Congratulations, Girls! - St. Pius X Catholic High School

INDEX
Editorials................2,3,4
Features..................5
Centerspread......... 6-7
Student Activities 8-10
Spotlight.................11
Backside.................12
Bloggers
beware...
is your
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pg. 3
Vol 44 Issue 5 St. Pius X Catholic High School 2674 Johnson Road NE Atlanta, Georgia 30345 404.636.3023 www.spx.org March 16, 2006
Congratulations, Girls!
2006 AAAA State Champs
The dangers of staph
MACKENZIE
PARKER
Staff Writer
As we all know St.
Pius is very competitive when
it comes to athletics. Each
sport involves frequent physical
contact in which athletes
are injured every day. But
did anyone ever think that
those injuries could be life
threatening if they are not
treated properly? Each year
more and more athletes are
being diagnosed with staphylococcus,
otherwise known as
a staph infection. Staph is a
bacterial infection that infects
the bloodstream and can
stem to various areas such as
the bone, kidneys or heart. A
staph infection usually occurs
in those who have minor skin
abrasions such as a scrape or
a cut. If these wounds are not
properly cared for staph can
occur and spread to various
organs in the body. A staph
infection can affect anyone,
especially athletes who do not
clean their sports equipment
or wash their clothes. “Wet
clothes are breeding ground
for staph”, says Coach Gary
Schmitt. “Take uniforms
home at least once a week to
wash.” A warning was issued
by the National Federation
of State High School Associations
in October of 2003
about a staph infection that
could not be cured by the
ususal antibiotics used to treat
the disease. Several people
have been hospitalized across
the United States and the
cases seen have been worsening
each year. Coaches at St.
Pius have become more aware
of this infection when athletes
are injured during physical
activities. Athletes need to
inform their coaches when
they have any kind of open
wounds because it is possible
that it could become extremely
infected and develop into
staph. So athletes, be more
cautious of the injuries that
you get when playing your
activities because you never
know when those injuries can
turn into a staph infection.
Staph grows in perfectly spherical cells that form
irregular grape-like clusters. These cells colonize human
hair, skin and mucous membranes . Picture courtesy of
yahoo.com.

Golden Lines
2 editorials
Golden Lines
St. Pius X Catholic
High School
2674 Johnson Road, NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30345
404-636-3023 phone
404-633-8387 fax
www.spx.org
Co-Editors-In-Chief
Marie Phelan
Stefann Plishka
Features Editor
Lauren Lightfoot
Student Activities Editor
Patrick Dubas
News Editor
Chris Milich
Opinions Editor
Kyle Joyce
Staff Members
Sarah Allen
Candace Assenmacher
Brenna Berling
Nick Berlon
Will Cloyd
Laura de Give
Jarrod deLoach
Elisa Graciaa
Natasha Mattesi
Ryn MacArthur
Brent Modak
Mackenzie Parker
Clare Sweeney
Stephanie Turski
Adviser
Rachel Braham
Principal
Steve Spellman
The Golden Lines is
published approximately
10 times per school year
by the students of St. Pius
X Catholic High School for
the entire student body and
surrounding com mu ni ty.
Views pre sent ed by the
Golden Lines pub li ca tion
are not nec es sar i ly those
of school faculty, school
ad min is tra tion, publication
ad vis er or advertisers.
Topics, facts and opinions
associated with the Roman
Catholic Church will be
in keeping with such
teachings.
Letters to the editor are
encouraged and welcomed,
but must be signed by the
writer. They should be
addressed to the editors,
Marie Phelan and Stefann
Plishka and delivered to
them in the care of the
Golden Lines adviser, Ms.
Rachel Braham. Please
bring all signed let ters to
room 304. The Golden
Lines reserves the right to
edit any letters. Letters
to the editor will not be
published anonymously.
KYLE
JOYCE
Opinions Editor
Celebrities. The
very word brings to mind
a world of adventure,
intrigue, and unspeakable
idiocy. What is a celebrity?
My definition is as follows:
a man or woman who
was featured in a few
movies and suddenly
receives the adulation
reserved for only the best
of humanity…look in
Webster’s, it’s there. My
problem with celebrities
is not just the fact that the
average-Joe cares about
their lives for reasons
beyond rational thought,
but the fact that Joe thinks
that they matter. When
celebrities speak, they
think that people take to
heart or at the very least
care about what they
say. For instance…Tom
Cruise. While a good
actor, my interest in him
pretty much ends there.
He has opinions, good
for him, really, but so
do 295,734,134 other
people in this country. His
opinions apparently count
for something because he
has a camera in front of
him. I actually respect the
celebrities who run away/
get angry at the camera
toting people of the world
because they have realized
something very important:
America doesn’t need to
know that they went to the
coffee shop at 2:43 p.m.
Shows like Entertainment
Tonight or the E! channel
with constant gossiping
about the brand of dress
someone wore, or how
much their wedding cost,
or the random person
they are dating just need
to realize what they are
doing to America: wasting
massive amounts of time.
What makes it worse is
that people actually watch
that brain-rotting garbage.
Therefore, celebrities
reluctantly consider
themselves role-models for
America…thus they join
March 16, 2006
Kyle Complains...
W h y t h e y a r e w o r t h l e s s
PETA, marry someone
else every two or three
years, and buy small dogs
to spend more money
on per year than the
total GDP of many small
countries. Obviously they
are in touch with the heart
of America. Saints among
men…
Yes, it makes
perfect sense, and truly,
they are idols for us
all. Some of the more
intelligent people among
the average do buy into
the hype of the “look at
me, I’m better than you”
culture of the celebrity
world. That is why they
demand autographs,
quite possibly the least
important relic a person
can impart (unless it is
on a check). First, I wish
someone would explain
the importance of an
autograph to life; it serves
no good, and is often
just a scribble on a page.
It contains no emotion
or even personality, just
ink on a page that spells
a famous name. The
autograph of Pluto you
get at Disney Land is
worth just as much. Heck,
anyone that wants to pay
$100 for the autograph
of any celebrity, come see
me…bring a marker…
Yet still, even knowing
the ridiculousness of
such relics, the normal,
but mentally unstable
among us create shrines
in the image of their semi
worship.
How about fan
clubs? Some people collect
stamps, some people make
tiny little ships inside of
bottles, and some people
stalk celebrities. I would
say at this point, “to each
his own” if membership
in the activity did not
immediately merit a oneway-trip
to the nut house.
Anyone with a macaroni
picture of Brad Pitt needs
to seriously re-think her
grasp on reality.
For the same
reason, deviants and
psychopaths can gather
sign-toting armies of
believers outside of
courtrooms demanding
the release of their
demigod. To be fair, these
particular celebrities were
not found guilty…for all
that is worth. The army
still arrived before the
verdicts protesting the
unlawful imprisonment
of someone who can’t
possibly be guilty of a
crime because they are
attractive, sing, play
a sport, or were in a
movie…it makes a ton of
sense…it really does.
This frightening
truth causes much fear
and distress in my heart
because these armies
of idle idol worshipers
could be mobilized if the
objects of their undying
devotion figure out the
full extent of the power
they hold. No other
celebrity has this power
to the extent of Oprah
Winfrey (shudder). If
anyone can affect the New
York Times Best Seller
List by recommending a
book…we got problems,
America. Granted, she
does good things, such as
buy cars for everyone in
her audience. Ok, good
works are good, obviously,
but where do we draw
the line between ultimate
good and inevitable supervillainy?
