voters extend aps devoted tax

S I N C E
1 9 4 7
www.gradyhighschool.org/
southerner
An upbeat paper
for a downtown school
SOCCER
Lady Knights
fight to state
playoffs
K E L LY AW A R D
Seniors to
vote for their
favorite teacher
p. 14
p. 14
p. 5
VOLUME LX, NUMBER 7, APRIL 20, 2007
HENRY W. GRADY HIGH SCHOOL, ATLANTA
BY HAMP WATSON
tudents and faculty are anxiously
awaiting the scores from this year’s
Georgia High School Graduation Test,
the results of which will determine
whether Grady will be classified as a Needs
Improvement school under the federal No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Principal
Dr. Vincent Murray said he expects the
GGT results to arrive during the second
week of May.
Under NCLB, schools are divided into
subgroups based on race, economic status
and student disabilities. If a subgroup in a
school fails to meet testing benchmarks in
the same subject for two consecutive years,
the school is put on the national Needs
Improvement list. Students from a Needs
Improvement school are given the chance
to transfer to another public school in
their district, while the school itself must
present the state with a plan for correcting
its progress.
English
department
chair
Ms.
Marian Kelley believes it would be
“horrendous” if Grady was added
to the Needs Improvement list.
“[But] I would still know Grady is a
good school,” she said. “Nobody would
pull their children out of Grady, but it
would be very embarrassing.”
Junior Shelley Andrews would weigh her
options if Grady were to be placed on the
Needs Improvement list.
“I could just transfer, but I love Grady,”
she said. “I guess the students who need
help could leave.”
S
VOTERS EXTEND APS DEVOTED TAX
V
BY SARAH BETH MCKAY
oters around metro Atlanta passed a
referendum March 20 to extend the
Special Purpose Local Option Sales
Tax for another five years. The tax, known as
SPLOST III, is a one percent addition to the
sales taxes within Fulton and DeKalb counties
and could raise as much as $572 million for
Atlanta Public Schools, according to the APS.
The first and second SPLOST initiatives raised
$917 million for the system.
“We needed SPLOST III,” said Alton Myers,
the director of financial planning for APS.
“After the first two SPLOST installments, there
were 27 additional schools that didn’t receive
any improvements. Also, there were a lot of
board initiatives that weren’t on the table five
years ago, like the High School Transformation
and Single Gender programs. SPLOST III
will allow us to accommodate the additional
facilities that these [programs] need.”
Additionally, APS will use the SPLOST
money to respond to drastic demographic
changes. Even though general enrollment has
dropped from 60,000 to 49,000 over the last
see SPLOST III page 10
WEST SIDE STORY
DANIEL MATTHEWS
Graduation test scores
to determine Grady’s
federal, local standing
MUSICAL CELEBRATES POWER OF LOVE OVER RACIAL TENSIONS
Cast members (from left) sophomore Matt Ward, junior Scott Chambliss, seniors Stone Irvin, Joy Carter and Natalie Streiter, and
junior Cameron Valk dance to Cool in their roles as the Jets, a gang of second-generation immigrants struggling in 1950s New
York City. “Acting in West Side Story was one of the most thrilling achievements of my life,” said Irvin, who played Jet leader Riff.
see SCORES page 7
CONTENTS
news
Mock trial finishes second at state
D
6
A revamped math curriculum
will come to Grady in the
2008-2009 school year.
feature
12
Grady alum Tracy Wilkinson’s
book about Catholic exorcisms
gains national attention.
sports
14
The girls soccer team ties
Paideia on its way to finishing
third in region 5B-AAA.
BY LILY FEINBERG
id you hear? Paris and Nicole were just in
a horrible car accident and Paris is dead!
Paris LaQuinta, that is.
Members of the Grady mock trial team
became very familiar with the story of Paris
and Nicole’s fictional accident. The students,
who portrayed lawyers and witnesses involved
in the case, argued the girls’ responsibility for
the tragic crash at the regional and state Georgia
High School Mock Trial competitions.
The team started the season with five
seniors, a long history of success and great
expectations. After every student who tried
out in December made the team, many
worried about its chances of success.
“I was worried because…a lot of our
star members were not back,” said senior
Madeleine Webb, who has been a witness on
MAY IT PLEASE THE COURT:Jessie Andrews holds a diagram
as sophomore Ryan LaMotte, who plays a police officer,
tells the jury about his investigation of a car collision.
the team for two years. “The team seemed less
almighty than it did last year, [making my
senior year seem] kind of anti-climactic.”
Nevertheless, Head Coach Carl Gebo, an
attorney for Powell-Goldstein LLP, the law
firm that sponsors the Grady team, remained
optimistic.
“After we selected the team, the coaches felt
that the Grady team had great potential,” he
said. “The team was made up of some veteran
attorneys and witnesses who had done well in
past competitions, but also a number of newer
students who were untested in competition.”
Once the team received the case, it went
straight to work preparing for the regional
competition on Feb. 17. Though Grady has a
long history of winning regionals, some on the
see MOCK page 10
2
comment
SINCE 1947
THE SOUTHERNER
April 20, 2007
EDITORIAL BOARD
CURRY ANDREWS
EMMA DIN
LILY FEINBERG
REBECCA GITTELSON
SEAN HARRINGTON
SARAH BETH MCKAY
SALLY ZINTAK
Language program
funding inadequate
Club shows support
As writers and adamant believers in the power of communication,
it is disconcerting for The Southerner staff to realize that few Grady
students know about the atrocities in Darfur, Sudan and neighboring
countries. Grady’s Amnesty International Club hosted the National
Week of Student Action March 26-30 in an attempt to increase student
awareness about the Darfur situation. The week brought some attention
to the issue, but more needs to be done.
Since the 2003 formation of the Janjaweed, a government-backed
militia, hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have been murdered, 2
million have been displaced and 2.3 million are in need of emergency
aid. The conflicts in Darfur are primarily motivated by political unrest
between the ethnic African Sudanese Liberation Army and the ethnic
Arab government and Janjaweed.
Recently, however, the desertification of Sudan has escalated the
problem to a fierce battle for foreign aid, arable land, oil reserves and
gold deposits. It has been well documemted that when the government
suspects a village is harboring rebels, they bomb it; within hours,
theJanjaweed attacks the village, rapes civilians and pillages homes for
food and weapons.
The violence has led to a significant amount of Sudanese refugees in
neighboring countries—hundreds of thousands of Sudanese have fled to
Chad. Volunteer groups, such as Doctors Without Borders, have set up
refugee camps in over 30 locations in Sudan. Refugee camps are meant
to be temporary solutions, yet violence and disease have made these
camps extremely dangerous.
We applaud the efforts of Grady’s Amnesty International Club and
encourage more students to both research and fight these atrocities.
Like the Holocaust and atrocities in Rwanda, violence in Darfur is
robbing millions of their lives, freedom and culture. Learning about the
conflicts, protesting the atrocities and donating time and money should
not stop at the end of Student Action Week. ❐
Progress list inaccurate
Grady’s report card may soon include an F.
In 2006, Grady failed to meet federal No Child Left Behind
requirements because too many students in both the ‘black’ and
‘enconomically disadvantaged’ subgroups did not pass certain parts of
the Georgia High School Graduation Test. If the pass rate of these two
subgroups does not increase this year, Grady, one of the most lauded
schools in the city, will be placed on the national Needs Improvement
List. When a school is on the Needs Improvement List, students can
transfer out of their zone school to a school outside their district.
Under the overwhelmingly confusing and contradictory NCLB
guidelines, successful schools such as Grady can be unfairly penalized.
When a school is added to the Needs Improvement List a red flag is
raised to schools and parents nationwide.
Schools on the Needs Improvement List must also present a plan
for progress; these plans usually ignore student individuality and
emphasize test taking. Grady’s plan would, more likely than not, put a
focus on GHSGT test preparation. Do we want students to be taught
to take a test or to be taught in innovative, mind-enhancing ways?
Every year, Grady earns numerous accolades for programs ranging
from advanced classes to smaller learning communities and forensics,
among other academic accomplishments. The Needs Improvement list
does not accurately reflect the quality of education and extracurricular
activities at Grady High School. ❐
C
O
R
R
E
C
T
I
O
N
S
In the Mar. 9 issue’s article, Nine football players sign, we stated that Colby
College is a Division III school, when it is in fact Division II. In the same
article, we also acknowledged Appalachian State as a Division II school
although it is Division I. Also, we failed to report the school to which senior
Simeon Kelley signed. He will attend Ball State Universtity in the fall.
Staff
Managing editors: Rebecca Gittelson, Sarah Beth McKay
Design editors: Lily Feinberg, Carson Hale
Copy editors: Curry Andrews, Emma Din, Lily
Feinberg
News editors: Curry Andrews, Emma Din
Comment editors: Sean Harrington, Sally Zintak
Feature editors: Lena Brodsky, Hanna Griffiths
Sports editors: Asa Beal, Travis Jones
Photo editors: Erik Belgum, Sally Zintak
Staff: Leah Bishop, Scottie Bookman, Andrew Bracken,
Articles emphasize
value of tolerance
Scoreboard purchase
highlights problems
Grady students, I would like to
take a moment to thank Atlanta
Public Schools for the purchase
and installment of the new
scoreboard in our stadium. This
may not seem like a very big deal
to some, but I cannot tell you how
embarrassing it is when visiting
parents ask why we don’t have
a working scoreboard and then
laugh at our lousy attempts to
make excuses.
“Of course,” one visitor stated
with a smirk, “Grady is an inner
city school.” If you have ever
traveled with any Grady team to
away games, you know it is often
quite unnerving when you enter
the other team’s stadiums where
they have a working scoreboard,
P.A. systems with announcers,
working concession stands and
bathrooms. The hard working
parents of Grady teams often have
to run their own little concession
stands with their own equipment
in order to raise money for their
children’s teams.
I am wondering why it is
that APS plans to use new
SPLOST money to fund school
improvements and yet still seems
unable to give our teams the
support they truly deserve. The
new scoreboard is great, but I
believe a lot more should be done.
Dear Editors,
The March edition of The
Southerner
explored
some
important issues: the value of
foreign languages, the need
for religious tolerance and the
difficulties faced by Grady
students who fled persecution
in their native countries and
are trying to adapt to life in the
United States. Those stories have
taken on even more significance
after the recent tragedy at Virginia
Tech, where a lone gunman killed
32 of his classmates.
Nothing excuses, explains or
justifies the senseless slaughter
committed by Cho Seung-Hui,
who came to this country from
South Korea. But Cho’s classmates
in high school and middle school
recall that they often teased,
bullied and shunned him because
he was different, and because he
couldn’t speak English very well.
So if you know people in that
situation, reach out to them, not
because they might otherwise
turn out to be mass killers, but
because it’s the kind and decent
thing to do.
Dear Editors,
As a committed parent of two
Timothy Harrington,
Parent
Jay Bookman,
AJC editorial staff & Parent
Dear Editors,
In response to The Southerner’s
articles regarding the foreign
language program budget cuts,
I agree with both columnists’
sentiments.
Although
equally
spreading foreign language funding
to elementary schools across the
state seems to be a good idea,
the amount of funding that each
school would receive does not even
begin to cover the cost of running a
successful foreign language program.
The benefits of studying a foreign
language are numerous. However,
less than adequate funding for
every elementary foreign language
program in the state will not help
young students reap the benefits
of learning a second language.
Instead of spreading around funds,
Governor Perdue should restore the
ESFL grant program, and focus on
expanding it to every elementary
school in the state.
Jessica Lambert,
Senior
Q
UESTION
of the month:
Do you feel the pending Women’s Equality Act is
necessary in our society?
Elesha Williams,
social worker
“
Gus Rick,
sophomore
It would be appropriate to
have something in writing
to support women’s rights
and encourage women.
“
Alex Hooper,
junior
I haven’t experienced enough
discrimination to think that we
need an amendment to that
extreme.
Scott Chambliss, Charlotte Christopher, Christopher
Collier, Sophie Cox, Grant Coyle, Stephen Crouse,
Arielle D’Avanzo, George DeMeglio, Caroline
Denton, Jourdan DeVies, Barbara Dougherty,
Kelly Douglas, Ramika Gourdine, Michael Harper,
Stone Irvin, Kenny Jones, Janna Kaplan, Jamison
Kinnane, Ella Miller, Julia Oliver, Carson PhillipsSpotts, Alexander Ritz, Hannah Rosenbaum, Kayci
Schoon, Hamp Watson, Madeleine Webb, Michelle
Wilco
“
Women do have to work a
little harder to get [equal]
pay, but it eventually works
out.
Nina Griffin,
senior
“
I don’t feel it’s 100 percent
necessary, but it’s good to
have something to fall back
on in the future, just in case.
“
Rance
Rance Nix,
freshman
It is necessary. Women are
still discriminated against
in the work force and men
still have superiority.
An upbeat paper for a downtown school
Photo adviser: Dawn Wadsworth
Adviser: Debra Hartsfield
Print staff: Alvin Hambrick, Harlon Heard,
Michael Jackson, Adlai McClure, Charlotte
Napper, Benjamin Shaw
The Southerner, a member of GSPA, SIPA, CSPA
and NSPA, is a monthly student publication of:
Henry W. Grady High School
929 Charles Allen Drive NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
The Southerner welcomes submissions, which
may be edited for grammar, inappropriate
language and length. Please place submissions
in Ms. Hartsfield's box in the main office.
Subscriptions are also available. For more information, please contact Ms. Hartsfield or a
member of the staff.
We can be reached at dhartsfield@atlanta.ga.k12.us
April 20, 2007
c o m m e n t
Seniors stirred by choices, change
I have spent
the majority
of my time in
school trying
to
convince
people
that
I was on top
of it, and by
RAMIKA GOURDINE “it” I mean
everything—every aspect of my life.
I have always known and understood
the consequences of each of my
actions. And no, I have never made
a mistake.
Or at least that’s what I want
people to think. It’s only now, as
graduation creeps closer and colleges
are hounding seniors for decisions
that I am able to admit the truth—I
don’t know.
I don’t know where I want to go to
college. I don’t know if the decisions,
I’m making are the right ones. I don’t
know if I’m going to come back to
visit Grady frequently. I don’t know
what my major will be. I don’t know
what I want to do for a living, and I
don’t know where I’ll be in 10 years.
What I do know is that that’s okay.
As college admission decisions
come pouring in, many members
of the senior class have begun to
feel pressure from almost every
direction. It seems the newly accepted
greeting among the class of 2007 is
the infamous question: ‘Where are
you going to college?’ I’ve stopped
answering because so many people
have a problem with the fact that I
don’t know.
My question for them is, “How
could I know?” I am just getting
ready to graduate from high school,
and I have never lived outside of my
parents’ home. I have never really been
responsible for my own livelihood,
and I can still get grounded for
coming home too late. How should
I know what I want to do for the rest
of my life?
People think high school is where
we learn to be the people we’ll be
for the rest of our lives. To some
degree that’s true, but it’s important
to remember that as we each receive
our diplomas, our futures aren’t cast
in stone. People are always changing,
and we should take the time to realize
that.
Yes, Grady offers each student
numerous opportunities. Since I’ve
been here I’ve had chances to do
things I never would have otherwise.
I spent six weeks in Valdosta for the
Governor’s Honors Program, visited
America’s oldest mission on a school
trip to New Mexico, and I faced my
acrophobia in West Side Story. Despite
all that, there is so much left for me
to see and do. There is no way that
in each of our short 17- or 18- year
lives we could have gained enough
knowledge of the world to get us
through life.
I know it sounds cliched, but
we are always learning. Every new
experience teaches us more about
our environment and ourselves.
College, especially, is packed full of
opportunities for us to discover who
we will become. We will find out how
to survive without our parents and get
a taste of life without rules. We have
to manage our own money and do
our homework without coaxing.
It is when we become closedminded, however, that we limit our
potential growth. If you believe you
are as you always will be, you are
both restricting yourself and setting
yourself up for disappointment.
When things change, which they
inevitably will, those who haven’t
prepared themselves don’t know how
to adjust.
