By Amanda Boehlke
M&M staffer
They are the most pivotal moments: receiving that first orange shoestring, getting a briefing on your new privileges, bawling your eyes out at the last dance, staying up all night with the best friends you’ll ever know.And they’re all a part of being a fourth year.
At Duke TIP, ‘fourth years’ are students who have completed the tenth grade, the majority of whom are sixteen. Regardless of whether or not they have attended the program for four years, these students receive special privileges and sometimes a degree of respect from younger TIPsters. Since it is also the last year during which it is possible to attend TIP, fourth years often have the most emotional goodbyes at the end of summer. They are the TIPster elite.Or at the very least, that’s what one would think.
Fourth years don’t see their status at the top as a good thing at all. When asked about what it felt like to be a fourth year, all five students in a group interview simultaneously chorused that “it sucks!” Fourth year Danielle Bedard added that “I would trade all my privileges… all the privileges I could have as a fourth year… just to be here for longer.”
Many fourth year TIPsters also state that they don’t really feel the way they thought being a fourth year would be like.
“I don’t even feel like a fourth year,” said Emily Kruse. She added that, other than wearing an orange shoestring, she didn’t feel special at all, a statement agreed to by Sam Scrogtis. Being a fourth year, he said, didn’t feel like it gave him any sort of status or special role to play.
“I wanted people to admire and look up to me as a fourth year,” said Bedard, but that’s not happening quite as expected. “That was really upsetting to me,” she added. “With the move it kinda put everyone in the perspective of a first year, so it like… it was like awkward fourth years.”
Many other fourth years also sympathize with the feeling of losing the normal ‘status’ that fourth years have historically received from younger TIPsters.
Although being a fourth year has the most downsides, especially at a brand new campus, there are also good parts too.
“[I’m] kind of excited that we’re the first graduating class [from UGA],” said Kruse. Being a fourth year at this new campus means that you can have more chances than ever to truly shape the campus into something new.
Most fourth years agree that they wanted to bring new traditions to UGA campus, as well as continue old ones. Since the overwhelming majority of fourth years came from ASU, many traditions come from that campus. However, not all fourth years are from the same campus. There are a few who come from Kansas and Texas A&M, among others, and although many don’t mind, some object to the inheritance of traditions.
“It’s awesome that we’re here and it’s awesome that I’m like... getting to interact with new people but it kind of sucks how people are discouraging traditions, almost,” said Bedard. “People were, like, really frowned upon [on] bringing in ASU traditions, so they sort of frowned upon all traditions,” she added.New UGA traditions have continued to blossom, though, despite the fact that there are some who discourage the creations of traditions (staff and the majority of students, however, love them).
Two newer traditions that fourth years have played a major role in creating were Blue Tuesday, the first Tuesday of the term, when all students were encouraged to wear some article of blue clothing, and Disney Princess Day, intended for the fourth year girls to dress as a Disney princess for the day. New traditions were intended to include all of those, including those who were not part of the continuing traditions from other campuses.
“We want to include everybody,” said fourth year Casey Brand. Continuing traditions from all campuses include the fourth year boys’ obsession with ninjas and the fact that fourth years run the student team for Staff vs. Student Ultimate Frisbee game.
Fourth years also played a major part in organizing Toga Day, and sacrificing Decades Day for Opposite Day instead of changing the Texas A&M tradition.But all the fourth years, despite the turbulence caused at this new campus, still feel the pain of leaving TIP for the final time.
Even so, fourth years often are numbed to the sting that those steps at the door can leave.“I think the move to UGA was a part of it. At ASU I would chain myself, like someone did, to Cone,” said Kruse, an ASU ‘alumna.’“I’ve been bracing myself for leaving since my first year… so I’m kind of numb to it now,” said Bedard.
She shares that sentiment with many other fourth years, but their actions speak louder than words: fourth years share more smiles, laughs, and tears than could be counted. The last dance ended in a mass of tears and hugs as fourth years said goodbye.
“I feel sort of like it’s time, but just thinking about it I get really upset,” said Brand. Tonight and tomorrow, the fourth years will find out what it really feels like to be leaving for the very last time. They all know that it’s time to leave, though, and they’ve all come to terms. The tears will fall down their faces, but onto their smiles, not their frowns.
Amanda Boehlke, 16, is a 4th-year TIPster from Roswell, Ga. She attends Marist School.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Reflections from a first time TIPster
By Emily Yung
M&M staffer
When I first heard about Duke TIP Summer Studies, I never expected it to be this fun or exciting.
This summer, my first time here has been an amazing experience. I’ve met a lot of new people this year and started a lot of new friendships, which has been my favorite part of TIP.
Once I got the brochure telling me about TIP, I wasn’t sure that I would enjoy coming. I’ll admit that I was worried about being away from home for three weeks, since it would be my longest time away from home, and I wasn’t sure what the people would be like.
However, it turns out that I wasn’t as homesick as I imagined I would be, and the people here are incredible. Even though this is my first time at TIP, it didn’t take me too long to adjust to the new TIP environment.
Living with and sharing a dorm hallway with more than twenty other girls took some getting used to, but after the first week it felt normal to be doing things like waiting in lines for showers!Another thing that I’ve gotten used to as a first year/ second year is the TIP traditions. At all the dances, I love the TIP songs, such as “Save Tonight” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
I’m glad I made the decision to attend TIP at UGA, and I can’t wait for next summer to see all my friends again and have another fun TIP experience.
Emily Yung, 13, is a first-time TIPster from Chattanooga, Tenn. She attends Signal Mountain Middle-High School.
M&M staffer
When I first heard about Duke TIP Summer Studies, I never expected it to be this fun or exciting.
This summer, my first time here has been an amazing experience. I’ve met a lot of new people this year and started a lot of new friendships, which has been my favorite part of TIP.
Once I got the brochure telling me about TIP, I wasn’t sure that I would enjoy coming. I’ll admit that I was worried about being away from home for three weeks, since it would be my longest time away from home, and I wasn’t sure what the people would be like.
However, it turns out that I wasn’t as homesick as I imagined I would be, and the people here are incredible. Even though this is my first time at TIP, it didn’t take me too long to adjust to the new TIP environment.
Living with and sharing a dorm hallway with more than twenty other girls took some getting used to, but after the first week it felt normal to be doing things like waiting in lines for showers!Another thing that I’ve gotten used to as a first year/ second year is the TIP traditions. At all the dances, I love the TIP songs, such as “Save Tonight” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
I’m glad I made the decision to attend TIP at UGA, and I can’t wait for next summer to see all my friends again and have another fun TIP experience.
Emily Yung, 13, is a first-time TIPster from Chattanooga, Tenn. She attends Signal Mountain Middle-High School.
EPICfest turned EPICFail
By Kelly Castro
M&M staffer
Despite the blazing sun and unbearable heat, anyone near Myers Quad on Saturday, June 20, could feel the energy that TIPsters radiated as they gathered on the front steps of Rutherford Hall. Decked out in war paint, bandanas and as much of their team color as they could wear, they seemed to paint the steps in streaks of red, green, yellow and blue.
EpicFest, a compilation of field-day-style events, started with each team showing off their spirit with a cheer. The “Yello Mello Mongeese” took first over “Blue Steel”, “Red Rum”, and “Gangrene.”
The competition continued as the teams fought for first in Dizzy Bat, Jello-Snarfle, Cheesy Poof Face, Rock-Tree-Bridge, Basketball and Ultimate Frisbee. By this time, the rankings stood at Green team in first, Red in second, Blue in third, and Yellow last.
Unfortunately, EpicFest turned for the worse, ultimately earning the name of “EpicFail”, as 3rd-year Maddy Rollings, a TIPster from Trenton, Ga., puts it.Not only was the timing bad, seeing as TIPsters had little time to scramble and prepare for their second weekly dance, but one of the students was sent to the hospital.
Excited for Tug-of-War, the Yello Mello Mongeese and Gangreene took their spots on opposite sides of a rope. But the rope, a yellow, frail-looking thing made up of two ropes tied together, was pulled apart into two pieces as soon as the event began.
The first reaction was laughter at what had occurred, but this quickly changed as TIPsters saw that when the rope snapped backwards from breaking, one TIPster had hit his arm hard enough for his wrist to break in a manner that the bone visibly popped out.
As TIPsters calmed and tried to figure out what happened, TIP staff quickly moved into action.
An ambulance was called and TIPsters were sent inside to prepare for the dance. All remaining events for EpicFest were, unfortunately, canceled.
M&M staffer
Despite the blazing sun and unbearable heat, anyone near Myers Quad on Saturday, June 20, could feel the energy that TIPsters radiated as they gathered on the front steps of Rutherford Hall. Decked out in war paint, bandanas and as much of their team color as they could wear, they seemed to paint the steps in streaks of red, green, yellow and blue.
EpicFest, a compilation of field-day-style events, started with each team showing off their spirit with a cheer. The “Yello Mello Mongeese” took first over “Blue Steel”, “Red Rum”, and “Gangrene.”
The competition continued as the teams fought for first in Dizzy Bat, Jello-Snarfle, Cheesy Poof Face, Rock-Tree-Bridge, Basketball and Ultimate Frisbee. By this time, the rankings stood at Green team in first, Red in second, Blue in third, and Yellow last.
