GHA Day 21 - This is it!

Students, staff, and faculty had been anticipating Saturday's last hurrah for at least a week. The closing ceremony is always difficult, but I can't believe how fast it snuck up on us.

Before the closing ceremony, however, there was a score to settle. During activity time on Friday students had about an hour to construct boats out of cardboard, duct tape, and garbage bags for an RA on their floors. On Saturday, students filed into the rec center pool area to watch the RAs race in their creations. Most boats survived the races, though a couple RAs ended up swimming to the finish line.

Team Holly Jackson and Olivia won first place for the girls, while Steve Robison took home the gold for the boys.

After the short, but exciting, races, students had time to get ready for the closing ceremony, which began at 5:30 pmThe ceremony began with a welcome by assistant academic dean Robbie Brown and a short speech by faculty member Hank Hampton. In his speech, Hank encouraged students not to "carpe diem" but rather to "carpe veritas," or "seize the truth," and achieve their potential through intellectual inquiry and hard work. After his speech, the Academy was invited to seize the buffet-style dinner and congratulatory cake. Meanwhile, a slide show began playing to showcase over 1,800 pictures from GHA.

After dinner was served, students were called up to the stage in alphabetical order to receive their completion certifications, or "diplomas," and shake hands with Director of Governor's Schools Sherry Keffer and Dean Saralyn Dague. This intern snapped a picture of every student's graduation as well (you can find pictures from the closing ceremony by clicking here).

Although there were some tears during the closing ceremony speeches by Saralyn, Sherry Keffer, and Thomas Knotts, spirits lifted when Thomas announced that it was time for the "turning of the name tag" ceremony; students, who have been badgered for the past three weeks to wear their name tags, were given finally permission to take them off. Students did so and went one step farther by joyfully tossing them in the air! Afterwards, students helped to clear the tables from the floor in order to get the party started. Because what better way is there to send everyone off than with a dance party?!

After the dance, Thomas Knotts took the stage one last time to announce the winners of the day's elections for GHA representative. For the boys, Matthew Artimez of John Marshall High School was elected, and for the girls, it was Dana Holmstrand of Wheeling Park High School. According to Thomas, the vote was extremely close. Congratulations and good luck to the new representatives!

This year's Academy has been amazing; I know that I speak for a lot of people when I say that our eyes have been opened to so many new people and possibilities because of the opportunities that GHA offered this summer. This year's students have been truly inspiring, and I can't wait to see what they do in the next year and beyond.

Stay tuned for one last post by Dean Saralyn Dague!

GHA Day 20 - Final Class Performances

A somber mood has enveloped the campus today as the fact that GHA is almost over finally settles in. Last night, students got their first dose of the end during class performances. Although the event was successful, funny, and exciting, it also drove home the finality of the Academy, and some of the moments throughout the night were very bittersweet.

The performances began promptly at 7 pm with Fujiko Sawtarie's and Sachiko Wood's Japanese classes. Students in both intensive and broad-based sections came together to sing a traditional Japanese song, perform Japanese folk dances, and demonstrate their prowess on the taiko drums. The drum performances were designed to unite the entire GHA community as taiko performances do in Japan.

Following the Japanese cultural performances, John Shirley's "Shakespeare, Slightly Shaken" course put on their rendition of Macbeth complete with nursery rhyme references GHA inside jokes that got the crowd laughing.

Next up was Jennifer Manor's calculus class, which put on a production entitled, "Calculus, Abridged." The class's antics were both funny and informative, showcasing what the class learned through short skits and explanations.

The audience got a bit of a break from performances when Jay Libby's intensive photography class put on a slideshow presentation of their best photos from the past three weeks. The presentation began with a fantastic time-lapsed sequence that included a Thomas Knotts cameo. Students in Dr. Libby's broad-based class also got the chance to display their work in the lobby of the theater.

Rachel McGuire's Arabic classes followed the slideshow with a rendition of "A Whole New World" sung in Arabic and a choreographed belly-dance number.

The presentation then switched gears as Hank Hampton's "Front Row Bandits" class stepped forward to discuss their research on the West Virginia educational system. Inspired by Hank's interactive discussion on the topic during the first week of the Academy, his group decided to formulate a plan for reform based on student opinions; the group revealed its findings last night and included a Facebook page so that others could get involved (Find out more about the movement here.).

Following the power point presentation, his intensive "Thirdrail Therapy" class took the stage to thank administrators Thomas Knotts, Saralyn Dague, and Robbie Brown. Thomas and Robbie received cards, but Saralyn's gift was delayed until today, when students serenaded her with a few verses of "My Girl" and gave her a card as well.

Finally, Heather Taylor's class ended the presentations with a poem they wrote using responses from many members of the GHA community; early in the Academy, students requested that faculty, staff, and other students finish the phrase "I am from..." and responses were organized to represent the entire group. The poem was read by students in Heather's "[title of course]" class stationed throughout the audience.

The class presentations ended with Heather's "Modern Crossroads" class performing highly anticipated choreographed dances to two songs.

