Issue#4, 2018

GZAAT GAZETTE

Issue N° 4 Reading is Free!

February 2018

Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy Tbilisi

MUN Trip to Rome

By Anna Ioseliani

During the days of

January 31st to February 4th, a group of 11 students (including myself) went to the school MUN tri p to Rome, offered by the MUN club that is lead by two amazing people: George Inaishvili and Anastasia Gviniashvili.

The tri p included a full MUN conference and also some sightseeing. The kids were accompanied by two advisors and also five parents (who decided to go voluntarily and independently of the club).

The Model United Nations (MUN), is a simulation of a true UN session, aimed at helping students develop and increase skills such as “substantial researching, public speaking, debating, and writing skills, as well as critical thinking, teamwork, and leadershi p abilities,” according to “Best Delegate”, MUN’s official newsletter.

This year, MUN was hosted at the European University in Rome and had a total of three divisions: the General Assembly,

A group of GZAAT Students attending “MUN Rome”, 2018 Security Council A manitarian Response honorable mention. and, Security Counto the Refugee CriWhen our group was cil B. The General sis”. talking outside, the Assembly had over Giorgi Inaishvili chair came over and 200 members, with was the only delegate told Giorgi that he each security council from GZAAT in the was the only one to having 15 delegates Security Council. He fully understand the each. The issue at enjoyed the debate issue and told him hand was “The Huand even earned an he had impeccable

skills and was by far the best delegate in the committee.

In the General Assembly, most of our delegates were confused as it was most Continued on page 2

Students’ Hobbies: A Great Way to Relieve Stress

By Andrey Todua

One of the juniors “relieving stress” after a regular school day

all the deadlines and pressure for a short working at school, period of time and especially those to explore their own students who have interests more deeply. a desire and feel a There are different responsibility to fight ways to relax and for their future; these chill, ranging from driven souls work just lying in a bed, day and night to to sitting on the educate themselves. and watching your In fact, the work favorite episodes of at GZAAT can be “Game of Thrones”. so demanding that Others may prefer a even those students more active way of who are labeled as unwinding. Learn“lazy” by teachers, ing something new need, at some point, a outside of the school healthy way to escurriculum is a popcape all the stress of ular way to forget school. That’s why about the struggle to many students have hobbies, which help Continued on page 4 them to forget about

Everyone gets tired

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GZAAT GAZETTE The Annals of Ideology: Who Do the 9th Graders Look up to?

By Nina Ninua

Idols have always

Pictures from MUN 2017

MUN Trip to Rome ...people’s first time at a MUN conference. The confusion only increased when a new crisis, a shi p that had been lost at sea, was discovered during the session and an unusual schedule change took place.

Amidst the confusion, all the delegates got a chance to feel what a UN session might be like and develop skills such as making allies, changing perspectives and setting short-term goals.

The delegates were also given a speech by Italy’s Foreign Affairs Minister Angelino Alfano at the ministry. The speech was in Italian, as it is a custom to read speeches in the ministry in the na-

tional language. Headphones with the translation were provided.

He spoke of finding the right occupation and choosing a profession based on one’s interests, rather than others opinions.

As for the city, Rome was as beautiful as ever. Kids were given some liberty (restricted) by the advisors and our evenings were usually spontaneous. “It was hard to control all the kids, but we made it manageable,” reports one of the advisors.

A field trip to the St. Peter’s Basilica was set up on the last day and walking around was often after the conference hours. “The conference was good no doubt, but Rome was better,”

says Nini Mirianashvili, a General Assembly Delegate.

Overall, not only was the trip an educational experience but also an opportunity to make memories with friends in a beautiful city.

The conference allows for one to determine whether or not they like diplomacy, with all of its ups and downs.

I, personally, would encourage all to sign up to MUN next year, to get a feel of the true UN experience.

played a significant role in the lives of young people in our society, and this includes the kids at American Academy. An idol is something like a role model: they are imbued with the ability to shape the views, ideas, and actions of the young person looking up to them. We are inspired by our role models and, by learning about them, we can discover how we wish to become in the future. The influence that we can take from our idols is tremendous.

So, what types of people do American Academy students idolize?

I thought it would be interesting to start with the 9th grade, as this class is still relatively new to AAT and may not be as cynical as some of the older groups. It also happens to be my class and is the group to which I have the easiest access.

So, with this goal in mind, I conducted an informal poll of the Class of 2021.

It comes as no surprise that the idols and role models of most 9th Graders exist quite close to home. In fact, family members and relatives were named most commonly as inspirations. It seems that we are very close with our families and therefore take a lot of motivation from them.

Students reported that their families are the ones who teach them everything and set the example that they work

hard to achieve.

However, closely known family members were not the only names on the list. Steve Jobs turns out to be a huge inspiration for us 9th graders. As one student pointed out: “For me, Steve Jobs was a genius; a person who changed the tech industry and people’s understanding of a phone. He had a hard life; he had few supporters and no help from others. But with his genius inventions, he proved to everyone that different ideas are not always foolish. Even after he was diagnosed with cancer, he still fought hard and never gave up.” Another popular celebrity role model is Lebron James, since many of us see him as an example that hard work never goes unnoticed and will always pay off in the long run. In general, the category of musicians (and particularly female singers) is a popular one for role models. Among them stand: Selena Gomez, because of how she always conquers her

fears and how she constantly stands up for what she believes in; Beyoncé, because she not only sings amazingly but also dances perfectly, is very enthusiastic and loves what she does, and; Lady Gaga, since she is seen as inspirational, brave, bold, and a supportive person to some of us, teaching people to love themselves for who they are.

