2011 – Page 4 – The Gatton Academy News

[New Year, New Staff] Scott Wolfe Assumes New Role as Lead RC

September 13, 2011 | 5Q, News, People, Staff, Student Life | No Comments

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With the start of a new year at the Gatton Academy comes several new personalities to the staff. We are excited about these passionate and dedicated individuals who have joined our team. They come to us from different parts of the country with a host of varied experiences. Over the last few weeks, the staff has had a chance to get to know each other. It’s now your chance to meet the new faces behind the Academy. Each day this week, we’ll profile a new staff member.

Academy Avatars sat down with each new staff member to post ten questions in hopes of getting to know them better. Avatars came up with a few questions that they asked each person. Each Avatar also posed unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Interview by Sammi Hawtrey, Academy Avatar

What does your new role entail?

As head RC, I will be taking a lead in planning, organizing, and scheduling weekend activities, sign-ups, advising role for programming.

How is it different from last year?

Everyone will sign up and pay for activities with me directly, rather than at the front desk. We will create Facebook groups for event information, and weekend activity notifications will be sent out twice a month instead of weekly.

How will your new position affect students?

Because event information will be primarily through Facebook, they will be less inundated with e-mails. This will help keep them from signing up for events they aren’t planning on going to. It will also help with innovation, as students give me feedback about what they do and don’t want to participate in.

What are you looking forward to most?

I’m definitely excited to see how the changes in programming affect the way student activities are done. I am also interested in seeing the different dynamics of a new wing with fewer students.

What made you want this role?

I thought I could bring something to the position. Using my experience of the past five years, I hope to plan some really interesting events. My application to the position stemmed from a desire to be a good program leader.

Why were you selected for it?

While all of the RCs are highly qualified individuals, I believe I was chosen for my experience. I’ve been here since we opened and seen how we’ve run things from day one. I can bring things back that were done in the first years.

What do you hope to contribute with your new role?

I hope to bring perspective and new style to activities. My goal is to challenge us to think outside the box and come up with new ways to do the wing programming.

By Gatton Academy

Security Language Initiative Leads Charlotte Humes to Morocco for Summer Study in Arabic

September 12, 2011 | International, News, People, Student Success, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Charlotte Humes, a Gatton Academy senior from Bardstown, chose to spend her summer this year than many of her high school peers.

Earlier this year, she applied for and was awarded a National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Scholarship sponsored by the U.S. Department of State for the study of a critical language in a foreign country. These merit-based scholarships are for high school students studying less commonly taught languages.

Although the Gatton Academy curriculum places and emphasis on math and science, Humes began to cultivate an interest in language when she took a course in Arabic during the spring semester at WKU. TheDepartment of Modern Languagesat WKU offers two years of Arabic courses. Courses are taught by Khaldoun Almousily, a native of Jordan, and a new Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant each year, giving students exposure to different dialects and the opportunity to delve deeper into cultural differences.

“The program is very dedicated to broadening the global perspective of students they send,” Humes said.

Humes’ Arabic studies took her 4,353 miles from Kentucky to Rabat, Morocco. Aong with 12 other students from across the nation, Humes spent six weeks immersed in the language and culture of the country under the instruction of fluent Arabic speaker John Weinert of Rochester, NY, and teacher Emily Lauer of Denver, CO.

Humes explained that living with a host family was a critical component of the program. Program participants had the opportunity to experience authentic dinners, weddings, and everyday life. “One of the most influential experiences overall was staying with the host family,” she said. “It made me appreciate and practice the language a lot more than I would’ve had I just stayed in a hotel. I was immersed in the culture, which was great!

The group’s studies in Morocco consisted of language study five days each week with the rest of her time spent just experiencing the everyday culture. Her host family took the students on day trips to the countryside, which she thought was one of the most beautiful places in Morocco. Other weekend trips led the students to cities like Fez, Ifriane, and Chefchaouene all over the country. She was also given the freedom to explore the city and venture out to the beach with her roommates.

Humes’ work in Arabic at Western Kentucky University gave her an edge over many of her peers in the program. Of the students in the NSLI-Y program, skill levels ranged from not knowing the alphabet to high proficiency. Humes was surprised when the mother of her host family began speaking French when she arrived. She quickly learned that French was also a prominent language in the country.

Of the many experiences throughout the trip, Humes explained that the interactions with the various Moroccans she met were the most enjoyable. “Although there was the language barrier, most of the students there know at least some English,” Humes said. “between the two languages we were able to communicate.”

