By: Tricia Thompson

Though some of the seniors may have left their decision until the very last minute on the May 1^st deadline, come May 2^nd, the entire senior class is officially all registered for “real college.” So, Gatton held a celebration. The seniors gathered in their college t-shirts over delicious food to celebrate our rapidly approaching next steps.

From Colorado Springs to Boston to Lexington to right here in Bowling Green, the class is preparing to scatter, but for one afternoon, we gathered to take goofy pictures with college pennants and celebrate out classmates’ successes. The official photographer captured many of the more serious shots but missed the swordfighting with pennants, piggyback rides, and elderly impersonations happening in the background. Wings took pictures for posterity to see where their suitemates and hallmates were off to. There was the occasional surprise of “I didn’t know you were going there too!”

Before all of this though, we sat in a seminar and shared memories with the juniors. From memories on the Moors in England to funny quotes from well-remembered professors to some of the antics one stumbles upon simply walking through the building, it was a day to look back with happiness and look forward with excitement.

By: Tricia Thompson

First week of classes: 0, Academy students: 160. The first week of classes is over, and from the looks of things, everyone’s having a great week. From syllabus days (that cover much more than just the syllabus sometimes) to starting new subjects, and from first trickles of homework to initial club meetings, the first week of classes is always a hectic, stressful, but exciting time. Many of the juniors have now written their first lines of code; many others are learning new alphabets or quizzing over chapter 1. While classwork tends not to be as heavy right at the beginning of the semester, the feel of our school has changed to just what it is: a school. While there will always be people playing ping-pong and foosball, study groups and homework sessions have also started to take root in the common spaces. A dumpling party and presentations about Chinese culture organized by some of the STEM+Chinese seniors melded with groups figuring out their first calculus homework this past Wednesday. This weekend brings the cherished chance to sleep in and catch up on homework while also allowing for laundry, a bowling and laser tag trip, a movie night, and other free time activities.

While GROWeek is always an exciting adventure, there’s something to be said for the freedom that comes with not having scheduled sessions with your whole class every day. The seniors are working to get back into the swing of things while the juniors are taking their first steps on their own. We’re all looking forward to the coming semester with the nervous, but excited, anticipation. After all, it’s already off to a great start.

Senior year. New classes, new professors, new juniors, and new responsibilities as an Avatar. I guess I should probably introduce myself. I’m Tricia Thompson, a senior from Owensboro Catholic High School. Coming from Owensboro last year, I still remember move in day. The hectic scramble, the Community Leaders swarming the car, the struggle of making sure no one made a fool of themselves using meal plans for the first time; now, I’m seeing it from the other side. I’ll be the senior watching juniors follow in my footsteps in astronomy and mechanical engineering. I’ll be able to see my enjoyment of writing computer code, something I learned to like, at least, mirrored in the junior class. Maybe I’ll even see my journey of the awkward one who was mostly known as “the smart kid” to someone known for their sarcasm and willingness to eat at any time of the day.

This year brings with it the first year in the renovated Schneider Hall (we’ll see how long the new paint smell lasts), new challenges, a bigger class than ever before, and the passing on of traditions from our senior class on down the line. This year is looking very bright, and I think we all look forward to the coming semester (though maybe exams less so).