Unfortunately, EpicFest turned for the worse, ultimately earning the name of “EpicFail”, as 3rd-year Maddy Rollings, a TIPster from Trenton, Ga., puts it.Not only was the timing bad, seeing as TIPsters had little time to scramble and prepare for their second weekly dance, but one of the students was sent to the hospital.
Excited for Tug-of-War, the Yello Mello Mongeese and Gangreene took their spots on opposite sides of a rope. But the rope, a yellow, frail-looking thing made up of two ropes tied together, was pulled apart into two pieces as soon as the event began.
The first reaction was laughter at what had occurred, but this quickly changed as TIPsters saw that when the rope snapped backwards from breaking, one TIPster had hit his arm hard enough for his wrist to break in a manner that the bone visibly popped out.
As TIPsters calmed and tried to figure out what happened, TIP staff quickly moved into action.
An ambulance was called and TIPsters were sent inside to prepare for the dance. All remaining events for EpicFest were, unfortunately, canceled.
TIP Classes are TIPtastic!
Capsules of Duke TIP at UGA courses by M&M staffers. Photos by Joy Hong.
Media and Message
"Media and Message: Communicating in the Digital Age," a catchy name for a class which happens to teach some of the many parts of journalism. Term one at the University of Georgia is the first time this class was taught for Duke TIP. Twelve students spend seven hours a day, six days a week learning all they can about types of media, message, journalism and anything that has to do with media in the modern age.
The first week of the class was filled with overview of media, different types of media and a lot about journalism. Through the week we would write on blogs and do assignments having to do with journalism and reporters. The second week we continued to be journalists and reports about things in the camp, while we explored other things in media, including Twitter, Facebook and news sources on the web.
During this week we made sound slides, learned about blogs, learned picture-taking techniques and how to shoot and edit video. The last week of the class we have done a lot more hands-on activities such as writing, interviews, press conferences and assignments about the entire camp. The class has been thoroughly taught and well-organized over the last three weeks, creating a good learning environment and a memorable three weeks.
-Walker Bauer
Brain, Intelligence, and Creativity class
"The Brain, Intelligence, and Creativity class", taught by Desiree Sharpe is unique in that it is only offered at the University of Georgia. During this class, students learned about the parts of the brain, brain diseases and functions of the brain. This is the first year that the class has been offered, and it was proposed by Alex Pagnani, the on-site director at TIP at UGA.
“I actually proposed that class. Before I was hired for this job, I was intending on teaching that class, and when I found out it was going to be an opportunity at UGA, I called Durham back in September and said ‘Hey, I want to propose a new class at UGA that I would like to teach, and I wrote up this proposal and wrote up a syllabus and a curriculum and all that kind of stuff and put it in. They accepted it and said, ‘Fine, you’re going to be a teacher for that course.’ And then when I ended up getting this job, they worked to find somebody else who found it to be interesting also and could teach that. Desiree [the teacher] has done a great job,” Pagnani said about the class.
Sachin Sinha, a student in this class, described the class as mainly about learning the functions of the brain and what parts of the brain controls each function. He also commented that their class had "the best teacher and TA." The classroom setting is interesting too. Posters, pictures, and diagrams designed by students about the brain are displayed on the walls. It is clear that students in this class can both learn and have fun at the same time.
-Emily Yung
Sports Medicine
Sports Medicine is taught by Lyndsey Hornbuckle. In the course, students examine common sports injuries. They explore how advances in technology have affected sports medicine. Students also learn to determine the difference between dealing with an athlete versus a non-athlete. Dustin Abnos, a fourth year in the class, was asked about how he liked it. "We're having fun, lots of fun." See an article about CPR training activity on this blog.
-Lucas Postolos
Mock Trial
At first Mock trail seems to be all fun and games, but after interviewing the class, I learned that it is much much more. On day one, the instructor drilled the kids with questions. Such as, "How many students are there in state of Florida," just to scare them; but that wasn't the main point, it was to help them get ready for their trail.
In a court case you will be asked questions very quickly, and there is no time for "ums" or stuttering. Therefore, the class has been working for almost three weeks now to make sure the trial will run smoothly. Today the class was trying to throw each other into loops, so that they will be prepared for anything. They discuss what to say and what not to say, and make sure there are no calls for speculation. Now is the last chance to make any changes because today is the last day to get ready.
There are two groups for the defense and two groups for the prosecution, so there will be two trials. The trials will be tomorrow, June 25, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It is a murder case, the State of Lumpkin vs. Barnes. The story line goes a little something like this: Mr.Barnes and Stan Tanner went on a hunting trip. While they were out, Stan was shot by Mr.Barnes and died. Now each group is either working to prove Mr.Barnes guilty or innocent. Half the class has to prove that he shot him on purpose and the other half have to prove it was an accident because he got scared when he heard a noise in the bushes.
-Sarah Hampton
Robotics
The Robotics class is taught by Travis Prochaska and assisted by Ben Bradshaw. This class involves students programming robots to do simple tasks. It also covers a lot of engineering concepts and how they relate to robotics that help the students find solutions to the challenges that are assigned to them. After the instructors help the students understand everything step-by-step, they do it themselves. The students enjoy this class because it's very interactive and they spend most of their class time on the computers. "It [favorite highlight] is when we see the robot actually working," said Justin Wright.
"I didn't cover as much as I expected to in the end of the three weeks but as far as using the robots, they [the students] definitely covered a lot of that," said Prochaska.
-Joy Hong
Some Bad, Some Misunderstood: the Villain in Literature
"Some Bad, Some Misunderstood: the Villain in Literature" is taught by Joseph Lease and assisted by Summar Sparks. It is a class where students learn how to identify villains in books, movies, plays, television shows, pop culture, etc. They often watch movies or read books and discuss with each other what role the villain plays. They also learn how villains have changed through time, who the villains in modern day society are and whether the villains are just misunderstood or really evil. The class is very engaging with debates as well.
"When I started this class, I expected so much more formality and lectures all day, but it wasn't. It's so different. It exceeded my expectations!" said Kaya, a student of the class.
-Joy Hong
Game Theory
Game Theory, taught by Ben Perryman and Matthew Schell, is a class that teaches students concepts and theories on strategies that apply to games as well as real life. Cole Chadwick, a student in the class describes it as a class about predicting the outcomes of certain scenarios and the winner of a game finding the best strategy to play the game. It is not only board games that it's used in, it's also used in a lot of economics.
"It's an interesting class. It's a lot of math and a lot of strategy. My favorite part is the different types of games a lot of situational games a lot of charts and diagrams to figure out a lot of different strategies that I didn't know about before," another student, Cheyanne Hampton said.
-Joy Hong
American Foreign Policy
American Foreign Policy is taught by Matthew Clary and David Sparks. In the class, American Foreign Policy, students learn about the theories and philosophy behind various approaches to international relations and compare America's driving principles with those of other nations. They learn about how the U.S. makes decisions toward foreign neighbors. The class involves debates and simulations. It also involves situations in which the students play roles as important members of the United States Cabinet and where they must make decisions for the country.
Student James Ward said, "The American Foreign Policy class has learned that there is never truly an easy solution. There is no easy way to win," James said.
After asking if she liked the class, Grace Tse laughed, "I like the class because it's interesting and the people here are funny...it's entertaining." After watching the students of the American Foreign Policy class lead a mock press conference, they seemed like they were enjoying it. Tse also says she thinks all the kids in the class enjoy it and have fun. After asking some of the students what was so special about the class, the students responded with a few answers.
"I learned more about theories and international relations. I don't think you can learn that very much [outside of TIP]," said Casey Brand.
-Joy Hong
Media and Message
"Media and Message: Communicating in the Digital Age," a catchy name for a class which happens to teach some of the many parts of journalism. Term one at the University of Georgia is the first time this class was taught for Duke TIP. Twelve students spend seven hours a day, six days a week learning all they can about types of media, message, journalism and anything that has to do with media in the modern age.
The first week of the class was filled with overview of media, different types of media and a lot about journalism. Through the week we would write on blogs and do assignments having to do with journalism and reporters. The second week we continued to be journalists and reports about things in the camp, while we explored other things in media, including Twitter, Facebook and news sources on the web.
During this week we made sound slides, learned about blogs, learned picture-taking techniques and how to shoot and edit video. The last week of the class we have done a lot more hands-on activities such as writing, interviews, press conferences and assignments about the entire camp. The class has been thoroughly taught and well-organized over the last three weeks, creating a good learning environment and a memorable three weeks.
-Walker Bauer
Brain, Intelligence, and Creativity class
"The Brain, Intelligence, and Creativity class", taught by Desiree Sharpe is unique in that it is only offered at the University of Georgia. During this class, students learned about the parts of the brain, brain diseases and functions of the brain. This is the first year that the class has been offered, and it was proposed by Alex Pagnani, the on-site director at TIP at UGA.
“I actually proposed that class. Before I was hired for this job, I was intending on teaching that class, and when I found out it was going to be an opportunity at UGA, I called Durham back in September and said ‘Hey, I want to propose a new class at UGA that I would like to teach, and I wrote up this proposal and wrote up a syllabus and a curriculum and all that kind of stuff and put it in. They accepted it and said, ‘Fine, you’re going to be a teacher for that course.’ And then when I ended up getting this job, they worked to find somebody else who found it to be interesting also and could teach that. Desiree [the teacher] has done a great job,” Pagnani said about the class.
