NCAA March Madness: Your Bracket Is Busted.

By: A.J. Gersh '15

If you aren't following the craziness that is circulating around the 2015 Men's NCAA Basketball Tournament, you are definitely missing out.

The Round of 64 is always home to the wildest upset match-ups and this season's games did not disappoint. Georgia State, a 14 seed led by Kevin Ware (formerly of the Louisville Cardinals...he gruesomely broke his leg in the 2013 Championship Game) and R.J. Hunter (the son of the head coach, Ron), defeated the Baylor Bears, a 3 seed in the West.

In the South, both games played in Louisville were huge upsets. UCLA, a bubble team that all analysts believe did not deserve a tournament berth, defeated a highly regarded SMU team by a final of 60-59. UAB, a 14 seed, took down Iowa State (another 3 seed). ISU was a common pick to make a run to the Final Four in many brackets, so this loss generated plenty of angry fans.

UCLA and UAB met in the Round of 32. The Bruins blew out UAB by a score of 92-75. Only 7.1% of on-line "bracketeers" had either team in the Sweet 16.

After the Round of 64, only one bracket remained perfect on ESPN's Bracket Challenge. That bracket, too, was busted the next day with an Ohio State loss to Arizona.

As we head into the Sweet 16, There are no perfect brackets remaining IN THE WORLD. Only fourteen brackets have correctly predicted all 16 remaining squads, while another 482 have 15 out of 16 teams right.

The questions that are on everyone's minds still loom: Will John Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats follow the likes of UCLA and Indiana in the 1970's and go undefeated, or will a surprise cinderella team (Witchita State or NC State) shock the world?

The last rounds leading into Indianapolis for the Final Four will certainly be enticing.

Read More »

Orioles Preseason

AP Photo, 2013

By: A.J. Gersh '15

Orioles fans, get ready...Baseball season is just around the corner! The Birds open their 2015 campaign on Monday, April 6th in Tampa Bay. Buck Showalter's team is looking to repeat their American League East title after winning the division by a whopping twelve games and finishing with a 96-66 record in 2014.

However, this task is more simply said than done. The Orioles have lost some crucial players this offseason. Most notably, Andrew Miller, perhaps the team's most reliable bullpen arm last season, signed a 4-year, $36 million contract with the rival New York Yankees and Nelson Cruz, the AL home run leader of 2014, signed a 4-year $57 million dollar deal with Seattle.

There are also a few big questions heading into the season. Will Matt Wieters be able to stay healthy and produce at a level similar to his first month of last season (>.300 BA)? Can Manny Machado recover from two knee surgeries in two consecutive seasons? Will Steve Pearce be able to replicate his power numbers in 2015 (21 HR)? Is Chris Davis really capable of hitting anywhere near the 53 home runs he slammed in 2013? Is the Orioles pitching rotation actually reliable enough to win the division again, or was last year's squad simply hot at the right time?

All of these questions will begin to be answered on April 6th. So, if you want to see a playoff team compete in the toughest division in baseball, tune into MASN on Opening Day!

Read More »

Patriots Prevail, Exploit Baltimore's Rocky Secondary

(AP Photo/Steven Senne)

By: A.J. Gersh '15

It was a game of back-and-forth offensive surges, all culminating in a thrilling battle of "who will make the least mistakes."

The hometown Baltimore Ravens jumped out to an early fourteen point first quarter lead off of Kamar Aiken's first career postseason touchdown reception and an incredible grab by veteran wideout Steve Smith, who separated from All-Pro Patriots DB Derrelle Revis in the end zone.

However, the scoring didn't stop there. Tom Brady and the pass-happy New England Patriots answered with fourteen points of their own, as the three-time champion quarterback scrambled into the end zone to end the first quarter and later found slot receiver Danny Amendola to even the score.

Baltimore came soaring right back, scoring yet another fourteen points-- two more passes from Joe Flacco to TE Owen Daniels and RB Justin Forsett.

Fourteen point surges sure seem to be the story of this game, as the Patriots, yet again, answered the Ravens offensive outburst and marched over Baltimore's secondary (which features an injured ex-superstar in Ladarius Webb, a cut Tampa Bay Buc in Rashaan Melvin, and a safety who seemingly couln't make a tackle in Matt Elam) for two more touchdown passes: the first to Rob Gronkowski, a monstrous target at tight end, and the second on a trick screen to Julian Edelman (an ex-college quarterback at Kent State University), who caught the ball in the backfield and flung a 51 yard bullet to Danny Amendola.

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker chipped in a 25 yard field goal to put the Ravens ahead 31-28 early in the fourth quarter, and coach John Harbaugh hoped for a defensive stop on the ensuing drive.

The Ravens defensive line, led by Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil, known as one of the stingiest in the league, held their own, but yet again, Tom Brady was able to exploit the Ravens secondary (who were missing Jimmy Smith, their star in the defensive backfield) and connected with Brandon LaFell for a 23 yard touchdown.

Baltimore's next possession sealed their fate, as Joe Flacco was intercepted by Patriots safety Duron Harmon in the end zone with under two minutes remaining on the clock. Following a defensive stop by Baltimore and a punt from New England, Flacco hurled up a last-second desperation throw, which was knocked down by safety Devin McCourty, ending the Baltimore Ravens hopes of a miracle Super Bowl run.

The Patriots will face the Indianapolis Colts (24-13 winners against the Denver Broncos) next week in the AFC Championship.

