March Issue THIS ONE!!!.indd
Transcription
March Issue THIS ONE!!!.indd
May 3, 2005 The News Gilman School www.GilmanNews.com A Few Words From a Foreign Friend - 2005 Hardie Exchange Scholar Offers His Thoughts BY Volume CIV, No. 8 Member of Little Rock Nine Brings Slice of History to Gilman BY MATT YOUN K ENNETH COLLINGS Kenny Collings, who hails from England, spent several days at Gilman and at the home of Gilman student Charles Gamper this spring as part of the Hardie Exchange Program. The following is a selection of his poetry, written as a farewell: These are the thoughts that daily I ponder, What feat must I complete to travel yonder? Through achievements I arise and stand tall, Saying; “Pursue ambition!” to you all. The first thing that I noticed on walking out of the airport (apart from twenty Miss USA candidates!) was how ridiculously large the cars are; pretty cool. Being able to drive those huge cars at 16, to school, is sweet, especially taken in light of England’s driving age restriction of 17. After I had recovered from jet lag, the reality of the exchange opportunity that I had seized grasped me. All I was required to do was write an essay and attend an interview. So far I have been to three school baseball matches and one Orioles match in which the weather was pretty dismal and the Orioles had seen better days, yet the whole experience was worthwhile. Either way baseball is far shorter and much more entertaining to watch than cricket. I hear people saying that baseball is too slow, try watching cricket! Slowest game on earth, apart from a snail marathon race! There is a huge difference between the nature of the dances here and home. I had “misconstrued” much of what I had heard from many of the pupils. Freak dancing is wild! Dancing in England is rather more formal and “civilised.” I’ve enjoyed sitting in on some of the classes, at first the idea of hour long classes in comparison to St.Edwards’ forty minute lessons came across as very bad continued on page 4 Minnijean Brown-Trickey with her grandson, fifth grader Thelonious Trickey (Photo by Matt Bressler) Kenny Collings visited Gilman as the Hardie Exchange participant from the St. Edward’s school in England (photo by Christian Flow) Minnijean Trickey was her name when she was young. As she grew up and got married, she became Minnijean Brown-Trickey. This name change is analogous with the change that she went through because of her difficult experiences. Part of the Little Rock Nine who integrated Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957, BrownTrickey faced a great amount of hatred everyday, eventually getting suspended after retaliating to the constant bullying of white students. The Gilman community learned of these changes during the school week of March 7-March 11, as Ms. Brown-Trickey spoke many times in the Middle School, Lower School, and Upper School. Ms. Brown-Trickey spent the majority of her time with the Middle School, as she was led around by faculty member Johnnie Foreman. After Dr. Ned Harris had Ms. Brown-Trickey come to his history class a year ago, Mr. Foreman Inside This Issue... Features: Preview of Spring Musical (p5); Parents Organize Successful Cultural Arts Festival (p6); Interview with Cooper Fellow; Gilman Internet Users Be Careful!; Gilman Archives Worth a Visit(p4) Sports: How Will Lax Fare with New Coach?; Track Update; The Professional Cyclist Among Us; Alpine Tower Revived (p7-8) Opinion: Why are Women Not Achieving High Positions in Math and Science?(p3); Reaction to New Cell Phone Policy; Cultural Arts Festival; and Snack Machine Confiscation(p2); explained his opportunity to talk to her after meeting Ruby Bridges, an integration participant in New Orleans, who came to Gilman last year. In the classrooms, Ms. Brown-Trickey told her story, explaining to the students her troubling experiences and frustrations in Central High. Many of these meetings were in history classes, where students learned history firsthand from a true primary source. In Wes Schirra’s history classroom in the Middle School, Ms. BrownTrickey came in for a class period. After the classmates and teachers learned of the adversity that she had gone through, they responded with many questions about the experiences. Students asked her to clarify stories that they had encountered in their reading, such as the racist acts that she had been exposed to at the hands of Central High students. Also, Mr. Schirra read to Ms. Brown-Trickey several stories that kids had written, from the viewpoint of a Little Rock Nine student. Ms. BrownTrickey commented on the exercise, “One of the teachers had the boys write, put themselves in our places or a soldier’s place, and when one was read to me, I just started crying. This child had it, actually got it, talking about feeling frightened, angry, and disappointed on the first day. Frightened, furious, but really disappointed, because it just didn’t seem fair that we were being shut out of the school.” Ms. Brown-Trickey also has a grand continued on Page 5 Page 2 The Gilman News • May 3, 2005 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR... Cultural Event Paints the Wrong Picture BY Z AHIR R AHMAN On Sunday, March 6th, 2005, the old gym was transformed into a collage of races and ethnicities. Entitled “The Cultural Arts Festival”, the Parents Committee on Diversity of the Parents Association attempted to display the vast heritage of Gilman students. With fifteen tables, ranging from Cuba to Nigeria, many parents and kids were impressed with the school’s avid diversity program and its ability to admit students with such different backgrounds. Although this parade of nationalities satisfied some, there is no doubt that the Parents Committee on Diversity has a somewhat skewed view of diversity at Gilman. Where they perceived diversity I saw uniformity. With the exception of some exhibits, the majority of cultures represented focused on the fact that their country dresses differently and eats unusual food. Is that all diversity at Gilman has to offer? Absolutely not. Quite simply, I can understand why the Parents Association felt that the Cultural Arts Festival fully illustrates diversity at Gilman. When they look at a yearbook, they often see students of diverging race or ethnicity as different. As a student, however, this simply is not the