VoixVI,No.2
AROUND
THE
WORLD
Compiled BY
Monica McClain
election pleases internadonai
leaders
From all comers of the world,
international leaders are pleased
widi the results of the U.S , Presiden
tial election. Many are hoping that
with the election behind him, Rest
dent Clinton will be ^le to devote
more time to improving U.S. foreign
affairs.
The European leaders showed
a bias towm-ds Clinton because he
symbolized continuity and he had
experience in ofRce,
WinoingtiteAmcrtcanway
-’The British arc using many of
the America election tactics ln their
own election. Many of the impqr-
tant issues of the British electicms
are like deja*vu from the Amaricah
elections of November 5. Issues
such as welfare refoim, gun control,
medical care, education, crime, and
tax cuts, Tbe British candidates are
even using American phrases such
as "the buck stops here,” and the
people behind the candiMes are
e vMt referred to as "spin doctors” by
many.
Cyclone devastates India
A ferocious cyclone ripped
through India destroying crops and
homes. Even though the death toll
is already at 400, the state official
said that it could easily reach 2,000.
The worst hit city was the coastal
city, Kakinda, 300 miles east of the
state capital. Hyderabad.
It’s all over now
All the euphoria of Nelson
Mandela’s election as state president
in South Africa is gone. Now citi
zens are beginning to complain
about what is being doneand what
is not getting accomplished. Whites,
who fear crime and affirmative ac
tion, are fleeing the country. Blacks
are disappointed with the lack of
new jobs. Mandela finds these com-
plainb unfair and says they should
)c happy that South Africa is based
on democratic principles after many
years of struggle.
tentorian
The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
November 1996
Students sue NCSSM
Two NCSSM students sue the school, Director Friedrich, and the Board of Trustees
Anne Fawcett
Two seniors who were recom
mended for expulsion filed a law
suit against NCSSM on Nov. 15.
The seniors received Level Ill’s for
possession and consumption of
alchohlic beverages on campus.
Miles (Woody) Gray and
Howard Ervin brought a civil suit
against the school. At press time,
however, negotions were underway
towards a possible settlement to be
announced Monday, Nov. 25.
The suit had been filed against
NCSSM, the NCSSM Board of
Trustees and Executive Director
John Friedrick, who heard the stu
dents’ appeal and made the final
decision to expel them.
“Based on all the evidence
available to me,” Friedrick wrote in
a statement to the Duriiam Herald-
Sun on Nov. 18, “I am,convinced
that these students deliberately vio
lated NCSSM’s anti-alco
hol policy and that they
ought to be expelled from
NCSSM.”
The incidenL as de
scribed by the complaint
submitted to Superior
Court, states that on OcL
19, an NCSSM graduate
brought 11 bottles of beer
into Gray and Ervin’s
room, where they and 6
other African-American
males drank some. Gray and Ervin
claim that neither one drank more
IN-DEPTH:
NCSSM
JUDICIAL SYSTEM
Fortner studentLeahEisenstein
speaks about her experience
Bm2
Rumor, miscommunicatum
clouds judicial process
EageJS.
Students on hearing hoards
appears likely Jbr 1997-98
Friedrick
than one beer, nor did they pay for,
solicit, purchase, or transport the
beers,
The students were caught, and
their complaint states that during the
hearings they were denied due pro
cess, that NCSSM violated its own
policies in the trial, and that a dif
ferent standard of disci
pline was applied to the
students because they are
African-American.
“First, I am satis
fied that NCSSM has pro
vided the students with all
the procedural protections
to which they are entitled
under NCSSM policies
and the law,” Friedrick
wrote. “With respect to the
claims of discrimination, I
unequivocally state that students’
ethnicity was not a factor in any of
the school’s decisions.”
When Warshaw held their hear
ings on Oct. 24, Gray and Ervin
claim that NCSSM infringed on
their fifth amendment rights to due
process, including not allowing
them their rights to council or to
cross-examine witnesses. Also, they
claimed their parents were not noti
fied in enough time to adequately
prepare for the hearing.
