Volume 5, Issue 1 MidKnight Times, page 5

We Survived the Zombies

Using the New Library

Visual Scavenger Hunt

How well do you know your school? How observant are you? Be the first to identify ALL of these places around and about the Garcia Family Middle School and win a snack bar cou-pon! You must be specific. Email or give your answers to Julia Kelly or Mrs. Inman.

Photos by Julia KellyStaff Writer and Photographer

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This year’s play was Ten Ways to Stop the Zombie Apocalypse, but Mr. Campbell added a few more acts and a dance number. Everyone who participated had a wonder-ful time. “My favorite part was when I got to throw the plastic spaceship at Matthew,” says Jeremy Levin. Madison Edwards, Molly Buffenbarger, Jack-son Gray, and Matthew Quintana were Humans

Team 1 and on Team Two were Jeremy Levin, Nikki Rubin, Annabelle Critz, and Austin Fuller. Our chal-lenging opponent were the Zombies. Some shout-outs include Slone Baker for her wonderful impromptu ninja zombie, Amalie Little for letting the hair-girls mess her hair up to the extreme, and a round of applause for Sydney Thomas because right before the final show, her dress was covered in glue and she still managed to act. We also need to thank Jackson Hamel for his outstanding perfor-mance as a Kung Fu Master and for fixing the smoke machine while on stage. “I was so excited to learn how to do Zombie dance and then we got to use a smoke machine. It was so cool,” Sydney Thomas raves. We spent a lot of time practicing the final dance, but it turned out to

be a wonderful ending to the play, with Mr. Camp-bell added his own special moves, especially the one he likes to call “the cat.” There are many people we need to thank: Mrs. Pottorff (costumes and general stage wonderful-ness,) Lexi Rubin and Julia Gray (makeup,) Abigail Lund, Kendall Willis, and Jack Ferguson (hair.) “This was my first time doing hair for a production and I had so much fun,” says Jack Ferguson.

Ten Ways to Stop the Zombie Apocalypse was one extremely fun-ny play. Mr. Campbell says “I found this script a while back and I am glad that we could do it here at Pace. I like the fact that it was a true ensemble cast. Every-one came together for a great team effort. On and offstage, there were no grade levels. There was just a team working together, supporting each other for the best show possible.”

Humans Jeremy Levine, Anna-belle Critz, and Austin Fuller cower in fear of the approaching Zom-bies.

by Annabelle CritzEditor in Chief

Zombies Elliot Mathis and Amalie Little dance to Thriller.

Narrators Grace Pottorff and Andrew Miller discuss ten ways to survive the zombie apocalypse.

Humans Matthew Quintana, Madison Edwards, Jackson Gray, and Molly Buffenbarger are locked and loaded.

6th graders Mary Childs Hall and Haley Cavinder swivel and bounce while working on computers in the library.

Hayden Sample and Claire Wierman find their prize in the stacks. Photos by Julia Kelly

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We went to the new Pace Library to learn about some cool features, and also how to use it! We asked Mr. Ball (the new librarian) and Ms. Teague questions about the library and how to navigate it. MKT: What is the book checkout time limit?Mr. Ball: You can check out as many books as you want and keep them for three weeks. They can also be renewed for another three weeks if you need them longer.MKT: How long have you worked at the Pace library?Ms. Teague: This is my 19th year at Pace.MKT: Have you worked as a librarian before?Mr. Ball: Yes, I’ve been a librarian for 17 years. I’m very happy to be back in Atlanta where I grew up, and working with Pace students.MKT: What do you think is the best feature of the new library?Mr. Ball: Besides the aesthetics (the two story reading room with a fireplace is quite beautiful,) I like that it’s a place where students seem to want to be. Ms. Teague and I are working hard to make sure that we have books and online materials that students need and want, and I enjoy seeing them getting used.MKT: What is the most popular feature of the library?Mr. Ball: Probably the space itself, followed by the laptops that we check out. Once the weather cools down and we start using the fireplace more often, I imagine that’ll be a popular feature as well.MKT: Is there anything else that you would like to tell the Middle School students about the new library?Mr. Ball: You are all welcome here! I know that this library isn’t as convenient as having one in the Garcia Family Middle School building, but we’re open before school and until 7:00 every night, and we’re actively buying books with Middle School students in mind, so please do come by and visit.MKT: What has been the most problematic feature of the new library?Ms. Teague: Because it’s so big, it’s hard to staff. However, we have great parent volunteers, which help. With all of this in mind, make sure you visit the library soon!

by Julia Kelly and Claire WiermanStaff Writers

5.

