Month: May 2011
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Leesville-For-Lifers set to graduate
There is a secret club expertly hidden within the walls of Leesville Road High School. Started in 2006, this club is extremely exclusive, and its members are few and far between. They know things…
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Overachievers more normal than you think
While Leesville’s senior class prepares for summer and their departure to life beyond 8409 Leesville Road, juniors are just beginning the journey. While some juniors will spend the summer goofing off, others have different…
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End of an Era: A Coda for Mr. Albert
After more than 30 years of leading band programs and decades of teaching at Leesville — one of the most prestigious high school band organizations in Wake County, in North Carolina, and in the United…
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Bennett reflects…again
On Tuesday, May 24 I finally attended my first Leesville women’s soccer game. It was with a solemn feeling that it occurred to me I attended my final athletic event at Marshal L. Hamilton…
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Senioritis: A bittersweet farewell
It is with a (somewhat) heavy heart that I write my final Senioritis column. We seniors have less than two weeks of school left. We have made countdowns, set phone alarms and decorated the…
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Soccer girls prepare for states
Friday, May 27 marks the end of a nearly perfect season for the ladies of Varsity Pride soccer. They have endured months of regular-season games and practices, five playoff games, and now, what they’ve…
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Silly Wendt absconds goof-ups (SWAG)
The stench of death infiltrated my nostrils as I opened the door to my car. I had noticed the unbearable odor developing the night before, but hadn’t given it much thought. Overnight, the smell…
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Confessions of a Jewish guy’s girlfriend: part two
A couple of months ago, I wrote a personal account about my experience at Shabbat dinner with my Jewish boyfriend, Alec. Recently, I dove deeper into the Jewish world by attending my first Jewish…
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Political Club holds food drive
Leesville’s Political Club is holding a food drive for the tornado victims of North Carolina. The food drive began on May 18 and will end on Wednesday, May 25. Donations of canned food and…
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Orchestra astounds audience
The Leesville String, Chamber and Symphony orchestras performed a truly stunning concert on Tuesday, May 18, at 7:00, complete with an incredible solo by Galen Tim, senior. The String orchestra played first, performing a…
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Fiasco’s hosts art show for Honors Art IV students
On Monday, May 23, Jose Espinal’s Honors Art IV class presented their favorite works at the new restaurant Fiasco’s in Brierdale Shopping Center. This showcase, which is the first of its kind for most…
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The eye twitch returns with a vengeance
Everyone makes fun of Will Bennett, senior, when he writes his silly first person articles. I owe Bennett an apology because I was once included in that group of hypocrites, and now I find…
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Side street worth the drive
The Leesville community has many places to eat exceptional food and enjoy the company of others.There are the usual places we go to eat during lunch (like Brueggars and Shish Kabob), and on the…
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AP Spanish holds student-made movie premiere
Tuesday, May 31, AP Spanish Language students and Señor Craig Ross will hold a student-made movie production. It will start at 7:00 p.m. and admission is free. All are invited to come. Ross’s two…
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Water for Elephants impresses Williamson
Like every other time a movie comes out based on a book I haven’t yet read, the Water for Elephants trailer inspired me to go out and buy the novel. I wanted to be…
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Golf wins States
On Tuesday, May 10, the Leesville Road men’s golf team defeated Myers Park High School by four strokes to win the NCHSAA 4-A State Championship for the first time in school history. After last…
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LRHS student discovers Feng Shui
Two months ago, as I followed my everyday routine of walking from the senior parking lot to the Newspaper classroom, I felt a certain disturbance in my soul. It a was strange feeling that…
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Senior day offers breakfast and marks college decisions
Before school on Wednesday, May 11, seniors gathered near the front stairs of the parking lot to enjoy breakfast, show off their seniority and display their university’s gear. All seniors were invited via Facebook…
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The rise and fall of a legend
When Will Bennett was a young staff writer of sixteen, everything came so easily for him. News articles, features, editorials, and sport spotlights would flow from his elegant fingers into the computer for his…
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My experience with Habitat for Humanity
I don’t know what I expected to see when I got out of Grant Do’s car Saturday morning on Colfax Street in Durham. At the least, I thought that maybe it would be sunny…
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Spring chorus concert
On May 13, Leesville’s Choral Department presented the 2011 Spring Concert. The Beginning Chorus, Intermediate Chorus and Capital Pride all performed a variety of songs. The concert began with all the choral groups filing…
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The making of the magic of Cinderella: a look at the role of stage manager’s assistant
Of the hundreds of people working on the school musical Cinderella, from the musicians, dancers, singers, actors, techies, painters, shifters, and numerous others working behind the scenes, there are only a handful who actually…
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Safe driving seminar attempts to save lives
On Friday, May 20, there will be a ninety minute driving seminar for all Leesville Road students. The seminar will be titled “Alive at 25” and will reach out to students and parents. In…
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Leesville hosts St. Jude’s rally
Leesville Road High School will host a St Jude’s Children’s Hospital fund raiser from Friday, May 13 to Thursday, May 19. Leesville Road High School’s executive council is organizing the project. “Executive Council is…
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Kilcup petitions for changes to graduation dress code
When Nora Kilcup, senior, received her Senior Bulletin, a booklet for seniors detailing all the rules, regulations and important dates pertaining to graduation, she noticed something unsettling. The dress code for women at the…
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President’s Volunteer Service award offered