case. The Parents Association is at a disadvantage; instead of presenting student diversity, they presented parental diversity. For the most part, the Cultural Arts Festival celebrated not the uniqueness of students; but instead, immigrant parents and their respective countries. In general, Gilman’s students Gilman of color were raised in America. As a result, they are in fact American first. It is not parents’ origin that makes students diverse, but diversity is how we act, think, and live. Sure, our parents to some extent help us form these habits, yet, we usually adapt western morality and behavior. The thing that sets us apart is our life experiences. Diversity is not a class of fifteen including two Asians and one African American. Diversity is a class of fifteen including one person who got to school on the MTA, one who is the oldest of ten children, and one who refrains from weekend activities to care for his ailing grandmother. It is within educational discussion and mindless banter in which Gilman’s true diversity shines. Let us not, for a moment, think that our unique ancestry makes Gilman diverse; numerous institutions can claim the same thing. What sets us apart is the natural culmination of clashing views and opinions, but unfortunately, this cannot be displayed. We cannot set up tables with a banner reading, “Difficult Childhood” or “Drives over an Hour to get to School.” On the other hand, I do think the Cultural Arts Festival should become an annual event, one in which we learn about different cultures, not one in which we parade Gilman’s “diversity”. As a community, we should not be content with this function. We must recognize it for what it is, and at the same time remember what truly makes each and every student unique. No More Chips BY JOHN A LLENBACH “No more chips? ” a bew ildered underclassman yelled as he recoiled in shock away from the vending machine. No. No more chips. All of the food that has been considered “junk food” is either already taken away, or will be removed by next year. Soon all that will be available in vending machines will be those disgusting vegetable chips, trail mixes, and juice. Yet the disappearance of all things greasy is not the biggest problem that is revealed, both in society and in the Gilman community, by this change. The fact that we cannot control ourselves enough that such drastic measures must be taken and the manner in which this mandate came about are both disturbing. As obesity becmes and epidemic, this change seems almost futile. As has been well documented, it is clear that no matter what anyone does, those who are going to overeat will do so. The removal of one source of calories will be replaced by yet another. Students will simply have to go farther for their junk food. In addition, what lessons in restraint are being taught if there is no unhealthy option? What happens when someone leaves the walls of Gilman and is suddenly faced with a myriad of choices, and does not know what to do? Not only is the administration unfairly punishing those who are able to control themselves and enjoy a treat every now and then, it is also is sheltering those who cannot from the dangers of overindulgence, which could potentially be more detrimental than beneficial. Finally, it has become widespread knowledge that calls from parents influenced the administration to make this decision. This is yet another example of parental involvement in school matters, a system that needs to be considered. In this case, like many others, the request made by parents was considered without input from students. One voice makes the decision which affects many. This has occurred multiple times, and the student outcry which arises afterwards is too late. While parents feel that, as the payers of tuition, they have the right to have a say, they must understand that we, too, should be allowed to voice our opinion. Students Voice Feelings Toward Gilman’s New Cell Phone Policy School (410)323-3800 ext. 265 www.GilmanNews.com The Gilman News welcomes letters to the editor, columns, and artwork from Gilman students, teachers, faculty, alumni, and from the community-at-large. The News reserves the right to edit all articles for length and grammar. Send correspondence to thegilmannews@hotmail.com, or to: The Gilman News Gilman School 5407 Roland Avenue Baltimore, Maryland 21210 Editor-in-Chief..........................................................................Christian Flow Managing Editor..............................................................................David Fine Community Editor...................................................................Zahir Rahman World News Editor.............................................................Brandon Hammer Layout Editor.................................................................................Tommy Park Sports Editor....................................................................................Sam Novey Features Editor...........................................................................James Griffin Arts Editors...............................................................................Georgios Gittis Business Editor...........................................................................Robert Wiese Circulation Editor.......................................................................Keun Hee Oh Faculty Advisors..............................................Will Perkins, Cesare Ciccanti, Michael Kelly Contributors: Kenneth Collings, Matt Youn, Peter Brockmeyer, Loretta Tassoni, Matt Millman, Chris Rockwell, Howie Fisher, Will Frew, Zach GornJamie Singclair Forty cellphones comprise a rather astounding lineup on the top of a library file cabinet. The phones depicted above were confiscated during the Spanish Exams in late January (Photo by Will Perkins) To the editor: The new cell phone policy at Gilman is no more than a bluff. While I must admit that there is a need to address the issue because cell phones have caused disturbances once or twice this year in my classes, this new draconian approach of mandating a detention for the mere sight of a cell phone is completely ludicrous. While at first teachers may try to enforce this policy to try to intimidate students, cell phones will soon join untucked shirts and hooded sweatshirts on the list of rules