Gilman School Blue and Gray - January 2016 Issue

B&G JAN2016

1

THE BLUE & THE GRAY ALL WRITE, ALL RIGHT.

ISSUE 2AG

THE B&G 2.0

VOLUME CII DECEMBER-JANUARY 2016

PAGE 2 ,4

T hanksgiving Food Drive, A Great Success

by Jeffrey Li

by Stefan Velculescu and Aaron Lieberman

FOOD DRIVE MATHALON DIARIES

PAGE 3 A RIP IN THE PAGE

PAGE 5-7 A SPORTING LIFE

PAGE 8 GOODBYES AND GOOD PIES

PAGE 9

O n N ovember 24th, two days before T hanksgiving, some of the student council and a few volunteers missed the T hanksgiving Convocation to go to Brown?s M emorial Church in Pimlico to deliver the goods collected for the T hanksgiving food drive. T he bus was barely big enough to fit all the goods that the students had so generously brought in, but with the help of the volunteers and M rs. M artin they just barely managed to fit everything in.

O nce at Brown?s M emorial Church, the volunteers from the church

TRIPS TO THE BMA

PAGE 10-12 MATCH THAT 'STACHE HOUNDS FOUND BROWNTOWN FUNK

PAGE 15 BUCHANAN'S BOOK

PAGE 16 ONE LAST LOOK

Cover photo credit: Ms. Anthony

M AT H ALON DIAR I ES

Mrs. Martin issqueezed tight between all the donations.

Every year, Gilman sends teams of four to the M aryland M athalon, which is an annual math competition, sponsored by the N SA, between 200+ of the best math students in M aryland.

T he Gilman teams for this year consisted of Aaron Lieberman, Jackson Tacka, Z ak Tini, Jeffrey Li, Anthony Roytenberg, Stefan Velculescu, and Daniel Khurgin.

T he competition had three rounds. T he first round was the "Individual Round." In this round, contestants answered 30 challenging problems in 30 minutes. T he top scorers overall earned close to perfect scores, while the top scorer on the Gilman team was Jeffery Li, with a score of 25. In second place for Gilman was Aaron Lieberman and Anthony Roytenberg, each with a score of 22.

T he second round was the "Inventions Round." Students were placed in teams with other randomly selected students, chose a creative task, and worked to complete it. Each task

Article continued on page 4

B&G Staff: George Cassels-Smith Jack Cavanaugh Dante Chavez Halden Ginsberg

Dorian Hale Owen Kleis Jeffrey Li Aaron Lieberman Essex Thayer

Article continued on page 4

Stefan Velculescu Mr. Byrne Ms. Anthony 2

A R ip in T he Page So here's the story: In the previous edition of the B&G, you may have noticed an article about Coach Vaughn Smith of the celebrated swimming department. T he article was originally slated for this second issue but was rushed to press because another piece needed to be replaced. T he original page was a matching game between current politiciansand their quotationsasreported in the national media. It wasdecided by the middle school administration that the page should be pulled because of the provocative nature of the quotes. In the two columns below, author of the original article, Dante Chavez, writes an editorial in defense of his page while Stefan Velculescu writes in defense of pulling the article. How might you respond if you were put in the place of the author and/or administrator of Gilman Middle School?

D ante Chavez, A uthor - It just so happened that I was the one who wrote the article. Some of the quotes were questionable at worst. Some really just generally made you laugh. O r would have. T he point of the article was to: one, make you laugh and two, inform the public about how idiotic some the candidates can be.

According to the administration, some of these quotes were too controversial to be released, so the article was pulled. Some of the members of the Gilman community were looking forward to the article being published. Remember that we were not the ones who were composing the words. We just compiled the quotations onto a page and published, or attempted to publish them. T he words that were on the original page were not a reflection of how we staffers feel or think.

Finding out about what our future president might think is important information that we should not be shielded from. T he article's intent was to inform the public and possibly, get a good laugh out of the reader and was not meant for any malicious reason. Why filter this from us now so that we're unprepared for our future. After all, one of the candidates from the article is going to be elected president this year. Wouldn't you, the people, want to know about the controversial things that these possible future presidents have said?

Stefan Velculescu, A dm inistration - Pulling an article from a newspaper is a hard decision, but the administration made the right choice when choosing to pull the political matching game article. T hese quotes could be viewed as inappropriate and offensive.

