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S I N C E 1 9 4 7 SENIOR EDITION SENIOR EDITION SENIOR EDITION SENIOR EDITION SENIOR EDITION SENIOR EDITION SENIOR EDITION An up beat paper wwww.gradyhighschool.org/ww.gradyhighschool.org/ for a down town school southerner TRACK S E W E R R E V A M P Vernon and get the Holland bring Wes home state titles Vernon DIRT boys p. 15, inside girls p. 16 p. 7 HENRY W. GRADY HIGH SCHOOL, ATLANTA VOLUME LIX, NUM BER 8, MAY 19, 2006 Administration IMMIGRATION BILL fi nds fi ghts not inspired by race INSPIRES PROTEST BY CURRY ANDREWS hile all three fi ghts on May BY REBECCA GITTELSON Senate Bill 529, which is now W5 were disconcerting for the ose Torrés, a Mexican-American, awaiting Gov. Perdue’s signature after administration, one in particular has lived legally in the United passing through the state legislature, sparked the emotions of the student JStates for a little less than 16 includes both a crackdown on body—an altercation between a years. He now works in construction employers of undocumented workers group of black and white males. in Atlanta doing “a little bit of and a requirement that adults who According to student accounts everything—stonewall, tiles, framing, apply for taxpayer-funded services compiled by school offi cials, a black whatever [needs to be done].” During must swear they are in the country male saw two white males laughing the fi rst three months he spent in legally before they can receive services. in the bathroom on May 1. They America, however, Torrés had not yet Eileen Scofi eld, head of Alston did not respond when the black received his American citizenship and & Bird’s immigration law practice, male asked why they were laughing. faced the dangers of that believes that the Georgia bill will That Friday in the courtyard the reality. discourage businesses black male and several of his friends “It was kind of scary who hire immigrants approached one of the boys from living down there by from coming to the bathroom incident and the the [Texas-Mexico] Georgia. two other white males. A verbal border,” Torrés said, “[The bill] makes exchange escalated to violence that “I couldn’t go out it very hard to get left two white students in need of too much because businesses to Georgia,” stitches. Dr. Murray did not identify Immigration [and Scofi eld said, “What the students involved, citing the Naturalization [businesses] hear pending police investigation which, Services] was always right there; is ‘immigrants, go Y so far, has led to the arrest of two A I would run on the sides of the streets away,’ but the bill is really designed to K C individuals. M so [INS] wouldn’t catch me.” say, ‘illegal immigrants, go away.’” H T Over the following days, rumours E B Torrés, whose wife is not an State Sen. Sam Zamarripa, “a chief H spread that racial slurrs had prompted A R American citizen, does not support opponent of the bill,” says the bill is A S the incident. the Georgia immigration reform bill, STARS AND STRIPES: Rogelio [who withheld his last name], an immigrant from Mexico, “I got no reports that the “n” word Senate Bill 529. see CONGRESSIONAL page 12 and his family demonstrate their commitment to the United States at a rally May 1. was ever used,” Principal Dr. Murray said. “Some people will give more power to rumors than truth.” Offi cials believe this fi ght was not Faculty turnover to hit double digits racially motivated but have formed EWS RIEFS a focus group to deter aggression in N B BY EMMA DIN Grady are Mr. Thomas Jones, Mr. heading the Program for Exceptional hen the 2006-2007 school year Reginald Marin and part-time teacher Children. He has always been one the student body. Wbegins, at least 10 teachers will Mr. Daniel Sweeney. Mr. Sweeney, of the fi rst to arrive in the morning “A distorted picture was painted,” Parks’ design selected be beginning a new chapter in their who teaches special education at and someone the administration Dr. Murray said. “Fair-minded lives. At the end of this school year, 11 both Inman and Grady, is leaving could rely on. He plans to work at a people will see the truth.” ❐ for reading program faculty members will leave the Grady to transition into sign language commnunity center in Cobb County. Senior Michael Parks’ design staff to retire or to start new careers. interpretation and captioning. Mr. Look for reactions to the May 5 altercation was recently chosen to represent Among the 11 staff members leaving Marin is retiring after 15 years of see FACULTY page 6 in the upcoming