12-0 GRADY ONE WIN FROM GEORGIA DOME Grady students get

S I N C E
1 9 4 7
www.gradyhighschool.org/
southerner
An upbeat paper
for a downtown school
CROSS
COUNTRY
Boys finish
second in state
WES
VERNON
p. 15
AQUARIUM
Atlanta’s newest
attraction to open
with a splash
HOLLA
BACK!
p. 10
VOLUME LIX, NUMBER 3, NOV. 15, 2005
HENRY W. GRADY HIGH SCHOOL, ATLANTA
BY MAX BEECHING
he Knights continued their historic
storybook season on Nov. 11 defeating the 10th-ranked Laney Wildcats
13-6 to advance to the quarterfinals of AA
playoffs. If the Knights can get past Macon
County in the AA quarterfinals at Grady Stadium Nov. 18, they’ll not only reach football’s
final four for the first time since 1953 (see
page 8 for complete coverage of that season),
but they will make a reservation for their firstever game at the Georgia Dome.
The Laney game marked Grady’s stiffest
challenge of the season, and it was the season’s
most dramatic. The game came down to
one drive and one play. The Knights drew
first blood with a 13-yard touchdown pass
from junior quarterback Simeon Kelley to
junior Devongalo Crawford, his third in
two games. The point after was no good
because of a fumbled snap. The Knights
would then face some problems as Laney
answered the Knights’ touchdown with a
70-yard screen pass that tied the game at
6. The extra point attempt was blocked.
Penalties would hurt the Knights on their
next scoring opportunity. They advanced
the ball inside the Laney 4-yard-line but
then lost their composure by committing
four consecutive false start penalties. The lost
yardage prevented even a field-goal attempt
as the Knights had to punt instead. In the
second quarter, starting junior running back
Zach Koen went down with a game-ending
see FOOTBALL page 16
SALLY ZINTAK
12-0 GRADY ONE WIN
FROM GEORGIA DOME
T
THE KNIGHT’S NIGHT: Junior quarterback Simeon Kelley rips past the Laney High School defensive line in the secondround playoff game.The Grey Kights defeated the Wildcats 13-6 to reach the AA quarterfinals.The victory marked the
first time Grady has won a secound-round playoff game since their 1953 championship season (please see page 8).
NEWS BRIEFS City Council approves funding for Beltline
GNN, Southerner
capture Pacemakers
GNN and The Southerner captured
Pacemaker Awards at the NSPA-JEA
fall convention in Chicago. Grady
was the only school in the nation to
win two. The Southerner also placed
seventh in the Best in Show competition. Four students captured awards
in the JEA Write-Off competition.
BY CHELSEA SPENCER
he Beltline is on the right
track. On Nov. 7, members
of the Atlanta City Council
voted to create a Tax Allocation
District to raise the nearly $2
billion needed to build proposed
parks, transit, trails and other
development. Now it is left up to
the Fulton County Commission
and the Atlanta Board of
T
Education to approve the plan.
Public opinion of the Beltline
has been shifting constantly
since Mayor Shirley Franklin first
created the Beltline Partnership
in July to lead the program and
coordinate progress between the
city and other groups already
involved. What once appeared
to be an “emerald necklace” of
parks and transit now appeals to
and 10th Street. Developer Wayne
Mason made a deal to sell the 7.4acre plot of land to Trammel Crow
Residential earlier this year.
“I have skepticism about the plan
and the impact on the surrounding
neighborhoods,” said Steve Brodie,
who lost a bid for city council
on Nov. 8. “It doesn’t represent
see BELTLINE page 7
Grady students get working
experience with RVI program
French rioting won’t
affect exchange plans
Teens of North African and Middle
Eastern descent began rioting Oct. 27
due to perceived neglect from the
French government. The riots spread
to some 300 French towns. APS officials said the violence won’t affect the
system’s student exchange program.
BY CARSON HALE
he dimly-lit lobby of the
downtown Renaissance Hotel
gives off an air of modern elegance
as businessmen ride escalators
lined by boxy glass sculptures,
and people with name tags mingle
outside
tall-doored
meeting
rooms.
Within the same building, maids
dressed in collared black and white
shirts and bright lipstick navigate
spacious elevators through a
network of concrete hallways, and
workers in bright blue uniforms
stuff eight-foot washing machines
with pounds of sheets and towels.
These two worlds are separated
by a single door; a tall, wooden
T
SARAH BETH McKAY
First lady promotes
APS debate program
At a recent conference on education, Laura Bush honored an APS
Debate Program initiative, Computer Aided Debate, as a program
worthy of emulation. CAP is a project that encourages and strengthens
the debate programs at a few APS
middle schools.
some as just another development
scheme.
Detractors are concerned that
the plan concentrates too much
on the development around the
Beltline and not the Beltline itself.
The public remained optimistic
about the Beltline development
until the first proposal was made:
for two 39-story condominiums
on the corner of Monroe Drive
ATLANTA AREA ELECTIONS BRING LITTLE CHANGE
On Nov. 8, incumbents Shirley Franklin (above) and District 6 councilwoman Anne Fauver both won, but Franklin won handily, garnering 93
percent of the vote, while Fauver beat opponent Steve Brodie by three votes.
“Employees Only” door. While
visitors to the hotel see only the
carpeted, furnished side, Grady
students in the Related Vocational
Instruction program working at
the Renaissance Hotel spend their
weekdays “behind the scenes.”
RVI, coordinated at Grady
by Sheryl Newman, is a career/
technology program designed to
teach students with disabilities
skills needed for a job or work
in a technical field. Participants
learn employability skills, such as
interviewing, and writing resumes.
Ms. Newman’s students work
at places such as Bobby Dodd
see RVI page 12
c o m m e n t
2
THE SOUTHERNER
EDITORIAL BOARD
CHELSEA COOK
REBECCA GITTELSON
SARAH MARRINER
ELIZABETH SCHENCK
MICAH WEISS
MATT WESTMORELAND
SINCE 1947
Trash threatens choice
Trash. It is a problem that continues to plague the school. After every
lunch trash litters the courtyard and all around the campus. These lunch
remnants serve as a daily visual reminder than many among us apparently feel
that it’s the custodians job to take out our trash.
Students like senior Kati Gaslowitz think that it is the students’
responsibility to pick up their own trash. “No one feels they have to do it
[pick up trash],” Gaslowitz said. “The trash cans are in close proximity and
the courtyard is still a mess.”
Senior Brandon Sheats thinks that students should pick up their trash
too because he fears the repercussions. “All I want is not to be forced to eat
inside,” Sheats said.
Although some students have done their part in cleaning up their trash,
the clear majority just doesn’t care. If students keep this up then the
administration will be forced to take away the privilege of eating outside. “The
administration can go back to forced lunches if students don’t start picking
up their trash,” Naomi Grishman said. The problem lies entirely with the
student’s motivation to pick up his or her own trash. This chronic problem
can’t be fixed any other way. Even when we are forced to have lunches inside,
students quickly revert to old habits of leaving their trash around.
Students may not realize that most schools don’t let their students eat
outside and fail to appreciate the freedom they have here. If students don’t
get their act together and pick up at least their own trash, then we may lose a
privilege that we take for granted. There is nothing more the administration
can do to help because there are plenty of trash cans around the campus.
Students who don’t see the beauty of our campus or care about this school are
the problems and only they can make the change for the better.
“The administration can do lots of things, but as long as the students don’t
accept responsibility then it won’t do much,” Grishman said. “It baffles me at
why students don’t take more pride in such a beautiful campus.” It baffles us,
too. We are all tired of this trash talk, so let’s do our part to end the problem
and the endless discussion about it. ❐
Few votes sway election
Sometimes the best civics lessons are learned outside of the classroom.
Voting-age seniors who did not go to the polls on Nov. 8 for local
elections should now realize how much each of their un-cast ballots
could have mattered.
As of Nov. 11, City Council candidate Anne Fauver held only a threevote lead ahead of her opponent, Steve Brodie. The most important
issue of the campaign was support over the proposed parking deck in
Piedmont Park. Fauver supports the parking deck, while Brodie opposes
it. A majority of voters in Midtown, where most Grady students live,
chose Brodie. If only a few more Midtown residents had voted, the
outcome of the election could have been entirely different.
Piedmont Park is a huge part of our school, and every student should
care about what goes on there. Whether or not the parking deck is built
depends in part on the outcome of the re-count for the elections. Those
old enough to participate should have felt compelled to vote in the city
council election.
It is imperative that Grady students, and all young people, learn that
no matter what their age, their votes and political participation can
really have an impact.❐
C
Nov. 15, 2005
O
R
R
E
C
T
I
O
N
Divorce stereotyped
as hateful, unhappy
Dear Editors:
I am writing in response to the
article, “Our generation plagued by
lasting effects of divorce.” (Oct. 18)
The article gave good statistics about
divorce around the United States
but was too stereotypical about all
divorces. The author stated that there
are no “good divorces.” I strongly
disagree with this statement.
I believe that this is a view that
TV has shown and has made many
people believe that divorces have
to have hatred and fighting. This
may be the case in the majority of
divorces but is definitely not the case
in all. I am a child of divorced parents
who went through all the fighting
and hatred and custody battles and
being stuck in the middle the author
mentioned, but I have also seen the
“good divorces” the author said didn’t
exist. I got the understanding that
the author thought all divorces made
unhappy families. Divorced families
may go through their hard times, but
divorce can also lead to much more
happiness for the parents and even for
the kids.
I have seen divorced parents who
after realizing that the marriage wasn’t
working became best friends and
moved on with their lives. Some
married couples are always fighting all
the time. These couples should either
try to work it out quickly or just
move on, especially if the couple has
children. Seeing your parents fight
and scream derogatory comments
at each other is hard to deal with.
Divorce in these situations is probably
the best option, because it can
minimize the fighting a great deal.
Basically, the author’s portrayal that
divorce has to be bad is too narrow,
and she should realize that divorce
can also be a very beneficial move for
families.
Michael Harper
sophomore
‘Tattoos’ challenged
views, got attention
Dear Editors:
I am writing this letter in response
to an article in the Oct. 18 edition
of The Southerner entitled “Grady
students go more than skin-deep with
tattoos.”
At a first glance, I wasn’t sure if I
wanted to waste my time reading it
or not. I’ve always felt that tattoos are
just a way to poison your skin that
you end up regretting when you get
older, but I decided to read the article
anyway.
The article gave a lot of information
about why students get tattoos in the
first place. I think that it is one way to
honor and remember loved ones, but
there are other ways to go about doing
this other than getting a tattoo.
I feel that the quotes put in the
article about how it feels to get a tattoo
are just a bit graphic. I’m glad that you
put them in there, though because I
feel that it might help students to get
a real feel for the pain that they are in
for if they get a tattoo.
I also wanted to point out that the
caption under the photo for the article
has incorrect dates in it. The tattoo
on Sykes’ arm says his sister died in
1997, while the caption says she died
in 1999. I suggest you check your
facts next time, especially when your
picture has the correct information
right above it.
So, in conclusion, I agree with
Chavez. If you are going to get a
tattoo, then do it a little later in life,
when you have more experience and
know what you plan to do with your
life. If you still insist, then get one that
has meaning to you, something that
you won’t mind having permanently
on your skin.
Lauren Dellinger
sophomore
S
In the Oct. 18 issue, we incorrectly identified sophomore Jamison Kinnane
as a junior in the page 6 story “Past, present Grady mothers run unopposed
for city office.” We also stated that sophomore Jessie Andrews was a freshman
in “Changing of the guard: Grady loses cross country title at the citywide
meet” on page 16. Also, the last paragraph was misleading. Pett is not the
only team manager; she is one of three. The other two are Michelle Wilco
and Katie O’Brien.
In the same issue, we incorrectly spelled the names of Ashley Tannehill,
Lauren Dellinger, and Jillian Woodliff.
On page 15 of the Oct. 18 issue, the caption for the story “Grady students
go more than skin-deep with tatoos” is incorrect. We stated that Cedric Sykes’
sister Crystal lost her life in 1999. As the photograph shows, however, she lost
her life in 1997.
In the page 18 story “Knights’ perfect record promises playoffs,” we incorrectly
stated that the Grady Knights football team was 8-0. At the time, their record
was 9-0. The team’s record is currently 12-0.
Staff
Managing editors: Chelsea Cook, Matt Westmoreland
Design editors: Alex Daniels, Duy Lam
Copy editor: Chelsea Spencer
News editors: Allana Neely, Robert Sanders
Comment editors: Sarah Marriner, Elizabeth Schenck
People editors: Allison Farnham, Shearlon White
Sports editors: Patrick McGlynn, Woody Morgan
Special section editor: William VanDerKloot
Photo editor: Chelsea Spencer
Nexus managing editor: Micah Weiss
An upbeat paper for a downtown school
Staff: Lee Allen, Curry Andrews, Jessica Baer, Asa
Beal, Max Beeching, Erik Belgum, Leah Bishop,
Chloe Blalock, Andrew Bracken, Lena Brodsky,
Jeffrey Carpenter, Alastair Carter-Boff, George
Demeglio, Emma Din, Lily Feinberg, Rebecca
Gittelson, Ramika Gourdine, Hanna Griffiths,
Carson Hale, Sean Harrington, Stone Irvin, Sam
Johnson, Travis Jones, Kenny Jones, Robinson Levin,
Sarah Beth McKay, Greg O’Donnell, Julia Oliver,
Carson Phillips-Spotts, Madeline Webb, Sally Zintak
Photo adviser: Dawn Wadsworth
Adviser: Dave Winter
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 Mr. Winter's box in the main office.
Subscriptions are also available. For more
information, please contact Mr. Winter or
a member of the staff. We can be reached at
[email protected] or at the Southerner office, 404-802-3041
THE SOUTHERNER
c o m m e n t
Nov. 15, 2005
3
Ansley Mall tops list of Midtown endangered species
Imagine a new addition to the retail
business scene of Midtown, a new
shopping district that incorporates
both the outdoor essence of Piedmont
Park and the “urban edge” of
Downtown. At first glance, the plans
seem appealing with a new public
park and at least a dozen residential
SARAH MARRINER buildings with ground-level retail.
Even more enticing is the idea of
a convenient transit line that will
eliminate many transportation and parking issues. The whole
idea sounds great, right? But what if I were to tell you this
development would replace our beloved Ansley Mall?
The Atlanta Development Authority describes Ansley Mall
and its surrounding developments as “a flourishing retail area”
that provides “much needed neighborhood retail amenities to
the area” in its “Vision for the Beltline,” but it goes on to say
that the mall’s “low density character limits its potential as a
vibrant and unique retail district.” What? The place where, as
a 4-year-old, I asked my mom, “Why is that man dressed like
a woman?” isn’t vibrant and unique enough?
It has much more character than what the ADA and Steve
Selig, president of Atlanta retail developer Selig Enterprises
Inc. and owner of the Ansley Mall property, are planning to
put in its place. No matter the time of day or night, Ansley
Mall is crawling with characters. Although the mall serves
most of Midtown including Morningside, Ansley Park,
Piedmont Heights and Virginia Highlands, it still has the
feel of a small-town neighborhood. On every visit, you run
into someone you know.
At a recent informational meeting about the Beltline, a
presenter described Ansley Mall as “just a 1960s strip mall
surrounded by an asphalt parking lot.” There is no doubt the
mall is a little outdated, and whether the Beltline becomes a
reality or not, the redevelopment of Ansley Mall is inevitable.
Though the structure is retro, the stores are far from
outdated; in fact, the mall has been adding new businesses
like LA Fitness, Cold Stone Creamery, and Moe’s Southwest
Grill that were opened in 2002 and 2003. The addition of
these new businesses proved to be a good idea; since LA
Fitness opened, the parking lot stays full. It’s the chain stores
like these that have kept the mall running, but the reality is
that even with the booming business the mall is experiencing,
the property is too valuable for what’s there now.
The thought of the source of so many of my childhood
memories becoming another Midtown development project
is frightening. No matter what happens to the mall, though,
I will still have the memories of getting leaf cookies and
hugs from Ken Yoss at the Royal Bagel, which went out of
business more than seven years ago, dancing and singing my
heart out on the stage at the main entrance, and getting a
scoop of ice cream on a hot day at the Baskin Robbins that
has since become home to Moe’s. Ansley Mall is where I got
my first pets, where I opened my first checking account and
where my parents first met (at the Laundry Lounge). Ansley
Mall is not just a ’60s strip mall, it’s our ’60s strip mall where
the soul of Midtown lies. And the memories, the heart,
and the character of Ansley Mall will remain long after the
redevelopment takes over. ❐
ATLanta’s new brand fails to give
our city the identity it deserves
“I Love N.Y.”
