Issue #4 (2016)

GZAAT GAZETTE Issue Nº 4

Guivy Zaldastanishvili American Academy in Tbilisi

Tbilisi, February/March, 2016

Reading is Free!

Basketball Tbilisi Classic

By Temiko Chichinadze On 18-19 February, the AAT Sports Center was a hive of activity as our school played host to the 10th Annual Tbilisi Basketball Classic.

Over these two days many AAT students had difficulty concentrating on their studies as the sounds of cheering wafted through open classroom windows.

Meanwhile, unfamiliar, mostly English-speaking teenagers could be spotted in the cafe as the various teams cycled through for refreshment in between games.

This year’s event was truly international: of the eight participating teams, more than half came from abroad (Azerbaijan, Armenia and Ukraine) while only three teams were local (AAT, QSI and New School). Both winning teams came from Azer-

The Class of 2017, at the Centre Georges Pompidou, observing paintings by luminary geniuses.

baijan: the Baku Oxford School took home the Boys trophy, while the Caspian Associated School won the Girls tourney. There was a stronger focus on Girls basketball this year (six Girls teams took part) and, for the first time in recent memory, the AAT Girls team played as many games as the Boys. Overall, the tournament featured an almost non-stop...

Continued on page 8

Giorgi Abramishvili hitting a layup against the Caspian Team.

Juniors Visit Post-Attack Paris

By Mariam In January of 2016, the Junior class had an amazing opportunity to visit Paris for a week.

Going on this trip was a difficult decision because of the notorious series of coordinated terrorist attacks that had taken place two months earlier.

During these attacks, terrorists struck in public places like bars and the Bataclan. When the morning light of the next day fell upon the Ile-de-France, the world learned that 130 innocent people had been murdered by those who oppose the values we hold. Such a high civilian death toll had not been observed in Europe since the 2004 Madrid train bombings.

Now, long after the dead have been buried, questions remain.

Where and when are we safe? Are we ever safe anywhere in this world now? As threats from ISIS are directed to more and more countries daily, anxiety grows worldwide. Of

Aleksishvili course, more often than not, they are just bluffing...but what if?

I still remember last year how much chaos was created by the Charlie Hebdo shootings. The whole world was on its feet ready to fight those who had brutally murdered twelve innocent editors. We frequently see news about terrorist attacks and see images of the dead people, the family members of the deceased with their tearfilled eyes while while we sit safely in front of a TV screen or computer monitor. Even if we can’t fully empathize with their loss, we can fear for our own future.

The violence and cruelty of the terrorists has spiraled out of control. It could happen to you or me just as it happened to those kids, teenagers, and adults. Some of them were on their way to see a football match... ...some were going to an Eagles of Death Metal concert...

Continued on page 2

Student Council Mid-Year

By George Bekuridze We all know our class presidents, but do we know what they are doing? I interviewed each of the class presidents to hear in their own words how they feel about what they have done and what they will be doing for the GZAAT community in the coming months.

Giorgi Jabishvili: Bekuridze: How do you feel being the president through the past semester?

Jabishvili : I feel great.

It is a very pleasant experience, but it’s kind of hard. My classmates want lot of stuff that can never be done. So they always come to me with ideas that make me laugh. But it is a very pleasant feeling for me when I can help them. Lot of them have come to me with some problems with teachers or personal problems and I have always tried to help them as much as I can, because it’s my duty Bekuridze: What changes have you brought during the past semester?

Jabishvili : When we talk about changes it’s hard to say that I have made any changes because our school is already perfect.

Continued on Page 5

Freshmen President

GZAAT Fashion

Nutsa Mikeladze, Junior: “My outfit is really simple though. To be honest, I played it safe today. All-black outfit is a life saver when you can’t decide what to wear in the morning. And those yellow boots are to balance it all out and make a statement.” Continued on page 9

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Gzaat gazette Junior Trip 2016: We’ll Always Have Paris

Junior Class of 2017, in the streets of Paris’ Latin Quarter, the steps of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont, The famous steps where Gil from “Midnight in Paris” sits to catch his magic car ride to the past.

Paris After Attacks: From A Personal Perspective ...others were just dining at a restaurant at Diners on Rue de la Fontaine au Roi just like any other day, without ever imagining the horror that awaited them. Little did they know that screaming lunatics would burst and mercilessly shoot them.

What is the root of the problem? Those men didn’t just decide to massacre dozens of people out of the blue. I think that our fragmented society is to blame.

Almost all of us have an ‘us vs them’ mentality that can create similar consequences. However, solving this is a whole

By Mariam Aleksishvili other ballgame. Many have tried, few have truly found any success.

This is why going to Paris was personally very important for me.

I wanted to see if these events had left a big stamp on the population. Or was it just another ‘terrifying’ event that occurred, and is soon to be forgotten while people continue to live their ordinary lives?

During our Junior Trip I constantly looked for the answers to these questions. While in Paris, we walked around the city, from the suburban 11th Arrondisse-

ment, where our hotel was located, to the prominent 5th and 8th arrondissement where the Arc de Triomphe stands over the prestigious Champs-Elysees.

The trip itself was nothing less than perfect, and most importantly, peaceful. Almost everywhere we went we came across armed security police. They had solemn expressions on their faces as they constantly checked if anything irregular was happening around them; always ready to sacrifice their lives for their country, and for the safety of innocent people.

What did I learn? To my surprise, the people of Paris still had some nervous energy around them. The terrifying experience has made them suspicious of their surroundings and doubt their safety. On the subway, or in the streets, they all continued living their normal lives, but it’s not that easy to suddenly erase the experience through which they had gone, so they’re still coping.

Regardless of the tense atmosphere created by brutal terrorist attacks the juniors of AAT still enjoyed their trip to the City of Light. They created memories that they will treasure for the rest of their lives.

During the trip they saw that terrorism will never defeat the spirit of people who love freedom and peace.

Here are some of the best images from their trip. Enjoy!

Sandro Gobechia in front of Degas’s The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer at Musee D’Orsay

Junior boys going up an escalator at the Centre Georges Pompidou

January 2016, Junior class of 2017 in Paris in front of Generator Hostel Junior Class of 2017, with our guide Chris, standing in front of the Sacre Coeur Cathedral in Paris

Gzaat gazette

The US Elections in a Nutshell

By Tasia Kucan

Things are heating up in the US presidential election, with Donald Trump still dominating the Republican field, and Hillary Clinton leading the way for the democrats.

Bernie Sanders, with the democrats, is right behind Hillary and is dominating worldwide Internet polls with his impassioned statements against the plutocracy.

With 10 months left till the general elections, the primary election votes have already been cast in Iowa and New Hampshire.

During the most recent Democratic debate in South Carolina, the majority of the youths were not impressed.

“Hillary, can you excite us?” asks Osaremen Okolo, a 21-yearold African-American who supports Clinton but “misses feeling fired up” as she was for Barack Obama and as some of her friends feel about Sanders.

“Young people like Bernie because he sounds like a revolutionary” Although the two democratic candidates

are on the same side, their cases are drastically different. Clinton promises the return of her husband’s boom years of the 1990’s a return to the wage growth of that decade and an increase in jobs. As enticing as that sounds, Hillary ends up sounding like her husband’s vice president.

