My Juvenile Behavior (Prompt #12 - Phasing)

by Steve Gallup

In my junior year (my first year at NCSSM) I tallied a number of Phase I violations. I was late for curfew. I pranked other people on the hall. I failed to show up for my community service assignments. 

But for the most part, my transgressions were minor. I had no ambition for causing distress...  or creating havoc.

And during the summer (at home, between my junior and my senior year,) I was an assistant Sunday school teacher at church. I worked as a substitute newspaper delivery carrier for my mother and others. I helped my family and neighbors with yard and household chores. I played basketball with the children of refugees from Vietnam. 

I was a pretty good citizen. My mother even said so in writing.

She wrote a letter in my defense the following fall -- the first semester of my senior year. She described all of those positive actions, after she had been notified of the trouble I was in -- the trouble I’m about to describe.

She must have thought I was a pretty good kid, even though I would sometimes misbehave or shirk my responsibilities.

In a typewritten letter, addressed to the Dean of Student Personnel, she said, “…Naturally there were many... good and bad decisions Steve [has] made… and he has usually paid for or learned from each episode on the way to maturity."

And why did she write the letter, at all?

Let me tell you a little story....

The Vending Machine

Shortly after my senior year began (in 1981), I found myself exploring the bowels of Hill House late at night. Hill House held rooms for male students, including myself, on the first and second floors. I lived on the first floor.  But it wasn’t just a dormitory building. The basement of Hill House also held classrooms and a mail room. 

And somewhere in the basement of Hill House, there was a tunnel that led beneath the ground to the oldest buildings on campus - to the abandoned passages of the renovated hospital. But that tunnel had been completely hidden... somehow... in a feat of wizardry or engineering. (I can scarcely credit its disappearance to the administration, whose efforts were usually so insubstantial.)

Perhaps we were looking for that tunnel in vain, or perhaps we were just wandering the halls alone, but somehow, sometime after midnight, the four of us found ourselves in a vending area in the basement. 

We were in an off limits area, after curfew (a phase II offence at worst). It was me, my roommate, Robert Lee; my soccer teammate, John Armitage (all seniors); and an innocent junior, named Hooman Sabeti, who also lived on our hall. He had the unfortunate luck to be under our very bad influence that evening.

So... late at night, in a room in the basement, we happened to come upon a vending machine. Not a sparkling new machine, lit-up like a beacon of deliciousness.  On the contrary, this vending machine was in poor condition. It was unplugged and unlit, dusty and broken. 

Parts of the plastic barrier at the bottom of the machine were scratched and splintered. Some of the metal spirals, that would turn and propel the snacks forward, were disengaged and hanging loose. 

Some of the snack packages were still to be found in an orderly row, but most of the snacks  had been purchased long ago. It appeared to have been months since it had been restocked. Clearly the machine was out of commission and defunct.

It was the perfect opportunity for practical experimentation.

We wanted to see what kind of dexterity was required to dispossess this machine of its wares. 

Mind you, this was more like a form of quality control. We wanted to see if the vending machine could withstand a ne'er-do-well's efforts at theft... or if the machine's engineered protections could be circumvented by the right set of contortions, using our scrawny arms and nimble fingers.  We had not the slightest thought of selfishness, greed, or malice. It was purely scientific.

Robert went first.

He crouched down -- one knee on the ground. He had to get his shoulder low, close to the level of the teetering L-shaped plastic tray at the bottom -- the one that was normally pushed in to retrieve the purchased item.

He managed to get his arm through, with the tray partially opened, and with some contortions of arm and torso, he managed to turn his elbow and upper arm from a horizontal to a vertical position, within reach of a moldering pack of crackers. 

He was so close. We all watched in admiration.

As he strained to complete the maneuver... as we observed in rapt silence... we heard a man's voice behind us say, with no hint of amusement, “What’s going on here?"

In the Hands of the Authorities

A Phase III hearing was completely unexpected. I fully expected to skate by with a Phase I reprimand -- the customary penalty for a curfew violation. Instead we were accused of vandalism -- an egregious offence, and (in my opinion) a huge over-reaction.

I chalk it up to ill humor. Our Resident Advisor, T-- B----- reported the incident; lodging the complaint. The head of student services, Michael Collins scheduled the hearing, ensuring our punishment. 

Mr. B----- couldn’t see the slapstick comical humor of Robert’s practice attempt. He only saw loitering and a stymied attempt at theft. Mr. Collins didn’t see a merry band of prospective engineers deconstructing the machine-client interface. Rather, he perceived a misguided attempt to cause damage and destruction.

As a result of their lack of imagination… their lack of humor… their lack of judiciousness… the phase III hearing was set in motion.

But that wasn’t the worst part. As I sat in the office with Mr. Collins, being interviewed and admonished, he advised me that he would have to call my mother... and that I would have to tell her what had happened... and that I would have to do it in the room while he was listening!

That might be when I developed a hatred of authority.

He asked me for her phone number.

He called, and he said, “Mrs. Gallup, I’m here with your son. He has something that he has to tell you.”

And he handed me the phone.

The Judicial System in Action

The Hearing was held a few days later. John Armitage asked a faculty member to be our representative -- probably Dr. Miller, our English professor.

Dr. Miller had a sense of humor and a sense of perspective. He was respected, and he spoke with the resonant voice of of a practiced orator. 

He had the additional virtues of being thoughtful and objective. He was able to show that the vending machine had been long abandoned. The vending machine snacks had all passed their expiration dates long ago --  more than 6 months prior to our late night excursion.

I’m sure all of our stories were the same… because they were all true.

We had engaged in some foolishness. We had been caught red-handed. We had done nothing with malicious intent. We were just exploring and experimenting.

So, we were put on probation. We weren’t kicked out of school.

