stentorian
vol. XXXIUssue 1
the north Carolina school of science and mathematics
august 2012
stentorian@ncssm.edu
NCSSM makes major
calendar changes for
2012-2013
to last year,
major holiday
been
shortened
earlier
By: Mia Madduri
NCSSM cut back on
Thanksgiving and Winter
breaks and set the graduation
date on Memorial Day
weekend for the 2012-2013
school year.
Compared
this year’s
breaks have
to accommodate the
commencement date.
The change in the
calendar was designed to
align commencement with
Memorial Day weekend, to
prevent having trimester exams
on Memorial Day, and to allow
faculty, staff, and students to
celebrate Memorial Day.
Thanksgiving bre^ has
been shortened by 4 days.
Where it started in 2011 on
Nov. 19 and ended Nov. 27 it
will now run from Nov. 21,
2012, toNov. 25,2012. Winter
break is shorter by two days,
and graduation will take place
on May 25, a full seven days
earlier than last year.
Some students would prefer
that the calendar remained
the same as last year. Senior
Siddarth Modi said, “I would
rather have a later graduation
date with longer breaks during
the year. This will give us more
time to spend with our juniors
and give us more time to relax
from the intense workload and
stress we encounter during the
school year.”
NCSSM sends students
home during standard extended
weekends (the three-day
breaks students get about each
month) and therefore cannot
lessen these required breaks.
By shaving days from
holidays and vacation, the
school is giving its students a
summer that will last one week
longer.
“I honestly think it could
go both ways,” said senior
Keerthana Velappan. “I think
Smathers definitely deserve
those breaks, but an earlier
graduation, especially before
the long weekend, is so much
better. Also, it’ll give the
seniors time to relax and enjoy
the long weekend with their
friends and family as well
as attend their home school
graduation, if they wish.”
Thanksgiving break shortened from
Nov. 19 - Nov. 27 to
Nov. 21 - Nov. 25
New SLIs arrive
for Hill and Hunt
By: Sarah Lee
Each new NCSSM school
year brings with it many
changes, and among other new
faces are five new Student Life
Instructors.
Mike Ward: 4th East
Ward is a recent college
graduate who was bom in
Canada. He moved to U.S.
at the age of seven and has
since lived in Pennsylvania.
He graduated from Ursinus
College and. majored in
Neuroscience. He enjoys
playing rugby and ice hockey.
Ward is most excited
about meeting students here
and seeing them grow from
the unique options available’
to them at NCSSM. An
interesting fact about Ward is
that he has eleven scars on his
body.
Jon Bystrynski: 2nd Hill
North
A Triangle native,
Bystrynski attended Cary
Academy and graduated
from Ursinus College in
Pennsylvania. At Ursinus, new
SLI Mike Ward was one of
Bystiynski’s RA’s. His main
reason for working at NCSSM
is his students. He is excited
to work with students from all
over the state and leam from
them as he helps them grow.
Bystrynski wishes to
become an advocate for all
students in all areas of their
lives.
Bystrynski enjoys painting,
reading and running. His father
was a writer for NBC and his
brother is a playwright, leading
him to be an avid writer as
well. In his free time, he writes
screenplays, television scripts
and everything else literary.
He also likes to scuba dive
Ellis Johnson: 1st Hill
Johnson was bom in
Detroit, Michigan, and
attended Michigan State
University. He says, “I am a
Detroit native, and I have been
lucky enough to call Durham
my home for the past year. I
graduated in May 2011, and
moved to North Carolina last
July to work for the non-profit
Citizen Schools.”
Johnson went to high
school in a museum. His claim
to fame is a question he posed
on Time Magazine’s Facebook
wall for Fmr. FL Gov. Charlie
Crist was featured in an article.
Ross Knight: 2nd Hill East
Knight is a North Carolina
native from Madison. A
graduate of UNC Chapel Hill,
he received his degrees in
English and history. Knight
has experience working in
Virginia at a small school with
200 students as a hall director.
The number one reason
Knight is looking forward to
being an SLI is for the student
interactions. Knight likes to
paint abstracts, portraits and
landscapes. He also enjoys
reading comics and playing
board games. He is obsessed
with all things British.
Also in Student Life, Alum
Cierra Hinton will act as
Second Beall SLI while Gerri
Odum is on maternity leave.
A number of individuals
have also joined the faculty
and staff this year. Gloria
Barrett and Hope Concannon
joined the math faculty, Gail
Boyarsky and Kim Monahan
joined the Biology faculty
and Joe LoBuglio will teach
engineering.
Charlie Payne from
Northern High School is set
to teach physics and Darrell
Spells joined the chemistry
faculty. Dennis Yeh is
returning from leave to teach
computer science. New DEEP
faculty includes Candace
Chambers, Amy Garrett, and
Crystal Woods. Ross White
will fill the Dean’s position in
DEEP.
Greg Jarvis is the news
Athletic Director, Tracy
Fulgraf will be working with
the budget, Jan-Rae Castillo
will serve as the Internal
Auditor, and Alum Scott
Schwart will be an intern with
Counseling Services.
Assad's Syria faces heat from all sides
By: Anita Simha
In the latest chapter of the
Arab Spring revolution, Syrian
protesters have demanded that
President Bashar al-Assad
of the ruling Ba’ath Party
step down from his post. The
Syrian conflict has continued
as part of the wide sweeping
push for democratic reform in
the Middle East since March,
2011.
The Free Syrian Army
(FSA), composed largely of
defectors from Assad’s forces,
recently succeeded in killing
four high-ranked officials,
including both his brother-in-
law and his defense minister.
Differing theories of the
affair include a bomb placed
in a water cooler and a suicide
mission by a turncoat guard.
Regardless of the method
used, the event demonstrated
to Assad the FSA’s ability to
infiltrate his ministry.
Several Syrian officials have
fled the country to neighboring
Jordan. Riyad Farid Hijab,
the most recent and notable
defector, formerly held the post
of Prime Minister. His support
of the opposition and its cause
comes as a blow to Assad and
marks his loosening grip on the
access to much of the northern
country.
Continued violence has
forced over 200,000 people to
Syria, has largely failed to tone
down violence in the country.
As fighting escalates in
Syrian capital, Damascus,
Bashar al-Assad speaks at recent press conference
country.
Courtesy of The Guardian
The rebels aim to take
control of Syria’s largest city,
Aleppo, which is seen as a
crucial battleground because
control of the city provides
flee Aleppo in recent times.
Many are seeking refuge
in neighboring Turkey. A six-
point plan to peace proposed
by Kofi Annan, the United
Nations Special Envoy to
and largest city, Aleppo, the
international community is
increasing the pressure on
Assad’s regime.
The United Nations General
Assembly passed a resolution
by a wide margin criticizing
violence in Syria and asserting
that the • first step to peace
should be taken by Assad’s
government. Saudi Arabia,
supportive of a new president
and ruling party, has funded
the Syrian opposition with
$117 million.
Nearby countries Turkey
and Qatar have also expressed
support of the reform
movement.
While Russia and China
have taken firm stanees
in support of the Syrian
government, the United States
holds that this position is a
hindrance to Syrian freedom.
President Obama has signed
an order allowing for covert aid
to Syria through agencies like
the CIA, only drawing the line
at providing lethal weapons or
troops.
In the past 17 months of
unrest, over 20,000 people
have lost their lives. It is still
not clear whether a divided
Syria will reach a peaceful
settlement in the near future.