January 2015 Stentorian

The

Stentorian

vol. XXXIV, issue 5 North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

January 2015

stentorian123@gmail.com

Behind the scenes of the PFM Staff Writer

If the old saying “we are what we eat” is true, then we would have some serious problems. While Science and Math offers some of the best courses and activities in the STEM field for high school students, the science of cooking is certainly not one of its specialties.

Residents on campus are limited to cafeteria food from the PFM. So in an effort to understand what we really are at this critical juncture in our lives, we must understand what the PFM really is.

PFM stands for Professional Food Management, a company who ran the cafeteria a long time ago but the acronym stuck around a lot longer than the company. Currently, the cafeteria is managed by Perkins Management Services.

As stated on its website, Perkins is a food service management company committed to delivering food of the highest quality since 2005.

While students might hold differing opinions on Perkins food, many do not know that Perkins employs over 400 workers, and operations currently span across 10 states.

Besides high schools, Perkins also serves universities, the military, and commercial clients.

The Millennium

Café “designed to excite the customers” aims to “transform any cafeteria into a state-ofthe-art food court” while the Full Food and Dining Facility tends to the Department of Defense across 6 states along

Southern Cuisine, in Charlotte, bringing diversity to the food PMS serves.

Perkins is indeed very successful, but it is still important to remember that the food in any food management

sausages for breakfast, fried chicken, salads, and burgers for lunch, and pastas, pizzas, and lasagnas for dinner.

However, the ambiguity surrounding what exactly is in the lasagna or burger patties

the East coast.

Furthermore, Perkins even caters to the US President with “elegance and flair in mind”.

Perkins even operated its very own restaurant, Laurene’s

service is arguably the most crucial component.

At NCSSM, the PFM serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Common menu items include biscuits, eggs, and

after countless days of having questionable hotdogs and barbeque for dinner, prompts students to ask, “Where does the food come from?”

To answer the question

regarding the origin of our daily meals, we must look behind the closed doors of the PFM. Every day, fresh boxes of frozen entrees arrive at the cafeteria, waiting to be heated before meals.

Common desserts such as cakes and brownies are also bought in bulk then sliced.

However, sliced cakes and frozen entrees are not usually served the day of their arrival, rather many items such as fries and vegetables are frozen again or half-prepared then frozen for the rest of the week.

Additionally, last night’s dinner rolls are also often transformed into the next day’s croutons to further increase efficiency.

Although many foods are not the freshest produce, the PFM does perform some actual cooking besides the heating of frozen items. For example, many vegetables are steamed and rice is cooked right before the start of meals.

Meat is also cut and prepared immediately before being served. Although the vegetables are frozen, the grill also occasionally serves stirfry cooked to order. In the end, if students don’t especially prefer the taste of PFM foods, the frozen food companies should share at least half the blame.

Continued on Page 7

reliability and motives of the mainstream media.

The Islamist militant group Boko Haram stormed into the city of Baga in northern Nigeria earlier this month, firing guns at fleeing civilians and burning down buildings along the way.

The attacks were so deadly, District leader Musa Alhaji Bukar that Baga was now “virtually nonexistent.”

This is not the first time the group has inflicted terror on this region: Over 10,000 people were killed in related attacks last year alone.

“Dead bodies litter the bushes in the area and it is still not safe to go and pick them (up) for burial,” said Musa Bukar, the chairman of the local government where Baga is located.

Many were forced to flee, and over 30,000 people were displaced from their homes.

A number of survivors fled to lake Chad, where “some drowned and where others remain marooned on small islands, menaced by hippos,” said a local government official.

On Saturday, Jan. 10 a girl no older than 10 walked into a crowded marketplace in the city of Maiduguri and detonated an explosive strapped to her chest. As people rushed to aid the injured, another girl set off another bomb, leaving about 20 dead and several severely injured.

Attacks like these have become common in the Northern Nigerian region, and Boko Haram has expanded its insurgency to other countries such as Chad and Cameroon.

Almost 70 schools in

Cameroon’s Far North Region were forcefully closed since students and teachers had to flee their villages.

Many of these ongoing events have failed to be reported on by the mainstream media. While the situation is France prompted a worldwide response and the “Je suis Charlie” campaign, the world has remained silent on the massacres still going on in multiple African countries.

Human rights activist Aminu Gamawa believes Continued on page 3

Students take their PFM food to the dining area during common lunch. The quality of PFM food has been the subject of many SG campaign promises and has even spurred the creation of a PFM

Photo courtesy of Chichi Zhu

Cheryl Wang

Nigerians hopeless against Islamist attacks

By Sierra Dunne Editor-in-Chief

The story of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, where 17 French citizens were killed at the headquarters of the satirical magazine in Paris, sparked outrage against the attackers and solidarity with the victims throughout the world.

However, in the same week over 2,000 Nigerian citizens were murdered in a brutal attack by the Boko Haram militants, yet there was almost no coverage on the event, causing many to question the

Mr. Gibson brings youth and style to NCSSM Math Department

pg. 6

Who is Nicolas Cage and what does he want? We weigh in. pg. 8

Winter survival tips

pg. 4-5

News

January 2015

: Urine-vited AJ Goren Staff Writer

NCSSM’s winter musical is fast approaching. Friday, Feb. 6 is opening night for the satirical show Urinetown, which follows the poor masses of a town ravaged by a water shortage so severe that private bathrooms are unthinkable.

The corporate monopoly Urine Good Company controls all public toilets, and charges a pretty penny for access; those who disobey are exiled to Urinetown, a mythical place whose secrets no one knows.

