The
Stentorian
vol. XXXIV, issue 7
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
June 2015
stentorianl23@gmail.com
Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs
Steve Warshaw retires after 30 years
By Sierra Dunne
Editor-in-Chief
After 30 years of service at
NCSSM, Steve Warshaw will
be retiring from his position as
Vice Chancellor for Academic
Programs.
Warshaw first discovered
NCSSM while he and his wife
were moving to North Carolina
from Texas in order to be closer
to family. While looking for a
teaching job, his sister, who
lived in Durham at the time,
mentioned a new school with
students who were focused
on science. Warshaw was a
Biology teacher at the time,
having received a Bachelor’s
degree in Biology from Austin
College in 1967 and a Ph.D in
Biology from Yale University
in 1972.
He visited the school over
the summer when there were
only a few students and staff
members on campus. He only
talked to two people, but the
visit made him feel like he
belonged here.
“What impressed me most
was that everyone understood
what the mission of the school
was: To provide potential and
opportunities to students who
couldn’t get them from their
home school districts.”
Warshaw was hired
thanks to his background and
expertise in aquatic ecology.
The school needed someone to
help kiekstart one of the first
research classes. Research in
Limnology at Jordan Lake.
He also taught Genetics
and Ecology, but it was this
research class that really
propelled his career at Science
and Math.
In 1986, he started the
first Research Symposium at
Science and Math. At first,
it was only the Research in
Limnology class presenting,
as there were no other research
courses at the time. They set
up their presentations in the
small dining room in the PFM,
what is now the bookroom.
The next year, Warshaw
became head of the Science
Department, and more teachers
were hired to teach more
research classes. Two of these
teachers were former Vice
Chancellor of Student Life Joan
Barber, who taught Research
in Biology, and Instructor
Myra Halpin, who still teaches
Research in Chemistry. These
teachers brought their classes
together to ereate what is
now the NCSSM Research
Symposium.
Besides initiating the
Research Symposium,
Warshaw has a wide variety
of other projects and
accomplishments he helped
with over his 30 years here.
He worked hard to create
articulation agreements with
universities throughout the
state, so NCSSM graduates
would receive credit for the
advanced eourses they take
here.
When he became a director
of the North Carolina Student
Academy of Science, he
helped the program grow and
regain its vision. When he
became Executive Director,
it had shrunk down to only
ten students participating,
but through his work it now
showcases over 100 students
each year.
Not only has Warshaw
. helped students succeed, but
he also had a role in creating
the Faculty Emeritus Program.
This program is designed to
help honor retiring faculty
members by giving them
speeial rewards, such as
networking privileges, access
passes, and free admission to
school events.
The school project Warshaw
is perhaps most known for is
the schoolwide sustainability
project. The project is only
three years old, but in its
short existence it has already
made huge impacts on the
attitude toward sustainability
at NCSSM. Through the
Sustainability Project Leaders,
clubs like Accept the Greener
Challenge, and other groups
and initiatives, the school
has seen a huge advancement
toward a greener eampus.
Composting was initiated
this year, rain gardens have
been built, block parties have
been planned, the recycling
program has grown, and solar
panels are being discussed, all
thanks to Warshaw’s vision for
a more sustainable campus.
Warshaw will officially
retire on June 30. When asked
if he still sees himself being
involved with the school after
retirement, he responded, “1
can’t imagine anything else.”
He first plans to go back
to Texas, however, since you
can’t volunteer or work for a
state agency until six months
after retirement. He will travel
to Texas in August and stay
there for three months to visit
family, including his three
grandchildren.
He plans to come back to
NCSSM on Jan. 1 to volunteer
at the school. In the spring,
he will go back to teaching
Environmental Ethics. 1
n his newfound free time, he
plans to continue and improve
on his hobbies: playing guitar,
working outside, bike riding,
and juggling. He and his wife
also plan to do more with their
church and get involved with
voter registration.
continued on pg. 2
Jon Miller retires with distinction
from Humanities Department
By Richard Ong
Editor-in-Chief
There comes a time in the
history of every organization
when the old guard must pass
down the mantle to the next
generation. Just such a time
is coming this year with the
retirement of Jon Miller.
Miller has been with
NCSSM since the beginning,
teaching English to students
since the founding of the
school in 1980. In many ways
he is a powerful symbol of
this institution and a pillar
supporting it.
Miller originally came
Irom Hillside High School in
Durham and was mainly drawn
to the school because of money
and the location. Originally he
arrived at the school to consult
on the English curriculum
for the school, which was
similar to the North Carolina
curriculum and he ended up
being hired. Sinee then he
has been through this sehool
through its entire life.
“A lot of obvious things
have ehanged. The facilities
changed. I remember this
place used to be a dump.
Everything from Reynolds
to Watts was derelict and off
out nightly,” said Miller. But
he stayed because “Once you
do something once, you tend
to do it again and again and
again.”
“But what’s really
limits, there was standing
water everywhere and we used
to have to run homeless people
important,” Miller said, “is
what’s not changed. Every
year we see students who are
excited to be here, and eager
and shy and proud all at the
same lime.” The true revelation
Miller had about teaching here
was not to teach the students,
but let the students teach.
He found when
students are presented
with knowledge in such
away they will eonsume
it themselves and this is
far more potent than any
teacher led instruction.
Miller had always been
destined for teaching,
although he did not always
know it. It was not until his
sophomore year of college
when he was meeting the
registrar of UNC and they
forced him to declare a
major that he finally wrote
“English”, even though it
was his worst subject. “1
wasn’t very adventuresome
because most of my
time was in educational
institutions so 1 just continued
to be institutionalized in
continued on pg. 2
College Map pg. 6-7
Senior Wills pg. 3-5, 8-10
Bees pg. 2