Eighteen scholars, 5 weeks, 1 journalism class.

The Governor’s Scholars Program offers these students a chance to learn about what it means to be a journalist in the 21st Century. We cover topics ranging from newspaper survival, multimedia, broadcast journalism, photojournalism and investigative reporting and ethics. They get to go see WAVE tv, the Courier-Journal and a printing press.
These 18 incoming seniors do not walk into this class with a lot of experience. For many it is the first time they have attempted to report a story, write it and take pictures for it. The following stories are their ideas and interviews. I “tweeked” their final versions, but tried to let their voice be the one that is heard.
They went out and interviewed their peers, allowing great insight into the diversity of this program. As a faculty in my second year with GSP, I was pleased with the ideas and the curiosity of these students. In some cases their ideas made me laugh and in others, one is reminded of terrible moments in history and the challenges some students overcome to be here.
The ideas were as diverse as GSP. And isn’t that what makes this program work? Its this diversity and the scholars’ willingness to embrace it that make me excited to share the first GSP Journalism Blog with you.

Jeanie Adams-Smith
Associate Professor
Photojournalism
Western Kentucky University

Roommates share more than space at GSP by Samantha Cecil

Governor scholars Lyndy Hill and Kristen Troyer thought they had nothing in common, so the idea of rooming together for 5 weeks seemed daunting.
Hill was born in Kansas and moved to Kentucky when she was 8, after her parents divorced. She was from a large blended family with a younger brother, 5 step brothers, a step sister, and 3 half-brothers.
Troyer, unlike Hill, moved around quite frequently as she was growing up. She was born in Colorado, moved to London, then to the Netherlands, then to Cincinnati, and now she resides in Villahills, Ky. She has two half-brothers and two-half sisters.
“I thought she was going to be one of those people that always had to be moving,” Hill said of Troyer.
Troyer thought her new roommate was quiet, tidy, but quiet.
Pre-assigned roommates is the norm with the Governor’s Scholars Program, established in 1983 as an academic-oriented summer camp that pushes students to learn problem-solving skills, be around other gifted teens from around Kentucky and push their creativity.
The program provides growth to upcoming seniors in hope of enhancing Kentucky’s future leaders. This year, there are 343 scholars staying at the Bellarmine University Campus in Louisville, Kentucky. During the 5 weeks, the scholars take classes and have special activities they can participate in. The classes, such as Architectural Design, Healthcare Industry and Journalism and Mass Media provide a glimpse at choices for that career path. Special Activities, such as Afternoon with the Arts, allows the scholars to express themselves creatively.
Students also go on many field trips, participate in the GSP talent show (Showcase) and see classic films they may have not been exposed to like Casablanca and To Kill a Mockingbird.
As the two roommates got to know each other better, the idea of a foreign room partner disappeared. The atmosphere in the room changed from awkward silence to an one filled with laughter and happiness; Troyer and Hill sit on their beds and joke often. Their room isn’t in the traditional arrangement like a majority of the dorms. Their beds, instead, are connected in an “L” shape and the separate items once divided in each girls’ belongings are now intermingled.
“We have not said a mean word to each other,” Troyer said. Hill jokingly responds with the comment, “When 5 weeks is over, I’m never talking to her again. I might not after this.” The bond between these two girls is evident and is one they hope is life-long.
“I can see us keeping in touch, but I don’t see us making each other godparent of our firstborns,” jokes Hill. “I always have the worst roommates,” Hill continues. “I know this might sound silly but I was so scared I’d have a sucky roommate.”
This fear is a common occurrence among scholars who attend the summer program. But GSP faculty and staff support this arrangement. Diversity is the basis of how roommates are chosen. Those given the task to assign roommates purposely ensure diversity from schools, location and ethnic background.
As Executive Director of Governor’s Scholar Program, Aris Cedeño, is commited to the scholar experience, and that includes making the scholars uncomfortable. He wants force them to consider new ideas and ways of thinking, plus the GSP mission also includes prepping them for what college will hold for them a year from now.
Only one time in Governor’s Scholar history, he recalls, has there been a time when roommates had to be separated. The faculty understands there will be some conflict between two diverse people in tight quarters for 5 weeks, but as Cedeño puts it, “Civilized people work the problems out.”

What’s in a Name? by Rachel Parsley

Aris Cedeños is really good at names. He can also tell you where each of the 120 counties in Kentucky rest. As the Director of the Governor’s Scholars Program in the state, he has to know the state well. The program draws over a thousand students representing most of the counties in between Pikeville and Paducah.
But it’s the names that make his memory so famous.
“Once it clicks, it’s forever,” said Cedeños.
The first day of GSP brought the typical fear, hope and anxiety for the scholars. Remembering the names of the 343 scholars who were descending on Bellarmine University’s campus was one of many stresses for the high school seniors.
When Cedeños welcomed them with names of scholars already memorized they were in awe. “How does he know that?” is a typical murmur.
Tossing the 17-year-olds into the college-like GSP environment for 5 weeks is part of its success. The 26-year-old program is one of the most successful GSP programs in the country, with only 17 left in the nation.
The scholars, who make it to GSP by application, GPA, test scores and community and school service involvement, are looking mostly for scholarship opportunities. But they come away with better understandings of the diversity of their state.
But not so much of an understanding those pesky names.
At Bellermine’s campus this year there were 5 “Rachels” on one of the dorm halls alone. At graduation 2 “Chases” graduated back-to-back. And keeping up with the “Austins,” “Aarons” and “Kelseys” became tough for the faculty, some who had multiple of the same-named scholars in their classes.
Veteran faculty member Matt Curless recalls overseeing a dorm hall check-in one year and having a hall full of “Amanda’s.”
“That year, I wrote a song called “The Amanda Song,” said Curless, “and sang it at a showcase (talent show at GSP). It was a big hit!”
Bellarmine is one of 3 campus locations for GSP. The thousand-plus scholars that are chosen for the program are divided between the locations. As Dean of the program, Cedeño travels to all 3, but most of his time is spent at Bellarmine, so these names are a little easier to nail down.
As the program moves through its 5 weeks, more “Rachels” are met and the new scholar response becomes, “ugh” or “not another one.” Many scholars joke if you don’t know someone’s name, Rachel would always be a safe guess.
But what is happening through all the name games, class exercises, field trips and issue seminars, is far more than memorizing names. Scholars learn to get out of their comfort zones; they learn they can be friends with other students that may vary deeply in topics and issues. They are exposed to new cultures, religions, and points of view.
Behind one “Rachel” will be a very different opinion on gay rights or abortion than what another “Rachel” may think, but seeing an issue from another’s viewpoint is a powerful experience for many of these scholars.
“Most scholars tell us that Seminar (issue discussions) is their most memorable part of GSP,” said Cedeño.
Cedeño has been with the Governor’s Scholars Program for 18 years, and one particular year that stands out to him involves the name “Meg” and a lot of them. On the Eastern Kentucky University campus in 2001, there were 4 Resident Advisor’s named Meghan.
He has noticed that having the same name is more common with girls than boys on the campuses. This year, one RA Stephanie Riley has 3 Rachel’s just on her hall alone. Down the hall there are 2 more, so all in all there are 5 Rachel’s on one hall. What’s worse is that they all have dark hair, so keeping them all straight takes effort.
Even though there are multiple scholars with the same name, Cedeño always manages to put the correct name with the face. “You are not a name, you are a person,” Cedeño said. “Look them in the face.”
Even with all the sameness with the names, a new culture, called the Community at GSP, develops. Bonds are formed in the name of Friendship that sometimes last years. It is not uncommon for roommates at GSP to room together in college.
2009 may go down as a historical year for “name calling” but through the challenges of memorizing names, one thing is true, these scholars won’t forget each other.

