Author: Elisabeth Jones, Staff Writer
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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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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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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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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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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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KC Clarke excited about life
KC Clark, senior, is thrilled about life. In fact, the notoriously bubbly senior has created an organization dedicated to positivity. Excited about Life (EAL) was created by Clark after posting his positivity on Twitter.…
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Senior exemption policy questioned
During Tuesday’s school board meeting, Wake County’s senior exam exemption policy took center stage. Many parents, students, and teachers questioned its fairness and effectiveness in keeping up the attendance of seniors. In the block…
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There’s more than one way to succeed
When my grandfather graduated from Hampton Institute, now Hampton University, he graduated with an Education degree and a vocational education in carpentry. When he was going to college, black institutions required an additional vocational…
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Prom proposals vary at Leesville
There’s a new kind of march madness circulating throughout Leesville, and I’m not talking about basketball. Every year upperclassmen boys compete to see who can come up with the most creative way to ask…
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Capital Pride to perform at General Assembly
Just when they thought their year couldn’t get any better, Leesville’s advanced vocal ensemble, Capital Pride, was offered yet another opportunity to perform. On Thursday, May 12, Capital Pride will be singing at the…
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College decisions: the twins edition
On June 11, seniors will all go their separate ways, but for twins, the transition to college is a big step. Brooke and Megan Mungall, seniors and fraternal twins, have been inseparable for eighteen…
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How to avoid the “freshman fifteen”
In writing this “How to Avoid the Freshman Fifteen” article, I am tempted to spew out a bunch of useless nutritional jargon and advise you to hit the gym. Unfortunately, an article encouraging you…
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Guidelines for prom from The Mycenaean’s resident fashion guru
Quick! Take a look at what you are wearing to prom. Or, if you’ve procrastinated (Grace Harvey!), think about what you plan on wearing. Every year, when going to a dance, I see the…
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Carnegie Hall: A reflection
Although it has been just over a week since Capital Pride returned home, I don’t think the experience of performing at Carnegie Hall has really hit me yet, or if it ever will. It…
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PA Cafe coming soon
On Feb. 25, The Leesville Choral Department will be hosting its fourteenth annual Performing Arts Cafe for the Leesville community in the cafeteria (time to be announced). Each year, members from all of…
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Capital Pride prepares for Carnegie Hall
On Jan. 17, while most Leesville students were enjoying a teacher workday, Leesville’s Capital Pride kicked off the new semester with a 6-hour rehearsal with the Director of Choruses for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra,…
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Step team faces obstacles
Leesville’s Step Team will be performing at the Winterfest Assembly on Friday, Feb. 11. The Pride Step Team will be staging what Diyana Howel, senior, calls a “new and fresh routine with new and…
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Tasteless holidays
Tis’ the season to be tasteless. Some people say the holiday season is the time to celebrate tackiness, but I disagree. A lack of good taste should never be celebrated. I would say, driving…
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New Years’ resolutions
With the holiday break coming up, Leesville students are beginning to think about their New Years resolutions. Some people vow to do extraordinary things like getting accepted into an Ivy League college. Others are…
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Republicans need a spanking
Recently, the Senate finally approved a plan regarding the Bush tax cut conundrum. Unfortunately, and to no surprise, Senate democrats meekly obeyed GOP demands to keep lower tax rates on income, capital gains and…
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John the rapper
John Wolfe, junior, likes to shop at Hollister. He also enjoys hockey, sings in a choir, and cannot wait to get his braces off. He may seem like your average suburban Caucasian male, but…
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Diane Covington awarded Director of the Year
On Sunday, Nov. 7, Diane Covington, Leesville’s Choral Director, was awarded as the NCMEA (North Carolina Music Educators Association) Choral Director of the Year. The prestigious award is given to the choral music director…
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Blithe Spirit a hit
It is said that you do not marry someone you can live with, but rather, you marry the person who you cannot live without. But what if that person is dead? In Leesville’s fall…
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Sugar ain’t so sweet
