Issue #1 (2015) by GZAAT Gazette

GZAAT GAZETTE Issue #1 Autumn 2015

GZAAT Elections of 2015

he tradition of elections in GZAAT has existed for years now. Every year, each class, except for senior class, chooses a president and a vice-president for the whole year. This year the elections took place on October 9th, and new members of student council were chosen. We decided to ask them a few questions regarding their future policies.

AAT Electives

lectives used to be available for the seniors of AAT only. This year, the art, music, and theatre electives are open for students from every grade, as long as theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re dedicated to the subject!

GZAAT GAZETTE Interviews with New Staff Members Mary Toradze

Georgian Language Teacher

teaching again the Civic Education. Then I started to work at Ilia’s State University as the professor, so I had to quit the school again. In 2012 I started teaching philosophy in State Academy of Arts in Tbilisi. One year later I started teaching Philosophy in Tbilisi State Conservatoire also. And this year I quit all of the universities, and work here as a History teacher.

Issue #1 Maia Lordkipanidze Russian Language Teacher

-What do you appreciate the most in your students?

-Could you tell us a bit about your experience as a teacher? -I studied at university at the time of communists, and once I graduated the university, I started working for the newspaper. Right away, I understood that I wouldn’t be able to continue working in the communist newspaper, since it was too restricted, and biased. I worked there for exactly one day. At the time, a German school was founded in Tbilisi by Guram Ramishvili, a philosopher. I started working there as a Georgian teacher, and I realized that the school was one place where I was free, at least as an educator. Mr. Ramishvili told us to let children express themselves and their ideas, to have discussions. From then on, I work as a teacher. I work here, as well as read some lectures in the Javakhishvili University, where I also got my PHD in mass communications. -Do you recall anything interesting that has happened throughout your career? -I remember, I was young, and it was April 22nd, which was just another normal day for me. A group from Ministry of Education was attending our lessons, which I didn’t really mind. I just had a normal lesson. It turned out, that it was Lenin’s birthday, and no one in our school remembered that. Apparently, we had to dedicate our whole lesson to Lenin. Because of that, we were summoned to the Ministry, and were reprimanded. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. -What do you appreciate the most in your students? How do you grade them? -I’m quite lenient with grading my students, but that might change. For now, I evaluate students by their potential, rather than performance, but I try to be more objective.

Levan Ghambashidze History Teacher

Math/Physics Teacher

-What’s your experience as a teacher? -I’ve mostly taught at universities, but for the last two years I’ve also taught at a couple of schools here. I started teaching some engineering classes, even when I was studying as an undergraduate. Then in graduate school, I taught Physics and Math, and also some graduate Engineering. Later on, I taught courses for the University of Maryland. We went to different American military bases and taught evening courses. Then, I also taught at RIT, a technical university. When I moved here, there were some openings to teach, and so I worked at a couple of school, I also taught a course at the Black Sea University. -Have you worked in any other field? -While was still doing my engineering degree I worked at IBM, in, mostly, computer design as an intern. Then, when I finished I worked at Intel as a processor engineer, manufacturing computer chips. I did that for one year, and then I went to Thycol Corporation in Utah. Thycol, they make rocket motors. When I stopped teaching in Europe, I went back, I studied physics of snow and avalanches, so I do some consulting in that field. I’ve also done a lot of outdoor work. -Is there anything you remember really well from your teaching experience?

-Could you tell us about your background as a teacher? -When I was a student I started to work in the private school 21st Century as a History teacher, and later as a Civic Education teacher as well. I taught there for 2-3 years. When I did my master, I left the school, and went to Europe to do my master. When I came back I did 1 year

-There’s a student I remember well Oscar, he was from Bolivia, he wanted to enter engineering program, so he had to do well on physics, and he worked really, really, really hard, and in the end he got a C. He was very happy to be able to pass Physics. It’s one of the hardest working students I’ve ever seen. What do you appreciate the most in your students? I like when students are interested. I like when students make good effort, when they hand in assignments and ask questions.

GZAAT GAZETTE

GZAAT TV Survey: Kardashians Can’t Keep up with Lannisters and Underwood Trumps Them All TV Show survey

-What I appreciate in students is the ability to think by themselves. That’s what we try to teach here. I don’t consider myself to be a teacher, as in someone who just gives others his knowledge. We create the knowledge here, in the classroom. I also appreciate students who work hard, work on the text and are active.

James Frankenfield

Issue #1

Seventy people participated in the survey. Here is the list of the most-viewed and loved TV shows. House of Cards – 12 votes -Can you tell us about your teaching experience? -Well, my experience as a teacher is quite lengthy, I’ve been teaching for a while now, in many different places, such as universities, public schools, private schools. Other than that, I’m an author of various textbooks. I’ve read lectures in universities, not just in Russian language, but in many other subjects, one of them being the subject I personally invented, the art of translating, and the roots of ethics. Mostly, I’ve been occupied by the Russian language in Georgian school. -When did you start teaching? -My career as a teacher started when I was twenty, I entered the classroom, where some of the students were much older than me. I won’t forget their surprised faces when I told them “Sit down, the lecture has already begun”, and they realized I was their lecturer.

