stentoriannorth carolina school of science and mathematics stentorian123@gmail.comvol. XXXIII, issue 4 December 2013

the

SG update

By Kim Ngo

Harris Teeter opens on Ninth St.By Betty Liu

To the delight of many NCSSM students, the new Harris Teeter supermarket had its grand opening on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

The Harris Teeter is part of the Shops at Erwin Mill, a newly renovated shopping complex located at the intersection between Ninth Street and Hillsborough Road. The 53,000 square-foot grocery store is the centerpiece of this square, housing a new Starbucks, an Asian food bar, a pizza kiosk, bread stand, and a hot food bar inside the store.

Many NCSSM students were excited for the grand opening. Kayla Boling, junior, says “I absolutely love the new Harris Teeter.”

Kayla went the day of the grand opening and was “excited to see the pizza bar, and the Asian bar, and the Starbucks.”

Jovan Baslious, senior, was also excited that there would be a new grocery store in the area. When asked why he was excited about the new Harris Teeter, he responded “The store is huge, it offers a lot more variety.”

During the opening weekend, students flocked to the grocery store. It seemed that there was an NCSSM student around every corner.

Students were exploring the store, tasting the food samples, and loading up on groceries. In hindsight, the amount of people should not have been a

shock. The grocery store offers goods for cheap prices and is in within reasonable walking distance from the school, making it an attractive option for NCSSM students.

With its success and popularity, Harris Teeter may have adverse effects on local businesses. Offering cheaper prices and a shorter walking distance, Harris Teeter is now favored by many students from NCSSM. Compared to other alternatives such as Kroger and Whole Foods, Harris Teeter is situated ideally for NCSSM students.

Baslious, on the cheap prices relative to the other local markets, said “Now I can afford groceries again.”

Carly McKenna, junior, is also glad about the variety that the new store brings. She says “Now we don’t have to rely on Whole Foods for groceries.”

McKenna noted that with the variety of food choices available at Harris Teeter, she might never again order at the local restaurants in town, such as China Star.

Despite the convenience of Harris Teeter, some local shops maintain a loyal following. Many students still prefer to go to the local coffee shop, Joe Van Gogh’s, rather than the new Starbucks located inside the grocery store.

“The quality of the coffee from Joe’s is far superior to that of Starbucks,” said Junior

NCSSM to host TEDxBy JuNgsu HoNg

The third annual TEDxNCSSM conference will occur on Saturday, Jan. 18 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Modeled after TED talks, TEDxNCSSM allows students and professionals network and exchange information.

This year’s theme is Puzzles, and students are encouraged to apply. The application is due 5 pm on Thursday, Dec. 12, and forty students will be selected by Dec. 18 to participate in this special event.

NCSSM is the first high school to host TEDx. Biology instructor Amy Sheck founded this event three years ago:

“The first year they did NC Science Festival, I said we can do a TEDx, which is a great event to do during Science Festival,” says Sheck. “I thought it would be easy to do which was wrong, but as I thought it is engaging. I

appreciate that it is a good way to give students opportunities to have organizational skills and meet the people they meet.”

Fifteen NCSSM students have been planning with Sheck for TEDxNCSSM, organizing everything from food, guests, speakers, and music. “It is

like a wedding; we have four special guests, food for the wedding, and invitations for our distinguished guests.”

There is a TEDx music con-test hosted by the TEDxNC-SSM music committee that is selecting music that will be played at for the conference on Jan. 18. Both past years

TEDxNCSSM has featured theme music by an NCSSM student. The TEDx NCSSM committee has also added an art contest to use art inspired by the TEDx conference.

One hundred guests will be invited to TEDxNCSSM including 20 distinguished guests, 20 faculty and staff, 40

NCSSM students, and 2 seats for non-NCSSM Durham area students.

“It’s an interesting mix of people. Speakers are the main draw but they also meet people in the audience. Students have found mentors for the summer and year I would encourage people to come.” says Sheck.

This year’s speakers are Dr. Cheryl Woods Giscombe, Assistant Professor and research scientist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing- an NCSSM alum; Misha

The stage from last year’s TEDx conference.C

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Steven Weatherspoon.Also, though Harris

Teeter offers a selection of books, many students would rather browse through the Regulator Bookshop, located on Ninth Street.

“The atmosphere is different. At the Regulator, you can tell that the employees genuinely care about helping you

with books. Harris Teeter is just a grocery store,” says Baslious.

