TheA
M Stentorian
vol. XXXIV, Issue 2
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
International Fest
September 2014
stentorianl23@gmall.com
controversy:
Students petition to stop festival merger
By Sierra Dunne
Editor-in-Chief
Some of the most celebrated
and well known traditions
of Science and Math are the
cultural fests that happen each
trimester. Every year much
work and preparation goes
into making Africa fest, Latin
America fest, and Asia fest
happen.
These fests are run and
supported by a variety students
and organizations on campus,
including cultural clubs such as
Asian Cultures Club, Hispanic
Cultures Club, HOPE, and
NIA.
These traditional events
became threatened earlier in
September, when students
began hearing rumors that
there would be no fests this
year.
When these rumors were
proven to be true, it came as
a total surprise to the entire
student body, including
Student Government members
and cultural club officers.
This caused backlash
against the Student Life and
administration members
who were involved with the
decision-making, because no
students were asked for input
on affairs that are almost
completely student run.
International fest has been
a discussion point in the
administration for a couple
of years, and there were a
variety of reasons they decided
to implement this new event
in place of the three main
traditional fests.
Kevin Cromwell, who has
been an Asian Cultures Club
sponsor for 5 years and Student
Government sponsor for 12
years, explained “student
workload, the stress involved
with the fests, and the limited
availability of the auditorium
were all factors that influenoed
US to make a change.”
Last year the lack of
representation of other
cultures also became a point of
conversation as students from
Other cultural backgrounds
wanted more festivals to
celebrate their heritage.
On top of more festivals
being requested, this year
there were only two available
weekends open for the three
festivals that typically happen.
Administration believed
that the creation of International
fest, which would only be one
weekend long and represent all
world cultures, would solve
this problem.
They also believed it would
help create a better audience
turnout for all acts, since
some fests are typically more
popular than others, and the
fest would not run the risk of
getting cancelled.
The fact that students were
not informed or consulted
about thi.s major change led to
watpage ■iwong ouirwit utid past
students alike, so they decided
to turn their anger into action.
An online petition was
drafted by various SG
members and club officers
which detailed the reasons that
International Fest should not
take place and even included
a number of quotes from
former students who led or
participated in fests.
It stated that “International
festivaf will take away
opportunities from students to
organize and collaborate with
each other,” among a variety
of other reasons why students
thought the new fest was a bad
idea.
Over 20 different campus
clubs and organizations
were listed on the petition as
supporters of its agenda.
The petition, which spread
quickly through the NCSSM
social media realm, proved to
be successful with over 700
signatures.
Due to the size of the
support against international
fest and the work of student
leadership, the petition was
taken into serious consideration
by administration.
They eventually agreed to
keep the three fests this year
since students had already put
a lot of work into them before
the school year had even
started.
Next year, however,
students can expect to see a
change in the way that the fests
are organized, and it’s more
likely that something similar
to International fest will take
place rather than the three
traditional fests that students
have known and loved for so
long.
However, after discussion
students are more optimistic
for this change.
“I'm excited to work with
the coalition of festivals in
preparing all the festivals this
year and for planning for a
po.ssible International festival
next year," .said senior ACC
officer Pranev Kemburu.
“It's a great opportunity
for us to come together and
represent our cultures in the
way that we choose and make
happen."
Unis attend People’s Climate
March, largest climate rally
By Sikrra Dunne & CmCiii Znu
Editor-in-Chief and Staff Writer
The city of New York was
strangely calm in the early
hours of Sunday, Sept. 21. The
sky was dreary and overcast,
the streets were roamed by
more pigeons than people.
This strange peace was
ephemeral, however, with
chaos being foreshadowed by
the 6:30 a.m. arrival of a huge
coach bus labelled in big block
letters, “NC-8.”.
This bus, filled with bleary
eyed high schoolers and senior
citizens, held 13 NCSSM
students and a teacher eager
to travel through nights to
the biggest climate march in
history, the People’s Climate
March.
That first bus was soon fol
lowed by almost 500 other
buses coming from all over the
country, travel-
1 ling with school
groups and re-
ligious groups
and activist del-
^^*™^** egations of all
kinds.
People also
came in a va-
history,
100,000
climate march
and set a goal
participants.
The aim was to make this
event the largest climate march
against climate change and for
better climate policy.
The march was specifically
chosen to take place on Sept.
21 because just two days
T"
I »
N
riety of other ways, and one
group even walked from Los
Angeles to New York to get
to the march. The march itself
was organized by multiple en-
vironmental
activist groups
including 350.
org, Green
peace, the Si
erra Club, and
many more.
The march
commenced
along the
blocks beside
Central Park
West between
65th street and
86th street.
Protesters
began gath
ering hours
ahead of the
TlSO ^a”m °o Central Park IVest, promoting sustainability, scientific
meet and talk ''^^ponsihility. Student groups and those affected by
with others, change were among the largest members of the crowd.
plan their course of action, and in history, and the goal was to later, heads of state met at the
have 100,00 people participate.
There were also coinciding
events planned all over the
world, a stance in solidarity
secure their place in this his
toric event.
Hopeful organizers aimed
to make this event the largest
UN for a summit on climate
change.
This march was a message
to those leaders: Climate
change is real, it’s happening
fast, and the people want
action against it.
The march was a huge
success in terms of turnout, with
the final count of participants
being over 400,000. On top of
that, the final count for global
solidarity events was 2,808
events in 166 countries, where
people of all ages and all walks
of life showed their support to
the movement.
Because of the unexpected
NYC turnout, the latter half of
the march had to disband eight
blocks before the planned end.
NCSSM students marched
only a fraction of the marching
distance because of this, but
the heat of the march still had
it’s impact.
Junior Anya Quenon,
among student group from
NCSSM, said of the march,
“Attaining sustainability is
one of my passions, and has
led me to pursue a career in
sustainable engineering. Being
among over 400,000 who
feel the same had a certain
exhilarating intensity 1 doubt
I’ll ever be able to describe.”