As already mentioned, it is important that role models set a good example, since we all take a lot of inspiration from them, therefore giving them the ability to shape our views and personality.

From the answers that I got from 9th graders about their idols, it is important to realise what they all have in common. Which happens to be the will to put in hard work, no matter what others think or say, and to have enough strength to support yourself and stand for your beliefs and ideas, also taking in consideration other points of views.

GZAAT GAZETTE

The first munici pal dog shelter in Tbilisi

Teachers’ Achievements: Ms. Tamar Mamulashvili

By Misho Gabashvili

Ms. Tamar Mamu-

lashvili, a well-beloved Chemistry pedagogue of GZAAT, has left a great mark on the establishment of the first street animal shelter in Tbilisi, Georgia. One can become inspired to do something similar after hearing what she has to say.

Ms. Tamar loves animals and it breaks her heart to see an innocent pet left behind in the streets. She believes that every living

creature deserves love equally, including animals such as dogs, cats and so on. She started her journey towards helping such victims of abandonment by creating an Animal Services Club at AAT around five or six years ago. At the time, there was no Municipal Abandoned Pet Shelter in Tbilisi. Pets found in the street were either killed or left to fend for themselves in the woods. Naturally, a

house-raised animal would have the toughest time dealing with a wild environment, since they would not be accustomed to living in a situation where they have to fight for survival.

Ms. Tamar tried to employ a European standard towards this issue, since most developed countries approach the problem of abandoned/street animals humanely and not by means of

A dog from the first munici pal dog shelter in Tbilisi

violence and carnage.

The next step was to spread this message to the students. Luckily, one of the close relatives of the President of Georgia at the time was greatly touched by this issue and devised a plan with Ms. Tamar to write a letter to the authorities, asking for a shelter that would provide a new hope for street dogs and cats.

Ms. Tamar put much effort into creating a letter that would not only show the sad reality of the circumstances in Georgia, but also encouraged people to make necessary changes. In one month, she and the students’ wish was granted. A Municipal Animal Shelter was built near the Tbilisi Airport.

Ms. Tamar is very fond of this achievement, which not only affects the animals themselves, but also gives the citizens a chance to make their lives better by adopting them. Ms. Tamar says that many political figures have provided a great example by adopting these pets from the shelter, including Mr. Kakha Kaladze. Now, Ms. Tamar addresses anyone who is willing to make the world a better place with regard to deserted, overlooked, and innocent street animals.

If at least one out of hundred people adopt a street animal from a shelter, this issue will potentially be solved for good. She refers to her campaign as: “Save the world from its torment!” – meaning that each and every living being is priceless and equal to the whole universe on its own. “By saving a living organism, we are saving the universe that it holds!”says Ms. Tamar.

Ms. Tamar, herself, has put many abandoned dogs and cats

into shelters. Most notably, she saved a ten-year-old Caucasian Shepherd Dog, who had been left behind on Vazha Pshavela Street. She describes the dog as a “bear-like ball of dignity and happiness”. The dog was soon adopted, making him an amazing, warm-hearted, pet for his new owner. She has also adopted three dogs from a shelter, who are her loyal and loving companions.

Ms. Tamar Mamulashvili proves to be a true lover of all living beings, equally. She takes pride in this lifestyle, since it can save so many innocent lives.

Most Importantly, Ms. Tamar hopes that one day people will ac-

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knowledge the importance of providing a better life for innocent beings - a “tiny universe of their own”, as she states. Then, she hopes that people find enough strength and will to put this mindset to work and adopt at least one homeless animal.

Staff Editors-in-chief: Leviko Kiladze Mariam Kvaratskhelia Mariam Dugladze Teacher Advisor: Anthony Schierman Journalists: Misho Gabashvuili Nikoloz Kiladze Keta Gamtkitsulashvili Nina Margania Nina Ninua Andrey Todua Tiko Amiranashvili Lasha Janashia Anri Gavasheli Anna Ioseliani Rezi Getsadze

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GZAAT GAZETTE Students’ Hobbies

...raise that B- to an A. In this enjoyable process, we start to pay attention to something else, put our efforts into it and, in the end, actually get to learn a language or a new computer program. Because no one is grading you, you start to control yourself better which might help you prepare for your future.

Mariam Choladze, a Sophomore, is learning Chinese: “I have private lessons in Chinese.

I feel that focusing on something new is beneficial, plus it takes my mind off of all the stress and grades, and in a sense, keeps me going.” She is a great example of a person whose extra curricular activity helps her to handle the school and her responsibilities more easily.

At some point, just about every student starts to feel frustration and anger towards their grades and towards some teachers as well, who, in their eyes, are unfair. For some students, gaming is a way to relieve stress and aggression. Sophomore, Tazo Tvalabeishvili, says: “Gaming is a great way for me to relax and forget about school, because a lot of complex strategies and thinking process are needed to play different sort of games. So yeah, gaming is my way to escape.”

Another way, to take one’s mind off of something, like school is by doing sports, traing and exercising. The reason for this is, that

during physical training our minds relax, and we start focusing and concentrating on a specific goal in that sport. This helps people to forget about school or anything else during that specific session.

One of the Sophomores, Anano Kokaia says:” I do kickboxing and dancing, and to be honest, I don’t have time to think about school, during this period of training, because I concentrate on this two things, and school just pops out of my mind.”

