Author: Corey Alderdice

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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.

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By Corey Alderdice

Staff Focus on Self-Improvement, New Opportunities as Semester Begins

August 26, 2011 | News, People, Staff | No Comments

by Charlotte Humes, Academy Avatar

Though the calendar year has yet to draw to a close, each August brings a new year to the Academy along with “new challenges and new opportunities, simply something different and exciting to the table,” according to April Gaskey, the programs Coordinator for Academic Services.  “The Academy is a huge learning experience, so each new school year is different.”

She, along with a number of Residential Counselors and other staff members, weighed in on how they felt as the Academy enters its fifth year.

“I’m very excited.  I have 16 new juniors, which is a lot, and I look forward to meeting and bonding with them all,” said Sue Meador, a returning Residential Counselor.

The feeling of excitement spread far beyond that one wing, however.  Laura Huff, another RC, also mentioned that she was excited, and “feeling very positive.  I think it’s going to be a lot better in terms of enthusiasm and working together.”

None of the staff seemed more excited than Scott Wolfe, the Lead RC, however, who spoke of “looking forward to a smaller wing and the community there, along with planning the weekend activities.”

Two new residential counselors also bring a strong sense of optimism with them.  Sam Earls and Brimah Vonjo each expressed their happy anticipation of this year.  “I’m really looking forward to it,” began Earls. “I’m excited to get to know everyone and I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”

Vonjo said, with a laugh, he was “most excited to see smart people get even smarter.”

Even with excitement comes a feeling of nervousness as the school year approaches with new challenges and opportunities.  “I’m a little nervous about talking to parents, since I’ve never had to do that before,” admitted Earls.

Residential Counselor Rachel Stewart, who has all new residents this year, mentioned that “it’s a little scary to have all new people with very different personalities.”  She maintained a positive outlook, adding “I know it’ll give me a different experience, and I’ll definitely have fun with it.”

Luckily, staff members were well-prepared by their training, and the Academy as a whole “improves with time, so we can feel better about things each year,” explained Beth Hawke, Assistant Director for Student Life.

“I’m definitely more confident this year,” declared Huff, expressing the assurance each staff member held.

This confidence wasn’t unfounded, as staffers are coming in with a plan.  “I’m going for the same personal approach as last year, trying to be strongly relational without being overly nice,” shared Ian Oliver, another returning RC.

Vonjo’s methodology is similar, attempting to “be available without being overbearing.”

Improvements from years past were also reflected in their plans.  “I want to let students do activities more on their own, to sometimes just support instead of lead,” said Meador.

Oliver also mentioned changes such as “creating a more concrete way to structure wing meetings and expectations.”

Derick Strode, Coordinator for Internships, Research, and Scholarships, stressed that constant improvement is always a goal for Academy staffers.  “There aren’t major changes in my personal job area, but there are definitely still improvements to be made,” he said. “We’ve got a great system in place, now it’s just a matter of polishing it.”

He finished with his personal goal, one in which the staff is clearly united.  “I want to be giving students the best possible experiences and opportunities.”

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By Corey Alderdice

Arrival of Senior Class Completes Academy “Family” Once More

August 26, 2011 | News, People, Student Life, Students | No Comments

by Rachel Metcalfe, Academy Avatar

While the Senior Community Leaders moved in a week ago and the new junior students arrived on Sunday, the remaining Gatton Academy seniors were finishing up the last of their summers and preparing for the exciting school year to come. This Wednesday, all the remaining seniors returned and the residence halls are now packed to near capacity.

Many of the returning seniors acted very excited as they arrived in the parking lot of Florence Schneider Hall once again, for their second and last year at the academy. “Although it is bittersweet, I can’t wait to see what the new year brings,” said Annie Wheeler, a senior from Todd County.

Although all of the seniors seemed enthusiastic because they won’t be the lowest on the food chain anymore. “The only downside is we won’t have the older seniors here to help us anymore,” said Rebecca Brown.

Instead, the new seniors have to step up and fill those roles as peer mentors and academic tutors to the first-year students. After discussing the role of seniors with some of the new juniors, they agreed that their seemed to be an empowering  cycle of help at the academy, pointing out that each class takes its turn assisting the first-year students until they eventually become the senior mentors.

Seth Creech, a junior from Powell County, said that he would definitely be asking the senior community leaders on his floor for help, if and when he needed it.

“I am thrilled to have my ‘Gatton Family’ back under the same roof,” explained Taylor Leet, a senior an Community Developer. She said that she couldn’t wait to see her old friends and make even more great memories.

“I enjoyed helping move my old friends back in since I hadn’t seen them in so long,” said Holly Morris, who also serves as a Community Developer. “The family-like closeness that develops at the academy is evident. The students love being around the other students, and making connections makes the academy experience all that more memorable.”

Rachel Stewart, a returning Residential Counselor, added that the level of excitement for the new year has reached a fever pitch in Schneider Hall. “I’m excited for people to return that I already know, and also excited to meet the new students,” she said. “I’m interested to see what the floor dynamic will be with the combination of seniors and juniors, now that everyone is back.”

