A team of 16 Gatton Academy students took top honors in the Kentucky division of the Knowledge Masters Open.
The Knowledge Masters Open provides a challenging, low-cost academic competition in which teams of students compete — nationally and internationally — without leaving their own schools. The KMO began in 1983 with 72 schools; it now annually attracts over 3,000 schools and 45,000 participants from the U.S. and several foreign lands.
Teams in the Knowledge Master Open receive 200 curriculum-based contest questions on a CD-ROM and compete using a computer at their own schools. Questions are answered as a team. In practice, the competition is a mix of Governor’s Cup and the networked quiz games found in restaurants.
Rohith Palli (Fayette ’10) worked to get other students interested in the competition. Since the Gatton Academy is not allowed to participate in the KAAC-sponsored Governor’s Cup, Knowledge Masters provided a great outlet for students seeking the thrill of academic competition.
“The competition requires a high level of cooperation among students as we attempt to reach a consensus upon the correct answer,” Palli said. “The high level of intellect in the room and our comfort with each other–since we, you know, live together– were huge positives.”
To the team’s surprise, they often scored better on questions in areas other than math and science.
“We had fun as we went and discussed between questions a lot,” Palli added. “We actually missed a trig question the first time, and then answered it on the second attempt only because we squelched our first impulse and solved it.”
Despite this outing being the Academy’s first attempt at the competition, Palli believes they can do better when the test is offered anew in March 2010. Though the team took top honors in the state, the team placed 72nd out of the field of nearly 700 worldwide teams.
“I feel like we have the capability of being much higher, but it was a great result for the first try,” Palli said.
For more information, contact Corey Alderdice at 270-745-6565.
Since Melissa Schultz arrived at the Gatton Academy in August, she has wasted no time getting to know the students and their interests. As the Assistant Coordinator for Residence Life, the core of her job involves engaging students in the Academy’s residential environment.
Schultz , an avid runner, has been tackling half-marathons for years. When she decided to run in the St. Jude Half in December, she opened the invitation to Academy students to see if there was a mutual interest. Her hope was for students to take away a greater sense of self and community.
The response, it turns out, was tremendous.
“Activities like this are important to the Academy because they enrich the student experience through living and learning,” Schultz explained. “It’s about taking on a challenge, finding motivation, working toward a goal, following through and then realizing, while much of the prep work is done on an individual level, there is a greater success when an entire community of people come together for a common interest and goal.”
Over the course of 13 weeks, a dedicated group of ten students committed to early morning runs to build the necessary skill and endurance to complete the 13.1 half-marathon this past weekend in Memphis.
For many students attending the Gatton Academy, having to sacrifice the ability to compete in sports is the hardest part of the decision. Over time, that desire for sport remains active. An opportunity like this to be physically active was a welcomed prospect.
Katie Goebel ('10) and Elaine Flynn ('11)
“I missed running cross country these past two years,” noted Elaine Flynn (Grant ’10). “When Melissa sent the email out about the half marathon inviting us to join her, I figured it would fill the empty spot where cross country used to be. “
The team of students, officially dubbed the Academy Road Runners, trained with 6 a.m. runs throughout the weeks leading up the race—rain, cold, or shine. Many students appreciated having others to keep them motivated as an important component of the training process. For Katherine Goebel (Shelby ’11), her father provided a tremendous amount of support as well.
“It was a really good goal to have to motivate me through the long, cold runs,” Goebel said. “I liked the fact that we trained and ran it as a team. And, running is in my blood. My Dad runs a marathon almost every year, so he’s a really good role model for me and supported me in kicking off my road-running career through this race.”
Even though the 13 mile stretch was longer than many of the students had ever attempted, the group finished strong.
“The hardest part about the race was definitely finding the strength to continue running toward the end of the race,” added Hunter Smith (Hardin ’10), “The stretch between miles 11 and 12 was brutal.”
Though the race is behind them, many of the participants are already looking for new opportunities to hit the road again. For Emily Hall (Jessamine ’10), New Year’s seems as good a time as any.
“I can’t wait to run another race,” Hall beamed. “I actually found out that there will be a half-marathon in Bowling Green in the spring. I plan to run a few 5K’s over the next few months, maybe even the 10 mile Hangover Classic in Louisville on January 1st. As soon as I’m not so sore I plan to be out running again.”
