Year: 2012
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Symphonic Band to England
On Thursday, Oct 16, most students heard the bell signaling the start of fourth period and proceeded with their normal routines. Not so for the members of the Leesville Symphonic Band. They were hard…
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Kickstarter gives students a helping hand
Kickstarter is a great option for young people with big ideas but little cash–even a Leesville student could do it. I was curious about how the whole Kickstarter experience worked, so I decided to…
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Argo will go far
Ben Affleck’s most recent film, Argo, is a thriller from start to finish. Affleck, director and lead actor, portrays the Iranian hostage situation in the school year’s most intense movie. On November 4,…
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Disney-Pixar’s Wreck-it Ralph rocks theatres around the nation
Never let someone say kids movies are for kids because it just isn’t true. This past weekend, I saw Disney-Pixar’s Wreck-it Ralph out of pure curiosity. It sparks laughter and interest in all ages.…
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Is “Zero Tolerance” really worth it?
On first day of my eighth grade, there was a large fight before school started. I distinctly remember an administrator saying over the announcements the next morning that fighting during school, even as self…
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Deep-fried deliciousness
Following the tantalizing scent of fried dough and other delicacies at the North Carolina State Fair, I wind up at the end of a never-ending queue. Luckily, this food stand has the very item…
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Justin Timberlake is bringing Myspace back
The glory days of MySpace are long gone after a drastic fall from grace and the rise of Twitter and Facebook, but everyone should still remember those times. After years of “Top Friends” and…
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Fighting senioritis
Sometimes I just want to scream from the stress of senior year. Seriously, the pressure becomes increasingly intense as the year progresses. So much responsibility lies upon the shoulders of seniors that some completely…
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MUTEMATH mutes Marks’ concert fears
As a high school senior, I’m a little embarrassed to admit I’ve never been to a concert. Film premieres, album releases, even amusement park openings– I’ve graced them all with my presence; still, never…
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World Baseball Classic gives players opportunity to represent Israel
Just 40 years after a tragic terrorist attack on Israeli athletes, Israel is stronger than ever on the international athletics scene. In the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Israel fielded a team that nearly…
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Movie, meal and madness
Is it too much to ask to watch a movie and eat a decent meal in peace? Apparently so. I have attended Raleighwood Grill Cinema, a meal and movie theater, several times. In past…
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Carnival raises money for diabetes research
On Oct. 9, 2012, Leesville Road High School hosted a carnival for clubs during their Community Night, which included Leesville Elementary, Leesville Middle, Sycamore Creek Elementary and Hilburn Academy. Some clubs represented included French…
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State Fair calorie challenge
The challenge: one day at the State Fair, 10,000 calories. Go. When I first heard of the infamous 10,000 Calorie Challenge on the news, I was intrigued. After taking in roughly 9,000 calories worth…
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Third Party candidate struggles to gain ground
Now that Ron Paul is out of the presidential race, North Carolinians turn to a local libertarian. Barbara Howe, chair of the North Carolina Libertarian party, is running for governor against Pat McCrory and…
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Winter track preview
For Leesville runners, cross country season ended just last week. Though cross country is finished until next year, many are anticipating the arrival of the winter track season. Winter track is the calm before…
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Pitch Perfect is the perfect comedy
Pitch Perfect is a genuinely funny movie that breaks the mold of melodramatic teen singing competitions. Directed by Jason Moore, the hilarious a capella movie premiered Oct. 5. Pitch Perfect is a comedy and…
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Charlotte Bobcats come to the PNC Arena
The PNC Arena had an announced attendance of 17,924 people, all coming to watch basketball. The NC State logo was in the center, and Duke basketball coach Mike Kryzewski sat courtside. There was a…
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Symphonic Band earns their donations
On Monday, October 15, Leesville’s symphonic band organized an “out-to-eat night” at Noodles & Company in Brier Creek. The band performed outside of Noodles and Company from 5:30-6:00. For every Braised Pork entree that…
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Taken 2 takes over theaters
Taken 2 was the highly anticipated sequel to Taken, a movie released in 2008 about a man who rescues his daughter after she is kidnapped in Paris. A sequel to a movie that had…
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PowderPuff Seniors Prevail at Game
Many people assume that football is a “man’s” sport, especially men themselves. However, the girls of Leesville set out to prove those people wrong in the 2012 Powder Puff game. The participants of each…
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Caps, gowns, rings and announcements, oh my!
Every October, Jostens has a stand in the main lobby during all lunches to sell class rings and graduation supplies, which include announcements, caps and gowns. Class rings are used by students to represent…
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Too many tests
The point of school is to learn. Frequent standardized tests in the classroom can take away from learning time without adding anything of real value to students’ high school careers. Often times, students are…
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Taylor Swift’s new album Red makes an impact
Taylor Swift’s fourth album, Red, was released on Monday October 22, and it appears to be stereotypically about boyfriends and the typical undecodable thoughts of a young woman experimenting with love. Popular demand has…
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Swim team looking forward to another great season
Leesville Road High School’s Swimming and Diving Team is prepared for another great season, following their second place finish in the Cap-8 Conference last year. According to Emily Izquierdo, LRHS’s swim coach, this year…
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Scars and their struggles
Every scar has a story. When I was only a year old, I pulled a curling iron off the bathroom counter and it landed on the top of my right hand. My hand has…
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Leesville Football Pounds Heritage, 43-13
The Leesville Pride football team avenged a disappointing regular season meeting and advanced to the second round of the N.C. 4AA football playoffs with a 43-13 victory over Heritage on Friday, Nov. 2. The…
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Why do we laugh?