Movies Get a Cool Reception at GSP by Nick Fischer

On a cool summer evening, hundreds of Kentucky Governor Scholars pile onto the hill behind Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall. They eat the free popcorn and sit on blankets spread out on the grass. Loud chatter and laughter dominates the scene until dark.
At sunset, a large make-shift screen, begins the current movie out for 2009, Will Smith’s Seven Pounds.
But 20 minutes into the film, the announcement is made that the film is to be post-poned due to an impending thunderstorm - the rain never materializes.
This turn of events reflects some scholars' feelings towards the GSP’s film selections —a lot of buildup and potential, but ultimately disappointment.
Casablanca, the first movie shown, is widely regarded as one of the best films ever made and holds the second spot on the American Film Institute’s Greatest Films of All Time list. However, a few of the scholars’ response to the film was not nearly as positive.
“I thought it would be better,” said Ross Gilliam. “You couldn’t even understand what they were saying half of the time.”
“When they told us it was second on the AFI’s list, they forgot to tell us it was second from the bottom,” joked Eric Butterbaugh.
GSP routinely shows films to the scholars that are considered “classics,” chosen by the staff. These movies are selected to provide the scholars an opportunity to watch films they otherwise might not see due to the age or obscurity of the film.
Other choices for the scholars included The Graduate, O Brother Where Art Thou and Apollo 13, which were received more favorably than their famous forties counter-part, although attendance dropped steadily both times.
The Governor’s Scholars Program started in 1983 as a way to encourage bright students in Kentucky to go to college in Kentucky and invest their talents back into the state.
The 26-year-old program tries to expose these students to new experiences and activities they don’t normally get to explore in their high schools.
Frank Ward, one of the faculty members with GSP, embraces the classic film idea and takes it one step farther. Ward offers the students a chance to see obscure science fiction films most of the 17-year-olds have never heard of.
Titles like, Them and Series 7: The Contenders were shown in Ward’s Science Fiction Club this summer.
“I am not always a fan of the choices (the staff makes),” said Ward. “But I was pretty happy that Dr. Stangelove was on the list this year.”
Its title alone may draw in a few of the curious.

The GSP "Kid Culture" by Maria Kosse

The typical dorm room does not contain drawers labeled “undies” and “hair,” green polka-dots stuck to the walls with slogans like “be green!” and “I love planet earth!” and a wooden mouse, finger painted different shades of pink, green, and red. Nor does the typical dorm room have “Magic Tree House” books and “Brain Quest” lined up on one of two desks, or a box of Crayons. The typical dorm room does not belong to a 5-year-old.
Yet for Abby Adams-Smith this colorful dorm room is hers for 5 weeks during the Governor’s Scholars Program at Bellarmine University. Abby is the daughter of the Journalism-Mass Media Professor, Jeanie-Adams Smith.
As a result of Adams-Smith’s 6-week commitment to enriching the minds of young Kentuckians, her daughter has found a new home for the summer, as the only child of faculty present.
The Governor’s Scholars Program, in existence since 1983, has dedicated itself to finding committed faculty. The 150 faculty members, spread out over three Kentucky campuses, dedicate 6 weeks of their summer to the Governor’s Scholars Program, often leaving their families at home. However, some faculty members choose to bring the family experience with them. While this may bring the comforts of home to the Governor’s Scholars Program, affectionately known as GSP, difficulties and challenges are also present.
Jeanie Adams-Smith, a photo-journalism professor at Western Kentucky University, is entering her second year as a faculty member at the Bellarmine GSP campus. Adams-Smith’s daughter, Abby, is also entering her second year at GSP, and remains the sole representative of a faculty member child. Her experiences differ from those of children in past years of GSP, as the numbers of children present on campus have varied.
According to Adams-Smith there is “no community at GSP of kids Abby’s age,” unlike that of years past. At the Eastern Kentucky University GSP campus in 2001, the number of children soared, nearing almost 20 children. The dynamics of the “kid culture on campus” vary greatly according to the number of children present. Instead of entertainment on campus, Abby is enrolled in a number of local area summer camps in order to keep her mind stimulated and be around kids her age. However, Adams-Smith does not see this as a negative.
“Abby is a happy, bright, child used to change,” Adams-Smith said “she has blossomed at GSP and really enjoys being around the scholars.”
However, not all faculty members can bring their children with them on campus for the 5 weeks. Matt Curless, entering his 11th summer as a visual art teacher at GSP, has left his family at home in northern Kentucky this summer.
While Curless claims that the “friendly, optimistic, people keeps [him] returning” to GSP, it still “hurts to be away.”
“When I come home on weekends, [his three children] look and talk different,” Curless explains, “their language and bodies are growing so fast and developing.”
Because the scholars rarely interact with anyone outside the ages of 16 and 17, seeing a bubbly 5-year-old, skipping and singing in the cafeteria can be a bit of a surprise. Yet Abby seems to be embracing the GSP experience, and making a culture of her own. While usually absent during the day, attending a zoo or art camp, Abby’s presence is felt by all, usually accompanied with a smile.
But just because Abby is not officially a Governor’s Scholar does not mean that she has not been infused with the qualities of curiosity and a passion for learning. As a 5-year old reading at an eighth grade level, Abby has truly discovered what it means to be a scholar.
Most notably, Abby hosted a bake sale to raise money for the diminishing polar bears. While from a distance it may look funny to see teenagers buying cupcakes decorated as polar bears from a first-grader, at a closer look it is evident that through the Governor’s Scholars Program, someone small can make the same impact as someone triple her age.

