Tag: Features

NC FBLA State Leadership Conference – March 21-23, 2024

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)

March 31, 2024

Perspective: NCSSM Apocalypse: Scenes from Around Campus in the Wake of a Storm

By Avery Prince / September 1, 2023

A fallen tree lies uprooted at the entrance to Watts Circle on August 15. (Avery Prince/Stentorian)

Intense storms and winds surrounded the Triangle on August 15th, leaving fallen trees, broken power lines, and power outages across the area. Duke Energy reported over 56,000 power outages, most of which occurred in Durham County. Winds were up to 70 miles per hour, causing trees to fall and creating dangerous driving conditions that lead to multiple crashes and roadway incidents.Across NCSSM’s Durham campus there were several signs of the damage from the storm, fallen trees and broken power lines were amongst the various damage left in the wake of such an intense storm.

Before the chaos of this storm, students and faculty gathered in the PEC for NCSSM’s 44th convocation. For the first time in NCSSM history, convocation was centered on NCSSM’s second campus in Morganton, being broadcast over Zoom and projected in Durham. Just as the keynote speaker was about to speak, the power went out and the lights in the PEC shut. A wave of panic ran through the PEC, and faculty calmed students down, encouraging them to remain quiet and stay seated. To pass time, students shined their phone flashlights and sang together, making the most of a difficult situation. Eventually faculty helped students exit the PEC and return to their dorms, where the backup power lit the halls and the heat was intense.

The storm on August 15 left power lines and trees nearly on top of nearby houses on Broad Street. (Avery Prince/Stentorian)

NCSSM was faced with over 25 hours with no power. Emergency generators fired up and certain parts of campus had emergency power, covering only necessities.

Classes were canceled, and students found ways to pass the time and cool off across campus. Bryan Lobby was popular with many students, as it allowed students to charge their various devices and cool off with fans. Many students appreciated this time as an opportunity to bond, and distracted themselves from the unpleasant conditions by spending time bonding with friends by playing card games, socializing, and cooling off together. Late in the afternoon, power returned and the usual rhythm of NCSSM resumed, but the storm had left its mark.

While it was not an ideal start to the year for many students, NCSSM students were able to accept this great challenge and make the most of the storm and power outage.

February 12, 2024
Perspective: Convocation with Two Campuses and One School

By Sofía Alfaro / September 15, 2023

Students lit up the out-of-power gym with their phone flashlights during convocation on August 15, 2023. (Teresa Fang/Stentorian)

The students of NCSSM were crowded into the gym bleachers on August 15, 2023, for convocation. As it came closer to 4:00 p.m., the instructors began to sit down on the floor of the gym. Many students thought it was meaningless for them to be in the gym since they couldn’t see the speakers, and it would have been the same experience if the convocation had been over Zoom like last year since the speaker wasn’t even in-person.

At 4:20 p.m., the lights began to flicker and soon after, the power went out. The students cheered as they would no longer be forced to listen to a speaker whom some of them couldn’t even see. As the students realized they were stuck in the darkness, they began singing songs while waving their flashlights – as many people do during concerts. As time went on students began to get more restless as they were stuck in a hot gym with more than 600 other people.

After the storm passed, the students were released by bleacher sections into the residential buildings. Most students came back to the PEC to get dinner. But by the time students were getting back to their regular routines, the day had gotten darker. Since only Bryan Lobby had working lights and outlets due to the backup generators, the lobby was filled with at least a hundred students. As it got closer to check, students who had friends who lived nearby went to their houses.

Everyone did what they could to cool themselves off. At one point in the night, frozen cheesecake bites were put out for students to grab them. In addition to it being free food, it was also a nice cold snack. Though the power outage was inevitable, it would have been nice for Durham’s convocation to have been postponed due to the weather.

The thunderstorm outside the Bryan lobby main entrance on August 15, 2023. (Sofía Alfaro/Stentorian)

August 15 and 16 were very chaotic days, but in those moments we were able to reflect. The PEC is a semi-permanent solution since the complete renovation of the auditorium will span over a few years. A solution that I would like to propose is two different convocations. Having two convocations would have made it easier to postpone it.

The convocation experience should be completely in-person for both campuses as is graduation. When I attended the convocation, I was sad to see that I couldn’t see the speaker and I wished that I could have. Neither Durham’s nor Morganton’s Fine Arts program was able to perform which I believe would have made the experience much better. Each campus’ orchestra and band are extremely talented and I would have loved to see them perform.

Junior Valentina Kimes talked about her experience of the power outage. Though she was very excited for her first day of school she was still stressed and the power outage added to the stress. Even though the power outage created a very hot environment, Kimes was still able to have fun and believed that it was a good way to connect with her classmates. Most of this bonding happened in Bryan Lobby. Due to classes being canceled, many students were in Bryan Lobby so they could charge their devices. Not only were they able to charge their devices but they were also able to spend time with their peers and take a break from the intense NCSSM school day.

The power outage was a bonding experience but many juniors and seniors alike were not able to experience it to its full extent. Convocation is the day when all the students and faculty come together to appreciate NCSSM; Durham and Morganton are completely separate campuses that have their own cultures. To appreciate NCSSM for what it is would be to have a convocation where the speaker and students can come together and appreciate the uniqueness of each campus.

September 15, 2023
The Waiting is Over: The PFM Is Open!

By Khushi Bhatt / September 1, 2023

The new PFM on opening day. (The Stentorian)

After months of waiting, the time is finally here. NCSSM’s newly renovated cafeteria is open! Opening day was a huge success showing off the modern, sleek look of the PFM. As soon as the doors were opened, students flooded in to see the new and improved space, and they were not disappointed. This long awaited transformation spread a wave of excitement across the student body that we are still feeling today.

The before and after pictures speak for themselves. From grab and go food at the racquetball courts to a salad bar, soup stations, drink machines, waffle makers and study space, this is certainly an improvement. Already, students are soaking up the classic high school experience of the cafeteria, sitting with friends, singing happy birthday, and enjoying their meals.

To show really how much we love the PFM and PFM Staff, students should show their gratitude and respect for the shared space. As a reminder:

The tables and chairs should be staying where they are because NCSSM staff is not a moving company!

All of the silverware, plates, cups, and food should be going to their respective places at the dish return! It makes it easier for everyone!

Lastly, study hours for right now go until 7:30 pm during weekdays and 6:30 pm on weekends! This will eventually be changed so that we can have access to the study space for longer, but please follow these times for now.

It has taken a village to get to where we are, but we appreciate all of the NCSSM staff, PFM workers, and cooperative students that have helped open the PFM. The space provides not only an area for students to eat, but one to socialize and study in. It provides a space for interaction and connection. The addition, or reinstatement, of this new cafeteria adds back a staple in the NCSSM experience. Students are so grateful for our newly renovated cafeteria and all the work put into it.

(The Stentorian)

(The Stentorian)

(The Stentorian)

September 1, 2023