Avatars – Page 12 – The Gatton Academy News

Harlaxton Day 5: Bath and Stonehenge

July 21, 2018 | 2018 Harlaxton, 2018-2019, Avatars, Evan Hendrickson, Study Abroad | No Comments

As the Romans once said, salve!

Today’s field trip destinations were the city of Bath, the Ancient Roman Baths, and Stonehenge.

After an amazing English breakfast at Nutford House, we all sleepily packed onto our charter and began our two and half hour journey. However, we very occupied during the trip listening to the interesting presentations from students, bopping to music, and of course, a little napping. I don’t think we will ever fix our sleeping schedules.

Once we arrived at Bath, we walked through the city’s bustling, bourgeois streets that were lined with cafes and the most coffee shops that I have ever seen. Exploring this city was especially interesting since we could all visualize how Jane Austen portrayed it in Persuasion. Eventually, we made our way up to the Royal Crescent, where we enjoyed our lunches with a fantastic, scenic view. Afterward, we made our way back to the central part of Bath where we got to see a ballroom in which Austen might have met some of the English men and women who inspired her memorable characters and their dynamic personalities.

We then made our way to the Roman Baths. Upon entering the Bath, we were given audio devices that allowed us to listen to descriptions and stories of the Bath, including its religious significance, the benefit its mineral waters had, and the impressive architecture that has allowed it to stand for over 2,000 years. At the end of the Bath, we even got to drink the water. Only after it had been purified, of course.

We then left the Bath and returned to the bus for our final trip of the day. Stonehenge exceeded my expectations; it was mind-boggling how these ancient people arranged gigantic boulders to form one of the ancient wonders of the world. Who knew that stacks of rocks could be so interesting?

After a long day of sightseeing, we still had a nearly 3-hour bus ride back. After the final presentations were given, most of us talked about our favorite parts of the day, what we would do with our free time when we got back to London, and at least for me, rested the entire way back.

Back at Nutford House, we had just enough free time to get dinner in the city. Now we are all preparing for our quiz, class discussion, and plans for free time tomorrow!

Here’s to another two weeks!

Evan

By Gatton Academy

Harlaxton Day 4: Class, Free Time, and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

July 20, 2018 | 2018 Harlaxton, 2018-2019, Avatars, Devin Davis, Study Abroad | No Comments

Today, we arose bright and early after a full day of travel and exploration yesterday. We acquired breakfast in a packed cafeteria with other students as we anticipated our second quiz. At the conclusion of our quiz, we reviewed the significance of William Shakespeare and dove into our analysis of Hamlet. We covered the Humors Theory, Revenge Tragedies, and answered the question “Is Hamlet a Tragic Hero?”

After our three hour class period, we were given the afternoon to explore the city of London. All 49 of us developed plans and dispersed across the city. My friends and I decided to tour the Science Museum and the National History Museum. We were able to experience scientific artifacts such as pieces of the Moon, old European automobiles, and an iron lung from 1953. We were also able to marvel at various gemstones and dinosaur skeletons. It was an incredible way to immerse ourselves in British culture and become acquainted with their nation’s STEM information and storied history.

After a meal at a local café, we were on our way to view Hamlet at the iconic Globe Theatre. After riding the tube, we walked across the Millennium Bridge over the River Thames. We were going to be viewing the play as groundlings for the night. After receiving our tickets, we anxiously waited in line and rushed to claim positions next to the stage once the doors opened. The play was spectacular and maintained the literary aspects that we had discussed in class earlier that day. It was a unique experience to see the play that we had read over the past month and had analyzed during class come to life. This transformed this performance of a Shakespearean play into a real-life learning experience. After the conclusion of the play at 10:30, we rushed to the tube station with tired legs. It was a busy day filled with a new world of adventures that 49 Gatton Academy students were able to discover.