We were detained and humiliated instead.

My Phase III Letter

I tried rationalize my experience and the aftermath, spinning it into a spectacular transgression, and a victory for the little guys -- the oppressed.

We faced off with the administration, and we won… sort of.

Of all of the ephemera of my time at NCSSM, my Phase III letter is my most prized possession, on a par with my graduation diploma.

This is what it says, in full. (You be the judge.):

September 29, 1981

Steven Brian Gallup
2807 Wayland Drive
Raleigh, North Carolina 27608

Dear Steve:

This letter is to officially document action taken in response to the Phase III hearing conducted with you Tuesday, September 22, 1981. The hearing was conducted because of a report by a Hill House Resident Advisor that you participated with three other students in tampering with a vending machine, as well as having unauthorized access to student mailboxes. This incident was reported to have happen [sic] Sunday, September 20, 1981 at 2:00 AM.

As a result of the hearing, confirmation of your participation was made. The Hearing Committee was made aware that the incident was more spontaneous than premeditated. However, that does not detract from the fact that your actions were thoughtless and that you assumed you had the right to do what was reported. You must reflect on your behavior. It is not consistent with the goals of the School nor what is set forth in the Student Handbook.

The Hearing Committee decided to reduce the incident to a Phase II response. Accordingly, you are to make restitution of $10.00 for your fair share of the repairs to the vending machine. Please make check payable to NCSSM Residence Life Fund and submit it to Kathy Benzaquin, Head of Residential Life. In addition, you are placed on Phase II probation until the start of the second semester. Probation will be lifted, assuming no repetition of this or similar incidents, on January 27, 1982.

You have the right to appeal this decision in writing to the School’s director, Charles Eilber. The deadline for an appeal is October 8, 1981.

Finally, I wish to point out that the Hearing Committee reviewed your disciplinary situation within a context of what is fair and right for you. Much time was given by individuals here to work through your problem with you and give you every possible consideration. We expect a positive, helpful response from you and nothing less.

Please contact me if you have any concerns about this matter.

Sincerely,

Michael E. Collins, Dean

Student Personnel Services

cc: Mrs. Margaret Gallup

Taking a Big Risk

You would think that I had learned my lesson -- that I would do what was right, “and nothing less”.

But it wasn’t much later, that I made plans to sneak over to Wyche House, the girl’s dorm, at night. Three of us were going. I was going to provide my friends with support. One of us wanted to spend time with his girl friend, but didn’t want to go alone. I wished I had a girlfriend, and thought, "Maybe if I do this audacious thing, the girls will be impressed". I was young and foolish… very foolish.

So we snuck over to the girls dorm. They aided us in this breach of “The Code” by opening the door to the basement, to let us in. They had arranged to let their RA know that they were going to have a pajama party in the basement -- a cover for our intrusion.

Our plan was executed to perfection. In concept it was a success. But I have never spent a more miserable night, worrying about the repercussions, should I be caught whilst still on probation. I was never happier to sneak back to my proper place at sunrise, and slip back into my dorm room bed. The relief was palpable.

In my mind this breach of protocol… this trespass… this violation was much worse -- more lowly… more intentional… more fool-hardy, than the laughable matter for which I had been previously reprimanded. 

And yet, no hand of justice came down to punish me. This time, except for my troubled sleep, no repercussions came down.

Epilogue

I don’t know if I learned from my delinquencies.

Perhaps I learned to distrust authority.

Or that justice is blind.

Or that a mother’s love is unconditional.

I never did, from that point on, attempt to retrieve a packet of crackers or chips from a vending machine without a proper purchase. And so, I never did complete the misdeed I had been so ingloriously convicted of, in 1981.

Although I flirted with a major in Engineering, I quickly lost my excitement for the field, at Vanderbilt University, where the engineering program seemed focused on computerized advancements, and human ingenuity seemed to be of little concern. I changed to a pre-medical major instead.

I tried to stay out of trouble (though I didn’t always succeed), and I tried to surround myself with people with a good sense of humor (though they are sometimes hard to find) -- people with kindness, understanding, and affection.

