2015-16 Volume 1: October / Homecoming

Annie Lovelady crowned
MBHS Homecoming Queen 2015
Writing center opens strong
2015 Homecoming Attendants
Seniors
Adele Bird
Anne Compton
Juniors
Laine Alby
Katherine Brian
Sophomores
Mary Allison Anderson
Lucy Holman
Please see “Queen”
continued on page 20
Photo courtesy of Image Arts
Annie Lovelady was crowned Mountain Brook High School’s
Homecoming Queen at today’s pep rally.
News: 2-4 Opinions: 5-7 Features: 8-13 Sports: 14-17 Reviews: 18-19
Photo courtesy of Christina McGovern
Peer tutor Emily Bolvig conferences with sophomore Caroline Monaghan to
improve her paper.
Earlier today, at the pep rally in the
Fine Arts Center, senior Annie Lovela-
dy was crowned MBHS Homecoming
Queen for 2015-16.
Annie is the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Tim Lovelady. Annie’s mother, a
graduate of MBHS class of 1980, per-
haps best describes her daughter when
she says, “Annie has an inner self-con-
fidence that keeps her grounded in
decision making. She is levelheaded,
conscientious, independent, loving,
hilarious and always happy.”
Her optimistic attitude and her
grounded nature has not been lost on
her peers. Anyone who knows Annie
first notices her welcoming smile. As
her mother says, “I am most proud
of how Annie treats her friends and
others around her. She never wants to
leave anyone out and likes to include
people from all walks of life. She is a
the Sword & Shield
→The Cage Club, page 4
→Class rank changes, page 7
→MBHS Alumni Feature, pages 10-11
→Basketball Preview, page 15
→Pieology vs. Pizza 120, page 19
INSIDE
true friend.”
Annie’s commitment to her faith
and dedication to others is evident as
she serves in numerous organizations
within her school community. Her pri-
orities include prominent service-ori-
ented positions. At the high school,
Annie is a member of the Interact
service club and the Ambassadors. She
also is a Jersey girl and is a member of
FBLA, Spanish Club and Miss Olym-
pian Pageant staff.
Beyond the school community,
Annie attends Donna Greene’s Bible
Study and is involved in her youth
group at St. Francis Xavier Church
Vol. XLX No. 1 Mountain Brook High School October 30, 2015
Please see “Center”
continued on page 2
By CAROLINE LOWE
Staff Writer
If you have been in the school’s
library lately, then you probably have
noticed the new Spartan Writing Cen-
ter. Located in the left of the library
as you walk in, the writing center is a
place where student tutors take time
during their day to help peers improve
their writing skills. It is open before
school, beginning at 7:15, and during
4th period.
The English department has al-
ways wanted a writing center to help
students improve their writing skills.
Mrs. Christina McGovern and En-
glish department chair, Mrs. Melinda
Cammarata, began exploring the idea
about two years ago.
“Senior English teachers, especial-
ly, noticed how the seniors worked
together so well in peer editing their
students’ work and saw that they
continued to edit each other’s work
outside of class. They identified the
need to help the majority of students
in the school improve their writing
skills,” said Mrs. McGovern. At that
time, McGovern added, “There was
only one writing class available, the
Writing Enhancement class.”
Mrs. Cammarata, the administra-
tion and Mrs. McGovern worked to
form a committee to research the need
for a center, and Mrs. Megan Hastings
volunteered to work in the writing
center with Mrs. McGovern. The com-
mittee determined that peer tutors
were important for making the center
achieve its goals.
Mrs. Hastings said, “The writing
center’s goal is to offer a service to
students to help them improve their
writing for any paper in any class.”
The peer tutors who are helping
students in the morning before school
are Emily Bolvig, Virginia Waters,

Friday, October 30, 2015
The Sword & Shield
2newsnews
Emily Sykes and Paige Berryhill. Fourth period
peer tutors are Henry Kilpatrick, Cece Sims, Hol-
lon Skinner, Lucy Chapman and Marley Barnett.
Junior Page Berryhill said, “I wanted to be a
writing center staff member because I wanted
to help others with their writing and to improve
my tutoring and writing abilities. We have lots of
people stop by every day to get help!”
“I wanted to be on the writing center staff be-
cause I thought it would be fun to see how I liked
tutoring. I think it would be fun to be a teacher
when I’m older, so I wanted to see if teaching was
a thing that I enjoyed. I think the writing center
was exactly what I thought it would be like,” said
junior Emily Bolvig. Bolvig added, “Actually
when we were getting started up, Mrs. Hastings
was having doubts, but I somehow knew that the
traffic would pick up. And it did! Now we are
in full swing and it is even more popular than I
imagined.”
Other peer tutors have had similar experi-
ences. Junior Henry Kilpatrick said, “I wanted
to be on the writing center [staff] because I was
trying to fill my schedule, and the writing center
seemed like not only a good opportunity to help
others become better writers, but also a chance to
strengthen my own writing skills.”
“Since this year is the Spartan Writing Center’s first, I was not sure what to
expect. I have been pleased with my experience as a peer tutor and the response
from fellow students,” added Kilpatrick.
According to Mrs. McGovern, “so far mostly sophomores and juniors have
come to the writing center, 73 total. We would like to see every student come by
the end of the year.”
“We are off to a wonderful start and hope to see more students apply this
spring,” said Mrs. McGovern.
The applications for the writing center will go up on the website in April, and
the applications are open to rising eleventh and twelfth graders.
Photo by Caroline Lowe
Peer tutors Lucy Chapman, Marley Barnett and Hollon Skinner discuss conferencing techniques.
Center, continued

3newsThe Sword & Shield
Trader Joe’s comes to Birmingham
By NATALIE REED and MARGARET KENNEDY
Staff Writers
There’s a new way to shop at the Summit. Trader Joe’s has settled in and
opened its doors for Birmingham. The grocery store chain held its grand open-
ing on October 13. With over 5,000 RSVPs, the store was swamped.
Trader Joe’s is a grocery store chain that provides low prices for both organic
and processed food products. Since 1958, the chain has expanded across several
states. The store at the Summit is the company’s first in Alabama.
Many students are excited. Junior Grant Little says,“Hopefully it will promote
healthier eating and more cooking at home rather than eating out.”
However, senior Caroline Lowe isn’t complaining about the indulgent choic-
es Trader Joe’s offers. “I love the macroni and cheese--plus the cheesecake. The
pumpkin cheesecake is amazing and only costs $6.99. Trader Joe’s prices are a
major pull for me.”
According to Mary Beyer Lell, the Leasing Manager of Bayer Properties,
“Trader Joe’s has always been a tenant we thought should be in Birmingham. We
have talked to them for years now. We just never had the right location within
the project.”
Although Trader Joe’s isn’t an all purpose grocery store, people are sure to
find a reason to visit frequently.
With lots of different food and drink choices, many patrons already have
their favorites. Sophomore Annie O’Neill says, “I’m a big fan of their cinnamon
toasted raisin bread.”
Some of the store’s recently recommended fall items include the coveted
Cookie Butter, Peanut Butter Pretzels, Pumpkin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds, Fall
Harvest Salsa, Pumpkin Seed Brittle, Pumpkin Spice Coffee and Nonfat Greek
Pumpkin Yogurt.
The store’s atmosphere encourages shopping. The store is decorated with mu-
rals depicting many famous sites around Birmingham, including Railroad Park
and the Alabama Theater.
The Summit has welcomed the new store with open arms, and empty stom-
achs, hungering for a taste of fresh produce.