Devin

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Harlaxton Day 3: Chawton and Winchester

July 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Hannah Congleton | 1 Comment

Today we all departed from our temporary home at the Nutford House and headed to Chawton. We slowly saw the stone city turn into cottage houses with thatched roofs, until we arrived at the cottage Jane Austen stayed at the most productive time of her life. The group split up, and half of us went into the house to see where Jane Austen wrote and lived. The other half ate the packed lunches provided by The Nutford House in the garden in full bloom. We then took a short walk over to the home of Jane’s brother, Knight Estate, who owned the cottage Jane lived in. Right next to the Estate was the St. Nicholas Church and a cemetery where Jane’s mother, Mrs. Austen, and her sister, Cassandra Austen, are buried.

Next, we drove to Winchester. Our first destination was the Winchester Cathedral, where Jane Austen has been buried. The Cathedral is also one of the largest cathedrals in England and new things everywhere you look. After exploring every nook and cranny, we headed outside and started down a trail that the poet, John Keats, frequented to be inspired. When walking the trail, you could understand why Keats walked here often, with clear streams and blackberries growing on the side of the path. At the end of the trail was the Hospital of St. Cross which we admired and then departed back to the Nutford House.

Hannah

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Harlaxton Day 2: Class and Harry Potter

July 17, 2018 | 2018 Harlaxton, 2018-2019, Avatars, Isabel Chumbler, Study Abroad | 1 Comment

Hello Friends!

Last night, we had our first full night of sleep in England! It was desperately needed after hours of travel consisting of trying to fall asleep in uncomfortable positions in uncomfortable airplane seats. Our jetlag began to hit everyone last night, as we all slowly started forgetting how to function in the most basic of ways.

Getting that sleep was much needed for the full day that was ahead of us—a day filled with class time, all things Harry Potter, and free time!

Our first official class period consisted of a discussion of Persuasion, Jane Austen, John Keats, and miscellaneous dates. This was by far the most interesting class period I have ever sat in, as there is never a dull moment with Professor Rutledge.

After class, we had a quick lunch break and grabbed sandwiches from the nearby coffee shop, Costa. We were then on the road! The 46-minute bus ride went by quick as we filled it with multiple games of Heads Up.

Touring the Harry Potter Studios was definitely one of the most highly anticipated activities. Everyone was filled with excitement from the biggest Harry Potter fans to those who didn’t even know Hufflepuff from Ravenclaw. I was able to feel as if I was a part of the films—from walking along Diagon Alley, exploring the Hogwarts express at the Platform 9 ¾, enjoying Butterbeer, and dying from embarrassment when having to ride the green-screen broomstick in front of the crowd of people. Harry Potter Studios was an immersive, magical experiment that allowed us to learn about the behind-the-scenes of Harry Potter!

After the touring of Harry Potter Studios, we had about 4 hours of free time to explore London! I went in a group of 10 with our goal location being Westminister. We ended up getting stuck on the London tube for around 30 minutes on our way there and on the way back we got on the wrong tube which resulted in us getting a little lost—the London tube has definitely been an experience, but it’s been one that has resulted in us gaining independence and learning navigational skills.

England so far has been a wonderful experience and I cannot wait to see what else is in store!

As the British say, Cheers!

-Isabel

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Harlaxton Day 1: Flights

July 16, 2018 | 2018 Harlaxton, 2018-2019, Avatars, Drew Aubry, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Drew Aubry

We started our long journey at the airport. Our parents helped to check us all in and see us off for the trip. It was sad to say goodbye, but exciting to be starting our study abroad experience. We made our way through security and then to our gate. Since we were around an hour early, many of us played card games, went and found food, or began working on some last minute assignments from the summer. The hour passed quickly, though and before we knew it, we were boarding our first flight to Atlanta International Airport.

Once we got there, we rode the tram to the other end of the airport to our new gate. Inside the airport proper, there were stores of all sorts and restaurants everywhere. It almost felt like a shopping mall. When I first set foot in that plane, I quickly realized that it was the biggest one I had ever been on. It felt like the cabin went on forever. I found my seat and was overwhelmed by the things I found there. Immediately, there was a pillow and blanket waiting for me in the chair (I honestly thought I wouldn’t use it until about hour three out of the eight). I also found international plugs for various electronics, a USB jack, a headphone jack, a touch screen loaded with everything you could imagine (games, movies, music, and more). While we were waiting for takeoff, the flight attendants came to pass around menus for dinner, complimentary headphones, and eye masks with earplugs. Before we even began to take off, all of us were locked in an intense game of multiplayer bingo (for anyone wondering, Trivan won our first round).

