The Stentorian Newspaper

Tag: Sports

  • The Streak is Broken at Historic Durham Athletic Park

    By Preston Mullins, Stentorian Staff Writer

    Durham Athletic Park, the former home of the Durham Bulls minor league baseball team and Bull Durham, the iconic film, now hosts a different tenant: the NCSSM Unicorns. In a ballpark steeped in winning history, a struggling high school baseball team sought to capture a bit of that magic for themselves. The players entered the 2025 season starving for a win; the Unis hadn’t tasted victory in three years. The team underwent a preseason of practice and preparation in hopes of finally breaking the streak that had haunted them for so long.

    The losses began to roll in as games began for NCSSM, but hope was not lost. The margins of defeat for the team were not what they had once been; the players realized they had the one thing they needed the most: a chance. When a matchup arrived at home against Triangle Math and Science Academy in early March, it initially felt like any other game. The Unis warmed up and took their usual positions on the field. Each and every player held a sliver of hope for the possibility of victory, but no one dared to get their hopes up. The streak had lasted for years, what would make them think it could be broken now? 

    That chilly night at the DAP was one that the NCSSM baseball team wouldn’t soon forget. Not only was the streak broken, but it was obliterated. The Unicorns routed the TMSA Tigers 18-2. This result came out of nowhere; one moment the streak was alive and well, and the next it was gone. NCSSM had piled up loss after loss for over 1000 days and just like that, the win column was no longer home to an enormous goose egg. The members of the team were unfamiliar with the sweet taste of victory; they would cherish it forever. The ghosts of the old ballpark came through for the Unis that night.

    The NCSSM baseball team had been the running joke of the school for ages, but following the win, the taunts and jeers quieted down, at least for a little while. The losses returned in the next few games, and a new streak began, but the team was able to pick another win later in the season, this time 6-4 on the road against Neuse Charter in late April. While the Unicorns were still far from a great baseball team, they had restored a bit of pride to their name, and the streak that had hung over their heads since 2022 was finally over. After all of the suffering the team had gone through in recent years, 2025 Uni baseball rode off into the sunset with a glimmer of hope for the future in hand.

  • NCSSM Spikeball Is Not For The Faint-Hearted

    NCSSM Spikeball Is Not For The Faint-Hearted

    By Hima Manne, Stentorian Staff Writer

    NCSSM Spikeball is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a high-stakes battle for pride, glory, and satisfaction of proving absolutely no one can beat your superior reflexes–at least until they do, and then you make excuses. 

    There’s an art to this madness, a rhythm that combines the agility of a jungle cat with the competitiveness of a caffeine-fueled teenager. At its core, spikeball is about spiking a ball onto a tiny trampoline with a ferocity that makes it difficult for the opposition to spike it back onto the net within three passes.

    No earlier or later than 9:30 p.m., three spikeball nets are set up on Watts Lawn with dozens of people leaving the Happy Half scene to instead witness spikeball rivalries. For a school that takes pride in its STEM prowess, you wouldn’t think people would be so excited to run around chasing a tiny ball that’s basically trying to outsmart them at every turn. Yet here we are.

    Of course, being a part of this spikeball culture means learning how to navigate the occasional failure with grace–or, at least, with a semi-acceptable excuse. If you miss the ball, it’s not because you’re bad at the game. It’s because “the wind caught it,” or “the net was uneven,” or “I wasn’t ready,” or the classic “my partner didn’t set me up right.” There’s a whole catalog of explanations ready to go at any moment, because no one ever truly misses a spikeball. It’s always the environment conspiring against you.

    Still, for all the sarcasm and the competitive edge, spikeball at NCSSM is the best kind of chaos. There’s something oddly satisfying about diving for a ball that’s already out of reach, or that rare moment when your team pulls off a combo so perfect that the other team can only stand there in awe (or confusion—either works). You bond over the shared frustration of a close game and the memories that come from all the laughter and bruises. Because let’s be real: if you’re playing spikeball and you’re not leaving with at least one new bruise, did you even play?

    At the end of the day, spikeball at NCSSM is more than just a game. It’s an unspoken tradition, a rite of passage, and a chance to momentarily forget about that upcoming test or lab report. Plus, it’s just plain fun, even when you lose. And if you do lose, there’s always the next game. 

    Or a good excuse.

  • 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.

  • Students Press for Return of Happy Half on Hill Street, “Stop the Spike”

    Students Press for Return of Happy Half on Hill Street, “Stop the Spike”

    (Cooper Uhl)

    By Anneliese Heyder, Stentorian Editor-in-Chief

    Happy Half has been an NCSSM tradition for years: the last 30 minutes before check is the precious time when students can socialize with friends and take a break from the stress of school. 

    While participation can vary depending on the day and weather, you can usually find at least 15-20 out on Hill Street enjoying the half an hour before check. However, a new element has been brought into the Happy Half scene: spike ball. 

