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Massive Art Installation Depicts Story Of American Nonviolence
By Audrey Lutz
Ms. Switzer and her History of Nonviolence class made an outstanding art installation depicting a visual timeline of nonviolent movements in American history. The project is the culmination of many years of preparation, research, and development.
After involving Ms. Story, an upper school art teacher, they decided to make a timeline following events through history. We were standing in front of the artwork when we spoke and she said, “If I were to go back 20 years when I first started teaching about non-violence I would not have known half of what is up here.”
Each student made individual tiles that show non-violent activists and researched them to gain a better understanding of who they are and how they affected history. I was able to speak with Leah Cox about her involvement with this project. “I was a student in the class, so I helped with brainstorming and making the background,” she said. “If you look at the board, on the far right, there is a collage of non-violent organizations and above it there are doves. I made both of those.”
Ms. Switzer said that the installation is a way “of visualizing all of the interconnected complexity of non-violence in American history.” Everything is connected one way or another, and this installment shows all of the historical branches.
As we started the interview Ms. Switzer implied that “Non-violence isn’t just about creating peace and justice, it’s creating conditions where violence is less likely.” This art is meant to show that peace is possible and that people are willing to risk their lives to stand up and say, they want a better society.
There are 14 different non-violent movements that are represented on the board, but the art piece starts with the Indigenous people in the United States. “What my students discovered is that from a very early point, Indigenous people in the United States had non-violent peacemaking kinds of cultural technologies, and a lot of the non-violence that evolved came from seeing the way the Indigenous people resolve conflict,” said Ms. Switzer.
The Indigenous people are the true roots of America and the first people to teach non-violence. “Many people think that the Indigenous people were just bows and arrows, but they had such a complex life,” said Ms. Switzer.
Next, we move on to the Quakers and Anabaptists. “The historic peace churches (the Quakers and Anabaptists) came to the United States to escape persecution.” The Quakers and Anabaptists lit the fire for the anti-slavery movement. “They believed that there is a god and somehow that god is present in all people, so then anytime you’re unjust or violent to another person, you’re being unjust and violent to god. So that sort of theological premise motivated them to confront slavery first.”
Everything is connected in history and this board is illustrating that. “So we have this early women’s movement that starts, and those same women became the leaders of the suffrage movement.” Ms. Switzer then shows me how the branches connect everything together.
As we keep moving down the boards we are introduced to the pre-civil rights which of course leads us to the all mighty civil-rights movement. They tried to include as much as they could, but the board can only hold so much. The board includes the majority of the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
Finally, we come to the final board with the Black Lives Matter movement “as the most recent manifestation,” with its focus on anti-racism. “We have anti-racism, kind of having these moments of surging and then receding and then surging over time, but always there.”
People have always been fighting against racism in history. “A takeaway that one of my students realized is that since the 1600s, there have been people, white people standing against racism, all the way to the current time. And since 1730-1740 every year someone has been born in America who has fought against racism.”
At the end of the final board, there are many pieces of art. “We have this collage of doves and it sort of represents the future for hope and peace,” Ms. Switzer said. There is a collage of different activists, and then finally a mirror “because we wanted people to get to the end of the installation and say, well what can I do to make a more peaceful future?”
Under the mirror, it says “The Future of Nonviolence is You.”
This project was a semester-long idea, yet the idea mainly came to fruition right around thanksgiving. As Ms. Switzer usually has a much bigger class she doesn’t do big projects like this one. This year she only had 9 students in her History of Nonviolence class, so Ms. Switzer asked them if they wanted to do something more creative than they normally couldn’t do with a greater number of students. “We talked to Ms. Story and we started brainstorming options. My students wanted to work together so we developed this idea, which was much more complicated than we were expecting and I didn’t know if we were going to finish.”
They started making it right after fall break and only had until exams to finish. “Towards the end of the last 2 weeks of class, this project was all we did. The students came before school, after school, and during lunch. They spent so much time on this and it’s incredible.” Leah Cox, a student who worked on this project, said that “There were times when we would have to come during our free periods, and we would work together and collaborate throughout the whole process.”
As the artwork started to finish they brought in Ms. Story again to take a look. “Once Ms. Story saw the project coming together she said that we needed to get this in front of other audiences.” Then came talk of where this outstanding project could go. They are considering the Hartfield Jackson airport, which has a section where they display student work; the Center for Civil and Human Rights; and even the history center of Atlanta. “Right now the chief of the marketing department – Janie Beck- is working on finding out if this could be a traveling exhibition.”
Ms. Switzer is so proud of this piece and it has only made her think of what she could do in the future. “I’ve been trying for years to know how to organize this incredibly complex history and the more I taught the more I realized that it’s not just the history of non-violence but the histories of non-violence, and I’ve always struggled to make sense of it all visually. And the fact that they were able to create a way of visualizing it is amazing, not only to me but to them and future students.”
This project was huge, not only for Lovett but for the future of Ms. Switzer’s class. This artwork alone holds so many important people, dates, and moments in history that are not talked about in the history books.
The students had to work so incredibly hard to get this project completed and it brought them closer together. “I think that this bonded my class,” she said. “We would see one another so much during the day that our close proximity to each other almost forced us to get closer.”
This artwork will be displayed in the art gallery hall until the end of February. After that, no one is truly sure where it will end up but, hopefully, wherever it goes it will inspire people. “We’re trying to create a better world,” Leah said.
