The Spooky Lines - St. Pius X Catholic High School

The Spooky Lines
A student publication of
St. Pius X Catholic High School
Vol 53 Issue 2 St. Pius X Catholic High School
OPINIONS
2674 Johnson Road NE Atlanta, Georgia 30345 404.636.3023 www.spx.org October 31, 2014
Celtic sensation sweeps SPX nation
Marching band delivers a unique and entertaining halftime show
GABE GONCALVES
Staff Writer
Pumpkin spice lattes +
monogrammed mugs = female fall
at St. Pius X on page 2
NEWS
The upcoming gubernatorial
election is previewed on page 5
FEATURES
We give you some of the scariest
Halloween films on page 8
SPORTS
Mr. Ruggiero shares his love
for hockey on page 10
CENTERSPREAD
Check out some interesting
Halloween facts on pages 6 & 7
As the clock hits zero to end
the first half of football action
at George B. Maloof stadium,
the Marching Golden Lions
quickly begin to set up for their
halftime performance. Large
instruments are wheeled into
position, the band members
take their spots at the center of
the field and Drum Major Kate
Stauduhar stands high on her
platform, ready to guide the
band.
The band has a different
theme for their performances
every year. This year’s theme
is Celtic, which isn’t the type
of music that is typically heard
from a high school marching
band.
“Well I was listening to ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and I
really liked a version I heard
that was played at the Winter
Olympics,” said Band Director
Mr. Chad Paetznick when explaining how he came up with
the idea. “At the same time,
our percussion instructor, color guard instructor and I also
really liked the music from the
animated movie ‘How to Train
Your Dragon.’ It’s in a Celtic
style with special rhythms. It
has that special ‘flavor,’ if you
will, that makes it stand out as
very unique (like our band). I
was also trying to plan to per-
New IT Help Desk provides
assistance to students, faculty
GABBY BURNS
Staff Writer
Need help with technology?
Look no further than the brand
new IT Help Desk. Launched
October 27, this student organization provides technical assistance to both teachers and
students, such as issues with a
device or questions about a program or app.
The desk is open before and
after school and at the beginning
of all lunch periods. A Twitter
feed, YouTube channel, blog
and Haiku page are also available to provide announcements
and general technology tips.
The idea for a student operated IT Help Desk originated
with members of the technology committee. The new BYOD
policy requires every student to
have a tablet or laptop in class,
and the technology committee
thought a student technology
club could help provide assistance with troubleshooting and
fixing basic problems with the
devices.
Computer Science teacher
Mrs. Ashley Wright said, “Since
there are only two IT staff people, it would be useful to have
another group to help assist
students with minor problems.
It is also good experience for
students to help others problem
solve and work with others to
achieve and complete a task.”
Mrs. Wright, Instructional
Technology Coordinator Mrs.
Marian Rosenberg and Media
Specialist Mrs. Meggan Wilcauskas agreed to help get the club
up and running. They recruited
students at the club fair in August, and currently the group
has 20 students but wants to expand to more people who are
interested in becoming a part of
the help desk.
According to Mrs. Wright, the
purpose of the IT Help Desk is
to allow “students to collaborate
on how to troubleshoot for different technology devices. The
group also helps give input to
the school’s technology committee from students’ viewpoints.”
To test the skills of the students before the service officially launched, teachers brought
in their personal devices and
staged a problem which the students worked together to solve.
Senior Cole Harrington
joined the technology club because he thinks students do not
fully understand their devices,
and although many teachers are
pushing the use of technology,
there is a lack of instruction on
how to use it unless the student
is taking a computer class and he
wanted to help.
The IT Help Desk is open for
all students to use, and if you are
interested in joining the club,
please contact Mrs. Wright.
haps take the band on a performance trip to Ireland at some
point.”
This year’s show really does
have a special “flavor” to it
that features a talented group
of performers and an equally
amazing set of songs, such as
“This is Berk” and “Forbidden
Friendship” (from the DreamWorks film “How To Train
Your Dragon”), “Tubardh”
(which is a bagpipe and drum
piece from a Scottish group
called Clanadonia), some traditional Celtic anthems such
as “Danny Boy,” “Royal Scots
Anthem,” and “God Save The
Queen,” as well as the Irish
musical and dance sensation
that swept the world 10 years
ago, “Riverdance.”
One of the hardest working
groups at St. Pius X, the marching band and color guard begin practicing over the summer
and continue every day after
school throughout the remainder of the football season.
While they are the most visible during halftime, the band
also performs at their own
competitions on Saturdays.
Last year they competed in
the 1A classification, but this
year they moved up to 3A with
much larger schools.
During the Marching Golden Lions’ first competition,
they took home second place,
coming in just behind Sprayberry High School by a very
close 2.34 points.
“Since then we have made
some minor musical tweaks
and changes in the show and
improved the musical quality,” said Mr. Paetznick when
asked about their future performances. “When we compete
again on October 18 we should
have a much stronger performance.”
Mr. Paetznick’s prediction
was right, and at their next
performance they placed first,
winning the entire 3A competition with a whopping score of
92.0. The percussion and the
color guard also brought home
more trophies for St. Pius, both
placing first.
With all of this new, Celtic
flair added into this year’s band,
you might be asking yourself,
“What should I be looking and
listening for?” First and foremost, the red Scottish uniform
décor and Irish green and gold
on the color guard uniforms
stand out prominently and add
an important visual piece to the
show.
The sampled narration
about the story of St. Patrick
also provides the audience with
a different, yet very interesting new twist on the traditional
performance we’re used to seeing and hearing.
Anyone listening the band,
be it at halftime of the football
game or during one of their
competitions, should keep
both ears open for a fantastic
pennywhistle solo by junior
Michael Nguyen, a piccolo solo
by junior Nicolette Buzonas, a
baritone solo on “Danny Boy”
by senior Maddie Grace, and a
performance on the bagpipes
from sophomore Nicholas
Glenister and Nguyen.
The addition of the huge
continued on pg. 9
The marching band rocks out to a crowd-pleasing Celtic song at
their first competition in October. Photo courtesy of Mr. Paetznick
opinions
Golden Lines
2
October 31, 2014
Golden Lines
St. Pius X Catholic
High School
2674 Johnson Road, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
404-636-3023 phone
404-633-8387 fax
www.spx.org
Editor-In-Chief
Jack Ligon
Staff Writers
Gabby Burns
Jay Cavalli
Gabe Goncalves
Justin January
Katherine Klinger
Austin Schlueter
Fitz Smoak
Ingrid Wilkinson
Jamie Williams
Adviser
Ashley Curlette
Principal
Steve Spellman
The Golden Lines is
published approximately
8 times per school year
by the students of St. Pius
X Catholic High School
for the entire student
body and surrounding
community.
Views presented by the
Golden Lines publication
are
not
necessarily
those of school faculty,
school
administration,
publication adviser or
advertisers. Topics, facts
and opinions associated
with the Roman Catholic
Church will be in keeping
with such teachings.
Letters to the editors are
encouraged and welcomed
but must be signed by the
writer. They should be
addressed to the editors
and delivered to them
in the care of the Golden
Lines adviser, Mrs. Ashley
Curlette.
Please bring all signed
letters to room 304 or
email them to acurlette@
spx.org. The Golden Lines
reserves the right to edit
any letters. Letters to the
editor will not be published
anonymously.
What We Think... Teenage trick-or-treaters must be stopped!
Life has many meaningful questions. What’s the purpose of life? Why are we here?
What happens after we die?
What makes a good friend?
Why aren’t the latest seasons
of “American Horror Story” on
Netflix yet? What is true love?
How big is the universe? And,
last but not least, are we ever
too old to trick-or-treat? Fortunately, this last question has a
definitive answer: yes.
Overall, trick-or-treating after age 15 is weird. Don’t you
have a party to go to? Are you
seriously that bored? Aren’t
your friends doing something?
Do you even have friends? If
you can get in a car and drive
yourself to your trick-or-treating location, it’s time to hang it
up.
