It’s 7:09, students trudge around the halls of PHS, exhaustion heavy in the air. The loudspeaker emits a quick sound and all of a sudden enthusiasm fills the walls as Lathan Gil repeats his iconic catchphrase. “OMG! Hey, hey, hey y’all”. smiles erupt among the crowd of students. Lathan Gil, a senior at Piscataway High School, has done the impossible: made teenagers smile before 7:15am.
Lathan Gil is a senior at PHS, on his way to the graduation stage Tuesday, June 18th. Starting his high school career online during the 2020-21 school year, he has grown to be a small celebrity at Piscataway High School. Starting his junior year, Lathan has been a part of the morning and afternoon announcements, instantly recognizable by his catchphrase. Throughout his years here, he has spread positivity and warmth to all corners of PHS, leaving the Piscataway community with a bittersweet goodbye while he continues his studies at Rider University.
Lathan’s legacy started his junior year, when he volunteered to do announcements for the Black Student Union for Black History during spirit week. “I’ve always been an outgoing person and always been a performer so I was never shy, I just decided to do it because something compelled me,” states Gil.
While most students would think of the morning announcements as nerve-wracking, Lathan, being the person that he is, saw it as an opportunity to spread his artistry. “I would say, the announcements did help me gain more confidence in myself though, and that’s important for people to know. Do things and get out there! It’ll make you gloriously confident dahling [sic],” he advises to all other students.
“I’ve always been a performer/entertainer all my life, from dancing at 3 and singing at 6, and I just was built to entertain, I know its what I was put on this earth for,” says Lathan.
His flamboyant personality over the loudspeaker is consistent in his daily life as well. As an artist, Lathan publishes music on streaming platforms such as Spotify, as well as performing with the PHS Drama Club.
The image that PHS has built around Lathan reflects his outgoing and ambitious nature, however what stays hidden to many people is his speech impediment. It seems ironic that someone famous for their announcements and performance abilities struggles with a stutter, however Lathan has dismissed all doubts about his capabilities. “I’ve had [a stutter] since I was 5, and I was bullied a lot for it. I was never shy though, even though it was rough, I still was not scared to be outgoing. I would sing and dance and do whatever I needed to do in front of people,” Lathan states.
Lathan credits some of his success to his friends who are at his side everyday, Jaden Alderman, Kayla Lopez, Savannah Weaver, and Meher Camino. Lathan states, “I just love them so much and they definitely shape who I am everyday.”
His friends have seen him through many phases of his life, and Jaden Alderman concludes that “A lot of people would have quit being as passionate as he is a long time ago, but he’s still here, and still pursuing his dreams. And I respect him for that.”
Lathan plans to use his people skills and contagious personality to continue on the arts track after graduating high school, studying Muscial theatre at Rider University. His career has already begun with releases of many EPs and albums such as MMXXIV, which Lathan publishes under his artist persona, Laytin. All of his creative work can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Music, or Youtube.