The show stars Dolan Potter as the heroic Bobby Strong, a figurehead who leads the poor masses against the corporate mastermind Caldwell B. Cladwell, head of Urine Good Company, portrayed by Noah Gavenus.

Along the way, however, Bobby inadvertently falls

for Cladwell’s idealistic daughter Hope, played by Sarah Stephens, and they must find a way to reconcile their love for each other with their conflicting allegiances.

Ashlyn Parsons plays Penelope Pennywise, the uptight operator of the poorest, filthiest public toilet in town, Tony Courville portrays Officer Lockstock, the tough no-nonsense cop who narrates the show, and Charleigh Smith fills the chipper role of Little Sally, a young poor girl who Lockstock looks after.

Urinetown is filled with grand musical numbers that are unusual, to say the least, like It’s a Privilege to Pee, Ms. Pennywise’s tirade against free access, and Snuff That Girl, the rebels’ violent call for murderous revenge.

The show debuted offBroadway in 2001 and then

moved to Broadway for a 965-performance run lasting through 2004. The show has been professionally produced in London since March 2014.

The cast was decided at

The Stentorian | NCSSM

Students perform Urinetown as winter musical the end of November and has been rehearsing since Dec. 1, learning songs, choreography, and dialogue.

Senior Zachary Parham, who plays a member of

Co-op to open in Durham Sierra Dunne Editor-in-Chief

In early 2015, Durham will experience a new type of grocery store: the Durham Coop Market. Unlike traditional stores like Food Lion, Harris Teeter, or even Whole Foods, the Co-op is a sustainable business that offers a large variety of locally-produced, organic foods.

The idea of the Co-op began in 2007 through the efforts of people in downtown Durham who saw a need to create a store which focused on local food.

A group of developers worked with citizens of the Old North Durham Neighborhood Association to lay the groundwork, and they approached the Durham Food Co-op to get help with their project. Together, these organizations formed the first vision for the Durham Coop Market. The construction and implementation of the Market primarily depends on donations and the shares of founding owners. There are currently around 1600 owners who have each pledged money in order to support the store, and these pledges are the main reason the store has been on track to success thus far.

Leila Wolfram is the General Manager of the Coop. Before taking on this position, Wolfram has held a number of jobs that promoted sustainable agriculture and local investment. Previous jobs of hers include production manager of Locopops in Durham, production manager of Simple Kneads Bakery in Greensboro, and manager of the Eno River Farmers Market.

While Wolfram, the Board of Directors, and the Advisory Board of the Co-op have been the key members of creating the market, much of the work required has been done by volunteers who have worked tirelessly to promote the store, attract owners, and build publicity. The market will hire employees to work in the store, but even after opening these volunteers will play a crucial role in keeping the market running smoothly.

The Durham Co-op Market will be located at 1111 W. Chapel Hill St., which is approximately two miles from NCSSM. This location makes it possible for loops to take students to the market, or students could even walk there.

“I think a co-op grocery store in this area would be wonderful,” says senior Komal Charania. “Although places like Harris Teeter are more convenient for some people, it is always nice to have an alternative option. I’m really excited to see what this store has to offer!”

Latest reports on the Coop’s website indicate that the store is nearly complete, and the only thing they have left to do is “turn the big mud pit in front of the store into a real parking lot.” The official grand opening of the store is set for Feb. 18, but that could change in the face of impending inclement weather.

The creation of this store is just one result of the evergrowing local food movement in Durham and throughout NC, and the successful opening of this market will be a victory for local farmers and businesses alike.

Seniors Charlie Cheema-Brown, Dolan Potter and Tony Courville run through lines for Urinetown, a play about a town that charges for urination and defecation.

Photo courtesy of Chichi Zhu

2

Caldwell Cladwell’s loyal staff, said that he was “excited to see it all come together.”

Parham also expressed concern that getting off-book – that is, being able to deliver lines without the script on hand – might prove to be the cast’s biggest challenge since the show does not have a rehearsal stage manager, who would be able to remind actors of their lines and choreography once the actors are working offbook.

To combat this challenge, the cast has taken time outside of regularly scheduled rehearsals to go over choreography and lines without the guidance of theater instructor and director Adam Sampieri. The cast can also frequently be found crowding a PFM table together once rehearsals let out, or singing numbers from the show together after vocal practices.

Speaking to the shared experience of involvement in such a big production, Parham said “I love how close the cast always gets. We spend so much time together that we become a family.”

Three performances will be given in the ETC Auditorium: Friday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m..

Photo of the month

Photo courtesy of Chichi Zhu. Students at Africafest pose in hoodies with their hands raised in protest to recent killings of African-Americans directly before intermission. While the programs dedicated this time to be a moment of silence, NCSSM students used it as a time to speak. The hoodies reference the killing of Trayvon Martin, as students chanted the phrases “I can’t breath,” and “Hands up; Don’t shoot.” This action was the most grievous moment of Africafest, which otherwise featured lighthearted dances, musical performances and a fashion show. By standing up against recent police actions, students brought representation to the plight of modern AfricanAmericans .

The Stentorian | NCSSM

News/opinion

January 2015

3

College applications tormenting NCSSM seniors come to an abrupt end Staff Writer

It is that time of year again.

Seniors have been engaged for several months now with the difficult process of college applications.

Approximately 99% of the Senior class each year attend college the year after their graduation, and NCSSM students apply annually to hundreds of schools nationwide.

Through AP testing and NCSSM’s articulation agreements (with 13 universities, and more still on the way) students can get college credit for their courses, and scholarships (both merit and need based) can provide significant savings for graduating Seniors.