My opinion is
that she is coming close,
call it intuition.
There is however,
one celebrity that
deserves some props,
Bono. When a celebrity
becomes a celebrity
through charity with
a side career in music,
then that is acceptable.
Every single one of them
should take note of how
to be a responsible human
Oprah may be basking in her halo right now becasue she gives away
a lot of money and great prizes, but is all of that just part of her
plan of world domination? Illustration courtesy of Gray Thibadeau
being. He is seen only
when he is appearing
in some sort of benefit,
and then disappears into
responsible anonymity
like a normal person.
He does, however,
lose some credibility
because of his constant
wearing of strangely
colored sunglasses. Why
does everyone need a
trademark? In my book,
Bono gets my highest
rating ever, one thumb
up…for the rest of them…
shame.
So, you may be
asking yourself, what
should I get out of this
article? Fortunately, I have
no problem telling you
what to think. You should
get out of this beacon for
sanity an appreciation for
what celebrities really are:
just rich, loud, completely
useless people. Thank you
for your time.

Golden Lines
editorials
March 16, 2006
G e t t i n g s t a r t e d e a r l y
3
MARIE
PHELAN
Co-Editor in Chief
Going into my senior
year, my mind was filled with
many expectations of what I
thought it would be like. Excitement
for my last football
season, homecoming, prom,
and most importantly graduation
were the only things
that seemed to be on my
mind. The thought of having
difficulty deciding what
college I was going to attend
next year was not something
I had anticipated.
As a junior, I like every
other junior student was
required to give up my
lunch once a week and attend
a career’s session in the
guidance office. At the time
however, I did not realize all
that talk about college was
going to be a reality of mine
one day. I was not concerned
about college visits, starting
any applications, or even contemplating
taking the SAT.
No matter how hard Mrs.
Kapp tried everything she
said eventually went in one
ear and out the other.
Now as a senior, I realize
that there was actually
a reason why the guidance
office pushed the idea of
college onto us in our junior
year. This reason being- senior
year alone is not enough
time to figure everything
that goes along with college
out. In between school work,
extracurricular activities, and
my social life having enough
Blah blah blog
EMILY SAAD
& HUGH KINSEL
Guest Writers
time this year to visit different
schools and fill out all my
applications was proven to be
a very difficult task.
Now well into the second
semester of my senior year I
know that there is no longer
anything I can do to make
my college decision any
easier. Although I cannot
make my situation any better
for myself I can attempt to
help out those who have not
yet started their quest to find
the perfect school.
My advice to the younger
classmen at St. Pius is to
start your process of exploring
different colleges now.
Do not wait until senior year
foolishly thinking you will
have enough time. Because
before you know it your last
spring break will almost be
here and you could still have
no idea where you will be attending
school next year.
So, start out by actually
paying attention in your
career’s class and really listen
to your guidance counselor.
I know it is a pain having
to give up your lunch every
week but it really will pay off
someday. Go ahead and sign
up early for the SAT, if any
juniors haven’t signed up to
take the ACT or SAT yet, I
suggest doing so as soon as
possible. Most importantly
start your college visits now.
I always thought that going
on college visits my junior
year was too early but I realize
now that putting them
off until this year was a huge
Are you one of the many
who believes what you post
on the Web is private? Well,
surprise, everyone! Posting
information on the internet is
not at all private. Honestly,
you might as well stand in the
middle of the airport with a
megaphone and ring a bell to
ensure that everyone pays attention
to what you’re saying.
Facebook, My Space,
Xanga and any other blogging
site you join or create yourself
is public domain. You invite
the entire world to view your
private thoughts, photos and
assorted posts. And, just so
we’re all on the same page,
the entire world includes your
parents, teachers, college admissions
staffs, employers and
stalkers of all types. Schools do
have a right to protect school
image as well as students and
can act on so-called private
web postings. Colleges and
employers can and do deny
admissions and employment to
students over what they deem
to be inappropriate behavior/
content on the web.
If you want to exercise
your First Amendment rights,
feel free to do so but also be
ready to pay whatever consequences
that come with
standing by your Right. Moral
of the story: be careful what
you post and mindful of who is
reading.
Possible alternatives to an
online blog engine:
• A diary
• A real life friend
• A penpal
mistake. Trying to find time
to attend all of the college’s I
applied to is something I am
still struggling to do.
I can not make any of
you actually follow any of the
advice I have given. However,
please take into consideration
that I actually know
what I am talking about
because I am experiencing
this right now. For those of
you who already know what
With graduation just around the corner, not knowing what college
you will be attending next year is not a comforting thought. To
advoid having to deal with such discomfort start looking into what
school you would like to attend in your junior and even sophmore
years.
school you want to attend,
I am extremely envious. To
those of you who have no
idea please take this article
into consideration and get
started early.
Choosing exactly which
college is right for you will be
a much more daunting task
than you will expect. It seem
too early to be contemplating
college but trust me it’s not!

Golden Lines
4 features
Staff Writer
Imagine getting accepted
to Georgia State or Georgia
Tech without ever having
to take the SAT. In effect,
Georgia’s Promise, a bill proposed
by the state legislature,
allows students to do just
that. If passed, any student
in the top 10% of his or her
high school class would be
automatically accepted to any
state university. While this
may seem like a wonderful
idea for students, in reality it
does little to even the playing
field and only promotes
inequality.
Georgia’s Promise
has several serious flaws. The
bill states that the top 10%
of all high school students in
Georgia would be eligible for
unconditional acceptance to
state universities. First of all,
this gives larger high schools
more seats in state colleges.
March 16, 2006
G e o r g i a ’ s p r o m i s e ?
NICK
BERLON
What is wrong with Oscar,
well actually what’s up with
“the Oscars?” Every year
around February and March
the award season heats up
with the Golden Globes, the
Screen Actors Guild (S.A.G.)
awards and of course, the
most recognized award
show of the year, the Oscars.
Every year the people at the
Oscars ceremony line the red
carpet and wait for the stars.
For most of the girls who
watch the Oscars this is the
highlight of the night, to see
which star is wearing what.
For many of these other
awards shows, girls can also
watch who shows up in what
dress, so what is the appeal
for any of them to watch
the Oscars? The reality is
that all these other award
shows have gained a lot in
popularity. People watch
the S.A.G awards because
they get to see who the actors
vote for, and the Golden
Globes have started to get
more recognition because of
the way that they categorize
the nominees. These award
shows have a better split of
movies, featuring categories
It encourages overcrowding
of high schools so that more
students can gain automatic
acceptance. It discourages
smart students from other
states from coming because
seats will be filled with Georgia
students. In Texas, for
example, an almost identical
bill was passed in 1997.
In 2004, 67% of students
at the University of Texas
were accepted under this bill.
This doesn’t even take into
account the fact that quality
of education is very different
in different high schools.
Private high schools such as
St. Pius are not necessarily
the same in educational quality
as public high schools, and
even public schools are not
necessarily the same around
the state. Georgia has been
near the bottom in quality of
education over the last few
years and allowing students
to go somewhere they might
not be ready for is just setting
them up for failure.
wrong.