Who wants to walk around
with little kids you probably
don’t know for about three
hours in the street? Free
candy is a wonderful, beautiful thing, but we don’t need it
all that much. We’re past the
age of pouting over not getting enough candy after a tiring night of Halloween. If you
need it that much, drive to go
get some. Better yet, eat a salad.
“I just hate it when a bunch
of teenagers show up to my
house and try to ask for candy,”
growled senior Gabe Goncalves.
“It’s like, what are you doing
with your life? Go study and get
a job. Buy your own candy.”
Teenagers who trick-or-treat
are generally viewed as lazy or
childish with nothing better to
do. “Why are teenagers trickor-treating?” said senior Jamie
Williams. “You had 12 years to
go get free candy. Go buy your
own!”
Some members of the student body are a little less mature and still insist on spending
Halloween night with 6-yearolds dressed as ladybugs.
“You are never too old to
trick-or-treat,” explained junior
Alexi Bond, who plans on going
door to door this year. “You are
never too old for free candy.”
Junior Hannah Jones is equally
misguided. “We’re never too
old to trick-or-treat,” said Jones.
“Everybody loves free candy.”
Halloween is fun for everyone, but different age groups
should spend the holiday in different ways. Some things just
aren’t socially acceptable. You
hardly ever see a 17-year-old
order off of a kid’s menu, or
go to Chuck-E-Cheese, or get
up at 7:00 in the morning during weekends like kids do. Why
then would a teenager go trick-
or-treating?
There are so many ways
to spend Halloween, especially this year because it’s on
a Friday. Also, horrible things
could happen while trick-ortreating, like getting packaged
fruits, or worse, Almond Joys.
Avoid these Halloween heresies
this year and teepee a friend’s
house, watch a scary movie
marathon or make s’mores. Do
something that doesn’t make
you look like a middle schooler
in an awkward teenage body.
Here is a minimalistic venn diagram illustrating the unhappy medium between trick-or-treating and high school kids. Photo courtesy
of www.babble.com
What are the odds you embarrass your friends?
“Momma always
said, stupid
is as stupid
does,” and
in a popular
game
taking the
FITZ SMOAK
St. Pius X
Staff Writer
student
body by storm, it is survival of
the fittest. The game “What
are the Odds?” not only provides an adrenaline rush for
those who lose, but cheap
entertainment for those who
win. Therefore, why should
we stop such a grand experiment of Social Darwinism? Instead why don’t we enjoy the
drama that plays out before
our eyes?
First the boring part: the
rules. Although the origin of
“What are the Odds” is debated by many, (some believe it to
have started as early as August
21, 2014), the rules are clear:
two dim-witted people—sadly
myself included—dare one
another to engage in an outrageous or humiliating activity.
The one imposing the dare
asks, “What are the odds?”
and states the challenge. The
other person then decides on
a spectrum of numbers. The
two simultaneously count “1,
2, 3” and each say a number in
the specified spectrum. If both
say the same number, the one
challenged must complete the
dare.
Junior Bobby Hogan, for
example, said, “I tell you what,
having to sing ‘Walking on
Sunshine’ in front of the entire lunch was one of the most
riveting occurrences to happen in my St. Pius history.”
These unique challenges
provide a hilarious form of
entertainment and allow each
student to get intimately familiar with the limits and boundaries of their classmates. Some
might say this game is disruptive and immature, but I say to
those naysayers, sit back and
enjoy the public humiliation
and sheer acts of pure foolishness.
“I ate a dog treat once,” senior Rebecca Price said when
asked about some of the worst
dares she’s ever had to do.
Yep. That’s natural selection
taking its course, folks, so why
should we be the ones to stop
it if it is so funny?
“I like ‘What are the Odds’
because it is a great game that
can be played anytime, anywhere,” said senior Harrison
Sewell. Let’s face it, everyone
gets bored at some point during the day, so why not have
cheap, comedic entertainment
like “What are the Odds” to
get us through?
This game is more than a
corny, childish game. “What
are the Odds” is a way for
teenagers to get through the
day with cheap entertainment,
something that everyone
needs.
W h a t
are
the
odds you
publicly
act like a
fool? 1…
2 … 3 …
whoops!
JACK LIGON
You
alEditor-in-Chief
ready have.
The new game “What Are the
Odds?” has taken the senior
class by storm. Whether it’s,
at lunch, after school or even
in class, odds are, if you see
a perfectly competent classmate doing something uncharacteristically dumb, they
are yet another victim of this
waste of time.
To find out how it’s
played, we sought out the expert himself, senior Harrison
“Chip” Sewell.
“Well first you come up
with something funny and
embarrassing you want your
friend to do,” Sewell said.
“Then you pick a number
range in which to contain the
guessing, say 1 in 10 or 1 in
20. You count to three and in
unison shout out a number
within the given range, and
if you both guess the same
number, your friend MUST
complete the challenge.”
Many of these “fun and
risk-free” challenges usually
result in mischief, a general
waste of time and a loss of
brain cells from doing something unreasonably risky and
not very smart.
Senior Max Male said, “It’s
just harmless fun! You get to
see your friends do embarrassing stuff!” Many also see
the appeal of such a seemingly harmless game, but they
don’t think about others involved.
Some of these “dares” include eating gross things, embarrassing yourself in front of
underclassmen and generally
being a public nuisance.
Now, for as many poor
challenges that exist there
are an equal amount of actually fun and uplifting activities that can be tried with this
game, such as a solo performance of “Don’t Stop Believing” in front of the lunchroom or starting an all-grade
group hug during lunch.
There is no reason for
these dares to come at the expense of yourself or someone
else when there are so many
challenges that are equally as
enjoyable.
I’m not saying don’t ever
play the game, I just think
that there are better activities
that can consume your free
time. Read the news, study
for your next test, join the
philosophy club, do something to contribute to the
common good of the world!
If you do choose to participate do it responsibly, and
remember that as seniors, we
are an example for the rest of
the school.
opinions
Golden Lines
October 31, 2014
3
Pumpkin spice and nothing nice
Yep. It’s
that time
of the year
again, folks.
The days
are getting
shorter,
the nights
FITZ SMOAK
are getting
Staff Writer
longer and
beautiful leaves are falling from
the trees, providing the perfect
opportunity for an artsy Instagram photo.
Fall is upon us, and the favorite season for the so called
“basic girl” is bound to be an
interesting one. So put on those
pearl earrings, adorn those
oversized shirts, grab your Starbucks and pull that soft-top over
your white Jeep because this fall
is without a doubt going to challenge your ability to “even.”
This is in the opinions section of the newspaper, so I
should take a stance on what I
think about this sub-culture of
teenage girls. To be honest, I
can’t even deal with this. Have
some individuality, have some
purpose and most of all don’t
say “like” after every other
word.
I asked some of the few girls
willing to speak to me what
their favorite part about fall
was, and of all the answers I
got, only two stood out to me.
One was from senior Claire
Smith. “My favorite part about
the fall is college football, especially Auburn Football. Go Tigers!” she exclaimed.
While it is hard to dislike college football, many girls do not
even know what the SEC is, let
alone have a burning passion
and deep understanding of Auburn Football. Here we have
a perfect example of a teenage
girl seeking some variation and
having a longing for something
beyond monograms.
Senior Colleen Riordan
gave an equally satisfying answer. “My favorite part about
fall is Halloweenie,” she said.
As cliché as Halloween might
sound, Halloweenie is so much
more than dressing up as a
black cat and taking selfies.
This event provides dachshund
enthusiasts in the Atlanta area
with an opportunity to dress
up and show off their favorite
canine.
Most girls I interviewed
about fall, however, gave basic
answers such as senior Mackenzie Bauer who said, “Starbucks”
and senior Katie Turner who
replied, “Wearing whatever I
want: leggings and a t-shirt or
a long sleeve shirt and shorts.
It’s a win-win either way.” Focusing on the positives is the
only way for me to sort through
this mess of bright pastels and
monograms.