Scholars Risk It All for a Little GSP Fame by Lindsey Horrell

The murmurs of hundreds of high school seniors begin to fade as they await the next student performance. It is a Friday night at the Governor’s Scholars Program on Bellarmine University’s campus and Showcase, as it is called, is in full swing.
The lights go down and the crowd perks up as a young lady nervously takes position on the stage. She timidly begins her performance, hesitantly singing the first few bars of a popular tune. Then, horror strikes as this scholar lives every performer’s worst nightmare: she freezes, right on stage in front of all of her peers.
As she stands there nervously, silently, someone whispers from the front, “You can do it.” Then, someone from the back begins humming the tune. Another brave scholar joins the first and soon the whole room is buzzing with the hums of hundreds of teenagers, there, in unison, supporting her.
She finishes her song to the hums of her classmates and friends, and the performance that began as a performer-and-her-audience ends as one community. This is the essence of the Governor’s Scholars Program.
This is Showcase.
Showcase was part of GSP from the very beginning- in 1983, the birth year of the program. It is described to many outsiders as a “talent show,” however anyone who has ever attended Showcase knows it is far more than that.
“Showcase is a venue for scholars to take a risk of showing their talents,” said Aristófanes Cedeño, the Executive Director of the Governor’s Scholars Program and Academic Dean of the Bellarmine Campus, “to take the stage in front of an audience who will not reject you.”
But why is Showcase unlike any other talent show? Isn’t performing in front of any audience a risk? Cedeño suggests it is the audience that makes Showcase a truly unique experience.
Meg Caudill, the director of the Showcase, tells perspective performers, “If you mess up, they’ll wait, and in most cases they’ll go along with you wherever you want to take them and when you’re done, they’ll be there to cheer for you.”
“Even people who don’t do Showcase take something away from it,” she said.
Where else can you see a ukulele player bring the house down or see a student get up and work the audience with shadow puppets? Another will receive a standing ovation for a Latin dance.
Outside of Showcase, where will six macho guys get up and dance to “Every Time We Touch?”
Unlike Governor’s School for the Arts, the GSP campus focuses on academic classes and activities. But the arts, like music, dance and painting still play a major role in the scholar experience.
The 344 students that make up the 2009 Bellarmine GSP class are encouraged by their teachers, resident hall supervisors (RA’s) and their peers to perform. It is not uncommon to see the faculty and RA’s in showcase, themselves.
Students must apply and be accepted into the GSP program from thousands of applications. The thousand-plus that are chosen are divided on to three campuses across the state of Kentucky.
As well as their academic performance, students are chosen based on community service and involvement in their schools; this can include, and often does, musical talent.
Taking risks in a community of peers who will cheer for your successes and pick you up when you fall, this is the heart of GSP. It is taking these risks that enables every scholar to grow beyond all expectations. This is what makes Showcase, and the Governor’s Scholars Program, an experience of a lifetime.

Kentucky Home Feels Old for GSP'er by Kelsey Ryan

As Whitney Menser, a rising senior at South Oldham High School, makes her way across Bellarmine University’s picturesque campus, she notices familiar images everywhere. Those all too familiar rolling hills of Louisville set the perfect stage for her Governor’s Scholar Program classes, special activities, and events.
Menser as well as 343 other teens are living on the university’s campus for 5 weeks, getting a taste of what it would be like to be a college freshman. The scholars applied for the program against thousands of peers from around the state to be one of a little over one thousand picked for three campuses of GSP scholars.
One of the reasons for the rising competition is scholarships. Many of the colleges in Kentucky offer GSP graduates top scholarships.
But for Menser, that is surprisingly not appealing. Her options for post-secondary education are numerous, and no one would be surprised if she did chose to come back in a year to study at Bellarmine, except for Menser.
Her mind has been set against Kentucky universities since elementary school.
“It’s not like a shout-it-to-the-world kind of thing, but I don’t hide it,” she said casually. “Schools in Kentucky are either too small or too close… A lot of my friends are going to college in-state. I’m not interested in gong back to high school. It’s hard to get out of your shell if you know half the student population.”
Scholars chosen to participate to this 5 week program are top students in the state. They are chosen for their grades and test scores but also for their community service and school involvement. There is already extreme pressure to chose where to go to college; and scholarships, undeniable bonuses of being involved in GSP, bear enormous weight on this decision.
Though GSP is not technically considered a scholarship program, the overwhelming majority (a new high set at 84 percent in 2006) of scholars choose to remain in Kentucky for their postsecondary education. And with the down turn in the economy, the number will likely rise.
Menser isn’t worried about the financial aspect, and feels no guilt about attending GSP in the place of a student who would use the scholarships offered in-state.
“I applied to GSP for the experience, to get used to college life… I could get scholarships elsewhere just by having this program on my résumé,” she said.
Arís Cedeño, the executive director of Governor’s Scholars Program, insists that there is no pressure for any scholar to stay in Kentucky, and that the choice is the scholar’s to make. But on the other hand, Cedeño is quick to point out the need for the scholars in Kentucky.
“It’s not our goal to keep you (scholars) here, but remember, you need to help the place that helped you,” Cedeño said to a group of scholars.
Each night at GSP, Menser winds down in her dorm’s lounge. Tonight, she is dressed casually in a sweatshirt from Purdue, her mother’s alma mater. Though she has no clear-cut idea of where she wants to go, she feels a strong pull toward Purdue, whether or not she is awarded good scholarships.
“I always planned on paying student loans. I’m not worried about them,” she said.
The origins of the Governor’s Scholars Program in Kentucky reside in the early 1980’s, when leaders became concerned about the “brain drain” from their states into more challenging and exciting college programs in other states.
In the founding year of GSP, 55.8 percent of students made use of their scholarships, and with each passing year, excepting a few drop-offs, this number has been steadily rising.
Cedeño acknowledges this statistic, but promises that GSP is not going to stand in the way of any scholar who feels the need to leave Kentucky for other schools or programs.
“Away from home is a mental state,” he said. “You can go away… go wherever you want to go. You’re offered a scholarship to Harvard, and that’s your dream, take it.”

