THE November 8, 2018
Gilman School
NEWS www.GilmanNews.com
Volume CXVIII No. 2
Inside This Issue
Responding to ESPN’s “The Battle of Baltimore” by Noah Seth Systemic institutional injustice is real in America, as is the poverty and violence that often results from its pervasiveness. This reality can be unfamiliar to many white Americans, especially to those raised and educated in isolated environments most readily characterized
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me two things: one, it took exceptional perseverance and fortitude to play this game well, and two, this game was to be taken very seriously. My teammates lived the game, studying film during the school day at least three times a week, staying in the weight room as often as they were in study hall, and they formed impassioned and durable relationships with one
is their great equalizer. The documentary portrays many of St. Frances’ students as having no other emotional outlet or opportunities for enrichment other than their football team. We, as Gilman students, have virtually limitless outlets for creative and intellectual expression from the Gilman News, Travelling Men, Model UN, Jazz and Concert Bands, several
St. Frances and Coach Poggi have a right to pursue success for their students as they see fit. Their continued success is in the best interest of their students. The MIAA has the same right to assess what is in the best interests of their own.
by affluence. The hardship and poverty laid bare in ESPN E60’s documentary “The Battle of Baltimore” is the result of decades of political and economic neglect and legislated racial discrimination. Red-lining, the denial of services and discriminatory lending practices by both the federal government and private banks, prohibited city-dwelling African-Americans from accumulating wealth. In impoverished areas, chronic underfunding (many public schools derive funding from property taxes) and mismanagement of resources reduced the quality of public education, further limiting access to employment and to a sustainable income. These issues are nuanced and historically racial, and they predate Coach Biff Poggi’s rise to prominence even as a successful coach at Gilman. ESPN, with only 23 minutes for its episode, tried to illustrate the poverty of the community and the efforts of Coach Poggi to “level the playing field.” But the documentary’s tacit implication that the MIAA’s schools chose not to play St. Frances this year due to personal racial animus is misguided. The issues that St. Frances and its students now face are systemic, and the concerns of player safety, for many schools, are real. Football is a uniquely aggressive game, the only contact sport in which collision is not only constant, but is also an objective. In my time playing football at Gilman, and especially in my freshman year, I learned how physically and personally demanding the game can be. I came to every summer workout as an eighth grader. I wholeheartedly threw myself into camp, and into other players, when the season began. I competed with everything that my being and frame could muster, irrespective of how big or experienced my teammates may have been. In doing so, I made the varsity roster as a freshman and earned the respect of my teammates to whom I had hardly given more than a few words or a kind, earnest nod. Playing against the best players in the nation everyday in practice taught
another in sharing the serious and thrilling experience of being a student and a football player at Gilman. Not everyone takes the game so seriously. Football, Coach Poggi said, is the great equalizer for his players. Between the lines, the difficulties, pain, and inequities that his players experience in their personal lives are briefly quieted by the intense physical competition of the sport. It is abundantly clear in the documentary, watching St. Frances players run shuttles on the street in the neighborhood near Greenmount and Chase Street, that they take the game very seriously. It is a godsend for students who lack the privilege and opportunity afforded by attendance at other more affluent and well-connected institutions like Gilman. These students are yearning to be exceptional and to succeed much like any student at Gilman may be, though their avenue to and vision of success may be different from ours. Speaking of his team’s exceptional success, Coach Poggi commented during ESPN’s interview at his home in Roland
Park that, “if teams can’t compete, then they need to get better.” He directed his comment to his MIAA rivals who were beginning to forfeit games prior to the start of the season. And then I realized something. Football is almost exclusively what many of these students do. As Coach Poggi said, it
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sports teams, Quiz Bowl, Latin Club, not to mention opportunities for employment and internships afforded by the school’s influential and successful alumni. We all take advantage of these virtually boundless opportunities, but what if we were limited to just one? We would also likely take that one thing, that one opportunity, very seriously. But this is not the case for most MIAA schools. I can only speak for our school, but most of the members of our football team do lots of other things outside of football. St. Frances is an exception. They have become particularly specialized. Gilman seeks to make well-rounded individuals, students who are jacks-ofall-trades. St. Frances has chosen to be the master of one. Neither Gilman nor the rest of the MIAA can match the seriousness, and thus the competitiveness, of St. Frances on the field. Coach Poggi has constructed a program fully dedicated to the development of college, and potentially professionally, ready athletes. It is his way of
photo courtesy of gilman.edu
providing students with little opportunity an avenue to success. Other schools in the conference have chosen a different path, one which is easier without the roadblocks I cited at the beginning of this article. On the field, St. Frances students simply outcompete their MIAA
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In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded that schools starting after 8:30 have significantly healthier students than schools which do not start after 8:30.