that students don’t abide, since few teachers don’t bother to enforce them stringently. Although the Gilman Student Handbook gives teachers the permission to send students in violation of these dress code rules to the dean’s office to receive some sort of punishment, very rarely have I ever seen such measures taken. The most a teacher usually ever does is give the student a friendly reminder of “please take off that hoodie” or “tuck in your shirttail, young man.” That being said, this encouragement for teachers to enforce dress code policies has made this attempt of the administration make following the rules somewhat successful. The nagging efforts of Mrs. Auerswald have been effective in decreasing the number of hooded sweatshirts worn in the library, and you’ll hardly ever see an un-tucked shirt in Mr. Shields’ Physics class. This kind of reasonable reaction is exactly the way I see teachers responding to the new cell phone policy. While a cell phone going off in class and disrupting a lesson may merit a detention, no sensible teacher would truly enrage and punish at the mere sight of a cell phone. The administration’s new severe cell phone policy is merely a pseudo-threat designed to decrease the number of cell phone related problems at Gilman. It is threatening rhetoric which is all bark and no bite, and I for one am not intimidated. -Will Shikani ‘06 Page 3 The Gilman News • May 3, 2005 Opinion: What to Blame for Lack of Women in the Fields of Math and Science? BY BRANDON HAMMER This past January, Lawrence Summers, president of Harvard University, intended to light a spark of debate and discussion. What emerged, however, was a conf lagration of yelling that embroiled professors, scientists, and media pundits. Summers did what some see as crossing the “politically correct line.” Addressing the National Bureau of Economic Research on January 14, he gave what he called, “three broad hypotheses” for the scarcity of “women’s representation in tenured positions in science and engineering at top universities and research institutions.” He named these hypotheses and listed them in what he considered order of importance: 1) “the high-powered job hypothesis,” 2) “different availability of aptitude at the high end,” and 3) “different socialization of patterns of discrimination.” Summer’s third hypothesis led to no controversy. Claiming that in our society, “little girls are all socialized towards nursing and little boys are socialized towards building bridges,” Summers made the argument that dis- crimination is to blame for the scarcity of women in tenured position in math and science. If Summers had only presented this point, no debate would have emerged. The first hypothesis, surprisingly, also led to little controversy. This hypothesis blamed not only society, but also, somewhat, the women in it. Summers stated that, now, after female integration into many strong universities and institutions, “young women in their mid-twenties make a decision that they don’t want to have a job that they think about eighty hours a week.” He cited a 1994 graduate of Harvard Business School who reported, “that of her first year section, there were 22 women of whom three are working full time at this point.” Therefore, he claimed that women in our society, unlike their male counterparts, are not choosing to bear the eighty-hour workweek that is expected of professors in higher levels of math and science. Summers middle, and most controversial, hypothesis was spoken with carefully selected words and phrases but still caused a flood of anger and Summers Is Right: Lack of Aptitude, Not Discrimination, Is To Blame BY PETER BROCKMEYER debate. He said, “ It does appear that on many, many different human attributes-height, weight, propensity for criminality, overall IQ, mathematical ability, scientific ability- it is very clear that whatever the difference in means… there is a difference in the standard deviation and variability of a male and a female population.” Broken down, out of its shell of caution, this statement says that no matter the average abilities of men and women, members of the latter gender naturally tend to be weaker in the highest levels of math and science. Hence, the firestorm began. Professors argued, pundits yelled, and scientists analyzed. The presidents of Stanford, Princeton, and MIT criticized Summers while Yale students protested their president’s silence. Although Harvard’s faculty of Arts and Sciences gave Summers a vote of no confidence, the Harvard Corporation, the university’s centuries old governing body, did not fire him. Currently if one were to Google “Women in Math and Science,” 4.7 million entries would appear. Was Summers wrong or did Har- vard’s “very liberal,” as one alumnus described them, community overreact? Are we at Gilman better at math and science or, as many students often joke, driving? Are the girls at Bryn Mawr and RPCS better than us in the humanities? Or are discrimination and our societal structure forcing men to take some jobs and women to take others? To answer these questions, we posed the following query to Loretta Tassoni, the sole woman in Gilman’s science department, and to Peter Brockmeyer,’05: There is no doubt that women in our society are not achieving the same positions as men in the math and sciences. Lawrence Summers, president of Harvard University, claimed in January that this discrepancy exists because (1) women in our society are not as able to commit to “high-powered,” or longer hour jobs; (2) women have an innate weakness in higher level math and sciences; (3) and our society raises boys to build and girls to nurture. Are any or all of these hypotheses correct? Discrimination Pushes Women Away from High Positions in Math and Science. BY LORETTA TASSONI In all honesty, I agree with President Summers. While there are topics and specifics where we may disagree, social prejudices can only be blamed for so many problems before this excuse expires. We, as a nation, have moved forward in our attempts to end social injustices. I am not so naïve as to believe that we have or ever will rid ourselves of these prejudices, but that cannot be the only reason for anything “bad” in the world. Although Ms. Tassoni has been around longer than I and has witnessed such social discriminations first-hand, what must be kept in