First impressions play major role in GSP experience by Kelsey Palmer

As the entire community of new Governor’s Scholars piled into the gymnasium for the first official community meeting, everyone shared the same nerves, anxiety, and even the grey, assigned GSP t-shirt. Everyone, that is, except for one student.
Some scholars may know him as the guy who lost his GSP t-shirt on the first day, or the kid who was called down by the dean of the program. But Zack Grove just remembers his own fear.
“I was absolutely terrified. Being the first kid called out, it was mind-blowing,” said Grove.
After that first meeting, Grove had to have a talk with Aris Cedeños, Dean of the Governor’s Scholars Program and Director of the Bellarmine University GSP campus. Cedeños may have been using Grove as an example but his lecture about responsibility was serious.
“It wasn’t too big of a deal. I knew he was using me as an example for the rest of the community,” said Grove.
For the first days of GSP, Grove recalls, a lot of people only knew him as the “guy who didn’t have his shirt.”
“It’s a great icebreaker,” said Grove. While some scholars may have seen this as a typical bad first impression, Grove said it has been fantastic in the social aspect of GSP.
The Governor’s Scholars Program is in its 26th year in Kentucky allowing over one thousand juniors from high schools around the state have a unique 5-week experience that part prepares them for college and part prepares them for future leadership roles in their state. The students are divided between three campus sites, pre-determined by the staff at GSP.
Many of the students apply for GSP because of its reputation of attracting college scholarships for its graduates, but the surprise for most is how attached they become to one another.
By the time the third week of the program, most scholars have introduced themselves to hundreds of other students with the usual name, school, and focus area. With so many new faces and new names, it becomes apparent how important first impressions are in an environment like GSP.
First impressions can be good or bad, and sometimes can even create a campus-wide reputation for a scholar, as is the case with Grove, a junior from Dixie Heights High School in Edgewood, Ky.
Considering there are 343 scholars at the Bellarmine campus alone, how a scholar “meets and greets” can set the pace for his GSP experience. Losing a t-shirt may be the stigma attached for the entire 5 weeks.
As for Cedeños, Grove says there are no hard feelings about the first day. “I know it was part of his job, and he doesn’t treat me any differently for it,” said Grove. He has used this negative experience to his advantage, and takes it with a positive outlook.
“It was a negative experience, but it was good for my social life,” said Grove, whose roommate was also called out in the first days of the program for losing a back pack. “We thought about making a band as a joke, and we got to be in the RA update (performance) which was pretty cool.”
Not only was Grove able to be part of the weekly showcase, a GSP talent show, but he was also called out at a Convocation with Secretary of State Trey Grayson. The speaker joked with Grove about losing his t-shirt, since they both attended Dixie High School. Then a week later, Grove entered the GSP spotlight again when he won the Rock-Paper-Scissors tournament, another tradition for the program
Looking back on this experience, Grove says he really wishes he had his original GSP t-shirt. “Now I have the wrong size, and I really feel terrible about losing that shirt,” he said. “But since then, I’ve been extra careful and responsible.”
On the last day of GSP, the day before graduation, Cedeños gave the scholars their marching orders for the event. He reminded all the students to wear their t-shirts and Grove was asked if he had his.
After the laughter subsided, Grove smiled, "I know right where it is!"

GSP Student Witness to Genocide by Juline Asamoah

Most Americans cannot fathom the horrific injustices that take place in foreign countries. The 1994 Rwandan Genocide was one the most severe human crimes witnessed in the twentieth century, yet at the time of the event, it went largely unrecognized for its magnitude.
Celine Mutuyemariya a student at the 2009 Governor’s Scholars Program hails from Rwanda. She was born in Gisenyi but moved to Kigali as a very young child. Mutuyemariya remembers very little about Rwanda; what she does remember is after the family escaped and lived in Dakar, Senegal.
During that time she went to the market on weekends, where people would be shouting to each other as they bargained. She lived in an apartment with her family, and she went to a strict Catholic school. As punishment the younger kids had to pull on their ears and do squats. Her life in Senegal was quiet and ordinary, unlike her past.
Relations between the Hutu and Tutsi have always been tense. Long before 1994, the struggle was all about which group had political control. In 1990, Tutsis from Uganda invaded the neighboring Rwanda and revealed to the world the hatred between the two groups. Tensions escalated further when Rwandan President Juvenal Habyalimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira were killed in a plane crash after holding peace meetings with the rebels (Rwandan Patriotic Front).
Media accessed by the rebels spread a rumor that the Hutu shot down the presidents’ plane. The event plunged Rwanda into chaos. 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu moderates were killed in the 100-day massacre genocide.
“The adults don’t talk about the war in front of the kids; they usually send them away,” said Mutuyemariya .
However, Mutuyemariya’s father told her and her older sister, Roseline Twagiramariya, about the genocide once. When the president’s plane was shot down, they were told that the UN was sending troops to help them. Mutuyemariya and her family feared for their lives. They hid in her father’s office at the school where he taught; they were then told that the soldiers were not coming for them, but the family decided to hide anyway - what was happening around them was too terrifying to ignore.
Mutuyemariya’s father and her godfather left the family to see what was happening in the village. What they saw was pure horror, with gruesome image after image.
Mutuyemariya recalls what her father told her and her sister, “He said, “I saw a man whose arm was cut and I ran to hide in the bushes.”
However, when he came out of hiding he saw the corpse of Roseline’s godfather. He also found out that everyone at the school had been massacred. What he didn’t know was that his daughters and the family had escaped with the help of a friend; for three days he thought that his family was dead. His family also thought that he was victim to the massacres. Eventually they found each other and moved from refugee camp to refugee camp until they got to Senegal, where Mutuyemariya lived until she was 6.
Because Mutuyemariya was very young when the tragedy occurred, she is “not too personally traumatized.” She was one of the lucky few children who came out of Rwanda with both parents alive. Mutuyemariya’s family lost two children, those of her aunt. She recalled a friend of hers that was not so lucky; she lost both her parents to the war. Mutuyemariya’s sister remembers the Rwandan genocide vividly but has blocked it out.
Still today there are deep tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi; it is hard to move on even 15 years later. Mutuyemariya, herself does not speak of her own ethnicity.
“That’s one of those things you don’t really (talk about) it can cause tensions,” she said.
When the genocide happened it was as if the world stood back and watched. When asked about lack of UN involvement in the war, Mutuyemariya expressed that it makes her angry because “people knew about it and did nothing,” but she understands that “clearly things have to be done before they get involved.” Mutuyemariya’s father is politically active in spreading awareness of the Rwandan Civil War so that nothing like this happens again. This has prevented him from going back to Rwanda because of the high risk of danger. It is through people like him that others become aware of what is happening around the world; this inspires others to take action and help.