Appealing
and
straightfor ward.
“What
happens
in Vegas stays in
Vegas.” Humorous
and provocative.
“A t l a n t a :
LEAH BISHOP
O p p o r t u n i t y,
Optimism, Openness.” Umm, come
again?
This is the slogan that Atlanta recently
unveiled in a $8.8 million-plus campaign
to “brand Atlanta.” The main purpose
of the slogan is to attract businesses
and tourists to Atlanta. Maybe city
officials and the marketing team
were “optimistic” in seeing this as an
“opportunity” to divert attention from
the “openness” of the fact that we have
high smog levels, horrible traffic, and are
located in the state with the worst SAT
scores in the nation.
Atlanta is undoubtedly in need of
an identity, but will this logo deliver?
Or will it simply be a repeat of the ’96
Olympics “Izzy” mascot disaster?
Successful logos should not have to
be explained. Instead, they should be
catchy, visually appealing, and depict the
most important aspect of the product
or, in this case, the city. Atlanta’s logo
however, is none of the above.
When I look at the red encircled
“ATL,” the words opportunity, optimism,
and openness are not the first things that
come to mind.
The one distinguishing feature of
the logo is the emphasis on “ATL” (the
city’s internationally known airport
abbreviation.)
If the logo-artists’ intent was to come
up with something new and innovative,
it’s already been done by Atlanta’s own
hip-hop artists.
Could it be possible that the logoartists got their cue from a certain small
and unknown local duo that goes by the
name of Outkast? Their chart-topping
1996 album ATLiens brought the
three letters A, T, and L to an entirely
new meaning and level of popularity.
ATLiens, among other songs that refer
to ATL or A-Town, publicize and
represent the city better than the ATLOpen campaign ever will, but without
the $8.8 million price tag. Perhaps even
the afro-wearing “So So Def ” cartoon
overlooking I-75/85 captures the essence
of Atlanta better than the bland red-andwhite logo that will soon be ubiquitous
throughout the city.
While the logo is by no means
hideous, it’s absolutely not worthy of
being branded on bumper stickers, key
chains, coffee mugs, or other souvenir
paraphernalia. And it definitely wouldn’t
make me eager to pack up the family
or business and head straight towards
Atlanta. ❐
Sky-high gas prices will benefit, change America for the better
Many of you may be
happy that gas prices
have come down
recently, back to a
respectable pre-Katrina
$2-plus per gallon.
Not me. I miss the
ELIZABETH SCHENCK days when we dreaded
a trip to the nearest
money-guzzling
gas
station nearly as much as a date with masked
murderer Mike Myers himself (At least it was
only our wallets that got murdered).
Unaccustomed to such skyrocketing gas
prices, we were beside ourselves when $40
only got us as far as $20 did some months
earlier. Even though a couple of Friday night
movies may have turned into an extra few
gallons of gas, however, soaring gas prices
are just what we need to set our country on
a new track.
If you compare gas prices in the U.S. to
those in Europe, you will see that we have
nothing to complain about. It costs much
less to fuel our polluting vehicles here than it
does in, say, France, where local gas-pumpers
fork over an average of $6 per gallon. So,
are Parisians as fearful of this fossil fuel as
we Americans? Are their lives made a living
hell by high gas prices? No. Absolutely and
positively not. Paying for gas is most likely at
the back of every Frenchman’s mind—as it
should and will be in the average American’s
some day, hopefully soon.
Most other Europeans suffer as France
does when it comes to sky-high gas prices.
That’s why Europe has come up with
effective ways of evading the gas issue that
is felt quite keenly in the United States at
the moment, causing the average European
to be minimally affected by fuel costs. Sure,
they own cars like we do, but more than 50
percent of European cars are fuel-efficient
diesel vehicles, and those that are not are
comparably smaller than any type of vehicle
we have here in the U.S.
Most European countries also rely heavily
on efficient and well-managed mass transit
systems for transportation, of which we
should be envious. Although we do have
mass transit systems (if you can call them that
since they are hardly used en masse), they are
not nearly up to par with those in Europe.
MARTA, our city’s rail system, cannot
even be compared to London’s glorious and
never failing-to-be-efficient Tube. An electric
railway that is both above and below ground,
the London system is the oldest and largest
of its kind in the world. It has 275 stations
and stretches more than 253 miles, inviting
an average of 3 million Englanders to board
the system each day. Traveling from here to
there on the Tube is both safe and easy. Can
you image how convenient it would be to be
able to travel quickly from Candler Park to
Athens on MARTA for an evening football
game? Currently, MARTA only transports
local Atlantans around metro Atlanta and
does not even reach Marietta, let alone
Athens.
Call me crazy, but it seems to me that
those Europeans have it pretty good over
there, saving money and shedding pounds
at the same time—and we should aspire to
be more like them as far as fuel economy
and transportation goes. An efficient mass
transit system and smaller more fuel-efficient
vehicles, like hybrids, are ideal—both would
benefit our country more than we could
imagine.
But let’s face it. Things will continue as
they are unless something forces them to
change. Atlanta could be the next London.
So the next time you give your gas sucker a
little juice, don’t look at gas prices with such
disdain. Let’s hope the numbers keep getting
higher and higher with a world of positive
advancements and developments in mind. ❐
c o m m e n t
4
THE SOUTHERNER
Out to lunch
not to launch
It was an ordinary
afternoon—the sun was
shining, students were
exchanging stories about
their days, and objects, from
tennis balls to rocks, were
flying through the air.
What seems like a day in
RAMIKA GOURDINE the park or a mean-spirited
practical joke is neither, but
simply lunch in the upper courtyard. Horseplay
and long distance games of catch have recently
become the norm.
If it were just an issue of having fun and
enjoying a little time out of a stressful day, that
would be one thing. But when people start getting
hurt, something has to be done. Once some
students’ recreation forces others to spend their
breaks dodging miscellaneous objects or going to
the nurse because they failed to do so, it comes
time for the administration to take action.
When students can’t show they know any better
than to throw a rock, especially into a group of
people, someone should lose some privileges.
Ms. Grishman’s announcement that there
would be three days without anyone eating in
the courtyard was a necessary first step. At first
glance the measure may have seemed harsh and
unfair. If everyone didn’t take part in the throwing,
why should everyone be punished? Why didn’t
the administration just punish the rock thrower
severely?
The simple answer is fairness. Although some
may say that they saw a certain student with a rock,
that certain people were in a group or something
may have come from that general direction, there
is no concrete way to prove any one person’s guilt.
The only way to prevent punishing an innocent
party, while letting the guilty go free, is to make
a smaller restriction on everyone. The role of
discipline from the administration should be more
than just punishment in retrospect; instead, to
U.S. moral
compass a
broken one
STONE IRVIN
ensure that the school is a safe environment for all,
preventative measures must be taken.
How many more people would be hurt if Ms.
Grishman and other administrators had cared
more about a few days outside than the well-being
of the student body? In addition to showing that
they cared, the administration’s actions sparked
conversations about lunchtime behavior. When
students hear an announcement from Ms.
Grishman or from anyone else for that matter,
their first inclination is to tune it out. What good
is an announcement asking students not to break
the rules? We’re told every day to pick up our trash,
but if you see the courtyard after lunch, it’s still a
mess. Only when personal interests are at stake do
a large enough group of students really start to pay
attention.
Those who complained should remember the
most basic commandment of high school behavior:
don’t misbehave and no one will get punished.
And the implied you in that commandment
has another responsibility: if you see someone
misbehaving, then speak up.
Every day the student body hears Grady’s
motto: “Individually we are different, together we
are Grady.” Maybe it’s time to take responsibility
and realize that it’s time for Grady to take care of
Grady.
Three lunches in the practice gym are nothing
when compared to the possible harms that will
occur if we are allowed to flout school rules
without consequence.
Instead of complaining about the administration,
why don’t students make a conscious effort to do
what they’re asked to do and encourage others to
do the same? ❐
Uniform serves as symbol of pride, honor
The word
uniform
means one
form, and
is used to
associate
g r o u p s
of people
RYAN BETTY
with other
people of
the same group. The purpose of
the uniform is to make everyone
look the same, despite skin color,
gender or age. Even though
each branch of the armed forces
has altered the appearance of
the American uniform over the
years, its purpose and form has
remained the same as when
it began. To me, however, my
uniform means much more.
My uniform is important to me
because wearing it honors those
who have served, fought and died
for our country. When I put on
my uniform, I put on the same
uniform as the American soldiers
who stormed the artillery-blasted
beaches of Normandy on D-Day
to free France from the Nazis
in World War II. When I put
on my uniform, I put on the
same uniform that was worn
by those who lost their lives in
the Vietnam War in an attempt
to stop the Communists from
taking over the country. When
I put on my uniform, I wear the
same uniform that has been worn
in every American conflict. I feel
Nov. 15, 2005
privileged to wear this prestigious I gained a rank and awards
uniform, and I feel obligated to until my uniform illustrated my
properly represent those who distinction from my peers. It
served and died for their nation. gives me confidence when I see
When I think about the fact people who I don’t know wearing
that thousands died wearing the the uniform. I know I’m a part of
same uniform I am privileged a team of thousands of people my
to wear, I am filled with pride. age also trying to improve their
My uniform is an icon of those mental and physical conditions
who make our world a safer place while becoming better citizens.
to live. The fact that two of my I feel self-confidence because I
uncles, my grandfather, my aunt know that when I put on my
and my brother have served in uniform I make everyone in my
the military brings a closer bond family proud. I know that I am
between my uniform and me.
doing something good for myself
M
y
and others.
My uniform is important
uniform is
M
y
to me because it is a direct u n i f o r m
important
to
me
is a direct
tribute from me to those
because
reflection
who have served, fought
it
boosts
of me and
my
selfgives
me
and died for our country.
confidence
something of
and personal morale. When I which I can be proud. When
put on my uniform and look at someone who doesn’t know me
myself in the mirror, I take pride looks at my uniform they can
in myself, my appearance and my tell my rank among the vast team
nation. I see a person who has a of cadets. When someone who I
future and a person who is not know sees me, they can see the
afraid to show his intelligence.
progress I’ve made because they
My uniform is a way for me to can observe how I have gained
blend among the masses of the pins and stripes. When I look
JROTC team, while at the same at my awards, I can see how I
time providing for me a way to have progressed and see things
stand out amongst my fellow at which I am proficient. For
JROTC mates.
instance, when I received the Best
At first, my uniform started Driller Cadet award and others
out as the basic black shoes, saw it, they could immediately
green pants, green shirt, and tell that I was the best at drilling
green hat. Over time, however, in my class. My ribbons also
“
serve to record the events in
which I have participated while
in JROTC. When someone looks
at certain ribbons, they can tell
that I have participated in the
yearly Veteran’s Day parade in
downtown Atlanta. When I
look at my uniform I feel proud
because I look neat, professional
and well-groomed. It makes me
feel proud because I know that all
of my hours of ironing, folding
and creasing paid off and that
others will also be able to see
that.
My uniform is mine, not in
a sense of ownership, but in a
sense of customization. Nobody
else’s uniform in my battalion
has the exact same ribbons and
awards as me. Although we are a
collective, we are also individuals
who should be able to show our
own personal achievements. My
uniform allows me to do just
that.
I am proud of my uniform
because I know I am following
in my brother’s and my cousin’s
footsteps of JROTC excellence. I
know that they went through the
exact same program and that they
turned out to be outstanding
citizens, just like I will one day.
My uniform is important
to me because it shows all of
my hard work in the JROTC
program. It is a unique part of
me. It helps me become a better
citizen. ❐
T h e
United States
promotes
a platform
of morality,
toleration,
and
basic
freedoms…
and
then
fails to live up to it.
I have seen the erosion and often
complete denial of all three of these
principles by the very people who
claim to uphold them. For all the
work put into making Americans
equal, we still have trouble
enforcing our lofty ideals today.
Take the recent Republican push
for photo identification at the
polls. While seemingly innocent,
it disfranchises elderly, poor and
disabled voters who would have
trouble getting photo ID’s.
It brings to mind another move
for disfranchisement in the early
1900s, which required passing a
literacy test to vote. The policy
stripped the black community of
the right to vote and led to the
Atlanta Race Riot of 1906. This
is an extreme case, but if Georgia
allows itself to backslide on
voters’ rights issues, we could find
ourselves in dire straits.
Tolerance is supposed to be a
hallmark of the American way. But
what about the repeated denial of
marriage rights for homosexuals,
who are just as American as
any other U.S. citizen? Giving
homosexuals
marriage
rights
would not hurt American values,
but America plays up its “integrity”
while violating human rights.
More despicable is the blatant
disregard for the separation
of church and state, and, by
association, freedom of religion.
President Bush played up
Harriet Miers as an evangelical
Christian. It is understandable
that the Republicans would
want to rally support from their
base of Christian voters, but it is
also disturbing that this would
be the only reason she would
be considered for a spot on the
Supreme Court. Although Samuel
Alito has judicial experience on the
Court of Appeals, his choices also
reflect a religious agenda.
We are a part of the religious
frenzy in this country that is being
scoffed at by Europeans, who
have already experienced religious
intolerance in a very large way. If
reactionaries like Pat Robertson get
their way, the U.S. may have its
own dark age with which to deal.
The illusion of the U.S.
government’s integrity must be
exposed, or we will suffer the steady
removal of our rights. Voter rights,
gay rights and religious freedom
are not solely a registered voter’s
right to vote, a homosexual’s right
to marry, or your right to worship.
These rights protect everybody, in
some way or another.
So think twice before refusing
rights to the needy, or risk living in
a world where the people don’t look
out for one another, and the tyranny
of mankind is unchecked. ❐
THE SOUTHERNER
Nov. 15, 2005
c o m m e n t
5
Silver lining found even in
most tragic circumstances
I have recently be much fun. I didn’t know how serious their
experienced a death in dad’s state was, and I thought that it meant
my family. My uncle that I would have to give up my weekend to
was only 50 years sit around with them. Even when their dad got
old and left behind to my house, and they were here all the time, I
a beautiful wife and still didn’t even hang around much more than
three children. He usual. I tried to stay home more, but I ended
worked hard, not up picking my social life over them. When my
SALLY ZINTAK
only at his job, but in uncle’s illness became more serious, I saw my
everything else he did. cousins losing hope. I began to spend more
Everyone who knew him had a wonderful and more time with them at my house. Over
story to tell about his life, and I can’t think of time, our conversations turned from small talk
one time that I ever had a bad thought about about our classes and sports teams to in-depth
him. His death was horrible for everyone, but conversations about what was really going on
at the same time it created both a wonderful in our lives. I realized that my cousins meant
and ironic time of my life that I will carry with more to me than anything else I had going on.
me forever.
The social life that had seemed so important
My uncle became ill while visiting his son didn’t matter at all. I put everything else aside.
in the U.S. Army at Fort Hood, Texas. The
When my uncle died we were all at the house
doctors told us that my
together. I became a support
Even at the worst of system for my cousins and
uncle probably wouldn’t live.
times...if you just step learned how much it meant
He suffered from HepatitisC, liver failure and an
back you can usually find to them that I was there.
infection that was poisoning
something wonderful and Beyond how much they
his organs. My aunt flew
needed me, I realized that
irreplaceable.
to Texas to be with him;
we were not only family, but
their kids, my cousins, came to stay with my best friends. Whenever we were all together, it
family. We found a friend with a private jet and seemed like nothing could hurt us anymore.
brought my uncle back to Atlanta. We set up a
I lost my uncle, and my cousins lost their
hospice in my basement and had nurses come dad. I still think about how wonderful it would
and check on him periodically throughout the be if I could go back in time and make him
day. My aunt basically lived at my house, and healthy again. By the last weeks of his life he
my cousins would come over every day after could barely talk or walk, and he began to lose
school.
the life he had loved so much. But if it hadn’t
My cousins and I had always had a good been for my uncle’s illness, I never would
time together. We always looked forward to have had the chance to spend so much time
holidays and family dinners, but after dessert, with my family and learn to love them more.
we usually went our separate ways, not to When we were all together, I was truly happy.
speak again until the next time our parents I was able to laugh and cry and feel accepted
arranged dinner. I thought this was a good and loved by everyone in the room. It goes to
relationship; most people I know barely ever show that if you look hard enough, everything
see their relatives and are surprised that my has a silver lining. Even at the worst of times,
cousins and I live in the same city. I was glad when you can’t see any light at the end of the
that we were all the same age, that I was able to tunnel, if you just step back you can usually
see them every holiday and that I could drive find something wonderful and irreplaceable.
over to their house to just hang out. I was Now I talk to my cousins at least a few times
always satisfied with our relationship.
a week, and we see each other much more
When I first found out my cousins would often. We’ve moved on, but I will never forget
be staying with us for an indefinite amount of how we came together in the most tragic of
time while their parents were in Texas, I didn’t times and found something to remember and
relish the opportunity or think that it would appreciate forever. ❐
“
Thanksgiving feast a carnivorous guilt trip
Thanksgiving
is
my favorite holiday.