mind was that, as far as I know, these experiences were many years ago. It is accepted fact that there are obvious biological differences between men and women superseding the purely physical. While I do not claim to be more than a novice in biology, I have come to the understanding from what I have learned that men’s and women’s brains do not function alike. Whether it is simply which side of the brain one gender uses rather than the other, men and women have biological differences which extend to the brain. I do not know whether the biological makeup of our minds has anything to do with the apparent differences between math and science success among the genders. Mr. Summers made the point, which is true, that the trends in test scores show that men score high or low but rarely in between; however, women score predominantly in the middle but do show a great range in scores. While of course there are exceptions to this generalization, the numbers do have to be considered. We cannot simply dismiss the accumulated data without second thought. As I have said, I am by no means very knowledgeable about biology; I merely believe that the social prejudice excuse can only go so far in explaining the problem. Clearly, there is something which transcends social philosophies to explain this phenomenon. Whether it is biological or not, I will not even pretend to know. All I know is that labeling this as the result social prejudices is ignorant, counterproductive, and naïve. While I do not consider myself a feminist, I am in total disagreement with Lawrence Summers. After reading his comments on the difference between men and women in the field of math and science, I am brought back to my attempt to earn an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering. I was told several times, by my male professor, that I would not survive the rigors of the program. After successfully completing that program for two semesters, I decided to drop out. It was not the difficulty of the coursework that pushed me to another field, but the lack “I don’t really think anyone can say that yet. Physical and mental strength are really different” “I don’t really care.... Just because he goes to Harvard doesn’t mean hes better than everyone He doesn’t have any proof to back that up” -Katherine Hughes BMS ‘07 -Alden Baker BMS ‘06 I disagree Just look at it: over the past 20 yrs the increasing number of women in math and science (doctors) the progress that weve made in the past 20 yrs in math and science. The progress is really impressive of support from the all male faculty. I concentrated in an applied math program, which I completed with honors. Another example of discrimination occurred after college. When I applied for a job in the chemical industry, I was refused the job because I was 25, newly married, and driving a station wagon. According to my potential employer, I was in a prime position to get married. He told me that, if I reported his discrimination, he would deny it. It is easier for women to achieve higher position, but sexism, not lack of aptitude holds women back. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEPARATE BIOLOGY TO DENY DIFFERENCES IS PROBLEMATIC. I DO NOT THINK THERE FROM CULTURE. IS A CEILING ABOVE WHICH WOMEN CAN GO. I THINK THERE ARE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE AN EQUAL CAPACITY TO EXCEL. -MS. A MANDA MANN (HEAD OF BMS ENGLISH DEPARTMENT) -Lorraine DeGraffenreidt BMS ‘06 I’m not really good at match; so I’m inclined to agree. But I go to Bryn Mawr, so I’m kind of inclined - really obligated - to disagree -Elise Desiderio ‘05 Page 4 The Gilman News • May 3, 2005 Collings Enjoys, Comments on Taste of American Culture continued from page 1 Kenny’s Comparison Reasons to stay in US/Reasons not to go to England BY Reasons to go back to England/Reasons to leave US Drinking age of 18 Drinking age of 21 Q & A With Mr. Owen Daly BY MATT MILLEM ANN News: Although you graduated from McDonogh, you decided to come to Gilman to teach and coach, why is this? OD: Since I lived in Homeland while I was at McDonogh, I had many friends and family members that went to Gilman, and I really wanted to know what the Gilman experience was all about. News: What are the major differences between McDonogh and Gilman? OD: Other than the blatant (obvious) difference of McDonogh being co-ed, “I don’t think there really are major differences between the schools. In fact, both have very similar philosophies as well as students. So to say there are major differences would be inaccurate. I think the similarities between the two institutions help make the rivalry stronger. News: What have you enjoyed most about teaching and coaching at Gilman? OD: I have really enjoyed getting to know the kids here, not only putting names with faces, but forming relationships with kids in and out of the classroom as well as on the athletic field. News: How is it being a Cooper Fellow? OD: Being a Cooper Fellow is really a great experience, and I am very glad that Gilman has given me the chance of taking advantage of it. It is extremely helpful to be able to observe older and more experienced teachers, and I have teachers cars different colours. I had never been so warmly greeted by so many people anywhere in my life. It was quite a struggle remembering everyone’s name and even harder to link all the names to the faces. Now I’m nearing the end of the second week and the names are beginning to sink in, but alas, only one week and I’m left contemplating returning to England. Before I leave I would like to share some wisdom from my heroes; “Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master.” -Leonardo Da Vinci “Lord, let me always desire more then I think I can do.” -Michelangelo -Kenny Technology: Internet Users Beware Shorter school days No Saturday school Driving age of 16 Better sports Everything costs less It rains a lot. Cricket season starts. Owen Daly, a McDonogh graduate, is spending the 2004-2005 schoolyear as the Cooper Fellow, availing himself of an opportunity extended by Gilman to young teachers. news, however doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun!? I prefer Gilman’s more casual approach to teaching, which makes periods somehow more compelling. There is significantly more of a charismatic school spirit at Gilman than there is at