George Kachergis
battles the sinister
alarm clocks
Page 3
College Football;
A Preveiw of the
ACC
Page 2
Dr. Boarman:
Exposed!
Page 4
0
stentorian
vol. XXIV
the north Carolina school of science and mathematics 1219 broad street, durham nc 27705
http://www.ncssm.edu/stentorian
august 2002
Will SmartCards Make Us Smarter?
Elysa Wan
T his fall, the new
SmartCard system will
greet both juniors and
seniors for the first time.
After its installation, students
will be issued cards and the
system will swing into full
effect in early September,
changing our school forever.
The SmartCard system is
a key system that will replace
the keypads outside residen
tial halls, providing access
into a student's specific hall.
It will aso act as a library card
and photo identification.
The Information
Technology Services
Department (ITS) will be
responsible for the mainte
nance of the entire network,
while the Security department
will be responsible for the
card database and the physical
logistics of the system.
Since the cards provide
admittance into some of the
external doors, these doors -
with the exception of Bryan
Lobby - will stay locked at all
times. After the on-hall cur
fews, the SmartCard system
for external doors will be
completely locked, rendering
the cards useless until the next
morning.
The remaining external
doors will not have a
SmartCard reader, but
"Contact Detectors" which
will record which doors are
opened and closed at what
times. Although these will not
identify the person using the
door, it will alert the Security
Department.
In addition, the
SmartCard system produces a
database which records when
and where a SmartCard is
used. Information about peo
ple logging in and out during
the in-room curfew will be
given to Student Life
Instructors.
Disciplinary procedures
regarding SmartCard usage
have not yet been finalized.
Director of Student Life
Dr. Joan Barber has expressed
her intention of soliciting stu
dent input before creating a
definate protocol. SLIs will
be trained on these guidelines
Security Officer Rick Hess models an exciting, although blank,
SmartCard.
during their annual retreat in
late August.
The SmartCard system
began in 1999 when the
Repair and Renewal Funds
were granted. It is a non-con
tinuing fund that was request
ed specifically to modernize
the seciuity system.
With the system in place,
NCSSM will now be a more
secure, totally closed campus.
School officials are also
confident of the economic
merits of this investment. The
annual expense of replacing
locks and keys after alleged
break-ins with a "Master
Key," a key that can be used
on open locks in one or sever
al buildings, and of recoding
hall keypads after off-hall stu
dents become aware of the
code is immense.
In comparison, the cost of
developing and maintaining
this infrastructure is diminu
tive. Lost keys can easily be
deactivated and another one
reissued. The encryption of
the network can likewise be
changed with relative ease.
At a school like ours
there will inevitably be tech-
no-sawy students who will
attempt to recreate a "Master
Key" for this new system.
While Dr. Richard Alston, the
network administrator and
technology guru, admits that
any database is susceptible, he
warns that this system is "con
siderably" more sophisticated
than the previous key system.
As this is the SmartCard's
inaugural year, there are
already prospective future
enhancements. It is possible
that additional services such
as laundry, vending machine,
and assembly attendance will
be integrated into these cards
in the future. Dr. Alston
describes this as a potential
"Uni-card (pun intended)."
Being Fashionably Unique at NCSSM
Kate Milan
F ashion. It's a word rarely
heard at NCSSM, but
one careful look around
campus will reveal some very
distinct Uni-trends.
The unicorn, proud and
noble symbol of this fine insti
tution, is proudly displayed by
many Science & Math stu
dents. Uni gear is hot; from
shirts, hoodies, and jackets to
Uni shorts, you see spirit
everywhere!
A word on that though:
becoming overly Uni-fied (ha
ha) on a day-to-day basis
should not be done. That is,
doubling up on NCSSM
clothes does not show that
you're a doubly good Uni, it
just shows that you haven't yet
washed your laundry and have
nothing else to wear.
Speaking of which, we all
have those days when making
the trip down to the laundry
room seems impossible, and
wearing the same clothes you
wore to bed last night seems
inevitable.
But beware gentle read
ers; the powers that be have
declared that pajamas during
class hours is a no-go.
So if you're having one of
those days where jeans just
don't seem worth the effort of
zipping up, pull on some
sweatpants — pajama pants'
dressier cousins. Four out of
five Science & Math adminis
trators approve of sweats, so
you don't have to worry about
breaking the dress code when
you wear them.
And why not? They're
comfy, warm, don't necessari
ly scream "boudoir," and let's
face it, plaid sweats are always
in style.
Now you've got the clas
sic school outfit. Uni shirt,
and cozy sweat pants, but
you're not ready to step off
hall until you dress up those
toes of yours.
Shoes are essential at
school; not only are they
required, but with the amount
of walking an average student
does every day, you need some
sole support.
A fashionable and versa
tile answer to the footgear
question are Birkenstocks.
Basic sandals for summer or
closed toed for winter, many
Unis can be seen sporting
these timeless classics, or a
similar no-name knockoff.
Other foot fancies lean
towards flip-flops, and with
many stylish colors and pat
terns, the insides of a shower
stall are the last thing these
shoes will be seeing. Invest in
a pair of black ones and you've
got shoes you can wear with
anything anywhere around
campus.
So look around seasoned
NCSSM veterans and junior
newbies, and I'm sure you'll be
able to make some Uni trends
of your own.
Grand Senior Zinaida Mahmutefendic enthusiastically sports her uni
gear.