Stentorian February 2013

stentoriannorth carolina school of science and mathematics [email protected]. XXXII, issue 5 february 2013

the

Ox and Rabbit

beginningsp. 3

Students culturally enriched on MLK Day

By Jungsu Hong

NCSSM students com-memorated the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Jan. 21, 2013, through a myriad of activities on and off campus, such as learning about diversity and giving back to the community.

Each American chooses to celebrate and commemorate this day in myriad ways, but at NCSSM, students had a schedule filled with events in honor of MLK.

These events included mov-ies, volunteer opportunities, yoga, discussions, perfor-mances, and a guest speech in the afternoon to end the day’s events.

Some students enjoyed watched and gained cultural awareness through movies such as Crash, Changeling, and Red Tails.

“I watched Crash,” said senior Rosalia Preiss, “and I had never seen it before so I decided to watch it and it was really a lot more powerful than I thought it would be…. It brought up a lot of racial tensions that people don’t usually like to bring up, and it showed how dangerous racial stereotyping can end up being.”

“It showed the bigger ends of racialism and the smaller a s s u m p t i o n s based on race. Everyone faces discrimination, and people will often bend things to fill stereotypes that they think will fit people.”

Others went on volunteer excur-sions off-campus.

Some volunteer-ing opportunities included helping out at the MLK Birthday Celebra-tion at Northgate Mall, working on a clean-up project at the Eno River,

making baked goods and cleaning at the Caring House of Durham, and helping out at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC or the United Way Durham County Signature Project.

The remaining students stayed on campus and had engaging discussions on topics such as diversity and music, diversity in social media, the life and impact of Martin Luther King Jr., yoga, and the Presidential Inauguration, which occurred on this special day.

“I thought MLK Day was good. I liked how they had various activities to choose from to either give back to the community or learn more about racism in the world,” said junior Brittany Ledford.

In the afternoon, students came together in the auditorium to watch performances and listen to the guest speaker, Dr. Genna Rae McNeil, professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Gospel Choir sang spirited, soulful music and the NCSSM Orchestra played the fourth movement of Mendelssohn’s “Reformation” Symphony.

Senior Jefferson Ridgeway also shared a special poem in

honor of MLK Day. McNeil presented her

speech in an engaging and unique way most students had never seen before. McNeil shared King’s legacy through her engaging speech.

“I enjoyed how the speech was broken up into her talking and into students reading lines from what Martin Luther King said because it was interesting and related back to what she was saying,” said junior Meredith Dorminey.

After the speech, the student body enjoyed performances from Latin America Fest and upcoming fests such as Africa and Asia Fest. Chancellor Todd Roberts concluded the day with a closing speech.

Martin Luther King Jr., well known for his “I have a Dream” speech, was an advocate of non-violent protest and leader in the movement to end racial segregation in the United States in the Civil Rights Movement from the mid-1900s until his assassination in 1968.

King became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The third Monday of January is set aside each year as a holiday to honor King. This holiday was first observed in 1986 and has been a tradition ever since.

Genna Rae McNeil speaks at MLK Day assembly

Common application to simplify senior leadership selections

By Jay BucHanan

Leadership coordinators at NCSSM decided at the start of the 2012-2013 school year that all departments would use a common application to make preliminary application decisions.

The leadership position selection season is one of the most heavily anticipated times of the year on the NCSSM campus, and the coordinators hope the new system will alleviate stress.

“We heard from students and even families saying that the collective amount of time students spent on multiple ap-plications and the spread of the notification dates were both unp leasan t , ” said Kevin Cromwell, Di-rector of Stu-dent Services.

There will now be a common timeline and a common application.

The leadership positions using the new application system will be Student Ambassador, Residential Life Assistant, Multicultural Peer Counselor, Peer College Counselor, Institutional Advancement Attaché, LitCom Liaison, and Smart Bar staff.

All selection decisions will be released on April 23, making it easier for selected students to choose a position and for coordinators to finalize their work service lists.

“Being able to fill out one

common application for all of the positions a student is interested in will allow the student to minimize repetition and time spent on multiple applications so they can focus on the answers to each question,” says Anna Shepherd, the Attaché coordinator in the Institutional Advancement office.

Each department with a po-sition on the common applica-tion will provide supplements of their own and interviews for each position will still be unique to each program, but the

unified main ap-plication is ex-pected to make things easier for applicants as well as those responsible for filing applica-tion documents.

There will be no ranking of the positions available on the

new application, so students will hypothetically have the ability to apply for all seven positions available.

The leadership coordinators agree, though, that dedication will be as valuable in each process as ever.

“I would advise juniors not to just apply to each position because it is now easier to do so,” said Admissions Counselor Robert Andrews, the coordinator of the Student Ambassador Application process. “Find a few positions that fit you and your skills, and put your heart and effort into

(Continued on page 2)

“I would advise juniors not to just apply to each

position because it is now easier to do so,”

said Admissions Coun-selor Robert Andrews.