October 29, 2014 MidKnight Times page 6

Guardians of the Galaxy was overall a fan-tastic movie full of super-heros! Rated over 90% by critics and viewers, it is considered the current number one movie of 2014. In the movie, a crew of ragtag criminals meets up and discovers a plot to destroy an entire planet. It features Star Lord, a galactic thief; Rocket, a talking raccoon; Groot, a mobile tree who works with Rocket; Gamora, the daughter of one of the

If I Stay is a novel by Gayle Forman about Mia, an eighteen-year-old girl, whose world is turned upside-down because of a fatal accident. She gets the choice: should she give in and die, like her parents and brother, or should she stay and live with her grandparents and Adam, her boyfriend. This book is beautifully written. The start sucks you in and you are caught up in Mia’s world and her memories. It tells her story: how she’s a quiet kid with an amaz-ing talent on the cello who wants nothing more than to get into Julliard and be with Adam, a rock star with a band of his own. The book portrays the little beauties that life has to offer, and the difficulties and draw-backs that come with it.

As soon as I pressed the “Join Server” button, I was sent into the colorful, blocky, Minecraft-like envi-ronment of Unturned. Un-turned is a free download, but I had recently bought the gold extension (for the low, low price of $2!) so all that my blocky, cheesy-faced player had to start out with was an old flashlight, a candy bar, juice box, and a very nice gold suit. All around me, I heard the random, sudden screams and moans of zombies, and the enraged yelling of “OMG, THAT NOOB SHOT ME!” I quickly muted the mike function so I could focus on what really matters: the gameplay! Unturned is a free-to-play multiplayer sandbox game created by a 16-year-old Canadian, Nelson Sex-ton. Set in Prince Edward Island, Canada (PEI) during a zombie apocalypse, I promise you’ll have a wonderful time just exploring the massive PEI, fighting the undead menace, and fortifying your bases. And good news Mac owners, you don’t have to sit in the sidelines along with Linux owners and watch as Windows gets all the good games! While it’s still in early access and testing, Un-turned has so much potential that already it’s managed to grab the attention of big gamers and Youtubers. It’s even made its place on gaming site Steam’s front page, along with big games like Team Fortress 2, Dota 2, and Counter Strike! But what’s the reason for all it’s fame? Well, firstly, it’s everything we could ever want: a Minecraft, in a sense, with guns AND zombies! With multiplayer and player-versus-player (PVP) features, teamwork runs rampant. It has a unique crafting system similar to Mi-necraft’s. And the game feels much more realistic than fighting exploding plant-like creatures and punching trees down with your fist. Unlike Minecraft, where resources are pretty easy to get, in Unturned, you have to manage your resources and limited pack space. Will you drop some valuable food for a powerful assault rifle? Will you drop some antibiotics for a hat? Will you choose to flee from a horde of zombies or risk your life trying to grab that can of beans? The choice is yours! But remember, keep watch on your food and thirst levels or your outcome might be disastrous.

Grandson: A book?Grandfather: That’s right. When I was your age, televi-sion was called books. And this is a special book. It was the book my father used to read to me when I was sick, and I used to read it to your father, and today, I’m gonna read it to you.Grandson: Does it got any sports in it?Grandfather: Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, True Love, miracles....Grandson: Doesn’t sound too bad. I’ll try and stay awake.Grandfather: Oh. Well, thank you very much. Very nice of you. Your vote of confidence is overwhelming. All right. The Princess Bride, by S. Morgenstern. Chapter One. Buttercup was raised on a small farm in the country of Florin. Her favorite pastimes were riding her horse and tormenting the farm boy that worked there. His name was Westley, but she never called him that.

Isn’t that a wonderful beginning?

The scene above is the beginning of one of the most famous movies ever - The Princess Bride. The story is read by the grandfather to his sick grandson. During the story we are taken to Florin, a Renaissance-era magical world, where the story takes place. This 1987 movie has made many best-movies list throughout the years. As one of my favorite mov-ies, I must suggest it to anyone who has never seen it before.

