The Mycenaean investigates: N.C. Senate election redistricting bill
A bill the N.C. Senate recently passed to redistrict and alter Wake County Commissioners elections has one word surrounding its controversy: gerrymandering. “[The bill] is…
Articles by Connor Choate, Editor in Chief 2014-2015
School report cards call for celebration, improvement
Dr. Anthony Muttillo does not consider Leesville a “test-prep” kind of school. He never wants Leesville to focus solely on standardized tests or even feel…
“Pedestrian at Best” is far from pedestrian
“Put me on a pedestal, and I’ll only disappoint you,” belts Courtney Barnett in “Pedestrian at Best,” the first single off her long-awaited debut album,…
Mycenaean Exclusive: Clay Aiken reflects on life, politics, career to date
In eighth grade at Leesville Road Middle School, Clay Aiken interviewed former Governor Terry Sanford for an essay about someone he admired. While most students…
Don’t judge a meal by its garnish: Garland review
Though Garland is situated among many of Raleigh’s best restaurants and bars, it is easily lost in the crowd. Much like the name implies, Garland’s…
All hail Macbeth: Shakespeare’s greatest
“Saying the most possible in the fewest words”: only one definition of poetry has ever stuck with me so acutely. It gave me a greater…
Ferguson’s well-rounded classroom
One innovation sets Trey Ferguson’s math classroom apart from the rest: Ferguson’s classroom has no desks. Instead, Ferguson has round tables. “I don’t like math…
The Breakfast Club: 30 years later
“…and these children that you spit on, as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They’re quite aware of what they’re…
The times are a-changin’
Redemption begins with a fall from grace. Don Draper has fallen from grace; what now? Mad Men’s season six ended with Draper (Jon Hamm) on…
The Life Aesthetic with Wes Anderson
Soon after the release of Moonrise Kingdom, I was talking to a friend, who graduated with a film studies degree, about movies. We discussed Scorsese’s…
Q&A with Chad Broer, Colorado principal
For an administrative opinion about the legalization of marijuana, we talked to Chad Broer, an assistant principal at Chatterfield High School in Littleton, Colorado, outside…
The Goldfinch is a triumph
It took me a few days after finishing Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch to decide I was, in fact, going to write a review. And once…
Les Mis exceeds expectations
NC Theatre’s current production of Les Misérables was exceptional, especially considering the immensity of the musical. Les Misérables, set during the French Revolution, is the…
Osage triumphs
Tracy Lett’s August: Osage County, the Pullitzer award-winning play, may have translated to the screen victoriously, but every aspect was not a victory. Set in Osage…
Shakespeare, or what you will
On 44th St. in Manhattan, between Sixth and seventh avenue, lies the Belasco Theatre, currently putting on two rather recognizable plays: Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Or…
A remedy for boring lunch spots
On E. Hargett next to Moore Square sits a quaint diner called Remedy. The red door and signature lights welcome entry to an intimate, casual…
Leesville’s own reveal the truth behind education
Waiting for “Superman”, a documentary examining the American public education system, captured national attention upon its release in 2010, as one of many documentaries on…
Word of the Year speeches
After much grueling deliberation, the Oxford English Dictionary named “Selfie” as the word of the year for 2013. “Twerk” was one of the many contestants…
Is Thinkspace the future?
