Adam Sandler’s “The Chanukah Song,” holiday songs are always great when spending time with family at home.

For movies, classics like “Home Alone” and “Elf” are always a good choice.

In addition, the Hallmark Channel is an option for some

Host a family board game night. If you celebrate Chanukah, play some Dreidel. Work on a puzzle over break. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa or Chanukah, you can decorate your house.

4. Visit the Atlanta

The Atlanta Botanical Gardens features “The Dragonfly” light sculpture at “Garden Lights and Holiday Nights.”

Perfect Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season 1.

4.

Need help finding gifts for your friends, family and pets? Explore the options listed below to inspire you for this holiday season!

1. For your brother: To make charging his phone easier, you can purchase this $12.99 wireless charger from Amazon this holiday season.

By simply placing one’s phone on the disk, it will begin to charge without any need for a charger or a chord.

2.

5.

2. For your sister: These LED lights can make your sister’s room festive and fun for the holiday season. For only $13.99 on Amazon, you can gift these lights to your sister to add some color to her room.

The lights are equipped with a remote that allows you to change the color of your lights at your leisure as well.

3. For your mom: What better way to celebrate the holidays than with a custom candle for mom?

Just head to the Yankee Candle website,

3.

6.

pick a style, scent, photo and message, and there you have it!

These personalized, $22.00 candles are guaranteed to put a smile on your mom’s face and will definitely be cherished by her as well.

4. For your dad: This gift is truly one-of-a-kind and will be put to great use by dad. A golf driver dispenser is perfect for the holidays, allowing your dad to have a cold beverage while out on the golf course.

Head to Sharperimage.com to explore this item for $60.00.

5. For your friend: Add some humor to your holiday season with this burrito blanket. Available on Amazon for $24.99, this comfortable blanket is a great gift for your friends. It is also available as a pie, pizza or a waffle if your friend is not a fan of burritos.

6. For your dog:

These funny dog toys are the perfect gift for your furry friends. They range in price from $7.00 to $20.00 on Amazon and will make your dog’s tail wag. These toys include a faux Starbucks frappuccino as well as a “Chewy Vuitton” bone.

Vol. 46, Issue #3

Lifestyle

The Knightly News - Page 13

‘The List:’ For Your Do-Not-Read List

the Plane,” their second novel sounds absolutely enthralling. Better yet, they intend to turn this riveting story into a major motion picture. I, for one, would love to see it performed by our beloved Pace theatre program.

Would I recommend that you buy this book? No. Instead, you could spend the $16.99 on four Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches and a large Coke. To sum it up, this is just one of those books that as soon as you put it down, you never want to pick it back up again.

Ever since Netflix released its new limited series “The Queen’s Gambit” on Oct. 23, viewers have been going crazy over it. The seven-episode series is based on Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel, following the story of chess prodigy Elizabeth (Beth) Harmon, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. The story follows her quest to become the best chess player in the world as she struggles with loss, emotional problems, and drug and alcohol dependency.

If you have not watched the limited series, I highly recommend it, as it is captivating and highly entertaining. I would also tell prospective viewers to not be discouraged if you are not a chess fan, as it is not the primary focus of the series. My review is below, but caution – there are major spoilers ahead.

People always say that a strong first impression is important and “The Queen’s Gambit” definitely did that with the first episode, “Openings.” The series begins with Beth in Paris in 1967, waking up in a messy hotel suite littered with pills and empty bottles of alcohol.

Having overslept, she scrambles to rush off to a chess match. She is surrounded by paparazzi as she races to the match and the director, Scott Frank, uses the flashes of old fashioned cameras to pan to a flashback. The technique Frank utilizes here immediately puts the viewer on the edge of their seat, reeling them in before delving into her past.

The viewer learns that Beth’s mother died in a car crash when she was young, leaving her in an orphanage.

The subsequent scenes reveal what life at the orphanage was like.

The two most important aspects were that Beth becomes addicted to the tranquilizers that were commonly given to orphans during this time (1950s), and that she becomes fascinated with a game she sees the janitor, Mr. Shaibel, playing while she’s cleaning blackboard erasers in the basement.

