4 ■ may 2002
features
ncssm I the stentorian
Alex Baranpuria
being
focused.
“ [ S G A ]
looked at a lot
of issues this
year. Perhaps
we spread ourselves too thin.
I would have liked to have an
agenda... at the beginning of
the year, and to really advance
those issues.”
The only way to move
forward and fight the apathy
about SGA, Alex knew, would
be to raise SGA’s profile and
show accomplishments.
Some improvements were
made to the way SGA con
ducts its official business
early on.
Alex said, “Productivity
is key...SGA meetings are
systematic, what have you
done lately?”
“Initially we had to com
bat the idea of, ‘What can we
do, this is pointless!’ “[This
year] we’re asking ‘What’s
wrong with this proposal, this
concept, this issue? How can
we make it better?”’ he said.
And it is working.
The result has been clear.
“Persistence pays off...you
stick your head through the
door, eventually you get a pot
of gold,” said Alex.
The Agenda
SGA has done a great
deal this year. Here are the
highlights.
Second Semester Senior
Exam-Exemption Policy:
Seniors will have to take
exams, although now teachers
have more options and flexi
bility to assign alternate
assignments.
Ethical Awareness Group:
This group was begun this
year to explore an honor sys
tem for NCSSM, and has writ
ten a Declaration of Character
as a foundation
for that.
“The goal
was to raise
awareness, and
the Declaration
of Character
accomplishments." Jj does that, it
Continued from
Front Page
A Rocky Start
Alex had to adjust to
being SGA President. “The
hardest thing early on was del
egating.... Initially I tried to
make it ‘What can I do?’ I
soon switched that to ‘What
can we do?’”^M
Alex also I "The only way move for-
leamed about vyard and fight the apa
thy about SGA, Alex
knew, would be to raise
SGA's profile and show
will be a main
stay at the school. Seeing
something that concrete and
enduring...is incredible.lt is a
hot issue, but it is in good
hands, and progress will be
made.”
Testing Policy: Though
Faculty Council has not voted
on a formal change, SGA has
raised awareness of continu
ing problems with the timing
of work. Teachers have been
far more consistent scheduling
tests, quizzes, and major
assignments.
Senior Gift: From the
efforts of the Class of 2002, a
new swing-bench combina
tion is now up where the
Boiler Plant once sat. “I hope
that people will reevaluate
placing a building in the cen
ter of campus. Having a cen
tral aspect of Science & Math
that will be in our memories
of the school is important
too.”
Senior Dinner: “This was
a night where many seniors
will open up and reflect back
on the time spent here. The
emotional, or the humorous...
that was what I had hoped it
would be, the opportunity to
reflect.”
Student Fee: “I was told
the same reasons [for the fee]
as everyone else. [SGA] set up
a committee, presented an
objective report, and had a
very split vote against.
“Keeping my emotion out
of this was the most difficult
thing I had to do.
“I hope that a Student Fee
will not become a mainstay of
this institution, but that the
publicity will be used con
structively. If one student
decides not to apply because
of the fee, it is one too many.
That money can destroy so
many dreams...dreams not
even yet dreamt, yet alone
realized.When our finances
are on par, we should not have
the student fee anymore.”
Even with these accom
plishments, Alex says, “I want
to be remembered just for
being Alex.” He credits the
sucesses to the entire student
body. “Remembering our fam
ily is the most important thing.
“I’d say that the credibili
ty of SGA has grown over this
year. SGA has grown; it is
now not just 25 students. This
is the cornerstone set by
everything we’ve done this
year.”
Reflecting on Alex’s year
in SGA, Dr. Warshaw said,
“Alex has been as effective an
SGA President as we have
had. He has many leadership
skills, follows up on things,
and has the respect of the stu
dents that he leads.”
Alex the Man
Family is clearly impor
tant to Alex, and it helped
shape who he is today.
“When I was little, I
never saw my parents. They
were always working their
tails off. My dad, with my
mom, came here with a few
bucks in his pocket and a lot
of wisdom in his head. ‘The
biggest mistake you can make
is doing nothing out of fear of
you’ll make one,”’ Alex quot
ed.
“I think time commitment
and results equal happiness.
When my parents are happy, I
am happy. I live two lives:
one for me, one for my dad.
He sacrificed so much, and I
appreciate it. I learned humil
ity from them, and to appreci
ate criticism as well as credit.”
