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Kentucky Governor's Scholar Program: the Scholar View

Updated on July 19, 2013

Kentucky seniors studying journalism at Morehead State

Journalism students in front of the Bell Tower.
Journalism students in front of the Bell Tower.

Test your GSP knowledge! by Brian Tsavolakis

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The Adventures of Bradley Phelps

By Alecia! Johnson

Since the start of his high school career, Bradley Phelps (a.k.a “Jesus Bradley”) has been saving money and researching Jonathan Ley maps for his thru-hike from Canada to Mexico. He says he expects he’ll need less than 3,000 dollars and only five months.

Phelps hopes to begin his self-finding journey around June 15, 2014 after he graduates high school and after the Bonnaroo Music Festival he would love to attend. In the music world, Phelps leans more towards modern alternative music like Animal Collective, Tame Impala, Dirty Projectors, and 21 Guns, but also really enjoys the liveliness of Dubstep. In his high school marching band, Phelps plays the bass drum, and is excited to be the section leader his senior year. He is looking forward to helping the younger people and sharing his knowledge with others. Phelps says he has always been able to just tune into a rhythm without trying.


In the humanities field, Phelps really enjoys reading in his free time and says that Life of Pi is his favorite book.


“It’s larger than just a boy and a tiger and a boat—it’s the symbolism,” Phelps said.
He said he learned that you should never fence-sit; always know which side you’re on. Without hesitation, Phelps said he doesn’t fence-sit on issues.

Make no mistake; Phelps is no ‘artsy-type’. As much as he loves to read books and listen to music, his fascination for math and science trumps all. Phelps is in the Astronomy focus area at the Governor’s Scholars Program at Morehead State University this summer, and loves every minute.

“I really like star-gazing, especially when we look into deep space, because I love the vastness of everything. I like seeing beyond our little ball,” Phelps said disappointed that GSP— and star-gazing—is coming to an end.

Phelps plans on going to college to major in Physics, no doubt.

“I’m fascinated by how things go together and why they work,” he said.

He hopes to attend a University of California, most notably in Berkeley. Phelps is also looking at a college in Portland, OR even though he has never been to Portland before. He says he likes the diversity there and how unique it is. As he makes his way through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and New Mexico, he will meet lots of different people from many different backgrounds, and that’s one of the biggest things he’s looking forward to, other than the desert hiking in NM, of course.

Phelps went backpacking for two weeks in NM once and said it was “wonderful.”
“New Mexico is empty, but I like it. Desert hiking is my favorite,” Phelps said.

Phelps plans to make his way from Canada to Mexico in sandals.

“It’s just more comfortable that way,” he said. “Everyone always says ‘wear durable hiking boots to support your ankles.’ I don’t use boots.”

Along with him and his sandals will be a <25 lb. backpack with a tent, a sleeping bag, water, duct tape, a first aid kit, and anti-biotics. He’ll never carry more than 10 days’ worth of food with him, and it will all be dry food like granola bars.

“One thing that most hikers take with them that I won’t be taking is a propane stove,” Phelps said. “It’s just annoying, and I don’t like cooking. Also, it’s a little gross, but I’ll probably only take two pairs of clothes.”

Phelps says he’d consider himself a free spirit. One thing that doesn’t go unnoticed about Phelps is his hair. His curly, brown hair makes its way just a little bit past his shoulders. He says he hasn’t gotten it cut in about a year, and doesn’t know when he’ll cut it again, but when he does, he plans on donating it to Locks of Love.

“It’s all part of the adventure.”

Getting to Canada to begin his journey is also just a part of the adventure. Phelps says he hasn’t given it much thought, but he’ll probably hitch-hike or take a train.

Coming from little ole Jessamine County, Kentucky, Bradley Phelps has lots of adventure to look forward to from haircuts to joining the Peace Corps, unicycling in his free time and hopefully visiting Iceland. His love of learning and incredible self-motivation will take him awesome places to do wonderful things.

The Race to Nowhere: A Negative Positive Review

By Jarrod Foushee

After hearing many speeches given on the subject of college throughout our summer, most of us agree that higher education is daunting. The film The Race to Nowhere, shown in convocation on Monday, July 15th, provided us with yet another facet of education to be terrified about: K-12. The reason that I am not able to write a glowing review of the film with a smile on my face is actually because it executed its purpose excellently.

The Race to Nowhere documents several cases of students in the United States in all levels of grade, junior and high schools who struggle with an overload in homework. It explains that our schooling is meant almost entirely to prepare us for end-of-the-year tests and college applications and rarely is it meant to help us in college itself. Several cases of emotional breakdowns over school-related stress and even a suicide are detailed in the film. By the time the movie was over, I simply wanted to get in bed, fall asleep, and not wake up until I had a college education and a job with a steady income.

It is certainly easier to present problems than solutions, but is either really worth anything without the other? The feeling I had leaving Button Auditorium that night was that I have wasted the last twelve of my seventeen years mindlessly jumping through hoops. I worried that I was doomed to end up in college remediating for everything that I hadn’t learned in high school, just because it happened to not be on “The Test.” Furthermore, I felt that I was completely helpless to do anything about it. As adolescents and former children, we are most likely familiar with feelings of helplessness; our lives have always been determined by senior authority figures. Why, then, show us so many students in psych wards and tutoring centers, and only propose such a vague solution as “decrease homework?”

Maybe I am an isolated case, but I’m pretty sure that the most common response to a student suggesting less homework is sarcastic laughter. What are other countries doing that works? I hear that the Swiss have something good going on. I’m interested to do some research as to what countries with successful educational systems are doing, and then, as complex as it sounds, propose that maybe we can just, who knows, do what they’re doing? What excuse is there for a poor education system in a world where successful ones are present?

I would also like to point out that the film seemed to focus on certain outliers, when it came to students. Most of the students interviewed spoke of a six-hour-per-night homework schedule. Just as many told of nights spent doing homework until two in the morning. I, a student of three AP classes, closed the year with an all-A report card, and got by on zero to two hours of study a night. A Washington Post article written by Jay Matthews makes the claim that “the truth is that high school students on average are doing too little.”

But I am straying from the topic. As negative as it is, this is a positive review of The Race to Nowhere. It outlines (with horrifying skill) the many flaws in the American primary and secondary education systems, the challenges it provides for post-secondary students, and the toll it takes on teachers. That is, none of the good ones want to “teach” because “teaching” isn’t teaching: it’s test preparation. It’s spoon feeding, it’s regurgitation, and it’s forgotten. If one wants to help students learn, it seems to say, our school system is a poor place to start.

My only criticism is that I wouldn’t have minded a little more exploration into the solutions than the problems. I mean, hakuna matata. We don’t cry over spilled milk, we clean it up. We’re becoming adults, and solving the world’s problems is becoming our job. Therefore, after a certain point the lamentation of our youth’s broken minds becomes rather useless. In conclusion, I simply concede that yes, The Race to Nowhere is a well-made film, and yes I believe it achieved the goal it set out to achieve, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Advice: Summer Love at GSP

by Kaylee McCollum

When a large group of young adults containing members of the opposite sex are placed together for 5 weeks in a confined space, it is inevitable that romantic relationships will arise. For those of you who have been fortunate enough to find the possible “love of your life” on the Morehead State campus, you might want to think twice before letting yourself get too emotionally attached in your newly budding romance.

Let’s be realistic. For the GSP couples that decide to stay connected after the program ends, you will most likely be faced with the struggles of maintaining a long distance relationship. After all the giddiness and butterflies are gone, what’s left? Will you be able to sustain your relationship once you go your separate ways? You must consider that a long distance relationship takes effort and dedication. If you’re not prepared to invest a substantial amount of time and energy into the relationship then it’s probably best that you leave your significant other with a promise of friendship and to stay in touch along with the rest of your GSP companions. Even if you think that breaking things off will hurt your significant other’s feelings, it is much better to do so early. Prolonging the inevitable will only cause more heartbreak.

For the love-struck individuals who are up for the challenges of a long distance relationship, it is important to realize what you’re getting yourself into before you take the plunge. According to statisticbrain.com, 40% of long distance relationships end in a break up. How can you prevent your relationship from becoming part of that 40%? Along with commitment, communication is vital. Because you won’t be seeing each other face-to-face very often, you must find other means of keeping the relationship exciting. Take advantage of GSP scholars’ favorite means of communication: mail. Taking the time to write a letter is much more personal than sending a short-hand text message. However, use the capabilities of your smart phone and other technologies. Video chatting can provide a way to see your significant other without actually having to spend your hard-earned cash in order to travel x-amount of miles. But keep in mind, video chatting isn’t equivalent to face-to-face meetings. Schedule a few days every month to spend time with your significant other. This will also help fuel your relationship and create motivation to keep it going.

No matter which route you choose to pursue regarding your relationship, don’t let it define your GSP experience. It would be unfortunate to remember GSP for the dramatic turmoil of a summer fling rather than the once-in-a-lifetime moments you shared with your friends. Base your decision on what you believe will bring you the most happiness. Good luck!

Sources: http://www.statisticbrain.com/long-distance-relationship-statistics/

Aaron Thompson: The last but not least convocation

On Tuesday July 9th, the man from Eastern Kentucky that wears shoes and talks without an accent spoke to GSP scholars about paths to success. Aaron Thompson made valid points through humor and personal anecdotes.

Thompson’s first words as he walked on stage were ‘What’s the first thing you noticed about me when I walked on stage?’ To which, the scholars replied with simplistic, obvious physical characteristics from having a nice wrist watch to being African American. Aaron Thompson has a PhD in Sociology and enjoys evaluating stereotypes and diversity. I assume this is why he had such an odd introduction. However, it didn’t have the best effect, because the scholars already knew where he was from, what school he went to, and his career.

However, they didn’t know how he grew up with several siblings, an illiterate father, and a mother with nothing but an 8th grade education.

Aaron Thompson is living proof that you are your own motivation. He explained the difference between ignorance and stupidity matter-of-factly: “Ignorance is not knowing that you don’t know; stupidity is not caring that you don’t know.” Thompson said that there are four items that have a significant impact on your success: family, institution, community, and you.

One of Thompson’s stories taught the scholars just how important education is. His father, an illiterate coal-miner, barely scraped by trying to provide for his large family with nearly no income. Growing up like this, Thompson knew immediately he wanted change. He needed choices. Education is the only thing that will give you choices or comfort, according to Thompson.

Since education holds so much importance, so does the institution in which you learn and the community you live in. Thompson advises constant involvement in your community, so attend a college you like in a community you like.

You hold the most significance on your success, though. Growing up with responsibilities galore and uneducated parents, Thompson let nothing hold him back.

You are your own motivation. Anyone can inspire you, but you have to motivate yourself.

Pesty Petitioning

By Ryan Nichols

Our time here at the Governor’s Scholars Program at Morehead State University is running low and our lack of a curfew extension is shortening that time even more. A petition requesting signatures from scholars who support a curfew extension recently circulated throughout the campus. This extension consisted of adding 30 extra minutes to both the weekday and weekend curfews making our hall meetings on weekdays at 11:00 PM and on weekends at 11:30 PM.

The petition went under consideration for several days by administrators but was eventually shut down due to bad behavior from the scholars: administrators claim that they decided not to take any active action on the petition due to the increasing number of students late to class and falling asleep during class.

I see no direct correlation with curfew and sleepy scholars. The direct cause and effect I see is scholars staying up late in the privacy of their own dorm rooms, resulting in the students being late to class or groggy. Curfew only entails how late we are allowed to mingle with other scholars throughout campus on night perimeter. Curfew does not control the handful of people who decide to stay up all night and get very little sleep due to their own choosing.

Curfew could be at 6:00 PM and scholars would still be staying up all night in their room, waking up late for class, and then being dazed all day during class. Personally, I would be going to bed no more than 15 minutes later if the curfew was extended 30 minutes. I think the majority of scholars would relate to that statement.

However, there are some scholars who do not. Although the request for an extended curfew is agreed upon by the majority of the GSP community, there remains a handful of sleep-loving scholars who are not so keen on the idea. One scholar who chooses to remain anonymous stated, "An extended curfew means a later hall meeting. Because I can't go to bed until the end of hall meeting, I might potentially be robbed of an hour of sleep, as if I'm not exhausted enough from a packed day of activities."

In the history of GSP, curfew was almost always extended for scholars as the program reached the finish line. Whether it be by petition or the administration’s own doing, previous scholars and scholars currently on the Murray and Bellarmine campus already had or have a later curfew than the Morehead campus.