Whole Foods also has a substantial support base, with many students willing to go the extra steps to shop there. It seems that to some, quality still wins out over

convenience and a lower price.Only time will tell how the

emergence of this market giant will affect the community. With the new retail shops and restaurants such as Panera Bread, Pure Barre, Massage Envy Spa, and The Duck Shop, the Shops at Erwin Mill shopping complex is offering a greater variety of shops to Ninth Street.

While it is possible that the new complex can be a burden to local businesses, it could also be a boon. Along with the new apartments in the area, the complex could attract new customers to Ninth Street. With the increased consumer base, perhaps both local and corporate businesses will be able to benefit from the new complex.

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The new store is located at 2107 Hillsborough Road

This past month, Student Government has been working on several projects including improving food in the PFM and the Mr. Uni.

Junior Senator Daniel Ren has led the effort improving PFM food. He recently sent out a survey asking for students’ opinions on PFM food, which received over 450 responses. He has compiled the results and will share your opinions with the PFM staff and the administration.

Additionally, Senator Ren and Student Government PFM Liaison Danielle DeJournett have established a PFM committee composed administration and PFM staff. Its meetings are open to the student body. Its next meeting will occur in Jnauary.

Student Government recently organized Mr. Uni, an all-male pageant show casing some of NCSSM’s talented students. Senior Senator Julia Yu, head of the Programming Committee, led and directed Mr. Uni on Dec. 7, 2013. Next up from the Programming Committee will be a winter lock-in in the coming months.

For more information about all that Student Government has be doing visit www.ncssm.edu/sg .

Networking workshop at NCSSM

Women in Bio, a RTP group, is hosting a Networking Workshop on Tue. Jan 28 and Thurs. Jan. 30 from 4:45-6:15 PM. They will teach students how to do networking and expose them to a networking event where they will apply what they learn through the Networking Workshop.

Topics covered include how to start a conversation, reading body language, and discovering common interests. Both girls and boys are invited to attend. After the two evening networking workshops, students will attend a networking event at Biogen Idec (pharmaceuticals) on Feb. 3, leaving campus at 5:30 PM.

This event is first come, first serve, with twenty-eight spots available. Sign-ups will be posted by Dean of Science Amy Sheck via signupgenius.com on the NCSSM science webpage.

On Jan. 31, Janet Yellen will become the most powerful woman in finance, as she is appointed to head of the Federal Reserve. Though she may have perfect credentials for the post, her policies are an expected continuation of current fiscal policy.

Yellen will be the first woman to hold the position, as she replaces Ben Bernanke, the eight-year incumbent. Yellen has been Deputy Chair of the Federal Reserve for two years, has taught at Harvard and UC-Berkeley, and is well respected in academia.

In short, a woman long listed for the Nobel Prize will be leading the nation out of the recovery while limiting inflation and controlling

employment. This will end the practice of “quantitative easing” where the Fed pumps money into the economy at $85 billion per month in an effort to promote lending. We are currently in the third round of easing, which has been happening for five years.

People fear this will increase interest rates and bring on a second recession. But can Yellen avoid the pitfalls of this uneasy fiscal environment?

Yellen has also been criticized for the stimulus’ impact on average Americans, as recovery efforts have largely benefited wealthy Americans. Both Republican and Democratic Senators described the Fed’s policy as “elitist;” however, it is not likely to change.

The problem agreed upon

by the majority of economists is the lack of consumer demand for capital. Banks currently hold $2.3 trillion in reserve because either no one is requesting loans or the banks are too cautious to lend it.

Yellen’s anodyne nomination is not expected to change this. It is not expected to be a messianic fiscal blessing, nor a hint of a coming economic downfall.

With the filibuster in the Senate, Yellen would have been blocked by the Republican minority; however, that has changed entirely.

On Nov. 21, Majority Leader Harry Reid pressed the issue of the filibuster of presidential appointees. With a two vote margin, the filibuster was ended, allowing for long vacant posts to be filled.

By demonstrating the irrational and exuberant overuse of the filibuster during the Obama administration, Democrats were able to convince the Senate to repeal the filibuster, the archaic tool of Senatorial policy by which the Republican minority has thwarted executive policy.

Republicans were quick to decry to action as a power grab that undermined the Constitution, however the change in procedure will end the gridlock plaguing the Senate. The change does not apply to Supreme Court nominations or legislation itself, which still require 60 votes.