Jolene, portrayed by Moses Ingram, is Beth’s older friend who helps Beth through life at the orphanage. She has a subtle humor that carries the quietness of young Beth’s character. The relationship between young Beth

and her first ever chess mentor, Mr. Shaibel, is also inspiring. Young actress Isla Johnston does an excellent job playing the curious and determined character of child Beth Harmon, and Bill Camp plays the tough yet loving mentor to her as she seeks to learn the game.

Smartly, the series wastes no time showing Beth’s prodigious talent, which keeps the audience interested.

Beth is eventually invited to a local high school where she easily beats all 12 of the high school players at once.

The last scene is probably the most memorable of the whole episode. The image of young Beth fainting as she shoves pills down her throat is something that audiences will remember for a long time. Some viewers claim that they did not need a whole episode dedicated to her young life, but later these claims are disproved as these scenes play a crucial role in the final episodes.

An important yet slower paced and less action packed episode, “Exchanges,” delivers key details but lacks the flair that the first episode had. During the first part of the episode, Beth’s orphanage life is wrapped up as she is adopted by a couple, Alma and Austin Wheatley.

Although somewhat drawn out, this episode does an excellent job of portraying the internal struggles Beth has to face in her young life.

While being adopted by the Wheatleys seems good initially, it is revealed that they have marital issues, with Austin never being home and always leaving Alma behind. Another issue is the fact Beth has not played chess since her pill incident, as the local high school she now attends has no chess club.

The family is struggling for money as well, so the Wheatleys refuse to buy her a chess set or pay the five dollar entry fee to a local chess tournament. Beth writes her old mentor Mr. Shaibel, who sends her the money that allows her to enter the tournament. Beth’s drug and alcohol dependency is subtly shown as she sneaks her mother’s pills, something the viewer comes to realize will be a major problem later.

In Beth’s first ever tournament, she sweeps her way in competition, destroying her opponents and ultimately beating aspiring Grandmaster Harry Beltik. With the win, she’s granted a cash prize. Marielle Heller playing Beth’s mother does an excellent job in the concluding scenes as she portrays Alma’s moment of realization that this is the way out of poverty for her and Beth.

“Doubled Pawns” is a personal favorite, as it gives us

insight into the fact that Beth’s arrogance will come back to haunt her. The beginning of the episode is fast paced and very enjoyable to watch. It depicts Beth and her mother as they navigate the chess arena, showing Beth’s ultimate rise in fame.

Early in the episode, Beth shows her arrogance as she says she sees no fault in her own game. We are also given the first allusion to Russian chess players as Beth and her mother overhear conversations about how the Soviets are supposedly unbeatable. Another subtle allusion Frank makes is how all of the fame Beth is gaining seems to highlight the fact she is a woman more than her actual talent, as being a female competitive chess player was highly uncommon at the time.

Frank highlights how Beth breaks gender norms as she is not interested in hobbies that other girls her age care for. Instead, Beth focuses exclusively on becoming the best chess player. She and a reporter (and former chess player) named Townes, share an intimate moment in his room before being interrupted by one of his friends, giving us the first introduction to Beth’s feelings for Townes, who she begins to fall in love with.

The ending of this episode is what makes it special.

We are introduced to Benny Watts, the former “child genius,” who plays a key role in the series. Watts is my favorite character as he is snippy yet lovable, with Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the perfect actor to play him.

The first we see him is when he tells Beth about an incorrect move she made many years ago when she was playing Beltik. This is the perfect window into his character. Beth can not get over this; Benny is officially in her head.

When they meet in the finals, Watts beats Beth, showing that Beth needs to learn to play mind games if she wants to keep winning. That moment is why I love this episode: it both introduces us to Benny Watts and shows that Beth is still naive and has lots to learn before she can take on the Soviets.

Overall, “The Queen’s Gambit” was a delightful series. Director Scott Frank did an excellent job of developing many character arcs in such a short period of time and depicting a girl’s journey to beat not just her opponents but her own inner demons as she masters the chess world. (For reviews of episodes 4-7, see the Knightly News website, https://knightlife.paceacademy. org/knightlynews/)

Photo: Amazon

“Imagine Prom on steroids. The exclusive, high society Sadie dance breeds drama. In an attempt to control the catfights and rejections, a list is created where girls can claim dates before the extravagant proposals.”