What seems to be the most frustrating thing about this decision by administrators is that they have reported that curfew may be extended if scholars get their act together in the next few days. This challenge was announced during all hall meetings on the night of July 16, 2013 and the program’s last night will be July 19, 2013. How many days is a few days when scholars only have 3 more days of curfew to follow? Is this condition even a doable challenge?

It appears that a handful of rowdy scholars is ruining the potential of a curfew extension. No matter what the curfew is, this elite group of students will be preventing the majority of scholars from reaching their desired goal of being with their newfound friends until the their last dying breath (also known as closing day).

Scholars remain hopeful that administration will hear the arguments specified and change their minds’ as we near the last nights of the program.

There's No Place Like Home...

By Danielle Poole

As the Governor’s Scholars Program is coming to a close here at Morehead State, many scholars are left with mixed emotions. “I’ve become so attached to the people I’ve met here, and I know I’ve made friendships that will last a lifetime, but I can’t wait to be back home with my family,” explains scholar Maddie Murrell. This sentiment is felt by many of the scholars; GSP has been a wonderful experience for everyone here, but five weeks is a long time to be away from home. As much as we have loved this program, the excitement is present in everyone to get back home and start their senior year of high school.

On the other hand, some scholars are completely excited and ready to be home. “I’m going to miss the people, but other than that I’m ready to go home,” states scholar Mackenzie Hagan. With GSP ending in just three short days, many scholars are feeling the pressure to make every minute count. Every second of free time we get is spent talking, laughing, and making new friends. With over 300 scholars here at MSU, it is impossible to have already met everyone. Scholars are continuing to make new friends, even as the program comes to a close. Although everyone hopes to keep in touch with the friends they have made, there is always that fear that you will never see or hear from the people you met here again, simply because they live all across the state of Kentucky. Therefore, students have been gathering contact information for every person they meet, pledging to “keep in touch” after the program ends.

While few scholars don't ever want to leave, many are ready to be back home. As upcoming seniors in high school, a lot of us have never been away from our families for this long before, making GSP a totally new experience. And, as much as we say we want to stay, everyone has at least a little bit of sadness from being away for so long. During this last week, every Resident Advisor, or RA, has been urging their scholars to get a step ahead and begin the packing process. As depressing as it seems, they urge that the last few nights are extremely busy, so scholars should start the move-out process early. On Saturday, July 20th, 2013 at promptly 9:00 AM, all scholars will take part in a graduation ceremony; officially becoming graduates and alumni of the Governor's Scholars Program.

What's the Idea?

By Carli Stuart

Here at the Governor’s Scholars Program, one of the three classes we are assigned to is a General Studies Course. Upon arriving at campus, many of the scholars were confused by the title of their General Studies. The faculty was encouraged to name their general studies class something that would make it virtually impossible for their students to predict what they would be learning about for the next five weeks. Some classes include “Are You What You Eat?”, “Let Me Give You a Hand”, and “Perchance to Dream”.

Personally, I was assigned to a class titled “What’s the Idea?” taught by one of our favorite faculty members here on campus, Deeno Goulding. On our first day of class, Deeno said the basis of what we would be studying was quantum physics, biotechnology and artificial intelligence. At first, these topics seemed rather school-esque and slightly underwhelming, but the class turned out to be nothing like I had predicted.

Deeno loved to keep us guessing, and he rarely ever told us exactly what we would be doing in that day’s class or the ones to come. But just a few days into the class, we began watching our first sci-fi movie. Now, I’ve never been one to be intrigued by the sci-fi world, and my sci-fi knowledge hardly extends over the Harry Potter series without even considering venturing into the Star Wars side of things. But, Deeno’s creative ideas and great taste in movies slowly developed my love for the world unknown, and potentially the world to come.

Soon we began watching movies like iRobot, and afterwards we would discuss the pros and cons of the artificial intelligence revolution and the probability of Will Smith actually having to save the human race from a bad batch of power-hungry robots. More recently, we viewed the X-men trilogy and Superman Returns, and we then split the class in to two teams debating which Comics Company has stronger superheroes, Marvel or DC?

As students who spend most of our time doing homework or thirsting for one more point on the ACT, it has been fun to take something as entertaining as Wolverine or Superman, and turn it into something educational. This class has sparked an interest for us as scholars to question the potential future of the nation that we may one day be leading, and it has also introduced many ideas and situations that we may not have previously considered.

Through this class, I’ve learned that quantum physics, biotechnology and artificial intelligence may sound boring and monotonous, but it all depends on the way you choose to learn about it. Deeno has created an environment where we can apply our intelligence to the ever popular sci-fi world, and he’s left it up to us to determine what exactly the “idea” may be.

Morehead Goes Fuzzy...Fuzzy Duck That is!

Scholars venture down into town to enjoy an ocassional cup of coffee or a delicious fruit smoothie while browsing the many books offerred here. Fuzzy Duck Coffeeshop in Downtown Morehead, KY.
Scholars venture down into town to enjoy an ocassional cup of coffee or a delicious fruit smoothie while browsing the many books offerred here. Fuzzy Duck Coffeeshop in Downtown Morehead, KY. | Source

"Soar with Eagles, Drink with Ducks"

By Meghan Dillon

As a scholar, I was excited to explore new things around my campus (Morehead State University in Morehead, KY) and the surrounding area. Little did I know that the exploration would be so delicious.

A week or two into the program, I began to hear rumors about a coffee shop called The Fuzzy Duck. Everyone who had been there was raving about it, so of course I was dying to go. When I had finally went, I was pleasantly surprised.

Inside, the shop was almost the epitome of a “hipster coffee shop” where poets and students alike go to unravel and contemplate the mystery of life and what to write for their term paper. As you come into the shop, a wall of different coffee beans confronts you, almost daring you to try to choose between them. A small bookshelf holds a multitude of t-shirts, in a multitude of colors and witty phrases.

In the very center of the room is the counter, where you can order from a myriad of different drink choices, including hot and frozen coffees, smoothies, and teas. To the left of the counter, you can choose from a number of bottled drinks, including name brand sodas and lemonades.

I was simply impressed, The Fuzzy Duck seemed to embody everything I loved about coffee shops. I chose a smoothie and a t-shirt, and settled comfortably into a table by the window.

After finishing my smoothie, I decided to look around some more.

That’s when I noticed a hallway lined with handmade coffee mugs leading back to another room. I decided to explore further.

At the end of the hallway, I found the entrance to a huge room filled with everything from comic books to novels to handmade skirts. It was a little overwhelming, and even more surprising. I would’ve never guessed this was there by looking at the entrance to the shop.

As I came to find out, the room I found was the housing place for Coffee Tree Books, an adjoining business with The Fuzzy Duck. As I looked around, I was fascinated by the space, which even included a stage in the back. Wow, this place really does have everything, I thought.

I explored even more, finding creative pens and headbands for sale, chairs for a more comfortable reading experience, and rows and rows of bookshelves. Finally, I decided I just had to get something to commemorate my experience. So, I went back to the display with the pens, and picked up a couple. I went up to the counter, purchased my pens, and walked out of the bookstore with a smile on my face.

My trip to The Fuzzy Duck was, needless to say, awesome. It completely lived up to the hype, and I highly suggest that anyone and everyone who can go, does.

Lets Get Technical

By Lusi Lukova

Recently, on Tuesday July 16th, was supposed to be a phenomenal day. Right from looking at the date, the 16th, and realizing we were celebrating the one month anniversary of our arrival on campus here at GSP Morehead, scholars were hopeful that the day would be memorable. Being a normal Tuesday, scholars had two sessions of General Studies classes and one session of Focus Area in the late afternoon. In all, it was a very laid-back day full of interesting things to do due to the varied schedule. However, scholars received a surprise event that Tuesday night as the Film Studies Focus Area announced that they would be screening their original short films promptly at 8:30pm!

There was not a single scholar on campus not excited to attend and see the three original, scholar-produced videos. The only scholars not in attendance were those that were actually away from campus and on a field trip elsewhere in Kentucky. However, I do have it on good account that many if not all, were disappointed that the two events were scheduled for the same night seeing as how they would have liked to attend both. Two of my hall-mates are in Film Studies and both were incredibly excited to get the opportunity to showcase their hard work and effort over the past five weeks in the form of film. One of those girls on my hall actually had the chance to go on the field trip but stated, “I am sad that I won’t be able to go, but I’m much more excited to be here! I can’t wait to show my film – it’s definitely worth missing the field for!”

That night, once Focus Area let out, almost all 350 scholars were gathered outside of Button Auditorium where the films would be played and anxiously awaited the doors to open so they could all file in. However, their patience soon ran thin as the hand on the clock slowly kept approaching the 8:30 mark and they still were not admitted into the auditorium. The heat last night was unbearable and each student waiting outside was sweltering, their clothes sticking to their damp skin. Not a single scholar knew the reason as to why no one was acting or telling them anything about what was happening. While all the RA’s and administrators were inside the cool, air-conditioned auditorium, the scholars were left to fester in the blistering heat, confused. As the mosquitoes attacked ferociously on all the innocent scholars, the clock ultimately reached the fateful hour of 8:30. Still, nothing happened. Suddenly, RA Rick Freeman emerged from inside the auditorium and spoke in his thundering voice, announcing that due to technical difficulties, the Film Studies showcase would have to be postponed to Thursday at the same time. An audible groan rippled through the crowd and catching up with scholar Meghan Dillon, she proclaimed, “I was really disappointed because I spent 20 minutes standing outside and just waiting. I was really excited to see the movies!”

It was a sad night on Morehead’s campus as scholars’ hope were lifted and then bitterly crushed. Yet, understanding that it was outside of anyone’s hands, they anxiously await Thursday’s premiere. I suppose the only real winners here are those lucky scholars who mistakenly thought they would miss the premiere by attending the field trip when, in fact, they are now fortunate enough to get to experience both!

Academic-Athletic Center to House Graduating Scholars

Scholars will walk across the stage here at the Academic-Athletic Center at Morehead State University upon completion of program.
Scholars will walk across the stage here at the Academic-Athletic Center at Morehead State University upon completion of program. | Source

The Pain in Packing

By Ashton Wasson

Just five short weeks ago, scholars were busy decorating rooms and putting away their clothes with the end of GSP out of sight and out of mind. Now, however, with GSP in its last week, it is time for the scholars to start the tedious task of packing for their return home. This is a rather dreary event that nevertheless proves necessary. Despite the necessity of packing, though, there are many scholars who may put off the opportunities to pack during the week since it serves as a reminder that our GSP experience is coming to an end. However, it is wise to remember the warnings of the RA’s who have reminded us that it is better to start early and have more time with fellow scholars at the end of the week then to put it off and stress on the last night or morning and have a late start to the drive home.

A late start isn’t the only reason scholars should be fully prepared to leave on closing day. There will also be a race for the elevators to get your luggage and fridge on first, so if scholars aren’t ready to save their ride down, they will most likely have to take the stairs to dispose of their suitcases in the car. Therefore, scholars should spend time packing now to avoid inconveniences later. Also, this will be the first time in three, or five, weeks that scholars will see their families again. You don’t want to start off your first conversation with them arguing due to your lack of preparation.

A lack of suitcases or space is no excuse for not being as prepared as possible, either. Though, packing may prove more difficult for those who have collected more possessions throughout these five weeks or whose parents took their suitcases home with them, there are still ways to be ready upon your parents’ arrival. For one, scholars can have their clothes folded and waiting to be packed away. Scholars can also have their drawers empty and have consolidated all of their belongings into one space so that they don’t have to be looking all over the room to make sure they have everything. Thus, once the suitcases arrive, their possessions can be easily put away with less stress.

In the end, packing now is a great decision which will help you enjoy your last few days here even more despite the fact that you may not want to go ahead and start. While looking at bare walls these last few days may be hard, you will be thankful that you got a head start on your packing later when you have adequate time to say your good-byes and have an early start to your ride home. Thus, everyone should go ahead and start on their packing because the time spent now will be well worth it later when the last night can be spent with fellow scholars and not stressed in the room over a suitcase.