Game of Thrones – 9 votes The Ellen show – 8 votes Pretty Little Liars – 7 votes Breaking Bad - 6 votes Keeping up with the Kardashians – 5 votes American Horror Story – 4 votes Rick and Morty – 3 votes I decided to write reviews on “Game of thrones”, “House of cards”, “Pretty little liars” and “The Ellen show”, because they represent four different genres of TV shows.

House of cards “House of cards” is an American political drama TV series produced by Beau Willimon. The series are about a congressman, Frank Underwood, who works with his wife to exact revenge on the people who have betrayed him. Vicious and cunning Francis and his ambitious wife Claire take the viewers on their long journey. They take Washington D.C. by climbing on the social ladder. The show is very edgy and full of dark humor and the character are well developed and they are persuasive and manipulative. If you like political thrills, back-door deals and machinations, you should definitely watch this show.

-Tasia Kucan

Are you a GZAAT student who wants to enroll in a club? Then this PSA is for you!

Copy Editors: Nick Shashkini Tasia Kucan

• This year, every club is going to take attendance. You miss one meeting -and you’re out!

• Are you interested in the writing and publishing industry? Our schools new “Publications” club is calling all writers, artists, publishers and promoters to join them in making newspapers, magazines and a yearbook. • The number of academic clubs drastically decreased this year. Want to start a new club? Mr. Cruz is more than happy to listen to what you have to say. Come up to him at any time and start your very own “clique”!

“The Ellen DeGeneres show” is an American talk show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. Ellen has been making people laugh for twelve seasons. She is the funniest woman alive. She knows how to make you laugh till your stomach hurts. Her show is creative and full of humor. Her dancing and DJ’s music at the beginning are a daily treat. Ellen gets all the A-list stars in her show and guests seem to have a great time with her, but she also has ordinary people in her show too. So, if you want to laugh till you cry, make sure to watch her show. -Sopho Bakuradze STAFF Chief Editors: Helen Ugulava Mariam Aleksishvili

New Club Policies

• Doing a club just so it will look good on your CV? Don’t! Not only will you dislike spending time away from school to make the meetings, but your work won’t reflect a positive attitude.

The Ellen Show

Visual Editor: Gigi Khmaladze

Game of Thrones “Game of thrones” is an HBO television series, which premiered in April 2011. The show is based on a series of fantasy novels by George R.R Martin, called “A Song of Ice and Fire”. It is an ideal show to watch if you love adventures and fantasy. The setting is in medieval times and it is about nine noble families who fight for an iron throne in a world of wolves and dragons, sword fights, and Shakespearian feuds. The episodes are complex, vibrant and imaginative and they draw your eyes in the surprising world of details in the world of dungeons, beautiful castles, and magnificent trees.

Pretty little liars “Pretty little liars” is an American teen drama mystery-thriller television series, starring Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, and others. The series is originally based on the book series written by Sara Shepard. It is set in a fictional town called Rosewood and shows the lives of four girls. This show is definitely a chick flick-type made for a teenage audience. And it is no doubt that the show is addictive. Once you start watching, you can’t stop. The episodes are fascinating and there is a little twist in each. So, if you love chick flicks and drama and mystery, it is definitely the type of TV show you should watch.

Staff: Zaza Asatiani Tazo Alavidze Sopo Bakuradze Barbare Baramidze George Bekuridze Frankie Canik Anna Davitaia Sopo Javelidze Sesili Koberidze Vato Kizikurashvili Liza Lezhava Dasha Lochoshvili Ana Matchavariani Ana Sandler Romin Salikov Teacher Advisors: Anthony Schierman Ken Goff

GZAAT GAZETTE

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Dear Asmat: Advice for Students

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GZAAT GAZETTE Elections 2015

s we get older, our responsibilities increase almost year after year. No, doing the dishes and your homework isn’t enough anymore. It’s time to begin getting used to your place in society, and what better place to start than school? Democracy isn’t just for adults. We have every right to have a voice in whatever establishment presides over us, be it our government or our school’s administration. That’s why we have a long standing tradition of student elections in GZAAT which, unsurprisingly, has carried over to this academic year. So, on the 9th of October, the students of our school came together to vote for the people who will go on to communicate their interests to the administration. After a tense and hopefully democratic battle, the winners were announced on the following evening: Freshmen: President - Giorgi Jabishvili; Vice President - Giorgi Abramishvili Sophomores: President - Marika Misabishvili; Vice President - Sandro Axvlediani Juniors: President - Nikoloz Tvildiani; Vice President - Dasha Lochoshvili

Dear Asmat, I’m having trouble with Biology class. I try to focus on completing my homework, but I can’t even get myself to sit down! What do I do? Help me Asmat! From, Restless in Biology

Dear Asmat, I was a candidate for my class presidency this year. Unfortunately, I lost. This has had a really huge impact on my self-esteem, and I’ve lost all my confidence. What shall I do? Signed, Heartbroken Hopeful