Sound familiar? That’s just the beginning of the Amazon blurb for a new novel released in July 2020 entitled “The List.” Pace moms of the Class of 2022, under the pen name Kelsey Mercer Grant, wrote and published the novel that is closely based on the real-life events of the infamous freshman PDC dance. The novel follows a high school freshman, Kelsey, described as “a shy bombshell” as she “finds herself and the confidence to show everyone who she truly is.” Hopefully, you are already sensing the overdone cheesiness of this novel.

Kelsey attends a Southern private high school, very much like Pace, where on the first day of school, girls claim their dates for the Sadie dance in the spring. Leading to a great deal of drama, the list is meant to replicate the Google Sheets document that many freshman Pace students used in years past to aid in choosing their dates.

In the novel, the list obliterates longtime friendships, creates new romantic relationships, and results in backstabbing revenge plans. As the year progresses, Kelsey finds herself a target of the mean girls, their heinous revenge, and worst of all, their mothers, who incidentally have way too much time on their hands. (Sounds familiar, right?) Like any typical Young Adult novel, by the end of the book, Kelsey, little miss CEO of “I’m not like other girls,” restores her friendships and – big shocker – gets the guy.

As one might imagine, wild rumors swirled around the Class of 2022 with the release of the book. Questions arose like, who wrote the book and who the characters are based on, so I took one for the team and spent my

precious time reading each excruciating page of the novel. Let’s just say that I would have rather spent my time doing ACT practice tests while eating a pair of vintage jeans.

The book reads like it was written by a fourth grader – literally. In fourth grade, we were assigned a two-page paper to be written about 15 seconds of our lives, and as one could guess, the papers were jam-packed with excess sensory details that nobody cares about. Now imagine those two pages extended to 400.

Each scene is piled sky-high with adjectives, adverbs and details that only take away from the already cliché plot and painfully awkward dialogue. However, the authors’ confusing writing style actually points to two important aspects of high school: that it makes zero sense and makes you never want to read a book ever again.

It’s almost as if they want the reader to be so confused by the writing and multitude of characters (I counted about 30 distinct ones) that they miss the spelling and grammar mistakes. By my count, there were three typos and grammatical errors, which is quite a bit considering that this article would not even be published if I had made the same mistakes.

Now, I must give credit where credit is due. Considering the amount of time and effort put into this novel, it should not just be tossed aside. Rather it should be thrown with full force. Into the open mouth of a firebreathing dragon. And I must say, it takes a lot of bravery and confidence to publish a novel this bad.

The most interesting thing about the novel is the fact that these mothers care so much about the bland drama of their teenage kids that they wrote 400 pages about it.

The Class of 2022 is very much over it, so why aren’t they?

In a way, the novel reads like a frivolous attempt to echo the treachery and deceit of the “Gossip Girl” saga.

Except instead of the 6’1” hunk of a man Nate Archibald, we get Nick, a 14-year-old JV cross country runner.

Nonetheless, the authors have already begun writing a sequel. Entitled “Prom: Meet the Ex, A Key Man on

“The List” was published in July 2020 by a group of Pace moms.

‘The Queen’s Gambit’ Captivates

Sports

December 11, 2020

The Knightly News - Page 14

Flag Football Wins Area in Inaugural Season

that we have each other’s support” said senior Lizzy Kaye.

The team is comprised of girls from all grades, and there is no junior varsity team. The girls had a impressive turnout for their first year with a roster of 16 people. The team is well balanced in terms of grade, with at least three players in every grade. This is important for continuity for the years to come. The players are led by overall team captain senior Jamie Kornheiser who plays all over the field for the Knights, on offense, defense and special teams.

Filling the other leadership roles for the Knights are senior Sydney Silverstein and junior Madison Auchincloss as captains for the offense and defense, respectively. Silverstein is the quarterback, so she has to be a vocal leader for the Knights at the helm of the offense. Auchin-

closs plays in the safety position and is in charge of organizing the secondary, making sure everyone is fulfilling their roles.