A Talk with Aris

Aris Cedeno the Executive Director of the Governor's Scholars Program. On campus, Aris leads the once-weekly leadership colloquims gicing advice to scholars on how to better suceed in life.
Aris Cedeno the Executive Director of the Governor's Scholars Program. On campus, Aris leads the once-weekly leadership colloquims gicing advice to scholars on how to better suceed in life. | Source

Aris Gives Advice to Scholars

By Brian Tsavolakis

The last of our leadership colloquiums was held by the executive director of the GSP program, Aris Cedeno. His presentation was about interviews and how to take what was learned during GSP back home with you.

With such serious topics, one would expect the presentation to feel long and dull, but his sense of humor lightened the mood and made the presentation quite enjoyable. Using the scholars as examples in his interviews, Aris made the presentation more interactive and engaging which allowed the scholars to take more away from the colloquium.

Also, his blunt honesty about factors that play into who gets the job after the interviews was eye opening. He said physical things that stand out to the interviewer could cause them to remember the interviewee for their appearance rather than the answers they gave. Realizing that no matter how qualified you are for the job, there is still a chance that someone less qualified may get the job is upsetting yet the truth. He also gave us important ways to prepare for interviews and tips for what to do during the interview.

Aris is an interesting, intelligent, and entertaining man who I believe truly cares about the scholars and the future of Kentucky. Of all the colloquiums, I enjoyed his the most!

#noYOLO

By Mackenzie Hagan

With all this excitement and anxiety filling the air in the last few days of the Governor Scholars Program this summer, it would be a lie to say that some scholars may begin thinking with the "YOLO" mentality (You Only Live Once). Afraid of missing out on something, some may begin breaking rules to have fun: bad idea.

We have been told repeatedly that "you can be kicked out the day before graduation." Some believe that this is just to scare us into perfect behavior and cautious thought...just a precautionary warning...

THIS IS NO JOKE

THINK BEFORE YOU ACT

A reliable source has informed me that Charlie Meyers has asked the faculty and staff of this campus to crack down, allowing no unruly actions to "slip through the cracks." The "live with no regrets" mentality is popular here, but in certain areas, this mindset may not be one to apply. We as scholars have accumulated friendships accompanied by thousands of dollars in potential scholarships along the way. Is that really something you are willing to give up just to have some "fun"?

I am not telling you to not live out these last moments to your very best capability. But I am telling you to think before you act.

Keep Calm and Carry on GSP....literally.

This has been an amazing summer, filled with memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. Please don't throw everything we have accomplished as a community away. Obey perimeter, don't take curfew for granted, leave lobbies and sidewalks looking better than how you found them, and embrace everyone in this program with respect and adoration. Those tips are truly the key to finding yourself receiving your diploma and shaking Charlie's hand this upcoming Saturday.

Replace YOLO with YOGTOODSIU..

You only get this opportunity once, don't screw it up.

Scholars Give Back

The GSP Blood Drive was through the Kentucky Blood Center and gave scholars an opportunity to donate blood and give to those in dire need of transfusions.
The GSP Blood Drive was through the Kentucky Blood Center and gave scholars an opportunity to donate blood and give to those in dire need of transfusions. | Source

Bleeding Love: GSP Blood Drive

By Sarah Smith

On Friday, July 12th hundreds of scholars and staff donated blood at the GSP Blood Drive held in Button Auditorium. The Blood Bank traveled to Morehead State University and set up shop to allow for GSP residents to continue their donating ways or to give for the very first time. I was part of the majority, donating for the first time in my life.

I approached the auditorium feeling nervous, but also very excited. I’d had blood taken before for medical reasons, but never had it been in the amount as large as it was about to be. Being rather small, I followed all precautions throughout the day such as eating a lot and staying hydrated to avoid my biggest fear: passing out. I entered the room and sat down waiting to go through all of the procedures prior to the actual donation. I gave my personal information, answered a bubble sheet, checked my blood pressure, and then checked my iron. After being accepted I moved to the section of seats waiting to be called to a table to donate.

Getting relaxed and mentally prepared in my seat I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find one of my best friends pale faced and a little shaky. She immediately states, “Worst blood-giving experience of my life!” I inquire why and she proceeds to relay the story of her passing out. This immediately brought me back to my nervous feeling considering she had given blood in her past and been perfectly fine, it hadn’t been her first rodeo.

As my friend went to sit down I hear, “SARAH!” I sigh, stand up, and slowly walk to the woman holding a clip board with my information on it. She escorts me to a table, sits me down, and examines my veins. During that process, a man wearing scrubs carries a large amount of equipment to my table and starts to plug things in.

All along these sequences of events I keep repeating to myself, “try new things”, “venture out”, “you’ll only regret things you didn’t do.” All of those being things that I had heard while being at GSP, I sat there quietly waiting for further instruction.

The man was very nice and went on with procedure and after everything got started, he frequently checked on me to make sure I was doing well. The entire time I kept checking myself for the symptoms that my friend described in detail to me just a few minutes earlier. Just as I was feeling confident that these things weren’t going to happen to me, the nice young man approaches my table and states, “You’re all finished!” He continued to unplug everything with precaution and unhooked me from the machines. He read me a list of things to do and not to do and I proceeded to the table of snacks nearby.

Later on that day I looked back thinking how happy I was to have experienced something new that was also beneficial to other people. Saving three peoples’ lives is kind of a big deal and wouldn’t be possible without citizens such as myself. Overall, the blood drive here at MSU GSP 2013 was a huge success and now everyone who donated blood is in a drawing to receive a 2013 Prius!

Next time you get the opportunity to donate blood, take it. Even if you’ve never done it before, the reward will be greater than the small amount of pain it takes. As Leona Lewis says, "Keep bleeding love!"

What To Expect When You're... Applying.

By Madelyn Murrell

On Sunday evening, July 14, 2013 the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars at Morehead State University had the opportunity to ask questions and get a clearer idea about applying for college with four financial aid professionals here in Kentucky. The set-up of the convocation was very casual; the speakers were seated in chairs across the stage and they briefly introduced themselves before opening up the floor. Hands flailed into the air as many enthusiastic scholars were ready with questions about scholarships and opportunities available to them. Many of the up-coming seniors were overwhelmed and confused about the application process that they will have to begin in the fall.

“I know that I have to apply for college, but that’s where my knowledge ends. I have no idea when or how to even begin the college application process,” says scholar Danielle Poole. A majority of the students in this program are feeling the exact same emotions, but the financial aid professionals tried their best to come to the rescue Sunday evening. They were very eager to answer any questions and they even stayed afterwards to talk to more students one-on-one. They offered websites that would be for our benefit and they also provided tips and advice that we wouldn't have had otherwise. “The convocation was very beneficial and I feel better prepared to start applying for scholarships and schools I’m interested in,” says Sam Stevens.

The topics of concern among scholars dealt with schools “stacking” scholarships, in what ways being a Governor’s Scholar enhanced our opportunities, and how we could easily find scholarships to apply for. Although a lot of the answers that were received were vague and answered incompletely, it did allow students to start thinking about the steps that need to be taken to successfully apply for college.

The speakers encouraged scholars to dive right into the application process as soon as we settle back in to our lives at home and to have at least one application completed and submitted to a school by Halloween Day. The goal to have one application done by October 31 doesn't seem too indimidating, but now is definitely the time to get off to a great start!

Four Hours and 49 Acts: MSU GSP's Last (And Best) Showcase

By Jarrod Foushee

July 12’s showcase fulfilled its reputation for being GSP’s biggest and best showcase. It is truly difficult to determine where to start coverage on it as well as which acts to mention. In my opinion, out of the four hours it took to watch those 49 acts, not a single second was wasted.

Evan Harper and Mac Hall gave a memorable show with their rendition of Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend.” Erik Vokoun and Jordan Gregory displayed acting talent by performing a brief scene from Beauty and the Beast, before Erik sang the song from the same musical titled “If I Can’t Love Her.” Katie Hager and later Devon Hurley stood out to me as vocal performers, not solely because of the vocal performance itself (though these were good), but because of the deft way in which they managed to be present on the whole stage, smiling into the crowd, strutting in circles and dancing as they sang, like well-practiced stars. With Jacob Williams accompanying, Sarah Bryan gave perhaps one of the most stirring vocal performances in the entirety of this summer’s showcases with Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Ray. This song was recently popularized by the film The Great Gatsby, and Sarah exceeded expectations; I felt that in many ways the passion and soul that she expressed in her performance matched or exceeded that of the original.

There were also more full-band acts in this showcase than previous ones: The Music People and Crystal played Of Monsters and Men’s smash hit Little Talks, complete with the trumpet playing of Summer Sneed and piano talent of Marcus Schwarting, one of the few musicians to have performed in all four of the summer’s showcases. In one of the most crowd-pleasing performances of the night, Suspicious Bacon played The White Stripe’s 7 Nation Army. I especially enjoyed the short but enjoyable guitar solo from Aaron Mueller as the song built up to its standing-ovation conclusion.

The violin, like the cello, is in my mind one of the most perfect of the world’s many instruments, and I was not at all disappointed when I heard Isaiah Kang and Jacob Williams playing a violin-piano duet titled “B Rosette.” Although he has refrained from solo performance, pianist “Baby Jake” Jacob Williams has performed more prolifically than any other individual in showcase, taking the stage five times in our last showcase alone, as well as multiple times in past weeks. However, we still saw plenty of solo piano talent between Joseph Gearon and Nelson Ng, who performed, respectively, Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” (this latter song is a personal favorite of mine; it was done justice by Mr. Ng).

The night’s dancers were the most numerous and crowd-pleasing of the 49 acts, as several halls organized their own dances independently and cooperatively. Floor Nine’s “Line Dance” and Patamatas’ “Indian Dance” (which was indeed coordinated by Bhavik, an Indian) were fun and crowd-engaging. Excuse the H8ters gave an intense performance, complete with all kinds of flips and jumps. The Flood and Flash Flood both gave hysterical and impressive performances; The Flood interpretively danced and sang “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic, featuring a clarinet disguised as a flute for what is actually the famous whistle melody of the song, and Flash Flood performed arguably the most intense dance routine of the summer, jumping and flipping to the Backstreet Boys’ “Bye Bye Bye” and culminating finally in a move generally reserved for cheerleaders and professional dance groups: the week-old dance team threw one of its members over twenty feet into the air and caught him. I can say it was one of the most shocking and awesome things I have ever seen done live. Standing apart from the group dancers are tap dancers Madeline Fuller and Peyton Thomas. Tap dancing is just one of those skills that looks as hard as it probably is, and though I am no expert, they made it look easy.

This week also saw the advent of comedy in showcase. Teddy Woods, with one of the most entertaining Southern accents known to my ears, told a humorous story about a remarkably isolated man who watched a game of football without knowing that it was indeed football, or a game, but was under the impression it was a fight. The Scholar Update took jab after hilarious jab at the RAs in an imitation of the RA update, and RA showcase hosts Rick and Madeline (and later scholar Jacob Redwine and friends) made entertaining satire out of most of the other showcase acts, as well as themselves.

After four hours of sitting in the front row seat, watching performance after performance intently (and performing myself on two occasions) I was absolutely exhausted and ready for bed, as were most of those surrounding me, but I would suggest that the sleep deprivation and late curfew was well worth it. I will truly miss the GSP showcases; they have been some of the best events of my life. I will return to my school in the fall with the hope of establishing such a routine performance opportunity for my peers, and recommend the same for all other young performers.

Not Your Average Convocation

Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson stopped by GSP's Morehead campus to speak with scholars and express his gratefulness about the program. Through his speech, he encouraged every scholar to work towards giving back to the state of Kentucky.
Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson stopped by GSP's Morehead campus to speak with scholars and express his gratefulness about the program. Through his speech, he encouraged every scholar to work towards giving back to the state of Kentucky. | Source

Lt. Gov. Promotes Youth Voice

By Brian Tsavolakis and Lusi Lukova

A recent weekly convocations led by Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson was very compelling to many of the scholars. His positive attitude and blunt honesty about the future of Kentucky gave new insight into what needs to be done to make Kentucky a better place.

He spoke very honestly about the current state of politics and how the youth of Kentucky have a voice and need to stand up if we want to make a change. If we all come together to promote a common interest, then the youth of Kentucky can make a positive impact sooner rather than later. He said, “We need to play to the strengths that bring us together.”

During the convocation, he also mentioned finding a career path that interests us. He said, “Whatever you are going to do, have a passion for it. If not, then it’s just a job.” Even though you have probably heard that a million times, in a thousand different ways, the more times it’s put into your head, the better chance you have of pursuing a career that you’ll enjoy.