Schulz detailed that the personal rewards were small compared to knowing the race was for a good cause.
“The experience of crossing the finish line after 13.1 intense miles of physical and mental exertion offers an incredible euphoria,” Schulz added, “but the mere satisfaction of crossing the finish line is only a small part of what training and finishing a road race has to offer. In this case, thousands of people created an indescribable synergy to benefit the children and work at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”
Students also hoped an activity like this would demonstrate the Academy is more than just a learning environment.
“While academics are the most important aspect of the Academy, it is experiences like this that keep us well balanced, and balance is the key to success in life,” noted Ballard Metcalfe (Henry ’10).
According to Rebecca Morgan (Hardin ’10), the race was a opportunity to show off a different dynamic of Academy student life.
“These activities make people overcome the viewpoint that the Academy is solely academically oriented,” Morgan explained. “We aren’t just nerds who have pocket protectors and Rubiks cubes, as some may assume. We are so much more. Through activities like this we can show the world our coat of many colors rather than the stripe of green representing our academic life.”
For more information, contact Corey Alderdice or Melissa Schultz at 270-745-6565.
Some high school seniors take a few months in the last year to sweat out if, and where, they’ll go to college.
Carlisle County product Stephen King may be the rare senior to know for 99.9 percent certain he’s admitted to college.
See King, 17, is already a college student. The Carlisle County High School senior enrolled in the Gatton Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology as a junior. That’s a program through Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green that lets selected high school juniors enroll in college classes, live on campus, and earn 60 college credits in math and science courses.
The 60 credit hours coming in look good to admission boards, but the experience comes with a price, King said.
“It’s really fun,” King said by phone from his dorm room. “It has been a challenge. With all this freedom we also have to remember there is homework to be done. It’s been a little overwhelming.”
It’s that work ethic, along with a 4.0 grade-point average and mentor skills, that helped King land Teen of the Week honors.
King, son of Mark and Stacy King, is the Murray State University Teen of the Week. Each Monday, the Sun features a different MSU Teen of the Week selected from nominees submitted by high school guidance counselors throughout western Kentucky and southern Illinois. In May, a Teen of the Year will be chosen from the weekly winners, earning a $5,000 scholarship to Murray State. Teen of the Week is part of the Sun’s Newspapers in Education program.
King’s ability to balance new-found college life freedom with studying at age 16 is impressive enough.
That he makes the university’s dean’s list while playing ultimate Frisbee, and participating in Big Brothers Big Sisters, puts him over the top.
“I really enjoyed it,” King said about being a mentor to a young boy. “I learned a lot, and it was really interesting to be around someone younger. We finished all homework before any other activities.”
Psychology and the school’s culinary club are two of the many avenues he’s enjoyed opening up to at college. That he has the maturity to do so doesn’t surprise Angel Thompson, Carlisle County High School counselor. Thompson said King is one of the few students mature enough to handle a Gatton Academy experience, and his impressive qualities don’t stop there.
“Stephen is a member of Mississippi Baptist Church in Bardwell,” Thompson said. “He is very active in all youth and church activities when he is home from school.”
King is mulling over his future college plans, which includes Duke University in North Carolina as his top choice.
He hopes to pursue degrees in psychology and sociology.
Contact Adam Shull, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8653.
Twenty-four WKU students, including nine from the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky, will participate in the ninth annual Posters-at-the-Capitol event on Jan. 28 in Frankfort.
Posters-at-the-Capitol, an event hosted collaboratively by WKU, Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, University of Kentucky and University of Louisville, is intended to help members of Kentucky’s legislature and the governor better understand the importance of involving undergraduates in research, scholarly and creative work.
Gatton Academy students and their poster projects include (more information on the projects is available on the Posters-at-the-Capitol booklet):
Thomas Choate (Warren ’10) Using Sustainability Indicators to Guide Local City Growth
Clarice Esch (Pulaski ’11): IsCollema sp., a Gelatinous Lichen, a Sustainable Source of Nitrogen for Greenhouse and Nursery Crop Production?