4
The Sword & Shield
The Sword & Shield
news
The Cage Club t-shirts continue to stir controversy:
Photo by Carter Ennis
Not everyone is happy with the design of the Pines,
a popular teen drinking spot, on the back of the Cage
Club shirts.
By CARTER ENNIS
Staff Writer
For better or for worse, the Cage Club is and
always will be an important fixture of the commu-
nity. The club means different things to different
people, but there is one common idea amongst the
members that unifies them: subversion.
For those of you who don’t know, the
Cage Club is an organization comprised
of MBHS students that exists solely, as
senior and Cage Club member Charlie
Cope said, “To increase school spirit in
the student section at football games
and to provide support at school events
in general.”
At football games, the members of
the Cage Club scream the loudest and
play the hardest. However, recently
their enthusiasm for “semi-harmless
fun” has come under fire. The Club’s
shirts have once again become a source
of controversy as this year’s design (pictured
above) contains a reference to a well-known teen
drinking spot, The Pines.
However, almost as notable as this case of per-
haps indecent symbolism is, it has been overshad-
owed by the fact that Cage Club members are
no longer permitted to display their nicknames
on their shirts.
Principal Mrs. Amanda Hood insists that the
prohibition “is mainly due to the dress code,
and that we (MBHS) don’t allow students to
wear anything that is distracting or inappro-
priate. Historically, the Cage Club shirts have
ventured into the inappropriate realm.”
Many students agree that it is fully within the
school’s jurisdiction to censor the often lewd
names on the Cage Club shirts, even though it
is, in the words of Mrs. Hood “a community group
not affiliated with the school.”
Regarding the reference to The Pines on this
year’s shirt, senior Brianna Lipp remarked, “It’s
the school’s right to censor what is inappropriate,
but the design is subtle enough that I don’t have a
problem with it.”
However, those who know people who may
have fallen victim to the vices of The Pines are less
likely to buy into the cleverness of the design.
Teacher Mrs. Missy Cunningham has a more
personal connection with The Pines and what it
represents. She said, “I
know of kids who have
been killed coming
home from The Pines. I
know of my own child
having an experience
with a friend who was
intoxicated to the point
where they almost had
to go to the hospital. I
know of accidents that
have happened as a
result. There is nothing
okay to me about teen-
age drinking.”
However, given all
the controversy the
Cage Club ordeal has elicited, Cope explained, “It’s
tradition for the shirts to have names on them-it’s
always been like that. So, I feel like censoring that
has ruined that tradition, but I definitely don’t think
it has ruined the spirit of the club.”
Spurs discussion among faculty and students

The Sword & Shield
Co-Editor-in-Chief: Coke Matthews
Co-Editor-in-Chief: Mathilde Sharman
Art & Photography Editor: Cole Summersell
News Editor: Thomas Cooney
Sports Editor: Will Davis
Features Editor: Angela Fu
Opinions Editor: Jeffrey Jones
Reviews Editor: Patrick Doud
Business Manager: Jackson Sharman
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
mbhsgosands@student.mtnbrook.k12.al.us
5
The Sword & Shield
The Sword & Shield
Opinions
Alex Debruge
Julia Jane Duggan
Carter Ennis
Jack Kennedy
Margaret Kennedy
Leigh Lewis
Caroline Lowe
Natalie Read
Lily Smith
Emma Taylor
Ann McQueen Whatley
By PATRICK DOUD
Reviews Editor
Our dreams have come true. The school has
finally issued us personal technology. At long last
in 2015, Mountain Brook High School has given
us Google Chromebooks for both in-school and at
home usage.
Personally, the Chromebooks have been a bless-
ing for me. They have enhanced my educational
capabilities by placing an abundance of learning at
the tip of my fingers. For example, I could be sitting
down bamboozled by Physics, but my Chromebook
is there to save the day, giving me quick, easy access
to all the students who had the same question on
Yahoo Answers.
Additionally, it helps me in class. The Chrome-
book allows me to take notes easily at school and
keep them in one location without having to deal
with a mess of papers and notebooks. My backpack
and binders are less cluttered this year, and I now
can keep important documents electronically.
The best part about the Chromebooks is the
automatic saving feature of Google Drive. I have no
doubt that this will save multiple students from the
dreaded experience of losing a document that they
forgot to save. This
feature is magical.
Google saves each
file as you type to
ensure that noth-
ing is lost.
Even at home,
the Chromebook
helps me. When
I’m not doing
homework (or am
supposed to be
doing homework),
I am able to listen
to free music on
Spotify or check
my fantasy football
team at surpris-
ingly fast internet
speed.
Also, I can pro-
crastinate as much
as I want to in my
room on Netflix
watching “The
Office” instead of studying for that big Econ test the
next morning.
These Chromebooks have been very useful for
me as well as my peers this year, and I believe that
giving them to the students was a great idea and
should be continued at the high school for years to
come. I give the Chromebooks two thumbs up.
Chromebooks enhance student learning
Ben Parker and Frank Crockard use their Chromebooks to do homework during their
free period.
Stop the Sniveling
“The new furniture just gets in the way.”
“It’s impossible to get WEPA to print anything correctly.”
“The Chromebooks aren’t even real laptops.”
For the past few months, comments like these echoed through the halls as
students griped about recent changes, feeding off of each other’s negativity.
While it’s easy to criticize the new changes, students must realize that their
remarks reflect badly on Mountain Brook and uphold the stereotype that we’re
spoiled and entitled. Obviously, these claims do not apply to the majority of
students here. However, when we complain about receiving Chromebooks while
other schools don’t provide internet access for their students, much less personal
laptops, we’re doing nothing to disprove those stereotypes. Instead of scoffing
at the mall furniture, we need to recognize that some schools in the U.S. do not
even have air conditioning. The very fact that we’re able to complain about such
trivial issues reveals how fortunate we are.
And when it comes to what actually matters– namely, receiving an educa-
tion– Mountain Brook High School is doing an excellent job. We’ve been recog-
nized by publications like the Washington Post, Newsweek and The Daily Beast
as one of the best schools in the nation. Our average ACT score (26.4) is much
higher than the national average (21.0). Since 1968, 648 National Merit Finalists,
four Rhodes Scholars and one Fulbright Scholar have walked these halls. Ask
recent graduates about their college courses during freshman year, and they will
likely tell you that their classes at MBHS were much more demanding.
Of course, MBHS is not perfect, and students can and should voice legitimate
concerns. However, a complaint that it takes you an extra 20 seconds to navigate
the furniture in the mall is not a “legitimate concern.” Moreover, you will not
remember these issues in a couple of years. Instead, you’ll remember the people
and wish you could see your classmates even though they will be scattered
across the nation by then. These are the last days you and the members of your
class will all be in the same place at the same time.
So appreciate them– and Mountain Brook– now. Go to the Homecoming pa-
rade this afternoon. Go to the game and enjoy the exhilaration that only comes
from cheering alongside a hundred of your fellow Spartans. Go to the dance,
even if only for an hour, even if you don’t have a date, even if you think school
dances are unbearably lame. Go and enjoy these last few years you have at the
school. Don’t wait until you’re an alumni to appreciate it.
OUR VIEW
The Sword & Shield
Mountain Brook High School
3650 Bethune Drive
Mountain Brook, AL 35223
Telephone: (205) 414-3800
Fax: (205) 969-8113
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Telephone: (256) 734-5104