Abramson quoted the famous playwright G.B. Shaw: “Some people see things as they are and ask ‘why?’ and then there are dreamers who dream things that never were and ask ‘why not?’” This drove the ball home by pushing us to be dreamers rather than cynical “residents” who sit and complain about how things are instead of going out and making a difference.

ASSASSINS: You find out who your friends are

By Sam Stevens

A particular community-wide activity has had the majority of scholars peeking over their shoulders in a constant state of paranoia.

The name of the game is Assassins. The game began with just over 250 scholars, each assigned a name of a fellow participant on a white slip of paper. The name printed on the paper is who the scholar is assigned to "kill". A "murder" consists of the scholar hitting his or her target in the back of the head usaing the slip of paper with the target's name printed on it. Assassinations have proved to be rather entertaining to witness and have become the buzz of the campus.

To any common outsider of the GSP Morehead community, he or she may experience quite some confusion when they overhear a conversation in reference to the game. "Have you killed him yet?" ... "Don't worry she's not a very fast runner." ... "Just stake out in front of the cafeteria and kill him tonight." You can imagine how such remarks may cause an outsider quite some suspicion.

From the original 255 "killers" numbers have dwindled, slowing as the weeks go on. The latest update reported just 15 scholars left. There's a multitude of ways in which someone goes about eliminating their target. Startegies we have witnessed have been the all-out cheetah/antelope foot race, hiding behind corners of buildings, and of course the sneak-attack. Friendships have been betrayed, alliances have been broken, and liars have ultimately prevailed. RA Nick Beasmore introduced the game to the campus and admits he's "never seen any group take the game so seriously." The game is one of hard feelings and you'll have to step on a few toes if you're in it to win it.

I'm proud to say that I am one of the remaining 15 along with co-writer Sarah Smith. "I'm just happy to still be alive," Smith concedes. With only 2 more full days of the program it will undoubtedly be interesting to see how the game ends, if it even does.

Rumors suggest that on the last full day of GSP here at Morhead, Nick will be coordinating an end to the game by placing the remaining assassins in an "arena" and initiating a free-for-all until one victor remains standing.

The game of Assassin has been a primary source of entertainment here on the Morehead campus. Stay tuned to hear how the game concludes.

Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky

This photo was taken during the Works Progress Administration and is now in the public domain because of its age and because it is part of a former federal program.
This photo was taken during the Works Progress Administration and is now in the public domain because of its age and because it is part of a former federal program. | Source

Kentucky History Tidbit: The Similarities Between Scholars and the Pack Horse Librarians

By Madelyn Murrell

The Great Depression of our country in the late 1920’s hit the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky especially hard. The families that lived in foothills of the rugged mountains struggled to maintain their health and quality of life. These poor, rural areas were totally isolated from the outside world; they didn’t receive any news on current events, nor were they able to enrich their lives with learning and obtaining an education. The president at the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and his passionate companion, Eleanor, decided to do act on this issue.

Roosevelt’s administration had already created many different “New Deal” reforms to get America back on its feet. The Works Progress Administration was one of those that employed millions of unemployed Americans to carry out and perform public service jobs. Through this agency, Eleanor and FDR employed a group of young men and women who was referred to as the “Pack Horse Librarians.” This group of dedicated riders was paid an average salary to trek through the Appalachian Mountains to provide its residents with the gift of knowledge.

Because of this project, thousands of Kentuckians were able to stay up-to-date with current events, entertain themselves with magazine s of their interest, and study textbooks to continue their education. The Pack Horse Librarians became known for being hugely successful in their endeavors to reach out to the underdeveloped region. Their service thrived and was greatly appreciated by all of the enthusiastic recipients until the WPA was dismantled in 1943 and the Pack Horse project was discontinued as a result.

While being in the Governor’s Scholars Program, a certain trend is becoming evident. As scholars, we are encouraged to take up leadership roles and take pride in our beautiful commonwealth. It is often promoted in convocations, classrooms, etc. to attend college in-state and to invest into Kentucky through leadership and compassion throughout our lives. I have to say, I love the fact that an aspect of GSP is learning about being an active citizen in our state. This reminds me of how the Pack Horse Librarians and the WPA took the initiative to reach out to the rural regions of eastern Kentucky to enrich the lives of the ones living there. And that is exactly what we as scholars should strive to do in every region of Kentucky.


Stress, Stress, and more Stress

By Grant Wassom

Recently 350 plus scholars piled into the college fair held on campus here at Morehead State University. Colleges from all over the state came to promote their school as one worth attending. The fair proved to be a superb opportunity for scholars to get to know each college and what that college has to offer. As scholars walked from booth to booth their opinions on each school swayed significantly. Sam Stevens, who previously had his mind set on attending Western Kentucky, shared his thoughts on the college fair as a whole. “Prior to attending the fair I thought for certain that I would end up at Western; however, the fair opened my eyes to see that there are other great schools out there that fit me well. After learning more about each school I have added Louisville, Centre, and Murray State to my list of schools I’m considering. I’m starting to understand that I need to be more opened minded when it comes to making a big decision such as choosing the college I’ll be attending the next four years,” said Stevens. Stevens was one of many who felt this way. Not only was this a great opportunity for students to learn they may be interested in a school; it was also a great opportunity for students to rule out colleges that they thought they may have interest in attending. “After attending the fair I have come to the conclusion that two out of my top five college choices are not actually a good fit for me after all. After a more in depth look I have realized those two schools I thought I was interested do not have anything to offer that is beneficial to me. Fortunately, I found two new schools that are good fits for me that I was not previously considering before attending the fair,” says JB Chadwell, scholar here at Morehead. Students are not the only ones who benefited from the college fair; the fair was also a beneficial to the colleges.


When you put 355 of Kentucky’s brightest high school students on one campus, they are guaranteed to attract the attention of colleges. Colleges are thirsty for Governor Scholars, using all sorts of propaganda trying to persuade scholars to attend their school. Representative of Northern Kentucky University, Sandy Jackson shared her thoughts on the college fair. “The fair provides an excellent opportunity for us, as a college, to appeal to each scholar’s senses. This is our favorite fair of the year because scholars are the kids we seek after the most. Scholars are always well versed and add character to whichever university they attend; that’s why we desire to have them.”


It is clear that the college fair proved to be beneficial to all parties providing both insight for students and the opportunity for colleges to plead their case that they are the best fit for scholars. All in all, the college fair turned out to be a success.

An Eventful, and Rainy, Field Trip

Students brace rain on a field trip, finding alternative and even comical methods of shielding themselves from the pelting drops.
Students brace rain on a field trip, finding alternative and even comical methods of shielding themselves from the pelting drops.

Superheroes in School Bus

By Mackenzie Hagan

@mlhagan_22

It was a rainy Wednesday afternoon when heroism took over a Rowan County school bus filled with sleep deprived Governor Scholars.

As the rain came down, umbrellas went up...inside of the bus. No explanation is truly needed, but here it goes anyway.

We assumed the bus lacked defrost when the windows were fogging up much faster than the students could rub it away with their sleeves. When the bus driver's window became exposed to the insane fogging...that is when the situation got real.

The only solution would be to pull over and wait for weather to pass, right?

Wrong. The proper solution was obviously to roll down the windows as the pelting raindrops forced themselves in through the cracks of windows, soaking sleeping scholars and relaxed, newspaper-reading faculty (Lynn). Lynn's mellowed demeanor and headstrong facing of the violent rain set the tone for the rest of the bus' passengers.

Scholars like Grant Wassom, Sam Stevens, and JB Chadwell were forced to cuddle close under a few umbrellas as they received the brunt of the rain in the two back seats of the bus.

Heroism has never been displayed as well as when a dozen scholars found themselves playing games to pass the time and avoid rushing waters that now ensued upon the feet of passengers. Umbrellas were up, and so were scholar spirits as the Rowan County bus sped down the interstate.

Safe and sound, the scholars all returned to the Morehead State Campus eager to share their experience with others.

Who knew that umbrellas, snorkels, and goggles could have come in handy on a bus.

Raining On Our Parade

By Meredith Ledford

If you were anywhere near Central Kentucky on the Fourth of July you would understand Scholars’ disappointment when the rain kept the celebration away. There were no fireworks to be seen and the parade that was planned for the Governor’s Scholars Program students at Morehead State University was cancelled.

Scholars spent their morning preparing to march across campus showing their American Pride. Each General Studies class was provided an assortment of supplies for the occasion. One of the objects was a bed sheet. Some class decided to paint the sheet and make a large poster. One class cut a hole in the center of the sheet and made a float with a student in the center acting as the Statue of Liberty. Students painted faces, dressed in red, white, and blue and were ready to go.

However, the unpredictable weather of Kentucky showed its strength and the rain came down. The parade couldn’t go on. GSP staff decided that the event would have to be moved.

There was a “cookout” in a gym on campus and a few days later there was a Red, White, and Blue themed dance. But not everyone was excited about how the Fourth of July unfolded. Many students said that this is their favorite holiday every year. Having no fireworks or large celebration was a big disappointment to them. They were used to spending a day on the lake or a party with their family and friends. So it was a little bit of a different feeling w0hen the rain kept everyone inside. It may not have topped the list of favorite Fourth of Julys for some people but it was still one to remember.

We can say that the parade did occur. The first ever GSP Eighth of July Parade was held and it was a hit. While it wasn’t on the national holiday scholars still cheered, sang, and paraded across the Morehead campus. Even employees of Morehead State came out of their offices and enjoyed the parade. It will always be a story scholars will tell of their days at GSP.

GSP Showcase: Round 3

By Jarrod Foushee

July 5th’s showcase saw another increase in the number and diversity of student talents. Many returning singers and musicians were joined by new ones on new instruments, and hall dances as a closing act are becoming a tradition in showcase.

There were too many great vocal performances to mention in one article, as well as performances from a full band. Such bands included John and the Mignon Phenomenon performing “Hey Jude,” Scantron Effect’s “Mad World” and Baby Jake & da Music Kids’ playing “Bohemian Rhapsody.” One of the singers that has, over the course of the past two showcases, become one of my personal favorites is Andrea Bomkamp, who performed “Vegas” this week. Her singing and piano playing just have that sort of big, 1920’s city soul to them. Erik Vokoun also gave an impressive performance with “Stars” from Les Miserables.

As with the vocalists, talented musicians were too numerous to name. In his first showcase appearance, Logan Disney delivered a unique solo guitar performance of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.” Cellists Ophelia Vedder and Claire Lyon gave great first performances- though I am partial to cello, simply because I think that it produces one of the most beautiful sounds on Earth. The clarinet trio of Ada Pariser, Christian Apel and Ben Finch played together tastefully and lyrically. Pianist Marcus Schwarting gave another astounding performance, this time blindfolded, further emphasizing his near-mastery of the instrument at so young an age. I’m interested to see how astounding his abilities will be in another twelve years, or another thirty. Adrick Tench also gave an impressive returning performance, simply improvising a drum solo as he went. The wildly popular saxophone prodigy Patrick Nnoromele also performed a jazzy improvisation, and I again find myself wondering, “if he’s this good now, how amazing will he be by the time he’s had decades of practice?”

Dancing is now standing on its own as a major division of showcase performers. Hall-wide group dance acts such as 2 Hallz and #girlsteam13 brought hype to the showcase, and Mackenzie Weiland’s Irish dancing was as impressive an act of percussion music as it was dance.

As always, however, there were genre-busters. Only two acts in this showcase defied qualification, and they were the performances of Lukas Dziatkowski and Club de Espanol. No one knew what to expect when pineapple-enthusiast Lukas walked out on stage, and when he began to rap Kanye West’s song “Gold Digger,” the roar of approval from the audience was deafening. Using only the laughter of his peers and his quirky facial expressions to back up his rapping, Lukas became an immediate crowd favorite. The Club de Espanol started out with a single, silent mariachi guitarist, and quickly elevated into a struggle among the GSP higher powers. The performance was reminiscent of a similar act given by Harry Potter puppets.

I feel that events such as showcase should be held often in regular schools, as they have already shown us amazing talents that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. Showcase 3 was a certain success, and I am excited for showcase 4 on July 12th.

