Newspapers / North Carolina School of … / Nov. 1, 2001, edition 1 / Page 6
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page 6 opinions & editorals november 2001 Student Activities Fee: An Editorial Debate A Small Price to Pay A Matter of Principle Igor Gorodezky A s NCSSM students living out our lives in the proverbial ‘bub ble’, we can frequently become victims of dangerous misconceptions relating to events in the world outside our school. But even beyond that, our ivory tower-like milieu lulls us into security and clouds our perception of aspects of our own institution that are not deemed immedi ately relevant. Administrative duties and budget-related con cerns are either ignored or taken for granted, convenient ly assigned to authorities. And so in this new fiscal year, these authorities in the General Assembly, along with our Executive Director, have' waxed ominous about inevitable budget shortfalls, inflexibility and, ultimately, cuts. The grim reality is hard to ignore. The US economy has begun to shrink after years of expansion, and our own state government is cutting a plethora of programs, includ ing funding for other educa tional institutions. Though they have been persuaded to refrain from cutting NCSSM’s funds, our financial troubles are serious. After giving so little thought to the amount the state spends per student, now might be the time to accept a share of the fiscal responsibil ity through a student activity fee. The school must continue with much needed renova tions. It must continue feeding and sheltering us. And cutting the academic budget should not be an option even in the worst of worst-case scenarios. It seems our luxuries, such as school functions and van loops, can only be supported through a student fee. Other consortium schools who have instituted this fee can afford to spend more on academics, and the magnitude of the fee, around $800-$ 1000 a year. Continued From Page 3 Department, “I do know that the grade distribution in sci ence for the first quarter had more A’s given than B’s, which reverses the usual pat tern of more B’s than A’s that we see in science at the end of first quarter. This increase is probably significant since it is approximately 100 more seems much less menacing when compared to college tuition and the money usually spent on luxuries at home. For middle class fami lies, it might mean one fewer vacation, or waiting a year to get that new car; hardly a fis cal travesty. Economically disadvantaged families will be able to exempt the fee, so that no student will be forced to hum down admission due to strictly financial reasons. And if a prospective student whose family is fully capable of pay ing the fee would turn down admis sion on purely ideologi- c a 1 grounds, so be it. There will always be some- Kitty Fromson H elping with November lOth’s Open House for prospective students remind ed me why I love NCSSM. In telling sophomores why attending Science and Math could be the best decision they’ve made in a long time, I remembered how I felt when I was applying. I remem bered what impressed me about the school and why I felt I could belong here. On Saturday, I heard Tom ble compared to what an NCSSM education is truly worth. This placing of things into perspective by NCSSM students is key to the better ment, and ultimate survival, of this school. Having student activities supported by a source independent of regular funds from alumni and the state would surely streamline our budget and add flexibility in implementing future stu dent activities.As long as we set aside our petty bourgeois outrage and adopt a long-term view, this school can become an integral part of North Carolina’s, and the entire nation’s, future. A’s than B’s, excluding Mentorship which is our one all senior class.” The improvement is not confined to the sciences, but appears to be across the board. “[Teachers] have noticed an increase in homework being turned in,” said Dr. Barber. Many have “already volun teered to supervise and assist for the second quarter.” The second quarter of Clayton and Letita Mason telling sophomores and their parents the same things they told me two years ago; all the reasons why our school is fantastic. And those reasons are the core principles of Science and Math. We are a public, residen tial high school for juniors and seniors with a high apti-. tude and interest in science and mathematics. Our admis sions process is open to all North Carolina sophomores. We are the first residential magnet school of our kind and other residential consor tium schools were modeled after us. We provide an aca demically challenging and Super Study Super Study will be different than the first in some ways. The students will be treated on a more individualized basis, and will be located in smaller settings. A plan to rotate supervisors by depart ment is being considered, as a sort of extended tutorial. The program did have some unanticipated side effects, both positive and negative. Many seniors did socially invigorating environ ment for the state’s best and brightest students. Our class es are advanced, our teachers are amazing, and our equip ment is as good as most col leges and universities. We give students the opportunity to learn from each other by living together. We provide the backdrop for the forma tion of lifelong friendships between vastly different peo ple. We are proud of our diversity and proud of our accessibility to all students. We exist because North Carolina thought it was worth giving a phenomenal education to her phenome nal students. We represent equal opportu nity at its best. NCSSM was built on a tra dition of aca demic excel lence, but also on the idea that the best and the bright est don’t all have the money to afford a $ 2 0,0 0 0 tuition for pri vate school. We are happy to create an opportunity for all who will seize it and make good use of it. I, and many of my fellow students, do not want to see those values erod ed by the implementation of a Student Activity Fee. The decision to leave home two years early is diffi cult for both students and par ents. Putting an $850 obstacle in the path from home to here creates one more reason why many of North Carolina’s best students will refuse to attend, or even apply. The monetary amount may seem small in comparison with col lege tuition, but it is still a hefty sum, and most students find it easier to complete their own homework on the qui eter, calmer halls during Super Study hours. “One concern I have that I heard a lot [was that] some students procrastinated in beginning their homework into Super Study,” says Dr. Barber. There* was also trouble arranging group study for projects and getting access to computers. Nevertheless, at Science and Math incur large living expenses as well. Some families will not be able to afford to send their children; some will simply refuse to. Even if the fee is waived for lower-income families, we risk losing valu able applicants who are not interested in the machinations of yet another economic bar rier to be hurdled. For the stu dents who do get their fee waived, there are bound to be subtle, but still harmful strat ifications in the social groups at NCSSM. There will be haves and have-nots, and the close-knit, non-discriminato- ry community that so many of us value could be destroyed. Also, our school’s economic and racial diversity will be endangered by the addition of the fee, directly contrary to the School Improvement Group’s goal to increase diversity. In short, the equal opportunity we have been striving for would cease to exist. We are all aware that the school needs money if it is to maintain and improve its current programs. There must be, however, other and better ways to generate rev enue than a Student Activities Fee. Besides all the other considerations, wouldn’t such a fee drasti cally decrease the amount parents give to the Annual Fund, and potentially hurt the school’s income? I am proud to be a stu dent at NCSSM, but not just because I gained admission. I am proud that I am part of a welcoming, educational com munity that is largely free from the discrimination of ethnicity, background, and money that exists elsewhere. I am proud that our state leg islature has deemed our advanced education a worthy cause. I am afraid, though, that this Student Activity Fee could change what NCSSM stands for. I am afraid of a betrayal of principle. these are small kinks to be worked out of a much larger, effective system. What of Super Study’s future? “We really hope that this program, modified and revised to address all con cerns, will continue,” says Dr. Barber, “and provide an infra structure for students in a liv ing and learning environment to study.” There you have it: Super Study is here to stay.
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Student Newspaper
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Nov. 1, 2001, edition 1
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