The Oscars seem to add
a new category every year,
like best animated film or
best mini series. This way
the Oscar organization is
recognizing the people that
take pride in making short
films or animated movies that
turn into classics. Actors that
use their comedic talents to
act in these movies also don’t
get any time in the spotlight
at the Oscars. These actors
may not be able to play a
This bill recognizes
a problem—the problem of
education in Georgia. While I
do not agree with the way it is
being handled, Georgia does
need educational reform.
At the moment, however,
the SAT and students’ GPAs
speak for themselves; we do
not need a special bill to get
Georgia students into the
colleges of their choice. If
they have the grades to be
in the top 10%, chances are
that they can get into state
colleges anyway.
Right: The Georgia State
Capitol Building gleams in the
bright sunlight. Inside, state
senators and congressmen
work to pass bills and discuss
important issues in Georgia.
One such bill, entitled
“Georgia’s Promise,” will
give the top 10% of students
in their graduating class
automatic admission to state
colleges. Image courtesy of
www.atlantaga.gov
W h a t ’ s w r o n g w i t h O s c a r ?
for best drama, best musical,
and best comedy. That is
serious role or they just
choose not to, but some of
season there was not one
and Prejudice,” and Resse
what the Oscars need, a them are exceptional in their
JARROD
category for best comedy, roles and they don’t get the
DELOACH
because every year a comedy Oscar nomination because
Staff Writer
comes out that will be
they are not acting in a movie
hysterical but it doesn’t get that is categorized as a drama
the credit that it deserves.
Comedies appeal to all ages
but to keep them out of the
Oscars because they don’t
measure up to the drama is
or musical.
I have come to realize that
my complaints are not going
to be heard by the Oscars
organization, so I have
decided to give
my overview,
opinions, and
winners, on
the Oscar
nominees. The
Oscars are what
film fanatics
wait all year to
see. After the
nominations
Oscar winner Mira Sorvino introduces the 78th
Academy Awards Nominations at the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles.
come out, the
debate starts
on who will win
Best Actor or
who will take
home Best Picture. When
the nominations came out
on Tuesday, February 31, all
the hype was on “Brokeback
Mountain.” The film was
nominated for Best Picture,
Best Director Ang Lee, and
Best Supporting Actor Jake
Gyllenhaal. At the end of
Oscars night “Brokeback
Mountain” did not win Best
Picture, but Ang Lee won
for Best Director, an award
that honors a long career of
brilliant films. This Oscar
movie that stood out from
the rest so the race was tight.
Now to be honest I can’t
really judge “Brokeback
Mountain” because I didn’t
see it, but I did see “Crash”
and I thought that it was
the best movie I saw all
year. All the actors gave
great performances and
the movie showed great
emotion; people should
watch this movie because it
shows what is wrong with
American culture. “Crash”
won for Best Picture and I
could not be happier, it was
a great movie and everyone
who worked on it should be
honored for that award.
Best Actor was more of
a runaway, Philip Seymour
Hoffman portrays author
Truman Capote in the years
leading up to the writing of
his best-known book, “In
Cold Blood,” in the movie
“Capote,” which was also
nominated for best picture. I
know what you are thinking,
“who,” and “for what movie?”
I agree I hadn’t even heard
of this movie until the
nominations came out, but
Hoffman did win for Best
Actor, which was no surprise.
The award for Best Actress
was a more interesting race,
it came down to a man who
changes to be a woman,
Keira Knightley in like the
tenth remake of “Pride
Witherspoon who sings
her heart out in “Walk The
Line.” I don’t know about
you, but a woman playing a
man who has turned into a
woman, kind of freaks me
out. Nevertheless Felicity
Huffman who plays Bree
Osbourne in “Transamerica”
gets a nomination because
of the bias that the Oscar
voters put on anyone who
plays a controversial role
in a movie. People who
watch the Oscars and also
watch the movies that are
nominated feel like the best
actors and best movies should
be nominated and win the
award. Most people don’t
want the person playing the
most controversial role to
win, that takes away from
the talent that they show
in the movies and adds in
the politics of the Oscar
organization. When George
Clooney gave his acceptance
speech for Best Supporting
Actor in “Syriana,” he put it
the best, “all of these movies
are nominated for a reason,
they are all amazing pieces of
art… how can you compare
art in any category.” There
are many problems with the
Oscars that the organization
needs to look at and change,
but I did watch the Oscars,
mainly because I wanted to
know who would win, not
who was wearing which dress.

Golden Lines
features
March 16, 2005
Wave of change in the judicial branch
CHRIS
MILICH
Staff Writer
In the news recently,
Americans have witnessed
the nominations and confirmations
of two Supreme
Court Justices: Chief Justice
John Roberts and Associate
Justice Samuel Alito. For
anyone who may not know,
the Supreme Court of the
United States is the highest
court in the nation and
is based in Washington DC.
Justices on the Supreme
Court must be nominated
by the president and confirmed
by a bi-partisan, or
cross-party, committee of
the Senate. Supreme Court
Justices are also appointed to
their positions for life, unless
they choose to retire, as did
the outgoing Justice Sandra
Day O’Connor. In President
Bush’s second term, he has
had the opportunity to nominate
two Supreme Court
Justices.
When Sandra Day
O’Connor announced her
retirement, President Bush
was in an important position
to appoint a new Justice.
STEFANN
PLISHKA
Co-Editor in Chief
Limbo—not the fun
party game, but the place
unbaptized babies go if they
die—is being eliminated from
Roman Catholic theology. In
December 2005, thirty theologians
gathered at the Vatican
to debate many issues of
theology, including the state
of limbo. In the fifth century,
St. Augustine dismissed the
existence of any intermediary
place between heaven and
hell. Because no evidence
of limbo exists in Scripture,
Augustine refuted pressure
to acknowledge a special
place for the unbaptized
babies of the Catholic faith.
But in the Middle Ages, St.
Thomas Aquinas softened
the belief of Augustine by
purporting the reality of a
place called ‘limbo’ where
God sent unbaptized babies.
The Middle Ages was the
ideal time for the concept of
limbo to come about because
of the high mortality rate of
babies. Aquinas gave hope
to thousands of parents that
After careful consideration,
the President chose an upstanding
Circuit Court Judge
from Buffalo, New York.
Roberts’s hearings in front
of the Congressional Committee
were tense, to say the
least. Questions from both
Democrats and Republicans
closely examined his record
and analyzed his character.
Nevertheless, Judge John
Roberts became Associate
Justice Roberts and took his
seat on September 29 th , 2005.
Shortly before John
Roberts was confirmed, the
Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court, William Rehnquist,
died after a series of health
problems. President Bush
had yet another important
decision to make in appointing
a Chief Justice, as well
as replacing Justice William
Rehnquist. The President
changed his nomination of
Roberts to Chief Justice and
nominated Harriet Meirs,
a prominent Texas lawyer,
as Associate Justice. Harriet
Meirs was widely considered
unqualified for the high court
and President Bush later
withdrew her nomination.
The failed nomination
of Harriet Myers prompted
their dead children would
not suffer in hell, but could
instead enjoy relative happiness
in an intermediate location.
Because the concept
of limbo did not originate in
any scriptural source, it was
never considered a point of
doctrine, but it still held a
strong place in Catholic tradition.
According to tradition,
the Hebrew prophets also
join unbaptized babies in the
“natural happiness” of Aquinas’
limbo.