All in all, the whole “family” is reunited and ready to take on the new school year ahead. The pressure will come soon enough and so will graduation.

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By Corey Alderdice

Academy Staff Get Head Start on Year with Training, Discussion

August 26, 2011 | News, People, Staff, Student Life | No Comments

by Charlotte Humes, Academy Avatar

The Academy certainly understands the value of a little free time.  “It helps take the professional edge off things, which is healthy,” said Ian Oliver, fourth floor male Residential Counselor, but added that “it’s definitely hard to transition back into work mode.”

To help ease this transition, staff activities resumed on August 1, almost a full month before any students return to Schneider Hall.  “The purpose of training is to spend three weeks preparing the RCs to work with this unique population,” explained Beth Hawke, Assistant Director for Student Life.  “We focus on the traits and characteristics of gifted students, particularly the social and emotional aspects, and it allows the new staff to learn from the old.”  Overall, the staff seemed to think it was a very positive experience.

Veteran staffers, such as Laura Huff, second floor female Residential Counselor, praised it for having improved from last year.  “It focused more on preparing us on relevant topics, and on information we really need to know,” she said.

All the staff members agreed that it certainly helped them be prepared for this year.  “It helps me get back in the mindset of the job, and remember things I need to do.  It gives me ideas for the new year, a chance to hear how everyone’s doing things, and a time to think of new strategies,” shared Rachel Stewart, fourth floor female Residential Counselor.

Beyond just discussion with each other, staff were also given a safety session by the fire marshal, spent quite a bit of time learning from Assistant Director for Counseling Services Pokey Bowen about crisis communication, suicide prevention, and had Dr. Tom Hebert–one of the leading experts in gifted studies–come speak.

“I was able to learn more about gifted students and what makes them tick,” Sue Meador, third floor female Residential Counselor, said of the speaker.  The other staff members, such as April Gaskey and Derick Strode, came to explain their jobs, and, as Strode put it, “create unity with all the staff.”

Brimah Vonjo, who joined the Academy this summer as a Residential Counselor, said that, “the guest speaker and staff really came in and gave pieces to the puzzle.  It absolutely prepared me for the job.”

Staff members agreed it had been a productive time, and many offered their take on the most important accomplishment.  “We definitely created a stronger bond among staff, and work more as a unit now,” said Scott Wolfe, who recently assumed the role of Lead RC.

Sam Earls, the other new RC addition who will work with second floor males, mentioned that “it’s a tight community, so those goofy, team-building things really helped with unity.”

According to Stewart, this extended even beyond the scheduled training.  “A lot of really important bonding happened outside of training, when we were just going to meals and hanging out, and that’s definitely an important part of summer development.”  Staff development this summer has helped the Academy enter the new year well-prepared.

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By Corey Alderdice

WKU President, Provost Welcome Academy Students to Campus at Picnic

August 23, 2011 | News, People, Staff, Student Life, Students, WKU | No Comments

by David Sekora, Academy Avatar

It is Academy tradition to celebrate the beginning of an exciting new year with an informal evening picnic at the President’s house just off campus.

“We hope we can help make these next two years be everything you dreamed they would be. Welcome to the WKU family, and the food’s up that way,” WKU President Gary Ransdell proudly declared as the catering staff ceremoniously unveiled a veritable feast of plump hot dogs, juicy hamburgers, and assorted bowls of delicious backyard barbecue favorites.

An impressive showing, to be sure, and all in honor of the Gatton Academy Class of 2013, of which Dr. Ransdell could not speak highly enough. Of course, there were more people in attendance than the Academy neophytes in question. Various Academy staff members, Community Leaders, university professors, and department heads also gathered around the round white tables for an hour of intriguing discussion.

One of the more interesting characters wandering about was Dr. Gordon Emslie, WKU’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. A triple major in Physics, Math, and Astronomy with extensive research and travel experience, Dr. Emslie regaled Academy students with logic puzzles and existential crises. From “How many post offices are in the US?” (there are less than 100000 because of 5-digit zip codes) to “Share with us something you believe to be an irrefutably true statement. Now, you have thirty seconds to convince us all that it is false,” to a broad assortment of pseudo-random facts and opinions about science, life, and the universe, the Scottish provost certainly knew how to appeal to Academy students.

Of course, the focal points of the party were Dr. Ransdell and his wife Julie Ransdell, who flitted from table to table engaging students in casual conversation about science, WKU, and adjustment to life at the Academy. After three years’ experience in holding this event, the beloved president and his wife had much to share with students new and old alike, and Dr. Ransdell’s speeches were as inspiring as ever.

“You have the whole campus at your disposal; as far as we’re concerned, you’re freshmen at WKU. You’re part of the university family now,” Ransdell said.

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By Corey Alderdice

Students Gain First Impression of Faculty, Academic Explorations at Annual Research Fair

August 23, 2011 | Academics, News, People, Research, Staff, Students, WKU | No Comments

by Andrea Eastes, Academy Avatar

As Adventure Week continues, juniors were exposed to even more aspects of the Academy, in particular, research.

