Established in 2006, NC’s magnet program serves as an outlet for gifted students to pursue international studies. Emphasizing politics and global communication, the program requires its students to take specialized courses, such as Advanced Scientific Research, Magnet Leadership, and AP Comparative Government. Since 2011, Magnet coordinator David Stephenson has held responsibility over its approximate 430 students. Now, for his fifth year in charge, he takes on a new task: creating schedules of all 3,000 NC students, magnet or not.

Due to Stephenson’s new responsibilities, AP Human Geography teacher James Auld now steps on as a magnet advisor, a position specifically created for the 2015-2016 school year, and possibly onward. “I’m not sure if it’s a promotion, but rather a new position. We were trying to see how everything would settle once the school year started, and it worked out,” Auld said. “So now, two periods a day, I’m able to meet with magnet students, some of which need extra support, some of which may need some issues settled, or help with certain problems, and I’m able to do that while Mr. Stephenson is engaged in his scheduling duties.”

In addition to Auld’s new position, AP English Language teacher Lindsay Kovel will serve as a cultural programmer, to “help keep field trips, speakers, and other enrichment activities both in the forefront of the magnet experience as well as in sync with academic and other school matters,” Stephenson wrote. AP Macroeconomics/Microeconomics Pamela Roach will take on “a larger role supporting our research, by helping kids prepare for presentation and also designing modules for our humanities research kids to use in ASR.”

Goals the program wishes to accomplish this year include expanding the tutoring program, adding a community service based international tour, and establishing a stronger feeling of interconnectedness throughout the student body. “The biggest changes come through the support and connectedness piece. There will be more direct communication between students and teachers, students and counselors as well as between students and myself and Coach Auld,” Stephenson wrote. “The goal is to help kids with things before they become issues, whether it’s stress, academics, extracurriculars, fitting in.. we can help.”