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10

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The 2013 season will be the first year that

the Atlanta Braves roster will have no remaining players who were a part of the 1995 championship team. Chipper Jones was the last player from that legendary team, and with his exit a new Braves era begins. Two brothers, B.J. and Justin Upton, are expected to be key players for the Braves. They will join All-Star Jason Heyward in the outfield to make what many are calling the best outfield in the Majors. The Braves first aquired B.J. Upton in a free-agent deal for five years and $75 million. Then the Braves acquired Justin, 25 in a trade for Martin Prado and Delgado. Both the brothers are considered five-tool players and huge threats at the plate. Justin has a career average of .278 and 80 stolen bases and B.J. has a career average of .255, a respectable 141 home runs and 232 stolen bases over eight seasons.

Things are definitely looking Upton for the Braves but, are these rosy forecasts too good to be true? There are some sources of concern. For example B.J. is coming o! a disappointing season in Tampa with only a .246 batting average. Some people wonder how the brothers will interact as temmates. In an interview with, their dad, Melvin Upton, said they are very competitive and hard on each other. This brotherly

competition could cause tension on the team and poor communication in the outfield. Or it could push the team to excel. The 2013 season will show if the

Uptons belong in Braves country.-Peter Mastin

Top 4 Starters

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2012 lineups list players who had the most starts at each positon including game starts for pitchers.

GradyArtFeature

The stage is quiet. The only remnants that remain are the old scraps of wood and dust where the 7-foot structure once stood. It’s hard to believe that just a couple of days ago I sat in front of a massive ship-like edifice and reveled as a fantastic scene unfolded before my eyes. This year’s spring play, Anything Goes, follows a phenomenal cast of affluent socialites and high-profile criminals as they tap their troubles away.

The artistic director, Lee Pope, our resident AP U.S. History teacher and musical theater connoisseur, saw this play while in college and fell in love with it. Unfortunately, there were many road-blocks that prevented him from putting on this play at Grady, namely not having students that danced well enough to perform the huge tap-dance portion of the play. This year, however, was different.

“Suddenly, the moon aligned, and the stars lined up, and I was blessed to have kids who could really dance,” Pope said as I sat down with him two weeks before the play debuted.

With a little help from tap choreographer Lindsey Theil and principal choreographer Kathryn Ginden Claffey, the actors were ready to make their dancing debuts. The actors began dance rehearsals in December. The play featured Reno Sweeney (Miller Lansing), Billy Crocker (Axel Olson), Moonface Martin, Publice Enemy No. 13 (Ryan Switzer), Erma (Sahara Jimenez), Lord Evelyn Oakleigh

(Carter Guensler) and Hope Harcourt (Eliza Renner), who worked for months to perfect their roles.

“We’ve been practicing hard, and we are worried about certain scenes, but I think we’ve got it,” Switzer said before opening night.

Along with a stunning cast and amazing tap numbers, the moving set made the play magical and realistic. The set flowed effortlessly from scene to scene as the large pieces were rolled on and off stage by the stage “ninjas.” The set had one set centerpiece and two pieces on either side that all moved on wheels, making the transition from scene to scene quick and painless.

“The set is, as usual, Jake Dreiling,” Pope said. “He has this wonderful ability to listen to whatever it is I’m saying and actually turn it into what I have in my head, and again, he did it.”

Despite Pope’s raving, Dreiling, the scene designer, completely rejects the idea of being the mastermind behind the set. Instead he credits Bob Dickinson, who designed the moving set for another production of the play. Dreiling borrowed heavily from Dickinson’s design and then was able to sketch the entire set on his laptop using Google Sketchup.

“However, because every theater is different we definitely had to make a lot of changes,”

Dreiling said. “Probably

about half of it had to

be adjusted for our theater. So there were choices made that changed the way we could set up in [the theater].

When I sat down with him a week before the show, Dreiling was quite confident about the progress of the set. There were minor details that needed to be added and changed, but technical director John Brandhorst and student technical directors Alex Realff and Camille Williams were on top of things, adding last-minute paint, and figuratively as well as literally polishing up the set.

Choral director Kevin Hill, and orchestra director Sergio Rodriguez, tackled Cole Porter’s musical arrangement. Since the play takes place in the Jazz Era, Grady’s jazz band, accompanied by the men’s chorus, performed the music, as extras on set, and from the musician’s pit.

“We have the musicians to [play live music]” Hill said before the play opened. “In the professional world it is disrespectful to use ‘canned music’ because you are taking jobs away from live musicians.”

Hill held open auditions for those who wanted to be in the men’s chorus for the play but aren’t officially in chorus.

“I’m sure they (the audience) will enjoy it (the play),” Hill said. “When the audience sees a lot of work from

the performers, and commitment, and that performers are having

fun, then they enjoy it.” - Tamara Mason

photos courtesyof Debbie Livingston

Anything goes went really, really well

Ryan Switzer

Miller Lansing

Axel Olson

Carter Guensler

Eliza Renner

Sahara Jimenez

“One day,” assistant principal David Propst repeated three times while projecting his index finger in the air, emphasizing how quickly transformations will take place at Grady. How many can say they have witnessed fundamental permanent change in one day? In a matter of months, hundreds will be able to say just that and more. The change—known as Project Grady—will alter Grady’s physical appearance, a transformation that will be readily apparent to anyone who sets foot onto the campus. Students, staff, parents and anyone willing to help out will be encouraged to be a part of it. The idea is to get as many people to help Grady become a fully functioning facility with every amenity from up-to-date technology to properly installed and well-stocked paper-towel dispensers.

Students are always pitching ideas to improve Grady, but that’s just it: they are usually just ideas. Before it was given a name, the idea for Project Grady took form at the beginning of the year from several thoughts and experiences that Grady students shared with, Dr. Propst. Although he is always roaming the halls, Propst said he was not aware of the problems students deal with every day at Grady like not having privacy in the bathrooms due to faulty stalls. Within a month and a half, Propst and students secured a huge corporation, Starbucks Coffee Company, to sponsor the project. Starbucks and Buddy Curry-Kids and Pros, a football program for youth, have created a program titled You + 2 = Project Hope, which has helped underprivileged areas of Atlanta in the past. With the help of the sponsors, Grady will be able convert ideas for improving Grady into concrete reality.

Grady impressed Starbucks so much with the strides it has already taken that the company decided to give the school a little push to make more strides in the future. Each April, the coffee company helps

needy communities throughout the nation as a part of its Global Month of Service. This year, Starbucks was more interested in assisting a school, since children spend most of their time there. The corporation became involved with the school through Kids and Pros, which has supported athletic departments before. Under Project Hope, Starbucks wanted to work with a school with a history of

welcoming innovation. Their answer was Grady. Set to take place on Saturday April 27,

Project Grady will require more than 600 volunteers in order to execute the

long list of planned enhancements. The scope of the plan includes

revamping all 26 restrooms, a prominent concern raised in the student meeting. Restroom renovation accounts for $5,000 of the flexible budget. Other projects will aim to modernize the school with better technology for announcements, completing the senior steps project, adding handicap accessibility

and more. The project also plans to assist club advisers by

providing much-needed funds and equipment to clubs and after-

school activities at Grady. Students not only get to renovate their school

by replacing fixtures to light their halls, by painting the walls they will walk through or by

renewing the courtyard seating for them to enjoy lunch on, but also to earn community service hours for their hard work. Students and staff will be reminded of the work the community put in to the school by the project logo that will remain in the campus to commemorate the effort. Together, the Grady community will spend a whole day of work that will last for years to come.

-Sanjida Mowla

Starbucks to fill Grady’s tall order

Senior steps project

¸

¸

Add handicap accessibility

Renew courtyard seating

¸

¸

¸Replace light fixtures

¸ Revamp restrooms

Help funding

for clubs

¸ Paint walls

¸ Earn community service

20

¸

¸

¸

PROJEC

T

GRADY

11

Inhale. Now hold that breath for 10 seconds. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. You can exhale now.

Doing that easy breathing exercise for a few minutes a day can help to relieve stress, to improve health and brain activity and increase stamina, energy and positivity. Simple fexercises like this one comprise the basic practices of yoga.

Yoga is a series of breathing and posture exercises practiced to control the body, mind and to develop one’s tranquility. In existence since 3000 B.C., yoga was created in order to transcend the ordinary and reach the higher walks of life. Yoga has evolved throughout history, especially as it spread throughout the western world. It has now become a relatively popular fitness movement while still maintaining some of its original purposes.

People practice yoga for di!erent reasons. According to the certified Kripalu yoga teacher and founder of Yogasite.com, John Tunney, people participate in yoga exercises to decrease the e!ects of mental or physical disorders or disabilities, to increase flexibility, to reduce stress, to improve well-being and attitude, to lower fat levels, to improve the immune system, to increase circulation and to transition into a healthier lifestyle.

“For me, yoga is a way to put yourself and your mind on the same level and center yourself with positive energy,” junior Veronica Perez said. “It is also good exercise.”

Perez believes that yoga is a good way of solving stress-related problems.

During the 2010-2011 school year, Grady had an active yoga club. Then senior Akinbola Richardson founded this club. It o!ered a weekly class to a wide range of students. When Richardson graduated in 2011 however, the club vanished.

Reestablishing the Yoga and Meditation Club as an after-school activity has been a work in progress for junior Suhmer Robinson since her sophomore year. Robinson and fellow junior Surayya Nkosi were both very enthused about the idea of having a

yoga club so during the fall semester, they agreed to work together and co-run the club.

Due to several obstacles, among them finding a sponsor, completing the paperwork required to create the club, finding a venue, writing

proposals and making schedules, Robinson and Nkosi, were unable to get the Yoga Club o! the ground until the end of the fall semester of this school year.

After a lot of searching, however, Robinson located a faculty adviser in French teacher Mr. Edwin Williams. After reviewing the session schedule for the year, Williams decided to help Robinson and Nkosi form

the Yoga Club. The club held its first yoga

session on Jan. 24. The meeting was attended by a wide variety

of students, ranging from beginners to yoga veterans

who had participated in yoga activities for the better part of their lives.

“It was surprising to see all the di!erent people who heard about the Yoga Club and showed up,” senior Shua Mujahid said.

The students who attended the session were enthusiastic. Despite the success of the first meeting, there were a few more problems that needed to be solved.

The Yoga Club needed to secure yoga mats for each club member. Robinson and Nkosi hope to secure

a grant to buy more mats, but for the time being they require

members to provide their own.Despite this barrier, the Yoga

Club has proven to be a great activity for the students in the club. Yoga Club members believe yoga has increased their health and decreased their stress levels.

“Several types of school-based stress management and wellness programs have been developed over the years,” Robinson said. “The benefits of yoga become a way of life, and through meditation one can learn moral and ethical principles, re-establish relaxation and increase the ability to focus.”