6Opinions
The Sword & Shield
Virulent criticism reveals misunderstanding of feminism
By MATHILDE SHARMAN
Co-Edior-in-Chief
For the 2015 sorority rush at the University of
Alabama, Alpha Phi released a recruitment video
that was subjected to public criticism. Al.com writer
A.L. Bailey lambasted the video, saying the young
women of Alpha Phi have turned themselves into
the “poster children for detrimental stereotypes and
clichés.”
There is little to nothing redeeming about Alpha
Phi’s video. The video shows an uncomfortable lack
of diversity and fails to highlight the numerous
attributes of sisterhood, friendship, and the net-
work of connections that serves as a base in a sea of
students.
But whether we like it or not, the video accom-
plishes its purpose to attract a large pool of appli-
cants for Rush 2015. Like any ad, it identifies what
will attract customers. The video is an element, a
preliminary part of the recruiting process.
While the video fails to portray the girls the as
well rounded, complex women with numerous
attributes, Critics like A.L. Bailey say the video
satisfies the appetites of the girls’ male peers and is
damaging to women, but their criticism is ironic,
and in some aspects, hypocritical. In their great
defense of women, they tell a group of girls how
they should feel about their bodies and assume they
dressed for frat boys down the street, ignoring any
possibility that the girls’ pride in their bodies comes
from self-confidence. When they complain that
the girls’ promiscuity merely serves to satisfy men,
they sabotage their feminist argument, ignoring any
possibility that the video comes from a place of
self-confidence and pride that isn’t tied to men.
Our society has invested money and energy into
helping women love their bodies. We’ve created ad
campaigns, clothing lines and hired psychiatrists to
combat eating disorders, yet when a group of young
women shows a great deal of confidence in their
bodies, we erupt into a dialogue of criticism and
shame.
While women hold varying personal beliefs, no
woman deserves to be shamed for what she chooses
to wear, and her choices should be understood as
her own.
Young women should see themselves as well
rounded, complex human beings. But critics should
be wary of the way they understand women in
their attempt to empower women. There’s a fine
line between protecting women and sabotaging the
freedoms they’ve gained.
Behind the Homecoming mask
By JEFFREY JONES
Opinions Editor
Senior president of the Latin Club, Jake Sansom, has been eagerly planning
and designing a self-proclaimed “legendary homecoming float.” Senior pres-
ident of the croquet club, James Franklin, advertises his plan to feature the
“classy undead” on his club’s float. And Junior president of the rock climbing
club, William Bloodworth, intends to do nothing less than “climb to the top”
and win the parade’s float competition.
Notice a theme? Homecoming, home-
coming, homecoming.
Sophomores, have you realized
this disappointing news? When you
walked through sophomore registra-
tion at the beginning of this year you
were bombarded by the sight of an
array of clubs vying for your attention
and enrollment. Maybe a few of them
stood out to you, and, seizing the
opportunity to get involved and meet
others with similar interests, you joined some. With few exceptions, your good
intentions will mostly fall on rocky soil.
It’s a sad truth. Most clubs exist for at the high school for two explicit pur-
poses: floats and resumes. Not that either of those things are inherently bad,
but something must be amiss when the culture at the high school says it’s more
reasonable for someone to campaign for the president of the frisbee club by
promising to deliver an awesome homecoming float than their actual talents as
a frisbee player or participation at club events.
Which reminds me: what club events?
What should be the preeminent purpose for any recreational club, is unfor-
tunately a forgotten side note. Clubs have the unique potential to provide the
appropriate setting for people to engage in interests that otherwise don’t have a
well-defined outlet. However, ask the Croquet club when the last time they actu-
ally played croquet and that should indicate how serious they are about playing
the game.
This is not to say that some clubs at the high school have not prevailed over
the monotony of t-shirt designs and float building. However, for clubs to surpass
the routine requires an exceptional level of enthusiasm and dedication from its
leadership.
While these difficulties are by no means insurmountable, a number of tangi-
ble and intangible factors contribute to an environment that encourages clubs
into their minimalistic role.
One very fixable hindrance preventing clubs from fulfilling their potential is
scheduling. The current calendar strategically includes many club days in the
weeks leading up to homecoming, but after this milestone, club days drop off
dramatically with only one in the entire second semester.
In order to be successful post homecoming, clubs need more club days at the
very beginning of the year to cultivate a strong status quo of operating meetings
on a purely interest based focus not a homecoming one.
More club days would alleviate some of the circumstances that prevent even
motivated student leaders from making clubs successful. It is much harder
to regain interest after the majority of members have already relegated club
membership to a line item on a resume and not a legitimate extracurricular
activity.
This cycle perpetuates itself as seniors
already indoctrinated in the system run
for office solely for resume motivations,
and peers with low expectations are
content not to challenge their officers.
The confluence of unmotivated leaders
and members leaves clubs languishing
without direction. Here arises the true
heart of the issue: a general apathy of the
student body towards club membership.
The problem stems from a lack of incentive. Club performance cannot be
quantified with a value like GPAs quantify academic achievement. Regardless of
our intentions, we strategically choose to devote time to pursuits that give us a
return on our resume, rather than a return on our interests.
For the administration to schedule more club days and take away from
instructional time, students must fully participate in the clubs, both during the
allotted time and outside of school.
Given that half the student body is in the lunchroom during club periods,
the administration can’t justify scheduling more. Change must come from the
students before more club days are scheduled.
“For the administration to schedule more club
days and take away from instructional time,
students must fully participate in the clubs,
both during the allotted time and outside of
school.”
A deeper look at MBHS Clubs

7
The Sword & Shield
Opinions
By JAKE SANSOM
Staff Writer
I must admit, I was upset when I heard the news.
After several years of sleep deprivation, late-night
study sessions and grade-related worries, all of my
work had instantly been devalued: my class rank
was gone.
During the 2014-2015 school year, Mountain
Brook Schools formed a committee to review class
rank and GPA policies, focusing on their role in
the college application process. After much delib-
eration, the committee released a report with their
findings, and in September they decided to remove
class rank.
The decision was by no means an easy one to
make. Although class rank may be a simple method
of student evaluation, its effects are quite complex.
First of all, class rank creates competition among
peers, especially those near the top of the class.
For these students, class rank serves as a motivat-
ing factor, an extra reason to work hard. College
admissions seem far off during the first half of
high school, and GPA doesn’t really indicate how
you compare with others, but class rank is easy to
understand; it is a direct com-
parison between you and other
students in your grade. Because
of this, class rank fosters a com-
petitive environment at Moun-
tain Brook High School.
Class rank also makes it
easier for students to assess the
quality of their work and the
caliber of their grades. Take
Jeffrey Jones for example, a
senior who began his sopho-
more year ranked number 61
out of 337. “I had no idea I was
ranked so low,” he said. “I just
assumed that since I had all A’s,
I was in the top five percent of
my class.” For many students,
class rank is very informative,
making them realize their place
in the grade. After viewing his
class rank, Jones discovered that
he was not where he wanted to
be, began working hard, and has
now ascended to number 29. In
the long run, class rank helps
students identify their place
in the grade, an essential for
self-evaluation.
The only detrimental effects
of class rank are rooted in the
flaws of the college admissions
process. Nowadays, colleges
receive thousands of applicants
to sort through every single year.
The struggle to find efficient
methods of sorting has only
lead to substandard analysis of
candidates; instead of reviewing
candidates holistically (as they always claim to do),
colleges oftentimes discard students on the basis of
class rank without ever considering the difficulty of
the high school.
According to Mrs. Amanda Hood, the principal
of Mountain Brook High School, exact class rank
gives admissions officers “an easy way to sort and
classify,” a fact that creates a problem for Mountain
Brook students. In fact, the committee was created
because of several students whose class rank nega-
tively impacted their admission processes.
With the new decision, class rank has been re-
placed by a bar chart that displays the GPA distribu-
tion of the entire class. This enables colleges to get a
rough estimate of where each student ranks without
having to report the actual number. Regarding class
rank, lack of specificity makes it more difficult for
colleges to make decisions based on ranking alone
since they cannot automatically deny students
below a certain ranking (as some colleges seem to
actually do). By removing class rank, colleges are
forced to “look further into the classes that you’ve
taken, the rigor of your coursework, the high school
that you come from, all of these other things . . .
to figure out what kind of a student you are,” says
MBHS college counselor, Mrs. Karen Svetlay.
By removing class rank, MBHS students will
encounter less difficulty with colleges who refuse to
review candidates holistically. However competition
will drop off, and students will also have a harder
time evaluating the quality of their grades. Also, by
not phasing class rank out, current students have
essentially lost a product of their hard work.
We should not have to make such a trade off.
Across the United States, high schools are
favoring less accurate, less competitive systems of
ranking, forcing other schools to follow suit. Class
rank will always be the best way to evaluate students
because of its simplicity. Instead of altering the dis-
play of grade distributions to cast everyone in a pos-
itive light, class rank reports your actual location in
the class. There is no possibility of skewing results
as long as colleges properly consider the difficulty
of each school. The problem inherently lies with
admission staffs, not with classranking itself.
With these factors in mind, our school conceded
to a national trend. There could have been more
representation of top students, and it definitely
would have helped if they had phased class rank out
(they did this to benefit current students), but they
made their decision. Class rank will always be the
best way to display a class distribution, but colleges
have rendered this method ineffective. Mountain
Brook High School has essentially fallen victim to
a flawed post-secondary system, and the only way
to make amends is to fix the problem at its root:
college admission staffs must change.
Class rank changes raise important questions
Chart by Jake Sansom
The above chart shows the GPA distribution of the entire class of 2015. Colleges will see this information rather
than class rank .
“Instead of altering the display
of grade distributions to cast
everyone in a positive light,
class rank reports your actual
location in the class.”