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Some Sweet Slopes At Sugar Mountain
By Tanisha Naik
A few weekends ago, Mr. Crowley took 13 students on the annual Lovett Ski Trip to Sugar Mountain in North Carolina.
Mr. Crowley, who has been skiing for 30 years and snowboarding for 20 years, has led the Lovett Ski Trip for a long time now. Lovett has not always gone to North Carolina. In previous years, they would go west and even once to West Virginia and ski at Snowshoe. However, due to logistics, Sugar Mountain is just an easier destination.
Obviously, planning a school trip is difficult. One of the biggest challenges Mr. Crowley faced this year was getting a core group of students to take the ski trip because there were a ton of cancellations.
Students left from Lovett on Friday and arrived in North Carolina in the evening where they checked into their hotel and got their Ski equipment. The next day they spent the whole day skiing, taking a break at the top of the mountain to each lunch. The day after that they skied for a bit more when it was finally time to head back to Lovett.
This is a perfect trip to accommodate all levels of skiers from advanced to even beginners. Luckily for this trip, Sugar Mountain had group lessons that skiers could participate in. This was a good way for both the beginners to learn how to ski and for more experienced skiers to get back on the slopes.
Junior Ava Boren wanted to go on a trip with her friends since she and her friends “couldn’t do spring break together, and thought it would be a fun way to spend a weekend,” she said. Junior Megan Frisch decided to go on this trip because her friends were also going and she has been skiing since she was 7, so “I was excited to get another chance to ski during the year,” Megan said.
Ava’s favorite part was skiing with friends, and “also getting ready together in the morning, hanging out in the hotel and talking at night,” she said.
Senior Sarah Turner took photos of Megan and her friends jumping over “this one bump, and she got some cool shots,” she said
Megan enjoyed those early morning hours when the mountain was empty. ”We would take the summit chairlift to the top and race down the hill on groomed runs while listening to good music,” she said.
Overall, both agreed that the trip was a perfect getaway filled with skiing, laughter, and memorable moments
“I loved the black diamond run from the top too,” Megan said.
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Stepping Up And Making Plays
By Mackenna Stewart
With the Lion boys basketball team going into state, I thought it was only right to check in with some of the guys to get a pulse on the team’s performance this year.
I spoke to seniors Casani Bartlett and Ryan Cain, and junior Jack Reese. In our five minutes together, they answered my most pressing questions. I must admit the interview was quite chaotic as they were all excited to discuss the season, but these were my 4 main takeaways.
#1: What’s been the highlight of the season?
Immediately as I asked this question the three spoke almost in unison. “I would say King Cam’s buzzer-beater,” said Jack Reese followed by comments of agreement from both Ryan and Casani.
According to Ryan, “On December 21st in Wallace gym,” the team was knee-deep into a competitive match against Dacula during the Hoop ATL classic. Sophomore Cameron Cannon, better known as King Cam by his teammates, was able to steal the win with a timely buzzer-beater shot.
The Lions walked away with a 60-59 W. As Maxpreps states, the shot not only won the game but also elevated the team’s 9-4 record in the season at the time. Many of us were able to witness this buzzer-beater shot on the Lovett Athletics page. When I saw it, I truly believed I was watching an Instagram reels highlight of LeBron James.
#2: What is the team’s main goal/ focus for the remainder of the year?
“Winning,” said Ryan Cain confidently. It is moments such as Cam’s buzzer-beater that really push the team to forge ahead and persevere through the competition. “The more you win, the more you play,” Ryan said.
The team is looking forward to catching more Ws on the court and also looking forward to playing high-level basketball as they spar against the competition. The team understands the importance of playing clutch basketball and never letting their guard down. If they win, the level of competition increases, and so does their level of play.
With this mission in mind, Casani hopes to enter the playoffs as one of the top two teams in the region. He feels like it will send a message to the competition that the Lions act on their motto: “We Compete.”
#3: Which game was the turning point in the season?
While competition and winning are always the main focus, Casani acknowledges that sometimes there are turning points in the season that are less than likely. “Turning down was the second time we lost to Holy Innocents,” Casani said.
On the opposite side Ryan feels like a positive turning point occurred against Pace because “we were close the whole game and realized we could play with anybody.” Although the Lions were not able to pull out a win, Jack Reese believes it was a perfect example of what it means to “Compete.” The Lions were only down by three points in the third quarter against a rival team which proved the team’s resilience and willingness to fight against the odds.
The three guys also believe that the team needs to be able to play well beyond the first half. “If the game stopped at halftime we would definitely win,” Ryan said jokingly before he began to think of ways the team may combat this struggle.
Another challenge is that standout player Jack Reese is potentially out for the season, which puts a lot of stress on the team to work even harder to make up for this loss of essential talent. Jack hopes to “see different guys step up and make plays,” as he cheers from the sidelines.
Ryan and Casani feel this pressure and have reiterated to their teammates that everyone will have to carry a little more weight as far as individual performance goes. One of the most important things about being on a team is ensuring that individual performance translates into team success, and the Lions have been able to execute this well. Wins against Carver (68-43) and Hapeville (72-46) are proof of what happens when teamwork is in full effect.
\#4: What role do you see yourself playing in the team’s success for the rest of the season?