In contrast, Bernie proposes infrastructure investment and a British style single-payer health system. Most importantly he strives to achieve free tuition at public colleges and universities.

On the Republican side, Trump is so supremely confident with his campaign that he came out with a statement saying, “I could shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters”. His main goal at this point in time is to build a “great, great wall” on the U.S-Mexico border to keep “America pure” (get this he’s going to make the Mexicans pay for the wall). He also plans on shutting down the Internet, supporting the second amendment

regarding the right to arms and shooing away the Muslims of the country. Because all Muslims are terrorists, right Trump?

“What Trump is doing with the anger that he sees is that he is using it to scapegoat minorities. What he is doing is trying to divide us up …

What we are saying, which is profoundly Donald John Trump different, is that when we stand together as a people, black and white, Latino and Asian American; when we stand together, gay and straight, male and female, people born in this country and people who have come from another country; when we stand together there is nothing that we cannot acHillary Diane Rodham Clinton complish.” Says Bernie about the matter.

Clinton, Trump and Sanders are all Americans can talk about these past few weeks.

Whether you’re a democrat or republican one thing is for sure the results are unpredictable and a long political journey lies ahead for the 2016 U.S elections Bernard “Bernie” Sanders candidates.

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Gzaat gazette

Irakli Garibashvili, former Prime Minister of Georgia.

Giorgi Kvirikashvili, current Prime Minister of Georgia.

Prime Minister Garibashvili Resigns: AAT Reacts The last week of 2015 was very crucial for Georgian politics. The Prime Minister, Mr. Irakli Garibashvili, resigned from his post for an unknown reason.

Some people suggest that the prime minister quit because of a conflict within the Georgian Dream Party. However, the majority of the citizens think that the Prime Minister resigned simply because he could not handle any more

workload. Many politicians made commented on his unexpected act.

“I knew that Irakli thought about resign, but his decision wasn’t known .Irakli did the same step which Ivanishvili has done two years before. I worked with Irakli for four years and thank him for the work which he has done,” said the speaker of Georgian parliament Mr. Davit Usupashvili “As during the last gov-

By Vato Kizikurashvili ernment Garibashvili had bility before my country and my people for promany successful steps, but unsuccessful ones gressing, together with also. The young prime our team, a cause for minister had the potenthe benefit our country.”

Mr. Garibashvili was in tial to do much more. the head of the governUnfortunately he hasn’t warranted all our exment for two years and pectations,” said Victor he made many successful Dolidze the deputy of during that time will.

Georgian parliament.

He formed a fund of His last speech as a solidarity that combined prime minister was very money from officials’ impressive and emotion- salaries and then helped al. Garibashvili said, those who needed mon“I am proud to have ey for medical care. The assumed great responsifunded totaled 4.7 mil-

lion GEL and aided 182 children and 22 adults.

In addition, he increased pensions by 20 GEL. Mr. Garibashvili made created a social insurance program for all the citizens. In total 445 million GEL was spent on this particular program and many lives were saved. He also worked for the development of villages in mountain regions. To encourage businessmen to make investments to

employ local people and solving the problem of poverty, the government freed these businessmen from taxes.

Mr. Garibashvili was succeeded by the minister of Georgia’s foreign affairs Mr. Giorgi Kvirikashvili whose first steps as the prime minister seem very successful.

Kvirikashvili promised Georgian people that 2016 would be most crucial year of Georgian European friendship.

H1N1: The Virus Scare

By Mariam Matchavariani

inhalation and physical contact with contaminated surfaces. The virus can linger on various surfaces for extended periods of time, so to prevent spreading, it is essential to keep one’s hands clean and refrain from touching the The Senior, class of 2015, on their Georgian Block wearing facemasks to mouth, nose and eyes. prevent from the virus.

Those with asthma, metabolic disorders the appropriate annual not exclusively charWhat is H1N1? (including diabetes), acteristic of H1N1 flu vaccine. blood disorders, caronly your doctor can H1N1, otherwise diovascular disorders How do I know if I determine what type known as swine flu, and/or liver and kidof flu you have using have H1N1? is a virus that initialney conditions are esspecialized tests. ly appeared in the pecially susceptible to Many of the sympU.S. back in 2009. becoming seriously ill toms of swine flu are What is the likeliOriginally declared similar to those of the hood of my catching if contracting H1N1. a global pandemic H1N1? regular flu. Among by the World Health What are ways these are fever, nauOrganization (WHO) to avoid catching sea, headaches, fatigue, H1N1 is only transin April 2009, H1N1 H1N1? sore throat, cough and mittable from person has since become a congestion. However, to person and can be seasonal sickness that Wash your hands contracted via both these symptoms are can be prevented by

regularly or use hand sanitizer, especially before eating. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Does wearing a face mask prevent the spread of the virus?

According to a number of studies and statistics, including from the Annals of Internal Medicine the University of Michigan, paper face masks are for the most part successful in preventing the spread of airborne viruses.

However, they do not provide complete protection from H1N1 and other airborne viruses.

Is there an H1N1 epidemic in Georgia?

No. According to the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, there are an estimated 9,000 people infected with H1N1 as of late January 2016. An epidemic is defined as 450 500 cases per 100,000 people.

In Georgia there are currently around 248 cases per 100,000 people, so the ongoing outbreak is not considered an epidemic.

There have been three reported H1N1-related deaths in the country this year, all of which were in patients with additional health complications other than the flu or who didn’t seek medical assistance in due time.

Gzaat gazette Student Council Mid-Year

By George Bekuridze

Dzegvi Visit

By Helen Ugulava & Mariam Aleksishvili

The student council on their weekly meeting, discussing the school topics with our principal Mr. Cruz

...But before I became the president I had a lot of ideas and seriosuly thought about trying to make them possible. But then in time I realised that it is very hard to do this kind of stuff.

Bekuridze: Do you have any events planned or general plans?

Jabishvili : As for events we know that the AAT day is coming soon and lot of my classmates have been coming to me with ideas. We also have a lot of parties in our class.

Sophomore President Marika Misabishvili: Bekuridze: How do you feel, being the president this past semester? Do you feel any responsibility?

Misabishvili :Yes, of course I feel a lot of responsibility, but I think that my classmates are making it very easy for me, because they are helping me in many ways.

Bekuridze: What have you done this part semester, what changes have you brought?

Misabishvili I have been trying to organise our class, because last year our class has lacked organisation. For example, when parties are requested they are well organised as all the suggestions are heard out.

Bekuridze: What are your plans for the upcoming semester?

Misabishvili: And I have big plans for AAT days, as soon as the topic will be announced we will start working on it. Our disadvantage last year was that we have been disorganised and we have started working on it late, this year I am hoping that we will do our best to win it. Also, I think that it would be a great idea to go on a field trip for one weekend. It will be a great way to have fun with each other, and would be a great way to unite the class and make it more friendly and also it will be very good to see sightseeing in some parts of Georgia, because we have to know our history. It’s obvious that the class has been developing and I with vice-president and other children will try to make our class be remembered as one of the best AAT classes.

Junior Vice President Dasha Lochoshvili: Bekuridze: How do you feel being the president throughout the past semester?

