the stentorian | ncssm
features
june2011 3
Seniors Reflect on Life on Three Halls
BY Caroline deSaussure,
Ashley Jernigan, and
Olivia Truax
Yet another year has flown
by. Juniors, in a few days you
will be seniors. Seniors, in a
few days you will be grand
seniors to your underclassmen,
and freshmen to the rest of
the world. In a few days, the
Stentorian will have been
officially passed down to
next year’s editors-in-chief:
Caroline deSaussure, Ashley
Jemigan, and Olivia Truax.
Here’s our tribute to the great
year we’ve had with our halls
and a taste of what juniors
should expect next year.
Caroline DeSaussure - First
Beall [first bell], noun (proper)
- first floor female residence
hall at NCSSM known for
its convenience to central
locations around campus.
First Beall is known for
being a pretty interactive hall.
The seniors on hall are close
friends and became friends
with the juniors within the
first week. It was as if we had
already lived on hall with them
for a year; they adopted us so
quickly and made us feel right
at home.
First Beall quickly became
a tightly-knit hall. One of
my most distinct memories
of life on hall would have to
be the creation of our very
tied around their bodies
signifying their status in the
game. It seems at the worst
possible opportunity, a middle
school tour group walked by
with shocked expressions on
their faces.
Catie reminisces, “All my
partner and I could do was
laugh as we listened to the
tour guides trying to explain
that the PFM did not actually
turn the students into zombies
and that the guys at this school
normally didn’t walk around
with belts and sock on their
heads all day.”
Katy Carter, a women’s
soccer team member, says
“I don’t have one thing in
particular” when asked what
her favorite memory has been.
She loves walking out onto
the field and always seeing
someone -playing soccer,
firisbee, or football “waiting
for more people to join.” The
spontaneity caused by stress is
also something
Katy loves and has always
incorporated into hall activities,
as one of First Beall’s fantastic
RLA’s. Katy remembers the
time she was serenaded outside
at Happy Half, as well as
having dance parties with her
fellow Beallions.
Jamie Huffman, as First
Beall’s other wonderful RLA,
was someone I remember for
always making the juniors feel
at home on hall. She never
three hours. Best nap I’ve ever
had.”
Through all of these
memories and many others,
the 2010-11 year on First
Beall has been amazing. They
always say time flies when
disposition, remembered,
“BANDANVENTURERS!
Kidnapping our seniors last
year and taking them to Waffle
House.”
NCSSM is the perfect place
to create memories with good
you’re having fun, and 2nd
that couldn’t be truer for this
year. It’s evident that we’ve
had some great experiences
when we remember them and
they make us laugh, cry, or
reminisce. This year has been
full of those moments and
has been a year that we will
never forget. Thanks again,
seniors, for making this year
unforgettable.
1st Beall
own victory chant.
Because First Beall’s theme for
2010-2011 was the Olympics,
we saw it extremely necessary
to come up with a mantra.
For the first week and a half
of school, we pranced around
campus screaming “WHAT
BEALL? FIRST BEALL!
WHAT BEALL? FIRST
BEALL!” repeatedly until we
realized how idiotically we
were acting.
Although First Beall has
had its ups and downs, just like
any other hall, we’ve managed
to remain an amazing group.
Here’s to all of the First Beall
seniors that have made this
year memorable. Below are
some of the their favorite times
at NCSSM.
Catie McVey’s most
memorable experience at
NCSSM was during her junior
year on the chemistry floor.
During the school-wide zombie
game, she and her chemistry
lab partner saw participants of
the game “hyped and talking at
the top of their lungs [about]
the latest developments on
who had turned who into a
zombie over lunch.” The boys
had random articles of clothing
courtesy of Caroline deSaussure
excluded us from conversations
or activities and always cracked
jokes with us.
Jamie recalls the time she
was talking to Emily Chen
and Sandy Lerebours on hall
when she fondly called them
her “junior babies.” Sandy
proceeded to say “’Then you’re
our senior mommy! I love you,
senior mommy.’” From that
point on, Sandy and Emily
always called Jamie by “senior
mommy.” Jamie says “It really
meant a lot to me, as an RLA
and a fnend, and it’s one of
my fondest memories from the
past two years.”
As said before. First Beall
seniors are a tight group. Kexin
Yin shared her most memorable
experience at NCSSM with
Jamie Huffman. They had both
woken up extremely early to
volunteer for one of the many
admissions events here at
NCSSM. They trudged through
the day, leading prospective
students from location to
location. When they were done
for the day, Kexin says “we
both crashed in [Jamie’s] room
on the floor with one thin cover
and slept soundly for two or
Ashley Jemigan - At
NCSSM there are some
traditions and things that you
must do before you graduate,
like getting a milkshake from
Ox and Rabbit, taking a loop to
South Point, and pulling an all-
nighter. Second Bryan has had
an amazing year, thanks to all
of its wonderful seniors.
