Lights Out!
Students and administrators
alike speak their minds
on the new policies
Page 3
cUrMCSSM
There’s more than one
way to skin a... potato.
Page 2
The Supreme Court over
turns Texas law against
homosexual conduct
Page 2
0)
vol. XXXV
stentorian
the north Carolina school of science and mathematics 1219 broad street, durham nc 27705
http://www.ncssm.edu/stentorian
august 2003
Finding Your Way Out Of The
Bubble
Charlie Stone, c/o 2003
N CSSM has a well
earned reputation for
being a bubble in
which students forget families,
current affairs, and even the
taste of fresh food. Still, some
times it's healthy to take a
break from contemplating the
complexities of mitosis and
pondering the significance of
the first and second New
Deals, and leave the confines
of campus for food, fresh air,
or simply a good time.
You don't have a car. (At
least, you shouldn't), and so
this means you have to'find'
other ways to get around. The
simplest is walking, and the
Ninth Street area, Duke, and
Northgate Mall are all within
reasonable distance. A warn
ing about this: Durham has the
4th highest murder rate per
person in the country, so take
precautions. The routes to
Ninth Street and Duke are gen
erally very safe, but you
should still walk with some
one, and you should not go
walking after dark. Last year a
student walking alone late at
night was assaulted. Don't be
foolish.
For those places and times
where walking isn't practical,
the school runs minibus
routes, known simply as the
Loop, to a variety of locations.
While pulling up in a dwarf
bus with NC School of
Science and Math painted in
big letters on the side is a sure
way of advertising what a loser
you are, it is a pretty reliable
form of transportation. The
Loop generally runs to differ
ent locations each night, which
are posted in the SLI offices
and decided by Student
Activities Board. You simply
arrive in front of Watts at the
designated time; pack yourself
in like a sardine, (I've been on
return loop with 41 passen
gers), and show back up at the
pick up time. Don't miss it:
The SLIs who have to pick you
when you miss the last loop
aren't happy, and they'll make
sure you aren't either. You can
also take the DATA bus from
the stop in front of school and,
by making the right connec
tions, wind up close to any
where in Durham, although it
takes a while. The DATA bus
does occasionally attract some
of Durham's kookier citizens,
but fairs are cheap ($.35),
though drivers don't give
change. For the rich and the
desperate, there are also cab
services.
Now, based loosely on
personal experiences and those
of friends, here's the run down
on what there is to do off cam
pus.
9th Street Area
Restaurants
Cosmic Cantina: Cosmic
is undisputedly the most popu
lar restaurant for Science and
Math students. The Mexican
food is cheap (there's a decent
entree for $1), the location is
grungy, and vegetarians and
vegans actually have variety.
The quesadillas and burritos
are the most popular items,
and they are quite filling. Go
down Ninth Street, turn left
before Bruegger's, and go up
the stairs. ,
Jimmy Johns: Large and
filling submarine sandwiches
on 9th, with prices in the same
range as Jersey Mikes or
Subway.
Bruegger's Bagels: At the
end of 9th street, you can get
the usual bagels, juice and cof
fee, and bagel sandwiches, and
it's one of the cheaper ways to
Students and teachers help each
go. The place opens absurdly
early, and a few hardy souls
sometimes get up early and
have breakfast before classes.
International Delights:
Offering tasty Near Eastern
food for around five to ten dol
lars, this is a good choice for
those adventurous enough to
try it. For the proprietor, not
allowing ketchup on the
entrees is a matter of personal
principle, and trust me, you
don't want to face the wrath of
the man NCSSMers have nick
named the "Ketchup Nazi."
Yearbook Staff
other move in.
Wellspring: Ok,
Wellspring is an upscale gro
cery store, not a restaurant,
located opposite Duke's East
Campus. But Wellspring has a
variety of gourmet goodies
and free samples, and sells
sandwiches, salads, and sushi
packets, with seating overlook
ing the parking lot. It's good
but a bit overpriced, although
this can be managed if you are
careful and bargain hunt.
Wellspring is a place you can
get lost in looking at all the
See “Off Campus”
Page 3
How To Make the Most of Your S&M Experience
Jason Denney & Christine
Fang
1. Make a point of getting
to know people
Since you will be spend
ing the next year/s of your life
with these people, friends and
acquaintances become invalu
able. Obey the two-week rule!
You will miss out on making
new friends during the first
two weeks of school if you are
tied down. As your year pro
gresses, sacrifice sleep to have
late night talks with people
every now and then. You may
bq. surprised to learn how
much you have in common
with someone despite appear
ances.
2. Let loose your inner
child at a nearby park
Hanging out at the park is
an ideal outlet for stress and
also a superb destination to
walk to on Alt Days with pre
mium lunch in hand. Nearby
parks include Oval, Westover,
and Triangle Park. If you are
short on time, spending a few
minutes on the swings on cam
pus also does the trick.
3. Enjoy the outdoors as
much as possible
Sunshine boosts positive
endorphin levels in your brain.
For the biology junkies who
already knew that...go outside!
Enjoy the time you are able to
spend outside before winter
comes around.
Do your homework on
Beall or Bryan lawn, or round
up a few people for a game of
four square at happy half;
however, do not leave the four
square ball unattended as it
may end up in a drainage pipe.
5. Creativity is key when
it comes to the PFM
Try taking a few ingredi
ents to Hunt Kitchen and
cooking a meal. If short on
time, experiment with what
you have in your dorm room.
Don't forget to throw food
scraps in compost bins. Also,
walking to one of the restau
rants mentioned in the off-
campus article by Charlie
Stone is an option.
7. Don't let AIM consume
you between the hours of inter
net access
AIM comes in handy
when inquiring about home
work after tutorial hours but
idle chatter absorbs far too
much time.
8. Get to know at least one
staff member well
If you talk to your teach
ers outside the classroom or to
other staff members, they can
provide a good deal of support
throughout your academic
year. They are much more
approachable and understand
ing than you might think. ■
9. Sign up for a seminar or
club
Seminars can be a stress-
free way to learn something
that interests you. Whether if
you have an interest in paint
ing or want to learn another
language, seminars offer flexi
bility and help to boost your
transcript. Clubs are great
since you're not pressured to
attend, thus limiting the
amount of stress you have.
10. Participate in some
form of athletics
Take time to participate in
some type of physical activity.
If you're not varsity material,
IM games are always an option
as you bond with your hall
mates in the pursuit of the
Director's Cup. Go running in
the rain, play frisbee with
some friends, or take a bike
ride.
When all is said and done,
NCSSM is what you make of
it. So do well in academics,
obey your RLA, do your
housekeeping, and don't forget
to have fun.