the newspaper of gilman’s middle school
volume xcix
issue 4
january-february 2014
shoot hoops, GO, GO, GO JOE! Wallyk azam? build homes RPCS and GMS put on amazing performances of i know him!
GMS RAISES OVER $1300 IN Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ANNUAL 3-ON-3 TOURNEY BY
THOMAS BOOKER & WILL RENDE, B&G STAFF
SINEX THEATER - Over the weekend of February 21, two months of hard work came to fruition as the talented RPCS-GMS cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat presented three shows, two of which to sold-out audiences.
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gift. The jealous brothers soon throw Joseph into a pit and leave him to die, but they quickly rethink their decision and sell him to the Ishmaelites. The eleven deceitful brothers were
CHANCE CAMPBELL & MEKHI JOHNSON, B&G STAFF
NEW YORK - GMS sixth grader Thomas Langston is starring in the new Nickelodeon cartoon Wallykazam!, providing the voice for the title character, Wally Trollman. The show premiered on February 5 and scored Nickelodeon’s highest-rated new program in more than ten years. The cartoon centers around the adventures that Wally and his pet dragon, Norville, create with Wally’s magic stick. They live among giants, ogres, sprites, and more mythical creatures in a forest where Wally can manipulate the world around him. photo courtesy of APImages
photo courtesy of DAbrams
OLD GYM - As the blistering cold of this year’s harsh winter continued, the GMS community gathered in the warm and cozy Deaf Dome to hang with friends, play some basketball, and support an important cause: Habitat-for-Humanity. Not only did the annual 3-on-3 tournament mark the ends of mid-term exams and the first semester, but it also gave the Middle School an opportunity to show off skills and to relax, while at the same time raising money for charity.
MEKHI JOHNSON & ALEX CHENG, B&G STAFF
photo courtesy of CMorcomb
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Thomas Langston (’20) stars in new Nick Jr. animated show
Barrett Cr awford (’18, lying center) plays the title role in Joseph, as he and his jealous brothers sing ‘Jacob and Sons’ in the show’s first act.
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POSTERS! BALLOONS! NERF GUNS! FOOD! GMSers revel in Festival of Languages 2014 with special days all week long
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FESTIVAL OF LANGUAGES POSTER WINNERS
photo courtesy of DAbrams
According to Mr. Thompson, the 2014 event, held Friday January 24, raised more than $1,300, almost the same amount as last year. Every cent of this money will go directly to Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake’s efforts to rebuild houses in Baltimore and surrounding areas for families that are currently living in unhealthy conditions. The organization, whose regional chapter was founded in 1986, repairs and builds new houses for families who struggle with poverty. The houses are built at no profit, primarily by volunteers, in low-income neighborhoods. Similarly, had it not been for the teachers, staff, parents, and student volunteers who organized and ran this year’s event, the whole day would not have been possible. The three dozen volunteers’ jobs included working at the concessions stand with Mr. Bendann (as always), running the clock, gathering the players in the Holding Pen, keeping track of all scores and game results, and spinning some tunes with Mr. Flint. Parents worked the always crazy Holding Pen, keeping track of the draws in each grade division, and supplied goodies for students to munch on while watching their peers play. Teachers who organized the event
played by Nick Auen (’18), Alex Cheng (’18), Alex DeVito (’20), David Gushue (’18), Sean Kim (’19), Thomas Langston (’20), Alex Lawson (’19), Michael Melvin (’18), Luke Sabracos (’19), Matt Schaller (’18), and Noah Seth (’19). After being sold, Joseph is taken to Potiphar, portrayed as a 1920s gangster by Jack Bowmaster (’18). Unfortunately, Potiphar throws Joseph in jail for mistakenly believing he has had an affair with his wife, played by Hadassah James (’18). Soon after his stay in prison, Pharaoh, played by Mekhi Johnson (’18), calls for Joseph to interpret a dream he has had. After hearing the meaning of the dream, Pharaoh, with Mekhi doing a full-on Elvis impersonation, hires Joseph to organize the Egyptian Empire so that the foretold famine does not cause the Egyptians to perish. The famine is not local, however, and
photo courtesy of DAbrams
Owen Dunn reaches for a loose ball in a late-round Eighth Gr ade game.
Based on a popular Bible story, the totally sung score, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, tells of Joseph’s journey after his brothers sell him to Ishmaelite slave traders. The musical has been a favorite since its debut in 1970, partly due to the variety of song genres Webber and Rice wove into the show. Following the run, Mrs. Amy Anderson, who has now directed seventeen musicals while teaching at RPCS, reflected most on the experience her cast and crew enjoyed in this production. “Every year, I see kids become friends with people they may not have met if they hadn’t done the musical. They are often lifelong friendships.” After the Narrators, parts sung by six RPCS students, explain the foundations of the Biblical story, “Jacob and Sons” introduces Joseph’s father and twelve brothers. Joseph, played by Barrett Crawford (’18), is Jacob’s favorite son, so Jacob gives him a multicolored coat as a
Zack Anderson (’20, left) and Jules Ouwerkerk (’18, right) are awarded first prizes for the 2014 Spanish and French Poster Divisions, respectively.
The voice of GMS sixth gr ader Thomas Langston brings Wally to life.