Victoria Gilkison (Anderson ’11) and Justine Missik (Boyle ’11): Ecology of American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) at Mammoth Cave National Parkand Microbial Networks Create Pathway Proliferation in Marine Food Webs
Alexander Hare (Rowan ’10), Ben Neal (Estill ’11), Jae Lee (Christian ’11) and Paul “P. J.” Kasinski (Boone ’11): Genomic Comparison of C. scatologenes to M. thermoacetica
Several Gatton Academy students accompanied by WKU faculty members attended the Kentucky Academy of Science’s 95th annual meeting Nov. 13-14 at Northern Kentucky University.
For Alex Hare (Rowan ’10), simply choosing what sessions to attend was the hardest part.
“KAS had quite a number of interesting posters and presentations over quite a few interesting scientific fields,” Hare said. “Mostly I regret that I didn’t have more time to see more of them. I would gladly have spent two days seeing presentations and posters if that were possible.”
Students both made presentations at the conference and attended presentations from other faculty members and undergraduate students at other Kentucky institutions of higher learning.
Hare, along with three other Gatton Academy students, were honored with an outstanding for their poster Genomic Comparison of C. Scatologenes to M. Thermoacetica in the computer and information sciences division. Additional presenters on the post included P.J. Kasinski (Boone ’11), Jae Lee (Christian ’11), and Ben Neal (Estill ’11).
Justine Missik (Boyle ’11) believes the conference will serve as a springboard for pursuits both now and later.
“It was interesting and inspiring to learn about all of the various projects that were presented,” Missik said. “KAS was a wonderful opportunity to get experience in presenting scientific findings, which will be a very important skill later.”
Leah Frazier (Greenup ’10) added that the KAS conference was the best thing to happen to her since getting accepted into the Academy.
“Before going I was confused about my future plans, even though I am still relatively undecided, KAS helped me determine where I want to direct my life,” Frazier noted. “I enjoyed seeing researchers from all walks of life and ages come together at one event to present what they’ve been working on. It was inspiring to hear the achievements of older generations and imagine the improvements the younger generation is going to bring to society and life.”
What will the future look like? I have been asking myself that question a lot these last few days. It has been quite a week. I have had the pleasure of meeting with peers from Vanderbilt, of discussing opportunities with leaders and decision makers from other state universities, of exploring potential partnerships with a leading industry in the Commonwealth, and of viewing a sample of the incredible scientific legacy of one of our finest national laboratories. Each experience has fueled a fire within me to spread a gospel of hope. We are living in one of the greatest times in history. The accumulation of knowledge, the depth of resources, and the amazing creativity of the human mind have never been more primed than this moment in time. Yet, we as a society have allowed ourselves to be distracted or discouraged from embracing this phenomenal opportunity.
As I walked through the offices of Lexmark and the labs of Oak Ridge, alongside students and colleagues, I was able to glimpse how far we have come in terms of technology and innovation in just the short span of my lifetime. Simultaneously, I envisioned what the future will hold in the hands of these students. I saw the light of promise in their eyes as they viewed the most powerful computer ever created and heard them discuss the next generation of possibilities. I was moved by the passion I saw in the present leaders of these organizations and how it infused the lives of these future world changers, inspiring them to believe in the abundance of potential before them.
With this bold vision, comes a responsibility. We who have seen the power of the present environment must convince those who have lost hope that the best is yet to come. We must equip this generation of young people to engage in creative and critical thinking, to ask the insightful questions, and to persevere through challenges and setbacks. We need to encompass them with a spirit of support and encouragement which will allow them to explore, to dream, to experiment, and yes, to stumble and fall. For it is in the arena of trial and error, failed attempts, and renewed efforts that we will find those concepts, ideas, and creations that will impact our lives in the days ahead.
What will our future look like? Cures for cancer and other illnesses? What new forms of communication and transportation will arise? What deeper understandings of our universe or the atom will we grasp? If we will take the time to learn from our past, we can see that the rate of change in our lives is exponential. In a relatively short time, we have embraced cell phones, internet, space travel, MRIs, and microwaves as common place. The next ten years will be mind-boggling. But the time is now, the place is here, and we are the ones who will do it. The challenge is before us. We have a choice: we can invest our time and energy in the meaningful work before us or we can waste our resources and the gains of our predecessors. Let’s choose wisely and pass a bright torch forward to the ones ahead.
I’d like to begin with a word of thanks to our applicants on two items: 1) a special thank you for your patience as we transition to the use of a new online system this year; and 2) a thank you to the individuals who provided feedback on the pieces of the application process that needed clarification. At any point, do not hesitate to send us your thoughts and ideas.