In this issue...

How to Succeed in Business

p. 7

Courtesy of NCSSM Livestream

those application processes.”Many students and adults share fears that the

transparency of the application will enable selection teams to choose students who appear most dedicated to single applications.

“I really encourage advisers to go with what students want,” said Cromwell. “This is to save the students and coordinators time. Each position can still add a supplement to the application’s eight to ten questions, if they wish. We aren’t trying to limit students’ options.”

Interest meetings for all the leadership positions will take place in the transition from the

second to the third trimester. Selection for the positions

of Student Body President and Treasurer, Sustainability Project Leader, and others, will run parallel to the common application positions but will be handled separately.

Orientation Committee and other positions will be decided by early May, after leadership positions and housing situations (dependent on the Residential Life Assistant candidates) have been set.

Students with questions about any of the available opportunities are encouraged to contact those positions’ coordinators or seniors currently serving in them.

Common apps for leadership positions

Gun control attempts prompt debate

By adam Beyer

In the months following the Sandy Hook School Shootings, gun control is likely to be one of the most widely debated issues as Congress starts its new term. In recent days, protestors from both sides have been gathering in major cities, pressing for their policies.

Just days before his second inauguration, President Obama announced twenty-three new executive actions he says will reduce gun violence. They include strengthening the background check system for gun ownership, strengthening safety requirements for gun storage, providing more resources for schools and mental health, as well as nominating a director for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, which has been without a leader since 2006.

These actions have already provoked the strong reaction of critics from organizations such as the NRA, whose

executive vice-president Wayne LaPierre pledged “the fight of the century.” Different interpretations of the Government’s power to regulate guns under the 2nd Amendment are the source of most disagreement.

One major piece of legislation being pushed is the renewal and expansion of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban which expired in 2004. The ban prohibits the sale and manufacture of specific brands of military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. Many criticize the previous ban as ineffective because of its numerous loopholes, which allowed gun manufacturers to make small cosmetic changes to the guns and let them be sold again.

In mid-January, New York was the first state to update and strengthen its laws dealing with guns since the Sandy Hook School Shootings.

“We just cannot continue to have 33 people a day killed

in the United States with guns, and over 40 people commit suicide with guns every single day,” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a staunch supporter of gun regulations and chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

“More people were killed last year with hammers than rifles. If people want to kill other people with guns, making them illegal won’t stop them,” said senior Nathan Sanders.

“I think we need tighter control of gun ownership,” said junior Hannah McShea, “Imagine if a kid was throwing rocks at another kid on the playground. You don’t go and give all the other kids rocks to throw too. That won’t stop the rock throwing. They’ll all end up bruised.”

Both President Obama and Vice President Biden, who chaired the president’s task force on gun violence, plan to travel over the next several weeks promoting their agenda on gun control.

Adderall suicide raises questions

By: saraH colBert

Richard Lee committed suicide while suffering from withdrawal from the medication Adderall on Nov. 7, 2011. Lee was a popular, athletic, 24-year old college student at Greensboro College who aspired to become a medical student. He was also was extremely addicted to Adderall and hanged himself in his bedroom two weeks after his prescription expired.

Adderall, like cocaine, is Schedule II drug, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is an amphetamine-based drug prescribed to treat the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is known for providing the user with an acute ability to focus and for being highly addictive. Adderall is abused by an estimated 8-25% percent of college students who use the medication to enhance their academic performances. Students feign the symptoms of ADHD or obtain it from others in order to access the drug. Giving or accepting even a single pill of Adderall from someone with a prescription is a federal crime.

Lee was prescribed Adderall by his physician to help him concentrate in school, despite the absence of any previous symptoms of A.D.H.D. His prescription was based solely on his answers to a questionnaire. Lee quickly developed a

dangerous addiction to the drug. He became dependent on the Adderall to do his school work. He became delusional, paranoid, and violent. Lee’s parents pleaded that his doctor stop administering Adderall to him.

Lee’s doctor stopped his prescription, and Lee became enraged and disappeared for a few weeks. When he returned, he lied to his doctor, claiming that he had gotten his life together and really needed the Adderall in order to obtain a job he was applying for. His doctor gave him a new prescription for Adderall.

Lee’s violent behavior continued. His parents were once forced to call the police and have him arrested for domestic violence. He suffered from anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Yet, he did not seem like a drug addict to his doctor and was able to convince him to continue prescribing Adderall for him. His doctor believed his assertions over those of his parents.

Lee’s doctor met with him for the last time in October. Lee’s father made directives to bring up charges if Lee was given more Adderall. His doctor prescribed him a different medication for ADHD that did not contain amphetamines on Oct. 3. Lee did not fill this prescription and returned two weeks later to ask for more Adderall. His doctor refused, and Lee never returned to him.

Lee abruptly stopped taking the medication and experienced severe withdrawal. His parents returned from a weekend away on Nov. 7 and went looking for Lee at his apartment. They found him in his closet where he had hanged himself.