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Max Sternlicht, Page 2 A Plea for Later Starts
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With these representations of a strong emphasis on Christian faith present throughout Gilman, a student may start to question whether or not Gilman is truly a secular institution.
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Morgan Zinn, Page 2 Gilman’s Little Blue Book
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In the end, it is really a personal preference on whether or not you believe Niche is reliable, and whether or not you trust the results of its ranking system. Matthew Song, Page 5 The Secrets Behind Niche Rankings
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The Gilman News is a student run newspaper. A ll opinions herein contained are not necessarily those of the
Gilman A dministration
competitors. That is their specialty, and their single-minded focus now classes them far beyond their local opponents. As I said before, football is a uniquely aggressive game, one which can quickly become uniquely dangerous if there are significant disparities in the talent and preparation of the competing teams. I saw this first hand as I watched three of my teammates last year knocked unconscious in a single game. Two of them were hospitalized. McDonogh lost seven of its starters in its regular season game against St. Frances. Their school outclasses the competition available in the MIAA and pursues success in a different direction, one which seems to work for the benefit of its players. While Gilman was the only school in the MIAA not to drop St. Frances from its schedule until St. Frances announced an independent schedule, it is reasonable for other schools to recognize the danger present in this game when their opponents are not their true peers. St. Frances and Coach Poggi have a right to pursue success for their students as they see fit. Their continued success is in the best interest of their students. The MIAA has the same right to assess what is in the best interests of their own.
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November 8, 2018
Gilman School
www.GilmanNews.com
Volume CXVIII No. 2
Moving from Wellness Wednesdays to Wellness Weeks by
Max Sternlicht
In August of 2017, when the Upper School Administration announced that school would begin at 9:00 am on Wednesdays, students rejoiced at the opportunity for more sleep. Over the last year, students have begun to realize the plethora of advantages of beginning school at nine o’clock. If Gilman were to permanently change their start time to 9:00 am every day, both students and teachers would reap the benefits of improved health and increased productivity. Student productivity would increase considerably if Gilman began at 9 am. First, traffic around Roland Park would be alleviated as surrounding schools, except for our sister schools, would still start at 8. This would allow students to spend more time sleeping and reduce students’ and teachers’ chances of being stuck in traffic (and thus being late for important classes). Since students would be more rested, they would be able to focus more in class. This would lead to a more academically-successful environment. In addition, more focused students would lead to a more respectful workplace for the faculty. Currently, 9 am Wednesdays have been able to successfully consolidate the typical schedule. A common complaint of 9 am mornings is that students who arrive early due to carpool constraints would have nothing to do. A simple solution would be to open a common room (such as CT20) early, so students could get ahead in their homework or simply enjoy time with their friends.
Upper School Head, Mr. Rob Heubeck, explained the benefits that 9am mornings have presented to teachers, “We can’t always get the whole faculty together in one place at the same time. We can do that on Wednesday mornings.” He also described that when teachers don’t have commitments on Wednesday mornings, that they have the opportunity to sleep late, go to the gym, or do something else
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THE
In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) concluded schools that start after 8:30 have significantly healthier students than schools who do not start after 8:30.
that they enjoy with the extra hour. In addition, students’ health and wellbeing would improve if Gilman began at 9 am. In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) concluded schools that start after 8:30 have significantly healthier students than schools who do not start after 8:30. The study also notes that students who don’t get enough sleep may suffer from reduced cognitive skills including problem-solving and organizational skills, attention, academic engagement, and most importantly, learning and retaining new information. In addition, a lack of sleep can lead to other issues which negatively affect teens, including skin problems, increased hostility, weight gain, increased caffeine and nicotine use,
NEWS
(410) 323–3800 ext. 448 www.GilmanNews.com The News reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. All submissions must be signed. Send correspondence to thegilmannews@gmail.com, or to: The Gilman News Gilman School 5407 Roland Avenue Baltimore, Maryland 21210
E ditor i a l Sta ff :
Sa m B loomberg G r eg D i et t e N at h a n H edgecoc k M orga n Z i n n I bbe A sh ru f Ty ler Wi t h er spoon C l a r k D owl i ng Wi ll D owl i ng Jac k S t uz i n Jac k son Tac k a M a x S t er n l ic h t
higher risk of illness, and drowsy driving. The study recommends nine hours of sleep for teenagers, and for students who get home at 6:30 at the earliest, this is often not the case. Clearly, starting school later would allow a student to have more time to rest and be prepared for school. An article published in Neuroscience and Behavioral Reviews on August 13, 2016 by Dr.’s L. Tarokh, J. Saletin, and M. A.