In conclusion, activities outside of school are beneficial not only for one’s future, but also for his/her mental health, which is crucial for anyone’s life. In a good mental state, a student is full of energy and becomes more passionate about his education at school.

The Saturday Academy: Why Academy and Not School?

By Lasha Janashia

The Saturday Academy in the Donald W. Thomas Library of GZAAT

Saturday School has

just gotten a promotion. With its unique system for teaching, the GZAAT Saturday School has been an important part of our school’s culture for a long time. Instead of “regular” lessons, meaning those that are conducted only by teachers, the Saturday School offers an unusual approach: students are the teachers, and they decide as to what they are going to teach. They make their own syllabus and write grades. Because of this the program was free, as the teachers were volunteers. Mostly Saturday School taught creative lessons such as debates, programming (C++), art, but there were also Georgian and French. However, the Saturday Academy brought back the traditional system of teaching where the professional are teachers and the students are the teacher assistants.

The assistants have to maintain peace in the classroom and help the children if they need or don’t understand

something. In other words, actual students are involved in lesson-conducting processes. The Academy now has a price, since it employs teachers.

Besides this what else is different about the new Saturday Academy?

Firstly, the lessons now taken more seriously as some more traditional subjects have been added to make it into an actual Academy.

The official subjects are as follows: Math, English, Georgian, and Programming, while the extracurricular activities are Sports, Quiz Bowl and Debate (fun fact: this is run by a student called Luka Jijieshvili). Unlike the Saturday School, the children can now learn these subjects more intensively and use it in their everyday lives.

While creativity can help develop the life of the students it is not as usable in schools as the traditional subjects. By this program children now have the opportunity to learn both fun and important lessons.

Ms. Ketka Topadze, of our Georgian Depart-

ment and the organizer of the Saturday Academy says: “The Saturday Academy has a very affordable price of 95 Lari a month. It has been established to teach every social sector. We are planning to make this into a real Academy where the money that the children pay is given back as knowledge, but not as student-taught knowledge, but as professional education. As of now there are people who are in this club to get ready for GZAAT, however our goal is not only to prep them for here, but to give them an education that they can use for other schools. Its purpose is to unite the schools in Georgia. As of now we have taken only 40 students, but in the future, we are planning to extend the limit and to transform it into something similar to the Summer School, with picnics on good weather and other fun activities. We have decided on the new name to be Saturday Academy, because it gives us the unity to this school.

As we are American Academy and not American School, the program should also be called Saturday Academy” Saturday School and Saturday Academy have both focused on improving the education of children in Georgia. This program helps them to get the knowledge that they are deprived from by the strictly traditional schools. Some children have the ambitions to learn, however they don’t have the means to do so. Even though there are some schools with good teaching systems, the teachers are mostly unqualified or don’t have the same access to the skills that our teachers do. By having the Saturday Academy, children now get the chance to have professional teach subjects and give them enough skills to improve their lives.

No matter how we view this program, it can’t be denied that it brings a lot of joy to the people of Georgia and does a lot of good to those willing to learn. Saturday School might have been a good program, but the Saturday Academy is more refined and gives the children a chance to satisfy their thirst for knowledge and innate curiosity, and unlock their capabilities. Saturday Academy can play a crucial role in the development of this country.

Don’t forget! This Academy is for everyone, and even the good education of one person can change the whole facet of the society they are a part of.

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GZAAT GAZETTE The GZAAT Vending Machine Saga Continues

By Keta Gamtkitsulashvili

Sophomores thinking about the vending machine

Vending machines.

They’re everywhere.

These symbols of uber-convenience – dispensing everything from hot coffee to cold water to snacks both salty and sweet – adorn the hallways of most public buildings and have become a familiar feature of modern, institutional life. The GZAAT community is no exception: for the past few years (and until this year) the Teacher’s Lounge was equipped with a coin operated espresso dispenser. However, it was not until the beginning of this academic year that the GZAAT student body had access to its own automated corner store: a vending machine stocked with chocolate, Coca-Cola, bottled water and other snacks was located in the first floor alcove between the Math and Georgian departments. However, its presence at our school did not last for long.

Actually this “lost” is cause by some students thoughtless behaviors.

For example some of them forgot the exis-

tence of the trash can, which filled up lounges with packages and caused mess in our environment. This kind of situations leaded administration to the removal of this convenient calorie and H2O dispenser. The GZAAT Gazette got interested in the students opinion about administration’s decision, so we conducted a small survey to get a better idea of how important this vending machine has been to the student body overall. Like this we easily see what kind of connection did GZAAT-ers have with vending machine.

Are we desperately in need of it? We asked one basic question: Do you want the vending machine back? The answers turned out to be somewhat predictable, but there were also a few surprises as well as some insightful details.

According to the data we’ve gathered, about 77% of the students at GZAAT want the vending machine back for different reasons. Some argue that the machine is necessary for doing well

academically as chocolate helps them to get more energy (a claim which is commonly considered to be true).

Other students like that the vending machine was located near the lounges and had almost everything that students need during the day, allowing those in a hurry to skip long cafeteria lines and still end up with a snack.

But, the majority of the students report that they really, really miss Coca-Cola.

However, not all GZAAT-ers seem to value easy access to chocolate and caffeine.

While just over ¾ of GZAAT students reported that they “miss” the machine, approximately one-fifth of the student body (18% to be precise) reported that they never noticed the disappearance of the vending machine in the first place, as they had never used it before. Most of the students in this category do not care about the machine, because they prefer to bring snacks from home.