The beginning of limbo’s
demise came in the 1960s
with Vatican II. One of
the basic tenets coming out
of the council was that all
people—whether or not they
have been baptized—have
a chance for salvation. This
change in church philosophy
directly threatened the ageold
belief in limbo.
Limbo is not the only
church tradition that has
been blacklined since Vatican
II. The tradition of only saying
Mass in Latin was eliminated
in favor of vernacular
languages, and the tradition
that only males can contribute
to the rites and rituals of
the Mass changed to allow
the President to nominate another
person: Samuel Alito.
After a brutal series of confirmation
hearings, it seemed
that the Democrats on the
committee were pushing
Alito too much. Republicans
talked about fighting back
and Alto’s wife was basically
pushed to tears during one of
the hearings after some scathing
questions. But the Alito
family pushed through and
Associate Justice Samuel Alito
was confirmed the same day
as President Bush’s State of
the Union speech.
The confirmations of
Chief Justice Roberts and
Associate Justice Alito mark
2 of the 5 Catholics on the
high court (quote) . Only
time will tell how these new
Justices will use their power,
5
but we can all hope that their
Catholic faith will guide them
to make the right decisions.
The front of the Supreme
Court building
pictured below, designed
in a classical Greek style.
In the main hall of the
building, bust sculptures of
all Supreme Court Justices
are featured. From
www.supremecourtus.gov
Limbo gone from Catholic tradition
females to participate in the
celebration. The liberalization
of many age-old ideas at
Vatican II helped to open the
Catholic Church up to many
changes happening rapidly
around the world. As a body
of believers, the Church will
never stop changing and
growing.
As of late 2005, all deceased
unbaptized babies will no longer
spend eternity in limbo! The
Roman Catholic Church recently
eliminated the scripturally-unsubstantiated
belief that has
been a part of Catholic tradition
since the Middle Ages. Illustration
courtesy of Stefann Plishka.

Golden L
6 featu
January 26 th was not
an average day for Chris
Lynch. After Mass was over
and 1,042 students, parents
and faculty remained
packed in the gym while
Mrs. McCullough announced
scholarly achievements for
the seniors calling attention
to the fact that they only have
a few more months and they
will say au revoir to St. Pius
for good.
Katherine Petti won
valedictorian and gracefully
walked up to receive her certificate.
When Chris Lynch
was announced as salutatorian,
his friends screamed
with excitement as he pushed
through the row to receive
his award. Further into the
presentations, Chris’ name
was announced again for
Principals List highlighting
again his academic achievement.
Besides balancing his 4
to 5 hours a day studying so
he can be up to par with his
classes, he spends 3 1⁄2 to 4
hours a day participating in
gymnastics. He feels that being
committed to a rigorous
schedule and being involved
in gymnastics “teaches you
how to manage time and
pace time wisely. I like to
have something to do (all
the time),” as Chris says with
laughter. “I do have time
with my friends, I promise.”
Recently,Chris broke
both of his ankles during a
competition floor routine.
He had injured his ankles so
many times in the past that
this time they broke. With
a mere hyper extension, he
would usually be able to just
get up and procceed with
his routine. “I would just
keep chugging along” Chris
said. This time he’ll have to
slowly progress back into his
routine.
Chris is a member of
the Junior Men’s Gmnastics
Junior Olympic Team, where
he has competed since he
was 9. Competitions are held
across the country in places
like Chicago, Michigan, and
California where Chris says
he has “stayed in somepretty
bad hotels.”
While the Junior Mens
Gymnastics Junior Olympic
team may sound super prestigious,
Chris explains “It’s
the only junior gymnastics
league,” Chris has accomplished
a lot in his time with
the Junior Men’s Gymnastics
Junior Olympic Team
including state team 5 times,
competing at Jr. National 4
times, and 3 time Academic
All American. However, he
does not acknowledge them
as such; he has faith that
“everyone is capable.”
My parents have been
very supportive and have
tried to help keep me
grounded,” Chris said. They
remind me that while I may
be the best now there will
always be someone better
who I haven’t encountered
just yet. It helps keep me
focused.”
Chris’ hard work, good
humor and kind personality
earn him the respect of many
friends. “I appreciate all
the support my friends give
me. It’s nice to know they’re
behind me in whatever I do,”
Chris said.
Although Chris doesn’t
have have Olympic dreams.
He does hope to be a college
gymnast as well as a successful
student. So far, Chris’
dreams have come true and
there’s no reason to believe
his future dreams won’t be
realized. With continued
dedication and determination,
Chris is well on his way.
March 16,
Chris Lynch:“Dream Until Your Dream Comes True”
RYN
MACARTHUR
Staff Writer
Chris does a 1 and
a half twist to punch
front at one of his
gymnastic meets.
Chris works very
hard at his skills and
practices 3 1/2 to 4
hours everyday.
Right: Chris does
a double back from
the rings in a competion.
Chris takes
pride in what he has
done and perservers
through much. Photos
courtesy of Chris
Lynch.
Lee Sheehan and Collective Soul make a national splash
LAURA
receive admittance until in
she has.
there today, and he’s not
The Tonight Show, she will
ninth grade.
Playing at Lee’s level afraid to play other types of be appearing at Symphony
deGIVE
Music has always been takes dedication; she practices
music.” She doesn’t currently Hall in Atlanta as a soloist
two to four hours a day. compose music herself, but if with an orchestra on March
Features Editor
a part of Lee’s life; she has
played the violin since she But she loves playing and the she majors in music she will 26 th . Lee’s magnificent talent
Lee Sheehan, a senior at
St. Pius, is now a nationally
known fiddler. On Friday,
February 3 rd , she performed
with the band Collective
Soul on The Tonight Show,
stunning and amazing an
entire nation. “It was pretty
awesome,” she admits. “We
only got to play for about five
minutes, but we hung out on
set all day and stuff. We got
to meet the other guests on
the show and see the Days of
Our Lives set.”
This opportunity came
her way through the Atlanta
Symphony Youth Orchestra
(ASYO), in which she plays
first violin and is a concert
master. What is a concert
master? “Basically one below
the conductor,” she explains.
She has been involved in the
ASYO for five years, having
was four years old. She explains
that at first her parents
had to push her to practice,
but when she was about eight
years old, they gave her a
choice. Either she could continue
playing the violin and
discipline herself to practice,
or give it up. She chose to
continue playing, and from
there she began to participate
in youth orchestras, the foundation
of her success today.
She is glad that she kept up
her commitment, because
music has had “an amazing
influence” on her life.
She says that Spanish comes
easier to her because music
is sort of a second language,
and the cultural experience
has been invaluable. For
these reasons, she wishes that
St. Pius had an orchestra so
that other students could
“high of being onstage” that
comes with performing. The
amount of time she spends
practicing doesn’t bother her.
She says that she
no longer dreams
of playing professionally,
but she
hopes to double
major in music
and something
else. She’s looking
at such colleges
as Tufts, Northwestern,
and New
York University.
When asked
what famous
performer she
would most like
to play with, she
responds, “YoYo
Ma. I’ve met him
a couple times and
seen him perform,
have to learn to compose and
improvise.