On Monday afternoon, faculty from many academic departments at WKU including Psychology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, and Physics, joined together in Florence Schneider Hall for the annual research fair.  During this time, professors set up boards about their research on the second and fourth floor common areas so that students could not only learn more about what they are doing but also become involved in it.

Junior Erica Plummer said that she found the research fair “very helpful, and it assisted in motivating me to want to participate in research this semester at the Gatton Academy.”

She also commented on the wide diversity of the fields of study represented and how well professors explained their respective fields.  In fact, there are not very many places where one can find a professor discussing his work on knot theory alongside one that is displaying his dung beetle collection.

Attending the fair also allowed students to talk to professors face to face about their research and ask any questions that they might have.  Henry Uradu, a junior, commented that being able to have those conversations in person gave him a better idea about professors’ personalities and the meaning of their research.  He also added that those connections are superior to just reading about research because he could “see exactly what they were working on and how many hours I would be required to put in weekly.”

While Henry found the diversity in the biology department which ranged from ecology to cancer research to nanobiology, Shane Masuda found the geology research and physics research to be particularly fascinating.  Other students, such as Plummer found mathematics research to be where their interests lie.

Derick Strode, Coordinator for Research, Internships, and Scholarships, was the staff member behind this gathering twenty-five faculty members for the fair.  He and Residential Counselor Sue Meador began organizing the fair in early July.

Strode spoke to the “display of their commitment that we had so many faculty join us on Monday.”

He also commented on the importance of the experience for both students and staff: “For Gatton Academy students, I want research to be a means of career exploration–a way to confirm what they’ve always wondered if they would enjoy.  I want our students to find the thing that they love studying.  Students who find this passion have fun with their research.  It becomes an outlet, like a hobby.  For the faculty who work them, it’s an awesome feeling to mentor a student who shares their same passions.   In fact, many faculty say that having a Gatton Academy student work with them is like having a graduate student researcher.”

All in all, the research fair was a success for both faculty and students.  Both were able to make meaningful connections with each other and many doors were opened for the possibility to do research this semester.

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By Corey Alderdice

Empty Nests, Watery Eyes Among Parents of Class of 2013 as Move-In Day Arrives

August 22, 2011 | News, Parents, People, Student Life, Students | No Comments

by Charlotte Humes, Academy Avatar

Nobody said taking care of a child was easy.

For many parents, moving their child out of the house for the first time is one of the most difficult parts of the experience.  Luckily, despite a quick survey of the activity revealing a few less-than-dry eyes, the overall attitude of the families moving in members of Gatton’s Class of 2013 was clearly positive.

Mark Allen, father of Cecily Allen, commented on this contradiction.  “We’re excited but sad,” a combination I heard echoed by other parents.  He added that this was his daughter’s “first extended period away from home,” but that “coming to orientation and preview weekends really helped.”

The fact that this was the second child to move out the home, he said, “definitely makes it easier.”

Fran Hamilton, the mother of Gabrielle Hamilton, felt similarly.  A true veteran at this, with Gabrielle being her third, and final, child to move out of the house, she said that while she and her husband think it is “easier in some ways with each one you move out, and we are very excited for the great experience for our daughter, losing the youngest, the baby, is definitely toughest.”

She paused before adding, “We’re empty-nesters now.”  No matter how many times the parents had been through this, or what amount of help that offered, it was still a challenge.

Naturally, there was an element of nervousness in their good-byes.  Many parents mentioned that the distance would be difficult to handle. The most common concern was their child’s time management wanting to make sure that they “got their work done and studied.”  Of course, the news that the Academy provides students with the resources to learn about and develop study skills, along with the reminder of mandatory study hours, helped ease parents’ minds, at least on that account.

Despite having the same concerns as any other parent would, Rob Johnson, father of Justin Johnson, weighed in on such things.  “It’s a great opportunity, and I like that he’s moving in now, even though he’s younger.  It gives him a safety net, so he’s able to ask for help and have a second family here, much better than just dropping him off all on his own in two years.”

Other parents repeated his beliefs, expressing relief that they were leaving their children in capable hands.  While it may come as a surprise, age seemed to not bother most of the parents.  “Age doesn’t matter,” said Karen, Justin’s mother.  “He’s always been so mature, and he seems ready, so I’m not bothered.”  Mike and Trish Smith, Ethan’s parents, also mentioned that “the fact that he’s sixteen doesn’t really change anything,” and that, regardless, while “the Academy gives greater challenge and independence, it also provides a lot of support.”

After a quick meeting with the staff, parents were asked to say their final good-byes.  As children and their parents embraced, promising to keep in close contact, all were confident in their decision.  The Academy will provide these 78 students with a second family, along with amazing opportunities, and everyone seemed to recognize this.

The final sentiment I heard echoed all around?  “I love you,” said as parents let their child begin their next grand adventure.

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By Corey Alderdice