After that, we were all talking to each other, playing games, or starting movies. We continued to catch up from the long summer apart until it got dark outside. Some of us slept, most of us didn’t, and almost none of us slept for more than a few hours at most. Before it got dark, though, dinner was served. There isn’t much to say about it, other than it was a warm meal for a bunch of hungry teenagers. After dinner, they handed out water bottles and came by with the drink cart often throughout the flight. Breakfast was served to us around an hour before we landed. If you ordered a special meal, it was a hot breakfast. If you didn’t, it was yogurt, a muffin, and orange juice. Not bad quality at all.

Coming off of the flight into customs/immigration was amazing after sitting on a plane for that many hours. It was packed and we took an hour and a half to get through. We made jokes with each other in line and when you got to the counter they asked questions like “Why are you in England?” and “How long will you be staying?” After we were all through, we collected our luggage and without further delay, were off into the world of London!

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College Applications are in Full Swing

October 30, 2017 | 2017-2018, Alexa Thompson, Avatars | No Comments

By: Alexa Thompson

It’s that horrible time of the year when all the seniors are making their final decisions on where they’re applying and are sending in applications. For some schools, it’s a demanding responsibility. Essay after essay, supplemental after supplemental, check box after check box. Luckily, the Gatton staff work hard to make sure that not only provide us with any documentation or information we need, but they also make sure they know us on a personal level to write outstanding letters of recommendation.

Tracy, our main College Coordinator, has been working hard to make sure every student knows about any scholarship opportunity or any program that might interest him or her. Cheryl, our Academic Opportunities Coordinator, has been searching for summer internships. One of the other incredible things about being Gatton student is the relationships we develop with our “counselors.” (We just call them letter writers.) Nearly every college requires a counselor-written letter from the high school, but for students from schools with 1000+ kids, it can be hard to actually have a relationship with said counselor. Here, students pick the staff member they want to write their letter or rec. This letter writer typically already knows the student pretty well, but then they partner together, have special one-on-one meetings, and further improve their connection. A single staff member writes letters for usually between five to ten students, so each letter conveys a personal relationship with the student.

The staff members work hard to make our application process as easy as possible, and we work back to make it easy for them too.

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Last Fall on the Hill

October 30, 2017 | 2017-2018, Avatars, Natalie Ngong | No Comments

By: Natalie Ngong

Now that I’m a senior, certain things are dawning on me. First, that the Visual Performing Arts Library located in the basement of Cravens library might be the perfect study nook (ideal lighting, surrounded by music and books (but never dust), and usually only a few people around.)

Second, fall on the hill is gorgeous. Last year my Saturdays were spent deep in the thrall of sleep but this year I’ve had time to explore while the majority of WKU students are asleep. The campus is beautiful, with the nice breeze that comes this time of year and the trees starting to turn the vibrant orange of fall (it’s especially nice when I decide to treat myself to a cup of coffee for my walk.)

Third, this is going to be my last fall at Gatton, and depending on how college decisions work out, maybe at WKU. Next year I won’t get to use meal swipes on the seasonal fall drinks with some of the baby juniors still naïve to the joys of Java City. I won’t get to appreciate from Florence Schneider the homecoming parade when it comes down the road. I won’t get to run down to the staff member’s offices and beg for a final review of an essay before it is due (since I’m squarely in college app season and I don’t know if that’s a bad thing). In the two years that I’ve been here, Gatton has really become my home. A home filled with family and friends, and traditions that until now I didn’t realize I had. So I’ll really miss fall from my Florence Schneider home.

