My favorite thing about NCSSM is our advocacy. We are megaphones for change and inspiration, on both a community and personal level. Despite this, very little is known about our own history when it comes to political advocacy, for both issues on and off campus. Many do not know about the amazing student advocacy that led to the creation of our Safe Officers or about our advocacy for pressing issues in the state of North Carolina. Why is that? Why is this history, as rich and diverse as it is, lost? The answer is multifaceted and complex, but there is one glaring issue: we, the students, fail to preserve our own history. This is due to several reasons: the workload of classes leaves very little time for both advocacy and preservation, and every year around half of our student body graduates and takes their history with them.
Regardless, for a variety of reasons, our student body has no established means of carrying political history and legacy. However, we have the power to change that. We have the power, as the student body, to maintain our own history so that it may be continued and inspire the Unicorns that come after us. The answer to our problem is storytelling. Seniors, tell the story of our political advocacy to our Juniors and work to pass on our political advocacy. Juniors, absorb our stories so that you may pass them on, take up passed-down advocacy, and work to do your own. Nobody is going to preserve our political history but us, so we must preserve it through storytelling.
Retiring Dean of Humanities, Elizabeth Moose, on the Island of Kastellorizo. (Elizabeth Moose)
Dean of Humanities Elizabeth Moose will retire at the end of this academic year after thirty-one years of service to NCSSM. We asked her to reflect on her long career and what message she would like to share with the NCSSM Classes of 2024 and 2025.
Teaching and working here at NCSSM for the past thirty-one years has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. I am especially grateful to Dr. Ginger Wilson, Founding Faculty Member and NCSSM’s first Dean of Humanities, for hiring me.
NCSSM has given me the opportunity to put my mind, imagination, energy, and heart into the service of something greater than myself. I cannot imagine any work that could have been more engaging and meaningful to me. I have so many wonderful memories of class discussions and students’ presentations and performances in WRRD, WECS, Writing and American Literature, American Studies, Creative Writing, and Classical Myth. Beall 1 and those other basement classrooms will always be sacred spaces to me. Although our time together was passing and will never come again, our connection and communion over texts and ideas will endure as long as we can think and feel.
I am grateful to all the students who have shared their NCSSM journeys with me, and I am grateful to all my colleagues who, through the years, have shared the challenges and joys of inspiring and supporting our students and school.
As I leave NCSSM, I’d like to share with you a poem that has long been meaningful to me. I hope that it will speak to you as it has to me.
With love,
Elizabeth Moose
Ithaka By C. P. Cavafy Translated by Edmund Keeley
As you set out for Ithaka hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them: you’ll never find things like that on your way as long as you keep your thoughts raised high, as long as a rare excitement stirs your spirit and your body. Laistrygonians, Cyclops, wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them unless you bring them along inside your soul, unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one. May there be many summer mornings when, with what pleasure, what joy, you enter harbors you’re seeing for the first time; may you stop at Phoenician trading stations to buy fine things, mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony, sensual perfume of every kind— as many sensual perfumes as you can; and may you visit many Egyptian cities to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind. Arriving there is what you’re destined for. But don’t hurry the journey at all. Better if it lasts for years, so you’re old by the time you reach the island, wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way, not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey. Without her you wouldn’t have set out. She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you. Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
By NCSSM Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
On March 21-23, 2024, NCSSM-Durham FBLA competed at the North Carolina Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Leadership Conference in Greensboro, NC. (Khushi Bhatt/NCSSM FBLA)
A couple of weeks ago, NCSSM-Durham FBLA traveled to Greensboro to compete in the North Carolina FBLA State Leadership Conference on March 21-23, 2024. Students competed among 70 schools and over 4,000 high school students from across the state. This 2-night, 3-day long conference is one of the biggest events NCSSM FBLA competes in over the course of the school year.
Chapter President and Founder Khushi Bhatt states, “As a first-time chapter, all of our winners and finalists should be incredibly proud of themselves! All the hard work and late nights of paperwork and registration are worth it when someone from our school gets up on that stage.”