If you missed Lee on
is not something you want to
miss!
auditioned successfully in have the extremely positive but I’ve never played with
Lee Sheehan, third from the left, smiles with the members of Collective
Soul and others on the red carpet. She has played with Collec-
eighth grade, even though experience with classical him. I think he’s one of the
most of the excellent musicians
in the ASYO do
music and instruments that most charismatic soloists out
tive Soul on several occaisions, most recently on the Tonight Show.
not

ines
res 7
2006
Spring Musical underway
SARAH
ALLEN
Staff Writer
The Pius Players
worked on their production
of Newsies which debuted
February 11, 2006. The
Pius Players is not a club,
but a co-curricular activity.
The drama company
involves students from each
grade level. Newsies was
the children’s show this
year. The children’s show
was aimed to attract young
children in the St. Pius
community. Although the
show intended to attract
many younger siblings and
children of staff members
there was also a great turn
out of students. The combination
of exciting song and
dance numbers along with
the wonderful performances
of all the Players made the
show a great success.
We have not seen the
last of the Pius Players yet.
Junior and senior members
of the program are
currently rehearsing for
the spring musical, Guys
and Dolls. The exuberant
show is sure to be entertaining.
The show is an upbeat
story about the unpredicted
chemistry between a
conventional St. Vincent de
Paul worker, cast as Katherine
Petti and a New York
gangster, Sky Masterson,
portrayed by Matt Lummus.
Not only is there a blossoming
love taking place, but
also there is the subplot of
a long time love between
the eratic Nathan, otherwise
known as the talented
senior Neil Partadiharja and
Miss Adelaide, portrayed by
the hilariously entertaining
Elizabeth Coralli. Rhythmical
songs and quirky dialogue
are sure to turn out a
sizeable crowd.
Mrs. Spark and the Pius
Players continue to produce
crowd pleasing shows. With
the recent display of talent
during Newsies, the St. Pius
community eagerly awaits
another fresh production.
The show is an innovative
change of pace that will not
disappoint. Guys and Dolls
will run March 15 th -19 th .
Tickets are $5 and can be
purchased in the cafeteria
from 10:30 A.M. until 1:00
P.M. Monday through Friday,
March 6 th to Mar 10 th
and March 13 th to March
17 th . If still available, tickets
will be sold at the door
before each performance. So
be sure to buy your tickets
and enjoy the show.
Above Right: Senior members
of Pius Players strike a pose.
These members have been
working hard on the upcoming
production.
Below Right: Junior Members
unite for a photo opt. The
juniors enjoy taking notes
from the seniors who they will
miss next year. Pius Players
is a great way to learn about
theater and meet new people.
Photos courtesy of the great
director Ms. Spark.
All eyes on Krista Tate
CANDACE
ASSENMACHER
Staff Writer
Dedicated, determined,
and dominating. These are
just a few words to describe
the six-foot guard for the St.
Pius Varsity Golden Lions
basketball team. Krista Tate,
number ten, is a new sophomore
to the St. Pius community.
Transferring from Holy
Innocence, she describes her
new school as, “a lot bigger,
a lot more diverse, and very
welcoming.” On the other
hand, Krista confesses that
her new team is “the one
that everyone is against. All
the other schools want the
Golden Lions to lose, and it is
much more competitive compared
to Holy Innocence.”
Krista Tate began
her basketball career at the
age of five when she attended
Christ the King Elementary
School in Buckhead. Her
inspiration has always been
her father who as a member
of the Norfolk State College
basketball team taught
her everything she knows.
Possibly one of her strongest
points out on the court that
she may have learned from
her father is “seeing the
floor.” In other words, Krista
is very aware and observant
of all her surroundings. This
is a great quality to have as
a team member to help lead
the other players in what to
do and where to go.
Although Krista
Tate is only a sophomore, she
already has several colleges
interested in her. Spanning
across the country, just a few
of these include Stanford,
Duke, Louisiana State University,
and Kentucky. Of the
schools that have contacted
Krista with letters of interest,
she is most excited about
Duke University. She says, “I
have always liked Duke and
it has a very good basketball
program.”
When asked to
describe the girl’s varsity
basketball team in one word,
the first thing that came to
Krista’s mind was “determined”.
Just as any fan could
see, Krista explains, “We set
a goal at the beginning of
the season to win state and
we have been working really
hard to get there and want
it so bad.” She embraces the
fact that her teammates are
very competitive, which only
helps motivate Krista to work
harder and reach her full potential
as a basketball star out
on the court. It is no surprise
that she is one of the Golden
Lions’ key players on and off
the court.
One of the perks of
being a St. Pius Golden Lion
basketball player is the intensity
and rush one feels running
up and down the court.
When asked what her favorite
part about the game is,
Krista replied, “The adrenaline.
When you are down
and you push your way back
through, there is nothing
like that feeling of adrenaline
just rushing through your
body.” Krista’s intensity and
dedication is shown on and
off the court. She never fails
to amaze the crowd with her
impressive basketball skills
that she possesses out on the
court. It is hard to believe,
yet, at the same time a relief,
to know that Krista is only a
sophomore and this school
community will be able to
enjoy two more years of
watching her play. Although
Krista is a new member to the
school and team, she has already
won the hearts of many
fans and continues to prove
her success as a dedicated,
determined, and dominating
basketball player.
Krista Tate goes up for a shot against Tucker. Krista is one of the
many important aspects that has led the girls team to the playoffs
this year.

Golden Lines
8 features
March 16, 2006
Scholastic Arts Award Winners in St. Pius
STEPHANIE
TURSKI
Staff Writer
This year, three
students from St. Pius X
had their artwork receive
awards from the Scholastic
Arts and Writing
Awards. The students
participating in the competition
are awarded keys
of either silver or gold
depending on what competition
they qualify for.
Silver keys allow the
artwork to be judged
in the state competition
while gold keys allow the
art to move on to Nationals,
where the artwork
will be judged against
other works for the top
of the genre. A little over
100 students per state
receive one of these keys.
Megan Brigham, one
of the students qualifying
for the statewide competition,
made a graphic
design with ink entitled
“Apple Transformation,”
a piece that shows three
apples in a row. The
left apple is melting, the
middle one seems as if it
is peeling away in curves,
and the last one is donning
a corset which is
squeezing its middle.
The second student
who qualified for the
statewide competition,
Danielle Brutto, used oil
paint on two wood panels
to depict a repeated image
of a woman. The
painting is called “Toreador,”
and was inspired
by a Salvador Dali painting.
Megan Kisling, the
only recipient of a gold
key from St. Pius, created
a printmaking piece titled
“Child in the Dark.” It
depicts a child carved in
linoleum in layers of red
and orange with the top
layer in black. This piece
is going to New York
where it will be judged
against others for the
top of the genre in the
nation. If she wins she
can get up to $10,000 in
scholarships.
The Scholastic Arts
and Writing Awards is a
prestigious competition
that has taken place every
year since 1923 with an
average of 250,000 students
participating each
year. It has been sponsored
by the Alliance for
Young Artists andWriters
Inc. since 1994.
Loehmann’s Plaza (Briar Cliff Rd.) (404)
929-0224
Abernathy Sq (Publix) (404) 255-5151
Above: Megan
Kissling
and Megan
Bringham
pose in the
art room.
Danielle
Brutto is not
pictured, but
all three girls
won keys in
the Scholastic
Arts
and Writing
Awards, although
only
Megan K’s
art will be
going to New
York. Staff
photo.