I’m ready to adjust. I’ve opened
myself up to whatever may come
my way. I know what I like now,
but that could change tomorrow. I
know the goals I’ve set for myself, but
when those are met, or not, I’ll have
to make new ones. So go ahead, ask
me as many questions as you like. I’ll
give you an honest answer—I don’t
know. ❐
Uncouth mannerisms intolerable
Don’t chew with your mouth full.
Don’t put your elbows on the table.
Don’t play with your food. These
are the dinner table manners we are
taught as children. Unfortunately,
as we age, these manners sometimes
get left behind with the kids’ menus
and booster seats.
HANNAH
My mother always told me,
ROSENBAUM
“People aren’t paying to hear your
loud and silly conversations,” but not everyone has been
fortunate enough to receive this same bit of advice.
The afternoon my sisters and I treated my mother to a
birthday meal at her favorite restaurant, we saw firsthand
how vital table manners can be. After the 20-minute wait
for a table, we were seated right next to a very rude group
of adults who engaged in rowdy banter about American
Idol and the latest celebrity gossip. After 15 minutes of
their ill manners, an older gentleman from another table
asked them to be quiet and called them all pigs for their
behavior.
Ironically, the toddler sitting at the same table was
calm, quiet and respectful. How could a young child be
held to certain expectations if the adults could not exhibit
manners themselves?
I’m not sure what annoyed me more—the issues
the rude adults discussed or the volume at which they
did so. It’s one thing to be passionately caught up in
a conversation but it’s a completely different thing all
together to drunkenly rant about mindless topics. I could
not have cared less what they were talking about, but I was
subjected to their obnoxious debates nonetheless.
Coming from a loud family, I know exactly what is it
like to get caught up in a moment and not realize how
loud you may be. Yet, at the same time, if our disruptive
behavior was brought to my family’s attention, we would
be the first to apologize and try to tone it down. Instead
of taking this path, the group at the restaurant began
oinking to mock the gentleman who asked them to be
quiet and called them pigs. They told each other to oink,
laughed about it and then got their ironically innocent
toddler to oink along with them.
As the oinking and ranting became louder, the
gentleman asked the group to be quiet again. It appeared
as if he might have finally gotten through to them, but
as the room grew quiet and he turned away, the oldest
woman of the group hurled her lemon slice across the
dining room at his head. We were all mortified. Not only
had the oldest member of the party exemplified horrible
manners, but the youngest member of the party was the
best behaved. What’s wrong with this picture?
Following the disturbing scene, a waitress came to sort
the whole thing out, offering the check to the rowdy
group and her apologies to the rest of us. As consumers,
we often experience poor service or bad food, but when
the disturbance is a result of the patrons themselves,
something must change. As Southerners, Atlantans have
always taken pride in their good manners and hospitality.
Sadly, this Southern charm is disappearing and being
replaced with self-absorbed, uncouth behavior. ❐
3
“Racism isn’t born, folks, it’s taught.
I have a two-year-old son. You know
what he hates? Naps! End of list.”
- Dennis Leary
Sean
Harrington
Harmful words end crude career
America thrives on free speech. Our ability to speak out, to
a certain extent without fear, is what has allowed our nation
to keep its reputation as a country that fosters freedom and
hope. This freedom, however, only goes so far. While I don’t
necessarily agree that the pen is more powerful than the sword,
the spoken word can be incredibly destructive in its own right.
Radio personality Don Imus recently exercised his freedom of
speech by calling the largely African-American Rutgers female
basketball team “nappy-headed hos.” The national outcry
from various activist groups and the general public has caused
MSNBC and CBS to drop the aging radio host completely.
Not surprisingly, few besides the man himself have come
to Imus’ defense. Who would, after the national landslide
of anger that has tumbled down on Imus’ head? The
talk show host has claimed that his show is a “comedy”
and that such edgy humor is a commonplace aspect;
however, the truth of the matter is evident: Imus is an
obsolete, callous old crony who has gone one step too far.
Imus isn’t new to controversy. In the many years he’s been
broadcasting over the radio and television, many of his illmannered and crude comments have attracted media attention.
Living up to his reputation as a shock jock, Imus has insulted
a gamut of people with everything from crude suggestions
to racist name-calling. His uncaring, sarcastic attitude has
garnered him enough popularity to weather any past media
retaliation; he was even named “one of one America’s 25 most
influential people” by The New York Times in 1997. Who cares
what he says as long he keeps us laughing in the morning, right?
Although he has always been known to be carelessly rude in
his commentary, one of the key reasons Imus’ coarse tongue
has come under so much attack this time is the particular
group that he attacked: a mostly black, highly successful
college womens basketball team that has only recently risen to
the national spotlight. When a famous or well-known figure
is attacked, the public usually takes less offense since the
victimized figure will automatically be exposed to such things
because he or she is famous. Unknown people, such as a
young white woman who broke both of her legs, are virtually
ignored when attacked because of their near-invisibility.
Imus got the worst of both worlds with the Rutgers
womens team: a bunch of unknowns just famous enough
to gain the national spotlight, albeit momentarily. Add in
a taboo racial slur and national outrage is sure to follow.
The real issue, however, isn’t the depth of evil that
lurks inside Imus’ husk of a body. What the general
public should be concerned with is the angry monsoon
of hate that landed squarely on Imus’s head. It’s not that
the anger wasn’t justified, for Imus did do a despicable
thing. It’s the fickle nature of the anger that scares me.
As the national media machine has pointed out, others,
namely rappers, purport similar denigrating messages daily
across the national radio waves. Despite the fact that this has
been going on for 30ish years, the occasional strong remarks
and constant low-level protestation haven’t produced this
kind of outpouring of hatred directed like a laser beam at
Imus. Why did it take an old, vulgar white man to trigger this
onslaught of self defense from the black community? All the
talk about a forthcoming war on hip hop culture is well and
good, but Imus shouldn’t have had to put his career to the
torch just to provide a catalyst. The people of this country
have the power to do anything, and it’s a shame that we only
band together to exercise this power to change once in a long
while. Inappropriate and controversial events occur daily,
but despite criticism, not
much is ever really done.
Imus is an old fool,
there’s no denying it.
His radio show was
crude and rude
and his harmful
words have been
broadcast for far too
long. Let’s just hope
that the torrent of anger
that ended his career
will continue on to do
more good than merely
removing one old man’s
offensive remarks from
the radio waves. ❐
c o m m e n t
4
April 20, 2007
Americans’ concern with tragedies easily disregarded
Moments before drifting out material to the forefront of our consciousnesses. Flitting
of consciousness and into sleep, a around from story to story, we briefly lend our sympathy
haphazard assortment of thoughts and then move on without a second thought. We don’t
usually run through my head, not make long-term commitments, and we fail to concentrate
unlike the way
our efforts in order to really make a
the numbers
Just because we can’t see the difference in any one area.
run by on a
reality is that the problems are
tragedy right before our eyes stillThethere.
stock ticker.
Countless families in areas
CHARLOTTE
doesn’t mean that its effects affected by the tsunami and other natural
Thoughts pass
CHRISTOPHER
quickly
by
disasters will never fully recover from
have faded along with our
only to be replaced by new tidbits of
the damages they suffered. The water
attention.
information. On one such occasion,
supply of Sri Lanka is still contaminated
my mind happened to call forth a
as a result of the tsunami. Victims of
subject that I had not considered in quite some time: the Hurricane Katrina are still living out of temporary trailers.
2004 tsunami in Indonesia. I was ashamed to realize that I Just because we can’t see the tragedy right before our eyes
had not given it thought in months.
doesn’t mean that its effects have faded along with our
As Americans we live in a world that prioritizes instant attention; just because the media has decided to focus on
gratification. We are concerned with the present. As a result, a new topic does not mean that Americans should follow
we give thought to the most recent tragedy and then quickly suit. The effects of a tragedy are deep and lasting long after
cast it aside. We move on as soon as the media brings fresh general interest has waned.
“
As active members of the global community, we need
to make concrete commitments to help those around us.
We must decide what is important and what merits our
aid. When something inspires us to go out and make a
difference, we can truly create a change. A lot more could
be accomplished if people dedicated their efforts to a
few selective causes. Instead of everyone lending a small
amount of effort to every cause, we should each deepen our
dedication to causes that interest us—thus not allowing the
media to decide what is important and not letting problems
fade from our consciousness after the media coverage
ends.
This doesn’t mean, however, that we should single
out certain problems that we think need fixing and put
everything else on the back burner. Since every individual
is unique and has his or her own interests, different people
find different sources of inspiration. Once you find
something, stick to it long after others move on. Even
though new tragedies might make older ones seem distant,
the effects of tragedies are never temporary. ❐
Amendment to aid women’s
justice outdated, gratuitous
The U.S. actual difference since gender
C o n g r e s s , disputes ultimately lie within
which
is individual mindsets and cannot
made
up be legislated.
of a record
Truth be told, I think feminism
n u m b e r is a bit lame. Collectively,
of women women can’t expect to be free
legislators, of discrimination until we all
SCOTTIE BOOKMAN
h
a
s start paying for our own dinners,
reintroduced 1923’s Equal Rights killing bugs for ourselves and
Amendment under the title of the getting in fewer car accidents,
Women’s Equality Amendment among other things.
(WEA). I’m afraid, however,
Women’s suffrage has been
that the opportune moment has achieved and as far as the law is
passed—we’ve waited too long concerned, women are protected.
and women have already gone Under the Equal Protection clause
and gotten their rights—without of the Fourteenth Amendment,
the assistance of an amendment.
everyone is already equal. That’s
The Equal Rights Amendment not every man; that’s every
was originally introduced in 1923 person. Seemingly, the only thing
during an era of frenzied feminism left for the Women’s Equality
motivated by the women’s 1920 Amendment to do is to designate
achievement of women’s suffrage that there should be absolutely
rights.
But
no recognized
Americans
differences
We’ve waited too
weren’t
ready
the
long and now women between
for it then.
sexes.
have already gone
indicate he hadn’t reviewed the performance of the The ERA was
Now
that
attorneys in question, but he would support firing r e i n t r o d u c e d
would
only
and gotten our
them. Apparently, the plan was for the U.S. attorneys every
year
confuse
us.
rights—without
to prosecute Democratic candidates for voter fraud following and
It
doesn’t
in order to make the candidates less favorable in then
finally
make sense to
the assistance of an
elections. When some attorneys refused to do the adopted by the
disregard
the
amendment.
dirty work, however, they were quickly removed.
House in 1971
fact that men
So why did Gonzales get involved? Well, it seems and the Senate
and women are
Gonzales has a history of protecting the interests in 1972. America gave up on indeed different biologically and
of, and blindly following, President Bush. In 1996, constitutional gender equality psychologically. To say that those
Gonzales helped get Bush, then the governor of Texas, in 1982 when the measure fell differences can’t be recognized
excused from jury duty so he wouldn’t have to disclose three states short of qualifying would literally make the gender
an earlier arrest for DUI. Even more well-known, in for ratification.
separation of public restrooms
2002, the public learned that Gonzales had advised
This time around, the Women’s unconstitutional. Boy Scouts
Bush that foreign detainees are not protected by the Equality Amendment intends to and Girl Scouts would be in big
rights established in the Geneva Conventions, advice ensure absolute equality between trouble. But constitutionally,
that could have contributed to the abusive treatment men and women, reinforcing we’d all be equal.
at Abu Ghraib prison. Since then, Gonzales has procedures surrounding genderMaybe we could have used
defended Bush’s wiretapping plan and supported a sensitive situations ranging from this amendment in 1923, but
provision in the Patriot Act that allows the White pay equity to a woman’s right in 2007? No. In the 1920s, a
House administration to appoint U.S. attorneys to justice after facing sexual woman was still restricted from
without Senate confirmation.
discrimination. These issues, working at certain jobs. A young
With the recent emergence of the incriminating e- however, along with most others woman’s goal in life was to get
mails, it seems Gonzales has finally done himself in. If addressed by the WEA, are ones married, have children and keep
you log onto the website for TrueMajority’s contest, that should already be ensured up the household. Society has
you’ll see that almost every entry predicts the Attorney legally and constitutionally. If the changed for the better without
General’s resignation, whether forced or not, to come issues haven’t yet been acted upon the aid of this amendment.
within the next two to three weeks at the latest. While by the legislature, it’s unrealistic to The window of opportunity for
the members of TrueMajority could be dismissed as expect an amendment to cement gender equality to be achieved
mainly liberal Democrats, the truth is that not many these equalizing principles.
through constitutional means
people are on Gonzales’s side at this point. The vast
Though I know it’s important closed at some point during this
majority of the articles about Gonzales’s latest scandal that men and women should amendment’s 84-year life span.
depict him in an extremely negative light. While be seen as equals, I can’t say I The feminist’s battle for equality
only one person will win the free ice cream, it seems support the WEA. The fact is has become constitutionally
Gonzales will inevitably be getting his just desserts. ❐ that the WEA can’t make an irrelevant. ❐
Gonzales’ stepdown imminent
“Let Alberto Gonzales treat
you to ice cream.”
A few people may have seen
this slogan in an e-mail or
online, but few realize that it
is an official contest, not just
another internet scam. Ben
Cohen, who is best known
MICHELLE WILCO
as the co-founder of Ben and
Jerry’s ice cream, has also founded an organization
called TrueMajority, which is a group that addresses
political issues that Cohen feels should be of concern
to all American citizens. TrueMajority is currently
holding a contest regarding the Attorney General’s
imminent departure from office. The prize? A year’s
worth of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for the person who
comes closest to predicting the exact date and time
Gonzales leaves office.
The most recent Gonzales scandal has been getting
even more attention than Britney Spears has lately,
yet, some people are still unaware of the controversy.
Late last year, several U.S. district attorneys were fired,
allegedly for poor performance, which is technically
a legitimate basis for termination. Recently, however,
memos have surfaced which imply that the attorneys
were fired not for performance but for failing to
comply with the Republican agenda. Gonzales
denies any involvement with the firings; he claims
his deputies made all of the firing decisions in this
case. However, the leaked memos show that Gonzales,
along with White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove,
attended meetings at the end of last year that were
convened specifically to discuss whom to fire. Some
of the e-mails that have come to Congress’ attention
include comments from the Attorney General which
“
NEWS BRIEFS
Pledging to end U.S. involvement in Iraq and to bring affordable
healthcare to every American by the
end of his first term, Senator Barack
Obama of Ilinois held a rally at Georgia Tech on April 14 in what was the
largest-attended event of his 2008
presidential campaign. Several Grady
students attended. The Rev. Joseph
Lowery gave a prayer beforehand,
and former Atlanta mayor Maynard
Jackson’s daughter Alexandria sang.
Sophomore winner
of national contest
Sophomore Sarah Bufkin won
the Second Annual High School
Student Scholarship Essay Contest
for her essay discussing the parallels
between A Tale of Two Cities and 21st
century concerns. Bufkin, as well as
English teacher Scott Stephens, will
attend the 2007 Dickens Universe
at the University of California at
Santa Cruz from July 29 to Aug. 4
with all expenses paid.
Developer Mason to
sell Beltline holding
As a follow up to a September
Southerner story, Wayne Mason, a
Gwinnett real estate developer, is
selling the 70 acres of land he owns
in Midtown that was originally earmarked for the public-private Beltline development. Barry Real Estate
Cos., the firm buying the property,
has not decided if it is going to offer
the land as a part of the Beltline.
SPLOST money goes
to school air systems
As a result of the recently passed
Special Purpose Local Option Sales
Tax, Atlanta Public Schools plans
to install energy efficient heating,
ventilation and air conditioning
systems in its schools. APS expects
to save $1 million per year once the
more efficient systems are installed.
Therrell, S. Atlanta
to get $10.5 million
Thanks to a $10.5 million grant
from the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation announced April
18, Therrell and South Atlanta
will become the latest APS school
to switch to the smaller learning
communities model already installed
at the New Schools of Carver. The
Gates foundation granted the money
in an effort to reform some of APS’
low performing high schools. Grady
is scheduled to be divided into smaller
learning communities starting with
the 2009-2010 school year.