Yellen is now the inevitable candidate, supported by the Democratic faction which controls the Senate.

By RicHaRd oNg

Yellen to become head of Fed

Students may have noticed drastic changes to the NCSSM bio pond within recent weeks.

Originally dug and built by students in the mid-1990s, the bio pond has been a significant piece on the NCSSM campus. Over ten years later, the pond is now being renovated due to a leak in its rubber liner.

Used for Ecology first trimester and Aquatic Ecology third trimester, the bio pond supplies classes with samples for experiments and labs as well as an aesthetically pleasing view when walking to and from classes. It served as an ecosystem for fish, such as blue gill, and frogs, along with flowering aquatic irises among other vegetation.

“It was interesting to take samples from the bio pond because we took the samples of water in the bio pond and used it to make mini-ecosystems. I hope future students get to use the bio pond get to do this as well,” says senior Seraphina Wong.

Renovation has started for the bio pond, with hopes to finish for Aquatic Ecology in the spring.

The previously patched rubber liner has now been taken out along with any previously existing plants and fish. The mulberry tree, which offered edible mulberries, was cut down because its roots pierced the liner and caused a leak.

The pond is now getting a new bed of sand, liner, rocks, and a pump. It is expected to be the same size, but of higher quality.

Last year’s AP Biology students may remember picking roly-polies from under the rocks of the bio pond for extra credit.

“We had to turn over rocks to find roly-polies. We used a spoon to pick them up out of the dirt and later we used the roly-polies in an experiment to observe animal behavior. It was really cool because we

watched how they moved and observed them to see which conditions they prefer,” says senior Nirmala Shivakumar.

The pond was previously tended to by retired AP Biology teacher Leslie Brinson, who used to make AP Biology students clean the pond for post-AP exam projects.

During Alt Day, similar to our new I-Week, students had landscaped the pond adding plants such as water lilies and lantana.

“I hope the heron comes back and visits the pond again like it used to do” Michelle Zhao.

“I feel like it’s a mini-microcosm of nature on our campus and it is very valuable to have a little ecosystem, as small as it is, right in the middle of campus,” said Dean of Science Amy Sheck.

By JuNgsu HoNg

New look bio-pond

New club aims to create garden

By sieRRa duNNe

The new NCSSM Anti-Lawnism Association, a club that protests the usage of Turfgrass, has announced that they have bigger plans: The club is planning on creating the school’s first-ever vegetable garden. If successful, the vegetable garden will be used to provide the PFM with fresh, healthy, locally grown menu options.

Members of the ALA have already discussed this idea with Vice Chancellor of Academic Programs Steve Warshaw, who is in support of this new advancement in making the school more sustainable.

Leaders in the club are still working out details regarding what the budget will be, where the garden will be located, and what vegetables will be grown. They hope to start the garden in the open field owned by the school across from Maryland Avenue by this spring, and they are discussing how much

money will be needed in order to start and keep up the garden.

In order to maintain and cultivate the garden year-round, the ALA has proposed that both a work service and summer service be put in place that would allow students to work in the garden and harvest the vegetables. They feel that it would not only be beneficial to the school, but would also give students a chance to learn more about sustainability in a hands-on way.

The ALA, along with other students across campus, are very enthusiastic about the garden and its importance to the school’s sustainability initiatives.

Erick Aguilar, an Anti-Lawnist, said, “We’re really excited about this project. It has a lot of potential for the school and the project will be very beneficial to the campus. We want to showcase to our community how we can be sustainable in our own way.”

Sports History 101: NCSSM staff share their athletic pasts

By steveN Liao

Suppose I told you your chemistry professor was once a bowling superstar who bowled for the U.S. National Team and graced newspapers and radio shows all across the country.

Not only that, your Student Life Instructor once played college volleyball. And your Fine Arts instructor? He was once a freakishly athletic, four-sport high school athlete with a reputation for throwing down nasty dunks.

Believe it or not, such athletic prowess lurks amongst NCSSM’s faculty population. Below, some of NCSSM’s most accomplished staff athletes share their athletic pasts.

Steve Warshaw, Vice Chancellor of Academic

ProgramsSports played: “I played

football at the tailback and safety position in high school, ran relays in track in high school and my freshman year of college, and played organized baseball every summer from the time I was 9 until I was 18, mainly outfield.”

