Author: Corey Alderdice

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Students Find Comfort During Academy Transition in Family at Home, Schneider Hall

August 28, 2009 | News, Parents, Student Life | No Comments

Howard Twins

by Elaine Flynn, Academy Avatar

With Adventure Week, a new class enters the halls of Gatton Academy. Within this group of students, some may feel like they packed too much, others are still finding their place, and then there are a handful of students who were prepared by an older sibling.

The 2008-09 school year marked the first occasion in which siblings attended the Gatton Academy: Jenny and Jason Ludden.  Jenny, a 2009 alumna, noted having a brother in the program did not significantly alter her experience.  “Jason and I have always gotten along really well so being at the academy with him wasn’t a big deal,” she said.  “I encouraged him to apply.”

She went on to mention how they attended a few classes together and how useful it was to be able to study with each other.  No matter how unusual for the second year of the program, no one expected what was to come next.

The entering Class of 2011 features three students with siblings that have graduated from the Academy:  Michael Bowie, Corban Coffman, and Josh “Moose” Song. This year has also taken another step or two in family relationships at the Academy by having cousins, Tejas Sangoi and Paras Vora.

Perhaps most unique of all are twins Brittany and Courtney Howard.

These sisters have both chosen to attend the Academy out of their love for math and science. Between sharing a room, class schedule, friends, and talents they love, Brittany and Courtney have an interesting year ahead of them.

Yet, it didn’t just start this week, it started during the application process. Brittany and Courtney knew that there was a possibility that only one of them would make it into the Academy. However, they hung onto hope that they wouldn’t have to deal with that situation.  They did know that if it happened they would remain supportive of each other.  When the mail finally arrived after interview weekend, Brittany’s and Courtney’s hope was rewarded with both receiving letters of acceptance.

They will now experience the challenge facing all first-year Academy students: having a roommate.  However, when asked about sharing a room this year, Brittany commented, “When we were little we shared a room, but when our older sister left for college I got her room.”

They may even fight from time to time but, “We are just like any other siblings,” Courtney expressed.

When asked about the effectiveness of familiar support from siblings, Tim Gott, the Academy’s director, believes having a family member around can provide a special, additional layer of support in the transition to life in Schneider Hall. “The biggest factor is that having prior experiences eliminates some of the fear factor,” he said.  “Parents are much more comfortable and siblings have the inside stories to help make them comfortable. Not to mention having some textbooks and materials.”

As the semester begins, all Academy students will find themselves working hard, yet having the tight relationships will continue to keep them together and strong. Whether it is a twin, a sibling, a cousin, a friend from a home school, or friends made here, if any student wishes to succeed in this atypical high school, then they will need each other.

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By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Meet Residential Counselor Rachel Stewart

August 27, 2009 | News, Staff, Student Life | No Comments

Ami KarlageWith 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 five questions that we asked each person. Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up next is Residential Counselor Rachel Stewart.

Interview by Katie Rush, Academy Avatar

1.  Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

I wanted to be a part of the Academy because I really enjoy being a mentor and a role model. I could do that many places, I guess, but I chose the Academy in particular because I enjoy math and science and working with gifted youths.

2.  Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I graduated from Western Kentucky University with a degree in Music Education.

3.  What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

I’m looking forward to meeting and working with the new juniors and returning seniors!

4.  What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

For Kentucky, it is very unique to be in high school and college simultaneously. Also, it is very unusual to attend a residential high school where your classmates are also your roommates.  I think these make the Academy one-of-a-kind and a very special experience.

5.  What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

Since I was identified as gifted, I feel that I can relate to gifted students and all that being gifted entails. Also, I am excited to be an RC so I can help students with the high school to college transition.

6.  If you were an astronaut, to which planet would you like to travel?

Pluto, since it is the farthest away from the Earth and the Sun. I would like to see what the galaxy looks like from that totally different perspective. Pluto is still a planet to me!

7.  What are your hobbies and interests outside of being an Academy RC?

I love to read, and I’m a little bit obsessed with the German language. I play clarinet and piano, and sing, in addition to just hanging out with friends and making music.

8.  Who are your favorite authors?

C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, and Jane Austen

9.  What song could describe your life?

Probably “Bonjour” from Beauty and the Beast, because I’ve never been content with staying in the same place and not pursuing new experiences and adventures.

