The Stentorian Newspaper

Tag: education

  • Final Exam Study Guide for the Post-NCSSM Math and Everything Else Test, for June 2025

    By Teresa Fang, Stentorian Editor-in-Chief

    Dear seniors,

    If you are reading this, please give the grandseniors our sincerest thanks, for they have blessed us with the knowledge to hopefully ace the post-NCSSM math exam (which also has a bit of every other subject imaginable, somehow). When I brought up my memories of the entrance math exam as a sophomore to some of our UNC brothers and sisters last weekend, I believed that was the end of traumatic overstudying and that we’d spend the next two years having fun and dancing on the beautiful Bryan lawn every day. I didn’t foresee that there would be a surprise exam to test whether our knowledge retention is longer than a goldfish’s.

    God knows how many more surprise exams we will have to endure, but the grandseniors have mercifully provided us with some questions from their own exams. They were pulled straight from their own mighty memories, so I trust these questions completely and will NOT in fact be memorizing the answers, at all. BTW, I heard this exam will happen in early June via proctored Zoom.

    1. Compare the growth of the Fibonacci sequence to the number of emails you received titled “Free food in Blobby (walk don’t run)” in a single semester. What mathematical model best describes the rate of inbox saturation? Be sure to show all 492 steps.

    2. Prove, using indirect contradiction and at least one Hall Scream in the ETC gym, that the probability of getting into a good college increases with the number of problem sets you “collaborated” on but didn’t actually understand.

    3. If a student walks from Hill to the ETC in under 4 minutes carrying an iced lavender matcha from Joe’s and a TI-84, what is the minimum amount of shame they must feel for not taking the tunnels? Express your answer in terms of π, Euler’s identity, and residual sleep debt.

    4. Let xxx represent your GPA, and yyy your number of hours slept this week. Show that as x→4.0x \to 4.0x→4.0, y→y \toy→ [REDACTED]. Use a Lagrange multiplier if you’re feeling fancy, or just cry.

    5. Calculate the volume of a metaphorical void created by dropping your calculator down the Bryan stairs from 4th Bryan 17 minutes before the AP Calculus BC exam. Assume it echoes with your last three coherent thoughts.

    6. A student takes 8 courses in one semester, joins 4 clubs, runs for 2 positions, and attends 6 optional speaker lectures. Prove that this student exists only theoretically and was last seen orbiting the library at Mach speed. Bonus: Derive a matrix transformation that maps “ambition” to “burnout.”

    7. Using combinatorics, determine how many possible outfit combinations can be made from the same two NCSSM hoodies, one pair of sweatpants, and seven unmatched socks. Include all valid permutations for Thursday, 8:30 a.m. (C block).

    8. Using integral calculus, calculate the total amount of caffeine consumed by a student over the course of finals week. Be sure to account for exponential increase on the night before the Multi final and the delta spike caused by the ground Watts Coca-Cola machine breakdown.

    9. You have 6 unsolved past problems, 3 panicked Messenger chats, 2 unread Canvas announcements, and 1 chemistry packet due. Create a Markov chain to represent your decision-making process. Explain why every state leads to “eat pizza in the PEC.”

    10. Derive a function that describes the rate at which motivation decays when the Bryan courtyard hammocks are reinstalled. Bonus: Include external variables such as bird-watching, existential dread, and the Big Spoon concert.

    11. Define a topology on the set of all NCSSM students such that all paths lead to the Bryan lobby. Justify whether this space is connected, compact, or simply chaotic good.

    12. Finally, prove the following identity:

    (NCSSM Senior)^2 = (Fear of adulthood) + (Last-minute Common App edits) + (Fifth pod of Keurig)

    Use the Fundamental Theorem of Crying in the Shower.

  • Confessions from a Reluctant Editor-in-Chief

    Confessions from a Reluctant Editor-in-Chief

    (Teresa Fang/Stentorian)

    By Teresa Fang, Stentorian Editor-in-Chief

    Flexed toes were the requirement for being on the demo team of my old taekwondo dojo, and I get why—kicks look sharper and stronger that way. I appreciate our masters for teaching all of us how. We either look good together or die looking bad. I always joke about the time I cried in class for not wanting to do the weird group exercises across the mats. It’s embarrassing to be the wheelbarrow of the human wheelbarrow, digging my palms into the smelly mats and apologizing for not moving my arms fast enough. 