issue of Nexus. the mayor’s new summer reading program. The initiative, which spe- cifi cally targets juniors, will invite Atlantans to read and discuss the Van Atta voted top teacher same book. BY MATT WESTMORELAND transition program and as sponsor of 21st City fails to alleviate hocked. Century Leaders, a leadership-building S That’s how Mary Carter Van Atta felt organization that focuses on community space problem in jail when she found out she had been named the service. Prior to coming to Grady, she worked 2006-2007 Teacher of the Year for Grady High as an education administrator at the Atlanta Updating our February in-depth feature, the City has failed to work School. History Center for six years and as a museum with Fulton County to create “I am blown away,” Ms. Van Atta said. “I am educator for a year at the Joel Chandler Harris inmate space, even though the jail’s incredibly honored and humbled. I can think Association, better known as the Wren’s Nest. overcrowding is still in violation of a of a multitude of teachers far more deserving of “I became a teacher because I wanted more N I the honor than I. But I’ll take it.” interaction with students,” Ms. Van Atta said. federal court order. The Blue Ribbon D A Ms. Van Atta began teaching in the fall “I wanted to teach them both history and Commission has recommended that M M no one be incarcerated in the Fulton E of 1994 and has taken on a number of life lessons that I have learned about being County Jail unless a warrant has been ‘ATTA GIRL: Mrs. Van Atta currently teaches freshmen responsibilities around campus, most recently issued by a magistrate judge. geography classes and a sophomore world history class. serving as coordinator for the ninth-grade See VAN ATTA page 5 2 c o m m e n t May 19, 2006 THE SOUTHERNER S I N C E 1 9 4 7 EDITORIAL BOARD CHELSEA COOK SARAH MARRINER ELIZABETH SCHENCK CHELSEA SPENCER Winter bids farewell I had to fi ll. What I didn’t appreciate ated coffee hasn’t been bad either. MATT WESTMORELAND fully was how gracefully she exited I’d like to thank Ms. Willoughby to home of fi ve years the role that I’m now leaving. Thank for being such an understanding you for making my job of following and sympathetic teaching partner Dear editors: you easier and more likely. and Mr. Stephens for being such ’06 honors Milton As this is my fi nal issue as this I would like to thank Dr. Murray a forgiving and lenient roommate. newspaper’s ad+viser, I’d like to take for his availability to student report- Mr. Roberts has not only been a ter- In the March issue of The Southerner, we announced the creation of the this opportunity to thank the people ers and for the considerable freedom rifi c colleague, but the quality of the fi rst annual Marian P. Kelly Award. By naming this award after Ms. Kelly, we who have made the past fi ve years of expression he affords student broadcast program he advises has hoped both to commemorate her commitment to the school and its students such a tremendously satisfying and publications at Grady. Not every consistently pushed this newspaper and to honor other teachers who have demonstrated the same dedication to gratifying experience for me, both adviser is so lucky and certainly not staff to match its enthusiasm and its the Grady community. personally and professionally. I’d every reporter is so fortunate to have innovation. We couldn’t think of a better group of students to select this annual winner like to fi rst thank The Southerner a principal so available and so re- I would like to thank the parents than Grady seniors. As the students who have been at Grady for the longest senior class of 2002, who worked spectful of the voices of his students. of my students for their consistent time, they are the leaders of the school and know almost the entire faculty. tirelessly over a furious summer I would like to thank Mr. Foreman and multifaceted support over the This award gave the seniors an opportunity to give back to those teachers who weekend to redesign this paper, and Ms. Grishman, not only for past half-decade. It always seemed have given so generously to them. front cover to back cover. The work their availability to student reporters to arrive just when I needed it most. On May 16, the senior class voted overwhelmingly to award this inaugural that they did has served future staffs but for their uncanny ability (in very I’d like to thank every sophomore honor to English teacher Janet Milton. The Class of 2006 presented Ms.

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