Gates scholarship
goes to Grady senior
Senior Kelly Minor won the
Gates Millennium Scholarship,
which meets students’ need for both
undergraduate and graduate degrees.
The Gates Millennium Scholarship
was founded in 1999 by Bill and
Melinda Gates.
April 20, 2007
news
5
Amnesty club develops Darfur awareness
BY CHRIS COLLIER
Grady’s Amnesty International club
recognized the National Week of Student
Action March 26-30 with events designed to
increase awareness and support for an end to
the ongoing conflict in Darfur.
The situation, which has been escalating
since 2003, is actually worsening for the
citizens of the Sudan region of Africa.
“Right now the violence is actually spreading
because the devastation is so widespread in
Darfur that a lot of people are displaced if they
haven’t already been murdered,” said senior
Vernika Leach, the Amnesty club president.
“What’s happening is the violence from Darfur
is spreading to Chad, and that’s because a lot of
the soldiers like the Janjaweed and other militia
groups are going outside of Darfur to get child
soldiers and to abuse the women from Darfur.
So as far as policy goes, the United Nations,
with the new Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon,
[is] working to get some boots on the ground
so to speak in Darfur.”
“Our goals really were just to raise
awareness—to inform people that there is
stuff going on outside the school and the
country,” junior Jesse Budlong said. “We set
up an information table with a petition that
people could come and sign; we handed out
stickers and flyers. We did a panel discussion
and showed a short movie chronicling the
genocide that’s going on in Darfur.”
Grady’s Amnesty club strove to educate the
student body about the genocide. Art from
the Grady art program, money from the 21st
Century Leaders and support from the social
action club all contributed to the success of
student action week.
“We had a small affirmation session with a
speaker from the Anti-Defamation League,”
EYES ON DARFUR
LILY FEINBERG
Obama rally draws
20,000 to Ga. Tech
THE SOUTHERNER
The Sudanese government and its Janjaweed
allies have killed thousands of people, raped
women and destroyed villages, food stocks
and other essential
supplies. They have
driven more than one
million civilians
into camps in
Darfur where they
are susceptible
to Janjaweed
abuses.
According to the
U.S. Holocaust
Memorial Museum,
as of April 11 over
1,600 villages have
been destroyed and
more than 133,000
structures have been
burned. Right, the art
class’ contribution to
the National Week of
Student Action.
SOURCE: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Leach said. “We collaborated directly with
the Amnesty Southern Regional Office, which
helped us a lot.”
Club members believe their efforts were well
received by many Grady students.
“I was just excited when people asked
questions and wanted to know,” Leach said.
“I enjoyed talking to other students that were
genuinely appalled by what’s going on—
appalled by the fact that they didn’t know
about it. We had our usual loyal following,
then we had some people that had not known
anything about Darfur, didn’t even know
what it was, come up to us and ask us about
it.”
Budlong also liked the student concern he
saw.
“Overall...people were very supportive—we
collected about 300 signatures from the
student body,” Budlong said. “People really
wanted to be informed; they expressed a lot
of interest, so the overall turnout was very
successful. ”
The two are also optimistic about the role of
students’ power over the situation.
“The only reason Bush addressed [Darfur]
in his State of the Union address is because
he knew that a lot of people cared,” Leach
said. “If he that knew a lot more people cared,
and if our legislators—our local legislators as
well as our state senators and everybody—if
they know that we care, if they know their
constituents aren’t happy with what they’re
doing, they’re going to push for something
to happen, and that’s what we need to do
collectively.”
Budlong echoed this sentiment.
“I think if student groups focus on their
goals, they can do pretty much anything,”
he said.
Most of all, the club wants to keep raising
awareness.
“It’s not something that can wait anymore,”
Leach said. “It’s a crisis and it’s been a crisis for
quite some time now and it’s never to late to
pick up the slack and fix what happened.” ❐
In the sixth issue of The Southerner, we announced the second annual Marian P. Kelly
Award. It’s an opportunity for members of the senior class to nominate their favorite teacher.
The four semifinalists for the award and their nominations are listed below. Seniors will
vote on their choice for the recipient in homeroom and the award will be given on May 19
at Visions of the Future.
Kurt Phillips
Marva Greene
Ms. Greene is most commonly known
as the loving, caring literature teacher
who refers to all of her students as
“precious.” Her warmth and generosity
are astounding. But above all, Ms.
Greene’s character inspires me the most.
From the first day of class, Ms. Greene
conveyed to me her undying passion for
literature and life in general, urging me
to become passionate about aspects of
my own life. Her presence at Grady is,
and always will be, precious.
Jeff Cramer
From freshman year, Advanced
Placement physics and cross country,
I have gained immeasurable wisdom
by listening to Mr. Cramer. He teaches
more than his academic subjects; he
imparts to students a keen thirst for
learning, discipline and self-reliance,
and a love of community—he teaches
Sunday School and volunteers with
Habitat for Humanity. His dry wit
and offbeat approach to teaching have
helped make physics come alive for
countless Grady students. Additionally,
he is patient and helpful with academic
and personal difficulties alike.
Mr. Phil has this amazing ability
to keep the entire class focused by
engaging everyone all the time. His class
is fun and energetic. I look forward to
seeing him everyday, and I am never
let down. It seems, even on my worst
days, Mr. Phil can lighten my mood
with his crazy antics. He is a great,
energetic teacher and always makes
class interesting. He’s traveled around
the world, tells captivating stories and
knows his psychology and economics.
His catchphrase, “Everybody say, yeah
Phil!” is famous at Grady.
Vincent
Martinez
Aside from being the most fashionable teacher at Grady, Mr. Martinez
is also one of the most creative and
extravagant thinkers. His many projects have expanded far beyond the
classroom to local and national proportions. The success of the fashion
program serves as a testament to his
dedication to preparing students for
the fashion and professional worlds.
He motivates students by letting his
own genuine excitement and passion
spread, while still holding them to high
expectations. Though he pushes his
students, he can keep the mood lighthearted with his humor.
n e w s
6
April 20, 2007
JROTC cadets help staff, athletes at Special Olympics
retrieved the soccer balls and brought them back for the next
athlete. Junior Daniel Bassett, a rookie competitor for Clayton
County Mills High School, preferred the second event.
“I like soccer…I’m looking forward to shooting [soccer
goals] the most,” Bassett said while waiting in line for the event.
“Yes, [I’m excited to be here]—this is my first [Special Olympic
competition].”
Run-and-kick, the third event, consisted of four rubber
bases arranged in a diamond, with a ball placed on each base.
Players ran from a fifth, center base to kick the balls off the
outer bases.
“Run-and-kick was by far the most challenging event for
the participants,” senior cadet Lieutenant Colonel. Ryan Betty
said. “It involved movements we don’t even think about, but
that [the athletes] had to focus all their attention on.”
While some Grady cadets helped facilitate stations for
events, others were group leaders. Each group included six
athletes from different schools. Members of the same group
directly competed against each other.
“My job was to take [my group of competitors] around and
make sure they did the different events,” sophomore cadet First
Sergeant Jessica Fortney said. “It’s something I would do again.
One of my little boys, Johnny, gave me a big hug at the end
before he left; it made me feel like a better person.”
Most of the cadets who volunteered enjoyed the experience
and wanted to participate again.
“I was unsure what exactly we would be doing or what
sports the special people would be participating in…[but] the
cadets did a great job,” Betty said. “I liked seeing all the cadets
participate with enthusiasm—there weren’t any complaints.
When I get older, I definitely see myself helping out with the
Special Olympics again.”
Even though the cadets enjoyed the experience, they often
faced difficulties communicating with the athletes. According to
Ms. Betty Foster, the chair of Grady’s Program for Exceptional
Children, the athletes who attend the Special Olympics are
profoundly, severely or moderately disabled. With IQs below
40, they have problems speaking and expressing themselves
though “the feeling is still there.”
“I really got to know the people in my group,” Betty said. “At
first they were shy, but after awhile they opened up and started
expressing themselves. They actually understood me perfectly,
but I had to really pay attention to understand their speech.”
According to Ms. Foster, the Special Olympics allow disabled
children to feel respected, accepted and important.
“It helps build self-esteem,” Ms. Foster said. “It instills in
them a sense of community, a sense of accomplishment, and a
sense of something they can call their own. It’s something they
belong to and won’t get mocked for.” ❐
ALL PHOTOS BY RAMIKA GOURDINE
BY EMMA DIN
Running five meters. Kicking a soccer ball. Slapping a highfive at the end of an event. For the physically and mentally
disabled youth of Georgia who compete in the Special
Olympics, these basic skills are challenging events they attempt
to master.
With assistance from members of Grady’s Junior Reserve
Officers’ Training Corps, Special Olympics Georgia hosted
a state-level competition at Piedmont Park’s Active Oval on
March 19 for disabled youth.
“JROTC usually does this every year,” said Lieutenant
Colonel. Mitchell Sivas, Grady’s senior army instructor.
“[Special Olympic competitions] go on in multiple locations
all over the city. It helps [the cadets] appreciate what they
should be thankful for.”
According to Sivas, however, JROTC didn’t volunteer for
the Special Olympics last year due to transportation problems.
Consequently, they will be helping out twice this year—they
plan to attend another competition next month.
At the Piedmont Park Special Olympics, ‘moderately
intellectually disabled’ youth competed in team soccer games,
while severely disabled athletes spent the morning and early
afternoon competing in three skills-oriented events, including
dribbling, shooting and run-and-kick. The first game consisted
of dribbling a soccer ball within cones for approximately 10
meters and trapping the ball at the end. Junior cadet Jacquayle
Butler’s responsibility at the Special Olympics was to roll the
soccer ball back to the station manager after each athlete
completed the course.
“It was good for the special kids to go out there and have
fun,” Butler said. “Even though it was very, very hot, I knew
my job was important, so I enjoyed it.”
The second event required the athletes to make as many
soccer goals as they could with five balls. Two Grady cadets
LET THE GAMES BEGIN: Senior
Ryan Betty (above) gathers his
group members in Piedmont
Park’s Active Oval to start the
games; (left) Sophomore Jessica
Fortney awards Douglass High
student Raefeal Alexander a
ribbon for his achievement in
area soccer; (far left) Fortney
demonstrates trapping a soccer
ball for the members of her group
before they compete in dribbling
for the first event.
New curriculum adds depth, variety to math classes
BY JANNA KAPLAN
After completing an audit of Georgia’s
Quality Core Curriculum, Georgia’s State
Board of Education decided it was time for
a change in the mathematics curriculum.
A revamped math curriculum will make its
way to Grady High School in the 2008-2009
school year, when this year’s seventh-grade
class become freshmen.
According to Diann Ash, the coordinator
of mathematics for Atlanta Public Schools,
the change in curriculum was necessary.
“The QCC lacked depth and could not
be covered in a reasonable amount of time,”
she said. “It did not even meet national
standards.”
According to Ash, it is impossible for
teachers to teach all of the “shallow standards”
required in the current curriculum.
“It would take 23 years to cover the topics
included at anywhere near the level of depth
necessary for real learning to take place,” Ash
said. “Inevitably, teachers use the curriculum
not as a guide for quality instruction, but as
a reference to mention in lesson plans and
then [to] place back on the shelf.”
The new curriculum will replace singlediscipline classes like algebra and geometry
with a progression of courses that will cover
the same aspects of mathematics at varying
levels of difficulty. These classes, simply
titled Math 1, Math 2 and so on, will
consist of five content strands: numbers and
operations, data analysis and probability,
measurement, geometry and algebra.
“There are some aspects of the curriculum
that can be combined,” said Ms. Erin
Davis, the head of the Grady mathematics
department. “It would be really nice to get
the teachers together and come up with what
we can combine. The textbooks will probably
be the forefront of determining when things
get taught and where, depending on their
placement in the book.”
One of the main goals of the new
curriculum is for teachers to make math
classes more focused on students. This will
involve extensive restructuring of lesson
plans, as well as more creativity on the
teachers’ part.
“It is critical that we provide the
appropriate professional development and
content support for teachers as they move to
performance-based instruction, using tasks
and rubrics rather than exclusively fact-based
and traditional grading,” Ash said.
Ms. Davis expects the new curriculum to
require an adjustment period.
“I think there will be a transition period
of figuring out how to get the best out of the
[new] curriculum,” Ms. Davis said. “There’s
a three-year learning curve. It may not take
that long, but to give everyone a fair shot
“There’s going to be more testing,” Ms.
at [the new curriculum] it [will] take three Davis said. “There will be exit exams for
years to get your course the way you like it.” Math 1, Math 2 and Math 3. I imagine it’s
There will be three levels, or paths, that not going to get easier [to pass].”
students will be able to follow in their math
Despite the amount of testing built into
classes. These include the core path, which the course structure, Ms. Davis believes the
will be a slower-paced path, the regular path variety of content in the curriculum will
and the accelerated path.
boost students’ scores on other standardized
Freshman Lauren Edwards, who is tests.
currently in Ms. Davis’s geometry class,
“I think for some testing, like the PSAT,
hopes that this new program will allow you’ll have all the content and skills in one
students to enroll in higher-level math classes class to help you be more successful at that
starting in middle
level,” Ms. Davis said.
school. She wishes
“You’ll have a bit of
You’ll have a bit of everything
she could have
everything instead of just
taken a higheryour geometry class or
instead of just your geometry
level math class as
just your algebra class, so
class or just your algebra class.
a freshman.
that’s probably a bonus
“I would have
as far as standardized
benefited from [a
math teacher Ms. Erin Davis testing goes.”
higher-level math
Ash agrees that this
class],” she said. “I
new curriculum will
really like math, and I want to be able to be helpful for both the students and the
take calculus and even classes higher than schools.
that…I think if I had gotten further in math
“[There will be] an increase in rigor and
[in middle school] it would have been better conceptual understanding of mathematics at
for me.”
every level in the kindergarten through 12th
According to Ms. Davis, a downside grade program,” she said. “Helping students
to the new curriculum is the amount of understand the interconnected nature of
standardized testing inherent in the course mathematics is a strong plus for the Georgia
structure.
Performance Standards.” ❐
“
n e w s
April 20, 2007
7
BY ARIELLE D’AVANZO
The Piedmont Park Tennis Center’s re-opening
celebration drew over 300 people March 11 to mark the
completion of its six-month renovation process.
“The Piedmont Tennis Association exists to promote
and develop tennis in town,” said Rodney Chatham, the
project director for the Piedmont Tennis Association.
“We went to Dianne Harnell Cohen, the commissioner
of parks, recreation and cultural affairs and asked to have
a big tennis party for Piedmont Park the day of the rededication and re-opening of the tennis center.”
Many prominent figures attended the celebration and
spoke about the importance of the PPTC to the city of
Atlanta. Cohen opened the re-dedication ceremony and
Mayor Shirley Franklin spoke about the positive influence
the Center has on Atlanta’s youth. Charlene Braud, the
director of the department of recreation, brought the
ceremony to a close with hopes for the future of the
center after Rep. Anne Fauver spoke. Free tennis lessons
and demonstrations followed the re-dedication speeches.
“We had a variety of fun events that took place on reopening day,” said Sharon Lester, manager of the tennis
center. “Some of these events included free racquet
demonstrations, cardio tennis lessons and many more fun
events.”
One of the main activities during the re-opening
was the exhibition of the new United States Tennis
Association 36/60 Project, a new approach to children’s
tennis lessons, led by Rick Davison, USTA Georgia
director of competition.
“The whole idea of this program is to allow children
to compete in the same ways that adults are able to,”
Davison said. “This new program divides the court and
allows for more people to play on the court at once, while
still in the competitive atmosphere.”
With the new renovation came many improvements
and upgrades throughout the PPTC. According to Lester,
the old wooden staircase was removed and replaced with a
metallic spiral one, the color scheme changed and all-new
furniture was installed.
At the grand re-opening, the glass tile mosaic, which
30 Grady students created along with art teacher John
Brandhorst and local artist Jason Johnson, was unveiled.