    I know that group activities can be embarrassing for all of us in the group. I know that our group can be a big one. In the worst-case scenario, I know we could hide the ones with floppy toes in the back of our formation and still perform in competitions with a sufficiently high score. See, like most high school students, I’m aware of all the little tricks that can make my life a little easier.

    Yet, I’m ignorantly unaware that I just made someone else’s life a little harder. I didn’t yet understand the hard work it takes to turn embarrassment into accomplishment—that group work could be transformative if we respected each other’s strengths and tried. I was so focused on avoiding shame, so sure someone else would do the work, that I neglected to care. I left my team with a half-baked product and a sorry-I-felt-like-playing-video-games excuse. My comfort was bought with someone else’s burnout. 

    These two years haven’t been easy. All 600 or so of us gave up more than we could list to come here. For me, it was my love for journalism—leaving behind Chapel Hill’s established networks and local independence to Uber back and forth from school, stressing about “super-important” meetings and the clubs I had to lead.

    We all gave something up to be here. So why do we sometimes act like we’ve given up for nothing? Why should we treat our new commitments as resume fodder instead of meaningful work? What about the people we leave hanging when we disappear? What is it about this school that makes us betray each other?

    Why is it that when you give up something to come here, you then give up the opportunities that this school gives you?

    The manner by which NCSSM students express their commitment to things overlooks their reliability: getting a leadership position (or a college acceptance, recently) versus putting in the work after you get that commitment are vastly different in scope and impact. I’m not proud of it, but I caught myself judging students in the same manner as those on the political right: as superficial snowflakes.

    Committing to the fullest is simply a part of my life—I, too, wanted to bake bread every day at home during the quarantine months, but I witnessed my community grieve the murders of Asian women at Atlanta spas and the elderly getting slashed and knocked over across the country. For me, it was my responsibility as a human being to give speeches at vigils, protests, and report the best I could for my people, even though the most complicated word I knew back then was “polarization.” My boss never told me what to cover; it had always been me behind the wheel. Being a human being was how I became a journalist.

    When we agree on something with others, it’s all the more important that we bear this commitment in mind. Many people do not have the privileges afforded to the average NCSSM student. 

    We are privileged to experience a safe school environment in such diversity. This is good. But the larger student experience does not stop. It begins.

    (Teresa Fang/Stentorian)

    There is so much diversity, and different types of it, at NCSSM. There is so much going on that we do not have time to process anything, and that places us in a hard spot because NCSSM students want to try everything. 

    The school makes it a law for teachers to make assignments due strictly at 10 p.m., in the name of allowing us to sleep. But how could we possibly? Students chose to give up their previous at-home lives to come to this place and garner an education where they want to spend time producing something high-quality. But there are expectations with such high bars that some people can reach them while others can’t, creating an achievement gap of shaming and spite between students and teachers. 

    Like in any nation, there are both responsible and strange people. We are no strangers to people “disappearing,” being unresponsive or uncooperative in the middle of important projects, which then becomes a “teaching lesson” for us young people to overcome and adapt. But this is incredibly difficult to overcome in a pressure cooker environment. We cannot be curious to explore our niches without worrying about falling behind in other stuff.

    These are the conditions that have shaped my writing. They have shaped me to choose what to write, even when I don’t know if anyone will read it; to recognize privilege; to have the courage to say this system isn’t working the way it should. On my J-Term trip to Arizona, I stood over the Grand Canyon and breathed. For the first time in months, I wasn’t overbooked. I was just burnt out—and suddenly, that felt okay. I had chosen these commitments. My hands were full and dirty, but the work wasn’t just functional. It was joyful. The Canyon’s layers reminded me of my own: research, newspaper, humanities journal, hours in the studio. The strife had deepened my appreciation for what it means to create something honest.

    The conditions of strife have created my appreciation for a sincere humanity. I see it in and am thankful to my teachers who gave me unconditional support, small chats, deep discussions, and great restaurant recommendations. My peers who live on my polar opposite but make time and effort to connect. If not for them, I would have actually become devoid of all happiness and hope, and become one of those people who complain about the impossible when they’ve never seen the other side of the earth. I would never have had the courage to write this, nor the skillset to write with an open mind.

    I’m glad we’re snowflakes. I wish everyone had the chance to be one. Because if that were true, maybe we would all learn to live a little. It matters that we persist through these troubles so that eventually all our crash-outs today will just be like minor inconveniences in the future. We keep making life harder for everyone so then more people can know the privilege of real dialogue.