Using his magic stick, Wally can bring any word to life, and all the words that Wally uses share a characteristic. The show is designed to help kids learn the basics of reading and to improve their vocabulary, so the words might all start with “c” so that kids learn how to pronounce a “c.” But watch out! Sometimes, Wally’s stick can cause unforeseen words to appear, and he has to save the day! The whole process of becoming the star character in a new Nickelodeon show started over a year ago for Thomas. At first, he went up to New York City to audition for a part in a different show, but the producers decided that part was not the best fit for him. Still, the Nick Jr. execs knew Thomas had some serious talent, so they asked him to try-out for Wally in Wallykazam! The audition process was fairly lengthy, and Thomas had to travel to New York six times before he was given the great news from his grandparents. He said, “I got in after coming home from a nearby store, and my Grandparents called me ‘Wally’!” Right after Thomas got the word, he went back to New York to record. For the first couple months of production, he was going up to Manhattan every other weekend, and then the recording trips became weekly. Generally, Thomas stays in New York for two to four days, and the recording sessions last about four hours each with a
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full cover age of festival of languages 2014 on page 2
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GLOBETROTTING AT GILMAN Community celebrtaes annual Cultural Arts Festival, and John Hay Matthai knows his Geo
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SEAHAWKS ARE SUPER Eric Gibson recaps Super Bowl XLVIII, plus new 2019er Aidan Radinsky
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FACES & FUN ‘Catch’ Sami Raza, plus Plexers, This or That?, 4 Questions, & Movie Invisibles
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WINTER SEASON WR APS UP 17 GMS wrestlers place at annual St. Paul’s tourney, plus the GBA playoffs
gms community
FESTIVAL OF LANGUAGES 2014 poster contest winners
minute to win it
Ouwerkerk’s work takes a prize for third year GMSers love return of Sra. Martin’s game show BY SPENCER CHURCHILL , B&G STAFF
TOp, Danny Gurung’s creative depiction of French fashion; bottom, Cooper Shawver’s three-dimensional poster of Puerto Rican woodpecker.
international food day Students and teachers ¡comen! and buvons! BY
ALEX CHENG, B&G STAFF
GMS - Every now and then, everyone likes to gorge on food, and on February 11, every student and teacher in Gilman’s Middle School did just that. While many students enjoyed the special Festival of Languages activities earlier in the week, Wednesday was, for most, the Main Event: the Food Festival. All morning long, hundreds of dishes of all sizes came into the Daly Lobby. Many students brought in dishes that were either of French or Spanish origin, but quite a few recipes were inspired by other countries and cultures, often related to the students’ family. “This was definitely the best Food Day we have had in a long time,” said Mme. Abruzzo. “The wide variety of foods amazed me.” One tasty treat among the mountains of food was eighth grader Connor Mitchell’s tres leches cake. Obviously a big hit among the students, the entire cake was almost gone during the same period it was introduced. “Simply one of my favorite days,” said
Mr. Bendann. “I am always amazed by the variety of food and the efforts of everyone in the Modern Language Department.” He and the other GMS faculty binged on food throughout the day, often making several trips to rooms 100 and 101 during their free periods. Trying new foods can be tough, and on Wednesday, many students decided to taste homemade foods from different cultures: sushi, Dominican cake, ceviche, Asian rice cakes, homemade truffle, and French palmiers “It was fun trying such a wide variety of foods,” said Matt Schaller (’18), experiencing his last glorious Food Festival, “I tried new foods that I would have never thought I would enjoy!” Once more, the amount of food and participation amazed everyone in GMS, and everyone enjoyed themselves. On behalf of of the students, we would like to thank the entire Modern Language Department and the parents of every GMSer for making this day possible! ¡Gracias! Merci!
the Blue & the Gr ay y Staff Andrew Bolin Thomas Booker Chance Campbell Alex Cheng Spencer Churchill Max Costes David Frankel Eric Gibson Mekhi Johnson Will Rende Talbot Robinson Soren Saggi Lee Sherline
Mr. Don Abrams, Ms. Shonique Alexander, Mrs. Cathy Morcomb, AP Images, FilmWise.com Photography Contributors Mr. Don Abrams, Mr. Devin Camak, & Mr. Cesare Ciccanti Technology Support Mr. Brooks Matthews, Contributors’ Coordination Mr. N.W. Gabbey, Faculty Advisor
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LEE SHERLINE, B&G STAFF
DALY LOBBY - Throughout the weeklong Festival of Languages, GMSers had fun while celebrating the cultures of French and Spanish-speaking countries. Monday, February 10 kicked off the week with French Day, and GMS French students dressed in the colors of the French flag. Tuesday was Spanish Day with red and yellow clothing filling the building. That same day, a special assembly was held featuring the popular TV gameshow Minute to Win It, designed with Foreign Language themes. Sra. Martin emceed the show, assisted by Sra. Nelson, Mme. Abruzzo, and Sra. Mitchell, who handed out the prizes to the contestants. The assembly was broken up into six individual games, each offering a one-minute challenge that one or two lucky GMSers and a few teachers faced. In El Niño, sixth grader Jackson Shelby succeeded in blowing plastic cups off desks with air from a blown-up balloon. Mr. Anderson then volunteered and attacked the game in a different way: he blew up the balloon as much as he could to conquer several balloons at once. He did it. Matt Rodgville (’20) won The Leaning Tower of Pisa by building a tower of blocks on his head. In Mont Blanc, Peter Heubeck (’20), Ms. Dubansky, and Mr. Buchanan each had to unroll a roll of toilet paper in less than one minute. Mr. Buchanan’s method of going to the top of the stairs and dropping the roll proved ineffective when the paper sheet broke immediately as he dropped it. Ms. Dubansky unrolled in in thirty seconds using a leg of a desk, and Peter just barely beat the clock. After that, Mr. Downs took the stage (gladly!) to eat a cookie without using his hands. It started on his forehead, and he used his facial muscles to ease the cookie into his mouth. Tommy Finney (’18) was not as skilled at this bizarre talent. In the team challenge Sombrero Head, Aiden Collins (’20) had to catch ping pong balls thrown by Sean Kim (’19) in a sombrero he wore on his head. This proved to be harder than it looked. The final event, Battala de Cinco de Mayo, was a Nerf gun challenge. Seventh grader Charles Tini’s name was drawn, and his challenge was to knock down a stack of cups on the stairwell with Nerf arrows. Although C.T. did well, he was left with three cups. Mr. Lawson, though, ended the entire show with a walkoff: he knocked down every cup with one shot, besting Mr. Legg in a teacher-v.-teacher shootout. Thanks to Sra. Martin for reprising this amazing and fun assembly, definitely a highlight of this year’s Festival of Languages!