Some of the quotes, with their context, could have been acceptable, but since the quotes were without context, they could have misrepresented the position of the political candidates and appeared controversial, provocative, or inappropriate. T his practice of taking quotes out of context is a favorite of politicians, who use this tactic to misrepresent and defame their political opponents. Q uotes without context can harm a community, spreading messages of intolerance and hate, and can inspire members of our community to give in to these impulses.

Information is a powerful tool, and students should not be discouraged from learning about the candidates. Sometimes, though, information can also be dangerous and harmful to a community. T he administration is the judge of that, not the students.

3

T hanksgiving Food D r ive Continued from page 1

helped them unload the boxes and organize the contents. T he amount of food that came out of the boxes seemed endless, can after can, box after box, filling up all the provided space.

Just as they were about to leave, however, M s.

Cole, asked them to gather around. M s. Cole has been volunteering at the church since the start of this drive, 26 + years! U nfortunately this year she has had frequents bouts with cancer, causing her to stay home for treatment, but that hasn?t stopped her from helping the community.

She told them of how grateful she was that Gilman had donated this much food and that ?Some families who don?t have food on T hanksgiving can have a nice warm meal.? M s. Cole also said that since this tradition of helping and caring had been carried on for the last 26 years, she was going to purchase a plaque and engrave on it the names of all the volunteers from the previous two years. ?Give and ye shall will receive? (N ew Living Translation Bible, Luke. 6:38) seems to fit very well here. In the true spirit of T hanks-giving, M s. Cole would like to thank all of GM S for donating and making a difference in someone?s holiday. W ith that ten minutes spent shopping, someone was assured a hot and filling meal for this past T hanksgiving.

M athalon D iar ies Continued from page 1

was judged independently of one another. Gilman performed magnificently in this round, with Jeffrey Li, Jackson Tacka, and Anthony Roytenberg all claiming first place, Aaron Lieberman and Daniel Khurgin at third place, and Z ak Tini grabbing fifth.

T he final round was the Team Round. T he two teams consisted of four people each. T he first team consisted of Jeffrey Li, Aaron Lieberman, Stefan Velculescu, and Daniel Khurgin, while the second contained Jackson Tacka, Justin Bai, Anthony Roytenberg, and Z ak Tini. T he teams had to answer 10 questions, which course were harder than those in the individual round. M any of the high-scoring teams scored 9 or 10, but the highest scoring Gilman team (Khurgin, Lieberman, Li, and Velculescu) scored an 8; if they had scored one more point, they would have placed in the competition. T he other team answered two questions right.

O verall, the team had a wonderful time at the competition. It was a great way to spend the H alloween morning for everyone involved.

For bonus points, here is a problem from the com petition that was selected by the par ticipants: Individual Round 28: Joe, M o, and Curly were asked if they stole the teacher's purse. T hey each made one statement. Joe said, "I didn't do it." M o said, "Curly did it." And Curly said, "I did it." Later, the teacher heard that one student had lied, and the others were telling the truth. Based on this information, who did it? (T his question was the most missed question in the entire Individual Round.)

A . Joe B. Curly C. M o D . N ot enough infor m ation to answer (For the answer, ask the above named mathaletes!)

Halfway throught the sortingproccess, the tablesare already full!

4

A GAME FOR THE AGES Water Polo vsLoyola Dons

By Essex Thayer O n O ctober 21st, the Gilman water polo team did the unimaginable. After a 13-8 win at home against M cDonogh on the 20th, the H ounds took on the Loyola Dons at home to a full crowd of students, teachers, and parents.

Goalie Jackson Shelby ('20) preparesto launch a passto a teammate.

T he week leading up to the M cDonogh and Loyola games was filled with excitement and nervousness for players, students, and teachers alike. From announcements, chants, and cheers, all of the Gilman M iddle School's student body knew where to be on a cold Wednesday afternoon.

could not have happened without the tough practices and the days when you couldn't swim another stroke. Everyone on this team was ready to lead and work hard. We wouldn't be successful without their work."

W ith a great win, the Gilman's water polo team completed a historic season in which they beat M cDonogh twice, won a tournament, and most of all, beat the unbeatable by dominating Loyola in the season finale. When asked about the turnaround of the water polo program M s.