    And my final confession: yes, I was a reluctant editor-in-chief. But I am always proud to sign Teresa Fang on my works—not because it’s perfect, but because it’s honest.

    Here ends my case study on my NCSSM experience. Q.E.D.

  • The Ramifications of The Return To An Old Title IX Policy

    By Marcellus Day, Stentorian Staff Writer

    Title IX is a famous, yet misunderstood policy on our campus. Everyone knows about it; we joke about it in the hallway and we half read then delete the emails about it. However, our last email about Title IX was a notification from our Title IX Coordinator, JAshe, that NCSSM has updated their Title IX procedures in compliance with federal standards, but what changed and what does that change mean for students?

    On June 23, 1972 the first ever Title IX policy was published with the main goal of of ending sex discrimination in federally funded eduaction progams and activities. However, the policy has come under attack, being criticized for extending beyond its original intentions and being unnecessary altogether; Title IX cannot be found on the Department of Education website as of April 15th, 2025. This has led to a variety of legal challenges to the policy and changes, but here’s what you need to know about our current changes.

    NCSSM’s Title IX no longer provides protections for LGBTQ+ students. This change is in compliance with Trump’s Executive Order “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government” and recent rulings from the Federal Courts. Here is the direct statement from our Title IX Office in the email sent on March 27th: 

    “Incidents of gender based harassment and discrimination that impact LGBTQ+ students can be resolved through the Code of Conduct procedures separate from the Title IX process; this includes discrimination based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.”

    Effectively, Title IX policies will no longer apply to students who are seeking protections for LGBTQ+ related discrimination. Instead, students in those situations can receive support from the Code of Conduct. However, discrimination is not a specific major or minor violation, so the discrimination would have to be in line with some other outlined violation such as physical/sexual violence although verbal abuse is unclear. While some informal resolutions may take place, this change will prevent students from many protections.

    However, these guidelines are not clear. As of April 15th, 2025 our nondiscrimination policy still seems to define gender, gender identity, and gender expression and imply that they are still protected by Title IX, although this is not the case. Further, developments are being watched as our system is needlessly complex and know that if you or someone you know are experiencing discrimination or harassment you can still reach out to a trusted NCSSM employee for support. 

  • The Service Learning Requirement Is Designed To Fail Students

    By Marcellus Day, Stentorian Staff Writer

    At NCSSM, we brag about forcing our students to do community service, because we are an educational organization and not the justice system when someone commits a minor crime. From the moment we’re accepted, our objectives are made clear: stay on top of insanely hard classes, complete random courses about how to be a good person, and apply said courses to real life by doing 60 hours of community service- or don’t bother graduating. NCSSM’s policy is crafted with good intent; since the school is responsible for removing intellectual talent from local communities, why not force students to babysit kids at their local YMCA? However, a policy meant to help shape students into active members of their communities is not designed with all students in mind. 

    First, let’s walk through the numbers. Students are required to complete 60 hours of community service by Thanksgiving of their Senior year. Fair enough, right? This number seems reasonable until you consider the amount of time it takes to be a student at NCSSM. Including classes (~40 hours), one sport (~7.5 hours), one club (~3 hours), the on campus service requirement (3-4 hours), and taking care of eating and sleeping (77 hours), it takes around 130.5 hours a week to be a student at NCSSM.. That leaves a total of 37.5 hours a week to do other activities. Which, at face value, sounds like loads of time, assuming you don’t bathe, you’ll teleport to where you need to be, and that you have no friends or family that want to hang out with you. Essentially, it is nearly impossible to complete community service hours while at school, since one simply does not have the time. 

    Obviously, this issue can be easily solved; just complete the service requirement over breaks and summers! However, this simple solution is not accessible to many students as it makes one crucial assumption: that everyone’s home life is just like their school life. Being at NCSSM means a guaranteed roof over your head, three meals a day, support for mental and physical health issues, and a safe environment. This may not be the case for every student at home, and could prevent a student from completing the service requirement. The truth is that living away from home comes with its own set of financial obligations that every student’s family might not be able to cover without the student working over breaks. For many students, the service learning requirement simply isn’t a priority at home, and even if it is, what counts towards the service requirement?