Deanna Harrell, a member
of the Orientation Committee
and • enthusiastic cheerleader,
remembered, “All the support
that comes with living on a
close-knit hall. When hard
times hit, I could always count
on a sweet note slipped under
my door or an understanding
hug, or a good distraction from
Amber or Morgan.”
Dominique Beaudry, an
RLA and Student Government
member, recollected, “Dance
raves in the lounge and T am
the Swan Queen’.”
Sangeetha Kumar, a
Student Ambassador and Asian
Cultures Club officer, enjoyed,
“mocktail parties, winning
intermural basketball with
BAMFDANAS, hall Frisbee
and soccer, late nights and deep
conversations, Disney movie
sing-alongs in ,the lounge,
zumba and workout videos,
paint fight junior year with
Ground Royall, and meeting
my junior BFF Alex Schmid.”
Annie Jin, a biology TA and
energetic singer, remembered,
“Second Bryan intramural
basketball champions.”
Morgan Westbrook, an
RLA and Zumba enthusiast,
recollected, “Studying in
Deaima’s room, watching
horribly cheesy movies online.
Then being able to have inside
jokes and the bonding that
comes with staying up late
talking.”
Grace Upshaw, a smiling
face and great cook, enjoyed,
“Theater, theater, theater!”
Amber Ellis, a Multicultural
Peer Counselor with a kind
Bryan courtesy of Ashley Jernigan
fnends that you will never
forget, especially the Second
Bryan love.
Olivia Truax - The first
thing 1 heard about 3rd Beall
was that It was close-knit to
the point of cult-like. This
year I have found that this is
completely true in the very best
sense. When I started talking to
my seniors about their favorite
Smath memories they almost
all took place on 3rd Beall or
with 3rd Beallions.
The seniors favorite
memories range from Junior
move in day to a complement
received last week and
everything in between. These
memories aren’t about classes
or academics; they are about
the other way NCSSM changes
your life — by introducing you
to the most amazing set of
people. At NCSSM you meet
the type of people who you
can say “You too? I thought I
was the only one.” to and that,
in the end, is what makes this
place great.
Taylor Brown’s favorite
halls at the beginning of Jimior
Year. Gino, Sean and I were
determined that 3rd Beall and
2nd West would win so we
sprinted through the entire
thing in 90 degree weather. I
was so exhausted but we beat
all the other groups by five or
ten minutes. The funny thing
was that we thought we were
so cool for winning, when it
really didn’t mean anything.
We didn’t even get a prize for
winning...”
The juniors did not carry on
that legacy - we didn’t even
manage to finish. Sorry about
that. Maybe next year...
“My favorite memories
are all of the ridiculous all-
nighters that we have pulled
on hall. We get so crazy when
we’re together and everyone
is sleep deprived. I don’t
think I’ve laughed much
harder than during a Third
Beall all-nighter,” says Sheila
Rajagopalan.
Brooke McKenna says,
“One of my faves was last year
after a really stressful week
Jordan (also a 3rd Beallion) and
I holed up in a senior’s room
and ate all her junk food and
watched like fourteen movies
and took naps and ignored our
phones did nothing but it was
such a great day.”
Based on this article, it
sort of sounds like we never
leave the hall, but I promise,
it sometimes happens. For
example, Rochelle Scott’s
favorite memory is “that one
time at the beginning of the
year when I went Iviz hopping
with Katherine and Emily (also
3rd Beallions), but we got tired
of that and instead sat in the
grass and shared stories of our
lives under the stars.”
Last week, Kate Beam had
her favorite NCSSM memory.
“Mr, Sampieri told me he was
proud of me. That was without
a doubt my best' memory.”
Teachers here change lives.
memory comes from a night
when she was not only on
hall, but physically stuck in
her room. She will always
remember “making crazy
videos with my roommates
late at night. Sheila and I spent
one night of room restriction
writing songs for people who
were nice enough to bring us
things we weren’t allowed
to go get.” 3rd Beallions can
have fun under any set of
circumstance.
“My favorite memory,”
says Elizabeth Sanford, “is
“The “Amazing Smath Race”
between brother and sister
3rd Beall courtesy of Olivia Truax
Reminiscing with my
seniors I heard a number
of memories that are not
appropriate to publish in the
Stentorian but they too were
hilarious, sweet, and almost
all took place on 3rd Beall.
NCSSM is an intense two years
of your life both academically
and socially.
In a few days, it will be over
for the seniors for better or for
worse (hopefully for better).
We will miss you when you are
gone and jealously wish we too
were in college. Don’t have too
much fun, and come visit.