Life as an Athlete: “I feel fortunate to have participated

in athletics, as I had polio when I was six years old, and many who had that disease were severely disabled for life. I also f o l l o w e d my favorite p ro fe s s iona l sports teams religiously --

for many years I lived and died on Sundays with the Dallas Cowboys. In recent years I have lost a lot of my interest in professional sports, but I still keep track of the Duke Basketball teams and enjoy the Olympics.”

A c c o m p l i s h m e n t s : “Probably the most notable was being on the winning

Sports continued onPage 4

Warshaw is on the left.

By su cHo

SG urges restrictions on Senior Awards Ceremony for academic dishonesty

On Nov. 17, 2013 Student Body President Parth Thakker approved the Academic Dishonesty Ramification Resolution, which would place a stricter stand against academic dishonesty at NCSSM.

Under the current Academic Dishonesty policy, students can receive Level III’s for academic dishonesty. The resolution calls on those who are found to deserve a Level III to not be allowed to participate in the Senior Academic Awards Ceremony.

The bill is currently enacted and SGA has presented it to the Vice Chancellor

for Academic Programs. Administration has indicated that Student Government’s recommendation will go into effect.

Even though there was a debate about the bill within Student Government, Thakker says, “The bill had received a lot of support from Administration.”

Senior dorm senator Philip Wilson, who represents Hunt West, introduced this bill on Oct. 23, 2013, but Student Senate ultimately tabled it. Wilson reintroduced the idea on Oct. 27, 2013, and it was referred to Academic Affairs for amendment.

“I intended for the bill to be used as a way to make the awards ceremony at the end of the year a little more wholesome,” said Wilson.

The Student Senate adopted the bill on Nov. 10, 2013, however, for the first time in years, it was vetoed by the Student Body President.

Ultimately, with a few modifications the bill was later passed although there was still some dissent.

“We should glorify skill-sharing, collective education, and a commitment to community emancipation. This bill was my attempt at realizing this ideal,” said Wilson.

The Student Government’s website provides more information on this and other bills enacted. The legislation is usually up online the next day after the meeting.

The website creates the ability for students to see who voted for or against what, to start a petition, and apply for club funding.

featuresdecember 2013 the stentorian | ncssm2

The holiday season is my favorite time of the year. I love everything about winter, from the weather (if it snows) to the spirit of the season, but most of all, I love the traditions that go along with the winter festivities.

Everyone has his or her own holiday traditions, unique to one’s family or group of friends. (or All people have their own holiday traditions, unique to their families or groups of friends.)

To give you some ideas to make your holidays a little happier, I’ve put together a list of some of my old and new favorite holiday traditions and activities.

Making holiday playlists – Good, seasonal music never fails to get me in a good mood.

Making gingerbread houses – You can find kits at Harris Teeter. This is a lot of fun to do with a group of friends – make it an occasion by wearing ‘ugly’ Christmas sweaters and playing your holiday playlist.

Secret Santa – In middle school, my class called this Secret Armadillo to make it secular. Put the names of your friends into a container and draw a name to determine to whom you are giving a gift! Price limits can be set as a challenge.

Caroling – You only need one other person for my favorite, Ringing of the Bells (Carol of the Bells?). One person can sing the “ding-dongs” while the other can sing the melody! Look up the Muppets version of this song

for another interpretation. Decorating – Making

your dorm room festive is an enjoyable way to spend some more time with your roommate! Stock up on decorations at a local dollar store.

Figure skating – The American Tobacco District’s new Ice Factory is the largest outdoor skating rink in NC. For hours of operation, visit http://tinyurl.com/ATDskating

Reading holiday themed comics – my favorites are Calvin and Hobbes and Peanuts.

Making hot chocolate –Escape/Evade the cold weather with this.

Watching holiday movies – ABC Family is now airing their annual “25 Days of Christmas Movie Countdown.”

Decorating your own ornament – My family and I like to sign our names on an ornament every year.

Operation Toy Drop – Drop off new, unwrapped toys in boxes on your hall to be donated to Duke Children’s Hospital

Donating clothes to local shelters – Heavy winter coats are especially useful around this time of the year.

Ring in the New Year with family and friends. At the beginning of each year, I like to start with an empty jar and fill it as the year goes on with items associated with memorable things that happened.

At the end of the year, you can take out the strips of paper and other souvenirs and remember the things that made you happy that year.

Also, see the Stentorian website for a fun recipe.

By addy Liu

Catching Fire a must-seeBy KaNaN sHaH

Based on the bestseller by Suzanne Collins, “Catching Fire” did anything but disappoint- in some ways, the movie was as good as the book.