NCSSM FBLA had over 45 out of 70 students place in the Top 10 within their respective events and even have 30 students planning on competing at Nationals in June in Orlando, Florida. These are extremely high numbers for a newly founded chapter, and students from our school showed out from events like Marketing to Network Design!
This is such an incredible feat, and NCSSM FBLA would like to thank Veronica Vazquez, their sponsor, as well as NCSSM Academic Programs for funding and support. Furthermore, we would like to give a huge shout-out to all of the amazing FBLA officers who have been working since the summer to make this possibility a reality. Thank you to Khushi, Charit, Aryan V., Kenan, Vishvum, Aryan C., Zoe, Tanuli, Prisha, Rehan, Cat, and Aspen for all your hard work!
Congratulations to all the winners, see a comprehensive list below!
Name
event
place
Lalit Julapali
Financial Planning HS – Test Recognition
Finalist
Khushi Bhatt
Advertising
1
Zain Patel
Agribusiness
3
George Cheng
Agribusiness
1
Reid Burgess
Agribuisness
Finalist
Pranav Mettu
Agribusiness
2
Adrian Bedeley
Banking and Financial Systems
Finalist
Catherine Russ
Business Law
Finalist
Kush Mehta
Business Law
2
Edward Zhang
Business Law
1
Tanuli, Prisha, Zoe
Business Management
1
Rishi, Aditya
Business plan
Finalist
Pranav Nair
Coding and Programming
Finalist
Gokul Kannan
Computer Problem Solving
2
Shourya Kudaravalli
Computer Problem Solving
4
Sanjana Ram
Cybersecurity
2
Jacey Odero
Economics
4
Eric Su
Economics
Finalist
Amy Lei
Health Care Administration
Finalist
Malcom Louigards
Health Care Administration
3
Andrea Dela Pena
Health Care Administration
Finalist
Rehab Moham
Help Desk
Finalist
Alina Sohail, Janvi Patel
Hospitality and Event Management
3
Charit Singalreddy
Human Resource Management
1
Adarsh Magesh
Insurance and Risk Management
2
Grayson, Cash, Chris
International Business
2
Caroline Stallings
Journalism
4
Thrista Venkat
Management and Information Systems
4
Ethan, Mantra
Marketing
4
Kenan Thornton
Organizational Leadership
Finalist
Tanush Sriam
Organizational Leadership
1
Kahaan Khatri
Personal Finance
Finalist
Ananya Agarwal
Public Policy and Advocacy
3
Neel Date
Public Policy and Advocacy
1
Olivia Chen, Bindi Parikh
Sales Presentation
4
Andy Sun
Securities and Investment
Finalist
Jameson Manning
Securities and Investment
4
Viroop Kuncham
Securities and Investment
3
Vishvum Sriram
Securities and Investment
1
Ronit Dey, River Kucheiria
Social Media Strategies
Finalist
Preston and Henry
Sports Management
Finalist
Sreetha Gajula
Supply Chain Management
1
Aryan Vinnay
UX Design
1
Taylor Eason
Website Coding and Development
Finalist
Chapter President Khushi Bhatt ’24 (right) and Chapter Advisor Veronica Vazquez (left) on the first day of the conference after passing out registration materials. (Khushi Bhatt/NCSSM FBLA)NCSSM FBLA light their section in the stands up with neon glasses, wrist bands and foam accessories during the opening and closing sessions, enjoying the music and competitive vibes during the conference as the timer ticked down. (Khushi Bhatt/NCSSM FBLA)
On February 29, Blue Mirror and editors Victor Chin ’24 (center), Gracie Lagerholm ’24 (left), and Harshitha Vadlamani ’24 (right) hosted their annual Winter 2024 reading to the NCSSM student body in celebration of the Winter 2024 issue release. (Harshitha Vadlamani/Blue Mirror)
On the eve of 2024’s Leap Day, a rain covered Hill Street bit at the ground-grazing pant legs of all students with baggy jeans and oversized pants. Not very far away, tucked in the dry security of Ground Beall, NCSSM’s literary and arts magazine Blue Mirror celebrated the release of their Winter 2024 issue.