Not surprisingly, Humes said her least favorite part was leaving. After recounting her amazing experience, she said that she would definitely recommend the program to other students, and would repeat it herself if given the chance.

For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at (270) 705-3632.

Academy Avatar Rachel Metcalfe also contributed to this story.

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By Gatton Academy

To Boldly Go… Abroad! Gatton Academy Announces International Experiences for 2011-12

September 8, 2011 | Academics, International, News, Summer | No Comments

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Italy, Costa Rica, and England are the destinations for this year’s Gatton Academy international experiences. These experiences mark the fifth consecutive international travel/study series facilitated by the Gatton Academy. Each experience is described in brief below, with full details and applications found in the online brochures.

The Gatton Academy is also excited to announce a commitment of nearly $13,000 in scholarships for students who require additional financial assistance to travel and study abroad. Details on how to apply for international scholarships are listed below as well.

Italy

From January 4-16, 2012, up to thirty Gatton Academy students will explore the cities, culture, and history of Italy. Cities visited will include Venice, Rome, Florence, Assisi, Pompeii, Sorrento, Pisa, and Orvieto.

The cost for this year’s trip is priced at $2,250. (The overall program cost is estimated at $3,525 with the Gatton Academy supplementing $1,275 of the total cost through dedicated Winter Term funding.) This includes roundtrip airfare from Nashville, hotel accommodations in all destinations, breakfast and dinner while in Europe, admission to most historic sites and museums, and travel by chartered motor coach or train for excursions.

Full information and an application are available in the online brochure.

Students must submit a complete application, a passport-sized photograph, and an $800 nonrefundable deposit no later than Monday, October 10 to Julie Fryia in the Gatton Academy office. The remaining nonrefundable $1450 will be due no later than Monday, November 28. Space is limited to 30 students. Should there be an excess of interest, priority will be given to seniors first and names randomly drawn thereafter. In that case, refunds will be distributed to those not attending. Students must be eligible to return to the Gatton Academy for the spring semester 2012 to travel with the Italy experience. Eligibility will be determined at the 11^th week assessment. Students deemed ineligible will forfeit their $800 initial deposit.

Costa Rica

From January 3-18, 2012, sixteen Gatton Academy students will earn upper-level Biology credit while studying and performing biodiversity research in Costa Rica. Sites visited will include Cloudbridge Nature Reserve in the cloud forest of southern Costa Rica’s mountains, Hacienda Barú on the Pacific jungle coast, a night in a jungle camp, Manuel Antonio National Park, Isla del Caño for snorkeling, the artisan town of Sarchí, and one of the world’s most active volcanos—Arenal.

The cost for the trip will be $800. (The overall program cost is $2075 with the Academy supplementing $1,275 of the total cost through dedicated Winter Term funding.) This includes roundtrip airfare from Louisville, accommodations in all destinations, an average of two daily meals, admission and fees for all items listed in the itinerary, travel by chartered motor coach, and tuition for Biology 485 — Costa Rican Biodiversity Studies and Research (3 hrs.).

Full information and an application are available in the online brochure .

The application deadline is September 16, 2011. Students must submit a complete application and a 250-word essay by the deadline to Julie Fryia in the Gatton Academy office. Space is limited to eight males and eight females who will be selected based off of essay responses. Equal representation of the junior and senior classes will be sought. Students will be selected on Monday, September 26. The $800 nonrefundable program fee is due no later than Monday, October 10. Students must be eligible for return to the Gatton Academy in the spring semester 2012 to travel to Costa Rica.

The Harlaxton Experience

Tentative dates of July 17 – August 7, 2012 have been set for Class of 2013 students to earn English 200—Honors Introduction to Literature credit while exploring the literature and culture of the United Kingdom. Through study, students will develop an appreciation for literary practices, theory, and concepts. Based at Harlaxton College’s beautiful manor house campus in Grantham, England, students will visit locations throughout the United Kingdom, such as Whitby for the “In Search of Dracula” ghost walk, Bath, Salisbury, Stonehenge, the Bronte Parsonage and moors in Haworth, York, the Lake District, and London (sites visited are subject to change).

The cost for the trip is being planned at $3900. (Students who participate in an unfunded Winter Term learning opportunity will carry forth $1275 of dedicated winter-term funding to apply to the cost of the program, effectively lowering the price to $2625.) This includes roundtrip airfare from the United States, accommodations in all destinations, about half of the meals while in England, admission and fees to activities, historic sites, and museums, travel by chartered motor coach or trains for excursions, and tuition for English 200 — Honors Introduction to Literature (3 hrs.).