The Raleigh News and Ob
server reported on Nov. 22 that Su
perior Court Judge Leon Stanback
said he saw little evidence at the pre
liminary hearing to decide on the
claims of racial discrimination. He
was more concerned with the short
notice given Gray and Ervin before
their hearings.
The seniors also stated that
Warshaw had no jurisdiction over
their case. Their motion stated that
his hearing the case denied them the
traditional hearing board of three
members, another level of appeal,
and the right to have their case heard
by the Director of Student Life.
“If a rule broken could be con
sidered a possible violation of state
law, it is heard first by Dr. Barber
or myself,” said Warshaw. “I hear
residential life cases, which most
often occur, because if the violation
occurs in residential life, some of
[Dr. Barber’s] staff would be in
volved in the gathering of informa
tion for the hearing.” Since these
continued on page 12
Curriculum Council considers 97-98 changes
KlM McCumber
The Curriculum Council, a
committee composed of both staff
members and students, is consider
ing changes for next year’s sched
ule. The options being considered
are alterations to both the daily
schedule and academic calendar.
The council is considering the needs
of students and teachers in their de
liberations over next year’s sched
ule.
“I want more contact time with
the students,” said Gloria Barrett, a
math teacher who has attended Cur
riculum Council meetings.
To accommodate teachers who
want more time with students, the
council is considering many op
tions, including a seven-period
school day, a longer day, evening
classes, and shorter lunch periods.
In order to increase the number of
class days over the school year, the
council is thinking of taking away
or reducing the time of Alt-Day,
adding more days to the school year,
and having shorter/fewer extended
weekends.
The suggestions of the council
are not necessarily the plans that will
be implemented. The council gave
a “Preference Survey” on Nov. 19
to find out what people in the
NCSSM community thought about
the different ideas that could be
implemented in next year’s sched
ule. Students, staff members, and
the faculty voted on whether they
agreed or disagreed with each item.
They also chose the two qualities
they favored in the current sched
ule and the two aspects they most
want to change.
Steve Warshaw, Director of
Academic programs, said the re
sults of this survey will be given to
a professional scheduler, who will
incorporate these ideas into a new
schedule. An alternate schedule,
with only slight modifications to
this year’s plan will also be con
sidered. The Administrative Cabi
net will then act on the curriculum
council’s rcccomcndation.
Whatever decisions the Cur
riculum Council makes, major
changes arc a possibility for next
year’s schedule. The goal of the
Curriculum Council is to find out
“what schedule is better than the
one we have now,” said Warshaw.
Mock election,
info sessions
open eyes
Becca booi
Students in NCSSM’s Lead
ership Seminar did not let this
year’s elections pass by unnoticed.
Through organization of debates,
information sessions, and a mock
election, the seminar has gotten
more students involved in politics.
The Mock Election, a national
event sponsored by a Vermont pri
vate school, is almost an exact rep
lica of the process of voting in a
real election. Junior Brian Smith
likes the concept because it allows
high school students who are not
yet old enough to vote the chance
to practice the technique.
Polls were open from 8:30
a.m. to 7:40 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29,
allowing students and faculty to
vote at their convenience. Accord
ing to posted results, the mock
election had about an 85% turn-out
rate which was actually much
higher than in real elections, a di
rect result of successful publicity
measures. In addition to the stan
dard methods such as posters,
email, and word of mouth, the
school also notified local news
sources of the election, senior Jus
tin Oxman said.
NCSSM’s results for the elec
tion included Harvey Gantt as
senator, Jim Hunt as governor, and
Bill Clinton as president. In the
1988 and 1992 mock elections,
participating students across the
nation predicted which candidate
would win and almost by what per
centage.
As preparation for this na
tional event, members of the Lead
ership Seminar, sponsored by sev
eral staff members, organized an
information session and a debate
between school political clubs.
The information session was
held in the Assembly Hall on Sat
urday, Oct 19 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Smaller parties such as Natural
Law, Socialist Workers, Libertar
ian, and Green, in addition to the
major Republican and Democratic
parties, were represented by speak
ers who provided background on
their partys’ views and their can
didates running for office.
continued on page 12