The Yoga Club focuses on seven basic principles. These principles are increasing flexibility, reducing stress, relieving anxiety, increasing balance, preventing injury, increasing strength

and breathing deeply.“One of the most common

misconceptions about yoga that we are trying to kick is the idea that flexibility is a prerequisite to the practice,” Robinson said.

She hopes that by informing more people about the club they can increase its membership.

“A big change that we wanted to make with our club is to not only encourage student members but to also implement faculty participation,” Robinson said. “This hasn’t taken e!ect yet, but we are hoping to see some of our teachers join us soon.”

Nkosi created the Yoga Club’s Facebook page in the interest of spreading information and encouraging participation in the Yoga Club. The page currently has 68 members, but the founders of the club are working to increase this number. The page teaches about the benefits of yoga and contains information

about where to purchase yoga equipment. It also provides updated information about the club and depicts yoga positions.

Each yoga session begins with a brief explanation of what will be included in the session and then the yogis begin with a light warm-up. Robinson verbally explains each position

while Nkosi demonstrates it. Each session ends with an extended meditation period.

After the session is over, Nkosi and Robinson get feedback from

the day’s participants and try to figure out what they can improve for their next session.

Yoga Club is held every Thursday after school. The yoga sessions begin at 3:30 p.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theater. All of the Yoga Club’s sessions are open to any student who wants to participate. All students should bring their own yoga mat and wear comfortable clothing to exercise in. The club’s leaders ask that all participants be on time, be prepared and have a positive attitude and an open mind.

So, free up your Thursday afternoons to take a visit to the Grady Yoga Club. It can help boost your mental, physical and metaphysical attributes, and provide you with a fun and free-feeling after school activity.

-Tia Borrego

Realizing yoga club a case of mind over mat

Up, U

p and a hey

Kate Taber

“I wanted to focus on using layering of text,

images and color to create compelling and thought-

provoking pieces.”

Axel Olson

“I’ve always been fascinated by the organic beauty of wood grain, and find it interesting to juxtapoze it with more uniform, geometric beauty.”

Preston Choi

“Through developing narratives from abstract paintings, I hoped to produce a Rorschach effect concerning what imagery I produced. The repetitive mark making also acted as a time of meditation to relax and relieve stress.”

Sophia Smith

“Through my collages I chose to play with perception and combine odd objects in order to create surreal and visually compelling situations that could not occur in everyday life.”

Ciena Leshley

“I’ve always been interested in juxtapozing the beautiful with the ugly and showing that everything has both qualities. I chose to show this by using butterflies in my art.”

Nara Smith

“By studying the fragments and structures

of various skeletal systems among living things, I developed a

body of work that gives one insight into the

architecture of life itself.”

Connor Singh

“My concentration focuses on the chaotic situations

in an aesthetically pleasing form. It consist of

mostly figures and letter forms.”

Lauren Ogg

“I wanted to focus on the human body but not as a

whole. It is intriguing to see the body in smaller

sections because you get to focus on the details.”

Katherine Avery

“My concentration focuses on the lght and dark

through focuses or sorrow and anger.”

Eddie Shwartz

“My concentration focuses on shredding the gnar.”

Callie Hendrix

“According to a skewed statistic on the Internet, humans and bananas share 50 percent of their DNA. I find this beautiful, humbling and hilarious.”

Danillo Kissler

“I wanted to explore modern architecture in a way that displays the artistic aspect of designing the spaces we live in every day.”

Elia Green

Green’s concentration is sculpture. We did not receive a comment from Green by press time.

Surayya Nkosi

“For my concentration I basically used childhood

stories and nursery rhymes to theme my

pieces.”

Diana Powers

“Emphasis focuses around the vastness

and mystery of galaxy phehnomenon. It shows

the ideas of a joined human community under

one sky.”

Charlie Denton

“I have focused on representing the motion

of a subject and its particles throughout separate moments in

time.”

Katie Faulk

“In my concentration I want to portray the beauty and

simplicity within unfourtunate bodily circumstances.

Showing how wounds, broken bones and bruises can be

shown not in disgust but in beauty”

Will Staples

“I’m focusing on exploring cartooning of political and social subject matter to the nonsensical through two-dimensional artworks.”

Sofia Econnomu

I have explored different methods of portaiture;

deconstruction of faces, hyper-realistic versus

abstract and color therapy.Through these ways I

have attempted to record a person’s essence on

paper.

Madison D’Alesio

“I wanted to explore the human body through photography. I wanted to capture different body parts of the female figure and explore the beauty of the body as a whole.”

XIII

OMPENDIUMTaylor Barnes

“My concentration focuses on corrupt authority and government. I also like to draw things that will make people as uncomfortable as possible, like crackheads and serial killers.”C In case you can’t

make it to this years AP Art show, Nexus gives an inside peak

to the show.

4/25/13The Cube Gallery

662 Memorial DriveAtlanta, Georgia 30316

1716

The right shoes can really define a person’s character; in fact, researchers at the University of Kansas say that people can accurately judge 90 percent of a stranger’s personality simply by looking at his shoes. Manufacturers produce a wide variety of footwear, but for most people, their dream shoe is one that they can’t find in a store. For four years, VANS has offered young artists the chance to design the perfect shoe to be sold in stores all over the world through its contest, Custom Culture.

Custom Culture is an event that highlights the importance of art in schools. The first 1,500 high schools to register to win $50,000 for their art program and a chance for their shoe designs to be produced and sold in VANS retail stores. Each participating school submited designs for four pairs of shoes; 106 Vulcanized, Sk8 Hi, Slip on and Authentic. Submissions represented one of four categories: art, music, action sports and local flavor. Ms. Williams, Mr. Brandhorst, and Joseph Wheeler (friend of Ms. Williams’ and organizer of Onyxcon) chose four out of several student submissions.

Yakira Chambers, Will Staples and Tyler Booker will be representing Grady with their shoe designs for Custom Culture. Chambers actually had two of her designs entered into the competition: her teeth “Authentic” shoes and her

tentacle “Slip on” shoes.Staples, with the help of senior Cole Davies, designed

the “Sk8-Hi” shoe model to look as though it were a corn cob. Staples’ design was entered in Custom Culture in the “art” category.

“It’s kind of like, everything’s made out of corn, so make a corn shoe,” Staples said.

Booker’s first thought when it came to shoes was, strangely enough, octopi. She decided to go with ocean-themed shoes, showing a sandy beach on one side and an octopus on the other.

“I wanted to show creativity and versatility, for both boys and girls to wear,” Booker said. Her “106 Vulcanized” shoe design was submitted in the “action sports” category.

Unfortunately, the VANS staff did not select the Grady designs to be regional finalists. You can view the designs that were selected for each region, however, by visiting the website, http://vans.com/customculture. Through May 13, you can vote to choose the five semifinalist schools. These schools will be flown to New York City for the Final Event, where celebrity judges will reveal the winner and award $50,000 to the winning school’s art program as well as $4,000 for each of the four runners-up.

-Alex Jones 15

Design by Will StaplesDesign by Yakira Chambers

Design by Yakira Chambers

Design by Tyler Booker

Grady students stomp on VANS shoe design contest

The lights dimmed, people grew quiet, and anticipation, excitement, and expectations lingered in the air as a projected screen came alive. It was Feb. 1, the premiere of Dead Beat, a movie that was the product of months of long and intense work. For two Grady students, the movie was something of a personal masterpiece.

Junior Axel Olson was one of the two students, along with fellow junior Ben Searles. The pair is listed in the credits as the producers of the film, but their duties went far beyond that. Olson was also listed as director, screenwriter, director of photography and cinematography, composer and assistant editor.

“I originally pitched the idea of making a real movie to [junior] Ryan [Switzer] last year, and I would share my ideas with him,” Olson said. “Together we conceptualized the basic idea, and then I started writing the script and wrote the entire screenplay.”

Thus, Dead Beat was born. After Olson wrote the script, he enlisted Searles to help produce the film. For the boys, it was the first of what they hope to be many serious filmmaking projects. Their love of all things cinema, however, started long before any words were spoken about making a feature film.

“I’d always liked videotaping random things in the ninth grade, but I began to get a lot more serious and knew that I wanted to make more legitimate stuff,” said Searles, who was listed as editor, director, producer, planner, camera operator, costume designer and funds coordinator.

Searles and Olson weren’t the only Grady students to have major contributions in Dead Beat. The 55-minute long film stars Switzer and sophomore Decker D’Alesio as the lead characters and junior Aaron Carter in a supporting role. Even Grady art teacher John Brandhorst has an acting role in the movie.

“I’ve always enjoyed acting, and we learned so much from Dead Beat: it would be a shame not to do something like it again,” Switzer said.

The crew’s enthusiasm and passion for filmmaking has not been lost on the duo’s friends.

“Ben and Axel have qualities and talents that require no further assistance for filmmaking,” said junior Mary Condolora, a close friend of the filmmakers. “They can film, write, edit and make original songs. I expected nothing less of them than a really incredible film.”

Searles and Olson were able to work well together, partly due to the fact that the pair were good friends prior to the film.

“The movie was my brain child, so at first I was hesitant to work with a lot of people on it, but I knew Ben was passionate about filmmaking and knew more about the technological aspects of the process,” Olson said. “I don’t regret working with him at all; he got things done with his run-and-gun style, which is different from mine because I’m more methodical and intricate, but the different styles worked well together.”

Searles shared similar sentiments.

“We have a lot of the same opinions, but we were also learning a lot since we started together,” he said.

The dynamic duo are not done collaborating. Both are currently working on ideas for a short film. Olson recently finished a script for a short film titled Tungsten, which he considers a pretty far step away from Dead Beat.

Searles hopes to do another feature film next summer, one that he expects to involve a much shorter process thanks to the knowledge gained from working on Dead Beat.

Both boys can see themselves in film school after graduating but are still uncertain if they want to specialize in film study. With a feature film already under their belts, it’s clear that their strong passion and dedication will ensure that movies will be a major part of their future.

“I’d like to go as far as I can, but the filmmaking industry is hard to break into,” Searles said. “Making a film like this in high school is a really good and identifying thing to get me started.”

-Mallory Hazell

Filmmaking duo proves they’re no Deadbeats

19

Photoscourtesyof Axel Olson

-Victoria Dragstedt

Materials:PhotoPiece of woodLaser printerScissorsFlat instrument (ruler/edge of credit card)Matte gel medium (available at art supply stores)Mod podge (available at department stores and art supply stores)BrushTowel

DIY Art Project: Photo Transfers

Directions:1.) Pick out a photograph, black and white or color, and print it using a laser printer.

2.) Get a piece of wood that fits the size of your photograph.

3.) Apply a single layer of gel medium to the entire surface of the wood. If there is too much the print will have trouble coming off. If there is not enough some parts of the photo might not stick.

4.) Place the photo on the wood and smooth out any air bubbles or creases with a flat instrument.

5.) Let the picture dry for eight hours.

6.) Take a wet towel, press it on the wood and start rubbing off the fuzzy white fibers until your photo is fully revealed.