While Casani aims to be the next LeBron and Jack aims to be the best ‘assistant’/ student coach, Ryan feels as if his role is a little more detailed. His goal is to make “an impact in the game whether it’s scoring or defense. Just doing what needs to be done to win.”
While the Lion’s basketball season isn’t over yet and there is still so much for the team to prove, I am confident in the team’s ability to withstand and conquer the competition. Strong senior leaders such as Ryan and Casani, and now consistent support from Jack even in the midst of his injury, will be a recipe for success.
#5: And how about that Athens Academy game?!
The Lion’s standout performance in their first round of state against Athens Academy was an outstanding representation of what it means to compete as a Lovett Lion. The Lions tipped off the first quarter with a fast-paced energy. Whether it was an explosive block by Daniel Gadsen, a mid-range shot from Cam that resulted in 2 free throws, or a strong pass from Casani Bartlett and Daniel Gadsen that resulted in Cam hitting a flawless corner three, the athleticism was at its peak.
And the second quarter only exceeded the standards of the first. Following Landyn’s steal he threw a spot-on pass to Casani that led to an easy layup. The Lions did an amazing job using their athleticism to control the pace of the game and force errors from the other team. For example, Daniel’s Instagram reels worthy dunk and swing on the rim became a reliable shot and play for the team. As soon as the team lost control over the ball the Lions were there to capitalize off of their errors.
Unfortunately, the Lions’ season came to an end in the second-round game against Holy Innocence.
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Need Some Book Recs For Break?
By Jacob Ying
Are you wondering what can I do during Spring Break while I’m not on the slopes or at the beach? Well, you’re in luck. One great thing to do during your free time is read a book.
But, it can be really hard to select a book. There are so many options to choose from, and you can easily give up picking a new read. Librarian Mrs. Northrup says, “It’s very important to pick something you are interested in,” and if you want more personalized help selecting a book, she or Mr. Bowden would be happy to assist. “We always recommend stopping by the library and letting us help you find something new to read!” she said.
Of course, that sometimes means going back to the books we loved when we were younger. ”For those feeling nostalgic, I encourage them to go back and read some of the new titles in their favorite series,” she said. For example, she recommended new books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Spy School series, Hot Mess and Spy School Goes Wild, respectively. Hot Mess follows Greg Heffley’s adventures on summer vacation, while in Spy School Goes Wild, Ben Ripley is stranded in the wilderness with nemesis Murray Hill and forced to confront a new enemy.
There’s one genre that Mrs. Northrup very highly recommends: “I think always a good choice is mystery books,” she said. What are some of her recommendations? The Grandest Games, the newest entry into the Inheritance Games series, and Death at Morning House, a mystery about an old mansion with dark secrets.
Series are a great way to enjoy some characters for longer and at greater depth. In this department, Mrs. Northrup recommends the Graceling Realm, Scythe, and the aforementioned Inheritance Games series. Graceling Realm centers around people with special powers, called “Gracelings,” identifiable through heterochromia. Scythe explores a post-apocalyptic world where humans have beaten the ultimate enemy, Death, with their ingenuity. And the Inheritance Games follows a young girl who works to get a recently inherited fortune from a deceased billionaire.
She also recommends The Women, which follows a nurse during the Vietnam War; Ready Player One, which involves a gamer who competes to inherit the billion-dollar game company; and The Crossover, which looks at twin basketball stars and their lives.
Hopefully, you won’t be bored on break now!
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Jewelry Offers Opportunities For Self-Expression
By Eliza Pieschel
Since summer, my taste in jewelry has shifted from gold to silver. I generally wore gold because, for one, I thought it was much more summery, and two, all my friends wore gold, so at that point, what’s a girl to do?
However, once fall/winter rolled around silver jewelry randomly appealed to me. And now, I wear almost all silver jewelry. I began to become curious about the jewelry other people were wearing as well. At a school with a uniform, something like jewelry is a great way to express oneself.
I started to pay attention to how much jewelry my friends were wearing, what kind of pieces they were (rings, necklaces, earrings, etc), what metal they were, and what kind of gemstones they had.
I first talked to sophomore Julia Threlkheld who also usually wears all silver. We started by counting what she was wearing at the time. She told me, “I generally wear the same pieces but I’ll switch out a piercing or two some days.” Julia has three piercings on each ear. A double piercing and then a helix piercing. At the time she was wearing a ring, a necklace, three earrings on each ear, and no bracelets. All of the pieces were silver.
Her necklace stood out to me. She told me that it’s amber from the Baltic Sea. “My brother is in Germany and he got it for me at a Christmas market,” she said with a smile. “I haven’t taken it off since.”
The funny thing about jewelry is that it is more than just a pretty accessory. Some pieces, like Julia’s necklace, have sentimental value or a funny story behind them. Julia and I started talking about the meaning of other people’s jewelry as well and I asked her what the jewelry someone is wearing says about them.
“I think it says a lot about a person,” she said. “Like it’s obvious when someone’s a little edgier…when they wear edgier pieces. Like the vibes of a person are usually expressed in their jewelry I think.”
She added something I agreed with which was that jewelry goes with the stages of life people are in. “I was a completely different person in, like, seventh grade, and I wore completely different jewelry,” she said. “So I do think it kinda shows where someone at or who they are as a person at the time in a way.”