E di tor - i n -C h i ef E di tor - i n -C h i ef C h i ef L ayou t E di tor M a nagi ng E di tor M a nagi ng E di tor E di tor E di tor E di tor E di tor E di tor P hoto E di tor
Facult y A dv isors:
D i a n e F u ller , M at t Z e a l a n d & C esa r e C icc a n t i
C ontr ibutors: N oa h J u n , A l i , M e r hc a n t, B ec k le y W i t tsta dt, N ico G onz a les -R ee d , S i meon Pa r k e r , B ryce lloy d , G obi H e r na n dez , C a me ron Wa r d , M at h ew S ong
I ndicates an Editorial or First Person Perspective Piece
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Carskadon of the Alpert Medical School of Brown University focused on healthy sleep for adolescents. The article states, “research overwhelmingly supports an important role for sleep in many areas of adolescent brain function and behavior.” The article shows a shift in both circadian rhythms and sleep pressure during adolescence, meaning that teens need to sleep later and longer. Teens who stay on screens longer fall asleep later, as the artificial light tricks the brain into thinking that it is still daytime (due to the abundance of light). As Gilman students depend on their computers for submitting work and studying for tests, it is very difficult for them to fall asleep early. A solution to this sleep delay would be to
start school later, as teens are already biologically prone to waking up later. When the Gilman Upper School student body was polled in September about their sleep habits, the number of drowsy students was overwhelming, as only one student out of two hundred replied that he never felt tired during the academic day. The average Gilman student goes to sleep around 11:30 and wakes up around 6:15, which is two and a half hours less than the AAP recommendation for a growing adolescent boy. Other Gilman students often go to sleep as late as 2:50 am and wake up as early as 4:30 am. Several Gilman students have reported that they have had to go over a day without sleeping due to their overwhelming workloads. When asked about starting Gilman at 9:00, Nigel Parker (‘21) commented, “I feel as though it would take the pressure off of everyday school life. For example, this would give students a chance to have extra time to complete homework, and it would also better ensure that students are getting the proper amount of sleep throughout the week.” Mr. Heubeck also commented, “I think if you gave them (the administration) an option to start at 9:00 and having everything equal in terms of contact time with kids and athletic events not ending too late, we would love to start later.” Due to the benefits associated with a later starting time, the administration should wholeheartedly consider beginning the regular school day at 9:00 am next year.
Gilman’s Little Blue Book by
Morgan Zinn
The Gilman Upper School Student Handbook essentially governs the entirety of students’ behav iors, actions, and attire and lays out the philosophical foundations of the school. Despite the significance of this text, students and faculty are rarely aware of the specific guidelines and ideologies contained within our little blue book. From religion to security of property to tri-school regulations, the handbook dictates everything. Due to its importance, committees gather annually to discuss and to review the handbook, delving into its many specifics, yet some rules remain unchanged or ill-conceived. Gilman has long touted itself as progressive, at the forefront of academic, cultural, and athletic improvement. Part of that progressiveness necessitates the examination of traditional values and relationships and determining whether or not they contribute to the success of today’s Gilman. One such value is the emphasis of religion, specifically the Judeo-Christian tradition, in this community. A few years ago, we had a school chaplain, a religious official responsible for, among other things, delivering benedictions. Now, Gilman faculty members regularly deliver a benediction or lead a prayer at convocations. Nichi Pandey (‘19) even finds it “hard to navigate classroom conversations where it seems like knowledge of the Bible is a prerequisite.” With these representations of a strong emphasis on Christian faith present throughout
Gilman, a student may start to question whether or not Gilman truly is a secular institution. According to the handbook, Gilman “believes in the spiritual and ethical values of the Jewish and Christian traditions but welcomes members of all religions and subscribes to a belief in God and the dignity and worth of each individual,” so, no, Gilman is not a secular school. Within the handbook, Gilman emphasizes a belief in the values of the Judeo-Christian traditions as if to deem other religious traditions unable to equal Gilman’s moral values. Gilman seeks to make a further distinction between Christianity and religions outside of the western world, followers of which constitute a sizable portion of Gilman students, through specific word choice within that clause. For example, instead of using a conjunction with more inclusive connotations, the handbook committee chooses to use the word ‘but’ to connect all religions and the Judeo Christian tradition, which suggests a strong division between Christianity and other faiths. Furthermore, the handbook makes no mention of welcoming students who do not affiliate themselves with an organized religion. Essentially, the handbook suggests that the Gilman community, at its core, should conduct itself according to the values of the Judeo-Christian tradition while implying that other standards of morality are insufficient.
