Author: Dan Pollard, staff writer
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Chess for all levels
Chess club held its first interest meeting on Thursday, April 18. Students interested and passionate about chess gathered to play and share information about chess. Mr. Robinson, drafting teacher and founder of chess club,…
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Saving an endangered…class?
At Leesville Road High School, the Honors Psychology course is in danger of extinction. With both AP and Academic courses being offered in the subject, people are shying away from Honors. Psychology, of course,…
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Hairspray earns 5 out of 5 stars
Wow. Just wow. That was my first response upon seeing the Leesville High production of Hairspray. The musical has something for everyone; singing, dancing, comedic wit and even a bit of history. Set in…
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The importance of “coming out”
We have families. We have feelings. We have pets, go to school, go to parties and joke around with our friends. We are just like you except for one fact: we are gay. Coming…
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Pulling the plug on social media
Seven months ago, I made a decision that most people wouldn’t even think about doing: I gave up Facebook and got rid of my smart phone. And you know what? I’ve never been happier.…
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Raleigh mother watches inappropriate images at school, demands stricter filters
Leesville students might have noticed the news reports recently about a North Raleigh mother calling for stricter internet filters on Wake County Public School computers. If these restrictions were imposed, students might lose valuable…
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The curse of cursive
Try and remember the last time you used cursive. For most of the population, it was only to sign a document or check. This brings up the question of why are we still teaching…
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Tamagotchi is better than ever
If you are a true ‘90s kid, you know what a Tamagotchi is. The small, egg shaped toy was a necessity to any cool kid’s repertoire. But now the teenagers with the hearts of…
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Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Chinese Americans and people who love Chinese culture gathered at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds Jan. 26 to celebrate the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Snake. Surprisingly, it seemed like the majority…
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The Fuelband fuels fitness
At the beginning of a new year, many people are embracing an age old resolution: to become more physically fit. Many companies, such as Nike and Fitbit are taking advantage of this trend and…
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The next contagion
The national media has been abuzz with stories about the severity of this year’s flu season and local media reports that North Carolina has not been spared from the flu. Listening to all the…
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#Godhatesyou
Up until the last 90 years or so, religion and how it is expressed has remained fairly the same. Preachers and news of religious events were spread by word of mouth. Now, Facebook, Twitter…
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Les Miserables: the best movie in theaters
Les Miserables, the film adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, is a tale of wretched despair, fury and love that manipulates the audience’s emotions. The story, set in post-revolutionary France in the mid-nineteenth century,…
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Mrs. Petty retires after 19 years at Leesville
Leesville High will lose a bit of history when one of the founding members of its faculty retires January 22. Mrs. Petty, a career and technical education teacher who has been teaching since she…
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An Eyre of excitement
Long before girls swooned over Jacob and Edward in Twilight, they dreamed about Charlotte Bronte’s hero Mr. Rochester. The brooding and misunderstood Rochester was brought to life by Kordell Draper in the Leesville Road…
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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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Powder Puffs play hard
When people think of epic football rivalries, they usually think of the LRHS vs. Wakefield. Now they can add a new rivalry: Pride girls vs. Pride girls, in the annual Powder Puff football game…
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A piece of Paris right in Raleigh
Normally, a French restaurant is not my style. I’m more of a steak burrito kind of guy. But I was pleasantly surprised when I went to Coquette in North Hills to celebrate my parents’…
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Babel: Actually not a new language
Babel, Mumford & Sons sophomore album, will please the band’s existing fans, but may not broaden its base audience beyond that of alternative folk radio. Babel shares much with M&S debut album, Sigh No…
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The taxing question of prisoner medical care
Prisoners have to deal with a lot. Sure, most of them are guilty of breaking laws, but we should still treat them like what they are: human beings. The Eighth Amendment guarantees them, as…
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Remembering 9/11
On Sept. 11, it occurred to me that the junior class will be the last class to remember the frenzy on Sept. 11, 2001. We were in kindergarten, and the youngest age most people…
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Sports Med: The class that teaches you how to save a life
Not everyone who contributes to the success of Leesville Road athletic teams is a player on the field. Leesville offers a class in Sports Medicine, where students can combine their love of sports with…
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Wrestling for the championship
Football might get more of the glory, but the thousand-year-old sport of wrestling is alive and well at Leesville. “[Wrestling] teaches you discipline, gets you into shape, and strengthens your mental toughness,” said Shayaan…