Sachin Sinha, a student in this class, described the class as mainly about learning the functions of the brain and what parts of the brain controls each function. He also commented that their class had "the best teacher and TA." The classroom setting is interesting too. Posters, pictures, and diagrams designed by students about the brain are displayed on the walls. It is clear that students in this class can both learn and have fun at the same time.
-Emily Yung
Sports Medicine
Sports Medicine is taught by Lyndsey Hornbuckle. In the course, students examine common sports injuries. They explore how advances in technology have affected sports medicine. Students also learn to determine the difference between dealing with an athlete versus a non-athlete. Dustin Abnos, a fourth year in the class, was asked about how he liked it. "We're having fun, lots of fun." See an article about CPR training activity on this blog.
-Lucas Postolos
Mock Trial
At first Mock trail seems to be all fun and games, but after interviewing the class, I learned that it is much much more. On day one, the instructor drilled the kids with questions. Such as, "How many students are there in state of Florida," just to scare them; but that wasn't the main point, it was to help them get ready for their trail.
In a court case you will be asked questions very quickly, and there is no time for "ums" or stuttering. Therefore, the class has been working for almost three weeks now to make sure the trial will run smoothly. Today the class was trying to throw each other into loops, so that they will be prepared for anything. They discuss what to say and what not to say, and make sure there are no calls for speculation. Now is the last chance to make any changes because today is the last day to get ready.
There are two groups for the defense and two groups for the prosecution, so there will be two trials. The trials will be tomorrow, June 25, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. It is a murder case, the State of Lumpkin vs. Barnes. The story line goes a little something like this: Mr.Barnes and Stan Tanner went on a hunting trip. While they were out, Stan was shot by Mr.Barnes and died. Now each group is either working to prove Mr.Barnes guilty or innocent. Half the class has to prove that he shot him on purpose and the other half have to prove it was an accident because he got scared when he heard a noise in the bushes.
-Sarah Hampton
Robotics
The Robotics class is taught by Travis Prochaska and assisted by Ben Bradshaw. This class involves students programming robots to do simple tasks. It also covers a lot of engineering concepts and how they relate to robotics that help the students find solutions to the challenges that are assigned to them. After the instructors help the students understand everything step-by-step, they do it themselves. The students enjoy this class because it's very interactive and they spend most of their class time on the computers. "It [favorite highlight] is when we see the robot actually working," said Justin Wright.
"I didn't cover as much as I expected to in the end of the three weeks but as far as using the robots, they [the students] definitely covered a lot of that," said Prochaska.
-Joy Hong
Some Bad, Some Misunderstood: the Villain in Literature
"Some Bad, Some Misunderstood: the Villain in Literature" is taught by Joseph Lease and assisted by Summar Sparks. It is a class where students learn how to identify villains in books, movies, plays, television shows, pop culture, etc. They often watch movies or read books and discuss with each other what role the villain plays. They also learn how villains have changed through time, who the villains in modern day society are and whether the villains are just misunderstood or really evil. The class is very engaging with debates as well.
"When I started this class, I expected so much more formality and lectures all day, but it wasn't. It's so different. It exceeded my expectations!" said Kaya, a student of the class.
-Joy Hong
Game Theory
Game Theory, taught by Ben Perryman and Matthew Schell, is a class that teaches students concepts and theories on strategies that apply to games as well as real life. Cole Chadwick, a student in the class describes it as a class about predicting the outcomes of certain scenarios and the winner of a game finding the best strategy to play the game. It is not only board games that it's used in, it's also used in a lot of economics.
"It's an interesting class. It's a lot of math and a lot of strategy. My favorite part is the different types of games a lot of situational games a lot of charts and diagrams to figure out a lot of different strategies that I didn't know about before," another student, Cheyanne Hampton said.
-Joy Hong
American Foreign Policy
American Foreign Policy is taught by Matthew Clary and David Sparks. In the class, American Foreign Policy, students learn about the theories and philosophy behind various approaches to international relations and compare America's driving principles with those of other nations. They learn about how the U.S. makes decisions toward foreign neighbors. The class involves debates and simulations. It also involves situations in which the students play roles as important members of the United States Cabinet and where they must make decisions for the country.
Student James Ward said, "The American Foreign Policy class has learned that there is never truly an easy solution. There is no easy way to win," James said.
After asking if she liked the class, Grace Tse laughed, "I like the class because it's interesting and the people here are funny...it's entertaining." After watching the students of the American Foreign Policy class lead a mock press conference, they seemed like they were enjoying it. Tse also says she thinks all the kids in the class enjoy it and have fun. After asking some of the students what was so special about the class, the students responded with a few answers.
"I learned more about theories and international relations. I don't think you can learn that very much [outside of TIP]," said Casey Brand.
-Joy Hong
CPR
Story By Sarah Hampton and Walker Bauer
M&M staffers
Photos by Sarah Hampton
Today The Sports Medicine class learned about CPR using interactive lectures, slide shows, and videos. By the end of the day, if they successfully pass all the required activities stated by the American Red Cross they will be officially CPR certified. So far everyone is checked-off for proper glove removal and has knowledge of the Good Samaritan law. The certification started with a rather long slide show including lots of videos to demonstrate proper techniques and scenarios. The class is gaining comprehension on the three C's: Check, Call and Care. They also got the scoop on ABC's- which are Open the Airway, Check Breathing (life) and Checking the body.
TIP at UGA: A New Site Continues TIP Traditions
Story By AnnaMarie Koehler-Shepley/ Photos by Joy Hong
M&M staffers
In late November of 2008, many shocked students ripped open a letter from Duke TIP and anxiously read the words that would spark countless frantic calls to students all around, innumerable Facebook groups expressing the outrage, and many confused emails to Duke TIP administration.
Above all, however, it sparked the beginning of Duke TIP Summer Studies Program at the University of Georgia for the first time ever.
In the last 29 years, over 1.9 million students have participated in Duke TIP Summer Studies Program. Those who attend, known as TIPsters, are academically gifted rising eighth through eleventh grade students. TIP offers challenging and rigorous classes taught during a three week time span, a fun residential life setting, and everlasting friendships for almost all of those involved.
One of the campuses that houses Duke TIP every summer is Davidson College. It only boards rising eighth and ninth graders, and it always has.
Last November, Duke sent a letter to all of its TIPsters letting them know that they would be expanding what they call the ‘Davidson Model’ throughout other campuses and opening new sites at the University of Georgia and Trinity University in Texas. At the same time, other campuses made new rules specifying age to determine the students who could attend.
The majority of students now excluded from Appalachian State University TIPsters, along with a few Kansas University and Texas a&M TIPsters and some new students as well, have all gathered at UGA for this year’s Duke TIP Summer Studies Program.
The on-site director for TIP at UGA, Alex Pagnani, says that having a new location at UGA is ideal because 16% of accepted TIPsters are from the state of Georgia. “I think that we have a ton of students in Georgia that could really benefit from this…Close to one out of five students in the entire TIP program, at any campus, is from the state of Georgia.”
This year, TIPsters are staying at Rutherford Hall and eating their meals at various campus dining halls, and the roughly 130 TIPsters are doing their best to create and maintain traditions of our new TIPhome.
A third year student, Cole Chadwick, who attended Texas A&M for his past two years commented on UGA’s first year of TIP with, “There are a lot of bumps and stuff that they still need to work out…but I definitely do like it here…The staff is doing a great job.”
Cheyanne Hampton has never attended a Duke TIP Summer Studies Program before, and is glad that she came for her third year. “The people are really cool and the campus is really nice,” she said. “Well, I didn’t really know what to expect, like this was all brand new to me and I can tell that people are really close and have lots of traditions.”
No matter how ‘cool’ it is, though, some students are having a hard time adjusting to the new campus. Kelly Castro, a fourth year TIPster who has attended three campuses in her time with Duke, but who favors ASU, believes, “ASU was different because everybody there just takes you in - we’re all one big family. So it’s easier to get emotionally attached.”
Like Kelly, many old ASU TIPsters are very passionate about being relocated, but Dillon McDermott, a second year TIPster originally from ASU said, “They’re [the staff] doing alright.” Dillon thinks that people should work to become a closer knit TIP home. “It wasn’t the greatest merge ever; it sort of split the people worse because of the mix of traditions from all the other people”.
Even TIPsters Cole Chadwick and Lucas Postolos both agree that the overwhelming campus pride some of the students have is “annoying”. “They can’t do anything about it now, they’re already at Georgia, but I can understand why they’d be upset. But they still have to deal with it,” commented second year, Lucas.
Walker Bauer, a third year student who is indifferent to campuses, said, “Most of the traditions are the same any campus you go to, every campus is gonna have some kind of field day and every campus is gonna have spirit week and every campus is gonna have a dance every week and so really they just switch the names up, that’s about it.”
Even with all the controversy, Pagnani truly believes that this new situation will work. “We’ve tried to do a little bit of balancing and get some traditions from different places….but [also] trying to make this place a campus of its own…I think that UGA is very promising.”
In the end, UGA has been put to the test in its first TIP year. While it hasn’t had 100% support from TIPsters, students are starting to accept and embrace their new campus. Even though some changes will need to be made for next TIP generations at UGA, overall it has been a good experience for everyone involved.