College applications last over a periods of several months. “College apps are terrible because your goal is to present yourself in a way that would please a panel of random people you’ve never met. To be honest, I wasn’t myself in college apps, I was what someone else wanted me to be,” said senior Maddy Sabo.

Many students from NCSSM go on to some of the nation’s most prestigious universities. Often, students will apply to one or more of their top choices during the Early Action/Early decision period, usually from Sept. to Dec..

Students who apply Early Action send in applications earlier than for regular decision, and typically receive

their letters of acceptance, rejection, or deferral soon afterward, in Jan. or Feb..

Early Action decisions are nonbinding. Early Decision is similar to Early Action.

However, it is important to note that the results of Early Decision are binding, and usually come before financial aid has been determined.

Fortunately, financial aid opportunities are abundant for NCSSM’s Seniors. Even with only an estimated 11% of scholarships awarded on the basis of merit, NCSSM students are regular recipients of the Park, Morehead, and Presidential scholarships, among others.

NCSSM’s tuition grant, which in previous years provided free tuition to NCSSM graduates choosing to attend UNC-system schools, was discontinued in 2009.

Since then, NCSSM has seen increasing diversity in the types and geographic distribution of the schools to which it sends its students. Nonetheless, many students still apply to local colleges like UNC and NC State.

Changes are also coming to the college application process more broadly. An increased number of colleges are accepting the common college application, and most colleges now place increased emphasis on the use of teacher recommendations and student interviews in the application process.

Coupled with a redesigned SAT, these amount to

Islamist group ravages Nigeria

Continued from page 1 the reason these attacks are receiving so little coverage is due to the fact that, “If the government does not pay attention to it, it is hard for the media to pay attention to it.”

The Nigerian government put the death toll for the massacre at 150, less than ten times the number of deaths originally reported. Authorities in Nigeria have been accused of lowering the number of casualties caused by Boko Haram in the past, lessening the threat the terrorists actually present.

These latest attacks occurred at the same time Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan launched his reelection campaign. Goodluck has been criticized in the past for his inability to stop the insurgents. The Nigerian army is also believed to lack the ability to stop the invasions due to a shortage of even the most essential weapons. Boko Haram, however, reportedly have advanced weaponry including machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and

a tank.

Brutal assaults like these have occurred so often in this region, many have become desensitized to the violence surrounding them.

Additionally, Boko Haram is an Islamist group killing mainly Muslims, which is why many Nigerians, including the local media, to disregard the situation as not a big deal.

While people are still being harassed, dislocated, and murdered by this extreme militant group, the world has remained silent. There is no international movement of solidarity to aid these helpless people, and even their own country and government cannot seem to support them.

“Unless there is a campaign around an issue, it does not receive the attention it deserves.

The Paris attack sucked the attention of the Western media toward Paris,” Gamawa stated, and ultimately, he believes the Nigerian government is to blame. “They are either downplaying, denying or playing politics with the local situation.”

significant differences from previous years.

Another interesting difference from previous years is that more and more colleges, including Brown, Princeton, Amherst, and Stanford, are expressing an interest in maintaining an active presence at N C S S M ’s college fair, and hosting Tr i a n g l e wide information sessions at NCSSM. “People need to chill, to be honest,” said senior Sarah NCSSM Seniors have long saught this Daughtery.

Common Application screen, indicating all The colcollege essays have been. lege application process is a big Photo courtesy of NCSSM

By Chase Roycroft

deal at NCSSM. Over a period of just eight days, for example, 63 Harvard and 28 MIT interviews are being conducted – and that’s only for regular decision applicants.

“College apps are the worst things in existence. I think I have grey hair now because of college apps,” said senior Richard Ong. “But the worst part is how they come on top of schoolwork.”

Senior students have dedicated much of their weekend, break, and iweek time to filling out their applications. Teachers and counselors work tirelessly to submit recommendations and prepare students for the difficulties that lie ahead.

“The arduous road of college apps seems only to end in the labors of the future, as an endless train of abuses continues forever. There is no meaning to it; it has no purpose other than itself. It is a self perpetuating sequence of torturous efforts, benefitting no one and laying waste to all.

College is an empty promise,” said Ong.

Movie sequels surge in number, ridiculousness

By Richard Ong Editor-in-Chief

One look at the box office these days reveal an overabundance of sequels.

In fact, 2013 had more major motion picture sequels (36) than any other year. But why the reason for this sudden increase in sequels? Are they simply out of ideas, or are sequels economically superior?

There are currently 272 movie sequels planned for release or have been released from 2014-2016; the amount of them that will make it to the box office is unknown but their prevalence cannot be denied.

Many of the big blockbusters have series which never seem to end, such as Sherlock Holmes 3, Iron Man 4, Fast 7 and Mission Impossible 5, which carry the careers of Robert Downey Jr., Vin Diesel and Tom Cruise respectively.

To truly understand Hollywood’s idea about sequels, it is only necessary to look at what James Cameron said to Empire magazine about his three upcoming Avatar sequels: “I can tell you one thing about them: they are gonna be bi***in.”

Hollywood clearly views sequels to be automatic successes, achieving just as high box office tallies as their predecessors, if not higher. In fact, Prof. Jeffrey S. Simonoff of NYU calculated movie

sequels, on average, gross $61 million more than non-sequels.

This has led to the proliferation of sequels like no other. Not only are vast cinematic plot lines being structured, such as the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the smaller DC Cinematic Universe but many old franchises are being resurrected every few years.

Both the Spiderman and Fantastic Four film series were dead in the water five years ago, and now Spiderman has already returned with two top grossing films and the Fantastic Four will be returning in 2015.