That sums it up folks; don’t
forget to add a little spice to
your life now and then, as long
as it is not pumpkin spice. Enjoy Christmas, which is just an
encore to the festivities of fall,
so I hope you have the ability
to “even.” For those wrapped
up in this mess of Starbucks and
oversize shirts, I say have some
originality, and find yourself
among the crowd.
I guess we must all come to
CocaCola, one
of
the
most recognizable
brands in
the world,
recently
JAMIE WILLIAMS
launched a
Staff Writer
campaign
to create a design that would
not only increase sales but put
a fun twist on an old product.
The Share A Coke Campaign
originally only contained 250
of the world’s most popular
names as well words like “buddy,” “friend,” and “family,”
but it quickly exploded into a
worldwide hit. It reached its
peak this summer and just recently ended, meaning that
Coke is no longer producing products that contain the
“Share a Coke” catchphrase.
This was one most brilliant
marketing campaigns in recent history, further cementing
Coca-Cola as one of the biggest
and best brands ever.
After the initial launch, the
collection expanded to over
a thousand names, including
common ones like “Katie” and
“John,” as well as some that are
a little more unique, such as
“Abdul,” “Jemima” and “Wasim.”
For those whose names
were still not featured on a bottle, Coke offered a website that
allowed you to order a specialized bottle with your name on
it, making you feel just as spe-
cial as everyone else.
The Share A Coke Campaign was not only designed to
revamp the look of Coke bottles, though; it was also an attempt to spur a growth in sales
for the Coca-Cola company.
The strategy was met with
overwhelming success. According to entrupeneur.com,
Coca-Cola’s global sales went
up 2.5 percent, which may
not seem like much but just
think about how many cokes
you drink a year and then put
that in the context of a global
scale. The campaign was such
a good promotion that it was
able to increase the entire
company’s global profits by a
significant amount. Now that’s
impressive.
As for the amazing opportunities that the campaign has
offered, many people used the
Cokes in creative ways such as
asking someone to homecoming.
Senior Jared Hennick, for
example, spent many nights
searching for the two perfect
Coke bottles that contained
not only his name but also the
name of his date, senior Rachel Remmes.
The campaign also allowed
for people to simply show how
much they care about one
another. Handing a friend a
Coke can that says “buddy” or
“rockstar” is an easy yet effective way to demonstrate your
appreciation of someone.
Before the Share a Coke
campaign, Coca-Cola launched
several global marketing efforts in an attempt to promote
a new united world view of
their product. A few commercials aired that attempted to
broadcast this idea, but they
weren’t received very well, and
much of the public thought
they were a little too unconventional.
Through the Share A Coke
campaign, Coca-Cola managed
to unite the world with a simple beverage. The campaign
was designed to promote global happiness throughout while
creating a new atmosphere of
value, according to their website. How many companies
truly have the ability to say that
they designed a campaign that
actually worked in helping create a more united world? Not
many.
The best part about this
campaign in my opinion was
that it managed to make everyone feel special in some sort
of way. Though seeing your
name on a bottle may not seem
like a very big deal, you’ve got
to admit that a little smile crept
across your face the first time
you saw your name across the
side of a Coke can, and I bet
many of us searched grocery
store aisles to find a specific
name.
Share a Coke was certainly
a brilliant idea from the CocaCola company, and I can’t wait
to see what marketing strategies they unveil in the future.
Share a Coke campaign is pure genius
terms with the fact that there
will always be a faddish trend
among teenage girls and boys
alike, and as monotonous as
it may seem, we must learn to
look for those shining stars in
the black abyss gleaming with
individuality.
Here, in all of its glory, sits a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks.
Most females agree that this is the quintessential drink to have in
hand each fall. Photo courtesy of drinks.seriouseats.com
iH8 iOS 8
Apple
is known
for releasing brand
new products every
year
that
are touted
INGRID WILKINSON
as the “bigStaff Writer
gest release
ever” or “the next big thing.”
This year’s announcement included the software update iOS
8, which turned out to be a big
flop. In my opinion, iOS 8 does
not improve iPhones but instead only adds a few negligible
features.
One of my biggest complaints is the new features
added to the messaging app.
Enabling your read receipts
informs the person you’re texting that you read his or her
message. Many times, people
choose to wait before opening
the message and read it in their
notifications bar, which does
not send a read receipt.
Well, not anymore. With
iOS 8, the second you open
your notifications bar everyone
who has texted you will know
you are reading their message.
“I’ve actually had people get
mad at me because they saw I
read their message and didn’t
respond,” said junior Rory Vetrovsky.
With the update, the freedom of secretly reading your
messages is over. “Now people
think I’m either ignoring them
or obsessively reading their
messages the second they send
them,” Vetrovsky said.
Another annoying addition
within the messaging app is the
ability to instantly send pictures
with the swipe of a button. In
the past, if you wanted to send
a picture to somebody, you had
to take the picture, open your
photo album, attach the photo
to a text message and hit send.
Now, however, you have the
option of pressing the camera
button, swiping up and your
picture will automatically send
to the person with whom you’re
texting.
Sounds easier, right? Well
maybe, but the problem is that
the picture sends before you can
see how it turned out, opening
up the door to the possibility of
sending awkward photos you
never intended anyone to see.
Only a few millimeters from
this camera feature is the record button. Swipe to the right
instead of up and suddenly
you’ve just sent a video to someone.
Another new feature in the
messaging app is the instant
voice memos. Now you can
send short recordings of your
voice to other people. By pressing down on a small button at
the top of your keyboard, you
can record yourself talking and
then send the memo to whomever you’re texting. Why not
just call them?
We also can’t forget the
new health app no one uses,
or the tips app that you probably didn’t know you had. The
health app collects all of your
health data and puts it in one
place. When’s the last time you
checked your phone to see if
you were healthy? Probably
never.
The tips app is even more
useless. All it does is tell you
tips about the new features in
iOS 8. Maybe you use it once
for five minutes to see the new
updates on your phone but
continued on pg. 4
news
4
October 31, 2014
Fantasy football takes the nation by storm
Golden Lines
JAY CAVALLI
Staff Writer
Millions of Americans watch
NFL football every week. For
decades these fans have supported their favorite team,
typically from their hometown,
as they compete each Sunday.
More recently, however, fans
have been able to cheer on
not only “their” team, but a
team that they actually control
through a fun and innovative
game called fantasy football.
Though offline leagues can
be traced back as far as 1962,
fantasy football did not become
popular until the rise of the internet, which made players and
their statistics easier to track.
For those of you who haven't
yet discovered what 41 million
people in the US and Canada
already have, it is a game that
allows you to become the general manager of your own team
Fantasy Football has been around since the 1960s, but it
has experienced a surge in the past 10 years and is now
a multibillion dollar industry. Photo courtesy of ESPN.com
consisting of real NFL players
who are drafted at the beginning of the season.
Every week users decide
which players they want to start
and who to leave on the bench
(points scored by players on the
bench don't get added to your
score for that week). Choosing who to start can be the difference between winning and
losing, making the decision so
important that fantasy football
analysts rank players and give
in-depth, professional advice
each week.
Yes, fantasy football has become so popular that ESPN
and even smaller news outlets
have employees whose only job
is to provide users with weekly
guidance on how to win their
leagues. A few of these lists can
be seen every Sunday morning
on “Fantasy Football Now,” and
hour-long TV show about what
to do with your team when the
games begin in a few hours.
"I like it because it really is
just oodles of fun,” said senior
Paul White. “When you have
a league with just your friends
it gets really competitive, especially when we make bets on the
Governor, senate positions at
stake in upcoming elections
AUSTIN SCHLUETER
Staff Writer
Though the state of Georgia
is known to be a majority Republican and conservative state,
the tide could turn in these upcoming elections on November
4 with strong Democratic challengers who promise reform
and transparency at both the
state and national level.
As the days on the calendar
continue to fly by, the state of
Georgia gets closer and closer to
the impending elections for the
office of governor and an open
US Senate seat.