see “Handbook,” page 7
November 8, 2018
Gilman School
Canvas Conversion
www.GilmanNews.com
by A li Merchant Hallmarks of the new school year include new class schedules, new teachers and classmates, and even a new learning management system. This year, Gilman introduced Canvas as a replacement for Moodle. Some of the new features Canvas offers include the ability to check class grades, to receive email updates alerting students to new assignments, and to take quizzes online. So far, students have responded positively to Canvas. The new platform makes it easier for students to access the
that “they never forget often overlooked bump classes and lab periods.” After the school day, Essex says, Canvas provides “both teachers and students with better productivity and easier communication and accessibility.” Likewise, teachers seem to prefer Canvas over Moodle. Chemistry teacher Mr. Cody Miles stated that “the transition took a long time,” and he invested approximately 20 hours this summer into learning about Canvas’ shortcuts and transfering materials over from Moodle into Canvas. When the “front end work” was done, however, he said that “Canvas is just better!” Mr. Miles continued to praise
information they need. Beckley Wittstadt (‘21) spoke positively about Canvas, saying it “is better formatted” and makes it “easier to see your grades and receive constant updates about your grades.” He also adds that he finds the sign-in process easier and quicker to navigate than Moodle’s. Essex Thayer (‘20) stated that Canvas proves more useful than Moodle because Canvas “allows students to view all of their upcoming assignments in one place.” He added that Canvas, in combination with Veracross, is helpful for younger students because Canvas serves as a reminder about homework in that it “allows you to see what you have everyday,” while Veracross helps so
Canvas’ superior offerings, including its variety of different online assessments, its ability to send messages directly to students, and its powerful tool called SpeedGrader. Mr. Miles commented that SpeedGrader “allows a teacher to be more productive and efficient” because SpeedGrader’s functionality includes the ability to keep the rubric up on on the teacher’s computer screen as they grade students assignments. Students and teachers certainly have favorable opinions of Canvas and its many new capabilities, but the long-term effects of and responses to this new platform remains to be seen as the school year continues.
Volume CXVIII No. 2
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Peace Out, PCR by Beckley
Wittstadt
Over the summer, Gilman made a full-fledged systematic upgrade from PCR, the web-based school management system, to Veracross, a new and more advanced system. In the past, the role of the online management system at Gilman has been to allow easy access to schedules and report cards, as well as student information for students and their families. However, for the faculty, PCR was becoming increasingly less helpful. An example of this can be as simple as the constant requirement to download PDF files to view documents, which as various teachers have agreed upon, is not ideal. These issues urged the administration and technology department to make a change in the school’s technological database, which was long overdue. As the community evolved technologically, and different layers were added to the student and faculty portals, the school realized that a change was needed and it was time to move on from PCR. According to the Head of the Upper School, Mr. Rob Heubeck, “One of the things for us was the clunkiness of PCR … We needed something that allowed us to find information more quickly and more efficiently, and something that we could tailor to exactly our needs.” After the Head of ETS at Gilman, Mr. Tye Campbell, and the technology office searched through various databases to find the right system, they decided that Veracross is the exact model of what they were looking for. It has the features that would be needed to
provide a more positive experience for both students and faculty. Compared to PCR, Veracross is exceedingly more efficient in the transfer of data between all members of the community. For example, identifying the location of a student would require a teacher to go to the main office and search in a binder to find the student’s printed schedule. Now, however, a teacher can simply type a student’s name into Veracross and immediately their schedule will appear as well as their student information, and any other important details the teacher may need. In addition to the basic features, Veracross allows Gilman to customize the software to fit their specific needs and desires. This may include slightly tweaking the scheduling system, recording any special circumstances in regards to attendance, and nearly everything that happens systematically at Gilman online. If, as a student, you need to know something regarding your teachers, peers, or own information, there is now one place where that is easily available. As this is just the start of a school year, and teachers are still learning how to navigate the new database, many have not yet had enough interaction with this system to formulate an opinion. However, the administration and technology offices unanimously agree that this was a much needed upgrade and as Mr. Heubeck went on to explain, “At a school like Gilman, we needed something better, something that reflected us and the standards we hold ourselves at, and Veracross really does do that.”