Mad Max: Road Warrior, I am Legend 2, Red 3, The Transporter 4, Kung Fu Panda 3, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Trip, World War Z 2, X-Men: Apocalypse, The Incredibles 2, The Lego Movie 2, Cars 3, Captain America 3, a Rocky spinoff about Apollo Creed, a Predator reboot, Cloverfield 2, Wolverine 3, Tintin 2 and 3, Godzilla 2, Ice Age 5, Transformers 5, Terminator: Genysis and its sequel, Thor: Ragnarok, the new Star Wars trilogy, a Lincoln Laywer sequel, The Untouchables: Capone Rising, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, Ted 2, The Amazing Spiderman 3, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, Avatar 2, 3 and 4,

Independence Day 2, Now You See Me: The Second Act, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, I Robot 2, Hancock 2, Clerks III, Prometheus 2, Star Trek 3, and a sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman are all coming out in the next 3 years. I believe I have made my point.

There are far too many sequels today. It is as though Hollywood has completely exhausted all ideas and is now recycling movies to buoy the careers of washed up actors.

Even beloved movies, such as The Untouchables or Blade Runner are turned into sequels, ruining an entire film saga for millions.

The solution is simple. If we, as consumers, want to see new, innovative films with fresh, exciting characters, we need to stop paying to see sequels. It will be tragic; many cinephiles will not be able to see Pixar sell out its values or dozens of high quality films turn out more sequels than Police Academy.

This is the only way to control what products are sold, to democratically purchase as a group. If the Supreme Court has ruled money is equivalent to speech, then we, as a nation, must exercise our first amendment rights to stop the Fast and the Furious franchise and others like it, so movies can make decent films instead.

4

January 2015

Center Spread

The Stentorian | NCSSM

Second trimester slump plagues NCSSM

By Joe Wiswell Staff Writer

F o r m a n y students here at NCSSM second trimester comes with soul-crushing implications.

For those of you who do not know, second trimester slump is a term used to describe the burnout of a second trimester rife with darkness, coldness and overwork. This tri. is often the subject of horror stories about people who don’t go outside for weeks on end or work-weeks in which major projects are due practically every day. When this topic was brought up at the weekly Stentorian meeting, co-editor-in-chief Richard Ong just gave us a curt nod as look of complete hollowness filled his eyes. “Yes,” he murmured, “It’s real.” A chill filled the air.

It is easy to exaggerate the effects of second trimester on the student body, many students feel fine with their workloads and can still find time for the things they enjoy. When I asked Austin Holmes* if he had been experiencing any of the symptoms of second tri slump he smiled and said, “Not yet.” And M a x Schlenker wisely pointed out “by telling everyone they’re going to have a second tri. slump, it increases the likelihood of it happening.”

But if you are feeling some burnout, you are defiantly not alone. Chapin Holland is adamant that “I have lots of things to write and things to do and there’s no transition from break to work.” And Yash Nalla agrees saying, “It’s getting really hard… I’m losing sleep [and] my hair’s falling out,” but adds with a small smile forming on his lips and a dreamy expression in his eyes, “One day, I hope I’ll be rich.” Second hill RLA Ethan Harrell helps explain a little of this by saying second trimester is when “juniors get down and dirty with their classes.” With a large part of the junior class now taking on another core class this could speak volumes to the source of this burnout.

Second tri. slump isn’t just confined to academics though, old man winter is taking tolls on athletes too. Cross country runner Spencer Hoffman says “on colder days it’s harder because your hands freeze, and it’s dif- ficult to dress right.” And even just eating is becoming more difficult as the dark closes in around us from all sides. Josh Joo was outraged as he said, “I can’t go out to eat as late as I want.” A pain we all can relate to.

There are some hopeful notes though. Max Schlenker says “If I can pretend everything is fine until February… then I think I’ll be fine.” Something which certainly resonates with us all. Justin Savage looks hopeful saying “There are some good extendeds, getting to see the family, that’s good.” And for all you suffering Juniors Ethan Harrell says that senior year “you’re more accustomed to it, because you’re done with college apps it feels like you have less to do.”

Center Spread

The Stentorian | NCSSM

January 2015

5

Surviving the coming winter

By Ashley Thrasher Staff Writer

At SSM,

N C t h e weather seems to be an ever changi n g nightmare.

Some days it is w a r m , and some days it’s so cold and dark, one is left unsure on whether to even call it a day. To help solve this problem a list has been composed; a list that will help to keep one warm in the cold days ahead.

Tip One – Cover Up The great thing about living in a day and age where there are clothing shops everywhere is that one is bound to find something they like. Some simple things to look into purchasing would include: a warm coat, gloves, hats, scarves, flannels, underarmor, etc.

Tip Two – Protect your Feet The feet are the body’s natural heating and cooling system; a way to ensure staying warm is to put on heavy duty wool socks or even just doubling up on the socks you are wearing.

Good shoes a r e also a great way to make sure o n e s feet stay warm. Good shoes can include fuzzy boots, sneakers, and boots that have leather or wool materials.

Tip Three – Avoid the outside The great thing about NCSSM is that almost everything is accessible by going through a series of networks that connect the buildings e.g. tunnels and breezeways. Using the Hill tunnel or cutting through the 2nd Bryan breezeway to get into the ETC are great ways to keep oneself out of the cold. One could also answer the year old question of which way is quicker to

Puzzles:

get to Bryan from Hunt. Try different routes t o stay out of t h e cold. *Hint* when tested it was found that cutting across diagonally from Hunt to Bryan Lobby was faster than going through the Reynolds side door by nearly 40 sec- onds at a normal walking speed.