The team has been putting in hard work all fall in order to achieve their success. Their schedule consists of practice four days per week as well as film sessions. Even though these practices prepare the girls for the games, the team attributes much of their success to the high energy each player brings and the strong bonds they have created.

“The most fun part of the game is the contagious energy among the team,” said Nirgudkar. “We have really become a family even though we haven’t been playing together for very long.”

The games are played on a 40x80 yard field instead of a 50x100 yard field, which is standard for GHSA high school football. Each team has seven

Due to the coronavirus, the 2020 school year has seen many ongoing changes to ensure students’ and the faculty’s health.

Masks shield faces, and the courtyard is full of young social distancers. However, not all of the effects of the coronavirus at Pace Academy are negative. The push to a safe, outside hangout area paved the way for a revived Pace sporting activity, ping pong.

Now, during free periods or break, competitors flock to the table to test their skills and have fun. Everyone can join in casual round robins throughout the day, but more competitive games led to a crucial question, who is the best player in the entire school?

The answer lay in a 62-player tournament to crown the best ping pong player in all of Pace Academy.

The original Google Sheet sent out to the Upper School sparked tons of interest, and the players took to the table in early October. “I saw how much fun people were having with the new table and thought that people would enjoy some friendly competition,” said Gabriel Kadoori, the junior who pioneered the tournament.

For over a month, the competitors met during free periods or after school to play a game to 21 with a win by two points scenario. Eventually, names filled the bracket until only four players remained standing.

On Monday, Nov. 23, the word spread, and students filled the tented courtyard to watch the super hyped final four. In the first game, senior Michael Fu showcased his impressive accuracy and his formidable spin serves in a win over fellow talented senior Eli Mautner. In the second game, freshman David Fu conquered senior Matt Genser, showing similar glimpses of his incredible talent.

The championship, a brotherly matchup, was set for Nov. 30 during break, and students couldn’t be more excited to watch the Fu brothers battle for the ultimate prize, Chick-fil-A from Head of Upper School Michael Gannon.

It may have been the first time the fans had seen this sibling matchup, but the finalists have played against each other for years. “I’ve been playing since I was six, and my brother’s been playing since he was nine,” said finalist David Fu. “We play each other pretty often, probably every couple of weeks, minimum. We are both pretty competitive, so we like to test our skills against each other every once and a while. As for who usually wins, that doesn’t really matter.”

The championship match, a real thriller, caught most upper schoolers’ attention as some stood on chairs just to see the table. For the first half of the match, the opponents went back and forth as neither could

Photo: Fred Assaf

For the first time ever, Pace Academy has put together a girls flag football team. They recently completed the regular season going undefeated (9-0).

In the regular season, they were able to defeat everyone in their region which included many strong schools: Decatur, Lakeside, McNair and Dunwoody. This earned them the region championship and the No. 1 seed heading into the playoffs.

The team’s success is impressive, given that none of the players have ever competed in this sport. Although the team is new, the Knights showed no signs of inexperience, dominating their first three games against Lakeside and McNair by a margin of 89 points altogether.

Even so, the team had a lot to work on. “We have improved our skills and we’ve gained valuable knowledge of the game,” said sophomore Ovie Nirgudkar “We have all become better athletes and teammates, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for us.” She said that the double header on Nov. 4 against Decatur was particularly tough due to the Bulldogs’ physicality and speed.

Nirgudkar noted that despite the strong skills of the Decatur team, “the energy and spirit coming from our team at that moment propelled us forward and ultimately landed us with victories in both games against Decatur.” The final scores of the two games were 13-6 and 19-0.

“I think that as a new team, we have really come together and learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses, now knowing

Elizabeth Kaye zooms past a Decatur High School defender who is trying to pull her flag during their Nov. 4 double header.

players on the field at a time.

Because there are no pads, the girls are supposed to limit the physicality, but both the coaches and players note that many games have become rough, with the Knights sustaining multiple injuries. Fortunately for the Knights, these injuries will not take any of their players out for the playoffs. The rules for blocking stipulate that players keep their hands down and use their bodies to block defenders for team mates.

