Over the first weekend here at GSA, all the students and staff took a trip to the Cascades in a troop of 13-passenger vans. We got an early start at 8 AM, with students laughing and chatting as they piled into the vans. With the radios up and music pumping, the exciting journey up the mountain began!

After a brief 30 minute drive through the beautiful mountains surrounding Blacksburg, we arrived at our destination in the small town of Pembroke, VA. Just a short while later, students were clambering out of the vans and disappearing in a choking cloud of insect repellent and spray-on sunscreen in preparation for the long hike ahead.

Due to the heavy rains Blacksburg experienced this past week, the trail was rather slippery and very muddy, but thankfully the students made the climb without any injuries or accidents! And after nearly an hour had passed, the students finally made it to the top! The waterfall at the Cascades plunged over a steep cliff, spraying ice cold mountain water across the landscape – and splashing across the backs of students brave enough to stand underneath it! Screaming and shouting with laughter, students took pictures, swam, and sunbathed at the peak of their climb.

Too soon after our arrival, it was time to leave and head back for lunch at D2. Many more students than before slept during the return home, and several continued to snooze after grabbing a quick bite to eat! It was certainly a tiring trip, but I think everyone can agree that it was a great way to spend our first Saturday!

After relaxing all weekend, the students got geared up – and dressed up – for College Night at Radford University in Radford, VA. Another caravan of GSA vehicles left Virginia Tech in the early evening, and we arrived at Radford with time to spare. Throughout the night, students talked to admissions officers at schools such as Sweet Briar College and Christopher Newport University, and many left with their hands full of college brochures.

This was many of the students’ first time wearing “business casual” or “business professional” clothing, and they were all certainly dressed to impress! Students seemed confident and capable when they approached the colleges of their choice to inquire about potential majors and campus life, and their professional dress helped boost this confidence. While at Radford, students also had the chance to interact with their friends from the other governor’s school for Humanities and Performing Arts. On the drive home, several students quizzed their GSL’s (Governor’s School Leaders) about college life, applications, and the big decisions about school they will face in the coming months. Overall, the night was a great success and both students and staff enjoyed the opportunity to get off campus and dress in their best!

— Lauren Jones, Ag Engineering GSL

Today, we all went out to the largest Volvo truck factory in the United States. They utilized many alternative ways of harnessing energy. We learned a lot about sustainable energy and particularly about how we need to change our culture and lifestyles to adapt to renewable energy sources. Afterwards, we visited New River Community College to view their sustainable energy technology. There we saw simulators that students use to practice operating photo-voltaic cells and wind turbines, along with actual solar panels and turbines we got to see. After lunch, we went to blogging class and learned about how to make a popular and successful blog. The class ended early, and we went straight to work on the global seminar projects. Later, we got to see a fashion show by the GSLs who showed us how to dress professionally. The day was pretty good and we are all looking forward to the two-mile hike to the Cascades tomorrow. Hopefully it doesn’t rain! 

A group of students learning about converting solar energy for solar-powered cars

Happy Independence Day!!!

Today was a fun and jam-packed day here at GSA. In the morning students attended several lectures in economics and meat science. In addition, Dr. Mike Ellerbrock gave a presentation about his study abroad experiences with the “Semester at Sea” program. Thus, students were able to understand the importance of developing themselves as worldly scholars, not limited by continental divides. Then, students continued to work in their global seminar groups to create an outline for their research papers. In addition, students submitted designs for the GSA T-shirt competition.

Finally, the 4^th of July activities began! First, students engaged in basketball and volleyball tournaments in the residential quad. Then, the Governor School Leaders (GSLs) took students to Main Street to get dinner, dessert, and watch fireworks on Henderson Lawn.  

Students enjoying Rita’s Italian Ice

This past week at GSA, the students were divided into their groups for the Global Seminar project they will be working on for the month. The five topic areas for the project are global food security, food safety, childhood obesity, climate change, and bio-energy. Each project group includes one student from each of the five majors and focuses on a specific subtopic within the topic area. For example, one group of students researching the topic of childhood obesity will be writing about the feasibility of implementing the National Farm to School Network in U.S. schools.

Since their arrival, students have heard lectures from the perspectives of an agricultural economist, an expert in the field of sustainable energy, and a professional in the world of meat science. Even this early on in the program, these talented students are beginning to understand how integrated all of these apparently separate disciplines are, as well as how the knowledge they acquire in these classes can be applied to their research topics. As the project groups begin to work more closely together to achieve their goals and experience life as future scientists and leaders, the students will learn the importance of teamwork, discipline, and communication.

Over the course of the month here at VT, each project group will work together to create several final products to be presented at the Research Symposium that will occur at the end of the program. Students will write a 10 to 12 page research paper, create a brochure, design a large poster display, and make a Powerpoint to supplement their oral presentations. The research project will certainly test students’ skills as scientific writers, leaders, and orators as they collaborate with others to complete each of these tasks, but I’m certain that they are all up to the challenge!

Students visited the Newman Library computer lab and learned how to conduct research using scholarly journals and other library resources.