Tip Four – Cuddle up Wrapping up in blankets and cuddling up to stuffed animals isn’t just a great way to deal with heart ache it also helps to keep one warm. No one is going to judge someone for carrying around a blanket when it is thirty some odd degrees outside. Movie nights with friends is also a great way to spend the cold season, huddle up, pop some popcorn and it’s a guaranteed fun night with friends and ensured appreciation for it being too cold to leave the dorms.

Tip Five – Hand warmers and Hot drinks

Great for more than science experiments, Hand warmers can actually help one shake that terrible cold in their fingers during the cold months. Hot drinks can be used the same way. Sometimes just holding a warm drink can cause someone to warm up, not to mention the amazi n g feeling to have hot l i q - uids running down your throat. Tis the season of hand warmers, coffee, and hot chocolate.

Tip Six – Exercise Exercise actually helps to heat the body up; however, do not do it outside. Running for short distances actually makes one colder because their body takes longer to heat up, but if they are planning to take a two mile jog, more power to them.

6

Features

January 2015

The Stentorian | NCSSM

Gibson makes teaching count Joe Wiswell

Taylor Gibson has only taught mathematics at NCSSM for two years now, but, like most people who walk through these halls, two years has been more than enough time for him to find an identity here.

As a teacher of AP Calculus AB and Pre-calculus with Advanced Topics, his classes have a friendly atmosphere which works to create excitement about math.

He said he taught as though, “students don’t care what you know until they know how much you care.” And Gibson certainly does make people the emphasis of his classroom.

This focus is not just the result of his character or a desire to have fun, though: this is also the result of the perspective Gibson brings to NCSSM. Coming from a family heavily involved in the STEM fields, Gibson arrived at Georgia Tech looking to major in computer science. He quickly realized, however, the major was not for him and next moved on to biomedical engineering.

He says these new classes were “lots of fun,” but when he started looking for jobs in the field, he was not excited by his opportunities.

At that point in his life he did a lot of ominous-sounding “reflection” about what he wanted to do with his life, and

a short time later he was at the mentorship, advanced courses, in career direction, Gibson they can emerge from NCSSM University of Georgia getting and numerous other activities, understands that in order with a massive head start for a master’s decollege. gree in math Having pereducation. sonality in eduA f t e r cation goes far graduating beyond college he taught in though; underpublic and pristanding people vate schools is important throughout in any subject.

Texas, GeorThe question, gia, and most “Why does any recently North of this matter?”

Carolina. is one which W h e n has been asked asked why by practically he ultimately everyone at this made the deschool (whether cision to besaid aloud or come a teachnot). Gibson is er, Gibson said adamant that we it was because should not disall of his great appointed. teachers had While there such a memois something rable and lastvery thrilling ing impact on Gibson creates a ubique and friendly learning environment for all of his students. Through in math itself, his own life. thoughtful one-on-one discussion, interesting and relatable lessons, and spirited and he believes we Many of unconvential teaching methods, he makes math enjoyable for everyone who enters his classroom. really do math for his teachers people. took the time to relate to him, all of which allow students to for a student to reach their Math is no longer just about which caused him to really specialize very early in their full potential they have solving for x or graphing care about the subjects they education, these dual passions to be brutally honest with an equation, as computers themselves. were teaching. are paramount. have taken a lot of that out of Having teachers who care our hands. Now, we can get This is one of the things Without teachers who so many students love about really care, not only would about students personally is right down to the “why?” of NCSSM: it has teachers whose classes would not be nearly more than just nice, it’s crucial problems. passions are twofold, both for as interesting or beneficial, for the students’ professional Not that the nitty-gritty of the subjects they teach, and the but students would also be growth. If students can have long division is a bad thing teaching itself, enthusiasms far more confused about their the support they need in order to know, but using computers to change directions in their liberates us to pursue questions which are ultimately careers. inseparable.

Coming from a background studies, or just keep going which can really make a In a school with research, with several large changes when the going gets tough, difference in people’s lives.

Photo courtesy of Chichi Zhu

Staff Writer

Classic literature vlogs thrive online Rebecca Liu Opinion Editor

Students might remember having to read Shakespeare plays in class, or watch them performed on screen. Maybe you have had to crack open a copy of one of Jane Austen’s many works of literature for an English course.

But nowadays, you do not have to open up a book, or watch Colin Firth on film in order to get a taste of classic literature.

Today, with the advent of YouTube and the innovation of certain individuals, you can watch these works come to life right on your computer screen.

A recently emerging genre of entertainment is the “literary inspired web series.” They are presented in the form of vlogs or “video blogs” (as Beatrice kindly informs Benedick in Nothing Much to Do, an adaptation of—you guessed it—Much ado about Nothing), and are readily accessible on YouTube.

Most webseries include episodes of about three to eight minutes, and primarily depict characters venting their feelings to the camera.

Many of them, such as the Anne of Green Gables inspired

Green Gables Fables and Jane Austen’s Emma inspired Emma Approved are also aided with other forms of social media.

The characters use websites such as Tumblr or Twitter to enhance their stories.

Ever since Primetime Emmy-winning series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

critics) has become a catalyst for a brand new genre.

There have been adaptations of Peter Pan, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, and the stories of Edgar Allen Poe. These literary adaptations allow for more possibilities than their original works provide.

There is more

“For so many people these web series became their passion project,” - Kyle Waters, star of The New Adventures of Peter racial and Wendy diversity available w a s in many cases, and uploaded in 2012, a whole new type of different relationships between YouTube videos has surged the original characters.

For example, in The Lizzie into existence.

