the stentorian | ncssm
fea tures/sports
January
2012 3
HIPPO increases
hall spirit in Hunt
By: Ahmed Zaeem
The Hunt Intramural Ping
Pong Organization (HIPPO)
is taking Hunt Dormitory by
storm.
“It originally started as a
joke, but has developed into an
imdergroimd ping pong league”,
says senior Zach Herbst.
Herbst is the CEO of
HIPPO, along with junior
Corey Su. As opposed to the
already chartered Ping Pong
Club, HIPPO does not have
any ties to the school or student
government: it is completely
student run.
Here’s how it works. As
its name suggests, HIPPO is
exclusive to residents of Hunt
Dormitory. Each residence hall
picks its top three ping pong
players, known as champions.
These three then compete
against champions from other
halls in scheduled matches.
The matches take place
at midnight every Friday and
Saturday at the home team’s
arena.
The number one seeds
from each team play each other,
as do the number two and three
seeds. Matches are played in a
best of three game format; each
game goes to eleven points,
alternating serve every two
points.
At the end of the three
matches, the team with the most
wins is declared the winner
of the match. Each match is
refereed by “certified” HIPPO
officials.
In addition to the
champions, there is a coach
for each team. Coaches are
responsible for determining
seeding and also serve as
figureheads for their halls.
They are also given
the ability to call up to two
timeouts per player to slow
down the opposing player
when they are on a streak.
Coaches can also offer tactical
advice to their players when
they see a potential strategy.
Each hall will play every
other hall only once. At the
end of regular season play,
there will be four top teams who
compete in the HIPPO playoffs.
The hall that wihs^
the playoffs will be the
Hunt Intramural Ping Pong
Champions. Although this
organization is exclusive to
Hunt, Herbst wants to organize
a Hunt vs. Hill All-Star match
where the top players from each
dormitory compete.
There is also potential for
a Hunt East vs. Hunt West All-
Star match that follows similar
guidelines.
Herbst is pleased with the
development of the organization
and how the players and fans
are so involved. Arenas (in the
loimge of the hall) are normally
filled with fans cheering on
their halls to victory.
Herbst would like to
keep HIPPO an underground
league because it allows for the
students to do what they want
with it.
Chartering the
club would require
a sponsor and would
require a change in
the match times. In
addition, chartering
the club would
mean that it would
be available to all
students, but since
it’s HIPPO (H being
Hunt),
Herbst would
like to keep it as an
unofficial student run
organization.
With the season
still in full swing,
* it’s hard to tell who’s
- k.
going to take the
championship. But
according to the most
recent standings,
Courterey of HIPPO Hunt Fourth West is
at the top.
Key Club gives
back
By: Joy Hill
One of NCSSM’s core
values is the tradition of
donating time and effort to
those in need. Community
service occupies a huge time
segment of many students’
schedules, especially those who
actively participate in service
organizations on campus.
stories and memories, or read
poetry to the group.
Also starting this year will
be loops to volunteer at the
Durham Rescue Mission. Duties
there will include serving meals
to the hungry and offering aid
in the thrift shop.
Key Club isn’t just
about service; it is also about
Seeds Educational Garden.
One way to get involved is
through the NCSSM Key Club.
Key Club meets once a month
to discuss its monthly activities,
but also hosts a variety of year
long service opportunities.
Every Wednesday at 4:45,
a group of students participate
in SEEDS, where they tutor
children in whatever subjects
they may need help in.
This service opportunity
has been a part of the NCSSM
Key Club for the last few years,
and has a solid group of 10-15
students who participate every
week.
A new activity to the
club this year is visiting the
Durham Center for Senior Life,
which are held on Tuesday and
Thursday afternoons. A small
group of 5-10 students visit
the senior participants to share
Courtesy ofTarHeelFoodie.com
awareness.
Each month will have a
theme “issue” the club wants
to showcase to the student
body. February will consist
of informing the student body
about the hungry not only in
North Carolina, but all around
the world.
NCSSM frequently strives
to stress the importance of
volunteering and giving back
to the local and national
communities. Key Club’s
mission is just that.
Have an idea for Key Club?
An issue you’d like to raise
awareness for? event your
previous high school’s Key
Club sponsored that NCSSM
should be involved in? Send an
email to ncssmkeyclub@gmail.
com or join the Facebook page
today.
NBA lockout comes to an end
By: Carl Yin
After months of intensive
talks between NBA team
owners and the NBA players
union, a settlement was finally
reached on Dee. 8.
Even before training camps
started this season, owners and
players were negotiating on
the new collective bargaining
agreement, a contract between
the NBA team owners and
the NBA players union that
decides financial decisions
within the league.
The major issue regarding
the new eollective bargaining
agreement between the owners
and players was player salaries.
Due to the economic
trauma currently affecting the
United States, owners were
losing money and wanted to
cut player salaries by as much
as 40%.
Eventually, both sides
arrived at an agreement after
several months.
On Dec. 25,
regular season restarted. The
the NBA lockout lasted five months.
NBA league comissioner David Stern announces the end of the NBA lockout.
Courtesy of BET
but not without consequences.
The regular NBA season
was shortened by almost two
months. The regular season this
year now contains 66 games,
as opposed to the normal 82
games. This is to allow the
season to fit in the new allotted
time frame.
Though the loekout only
lasted two months of the regular
season, its impaet was felt
across the eountry.
Seasonal arena workers
were out of jobs and had to
struggle to pay their bills. TV
stations such as ESPN and TNT
lost nearly a billion dollars on
advertisement revenue. NBA
clothing and gear sales took a
temporary plunge, as well.
However, with a new deal
reaehed and the NBA financial
future looking positive, the
season is in full swing again.