One of the biggest differences between tackle football and flag football is the fact that the first down marker is placed 20 yards downfield rather than 10 yards. There are no field goals, so if a team does not make the first down there are two options: going for it on fourth down or punting. Because there is no kicking, punts are actually passes. After a touchdown, the officials give the team two options: going for one or two points. If the team elects to go for one, the ball is placed on the three yard line and if they go for two, it is placed on the ten.

This season would not be possible without Head Coach Ty Johnson. She has been playing flag football for the WFFN USA Team and WFFN National Team for many years and loves the game of football. She spends countless hours in the summer and fall with the Pace boys varsity football team as one of their strength and conditioning coaches.

Coach Johnson wanted to give Pace’s female athletes the opportunity to play football, as she has spent many years promoting females’ role in the sport. “I have always wanted to be part of creating an opportunity for young women athletes to play football,” she

said. “When GHSA, Fred Assaf and Pace Academy presented this opportunity, it was a dream come true... I seriously could not ask for a better group of talented athletes to have on this inaugural team. It’s been full of excitement, teachable moments, and bonding experiences that have been more than I have ever imagined.”

“This team has a great head coach, Ty Johnson, and her passion for the sport is infectious,” said Kaye. “It’s easy to want to do our best to make her and the rest of the coaches proud.”

Nirgudkar agreed, saying that Coach Ty was their ‘biggest supporter.” “I’m beyond grateful to have her as a coach and mentor,” said Nirgudkar.

As many know, on Sept. 25 sophomore Jordan Sloan suffered a traumatic brain injury during Pace’s game against Westminster. Sloan and his family have been at the center of Pace’s community ever since. The flag football team dedicated their season to Sloan with aspirations to win the state championship for him, carrying a #StayStrongSloan flag onto the field before every game.

“Our ultimate goal is to win that state championship for Jordan Sloan, for these amazing athletes who are making history every time they step on the field, and for those in the Pace community who have supported us since the very beginning,” said Coach Johnson. “I am absolutely elated for this dream to finally become a reality, not only for myself, but for all of the young athletes that have wanted an opportunity to play football and just never had it. It is finally here. It seems as though all the years of playing and promoting women in football have finally paid off.”

David Fu Bests Brother in Ping Pong Tourney

Photo: Robert Kaufman (L-R) Freshman David Fu and senior Michael Fu shake hands after a close championship match on Nov. 30. establish an upper hand. Many were in awe as they watched two great table tennis players battle for the gold.

Towards the end of the game, Michael Fu pulled ahead, leading 19-16. Michael needed two

more points to end the match and claim victory, but David had a different outcome in mind. In the end, David Fu made up the difference and took the championship 21-19.

Sports

Vol. 46, Issue #3

The Knightly News - Page 15

Winter Sports Off to a Strong Start Wrestling

This year’s wrestling team has high hopes for the season. “I think one goal is to make it to the state tournament, which is something we haven’t done in quite a while,” said head coach Grady Stevens.

“We have a really strong group of juniors and a good group of freshmen that are coming in, so we feel really hopeful about being able to go to state as a team.” This year, the team is composed of only juniors, sophomores and freshmen.

“The juniors have to step up and we really have good excitement and energy that carries into practice and meets,” said junior Henry Leusink. “As a team mostly of juniors, we have been improving since freshman year, so a trip to state would be awesome.” The team is not only working hard to build a state team, but also to build team camaraderie.

“My favorite thing about the team is the bonds that I have formed with everyone,” said sophomore William Cummings. “There is not a single person on the team that I would consider anything less than a great friend of mine.”

Along with getting tested weekly, the wrestling team has put additional protocols into place to protect the team. “In practice, during conditioning and the weight room, we have to wear masks,” said Leusink. “This makes it much more difficult to breathe, but hopefully it’ll help with endurance and make things easier when we take them off in the meets.”

The team has been split into pods of three wrestlers in the same weight class. “We’re separating those pods into different corners of the room,” said Coach Stevens. “This is challenging because instead of being able to wrestle four or five, six guys in practice, you’re really stuck in your group of two or three guys.” The team is trying to get comfortable with all of the new changes. “You might want to drill a move one day, and then all of a sudden, people are getting closer than six feet, and it’s like, alright, we got to back up,” said Coach Stevens. “Building normalcy into those protocols has been tricky, but we’re there.”