Trey Grayson: An Engaging Speaker

In another addition of GSP Convocations, scholars were graced by the presence of Trey Grayson who came to speak about the importance of life lessons. Photo by Gage Skidmore
In another addition of GSP Convocations, scholars were graced by the presence of Trey Grayson who came to speak about the importance of life lessons. Photo by Gage Skidmore | Source

Republican Defends DOMA

By Alecia Johnson

On Monday, July 1, 2013, former Kentucky Secretary of State, Trey Grayson spoke to over 350 scholars in the Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program at Morehead State University.

After sharing stories of failure and success and teaching valuable life lessons, he opened up for some Q&A. Interestingly enough, when Grayson opened the floor for questions, he quickly slipped in "... and feel free to ask about DOMA" (the recently overturned Defense of Marriage Act). He talked about living in Massachusetts with his wife and two daughters. He said his favorite president is Reagan and his least favorite is Carter. Finally, a scholar inquired about his thoughts on the DOMA results the previous week.

Section three of DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, was found "unconstitutional" by the Supreme Court under the "equal protection" laws. This means that gay and lesbian marriages have to be recognized federally.

Although Section three of DOMA was shot down, it found most of its support in the conservative Republican Party.

Trey Grayson is a Republican.

However, in front of over 350 strangers, Trey Grayson admitted for the first time that he is glad DOMA got overturned. He says that America is taking small steps to a better future and predicts that same-sex marriage will be legalized across the United States in just a few years.

Week 2 Showcase A Success

By Jarrod Foushee

The second GSP showcase took place at 7:00 P.M. on Friday, June 29th in Button Auditorium. Thirty-four scholars (although, regrettably, no RAs or staff) performed in twenty-five diverse acts, from musical feats to theatrical speeches to controversial dancing.

There was no shortage of impressive vocal performance; standout acts include Will Wallace’s vocal/guitar performance of “Dancing Shoes,” Andrea Bomkamp’s piano/ vocal performance of “Broadway Here I Come,” and Ivy Parson’s vocal performance of “Black Horse and a Cherry Tree.” Sarah Spalding also gave a truly operatic performance with “Sebben Crudele, and crowd favorite Isaiah Kang, accompanied by Luke Landis, performed Bruno Mar’s “When I was Your Man” to thunderous applause.

Instrumental talent was also in no small supply that night. All of us will likely remember Marcus Schwarting’s eloquent piano performance of “Wedding Day’ as better than one may think possible for a musician of such young age, and AJ Adkinson’s smooth, sweet and sultry saxophone playing on “Syrinx” took us back to a New Orleans club in the height of the jazz revolution, in which we was wearing a black turtleneck and had a full goatee.

Then, as always in the world of show business, there are those acts which defy categorization. Erik Vokoun gave a moving theatrical performance of a speech titled “To This Day,” and Samir Gadre took the stage to read some of his original haikus. Nolan Phillips gave a very unique and memorable performance with his ability to rap in Spanish at high velocity. Then, in the last (and most controversial) performance of the night, The Boyz, a six-man dance group, entertained the crowd with their energetic dancing, removing their shirts to the dismay of some of the RAs. Although no dire punishment has been issued for what could be seen as very improper in such an environment as that of GSP, The Boyz will be barred from performing at any more showcases.

To Err Is Mandatory: Why You Should Give Yourself A Chance in the Final GSP 2013 Showcase

By Jarrod Foushee

“The terror of performing never goes away. Instead, you get very, very comfortable being terrified.”

-Eric Whitacre, composer

Few performers of any variety, be it music, comedy, theatre, sports, motivational speaking, or any other denomination of public self-exhibition were not, at the very beginning of their performance career or any time since, absolutely terrified of the fact that they were about to be at the center of attention of a large number of people. That any person with any skill at anything could be able to stand before a large gathering of people, some familiar, many strange, and reproduce their passion for the group without even the slightest trembling or psychological distress borders upon the absurd to me. Stage fright is a reaction to the knowledge that a performer’s actions on stage could affect the way they are seen by the people in the audience, and to the consequent fear of making a mistake in the performance itself or in any number of other factors on stage, which can result in different physical culminations depending upon the individual feeling it; it is so common that almost all successful performers will admit to feeling it.

What does this mean to you? Well, you see, I bet you’re good at something. You may be the only person in the world who is good at it, and this may be grounds for calling it insignificant or uninteresting, but it can hardly be either if you’ve put in the time to be good at it. That said, I also bet that you would be quite frightened if you had to exhibit your talent on a stage for an audience. And I understand that. What I hope to do is explain why stage fright is normal, why it is hard to get over, and why you should fight it anyway.

I performed solo for the first time last winter. It was my school’s Tri-M (Music Honor Society)’s induction banquet, and all inductees were required to perform. I played the song I performed at GSP’s first showcase, Tamacun by Rodrigo y Gabriela. I was included near the end of the program. I watched the other terrified inductees perform, clapped for them all, and when my time came, grabbed my guitar and took to the stage. My entire family, my significant other and her family, and several friends with their families were in the audience. Now, I was excited to perform to be sure, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t terrified. I took the last deep breath and started to play, but no sound came out. I was so nervous that my hands were shaking to the point that I could not hold down a string. I was visibly trembling, and it was obvious to the audience. Nevertheless, I tried again, and it started working, and it was going pretty smoothly, until- I forgot the entire song mid-chorus. Another deep breath. I regrouped, got my bearings and trudged on. They clapped when I was done, but I was sure it was only out of politeness. I had not a single positive feeling to apply to my memory of the performance. What I quickly realized, however, was that regardless of all of that, I had had an absolute blast anyway.

I performed again at my school’s arts exhibition (four times, actually), and again at the year’s second Tri-M banquet, and again for the school talent show. Each time, the shaking subsided a little; each time I felt a little more comfortable than the last. I was equally terrified each time (I still had no desire to make mistakes or taint my friend’s perceptions of me), but I had come to expect that. The more it happened, the more I welcomed it. By the time of my performances in the GSP showcases, I had become so fond of performing that I was able to refine my stage fright and separate it from my excitement or the quality of my performance. Of course, I’m by no means even close to being an adept performer because of this, you probably remember several mistakes I’ve made from all of my performances, and yes, they were from the uncontrollable shaking that is induced in me as a part of stage fright. That doesn’t mean, however, that they weren’t some of my favorite experiences in GSP.

Malcolm Gladwell, in his book “Outliers,” establishes a “10,000 Hour Rule,” which postulates that it takes 10,000 total hours of focused practice to truly master… Well, anything. A clear performance example given in the book is that of The Beatles: before they had achieved any kind of fame, they were just another band. They would fly out of Liverpool to Hamburg, Germany (where there was not a mob of frenzied fans awaiting them) and perform for 8 hours a night for more than 200 nights a year, and by the time they began their rise to fame, they had already spent over 10,000 hours honing their stage performance. Jon Bon Jovi, Brad Paisley and Lady Gaga had all been practicing for years when they hit it big, so that their stage fright was simply tied off and left backstage.

Again, what does this mean to you? Well, they all started somewhere. Every star has that awkward first high school talent show performance, or less-than-glorious small-club show. No one was born prepared to perform, and rarely is a person ready to perform when they find themselves doing it for the first time.

Moreover, as I said, I bet that you’re good at something. More moreover, I bet that if you were to exhibit it onstage in the fourth and final GSP 2013 showcase, your fellow scholars would be very entertained by it. I am hardly saying that we would expect a perfect performance, but it would be a start. We’re all still young, we understand that opportunities for performance are few and far between, so anything from a hiccup to an excuse-me-may-I-start-over level mistake will be understood, not looked down upon. Even if you don’t think your talent is interesting, you would be surprised at how well it would be received, especially in this community. In my own experience, and according to audience members, my mistakes have been the most memorable part of all of my performances. Just laugh at them; the audience will laugh with you, and march on.

It is my fervent belief that everyone who has talent deserves to let it be seen by the public. It would be a near-disservice to this public if a talented musician or actor or comedian or card stacker or plate thrower or fire eater or duck trainer were to confine the practice of their ability to the exclusivity of their home. Talent exists to be shared.

Now, I would like to make one last point clear: most of this article is based on the assumption that performing is fun, as many, if not most, people find it to be after overcoming the initial stage fright. If you do not enjoy performing, if you practice your passion in the quiet confines of your own space solely for your own personal satisfaction, that’s great. I don’t want you to feel pressured to perform for someone else’s sake. In fact, more power to you, for pursuing your interest out of individuality, not a desire to impress people or get popular.

I have just found that, more commonly than not, people who give performance a shot find it to be one of the most rewarding chances they’ve taken. I know that’s how I feel. It is also the reason that I recommend that you give yourself a chance to perform in our final showcase. I bet you’ll be surprised, and that you’ll enjoy it. I bet you’ll be good at it.

Declaration of the Responsibilities of the Performer

By Jarrod Foushee

You will likely know, at this point, that when you find yourself as an audience member in a performance environment, it is widely considered your responsibility to be, at the very least, respectful and appreciative of the performer at any given time. I consider this to be the truth, but there is something to be expected in return for this respect. In a previous article, I advocated that everyone should give themselves a chance to perform, but with the stipulation that they be at least good at what they do.

There is no specific criterion for “good,” no way to truly define what any performer owes an audience, but I hope to provide a useful guideline.

The foremost piece of information that a potential performer should consider is that you perform in a small window, not a wide panorama. That is to say that what the random audience member sees, the stranger who doesn’t know anything of you, should be duly considered; regardless of specific circumstance, amount of practice, unpredictable setbacks or unchangeable disadvantages, the audience member hopes for an entertaining or meaningful performance. The person who takes the stage is, however briefly, seen less as so complex a human being and more as a simple entertainer, and should be conscious of such. The ideal performer would do their best to entertain an audience in the understanding that said audience has no way of knowing the misfortunes that may have befallen the performer.

Allow me to present a hypothetical story. It is about me. I have been playing guitar for around eight months. I have theoretically learned a new song, though I can execute it with moderate mistakes at best. I could be much better, but I neglect to practice so I can watch a movie every night. I get an opportunity to perform and accept it elatedly. I am excited to perform, but I make no change to my practice habits. I give my performance and, being reasonably nervous, give a shaky, mistake-ridden performance. The audience claps, but they clearly feel awkward.

Another hypothetical story- I have now been playing guitar for two years and am relatively adept at playing several songs. I have an opportunity to perform in my county fair's talent show, and practice sufficiently to be prepared for it. On the day preceding the evening of the performance, I discover that my mother is in the hospital with a broken leg. She will be fine, but it is still distressing news, for obvious reasons. My performance displays this distress whole-heartedly: I am clearly absent-minded and make myriad mistakes, and do not make it far into the song before losing control and giving up, leaving a confused audience staring at an empty stage.

Now, it is perfectly understandable to be distressed when a loved one is hurt and everyone who has been playing guitar for twenty years was at some point a hapless beginner. However, does any audience necessarily deserve to be held accountable for these problems? I make no argument for insensitivity for the feelings of the performer (I am as commonly a performer as an audience member), simply for understanding and empathy with the audience. It is important for a beginner in anything to realize that it takes time to get good enough at anything to make an entertaining performance; it should not hurt their feelings to be discouraged from performing because they are still too new, this simply suggests that more time and practice is necessary, not that the beginner is in any way insufficient or substandard.

As stated earlier, it is also important for a person who is experiencing hardship to understand that the audience has no way of knowing of their hardship. This includes mistakes made by the performer: they are often inconspicuous to the audience unless the performer emphasizes their frustration at them. If I may share a little secret, as I did in the previous performance article, people commonly tell me that their favorite part of my performance was the biggest mistake I made. The reason for this is simple: when I mess up, I cock my head, make a sort of self-teasing sarcastic smile, laugh and go on. I don’t take myself or my mistakes too heavily, this translates to the audience as humor where there could be disappointment, and a very much flawed performance comes off smoothly.

I would recommend a similar approach to performing with hardship on your mind: take it easy. Forget it. For just these few precious moments, you are the center of an all-too-indifferent world’s attention. And you’re doing what you love. If you have to face potential hours, days or weeks of difficulty, is it not your self-given right to just take these few happy moments for yourself?

Speaker Sparks Scholars' Spite

Tom Preston was the star of yet another GSP Convocation, however, unlike all the others, this speech took an unexpected turn.
Tom Preston was the star of yet another GSP Convocation, however, unlike all the others, this speech took an unexpected turn. | Source

Tom Preston provokes scholar resentment

By Brian Tsavolakis

As part of the Kentucky Governor’s Scholar Program, the community holds weekly convocations which feature guest speakers for the scholars. A recent guest speaker, Tom Preston, began his presentation with a story about a jogger who passed a traffic cone near an elementary school with flowers placed in it. The jogger thought it was suspicious and called the police. Long story short, the cone turned out to be a bomb and the flowers were part of a trigger mechanism.