Alexander said, "I am so proud of the commitment and development of this program since its inception in 2004. It's crazy to think that we had to ask for people to play water polo back in '04 and '05 when this year, 42 kids tried out for the team. I can see that this water polo team will directly affect the U pper School program next year." T he leadership and passion from M s. Dimaio, Coach Vaughn Smith, and the players is exciting and reassuring that the team will be successful in the future. T hese huge wins have been rewarding and add to the excitement of this great season.

From all the players on the water polo team, we would like to say a huge thank you to M s. Dimaio, Coach Vaughn, and M s. Alexander for pushing us to our highest potential.

We would not have been successful without you. We would also like to thank the teachers, students, and parents for their nonstop support throughout the season. Finally from all the eighth graders, thank you so much for the fun water polo seasons we had here in the M iddle School. We can't wait to see how far the team goes in the future.

W ith most interscholistic and intramural athletes in attendance to watch a possible historic event, the Gilman Greyhounds maintained control throughout the entire game. W ith star performances by Adam M asom, Antonio M endez-Trendler and Sal R icci, Gilman took a quick 6-0 lead to stun Loyola and captivate all fans in attendance.

From then on, Gilman never let up. Extra goals from Brooks Lebow, H ollis Q uasebarth, and Essex T hayer allowed the H ounds to separate themselves and secure a win. To cap off the dominating match, goalie Jason H ossfeld tossed a beautiful skip shot to score from his own goal and excite the crowd seconds before the final horn.

When the last second elapsed, cheers, hugs, and high fives came from all team members and a jubilant celebration ensued. "I am so proud of what this team accomplished this year," said M s. Dimaio. "T his season

Setup man Adam Masom ('20) looksfor the open space.

5

A SPORTING LIFE by: H alden Ginsberg and staff W restling R epor t - Gilman wrestling had its first match of the season against Severn on December 9th. T he match took place in the Gilman wrestling room. Gilman won its first match 7-5.

James Edwards, Andy Cheng, Sam K ing, and Charlie Edwards all won with pins in the first period. Jackson Tacka and M ax Carneal recorded victories with pins in the second. Z ak Tini won with a closely contested 4-3 match.

Coach Byrne was encouraged by the match. "O ur boys preformed well and wrestled aggressively from our lower weights on up. We have a lot of room for improvement, but the coaching staff liked what we saw."

M r. Byrne noted that the upcoming match against Loyola will be just as, if not more challenging. "We need to keep improving our conditioning and technique. If we do, we should continue wrestling competitively."

'Ballers R epor t T he interscholastic basketball team has had a great start this year. While undefeated through four games, we only have three wins due to the atrocity that is the middle school rules for the sport.

Play day @ McDonogh (December 2nd, 2015) -- To start the season off, Gilman, as well as three other teams traveled to M cDonogh to get some practice against other teams and to size-up our opponents for

the year. Gilman had a great day, winning all four match-ups, even though this was two days after the final cuts for the team had been made.

Gilman vs. Boys? Latin (December 7th, 2015) -- Gilman went into their game against Boys? Latin too slow and BL took an early lead.

T hroughout the game, Boys? Latin steadily held their lead without faltering, which made a victory seem eminent. In the 4th quarter, the entire Gilman team went into the game disappointed because of their apparent loss, everyone except Curtis Jacobs. Curtis, along with help from Jordan Foster on defense, pressured BL on their half of the court and got multiple steals leading to easy lay-ups.

After about five minutes of this routine we were down by two points with approximately twenty seconds remaining. We got a key stop on defense which led to Caleb Dorsey?s first field goal of the game to tie it up. T he game ended in a tie with the crowd cheering for an overtime performance, but sadly the M S Basketball rules do not allow for such a tie-breaker.

Gilman vs. Vanguard Collegiate Academy (December 11th, 2015) -Gilman defeated this Baltimore City middle school at home in a tightly contested match-up.

Vanguard put up a good fight but in the end Gilman emerged the victor thanks to a smothering defense and a strong offensive performance by many players, like Danny Rosenfield, who hit numerous threes in the game.

Gilman @ McDonogh (January 5th, 2015) -- T his game was a little less tightly contested as Gilman defeated M cDonogh 70-43. In this rout of M cDonogh, many players, like Caleb Dorsey, really lead our team to an astounding victory.

Gilman @ Loyola (January 7th, 2015) -- Loyola really put up a good fight constantly confusing us on defense, breaking into the lane, and making some nice finishes at the hoop, but by the time the final whistle blew, Gilman was walking away with the W. W ill N aylor contributed immensely in this game, fighting for key boards in the paint.