Dear Restless,

Dear Heartbroken,

Listen, we have all been in that position at least once in our lives, and you should know that even the most put-together-looking Senior has, at one point during his or her academic career, been a complete mess. First of all, I assume, you are a Freshman, and are still trying to get used to your new school. Try not to overwhelm yourself. The curriculum of this school is fascinating, but can also be exhausting at the same time, and of course, some subjects are more alluring than others, depending on one’s individual interests. To get yourself to study, try setting aside a specific time each day that is only for Biology. Force yourself to sit down and do the work, and when the time is up reward yourself with a break: have a snack, or give yourself 15 minutes on Facebook. On the weekends, dedicate an hour to reviewing the chapters you find especially difficult. Don’t forget that your teachers are always willing to help you out with the concepts you cannot process and the more effort you make to communicate with them, the more they will understand that you are a serious student.

It’s really hard to say goodbye to something you desired with a great passion. However, the elections are over, and the results have been established. Student government elections are, more often than not, simply popularity contests so if you are truly interested in helping to establish policy at our school, don’t lose heart. Remember, the fact that you lost doesn’t mean you can’t share ideas with your classmates! If there’s something in particular you want to change or improve, try sharing your ideas with your class president. Maybe your ideas can push some actual progress without you actually being in charge! Don’t get too upset about one single loss. Instead, congratulate the candidates who won this year. Needless to mention, if you’re a Freshman or a Sophomore, you still have plenty of time to become a class president in the next few years.

Good Luck. Best wishes, Asmat

Wishing you luck! Best regards, Asmat

Now, as the first hundred days of their presidencies loom, we sat down with the winners to discuss their plans for the future, with interesting responses. “The food in our cafeteria is one of the students’ main concerns,” began Junior president Nikoloz Tvildiani. “People like different kinds of food, so it’s hard to satisfy everyone. But we’ll try to find a solution. One idea is to have everyone vote on the types of food that they’d like to eat. In the end, the most popular dishes will be included in our cafeteria’s selection.” In contrast, Sophomore president Marika Misabishvili feels that there isn’t all that much work to be done. “We don’t have any major issues in our class, because we usually try to iron out any possible kinks right on the spot. There are some organizational problems, but we usually manage to fix them too.” As for the Freshmen, their president seems to agree. “I don’t think there is any major problem in our school at all. There are some minor issues, but they’re solvable. … But some of my classmates have been asking me to do some...impossible things.” For humor’s sake, we asked Giorgi Jabishvili to share some of the the ridiculous requests he gets. “Well, someone asked me to fire a teacher once. I laughed, thinking it was a joke, but it turns out he was serious! Some freshmen even asked me to make some of the food in the cafeteria accessible to our grade, so that was interesting.” -Nick Shashkini

The AAT Renaissance: New Range of Electives Focuses on the Arts

such a thing, so I decided to make classes in order for kids to be able to choose. There are two main reasons for making things this way: I don’t like imposing the arts on people, so I wanted students to have a variety of things to choose from. The second reason is that I wanted these three courses to be just like the other regular classes with grades, attendance and so forth. -When did you first think about adding these electives?

his year a variety of new classes have been introduced to our school. The three elective subjects are: music, theatre and art. The word “elective” itself means that these classes are non-mandatory: a student can choose any one of these three according to his/her skills and interests. But what is the true purpose of these electives and why were they created? To explore these two major questions, I interviewed GZAAT director Andres Cruz, the initiator of these classes. -How did the idea of initiating electives come into your mind? What inspired you? In good private schools abroad there always are art classes. I noticed that this school doesn’t have

Practically the very first moment I came to this school. I noticed that it lacked true art classes so I decided to make them, and not just as clubs. What is the maximum number of students that can be admitted to a certain course? The limits are set by the teachers. For instance, the art teacher said there can only be a maximum of nineteen students in his class, but meanwhile there are no limits in the theatre course. In the music class a barrier was also set by the teacher. -There are some students who want to attend one of the electives but can’t because the class is already full. Are you going to do anything about this in the future? It depends on the case. You never know how many people want to do a thing until you actually start doing it, but now I know. So, next year we might create two sections for courses which are most in demand. There’s also an alternative version: for example, this year’s seniors are going to graduate in May, so the ones who are now soph-

omores will be free to attend arts electives next year, so this way everyone will be able to attend an elective for at least a year. -Which elective do you prefer? It’s hard to say, because I like every one of them, and I’ve been a professional in each at some point during my life. But, probably, I’d choose theatre, because that’s what I studied in Spain during my youth. I was a principal and a theater teacher in the same school. Has such a concept of electives ever existed before at GZAAT? As far as I know, not like this. There has never been a real, full class. There have only been electives for seniors: things like statistics, philosophy… When I asked Donald Thomas, he said that he had never done this before. As we can see, electives are quite important for every good private school as well as for the development of the students. The problems connected to this subject will most likely be resolved next year. Even though having electives is a completely new concept for our school, all of it seems to be organized quite well, and students learn a lot of new and interesting things in their field of interest. -Ana Sandler