Gilman Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of its First Integrated Graduating Class by
This year, Gilman celebrates the 50th anniversar y of the first black students to graduate from the school. This marks a huge milestone for the Gilman communit y and for the country since private schools were finally integrating. Although fourteen years had passed since the Supreme Court ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional with the Brown v. Board of Education case, Gilman was among the leaders in the local private school community in taking the first step to supporting equitable education. The first black students, Greg Emery, David Robinson, Stuart Simms, and Willard Wiggins, graduated from Gilman in 1968. The legacy of these four men hasplayed a crucial role in Gilman, and this celebration in their honor is a school-wide event that is meant to be celebrated by everyone, no matter their race. From October 19th to the 21st, Gilman took time to celebrate this milestone and recognize their accomplishments as a community. The celebration began with assemblies with the Middle and Upper Schools on October 13th. Other
Nico Gonzales-R eed and Simeon Parker
photo courtesy of gilman.edu
activities during the weekend included a reception at the Reginald Lewis Museum and a mentoring breakfast on Saturday morning. A Recognition Banquet honored Gilman’s black trailblazers, including current faculty Mr. Joe Duncan, Mr. Johnnie Foreman, and Mr. Tim Holley. Sunday morning’s church service at Heritage United Church of Christ celebrated by Rev. Chaz Howard (‘96) concluded the weekend. The emotions of the Gilman community were encapsulated by Mr. Redmond Finney saying that he was “speechless” and touched by the accomplishments of those who were initially “not welcome.” The milestone of integration at Gilman opened a new world of intellectual pos-
sibilities, and for that, Gilman is forever endowed with the gift of diversity. Turning a blind eye to the significance of diversity would contradict the principles laid out by Mr. Finney and hurt the wellbeing of Gilman. The school’s community is strengthened by brotherhood and the effort to improve young men’s lives, leaving no place for ignorance or exclusion. Because of Gilman’s and other schools’ decision to integrate, young black men are achieving things that were impossible before integration. Gilman sets an example for the advancement of diversity, which supports the school’s mission to improve the lives of young men. The significance of these men is still clearly evident today and stands not only
as a testament of progress in the Gilman community but also as living proof of a history of oppression that occurred not so long ago. Their stories and the stories of other older African American men and women give a personal view of the dark history of the United States and remind everyone to be thankful for the progress that has been made. These trailblazers’ pride in the community from which they came inspires everyone at Gilman to make them proud and live up to their vision of a Gilman School that accepts all young men who demonstrate Honor, Integrity, Respect, Humility, and Excellence.
see Profiles on page 8
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November 8, 2018
Gilman School
New Assistant AD Brings Changes to Off-Campus Athletics by
Bryce Lloyd and Gobi Hernandez
Last year, Mr. Bob Smith, who worked as Gilman’s Assistant Athletic Director for many years, retired. Mr. Bryn Holmes, whom many students know from the Middle School Math Department, has taken over the position as the new Assistant Director of Athletics. He has already implemented many changes, including the creation of an early fitness program for upperclassmen, awarding juniors and seniors the privilege of completing their athletic requirement before the underclassmen, which has given f re sh men a nd sophomore s some much-needed space in the weight room. These changes have been wholeheartedly welcomed by the student body and faculty. Mr. Holmes’ dedication to his new role results from his own experience with highschool athletics. He says, “Athletics have played a vital role in progressing me into the person I am today. Having any role in molding the athletic portion of the Gilman experience is exactly where I want to be.” One of Mr. Holmes’ main focuses has been refining the off-campus athletic process, which has long been a subject of debate among students and coaches. Gilman has a long-standing tradition of requiring its students to participate in some form of athletics at the end of the academic day, but in the past Gilman also permitted students to fill their athletic requirements with off-campus activities. As of this year, however, there is a more formal process. Students who once participated in the off-campus athletic program have found themselves in a state of uncertainty. This could interfere with students’ abilities to pursue their athletic goals. Coach Russell Wrenn (‘96), CoAthletic Director of Gilman, helped explain Gilman’s view on off-campus athletics, “We look at the Gilman mission, and we treasure the mind, body, and spirit of the students on their endeavors. We understand that some students prefer to pursue their passions whether it is inside or outside of school.” T he pr o c e s s of b ei ng g r a nte d exemption from on-campus athletics is no easy task. First, the student must talk directly to Mr. Bryn Holmes, Assistant Director of Athletics. Mr. Holmes would then discuss with other athletic directors, until a consensus is
by
Cameron Ward
Following the end of the season last year, Coach Tim Holley (‘77) retired from coaching varsity football, initiating the process of selecting a new head coach. At the end of this long and meticulous process, was the hiring of experienced football coach, Nick Bach. Coach Bach had a ten-year-long collegiate coaching career, in which he coached at East Stroudsburg, Otterbein University, Johns Hopkins, and Buffalo, where he coached the athletic phenom
reached. The athletic directors then have to contact the student and his parents directly. Finally, the athletic directors reach out to the coaches of the various outside sports in order to confirm the validity of the student’s request. In the past 20 years, Athletics has changed a lot on campus, including various equipment and technological advancements. Before Gilman acquired much of its new weight equipment, athletes such as football players left school 2 days a week for weight training. Now, those same players would have no reason to leave campus, as Gilman has improved the strength and conditioning aspect of athletics, complete with a trainer, Coach Diego Matorras. There are exceptions, however, such as swimmers who are committed to swimming every day of the week off campus in the fall and spring seasons. With these exceptions come other requirements. Gilman often speaks of its mission of teaching the mind, body, and spirit. The mind and body are being supported with academics and athletics, whether it be on or offcampus. However, by not playing oncampus sports, there are other ways to express spirit, such as supporting the athletic teams. Students are encouraged to participate in clubs around the school that increase bonding and collaboration with students of all grades. “We want to let them choose what they want to do, but also make sure they are involved with the school, and taking part in something collaborative with other students,” says Coach Wrenn on joining clubs. This fulfills the spirit part of the Gilman mission. Eric Zhang (‘21) participates in off-campus activities through swimming. Eric engages in multiple clubs to display his spirit in the school. “I believe that I am experiencing the true Gilman experience through attending various clubs,” said Zhang. “I understand that we need to be a part of the Gilman team, but I am committed to my outside sport, and would like to continue to develop my abilities outside of school.” In his new position as Assistant Director of Athletics, Mr. Holmes is poised to enable such a Gilman experience for all students through the refinement of the off-campus athletics program.
