The
Stentorian
Vol XVIrNo. 3
Welcome
to juniors
By Mandrill Taylor
Well Class of ’99, here you are.
It’s August again, but school’s go
ing to be a little different than it was
last year. You’ve been thrown into
a situation with around 550 people
who are a lot alike, and also very
different, from yourself. There’s
SGA, SLI’s, RLA’s, AA’s, MFC’s,
PCC’s (so many titles, so little time.)
You’ll be meeting new people ev
eryday, Happy Half will be “the
thing,” and you’re going to have to
start doing things for yourself.
These first few weeks at Sci
ence and Math are going to be the
toughest you’ll probab^ e^yerience
in your high school career. You are
going to encounter many new things
here; some will be good, some
won’t. But that’s where all these
acronyms come in. If you ever have
a problem or concern, there’s a wide
range of people to help you.
The potential here at Science
and Math has no limits, but it’s all
what you make of it. Take advan
tage of all its resources. Student
Government, Student Life Instruc
tors, Residential Life Assistants,
Academic Advisors, Multicultural
Peer Counselors, Peer College
Counselors, as well as the teachers
and administration are all here to
help make that transition from home
to NCSSM to college as smooth as
possible. I wish you guys the best
of luck and hope to hear from you
soon.
An Inside Look...
Advice to the juniors
from seniors and faculty
members... Pg-2-3
A look at what is in each
building... pg-4-5
Activities available to
students... Pg-6-7
Who's who around
campus... pg.8
The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Welcome Issue
Challenge to the Class of 1999
BY Calvin Dark
Congratulations! You have been
distinguished among your peers to be
a part of what is possibly the greatest
learning experience available. I am
very excited for you when I think of
all the wonderful things that await
you in the coming two years.
Having been in your shoes, I
know the mixed feelings of pure ex
citement and sheer nervousness that
you’re experiencing simultaneously.
I also know many things that you
don’t know, all of which would take
about two years for me to share with
you! However, as I look back, cer
tain things rise above all the rest in
importance. So I feel it is my reason
able service to give this advice in the
form of a three fold challenge to the
NCSSM Class of 1999...
First, don’t be afraid to grow and
change! When you arrive at NCSSM
you will find that there are people
here who listen to different types of
music, dress in different ways, have
different perspectives on life and may
do things much differently than you
are used to. But don’t allow any
stereotypes or preconceived no
tions that you bring with you pro
hibit you from introducing your
self to a potential life-long friend.
It will be a
waste for you
to leave
NCSSM no
different than
when you
came, and the
best way to
make your Sci
ence and Math
experience a
rewarding one
is to readily ac
cept change as
a healthy and exciting part of life!
While change is good, I must
just as strongly urge you to stay the
same. Although that piece of ad
vice seems contrary at first, it’s not.
As you move into NCSSM, each
of you bring new and different
ideas personalities, gifts, talents,
and skills that are uniquely your
own. To lose this diversity, which
The art of true
success is the
delicate balance of
knowing what to
change and when
to remain the same.
is the foundation of Science and
Math, would be devastating.
In essence, the art of true suc
cess is the delicate balance of know
ing what to change and when to re
main the same. I
challenge each of
you 'to find that
special, unique
something that you
can contribute to
the campus and
community,
through which the
continuing tradi
tion of “unity
through diversity”
can continue at
NCSSM.
Last and maybe most impor
tantly, don’t look forward to your
Science and Math experience as a
purely “intellectual” one, because
NCSSM has so much more to of
fer. I’m sure that when you looked
through the course catalog for your
classes, you saw Chemistry with
Topics, Anatomy and Physiology,
Statistics, WRRD and many others.
but there were some classes that
weren’t listed and are just as impor
tant. For example, there’s an inde
pendent study on “Persevering Un
til you Reach your Goal” that meets
every so often in your dorm room
as you crunch out that end of the
quarter history paper.
There’s also a seminar on “Rec
ognizing your Weaknesses and Mak
ing them your Strengths” that meets
in Hunt, Bryan, and Hill lobbies in
those afternoons when you must
depend on a friend for help on that
equation that just won’t work out.
You also mustn’t neglect to visit
those special tutorial sessions that
often take place in your hall lounges,
where you learn that part of getting
what you want in life starts by be
ing able to give a little.
Include those courses in your
schedule and when you walk across
that stage in May 1999, you’ll find
that you’ve not only graduated from
Science and Math, but you’ve also
completed some of the required
courses for that much greater school
called.. .Life.
Bet you didn't have this at your old school
By becca booi
Students ordinarily must adjust
to the uncertain atmosphere of a new
school. But juniors at the unordinary
School of Science and Math must ad
just to much more. They have to leam
about a whole new living environ
ment.
Even before orientation week is
over, juniors will hear the words
“Student Life 101,” or SL101. These
classes are required for graduation
and educate students on community
living.SLIOI is held every Alt Day,
an academic day where structured
classes are put aside to make extra
timefor campus wide activities, field
trips and group projects.
Most high schools only have
classes during the day, but NCSSM
also offers seminars at night. Semi
nars are classes that give students the
opportunity to further explore their
interests in specific areas, such as the
arts or specialized academic studies.
Two other unique academic op
portunities are mentorships and Spe
cial Projects Week (SPW).
Mentorships allow 60 seniors each
m-
A
Grand Senior Reece Allen reads a story at a Coffeehouse.
year to receive hands-on training
through resources available in the
Research Triangle Park. SPW is
designed to motivate and encour
age learning outside the classroom.
Students choose a project to com
plete during the week, based on
their own interests and talents.
In addition to classes, 60 hours
of community service one summer,
and 3 hours of work service a week
must be completed. Work service
allows students to give back to
NCSSM by helping teachers, as
sisting the cafeteria, cleaning school
grounds, or some other form of aid.
Juniors are required to spend at least
one semester doing Cafeteria or
Grounds work service, but students
may choose their work service as
seniors.
When students want to take a
break from their studying they of
ten go to Happy Half, the social
gathering in front of Hill dorm ev
ery weeknight from 10:00 - 10:30.
At the beginning of the year. Happy
Half is a great way to meet new
people.
Other breaks from studying
including Intramurals (IM’s). IM
soccer will begin on Aug 27, with
the men’s league playing on
Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s at 3:35
and the women’s league playing on
Monday’s and Thursday’s at 4:15.
IM volleyball, the Turkey Trot, and
IM basketball will also be played
throughout the year. Defending
Director’s Cup Champions for the
men is 2nd Hill North and for the
women are 3rd Bryan and Reynolds
IE, 2E, and 2D.
Instead of In-School Suspen
sion, NCSSM uses levels for disci
plinary measures. Students are ex
pected to follow the guidelines of the
Code of Conduct, which defines four
levels of violations, each level be
ing more serious and resulting in a
more severe punishment.
On the weekends, students en
joy watching and performing in Cof
feehouse, an event that recognizes
talent and creativity on campus.
Anyone can participate in the action,
which ranges from singing and
dancing to poetry reading.