GZAAT GAZETTE

The GZAAT Gazette Is Your Engine of Democracy

hy do you read the newspaper? Do you want to find out what’s going on around you? Or are you someone who just wants to fill out some crossword puzzles and read a few fun facts? There can be many reasons to read the newspaper. Thus, the goals of the newspaper should coincide with the demands of its readers. GZAAT Gazette has been trying to fit the expectations of its students for years, and this year is not going to be an exception. First and foremost, GZAAT Gazette is the newspaper dedicated to informing students about the happenings that will affect their academic life. It doesn’t matter whether these changes are occurring within the school, such as new classes and teachers, or outside of it, such as the changes in the SAT. This year we want to inform our students about the contemporary happenings. Since our Gazette is focused primarily on addressing an audience of students who are constantly engaged in the learning process, it is one of our top priorities to provide educational articles. These articles won’t necessarily be directly related with the subjects taught in school, such as History, or Chemistry, but rather will contain topics much closer to our hearts: teenage behaviour, keeping a healthy lifestyle, handling anxiety, staying organized... Being informed about these topics is just as important as receiving a general education in every subject. Of course, no newspaper is complete unless there is an entertainment section. For that very purpose GZAAT Gazette will try to incorporate various surveys, polls, games, and such, to interact with its pop-culture informed readers, and provide a source of amusement for those who are in need of a laugh. All in all, GZAAT Gazette is not made for a niche of individuals, but for each individual student and staff member. The readers of this newspaper create the newspaper itself: they demand, we supply. Not to mention, the gazette, in a way, is an image of our community. Hence, I’d like to wish luck to those people creating the articles, those releasing the newspaper, and especially those who are going to read it. Have a great year! -Helen Ugulava

iGZAAT Puts the Harkness Table Online

n this day and age, it’s almost impossible to escape the Internet. Far from being the niche tool of years gone by, it has now gained a firm foothold in society. From teenagers to grandparents, almost everyone is online. But, there are some who see an opportunity instead of lamenting the collective hours mankind wastes away on Facebook. Thanks to these people, the Internet is now home to something straight out of science fiction: online education. Now, anyone with a computer, a smartphone, or a tablet can start learning the basics of a language, an instrument or even differential calculus. Granted, the systems in place aren’t perfect, but the potential is clearly there. Crucially, more and more people are getting in on the action, and The Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy in Tbilisi is no exception. “About two years ago, we began tinkering with the idea of making our school’s philosophy accessible to a larger audience”, begins Ilia Mestvirishvili, one the academy’s physics teachers. “So, we looked at what had already been done in this domain. There is an exponentially growing number of online schools and universities. The best colleges across the world are making some of their courses available for free on the internet, the only fee necessary being for certification. We decided that our approach would be to gradually collect the educational materials in the academy and put them online in a specific format. As in our school, we avoided narrow explanations like A is C, B is C, therefore A is B. We want the students to analyse everything. Is A actually B, C, D or something entirely different? And if so, why? Conclusions resulting from reflection, even if wrong, are much more important than memorising other people’s work.” But, just as schools around the world have found it difficult to integrate this philosophy into their curriculum, the web seems to have hit the same roadblock. “When we began looking at ways to make it possible, we found out that it’s not something that’s been frequently attempted. It’s hard to maintain this methodology when dealing with huge amounts of material.” So, the project was temporarily put on hold. It didn’t take long for the fuse to reignite, however. “About a year later, Simon Janashia rekindled the interest in the idea. It turns out that he already had experience with online education at Ilia University” With his involvement, the project rapidly took off. Today, at igzaat.org, the concept is finally taking shape. Though it’s not yet fully stocked with courses at the moment, there’s already a number of them with more on the way. And, impressively, the site’s unique approach to education is apparent from the get-go, even at this relatively early stage of development. You’re encouraged to think. The site acts as a guide, gently nudging you to the right conclusions. And sometimes, there’s no right or wrong answers at all. It’s a pleasant change of scenery from memorising formulas, to say the least. The project was given its first test run this

Issue #1 summer. “We organised something we called a flipped classroom for some of the students during this summer school at the academy. The teacher gave a brief introduction, but wasn’t involved in the educational process. All of the work was done at the computers,” continues Ilia Mestvirishvili. “The second portion of the testing was done through the Internet, with registered participants.” But it wasn’t just for show. Aside from offering a glimpse into what they hope will be one of the next big things in education, they were also looking for feedback. “We collected a lot of data over the course of the testing period and have analysed it thoroughly.” Indeed, the findings are exhaustive. The team behind the project is leaving nothing to chance, every aspect of the site is questioned. They’re also quick to react. It’s immediately apparent that a large chunk of complaints from the summer school students is all but gone from the second batch of data. But, even so, Ilia concedes that there still is a long way to go. “So far, we’ve tested a few things, gotten some results and know approximately what to do and how to do it. Now, we’re looking for ways to develop it all. If we have to do this all with only our school’s resources, the timeframe will naturally be elongated. But it’ll be an ongoing process.” The web provides a strong platform for sharing the academy’s methods and experience. It’s all just a few clicks away. The pricing is in accordance with the spirit of accessibility as well. “The courses themselves will be free of charge. There will only be a nominal fee for certification at the end,” explains Ilia. More than a decade after the conception of GZAAT, this might very well be the next step in revolutionising education. -Nick Shashkini