Making Friends With the Opposite Sex by Jonathan Caron

Anthony Meena, 17, a junior at St. Xavier High School in Louisville was a bit timid about coming to the Governor’s Scholars Program this summer. There was the college-style classes, the strict schedule and being away from family and friends for 5 weeks, but there was also something else. Something that only a scholar from a high school like Meena’s could understand.
Meena attends an all boys high school. And for the first time since grade school, he would be sitting in a class next to – yes- girls.
Though he wasn’t completely incapable of talking to girls, he was a bit slower than most other scholars who attend public schools. It was just harder for Meena to begin forming new friendships with members of the same and opposite sexes. His training may have come in grade school, when he was with both boys and girls. It wasn’t until high school that he sat in classrooms with boys and only boys.
“You got used to going to an all boys school,” said Meena, who is now going into his senior year at St. Xavier. “My first few days reminded me of grade school – having classes with girls.”
For the past 26 years, GSP has brought thousands of high-achieving juniors from all over Kentucky together for an academic experience of a lifetime.
Breaking out of a comfort zone is a large part of the experience at the Governor’s Scholars Program. The academic-oriented summer camp is 5 intensive weeks of classes, dorm life, issue seminars and field trips. There is not a great deal of down time for a scholar and the time spent with their classmates can be long.
Anthony wasn’t anywhere near the worst case of all-boy-school-itis when it came to talking to girls at GSP. It was a rare sight to see any of them even looking at girls. Slowly through the course of the program, these boys are tossed into so many situations, including a dance, that great strides are made towards having the courage to speak to girls. Some have even gone as far as flirting, an action they couldn’t have even dreamed of doing just a few weeks ago.
Boys and girls are given opportunities to interact in classes, especially their seminar class. Scholars from different schools, regions, races, and genders are placed into the seminar classes and talk about their opinions on various topics, which often places people in the class in uncomfortable positions. Regardless, seminar according to staff members, always gets the highest evaluation marks for the best part of the GSP experience.
The environment may be uncomfortable at first, but by the end of the third week, it’s rare to see someone who doesn’t seem like they’ve adapted.
“It wasn’t that hard to adapt,” said Meena, “The atmosphere is a lot different from my high school, but I like it.”
Being able to adjust to this environment is necessary and difficult, especially for the boys in this situation. Every year since 1994, girls have outnumbered boys in the Governor’s Scholars Program by a sixty-to-forty ratio.
For Meena, that is a little bit of a positive.

Behind the Face of GSP by Joel Ginn

The weekend of the 4th of July was parents’ weekend for the 343 Governor Scholars on Bellarmine University’s campus. That meant making sure there was some fun and educational component on Sunday – this was important. As the scholars made their way to festivities planned by the faculty and staff, one man stood out, his face painted entirely like an American Flag, Aris Cedeño, Dean of the Governor’s Scholars Program.
Originally from Panama, Cedeño appreciates what US culture has to offer. If there are any lessons he wants the high school juniors to understand at GSP, is that it is a privilege to be at the program and to be a citizen. As acting dean of GSP as well as the director of Bellarmine, one of the 3 Universities that host the scholars for 5 weeks, Cedeño is strict, but caring.
“I tell the scholars Aris is your friend, but the Dean has no soul,” said Cedeño of his role on campus.
Cedeño is not afraid to call out someone in a crowd of 400 for something like a missing T-shirt talking during meetings, or being late to classes. In group meetinigs he is quick to give a 10-minute speech on responsibility not directed towards that person, but everyone knows who he is talking to.
Aristófanes Cedeño started with Governor’s Scholars Program in 1992 as a teacher and has been with it ever since. In 1995 he was promoted to campus director and is now the mastermind behind the entire program. He works with a board of directors, the yearly employees, the administrators, and the planning for each summer. Cedeño starts his work for the next summer the day after the scholars leave. From hiring of staff to selection of students he is behind it all.
The program itself has been part of Kentucky for 26 years. It is one of only 17 that remain in the country. Thousands of high school juniors apply from all over the state. Only a little over 1,000 get in, divided on to three designated campuses. Bellarmine has been a GSP location for the last three years.
Scholars stay in dorms on campus for 5 weeks and take classes from high school and college faculty, specializing in specific fields. The dorms are monitored by former scholars who must apply for resident assistant positions. There are also field trips, clubs and games for the scholars and advice about college, testing and scholarships. Cedeño oversees the entire operation.
“Every year has its own characteristics that make it unique,” said Cedeño.
Cedeño has seen the scholars change from a less conservative body in 1983 to a more conservative campus in 1994-95, to a mix of both since 2005. Also the subjects that are taught have changed. Until 1996 the program tried to be similar to a liberal arts college with classes like philosophy, history, and literature. Since then it has become more professional with classes like architecture and journalism and the sciences.
Cedeño has some high expectations for the scholars. He wishes that everyone have a mind and body balance. He sees that people are playing ultimate Frisbee and Quidditch and that is fine by him. But he wishes that scholars would read books and poetry along with those activities. He wants everyone to put themselves fully into their classes because this atmosphere is never going to happen again.
“Here people can be themselves without the pressure and constraints of time and grades. Everyone is learning things they would learn elsewhere but with the freedom to take it all in,” he said.
Cedeño wants people to realize that it isn’t the grade or degree that matters. What matters is the knowledge gained.
“The knowledge is the jewel in the crown,” he said.
His ultimate goal is to make a year-round Governor’s Scholars Program so that students can gain the knowledge without having to worry about the grades. Cedeño sees GSP as a way for scholars to learn something new by taking an intellectual risk.
With public schools in Kentucky ranked low in test scores and funding, Cedeño feels programs like GSP are crucial to provide support for bright students who need to be pushed in the right direction. He sees these 17-year-old kids as the future of Kentucky.
“Aris is among the top leaders [I] know because he is adept at [dealing with] people,” said former scholar and GSP teacher Dr. Kevin Hub. “At the end of the day all you have is your relationships.”

Out of a comfort zone by Erica Shelley

Liz Delaney arrived at the Bellarmine Campus for the 2009 Governor’s Scholar Program from her small city of Falmouth in Pendleton County, Kentucky. It was a big change for her, coming from a small farming community to Louisville, a city with over a million people.
On opening day of GSP, Delaney confidently walked into her dorm room, and introduced herself to Jenny Tan, her roommate for the next 5 weeks.
“We hit it off,” said Delaney, “ we have the same tastes in books and movies, and a good sense of humor and we like to laugh. And she wakes me up in the morning, which is a good thing!”
The Governor’s Scholar Program is in its 26th year of allowing high school juniors a chance to experience a taste of college life, trying new clubs and classes, and, of course, earning scholarships. However, it is the experience of meeting new people that many scholars will treasure the most.
It was a large goal for Delaney who was looking forward to expanding her knowledge, but also her friendships.
“You know the same people from kindergarten to the time you graduate, and the only ones that change are the ones that move away,” said Delaney of her small town.
Students at GSP are from all parts of Kentucky and are puposefully paired with other students with different backgrounds as roommates. These pairings are predetermined and given a great deal of thought by the staff at GSP. The mission for the scholars is that during the five weeks they are on a GSP campus there is a process of discovery that takes them out of their comfort zone. Part of this experience will be living with a roommate for the first time. These roommates have different experiences with each other—some that end with graduation from GSP, and some that go on to last a lifetime.