Lochoshvili: It is already a second semester since I am the vice-president of 11th grade, and I can say that being the representative of my class is a great responsibility as well as a great pleasure.

Bekuridze: What changes have been made in the past semester?

On December 30th, the students from GZAAT visited a shelter in Dzegvi to deliver presents and sweets to its small community. The visit had two main goals: first, it was of course an act of charity, however it also served to enlighten the students, who are part of the ComLochoshvili: I constantly munity Service club, attend Student Council about the conditions meetings and tell about people in Dzegvi live my classmates’ concerns in. As we approached or ideas. Fortunately, the shelter, none of us there have been no seri- knew exactly what to ous problems so far and expect. The kids didn’t hope that there will not greet us because they be any in the future. were on their excursion Bekuridze: What are to the Tbilisi Circus. your future plans?

For the latter purpose Lochoshvili: Currently I Mother Mariam told us am thinking about one the story of foundation of the most important of their shelter. She events of our school also informed us about AAT, which will be the situation at the held in May. There are shelters and that there tireless discussions about are many people living the alternative themes on the streets without for this event in my even roof above their class and hope that this heads. The reason for so kind of enthusiasm will many people living in last until AAT. For the the streets was the lack future, this is the bigof resources, including gest challenge our class, money to build new as every other one, shelters for them. And faces. I plan to organize yet she never loses hope my class properly, so that more shelters will that we will start prebe built and many peoparing on time and be ple in Georgia will have our best on the event. a peaceful, happy, warm Our student governenvironment to live in. ment has not made any One of the most notable serious changes because things about this visit there are no serious changes that need to be was getting to know the people, especially the made. Students do not seem to have any prob- children, who live in lems with the school (at the shelter. When the kids came back from least things that can be their little trip, they changed by the student had smiling, yet curious government). If you feel your class presidents expressions when they saw us. A while later afdo not seem to have ter seeing the gifts, they enough work address told us some verses, them directly if you very shyly at first but have any problems and after getting to know they will try to help. us, they grew in confidence. We started drawing, playing games, ev-

ery single one of them was very good-natured, not to mention extremely cute! We asked a few of our students to share their impressions from the visit. Most of them were quite pleased with the way everything went, and had a lot of fun playing with the kids. However, one of our students Sesili Koberidze remarks: “we saw cottages in which the dwellers of the shelter lived. Some of them were quite nice, but there was one building which was basically in ruins, and people really lived in there.”

Indeed, one of the most touching aspects of the visit was seeing the conditions some of these people have to live in.

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country, the population and merely as individuals is to go visit them, and make their lives a little more bearable and joyful. The location itself is delightful to live in. The monastery, next to the church overlooking the beautiful Georgian mountains, was the most perfect combination for a peaceful environment. One of the students Mariam Tevzadze recalls: “It was an amazing experience for me personally. As an individual you outgrow your mindset by seeing how other less fortunate people live in. It was sort of like a wakeup call for me. Definitely made me more grateful for all I have and inspired me to do

Junior, Mariam Tevzadze with children from Dzegvi shelter.

We hope that someday the dwellers of Dzegvi and of the shelters all around the Georgia will have better conditions to live in. The visit really made us all think about life, how unfair it is that some kids are born in enormous houses and live a lavish life, yet some unfortunates have to live in these conditions. The least we can do as part of the

more for other people.”

Indeed, All of us had an amazing experience and we all got a huge aspiration to further continue going to these places and taking a part in the Community Club arranging future charity events to be able to help the shelter financially, for better changes to the people around us, and we advise you all to do the same.

One of the buildings of the Dzegvi complex.

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Gzaat gazette

College Counselling For every student it is important to apply for the university or college that best suits their needs. GZAAT gives us the opportunities to choose the best university to develop our knowledge For this interview, my respondents were GZAAT graduates. I asked them some questions about their choices.

Graduate One: Do you like your college?

Yes, I like my college.

It suits my interests and my fellow students are from all over the world and I enjoy spending time with them and getting to know new cultures. For my field of study it was the best decision I made Do you remember that time when you were in a process of finding your college?

Yes I remember it, it was a really long term process. I have been looking all over the internet, even got a book from library about colleges to see the best choice. Finally I found one Was it easy or hard?

College research actually is not easy because you really need to spend lots of time and look for the ones that fits you the best. Even a little details may have a big importance Do you remember emotion when you received acceptance answer from your college?

I remember it was amazing feeling when

By Sopo Javelidze you have found a place where you would love to study and suddenly you become part of it What advice would you give to our seniors and juniors about choosing colleges. What they must pay attention to?

My advice will be to pay attention to deadlines because lots of my classmates had a problem with that. Also they should pay attention to the curriculum itself and the opportunities college suggests. They also look for ranking according to their field of study because college may be very famous and well known, but not so good for your own field of study.

Graduate Two: Do you remember your emotions when you received acceptance answer from your college?

It was March 28, 2013, five in the morning. I was checking my email every 30 minutes or so, I guess. When I got the acceptance letter from Williams, I felt as if the burden was lifted from my shoulders because it was my first acceptance letter. I was very happy.

I remember I wrote on Facebook that day that the ice finally broke. All of us were still waiting for letters from the Ivy-s.

Things worked out for me the way they worked out, and now I know that nothing could have been better.

Do you remember the times when you were in the process of college search? Was it easy or

hard?

My senior year in high school was definitely the toughest year because the anxiety related to the college application process was unbearable sometimes. My biggest mistake was that my decisions were based on other students’ decisions.

We applied to the same colleges, we applied to the colleges that are considered “cool” (though, they may not be so “cool” after all). I think, juniors and seniors doing the college search should try to find places that would address their individual concerns and interests. We like doing what other people do, but this may not the best option.

Do you like your College?

Overall, of course, I do like Williams. I probably would not have been here if my life had been miserable. Williams is a great place to be as an undergraduate student.

The academic environment is very supportive, and there are lots of fun things going on in this small place. I am a junior now, and there are certain aspects of Williams that I do not like. There are some classes that I would love to take, but they are not offered by the College (at small, liberal arts colleges, certain fields of study are underrepresented), I wish I could meet more different people, I wish I could travel more, and the list goes on. But, I am very grateful for the kind of opportunities I have here, and I cannot complain.

IQ: The Mysteries of the Human Intelligence

By Romin Salikov We often hear how hard work is more important than talent. Just this month, almost all of my classmates in my Russian class supported the idea that with hard work you can accomplish anything.

How they came up with this conclusion is as irrational as pi. Based on the tale “The Song about the Falcon”, most of the students explained that the snake which failed to fly like an eagle, failed because the snake didn’t believe in itself. But the fact that snakes don’t have wings seemed lost on the majority, something which left me speechless for quite a long time.

The truth is that a lot of people are just not able to accept the fact that certain people are inherently smarter than others.

Our own teachers here at GZAAT have a wide range of views on what matters most when it comes to success. Some say that success is totally dependent on hard work, while others claim that talent matters more. Goderdzi Pruidze, for example, states that success is 80% hard work and 20% talent. Irina Chkheidze, on the other hand, thinks that success is 40% hard work and 60% talent.