“It is a gorgeous piece of art that goes along very
PHOTOS BY EMMA DIN
Tennis Center renovations completed, open to public
RAISIN’ A RACKET: Left: Members of the Georgia Tech tennis team shake hands with a young player to kick off the new youth tennis program.
Right: Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin observes the unveiling of the new glass-tile mosaic, which Grady students helped design and assemble.
well with the new renovations in the building,” Mr.
Brandhorst said. “It feels good to know that the students
produced something that will be with the city for many
years to come.”
The city of Atlanta gave the tennis center grants to help
cover the cost of the $225,000 renovation. While the
renovation was taking place, tennis players were still able
to use the court facilities.
“I spend a lot my spare time at the tennis center playing
on the courts and watching matches,” said junior Jerami
Goodwin, a member of the Grady tennis team. “I was
extremely happy with the all of the new renovations and
I feel that these additions to the center create an overall
better atmosphere.”
Even with the re-opening of the PPTC, some changes
are still to be added, including the lighting, an upgraded
intercom system and the addition of satellite televisions.
“The new tennis center is very impressive and it is a
great place to hold lots of future events,” Davison said.
“With the new renovation, the tennis center can definitely
compete with other top tennis centers throughout the
country.” ❐
SCORES will decide if Grady improvement is needed
from page 1
the goal of 68.6 percent of students ‘meeting
Each year, state governments publish an or exceeding’ state-mandated standards for
Adequate Yearly Progress list of schools that answering the embedded questions in the
have improved their test scores. In Georgia, the math section.
AYP calculation is based on performance on
“It would be horrible to identify groups of
the GGT. Schools must perform progressively people and point fingers of blame, but it’s on
better each year until eventually 100 percent of the internet; it’s public information,” Ms. Kelly
their students meet test performance standards. said.
A school may fail to make AYP for two years in
The division of schools into subgroups
a row and not be listed as Needs Improvement was a major element of the No Child Left
as long the reason the school did not make AYP Behind Act, which President George W.
changes from year to year.
Bush championed as a part of his first-term
The state of Georgia measures progress in education agenda.
English and mathematics by how well students
“There’s something to be said for the
answer certain harder, ‘embedded questions’ argument that we should be preparing all
dispersed throughout the test.
subgroups for tests,” said Mr. Louis Sartor,
“It’s very difficult for the teachers to prepare Grady’s social studies department chair. “It’s
the students for the
one of the rare things I agree
embedded questions
with Bush on.”
We’ve had challenges
because the students
Math teacher Ms. Ebony
and obstacles that we’ve
don’t really have an
Anderson-Johnson insisted
incentive to get them
that last year’s GGT results
had to overcome, but I’m
right,” Ms. Kelly
should not definitively
confident that we will make categorize the math
said.
“Embedded
[Adequate Yearly Progress]. department.
questions
count
the same for the
“I do not believe one
student as any other
test determines if a student
Principal Dr. Vincent Murray is innumerate,” she said.
question, and you
might pass the test
“I also do not believe that
even if you get every embedded question a small number of the whole should reflect
wrong. So the school gets punished if the negatively on the math program. Grady is a
student gets the question wrong, but not the diverse population with several different types
student.”
of backgrounds and challenges. All students
Last year’s junior class did not have a high do not even have access to resources such as
enough percentage of students from the ‘black’ calculators and practice problems at home.”
and ‘economically disadvantaged’ subgroups
Staff members remain hopeful that Grady’s
answer the math embedded questions correctly current junior class has performed well on the
for the school to make AYP. While Grady’s pass GGT.
rate on the math section of the GGT was 93
“I’m always optimistic,” Dr. Murray said.
percent, neither of those two subgroups met “We’ve had challenges and obstacles that we’ve
“
had to overcome, but I’m confident that we
will make AYP.”
This year, the Grady math department
staged ‘pullouts,’ in which teachers identified
students who needed extra help in math and
‘pulled them out’ of their non-math classes to
study for the GGT math section.
“The ‘pullouts’ were a great effort,”
Ms. Anderson-Johnson said. “The math
department identified students who would
benefit from additional resources. Ms. Davis
and Ms. Porter arranged the schedules. The
foreign language department took turns
assisting in the computer lab or relieving math
teachers for a prep session.”
Grady teachers held several tutorials for each
section of the GGT—math, social studies,
language arts and science—in the weeks
leading up to the test.
“It’s difficult to get students into tutorial,
so I try to work on GGT reviewing a little in
class,” Mr. Sartor said. “But I guess that kind of
reinforces not coming after school by providing
the excuse that, ‘We’ve already done that in
class.’ A good size for one of our tutorials
would have been about 10 to 12 people.”
Grady’s administration changed the test site
from the performance gym, where the GGT
was administered last year, to classrooms on the
second floor of the Charles Allen wing.
“The classrooms were a much better testing
environment,” Dr. Murray said. “The gym is
so vast that coughing and other disruptions are
magnified. It can be very distracting.”
Many students felt confident about their
performance on the GGT.
“The GGT wasn’t that hard,” junior Jordan
Monteiro said. “I was prepared, and I think I
did well, although the test took a long time.”
Junior Brittany Briscoe agreed and felt that
the test was “very elementary.”
Students and staff members offered varying
opinions on the merits of NCLB.
“I don’t object to the intent of No Child
Left Behind, but to some aspects of the way it
is implemented,” Ms. Kelly said. “Somebody
does need to hold schools accountable, but
I wish the law would provide some sort of
support to schools before taking punitive
measures like publishing Needs Improvement
lists.”
Dr. Murray said NCLB puts strain on
administrations because the law makes it more
difficult to meet AYP each year.
“The intent of the law is good,” he said. “But
all kids are different. People accomplish things
at different points. Some grade-level classes
may differ.”
Monteiro wishes the GGT were not used to
calculate AYP.
“Progress of schools should be measured
based on students’ grades,” he said. “It’s not fair
if you get all As and still fail the GGT.”
Briscoe echoed Monteiro’s sentiments.
“If we were put on the Needs Improvement
list, it would feel like people were trying to
tell us we’re dumb,” she said. “But isn’t Grady
supposed to be the best school in the Atlanta
Public Schools System?”
Ms. Kelly agreed that AYP results should not
be the only measure of schools’ success.
“The media gives things like school rankings
and Needs Improvement lists a lot of attention,
but people don’t understand how all of that is
calculated and they mislabel schools as ‘good’
or ‘bad,’” she said. “You have to look at the
whole picture. I would love to see the media
talk about contributing issues to what makes
a good or bad school, as well as successes that
schools have.” ❐
the high life:
’
EXAMINING GRADY S DRUG USE
Grady substance use reflects trend
BY REBECCA GITTELSON
A female senior first tried marijuana
in middle school, when she “ate a hash
brownie…in my friend’s parents’ ice cream
store.”
Her marijuana use gradually increased, but
she did not experiment with alcohol until
ninth grade. The summer before her senior
year, her parents decided her substance use
had become a serious problem and sent her
to a rehabilitation facility for one week of
in-patient treatment. “That week didn’t really
phase” her because she felt her substance use
was not as serious as that of the center’s other
patients, who were addicted to “much harder
substances.” Despite this treatment, the
senior said her substance use “has definitely
increased,” expanding to mushrooms, ecstasy,
LSD, acid and daily marijuana use.
The extent of this student’s use only
partially reflects that of other Grady students.
All of the students interviewed for this article
agreed that marijuana and alcohol, rather than
prescription and harder drugs,
are the most commonly used
substances among Grady
students.
“At Grady, you’re
pretty normal if
you drink,” senior
Carrie Handell said.
“I wouldn’t say drugs
are normal, but they’re
pretty common.”
In a Southerner survey
of 200 Grady students,
34.8 percent reported
that they have used
non-prescription
drugs,
predominantly marijuana.
Approximately 77 percent
have used alcohol; 50 percent
of those who consume
alcohol do so rarely and 22.1
percent report frequent use.
According to Dr. Robert
Margolis,
the
executive
director
of
Solutions
Counseling Services and a
well-known expert on adolescent substance
use and addiction, these results mirror national
trends.
“If you look at the statistics, what you see is
that roughly between 30 and 35 percent say
that they have tried some kind of drug, mostly
marijuana; somewhere upwards of 50 percent
say they have had some experiences with
alcohol,” Margolis said. “If you talk to kids
who are in high school, you find that they will
tell you the numbers are actually much higher.
Kids are probably under reporting the amount
of use on surveys they take.”
Margolis said teens’ alcohol use tends to be
a combination of binge and social drinking;
but most teens consume “alcohol at levels
society would consider to be excessive.” In the
Southerner survey, most students chose not to
answer a question about the number of drinks
they regularly consume.
A male sophomore believes that most Grady
students are not binge drinkers.
“Some people just get drunk to get drunk
by themselves,” he said. “But a lot more
people are social drinkers and drink
with friends—that applies to weed
[use] too.”
The senior said, however, that
certain students use substances
much more often, even during
school hours.
“There’s some serious [marijuana]
smoking during school—on campus and off
campus,” she said. “I know people who go to
secretive areas [on campus], some people will
walk across the street to the park, some people
will just drive away. I’ve seen people make
mixed drinks at school, carrying around a
Nalgene [bottle] full of alcohol.”
Guidance counselor Mr. Joseph
Arnold believes, however, that most
substance use occurs outside of school.
Although both marijuana and alcohol
are popular at Grady, they have varying
degrees of accessibility. The sophomore
said that alcohol is easier to obtain than
marijuana; according to Margolis,
this statement expresses a national
trend. According to the sophomore,
GRADY VS. THE NATION
How does Grady measure up to national drug and alcohol consumption?
100
90
70
60
50
40
30
39%
32%
37%
42%
20
10
0
10th graders
12th graders
Have used marijuana
10th graders
SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN’S STUDY, “MONITORING THE FUTURE”
12th graders
Have used alcohol
JOURDAN DEVIES, LILY FEINBERG AND JANNA KAPLAN
Percentage of students
80
From a survey of 200 Grady students,
represents Grady students
the data below shows 10th and 12th
represents in-school
graders’ alcohol and drug use compared
surveys across the nation
to a national study in 2006. The
Centers for Disease Control reports
82%
that youth who use alcohol before
75%
73%
age 15 are four times more likely to
become alcohol dependent than adults
62%
who begin drinking at age 21.
All sources quoted anonymously agreed to go on
the record with their statements. The Student Press
Law Center told The Southerner, however, that the
administration could investigate, and subsequently
penalize, these sources if their names were used. At the
request of Principal Dr. Vincent Murray and to protect
the sources from possible punishment, The Southerner
decided not to publish their names.
Grady students get alcohol
from “somebody [who] has
a fake ID, from parents who
are loose with alcohol, from
someone of a legal age or
from some places [that] don’t
card.”
Although marijuana is less
obtainable than alcohol, it is still accessible.
“You can easily get drugs at Grady; it
depends what you’re looking for, but you can
easily get weed,” the sophomore said.
Margolis
thinks
that
teenagers’
environments, especially their peer groups, can
impact their decisions about substance use.
“There’s a fair amount of peer pressure,”
he said. “I don’t mean that friends say, ‘Come
on, you need to use this.’ It’s just socially, if
everybody’s using and you’re the only one who
isn’t, there’s pressure to use or at least try it.”
The sophomore’s opinion about overt peer
pressure mirrors Margolis’ opinion.
“The people who peer pressure people into
doing things—that’s ridiculous,” he said.
“[But] if I’m drinking or smoking, I’ll offer it
to my friend; if they say ‘no’ then that’s okay.”
Although she does not use illegal
substances, Handell also tries to maintain a
non-judgmental view of other’s opinions and
actions.
“I’m not going to not be friends with
someone just because they drink or do
drugs,” she said. “I’m not really accepting
of [substance use] and [I’m not] okay with
it, but I’ll still be friends with someone who
does it.”
Margolis said that peer pressure can also
have a positive effect on teens.
“Just as it is the case when peers get together
and decide to do [substances], if a peer group
gets together and decides ‘that’s not something
we’re going to do,’ it makes it easier for them
not to do [substances],” he said.
Teens are also influenced by factors ranging
from alcohol’s effects to parenting.
“Alcohol and weed make me more
outgoing—it gives me an excuse to be more
social,” a female junior said.
Handell believes, however, that “bad things
happen when you drink and do illegal drugs”
and that students shouldn’t need substances
“to let loose.”
Margolis thinks that parents have a
responsibility to shape their children’s
opinions about substances.
“There’s a tremendous difficulty that
I see with parents in terms of knowing
how to set appropriate limits [for their
children]...and be involved in their
kids’ lives in a caring way which
would help,” Margolis said.
Handell’s parents set strict limits
about substance use that have impacted her
choices.
“My parents are teetotalers—no alcohol
in the house or anything,” she said. “They
expect us not to drink, even when we’re
21.”
The junior’s parents, however, set
looser rules about substance use.
“It’s kind of a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’
thing—but they’re not really okay with
drinking,” she said. “They’re less okay
with pot because it’s completely
illegal.”
Margolis believes that schools should
also play a significant role in impacting
teenage substance use.
“Schools are for educating, aren’t they?”
Margolis said. “[Schools] ought to do a
better job; they can and should.”
Margolis also said that current high
school substance awareness programs often
lack adequate information.
“I have seen [health] textbooks that
say, ‘What are the effects of smoking
marijuana?’” Margolis said. “Many of these
books were written 10 and 20 years ago,
before most of the research on the effects of
marijuana was even available.”
The most recent marijuana use statistics
in Grady’s health textbook are from 1998;
the book also includes numerous units on
other substances. In Grady’s mandatory
health classes, students present short
projects on alcohol and various drugs to
their classmates. Under a state mandate,
students are also required to take the
Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program,
offered in the health classes, to become
eligible for a driver’s license. The sophomore
said, however, that Grady health classes do
not provide enough information about the
effects of substance use and addiction.
The school does not offer an alcohol and
drug counseling program for students with
addictions.
“There’s a difference between abuse and
addiction—the way we look at abuse is
when it begins to somehow interfere with
your daily functioning,” Margolis said. “It
becomes an addiction or dependence when
the use becomes more compulsive.”
According to Mr. Arnold, substance
addictions often become apparent only
when students drop out of school or are
referred to teacher conferences for other
reasons. When a student’s excessive use
is brought to the school’s attention, the
student is referred to the school
social worker and recommended
to “community resources.”
These resources include the
United Way Help Book,
available online, and
Super One, a prevention
and education resource
sponsored by both
Atlanta Public Schools
and the Metropolitan
Atlanta Council on
Alcohol and Drugs.
Margolis
believes,
however, that these
resources can never
completely eliminate
teen substance use.
“We have to recognize
that everyone can do all the
right things, but there are
certain kids who will still
do it,” he said. “We’re never
going to stamp this thing out
completely; we’re never going
to have zero drug use.” ❐
Many athletes violate substance contract yet refrain from steroid use
BY ASA BEAL
“Drug-Free School Zone.”
A sign declares this phrase near Grady on the corner of Charles
Allen Drive and 10th Street and at high schools nationwide. Statistics
gathered through local and national studies, however, suggest that
signs like this are more symbols of hope than statements of fact.
While the use of illegal drugs and alcohol affects the academic
performance of millions of students, these substances also have a
profound influence in a different realm: the courts and fields of high
school athletics.
“Being an athlete comes with a lot of pressure,” said a senior
football player who wished to remain anonymous. “I think for some
people, drugs and alcohol are a way to escape that, if even for a little
while.”
Although some athletes also feel compelled to use performanceenhancing drugs, few Grady players consume these substances.
“None of the kids I know use [performance enhancing drugs] like
that,” football coach Ronnie Millen said.
Though Coach Millen does not know of any players who use these
substances, he said that Grady has no program in place to prevent
such use.
“By this age you’re going to do what you want to do anyway,”
senior basketball player Randy Flemister said. “Programs aren’t going
to change what people do.”
Though some high school students are tempted to use performanceenhancing or recreational drugs to improve athletic ability and escape
the pressures of everyday life, certain athletes resist temptation.