Full information and an application are available in the online brochure.

Students must submit a complete application, passport-sized photograph, and a nonrefundable $800 deposit no later than Monday, October 10 to Julie Fryia in the Gatton Academy office. The next nonrefundable payment of $1,000 will be due no later than Monday, November 28, and the final nonrefundable payment of $825 will be due no later than Monday, March 12, 2012.

Students interested in The Harlaxton Experience are required as a pre-requisite to have passed English 100—Intro to College Writing or have credit for English 100 through an alternate path, such as CLEP credit or by scoring a 29 or higher on the English section of the ACT exam.

Students interested in The Harlaxton Experience should not enroll in English 200 for the fall or spring semesters. Students must be eligible for return to the Gatton Academy in the fall semester 2012 to travel with The Harlaxton Experience.

Scholarship Opportunities

The Academy will provide eight scholarships to students who require financial assistance. Two full scholarships will be provided for The Harlaxton Experience and two full scholarships will be provided for our Italy trip. Additionally, four $800 scholarships will be provided that can be used for any of the three trips. Students wishing to apply for one of our international scholarships must submit the following items via hard-copy to Derick Strode no later than Monday, September 26:

a copy of their parents’ 2011 tax return;
a parental statement of need, and;
a student statement, not to exceed 500 words, describing her or his reasons for wanting to travel abroad, which destination they are interested in traveling to, as well as the impact they expect going abroad will have on their overall Gatton Academy experience.

Student scholarship selection will occur on or before Monday, October 10. Students receiving a scholarship will be required to perform community service in consultation with a staff member.

By Gatton Academy

Academy Students Begin the New School Year on the Right Foot

August 30, 2011 | Academics, News, WKU | No Comments

by Jon Warren, Academy Avatar

Yesterday marked the first day of classes for the 2011-2012 academic year at Western Kentucky University. For students in the Gatton Academy’s Class of 2013, this marked their first lectures in college classrooms. For the Class of 2012, it marks the beginning of a new year with even more challenging classes.

For seniors, increased rigor comes alongside additional flexibility in their schedule. As students complete basic requirements, they have the opportunity to tailor their interests within specific STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines and electives.

“I am excited about the flexibility that my fall schedule allows me to have,” explained Will Bickett, a senior. “I am really looking forward to learning in my courses this semester.”

Annie Wheeler, a returning senior, was equally excited about her professors in and out of STEM classes. “I am really excited about my English course with Dr. Guthrie. She seems like she is a very enthusiastic and interesting professor. I am also glad to be back in Calculus II with Dr. Neal,” she said.

Moving on with new classes often means leaving behind professors who encouraged and engaged students in their first year of study. According to senior Luke Yap, the change presents an opporunity to expand their networks and build new relationships. “I am super excited to be enrolled in another one of Dr. Lamphier’s courses and to be researching with Dr. Kessler. I am disappointed that I will not be taking classes with Dr. Ziegler, Dr. Ernst, Dr. Dahl, or Dr. Pesterfield. They were some of my favorite professors, but I am looking forward to a new semester and to hopefully find some new favorite professors,” Yap explained.

Les Wilson, a junior, was surprised at the faster pace of college courses. For many Academy students, this is one of the greatest changes to overcome in their first semester. By contrast, Wilson believes that the increased speed will allow him to learn and absorb classroom material better than at his home high school where he wasn’t challenged as much.

The environment is one very different from the one at the home schools of students. This environment can be a very challenging one for students, but the Academy staff is prepared for this reaction. Study hours are required for all juniors each evening as well as for seniors who need additional assistance in being academically successful. These study hours run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every evening and provide students with a designated time where they can study and work on coursework.

As the program enters its fifth year, both students and staff have a better sense of the expectations ahead. Corey Alderdice, Assistant Director for Admissions and Public Relations, stressed that every message up until this point has been about what the program will be like. At this point, the guessing game is over.

“We’re here to support students each step of the way,” Alderdice began, “but this is the moment where students become the key advocate for their academic success. We’re excited to see what they accomplish going forward.”

By Gatton Academy

Academy Students Explore Medical Careers at UPike

August 30, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments

by Logan Eckler, Academy Avatar

This summer, three academy students received an opportunity to experience situations that normally only those in the medical professions have the chance to see and do.