The day before I had noticed that sometimes she mixes silver and gold jewelry, especially in her earrings. While generally, most people lean one way or the other, some people mix. I always hear people talking about what color jewelry looks good on certain people based on their “undertones” or hair color.
I asked Julia what her opinion on mixing metals was. She told me, “I think it shows more variety and the people that can pull it off make it look really good. Overall I think it’s cool and cute because it’s different and fun.”
Keep in mind that Julia does mix jewelry now and then because sometimes she wears gold studs with other silver earrings. Sophomore Elizabeth Dellinger also mixes her jewelry, but for her, she mixes bracelets rather than earrings. “I only have one piercing, so I couldn’t mix earrings if I wanted to, but I would love to get another piercing,” she said.
She was wearing 11 bracelets, about four of which were silver, and the rest gold. “I usually wear gold but I like how silver adds a little sparkle sometimes,” she said. She loves mixing jewelry. “It’s fun, and it adds more to our outfit to tie in jewelry with, like, whatever color scheme your outfit is,” she said.
On the other hand, sophomore Paige Duffard only wears gold jewelry. She has four piercings in each ear, but earrings are the only pieces of jewelry she wears. I asked her why gold instead of silver, and she told me, “I would wear silver, but I would have to be pale, and it would have to be winter because otherwise, I think it looks bad.”
Elizabeth and Paige both agreed that jewelry reveals a lot about a person. They both said that certain pieces have certain “vibes” that say a lot about who a person is, even if you’ve never met or talked to them before.
So while part of mixing jewelry is what looks good or what goes with an outfit, it is also a strong way of expressing yourself to strangers and friends alike. Whether you wear gold, silver, or both, or switch it up, the individuality of different people’s tastes in jewelry is what makes it interesting.
Especially with a uniform, wearing jewelry can make you feel more put-together and expressive. So have fun with jewelry! Wear the necklaces you like, the rings, the bracelets, and the earrings you like because while it’s fun to dress up, it also can tell people about you as a person.
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Casting For Pods: “Dumber Blonde” (Recommended By Mary Skiles Muir)
By Alexis Dalton
I am in the car A LOT. Going from home to practice, then school, then practice, then home again racks up a lot of miles and time in the car. After a while, music gets old. Somehow, my 30+ playlists have gotten boring. So I turned to podcasts. My personal favorite is Anything Goes by Emma Chamberlain, but now I’ve listened to a majority of her episodes, and am looking for something fresh.
As I was sitting in an alcove with some friends, I expressed my dilemma. They all had a few podcast suggestions, and I got the idea for this column.
So hello there, and welcome to a new column called Pursuing Podcasts where I ask a random member of the Lovett community what their favorite podcast is, and I give it a listen. First up was senior Mary Skiles Muir whose current favorite podcast is Dumber Blonde by Kennedy Eurich. I gave it a listen, and here’s what I think.
A quick disclaimer: this podcast is for mature audiences. Kennedy, or Ken for short, talks about some mature and emotional topics and uses some explicit language.
With that being said, the first thing I thought when listening was “This feels like I’m on FaceTime with a best friend.” This podcast is not extremely structured, so listening feels like a casual conversation as opposed to an organized discussion. I personally love this type of podcast because I feel very connected to the speaker.
Ken definitely talks fast, and this fast pace might not be for everyone. But if you can get used to the pace, it’s not difficult to follow along (and as a fellow fast-talker myself, I feel at home).
Topics vary from episode to episode, ranging from her anxiety and medication journey, to the roots of having trust issues, to breakups, to prepping for a trip with a makeup brand.
There are “solo” episodes, in which Ken will answer questions asked by followers on her Instagram or talk about the events in her personal life. She gets very, very personal. She name-drops and spares very few details, but honestly, it’s brave. Not many creators will talk about drama with other influencers, but Ken is not scared to.
Ken also is very real about her emotions. From my first impression of her, I feel like she prioritizes expressing her authentic emotions and struggles so that her listeners know that things they are going through happen to a lot of people, and they shouldn’t feel alone. There is full transparency between her and her listeners, which is rare.
Ken also brings guests onto her podcasts, such as other influencers/creators and some of her best friends. In these episodes, they discuss similar topics like upcoming trips, memories from their hometown, and more. Again, it feels as though you are on a call with them and a part of the conversation.
Overall, Dumber Blonde by Kennedy Eurich is an engaging, personal podcast that presents raw and real conversations about life, relationships, and the struggles many of us face. Though the mature content and fast-paced dialogue might not be for everyone, for listeners who enjoy a candid and unfiltered perspective, it’s definitely worth checking out.
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These Two Sophomores Picked Up Tennis Rackets Last Fall, And Joined The JV Team This Year
By Maiya Tomlin
Sometimes, stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to exciting new opportunities. For sophomores Cameron Kauffman and Zarin Sapra, that meant picking up tennis. With not a lot of prior experience, they decided to give the sport a try last fall and challenged themselves to try out for Lovett’s tennis team this past January.
After 3 laborious days of tryouts, both were “pleasantly surprised” when they made Lovett’s JV team. I asked Zarin why she decided to try out. She said she wants to get better at tennis, especially because “it’s kind of a lifelong sport. Like I feel like you can play it when you’re older.” She also “wanted to be more active in the spring and have something to do.”
The Lovett Girls JV tennis team has 13 girls this year, which is above the average of 8-10, and their coach is Lynn King, who is the middle school band teacher if you’ve seen her around.