At the end of each school year, the LRHS PTSA awards the President’s Volunteer Service Award to students who participate in twenty-five or more hours of community service. Established in 2003, the President’s Council…
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Last Hired, First Fired
“Last hired, first fired,” a policy established by a North Carolina statue, dictates that teachers most recently hired will be the first to go when teacher layoffs come around. What’s wrong with this picture?…
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Scotty McCreery’s homecoming: “Garner’s proudest moment”
On Saturday May 15, Scotty McCreery, an American Idol top 3 finalist, returned to his hometown of Garner to perform at Lake Benson Park. To celebrate his homecoming, the town of Garner sponsored a…
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GOP biting off more than they can chew
Have you ever seen one of those idiotic national hot dog eating contests they televise on ESPN? Well, I was on the treadmill at the gym watching this ridiculous contest, and came to the…
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Water for Elephants : simply smashing
When my girlfriend first told me we were going to see Water For Elephants, a film directed by Francis Lawrence, needless to say I was less than enthusiastic. However, led by a superb cast…
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Freshman class hosts supply drive
The freshman student council held a supply drive the week after Spring break, April 25-29, to benefit the PLM Families Together (PLMFT) homeless shelter. Claudia Kennedy, freshman student council president, along with the rest…
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Varsity Women’s Soccer enjoys Senior Night
As each sports season comes to an end, varsity athletes, along with their ever-rabid fans, gather to celebrate that year’s graduates with a Senior Night. On Monday, April 25, seven of Leesville’s most accomplished…
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The “It Gets Better” project inspires
High school is not always a fun place to be for gay teenagers. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender teens, or LGBTs, face amplified bullying and ridicule every day. Many of these teenagers are forced…
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Cubs choir: the life, the legend, the legacy
At Leesville Road Elementary School, few things were available to set students above the norm. While many children were watching cartoons, trading Pokemon cards, or simply passing the days away in the woods, a…
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Tips for lottery success
The happiest day of my life will not be when my children are born, when I get married, or when I go to Disney World. The happiest day of my life will remain when…
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Panthers find a franchise QB in Cam Newton
“With the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select… CAM NEWTON, quarterback, Auburn.” With that simple statement by the NFL Commissioner, the face of the Panthers was set in stone,…
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Leesville announces new course for 2011-12 school year
On Wednesday, May 4, Leesville students were informed that a new course called TV Programming and Broadcasting would be offered in the 2011-12 school year. The class aims to teach students the skills necessary…
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Explaining gas pump myths
With gas prices rising by nickels and dimes every day, each trip I take to gas station is increasingly depressing. The cost to fill up my tank is a full $15 more expensive than…
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Operation: Save the Senior Issue a success!
On Friday, April 29, the newspaper staff’s deadline to raise money for the senior issue expired. In the end, it was several dollars away from not producing this annual issue. “There would be no…
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Stout and Lowery named prom king and queen
For the first time in Leesville’s history, a queen and king were crowned at Prom. Nominations took place over the course of a few days during the week of March 28, in which seniors…
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Senior band members finish morning rehearsals
On Thursday, May 5, Seniors in Leesvile’s symphonic band attended the last morning rehearsal of their high school careers. Over the course of each school year, the symphonic band gathers every morning for about…
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Downtown designers market a fun tradition
Last Saturday, April 30, 2011, Raleigh’s Designers Downtown Market returned for its third show of 2011. Designers came to sell their crafts in this open-air market from 9a.m. to 3p.m. in the Ornamentea parking…
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My life as a tree
When I heard that Leesville’s musical production was Cinderella this year, I knew I had to try out. Big flowing dresses, gorgeous ballrooms and a fairy-tale love story drew me in– I wanted to…
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GOP passes budget
The North Carolina House of Representatives passed its controversial GOP budget proposal on Wednesday, May 4. The budget was passed with a 72-47 tally vote that included five votes from conservative blue dog Democrats:…
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Minecraft: the simpler, the better
Many video game designers favor incorporating complex story lines and detailed graphics into their creations. One designer, however, has taken the video game industry down a level with his block-building game called Minecraft. Minecraft…
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Child actors grace Leesville
Last Thursday, April 28, Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30, Leesville’s theatre department put on the much anticipated musical, Cinderella. The school’s technical department spent weeks preparing excellent displays of lights, sound and…
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Cinderella: a magical experience
Leesville’s production of Rodger & Hammerstein’s Cinderella: The Enchanted Edition was an absolute treat—a delicious dessert of sorts, really. In fact, if I were to describe this production, I would compare it to a…
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Day of Silence at Leesville
On Friday, April 25, I participated in the Day of Silence along with many students from Leesville. DOS is the deliberate silence by lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans-genders, and their allies to represent and peacefully…
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TheVent brings Jewish teens together
Over the weekend of March 25, hundreds of Jewish high-school students from all over the eastern United States gathered at Temple Beth Or in Raleigh for TheVent. TheVent, a social action convention for teens,…
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Leesville students selected for Governor’s School
Three Leesville students were selected to attend the Governor’s School of North Carolina for the 2011 summer session. Michael Elderkin and Brooks Jordan will attend Governor’s School West at Old Salem college. Gene Kim…