The video shows Hayden as he informs what this is about. A number of freshmen were missing in that morning’s assembly, but certainly the number was not significant enough to be anomalous (they could just be running late). Hayden states that seniors have taken 15 freshmen in an undisclosed location, that they will not be harmed and seniors have some demands. The demands are: seniors night with a movie with nachos and chicken wings and 30 more minute free time for seniors.

Our fellow senior class representatives (head proctors) displayed their amazing negotiating skills and was able to win all the demands (and also pizza to the list of snacks). A good negotiator does not negotiate, unless for even better terms. A great victory for the senior class of Gould!

No freshmen were harmed in the events (although they did lose some sleep.)

See you next week,

Min Jae

For today’s glog (since I couldn’t decide on a topic) I’m going to share a couple highlights from my past week…a quick glance into the life of Courtney.

First off…I TURNED 18!!! (Picture below is at Cho Sun for a birthday dinner.)

Secondly, all of the help center tutors were invited to the Ruby’s for a special (and super delicious) dinner. (The picture below is of my fellow writing center tutors!)

Thirdly, the senior class borrowed some freshmen for a little bit. But don’t worry, we fed them donuts, cinnamon buns and they watched a movie in the meantime.

Fourthly, we had a dance on the turf, sports themed, packed with some throwback songs and DJ Diablo.

Fifthly, I got myself the cutest Spring Fling date ever!

Until next time!!

Courtney

ps. This week Buddha says, “The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows”

The trees have bloomed, the grass is green, and the cotton is swaying (somewhere, anyway). You know what that means, obviously: SPRING. And with Spring, the infamous Spring Musical!

There’s really one person who creates this wonderful production that springs forth every May, and that is the one and only Mr. Alford.

Jefe himself ~ looking stately, as usual!

I have spent every year I’ve been at Gould in the musical production, so I thought it would be fitting to tie in this week’s production with El Jefe. To be honest, there is so much about this multifaceted man that is interesting, it was hard to decide which questions to ask. But performing arts is one of Mr. Alford’s  many passions, as is mine, and so who better to ask than the Jefe himself?

We sat down in the library together, Alford in his spiffy coat, and had a little chat. To understand how long this man has been involved in drama at Gould, I asked him straight out: how long you’ve been doing this, Jefe?

With a smile, of course, he said, “I’ve directed eighteen musicals”, which is no big deal for him! Alford has been at the Academy for almost twenty-two years, which is a feat in itself, let alone his eighteen years of directing.

There’s been highs and lows in his eighteen years. With a shy glance at his shoes, he tells me about his favorite musical, The Fantastics: “My favorite play, and I would do this play every three years for the rest of my career, is The Fantastics. It’s an amazing, intimate show, and I really, really love it.” Shifting in his seat, he then goes on to talk about one of my own past productions here at the Academy, “Godspell. For the same reason: just a wonderful, intimate, cast-oriented ensemble show.”

There is one that he hasn’t particularly enjoyed, however, and it comes as no surprise: “My least favorite production was the year we did Cinderella: It’s a Rodgers and Hammerstein show, and many people don’t know that they created the show, which is probably good that way.”

Humor, of course, transcends through Mr. Alford’s demeanor: a truly personable quality that makes working with him so much fun. This humor has been shared with many people since Jefe’s arrival at Gould, including some past mentors who are no longer at the Academy. Alford immediately speaks of Gould’s Performing Arts director, Jim McLaughlin: “I’ve been fortunate to work with him for his entire time here. He’s wonderful to work with, by the way,” Jefe says with a chuckle, “but don’t tell him I said that.”

“Before him,” Alford says, “the music director here was a guy by the name of Paul Nelson: a man who taught me nearly everything I know about putting a play together from beginning to end – particularly, placing music into a show.” In a reflective glance at the floor, Alford tells me that it’s Nelson to whom he owes his knowledge of music in theater.

He’s also worked with many others at the Academy: “Mr. Penley has been instrumental in a lot of ways, in putting things together and creating choreography.” Another sly smile spreads on his face as he talks about a particular person who he’s worked with in the past, “Ask Mrs. Manning if she ever got involved in a Spring Musical before. She’ll tell you about the year when she was my assistant director.”

Anything you want to own up to, Mrs. Manning? I sure would love to hear that story in class!

But Alford has had many experiences with the performing arts before he was even on his way to Gould. “I started in the first grade,” he says, “and joined first grade chorus. I sang in choruses and performed in plays all the way through elementary school, junior high, high school, and community theater.” He didn’t stop there, “After high school, I majored in Music as a voice major for two years before I changed to Spanish.”