“I never wanted to try [illegal substances],” Flemister said. “I know
what they do to your body and I don’t want to go through that. I
know that’s not something I need.”
According to Monitoring the Future, a 30-year study
performed by the University of Michigan, teens use drugs such
as amphetamines, anabolic steroids and androstenedione
as performance enhancers. The study found that
among American seniors, the prevalence rate for
amphetamines was 13 percent, for anabolic steroids
the rate was three percent and for androstenedione the
rate was two percent.
Grady student-athletes fall below the national averages of usage
for performance-enhancing drugs. In a recent survey by The
Southerner, approximately three percent of Grady studentathletes had tried any of these three performance-enhancing
drugs.
The number of Grady students who use performanceenhancing drugs, however, is less than the number who consume
alcohol and illegal recreational drugs.
Boys soccer coach Mr. Nikolai Curtis has attempted to take
athletes’ drug and alcohol use into his own hands. At the
beginning of the soccer season, Coach Curtis required his players to
sign a pledge that he hoped would dissuade the boys from consuming
any illegal drugs or alcohol, for health and legal reasons.
All the players and their parents signed the Grady Soccer
Commitment Contract, which contains 15 terms the players
agreed to abide for the entire season. Many of the terms deal
with timeliness and sportsmanship, but one is meant to
curtail the players’ use of illegal substances. Term seven
reads, “I agree to refrain from drinking alcohol or
smoking anything.”
Although every member of the boys soccer team
signed the agreement, a Southerner survey of male
soccer players showed that many do not adhere
to its terms. Approximately 88 percent of the soccer
players surveyed consume alcohol regularly (at least once
a month) and approximately 75 percent of male soccer
players have smoked marijuana this school year.
Flemister believes he knows why many athletes use illegal
drugs and alcohol.
“I think doing drugs is more influenced by peers,”
Flemister said. “It’s pretty common, just because there’s
a lot of people who know how to get access to drugs and
alcohol—it’s in their neighborhoods, [so] they know a lot
of people who do it.” ❐
Could teens handle responsibility of lowering drinking age to 18?
Teens lack maturity, parents’ guidance to drink responsibly
An
anonymous
Grady student plans on
knocking a few back
this weekend. But as
far as I know, students
usually don’t reach 21,
the legal drinking age,
in high school.
SOPHIE COX
So how is it that most
of Grady won’t have any problem getting
alcohol this weekend?
You wouldn’t know it, but the United States
does have a drinking age. My concern is that
the law does not adequately prevent underage
drinking.
However ineffective the law may be, anyone
aware of how easy it is to break should realize
the dangerous availability a lower age limit
poses. Why should we make alcohol even
more accesible to students?
Eighteen year olds argue that since they can
fight for their country, vote, go to jail and
watch porn, they should be allowed
to be drunk in Iraq, during 2008,
at the police precinct and in their
bedrooms.
Unfortunately for 18 year olds,
one lingering statistic will forever
inhibit any politician or parent
from speaking out against the
law. Since passing the minimum
drinking age of 21 in 1984, the
nation has seen a 25 percent
decrease in driving accidents
involving
underage
drinking. As long as
this continues, the law
will not change.
Granted, not every teen is irresponsible
enough to risk a DUI, but students still
aren’t supposed to be drinking. I know
that most teenagers consider their
parents’ rules more excruciating than
the nation’s laws, but has anyone
ever stopped to think about why
we have a drinking age in the first
place? Drinking is a very dangerous
activity if not done responsibly. I’ve realized
that the law doesn’t exist to limit our
enjoyment in life, but to protect our young
minds from permanent damage.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control, the human brain is still developing
at a significant rate until a person reaches
his or her early 20s. When students
consumealcohol, especially when they binge
drink (consuming enough alcohol to obtain a
.08 Blood Alcohol Level in two hours), they
risk disrupting this development. Twelve to
20 year olds are responsible for 20 percent of
the total alcohol consumption in the United
States, and over 90 percent of that alcohol
consumption qulaifies as binge drinking. The
CDC warns that youth who drink alcohol risk
experiencing everything from failing grades
in school to delayed sexual development.
Consuming any amount of alcohol risks
complications, but the way the youth in
America drink is especially dangerous.
The United States views underage drinking
so negatively that it’s no wonder that
students are curious. European
countries have more lenient
drinking age laws, leaving
parents responsible for educating
their kids about alcohol use. The
trick is, Europeans learn early on
that binge drinking is not the only
way to enjoy alcohol. If the United
States took a more European approach
to alcohol, we wouldn’t have such a
problem with underage drinking.
Ideally, America should have
adapted the European approach to
alcohol consumption control years
ago. People argue that if we lowered
the drinking age to 18 now, we’d
reap many of the same benefits that
European countries do. It may seem like
a great solution to our underage drinking
problems, but unless teenagers start
drinking more responsibly, we won’t be
ready for any kind of change for a long
time. ❑
Higher drinking age puts 18 year olds in legal limbo
In America, I must person has never been exposed to alcohol
be at least 18 to in a controlled home environment, they
vote. When I have don’t know the symptoms to look for when
lived approximately inebriation occurs. Most kids expect effects
6,570 days, I have to kick in immediately, and by the time
the power to elect they realize that it takes a while for alcohol
a president. At age to make its way through the body, it’s too
18, I am old enough late and they have already fallen victim
ERIK BELGUM
to take a bullet for my to the drink. Talk to most students about
country, but I am not old enough to take their horror stories, and most will tell you
a shot. I can be a captain in the Navy, yet that their first time was their worst.
I am not allowed to have a little ‘Captain’
Americans can join the Army, gamble in
in me. At 18, I am not permitted to drink Las Vegas and purchase a handgun at the
alcohol.
age of 18. You can sign your own marriage
If I were 16 and lived in France, I certificate, but you can’t have champagne at
could carry around a bottle of the finest the reception. Society makes 18 a ‘magic’
champagne and shout at the world. At age for the end of state-mandated curfew.
least that’s the way
Yet, the same
most Americans
people who make
view the French.
that rule say that
At age 18, I am old enough to
Because
other
18 year olds can’t
take a bullet for my country,
nations
allow
drink alcohol.
but I am not old enough to
drinking at a
It
seems
lower age, fewer
everyone knows
take a shot.
people binge drink
at least one
or drink to get
person who has
drunk.
been involved in a drunk driving accident.
Alcohol is not inherently bad—drinking Almost all teens are aware of the effects
one beer in a sitting has a miniscule effect of drunk driving. There are teens who
on the body. Bingeing is what creates drive drunk and adults who drive drunk,
problems.
but people seem to think that teenagers
Many teens go to parties and the first cause more accidents. Alcohol doesn’t
thing they see when they walk in is one discriminate—drunken teenagers drive
of their best friends with a bottle in their on city streets all the time as do drunken
hand telling them how wasted they’re adults. Allowing people to drink at the age
going to get. If the legal drinking age was of 18 will help them understand the effects
lowered, there would be less of a thrill from alcohol have on driving.
doing something illegal, so teens would
President Reagan changed the law in
feel less of a need to rebel. Far fewer teens 1984 when teenage drunk driving was the
would feel the need to drink in order to hot topic. Since then, more informative
have a good time if they knew that they policies targeted towards teens have been
could drink legally; if drinking was the put in place, like the posters around Grady
norm, it wouldn’t be necessary to find from the Governor’s Office of Highway
an underground bunker where you could Safety.
secretly partake.
18 year olds are as responsible as those
Most kids don’t want to push their three years older than them and should be
limits; they just don’t know them. If a allowed to drink accordingly. ❑
n e w s
10
April 20, 2007
from page 1
team were unsure the team
could even move on to the state
competition this season.
“Because we were scrimmaging
teams that were not as good as us
[before region], we played on their
level,” Webb said. “It made me
nervous that by regionals we had
not seen our good game at all.”
Sophomore Sarah Bufkin also had
concerns about the team’s readiness.
“I think the problem was that
none of us really had our final drafts
of our [speeches and examinations]
done,” said Bufkin, who has been an
attorney for two years. “Things were
still kind of in the process of being
reworked.”
Despite some unease going into
the competition, Grady managed to
finish in first place at regionals.
“The team’s performance at
regionals was inspiring,” Gebo said.
“Yes, there were errors and flaws, but
the students never gave up.”
Grady faced a challenge from
Therrell in the final round.
“[Therrell was] like a Mighty
Ducks story,” Webb said. “I was
happy for them. I made friends with
people on their team, and it would
have been cool if they had won,
but, you know, we are good. At that
point, we were banking.”
Though the team secured a spot
at the state competition, everyone
on the team knew they had plenty
of work to do before they would be
fully ready to compete.
“The state championship is an
insane endeavor,” Gebo said. “The
field of competitors is a roll call of
frighteningly strong schools with
long histories of excellent mock trial
teams…To prepare for all of the
PHOTOS BY SALLY ZINTAK
MOCK trial team loses state; individuals earn awards
UNDER OATH: Rachel Feinberg (above)
tells the jury about her daughter’s
fatal car accident. (Right) Asa Beal
and Kenny Jones explain the collision..
talent, skill, experience, confidence
and passion that all of the 15 other
regional champions bring to the
table is a little like King Leonidas
trying to prepare his 300 to face
Xerxes’ armies at Thermopylae.”
Despite the challenge of an
intense state competition, Grady’s
success at region gave the team
motivation and confidence to put in
the practice time necessary to prevail
at state.
“I think there was a mental
shift,” Bufkin said. “Coming out of
regionals, it was a lot of people’s first
time in a courtroom competing.
I think everyone just came out
revived and willing to work.”
Since Grady’s region competition
was held a week earlier than most
other regions, the squad had three
weeks before the state competitions
to tighten its performance. Team
members spent extra hours after
school practicing at PowellGoldstein.
Teacher-coach
Mr.
Larry
McCurdy was impressed with the
team’s preparation for state.
“They started working really hard
and really helping each other out a
lot,” he said.
The team members’ hard work
and long hours of practice served
them well at the state competition
on March 10 and 11.
“A flawless round of mock trial is
an oxymoron—the real test is how
a team deals with the obstacles they
encounter during a round,” Gebo
said. “This year’s Grady team did an
amazing job adjusting to what was
happening [during] and between
each round.”
After two rounds of arguing their
cases, the teams adjourned for an
awards ceremony. To the team’s
great excitement, Grady was among
the schools that would advance to
the final two rounds the next day.
On Sunday, Grady won its
first round, securing a spot in the
final round against longtime rival
Jonesboro High School, last year’s
state champion.
The teams’ mutual animosity
made for a passionate final round
this year.
“The
competition
[with
Jonesboro] has gotten friendlier over
the years,” Mr. McCurdy said. “For
a while there, it was very hostile, but
there seemed to be more respect on
both sides this year.”
Mr. McCurdy takes the rivalry as
a compliment and even sees it as an
opportunity for Grady to defend its
lauded reputation.
“Everybody wants to beat us,”
he said. “Everybody enjoys facing
us. In some ways, they dread facing
us, but everybody wants a shot at
Grady.”
The tension between the two
teams made for a close competition.
“When the Grady squads left
the courtrooms at the end of that
championship round, they proved
to themselves and to everyone that
they had earned their way there,”
Gebo said.
Although Jonesboro left with
the championship, many believe
Grady’s performance had never
been better.
“In all my mock trial experience,
Sunday was the best we had
ever been,” Webb said. “I have
never played harder, never seen
my teammates play harder and
everything was perfect. That’s why
[the loss] was so heartbreaking.”
The team does not, however,
view its season as unsuccessful since
it was still able to meet many goals.
“Of course the team and the
coaches are disappointed that
they won’t have the chance to
represent Georgia at nationals,”
Gebo said. “But no gavel trophy,
no matter what size, can capture
or approximate the tremendous
accomplishment of this year’s Grady
mock trial team.” ❐
Bookstore downsizes, leaves one location
THE END: Chapter 11’s Ansley Mall store, a popular destination for
frugal Grady bookworms, will close by May 12 due to bankruptcy.
BY SCOTT CHAMBLISS
Local bookstore chain Chapter 11
recently announced it will be closing two
of its locations by May 12. The chain’s
last remaining store is located at Emory
Commons.
Founded in 1990 by Dale Glenn and
Barbara Babbit Kaufman, the chain was
purchased by Perry Tanner in 2002.
At its peak, it operated in 16 locations
throughout north Georgia, but lack of
business at most of those locations forced
the chain to declare bankruptcy in 2005
and close all but six of its locations.
The approaching closings of its Ansley
Mall and Sandy Springs locations came
as a surprise to many shoppers who
appreciated the bookstore’s friendly
atmosphere.
Literature teacher Ms. Jocelyn Nettles
has worked with the Chapter 11 in Ansley
Mall to acquire books at reduced prices
for her classes over the past two years.
This year, however, the store had already
stopped placing new orders, so she was
unable to collaborate with them.
“This go-around I had to go to Borders,
but they wouldn’t give us a discount,” Ms.
Nettles said. “Barnes and Noble did, but
it took much longer because the cashiers
did not know about the discount. [The
personal attention] is what’s good about
small bookstores with fewer employees.”
The downsizing of Chapter 11 reflects
a national decline in independent
bookstores. While Atlanta has largely
retained its independent bookstore genre
with local suppliers such as Outwrite
Bookstore, Charis Books & More and Tall
Tales Book Shop, independent bookstores
in many major cities have fallen to
internet sales and major carriers such as
Borders and Barnes & Noble.
“It’s unfortunate that the big guys
are crushing out the smaller, quaint
bookstores,” Ms. Nettles said. “They can
get more books for cheaper and that means
more business.”❐
SPLOST III passed, provides money for new schools, expansions
from page 1
decade, a 2006 demographic study showed
immense projected growth in Midtown and
the northern and southwestern districts of
the city. The system plans to use SPLOST III
funds to build two new elementary schools and
to buy land for two new middle schools, which
will counteract the growth. APS also plans to
renovate the Grady and Lakewood athletic
stadiums.
Myers claims that extending SPLOST is the
most taxpayer-friendly way for APS to raise
revenue.
“SPLOST actually costs less for local tax
payers because people who visit Atlanta or
come into the city to shop will be bearing
some of the brunt,” Myers said. “Otherwise,
the city would have to raise property taxes, and
then only people who own property in Atlanta
would be taxed more.”
The Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation,
however, believes that more than enough
money is already allocated to APS.
“Fifty-two percent of every property owner’s
property tax goes directly to public schools,”
Sherman said. “APS doesn’t need the money. It
has enough funds from tax payers now to make
any renovations [the schools] should need.”
Seventy percent of APS’ approximately
$600 million regular budget is derived from
local property taxes. The additional 30 percent
is made up primarily of state and federal
grants. Myers said there is no money for facility
improvement without SPLOST.
“Salaries and employee benefits make up
85 percent of our normal operating budget,”
Myers said. “The remaining 15 percent is for
everything else—all of the supplies that we
have to provide to schools. There just isn’t
room for renovations.”
Sherman, however, argues that APS could
be run more efficiently. According to studies
conducted by the Fulton County Taxpayers
Foundation, the system has the seventh
highest operating cost per student in the
nation at $11,215. When compared to the
demographically similar DeKalb County
school system, APS spent 179 percent higher
per student on pupil services, 311 percent
higher per student for general administration
purposes and 44 percent higher per student for
staff services.
The results of the vote for SPLOST III,
however, showed that the general public is
content with the idea of devoting additional
tax money to public schools. The referendum
passed by a landslide.
“The community has a duty to provide
education; it’s the way it’s always been,” said
Trav Carter, a real estate attorney whose
children transferred from an APS school to
Woodward Academy at a young age. “Plus,
public education helps everyone in the long
run. A well educated community attracts
business, business attracts money and money
helps everybody.”
Myers also believes that public education
translates into benefits for the entire
community.
“It’s a quality of life issue,” he said.
“Everyone benefits if children are receiving a
good education.” ❐
r e v i e w s
Fresh to Order
Where:
860 Peachtree St.
Hours:
11a.m.-10p.m.
Phone Number:
(404) 593-2333
Average Price:
Between $13 and $20.