Sure, when we were
little Thanksgiving
was
about
the
Pilgrims and the
drawings of turkeys
that we did in the
ALASTAIR
shape of our hands.
CARTER-BOFF
As I’ve matured,
though, I realized
that Thanksgiving is about one thing:
food. When else can Americans of all
ages consume as much food as our bellies
can hold? Although mashed potatoes and
cranberry sauce are worthy competitors, the
turkey is, and always will be, the crown jewel
of any Thanksgiving feast.
This dilemma poses a conundrum for
me. Being a vegetarian, I try to avoid meat
whenever possible and usually succeed in
doing so. But on this glorious day of feasting,
what is a vegetarian to do? Should I forsake
my meat-free diet for one day to indulge in
the full spirit of the holiday? Do I stick to
my diet and instead implement some faux
turkey substitute in its place? I’m perfectly
content with evading meat on Thanksgiving,
but I can’t help feeling like I’m missing
something that is absolutely necessary to
enjoy the holiday.
I could try and convince my father to cook
Tofurkey or some other turkey alternative
this year, but it seems to me that just like
the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and
football games, turkey is a necessity come
Thanksgiving Day. Even if I did coerce my
father into cooking a substitute, I’m not sure
I’d like it. I saw some sliced, sandwich style
Tofurkey in the grocery store recently, so I
bought it to see what it tasted like. Eating
grilled cardboard is not what I have in mind
this holiday.
I suppose I could just avoid any meat or
meat substitute this year, but that would
leave me with a plateful of mashed potatoes,
green bean casserole, and Grandma’s
cranberry sauce. I’m all right with the
mashed potatoes and green bean casserole,
but Grandma’s cranberry sauce scares me. It
jiggles even when you don’t poke at it, and
I’m afraid that if I try to eat it, it’ll come
to life and eat me instead, like one of those
cheesy horror movies starring Boris Karloff
or Bela Lugosi.
I’m not sure what I’ll be eating for
Thanksgiving this year, but, whatever I eat,
I know that Tofurkey and cranberry sauce
Police protection of Nazis a wretched use of First Amendment
Sixtyf o u r
years ago,
American
soldiers
went across
the Atlantic
Ocean to
SEAN HARRINGTON help fight
against
N a z i controlled Germany. Part of
the Nazi ideology included the
supposed supremacy of the Aryan
race, or white-skinned, blue-eyed
people with blonde hair. This led
to the Nazi “death camps” and
the extermination of millions
who didn’t fit into the Nazis plan
for the “Master Race.” We fought
long and hard with our allies to
bring the Nazis to their knees.
Their May 7, 1945 surrender was
supposed to be the end of the Nazi
party as well. Many years were
spent tracking down remnants of
the party, however, and the hunt
for some top officials continues
even today. One development
that wasn’t expected after the war
was the eventual creation of the
Neo-Nazis. They continue to
bring their message of hate and
white supremacy to the American
public, most recently at a rally in
Toledo, Ohio.
On Oct. 11, a dozen members
of the American Socialist
Party, or Neo-Nazis, marched
through
the
predominately
black neighborhood of Polish
Village in, as they so innocently
described it, “a protest of black
gang violence.” They didn’t need
a permit because they walked
on the sidewalk, a convenient
loophole for them. Soon after
they began, crowds of people
came out to counter-protest.
A large crowd that included
many gang members formed,
incensed by the appearance
of white supremacists in their
neighborhood. A verbal battle
sprang up between the two
groups, and it wasn’t long before
eggs, bottles and bricks began
to fly through the air, an action
that caused the police to move
in. That was the catalyst that led
to the rioting. The crowd, angry
that the police were protecting
Nazis, erupted and turned
their fury towards the police.
Confronted with more than 600
angry rioters, the police brought
out the tear gas and fired it into
the crowd. Soon after, however,
the determined and infuriated
rioters re-formed nearby and
proceeded to attack the cops with
flying objects and to set fire to a
bar and loot several stores. More
than 100 people were arrested
according to accounts from the
Detroit Free Press.
Although their actions were a
little extreme at times, I feel that
the crowd was completely justified
in its anger and outrage. I realize
that it was the constitutional
right of those scumbags to march
wherever they wanted, but the
government should’ve intervened
before the march took place. The
Nazis should never have been
allowed to march. What did
the mayor and police expect the
people to do, watch them march
by peacefully, ignoring their racial
slurs and insults on an “inferior”
race? Hardly. In fact, authorities
knew that trouble was coming.
Two area gangs, Stickney 33
and the Dexter Boyz, renowned
for their rivalry, allegedly made
a truce in preparation for the
Nazi march. Talk-show hosts
in the area even let Neo-Nazi
leader Bill White come on the
air and speak, allowing him to
spread his message of hate over
the airwaves. The people were
sufficiently angered even before
the march began.
The Nazis and their leader,
Adolf Hitler, are some of the
most despised people in world
history. The fact that these
Neo-Nazis associate themselves
with those hateful teachings is
enough to condemn them as it
is. We went to war and hundreds
of thousands of American people
died to end the reign of the
Nazis. The fact that they get
protection from our government
is completely ridiculous. I’m
sure that if followers of Saddam
Hussein started an organization
supporting him and practicing his
principles and ethics in America
today, all of the members and
those associated with them would
be arrested immediately. Why is
it any different for the NeoNazis? Yes that was 60 years ago,
but almost half a million more
soldiers died in that struggle than
the current one in Iraq, and the
atrocities racked up by Hussein
do not outweigh the Nazi death
camps.
If so much emphasis is still
placed on the Nazis and their
defeat, why are Neo-Nazis
allowed to freely congregate
and organize marches designed
to antagonize other citizens
with their hate? Why are they
all not locked up for associating
themselves with a group that we
shed American blood to destroy,
a group that murdered millions
and millions of innocents for the
sake of a “pure” race? That they
are allowed to do so is a huge
abuse of the First Amendment
and should be immediately
rectified. ❐
n e w s
6
Nov. 15, 2005
THE SOUTHERNER
BY MATT WESTMORELAND
The start of the 2005-2006 school year
brought with it a long list of mentoring
programs aimed at providing the best possible
education for all students. Principal Vincent
Murray believes implementation challenges
have been overcome and the programs are
prepared to serve academic and social needs.
“Last year, we didn’t have enough mentors,”
Dr. Murray said. “We even had a waiting list
of students wanting mentors. This year it’s
worked very well, especially with the programs
geared towards ninth graders.”
Dr. Murray knows how important the
programs are for the school.
“They are a way of sustaining student
achievement,” he said. “It’s a way for us to
make sure they don’t fall through the cracks.
This is a safety net. If you fall, we’re there to put
you back on. It’s a support group.”
One of Dr. Murray’s primary goals is to find
mentors for minority males in the magnet after
seeing their dropout rate from the program.
“They were governed by how they were
perceived by their peers,” Dr. Murray
explained. “These opportunities can give them
more self-confidence. They should be the
center of what they want to do, not what other
people think.”
Returning from last year is Women Inspiring
Self Enrichment, which focuses on female
students. The program emphasizes how to set
priorities, how to interact with others more
effectively and how to organize time more
efficiently. The program was run by former
Grady health teacher Keri McDonald before
she left the school last spring. Even after leaving
the faculty, McDonald continues to work with
her WISE students.
Kaye Myles, who will also be working with
the WISE program, has served for the last
four years as program specialist for another
mentoring effort: Project Success.
“Project Success is a program that provides a
select group of ninth graders with the academic
preparation,
remediation,
occupational
awareness, exploration and preparation for
post-secondary education,” Ms. Myles said.
“Some just need a little extra push or boost,
and I’m here to provide that for them.”
Ms. Myles’ role is much more than just
administering the program.
“I go into the classroom to monitor and
work with the teachers,” she said. “I also
encourage students to go to tutorials.”
Ms. Myles sees mentorship as a chance to
focus on students’ futures rather than just
working with where students are now.
“We also talk about careers,” she explained.
“People come in to talk to the students. Last
year we had a great representative from the
Department of Labor come in and talk with
the students. We encourage others to come in
and talk about their professions as well.”
While most students are asked to join the
program during their freshman year, Ms.
Myles doesn’t shut the door on anyone.
“I never turn anyone down who wants to
be a part of our program,” she said. There’s no
question in Ms. Myles’ mind that she’s making
a difference through her work.
“I love my job. I am truly lucky and blessed to
SALLY ZINTAK
New school year brings host of mentoring programs
LET’S TALK ABOUT ABSTINENCE, BABY: Students participate in Teen Talk, a program provided through a
partnership with Tabernacle Baptist Church. The program provides mentoring and encourages abstinence.
have these close relationships and connections
with the students and their parents.”
Ms. Myles, along with ninth-grade counselor
Schalyse Jones, also sponsors the Ninth Grade
Girls Group, designed to improve academic
behavior and social skills. They plan to discuss
challenges faced by adolescent girls.
Another opportunity available to Grady
students is Beacon of Hope, offered by
Tabernacle Baptist Church. The program
provides tutorials for neighborhood students
on the GGT, as well as participation in a
program called Teen Talk. This abstinence/
ethics education program discourages teen
pregnancy, teen fatherhood, drugs and crime.
“I have a great deal of respect for Beacon
of Hope,” Dr. Murray said. “They’re trying
to uplift their community through education
and have several programs in place to do that.
Students who won’t come to tutorial here for
whatever reason go there, especially if there’s
transportation.” ❐
SALLY ZINTAK
Governor’s Honors Program
already in full swing at Grady
HANGING OUT: Members Sam Williams and Kati Gaslowitz do more than just attend meetings as club members. “On the Sunday of
Daylight Savings, we had a tea party,” Gaslowitz said.“We ate at La Fonda, Urban Tea Party, and then TC. It was a great bonding time.”
GSA members accepting of all
BY REBECCA GITTELSON
Grady has always prided
itself for its openness and
diversity. Yet, one segment,
the gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender community, has not
always been fully acknowledged.
The Gay Straight Alliance, an
extracurricular club open to
people of all sexual orientations,
returned to Grady’s campus for
the first time since 2001. The GSA
provides an open environment
and support system for GLBT
students and supporters.
“We have to learn how to accept
one another’s differences, and this
is one of the aspects that was just
absent in the consciousness of the
school,” math teacher and club
sponsor Andrew Nichols said.
At meetings students are
encouraged to share stories about
the impact of their own, or others’,
beliefs about sexual orientation on
their lives. Mr. Nichols guided the
club members to use their own
experiences to create an honest
and accepting environment in the
club and at school.
Mr. Nichols said, “The
students said, ‘These have been
my experiences so far as a teenager
and things I’ve had to deal with at
home and at school. This is who I
am and where I am.’”
Most club members define their
sexual orientation as only part of
their overall identity.
“I don’t make a big deal out of
[being bi-sexual],”said senior Kati
Gaslowitz, president and founder
of the current GSA.
Another member of the club,
a gay male senior preferred to
remain anonymous. “Being gay is
not necessarily all of who I am,”
he said. “I’m a deep, complex
person and who I choose to love is
not the only part of me.”
Last year he slowly began telling
people of his sexuality.
“The school has been extremely
accepting,” he said. “I have not
been discriminated against by
anyone.”
At
home,
however,
his
family’s reaction to gay people is
different.
“My father says things like,
‘AIDS was sent to kill gay people,’
and ‘God made Adam and Eve,
not Adam and Steve,’” he said.
Gaslowitz is well aware of
problems at home.
“Many [GLBT] teens have
problems with their parents,”
Gaslowitz said. “We’re working
on making the community view
[of GLBT people] more positive.”
GSA serves as a “safe haven” for
students who have experienced
all types of reactions from their
families.
Senior Jessica Brandon views
GSA as a club also meant to
combat homophobic beliefs.
“It is so ingrained that people
use ‘gay’ as an insult,” Brandon
said. “I think it’s important to
realize that just because people
have a different sexual orientation
doesn’t mean they’re weird or not
cool.” ❐
BY SAM JOHNSON
Grady teachers nominated 60
students last month to take part
in Georgia’s Governor’s Honors
Program next summer. The 34
Grady students who accepted
their nominations are in the
midst of a long and competitive
selection process. Of the 35
Grady students who accepted
their nomination last year, seven
were chosen to attend to the
program.
“The GHP is a highly
acclaimed
program
that
challenges the students’ skill and
ability in their chosen subject,”
said counselor Sheila Oliver,
who directs Grady’s program.
Ms. Oliver is responsible for
obtaining nominations and
guiding students through the
process.
The program encompasses six
weeks of rigorous instruction
that test and expand rising
juniors’ and seniors’ knowledge
in a certain field. Students from
all over Georgia are nominated
for this prestigious program,
which is held at Valdosta State
University.
On Sept. 19, the Atlanta Public
Schools GHP Kickoff Meeting
was held at the Lakewood
Stadium Office. Counselors,
challenge teachers, and principals
from the system’s 10 high schools
were in attendance.
On Oct. 7, teachers nominated
students for the program and sent
in their applications to the APS
Gifted Program Office. On Oct.
24-27, the students participated
in their citywide interviews. This
round determines whether they
would go to the state interviews,
where they will compete against
private-school students as well.
Because of the tight time frame
of the selection process, APS
scheduled a “Success Strategies
Workshop” on Jan. 6. This
workshop will help the scholars
hone their skills in their area
for future GHP-related events.
The statewide interviews are
spread throughout January and
February at Clayton College and
State University in Morrow.
After much deliberation, the
state selection committee will
announce GHP finalists the first
week in April. The program itself
will last from June 11 to July 22.
The professors who will
instruct the classes are college
and high school teachers chosen
according to their experience and
by recommendations.
Once the finalists are in
Valdosta, their schedule will
be intense; a normal day at the
GHP is 16 hours long. The
areas of concentration range
from the arts to language, from
agricultural-science to business
management.
Grady student Rafael Velez
was nominated by Ms. Lisa
Willoughby for theatre. If
selected, he will be one of 600
Georgia students in the program
next summer.
“I
have
to
perform
two
monologues
and
an
improvisation,” said Velez, just
before his preliminary interview.
“I’m a little nervous, but I think
I’ll make it.” ❐
THE SOUTHERNER
n e w s
Nov. 15, 2005
7
BY ALLANA NEELY
One of the main topics among
scientific and health institutions for
the past few months has been bird
flu. Many people across the globe
fear a widespread pandemic that
could take thousands of lives.
“Many scientists believe it is only
a matter of time until the next
influenza pandemic occurs,” said
Dave Daigle, spokesperson for the
CDC. “The severity of the next
pandemic cannot be predicted, but
modeling studies suggest that the
impact of a pandemic on the United
States could be substantial.”
Avian influenza A (H5N1), one
type of bird flu, has been found
throughout Asia and has infected
some humans. In recent months,
countries across the world have
taken extreme precautions to limit
the threat to animals and humans.
According to the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention, the
bird flu virus doesn’t usually infect
humans, although there have been
several cases since the late 1990s.
Birds transmit the virus through
their saliva, nasal secretions and feces.
Most cases of bird flu infection in
humans are caused by contact with
infected poultry or contaminated
surfaces.
Signs of human infection
include typical flu-like symptoms,
Pandemic Strategy:
Bush’s $7.1 Billion Request from
Congress
Detecting and containing outbreaks
$251 million
Research for cell-culture technology
development
$2.8 billion
Developing new vaccines and treatments
$800 million
Department of Health and Human
Services and Defense (to purchase vaccines)
$1.519 billion
Stock up on antiviral medications
$1.029 billion
Ensure preparations on state and local
levels
$644 million
SOURCE: USINFOR.STATE.GOV
eye infections and pneumonia. It
can also lead to severe respiratory
diseases, such as acute respiratory
distress, and other life-threatening
complications.
The virus was first spread from
a bird to a human in 1997 during
an outbreak of bird flu in poultry
from Hong Kong. Eighteen people
suffered severe respiratory illness
and the virus claimed six lives. Since
then, there have been other cases of
H5N1 infection among humans in
Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
About 50 percent of these reported
cases ended in death.
