the blue & the gray the newspaper of gilman’s middle school
volume xcix
issue 6
may-june 2014
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PAGE A TRIO OF ‘GOODBYES’
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Mr. Arnold heads to Florida, Mr. Bullard to move to Texas, and Mr. Matthews ‘matriculates’ with the 2018ers to Carey Hall
COMMENCEMENT 2014 Class of 2018 defined by set of ‘core values’
PAGE RICHLY DESERVED GMS recognizes achievements with Ammidon, Miller, & Thomas prizes, plus Three-Year Middlemen and NLE top scorers
BY
PAGE SPRING FLINGS
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PAGE SUDS, SOUNDS, SCIENCE Annual Car Wash raises $695, entire school enjoys Family Day & Festival of the Arts, plus the Sixth Grade Science Fair
B&G Staff photo
photo courtesy of BKelleher
GMSers enjoy competition and camaraderie at annual SuperGras field day and now-annual Student Council Dodgeball Tournament
PAGE GMS ‘GOT’ TALENT
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Cameron Das nabs second Gilman Film Festival Award, plus some amazing footwork by sixth graders DeVito, Collins, and Edwards
PAGE DAY TRIPPERS
photo courtesy of MTully
Classes of 2019 and 2020 break away from campus for three days of seeing sites, riding rides, doing good deeds, and having fun
PAGE FACES & FUN
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Running down the last of the Hounds Found: John Mandel, the final new 2018er, and four ‘new’ 2019ers
PAGE LIAR, LIAR B&G Staff photo
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The B&G Staff debuts ‘3 Truths & 1 Lie’, plus This or That, a Movie Invisible, and recaps of Spring IM playoffs and title games
PAGE PERFECTION...AGAIN!
From top, 2014 Commencement Speaker Thomas Booker looks back on his Middle School years while looking ahead to a bright future with his fellow 2018ers; eighth gr ader Douglas Godine (top) hurls a ball at classmate (and momentary opponent) Br andon Savage at GMS’s Second Annual Dodgeball Tournament; the victorious Charioteers of Ms. Anthony’s third period class at SuperGr as 2014.
B&G Staff photo
GMS track team closes out yet another undefeated season, and GMS tennis comes close, dropping only one 2014 match
THOMAS BOOKER, B&G STAFF AND COMMENCEMENT 2014 SPEAKER
FAC ARENA - It is an honor to address you this afternoon on behalf of Gilman’s eighth rade, the Class of 2018. Many of us are already familiar with the Gilman Five, but today, I will be discussing the unique defining characteristics of my class. When I reflect on Gilman’s Class of 2018, four values clearly define us. When speaking about any student at Gilman, perseverance is often the first trait that comes to mind. The eighth grade isn’t easy. It’s a nine-month long mental and physical grind, and the ability to roll with the punches. Getting back up to give it your all is a necessity. With that being said, those late nights spent doing Math lotteries, finishing up Latin translations, or worrying about tomorrow’s quiz on Lord of the Flies, believe it or not, are all purposeful because they taught us the merits of being efficient and of focusing to achieve at the task at hand. Considering the moment we are celebrating today, the second core value that I think of is work ethic. At a place like Gilman, an institution that demands excellence day in and day out, consistent performance is key. Whether it was Mr. Arnold politely reminding us to box out on the basketball court or Mr. Culbertson critiquing us for not having the Quadratic Formula down by heart, first-rate performance is expected. The Class of 2018 routinely met the high expectations of our teachers, parents, and, most importantly, ourselves, by putting in the effort needed to succeed. A winner of the Thomas Prize and Ammidon Citizenship and Miller Teammate awards, Matthew Mu showed that, in order to succeed at Gilman, one needs more than just intelligence. He needs an inexorable work ethic to set himself apart from even the most talented individuals. Be it on the court or in the classroom, hard work is always necessary. Community is another core pillar of our class’s identity, because without it, we are just individuals without any personal connection. I am proud to say that within the Class of 2018 is a tightknit community dedicated to helping each other out and to taking pride in our fellow classmates’ achievements. Full disclosure: there were many times this past year that I “misplaced” my Science Lab data the day before the actual lab was due - I’m sure a lot of us know the feeling - and I depended on my lab mates, John Moore and Douglas Godine, to make sure that when I walked into Mr. Wallace’s third period I.P.S. Class, I had my lab in-hand. My classmates never complained about helping me out, nor did they make excuses about how they did not have the time to do so; instead, so many of you were always there for each other when any of us were in a tough spot. As author Steven Covey said, “Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he CONTINUED ON PAGE 2