The Low Down:
Fresh to Order offers a
variety of choices and provides
a quick lunch or a long dinner.
BY HANNA GRIFFITHS
Fast food and healthy fare are not often found
at the same restaurant. When two chefs noticed
this void, Fresh to Order was born.
Through sandwiches, salads and even steak,
this restaurant provides healthy gourmet food in
a relaxed atmosphere. From the time diners arrive
until the time they leave, the staff is gracious and
friendly.
The menu is diverse enough to simply get a
snack after school or purchase a whole dinner.
The selection of huge, colorful salads ranges from
typical Caesar to Mediterranean. Dinner plates,
called long plates, include roasted pork loin and
BY KAYCI SCHOON
Mediterranean Grill takes pride in its
family-owned business. Easily assumed
from the name, the small-scale grill
located at 985 Monroe Drive serves
Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine,
cooked to order.
“I came from Chicago [to Atlanta]...
so Atlanta can have a place like
[Mediterranean Grill],” said Sam
Mousa, the restaurant’s manager and
a member of American Culinary
Federation.
The restaurant is small and lined
with booths and tile. Although it’s
not appropriate for even a semi-formal
occasion, it is ideal for a casual meal.
“Most people come here for a
chicken skewers.
The salmon panini sandwich is delicious.
Made with avocado, lettuce, tomato, tarragon
aioli, and corn, the sandwich is a light
summery dish and the fresh ingredients form
a delicious blend.
The décor, like the food, is light and
appealing. It is located on the corner of
Peachtree and Seventh Street; unlike most
Peachtree restaurants, Fresh to Order offers
outdoor dining. The large windows and stylish
seating provide a relaxing atmosphere.
The store also sells a tasty array of gourmet
foreign foods, teas and chocolates.
Unless there is an event downtown, parking
is relatively easy. The Spiral building’s parking
lot, located next door, offers free parking.
Patrons should be wary of Midtown events,
however, because Fresh to Go can quickly get
crowded. ❐
casual lunch or dinner,” Mousa said.
“We cook everything in front of you.
We have no freezer or canned goods;
everything is homemade. We grind our
own meats, the portions are generous
and nothing ever sits around.”
The menu is fairly diverse, including
gyros, hummus and even calamari, as
well as less common items such as baba
ganoush, tabouli, and dolmas. The
menu will seem straightforward only to
those diners in touch with Greek cuisine.
Fortunately, the complicated names
such as foolmudames are followed by
a much-appreciated description of the
meal.
“The price
range is about
11
HANNA GRIFFITHS
April 20, 2007
EATING IS BELIEVING: Although Fresh to Order is a franchise, its
Midtown staff works to create a relaxed, unique atmosphere.
Mediterranean Grill
Where: 985 Monroe St.
Average Price: $6
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11a.m.-9:30p.m. The Low Down:
Sun. 12p.m.-8:30p.m.
Medgrill is an inexpensive, familyPhone Number: (404) 917-1100 owned grill where meals are homemade.
$2.95 to under nine dollars for the
most expensive meals,” Mousa said.
As far as pricing goes, the
Mediterranean Grill fits a high-school
student’s budget. A falafel wrap and
water came to about five dollars. Plates
(wraps or sandwiches with salad and/or
pita bread) are usually around eight
dollars, and side items or pastries are
generally less than two dollars.
The restaurant is conveniently open
from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday
through Saturday, and from noon until
8:30 p.m. on Sundays.
The restaurant’s location and speedy
service make it an easy choice for those
that live in Midtown. Mediterranean
Grill is sure to please diners looking
for a quick, diverse and inexpensive
meal. ❐
Highland Tap
ALEXANDER RITZ
TAP THAT: The fireplace in the back room of Highland Tap creates a quiet and comfortable
atmosphere perfect for a special steak dinner. The restaurant and bar also serves brunch.
BY ALEXANDER RITZ
Since 1989, Highland Tap has been one of Atlanta’s
premier steak restaurants. The restaurant is located
underneath certain shops in busy Virginia-Highland,
yet it maintains a secluded atmosphere ideal for lunch
or dinner.
The full-service bar in the front of the establishment
does not interfere with the restaurant in the back.
Sophomore Olivia Scofield works in the restaurant
as a hostess.
“The bar can get rowdy at night, but when you’re
sitting in the back, you can forget it’s even there,”
Scofield said. “It doesn’t usually get crowded until
dinner time, [but] you should make reservations,
especially during winter.”
The service is timely, and according to Scofield the
usual Friday night crowd is around 250 people, most
of whom come in couples or groups of four.
Where:
1701 Piedmont Rd.
Hours:
Sun.
9a.m.-9p.m.
Mon.-Wed. 11a.m.-10p.m.
Thurs.
11a.m.-11p.m.
Fri.
11a.m.-12p.m.
Sat.
9a.m.-12p.m.
Phone Number:
(404) 875-3673
Average Price: $30
The Low Down:
The Tap serves upscale
meals in the accessible and
relaxed Virginia Highland.
With a patio, large booths and small tables,
Highland Tap is a good location for a small birthday
party or gathering, although the amount of seating
limits most parties to about four people.
The menu consists of steaks, burgers, salads and
sandwiches.
“I work brunch so that’s all I eat, [but] they have
really good steaks,” Scofield said.
A meal of a steak sandwich, french fries, a drink
and crème brulee cost about $33, including tax and
tip. The steak was perfectly cooked to order, and the
french fries deserve high praise.
With meals ranging from $30 to $40, Scofield
describes the restaurant as more upscale in price but
not in atmosphere, which she describes as relaxed and
friendly.
“[It’s] not for burgers—you should only go for a
special occasion,” she said. ❐
BY KAYCI SCHOON
Contemporary pop music
plays, egg-like light fixtures hang
from the ceiling and bottles of
Kikkoman soy sauce sit at each
booth. Nickiemoto’s is an elegant
and modern pan-Asian restaurant
located on the corner of 10th
Street and Piedmont Avenue, near
Caribou Coffee, Subway, and The
Flying Biscuit.
The restaurant’s atmosphere is
relaxed but artistic, the kind of
place to go for a nice yet casual
date.
The service at Nickiemoto’s is
impressive. My waiter and hostess
were very personable—polite and
easy to talk to. Besides providing
a light atmosphere, they offered
excellent and timely service. Their
friendliness seemed genuine and
uplifting, giving the experience an
enjoyable mood.
“The best occasion to come
here for is probably a birthday
party,” service manager Lynn
James said. “On Monday nights
we have a drag show and it’s crazy
fun…[with] mostly people from
around the neighborhood.”
The only real downfall to
Nickiemoto’s is the cost. A sushi
sampler, a plate of tuna tataki and
a scoop of lemon sorbet was about
$22. Not such a bad price, except
that there were eight small pieces
of sushi on the sampler and eight
tiny slices of tuna on the plate.
Twenty dollars could be better
spent on two full meals rather
than 16 small pieces of fish.
On a cheaper note, dishes
such as soups and salads come at
more affordable prices. Although
intimidating to some, the high
prices suit the upscale appearance
and style of the restaurant. For
a simple, cheap meal, however,
Nickiemoto’s isn’t the best
option. ❐
Nickiemoto’s
Where:
990 Piedmont Rd.
Hours:
Mon.-Thurs. 11:30a.m.-11p.m.
Fri. 11:30a.m.-12a.m.
Sat. 12p.m.-10p.m.
Sun. 12p.m.-12a.m.
Phone Number:
(404) 253-2010
Average Price:
Between $13 and $20.
The Low Down:
Nickiemotos is a casual and
classy pan-Asian restaurant superb
for sushi and a pre-movie date.
fGradyegraduate
a t uexamines
re
THE SOUTHERNER
12
April 20, 2007
1
2
Catholic exorcism in book
Catholic exorcism rituals.
“The article attracted a lot of attention, got
a lot of reaction and piqued my own curiosity
about this phenomenon,” Wilkinson said. “It
seems so unbelievable to many of us looking
from the outside, and so I wanted to explore
it further.”
The article was so successful that a
publisher contacted Wilkinson with an offer
to expand the article into a book. She initially
resisted the offer, but eventually agreed to
write the book. She faced months of extensive
research as she explored exorcism “from the
scene of an actual exorcism in a medieval
church, to the homes of patients, the studios
of priests and doctors and the marble halls of
the Vatican.” She found that the more she
investigated, the more the sheer amount of
material became overwhelming.
“That ability to expand presents challenges,
especially for journalists most accustomed to
the pace of a daily newspaper,” Wilkinson
said. “It requires a lot of stepping back
and deciding how to organize the material,
and then never losing sight of that general
outline.”
Wilkinson’s main obstacle was to present
exorcism from the perspective of both the
church and the skeptics. Before she could
worry about voicing everybody’s opinions,
however, she had to persuade reluctant
sources to talk to her.
“It took a long time [and] much coaxing
and reassuring; I had to grant anonymity
to several sources and protect the identity
of the patients whose stories are included,”
Wilkinson said. “Even among priests and
Vatican officials, there is reluctance to discuss
openly a ritual that the Church knows can be
easily sensationalized and ridiculed.”
Wilkinson finally published The Vatican’s
Exorcist in February 2007. Though the
process was taxing, the end result was
fulfilling.
“This process can be very rewarding,”
she said. “What reporter hasn’t written a
story that he or she feels ought to be longer
and delve into more areas, but is ultimately
constrained by an editor yelling, ‘Cut?’”❐
3
4
5
PHOTOS COURTESY OF RACHEL DEEL
BY KELLY DOUGLAS
When Tracy Wilkinson attended Grady
in the 1970s, the school was struggling
to integrate. Many white students left for
private schools during this turmoil, but
Wilkinson remained at Grady and thrived.
She now works as a reporter for the Los
Angeles Times and is the recent author of The
Vatican’s Exorcist.
“I loved that [Grady] was a public school
in the city, fighting against the tide of white
flight to private schools,” Wilkinson said.
“I think that gave me a spirit of fighting
for the underdog, because we were kind of
underdogs—that has stayed with me in all of
my assignments as a journalist.”
After graduating from Grady, Wilkinson
attended Vanderbilt University, where she
worked for the student newspaper The
Hustler; she went on to work as a reporter for
the Los Angeles Times. Throughout her career
she has lived in Peru, Nicaragua, El Salvador,
Austria, Bosnia, Israel and Italy and has
worked in as many as 50 countries. Living
in numerous war-torn countries has often
put Wilkinson in danger—she experienced
extreme violence while living in Bosnia and
Jerusalem. Yet “there is no comparison” to the
peril Wilkinson encountered in Iraq when
she was injured in a bombing in Baghdad.
Though Wilkinson has often witnessed
violence during her career, she has fond
memories of the places where she has lived.
“I’m fluent in [Spanish]...so living
anywhere in Latin America, for me, is
wonderful,” Wilkinson said. “Rome…is a
city of incomparable beauty and history.
But Jerusalem, too, had its beauty, profound
history and, if you could ignore the violence,
tension and political intensity, life was not
bad.”
Wilkinson currently works as the Los
Angeles Times’ Rome bureau chief, directing
news coverage for the Vatican, Italy, Spain,
Turkey, Greece and other countries in the
Mediterranean. In 2004, she wrote an
article featuring Father Gabriele Amorth,
an influential exorcist for the Vatican who
is known for his attempts to gain respect for
AP STUDIO ART CLASS UNVEILS YEAR-LONG EFFORTS AT EYEDRUM
(1) Senior Rachel Deel’s pieces, which were painted on two layers of separated plexiglass,
depict various people underwater. (2) A potential customer examines senior Martha Lucas’
color photographs of hair. (3) Senior Matt Powell built a support structure to hang his vinyland-plywood pieces from. (4) Senior Alexandra Becker speaks about her celestial paintings,
which are inspired by galaxies and supernovas. (5) Senior Leah Leonard shows off her designoriented paintings of the elements of life.
International tour enriching for seniors Betty, Lucas
BY LENA BRODSKY
that they will be treated with prejudice
While many Grady students were because they are American. Betty’s
flocking to the free day at Six Flags or experience was a little different from what
lying out on the beach over spring break, he expected.
some chose to take alternative spring break
“I felt like [the general sentiment
trips.
toward Americans] was neither positive
Senior Ryan Betty had an unusual nor negative,” Betty said. “It was more
spring break in
like we were
Jerusalem,
Tel
I explored the Old City in Jerusalem, ignored and
Aviv and Jaffa in
couldn’t
went to the Wailing Wall where there they
Israel.
see us.”
were thousands of people, saw the
“I wanted to see
Another
the Middle East
Grady
student
Holocaust Museum, drove by the
before I graduated
who witnessed
West Bank and went to markets.
and went into the
n a t i v e s’
Navy,” Betty said.
apprehension
Betty was able to
Senior Ryan Betty ta co cwe pa tri dn gs
have a good time
and experience an
American
entirely different culture during the week tourists was senior Martha Lucas, who
off from school.
went to Italy.
“[What I thought was most interesting]
“In the major cities, they are used to
was the difference between American and tourists, so you can speak English and
Israeli cultures,” Betty said. “Over there get by,” Lucas said. “In the smaller cities
everyone has to join the army at age 18 if you tried to speak English they weren’t
or 19, and there are a lot of 18-year-old as friendly, but we met people who spoke
[soldiers] walking around with guns.”
English.”
When traveling overseas, many worry
Lucas visited Venice, Rome, Florence
“
and Cinque Terra while she was in Italy.
“Italy was on my mom’s [list of ] top
places to go and for my graduation present
she decided to take me,” Lucas said.
While many students spend their spring
breaks lounging, Lucas and Betty both did
the opposite, seeing as many cultural and
educational places as they could.
“We mainly went to museums in the
mornings,” Lucas said. “One museum we
went to was Uffizi in Florence. We also
drove a car to see the leaning Tower of Pisa
and took trains between major cities.”
Betty also visited historical sites.
“I explored The Old City in Jerusalem,
went to the Wailing Wall where there
were thousands of people [because it was
Passover], saw the Holocaust Museum,
drove by the West Bank and went to the
markets.”
A typical souvenir from spring break
may be a seashell or a t-shirt, but Lucas
and Betty picked up exotic souvenirs on
their atypical trips.
“I brought back a dagger, dead sea salt,
a turban and some unleavened Israeli
bread,” Betty said.
Lucas said one of the experiences she
enjoyed most was Italian food and drink,
so she brought back cartons of wine as her
souvenirs, along with gifts for her family.
While many drivers in Atlanta complain
about congested traffic, Lucas said that rush
hour in the [United States] does not even
compare to traffic in Italy on a regular basis.
“The traffic is unbelievable in major
cities,” Lucas said. “No one really has lanes,
and if you are a pedestrian, you can’t really
look to the side. There a lot of bikes and
motorcycles and everyone drives crazy.”
Betty, who has also visited Japan,
Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Ghana,
Mexico and the United Kingdom, noticed
a striking distinction between Israelis and
Americans in culture and language.
“Israelis are very adamant about their
feelings,” Betty said. “They are very loyal
to their people and country and they are
very pushy.”
Both Lucas and Betty enjoyed their
unconventional spring break vacations,
but Betty especially learned a valuable
lesson.
“I’ve gained a new respect for the Middle
East in general,” Betty said. “I never knew
anything besides what I’d seen on TV.” ❐
f e a t u r e
April 20, 2007
BLAME GANG: (from left to right) Junior Alix Joslyn, sophomores Miguel Velez and Jordan Wofford, junior Kieran Maynard, Mr. Karl Surber, and senior Stone Irvin face
off at high school dance. Irvin plays Riff, leader of the Jets gang. Velez plays Bernardo, leader of the Sharks gang and Riff’s arch enemy. A violent fight soon ensues.
West Side ensemble enthralls audience
BY BARBARA DOUGHERTY
After months of rehearsing songs, lines and
choreography, March 29–31
brought about the final
payoff for Grady’s drama
department when it
performed
a slightly
modern
take on
Arthur
BARBARA DOUGHERTY
BY JOURDAN DEVIES AND JAMISON KINNANE
Synchronicity
Performance
Group
brought part of the worldwide premiere of
Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Park’s 365
Days/365 Plays to Grady during the week of
Feb. 26. The short plays were performed for
Mr. Mario Herrera’s debate and Ms. Lisa
Willoughby’s literature classes.
