The New Immersives

Gilman is implementing a range of new immersives this year in the hope of giving the students a chance to choose between learning new skills, kicking back to play sports, or traveling around Baltimore for a meal. In this article of the Gilman News, we dive into two immersive options, including spreadsheets and 3x3 basketball.

3x3 basketball, led by basketball coaches and faculty Laura Soden and Matt Baum ‘93, is the most popular immersive, enrolling 74 students. Why is it so popular? Students want a break from their intense school workload and stress. Will Notorangelo '26 said, "I'm excited for a break from assembly and school work." With 74 students, the group had to be cut into two groups with 30 upperclassmen and 34 underclassmen. This setup is gonna make the games more competitive and fun. Mrs. Soden said, "We wanted to make it so that everyone got plenty of playing time, and everything was moving quickly." These friendly matches and the relaxed atmosphere make 3x3 basketball a favorite amongst all grades. 

Alex Deweese ‘11 leads Control, Alt, Spreadsheet, which is about learning how to use Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. Mr. Deweese wants to teach the kids in his group the things he was not taught. Mr. Deweese said "I remember being at Gilman, not doing a lot with Excel or spreadsheets, and even in college, when I was asked to do it, we didn't do much in the way of learning how to use them." Joining this immersive will give students insight on how to use spreadsheets in a multitude of ways. He wants to teach the basics of spreadsheets to everyone and let the students choose their path from there. Mr. Deweese is excited to show the students all they need to know about spreadsheets!

With these new immersives, Gilman is not just expanding its learning but also providing students with more opportunities to explore their interests and develop skills. Whether playing on the basketball court or mastering excel sheets, these offerings are designed to help better the student experience and explore education in a new way. With such a diverse range of activities, Gilman is helping students discover their passions, which might even help them in the future.