John Slack Doesn’t Slack

Article and Photo by: Madison Howard, M&M TIPster

You may have seen an 18-year-old RC roaming the hallways checking to make sure that TIPsters stay out of mischief. His name is John Slack, and this is his first year of being an RC.
When John was younger, he was a TIPster. He attended Davidson University for two years and Duke East one year for TIP camp. After high school, John went on to Rice University in Houston, Texas and is a rising sophomore majoring in electrical engineering. But, John doesn’t brag about it, he is actually very quiet around those he doesn’t know.
John plans to be an RC next year at some Duke TIP location. When asked what his favorite part about being an RC was, he replied, “The kids.” If he had to say what the hardest part of his job was, he said, “Enforcing all of the rules. You have to be strict.”
John enjoys his job and we hope to see him again next year working at a TIP location as an RC.

Jenna Gorbatkin

Article and Photo by: Madison Howard, M&M TIPster

Jenna Gorbatkin is a brown- haired RC that is familiar with her job. This is Jenna’s fourth year of being an RC for TIP. Last year, Jenna was an RC at ASU. Usually when you see Jenna she is smiling and seems to be having a good time.
Jenna was a TIPster when she was younger and she attended Duke West for two years and the Marine Lab one year. After high school, Jenna attended Georgia Tech with a major in psychology.
She just graduated college. Her favorite part about being an RC is, “The TIPsters.” Jenna is very popular among her girls. Her third and fourth year girls are very close to her and they enjoy being around her. One of the best things about Jenna is that she is very nice. Even if she is not your RC, she will help you in any way that she can. Since Jenna is twenty- one, she is now able to be a driver for TIP and makes frequent drives to the doctor’s office with students.
Even when it is early, she is always smiling when she drives you. Jenna’s RC group and many others will miss her after she leaves TIP.

“She’s really nice and always asks how we are,” said Amber Palmer, a rising freshman at East Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia. Amber has a sprained foot and often rides with Jenna either to the doctor or around campus to get from place to place.

Austin Taylor- Jorgemsom

Article by: Courtney Scoufis a Media and the Message Tipster.

Austin Taylor Jorgemsom is an RC on the third floor. This twenty-two year old RC is attending Harvard next year for his graduates degree in Boston, Massachusetts.
Austin was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He lives with his two cats and his dog named Piper.
In his free time he enjoys to play video games, shop, watch movies, and read. One of his favorite books is Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel. Austin enjoys watching movies. His favorites include Casablanca, Eight and a Half, and The Wrath of God. Austin says, “Whenever I turn on the radio, I always change it to the Indie Rock channel.” Because of this, Austin spent most of the car ride up to Athens from Florida listening to Los Campesinos!. His favorite song by them is "Romance Is Boring."
When asked who he looks up to Austin replied, “My Philosophy teacher, Dr. Mike Michaelson.”
Austin was invited to attend Duke TIP, but decided not to. However when he was looking for a summer job four years ago as a freshman, his friend recommended he look into it. Austin has been an RC three times; in 2007, 2009, and 2010.

Amanda

Article by: Kaitlyn Shanks, M&M TIPster

“4th years are DIVAS!” This is what Amanda Johnson had to say about her R.C. group. She is a serious R.C. and she knows her way around her job because this is not her first time as a residential counselor. She led the Blue Ice team to victory this year at Dawg Fest and helped organize all the crazy campers.
“Best person I would take to Target!” screamed Alysia Anderson, a rising 11th grader at Episcopal High School in Houston, Texas. This got a round of giggles from the girls, an obvious inside joke. Amanda is loved by her ladies as she always lets them shine brightly while still making sure they do not break any TIP rules. She is always seen laughing with R.C. group, letting them make the best of their last year here as TIPsters.

Matt

Article by: Kaitlyn Shanks, M&M TIPster

“Matt is a sexy beast.” This is the response Michael Lefkowitz, a rising 9th grader at Gulliver High School in Miami, Florida, felt he had to say when asked to describe his R.C., Matt.
Matt Barbara is a student at Davidson College. This twenty year old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native is employed as an RC this summer at Duke Tip. His group of second year boys is rowdy and rambunctious, but Matt tries his hardest to keep them under control. When we asked his R.C. group what they had to say about him, although all of it was positive, most could not be printed as it referenced to things that were not appropriate.
“My R.C. group is awesome.” Matt said when asked about his R.C. group. He laughed when I told him that his description must be appropriate for TIP. This he laughed at because, well, his whole R.C. group is not appropriate for TIP.

