Gatton Academy – Page 8 – The Gatton Academy News

A Relaxing Last Semester

March 12, 2019 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Drew Aubry | No Comments

The class of 2019 is finally on the last lap. We are so close to graduating and starting on our next journey, whether that be straight to university or taking a gap year. College apps are finally done and it’s all a waiting game. Admissions decisions, financial aid packages, and summer plans are the only things we have to worry about for the next few months.

For me, I have almost all of my admissions decisions and financial aid package notifications. I’m down to deciding between two colleges. It’s a hard choice but I have a few months left to make it, since May 1^st is the deadline. My last semester is infinitely easier than any of my other semesters, since I’m finally taking classes I really want to take outside of the Gatton requirements. These include Communication Sciences and Disorders and German. I have a lot more time to dedicate to things I enjoy doing and learning about like Lacrosse, German, and going to the gym. I’m nervous for graduation, but it feels good to know everything I have been doing for the last two years has been worth it. I’ve made it through to the other side and I’m glad for every experience that I’ve had both inside and outside of the classroom.

I don’t speak for every senior this semester, but many of my peers share experiences like mine this semester. Many of us are down to our final few choices for college and taking classes we really have been able to slow down and enjoy. We have the time to explore things about ourselves, really enjoy our time together, and even help the juniors with their classes if they want it. All in all, our final semester is one of reflection and a little bit of relaxation we haven’t gotten to have in a while.

By Gatton Academy

Mentors

March 11, 2019 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Wyatt Ringo | No Comments

As one progresses through education, teachers do more than merely recite PowerPoints or read from lab manuals; they begin to lead. Especially in upper division classes, teachers can often inspire and motivate their students in ways outside of the classroom. Through direct involvement in undergraduate research or serving as a source of experience and wisdom, teachers can soon become more: they can become mentors.

Mentors play a critical role in the academic and social growth of students, and having a competent and well-rounded mentor can cause a world of difference. Select instructors strive to inspire curiosity and a fascination for learning, just like my freshman year biology teacher, Mr. Budniak. In his class, two pivotal projects were to go out into the world to document and identify insects and plants, which forces one to slow down and earnestly examine the nature around them. After that project, I have a newfound joy and wonder for the life I find around me, which would have never happened without the guiding influence of a great teacher, thinly veiled behind a curtain of homework.

So, too, can professors foster a love of learning through direct interaction, such as taking on a student to work in their research lab. My current research mentor, Dr. Gupta, has gone beyond her role to guide me through our projects, instead encouraging me to strive for excellence at every chance I could. While pursuing novel research into nontrivial fields, Dr. Gupta has given me countless opportunities to grow, to learn, and to experience things I never thought possible for a student of my age. My time working in her lab has given me more than just experience in a myriad of machines or presentation of data. It has shown me what it means to be dedicated to science and to live your life in pursuit of learning more about the universe around you—big or small.

By Gatton Academy

Move In Day

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Rithik Reddy | No Comments

Ah, move-in day. In college, move-in day is a crazy, packed day where all the new freshmen start to acclimate to their new life, and the upperclassmen are in the middle of all the craziness, help move things in and catch up with old friends. In Gatton, it is no different, though at a smaller scale.

Just like our seniors last year, we were tasked with moving in all 102 of the new juniors to the buildings. The day began relatively chill, as at 8:30 AM, we were served an amazing breakfast of donuts and orange juice. But next, the real work began. At 9:00, around 40 of us walked to the front of Gatton, eagerly waiting for the first batch of juniors to arrive.

The first car finally got here and it was immediately swarmed by a pack of 20 very eager Gatton students. The parents opened up their trunk and told the seniors their kid’s room number, and wa-la, all of the luggage went to the room. The rest of the day went similarly to this. Greeting parents, introducing ourselves to the new juniors, and moving fridges to rooms was the norm until about 2:30.

But for me, this brought back very nostalgic memories. When I moved into Gatton for the first time. I remember being very anxious the first day, not knowing what to expect at all. All of my things were brought safely to my room (Thanks seniors!), but even after I moved in, I had other things on my mind. How would my classes be, would it be ok to make friends here, and do people here just study all the time? Thankfully the answers to those questions were to my liking, but at the time they were very important questions I did not know the answer to.