Its story unfolds after Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the 74th annual “Hunger Games. The movie encompasses a rebellion against the tyrannical Capitol government and how the 75th annual “Hunger Games” affected them in ways they had never even imagined.

“Catching Fire” contained the right amount of everything- action, romance, suspense, and humor. I felt as if I were on an emotional roller coaster during the movie. The romance between Gale and Katniss or Katniss and Peeta was awe striking; however, the sadness overwhelmed me.

I was sucked into the “star-crossed lovers” story between Peeta and Katniss during the Games. The districts and arena

were full of so much action that I felt as if I journey through Katniss and Peeta’s adventures with them.

In addition, while the plot

of the movie was serious, “Catching Fire” incorporated humor into the story very well, especially Finnick Odair’s charming personality.

The costumes and cast were also mind-blowing. Katniss’s dresses, especially the one

that transformed as she spun into the symbolic mocking jay, were gorgeous. “I thought Jennifer Lawrence was very nice in her role as Katniss,” said Junior Neeraj Suresh.

Other members of the cast did amazing job- new additions like Lynn Cohen for Mags and Jena Malone for Johanna Mason portrayed their characters well.

The movie also followed the book closely under the supervision of the books’ author, Suzanne Collins- although a few details, such as Katniss’s pond by the lake, were deleted.

“It was good- maybe I should have finished the book,” said Junior Praruj Pant.

Overall, “Catching Fire” is a must see, both for Hunger Gamers and non-Hunger Gamers.

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With the upcoming holidays, what better way to celebrate than by watching a fun uplifting movie with your family?

Hollywood has built a firm foundation of holiday movies and continues to make classics. Below I have listed and described some of my favorite holiday movies and I hope you get the chance to watch over break.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was first aired in

1964 as a TV special on NBC every holiday season.

If you’re not familiar with the plot (which is basically the lyrics from the legendary song), the story follows a rein-deer with-you guessed it, a red nose.

The film was made using “stop motion” animtion instead of what you typically see in most modern animation films. Its adorable characters and wholesome message make it a great choice to watch over the holidays.

Miracle on 34th Street is

another holiday classic. It was made in 1947 and tells the story of a man who claims to be Kris Cringle (Santa Claus).

Though this may sound insane, the movie shows how the man truly has all the characteristics of being Santa Claus and how all non-believers end up accepting his declaration. If you enjoy classics, charming humor, and want to re-believe in Santa Claus, this movie is for you.

Elf has to be one of the funniest holiday movies ever created. Will Ferrell stars

as Buddy the Elf, an average height human being that grows up in the North Pole with Santa’s elves.

When Buddy is told he is actually not an elf like the rest of his peers, he is determined to find his real father and form a relationship with him.

Buddy journeys to New York City and comes across several unfamiliar barriers while trying to find and to bond with his father.

This is a great family film and can be enjoyed by anyone with a sense

of humor. Frozen is Disney’s most

recent animated film. The movie, which is still in theaters, is about a kingdom that has been cursed into wintery conditions infinitely. A young girl must find her sister, the Snow Queen, to reverse the enchantment.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of viewers enjoyed the movie and stated it was “Beautifully animated, smartly written, and stocked with sing along songs,” Frozen adds another worthy entry to the Disney canon.

By ava gRucHacz

Favorite holiday movies: a mix of new and old

Fun things to do for the holidays

continued from Page 1

Angrist, Assistant Professor of the Practice, Institute for Genome Science Policy at Duke University; Catherine Clabby, a science journalist and editor of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity foundation and American Scientist magazine; and Jeff Polish, executive director of The Monti-Unscripted and Real.

Two TED videos will be shown between speeches from the invited speakers. Breaks and refreshments are provided between talks, allowing audience members to mingle and network with each other.

Students were sent an email with sign-up information.

Mr. Uni draws a crowdPh

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Much of the ETC auditorium was filled Dec. 7, for the annual Mr. Uni pageant. This years Mr. Uni winner was Aaron Cheshire and the runner-up was Elliot Holliday. Vinay Kshirsagar won Baby Uni and the runner-up was Arnav Subramanya. Perhaps the most talked-about though was Matias Horst’s act which brought up the idea of gender inequality inherent in Mr. Uni. It remains to be seen if any future changes will occur.