Before tryouts, Zarin told me she prepared by hitting with a drill group a few times a week. As for Cameron, she has been doing private lessons with a coach at least once a week. They told me they hit together a lot.
The Lovett Girl’s JV team has had 2 weeks of practice every other day since tryouts. During these days of practices, Zarin told me, “The coaches have already taught me a lot, things I wouldn’t have known if I did regular drills.”
Cameron has enjoyed partnering up with other players. “Over the past few practices, I discovered I lowkey love playing doubles,” she said.
The team’s first match was scheduled for Tuesday, February 11th, however, it was canceled due to rain. “I’m feeling a little nervous because I’ve never played a match before,” Cameron said. Zarin agreed. She’s excited to play a match,” especially if I’m playing doubles.” As you might expect, Cameron agreed.
Over their few weeks of practice, I asked them what their favorite part has been so far. Cameron told me that the team dynamic is really fun and that they’ve already created a group chat. “The most fun part though has been making new friends. I really like the freshmen, especially Lauren Dean and Lily Bosworth,” Cameron said.
Zarin has enjoyed the social and physical aspects of being on the team, “having fun while hanging out with your friends but also getting better and being active at the same time.” She added, “When I get to hit with like Lane (Rodts), Cameron, and Kennedy (Crane) like you’re talking and hitting a ball, but you’re still getting better.”
Speaking of sophomore Lane Rodts, she came to Lovett this fall from Holy Innocents, where she used to play tennis. Technically, trying out for a tennis team was not a new experience for her, however trying out for the Lovett tennis team was.
I asked Lane how this year is different from playing at Holy Innocents. “HIES didn’t have a media day, so that was fun to get to do,” she said. She also told me that tryouts at HIES are similar to Lovett’s. Zarin told me during tryouts they “played short games against other people, and played doubles matches to show that they could do both.”
Lane also told me that “trying out for Lovett tennis is a great opportunity to make new friends.” She told me she walked into tryouts with 2 people from her grade (which were Zarin and Cameron) but she’s gotten to know freshmen and even a few eighth graders over the last couple of weeks.
“I usually play doubles,” Lane told me. She has never competitively played singles. “I don’t necessarily prefer one over the other, I just have never truly played singles before.”
Lane also played softball at Holy Innocents and was on the Lovett Varsity team last fall, which she told me was fun but added “Tennis has always been my main sport.” She described it as having a different kind of team environment.
Zarin unfortunately missed Friday’s match due to her ski trip to Aspen (which I’m jealous of), but I decided to have a post-game interview with Cameron and Lane after their first match,
against Wesleyan. “It was super fun,” Lane said, “especially because everyone played well, and we ended up winning!” Cameron enjoyed “getting to bond with the other girls,” she told me.
With their first win under their belts, the Lovett Girls JV tennis team is off to a great start. Take Zarin, Cameron, and Lane’s advice, step out of your comfort zone, and try a new activity. Perhaps you’ll make some unexpected friendships.
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Five Minutes With Swimmer Vane Stedman
By Maxine Smith
The boys swimming team had a good run this season, though Vane Stedman, a junior, explained that they did face a few challenges this season. “We lost a lot of seniors last year, so we weren’t going to be as strong,” said Vane. They still persevered though. “We won most of our relays and a lot of individual events. It was a good season overall,” said Vane.
He was pleased with their accomplishments at state. “We had a relay for each of the three relays, which was good,” he said. “Our 4×100 freestyle and 200 medley both made the A final, which I didn’t expect.”
However, compared to the previous year, the results didn’t quite measure up. “Last year, we did a lot better. That’s just because we had a lot of seniors,” Vane admitted. The leadership dynamic was also different this season. “We had one senior guy, so the team atmosphere was a bit different because there wasn’t as much leadership as last year,” he said.
Vane Stedman has swam for his whole life and has been a Lovett fish since the seventh grade. “My mom was a big swimmer so all the Stedman kids were just thrown into swimming,” he said.
Over the years, swimming has become more than just a sport for Vane, it has become a source of relief. “I enjoy it,” he said. “It eases my mind after a long day of school.”
As for Vane’s future with swimming, that is undecided. Currently, Vane is conflicted about whether he wants to swim in college. “It’s 50-50. I might not, just because it’s a really big time commitment, and I don’t think I’d want to go to the schools that I would need to go to for swimming,” he said.
Throughout Vane’s time swimming one coach has stood out as a major inspiration, Coach Jesse from Dynamo, a competitive swim club he has been a part of since childhood.
“I love it there,” Vane said, expressing deep appreciation for the mentorship he has received. Vane explained that his Dynamo coach has supported him through his swimming journey and coached him to improve.
But, overall the main reason Vane has continued to swim is because of the friends he’s made and the community he has formed throughout his journey. “The community is really why I’m passionate about swim,” he said.
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Winterfest 2025: Seniors Play Teachers In More Ways Than One
By Bridget Valls
Given how hectic the spring semester is, Winterfest is the perfect way to unwind, and perhaps laugh with (at?) the seniors and faculty during their intense basketball feud at the end of the week.
One of the best things about Winterfest week is being able to wear comfortable clothes for an entire week. But it seems as though nobody can agree on whether we want funny themes or ones where we can wear sweatpants every day.
