Football players excited to break in new field house

the Sword & Shield

→ Relay for Life starts early, page 3→ Holiday movies at the Alabama Theater, page 5→ Just a Chat with Wanda Burns, page 11→ Volleyball wrap-ups up the season, page 13→ Guide to Mountain Brook’s best Christmas lights, page 18IN

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Vol. XLVIII No. 3 Mountain Brook High School December 13, 2013

News: 2-4 Features: 5-8 Sports: 8-14 Reviews: 15-18 Opinions: 19-20

By WILL DAVISStaff Writer

After months of anticipation, the Spartan football team finally has its new field house. The new addi-tion, which is home to the team’s locker room and the coaches’ offices, was recently completed. “It’s going to be an environment where we can teach our team better,” said Coach Chris Yeager. “It’s kind of like a psychological thing,” junior line-backer Keller Briley said. “It’s really rewarding to be able to know that all of the hard work we’ve put in is going into this great field house.” The field house was completed in late October right before the team’s last regular season game against Parker. In the game versus Parker, the returning play-ers got a taste of what was to come while the seniors

enjoyed their final home game with the brand new facilities. “The players were pumping their fists; it was like we just won a ballgame,” Yeager said. While Mountain Brook’s season is over, the excite-ment over the new field house will carry them into next season and future ones. Months have passed since construction started, yet as the date of completion neared, the anticipation and excitement built. The completion of the field house brought joy to the players and coaches who had been anxiously awaiting its conclusion. It should pay dividends for the Mountain Brook football team.

Senior linebacker Brandon Bartels said, “From day one of the field house, we have really enjoyed the lock-er room and showers. Before it was built, we had two working showers for the whole team. The field house is ten times better.” One of the benefits of the new field house will be the increase in space that will be used for locker rooms, exercise equipment, meeting spaces, offices, and storage areas. “We were averaging 60-65 players in 1998 when it was built; now we’re averaging 110-115 in grades 10-12, and 90-95 9th graders,” Yeager said. “The new field house encourages team unity.”

Photos by Will DavisLeft: The entrance to the new field house can be accessed from the track. Right: The new weight room in the field house has improved equipment for workouts.

Cross-Country girls take first at stateBy NATALIE JONES

Staff Writer

After months of preparation the MBHS varsity cross-country teams finally saw their hard work pay off at this year’s state championship held in November. Junior Jessica Molloy led the girls team into its 11th consecutive state title while senior Davis Kelly led the boys team to 4th place. Along with winning the 6A state championship title, the girls team ran the 2nd fastest team average time of any MBHS girls’ cross-country team. “I am most proud of the girls’ positive attitudes despite injuries, and the boys’ work ethic, comradery, and ability to come together as a team,” remarked varsity Coach Gregory Echols. Though senior Emily Bedell, junior Jessica Molloy, and sophomore Francis Patrick represented MBHS

at the state meet, the racing team consisted mainly of junior high girls with seven of the ten runners coming up from the junior high. Parker Cobbs, Anna Littleton, Anna Balzli, Anna Grace Morgan, Bailey Peacock, Mary Alison Anderson, and Ana McArdle all led the team to victory from the junior high. “The younger girls helped add excitement and energy to practices while still being able to learn from the knowledge and experience of the older girls,” said Coach Echols. Davis Kelly, Marshall Smith, Drew Williams, Russell Galloway, Stewart Hawk, Michael Clark, David Creel, and William Dodson all represented MBHS at the state meet with Griffin Riley and Spencer Hinson being the only state runners to come up from the junior high. “The boys this year just really loved running and being together,” said Coach Echols in response to how the

Photos by Allison HawkThe Cross-Country team reacts to their recent success and shows off their new trophy.

Please see “Cross-Country,” continued on page 12

Letter from the editors

There’s a chill in the air, the skies are grey, and winter is almost here. But fret not, sit down with a cup of hot cocoa and let The Sword & Shield warm up your holiday season. You’ve had a swell run so far; it’s already the tail end of the first semester and it hardly feels like one day has passed since the beginning of school. Now all you need to do is put your nose to the grindstone, ace your exams, and get the heck out of Dodge (for your break of course). So, as payment for all your scholastic toiling, we’ve worked tirelessly to bring you this issue filled with countless holiday ideas and happenings for a trip out on the town or a party in your own home. Check out our feature on page 5 for information on the Alabama Theatre’s

show times for all your favorite Christmas movies, or take a peek at page 18 for our list of the houses with the best lights in Mountain Brook. Looking for a new place to get a bite over the break, we’ve got you covered. Look at pages 15 and 17 to get the scoop on the newest additions to the English Village and Cahaba Heights line-up, Café Iz and Foodbar. These articles and many more will keep you up to date on all the latest in and around the Birmingham area. As the classic Andy Williams song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Don’t let grades or the weather get you down; enjoy the season while it’s here. Thanks for taking a copy and Merry Christmas! Rick and Olivia

2 Friday, December 13, 2013 The Sword & Shieldnews

The Sword & ShieldCo-Editor-in-Chief: Olivia BurtonCo-Editor-in-Chief: Rick Lewis

Art & Photography Editor: Claire DavisNews Editor: Kary ReynoldsSports Editor: Alec Lewis

Features Editor: Ben JacksonOpinions Editor: Mary Nix Roberson

Reviews Editor: Brooks GloverBusiness Manager: Mathilde Sharman

Managing Editor: Sarah Michel

Staff Writers

Sponsors: Ms. Catherine Lowe and Mr. Peter Perez

Letters to the Editors PolicyThe Sword & Shield welcomes Letters to the Editors from its readers. We re-serve the right to edit any letters for grammar, length, or libel; however, the meaning will be preserved. Whenever possible, changes made with a letter will be discussed with the author prior to publication. All letters must be signed, but

names may be withheld upon request. Email letters to gosands@gmail.com.

The Sword & ShieldMountain Brook High School

3650 Bethune DriveMountain Brook, AL 35223Telephone: (205) 414-3800

Fax: (205) 969-8113

Printing made possible byAlabama Web Press

1793 Eva RoadCullman, AL 35055

Telephone: (256) 734-5104

John CooperWill Davis

Chandler GoryMargaret Heath

Natalie Jones

Scott LepleyCaroline LoweCoke Matthews

Frances HancockChamblee Shufflebarger

John SissonBrooke TuckerDaniel Bolus

Madeline MitchellMaddie Sheffield

By KARY REYNOLDSNews Editor

The 2014 congressional elec-tions for all 435 seats of the House of Representatives and one third of the Senate will begin November 4, 2014. The outcomes of these elections may interest more than just students taking government. Recent events including healthcare controversies and the government shutdown have left predictions as to the winners unclear. Several new polls taken shortly after the conclusion of the govern-ment shutdown show Democrats with an early lead in the 2014 con-gressional elections. One recent survey by CNN shows that almost three quarters of Americans are opposed to the majority of Repub-lican members who will run for re-election next year. However, this is not to say that Democrats are faring a great deal better in the polls than Re-

publicans, with at best an eight point lead that is still shrinking. Researchers predict that these differences do not offer the results of next year’s elections but rather reflect the political atmosphere currently. “I feel like lots of people are an-gry with Congress right now and that is influencing these statistics,” said senior Ann Balkovetz. “I think events closer to the elections will have more of an impact.” Many students here at MBHS seem to reflect these statistics as well, with many students saying they are frustrated with the gov-ernment as a whole and question-ing the effectiveness of the political process. Senior Caroline Goolsby added, “The point at which our legislators vote on policies based solely on the party from which they originate is the point at which we need to reevaluate our political system’s priorities.”