The incumbent Republican
governor, Nathan Deal, has a
long history in politics, especially
in the state of Georgia. However,
Governor Deal has been at the
forefront of several controversies, most notably Georgia’s concealed weapons carrying laws,
which allow guns in several public settings, including schools,
and the failure to properly manage this year’s “snowpocalypse.”
Governor Deal faces a tough
opponent in Democrat Jason
Carter, the grandson of former
President Jimmy Carter. Like
Governor Deal, Carter is a career politician and is an attorney. Carter promises more in-
vestment in education and also a
more transparent government.
Carter also promises to raise
state spending on education to
make up for Governor Deal’s
education cuts.
In addition to the close gubernatorial showdown, another
tight race is brewing for the US
Senate. Senator Saxby Chambliss made the decision to not
run for re-election, and as a result a mad scramble for his seat
ensued. After a fierce runoff, the
two major candidates are both
well connected in the political
community.
On the Republican side is
David Perdue, first cousin of
former Georgia governor Sonny
Perdue. Despite his family connections, he is a businessman
who is new to politics. Perdue
was an executive at several highlevel jobs with Fortune 500 companies before he became the
CEO of Reebok and then Dollar
General.
Perdue promises to repeal
Obamacare, to campaign against
the national debt and to work
on imposing limits on senators
and representatives. On his
campaign website, he says he is
running for Senate because he
“is concerned with the direc-
tion our country is headed.” He
further elaborated that the main
reason he is running for Senate is to help solve the national
debt and promote economic
growth. If elected, David Perdue
has promised to only serve two
terms.
Perdue has a tough opponent
in the form of Democrat Michelle Nunn. Nunn is the child
of former Senator Sam Nunn
and his wife, Colleen O'Brien,
a former State Department and
Central Intelligence Agency
employee. Nunn has served as
the CEO of several non-profit
organizations and promises to
promote education reform and
offers complex but seemingly effective solutions for the budget.
Nunn also promises to support legislation to honor veterans and to pursue issues that
pertain to National Security,
which is something her father
did during his tenure in the Senate. Because of both candidates’
backgrounds and political connections, the election is certain
to be another toss-up.
All eyes in Georgia and
around the country will be on
these November elections as
they will impact the national political landscape
games.”
Fantasy football has become
more than just a game, though,
it has become a cultural phenomenon. The entire fantasy
football industry has grown at
an incredible rate and is currently valued at $12 billion. FX
even created a sitcom based
around a group of guys in a fantasy football league, called "The
League," which is currently airing its sixth season.
The show is a hit enjoyed
both by hardcore players and
people who have never even
tried fantasy football. "The
League” perfectly portrays just
how entertaining being in a
competitive fantasy league can
be.
Even the NFL players themselves have joined in, with varying degrees of intensity. While
some players let their competitive nature spill over into fantasy, Chicago Bears running back
Matt Forte "has half the Bears
team" on his roster, according
to teammate Robbie Gould in
an interview with “Sports Illustrated.”
Of course some do not like it
because of the reaction obnoxious fans have been known to
give after a bad game hurts their
fantasy team, but the amount of
football players participating in
a fantasy league has steadily increased the past several years.
This can, however, cause
some difficult decisions when
the players are setting their
lineups. Many players end up
with funny stories about their
experiences with fantasy football, such as former Seattle
Seahawks quarterback Matt
Hasselbeck who infamously
benched himself for Brett Favre, then proceeded to have a
career day while he sat on the
bench of his own fantasy team.
Players also enjoy the benefits of the added fame that
comes with being a good fantasy player, or even a decent
one. Not many people outside
of Washington DC cared about
which tight end stepped up for
the Redskins after their starter
was injured. Because of fantasy
football, however, thousands of
people across the nation were
scrambling to find out whether
or not Niles Paul was worth
adding to their teams. Fantasy
football gives the players buried
deep down in the depth chart
an opportunity to prove themselves in the national spotlight.
"I hadn't even heard of Brian
Quick until I saw he had a solid
start to the season," said junior
Sean Repasky. "Now I start him
every week and I know a good
bit about him."
But not everyone plays for
fun. Some people play to make
money. Avid football fans know
nowadays you can hardly get
through a game without seeing multiple ads for fanduels.
com or some other site offering
the chance to make millions by
playing fantasy football. League
pools and friendly wagers on
games have been happening
for as long as fantasy football
has been around, but sites such
as fanduels have only recently
been created, fueled by the
games growing popularity.
The formation of these money-based sites has spread fantasy football to the biggest football
fans, who may not typically be
interested in playing but have
found a way to turn their football expertise into cash.
As the popularity of football
continues to grow, the popularity of fantasy football will grow
along with it. Every year more
and more people are getting
hooked on fantasy football.
Better hop on board now because the fantasy football train
doesn’t appear to be slowing
down anytime soon.
iOS 8 isn’t that great
(continued from pg. 3)
other than that, once you read
all the tips the app is completely unnecessary.
The worst part about these
apps is that they do nothing but
take up space since you can’t
delete them from your phone.
Also taking up space are
your deleted pictures. The pictures you choose to delete go to
a separate folder and stay on
your phone for about 30 days
before they permanently are
erased. Yep, now you have to
delete your deleted pictures if
you actually want to get rid of
them.
Apple also decided to include yet another needless update on your pictures. Now you
can “like” your photos by tapping a little heart at the bottom
bar of the picture. When you
do this, the picture is sent to
all of your other Apple devices.
Isn’t that what iCloud is for?
Overall, I think iOS 8 just
isn’t that great. The software
update is filled with “filler”
features that have very few, if
any, advantages. If you haven’t
downloaded iOS 8, do yourself
a favor and just wait until iOS 9
is released.
news
Golden Lines
5
October 31, 2014
40 Days for Life: A new approach to saving babies
Chaplain Fr. Michael explains this community-based approach to ending abortion
FR. MICHAEL SILLOWAY
Guest Writer
Each day, in the United States
of America alone, over 3,000
children in the womb are killed
by elective abortion. Each day.
That totals 1,095,000 each year.
I posit there is no greater civil
rights threat, no more pressing
social issue than the tragedy of
abortion.
In 1973, the Supreme Court
issued a ruling in the court case
Roe v. Wade that stated that, under the 14th Amendment to the
Constitution, that women should
have the right to terminate their
pregnancy if they desired to do
so. In the majority opinion, Justice Harry Blackmun stated that
abortion is not homicide because
science cannot determine when
human life begins, and therefore
should be legally available. He
admitted that if human life in
fact begins at conception, then
there would have been a different outcome in the decision.
The fact of the matter is that
science does know when life begins. At the moment of conception, the 23 chromosomes in the
man’s sperm and the 23 chromosomes in the woman’s egg
unite and form a brand new organism, with completely unique
human DNA, on a path of cell
mitosis that will start to look like
the thing it already is: a human
baby.
Many attempts have been
made to reverse the legalized
killing of unborn babies. Court
cases and protests and the March
for Life and town hall meetings
and elections of so-called “ProLife” candidates, yet no effort
has been as successful as a relatively new campaign called “40
Days for Life.”
40 Days for Life is a community-based three-part approach
to ending abortion.
First, people volunteer to
fast, to sacrifice, for the end of
abortion. Scripture and our
Faith speak constantly about the
power of offering up our little
sacrifices so that God’s grace can
rain down on the people and
situations we’re praying for.
Second, people volunteer to
go to abortion clinics each day
of the 40 days and give quiet,
loving testimony to the gift and
the value of every life, no matter
what, through prayer and peaceful witness. Some people are
trained as “sidewalk counselors”
who can encourage the women
to consider other options.
Third, 40 Days for Life seeks
to support women in crisis pregnancies and to spread the mes-
Ebola virus strikes close to home
AUSTIN SCHLUETER
Staff Writer
The Ebola virus has dominated headlines recently, as the
US now has four confirmed cases
of the deadly virus. Originally
contained in West Africa, it traveled to the US with Thomas Eric
Duncan, the first Ebola patient
diagnosed in America.