So, my parting words of advice would be to take things slowly and one thing at a time. You won’t feel overwhelmed with everything you have to face if you just think about each thing one at a time and face it head-on. Gatton’s a place that you’ll grow into and get adjusted to as time passes. Try to fall into a good routine and definitely leave time for relaxation.

Rithik

By Gatton Academy

Helping the Juniors Transition into Gatton / What It’s Felt like Living with New People

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Drew Aubry | No Comments

I think I speak for almost every student at Gatton when I say that I was a weird mix of nervous and excited when the juniors started moving in. I was concerned they wouldn’t adapt to or positively add to the community my peers and I had created over the last year with our seniors. I was anxious that I wouldn’t be able to fill the shoes that my seniors left me. Most of all, I was anxious to get to know them all.

I would be lying if I said it didn’t feel weird to walk out into the common area on my floor and not see some of my closest friends out there studying, playing Guitar Hero, and creating some random business plan with a seed catalog, a business and marketing textbook, and a drone. I would also be lying if I said that it didn’t feel great to walk out there and see the common area filled with most of my floor gathered around the TV playing video games, watching some cop show, playing mafia, or playing our nightly game of Ninja tripping over the couches and chairs.

On my floor, we have started new traditions and inside jokes with our juniors. We’ve all gone to eat together and spent time in our common area. Outside of my floor, I see people hanging out and watching movies in the computer lab on 3rd or doing homework in the den on 4th. Every time I see a junior out and about on campus, we smile and wave at each other. It feels good to have that connection with them. When I walk around the building, I see seniors helping answer the junior’s questions about classes and life at Gatton. Overall, we are all doing our part to create the positive community that so many of us love to be a part of.

We make our own home here at the Academy, and I can say, without a doubt, these new “baby juniors” really have made our home one that is, although different, just as happy as I remember it last year. I truly look forward to the rest of my senior year with them.

Drew

By Gatton Academy

Third Floor. Best Floor.

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Trivan Menezes | No Comments

If there’s one thing you need to know about Gatton, it’s that third floor is the best floor…at least in my eyes. You’ll probably hear the same message being stated by any Gatton student but in regard to their own floor.

Jokes aside, I can confidently say that the Third Floor Boys wing of Gatton is the tightest-knit community which I have pertained to. At Gatton, students have an on-floor curfew of 10:30pm on weeknights, and midnight on weekends. Don’t tell anyone, but many students tend to stay up for however long they please, for varying reasons. After curfew, there’s nobody around besides the guys/girls on your given floor, so it’s not a surprise that students tend to become closest to those on their floor. It’s like living in a bubble. Each floor’s community is separated from the rest of Gatton for 6-7 hours each night. The staff terms such a community “wing/floor culture.” Whenever you need help understanding something in class, need advice about a trivial choice to make, or if you need to just talk something out, the people on your floor will always be there for you. Life at Gatton would be drastically different if it lacked such a close community. Students would roam from class to class with nothing to do, and nobody to spend time with. That said, the bonds I have made with those who reside around me is something that I can look back on with a smile, and something that has made my Gatton experience even more worthwhile.

One particular bond I formed during my Junior year is that with my roommate, Pranay. At orientation, he came up to me and asked if I wanted to room with him. We agreed, and the year turned out great. There are a few Gatton students who, while living together in harmony, aren’t the best of friends with their roommates, so I’m proud to have had such a good friendship develop last year with my awesome roommate.

This year, the third floor community has a lot to live up to. The bonds that were created last year were unlike anything I had ever felt before. The community here at Gatton is truly something special. That said, from the first night this year, I know the new people on my floor will help us build something even better than last year.

Trivan

By Gatton Academy

Midterms

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Evan Hendrickson | No Comments

First midterms are in full-swing at the Academy, and that entails late nights and several daily coffee runs. Although very stressful, there is a slight feeling of pride that comes during this “mini” finals week. We are now given the chance to showcase the knowledge we’ve gained over these past five weeks, and are able to make our parents, professors, and selves proud. At the very least, if an exam doesn’t go as well as expected, we then know how to adjust to being better prepared for the next one.