Many people fear a worldwide
outbreak of the disease. If this occurs,
the life-threatening disease could
easily spread from person to person
around the globe. Past influenza
pandemics, including the “Spanish
flu” in 1918-1919 and the “Asian
flu” in 1957-1958, led to sickness,
social disruption, economic loss, and
hundreds of thousands of deaths.
The government has taken
major steps to combat a possible
outbreak. On Nov. 1, President
Bush outlined a $7.1 billion strategy
to prepare for the dangers of the
worst-case scenario, a pandemic
influenza outbreak. In a speech at
the National Institutes of Health,
Bush asserted his plan to stock up on
enough vaccine to protect 20 million
Americans against the current strain
of bird flu. The CDC, along with
many other health centers around
the world, has been conducting
research to test a potential vaccine
that could protect humans against
the H5N1 virus in 2005.
“There
currently
is
no
commercially available vaccine to
protect humans against the H5N1
virus that is being seen in Asia and
Europe,” Daigle said. “Vaccine
development efforts are taking place,
however, and a series of trials are
underway.” ❐
from page 1
“good planning and it sets a poor
example for the Beltline project,”
Brodie said.
Neighborhood organizations are
concerned about redevelopment of
historical areas and buildings, such
as The Masquerade, which was built
at the turn of the 20th century and is
to be replaced by condominiums.
“We like aspects of the Beltline,”
said Boyd Coons, executive director
of the Atlanta Preservation Center.
“The concept is wonderful. What
we’re worried about is how the city
will execute it.” Coons emphasized
that the city’s method is just as
important as its plan.
High-density development would
bring added traffic to the areas
around the Beltline, which seems
almost contrary to the Beltline’s
central goal of reducing vehicular
congestion through enhanced
public transit.
Some opponents also feel that
the entire Beltline plan overlooks
low-income families due to the
proposed high-priced housing.
In addition to these concerns,
everyone seems worried about
the city’s adeptness in handling a
project of this magnitude.
“It will be difficult to bring the
skills and ability together to handle
a project this large,” Brodie said.
Proponents have urged legislators
to make a decision about TAD by
the end of this year. TAD funding
becomes available for use at the
end of the year it is approved.
Therefore, each year that the
decision is postponed, property
prices continue to rise and land
opportunities are lost, hindering
the ultimate financial stability of
the project.
SALLY ZINTAK
BELTLINE plan causes tensions
ANSLEY HITS THE TRACKS: The Beltline proposal slates the now one-story, outdoor Ansley
Mall for redevelopment, allowing for two 20-story condos, retail space and restaurants.
Supporters and detractors alike
are unsure about such a rushed
decision.
“It does seem to be a very fast
schedule,” said Doug Abramson,
president of Friends of Piedmont
Park and supporter of the proposal.
“I personally would rather them
professionally and comprehensibly
get a plan together.”
The TAD adds onto current tax
rates and would only directly affect
property owners who live along the
Beltline. According to a feasibility
study conducted in 2004, the
process is expected to take about
25 years and would generate more
than enough to pay for the Beltline
plan.
Despite
ambiguities
and
complications, the idea of
the Beltline still presents an
extraordinary
opportunity
for Atlanta.
As high-density
development expands, the 22mile loop of paths and railways
would alleviate increased traffic,
fuse together Atlanta’s different
neighborhoods and force the city
to grow as a whole. Construction
of the Beltline would open up
countless investment opportunities
and would create more than 70,000
jobs over the next 20 to 25 years.
“[It is] a very achievable solution
to a lot of the controversy,”
Abramson said, referring to the
parking issue currently plaguing
Piedmont Park. “[The Beltline] is
simply the most ambitious project
that the city of Atlanta has ever
engaged in.” ❐
PATRICIA KENDALL
World rushing to beat bird flu
GIVE ME A G: Junior Harry Buck and sophomore Kieran Maynard put up Grady posters,
which design students created to arouse interest in different aspects of our school.
School posters reflect work
of Grady’s newest emphasis
BY EMMA DIN
You saw them, but weren’t sure
what they were or who made them.
The set of posters features five
letters—G, R, A, D and Y. The
black, white and imageless posters
are filled from top to bottom with
descriptive words.
Officially called the Grady
Identity Poster Series, the posters
are the work of Ms. Patricia
Kendall’s design students, who
undertook the project of creating
a group of posters that reflected
Grady’s identity and motto:
“Individually we are different,
together we are Grady.” The
students put up the posters the
Monday of Spirit Week and are
now working on new posters
aimed to showcase what Grady is
all about.
“It was a two-pronged effort
to reinterpret Spirit Week for
the school and not focus on just
football as usual,” Ms. Kendall
said. “It was generated through
consensus in the class to answer the
question, ‘What does it take to be a
Grady Grey Knight?’”
Senior and design student Mary
Lane loved the idea.
“The point was to look at
different aspects of Grady and what
we embody and to get it out to the
rest of Grady,” she said.
The class decided to have four
of the five letters each represent
an aspect of Grady and let the fifth
represent the combination of the
other four. Known to the class as
the “4 A’s,” they chose to have the
‘G’ represent art, the ‘R’ athletics,
the ‘A’ academics, and the ‘D’
achievements.
“When you look at them, you
can look at them individually
or collectively and still get the
message,” Ms. Kendall said.
“Every one of them could stand
by itself, and in that way, they’re
all a different way of interpreting
Grady.”
Starting two to three weeks into
the school year, students split up
into groups to brainstorm. The
guidelines limited them to only
black-and-white posters that had
no images. No one was allowed to
use more than 10 different words
to describe their concept.
“We didn’t know we could come
up with so many words,” junior
Marty Styles said. “We had a list of
50. The hardest part was actually
cutting down the list to just 10.”
The emotions and ideas that
would typically be transferred
through colors and photography
were instead transferred through
different letter types, fonts and
strong adjectives.
“Everyone tried to pick fonts
that matched the concepts,” Lane
said. “The ‘A’ represents academics,
so the word fonts look scholarly,
and the fonts on the art one look
artsy and creative.”
“We used no colors to show how
easy it is to separate reality from the
abstract,” Ms. Kendall said. “Most
people’s concept of reality is color.
When you take it away, people get
confused. That’s why black-andwhite photography is so strong.”
The design students incorporated
their own feelings and perspectives
into the project, with their word
selection based on experiences
from school.
“It was easy to come up with
the words because we go to Grady
everyday,” junior Donald White
said. “We just took things we saw
and thought.”
The design students feel as
though
they’ve
successfully
completed their mission. They’re
also glad to have done something
worthy of respect.
“I see people actually stop in the
hall and look at it and wonder who
made it,” Styles said. “I feel like it
finally gave the design class a voice
in the school and the feeling that
we’ve done something. More and
more teachers are asking us to do
stuff for them, and it’s gotten the
word out about us.”
Junior Britain Baker, who is not
in the design emphasis, agrees with
the success of the campaign.
“The design class did a good
job,” she said. “[The posters] were
well done and creative.”
Ms. Kendall hopes everyone
takes away a renewed sense of what
Grady is.
“If you’re at Grady, you could
be all of those things—academic,
athletic, artistic, or an achiever,”
Ms. Kendall said. “In a way, it’s
almost the strongest poster of them
all because it ties it all together. An
artist can also be an athlete. No
one person does any one of those
exclusively. That’s what makes
Grady diverse.” ❐
1953 Championship Team
A SEASON TO
Wilbur Lofton carried the ball, and the team, to a 27-6 victory Aiken said. But it would be the beginning of a rivalry that still
over Southwest Fulton Oct. 8.
stands today.
On Oct. 17, No. 7-ranked Grady upset No. 3-ranked North
Decatur dominated the first half, limiting Grady to minusFulton 7-6 as the Knights moved up to No. 3 in the state. 18 yards rushing and passing, which also scoring a touchdown
Grady continued its winning streak by beating Northside on a 85-yard drive. The score remained 6-0 until the third
High, now North Atlanta, 28-6 at Grady Stadium on Oct. quarter, when Lofton ran 78 yards for a touchdown that tied
24.
the game. The extra point split the uprights and sealed a 7-6
The undefeated Grey Knights would not stay that way for Grady win. The win marked the first time the Bulldogs had
long as they took on Murphy High School on Oct. 30. After lost at home in six years and 31 appearances.
an early Murphy touchdown, a 25-yard run by Jerome
Grady had upset Decatur and now faced an unbeaten Lanier
Green, followed by a 40-yard run by Lofton, set up team that boasted the fastest line in Georgia. According to
Grady for a 9-yard run into the end zone to tie the The Atlanta Constitution, Lanier’s only weakness was in the
game at 7.
clarinet section of the band. Grady headed into Macon as a
The score was deadlocked until the fourth quarter, two-touchdown underdog determined to prove the prediction
when Murphy ran in another touchdown, but false and bring home a state title.
missed the extra point, making it 13-7. Grady never
More than 10,000 spectators were expected at the game, but
got it going again and Murphy ran out the clock on because of the torrential rainstorm, only 7,000 showed up and
quarterback sneaks, handing Grady its first lost of the the majority were Lanier Poet fans. Grady struck first on the
season and dropping them to No. 7 in the state opening drive, carried by Davis and Lofton.
rankings.
Davis opened up the game with a 34-yard kickoff return to
The next week, Grady quickly bounced back the Grady 45-yard line. Several running plays and a 21-yard
by beating Bass High School 26-0. Lofton had an pass from quarterback Sidney Reese set up the Knights on the
exceptional night, gaining 157 yards on 15 carries with Lanier 15. Lofton battered his way for five yards, and Davis
two scores. Davis also chipped in with his first full-time ran it for the last 10 for a touchdown. Lanier answered with
performance since his injury with 86 yards and a 15-yard two minutes left in the first half but couldn’t convert the extra
touchdown run for the final score of the game.
point due to a bad snap. The teams headed for the locker
A week later, Lofton led Grady to a 13-0 win against
room with Grady leading 7-6.
O’Keefe with two touchdowns. This win also moved
The brilliant punting of Lofton kept the Poets
Grady to No. 4 in the rankings. “Grady always
backed up against their own end zone and Grady
fought with O’Keefe,” Aiken recalled. “We just
in control. Grady quick-kicked every third down.
hated each other.” Holding true to tradition, a
Lofton had four remarkable punts, a 36-yarder that
fight broke out at Grady Stadium. “All players
landed at the Lanier 26, a 46-yarder that landed at
cleared the benches and got at it, except one.
the 8, a 44-yarder the landed at the 2, and a 53Randy Wilkerson stayed on the sideline and
yarder that was grounded at the 1-yard line. He
placed his hand over his heart as the Grady band
did all this with borrowed cleats because he forgot
played the national anthem in order to try and
his own at home.
stop the fight,” Aiken said.
Lanier had their backs to the end zone the
After beating O’Keefe in the last regular
whole game, and Grady finally got a safety by
season game, Grady played Sylvan High
dragging Lanier’s back-of-the-year in Georgia,
WILBUR LOFTON
School for the city championship. Davis scored
Billy Kitchens, down in their end zone to score
three touchdowns, leading Grady to a 21-6 victory and the
the last points of the game. They had won the football
AA city crown.
state championship by a score of 9-6.
In Grady’s second post-season appearance of 1953, they took
The season was like a dream from which the underdog
on the Decatur Bulldogs in front of 8,000 fans at Decatur. “It Grady Knights never wanted to wake up from. Fifty-six years
was the first time [Grady] had anything to do with [Decatur].” later, that dream is alive again. ❐
Source: ghsfha.org
Grady By The Numbers
State Title
Total Weeks
Ranked #1
Region Titles
(‘93, ‘98, ‘05)
Longest Losing
Streak (9/13/9611/01/96)
ROAD TO THE
vs. Marist
41-0
Game 1:
Grady opened the season
with a convincing victory
over the War Eagles.
vs. Smith
6-6
Game 3:
The offense struggled as
star tailback, Jeff Davis,
ran for the Knights’ only
touchdown of the game.
[2-0-1]
Longest Win
Streak (8/19/05current)
All-State
Players
12
[5-0-1]
vs. N. Fulton
7-6
Game 6:
Behind all-state fullback, Wilbur Lofton,
Grady upset the No. 3
ranked team in the state.
Different
opponents
14 54
vs. Murphy
7-13
Game 8:
The Knights suffered
their only loss of the
season and dropped to
No. 7 in the rankings.
[6-1-1]
[9-1-1]
vs. Sylvan
21-6
vs. Decatur
7-6
Game 12:
Wilbur Lofton’s 78-yard run in
the third quarter put Grady on
Game 11:
Coming off an injury, Jeff top and ended the Bulldog’s
Davis ran for three touch- six-year home-unbeated streak.
downs to help the Knights
capture the city champion[10-1-1]
ship.
Public Schools athletics director
Sydney Scarborough would
randomly place coaches at
different schools. Coach Russell
landed a coaching position at
Grady.
“I thought it was academically
the best school in town,”
Russell said. “There was a great
faculty with great chemistry,
and we got the school off to a
really good beginning with our
football team.”
Two seasons after coming
to Grady, Coach Russell was
promoted to head coach and
athletic director following the
departure of Spec Landrum in
1951. In his first season as head
coach of the 1952 Knights,
Coach Russell went 6-3-1 and
graduated all-state left end
Allen Ecker.
The next year Coach Russell
led the Knights to their only
state championship. Underdogs
in both the Decatur and Lanier
playoff games, critics doubted
Grady would make it past the
city championship. Coach
Russell’s Grey Knights surprised
everyone by taking the north
Georgia and state titles.
“Nobody really gave us a
chance to win it,” Coach Russell
said. “We played in a torrential
rainstorm but Wilbur Lofton
kicked them into submission.”
Lofton, the all-state fullback
also took the role as a punter
and effectively backed Lanier
[11-1-1]
vs. Lanier
9-6
Game 13:
In a rainstorm in front of 7,000
fans, the Knights held on to a
slim lead to claim their only
state championship to date.
up enough to prevent an
offensive attack.
He and
running back Jeff Davis were
the two standouts on the team,
but Coach Russell stressed that
it was a team effort.
“Lofton and Davis got most
of the ink, they were our ball
carriers,” Coach Russell said.
“But the strongest characteristic
of our team was the team. No
one stood head and shoulders
above another.”
Before leaving for an assistantcoaching job at Auburn and
later Vanderbilt, Coach Russell
started a wrestling team,
coached Grady’s boys basketball
team to the first televised high
school basketball game in
Georgia, and had the only other
undefeated regular season for
football when the 1957 Knights
went 9-0-1.
After brief stints at Auburn
and Vanderbilt, Coach Russell
landed the job of defensive
coordinator at the University
of Georgia under Coach
Vince Dooley. Creating the
“Junkyard Dogs” defense for
which UGA is known, Coach
Russell coached for Georgia
for 17 years and played a part
in the Bulldogs’ 1980 national
championship.
One year later he left UGA
for his first head-coaching job
since Grady to restart a football
program at Georgia Southern
University. A new president
decided to revive the football
program after a 40-year hiatus.
“The president was looking
for something exciting and
thought bringing back football
would be good for the school,”
Coach Russell said.
Coach Russell started a
club team and found himself
surrounded by good players.
But with an initial $200
recruiting budget, compared
to $250,000 at UGA, Russell
knew that it was going to take
more than just good players.
“Things got better after the
SOUTHERNER ARCHIVE
BY PATRICK MCGLYNN
Coach Erskine “Erk” Russell
had arguably the biggest
impact on football in the state
of Georgia. Russell, 79, who
began his career at Grady, won
a state title in high school, and
national titles at the University
of Georgia and at Georgia
Southern
University.
His
unparalleled coaching career
resulted from a long history
with the game of football.
As a successful high school
athlete, Erk Russell had
scholarship offers from the
University of Alabama and
Auburn University.
Coach
Russell made his decision to
play football at Auburn but
also played basketball, baseball
and tennis while earning his
bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
He lettered in all four varsity
sports, the last Tiger to do so.
With the time commitment
expected of today’s collegiate
athletes, it’s unlikely to.
“I went from one season to
the next,” said Coach Russell
explaining how he managed to
juggle athletics with academics.
“I went to school, it was a
routine thing. College sports
weren’t as specialized as they
are today.”
One year after graduating
Russell took his first job as
defensive line coach, tennis
coach and boys basketball
coach. At the time Atlanta
CHAMPIONSHIP
01 01 03 07
[1-0-0]
Erk Russell: Grady tenure
jumpstarted legendary career
CRADLE: Months before delivering Grady its first state championship, second-year
head coach, Erk Russell, proudly holds his newly-born son, John Erskine Russell.
SOUTHERNER ARCHIVE
BY WOODY MORGAN
Grady High School was a different place in 1953.