I tried to learn from the experience "on my way to maturity".

~~~~~~~~~~

Appendix - Letter from Mrs. Margaret Gallup to Dean Collins regarding an unhappy incident involving her son at the NC School for Science and Math.

That Old Familiar Pain (Prompt #10 - Music and Song)

by Steve Gallup

If you ever wanted to conjure up the essence of high school in just one song, it would be practically impossible.

Some moments in high school are moments of loneliness and quiet desperation -- moments of teenage angst.  Some are moments of defiance and freedom -- moments of teenage rebellion.  And some are moments of love and hope -- moments of youthful optimism.

In the '80s, Under Pressure by Queen, and Out Here on my Own, from the movie Fame, sort of exemplified our feelings of stress and loneliness at the School of Science and Math.

Songs that encapsulated our dreams and defiance included Hit Me With Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar, and Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey.

Songs of relief and revelry included Best of Times by Styx, Let the Good Times Roll by The Cars, and Celebration by Kool & the Gang.

Each of those singles bring  back certain pieces of the high school experience. But there are two songs that go a little deeper -- that bring back a memory of the whole achievement, looking back on it as if it has just concluded -- Dream Weaver by Gary Wright, and Same Old Lang Syne by Dan Fogelberg.

Dream Weaver is etched in my psyche. It sets off my limbic system. Whenever I hear the burbling, synthesized arpeggios at the beginning of the song... I’m transported back in time... to a dimly lit, crowded room in school, surrounded by classmates watching a slideshow -- photographic slides fading in and out. 

You see, our art teacher, Joe Liles, took lots of photos. He created slideshows and set them to music. After preparing the show, he would arrange to have the entire class gather in a room (or auditorium) to sit for a moment and watch the show together. It was a chance to reflect and bond after a year of tribulation.

The slideshow became a tradition and the tradition survived. At nearly every reunion, Joe's slideshow is played again.  Each time we have grown a little bit older.

For the class of '82, that slideshow always begins with the swirling synthesizer intro of Dream Weaver, taking us straight back to our junior year. It's followed by the evocative lyrics, "I've just closed my eyes again...". And pretty soon, listening to the haunting melody, I've "climbed aboard the dream weaver train", right along with Gary Wright.

Whenever I hear the song... anywhere in the world... I think of my class gathered together, watching familiar faces from out of the past... set to the playlist of the era... starting with Dream Weaver. 

Same Old Lang Syne has a similar affect. It was released during our stay at NCSSM, but the meaning and the emotion of the song has grown even stronger over time. It's nostalgic. In fact, nostalgia is written into the lyrics,  mournfully sung by Dan Fogelberg:

We drank a toast to innocence
We drank a toast to time
Reliving in our eloquence
Another auld lang syne…

When he sings, "Just for a moment, I was back at school, And felt that old familiar pain",
it’s truly gut-wrenching — the realization and acceptance that we can’t go back and revisit the past, no matter how much we might like to.

So now, each New Years Eve, I indulge myself, in a few minutes of musical nostalgia.  I play Same Old Lang Syne, or I post it on my Facebook page.

For a moment, I think of my close friends and my mentors. I think of their passing or their distance.

I think of the angst and the heartbreak, the dreams and desires, the success and celebration.

I think of the love... and the love lost... when we went our separate ways.

Dr. Jon Miller's letter on the Significance of Poetry

Letter composed by Dr. Jon Miller

-accompanying the gift of "Modern American and British Poetry" by Louis Untermeyer

J--------,

This is much too small a token to repay all the... [personal details omitted by the editor]

The book is for me a special one; it has even been a dangerous one.  Perhaps because of your present course, it will be equally special, equally dangerous for you also.  It is an old book, not old enough to be antiquarian, but old enough to be well used.  I have a number of editions of it in my collection; I acquire them whenever I see them, and I don't see them very often anymore.  I have given one or two to other students whom I though might care.  I even gave on once as a wedding present.  The couple still speaks to me.  you are getting a copy of what for me is the most special edition of all.  The smooth, faded blue cloth and the beveled edges are just as they are on my mother's copy of this same edition.  I wonder if the $3.50, once penciled into the corner of the front free-fly, that I erased, was the original price.  Does it seem a bit high for the depression?  Anyway, no other book, regardless of price, has contributed so much to my own lo e of poetry.

I will tell you the story that I have told to most of the others upon whom I have inflicted other copies.  The telling, too, is this time all the more special because of the connections of our families... [personal details omitted.]

When I was growing up, my family spent several weeks each summer in the home of my grandparents in the small, very small, town of Alden, Iowa.  Small towns are wonderful for small children.  We could go anywhere, do anything.  The few shops along Main Street were much more accessible to us than any of Durham's larger, grander stores.  Your Grandmother will remember that Durham was in those days "the city of exciting stores."  The river running through Alden was all that a river could be, complete with falls; Alden was, the sign said, " the best town by a dam site."  There were open spaces, and there were lots of other children at loose ends ready to catch fireflies or to play auntie (anti or ante)-over or hide and seek.  Iowa itself is glorious in summer -- the jet-black earth producing a deep, lush green everywhere and all set  beneath an endless blue sky.  It was a sensuous place.  However, by the time that I was finishing high school, things had changed a bit.  The black, green, and blue were as dazzling as before; but the shops now seemed very small and much emptier; and one-time playmates had summer jobs and were little interested in "geekier," "nerdier" city folk.  I retreated into my grandparent's house - a large, old house built in 1870 by a retired farmer come to town.  It frequently smelled of ginger and clove from my grandmother's cookie baking or of coffee which endlessly brewed.  My uncle, a pianist, practiced eight or so hours everyday, providing every activity a soundtrack.  Family came together joyously and chaotically at mealtimes and in the evenings, but there were long spaces of time to be filled.  I found myself often in my uncle's room upstairs.  