September 1E

The News September 9, 2002 Gilman School www.GilmanNews.com Volume CII No. 1 Welcome Back! Lord of the Flies Assigned for Entire Upper School BY JORDAN TUCKER Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, interesting questions about the nature was required reading this summer for of man and is very worthwhile reading all members of the Upper School. A for students who want to wrestle with classic of twentieth century literature, the important philosophical question the book gives Golding’s views about concerning the nature of Man. the essential nature of man. Golding The idea of having a book read by believed that Man in his natural state all Upper School students was first is evil and, without the constraints of floated by Mr. Harris last spring. The civilization, will resort to savagery. choice was made in consultation with The book tells the story of a group of administrators and apparently garnered The group poses for shot on the Champs-de-Mars in front of the Eiffel boys who are stranded on a deserted widespread approval among the fac- Tower. (Photo by Patrick Pothel) island after their plane is shot down over ulty. “It gives one viewpoint on what the ocean. At first, the boys attempt to we should do with the chaos that is create a society with rules and govern- American youth,” quipped Mr. Spragins, ing bodies. However, as time goes noting that it should lend “coherence to Gilman Students Visit on, the children lose the inhibitions our assembly schedule.” that civilization has imposed on them It was perhaps overlooked that Lord and descend into a state of complete of the Flies has formed part of the 8th Lyon, France chaos. The children become mur- grade Language Arts curriculum in the derous and evil. Acting like savages, Gilman Middle School since last year, BY TOM MILLER they disregard all civilized conven- meaning that some incoming freshmen Parlez-vous français? This question connecting flight to Lyon, necessitating tions and return to their naturally vio- have already read it. The Middle School would doubtless elicit an emphatic oui a six hour layover. However, the warm lent, brutal state. This book poses very plans to continue to use the book. from the group of Gilman and Bryn welcome given them by the families Mawr sophomores who this summer of their French correspondents more took part in a fifteen year-old exchange than made up for any difficulties expe- program with the Lycée St-Joseph in rienced en route. Lyon, France. Their stay in Europe from In the first week of their stay in Lyon, June 14 and and July 5 was marked by the group enjoyed a series of organized Inside This Issue... cultural education and dialogue as well excursions to such places as the his- as lots of fun! Gilman was represented toric town of Beaune in Burgundy, the by current juniors Charlie Brooks, John Gallo-Roman city of Vienne, and the Opinion: Why the Community Service Davisson, Colin Deering, Sam Hulbert, lakeside resort of Annecy. They also Requirement Must Go (Page 2) Tom Miller, Drum Rice, and Will Shock. visited various sights in Lyon itself, Many of these students had hosted cor- including the impressive art museum respondents from St-Joseph in April, and the district that was once the seat Features: Gilman Sophomores on Outward 2002. of the silk-making industry, economi- The voyage to Lyon was a harrow- cally important in the region during Bound (Page 3) ing experience for all involved. After a the Rennaissance. During the second seven-hour flight from Dulles Airport in Washington to Charles de Gaulle Continued on Page 2 Sports: Soccer and X-Country (Page 4) Airport in Paris, the group missed their Page 2 The Gilman News • September 9, 2002 The Gilman News • September 9, 2002 Page 3 Gilman Students Spend June in France 50 Hours of a Moral Dilemma: A Class Sui Generis Continued from Page 1 BY JOHN DAVISSON Why Community Service Should No While many students and teachers His course centers around a full spec- week, the group joined their exchange Louvre, the Château of Versailles and restedon their laurels during the sultry trum of Latin literature spanning 2500 students for the last day of classes at St- the Musée d’Orsay. On the night before Longer Be Required summer months, Ms. Claudia DeSantis years. Whereas many classics syllabi Joseph before spending the next seven their departure, the group celebrated set out once more to work in the familiar focus on familiar literature, Foster uses days with their host families. the Fourth of July with a wonderful BY TOM MILLER environment of a Latin classroom. This a wide range or readings and demands On July 2, the group boarded the dinner at a Parisian bistro and a walk time, however, she found herself in the that