The school’s 1,600 students placed Grady in the largest
classification in Georgia. About 40 percent of those students
were Jewish, earning Grady the nickname of “Hebrew High.”
Some students hopped the trolley to get to and from school.
The school was not integrated yet, eighth grade was a part of
high school, and a school lunch cost 35 cents. There were sock
hops with live bands and girls wearing letter jackets as
a sign of “going on steady.”
“It was like Happy Days personified,” said
Ken Aiken, who played football at Grady and
was a sophomore tackle on the team in 1953.
While the football program remains intact,
Grady has undergone extreme changes,
but few remember the magic of the 1953
season.
That was the year Grady defied the
skeptics and won its only football
state championship. It all started with
hard work and respect for their coach,
JEFF DAVIS
Erskine Russell. “We would have run
through a brick wall for him,” Aiken said. And
they did.
The team did not practice on campus but made the daily
trek through Piedmont Park to the current location of the
Botanical Gardens. The Piedmont practices were long and
hot, with no water. “[Coach Russell] ran us to death, especially
up that hill next to where the Botanical Gardens now stand,”
Aiken said. “We never had water on the field during practice,
but Coach brought a case of Cokes to the field after practice
once, and we all thought that was wonderful.”
All of the wind sprints, all the calisthenics, all the sleds and
dummies paid off when Grady played their first game of the
season against the Marist War Eagles on Sept. 12. “Back then,
Marist was a nobody,” Aiken said.
Grady crushed the War Eagles 41-0 in the then-6-year-old
Grady Stadium. Grady continued their romp by trouncing
Fulton High School the next week by a score of 39-6.
On Sept. 25, Grady’s game with Smith High School ended
in a 6-6 tie. A touchdown by Grady’s star tailback, Jeff Davis,
was the only thing that kept Grady in the game.
On Oct. 3, Grady plowed through West Fulton High School
25-6. Grady got the win but lost Davis to a shoulder injury,
causing him to miss the next six games. All-state fullback
SOUTHERNER ARCHIVE
REMEMBER
HUDDLE UP: Coach Russell discusses strategy with his players before the North
Fulton game. A crowd of 7,000 fans packed Grady stadium, the second largest ever.
first installment,” Coach Russell
said. “We just had to make the
best of everything we had.”
Two years later his team joined
the NCAA at the Division I-AA
level. One year after returning
to NCAA football in 1984, the
GSU Eagles captured their first
national championship.
Coach Russell and the Eagles
won their second title in two
years in 1986 and finished
with a perfect record in 1989
to complete a third national
championship.
“After 40 years of coaching I
decided to hang it up after the
1989 season,” Coach Russell
said.
The three-time Coach of
the Year for Division I-AA
colleges attributes his success to
luck and being surrounded by
good, sometimes great, players.
Coach Russell still holds the
title of America’s winningest
college coach with a 78.8
percent winning percentage
(83-22-1). His success can be
measured by his record but also
by his enjoyment.
“I enjoyed it all,” Coach
Russell said. “I wouldn’t trade
anything for the experience
and association I had at any
level.” ❐
n e w s
10
THE SOUTHERNER Nov.
15, 2005
BY JESSICA BAER
The Georgia Aquarium will officially open its doors to the
public Nov. 23. It is the world’s largest aquarium, containing
more than 8 million gallons of fresh and marine water that will
house 100,000 animals representing 500 species from around
the world. The 550,000 square-foot facility is located on a 9-acre
site in Downtown Atlanta, next to Centennial Olympic Park
and the Georgia World Congress Center.
The aquarium is home to Ralph and Norton, two whale sharks
who are the largest fish on the planet. Their specially designed
habitat alone takes up 6 million gallons of the facility’s water
supply. The aquarium will be divided into five main viewing
areas: Freshwater, Cold Water, Coastal, Open Ocean and
Georgia Quest.
They May 2003 breaking ground represented the start of
Atlanta’s expensive and ambitious projects. It was founded in
large part through a $200 million donation from Bernard Marcus.
Marcus, co-founder of Home Deport in 1979 with Falcons
owner Arthur Blank, is a major player in the revitalization of
Atlanta.
“Bernie Marcus wanted to give back to the community that
helped build Home Depot up into what it is today,” said Dave
Santucci, director of public relations for the aquarium. “He
wanted to build something everyone could enjoy.“
Atlanta-based corporations such as AirTran Airways, Bell
South, Coca-Cola, Georgia Pacific and SunTrust have also made
large donations to help fund the new aquarium. Annual passes
for the museum cost $59.50 for adults, $43.25 for children ages
3-12 and $48.75 for seniors ages 55 and up.
Many hope the new aquarium will anchor downtown’s
revitalization effort.
SALLY ZINTAK
Atlanta set to open world’s largest aquarium Nov. 23
GO FISH: The Georgia Aquarium, which is scheduled to open on November 23, 2005, will contain more than 100,000 animals of over 500 species.
The opening of the aquarium will create over 200 job opportunities and is expected to attract more than two million visitors in the first year.
“We’re expecting two million visits in the first year,” Santucci
said. “Bringing them downtown will really help [revitalization].
“The CNN Center, new world of Coca-Cola and the Children’s
Museum are all nearby. The whole downtown area is going to see
a lot more visitors downtown and that’s good for business.”
Organizers hope the facility will attract more than 2 million
visitors in the first year and create more than 200 jobs, as well
as offering hundreds of volunteer positions.
There are other ways in which the aquarium plans on giving
back to the community. Planners say it will add a new dimension
to Georgia’s education curriculum. Twenty-five percent of the
floor space has been dedicated to educating students of all ages
who visit the aquarium. More than 70,000 schoolchildren are
expected to visit the site in the first year.
“We have a very unique facility,” Santucci said. “School groups
have an entirely separate area for themselves. We adhere to all of
the standards, whether local, state or federal, in terms of being
an educational field trip. We’ll teach them about conservation,
and animals so they’ll take something away from the experience
and have a lot of fun.” ❐
BY ROBERT SANDERS
released Nov. 10. It features many artists
Openness. Opportunity. Optimism. who performed during the half time show
These three words, one part of Atlanta’s along with other unannounced Atlantanew advertising campaign, portray the based artists and the full Atlanta Symphony
feelings Mayor Shirley Franklin hopes the Orchestra.
“Brand Atlanta” campaign will bring to the
“Brand Atlanta is coming to life
city’s image.
with support from every sector of our
The multimillion dollar advertisement community,” Mayor Shirley Franklin
effort is part of the Mayor’s New Century told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Economic Development Plan. It was “This generous and enthusiastic response
formed in hopes of attracting tourist and exemplifies our city’s opportunity, optimism
businesses by giving Atlanta its own brand. and openness as expressed in the Brand
Last month Mayor Franklin and the Atlanta campaign itself.”
Brand Atlanta Team unveiled Atlanta’s
For $2.49, “The ATL” is now available
theme—Opportunity,
Openness
and as a ringtone through Cingular Wireless.
Optimism, along with a red-and-white Profits of its sale will be split equally
logo that highlights the “ATL” in Atlanta’s between the Dallas Austin Foundation and
name.
the Brand Atlanta, Inc.
Many high profile local rap artists,
But response has been lukewarm. Callers
including Ludacris and Jermaine Dupri, to two popular Atlanta radio stations,
have dubbed Atlanta as the “ATL” and the Q100 and V-103, have declared the song
Campaign chose to make it official. The was more “not” than “hot.” Five out of six
campaign enlisted the help of popular local respondents to a recent ajc.com poll disliked
hip-hop producer Dallas Austin to compose the song with one respondent saying it was
Atlanta’s anthem, “The
“Izzy, set to music.”
ATL” to accompany the
Brand Atlanta is coming to Although the campaign
new logo and theme.
life with support from every may not be a hit with
“The lyrics of ‘The
sector of our community. everyone, the organization is
ATL’ embody Atlanta’s
not hurting for money. On
essence through music,
Mayor Shirley Franklin Oct. 25 the Brand campaign
which
has
become
reportedly received more
a crucial element of
than $6.9 million in
Atlanta’s cultural fabric,” Austin said in a contributions from local organizations and
press release following the announcement. businesses bringing its total to more that
“While the lyrics came from my personal $8.8 million.
experiences, the song has universal appeal
Major contributors include the Metro
because it brings Atlanta’s story to life and Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the
has a powerful message of opportunity.”
Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Anthem was performed publicly for and the Metro Atlanta Media General
the first time during the half time show of Managers. Large donations were also made
the Oct. 24 Falcons game. The song was by Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co., Georgiaperformed by many local artists, including Pacific Corp. and Turner Broadcasting Inc.
Monica, 112, Eric “Ricky” McKinnie of the
“It’s no surprise that many large businesses
Blind Boys of Alabama, Sammie, Jagged in Atlanta are involved with the campaign,”
Edge and Rehab. The Atlanta Symphony said Fredrick Allen, author of Atlanta
Youth Orchestra, All Atlanta Chorus Rising: The Invention of an International
and the Halftime Live Marching Band City and former political columnist for the
accompanied these Atlanta-based singers. AJC. “What is good for the city is good for
The final cut of Atlanta’s new anthem was the business in the city.” ❐
“
ROBINSON LEVIN
Brand Atlanta logo, song
unveiled to mixed reviews
WALK OUT DEJA VU: Ansar Hines,Thanh Vu,Jessica Brandon,Alexandra Black,Chelsea Polk,Alexandra Becker,Jamal
Makanjuola, Ryan Betty, Christopher Taylor and Kellisha Stewart take part in the Nov. 2 walkout. The estimated
20 Grady students who participated were much less than the estimated 130 who walked out last January.
Grady students repeat anti-Bush walkout
BY ROBINSON LEVIN
It’s 11:35 am on Nov. 2, but unlike most
Wednesdays, Hannah Mitchell is absent
from her third-period physics class with Jeff
Cramer. It’s not because she is uninterested
in Mr. Cramer’s lesson, she is downtown
participating in a rally, against President
George W. Bush, sponsored by World Can’t
Wait.
“Voicing my opinions and standing up for
my beliefs of what is true and unjust is more
important than being in class,” Mitchell said.
It’s a timely protest: the day of the walkout
comes on the one-year anniversary of Bush’s
re-election. World Can’t Wait used the event
to call for Bush’s resignation. Their efforts
were supported by walkouts and rallies across
the nation in New York, San Francisco and
44 other American cities according to their
organization’s web site.
Around 600 people attended the Atlanta
rally, including students from Grady, Decatur
and Druid Hills high schools, Inman and
King middle schools, The Paideia School and
many Atlanta-area colleges.
Unlike the Jan. 20 walkout marking the
president’s inauguration, in which more
than 130 Grady students walked out of
school, this year’s crowd was much smaller.
Many attribute this to the spray paint along
the walkways that were filled with vulgar
comments.
“[The graffiti] was disrespectful to the
school and [was] a bad organizing technique,”
said senior Micah Weiss, who organized last
year’s walkout. “It turned a lot more people
off than it turned on.”
Despite threats of suspension from the
school administration minutes before the
walkout, some Grady students felt that
voicing their opinion was more important
than the potential consequences.
“Getting out of my everyday routine is
more important than anything else,” Weiss
said.
Many students were armed with notes
from parents when they went to sign out
before leaving to participate.
“There was never any question about my
parents supporting it,” junior Alexandra
Black said. “Our generation is going to get
stuck with the bad policies set by President
Bush.”
Others were drawn towards the rally more
by impulse.
“I didn’t sign out,” said one Grady student,
who requested his name be withheld. “I
had no parental consent but I’ve evaded the
system up to this point.”
“About seven [students got caught],” said
senior Jessica Brandon, “out of the 20 that
were there.” ❐
p e o p l e
Nov. 15, 2005
11
THE SOUTHERNER
Robo squad
putting out
BEST effort
LILY FEINBERG
BY LILY FEINBERG
When several parents proposed a Grady
robotics team in the fall of 2004, nobody could
have predicted the success that has marked
the Grady Gearbox Gangstaz’ first year of
existence.
“Last fall, a group of parents approached
the school saying, ‘We want the kids to have a
robotics team,’” said math teacher and sponsor
Mr. Andrew Nichols. He explained, however,
there was a problem preventing the team from
forming—money.
The program required $10,000 for regional
and national competition fees. Fortunately, the
team found a sponsor.
“Through some lucky contacts, we got the
$10,000 from Turner [Studios],” Mr. Nichols
said. “With that we registered and in January
we started the program.”
Mr. Nichols joined the program last year and
is currently an adviser. He thinks that robotics
offers a great opportunity for the students to
apply concepts learned in school and make
connections among different subjects.
“There’s no place in the curriculum for the
kids to apply science and math like this,” Mr.
Nichols said. “They’ve got biology and physics
and geometry and algebra, but this is where
they get to apply it. It’s the actual engineering
that combines it all.”
The team has three mentors—Gardner
Chambliss, father of Scott Chambliss; Jeff Rees,
a friend of Chambliss’; and Vinton Woolfe,
former teacher and robotics coach at North
Atlanta High School—who advise the students
in the concepts and plans for the robot.
The national program in which the team
participates is called For Inspiration and
Recognition of Science and Technology. FIRST
provides each team with a kit containing parts
and instructions for playing a game.
The team has six weeks to build a robot
before shipping it to regionals, where finalists
advance to the national level. First-year teams
can also qualify for a rookie all-star competition
at the regional and national levels.
Last year’s team not only made the final
round of competition at the Peachtree Regional
Tournament but also won the regional rookie
Teen girls feel
stress of school
NEED A HAND? Juniors Anna Alexander and Ngan Vu work together to attach the arm mechanism of the BEST
robot. The BEST season is now over and the team will reconvene in January to begin the FIRST robot project.
all-star tournament. They qualified for the
national tournament, where they made it to
the first round of competition.
This semester, the team is participating in a
smaller-scale program, Boosting Engineering,
Science and Technology.
About half of the students working on the
BEST robot are veterans from last year, while
the others are new to the robotics team.
Freshman Zach Gaslowitz joined the
Grady robotics team after participating in
the Inman Middle School robotics program.
He became interested in the Grady team
through the involvement of his sister, senior
Katie Gaslowitz. “Last year I went to the
competitions and saw Grady doing very well
and winning,” he said.
Freshman Miriam Huppert was not on
the Inman team, but joined Grady’s robotics
team for a different reason. “It appealed to
me to be able to build something and not just
go out and buy it,” she said. Huppert assists
in both the robot’s construction as well as its
promotion.
“I like how we have so many new people
and how they’re so willing to work and add
so much energy to the team, but it is sort of
frustrating sometimes,” junior Anna Alexander
admitted, referring to the unfamiliarity of new
members with the workings of the robotics
team. “But,” she added, “I know we won’t be
making the same mistakes later.”
Alexander said that while the team gained
a lot of experience from its participation in
FIRST last year, the team is not immediately
putting everything it learned to use. The team
plans to take the best aspects of its robot from
the FIRST competition last year and of its
robot from the BEST competition this fall and
combine them in the robot for the upcoming
FIRST season.
Not only did the Gearbox Gangstaz come
away from last year’s tournaments with more
experience and insight in the way of robotics,
they also learned that organization is key when
it comes to building robots.
“We thought [that] we’d learned our lessons
as far as organization was concerned,” Mr.
Nichols said. “But working on BEST has really
proved that the students have more to learn.”
On Oct. 22, the robotics team competed in
the “Atlanta hub tournament,” as Mr. Nichols
puts it, for the BEST program. They came
in seventh place, just snagging a spot in the
regional finalist tournament.
Though the team won no awards at the hub
tournament, it struck success at the finals in
Auburn, Ala., winning second place for the
robot’s design elegance and simplicity, third
place in T-shirt design, and second place overall,
beating every other team from Georgia.
In preparation for the FIRST competition,
the Gearbox Gangstaz will have to do a lot
of fund-raising, as their budget is expected
to top $30,000. The team will again receive
sponsorship from Turner, but will also need to
find additional financial resources.
“As for the future success of the team,
Mr. Nichols has a very positive attitude.
“Who knows if we’ll go on to the national
championship, but we hope we’ll win,” he said.
“At least we’re planning on it.” ❐
BY HANNA GRIFFITHS
It had been a bad day for sophomore
Corinthia Hayes. She got some bad family
news and broke up with her boyfriend. “My
friend asked me if I was OK,” she said, “and I
just broke down and ran to the bathroom.”
Hayes is one of many female students at
Grady under an extreme amount of stress.
Some students are involved in a myriad of
activities after seven hours of school, which
often don’t end until six or seven at night. This
leaves little time for homework and even less
for relaxation.