Spencer Scarvey

Article and Photo by: Maddie Kim, M&M TIPster

Spencer Scarvey, a Pharmacology major at UGA, has always looked up to her younger sister who was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 9. However, what she may not know is that she herself is considered a role model amongst her RC group. “She is awesome,” says Angelina, one of Spencer’s girls. Spencer always makes sure to keep her group together. She makes RC group nights fun. Spencer is from Salisbury, North Carolina. She likes to work out, sleep, go out with friends, and read. Spencer’s favorite TV show is House, and her favorite movie is the Lion King. Her favorite music is Top 40. Her favorite place in the entire world is Charlestown Beach, North Carolina, but she enjoys being at TIP too. “We love Spencer,” says Morgan Godfrey, one of Spencer’s girls.

Patrick Howell

Article and Photo by: Maddie Kim, M&M TIPster

Patrick Howell, a 22 year old Emory graduate, would describe himself as lazy, smart, and easy-going. “I think Patrick is really cool and smart. He’s not lazy though,” says Ben Calvo, a fifteen year old boy in Patrick’s RC group, “He enforces the rules like an RC should, but he also has fun too.” Patrick’s ideal idea of fun would include foreign countries (he’s a student at UGA working to get his masters in International Relations). He also enjoys reading and video games, but here at TIP, Patrick enjoys RC bonding time. His boys would describe him as “awesome”, “funny”, and “nice”. “Patrick is a good guy. He makes my experience at Duke TIP very enjoyable,” says Adam Moore, another one of Patrick’s boys.
Patrick can’t help but grin as he thinks of his awesome RC group!

Jessie Trawick

Article and Photos by: Maddie Kim, M&M TIPster

Jessie Trawick, a 19 year old Davidson student, went to Duke TIP as a high-schooler. The girls in Jessie’s RC group think that the fact that just a couple years ago Jessie was one of the TIPsters is part of what makes her such a good leader. Jessie understands the girls and always makes it a priority to be there for them. For example, at dinner, grabbing a table with a seat for everyone is Jessie’s #1 job. Jessie won’t hesitate to give up her chair for one of her girls. Jessie has one older sister and one older brother, but despite the fact that she has always been the youngest child, Jessie is like a big sister to the girls in her group. “Jessie always helps me when I lock myself out- even after the 7th time,” says Liv Hall (age 14) one of Jessie’s group members. Jessie is a funny girl who enjoys reading Pride and Prejudice. She loves to collect frogs. Jessie is from Tucker, Georgia. She’s always in for a good time, despite her shy tendencies. Once you get to know her, Jessie will never fail to make you smile. “Jessie is awesome!” exclaims Jessie’s #1 fan, Selena.

With her bright red hair and contagious smile, it’s hard not to notice her!

Michael Sheehy

Article by: Landon Willey, M&M TIPster

Michael Sheehy, or Mike, as his RC group calls him, is a 20-year-old college student at the University of Notre Dame. This year is his first at UGA as a Residential Counselor, but not his first year overall. He was an RC at Kansas prior to UGA. Mike came to UGA as a result of persuasion from his friends here at UGA. Mike played baseball in high-school, and he religiously follows the Detroit Tigers. He lives, in his words, “Just outside of Detroit.”
Mike is the RC of a mixed group of 2nd and 3rd-year guys. The day after move-in-day, it was clear that this year was to be one full of inside jokes and great memories. His RC group is notorious for attempting to break rules in the presence of Mike in order to mess with him. When asked of Mike, Dillon McDermott stated “Mike is the best RC I’ve had in my three years at TIP.” An overwhelming consensus from his group states the same. The main reason why Mike is so liked is the fact that he is a laid-back RC who is virtually “one of the guys”.

Julie Stalcup

Article by: Landon Willey, M&M TIPster

Julie Stalcup is a 19-year-old Residential Counselor here at Duke TIP in Athens, Georgia. She is the RC for a group of 3rd-year girls who live on the 2nd-floor. She was a TIPster herself when she was a teenager as well, so she knows the ropes. She once spent seven months in Hong Kong while her dad was teaching there. She's from Statesboro, Georgia and attends school at Emory University in Atlanta. When asked of Julie, her RC, Abby Hunt stated “I love her. She’s amazing and she’s so much fun to mess with.” As can clearly be seen, Julie is obviously a fun person to be around.

Tessa, Girl!

Article by: Madison Howard, M&M TIPster

If you are attending TIP at UGA this year, you may have seen an RC with long, beautiful, blond-haired RC that may remind you of a TIPster. Tessa is a nineteen-year-old tennis player who attends the University of Notre Dame in Indiana when she is not working here at TIP. This is her second year working at UGA for TIP.
Tessa was a TIPster when she was younger and attended camp all four years. She became an RC because she was looking for a summer job. “I always thought being an RC would be cool, but I was so young and didn’t look that far into the future.”
Tessa’s mom is from Spain, but if you look at Tessa without knowing this, you would never guess that she is Spanish. She speaks fluent Spanish and is going to Spain after TIP. Tessa attended a private boarding school in Barcelona through high school.
She is very popular among TIP students. Everyone enjoys her company and she is nice and helpful to everyone, including people who aren’t in her RC group. People refer to her RC group as, “Tessa’s girls.” Many inside jokes are shared between Tessa and her girls. Tessa will be missed by all TIPsters who attend camp this year.
“Tessa is such a sweet RC.”- Kaitlyn Shanks, a 14 year old freshman from Houston, Texas
“Tessa is amazing. Wink- face.” -Landon Willey, a 15 year old sophomore from Sebring, Florida.