Robotics has been at Pace for quite a while. In robotics, you make robots that solve different problems. For example, you might program a robot to grab a brick and take it back to its home base. To build these robots, you use Lego Mindstorm Kits that have

The Latest in Video Gamesby Blake RodriguezEditorial Team

If I Stayby Susie PieperEditorial Team

Guardians of the Galaxy

by Davis MathisEditorial Team

villains; and Drax, an alien man trying to avenge the death of his wife and children. Other notable characters would be “the collector” who also ap-pears in the finale scene of Thor the Dark World; Nebula, the evil sister of Gamora; Thanos, the evil father of Gamora; and Ronan, the primary villain set on destruction and power. There was even an appearance by Howard the Duck from the 1986 Marvel film, Howard the Duck. Caroline Singleton said, “It was funny, ac-tion-packed, and full of romance.” Andrew Miller added, “It is full of drama that you are not expect-ing.” Overall I would say this movie is excellent and would definitely be worth seeing.

The Princess Brideby Annabelle CritzEditor in Chief

Buddy-bots 2014by Alivia WynnStaff Writer

complex legos, motors, and sensors. Like most things, robotics has not stayed the same over the years. It used to meet at lunch and after school, but now it is a Discovery Class for all grades and it also meets after school with Mr. Heacock. I interviewed 7th grader Lenox Herman and she says that her favorite part of Robotics is creat-

ing robots from scratch. She loves how she feels when she tests her robot and it works. Lenox start-ed Robotics this year be-cause the Middle School just got a girls team for 7th and 8th grade. She says that in Robotics, she learns about math and physics, and how different pieces work together.

(left) Tommy As-saf and Richard Hall put together a robot.(right) Nikki Rubin, Madison Edwards, and Lenox Herman in robotics class.

Volume 5, Issue 1 MidKnight Times, page 7

Ingredients~ 8 oz of cream cheese~ 1 pkg. of Oreos cookies~ 2 one-pound blocks of almond bark or two bags of white chocolate chips~ Black sprinkles~ Sucker sticks or strawsInstructions~Mix one package of soft-ened cream cheese with one package of Oreos in your food processor or blender. ~ Form it into ball.~ Stick sucker sticks or paper straws into the balls.~ Place in freezer.~Melt the white almond bark or chips in microwave till smooth and melty.~ Dip the pops into the chocolate and place on wax paper.~When they have all been dipped, take them one by one and hold them over the bowl of melted chocolate, dip a fork into the choco-late and then drizzle it all over the pop. ~add the black sprinklesEnjoy!

1. 26 = L of A2. 12 = S of the Z3. 54 = C in a D (with J)4. 88 = PK5. 8= S on a SS6. 11= P on a FBT

Dear Triple A,I am having trouble bal-

ancing my schoolwork with all the other things I have to do. What should I do?

Dear Too Much Work, It is a fact of life; most people have too much on their plates. The trick that works the best for me is to do most of your work for the upcoming week on the week-ends. I know it may seem ridiculous to spend an extra hour or two on homework on the weekend, but you have removed that amount of work for the upcoming week. Also your work is a better quality than the work you do after a long school day. Good luck.

Dear Triple A, As a 7th grader, I just started going to Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and I have no clue what I should do.

Dear Clueless at Mitzvahs, Really, what I have learned from these parties is that you just dance and sing-along to EVERY SONG. No matter how annoying or ridiculous you feel, I promise you look more fantastic if you are getting into the party. What looks strange is when people half-bob and whisper along to the song. SO, don’t be that person. And if you ever worry about not having someone to dance with for the slow dances, don’t feel bad. I personally have only danced maybe fifteen slow dances. The real key to these parties is to have fun and look fabulous because these parties are so much fun. Good luck.

Dear Triple A I am a girl and I don’t understand why we can’t show our “straps” through our shirts or when the shirt is a little bit sheer, we can also get an LOP. Dear Confused girl, Oh Darling, you are not alone in your confusion because I myself am horrified at these rules. Especially with teachers saying that we must look modest, but is wearing a slightly sheer top immodest? I am sorry about you and all the girls having such a strict dress code, but we must bravely push through and look forward to Upper School where the dress code is more lenient. Good luck.

Dear Triple AI am a 6th grader and I am nervous about my

grades. One person said that I must have a 90 average in a class to pass and I am too nervous to ask anyone if that is true or not.

Dear 6th grader, You do not need a 90 or above in a class to pass, I believe it is a 70 or above. I promise that you will get above a 70 average in your classes. Really, the only way to get that low of a grade would be to never bring in homework and fail most of your quizzes, but you could still do well on your tests and pass the class. I am not say-ing you should purposely do any of the things I just said, but it is very hard to fail a class.