D a n c e , D a n c e
NATASHA
MATTESI
Staff Writer
The crowd goes
wild as half time begins
(RROOOOOARRR). The
teachers step out on the court
after being introduced. The
lights dim, and then POW…
the music starts, and they
battle it out for the title of the
best teacher dance couple in
St. Pius. Well maybe that’s
not EXACTLY how it happened,
but wouldn’t it be cool
if it did??
The crowd DID go
wild as they took the court,
the lights did not dim, but
the music did start. Each
teacher couple was introduced
and each got a louder
scream than the one before.
They went out and did their
dance, each of which was
extremely entertaining and
creative, which we owe much
credit to Ms. Martin for making
up and teaching each
couple their own routine.
Coach Schmitt and
Mrs. Williams performed
a well-orchestrated salsa.
This was followed by Coach
Karvis and Coach Standard
who did a hip-hop number.
Then there was Coach
Cantwell and Ms. Guilbau
who performed a tango.
But we cannot forget Mr.
Spellman and Mrs. Stockard
with their groovy rendition
of the electric slide. “All the
dances were pretty cool; they
did well,” says senior Patrick
Odom.
Each couple did a
very good job. However,
when it came down to it, the
winners were Coach Karvis
and Coach Standard. Their
attire went perfectly with
their performance; Coach
Standard was in his white tee
as Coach Karvis was looking
Ghetto Fab in her Apple
Bottoms jacket. That is not
to say that the other teachers
did not have great outfits
to go along with their dance
number. Each couple was
equipped with the perfect
outfits and attitudes perfectly
matched their own dance.
Coach Schmitt looked
suave in his dressy pants and
shirt along with Mrs. Williams
who looked sophisticated
in her little black dress.
Coach Cantwell looked very
debonair as he tangoed the
night with the smooth Ms.
Guilbeau. Ms. Stockard and
Mr. Spellman shook up the
crowd with their flash-dance
attire.
Senior Erin Conboy
says, “I thought every one of
the duets was great, I wish we
didn’t have to pick a winner.”
Which is true, each student
wishes they didn’t have to
pick, because it was a hard
decision.
To all the teachers
that tried, you did a great
job, and congratulations for
having the guts to go in front
of hundreds of people and
shake your groove thing!
Don’t give up hope; you
could still win next year!
Above, Coach Schmitt and Mrs. Williams take the court ready to do their thing, as the crowd goes wild.
Even though the dynamic duo did not win the competition they were definitely a crowd pleaser. Courtesy
of Natasha Mattesi.

Golden Lines
student activities
March 16, 2006
Boys and girls sweep Region Tournament
PATRICK
DUBUS
Student Activites Editor
Saturday February
11th was undoubtedly the
most special night in the
history of the St. Pius X
Golden Lions’ basketball
program. Both the boys
and girls team capped off
an incredible week by being
crowned the champions
of the highly competitive
region 6-AAAA tournament.
The boys avoided
a near upset in the
quarterfinals from the
Lakeside Vikings. After
a horrendous first half on
both sides of the ball, the
Lions overcame a nine-point
halftime deficit to advance
to the semifinals with a
59-48 win. An unyielding
defense was the key to
success for the Lions, which
would prove to be a theme
throughout the tournament,
as they only allowed the
Vikings nine total points
in the second half until the
starters were subbed out in
the finals seconds.
The Lions next
faced an evenly matched
Etowah team in the semifinals,
in a low scoring
defensive struggle. Despite
Pius shooting a season low
25 percent from the field,
their harassing defense
never allowed Etowah to get
into a rhythm on offense
and kept the game close.
Senior Spencer
Davidson converted two
clutch free throws down
the stretch to give Pius a
three-point advantage with
11 seconds remaining. The
defense forced Etowah
to take a wild shot at the
buzzer that was off the mark
to seal the 36-33 win for the
Lions and setting up a date
with second-ranked Tucker
in the finals.
The Tigers had
defeated the Pius both times
when the two teams met
in the regular season, and
Saturday’s match up looked
to be no different. Cameron
Tatum’s monster dunk
early in the game energized
Tucker and put the Lions
in an early deficit. Despite
not being able to get into
a rhythm on offense, the
Golden Lions were able to
hang around within eight
to 10 points the entire first
half.
The second half
started the same as the first
and it looked as if the Lions
were on the verge of being
blown out. Pius committed
several self-imposed
turnovers that led to easy
buckets for Tucker, whose
lead stretched to 16 points.
But just when it
looked like Pius was going
to fade away, they got a
burst of new life. After
almost a four-minute dry
spell without a field goal,
the Golden Lions quietly
surged to cut the lead from
16 to six at the end of the
third quarter. After a threepointer
by the Tigers to
start the final period, Pius
continued to chip away at
the nine-point lead. The
Lions’ signature defense
kicked in as a worn out
Tucker team appeared
confused on the offensive
end and were forced to fire
up well-defended threepoint
attempts.
Fatigue for the
Tigers started to show in
every aspect of the game
as they were getting outhustled
on both offense and
defense. The momentum
of the game clearly had
swung to Pius, as the Lions
authoritatively brought
down every rebound and
started to get into a rhythm
offensively. The large crowd
of Pius supporters began to
get back into a game that
had appeared lost.
Behind guard
Aaron Parr, who was shut
down in the first half, the
Pius boys fought their way
back to not only tie the
game, but also take the lead
54-52 with two minutes
remaining. Tucker finally
appeared to wake up after
a timeout and quickly tied
the game with 95 seconds
remaining. After a costly
foul by Tucker, Davidson
converted one of two free
throws to give the Lions
a 55-54 advantage. The
defense made one more
final stand as Tucker’s
Tatum missed a shot at
the buzzer to seal the win
in front of a stunned and
overjoyed crowd.
“The win is
greatest feeling in the
world, especially after losing
two tough games earlier
in the season to Tucker,”
said junior Jordan Shultz,
who played a key role in
the comeback. “The team
knew we could beat them
and never gave up, even
after being down 16. It all
pays off the hard work that
everyone has put forth.”
Parr led a balanced
scoring attack for the Lions
with 17 points. The win
marks only the second time
that Pius has captured the
boys’ region championship
in school history.
Being crowned
the tournament champions
was nothing new for the
Lady Lions, as the victory
marks the fifth consecutive
conference championship
for head coach Stephanie
Dunn and St. Pius. This
year’s game was certainly
the most special of them
all, however, as the girls
defeated archrival and
number one-ranked Marist
in an overtime thriller that
snapped the War Eagles’ 20-
game winning streak.
Pius cruised into
the semi-finals with a 62-39
route over Forsyth Central,
where they met defending
state champions, the Etowah
Eagles. Despite Etowah
leading by nine at halftime,
the Golden Lions came out
a more focused team in the
second half and won big, 72-
47. The victory marks the
sixth time that the Lions
have defeated the past
state champions.
Saturday’s
conference final was a
highly anticipated affair
that matched the number
one ranked Marist
War Eagles and third
ranked St. Pius. The two
powerhouses had split
victories in the regular
season meetings, with
both teams winning big at
home. Neither team let
their fans down this time,
however, when a thrilling
game was decided in the
final seconds of overtime.
Pius came out
firing from the starting tip,
paced by junior, all-state
center Kelly Cain who
scored 11 points in the first
quarter alone. The Golden
Lions lights-out shooting
helped build an 18-point
first half lead and it looked
as if the War Eagles would
be blown right out of the
gym.