Yet, while the good relationship between Delaney and Tan is ideal for Governor’s Scholars, it is not always the case. In 2002 near the end of the program at the Eastern Kentucky University campus, a girl reported to the campus director that her roommate had alcohol. Normally this would be ground for dismissal and the girl would be sent home, however the director gave her a second chance. This left the two teens facing each other for three more nights with a strained relationship at best.
The only time GSP has allowed roommates to switch rooms came in 2003 on the Northern Kentucky Campus when two girls differed so much on issues that they were in constant arguments. But of the thousand-plus scholars picked to join GSP on one of three campuses, Delaney and Tan are the norm. Some roommates go on to board at college together. A few roommates have been the maids of honor at each other’s weddings.
When asked if they and their roommate would keep in touch after GSP, another student replied, “I think we’ll keep in contact, especially through Facebook, but we’re probably not going to be best friends either.”
These different types of relationships have been present every year at GSP, and will continue as long as GSP gets its funding to fuel young minds. Most students feel that being assigned a roommate has better prepared them for college, as well as helping them find new friends from other parts of the state. The experience allowed Delaney to meet her goal of finding new friends; one happens to share her room.

Service as a Passion by Emily Bouchard

Stretched across couches and chairs, 19 girls sit in concentration threading tiny multi-colored beads onto pre-cut strings. With music playing in the background and snack food being passed around, the atmosphere resembles a slumber party. However, the situation is different. 


Instead of being life long friends, most of the girls don’t even remember their neighbor’s last name. In fact, they’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks.
The girls are living in Sienna 4B dorm on Bellarmine University’s campus, and are in the Governor’s Scholars Program. GSP is a 26-year-old program which allows bright and motivated high school juniors to have enriching and challenging academic and social experiences in a community setting.
Thanks to one scholar in particular, Lilly Yu, the girls are “Beading to Beat Autism,”

 which is a program started by 12-year-old Michala Riggle, whose brother has Autism.
Riggle started making bracelets to sale to raise money for kids with Autism get the help they need. She created a private foundation called Michala Riggle Beat Autism Foundation, Inc. and has raised over $350,000 so far.
The foundation is largely volunteer based. Those interested in helping can call the foundation and ask them to send bracelet-making kits. The volunteers are encouraged to use their creativity to use the beads to design a couple hundred bracelets per kit. Then the volunteers send the finished bracelets back for the foundation to sell for $3.


Yu, a 17-year-old from Manual High School, started the bead project with her floor. She mentioned it one night at a curfew check-in and the response was a unanimous “yes.” Yu called the foundation and asked to be involved in the project. 
 

The girls come to their dorm about an hour before curfew to design bracelets. They use the time to snack, gossip and bond with each other. So far, they have created about 200 bracelets. 

“I love that we get to do this, “ said Dylan Denison, from Horse Cave. “We get to help out kids with Autism and have fun while we do it.”

“Beading to Beat Autism” was not the first project Yu has been involved in. She is also helping a project called “Got Prom?” as a requirement for her school’s National Honor Society. Yu became involved with “Got Prom?” through the Northeast Christian Church. 



“I think every girl deserves that special prom, so it’s really fulfilling to know I'm helping teenage girls just like myself. I hope each girl feels beautiful on prom night,” Yu said. 

The project assists high school girls who cannot afford dresses and accessories for prom to obtain them free or at lower costs.

Yu began awareness of her project by posting it on Facebook. She saw how many people had joined the “Bellarmine GSP group” and thought it would be a good way to gain awareness.
 Yu called for all girls with extra prom dresses and accessories to bring them to GSP. However, a major problem arose once the program started; the girls were unable to find Yu on campus. 

Before coming to the program she created fliers for her project. 
Due to restrictions on campus, Yu was unable to pass them out or hang them up. 
However, she has overcome these obstacles and has still been able to obtain a few items.

Even though her community service project is due at the beginning of the school year, Yu plans on collecting dresses for “Got Prom?” all year.
The “Beading to Beat Autism” project will wrap up at the end of the Governor’s Scholars Program. Yu enjoys helping others and says, “I love doing service projects for things I love.”

Show Me the Money by Danny Weigel

As Will Adkins sits down in the Bellarmine University cafeteria, he is carrying a lunch he did not pay for. The state of Kentucky did. Later in the day, he heads to SURF, the workout facility on campus he uses for free, and after this he will run home for a shower in a dorm where neither he nor his parents pay water, electric bills or rent.
Adkins is one of the 343 Governor Scholars attending the 2009 summer program. For 5 weeks these high school juniors attend classes, seminars and clubs designed specifically for them. These students are some of the best and the brightest in the state of Kentucky, which is one of the top Governor Scholars programs in the country.
Thousands of students apply for the coveted program which will accept just over 1,000 kids divided on three college campuses in the state.
The average cost for a 2009 student participating in GSP is approximately $2,000, according to campus director Aris Cedeño. This year, a total of $1.75 million dollars will be spread out over the three campuses: Bellarmine University in Louisville, Centre College in Danville, and Morehead State University in Morehead.
When Adkins, 17, a student at Frankfort High School in Frankfort, Ky., will have the ability to attend field trips, try out new ideas and travel to places in the state that he normally does not explore. The costs also cover faculty, staff and resident assistants for the scholars who come from all over the state.
Finances play a huge role in everything, and this is very much amplified in these current economic times. It is difficult to do anything substantial, particularly the Governor’s Scholar Program, without serious financial commitments. It is a program unlike any other not only in the state, but in the country as well. And it would not have this overwhelming uniqueness without the diversity from across the state.
According to Cedeño, 114 of the 120 counties in Kentucky are represented across the three campuses, with around 70 of them alone represented here at Bellarmine.
“It’s the diversification of this program that makes it what it is,” said Cedeño. “Without it, GSP just isn’t GSP.” And because it is free, it opens the doors for this diversification to truly flourish. But this uniqueness and diversity may very well soon be put into question.
Because this program would not survive without both the public and the private funding, it is paramount that both of these financial processes survive.
“You wouldn’t want the private sector controlling too much because then they would have a lot of say in who does or does not get into the program. And if the public funding was too disproportional then there would be even more pressure from those who do not support the program to cut it all together,” said Cedeño.
When asked about the role of finances in his decision making process, Adkins replied, “Of course finances played a huge role. There were many summer programs that I thought about applying to but didn’t because they did not offer the financial incentives like GSP does. It was definitely a huge component in the decision making process.”
According to Cedeño, who has been with the program since starting out as a teacher in 1992, and is now the executive director of the program, last year there was a 17% budget cut, and this year, a 2.6% budget cut may soon be announced.
“Everything has to downsize (in times like these),” said Cedeno, “and GSP is no exception.”
Funds have gone from a total of $2.1 million in 2006 to $1.75 million this year. But as Cedeño stated, GSP will “continue to raise fund, and talk with legislators,” because “(this) Program is too important for Kentucky students.”
The prospect of the program being cut crosses Cedeño’s mind all the time. But what is more likely is that the program may just continue to go through budget cuts. This means fewer convocation speakers and fewer field trips. Across the board these cuts will be felt. But according to Cedeño, it will eventually come down to one question; with limited money, do you keep the numbers or the quality? And the answer, at least to Cedeño, is simple. “It is a matter of quality education, not mass education.”
Tomorrow Adkins will get on a bus for transportation that is paid for by the state of Kentucky, for a field trip to 2 museums where the tickets will be free. But this program is not about the dollars and cents. It’s about the Adkins’. It’s about the Jonathan’s. It’s about the Emily’s and Rachel’s.
It’s not about the 1.75 million dollars in total funding.
It is about the amazing teachers and faculty you will find inspiring these minds. It’s not about the $2,000 each student will use up in these five weeks.
It’s about the life-changing experiences and friendships these students will find and make.