The team has some exciting meets coming up. “The Buckhead belt is always a great one for us,” said Coach Stevens. “It is Westminster, Holy Innocents’, Lovett and us, and so it’s just seeing who’s the best in the area.”

Even though the season looks a little different, all four winter sports are off to a strong start.

All teams have adopted different COVID-19 protocols and are trying to stay as safe as possible, while also maintaining a level of high performance.

Boys Basketball

Photos: Fred Assaf, Ashford Little

Girls Basketball

Coming off a state title last year, the boys basketball team is as determined as ever to have a successful year. “We definitely want to try to duplicate what we did last year, but we also want to try to be a team that’s nationally recognized, and hopefully get a chance to play in the national tournament,” said head coach Sharman White. “Along with trying to win as many games as possible, we’ve kind of advanced our goals just because of that.” Senior captain Madison Durr echoed this enthusiasm. “My goals are to win not only another state championship, but get a bid to the GEICO Nationals and win the high school national championship,” said Durr.

The team has a highly competitive schedule that they hope to use to gain national attention and prepare them for the end of season tournaments. “We are looking forward to every game, but there are quite a few events that’ll be testing us in various ways competitionwise,” said Coach White. “Those include the Under Radar, where we will play Sandy Crew, who features the No. 1 player in the state, and also our own event that we have here called Playing for Change from Dec. 19-22, which will feature probably eight of the top teams in Georgia overall.” The team will also visit Arizona and Ohio to play other nationally ranked teams.

Like the other winter sports, basketball players are tested for COVID-19 every week. The team is also required to wear masks during practice and on the bench. Unlike all of the JV and middle school teams, the girls and boys varsity basketball teams are not required to wear a mask while on the court during a game. “We’re trying to do everything in our power, because this is a kind of invisible type of opponent, so we don’t know what it looks like, but we have to try to do everything we can,” said Coach White. “Staying safe is not always the easiest, but the team is working hard to adapt.”

“I would say us not having to wear masks in the game made it a lot easier to adjust to, but wearing them in practice is definitely weird,” said junior Matthew Aronson. “We are adjusting better than most, I feel,” said Durr.

We have learned to value others over ourselves by not putting ourselves in situations where we could contract the virus and possibly put the season at jeopardy.”

Varsity girls basketball players must also wear a mask at all times except for when playing a game or scrimmage, and get COVID-19 testing every week. “The mask protocol, although necessary, is sometimes difficult to work with, especially when running because it makes it harder to breathe and makes you tired faster,” said sophomore Ella Berman. Despite being unable to gather for pasta dinners or team sleepovers, the team is not letting that take a toll on their bond or success during COVID-19.

Junior Sydney Middleton is excited to advance her skills while also getting closer with the girls on the team. “My goals for the season are bonding with my fellow teammates and also improving on my defensive game,” said Middleton. Senior captain Hanna Vincent is also devoted to creating a tight knit team. “I’m looking forward to getting to know the underclassmen this year, as well as my leadership role as a senior,” said Vincent. “We usually have senior night, but this year, I’m just hoping that we get a full season.” Hanna is also hoping for a region championship victory.

Head coach Troy Baker has many goals for the team this year. “My goal is for each player to surrender to the concept of being a great teammate, and for all of us – coaches included – to grow as people throughout this process,” he said. Dr. Baker wants the team to get better every day and self-actualize in order to be the epitome of a team. “I’m looking forward to spending time together as a family and to building lifelong relationships,” said Dr. Baker. “It sounds cliché, but it’s really the cornerstone of our program.”

Dr. Baker also had two main points he wanted to voice to the team. “You show up, you do the work and you compete,” said Dr. Baker. “I’d also like to give a shout out to Hanna Vincent, who has been in this program for four years,” he said. “She has been a great teammate and tremendous source of positive energy.”