Parks began writing her plays in November
2002 and wrote one play each day of the
next year. When she finished her collection,
director Bonnie Metzger approached Parks
and proposed the current production idea
of simultaneously producing the plays across
the nation. The 365 International Festival
includes over 700 theaters in cities such as
Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, San
Francisco, Washington D.C., Austin, Texas
and New York City, New York.
Each participating theater is assigned one
week between Nov. 13, 2006 and Nov. 12,
2007 to interpret the seven scripts they receive
in whatever manner they choose. Everything,
including the set, props and tone, is left up to
the theater, except for the scripts and ticket
price. The performances are required to be
free for all audiences so everyone has a chance
to experience the productions.
Synchronicity had to choose a venue for the
Atlanta performance, and Grady was at the
top of its list, along with Oakland Cemetery,
a MARTA station and an art gallery.
“Working with a school was one of my
top three partnerships, and it was the most
exciting choice for me,” said Hope Mirilis,
one of Synchronicity’s founders. “There is a
huge lack of arts education in Georgia, so I
want to do whatever I can to bring culture
and creativity into the schools. A public
school with an emphasis on communication
seemed to be the best place for us.”
Synchronicity contacted Mr. Herrera to
line up Grady as a venue for the group’s
week.
“It was Synchronicity’s week for the
365 Plays,” Mr. Herrera said. “When they
e-mailed and said they wanted to do it, I
wanted to be part of something that was
going on across the nation, so I thought it
was a great opportunity.”
The week of Feb. 26, three of Mr. Herrera
and Ms. Willoughby’s classes saw two short
plays in the Grady theater. Students even got
to be involved in some of the performances;
junior Octavius Hines participated in one of
the plays as a main character.
“When they asked for a volunteer, I
decided to try it,” Hines said. “I was a little
nervous, but I had fun doing it. I think I did
a good job.”
Following each play, students discussed
its meaning and symbolism. The students
learned how the actors had interpreted
the plays and the performance topics they
covered, from the Twin Towers to black
history and human relationships.
“The response was fantastic,” said Theroun
Patterson, one of the Synchronicity actors,
“It’s always interesting to hear different
perspectives of what was just seen.”
Students who had the opportunity to see
these plays contributed positive feedback
about the experience during discussions.
“I thought it was a difficult feat for
[Synchronicity] to accomplish, but they
did it well, ” senior Cecily MacMillan said.
“It’s really excellent because each person
took something different from it. Once we
started discussing, every single one of us got
something different from the plays, and I
thought that was very interesting.” ❐
DANIEL MATTHEWS
Grady hosts
premiere of
Parks’ plays
13
Laurents, Stephen Sondheim and Leonard
Bernstein’s West Side Story. Fans gathered
opening night for a promising show featuring
some of Grady’s most talented performers, and
they weren’t disappointed.
“I cried because I was so proud that
Grady could put together something so
professionally,” junior Callan Wells said. “It
seemed to flow perfectly.”
Despite the apparent seemless perfection of
the production, actors behind the stage noticed
a few imperfections.
“There were a few hiccups, even some pretty
major ones,” said senior Stone Irvin, who
played Jet gang leader Riff. “But despite the
flaws opening night, we were able to capture
the audience with the singing and dancing.”
Director and producer Ms. Lisa Willoughby
echoed his thoughts.
“Thursday wasn’t perfect, but it came
together really well Friday and Saturday,” she
said.
The cast’s hard work was noticeable to many
audience members.
“They seemed to have put a lot of effort into
it,” freshman Laura King said. “The dancing
THERE’S A PLACE FOR US: Senior Rafael Velez and
junior Alix Joslyn sing Somewhere, the play’s theme
song, in their starring roles as Tony and Maria, the
star-crossed lovers of the musical.
was great, and I was surprised to find out that
some of the cast members weren’t experienced
dancers.”
History teacher Mr. Lee Pope choreographed
the play.
“I think it was one of the best performances
of West Side Story I’ve ever seen,” Mr. Pope said.
“There was a lot of heart and a lot of hard work
in it.”
Junior Alix Joslyn, who played lead character
Maria, credits the play’s success to the cast’s
talent.
“It was such an ensemble show that if we
hadn’t had such a strong cast we wouldn’t have
been able to pull off such a challenging play.”
After three months of bonding with cast
mates and devoting much time and energy
into the production, the cast finished the
performances feeling both relieved and sad.
“I miss the cast so much,” Joslyn said. “When
you’re doing shows like this, you get so attached
to people you wouldn’t normally even know.
And of course I miss the performances.”
The cast was comforted, however, by the
strength of the final night’s performance.
“The energy of the whole cast and entire
audience on closing night was amazing and it
made for a really powerful show,” Joslyn said.
“Everyone knew that what we put into the
show was finally ending, and we had to put our
all into it.”❐
Stephens brings world of experience to school
BY SOPHIE COX
After 10 years at Grady, teacher Mr. Scott Stephens has come to be
one of the most legendary teachers on staff.
Aside from teaching English, coaching tennis and sponsoring
the literary magazine, Stephens sings with the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra Chorus. Recently, the chorus traveled with the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra to Miami where it performed Ralph Vaughan
Williams’ composition, A Sea Symphony, for which they won a
Grammy Award.
“We live in a society that is award crazy,” Mr. Stephens said. “But you
know, I’m very pleased with my one-two hundredth of a Grammy.”
Born in New York City, Mr. Stephens has musical roots. His father,
Farrold Stephens, studied voice at The Julliard School while performing
in New York. When Farrold Stephens was offered a teaching job in
Kentucky, however, the family made the move.
After graduating from Stanford with a bachelor of the arts degree
in both English and the Humanities, Mr. Stephens joined the Peace
Corps.
“I was looking for travel and adventure and someone else to pay for
it,” Mr. Stephens said.
The Peace Corps, a volunteer program established by former
President John F. Kennedy to promote world peace, placed Stephens
in the Central African Republic. Mr. Stephens was assigned a job
teaching in local schools, gaining his first experience as an educator.
Mr. Stephens spent five years in both Africa and the United States
working for various health programs.
“Teaching in Africa made me think I wanted to go into public
health because I realized so many of my students were sick,” Mr.
Stephens said. “They needed other things, like clean water, more than
they needed me teaching them.”
In central Mississippi, Mr. Stephens joined the Choctaw Indian
Health Department, where he spent his time as a health educator
and helped plan an immunization program. While in Mississippi,
Mr. Stephens worked with the prenatal, alcohol and substance abuse
programs and wrote several grants for the Choctaw program. In 1981,
Mr. Stephens brought his experience to Atlanta.
“I came to Atlanta because I was considering working for the CDC
[Centers for Disease Control],” Mr. Stephens said.
Instead, Mr. Stephens was hired as a teacher at Banneker High
School in South Fulton County. While teaching English at Banneker,
Mr. Stephens was offered a Fulbright scholarship to teach in Egypt as
part of an international education program. In 1996, Stephens and
his family moved to Egypt, where they spent a year living life in a way
“totally different from anything [they’d] known in the United States.”
Stephens believes that the Egyptian school system was in need of
revision.
“The biggest problem with the school system was that they did
not pay the teachers enough, so [in turn] the teachers taught private
lessons,” Mr. Stephens said. “People were sleeping during the day and
most of the learning was going on at night.”
In accordance with Fulbright policy, Mr. Stephens only taught
during the day.
When his year in Egypt ended, Mr. Stephens looked for a job closer
to his home in Atlanta and soon joined the teaching staff at Grady. Mr.
Stephens was immediately impressed with the school.
“I interviewed with [English department chair] Ms. [Marian] Kelly
and a committee that had students on it,” Mr. Stephens said. “It was
the first time I’d been interviewed for a job by a 17 year old.” ❐
14
sports
THE SOUTHERNER
SPORTS BRIEFS
April 20, 2007
Girls enter playoffs with high hopes
Seniors Stone Irvin and Emma
Din were honored April 20 by
Atlanta Public Schools and The Atlanta Coca-Cola Bottling Company
in the for their accomplishments as
scholar-athletes.
Irvin is a four-year veteran of the
cross country and track teams, while
Din played tennis all four years of
her Grady career, and volleyball for
the past three.
Girls earn third seed
in state tournament
After a 14-0 triumph over
Clarkston that ensured the girls
soccer team a place in the state
playoffs, the Knights played
against Westminster and Druid
Hills to determine their seed. Both
games were decided by a score of
2-0, Grady losing the former and
winning the latter. The Knights
will face Stephens Co. in the first
round of state games.
ASA BEAL
BY CARSON PHILLIPS-SPOTTS
Playoff time is here, and the girls
soccer team is peaking. Despite disappointing results against Paideia
and Blessed Trinity, the Knights
opened up their playoff campaign
in the region tournament with a
14-0 win against Clarkston April
12. The team’s repeat 14-0 victory versus Clarkston earlier in the
season brought an air of ease to the
players.
“The atmosphere going into
the game felt more like a practice
than a game,” senior defender Leah
Bishop said.
The Knights played confidently,
beating their opponent 14-0. The
win ensured the Knights a spot in
the prestigious state tournament,
the second consecutive season the
team has gotten that far.
After a loss at Blessed Trinity, the
Knights were matched against local
rival Paideia in a non-region game.
The contest against Paideia was
especially heated for junior midfielder Hannah Rosenbaum, whose
father, Carl Rosenbaum is the Paideia girls soccer coach.
“He said, ‘Let’s just get this over
with,’” Rosenbaum said of her
father’s pre-game words.
The Knights struck first, with a
goal by sophomore forward Jillian
Woodliff. The early goal carried
the team into halftime with a 1-0
advantage, but the Knights’ lead
did not last. Early in the second
half, the Paideia Pythons were
noticeably more aggressive, putting
increased pressure on the Grady
defense.
Din, Irvin’s successes
garner APS awards
ELECTRIC SLIDE:Junior defender Caitlin Lemmond slides into an opponent in a playoff seeding game against Druid Hills April 16. The girls
won the game 2-0, and are seeded third in the state playoffs. “We are determined,” junior midfielder Hannah Rosenbaum said.
Paideia’s strategy worked, as they
scored early in the second half.
The score remained tied until the
final whistle. The Knights did not
attribute the disappointing tie to
lack of skill.
“You could definitely tell that we
just came back from spring break,”
Bishop said. “We played very sloppily.”
The Knights went into the
Blessed Trinity game armed with a
top-ten state ranking and a desire
to dethrone the top-ranked team.
“We felt that if we could come
out and play strong, we could
come back with a good result,”
Rosenbaum said.
A closely contested first half left
the Knights heading into the locker
room knotted up at 1-1. After a
string of heavily debated calls in
the second half, the Knights found
themselves in a 3-1 hole.
“Bad referees are frustrating
because they can really change the
outcome of the game,” Bishop said
of the officiating situation. “The
score really did not reflect our
play.” ❐
Tournament ends
first ultimate season
After trying for years to bring an
ultimate team to Grady, the Grady
Gauntlet recently concluded its
inaugural season. The Gauntlet
finished the season with a 1-4 record,
winning once against Woodward
and losing twice to Paideia, once to
Heritage and once to Woodward.
The team also competed in five
tournaments, in which it played
both high school and college teams.
Boys end season on low note after key regional win
BY JAMISON KINNANE
The boys soccer team bounced back
after a rough start to the season with a
five-game winning streak and a win against
Westminster, the number one team in the
state.
After defeating region rival North
Atlanta, Grady was poised to be one of the
top four teams in the region and possibly
make the state playoffs.
To finish fourth, Grady needed to beat
Westminster, and Druid Hills would
have to beat Dunwoody. After that Grady
would play Blessed Trinity and the winner
of that game would move on to the region
tournament.
On March 27, the team played
Westminster in the first of its two mustwin games. Going into the game, the
Knights knew they would have to elevate
their play and felt confident in their ability
to do so.
“I think we have a good shot,” Coach
Nikolai Curtis said before the game.
“Westminster’s a very tough team with a
fantastic midfield, but if we match them in
the midfield and then use our skill to our
advantage and maintain our shape we can
definitely beat them. They are a beatable
team.”
Grady stepped onto the field knowing
its season depended on the result of the
game.
“We were getting psyched up for it
that day and the day before,” sophomore
midfielder Drew Hecht said. “It was
mostly mentally getting ready that made
the difference.”
The first half was evenly matched and
ended with neither team scoring. In the made their next shot and was followed by
second half, Grady created some scoring Marshall, whose shot was saved by the
opportunities, but wasn’t able to convert Westminster goalie.
any of them into goals.
Then, it was keeper on keeper as
“We played really well,” senior
the Westminster goalie stepped up to
defender Matt Marshall
take a shot and kicked it over the goal.
said. “Westminster plays a
Sophomore Edge Sullivan took the next
lot like us, which was good
shot and barely missed the goal,
because it was a lot easier to
hitting the crossbar. Junior Grant
determine what they were going
Coyle blocked Westminster’s
to do.”
next kick and Grady’s fifth kicker,
Despite the many shots on
senior Whitton Ukah made his
goal by both teams, including
shot—the score was 3-3 and
a header by Marshall off a free
both teams had gone through
kick, the game ended 0-0. Since
all five kickers.
it was a region game, the two teams
At this point in a
had to play two five-minute overtimes,
shootout, if the score
but neither team was able to score.
is still tied, the
“[The game] was very intense,” Hecht
teams each choose
said. “It was a well-played game on both
five more kickers.
sides.”
As soon as one
Since the score was still tied at the end
team makes a shot
of overtime, the teams entered a shootout
and the other
in which each team had five players take
doesn’t,
the
a penalty kick on the other team’s
team who made
goalie. A coin flip determined
the shot wins.
that Westminster would kick first
and they scored. Junior Hamp
Watson made the first shot
ES
for Grady. Westminster
ON
SJ
I
AV
scored again on their
TR
second kick, followed
by Hecht who closed
the gap. Westminster
Senior sweeper Matt Marshall
attempts to evade a defender
during a game against Paideia
April 3 at Grady Stadium.
Westminster’s sixth kicker made his shot
and junior defender Stephen Crouse made
his. Finally, Westminster’s seventh kicker
shot over the goal, putting Grady in a
position to win. Junior Michael Harper
scored on Grady’s seventh shot, securing
the win.
“That win was huge,” Hecht said. “It was
probably the high point of the season.”
The same night the unranked Knights
upset the number one team in the state,
Druid Hills beat Dunwoody, bringing the
team one step closer to playoffs.
To compete in the playoffs, however,
Grady still needed to beat region rival
Blessed Trinity.
The Knights played Blessed Trinity
on March 29 without senior defender
Tai Cohen, who pulled his hamstring in
the Westminster game; other players also
suffered injuries from the Westminster
game.
The boys came out flat with none of
the intensity they had displayed in the
Westminster game. Blessed Trinity scored
off of a corner kick in the
22nd minute of the game.
Blessed Trinity scored a
second goal off a ball
played through Grady’s
defense in the 39th
minute. Grady’s playing
improved in the second
half, but it wasn’t enough. Grady not only
lost the game 2-0, but also all hopes of
making it to the playoffs.
“I feel like we had a really good team,”
Watson said. “But we let a great chance to
burst into AAA slip away.”❐
s p o r t s
April 20, 2007
15
Baseball team off to slow start as coaches struggle to replace lost seniors
BY KENNY JONES
Early this spring, the Grady baseball team
knew that its upcoming season was going
to be an uphill battle. Grady started out
the season with a win after North Atlanta
forfeited its game against the Knights on
March 1. Grady then fell into a slump,
losing the next four games. The team is
now 3-7 after beating both South Atlanta
and Therrell. The schedule, which includes
regional powerhouse Westminster and
nationally ranked Dunwoody, is tough.
“The season started out rough,” junior
second baseman Malik Leaphart said. “But
we united as a team, and I feel we’ll come
back strong enough to end with a winning
season.”