Turbulent 2014 congressional elections concern GOP

By Kary Reynolds

3newsFriday, December 13, 2013The Sword & Shield

By DANIEL BOLUSStaff Writer

You may be wondering why in the world people are already talking about Relay for Life. Isn’t it in April? Is it really necessary to start fundraising right now? How much pink and purple must I see before the year is over? Contrary to popular belief, sci-entists have discovered that cancer does not just occur in the spring. In addition to this shocking discovery, senior Anne Peyton Baker points out that “we don’t want Vestavia to have more teams signed up and more money raised than us before the winter break—they think they can beat us on this one!” To encourage the defeat of Vestavia’s spirits for the second time this year, and more impor-tantly to raise money for a good cause, the Interact Club is holding another drive-in move tonight at Canterbury Church. Like last time, admission is $5, and the movie will be Will Ferrell’s holiday classic “Elf.” Interact is also encouraging team building through “25 Days of Relay.” The goal is to have 25 teams signed up online by the Winter Break, with each member raising $25 by December 25. Political disclosure: “25 Days of Relay” is based solely upon the 25 days of December leading up to Washing-ton’s crossing of the Delaware, and has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas.

After asking the relay “Big 5” (consisting of Catherine Kinney, Anne Peyton Baker, Mary Fran Wright, Paul Roth, and Katie Reiss) why we especially need to push for early fundraising, the common response was that this year, relay falls on the first week of April (April 4 to be exact). This cuts nearly a month of time out of raising money, and if one does the math, everyone needs to raise $25 by the end of December in order to raise a total of $100 by the time relay comes around. Overall, the holidays are a great time to raise money for a good cause. People are in the “giving” mood, and it is a great chance to avoid the thousands of bake sales the week before relay. Just make a couple of gingerbread cookies and plop a tent in front of a store during the holidays and see what happens. Or write some letters to your family asking for dona-tions. Or think of another creative fundraiser idea. The results will be “relay” awesome.

Relay for Life starts early with 25 Days of Relay

By FRANCES HANCOCKStaff Writer

Have you ever had an idea for a story, but never got around to writ-ing it? Well, now you have a chance to make your idea a reality. The month of November has been deemed as National Novel Writing Month (or Nanowrimo for short) and helps motivate anybody to write. Participants began writing on November 1 and worked towards a goal of 50,000 words by midnight of November 30. “I love Nanowrimo because it gives you the freedom to write with reckless abandon,” says Mrs. Denise Trimm, the sponsor of the Birming-ham Nanowrimo writing group. The target number of words to write per day is 1,667 in order to achieve the 50,000 word goal. This

may seem impossible, but that num-ber can easily be lowered to become much more manageable. Because it may be hard to find words to write each day, it is easy to fall behind on your word count. In order to avoid such writer’s block, the Nanowrimo website has fre-quent ‘pep talks’ written by profes-sional authors to encourage aspiring novelists. Some notable authors include James Patterson, Christo-pher Paolini, Scott Westerfeld, and John Green. Participants can create an ac-count on the website where they can track their word count per day, engage with other writers, and get inspiration if they feel like they can-not write anymore. The Nanowrimo website also rewards participants who succeed in their endeavors by offering a selec-tion of prizes, including two free paper back copies of your finished novel. Nanowrimo is a great way to expand your creative writing skills and provides an amazing sense of accomplishment when you finish. If you are interested in participat-ing next year, you can find out more information at http://nanowrimo.org, and like the website says, “the world needs your novel.”

Students participate in Nanowrimo: a novel idea for writing

Photo by Frances HancockMeredith Featheringill works on her novel during her free time in the library.

4newsPerfect the art of gift-giving this holiday season

1. Lomography Diana F+ Medium Format Camera by Lomography

amazon.com

2. Tec Fleece with Head-phones

180s.com

3. Apple Store Gift Card apple.com

4. Pop Phone nativeunion.com

5. Cocoon GRID-IT! Orga-nizing System

apple.com

6. “Ladies Man” Pack of 6 Dress Socks

nicelaundry.com

7. Concert Tickets for The Magna Carta World Tour: Jay Z. December 28, 2013

stubhub.com

8. Small Gray Flat Card finestationary.com

9. Patchwork Thermos vineyardvines.com

10. Bojangles gift card your nearest Bojan-gles

11. Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark

williams-sonoma.com

12. Zip Pouch madewell.com

13. J. Crew Iphone 5-S Case jcrew.com

14. York Peppermint Patties walmart.com

By MATHILDE SHARMANBusiness Manager

As Business Manager of the The Sword & Shield, I feel it is my duty to help readers reflect on their attitude towards the business of holiday gift-giving. Do you carefully select a gift for each unique friend? Are Secret Santa parties a beacon of light in the harrowing darkness of exams? Or do you mock those who gleefully participate in the gift-giving season? The Sword & Shield seeks to serve all readers. We strive to help eager gift buyers find the perfect gift, while guiding the less eager out of the cave of ignorance. The diagnosis for cynical attitudes towards gift-giving? A deeply-rooted fear towards what can seem a com-plex task. Do not be ashamed of your fears, cynics! Consider this season as an opportunity to redeem yourself for the pessimism of past holidays. The Sword & Shield invites all read-ers to hone gift-giving abilities and overcome those silly fears. Let’s start with the basic compo-nents: who, what, and where. What is your recipient pool? How big is your recipient pool? Does your price range differ amongst recipients? These are only a few of the questions to consider when creating your gift list. Consider the factors that compose the who category. Sophomore Adele Bird shared her gift giving style with The Sword & Shield. “I would say I prefer the closer group of friends for holiday gift-giving.” Adele’s fellow sophomore Luke Hartman is also a small-group giver. “A few nice gifts for some friends is the direction I’ll probably go.” Luke’s Friend B is always smartly dressed, but Luke’s not exactly looking to buy Friend B a pricey dress shirt. Let’s

look at potential purchases for Adele and Luke. Friend A’s perfect gift: a Vineyard Vine’s Patchwork Thermos. Owners Ian and Shep value their mug at $18. While Adele may share their senti-ment, the equally charming $9.99 Contigo Bella Coffee Tumbler from Target is certainly an option. Alright, time to give Luke some direction. Nice Laundry sells snappy dress socks in packs of 6 for $39.00. That’s a steal compared to men’s clothier, Brook’s Brothers, who value 6 pair of dull black socks at a proud $56.25. And Luke can forget the free shipping Nice Laundry offers if he opts for a Brook’s Brothers buy. Now let’s focus on another type of gift-giver. Junior Stephen Little told The Sword & Shield he enjoys the Secret Santa scene. “I like big Secret Santa parties; I just buy a bunch of inexpensive gifts.” Junior Elinor Anthony was of a

similar opinion. “To me, the Secret Santa parties can be really fun.” Stephen and Elinor’s options? A king size Hershey bar or Chocolate Peppermint Rolled Wafers from Wil-liams Sonoma are two great choices. As you advance into the holiday season, take some time to consider the type of gift-giver you want to be. Are you partial to the Secret Santa? Maybe you’re looking to give nice gifts to a few close friends? Don’t

be afraid to vary the field; try a pair of wonderfully tacky socks from Target for the Secret Santa, a King Size Hershey Bar for several friends, and a J. Crew phone case for a good friend. Advance into the season with confidence and determina-tion. Realize your true potential as a gift-giver. The Sword & Shield salutes you.