With an opening story like that, the scholars were on the edge of their seats with excitement for what was to come next. Unfortunately, the rest of his presentation was a series of name dropping and at one point he offended a few scholars.

“You cannot negotiate with Muslims, if you want proof of that just look in the Koran.” Preston said. Immediately after that, a scholar stood up and said, “My best friend is Muslim, and nowhere in the Koran does it say that…” The scholar wasn’t given a response because Preston said he was unable to hear him, although many of the scholars were convinced he did and that he was being purposely aggravating. The auditorium was then filled with awkward silence that was finally broken by questions other scholars so bravely asked. After, Preston gave an apology for what he said, yet the hard feelings for him remained. Many of the scholars found themselves discussing what happened in their classes the next day and hall meetings later that night. Many scholars believe that he had no real point in his presentation and he only made it worse by offending some of the scholars.

I believe Tom Preston didn’t intend to offend anyone, and although some of his stories were farfetched and some of the things he said weren’t politically correct, I think as Governor’s Scholars we should exercise tolerance and forgiveness and carefully consider what we can learn from every speaker.

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian, star of reality TV show "Keeping up With the Kardashian's"
Kim Kardashian, star of reality TV show "Keeping up With the Kardashian's" | Source

An Addition to the Kardashian Dynasty

By Carli Stuart

Recently divorced reality-TV-star Kim Kardashian and her new rapper-boyfriend Kanye West welcomed their first daughter into the world this past week. Although she was born five weeks premature, that’s not what people find most intriguing about this celebrity baby.

The couple more commonly known as “Kimye” chose the not-so-conventional name of North for their first born with no middle name making her full name; you guessed it, North West. Now if you Google “North West” the first results are no longer a cardinal direction or a popular corporate airline, but the latest addition to the pop-culture dynasty that is the Kardashian family.

Many wonder why Kimye might do this to their child, but sources such as TMZ have suggested that the name is “more inspirational than directional” and have quoted the couple saying “What’s more North than North?”. Personally, I still don’t find that proper justification for naming your child after a core part of a compass, but it has inspired many celebrities to begin joking about names for their future children. Child star Drake Bell tweeted “In honor of Kim and Kanye's baby "North West" I will be naming my first son "Taco".

Although we can expect this child to grow up in the spotlight, no pictures of the infant have been released by the power family yet. They have made an obvious effort to keep the entire situation very “hush hush”, and we can assume this may have something to do with little North being an alarming 4 pounds and 15 ounces at birth. But given the family history, we can also assume it won’t be long until she will be the face of her own reality TV show, and the whole nation will be “Keeping Up With North West”.

Mignon Hall and Tower

GSP scholars are housed in Mignon Tower pictured here behind Mignon Hall.
GSP scholars are housed in Mignon Tower pictured here behind Mignon Hall. | Source

A Whole New Experience

By Madelyn Murrell

For most scholars in the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program, living in a residence hall for the five-week duration of this program is a glance into college life. At the Morehead State University campus for the GSP, scholars reside in a dormitory “suite” with three other scholars of the same gender. The dorm rooms include a study area, a living area, a toilet room, a double-sink area and one shower.

“I was disappointed on the quality of the bathrooms when I got here,” says Kentucky Governor Scholar Danielle Poole. As most of the rising seniors in this program have discovered, the facilities that are available are a dramatic change from the comfortable facilities back home. Although scholars aren’t provided with the luxury of a bubble bath or a huge vanity, living in these conditions is a true predictor of the college dormitory experience.

Another component to the dorm-life here at MSU is the limited laundry facilities available to the residents of the girls' residence hall, Mignon Tower. Female scholars have to strategically plan when to do laundry, considering there are only six washers and five dryers to be used by all of the girls in the program.

"Coming into this program, one of the things I was most anxious about was adjusting to living in a dorm and having to give up everything I'm used to back home," says another scholar. "It took a while to adjust to, but so far I really enjoy the experience and I'm really looking forward to living in a residence hall for college."

The Governor's Scholars Program prepares teenagers for the "real world" by throwing the scholars into situations where they are responsible for making decisions on their own with the indepence and freedom the program allows. This will be beneficial in the near future when the arising seniors prepare to dive into college life.

Meet the Resident Advisors: McKay

By Danielle Poole

Resident Advisors, or RA's, are college students who are paid to monitor a certain hall of 16-20 scholars during the five weeks of GSP. Not only do they live in the dorm with the scholars, but they are also there for them whenever necessary. Each night, they hold hall meetings at curfew time to ensure all scholars are safe and accounted for. Besides being responsible for their designated hall, each RA also teaches a seminar class which meets twice a week, and helps scholars to get to know each other, and theirselves.

McKay Nelson is a 21 year old from Danville, Kentucky who recentently graduated from Centre College with a degree in English. This summer, she is the RA on the 14th floor. This is her second year of being an RA, and she was a scholar in 2008 at Morehead State. To describe herself, McKay would say that she is quirky, emotional, and honest. She loves to read, play tennis, and take naps. Some of her favorite musical artists are The Beatles, Andrew Bird, and Laura Marling. Two of her favorite authors are John Steinbeck and Toni Morrison. Her biggest role model is her father, who is kind, strong, and always there for her. She loves shopping at Anthropologie, the color dark green, and eating Mac and Cheese. Her favorite things about GSP are being able to constantly reflect, and being part of such a great community. Her advice to scholars is that there is no right or wrong college, so don't stress about picking one out.

Controversy over Paula Deen

Under the recent circumstances, there have been sentiments expressed concerning the validity of actions against Deen. Courtesy of WorkerBee. This photo is published under the US commons share alike license and is hereby released under the same licens
Under the recent circumstances, there have been sentiments expressed concerning the validity of actions against Deen. Courtesy of WorkerBee. This photo is published under the US commons share alike license and is hereby released under the same licens | Source

YOU'RE FIRED

Political commentary by Alecia Johnson

14 years working in the food industry—on T.V., selling cookbooks, owning a restaurant—and no one noticed Paula Deen might have a little racism in her bones?

In front of a national audience and directly to The New York Times, she said Hollis Johnson, an African American employee of hers, was “darker than that board,” pointing to a stage backdrop and no one noticed Paula Deen might have a little racism in her bones?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOOtHsYeEqg

Even now, after she has nearly confessed to being racist in a courtroom under oath, some are convinced dear Paula Deen doesn’t have the slightest trace of racism in her bones. A support group on Facebook cleverly named ‘We support Paula Deen’ has over 550,000 ‘likes’ and counting while its counterpart ‘Paula Deen- We Do Not Support You’ has 0 ‘likes’. Her newly released cookbook is among the ‘Best Sellers’ on Amazon.

Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/search/results.php?init=quick&q=We%20support%20Paula%20Deen&tas=0.4451885679123264#!/WeSupportPaulaDean

Facebook non-support group: https://www.facebook.com/search/results.php?init=quick&q=We%20support%20Paula%20Deen&tas=0.4451885679123264#!/pages/Paula-Deen-We-Will-Not-Support-You/183803038454012

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Cookbooks-Food-Wine/zgbs/books/6/ref=zg_bs_nav_b_1_b

What is wrong with her supporters? The same thing that is wrong with Smithfield, Food Network, Wal-mart—nothing. These companies as well as many others have chosen authenticity and ethics over fame and fortune. Others, like the Facebook support group, have decided to defend the woman most everyone has loved for over a decade.

Empire crumbles: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/paula-deens-empire-continues-crumble-wake-racial-slurs/story?id=19534224

Each side has a good defense, but to what? Neither has answered whether Ms.Deen is a racist. Each has only bellowed forgiveness or cut ties.

So what it has been twenty years since she has said racial slurs? Or so we believe. So what she grew up during the Civil Rights movement? Nothing can make the n-word okay. It’s not okay in rap songs. It’s not okay in a famous comedian’s skit. It’s definitely not okay coming out of Paula Deen’s mouth.

We loved her before because we didn’t know. Now that we know, everything has changed.

Like everyone else, Paula Deen makes mistakes. Being the celebrity she is, it is your option to react to these mistakes. You could hold a grudge for twenty years and sue her. You could not condone her actions “a world ago” and cancel your affiliations with her (or at least “review your relationship”). Or you could ignore all of the negative controversy and continue loving Paula Deen for her butter-loving, Southern self.

Reflecting on Trappist Monks

Scholars were transfixed as they witnessed Trappist Monks at the Abbey at Gethsemani celebrate mass.
Scholars were transfixed as they witnessed Trappist Monks at the Abbey at Gethsemani celebrate mass. | Source

Mindful Monks

By Meghan Dillon

On Wednesday, June 27, upwards of 30 students boarded a school bus bound for Bardstown, KY. These students were members of the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program, and were taking a trip to the Abbey of Gethsemani for a spiritually and educationally enriching experience. As a member of this trip, I learned a lot of things. First, I learned that if you’re going to spend five hours on a school bus, it’s best to bring a pillow, sit with someone you don’t mind sitting next to, and go to the bathroom BEFORE you get on the bus. Second, I learned that if you plan to go hiking in the woods, you should wear layers, because even though it may start out cool and refreshing, the air around you can quickly turn muggy and hot. But the most important thing I learned was the value of dedication.

In our General Studies class at GSP (very aptly named Slow, Still, and Silent: Mindfulness in the Mountains), we are learning about the importance of meditation and self-reflection and its applications in today’s modern world. So it only seemed fitting to visit a Catholic monastery to get some inspiration. What I found was not only inspiration, but an astonishing way of life. The Trappist monks that live at the monastery have traded the hustle and bustle of daily modern life for a quieter, more prayer-filled monastic life, in order to fulfill the greater purpose that God has for them. The thing that impressed me most about these monks was their conviction and their dedication to their decisions and way of life.

Upon our arrival at the monastery, one of the monks came to talk to us and answer any questions we had. After he described his 40 years at the monastery, he was asked the question: "Do you ever get bored?" His response surprised me: "I like to joke about how it's always so boring, because nothing could be farther from the truth." I was taken aback. I had thought that surely they would get bored sometime, given the fact that they followed the same schedule every day with little variation. But the monk assured us that even though they do follow a schedule, it's never mundane or repetitive; every minute is a chance for self-evaluation and prayer, a chance to give up new ideas, and find new ways to think about things. This made me think about my own way of life.

As a high school student, I am often on the go, and I do not have time to stop and think about what I am doing. This is the case with many students, who are squeezed between jobs, schoolwork, activities, and other demands of daily life. We have very little time to ourselves; to think, reflect, or just rest from the stress of our daily routines.

However, the Trappist Monks have overcome that challenge. Firstly, by nearly completely leaving the secular world behind in exchange for a more quiet life, and secondly by finding peace in everything they do.

The monks are up from the early morning until late at night, busy with activities such as community service, studying, and worshipping. Though this routine is far from that of the secular world, it is still a busy life. However, though monks stay busy, they stay mindful of their surroundings and stay in the moment, avoiding the stress.

Teenagers can do this too. Throughout our busy schedules, we can try to stay in the moment, and avoid the stress that almost always follows the hord of responsibilities we are expected to keep up with.

This trip and the General Studies class have continued to teach their participants this peaceful idea of mindfulness and personal reflection, and wherever they go, an open mind is sure to follow.

How Well Do You Know Your Roommates?

By Lusi Lukova

Roommates; some people have had one all their lives as they've grown up while others are just now experiencing the phenomenon that is "sharing" your room. But, the sad truth is, everyone at Governor's Scholar's Program will ultimately end up with a roommate - or four. In my case, today marks mine and my roommates' first two weeks of living together. Being an only child, GSP first presented me with the need to share my room. Never before had I had to consider how late I stayed up reading, my weird bathroom schedule, and all those other things one does in the confines of their room. Considering one of my roommates, let's call her *Harriett, brought a steak knife, I'm just glad none of us are dead yet!