Finally, an even smaller percentage of

the student body (5%) reported that they did not want the vending machine back. Their argument is that the machine was stocked with mostly unhealthy snacks and that a lot of chocolate, for example, can be harmful for our organisms. However, this health concern does not seem to be politically popular and received some backlash from GZAAT student body elected officials.

Freshman Vice-President Nana Charkviani, in an attempt to stir up anti-health food sentiment, stated that the central issue is not actually the vending machine at all, but rather it has to do with allowing students unfettered access to chocolate: “It [the vending machine] is not necessary anymore because, as a member of our student council, I know that Mr Cruz has given permission to the cafeteria to sell chocolate.”

While stocking chocolate at the cafeteria might solve one problem caused by the removal of the vending machine, it doesn’t solve them all. Despite the fact that we should be expecting to be able to buy our favorite chocolaty snacks at the cafeteria, this development could also make cafeteria lines even longer and therefore increase the wait times for those seeking an immediate sugar boost.

A New Elective Called Economics

By Lasha Janashia

Electives are some

of the most enjoyable activities at our school.

Along with being fun, they also allow students to gain a basic education about various topics of interest.

Electives have been a part of the school since the founding of GZAAT. Throughout their history the selection of available electives has been a diverse one, and the first few years of the elective program’s existence saw offerings as varied as filmmaking, popular culture, full-length theatre production, and programming. These days, the program has become more regulated and we are now used to having three electives (Drama, Music and Art). However, that has recently changed and on February 15th a completely new elective was added: Economics.

The Economics elective has a lot of potential as many GZAAT students have career goals of becoming businesspeople or economists. By adding this elective, students can now gain a better idea of this field which could help them to make a more educated decision about which

career path to follow.

It is very important that we are given the chance to study this subject, because no matter where we go, we will need it. In any business, economics is an essential component to succeed, as it makes us apprehend how the world around us operates. A lot of new shops and businesses have popped up in Georgia in the past few years, the country is becoming a hub of tourism, thus, this kind of knowledge is very practical. Learning economics helps everyone, as it is the system on which everything is built upon.

This elective is presented by International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET) and their professors. Both teachers and students have signed up for this elective. There are around 20 people attending the lectures. The lessons are more focused on general economics and how they affect everyday decisions.

For example, how are businesses managed, and what factors are included in the process Continued on the next page

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...of setting up one, and why does Coca-Cola have the same price for seventy years? The meetings are on Fridays every other week.

The GZAAT Gazette team interviewed some of the students who have enrolled in the elective. We wanted to learn why they joined this elective and why is it important for them. Andrey, a sophomore said: “Half of my family has finished economics, and from them I have seen that it includes a lot of complicated mathematics.

I love complicated math so I decided that this course will benefit me in my future life.

Economics is a huge part of our world so this elective can help us in numerous ways.”

Tako Ghadzadze, also a sophomore, added: “Studying economics has a great importance in my study life. First of all, the profession I’m going to be choosing in the nearest future, significantly involves the knowledge of stock market, business cycle, efficiency and all other aspects of the fields of economics and finance. I try not to miss a single chance of getting involved in such kinds of activities in order to make even a small contribution to my future working life. The study of economics itself has a variety of practical advantages - it helps in proper budgeting, teaches the modern methods of production which are quite helpful for industrialists and businessmen and it even broadens our viewpoint, boosts our intellect and creates the sense of responsibility.”

These two have their careers set and they are deepening their knowledge by going to this elective.

Joining the Economics elective is for ev-

eryone, and the importance of this topic can’t be denied in today’s world. No matter who you are, you still need a little knowledge of economics to survive. By understanding the flow of cash, you can easily find out how the world works. Don’t worry! If you still haven’t signed up for the Economics elective, you can still join. This is an ongoing program and allows you to attend when you want to.

GZAAT GAZETTE Students’ Hobbies: A Great Way to Relieve Stress

Juniors playing football after the lessons

Mariam Aprasidze relaxing after a tiresome day

Our yard is a great place fro having fun after classes!

GZAAT GAZETTE

Foosball Dreams on Hold: Student Lounge Renovations On the Long-Term Future Agenda

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By Luka Mgaloblishvili also like lounges to have a door to go outside, a TV, a hammock, some bean bag chairs, some computers and more places to charge mobiles. Some students also suggested having a foosball table or an air hockey table and other similar games or board games. Finally, the majority of GZAAT students agree that the lounges could be improved aesthetically by allowing them to be

same thing, but in reality, the first time you guys saw the lounges you thought ‘this is great’. If you want to change it because you are here and you want this and that, then that’s not a good reason to change. But regarding the things that are falling apart or broken, yeah of course we have to fix them. In the summer, I have enough money in the budget for Tazo to replace ev-

buy something – then it’s absurd and we’re not going to do that.

In the end of our interview Mr. Cruz mentioned that his goal for the future years from now on is to move our lounges outside of the school. But he is going to propose the idea to the Board of Trustees later, because the school has other things to do first. He believes that the back of the gym would be a nice

decorated with posters or graffiti.

The idea of bringing new life to these student zones of intellectual activity, recreation and entertainment has, so far, seems to have come only from the students themselves, so we asked Mr. Cruz whether the ongoing discussion about lounge renovation has broadened to become a subject of interest for the GZAAT faculty and staff as well. His answer was enlightening: “After a while, you guys get bored of seeing the

erything that is broken.