RPCS-GMS Musical (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) the brothers are reintroduced into the show with Reuben (Alex Cheng, ’18) performing the solo “Those Canaan Days,” wherein the brothers sing about the struggles during the time of need, pretending they are in a French nightclub. Once they have starved, the brothers decide they need to go to Egypt, where they are confronted by Joseph. Joseph finds it amusing that the brothers do not initially recognize him and decides to play a trick on his siblings.
As Joseph, Barrett’s incredible voice led a strong and experienced cast.
After the trick is done, the brothers unite again, and the show closes with the reprise of “Any Dream Will Do.” The elaborate show was made complete by the performances of featured RPCS dancers, the six RPCS narrators, and a large ensemble. Two months of rehearsals, long weekends, and a tech week with rehearsals that ended at eight p.m. produced three spectacular performances, played to sell-out crowds on Friday and Saturday nights. Though the efforts of the cast were great, Mrs. Anderson, Musical Director Mrs. Wanda Waller, Choreographer Mrs. Sylvia Botts, Technical Director Ms. Janine Vreatt, and Lighting Designer Heather Mork worked even harder to make the show come together seemingly effortlessly. “It was so much fun to spend time with all of my friends in my last year of middle school,” said Barrett, who participated in the RPCS-GMS Musical in all three years of his GMS career. He added, “These shows have really taught me how to be a better singer, actor, and dancer.” Barrett was also co-lead in 2013, playing Charlie Brown in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. “I feel that we put on an amazing performance that weekend,” said Saad Jalisi (’19), who played Jacob. “My favorite part of the musical was meeting all the different people that share a common interest with me: music.” The musical came to an end with many a tear-filled eye, though the cast party helped dry many tears. “The hardest thing about the musical was not the long hours of rehearsal but leaving all of my new friends - my family behind,” said Sean Kim, reminiscing about the experience. Mrs. Anderson reflected after the show had wrapped, saying, “I love watching the show go from an idea, to auditions, to casting, to rehearsals, and ultimately to the final performance. It is an honor as a teacher to watch students grow throughout the process.” Congratulations to all the students and teachers who were involved and for showing us that “Any From left, David Gushue, Nick Auen, and Alex DeVito Dream Will Do.” photo courtesy of CMorcomb
photo courtesy of DAbrams
Every year, students are required to make an original poster portraying an aspect of either Spanish or French culture, depending on which language they study. Each poster then went through two rounds of judging. First, posters were judged by each contestant’s classmates, who sent only the top three or four posters to the next round. While the GMS student body was at home studying for midterms, the teacher judges made their final decisions on the poster finalists and the order of winners. For the third year in a row, Jules finished in the top two. He won first place in his sixth grade year and second last year to add to this year’s first-place prize. For the next few weeks, the halls of the Finney Middle School will stay alive with vivid images from all over the world. Congratulations to all class winners and to the ten overall prize winners! photo courtesy of DAbrams
DALY LOBBY - It’s that time of year again. The Foreign Language Posters decorate the halls, and the flags are hanging in the lobby. This year, the Festival of Languages Poster Contest was certainly special for Jules Ouwerkerk (’18), who placed in the top five French posters for the third year in a row. His 2014 poster of a snowboarder on Mont Blanc won first place. Sixth grader Zack Anderson took the top prize for the Spanish posters with his watercolor painting of the Easter Island statues. This year’s other French poster winners, listed in second through fifth places, were Danny Gurung (’18), Ethan Hoskins (’19), Teddy David (’18), and Grant Holmes (’19). The other Spanish prize winners were Cooper Shawver (’18), Will deMuth (’18), Chip Barrett (’18), and Sean Kim (’19).
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photo courtesy of CMorcomb
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issue 4, january-february 2014
sing ‘One More Angel in Heaven’ after selling Joseph.
campus life
Matthai is gms’s world champ BY
ANDREW BOLIN, B&G STAFF
ONE WOR LD IS ENOUGH FOR ALL OF US BY
B&G Staff photo
GMS - If you ever The finals came find yourself stranded down to a vicious in the Taklamakan showdown between Desert, you better Thomas Langston hope John Hay and John Hay. Going Matthai is with you. into the final question, John Hay Matthai was up 2-1. If emerged as the he missed his next winner of this year’s question, he would GMS Geography have given Thomas Bee, outlasting all another chance. other sixth graders But John Hay in the final two-day came out on top, 3-1. playoff. Keep an eye on In Geography the globe because classes this year, John Hay is awaiting every member of the results from the Class of 2020 showed Maryland State his knowledge of the Qualifying Test. If he world by taking part John Hay emerges as the Class of passes, he will move 2020’s GMS GeoBee champion. in the annual Bee. on to participate in Over the course of four weeks, Mssrs. the Maryland State Geography Bee in Bendann, Buchanan, Jones, and Matthews April. held playoffs in their respective classes to Congratulations, John Hay, and good determine a group of finalists. luck!