Lee’s parents attended a documentary screening and panel discussion on ADHD called “ADD and Loving it?” on Oct. 10, 2012. The nation’s primary advocacy group for A.D.H.D. patients, Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (Chadd), sponsored the event. The film that was shown claimed that stimulant medications were “safer than aspirin.”

In the question-and-answer session following the event, Lee’s father asked, “What are some of the drawbacks or some of the dangers of a misdiagnosis in somebody, and then the subsequent medication that goes along with that?”

“Not much,” replied Jeffrey Katz, a local clinical psychologist and board member of Chadd. “The medication itself is pretty innocuous.”

“If you misdiagnose it and you give somebody medication, it’s not going to do anything for them, why would they continue to take it?” he concluded.

This article is adapted from “Drowned in a Stream of Prescriptions” by Alan Schwarz, printed in The New York Times, Feb. 2, 2013.

By HannaH WalratH

On Jan. 21 2013, President Barack Obama was sworn in for the second time. A crowd of about one million people gathered onto the National Mall to witness his oath of office, compared to an estimated 1.8 million in 2009 when he became the nation’s first black president.

Amongst the one million in attendance were former presidents, congressmen, governors, and Cabinet members.

A New York elementary school chorus and a U.S. Marine Band provided entertainment before the seating of First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President, Joe Biden, and President Obama.

Myrlie Evers-Williams, The widow of civil-rights leader Medgar Evers, delivered the invocation. Her message emphasized inclusion and the inalienable rights of every individual, as well as the importance of unity throughout the nation.

A choir from Brooklyn, New York, sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” before Biden took the vice presidential oath of office, administered by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Obama was sworn into office at 11:55 a.m. by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, which was shortly followed by the U.S. Marine Band’s performance of “Hail to the Chief” and a 21-gun salute.

Obama began his inaugural address by discussing the importance of Americans gathering for the inauguration of a president, the ideals set forth by our Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and the

importance of implementing those ideals.

Obama emphasized the importance of working together. He said, “For progress, we must work together as a nation… For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all of the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever we must do these things together, as one nation and one people.”

Obama continued by discussing the promise of change in the future, the economic recovery, and a rising middle class- all themes he emphasized throughout his campaign.

Obama showed his continued support for marriage equality, a highly debated topic amongst political parties and individuals, by saying, “That is our generations task. To make these words, these rights, these values, of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life.”

Following the inaugural address, Richard Blanco took the stage to deliver a poem, Reverend Luis Leon delivered the benediction, and

Beyoncé sang the national anthem. After Obama signed official documents and the inauguration commenced with the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.

Obama sworn in for second time

(Continued from page 1)

february 2013 the stentorian | ncssmnews2

Recently, I heard Thrift Shop on the radio and became fascinated by the idea of popping tabs with only twenty dollars in my pocket. Upon further research, I realized that such behavior is only a manifestation of a recently emerging alternative culture in society.

I found that those who live as hipsters push social boundaries with their lackadaisical demeanors and abnormally large consumption of tofu.

Being the investigative journalist that I am, I delved into the ethos of the unconventional only to become really confused and leave as quickly as possible.

Hipster culture contains many oxymorons from obscure trends to plastic glasses that are, quite frankly, misleading. In seeking to grasp the ideology of the alternative lifestyle, I discovered more and more contradictions.

The hipster movement seeks to prove its immaterialism through material possessions; the tacky Christmas sweater revolution only scratched the itchy wool surface.

While jeans and khakis have become the norm, hipsters in salmon corduroys are swimming downriver to

avoid the mainstream. Still, on principle somehow, hipsters abhor all labels except the little red ones on their green tea pouches.

Sharing one’s vinyl record collection is analogous to flexing one’s muscles in the countercultural universe. But how, then, does your average Joe amass enough ironic style to fit the part?

One becomes a hipster by developing a precise methodology to care a lot about seeming like he or she does not care. This may involve spending exorbitant amounts of hours at the thrift store to

seek out the perfectly ratty pair of high-waisted shorts or spending exorbitant amounts of money at Urban Outfitters to purchase factory-torn ones.

Given a choice between human food and granola infused with flax seed oil, hipsters tend towards the horse feed. The aspirant hipster should also determine which hygienic protocols are unnecessary, such as showering daily, and avoid them.

For men, exposed chest manes are recommended. Women should pose for as many forlorn-looking photos by railroad tracks as possible.

Still, even if a person takes all the necessary steps, yet another contradiction seems to underscore the recent trend against the social status quo. Known colloquially as the hipster paradox – and by colloquially, I mean “by me” – those who fit all criteria to earn the title of “Hipster” refuse it.

I have witnessed many a grungy ironic-shirt-wearing, foreign-film-watching, black-Nikon-wielding satirist resisting the description that most aptly fits them. I asked one source wearing a faded graphic t-shirt whether he would consider himself to be

a hipster. He wished to remain anonymous, but I quoted him as saying, “No.”