As the saying goes, it’s the people that make the place. And through it all TIPsters know that they will always have each other.
TIPtionary: A glossary of TIP terms
By Maddy Rollings, Kiersten Neely and Amanda Boehlke
M&M staffers
M&M staffers
TIP – Talent Identification Program
TIPster [tip-ster] noun. – One who attends Duke TIP
RelationTIP [ri-ley-shuhn-tip] noun. – A romantic relationship between two TIPsters (see above)
TIPidemic/TIPlague [tip-i-dem-ik] / [tipleyg] noun. – Rampant sickness throughout TIP students and staff
TIPropriate [tip-proh-pree-it] adj. – Things that are appropriate for TIP
TIPression [tip-presh-uhn] noun. – Extreme sadness following the conclusion of the term
TIPsick [tip-sik] – Feeling sad or depressed from a longing for your TIP home and/or family while away from them
TIPtasticˈtæs tɪk/ [tip-tas-tik] – Extravagantly fanciful; marvelous.
TIP love [tip luhv] – The enormous amount of love between TIPsters that can only be conceived at TIP, nowhere else, and with no one else.
Epic - Amazing, awesome, awe-inspiring, mind-blowing. A stand-in for an explicit term.
EPICfest (EPICfail) – Also known as PITfest, SWAMPfest, etc. Field day for TIPsters. Takes place on the second Saturday or Sunday, depending on the campus. Includes activities such as Dizzy Bat, Jell-O Snarfle, Ultimate Frisbee, Cheesy Poof Face, Rock Tree Bridge, etc.
_ year- _year - The number in the first blank represents the number of years one has attended TIP. The number in the second blank represents the year that your upcoming grade corresponds with.
1st year: entering 8th grade
2nd year: entering 9th grade
3rd year: entering 10th grade
4th year: entering 11th grade
Examples: 2nd year-3rd year: 2nd year attending, entering 10th grade.
Types of Frisbee Throws
Demonstrated by Miles Wilson/Photos by Lucas Postolos/ Description by Walker Bauer
M&M Staffers
The back hand is used to throw the Frisbee to throw the Frisbee fast and with accuracy. This is the most common throw used.
The hammer is used to throw the Frisbee far down the field quickly. This throw is usually not very accurate.
The helicopter throw seen in this image is used to make the Frisbee hover over the player or make it gently glide to a player close by.
The side throw is used to again, avoid defenders and to provide a slow moving target which is high and easy to catch.
M&M Staffers
The back hand is used to throw the Frisbee to throw the Frisbee fast and with accuracy. This is the most common throw used.The forearm throw is used to evade a defender nearby or to make it curve.
The hammer is used to throw the Frisbee far down the field quickly. This throw is usually not very accurate.The helicopter throw seen in this image is used to make the Frisbee hover over the player or make it gently glide to a player close by.The side throw is used to again, avoid defenders and to provide a slow moving target which is high and easy to catch.An "Ultimate Tradition" Continues at TIP at UGA
Story and Photos by Kelly Castro
M & M staffer
If you’re walking across the quad and happen to hear “Heads!” then there’s a chance the flying object won’t be coming from above. It’s not a bird, a plane, or Superman. It’s not a football, basketball, or book bag for that matter.
Instead, try looking for a round, plastic disk with curved edges soaring into view.
Frisbees are as common to see at TIP as the neon-colored shoelaces the participants, or TIPsters, are required to wear. The game is played so often that other camps have confused the academic program for an Ultimate camp on numerous occasions.
“These guys from a golf camp asked us ‘Are you with that Frisbee camp?’” said TIPster Dillon McDermott, 14, from Port Charlotte, Fla (pictured, right).
Basically, as long as there’s enough space TIPsters will find the means to play, whether it’s an actual game of Ultimate or just standing in a circle and tossing a Frisbee around. Ultimate is a non-contact sport with two, seven-player teams where players pass the Frisbee to each other until they reach their end zone. The game is offered as an evening activity, and usually run by Residential Staff members who play on a regular basis. Stephen Stradley, one of the RCs, is even on his college’s Ultimate team in Washington.
Abbey Meller, a 4th-year TIPster from Atlanta who has been participating in TIP for three years, was shocked to see how few people signed up for Ultimate the first night it was offered as an evening activity.
“Where’s the TIP spirit?!” she said.
Frisbee as a TIP tradition has been passed on as new students join the program. For the most part, the initial reaction to the sport is one of confusion. “
"Why is everyone so hung up on Frisbee around here?” said Kyle, who is attending TIP for the first time this summer.
AnnaMarie Koehler-Shepley, 14, from Tampa, Fla., remembers how TIP changed her perspective on Frisbee. “Frisbee before TIP was more like just something that happened now and then around the neighborhood for kids and dogs but then when I got here last year you could tell it was so much more. It was some of these people’s entire existence almost…You could tell they were completely loving it,” she said.
Luckily for those who want to get in on the pastime, experienced players are always willing to help.
“We have some really talented people… If you don’t know how to play they’ll teach you and they’re really nice about it,” said AnnaMarie.
Gordon “Vinny” Glass, 16, from Vidalia, Ga., has been participating in the program for four years now and didn’t play until he found it at TIP either.
This year he has been one of the most involved 4th-years for frisbee, having been a leader for the Staff-vs.-Student game. Despite his involvement here though, he barely plays at home.
“I might throw it like, once a year but, that’s about it,” he said.
Some TIPsters do take the tradition home though, practicing at school or in their free time.
Dillon McDermott played frisbee at home before TIP but only as a kid, and not very often.
Since his first year at TIP, he has picked up the sport again and continues playing during the school year.
“I push for it at school,” he said, “during like, P.E. class.”
Jamie Ward, a 3rd-year/4th year, is another TIPster who takes frisbee close to heart.
Having not played before his first year at TIP, he likes to practice as much as he can, even if it means getting hurt. Last year, Jamie fractured his spine and was on crutches after landing on his back while playing frisbee at TIP.
“It’s one of the best feelings to win, like at EpicFest!” he said.
All the same, some TIPsters prefer watching from the sidelines.
“Frisbee is great to watch, but I can’t play it very well. The kids here really get into it. It’s become a serious tradition of Duke TIP,” said 14-year-old Kiersten Neely, from Charlotte, N.C.
Those watching should still look out; rogue frisbees can do damage if thrown with enough force.
AnnaMarie finds this to be one of the more memorable sides of frisbee though, saying “I mean, who doesn’t have a favorite TIP memory where somebody calls ‘Heads!’ and you duck and you still get hit by a Frisbee?”
The tradition aspect of the sport is something all TIPsters can agree on though; there’s even a staff-vs.-student game which AnnaMarie describes as “legendary.” What seems best about Frisbee at TIP is the bonding experience that helps TIPsters get to know each other better and interact.
As Dillon puts it, “It’s probably the best tradition we have, the most unifying. Considering a frisbee is a circle, people at TIP love each other and it never ends.”
M & M staffer
If you’re walking across the quad and happen to hear “Heads!” then there’s a chance the flying object won’t be coming from above. It’s not a bird, a plane, or Superman. It’s not a football, basketball, or book bag for that matter.
Instead, try looking for a round, plastic disk with curved edges soaring into view.
Frisbees are as common to see at TIP as the neon-colored shoelaces the participants, or TIPsters, are required to wear. The game is played so often that other camps have confused the academic program for an Ultimate camp on numerous occasions.
“These guys from a golf camp asked us ‘Are you with that Frisbee camp?’” said TIPster Dillon McDermott, 14, from Port Charlotte, Fla (pictured, right).
Basically, as long as there’s enough space TIPsters will find the means to play, whether it’s an actual game of Ultimate or just standing in a circle and tossing a Frisbee around. Ultimate is a non-contact sport with two, seven-player teams where players pass the Frisbee to each other until they reach their end zone. The game is offered as an evening activity, and usually run by Residential Staff members who play on a regular basis. Stephen Stradley, one of the RCs, is even on his college’s Ultimate team in Washington.
Abbey Meller, a 4th-year TIPster from Atlanta who has been participating in TIP for three years, was shocked to see how few people signed up for Ultimate the first night it was offered as an evening activity.
“Where’s the TIP spirit?!” she said.
Frisbee as a TIP tradition has been passed on as new students join the program. For the most part, the initial reaction to the sport is one of confusion. “
"Why is everyone so hung up on Frisbee around here?” said Kyle, who is attending TIP for the first time this summer.
AnnaMarie Koehler-Shepley, 14, from Tampa, Fla., remembers how TIP changed her perspective on Frisbee. “Frisbee before TIP was more like just something that happened now and then around the neighborhood for kids and dogs but then when I got here last year you could tell it was so much more. It was some of these people’s entire existence almost…You could tell they were completely loving it,” she said.
Luckily for those who want to get in on the pastime, experienced players are always willing to help.
“We have some really talented people… If you don’t know how to play they’ll teach you and they’re really nice about it,” said AnnaMarie.
Gordon “Vinny” Glass, 16, from Vidalia, Ga., has been participating in the program for four years now and didn’t play until he found it at TIP either.
This year he has been one of the most involved 4th-years for frisbee, having been a leader for the Staff-vs.-Student game. Despite his involvement here though, he barely plays at home.