(Now you have something to complain about to Irina if you get a low mark) In order to prove the notion that intelligence is mostly inherited, let’s take a look at the largest ever genetic study of childhood intelligence conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland. Dr Benyamin

and his colleagues analyzed DNA samples from 18,000 children aged six to 18 from Australia, the Netherlands, the UK and the U.S, along with their IQ scores. They found that between 20 and 40 per cent of the variation in childhood IQ is due to genetics.

Research in identical twins also proved the same point. In 1990, Dr. Bouchard, Dr. Segal and other colleagues measured the IQ of 48 pairs of identical twins, raised apart and 40 pairs of twins raised together.

The identical twins raised apart were 69% similar in IQ, compared with 88% for identical twins raised together. (Note that variables other than genetics had little influence).

But if that’s not enough to convince you, let us then dive into the brain of a well-known genius: Albert Einstein. His inferior parietal region, which governs mathematical and special reasoning, was fifteen percent larger than average. He had more glial cells (cells that provide nutritional support for neurons and allow different neurons to communicate more easily) in his left inferior parietal area, which contributed to his ability to understand complex scientific problems. And he also lacked a parietal operculum region and a Sylvian fissure, which made him a great visual learner.

Even without all this proof, you can come to the conclusion that some people have a bigger intellectual capacity than

others by simple logic.

Let’s take country A and country B. Country A is oppressed by a certain tribe and only needs people who are best at handling money. Country B is oppressed and needs a certain amount of strong slaves that are capable of doing hard work. Based on natural selection, the descendants of the slaves in country A are going to be good with math since the genes of those first survivors will be passed on. But the descendants of Country B will not be good with math, since their ancestors underwent natural selection in which only the strongest survived.

So what’s the deal you might ask? If I can’t buy another brain, why is this information relevant? Whilst you can’t buy another brain, you can help society get rid of standardized testing and an education system that treats everyone like equals.

Students and teachers must realize that everyone studies at their own pace.

It is our duty to create an education system that engages visual, auditory, reading, and kinesthetic learners. In this predicament, it seems that the best thing for parents to remember is to try to raise their children in an environment that’s going to help you realize your potential. Just remember, if you do the thing that makes you happy, you will never lose in the end.

Gzaat gazette tion is tied to the previous one. I do have free time, and I usually spend it with my friends. We often go to Images Cinema to watch movies.

The last movie I saw was Brooklyn, for instance, and I empathized with the main character, a young Irish woman who immigrates to the United States in the 1950s. It is very important to find home away from home, and I think, I found it at Williams. Well, I do lots of other things Nini Arshakini on the steps at Williams College where she is currently studying. too. I Skype with my family (something that people could not do back in the 1950s), I

By Sopo Javelidze listen to music, I try Nini Arshakuni grad- it does not necessarily to play guitar (I am a uated GZAAT in have to be classwork. failure as a guitarist, though), I walk dogs 2013. Nowadays she Some students have with professors, et studies liberal arts campus jobs, others at Williams College, are enrolled in extra- cetera.

4. Do you like Massachusetts. She curricular activities, your professors? likes her college very and still others have The ones I walk dogs much. theater rehearsals. with, yes (laughs).

What type of colThere are extremely Luckily, I haven’t had lege do you attend? busy times around a professor I totally I am a junior at Wil- midterms and finals, disliked. I love my liams College, which but each day feels is a small, liberal arts different. I have days philosophy professors.

They are brilliant. It college in the Berkwhen I come to my is such a pleasure to shires, Massachusetts. dorm at six in the talk to them outside Because we have to evening and decide change two buses to to watch a movie or of classes. I also hang out with Russian get to a place like meditate (laughs). professors because we Boston, we joke that You know, when Williams is “in the you are a philosophy have weekly Russian tables and we speak middle of nowhere,” major and you have only Russian. Profesbut, honestly, it is to write a 15-page sors at small colleges not as bad as some paper on self-decepusually like spending people imagine it. tion, you just need time with undergradWilliamstown is a to “do nothing” for beautiful, small place, some time to crystal- uate students. They with positive vibes. lize some ideas. And, are committed to teaching and helping 2. Do you have a I have days when I young people out, lot of homework need extra caffeine and sharing their endaily? intake because the thusiasm with us.

What is so different “work party” begins 5. What can you about College is that by midnight. say about your colstudents choose their 3. Do you have own class and work free time and if so, lege mates?

College students are schedules, and, of what do you do course, there is alduring that period? interesting. I think, this age group (19ways a lot to do, but I guess, this ques-

Alumni Series

22) is especially interesting. All our life crises, ups and downs, lots of experiments, a lot of energy, high aspirations, instability… it’s an interesting period to go through. Because getting into Williams is hard, people who end up here are usually very bright, very talented, and very motivated. Some of them are also very kind people. I love discussion-based classes, that is, seminars, where I can listen to others, and this is also such a pleasure.

You learn a lot from other students, and they often help you look at things from different perspectives because they bring their own diverse backgrounds into the conversations. This was true of my high school classmates, too. I learned a lot from them, and still do from Facebook.

6. What advice would you give to our seniors?

Have fun. Seriously, though. I often come across desperate Facebook posts of seniors who have so much stuff to do. I totally understand how they feel. There are times when you just want to tear everything apart, leave school, family, and go, get lost somewhere.

But, hopefully, these “hard times” do not last too long. There are many beautiful and interesting things around, and I don’t like giving advice, but I guess, a very general advice would be: think, explore, enjoy, and yes, carpe

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Nini Arshakuni, GZAAT Alumni, Class of 2013

diem. Also, if you think that once you get into the college of your dreams, you will be the happiest person in the world forever- that’s NOT true.

7. Do you like your College?

I think, this is a very general question.

Overall, of course, I do like Williams. I probably would not have been here if my life had been miserable. Williams is a great place to be as an undergraduate student. The academic environment is very supportive, and there are lots of fun things going on in this small place. I am a junior now, and there are certain aspects of Williams that I do not like. There are some classes that I would love to take, but they are not offered by the College (at small, liberal arts colleges, certain fields of study are underrepresented), I wish I could meet more different people, I wish I could travel more, and the list goes on.

But, I am very grateful for the kind of opportunities I have here, and I cannot

complain.

8. Do you remember the times when you were in the process of college search?

Was it easy or hard?

My senior year in high school was definitely the toughest year because the anxiety related to the college application process was unbearable sometimes. My biggest mistake was that my decisions were based on other students’ decisions.

We applied to the same colleges, we applied to the colleges that are considered “cool” (though, they may not be so “cool” after all). I think, juniors and seniors doing the college search should try to find places that would address their individual concerns and interests. We like doing what other people do, but this may not the best option.

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Gzaat gazette

Basketball: A Heated Tournament schedule of games over a two-day period and during this time a number of hard-fought, wellplayed matches showcased up and coming b-ball talent from across the region.

The AAT Boys and Girls teams played three games each and ended the tournament with identical records: 1 win and 2 losses for each team. As this is considered something of a rebuilding year for the Boys, while the Girls team is dominated by up-and-coming 9th and 10th Graders, these results were met with optimism by the AAT community. English teacher Manana Mgeladze had the chance to watch our teams in action and her assessment was positive: “The [girls’] team is not in bad shape considering that this is its first year.