Indubitably, the hipster movement is gaining size and speed like a snowball rolling down a hill, except it is made of mismatched cardigans and music you have never heard of.

As non-prescription glasses become more prevalent, it is obvious that the limitations of both social norms and the field of optometry are being stretched. Still, a glaring question remains. When counterculture becomes the culture, which culture will counter it?

The Macklemore, The Macklemerrier: The Hipster Contradiction

By anita simHa

Restricted areas: a call for clarity

By su cHo

There are many areas restricted to students around school to ensure safety and reduce the amount of inappropriate conduct on campus. However, some restricted areas, such as the Beall classrooms, are unclear to students.

The Beall classrooms are restricted after 8:00 PM Mon-Thurs, after 5:00 PM Fri, and closed on the weekends. However, these classrooms should not be restricted from student use, such holding club meetings or co-ed studying. The classrooms are often locked when they should not be.

There is a lot of ambiguity when it comes to the clarity of the rules on restricted areas. There should be set exceptions to certain restricted areas, and it needs to be clear that everyone knows of these exceptions.

Security personnel seem to be divided when it comes to the exceptions to restricted

Courtesy of Ryan Lewis Productions“Thrift Shop” by Macklemore

rooms. Some allow students into classrooms to hold meetings, but others do not. It is important for all security personnel to recognize when students are allowed to be in these classrooms.

“We haven’t had any problems mainly because our faculty sponsor (Dr. Morrison) can reserve the rooms for us. If he didn’t it could be a hassle,” senior Willie Park, part of the leadership in TSA, said.

Many students would like to use Beall as an area to study if the library or lobbies are busy and loud. Unfortunately, it can be a bit of a hassle to students, who are cut off from this available resource. The classrooms were listed as co-ed study locations for exams, so students should be able to use these rooms easily, without any issues.

NCSSM Student Government is concerned about the restricted areas that are unclear, which would mainly be the Beall

classrooms. The main goal is to make everything explicit and get rid of all the gray areas from the lack of clarity.

It is imperative that clubs have the opportunity and places to meet to discuss their issues. If these clubs can meet easily on weekends without any trouble or obscurity, it will become much easier for everyone. It is important to ensure safety and reduce the amount of inappropriate action around school, but having these classrooms opened for school clubs or studying would affect neither.

Some possibilities to access these classrooms include needing a group of at least four to get a room unlocked or reserving it through Focus. These options allow rooms to be opened without running the risk of inappropriate behavior.

Hopefully, the disorganization and uncertainty of restricted areas and will be cleared up soon with the help of the Student Government.

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opinionfebruary 2013the stentorian | ncssm 3

Swimming, Basketball, Wrestling, Indoor track and Cheerleading at season end

With the trimester over, Science and Math’s winter sport teams are at the end of their seasons.

The NCSSM swimming team has made splashes this year winning swim meets, topping rivals, and breaking records. The men’s team placed second in the Carolina 12 Conference Championship, while the women’s team placed third. The men’s team earned its first ever conference victory over rival Carrboro High School and won the 1A/2A state championship.

Junior Jacob Vosburgh, who has broken school records in the 100 meter fly, 500 meter freestyle, and the 200 meter freestyle, said of

the season, “We’ve had a great season. We beat in a one on one meet our longtime rival Carrboro, which is completely new, as in the past we’ve never really gotten close to them.”

Men’s and women’s

basketball are nearing conference playoffs. Twelve games into the season, the men’s team is 3-9 and the women’s team is 0-12. Both teams have been cheered on by the school’s cheerleading

squad, which placed tenth out of eighteen in the North Carolina High School Sports Association (NCHSAA) Invitational Championships on Dec. 8, 2012.

The NCSSM men’s

wrestling team had a bumpy start to the season, but closed out 2012 with three straight wins and has started off 2013 with five straight wins.

Finally, the men’s and women’s indoor track squads placed third and first, respectively at a Jan. 9th meet at Eastern Alamance High School.

With exam week and conference playoffs and championships coinciding, NCSSM’s student athletes had to perform their best academically at a time when they must perform their best athletically.

How might a student athlete handle those weeks?

According to Vosburgh, “You give up sleep-ins. The end.”

That’s something many NCSSM students can sympathize with.

By stepHen liao

John Harbaugh coaches Baltimore Ravens to victory in Super Bowl

By carl yin

The Baltimore Ravens prevailed against the San Francisco 49ers in the 47th NFL Super Bowl on Feb. 3 at the New Orleans Superdome.

The final score was 34-31 after a nail-biting fourth quarter, as San Francisco nearly staged an incredible comeback.

Joe Flacco, the quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, was named MVP after throwing for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The game was not always as close as the score line suggests. At halftime, the game seemed over, with the Ravens taking an early 21-3 lead.

And at the starting kickoff of the third quarter, Ravens

receiver Jacob Jones ran in the kick for a record setting 109-yard touchdown. But later in the third quarter, the 49ers regained momentum and scored 17 points unanswered.

