april 2007
news
the stentorian | ncssm
Orchestra to participate in world debut
By Kathleen Boudreau
Performing the world
premiere of a concerto with
a world-famous mandolin
player is, to say the least,
somewhat out of the ordinary.
But for the string orchestra, it
is about to become a reality.
Mike Marshall, a world-
famous mandolinist, is
coming to NCSSM in May to
perform the premiere of his
concerto.
The students who will be
performing are excited about
the opportunity.
“I’m really looking forward
to being able to play with a
famous mandolinist,” junior
Melanie Wiley said. “This is
a great opportunity that most
high school orchestras don’t
get.”
This chance is made
possible thanks to a grant
from the Mary Duke Biddle
Foundation. This is the
second year in a row that
NCSSM has won this grant,
which allows for a program
to be held that emphasizes the
fine arts. Music Coordinator
Scott Laird thought that
this grant would be a great
opportunity to bring his old
fnend Marshall down to the
school from San Francisco
for a weekend of music,
culture and fim.
“Our students get to work
with one of the great musicians
in the country today,” Laird
said. “I can’t wait to have him
in front of them. They’ll get a
lot out of this.”
The concerto will debut on
May 19. Marshall will play
the mandolin in his concerto
along withThe string orchestra.
This is the first concerto he
has ever written.
“It is a privilege for us to
be able to perform this world
premiere and for Marshall to
choose to share this with us,”
Wiley said.
Marshall will also perform
with the jazz band and play
solo works as part of this
concert.
The weekend will continue
/
Photo by Jennifer Peeler
Rebecca Gade, on the violin, and Andrew Ngo, on the cello, rehearse along with the rest of the
orchestra for the upcoming premiere, under the direction of Scott Laird.
on May 20 with a special jam
session, called Bluegrass
Brunch, in which anyone
can come to Bryan Lawn and
play music with Marshall or
just hang out while eating
Organ donation chapter promotes
awareness of need across country
By Edina Wang
some snacks provided by
the school. Everyone from
the community is invited to
partake in the concerts and
Bluegrass Brunch free of
charge.
“This fits so nicely with
our mission of really reaching
out to the commimity arotmd
us,” Laird said. “I think this
weekend will be great fun for
everyone.”
“She needs an organ donation, just like 84,000 others
in America” is the phrase on the flyers posted by the
Students for Organ Donation Awareness in hallways and
on doors.
SODA, a newly chartered club, is the first high school
organization for organ donation in North Carolina. Its
goals are to educate people on the importance of organ
donating and to increase awareness of the current shortage
in the country.
Teachers Christine Muth and Katy Fenn, co-sponsors of the
club, hope that students will leam the importance of organ
donation. They would also like to connect with other
organizations on campus to co-sponsor events.
“I had a fiiend who needed a liver transplant. It
motivated me to want to do something,” Fenn said.
“This is sort of a crisis.”
She saw this as an opportunity to do something,
and, with Muth, hopes to help organ donation be
seen in a different medical, political and legal
light.
Some students feel that the laws currently
in place regarding donation contribute to the
organ shortage.
“It really doesn’t matter whether you say
you are an organ donor or not, if the family
says no, doctors don’t bother to look at
driver’s licenses,” said junior Eden Rouse,
the club’s co-founder and secretary. “Even if
you are over 18 years old, if your next of kin, parent, etc.
says no, then they don’t give your organs away. That’:
why so many people don’t get organs.”
SODA hopes to resolve misconceptions of organ ^
donation.
“Some people believe that if a doctor knows a patient
is an organ donor, he or she will not do everything in his or
her power to save the patient,” said jumor Hannah Riddle,
co-founder and meeting facilitation co-president. “This is
imtrue, as the doctor is under Hippocratic Oath, and is also
unaware of the patient’s status as an organ donor.”
Because of such misconceptions. Riddle said that almost
18 people die everyday in the U.S. waiting for an organ
donation.
Under U.S. law, organ donation is a consent system
and is not permitted to be the default procedure as in
some European countries such as Spain, where people
have to opt out to avoid donating freir organs.
“If people become more aware of and educated about the .
issue something can be done to change the problems and save lives,” said jupior Ariel Wyman,
co-founder and meeting facilitation co-president. “It is important for people know that they have
to talk to their family about it.” . „ .. j t j u-
SODA will have an organ donation discussion group at the annua! Ethics and Leadersnip
conference, with a possible guest speaker and coordination with the UNC chapter of the organization.
The club also held its first organ donor drive on April 23.
*hotol
Author Elie Wiesel speaks to high school students in Charlotte.
Wiesel driv.es
group discussion
By Max Rose
Senior Rebekah Vestal has read Elie Wiesel’s Night every
year since sixth grade. On March 27, Vestal and 34 other students
traveled to Charlotte to meet and question the author.
“It’s personal because I admire him so much,” she said. “He had
everything at his fingertips and then everything was taken away.
He took all the bad things that ever happened to him [and turned
them] into something amazing, something great.”
Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and winner of the 1983 Nobel
Peace Prize, spoke of his experiences to the group of mostly
Charlotte high school students.
“When I see a child oppressed, humiliated by pain, I am myself
oppressed and humiliated,” he said to the group.
Wiesel answered questions from the audience and touched on
a wide range of subjects, including the death penalty. Holocaust
deniers, Rwanda and spirituality. He listed Nelson Mandela as one
of his heroes. One of the common themes of the day was a call to
action.
“We must take sides. Whatever happens in the world, we must
speak up—yes or no,” Wiesel said. “Don’t believe in passivity.
Passivity is not the answer.”
Vestal asked Wiesel what students could do to keep the
memories of the Holocaust alive for the future.
“I happen to believe that this event [the Holocaust] will never
be forgotten,” Wiesel said in response. “What I am afiaid of much
more is trivialization of memory.”
Humanities teacher Cecile Tougas organized the trip and led
the students in a 15-week course and the Feb. 8 Humanity Day in
Charlotte. She first met Wiesel in 1995 at Bates College.
“I looked into his brown eyes and it just really moved me,” she
said.
WIESEL, continned page 4