Established in 1982, this issue of Blue Mirror marked the beginning of their forty-second year dedicated to the literary and visual artwork of NCSSM’s creative community. A pinnacle of the humanities at Science and Math, every issue has held countless creative visions that may have been bubbled up in the classroom- all in Strawbridge Studio’s glossy print.
This year’s editors, Victor Chin (editor-in-chief), Gracie Lagerholm (managing editor) and Harshitha Vadlamani (layout editor) worked hard to deliver nothing less of a monument, a memoir, and a muse (that welcomes cutting and pasting on dorm walls) to fulfill its purpose.
Students crowded Beall 1 and listened to student artists and writers present their published works in celebration of the Winter 2024 issue release. (Harshitha Vadlamani/Blue Mirror)Lita James ’24 poses with her painting on the cover of the Winter 2024 Blue Mirror edition. Editor’s Note (8/7/2025): Lita James has stated that her painting was heavily inspired by artist Ganja’s 2011 work. (Harshitha Vadlamani/Blue Mirror)
With these spoons being passed from person to person, touched by the noses of strangers, and never sanitized, are we unknowingly contributing to the spread of this disease? A spoons-demic, if you will. (Teresa Fang/The Stentorian)
Recently at NCSSM, an unidentified illness has been going around. There has been a large uptick in the number of students choosing to wear masks, and coughing can be heard ringing throughout the buildings. With the source of the illness unknown, one can only wonder… is it due to Spoons, the schoolwide game?
According to one NCSSM student, “I saw an individual wipe their runny nose on their spoon and then go tap a fellow student with the spoon.”
As we all know, the transfer of bodily fluids is one of the fastest ways to spread cold-like illnesses. With these spoons being passed from person to person, touched by the noses of strangers, and never sanitized, are we unknowingly contributing to the spread of this disease? A spoons-demic, if you will.
The newspaper’s own Suchi Kona reports, “There was even a person who licked their spoon and then tagged someone else.”
The game, though fun, shows a common occurrence: North Carolina’s “best and brightest” acting in an unintelligent manner. As developments are made within the game (the recently-attempted website as a prime example), one might suggest a more sanitary approach to the game. Maybe it’s time for a permanent change. Why must the spoon be touching the nose? Is there not a more sanitary body part we could choose, especially with the game being played in peak cold/flu season?
When questioned about the addition of padding to the round part of her spoon, Thanai Votanopoulos states, “I add extra padding to my spoons so I don’t attract the ‘SSM cold.” Even going so far as to wipe it off with a Lysol wipe every day, my interview with her was still punctuated with a round of coughing.
We can’t know for sure, but I think it’s safe to say that Spoons is encouraging unhygienic practices and possibly even taking out NCSSM students – though not in the way it intends to…
NCSSM’s Asian Student Association (ASA) is committed to celebrating and sharing the diverse Asian cultures within the NCSSM community as well as educating others about the current issues people within the AAPI community face.
Pictured are some of the events we have hosted this year!
ASA Block Party – November 10, 2023
ASA officers and advisors celebrate the first ASA Block Party on November 10, 2023. (Jessily Chen/ASA)Jerin Mathew ’24, Shirley Chen ’25, Jessica Yang ’25, and Ryoh Saotome ’24 attend an ASA meeting. (Jessily Chen/ASA)NCSSM students participate in student-organized festivities, food and game booths, and performances at the ASA Block Party on November 10, 2023. (Jessily Chen/ASA)
Asiafest 2023 – April 2023
NCSSM students display flags of countries across the globe during the March of the Flags performance at the ASA-organized Asiafest 2023. (Jessily Chen/ASA)NCSSM students perform at the annual March of the Flags performance at the ASA-organized Asiafest 2023. (Jessily Chen/ASA)
Our biggest annual event, Asiafest, is coming April 20th, so be on the lookout for that 😀
Additionally, ASA is looking for successors for next year that are passionate about advocating for positive change and creating opportunities for the AAPI at ‘SSM and across NC… Our application is open on our Facebook page!