But the night didn't end there. Nominees for both male and female representatives gave brief speeches before the final vote, which took place today at lunch.

As always, remember to check the website and photo albums for more pictures (I took 479 last night!). Tomorrow we'll post updates from the "Anything That Floats" race that took place this afternoon, the closing ceremony, and, of course, the dance.

GHA Day 19

Only 2 days left! After getting a late start yesterday because of our late trip to Kennywood, students began their intensive courses at 9:30 am and have been working hard on finishing their final projects. Tonight, students in six classes will put on a performance for the rest of the Academy to demonstrate a part of what they've been working on for the past 3 weeks. Tomorrow, other classes will get the opportunity to showcase their work during lunch, when they'll have the opportunity to set up presentation stations throughout the cafeteria.

Yesterday, students focused more on their distant futures during a college admissions discussion with Yale University's Director of Outreach and Recruitment Liz Kinsley. Meeting students in the cafeteria, Liz went over different aspects of the application process and how to approach them; these included test scores, transcripts, the interview, extracurriculars, financial aid, and the dreaded essay. In addition, she touched on the value of a liberal arts education and allowed students to come up with majors that might apply to different careers.

After the presentation, students got to explore their college options at the annual College Fair in Benedum Commons. With about 15 institutions from both in and out of West Virginia in attendance, students got to see a wide range of colleges and universities. Many are already excited and nervous to start the college application process!

The evening ended with ghost stories and s'mores on Richardson Lawn. Students loved the chance to relax for a bit, and a few were really spooked by Dr. Grimes' stories!

During the s'mores activity, resident advisor Krystal Robinson announced the nominees for GHA representative. Students nominated both a male and a female for the position, and the three students with the most nominations will give speeches tonight on why they would be a good pick to represent GHA at state Department of Education and the Arts meetings. Female nominees were Samantha Dolin, Nina Orteza, and Dana Holmstrand; for the boys, Dilum Aluthge, Zaiver Sinnett, and Matt Artimez were nominated. Everyone is looking forward to hearing their speeches tonight after class performances!

GHA Days 17-18

What a busy two days it's been! Here at the office, we've been working diligently to insure the successful completion of the Academy; that means finishing up plans for the college fair, preparing exit surveys for both students and faculty, and a lot of stressing.

Meanwhile, students in Hank Hampton's "Thirdrail Therapy" class have been stressing about other things. After deciding to showcase an RA vs. Faculty dance-off during activity time on Tuesday, students were running around frantically to organize a successful event. The RAs faced the challenge head on, practicing day and night to prepare for the competition, which included many random group and pair challenges as well as a final choreographed dance.

Both the faculty and the RA teams put in a lot of effort, but in the end the decision came down to Resident Director Thomas Knotts. After a pretty even split between dance challenge winners, teams got the chance to perform a choreographed dance. The RAs went first, and their performance was characterized by distinct organization and preparation to Ke$ha's "Your Love is my Drug." While their performance was certainly impressive, the faculty also fought hard to finish first with a 7-minute ensemble number to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and the theme from the movie Ghost Busters; highlights from their performance include the faculty transforming the audience into zombies and "Laser Technology" teacher Ben Campbell dressed up as a ghost buster. For judges Saralyn and Robbie, the decision was split with Saralyn siding with the RAs and Robbie with the faculty. Ultimately, Thomas would determine the winner.

Thomas Knotts, the Residential Director, quickly became known to both dancers and to the audience as the Simon Cowell of the judges.

After calling faculty member Dan Hollis and RA Steve Robison to the stage for a tie-breaking mime-off, Thomas, in a stunning upset, declared the underdog faculty team to be the winners. Even though the RAs were a bit upset about their defeat, everyone agreed that the student organizers did a great job with the event.

When the teams were taking breaks from dancing, students got to jump up and dance themselves!

But the dancing was not over! Heather Taylor's class jumped onstage to give the Academy a preview of her final performance; with five other classes performing, it's shaping up to be an exciting Friday night!

After the third and final Open House on Tuesday night, GHA spent yesterday in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area exploring the Carnegie Museum of Art and Natural History and blowing off steam at Kennywood, a theme park in Pittsburgh. The day began with breakfast in the cafeteria followed by a short bus ride to downtown Pittsburgh, where students had the opportunity to roam freely between the natural history and art museums for a couple of hours.

Students then sat on the steps of the museums' shared courtyard to enjoy a packed lunch similar to the one provided for the trip to Charleston nearly 2 weeks ago.

At around 1:30, students made their way back onto the buses, which took the group to Kennywood. Although roller coaster fanatics were initially discouraged by a brief rainstorm on our arrival, the sun came out within half an hour, and everyone was able to enjoy the whole day! Students were given Kennywood currency to pay for dinner (Mine consisted of fresh-squeezed lemonade, French fries with cheese and bacon, and ice cream, but I'm sure the students made healthier choices...) and the next 6 and half hours to enjoy the park. Some brave souls even rode the Sky Coaster!