www.GilmanNews.com
Volume CXVIII No. 2
Pep Rally Revamped by
Will Dowling and Jackson Tacka broke this code of conduct. Grant Emry (‘19), chair of Gilman’s spirit chapter, in cooperation with student body president Quinn Beagle (‘19) and several members of the administration sought to “reconstruct...the GilmanMcDonogh pep rally in a new, farmer-free way.” Some students felt uncertain about changing the format of this Gilman tradition, but Grant saw the change as an opportunity to “bring new energy to the pep rally as a whole.” Mr. Bryn Holmes, McDonogh alum and Gilman’s Assistant Athletic Director, echoed this sentiment, urging students and pep rally organizers to “focus on us and...be creative in what they do.” On Friday, November 2, the new iteration of the pep rally made its debut as the entire student body packed into the arena for the long-awaited reveal. After fall sports captains were introduced, the football team ran onto the court in a cloud of fog, and Kofi Whitehead (‘19) rapped his rendition of the classic “McDonogh, McDonogh, beware the day…” poem. The drum line, composed of middleand upper-school students, provided an energetic background with the rhythmic beats of their drums. Just as with every change of tradition, some students have expressed doubts about the new version of the pep rally. As the Gilman community continues to reflect on itself and its customs, however, creating a more inclusive and positive environment remains a perpetual focus of the school. This year’s pep rally, despite some inevitable hiccups in its inaugural year, serves as a positive first step towards the pep rally and the Gilman of the future.
The Gilman vs. McDonogh football game pep rally has had the same core script for the longest time: McDonogh hillbillies kidnap Gilman’s football players and then the Gilman Raiders sneak up on and fight them in order to win the football players back. It had become a Gilman tradition to have the same general layout while allowing each senior class to put their own unique spin on the pep rally. This year’s pep rally, however, did not feature the predictable showdown between McDonogh’s hillbillies and Gilman’s raiders. While many Gilman students have fond memories of the pep rally, such as the year a parachuter landed on what is now called Brown Field or the tank that rumbled along the scenic, concerns of tired jokes and repeated skits became an issue. Dante Chavez (‘20) sees the pep rally in its traditional form as predictable and outdated, saying, “I have seen the pep rally for 7 years to the point where it’s like a Scooby-Doo show where you already know what’s gonna happen.” The portrayal of McDonogh students as hillbillies also presented a problem for many members and observers of the Gilman community. Although some, such as Connor Campbell (‘20) who “wanted to be a McDonogh character...from [his] first pep rally in 6th grade,” saw no problems with this running joke, the practice nevertheless received criticism from the administration. Mr. John Schmick (‘97), Dean of Student Life at Gilman, explained that the hillbilly trope “doesn’t align with the values we teach at the school.” Gilman students are taught to cheer for their peers, not against their opponents, and the pep rally consistently and blatantly
photo courtesy of Cynosure
Football Outlook Khalil Mack. Most recently, he has coached at Mountain View High School in Atlanta, where he turned a team that had not won a game in six years into a playoff contender. In his last season coaching for Mountain View, he gave them their first ever eight-win season, first ever playoff appearance, and first ever playoff win. Gilman’s 2018 football season started off with some turbulence as the team struggled through injuries and a lack of players. At the beginning of the season, team unity was not great as many people
were not on the same page and the team struggled to adapt to the new coach’s style. The first week of the season was rough as Gilman lost a shutout game to a strong Gonzaga team. That was followed by two weeks of losing close games to St. Mary’s Ryken and Georgetown Prep, despite Gilman’s noticeable improvement as a team. More recently, Gilman played a great game against Episcopal (VA), holding a 17-0 lead at half-time, but unfortunately losing the game on a heartbreaking last-minute touchdown.
Despite the losses, the team gradually became more united. In Week 7, Gilman traveled to NY to play Coach Bach’s alma mater and won 55-20 over a 4-2 Cardinal O’Hara team. At this point, the team had noticeably become closer and felt like a family. Recently the team lost to the Loyola Dons and then lost the 103rd Gilman Mcdonogh game. There is a lot of progress to be made, but things are looking up for Gilman football.