Friday, December 13, 2013 The Sword & Shield

5Features

By JOHN COOPER and BEN JACKSON

Staff Writer and Features Editor

“I made my family disappear… I made my family disappear!” You may recognize this quote from the popular Christmas film, “Home Alone.” For us, it’s an annual re-watch, and this year we’re watching it at the Historic Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham, where an entire series of Christmas classics is available throughout the holiday break. What makes the experience so special? For starters, the atmosphere is unparalleled. Built in 1927, the Historic Alabama theatre was included in Flavorwire’s Most Beauti-ful Movie Theatres in America, complete with all the extravagance of the roaring 20’s. Before the movie begins and during an old-fashioned intermission, the Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ, one of the world’s largest, rises from below the stage. A skilled organist leads the crowd in a host of holiday sing-alongs. The Christmas series is not only a fun tradition, but an affordable one. At $7 per ticket, you can bring all of your friends, family, extended family, step-family, removed family, honorary family, teachers, and coaches. The refreshments are equally cheap. At $3 per popcorn and drinks, the Historic Alabama Theatre undercuts big name theatres like the Rave and Carmike and the Edge by about $300 per person. That’s not hyperbole. We’ll be there for several of the movies, and we’d recommend you pay the theatre a visit as well. Visit www.alabamatheatre.com/events for showtimes to help you have a merry holiday season.

Holiday movies now playing at the Alabama Theatre: “Look what you did, you little jerk!”Movie Schedule

12/13: White Christmas

12/14: Polar Express and It’s a Wonderful

Life

12/15: A Christmas Story

12/16: Christmas Vacation

12/17: Home Alone

12/18: Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

12/19: It’s a Wonderful Life

12/20: Elf

12/21: Cartoon Triple Feature and Christmas

Vacation

12/22: White Christmas

Photo courtesy of Chris Luker

Friday, December 13, 2013The Sword & Shield

6FeaturesBy CHAMBLEE SHUFFLEBARGER

Staff Writer

Chamblee: So why all the cows?Wanda Burns: I had a student in my 1997 class at Minor in precal who tried to explain to the assistant principal how to pronounce calculus correctly. ‘Not Calculus but cowwwwwculus. Like a cow.’ CS: And when did you start collecting the cows?WB: Students started bringing them in that same week. Before I had had a Bugs Bunny room with WB all over the room like Warner Brothers but Wanda Burns. I still have the 40 on the wall from the year of the first Bugs Bunny cartoon. Students started to cut out cow spots from black construction paper and put them on the walls. But to prove their value to me they would write a calculus problem on them. So you could take off a spot and look at a problem. CS: And your students brought in the cows too?WB: Almost all of the cows have been brought in by students. I’ve only bought two of them myself.CS: Now I know that I personally feel that volume equates to intelligence, but why do you yell so much?WB: Well I started teaching without all this tech-nology and in a classroom that was much bigger than this one. Mine right now is about a 19 by 21 and before I was in a room that was a 27 by 30 with a carpet so it ate up all the sound. I still talk louder after teaching there.CS: We’ve seen a lot of teacher complaints about dress code lately. What are your thoughts on stu-dent attire?WB: Kids gotta cover up. Just cover up all skin. Leave very little up to the imagination. That should cover all the dress code issues.CS: You sure do teach a bunch of rambunctious teens. What were you like in high school?WB: I was very quiet, very studious, non-athlet-ic. I played the piano, I actually majored in piano. I was supposed to be a pianist. In fact, besides my height you would never see me. I had to sit in the back of the room because I was so tall. I

probably would have been more involved if I sat in the front. CS: What made you decide to teach calculus?WB: I didn’t. I was asked to teach it at my last school when we started AP. At my former school I taught all the math. I was the head of the Math Department and math team sponsor. I just did the whole spectrum of math. And that’s how I started teaching calculus.CS: And what would you say to students that think calculus has no use in the real world?WB: Calculus will make you a better human being. Would you want a surgeon operating on you that had failed calculus? Would you want to drive on a bridge designed by an engineer who failed calculus? No.CS: What advice would you like to give to the student body if you could?

WB: We all seem to have a lack of leadership, a lack of vision. And everyone needs to dig down deep for their skills and leadership abilities. For vision, you never see things if you don’t want to see them. You have to find ways to get it done. We all need to find ways to serve others over our-selves. Now I don’t mean this for just the senior class or the student body but everyone. We could all do more. I am not down on today’s youth. But we could all do more and work harder.CS: Finally, are ya there Mrs. Burns? And if so where is there because your calculus students would like to get there.WB: I think I’m on the edge sometime. I like to have my mind stretched. I like making connec-tions to new things and I enjoy the newness of things. I try to be in the best place today and to think beyond. Does that answer your question?

Just a Chat with “cow”culus teacher Wanda Burns

Photo by Brooks GloverThe one and only Wanda Burns poses in front of her famous cow collection. Almost all of the cows have been given to her by students.

Friday, December 13, 2013 The Sword & Shield

7Features

By MADDIE SHEFFIELDStaff Writer

Everyone has attended the age-old dirty Santa and tacky

sweater party, but have you ever been invited to a cookie swap or a Christmas carol karaoke bash?

This holiday season, mix it up with some unique party themes.

Rejuvenate the Holidays with wacky parties

1. Christmas Carol Karaoke Bash

Grab a copy of your favorite Christmas carols and a microphone. You can choose

what song to sing in front of all your friends. You don’t even have to know the words. Every guest takes turns with part-ners or by alone trying to stay on pitch.

Senior Kit Goldschmidt said, “I would be so excited to belt out my own rendition of Dominique, the Italian Christmas Don-key.” Laughing, snacking, and singing,

you’ll have a great time.

2. Cookie Swap

Bring a batch of your favorite cookies and an extra container to the party; cookies

must be homemade. Then, line everyone’s cookies on a table. Take a cookie from

each batch and carry them home in your extra container. When you get home, you have the same amount of cookies

that you left with but now many different types. Senior Caroline Milligan explains, “Cookie Swaps are really fun because you

get new recipes to try out and find out what types of cookies to try.”

3. Gingerbread House

At this party, you get to make your own gingerbread house. Use peppermints, sprinkles or coconut shavings for embel-

lishments. Or just sit, talk and eat. Either way, you will surely

enjoy creatively decorating your house, and eating some candy along the way. Senior Sophie Johnston said, “It’s

really funny when the ginger-bread houses fall apart, and it’s fun to see how everyone

decorates their house.” Warn-ing: This party will take a lot of preparation on the host’s

part.

4. Christmas Ornaments

Ever wanted to create your own masterpiece to hang on the tree? Well now, you can! At this party, you can glitter, glue, and stylize all kinds of ornaments. Create your own reindeer out of construction paper, even spray glue into a plastic ball, and cover the

inside in glitter. Senior Maggie Selesky said, “I can’t wait to

hang my glittered pine cone on the tree for years to come.” The host will set up many stations

of crafts for everyone to choose from. Talking and crafting, you’ll have a great time and

love your special ornament on the tree.