Guess what is meant by these abbreviations and numbers. This test mea-sures your knowledge and creativity. First student to bring or email six correct answers to Andrew Miller or Mrs. Inman wins a snack bar coupon.

Code Bustersselected by Andrew Miller, Staff Writer

Pace ‘Toons

Little Ghostiescontributed by Caroline Sin-gleton, Editorial Team

Senora Jimémez tries Caro-line’s ghosties.

Being an equestrian isn’t easy. It comes with lots of hard work. Here is a day of being an equestrian… You arrive at the barn in your boots, breeches, and shirt. You look for your name on the lesson board and you see the time of your lesson and which horse you are rid-ing. You go to their stall and slip their halter on them. You lead them to the crossties and hook the crossties to their halter. You take a curry brush and rub all the dirt off, then brush them off with a hard brush. Then, you take the hoof pick and you pick out all the dirt and muck that could be inside their hooves, being careful not to hurt the frog in their hoof (the V shaped part inside their hoof.) When you are done picking out all four hooves, you choose a saddle, girth, bridle, saddle pad, bevel pad, and two earplugs that you place inside the horse’s ears. Now you place the sad-dle pad on top of the withers (a part of the horse’s mane,) you put the bevel pad on top of the saddle pad, then take the saddle and gently place it on top of the horse’s back. Next, you attach the girth to the saddle and put your helmet on. Finally, take the bridle and slip it on the horse. Make sure you tighten the throatlatch and noseband and now you are ready to have your lesson. You walk out to the arena and check your girth to see if it is loose, then hop on! You have your lesson then get off of your horse. Don’t forget to give your horse a big pat to say “thank you.” You walk them back into the barn and untack. You really have to love being an equestrian to do this every lesson. All I can tell you is that it is worth it. If this sounds appealing to you, then try out for the Pace Equestrian Team. We are Upper School and Middle School riders and we would love to have you. We go to many shows and compete against other schools. At our most recent show the Garcia Family Middle School won 1st place over all and the Upper School won 1st place over all, too. Emily Caton won a 2nd place ribbon and a 4th place ribbon. Lauren Stebbins won a 1st place ribbon and a 3rd place ribbon. Coach Camp says, “We have some great, talented riders in the MS. I’m so proud of them!” Way to go Middle School!

The Scoop On ... Being an Equestrianby Lauren StebbinsStaff Writer

by Julia Kelly - Staff writer and cartoonist by Aaron Pascaner - Editorial Team and cartoonist

AAAby Annabelle CritzEditor in Chief

Emily Caton and Lauren Steb-bins with their show ribbons.

Lauren Stebbins in the Eques-trian Team’s most recent show.

October 29, 2014 MidKnight Times page 8

Although the 7th grade football team’s record may not have shown it, we improved vastly throughout the season, whether it was Morgan ”Mailman” Payne catching a long ball, or Will “Mono” Rehmert deliver-ing a bone crushing hit. We bonded during hard-hit-ting practices and adrena-line-filled games. Although for the final games we had several players out with injuries, we still managed to keep it a close game. Coach Payne provided the pep talks we needed, while Coach deButts was like a playful puppy, keeping us pumped and giving us a few laughs. It didn’t matter whether it was Zachary or Ben throwing the ball, or Bridges running a slant, Dillon catching an onside kick, or Harris sacking the QB, the season was some of the best times of our lives. Coach deButts said, “This group of boys really came together and learned the value of teamwork. They fought hard until the final whistle every game, regardless of the score. I couldn’t be more proud of the effort they brought on a day-to-day basis.”

8th grade football has had a good season, with a record of 2-3. Lo-gan Snead said, “We come to practice to work hard and focus so we can keep getting better at football.” Jared Rayman said, “We’ve had a lot of injuries this season, including our heads, but in spite of that, we’ve been able to win games.” He reports that the highlight of the season was Chase Karamanolis’ 99-yard reception for a touch-down. Assistant Coach An-thony comments, “We have a particularly tough and talented group of 8th grade boys on the football field this year. They brought a tremendous amount of football knowledge into the season, and have only gotten better. They play hard, they are resilient, and they have a lot of fun while on the gridiron. I hope they have enjoyed playing as much as we have enjoyed coaching them.”

