News – The Gatton Academy News

Managing Stress at Gatton

February 8, 2023 | Addie Hoskins, Student Life | No Comments

It’s no secret that attending Gatton can lead to an increase in stressors. We leave home 2 years early, move in with 200 fellow students we may have never met, take challenging classes, set our own schedules, and develop new life skills.

You might be thinking “Wow, Addie. This sounds really hard! What if I can’t handle it all?” I’ll be honest: it is hard. However, Gatton is full of resources to help students adjust to life and manage the stress that follows.

Tips for Managing Stress:

Talk to a friend. Because every student at Gatton must fulfill the STEM curriculum, we often end up taking classes with our friends (or peers who turn into friends over the duration of a class). We can study together, support each other after a difficult test, and encourage each other throughout the semester. This makes our friends a great place to turn to if we are dealing with stress!

Take a break. Sometimes I get so stressed that I think I need to work for hours with no break. However, this is one of the worst things I can do for myself! It’s scientifically proven that studying is more effective if done at intervals with breaks in between. A great strategy to de-stress is taking a break. Maybe this means reading a book, listening to some music, or getting some food. Even 10 minutes can make a difference.

Make an appointment with Pokey or Jamie. Pokey and Jamie are Gatton’s licensed therapists. Even better, they work in our building and are fully aware of the goings-on at Gatton and all that being a student here entails. Maybe you have experience with therapy or maybe it sounds a little scary. Either way, most Gatton students meet with one of our therapists during their time here. There’s no issue, big or small, that they aren’t willing to help students with.

Get active! Physical activity is one of the best ways to manage stress. You can get out some excess energy and get a rush of endorphins all in one. Whether this looks like a trip to the gym or a walk around campus, exercise is guaranteed to reduce stress. And hey, it has physical health benefits, too!

Talk to your RC. Residential Counselors or “RCs” are a great place to turn for advice! Maybe you’re dealing with homesickness or arguing with your roommate. Whatever it is, they’ve probably dealt with it before and can provide some helpful advice.

Take a nap. It may sound silly, but a nap can solve a lot of your problems. I’ll admit, even though I try to get consistent sleep, I sometimes fail to get a full 8 hours. Being tired makes it harder to pay attention to lectures, do homework, and regulate emotions. If you find yourself too tired to do homework or a little too irritable to be around people, take a quick nap!

As always, every person is different, meaning every student deals with stress in different ways. I encourage you to find what works for you and consider some of these healthy coping strategies when you find yourself getting anxious or stressed. Remember: you aren’t alone here, and there are plenty of people willing to help if you are willing to ask.

By Gatton Academy

Syllabus Week

September 4, 2018 | Avatars, Student Life, Sydney Wheeler | No Comments

As I look from my window on the 2^nd floor of Florence Schneider Hall, I can see dozens of students trekking up the hill. Classes are finally back in full swing, Java (the campus coffee shop) has a line out the door, and campus is alive again. For most college students, the first week of classes is pretty easy. “Syllabus Week,” as they call it, is supposed to be a time to get back into the hang of things before the real work begins. But for Gatton students, I think the first week back can be a little more stressful.

The juniors are just beginning to acclimate to their new home; after a week of meetings, activities and getting to know Florence Schneider Hall, they’re set loose on campus and thrown into classes. The first days in a computer science, calculus, or biology class can be a little panic-inducing, but the nerves will settle after the first round of homework assignments, quizzes, and tests. The juniors are beginning to develop routines, discover favorite study spaces, and realize that there are more restaurants on campus than Panda Express and Chick-fil-a.

For the seniors, the return to campus is familiar and, for some, bittersweet. The first week of classes marks the beginning of our “last firsts” as high schoolers. For some of us, it will be our last year on WKU’s campus, though some of us will be back in the fall. Rather than worrying about CS or finding the way to our classes, the senior class is panicking about college applications. Where to apply, how many schools to apply to, who to ask for letters of recommendation are all questions that swirl around with the calculus equations and chemistry formulas that have been etched into our brains. It’s an exciting time, filled with the possibility of the coming 2 or 4 years as an undergraduate, but the combination of college applications and a full college course load can a cause more than a few late-night freak-outs in anticipation of the unknown. Learning how to balance everything on our plate will take time, but just as “our seniors” were able to check off all the boxes on their to-do list, we’ll learn to do the same.