7.) Let it dry completely for at least six hours.

8.) Use a brush and cover the photo in Mod Podge and you are done!

21

“Say My Name” - Destiny’s Child

Ellie Moorefreshman

ShowsThe Black CrowesApril 23, The TabernacleVictor WootenApril 27, Variety PlayhouseFree EnergyApril 30, MasqueradeThe Flaming Lips and the Black KeysMay 2, Aarons Amphitheater at LakewoodShaky Knees Music Festival*May 3-4, Historic Fourth Ward Park and Masqerade Music ParkThe Avett Brothers w/ Old Crowe Medicine ShowMay 17, Verizon AmphitheaterBo BurnhamMay 22, Variety PlayhouseThe FlobotsMay 31, Masquerade

ReleasesApril 23—Snoop Lion, ReincarnatedApril 30—Kenny Chesney, Life on a Rock April 30—Guided by Voices, English Little LeagueMay 6—Noah and the Whale, Heart of NowhereMay 7—Rod Stewart, TimeMay 7—She and Him, Volume 3May 14—Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the CityMay 17—Daft Punk, Random Access MemoriesMay 20—The National, Trouble Will Find Me

* See opposite page for more information

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What gets your blood pumping?Grady students reveal the tunes that motivate them in the gym or in the weight room.

“More” - Usher

Graham Kiddfreshman

“Missing” - Free Band Gang

Brandon Watkinssenior

“Wild for the Night” - ASAP Rocky

Siena Turnersophomore

“Brain Stew” - Greenday

Samantha Meanderssophomore

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I remember the day like it was yesterday: the day my brother tried to teach me how to skateboard. I will never forget falling flat on my behind as the devilish skateboard rolled out from underneath me. Even though I failed terribly that day it will always be special because my brother included me in the sport that has made a huge impact on my entire family’s life: skateboarding.

Ever since I was born, the most familiar sound to me has been of skateboard wheels rolling e!ortlessly over pavement mixed with the screeching noise that comes from wheels being jerked all over smooth concrete. My dad opened his skateboard shop, Stratosphere Skateboards, 27 years ago, and it has been like my second home to me for as long as I can remember. My brother, Grant, first stepped on a skateboard when he was 3 years old and pretty much never got o!. His hobby has paid o! because now my brother is a professional skateboarder who travels all over the world to skate and gets paid to do what he loves.

I’ve had quite a number of homemade skateboard parks in my backyard and the most memorable to me is a shallow concrete bowl spanning the entire back of our house. I remember my dad putting me on his board with him when I was 3 or 4 years old and flying around the bowl as he held on to me. If I ever did forget, I can always watch the video my dad took to preserve the moment. I was wearing a huge T-shirt with Winnie the Pooh on it, and I was smiling and laughing as my dad and I sped around the bowl. I have countless memories of skateboarding throughout my life, but one stands out the most.

The day that my older brother came into my room and asked me if I wanted to learn how to skate was like a dream come true. People always asked me if I knew how to skateboard, and I would always sheepishly reply with something along the lines of “that’s better left up

to my dad and brother.” His invitation, however, o!ered me a chance to

learn how to do what my brother and dad were known for. When

my brother asked me that day, I quickly agreed and rushed to put on my shoes. I ran to the foyer, which was and still is filled with skateboards, to find my brother picking up a board and opening the front door.

It was a perfect fall day; it wasn’t too hot or too cold. My house is conveniently located on a dead end, which gave my dad the opportunity to build several ramps for local kids to skate on. My brother and I walked to the end of the street, and I felt a pang of nervousness in my stomach as we approached the wood-and-metal ramps. I quickly thought back to all the times I had watched my brother and his friends skate in my nine years of life and tried to picture how their feet had been arranged on their boards. Grant set the board on the ground; the underside was covered in various skateboard company stickers. He held the board steady with one foot while I stepped on cautiously. He arranged my feet so that they were parallel to each other at an angle and slightly hanging o! the edge of the board.

“Are you ready?”“I guess so,” I replied. He began pushing me gently towards

one of the shorter ramps and held on to my back as I rolled a few inches up the incline and back down. I was thrilled and ecstatic about my accomplishment. I immediately asked my brother if I could go down one of the ramps from the top. He was hesitant but agreed. We chose the shortest ramp, which was about three feet tall, and climbed onto its landing. There was only so much my brother could say to “teach” me how to go down the ramp. He quickly told me a few tips such as “Keep your knees bent,” and “Don’t lean back.”

I thought of how many times I had seen my dad and brother drop in on ramps and thought, “How hard could this really be?” Well, I have never underestimated anything else as much as I did the task of dropping in on a ramp on a skateboard. I placed my other foot on the board and leaned forward to tip it over the edge of the ramp.

I can only imagine how incredibly goofy I looked as I flew o! the board and felll

straight on my back. I could hear the board rolling away from me and slowly coming to a stop. I was staring at the blue sky and my brother’s face came into view looking down at me.

“ARE YOU OK?” Grant asked me.I couldn’t reply; the wind was knocked

out of me. After a few seconds of lying on the rocky pavement I struggled to get on my feet. Grant helped me up and, without saying a word, I bolted towards our house. I ran up the front steps, through the front door and into my room where I got in my bed and let the tears roll down my face. I felt defeated and embarrassed, not to mention the literal pain in my butt from my slamming the pavement.

Grant walked in and tried to console me but eventually left after I refused to say anything. But I wasn’t mad at him; I was mad at myself. I felt like I had let my brother down in every way possible. I couldn’t learn how to ride an oval-shaped piece of wood on four wheels! I was ashamed of myself for lacking any athletic ability.

A few days later, the incident was forgotten, and my brother never asked me if I wanted to learn how to skateboard again. He knew I was upset, and I think he realized then that sports of any kind were not my thing.

I’ve stepped on a skateboard a few times since that day, but I will never attempt the dreaded ramp again. I have decided to let my brother do what he does best, which is definitely not teaching someone else how to skateboard, but rather teaching himself and enjoying every second of it.

Ironically, I remember that day very fondly not because I learned how to skateboard but because I got to spend it with my brother, who I admire for so many reasons but mostly because he is the most humble person in the world despite all the amazing things he’s accomplished. He wouldn’t bring up these accomplishments, but I know how amazing he is and how lucky I am to be part of a family absorbed in the sport of skateboarding because it will always bring out the kid in all of us.

-Mckenzie Taylor

A painful fall, but a fond memory

Healthy switch from processed treats These versions of family favorites aren’t instant but they are healthier and more delectable

Recipe by Tia Borrego

Apple EnchiladasPreheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.1. Skin and slice apples into small cubes.2. Combine apple mixture ingredients in a bowl with a lid3. Shake the contents until thouroughly mixed.4. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes.5. Lightly grease an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking pan.6. Spread out tortillas and spoon the mixture evenly onto 7. all six. Roll tortillas and place seam side down on the baking 8. pan.Mix margarine, sugars and water into a medium sauce 9. pan and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly for 10. three minutes.Pour sauce evenly over tortillas and sprinkle with extra 11. cinnamon if desired. Bake for 20 minutes12. Allow tortillas to cool for 15-20 minutes.13.

Sauce

1/2 tablespoon lemon o juice 1/3 cup brown sugaro 1/4 teaspoon salto 1 teaspoon cinnamono 1/2 teaspoon nutmego 3 tablespoons flouro 6-8 medium-sized o apples, diced

Apple MIxture

6 eight-inch flour tortillaso 1/3 cup margarineo 1/2 cup white sugaro 1/2 cup brown sugaro 1/2 cup water o

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Homemade Cheez ItsIn a food processor mix the cheddar, butter, and salt until the mixture 1. is soft and combined. Add the flour and mix on low speed (the dough will be dry and 2. pebbly). Slowly add the water and mix for a few seconds. 3. Pat the dough into a ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and 4. refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahreneheit. 5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper6. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each into a very thin (1/8 7. inch or less) 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut the rectangles into 1-inch squares, then 8. transfer to the baking sheets. Use the tip of a chopstick or toothpick to punch a hole into the center of each square.Bake for 15-17 minutes or until pu!ed and browning at the edges. 9. Watch carefully, as the high fat content of the crackers makes the line between golden delicious and burnt. Immediately move the crackers to racks to cool.

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded3 tablespoons butter (softer and easier to stir at room temperature)3/4 teaspoon kosher salt1 cup all-purpose flour2 tablespoons ice water

Ingredients

Recipe adapted by Nara Smith

coutureThe write way to be fashion forward

Park & Cube: Shini Park is a London-based graphic designer who started her blog in 2008. Park created a blog that is chic, modern and, as you might expect, graphically appealing. Here you can find DIY projects, posts about delicious and convenient pho in London, beauty reviews, images that inspire Park, some of Park's daily outfits and Park's current wish-list items. Park & Cube is a hodgepodge of all things stylish and cute that Park discovers in her life as a photographer, web designer and graduate from the famous fashion college Central Saint Martins. Park's website is one to be envied by aspiring fashion bloggers because it has it all: organization, variety, appeal, high-definition images, few advertisements and, of course, great fashion posts and reviews that are not too short and not too long. Park intersperses humor throughout her blog, which is best described as sophisticated cute.

http://parkandcube.com

Street Peeper: Phil Oh is the quirky man behind Street Peeper. I say quirky because of Oh’s own account of starting the blog in late 2006 after being fired from several restaurants in NYC, being co-author of a trashy novel and selling Beanie Babies out of his NYU dorm room. Street Peeper provides a glimpse of style all around the globe, literally. Oh covers all the major cities like New York, Paris, Tokyo, London and Copenhagen. He also covers Amsterdam, Chicago, Sao Paulo, Warsaw and Mexico City. Oh takes unique pictures of stylish men and women wearing the most sought-after items of the moment as well as women who aren’t wearing designer brands but are still just as stylish and in the moment. Oh snaps pictures on the street all over the world, and he gives us much more than a peep of global fashion.

http://streetpeeper.com

The Man Repeller: What is a man repeller? According to Leandra Medine, the ultimate man repeller, it is a person who “outfits oneself in a sartorially o!ensive mode that may result in repelling members of the opposite sex.” This way of dressing can range from harem pants to shoulder pads. Medine posts about everything fashion: advice columns on how to layer clashing pieces, personal pictures from Fashion Week and other tidbits from the latest in the fashion world. The great thing about Medine and her blog is that she takes pride in being a man repeller and teaching other women to dress like man repellers. Medine’s sarcasm and wit permeate her blog, which makes wearing clogs and full-length jumpsuits seem that much more fun. The Man Repeller celebrates the neverending ways for a woman to dress to impress herself, not a man.

http://manrepeller.com

The Sartorialist: Scott Schuman is the man behind this online picture book that chronicles stylish people on the street. Schuman began the blog in 2005 with the idea of creating a “two-way dialogue about the world of fashion and its relationship to daily life.” The Sartorialist is a perfect source for fresh dressing inspiration and a way to see how one trend can be worn di!erently in other countries. Schuman photographs people in New York, Milan, Amsterdam, Florence, Paris and other fashionable cities around the world. Schuman likes to feature certain trends that he has seen fequently, such as leopard print, du"e coats, printed pu!ers and capes. In 2009, Penguin published an anthology of his images that has sold more than 100,000 copies. Schuman provides a source of sartorial elegance for all fashionistas.

http://thesartorialist.com

The world of fashion and the world of social networking have formed a perfect marriage over the last few years. It is as if you can’t be fashion forward without being technologically savvy. Fashion can be represented equally well through images and words, which makes it an ideal focus for a blog. The following blogs have been some of my favorites to visit for design inspiration and to keep up with trends. -Mckenzie Taylor

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Photos courtesy of Scott Schuman, Phil Oh, and Shini Park

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An app a day keeps the doctor at bayWith the amount of time people spend using their phones you would think they were spending at least some of it being productive. Sadly, what is produced is most often is nonsensical texting acronyms and finely sliced imaginary fruit. But a cellphone doesn’t have to be so unproductive: it can actually promote good health. Here are some apps that might help you exercise more than your texting finger.