By the winding minutes of the fourth quarter, the 49ers had a chance to win the game, with possession of the football and down by 5. But after reaching the goal line, they could not convert after four downs.

The 49ers defense put on a great defensive stop and held the Ravens to fourth down, forcing the Ravens to punt.

However, the Ravens instead decided to fake a punt and take a safety, wasting precious seconds off the clock

and putting the 49ers in worse field position. The play insured the Ravens victory after a hard-fought comeback.

There were many interesting storylines building up to the kickoff of the Super Bowl. John Harbaugh, head coach of the Ravens, is actually the older brother of Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the 49ers. This is the first time in the history of the NFL where such has occurred.

Furthermore, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who is said to be one of the greatest defensemen of all time, declared retirement earlier this season. This made the Super Bowl his last game and win, which is the cherry on top of an outstanding career.

In the third quarter, the lighting in the Superdome

malfunctioned, leaving the fields darkened. This led to a half hour-long delay of play, which has given this Super Bowl the nickname the “Blackout Bowl”.

Beyoncé was the halftime performer for this year’s Super Bowl. Her impressive performance was well-received by a record-breaking audience of over 104 million viewers.

Another result that many awaited during the Super Bowl was the coin toss. For the second year, Papa John’s offered free pizza to those who correctly guessed the result of the coin toss. The toss came up to be heads, and undoubtedly millions of Americans will get to enjoy pizza courtesy of Papa John’s.

Beyonce performed a medley of past singles during the Super Bowl XLVII Halftime ShowCourtesy of BET

Jim Harbaugh, 49ers coach, faced off against his brother, coach of the Ravens in the New Orleans Super Bowl Courtesy of ABC News

Left: Men’s swim team wins regional title. Right: Senior Joseph Chukwu takes a shot in a game against Roxboro Community School.

Courtesy of NCSSM Athletics and The Herald-Sun

february 2013 the stentorian | ncssmsports4

Ox and Rabbit owner shares beginnings

Nickellstage runs the shop with his wife, Erin, who manages the shop’s inventory, from greeting cards to books and t-shirts.

“[Erin] does the buying and creative stuff. We go to trade shows in New York…she has such a good eye. She does all the bookkeeping. I just make the drinks,” said Nickellstage.

closed in 2005, and John McDonald died in 2006. Then, in May 2008, Bryan and Erin Nickellstage opened a new soda fountain in the old location, but with a gift shop instead of a pharmacy.

“My wife and I wanted to bring the fountain back, but neither of us were pharmacists,” said Nickellstage.

The Nickellstages changed the name to Ox and Rabbit Soda and Sundries.

“It’s from a song, actually, called ‘Bandits’ by a group called Midlake about these people who had a lot of things stolen from them and all they had left was an ox and a rabbit,” said Bryan Nickellstage.

When asked about the possibility of opening a second store, Bryan Nickellstage said, “We thought about it, but the economy kind of crashed after we opened, so we’ve been focusing on this one.”

Even frequenters of Ox & Rabbit Soda and Sundries may be surprised to know that the building has been a soda fountain since 1922—only under different management.

Ox and Rabbit was for-merly McDonald’s Drugstore (no relation to the fast-food chain), a family-run soda fountain and pharmacy. An-gus McDonald first opened the store in 1922. His son, John, then went to pharmacy school at UNC after serving in the Navy in World War II and joined his father in the business in1949.

“I went to E. K. Powe when I was a kid, so I used to come [to McDonald’s Drugstore] after school to get milkshakes,” said Ox and Rabbit owner Bryan Nickellstage.

McDonald’s Drugstore

By Jordan Harrison

McDonald’s Drug Store, Aug. 29, 1963 Courtesy of The Herald-Sun

Celia Gentry, Brianna Quick, Caroline Conrad, and Thamir Santillan wait at the counter of Ox and Rabbit.

Stentorian Flashback: Second Bryan Once a Male Hall

This article has been reprinted from the June 2006 issue of the Stentorian.

In 2006-7, the residents of 2nd Bryan will be replaced by members of the opposite sex.

The administration’s rea-soning behind this decision in-cluded liability issues.

“Having one guys’ hall in the middle of a girls’ building can cause liability issues,” said Kevin Cromwell, Director of Student Life Instructors. “Relocating these guys among other guys will decrease the chances of such issues from occurring.”

Cromwell believes that

moving 2nd Bryan boys to other male buildings with their fellow male peers will allow more freedom to travel around the building after 10:30, as well as provide many other benefits.

“They will have greater access to their peers during study hours,” Cromwell said. “It will also keep the campus life at NCSSM more consistent by keeping all the guys together.”

This change will require transforming the Hunt open lounges into a double and a triple to create new rooms for those who are displaced. While 2nd Bryan boys are losing their hall and rooms, those residing

West RLA Steve Ko says otherwise. “4th Hunt will keep their open lounges, so it won’t affect us too much. A lot of my 2nd Bryan friends are moving to 4th West next year, so it’ll be fun.”