If we ever need to, for instance, paint them again and the students have suggestions about different colors, I am open to that. If we have to replace the furniture instead of just fixing it, and if the students have for me input about different kinds of furniture, sure we can do that. But to make something different than it is now – like a student center so you can have a vending machine so you can be lazy now for even going to the cafeteria to

location for a new student center that would also hold the cafeteria, the area for students to hang out, and all that.

According to Mr. Cruz, the student center can contain the things that are not possible in the lounges, because this location will be separated from the main building. For now, the only option we have is to agree that lounges are one of the best things in the school and we should all work together to ensure that they remain clean and in good shape.

Sophomores engaged in different activities in lounges

The GZAAT student

lounges should be viewed as sacred space.

Both practically and symbolically these spots occupy the center of each class’s spirit and help to form its identity. The lounges are the center of each grade level’s daily social life in all its diverse glory: this is where all the important information gets disseminated – everything from “What’s happening this weekend?” to “WHO does Giorgi like?” to

“Did Mr. Anthony give you a quiz today?”

The lounges are where students can ask their classmates for help finishing the homework before class starts; where a tired student can grab a power nap; where students get together and joke around and strengthen friendships. The lounges are where it all goes down, and now many students feel that their beloved lounges have worn out over time and now need to be renovated.

Even though we worried that most students’ idea of the perfect lounge would probably veer into the realm of fantasy, we asked them anyway to describe their image of the most comfortable and practical lounge.

The answers were surprisingly rational.

Most of the students at GZAAT would like their lounges to be equipped with a refrigerator stocked with some refreshing drinks, and a vending machine. They would

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GZAAT GAZETTE Musk, SpaceX Make Strides in Space Exploration “I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just hopefully not at the point of impact.”

Elon Musk

By Nikoloz Kiladze himself, and is going to hit the markets in 2020. Inside the car is a mannequin dressed up as “Starman”, and the radio is playing David Bowie’s song “Starman” on an endless loop.

Musk wasn’t sure if the rocket would launch successfully and also added that the car in it might have exploded after entering the Mars orbit. Although,

Tesla Roadster flying in space

Recently, a photo of a

red car flying through space appeared on the Internet. If you did not have time to check whether it was some photo-shopped prank that went viral or a real event that caused such excitement, this article will answer that question. While this event seemed like a great performance or show, something like a commercial for either Tesla or SpaceX, in fact it was real. Elon Musk,

starting to actualize an idea which has existed on the earth for so long – the dream to have life on mars –has started his route towards accomplishing a scientific revolution in our world.

On February 6th, Elon Musk’s company SpaceX launched the most powerful U.S. rocket since NASA’s Saturn V, Falcon Heavy. Falcon Heavy is a partially reusable heavy-lift rocket made

Tesla Roadster flying in space (frontal view)

by SpaceX. It is also pretty cheap, starting at a mere 90 million US dollars – quite a bargain for a rocket having this much power. The Falcon Heavy was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and the goal was to send the rocket inside the orbit of Mars. In fact, it wasn’t just a rocket, but inside of it was Tesla’s newly announced car, the Tesla Roadster, which belongs to Elon Musk,

way out to the Asteroid Belt, but it turned out to be more powerful than intended. The rocket has put the car in an orbit that extends beyond the path of Mars. This new path of Tesla shows that it will go far out from the Mars orbit, but won’t make it all the way to the Asteroid Belt, which is between Jupiter and Mars. Even

and about the development of humans or the world, still remain hopeful and positive about Musk’s plans.

As a warning for our reader, do not be surprised in the future to see some unimagined scenes from different galaxies or planets of the universe, because we do not know what to expect from SpaceX. All we are left to do is

Elon Musk speaking on one of his conferences the launch itself was successful, and the rocket’s two side boosters returned, and landed successfully, the “core”, the main part of the rocket, missed the landing ship by 100 meters, and hit the water at 484 km/h, damaging thrusters on the nearby droneship. After 6 hours of flying in space, Tesla was pushed towards the intended orbit of Mars, to make it all the

though the flight didn’t go as planned, this still is an enormous achievement for Elon Musk, and his company SpaceX. For now, we have already been introduced to Musk’s unique plan to colonize Mars, obviously a long process with results yet unknown for us. Lovers of science fiction and science in general, people passionate about exploring the universe

to wait and believe in the unbelievable future.

GZAAT GAZETTE

Spiders on My Mind

By Nino Margania

All of us fear cer-

tain things, people or thoughts, but there is always one, that we fear the most. Indeed, it’s very interesting subject to discuss and to get to know newcomer class better, so I decided to make a small

research, interview freshmen, expecting to get various, captivating answers. Question was what was their biggest fear and why, above all receiving answers of two types. Ones that were more or less phobias of spiders, mainly

Illustration by Nina for her article

and others were more specific and imaginary.

Despite the fact that there are millions of things teenagers can fear the most, here are the most common ideas and thoughts I received.

10 people out of those who answered, said they were afraid of losing close people. There were also 4 answers, about being afraid of getting lonely and without anybody loving around them or without anybody at all.

13 of my friends said that they fear death the most, furthermore scoring the highest number and giving us a lot of information about our complicated and interesting minds.

In the same way some many other interesting answers popped up. For instance, one responder’s biggest fear was not being able to fulfill the wishes in life and not having time for it. Also one of my classmates told me that the biggest fear

is regress, because it’s an unpleasant feeling for this person because it takes to wait for the progress to come back.

On the other part I captured 7 times the answer of the spiders.