Lori Lovell, Jeet Parankh, and Erin Walch attended PEPP (Professional Education Preparation Program), a program held at the Pikeville School of Osteopathic Medicine. The goal of PEPP is both to give rising high school juniors and seniors the chance to explore some of the experiences that a medical practitioner and student might encounter, and to introduce students to the nature of dormitory life over a three-week residential program.

Walch explained that PEPP offers students a wide variety of experience in an atmosphere of professionalism. “This program introduces high school students to the atmosphere of medical school with opportunities to observe medical practitioners, work on donated cadaver bodies, and learn concepts in lecture style classes,” she said.

According to Lovell, the best part of the program was “the amazing staff of Pikeville Medical School who generously shared their time and experience with the students. From hematology to the skeletal system, the professors always found a way to make medicine more interesting.”

The entirety of the program is not simply defined in the lab or classroom either. While attending, Walch had the opportunity to scrub into a knee surgery, work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and participate in a series of radiology labs. Then, after two weeks of working hard, the students went to Pigeon Forge and stay at Great Wolf Lodge for the weekend to let off some steam.

Walch stated that she thinks that the program is successful in demonstrating some of the grueling circumstances that are prevalent in medical school and erasing some misconceptions that students might have about studying medicine.

Lovell concluded that the program “is a great stepping stone to greater things in the medical field,” and that she “would definitely recommend this program to a friend interested in pursuing a career as a physician.”

By Corey Alderdice

Eastes and Brothers Explore Materials Research, Grad School Options at UTSI

August 30, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

Lydia Brothers records notes from a heat experiment at UTSI.

by Michael Crocker, Academy Avatar

Two students at Western Kentucky University’s Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky spent time over the summer exploring materials science with advanced medical applications.

Andrea Eastes (’12) and Lydia Brothers (’12) served as student researchers at the University of Tennessee Space Institute doing focusing their explorations on determining the applications of ZBLAN glass in medical fields.

The University of Tennessee Space Institute is a graduate study and research institution with a campus located “practically in the woods” Eastes said. “It was really nice to be around nature all the time.”

Eastes was also glad she “was able to get a little perspective on what grad school is like.” Academy students were part of a seven-week program at the UTSI where they worked alongside graduate and undergraduate students to characterize a particular type of glass ceramic, explained Brothers.

ZBLAN glass, or glass made of Zirconium, Barium, Lanthanum, Aluminum, and Sodium, was the topic of research “because it has capabilities of a storage phosphor which we were working with so that it could be used as an alternative to typical x-ray films,” added Eastes. She went on to explain that this allows the x-ray result to be stored digitally and removes the inconvenience of one-time-use x-ray films.

The research team, which included Eastes, Brothers, and several undergraduate and graduate students, worked with two types of the glass. According to Brothers, they worked to “evaluate how much light would be emitted from each particular sample at a number of different temperatures and percentages of a variable element.”

As well as the research that was done on the trip, Eastes also “really enjoyed getting to meet all the amazing people” on the campus, and she got to do everything from “singing like crazy people on karaoke night” to “canoeing and kayaking.”

Brothers enjoyed the experience as well and said she even got to “sit in on someone’s doctoral defense.”

Eastes says she learned the most about “the physics that is involved with something as simple as glass.” She also found that being able to work with such a variety of machines and being able to decipher the readings a great learning experience.

Both Brothers and Eastes enjoyed learning more about what graduate work will be like and getting to meet and become friends with other people interested in their fields.

By Corey Alderdice

Shelley, Crocker Pursue Chemical Research in Taiwan

August 29, 2011 | News, People, Research, Students, Summer, WKU | No Comments

Participants in the Taiwan research program spend some time outside of the lab.

by Andrea Eastes, Academy Avatar

For many Gatton Academy students, the previous summer was a global experience. With programs in China and the United Kingdom, students engaged other cultures as a group. Other students pursued their own paths in additional locations around the globe.

Seniors Ellis Shelley and Michael Crocker added Taiwan to the long list of places visited. During their time there, both were involved in chemistry research for ten weeks. The program was organized by Dr. Eric Conte of the Department of Chemistry at Western Kentucky University.

The program was part of a NSF International Research Experiences for Scientists program at the National Chung Hsing University in Taichung, Taiwan. This program, on the same level as an REU, offers students fully paid travel to Taiwan, food, lodging, and a stipend.