Let’s face it– we all love to laugh. Stand-up comedians do a great job of tapping into human emotions and making us break out into tear-inducing, stomach-clenching laughter. What is it about their shows…
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One Paranormal too many
This third sequel of the first Paranormal Activity was somewhat disappointing. Paranormal Activity 4 follows the same formula as all the others: A first-person account story of a family whose home life is constantly…
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Tennessee is wrong to continue pregame prayer
Disclaimer: Obviously the combination of religion and government is a huge subject, and it would take thousands of words to tackle completely. I’m going to look at this issue on a smaller scale in…
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Brain Team needs your help!
The Leesville Road High School Brain Game held their first meeting of the year on Oct. 23. The Brain Game, sponsored by WRAL, is a competition where school teams, consisting of students specializing on…
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Are pedestrians safe?
In a phone message last Wednesday, Dr. Muttillo cautioned students and parents to drive safely due to recent accidents involving Leesville students. A freshman was hit in one of the accidents, so one would…
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Leesville XC team celebrates senior night with victory
On Wednesday, October 10, the Leesville Cross Country celebrated Senior Night during their last home meet. The guys won 27-34 and the girls trailed Millbrook in a 28-30 loss. Five seniors on the guys…
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Pregame prayer: not a privilege, a right
Prayer in schools continues to be one of the most passionately argued topics in our public school system today. The Supreme Court has tackled case after case of alleged First Amendment violations. Recent events…
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Wake County superintendent fired
Tony Tata has been fired after almost 20 months as the superintendent of Wake County. The controversial superintendent has had six to eight months of strained relations with the school board. This news comes…
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Class of ‘13 prepares for its last home football game
As Leesville’s football team heads into the playoffs, the seniors are preparing for their last home football game in high school. The traditions they have made will be passed on to the future senior…
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Obama takes over debate
As Election Day approaches, the air sizzles with tension between the President and Romney, each seeking to put in the last word before the final day. On Monday the President and Governor Mitt Romney…
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Jason Aldean chugs along with “Night Train”
I had been counting down the days. My favorite country singer was finally releasing a new album. his last album captured my heart, so I could not wait for some new songs. October 16…
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Bowling team strikes Leesville
Leesville’s new Bowling Club held their first meeting on October 2 at AMF Bowling Center. The club quickly evolved into a team that plans to compete against other schools’ bowling teams. Rebecca Hawthorne, senior…
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Olympics float into Leesville
A major aspect of Homecoming week is the procession of student-made floats that represent different clubs and grades at Leesville Road High School. Hours of work and hundreds of dollars go into these floats,…
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Obama rebounds in town hall debate
The second presidential debate of the 2012 had no shortages of fireworks. After the debate between President Obama and challenger Mitt Romney, ABC News Contributor George Will had some very strong words. “I have…
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Saving lives through knowledge and experience
State Farm hosted a “Celebrate My Drive” event at Leesville Road High School on September 15. The event allowed students to experience driving in several different situations that can lead to deadly car accidents.…
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Tim Burton’s latest triumph
In Tim Burton’s latest animated movie Frankenweenie, the main character, Victor (Charlie Tahan), loses his dog, Sparky, when he is run over by a car. Much to his parents’ (Catherine O’Hara and Martin Short)…
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Leesville challenges bullying this month
Have you ever seen a student being bullied? Did you stop and stare? Chances are, you have. It’s safe to say that most students at Leesville Road High School either witness bullying taking place,…
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NC State upsets No. 3 Florida State
NC State beat Florida State 17-16 in the perhaps the biggest upset this college football season. Many thought the Florida State Seminoles would blow NC State out, but the Wolfpack hung around and pulled…
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Sinister is seriously scary
I am one of the last people to voluntarily see a scary movie; if I’m going to lose sleep over it, it better be worth it. Sinister has all the elements of a classic…
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First presidential debate sparks reactions in students
Last week, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, Republican presidential candidate, participated in the first presidential debate of this year — discussing issues including health care, taxes and public television. The debate became a…
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NHS supports JDRF
National Honor Society met Monday, Oct. 15, for a presentation on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Marianne Corocoran, a Kids Walk Coordinator for JDRF, presented a powerpoint about JDRF to members of NHS.…
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Great alternative bands falling prey to pop takeover
“Am I part of the cure?” sings Chris Martin, Coldplay lead singer, in the band’s 2002 hit song “Clocks” — “Or am I part of the disease?” For over a decade, Coldplay has not…
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Should LRHS ban nuts?
A school nut ban creates controversy after a student’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich was confiscated in a Viola County, Arkansas elementary school. Issues stem from parents’ reactions to Viola’s allergy conscious policies, which…
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Tata out as superintendent
Tony Tata’s 20-month long leadership over the Wake County schools systems ended due to his controversial firing, on Sept. 25. As superintendent, Tata’s job was to preside over the school board as an adviser…