It was large and dark and quiet except for the Chopin or Rachmaninov wafting up and in.  There, in the bookcase, I found the 1936 copy of Untermeyer used by my mother in a college course she had taken at Drake.  It was the perfect place, the perfect time, to encounter the green freedom" of Stevens' "Sunday Morning," the most sensuous of all poems.  Later, I was dumbfounded to read a very different, longer version in my own modern poetry class at Davidson.  In Untermeyer, too, I first tried to read Marianne Moore, whom I later met, and many other singers perhaps smaller to whom time has not been so kind, poets such as Wylie, and Teasdale and Lindsay and Robinson and Brooke and Sassoon.  Reading these poems, aimlessly at first and then by choice, not because they were assigned or  because there was to be a test taken or because someone had suggested them, allowed them to do their magic slowly, to become richly musical; and maybe in some small way, it made them mine.  Of course, I still have mother's copy; and just in the last several years, I have included a couple of Peter Viereck poems into a WWII unit for American Studies -- poems I first happened upon decades ago in my own copy of the 1950 edition.

Clearly, this is a book that I love for both its contents and associations; it, certainly, is a book that I have spent many loose and glorious hours with.  I hope that you also find some pleasure in it as well as a few special friends to visit and revisit for as long as I have visited my own friends there.

Thanks once more for all you have done for me this year and for being yourself a good friend. 

Profile - Kathy Benzaquin and the Residential Life Program

 first published in 1983 in the campus and NCSSM community newsletter -- Dialogues.

Kathy Benzaquin is proud of the Residential Life Program at NCSSM and with reason. The system she and her staff have evolved has become a model for those establishing public residential schools in other states. It was only three years ago that Kathy was asked to create a program that would enhance a rigorous academic curriculum by making young high school students feel at home as well as by providing a broad spectrum of co-curricular activities. In response she developed a strong, flexible, accountable program manned by a dedicated staff of Residential Advisors (RAs). 

Kathy attributes success to her policy of selecting staff members whose abilities and interests are tailored to program needs. RAs, whose primary responsibility is to care for and support students, also organize and oversee traditional high school activities — social, recreational, and service. Matching the task to a staff member's talent and interest has made the 24- hour a day, 7-days a week, entry level job attractive to excellent candidates, rewarding for students, and has strengthened every facet of the Residential Life Program.

Support of her staff, particularly professionally, is a priority for Kathy. Her success in training may be measured by job offers RAs receive from other residential schools and by their loyalty to NCSSM. Kathy is philosophical when an offer does lure someone away and they leave with regret — it means she is accomplishing one of her purposes. 

For most students entering NCSSM, Resident Advisors are an unknown quantity, but not for long. The companionship and leadership of a caring adult means a great deal to these young people away from home, and their appreciation is evident. A close association between students and staff is beneficial in many ways, including reducing resentment if discipline is necessary. 

Other Residential Life policies also are designed to make discipline a more positive learning experience. One is to include students in the decision-making process; a second is to establish rules based on a specific consequence for a specific cause. Predictable judgments seem easier to take. 

Another policy that is working well is one requiring students to make a study or social contract with RAs if their grades fall. The staff is especially pleased because some students in good academic standing have voluntarily made contracts. 

For the future Kathy has three wishes — to find more financial support for her staff, to find enough time in the NCSSM schedule so that her staff can make better use of their skills in leading leisure time activities, and to maintain the level of excitement that characterizes the Residential Life Program today.

[Dialogues Volume 3, Number 2, March 1983; Dialogues; NCSSM Digital Collection]

25th Reunion Speeches - Class of '82

Speech by Dr. Jon Miller - Reflections on the Class of 1982

by Jon Miller

October 2007

When Irene asked, and Dot Doyle told, me to say again what I said more than 25 years ago at your senior dinner, I thought the idea was a bit strange' but when Dot emailed me the text of that long ago talk, I realized that much of what I had said then I had said to the wrong people.  I had given an old folks talk to young people.  Well, perhaps, now that you are just a tad older, I have the opportunity to get it right this time, perhaps some of what I had to say then will be more appropriate now -- now that you've more memories and ha e spent more time and richer time with those memories... like even today.

Reunions are always a strange business.  Attending them, I am always afflicted by double vision.  How many times today have you surely seen a 17 year old as you were talking to some one a bit older?  How many times in the palpable presence of so many good friends has our mind wandered off to think about others who weren't here.  How many times in the nowness of today have you almost, not quite, been then.  Reunions are tricky and so are memories.  This thenness and nowness of memory was part of what I tried to talk about then when I said...

Jamie came to see me some weeks ago and said talk to us and I said about what and she said just share some memories and I said fine.  Well Jamie, I can't -- it's too hard a job.  Oh, the memories are there, almost two years worth -- two full years of long days and lots of people.  But everything my mind brings up my heart strikes dumb in my mouth.  My words don't work.  They're not so rich, so varied, or so full as my memories.  I suspect one would have to have lived the last two years here to understand us and this place -- and if you've lived it, the words really aren't necessary.  They aren't sufficient.

So no memories -- no farewells.  For those of us who stay on -- you the first class, will always be here and we shall constantly glimpse you just rounding a corner or drawing away from a window and we shall hear your voices echo in each answer to every question that we ask from now on.

And for those of you who are leaving -- each to go in you own separate way -- you will take with you bits and pieces of the rest of us, small ghosts of this place.

I quit by saying for all of my eminent colleagues - to each one of you -- thanks for sharing yourself with us

                            and

finally

            Ya'll come back right soon