The rest is a matter of experience.” She appreciates the team’s effort for doing their best. For the Girls, the highlight game was against the team from New School, which AAT won 20:14.

This is a great result for an inaugural competitive game, and we all hope they will improve their playing skills to keep making us proud. After the game, we caught up with the girls to ask them their impressions of the game. “Playing in the competition was

By Temiko Chichinadze a great experience,” began Elene Bakhtadze, “This was our first professional game, so winning wasn’t really important, just playing was more than enough.

This is a huge step in our team’s development, and it’s great that our work over the past few months payed off.” Others, like Liza Kurtsilava, underlined the multicultural aspect of the competition: “Playing with so many foreigners was cool, we got to meet a lot of new people.” We’d also like to take this opportunity to call out sharpshooter Sopo Gedenidze for her fantastic performance: 4 three pointers v. QSI, and the only basket against an extremely dominant Kiev team.

“It’s incredibly difficult to score so many three pointers in one game, so I don’t even know how I managed to do it,” claims Gedenidze. “I guess I had an adrenaline rush or something.

It was an unforgettable experience, though!”

Keep up the good work!

The boys team, which ended up 1-2, played its best game against the Caspian Associated School. This was a true cliff-hanger with AAT pulling out a squeaker as a last-second shot by their opponents failed to drop as the clock expired. Despite the unflattering scores,

several boys turned in admirable performances.

Ladusha Topuria scored a handful of three pointers as well as a few free throws. In addition, both Merab Abramidze and Giorgi Abramishvili played well, the former impressing despite his relatively small stature.

Finally, Nikusha Okruashvili added some fresh energy to the team after coming on as a substitute. Ultimately though, this didn’t prove enough against the sides they faced. Despite their high expectations going into the tournament, the Boys team accepted their results with dignity and a determination to learn from their mistakes. The AAT player Beqa Okruashvili says: “We had pretty high expectations, but we had to accept the loss bravely and with dignity.

Now we have realized that we should learn from our mistakes and this competition served as a good lesson for us”.

The Ukrainian players were upbeat after the tournament: “We’re honored to have had the opportunity to meet the AAT team. Despite being confident in ourselves, we were well aware of your team’s high reputation, so we knew it wouldn’t be easy. As such, winning the game made us all very happy.”

Coach Zuka thanked the team. He appreciates the commitment of the team members and hopes for better accomplishments in the future: “Obviously, the team has to practice more, but we also faced other problems, like a lack of support from the crowd. This makes it evident that the schoolchildren should have been allowed either to miss classes to attend the games played by AAT or the competition games should have been appointed after classes or/and during the weekend. Besides, every decent team has a group of cheerleaders and it’s high time for us to create our own.”

Overall, AAT was proud

to host the 10th Annual Tbilisi Basketball Classic. Our facility was put to good use and the level of competition was intense but (for the most part) friendly. Now that our Boys and Girls teams have had their taste for competition renewed, we have high hopes for a stronger showing in the future.

Teams: -QSI Tbilisi -Caspian Associated School -Baku International School -QSI Yerevan -The New School (Tbilisi) -Baku Oxford School in Shamkir -Kiev International School -American Academy in Tbilisi

Boys AAT v KIS -- L AAT vs CAS -- W AAT vs BOSS - L AAT Boys’ Team Abramishvili Giorgi - 9 Darakhvelidze Giorgi - 4 Jabishvili Giorgi - 14 Pichkhaia Sandro - 10 Talakhadze Nika - 5 Abuladze Lasha - 17 Topuria Lado - 13 Charkhalashvili Giviko- 6 Bikashvili Saba- 8 Abramidze Merab - 15 Okruashvili Nika - 12 Rekhviashvili Giorgi- 11 Giorgi Samushia - 7 Girls AAT vs KIS -- L AAT vs QSI -- L AAT vs NS -- W

Abramishvili for 3 as Abramidze sets up underneath

AAT Girls’ Team Ana Gersamia - 11 Nutsa Kurdevanidze - 7 Keti Kvachadze - 18 Liza Khurtsilava - 9 Mariam Kvaratskhelia-13 Marine Lanchava - 10 Sopho Gedenidze - 17 Marie Salby - 23 Irina Kokilashvili - 12 Elene Bakhtadze - 24 Mariam Khmaladze - 5 Anuka Reichenbecher-15

The AAT Girls Basketball Team, standing proud, after their outstanding win against the New School.

Gzaat gazette

9

GZAAT Fashion: How Students Think about Their Clothes

By Liza Lezhava

Liza Zukhbaia, Freshman: Liza: Hey Liza! your outfit caught my eye today! what’s with it?

Liza Z.: Hello. So today I’m doing a presentation on the book “All Quiet on the Western Front” and since it’s directly related to war I thought of dressing as a soldier. My outfit consists of a cargo pants and a camouflage top. Simple, yet eye-catching!

Liza: Definetly. Good luck with presentation!

To be honest, fashion often gets a bad rap. If I was to catch a random boy in the hallways and ask him about his opinion on fashion, he’d probably laugh.

However, fashion isn’t necessarily about buying the latest Armani coat or $200 designer jeans. It’s more about self expression. Even if you just wear black t-shirts because you don’t care about the way you look, you’re still making a fashion statement.

Each of us has his or her own style. As such, the GZAAT Gazette decided to take a closer look at what students like to wear. We spoke to a wide array of kids, asking them about their fashion choices, sub-conscious or otherwise. Here are the results.

Elene Lapiashvili, Junior:

Sesili Koberidze, Junior:

Liza: Hey Elene what’s up? Nice outfit! Tell me about it!

Elene: Hey Liza. So today I’m dressed in very laidback manner. I’m wearing a black jeans black hoodie combo with a crimson red tee underneath. I’ve also got converse sneakers which give out more of a skater vibe to the outfit.

Liza: Wow I’m impressed! Remember its not about what you wear, but how you wear it and let me tell you, you rock that outfit!

Liza: Hi Sesili, looking good! Tell me about your outfit for today!

Sesili: Hey! So today I’m wearing high waisted loose jeans, a striped shirt and a long black coat.

The thing I like the most about this outfit is that it combines different textures and patterns. Each piece of clothing is different this way, keeping it all well-balanced and trendy.

Kate Shengelia, Sophomore: Liza: Hey Kate, I’d like to know about your outfit!

You have anything to say?

Kate: Hello, Liza. Today I’m wearing jeans, a white top, silver sneakers and a long grey coat, you know just keeping it simple. I think the silver sneakers are the most eye catching thing about my outfit, as I like how they make me stand out from the crowd.

Liza: Well, they look really good on you! Thanks!

Gaga Suluashvili, Junior: Liza: What makes your outfit stand out?

Gaga: Nothing. We guys all dress the same.

Liza: I’ve noticed. But well, is that all you want to say about your outfit?

Gaga: I like this jacket because its warm.

Liza: I see you are quite passionate about fashion!

Thanks anyway.

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Gzaat gazette

To All the World Citizens

By Dasha Lochoshvili Have you ever thought about poor people in developing countries?

