→ 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 18
the Sword & Shield
Football players excited to break
in new field house
INSIDE
Vol. XLVIII No. 3 Mountain Brook High School December 13, 2013
By WILL DAVIS
Staff Writer
Left: 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.
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.
Photos by Will Davis
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.”
Cross-Country girls take first at state
By 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 Hawk
The Cross-Country team reacts to their recent success and shows off their new trophy.
Please see “Cross-Country,” continued on page 12
News: 2-4 Features: 5-8 Sports: 8-14 Reviews: 15-18 Opinions: 19-20

2 news Friday, December 13, 2013
The Sword & Shield
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
The Sword & Shield
Co-Editor-in-Chief: Olivia Burton
Co-Editor-in-Chief: Rick Lewis
Art & Photography Editor: Claire Davis
News Editor: Kary Reynolds
Sports Editor: Alec Lewis
Features Editor: Ben Jackson
Opinions Editor: Mary Nix Roberson
Reviews Editor: Brooks Glover
Business Manager: Mathilde Sharman
Managing Editor: Sarah Michel
Staff Writers
Sponsors: Ms. Catherine Lowe and Mr. Peter Perez
Letters to the Editors Policy
The 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 & Shield
Mountain Brook High School
3650 Bethune Drive
Mountain Brook, AL 35223
Telephone: (205) 414-3800
Fax: (205) 969-8113
Printing made possible by
Alabama Web Press
1793 Eva Road
Cullman, AL 35055
Telephone: (256) 734-5104
John Cooper
Will Davis
Chandler Gory
Margaret Heath
Natalie Jones
Scott Lepley
Caroline Lowe
Coke Matthews
Frances Hancock
Chamblee Shufflebarger
John Sisson
Brooke Tucker
Daniel Bolus
Madeline Mitchell
Maddie Sheffield
Turbulent 2014 congressional
elections concern GOP
By KARY REYNOLDS
News 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,
By Kary Reynolds
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.”

Friday, December 13, 2013
The Sword & Shield
new3s Relay for Life starts early
with 25 Days of Relay
By DANIEL BOLUS
Staff 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.
Students participate in Nanowrimo:
a novel idea for writing
Meredith Featheringill works on her novel during her free time in the library.
By FRANCES HANCOCK
Staff 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
Photo by Frances Hancock
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.”

4news
Perfect 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 SHARMAN
Business 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
Friday, December 13, 2013
The Sword & Shield
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.

Featur5es
Holiday movies now playing at the Alabama
Theatre: “Look what you did, you little jerk!”
By JOHN COOPER and
Movie Schedule
BEN JACKSON
Staff Writer and Features Editor
12/13: White Christmas
“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.
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, 2013
The Sword & Shield

6Features
Friday, December 13, 2013
The Sword & Shield
Just a Chat with “cow”culus teacher Wanda Burns
By 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
The 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.
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?
Photo by Brooks Glover
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?

Feature7s
Rejuvenate the Holidays with wacky parties
By MADDIE SHEFFIELD
Staff 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.
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, 2013
The Sword & Shield
Photos by Maddie Sheffield

8Features
Friday, December 13, 2013
Alex Ball: planting service in Woodlawn
By 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.
The Sword & Shield
Alex hangs out with some of the kids from the Christfit program.
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,
Photo courtesy of Alex Ball
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.

9
Sports Friday, December 13, 2013
Heat, Pacers battle for top spot in NBA
By 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.
Photo courtsey of Getty Images
All-star forward Paul George has the Indiana Pacers off to one of the best starts
in NBA history this season.
The Sword & Shield

Hey, what’s
jam?
your
Eli York
Ann Thomas
Mr. Hudson
Alex Ball
Daniel Neville
Colin Hartman
Guilty pleasure: 80s Alternative
Needs more recognition: Van Morrison
Favorite artist: The Beatles
Favorite car tunes: anything on Pandora
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: 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 Flores
Needs more recognition: Parker Flores
Favorite artist: Parker Flores
Favorite car tunes: Parker Flores
Guilty pleasure: Hot Chelle Rae
Needs more recognition: Bring Me the Horizon
Favorite artist: Ed Sheeran
Favorite car tunes: Fall Out Boy
Guilty pleasure: Eminem
Needs more recognition: Eminem
Favorite artist: Eminem
Favorite car tunes: Eminem