When asked how much free time she gets
each day Hayes looked astonished. “Freetime?” she asked with fake confusion. “Maybe
half an hour, if that.”
Dr. Roni Cohen-Sandler, author of StressedOut Girls, surveyed about 3,000 students and
found that teenage girls went from school, to
clubs, to sports practice, and got home late at
night, unable to spend time with their families
because of homework.
“We have to challenge the notion that girls
have to be busy all the time,” Dr. CohenSandler said. “They should have downtime.
We are replacing quality family time with
driving kids from one activity to the next.”
Of 89 students surveyed by The Southerner,
61.0 percent of the girls said they felt like they
were almost always under stress, versus only
31.4 percent of boys. The survey also proved
that most students are stressed about school.
“My parents say they were learning some
of the stuff we are learning now during their
senior year,” sophomore Sarah Smith said.
“I think school is getting progressively
harder,” senior Elissa Koehl said. “I was told
my senior year was going to be easy, and it
definitely isn’t.”
Hayes explained that cheerleading helps
her escape from stress. “But sometimes I go
to practice [distracted] by stuff that happened
that day, and I keep messing up; it all boils up
inside you,” she said.
Dr. Cohen-Sandler believes the media is
also responsible for a great amount of the
pressure. “Teenage girls on television are icons
of perfection: they excel at sports, do well in
school, and possess astounding beauty,” Dr.
Cohen-Sandler said.
“There has been a great effort to level the
playing field,” she said. “Now girls think
that because they have the opportunity to do
things, they have to, and they have to do them
perfectly.” ❐
Seniors, teachers direct slate of one-acts whose endings will surprise you
BY ALI FARNHAM
The Grady drama department
revs up for another year of
productions with its performances
of one-act plays Dec. 1-3. Seniors
Nyssa Daniels, Russell Owens,
Vivi Chavez, Brandon Sheats and
Anna Simonton, all students in
Ms. Lisa Willoughby’s advanced
drama class, will each direct a play
of their choice. Ms. Willoughby
and ninth-grade English teacher
Mr. Scott Stephens will also direct
their own plays.
Though all of the seniors are
new to directing, they have all had
their fair share of acting. Chavez
and Owens each played characters
in the 2004 senior directors’ oneact plays. Chavez played the rebel
sister in Grady graduate Cameron
Carter’s Finding a Core. Owens
is well known around Grady for
roles such as Colehouse Walker
in Ragtime. Daniels glowed
as the Cheshire Cat in 2005’s
Alice in Wonderland. Simonton
participated in a 48-hour film
festival in Los Angeles two years
ago, and Sheats was a part of a 7
Stages production.
Grady performs one-acts every
other year, alternating them with
children’s theater productions.
“I wanted to pick a comedy
because the last one-acts were all
serious and dramatic,” Chavez
said. Her play, The Philadelphia,
centers around one man and his
paranoia of living in a Philadelphia,
a mind-set where you receive the
exact opposite of what you ask for.
Chavez chose to double-cast the
play with the gender roles flipped.
Owens’ play Wandering tells his
life story. The play is fast-paced
and the changes are “vaguely
perceptible,” but the play is over
within five minutes.
“You have to strike a line between
showing your actors what you want
them to do, and letting them do it
Grady’s One-Act Plays
Wandering
The Philadelphia
Russell Owens
Vivi Chavez
Playwriting 101: The Rooftop Lesson
Brandon Sheats
It’s Not You
The Grand Design
The Lottery
Nine,Ten
Nyssa Daniels
Anna Simonton
Mr. Scott Stephens
Ms. Lisa Willoughby
on their own,” Sheats said. Sheats’
three-character play, Playwriting
101: The Rooftop Lesson, consists
of a know-it-all teacher and a good
Samaritan persuading a jumper not
to commit suicide.
Daniels’ play, It’s Not You, is
about three friends: Amber, a
young pregnant woman with
frequent mood swings; her
peacemaker husband, John; and
Terry, the new friend. In the play,
these friends drop their fourth
friend, Natalie, on the basis that
she is “really boring.”
Simonton changes pace with
her play The Grand Design.
There are only two characters:
John, a scientist selected to send
a message into space, and his
mother. They have a 10-minute
phone conversation about what
the message should say and how it
would represent the human race.
“What I like about [the play]
is that it is so emotionally wellrounded,” Simonton said. “Parts of
it are serious, but it’s not cheesy. So
much of the emotion is subtle and
that’s what makes it good.”
Mr. Stephens shakes things up
with his play The Lottery. Within
the span of 20 minutes, he will
have a total of 25 actors on stage.
Though Stephens didn’t reveal the
plot, he hinted that the end has a
interesting twist.
“You never know what it’s going
to be like until you actually get
people out there doing stuff, and
then they surprise you,” Stephens
said. “It’s going to be startling.”
Ms. Willoughby’s play, Nine,
Ten, underscores the meanings of
her students’ plays. It is set on Sept.
10, 2001, when five people wait to
see if they have jury duty for the
next day. The audience learns that
these five people either work in the
World Trade Center, live in the
surrounding area, or are about to
catch a plane the next morning.
“I always try to pick a play that
fits,” she said. “One of the things I
observed that was true of the other
plays is that they all had to do with
moments of decision, and many
had a surprise ending. My play has
both of those qualities.” ❐
p e o p l e
12
Nov. 15, 2005
from page 1
Stadium, Walgreens, Philips
Arena and the Renaissance Hotel.
Some also take classes at Atlanta
Area Tech to learn a trade, like
auto mechanics or carpentry.
Students who do on-the-job
training at the Renaissance Hotel
meet with Pamela Gordon to
learn the qualities of good leaders.
Gordon makes her way through
the hotel each day to check
on students and evaluate their
performance.
“I try to get [the students] in
the mind-set of a work force,”
Gordon said. “I tell them, anyone
can get a job, but you have to
learn how to keep it.”
Gordon checks up on the
students periodically, as a teacher
and go-between if there are any
problems. “They think that I’m
strict, but that’s what they need,”
Gordon said. “Having a teacher or
paraprofessional on the job really
helps.”
Ms. Newman says the program
offers a chance for students to
explore different careers to find
the right one for them. “The
premise behind RVI is to ensure
that students who are enrolled in
the program become productive
citizens,” she said.
Senior Chris Daniels, who sets
up for banquets and special events,
says Gordon’s training has been
useful. Daniels has brought away
advice for future job seekers.
“You always have to keep up a
good first impression,” he said.
“Always do right and keep yourself
in a good place.”
Though he finds the job
demanding, Daniels is considering
working banquet setup on
weekends as well. “It really does
teach you to be responsible,”
Daniels said. “They’ll leave you
here by yourself if you don’t
finish.”
The Atlanta Public Schools
System
participates
in
numerous RVI conferences and
competitions. Last May, APS won
awards in career occupational
thinking and job interviewing at
a competition on Jekyll Island.
Students can also enter projects to
be judged in technical fields such
as woodworking, metal working
and graphic arts.
Senior Alex Davis, who attends
a half-day at Grady and half-day
at Atlanta Area Tech, says the
competitions are fun because
everyone is friendly and helpful.
“[The main benefit is] getting to
know new people and seeing how
they do things wherever they’re
from,” he said. “You get to know
their side of things.”
By learning on-the-job skills
in a certain field, students have
a head start when they graduate.
“If a child participates they have
an advantage,” Ms. Newman
explains. “If they do well, they can
get hired. If not, it is still good to
put on a resume.”
Ms.
Newman
chooses
students from the Program for
Exceptional Children case load
who demonstrate interest in some
sort of career. She conducts career
assessments and works to place
them in a transitional program
that fits their interests. She looks
up available jobs, keeping an
CARSON HALE
RVI proves prosperous for dynamic students
WHITE WASH: Loading the washers is junior Desmond Owens’ favorite part of his job
at the Renaissance Hotel. The washing machines hold about 200 pounds of laundry.
eye out on hiring positions at
businesses where students already
work.
Ms. Newman has a thick
scrapbook of her students’
achievements and pictures of
various events to keep memories
and to promote the program. She
has a goal of getting 30 out of her
39 students involved in workbased training this year. Though
her students at Atlanta Area Tech
are always grateful to get out of
class early, Ms. Newman misses
the opportunity to see them.
“I really wanted you to see the
kids,” she said, “I’m just so proud
of them.”❐
BY CHELSEA COOK
Finding
the
recipe
for
crystal
methamphetamine is easy. Step One: Access
any computer with the Internet; perhaps use a
computer in the media center at Grady. Don’t
worry about the Internet filtering system,
it won’t hinder you. Step Two: Use a search
engine, such as Google.com, and simply
type in the words “crystal meth.” A variety
of websites will appear. One conversationally
suggests the use of mason jars to “cook” the
chemicals rather than jelly jars because they are
thicker. Another site has intricate instructions
about where to buy the essential chemicals and
even has advice on what to do if someone gets
suspicious. When purchasing Iodine Tincture,
the website suggests telling the pharmacist that
you’re using it for your horse’s hoof infection.
It’s that easy. That’s the bad news. The good
news, however, is that the majority of Grady
students have no interest in making, or even
trying such a substance.
Only 16 miles away, some suburban high
school students have made a different choice.
Like high school students inside the perimeter,
they are aware of the detrimental effects of
the drug, perhaps more so since several have
experienced it firsthand.
“It’s curiosity,” said a former Wheeler
High School senior, who agreed to share
his experiences if he remained anonymous.
“Everyone talks about how intense it makes
you feel, and it’s something else to do, so you
want to try it.” Crystal meth, cheaply and easily
made from over-the-counter cold medicine
or toxic chemicals such as battery acid, is
becoming more popular in the kitchens, cars
and pockets of rural and suburban high school
students. According to the Drug Enforcement
Agency, crystal meth is the No. 1 drug in rural
America.
“Every party we went to, someone had meth
around,” Grady senior and former Marietta
resident Lisa Lipham said. “Sometimes we
wouldn’t even have to pay for it.” The drug
has transcended the high school party scene.
“It’s definitely replacing marijuana as
the drug of choice around here,” said
Chelsey Besser, a junior at Jackson County
Comprehensive High School. The availability
of crystal meth in the suburbs is steadily
increasing. Because it’s so affordable and
addictive, it’s creating an epidemic in rural
areas throughout Georgia and America.
CHELSEA COOK
Crystal meth crisis wreaks havoc in suburban, rural Georgia
REFLECTING ON HER ADDICTION: Senior Lisa Lipham demonstrates the meth habit that she kicked when she
moved to Midtown. Since deciding to stop using the drug, Lipham wants to teach others about its dangers.
“It just makes you feel invincible, confident
and intensified,” the Wheeler senior explained.
“And it really makes you want to have sex.”
These teenagers agreed on the way meth made
them feel, but not on the reasons for trying it.
“I knew a lot of girls who did it to lose
weight, and it worked,” Besser said. “But the
longer you do it, the higher your tolerance
becomes and so eventually you start to do it
just to feel normal.” Several students said they
became so addicted to the drug that when they
came down from a high, they felt so depressed
and sickly, that they kept taking the drug in
order to feel alive again. “Their bodies get
tired,” the Wheeler senior said. “You can’t
sleep when you’re geeked up on meth, and
that’s when it really starts to affect your body,
in addition to your state of mind.” Many users
describe the desire for the drug as if it were a
craving for food.
“It’s like when you’re so hungry that you
feel like you might throw up,” a Jackson
County student added. “That, plus a load
of depression and hopelessness. That’s why
people have to keep on doing it.” While
it’s unclear exactly why people do crystal
meth, it’s equally puzzling why people in
urban areas don’t. Crystal meth had a huge
impact on suburban communities but not
in inner cities. “There’s nothing to do except
party out here,” the Wheeler senior said.
But some observers feel it’s not that simple.
According to Benjamin Ewing, a writer for
Brown University’s newspaper, The College
Hill Independent, it’s not so much that there
aren’t things to do in suburban America, but
rather that there aren’t enough activities that
are “comfortably dangerous.”
“Scrabble is comfortable, Meth is
dangerous,” Ewing explained in a September
article. “Playing Texas Hold ‘Em, for example,
is “comfortably dangerous.” While playing
poker is probably just as common in the
suburbs as it is in the city, Ewing may have
a point about the need to explore the space
between risky and dangerous. Several Grady
students agree.
“People at Grady definitely experiment here,
but no one would ever go near crystal meth,”
senior Ricardo Pereira said. “There’s enough
to do in the city to where kids feel like they’re
taking risks and being hard core without
putting holes in their brain.” Comfortably
dangerous, or even just comfortable activities
are perhaps a good start to solving this
problem.
“I grew up in the suburbs, and it just
seems like kids in the city get involved a lot
earlier; they play soccer, they take ice skating
lessons, they join Girl Scouts,” Savannah
College of Art student Elizabeth Shockley
said. Shockley suggests that if the kids had
individual interests, they would eventually set
individual goals, diverting them from making
destructive decisions. Although crystal meth is
extremely affordable, aiding to its popularity,
the middle-class stability of most suburbs
provides the means for many suburban teens
to fund a drug habit.
“There’s a lot more money out there,”
senior Michaella Dirkes said. “I think those
kids don’t understand the value of money
because they don’t have to work for it.”
While Lipham rejected that generalization,
she also admitted that meth users use the
money their own parents gave them to
purchase crystal meth. “Me and my friends
would get a $200 allowance every month,
and so would a lot of kids we knew,” Lipham
said. While the allowances may have been one
connection between suburban students and
their parents, a greater problem may be that
other, more important connections are not
sustained.
“No kid can hide that they’re on meth, it’s
impossible,” a Wheeler senior said. “[Parents]
don’t want to believe that their kids are doing
[crystal meth], so they ignore it.”
According to the White House’s Office of
National Drug Control, many measures are
being taken to find a solution to this pervasive
problem. Of course, their list includes
prevention seminars in schools and harder
punishments for offenders. A potentially
effective solution, however, is limiting the
sale of over-the-counter pseudophedrine, the
main ingredient in several cold medicines,
to 3.6 grams per purchase. This solution,
however, is only in effect for drug stores
that voluntarily enforce the rule, and crystal
methamphetamine abusers can most likely
find the pseudophedrine in other stores.
Not to mention that crystal meth requires
more than 15 different harmful chemicals,
and there is no feasible way that the
government could ban all of them. Without
a government solution, suburban teens are left
to fend for themselves.
“I’m out of that environment, I’m clean,
and I’m really happy,” Lipham said. While
moving to Midtown saved Lipham, it can’t
and won’t save everybody. The more you learn
about crystal meth, the more helpless you
feel. But you can’t solve a problem without
defining and understanding its causes. It’s a
first step.❐
THE SOUTHERNER
p e o p l e
Nov. 15, 2005
13
Fashion class
memorializes
AIDS victims
Atlanta dining
sticks to Southern
roots through BBQ
SARAH BETH McKAY
BY SARAH BETH MCKAY
What do AIDS, 54 tons of cloth, and the
Grady fashion department have in common?
Here’s a hint—1,600 panels of it were displayed
in Piedmont Park before the annual AIDS Walk
on Oct. 16. The AIDS Memorial Quilt, which is
both the world’s largest folk art project and the
biggest memorial to the AIDS epidemic, is made
of more than 45,000 grave-sized panels.
Students in the fashion design class are
currently making a panel of their own, dedicated
to all those in the world of fashion who have died
from the AIDS virus.
“I wasn’t able to participate in the walk, but
through this quilt panel I can support the fight
against AIDS,” said junior Alexandra Becker, who
started putting the panel together in a tent next
to the quilt display during the AIDS Walk with
seniors Sam Willliams and Robin Blankenhorn
and junior Jackie Nix. The panel, designed
primarily by Williams, plays off the design for the
Urban Couture Fashion Show poster.
Since the quilt was moved to Atlanta more than
three years ago, the NAMES Project Foundation,
which serves as the quilt’s curator, has developed
a close relationship with Grady. “It all started last
year when we had some brochures translated into
Spanish by students, and then we met [Grady
art teacher] Vincent [Martinez], and he has
supported us through the fashion show and now
this panel project,” said Janece Shaffer, director of
communications for the NAMES Project. “We
love Grady.”
Mr. Martinez has long been planning to have
one of his classes contribute something to the
quilt. “The [foundation] actually invited the
fashion classes to design a Grady panel for the
AIDS Memorial Quilt last year,” Mr. Martinez
said. “We didn’t have time then because of the
fashion show, but they re-invited us to make one
REVIEW
QUILTING FOR A CAUSE: In the meadow at Piedmont Park, Senior Sam Williams (left) and junior Alexandra Becker
piece together the Grady AIDS quilt on the day of the AIDS Walk, when panels were displayed for the public.
this year.” Last spring, the foundation lent several
designer panels for display during the school’s
fashion show.