The board of the winning hall, 2nd Beall, displaying hall residents and CC in a Studio Ghibli theme. (Emmie Rose/The Stentorian)
Since the dawn of the ‘23-’24 school year, students have been pondering the age-old question: what is the best hall theme? I hope to settle this argument that has torn so many of us apart. Because your writer is an RLA on First Beall (1BL on top), and in an effort to be as unbiased and objective as possible, it has been removed from the equation altogether. For legal reasons, I must add that this is only my opinion so feel free to disagree in the comments below.
In order best to worst: (it can go from worst to best if y’all think that’s better, it doesn’t matter to me)
1. 2nd Beall
Studio Ghibli. Not only is this a great idea, but the execution is incredible. The hand-painted theme board is beautiful, you can tell that every stroke is filled with love. There is truly nothing bad I can say about this.
2. Royall
Alice in Wonderland. The concept? Eh. The execution? Eh-ncredible. Everything was really clever and it looks really good. Well done.
3. 2nd Bryan
2Bhive Winnie the Pooh. Stepping onto Second Bryan gives me an overwhelming sense of comfort. A little too comfortable… what are you hiding?
4. 1st Hill
Dreamhill. This is quality content, but although their theme board is beautiful, it seems like that is the only thing they devoted their time to. According to a First Hill Residential Living Assistant (RLA), they “still have no decorations on [their] walls, it’s really bad.”
5. 1e2e2d
Greenhouse. The original idea for this was plants vs. zombies, and now it’s just plants. Still very cute, I’m sure the air in there is crisp.
6. 2nd Hill
Spiderverse. From what I understand, this was actually very well done. I saw firsthand the Second Hill RLAs meticulously cutting out pieces from comic books and tirelessly working to provide the best outcome possible. The second-semester theme board, however, is a different story.
7. 4th Bryan
Tinkerbell enchanted four-est. I look at Fourth Bryan and then I look away, my life unchanged.
8. 3rd Beall
Animal Crossing. As someone who doesn’t play Animal Crossing, I am not knowledgeable enough to make an educated criticism. Middle of the pack.
9. 3rd Bryan
Up. As I pass by 3rd Bryan to get to my biology classes, it brings me a little bit of joy seeing the decorations, but not a lot. If they take criticism, the paper balloons on the front of the hall door seem like they need more air.
10. 1c2c1d
Monsters Inc/Uni. There was definitely a missed opportunity here to incorporate the use of doors, which are so central to the plot of Monster’s Inc. Besides that, this is solidly middle of the pack. It doesn’t get me up in the morning but it’s not hurting anyone either.
11. Greynolds
Care Bears. This could be cute and fun, but the care bears in a basement are a little bit unsettling, similar vibes to Five Nights at Freddy’s.
12. 2nd East
2elympics. Is the real gold medal the friends we made along the way? Also, how does one decide who gets the lame sports, like curling?
13. 2nd West
Star Wars. Why don’t you use the force to come up with a better theme? (Respectfully).
14. 3rd East
Outer space. The constellations on the theme board are clever. Apart from that, where is the flavor?
15. 4th East
Dystopia. I believe the exact quote from one of the 4th East RLAs during the blackout was, “‘SSM took after 4E’s theme dystopia it was that good.” During a time of panic, confusion, and hopelessness? Read the room. I like the door decorations.
16. 3rd West
Cinema. The theme is literally just “movie”. Let’s “move” on.
17. 1st Hunt
Fortnite. It would seem that this theme was ahead of its time, which puts it ahead of absolutely no one.