Friday, December 13, 2013The Sword & Shield

Photos by Maddie Sheffield

8FeaturesBy MADELINE MITCHELL

Staff Writer

It’s a hot day in July, and a team from Church of the High-lands is painting classrooms at Woodlawn High School. Among the one thousand volunteers is Mountain Brook High School ju-nior, Alex Ball. Alex, along with her parents, volunteers in Wood-lawn once a week during the school year and twice a week over the summer. She typically helps out at the Dream Center, which provides mentoring, teaching skills, and a religious instruction for children in the area. Today, however, Alex is a part of Church of the Highlands SERVE Day, which comes to the Woodlawn community once a year to gauge the needs of this community including home and public works maintenance. From the information gathered and the relationships formed here, Church of the Highlands meets these needs throughout the year with their SERVE Team. The team meets in Woodlawn the first Saturday of every month and usually consists of about 200 people. Projects include painting classrooms in Woodlawn High School, repairing the roofs and plumbing of local homes, and planting small gardens for fami-lies. These gardens are particular-ly vital because they are often the families’ sole source of fresh produce as the surrounding stores don’t carry fresh fruits and vege-

tables. The gardens were the idea of Alex’s mom, Libby Lassiter, and their design was inspired by the type of plant bed Alex uses in her backyard garden. The team has planted about 25 gardens in the neighborhood, benefiting families not only by providing food but also by strengthening their family relationships. The Lassiter-Ball’s involvement began when Ms. Lassiter began volunteering with the children’s church at the Dream Center on Saturdays. She had learned about the program through Church of the Highlands and eventually began bringing Alex along. This work progressed into involve-ment in a community improve-ment project on 53rd street in Woodlawn with the Church of the Highlands SERVE Team. During her 7 years working in Woodlawn, Ms. Lassiter no-ticed a scarcity of physical fitness opportunities in the Woodlawn community, so she decided to introduce to the community a version of Crossfit, a popular fit-ness routine and a favorite of hers and her daughter’s. After develop-ing the idea, the final product was Christfit, an after-school program for 14 to 18 year olds that inte-grates physical fitness with spiri-tual teaching. Christfit is taught by certified Crossfit instructors and assis-tant coaches, one of whom will be Alex. Although classes have not yet begun, students can earn membership by volunteering at the Dream Center.

Alex is proud of the improve-ments that have been made in Woodlawn thus far, but she sees the possibility for many more through the combined efforts of the entire Birmingham area: “I think it would be so incredible if people from other communi-ties around Birmingham, such as Mountain Brook, Vestavia, or Homewood started really becom-ing aware of the needs in the less affluent areas of the city, and if the whole community became linked in helping because there is so much potential for the rest of the Birmingham community to help.” She added, “The organizations need as much help as they can possibly get. The more volunteers,

the more is made possible, the more they can expand.” If anyone is interested in vol-unteering with the organizations listed, he or she may visit the Church of the Highlands website and look under “Small Groups” for more information.

Alex Ball: planting service in Woodlawn

Photo courtesy of Alex BallAlex hangs out with some of the kids from the Christfit program.

Friday, December 13, 2013 The Sword & Shield

9By SCOTT LEPLEY

Staff Writer

A fresh NBA season tipped off this past October with two standout matchups featuring the reigning champion Miami Heat vs. the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Clippers against the Los Angeles Lakers. Four-time MVP LeBron James led the Heat to victory and has his team marked as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference; whereas, a crippling Lakers squad edged early MVP candidate Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers on opening day. Chicago Bulls superstar Derrick Rose went down with yet another knee injury and will likely miss the rest of the season. Rose missed all of the 2012-2013 season after tearing his ACL in his left knee and will be out this entire season after tearing his meniscus in his right knee less than 20 games in to the new season. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar, Kobe Bryant, returned to action recently after missing the first two months of the season with a torn Achilles tendon. One of the biggest disappointments of the season has been the failures of the new-look New Jersey Nets. The Nets revamped their roster this summer adding future hall of famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett as well as new coach Jason Kidd. The Nets have failed to reach a .500 record this season and have remained in last place much of the year. Their division rival, New York Knicks, has also stumbled out of the gate to a subpar record with questions

surrounding the happiness of scoring superstar Carmelo Anthony. The surging San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trailblazers have controlled the Western Conference for much of the season. San Antonio is looking to avenge their heartbreaking loss in the 2013 NBA Finals to the Miami Heat this season while the Portland Trailblazers are seeking their first playoff appearance since their first-round exit in 2011. The free agent signing of Dwight Howard has put the Houston Rockets back into title talks this season after Howard decided to team up with Rockets star James Harden. Houston will contend for the top spot out west alongside San Antonio and Oklahoma City. On the eastern side of the league, LeBron James and the Miami Heat remain the favorites to take home a third straight NBA

championship, especially after the injury to Derrick Rose. Likely the weakest conference in league history, the East only brings two legitimate championship contenders to the table with the Indiana Pacers and, of course, the Heat. Scoring machine Kevin Durant is seeking his first ever MVP award

after finishing second in the vote three consecutive years. Durant will likely take home the trophy this season thanks to voters simply becoming bored of LeBron James winning every year. Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chris Paul have emerged as top candidates for the award as well after posting nightly double-doubles. Early in the season, Philadelphia 76ers rookie sensation Michael Carter-Williams has emerged as the favorite for the Rookie of the Year award after winning NBA Player of the Week his first week in the league. This year’s championship will likely go to the Miami Heat for a third straight year with a lack of real competition for the Heat outside of a few teams. The MVP race will go down to the wire with Kevin Durant trying to prevent LeBron James from winning his third straight and fifth overall, which would tie him with Bill Russell and Michael Jordan for second most all time.

Heat, Pacers battle for top spot in NBA

Photo courtsey of Getty ImagesAll-star forward Paul George has the Indiana Pacers off to one of the best starts in NBA history this season.

SportsFriday, December 13, 2013The Sword & Shield

Hey, what’s

jam?yourEli York

Mr. Hudson

Ann Thomas

Alex Ball

Daniel Neville

Colin Hartman

Guilty pleasure: 80s Alternative

Needs more recognition: Van Morrison

Favorite artist: The Beatles

Favorite car tunes: anything on PandoraGuilty pleasure: Les Mis Soundtrack

Needs more recognition: The Civil Wars

Favorite artist: The Civil Wars

Favorite car tunes: My radio is broken :(

Guilty pleasure: Catch Me If You Can, the musical

Needs more recognition: idk

Favorite artist: idk

Favorite car tunes: Catch Me If You Can, the musical

Guilty pleasure: Parker FloresNeeds more recognition: Parker Flores

Favorite artist: Parker FloresFavorite car tunes: Parker Flores

Guilty pleasure: Hot Chelle Rae

Needs more recognition: Bring Me the Horizon

Favorite artist: Ed SheeranFavorite car tunes: Fall Out Boy

Guilty pleasure: EminemNeeds more recognition: EminemFavorite artist: EminemFavorite car tunes: Eminem

jam?