Have you ever realized how they struggle daily for the survival? I had not reflected upon this issue, until I became a member of the committee on Development for one of the sessions of the European Youth Parliament. This was the first time I became aware of what was happening in developing countries and how other countries are helping them to achieve sustainable growth.

The great role played by the United Nations in the progress of underdeveloped nations cannot be ignored. At the dawn of the new millennium, in September of the year 2000, leaders of the UN member countries gathered for a “Millennium Summit” in New York. At this summit, they composed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with a deadline of reaching them by 2015. The UN intends to: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality and the empowerment of women; reduce child mortality rates; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development.

Now, two months after the deadline, we can examine the results of these MDGs, and see how successfully the UN has been able to tackle these critical problems around the world. The number of people living on less than 1.25$ has been reduced from 1.9 billion in 1990 to 836

million in 2015. The number of undernourished people in developing countries has been halved. Already 93 percent of the children in developing countries go to school. Sub-Saharan Africa achieved the biggest success: a 20 percent increase in school enrolment from 2000. More and more youngsters are becoming literate, increasing from 83 percent to 91. In southern Asia, the number of boys and girls receiving primary education got almost same.

Women now make up 41 percent of the number of paid workers in the world nowadays.

Women now participate actively in politics. The number of women in parliament was raised by 90 percent during the last 20 years in 174 countries. The global under-five mortality rate has halved: 43 out of 1000 children now die. The measles vaccination has proven to be extremely effective, saving 15.6 million lives between 2000 and 2013 years. The maternal mortality ratio has declined by half. Skilled health personnel are assisting in 71 percent of births globally, up from 59 percent in 1990. HIV infections fell by 40 percent between 2000 and 2013. 37 million lives were saved by tuberculosis prevention and better diagnosis. 91 percent of the global population now uses improved drinking water sources, compared to 76 percent in 1990.

Developed countries assisted developing ones to the tune of $135.2 billion in 2013. De-

spite the aforementioned advancements, some problems still remain unsolved. Women still face discrimination in some countries. They are paid 24 percent less than men globally. Carbon dioxide emissions have increased. Current conflicts have forced 60 million refugees to leave their homes and seek protection somewhere else. 800 million people still live in extreme poverty and hunger.

Since the UN could not achieve all the Millennium Development Goals, they initiated the Sustainable Development Goals, which comprise eight anti-poverty objectives, and the deadline has been extended to 2030.

In spite of the UN’s achievements, people in developing countries still die due to extreme hunger and poverty.

How could we expect the further education and self-development of these citizens if they are not provided with basic physiological needs? Just because the problem is distant and describes a completely different reality from our own does not mean that it is not there. Ignoring it will not alter anything.

We should look beyond our national boundaries and realize the existence of current global problems. We are not only citizens of Georgia, we are citizens of the World, and we should care about vulnerable humans around us. The UN and other different organizations helped to bring beneficial changes.

What will you do to make this world a better place?

Dear Asmat Dear Asmat,

S U B M I T

Hello, I’m a junior and as you know the 11th grade is full of difficulties and different challenges. All of the essays, projects and preparation for the SAT are making my life very difficult.

But besides all this work, I have some personal problems, which are making my life even more challenging. There’s one student in my class who is a very stubborn and annoying person. He never lets me express my idea and always hinders me with his disinteresting and meaningless comments during class discussions. I tried to talk with him but he doesn’t change his disrespectful attitude towards me.

Can you give me some advice on how to handle this situation?

AsmatGZAAT@

Q U E S T I O N S T O

gmail.com

Dear Anonymous, You are not the first person who has come to me with this kind of problem.

Everybody, including me, has faced something similar.

The best thing you can do is to ignore this person. You should consider him as an empty space and should never pay attention at his comments no matter how annoying they are. I know, you think that this approach is useless, but after a while you’ll see that this person will simply get tired of disturbing you and will find someone else. The fact that these kinds of people exist in our society is very sad but unfortunately they are everywhere and you should not let them ruin your mood no matter what. So try your best to ignore him and continue to focus on your work.

Gzaat gazette

11

AAT Christmas Party: A Satisfactory Evening

By Sesili Koberidze Christmas Party Review This year’s Christmas party exceeded the expectations of the students. Before the party, I walked around the school and asked people what they thought the party would be like, what they were expecting and if they were even planning to attend. To my sur-

prise the answers were mostly negative. But now that the party has already passed, I decided to go around and ask the opinion of the students once again.

The answers were drastically different this time – the majority of the replies were positive. Pleasantly surprised students told me

that the party was very fun, the music was suitable for the occasion, the decorations (including the string lights hanging from the ceiling and the smoke machine) were perfect and the general mood was very positive. Even the faculty members did not hesitate to join in the fun and lit up

Our Senior Class of 2016 at the Christmas Party

Shota Davitashvili from the Senior Class, dressed as Santa Claus, showing his moves.

The usual happy faces at the GZAAT Christmas Party

the dance floor. Levan Gambashidze, the new history teacher, was especially exited to take part in this GZAAT tradition and was more than happy to share his experience with our reporters: -So this is your first year as a teacher in this school. Have you heard about the tradition of the GZAAT Christmas or have you participated before?

-No, this was my first year attending the party, but I had heard about if from my friends, mostly teachers from AAT. They told me about the tradition in general and described the situation before I came here.

-And as a first-timer, did you have any expectations about the party? Were they met?

-Yes, they actually were met. The traditions of Christmas

parties are not traditionally abundant in Georgia, but many of us, including me, have watched movies in which beautiful parties are described and that’s where I know about the tradition and got my expectations from.

As for Georgia, it was my first time going to a Christmas party and it looked like the movies a lot.

-And what did you enjoy the most at the party?

-The food, I guess, because I was very hungry and it was very nicely organized. And I don’t usually dance, but I danced here, because the students asked me very persistently, so I had to. But it was still quite nice.

-And did anything unexpected or surprising happen at the party?

-Yes! The principal danced. Usually I see

Mr. Cruz in the morning, greeting students, and being very serious.

But at the party he suddenly transformed and joined the dancing group, which was a lot of fun.

-And finally, what changes would you recommend for the next year’s Christmas party?

-I don’t think that anything needs to change.

There were some really nice things like the photo booth; I really enjoyed the music, the food and the situation in general.

-That you for your interview.

As it can be seen, not only the students but also the faculty enjoyed the party a lot. We would like to thank the organizers for their hard work and effort and hope that the next year’s party will be even better then this one.

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Gzaat gazette

A small decorative statue in Ribs of Vienna

Travel Series: Getting Around the City of Music

By Nick Shashkini

Vienna is renowned worldwide for its vast cultural riches and delicious desserts. However, what really sets it apart is its unique blend of tradition and modernity, reflected in the sights, sounds and food that it has to offer.

Osterreichische Galerie Belvedere/mumok For fans of Gustav Klimt’s work, the Belvedere is a no-brainer. It is home to the world’s largest collection of the artist’s work, allowing his stylistic diversity to shine. However, the Klimt exhibition is only a section of what is essentially a window into the development of Austrian art through the ages. It is a great starting point for your museum trotting.

On the other side of the spectrum lies Museum Moderner Kunst, housing modern and contemporary art works from all around the world.