                                                        you hear.

Well you have come back -- if not soon at least now.  And many of those who are not here this time have visited at other times. Some of you have become regular campus fixtures here, helping us to shape policies and programs.  Others of you are not physically here so often but continue to be part of the NCSSM community in a myriad of specal ways.  Whatever role you have chosen to play or been able to play, you were here once and that, in itself, has made you now and forever part of this family.  Your one time presence tugs at those mystic chords of our individual and corporate memories, making you forever present, forever part of each of us, forever part of all of us.

As we get older, individually and institutionally, we come to realize how important memory is.  What we have done, what we have thought and felt, who we have known sometimes comes very close to being who we are; and our memories often enable us to find ourselves and to know ourselves.  Institutionally, our 25th birthday cele ration led NCSSM two years ago to remember and to explore ways of preserving some of what its individual family members remembered.  Those of us on that first faculty were asked to put together a small slice of "what it was like then." We want to share that with you now.

NCSSM Class of 1982 - 25th Reunion Toast

by Lois Thornburg

October, 2007

I was asked to speak tonight as someone who mingled with many of my classmates, as opposed to just hanging with one small group.

I am honored to be thought of as such but not sure I deserve to be -- as there are so many of you I feel as though I don't know well enough.

I am so happy to see you all tonight.  You really are a wonderful bunch of people, and I thank you for being here.  It is a good thing we do in being here, for we share something wonderful and are each other's time keepers -- each other's memory preservers.

I don't know about the rest of you, but my days of "steel-trap mind" are long gone, and I can find no machine for it like I can for muscle and bone loss.

Still, there are some moments I find unforgettable, such as:

Polly singing "Fire and Rain" a cappella in the Assembly Hall at a talent show -- on pitch; 

Keith Promislow, at another assembly, standing up to confront the creation scientists with the evidence of hydrogen's escape velocity;

Eric Roush boldly using expletives in his campaign speech for class office;

Thomas Gilchrist on piano and vocals, bringing down the house with his rendition of "On Broadway;"

Susan Anderson in the hall of Hill House stopping me to say that John Lennon had died;

Janeen Vanhooke and Herman Goins tearing up any dance floor;

Lisa Sykes singing "Stop! In The Name of Love" while doing all of Diana Ross' moves;

Lisa Sykes hopping across campus with ribbons on her crutches to match her preppy wardrobe;

Robert Lee, deadpan, on stage holding a daisy and reciting lewd German verse;

sweet, adorable Michelle Zimmer having a roomful of shiny, kick-ass Shotokan trophies;

a wet Dr. Miller trying to explain himself before the board of trustees;

nearly all of us posing grandly for photos in Duke Gardens on Senior Skip Day.

You remember things I don't.  I love being reminded.  And I thank those of you who have kindly elevated my phone call to the radio station on that snowy morning to folklore status.  I never knew that act would give me my bit of immortality, but I'll gratefully take it.  --Way better than to have been expelled.  Somehow I graduated never even having been phased.  I want to thank those who protected me.

We are each other's keepers.  As we come together, we bring along those who otherwise cannot be here:  Ellis Smith, Freshteh Golkho, Alex Daughety, Stephanie Locklear, Lisa Sykes Leland.  We keep them with us.

If it seems that to indulge in our memories every few years is to live in the past -- and I've been accused of it -- I suggest that "past, present, and future" as used to partition a human life means next to nothing in time.  One's past is indeed just a piece of one's very brief moment that might as well be seized as often as possible along the way.  By coming together, we continue to seize the day.  Our day.

And now I propose a toast to you, to us... To our time together.

Writing Prompt #11 - NCSSM Football team

Prompt #11:  Write a story about the selection of the school mascot, or about one of the three football games that took place, shortly after, in the Fall of 1980. 

Due Date: September 22, 2025

Details:  Write about the flag football games played between NCSSM and the NC School of the Arts;

Or, alternatively, write about the Pep Rally, or the Powderpuff Game;

Or, alternatively, write about the selection of the Unicorn as the school's mascot.

Blog landing page URL: https: https://half-sheet-of-paper-workshop.blogspot.com/

New Post URL: https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/6942635268531392674

Background:  

A lot of events took place in November of 1980.  In addition to a Chess Club "Slave Auction" fundraiser and an Outing Club trip to Hanging Rock State Park; there were two flag football games against the NC School of the Arts "Pickles", a Powderpuff flag football game, and a Talent Show.  The school also voted on its own mascot in the week before the Homecoming Game, fatefully selecting the fabled Unicorn.

Below are some of the events in chronological order, and articles written about these activities, in the student newsletter, "Public Display of Announcements":

Articles about NCSSM Football in Fall of 1980

First published in the "Public Display of Announcements" student newspaper.  

P.D.A. Editor - Saralyn Hawkins

P.D.A Staff - Johnny Adams, Ginger Bailey, Keith Beasley, Teri Bufmeyer, Alex Daughtey, Grace Han, April Hardison, Susan Herbert, Henry Kuo, Eugene Murray, Jeff Parker, Percil Watkins, Polly Weister

11/1/1980 - "Away" Football Game - NC School of the Arts vs NCSSM

TWO EXTRAORDINARY SCHOOLS AND TWO SPECTACULAR TEAMS

    An unusual game of flag football was played between two all-star teams: the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics all star-team & the School of the Arts all-star team.  The game was played at the School of the Arts in Winston Salem, and support was evident for both teams.

    The NCSSM all-stars played well against the N.C. School of the Arts and defeated them 7-6 in overtime.

    The most valuable player (MVP) for NCSSM was Robert Emory for his brilliant defensive performance.  Emory stunned the quarterback by grabbing 9 flags behind the line of scrimage [sic].  Two of these were grabbed during overtime, and virtually assured the NCSSM team of victory.

    The members of the NCSSM all-star team were Willie Miles, Thomas Gilchrist, Curtis Adair, Rodney Robinson, Gary Steele, Robert Emory, Henry Kuo, Alex Reinberg [sic], Sean Cambell, Steve Gallop [sic], and Joe Blunt.

[PDA Volume 1, Number 3. November 7, 1980; Other Campus & Student Publications; NCSSM Digital Collection]