TEDx

december 2013the stentorian | ncssmfeatures 3

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the stentorian the north carolina school of science and mathematics1219 broad street, durham, nc 27705

stentorian123@gmail.com

Editors-in-Chief: Adam Beyer, Su Cho, Jungsu HongNews Editor: Kanan Shah

Features Editor: Sarah ColbertEntertainment Editor: Ava Gruchacz

Opinion Editor: Andrew PetersonSports Editor: Steven Liao

Photography Editor: Zihui YangAdvisor: John Kirk

Staff Writers: Sierra Dunne, Addy Liu, Betty Liu, Carolina Liu, Richard Ong

Check us out on the web at www.ncssm.edu/stentorian

In the “Obscure News from around the World” section, there was an editing error as The Stentorian was formatting the section on “Earthquake of Magnitude 7.3 hits Japan”. A part of the news was edited out, leaving the impression that 19,000 people were killed from the magnitude 7.3 earthquake mentioned. This is incorrect, and we apologize for our mistake in editing. The 19,000 people killed was a reference to the March 2011 magnitude 9.0 earthquake that triggered massive radiation leaks at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. Thank you to readers who politely informed the Stentorian of this mistake.

Correction

Dear Tori, College decisions are coming out soon and I am extremely nervous because I think I am going to get rejected. I have been working and dreaming for what seems like my whole life for this college, and I don’t know what I will do if I do not get in. What should I do?

-Anonymous

Dear Anonymous, take a deep breath. The college application process is a stressful one, and one of the biggest moments in our lives.

Try to stay positive and not think too much about it; it will not help your chances of getting accepted.

Keep your mind and options open, and while you are waiting keep yourself busy and work on some other college applications too just in

case.Consider other schools that

you would like to attend, both reach and “back-up” schools. Make sure you have a wide variety of colleges you apply to so that later you can make the best decision for you.

Know that rejection happens. Not every college is for you and sometimes it is not meant to be.

If you get rejected, know that it is not the end and that there are hundreds of other options available to you and that in the end everything will be okay no matter where you end up going to college.

Best of luck, Tori

If you have a question that you think Tori could help you with, please submit it by email to stentorian123@gmail.com. It may appear in a future issue.

Ask Tori

mile relay team in a special competition in Texas when I was a freshman in college.”

Summarizing your Sporting Career: “It made high school much more enjoyable than it would otherwise have been. Athletics taught me self-discipline, being comfortable and having common goals as part of a team, dealing with a certain amount of pain and taking pleasure in what I was occasionally able to accomplish.”

Robert Gotwals, Chemistry Instructor

Basic Description: “I

played varsity ice hockey in high school, located outside of Philadelphia. I played wing and center, and was one of the smaller guys on the ice.

We practiced at an outdoor rink about 10 miles outside of town, usually very early in the morning or very late at night. Temperatures were typically in the low 20s during practice, pretty cold, especially when you got hit by a puck.

I also played men’s league ice hockey while I was in the Navy, and I played men’s league hockey in DC and in Raleigh until I was about 45.”

Why Ice Hockey? “I learned how to skate on local ponds when they were frozen; we played a lot of pickup hockey. We played without gear, and I lost teeth from getting hit in the mouth with pucks. Because I was so small, being able to skate fast was an exercise in self-preservation. I could skate up to the bigger guys, smack them, and then take off.”

Favorite memory: “I was a pretty average player, not great, but not terrible either. My favorite memory was scoring a hat trick (3-goals) at Wissahickon Hockey Camp in the summer of 1972. My dad, who was quite ill, was healthy enough to see that game, and he was very excited to see me with a hat trick!”

Summarizing your Sporting Career: “Ice hockey was great, because, as some have heard me say: ‘It’s not a sport unless you have a stick and can hit people with it....everything else is just a game.’ Playing hockey was a great balance to everything else I was doing in high school (academics, chorus, orchestra, drama stuff, and working).”

Sue Anne Lewis, Student Life Instructor

Basic Description: “I was actually recruited to play softball in college and chose

to attend Meredith College. During the fall of my freshman year, I decided to try out for volleyball and made the team without having spoken to the coach. Even though I was recruited for softball, I never played a single day because I was coming off of having mono, and when I did try out, I broke my foot sliding into 3rd base on the last day. I kept score that year, but didn’t feel the connection that I did on the volleyball team, and played spring volleyball for the next three years instead of softball.”