Trey Lockett

Taylor Carson

Eli York

Officer Kelly

George Perrine

William Pankey

Guilty pleasure: “Roar” by Katy Perry

Needs more recognition: Straight No Chaser

Favorite artist: Straight No Chaser

Favorite car tunes: Christmas music

Guilty pleasure: “O Brother Where Art Thou”Needs more recognition: Peter GabrielFavorite artists: ACDC, Aerosmith, Zac Brown BandFavorite car tunes: ACDC, 102.5, and 106.9

Guilty pleasure: Space Jam

Needs more recognition: G-Prez, Loco Motives

Favorite artist: G-Prez and Loco Motives

Favorite car tunes: Chief Keef, Nickleback

Guilty pleasure: Ke$haNeeds more recognition: The Roots

Favorite artist: Kanye West

Favorite car tunes: The C2.o by The Roots

Guilty pleasure: Christian Death Metal

Needs more recognition: Mastodon

Favorite artist: ACDC

Favorite car tunes: Rock

Guilty pleasure: “Suit and Tie” by Justin Timberlake

Needs more recognition: Slightly Stoopid

Favorite artist: Elton JohnFavorite car tunes: Billy Joel

Sam Poole

Guilty pleasure: Les Mis Soundtrack

Needs more recognition: The Civil Wars

Favorite artist: The Civil Wars

Favorite car tunes: My radio is broken :(

Guilty pleasure: Parker FloresNeeds more recognition: Parker Flores

Favorite artist: Parker FloresFavorite car tunes: Parker Flores

By CHANDLER GORY and MARGARET HEATH

12Sportsboys were able to be so successful this year. This year the team will say good-bye to four of its state runners: Emily Bedell, Russell Galloway, Davis Kelly, and Stewart Hawk. “I’m going to miss MBHS cross-country because my teammates have really become my family,” said Bedell. “My favorite part of cross country is the feeling of accomplishment after I finish a hard run,” Hawk replied. Kelly added, “One of my favorite things in the world is sharing the pain, effort, and experiences with the guys on the team.” Finally, Galloway said, “I will miss the camaraderies, shenanigans, goofing around, carrying on, Nickelback, and other tomfoolery with the boys.” The indoor track season is set to begin December 7, giving the seniors another opportunity to run with MBHS.

By COKE MATTHEWSStaff Writer

Coming off the recent victories in the Spartan Thanksgiving Classic and Spain Park, the Lady Spartans are tackling their early season sched-ule. Led by Coach Mark Cornelius, the Lady Spartans have started the season strong with an undefeated 8-0 record. After a slow first quarter, the Lady Spartans were able to dominate Spain Park through junior forward Neely Francis, who made 3 three-point shots and scored 14 points, and senior guard Mary Katherine Pinson, who also scored 14 points and had 4 steals. “I think the team’s success simply comes from the fact that we have played every game so hard. We hav-en’t given up when we are losing, and really, we just want to win so much

more than the other team does,” said senior leader Collier Ogilvie when asked about the team’s success. The team chemistry has also been a huge improvement from last year. Coach Cornelius loves to stress that the team is not all about “me” but about “we.” That being said, the team is not lacking in individual skill. Pinson and Ogilvie have led the team in scoring, averaging over 10 points a game. Both were able to reach a career 1,000-point total last year and have not slowed down this season, as they have remained key components of the team’s offense. Sophomore guard Sara Carr has also played a major role this season in terms of rebounding and scoring. It’s hard to believe she just finished the fall season as a star volleyball player. The Lady Spartans will be facing tough teams as they push their way towards the playoffs. The upcoming

game against Hoover, scheduled for December 13, however, will be a real challenge. Coming off a 45-54 loss last year, the Lady Spartans are eager for a rematch.

Lady Spartans back in action

Photo courtesy of Image ArtsSenior Mary Katherine Pinson dribbles past a defender for the shot.

“Cross-Country,” page 1

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Friday, December 13, 2013 The Sword & Shield

By ALEC LEWISSports Editor

Last year’s basketball playoffjourney took the Spartans through Jacksonville State and all the way to the BJCC for the Final 4, where the team ultimately won the first boys basketball state championship in school history. So many memories from last year’s team -- the tremendous crowd, the neon shirts, amazing finishes, and championship win -- still are memorable to this day. Coming off a season like that, the expectations this year are raised and the schedule is much tougher, but the Spartans are not fazed.

“Although it might be tough, we will be able to live up to the expectations due to the hard work and preparation we have put in,” senior guard Ben Shearer said. The Spartans began the season in early November against Ramsey, and although they fought hard, the game resulted in a 60-49 loss. Following the game, the Spartans successfully beat Leeds and Northridge thanks to solid play from junior guard Tawarren “G-Man” Grant and multiple threes from senior guard Patrick Keim. Next up for the Spartans was the Capstone Classic, a Thanksgiving tournament in Tuscaloosa. Coming into the tournament, the Spartans looked to be one of the favorites, but to win it all they would have to get past a 7’2” center on Hokes Bluff and a 6’8” forward on Dallas County. Although it was impossible to stop the two players entirely, senior center Alex Peters did a good job on the defensive end blocking multiple shots, and senior forward Spencer Einhorn gave the Spartans a spectacular lift hitting over 7 threes over the course of the tournament. After advancing past Dallas County and Hokes Bluff in the first two rounds, the Spartans headed into the championship to play Hillcrest.

Throughout the game, great defense by Keim and junior guards Will Hartley, Matt Creighton and Hunter Lucas kept the Spartans in it, but with the sharp shooting by Hillcrest’s Rashaun Tubbs, they bested the Spartans by a score of 58-51. “The Capstone Classic was a great tournament,” McMillan said. “There were a lot of really good players, and although we lost in the championship to Hillcrest, it was just really good for us to play that caliber of players and those types of teams.” To conclude the month of November, the Spartans successfully beat “rival” Hewitt-Trussville with 22 points from Grant and then took down Spain Park shutting down their 6’8” freshman with great defense from both Peters and Spartan sophomore forward Jack Kline. After the game, senior guard Matthew Weisman said, “I think that those two games especially

show the progress we have made as a team. Those two games are definitely telling of the level it will take to have continued success over the course of this year.” Next up for the Spartans is a primetime Friday matchup at Hoover and then a trip to Samford to play in the Mountain Brook hosted Steel City Invitational. “The biggest event this year for us is the Steel City Invitational at Samford, Coach Bucky McMillan said. “Anybody with a clue about basketball in the state needs to be at this tournament because this has never been done in Birmingham.” The schedule might be tough, and the road might be difficult, but with the Spartans play so far this year, they are definitely set up to make a run to repeat as state champions.

Spartan basketball is back and ready to go

Photo courtesy of Image ArtsJunior guard Will Hartley lays it in during the game against Ramsay.