11/8/1980 - "Homecoming" football game - NCSSM vs NCSA

BE THERE, ALOHA

        Do you, the class of '82', miss the excitement of football games, cheerleaders, and the home crowd spirit? Does the thought of seeing your school team in action make your hear race? Do you crave the round of cheers, whistles, and screams? If any or all of the above describe your feelings in any way, shape, or form, then you should attend the HOMECOMING GAME! Be there to see the first Homecoming, the beginning of a NCSSM tradition. Watch your team stomp The School of the Arts. See, with your own eyes, the tremendous spirit and skill of your fantastic team. To observe these truly wonderful sights, be at the Intramural Field at Duke's East Campus on 9th Street, Saturday, November 8 at 2:30 p.m. Bring your friends, your banners, your posters, and your NCSSM spirit. DON'T miss the most spectacular game you may ever have the chance to witness!

[PDA Volume 1, Number 3. November 7, 1980; Other Campus & Student Publications; NCSSM Digital Collection]

RAH! RAH! RAH!

        Friday afternoon... less than 24 hours to the first NCSSM Homecoming Game. The students, as well as faculty, felt the excitement rising. Speculations about the game were endless. Then, it was time for the PEP RALLEY! [sic] Everyone was cheering, clapping, and stomping along with the fantastic cheerleaders at their debut performance. The cheerleaders had the special opportunity of officially announcing the mascot of our school. The winning mascot was of course, the Unicorn! Spirits were running high as the NCSSM cheerleaders introduced themselves and the football team. A roar of applause swept throught [sic] the air as the UNICORNS stepped forward. Defensive captain, Henry Kuo, and offensive captain, Rodney Robinson, were introduced, and then the team went into a huddle. After the cheering ceased, everyone was invited to attend the wiener and marshmallow roast.

[PDA Volume 1, Number 4. November 14, 1980; Other Campus & Student Publications; NCSSM Digital Collection]

SPORTS-SPECTULAR [sic]

        On Saturday, November 8th, the NCSSM Unicorns played in a homecoming game against the North Carolina School of Arts Pickles at the Duke Intramural Field.  The crowd for the Unicorns was outstanding. As Kathy Benzaquin stated, "It was a great turnout, almost 100% participation."  The cheerleaders had the spirit flowing at the sidelines from the beginning to the end.  One of the cheerleaders had a bit more attention than the rest of them.  His name was Eugene "Barbara" Murray.  He was heard saying that "If I can't play, or be a referee, I might as well practice my cheers for the Powderpuff Game."  The crowd of students, advisors, teachers, and parents were as enthusiastic as the players themselves.  The Pickles consisted of both high school and college students.  The Unicorns were made up of 17 fantastic football players:  Johnny Adams, Keith Beasley, Brad Bennett, Richard Everette, Tom Glesne, Bart Houck, Scott Johnson, Henry Kuo, Robert Lee, Rodney Robinson, Eric Roush, Gerry Sherman, Butch Sigmon, Gary Steele, Richard Troutmen [sic], Percil Watkins, and Tommy Yadon.  Although the game ended with a score of 27-21 in favor of the Pickles, our team played a very good game.  This was the first Homecoming, and definitely not the last.  Branson Brown, one of the referees, said that he "had several students from the School of the Arts say that they want the Homecoming to be a yearly event."  The game ended with the crowd giving one more cheer entitled "WE LOVE YOU UNICORNS!""

[PDA Volume 1, Number 4. November 14, 1980; Other Campus & Student Publications; NCSSM Digital Collection]

U-N-I-C-O-R-N-S

        A few weeks ago when plans for this year’s Homecoming game were being discussed, a cheerleading squad was also being formed. After at least half of a dozen hard practices, the newly formed NCSSM cheerleaders were ready for their public debut. On the eve of November 7, they held our pep rally for the next day’s Homecoming football game. During the football game, they enthusiastically cheered and screamed. Congratulations and thanks are due to all of the cheerleaders, who are: Kristen Beitz, Barbara Birdwell, Nicole Brown, Stephanie Jackson, Michelle Little, Martha McNair, Yvonne Slavich, Shauna Tilly, and Eugene Murray, who was the mascot!

[PDA Volume 1, Number 6. December 5, 1980; Other Campus & Student Publications; NCSSM Digital Collection]

11/15/1980 - Powder Puff Football Game

POWDER PUFF

        Do you feel that you've been seeing things? Do the roles of your friends seem to be switched? Don't worry! Your eyes are not deceiving you; The students and faculty haven't lost their minds. Coming your way is the First Annual Powder-puff Football Game to be played Saturday, November 15th at 2:30 p.m. at Walltown Park. The female students vs. the female staff and faculty for a fantastic afternoon of excitement and entertainment. You'll get to see your favorite guys cheering, clapping, and kicking to the "beat". Not only will you have a fun-filled afternoon of kicks, passes, and plays, but there will also be FREE refreshments. Be there, and come equipped with energy and lots of spirit to the best Powderpuff game you're ever likely to witness!

[PDA Volume 1, Number 4. November 14, 1980; Other Campus & Student Publications; NCSSM Digital Collection]

TOUCHDOWN!! 

        On Nov. 15, the Powderpuff teams played a fantastic football game. They weren’t daunted by rain, chill, or mud! Originally, the teams were to be female faculty vs. female students, but due to the weather, some faculty members could not join the fun. As it turned out, the “faculty team” consisted of Quarterback Christal Hunter, Nancy Bodenhorn, Nicole Brown, Kiki Hunter, and Shelley Lineberger who scored both touchdowns. The “student team” was represented by Quarterback Bebe Harmon, Beverly Adams, Elizabeth Granger, Naomi McCormick, and Jamie Pate. The score at the end of the four quarters was Faculty 12, Students 0.  Although there were no official male “cheerleaders”, there was plenty of male “spirit” being generated from the sidelines.

        For all of you who wish to see the teams rise again you'll have your chance!  Chrystal Hunter informs us that "we are going to have an All-Star Female Team play against the winning guy's team, Branson's Brats, in the near future."

[PDA Volume 1, Number 6. December 5, 1980; Other Campus & Student Publications; NCSSM Digital Collection]

Writing Prompt #10 - Music & Song

Prompt:  Write about a memorable song or musical experience from your years at the NC School of Science and Math.

Due Date: September 1, 2025

Details: Write about a memorable song, artist, or album that you associate with your time at NCSSM;  

Or write about the Talent Show or the Gong Show experiences at NCSSM;

Or write about the concerts and the music educational that took place under the direction of Randolph Foy;