Students, limbs intact, disembark the Phantom's Revenge coaster.

Later in the day, water rides were a popular way to cool off.

Three daredevils riding the Sky Coaster

Apparently inspired by Randy Pausch's goal to win stuffed animals at amusement parks, many students brought home trophies from the day as well. By the time to board the buses, students were exhausted from the day. Because of traffic, lights out was at 12:15, but students had an altered schedule today that allowed them to sleep in an extra hour.

Today, things are a bit more back to normal. This afternoon students will see a presentation on applying to college and then make their way over to the college fair in Benedum Commons. After that, it'll be time for ghost stories and s'mores! Check back for more updates tomorrow, and remember that you can always see more pictures by logging on to the GHA Snapfish account through our website.

GHA Day 16 - Laura "Piece" Kelley-Jahn

Guest blog by faculty member Heather Taylor

Laura “Piece” Kelley-Jahn wowed the crowd last night with her spoken word, slam, hip-hop, and free style rap. As I type this, she is hard at work with a small group of GHAers on a rap for their original album. (This project will be used as a GHA fundraiser for Invisible Children—more information to come soon).

I first became aware of slam poetry through one of my college students. I immediately fell in love with the form and have been listening to and watching performances for a little over a year. There are a few rules associated with slam poetry. First, slam poetry is performance poetry. Second, the poem cannot be accompanied by music. Third, the performance cannot be more than three minutes in length. If one is hoping to compete in a slam competition, the poem must be memorized. Slam grew out of the hip-hop culture that emerged during and after the Civil Rights Movement. Most slam is concerned with social and political themes. The goal of slam is to make the audience think. Oh, and the performer wants immediate audience reaction.—laughs, claps, hoots, and hollers are welcome!

Heather Taylor and her classes took pictures with "Piece" after the performance.

Piece has been writing poetry and performing her work publicly since the beginning of Seattle's slam poetry movement. In 2000 and 2001 she earned a place on the Seattle Poetry Slam Team to compete in the National Poetry Slam competition, and she was crowned the Seattle Grand Slam Champion for 2004-2005. Her unique delivery and lyrical content is integrated with vintage soul and Hip Hop to create a vehicle for social change. She has been featured on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and the documentary Underground Poets Railroad. In 2004 she released her self-titled debut album. She is currently working with Brave New Voices and has a new album coming out soon.

Piece’s day began with an early breakfast with the faculty and staff. She then spent the rest of the day in my classes, [title of course] and Modern Crossroads, working through different writing exercises and poems. After some rest at the Gresham Inn, Piece delivered her performance in Wailes Theater. The students and faculty had thoughtful questions and were able to get pictures and autographs after the show.

I hope that the students walked away with a new understanding of performing and poetry. I know that Laura “Piece” leaves GHA and Bethany with nothing but good things to say.

--Heather Taylor

GHA Day 15

The sounds of Heather Taylor's class preparing for their final dance performance on Friday on the floor below the GHA office are providing the inspiration for today's blog posts. Across the room, Assistant Academic Dean Robbie Brown and RA Ryan Tempalski (aka "Temp") are compiling mailings for teachers who were unable to attend yesterday's Favorite Educators ceremony.

The luncheon took place in Benedum Commons from 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm. RAs and staff arrived two hours early to find the cafeteria's beautiful place settings and salivate over the array of desserts. Students sat with the teachers they nominated, and the program began with a welcome by Dean Saralyn Dague and a presentation of quotations that students wrote about their nominated teachers. Although some students were embarrassed to show their quotes to the crowd, many of them were very touching. All teachers received a certificate signed by Saralyn and Director of Governor's Schools Sherry Keffer, as well as a copy of the passage students wrote about them.

By the time the presentation was over, everyone was ready to eat. After lunch, Saralyn introduced the day's speaker, M.E. Yancosek-Gamble, the acting chair of the Department of Communications at Bethany and Media Arts Renner Scholar, who talked to the audience about breaking out of your routine and achieving goals.

Between the luncheon and departure for Pittsburgh, interested students had the opportunity to watch the World Cup Finals between the Netherlands and Spain. The air was tense with anticipation and friendly rivalry, and when Spain scored in the second session of overtime, half the group erupted in cheers and cries of "Viva España!" while the other half shouted out claims that the Spanish team was off-sides. Nevertheless, we all know that the Spanish team was victorious.

Students and staff again donned their dress clothes to board buses for Pittsburgh to see The Producers. The production had many students rolling in the aisles for its witty and unexpected humor. Students, staff, and faculty were all excited to see Joey Fatone, former N*Sync member and Dancing with the Stars alum, in the role of Franz Liebkind. After the show, students were herded back to the buses relatively painlessly and made it home before midnight. This morning, the daily schedule was altered slightly to allow everyone some extra time to sleep because of the late arrival; the extra hour was greatly appreciated :)

Tonight, Laura "Piece" Kelly, a nationally renowned slam poet, will perform for the Academy. I can't believe it's the last Monday we'll be here!

--Lauren the Intern