    In order to be logged for the requirement, the volunteer opportunity must be in North Carolina (excluding online programs based in NC), and the student must not accept any type of payment for the service. So here’s an issue: what does one do when there are no opportunities in their area? Let’s take my hometown, Princeville, as an example. Suppose you search “volunteer” on Google Maps in my hometown. In that case, three results pop up: A Habitat for Humanity, which apparently is located inside a building that is currently being renovated into apartments with no phone number or website, a volunteer firefighter station which only accepts volunteers who have graduated high school, and a community outreach center, which doesn’t exist anymore. But why rely on Google? I’m an active member of the community, so I should go out to find more options. Princeville has a library and a senior center, both of which are not accepting volunteers at this time, a retirement home that requires volunteers to be  18 or older, and various churches, in which I’m not sure if they would love my help, considering I’m transgender. To keep it simple: there is no opportunity in my hometown, and I’m sure other students from rural areas feel the same way.

    NCSSM’s current remedy for this issue is to provide on-campus service opportunities during the school year (remember those 37 hours of free time?). They can be great means of gaining additional hours, but NCSSM has recently limited which on-campus services count. So, does NCSSM offer enough service learning hours on campus for students who cannot get them elsewhere? I would answer no, especially not accessible hours, as these events often conflict with clubs and sports. Besides, having to do all your hours on campus defeats the purpose of limiting on-campus opportunities in the first place. 

    The Service Learning Requirement fails all students by not being accessible to any student who does not have certain opportunities. While it tries to make up for it in various ways, it doesn’t change the fact that the policy was not intended to serve students but to serve NCSSM’s institutional ego. So while our current and future juniors stress out about meeting an arbitrary number, I wish our failed seniors a happy credit recovery. 

  • Presidential Statement From Israel James, SBP

    By Israel James, Student Body President ’25

    As we near the end of our time here at NCSSM, I find myself not just reflecting on those moments that defined our experience, but on the people who made it truly unforgettable. When I embarked on this journey as Student Body President, I promised to lead for, and not over, the student body. And that’s exactly what I’ve tried to do, whether it was listening to your ideas, advocating for your needs, or creating new opportunities that would leave a lasting legacy.

    One of my most proud accomplishments is organizing the Inaugural Annual Alumni Career Fair, a thought that came from a brainstorm between student government and the alumni association that evolved into a spectacular event connecting students with graduates who were once in our shoes. It was a reminder that innovation is not just located in the lab or on a research poster, but also in how we build bridges for each other.

    And wow, did we have fun this year. I don’t think any of us will ever forget the chaos and the hilarity of spoons, watching people sneak around campus, spoon on the nose in a desperate attempt not to get out. Or the Lock-Ins throughout the PEC, where we played basketball to dodgeball after inspection, reminding us that NCSSM is as much heart as it is brains. Prom at the Museum of Life and Science was out of a fairy tale, and viewing everybody looking sharp taking pictures at Duke Gardens was like being in a movie. Walking through downtown Durham or 9th Street after submitting Orah passes. Going to the Eno River to have fun with friends. The annual Watermelon Club race and how watermelon was scattered all across Hill Street. Speaking of Hill, we were able to see Hill House’s transformation in the new renovations that took place earlier this year.  

    This year, the Class of 2025 became more than just students, we became a family. From singing Taylor Swift during the power outage of our junior year to celebrating each other’s accomplishments across every discipline, our bond grew deeper, stronger, and more meaningful. We’ve been role models to our juniors, showing them what it looks like to lead with kindness, creativity, and courage.

    Where do I even begin naming all of our accomplishments? Our student body received national research awards, wrote peer-reviewed articles, launched innovative start-ups, won athletic tournaments, created amazing and inspiring art pieces, and was accepted into so many spectacular schools. Another major accomplishment is getting to this point. The long night study sessions and the projects we spent hours working on has finally paid off. We really did lock-in this year!

    We showed that greatness comes in many faces and from many different places. And we accomplished all of this while attending the #1 Public High School in America, as ranked by Niche, a title earned day in and day out.

    To our faculty and staff, thank you for believing in us even when we did not believe in ourselves. Your mentorship over the past two years have been the keys to our success. And to Chancellor Roberts, thank you for your unwavering leadership and for reminding us that education is not about success, but about purpose.

    As we go forward from here, I want all of us to carry the NCSSM unicorn spirit with us in all that we do. Keep asking questions. Keep building communities that represent the values we lived here. And also, give back whether that be through mentorship, giving, or  sharing your story with future Unicorns.