8
The Sword & Shield
The Sword & Shield
Features
Clay Higginbotham’s slow road to recovery
By LILY SMITH
Staff Writer
As we approach the first nine weeks mark in the
school year, school is really starting to give everyone a
headache. But after you read this article, you may think
twice about complaining because there are people that
have much worse headaches to deal with. Literally.
On Aug. 22, not even a week into the school year,
junior Clay Higginbotham fell off a skateboard and hit
his head on the pavement, landing him in a medically
induced coma in UAB’s Intensive Care Unit.
“I don’t remember anything from the accident, but I
guess that’s a good thing because the doctors said that if I
did, I would have PTSD,” said Higginbotham.
The doctors had originally predicted that if Clay sur-
vived the accident he would be in the hospital for much
longer than he really was. But he just kept on surprising
them with his incredibly fast progress.
After being in the ICU for five days, Clay was sent
to SPAIN Rehab Center. After 21 days of rehab, he was
released (early, again) and finally went home.
But Clay was only home for five days before he dis-
covered he would have to go back to the hospital for an
emergency surgery to remove scar tissue buildup (from a
breathing tube he had in the ICU) in his esophagus that
was preventing him from being able to breathe. “Not be-
ing able to breathe was the worst part. It was horrible. I
don’t remember this, but my mom said a couple of times
I would be like, ‘Mom, I think I’m dying.’”
Now that he has had the surgery, he can finally come
home and continue the recovery process. The doctors
estimate that he should completely heal in about a year.
Until then, he will suffer from all of the usual post-head
trauma symptoms, like constant headaches, heat flashes,
trouble sleeping and extremely heightened senses and
emotions. But as painful as it may be, he refuses to take
any pain medications other than Advil.
“The pain is not even close to being the worst part.
Just laying around and
doing nothing is the
worst; I need to be able to
actually move around and
do things. It’s driving me
crazy,” he explained.
Prior to the accident,
Clay was a very active
person, so not being able
to do anything has been
really hard for him. He
typically mountain bikes
and does Crossfit regu-
larly, but now since the
accident he can no longer
do these things.
“Eventually I will be
able to pick it back up
again, but I’m essentially
starting from scratch and
having to relearn every-
thing. I was projected to
go to the Crossfit games
this year, but now that
is completely out of the
question,” said Higgin-
botham.
As far as school goes,
he should be back in
school next semester.
“The goal is to be able to
walk at graduation. I re-
ally did not want to have
to repeat this year, so
we’re doing everything
we can to prevent that from happening.” By everything
he means dropping all but the four core classes, and even
those four will be altered to make things easier. He will
also be working with a tutor at home to catch him up.
Unfortunately, this will completely ruin his four-year
plan. Although he will graduate on time, he will recieve
fewer credits than previously planned. Talk about a
headache.
Photo courtesy of Clay Higginbotham
Before his accident, Clay enjoyed lifting weights. He’s looking forward to
returning to the sports he loves.

9Features
The Sword & Shield
Sophie Brint transitions from homeschool to MBHS
By COKE MATTHEWS
Co-Editor-in-Chief
I remember when Sophie transferred into the
junior high in 9th grade. She excelled in Art Forms
and quickly became an active member of our class.
I was surprised to recently hear that she was home-
schooled up until that point. So how did Sophie go
from a class of one to fitting in and standing out at
a large public school? The Sword & Shield sat down
with Sophie to talk aboout her experience.
The Sword & Shield: How’s it going today, Sophie?
Sophie Brint: It’s going great! Coke, how are you
today? Let’s make this nice and chatty.
S&S: Good. How’s senior year going for you?
SB: It’s going really well. How’s yours?
S&S: Sophie, I’m supposed to be the one asking
questions.
SB: I’m sorry, it’s just how I have a conversation.
Okay, yes, Coke, senior year has been great. It’s a
little more work than I expected, but that’s fine.
S&S: I know you’re involved in a lot of things.
What’s your schedule like on a normal day?
SB: Well, first I go to calculus with Mrs. Burns. Wait,
you don’t want that do you? Ok, so I have a bunch
of AP classes that I’m taking, and I have lots of
Key Club and SGA meetings. I do violin outside of
school, am involved in church, and play for our band
Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights with my
youth group. I lead a Bible study, and in the middle
of all that I eat and sleep and take showers. So, it’s all
good.
S&S: How long do you spend on the violin a day?
SB: I usually try and practice for about an hour to
an hour and a half a day. I’ll end up spending several
hours Sunday and Wednesday doing it. So, it adds
up to quite a bit.
S&S: That’s impressive. So something most peo-
ple don’t know about you is that you were home-
schooled for a long time, can you tell me what that
was like?
SB: Well, I started homeschooling when I was in
kindergarten up until 9th grade. My mom actually
taught me through middle school. We had a very
rigorous curriculum, and she was the facilitator for
everything. Once I got to middle school, I started
watching online lectures to get me used to a class-
room environment with teachers and students and
note taking so it was even more rigorous and a good
transition.
S&S: It must have been a hard decision to switch to
public school.
SB: Yes, it was a God thing. We prayed about it and
doors were just opened, and we came in.
S&S: What was it like sitting in your first classroom?
SB: It was exciting. It was a lot like what I expected,
so I felt pretty comfortable, a lot more than I expect-
ed.
S&S: Was it hard adjusting to the workload?
SB: No, actually I was used to working hard. I hon-
estly kept longer hours than public school on most
days. On most days I would start work by 7:30 or 8
and keep working until 5 or 5:30.
S&S: Do you stay in touch with friends from when
you were homeschooled?
SB: I do actually.
S&S: Was it hard to make friends or adjust to
school? I know you didn’t because it’s you ...
SB: No, I loved it.
S&S: What was the hardest part of starting school at
MB?
SB: For me it was the schedule thing, because if
I wanted to do violin in the morning and school
later at night, I could. Whereas, now my schedule
is dictated to me. As long as you’re responsible and
manage your schedule well, it’s not a problem. But,
it was hard to get used to having someone tell me
exactly what to do.
S&S: Are there any benefits to homeschooling?
SB: Yes, flexibility and getting to do other things
you love in addition to school. Another one for
me would have to be the love of learning. The main
thing is being able to control my own schedule. So,
if there was something I understood well I could
breeze right through it, take the test immediately,
and not belabor it. I could spend more time on those
subjects I was interested in. I love, love to learn.
S&S: What colleges are you thinking about? Do you
have a top choice?
SB: Well, yes, I think I have pretty much decided on
Auburn actually. I am very excited.
S&S: Congratulations again on winning Miss Olym-
pian. Any pageants coming up?
SB: Actually, I’m giving away my crown this year, so
I will be back on stage performing again and then
giving away the crown to a very deserving young
lady.
S&S: Do you have specific career plans after college?
SB: Yes, I want to major in Nursing and become
a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. Then, after college
I want to go ahead and get my MBA and then do
nursing administration for a hospital.
S&S: Do you have any future plans for your music?
SB: I want to keep it up, but there are not a lot of
great music opportunities at Auburn. Still, I defi-
nitely want to keep taking lessons and maybe play in
a chamber group or something because I love it so
much and I don’t want to give it up.
S&S: What kind of music do you listen to the most?
SB: Everything. I love to listen to Christian music. I
listen to country, I love some good country and pop.
S&S: You don’t listen to the type of music you play
on the violin?
SB: I do, I listen to a lot of classical stuff too. Truly,
if you looked at my Spotify it is a little bit of every-
thing.
S&S: Out of all your activities, do you have a favor-
ite?
SB: Honestly, I love it all, but probably my church
activity means the most to me because it enriches
my own spiritual life as well as the lives of others
since I teach a Bible study.
S&S: What church do you go to?
SB: I go to Dawson Baptist in Homewood.
S&S: Thanks, Sophie, appreciate your time.
Courtesy of Image Arts
Sophie Brint showcasing her musical talents in
the 2015 Miss Olympian Pageant.