Swimming and Diving

As the Pace swim team’s season begins, head coach John Ague is simply happy the team is able to meet in person. “It all starts with wearing masks, social distancing, washing hands.” said Coach Ague. “The entire school has protocols the administration and board have approved, and I am comfortable with what we have put together for our facility.” Protocols include wearing masks until arriving at the diving blocks to get in the water and having swimmers use every other lane to ensure social distancing is followed.

While protocols are in place, many members of the team feel as though not enough is being done. “Pretty much, the swim team does not feel like much has changed, which has caused a lot of controversy and many key swimmers have even decided not to swim because they do not feel safe,” said junior Leah Favero. The majority of the swimmers from the senior class were part of the group who felt uncomfortable with the current protocols. After a discussion with Head Athletic Director Chad Wabrek, the athletic department has promised to implement some changes to make these swimmers feel more comfortable.

Even with challenges surrounding COVID-19, the team, with senior leadership from Isabel Battista, Rivers Graham, Lily Koch and Anthony Salazar, is excited to get the season underway. “I look forward to spending time with my teammates,” said sophomore Marisa Sapre. “Even though there isn’t as much team bonding as last year because we can’t go out to eat together after meets and practices due to COVID-19, the team dynamic is still going strong.”

Along with the common goal of faster individual times and team victories, many swimmers have individual goals. “This season I am looking forward to seeing everyone get faster and being able to race and have meets despite COVID-19,” said sophomore Carter Freudenstein.

“My personal goal is lowering my 100 breast time and getting a state cut time for our medley relay,” said Favero. Favero also gave a shout out to one of the standout swimmers on the team. “Everyone should look for Lane Canova,” said Favero. “He is one of the only freshmen on an A relay.” Following her commitment to dive at the Division One level at the University of Virginia, Lizzy Kaye is slated to have another stellar year as well.

Pictured from top: Junior Sam Howe, senior Cole Middelton, junior Gabby Hudson, senior Lily Koch

Sports

December 11, 2020

The Knightly News - Page 16

Girls Cross Country, Volleyball Win State Championships Boys Cross Country Wins State Runner Up; Edward Blaha Captures State Championship as Individual Runner See The Knightly News website, https://knightlife.paceacademy.org/knightlynews/ for details.

MOMENT OF HIGHEST TENSION Senior Elliot

Mathis (left) and junior Megan Hardesty (center) prepare to block as the opposing team sets up a spike.

NUMBER ONE

Freshman Caroline Hood (above left) and junior Edward Blaha (right) both finished first out of the Pace team.

Blaha finished first overall, earning the state title, and Hood finished sixth overall.

GO! FIGHT! WIN! (L-R) Seniors Sloan Baker and Casey Shoulberg support their classmates at the XC meet.

FOOTBALL MAKES FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS

The football team shows their support for teammate Jordan Sloan who is in rehab from a head injury sustained in the team’s game against Westminster on Sept. 25.

THE FINAL STRETCH (L-R) Senior Robert Houser

and junior Robert Mallis race towards the finish line.

CELEBRATION The top seven girls cross country runners pose with their medals and trophy after winning the state championship on Nov. 7 in Carrollton.

T

he football team finished its winning season with a record of 6-3. The team’s playoff run ended with a 2128 loss to the Fannin County Rebels on Nov. 28. “I feel like our young team did a good job at holding up their ground against a one seed team like Fannin because we threw our young players into the fire and expected them to adapt to the situation,” said junior Xavier Agostino.

Looking back on his final season, senior Tommy Assaf reflected on some of his favorite parts of the season.

“The best part of the season, hands down, was beating Lovett,” said Assaf. “I am really proud of how as a team and a community I feel like we grew together through hard times.” Assaf is going to miss his teammates as he leaves Pace football behind. “I would just like to tell the younger kids to play every game like it is their last,” said Assaf.

Looking ahead to his senior season, Agostino has big goals for the team next year. “The biggest thing I am looking forward to is getting all of the players on the team to buy into the goal we are trying to achieve here on this football team: a state championship,” he said.

Photos: Fred Assaf, Jolie Cunningham, Robert Kaufman

ACTION SHOTS The volleyball team blocks, strikes

and assists to win.

WINNERS The volleyball players raise their trophy

after winning their fourth state title in a row on Nov. 7.