October 2011
entertainment
the stentorian I ncssm
Super study tv shows return for fall
continued from page 5
of using their laptops.” .
During this interval,
students are asked to focus on
class work only, and to adhere
to the honor code.
“I believe students can
accept the challenge and focus
on coursework to do the right
thing,” Barber affirmed.
Looking back on their time,
however, juniors who are
exempted from the experiment
feel that changes could be
taken even further to suit
individualized needs.
“I feel Super Study heeds
to be changed,” Assa suggests,
“the same span of time, no
more forced attendance to one
certain room, you’re allowed
laptops, and are supervised
- It’s not mandatory, it’s
“patrolled”.”
Other common ideas
include shortening the length
of Super Study, allowing
laptops with drastically limited
internet connection, selective
internet censorship, somehow,
and whispering.
Some would argue that
Super Study should be an
extension of tutorials, arranged
by classes, with TA help, and
quiet didactic interaction
among students.
“Since we can’t network
or communicate with others,
what would otherwise be a
productive time slot for work
becomes staring at a paper
blankly for an hour or so.”
“Change the name of Super
Study,” suggested another
junior who wished to remain
anonymous. “The current
name makes it seem like the
time period is supposed to be
fun, but in reality, it shouldn’t
be that way. Study hall is a
time for productive work, and
its name should reflect this.”
“In short, I don’t disagree
with what SS is trying to
accomplish, but I do know
from personal experience that
the way it’s currently being
implemented is in need of vast
improvement.”
So while the availahility of
laptops is overdue for quite a
few, it’s reassuring that changes
are being considered and
piloted in response to student
complaints. The days spent
in Super Study dysfunctional
with only WebAssigns or
disconcerted without a clue,
however, will be derisively
looked back on as a wasted
hour and a half.
By; Carl Yin
“How I Met Your Mother”
- After a not-so-great last
season, HIMYM starts off
this year with fresh plot twists
and new drama.
Barney reignites
his relationship
with Nora, and
Ted realizes he still
wants to be with
Robin. However,
even with great
storyline to build
off of, HIMYM
still has retains last
season’s feel, with
its subpar humor,
and causes viewers
to reminisce
about the first few
seasons.
“South Park”
- Producers Trey
Parker and Matt
Stone continue
their season of
South Park after a
midseason summer
break. The dispute
between . Stan’s
parents shown at
the end of the first
half of the season
seems to be over, but Stan
is still depressed. In the new
episode, Stan gets diagnosed
with Asperger’s syndrome
due to his apathy towards
life. Depression seems to be a
continuous problem for Stan,
and will definitely be apparent
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Courtesy of
in the next few episodes. The
show continues to be mildly
offensive to many, true to the
show’s roots, this time picking
on those living with Asperger’s
syndrome.
“The Mentalist” - At the
end of last season, Patrick
Jane seemed to have killed
Red John for good. Jane is
charged with first-degree
murder, however during
the trial, Jane realizes he
has made a mistake and
needs to get out to find
the real Red John. Jane is
released and continues his
quest for Red John. The
new season continues to be
dramatic and compelling,
this show is certainly
heading in the right path.
“The Simpsons” - Even
with contract disputes with
the main voice actors,
“The Simpsons” continues
to be a great show with
hilarious content. Last
season ended with an open
poll to viewers to help
direct the storyline of the
show, whether Edna and
Ned should stay together
or break up. TTie results
were written into the plot,
and Edna and Ned are still
IMDB ^ couple in Springfield.
This new viewer interaction
with the show seems to have
worked well, and this timeless
show keeps on running.
10 WAYS TO MAKE HALLOWEEN
AT NCSSM FUN
By: Marcy Pedzwater
Living in a residential
environment can be difficult,
especially around the holidays.
With Halloween and exams
both falling on Monday
October 31, most students
will be spending Halloween at
NCSSM studying (or trying to
study) for their exams.
Although it is
difficult to have the
traditional Halloween
at NCSSM that might
be experienced at home,
here are 10 ways to
help make Halloween
(or at least the weekend
before Halloween) fun
at NCSSM and keep
the spooky spirit.
Halloween Treats:
Make Halloween-
themed treats with a
group of friends in Hunt
or Reynolds Kitchen.
Or, create Halloween
themed Jell-o treats by
making a pan of Jell-o
and using Halloween
themed cookie cutters
to make pumpkins,
witches, or bats. If
you don’t have cookie
cutters, you can use a
knife to cut your own
design into the Jell-o.
can also make a ‘candy-com’
cake, by decorating a cake
with white, yellow, and orange
icing.
Decorate your Space:
Make Halloween decorations
out of construction paper and
miscellaneous art supplies.
These decorations can be
used as room, lounge or door
decorations.
Make Trick-or-Treat Bags:
Using paper bags, make
Trick-or-Treat bags with your
hall. Use construction paper
and art supplies to decorate
and personalize your bag.
Have one roommate stay in
the room and give out candy
to hall mates who knock
on the door, while the other
roommate goes to each room
trick-or-treating. When the
first roommate is done, switch,
and have the second roommate
stay, while the first roommate
trick-or-treats. Students in
Joy Hill and Caroline Lamb dressed up for Halloween Courtesy of Joy Hill
You
Remember, anyone can
organize a hall activity, and
these are great ways to earn
hall points.
Hall Trick or Treating:
Trick-or-Treat with your hall
by buying candy, and then
filling bowls with candy.
singles, or students missing
their roommate can leave
their candy bowl outside of
their door as they go trick-or-
treating.
Teacher Trick-or-Treating:
During Halloween, many
teachers and staff members
will open up their rooms or
offices for trick-or-treating the
Thursday before exams. They
love to see the creativity of the
costumes students wear. Take
advantage of this opportunity
to wander around campus
while getting free candy from
your instructors
Wear Your Costume to
Class: Many
students wear
their Halloween
costumes to class
the Thursday
before Halloween.
Show your
creative spirit as
you spend class
time with fairies,
superheroes, and
princesses. Most
teachers allow
students to wear
costumes to class,
but it is a good
idea to check with
your teacher first.
Hall Hal
loween Games:
Play Halloween-
themed games
with your hall.
These games can
include playing
musical chairs
using Halloween
songs, ‘ghoul, ghoul, gob
lin’ (duck, duck, goose), and
‘witches and villagers’ (sharks
and minnows).
Haunted Houses (or Halls):
In the past, some halls have
turned their halls into haunted
houses. See if there are halls
you can visit for a terrifying '
experience, or talk to your
SLI about hosting your own
haunted i-viz. You can also
try talking to your SLL about
organizing a hall loop to a
haunted house or a com maze,
or maybe even a pumpkin
patch. Carving pumpkins as
a hall is a fun and popular
activity for October.
HALLoween Movies:
Watch Halloween movies as a
hall to embrace the Halloween
spirit. These movies can be
scary movies, like Halloween
or Freddy vs. Jason, or perhaps
some milder Halloween
movies, like the Disney Chanel
movie from our childhood
HalloweentONvn.
If you don’t have any
DVDs, check out the school
library's selection, as well as
the many Halloween movies
TV channels will screen the
weekend of Halloween.
Once Upon a Midnight
Dreary and Halloween Dance:
Come check out the theater
department’s Poe-themed
spectacular on Saturday
October 29th. Be guided by
spirits of the undead as you
tour the ETC and witness the
chilling tales form the mind of
one of the most nightmarish
writers in America’s history.
After making the tour with
your friends, attend the school’s
Halloween dance starting at
9 p.m.. Come dressed in your
best Halloween costume, while
you dance and eat candy in the
spookified PEC.