    We are the new generation of changemakers. And though we’ll be all over the world pretty soon, we’ll always be part of this legacy. I want to stay connected to all and each of you. If you’re celebrating something like a graduation, wedding, job offer, probate, or anything that you want to be celebrated for, I will always love to show up. I want to keep showing up for you as you’ve been showing up for me.

    Thank you for believing in me to serve as your president. Thank you for making NCSSM a place where brilliance thrives. I am so proud of us, how much we’ve grown, how hard we’ve worked, and how we’ve carried ourselves through it all. 

    Here’s to the Class of 2025: the changemakers, the trailblazing unis, my friends for life.

    To our bright futures ahead,

    Israel M. James

    Student Body President, Class of 2025 

    North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics 

  • Class of 2025 Commit to 47 Colleges

    Class of 2025 Commit to 47 Colleges

    (NCSSM)

    By Teresa Fang, Stentorian Editor-in-Chief

    As the academic year comes to a close, 322 seniors of NCSSM-Durham’s Class of 2025 have reported their college destinations. The seniors are set to attend a wide array of institutions, from Ivy League universities and top research institutions to liberal arts colleges and public universities across the country.

    According to Program Assistant Pam Oxendine, NCSSM Counseling Services worked with seniors from May 1-5 to complete their final transcript requests. After May 1, seniors self-reported their decisions to the department, which has released data on the colleges the class of 2025 committed to for The Stentorian. As of May 14, 2024, college commitment data was available for 322 out of the total 342 graduating seniors (94 percent reporting), including early decision, early action, and regular decision commitments.

    Unsurprisingly, the most popular destination is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where 169 NCSSM-Durham students—more than half of those reporting, or roughly 52 percent of the senior body—will enroll this fall. NC State University follows with 68 students, continuing a long-standing pipeline between NCSSM and the state’s flagship STEM university.

    Beyond North Carolina, students are spreading out across the nation. Four students will attend Yale University, another four will enroll at Columbia University, and four more are heading to Stanford University. Duke University, located just minutes from campus and a popular research partner for many NCSSM students, will welcome 13 undergraduates this fall.

    The class also boasts acceptances to all eight Ivy League institutions, with students enrolling at Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Princeton, UPenn, and Yale. Other notable destinations include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2 students), the University of Pennsylvania (5), Carnegie Mellon University (3), Georgia Tech (5), and the University of Chicago (2).

    Smaller liberal arts colleges are well represented too. Students will attend Barnard, Davidson, Haverford, Swarthmore, Spelman, and Williams. One student is heading to the United States Air Force Academy, and another to McGill University in Canada.

    Two students have chosen to take a gap year before continuing their academic journeys.

    Altogether, the Class of 2025 reported plans to attend 47 different colleges and universities, showcasing the diversity of interests and ambitions that define the NCSSM experience.

    Here is a full breakdown of college destinations for the class of 2025:

    College# Attending
    Appalachian State University1
    Barnard College1
    Carnegie Mellon University3
    Case Western Reserve University1
    Coastal Carolina University1
    Columbia University in the City of New York4
    Cornell University4
    Dartmouth College1
    Davidson College1
    Duke University13
    East Carolina University1
    GAP YEAR2
    Georgetown University1
    Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus5
    Harvard University1
    Harvey Mudd College1
    Haverford College1
    High Point University1
    Howard University1
    Johns Hopkins University1
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology2
    McGill University1
    New York University2
    North Carolina A & T State University1
    North Carolina State University68
    Northwestern University1
    Princeton University1
    Rice University1
    Spelman College1
    Stanford University4
    Swarthmore College1
    United States Air Force Academy1
    University of California-Berkeley1
    University of California-Los Angeles1
    University of Chicago2
    University of Michigan-Ann Arbor1
    University of North Carolina at Asheville1
    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill169
    University of North Carolina at Charlotte1
    University of North Carolina at Greensboro1
    University of North Carolina Wilmington2
    University of Pennsylvania5
    University of Southern California1
    Vanderbilt University1
    Wake Forest University1
    Washington University in St Louis1
    Williams College1
    Yale University4
    TOTAL Reporting322

  • Regeneron STS Wins

    By Mabel Kennedy, Stentorian Staff Writer

    As you meander or perhaps rush to your classes through the Reynolds breezeway, your gaze will linger on the rather demanding mural of all the graced students who have won the achievement of being crowned a “top 40 finalist” in the Regeneron competition. Soon, our very own senior Ava Cummings’ ‘25 name will be highlighted. 