Students read books written by other people, watch movies made by other people and learn information in school discovered by other people, but, at school,…
#WNCNBlitz: LRHS pep rally via Twitter
The League review
The League embarked on its fifth season with the start of this year’s NFL regular season, and it’s looking great. The League follows a fictional…
Hopscotch
At the end of every summer, downtown Raleigh plays host to over 175 bands during the Hopscotch Music Festival. Hopscotch was September 5-7 and included…
New Science and Math teachers join LRHS staff
Every year, Leesville adds new teachers to the mix. This year, the science, math and language departments each increased respectively. Robert Thornhill, the only new…
Artsplosure Review
Every year since 1980, downtown Raleigh has hosted the Artsplosure Festival. Artsplosure, which was May 17 through 19 this year, fills Moore Square, City Plaza…
Modern Vampires Proves third time’s the charm
Vampire Weekend’s third album is unlike their previous two, but it’s fantastic. Modern Vampires of the City is a more mature album made by four…
Fun with Phone-banking
Volunteering has become an essential part of high school. Colleges expect hours, many clubs require them and students try their hardest to meet goals around…
The race to beat boredom
From a young age, everyone is programed to go, go, go. Whether it’s school, sports or extracurriculars, many children’s schedules are planned with no time…
Senator Hagan visits Leesville
April 26, 2013 Senator Kay Hagan visited Leesville to speak about a bill she will soon be introducing to the Senate. Hagan, a former NC…
Hagan visits Leesville
April 26, 2013 — Senator Kay Hagan, D-NC, visited Leesville to speak about a bill she will soon be introducing to the Senate. Hagan, a…
Teens, technology and research
At some point during any course, a high school student will be assigned a research project. We all know the kind — the in-depth reports…
PDQ raises the bar for fast-food
New to Raleigh this winter, on the outside, PDQ looks like a typical fast-food restaurant. The drive-through looks standard, and the building’s facade looks normal….
A case for John Irving
Salinger, Steinbeck, Fitzgerald and Hemingway are all readily recognized and praised as great American authors. There’s one name — though not necessarily in the same…
High hopes for men’s tennis
In addition to new players, this year’s men’s tennis team will be starting the season with a new coach. Kyle Myers, who will replace Dr….
What if Leesville had a “one-to-one” program?
Over the past few years, a technological craze has swept through America’s schools — the concept of one-to-one programs. One-to-one programs are common throughout hundreds…
Zero Dark Thirty kills it
Everyone knows Osama bin Laden’s name, and after Zero Dark Thirty, they know how the CIA killed him. Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty depicts the…
Foster student finds new home
Jamie Durham is a sophomore at Leesville. She takes classes like anyone else does all the same work. Her only difference is the home she…
Inside the CSA
The Christian Students Association — or CSA — met Thursday, January 10 to discuss faith with their peers. Erin Hutchinson, junior and club co-president, ran…
Kwanzaa celebrates African culture
Kwanzaa, a week-long celebration spanning from late December to early January, is celebrated around the United States and Canada to honor African heritage. The first…
Foreign students come to Leesville
To have the experience to learn in a foreign country is an incredible opportunity — an opportunity many students across the world partake in each…
High schoolers help middle and elementary students learn
On January 8, Leesville launched the Community Tutoring Program where high schoolers help middle and elementary schoolers with their schoolwork. Wendy Smith, a parent and…
Hitchcock is Psycho — in a Good Way
Hitchcock, directed by Sacha Gervasi, tells the love story between director Alfred Hitchcock (played by Anthony Hopkins) and his wife Alma Reville (Helen Mirren) isolated…
Is college right for everyone?
Ever since the first day of elementary school, everyone has been working towards a seemingly universal goal: college. Everyone knows universities can consistently put graduates…
Caffé Luna: The best Italian cuisine in downtown Raleigh
In America, people can occasionally pigeonhole Italian cuisine into either spaghetti or pizza; Caffé Luna clearly breaks the stereotype. Settled on E. Hargett Street between…
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…
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….
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…
If the Chicago Teachers’ Strike met North Carolina
The Chicago Teachers’ Strike asserted itself in history this past month, but could it happen in Wake County? The Chicago teachers stood up against a…
The women’s golf trio
This year’s women’s golf team may be small, but they have heart. The team consists of three players — Alison Boegel, sophomore, Kristen Jones, junior,…
Volunteering at the DNC
This past Labor Day, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. I volunteered with the Planned Parenthood Action…
New year, new English teacher
A new year brings new teachers to Leesville — including Karen Harker of the English department. Karen Harker, who started her third year of teaching,…