One of the first graduates of Mountain Brook and
now CEO emeritus of Royal Cup Coffee, Hatton Smith,
class of 1969, knew he would return to Mountain
Brook. Back in the day, Smith served as the Student
Council President, played basketball and ran track. Al-
though he doesn’t get on the court very often anymore,
Smith channels his passion for people and high energy
personality into advocating for UAB football. And if
you’ve been listening to the news at all, you know that
he’s been pretty successful.
Smith credits his public speaking skills, as demon-
strated by the recent UAB football press conference, to
his SGA experience. “You can dial things back to the
days I used to address the student body at Mountain
Brook, and that’s when the formative part of speaking
to groups started.”
When opportunities to address a larger problem in
the community arose, Smith always stood ready
with a quick course of action.
“[You] feed the troops first, you make sure you
know all the players, whether they’re the homecom-
ing queen or the football star or the guy that’s not that
popular. I mean that’s what you do,” said Smith. “You
learn those principles when you’re in a position of
leadership, and Mountain Brook, from my standpoint,
was sort of the testing ground and helped me under-
stand the principles of what has hopefully been effec-
tive leadership.”
The prospect of attending a college hundreds of
miles away is always daunting, but Smith, who at-
tended Washington and Lee University, encourages
students to venture beyond the Brook. “Broaden your
horizons. Just go see and do whatever. Be as broad as
you can and take advantage of as much stuff as you
can.”
In the eyes of another distinguished alumni, the
rigorous classes are what prepares Mountain Brook
students for academics of all levels. Sam Todd, class of
2000 and a member of the “Fab Five,” or the group of
five students who attended Princeton his year, credited
his college readiness to the rigorous course load at the
the high school.
“I felt just as prepared for Princeton, if not more so,
than a lot of my classmates who went to Exeter and
Andover and all the other Northeastern prep schools,”
said Todd.
Todd, who spent a semester in Cape Town, Afri-
ca, also encourages students to venture beyond their
community.
“I would absolutely go study abroad some place. At
Cape Town, we went on safaris, bungee jumped off the
world’s highest commercial bungee, met with govern-
ment officials, researched on-site what was going on
there. It was just an awesome experience.”
Todd also stresses to take advantage of all oppor-
tunities in college. “I think it’s easy in high school and
college and grad school to be caught up in thinking ‘I
can’t wait until next year when I’m in college, I can’t
wait until next year when I graduate, I can’t wait until
next year when I’m working.’ You gotta enjoy where
you are.”
The best and brightest of the Brook: where are they now?
mbhs Alumni Feature
Photo courtesy of The Olympian
Hatton Smith, above, managed to score the first
basket for MBHS’s basketball team.
By ANGELA FU and EMMA TAYLOR
Features Editor and Staff Writer
Hidden deep between the far right shelves in the library, simple wood frames contain the portraits and names of Mountain Brook’s “Outstanding Senior Stu-
dents.” Aside from old yearbooks tucked away in musty shelves, these pictures are the only proof of the existence of past senior classes. For each student featured,
over a hundred more are left unrecorded, leaving passersby to wonder why exactly the students pictured were chosen to represent their class.
We decided to delve into the lives of some of these former senior students, not only to discover who they were in high school, but also to determine where they
are now.
Hatton Smith
Class of 1969
Sam Todd
Class of 2000
Photo courtesy of UAB Comprehensive Society
Magazine
Sam Todd, now an attorney at Vulcan Materials
Company, was featured in the UAB Comprehensive
Center Magazine.
Photo courtesy of 78 Magazine
Mr. Smith swapped his athletic shorts for a suit.
Nowadays you’ll find him serving as Vice Presi-
dent of Food Service and Hospitality at Royal Cup
Coffee.
Photo courtesy of The Olympian
Civil service is nothing new to Sam Todd, above, as
he spent senior year serving as president of Natural
Helpers.

Despite the academic preparation Mountain
Brook provides, the social scene in college can be a
bit of a shock. “College is a lot different cause you’re
within thousands of people,” said Kevin Jiang, class
of 2010 and now a second year UAB medical stu-
dent. Yet college also means more free time to make
friends, according to Jiang. His only caveat? “Don’t
try to be someone different. You can force yourself
to be someone different for only a short amount of
time, but it’s eventually going to show.”
Even while juggling college and jobs, everyone
we talked to still found time to take an active role in
civic affairs. For Jiang, that meant biking across the
United States with his fraternity for charity. “We had
three routes, started from different spots, and we all
ended up in DC. We raised about $500,000 for peo-
ple with disabilities. We would stop by a city along
the way and work with a local organization that
served people with disabilities and then did different
events with the kids or the patients there.”
High school can be a bit overwhelming. During
stress times, Jiang advises, “You gotta break things
down, step by step. Everything seems unachievable if
you just look at it as a whole.”
This advice is especially applicable for seniors
panicking over college admissions.
“I applied to a couple of schools, and I thought
if I got in somewhere I liked, I’d make the decision
then. If I don’t get in there, it’s not meant to be. That’s
just the way it is. If you always focus on things you
can’t control, that’s how you get really depressed in
life. So just focus on the things you can control,” said
Jiang.
In high school, Amanda Claire Grayson,
class of 2009, was a championship debater
and Co-Editor-in Chief of The Sword &
Shield. Although she considered pursuing
her passion for journalism in college, she
quickly realized a career in political science
might provide more opportunities for
growth.
“The field of journalism has practical-
ly collapsed, at least on a national level,”
Grayson explained.
She acknowledges that for many of
Mountain Brook’s current students, college
and post-graduation plans remain far away,
making it easy to stress out over upcoming
tests and forget to just enjoy high school.
“It’s very easy to get in that mindset and
to compare yourself to others around you,”
said Grayson, a UNC graduate now at Har-
vard Law School. “Relaxing, doing things
you enjoy rather than freaking out about
being perfect all the time is a good idea.”
“The teachers are pretty understanding,
and generally you just have to prioritize
what’s important to you and just have good
time management skills. I had a calender
that was very well organized. Mountain
Brook encourages people to be involved,
and I wanted to take advantage of that.”
mbhs Alumni Feature
Photo courtesy of Kevin Jiang
Kevin Jiang spent many weekends in high school
at debate tournaments, honing his skills for col-
lege, when he helped UAB’s Ethics Bowl team win
Nationals.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Jiang
Kevin Jiang spends his time in medical school these
days after being accepted into the highly selective
Early Medical School Acceptance Program at UAB
his senior year.
Photo courtesy of Amanda Claire Grayson
Amanda Claire Grayson celebrates the Fourth of July with her
fiancé at the White House.
Kevin Jiang
Class of 2010
. . . and what do they have to tell MBHS students?
Amanda Claire Grayson
Class of 2009
Photo courtesy of Amanda Claire Grayson
Back before her days in law school, Amanda Claire
Grayson put her public speaking skills to practical
use when she made it to the top 10 at the National
Debate Tournament

12
Features The Sword & Shield
By CAROLINE LOWE
Staff Writer
Have you ever wondered what
shops are in downtown Birmingham?
It is easy to stay in Mountain Brook
and not venture downtown, but if you
don’t you’re missing unique places to
shop. Downtown Birmingham has
some of the coolest shops in town,
most located on 2nd or 3rd Avenue
North.
Start your shopping at What’s on
2nd? located at 2306 2nd Avenue
North. What’s on 2nd? is a shop that
has a variety of collectibles. Senior
Julia Bell Pope says, “It has a little bit
of everything, and it’s a fun store to
look at.”
The three floor shop is packed to
the ceiling with interesting items and
is a must for collectors as well as those
who enjoy browsing. For collectors,
What’s on 2nd? has action figurines
from different movies like “Lord of
the Rings,” “Star Wars” and “Power
Rangers.” There are also old comics,
political buttons and other offbeat
memorabilia. Do you like Elvis? Well,
What’s on 2nd? is the place to go.
Even if you just want to browse
around the shop, you are sure to find
something for you. Usually it will take
you at least half an hour or more to
look at everything in the store.
Steve Gilmer, the owner of What’s
on 2nd? said, “The reason why I
decided to open this shop is because I
love Birmingham and wanted the shop
to be like a renaissance shop.” Steve
added, “My favorite two items in the
shop are the postcards and the things
that come through the doors.”
Before heading over to 3rd Avenue
North, take a short break and stop by
Urban Standard to pick up a snack.
Urban Standard is three doors down
from What’s on 2nd? The restaurant
has some tasty salads and sandwiches,
but I recommend the cupcakes. The
selections vary, but the Red Velvet
with cream cheese icing stands out.
Another interesting shop in down-
town Birmingham is Jim Reed Books-
-the Museum of Fond Memories
located on 2021 3rd Avenue North.
Jim Reed has been the owner of the
bookstore for 35 years now. When you
walk into his shop, you immediately
notice mountains of used books piled
on the floor and shelves.
This bookstore is the complete
opposite of sterile chain stores like
Barnes and Noble and should appeal
to true book lovers. If you enjoy the
smell of old books and browsing for
hours among them, this is the place
for you.
“I love the way the books feel and
smell, and there’s no way you can
duplicate the books,” said Reed. His
bookstore also has merchandise “that
goes with the books.” In describing his
love of books Reed added, “It’s not just
the pages in a book and the glue. The
writer first dreams, and it might take
10 to 15 years to write the book. It is
their life.”
Walk two doors down from Jim
Reed Books and find yourself at
Sojourns, located at 2017 3rd Avenue
North. This shop sells fair trade items
from all over the world.
“Fair trade advocates for a fair and
living wage to artists, artisans, and
producers and provides revenue to
promote social and economic develop-
ment,” said owner Melissa Kendrick.
She decided to open a shop
in downtown Birmingham because “I
needed a fair trade store to shop at, so
I decided that Birmingham needs one.”
The owner also said, “There are 57
different countries that we get our
merchandise from. The merchandise
has a little bit of everything of a little
bit of everywhere.”
Sojourns is a great stop for those
who like funky jewelry and unique
items from around the world. The
store also has an eclectic variety of
handcrafted Christmas decorations.
and is an excellent place to shop for
holiday gifts.
Next time you are looking for a
unique shopping experience and have
time to spare, drive downtown on a
Saturday and visit these shops. You
will have to try your parallel parking
skills, but the visit will be worth it.
What’s hot in downtown Birmingham?
Every aisle at Jim Reed Books is overflowing with stacks of used books, many
not normally found at chain bookstores.
Sojourns Fair trade items come from all over the world, including Latin Ameri-
can countries such as Honduras and Guatemala.
Among the items for sale at What’s on 2nd? are presidential campaign buttons
spanning several decades.