Junior Yev Grechka agreed. “We’re looking forward to having the Second Bryan guys here,” Grechka said.

Halls that current 2nd Bryan juniors will move to include 4th West, 1st Hill, and 2nd Hill. According to Steve Jones, current 2nd B [sic]. When applying for rooms on new halls, 2nd Bryan juniors were on the same priority level as current hall residents. This was designed to give them

the maximum opportunity to “pick” the personality of their environment for next year.

But this still will not mend the break-up of a closely-knit hall.

“Second Bryan was my home for two very short years,” said senior Richard Pridgen. “Over this time I grew attached to my hall and my hallmates. I think it is very sad that my hall is being split up. I think there are much better alternative plans to turning 2nd Bryan into a girls hall, such as making it an all senior guys hall next year. This would not displace anyone wanting to stay on 2B and at the same time, the same goal would be accomplished a

in Hunt are finding their own losses.

“Second Bryan people are great and all, but they’ll have a really tough void to fill. People are people, but a ping pong table is something more,” said junior Greg Rubinstein, future RLA for 2nd East. “Not only does it bring great joy with the simple addition of two paddles and people, but a ping pong table also is a great listener to all of your problems. It never insults or annoys you, and it always puts you first. Now, these 2nd Bryan refugees will be an interesting addition, but I will always remember who was there before them.”

However, next year’s 4th

By Hattie cHung

SG creates online Durham guide

As the third trimester approches, the coming of spring indicates a later sunset and, consequently, a wider opportunity for adventure. Durham, renowned for its eclectic style and -- more importantly -- its magnificent food culture, provides a perfect backdrop for student exploration. With well-reputed eateries like Café Parizade to less upscale ones like Cookout and Chipotle, Durham certainly has a lot to offer its residents.

NCSSM students face a unique situation in that they have only two years to immerse themselves in the city’s unique culture. From the beginning of the year, juniors have scrambled to introduce themselves to their home away from home. As the year winds down, seniors are left with a trimester to grab Bull Durham by its horns.

Anticipating this, NCSSM’s Student Government Association recently released its Guide to Durham, a comprehensive and multifaceted project led by the Division of Information Technology and the Division of Public Relations. Kyle Elmore, SG’s Director of IT, pulled together a comprehensive list of the most worthwhile destinations in Durham and added them to an interactive online map. “I think it will help students at the school easily discover new places they can visit,” Elmore said. “A lot of people seem to run out of things to do here by the end

of second trimester, so having a map of the surrounding area will hopefully show people more of Durham and what’s out there.”

Of course, the Guide is not targeted exclusively to seniors riding out their last days in Durham. Pranay Orugunta felt, “For a junior that’s not familiar to the area, it would help them find various activities to do during their free time.” Student Government hopes all students will take advantage of the resource and explore past 9th Street.

In the coming months, the project will also incorporate a physical map of Durham posted in the Student Center with pinpointed locations. The map can be accessed at: http://www.ncssm.edu/sg/map.php. Always welcome, suggestions may be submitted at the bottom of the page.

By anita simHa & saraH lee

Courtesy of JoJo Drake

february 2013the stentorian | ncssmfeatures 5

Upcoming Oscars celebrate year’s best films

By carl yin

With the Oscars coming up on Feb. 24, Hollywood and the world is abuzz as the best movies of the past year hurdle toward undying praise. Here are some thoughts and predictions for the upcoming ceremonies:

Best Picture From the release of the

Oscar nominees in December, Spielberg’s Lincoln has been considered the consensus frontrunner for the award. However, Argo has emerged as a favorite for the award, after surprising many by winning Best Picture at the Golden Globes on Jan. 10. It has only further supported its cause by winning another prestigious award for outstanding motion picture from the Producers Guild.

Argo depicts the happenings of the “Canadian Caper” mission during the Iranian Hostage Crisis, where U.S. and Canadian Intelligence created a fake film Argo to try and rescue six escaped Americans trapped in Tehran.

Zero Dark Thirty, which timelines the search for Osama Bin Laden, is another movie with a chance at the award, as its director Kathryn Bigelow won multiple Oscars in her last film The Hurt Locker.

Best DirectorAt the Golden Globes, Ben

Affleck won Best Director for his movie Argo, but did not receive even a nomination for the Oscar. Former Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow and Quentin Tarantino also didn’t receive nominations for their well-acclaimed films Zero Dark Thirty and Django Unchained, respectively. In the opinions of many, all three directors were snubbed by the often controversial Academy. Out of those who were nominated, it seems that Steven Spielberg is the frontrunner with Lincoln, while many see Austrian Michael Haneke as a potential dark horse for the award for his critically acclaimed French language film Amour. Amour depicts an elderly couple, Georges and Anne, whose love is tested after Anne has a stroke.