10.  What is one of your favorite quotations?

“Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends.” Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

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By Corey Alderdice

Class of 2010 Returns with High Expectations, Harder Classes

August 27, 2009 | Academics, News | No Comments

The Class of 2010 Returns to Schneider Hall

by Zac Forshee, Academy Avatar

On Wednesday, the remaining 32 members of the Gatton Academy Class of 2010  returned to Schneider Hall. Anxious to begin another year, these second-year students traveled from as close as inside Warren County to as far away as Rowan, Martin, and Pike counties. They return from a three month long summer break, ready to see old friends and make new ones. However, social interaction is not the only aspect of the year with which the seniors will concern themselves.

Academics are highly stressed during senior year. It is during their last year of high school that students have their final chance to make a good impression to the schools they are applying to for baccalaureate studies. As Cody Feldhaus, senior from Boone County, says, “It’s generally accepted that the first semester of senior year is the hardest. You have to balance challenging classes, leadership roles in clubs, extra-curricular activities, and, of course, college applications.”

At the Gatton Academy, academics during senior year could not be more stressed (and sometimes stressful). It is during this time that students begin to take higher level and more specialized coursework. From Differential Equations to University Physics II, Neurobiology to Organic Chemistry I, Multivariable Calculus to Writing in the Disciplines, these classes aren’t average high school courses. Taught by college professors and taken with college students, Seniors at the Gatton Academy are challenged beyond what any traditional high school can offer.

According to Tim Gott, director of the Gatton Academy, these seniors have high expections from both themselves and the Academy staff. “These incoming second-years really set the standard last year, from the number of students left with a 4.0 GPA to the average PSAT score of a 190. They have really laid the foundation for success, and they are following in the footsteps of the class of 2009, pursuing research, participating in extra-curricular activities, and looking for prestigious scholarships such as the Siemens Competition and the Intel Science Talent Search.”

April Gaskey, the coordinator of academic services, furthered Gott’s sentiments. “Since their first semester, our Class of 2010 has aggressively followed and even challenged our curriculum. The number of students who enrolled in physics during their first year has more than doubled with the 2010 class as compared to last year’s graduating class. In the past, second-year students have typically taken this class in the third or fourth semester. This is just one example of how our seniors have made great advances in our curriculum and in college-level courses. This fall, students have really focused on the advanced math and science courses.”

Despite the challenges and expectations that have been laid before them, most seniors seem primed to take on this test. Most students are excited for certain classes, especially specialized programs. Sean Karlage, a senior from Kenton County, said confidently, “I don’t think this semester is going to be too terribly difficult. But it will definitely be fun. I’m taking a lot of classes that really interest me.”

Kaitlin Oliver, a senior from Muhlenburg County, furthered this. She is looking toward classes that move beyond survey and general curriculum. “I’m really ready to get more into the more major-focused classes, instead of taking the general education,” Oliver noted. “I’m very excited for my Electrical Engineering, Physics, and Astronomy classes. I’m also hoping I can finally pull off a 4.0 for this semester.”

Many students, like Oliver, are seeking to improve their GPA this semester. Elizabeth Singleton, a senior from McCreary County says, “I’m pretty confident this year will be better than last year. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I feel like I’ve learned what I can from them. There will be a lot of challenges, but I’m looking forward to growing from it.”

Even with the mixed thoughts about what the upcoming year may hold, there is no doubt that the future is bright for these young minds.

“I think we could very easily see our second-year students enrolled in 400 level courses in the Spring with the needed pre-requisites to do so,” said Gaskey. “We are very excited to see what the future brings.”

Gott’s smile shows his confidence in their abilities, but still lays the responsibility of success on the students. “The foundation for success has been set for them. It’s ultimately their choice if they decide to build on it.”

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By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Meet Residential Counselor Brian Rogers

August 26, 2009 | News, Staff | No Comments

Brian RogersWith 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 five questions that we asked each person. Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up next is Residential Counselor Brian Rogers.

Interview by Rohith Palli, Academy Avatar

Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

I initially joined because I felt that my education was lacking, so I wanted to give you guys sort of what I didn’t have in a way.

Why did you come back this year?