Sports13SportsBy BROOKE TUCKER

Staff Writer

Serve up! The Lady Spartan Volleyball team has finished their season with a record of 16 wins and 8 losses. This was the first time a Spartan volleyball team has ever made it to the final four. It is also the first time since 1996 that the Lady Spartans have reached the playoffs. “We made school history,” said volleyball Coach, Haven O’Quinn. “Volleyball has made it to state twice, but both times they got eliminated from round 1 of the Final Four.” Not only does Coach O’Quinn feel satisfied with the season, but so do her players. “I think we had a great season! We made history for the volleyball program, which is amazing, and we put Mountain Brook volleyball on the map. It makes me so excited for next year because we’ll have almost everyone back besides our awesome senior, Claire Gorman,” claimed junior Julia Smith. “I think it was a season that is going to define the rest of our program.” Only one senior, Gorman, played on this year’s team. O’Quinn said, “I don’t have enough I can say about Claire. She can do anything on the court that you ask her to do. She is most definitely the hardest worker.” Gorman was starting setter for three years straight and then decided to completely change positions to hitter her senior year. “I was very honest with her. I said, ‘You know you have started for three years running our offense. You are going to have to really work hard. There are girls even younger than you, like freshman who are on this roster, who have ten times more experience than you at what you are trying to do.’ I supported her, and I wanted her to be out on that court. She was not going to

be on the bench.” Teammates agree that Claire’s leadership as a senior was definitely a contributing factor to their winning season. “Claire was a leader in a different type of way,” O’Quinn said, “the way she lead our team was by her actions and what she did. She never had to say anything, it was what she would come in and do every single day at practice.” Coach O’Quinn describes how many enjoyable memories this group of girls made while trekking their way to achievement. “I’d have to say that my most memorable moment of the season was beating Sparkman, which led us to State. Most teams would have screamed and cried and jumped up and down, but I was really proud of the way our girls were really mature and calm,” O’Quinn said. “It kind of made it look like we expected to win, like a ‘we’ve done this before’ type thing. And then as soon as we all got behind the bleachers that’s when we got all excited.”

On November 30, all of MBHS was excused from school to go watch Mountain Brook defeat Baker 3 to 0. “I thought we would have a decent sized crowd but nothing like that.” O’Quinn said, “When I heard that the buses went from 3 loads to 9, and that the Junior High was coming too, I was in shock and I had a smile plastered to my face for the next 48 hours. But I had to remind the girls that they aren’t playing for all of the fans. If you get wrapped up in all of that, it’s going to

be a tough day. You have to just play for your teammates.” “It was an incredible year with an incredible group of girls. This is by far the most hardworking team I’ve ever been a part of,” junior Kendall Crumbaugh announced proudly. “We really defined Mountain Brook volleyball this year and set the standards for future seasons. I have confidence that we’ll get even farther next year.”

Spartan volleyball serves up a successful season

Photos courtesy of Image ArtsLeft: Kendall Crumbaugh leaps to block the ball at the Birmingham Crossplex. Right: The team celebrates a landslide victory.

Friday, December 13, 2013The Sword & Shield

14SportsBy SARAH MICHEL

Managing Editor The Mountain Brook High School Wrestling team began their season at the end of November. As of December 7, their record stood 5-5. Wrestling coach Justin Ransom was pleased with the team’s start, saying, “We started off the year doing pretty well.” This year, the team is led by its sole returning senior that placed at state, senior Logan Skinner, who had the most success last year as well. “I think that this year there has been a lot of welcome change on the wrestling team and in the atmosphere of the room this year. I’m really looking forward to the success we will have as the season progresses, and we’re definitely hoping for some better turnouts than last year” said Skinner. Fellow senior Evan Nipper agrees. “We have a solid team this year, and I think we can do really well.” Both of these seniors want to lead by example this year. “It really makes you check yourself and try to handle things going on around you amongst the team members and keep everyone held together the way a team should be,” Skinner commented. “I’m driven because it’s my last year with the team, and I want to make a good example for the younger kids,” added Nipper. When asked about where the team can improve, Coach Ransom

laughed and said, “Everywhere! There’s always room for improvement. I feel like just taking it day by day and being willing to work is improvement itself.” Nipper stressed, “We just have to keep pushing each other to get better every day.” The Spartan wrestlers have 12 more meets this season and hope to place in state on February 13-15.

Spartan wrestling steady with new coach

Photo courtesy of Image ArtsThe Senior wrestling squad (from left): James Perkinson, Will Jackson, Reed Adams, Logan Skinner, Evan Nipper.

Friday, December 13, 2013 The Sword & Shield

15Reviews

By CAROliNE lOwEStaff Writer

If you want to get a great meal at a reasonable price, Café Iz in English Village is the place to be. Located in the spot where Joe Muggs and Yogurt Mountain used to be, Café Iz serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The first thing I noticed when I walked into Café Iz was the impressive desserts filling the glass container in the front. Stacked layers and layers high were cakes, lemon squares, and cheesecakes. I was tempted to have just dessert for lunch, but the rest of the menu is just as enticing. My friend and I decided to try several entrees on the menu before ordering dessert. I ordered the slow braised roast beef sandwich with a side of fruit. The sandwich fell apart in my hands because the beef was so tender and covered with au jus sauce. The bread, crunchy on the top and soggy on the bottom, was quite flavorful. My friend tried the Bleu Salad. This salad has a variety of ingredients that all work surprising-ly well together. A mix of green lettuces, cran-berries, candied pecans, and artichoke hearts, the salad is topped with toasted homemade croutons and, best of all, heaps of blue cheese. The owner also came around and offered us a sample of egg salad. The dish was tasty and tangy with small sweet pickles. Another salad equally good is the chicken salad, which I took home to try. The chicken salad sandwich has just enough mayonnaise to hold together the chunks of white meat, Granny Smith apples, celery, and walnuts. The apples add a uniquely extra crunchy and slightly tart taste. Time for dessert! I sampled the Oreo cheese-cake, which is covered in Oreos on the bottom, and is filled with of bits of cookies in the mid-dle. There’s only one word to describe the Oreo cheesecake: delectable. The piece was large

enough to take the rest home, and I was able to make at least two more desserts out of it. My friend had the three layer caramel cake. The cake was moist with a thick coat of rich caramel icing. Again, the piece was big enough to split with another person. Other desserts included an almond cake, key lime pie, carrot cake, strawberry cake, and several chocolate concoctions. For teenagers, the prices are reasonable. Sandwiches range from $6-$8 and include a side such as sweet potato chips, wild rice, edamame salad, or fruit. Salads are in the same price range and the desserts are more reasonably priced than similar ones found elsewhere at $4-$5.

The atmosphere is modern and stripped down. There are bright orange plastic chairs and green booths with square tables; it’s comfortable with-out being fancy. You also can order your food to take out. If it’s a football weekend, the carryout refrigerator might be just the place to go and pick up a quick meal. I was tempted to get a dozen red velvet petit fours with a Crimson A on each for the Alabama game. A dozen are $12.00, but maybe next time. So if you are trying to find a place with reasonable prices on sandwiches, salads, and desserts, give at Café Iz a try.

Reasonable prices, impressive desserts at Café Iz in English Village

Photo by Caroline LoweCafé Iz, located in English Village across from Park Lane, iz now open for business.