Best ActorAfter his supposed

“retirement” from acting and short stint as a rapper, Joaquin Phoenix returns to the spotlight after being nominated for an outstanding performance as a PTSD-afflicted WWII veteran in The Master. However, his chances seem to be slim after he denounced the Academy Awards as “bull…”. The

consensus favorite for this award again goes to Lincoln, as many think Daniel Day-Lewis will go home with the award for his role as Honest Abe. Lincoln and its actors have received twelve nominations in all categories this Oscar season.

Best ActressWithin the group of

nominees for this award, we see the youngest and oldest ever nominees. The youngest nominee, Quvenzhane Wallis for Beasts of the Southern Wild, is only nine, while the oldest nominee, Emmanuelle Riva for Amour, is a ripe

Traditional Mexican Dance, Tango, and Bachata.

Senior Caíla Holley, choreographer of Merengue vs. Mambo and Reggaeton, explained the significance of her song choice. “Reggaeton

Latin America Fest: El Carnival, hosted by the Latin America Fest Committee and the NCSSM Hispanic Cultures Club, performed several acts for the school’s community on Jan. 12.

The performance, student-organized and produced, both appreciated and celebrated Latin American cultures.

El Carnival is a festive tradition that occurs in countries across the globe as a celebratory finale right before the rigorous observances of Lent. Latin America Fest’s theme this year involved a group of friends adventuring in Brazil, learning about the culture, and partaking in the festivities.

The MCs acted out different scenarios, which included a pair of friends aboard the wrong flight, two brothers looking for love, a married couple, and a tourist entangled with a Brazilian.

The show was composed of dance acts such as March of the Flags, Salsa, Mambo and Merengue, Samba, Reggaeton,

Latin America Fest: El Carnival bolsters cultural pride and awareness

originates in Puerto Rico and was originally a degrading type of music, especially to females, until some pioneers cleaned it up and made it less of an underground genre and enabled it to go mainstream.

By mia madduri

I also explained the origins of Mambo and how it came from Merengue and how the songs we used came from the Dominican Republic.”

Jive Samba, Girl from

Ipanema Cumbia, “Dia de Enero” and “Put your Records On, were the musical acts in addition to a video, Latin American Struggles in America.

Senior Christie Jiang, one of the leaders of Unichords, said, “We always have lots of fun with these cultural fests since we get to explore other languages and musical styles.”

Rosemary Munroe, a Spanish instructor at NCSSM, was the sponsor for this Fest, and seniors Anabel Medrano and Phoebe Castelblanco were the two main coordinators.

Medrano said, “I am choreographing Bachata, Salsa, and Traditional Mexican dance. I think the music selection is very authentic this year, as well as being modern and catchy. Traditional Mexican dance is one of my favorites because it has never been performed at LAF, and is an extremely popular dance in Mexico. The song we are performing, called el Jarabe Tapatio, is one of the most recognizable Traditional Mexican songs.”

eighty-five. It’s incredible how well both performed at their ages (Wallis makes me wonder what I’m doing with my life). Jennifer Lawrence is another contender for the award for her performance in the romantic comedy Silver Linings Playbook. Jessica Chastain is seen as the slight favorite for the award after starring and shining in Zero Dark Thirty.

Best Foreign FilmNot only is Amour

nominated for Best Foreign Film, it is also a contender for “Best Picture”, “Best Director” under Michael Haneke, and “Best Actress” under

Emmanuelle Riva. Amour has won over the praise of many critics and is the clear favorite for this Oscar.

Best Original ScreenplayOpinions are divided in this

race, as Amour, Zero Dark Thirty, and Django Unchained all have good chances at winning the award. The slight favorite for the award has to be Tarantino’s Django Unchained, which is his highest rated movie (via iMDB) since his 1994 classic Pulp Fiction. Moonrise Kingdom and Flight were also nominated for the award, and have slim chances of winning the Oscar.

Madden Brewster and Corey Su in March of the Flags Courtesy of Ryan McCord

Lincoln, starring Daniel Day Lewis, is the nominee favorite for several Academy Courtesy of the University of Alabama

february 2013 the stentorian | ncssmentertainment

First novel Mudbound reviewed- a phenomenal debut

By marcy pedzWater

Many readers hear about great books from legions of loyal fans that will go to their graves ranting about how wonderful a certain book is. Mudbound, however, is not one of those books.

It isn’t written by a well-known author, nor has it achieved great fame in the literary world. It is a book of a different breed: a rare gem I stumbled upon by accident.

Mudbound, author Hillary Jordan’s first novel, is by far one of the best books I have read in the past year. I would give a summary of the action in the book, but the truth is there isn’t much action. The story is told in flashback, starting with the aftermath of the death of Jamie McAllan’s father.

Mudbound takes place in the early 1900s and follows the lives of the white McAllan family and the Jacksons, their black share tenants.

Mudbound is told in first person, rotating through different narrators from the McAllan and Jackson families. The story confronts the issues of racism, sexism, and

classism, but does so in a way that is never cliché.