What started off as an Bennet Diaries Elizabeth uncertain investment by Hank Bennet’s friend Charlotte Green of the Vlogbrothers (for Lucas becomes Charlotte Lu, who knew how a modern vlog and the ever-charming Charles adaptation of Jane Austen’s Bingley becomes the medical Pride and Prejudice would school student Bing Lee. Lizzie fare with YouTube’s harsh Bennet does not reject Mr.

Collins’s proposal of marriage, but instead rejects childhood friend Ricky Collins’s proposal of a business partnership.

Senior Teresa Meng cited this diversity as one of the best aspects of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, claiming that “all these changes make the story that Austen tells much more plausible in the real world.”

Produced by “The Candle Wasters,” Nothing Much to Do is another work that uses the same type of creative license— arguably more so than Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Lady Beatrice and Lord Benedick have become highschoolers in Auckland, New Zealand’s fictional Messina High School. While Beatrice and Hero are still cousins, Hero’s father Leonato has become Hero’s older brother (but is still her guardian, as Leo’s and Hero’s mothers have gone on vacation).

Beatrice and Benedick’s once vague backstory is instead one of scorned friendship, and Balthazaar becomes much more than a musician and servant of Leonato’s household. One of the most prominent differences between the vlog adaptation and the original work is that Hero has a larger speaking role.

When asked about his

thoughts on Nothing Much to Do, and if he believed that it was a good adaptation, senior Pranav Kemburu responded, “I don’t just think it’s good, I think it’s great.”

He also stated, “At first I thought it was real for a long time, and I really like how they recreated it into something that’s believable in today’s world.”

It stands to reason that if Hollywood borrows so heavily from literature, then online video should as well. Many of these literary vlogs are brought to life through crowd funding and ad revenues, used to fund often young and ambitious filmmakers.

The production studio Pemberley Digital, creators of Frankenstein M.D. and Emma Approved was the innovating force behind this trend but have caused a wide variety of spin-offs.

Although these vlog series are no substitute for WECS reading, they are an educational and enjoyable way to pass the time.

So if you do have nothing much on your plate—or rather, nothing much to do—consider looking into one of these video blog adaptations. The classics are available in a way never seen before.

The Stentorian | NCSSM

Features

January 2015

7

Behind the textbook curtain:

An interview with Ping Pong legend and Book Room Overlord Ryan Donaldson Feature editor and Staff writer

Ryan Donaldson was born in Gouverneur, New York, the home of the Life Saver candy.

He describes this place as “the middle of nowhere,” with lots of farmland and literal horseand-buggies in use.

In high school and college, he was an avid reader and athlete, playing baseball, soccer, basketball, floor hockey, ping-pong, and tennis, and doing cross-country and track.

When asked what he wanted to be when he was younger, he said, “I had no idea. I still have no idea what I want to do now. I don’t think people

are meant to just have one job.

People should have multiple experiences.”

Over the years, Donaldson has worked at a variety of places. In college, he majored in computer programming, but found his first programming job boring. More recently, he worked as a debt collector in Durham.

“It paid really good money,” Donaldson recalled, but, miserable from calling people all day from a cubicle, he realized that “you’ve got to find something you enjoy doing, otherwise work just isn’t worth coming to.”

Nowadays Donaldson is NCSSM’s Attendance

Continued from Page 1

Behind the PFM curtain Besides the taste of foods, the sanitation of the cafeteria is also an extremely important part of Perkins’ mission as promised on their website.

Currently, the PFM maintains a 97.5 sanitation rating at NCSSM. However, many work service students at the PFM have reported some experiences rather different from what the A+ in sanitation would suggest.

As junior Megan Brickner walked out after completing her work service at the PFM, she declared that the conditions of the kitchen always “make [her] throw-up a little” every time she’s done.

As described by junior Deepika Senthil, who spent an afternoon storing away frozen cakes, “there were cockroaches crawling directly across the cakes’ surfaces,” making her question whether she “ever wants to eat the desserts again”.

Similarly, roaches have been seen on walls and near trash cans in the kitchen as well, making many wish dearly the sanitation rating has taken this issue into consideration.

Besides the insect problem, the kitchen also seem to slack in the washing of its dirty dishes. The PFM washes its dishes mechanically with a giant dish washing machine.

However, unlike traditional dishwashers, this machine looks rather like a car wash, or factory assembly line. After students have placed their dirty plates and forks by the window, these utensils are then stacked onto a plastic rack which is then pushed through the “curtains” of the dishwasher.

Afterwards, the dishwasher spends about 2 to 3 minutes washing each load before the

dishes are stacked and used again. Each plastic rack can hold about 14 big plates and several small bowls.

While this method of cleaning is anodyne, when no soap is to be found, sometimes work service students working the dish room send the load through without detergent.

The sanitation of the PFM, despite its A, may slightly concern its diners. In addition to the taste of its food, eating at the PFM is not exactly a fivestar experience. It is safe to conclude that there are certain doubtful aspects of the PFM based on our experiences.

However, although students may have problems with the taste and appearance of the food, or the sanitation of the kitchen, or the sources of the entrees, or the freshness of the vegetables…it is still important to understand that students here are already extremely privileged.

In a world where 870 million people, or one in eight, suffer from chronic malnourishment, the free three meals a day offered here is a blessing rather than a curse.

When adults ask us to “think of the children in Africa” when we waste our leftovers as little kids, they are in other words reminding us how privileged we are.

Keeping in mind the millions of starving people around the world, the old saying “we are what we eat” should be reexamined in a new light.

Instead of needlessly worrying over the cafeteria food, it is better to instead take pride in the fact that if we are indeed what we eat, then we embody the wealth, privileges, and fortune of which so many others are denied.