The first week of classes can be a stressful time for both juniors and seniors, but it’s good to remember to take time to enjoy the quiet part of the semester before midterms and finals week hit hard. Going to Preston to play Wallyball or Basketball, walking downtown to visit Spenser’s, a local coffee shop, or having a group dinner at Thai Express or Mariah’s are popular ways to fill the coveted downtime of the first few weeks of the semester. Whether it’s your first-first week of classes on campus or your last, it’s great to take pause and enjoy the opportunities that the new semester brings.

Sydney

By Gatton Academy

Senior Reflection: Josh Stewart – Making Adjustments

August 17, 2015 | News, People, Senior Reflection, Students | No Comments

It’s hard to believe it has been about a few months since graduation. It’s even harder to believe that I’m not in high school anymore. As much as an adjustment moving to the Academy was, going back to “normal” life is also somewhat of a challenge. Instead of constantly thinking about the closest due dates and the nearest exams, I’m busy staving off boredom. I have to remind myself frighteningly often that I no longer have to check Blackboard or Mastering Physics every hour. I’m getting used to driving again, and I no longer freak out when I check the time and realize I’m not home at 10:30 for a curfew check. I’m learning how to cook again, even as much as it pains me to pass a Subway or Chick-fil-a on the way home. Readjusting to life at home is a nice change, but I’d be lying if I said it was easy. Learning to cook, driving around busy downtown Louisville, and enjoying the company of my family are not difficult. Coming to terms with what I have left behind is.

Gatton was home for the past two years. My own house felt like more of a second home than Gatton did. Parting ways with the Gatton family was harder than moving away from my hometown of sixteen years. The bonds and friendships forged through my junior and senior years are unlike any I have ever had or will have. Never again will I connect in the same ways with such an exemplary group of individuals as I have. Those bonds were forged through countless hours of Super Smash Bros, endless TV, movie, and video game quotes and references, some tireless nights of horribly terrific dancing, and the occasional sleepless nights spent in conversation or in preparation for a trip to Waffle House at six in the morning. I will miss living in the same building with some of the closest friends I’ve ever had.

Senior year just may have been the best year of my life thus far; 2015 was a great year to be a senior at the Gatton Academy. It has been a very exciting year. Gatton was again named the top high school in the nation, plans to expand the Academy were officially announced, and some truly awesome faculty and staff were welcomed in to the Gatton family. General Bolden, astronaut and director of NASA, dropped in to say hi to us students. Bill Nye stopped by to speak exclusively with some lucky Gatton students before giving the whole of WKU an excellent show. Jody Richards, Governor Beshear, and Mr. Gatton himself were welcomed to the Academy for an afternoon of celebration with students, staff, guests, and parents. And who could forget the generosity of Mother Nature and Skipper Bob? About two cumulative weeks of cancelled class provided some excellent opportunities for popcorn, guiltless all-nighters, and huge, precision-engineered blanket forts. The class of 2015 is, in a way, the end of an era. We are the last graduating class to have walked the halls of the current Florence Schneider Hall. Things will never quite be the same at Gatton after this year, but that surely isn’t a bad thing.

Leaving behind Gatton is a lot more complicated than just leaving Florence Schneider Hall. It’s leaving behind your fondest memories. It’s leaving behind some of the coolest people you’ve ever known, some that you’ll keep up with and stay close to for the rest of your life and some you might never see again. It’s even leaving behind a culture you’ve helped craft and come to call your own. But we leave knowing that we are thoroughly prepared to face almost any challenge that college life might throw at us, something that only a handful of high school students can say with such confidence.

With that being said, I have a few final words. To the class of 2015: thanks for the memories and the best years of my life. To the class of 2016: it’s been a privilege, and I can’t wait to read your senior reflections and hear about how awesome your senior year was. And to the upcoming class of 2017: buckle up, because you’re about to board an emotional rollercoaster of lows and highs, but it will be the best ride of your life, I guarantee it.