Duncan, a citizen of Liberia,
traveled to Dallas, TX, on September 20 and began showing
symptoms of the virus just a few
days later. He died October 8,
but during his treatment at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital
he infected two nurses who were
caring for him.
Nina Pham, 26, and Amber
Vinson, 29, contacted the Ebola
virus in early October. Pham
received treatment at the same
Dallas hospital, but Vinson was
transported to Emory Hospital
in Atlanta. Both are expected to
make a full recovery and have
now tested negative for the virus.
Whether it was warranted or
not, panic ensued when these
two nurses fell victim to Ebola.
Dallas police immediately locked
down Pham’s apartment complex, and a hazardous materials
team was called in to decontaminate her surroundings.
Vinson’s story garnered even
more attention when it was discovered that she had flown on a
plane from Cleveland while being infected with Ebola. Though
the risk of becoming infected was
low, the CDC scrambled to contact 800 passengers who could
have possibly been exposed to
the virus.
Ebola has now spread to one
of the biggest cities in the world
when a doctor in New York City
returned from treating patients
in West Africa and tested positive
for Ebola on October 23.
These domestic cases of Ebola
have forced the CDC and government officials to examine
their precautions and protocols
to help contain the virus. President Obama has not yet issued
a travel ban, but he recently appointed Ron Klain to oversee the
Ebola crisis, which caused controversy because Klain is a lawyer with no medical experience.
Meanwhile, doctors in multiple countries are mobilizing
to create a vaccine against the
Ebola in an effort to help protect
healthcare workers who are on
the front lines against the virus.
Although clinical trials are ongoing, it will be a while before the
vaccine is proven to work and is
ready for official release.
40 Days for Life is a three-part campaign aimed at ending abortion that involves fasting,
visiting abortion clinics to advocate for the value of every life and supporting women who
are faced with crisis pregnancies. This year’s program officially ends November 2, but as
Fr. Michael said, “It’s never too late to join!” Photo courtesy of catholiclane.com
sage of the value of life. They
have access to resources that can
help take some of the fear and
confusion out of an unexpected
pregnancy, giving women hope
and a safe place to welcome their
child into the world.
I personally have taken part
in four 40 Days for Life campaigns, and each time, I’ve seen
the impact it has. Women turn
away and choose the difficult but
heroic path of life for their baby,
abortion mills close, and more
and more people have a change
of heart, recognizing the truth
that all life is God’s, and the killing of any human, no matter
how small or undeveloped, is the
greatest tragedy.
Will you join in this 40 Days
initiative? Even though this one
ends November 2, it’s never too
late to join!
Sophomore places in dressage competition
FITZ SMOAK
Staff Writer
Many of us know about the
Kentucky Derby and the decorative hats associated with this
event, but few people have
heard of dressage. No, dressage
is not a fancily dressed Frenchman, but instead a French term
that means “training.”
Dressage is a competitive
equestrian sport in which the
rider/horse pair performs a series of English style horseback
riding. English style horseback
riding is a discipline in which
the horse follows the rider very
closely and carries out the performance in a calm and controlled manner.
During competition, the pair
is judged on qualities including
accuracy, the paces, impulsion,
submission and the rider’s effectiveness. Each competitor
rides his/her test in front of the
judge who gives a numerical
score for each movement. Ultimately, the competitor with the
highest percentage of possible
points for each test is the winning ride, typically scoring in
the high 60s or 70s.
St. Pius X sophomore Marline Syribeys competes at a very
advanced level in this equestrian discipline. She recently
won, the Junior/Young Rider
Division qualifier for Region
2 and advanced to the USDF
Regional Championships held
each October.
The qualifier took place at
the Kentucky Horse Park October 9-12. Syribeys was one of
only 34 horse/rider combinations in the class to break the
70% barrier from both judges,
and she won the championship
title with 72.097%.”
Syribeys began riding horses
at the age of seven, and over
the years her love for the sport
compelled her to continue her
training and compete at such a
high level.
To maintain her riding skills
during the year, she trains ev-
ery day at Annelise Vogt-Harber Riding Academy in Atlanta,
where she spends many hours
with her horse, Hollywood.
She also competes in multiple competitions every year,
with the intent to qualify for the
USDF Regional Championship
held in October. Syribeys looks
forward to her next competition
with Hollywood, the Hanoverian gelding she’s ridden for just
over a year, as she continues to
participate in a sport for which
she has a true passion.
Sophomore Marline Syribeys rides her horse, Hollywood,
at a recent dressage competition in Kentucky. Photo courtesy of Bob Tarr from dressagedaily.com
centerspread
Golden Lines
6
October 31, 2014
#FlashbackFriday
Teachers share their spooktacular childhood Halloween costumes
r
e
i
v
a
F
.
r
M
Dr. Hall
Ms. Curlet
te
Mr. Voorhees
Mrs. Wright
Mr. Smentek
Ms. Carney
Ms. Kramer
Mr. Hiland
centerspread
Golden Lines
Did you know...?
October 31, 2014
7
Check out some of these drop dead surprising Halloween facts
Samhainophobia
#1
#2
is the fear of Halloween
#3
#4
#5
Most popular Halloween candy
836 lbs.
is the largest pumpkin ever
measured, which broke the world record in 1993
Highest grossing scary movies of all time
1. “The Sixth Sense” (1999) $293.5 million
2. “Jaws” (1975) $260 million
3. “The Exorcist” (1973) $232.9 million
4. “What Lies Beneath” (2000) $155.5 million
5. “The Blair Witch Project” (1999) $140.5 million
Ireland.
Halloween originated in
The ancient Celts thought that spirits and
ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween
night. They began wearing masks and costumes
to avoid being recognized as human.
"Thriller"
Michael Jackson’s
is the most downloaded
Halloween-themed hit of all time
Happy
Halloween!
cartoons
Golden Lines
8
October 31, 2014
Upcoming
Events
Oct. 31: Pep Rally
Schedule
TRACKS
LION
Lizzie Fristoe ‘17
Katie Parnell ‘17
Nov. 2: Open House
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Nov. 3: Winter
Uniform begins;
College Application
Deadline #3
Nov. 5: Junior
Pilgrimage
Nov. 7: XLM All School
Mass Schedule
Nov. 9: Freshman Pot Luck
5 p.m.
Nov. 12: Morning of the Arts
9 a.m.
Camille Breaux ‘15
Nov. 13: Pride Leader
Meeting 7:15 a.m.
Nov. 14: XL Schedule
Nov. 20: Lion Leader
Meeting - Lunch Periods
Nov. 21: Short Assembly
Schedule; 2:45 p.m.
dismissal
Sarah Marshall ‘17
Nov. 22: SPX Market Place
Lauren Lyles ‘17
Oct. 27: 9th Grade Football
Banquet - 1:00 p.m.
Oct. 29: NHS Induction 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 1: XLM Assembly
Schedule; All Saints Day Holy Day of Obligation
Garrett Cooper ‘16
Nov. 3: Open House 1:00 4:00 p.m.
Nov. 4: Winter Uniform
Begins; College Application
Deadline #3
Nov. 8: Pep Rally
Nov. 9: Winter Sports
Pictures 7:30 - 1:00 p.m.
Nov. 10: Freshman Pot Luck
Dinner 5:00 p.m.
Nov. 16: Saturday School
Nov. 22: Special Assembly
Schedule; 2:45 Dismissal
Nov. 23: SPX Marketplace
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Dec. 2: No School For
Students
Camille Oliga ‘17
features
Golden Lines
9
October 31, 2014
New clubs capture the hearts and minds of students
INGRID WILKINSON
Staff Writer
Have you ever wanted to sit
around with your friends and
discuss the Old Testament?
Do you have a lifelong desire
to discuss philosophy with you
peers? Well, now these things
are possible with the new clubs
here at St. Pius X.
With over 40 clubs and organizations, St. Pius offers numerous opportunities for students to get involved in areas
that interest them. This year
two new clubs emerged, the
Philosophy Club and the Old
Testament Club.