St.Edwards and even if the classes themselves aren’t particularly interesting, the class conversations and arguments are very entertaining! April Fools’ was pretty amusing; at St.Edwards we don’t do many pranks on April 1st, instead the pranks happen more frequently, usually in the last week of every term. One of the favourite pranks was walking some cows to the top floor on one of the buildings, the humour being that cows have no problem walking up stairs but have great physical and mental problems walking down stairs. Another one was painting learned a great deal about how to be a teacher. News: What started your love for sports? And what made you decide to coach? OD: I grew up playing football, basketball, and lacrosse, and I’ve always really enjoyed playing sports, so when the time came after college where I couldn’t play anymore, the natural transition was to coach. News: What is the most rewarding aspect of coaching for you? OD: For me, the most rewarding part of coaching is watching the kids take a pointer, fundamental idea or a concept, and then apply it in the game. News: For you, what is the most difficult part of coaching? OD:The hardest part of coaching is having to break things down so that my players understand what I’m trying to communicate, and as a coach I had to learn how to get things across to the players, so that they can then go and do it. News: What are the toughest things about being a coach on game day? OD: Well, as a coach, the game is much more nerve-racking because instead of having control over what I’m doing (as a player), I’m relying on my players to execute. I have confidence in my players, but if something is going wrong and I can see it, it’s hard to express it to the players. This is what really makes coaching exciting because you get to see if you’ve done a good job at giving the kids all of the necessary tools, but it’s in the player’s hands to use them. TOMMY PARK Gilman students and faculties simply cannot navigate the Internet with as if they were strolling around downtown Baltimore. Yet people rarely watch out for fraudulent activities, spy wares, and identity thefts. When asked if he goes on the internet alerted about the malevolent activities that might surface around him, Richard Sunderland ‘07, who browses the internet quite frequently, replied, “No. I don’t worry about spyware and viruses.” People, in general, tend to feel secure browsing their select list of bookmarked sites. People, however, should be attentive, for the internet can be a forum for criminal activity for anyone with access to a public library. Even if one is browsing a seemingly innocent site, one still has to watch out since anyone can learn and set up a basic website withing days that looks professional. Though there has been much commotion of late in the Gilman community concerning measures to be taken against theft, students and faculty rarely worry about logging into the school’s email system without 128-bit RSA encryption; a negligent practice that allows crackers, hackers and password thieves to eadily steal usernames and passwords. Is there a way to turn on the encryption? No. Perhaps, then, it is the technology services in charge of our emailing system that needs to make us more aware. When asked what one would do if their password was cracked, Sunderland again appeared ill-informed, stating, “I would change all my passwords.” He appears fairly typical, in that he implies that he uses only one password for all his accounts; not taking a basic and necessary security precaution. In general, people will simply change their password thinking it will solve the problem. However, one would not do that if his home were burglarized. Rather, high-tech security systems, and possibly security guards would be summoned to protect the home from thieves. Similar measures should be taken to secure student and faculty internet use. Gilman Archives Worth a Visit BY CHRIS ROCKWELL Nestled in the dank, impersonal, even prison-like basement of the Modern Language building rests the Gilman Archives. Despite the cheery sign, “Come on in and visit us today!”, few students are aware of its existence. Inside the small room sits Mrs. Nancy Gilpin, Coordinator of the Archives, who vows to, “appraise, collect, organize, describe, make available, and preserve material of significant value to the school.” Originally, according to Mrs. Gilpin, “the purpose of the archives was to serve development.” Hundreds of boxes containing pictures of each class were kept for fall reunions. In addition, the archives created display cases in the common room with mementos of Gilman lore. Due to donations, most notably from Walter Lord, the archives have expanded to include copies of the Gilman News from 1917, Blue and Gray from 1901, and Cynosure (1918). Furthermore, the Archives contain transcripts of board meetings dating back to 1897, students’ grades from the 1930’s, and even a few of Anne Carey’s personal letters. The real value of this collection is that it “provide[s] insight into the life of the school”, according to Mrs. Gilpin. Students can retrieve photos and articles about their relatives and gain perspective on his family and the past. As a research tool, it provides access to a number of primary sources relating to Gilman School and private schools in general. Or a curious visitor can get a sense of the evolution of the school. The Archives have plans to create an online catalog in which one could tour the collection from the comfort of home. Lack of funding, however, keeps the idea grounded for now. Another obstacle facing the Archives is preservation. “Old papers deteriorate” chuckles Mrs. Gilpin. She, along with a Smithsonian preservationist, is in the process of appraising and prioritizing the archives in order to save the collection for posterity. All of this work goes into “giving the student a sense of place and helps create identity”, says Mrs. Gilpin. She says that she “would like the students to be more involved” and welcomes anyone who wishes to visit her. Students can e-mail her and set up a mutually convenient time at ngilpin@gilman.edu. Page 5 The Gilman News • May 3, 2005 Summer Lovin’! Preview of Spring Musical, Grease BY HOWIE FISHER Vaseline pompadours, ducktails, sideburns, and poodle skirts will be making a comeback this spring when Gilman, Roland