By Gatton Academy

Senior Reflection: Julia Gensheimer – #Memories: Reflecting on My Two Years at Gatton

June 26, 2015 | Alumni, People, Senior Reflection | No Comments

By: Julia Gensheimer

After writing a commencement speech, signing yearbooks, and making multiple #tbt collages, I’ve done a lot of reflecting on my two years at Gatton. As an avatar, I’ve enjoyed sharing my “Gatton love” with prospective students, legislators, family, friends, and random college students throughout the year. Lots of people, places, stories, and inside jokes come to mind when I think back on my two years (#dontgochasingwaterfalls). I could spend hours talking about my classes, research, and adventures abroad, but what I remember most when I think about Gatton is the community.

I see students sitting in the hallway at 3 AM working long hours to debug their code during junior year CS and CPS classes. I think of Kindergarten days, water balloon fights, and Ultimate games. I remember the late night conversations on wing and the obsession with Netflix. I remember the impromptu stops on third floor to see some of the most hilarious, hard-working, and compassionate people I had the privilege to call friends and chat about TV shows, Buzzfeed articles, funny YouTube videos, or new scientific theories. That’s not even mentioning the best staff a school could ask for. The Gatton staff are people who will buy you food, listen to your rants, give great life advice, and support you through every application, project, or exam.

As I reminisce on my time at Gatton, I’m sad that I am no longer a “Gatton kid”. However, as a graduate and alumnae (what?!?), I am excited to see what the future holds for my class and other members of the Gatton family. Coming to Gatton was definitely one of the best decisions of my life. Thanks to Gatton, I’ve become a better student and person. Now, as I prepare for what we like to call “real college”, I have the tools to make a successful transition. I’ve learned study skills, how to navigate a college campus, and dorm life. Most importantly, I’ve learned that experiences like Gatton are what you make of them. Take the advice of my childhood hero, Hannah Montana: “Life’s what you make it, so let’s make it rock.”

To future students, enroll in classes you are excited about. Conduct research. Join clubs. Study abroad. Learn a new language. Make friends. Seek out opportunities. Maximize your meal plans. Listen to the advice of your teachers and staff members. Work hard. Be grateful. Do your best. And while you’re doing all of that, don’t forget to have fun! Gatton isn’t a “prison for the intellectual” – it’s a home. Cherish the late nights, inside jokes, trips, dinners, activities, and people. It’s only two years. Make them the best they can be.

Without Gatton and WKU, I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have now. I’m looking forward to the years ahead and am grateful to know that I’ll always have a home at Gatton. To those who know this inside joke, we’ve experienced Gatton and now we’ll “fly away to real college”. It’s time to spread our wings and fly, guys. Thanks for the good times and I better be sure to see each and every one of you all at the reunion!

By Gatton Academy

Senior Reflection: Jenna Willett

June 15, 2015 | Alumni, Graduation, People, Students, Summer | No Comments

Gatton Academy: A home away from home. It even has a mom-away-from-mom, Beth Hawke! Never in my wildest dreams had I ever thought that I would find a community that challenged me frequently, yet felt like a place of belonging.

The first semester of my junior year was really imposing. What with difficult curriculum and adjusting to living away from home, it was no wonder that I felt homesickness a couple of months in. However, I made it through that first semester—with plentiful help from family, fellow students, and staff—and such an accomplishment bolstered my determination and love for Gatton.

After that first, arduous, never-ending semester, every other semester seemed to pass in the blink of the eye. There was still hard work to be done, but it was easier after learning how to deal with things. Usually help came in the form of communication with my peers and family. Sometimes it came from a tutor. Whatever the case, I learned that asking others for help was not shameful. On the contrary, it was very beneficial! I do not think I ever would have known the beauty of questions if not for attending Gatton.

The best thing about Gatton for me, over all the wonderful opportunities it provides, was the community. As I said before, I never was challenged as much in my life while still feeling an utter sense of belonging. Whether discussing new science phenomena or beloved book series, getting help on a math problem or a relationship issue, there was always the feeling that I was with “my people.” I will miss the friends made at Gatton more than anything, but I cannot help but be entirely grateful for those friendships. Gatton has helped me beyond belief.

By Gatton Academy

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” Review

May 8, 2015 | News, Student Life | No Comments

by: Michael Evans

On Friday, May 1^st, Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated sequel to The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, was released. With the heavy overlap between its students and Marvel fans, The Gatton Academy provided ticket-buying services and transportation for 16 students (including myself) to attend a screening on that same day.