Characters in The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Main characters (center two) Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray Baird are played by actors Tom Blyth and Rachel Zegler, respectively. (IGN Nordic)
This article contains spoilers for The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
The Hunger Games, released in 2012, captivated both book enthusiasts and moviegoers alike with its gripping portrayal of Katniss Everdeen’s (Jennifer Lawrence) struggle against the oppressive Capitol and its ruthless leader, Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland). In 2020, Suzanne Collins released The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The book shows insights into President Snow’s evolution during the 10th Hunger Games, which occurred 64 years prior to the events of the first book, showing Snow’s transformation and revealing the reasons behind his shift towards tyranny.
In 2023, this book was adapted into a film starring Tom Blyth as Snow and Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird. The movie released on November 17, 2023 captivating audiences worldwide, grossing over $338.1 million. Directed by Francis Lawrence, the movie was split into three parts; the first part portrays him as a mentor to Lucy Gray Baird, showcasing his development of new ideas to make the games more popular and create incentives to get more people to watch, but ultimately it was for him to win the Plinth Prize for money. Simultaneously, it gradually unfolds the relationship between Lucy Gray and Snow.
In the second part, during the Hunger Games segment, Snow fights for Lucy Gray’s victory; however, it is unknown whether his motivations are because of love or greed. Despite the ambiguity, he ends up cheating so that Lucy Gray can win. Snow’s actions set the stage for the third part, where Snow becomes a peacekeeper in District 12 so that he could reconcile with Lucy Gray, which leads to the mysterious ending of Lucy Gray, as what happens to her is unknown.
However, there are many theories that have become popular. For example, junior Claire Van Meter proposes, “Lucy Gray’s ending is unanswered because it fits the plot purposely. The entire story shows Lucy being seen as an object of entertainment of others, yet she fights this vehemently; at the end nobody has the right to know what happened to her, meaning she is completely free.”
There were mixed views about the movie due to it excluding Coriolanus Snow’s inner thought, viewers were not able to see the full extent of his deranged abilities, “as a complementary material to the book, this movie did a wonderful job of showcasing charismatically manipulative characteristics of Snow. In isolation, the movie did not communicate the extent of the depravity of Snow, limiting the effectiveness of the social commentary Suzanne Collins is renowned for,” as senior Netra Parikh said.
On the other hand, senior Emma Hunt adds, “I think that the plot is kind of lacking and does not flow well, but Snow is fine enough to make up for that.”
The music made by James Newton Howard touched the hearts of many. As Hadley Melton stated, “I really liked the music in it because it reminded me of my childhood, growing up on the bluegrass and learning fiddle in the Western North Carolina (WNC) mountains. Also, Tom Blyth. Enough said.”
Overall, despite receiving mixed reviews, the movie offers an enjoyable and lighthearted experience on a movie night!
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while attending college. Additionally, the American Psychological Association states that part of the reason college campuses are such high-profile locations for sexual assault cases to occur is due to something called the “Red Zone.” (The Gender Policy Report)
Mentions of sexual assault and harassment are common themes throughout the article.
College campuses are supposed to be where lives truly begin. They are meant to be a place to learn and discover who you are as an individual, a spot to gain an education, and a home away from home for the students attending. But underneath the beautiful fantasies of college campuses, many troubling things are occurring.
One of the most prevalent problems that occur far too often on college campuses are sexual assault and sexual harassment incidents. Sexual assault incidents can range drastically from person to person, making it difficult to assign a singular definition to the term “sexual assault” but even though each person’s experience may differ, they are all valid and the topic needs to be addressed more to prevent it from becoming overlooked. When someone has suffered from a sexual assault experience, it immediately creates an environment where that person feels incredibly unsafe. Unfortunately, people often do not come forward about their experiences, whether that be due to their concerns about whether people will believe them, because they blame themselves, or because they are in denial about the situation.