Friday, December 13, 2013The Sword & Shield

16reviewsStar-studded “Catching Fire” premieres to huge audiences, sets stage for epic two-part finale “Mockingjay”

By John SissonStaff Writer

“Catching Fire” debuted to huge audiences across the United States on Thursday, November 21. The sequel to “The Huger Games” earned more than $161 million dollars in ticket sales in the first weekend. The Lionsgate-produced movie takes a more emo-tional path than the first installment in the trilogy. Rather than showing a long period of time in the arena, Francis Lawrence, the new director of the film, decided to focus on the daily life and problems of Katniss and Peeta. Lawrence does a great job of sticking to the original story by Suzanne Collins. Unlike many movies, his film maintains the integrity of the original book. Costumes, special effects, and props all show a unique attention to detail that enhance the plot of the story. These aspects all engage the viewer and add to the intensity and emo-tion of the scenes. Although spectators only saw glimpses of Panem in “The Hunger Games,” “Catching Fire” reveals the layout of many districts and provides a more in-depth view of both District 12 and the Capitol. The Capitol’s garish outfits appear throughout the movie, much to the delight of the common moviegoer. Junior Hunter Stanley said, “Effie’s outfits were pret-ty outrageous. I wish all of the citizens of the Capitol dressed like her!” As victors of the previous games, Katniss and Peeta take part in a Victor’s Tour around Panem where the victors from District 12 stop in all of the other districts. However, as soon as the unlikely heroes finish the emotional tour, President Snow announces the Quarter Quell. For the Quarter Quell, the participants are drawn from the existing pool of winners. Much to their

horror, Peeta and Katniss realize they may be in the arena together once again. The star-crossed “lovers” must work together to survive and provide hope to the people of Panem. The cast of “Catching Fire” is truly a star-studded lineup. Jennifer Lawrence once again plays Katniss while Josh Hutcherson stars as Peeta Mellark. Other notable actors are Liam Hemsworth (Gale Hawthorne), Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair), Woody Harrelson (Hay-mitch Abernathy), Lenny Kravitz (Cinna), and Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch Heavensbee). The scenery greatly enhances the emotion behind the movie. The snow-capped slums of District 12 emit a feeling of despair and poverty while the dense forests of the arena evoke feelings of entrapment and hopeless-ness. The futuristic Capitol once again wows audiences with its sleek buildings and clean feel. Even though this movie was highly anticipated by fans across the world, many critics did not know if “Catching Fire” was going to deliver the same smashing results as the first film. However, almost all of these harsh critics were blown away by the well-made movie. Rotten Tomatoes rated the movie an 89%, five points better than the previous movie and remarkably better than most people imagined. Junior TJ Beard also enjoyed the movie saying, “I really thought this movie was better than the first. However, some parts were sad, and some of the deaths were a little creepy.” As many more people begin to pack the theatres, they all keep asking the same question: When is the next movie? Suzanne Collins’ final novel, Mocking-jay, will be split into two separate movies. “Mocking-jay-Part 1” is set to premiere on November 21, 2014, nearly a year from the release of “Catching Fire.” If you have not had the chance to see the movie yet, use the winter holidays to take some friends out to go see “Catching Fire.”

timeinc.net

Friday, December 13, 2013 The Sword & Shield

17ReviewsFoodbar offers a fresh alternative to fancy dining

By Claire DavisArt and Photography Editor

Looking for a great place to eat with your parents footing the bill? Try FoodBar, the newest restaurant in the Cahaba Heights Plaza area. Located between New York Butcher Shop and O’Carr’s, this snazzy new restaurant caters to the need for a tasty and boisterous eatery away from the Summit’s traffic. The goal of FoodBar, according to the head chef and owner George McMillan, is to take farm-fresh and local food and turn it into a deli-cious meal for every customer. From my experience there, I would say they succeeded. I ordered the FoodBar burger, and everything about it was home-made and fresh, even the pickles. The fries rivaled (dare I say it?) even Chez Fon-Fon’s. Others at my table ordered a variety of dishes, including salmon, steak, and special, which was tuna with an orange-arugula salad. Each one was carefully prepared to show-case its own distinctive taste.

The appetizers were not forgotten either, with exotic dishes like the Hudson Valley foie gras and com-fortable favorites like the familiar cheese plate. You could probably make a dinner of just the appetizers, if you order a few. If you go, do NOT skip dessert. You will be missing out on the best part of the meal. From the delicious-ly sweet and sour Lemon Meringue Pie to the rich Chocolate pot de Crème with pecans and even the surprising Baked Phyllo (chocolate cake wrapped in phyllo dough and baked), there is something for every taste, and each one is exquisite. Even the design of the restaurant emulates the farm fresh theme, with its unfinished wooden tables and walls with black and white photos of farms. One caveat; they will not be getting outdoor heaters until Jan-uary, so that means the bar will be crowded and noisy. FoodBar’s atmosphere is just as colorful as their food. The place was packed. FoodBar is obviously a restaurant for the older crowd, with a rather lively bar and tables for a maximum of four. If you want to

eat without a wait, you must either reserve tables or come early. My family arrived at 5:30 on a Friday night and was seated immediately, but by the time the appetizer came, the place was already quite full and the wait much longer. Nevertheless, the service was not impaired by the crowd of people. All night the waiters and waitresses were attentive and friendly, often coming at precisely the right time to take orders or remove dishes.

FoodBar is delicious, but it is not the place to meet friends for a bite. Its expensive menu means that you might not take your date there, but if you don’t mind being seen with your parents, it’s a great place to go and enjoy some greatfood.

Photo by Claire Davis

Friday, December 13, 2013The Sword & Shield

18 Friday, December 13, 2013 The Sword & Shieldreviews

the best of Mountain BrookC h r i s t m a s L i g h t s

By BROOKS GLOVERReviews Editor

It’s the holiday season and I have one thing to ask, “Mountain Brook, are your houses lit up?” Nearly every family adorns their

house and yard with a cluster of Christmas lights and Santa related knick-knacks. However, some houses truly embrace their inner Griswold and festoon the entirety of available space in blowups,

lights, and Christmas regalia. These houses lead the battle against the Ebeneezer Scrooges and the “Bah! Humbugs!” of Holiday

apathy. These are the houses that can be seen from far away but radiate Christmas spirit even farther.

Beech Street

Bethune Drive

Beech LaneSeeing how room on the ground was growing sparse, this house decided to move to the trees. Santa on his motor-cycle rides across a tighrope of Christmas lights and a nutcracker peeks behind the roofline. The other end of

the yard features Santa riding an airborne Polar Express.

Besides the obvious “Merry Christmas,” this house has another message it would like to share. With the entirety of the yard and the roof draped in lights, this house practically glows. The giant suspended Auburn

logo and “War Eagle” emblazoned across the roof leaves no doubt who this family will be be rooting for

come January.

Countless blowups cover the yard of this house belonging to our very own Daniel Bolus. Oversized

tree ornaments rest right by Santa teeter-tottering with his entire sled team. Speakers also play holiday

music with a synchronized light display.

lwatc.com

19Opinions

By OLIVIA BURTONCo-Editor-in-Chief

My earliest memory of football is a fuzzy orange and blue scarf that tickled my nose as I chipped away at my lemon slushie. Behind me, a group of four middle-aged men wearing collared shirts of various patterns of crimson and white leapt up to shout expletives at the referee. I scooted forward and tried to avoid the occasional splashes of beer. Nearing the stadium on game day, eight-year-old me had watched throngs of people swarming around the knees of the bronze idols of coaches past in the shadow of the 101,821 seat mono-lith. The Burton family was in