We have created a video walkthrough of the Admissions Page of the website, its associated pages, and using the Family Connection system for completing your online application for the Class of 2012. The video outlines the requirements for admission to the Gatton Academy, the materials necessary to complete the application, and the screens in Family Connection you will need to access.
As a reminder, all materials for Class of 2012 applicants are due to the Gatton Academy by February 15, 2010. Students applying for Second Semester Admission for the Class of 2011 must submit all materials no later than Monday, December 7, 2009.
Finally, we wish to invite you to attend our final Preview Weekend of the current admissions cycle on Saturday, January 30, 2010. We apologize that this is also the date for several district Governor’s Cup tournaments. No weekend is perfect for everyone. We do plan to pay particular attention to KAAC events next year in hopes of maximizing opportunities for students to visit a Preview Weekend.
As of yesterday, 200 names of students have been added to our system as current applicants. While only time will tell if each of the students meets the requirements and completes the full application, we expect there to be a great depth to our pool of applicants and a wealth of talent available from which to choose. Days like these remind us of the infinite possibilities ahead.
Best,
Corey Alderdice
Assistant Director, Admissions and Public Relations
To view the video in full-screen mode, click the expansion icon at far right on the bottom timeline.
A step-by-step review of admissions requirements, the admissions process, and accessing the Naviance Family Connection system for uploading admissions materials.
Other individuals also share Thomas' passion for sustainability, as noted in this earlier photo.
As cities move toward the future in an era of declining budgets, limited resources, and high demands for services, sustainability indicators is a tool some cities are using to set goals and assess progress toward building a more healthy and sustainable community.
Thomas Choate (Warren ’10), a student at the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University, realizes the time for action is now.
After spending the summer conducting applied research under the supervision of Nancy Givens, Sustainability Programs Development Coordinator with the WKU Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability, Choate was invited to share his findings before the Bowling Green City Commission on October 20, 2009.
The presentation of this work to the Commission was arranged through City Manager Kevin DeFebbos.
Sustainability indicators recognize the essential links between the economic, social, and environmental aspects of a community, and are used to identify problem areas and develop solutions that impact all areas. For example, poor air quality (environmental) may affect asthma rates (social) and worker productivity (economic).
By improving air quality, cities can positively impact social and economic factors in the community as well. Within a sustainability framework “development is about improving aspects of the community and the environment that contains that community without detrimental effects to other aspects; it is not about growth beyond our means or growth at the expense of others or our environment,” said Choate.
Important criteria for sustainability indicators as identified Choate are that they be relevant to the community, easy to use by all members of the community, repeatedly measurable, and relevant to recent developments and available quickly enough that action to address change is possible.
Sustainability indicators may focus on education, healthcare, employment, environment, population, and transportation goals, among others. Some examples of sustainability indicators that have been used by other cities are ‘ratio of parks to population’ (per capita green space), ‘proportion of recycled materials diverted from landfill’, and ‘ratio of the average cost of a single family home to median household income’.
From his research, Choate concluded that The City of Bowling Green and the surrounding community should consider adopting goals toward a sustainable community and indicators to measure progress towards these goals; that by incorporating existing information and collecting new information, we can establish baselines for many factors which we may seek to improve through directed efforts in the future; and, that if the City doesn’t do so, it may find itself not taking full advantage of the opportunities it has to develop economically, environmentally, and socially for its citizens.
Even though Choate is sharing his findings, he realizes there is still a tremendous amount of work ahead.
“I intend to continue my work on sustainability indicators for the local area with the WKU Center for Environment Education and Sustainability,” Choate noted. “The next step toward Bowling Green adopting sustainability indicators is developing with the City Commissioners and other members of the community a set of indicators that will be relevant and feasible to assess with the resources the city is willing to commit to the project. Additionally, I am working with the WKU Department of Engineering to analyze the heating efficiency of buildings on campus using infrared technology.”
According to Choate, playing an active role in shaping public discussion on important issues should be a priority for all young adults. “As future leaders in our society, students have a responsibility to be involved in the processes that affect their communities,” Choate said. “The experience of presenting information, suggestions, and concerns to a government body is a relevant opportunity to those in all fields of study.”
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