Students are just as enthusiastic about their
participation in the AIDS quilt project. “I
thought this would be something I could do to
help, and I’ve been working on it every day since,
as much as I can,” Blankenhorn said.
Created in San Francisco in 1987, the
AIDS Memorial Quilt has become a powerful
representation of the damaging effects of AIDS
worldwide, with each one of the quilt’s panels
in memory of a victim of AIDS. If laid end to
end, the panels of the quilt would stretch for
51.5 miles. Although the quilt mainly represents
Americans (17.5 percent of AIDS-related deaths
in the U.S. are memorialized), there are panels
from 36 different countries. Twenty-two million
people have died of AIDS.
The NAMES Project Foundation elected
to move the entire quilt to Atlanta for several
reasons. One is the airport, which provides for easy
distribution of pieces of the quilt. Other factors
in the move were AIDS research centers like the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention and
the changing characteristics of the AIDS epidemic
itself. As opposed to the mostly gay victims the
quilt represented while it was in San Francisco,
the majority of new AIDS victims in the U.S. are
African Americans from the South.
Both the NAMES Project Foundation and the
quilt’s many observers view the quilt as an ideal
way for grieving family members and friends
to heal. “Anything that records or expresses
sentiment or feeling about a loved one or
humanity is important,” said Mr. Martinez, who
has personally known AIDS victims. “We can’t
hold these emotions in.”
Another of the foundation’s main goals is to
use the quilt to raise community knowledge
about the extent of the AIDS epidemic. At its
Inman Park location, the quilt is carefully stored,
exhibited in a rotating gallery, or shipped out for
display around the country. “There are 50,000
yards of quilt stored at our warehouse, and we
send parts of it out to schools, universities and
other organizations to raise awareness,” Shaffer
said. “Unlike cancer, people don’t have to get
AIDS; it can be prevented. We want people to be
informed.” ❐
BY LENA BRODSKY
Fact: Advanced Placement
classes at Grady High School are
open to all students, not just those
in the magnet program. But the
AP classes lack the diversity we
celebrate at Grady. Peering into
AP classes will show you mostly
white faces from Grady’s magnet
program. There are more nonmagnet students than magnet
students at Grady, so why are
non-magnet students few and far
between when it comes to AP
classes?
“It’s an information problem,”
said Erin Davis, the AP Economics
teacher. “Magnet students are
better informed of their choices.
Non-magnet students don’t know
that [AP classes] are open to
everyone.”
Many non-magnet students are
truly unaware that everyone at
Grady is welcome to apply to AP
classes. It is possible, however, that
many just shy away from signing
up because they fear the workload
or difficulty of AP classes.
“I didn’t take any AP classes
because I heard about all of the
extra work that is expected of
you,” junior Noah Conroy said.
Conroy also didn’t know that nonmagnet students could apply for
AP classes.
“Now that I know I can apply,
SALLY ZINTAK
AP class enrollment fails to mirror school’s diversity
THE WHITE STRIPES: Sixteen out of the 18 students in Mr. Brandhorst’s class are white.
Mr. Brandhorst said that as many as five or six of his students were not in the magnet.
I think I will next year,” Conroy
said. “They look better for
colleges, and it shows you actually
care.”
AP French teacher Dianne
Simmons speculates that there
are more magnet students in AP
classes because of their future
plans. “Maybe more magnet
students are seeking to build their
high school resume to apply to
more competitive schools,” she
said.
With
magnet
students
dominating AP rolls, the classes
are also disproportionately white.
The magnet program does not
mirror the demographics of the
overall population, so why is there
this lack of diversity?
The AP teachers have noticed
the lack of racial diversity, more
so than the lack of non-magnet
students in AP classes, simply
because race is visible to the eye.
If students at Grady, magnet
or non-magnet, are under the
impression that AP classes are
more challenging than nonAP classes, they are absolutely
correct.
“The content in an AP class is
much more difficult, and there is
simply more material to cover,”
Ms. Davis said. “Even teaching
an AP class is much harder than
teaching my other classes.”
Students, however, should not
shy away from applying the next
time the opportunity is offered.
There are multiple benefits to
taking AP classes at Grady.
“The AP exam has fartherreaching
consequences
than
EOCTs,” Ms. Davis said. If you
score well enough, you can exempt
taking the same course over again
in college, and you can save money
on tuition.
AP classes are impressive on
college applications. If you earn
a C or better, they also add 10
points to your final grade in the
class.
The bottom line is that AP
classes are open to everyone at
Grady. The enrollment in them
should
approximate
Grady’s
demographics more closely. ❐
BY ALEX DANIELS
Like most urban locales, Atlanta’s
population is diverse, split up along
all sorts of well-defined identifiers
like race, sexual orientation and
financial status. There’s not much I
can say to change our city’s socioeconomic distribution, but this I
can say: if there’s one thing that
any Atlantan from any area can
appreciate, it’s a hearty serving of
barbecue and a side of corn bread
washed down with a liter of sweet
tea. The fine art of smothering
well-cooked meat in delicious sauces
is something that brings people
together in a way little else can.
Short on time and money, it came
down to a tour of three of the most
well-known barbecue restaurants in
Atlanta. First was Dusty’s Barbecue,
an old favorite on Briarcliff Road
near Emory University. It’s a hot spot
for the college crowd and Midtown
families alike, who seem to enjoy
North Carolina-style barbecue just
as much as the Appalachianers.
Their specialty item, without a
doubt, is the classic chopped pork
sandwich. Served on a simple
bun and drenched in a choice
of three types of sauces (regular,
sweet and the vinegar-based hot),
it’s guaranteed to hit the spot. For
good measure, though, add a side
of their homemade potato chips.
Go to Dusty’s if you feel that a quick
sandwich fix is in order.
If you feel like really getting your
fingers messy, you’ll want to look
elsewhere, and anyone who’s been in
Atlanta long enough knows that the
place to be is Fat Matt’s Rib Shack on
Piedmont Avenue at Rock Springs
Road. After ordering at the counter,
you can hit the patio outside or stay
indoors for live music, which gives
the shack a “blues joint” feel.
Matt’s has a diverse mix of
patrons, all in pursuit of its perfectly
smoked pork covered in their
signature sauce. A half-rack won’t
last you very long, and though it
may seem like a lot of food and will
put you over $15, a full-rack is more
likely to satisfy. It may take a little
Drano to unclog those arteries, but
your taste buds and stomach will be
thanking you.
Another hot spot on the Atlanta
barbecue scene is Daddy D’z, on
Memorial Drive near Oakland
Cemetery. Despite the obscure
location, there were a sizeable
number of Midtown patrons.
It just shows how far everyone,
even yuppies will travel for good
barbecue.
For a guaranteed fill-up the $10
sample platter will give you a taste
of what the Daddy has to offer. The
signature Que Wraps (just imagine
a tiny barbecue tortilla) and corn
bread stood out, but the meat and
rich Texas-style are hard to ignore.
You certainly won’t leave hungry.
No matter how divided or diverse
this fair town becomes, it can never
escape its southern roots. Buckhead
or Bankhead, we’re all still south of
the Mason-Dixon line, and we’ve
all got a little barbecue sauce in our
veins. ❐
s p o r t s
14
Nov. 15, 2005
THE SOUTHERNER
Volleyball veterans
optimistic for 2006
CARSON PHILLIPS-SPOTTS
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: While most students enjoyed the Nov. 8 teacher workday off, juniors Donald White, Chris Goodine, and
Nick Gibson practice with the rest of team. In order to improve, the team has mandatory morning practices from 6 to 7:45 a.m.
Teams each return 3 starters,
aim to improve, make playoffs
BY CARSON PHILLIPS-SPOTTS
As the Knights hit the court
for the 2005-2006 season,
expectations are simple: improve
upon last year’s record. Both the
girls and boys have taken steps
to improve during the off-season
and hope to fare well in 2005.
The Grady boys led by Coach
Douglas Slade have a common
goal going into this season. “Our
goal is to be competitive in every
game we play this year,” Coach
Slade said. “We’ve been practicing
two times a day working on
fundamentals and drills,” senior
Lamarr Martin said. The tryout
process is a long and strenuous
one consisting of running, agility
drills and fundamentals. For
Martin, who transferred from
Oakland earlier this year, tryouts
were more than just physical. “I’m
new to the school, and I knew I
had something to prove on the
court and something to prove to
my teammates.” The process has
been different for Martin who
feels that basketball in Atlanta is
different than in his hometown.
“The pace of the game is slower
in Atlanta because there is no
shot clock.”
Martin, as well as other transfer
players, hope to contribute to
a successful season this year.
The new players will join three
returning starters from last year’s
squad. The Knights will play a
tough schedule including games
against region foes Lovett and
Decatur.
Early workouts have shown
promise. “Sixteen players have
come out for tryouts excluding
the football players,” Coach Slade
said.
After Slade finalizes his roster,
the team will suit up against
Washington High School on
Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Grady
Gym for their first real test.
Coach Slade offers his own
preview for the upcoming game
and the season that follows. “We
as a team are going to show hustle
and determination.”
The Lady Knights enter the
season with high hopes as they
try to improve upon last year’s
good season. The Knights had
a memorable season that ended
in a first-round exit in the
region playoffs to the Pythons
of Paideia. The Knights hope to
avenge that loss and to beat other
region foes.
“The first week of tryouts is
mostly conditioning, and then it
moves on to running basic plays
and practicing fundamentals,”
senior Kai Woods said. The
team has been working since late
summer to get in shape and to
sharpen its skills.
The early outlook for the Lady
Knights is very positive. “We
should definitely improve, as
this is our second year playing
together,” junior Tiffany Platt
said. The girls team, just like the
boys, is returning three starters.
“We lost two strong players to
graduation and transfer, but we’ve
had a good turnout, and we have
a lot of potential so I think we’ll
be pretty good.”
The Lady Knights will also
take the floor Nov. 15 against
the Washington Bulldogs at
5:30 p.m. “Look for us to be
highly motivated and ready to
play,” Platt said. ❐
BY KENNY JONES
This year’s Grady girls
volleyball team finished the
season with a disappointing 8-16
record, ending with a first-round
playoff loss to the Landmark
Christian War Eagles.
The Knights struggled to
produce an effective offensive
attack, losing both of their games
25-5. Landmark Christian was
one of the best teams in the
league, finishing first in Grady’s
region and going on to win the
area finals.
Although this year did not
meet expectations, Coach Paul
Nicolson used this season to help
rebuild the program.
Nicholson wants to create a
JV team that
will
hone
and
utilize
the skill of
newcomers to
the sport.
“I just don’t
think it’s in
the budget,”
C o a c h
Nicolson said.
Graduation
left Coach
Nicolson looking for new talent
in 2005. Some of the girls he
found to fill his roster had never
played competitive volleyball
before. The number of girls that
tried out for the team this year
was so great that Coach Nicolson
decided to expand the roster from
12 to 15 players.
All of a sudden Coach
Nicolson’s players went from
being experienced athletes to
amateurs. Coach Nicolson’s
neophytes were needed on the
court immediately.
“[For a newcomer] I’ve gotten
a fair share of minutes,” junior
Dyci Manns said.
The newcomers not only
earned minutes but broke into
the starting lineup. Newcomers
like Ante Porter found herself
“
becoming a frequent starter.
“[Dyci] has poised herself to be
a Grady volleyball superstar,”
Coach Nicolson said. “[And
Ante] became someone that the
team could rely on to create
opportunities.”
All but two players, senior
captain Jada Glasby and senior
Sarah Evans, will be returning
next year with a season of
experience under their belts. The
girls hope for a breakout season
next year, but being placed in such
a competitive AAA classification,
the girls know it will take more
than just new talent.
“We have the ability to win,
but we can’t wait until the middle
of the season to start working
hard,” junior
and co-captain
Emma
Din
said. “We need
to get our act
together before
the season starts
and realize that
conditioning
and doing the
things that aren’t always fun are
what will make us a strong team
and actually competitive.”
The Knights have their work
cut out for them. The most
important area the girls need to
work on is the structure of their
offense.
At times the rookie-laden team
seemed more concentrated on
setting up a defense and returning
the ball than winning the point.
As a result the Grady girls lost all
of their five region games, by an
aggressive score of 273-126. Next
year, though, the team should be
more confident with their defense
and have a more offensive mindset.
“All things considered, we
did fairly well this year,” Coach
Nicolson said. “[But] We are
really setting ourselves up to be
outstanding next year.” ❐
We are really setting
ourselves up to be
outstanding next year.
Coach Nicolson
BY GREG O’DONNELL
The members of Grady’s upstart swim
team were hoping to make a big splash
with their first full season. Instead the
team and the season has been cancelled
before it had the chance to create a ripple.
In an e-mail message to his former team
members, Coach Nikolai Curtis cited
several reasons for shelving the season:
the lack of consistent participation among
those who signed up, the challenge of
providing transporation to and from
Washington Park pool and the prohibitive
cost of paying for the many expenses that
come with creating and sustaining a varsity
sport.
“It makes me really sad,” senior
swimmer Caroline Moulder said of the
cancellation. “In the beginning [the team]
had a lot of potential and I think it would
have been a great addition to the Grady
sports program.”
The campus got a glimpse of that
potential when then senior Melanie
Wagner competed for Grady Feb. 1 at the
Metro Divisional Championships at the
Westminster natatorium.
GREG O’DONNELL
Coach pulls the plug on a swim team before it starts
FISH OUT OF WATER: Coach Nikolai Curtis consults with senior Caroline Moulder before cancelling the season.
Wagner swam in two preliminary heats,
ending a 49-year drought between meets
for Grady, and creating much speculation
about adding swimming to Grady’s
athletics program.
The very success of that program might
have been the key factor that prevented
swimming from being successful this year.
“I would be hard-pressed to ask students
who are having a successful season to take
a break from the their regular routines
and jeopardize their chances of winning
a region championship or playoff games,”
Coach Curtis said in this message to his
former team.
Only two swimmers—juniors Virginia
Wagner and Jackie Nix—attended the
first two swim practices, prompting Coach
Curtis to reassess the viability of the
program.
“In this era of budget control, the system
just won’t cover the expenses of having
busses transport around 4-6 kids, pay the
coach, and deal with the insurance costs.”
Curtis also expressed concern that the
bus would only transport the swimmers to
practice, leaving them to arrange their own
transportation after practice.
Curtis credited the Wagner sisters
for generating interest among Grady
swimmers. More than 50 students
expressed interest in the team after the
first meeting. The coach had set a modest
goal for the upcoming season: to qualify a
swimmer for state.
“I think we could have caused a little
trouble for the [more established swim]
teams,” Coach Curtis wrote to his
prospective swimmers.
The competition from the privateschool swim powers in the Atlanta area
would have been a stiff challenge, but in
the end the toughest challenge was just to
field a team at all: “At first a lot of people
expressed interest, but then they had too
many extracurricular activities to attend
the [three] practices [a week].”
Coach Curtis thanked the swimmers
and their parents; Ms. Sandra Ukah, the
the team’s former assistant coach; and
athletic director Doug Slade and principal
Dr. Vincent Murray for their support in
the attempt to launch the program. ❐
THE SOUTHERNER
s p o r t s
Nov. 15, 2005
15
SALLY
ZINTA
K
BY TRAVIS JONES
Grady’s boys cross country team came into
the season with modest expectations, and
some outsiders ranked them as low as seventh
in their region. No one could have predicted
the exclamation point placed on the end of
their season.
The underrated Knights entered regionals as
a dark horse to claim the top spot. By the end
of the race, all skeptics were silenced as Grady
placed three runners in the top 10 en route to
the region crown. Senior Wes Vernon, junior
Stone Irvin and sophomore Max Leonard
finished second, fourth, and sixth respectively.
“I feel great because we ran as a team,”
Irvin said. “We were encouraging each other.
I didn’t think we would do as well as we did,
considering [senior Collier Johnson’s] knee
injury.”
Coach Richard Buerkle pointed
to Johnson as a key to the Knights
victory. “CJ was hurt and ran only
two minutes off of his best time,”
Buerkle said. “He came out and
ran a real gutsy race. He
still broke 18 minute
and was really the
difference maker.”
Vernon entered
the
backstretch
with runners hot on
his heels, provided a
burst of energy and took
sole possession of second.
Despite his success, Vernon
remained modest after the
race. “I should have run
about 30 seconds faster,” he
said. This attitude pervaded
the team. “We don’t want
to get cocky, but I feel that
we can give them a run for their
money [at state],” Irvin said after
the race.