-Laura Streib

Daily Workouts ($3.99) This app is just like having a personal trainer on your phone. It contains more than a 100 exercises that are put together in short workouts for specific parts of the body. It can also create random workouts, and users can make their own saved combinations. Available for iPhone, iPod, iPad and Android.

Pocket Yoga ($2.99) This app is exactly what it sounds like. Users are led through a complete yoga workout with each pose explained by a voice and a picture. It includes 27 di!erent workouts of varying di"culty and duration and a complete dictionary describing the benefits of each pose. Available for iPhone, iPod, iPad and Android.

TRX FORCE (Free for the app, $64.99 for full content) This app is not for the light of heart or wallet. It is nothing more than a digital version of the guidebook given to recruits of all branches of the U.S. government when they begin the 12-week tactical conditioning program.It includes daily workouts of increasing di"culty so that users of all fitness levels can begin the program and finish in top physical condition. Available for iPhone, iPod and iPad.

Nike+Running (free) Runners bring their phones with them and the app tracks how far they have gone, how fast they have run, and how many calories they have burned. Users can compare stats with their friends, give and receive live cheers, map their route and set motivating songs to play when they need an extra push. Available for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android.

Zombies, Run! ($3.99) To get motivated, some aspiring runners make a schedule, seek a running buddy, or enlist a pack of hungry zombies to follow them around. Users just have to plug in their headphones before they start running and they will be able to hear the undead behind them. The only way to keep from being eaten is to keep running. If zombies chomping at your heels isn’t motivation enough, the app includes a complete storyline where the runner is the leader of a group of “survivors” depending on the runner to keep them alive. As they run, they automatically pick up supplies that can be used to upgrade their base camp. Available for iPhone, iPod Touch and Android.

Sleep Cycle alarm clock ($0.99) This app is both an alarm clock and a sleep quality monitor. Users turn on the app and place their phone in their bed before they go to sleep, it monitors how long they sleep and the user’s sleep level throughout time. The app also plots this information on an easy-to-read graph. Users set a 30-minute time window for when they want to wake up, and the alarm goes o! when they are in their lightest sleep phase during that period. Available for iPhone and iPod Touch.

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Photos by Kate Taber 13

Baseball, lacrosse, paddling, hunting, camping. There isn’t much that senior Alex Stearns-Bernhart doesn’t do. Whether you see him in passing as you walk through the halls, or whether you share a class or lunch period with him, you are sure to hear him relate one of his enthusiastic stories about some near-death wildlife adventure, or some intense paddle down the Nantahala River, or you might be taught how to do something that is essential if you are to survive in the wilderness on your own.

Stearns-Bernhart grew up playing baseball at Medlock, but he eventually gave that up for the more physically intense sport of lacrosse. After playing for the Inman Middle School team for one year, Stearns-Bernhart joined the lacrosse team his freshman year when the sport was still new to Grady. Having played all four years of his high school career as a defender, he has earned his position as captain this year. While the team has struggled over the years to achieve a good standing relative to other Grady sports, Stearns-Bernhart is hopeful that this season will bring a winning record, which would be a first for the four-year-old varsity program. More than anything, the dedicated senior says that lacrosse keeps him connected with real life and has taught him to be a good team player, something he doesn’t really experience much on his solo expeditions in the wild.

In his free time Alex enjoys whitewater paddling and hunting small game

like pigs in south Georgia with his buddy Harrison Brock. He enjoys practicing primitive camping, which is basically putting yourself into situations where you are almost completely reliant on what is around you, and you have to survive on whatever food and shelter you can find in nature. It is the rare individual who would find that enjoyable, but then Stearns-Bernhart isn’t like most other Knights.

Stearns-Bernhart has been “dropping o!” since he was 12, and he has learned a great deal through his experiences. When he ventures o! to college next fall, Stearns-Bernhart plans to major in outdoor leadership so he can one day teach city folk like the rest of us all about the unknown wilderness. He has uno"cially been teaching classes at Bu!alo Cove Outdoor Education Center under his mentor, Nathan Roark, since he was 15. At 16, Alex took the Wilderness First Responder test and has been applying his knowledge of the outdoors ever since.

The next time you catch Stearns-Bernhart in the hallway or around school, maybe even after lacrosse practice, ask him about his crazy adventures in nature. He’s never short of a good story and is extremely knowledgeable about subjects about which the rest of us are wholly ignorant. Whether it is his plans to build a homestead in the southern Appalachians one day, or what accessories he carries around in his camouflage shorts pockets every day, you’ll be entertained. We could all use a little wisdom from Alex Stearns-Bernhart, the boy notorious for wearing patched-up shorts and Chaco sandals in the

middle of winter. -Valentina Makrides

Top: No. 24 Stearns-Bernhart (left) blocks opponent near the goal. Bottom: Stearns-Bernhart and his teammates line up before the game against Southwest DeKalb.

From artificial turf to being one with the earth

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“I would describe Buffalo Exchange as fun, playful, unexpected and very fashion forward,” said Chantay Dabenport, associate manager at Buffalo Exchange.

One of Atlanta’s newest second-hand stores, Buffalo Exchange, is located on Ponce a few doors down from Urban Outfitters. Buffalo Exchange carries men’s and women’s clothing and has a wide variety of shoes and accessories. Buffalo Exchange has locations all over the country including New York, Arizona and California. So far there is only one location in Georgia.

Buffalo Exchange gets most of its merchandise from customers bringing in clothing to sell. The buying process is very simple. People bring in old clothes they don’t wear anymore and an employee looks over them. They determine a price to sell the item of clothing for in the store. Then they offer either 50 percent store credit of that price or 30 percent in cash.

“We look for current popular brands like J Brand Jeans, Joe’s, Forever 21 and Madewell,” Dabenport said.

The company is also very environmentally friendly and philanthropic. Instead of giving customers bags to put their purchases in, they give them a token. On the way out of the door customers drop the token in one of the charity baskets. The charities are the Atlanta Humane Society, the Atlanta Food Bank and The Chattahoochee River Keeper. Buffalo Exchange donates the cost of the bags to the charity that the costumer selects.

“This store was different than most thrift stores because it was really organized, the stuff was nicer and they have good designer brands at really cheap prices,” said junior Mary Condolora, a frequent shopper.

This store is filled with all kinds of fashion finds from Juicy Couture sandals to vintage boots. With a friendly staff and cheap prices, shoppers are guaranteed to find a unique outfit and have a great experience at Buffalo Exchange.

-Kelsey Woods

Buffalo pal won’t you shop here tonight?

Buffalo Exchange1057 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE

Atlanta, GA 30306

Decker d’AlesioStyle Profiles

What are your favorite places to shop?“Probably Goodwill, Value Village, or Nordstrom Rack because you can find stuff that no one else has.”What is your favorite article of clothing?“My button-down shirts.”What inspires your fashion choices?“People from the ’70s and ’80s.”Does your style stand out amongst your friends?“Not really. We all wear jean jackets and tight pants.”Describe your favorite outfit?“A Hawaiian shirt, my bowling shoes, grey khakis and my jean jacket.”

What are your favorite places to shop at?“I love shopping at thrift stores, Target and Buffalo Exchange.”What is your favorite article of clothing?“I really like dresses because I think they’re really easy to wear, versatile, and you can dress them up and dress them down.”What inspires your fashion choices?“I really like mid ’90s grunge style.”Are there any celebrities that inspire your fashion choices?“No, I don’t pay attention to celebrities.”Describe your favorite outfit?“My leather jacket with a dress, knee highs and Doc Martens.”

Ciena Leshley

Photos and interviews by Devina Jones-Vargas

Issue%2%Reflections%!Page!2!

I!worked!on!this!cover!design!with!James.!I!liked!what!he!originally!had!but!we!both!new!it!needed!something.!I!was!tweaking!it!one!day!and!added!the!horizon!like!and!changed!the!whole!background!to!black.!Then!we!had!the!idea!to!add!the!Grady!arch!behind!it.!Cutting!it!out!was!aggravating!and!tedious!but!I!really!like!how!the!cover!turned!out.!!!Page!12!

I!worked!with!Abby!on!this!page.!She!just!needed!some!help!with!the!layout!and!making!everything!fit.!At!first!the!mascot!wasn’t!the!dominant!picture!on!the!page.!The!page!was!finished!rather!quickly!after!we!made!the!mascot!larger.!!Page!13!

I!replaced!the!1!in!2013!to!the!number!one!fan!finger.!There!were!only!three!sports!teams!that!were!being!talked!about!but!four!numbers!to!fill!so!we!had!to!think!of!something!to!do.!The!fan!finger!was!the!perfect!solution.!!Feature%Page!14J15!Page!16J17!Page!18!Page!19!

Getting!the!feature!section!done!for!this!issue!was!a!struggle.!A!lot!of!it!ended!up!being!last!minute!since!I!worked!on!so!many!other!sections!for!this!issue.!We!were!missing!stories!and!pictures.!

The!first!page!I!finished!was!the!profile!on!the!Grady!Alumni.!I!think!the!whole!design!of!the!page!is!awesome.!It!just!worked!out!that!the!countries!he!had!taught!in!were!conveniently!located!to!allow!the!text!to!work.!This!was!probably!the!first!page!to!be!finished!for!the!whole!issue.!

The!hardest!pages!to!design!were!the!handwriting!page!and!the!profile!on!Cole!Davies.!There!was!alack!of!pictures!for!both.!The!handwriting!page!took!a!very!long!time!and!I!felt!like!I!was!the!only!one!trying!to!move!it!forward.!I!was!missing!a!lot!of!information!necessary!to!even!make!the!page.!! !Page!22J24!