“I might throw it like, once a year but, that’s about it,” he said.
Some TIPsters do take the tradition home though, practicing at school or in their free time.
Dillon McDermott played frisbee at home before TIP but only as a kid, and not very often.
Since his first year at TIP, he has picked up the sport again and continues playing during the school year.
“I push for it at school,” he said, “during like, P.E. class.”
Jamie Ward, a 3rd-year/4th year, is another TIPster who takes frisbee close to heart.
Having not played before his first year at TIP, he likes to practice as much as he can, even if it means getting hurt. Last year, Jamie fractured his spine and was on crutches after landing on his back while playing frisbee at TIP.
“It’s one of the best feelings to win, like at EpicFest!” he said.
All the same, some TIPsters prefer watching from the sidelines.
“Frisbee is great to watch, but I can’t play it very well. The kids here really get into it. It’s become a serious tradition of Duke TIP,” said 14-year-old Kiersten Neely, from Charlotte, N.C.
Those watching should still look out; rogue frisbees can do damage if thrown with enough force.
AnnaMarie finds this to be one of the more memorable sides of frisbee though, saying “I mean, who doesn’t have a favorite TIP memory where somebody calls ‘Heads!’ and you duck and you still get hit by a Frisbee?”
The tradition aspect of the sport is something all TIPsters can agree on though; there’s even a staff-vs.-student game which AnnaMarie describes as “legendary.” What seems best about Frisbee at TIP is the bonding experience that helps TIPsters get to know each other better and interact.
As Dillon puts it, “It’s probably the best tradition we have, the most unifying. Considering a frisbee is a circle, people at TIP love each other and it never ends.”
A Game of Answers and Questions
TA Christina Yim leads students in a game of "Jeopardy!" (above) while Sachin Sinha (above) races to write down the answer before his classmates to score some points for Team A.Story by Walker Bauer/ Photos by Lucas Postolos
M&M staffers
The answer: A fun afternoon activity for a “brain” class of Duke TIP students.
The question: What is “Jeopardy!”?
Students in Instructor Desiree Sharpe’s “Brain, Intelligence and Creativity” class, more commonly referred to as “the brain class,” played a version of the popular television trivia show Thursday, June 25.
Five people sat on the floor as four small white boards were distributed to four groups.
TA Christina Yim (pictured above, left) explained the rules and wrote down the topics for “Jeopardy!”
TA Christina Yim (pictured above, left) explained the rules and wrote down the topics for “Jeopardy!”
There were five categories: “The Brain Train,” “Mouse Party,” “Neuroscience,” “Sensation and Perception” and “Sleep/ Brain disorder.” Questions varied greatly and even some of the students in the class didn't know the answers. The four teams consisted of “Globo Gym purple Cobras”, “Team ‘A’”, “The Mothers” and “the O.T.’s,” which is an inside class joke.
The rules of the game are the same as the game show hosted by Alex Trebek. The host reveals the answer and the teams have to make a question for the information given. At the game starts it's easy to see that this class is very competitive and that this game may end in some disputes.
The first arguments come with the first question and after that every group quickly yells and defends their answer. Team O.T. quickly gains the lead and never looks back while team Globo Gym Purple Cobras gets only a few questions right. Through thick and thin all of the teams eventually reconciled and went back to having fun and yelling out random comments that people had said throughout the year.
Bye, Bye Miss American Pie...
A Guide to TIP Dances
By Kiersten Neely and Maddy Rollings/
Photo by AnnaMarie Koehler-Shepley
M&M staffers
Approximately 130 students at Duke TIP at the University of Georgia piled into Memorial Hall’s circular ballroom three times for weekly three-hour dances. The dances took place
Saturday, June 13, Saturday, June 20, and Thursday, June 25 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
This term, themes like "Famous Figures" and "Pirates vs. Ninjas" were encouraged for the dances. Students either followed the themes strictly or ignored them completely.
The dances were fun for everyone, even those who don’t like dancing. It is normal to become a wallflower and just socialize with friends, though it is encouraged to do group dances TIPsters consider “lame,” but fun, like the Cha Cha Slide and Cupid Shuffle.
For those that enjoy dancing, it is necessary to maintain a safe distance from your dancing partner so you don’t get squirted with water guns by TIP staffers. Traditions at TIP dances are taken sacredly, and if they are violated, it causes chaos among the TIPsters.
At the end of the dance, it is custom for the fourth years to gather in a circle and the second and third years create a circle around them while TIP songs are blasted. How TIP songs came to be are unknown, but each have lyrics that are special to everyone. "It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" by R.E.M., "The Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, "Good Riddance" by Green Day, "Breakfast at Tiffany’s" by Deep Blue Something, "Save Tonight" by Eagle-Eye Cherry and "American Pie" by Don McLean are all TIP songs. TIP songs are not to be played until the very end of the dances!
TIP dances are very important to most students because they are not only social events, but a marking period for each week passing by. It becomes a realization for each TIPster that the end is drawing nearer. Most are exceptionally reluctant to leave friends and “family” found here, and so the marking periods bring out sad emotions in the crowd. Crying is socially acceptable at the first two dances, and sobbing is incredibly common at the last dance.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Saudia Arabian Oil Reserve Destroyed in Terrorist Attack, "Government Officials" Reveal to "Press Corps"
Story By Emily Yung/Photos by Joy Hong
M & M staffers
M & M staffers
A hypothetical simulation occurred Wednesday when an oil plant, Ras Tenura, in Saudi Arabia was attacked and destroyed at 8:44 a.m. by Al Qaeda terrorists. The destruction of Ras Tenura caused gas prices to almost double in the United States, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 900 points. Further details were released, saying one American had died—the Director of Homeland Security.
Ras Tenura shipped 4 million barrels of oil to the United States every day. With this major supplier damaged, more oil is being shipped to the United States from Nigeria and other sources.
Although this event was a simulation, it helped two classes at Duke TIP learn more about each of their topics. The Media and Message class had a mock press conference with the American Foreign Policy class about this situation.
The Media and Message class pretended to be reporters from their hometown newspapers. The students in the Foreign Policy class were assigned to various roles, such as members of the President’s cabinet and the various national security agencies.
This press conference went on for about an hour, with the reporters asking questions and getting answers about the attack at Ras Tenura, including information about the actual event, the death toll and how it affected the United States.
This simulation was created by the American Foreign Policy teacher, Matthew Clary. Clary has worked hard throughout the entire term to prepare his students. During class, he covered the rise of China, Iranian nuclear programs, America’s dependence on oil, domestic threats and response to terrorist threats. All of those subjects were brought up during the press conference.
“Basically, every single day we prepared a little bit by little bit. We did threat assessments each day that function as 20 minute long versions of the simulation, so in the course of the term they really sufficiently prepared for this,” Clary said when asked how he helped his students prepare for the event.
At the end of the conference, Clary said that he was “really impressed by the answers and the questions.” He also described the press conference as “successful, but if the only problem was accuracy, then that’s something we can talk about in a lesson.”
Not only did people from the Foreign Policy class learn from this opportunity, students in the Media and Message class did too. Kelly Castro, 16, describes the experience as “cool and fun.” She says that this conference was different from the other interviews that she had done before because it was more interactive and it was with other TIPsters.
When asked about how it helped her as a student in Media and Message, Castro said that it helped her learn how journalists get information out of political figures and deal with situations where some of the information is confidential.
Emily Kruse, 16, played the role of the President. She admitted that at first she was intimidated because she was scared that she wasn’t going to be able to make the right decisions, but it was okay because she had a lot of help from other cabinet members. When asked what she did to prepare for the event, Kruse responded with a laugh.
“I took some Advil the night before!” she joked.
Based on all the students’ comments, the mock press conference was a good learning experience for everyone who participated.
Based on all the students’ comments, the mock press conference was a good learning experience for everyone who participated.
“Everyone worked together and I liked it,” Kruse said.
We've Got Spirit! Yes We Do! We've Got Spirit. How 'bout you?!?
By Kiersten Neely M&M staffer
Roll out of bed and walk to class. Impersonate your favorite character. Strut the streets in your best toga. Match your best friend. And finally, dress from another decade – wait, why are all the boys in dresses?
Spirit Week, scheduled for the second of Duke TIP’s three weeks, went almost perfectly as planned, according to participants.
Monday created a day of relaxation for TIPsters, allowing everyone to wear their pajamas to class. Students sported long, fuzzy pajama pants and their cartoon-themed T-shirts. Even puppy slippers and hair curlers were seen.
Following Pajama Day was Tuesday’s Character Day, giving TIPsters the opportunity to bring a fictional character to life. Greek gods like Maddy Rollings, a third-year TIPster from Trenton, Ga., pirates like Kelly Castro, a fourth-year TIPster from Miami, Fla., and even the Hamburglar, Hannah Stern, a fourth-year from Albany, Ga., roamed TIP’s campus for the day.
Wednesday, TIPsters found their best toga (or bed sheet) and wore it to the best of their ability for Toga Day. Dustin Abnos, a fourth-year from Kansas City, Mo., flaunted his asparagus green sheet, giving him a “straight-out-of-the-time-machine look” according to Kelly Castro.
Thursday, TIPsters caused double takes from passerby for Twin Day. TIPsters walked beside their mirror images, matching shirts, pants, shoes and more.
