may 2014
news
the stentorian | ncssm
Continued from Pag^l
Barber retires
Engineering and Technoiogy
department prepares for big
changes in coming months from NCSSM
By ChiCfii Zhu
The NCSSM Engineering
and Technology Department
will be undergoing a series of
changes in the coming months.
In the past year, an ,
Engineering & Technology,
Research Experience in
Engineering, and Research in
Engineering.
The introduction of the
REngineering and . Rex
The REX Lab as it is before summer renovations.
Engineering and Technology
course graduation requirement
was added. This requirement
becomes effective with the
incoming Class of 2016 and is
a requirement of one course.
In order to accommodate
the increasing number of
students taking engineering
and computer science classes,
the department has added
several new courses to be
offered starting next year,
including Foundations in
Modem Computing, Web
Development, Biomedical
Engineering, History of
Engineering courses are
much anticipated by the staff
and student body. Currently,
students who want to do
research or gain research
experience in engineering have
to do so through mentorship.
Including engineering as a
part of the NCSSM’s Research
program will hopefully
prove to be advantageous in
the fostering of engineering
interest and execution in
engineering capabilities of
students who choose to pursue
these options. .
“I’m personally excited
about the addition of an
introductory level Biomedical
engineering course,” said
Ershela Sims, Dean of
Engineering and Technology.
“I am also excited about the
new Rex Engineering and
I* Web Development courses, as
^ well as the new introductory
J level programming course,
^ Foundations in Modem
^ Computing, which is designed
o for students who do not have a
XI
3 background in programming,
o but are interested in learning
to program.”
These changes, while
spurred onward by the addition
of the graduation requirement,
were in fact already planned.
The addition of a broader range
of courses is covered in the
department’s long range plan,
a fluid plan that changes with
factors like funding, sehool-
wide priorities, and student
demand but aims to create
a more diverse engineering
program at NCSSM.
Another change to
the NCSSM community
facilitated by Engineering and
Technology is the upcoming
renovations to the Rex Lab.
Currently, the Rex Lab
is only used by Research
Experience students for the
Rex classes. Construction will
begin this June to transform
this lab into the Peter T.
Continued to Page 6
School garden raises
controversy
By Sierra Dunne
During the third trimester
I-Week, the members of the
Anti-Lawnism Association
(ALA) started their main
project, the creation of
NCSSM’s first vegetable
garden.
About ten students came out
to help break the ground that
will soon yield fresh vegetables
for the student body.
The ALA has faced many
issues while trying to plant
this garden, especially with
the location. They persevered,
however, and finally settled for
using land between Hunt and
the PEC.
They were disappointed
because it was not their desired
location, but it was the only
land that was available to them.
After the garden was
constructed, many students
expressed discontent with the
garden and its location through
Facebook.
Students argued that the
garden was taking up space that
is frequently used for frisbee,
soccer, and other recreational
purposes. Many were angry
that the club did not ask the
student body as a whole before
starting their project.
“Is the location where the
club originally proposed to
establish the garden? No.
Yet the new location is at the
heart of our campus where a
community garden belongs.
The ALA had no intention of
not deterred from moving
forward with this project due
to complaints, but rather are
excited to teach students the
importance of the garden and
what it means to them.
“I think that a garden
engenders an appreciation
Students break ground for new garden. Courtesy of Sierra Dunne
taking away space students use
for frisbee,” stated Instructor of
Humanities Michael Mulvey,
the sponsor of the club.
Even though the garden
is small and will not yield a
large harvest in the near future,
it is meant to be a public
statement of the importance of
sustainability to NCSSM.
Members of the ALA are
for nature on a deeper level
than little reminders to turn
the lights off or recycle,” says
ALA member junior Conor
Stuart-Roe.
“I also think that the garden
has the potential to be a source
of joy and community for the
student body, although what
we get out of it depends on
what we put into it.”
program ran smoothly. She
interacted with the students
on a daily basis and made sure
that they were engaged and
having fun.