Hoops-for-habitat (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)
photo courtesy of DAbrams
photo courtesy of DAbrams
photo courtesy of DAbrams
included Mr. Gabbey, Ms. Kolkin, and battle for the three titles. many others who helped referee the Ten minutes later, the champions games. Even before anyone walked into had been crowned, with Benchwarmers, the Old Gym that afternoon, Gilman’s Beach Brig 3.14, and Kool-Aid Jammers all Maintenance crew had set up the entire displaying high levels of play during their gym with the tarp, tables, chairs, and runs through the brackets. security ropes...to hold back the screaming “Winning Hoops-for-Habitat was fans, of course. definitely the highlight of my first semester In all, 66 teams entered, meaning a in the middle school,” said Wallace total of 199 students Halpert, a Sixth played. (That’s not Grade Champion. bad math: one team “It was a great way had four players to end exams.” on purpose!) All 21 And while the sixth grade teams, feeling of victory is 22 seventh grade always nice, it was teams, and 23 teams essential for the from the eighth GMS community grade competed to remember the fiercely to win the true meaning of Hoops-for-Habitat this event. title for each grade. “ H o o p s - fo r This year, team Habitat is a great names ranged from way to support “Holmes Alone” to building houses “Beyoncé Cubed” for the homeless to “Canadian because many Fiesta,” and students at Gilman costumes included love to play bow ties, bear basketball,” said hats, and dozens of William Godine, homemade t-shirts. a member of Every year, there BeachBrig 3.14. are teams who put The great more effort into thing about thinking of a clever GMS is the fact team name than that regardless worrying about of whether a how they play on team won the the court - which is championship or what this event is lost in the first all about! round, students, After all of teachers, and the buildup to the parents made the event, the playing event an extremely commenced with enjoyable departure a sixth grade playfrom the humin game. Three drum of exams long and sweaty From top: seventh gr aders Luke Sabr acos, while managing hours later, two Evan Gilbert, and Luke Daily grin and to stay true to the teams were left in ‘bear’ it; Jalen Rucker goes to the hoop event’s purpose. against fellow 2019er Colin Miller; in each grade going a Sixth Gr ade match-up, Jordan Foster At the end of into the respective drives against Adam Masom. the year, GMSers championship can expect to relive games. the 2014 Hoops-for-Habitat moments at The sixth grade’s finalists, the Video Yearbook Assembly, which is Benchwarmers and Mr. Andersons, the sure to feature footage Mr. Abrams took of seventh grade’s final two, Beach Brig 3.14 students during the entire tournament. and #Swag, and eighth grade teams KoolThanks to everyone for participating Aid Jammers and MWA were ready to and for having such a great time!
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SOREN SAGGI, B&G STAFF
OLD GYM - Gilman’s 11th annual Culture folkloric dance. Arts Festival, held on February 9, brought People in the community brought all of the different cultures within the entire in food to show the different cultures Gilman community into one building and ethnicities, and travelers thought for an afternoon to celebrate everyone’s the national cuisines were spectacular. heritage. Some of the most Every visitor popular dishes at who came to this this year’s festival lively festival were the Cultural received a passport, Arts Festival cake, which was used the Indian samosas, to explore one of and the Ukrainian the 22 countries wafers. represented. This A new event year saw the addition started this year of another country: was a parade with Jamaica. members of the given At each of the countries marching booths, “travelers” An amazing ‘feat’ of Masada Tactical with their country’s heard facts about each Isr aeli Combat Defense is executed. flag. The volunteers country’s culture, government, history, and manning the booths took a flag representing events. Popular as always were the displays their countries and marched around the of that country’s goods and clothing, not Old Gym. to mention the tastes of foreign foods that Again this year, the Culturhal Arts were available to sample. Festival was a great way to learn more about Once a traveler finished visiting the the incredible diversity of nationalities and booth, his passport received a sticker, backgrounds in the Gilman community. In which could be used to win all sorts of all, it was a very interesting, cheerful, and prizes, handed out to whoever could great way to learn more about the people answer questions asked by Mr. Foreman, around us every day at school. Gilman School’s Director of Community Thanks to the hosts and organizers of and Diversity. this annual event - Mr. Foreman, Ms. Erika Throughout the festival, special events Outlaw, and the rest of the Committee and performances were held, some of which on Diversity of the Parents Association were a Korean dance, Masada Tactical - everyone was able to enjoy another Israeli Combat Defense, and an Egyptian wonderful festival. B&G Staff photo
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issue 4, january-february 2014
too close to home january tr agedy at columbia mall r aises concerns about mall safety BY
THOMAS BOOKER & MEKHI JOHNSON, B&G STAFF
COLUMBIA, MD - Friends and family of the victims gathered outside of Zumiez one week after the shooting. Two memorial sites were set, one outside of Sears and one at the center courtyard in the mall. A black banner at the memorial read “Forever in Our Hearts.” On January 25, two Zumiez employees, 21-year-old Brianna Benlolo and 25-year-old Tyler Johnson, were shot and killed by 19-year-old Darion Marcus Aguilar: another senseless act of violence at an American mall, this one in nearby Columbia, home to many Gilman students. Eighth grader Mitchel Khim lives near The Columbia Mall and visits it somewhat frequently. He said, “Personally, I think that Howard County has always been a safe and secure place, and that over time, people will begin to come [to the mall] more frequently, and I would go myself.” Folahan Koleosho (’19), a resident of Ellicott City, admitted the affect the event had on him. “In the beginning, [the shooting] did, but then I realized that it could happen to any mall and that we had gotten unlucky and it happened to ours.” Eighth grader David Gushue was also logical in his reflection, saying, “It’s still pretty scary thinking about the shooting, but what are odds of it happening again?” Without question, the reasoning of these three GMSers makes sense. Each year, shopping malls in the U.S. safely welcome hundreds of millions of visitors, but the shootings in Columbia and a lateNovember armed robbery at Towson Town Center have made this kind of crime less random and a little too local. In the aftermath of the Columbia
tragedy, no connections were discovered between the victims and Aguilar, and authorities say that they know of no motive for the shooting. Police searched Aguilar’s College Park home, taking computers, documents, and a journal in which Aguilar alluded to a “general unhappiness” with life. In the journal, Aguilar claimed that a plan was “set,” and he apologized to his family for the impending shooting. The police arrived within two minutes of the first shots Aguilar fired but not in time to save Benlolo and Johnson; however, five other injured shoppers were treated and later discharged from Howard County General Hospital. Aguilar committed suicide after the attack. Crude explosives and ammunition were littered around Aguilar’s body and were disarmed safely. This tragic and meaningless loss of two lives, while deeply saddening, has allowed those in this community to forge greater relationships in order to help support the families of the victims. After the tragedy, Benlolo’s twoyear-old son went to live with his father, and the Briana Benlolo Memorial Fund was created to support the child. For a week afterwards, the United States had eyes on Columbia as national news services descended on central Maryland to cover the story. As with all of these violent acts, the real story is what happens next: how do those affected persevere? While saddened by these unfortunate killings, individuals cannot allow the senseless violence to force them into fearing the idea of visiting such a common everyday destination as The Columbia Mall.