Michael Crocker was involved with research on synthesizing a polymer that can form a honey-comb shaped membrane on a substance then try to coat silica gel particles with that membrane. Coating the silica gel was in effort to modify the end group from OH to C18. Changing these properties enabled his group to attempt to purify phenol and bisphenol from water.

During his time in Taiwan, Crocker worked with another WKU student, Helen Thompson, and many Taiwanese Master’s and Ph. D. students under the same professor.

Shelley participated in a different research project. His work entailed optimizing protein purification methods using IMAM (Ionized Metal Affinity Membranes). Dr. Suen, the head of the Chemical Engineering Department was the main person Shelley worked with during his time overseas.

Research wasn’t the only thing that Michael and Ellis did while they were in Taiwan though. Crocker explained the pair also had the chance to visit locations throughout the country. “We were able to travel all through Taiwan from the large cities like Taipei to mountain hiking in eastern Taiwan.”

Ellis also added that his favorite part of the trip “was the friendships I made while there and the opportunity to experience a culture so much different from my own.”

Taiwan not only exposed the students to a different culture, but to how having a job in the field would be like. Shelley explains that it was as if he had “lived the life of a chemical engineering graduate for two months.”

Both were able to gain experience in the lab and work with equipment such as a SEM (scanning electron microscope) and IR. Crocker also said that doing original research at a very prestigious institution with students working toward their masters and Ph. D. degrees was very rewarding. Shelley also found the program quite rewarding, in fact, he and his two partners plan to publish their research later this year!

Crocker summed up the experience in an appreciate for learning more about diverse cultures. ’’I really enjoyed Taiwan. It was very different from the United States, and all of the differences were very eye opening for me,” he said.

The students found the trip not only to be an amazing research experience, but also a chance to learn about and become immersed in another culture as well as learn about graduate lifestyle.

By Corey Alderdice

5Q: Lukas Missik Attends RSI at MIT

August 29, 2011 | 5Q, Academics, News, People, Research, Student Success, Students, Summer | No Comments

Interview by Erin Walch, Academy Avatar

Academy senior Lukas Missik ventured to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this summer to participate in the Research Science Institute, a prestigious program run by the Center for Excellence in Education that admits 80 of the world’s most innovative young thinkers to MIT’s campus.

For three weeks, RSI students advance themselves in the STEM fields by designing unique research plans under the supervision of host laboratories at MIT. Lukas graciously provided insight into what this interesting program is about, and why junior students at the Gatton Academy should apply for it this year. Below, Missik answers some key questions concerning RSI at MIT.

1. What was the purpose of the program you attended this summer?

The Research Science Institute (RSI) is an international program run by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) and held at MIT. Its purpose is to educate rising high school seniors in developing and executing original research. Over six weeks, students work with a mentor on a research project, ultimately producing a final report and formal presentation. To enrich and facilitate this process, students take first week classes on subjects in the sciences and humanities, attend lectures by leading professors and researchers, and have access to many of MIT’s research facilities.

2. Did the program affect your future educational and career plans?

RSI has helped solidify my interest in computer science. I am now considering a major in CS with focus in Artificial Intelligence. The great thing about RSI is that it exposed me to the most exciting parts of many different fields of study. Even though we ultimately choose a specific concentration, RSI taught me to keep an open mind and work with other disciplines.

3. What was your favorite aspect of the program?

One of my favorite aspects of the program is its incredible diversity–in both students and ideas. There are students from all over the country and the world who provide unique cultural context to research and activities. There are people interested in almost every field of science that I was able to talk to. The community at RSI is definitely one of its strong points.

4. Why should interested students in our junior class at the Gatton Academy participate in this program?

Interested juniors should apply to this program because it provides an invaluable experience. It helps students learn how to perform high quality research and share their findings. Many successfully use their RSI research in competitions such as Siemens and Intel. RSI also connects them to an extensive alumni network which will help them in their professional careers. Participation in the Institute also looks great on a resume and increases the chances of getting accepted to top-tier schools like MIT.

For more information on the RSI experience at MIT, visit: http://www.cee.org/programs/rsi

By Corey Alderdice

Academy Students Dialogue with Peers, Industry Leaders at National Youth Policy Summit

August 29, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Students, Summer | No Comments

Academy senior Rachel Metcalfe dialogues with fellow YPS conference participants.

by Michael Crocker, Academy Avatar

This summer three Gatton Academy students were given the opportunity to attend and participate in the 2011 National Youth Policy Summit.