The Philosophy Club was
created by seniors Jack Ligon and Gabe Goncalves.
Students who are interested
in philosophy are presented
with a philosophic writing and
later debate their different interpretations of it. Theology
teacher Mr. John Favier was
excited when introduced to
the idea and agreed to be the
club moderator.
The club is slowly gaining
in popularity due to its fun
and interesting meeting sessions, which are held every
Tuesday after school. Ligon
said, “Please come out and
support the Philosophy Club
every Tuesday after school.
We only have five members.”
Staying after school to discuss the Old Testament with
one of the best Theology
teachers at Pius is an experience you will never forget.
This year, Ms. Johnson has
organized a group that will do
just that. For an understanding that goes beyond what one
would learn in class, this club
offers a relaxed and fun environment where students can
These classic horror films live up
to their frightening reputations
JUSTIN JANUARY
Staff Writer
There’s nothing horror addicts love more than watching
a hapless camper flailing his
or her arms around in a disoriented jog and fleeing from
a pursuer in a dark, foggy forest, only to trip and fall, snap an
ankle and scream theatrically
before the villain starts hacking
away.
This cliched horror scene -an expected, sometimes funny
and oddly satisfying performance -- is one of the many
grotesque hallmarks of classic
horror. From groups of young
teens “splitting up” in the
woods, to calling out “hello?”
to an unfamiliar sound nearby,
the 60s, 70s and 80s horror
genre is filled with cheesy moments and unintentionally hilarious lines as well as disturbing plots and characters.
“Rosemary’s Baby”
Being pregnant is stressful
enough, but being pregnant
with a devilish child -- literally -is likely to be a little more timeconsuming. The late 60s classic movie “Rosemary’s Baby”
chronicles just this. Rosemary
not only has to deal with carrying a horrid creature in her
womb, but she also must battle
her nosy, tacky and downright
scary neighbors.
While at times comedic
and witty, this well-made film
is hauntingly sinister and will
leave you feeling startled and
uneasy.
“The Exorcist”
Most guys will probably
agree that watching a girl twist
her head around 360 degrees
or heave projectile vomit directly at someone’s face is the
most attractive thing ever and
is a perfect way to be asked to
Sadie. If this sounds like your
dream date, check out “The
Exorcist.”
Regarded by critics as the
scariest movie of all time, “The
Exorcist” is about a 12-yearold girl who is possessed by an
evil spirit. The girl, Regan, not
only speaks with a voice akin to
a 70-year-old man, but she levitates and convulses throughout
the movie as well. *insert hearteyes emoji*
“Halloween”
Halloween is best spent with
friends who are all being hunted by a psychotic, supernatural,
white mask-wearing, knifewielding killer named Michael
Myers, right?
John Carpenter’s “Halloween” depicts the stalking,
and killing, of several teenage babysitters on Halloween
night. Although violent, the
movie shows little gore, is said
to be “culturally, historically, or
aesthetically significant” and is
preserved in the National Film
Registry by the Library of Congress.
“A Nightmare on Elm Street”
In high school, the best reward after a long day of classes
is sleep (eight whole hours is
such a blessing). However,
falling asleep while running
the risk of being killed in your
dreams is a tad less inviting.
Classic horror villain Freddy
Krueger from the 80s movie “A
Nightmare on Elm Street” enjoys stalking boys and girls alike
and murdering teens with his
creepy four-bladed glove.
“Friday the 13th”
Here’s a little known fact: in
the first “Friday the 13th” film,
Jason wasn’t the antagonist
-- his mother was. Jason also
didn’t wear a hockey mask until
the third film. Also, the franchise is only comprised of 12
movies, not 13. Nevertheless,
the “Friday the 13th” franchise
is a staple in American society
and is recognized as one of the
most successful series in American horror film history.
While at times corny and
easy to laugh at, classic horror
embodies a big part of Western
culture. Modern classics like
“The Conjuring” and “Saw”
(the first one, that is) echo the
vintage roots of 20th century
horror flicks that epitomize
what a scary movie should be.
discuss their interest in the
Old Testament.
Joining this club also fulfills the student’s full Works
of Mercy requirement as long
as they attend all 10 meetings
that take place every Tuesday.
Ms. Johnson will offer the
same 10-week program next
semester as well. Because of
the small size of the club, students’ ideas and thoughts are
heard and discussed, creating
a new learning environment
for students. Club member
Nat Weikert, a senior, said,
“It’s great and Ms. Johnson is
the best teacher for it.”
Students are welcome to
think of new club ideas and
present them to administration. With a few students and
a teacher, a new club can be
started. After the students
who want to start a new club
write a letter to administration
explaining why the club would
be a valuable addition to St.
Pius, the students wait for
approval. While some clubs
are successful, others aren’t,
or are still pending clearance
from the administration.
The Eno Club, for example, is currently in the process
of being accepted or denied.
Juniors Ingrid Wilkinson and
Clara Wallace introduced the
idea of starting the Eno Club.
While this club has caused
much excitement among the
students, Wilkinson and Wallace are still waiting for confirmation from the administration.
Already denied by the administration this school year
was the Pius Putters. Seniors
Stephen Jacon and Joe Petroni had the idea of starting the
club but got rejected because
of too many liability issues.
The Philosophy Club and
Old Testament Club are examples of the creativity of St.
Pius students and their determination to turn a common
interest into an organized
group that may continue on
for years.
Ms. Theresa Johnson and her students gather for the first
Old Testament Club meeting in September. The group
meets once a week, and students can fulfill Works of Mercy requirements by attending all meetings. Staff photo
Marching band
(continued from pg. 3)
Freddy Krueger, the infamous villain in “A Nightmare on
Elm Street,” kills people in their dreams in frivolously
creative ways with his four-bladed glove. Photo courtesy
of www.slideshowcollectors.com
rotating cross, flags displayed of all seven Celtic
nations and Irish Bodhran
drums during “Riverdance”
makes this performance incredibly bold and unforgettable.
The Marching Golden
Lions are truly taking a different course this year than
they have in past years. Senior guitarist Wes Salton
noted that “Last year’s performance was more focused
on each individual song
whereas this year the songs
seem to flow together more.
Also, last year’s perfor-
mance was a lot more modern, but musically, it is just as
challenging, if not more challenging to play.”
The marching band and
color guard recently returned from their annual trip
to Disney World where they
marched in a parade and
learned from professionals.
Their last competition is Saturday, November 1, and they
will continue to perform at
halftime of the football games
throughout the playoffs. The
color guard will also do a
small performance at the Fine
Arts assembly in February.
sports
Golden Lines
10
October 31, 2014
Upcoming
Athletic Events
Oct. 31: Varsity
Football vs. Stone
Mountain High
School @ Home,
7:30 pm
Nov 1: Competition Cheerleading
Multiple team meet
@ McEachern High
School, 9:00 am
ROARS
JUNGLE Fall sports poised for post-season success
Nov. 1: Volleyball State
Championship @ Marietta
High School 11:00 am
Nov. 7: Football vs. Redan
High School @ Adams Stadium 5:15 am
Nov. 8: Competition Cheerleading Multiple Team Meet
@ Kennesaw Mountain High
School 9:00 am Boy’s Cross
Country State Meet @ Carrollton Elementary School
9:50 am Girls Cross Country
State Meet @ Carrollton Elementary School 10:35 am
Nov. 11: Softball & Volleyball Banquet @ Home 5:30
pm
Nov. 14: Competition Cheerleading State Sectionals @
Columbus Civic Center 9:00
am
Nov 15: Wrestling vs. Dacula
High School @ Dacula High
School, TBD
Nov. 15: JV Boys Basketball
vs. Columbia high School @
Columbia High School, 2:30
pm JV Girls Basketball vs.