Age of Ultron focused on the Avengers’ attempts to stop an evil artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark as a reaction to the events of the first film. It was a fun movie, with witty one-liners, exciting action sequences, and occasional breaks for character development. However, there was no sense of consequence; the characters never seemed like they were in danger, in sharp contrast to the previous films where, at the very least, side characters weren’t invulnerable. Age of Ultron also had problems with overcrowding. At 2.5 hours long, it wasn’t a short film by any means, but characters and plots whizzed by with very little time spent on either. Here’s hoping that the 3-hour-long extended edition promised for Blu-Ray release helps with that problem.

Pacing and tonal issues aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and it’s definitely worth a watch, even as a setup for the next stage of Marvel’s movie universe.

By Gatton Academy

Alice in Wonderland – 2015 Prom

April 27, 2015 | News, People, Student Life, Students | No Comments

By: Lydia Buzzard

On April 18th, WKU’s sidewalks were littered in sequins and glitter—the breadcrumb trails of Gatton Academy Prom. Students and their families spread out across campus for photos before the big event at 7pm, when the Augustein Alumni Center saw a procession of dresses and tuxedos enter its doors.

Inside the ballroom one could find Alice in Wonderland themed decorations: chess pieces, colorful bouquets, and empty souvenir bottles tagged “Drink Me,” tastefully adorned our dining tables. After voting for prom king, queen, prince, and princess, we sat down to dinner.

Dancing began at 8:15 with a lively, electric opening move by Academy junior Graham Reynolds. From that point forward, any exams, projects, or presentations plaguing us were nowhere to be found; it was a welcome evening of forgetting. Bass lines and catchy choruses united two classes and their guests as a single mob of teenagers fighting midnight.

At 10:30, this year’s prom royalty was crowned. D.J. Price and Eura Shin were named prom prince and princess, respectively. Meredith Bickett took home the prom queen sash, and Morgan Blair was named prom king, a promotion from his previous title as 2014’s prom prince.

One of the most memorable moments of the night was the last. The final song of prom was Billy Joel’s “Piano Man.” With the opening harmonica riff, the dancing mob calmed, formed a circle on the dance floor, wrapped arms around each other, and swayed with the music, shouting the lyrics as loudly as we could. Of the Academy students in that circle, some of us were ending our Gatton careers while others were just beginning, but those futures would have to wait. For now, we had each other and a song that we all knew, and that was more than enough.

By Gatton Academy

Caves, Olives, and Bumper Cars

January 16, 2015 | 2015 Greece, News, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Kelly McKenna

Most of us had been in a cave before, but the cave of Diros was something different than we had experienced before. Descending into the cave wearing our bright orange life jackets, we boarded boats to explore. The cave is about 14 km and we explored about 1,300 meters on the lake and the other 200 on pathways. The cave has millions of tiny stalactites hanging off the ceiling and stalagmites at the bottom of the lake. The lake itself reaches 90 meters below the surface in the deepest areas. The only animals that inhabit the cave are spiders and eels; and, although we did not see any spiders, we did get to see a foot long eel swim past our boat. After finishing our tour of the cave, we headed up to Sparta where we explored and found a playground to play on before dinner and a trip to an ice cream parlor.

Before leaving Sparta, we visited the Olive Museum, where we learned the history of olives and olive oil. Our bus driver was then kind enough to take us to the top of a mountain so we could climb down, visiting the different churches and the Fortress of Mystra as we went. We learned how the Ancient town of Sparta had been destroyed and those churches and palaces on the hill were all that was left from the Ancient times in that area.

After the walk down the mountain and lunch, we traveled to the city of Nafplio, a port city with a shopping area that had sidewalks that doubled as roads. After learning the best ice cream shop in the city was closed, we went to the next best shop and ate our ice cream on the way back to our hotel. We set out again before dinner in smaller groups with some going shopping, some getting lost, and some even finding a mini fair in the park across from our hotel and rode the bumper cars before heading back to the hotel. After dinner, a large group of us went back to ride the bumper cars again and then relax with another trip to the ice cream shop before turning in for the night. Tomorrow, we will be leaving Nafplio and heading to Mycenae and the Corinth canal on our way back to Athens. Our trip will then wrap up with a day cruise around the 3 Saronic Islands.

