Dorm Disorder

We're back with Kharma Hicks and Chianta Gray — two of the first women to graduate from Girard College in 1993 — and things only get better from here.
In Part 2, we get into the early girls' sports era, including the 8th grade basketball team where Chianta scored on the wrong basket and couldn't figure out why nobody was guarding her. (Now she knows.) We also revisit the co-ed 8th grade soccer team, where the girls made sure every away game had a proper George Michael soundtrack. You're welcome, opponents.
Then there's Ms. Saldana — the teacher who took hygiene education very seriously and apparently had no problem sharing her romantic life with a room full of girls. We also hear from host Dan, who learned a very important lesson about throwing clay in art class when his mom showed up on a random Tuesday and handled things in front of the whole class. The art teacher saw everything, and did nothing to stop it.
And to close it out — the media circus of June 1993. Graduating as the first women from Girard was a massive deal, and the news outlets showed up accordingly. Plus, we talk about the new museum in Founder's Hall, where the women of '93 now have a permanent section dedicated to them. As they should.

This week on Dorm Disorder, we sit down with two trailblazers — Kharma Hicks and Chianta Gray — among the first women to ever graduate from Girard College, the legendary free 1-12 boarding school in North Philadelphia. Girard had been a boys-only institution for over 150 years, and these two were part of the class that changed everything.
We get into how they each ended up at Girard in the first place. Kharma was supposed to go with her twin brother — but when test day came, he sat down, crossed his arms, and refused to pick up a pencil. His loss, history's gain. Chianta's story? Her mom promised her a pair of Gucci sneakers to sweeten the deal. She never saw them.
We also talk about what it was like moving into a freshly renovated Allen Hall, and whether Girard was truly ready for women to arrive — except for the urinals, the answer was yes. And of course, we get into sneaking into Bordeaux Hall, almost getting expelled, and why keeping your window shades drawn was a non-negotiable skill when your dorm sat that close to the boys.
A hilarious, heartfelt conversation about making history one close call at a time. 🎙️

In Part 2, Ned Jenkins ('78) and Owen Gowans ('79) bring the laughs and the memories. Owen gets benched by Mr. McKay with zero explanation — so he walks out. Then Mr. McKay walks out. Then Ned appoints himself head coach. We also get into the social realities of life at an all-male boarding school, the highly anticipated dances with Ellis School girls, and what it actually meant to be stuck on campus every weekend except on holidays until junior high. Plus — Ned somehow ends up front row for Chaka Khan and Earth, Wind & Fire. Girard had its moments.

This week we sat down with two legends — Rev. Owen Gowans (Class of '79) and Ned Jenkins (Class of '78) — who came up together at Girard College, a boarding school for students from single- and no-parent homes. Owen was one of the first four Black students to walk through Girard's gates back in 1968, with Ned following just a few months later in January of '69.
And let's just say... they made the most of their time there.
We heard about the time Ned got tossed into the deep end of the pool — six feet — before he even knew how to swim (and no, Girard wasn't handing out swim trunks). Then there's Owen and his roommate Al, who thought it was a great idea to chuck things out their dorm window at passing cars — including, unfortunately, a cop car. Spoiler: the cop found them. We also got into their days balling together on both the middle school and varsity basketball teams.
These two have stories for days, and this episode is just the beginning.

This week is part two of our conversation with, John Martino — a former Girard teacher who coached women's basketball and track from the 1992 until 1996. We talk about the friendships he built with fellow teachers, the students who became lifelong family, and what it meant to walk one of them down the aisle decades later. A reminder that the best teachers never really clock out.

This week, we're joined by John Martino — a former Girard teacher who coached women's basketball and track from the early '90s until 1996. We talk about the friendships he built with fellow teachers, the students who became lifelong family, and what it meant to walk one of them down the aisle decades later. A reminder that the best teachers never really clock out.

In our season one finale, Rasool Berry (GC '95) reflects on life after Girard and the journey that led him to storytelling through film. From his early days navigating identity and purpose to becoming a documentary filmmaker, Rasool shares how his latest project, The Return, explores themes of belonging, history, and homecoming. It’s a conversation about legacy, creativity, and the power of reclaiming your narrative.

In the first half of our season one finale, we welcome Girard College alum Rasool Berry (Class of ’95), writer, speaker, and host of the acclaimed documentary Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom. Rasool dives into the archives with us, revisiting wild tales from past episodes and shedding new light on legendary mysteries—like what really happened to the Class of ’95’s beloved mascot, Russ.  We reexamine stories told by his older brother, now hilariously reinterpreted with Rasool’s signature wit. But the real gems? Rasool’s own never-before-heard adventures that will leave you doubled over with laughter.  It’s nostalgia, mischief, and storytelling at its finest—don’t miss it.

In Part Two of our chat with Alexandra Cruz, things take a turn — and not just down memory lane. We dig deeper into the quirks of boarding school life, from surprise dorm traditions to the legendary tales that still echo through alumni halls.  And yes… we finally get to that story. What happens when a kid gets their hands on a bottle of whiskey and hijacks a meal truck? Oh, and did we mention the romantic affair that turned the entire campus upside down? Hearts were broken, rules were bent, and the fallout made morning announcements feel like a soap opera.

Ever wonder what life is like at another boarding school? In this episode, we sit down with GC Alumni Association Director Alexandra Cruz, proud graduate of Milton Hershey School, Class of 2007 to compare notes!  From shared arrival stories to the wild differences (yes, basketball courts in the dorms!), Alex gives us the inside scoop. Who had the better food? More fun activities? Tougher chores? She breaks it all down and settles the score on who really had it better.