Park, and Bryn Mawr students perform Grease, the 50’s musical extravaganza taking place in our own Gilman auditorium on May 6th and 7th at 8:00 PM and May 8th at 2:00 PM. When I think of Grease, what comes to mind is the movie version beloved by teenaged girls everywhere. I have heard many a story about how boys have been subjected to watching it over and over with their little sisters. An interview with Mr. Himelfarb, however, provided me with some insight into the method behind the musical madness. He chose Grease, he says, because it is fun for students throughout the rehearsal process. He stresses that as director, it is important to him that student actors have a good time. “Otherwise, all the work that goes into putting on a show isn’t worth it.” Also, Grease is a musical that has a lot for the ensemble to do, which is also important. Although some parts are certainly bigger than others, the entire cast is on stage most of the time. About this year’s unique cast, Mr. Himelfarb considers ever y single member to be hilarious, which not only helps the show, but also makes the work easier. There are many more RPCS students than usual – a pleasant presence to have - and more sophomore leads than in past years, which is a credit to their talent. When asked what makes our musical production different from the movie adaptation, Mr. Himelfarb had much to say. “First of all,” he explained, “in our version highschoolers will be played by highschooolers rather than by adults.” Also, for obvious reasons, there will be no onstage car-chase showdown between the two rival gangs. In fact, the enemies of Danny Zuko (played by Hal Turner) never actually make an appearance, they are only mentioned. Most importantly, every member of Zuko’s gang has a distinct role to play, giving them all a bigger job. Finally, when asked to sum up the production of Grease in a few words, Mr. Himelfarb responded with this: “Rock n’ Roll, Summer Nights, mooning…everything that people love about the movie and more.” It looks as though the Gilman production of Grease is going to be more than just a trip down memory lane, so come and see it. Everyone and his little sister will be there. From Left: Taz George ‘08, Marc Chagnon ‘08, Jamie Apgar ‘05 hazard a dance step (Photo by Matt Bressler) From Left: Austin Minkowski ‘05, Demitra Sourlis ‘06, Lucas Myerson ‘06, Matt Youn ‘05, Erin Durbin ‘05, Christina Bittar ‘05, Collin Rice ‘06 take some choreography instruction (Photo by Matt Bressler) Minnijean Brown-Trickey visits Gilman Continued from page 1 son in the Gilman Lower School. Mr. Foreman explained how this Gilman connection helped him to contact her, as he also talked to her daughter, Morning Star Trickey. The member of E MUST the Little Rock Nine spoke sev- CHANGES WE eral times at the Lower School, giving the students firsthand experience of the racial segregation faced by their grandparents. In addition, Ms. Brown-Trickey spoke to a few classes in the Upper School and had an extended assembly with the entire student body. Ms. BrownTrickey showed film footage from the movie Eyes on the Prize, with footage shot during the actual first days of the Central High Integration in 1957 and answered questions from students. “W Minnijean Trickey adresses a photojournalism class as Matt Bressler ‘05 looks on (top). Another stop involved a presentation to a middle school science class (bottom). (Photos by Matt Youn and Matt Bressler) On her experience at Gilman, Mr. Foreman commented, “I thought it was exceptional, especially in the Middle School, where we had a host of students sit and chat.” Mr. Foreman BECOME THE also took special notice to WANT TO SEE the lunch with Upper School students after the assembly, saying, “The dialogue was so genuine. It was great to observe.” In her assembly, Ms. Brown-Trickey ended it by urging the student body to make the change themselves, quoting Gandhi, “We must become the change we want to see.” Teddy Davidson ’05 noted, “With that quote, she sure inspired me to make a difference.” .” Page 6 The Gilman News • May 3, 2005 Parents Organize Successful Cultural Arts Festival BY SAM NOVEY Counter-Clockwise from left: Chinese martial arts demonstration; Mr. Paul Otto celebrating his German heritage; Gilman’s Pakistani’s share their culture with the community; Gilman experiences its African roots (Photos by Cesare Ciccant, Damon Wellsmassenburg) Throughout the year at Gilman, the old gym serves as Gilman’s Baltimore Arena, holding everything from volleyball games to dances, art shows and “Poggiville.” On Sunday, March 6, 2005, the gym once again became a portal to cultures from all over the world. On the first Sunday of March, however, I passed through the Grecian Ionic order columns and entered into a room filled with tastes, smells, colors, faces, languages, accents, and ideas from cultures ranging from Australia to Korea, East Africa, Cuba and many more from around the globe. “We want to show who we are and celebrate our differences,” observes Mr. Foreman, “The Cultural Arts Festival was a dream I thought of four years ago. I talked to Mrs. Kagwima P’05, Mrs. Wiley P’05, Mrs. Ruff P’05, and Mrs. Gayles P’05 and we came up with a format.” As people came through the door they were handed a passport that they could take around to the different cultural booths set up around the perimeter of the gym and get stamped as you visited the different cultures. The booths were “pretty cool” says sophomore class president Jonathan McMaster. “There are lots of nationalities and cultures here. It’s very informative. “ Even such cosmopolitan persons as Mrs. Turner were awed. “I was impressed by the quality and attention of the booths. You got a very nice feeling for each culture from the booths.” Also, throughout the afternoon, there were several performances from different cultures. In the middle of the room was a free buffet that had Greek, Indian, German, Cuban, Asian, Korean, and African food. “The food was awesome,” said McMaster as he enjoyed a mid-afternoon snack of spanikopita, flapjacks and Cuban pork. “I really liked the spanikopita.” The food was provided by the Flik cafeteria staff. “It was wonderful to be involved in this experience” said Flik associate Kim Robinson, who prepared and served the food. “We made food from seven different cultures. Some of the recipes came