Bryant-Denny stadium, the larg-est place of worship in the United States, and possibly the world. As my spoon scraped the bottom of the lemon slushie’s styrofoam cup, I heard a loud rumbling echo around the stadi-um like the voice of God distorted by echoes and interference. “If you [. . .] and have [. . .] and pride and [. . .], you’ll be a winner. The [. . .] victory [. . .], but so are the [. . .].” The crowd went wild. Clear-ly, they either knew some secret to translating Coach Bryant’s grumbly voice or they had already memorized every significant quote he said. Probably the latter. Despite having lived in Al-abama my whole life, I never quite caught the football fever. I paid more attention to the lemon slushie than to the actual game at that particular Iron Bowl, and I only began to understand what a down is a few weeks ago at the Vestavia-Mountain Brook game (GSG, by the way). But I’m not in the “football culture is stupid” camp. I love the Friday night lights on crisp fall nights, the hot chocolate and hot dogs, and that sense of commu-nity spirit that you can only get

when you’re bumping shoulders with thousands of people who are all happy to be in Bryant-Denny,

Jordan-Hare, or Spartan Stadium. That feeling of community is why, on college visits, I always ask my tour guide how he or she feels about school spirit on campus. It’s pretty important. Football season is coming to an end. As a senior, I already miss standing in the student section, cheering after every touchdown in a cloud of confetti, and cele-brating at Doodles or Heavenly Donuts whether we win or lose. I’m going to miss the drum line’s crazy beats, Daniel Bolus’s epic salute, pep rallies, and halftime shows. But for the remainder of the

year, I hope that we can hold on to that same sense of school spirit we showed at the Vestavia game, even if we’re not at a football game. I hope that we can take the fervor with which we watch football on Saturdays and transfer that to Relay for Life fundraising or canned food collecting. The fall 2013 football season at Mountain Brook is long over, but now is a good time to say that even if you don’t understand football like me, or you don’t care much for basketball or baseball or soccer, or even if you don’t quite appreciate the Cage Club or the Diamond Dolls or the GSA or the Debate Team, or maybe you’re mad because it’s only fifth period and the lunchroom is already out of rice krispy treats or the auto-matic door squished you on the way in after your mom dropped you off at school and it’s really embarassing, it’s important that we have some school spirit. We showed it on the field after the Vestavia game. Let’s keep it up. So stand up, sophomores! You’re not seniors yet, juniors! Stay classy, seniors! And go, Spar-tans, go.

Those who tailgate together...An outsider’s perspective on football culture

“I hope that we can hold on to that same

sense of school spirit we showed at the Vestavia game

even if we’re not at a football game.”

Who really loses when the football team wins?

“As football grows in importance on the local and national

scale, it doesn’t necessarily follow that

funding will grow proportionally.”

School spirit applies to more than just football.

Education, not sports, is the primary purpose of schools.

By MARY NIX ROBERSONOpinions Editor

I’m going to start off by clarify-ing: I love football. I love it. If you went to any of the home games this year, chances are that you saw me there, close to the front of the student section, clapping and cheering and standing with all of my friends. I love football as a sport, as well as the camaraderie

it brings to spectators and players alike. Something about the game unites us. But something about the game is also tearing us apart. One thing to understand: as football grows in importance on the local and national scale, it doesn’t necessarily follow that funding will grow proportionally. There is only so much third-party fundraising that a school can do. So what happens when you have a school with a talented football team that needs to ex-pand their program, but doesn’t necessarily have the money to do so, or the means to raise it? You cut from other programs. What happens then? Well, your football program will look great. Your students’ test scores will not. Schools are supposed to be institutions for furthering the

lives of students by empowering them through education. The aim should be to prepare them for lives in business, medicine, the

trades—attainable occupations. Occupations that many students will go on to have one day. Because let’s be honest. The best of football players—even if they go on to play in college? Even if they go on to play in the NFL? They’ll still need a strong

foundation in academics in order to make informed decisions and have a successful career. As a society, we need to reeval-uate what we value. As entertain-ment grows in importance—and football definitely is a form of entertainment— we must not turn completely from our reality that education is a necessity, and its importance is growing. Other nations have already passed our students in math and science fields, which are two areas that will control future technology and societal development. To remain competitive as a nation, Ameri-cans must continue challenging themselves academically, expand-ing their intellectual horizons, and forging ahead in new are-nas—not just football ones.

Friday, December 13, 2013The Sword & Shield

20Opinions

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION: The Mountain Brook School system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability or age in any of its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries re-garding nondiscrimination policies: Dr. Dale Wisely—Director of Student Services (Title VI), (wiselyd@mtnbrook.k12.al.us); Mrs. Sylvia Harper—Personnel Director (Title IX), (harpers@mtnbrook.k12.al.us); Dr. Missy Brooks—Director of Instruction (Title II), (wildman-brooksm@mtnbrook.k12.al.us); Mrs. Shannon Mundy—Special Education Director (Section 504), (mundyl@mtnbrook.k12.al.us). Contact Information: 32 Vine Street, Mountain Brook, AL 35213, 205-871-4608.

OpinionsAlternative Reading List

By CLAIRE DAVISArt and Photography Editor

By DANIEL BOLUSStaff Writer

Coming from one of the most decorated homes for Christmas in the Mountain Brook area, I really have no right to write an article about excessive holiday spending. But we’re all hypocrites, and I can at least speak from the point of view of experience. I would like to begin with examining the causes of excessive spending on holiday gifts. The “I Gotta Get It For My Child Because Everyone Else Has It” Syndrome especially plagues Mountain Brook residents who buy presents simply because everyone else has them or

it’s the “latest new gadget.” While this is understandable in the per-spective of a loving parent, many times the child leaves the com-

mercialized gift to rot away at the bottom of his or her toy chest by the end of January. Another similar disease that ex-acerbates this issue is when parents buy excessive amounts of presents to make sure that their children’s Santa Claus (or other overly-com-mercialized figure) is not “under-privileged.” This social issue occurs when children converge at school and gossip about what Santa gives them, encouraging parents to be sure that “Santa” did not neglect

their perfect, deserving child. Therefore, if I may generalize the issue, most of the poor chil-dren out there who are not spoiled feel rejected by Santa Claus, while those who are privileged believe that their year of constantly getting what they want has determined them to be “nice.” In this light, it becomes appar-ent that holiday shopping, while it stimulates the economy, has di-verged from the spirit of the sea-son. Consider Black Friday, which is now Black Thursday and has successfully ruined Thanksgiving. As shopaholics run around stores collecting TVs and huge Barbie houses on-sale, forcing employ-ees to work all of Thanksgiving, I would much rather be at home celebrating what I’m thankful for at the table. And I can tell you as a fact that what I’m thankful for has never included the gifts I get on Christmas day. In fact, I, and probably most people, say the same thing every year at the Thanksgiving meal: that I’m thankful for my family and my friends. And this is where holiday

shopping has diverged from the spirit of Christmas: if holidays are truly about celebrations, wheth-er it’s of the birth of Christ or the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, why has spending mon-ey become more important than spending quality time with your loved ones? Now I’m not saying that buy-ing presents for others is a waste of time and money; in fact, many times it brings the giver and re-ceiver closer together. All I mean is that sometimes we need to take a step back and realize that it’s not all about getting the best and most expensive gift. Just make me a Christmas ornament out of a cheap ball and string and I’ll be perfectly happy. I honestly don’t or shouldn’t care what I get for Christmas; that’s why I refuse to tell my parents what I want. All that matters to me any-more is that everyone comes home for the holidays and has a good time. Together.

“I gotta get it”: the disease of holiday shopping

“It becomes apparent that holiday shopping, while it stimulates the economy, has diverged from the spirit of the

season.”

What are you thankful for this holiday season?

Friday, December 13, 2013 The Sword & Shield