Columbia High School @
Columbia High School, 4:00
pm
Nov. 18: Girls’ Basketball
vs. Arabia Mountain High
School @ Home, 6:00 Boys
Basketball vs. Arabia Mountain High School @ Home,
7:30
Nov. 19: Swimming and
Diving vs. Marist School @
Marist School, 5:30 pm
Nov. 21: Girls’ Basketball
vs. Chamblee High School
@ Chamblee High School
5:30 pm Boys Basketball vs.
Chamblee High School @
Chamblee High School, 7:00
pm
JAY CAVALLI
Staff Writer
As the fall sports season
winds down, St. Pius X teams
once again find themselves as
legitimate playoff contenders
in several sports.
After a shaky start to the
season, the football team has
won six straight games and is
in first place in the region. This
team looks completely unlike
the team from seven weeks ago,
executing on both sides of the
ball and showing the mental
toughness to pull off comeback
wins against Grady and an incredible last second win over
Marist.
“I think those two losses really helped us come together
and focus,” said senior Colm
Boyer. “After the Woodward
game we knew we could either
let the season slip away or work
to turn things around. I think
we’ve done a good job.”
New quarterback junior
Reed Egan has played extremely well since making his
first start against Lithonia High
School, and senior Joey Connors has become an impact
player on both offense and defense with five touchdowns and
nine tackles since the position
change.
As the playoffs draw closer
St. Pius has a one-game lead in
the region, and with only Stone
Mountain and Redan remaining, a region title is theirs to
lose. The path to the dome will
not feature a very tough schedule if the Golden Lions stay unbeaten in the region, and the
team has already been predicted to advance to the semifinals.
The cross country teams
have also continued their dominance in AAAA. The region
race was October 29, but as of
press time the results were not
yet available. The girls are currently ranked third in the state
in AAAA behind nationally
ranked Marist and Heritage
Catoosa High School.
“The region meet will give
us a good idea of what we can
expect at state,” said assistant
cross country coach Ms. Ashley
Curlette. “Unfortunately we
won’t be at full strength, but
we hope to get some of our top
runners back before state next
weekend.”
The girls are counting on
strong performances from senior Rebecca Entrekin and
junior Katie Glenn, who have
had excellent seasons so far.
The team will race on Saturday, November 8 at 11:15 am
in Carrollton. They finished in
second place last year, and are
looking to have just as strong of
a finish this season.
The boys cross country team
is currently ranked first in the
state. Considered the favorite
going into the region meet,
seniors Nik Calia and Stephen
Martinez are expected to lead
the team to a region title in
their first year back in AAAA.
This team has its sights set
even higher than the region
meet, however, and is expected
to contend for the state title at
the championship meet on November 8 in Carrollton. The
boys will be looking to claim
their fifth straight state title this
season and are in great position
to do just that.
Volleyball ended their playoff run last weekend with a disappointing loss to Buford, but
they still finished the regular
season with a 35-11 record.
Despite the move to AAAA,
the volleyball team continued
to dominate throughout the
season. After winning the state
championship last year, they
entered the first round of the
playoffs feeling confident. They
knocked off Northwest Whitfield and Carrollton in the first
two rounds before losing to Buford in the state quarterfinals.
Junior Jessica Onuorah led
the team this year with 230 kills,
and senior Kathryn Maloof’s
had a team high 81 blocks. The
season didn’t end as well as
they had hoped, but the team
will rebound and be ready to
compete again next year.
After wrapping up a 13-13
regular season the girls softball
team had an impressive showing in the region playoffs, finishing 3-2 with wins over Redan
and Arabia Mountain.
The offense stepped up and
helped secure the wins, scoring
38 runs in only 5 games. The
girls rode that offensive streak
to a state playoff appearance
where they knocked off Woodward Academy in the opening
round with a 5-1 victory, marking the fourth straight year in
which the softball team has
advanced to the state quarterfinals.
They lost to Buford in the
state quarterfinals last week,
but in their first season against
AAAA competition the Lady Lions fared better than many had
expected and will surely show
even more improvement as the
adjustment period wears off.
The competition cheerleading team is preparing to compete in the state sectionals on
Saturday, November 14 in Columbus. If they do well, they
will advance to the next round
of the state competition. Their
last tune-up will be on November 8 in a multiple team meet
at Kennesaw Mountain High
School.
The team is very young this
season, featuring only one senior, Gabby Atlow. Next year,
however, they will have eight
juniors returning who will be
counted on to provide leadership and veteran experience.
GABBY BURNS
Staff Writer
blue-collar folks.
Most people think hockey
is only played in the north, but
over the past 10 years it has
become more popular down
south as well. In fact, Mr. Ruggiero isn’t the only hockey
player at St. Pius; there are several students who play, including junior Ryan Galvin. He got
his initial interest in hockey
from his dad’s family, who is
originally from the north.
Galvin plays out of Marietta, practices every weekday
and has games on the weekends. “It’s never been hard
finding a team to play for.
There are surprisingly many
teams in Georgia,” he said. His
favorite pro team is the Philadelphia Flyers.
Another student who plays
hockey is junior Kyle Gaspari.
Hockey has always stood out
as a favorite sport to Gaspari.
With relatives from Canada
and Massachusetts, where
hockey is the dominant sport,
it has always interested him.
“My fascination increased
as they shared their stories
and even exchanged fun times
when they would skate across
the pond in their backyard as
their form of transportation to
school,” he said.
His family has always supported the Gwinnett Gladiators and the former Atlanta
Thrashes (now the Winnipeg
Jets) and attended their games
for as long as he can remember. However, his favorite pro
team is the Boston Bruins.
Gaspari was hesitant at first
when starting hockey but “my
friends encouraged me to attend their hockey practices,
and I loved it as soon as my
feet touched the ice.”
This lesser-known sport
of the south has over 16 high
school teams in the Atlanta
area. Marist is looking to start
a hockey club and form a team.
There has also been talk about
having a combined Pius-Marist
team because there is not
enough players to represent
one high school.
Hockey is getting more and
more popular and maybe in
a few years St. Pius will have
enough students to start our
very own high school team.
Ice ice baby
It is 10:00 on a school night,
and while most students are
doing homework, watching TV
or getting ready for bed, one of
our very own teachers is taking
the ice. As the puck drops onto
the center of the rink, Theology teacher Mr. Dennis Ruggiero has sweat dripping down his
face. He smashes other players
into the walls and rushes down
the ice, all while we are sleeping soundly in our beds.
On game nights Mr. Ruggiero gets home well after midnight. Knowing he has to get
up early for school the next
day is tough, but he is still willing to sacrifice sleep because
his love of the game is so great.
“It’s pretty tough, but that’s
the reality of playing in a men’s
league here in the south,” Mr.
Ruggiero said. There are seven
sheets of ice in the Atlanta area
with a new ice arena opening up this spring in Sandy
Springs. It’s a growing sport in
the area so finding ice time is
always a challenge.”
Mr. Ruggiero didn’t really
have an interest in hockey until the early 90s. Growing up in
south Florida, it wasn’t a very
poplar sport.
Mr. Ruggiero started playing two years ago and is currently playing on a team in
Kennesaw called the Pylons.
“It’s the most difficult sport
I have ever played. I have to
say that hockey players are the
best and toughest athletes in
any sport. Take soccer, basketball, and football, and combine
that all on a quarter inch blade
on the ice with a puck traveling
90 miles per hour. If you don’t
believe me, come on out and
lace them up” he said.
“My favorite part of playing
hockey is just the fun, the competition, and the guys on the
team. We all get along and get
out there and relive the glory
days,” Mr. Ruggiero said.
Mr. Ruggiero is a huge
Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Since
he was about 12, he has followed all professional teams
out of Pittsburgh. One of the
main reasons he is drawn to
support this town’s teams is
because it is a great town with
sports
Golden Lines
11
October 31, 2014
Senior Stephen Jacon to pursue athletic training at Georgia Tech
KATHERINE KLINGER
Staff Writer
While most students are
headed home at 3:30 pm, senior athletic trainer Stephen
Jacon’s day on the football field
is just beginning. Jacon, better
known around school as Recon,
starts by filling up water bottles
and taking them out to the linemen. Throughout the practice,
he helps the football players by
taping their injuries, making
them ice bags, or fixing their
equipment.