These!pages!had!already!been!started!by!other!staff!members!but!were!unorganized!and!not!visually!appealing.!I’ve!always!struggled!with!making!the!decision!to!go!ahead!and!just!redo!the!page!on!my!own!to!just!get!it!done!since!we!are!usually!on!a!time!crunch,!or!making!suggestions!to!the!other!staffers!as!to!how!to!fix!it.!With!these!three!pages,!I!decided!to!go!ahead!and!change!them!on!my!own,!but!not!leave!the!other!staffers!out!of!it.!They!helped!place!photos,!but!I!set!up!the!bones!of!the!pages.!I!think!it!was!a!creative!layout!and!it!was!apparent!that!all!three!stories!were!connected.!

!Page!25!

This!page!was!also!a!redesign.!The!story!was!pretty!short!and!we!had!to!find!a!way!to!make!it!take!up!a!whole!page.!The!original!design!made!the!food!look!unappealing.!I!think!the!end!product!was!an!ok!design!but!I!think!we!could!have!done!better.!!Page!26!! I!worked!with!McKenzie!on!this!page.!It!was!hard!to!work!with!because!the!length!of!McKenzie’s!story!was!much!longer!than!Ms.!Williams.!!The!original!idea!by!Mr.!Winter!was!to!make!the!two!people!into!board!game!pieces!moving!to!the!same!space,!but!with!time!constraints,!I!ended!up!just!making!it!into!a!runway.!I!think!the!end!product!was!good,!but!with!more!time!I’m!sure!we!could!have!made!it!more!interesting.!!!Page!27!! The!usual!layout!of!this!page!is!vertical,!but!for!this!issue!we!decided!to!make!it!horizontal!because!the!facing!page!was!very!vertical.!I!like!that!we!switched!it!up!some,!and!I!think!it!made!it!easier!to!read.!It!was!hard!to!work!with!the!pictures!taken!for!the!style!profiles.!The!backgrounds!on!each!were!different!and!not!appealing!so!we!had!to!cut!them!out,!which!made!it!hard!to!fit!them!and!make!them!look!proportional!to!one!another.!!Page!30!! This!page!has!my!story!on!it.!I!really!enjoyed!reflecting!on!my!time!at!Grady!while!writing!this!story.!Hopefully!some!freshman!actually!took!in!what!I!was!saying.!I!truly!wish!I!would!have!been!told!some!of!the!things!I!wrote!in!my!article!when!I!was!a!freshman.!

DGra IUncovering Gradyʼ’s Identity

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It’s Friday night and it’s 53 degrees outside; the stadium stairs are filled with anxious faces. The fans eagerly anticipate the next quarter of action and enjoy the pageantry of the halftime show. Halftime at a Friday night football game is school spirit at its finest: crowds cheering, cheerleaders boosting morale, band musicians playing their instruments and dancers pouring everything they’ve got into their routine.

But at Grady on this and every Friday night, something is missing: the school mascot. Nothing can hype the crowd like a school mascot.

“When I first came to Grady, we didn’t have any school spirit,” senior Abrahana James said. “I slowly started to see that change, but we still have a long way to go. We need a school mascot badly.”

Certainly, pep rallies, announcements and promos can help to increase student support, but none of these promotional e!orts o!ers the visual appeal a mascot would provide.

A mascot could unify students of all grade levels and backgrounds with the common purpose of supporting the school. A mascot would singlehandedly spark school spirit and entice more students and community members to attend sporting events.

“As a whole, I think our school could use a little help in the spirit department,” sophomore Chloe Irene said. “What better way to gain fans at a game than to have a mascot of our own?”

For years a school mascot has been an unrealized dream for students who aspire to see increased school spirit.

Students have implored school o"cials to establish a Grey Knight mascot. It has been a long and strenuous struggle, but the students and teachers have come closer than ever to obtaining a personalized Grady mascot. There, however, are still a few obstacles that stand in the way of Grady and finally creating a school mascot.

Students have been working with Mr. Brandhorst to get a mascot for Grady. They are currently working on projects to raise funds for the mascot, which appears to be one of the largest obstacles at this time. They have $500 in waiting which they have received from the PSTA, but they are still in need of $1,000 to create the mascot. Mr. Brandhorst has left the task of raising the funds up to the seniors. It is critical to raise these funds because without them the school will not be able to a!ord the costs of creating the mascot.

Raising funds, however, is only part of the problem. After the school has obtained the money necessary for the creation of the mascot, the school will still need a credible volunteer to perform as the school mascot.

The school needs a dedicated committee to work on creating the mascot. These people can also help raise the money to buy the necessary materials, but they can not do it alone.

Whether it is through donating money, contributing time to the cause, providing ideas or helping in other ways, students need to become active in the mascot-creating process if Grady expects to set precedence with their Knight mascot.

A mascot is just what Grady needs to be the best that it can be, but students, teachers and administration need

to step it up for the school to achieve this goal.-Tia Borrego

GK, GK, where’s our mascot?

One of four potential

designs created by Tom Sapp of Real Characters

for the Grady Knight mascot.

Students believe the low levels of school spirit can be traced back to the lackof a costumed character to bring us together

©Real Characters, Inc.

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For Atlanta sports fans, 2012 was a year of hope. The hope that the Braves would go deep into the playo!s, the hope that the Dirty Birds would stay perfect and the hope that the Bulldogs could sneak into the BCS championship. The di!erence last year was that hope. The chance of an Atlanta team going all the way makes the average citizens rise up and creates a stir in our city. Nobody cares about second place in the division but when playo!s are mentioned, Atlanta fans suddenly pop up wearing shiny new player jerseys. Give them a mirror and these “fans” may be able to tell you the player’s number and last name, but they have no clue what position he plays. Dedicated fans call these newbies bandwagon fans but in their defense, who wants to watch a bunch of losers?

On the night of the National League wild card game, Atlanta fans at Turner Field displayed their passion for the Braves. The infamous infield fly call that extinguished any hope of a Braves win pushed fans to throw bottles on to the field. As a witness to the game that night, I can attest that it was the most passionate reaction I have ever seen from a Braves crowd. Chipper Jones would say after the game that he has never seen so much “fire” from an Atlanta crowd but didn’t blame the loss on the call. The fans did though. To them it was an unfair end to a great season. The game was delayed 19 minutes as fans threw bottles on the field in open revolt. Many people around the country looked down on Atlanta fans for their behavior. Braves fans acted like “New York Fans,” Buck Belue of 680 AM lamented. Baseball fans are not used to playo! series being reduced to one game. With an entire season and Chipper Jones’ career on the line, what did they expect, “Good game Cardinals. Hope you win the World Series again.”?

While the Braves descended, the Falcons soared. Led by Matt Ryan, the Falcons started o! 2012 with eight straight wins. The commentators on ESPN SportsCenter refused to give the Atlanta football team any credit for how they played at the start of the season, claiming the Falcons

had not played any talented teams. That tune changed however on Dec. 16 when the Falcons shut out Eli Manning and the Giants. Crushing the defending champions 34-0 was plenty for Atlanta fans to rally behind. Also, in 2012, voters approved the construction of a new Falcons stadium by 2017. With the Dirty Birds nesting in the No. 1 playo! seed, there could not be a better time to ask Atlanta to support a new nest for the Falcons. Excitement over the winning season could drive the project along.

The Falcons current home was the site of the SEC championship between Georgia and Alabama. The University of Georgia football team, while not based in the city, has a loyal following in Atlanta. During the 2012 season the Bulldogs won every game between the hedges in Athens. The hard-fought game against Alabama was one of the best in SEC history. Even though the Crimson Tide prevailed on the game’s final play, there is no denying how well the Dawgs played in 2012. In fact, some question the BCS rankings and suggest Georgia should have been ranked higher than Notre Dame due to the superior competition the Dawgs faced during the season. Without a doubt, the team provided yet another team for Atlanta to celebrate. Grady alumn Damian Swann starts on defense for UGA and ended a strong season with two interceptions in the Capital One Bowl win over Nebraska. Many Grady students watch Georgia games to see how Swann plays at the next level.

The Hawks, Georgia Tech or the Silverbacks (Atlanta’s pro soccer team) were not forgotten, but the Braves, Falcons and Bulldogs created the biggest stir in 2012. Atlanta teams have been pretty dormant since the Braves took it all in 1995, and Falcons almost did in 1998, but 2012 was di!erent. Atlanta enters 2013 hungry for more playo!s success. With passionate fans behind them, the hometown teams have a fighting chance next season.

-Peter Mastin

A year of living dangerously close to a title

Grady’s most popular namesMal

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Jam

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Photo by Luke Webster

Individually we are di!erent, we know. But how are we

di!erent? Nexus strives to find out in this issue.

Pictured in photo illustration:Abby Orlansky, Troy Hightower, Lauren Ogg, Lauren Meadows, Emily Ferris, Mary Condolora, Ronnie Perez, Chris Williams, Luke Paddock, Eli Jordan, Sawyer Folks, Zachary Garrett, J.D. Capelouto

8 8 8

yGra DIUncovering Gradyʼ’s Identity

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Coming-of-age tales are told again and again, mostly because coming of age is something that everyone experiences, but each one of these tales makes the same thing clear; all teenagers want is to find themselves. And, what’s the one thing that is designed to di!erentiate you from everyone else: your name.

Sadly names often fail in this important task, merging people with shared names into a shared identity that is neither unique nor accurate. Many have experienced this particular brand of mistaken identity (some more than others): you hear your name called but when you respond they say, “No, the other one,” or you get a, “Hey, I heard you…” but it wasn’t you they were addressing; it was the other one.

Though the days of John and Sally, and mob movies where everyone is named Michael seem to be mostly over, some first names are still ubiquitous, and it’s still just as confusing.

To determine what’s in a name at Grady Ms. Holland, in the registrars o"ce, provided Nexus a complete first-name roster of the entire school. The list is not entirely accurate as students who live with one parent and have a sibling (who also attends Grady) who lives with their other parent appear twice. This discrepancy would cause some names to appear repeated that really only belong to one student, but the number is small out of the total so the data provided is relatively accurate.

“Well in one class there are three Zack’s* and Mr. Cramer knows it, so he just yells Zack, and we all have to look up. It’s kind of annoying.” senior Zachary Caldwell said.

There are six Zachary’s enrolled here, so having three in one class is unlikely but clearly possible. Even if your name isn’t Zachary, there is a chance that you have been stuck with your alter ego once or twice. Even Montavious can’t escape the possibility of a mistaken identity because there is a Montavius at Grady, too. What is a regular Joe (or Montavious) to do when confronted with his peer by the same name?

“Back sophomore year, I hung out with a bunch of di!erent David’s so there was a black David, a skinny David, a tall David and a fat David.” senior David Carlock said.

While short physical identifiers may help distinguish name sharers, there are probably only a few adjectives that people would wish to have placed forever in front of their names.

“I’m just awesome so I always stand out,” junior William Starr said.