Works from icons such as Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso intermix among 10,000 other pieces, resulting in the

largest art museum in Austria. Adorned with an upside down house stuck in its facade, it is fairly hard to miss.

Musikverein/Danube Island If you are into classical music and beautiful buildings, the Wiener Musikverein should be right up your alley.

Renowned around the world as one of the best concert houses in existence, it offers masterful renditions of great composers such as Mozart and Straus. The world-famous Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is bound to strike a chord with nearly everyone.

As for fans of modern music, the city does not disappoint either; every summer, Danube Island plays host to Europe’s biggest free open-air festival. With veterans such as Iggy Pop and Iron Maiden featuring among other contemporary artists, the Donauinselfest has something for everyone.

Cafe Sacher/Ribs of Vienna With the famous Sacher Cake on its menu, this cafe is not to be missed if you want to take a bite of history.

Upon entering, you’re immediately transported to a time of Viennese coffee houses and assassinated Archdukes.

But be warned, lines can be ridiculously long!

A word of advice: just a few steps away from the main entrance lies another doorway to a smaller cafe which serves identical food to its bigger cousin. For some reason, it seems to be a blind spot for tourists, and as such, lines are often nonexistent. Just do not tell anyone else...

If you have something more meaty on your mind, a few kind souls have cooked up exactly that in an old Viennese basement. A great selection of pork ribs awaits you, among other dishes. A fun break from the relatively formal atmosphere of cafes and coffee houses.

Harper Lee was beloved worldwide, our school included.

Harper Lee: In Memoriam

By Nick Shashkini Beloved American novelist Harper Lee passed away in her sleep on February 19, 2016, aged 89, some 56 years after the publication of her Pulitzer-winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird. A regular feature in high school reading lists (among ours), it is possibly one of the best known books of all time. As such, we asked some students and faculty members for their input.

“After reading the book, I had a great sense of injustice.” Begins Tornike Shengelia “Unfortunately, the world still needs fixing, even if it’s been so long after the novel was written. It’s very sad that she [the author] passed away before we managed to fix it.”

Sopo Otiashvili offers an

alternative experience, “I really appreciated how the book underlines that appearances can be deceptive, so you should never judge. That will always be relevant and should be taught at a young age.”

Some, like Sesili Koberidze, were able to find a part of themselves in it. “Reading about the kids, I was actually often reminded of my own childhood, which made the story more personal for me.”

Finally, we asked Anthony Schierman, one of our English professors, about his opinion as to why is Harper Lee’s novel still relevant to this day. “To Kill a Mockingbird works well as a classic high school novel: it’s episodic, the chapters are relatively short and the moral

lines are clearly drawn”, states Mr Schierman.

“In the US it’s almost a rite of passage to read To Kill a Mockingbird: anyone who has finished high school has read this book. It’s interesting to teach this novel in Georgia as many of the issues it raises are particularly American -- I’m speaking particularly about the legacy of slavery. I think it is important for our students to read it because it gives them cultural common ground with the American kids they will be going to college with: it’s a window onto a certain aspect of the American experience that’s difficult to grasp if you haven’t been around it all your life.

It’s also full of action and therefore has great material for reading quiz questions.”

Gzaat gazette

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AAT Remembers Alan Rickman

by Ana Sandler Alan Rickman died on January 14 in 2016 in the age of 69 from pancreatic cancer, in a London hospital surrounded by family. Rickman’s most famous role was Severus Snape in the film “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” which was made according to J.K. Rowling’s book in 2001, thanks to which he is recognized legions of young fans. He has played in all eight parts of “Harry Potter” and became one of the most beloved actors of the modern generation.

Many of our readers are also probably interested in their schoolmates’ opinions on the work of this famous actor and their reactions to his death. Several students of AAT have been interviewed on this topic and here are their answers: “To be honest, I haven’t seen any of Alan Rickman’s films except for “Harry Potter”, but I really liked it and the way he played his part.

My favorite quote by him is ‘always’ a phrase that he says about loving Harry’s mother, Lily.

As to his death, I was very disappointed by this news. I immediately remembered about and

even watched the part where Snape dies in the “Harry Potter” movie and Harry takes away one of his memories.

In my opinion, it was very dramatic and well played,” said sophomore, Mariam Mshvidobadze.

“My favorite movie in which Alan has played is “Harry Potter” and his line ‘always’ is the one that will probably keep reminding me of him.

When I heard about his death, I was a bit surprised, because I didn’t know anything about his disease earlier. Naturally, I felt sorry for Alan’s family and all of “Harry Potter” fans also,” said sophomore Andria Uplisashvili.

“You might consider it weird, but my favorite Snape moment is when he says ‘Avada Kedavra’ and kills Dumbledore in ”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows” it was really exciting for me.

When I heard that he died it suddenly came to me that no more Harry Potter movies re going to be filmed and this made me very sad, because I still had hope for the next film,” explained one freshman.

“I once read a quote which Alan actually said in real life and after his

death I just can’t get it out of my head: ‘When I’m eighty years old and sitting in my rocking chair, I’ll be reading “Harry Potter”. And my family will ask me: ‘After all this time?’ And I will answer: ‘Always!’

This really affected me because I know that he no longer will be able to do this and also with his death it seemed like a part of my childhood was fading,” commented sophomore, Nini Pataridze.

“After hearing the news about Rickman’s death I was shocked, because I love “Harry Potter” and Snape was my favorite character,” said freshman Lika Mikhelashvili.

“My favorite Alan Rickman movie is ‘Love Actually’, which is also my all-time favorite Christmas movie. It’s always sad to hear about the deaths of talented people like Alan. He’ll be missed,”- was the sincere answer given by junior, Liza Javelidze.

“My favorite Alan Rickman film is “Galaxy Quest”. To tell the truth, when I heard about Alan’s death I can’t say that I was really upset. However it’s always sad when people die, especially counting

Our History professor, Levan Ghambashidze, with Alan Rickman

Alan Rickman giving out autographs in Georgia

the fact that two very famous and talented people have died at the same age, Alan Rickman and David Bowie. In my opinion, this might be a message to humanity about something important,” sophomore Levan Kiladze cryptically responded.

“My favorite film with Rickman is ‘Harry Potter’ and the part which I remembered the most is the scene where he hit Ron Wesley with a book in the head, that was hilarious,” said sophomore Romin Salikov.

“The best movie by Alan Rickman which I have ever seen is ‘Love actually’. The movie is so rich in the variety of its characters that when I watched it, I wanted it to never end. It was a wonderful, very dramatic and sometimes a touching movie. There were too many magnificent and memorable moments which unfortunately I can’ list right now, but I can say that Alan Rickman played his part incomparably and perfectly in this film.

He played the part of Harry, who in spite of betraying his wife, stays a loving and devoted husband. The conversations between Karen

and Harry are one of the most memorable parts of the movie. I can’t describe what I felt after finding out about his death. At first I couldn’t believe this, but when I realized this was the truth, I felt that the world had lost a huge person and a truly phenomenal actor.” This was yet another emotional answer, this time from sophomore Nuki Toradze, which shows that today’s generation really appreciates the contribution which Alan Rickman has made to this world and its acting history, so he’ll never be forgotten.