November 8, 2018 Gilman School
www.GilmanNews.com
Matthew Song
Since the emergence of the 2019 Niche rankings of K-12 schools in the United States, students across the country have been wondering how their respective schools rank amongst their rivals. For those unfamiliar with the website, Niche ranks high schools, colleges, and places to live, through, in the words of the site, “reviews from real people [and] rigorous analysis” of massive amounts of data. Specifically for high schools, Niche uses various factors including academics, teachers, and sports to compare them to other schools and rank each one. Niche uses multiple sources-- average SAT and ACT scores, reviews, and data from the Department of E d u c a tion-- and at t r ibute s a score to each category, which all are used to for m a cumulative final score for the school. So how does Gilman compare to other high schools in Maryland? Extremely well. Gilman ranks second statewide among private high schools, with the only school ahead being the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda. However, since Holton-Arms is an all-girls’ school, Gilman rank as the best all-boys private school in Maryland. Gilman was given an A+ rating by the site, and we were rewarded particularly for our academics, clubs and activities, college prep, and teachers. Our sister schools of Bryn Mawr and RPCS are not far behind, coming in at third and thirteenth respectively. As for some other local schools: McDonogh is ranked at a respectable seventh, Loyola sits at twenty-first, while Boys’
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New Gorsky, New Position
The Secret Behind Niche Rankings by
Volume CXVIII No. 2
by
Will Dowling
As a prestigious and nation- education. Ms. Gorsky jokes that her job ally competitive institution, entails a lot of “moving numbers around Gilman constantly seeks on a spreadsheet,” but, in practice, her to improve itself by refin- research and analysis will ultimately ing the student experience have significant positive effects on the and enhancing the school school. One area of research common in communit y as a whole. education research is the analysis of the Indeed, Gilman’s mission to educate its success of new teaching methodologies students in mind, body, and spirit would implemented by teachers. By analyzing falter without reflection on its success student performances from before and and a consequent effort to reinforce the after the switch, Ms. Gorsky can tell a values and goals that drive the commu- teacher “whether [their new methodolnity. Recent years have featured several ogy] is working” and provide suggestions initiatives for this purpose; students, for for optimizing future performance. example, might recall completing teacher The data that Ms. Gorsky hopes to evaluations each semester that help access and analyze includes not only qua nt it aboth their tive inforte ac he r s mation, and the but also adminqualitaistrat ion tive inforfine-tune mation. classroom Because of experiher strong ences. b a c k The most ground as recent “a s o c i a l and perresearcher h a p s [r at her most sigt h a n] a nif icant corporate me a s u r e t a ken to photo courtesy of gilman.edu ensure Gilman’s progress into the future of edu- researcher,” Ms. Gorsk y br ings to cation has been the installment of Ms. this position the ability to “boil down Rachel Gorsky as Gilman’s Director of responses from lots of interviews into Institutional Research and Data Analyt- one finding.” For example, she looks forward to collecting qualitative data ics. Ms. Gorsky joins the Gilman com- about character education at Gilman, munity from the Columbia Teachers using interviews from “everyone who is College, the Graduate School of Educa- working with the school and spending tion at Columbia University in New York. time in the community” to synthesize There, Ms. Gorsky served as the Associate conclusions that will benefit the school Director of the Survey Research Initia- community. tive. This organization sought to improve In the coming years, Gilman will the quality of schools across the country, undoubtedly reap the benefits of Ms. especially charter schools, through the Gorsky’s research and analysis. The anacreation and analysis of climate surveys lytical and social skills she brings to the that investigated schools’ successes and job will ensure her success as Gilman’s failures through the responses of com- first Director of Institutional Research and Data Analytics. As she begins to mine munity members. Positions similar to Ms. Gorsky’s role the enormous wealth of data “lurking at Gilman, which did not exist before this around” Gilman, Ms. Gorsky hopes to academic year, are “very common in col- analyze the deeply complex and varied leges and universities,” says Ms. Gorsky. aspects of this community. After all, she By establishing this office at Gilman, says, “humans are humans, not little the administration seeks to improve the pawns on a chessboard that move accordschool by learning from the decision- ing to logic.” making processes of institutions of higher
Latin rounds out the top quarter at twenty-five. Now you might be asking, what is the reliability of this site? The site is quite transparent regarding how it gathers data, weights categories, and assigns each school its final grade. The site, lists the resources they used, shows the reviews, and even explains in detail how each piece of data is weighed and assessed. They grade a school’s academics mainly by using the average SAT and ACT scores at each school, along with other factors. When a school has an abundant amount of good or bad reviews, the site says logically they will consider the reviews more reliable. When a school has little data, they completely discard it due to its inabilit y of being assessed fa irly. Howe ver, certain par ts of t he web site are even more skeptical. For instance, there is a section that polls rev iewers who say they are students of the school. The poll sample is profoundly small with only seven respondents per question. There are only a few reviews in general with only fifty in total for the school. However, since the site bases a large portion of its final rating on reviews (10% of the total grade based on parent and student reviews) this casts a reasonable amount of doubt on whether Gilman’s grade, as well as many other high schools on the list, are accurate. In the end, it is really a personal preference on whether or not you believe Niche is reliable, and whether or not you trust the results of its ranking system.