When he joined the training
staff as a freshman, Recon had
no idea how to do any of this,
but over time he learned. Head
athletic trainer Gary Schmitt
taught him the basics of injury care and prevention, but
the rest of the learning came
through hands on experience
during practice and games.
“I learned from experience
and by trial and error, but Bubs
[Schmitt] taught us all the basics,” said Recon. Each summer, Coach Schmitt also taught
him how to fix the football
equipment, make an ice bag,
and deal with heat illness.
In addition to helping with
the football team, Recon is also
a student trainer for the boys’
lacrosse team in the spring. Although these are both contact
sports, Recon pointed out
that he treats different injuries in football and lacrosse.
“Football has a lot of cuts,
concussions and turf burns,”
said Recon, “while lacrosse is
mainly bruises, ankles and leg
injuries.”
Recon decided he wanted
to gain more experience with
injury care. When he saw that
Georgia Tech was offering a
sports medicine camp over
the summer, he immediately
signed up. There he improved his taping techniques
and learned what to do in
emergency situations.
The Georgia Tech camp
counselors were very impressed watching Recon’s taping technique. While discussing his future he explained,
“I'm getting a sports medicine
scholarship to Georgia Tech.”
The Georgia Tech trainers
offered this opportunity to
Recon after he won a taping
competition. He is not sure
whether he would like to be
a professional athletic trainer,
but he is excited to continue
sports medicine for the football team in college.
Before he heads off to college, though, Recon has one
season left of football training
here at St. Pius. His football
pre-game tasks include taping
ankles and wrists, and he also
gives the training staff their assignments for the game. As the
only senior trainer on staff this
year, he has greater responsibilities.
“Recon has done a great job
stepping up as the leader of the
group,” junior athletic trainer
Margaret Ralston explained.
Coach Schmitt agreed. “Recon
has done such a good job by leading by example,” said Schmitt.
“Instead of telling somebody to
do something, he’ll do it himself. His actions will certainly
be passed down to the younger
trainers.”
Although he enjoys working
with his friends on the training
staff, he loves interacting the different sports teams just as much.
While describing his favorite
parts of training he said, “It's nice
to be able to be a part of these
programs.” He also has a unique
friendship with athletes on the
football and lacrosse teams.
He mostly enjoys being there
for these athletes when they need
it, and they appreciate all of his
contributions to the team. “Recon
has helped me as a player by giving [me] the ultimate gift, a cold
bottle of water,” said junior football player John Evan Laughter.
Although some might assume
K and S Atlanta Properties
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Kim and Steve Klinger
his only job is to help the players with water and injuries, senior football player Luke Stokes
described a different way Recon
adds to the team. “Recon always
finds some way to make your day
better,” said Stokes.
During his time at St. Pius,
Recon learned many things
in the training program and
he has contributed immensely
to the program the past four
years. Although he is sad to be
leaving, college football is his
next exciting opportunity.
New coach leads
wrestling program
ZACK RAMIREZ
Guest Writer
Prepared for another season,
our St. Pius X wrestling team is
now under new command. Following the successful five-year
run of varsity head coach Mr.
David Sabino, the team will have
a new leader this season, Coach
Mike Lancaster.
The news of the coaching
change was sudden for the wrestlers, Coach Sabino had scheduled a meeting following the
completion of last season’s state
tournament with a purpose no
one had expected. Addressing
the team, he informed them of
his decision to no longer coach in
order to pursue goals of his own.
Familiar with the program,
Coach Lancaster has previously
coached both football and baseball at St. Pius. To put into perspective of how long he has been
around, he actually coached current head football coach Paul
Standard. No stranger to wrestling, Lancaster has also coached
wrestling for over 35 years and
holds a strong philosophy of doing what’s best for his wrestlers.
When discussing his mindset
as a coach, Coach Lancaster stated, “I like to think of my wrestlers as sons. I want to hold them
to the best of their ability while
making sure they’re still having
fun.”
Although he is not a faculty
member, Coach Lancaster also
takes St. Pius tradition to heart;
he believes in the family and emphasizes how building off of each
other helps to grow and develop
as a team and family.
“There must be a level of
competitiveness that I will hold
to each group of men,” said
Coach Lancaster explained about
his expectations of both the JV
and varsity squads. “I don’t expect them to win every match but
they better have the same level of
intensity every time they step on
the mat.”
Coach
Lancaster
knows
what it takes to make a winning
team, but ultimately that success is determined by his wrestlers. Throughout the summer,
the wrestling team got a feel of
working with Lancaster, other
coaches and other schools. Almost no practice was the same
due to the various locations
of practices. Each workout
took place at a different high
school’s facility in the Atlanta
area, allowing the team to
work with a new group of
wrestlers every time.
In addition to performing
well in matches, Coach Lancaster also wants to increase
exposure for the team and
get the school community
more interested in the sport.
“The more guys we have in
our room, the more competition there will be and that’s
what we need…So go tell your
friends.”
Due to his extensive coaching background and connections within the wrestling
community, he was able to
schedule quite the season
for his wrestlers. In previous
years, most wrestlers normally
did not exceed more than 30
matches, but now each competitor will wrestle in over 50
matches prior the state tournament in February.
The season officially began
with practice on October 26,
and matches will begin in a
few weeks. The varsity lineup
is not yet set in stone, but it
will feature several returning
wrestlers who are all looking
to win a state championship,
including sophomore Jack
Marsh, who placed fifth in
the state meet last season, and
senior Connor Laubenthal.
Both competed in national
tournaments this summer and
hope their off-season training
will pay off in February at the
state meet.
The wrestling team this
season has plenty of potential due to the number or
returning wrestlers and the
solid lineup they have put together across all weight classifications. As the hype builds
among the team members for
this season, be on the lookout
for the Golden Lions to turn
in another year of solid performances on the mat.
backside
Golden Lines
12
October 31, 2014
Two students and one
teacher are asked a series
of random questions...
Say
What?!
Annie Lipscomb ‘18
Paul Benoit ‘15
Ms. Melissa Beam, Science
Who is your favorite
one-hit wonder?
Young MC
Mr. Broussard
Aha, “Take On Me”
What are the odds...?
That I will eat 10 packs of cookies from
the cafeteria?
Never tell me the odds
I don’t understand this game
Who’s your celebrity twin?
Lindsay Lohan (in “The Parent Trap”)
Keanu Reeves
Taylor Swift, of course
Sham-Wow
BILLY MAYS HERE
Sham-Wow Guy
Kick it in the front seat
I’ll drive
Front seat
Sleeves
The part where it’s a blanket with
sleeves
I can still turn the pages of a book or use
the TV clicker & my arms stay covered
What are your thoughts on
garden gnomes?
Freaky & people shouldn’t have them
Actually, they prefer to be called lawn
gnomes
I have no thoughts on garden gnomes
When was the last time you
In the last issue
The last time I was mentioned in an
article
Of course, I read every article as soon as
it is delivered
AMAZING!!
Rambunctious
Nail-biting
Billy Mays or the
Sham-Wow guy?
Kick it in the front seat, or
kick it in the back seat?
What is your favorite
Snuggie?
feature of the
read a full article in the
SPX newspaper?
Describe the Marist game
in one word.
Breeze
way
What is the worst item you ever
received while trick-or-treating?
“A spicy lollipop that was
already open. It was disgusting.”
-Ty Mascara ‘15
“A plastic dinosaur”
-Ansley Stevens ‘18
“A handful of
burnt popcorn”
-Paul White ‘15
“A toothbrush from a dentist”
-Brady Gwynn ‘15
“A rock”
-Kelly Dawkins ‘17
“Raisins”
-Almost everyone
“This one house ran out of candy
so they gave me their realtor card”
-Gwyneth Moreira ‘18
“An Eggo waffle”
-Taylor Corley ‘18
Banter