Overlord and Guardian of the Textbooks. He said he found this position as a fluke, from a split-second glance at a newspaper.

“Okay, that sounds cool,” he remembers thinking. His gut feeling led him to the right place, since he now considers this job the best one he’s ever had.

“What I like most about my job is that I have the ability to have fun at work. It’s the first job I’ve had where I didn’t dread having to come in every day,” he said. This summer, he’ll have been here for five years.

Donaldson’s approach to life is best summarized by his definition of success: being happy at what you’re doing.

He’s certainly found that here, as his job has grown to include being the faculty sponsor of Korean Cultures Club, and coordinator of NCSSM’s Fantasy Football League, Football Club, yearlong Table Tennis Tournament, and Harry Potter Miniterm.

Q and A session:

or imagined- for you as the next Textbook/Attendance Overlord.

A: Quinn Turk Q: What’s the most ridiculous excuse a student has ever given you for an absence or tardy?

A: There have been some really disgusting things that I’d rather not get into…but one ridiculous excuse was that a person was running away from their assassin in spoons and that’s what caused them to be late. It wasn’t really an excuse as the story was valid.

Q: What’s your involvement with spoons?

A: Top secret.

Q: If you won 1 million dollars, what would you do?

A: What wouldn’t I do? I’d either start a charity or donate to one. It’s much better to give than to receive, because you get to see the joy on someone else’s face, and know you had a positive impact on them.

Q: Thoughts on Pluto?

A: Real - Flying by Thestral. Fictional -Teleporting Q: Favorite sandwich?

A: Peanut butter/Dorito sandwich; I basically had this for lunch everyday in high school.

Q: Favorite sandwich shape?

A: I hardly think that’s any of your business.

Q: Who would win in a fight: Gandalf or Dumbledore, and why?

A: I had a very elaborate fight sequence for this, but then I remembered Dumbledore is the master of death, so he would win hands down. I say master of death because I believe he at one point in time had all 3 deathly hallows...we know he was in possession of the elder wand and resurrection stone.

Although it’s not mentioned in the book or movies, I think he was the one who gave harry the cloak of invisibility.

Q: You said you like demotivational posters. What’s your favorite demotivational

Q: What happens to books that aren’t in use anymore? Is there a graveyard of abandoned textbooks?

A: Yes, they get packed up into boxes and are put in the ground floor mail room in Bryan for buyers to stop by and look at them. All books that they don’t buy end up getting recycled. I would prefer to donate them to schools that need them, but something about the state law won’t let us.

Q: What are some alternate uses for the books (for when we can no longer handle the mental strain of reading them)?

A: They have been used as ping-pong paddles and net to simulate the early days of ping pong existence. I’m hoping to build a Christmas tree out of the books next year.

Q: What happens to students who turn in mistreated books?

A: They have the choice of either paying a fine or having the Cruciatus curse put on them.

Photo courtesy of Chichi Zhu

By Addy Liu and Alisa Cui

“I still consider [Pluto] a planet... it just seems so wrong that it’s not.” -Donaldson A: I still consider it a planet…it just seems so wrong that it’s not.

Q: What’s something you wish the student body knew about the bookroom?

A: It plays host to some of the most intense competitions this campus has ever seen.

Also, a rare book room test has been known to surface now and again which only a very few select people have taken.

Only 1 person has passed on the first attempt – Dina Chen. The irony of this is that hardly any of the questions are about the book room.

Q: What is your boggart, and more importantly, what do you turn it into?

A: My boggart is the “squiggly” shaped Tetris piece.

I shout out riddikulus and they turn into brownies so I can eat them…NOM NOM NOM

Q: Choose a worthy successor- real, fictional,

Q: Preferred mode of (real or fictional) transportation?

Q: You are a new strain of bacteria. What do you choose to infect?

A: The entire world. There are too many people on the planet; it has to be done.

quote?

A: That escalated quickly.

Q: Pick 3 items to survive the zombie apocalypse?

A: Flashlight, knife, clementine (the survivor of the walking dead) Q: What would your Patronus be?

A: I like to think it’d be in the shape of a meerkat.

Q: If your life were a movie, what would it be?

A: The Goonies Bonus Fact: Donaldson’s birthday falls on the same day as the Super Bowl every few years, including this year.

8

January 2015

Op-ed

The Stentorian | NCSSM

Is Nicolas Cage good or bad?: Why Nicolas Cage is the best actor ever Editor-in-Chief

Nicolas Kim Coppola, known by his stage name as Nicolas Cage, is one of the most complex actors of our time. Every performer is something: Robert Downey Jr. is good, Jim Belushi is bad, Johnny Depp is the bad form of good and Reese Witherspoon is the good kind of bad. But what is Nicolas Cage?

Having appeared in 78 films over his 33 year actor career, Cage has been nominated for two Academy Awards, winning one, but has also appeared in films such as Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengence and The Wickerman, which were universally derided.

How can a man with such a deep array of talent give performances so ridiculous yet also enthralling? “There is a misperception, if you will, in critical response or even in Hollywood, that I can only do exaggerated characters. Or what they would call over-thetop performances,” said Cage, but that is simply not true.

While Nicolas Cage in Windtalkers and Vampire’s Kiss might be overacting

memorably or even comically, being a deranged lunatic. branded him as mad reveal the Cage in Joe or The Rock plays I have a different true genius of his acting. By a calm, cool and collected hero. hypothesis: I believe Nicolas acting so differently in every Leaping from Disney mov- Cage is the greatest actor in the film, he ridiculous film itself. ies such as G-Force to big history of cinema.