Tapping the AAT Creative Well: Student Work to Be Featured in New Literary Magazine

n addition to our GZAAT newspaper, the publications club has decided to create something new - A Literary Magazine! The magazine will feature short stories, poems, and more! Any creative writing is welcome, in the language and style of your choosing. Furthermore, if you are skilled in the arts and want to share your innovative creations please feel free to contact the Literary Magazine. All students are welcome to submit their work. Teachers, you’re welcome too! Does publishing your achievements sound like something you want to do? If it does, feel free to contact one of the members of the GZAAT newspaper, or our English teachers Mr. Ken Goff and Mr. Anthony Schierman. We can’t wait to explore your submissions! -Ana Sandler

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GZAAT GAZETTE

Study Smarter - Not Longer

Film Review:

MINIONS G

oing back to school is a stressful time for most of us students. We have to change our bedtime schedule, stop procrastinating and get serious (unless you want to be harassed by your parents for getting terrible grades). We all know the tips proposed by our teachers and parents for working more efficiently. Nevertheless, there are still more ways to improve your studying. GZAAT students who wish to optimize their study time should try these six methods. 1. Instead of cramming in a five hour studying session, it’s much more effective to spread your time out into twenty 30 minutes sessions. This is because our brains are better at encoding information into the synapses in short repeated sessions as opposed to one large one. This is why learning different skills, whether it’s playing a guitar or swimming requires everyday practise. So don’t pull an allnighter next time you study, because research shows that it links to serious inefficiency. 2. Do you spend hours passively rereading your notes or highlighting a textbook? Studies have shown this to be extremely ineffective! It doesn’t improve your understanding of topics at all, nor does it link key concepts together. Often times it can be detrimental, as it draws your attention to less important information. Flashcards, on the other hand, are proven to be excellent memory reinforcement tools. Pick one aspect you want to focus on, whether it’s learning theorems or studying new words, and write them down on small sheets of paper. 3. Study as if you are about to teach the whole class. When you’re expected to teach, your brain organizes the information in a more logical coherent structure. This is something that our school puts lots of attention on everyday. 4. Where should you be studying? Research shows that having a special spot for studying that is well equipped with every tool you might need is the best choice. Studying in a designated spot primes your brain for serious studying.

5. Do you listen to music while solving algebraic problems? Not so fast,because recent studies have shown that learning with rhythmic background noise can be “killing” your focus. Even though previous studies have shown that classical music can help improve concentration, new research says otherwise. 6. Put away your phone! It decreases your concentration dramatically. If you think otherwise, call to mind that time you went on Youtube for a history project and ended up watching funny cat videos 10 minutes later. Your phone encourages multi-tasking which is harmful for the brain. Earl Miller, a neuroscientist at MIT and one of the world experts on divided attention, says that our brains are “not wired to multitask well. When people think they’re multitasking, they’re actually just switching from one task to another very rapidly.And every time they do, there’s a cognitive cost in doing so.” Multitasking increases the production of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the fight-or-flight hormone adrenaline, which can overstimulate your brain and cause scrambled thinking. Follow these six easy tips, and I can guarantee you you will see a difference in your academic results. Good luck! -Romin Salikov

ecoming the third animated movie to breakthe billion benchmark, Minions is on the way to become the highest animated film of all time, the title now fittingly held by Disney’s Frozen. Despite its commercial success and popularity, which in most part is due to title characters’ elementary appeal, Minions is flawed. First of all, it is so focused on its main characters that everything else including the plot itself fades in importance, leaving a sense of artificiality about every situation the minions get involved in. Secondly, there’s nothing original presented in this movie. The basic storyline revolves around concepts such as madness and evil already well explored, if not over explored, by its predecessors Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2. Moreover, Scarlet Overkill, the main nemesis of the minions, voiced by superstar Sandra Bullock, is also a disappointment. Intended to be a supervillain, Scarlet is not frightening enough, though Bullock’s husky voice more than matches the character. The strongest part of the movie is its pacing which is fast and vibrant, complemented by constantly changing locations and a quickly unfolding story. Finally, if you have kids, you wouldn’t miss anything going to the cinema for Minions. It’s a great looking movie, but nothing out of the ordinary in today’s landscape of lovely CGI. -Zaza Asatiani

GZAAT GAZETTE

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Interview with P.E Coach Zuka

School’s Back in for Summer

The GZAAT Gazette Alumni Series: Where Are They Now?

-What sports programs does the GZAAT provide for its students?

ur newspaper interviewed the creators (Mrs. Ketka & Mrs. Gvantsa) of the GZAAT summer academy about the key aspects of this successful project. -Who were the students of the academy? Ketka: We had student from Tbilisi public schools, and we are proud that we had students from Tserovani and Abkhazeti schools, these students were refugees. We had scholarships for these students and they didn’t have to pay, or had to pay only half the price.