from parents on the committee and I got others from what we serve in the cafeteria and the traveling booths that come through, such as the Korean BBQ last month.” As one strolled around the festival, Gilman students and families could be seen eating off plates as diverse as Gilman, and enjoying some of the delicious benefits of cultural awareness. Our cultural identity is something that we carry with us every day and sometimes discussed, but rarely does an opportunity arise in which people go in depth about their cultural practices and what their cultural identity means to them. In some ways culture is a nonfactor. “You really don’t notice it a lot,” says Jude Chiy ’06, “Gilman is pretty accepting.” Culture is, however, an obvious part of most people. “My Cuban heritage sets me apart from every one,” says Luis Queral ’09. “I appreciate what I have because I am a minority.” The Cultural Arts Festival was a wonderful occasion at which the Gilman community could learn more about each other’s cultures than one would learn by being in school every day. As Gilman families strolled through the old gym speaking words in each other’s languages, eating each other’s food, and learning each other’s cultural practices, the Gilman community truly celebrated its members’ differences, and became more tolerant and informed. Jonathan McMaster summed up the experience for all who attended: “I learned a lot of stuff that I didn’t know before.” REMINDER: BAG LUNCHES FOR HOMELESS WEDNESDAY NIGHTS - 6:00 Volunteers Needed...Meet in Cafeteria The Gilman News • May 3, 2005 Page 7 Crossword: It’s Academic BY Z ACHARY L ANDER-PORTNOY The Alpine Tower standing solitary in the early morning gloom (Photo by Jonathan Koch) Alpine Tower, Once Barren, Now Flourishing Under New Director BY JAMES GRIFFIN A Professional Cycler Among Us: Mr. Norton Discusses Career BY WILL FREW Many students may know him as the guy who makes goofy golf announcements during assembly, and some may know him as the teacher who practically stalks Mr. Vishio. However, Mr. Norton, a fairly new teacher at Gilman, has led a very interesting and intriguing life mysterious to the Gilman community. Mr. Norton grew up in northern Virginia and attended Flint Hill, a prominent prep school in that region. At Flint Hill, he was a fairly good athlete, but was not a standout in any single sport. He matriculated to Duke University and attended his first classes in the fall of 1986. At Duke, he became friends with a couple competitive cyclists and began to ride with them for fun. Mr. Norton picked up the sport quickly, and his natural athletic ability immediately made him successful. He said, “I was lucky that my friends were really good, because once I started beating them, I knew I could hold my own out there.” However, he was not the greatest college student, and after two full years at Duke, he left and transferred to the University of Virginia where he continued to pursue his cycling career. He attended school for one semester, and then cycled for the other semester. That’s where his biking career really started to take off. He was quickly picked up by the Navigators: a U.S. racing team that travelled all over the country for races. Mr. Norton did well in these circuits, proving his worth to many scouts and national recruiters. Soon after, in the early 90s, Mr. Norton became part of the United States national team. While on the team, he raced mostly in second tier competitions, with a couple of chances to race with the big time guys. He raced with Tyler Hamilton and Lance Armstrong, two of the most successful cyclists in America, when he was given the opportunity to compete in the big races. Their coach told him, “See that guy over there (referring to Lance), just get him to the hill and let him go crazy.” Mr. Norton served as one of the set up men for the best cyclist (and some say, best athlete) in the world. He reminisces, “It was a lot of fun, and there was not any pressure on me to try to win the race, I just had to make sure Lance did.” However, Grasping for support above like a child reaching for a cookie jar, you heave yourself onto the final plateau with a firm tug and a boost of your legs. After taking a brief respite to catch your breath and gather your thoughts, you finally raise your head to view the rewards of your toil. At eyelevel with treetops, you are bewildered by the majesty of the picturesque scenery. Taking a fleeing glimpse before proceeding with your descent, you contently stride down the tower, gleaming with a sensation of satisfaction. For many in the Gilman community, this is a familiar scene that they have experienced in the process of mounting the Alpine Tower. As the winter snow blends into the budding of spring f lora, the Alpine Tower is also blooming with its return soon approaching after a winter hiatus. Headed for its most expansive season by Mr. Ryan Carey, the Alpine Tower Program is a three-tier system that occurs during the autumn until November and the spring beginning in mid-April. With sessions running from 2nd period to 5th period during the week, the Alpine Tower program consists of three distinct categories: the Alpine Tower Intramural team, the Alpine Tower team, and the Alpine Tower club. However, the Alpine Tower program is not just a simple task of climbing a wooden structure. Ryan Carey commented, “The Alpine Tower proves as a challenge, forcing people to step out of their boundary lines and overcome fears. With partner interaction, people develop a sense of trust and teamwork with their companion.” Of all the aspects encompassed in the Alpine Tower curriculum, the most influential and powerful experience is the classroom dynamic, which Mr. Carey believes, “allows students to perform something positive and immerse themselves in something away from the classroom, while also having fun.” Austin Redwood ’06 reinforces this concept, stating, “The Alpine Tower program is a great opportunity for students to discover something more about themselves.” Even though one of the most exhilarating aspects of the Tower is the classroom division, the Alpine Tower department has expanded in recent years to a more developed and integrated organization. For example, the Alpine Tower Club were scheduled to host the Paca School on April 16th and 30th. Yet, with all these activities stirring