Tess Horner (10) was not impressed with a few of this year’s NUD choices. “I wish they were more comfy clothes friendly like I don’t want to dress in khakis like a teacher,” she told me. Eloise Graber (10) would have liked more unexpected NUDs.
One thing we can all agree on is that “It’s better than our uniforms,” as Kaelyn Rolla (9) told me. I was surprised by these statements towards the NUDS, especially the dress like a teacher one, because this was my favorite NUD of the week.
A few of my friends and I went full out for this NUD. I was dressed from head to toe in wrestling merch and shorts that went down to my knees. People kept asking me if I was Maldonado or Adams. I then realized it would be a good idea to convince Mr. Adams to give me his name tag to clear up the confusion. (I think we pretty much looked identical once I got his everyday lanyard on).
Two other sophomores, Cate Turner (10) and Savannah Jones (10) dressed as Mr. Nas. (A fan favorite of our grade). The bathrobes they were wearing were a bit confusing, but once they put the goggles on, I knew exactly who they were.
Finally, Mary Lanigan Wright (10) walked into a school in khaki pants and not just a sweater but a true Brunt sweater straight from his closet, topped with his dean of students name tag. Safe to say they looked IDENTICAL.
Now, enough about the NUDS. Let’s get to the actual day everyone had waited for all week, Friday. The senior faculty basketball game.
Unfortunately, SGA was gatekeeping the entries from me. So, ahead of the game, I decided to ask people who they hoped would enter the contest. Palmer Elsas (10) had to ponder this for a second before giving me his answers. “Ms. Scott is my number one pick for teachers and Charlie Harlan is my first pick for seniors,” he told me. Charlie Harlan was a popular answer I got.
I decided to do a pre-game interview with Mr. Nas as he was very public about being in it this year after opting out of the past few games. “I think I am looking forward to playing this group of seniors and to having a comeback since I haven’t played in 3 years, and I want to beat the seniors so bad,” he told me. He was then quick to follow up with confidence that he felt that the seniors had no chance. (Which ended up being very true after the faculty’s victory.)
This game is a highlight of laughter watching teachers we’ve never seen away from their desks tackling students for the ball. But, while everybody is laughing the cheerleaders are stressing knowing they are going to be in front of the whole school at halftime.
As a cheerleader, I wanted to ask some of my teammates how they were feeling. Audrey Mia (12) was not even breaking a sweat. “I am not stressed because we have worked so hard on this performance, and I think we are very well prepared,” she told me. She had two performances as she is on the Lovett dance team as well.
But Kate Wood (10), who was new to the team, would be performing in front of an audience this year. “I was definitely a little nervous since it is in front of the entire high school,” she told me. I could totally agree with this statement. Lucky for me and Kate, these jitters went away after our perfect performance.
After the great performances of the teachers, seniors, dance team, and cheerleaders, Winterfest week was over and it was back to our rigorous schedule.
Until next year…..
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4×100 Relay Puts Girls Swimming and Diving Team Over The Top At State
By Alexis Dalton, Mylee Dubin, and Lyla Nelson
If you didn’t already know from seeing the 20+ Instagram posts, the Lovett Girls Swimming and Diving State team are GHSA State Champions! Not only did we win state, but it was the first state title for this team since 1997.
For the past 5 months, the team has had a one-track-mind and a goal of becoming state champions. After an undefeated season, we had a good feeling going into State. Still, we knew a couple of schools, in particular Greater Atlanta Christian, or GAC, were going to give us a swim for our money.
Sutherland Newton and Carlisle Stone got the team going at the Diving State Championship on Tuesday morning, scoring thirty-three points and individually placing 6th and 7th respectively. This put the team in first place by eighteen points. After the divers kicked butt in their championship, we knew it was our turn to do our part in securing the win.
The meet had an interesting format, with prelims being on a Wednesday morning and finals following on Thursday. Typically, prelims and finals are on the same day (just a few hours apart). The meet hasn’t been in this unique format since our freshmen year before it changed to a ‘normal’ prelim/finals format for the 2 years after that. Personally, we preferred having the meet take place over two days because it gave us more time to rest and reset. Knowing we were returning to a 2-day format had us excited for the opportunity to swim two sessions with fresh minds and bodies.
Everyone qualified for finals in all of their events. The team had amazing swims while also seeing room for improvement, so we were excited to all have second shots at each race. Little did we know, while we were tearing it up in the pool, our parents sat in the crowded spectator seating (which was a sea of Lovett blue), and had made a spreadsheet where they began to calculate the potential points we would get in finals. Teams only score points in finals, and the higher you place, the more points you earn.
After intense calculations, the parents concluded that if we (and everyone else for that matter) performed and placed the exact same way we did in prelims, we would place second in finals. This did not satisfy us. We wanted the win.
After a yummy lunch and a visit from a masseuse (thank you Celina!) organized by the swim parents, we went home to rest and prepare for the battle Thursday would bring.
Finals started at 1:30, so we got to sleep in on Thursday morning. After an energetic send-off from the entire third-grade class (Coach Caitlin Muldoon is a third-grade teacher, so she was able to pull some strings), we hopped on the bus and headed to the pool at Georgia Tech.