Teenagers are not the only people who know and remember Alan Rickman’s work. Many adults have seen and loved his movies as well and they also were affected by the news of his tragic death. In fact, one teacher here at GZAAT has even met Rickman in person and their perception on this actor is quite interesting. Our history teacher, Levan Ghambashidze, was interviewed by a representative of our school newspaper in order to find out the circumstances in which he met Alan and what they talked about, as well as

his general opinion on Rickman’s work and his reaction to his death.

We got the following answer: “This happened somewhere in between the years 2006-2008. I was working in the school “21st Century” and in summer we went on a field trip to the ethnographic museum. Rickman was visiting Georgia to find out about the development and culture of the theatre in this country and the host took him to the very same museum which I was visiting along with my class. A lot of children recognized him for “Harry Potter” and I think many of them didn’t even know his name, because they just yelled ‘Snape’.

Even though personally I knew him for the “Robin Hood” movie.

He turned out to be a very nice and a friendly person and took a lot of pictures with us also.

We didn’t want to bother him much, so I didn’t really talk to him. As to his work, I remember several movies from my childhood in which he played really well: “Die Heart” “Robin Hood” and “Dogma” where he was an angel. When I heard about his death, I was upset, but it didn’t really touch me, just saddened me a bit, but that’s quite natural.”

As we can see, people of different generations have appreciated Alan Rickman’s work and have been saddened by the news of his death , even though everybody’s reaction was different in a way. But, in all it can be said that this was a huge loss for everyone who has seen his films, because he was a really talented actor.

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Gzaat gazette

The rhythmic pattern in Sol LeWitt’s wall drawing Consequence invites introspection. US Holocaust Memorial Museum

Ellsworth Kelly: An Underrated Genius

By Leviko Kiladze

Who is Ellsworth Kelly?

“I think if you can turn off the mind and look only with the eyes, ultimately everything becomes abstract” Ellsworth Kelly, 1991 Who is Ellsworth Kelly?-This question perplexes people, especially in Georgia, where Kelly’s death in 2015 passed without any reaction at all. Most did not understand that it was a great loss for the world of modern art and that his death at the age of 92 made headlines round the world.

“I think he bridged European and American modernism. He was a real American original,” said Matthew Marks, the owner of the Matthew Marks Gallery in New York.

Ellsworth Kelly was a widely influential force in the world of post-war art. He first rose to critical acclaim in the 1950s with his bright, multi-paneled and largely monochromatic canvases. Maintaining a determined focus on the dynamic relationships between shape, form and color, Kelly was one of the first artists to create irregularly shaped canvases. His subse-

quent layered reliefs, flat sculptures, and line drawings further challenged viewers’ conceptions of space.

While not adhering to any one artistic movement, Kelly influenced the development of Minimalism, Hard-edge painting, Color Field, and Pop art.

Born in Newburgh, New York in 1923, Ellsworth Kelly grew up in northern New Jersey, where he spent much of his time alone, often watching birds and insects. These observations of nature would later influence his unique way of creating and looking at art.

After graduating from high school, he studied technical art and design at the Pratt Institute from 1941-1942. In 1943, Kelly enlisted in the army and joined the camouflage unit called “The Ghost Army,” which had among its members many artists and designers.

The time he spent in Paris while he was in Army, strongly influenced Kelly’s future aesthetic and career path. In a 1996 interview with The New York Times, he recalled his early days in the city: “Paris was gray after the war. I liked being alone. I

liked being a stranger.

I didn’t speak French very well, and I liked the silence.” When he arrived, he was painting figures influenced by Picasso and Byzantine mosaics. But he quickly immersed himself in museums: “I noticed that the large windows between the paintings [in the Musee d’Art Moderne] interested me more than the art exhibited. From then on, painting as I had known it was finished for me.” He added Asian art and Matisse to his eclectic store of influences. “I started to look at the city around me, and that became my source.”

In 1954, after reading a favorable review in ARTnews of an Ad Reinhardt show in New York City, Kelly began to think that his own fairly spare abstract work might find favor there, and he returned to the United States.

Short on cash when he arrived, he ended up living in a half-deserted section of Lower Manhattan near South Street Seaport, in a 19th-century sailmaker’s loft on Coenties Slip. And just as he used the shapes of Parisian architecture in his earlier paintings, the grand arches of the nearby Brooklyn Bridge appeared in his New

York City works.

One of Kelly’s most moving installations, was one of his quietest.

Made for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, it consisted of a plain white fan-shaped form floating opposite a triptych of three rectangular white panels.

Suggesting the image of a great bird lifting upward over closed windows, the piece distilled the rigorously refined visual vocabulary Mr. Kelly had developed over a long career.

In 2013, Mr. Kelly received the National Medal of Arts, considered the nation’s highest honor for artistic excellence, from President Obama.

Mr. Kelly was as adamant about what his art was not as about what it was. Unlike the work of the early European modernists he admired, it was not about social theory. It was not about geometry or abstraction as ends in themselves. Although he derived many of his shapes from the natural world, his art was not about nature.“My paintings don’t represent objects,” he said in 1996. “They are objects themselves and fragmented perceptions of things.”Although he was interested in history and concerned about his place in it, he spoke of his own work as existing “forever in the present.”

Ellsworth Kelly was able to demonstrate what stands behind all the “simplicity” we see in museums.”Simple, I don’t like the word simple,” he said. “I like easy better. I want to forget about the technique. I sweat and worry but I don’t want it look like that; but you can’t separate the artist and his technique.”

The Revenant Movie Review

By Zazuka Asatiani

As greatly anticipated as it was, The Revenant definitely doesn’t disappoint. Thanks to the creative genius of its director Alejandro G. Inarritu and some solid performances from its two leads Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy (both were nominated for an Academy Award and Leo took home an Oscar), The Revenant manages, although unevenly, to captivate the audience for 2 hours and 36 minutes. However, it’s not only Leo’s singular performance that saves the day, but also the impeccable beauty of wild landscapes captured through the camera. Natural coloring used in the film once again proves the exceptional vision of the director and further lets the viewers to submerge along the characters in the fierce but charming nature.

Though it may only emphasize the uncompromising nature of the film, the traditional masculinity depicted as a main source of survival can be a subject of criticism as it depletes other important aspects (emotional or rational) of human tragedy and unintentionally obscures

the whole picture of man’s inhumanity. Also, the fact that the main hero survives both the grizzly bear attack and fall from the hill makes the authenticity of the events taking place in the film questionable.

Finally, The Revenant despite its slow running pace is an eye-catching experience due to its starkly beautiful setting and committed performance from Leonardo DiCaprio.

P.S. congratulations on finally winning an Oscar Leo!

STAFF Editors:

Helen Ugulava Mariam Aleksishvili Nick Shashkini Tasia Kucan Gigi Khmaladze

Faculty Advisors: Ken Goff Anthony Schierman

Journalists: Temiko Chichinadze George Bekuridze Dasha Lochoshvili Vato Kizikurashvili Ana Sandler Mariam Matchavariani Sopo Javelidze Romin Salikov Sesili Koberidze Liza Lezhava Barbara Baramidze Leviko Kiladze Zazuka Asatiani Sopo Bakuradze Frankie Canik