Finishing off the week was Decades Day, which intended for TIPsters to choose a decade and live it for the day.
Well, that was the plan, at least.
As more TIPsters piled into Snelling Dining Hall Friday morning, more staff and onlookers realized just how hard it was to look away. Many boys flaunted their bright red lipstick and beautiful gowns, while girls slouched their shoulders and sported aviator sunglasses, keeping their hair held tightly in baseball caps. Not even the staff could control the students’ will and fervor to keep the spirit of Opposite Day alive.
Alex Pagnani, Duke TIP’s On-Site Director, found it no surprise.
“Every year the same thing happens at eight or nine TIP campuses, you know, where they say,
‘Okay, it’s this day,’ and then everybody cross-dresses,” Pagnani said. “I mean, I had staff asking me during orientation a week and a half prior, ‘What are we going to do the day everybody cross-dresses when we tell them not to?’ And I gave them the same answer then that I’ll give staff for next term: Nothing.”
The staff initially expected that Toga Day would be replaced by Opposite Day. However, TIPsters made it a point to respect traditions from campuses, since UGA is a first year site; Toga Day had been a common theme day tradition of the Duke TIP campus at Texas A&M.
“I think it’s incredible how we took it into our own hands to respect Texas’ tradition of Toga Day and sacrifice our Decades Day for Opposite Day,” said Castro. Over half of the camp honored the day with at least one article of the opposite gender’s clothing.
“It was awesome, because we upheld the tradition,” said AnnaMarie Koehler-Shepley, a third-year TIPster from Tampa, Fla. “It wasn’t really weird because it’s just part of how we do things here at TIP. Maybe to the public it seemed a little off, but it was a lot of fun.”
Spirit Week, among many other Duke TIP traditions, is held dearly within the hearts of all TIPsters, as exemplified by their attachment to Opposite Day. As Pagnani said, “It’s not something that TIP’s been able to let go to sleep.”
Fight for food an integral battle in camp wars at UGA
Story and Illustration By Suhani Patel
M&M staffer
As the noon bus pulls up on Sanford Drive, some 45 hungry, tired, heat-stricken Duke TIP students step into the sweltering Georgia sun. At the same time, a block away, another 60 6-year-old gymnast campers are walking from their long, strenuous practice at the Suzanne Yoculan Gymnastics Center. Both groups head to Snelling dining hall.
The front few kids from both groups see each other and the race is on. Faster and faster the paces of both groups quicken and the tension thickens. The children sprint to the crosswalks where they would eagerly wait for the oncoming traffic to pass, so they can get to the air-conditioned hall of feasts that awaits them. The last truck has just driven past and the TIPsters are on the run, but the cheerleaders are small and fast. Who will get in first?
This was a common scene June 7-27 as Duke TIP students at the University of Georgia battled other campers, new students and their parents, and other visitors for a place in line at several campus dining halls. Whether it was jumping or tumbling over the tiny gymnasts at Snelling, elbowing parents at the Summit or being outmuscled by large football players at Bolton, the fight for food was an integral battle of the camp wars.
Due to numerous camps being held at the same time, competition ensued between camps regarding the dining facilities, which become an immense annoyance to many TIP students.
“I find it really annoying when those tiny, little gymnasts or those ginormous football players flood our eating area,” said agitated TIPster Katie Clardy, 13, from Alabama. She is a student in the Robotics course which eats lunch daily at Snelling.
The University of Georgia houses several camps varying from golf to music, from band to football, and from cheerleading to gymnastics and for the first time, our very own Duke TIP. All these camps have one thing in common: feeding their campers.
This is hard to accomplish sometimes because of the population of all the different groups and it even causes a big ruckus. For TIP students, we all have to eat breakfast at Snelling, then for lunch our meals are either served to us at Snelling or Summit, and for dinner we all eat at Bolton.
But TIPsters aren’t the only ones who eat our meals at these times.
This creates all sorts of scheduling problems for Duke TIP at UGA administrators. Recently, the on-site director of Duke’s UGA campus, Alex Pagnani, addressed the issue in his talk to the Media and Message class.
“When there is freshman orientation, there’ll be long lines… and when the football camps are there, those are wild nights,” said Pagnani. He also commented that, “The number of people and camps that are here for lunch [breakfast and dinner], we’ve definitely got to try to work with them over the course of the fall and the winter to find a better option for our students to have guaranteed easy-in to get their food, eat their food, and easy-out without so many camps fighting for the same food and resources.”
Staff has also been flustered by the changing times caused by the camp battles for food.
“I think it has been very frustrating… people at East Campus had to sit on the floor one day,” said Kristin Gravley, Teaching Assistant for the Media course. “We only have 35 minutes in the dining hall [and] we need for everyone to eat together and get in line. We are trying to beat [the other camps by asking] the dining services when we can come.”
To accommodate the campers currently residing at UGA, camp officials have made alterations to the dining schedules. Pagnani said, “There are definitely some timing issues we’ve worked on. We’ve juggled around lunch times 2 or 3 times.”
The timings have changed for many classes from the original time of noon to what is now the current time of 11:30 a.m. The changes have made a great difference.
Sam Park, 14, from Carrollton, Ga, a student in the Mock Trial class, ate lunch daily at the Summit at East Campus Village and often had to compete with orientation students and their parents. The TIPster said he's satisfied with the revised schedule.
“I personally appreciate the timing changes greatly ‘cause now I don’t have to fight my way through an army of little girls to get my sustenance everyday,” he said.
M&M staffer
As the noon bus pulls up on Sanford Drive, some 45 hungry, tired, heat-stricken Duke TIP students step into the sweltering Georgia sun. At the same time, a block away, another 60 6-year-old gymnast campers are walking from their long, strenuous practice at the Suzanne Yoculan Gymnastics Center. Both groups head to Snelling dining hall.
The front few kids from both groups see each other and the race is on. Faster and faster the paces of both groups quicken and the tension thickens. The children sprint to the crosswalks where they would eagerly wait for the oncoming traffic to pass, so they can get to the air-conditioned hall of feasts that awaits them. The last truck has just driven past and the TIPsters are on the run, but the cheerleaders are small and fast. Who will get in first?
This was a common scene June 7-27 as Duke TIP students at the University of Georgia battled other campers, new students and their parents, and other visitors for a place in line at several campus dining halls. Whether it was jumping or tumbling over the tiny gymnasts at Snelling, elbowing parents at the Summit or being outmuscled by large football players at Bolton, the fight for food was an integral battle of the camp wars.
Due to numerous camps being held at the same time, competition ensued between camps regarding the dining facilities, which become an immense annoyance to many TIP students.
“I find it really annoying when those tiny, little gymnasts or those ginormous football players flood our eating area,” said agitated TIPster Katie Clardy, 13, from Alabama. She is a student in the Robotics course which eats lunch daily at Snelling.
The University of Georgia houses several camps varying from golf to music, from band to football, and from cheerleading to gymnastics and for the first time, our very own Duke TIP. All these camps have one thing in common: feeding their campers.
This is hard to accomplish sometimes because of the population of all the different groups and it even causes a big ruckus. For TIP students, we all have to eat breakfast at Snelling, then for lunch our meals are either served to us at Snelling or Summit, and for dinner we all eat at Bolton.
But TIPsters aren’t the only ones who eat our meals at these times.
This creates all sorts of scheduling problems for Duke TIP at UGA administrators. Recently, the on-site director of Duke’s UGA campus, Alex Pagnani, addressed the issue in his talk to the Media and Message class.
“When there is freshman orientation, there’ll be long lines… and when the football camps are there, those are wild nights,” said Pagnani. He also commented that, “The number of people and camps that are here for lunch [breakfast and dinner], we’ve definitely got to try to work with them over the course of the fall and the winter to find a better option for our students to have guaranteed easy-in to get their food, eat their food, and easy-out without so many camps fighting for the same food and resources.”
Staff has also been flustered by the changing times caused by the camp battles for food.
“I think it has been very frustrating… people at East Campus had to sit on the floor one day,” said Kristin Gravley, Teaching Assistant for the Media course. “We only have 35 minutes in the dining hall [and] we need for everyone to eat together and get in line. We are trying to beat [the other camps by asking] the dining services when we can come.”
To accommodate the campers currently residing at UGA, camp officials have made alterations to the dining schedules. Pagnani said, “There are definitely some timing issues we’ve worked on. We’ve juggled around lunch times 2 or 3 times.”
The timings have changed for many classes from the original time of noon to what is now the current time of 11:30 a.m. The changes have made a great difference.
Sam Park, 14, from Carrollton, Ga, a student in the Mock Trial class, ate lunch daily at the Summit at East Campus Village and often had to compete with orientation students and their parents. The TIPster said he's satisfied with the revised schedule.
“I personally appreciate the timing changes greatly ‘cause now I don’t have to fight my way through an army of little girls to get my sustenance everyday,” he said.
Unwelcome Intruder Hits Duke TIP campuses; Students, Staffs Suffer But Persevere
By Maddy Rollings
M&M staffer
The villain crept around each corner, lurking in hidden crevices. He popped out to attack when least expected. He caused students to be bed ridden for days, and made one student leave campus for the rest of the term. This is not what the students from Duke TIP at the University of Georgia expected to happen on their three-week adventure.