Ironically enough, while brainstorming ways in which I would tackle the tricky subject of roommates, I wondered if it should be serious, or funny? Would someone get offended? Would I be an innocent bystander or should I include myself? Just then, *Harriett walked in, and might as well have given me the Holy Grail of Ideas. She proceeded to show me a video wittily titled "The Six Monsters You'll Have As Roommates". The video featured an innocent college freshman adjusting to sharing a dorm with 6 other roommates. The 6 "Monsters" he had to fight off included a robot, a ghost, an alien, a zombie, and a vampire. I like to think my roommates and I each represent one of those monsters because, honestly, it makes living together so much easier once we understand each others' habits. And if you haven't seen this video, it's definitely worth a watch!


The first roommate I met was *Harriett, the Alien. I was already unpacking when the Alien trudged into the room and immediately began complaining. She ripped off her skirt and dress top, clothes foreign to her, and from the moment I saw her slip into her mismatched converse and LOTR ring, I knew I was in for a ride. When I examined the Alien upon closer inspection, I noticed how her converse were so run-down that they in fact were molded to her feet. I wondered if she ever took them off...I still haven't found out. The Alien knows not how to converse with the regular folk. Her nature is to frequently make sarcastic comments and behave in such an erratic manner that I believe she has not yet previously lived in civilized society. She is not yet acquainted with our customs and modes of communication, thus she is usually the odd one out, sitting alone in the cafeteria, until a poor soul (usually one of the roommates) takes pity on her and proceeds to cautiously join her. Her attire consists only of nostalgic 90's t-shirts and various other geek paraphernalia leading to the conclusion that she is neither from our world, nor our time. Prior to coming, she equipped herself with various knives, she says "for protection". She is constantly morose from being stranded on our planet. We have not yet gotten the full story as to why she is here - Is it really to be educated or is it just to discover our planetary weaknesses so her kind can take over our world?


Now to talk about the roommates on the other side of the wall in our dorm. On the left-hand side "sleeps" Bridgette. Well, more like trudges around at night because she is the Zombie of our dorm. At night, she does not shut her eyes, instead, she spends her time reading or writing. Much like a Zombie, she only has one thing on her mind: our brains. Her methods of "eating" our brains come in the form of the post-it notes she lines her walls with. Any memorable quote you spew from your mouth, she is quick to steal and "eat" your words and hide them as keepsakes on her wall forever. She is without a doubt a packrat - upon walking into her room, the first thing you notice is her desk, covered in stacks upon stacks of books, notebooks, or random items. Much like a Zombie, everywhere she goes she leaves bits of herself behind. But, instead of body parts, she leaves behind her a trail of post-it notes. There are times in which you will be speaking to her but the only face she maintains is that of a blank stare. You often wonder, are my words even registering with her? More often than not, she shambles into the room, drops her bags haphazardly across books already strewn across the floor, and collapses on her bed with a grunt. Yet, whenever we suggest she takes a nap, she distorts her face into a grimace and grunts that she either needs to work on her play or her post-it wall. As each day passes, and her curly hair gets unrulier, and the bags underneath her eyes get darker, she becomes more and more the Zombie of our dorm.


Lastly, we have *Joan, the Ghost that "exists" next to Zombie. She is ephemeral. Here one moment, gone the next. The only trail she leaves behind her is the faint whirr of her blow dryer and an aroma of chlorine. She claims she is a swimmer which she believes excuses her plentiful absences. Her routine consists of leaving before dawn, always coming back when we are conveniently out of the room, and and always working out whenever we happen to be in the room. Our stuff mysteriously disappears or is moved around while we are out. As I mentioned, *Joan claims she is a swimmer but the roommates are reluctant to believe her. In the few instances we have seen *Joan, she does appear worn out and waterlogged. One early morning, she demonstrated to us her monofin and its various uses. She stated that she uses the strange contraption that traps both her feet, molding them into one entity, to propel her body farther and faster through the water. But, the roommates still have a hard time believing that *Joan is anything but a Ghost Mermaid in disguise here at GSP. We strongly believe she she is either an enigma or just a fiction of our imaginations. Even though we find it strange that she never joins us at meals and her bed is empty as soon as we rise in the morning, we do at times appreciate the quiet time she lends us in her absence.


Since our dear roommate has spent the entirety of this article discussing us, we thought it was time for us to share a little bit about the author of this article. Our roommate, *Laurie, has revealed our true personalities. Now is the time for us to unmask her: She is a Robot! This wasn't immediately obvious but it slowly came to our attention. The first sign was her routine bathroom stops - in reality, they are actually oil changes (or so we suppose). Without fault, she never misses an oil change before every meal and before bed every night. Our second sign: her strange obsession with taking the stairs. We have never witnessed the Robot take the elevator - perhaps her wiring would clash with the elevators'? She must be progrmamed to take only the stairs, regardless of the fact that we live on the 11th floor. Further, she is also programmed to respond in only one way in any situation: "That's intense." She has recorded all of her other responses and plays them back with a click of a button when they are needed. The Robot also has the ability to change languages at the flip of a switch: she can choose from English, Bulgarian, and Spanish. Other noticeable quirks include her diet which consists of vegetables, bananas, and peanut butter (we believe meat clogs her pipes), her wonderful advice-giving (we believe she is a part of SkyNet and, therefore, has knowledge of everything), and her limited wardrobe consisting solely of beige, gray, and black. She owns nothing that would attract unnecessary attention to herself. The Robot also has a strange, magnetic, attraction to people while walking. Often, she stands too close to humans so as too feel the warmth she is deprived of. Clearly, she is a Robot.


In all honesty, even though this article was spent comparing my roommates to historically innacurate monsters, I could not be happier with my room assignment. It has only been two weeks, yes, but we have already begun adopting each others' eccentric, cynical, and compassionate habits. From move-in day, we seemed to automatically understand each other. We have learned each others' limits the hard way but it was all in good humor and part of the learning process. We've grown accustomed to everyone's respective quirks and have bonded over mutually geeky topics of interest. We have even started new traditions while here at GSP. Before coming, I had always heard that one makes friends for a lifetime while attending this program. I wasn't entirely sure if that would be the case for myself but after spending time with my fellow roommates, I fervently believe that we will never lose contact. However, one common thing that we all agree on is that we are lucky not to be rooming with a Vampire!

Resident Advisors Attempt to Be Funny

By J.B. Chadwell

This Monday during the R.A. weekly update, Sharon and Tyler hosted a newscast that followed the events on the Morehead State GSP Campus. Sharon and Tyler first shared the best dance moves performed at the thrift shop dance. The bump and grind, back it up, and touch your toes were all made fun of. Also, Sharon and Tyler joked around with the rabid raccoon in the asbestos dumpster. Apparently, someone had dumpster dived into the dumpster to retrieve a Frisbee the day the rabid raccoon was captured and the dumpster was labeled contaminated.

Also, a skit was performed by the R.A.'s Heather and Cody showing the blooming romances of scholars around campus. In the skit, Heather said her goodbyes to her boyfriend from back home then was starstruck by her fellow scholar named Cody.

Last, a top ten from the first week was gathered. The entire series of top ten lines were all Chuck Norris jokes but Tori Murton McClure's name was inserted where Chuck Norris' name is usually said. Tori Murton McClure was the speaker at the first GSP Morehead convocation on Monday night. She is famous for doing pretty much everything including being the first woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean, being the first American woman to ski across Antarctica, obtaining a Harvard theology degree, obtaining a law degree, obtaining a medical degree, managing a homeless shelter, and she is the president of Spalding University.

The Lone Laggard

By Kaylee McCollum

As I sat down to my first meal in the university cafeteria, I quickly discovered a glaring contrast between the contents of my plate and that of my fellow Governor’s Scholars. Surrounding me were gigantic piles of leafy greens while in front of me on my own plate were two grease-laden pieces of pepperoni pizza and a chocolate chip cookie. I shrugged off this observation, unaware that this was only the beginning.

The following morning I was awoken by the familiar screech of an alarm clock. Through squinted eyes I glanced at the clock on my desk: 5:45 a.m. Realizing the alarm was not my own, I groaned, rolled over, and attempted to return to my slumber to no avail. All three of my roommates were already bustling about, throwing on athletic clothing and tennis shoes. One, realizing I was awake, cheerfully invited me to join them in their workout. Not wanting to seem like a loner, I begrudgingly accepted the invitation. I managed to hoist myself out of bed and then dressed in the closest thing I had to athletic attire.

Upon arriving at the Recreation and Wellness Center, my roommates seemed to feel right at home and flocked to the various forms of workout equipment. I surveyed my choices of machines (all of which looked like different kinds of medieval torture devices) and selected the elliptical. After five minutes of pedaling, beads of sweat were racing down my face, I could hear my heart beating in my ears, and my lungs stung as they frantically tried to suck in as much air as possible. I scanned the area for my roommates and found each barely breaking a sweat as if they had been going to the gym from the day they were born.

I slunk back to the dorm, exhausted and sweat-drenched, and collapsed onto my bed. Would I ever be able to return to my life of junk-food eating and laziness? Or would I be forced to conform to the health-conscious lifestyles of my roommates?


Pay It Forward

By Grant Wassom

Recently scholars participated in a campus wide community service day as a way of giving back to Morehead State University and the surrounding community for their generosity and welcoming of the scholars. After taking advantage of their opportunity to sleep in, scholars loaded their coolers, piled into several buses, and dispersed to their work place. Some of the places in which scholars contributed include local churches, nursing homes, nature trails, farms, etc.

Jobs varied as some cleaned up garbage in the woods, mowed overgrown lawns, painted fences, planted flowers, and even accidentally cleaned up an elderly woman’s urine thinking it spilt coffee. "The scholars performed these tasks with a positive attitude representing the group well," said GSP faculty member Lynn Hamilton. Combined, scholars contributed nearly 1,931 hours’ worth of work to the community. An estimated $14,000 dollars in labor cost was saved thanks to the scholars work.

Not only was it a way of giving back, but it also served as an opportunity for scholars to bond with other scholars.

Meet the Resident Advisors: Sharon

By Danielle Poole

Resident Advisors, or RA's, are college students who are paid to monitor a certain hall of approximately 16-20 scholars during the five weeks of GSP. Not only do they live in the dorm with the scholars, but they are also there for them whenever necessary. Each night, they hold hall meetings at curfew time to ensure all scholars are safe and accounted for. Besides being responsible for their designated hall, each RA also teaches a seminar class which meets twice a week, and helps scholars to get to know each other, and theirselves.

Sharon Leone, age 21, grew up in Paducah, Kentucky. She is currently a senior studying Sociology at Western Kentucky University. When she graduates, she hopes to become a Professor of Sociology. Sharon was a scholar at Centre College in 2009, and this is her second year as an RA. What does she love about GSP that keeps her coming back for more? She loves connecting with everyone here, the community, and teaching seminar as an RA. To describe herself, Sharon would say that she is analytical, relatable, and sincere. She loves having deep conversations, reading, swimming and playing guitar. Her favorite colors are turquoise and coral, and she loves eating pumpkin bread. Sharon enjoys listening to Indie music, including bands like Vampire Weekend, and Fleet Foxes. Her favorite book is East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. Her favorite places to shop are Half Price Books and consignment shops. When asked what is the “coolest thing she’s ever done”, she responded with a story about rock climbing a 50 foot waterfall in England, while she was studying abroad in the spring of 2012. Her biggest role model is a family friend who has achieved wonders in academia, travels the world speaking about her accomplishments, and is happy with who she is and what she does. Sharon gives this advice to scholars, “Take your time and discover who you are before you pin down your passions. Don’t get stuck living up to someone else’s expectations; don’t be pressured into society.”

Family Day a Success!

By Meredith Ledford

This weekend scholars from the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program at Morehead State University spent a day back with their families. During this 5-week summer program these high school seniors are only able to spend one day out of the time they are on campus with their families. Some were able to return home, others spent the day out, and others were in for a surprise.

If a student is close to home they may have chosen to spend the day relaxing in their hometown with family and friends. Getting a home cooked meal was at the top of many students’ lists. Scholar Lauren Lawson spent the day back at home catching up with family and friends.

However, due to the program bringing students from all around the state to Morehead many students weren’t able to return home. Their parents or other family members were still able to spend the day with them. Some scholars relaxed at Cave Run Lake or headed to Lexington to get in a movie and shopping. Scholar Elizabeth Kuntz spent a day in Lexington with her mom and shopped.

There are scholars that have traveled five or more hours to be at the Morehead campus for the program. Their families didn’t spend the time and money traveling for just one day. If that’s the case, then the GSP staff planned a trip to Lexington for those scholars to enjoy. They headed to the mall and enjoyed a simple day off.