Gilman vs. St. Paul?s (January 11th, 2015) -- Yet again, Gilman had an easy victory in this game but we really took the chance to improve our skills. Working on everything from moving the ball around, sitting some of our top players, and finishing with our off hand whenever possible. St. Paul?s put up a strong fight but the game ended in yet another Gilman victory.

Fall R ecords Football 5-0 Soccer 9-2 Cross Country 3-4 Water Polo 5-1 W inter R ecords Swimming 0-2 Basketball 4-0-1 6

SPORTS GALORE! Cross Country

By Aaron Lieberman Following the fifth GM S cross country meet at Glenelg, the meets went back to St. Paul?s for the second-to-last meet of the year.

U nfortunately, the Greyhounds were without one of their top runners, O wen Johnson, who had broken his arm the previous weekend while playing soccer. In addition, the head coach of the team, M r. Tully, was also out since his baby had been born just two days before. St. Paul?s was back to first, with their seventh grader Z ach Walker getting first place once again.

A 'lil M ore X C A ction

By Jeffrey Li Cross country finished off their season with a championship meet at M cDonogh. O ver 200 kids were present from all schools in the M IAA, from Loyola to Glenelg to the Greyhounds?fearsome rival, St. Paul's. Gilman took their places on the line and waited for that one word: ?go.? Just as the word escaped the ref?s mouth, all 200 kids took off. T he course itself had changed from previous years due to the presence of recently erected bleachers.

T hey had taken out some of the hills in the course and had made it flatter overall. As one of the GM S X C coaches said, ?T his course doesn?t have hills; T hose are lumps!? and indeed they were.

W ith hills that small, there was only one school to worry about, and that was St.Paul?s. Gilman ran well, with five runners placing in the top twenty. When the refs tallied up the scores, a tie for first

emerged. T he total of the top five Gilman runners was the same as the total of the top five St. Paul?s runners.

T hey handed over the championship to Gilman because the number six runner had ran faster than St. Paul?s number six.

Exhilarated, the team celebrated, and shouts of glee and pride echoed through the bus; however, the refs had given Gilman runners incorrect places. In the end, they gave the title to St. Pauls, by FOU R POIN T S. T hat race truly was a ?near win,? and will act as motivation for next year?s runners who are sure to have their eyes on St. Paul?s team.

------------------------------Greyhound Football

By George Cassels-Smith T he Gilman eighth grade took on the M cDonogh Eagles in football.

Jack Tortolani had another strong performance. Jack lead the offense to a 52-12 victory over the Eagles.

T he defense also had a great game allowing their first touchdown of the year. Even though they allowed one touchdown they were able to stop the two point conversion and the Eagles for the rest of the game.

T he special teams also allowed a touchdown.

Some highlights from the defense were Billy Spillman's safety.

Pierce Washburn had a pick six late in the 4th quarter. O n the offensive side of the ball Curtis Jacobs, Pearson H arrington, R yan W illamson, and Billy Spillman scored touchdowns.

Gilman beat M cDonogh in their last game to wrap up a perfect

season. T he H ounds played their last game on the new turf. Curtis Jacobs led the team to a 34-18 victory with three touchdowns.

George Cassels-Smith scored on a reverse, and Billy Spillman had a touchdown on a passing play. R yan W illiamson recorded a pick and the defense ended the season well.

D ylan Walters finished with a handful of extra points. T he Gilman squad finished with a 5-0 record.

------------------------------I M Soccer

By Dorian H ale T he playoffs of IM Soccer were a work in progress. T here were a lot of challenges because of the lack of field space due to the construction.

T he playoffs were slow at the start but by the end of the IM season, players were fully into the gist of how things go. At the start of semi-finals, T he Buzz started off with the ball. T he first half was more of a back and forth but not finishing. Buzz took many shots, but couldn't put it in the net. T he H ounds was a more defensive team, but they scored a goal early in the second half. T he Buzz were anxious. T he H ounds' goalie, Dorian, blocked every shot that came to him ultimately winning the game 1-0. In the finals, it was H ounds versus H oppers both keepers played vigorously and the field players took little shots because of the opposing defense.

O verall, the game ended 0-0 and went into penalties. Five players from both teams lined up. It ended 3-2, H oppers. T he deciding goal was shot by Ethan M addox.