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Spring Registration Is Upon Us

October 20, 2017 | 2017-2018, Avatars, Jacob Harris | No Comments

By: Jacob Harris

This week was intense for the Gatton Student body. Not only were we finishing up with midterms, it was also time to submit schedules for next semester. All of the juniors and some seniors (seniors have the option of registering themselves for last semester classes) were required to upload their requested schedules to an online homework portal that went live at exactly 10:00 pm.

April Gaskey, our Coordinator for Student Success, and Derick Strode, our Assistant Director for Academic Services, registers students for classes in the order that their schedules are uploaded. The first people to upload get registered first, almost guaranteeing them a spot in their desired classes. Those further down the list are less likely to get the classes they want, as some classes fill up quickly.

I’m sure you can imagine the intensity that ensues. By 7:30 that night, all the ethernet cords had been claimed in a determined quest for faster upload speed. People were frantically comparing speed tests and hypothesizing about the quickest way to upload a file. The guys sitting next to me practiced submitting their schedules for three hours, just to cut a few seconds off their time.

Occasions like this remind me why I love Gatton. The students here care. People care about succeeding; they care about doing well. The friends I’ve made here want more voraciously than anyone I have ever met. They are hungry. They want success in college and in the professional world. They want to provide comfortable lives for their families. They want to make the world a better place. They want to expand on our scientific understanding and our capabilities as a civilization. The people I’ve met here don’t take chances; their futures are far too important to forget the little things. They study for every test and go to every review session. The friends I’ve made here capitalize on every opportunity—even those as small as a good schedule.

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Tri-Delt: Gatton’s Greatest Volleyball Team

October 3, 2017 | 2017-2018, Alexa Thompson, Avatars | No Comments

Alexa Thompson

Last year, the intramural volleyball program for WKU approached before I had time to sign up for a team, so this year I decided over summer to discuss and create teams with some other senior girls. We were able to make a female team of about 10 people. As a spin on our Gatton Academy symbol (the Sierpinski triangle) and because the other teams were named after their sororities, we were named DeltaDeltaDelta.

Unfortunately, the season lasted a short two weeks, four games total. But that didn’t stop us from having so much fun! Going to a school with no real sports teams can be sad for those of us that do love sports and had to leave teams back home. It was exciting to watch not only veteran players return, but also new players being introduced to the game. Two of our games in particular were fun in that the competition was stiff. In both games we won one set but lost the second and third sets. In the last game we played, we had reached the point cap and only lost by one point. I am happy to report that we have not tarnished Gatton’s intramural record. We are still 0-All. (Gatton teams are well known for losing, but we probably have just as much fun as anyone else, if not more.)

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2017 – 2018 Avatar: Callie Freeman

August 29, 2017 | 2017-2018, Avatars, Callie Freeman | No Comments

Hey everyone! My name is Callie Freeman, and I’m from the great city of Louisville. When I’m not here at Gatton, you can find me at a congressional debate competition, orchestra concert (I play the harp!), outside with my Australian Shepherd Missy, or someplace where I can read a Jane Austen novel (the best author EVER, right?). Otherwise, it’s pretty difficult to think of times when I’m not here Gatton, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. From academics to research to study abroad, Gatton has given me the opportunities – and friends – of a lifetime.

One of the things that makes Gatton so different from traditional high school is all of the opportunities we have to do research. My very first semester, I participated in the Genome Discovery and Exploration Program, where I isolated and genetically analyzed my own unique bacteriophage – Pemberley (it takes a Jane Austen fan to get this one). Later, I was awarded a Research Internship Grant to study the mitoNEET protein and its application in diabetes treatment at the University of Louisville over the summer.

Gatton also provides us with the opportunity to explore outside of the STEM world. This summer, I spent three weeks learning all things British literature in England. Filled with books, tea, history, Harry Potter, castles, red phone booths, Shakespeare, and sheep, the trip could not have been any better. I definitely made memories that will last a lifetime.

As incredible as all the academic, research, and travel opportunities that Gatton offers are, some of my favorite memories here are the ones made staying up late with friends, chilling on weekends, and laughing with my roommate. It is no exaggeration when I say that I truly love every part of Gatton. It really is my second home, and I can’t wait for the new Juniors to experience it.

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