Taylor Carson
Guilty pleasure: “O Brother Where Art Thou”
Needs more recognition: Peter Gabriel
Favorite artists: ACDC, Aerosmith, Zac Brown Band
Favorite car tunes: ACDC, 102.5, and 106.9
Trey Lockett
Guilty pleasure: Christian Death Metal
Needs more recognition: Mastodon
Favorite artist: ACDC
Favorite car tunes: Rock
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: 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$ha
Needs more recognition: The Roots
Favorite artist: Kanye West
Favorite car tunes: The C2.o by The Roots
Guilty pleasure: “Suit and Tie” by Justin Timberlake
Needs more recognition: Slightly Stoopid
Favorite artist: Elton John
Favorite car tunes: Billy Joel
Sam Poole
By CHANDLER GORY and
MARGARET HEATH

1Sp2orts
boys 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.
Friday, December 13, 2013
The Sword & Shield
Lady Spartans back in action
By COKE MATTHEWS
Staff 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
Photo courtesy of Image Arts
Senior Mary Katherine Pinson dribbles
past a defender for the shot.
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.
“Cross-Country,” page 1
Spartan basketball is back and ready to go
Data Technology Payments LLC
3171 Green Valley Rd. #556 ⢠Birmingham, AL 35223
info@datatechnologypayments.com ⢠800-745-0788
By ALEC LEWIS
Sports Editor
Last year’s basketball playoff
journey 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.
Photo courtesy of Image Arts
Junior guard Will Hartley lays it in during
the game against Ramsay.

Sppoo1rrtt3ss
Spartan volleyball serves up a successful season
By 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
Left: Kendall Crumbaugh leaps to block the ball at the Birmingham Crossplex. Right: The team celebrates a landslide victory.
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
Photos courtesy of Image Arts
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.”
Friday, December 13, 2013
The Sword & Shield

1Sp4orts
Friday, December 13, 2013
Spartan wrestling steady with new coach
By 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.
The Sword & Shield
Photo courtesy of Image Arts
The Senior wrestling squad (from left): James Perkinson, Will Jackson, Reed Adams, Logan Skinner, Evan Nipper.

Revi1ew5s
Reasonable prices, impressive desserts at Café Iz in English Village
By Caroline Lowe
Staff 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
Café Iz, located in English Village across from Park Lane, iz now open for business.
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.
Photo by Caroline Lowe
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.
Friday, December 13, 2013
The Sword & Shield

r1ev6iews
Star-studded “Catching Fire” premieres to huge audiences,
sets stage for epic two-part finale “Mockingjay”
By John Sisson
Staff 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
Friday, December 13, 2013
The Sword & Shield
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

Revi1ew7s
Foodbar offers a fresh alternative to fancy dining
By Claire Davis
Art 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.
Photo by Claire Davis
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.
Friday, December 13, 2013
The Sword & Shield

18 Friday, December 13, 2013
reviews The Sword & Shield
the best of Mountain Brook Christmas Lights
By BROOKS GLOVER
Reviews 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.
Bethune Drive
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.
Beech Street
Beech Lane
Seeing 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.
lwatc.com

Opini1on9s
Those who tailgate together...
An outsider’s perspective on football culture
By OLIVIA BURTON
Co-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.
“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.
By MARY NIX ROBERSON
Opinions Editor
Education, not sports, is the
primary purpose of schools.
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, 2013
The Sword & Shield

2Op0inions
Opinions
Alternative Reading List
By CLAIRE DAVIS
Art and Photography Editor
Friday, December 13, 2013
The Sword & Shield
“I gotta get it”: the disease of holiday shopping
By DANIEL BOLUS
Staff Writer
What are you thankful for
this holiday season?
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
“It becomes apparent
that holiday shopping,
while it stimulates the
economy, has diverged
from the spirit of the
season.”
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.
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.