7

GO ODBYES AN D GO OD PI ES

by Aaron Lieberman and O wen K leis

Two eighty-year old professorsshow their wild side

T he first of many piesfindsthe face of a party guest

T his past N ovember, the first of Gilman?s productions took place in the Gilman auditorium. It was the Gilman-Bryn M awr middle school play, Too Good to Say Goodbye by Jim Gustafson. It was about a middle-aged writer named Redmond H unter whose characters all came to life. H e also falls in love with Amanda H awkins, a young English professor at the local university, who could then see his characters.

M r. Kelleher said that the play was very sophisticated compared to other years, especially the 20+ minute cocktail party scene.

At an English department party, the characters begin to wreak havoc and the professor leaves, crying. At the end of the party, four people get pied in the face, including the host, who is then arrested.

M eanwhile, another of the professors is plotting to get Amanda and Redmond back together. W ith the help of the characters, she is able to reunite them.

T he performance was a lot of fun for the cast, crew, and audience, taking place on N ovember 20th and 21st. It was directed by our own M r. Kelleher, helped out by M r. Flint, M s. Armstead (a teacher from Bryn M awr), and M s. M cCort, our costume designer. T he cast consisted of 14 Gilman students and 12 from Bryn M awr, while the crew was 6 Gilman students and 9 from Bryn M awr.

It was a major production, with lighting, sound, props, and two different sets, mounted on a rolling track -- one for the party, and one for the writer?s apartment. T here were also fantastic costumes for every cast member.

N ext year, the play will be at Bryn M awr again. M r. Kelleher is offering advice to anyone who auditioned for the play: ?I hope they?ll stay involved.

T here are some people who are very good actors.?

M r. Kelleher wants them to stay involved in drama.

H e said that his favorite part of the play this year was the whipped cream pie in the Chancellor?s face, and he is very grateful for all of his support.

O nce again, the M iddle School play was a huge success, selling over 500 tickets on both shows combined. It was a great experience for all involved, and in the end, it was too good to say goodbye.

Cast in speaking order: T homas Langston, H enry R yle, Jack Stephenson, Alexis Alton, Dominic Yap, Lizzie Sacktor, Beck W ittstadt, Connor Vogel, Ben R ichardson, Jenna Resnick, D ylan Patel, Vanesa Brecher, Charlotte Edwards, Caroline Plant Aaron Lieberman, Sasha Garcia, M ary K at Weigman, Page Clancy, Anna Z ivkovich, Daniel Khurgin, Jack White, Alex DeVito, James Edwards, Olivia George, Anne Lindle Weigman, Poe Doub Crew : M att Rodgeville, Jessica Bryan, Tom Broadus, Charlotte Crawford, Z ach Anderson, Celeste Cullors, R yan Choi, Charley H ouley, Z ak Tini, N aomi Fotenos, M ia Aversano, K aitlyn Leitherer, Z awadi Sankofa, Lara Shein, K atie Butler 8

A RT A N D LA N GUAGE: A T R I P OFF- CA M PU S

by Jeffrey Li and Jack Cavanaugh

O n Wednesday, December 9th, the eighth grade French Class and select Art Club students went to the Baltimore M useum of Art and then to Petit Louis for lunch. After first period when the Spanish-Latin trip left, the group went to the Art room to receive a well constructed and informative presentation from M r. Anderson. T here they learned about the history about all the art they were going to see later in the day. After the presentation, they split up into two groups of 11, and each boarded a Gilman minibus. O ne bus was driven by M rs. Summers, the other by M r. Anderson. M rs. Abruzzo was also in M rs. Summers' bus.

At around 10:00 A.M ., the tour of the BM A began. M r. Anderson was the docent, so we did not have to wait around for a tour guide. We began by looking at various sculptures for about half an hour.

We then explored the different wings of the building and had 5-10 minutes of free time in each wing. M r.

Anderson was very helpful as he had great knowledge of all the artwork. After the tour was over, we had 15 minutes to explore the outdoor courtyard with our friends. T here were even some sculptures there!

After a short 10 minute bus ride, we arrived at Petit Louis for our 12:00 reservation. T he staff was prepared for us and we were immediately seated.

M ost of the students ordered crevettes (shrimp) as an appetizer, a croque-M onsieur (grilled cheese) for the main course, and mousse at chocolat (chocolate mousse for dessert. T he food and service at Petit Louis was exceptional, and everyone was happy to be there.