The scoundrel causing these unfortunate events has hit other Duke TIP campuses, but luckily no one was seriously hurt.
“We’re not the only [campus], and we’re also not the worst one,” said Alex Pagnani, On-Site Director for the program this summer. Maybe you guessed it, but the uninvited visitor is a mysterious illness TIP students dubbed "TIPlague", also referred to by some as "The Death" or the "TIPidemic."
The sickness has come in four waves over the term, each with the distinctive factor of their own. It began with regular colds, mutated to throat infections, jumped to pink eye, and now those with the illness are left with fevers and headaches.
“TIPlague is a mess,” said Pagnani. Doctors that have examined students say that it is nothing more than sinus and throat infections, but the fact that it spread like wildfire over the campus magnified the effect of "The Death."
The plague didn’t just affect the students, though. Five known staff members have been battling illnesses of their own.
“Most of the instructional staff that got sick had things that the kids didn’t have, which was a little odd,” said Kristin Gravley, Teaching Assistant for Media and the Message: Communicating in the Digital Age. “When you’re working a 12- hour day, it’s really hard to keep your energy up and not like, get cranky and be in a bad mood.”
Kiersten Neely, 14, from Charlotte, N.C., is a third year TIPster and sufferer from the "TIPlague." Her illness lasted between four and five days, and she was resistant to visit the clinic for medical assistance. She believes that most of the contagiousness was in a mental state, though.
“Everyone else gets sick, and you think you’re sick because everyone around you is sick. But you really are just bringing it on yourself… I didn’t want to miss anything. I didn’t want to waste any time. So I decided to just put it to the side. So I need to focus on TIP and not being sick,” said Neely.
There comes a point, though, when it is necessary to visit the doctor. Her symptoms included stuffy nose, sore throat, and fever. The doctor gave her cough syrup and tablets to recover from the illness. This was routine for most students.
It is important to get students to the clinic as soon as possible to stop the "TIPlague" before it gets too severe. The decision is initially up to the student, but if the temperature is too high, they are required to visit the doctor, Pagnani said.
If students are recommended to stay away from others, they are put into quarantine by the camp for a period of time. Six TIP at UGA students have been quarantined, thus far, but have not been kept for more than a 24-hour period.
Hydration is very important for the TIPsters to maintain. The University of Georgia is in the middle of Georgia, with hot and humid weather. TIP staff took notice of this, and with every outside activity, they require water breaks. Hydration is very important to health.
Rest is vital to keeping up the immune system strong and healthy. Enforcing lights-out has been stricter this year, along with asking each students to rest when they are feeling symptoms of "The Death" coming on.
Duke TIP offices in Durham, N.C., have recognized that most campuses are suffering from some sort of "TIPidemic," and are working toward eliminating the sicknesses. Measures have been taken to make the students more aware of hygiene, like putting up Red Cross posters inside of the dorms. Duke TIP has also bought $7,000 worth of alcohol-based hand sanitizer for all of the campuses to put in classrooms, dorms and bathrooms.
This criminal has made his mark on the students of Duke TIP, and is slowly edging out of the way. One thing is for certain though: the "TIPlague" of 2009 will not be forgotten.
M&M staffer
The villain crept around each corner, lurking in hidden crevices. He popped out to attack when least expected. He caused students to be bed ridden for days, and made one student leave campus for the rest of the term. This is not what the students from Duke TIP at the University of Georgia expected to happen on their three-week adventure.
The scoundrel causing these unfortunate events has hit other Duke TIP campuses, but luckily no one was seriously hurt.
“We’re not the only [campus], and we’re also not the worst one,” said Alex Pagnani, On-Site Director for the program this summer. Maybe you guessed it, but the uninvited visitor is a mysterious illness TIP students dubbed "TIPlague", also referred to by some as "The Death" or the "TIPidemic."
The sickness has come in four waves over the term, each with the distinctive factor of their own. It began with regular colds, mutated to throat infections, jumped to pink eye, and now those with the illness are left with fevers and headaches.
“TIPlague is a mess,” said Pagnani. Doctors that have examined students say that it is nothing more than sinus and throat infections, but the fact that it spread like wildfire over the campus magnified the effect of "The Death."
The plague didn’t just affect the students, though. Five known staff members have been battling illnesses of their own.
“Most of the instructional staff that got sick had things that the kids didn’t have, which was a little odd,” said Kristin Gravley, Teaching Assistant for Media and the Message: Communicating in the Digital Age. “When you’re working a 12- hour day, it’s really hard to keep your energy up and not like, get cranky and be in a bad mood.”
Kiersten Neely, 14, from Charlotte, N.C., is a third year TIPster and sufferer from the "TIPlague." Her illness lasted between four and five days, and she was resistant to visit the clinic for medical assistance. She believes that most of the contagiousness was in a mental state, though.
“Everyone else gets sick, and you think you’re sick because everyone around you is sick. But you really are just bringing it on yourself… I didn’t want to miss anything. I didn’t want to waste any time. So I decided to just put it to the side. So I need to focus on TIP and not being sick,” said Neely.
There comes a point, though, when it is necessary to visit the doctor. Her symptoms included stuffy nose, sore throat, and fever. The doctor gave her cough syrup and tablets to recover from the illness. This was routine for most students.
It is important to get students to the clinic as soon as possible to stop the "TIPlague" before it gets too severe. The decision is initially up to the student, but if the temperature is too high, they are required to visit the doctor, Pagnani said.
If students are recommended to stay away from others, they are put into quarantine by the camp for a period of time. Six TIP at UGA students have been quarantined, thus far, but have not been kept for more than a 24-hour period.
Hydration is very important for the TIPsters to maintain. The University of Georgia is in the middle of Georgia, with hot and humid weather. TIP staff took notice of this, and with every outside activity, they require water breaks. Hydration is very important to health.
Rest is vital to keeping up the immune system strong and healthy. Enforcing lights-out has been stricter this year, along with asking each students to rest when they are feeling symptoms of "The Death" coming on.
Duke TIP offices in Durham, N.C., have recognized that most campuses are suffering from some sort of "TIPidemic," and are working toward eliminating the sicknesses. Measures have been taken to make the students more aware of hygiene, like putting up Red Cross posters inside of the dorms. Duke TIP has also bought $7,000 worth of alcohol-based hand sanitizer for all of the campuses to put in classrooms, dorms and bathrooms.
This criminal has made his mark on the students of Duke TIP, and is slowly edging out of the way. One thing is for certain though: the "TIPlague" of 2009 will not be forgotten.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Profile of Alex Pagnani
Alex Pagnani, on-site director of the Duke TIP at UGA, sat down Wednesday morning and spoke press conference style with students from the "Media and the Message: Communicating in the Digital Age" course. This is a profile of Alex compiled from stories written by students in the course. Photo by Joy Hong.Wake up at 7 a.m., go to work, answer phone calls, sit in meetings, eat, deal with angry parents, deal with sick kids, visit classes, leave to answer more phone calls, hit the sack at 2 a.m. Repeat.
When you first see Alex Pagnani, the On-Site Director for Duke TIP at the University of Georgia, you may not automatically realize that he is in charge of 150 people, but as soon as you see him answer his cell phone in one hand and write notes down on his iPhone in his other hand you know this is a busy man.
From August to May Pagnani is a full time Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia. He said coming to TIP is great because he gets to help gifted students in real life, which is what he is studying.
"It's one thing to learn [from a] book, say, it's another to actually work with gifted students," he said. He also said there are some great surprises that come with gifted students. "They look and sound like normal 15- or 16-year-old students, and then they say something so intellectual they just blow you away."
Although he is only working for Duke TIP as a summer job, Pagnani is already very involved with the program. The chance to be involved in both the academic and residential aspects of TIP is what motivated Pagnani to return as the On-Site Director for the UGA campus, instead of keeping his position as an Instructor like he has done the last two years.
While there are a few changes Pagnani said would be good improvements at TIP, he is happy with how TIP has run for its first term. He wishes that he could have spent more time in the classroom setting, but there have been many emergencies that all need to be addressed, so time didn't allow for it.
Because of his busy schedule, Pagnani doesn’t get much time for himself, but Pagnani's other interests include board games, reading, video games, computers and movies. He even has a Star Wars poster in his TIP office.
"I am a nerd in every possible way," Pagnani said. "I'm proud of my geek identity."
-40-
Here are some "tweets" from Twitter from Pagnani's chat:
@DukeTipDawgs: Alex used to work in university housing for a few years; now a phd student in gifted education here at uga
@DukeTipDawgs: As on-site director "virtually everything that happens here I have a tiny degree of involvement in," Alex says. Also misses classroom a bit.
@DukeTipDawgs: Alex likes the food at UGA. It's really good compared to the other campuses. Can personally vouch double cheeseburgers are awesome.
@DukeTipDawgs: Alex will teach undergraduates the intro. to educational psychology course at UGA in the fall. Will be one of 7 instructors.
@DukeTipDawgs: Alex loves movies. Alex also pro wrestled to raise money for cystic fibrosis. Dressed in spandex and wrestled. Loves Star Wars. Likes fun.
@DukeTipDawgs: "I'm a huge dog fan." Once raised a German shepherd puppy for seeing eye program. His name was Ishmel (sp?).