Last but not least, “I’ve actually performed in two Gould Academy musicals: you don’t need to look those up, trust me.”

In the last minutes of his interview, I really believe that the true spirit of Mr. Alford is embodied in his strong sentiments about the power of performing arts in one’s life. We share the same beliefs, and hopefully you’ll understand why. I leave you with this short video:

Lastly, of course, I’ll take a moment to shamelessly advertise: COME SEE THE SPRING MUSICAL PEOPLE!

“Lucky Stiff”, a heart-wrenching and gut-busting tale of murder and adventure, opens in Bingham Auditorium this Thursday at 7:30 P.M. As part of the cast, I can tell you I’ve never felt so proud of a production until this year. It’s a wonderful play that is relatable, easy to follow, and most importantly, full of laughs and hopefully some tears. Admission is free and it should be no more than an hour and a half. If you’re around, Gouldies, I hope to see you there! As would Jefe as well!

With that, I’ll see you Thursday or Saturday at 7:30 in Bingham Auditorium! Be there or be square!

Till next week,

Zee Krstic

For my glog this week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Zee, a fellow glogger! Unfortunately I couldn’t get a video together, but here are Zee’s thoughts on books, desert islands and life at Gould! (for space’s sake, I’ll refer to myself as J throughout the dialogue of the interview.)

Zee(Far right) pictured with his two sisters. Photo Credit to Zee.

J: First off, could I get your name, graduation year and hometown?

Zee: Zee Krstic, Class of 2013, I was born and raised in Manhattan, NYC

J: Awesome! Have you decided which college you will be attending, and what you will major in?

Zee: The University of Florida ’17, and I’m majoring in Journalism with a focus in writing.

J: Now for some harder questions: What’s your favorite color?

Zee: That’s a hard one! I would say it’s a two way tie between midnight blue and grey… But if I had to decide I would say blue.

J: Those are good choices! Next, if you could read only one book for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

Zee: Hmm! Another hard one. I would say the book White Oleander by Janet Fitch: it’s a stunning novel that grips with issues of finding one’s identity and self-worth in a modern setting, and I would definitely say that I see a lot of myself in the novel’s protagonist, Astrid. I think the novel overall is relatable to everyone as we’ve all had to find who ‘we’ are in terms of society at one point or another.

J: Awesome! Next: You’re stuck on a desert island. You can bring only one person, one meal (Which you’ll have for breakfast, lunch and dinner) and one object. Who/ what do you bring?

Zee: Another hard one! For the person, I would definitely bring my sister Soleil. We have been on many adventures together with my other sister, Gianna, and have had lots of fun: I know we would keep each other laughing because she is my best friend and I love both of them to dath. For my meals, SUSHI!!!!! I’m a huge sushi and sashimi freak so I would absolutely love eating it 24/7. I’m also a huge Diet Coke person, so hopefully I could snag some of that too (with lemon!). My object would be easy: my iPod. I’m sure Gouldies know I can’t live without music: I have my iPod on and an earbud in at all times. I love music and life would NOT be the same without it.

J: Good Calls.  What is your favorite memory at Gould?

Zee: Now, that’s one I simply cannot answer! But, as a general rule, I really enjoy trips that we take as a school. For those who’ve been reading my posts this year, I’ve talked a lot about weekend activities because I really think that those are the times when memories are made: Like going to the beach with Ms. Hughes, Midnight Madness with Mrs. Oliver, College trips with Mrs. Kimball in her ‘swagger’ wagon, and even trips to the Old Port with friends.

J: Last but not least, if you could give one piece of advice to incoming students next year, what would it be?

Zee: Don’t be afraid to try new things! Gould pushes you in many ways, but the reward is certainly worth the risk!

- end dialogue -

So there you have it, folks! You now hopefully know more about Zee than you did at the beginning of this glog. Thanks again, Zee, for the interview and also for being such a great part of our team!

Have a great week everyone!

-John

I have a few questions I asked fellow Glogger, Cathryn.

If only you could see the different faces our classmates were making at her during this interview…

Until Next Week,

Alec

Okay ladies and gents, I have the pleasure of introducing one of my fellow classmates Min-Jae Yun, the human encyclopedia.

Min-Jae has been at Gould for two and a half years and after graduating with me this Spring will be headed off to UCLA.

A couple fun facts about Min-Jae…

1. He’s lived in Hong Kong, Korea, Vietnam, Canada and the U.S.

2.He has a piece of metal in his elbow (apparently it’s stuck there…I kinda just left it at that)

3. His biggest movie star crush is Scarlett Johasson

4. He used to be afraid of dogs because he got bit when he was little (he assured me that he isn’t afraid anymore but I have my suspicions)

5. He loves procrastinating and looking up random facts on the internet (classic Min-Jae)

Below is a video of me asking Min-Jae random interview questions  that I don’t nessarliy think he was expecting…(:

(also please ignore my horrible film skills and laughter)

Until next time!