Jack Stuzin, CurtisJacobs, and Pearson Harrington at the Billie Holliday mosaicin FellsPoint

O n December 9th, a deep silence was felt in the middle school. T he cause? M ost likely the absence of a whole grade.

T he majority of the class of 2020 went on the M urals and M osaics trip, otherwise known as the Spanish and Latin trip. T he group toured downtown Baltimore, hopping on and off the buses and looking at the murals. T he mural program was created back in 1975, with a primary purpose of making neighborhoods more attractive and instilling pride in those who lived there. T hose ideals cold clearly be seen in the murals, as many depicted communities and their interactions. As for the instilling a sense of pride, there were many depictions of important leaders in the civil rights movement.

For lunch, the group stopped at La Tolteca, an Authentic M exican restaurant. T hey had ordered ahead of time, and steaming plates of food came endlessly, pouring out of the kitchen. Street tacos, enchiladas, chimichangas, and more appeared on the tables, only to be devoured as soon as they had appeared.

After lunch, the group went to the BM A for the last leg of their journey. T he large group split up and went to their prospective exhibits, half going to the ancient murals recovered from Italy, and the other half going to a temporary exhibit, "Imagining H ome." After both groups had viewed both exhibits, the tired Spanish/Latin students got back on the buses, and left for GM S, returning just in time for athletics.

9

M AT CH T H AT 'STACH E Test your knowledge about the Gilman School's 'staches and their owners.

By: H alden Ginsberg and Essex T hayer

A. M r. Byrne B. N ico Gonzalez-Reed

C. M r. Tully

D. M r. W illiams E. M r. Daly F. Culby

G. Shocknation H . Coach Wally

I. M r. M cGhee Answers from "M atch T hat Stache":

1.D, 2.I, 3.B, 4.A, 5.C, 6.E, 7.G, 8.F

Answerson the bottom of page...

10

H ounds Found Jacob Delgado

Jack Jones

By: O wen K leis Jacob Delgado is a new eighth grader in M r.

M arner's advisory. H e hails from M iami, Florida, and loves to travel abroad. Previously, he has visited Italy and Austria, along with trips to N ew York. Before Gilman, he went to Glenelg Country school.

O ne of the reasons why he chose Gilman was because of the academics, but specifically the Latin course. H e takes classes in both the middle school and the upper school, and is a member of Certamen club, a Latin and mythology based trivia club. In his free time, he can be seen studying for his upper school classes.

Among them, his favorites include: World Cultures, Latin 2 H onors, and English.

After school, H e can be seen browsing through Tumblr and also, playing with his two dogs. H is favorite T V show is T he U nbreakable K immy Schmidt. O ver the summer, he went to Italy and an academic camp. To finish, he would like everyone to know that he is a "multi-cellular organism." We welcome Jacob Delgado into our eighth grade class!

By:Jack Cavanaugh Eighth grader Jack Jones is making a return to Gilman this year. As many of you know, he attended Gilman through fourth grade, after which he moved later that summer.

O n July 4th, 2012, he moved to Boulder, Colorado. After spending around three years there, he moved back to Lutherville on August 5th, 2015.

H e did not move back to the same house, but he is neighbors with fellow eighth grader Adam M asom.

H e has an older brother who attends the U niversity of South Carolina, and an older sister who goes to St. Paul's School for Girls. In his free time, he enjoys PlayStation, riding his hoverboard, and skiing, which he adopted while living in Colorado. Everyone is pleased to see Jack again, and

has

been

very

welcoming

to

him.

11

BROWN T OWN FU N K

BY: DANTECHAVEZ

Eight years ago, the Gilman class of 2007 graduated.

In that class was our new teacher, M r. Brown. M r.

Brown grew up in Baltimore with a dad who teaches social entrepreneurship at the U niversity of Baltimore and still does. H e also has an interest in Social Studies that probably rubbed off from his dad. H e could have chosen any other profession such as a librarian or a surf shop owner, which were some of his top options at the time. O nce he retires, he plans to go down one of those two paths.

When asked how long he was planning on staying at Gilman, he said that he was planning to be a ?lifer.? But before he came back to Gilman, he taught at Saint Ignatius Loyola Academy. If you ever get the opportunity, ask M r. Brown about his photography. O r maybe about how he plays djembe, an African drum. O r even about his knitting. Yes! M r. Brown knits for those of you who had to read that sentence again. H e also has quite an eclectic taste in movies.