Flowing out from the research, I pointed out two main categories for the biggest fears we have. Imaginary and real. Imaginary can be referred to the fear you make up in your mind, creating the situation and real ones can be when you have a phobia of something lively or some type of an insect. On the other hand, we can also conclude that our ninth graders think a lot just like all the other teenagers, create situations that do actually fear them the most and introduce us to their inconceivable minds.

“Fear is only as deep as the mind allows” says Ralph W. Emerson.

It can be conceived as the fact that most of the different and riveting answers that I noted were all parts of ourselves, how we enable them to affect us, how we feel about them and all of it is depended on our mind and how we let it shape

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The Life of AAT Gamers

By Tina Margalitadze & Anushka Metreveli

After the first vid-

eo game was created in 1958 by William Higinbotham, who was an American physicist, the technology has undergone a huge development. From creating simple tennis and Pacman games, people have started working on improving graphics, environment, storyline, character appearance and backgrounds. In result, we have gotten games such as Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy etc. Video games have become a huge part of our lives, and more teenagers are starting to spend their free time doing this activity. But many questions can arise: Why are teenagers so fascinated by video games?

Does gaming affect their lives negatively?

Do they have enough time to balance school work with gaming?

We interviewed two students of GZAAT, who enjoy gaming, to find out their opinion.

Dimitri Chkuaseli, a Freshmen, says: '' I started playing Dota when I had not much stuff to do. I had much fun, because it was

something different and interesting. The most fascinating thing for me was that I could play this game in various ways, for example, with different heroes.

After discovering my excitement about video games, I started to compete in some tour ornaments and competition and it instantly became my hobby.'' As to the question how much time he spends for gaming Dimitri responded: '' I spent 7 hours per day, during summer. But now, due to homework and social life, I try to manage time correctly and play only1 game per day.''

Lasha Janashia, a Sophomore says: ''When I was little I used to watch my father play World of Warcraft and I was fascinated by it.

Now, that I can play games by myself I use them to release stress.

It is a very effective way of having fun. Games help to develop a person's mind. Games such as Strategy games improve the reaction time and strategy,

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...along with connecting facts together. My favorite game is Civilization, where you can build a country from scratch and it also involves learning history from many countries.''

As to the qouestion if it interferes or keeps him from doing homework or other activities Lasha said: ''My gaming schedule depends on the day. This year I don't have much time for games, however I use time pretty effectively so that I can play at least half an hour a day. I do it by writing homework beforehand in Chemistry, Math and English so that during weekdays I have time to play without worrying much about homework.''

As to the video games trends at AAT, according to the survey that was conducted, 17 students picked Call of Duty: WWII, while 14 picked FIFA 18 and finally, 8 picked Counter-Strike. To have some closer look at these games we gathered some information: 1. Call of Duty: WWII This is one of the most-played games in the school at the moment, according to the survey that was conducted. The story follows Private “Red” Daniels and his squad, as they help him by supplying with extra health, grenades or weapons. It’s not a simple shooter game, but quite the opposite.

Good graphics, engaging storyline, complex characters, and bonds will keep you hooked on the game. 2. FIFA 18 This game is recommended to football lovers, who want to engage in their own match with their favorite teams. Many people may agree that FIFA 18 is the best game from the series with improved graphics, close control, fluid striking,

team styles and so on.

One of the most important features of this game is the Real Player Motion Technology, according to which the characters have more personality and began resembling the real-life football players more than before.

Also, the animations were made “frame-byframe,” which means that the movements are much lighter and responsive. P.S It’s much easier to score goals than in FIFA 17. 3. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive While Counter-Strike was created in 2000, it is still popular to this day and is played by millions of people. It is a first person, teambased shooter game, where teams compete against each other. It’s been noted by many students that the team-play is the key to winning; communication and competitiveness push each person to do better in the next round. The graphics and the sounds are very authentic, making the player feel like he is indeed on the battlefield along with many others.

So, we can see that gaming touches different spheres of life and is always very engaging. Students have diverse opinions about popular games, but overall all of them connects the same interest and fascination.

GZAAT GAZETTE

Super Bowl LII

By Anri Gavasheli

The 2017-18 NFL

season has ended, with the hard luck Philadelphia Eagles bringing the Lombardi Trophy home for the first time in franchise history.

In the season’s grand finale, the Eagles upset the heavily favored New England Patriots by a score of 41-33.

The Patriots almost succeeded in completing yet another great postseason comeback however, they fell a bit short from their goal. The high-scoring game was an exciting one, as it was just one point shy of repeating the Super Bowl record of most combined points scored (75). In addition, one of the moments that helped the Eagles turn the tide in their favor was the glorious trick play run by the Eagles’ quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles: Corey Clement surprisingly left his spot to run left, in order to get defense following him, leaving Foles free.

The paramount factor that gave the advantage to the Eagles’ offence was the benching of Malcolm Butler, the fearsome Patriot’s cor-

nerback who came up with the game-winning interception two years ago against the Seattle Seahawks on the last play of Super Bowl 49.

Here is a brief summary of the game: in the first quarter both defenses dominated as the Eagles allowed only a field goal, whilst the Patriots allowed field goal and touchdown. In the first half, the Eagles’ defense flawlessly guarded Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots leading receiver, allowing him only 9 receiving yards.

From the beginning of the game, the Patriots’ rushing game was suppressed, although Tom Brady, playing with wrist injury, portrayed his marksmanship by setting a record for the most passing yards in a game (505). At the end of the first half, the Eagles pulled off an amazing trick play with quarterback Nick Foles getting his first receiving touchdown.