That’s good for him because there are eight Williams, one Will, and one Willy enrolled at Grady. Perhaps it isn’t that unpleasant to be one of three or four, but how about being one of nine as is the case with the Christopher’s, Malik’s and Morgan’s at Grady.

Maybe we could all go by our social security number. There would be no overlap, and we would get to sco! at those old-school foreigners who still have letters in their names. To avoid

the serious safety concerns of that method, some parents just add one or two letters in front of a common name. Anthony became D’Anthony for example, but any simple solution to name overlap is thwarted once it becomes a trend. There are already four Deandre’s at Grady.

Using names already in existence has left many Grady students with more alternates than they would like. So some parents invented names in the hope that no one else would have the same moniker. There is even one student at Grady named Iamunique. Creating names allows their owner to avoid blending in, but first name ingenuity comes with its own unique problems, like frequent mispronunciation and awkward introductions and interviews.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met another person my own age named Leslie, and sometimes I feel like it’s kind of outdated, but I think its cool that it’s unique without being crazy.” junior Leslie Lang said.

“I’m the only Lana at the three schools I’ve been to,” senior Lana Lovette said.

When Lovette made this statement, her voice emitted happiness and even got a little high-pitched. She clearly thought that never being told “No, the other one” was a desired outcome. The consensus among the unique appears to be to be that those with common names are just missing out.

-Laura Streib

*or maybe their names are Zac or Zach

Grady’s most popular names

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Will

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Where there’s a Will, there’s a Zack

When you sign your name, you’re doing more than just giving your authorization or agreeing to terms. You are writing down an encrypted code that can unlock all the characteristics that make up your personality.

Our signatures develop through years of practice, technique and form. Our elementary school teachers help us to write letters in cursive and connect them together to form words and names; however, they never teach us the importance of our cursive handwriting. Why can we not just write in print? Or use Times New Roman stamps just to mark our names?

What they neglect to tell you is that the way you write says a lot about you as an individual. It can tell about your reliability, your comfort level, your social activity, how you operate, who you fit in with, and more than you are trying to express.

In my AP Psychology class, one of the first things we learned about was graphology, the study of handwriting. We were asked to write a statement in cursive and then ask another classmate to analyze and “grade” our handwriting, basically coming up with a personality profile based on our script. Little did I know that someone could tell whay my insecurity level was just by how hard I press my pen on the paper. Who would have thought that just by the way I space my lines betrays approach my life?

It’s important to understand how your handwriting reveals your personality. Though only few companies still ask for hand-written resumes, those companies get the sample. What you don’t say in your interview may be revealed in your handwriting.

You should do a self analysis of your own handwriting. The analysis works best when you write in cursive. How long has it been since we’ve all written in cursive? Try writing the alphabet once or twice just to brush up on your cursive, then, write this statement:

“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”

Write the whole statement in cursive and use the rubric to complete your evaluation. If you still aren’t that good with cursive, try just writing a moderate signature. If all else fails, write in print.

Have fun with this; even though what you find out may not be the most positive, chances are, there is some truth in it. So learn from this experience of really understanding yourself. It can be a fun activity to do with your family or friends. It

may make you look at certain people or yourself in a whole new light.

-Courtney Marshall

The overall body of the sentence slightly raises on the right which says you are a cheerful and optimistic. Your handwriting is relatively small, which shows evidence of a technical personality. Your letters, therefore your words, have a slight forward stroke which show an extraverted personality.

SizeLarge handwriting can indicate an outgoing personality, or it can mean that the writer acts confidently in front of friends in a way that she doesn’t act in front of strangers or when alone. Large rounded and dominant letters indicate that the writer is friendly and sociable.

Small handwriting usually suggests the writer is a scholar or a detailed, technical thinker. If the writing is small and delicate, the writer probably communicates well only with people who share her interests and disciplines. Writers with small handwriting do not generally find it easy to break new ground socially.

SlantA right slant indicates the writer may wish to be friendly, manipulative, responsive, intrusive, persuasive, controlling, loving or supportive. A forward slant reveals that the writer is very social.

Letters with no slant and upright strokes convey independence. The writer of upright letters is motivated by factors other than the people around her.

A left slant indicates that the writer is sensitive and reserved. She is true to herself first and can be resentful if others demand more commitment from her. A backwards slant may indicate the writer is shy and reclusive.

Word SpacingWide spaces between words indicate the writer needs space and prefers time alone. She is comfortable alone and may even distrust others.

Narrow spaces between words indicate a wish to be with others, but such writers may also crowd people and interject themselves into unwelcoming social groups or scenes.

Regular spacing between words Indicates artistic talent and awareness. This writer also is equally comfortable alone or in the presence of others.

Line SlopeIf the slope of the handwriting rises from left to right, the writer is most likely optimistic and cheerful.

If the slope of the handwriting sinks from left to right, the writer may be physically or mentally fatigued.

Pen PressureHeavy pressure on paper can indicate commitment and seriousness of purpose; however, if the pressure is excessive, the writer may be stressed out or overly sensitive to criticism, even where she is not being criticized. These writers frequently react first and ask questions afterwards.

Light pressure shows sensitivity to atmosphere and empathy to people. Uneven pressure, however, may convey a lack of vitality. These writers may also exhibit close-mindedness or stubbornness.

Other Handwriting Indicators:Ü If the writer pulls her lower loops (the loops on descenders like p’s, q’s and y’s) to the right, then she is interested in the welfare of others. Ü If she pulls her uppercase letters to the left, then she has a strong sense of nostalgia. Ü If she pulls her lower loops to the left, then she has a strong sense of physical fulfillment. Ü If she closes the loops on her e’s tightly, then the writer prefers secrecy. Ü If she writes her s’s so that they stand alone and are fully formed, then she is independent. Ü If she fails to connect her case letters (letters without ascenders or descenders like a, c, e, m, n, o) or leaves them unfinished, then she has a casual nature or is prone to gossip. ÜIf she rounds out the edges of her central case letters, then she is interested in the welfare of others. Ü If she composes her loops with harsh angles, then she is potentially a di!cult character. Ü If she crosses multiple t’s with a single line, then she is a quick thinker.Ü If she neglects to dot her i’s or to cross her t’s, then she is forgetful or careless. Ü The way she dots her i’s can also reveal a lot about her.

 A dot directly above or close to the i Indicates she is exacting.

 A dot ahead of the i means she has an active mind. A flicked dot indicates she has a highly

developed sense of humor. A dot placed behind the i indicates she is

thoughtful. Sources consulted:Bart A. Baggett “Quick Reference Guide for Beginners” http://www. streamingvideotutorials.com/101media/pdf_files/reference.pdfElaine Quigley “Graphology- handwriting analysis” http://www. businessballs.com/graphologyhandwritinganalysis.htm 17

When you wrote the words “quick” and “jumps,” you omitted the dots on your “i,” and “j,” which means you can be forgetful and careless.

You consistently close your “e’s” and other central letters, which indicates secrecy.

Aliyah Dumas

In the word “jumps” your “s” is noticeably spaced from the rest of the word, which suggests independence.

“I agree with the analysis. I felt surprised that it was accurate. I didn’t expect it to be close to how I am.”

Christina Conner

“I agree with my analysis; I think it describes me very well.”

Your letters have no slant, and they are drawn upright, which indicates your personality is not motivated by the people around you. Your complete written sentence sags downward on the right, which suggests mental or physical weariness. Your words are evenly and regularly spaced, which shows an artistic spatially aware person.

The omitted dot above your “j” shows that you can be carelessand forgetful.

The dot above your “i” is dotted, indicating you’re are a verythoughtful person.

Your lowercase central lettersare rounded which suggestyou are interested in the livesof other people.

Write the sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” in cursive in the space provided above. Use the rubric below to analyze

what your handwriting says about you.

Do-it-yourself Handwriting AnalysisDo you go according to script ?

16

Yourfacehere

Grady grad goes around the globeEleven years after he walked

the halls of Grady High School Jeremy Senterfitt, 29, wakes up every morning in the tropical city of Arequipa, Peru, to teach English at local private schools. Peru has been only one of his many international destinations where his exciting job has taken him.

“I decided to work abroad because I have always loved to travel and see di!erent places,” Senterfitt said. After passing a Teaching English as a Foreign Language course, the class of 2001 alum has worked for private schools in Greece, Sudan, Ethiopia and Peru teaching English to school-age children, from third-graders to 12th-graders with a few college-age students thrown in for good measure.

Senterfitt has realized that people all over the world generally exhibit the same behaviors.

“Whether in Africa, Europe, South America or the USA,

my experience is that most people just want to live a normal life,

get a good job, spend time with friends and

family and enjoy life,” Senterfitt said.

While the cultures are essentially similar, they also have their

fair share of di!erences. While he was in Sudan, he lived under Sharia, or Islamic

law, meaning alcohol was illegal, and all secular activity stopped multiple times per day for prayer time. In other developing countries he visited, it was very common to see livestock such as cows and sheep wandering through busy streets of major cities.

Public transportation in many developing countries has also proven to be very di!erent, making Senterfitt long for the familiar MARTA buses of Atlanta. Since Senterfitt does not drive a car, he has found himself packed into buses filled to the brim with people and animals. “There have also been some scary moments, as tra"c laws aren’t really enforced, so people drive like maniacs, but thank God, I haven’t been in any accidents,” he said.

He has experienced some mechanical issues with the bus system, once getting stranded in the middle of the barren Sahara Desert.

But not all of the cultural di!erences have been for the worse. Senterfitt’s favorite country so far has been Ethiopia.

“The Ethiopian people are very hospitable, and I even spent one Easter in a small mountain town with one of my Ethiopian friends.”

On Easter morning, the family slaughtered, cleaned and cooked one of its finest sheep. He had the rare chance to try raw sheep heart, considered an Ethiopian delicacy.

“It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible, and you can’t say no when you’re in another person’s home.”

Senterfitt’s experience at Grady prepared him for his new lifestyle. Not only did he work on the GNN sta! as an anchor, but he made friends with di!erent people from many di!erent backgrounds and places around the city.

“Grady taught me to

accept and appreciate people di!erent than me and that has certainly helped [me] as I have traveled around the world.”

Experiencing many di!erent cultures has shaped Senterfitt as a person. By learning so much about how people live in other parts of the world, he has gained a new appreciation for American life.

“It has helped me realize how fortunate we are in the USA and how much better our standard of living is than most of the world.”

What is next for the global traveler?

Currently, Senterfitt is in Arequipa, Peru, balancing Spanish lessons and his English teaching job at a neighborhood private school during the week and going out with friends and traveling on weekends. Whatever he does next, he looks to continue exploring the world and helping others.

“I have learned so much about how people live in di!erent parts of the world, which has really made my life more interesting.”

-Luke Webster

From Europe to South America, a 2001 Grady alum travels the worldteaching the English language to school children

In northern Sudan, Senterfitt visits an ancient temple from the Kush Empire with his friend Amar.