One of the best and ever-present aspects of Gatton is adjusting, and in regards to academics, adjusting to a rigor that many of us have never even experienced a fraction of. In my time here, I, along with every other student, have faced some form of academic setback. However, there is much to be learned about ourselves, our attitudes, and our potential based on how we decide to react to them. The most successful students I know have taken their failures and used them to increase their work ethic and perfect their study strategies, rather than wallow in them and make no effort to overcome.

Although this week may be rough, we are all in this together. The stress is so much more bearable when you are surrounded by a community of 200 other students that are eager to help you study, encourage you to work harder, and be a support if something goes wrong. I wish all of my fellow students luck this week, whether they’re preparing for their first Organic Chemistry exam, ballet technique evaluation, or electrical engineering group project.

I should get to studying too!

Evan

By Gatton Academy

Junior Retreat

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Hannah Congleton | No Comments

Junior retreat starts in the lobby with everyone holding pillows that they most likely won’t use and excitedly talking to each other that creates an increasingly loud ruckus. Then when told we are finally able to go everyone stampeded toward the door and started the trek down to Preston where we will be locked up together for the whole night. Everyone sits in a circle and hears the plans of the night and thinking about how we’re going to stay up. The junior retreat is getting locked up inside of Preston for a whole night, and having an eye-opening experience where you learn more about yourself and your fellow juniors, feeling like you are in a happier version of the Twilight Zone.

Everyone that I have talked to about Junior Retreat thought of it as a worthwhile experience. The retreat is a couple of weeks into classes, so you see faces you haven’t seen since the beginning of the year and get to reconnect. Everyone is buzzing with energy, and some people expend this energy by doing different activities throughout Preston. After we have time to settle into Preston, we group again and talk about what it’s like being a junior and activities that bring everyone closer. There are structured activities throughout the rest of the night, and if that’s not your thing you can do different activities or find a place just to sit and talk to friends. There was even a room designated for sleeping for the people who needed some rest. Anyone can enjoy themselves at the junior retreat.

From my experiences, I have some advice for things to do at the junior retreat. One, open yourself up, so you get the most from the experience. Two, participate in one of the recommended activities. Three, play wolleyball because everyone is bad at wolleyball and you can all laugh together. Three, stay hydrated because you can’t have fun while dehydrated. And four, be prepared for a long nap when you get back. When the retreat was finally over we all hiked back up the hill while the sun was rising and bathing everything in light. I felt lighter than I had in a while and I knew myself better than I had in a while. The junior retreat is an awesome experience, and I would definitely recommend going.

Hannah

By Gatton Academy

Fall at Gatton

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Elizabeth Roebker | No Comments

This Saturday, September 22, marks the first day of the fall season. While it may technically be (almost) fall, it sure doesn’t feel like it! Bowling Green was around 90 degrees every day this week, definitely not the fall—or even summer—weather we are all waiting for here at the Gatton Academy. The 5-minute trek up the hill to get to Snell for biology or COHH for calculus seems a lot harder with the sun scorching our backs and the humidity causing a perpetual layer of sweat on our foreheads. Suffice to say that the heat is not ideal, but we’re still not letting it get us down. Intramural volleyball is in full swing, and Gatton’s teams are representing the Academy well. Last weekend was the BARK for Life, where many Gatton students volunteered their Saturday morning to walk dogs for the American Cancer Association. Next weekend is one of my personal favorite Bowling Green activity, the annual International Festival downtown. Furthermore, at night it’s the perfect temperature to work on the Colonnades or just sit outside and listen to music. If you find yourself on campus you’ll definitely find some Gatpacks doing just that before it gets so cold that no one wants to be outside to walk to dinner, let alone work or hang out with friends. I would say Gatton students definitely find a way to beat this never-ending heat and take advantage of these warm summer nights while we still can. Fall is right around the corner, my personal favorite season to experience at Gatton. The weather is so nice that you just want to be outside all the time, and even more festivities will be happening to take advantage. Plus there’s one of my favorite experiences, the Dogwood trees lining the sidewalks of campus changing color to beautiful pink blossoms that disperse campus.