Everyone seemed to agree that after two weeks in the program a day with families was needed. Now it’s back to Morehead.

Scholars visit Morehead News

By Sarah Smith

On Wednesday, June 26th a group of 18 students from the Kentucky Governor's Scholars Program at Morehead State University Campus traveled to visit the home of the Morehead News.

The Governor's Scholars Program is a five week summer educational program funded by the state for the top rising high school seniors in the commonwealth. Over the period of time students live on a college campus and attend two different classes and a seminar. The students that attended Morehead News were a group from the Journalism and Mass Media course.

At first arrival the “scholars” were introduced to the publisher, Mr. Keith R. Kappes. Kappes provided the students with an in depth tour of their office and staff along with previous used parts of the building such as the printing press and assembly tables of past newspapers.

Kappes along with the Managing Editor, Stephanie Ockerman, described to the students the struggles of the Newspaper business, but also the highlights in working with a local newspaper. The scholars learned of the cut in employment due to uprising technology and the plans of a move to a new office building in the nearby future.

After a brief tour the scholars walked across the street to the courthouse and received a welcoming from the local Judge Executive, Mr. Jim Nickell. There they interacted in a Q&A session with Kappes, Ockerman, Lana Bellamy, and Alli Collis who are also employees of the local newspaper.

“It was a great experience and it was nice to connect what we’re doing in class with the real world,” a Journalism scholar states. The scholars have three weeks left in the program and plan to visit more media sights during their stay.

GSP Seminar: Where Relationships are Built

By Ashton Wasson

After the initial icebreakers, seminar soon became a place where scholars could discuss controversial issues without fear of their opinions being judged or dismissed. Seminar is generally held in a classroom setting with an RA leading the day’s activities and discussions. Seminar isn’t all serious, though. Many fun games allow for a break from the schedule and some bonding time.

Some topics discussed in seminar can vary from prayer in schools to whether or not the drinking age should be lowered. Often, these topics are introduced during a game which provides an element of ease and lessens the pressure of unveiling personal beliefs. During this time, everyone has the opportunity to voice their opinion, and full participation is encouraged.

Also, seminar provides an open environment where scholars can be heard and respected. Furthermore, with the policy of nothing leaves the room, scholars are free to share without fear of their comments spreading beyond their group. This allows for a sense of security, which can be a motivating factor for some people to contribute.

In the end, seminar deepens the bonds between the scholars in each group. It provides a chance for people to learn more about each other and encourages everyone to join in on discussion. Seminar also allows some time for the scholars to have fun playing games and to reflect on their experience, so far.

What is "Sleep"

By Lusi Lukova

For the past 2 nights, my roommates and I have been progressively getting more and more irritated as the night goes on. This is because the wee hours of the morning drag on thanks to the girls in the room above us. It doesn't help that I have also been suffering from a cold, and the room directly above us apparently has no personal curfew. Regular nightly curfew is at 10:30pm and the usual time to return to everyone's respective dorm rooms is around 11pm. Now, a normal bedtime for a scholar exhausted by the day's classes, activities, and toils, seems to be around midnight by the time all the members of the room brush their teeth and shower. At least, that's how it seems to be for us and several other rooms I have spoken to. But apparently, the floor above us doesn't follow that schedule. Not at all.

It was 12:44am, each one of my roommates, including myself, was already in bed, eyes closed, and getting comfortable to go to sleep, when suddenly there was a loud "thuuud!" emanating from up above. Confused and shocked, we yelled to each other to see if all was all right and upon realizing the noise was coming from above, we calmly attempted to wait it out. This feat, however, had no luck seeing as how the thumping, jumping, furniture moving, ad laughing proceeded well past 1am. The next morning, we all woke up groggy from the few hours of sleep and irritated at the situation, we were not happy campers. One of my roommates is a swimmer and spoke on behalf of the situation, "I understand that some people do not go to bed early, but they should at least be considerate of the people around them if they are making so much noise." This roommate routinely gets up at 5:30am to go practice her swimming and if the disturbances from up above persist, she will soon be going on only 4 hours of sleep each night.

When this happened another night, this time going for even longer, one of my other roommates decided to ask around about what was going on upstairs. Soon, she found one girl who lived directly above our room and was part of the noises that were keeping us up at night. When questioned about it and told that it was bothering the other rooms, she apparently just giggled and mentioned that they were just doing interpretive dancing.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the arts but there is a time and a place for such performances. Your dorm room, at 1am in the morning, with what seems like tap shoes (that has yet to be confirmed) is most certainly not the place. With that in mind, I leave you with this: Be considerate of not only your other roommates, but also the rooms above/below/around you as well. Remember, these walls are thin - we can hear everything.

Tori the Terrific

By Sam Stevens

She doesn’t even wear a watch. Tori Murden McClure simply decides what time it is. When you’re hungry, it’s because Tori Murden McClure said it’s time to eat. When the five weeks of the Governor’s Scholars Program is over, it’ll be because Tori Murden McClure authorized the passage of 5 weeks and said it could be over. McClure also once got in a fist fight with Chuck Norris. R.I.P. Mr. Norris. McClure went for a jog immediately following her speech to the Scholars at the MSU campus. She should be back any minute now.

While McClure has been MIA, Scholars have seen quite an eventful week and a half. Headlines in reference to the first 2 weeks may read:

“Thrift Shop Dance is a Booming Success”

“Awkward Ice-breakers are Finally Over”

“Grant Wassom and Jake Guhy Commit Hate Crime in Breaking Innocent Young Woman’s Wrists During GSP Olympics”


"Rave-themed Dance Proves Rather Anti-Climatic"

Illegitimate Press: Why Celebrity Babies Are In the Pitts

By Jarrod Foushee

A new member is soon to be added to the Pitt family, online sources confirm, as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have announced that Jolie is pregnant, and will be naming the child “Arm.”

“Our choice in naming our child Arm was made after many hours of speculation and a high regard for the sort of social, psychological, and economic problems that he/she might face as a result,” Pitt explains, “We really want him/her to fit in and be able to make friends in an accepting and non-ridiculing atmosphere.”

Jolie adds, “We want him to hear his/her name called for role every morning, and for him/her to smile, to have a name that he/she takes pride in and for his/her friends to smile as well, thinking, “that’s my friend’s name and I am proud of my friend’s name.””

“They’re naming their child Arm Pitt,” acclaimed psychologist and sociologist Susan Cain comments. “They. Are naming their child. Child. Arm. Pitt.” Cain’s obvious disapproval of this choice clearly stems purely from envy for the lucky family, as so great a choice in naming has rarely been made in human history.

Though an official confirmation has yet to be made, there is some speculation on Twitter that actor/singer Drake Bell of Drake & Josh Nickelodeon fame may be choosing “Taco” as the name for his first child. Bell declined to comment.

News is also breaking of popular music star Kanye West naming his newborn infant with Kim Kardashian “North.” “We made the name choice that we felt would give our child the best chance and most serious consideration on job applications later in life, and-“ Kanye informs us, and we’re going to let him finish, but “Arm Pitt” is still one of the best name choices of all time.

Top Ten Tweets

By Carli Stuart @carlizlee

Staff Tweeter

Kirby Fitzpatrick@kirbyfitz12

Never a dull moment here at GSP.

Ryan Nichols @Nichols_n_Dimes

I actually used the shaving cream that was thrown at me during the pi race to shave so talk about living life to the fullest.

Sylvia Stahl@sylviastahl

I love the random, but always entertaining, discussions we have here. you learn so much from so many people. very eyeopening.

Kyle Smith@CommonNamedKyle

I feel like describing GSP as a camp version of "The Breakfast Club" is fairly accurate.

Andrew Brennen ‏@aebrennen

Hide in the elevator wearing all black while the lights are out in order to scare people? Check. #GSPLyfe

Nick Beasmore@nickobeazo

Assassin update: 41 scholaz left!! #GSPMorehead2013

Uncle Sam@SamIamStevens

I think GSP field trips are just a big experiment to see who can invent the least uncomfortable way to sleep on a Rowan County school bus.

Nathan Sutherland@NSutherland10

As GSP closes, I have a feeling more and more people will congregate in the lobby and just talk. And it's fun. #goodtimes #GSPMorehead2013

Hannah Strohmeier @hanxxtacy

THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE BRINGS UP GSP ENDING I WILL PUNCH SOMETHING PLEASE STOP

Abby May@BigPimppDaddy

My biggest GSP accomplishment thus far is definitely the fact that I have not done any laundry and my outfits still match #kinda

Morehead GSP's #TopTenTweets

By Ryan Nichols

Staff Tweeter

Max Addington @Max_Addington

Just a friendly reminder, check under your bed for bombs before you go to sleep @GSPmorehead2013


GSP Morehead 2013‏ @GSPmorehead2013

I love Fazolli's #gspmorehead2013 insider


Veronica van Gessel‏ @VvanGessel

Wow. By the time I come home I'll have a country accent. It's rubbing off on me! #kentuckyprobs #gspmorehead2013


Laura Cherry‏ @LauraCherry2

I wish our bathroom light didn't go rave-mode for 5 minutes every time I turn it on. #DormLife


Carli Stuart@Carlizlee

"If 2 chainz can make a ton of money with 'she got a big booty so I call her big booty' I will never think anything I create is ugly again"


Jonathan Pope‏ @jonpope18

The fact that being a nerd is okay>>> #gsp2013


Elijah Myers‏ @myers_elijah

S/o to everyone starting GSP at Murray and Bellarmine this weekend. Sorry your GSP experience won't be as great as everyone's at Morehead.


Will Wallace‏ @wallace2886

Governors scholarrrrrrrr...... Knows how to party #GSPMorehead2013 #CaliforniaLoveReference #IncaseYouDidntGetIt


Andrew Brennen‏ @aebrennen

Why is there a couch in the boy's elevator? #GSPlyfe

Intruder Alert!

By Ryan Nichols

On the dark and stormy night of June 24, Emily Peck was innocently trying to sleep on her plastic mattress in her dorm room when a baffled intruder opened her unlocked door. “It was a quick occurrence,” said Peck. “It was past curfew and I was almost asleep when I heard the door creak open. Then a shadowed head peaked in, whispered ‘oh no’, and quickly shut the door.”

Peck and her roommates keep the door unlocked to their room because they aren’t a fan of keys. This explains the easy access into the room by the intruder. No broken windows or picked locks were required to break this entering. However, it seems that this misunderstanding was entirely innocent seeing as the offender quickly left the scene of the crime.

Directly following the affair, Peck tweeted, “This man just randomly started barging in our room. Said ‘Oh no’ and shut the door quickly and left.”

Rumor has it, this misunderstanding was a male RA mistaking Peck’s room for the door to a staircase. Peck’s room is located at the end of the hall so this seems like a likely mistake. No sources have officially confirmed this.

“We should probably consider locking our door now,” Peck claimed.

This seems like some wise advice to all scholars on campus.

Treacherous Trails of Morehead

By John Benjamin Chadwell

Although Eagle Lake is off of the perimeter for Governor’s scholars, there have been mini field trips taken to enjoy the lake. Eagle Lake is just a few minute walk from the Mignon complexes. A hiking club was started early during the program and has met on Sundays. The hiking club takes the trail that surrounds Eagle Lake. The trail starts at the end of the road near the Recreation and Wellness center and ends near the Astronomy building. The trail has moderate difficulty that allows hikers to tread over creek beds and very steep hills.

Many seminars and general studies classes have also taken the hike around Eagle Lake. “I loved spending time with my general studies class on the hike. Although it was really hot, it was good to spend the second to last general studies class having fun with people that I have grown so close to these past five weeks,” said Hopkinsville high school scholar Mackenzie Pollack.

“I’m so glad I got to go hiking. GSP is all doing things that you usually don’t do and I typically don’t get to hike often,” said Apollo high school scholar Sarah Smith.

Some scholars did not get the chance to go hiking. “I never had time to go hiking. I regret that I couldn’t go now. It would have been a good experience and something that I don’t get to do at home in Adair County,” said Adair County high school scholar Mady Murrell.

Eagle Lake adds so much beauty to the Morehead State campus. It allows students to enjoy the outdoors of Eastern Kentucky.

Morehead State University

A
Morehead State University:
Morehead State University, 150 University Boulevard, Morehead, KY 40351, USA

get directions

Morehead State University is part of the Kentucky state university system and is one of three hosts for the Governor's Scholar Program.

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