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issue 4, january-february 2014 student activities
lowering the ‘boom’
UNDERSTANDING NEURODIVERSITY
Seahawks fly away with Super Bowl XLVIII title
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BY
ERIC GIBSON, B&G STAFF
SANDY SPRING - On Monday, January 27, eleven members of GMS’s Diversity Club, accompanied by Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Nelson, traveled to Sandy Spring Friends School for an annual middle school diversity conference. This year, the conference centered around the topic of neurodiversity, loosely defined as differences in how people learn or think. Middle schoolers from schools in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Virginia attended the conference. The day started with a presentation on learning differently and the different ways the brain processes information. Students in attendance then broke off into two groups, those that had attended the conference in previous years and those that had not, and they were split into Diversity 101 & Diversity 102 groups. In Diversity 101, the Big 8 of Diversity - ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation were discussed. In Diversity 102, concepts from Diversity 101 were reviewed, and skits based on stories of neurological differences were examined. The conference concluded with school group discussions, wherein students spoke about what they learned during the day. Reflecting on the event, Dutch Furlong (’18), “I learned not to describe people using labels.” GMS advisories will be doing an activity based on neurodiversity in early March, designed by students who attended the conference.
Wallykazam! (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) lunch break in the middle. Thomas said, “It’s a lot of work, but I really enjoy it so it doesn’t feel like that.” Thomas is new to Nickelodeon, but he certainly is not new to television. He played a young Thomas Adams in the acclaimed HBO miniseries John Adams and was also in an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Thomas even has several movie credits, having appeared in Clint Eastwood’s J. Edgar, Race, a documentary about race relations in the 21st century, and Eddie Murphy’s Meet Dave. Thomas has been a professional actor for many years. He has acted in numerous plays such as Peter Pan, All My Sons, Snow White, and Ah, Wilderness! Besides playing the title role in Wallykazam!, he is currently involved in one other musical (since Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat recently wrapped), all on top of his schoolwork. He said, “It’s pretty hard balancing work and school. I go straight from school to rehearsal for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and after that, I go to my other musical.” Thomas said he always takes his homework with him up to New York City, and when he is in the Big Apple, he has a tutor to help him complete all of his GMS assignments. Thomas has managed to stay ahead by collecting all of his work from his teachers before he leaves to record. He said, “I just kinda got used to it.” Gilman is so lucky to have such an extremely talented actor and dedicated student. Congratulations, Thomas...we mean, ‘Wally’! Everyone, set your DVR for 1 p.m. weekdays so you can watch Wallykazam! when you get home!
HEY, KOOL-AIDAN! BY
SPENCER CHURCHILL, B&G STAFF
Aidan Radinsky joined Gilman’s Aidan’s new classmates, like good Class of 2019 this past August, and his friend Alex Duh, have come to know him adjustment to GMS has been a smooth one. for his ability to work hard for his grades Before becoming a Hound, Aidan while still having fun. In addition, the attended the Sudbrook Magnet School in variety of classes is much broader than Pikesville, where he was a student for just what was offered at his former school. Aidan his sixth grade year. He used to study mostly studied environmental environmental science, science and was at the but he is now taking the top of his class. During his elementary years, full range of seventh he attended Chatsworth grade GMS courses. School in Reisterstown. Outside of the classroom, Aidan Coming to GMS, sings soprano in the Aidan noticed many differences right away. Aidan has been valued by his Middlemen as well as with the Middle T Within the school day, he fellow 2019ers for his easyenjoys the environment going and humble nature. Singers. Outside of given off by the students and faculty alike. school, Aidan likes to play video games He said that, most of all, he was struck and to hang out with his friends and by the intense work ethic and educational occasionally play guitar. vigor. Aidan is a proud member of Ms. In athletics, he is currently playing Eddinger’s advisory and homeroom 219. intramual lacrosse. This past winter, he His favorite class has been Science. played point guard for Coach Seal’s IM Considering the school differences, basketball Greyhounds, and he played IM Aidan also mentioned that the single-sex soccer during the fall. educational environment at Gilman has Welcome, Aidan. We are glad you are now a Greyhound! allowed him to be himself.