Elizabeth

By Gatton Academy

Research at The Gatton Academy

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Avatars, Elvin Irihamye | No Comments

Coming into the Gatton Academy, I never thought a tank of fish and a microscope would teach so much. For my entire high school career, I saw learning as a linear journey, I saw conducting research as a way to not only contribute back to the community but as a way to hopefully grow and discover. As I went from professor to professor, I struggled to find something that piqued my interest, I wanted to find something that I thought could one day directly benefit people while allowing me to be as independent as possible.

Beginning my first week of junior year, I began working at the Smith Neurobiology Lab at WKU. Little did I know that from the first day on research would start to become my largest time commitment. I spent the first year spending hours in the lab every week learning how to dissect fish inner ears under a microscope. As the months went by I found myself slowly getting better and faster but each dissection still felt like a millennia. The struggle of trying to stay focused and improving sometimes felt overbearing but I knew the effort would soon be worth it.

During the winter term, I was fortunate enough to go to the Costa Rica study abroad to learn about conservation and ecology. While there I got a taste of field research and relished in the experience. Waking up at 3 am, we would walk the beaches tracking and tagging giant turtles to learn about their population patterns. While the work was tiring and strenuous, I found the environment around me with its gentle coasts and beautiful sunsets worth every minute. As we continued to the Cloudbridge Nature Reserve in the Talamanca mountain range, my group decided to explore the topic of carbon restoration. Hiking for hours a day we tagged regions, measured tree dimensions, and battled the heat, humidity and fatigue. Each day we would wake up with a new reinvigoration to go further and do more. Although I’ve never felt more physical stress in my life, the experience truly changed my outlook on the world around me. Returning back to Kentucky I felt more able and more excited about exploring science.

After a year in the lab, where we sought to identify anti-cancer drugs and relationships that could decrease side effects hearing loss, I decided to further continue my research over the summer with the research internship grant or RIG. Over this time frame, I began to further concentrate my efforts on looking at the type of transcriptional changes occurring within cancer cells with the use of a different class of chemotherapy drugs known as monofunctional platinum (II) compounds. Spending almost twelve weeks at WKU over the summer, I learned to sieze the opportunity to lead my own research and to enjoy the company of so many other Gatton students who like me, shared the same struggles and tribulations.

Research whether from the safety of the lab bench and the heat of the microscope, to the cloud forests of Costa Rica opened my mind to exploring the unknown and unfound, and I’ve enjoyed every second of it.

Elvin

By Gatton Academy

Students vs. Staff Fantasy Football

November 19, 2018 | 2018-2019, Devin Davis, Uncategorized | No Comments

The Gatton Academy offers a variety of activities and traditions that appeal to all of the students’ interests. My niche is fantasy football so of course, I was ecstatic when Pokey invited me to join the Staff vs. Seniors Fantasy Football league. I gathered five of my friends to join me in the conquest of defeating the staff. I knew it would be an easy challenge but I wanted to participate nonetheless. I still recall inquiring Pokey about a fantasy football league on Orientation Day the summer before my junior year. To my disappointment, I was informed that it was only for seniors so I patiently waited for my chance. However, as an incoming junior, I failed to recognize the sense of community that came with a simple fantasy football league.

Now that I have been a part of the Gatton community for over a year, I recognize the connection that is formed on a peer and staff basis. As an Avatar, I have developed a close relationship with Zack and get to face him in the league. On the Harlaxton trip, I became closely acquainted with Pokey and Alex Sorrels by playing Snooker and Croquet. I am now able to hand them another defeat back at Gatton. I am even able to compete against my current Residential Counselor, D, and small group leader, Alex Fahnders. The Staff vs. Seniors Fantasy League has provided me with a conduit to participate in a common activity with my peers and staff members for the fall semester.

We just concluded week two and Carson, D, Zack, and I are undefeated. I look forward to the matchup between two juggernauts this weekend as I face Carson’s overachieving team. Despite the fact that my parents advise me to focus on college applications instead of football, I rely on sports, especially fantasy, to be my escape. In order to combat the stress of my senior year at Gatton, I utilize my love and passion for sports to keep me grounded. It might be an addiction at this point considering the fact I participate in twenty-two leagues, listen to multiple sports podcasts, and manage a fantasy website. I anticipate the remainder of this season and hope that future Gatton students will have the opportunity to defeat the staff in the Seniors vs. Staff Fantasy Football League.

Devin

By Gatton Academy

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