13
The Sword & Shield
Features
By THOMAS COONEY
News Editor
Manly Luttrell sits in the freezing cold, at the
crack of dawn, during every deer season. He’s
waiting for another prized buck that he can show
to 64,000 followers. Luttrell manages an Instagram
account called Supreme Whitetails, an account for
those who love hunting and the outdoors.
Luttrell started the account in 2014 and in one
year he gained over 64,000 followers and big name
sponsors such as Yeti Coolers, Big Game Treestands,
and Muddy Outdoors.
While it seems like a fun hobby, the Instagram
business is harder than it seems. Luttrell spends a
lot of time brainstorming about posts and keeping
his followers and sponsors happy. “I try to post
everyday….and I stress when I don’t have pictures to
post.”
While most of students are trying to find the
perfect filter, Luttrell, on the other hand, is worried
about more than good hair. “I spend about 10 hours
a week talking to my sponsors and deciding what to
post and creating new posts.”
For Luttrell, launching his Instagram was part
strategy and part luck. “It was about one year ago
when I made it and had no idea it would turn into
what I have today. Honestly, I was just bored one day
and I decided to make the account and try and post
cool stuff.”
In the past few years Insta-
gram has moved beyond a picture
sharing app to a major marketing
tool. According to an E-Market
study, Instagram will bring in 595
million dollars in ad revenues this
year and Luttrell has found a way
to make a profit from Instagram.
“I once got fifty dollars just
to give someone a shoutout, and
I get free merchandise from my
sponsors all the time,” said Lut-
trell.
Sponsors also pay for product
placement. Like his post with his
Labrador and Yeti coolers. Lut-
trell is on his way to creating the
Supreme Whitetail brand as he
branches to merchandising with
T-shirts touting the Whitetail
logo.
Luttrell hopes his Instagram
celebrity status will catapult him
to the next level. “I hope, one day
I can be on the hunting channel
or something like Duck Dynasty.”
Instagram celebrity: Manly Luttrell attracts 64,000 followers
Photo courtesy of Manly Luttrell’s Instagram
Manly Luttrell turkey hunts in southern Alabama.

The Sword & Shield
14Sports
By JACKSON SHARMAN
Business Manager
This year, the cross country team saw
the return of many top runners from
last year, for both the boys and girls. The
leadership, however, was different; Coach
Michael McGovern (Gov), the longtime
assistant to Coach Greg Echols, took over
as head coach.
Some teams, no matter what sport,
often experience a drop off when a new
head coach takes the helm. While there are
some differences in this team, however, the
mindset is much the same: “The philos-
ophy of Mountain Brook is definitely the
team first. It has not changed in 20 years.
Although most people see cross country
as an individual sport, we see it as a team
sport,” said Coach Gov.
The always high-energy senior David
Kirkpatrick feels the same way when com-
paring his previous cross country years to
this one: “It is different, but the same.”
The abundance of quality runners
returning to the varsity has also provid-
ed some stability and continued success.
Seniors Drew Williams and Francis Patrick
lead the boys and girls squads, respectively,
while many young runners who were in-
troduced to the High School team last year
have a bigger role this season.
Coach Gov. is furthering the philosophy put in
place by Coach Echols; specifically, the team will
continue the grassroots program bringing up emerg-
ing runners from the Junior High to boost the lineup
in races. Over the years, this tactic has come to
fruition, especially in the girls varsity division. The
girls have won 12 championships in a row while the
boys have also been successful, winning five titles in
the past ten years.
As far as the running, some of the training has
changed while much has stayed the same. Senior
Jack Tucker said, “Coach McGovern has mixed up
the training by having us run more long and tempo
runs in addition to our intervals.”
Traditionally, “intervals” were interspersed with
distance runs in order to rest runners’ legs while
still providing a workout. The long runs were put in
place to help ensure that the runners would be pre-
pared and in top shape for any racing condition.
Coach Gov., when asked a prediction for the up-
coming State Championship meet, stayed consistent
with his running, and team, mindset: “I predict that
we will run our best at the State Championship, and
if our best is good enough to win, so be it.”
New leadership for cross country team
Coach Michael McGovern (left) plans to continue the
philosophy of his predecessor, Coach Greg Echols (right).
Coach Michael McGovern takes the reigns of the program

The Sword & Shield
15Sports
By JACK KENNEDY
Staff Writer
Last year the boys basketball team
was one win short of a championship,
but Coach Bucky McMillan knows
what his team needs to do raise the
state championship trophy.
“I think we are talented. All of our
players on this team have character
inside of them. I don’t see any self-
ishness,” McMillan said of this year’s
team.
While he is thrilled about the talent
on the team, he had one word for the
weakness of this team: “Youth.”
The 2015-16 Spartans only return
four players from last year: seniors
Jack Kline, Joe Donald and Drew
Smith, and junior Clay Collins. Coach
McMillan is working with the team to
build chemistry.
The Spartans are anchored by
4-year player Jack Kline. Kline has
played on the team since 9th grade
and was the MVP of the annual AH-
SAA North/South basketball game.
“To have him as a senior for young-
er guys to look up to, and for them to
say that is what a senior is, everyone
will fall in line like Jack.”
McMillan said, “When your hardest
working player is one of your best
players, that’s a good thing. Nobody
plays harder than Jack. No
one is more team oriented
than Jack.”
Kline also commit-
ted to University of Ala-
bama-Huntsville on Aug. 19.
“I love UAH. It’s close to
home and is a top D-2 pro-
gram,” Kline said.
“The schedule this year
will be a challenge. No doubt
about it,” Coach McMillan
said. The season kicks off
against Northridge on Nov.
12 at 7:30 p.m. The team is
participating in two local
invitation tournaments and
a national tournament in
Nashville. Also, the Spartans
are playing St. Pius (Ga.) in a
national showcase in Atlanta.
The Area 6 -7A includes
Vestavia, Spain Park and
Hewitt-Trussville, and Moun-
tain Brook will play each team, both
home and away in early January.
Mountain Brook travels on Jan. 26
to Huntsville to play Madison Acade-
my, which features top 50 recruit Josh
Langford. The Spartans’ final game
of the season is against Hoover, who
Mountain Brook lost to in the state
championship last year.
“Every player on our team is going
to have to give up something to be
highly successful,” said McMillan.
The Lady Spartans basketball team
has also been practicing hard for the
season opener. “Basketball is basket-
ball. Even if it’s girls’ or boys’,” said
Lady Spartans Coach Mark Cornelius.
Coach Cornelius believes the team
can have a very successful season if
they can patch a couple of holes.
“Chemistry will be a big issue. We
have three ninth graders, two tenth
graders, two seniors, and the rest
juniors,” Cornelius said.
“Everyone is going to have to step
up and take on important roles since
the three seniors we lost were import-
ant pieces to the team,” senior Sara
Carr said of this year’s team.
Both seniors, Sara Carr and Kath-
ryn Wason, play volleyball and cross
country, respectively, but Cornelius
says that is not an issue.
“Sara is such a talented athlete that
she picks up on her basketball skills
quick.” Last year Sara was the Alabama
Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year
and led the Mountain Brook Volleyball
team to a 7A championship. She also
committed to Emory University last
fall to play volleyball.
“It was a hard transition in 9th
grade, but ever since, it has been
smooth,” Sara said.
The Lady Spartans will have a very
similar schedule to the boys, but their
schedule features two in-state tourna-
ments. The Spartans will travel to Fort
Payne to play in a state-wide tourna-
ment on Dec. 21. After Christmas, the
Spartans will play in a tournament in
Decatur on Dec. 28.
“It will be a very challenging region
this year. Spain Park will definitely
challenge us,” Cornelius said of the
schedule.
“I’m excited about this year’s team.
We have a great group of girls and it’s
going to be a fun year,” Carr said.
Basketball focuses on team chemistry as season begins
Photo by Jack Kennedy
Junior Chris Hellums attempts to drive on senior Jack Kline as the team prepares for the
Nov. 12 Northridge game.