the students translate them on the high-speed TGV train for the two-hour along the Seine river, brilliantly illumi- This summer, while performing my who performs community service with position of a student. spot. Most daunting was his insistence ride to Paris. There, they spent three nated and teeming with the nightlife for community service at a local charity, a motivation other than his own volition Amid the legendary setting of Rome, on conversing often in Latin, a skill days exploring the city and environs which the French capital is famous. I would often be asked “What brings has obviously chosen the wrong school. DeSantis spent seven weeks studying atwhich very few classicists are adept. while living la vie bohème in a youth The group would like to thank Ms. you here?” I would always respond, Why would one go to medical school if under the Pope’s head Latinist, Reginald “He was very gentle,” commented hostel. Spending the mornings together Sorel of Bryn Mawr and Mme Layet with a twinge of embarrassment, that one did not want to be a doctor? Like- Foster. Foster is one of a few people DeSantis on his demeanor, ”but not View of St. Michael’s from Outward Bound sailing trip. (Photo by Peter Jarow) before splitting up for afternoon free of St-Joseph, the organizers of the my school required it. Later, while leaf- wise, why go to Gilman if you are not worldwide who speak Latin fluently. when it came to Latin…he sometimes time, the group saw such sights as the exchange, and Mr. Patrick Pothel, their ing through the voluminous paperwork interested in the vocation it prepares its Teachers and students travel in ranks seemed like a teacher bullying teach- Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral, the chaperone, formerly of Gilman. required to verify that my community students for? to Rome each summer to attend his ers. When you couldn’t remember an service project was indeed complete, The current system raises other issues Sophomores Profit From famous seminar. English translation, he would start yelling I began to contem- as well. It is just as Having studied Latin for 9 years Latin synonyms at you.” plate their question great a perversion and spent several more teaching the The program included other Latin more deeply...why ANYTHING DONE of the concept of Outward Bound Grants discipline to students, DeSantis began immersion techniques, such as an after- Glimpses of a Different had I been embar- community ser- searching this past spring for a means noon unwinding session under the trees rassed to say that fifty vice to perform BY JOSH SWEREN of renewing and improving her skills of a nearby park. Students were invited hours of community INVOLUNTARILY it with the goal during the summer. A trip to an inter- to Sub Arboribus or “Under the Trees” World in Honduras service were required of polishing a This past spring, Gilman benefactors problems. When it was extremely hot, net search engine turned up information to drink wine and socialize in Latin away for graduation at résumé or enliv- offered three Outward Bound scholar- we would rig a shade tarp. Also, when on Foster’s course, titled Ludus Aestivus from the blazing Italian sun. HAS NO MORAL BY MATT YOUN Gilman School? Did ening an applica- ships to the sophomore class. The pur- people were tired of rowing, (that’s right, (summer school). A number of side trips were featured it not indicate that tion - a disturb- pose of Outward Bound is to help build when there was no wind, we rowed) we “It looked like a great, intensive pro- in the curriculum on Die Solis, the only From June 12 to July 8, Gilman stu- “paradise” on earth, the students spent VALUE. THE leadership, and aid one in “discovering” would make the shifts shorter. While dents Bobby Lipman, Jonathan Parker, the next three weeks at Copan, a village my school was a ingly prevalent gram,” she said. day of the week without the normal socially- conscious motivation in this oneself. These goals are accomplished these dilemmas may seem trivial and the The course is taught pro bono by three-session class structure. The group Zach Shepard, Ross Taylor, and Justin in the mountains of Honduras. There, by placing students in a primitive envi- solutions obvious, the lessons I learned Whitman along with teacher Mr. Molina they went to school every weekday for and motivated REQUIREMENT age of heightened Foster, requiring students to provide was privileged to visit the Papal Gar- place? After reflec- competition for ronment and having them face various were monumental. By the end of the only transportation and living expenses. dens, which forbids photography and went to the beautiful country of Hon- about four hours.

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