    For all those who don’t know, the Regeneron competition is a nationwide science competition for seniors, placing a particular emphasis on research. It is known as a “prestigious” competition as defined by their parent company. As Dante Tringale ‘25 states, “It is the largest and oldest science talent search in the country, where they look for the next leaders of the generation of scientific exploration.” They begin with all the applicants then slowly whittle down to the “Top 300 Scholars,” where you receive a $2,000 (unfortunately taxed) scholarship and an internship offer, and “Top 40 Finalists” where you can present your work along with a $25,000 scholarship (taxed too, sigh) and a chance to compete for higher prizes. Both tempting benefits are when deciding whether you want to submit your work.

    As someone unfamiliar with the inner workings of the competition and miles away from the science community committed to achieving some sort of title within Regeneron, I had the chance to learn about the competition from a fairly unbiased point of view. What I found particularly interesting was their inclusion of the story behind the research when considering the students’ applications. They take this into account when reading the additional essays that applicants were required to write when submitting their research. Tringale ‘25 brought this to my attention during our conversation about the application process saying, “It’s a completely separate application process (not through the school), similar to a scholarship application you write additional essays about what you researched, why, and what your future contributions to science will be, as well as turning in the 30-page research paper.” 

    Your journey, if you so choose, might start through one of the various research programs our school offers, such as RBio or RChem, among others, or through an Independent Study. Either one has its benefits or disadvantages depending on the person or topic.` 

    I learned after spending my afternoon with Aretha Datta ‘25, a “Top 300 scholar,” that the competition wasn’t exactly the end goal for many students in NCSSM’s research programs. Regeneron wasn’t on the front burners, despite my impressions after passing by the large mural in Reynolds breezeway every day, I simply chalked it up to be another example of the school favoring science rather than encouraging interdisciplinary work and the inclusion of the humanities, something ever-present in my school life. However, I learned that their research was much more than that after hearing how they wanted to continue it in college, hopefully ending up benefiting their community. I also noticed, as I passed by all of the research presentations on February 19th, that most of the researchers began their work after noticing a humanitarian issue and wanted to make a change. I’ve actually noticed that it was the student’s passion for their topic that far surpassed the sponsor’s support in some cases. 

    When applying to NCSSM’s research programs, students are met with encouragement that no matter their background and previous experience, they have the opportunity to pursue research.

  • Best Day Ever of Western Civilization To Be Reached This Friday at 11:11 A.M.

    Best Day Ever of Western Civilization To Be Reached This Friday at 11:11 A.M.

    (AI-generated image)

    By Teresa Fang, Stentorian Editor-in-Chief

    An international panel of leading doctors, people with PhDs, online influencers who don’t have PhDs, historians, and so-called “almond moms” announced this week that Western civilization will reach the “best day ever” starting at 11:11 A.M. Friday.

    “From the data I got staring at the sun yesterday to analyzing the fluctuations in gravitational constants to creating a database of all the alpha wave music I found on YouTube to today’s top-grossing movies featuring naked world leaders, I have discovered there is a shared milestone in each of these activities, festering into one exact moment in time,” said MIT graduate student Robert Dukie, who is completing his PhD at the Best Lab, which focuses on evaluating the psychoanalytical and philosophical considerations of computational geologic dating. 

    He gestures towards a nearby line graph illustrating Western society’s highs and lows. He draws a circle at one peak using a fat red Sharpie. “We’ve been charting this scientific and cultural ascent for generations now, from the creation of sliced bread to the first monkey in space, to the graffiti we’ve scanned in bathroom stalls at 18092 different public high schools. Everything has been leading up to this Friday.”

    According to this unlikely group of panelists, the first miracle of “Best Day Ever” will occur at 11:11 a.m., when an Uber Eats driver will enter NCSSM-Durham’s PEC, believing the school to be a lackluster cubist prison, and, not finding what he is looking for, ask where “the freaking ‘brain’ lobby is supposed to be.”

    The man, dressed in Crocs and blue overalls and determined by researchers to be the first catalyst in humanity’s epic beginning of a new era, will then be met with a $5000 tip from a certain Greenville-native, who will pop up from the bushes.

    “This awesome day has been a long time coming,” said researcher Jamie Olivier, before picking up a hot pink marker and, seemingly without thought or intent, drawing an enormous, stupid-looking smiley face on his clipboard. “And by the looks of things, this will be our reaction.”