Seniors Rachel Metcalfe, Samantha McKean, and Melanie Hurst spent one week in Keystone, Colorado where McKean says they “worked together to create a blueprint for a solution to the current energy crisis.”

Students were selected based on their answer to an essay. Hurst says that before the program began a great amount of effort was put into research and idea development. “We had to research an energy topic as well as a stakeholder to represent at the conference,” she said. At the summit, Hurst noted she worked with 35 students and 3-4 main instructors in the topic area. She also worked with the representatives of the stakeholder companies.

McKean says that at the conference around 40 students from a variety of National Consortium of Specialized Secondary Schools of Math, Science, and Technology schools each were assigned a different company that had to do with energy. The group eventually completed an 80 page policy recommendation booklet.

The group loved the Colorado setting of the conference. The mountain landscape in which students studied was equally enjoyable to their research. “Colorado [was] beautiful,” according to Hurst. “We were at 10,000-12,000 feet the entire trip and was right up there with mountains.” Although she said it was cold, she enjoyed being able to “say we threw snowballs in June.”

Metcalfe said her favorite part of the trip was a late evening hike where they got to see the sunset over the mountains to the west. McKean added that “the mountains were a really nice reminder of what we were working toward, which is a cleaner, healthier environment.”

Because all three Aacademy students were assigned a different company and had different experiences they all took away different lessons.

Hurst found that the real-world applications of the program expanded just beyond content knowledge. “The most important thing I learned was how to compromise and negotiate so that everyone wins a little in the end,” she said.

McKean talked more about how much she learned about energy and how it relates to the economy. “I learned a lot about how different parts of the economy would suffer if we completely just dropped oil, which is a major reason why we haven’t yet.”

Metcalfe found having to take a side in the debate to be very enlightening. “I gained so much more knowledge about all the aspects of our national energy dependency, especially from interesting perspectives.”

By Corey Alderdice

Academy Juniors Face A New Kind of Challenge in Low-Ropes Course

August 29, 2011 | News, People, Staff, Student Life | No Comments

by Erin Walch, Academy Avatar

Finish off Adventure Week activities, juniors, seniors, and residential counselors alike traveled to WKU’s low-ropes Challenge Course on the outskirts of campus to put their leadership and team working skills to the test.

Students were asked to perform tasks that required communication and–at times–more than a little humility. Activities were designed to push students to work together and pool their collective strengths together to become an effective team. The challenge for these intellectual Automatons came in the form of accepting assistance and veering from the constant choice of independent problem-solving habits.

One of the most important lessons students at the Gatton Academy must learn in order to become successful in our academic and residential environments is asking for help. No matter a students’ test scores or GPA, every student requires advice, encouragement, tutorship, and support sometime in their stay at the Academy. This important fact is hard to understand, and many students are uncomfortable with admitting their imperfections and shortcomings. Here, the challenge course comes into play to effectively introduce students to the dynamics of student interaction at Gatton.

Tasks at the course included blindfolded students being directed through noodle land minds by fellow students, balancing a gigantic seesaw with approximately twenty students atop it, and blindfolding students to enter an inescapable maze: a circle of rope. This activity in particular was quite frustrating for juniors and seniors alike, who spent nearly an hour trying to figure out why they could not finish the maze.

The most interesting part of this task was that students could ask questions of the instructor, but could not converse together. Eventually, students grudgingly came to the realization that the only way to escape the maze was to ask the question, “Can you help me?”

Adrian Gregory, a member of the Class of 2013, added that it was a difficult question to ask. “When we had to go through the maze and ask for help, we all realized that sometimes there is nothing else that you can do but admit to yourself that you need help,” he said.

Most of the students agreed that this task was their least favorite and most frustrating because they had to admit their inability to complete the maze. “We are all so used to doing everything by ourselves, and we are really stubborn,” added Gabrielle Hamilton, who is also a member of the Class of 2013. “The maze showed us that sometimes we can’t do everything by ourselves.”

Other lessons learned by students at the challenge course included effective communication, having confidence in your own skills when working with a group of leaders, expressing humility when accepting others ideas, and working as hard to help others as to help oneself.

Residential Counselor Ian Oliver noticed that “It becomes very easy to identify who is an unexpected leader, and who can step up when needed.”

All of these qualities embody the spirit of students at the Academy, and improve the chances of success of the student body. The lessons learned these past two days at the challenge course will especially prove important as a new semester starts and students venture into the great adventure that marks Academy life.

By Corey Alderdice

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Year: 2011