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
[email protected], 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 [email protected].
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.