Senterfitt stands before Nechisar National Park in southern Ethiopia.Senterfitt takes a snapshot in

Peru with Lake Titicaca in the background.

The Grady grad poses at Balos, a beautiful beach on

Crete, a Greek island.

Photos courtesy of Jeremy Senterfitt

For the past few years, senior Cole Davies has been continuously experimenting in the field of culinary arts. He has developed a passion for making edible treats and likes to venture into new ways of cooking, baking and brewing when he has the time. His practice began in eighth grade with an apprenticeship at Steady Hand Pour House, a co!ee and tea shop in Emory Village. He learned how to make tea and co!ee drinks and quickly became interested in making them visually pleasing for the customer.

Latte art is the act of pouring steamed milk into a shot of espresso, or co!ee and creating delicate patterns or images in the drink. Davies enjoys making new designs for customers while at work on the weekends but doesn’t take the time to make co!ee for his family members at home. Instead, Davies indulges in a more eccentric hobby: brewing and distilling his own beer. He follows the careful process under the company of his older family members but enjoys doing most of the work on his own.

“To find the right measurements for the perfect brews of co!ee and beer alike, I follow the same systematic measurements.”

The flavor and strength of a brew depend on the amount of water mixed in, the temperature of the mixture while brewing, and the amount of time you let it steep.

In his senior year, Davies became inspired from a family member who had been brewing on their own for years. He also gives recognition to Jimmy Carter, who made it legal during his presidency.

The entire brewing process takes up to three hours. Brewers, like Davies and his relatives, take malted barley, which is germinated cereal grain that has been dried out in a kilning process, and they grind it and steep it in hot water to create wort. Wort is a sweet liquid precursor to beer. The wort is then boiled in a kettle for about an hour, with hops, a flavoring plant used in all beer, added at di!erent intervals. The liquid is cooled as quickly as possible, then added to a fermentor with yeast. The yeast turns the fermentable sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide over the course of about a week.

Once the beer is ready, Davies spends several days bottling the raw liquid adding sugar along the way. Once the bottles are capped, the yeast carbonates the brew. It is up to the

brewer to decide what malts, hops and yeast to use, among other variables.

“My favorite part of brewing is being done, watching the beer bubble away in the fermentor, and writing up new

recipes,” Davies said. “Making a career out of this would be

nice,” Davies said. “The craft beer industry is really blowing up

right now, and Atlanta is home to many creative

brewers and beer geeks.”

-Nara Smith

Davies holds up a bag of peach-spiced hops which is added during the brewing process to add flavor.

One part barista

One part brewer

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Davies photo by Nara Smith

GRADY

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A mother of two and owner of Avalon Catering, Cathy Conway is a busy woman on a mission. Grady students and friends of senior Lily Trapkin are familiar with her mother Cathy, most associating her with her amazing catered meals for Grady proms and other events such as “A Taste of Grady.”

At 12 years old, Conway baked her first cake by herself, sparking her lifelong interest in cooking and

her love for food. She began to finish preparing meals for her mother because her mother worked a lot, and soon she just began cooking full meals from scratch. After she earned a bachelor’s degree in food science, Conway began Avalon Catering in 1992, when her first daughter Madison was about 5 months old. She was working for another catering company at the time, but wanted more freedom. On average, Avalon caters around 8-10 events a week, most often weddings. Cathy is all about locally grown foods and that’s what makes her catering and food so unique. Her fresh and local ingredients make an appearance in every meal. The carefully prepared meals and beautiful presentations make every event or home-cooked dinner feel special.

“She has this constant drive to explore everything: new food, new hiking trails, new travel destinations, new everything,” said her daughter Madison, 20. “I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed her pass up an opportunity to do something spontaneous.”

There is always something to Cathy’s cooking that makes it personal and tasty.

“She could be cooking pho for dinner or whipping up some butternut squash risotto, and I’d still know she made it as soon as I tasted it.”

Cathy works 60 hours a week, and despite her busy hours, she still finds time to cook dinner most every night for her family, which includes her husband Steve and daughter Lily. Madison mentioned that as a high school student she would get frustrated when dinners weren’t ready after 8:30 p.m., a little later than the typical family dinner, but now she realizes it’s because of the time her mother puts into each meal.

“My mom’s style of cooking is best described as food love,” she said. “I’m not kidding when I say she cares about every dish she makes, and I like to think that’s because she genuinely cares about everyone she’s cooking it for.”

-Abby Orlansky

Left: Conway sets up freshly cooked greens for tasting table at an outdoor food event.Middle: Daughter Lily and sister Elaine help Conway prepare a Thanksgiving feast.

Right: After a day of work, Conway comes home to make a home-cooked dinner for her family.

For constant caterer, all you need is food love

ChefCathy Conway and daughter Lily Trapkin

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As I approached the canary yellow and plum purple house, the sweet smell of cakes, flavored popcorn and brownies wafted to my nose. I entered the sweet shop and was immediately greeted by the warm smile of Ardra Tippet, the owner of Cake Café and the mother of senior Nia Tippet.

Originally from the Midwest, Tippet began baking when she was in her seventh-grade cooking class in school, but she did not intend to follow the culinary path. Prior to opening Cake Café in 2008, the St. Louis native owned several businesses, including a tax and accounting o!ce, a Sprint dealership, a real estate company and a travel agency.

“When I got older and frustrated with not being fulfilled, I decided to do something I had been doing for free, and I had been baking for free all of my life,” Tippet said. “So, I turned my hobby into a career.”

Tippet believes the success of her business was due to her magnanimous character and superior customer service. The original café is located in Decatur. There is a second location on Peachtree Street in Buckhead and a sub-location in The Atlanta Museum Bar. The sweet shop is also gaining popularity through an upcoming reality TV show focusing on the challenges Tippet experiences as a single African-American mother and an entrepreneur. Although the show has not been picked up yet, TV1 and Bounce TV are showing great interest in it.

“This [the TV show] is about caring for people and being somewhat of a role model because grownups need role models, too,” Tippet said.

Cake Café has catered for several well-known people including President Barack Obama, Georgia representatives Hank Johnson and Stan Watson, rappers Young Jeezy, Meek Mill, and Wacka Flacka, Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member Kandi Buruss, and Mayor Kasim Reed, just to name a few.

The road to success has not been easy for Tippet. Her greatest challenge has been finding and then leading loyal employees.

“Leading is not befriending,” Tippet said. “It’s like being a parent. You can be friendly with your child, but you can’t be their friend. You have to be loving but firm, and there are boundaries.”

Tippet’s future plans for Cake Café include owning a chain of dessert/sweet shops as well as a dessert and jazz café. She also plans to be an author and a motivational speaker.

“I want to encourage people to be fulfilled and satisfied with where they are,” Tippet said. “People are worried about dreams and destinations and don’t enjoy the journey. I want people to enjoy the journey.”

-Jakara Gri!n

Left: The canary and purple house transformed into a bakery stands proudly as the headquarters of Cake Café.Middle: St. Loius native, Adra Tippet, preparing to sell her famous gormet popcorn to a customer.

Right: Imitation of cupcakes are displayed for customers to chose their favorite flavor.

Café success has been no cake walkP

hotos by Jakara Gri!

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Quaintly situated

between Freedom Park and North

Avenue, Babette’s Cafe has enjoyed a steady flow of Atlantans through its doors for 20 years. The rustic European eatery may seem out of place among its company on the block: a gas station, a dry cleaners and an eclectic book store, but having served countless Atlantans, Babette’s menu has certainly earned its place among the city’s finest cuisine.

The historic bungalow, inciden-tally, belongs not to Babette, but to Marla Adams.

Although raised in Turkey and Iraq, Adams grew fond of the versatile classic French culinary technique during her visits to Europe. After working in bakeries, hotels and restaurants of varying sizes, and reaching a glass ceiling, Adams decided to incorporate her experience in the food service industry with the flavors of her worldly childhood by opening her own restaurant.

“I wanted to create food that you would have in someone’s home in the European countryside,” Adams said, “something casual, delicious and local.”

From years of experience, she has found the small restaurants to be the most rewarding. Not far from the cafe’s current location, she purchased a small storefront. Her inspiration for the name and unique

style of the café came from a 1987 Danish film.

“Babette’s Feast was a film and a short story of the power and grace of a meal that can bring together a group of people,” Adams said.

The preexisting feel of the storefront fit well with the style of Babette’s Feast, which was set in 19th-century Denmark.

Adams reflects that the intimacy of a small restaurant is what has attracted many of her clientele.

“They come to be taken care of, served comfortable food that is delicious and with a medium price point,” she said.

While the rustic façade may clash with the buzzing neon signs of Manuel’s Tavern, located across North Highland, the location has been like a second home for senior Mona Adams. Daughter to Marla Adams, Mona long ago grew acustomed to spending late nights at the restaurant.

“It made me grow up really fast,” Adams said. “I was around a lot of adults throughout my childhood.”

Although independent now that she is in high school,

Adams still returns to the café to help out by hostessing or bussing tables. The flexible hours have helped her squeeze time to work into her busy schedule of dance rehearsals, homework and college applications. The job pays wages of a di!erent kind as it returns her to a part of her childhood.

“My mom is lenient with students because school should always come first,” Adams said.

The cafe has become something more than simply a job for her mother as well.

“Babette’s has become her own person within the community,” Marla Adams said. “She is a business

which employs people, pays taxes, cleans up the park. But she also

takes out the trash, donates

to causes, buys things, changes light bulbs and goes to

neighborhood events. And of course, welcomes people into her home.”

-James Moy

Left: Marla enjoys a day in Venice with her daughter Mona. It is through her European travels that Adams cultivated the culinary style and decor of Babette’s. Center: Babette’s recently celebrated its 20th anniversary by creating a special logo

to commenorate the occasion. For the new year it was redesigned to prepare for another 20 years.Right: With its rustic European style, Babette’s Cafe doesn’t fit in with the other businesses on the street.

It looks like its neighbors should be quaint European homes instead of a dry cleaners and a gas station.

GRADY

Photos courtesy of Marla Adams and

Mona Adams

Cafe brings European Highlands to our’s, minus the cows

820 Ralph McGill Blvd NEAtlanta, GA 30306

404-522-4622

All photos by Kelsey Woods

Hidden in Old Fourth Ward, along the BeltLine is one of the hippest restaurants in Atlanta. When you walk through the doors, you are immediately overcome by the aroma of the open kitchen and the dark intimate setting of the restaurant. Perfect for private receptions, a family dinner or a fun night out, Two Urban Licks caters to any event. In addition to an intimate indoor atmosphere, the restauant also features an open outdoor seating area, right o! the BeltLine, that includes a beautiful view of the city.