This "Caking" is Truly Baking by Chelsea Esmeier

During the first few days of the 2009 Governor’s Scholars Program, there was apparent apprehension between genders. Boys and girls were segregated in the cafeteria, and most people stayed close to the groups from their dorms. However, as days progressed, definite interaction ensued through so called “caking.”
“Caking” is a term that has taken the GSP campus by storm. Though the majority of scholars had never heard of it before coming to Louisville and Bellarmine University, the idea has become part of their 5-week experience.
While previous popular slang has referred to interaction between males and females as “macking” or “flirting,” “caking” is on the rise and it has developed into numerous new terms to describe relationships.
For example, “cup caking” refers to flirting with someone younger. “carrot caking” involves an individual with red hair. “zebra caking” conveys interracial relationships. And regarding members of the same gender, the expression “fruit caking” is applied.
It does not stop there. Every day new phrases are created to describe the flirtatious events that take place at GSP. And the actions are steadily intensifying.
Many admit to being “serial cakers,” showing interest in several individuals, but there are multiple couples that have publicly shown that they are more serious.
Nolan Johnson, 17, from Northern Kentucky, and Catherine Wentworth, 17, from Bowling Green, met on the first day of Irene Bozios’s General Studies class. They were there to study art, but became interest in a very different subject – each other.
By the beginning of the second week, the two were officially a couple. They spend time together every day, and often had their meals together. The pair even received their own nickname “Coline,” which was not a cake-theme, but agreed with the happy couple.
Each year a new culture is created at the Governor’s Scholars Program. The 334 scholars that arrived June 21, to make friends, and prepare for college exams and interviews were quick to establish social networks in their dorms, classes and extracurricular activities.
Aris Cedeño, Executive Director and Academic Dean of the Bellarmine GSP Campus, says that “relationships change throughout the program” and “every generation is different.” He has been with the program for 17 years, and has witnessed numerous relationships start and progress. Some scholars even go on to marry other members of the community.
“We have to learn from gender,” stated Cedeño, “boys tend to be well, more like boys.” While the program does not promote relationships, Cedeño acknowledges they do develop.
The program in its 26th year promotes students to take risks and this means classes that force students out of their comfort zones. For most, this is a new experience and it draws them closer to each other, creating friendships that will last well into the scholars’ adulthood.
Other couples flourishing in the largely academic and enriched learning environment on Bellarmine’s campus soon join Johnson and Wentworth. Couples can be seen painting houses together on community service day or holding hands on the way to their class.
“Obviously, it wouldn’t have happened this fast at home, but we see each other every day, and we are trying to make the most of the short time we have here,” said Wentworth. “It’s better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.”

Opposites Attract by Cara Richardson

Anne Marie Kirk has moved 13 different times in her life. She was born in Arkansas, then moved to Washington, and then to Germany. Her parents then moved back to Washington, to Texas, and her final destination - Kentucky. And Kentucky is where Kirk wants to be.
“I love the people here in Kentucky and the atmosphere of Lexington,” Kirk said.
At 17, Kirk understands more than most teens her age about the places she has lived. For her it is easy to go to new places and try to fit in. She describes herself as “outgoing and friendly.”
Her academic home is Henry Clay High School, which has around 2,400 students, so Kirk is use to being around a lot of people.
“At my school I try to talk to everybody and meet as many of the students as I can despite the large number of students that attend,” said Kirk. “I’m a people person so it has helped me do well when coming to new environments.”
Kirk had the chance to create yet another adventure for herself this summer at the Governor’s Scholars Program at Bellarmine University. The five-week program allows high-achieving students to spend a summer in a rich academic environment.
Each scholar is placed with a roommate, one of the first adventures for the high school juniors. The roommates are placed specifically to give the scholars a chance to meet someone from a completely different part of the state. 334 scholars reside at Bellarmine for the 5 week-program and their backgrounds are unique.
Kirk’s roommate, Kim Thurman was excited about the privilege of becoming a Governor’s Scholar and having a new roommate.
Thurman lives in Mclean County on a dairy farm but goes to Daviess County High School. She has to drive thirty minutes every day just to go to school. She describes where she lives as “out in the middle of now where.” The only people even around are her parents and then her grandparents who are their neighbors.
She has one sister that is older and is already married so she pretty much feels like an only child. Thurman doesn’t get to interact with any other kids her age unless she is at school. She participates in the school band where she plays the saxophone. Thurman calls her band “ her family,” a niche for her at her small school.
Coming to GSP was a lot harder for her than her well-traveled roommate.
“It’s weird because I don’t live around anybody and I am always having to occupy myself, so coming here and being around kids my age 24/7 is a bit out of my comfort zone, “ said Thurman.
Despite their differences the roommates settled in to their temporary living arrangement, decorating their room with a hint of pink matching Kirk’s bright pink flip flops. The two often fall asleep having long nights of “girl talk.”