Or write about one of the dance parties on campus, or the music (or source of music) in your dorm room;

Or write about the launch of MTV, and it's influence on campus and the wider culture at the time.

 

Blog landing page URL: https: https://half-sheet-of-paper-workshop.blogspot.com/

New Post URL: https://www.blogger.com/blog/posts/6942635268531392674

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Background:

November 22, 1980 - Talent Show

Where Were YOU??? 

        Were you there when the first annual ˜S and M' Talent Show exploded onto the stage?  The expectations from the crowd were running high. The curtains opened and out poured entertainment that surpassed all anticipation as the unleashed talent of NCSSM danced, sang, and Blues'd its way across the stage. The audience experienced everything from being "rapped by computers" to being touched by the emotion of "The Rose". When the final curtain drew across the stage, the excitement only heightened when the show's elite judging panel consisting of Andrea Wisner, Herman Goins, and Joanie Brown (& co.) recessed to pour [sic] their score sheets and try to cane up with a winner. Not surprisingly, the results were slow in coming. That created no problem, however, due to some fantastic post-entertainment starring Dr. D. and his computers (thanks Peter) and a trip "On Broadway" from Wyche's resident jam man Thomas Gilchrist. At last came the big moment - the announcement of the judges' decisions. 

        First came the recognition of the honorable mentions from Zack Smith.  M.C. Thomas Gilchrist and the duet of Clovis Peres and Joe Liles received the two awards presented in that category. Third place went to Tommy Yadon and second place to the team of Tonya Crawford and Charlene Carter. The winner of first place was so hard to decide upon in finally ended with a tie: Michelle Little who sang "Jesus Christ is the Way" and Yvonne Slavich who sang "Out Here on my Own". All the acts may not have received a prize, but every one of them came across like a winner. Let's give the performers, MC, judges, and especially Chrystal Hunter a big thanks for such a super show.

[PDA Volume 1, Number 6, December 5, 1980; Other Campus and Student Publications; NCSSM Digital Archives] 

March 7, 1981 - Gong Show

GONG! 

        Last Saturday night at 7:00 pm, the Assembly Building was turned into a stage for the NCSSM Gong Show. The show gave our talented students a chance to perform in front of three judges. The judges were of arraryed [sic] character, ranging from "Fair" Wilson to Zack Smith to Branson Brown. The MC, Hector Cooper, gave away door prizes for those carrying such items as earrings, cards and babies!! The Gong Show was a big success since both the entertainers and the audience had a chance to "get in on the act". 

        The variety of talent was astonishing. Take for instance the whistling of "Blowing in the Wind" or the Phase 3/DC, Air Band. The winners were: 1st place-Herman Coins and his friend Cynthia Besch; 2nd place-Michelle Smith and Ellis Smith; 3rd place-Clovis Peres and Eugene Murray. All the participants should be congratulated for jobs well done.

[PDA Volume 1, Number 13, March 13, 1980; Other Campus and Student Publications; NCSSM Digital Archives]

Spotify playlist of popular songs at NCSSM from 1980 to 1982

Spotify Playlist link: NCSSM82 on Spotify

(First posted by Rev. D. Keith Beasley, on NCSSM Class of 1982 Facebook page on Sept. 20, 2020.)

Can you believe it has been 40 years since we matriculated as the first class of NCSSM?

Here is an effort to try to get some memory neurons to fire.

I have put together a playlist of songs on Spotify that were popular during our time at NCSSM. These may not be your favorite songs, but they might bring to mind something about your time at S&M with your roommate, your friends, your fellow resident hall members, your instructors, the staff, a trip, the proms, the dances---whatever it may be. Please share whatever you can without incriminating yourself or others.

Remember, this playlist is still a work in progress, and I am asking all of you to help to curate this list. The stories you tell will only enhance the overall experience for us all.

Here is what I am asking of you:

First, click on the playlist...and listen...and be taken back in time.

Second, comment on this post about any music that is on the playlist. Tell us which songs you like. Tell us which songs you hate. Inquire as to why a song is included and tell why it should be deleted.

Third, please make suggestions about any songs that we should add to the playlist. Any recollection connected with the songs will be greatly appreciated.

Also, here are a few items that I had in mind as I put this together:

1 - I tried to stay within the time frame of September 1980 through June 1982 with the music initially included here. (Please note: I will not add anything released beyond June 1982, but will consider earlier material. See the next item.) 

2 - I tried not to insert too many of my personal preferences in this initial playlist. I was listening to a lot of album oriented rock when I first arrived in Durham, so I did not put on here the whole pre-1980 catalogs of Boston, Billy Joel, Led Zeppelin, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. (Of course, if we get the indication that these were popular enough to include, we will.) 

3 - Even though we were not too far removed from the "Urban Cowboy" craze, I could not bring myself to add the Country crossovers that were trending at the time. Thus, there's no Kenny Rogers, Juice Newton, or Eddie Rabbitt. If there is desire to add these, please post in the comments.

4 - Again, there's nothing of "Grease," "Saturday Night Fever," or Barbra Streisand on the list, but if these were sung in late night gatherings in the girls' dorms, I am glad to add them. Although there are some Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow tracks included, they were added reluctantly just to recognize that your parents might have had some influence on your musical choices.

5 - All of the pre-September 1980 music I have included has some special meaning to our time at S&M. For example, "Morning Has Broken" and "You've Got a Friend" were our prom themes. I have included much of the music from the slide shows. There are staples from the dances---"Twist and Shout," "Shout," and "Time Warp."

6 - Please, please help me with any genres that are lacking. I have had a hard time trying to track down any comprehensive lists of the Rhythm and Blues Charts along with Alternative/College Radio lists. (I have managed to find some Top Songs of the year, but I hoped to dig a little deeper.)

Happy 40th anniversary to you NCSSMers.

Spotify Playlist by Keith Beasley: NCSSM82 on Spotify

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Popular albums and songs of 1980, 1981, and 1982

1980:

Albums:

Crimes of Passion - Pat Benatar
Celebrate! - Kool & the Gang
Double Fantasy - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Arc of a Diver - Steve Winwood