I came back this year because I was an RC for a little while last year, and I enjoyed it.  To be honest, what got me in was that I was thinking about being an optometrist, and I knew that I could take the course work. I was, like, it’s going take a year to matriculate, so I thought I could do both; it was a great job. I had a blast doing it last time.  It was a great job and I could apply to optometry school, too.

Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I studied at Western, and I majored in philosophy and biology.

What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

I am probably looking most forward to the most is community service, in a weird way. Academically, I am not going to teach you much–you are all much more intelligence than I–but I may be able to give you some experiences you haven’t had before.  You’ll be able go out in the community and do something good.

What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

Besides the fact that a hundred and twenty of the brightest all around gifted and talented from Kentucky come, it’s always unique because the personalities are vastly different  with different people.  From year-to-year, the dynamic changes.  That way, every year is a new program, so it will be cool. The most unique thing is how the personalities mesh together and create different atmosphere every year; that’s what’s the most unique.

What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

I have some personal convictions and personal outlooks that are probably different from many people. But just like you, I have a different background, a different world perspective, and I can contribute that world perspective as you do.

Going back to last year, what did you enjoy most about interacting with the students in your five week stay?

In my five weeks, what I probably enjoyed the most was some of the interesting conversations. I don’t know if I taught them anything, but they introduced me to a lot of new ideas I hadn’t even thought about– just some of the things they were saying.  It was more of some of the conversations I was able to have; some of the things I was able to see from them.  It’s what I learned from them that I really enjoyed.

Do you play any sports?

As far as play, I like racquetball and football; ultimate (Frisbee) is cool. As far as the ones you don’t really play, I like rock climbing; that’s definitely my favorite of them all

What’s your favorite movie?

Dead Poet’s Society

What do you do in your spare time?

If I have enough of it, I’ll go climbing.  If I have twenty or thirty minutes (or whatever), I’ll read or sleep or eat.  Really, I just Google junk. If I have thirty free minutes, I will get on Google and just type junk I don’t know and just read Wikis.

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By Corey Alderdice

Class of 2011 Welcomed to WKU at Picnic with the President

August 26, 2009 | News, Student Life | No Comments

Picnic with the President

by Ryne Weiss, Academy Avatar

“You will have all the benefits of a high level private school and all the intimacy of a family at Schneider Hall,” greets university president, Gary Ransdell. On Monday, Gatton Academy Class of 2011 members and returning Community Leaders met on the president’s lawn to share an intimate dinner to celebrate the closing of the first full day at the Academy.

President Ransdell was aglow with praise for the Academy, himself having worked hard to make it happen. Ransdell also noted his belief in the program as a way to enrich the state and continue WKU’s missions of becoming a leading American university with international reach: “We build the intellectual heartbeat of Kentucky, and you all are the lifeblood. I am honored you would give these two years of your life to the Gatton Academy, WKU, and most importantly, to yourselves.”

Dinner was catered by WKU Dining and accented by set-ups for the popular games of cornhole and Bocce ball. “Who here thinks they’re the best cornhole player at the Academy?” asked President Ransdell. A hand goes up and is quickly retracted, realizing that the president is not kidding.

At dinner, Cass of 2010 Community Leaders, including Community Developers, Academy Avatars, and Student Government Representatives split up and sat at tables with new juniors, answering questions about the year ahead. The Community Leaders were more than happy to share, and just to get to know their new classmates a little better.

Class of 2011 member Chandler Santos intoned her feelings about the Academy: “The academy is such a fantastic opportunity, and children around the state should be honored to have such an opportunity available to them.”

Natalie Schieber had things to say along the same lines: “I’m excited for the unique research opportunities that the Academy offers.”

However, things weren’t all on such a formal note. There were discussions of a wide range of other topics, including where everyone was from, music people listen to, movies playing in theaters, and how much everyone hates their pictures on their ID cards.

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By Corey Alderdice

Academy Juniors, Community Leaders Tackle Challenge Course

August 25, 2009 | News, Student Life | No Comments

A Human Knotby Rohith Palli, Academy Avatar

Laughter rang out across the forest this morning as The Gatton Academy’s newly-arrived juniors and Community Leaders converged upon the low ropes challenge course of Western Kentucky University.