16
The Sword & Shield
Sports
By JACKSON SHARMAN
Business Manager
From 2001 to 2013, the number of youth lacrosse
players in the United States increased by 500,000.
Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in America,
even though the number of players in the Southeast
is still drastically less than those in Virginia and
Maryland and the Northeast.
In Alabama, specifically, lacrosse has grown
dramatically in the past ten years in urban areas
like suburbs of Birmingham and Huntsville, but
the number of teams in these areas greatly out-
number those in other parts of the state.
There are many areas in Alabama where the
residents have never even heard of lacrosse.
The problem to solve is to figure out how to
introduce lacrosse to these cities and rural towns.
What has worked in the past is to host a clinic for
a day or a weekend, and then start a youth team
to generate some interest. A youth team in Shades
Valley was formed in 2006, and many of those play-
ers are on teams in Mountain Brook, Vestavia and
Hoover.
What has slowed the growth of lacrosse in Ala-
bama is the difficulty in obtaining equipment. Out-
side of going online, the only place to go to purchase
equipment is at a major retailer like Dick’s Sporting
Goods, and the quality of the gear there is usually
low and overpriced.
Another issue is that structure for lacrosse in
Alabama in terms of coaches and field space is not
in ready supply. For example, when kids in Moun-
tain Brook decide to play youth basketball, they are
assured that they will have a place to practice and
hold games, and that they will have an adequate
coach (probably a father) to guide them and teach
them the fundamentals of basketball. However, these
are not guaranteed with young lacrosse players. Very
few parents, when signing up for lacrosse, know
about the sport, and are unable to give guidance on
how to play.
Rathmell Sports Park, in Vestavia, has long been
the site of youth lacrosse practices and games in Bir-
mingham. But far too often teams are forced to with-
hold practice due to the fields being used by various
soccer organizations, which have first priority.
Finding qualified coaches is a significant prob-
lem. How are young lacrosse players supposed to
develop their skills if the coaches are learning the
fundamentals with them? The best thing we can
do for youth players is to give them a good coach
to guide them. Having fathers teach their children
basic skills is the most effective way, and this can
easily be achieved through modern technology.
Lacrosse is still a long way off from becoming a
major sport in Alabama. However, the problems can
be fixed by a continued spread of the sport as the
game grows and more children are exposed to it.
By NATALIE REED
Staff Writer
Nintendo considers bowling a sport, why don’t
you?
When bowling became a sanctioned sport last
year, a lot of people were pretty bitter. The student
body was under the impression that the school itself
had chosen bowling over lacrosse, when in fact this
was not the case.
In reality, the decisions to sanction one sport and
not another are separate discussions. Sports become
sanctioned through the Alabama High School Ath-
letic Association (AHSAA), not the school. Almost
every school in Alabama is a member except for a
few private ones. Each school gets a vote on the dif-
ferent sports up for decision. This past year, bowling
received enough votes and lacrosse didn’t.
Bowling is heading into its second season at
Mountain Brook, and it is making quite a name for
itself. Bowling is seen as a sport in which anyone can
participate. Everyone grew up bowling,
so it’s not hard to score a few points
each game.
Mr. Jeremy Stearns, coach of the
bowling team, says his favorite part of
having a team is that “You can see kids
that wouldn’t normally be involved
in a team sport being able to compete
with their teammates and playing for a
reason greater than themselves.”
Many students who joined last year
did so because of that. They saw it as
something that could make them part
of the school but without as much work
as a varsity sport.
Member of the 2015-2016 team,
sophomore
Annie O’Neill,
says, “Bowling
was something I
felt comfortable
doing, and it
seemed like a
fun idea.”
The bowling team has
practice or a game twice a
week. And they work up
quite a sweat. According to
the Bowling Proprietors’
Association of America,
“Bowling burns through
roughly 240 calories per
hour of activity; it improves
your heart and respiratory
fitness, and tones your arm,
shoulder, chest, and leg
muscles.”
The team usually has 10
girls and 10 boys. Each team
can have five people bowl at
a time, with three subs.
“Bowling is a great life-
time sport; it is something you can do for the rest
of your life. That makes it all the more better,” said
Stearns.
All over the state, around 70 teams have sprung
up. These teams compete in tournaments that do get
competitive, but it is definitely friendly competition.
“Bowling is an awesome way to meet new friends,”
said sophomore team member Warner Neal.
Bowling is an everyman sport, and it’s here to stay
at Mountain Brook.
Lacrosse still struggles to grow in the South
Photo by Natalie Reed
Sophomore Molly O’Neill looks down the bowling lane, contem-
plating her next move.
Bowling: no longer just a date night
“What has slowed the growth of
lacrosse in Alabama is the difficulty
in obtaining equipment.”
Commentary
Commentary

The Sword & Shield
17Sports
Roughed up Spartans look to finish strong at Homecoming
Mountain Brook volleyball soars through season
By WILL DAVIS
Sports Editor
Though The Mountain Brook Spar-
tans will not be in the 7A playoffs,
they are looking to win the season
finale for the seniors, who have led the
team through a tough season, and will
play the final games of their careers on
Friday night.
“I want to see the seniors finish in
a strong way,” Mountain Brook coach
Chris Yeager said. “I’d like to see the
young guys rally around them and
honor them in a way they deserve.”
The season started off well, with
an encouraging 16-14 comeback win
over Huntsville, a team Mountain
Brook lost to a year ago, but a valiant
effort fell short against defending state
champion Hoover, 21-14.
They followed that up with anoth-
er 21-14 loss, this time on the road
against Thompson. As the season pro-
gressed, however, the injuries started
to pile up, with as many as 23 players
inactive for a 51-14 loss at James
Clemons. While the team insists on
not making any excuses, the Spartans
acknowledge the toll the injuries took
on the team this season.
“It’s had a huge effect,” senior defen-
sive lineman Kemper Sanders said.
“The team that we started with
against Huntsville is totally different
than the one we have now,” Yeager
said. “We have some players that
have done an incredible job fighting
through injuries.”
Mountain Brook’s signature mo-
ment in a tough season came on the
road against Tuscaloosa County. With
25 seconds left, and trailing 16-14,
sophomore QB Hamp Sisson led the
Spartans down the field, and junior
kicker Mason Dillard kicked a 28 yard
game winning field goal as the clock
expired to give Mountain Brook a
road win.
Despite a disappointing 2-7 record,
Mountain Brook is proud of the resil-
ience they showed in a season marred
by an uncanny amount of injuries and
late-game disappointments.
“It’s been a rough year,” senior
linebacker Joe Donald said. “A lot of
players have gotten hurt, but it’s still
fun to play with everybody.”
By WILL DAVIS
Sports Editor
For the third straight year, the Mountain Brook
Spartans volleyball team will end their season at the
Birmingham CrossPlex. Unfortunately, whether the
team hoisted the trophy this year was not known at
press time. The Sword & Shield is not able to report
the results of Wednesday’s elite eight matches or
Thursday’s state championship.
“What happened last year was amazing,” senior
Sara Chandler Mitchell said. “But we are a com-
pletely new team this year, with a huge target on our
back. We’re going to get everybody’s best game.”
Two years ago, the Spartans made it to the elite
eight, but fell just short of the state title. Last year,
Mountain Brook was able to finish it off, becoming
the first ever 7A state champions and the first team
in program history to win it all. This season, the
Spartans responded with a 50-5 regular season, a
season which saw them ranked number one in the
state from start to finish, and even in the top 25
nationally for parts of the season.
“We’ve had the best season any of us have ever
been apart of,” senior and reigning 7A player of the
year Sara Carr said. “For a team in Alabama, that’s a
really big deal.”
The national ranking was especially sweet, even if
the focus remains on the
big prize.
“Nothing like that has
ever been accomplished in
school history,” Mitchell
said. “But the funny thing
is that we care so much
more about working hard
in the postseason and
getting that state champi-
onship.
Following the regular
season, Mountain Brook
once again hosted the
area tournament, where
they easily dispatched
Hewitt Trussville and
Vestavia Hills, sweep-
ing both teams in three
straight sets.
The super regionals
in Huntsville were more
challenging. Mountain
Brook was able to sweep
Thompson in the first
game, but was upset
in four sets by the host
Huntsville Panthers in the
second game. The Spartans were able to bounce back
and sweep Hoover to claim the third seed in the elite
eight.
With or without a championship, the end of this
season marks the end of an historic run for a group
of seniors who has shattered just about every school
record for on-court success.
“It’s surreal knowing the things we have accom-
plished,” Mitchell said. “That’s an amazing legacy we
will get to leave.”
Photo by Jackson Sharman
Senior Sara Carr highfives Lacey Jeffcoat after a point
against Vestavia.
Conner Bussman and Will Pardue team up to force a tackle against Hoover in
a Sept. game at Spartan Stadium.