    Spikeball is a game that involves a ball, a net, and four competitive players. It’s become a popular activity at NCSSM and boasts a club that hosts tournaments and events dedicated to the sport. Recently, however, spike ball has caused Happy Half to move from its famous spot on Hill Street to the Royall Lawn, affecting the Happy Half scene–something many students are indeed not “happy” with. 

    Cooper Uhl ‘25, a frequent Happy-goer, asked students their opinions one night. 

    “[Spikeball] was cool at first when it was just one or two [nets], but now it’s like five or six,” stated Stevie Richardson ‘25.

     “I think it has been detrimental to the culture of Happy Half because it’s meant for people to be able to talk about their days,” Lola Larsen ‘25 said. “But when you are playing spike ball, it’s very difficult to have a conversation.”

    Not all students are against the new Happy Half addition; many are very supportive and believe it should be here to stay. 

    “It’s a good activity to keep people moving and it brings the school together. It really builds a community to be able to come out to,” said Hannah Amadi ‘25.

    Rishi Jalagam ‘25 believed spike ball was “the greatest thing in the history of the school.” When asked to elaborate, he replied, “Are you gonna do a legislative law? Because I’m all for anarchism.”

    There is quite a divide between students when it comes to who should dominate the last 30 minutes before check–some are upset with the addition of spike ball, and others believe it brings something new and exciting to the atmosphere. 

    Landon Jiminez ‘25 expressed the idea of a compromise. “I don’t think it’s bad, but I also feel that we need normal Happy. Maybe we can make a deal–three days a week, 1-2 nets. But 4-5 nets every single day… it’s just kind of ruining Happy for years to come and the years to follow.”

    After a minute, he added, “We’re losing our tradition as the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics!”

    Ethan Burkett ‘25 agreed. “You don’t get to hear about the daily shenanigans, and you miss out on the socialization and familial ties of Happy Half.” 

    What happens if spike ball suddenly dies out? Will Happy Half continue on the Royall Lawn? Traditions are important to students at NCSSM–it’s what makes the two years we spend together memorable. However, who says that traditions can’t change? Maybe it’s time for the classes of 2025 and 2026 to add their own traditions to the mix. 

  • Strip Away the Retrospect To Truly See Juniors

    Strip Away the Retrospect To Truly See Juniors

    Anneliese Heyder.

    By Lily Galapon, Guest Contributor

    It has been almost a month since becoming a junior at NCSSM. Over the course of four weeks, I adjusted to the unpredictable schedule of classes, with unfamiliar faces shifting into friends. To look back and feel as though the first week was ages ago registers as surreal. 

    Yet, I still remember the burning heat of the first Ice Cream Social, of learning and struggling to complete my first housekeeping task, and of feeling so overwhelmed. But for the first week, I was wrapped with positive affirmations by so many seniors that “it will all turn out okay” and the classic reassuring phrase, “You’ll get used to it.” 

    Enthusiasm flashed in the faces of seniors as they recounted the early days of their junior year, narrating their difficult experiences with newfound humor of the present. They backed up their experience by telling stories of the amazing friends they’d made over the years, of having fun at school clubs and performing at festivals. Every sentence of hardship they said was followed by, “I eventually got over it.” 

    “It,” to them, was now a small reference seniors made as they looked back in retrospect. 

    But to me, It is the overwhelming current of my reality, the pounding in my ears, the expanding hole in my stomach when trying to make sense of this new life. It means feeling unsure in almost every step, and hopelessly clinging onto the words of the students before you that everything will be fine. 

    The discomfort of being a junior needs to be talked about more–of feeling that you are doing everything wrong, of starting fresh and being so terrified about it. Of beginning a new high school journey and not knowing what to do with all the blank pages. The endless support from this community is something I appreciate; however, there needs to be more conversation about feeling lost. Of not glossing over the nuances when navigating junior year, but focusing on them. 

    When we talk about ourselves not in retrospect, but in the present, is when life becomes more real. Instead of discussing every time how adjusting to school life was “eventually solved,” why not expand the conversation to how we are “currently in progress?”

    Life isn’t static–we’re constantly dealing with new problems, subtle moments emerging and revealing themselves every day. 

    To say that “at this moment, you don’t have everything figured out”–that’s what feels more reassuring. More relatable. Of maybe talking about how there are things we still haven’t fully adjusted to, or acknowledging that we are currently struggling with certain things. 

    When we open the door to feeling lost, that’s when we can begin to find our way into the world again.

  • Athlete Spotlight: Hadley Woods

    Athlete Spotlight: Hadley Woods

    By Preston Mullins, Stentorian Staff Writer

    NCSSM Yearbook Staff.

    Hadley Woods ‘25 is a senior on the NCSSM women’s volleyball team. Volleyball is an integral part of who she is as a person.

    When I asked her why, she explained, “I’ve been playing volleyball since fourth grade, so for nine years. I honestly couldn’t imagine my life without volleyball. Playing has allowed me to see so many places and make so many friends who are spread all across the country. This sport has brought me some of my closest relationships and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.”

    Woods’ favorite volleyball memory was in sixth grade when she took home her first win–that was the moment she fell in love with the sport.