Read More »

Anne Arundel County Public Schools Remain Open Despite Dangerous Conditions

Two teens involved in a car crash in Pasadena earlier today. Photo by Chuck Cochran.

By: A.J. Gersh '15

This morning, many Severn School students arose to angry tweets and texts from friends as, despite a forecast of over 3 inches of snow, Anne Arundel County Public Schools made the "judgement call" to start schools at regular time this morning.

Over 142 snow-related accidents have been reported, many of which involved students attempting to promptly get to school via un-plowed highways and roads.

Some parents urged their children to stay home due to the drastically unsafe conditions. Many frustrated students arrived to school late, and nearly all of Severn's seniors either saw an accident on their drive in, or were nearly involved in one.

Let's face the facts: A.A.C.P.S. blew the call. 

This brings upon the "Deja Vu" effect, as in February of last year a very similar snowfall was treated with the same response.

Throughout the hallways of Creeden, "We should have been off today," "I can't believe schools weren't closed with these terrible roads," and "A.A.C.P.S. blew it again" have been three VERY popular sentences.

Due to the outrage of parents and students alike, many schools have begun to take action, most drastically Archbishop Spalding, who will now make weather-based decisions independently.

So, the next time moderate snow is in the forecast, A.A.C.P.S. must make the correct "judgement call," or Severn and other private schools in the area might choose to follow Spalding's footsteps to determine their own snowy fate.

Stay safe on the roads.

Read More »

"The Illusion"- Interview with Mr. Ron Giddings '99

Lizzie Purnell '15, A.J. Gersh '15, and
Jack Maniscalco '15
in "The Illusion"

By A.J. Gersh '15

Led by new theatre director Mr. Ron Giddings '99, the Water Street Players will be performing their adaptation of the hilarious comedy, "The Illusion," by Tony Kushner and Pierre Corneille. 

AJG: Mr. Giddings, what are your expectations for your first show directed at Severn?

RG: Perfection. I expect it to make a really big impact. I hope that we have a really high attendance why i wanted to do something that was fun. 

I am hoping it's not just Severn people coming to the show. I hope this sparks a lot more community involvement. 

It is a great piece of literature, so I hope the school faculty likes it. 

I don’t like to do shows that it's like, "Oh that is a high school version of that." I want to be at a professional level. I want people to go see "The Illusion" not "the watered-down high school version of The Illusion."

I think this will be an awesome production and not just a little high school version of the show.

AJG: Tell me a bit about the cast individually and as a whole. 

RG: So, what I really like about this cast, in particular, is that we have a wide range of experience. We go from people who have done every show in their severn career, to people who are in their first show; freshman to seniors- a good spread. 

There is definitely a family and ensemble feel to the whole thing, from the senior leadership to freshmen up and comers. 

Individually, I want everybody to give honest, relatable performances, that allows the audience to connect and love all of the characters for different reasons. 

The is the first show that seniors have done in a classical style, this allows them to have a full theatre experience at Severn. 

AJG: What are you bringing to Severn's theatre program this year? 

RG: 

- We're doing the theatre-goers trips to grow school wide interest in theatre. A couple weeks ago, we saw Amedaeus up at Center Stage in Baltimore. 

- I want more people seeing shows and that has a lot to do with show selection and marketing, so I am definitely trying to improve in those categories.

- I am trying to expand the Upper School curriculum to have more upper level theatre courses. 

- We are doing a full length show in fall AND spring, which is basically doubling the program. 

- I want to have an understudy performance/showcase (afternoon of the final show) a truncated version of the show, directed by a senior. All the understudies will have to go on and do a few scenes. 

AJG: As we wrap this up, do you have words to leave me with?

RG: "IT'S TIME FOR THE ARTS TO EXPLODE.” 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Synopsis for The Illusion:

What are the real powers of sorcery? To alter? To define? To transport? Tony Kushner and Pierre Corneille before him go for all three, which is only part of the magic in Kushner's fanciful adaptation of Corneille's "The Illusion." 

Simply put, this is the tale of a rigid father, Pridamant (Zak Rosen '16), who, stricken with remorse for having provoked his son to flee the family home, searches out the magician Alcandre (Lizzie Purnell '15) in the hope that she will help him find out what happened to the wayward boy.  Alcandre does, and the ironic twist of the piece is that after several false starts, passionate re-enactments, comic delusions and confusions, the truth is revealed and Papa finds he doesn't like it. The lighthearted ending is a cynical but honest lesson in selective affection.  All the fun, however, is in getting there. "The Illusion" takes us into territory on which theater thrives: fantasy, witchcraft, transcended place and time.  The entire play happens in Alcandre's cave, a forbidding place, watched over by Alcandre's sinister amanuensis and where Pridamant watches on the sidelines while Alcandre leads him through reconstituted events in his son's life.  We watch the son fall in love with a woman above his station, kill one dandified suitor, fight a duel with another, marry the girl over her father's objections and the thwartings of her jealous maid. Truth or apparitions? We'll let you savor the surprises of the Corneille/Kushner ending. They're worth waiting for.

Starring Lizzie Purnell '15 and Zak Rosen '16, the play also features seniors Jack Maniscalco '15, Paige Sachwitz '15, AJ Gersh '15, and Chris Nguyen '15, as well as underclassmen Sam Agro '18, Alanna Sokoloff '16, and Jimmy Diamondidis '18.

So, there you have it, folks. Come out to Price Auditorium at 7PM from November 20-22 to see the Water Street Players' hilarious fall play!

Read More »