Finals was a smokeshow! The girls 200-yard Medley Relay (Seniors Caroline Peak, Alexis Dalton, Virginia Lathrop, and Lyla Nelson) placed third after a nail-biting race, crushing their school record by four seconds. Shortly after, Mylee Dubin and Georgia Hayes Kimmerly had to hit certain times in the 200 freestyle to secure their points. With the pressure on, they raced side-by-side and achieved their goals, adding more points to the team score. The team was on a roll.
Junior Vane Stedman placed third in the 200 Individual Medley, shattering his own school record. Immediately after, his younger sister, freshman Decker Stedman, placed second in the 50 freestyle, also breaking her own school record. Seniors Virginia Lathrop and Virginia Jane Hultgren placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 100 Butterfly.
Next was the 100 freestyle in which we had three girls qualified. No matter how it went down, this event would get us a lot of points. Alexis Dalton placed third and broke her own school record. Lyla Nelson and Mylee Dubin also scored points, placing 8th and 13th.
In the 500 freestyle, Decker Stedman not only won the event, but also shattered the school record that previously stood since 2016. Georgia Hayes Kimmerly and Junior Olivia Cassinelli both swam faster than the required times to score points, placing 7th and 8th.
Next up was the 200 freestyle relay (Virginia Jane Hultgren, Mylee Dubin, Georgia Hayes Kimmerly, and Decker Stedman) swam their fastest time yet and placed fourth, racking up more points. Shortly after the relay, Caroline Peak, despite feeling a sickness coming on, placed 15th in the 100 backstroke.
After that, Alexis Dalton won the 100 breaststroke by almost three whole seconds, followed by a 7th-place finish by Virginia Lathrop.
Finally, the last event rolled around. It is safe to say that the 4×100 relay team (Virginia Jane Hultrgen, Decker Stedman, Lyla Nelson, and Alexis Dalton) knew they had a lot on their shoulders, but nobody was truly sure what the point differential was. Going into this race, our team was just 1 point ahead of GAC, meaning everything came down to this last race.
Spoiler—They killed it! By a whole five seconds, the girls crushed GAC, shattering their own school record by over 7 seconds.
Whooping in celebration, the team ran over to congratulate the girls on their victory, but the victory was short-lived as the team anxiously headed over to the other side of the pool for the final score announcements.
As over 30 teams were announced, the suspense was prolonged as we sat through the boys awards before the announcer moved on to the girls.
As the announcer began listing the girls’ awards, we huddled together holding hands waiting for the top 3. Finally after about a minute pause in between the 4th place announcement and the top 3, it was time. We were all pretty confident we had beat out the 3rd-place team of Jefferson, so once their name was called, we all closed our eyes and said a quick prayer.
It felt like years before the announcer dragged out the words, “And your 1-3A GHSA girls state runner up is…” We all squeezed our hands tighter and held our breath… “GRRRREATER ATLANTA CHRISTIAN!” We didn’t cheer yet (because we’re classy) but we released our breath and got excited. Lyla Nelson even let go of Alexis Dalton’s hand to do a celebratory fist pump into the circle.
After GAC had received their second-place trophy, the announcer finally said the words we have been craving for 4 years. “And your champions of the 2025 GHSA 1-3A girls swimming and diving championships……LOVETTTTT!!”
We all started screaming and crying with joy as we jumped up and down. We made our way to the podium and our fearless captains, Alexis, Lyla, and Chelsea Daniel received the trophy as we all got up on the podium with them. We raised the trophy in triumph, letting the feeling of victory sink in.
We then received our State Champion t-shirts and all put them on before jumping into the pool with our beloved coaches, Caitlin Muldoon, Chris Chow, and Colin Donahue.
As we reflect on this experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives, we know that our victory by only 8 points was only possible because of every single person on the team. Nobody was less or more crucial than the other, and that is one of the most beautiful things about this win. Everyone played a part in this achievement, and it was a testament to how valued everyone on this team is.
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Blind Date IV: The Chipotle Experience
By Olivia Janis, Taylor Johnson, Mackenna Stewart
The minute we stepped into Chipotle with a Chipotle bag over Senior Casani Barlett’s head, Chipotle customers were breaking their necks looking at us. Some would say it caused a catastrophic scene, but fear of embarrassment can never be a reason to stop potential love.
If you are one of our loyal followers, then you would know it’s about that time for Taylor, Mackenna and I to be the cupids at Lovett. Based on a Google form we sent out, Seniors Casani and Cleo Wynn were chosen to go on a blind date.
On January 31st, Cleo arrived right on time for her blind date. Unfortunately, we had to wait almost 30 minutes for Casani to arrive. Cleo made a joke about how her “blind date’s” tardiness didn’t even help her narrow down who he might be. (Lovett guys gotta work on punctuality).
When Casani finally did arrive, Taylor and I quickly placed a large Chipotle bag over Cleo’s head and left her at our table. We sneakily went around the restaurant, found Casani and put the bag over his head (it was quite a struggle). We led him into the restaurant and tried to reassure everyone that a kidnapping was not taking place. When they were both seated at the table, we did a count down and then ricocheted the bags off their heads.
Their reactions were priceless: they both looked surprised but kept their composure. They both admitted that when they heard they were being set up, they had other people in mind for who it might be. Cleo said she thought it was going to be Chris Mance or Landyn Murphy, while Casani said he thought it was going to be Celine Areu (we did not tell him this at the moment, but that was another match up we got in the google form). They both agreed they weren’t entirely shocked to be paired together.