B&G Staff photo B&G Staff photo
B&G Staff photo B&G Staff photo
B&G Staff photo
photo courtesy of APImages
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - As it Seattle had built an insurmountable 22-0 turned out, this year’s Super Bowl once lead. This was the first time since the 2000 again reminded sports fans of the saying, Baltimore Ravens-New York Giants Super “Offense wins games. Defense wins Bowl that a team did not allow the other championships.” team to score any points in the first half. Super Bowl XLVIII was a 43-8 blowout Following the Bruno Mars-Red in which the Seattle Seahawks’ defense Hot Chili Peppers halftime show, Percy overwhelmed the Denver Broncos’ record- Harvin put the game out of reach, running setting offense. the opening kickoff for a touchdown. The Seahawks were led by the NFL’s Soon after, Denver received the ball, but best defense of the 2013 season led by Demaryius Thomas fumbled and Malcolm defensive backs Smith recovered Kam Chancellor, for the Seahawks. Richard Sherman W i l s o n and Super Bowl stepped up MVP linebacker and threw a Malcolm Smith. touchdown pass in S e a t t l e the third quarter ultimately shut to make the game down the best 36-0, Seattle. In NFL offense ever, the final second holding Peyton of the quarter, Manning and Peyton Manning Company to only completed to one touchdown. D e m a r y iu s Seattle’s Thomas for a victory began with touchdown to give a safety on the Denver it’s first very first play of and only points of the game. In the the game. Denver first quarter, the completed the twoSeahawks offense point conversion, managed to kick but there was little Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson two field goals to holds the Lombardi Trophy after the win. consolation at that gain an eight point point. lead on Denver. At the end of the first At the beginning of the fourth quarter, quarter, Peyton Manning was intercepted Russell Wilson threw another touchdown by Kam Chancellor, to give the ball back to pass to make the score 43-8. As the clock the Seahawk’s offense led by second-year ticked away in the fourth quarter, Seattle’s quarterback Russell Wilson. fans rejoiced, knowing their team had During the second quarter, running defeated Peyton Manning and Denver’s back Marshawn Lynch scored a touchdown number-one offense. Malcolm Smith to make it a fifteen-point game. Denver was named Super Bowl MVP, the first received the ball back and hoped to put linebacker to do so since Ray Lewis in 2000. some points on the board. No matter which team impartial Unfortunately for Denver, Malcolm Ravens fans supported, Super Bowl XLVIII Smith intercepted Peyton Manning and was another entertaining game, and the ran it back for a touchdown to give Seattle Seattle Seahawks are World Champions seven more points. At the end of the half, for another year, at least.
DAVID FRANKEL & MEKHI JOHNSON, B&G STAFF
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GBA playoffs (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6) Clockwise, from top: GMSers dig in to the Food Day Smörgåsbord; Matt Rodgville builds the Leaning Tower of Pisa on his head; Tommy Finney really wants that cookie; Mr. Holmes uses his head...and a sombrero.
Mr. Thompson’s Blue Jays in overtime, and Mr. Downs’s Seagulls defeated Mr. Jones’s Terps in the quarterfinal match-ups. In the semifinals on Wednesday, February 19, the Bears and Blue Jays, playing four-on-four for the A Team, played a close game, but the Blue Jays were able to grab the
victory in the end. In the other semifinal, the Greyhounds narrowly defeated the Seagulls. Again this season, the seventh and eighth grade intramural basketball league was enjoyed by both the players and coaches. Congratulations to Mr. Thompson and his Blue Jays!
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issue 4, january-february 2014
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faces & fun
4 QUESTIONS getting to know GMS students and teachers... four life-altering questions at a time 1. WHAT ONE PERSON WHO DID NOT WIN A GRAMMY DO YOU THINK SHOULD HAVE? 2. IF MUSTARD, KETCHUP, AND RELISH WERE IN A RACE, WHO WOULD WIN? 3. WHAT WOULD THE TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY BE? 4. WHAT WINTER OLYMPIC SPORT DID YOU WATCH THE MOST? JALEN RUCKER, 7TH GRADE
PETER HEUBECK, 6TH GRADE
Question 1: I don’t know Question 2: Ketchup Question 3: ‘The Life of King Heu’ Question 4: Snowboard (Halfpipe)
SEAL HUNT
plexer s
Question 1: Kendrick Lamar Question 2: Relish Question 3: ‘Jalen Rucker, Just a Dream’ Question 4: Slopestyle
TEDDY MACFARLANE, 8TH GRADE
MR. CULBERTSON, FACULTY
. __________ B B OW W
Question 1: Chief Keef Question 2: Mustard Question 3: ‘Win the Day’ Question 4: Downhill Skiing
Question 1: Randy Houser Question 2: Relish Question 3: ‘All ee All ee in Free’ Question 4: Men’s Ice Hockey
E N D
— bell
HUZZAH FOR RAZA! BY
A DOUBT
The scenes are the same, but the actors are now invisible... can you still name the movie these photos came from?
This year, Gilman School has Sami was actually born in welcomed Sami Raza into the Class of New York City and then moved to 2018. A resident of Clarksville, Sami Tennessee for pre-kindergarten before came to GMS from Howard County moving to Howard County. Public Schools and has adjusted to the Outside of school, he enjoys much longer daily commute. piscatology and numismatics - those Sami attended are the formal names Clarksville Middle for ‘fishing’ and ‘coin School for sixth collecting’. and seventh grades, Sami enjoys and before that, he fishing at Centennial spent the majority Lake, which is near of his early school his house. He is a years at Clarksville “catch and release” Elementary. fisherman, doing his Before deciding part to make sure that on Gilman, Sami the fish population shadowed at St. stays high. He usually Stephen’s & St. Agnes catches sunfish but School and also hopes to move up to considered Glenelg Sami has brought a serious largemouth bass. Country School and love of and knowledge of As for collecting history to the Class of 2018. McDonogh. coins, Sami has When asked why he ultimately acquired around fity coins of either chose Gilman, Sami replied, “My foreign or antique origin. He said parents and I wanted the best, and I his favorites are from the 2005 was very impressed with the school’s Westward Journey Nickel Series, academic and athletic programs as commemorating the exploration of well as the hospitality and friendliness Lewis and Clark of which he has 3 out of the school.” of the set of 4. A member of Mr. Kelleher’s The bottom line: GMS is glad to advisory, Sami has found his favorite have reeled Sami in so that he could subjects to be History and Math, and make the change before his middle his favorite teacher is Mr. Adams. school years were behind him! B&G Staff photo
MR. SEAL’S SEAL HAS ESCAPED FROM 224... DO YOU KNOW WHERE HE IS?