The Sword & Shield
Reviews
By ALEX DEBRUGE
Staff Writer
Many of us have been using the same shampoo
for years. It smells good, makes your hair clean and
easy to comb, and above all, is relatively non-toxic.
Despite all your shampoo may have going for it, I
decided to conduct an independent study of several
shampoo alternatives.
The alternatives explored were all common
household items, but varied greatly in composition,
intended purpose, toxicity, and so on. Despite their
great variation, the test materials all served a bene-
ficial purpose, whether it was for cooking, cleaning,
or lubricating. The tested substances were as follows:
Spongebob Hand Soap, Tide Detergent, Dawn Dish
Soap, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, and finally, DexMerc
Automatic Transmission Fluid.
Softsoap brand Spongebob-themed hand soap:
Safe and gentle enough for everyday use. It foamed
well, being quite a sight to look at, and rinsed out
readily. It also left hair easy to comb. Overall, this
would perhaps be the best choice for a true shampoo
substitute. Total score: 5/5
Liquid Tide Classic detergent:
A poor choice at best. Made hair slick, smells a bit
too much like a washing machine, does not rinse out
easily, and irritates skin. Total score: 2/5
Dawn Dish Soap:
The most realistic alternative. Smells like a kitchen,
forms tons of suds to clean all the crud out of your
hair, and is mild enough for frequent use. Total
score: 4/5
Olive Oil:
A bad choice. Makes hair slick and controlled, but it
smells like, well, olive oil and is difficult to rinse out.
Total score: 2/5
DexMerc Automatic Transmission Fluid:
DO NOT try this. Even though it looks like melted
gumdrops and smells enticing, it has several short-
comings. It makes hair extremely slick, dyes hair red,
and does not rinse out at all. Total score: 3/5
Photo by Alex Debruge
DexMerc Automatic transmission fluid is not a good
choice if you value your hair.
Shampoo alternatives: dishwashing soap to detergent

The Sword & Shield
19Reviews
Five-minute pizza pies in Birmingham: Pieology vs. Pizza 120
By ANN MCQUEEN WHATLEY
Staff Writer
If you are desperately craving pizza but do not have the patience
to wait the usual 30 to 45 minutes for most takeout pizza restaurants,
you are in luck. There are two options for you to get a quick pizza
meal.
Here in Birmingham there are two restaurants that specialize in
the five-minute pizza for all of you impatient pizza fanatics. Locat-
ed right next to Zoe’s, Pieology is one of the newest additions to the
Summit. Pizza 120 also came to Mountain Brook Village about a
year ago. The Sword & Shield visited both places to seek out the best
five-minute pizza.
When entering each restaurant, I immediately noticed that the
atmosphere of Pieology and Pizza 120 are substantially similar. As
soon as I walked into each pizzeria, I felt an organic and cheery vibe
reflected by the employees and inviting space of the buildings. The
atmosphere in both is great for any casual dining experience.
The service at the two restaurants is excellent. Employees of Pieol-
ogy and Pizza 120 are eager to please. They will also help any indeci-
sive customers determine just the right taste and pizza for them. It is
not difficult to sense the friendliness of the employees through how
they do their job and interact with the customers.
Except for their speciality pizzas, the menus at Pieology and Pizza
120 are also similar. They both offer a ten-inch pizza, $7.99 for Piz-
za 120’s and $7.95 for Pieology’s, with any toppings of your choice.
When it comes to dough, however, Pieology offers white and whole
wheat, while Pizza 120 does not offer wheat but does have a glu-
ten-free dough. For all of you cheese lovers, Pieology has a larger se-
lection of cheeses. However, each place has a similar variety of vege-
table and meat topping choices that will not disappoint.
Looking at the atmosphere, service, and ingredients of Pieology
and Pizza 120, it would seem that they might as well be the exact
same restaurant with two different names and locations, but what
truly sets the two restaurants apart is the taste of the actual pizza. Pie-
ology’s tomato sauce is the ideal consistency and sweetness, while the
sauce Pizza 120 uses is much less appetizing with chunks of tomato
among a liquid consistency making it nearly tasteless.
The overall taste of Pizza 120’s pizza is also very cheesy compared
to Pieology, which has a quality balance between sauce, cheese, top-
pings, and a unique spicy/sweet seasoning. The pepperoni at Pieology
is much more flavorful than Pizza 120’s. Their crust is also a little bit
thicker and less cooked because they use an electric oven to bake
their pizzas whereas Pieology uses an oven with an open flame to
make a crisper and better cooked pizza.
With all of these things in mind, my final verdict for the best
five-minute pizza is definitely Pieology.
Overall, many things about Pieology and Pizza 120 are similar, but
once I ate each, the vast differences between the two are extremely
clear. The place to go for the best five-minute pizza is by far Pieology
with its exceptional taste compared to Pizza 120.
Photo by Ann McQueen Whatley
Junior Murray Brown samples a cheese pizza at Pizza 120.
With 5 pizzas being the best score,
Pieology beats out Pizza 120.
Pieology
Pizza 120

Best
All Around:
Charlotte McRae
Duncan Manley
Most Likely
to Succeed:
Helen Catherine Darby
Leo Styslinger
Most Intellectual:
Angela Fu
Jake Sansom
Most Active in the
Community:
Carlton Cooper
John Gross
Best Personality:
Kennedy Schwefler
Conner Lantz
Most School Spirit:
Kaylyn Greene
Patrick Trammell
Most Athletic:
Sara Carr
Jack Kline
Most Talented
in Writing:
Adelaide Kimberly
Coke Matthews
Most Talented
in Music:
Sophie Brint
Hugh Rowe Thomas
Most Talented
in Drama:
Elizabeth Turner
William Scott
Most Talented in Art:
Gabrielle Berman
Baker Smith
Best
Looking:
Maggie Beasley
Joe Donald
Cutest:
Meme Marshall
Graham LeJeune
Best Dressed:
Lucy Long
John William Price
Friendliest:
Adele Bird
Alex Debruge
Wittiest:
Eleanor Baddley
Edmund Perry
Senior
Superlatives
where she plays rec league basketball.
She also is a Birmingham Belle.
Annie’s passions include cheering
for her brother Tom, a member of
the University of Alabama golf team,
and supporting her cousin, senior Joe
Donald, at Spartan football games.
While close to her many friends at
MBHS, Annie also values the relation-
ships she has made at Camp Skyline.
Annie has attended the camp since 3rd
grade, and her mom refers to it as “her
happy place.” She adds that Annie’s
“very favorite thing to do is to be a
Camp Skyline Counselor.”
“In addition to meeting and lov-
ing the young campers, Annie gets to
spend the summers with her forever
friends who were once campers with
her and are now counselors, too,” says
Mrs. Lovelady.
Annie has a wide variety of inter-
ests. When asked who Annie would
like to meet, her mother says, “Beyon-
cé to learn her dance moves and Taylor
Swift for her music and sense of style.”
Upon graduation, Annie plans to
attend the University of Alabama and
major in Business. She will be room-
ing with a longtime Camp Skyline
friend from Montgomery.
As is custom, this afternoon, Annie
will bring up the end of the tradi-
tional 2:30 p.m. homecoming parade.
During the halftime festivities tonight,
Mr. Joe Donald will escort Annie. Last
year’s Homecoming Queen, Maggie
Neal, will then crown Annie Moun-
tain Brook High School’s 2015-2016
Homecoming Queen.
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.
Photo courtesy of Mrs. Kitty Lovelady
Annie Lovelady has brightened the world with her smile ever
since she was a little girl.
20Homecoming
The Sword & Shield
Queen, continued
Sophomores:
Mary Allison Anderson
Sid Ortis
Class Favorites
Juniors:
Katherine Brian
Carter Kampakis

2015-16 Volume 1: October / Homecoming

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2015-16 Volume 1: October / Homecoming