By Gatton Academy

The Magic Man and Hill Climbing in Greece

January 13, 2015 | 2015 Greece, News, Study Abroad | No Comments

By: Kelly McKenna

In the little town of Kalampaka, Greece, you don’t see the village so much as the cliffs and mountains above it. They are absolutely breathtaking, and if you look close enough, orange terracotta roofs can be seen. These are the monasteries of Meteroa. While definitely not an easy walk, visiting the Greek orthodox churches contained within these religious centers was well worth the 300 steps it took to get there. To respect the religion, we didn’t take pictures inside and the females in the group used wrap-arounds as skirts over our pants.

After leaving Kalampaka, we drove to the small town of Delphi, which is built on the side of the mountains. On the way to Delphi, we stopped to see a hot spring of water coming down the mountains as well as monuments to the Spartans and Thespians of the Battle of Thermopylae. A few of us ventured to take off our shoes and put our feet in the hot spring and found it very refreshing. After arriving in Delphi and touring the museum of the ancient city, we toured a smaller town further up on the mountain. While walking on the city streets, there was a staircase that went off up a hill. After the many steps from the monasteries the day before, I thought it would be a bright idea to climb the hill to the top of the town. Of course we had to stop half way up to play on the seesaw and swings on a playground we found, but at the top of about 265 stairs, we received a beautiful view.

After arriving at our hotel in Delphi, a few of us decided to go out and look around the different shops. We ended up walking to the end of town and coming back down another road. While passing one store we remarked about the Spartan armor in the window but continued walking until the store owner invited us in. We went in and he told us that because we are students and it is the off season, he would give us discounts. We ended up buying multiple items and getting a few magnets for free. This store was a big topic at dinner, so afterwards almost everyone on the trip went back to the store. The owner of the store was very good at persuading us to buy souvenirs and after leaving the store for the night we collectively nicknamed him the “magic man”, because your money seemed to just magically disappear.

Today we toured the ancient ruins of Delphi and were joined by two cats that we promptly named Apollo and Artemis because the temple at Delphi was dedicated to Apollo. After leaving Delphi we set out for our trip to Olympia, stopping on the way for lunch and a tour of an Orthodox church. We stopped by a seaside restaurant for lunch and ventured out to the shore, skipping rocks and exploring a rock pier. Our group has really enjoyed the trip so far, becoming very close through inside jokes such as Panos, glue, and keeping our tally of cats we have seen (58 in four days). Tomorrow we will be exploring Olympia, visiting the museum and ancient Olympia along with shopping in town.

By Gatton Academy

Athens in the Rear View Mirror

January 9, 2015 | 2015 Greece, News, Study Abroad | 1 Comment

By: Kelly McKenna

After a long three days we are repacking our bags to head out of our Athens hotel in the morning. After heading out of Nashville on Wednesday afternoon, our group had a short layover in Atlanta before our 6-hour overnight trip to France. When we landed in France many people in our group were tired and disoriented from the time difference. Though we didn’t get as much sleep as we had wanted on the overnight flight, most people made up for it on our final flight to Athens. Upon arriving in Athens, we were greeted with a tour of the city.

A long nights sleep reenergized us for the today’s visit to the Archaeological Museum and the Acropolis Museum. Both museums had many artifacts from ancient times. The Acropolis Museum focused on pieces from the Acropolis and surrounding areas and the Archaeological Museum had different items from around the country. After an enjoyable lunch, we headed up the hill to visit the Acropolis itself. Many photos were taken of both the Parthenon and also the surrounding areas of Athens with buildings going on for miles. Athens is unique with the tallest building at only 28 floors and most buildings are about 5 or 6 stories tall.

Instead of coming back to the hotel and relaxing after a long day of walking, we decided to go out as a group and shop in the commercial part of Athens. Many different things were bought before returning for a late dinner around 8:30. We are expanding our horizons by trying new foods and learning some short phrases to help us speak to locals. One of the favorites has been Greek yogurt with honey, eaten by many as dessert last night and also breakfast this morning. Tomorrow morning we will be traveling to Meteora to visit the different monasteries that seem to be suspended in the air by sitting on top of rock pillars. With such an exciting start to the trip, we can’t wait to see what the rest of Greece brings us.

By Gatton Academy

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