As soon as I was seated, I was introduced to my friendly waiter. He brought over some delicious bread accompanied with a savory chili sauce. The menu contained a variety of delicious appetizers and entrees. The prices ranged anywhere from $10 to $30, but

the food was worth every penny. I decided to order the brisket empanadas which I would highly recommend. They were topped with feta cheese and salsa and filled with delicious brisket and cheese. Another great choice is The Big Ass Burger, covered with cheese and bacon and served with three huge onion rings. As soon as you bite into it, juices fill your mouth and you immediately taste the smoky burger. Other menu items included salmon chips, a BBQ sandwich or a steak.

Two Urban Licks is one of the best restaurants in Atlanta. With a great atmosphere, friendly sta! and delicious food you can’t go wrong eating here. Also, you don’t just end your meal with a check; you also get lollipops where the restaurant derives its name: Two Urban Licks.

Clockise from top left: The ambient lighting and natural decor welcome hungry customers; aprropriately named, the Big Ass Burger contains so much beef, bacon, and cheddar cheese that a skewer is needed to hold it together; these empanadas are filled with hearty brisket and topped with fresh pico de gallo and feta cheese; warm bread starts o! each table with a sneak peek at the delicious food.

820 Ralph McGill Blvd. NEAtlanta, GA 30306

404-522-4622

TWOUrban

LICKS

-Kelsey Woods

Two Urban Licks worthyof countless urban likes

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When I walked into the fashion room on the first day of school this year, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. My schedule told me that my Fibers 3 teacher was a “Ms. Wright.” I soon discovered that there was no teacher by the name of Ms. Wright, but a substitute named Ms. Wilson. She, just like everyone else in the class, had no information about the fashion program or the teacher.

Mr. Brandhorst informed students in the fashion class that he was working on interviewing teachers, but there was not a confirmed date when a permanent teacher would arrive to replace Mr. Martinez. Meanwhile, we tried to tackle the daunting task of cleaning the fashion room, which was filled with all sorts of patterns, fabric and strange miscellaneous items from the past 10 years. Some of us started sketching out our collections but met a stopping point when we had no materials to begin construction of our garments.

After weeks without a teacher, there was a rumor among the senior designers that the school had finally hired someone to fill the position. We did have a teacher; she even came to the model casting, but a few days after meeting her we found out that human resources had denied her transfer from another school. A few weeks later, a woman by

the name of Ms. Williams was hired.Ms. Williams has had a smile on

her face since I met her, and she has been extremely helpful in the process of creating my collection. She always has an answer to my questions and knows how to execute any garment that any of the senior designers has sketched. She knows about everything, from costume design to fabric manipulation.

Although our new mentor has high standards for the senior design class, I know that she will be there every step of the way to help us. There was a lot of doubt at the beginning of the year of not having an UrbanCouture fashion show in May, but I am ecstatic to say that students can look forward to one this year.

I was upset to see Mr. Martinez resign last year, because I thought his departure meant the end of UrbanCouture and the senior design program. I am more than delighted that my dream has come true and that I can say, “I’m a designer, not just a model, in UrbanCouture.”

Senior design holds a lot of challenges for me this year, but I feel prepared after having gone through three years of fibers classes and having Ms. Williams as a mentor. I know that there will be times when I will just want to give up and chuck my sewing machine out the window; however, I know I will make it through and produce the collection I have envisioned for the past three years. Senior design, ready or not, here I come.

-Mckenzie Taylor

I aspire to inspire! At the end of the day that is my goal. Apparently somewhere there is a radical notion that doing what you love as a career is an outmoded idea. Having the gumption and audacity to pursue that thing or things you are passionate about is somehow cheating the system of 9-to-5’ers and white-picket-fence seekers.

My journey to Grady had been littered with stones that I continue to stub my toe on. I have been fortunate enough to always have careers I loved enough to do for free (but didn’t have to!).

I can trace my paths as a costume designer for theatre and dance; a product designer; a college professor; a peace corps volunteer in Ghana, West Africa; a published author; a poet; a visual artist; a children’s book illustrator, and most important job of all, a mother to my sons.

Often people ask me curiously what do I NOT do. I usually laugh and respond that I haven’t figured that out yet! I am not vain or pompous but passionately curious about life and all its lessons.

When you seek to find knowledge it shows up along with the proper teacher. I will always be a student of the world and this pathway that has led me to Grady is allowing me to embark on a new journey.

And though I am here to teach, I fully understand that through my students here, the lesson may just be mine. Sometimes to be the best teacher, you must learn to be the student first.

In the words of cartoonist Scott Adams, “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”

No farewell for UrbanCouture

-Ms. Valerie Williams

A senior fashion design student and the new fashionteacher share the paths that led them to the same destination

Life’s journey bringsWilliams to Grady

UCPhotos by Lily Trapkin

New fashion mentor is sew amazing

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ure

Do you have a style icon?“Mostly [my style icon] goes with my philosophy about how I want to be: different from others. And Hawaiian shirts look so awesome so…”What are your favorite stores to shop at?“Thrift stores and the Polo store.”What does your favorite outfit include?“My favorite red Hawaiian shirt, Polo socks, Polo shoes, Polo khaki pants and a straw hat.”What style do you hate the most?“Hipsters and people who follow other people’s [style].”Do you think your style stands out amongst your peers? How?“I think so, because no one else wears straw hats.”

Do you have a style icon?“My style icons are the

Kardashian sisters and my own sister.”What are your favorite stores to

shop at?“I shop at Last Chance thrift store and the mall.”What does your favorite outfit include?“Boots complete my outfit.”What style do you hate the most?“I hate high-water pants.”Do you think your style stands out amongst your peers? How?“I think my style stands out, but my friends and I usually end up wearing similar stuff because we spend so much time together.”

Senior Style ProfilesJolie

JonesRod

Contreras

Interviews and photos byDevina Jones-Vargas

-Hair band or clip-Bleaching kit (if your hair isn’t light blonde already)-Colored dye of your choice (found at Ulta or Sally’s Beauty)-Gloves-Paintbrush

Mat

eria

ls:

Figure out how many inches of hair you 1) would like to dye, and then separate your hair into at least four sections.If your hair is already a light blonde, skip 2) this step, but if your hair is darker, use a bleaching kit to lighten the hair you would like to dip dye. (Follow the instructions for the bleaching kit you buy.)After bleaching, separate your hair flat 3) over your back. Put on your gloves and begin to squeeze the color dye into the palm of your hand. Using the paintbrush, paint the dye onto 4) your hair. Make sure you cover every section to 5) ensure that there are no blonde streaks. After the color sits for about 20 minutes, 6) wash it out. For best results dry your hair with a 7) hairdryer after you rinse it because the heat will make it last longer. Depending on what type of dye you buy, 8) the color will last anywhere from a week to six months.

Steps:

DIY: Dip-Dye Hair

-Kelsey Woods

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erie

1. All of your grades matter, even in your freshman year. Grades from all of your core classes and foreign-language courses from all four years are calculated into your GPA that colleges will see.2. Skipping class and hanging out in the bathroom when you have a substitute is not fun. Go to class.3. Don’t leave your backpack or purse out of your sight, even for a second. Grady students are notorious for snatching cell phones, iPods and wallets, especially in the gym.4. Do your community-service hours before you are a senior. On top of applying to college and handling your coursework, you don’t want to be scrambling around trying to finish those last couple of hours.5. Take advantage of the College and Career Center; it’s not just for seniors.6. Get involved in extracurricular activities, but don’t let them consume your life.7. If you are having trouble writing essays, get help from your teachers now or take a visit to the Writing Center after school. If you don’t acquire the skill of essay writing now, you will only fall further behind in your high school classes, and when you hit college you will be completely lost.8. Get published and let your voice be heard. All of Grady’s publications welcome submissions from students who are not on the sta!.9. Take the time to get to know your teachers. It comes in handy when you need those teacher recommendations for college applications.10. The second step in the stairway near the discipline o"ce is taller than the other stairs. Watch out, it is possible to trip up the stairs.

-Kate Taber

Tips and tricks for the youngest of the school.

In order for Grady students to graduate they are required to complete 75 hours of community service by the beginning of their senior year. As freshmen, that may sound like a thousand miles away but before precocious ninth graders know it, they’ll be seniors taking their cap and gown pictures and asking teachers for letters of recommendation.

Time seems to pass slowly as high school unfolds but in the end it feels as if it happened in the blink of an eye. Procrastination turns community service into a graduation hurdle to be cleared as e"ciently as possible. This warped perspective, for that matter the premise of requiring community service to graduate, completely undermines the purpose of community service.

Yes, its great to volunteer at a food bank, bagging the necessary assortments for the hungry, but when you walk away with payment in the form of community-service hours, you fail to understand the real value of service: the gratitude and appreciation of others who benefit from your selfless service. The purpose of serving others is to bring us out of our own little worlds and truly understand the bigger world around us. Sometimes we forget that under all the materialistic wants and shows, we’re all the same and we all need to meet the same requirements in order to survive.

In the past year I went on two trips to Harvest of Hope with my youth group. The point of the trips was to inform us of the seriousness of the No. 1 cause of death in the world: hunger. Far from demoralizing, the trips also taught us that hunger can be eradicated if we decide to solve the problem. The only thing preventing a permanent solution is aware individuals who care enough to help. Besides being educated, volunteers are supposed to glean (to gather fresh produce left behind by reapers) in the morning till late afternoon, then donate that barveit to local food banks and the community. Unfortunately, on the first trip we were unable to glean because of the weather. We were however, able to bag 9,000 pounds of green beans or 27,000 servings. About 40 of us on the trip were able to do this in about four hours. In order to further educate us, we had a hunger awareness meal. Before going into the dining room, everybody randomly picked out a piece of colored paper. Each color represented a seating area for dinner. As we got settled in our seats, we noticed a bowl of rice and beans sitting on our table. We glanced at everyone else’s tables and noticed that one of the tables had a completely di!erent assortment; it was rather plentiful compared to ours. Another table didn’t have as much but still had way more than ours. Scott Briggs, the director explained the only two rules: No leaving the dining room and no stealing food.

As our table started to dig in to the limited food, we noticed two women get up and distribute their leftover food. When one of the women got to us, we traded our beans for some mac and cheese. This redistribution continued until all the food had been consumed. After everybody had “stu!ed” themselves, Briggs explained the purpose behind dividing everyone’s meal unequally. One group represented the top 15 percent that survives on $9,266 and more per year. The next group was the middle group that represent 25 percent of the world’s population that lives on $756-$9,266 per year. The last group is the poor, which is 60 percent of the world’s population that lives on less than $755 per year or $2 a day. That last 33 percent of the population is the working middle class.

“The issue of hunger is often only represented in numbers. It is important to remember that each number is a person, a story, a struggle.” Briggs said.

Before going on the Harvest of Hope trip, our youth group would just go to the food bank once a month, bagging, marking and serving the needy. We never truly understood how each hungry individual su!ered physically,

emotionally and physiologically while they waited for the first of the month and their next trip to the food bank. Now we make sure we

remember each face, and the story and strength behind it.-Victoria Dragstedt

Helping others can’t be counted in hours