While sexual assault occurs everywhere, on college campuses there is an exceptionally large issue. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, one in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while attending college. Additionally, the American Psychological Association states that part of the reason college campuses are such high-profile locations for sexual assault cases to occur is due to something called the “Red Zone.” This term refers to the first few weeks of each new school year when large amounts of events are being held on campuses, and as a result of this, the number of sexual assault cases rises during that period of time. During the “Red Zone” at the start of each school year, 50% of campus sexual assault cases occur, and students who are new to the campus are shown to be at even more risk.
When one thinks of sexual assault cases that they hear about in the news, the first thing coming to mind is probably going to be a rape case, and it’s likely going to be a case involving a man and a woman. However, the Office of Justice Programs states that the most commonly occurring forms of sexual assault on college campuses are unwanted sexual contact and sexual coercion. Coercion is a particularly complicated form of sexual assault. Often the victims feel as though it is partly their fault that this happened or that they’re making too big of a deal out of something because they “gave in.” No one should ever have to feel that kind of emotional turmoil and confusion in the aftermath of being a victim of assault, and it needs to be talked about more
Similarly, while there are forms of sexual assault that are overlooked, there are groups of people suffering from sexual assault cases that are also being overlooked. Based on the evidence provided by the American Psychological Association, gay and bisexual men reported similar rates of on-campus sexual assault as heterosexual women, and LGBTQ+ students also reported having a higher risk of sexual assault than heterosexual and cis students.
These facts, while extremely uncomfortable and difficult to read about, are important to be aware of, because the reality is anyone could be a victim of sexual assault, and often certain marginalized groups that deal with high rates of sexual assault get overlooked and forgotten. With all of the seniors heading to colleges across the country next year, the topic of sexual assault is so important to keep people safe and allow for the best college experience possible.
Athletics is a large part of NCSSM’s culture and an important aspect of life for anyone associated with a sports team. If you actually bothered to read the sports section, you probably either are or know an NCSSM athlete, however, what you may not see when you hear the results of a track meet, see the scores of a tennis match, or sit in the student’s section at a basketball game is just how much goes into NCSSM athletics. Contrary to common perceptions, there’s a lot more to being an athlete than being cool and popular. It’s easy to criticize teams for poor (or sometimes very poor) performances, but behind the scenes there are many factors that make sports at NCSSM especially difficult compared to other schools. So what exactly is it like?
It goes without saying that NCSSM is a difficult place, and if you get five hours of sleep a night and a meal or two a day, you’re doing pretty well. This type of lifestyle isn’t suitable for teenagers but is even worse when you factor in vigorous exercise and competition daily. Being an athlete also makes it more difficult to spend adequate time studying, going to office/TA hours, and participating in activities. Additionally, competition days require students to miss supper and instead receive turkey and [not] cheese sandwiches.
One of the biggest challenges for teams at NCSSM is being a two year school. While other teams have had years to perfect playing with the same teammates and coaches, for our athletes, each year is often the first (and last) time playing together, making it more difficult to develop team culture and chemistry. It also means that the flow of athletes into the school is quite sporadic, leaving teams’ success largely up to the luck of the draw in admissions.
With all these challenges, it seems like the question should be, why be an NCSSM athlete at all? But just as they know the challenges, anyone who plays a sport here knows exactly why we do it. NCSSM is a special place, full of extraordinary people, and this remains true on every team. The bond shared by our teams in the face of this schools’ unique challenges is the best part of being an athlete, and in many cases, one of the keys to NCSSM’s success. Unicorns always accept the greater challenge; To those who love their sport and their team, nothing else matters.
Obviously the school’s focus is in academics, but the support that goes into sports is felt by all who take part. NCSSM’s coaches and trainers are second to none. That’s why regardless of sport, skill, or even wins and losses, being an athlete here is incredible, and an experience cherished by all those who have taken part. And for anyone curious about what it’s like being an NCSSM athlete, with spring sports right around the corner, it’s never too late to find out for yourself.