An interview with Sopho Jeiranashvili, AAT Class of 2015

his is the first in the GZAAT Gazette’s series of interviews with AAT alumni. Each issue we will publish a conversation with an AAT graduate, as we try to gain some insight into what’s in store for us once we leave high school and go on to university.

Gvantsa: Actually some of the students were the incoming freshmen, and this was a great transitional period for them as well. They could get used to the Harkness table and the facility. They were all very happy with the experience as they could get to know some of our school teachers, for example me, Ketka, Ken. This was a great experience for them.

Sopho, a member of the Class of 2015, graduated last spring and is now in her first semester at the NABA Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti in Milan, Italy. She was interviewed via Facebook by GZAAT Gazette reporter by Sophie Javalidze.

Ketka: Also we had some students who study in the American Academy, but they have problems in particular subjects and are at risk. They have to work hard in their problematic subjects.

-Good morning Sopho, I’m from the GZAAT student newspaper and I would like to ask you some questions about your university.

Gvantsa: This program is called the student remediation program, and these students had different classes and were place in different classrooms and worked on courses which were problematic to them. And the goal for them was just to get a passing grade not B or A but to get Dto at least pass the course, and they all succeeded.

-Hello. I would be glad to answer some questions about my university. -First of all, what type of college do you attend? -Well, this is a college of art and design, so we have homework that is always creative. We study both theory and practice. The length of our lectures is 3 hours. Some say that 3 hours for a lecture is too much, but they are always very interesting. People interested in art will never have a tedious time here. -Do you have a lot of homework to do for one day?

gather. I also read, talk with my friends from Tbilisi, and sometimes on my free time I like to draw. -Do you like your professors?

-Not yet, as it’s only been two weeks since we’ve started studying. I always have time to do everything during the day. If you listen to the lectures, it is much easier to do your homework afterwards. I think that hardworking students can manage to both do the work and have an active extracurricular life as well.

-Yes. Of course. They all are professionals in their work and they give very interesting lectures. We are always involved in these classes as the professors are communicative, and they are always ready to answer your question or help you.

-Do you have free time, and if so, what do you do during that period?

-They are from all around the world. It’s very interesting to have a contact with them and because of all the diversity, I don’t feel like a stranger. I like to have contact with them. They are very friendly.

Yes, I have a lot of free time because during the week I study only 3 days and the rest of the days I have off. As I have been here for just two weeks, during my free time I travel through the city. I see the sights and go to museums. On weekends mainly I hang out with my new college friends. We go to the main street where all the students

-What can you say about your college-mates?

-What advice can you give to our seniors? -I would say that, first and foremost, they have to work hard and think seriously about the future. It’s important to make the right decision and

difficult to know how to do this. They have to find the college which is right for them. This is one of the hardest steps because it’s a huge factor which can determine their future. But, it is one of the greatest feelings once you know that you have made the right decision. Thank you Sopho, good luck! -Sophie Javelidze

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Ketka: what might be interesting for you as well is the new program we integrated in the Summer Academy, which is the internet American Academy. We had computer classes and students were able to get virtual lessons in History, Math and Georgian. It is very new to the academy and of course needs a lot of investments in terms of time, money, and human resources. But it is very useful and fun for the kids. - We know that our students have been helping the teachers in the summer Academy. Could you tell us more about that? Ketka: Yes, students have been helping the teachers, and it was good for them as they could get some working experience. Mainly this was an opportunity for our Alumni and 11th graders. Also we had some 10th graders as well who worked in the office with schedules and documents. Our students mostly worked as T.As and advisors because in middle schools you need much stronger advisors than in high school. And also they were sport instructors and worked alongside real trainers which taught wall climbing and aerobics as these sports need more qualified instructions.

Gvantsa: They also had a lot of fun activities such as competitions and fun games. And students were able to organise everything very well. They had a lot of fun as well and it was generally a great experience for them. They all mentioned that being on the other side of teaching is very useful for studying as they can understand what teachers go through. We could see them changing during the process, they were becoming much more responsible. And it was great having our students work in the Summer Academy. Ketka: As well we had a lot of guest speakers in our program. We had some alumni who have already left the school and have gone far from the American Academy and it was a chance for them to come back to the American Academy. And they could in this way pay back to the school. We had our alumnus Guram Sakvarelidze, who has become a singer. He came and performed and our students actually wrote the songs, it was very spontaneous, but the kids enjoyed it. One of the guest speakers was Brandon Jackson an Irish painter and he gave a masterclass to our students, and we really want to make the summer school more open to everyone, and we want our Alumni to still stay the part of the school even after they leave it. -Could you please tell us about your future plans? Ketka: of course. This year we only had the middle school students, but for the next year we plan to have an advanced course for high school students. Also next year we will hopefully be able to have some international outreach and get some foreign students that can study and live with our kids. And bring some teachers from different countries to get some cultural exchange and for them to bring new study techniques. Gvantsa: We see it as an international Summer Academy where at least 5% of the students are foreigners and where we have some foreign teachers on top of Mr. Goff who worked in the Summer Academy. So they can share their experience with us and we can share our experience with them. Ketka: This is why we want to go to Istanbul American Academy during the fall break to establish some relationship with them. We hope it will be beneficial for us and for them. -George Bekuridze