Cleo and Casani have known each other since the seventh grade. When I asked them what the last class was that they had together Casani confidently replied freshman English, to which Cleo quickly corrected “No, chemistry.” We asked if they still had…um…chemistry… Casani said they did at the beginning of sophomore year. Taylor and I took note of this, and realized we might have to relight past sparks.
But that was the past, so now we needed to focus on the present. First, we just had to double-check that they were both single. They both confirmed this, agreeing hat they were not actively looking but open to the idea of having a bae. Next, we needed to know their “types.” “Black, tall, and curly-haired,” said Cleo. This description fits perfectly with Cleo’s celebrity crushes, Michael B Jordan, Aaron Pierre, and Shemar Moore. Casani, however, said he did not have a type, but his celebrity crushes were Saweetie and Latto, so that helped give us some ideas. They both actually match for their types.. so far so good.
A big part of dating nowadays is assessing someone’s red flags and your own. So, we asked them what a red flag in a partner was for them, and if they had any of their own.
“I think a red flag in a girl is if they still talk to their ex,” said Casani. He believes his own red flag can be his communication skills. Cleo said a red flag in a boy is if they have too many female friends, and her own red flag is struggling to apologize or admit when she is in the wrong.
Now that we got the red flags out of the way, it was time to hear what their version of a “perfect date” is.
“Main Event (arcade and bowling) then Chipotle,” said Cleo. Taylor and I had a mini celebration because we hit the second half of her perfect date right on the nail. Casani’s “perfect date” requires quite a bit more of a financial commitment. “I would say TopGolf and then a fancy restaurant,” he said. While we all thought that Nobu was more of a one year anniversary type deal, Cleo was pleasantly surprised with his answer. Maybe one day we will open our Instagram feed and see a cute, aesthetic photo of Cleo and Casani at Nobu (for the first date of course).
As astonishing and appetizing as it was to talk about Casani’s expensive taste on first dates, we kept the date rolling at the slightly more downscale Chipotle with some personal questions about their favorite personal attribute.
“I would say my smile,” Casani said with little to no hesitation.
Cleo, who sat and pondered her response a little more, said, “I feel like I’m easy to talk to” and also added that she loves her freckles. In any relationship, it is important to not only see yourself as a part of the couple but to also pay attention to how you view yourself individually.
When it comes to dating, some of the most defining experiences for a person come from their past relationships. As someone enters a new relationship from a past one it can be easy to carry a little bit of “baggage.”
“I think it’s character development,” Cleo said when asked if her last relationship ‘made’ or ‘broke’ her heart.
Although she’s only dated one person, the experiences she has had have been quite positive and made her a better person.
Casani has also grown from his past experiences. “I wouldn’t say any of them broke me,” he said confidently, adding that they may have even helped him as a person. With that being said both Casani and Cleo are “letting life be life” when it comes to finding a new potential partner.
We’d spent enough time talking about the past, so we transitioned to discussing the future.
“What do you think your future looks like?” we asked. This caused an enormous outburst as Casani innocently responded “With her?” He pointed to Cleo. We were able to clarify that we meant their personal future in the next 10 years. However it was very bae-like of Casani to consider his blind date in his future endeavors.
Grad school, engaged, and in New York were on Cleo’s list as most pressing. Casani on the other hand sees himself on the big NFL stage playing football for a team in California or New York. I can see it now… Pro football Player Casni Bartlett and the intelligent, artistic Cleo excelling and thriving in the Big Apple. I think it’s safe to say that this power couple has some impeccable aspirations. However in the short term, Cleo and Casani are most concerned with knowing where they’re going to go to college.
As for romantic futures, we wondered if they were currently even searching for a bae or just letting life flow on by. Cleo said, “I’m just living in the present” and Casani nodded his head in agreement.
We asked Casani and Cleo what they admired about each other. Casani ricocheted his response, “I would say after all that has happened between us in the past she doesn’t let that affect how we are together.”
Cleo had a more simple and concrete response: “he is funny.”
We then had a little bit of a challenge for the prospective baes to see how well they knew each other. The first question we asked was about their preferred music taste.
Cleo answered quickly and confidently, “R&B and rap but mostly rap.” She was very much correct. Casani then said, “R&B,” which was also very much correct.
Then we had to ask them if they knew what car they drove. “I picture him having a big SUV,” said Cleo. Casani then got a bit angry and responded, “Well, actually I drive a truck.” Casani on the other hand was quick to know the car that Cleo whips: a white Volvo. Hopefully, he hasn’t been stalking the woman.
Next question was favorite food. Casani thought that Cleo’s favorite food was Korean which was very much not correct but Cleo said, “Ok good enough.” Cleo then thought that Casani’s favorite food was just simple pizza which was an accurate guess because Casani said his favorite grub was Italian.
The next question was more personal. We asked them to name each other’s three closest friends. They were able to do this task very well, praise the lord.
They even knew each other’s hobbies and the date was going extremely well. We then asked them what their safe foods were for a first date because some foods can get extremely messy. For example: wings would be slipping and sliding all over the place which is not ideal for the first date. They both answered in unison, “Chipotle.” We chose the perfect place for their date.
Now everyone brace yourselves for the most important question of the century. It was time to find out if we had been successful matchmakers for these two lovely individuals Cleo and Casani.
Would you guys go on a second date?
A brief moment of silence passed, then a miracle occurred. They said yes.