Songs:

Call Me - Blondie

Another Brick in the Wall - Pink Floyd

Magic - Olivia Newton-John

Rock With You - Michael Jackson

It's Still Rock and Roll To Me - Billie Joel

Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes

Cruisin - Smokey Robinson

Upside Down - Diana Ross

Babe - Styx

Still - The Commodores

This Is It - Kenny Loggins

Workin' My Way Back to You. Cupid - The Spinners

Ladies Night. Too Hot - Kool & the Gang

Cool Change - Little River Band

Into the Night - Benny Mardones

Whip It - Devo

Master Blaster (Jammin') - Stevie Wonder

All Out Of Love - Air Supply

Hit Me With Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar

You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC

Could You Be Loved - Bob Marley and the Wailers

(Just Like) Starting Over - John Lennon

Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield

Never Knew Love Like This Before - Stephanie Mills

1981: 

Albums:

Ghost in the Machine - The Police
Beauty and the Beat - The Go-Go's
Face Value - Phil Collins
4 - Foreigner
Bella Donna - Stevie Nicks
Hi Infidelity - REO Speedwagon

Songs:

Don't Stop Believing - Journey

Urgent - Foreigner

Celebration - Kool & the Gang

Slow Hand - Pointer Sisters

Same Old Lang Syne - Dan Fogelberg

Tom Sawyer - Rush

Lady - Kenny Rogers

Endless Love - Lionel Richie

In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins

Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go-Go's

Don't You Want Me - The Human League

Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones

Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes

Under Pressure, Another One Bites the Dust - Queen

Arthur's Theme - Christopher Cross

Kiss on my List - Daryl Hall & John Oates

I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt

Keep on Loving You - REO Speedwagon

Just the Two of Us - Grover Washington Jr & Bill Withers

I Love You - Climax Blues Band

Every Woman in the World - Air Supply

Best of Times - Styx

Urgent - Foreigner

Lady (You Bring Me Up) - The Commodores

Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen

1982:

Rio - Duran Duran

*Thriller - Michael Jackson
*1999 - Prince
*Love over Gold - Dire Straits

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Musical News Events

December 8, 1980 - John Lennon is shot to death outside his apartment building in New York City.

May 11, 1981 - Bob Marley dies. He died at age 36 from a melanoma that started under his big toenail in 1977.

August 1, 1981 - MTV broadcasts for the first time on cable television in the United States, playing music videos 24 hours a day. First to air is "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles.  The channel originally aired music videos and related programming as guided by television personalities known as video jockeys (VJs).

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Google AI reply to "Who were the biggest musical artists of 198* in America?"

In 1980, some of the biggest musical artists in America included Blondie, Pink Floyd, Olivia Newton-John, and Michael Jackson. Blondie's "Call Me" topped the Billboard Year-End Hot 100, while Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" also achieved significant success. Olivia Newton-John's "Magic" and Michael Jackson's "Rock with You" were also among the top hits of the year, according to Wikipedia.

Here's a more detailed look at some of the key artists:
Blondie: Their hit "Call Me" topped the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 chart, solidifying their position as a leading act of the era.
Pink Floyd: "Another Brick in the Wall, Part II" was a major success, reaching #1 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100.
Olivia Newton-John: "Magic" was a chart-topping hit, contributing to her continued success.
Michael Jackson: "Rock with You" was a major hit for the young star, showcasing his growing popularity.
The Police: Sting and his band had the best-selling single of 1980 in the UK with "Don't Stand So Close to Me".
Kenny Rogers: He was also among the most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US.



In 1981, some of the biggest musical artists in the US included Diana Ross & Lionel Richie, Blondie, Kim Carnes, and John Lennon. "Endless Love" by Ross and Richie topped the charts for an impressive seven weeks. Blondie had a strong year with hits like "Rapture" and "The Tide is High". Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes" was the year's biggest hit overall. John Lennon also had posthumous hits, including "(Just Like) Starting Over".

Other notable artists who achieved significant success in 1981 include:
Diana Ross & Lionel Richie: Their duet "Endless Love" dominated the charts, earning them the most weeks at #1 for the year
Blondie: They had a successful year with multiple hits like "Rapture" and "The Tide is High".
Kim Carnes: "Bette Davis Eyes" was the biggest hit of the year.
John Lennon: His posthumous release, "(Just Like) Starting Over" reached #1.
Rick Springfield: Had a comeback year, marked by the hit "Jessie's Girl".
Duran Duran: Their self-titled debut album and singles propelled them to MTV stardom.
Styx: The band's album "Paradise Theatre" reached #1, and their single "The Best of Times" hit #3.
Foreigner: Their album "4" was a commercial success, spending 10 weeks at #1.
Phil Collins: He launched his solo career in 1981, becoming one of the best-selling male artists of the decade.
Prince: His music and performance style helped him become a significant figure in American music.



In 1982, some of the biggest musical artists in America included Olivia Newton-John, Survivor, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder, and Daryl Hall & John Oates. Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" topped the Billboard Year-End Hot 100, while Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" was also a massive hit. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was another chart-topper. Other notable artists included Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder with "Ebony and Ivory" and Daryl Hall & John Oates, who had multiple top-ten hits.

Here's a bit more detail:
Olivia Newton-John:. Her album "Physical" was the #1 album of the year, with the title track being a massive hit.
Survivor:. Their song "Eye of the Tiger" from the movie Rocky III was a huge success.
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts:. "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" was a #1 single and solidified Jett's place in rock music history.
Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder:. Their collaboration "Ebony and Ivory" was another memorable hit of the year.
Daryl Hall & John Oates:. They had three top-ten hits in 1982, tying for the most top-ten hits during the year.
Other notable artists:. The list also includes The J. Geils Band, Rick Springfield, The Police, Journey, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna, all of whom were making waves in the music scene.