Since the foundation of our school we have had a wide range of choices when it comes to physical education. We have sports for exclusively girls, such as aerobics, Georgian dance classes. We used to have modern dance classes, an idea that derived from the students. As for boys, we have football, rugby and basketball classes. These three classes have teams that participate in tournaments against neighbouring schools. We also offer rock climbing, swimming and the gym (in winter months only). -Have our teams achieved any notable accomplishments? Well, our basketball and football teams have made our school proud with impressive results last year when they played against other private schools like QSI. This year, we’re planning to participate in female tournaments, so let’s see how that goes. -If a student wants to participate in a tournament, are they required to put in extra hours? No, actually. In my experience, however, the students who want to participate often come after school by their own will! It all depends on the teams and how dedicated they are. -Liza Lezhava

GZAAT GAZETTE Issue #1 From Benny Goodman to Snoop Dogg: Georgian Music Festivals Appeal to a Range of Tastes Y

ou’ve probably seen a lot of billboards in the streets lately, advertising concerts by musicians you’ve never heard of before. Maybe you’re wondering who these people are and why they are being promoted in Georgia. Well, it is the Tbilisi Jazz festival that unites them all. This year, from October 23 to October 29, the Tbilisi Jazz Festival will take place in the Tbilisi concert hall, and this year the performers are the following: Diana Krall, Esperanza Spalding, Jeff Ballard Trio, Avishai Cohen, Edmar Castaneda Trio and Fourplay. So what is this jazz festival? despite having been around for years, the Tbilisi Jazz Festival has gained popularity among teenagers since the more recent birth of The Black Sea Jazz festival, especially because this past summer one of the performers was Snoop Dogg, a well-known rapper. But in general, teenagers as well as some adults, are not familiar with the main jazz festival itself, and not a lot of people know that international jazz concerts have been held in Tbilisi since 1962, as our city was listed as one of just a handful of Soviet destinations approved for international concerts by the communist authorities. It was in 1962 that Benny Goodman visited Tbilisi. From then on, plenty of performers have appeared here including B.B King, Ian Gillan, Bob Dylan (who gave a closed concert at the Writer’s House in 1985), Kool & The Gang, Tania Maria, and many other marvelous musicians. The modern iteration of Tbilisi’s first annual jazz festival first took place in 1978 ,and was organized by several promoters who went on to form Eastern Promotion, the organization which has organized concerts throughout the Caucasus region since 1998, including performances by such distinguished and admired musicians as Ray Charles, James Brown, Al Jarreau, Joe Cocker, Jamiroquai, Shakira and many others. The next Jazz Festival in Tbilisi will take place in 2016. It will begin on February 8th, and will last for 4-5 days. We don’t have the information about all the performers yet, but it is already known that an American Jazz composer and pianist Ramsey Lewis will be one of them. -Frankie Canik

Not Just another Brick in the Wall: American Blues in Tbilisi

e have a special treat for the blues fans among you. When Paul Rimple isn’t working as a freelance journalist, he’s fronting one of the only true blues bands in Georgia - “The Natural Born Lovers”. During his visit to our school, he shared some of his experiences with us. Can you briefly tell us about how your band came to be? And seeing as you don’t speak Georgian, how do you communicate? Paul : Russian is our common language, we communicate in Russian. When I moved here in 2002, friends of ours took us to a couple of bars in Perovskaia and took us to “The Nali” and this band was playing in “The Nali” and they were called “ The Candy Band” and it was actually David our drummer and Dato our bass player, Levan was playing guitar, they had a girl singing with them , and so I jammed with them, and they played a really nice shuffle. It was really cool and they invited me to come jam with them. They were playing with Vova Mogaladze at “ the Beatles club “when I jammed with them and Mogaladze was kind of like “ who’s this guy? “And that’s how we initially met. But I started playing with other guys; we were also playing on Perosvkaia. There is a bar on Chavchavadze called “ Smugglers Inn” and we were playing there every Friday night and then we used to play at “ Kaisers “ the beer place, and then we broke up, because somebody hired the band to be their house band in the bar “Scarlets Sails ” on Leselidze. They wanted rock n’ roll , but I don’t play rock n’ roll,. I am a blues musician and so my band got the gig and I was like good luck guys, no problem. And at that time “ The Candy band” asked me to put the band together and so I started to play in the bars with them and I am playing with them from 2007-2008. It often happens that the most popular hits are the ones most frequently requested at concerts and gigs. What is your attitude toward this? Paul : I am a blues musician, so I play blues, and recently my friend hired the band for his party. We learned a song, which he asked us to learn as the birthday present. It was not a blues song but it was a pretty cool song. And I would do this for him, but the problem was that we just didn’t have time for this. Essentially to answer the question , I guess it is partly the matter of principle, but its also that I am blues musician, I play blues and I don’t play rock n’roll, and if I was gonna play some, I would play songs that nobody else is playing. You are playing “Another brick in the wall“ everywhere, so why should I play it, right? Mishaps are an unfortunate part of live performances. And some don’t go to plan at all. Has anything like that ever happened to you? Paul : I don’t know if I’d call it a failure, but it was a terrible gig. It was in Poland. I had a band with two Ukrainians and two Georgian guys, which is how I discovered Georgia, and we got the gig to play for the first anniversary of a big supermarket, and we played in the parking lot. It was kind of a blues band but I was the only blues musician. People were pushing the shopping carts and looking at us like “ What the hell is this?” and then it started to snow, so it was a weird gig.