By pushing the envelope budget action films like FaceMost actors perform of what is believable in a film, Off and Con Air, he lies in no consistently from film to film by making it so extreme, the single genre. He is not an ac- but Cage changes tune and film will become something tion star or a horror star or a sciencefiction star but a movie star.

W i t h a hairline more receded than the Amazon rainforest and a visage which looks like someone stretched out Steve Buscemi’s face, Cage cerNicolas Cage dramatically acts in Vampire’s Kiss. Cage’s distinctive facial tainly looks as strange as features have turned him into a fantastic internet meme, where his face is superimposed over others, however his most distinctive meme is the famous “you he acts.

And his off camera persona of ludi- tempo between scenes, let entirely separate from reality, crous expenses and million alone between films. or any other film for that dollar paychecks certainly His wildly varying matter. contribute to the idea of him performances which have By being so detached from

Photo courtesy of Today.com

By Richard Ong

reality, Cage removes his films from reality as well.

While he is a brilliant actor, his films are many times terrible. For examples, see Season of the Witch, Stolen, and Gone in 60 Seconds.

Cage is simply terrible at choosing which roles to play.

How else would he appear in a movie entitled Drive Angry or Bangkok Dangerous?

Whether or not he does bad movies for money or for kicks, he has only made critic’s analysis of his work more complicated.

In fact, in most of the terrible Nicolas Cage films which I have seen (a large number, to be sure), it is not his acting bringing the movie down but horrendous screenplays more at home in a kindergarten class than in a major motion picture.

It is not his fault for the movies being bad, although he should have better sense than to have appeared in some of the works in his filmography.

Overall, Nicolas Cage is a fantastic actor, in the same realm as James Stewart and Humphrey Bogart. However, a Nicolas Cage movie is not necessarily a good movie.

Is celebrity raunch culture feminism?

Cheryl Wang Staff Writer

A look back at 2014’s most popular celebrities confirmed the world-wide craze for the country star turned pop star Taylor Swift. In Forbes’ yearly ranking of the top-earning women in music, Taylor Swift came in second with an income of $64 million dollars. Her heightened fame naturally led to much gossip.

One of the most recent hot topics regarding this pop diva is her staple fashion piece, the crop top. In her December/ January cover story with Lucky Magazine, Taylor reveals that she doesn’t like showing her belly button. She states that, “when you start showing your belly button then you’re really committing to the midriff thing. I only partially commit to the midriff thing—you’re only seeing lower rib cage.”

While this may only be meant as a light-hearted statement regarding some gossip, it nonetheless brought the issue surrounding celebrities’ choice of clothing, or rather lack of, into the spotlight again.

“Raunch” culture as described by Ariel Levy in her book Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of the Raunch Culture, is the overt sexualization of women. In a

popular culture where songs and wardrobe choices are infused with sexual innuendos, it is only natural to question how the hyper-sexualization of celebrities today is justified.

Miley Cyrus has become arguably one of the most controversial singers of 2014.

After the release of her music video “Wrecking Ball”, the reason for her seemingly unnecessary lack of clothing and sexual dance movies such as twerking were brought to the top of media’s attention.

In response to people’s shock and curiosity, Cyrus told BCC Radio 1 that she is one of the “biggest feminists in the world”.

She believes that women should be confident in showing their bodies. As a result, Cyrus tells Cosmopolitan UK that she is “really empowering to women” when she strips down to a thong suit for photo shoots or wave a giant foam finger between her legs.

However, the question now becomes is the explicit flaunting and overexposure of her body in sexually suggestive ways a mark of feminism or an endorsement of the idea that a woman’s worth comes from gaining sex appeal in the eyes of men?

When questioned about the cover art and music video for

her new song “Anaconda”, Both her lyrics and her per- to popularity for many singers, which features images so formance convey the idea that artists, and television icons. explicit that it has a parental a woman’s worth comes from Literally, having that sex advisory sticker over the having sex appeal and being appeal has become the source song, rap queen Nikki Minaj admired by men rather than of worth for many female likewise responds that bravely being independent. artists. The downloading of and boldly embracing their The increasing hyper- her song “Wrecking Ball” bodies only shows that women sexualization of female rose 124% after Miley Cyrus’s are in control of their lives, celebrities in the end should outlandish VMA performance, what feminism advocates. not be justified for being pro- raising her income in 2013 by However, the reason behind feminism.

28.5 million dollars compared her confidence indicates the Rather, popular fashion to her pre-transformation opposite. choices, dance moves, and income in 2010.

“Anaconda” revolves song lyrics illustrate much Maybe the rise in fame by almost entirely around how a more of the raunch culture, revolting against traditional woman feels confident because which has become not only values is the real reason behind the size of her “butt” attracts the symbol of the rough and the hyper-sexualization of men. radical, but also the gateway celebrities.

Because of her body, men has told her that they “like [her] sex appeal” and The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics they “don’t want 1219 Broad Street, Durham, NC 27705 none unless you got buns”, as stentorian123@gmail.com lines of the lyrics Editors-in-Chief: Sierra Dunne, Betty Liu, Richard Ong indicate.

Men’s adNews Editor: Caroline Liu miration for a Features Editor: Addy Liu woman’s body seems to be the Opinion Editor: Rebecca Liu theme of the song. To furSports Editor: Katherine Wang ther the theme Photography Editor: Chichi Zhu of “Anaconda”, Minaj has perAdvisor: John Kirk formed shows Staff Writers: AJ Goren, Ashley Thrasher, Joe Wiswell, Cheryl donning nothing Wang, Chase Roycroft, Alisa Cui but a thong bikini.

The

Stentorian