Dorm Disorder

This week on Dorm Disorder, we prove that Girard College was less "boarding school" and more "supervised chaos with a curfew." Alumni Rosilyn Munoz and Mike Coley join host Dan and Mike to explain how they went from schoolmates to a Zoom-era pandemic romance — because nothing says "rekindled love" like reconnecting during lockdown. Mike confesses to a career of vending machine larceny and expert-level dorm infiltration. Rosilyn admits to getting suspended in eighth grade for what we're generously calling "extracurricular beverage research." Dan recounts the water balloon fight that ended with his roommate getting hit with a two-person balloon and a night on a mattress that never fully dried. Then things get real: dating at boarding school means your ex is always one hallway away, especially if they move on before you do — case in point, Dan's infamous breakup-by-letter, followed by a very public pancake-adjacent screaming match the next morning. Oh, and apparently a suspicious number of Girard grads — including both hosts of this podcast — ended up marrying people they met on campus. Coincidence? Dorm Disorder thinks not.

In Part 2, Mike and Dan dive into the brutal world of wrestling weight cuts — including the legendary tale of a Bristol High wrestler who pulled out his dentures just to make weight. Then Dan comes clean about a soccer game against a school for the deaf, where he faked a ref's whistle to wave off a goal before it could count. Mike closes things out with the story of a talent show shadow-dance act that got way too steamy behind the screen, until "Voldemort" lost it and killed the lights mid-show.

We're dusting off a lost Dorm Disorder episode from the vault. Dan and Mike sit down for a raw, unfiltered trip back to Girard College — the boarding school in North Philadelphia that shaped them more than they probably realized at the time. They break down their favorite buildings on campus, relive the glory days of Girard basketball in the legendary Terror Dome (shoutout Public Enemy), and talk wrestling. They also reflect on where they were when the OJ verdict dropped and what that moment felt like inside those walls.

Then things get personal — Dan shares the soccer camp story that still haunts him: a coach who slapped a third cheeseburger clean out of his hands, ran him until he threw up, handed him a glass of water, and sent him right back out to practice. No notes.

Dan and Mike also dig into something they hadn't really put into words before — how they carried themselves differently at Girard versus at home. Nicer. More respectful. Almost like two different people. And if any family ever set foot on campus? That was an incursion. Full Marvel multiverse energy.

This one sat on the shelf too long. It's out now.

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.