The Stentorian Newspaper

Tag: Blog

  • Big Spoon Moshes at Unipalooza ‘25

    Big Spoon Moshes at Unipalooza ‘25

    (Louisa Weinard/Stentorian)

    By Mabel Kennedy, Stentorian Staff Writer

    “Having practice is really fun but when you’re doing it for that much time and you know that when you go back to your room you’re just going to have to work on homework and do other stuff SSM students have to do, it starts to drag.” This is the reality for most of the openers and NCSSM’s very own Big Spoon’s members. As Hazel Cochran ‘26 states above, UniPalooza wasn’t all fun times, a lot of hard work was put into it. 

    UniPalooza, the name, a spin off of Lollapalooza, is, I’d argue, one of the most important cultural events of the school year. This year it was headlined by Big Spoon the Third and supported by … On the humid grounds of Blawn, dozens of students gathered to support this event on an unsuspecting Friday afternoon, more specifically, May 9th. 

    Students had generally good things to say. As the #1 Curls on campus, our very own  Sadie Albright said, “I liked how everyone came together, however, Scotty Doesn’t Know was a choice…he definitely knew.” I can agree with this statement and so can various anonymous sources saying other points such as, “I wish Kahan had a solo, the technical difficulties were not that noticeable, and it wasn’t as hype as last year.” 

    The actual show wasn’t all I was interested in however, it was the musicians’ experiences that stood out to me the most. As it was touched on above, the stress and hardwork the band members put into this show were admirable to say the least. Big Spoon had to learn and memorize around 2 hours of songs to play though and began practicing early on. For three weeks before this event, Big Spoon practiced everyday for 2 hours, adding up to a total of 14 hours of practice a week. Perhaps a seemingly low amount but then added onto the initial stress and expectations of schoolwork, the workload becomes intense. However, when asked, there was no tension between the band members at all, a surprising fact based on the apparent strenuous practices 

    Big Spoon’s legacy is also an interesting one. When asked if they’ve figured out any of the members for the next generation of the band, rising seniors Jiya Zaveria and Hazel Cochran stated that, “it was still in the works,” despite them being sad to see their seniors go. Big spoon is a band that is flexible, an ongoing legacy rather than something concrete. The sound may be different next year, members will be different but it’ll still somehow be Big Spoon. Jiya and Hazel will continue the traditions that we know and love, Koffehouses and UniPaloza, but also hope to continue writing and performing their own songs while making a push to perform at more non-school venues (shoutout Local 506). 

     From Mayday Parade to Janelle Monáe, inspiration for the Big Spoon members came from a lot of places, something that’s evident in their song choices for Unipalooza. Members had the chance to pick two “save songs,” stated Hazel Cochran’26, songs that had to be included, even if the other members didn’t want to. However, the setlist wasn’t just made up of “save songs,” agreed upon covers and originals were sprinkled into the recipe as well. Seemingly, the band came together in a lot of ways, from their practice and writing sessions to the big performance, Big Spoon became a new band this year that the student population surely will be sad to see go.

  • Spoons: NCSSM’s Sacred Tradition

    Spoons: NCSSM’s Sacred Tradition

    Barboriak, as a junior, takes a picture with Eddie Zhang ’24 while playing Spoons. (Vincent Barboriak)

    By Tejasvi Shirolkar, Guest Contributor

    Usually used in a bowl of PFM cereal or soup, spoons are an essential part of the NCSSM dining experience. However, this February marked an annual tradition many chose to partake in: “Spoons.” Holding a wooden spoon to their nose, NCSSM students pass through hallways, go up stairs, and to their dorm halls. 

    To an outsider, Spoons may seem like a silly pastime. However, any NCSSM community member knows that the tradition is so much more; it celebrates the beginning of the Spring semester and allows both Seniors and Juniors to connect beyond the classroom.

    The Mastermind Behind This Year’s Spoons

    Vincent Barboriak ‘25, from 3rd West, is this year’s supervisor (or “Spoon’s Master,” as he describes it). As last year’s Spoons winner, Barboriak became the overseer for this year. He tracks eliminations, updates charts related to the game, and modifies rules for all participants. 

    How The Game Works

    On February 5th, 205 Juniors and Seniors each received a spoon with another player’s name on it–the person the player had to eliminate. For any player to be eliminated, they must be tapped on the shoulder with the spoon. 

    However, there is a catch: if a player has held up a spoon to their nose, that player is protected. Additionally, educational spaces such as classrooms and the library are considered “safe zones” to prevent distractions while learning.

    Some NCSSM students go to great lengths when playing Spoons. Antavious Ashe, a Community Coordinator (CC) on 2nd Hill, chimed in regarding some of the Spoons stories he had heard of. A member of 2nd Hill went as far as carrying his spoon in the shower, preventing another hallmate from tapping him out.

    Chloe Harnphanich ‘26, from 3rd Beall, echoed a similar story. While walking out of the PFM, Harnphanich kept her spoon to her nose. Near her, her eliminator lurked, waiting until the moment Harnphanich took the spoon off her nose. Despite her elimination from Spoons, Harnphanich seemed satisfied regarding her participation in the game.

    What Spoons Means to the NCSSM Community

    When asked why she participated in Spoons, Harnphanich stated, “[I] wanted to collaborate more with the student body [as a Junior Senator] and I think in general, [this game] is a very fun, engaging way to have a stress relieving aspect in… life, especially with such rigorous coursework at school.”

    As a former student and now as a CC, Ashe responded, “At first, I thought [Spoons] was really random, but in a way, it seems to bring the campus together… I think [the competition] can be taken to extremes, but for the most part, [Spoons] is a good thing.”

    To Keep or Not to Keep?

    While the winner for Spoons this year is yet to be declared, the student body seems to be in consensus: the sense of community, friendly competition, and camaraderie the game creates is what makes every participant a champion. The annual game is here to stay, and hopefully be embedded into the rich history of NCSSM.