Issue #1

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A failure? Not a failure because we performed, we got paid. There’s been times when I have not been paid. Also, the awful gig was the last time I played in Bakuriani. It was for New Year’s eve. Generally, I like playing for people who drink and are having fun, but when we performed there, a drunk guy got the microphone and started singing something. It was very unpleasant. What advice can you give to performers of blues, and for musicians in general? Paul : To listen to as many old blues musicians as possible for inspiration. Such as, I mean of course most people are familiar with B.B. King, and John Lee Hooker, which is really great. But dig deeper . When you like “The Blues Brothers”, you should see who wrote the songs for the blues brothers, and then find those guys. I mean who is Willie Mabon? look for Willie Mabon, Muddy Waters etc. Today we live in the age where you can go on YouTube and type John Lee Hooker, and there will be suggestions. Basically if you see a clip and there is a black guy , you know it is going to be cool music. Seriously, white guys, playing black music , yeah it will be good but I prefer go to the roots for the inspiration. That’s it. And then play. If you’re a guitarist, play until your fingers bleed; if you are a singer, sing until your neighbors are stomping on the floor, stomping on the ceiling, just do it. Follow your heart. -Frankie Canik

Once Upon a Time in Khevsureti

Tbilisoba 2015: Harvest of Love

bilisoba is a celebration that has been held in Tbilisi since 1979. During two days at the end of October, the city flourishes. Inhabitants of every Georgian village arrive to sell their harvest. There are many shows, concerts and entertainment for children. The most fascinating process is boiling of steaks at Tbilisi Sport Hall. Concerts are held on Rike, historical place on the eastern side of the city. Hundreds of people attended an event where members of the government congratulated citizens and wished all the best. This is a tradition where every year they name honorable citizens of Tbilisi and give prizes to them. This year eleven people were selected. They included the famous writer and publicist Lasha Tabukashvili, Dr. Besik Iashvili, and scientist Mzekala Shanidze. The ceremony took place in the yard of Georgian National Museum. Thirty-five years have passed, but for Georgians and especially for the residents of Tbilisi Tbilisoba still remains as important as it was from its first day. Georgian are proud of this celebration and also very glad to see many tourists attending this event. We asked several questions to Chinese, Russian, and French tourists who were walking around the market and tasting Georgian dishes. All of them said that Tbilisoba perfectly expresses the characteristics of Georgia and and its citizens. They also said that they wish to return to Tbilisi and attend this event next year. -Vato Kizikurashvili & Gigi Tskitishvili

“Satils jer ar Caswdomia Suqi SuadRis mzisao, ar CauSveben Camsvlelsa, ca axuria kldisao.” – v. fSavela, aluda qeTelauri

hatili is magnificent. You get a feeling of eternal calmness and freedom while looking at the fields protected by the old, frosty mountains and the cocktail-blue shaded sky, which is so close to turning into transparent, that it is scary. In Khevsureti, I found the thing that I lack the most while living in the city – Space. I felt tiny in the mountains, while in Tbilisi, I imagine myself as one of the cars. The air is so polluted in cities that citizens turn into miserable fish, floundering on the seashore, breathing the last drops of the water with their dying gills. While exploring Nature, we realized that in order to satisfy our physical needs, sometimes we destroy it. We bought and killed a calf and made mtsvadi out of it. It’s sad, that because of our hunger, a cute animal died. However, that’s a natural chain reaction and we cannot deny that. Fire accompanied our dinner and a real camping atmosphere was created. We set up our accommodations as soon as we arrived to Khevsureti, so we didn’t have much to worry about weather and darkness in the evening. It was raining, but we were ready to face all the discomfort that we were supposed to. The next Morning, we visited Mutso – an abandoned village and home to approximately 30 medieval fortified dwelling units arranged on vertical terraces above the four towers and the ruins of several old buildings. The architecture of the village is really original. Its beautiful, brownish colors form a marvelous synthesis with the sunny, blue sky that supplemented our day. It was nice to know, that there are some plans to restore Mutso. Our two-day trip was really long and short at the same time. Tired, exhausted, happy and full of excitement, we arrived in Tbilisi. Hopefully, our teachers will organize of many other hiking trips.