In the beginning of the second half, the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski broke out of his slump and exploded with 115 receiving yards and 2 TDs, giving the Patri-

ots their first lead in the game at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Philly converted on fourth down and consequently, scored a crucial touchdown.

The Eagles’ exciting upset win was not without controversy and criticism. One of our classmates said that, although the game really lived up to expectations, the Patriots wouldn’t have allowed that many third or fourth down conversions with Malcolm Butler in the starting lineup: “It was kind of unreasonable to bench him in such a crucial game only on account of his having missed training. This clearly reflected on the Patriots performance.” Furthermore, certain analysts from NBC claim that the late touchdown in the second quarter by Philadelphia should not have counted as they used an illegal formation. The NFL rule book states that, in order for the play to be legal, at least 7 players must be present at the line of scrimmage. In Eagles case, just six

were standing at the line of scrimmage.

But, all in all, the audience was happy that the Eagles won the trophy and that their trick play will go down as one of the best play calls of the Super Bowl era. As for our school’s audience, overall, students are content and excited to see new kind of sports. Although some are disappointed, everyone still enjoyed the lively game. The Patriots lost the game, but they got to know where to improve during this postseason and maybe, they’ll get their chance next year.

As far as those who insist on criticizing Philadelphia’s miraculous win, there is real nothing we can say.

What are you going to do? Haters gonna hate. Congratulations Eagles!

GZAAT GAZETTE

The 2018 Academy Awards: Did GZAAT'’s predictions meet reality?

By Salome Ambokadze

The Academy Awards

ceremony, known more popularly as “The Oscars”, is undoubtedly the biggest annual event in the global film industry. On the night of the Oscars, all the icons of Hollywood and world cinema gather to celebrate the most significant achievements in acting, directing, writing, cinematography and numerous other nominations aimed at recognizing the most creative and inspired work being done on the big screen. The Academy Awards has long been a subject of interest not only for film critics, but also for filmgoers in general. Even those who are completely unfamiliar with any of the nominees, find themselves being pulled into the hype that’s come to be known as “Awards Season”, predicting winners, defending their favorites, gossiping about which star is gaining momentum and which is crashing and burning while being part of the common excitement.

Surprisingly, it has not always been this way…

This gala event first started at the end of the roaring twenties, a few months before the great depression, as the brainchild of the legendary studio executive Louis B. Mayer, founder of the legendary “Metro Goldwyn Mayer” studio, home of the iconic roaring lion image that appears at the opening of all MGM films. Mayer saw the awards as a way of encouraging actors, directors and producers to create movies of higher quality which

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Giorgi Inaishvili and Salome Ambokadze as Oscar hosts would be more competitive: “I [Louis B. Mayer] found that the best way to handle filmmakers was to hang medals all over them. If I got them cups and awards they’d kill themselves to produce what I wanted.”

It can be said that the most celebrated event in the film industry can be tracked back to this single, comical quote.

But the first Oscars ceremony, which took place in 1929, was quite a simple affair in comparison with we are used to seeing today. It lasted for only 15 minutes, tickets cost 5$ and there was no drama or suspense as all the winners had already been declared 3 months before the ceremony!

Who would have thought back then that this modest, almost trivial awards event would develop into this globally extravagant, lavish show we have come to expect today?

Nevertheless, it has, and for 90 years the Oscars have been filled with drama, glamour, controversy and thrills.

The Academy Awards has created and nurtured the tradition and culture of emotional acceptance speeches, as well as actors using the ceremony to draw attention to political causes and social injustice, such as when Marlon Brando won Best Actor in 1973 for playing Don Corleone in “The Godfather” and sent out a young Native American woman, named Sacheen Littlefeather to accept the award. During her speech, Littlefeather called out Hollywood on its depiction of Native Americans before she was played offstage by the house orchestra. The Oscars also has a strong tradition of enlisting witty stars like Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Crystal or Ellen DeGeneres to host the show.

But what makes the Academy Awards so prestigious, especially when comparing it to other, similar ceremonies like the Golden Globe Awards?

The main difference between these two is the voting bodies.

The Golden Globes are determined by the 90+ journalists from around the world who make up the “Hollywood Foreign Press Association”, while the over six thousand film industry insiders who make up “The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences” vote at the Oscars. In addition to the huge number difference, the Academy is made up of those who are part of the Hollywood film industry – actors, directors, producers, cinematographers, costume designers – which makes them colleagues of the nominees. Therefore, the Oscars are viewed as being more prestigious.

Because of the large number of voters taking part, it’s always difficult to predict winners when it comes to the Academy Awards. Giorgi Inaishvili, GZAAT student, and highly opinionated on issues concerning the film industry says: “What makes the Academy Awards stand out from other awards shows, like the Golden

Globes for example, is how unexpected the nominees and winners always are. You can’t really predict who’s going to get the Oscar until the official awards ceremony.”

The unpredictability of the Oscars surely does not stop film lovers from defending their favorites.

This year’s nominees for best picture were: “Call Me by Your Name”, “Darkest Hour”, “Dunkirk”, “Get Out”, “Lady Bird”, “Phantom Thread”, “The Post”, “The Shape of Water”, and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”. According to the informal survey we conducted among GZAAT students, the clear favorite is Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut, the coming-of-age drama/comedy “Lady Bird”. This light-hearted, warm, tender story of a high-school student becoming an adult is a tribute to youth and the complex nature of strong relationships. Nuka Chirakadze, a Junior, explains how “Lady Bird” has managed to

capture the hearts of high-schoolers: “The movie’s themes and the way they are depicted are timelessly relevant.