Mr. Brown and the Classof 2007 at hisfive year reunion

O ne of his favorites, Friday, starring Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, tells a story about two unemployed slackers. Like any LA teacher, he also has a favorite book. H e loves the book Holes.

Additionally, his favorite sport is ultimate frisbee.

H is vacation spot, Smith Island, M D, is also a great place to visit in the summer. If you see M r. Brown in the hallway, say hi or even just nod!

Mr. Brown and Ms. Orange, the newly engaged couple at Gilman School

Mr. Brown and crew on a community service trip 12

Presidential H opefuls by GM S

By Essex T hayer Based off a survey from December 2015

Hillary Clinton: 1st Pl ace 26.6% of the vote

Ot hers Recieving Vot es: Carly Fiorina- 5 votes Martin O'Malley- 3 votes Mike Huckabee- 1 vote

Marco Rubio: 5t h Pl ace 6.5% of the vote

Donald Trump:

Chris Christie:

2nd Pl ace 22.6% of the vote

6t h Pl ace 8 votes

Ben Carson: 3rd Pl ace 12.9% of the vote

Jeb Bush: 7t h Pl ace 7 votes

Bernie Sanders:

Ted Cruz:

4t h Pl ace 12.1% of the vote

8t h Pl ace 6 Votes

13

What Not to Gift for the H olidays

by H alden Ginsberg

N ow that the holidays have passed, we are looking back on mistakes made throughout the break.

N ormally here at the Blue and the Gray we would give you all the important insider information on what to get your closest friends and family this holiday season, but due to recent events we now feel that giving an example of what not to get might be more helpful for the general health and welfare of the public.

N ow we all know that these ?H overboards? taking the internet and top 1% of the world by storm are cool, no doubt! But are they really a reasonable choice for a fun holiday gift?

First of all, there is the name. Who decided to name this gyroscopically-stabilizing device a ?H overboard??

Did they think these compared to the flying board dreamt of most notably in the brilliant Back to the Future films, or are they just plain stupid? I mean these boards do not ?hover? in any meaning of the word.

N ot only do they have W H EELS but they also ROLL on the GROUN D !

T hese boards are also quickly becoming obsolete as the police departments in most major cities

are declaring them illegal because they are not technically ?motorized vehicles.? N ot to mention, they are actually being recalled due to some ?unavoidable and accidental explosions?- H overboard CEO, probably. T here are hundreds pictures and videos floating around the internet of the boards randomly bursting into flames! Would you really trust your siblings, nephew, or even your own children with this death trap?

T he day after these horrifying details came to the light, R azor CEO, M in-Liang Tan, spoke to the press about their brand new product, the new R azor ?H overboard.? H e claims that these ?H overboards,? which look exactly the same as the original defective product, will have the same quality, but will have no chance of bursting into flames. O ne could assume that R azor will use different batteries than their predecessors, which was supposedly the reason for these ?accidents,? but we do not really know as of yet.

Even with these promises of a safer, better running device, can we truly trust this machine after its rise to glory ended in a bitter, fiery crash?

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M r. Buchanan and

T he Legend of George

by Dorian H ale

H ow many of you knew about M r.Buchanan's recently published book? Well, if you don't, it entails an African-American male involved in a small town where he is the most loved person there. H e was just an above average shoe-maker who loved his job. H e was so good, the king acknowledged his efforts and hired him. but then a special event happened and his life changed. You'll have to read what happens to find out the rest.

It started off for M r. Buchanan by just telling his daughters stories. H is daughters would critique them technically, making them the first editors. M r.

Buchanan's passion was storytelling, so he was determined to publish his work. It took four years of editing and rewriting. H e hired a professional illustrator. M ichael Bracco, the illustrator, worked on many different comic books such as Nova, Creators and Birth. H e even has his own clothing line. M r.

Buchanan loved M r. Bracco's drawing style but the process proved to be very time-consuming.

M r. Buchanan wanted to make a book not only for his passion but to teach kids concepts, such as coups, legends, having a good attitude, and having diversity as main ideas. M r. Buchanan's book was inspired by his interest of legends and storytelling in addition to his teaching experience.

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THE BLUE & THE GRAY T he John M .T. M iddle School * Gilman School * 5407 Roland Avenue * Baltimore, M D 21210

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