The 7th grade girls volleyball team had a great season. We ended with a record of 12-8. If there’s anything that is most noticeable about this team, it would have to be how much closer we got to winning. Plus, the team was very supportive. If someone missed her serve or messed up, the team was there to make sure she shook it off. One of the main things that our team liked to do is the riff-off before practice and games, when we come together and sing. It really makes us seem like family. Team member Meryll Asher com-mented, “I loved playing with everyone because it was so exciting!” Lucy Ferry added, “I loved getting to spend time with people after school who I don’t normally hang out with.” Go Knights!

The 8th grade vol-leyball team finished their season with a record of 7-17. Although we faced tough opponents, we had a great season and learned a lot about mental toughness. We learned about trusting each other and how to work together, on and off the court. Our fans of the year were Caroline Singleton and Jacob Sloman.

“We played hard and once we overcame the fear of messing up, we were able to play the way we wanted to,” says Marga-ret Bethel. One of the major themes for the season was perseverance. Coach Mc-Gurn pushed us to forget our past mistakes and to think about future games. With this mindset, we won many points and were able to enjoy the season.

“By the end of the season, the girls had come together and played as a true team and they crushed it!” says manager Tess Eichenlaub. Coach McGurn adds, “These girls were very coachable and they loved to be in the gym practicing. They always represented Pace with good character and a positive spirit. I will miss them.”

Softball this year was the most competitive it’s been in a long time. With a record of 5-5-2, the team was led by five strong 8th graders - Merritt Ann Glass, Caelan Corbal-ly, Caitlin Murphy, Eden Kerker, and Susie Pieper. There was one returning 7th grader, Perrin Kendall, and seven 6th graders, MC Hall, Madison Martin, Hel-ena Harris, Lane Brickley, Leah Nuffer, Mary Paige Pope and Sydney Silver-stein. “It’s been a real pleasure coaching this team and watching the girls im-prove,” said Coach Danny Gershwin. MC Hall and Lane Brickley were stellar shortstops, along with Eden Kerker, who also excelled at third base. Merritt Ann Glass and Caelan Corbally were equally successful at first, ensuring routine outs were made. Madison Martin, Mary Paige Pope and Leah Nuffer ruled the outfield, and Helena Har-ris was a nearly flawless second baseman. Caitlin Murphy played catcher, blocking everything that came her way. Susie Pieper was mainly on the mound, averaging about ten strike outs a game. Sydney will be the main pitcher next year, and did an amazing job this year as the strong alternative. With this season behind them, the softball team can only get better, and are setting the bar pretty high. Pace soft-ball is hitting it out of the park.

7th Football 8th Football 8th Volleyball Softball

Cross Country

Water Polo

7th Volleyballby Aidan GannonGuest Writer

by Alexandra Baker and Abi-gail LundGuest Writers

by Susie PieperEditorial Team

by Payton ParkerGuest Writer

by Ellie LuettersGuest Writer

Zachary Howard pushes through the line.

Chase Karamanolis pulls away with the ball.Photo by Mr. Fred Assaf

Klara Andra-Thomas serves. Photo by Caroline Singleton

Holland Carlton crushing it. Photo by Caroline Singleton

Pitcher Susie Pieper on the mound.

Garcia Family Mid-dle School Cross Country started on a great note with our first meet at GACS. It was a hot day for everyone and a tough first meet, but everyone put out 100% so it was very successful. XC has had four additional successful meets too, with our girls and boys JV and varsity teams both running very well. On our boys team, Jack Neill has been excelling with Ben Tolli-day, Will Stratton, Robert Houser, Larry Simpson and many others not far behind. On the girls team, Laura Romig, Erin Hood, Kayla Ross, Carly Irvine,

Elizabeth Kaye, Hanna Vincent, Kathryn Hood and many others have really been bringing it this season. Even though our team is great, we couldn’t have done it without Coach Wilhelm, Coach Jiménez, Coach Hermosillo, and Coach Lopuszynski. At the State Meet, the boys ran their best race of the season and the girls ran the best girls race in school history! Coach Wilhelm comment-ed, “This year has been an adventure, with the kids working to discover just how good they can be when they work hard and give it their best.”Jack O’Neill takes the turn at

Riverview.

The Knights fin-ished the season tied for 9th in the league, the first time a Pace Team has finished in the top 10! Middle School-ers on the team are Carter Frooman (below) and Paul-Louis Biondi.

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