Maggie

Article by: Courtney Scoufis, M&M TIPster

You have probably seen this twenty-two-year-old, tall, blonde RC around campus. This RC is Maggie Hereford; an RC for the Cowgirls on the third floor. Maggie is a graduate of Rice University, and she majored in Architecture.
This RC was once a Duke Tipster herself; she took Architecture at Kansas University in 2003.
Her RC group loves her. Gabriela Hernandez says, “She’s really cool and nice .”
Maggie was born in and lives in Pensacola, Florida. She enjoys soaking up some sun by going to the beach and being outside in general. She also loves to shop and play with her Yorkie-Poodle Maisy.
This RC enjoys playing the piano and listening to music. Her favorite artists are Brittney Spears and Dispatch. Her favorite songs by Dispatch include Flying Horses and Steeples. Likewise her favorite movie is Almost Famous, and she enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series.
She is excited for the school year because she will be teaching at Brown Barge Middle School. For the future, she said she is pretty much open to anything that comes her way.

George

Article by: Landon Willey, M&M TIPster

George Ling was born in 1988 in Miami Beach, Florida. He now works as a Residential Counselor at the Duke TIP summer program at UGA in Athens, Georgia. As Residential Counselor, George has been assigned a group of TIPsters, or teenagers attending TIP, to take watch over. He is responsible for this group's safe journey from Myers hall to the Bolton Dining Facility every evening for dinner. He is also required to host evening activities nearly every night, unless something came up to prevent him from hosting an event, of course. George has hosted a myriad of events, such as ninja-killer. In evening activity, George receives a group of TIPsters, whom he instructs to participate in whatever this event entails.
George’s RC group are the fourth year male TIPsters. As can be expected over the course of three weeks, much camaraderie has been formed between the group and George. When asked what he thought of his RC group, George replied “They are awesome”. Through hanging out around the fourth year guys, one can easily see the love they feel for George. They constantly badger him in admittedly creative ways, but always in a joking manner. No doubt, whenever this RC group has its nightly meetings, it must be a sight to see.

Samantha

Article and Photo by: Courtney Scoufis, M&M TIPster

Samantha Brooks is an RC for a group of girls on the third floor. This twenty year old is a student majoring in English at the University of Florida. English isn’t good enough for Sam; she has also learned to speak Spanish and Japanese. She says that she frequently goes on foreign language sites to practice the languages. She hopes that she will be able to study abroad in Japan to practice her skills.
Samantha was born in West Boca, Florida. When she was 14 she moved to Pembroke Pines, Florida, and she currently resides there when she is not studying at University of Florida.
Samantha enjoys to salsa, write, travel, fence, and read in her free time. Some of her favorite books include House of the Spirits and Tithe. Likewise, she enjoys listening to music. Some of her favorite bands/artists include Mark Anthony, 3 Days Grace, Tiempo Libre, and Motion City Soundtrack. Her favorite movie is Crazy Beautiful.
This RC was also a Duke Tipster. She attended From Wonderland to Hogwarts in 2004, Short Fiction Workshop in 2004. Past is Present the Evolution of Literature, High Spirits in 2006, and Field Studies in Mexico for Creative Writing in 2007. She said she came back because, “I wanted to give what I received.” She certainly has.
A member of her group Marissa Karp said, “She’s the best RC I’ve ever had.”

Megan

Article and Photo by: Kaitlyn Shanks, M&M TIPster

“Megan is the lighting bolt to a dark sky! In a good way!” Brittney exclaimed,“She is the sweetest, nicest, funniest, cutest thing I have ever seen and she has amazing dance moves!”

Megan is a rising sophomore at the University of North Carolina. She loves being an R.C. at Duke TIP and she is always happy to greet us, her R.C group, as we come home from class. She always waits right in front of the stair well door and gives us bear hugs as we come in from the quad. She has everyone tell a story from their day at R.C. meetings; if your story is the best, you get the flamingo(yes, a blow-up pink rubber flamingo.) However, if your story is the worst, you get the bird hat( a green visor made of foam that looks like a bird). She always tucks in her campers by playing the “Lullaby of the Night” which changes every day. We have had songs ranging from "Thriller" to "Baby" and "Don’t Stop Believing".
“Megan makes my day- she is always there for you no matter what!” Lolade adds.
It is apparent that Megan is a wonderful influence on her campers; I know the second term TIPsters will love her almost as much as we do!