Though Grady was not
considered a favorite entering
state, the team’s convincing
regional victory did leave
them confident. “If we can
get one more guy under 18
minutes, who knows?”
Coach Buerkle said.
“Maybe we have a
Collier
shot.” The Knights
Johnson
used their time wisely.
They developed an aggressive strategy, and
Johnson recuperated from his knee injury.
When the time came for the team to travel
to Carrollton for the state meet; however,
Mother Nature threw them a curveball. Racetime temperatures were much higher than
expected and the Knights were forced to alter
their strategy right before race time. While
originally planning to come out running at
full speed, the runners were forced to pace
themselves. The heat certainly altered the race,
as several top runners from opposing schools
passed out during the hilly 5-kilometer course
at Carrollton.
Vernon continued to impress, concluding
his Grady career by finishing third in the state,
and by once again pushing hard at the end
to edge out opposing runners. Vernon was
Grady’s lone representative in the top 10.
Coming into the race, Grady was most
concerned about Greater Atlanta Christian
and The Wesleyan School, having already
proven that they could beat other key
opponents at regionals. As the
results came in slowly over the
loudspeakers at the awards
ceremony, Grady runners
were able to breathe a sigh
of relief when GAC finished
seventh.
With a Lovett runner
finishing second and three
Wesleyan runners in the top
10, though, Grady fans were
tense in the stands as teams
were slowly recognized. Decatur
finished fourth, and when Lovett was
announced as the third place team,
Grady was assured of their second
place finish.
After a labor-intensive season, the
Knights capped their tremendous run
with finishes that were both spectacular
and unexpected at state and at regionals.
With a move to AAA next season, the
team hopes that they will be able to
replicate their success against teams like
Blessed Trinity and Westminster to whom
Irvin referred as a “powerhouse.”
“We have a strong base,” Irvin said. “I
think we will do well, but we need to put
the work in over this summer that we didn’t
last year.” With a dedicated team and a great
track record, the Knights are on pace for a
tremendous 2006 season. ❐
SALLY ZINTAK
Boys beat expectations,
finish runner-up at state
BY MY SIDE: Junior Carson Hale and sophomore Jamison Kinnane finished 49th and 47th at the state meet Nov. 5.
Lady Knights take fifth at state
BY ERIK BELGUM
It took three tries to start the girls’ AA
cross-country meet Nov. 5. Though the
meet began with two false starts, flustering
some of the Grady girls, they ended up
flourishing with a fifth-place finish.
The state meet is held each year on a
hilly course at the campus of Carrollton
City schools. The team, proving that their
appearance at the meet was no fluke, came
out strong. Two of Grady’s seven runners
ran their personal records on the difficult
course in unexpected heat.
“Coach Cramer’s strategy was to not
go out too fast because it was a hot day,”
sophomore Jamison Kinnane said. “He
said that we should run together and that
helped a lot.”
After the race, the team moved over to the
baseball field for the awards ceremony. After
the individual medals were awarded, team
places were announced. Grady, finishing
fifth, just missed the chance to bask in the
spotlight of the podium designated for the
top four teams. Two of the teams who beat
Grady at the regional meet were in the top
four at state including Holy Innocents’,
who finished second, and Lovett, who won
the AA girls championship.
The battle for first place was a heated
one. The two teams vying for the spot were
Lovett and Holy Innocents’. The result
based on the top five runners was a tie, so
the championship was determined by the
team’s sixth-place runners. Lovett’s sixth
runner finished before Holy Innocents’ and
so the Lionesses were crowned champions.
Most of the girls were frustrated at not
being in the top four but were pleased with
their performance. Junior Leah Bishop was
happy with her finish. “This year I placed
12th and last year I placed 14th,” Bishop
said. “I’ve already run it [the course] five
times, which helps a lot because I already
know where all of the many hills are,” she
said.
Other runners thought that they could
have done better. “ I felt like I did well, but
could have gone a little faster at the end,”
Kinnane said. “I didn’t like the steep hills
on the course, but the downhill finish made
up for it.”
The girls qualified for the state meet
following their fourth-place finish at the
regional meet at Our Lady of Mercy on
Oct. 26. Fourteen Grady girls competed
in the regional meet’s varsity and junior
varsity races.
One Grady junior varsity runner was
freshman, Jillian Woodliff, who finished
first for Grady and sixth overall. Freshman
Polly Zintak, who ran in the junior varsity
race, felt good about her performance. “I
liked the course a lot,” Zintak said. “It
was my fastest time of the year.” Zintak
finished seventh in the JV race.
Some girls have noticed the team getting
closer recently. “This year’s team has grown
together and will be even stronger next year
because we aren’t losing anyone,” Bishop
said. Next year, the team hopes to repeat
at state as they move up to AAA, where
they will face schools like Westminster and
Blessed Trinity.
“We’ve been training since June and have
spent a lot of time together,” Kinnane said.
“Over the last two weeks, especially we’ve
become like a family.” ❐
Braves to lose consistency with pitching guru’s exit
Like
a
pyramid, the
foundation
of the Braves’
amazing
run over the
past 15 years
has
been
DUY LAM
built
on
three faces: manager Bobby Cox,
general manager John Schuerholz
and pitching coach Leo Mazzone.
Unfortunately, one of those
faces has recently fallen and like
a pyramid will slowly cause the
collapse of the team’s divisional
dominance. After 26 years in the
Braves organization, Mazzone has
parted ways with the franchise for
an opportunity to coach along side
childhood friend, Sam Perlozzo of
the Baltimore Orioles.
Mazzone, along with Cox and
Schuerholz, has been a constant in
every single division championship
during the team’s run making his
participation no less important
than either Cox’s or Schuerholz’s.
The list of pitchers who have
improved after coming to Atlanta
or who have struggled after leaving
Atlanta during Mazzone’s tenure as
the pitching coach is too long to
present here.
The fact is not that Mazzone is
more or less valuable than the other
two. It’s not like Mazzone just so
happens to turn every single guy the
Braves find into a good pitcher, or
that Schuerholz just so happens to
find tons of diamonds in the dust.
The fact is, however, that Mazzone’s
impact on the Braves is irreplaceable
and unprecedented.
His legacy is made apparent by
the consistency of the pitching
staff during his tenure. As a team,
the Braves have finished either first
or second in the league in earn run
average in 14 of the past 16 seasons.
His staffs have produced nine 20game winners and six Cy Young
Awards. Mazzone was blessed with
talented pitchers in the “big three”
in Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and
John Smoltz, all of whom pitched
most, if not all of their career under
Mazzone. Since leaving Atlanta,
both Maddux and Glavine have
struggled with the Chicago Cubs
and New York Mets, respectively.
Mazzone’s greatest feat as a
pitching coach is his success with
reviving careers of pitchers. The
number of pitchers who have seen
a second life in their pitching career
after coming to Atlanta include
Jaret Wright, Mike Hampton and
Jorge Sosa. Wright, 1-5 with an
8.37 ERA in 2003 with San Diego,
was 15-8 with a 3.28 ERA in 2004
with Atlanta. Hampton, 7-15 with
a 6.15 ERA in 2002 with Colorado,
was 14-8 with a 3.84 ERA in 2004
with Atlanta. Sosa, who had a career
record of 11-26 prior to coming to
Atlanta, went 13-3 with a 2.55
ERA this season. Other pitchers
include John Thompson and John
Burkett, who had an All-Star season
with Atlanta in 2002.
Mazzone, however, should not
get all of the credit for the success
of these pitchers, nor should
Schuerholz. It took the combined
work of Schuerholz targeting and
signing the pitchers and Mazzone
conditioning
and
preparing
them for their ultimate success in
Atlanta.
Remarkably, there have been
just as many players who saw their
careers decline after leaving Atlanta
as the ones who improved during
Mazzone’s tenure. Along with
Maddux and Glavine, other players
including Steve Avery, Kevin
Millwood, and Denny Neagle, who
all combined for 19 All-Star game
appearances with Mazzone and zero
since leaving Atlanta.
The improvement of relief
pitchers during Mazzone’s era is
also astounding. A recent study by
economist J.C. Bradbury of the
“Mazzone Effect” shows that relief
pitchers under Mazzone have ERAs
of more than half a run less than
their ERAs playing for other teams.
The key to the long run by
Atlanta in the ’90s and into the
new millennium has been its
consistent pitching staff. Without
Mazzone on the bench, the Braves
cannot continue their tradition of
dominant pitching. A few years
from now, we will look back and
see that this was the first crack in
the foundation, leading to the fall
of the team’s historic run. ❐
s p o r t s
16
Nov. 15, 2005
FOOTBALL team’s playoff run best since 1953 season
Brooks Co
Greene Co
Macon Co
Greene Co
Darlington
Macon Co
GRADY
Dublin
GRADY
SECOND ROUND
“This was a really big win for us,
but in this time of the season each
week gets bigger and bigger and we
got to take one game at a time,”
Ronnie Millen said.
That approach has worked well
all season. Millen’s greatest success as
a coach has been his ability to mold
his individual players into a cohesive
unit. Under his leadership, the
Knights completed the first perfect
regular season in school history. The
Knights finished the 2005 regular
season unbeaten, untied and ranked
ninth in the state in AA,
The Knights hosted their postseason opener Nov. 4, against the 7-3
fighting Yellow Jackets of Rockmart
who made their first post-season
appearance in 16 years.
The Knights beat Rockmart 3016 to advance to the second round
of the playoffs. The Knights got
on the board first with an 8-yard
touchdown run from Crawford
in the second quarter. Rockmart
answered with a drive that began
with a 60-yard kick return to
the Knights 19-yard line and
culminated with a 30-yard field goal.
The Knights broke away by scoring
14 unanswered points on a 15-yard
touchdown run from Crawford and
a 19-yard touchdown pass from
SECOND ROUND
from page 1
ankle injury. The Knights then
showed their depth as junior
running back Dexter Barnett
replaced the injured Koen and made
the most of his opportunity, rushing
for 158 yards on 10 carries. In the
third quarter Barnett produced the
decisive 86-yard touchdown run that
put the Knights up for good, 13-6.
“The coaches put it all on me,
and I was able come through and
help my teammates out,” Barnett
said. With less than four minutes
remaining in the game, the Knights
forced a fumble and recovered it on
the Laney 30-yard line.
On fourth and one, however, the
Knights failed to convert, giving
Laney two minutes to mount a
final drive. Laney was able to string
some passes together and worked
its way to the Grady 20-yard line
where they faced fourth and 10 with
eight seconds left in the game. With
a raucous Grady crowd making it
difficult to hear, Laney’s quarterback
dropped back in the pocket and
threw a high floating desperation
pass in the end zone where it was
picked off by sophomore cornerback
Andrerius Thomas. A rush of joy
went through the crowd as they
rushed the field to celebrate the win.
Cook
Laney
Cook
AA STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP
Fitzgerald
Buford
Fitzgerald
Buford
Jackson
Lovett
Calhoun
Heard Co
Charlton Co
Calhoun
Morgan Co
Charlton Co
Kelley to junior wide-out Rico
Robinson. Trailing 21-3, Rockmart
tried to mount a comeback scoring
a 15-yard touchdown run with
11 minutes left in the game. On
their next drive Rockmart had the
ball inside the 20-yard line and
was threatening to score. Junior
linebacker Elijah Carmichael snuffed
out the threat by intercepting the
Rockmart quarterback at the 10yard line and seizing the momentum
in the Knights favor. Senior running
back Cedric Sykes put the Yellow
Jackets away for good with a 3-yard
touchdown run. Rockmart then
scored a cosmetic touchdown on
its next drive with a meaningless
36-yard touchdown pass with 27
seconds left in the game.
Although the Knights survived
a tough test, some of the team’s
weaknesses were exposed, including
more than 100 penalty yards.
The coverage team also gave up
more than 145 return yards giving
Rockmart great field position.
Crawford was the difference maker
in the game, scoring two rushing
touchdowns.
“D’Vangelo played well but
you also have to credit some of his
success to the offensive linemen,”
Coach Millen said. “The offense and
defense played very well; the players
did a good job of executing each play
and I was pleased.”
Grady fans hope Millen stays that
way – all the way to the Dome. ❐
Millen honored for standout coaching performance
attack and a dominant defense, Millen has
coached his team through many difficult
opponents this season. One of these
games, a 35-13 victory over the
Decatur Bulldogs brought out
the best in Millen and his team
as they played on local television. This was Grady’s first
televised
appearance
ever, and the team
proved that they
can perform at a
high level under
high pressure.
The Knights
are 12-0 this
year and are
three wins
from a state
title. Millen
has
been
impressed
with
his
team’s performance
this season.
“I think
the kids are
buying into
ASA BEAL
BY ASA BEAL
For steering the Grey Knights to a perfect regular season, Grady Coach Ronnie
Millen received the Coach of the Week
Award from the Touchdown Club of Atlanta on Oct. 24.
“It felt really good to get the award,”
said Coach Millen, in his 17th season as a
football coach for Grady.
Each week the Touchdown Club of Atlanta, sponsored by the Atlanta Falcons,
honors several coaches and players who
help point younger players in the right
direction down the road to success.
Though Millen appreciates the prestigious award, he acknowledges that there
are others who deserve credit for the
team’s success this season. “I wasn’t totally
responsible, the coaching staff and players
have [contributed], too.”
This award validates a program that has
flown largely under the radar. Despite being in the shadow of perennial powers like
Calhoun and Dublin, Grady cracked the
top 10 in the state rankings. Grady won its
region for only the third time.
Millen’s strong performance and the
Knights’ success on the field come as no
coincidence. Utilizing a punishing rushing
what we’re telling them,” said Coach Millen of the team’s renewed work ethic.
The Knights are in the midst of a recordsetting season. No Grady football team
has ever finished the regular season 100. Millen’s team clinched this distinction on Oct. 28 with a 35-14 victory
over the Carver Panthers at
Grady Stadium.
After
breaking
their 51-year playoff
drought last year
with a win against
Greater
Atlanta
Christian, Grady is
poised to go deep
into the postseason
this year. Though
Millen agrees that
the team has the talent to be successful
further down the road,
he remains humble.
“We do it one game at
a time,” Coach Millen
said. “We realize that
any team can come out
any given day and win
against anybody.”
When asked to explain the team’s success this year, Millen was quick to list
several factors that have stood out in to
explain the seasons.
“It’s fortunate that we’ve been injury
free,” Coach Millen said. “Veteran leadership has helped also.”
On Nov. 4 the Knights survived the first
round of the playoffs with a 30-16 victory
over fourth-seeded Rockmart. They exemplified the spirit and intensity that have led
them past the first round of the playoffs for
the second consecutive season.
While the football team is surely feeling confident coming off 12 straight wins,
they must stay on point to continue their
recent success. With a twinkle of pride in
his eye, Millen expressed his optimism for
the rest of the 2005 season. “[We have a]
good enough team to go really deep into
the playoffs,” Coach Millen said.
Lining Grady’s halls are intimidating
posters of the players and coaches of the
football team. The school is alive with the
spirit and excitement of the playoffs. With
Millen at the helm and the Knight’s onfield talent waiting to be unleashed, football has never been more exciting at Grady
High School. ❐
Knight Watch
FOOTBALL
BASKETBALL
Boys & Girls Schedule
Nov. 15 Washington
22 at Washington
29 at Decatur
5:30 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
Dec. 02 Therrell
06 at Carver
09 Cross Keys
10 Holy Innocents’
12 at Paideia
16 Walker
5:30 p.m.
5:30 p.m
5;30 p.m.
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
*All caps denotes HOME TEAM
Jan. 03 at Pace
06 at Holy Innocents’
10 Lovett
13 Decatur
14 Darlington
20 Carver
21 Paideia
24 at Cross Keys
27 at Lovett
28 at Darlington
31 at Walker
6 p.m.
7 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
5 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
6 p.m.
6 p.m.
Feb. 03 Pace
5:30 p.m.
GRADY 54, Walker 0
GRADY 41, Cross Keys 0
GRADY 35, Carver 15
GRADY 30, Rockmart 16
GRADY 13, Laney 6
Devongalo Crawford
Junior FB
Player Profile:
Region 5-AA Standings
*Grady
*Decatur
*Lovett
*Walker
Carver
Cross Keys
Region
Overall
W
5
4
3
2
1
0
W
11
8
7
6
3
1
L
0
1
2
3
4
5
L
0
1
3
4
6
9
Height: 5–foot–10
Weight: 205
Number: 33
Stats: 4 TD’s this
season (3 playoff
TD’s, 2 rushing, 1
receiving)