Moreover, Jordan develops each character beautifully, giving them a unique voice and complex story. None of the characters are perfect nor are they detestable, they are simply human, with both flaws and redemptive qualities.

The novel ultimately leaves the reader to decide who to acquit and who to condemn, blurring the lines in such a way that makes Mudbound seem like a mirror into real life, rather than just fiction.

The story is mostly character development, building up to a climax at the end. However, it is crafted beautifully, written at the perfect pace to keep the reader interested enough to keep reading page after page.

The story is unpredictable; as soon as I felt I had a glimpse of what would happen next, there would be an unexpected plot twist that would change the entire dynamic of the novel.

Besides, the events at the end were enough to make reading the preceding hundred pages not only worth it, but integral to the ending.

Like any truly great book, however, Mudbound reaches far beyond well-developed characters and a tantalizing plot line.

The book raises many moral ques-tions, and leaves many of them unan-swered, forcing the reader to continually ponder its themes, long after the novel’s conclusion. Jordan finds a way to cover often overused issues in an original way, which lends the book a unique quality.

There is a sort of unspeakable quality to Mudbound, a feeling of satisfaction that comes from reading the book that can be neither quantified nor described. Hillary Jordan’s Mudbound is a phenomenal debut novel that shows great promise for the young author.

Courtesy of RadiantLitMudbound, the novel which has won Jordan literary prizes but not brought her wide acclaim

Promethean Players succeed with How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

By marcy pedzWater

The cast of How to Succeed in Business poses in “Brotherhood of Man” Courtesy of Zihui Yang

NCSSM’s winter musical opened Friday, Feb. 1. Each year, drama instructor Adam Sampieri and the drama board choose the winter musical.

This year they chose to perform the musical How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. The award-winning musical originally premiered on Broadway in the 1960s, and was brought back for its second Broadway revival in 2011.

The musical follows former window washer J. Pierrepont Finch, played by junior Simon Wolf, as he uses advice from the book How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and his own ingenuity to climb the corporate ladder.

The musical also follows Rosemary, played by Annie Jo Buchanan, a secretary at the World Wide Wicket Company who chases after the charismatic Finch.

Additionally, instructor Jon Miller narrated scenes in which Finch was reading the title book.

The musical featured many of NCSSM talented students. There were three performances of the show. The performance occurred at 7 PM on Friday, Feb. 1 and Saturday, Feb. 2, and at 3 PM on Sunday, Feb. 3. The auditorium was filled with students, parents, and community members eager to

see the musical. The musical became a hot

topic on campus. According to junior Alex Smith, “The whole cast really captured the maturity of the roles. I was thoroughly impressed.”

The students involved with the musical have been preparing for the past several months. Rehearsals started near the beginning of second trimester and continued until opening night.

However, the winter musical is not the last of the theater department’s programs. In the spring, the theater department’s last mainstage performance of the year will be a Shakespeare play, although there could possibly be more additions to the newly-formed “Off-Broad” series in the works. The musical was a huge success, leaving students eager to see the next performance on campus.

february 2013the stentorian | ncssm entertainment

Clues

Crossword

Across2. Architect Saarinen4. First human in space7. Traveled back in

time in a DeLorean9. Able to be drawn

into wire13. Dried plants used to

make a room smell nice14. Of “Thrift Shop”

fame15. Integral of force

with respect to time17. Othello villain18. Responsible for

“fight or flight” response19. The Night Watch

painter23. Simba’s dad25. Said no, no, no to

rehab26. Nighthawks painter28. Not up29. Impulsive31. Batten down the __32. Protozoan that is

both autotrophic and het-erotrophic

33. How I Met Your Mother’s __ Stinson

Down1. Star Trek: The Next

Generation captain2. Vernal and autumnal3. __ pro quo5. Easily tricked6. Clint Eastwood’s

co-star in “Million Dollar Baby”

8. A relaxing tea10. Jazz pianist Monk11. Cave explorer12. Auld lang __16. Paul Simon and

Art __20. Element 83 on the

periodic table21. Greek god of wine

and revelry22. Raison d’etre23. If __ be the food of

love24. Those who live in

glass houses should not throw __.

27. Most populous country in Africa

30. __ Lanka

the stentorian the north carolina school of science and mathematics 1219 broad street, durham, nc 27705

[email protected]

Editors-in-Chief: Carl Yin, Jay Buchanan, Jordan HarrisonNews Editor: Rosalia Preiss

Features Editor: Mia MadduriEntertainment Editor: Marcy Pedzwater

Opinion Editor: Sarah LeeSports Editor: Mitchell TaguePuzzle Editor: Jacob Dixon

Advisor: John KirkWriters: Adam Beyer, Sarah Colbert, Su Cho, Ava Gruchacz, Jungsu Hong,

Stephen Liao, Andrew Peterson, Kanan Shah, and Hannah WalrathPhotographer: Zihui Yang

the backpagefebruary 2013 the stentorian | ncssm