Jeffreys Sines on Full-Time by
Clark Dowling
In the middle of the last school year, when Mr. Jay Gna nadoss under went surgery on his back, Ms. Nancy Jeffryes replaced him in the math department during his recovery. This year, she returned as a full-time teacher instead of a substitute. In 2007, Ms. Jeffryes moved to Ellicott City, Maryland from South Korea, after which she graduated Cum Laude from UMBC where she majored in Mathematics and Philosophy. Subsequently, she served as a cryptologic analyst, who was responsible for identifying foreign communications using signals equipment, in the United States Air Force. Directly before Gilman, Ms. Jeffryes taught math
at New Era Academy in Baltimore for four opinion, it is “much less challenging” years. than she thought it would be, adding that S o far, t he st udents Ms. Jef f r ye s have been very is “loving” “suppor t ive” Gilman, espethrough this cially how “new and dif“suppor tive ferent experithe faculty and ence” for her. staff” are. She This year, Ms. also likes how Jef f reys w ill “ pr o g r e s s i ve teach both prethe adminiscalculus and tration is” and calculus. She their support is especia lly for “inclusion excited for preand diversity.” calculus, spephoto courtesy of gilman.edu This is Ms. Jeffryes first experience cifically trigonometry, which serves, in in an all-boys environment, but in her her words, as the “foundation for higher
level math.” As a full-time teacher, Ms. Jeffreys has the opportunity to start a class at the beginning of the year instead of joining after several months, which she says will make a “huge difference” in the development of her classes. Outside the classroom, Ms. Jeffreys will help run the yoga intramural during the winter and spring seasons. She actually teaches five yoga classes per week at her yoga business, Balance Yoga and Fitness, in Ellicott City and leads a session for faculty every Thursday morning. Overall, Ms. Jeffreys is “very excited” to continue her journey at Gilman and looks forward to future experiences and opportunities in her teaching career.
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November 8, 2018
Gilman School
www.GilmanNews.com
Volume CXVIII No. 2
The Gilman News: Feburary 15, 2007 Nearly twelve years after this article was originally published in The Gilman News, we have decided to reprint it to educate the communit y on something they may not know. The article is unchanged f rom the original printed copy.
photos courtesy of M ax Sternlicht
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continued from “Handbook,� page 2 from that belief. For example, according in a specific niche of Gilman’s curriculum gions and value systems are not labeled While the official statements of values for Gilman in the handbook promote the values of the Judeo-Christian tradition as paramount to a quality education, there are signs that Gilman is moving away
to Mr. Boo Smith (‘72), Gilman is evolving the Art History curriculum to include art not only from the West, which often is replete with biblical symbolism, but also from cultures and religions outside of the western world. Nevertheless, one change
will do very little to correct a religiously as superior to others. So maybe, Gilman, exclusive environment that the student it is time for the handbook to change and handbook facilitates. So maybe, Gilman, to be more inclusive. it is time to be as progressive as we claim to be and take a step towards a more inclusive community, where some reli-
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November 8, 2018
Gilman School
www.GilmanNews.com
Volume CXVIII No. 2
The Trailblazers of Diversity at Gilman by
Nico Gonzalez-R eed and Simeon Parker
Stuart Simms (‘68) was involved in several extracurriculars including Varsity Football, Varsity Basketball, Varsity Track, and the Hopkins Project. He also participated in the Christian Association, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Athletic Association, and the Judiciary Committee. After graduating from Dartmouth and receiving a law degree from Harvard, he served as Assistant United States Attorney, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, and the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City.
David Robinson (‘68) was also a member of the Varsity Football, Basketball, and Track teams, along with serving as the vice-president of the Pnyx Debating Club and member of the Art Club. He later attended Cornell University and University of Maryland School of Law. Later, he served as a legislative analyst in the Maryland General Assembly.
Willard Wiggins (‘68) participated in Varsity Football, Glee Club, Traveling Men, Operation Challenge, Hopkins Project, Audio-Visual Committee and Computer Club. After graduating from Cornell, he later worked for Social Security Administration as the Director of the Architectural Engineering Services Division.
Dr. Greg Emery (‘68) graduated from Loyola College and earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. After completing his residency at Stanford, he joined Porter and Swedish Hospitals in Denver. He also was an accomplished vocalist who sang with numerous symphony choirs, including the San Francisco Symphony Choir.
Answers From Last issues Crossword