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Visit to Red & Black
Harry Montevideo (right); Ed Morales (below)
All Photos by Joy Hong
All Photos by Joy Hong
The Media and Message class today visited the offices of The Red & Black, the independent student newspaper of the University of Georgia. We toured their facilities and spoke with Publisher Harry Montevideo and Editorial Adviser Ed Morales (pictured above).
One of the students in the course will post an article about our visit later but for now here's audio from the meeting. Enjoy!
Thanks Harry and Ed for your hospitality. We enjoyed our visit!
One of the students in the course will post an article about our visit later but for now here's audio from the meeting. Enjoy!
Thanks Harry and Ed for your hospitality. We enjoyed our visit!
***
Update. 6/24/2009. Here's an article by Miles Wilson/Photos by Joy Hong
On Tuesday, June 23, the students in the Media and Message class visited the local campus newspaper, the Red and Black, for a tour.
“I thought that it would be really cool to see what [The Red and Black] was like,” said Kelly Castro, 16, from Miami, Fla., one of the students that went on the field trip. "It was nice to see what it looked like and I thought it was really cool how open they were to having new students join and how they help them learn and have the experience."
“I thought that it would be really cool to see what [The Red and Black] was like,” said Kelly Castro, 16, from Miami, Fla., one of the students that went on the field trip. "It was nice to see what it looked like and I thought it was really cool how open they were to having new students join and how they help them learn and have the experience."
The Publisher, Harry Montevideo, had generously accepted the request for a field trip and even gave the tour himself. Along the way, he talked about how the staff is almost entirely made up of students that go to the University of Georgia, with a few professionals mixed in, including himself and the editorial advisor, Ed Morales. Montevideo and Morales took the students into the conference room, and talked about anything the students threw their way.
They talked about how they were unique from other college papers, in which they explained that their paper was not dependent on UGA. The paper does not get funds from UGA, and therefore, staffers can write about anything that any other paper could write about without having to worry about UGA threatening to cut its funding.
One of the students asked how many people were on the staff, and how much they get paid. Counting the professionals, there are a total of about 125 people. But how much everyone got paid was a different story. Some reporters get paid about $10 per story, and people like the editors get around $250 a week, depending on the position they are in. The advertising sales representatives get about 10 percent-13 percent of the income that the newspaper gets from advertisements.
The newspaper receives comments a lot on the Web, but not all of them are good. Some people don’t like the views that the Red and Black prints in its papers, and some people come to complain in person. For example, when Montevideo was asked about his most interesting story, he said that one day, back in the 80s, a middle-aged woman came in and started yelling at the editor. Apparently, they had given a bad review of R.E.M’s new album. The woman was band leader Michael Stipe’s mother. But most of their comments and posts have been positive.
“We’ve actually gotten quite a few tips from comments,” said Morales.
The trip was a great experience for all of the students, and they all learned a lot.
“I thought that it was [interesting],” said AnnaMarie Koehler-Shepley, 14, from Tampa, Fla. “It was really hands on."
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Saturday film: All the President's Men
Today, we are watching another Academy Award-winning film, All the President's Men.
The 1976 film follows Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's reporting in the early days of the Watergate investigation, which ultimately led to President Richard Nixon's resignation from office.
The Washington Post has called the film "journalism's finest 2 hours and 16 minutes."
The film raises a slew of journalistic questions and introduces many concepts about journalism, such as quoting sources on deep background.
The 1976 film follows Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's reporting in the early days of the Watergate investigation, which ultimately led to President Richard Nixon's resignation from office.
The Washington Post has called the film "journalism's finest 2 hours and 16 minutes."
The film raises a slew of journalistic questions and introduces many concepts about journalism, such as quoting sources on deep background.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Multimedia and Podcasting
Here are some "how to" resources for multimedia and audio:
-Mindy McAdams' guide to editing audio
-How to add audio to this blog
-Knight Center for Digital Media tutorial on Soundslides
Some sources on where to find music that you can use for free that does not violate or infringe upon copyrights:
*This site is helpful.
*Jamendo
*Podsafeaudio
-Mindy McAdams' guide to editing audio
-How to add audio to this blog
-Knight Center for Digital Media tutorial on Soundslides
Some sources on where to find music that you can use for free that does not violate or infringe upon copyrights:
*This site is helpful.
*Jamendo
*Podsafeaudio
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Viral Video
Viral videos are videos which are widely (and often quickly) spread among a large audience, usually through the Internet or cell phones.
ABC News has an excellent article about the top viral sensations of 2009. Viral videos have been around for several years.
This video has apparently been watched 900 million times and was rated as the top viral video of all time, according to The Viral Factory, a viral marketing company. Coming in at No. 2 on the list with 700 million views is Nooma Nooma.
Viral videos often involve ordinary people doing silly things. These ordinary folks can become overnight Internet sensations. Viral videos can also be used as an organizational tool, from people who just want to have fun or pull a silly prank like the UNC flashmob group or the Navy Hey Ya video.
Videos with the potential to go viral can be used as a public relations tool to get the message out about a group or organization. For example, a group of students from UGA created recruitment videos for the University, such as Lessons Learned at UGA and UGA: There's No Place Like Home.
Moments of broadcasts from the mainstream media (chiefly television) can also become viral video sensations on the Internet. When students from the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta performed "You Can Vote However You'd Like" on CNN last fall, clips from the performance were spread from inbox to inbox. When Miss Teen South Carolina stumbled with her answer on national television, the mishap was aired over and over again on computer screens across the country. This year, when a frumpy middle-aged Scottish woman first appeared on Britain's Got Talent to sing a Les Miserables tune, the world took notice. I'm talking of course about this year's viral video sensation, Susan Boyle.
Music is often an important component used in quite a few successful viral videos. Musician Will.i.am won the first-ever Emmy for Best New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment for his pro-Obama campaign video, Yes We Can. The video has been seen by at least 25 million people and that number continues to grow.
While Will.i.am was involved in the production of the video including the song he wrote, on other occasions, Internet users will take a song and mix it with other elements to create an entirely new work of their own. One fan took the Dave Matthews Band's "Funny the Way it Is" song and put them to old cartoons. The end result? The Looney the Way it Is video.
When a University of Florida student was subdued by campus police for protesting at a campus speech, his pleas with the officer not to be harmed became a viral sensation. Someone took his cries and mixed it with a 1990s rap video. Don't Tase Me, Bro! meets Hammer is what emerged.
The "don't tase me, bro" incident made headlines in newspapers across America. Even though print remains newspapers' primary distribution mechanism and product, most newspapers are using video on their Web sites now too.
Most media are relient on advertising for the majority of their revenue. Companies make videos that officials hope go viral to promote their product, just like this Dove evolution commercial.
And of course, in order to make viral videos you need video cameras. Our class will use a simple push and shoot Flip MinoHD to record videos. We'll also discuss some video shooting tips from the Knight Digital Media Center.
ABC News has an excellent article about the top viral sensations of 2009. Viral videos have been around for several years.
This video has apparently been watched 900 million times and was rated as the top viral video of all time, according to The Viral Factory, a viral marketing company. Coming in at No. 2 on the list with 700 million views is Nooma Nooma.
Viral videos often involve ordinary people doing silly things. These ordinary folks can become overnight Internet sensations. Viral videos can also be used as an organizational tool, from people who just want to have fun or pull a silly prank like the UNC flashmob group or the Navy Hey Ya video.
Videos with the potential to go viral can be used as a public relations tool to get the message out about a group or organization. For example, a group of students from UGA created recruitment videos for the University, such as Lessons Learned at UGA and UGA: There's No Place Like Home.
Moments of broadcasts from the mainstream media (chiefly television) can also become viral video sensations on the Internet. When students from the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta performed "You Can Vote However You'd Like" on CNN last fall, clips from the performance were spread from inbox to inbox. When Miss Teen South Carolina stumbled with her answer on national television, the mishap was aired over and over again on computer screens across the country. This year, when a frumpy middle-aged Scottish woman first appeared on Britain's Got Talent to sing a Les Miserables tune, the world took notice. I'm talking of course about this year's viral video sensation, Susan Boyle.
Music is often an important component used in quite a few successful viral videos. Musician Will.i.am won the first-ever Emmy for Best New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment for his pro-Obama campaign video, Yes We Can. The video has been seen by at least 25 million people and that number continues to grow.
While Will.i.am was involved in the production of the video including the song he wrote, on other occasions, Internet users will take a song and mix it with other elements to create an entirely new work of their own. One fan took the Dave Matthews Band's "Funny the Way it Is" song and put them to old cartoons. The end result? The Looney the Way it Is video.
When a University of Florida student was subdued by campus police for protesting at a campus speech, his pleas with the officer not to be harmed became a viral sensation. Someone took his cries and mixed it with a 1990s rap video. Don't Tase Me, Bro! meets Hammer is what emerged.
The "don't tase me, bro" incident made headlines in newspapers across America. Even though print remains newspapers' primary distribution mechanism and product, most newspapers are using video on their Web sites now too.
Most media are relient on advertising for the majority of their revenue. Companies make videos that officials hope go viral to promote their product, just like this Dove evolution commercial.
And of course, in order to make viral videos you need video cameras. Our class will use a simple push and shoot Flip MinoHD to record videos. We'll also discuss some video shooting tips from the Knight Digital Media Center.
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