” It was easy for me to come to GSP and meet new people,” said Kirk, “because I am use to it.”

Small Fish in a Big Pond by Brenna Sherrill

For people like Jessica Adkins, 17, the Governor’s Scholars Program is just a natural and exciting part of life. At any given moment, Adkins is likely to be found at this 5-week summer camp, with a group of diverse students from all over Kentucky.
Though she rarely makes appearances with the same people, she has had no problem blending in—or standing out—here at GSP.
The 26-year-old program allows bright students, like Adkins, the chance to meet other students from around the state. Over a thousand students are chosen to spend their summer on one of three campuses hosting GSP. Bellarmine University where Adkins resides hosts over 300 students for the 2009 program.
Adkins says she has no problem approaching people and talking to them, even though she only knew one person before she arrived.
“Just about anyone I meet, I tell them my name and ask them theirs,” Adkins said. “It’s important for me to remember names because it doesn’t make people feel guilty if they don’t remember mine. There’s one person here who goes to my school, but then I was also reunited with my first grade boyfriend,” Adkins said with a slight smile.
Though her attitude may seem bold, Adkins is not as unique in her personality as some might think. Fellow scholar Hali Whitt attempts to embody the same outlook on GSP. But while Adkins comes from a large high school in Lexington, where each class has nearly 400 students, , Whitt attends a school in Sandy Hook, Ky. with fewer students than 300 – the number of scholars on the Bellarmine University campus.
“I didn’t know anybody,” Whitt said. “There were three other girls from my school [who got in], but they’re all at different campuses, which was hard for me at first.”
Whitt struggled through her first week at the GSP as she attempted to live in a whole new setting. The athletic red-head sat in her first general studies class at the far edge of the table, shy of the new students chatting around her.
“[Before I came] I was very nervous, but excited at the same time because of all the diversity,” she said.
Though Whitt didn’t find herself in familiar surroundings, she was still eager to experience something new. As the weeks passed Whitt began to express her excitement over meeting people much different from her small, eastern Kentucky town.
“I thought it would be a lot harder to meet new people and connect with them, but it was easier than I thought,” she said.
Through class activities and campus events, Whitt and Adkins were indistinguishable. Both could be seen making new friends and trying new adventures, like dissecting Twinkies, going on fieldtrips to the Louisville museums and joining the GSP talent show, Showcase.
For students like Whitt and Adkins, just getting in to the Governor’s Scholars Program is an accomplishment. The applications are twice the number of acceptances and the scholarships to Kentucky colleges and universities can be large. Most students who come to GSP have strong academic backgrounds and have been active in their communities, but may have not experienced much beyond their own backyards.
“I was really excited, because I love meeting new people,” Adkins said. “There are no cliques here, and I’m excited to see how things play out. You can be who you want.”
Adkins’ idea of coming to GSP to meet new people is common among many scholars. To many people, the thought of going outside of their comfort zone to do something new is intimidating.
“There’s no typical ‘GSP’ kid,” Adkins said. “People are really warm, and we’re all different with some things in common. Everyone’s just really friendly.”
Even though Adkins and Whitt come from two completely different backgrounds, they share that common idea.
“Now I’m glad [that I didn’t know anyone before coming],” said Whitt, “because I got to meet lots of new people, and I think I’ll have a better knowledge of myself.”

Corridor Camaraderie by Austin Starks

The Kennedy Hall at Bellarmine University is an elongated corridor weathered by the memories of students and scholars past. The carpet is stained from food and drinks from various parties. The walls are almost painted with the ideas and feelings of the residents.
For 5 weeks, Governor Scholars accepted from all over the state of Kentucky come to live in Kennedy and 5 other dorms on the campus. Taking classes and creating a unique community that has made this program coveted by highs school juniors for over 25 years.
“The hall creates a community within a community,” said Aris Cedeño, Dean of the Governor’s Scholars Program. “This single area of space is where scholars live their daily lives and where the most camaraderie is formed.”
“Before meeting each other in the hall, I wouldn’t have hung around with any of these people,” said Brian Bickers, a 2009 scholar at Bellarmine.
The light at the end seems to rush in through the window, much like the scholars rush in and out everyday. The corridor can be a symbol of solitude when it is empty or a symbol of camaraderie when it is full.
Over the 5 weeks the scholars are together as much as 16 hours a day, creating a unique community of its own, even when conflicting characteristics come into play. The hall plays a major role in this bonding experience.
“GSP made me hang out with these people, then I realized everyone was really cool,” said Bickers, who lives in Kennedy Hall.
Every person, out of the 18 scholars, has a nickname. Sometimes these names make sense, sometimes they do not. Names like “A-Money” or “Static” are constantly heard throughout the hall.
“The hall is oddly entertaining,” said Logan Omerod, another resident of Kennedy 3B. Omerod also spoke of the halls ability to communicate well, “Our meetings last double the time because we talk so much.”
Kennedy 3B does everything together. They often times travel in groups, and they have a “my hall is better than yours” mentality. They flaunt their hall. But no hall is complete without problems. Sometimes arguments ensue between roommates.
“Very rarely we switch roommates,” said Cedeño, “civilized people work the problems out. RA’s keep the hall together. RA’s are a very important piece in the GSP community.”
To cope with any skirmishes, the Resident Advisor is in charge, a guide for the hall. This role on Kennedy belongs to Grant Buckles who has to conquer the task of controlling twenty scholars 24-hours a day.
“A RA is there to make sure everyone behaves, but you have to set back and let everyone do their thing; you can’t force things.” Buckles said.
Some halls even do Showcase, GSP’s talent show, together. Scholars find common skills on their floor and decide to show them off. Recently, several members from Kennedy 3B and a few from other halls created “Tenacious P and the Redheaded Step Children.” This “hall band” performed Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” at the second week’s Showcase and brought the audience to a roar.
Many times cliques form based on common characteristics such as musical talent or athletics. The hall is a clique formed between people of different characteristics, nationalities, and personalities. Consequently, they come together and form a clique that dominates Governor’s Scholar Community. A scholar’s hall is part of his or her GSP identity.
“I trust all of the hall. I like to hang out with all of the hall,” remarked Bickers. He has realized his friendships are very important and is glad he lives in Kennedy 3B.
Through classes that include a focus area, or major class, a secondary class and an issue-topic seminar, the 300-plus students are exposed to many new ideas and experiences. Strong bonds often come out of the classrooms, but some scholars will tell you the true connection is created in the corridors of college dorms – a location that for most of these high school juniors will be home in a very short year.

GSP Journalism Class 2009 photo by Jeanie Adams-Smith