The tide turned at
the beginning of the third
quarter, when Cain was
called for her third foul
and forced to the bench.
Fraderica Miller and Dre
Mingo took advantage of
Cain’s temporary absence
and led the War Eagles on
a 16-0 run to make it a 44-
40 heading into the final
period.
A wild fourth
quarter ensued with Marist
taking and protecting the
lead for most of the game.
After a three pointer by
Taylor Davidson and a
defensive stop, senior Jane
Fleming put the Lions
pack on top by one with
an incredible offensive
rebound and score. After
a late three by Marist to
regain the lead with only
a few seconds remaining
9
it looked as if the War
Eagles had won. But Kelly
Cain snatched an offensive
rebound and converted the
put-back to tie the game at
56 with only four seconds
remaining.
The Golden Lions
were forced to play catch-up
during much of overtime
after Marist jumped out
to an early lead with Cain
surprisingly sitting the first
few minutes due to foul
trouble. Freshmen Morgan
Toles’ clutch three-pointer
tied the game at 64 a piece
with just under a minute
remaining. After a missed
free throw by Fleming, Cain
again came up with clutch
offensive rebound and scored
a dramatic game winningbasket
with eleven seconds
remaining. The War Eagles
could not create their own
late dramatics with a missed
shot at the buzzer that sent
the crowd into bedlam and
Pius fans rushing onto the
court to celebrate with their
team.
Cain’s clutch
performance (21 points
and 10 blocks) came at an
opportune time with several
scouts present at the game,
including University of
Tennessee women’s head
coach Pat Summit.
Both the boys and
girls earned a number one
seed for the playoffs as well as
a first round playoff game.
The Boys and girls celebrate
their Region titles at Alpharetta
marking the first time that both
teams had won their conference
in school history. The boys
advanced as far as the Elite 8 of
the state playoffs, while the girls
earned a trip to the Final Four at
the Gwinnet Civic Center.

Golden Lines
10 student activities
March 16, 2006
Swim and dive teams compete at state
ELISA GRACIAA
Staff Writer
As the season came
to an end, the top St. Pius
swimmers and divers saw
their hard work pay off as
they competed against the
best athletes in the state. The
regular season ended in late
January but the swimmers
and divers continued training
and preparing four days a
week for the region, metro
and state meets.
As the teams advanced
to the different meets,
they became more selective
as to which swimmers would
advance. Led by Coach
Scott Carter, the entire team
traveled to region together
and placed third. After
competeing in the more
selective metro meet, St. Pius
competed in the state swim
meet. At the state level, the
top ten athletes in each event
competed.
Kelly McDowell ‘08
was excited about competing,
as this was her first year
going to state. Reflecting back
on the regular season and
looking forward to the coming
meets, she commented on
the great possibilities ahead.
“We lost a lot of great seniors
last year but the freshman
Pole-vault, long
jump, high jump, triple
jump, sprints, long-distances,
discus, shot put, relays, and
more – there is something for
everyone on the St. Pius X
Track and Field team.
Official practice
for the diverse sport began
January 30 th , but many of the
tracksters have been gearing
up for the season for many
months, some even since
summer. The early practice
certainly paid off last year,
considering the team made
it to state last year, finishing
in the third place. Hopes are
even higher this year and
each area of the team is working
hard to play their part
in capturing victory, Coach
class
brought us many talented
athletes. They really stepped
up and helped the team out.”
The boys swim team
placed tenth at state and the
girls placed ninth. Individual
awards were given to
students for their outstanding
acheivements and efforts.
Chris McCormick ‘06 was
given the Diving MVP award,
while Laura Beamer ‘07
received an award for Most
Improved and Peter Hillyer
‘09 was given the Coaches
award. For swimming,
Patrick Magrath ‘07 and
Heather O’Toole ‘09 were
given MVP awards, Taylor
Hayes ‘07, Carolne Carscallen
‘07 and Kelly McDowell
‘09 were given the Most Improved
award. John Kiphart
‘06 and Maggie Hamilton
received the Coaches award.
Congratulations to the
swimming and diving teams
for a great season.
Take your marks...GO!
CLARE
SWEENEY
Staff Writer
Left: Laura Beamer ‘07 dives at
a meet against Marist
Top Right: Graham Munger ‘09
brought a lot to the team as a
freshman
Bottom Right: Patrick Magrath
‘07, voted MVP for boys swimming,
competes in a season
meet
Photo courtesy of Al Johnson
Garrison explains, “I am very
excited about the upcoming
season. Everyone has been
working very hard to make
sure this season is as successful
as possible.”
To prepare for their
competition, practices are
held five days a week usually
lasting from 3:30 until
around 5:30. Because track
and field is such a unique
sport with different areas for
people to excel in, practice
can vary greatly for people
depending on what event
they choose to compete. Athletes
are expected to perform
their best on and off the field.
The track and field
staff similarly is made up of
various individuals all gifted
in their area of expertise.
Coach Garrison is the overall
head coach and oversees
the track and field team as a
whole. The staff also includes
two time track and field
Olympic gold medalist, Antonio
McKay. There are many
familiar St. Pius faces like
Coach Ghebru, Coach Walsh,
and Coach Guilbeau, but
also outside coaches include
Coach Pratt, Coach Kirillov,
Coach Mahoney, and Coach
Miller. All coaches find different
ways to help and improve
the athletes in their events
and get them ready for hard
competition.
Be sure to keep your eye
on this year’s track and field
team, the competitions are
never lacking in excitement.
The first track and field competition
was held March 8 th at
St. Pius against Lakeside and
Chamblee. Beginning Sunday,
March 11th, the Varsity
team will be competing
against some of the top teams
in the state. Coach Garrison
expresses his confidence
in this year’s team, “If we
continue to improve daily, I
am confident these teams can
compete for a Region 6AAAA
Championship and possibly a
State AAAA Championship.”
Sprinters Mariela Rodriquez, Christine Mbaba, Tom Myers, and Hillary
Braxton run a relay at practice. They are shown here preparing
for their first meet that was on Wednesday, March 1.
Staff Photo

Golden Lines
student activities
March 16, 2006
11
Spring Sports Kick into High Gear
WILL
CLOYD
Staff Writer
Winter Olympics: totally awesome or a total bust?
Staff Writer
The Winter Olympics
have come and gone,
and it seems as if no one
cared. The winter games,
which come around every
four years did about as bad in
ratings as the men’s ski team
did in their events. American
Idol doubled the Torino
games in ratings. This year’s
American team was supposed
to be invincible. The heavens
were going to open up and
gold medals were going to
rain down from the skies.
This was supposed to be the
best American team ever, the
best skiers, the best skaters,
and the best snowboarders.
The self proclaimed best
ski team ever, led by Bode
Miller, made the cover of
Sports Illustrated. In my
mind if you make the cover
of one of the most syndicated
magazines in the world you
had better be good. But, alas,
this historic team that was
supposed to break all the
American ski records didn’t.
In fact as of today the best
ever has only 2 medals. While
two medals is nothing to scoff
at, it falls far short of being
incredible. I’m not saying
Girls Lacrosse: Entering their fourth year of
competition in division 6 AAAA, the Lady Lion’s
lacrosse team expects their best showing ever with
five returning seniors. After a 6-8 season Coach
Angela Raviele predicts 11 wins and 7 losses with “a
feasible goal of winning the region.” In order to meet these lofty goals the lions
will need to win important games which include, Westminster, Woodward,
Centennial, and Lovett. The Lions are definitely on the rise and worth
checking out this season.