The course is designed to improve teamwork and leadership; it consists of a wide variety of team-building exercises.  From lifting people up walls to putting themselves in line by their birthday, the training worked to mold the class into a functioning team.  In the words of Whitney, a coordinator at the challenge course, “Communication is the key to every exercise. It’s what we try to promote. Teamwork. We want people to really keep others in mind and effective communication is what works.”

“I think experience activities, metaphor activities as I call them, are the best way to learn group dynamics,” said Tim Gott, the director of the Gatton Academy, when asked what he hoped the juniors would gain from this experience.

Students took that message to heart.  Anthony Bates, a quick learner, answered speedily in his group that “teamwork and communication are key.” Later, when asked to describe what he gained from this experience, he noted lessons from the day are an important part of the Adventure Week experience. “I think I learned a lot,” Bates said.  “It really reinforced Pokey’s [ Bowen, assistant director of counseling services] ideas about how we have to work together to succeed and that if one person only thinks about themselves there is no way the team can succeed.”

The Wall

Each activity was designed with a purpose.  In one activity, a favorite according to the coordinators, students allow themselves to fall backwards into the waiting arms of their peers.  This exercise teaches the students to trust each other.  Students are not, however, required to participate in any activity.  This “challenge by choice” creates an environment in which all the students are enjoying themselves and working together.

As the day went on, and groups got closer together, there was more and more joking around and laughter within the juniors, and between the classes.  Hunter Smith put it best in saying “I found that this challenge course is a very effective resource to help with the junior’s interclass trust and friendliness.” He went on to mention the skills that the seniors learned in the previous year.

One group that has clearly learned these lessons already is the community leaders; the difference in their demeanor from only a year ago is very apparent.  These students, many of whom were very shy and anxious a year ago–similar feelings to this year’s juniors–have become amazingly comfortable with themselves.

“There’s definitely a greater confidence and less hesitance and doubt, better vision of what it’s supposed to be,”  Gott said of the difference in how the community leaders approached this year’s challenge course.  He elaborated with a specific example; “Ballard [Metcalfe] was very quiet last year, and was a major force this year; he talked and he helped and guided.”

At the end of the course, students left better leaders, and everyone was very excited about the new year.  In the wise words of Gott : “I’m incredibly excited about this group and the mixture of the first and second years to see the synergy that develops.”

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By Corey Alderdice

[New Year, New Staff] Meet Residential Counselor Emily Burns

August 25, 2009 | News, Staff, Student Life | No Comments

Emily BurnsWith 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 five questions that we asked each person. Each Avatar also posed five unique questions of their own choosing to ask as well.

Up next is Residential Counselor Emily Burns.

Interview by Emily Hall, Academy Avatar

1. Why did you decide to join the Gatton Academy staff?

Working here for two years I’ve learned to appreciate the opportunities that the program provides to high school students. I’ve grown to love the community and the atmosphere.

2. Where did you attend college and what subjects did you study?

I just graduated in May with a major in Math and a minor in Psychology here at Western.

3. What are you looking forward to the most about the coming school year?

I can’t wait to meet the new students, and get to know the Class of 2010 better. I am also looking forward to being more involved with the program than I have in years past.

4. What contributions do you hope to make to life at the Gatton Academy?

I would like to contribute by providing support and encouragement to students. I would also like to help plan programs and events that I would otherwise not get to experience.

5. What do you think makes the Gatton Academy a unique educational experience?

Apart from the fact that it’s the only high school academy in the state, I think that it very effectively allows a diverse group of students to connect socially and academically.

6. How do you think working as an RC will be different from working as Desk Staff or as an RA?

Definitely being more involved and seeing people more often than just when they were going to class. I think being an RC is definitely more personal than only seeing kids in the more professional environment of the desk.

7. If you could have lunch with any person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?

My grandfather. He passed away while I was in high school and I think it would be really neat to just have a conversation with him about life.

8. What would you say was the most defining year that helped you become who you are now?

I think it was the first year working as an RA in the Academy because I was also really involved with other campus organizations. It helped me to be more outgoing and helped me to learn what I’m really passionate about and where I want to go with it.

9. If you could offer advice to any high school or college kids, what would you say?

I would say to never believe that you know everything. Constantly strive to continue learning. There is always room for growth academically, spiritually, and socially.

10. Which is better? Red, Purple or Green Ketchup? And why?

Red. Ketchup is not supposed to be purple or green. It also has a different texture.

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By Corey Alderdice