    Some social media influencers believe the coming cultural pinnacle–the most intellectually and spiritually upgrading moment conceivable by science or philosophy–will signal the start of a healthier and less indecisive lifestyle. Many celebrated by filming 6-hour long TikToks (separated into multiple parts) and talking into microphones about every other time they did “something good for myself.”

    “I’m just taking care of myself until that day,” said self-identified “carnivore” Miley Raymonds, mom of four, tearing out a hunk of what looked to be a skinned squirrel with her teeth. “God knows I trust those ‘see-in-tists’ completely. Our budget’s been constrained to the point we’ve had to scavenge for roadkill, and my little meat-eaters cannot be living on protein-less spinach and greens and less-than-quality red meat.”

    Despite the panel’s findings, many are skeptical that humanity will see a new change on Friday, claiming that good things in life are only rewarded to those who act. The same terrible things happening in the world are likely to continue as egg prices rise to $1000 per carton and ICE becomes SHICE, now committed to deporting all people with small hands, which are of course “un-manly” and “un-American.”

  • You didn’t understand the assignment

    You didn’t understand the assignment

    Dr. Lichtman presented his thoughts on STEM education and his research at the Harvard Northwest Building on February 14. (Teresa Fang/The Stentorian)

    By Teresa Fang, Stentorian Editor-in-Chief

    Two weeks ago, Dr. Jeff Lichtman, Dean of Science at Harvard University, began his research talk with five claims, each answering the specific question, “What is school for?” Together, the five claims expanded on education in the 21st century, stemming from a variety of philosophical considerations throughout his 50 years of teaching.

    If you consider that almost everyone in the world (or at least, in this country) has access to a phone, “nearly all knowledge is at one’s fingertips,” which is the first claim Lichtman makes. I agree. I also agree with his fourth point, on behalf of educators: “The peril of education in the information age: because of the glut of information, professors are necessarily teaching an ever-smaller proportion of the extant data.” But the fifth point raises a series of questions as Lichtman questions the ways in which educators “fail” their students. Of these five claims, as someone who cherishes the value of education, I was curiously intrigued by his thoughts.

    Rather than dissect his claims, I would like to summarize his argument, which he does himself quite nicely:

    “First, irrelevancy. The subjects we [educators] teach are irrelevant to your ultimate career plans. For example, in medical school, you don’t use calculus. A doctor uses 0% of the calculus knowledge they learned in school.”

    After presenting his points, Dr. Lichtman asked the audience of high school student researchers if they disagreed with anything he said. I was already responding to his points mentally, so I took the first microphone immediately. “Why is that a failure?” I asked. When I emphasize the importance of school, like Dr. Lichtman, many people echo similar claims that most of what you learn in school will not be applicable in the real world or that they will forget nearly everything they once learned. But I say the answer depends on what type of learning we’re referring to: the type on the whiteboard or the type beyond the whiteboard.

    “Second, prematurity. When the courses are relevant, we [educators] hardly explain why they are, so you can’t focus on what is important as it is presented long before you might use this material, maybe 5-10 years later.”

    I might not remember that Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 in twenty years when I’m trying to interview people for a job hiring. But I will definitely remember a friend saying, “you should design the poster art because you’re good at art, and I’ll write the content in the meantime.” I learned that designating tasks to an appropriate individual with the perfect skillsets will finish our task faster so we can finally eat our meals during lunch break.

    You may forget the curriculum, but you won’t forget the experience. Learning to judge one’s ability to fulfill certain responsibilities and justifying your selection are examples of knowledge that do matter. Perhaps, these are skills you might need that separate you from a good candidate for your dream job versus the ideal candidate for the responsibilities of the job.

    “Third, preoccupation with the right answer. Perhaps the most important failure is that the whole science enterprise [sic] is just a continuation of the secondary school preoccupation getting the correct answer on exams, problem sets, and homework assignments. Regurgitating an expected answer has little to do with the real world, where the ‘right’ answer is unknown.”

    Besides calling the entire occupation of researching science an “enterprise” (throwback to my previous piece on ncssm.edu’s misrepresented marketing of students) as if the sole purpose of research is to generate economic value, I think the preoccupation with the “right” answer is a universal failure that permeates through all subjects, not just in STEM. We endure numerous “irrelevant” courses in history, English, physics, and math, not because we intend to become an academic jack-of-all-trades (go on, make your snarky “erm, actually”s), but to develop our method of thinking and reasoning. Will I ever need to prove the Pythagorean theorem using geometry postulates when I’m in my late-30’s? No. But will I ever need to make a claim, learn how to support it with evidentiary facts, and arrive at a logical conclusion? Yes. I think me writing this article proves that I can.