Courtney

ps. This week Buddha says, “Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it ”

ATTENTION: To all who haven’t noticed yet (this is just a pleasant intro- EVERYONE has noticed), the school year is very rapidly coming to it’s final curtain.  Fewer games remain, the Spring Musical rears it’s impressive head next weekend, AP exams are underway, and some rooms in Holden are actually showing signs of order (by this I mean “you can actually see the floor”).  This also means, alas, that this year’s GLOG is coming to a close soon.

Sniff.

We have decided, after much consultation and debate (one email), to dedicate a week of Glogs to something important.  Something profound.  Something uniquely special.

We are going to write about each other.  Why, you ask?   Well, for a couple fo reasons:

• A: We are interesting, interested, classically good-looking people.  Just look at our cartoon images!  Amiright?
• 2: We really really really dig the Glog.  Seriously, it’s one of the most fun things a student/teacher/whatever can do at this school.

So today I am going to be bringing you the goods on a very special Glogger.  A talented, vivacious, classically good-looking student who brightens everyone’s day with her witticisms and her “Buddha Says” words of wisdom. Glogosphere, I give you: COURTNEY COLALUCA!

I spent countless hours (minutes) doing extensive research (talked to Courtney) to gather information on this college-bound queen of the Glog.  And in typical Jefe-fashion, I am bringing the results of my hard work to you in the form of a list.  Let this from here forth be known as the COURTNEY COLALUCA “TOP 10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT HER” LIST:

1. Courtney’s favorite color is red. In case you were shopping for a spring fling dress for her…
2. She will be attending Suffolk University next fall. I hear they offer a Bachelor’s Degree in Glee.
3. Her favorite movie growing up was The Princess Bride. (Spirit of full disclosure- It’s my favorite too!)
4. Her childhood fear was flying.  In planes.  Apparently it’s a control thing.  If SHE could land the plane, no prob.
5. Courtney’s favorite class taken at Gould – Photography. When I met her, I thought she actually WAS a camera- with a person attached to her.
6. Her guilty pleasure is Gene Kelly movies. People, Google “Gene Kelly.” You won’t be disappointed. I promise.
7. According to “C-Rock” (a nickname I just gave her right here), the best place on campus to study is in her dorm room- with her friends present. “I have tea and cookies”, she says.  Let’s all show up tonight at 9:05 and see…
8. Her biggest challenge at Gould- leaving soon.  Sniff.
9. Courtney’s advice to incoming 9th graders is to “find another new student to sit with on the first day, instead of clinging to parents.”  It worked for her- just ask Ella!
10. Her message to her parents: “You guys are ROCK STARS!”  No, literally so.  They are backup singers for The Rolling Stones.  Okay, I made that up.

GET EXCITED! This week, your most humble Gloggers are pleased to announce our newest venture: GLOG profiles.

You have spent all year getting to know each of us through our weekly posts, which range on many of our different interests.

But, you may ask, what do others perceive of us through their own eyes?!

Well, ask and you shall receive!

Each one of us will post a profile about the person following us in the week. Kicking us off will be our very own Jefe, who will post about Courtney on Tuesday. I will finish up the week next Monday with a profile on Jefe, and by this point, everyone will have been profiled!

Keep posted for the week of fun!

Love, 

The GLOG Team 

So, yesterday we hosted our home race, and had some great results. If any of you were in Bethel, you know that the weather was not so great. I’ll let you know that I was not looking forward to the test of our physiques at all. I was not happy it wasn’t getting cancelled.

However, once we got going, I wrapped my head around it pretty good and pulled in for my best result of the year, 12th place in the A boys (I set a handful of KOM’s on strava as well!). It was a tough race, with heavy rain which fogged up my glasses, so I had to take them off, which hurt my eyes. It is a tough climb in general anyways! There was a pretty gnarly crash at mile 17 which I narrowly avoided, and I wish the best to the two who got wrapped up in it.

I also had the luck to lead my teammate, Yacht, the other A boy who was racing. He ended up 5th, which was really exciting for me. I’ll post the link to the entire results sheet when they are posted online, but I was in the car after the race, as I was pretty cold!

Also, I want to thank everyone who came to the parents weekend festivities, including the residential rumble (I hope everyone had fun with that), bidding on some awesome items at the four point auction, and just hanging out with your kids! I hope everyone had a good time!

Lastly, Happy Mother’s day to everyone out there celebrating it! We really appreciate all that you do!

Have a good week!

John