The Future of
NCSSM & SGA
Brian Phelps is President
elect. Brian and Alex have
been on Ethical Awareness
Group and SGA committees
and Alex is impressed with his.
successor.
“Brian doesn’t need to fill
anyone’s shoes. He’ll be
amazing,” Alex said. “We’re
in good hands.”
You can always see Alex smile
from the At-a-Glance page.
What unfinished business
has this SGA left for next
year’s? Many of the issues
SGA has examined this year
could be taken farther. Alex
feels the Student Code of
Conduct and Disciplinary
Conduct should be revisited,
as well as the Attendance
Policy and the “level” system.
Establishing a rapport
between SGA and the Parent
Council on the Student Fee is
also crucial to maximizing the
money’s usage.
Issues like GPA, Testing
Policy, and Exam Alternatives
will all need to be picked up
next year. And new on the list,
SGA needs to seriously study
the effects of sophomore
enrollment. On this last issue,
Alex said, “students know
best.”
Brian, for his part, said,
“I’ve learned from Alex that
hard work and sacrifice are a
necessity to be a good SGA
president.”
The Future of
Alex Baranpuria
Alex already has a lot of
his future beyond NCSSM
figured out, but he also says,
“I’m only 17, and I feel like
I’ve already done so much.”
He will be off to Duke, where
he applied Early Decision.
“I’m going with an open
mind,” he says. “I’m pretty
sure I’m pre-med, but unde
cided on a major. Whatever I
do in the future, it will be a
relationship of interrelating
with people and ideas...medi
cine, business, or even politics
or diplomacy. I want to come
in with a clean slate, like com
ing to NCSSM, just maybe not
so raw.”
Parting Thoughts
Though he will miss the
people most (won’t we all?),
Alex’s favorite memory of
this school comes from early
in his junior year.
“I was in Dr. Wilson’s
class,” he says. “We were
having a quiz. I answered all
the questions, scurrying
through my notes to find
them. Then Dr. Wilson said
we were going to grade our
own quizzes! That’s when I
knew this place was spe
cial.”
War Against Women
Candis Watts
W ar is defined as
physical manifesta
tion of hostility
toward a group. David
Freeman, a former employee
of the Durham Crisis
Response Center, describes
rape and other forms of sexual
assault as the War Against
Women because nearly
261,000 women are raped or
sexually assaulted every year.
Not only that, but victims of
sexual assault face similar
physical and emotional trau
ma to someone who has faced
combat in war.
Someone is sexually
assaulted every two minutes
in America, and the most sus
ceptible group to be raped or
sexually assaulted is women
between the ages of sixteen
and twenty-four years old.
However, any
one can be
raped or sexu
ally assaulted.
There are many
misconceptions
as to what rape,
sexual assault
and domestic violence are.
Before the NCSSM seniors
walk across the stage and the
juniors get overnights to their
favorite senior’s dorm, these
misconceptions should be
cleared.
Rape is an act of sexual
aggression committed by one
person against another, is a
crime, and is all too common.
Sexual assault refers to any
unwanted sexual activity.
Domestic
r^ape is an act of sexual
aggression committed by
one person against
another, is a crime and
abuse is
abuse com
mitted by
someone
that you
is all too common." |k now,
whether it
be your spouse, relative, or
significant other.
A rapist’s motivation is
usually not sexual gratifica
tion. A rapist is generally
looking for a means to gain
control, power, respect and a
feeling of superiority. In order
to prevent a rapist or sexual
abuser from taking these same
things away from you without
your consent you must be
informed:
Ladies:
• One out of six American
women has been a vietim of
attempted or completed rape.
• Rape occurs anytime
you do not give consent. You
cannot give consent if you are
under the influence of alcohol
or other drugs.
• 80% of rape victims
know their attacker.
• “No” means “no,” in all
cases.
Guys:
• Rape can happen to you.
• 1 out of 10 rape victims
are men.
• 3% of American men
have experienced sexual
assault. That’s 2.78 million
men.
• If a woman is flirtatious
or is wearing sexy clothing,
she is not “asking for it.”
• “No” means “no.” If
you are in doubt, ask.
NCSSM seniors are grad
uating not only from high
school but also from the pro
tective bubble in which they
have lived for two years. They
will be entering into the “real
world” where Bobby and Tim
won’t be able to protect them,
so be careful, safe and mindful
of your environment.