The team suffered more than the loss of
graduating seniors like Nick Lemmond and
Ben Brandon; it also lost almost all of last
year’s juniors who would have returned as
team leaders this year.
“They were good ball players and could
have helped out the team this year,” Coach
Patrick Thomas said. “But we have had guys
step up and fill the missing roles.”
Many players from the Class of 2007
decided not to return to the team this year
due to perceived difficulties with Coach
Thomas.
“The reason that I left the team has a
lot to do with the coaching staff,” senior
and former pitcher Penn Collins said.
“Besides a general lack of important baseball
knowledge and poor managing decisions,
I feel like [the staff ] showed favoritism on
multiple occasions and it became more and
more frustrating after every loss last year.”
Grady’s move from AA to AAA, has meant
larger schools and harder competition. The
verdict is still not in on the Grady baseball
team, but the loyal members are optimistic
about the rest of their upcoming season.
“I think we have a chance to win the
majority of the rest of our region games,”
freshman Zack Klein said. “I think we have
a chance to play in some of [Grady’s] first
postseason games in awhile.” ❐
Grady’s own run in
inaugural marathon
STEPHEN CROUSE
HAND IN HAND: Junior Marquez Newton passes the baton to senior Rico Robinson in a track practice at Grady Stadium. The 19th
ranked Knights are practicing vigorously in preparation for the region, where they are expected to dominate the short distance events.
Highly decorated track teams
eye state, region competitions
BY STEPHEN CROUSE
As the Grady boys track team nears regional and state
competitions, the Knights find themselves ranked above
their region competition in most events. They are ranked
second in AAA and 19th in the state for all divisions.
“It’s a long season and rankings change—they don’t
really mean anything until the
last two weeks,” Head Coach
Delbert Ellerton said.
With excellent performances
at the city meet preliminaries,
the team earned state rankings
in many events, including
ninth in the 4 x 400 relay.
Senior Kevin Eccles and
juniors Demarcus Watts, Kari
Kemp and Jarvis Caffey ran a
total time of 3:22.45 in the 4 x 400.
Grady is also ranked 11th in the 4 x 200. Grady is
second in AAA only to Sandy Creek, which is ranked
fifth in the state.
Grady has not yet competed against the other teams
in its region but is preparing for tough competition.
“One of the most important things is getting them
mentally prepared,” Coach Ellerton said. “They have
to be mentally prepared for every race, especially for
region.”
The boys team also has three runners who are ranked
statewide in their events. Watts is ranked 10th in the
state in the 100-meter race with a time of 10.88, a
school record that beat his previous school record of
10.98. He is also ranked 11th for the 200-meter race
with a time of 21.88, which is second in AAA only to
Chamblee’s Malcolm Beyah, who ran a 21.54. Caffey is
ranked 11th in the 400-meter race with a time of 49.48,
the second fastest time in Grady history; Kemp is ranked
35th in the 400 with a time of 50.52.
“We need to be consistent,” Caffey said. “Sometimes
we run a few seconds off—we can beat 3:19; We just
have to push [ourselves].”
Although not as decorated as the short-distance
“
runners, long-distance runners have also done well this
season. Junior Max Leonard finished second in the 1,600
and third in the 3,200 at the Atlanta Track Classic.
The girls track team also has tough region and state
competition. The girls have placed well in many events
this season, including the Stephenson Invitational on
March 1 and the Pepperell Relay on April
7. Although the Lady Knights have had
many top finishes, they finished sixth at the
Starr’s Mill Relay and seventh in a meet at
Lakewood, falling behind Washington and
Southside High Schools.
The girls do, however, have one
especially decorated athlete—Tiannah
Holland. Holland throws both discus and
shot put and has out thrown her opponents
in every competition. Her record throws
are 40 feet for the shot put and 130 feet
for the discus.
“[Holland] will most likely win the throwing events,”
girls Coach Randy Reed said. “And the field events will
be strong as well.”
Quanisha Bridges, who competes in the high jump
and 800-meter race, also expects to place well in her
events. She jumps five feet, four inches and runs the 800
in 2:32. Iesha Simpson also runs the 800, usually one
second behind Bridges. Simpson also competes in the
long jump, with a distance of 16 feet, four inches, and
triple jump, with a distance of 34 feet, two inches.
The girls 4 x 100 team placed third in the state last
year and has returned without losing any of its members;
they are expected to place well again this year.
“We will have some girls that qualify for state, but
we have to make it out of the region first,” Coach Reed
said.
Fifteen teams will compete in the girls region meet on
April 21, but only the top two teams will make it to the
state competition.
“Therrell will be the team to beat,” Coach Reed said.
“They won state last year, and they are expected to do
well again this year.”❐
Sometimes we run a few
seconds off— we can
beat 3:19; we just need
to push [ourselves].
Jarvis Caffey
BY CARSON HALE
for a running friend who died of
When Latin teacher Ms. Amy breast cancer.
Leonard wore her medal to school
“Victoria Seahorn wanted to
after running the inaugural ING create a springtime marathon to
Georgia Half Marathon, she didn’t celebrate the diversity of Atlanta,”
mean to wear it all day. She kept Schmidt said.
the medal on throughout school,
Ms. Davis, who has run five
however, and it became a way to half-marathons, felt that the race
share her experience.
ran smoothly.
“As a positive message, I decided
“You really notice if [a marato tell [my students] what I was thon} is organized well,” Davis
doing,” Ms. Leonard said.
said. “The sponsors, ING, have
On March 25, Ms. Leonard, done a lot of [races].”
math teacher Ms. Erin Davis, and
Ms. MacBrien, who has run two
Magnet coordinator Ms. Carrie marathons, enjoyed running a loMacBrien ran the half marathon; cal course.
PEC teacher Mr. Jacob Hack“It will be fun to do a race
ett ran the marathon. In a race [that’s] in my stomping grounds,”
of
15,000
she said before the
It
would
be
really
great
if
people, none
race.
of the Grady
students went out... and Ms. MacBrien
teachers went
feels that her
thought
‘I’
d
like
to
make
into the event
participation in
with high exthe race can be
this a way of life.’
pectations of
an inspiration to
placing.
students.
Carrie
MacBrien
Real rea“It would be
sons for runreally great if stuning had nothing to do with a dents went out and saw [the race]
medal.
and thought, ‘I’d like to make this
“Maybe competition is stressed a way of life,’” she said.
too much; you just [run] for yourMs. Davis describes Atlanta as
self,” Ms. Leonard said. “What a “running city” because there is
you get in return is much more such strong interest in running
intangible.”
— about 70 percent of the maraThe Georgia marathon was thon and half-marathon runners
sponsored by ING, a Dutch fi- were from Georgia.
nancial company that sponsors
Ms. Leonard felt that all of the
well-known races like the New people cheering in residential
York and Miami marathons. The areas made the race very humanGeorgia Marathon is different ized and enjoyable. The city of
from the Atlanta Track Club’s Decatur won the competition for
Thanksgiving Day Marathon, the neighborhood with the loudest
which runs straight up Peachtree cheering, although Mr. Hackett
Street. The Georgia Marathon’s would have awarded it to a differcourse meanders through neigh- ent group.
borhoods from Little Five Points
“The coolest section was by Ebto Virginia-Highland and De- eneezer Baptist Church,” he said.
catur. The course was planned to “All the Gospel singers were out at
pass many MARTA stations and to 7:30 in the morning singing their
showcase the city.
praise. It was quite inspirational.”
“Anyone who lives in Atlanta
As ING plans for the next Georknows that these are the neighbor- gia Marathon and Half Marathon
hoods to run through,” said Jenny on March 30, 2008, Grady’s runSchmidt, the public relations di- ners also prepare for theirs. Ms.
rector for the Georgia marathon.
Leonard plans to take advantage
Race director Victoria Seahorn of the participants’ visibility in
came up with the idea for the mar- next year’s race by wearing a ‘Take
athon four years ago as a memorial Latin’ T-shirt. ❐
“
s p o r t s
16
BY MAX BEECHING AND GRANT COYLE
After moving into an extremely competitive
region this year, the girls and boys tennis
teams began the season with an optimistic
attitude.
The girls team’s optimism paid off
throughout the season. With a core of four
starting seniors, the girls went 9-3 during the
regular season and 6-2 in region play, earning
them the fifth seed in the region tournament
at Westminster on April 17.
The girls had a first round bye against
Carver and matched up with region rival
Riverwood in the second round.
In order to make the state playoffs, the girls
had to finish in the top four at the region
tournament. They were confident going into
the match despite their 4-1 loss to Riverwood
during the regular season. The girls were
defeated 3-0 in their region tournament
match against Riverwood, but both of the
doubles matches were called before they could
be completed because the Grady team had
effectively been eliminated.
The boys finished the regular season 5-7,
and went 5-4 in the region. They had a first
round bye against Southside at the 5-AAA
region tournament and were matched against
top-ranked Westminster in the second round.
Wetminster has two boys ranked nationally
and are favored to win the state championship;
Westminster won 5-0 against Grady.
Ultimate team
takes one win
at tournament
TRAVIS JONES
Tennis teams
fall in region
quarterfinals
April 20, 2007
ACE IN THE HOLE: Junior Jerami Goodwin competes in the final match of the regular season against Clarkston High
School. The boys and girls won their last matches of the season, but both teams lost in the quarterfinals of Regions.
“The year didn’t turn out how we hoped it
would,” senior Devongelo Crawford said. “I
still had fun during my four years with the
team and hopefully they will continue to get
better.”
The main problem the boys faced was a lack
of experience. Five of the boys’ seven losses
were 5-0.
Looking ahead to next year, both the girls
and boys are hopeful that they will be able to
improve their records and place among the top
four teams in the region.
Although the girls are graduating several
seniors, including Britain Baker, Emma Din,
Hanna Griffiths and Sarah Beth McKay, they
expect junior Millaun Clay and freshmen
Kate Belgum, Claire Buyens, Bethany Jones
and Myia Vickers to fill the holes that the
seniors leave.
“Our goal for this season was to finish with
a .500 record [for the boys],” coach Scott
Stephens said. “Our goal next year is to have
both the boys and girls tennis team competing
at a higher level.” ❐
Golf team makes strides after rough year
BY TRAVIS JONES
Last year’s weaknesses may
turn into this year’s strengths
as new golf coach Scott Brown
brings punctuality and depth to
a golf team deprived of both last
season. Brown, a United States
history teacher at Southside, is
a former Southside soccer coach.
He has also been a student of
the game of golf for the past 10
years.
He brings not only his own
experience but also a sense of
organization that the team seemed
to lack in 2006. Last year, the
team faced uncertainty regarding
tee times; the two seniors—
David Edgar and captain Erik
Belgum—were forced to make
executive decisions.
“Coach
Brown
is
very
organized,” Belgum said. “He
sets up tee times, practices and
matches so we don’t have to wait
anymore.”
This year won’t be entirely
different, since the team will
still be very dependent upon its
two seniors. Most golf matches
require each school to field a fourplayer team, but Grady often did
not have enough players to fulfill
that requirement last year. This
year, with about 10 players trying
out for the team, the competition
for the third and fourth spots is
up for grabs, according to Coach
Brown.
The girls squad, which was
unable to play any matches last
year for various reasons, has also
had a strong turnout this year.
Freshman Tyler Lawrence has
received rave reviews from the
players and the coach.
“We’re going to use a ladder
system, like the tennis team, to
*All caps denotes HOME TEAM
Lena James
Region 5-BAAA Standings
School
to play in upcoming AJGA
events.
The golf team, like all
Grady sports, had to face a
windfall of new and improved
talent as they
moved up
in class to region 5-AAA.
The level of talent among Grady’s
opponents remains relatively
unknown for now, and Grady’s
focus is on improvements within
the team. So far, however, the
team has done well for itself,
winning both of its matches.
Because every team in the
region makes it to the region
tournament, the matches leading
up to the state tournament are
viewed primarily as practice.
“Our main focus is getting four
players to play well,” Belgum
said. “We need to be in the top
two in region in order to make
state.” ❐
KNIGHT WATCH
BOYS SOCCER
Grady 4, RIVERWOOD 1
GRADY 2, Clarkston 1
GRADY 4, Central Gwinnett 0
GRADY 3, North Atlanta 0
GRADY 1, Westminster 0
BLESSED TRINITY 2, Grady 0
Paideia 3, GRADY 0
GRADY 3, Riverwood 1
determine spots for competition,”
Belgum said. “Competition is
wide open, and Coach [Brown]
also isn’t afraid to put Tyler in the
fourth spot [on the boy’s team].”
The first and second spots look
to be consistent, however, mostly
thanks to all of the extra work put
in by the seniors. Belgum spent
much of last summer working
on his golf game, participating
in about 15 tournaments—
Atlanta Junior Golf Association
tournaments and events on the
Georgia Junior PGA tour.
“[The tournaments] helped
me become better [and] helped
me realize my weaknesses in my
game,” Belgum said. “They’ve
helped me improve my short
game and my driving accuracy.”
Edgar, meanwhile, has been
practicing consistently at Druid
Hills Golf Course and also hopes
Region
W
Westminster
8
Chamblee
7
6
Druid Hills
Blessed Trinity 5
Grady
4
Dunwoody
4
3
Riverwood
North Atlanta 0
L
1
2
3
4
4
5
7
9
W L
14 2
12 5
12 3
8
5
9
5
9
5
6
11
6
12
Player Profile:
Height: 5-foot-8
Weight: 120 pounds
Clean sheets: 8
GIRLS SOCCER
Region 5-BAAA Standings
goalkeeper
Overall
BY MICHAEL HARPER
The Grady Gauntlet ultimate
team participated in the Terminus
tournament March 24 and 25 at
Woodward Academy, where it
competed against high school
teams from all over the country.
Grady, the fourth seed, started
the weekend with a 13-11 upset
against Pittsburgh’s Mt. Lebanon
Devils, the second-seeded team.
The Gauntlet scored on its first
possession and kept offensive
momentum throughout the
game.
“That was the best our offense
has ever played,” freshman
Elliott Erickson said. “We had
really good flow on almost every
possession.”
Head Coach Susie Mercer
instituted a zone defense in hopes
of confusing the Blue Devils.
“The two-man cup [zone]
worked really well,” junior captain
Max Leonard said. “It shut down
the throwing lanes and kept them
contained in a small area.”
In its second game the Gauntlet
faced off against the secondranked team in the nation, the
varsity Paideia Gruel, and lost
13-0. Grady’s defense struggled
to stop the powerful offense of a
team that has considered moving
to the college division.
“I knew going into the game
that it was going to be the most
difficult team we’d ever played,”
Leonard said. “Our goal was to
score at least one point, and we
had two extremely close chances
we should have capitalized on.”
Grady finished the first day of
the tournament losing 13-7 to
Jordan from Durham and 13-6 to
Andover from Boston.
Grady lost its final two games
13-6 to Munsen, a team from
Wisconsin, and 13-2 to McCallie
from Chattanooga. Leonard, an
established leader of the Grady
team, was unable to play in the
last two matches due to illness.
Even though it only won one
game, the team was encouraged
by the progress it has made since
the beginning of the season.
“A lot of coaches came up to
me and said that the amount of
improvement we’ve had over the
last two months is shocking,”
Mercer said. “We have great
potential to develop into a very
competitive team.” ❐
Westminster 4, GRADY 2
GRADY 14, Clarkston 0
GRADY 9, North Atlanta 0
BLESSED TRINITY 4, Grady 1
GRADY 1, Paideia 1
Grady 14, CLARKSTON 0
WESTMINSTER 2, Grady 0
GRADY 2, Druid Hills 0
Future games
Grady@ Location TBD
Second Round State Play-offs
School
Region
W
Blessed Trinity 9
Westminster
7
6
Grady
Riverwood
6
Druid Hills
4
Chamblee
2
2
Dunwoody
North Atlanta 0
L
0
2
3
4
5
6
7
9
Overall
W L
12 1
12 4
10 5
8
8
9
7
3
9
5
9
4
12