on the tower, students still have not lost focus of the essence of the Tower: Achieve a daunting task with willpower. Pete Finney ’07 confirmed this notion, asserting, “Getting to the top is always a test of your limits, but it is an amazing rush when you make it.” So, if you’re bored on a Friday afternoon or need to relieve some stress after a difficult day, look towards the Alpine Tower for guidance and encouragement. Mr. Norton navigates the summit of a lengthy climb in Pittsburgh. Several cyclists behind him (not pictured) are Motorola Teammates Lance Armstrong and Bobby Julich (Photo courtesy of Mr. Norton) Page 8 The Gilman News • May 3, 2005 Lax Welcomes New Coach, Brooks Matthews BY JAMIE SINCLAIR As the warm weather and flowers blossom here in Baltimore, that symbolizes one thing to many Gilman students; lacrosse season is here. The Gilman Varsity lacrosse team is coming off a successful year, reaching the MIAA championship game against St. Pauls and just coming up short in the end. The squad did lose several key players, including all-metro players Grant Zimmerman, David Caperna, and Zach Goldberg. Even with these departures, the underclassmen on the team are stepping up and ready to fill the expectations this season has brought. The team is confident that they will be capable of completing last year’s unfinished business. A large reason for this is the new look of the coaching staff, primarily the new head coach, Brooks Matthews. Mr. Matthews has been a long time assistant coach for the varsity squad, and with former Gilman coach Allen helping out with the Johns Hopkins lacrosse team this year, he has stepped up to be the Head coach. Junior midfielder Brian Carroll says about Coach Matthews, “he brings another step of intensity to the field which keeps all the players with the right attitudes.” The team is currently 6-3 overall, and 2-2 in the MIAA conference, which is not the start many of the players on the team were looking for. Even with this slow start for the team, all the players are staying optimistic. The three losses so far have all been close games, where the team has come up just short, losing by no more than 3 goals in each. Junior defenseman Barney Ehrmann, a two year varsity player now, says “I think we’re going to be a team that keeps getting better as the season progresses, so I think that we are going to prosper once we get later in the season and that we will do really well in the playoffs.” All of the players on the team believe that even with this disappointing start, they will be able to turn things around this second half of the season and particularly the playoffs. Many of the players on the team still remember last season when they lost a few close games to MIAA teams. Despite their mediocre regular season, they were able to reach the MIAA final which is becoming more difficult each season. Currently in the Baltimore Sun, nine out of the top ten teams ranked in the lacrosse poll are from the MIAA, including Mcdonogh, St. Paul’s, Boys’ Latin, Loyola, Gilman, Calvert Hall, Mount St. Joseph, Friends, and St. Mary’s . Gilman is scheduled to play all eight of these teams, which guarantees some great lacrosse. The energy is alive and thriving for the team as they prepare for each crucial game coming up. With new head Coach Matthews leading the way, the team knows that anything is possible this season. Each player’s ambitious attitude towards the rest of the season will only put a positive ending on the 2005 lacrosse season. Alex Waters ‘05 prepares to pass in front of the LaSalle bench (top), and then looks on as Kevin Carroll makes a run towards the goal (bottom) (photo by Jonathan Koch) Improved Varsity Track Team Runs, Jumps, and Wins a Few BY Z ACH GORN Varsity member, Jonathan McMaster ’07 says, “We have a lot of potential, and with senior leaders like Tauren Kagwima and Will Schoeberlein; it looks as if we have a great chance at the championship this year.” says Jonathan. He looks to be on the right track so far, with varsity jumping out to a 3-1 start to the 2005 season. Gilman’s only loss so far came to a very tough Archbishop Curley team. However, varsity has had three very convincing wins, one of which was a 108-42 rout of Loyola Blakefield, a team which they had lost to last year. The track team is already looking for- ward to their upcoming meets against Mount St. Joseph High School on April 26 and McDonogh School on May 4, before the MIA A Championships. When asked about this year’s track team, head coach Johnnie Forman said, “Track this year is extremely versatile, more so than any year before. The flexibility in our lineup enables us to interchange athletes in various events.” The track team has already shown signs of great improvement, and the members of the team hope to continue their success throughout the 2005 season. Norton Discusses Professional Cycling, Teaching Careers continued from page 7 Travis Hale ‘05 running the second leg of the 4x800 relay. The relay team, which also includes Jude Chiy’06, Sam Jackson ‘06, and Tauren Kagwima ‘05 will run at Penn Relays this year (Photo by Hahn Je) Mr. Norton did not have that much of a chance to get to know Lance that well. They only spoke a couple of times before and in between races. When asked about what it was like to race with one of the greatest cyclists of all time, Mr. Norton responded, “It was amazing. To see this guy and how hard he worked to achieve his goals blew my mind.” Mr. Norton left UVA in search of a teaching job in Latin. When asked about why he chose Gilman, he responded, “Well, my much better half got a job in Baltimore, and I went to this school job fair. Pretty much the only schools that taught Latin were the private schools around here. Gilman was very inviting because I would be teaching and learning from Mr. Vishio, one of the best Latin teachers in the area, and I would have the chance to teach both boys and girls, with the girls being from Roland Park and Bryn Mawr. I wanted the chance to teach at a co-ed school, and that’s essentially what I got.” Mr. Norton gets to sit in during many of Mr. Vishio’s classes, helping him learn from one of the greats. Mr. Norton may not have been at Gilman too long, but he is a valued part of the faculty and we are certainly glad to have him here.
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