Girls Soccer: Coming off their state runner-up performance at the state
championship last year, the Lady Lions soccer team has their eyes on the
prize as they gear up for another season. Returning eight senior, the Lions
have depth and experience which they need to utilize in their big games this
year against Woodward, Marist, and Macintosh. The latter beat the lions
convincingly in the state AAAA championship last year. The big surprise so
far this year is super frosh Sami Malik who will be starting in goal. Coach
Gilmore’s prediction for the year is another return to the state championship
assuming the lions, “work hard and enjoy each others company.”
Boys Lacrosse: Coming off a 9-8 season the boy’s lacrosse team is keeping
hopes high for another trip to the state playoffs, as well as their first playoff
victory. Coach Carter is very pleased with the squad he has this year. This
includes 10 seniors, as well as a core group of sophomores and juniors who are
expected to make an impact this season. “This team is very versatile, as well as
hard hitting” says Coach Carter, who will need his team to be both during key
region games against Marist, Lakeside, and Evans.
Boys Soccer: Entering the season ranked third in the state in AAAA the
Lions are optimistic about returning to the state finals. In order to do so they
will need to win important region games against Marist, Chamblee, Etowah,
and Lakeside. Even more important non-region games include Walton,
Brookwood, and Woodward; Woodward being the only team in that group to
be ranked higher than the Lions in the preseason polls. Coach Bailey is also
optimistic about the season saying, “We expect to be in the final four again this
year and know we can compete with the best for the State Title.”
BRENT
MODAK
the U.S. ski team should not
have been confident going
into the games, but the
athletes just do not seem to
care. The leader of this year’s
dream team of skiing, Bode
Miller admits that he doesn’t
shy away from Happy Hour
just because he might he
representing his country the
very next day. Miller went
into the Torino games as a
perennial powerhouse in five
events. His best finish so far is
fifth. Last time I checked the
best ever brought back gold,
silver, or at least bronze.
And then there was
the American Men’s hockey
team. While no one can
criticize their never say die
attitude, one can criticize
just about everything else
the hockey team did. They
couldn’t even beat Latvia. I’m
not asking for another Miracle
on Ice (1980 U.S. Men’s
hockey team, which won
gold), but the least the team
could do was beat Latvia.
The United States has
had its fair share of great
Olympic moments this year.
There was Shaun White who
went big at the Halfpipe and
went home with a gold. And
Shani Davis who became the
first black athlete to win a
gold when he won the 1,000
meter men’s speed skating.
White and Davis are what
Winter Olympics are all
about. Both compete at the
highest level and win at the
highest level. But that is not
what seemed to thrill them.
Shaun White and Shani Davis
appeared proud to be an
American. When they won
gold both athletes draped
themselves in the American
flag and represented their
country the way it should be
Bode Miller of the USA cuts a gate in the
first run of the Men’s Giant Slalom at
Sestriere Colle, Italy Sunday February 19,
2006. Miller finished tied for 6th. (Erich
Schlegel/Dallas Morning News/KRT)
represented.
Some might say that I
am bashing these guys too
much, but the way I look
at it if you are getting paid
millions of dollars a year to
play a game you’d better do a
good job. When Nike launches
a series of commercials
with you as the star I think a
little more than fifth place is
expected of you. Bode Miller
has lined his pockets from his
lucrative Join Bode commercials,
but Miller has failed to
place at any of the events he
has competed in so far. Being
the best ever, as Bode claims,
is more that just winning
medals it’s representing your
country in an appropriate
manner. When an athlete
dawns that red, white, and
blue he/she is competing for
more that medal, they are
competing for his/her country
and that is something that
cannot be taken lightly.

Golden Lines
12 backside
March 16, 2006
Cloudy forecast for the Middle East
FRANTZ
DESTIN
Staff Writer
On January 26,
2006 the Palestinian Central
Elections Committee announced
that Hamas, the
largest Palestinian Islamist
movement had won the majority
of the vote in the election
for seats on the Palestinian
Legislative Council. The
result of the election means
a defeat for the ruling Fatah
party, of which Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas is a member.
This power shift represents
clear change in ideologies
and is a potential threat to
all peace plans in that part
of the world. In the past,
Hamas had its actions rooted
in its goal to create an Islamic
Republic of Palestine in Israel,
the West Bank, and the
Gaza Strip. Furthermore, its
charter calls for the accomplishment
of its goal through
the destruction of the State of
Israel as well as any secular
Palestinian governments. As
a result Hamas is known for
its numerous directed suicide
attacks against Israeli citizens
and military targets. Hamas
has been branded as a terrorist
organization by the United
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a news conference
in Gaza, Sunday February 19, 2006. Israel settled for watereddown
restrictions on the Palestinian Authority in an apparent nod
from international calls to avoid adding to Palestinian hardships
after Hamas’ election victory.
Spring Break 2006 plans ...
States, Australia, Canada, the
European Union, and Israel.
However, the group has also
been noted as the driving
force behind numerous successful
social and charitable
organizations for Palestinians
in the Middle East.
How Hamas will make use of
its newly acquired legislative
power is a question yet to be
answered.Hamas’ win of 76
of the 132 seats in the Palestinian
Legislative Council,
which in effect is the legislature
of the Palestinian National
Authority responsible
for the administrative government
of parts of the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip,
has brought mixed reactions
worldwide among the
proponents for peace in the
Middle East. In response
to the election results,
President Abbas has urged
Hamas to keep progressing
in negotiations for peace.
Additionally, Prime Minister
Ahmed Qurei and the
Palestinian Authority Cabinet
have resigned and given up
their posts enabling Hamas to
form a new government. In
his recent State of the Union
address, President Bush
made it clear that the United
States would not deal with
Hamas unless it renounces
terrorism. Furthermore, the
Bush administration and the
European Union have threatened
to cut off all financial
aid to the Palestinian Authority
if Hamas members come
to hold ministerial positions.
On the other hand, President
Vladimir Putin has made a
point to indicate that Russia
has no intentions of cutting
off assistance to Palestine.
The future of the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict currently
rests in the hands of a terrorist
organization in the Middle
East.
Cruise to San Juan, St. Thomas, and St.
Maarten with Natalia Prada-Rey, Laura
McGill, and Emily Sutlive.”
- Nicole Emmett, 12
“Going to Seagrove with Celeste,
Madelyn, and Marie. -Chelsea Cogan, 12
“Going to Destin with my
girlfriend! Ooo La La!!!”
- John Charles
White, 12
“Barbados!”
- Rebekah Baer, 11
“Hangin’ out!”
- Brian Malone, 11
“Sleep, have fun, eat, and sleep again.”
- Crystal Agu, 12
“Road trip across America with my friends… Devan, Maryellen, and
Jackie!” -Jennifer Angelich, 11
“Probably spend a lovely week at the
resort and spa at Barton Manor. OK,
so it’s not a resort, it’s my house, but
the neighbors do have a kiddie pool in
their backyard.”
- Pat Barton, 12
“This year we are spending time in the
Caribbean (Montego Bay, aJamaica).”
- Jessica Johnson, 11
BY LAUREN LIGHTFOOT
Features Editor
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