Accomplishments: “My junior year at Meredith the NCAA introduced the libero position into division III college volleyball to test how it would work before introducing it into D1 or high schools. I was the first libero ever to play for Meredith. I was

a tri-captain for my junior and senior years. I played in every game all four years, and started every game my sophomore, junior, and senior years.”

Favorite memory: “Walking into the interest meeting for volleyball, I was a super introverted freshman who knew no one. I walked in, found the volleyball group, and saw a woman who I thought was likely the coach - she had that feel. She asked if I was there for volleyball, and I replied in my quiet voice,

“Yes ma’am”. She laughed and said that she wasn’t the coach and pointed the actual coach out to me. Talk about being embarrassed on your first day! It was a junior, Kelley Davidson, who later became one of my best friends and the player on the court I played back row for before the libero position began. She gave me the nickname, ‘Lil Bit,’ and that’s what everyone on the team called me for 4 years, and still to this day!”

Summarizing your Sporting Career: “Being a member of a college sports team was definitely one of the top three highlights of my time at Meredith College. At Meredith, being a Division III school, it didn’t have the rigor of D1 schools, but you played more for the love of the sport. If it weren’t for volleyball and having that family to depend on during my freshman year, I’m not sure if this small town girl would have survived. We had some of the best times on and off the court during my 4 years and I made lifelong friends.”

Juan Scivally, NCSSM Fine Arts Instructor

Basic Description: “I played every sport ever imagined. I played tennis, basketball, football, and track and field. Football, I was a running back. In basketball, I was a center. I wasn’t really the tallest, but I could jump the highest. I hated it, because I grew up as a point guard. In track, my goal was to be a decathlete, so I did all the events that would be the decathlon. I ran the mile, did the 880, long jump, shot put, discus.”

Best dunk: “There was this freshman (this was my senior year I think) and we used to all meet down in this park (Robertson Park in Raleigh). And he didn’t know who I was, and it was the first time on the court, and I just took it down and dunked it right in his face. And then I just left.”

Crazy dunks: “Funny story, when I got to college, I had some problems and I lost a ton of weight; it never occurred to me that was all the problem, I could lose ten pounds and do all the crazy dunks.”

Favorite Memory: “I made it my mission to score 30 points every game and get 25 rebounds. The exact game after that I scored 25 points and had 10 rebounds, and so I thought that was a failure, so the next game I had 35 points, 25 rebounds. And then we went to Hillside and they triple teamed me.”

Accomplishments: “My goal was to be all-conference all three sports (football, basketball, and track) and I did get that.”

Choosing Art Over Sports: “I just didn’t think I had—in high school, because I did everything, so I thought in college I couldn’t keep it up, and in college I just wanted to specialize in what I was really passionate about, and it was a no-brainer, it was art, so for me, it wasn’t really a tough decision.”

Marion Brisk, Chemistry Instructor

Basic Description: “I was an athlete-scholar from high school. I was very much

involved with bowling; I started bowling when I was twelve. I was the state champion in New York State. In college, I competed in gymnastics and volleyball, and I was continuing competing in bowling. I was considered a semi-professional and I won national tournaments and was put on the U.S. team where I competed internationally. I won a bronze medal in one competition and I’ve been written up in many newspapers.

I was also written up in the National Choir. That’s something I’m terribly proud of. I was written up, right underneath Joan Collins. She is an actress, who has been around for many, many decades, and who was very controversial in different periods of her acting career, so I’m written up right underneath her, and my name has been announced on country and western talk shows and radio shows.”

Why bowling: “She [my mom] actually got interested in the sport after me. In New York, it’s cold in the winter, so it’s very common that folks go bowling. And she then spent time in the bowling alley and got involved with folks who were there and was in charge of forming leagues and was in charge of increasing the number of people who participated.”

Bowling for the U.S. Team: “I was a professor at the time at City College of New York in Chemistry and this was something I did on weekends and part-time. Along with doing research and teaching, lecturing, I had quite a full schedule. But one of the competitions I remember the most was in Venezuela and it was at a new bowling facility that was quite beautiful, tropical plants growing, it was built by a well-known architect. That’s where I won a bronze medal. I do remember, in these international competitions, really having a great time interacting with folks all over the world.”

Gotwals is fourth from right in the bottom row.

Photos courtesy of Steve War-shaw, Bob Gotwals, and Sue Anne Lewis respectively.

Lewis is in the center.

Sports History 101, continued from page 2

the backpagedecember 2013 the stentorian | ncssm4