This, plus great acting, makes the characters and the story very relatable, especially for teenagers.”

Another movie beloved by GZAAT kids is “Call Me by Your Name”, a touching coming-out story which features a performance by the youngest of the best actor nominees, Timothée Chalamet, who is only 22 (and who also has a supporting role in “Lady Bird”). Nia Sikharulidze, GZAAT student, believes that due to his exceptional talent, young age and charm, he has all the chances to win: “I though the movie was incredible. The setting, acting, writing, and directing were perfect and I want to focus on the youngest nominee, who is so new, yet so talented and Oscars are known for surprising everyone, so I definitely think he might win.”

According to many critics, Chalamet is considered to be a long shot as it’s generally thought that the award will go to Gary Oldman for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in “Darkest Hour”.

The logic is that the Academy believes that Oldman, a Hollywood veteran who has yet to win an Oscar despite a number of outstanding, career performances, needs to be recognized before he finally hangs it up.

Other movies emphasize some of the relevant social-political issues of the day. “Get Out”, a literal horror

12 movie (with some detours into comedy) stands out with its terrifying depiction of liberal racism in the USA. Junior Achi Tsitsishvili explained why it’s so important for the film industry to focus on this kind of controversial topic more often: “Talking about issues of today’s society through movies really raises awareness of specific problems that some people might never even have thought about before.

‘Get Out’ does exactly that and is the only movie out of the nominees that makes an actual statement about relevant issues.” Along with “Get Out” two other nominees also take on contemporary issues: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” deals with racism, domestic abuse and sexual violence, while Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” focuses on government cover-ups and corruption. The critics’ favorite, “The Shape of Water” – a love story between a mute cleaning woman and a humanoid sea creature – dominating with 13 nominations, does not seem to be so popular among the GZAAT community.

But, Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” caught the attention of many, due to its new perspective and tone, unusual to typical World War II movies.

Overall, could our students accurately predict the actual winners? Best actor/actress category was clearly not much of a surprise for anyone, as Gary Oldman and Frances

GZAAT GAZETTE

McDormand really managed to captivate not only critics, but literally anyone who saw either "Darkest Hour" or "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri". Although we were not surprised, we were definitely not disappointed. However, the most notable of the nominations, best picture winner, certainly stirred up some controversy.

Although there was no clear vision who would receive the award, our school's community is still dissatisfied with the triumph of Guillermo Del Toro's strange but memorable "Shape of Water". A kind-hearted and visually stunning movie was a soothing experience for everyone who watched it, but did it really deserve 13 nominations and best picture win? Our students mostly disagree. Giorgi Inaishvili expressed his disappointment: "It was a nice watch, but the screenplay was no more than decent compared to other nominees like "Lady Bird" or "Get out". However, the story itself was almost disturbing to me. I admit that cinematography and visuals were unique, but I'm not sure that was enough to compensate for mediocre fantasy love story. " However, adapted and original screenplay winners surely thrilled our school. We were not only happy for our favorite "Get Out" recognized as the best original screenplay, but witnessed Oscar's history being made: Jordan Peele, director

of the movie, is the first African-American writer to ever win in this category. In his acceptance speech he shared his anxiety about the movie, how he stopped writing it for 20 times because he thought it "wouldn't work", and how despite everything, he kept coming back to it, because "he knew if someone let him make this movie, people would hear it, and people would see it." Our school is also beyond happy for Gary Oldman finally receiving his well-deserved award. Ana Khojashvili explains why it was so significant for her and film industry: "Gary Oldman is one of my favorite actors of all time, he had so many fantastic roles, but this performance as Winston Churchill, a complete transformation, will always have a special place in my heart. There has been no doubt at all that this award would be his, from the moment the movie came out" This year, the nominees for best picture were especially diverse, in terms of the themes or issues they address, as well as their genres.

Movie buffs were able to see and judge various debuts, both in directing and acting.

There were no clear predictions, nor favorites in this year, as the wide range of opinions spread through GZAAT highlights.

Some were disappointed with the winners, others shared their excitement about the result, but despite this variety, we all can agree that Oscars managed to engage us all into its undoubtable charm.

TEACHERS:

HOBBIES:

Anthony Schierman

Gathering Student’s Tears (claims not to have specific hobbies)

David Shapakidze

Knitting & Reading

Eka Gordeziani

Taking Care of Homeless Animals

Godi Pruidze

Skiing

Gvantsa Zhuruli

Poetry & Astronomy

Irina Chxeidze

Listening to Classical Music & Piano

Ketka Topadze Lasha Kokilashvili Lela Samniashvili Maia Lortkipanidze Malkhaz Makashvili Marika Dadiani Mary Toradze Misha Elashvili Nia Chachiashvili Nino Ghambashidze Nino Mitsishvili Paata Ramishvili Ruso Abramidze Shota Papava Tamar Mamulashvili

Collecting Cactuses Making dolls & Hiking Archeology & Alpinism Listening to Jazz Knitting (has kneaded 7 sweaters) Practicing Martial Arts & Programming Traveling and Planning trips & Cooking, watching out Gordon Ramsey Hiking and Running on Mountains Listening to GOOD Music (NO RAP) Collecting Vintage Things No Hobbies.

Collecting Musical Instruments Collecting and Playing Video Games Viticulture & Painting Grading Quizes!