MAX COSTES, B&G STAFF
GMS-A-GR A MS BY
photos courtesy of filmwise.com
MAC AWALT, B&G STAFF
See if you can figure out these scrambled GMS identities... 6th GR ADE: TENT CAMPERS
8th GR ADE: K AR ATE LINCHPIN
7th GR ADE: R AJAH MANGO SKI
FACULTY: PROVE THEIR WICKET
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issue 4, january-february 2014 sports
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BASKETBALL
SWIMMING
seed steals win gms cannot hold in hounds’ finale off crusaders, 36-29
eagles double-up hounds in final meet BY
B&G STAFF REPORTS
BY
SEED SCHOOL - The Hounds lost a thriller to the SEED School, 33-32, in the last second of the fourth quarter. The game was tied up at 32 in the final seconds after Maxwell Costes hit a clutch three. SEED came down the floor and threw a pass that was tipped out of bounds with eight seconds to go. An isolation was run at the top of the key, but the ball was stripped by Chance Campbell. A reach-in foul was called, and the SEED player went to the free throw line, where he would shoot two shots. He missed the first but made the second, leaving the hounds one second on the clock. Costes hit Campbell on a beautiful full-court pass, but Campbell was hit by a cheerleader who had come onto the court. After the referees had a long coversation, they decided to put one second back on the clock and give the Hounds the ball in the backcourt. GMS could not connect a second time and lost by one. The tough loss ended the Hounds’ season with a 5-7 record.
ST. PAUL’S - The Hounds lost to the Crusaders, 36-29, on February 11. After controlling the entire game, GMS saw its lead slip away in the final minutes of the game. The starters did their job early, building a ten-point lead courtesy of consistent defense and unstoppable offense. Thomas Booker led the Hounds with 14 points and dominated the boards boards, but he found himself in foul trouble at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The loss of Booker’s inside presence hurt GMS and allowed the Crusaders to mount an 8-0 run. Late in the game, the Hounds found themselves behind and were forced to foul. St. Paul’s extended its lead down the stretch from the line and put the game away.
The Hounds jumped out to an insurmountable first-half lead en route to an easy home victory over the Yellow Jackets on February 7. Alex Slodzinski led GMS with 7 first-half points, including one 3-pointer. Jairus Gaines added 5 points, joining in on the long-range barrage. Hudson Carroll also hit a 3 in the first half, and Griffin Oursler scored from deep in the second half. Patrick Linehan paced the Hounds’ second-half offense with 6 points while GMS held Calvert to just 9 points.
hounds enjoy biggest win of season over b.l. BY
THOMAS BOOKER, B&G STAFF
FAC ARENA - GMS’s interscholastic basketball team hosted the Lakers on Wednesday, January 30, and by the end of the game, the Hounds had turned the contest into a blowout, winning 54-23. A fast start allowed GMS to build a commanding lead in the first quarter, and the Hounds stopped any runs made by Boys’ Latin. It was an impressive performance on both offense and defensive. Maxwell Costes said, “It was a team effort because everyone scored and everyone played great. We had a reduced number of turnovers and played good defense. Everyone contributed.” GMS was led in scoring by Chance Campbell, Alex Slodzinski, and Will Westra, but without a doubt, the entire team’s efforts were essential to the victory. This win made GMS 4-4 on the season and kept its recent hot streak alive.
GBA blue jays top greyhounds for 2013-2014 title, 43-21 BY
WILL RENDE, B&G STAFF
OLD GYM - As the winter athletics season came to an end, seventh and eighth grade intramural basketball players and coaches enjoyed an exciting playoffs. Six teams went into the playoffs on February 21, but only one team emerged as this year’s champion: the upstart Blue Jays. The GBA Championship saw the lead go back and forth early on, but the Blue Jays were able to take control of the game, cruising to a 43-21 win. The champions received gift bags with treats from the school store. Going into the playoffs, Mr. Kelleher’s Bears were the number-one seed with a record of 15-6, followed closely by Mr. Seal’s Greyhounds, both of whom earned firstround byes. Mr. C.’s Terrors narrowly lost to
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
McDONOGH - On February 6, the visiting Greyhounds were unable to defeat the Eagles in the final match of the season, losing 103-51. GMS’s swimmers started strong by finishing second in the 100-yard medley relay. The quartet of Max Verheyen (’19), Matthew Mu (’18), Connor Mitchell (’18), and Jake Diaz (’19) swam a 54.05. Immediately after, Verheyen took third in the 100-yard freestyle (59.35). In the 25-yard freestyle, Diaz placed second, swimming the length in 13.00 seconds. Verheyen’s 27.63 in the 50-yard freestyle was fast enough for second place, and Parker Shawver (’18) finished third (28.27).
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THOMAS BOOKER, B&G STAFF
LOYOLA - The Dons edged out the Hounds, winning 47-41 on February 10. GMS did not go quietly, storming back from a 10-point deficit with less than two minutes on the clock, cutting Loyola’s lead to just four points. Before the Hounds could complete the comeback, the Dons hit some key shots that helped put the game out of reach of even Gilman’s most skilled playmakers. Chance Campbell, Maxwell Costes, and Thomas Booker contributed their fair share, scoring a combined 27 points, along with 6 from Will Westra and 5 from Alex Slodzinski. Despite the Hounds’ best efforts, they were unable to finish their near-miraculous comeback and fell to 5-6 on the season.
cathedr al 35, GMS 33 A game-winning 3-pointer gave the host Mustangs the 35-33 win over the Hounds on February 6. Despite having an 8-point lead going into the final 90 seconds of the game, GMS could not close out the game. Cathedral hit some key shots in the fourth quarter, including the well-defended game-winner. GMS built its lead in the first half with great defense and timely shooting, but the play on the offensive end lagged in the third and fourth quarters.