    Thus, school is for teaching you how to think. Not what to think, but how to think. You are getting your critical thinking in, your collaboration skills, and most importantly, the connections you might need later in life, aka your support system or your potential business partners. Indeed, you could think of this column as the sequel to my article “Settling the debate between STEM and the humanities.” Do I wish that more people were aware that “Frankenstein” is more than just a classic Victorian novel but a commentary on Marxism, Freudian psychoanalysis, and much more? Or that Emerson and Thoreau are two completely different people camping around the same pond? Of course, I’d love if America’s level of general knowledge of literature, and social studies, or just being more news-savvy about the world was more proficient, but I do not think that it is equivalent to trashing the entire education system.

    “Last but not least, the fear of failure. Solving a problem often requires showing all reasonable ideas fail. Failure is a necessary part of finding a solution.”

    School is not a promise of success and prosperity, but I do think that Dr. Lichtman and others are approaching school with misjudged expectations. He makes many sound and fair points, and undeniably, it’s important that students learn the curriculums they are taught in the classroom. But they shouldn’t walk away with report cards and memorized flashcards. They should be walking away with new and improved models of thinking and an arsenal of approaches for the real, structure-less world. 

    It’s undeniable that the quality of our education system, federally and at NCSSM, is flawed. Nonetheless, there is still value in it. But if you measure the value of school based on test scores and grades, then I suppose you really didn’t understand the assignment.

  • “Science Season” Arrives: Students & teachers share their preparation and experiences For NCSEF

    “Science Season” Arrives: Students & teachers share their preparation and experiences For NCSEF

    AVA CUMMINGS ‘25 AND SAACHI ARUN ‘25 OF RBIO WITH THEIR RESEARCH POSTERS AT NCSEF
    REGION 3B ON FEBRUARY 17. (ANNELIESE HEYDER)

    By Anneliese Heyder, Stentorian Editor-in-Chief

    The “Science Season” is upon us: when the summer months start getting closer and science fairs, conferences, and competitions begin popping up like flowers. Throughout the spring semester, students at NCSSM will be presenting their research at school and around the state and country. 

    The North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair, or NCSEF, kicked off on February 17th at NCSSM as Region 3b, with both juniors and seniors competing by sharing their research with judges, teachers, and students. Some students completed research independently or with a team, while others were part of the RSci or Mentorship programs. 

    Luke Malta ‘25 was an RChem student who presented at NCSEF. “I spent a lot of time perfecting my poster, sitting down and making sure I have as much information as possible,” he described his preparation. “I also planned on practicing presenting in front of the current RChem students to get some feedback from them and Dr. Bruno.”

    Sawyer Kribbs ‘25 from RBio did the same.“I began to prepare by practicing my speech a couple of nights before presenting it to the judges. I was pretty nervous, but I felt ready,” he said, adding that he enjoyed talking with other students about his research and was impressed with the other projects at the fair. 

    Some of the students who presented did their research at another university with a mentor and a team of undergraduate or graduate students. “I would say NCSEF was a great experience! It prepared me for future symposiums I plan to attend since there will be judges who are experts in the topic I’m researching, and how to interact with them,” said Hima Manne ‘25, who was part of the Mentorship program.

    Manne also explained how she prepared for NCSEF, stating “Planning included updating my research findings on the poster I previously had and prepping for specific questions about methods and future directions.”

    DANTE TRINGALE ‘25 WITH THEIR RESEARCH POSTER. (Anneliese Heyder)

    Most of the eight categories advance the three top winners to the state-level North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair. The categories include Biological Science A, Biological Science B, Chemistry, Environmental/Earth Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Technology, and Physics. There are other special prizes as well, such as the Regeneron Biomedical Science Award, the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, and the NC One Water Award. However, the grand prize is an all-expense paid trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair in May. 

    Not only must they practice their speaking and speaking skills, but students must also make sure they have all the required documents signed and their posters ready to be presented. Mentors play a significant role in helping their students prepare–printing posters, checking over materials, and organizing the event. 

    Both teachers and students dedicate their time to making sure the fair goes smoothly for everyone. NCSEF provides an opportunity for peers to show one another their passions and skills and learn about various research topics. It is also a great way to make connections and meet professionals in the field–for some students, their research is just the first step in their future careers.