She also developed intimate
relationships with the parents
and was instrumental in
making sure that they were
informed at all times.”
Barber’s passion for
research and the students in
Step Up to STEM did not
stop at the conclusion of the
program.
Sims said Barber worked
to bring the students back to
campus for the annual NCSSM
Research Symposium. In fact,
most of the students came back
for the symposium exeept for
a few.
“She wanted them to share
their research with members of
the NCSSM community, since
the program requires that they
complete a project after the
program, and she wanted to
show them the caliber and type
of research students at NCSSM
conduct so that they can see
what it is like and hopefully
encourage them to apply to
NCSSM and look for research
opportunities in the future.”
After her retirement. Barber
will step down as director and
act as program coordinator for
Step Up to STEM. “I get sad
every time Dr. Barber says
that we have switched roles
for Step Up to STEM, but 1
know that what she has started
will continue to have sustained
success,” says Sims.
While Barber is very
research-oriented and has
shared her passion with the
rest of the state, her care
for NCSSM - the students,
the faculty, and anyone else
associated with the school - is
second-to-none.
Michael Newbauer, Student
Life Instructor on First Hunt
and Director of Residence
Life, has worked with Barber
for fourteen years and says
that she is an example for the
NCSSM community.
“She has such a compassion
for the school and for the
students. She looks for the
good in everybody and always
honors the accomplishments
and achievements of students
and faculty alike.”
Throughout her time at
NCSSM, she has always made
sure that students lived healthy
lives and Newbauer said that it
shows.
“She has a passion for
health. She lives and breathes
wellness. People actually
think that she has a degree in
wellness. Her innovative ideas
about what is fun and healthy
have brought the community
together and it is what the
community needed.”
Barber does not simply stop
at being just an advocate for
healthy living and research.
She also serves as a positive
role model to students and staff
alike.
Senior Marlisha Blakeney
is one of those students who
has come to love Barber as a
role model.
“Dr. Barber and I are pretty
close. When I see her in the
hallway, there’s always more
to our hellos than just a simple
hello. We are super dramatic
and excited when we approach
each other.”
Other than the dramatic
greetings, Blakeney has always
been able to depend on Barber
when she has had a concern.
“She is willing to help me
in every way possible. There
have been plenty of times
where I have felt hopeless and
wanted to give up. Dr. Barber
has always helped me, whether
it be with her baek rubs or her
willingness to sit down and
listen.”
“She has made me feel
better and more appreciative
of my NCSSM experienee.
Without her help, I -don’t know
what I would have done these
past two years. I don’t know
who is taking her position in
the upcoming years, but they
will have a big seat to fill. Such
a powerful woman can never
really be replaced.”
Even though the junior
class has only had one year
to interact with Barber, junior
Charlie Cheema has, gotten to
know her as a great friend and
mentor.
“I met her during Summer
Bridge and she quickly became
a great example. She made my
transition into NCSSM smooth
and easy and she made me feel
comfortable in a new place with
new people. She makes people
feel like they are important and
she is the most hardworking
person that I have ever met.
She cares about everyone and
has one of the biggest hearts in
the world.”
Cheema is thankful for, the
impact that she has had on his
life over the past school year.
Barber has sought to
promote academic success,
health and wellness, and
scientific discovery throughout
her entire life, whether it be
in the research labs in Chapel
Hill, the high school classroom
in Mississippi, or her office in
NCSSM’s Bryan Lobby.
Her many accolades,
including serving as
chairperson of the National
Consortium for Specialized
Secondary Schools of
Mathematics, Science and
Technology and being honored
with an NCSSM alumni-
endowed “Joan Barber,
Ph.D., Endowment for Under
represented Minorities Student
Success,” are a testament
to her personal character,
her passion for students, her
service to education, and her
commitment to health and
wellness.
She will be missed by
many, and is, in the words of
senior Marlisha Blakeney, ”a
role model, a mom to many, a
leader for all, a hero, a fan, and
a woman of great honor.”