ALEX CHENG, B&G STAFF
LOYOLA - After a restless hour of competing, GMS’s swim team lost its penultimate meet of the season, falling to Loyola, 76-23. Many of the swimmers were pleased with their performances all the same, and the GMS team swam many personal bests. “I feel that, even though we lost, we all put our best effort out there and we all tried our best,” said Parker Shawver (’18), who swam in the 100-yard medley relay, the 50 free, the 100 free relay, and the 200 free relay.
FAC ARENA - GMS won its first game following the long mid-term exam break, beating The SEED School, 48-43. The combined 26 points scored by Thomas Booker, Chance Campbell, and Maxwell Costes paced the Greyhound offense. Jairus Gaines, Purnell Hill, Parrick Linehan, and Brandon Savage scored a combined 14 points for the Greyhounds. The SEED School took a 5-point lead going into halftime, but the second half saw a surge from the Greyhounds as Costes scored 6 straight points to start the third quarter. From that point on, Gilman held control of the game, causing 4 turnovers in the last 2 minutes to lock down the win.
gms closes season with win over lakers
3 hounds take 1st at annual tourney
WRESTLING ROOM - In its last match of the season, GMS’s wrestling squad eked out what ended up a very close match with B.L. Two victories came from co-captain Cole Brown (’18), one by pin and one on a 7-2 tech fall. Co-captain Jonathon Hazlehurst (’18) was not as fortunate, getting caught in B.L.’s signature move: the Haugh. Adam Kwiterovich (’18) dominated his opponent, though he was of a larger weight class, and scored the pin for his team. Seventh grade victories came from Hank Bethel, Ethan Hoskins, and Nichi Pandey. Mr. Byrne reflected on his first season as GMS’s Head Coach, saying, “The season was a success in that we improved in the mat and really came together as a team through all the hard work.”
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the Quakers last Thursday. The intense rollaround resulted with Gilman coming up short by a few pins and points, 74-60. Although the Hounds had thirteen matches fall in their favor, Friends held on with more pins. Victories for GMS came from co-captains Cole Brown (’18), Jeremy Cranston (’18), and David Gushue (’18), as well as from Hank Bethel (’19) and Tentee Montgomery (’19).
SQUASH
hounds fall to st. paul’s ST. PAUL’S - Playing on the opponent’s turf, GMS challenged the Crusaders to a close match on January 15, but lost, 3-2. Teddy McFarlane, playing #3, and Charlie Ratcliffe, playing #4, both won their individual matches. GMS’s top seed, Will deMuth, and #2 and #5, Lex Seibel and Rollie Beattie, both came up short.
gms blanks park, 5-0
A furious fourth-quarter comeback was not enough as the Teachers won the annual Student-Faculty Hoops game.
Many swimmers also achieved their personal bests during the meet, including seventh grader Saad Jalisi, who swam a 15.35 in his 25 free. Although the GMS swim team lost, three non-scoring heats were won. Enzo Metsopoulos (’19) took first in the 50-yard freestyle. Joining him with first-place finishes were eighth graders Barrett Crawford and Alex Cheng, who won the 50-yard backstroke and 50-yard breaststroke, respectively.
WRESTLING
hounds pass test friends 74, GMS 60 after exams, 48-43 GMS’s wrestling team went to the home of B&G STAFF REPORTS
In the 100-yard freestyle relay, the combination of Bryan Huang (’18), Ben Levinson (’19), Enzo Metsopoulos (’19), and Parker Shawver finished in third place (54.67). Mitchell earned another second-place finish, swimming the 50-yard backstroke in 30.47 seconds, and Mu also finished second in the 50-yard breaststroke (35.06). At the end of GMS’s swim season, Coach Martin said these inspiring words: “Even though our season didn’t have the scores to back it up, the team improved significantly and had so much enthusiasm and heart. More than anything, we had a lot of fun.”
loyola swims to second win over gms BY
comeback versus dons falls short
B&G Staff photo
GMS 47, calvert 20
CHANCE CAMPBELL, B&G STAFF
ERIC GIBSON, B&G STAFF
MEADOW MILL - GMS got a commanding victory over Park School on January 13, 2014. In this 5-0 victory, the GMS showed how they can be a dominating team. Many GMSers had a chance to play two players of the Park team. All of the team won 3-0 except for Will deMuth.
SPENCER CHURCHILL, B&G STAFF
ST. PAUL’S - GMS’s wrestling team made yet another outstanding showing at the annual Middle School Wrestling Tournament, held on Saturday, February 1. Among the Hounds’ squad were three champions and a total of 17 placing athletes, GMS’s wrestlers were in high spirits as they embarked on what was for many their first wrestling tournament. For others, it was a familiar competing against the likes of Loyola, Boys’ Latin, McDonogh, Friends, St. Ignatius, and members of the North Baltimore club team. For two of the team’s co-captains Cole Brown (’18) and Jeremy Cranston (’18), this was just a warm-up for the Maryland State Wrestling Tournament. They were ready for both challenges because, along with fellow co-captain David Gushue (’18), they came away with first-place finishes. Eighth grader Jonathon Hazelhurst was the only Gilman wrestler to finish second while fellow 2018ers Spencer Churchill, Sam Cosimano, Will Davis, Adam Kwiterovich, and Bryson Webb all finished in third place. Hank Bethel (’19), Sam Jeppi (’18), Daniel de Leon (’19), and Max Pollack (’19) came home with fourth-place titles. BY
ANDREW BOLIN & SOREN SAGGI, B&G STAFF
hounds’ lower seeds lead gms to 4-0 win MEADOWMILL - GMS earned an unusual victory over the Lakers at their January 29 match. Unfortunately, B.L. showed up with just four players, instead of their normal six. Coach DeSmit decided that some of the lower-seeded Hounds should get a chance to play in a match that counted, so Carter Feiss, Danny Loewenstein, Liam Muhly, and Soren Saggi came up big for GMS. It was a perfect time for the lower-seeded players to gain some experience playing in a match that counted.