Emily Putnam, sophomore, is quite the athlete. She plays volleyball, basketball and holds the number one position on Leesville’s varsity girl’s cross-country team. Her competitive edge is evident, but so far she has not…
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Who knew? State Fair offers healthy food
How do you eat fried butter? Apparently, it is served on a stick. It is officially State Fair season, and thousands of people are entering the fairgrounds with one purpose only: to destroy their…
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Should have been Hillary
Just in time for Halloween, the crazies have come out—and I’m not just talking about Ms. O’Donnell and her witchcraft. I could have told you during the 2008 election that if Democrats chose an…
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LGBT Pride parade full of cliches
On September 25, I enjoyed a gorgeous day filled with music, rainbows, and beautiful men—beautiful gay men. I attended North Carolina’s statewide LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered) Pride parade and festival on the…
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Wake stops neighborhood-based school zones
The Wake County School Board voted Tuesday, Oct. 6, to stop the current neighborhood-based assignment plan drawn up by School Board member, John Tedesco. The motion passed with a 5-4 vote causing a new…
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Incentives for better teachers fruitless and insulting
To study or not to study–that is the question. To ask for help or to give up; to do homework or watch Jersey Shore–the list goes on interminably. These questions plaguing our educational system,…
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Why the Republican Party works
I have a few choice words to describe the Republican Party—many are not appropriate for this column. However, as much as I hate to admit it, the GOP works. When asked what party Comedian…
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Misinga adjusts to life from Kenya to America
I first spotted Ruth Misinga, senior, at the Leesville Liaisons New Student Lunch meeting on the second day of school. Her head was on the table, and her Chick-fil-a chicken sandwich remained untouched. “If…
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Capital Pride to perform at Carnegie Hall
Leesville’s advanced choral ensemble, Capital Pride, has been selected to perform at Carnegie Hall on February 13. Unlike many choral ensembles that pay to perform annually at the prestigious auditorium, the ensemble was chosen…
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Capital Pride goes to Charleston
On Sun., April 25, Leesville’s Capital Pride returned from a weekend in Charleston, SC, where they participated in an International Choral Festival. While in Charleston, Capital Pride met with choirs from South Carolina, Virginia,…
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Last chorus concert of the year
Leesville’s vocal ensembles held their annual spring concert on Friday, May 14. Beginning, Intermediate, and Capital Pride ensembles performed a versatile set of music for both 4:30 and 7:30 concerts. The concert began with…
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National Day of Prayer acknowledged by Obama
Thursday, May 6, was The National Day of Prayer as proclaimed by President Barack Obama. But this year, the service that began fifty-eight years ago, was surrounded by controversy. In April, a federal judge…
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Vigil Held to Protest Changes to Wake County Diversity Policy
With the 5-4 majority held on Tues., March 23, the newly elected Wake County School Board passed a vote to end a diversity policy that has been implemented for over 30 years in favor…
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Advice for Transferred Students
Anyone who has seen the movie Mean Girls can recall new girl Cady Heron’s first day of school, where she sat eating her lunch in a bathroom stall. For those of us who have…
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Menagerie Staff Stays Busy
With this year’s Menagerie completed, one would think that Leesville’s yearbook staff would be relaxed. Instead, I witnessed them typing away on computers in the library, researching possible ideas for next year’s yearbook. “We…
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Vitamins Not Worth the Hype
Were we meant to swallow those horse-sized multi-vitamins for our health? Consider this: a recent article in Readers Digest, “Vitamin Truths & Lies” by Christie Ashwanden, claims that taking a daily multi-vitamin may be…
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Behind the curtains at LRHS
As the spring musical approaches, fine arts students buzz with excitement. At the center of all the high energy lies the technical theatre department or the techies as they are known throughout the school.…
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Leesville Soccer Beats Sanderson
On Wed. March 17, Leesville’s Lady Pride soccer team defeated the Sanderson Spartans 4-0. For the usually confident players, a few described the game as “nerve-racking” and were unsure how they would pull through.…
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Lela Johnston, Dance Ensemble Collaborate
On March 10, Leesville’s Dance Ensemble joined Lela Johnston, senior, in the annual Pieces of Gold performance held in the Memorial Auditorium. For 30 years, Wake County Public Schools and The Wake Education Partnership…
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Booster Club Hosts Sixteenth Annual PA Café
On Friday, Feb. 26, the Leesville Choral Department Parent Arts Booster Club hosted its sixteenth annual Performing Arts Café. With what Diane Covington, choral director, predicted to be the “the best PA Café yet,”…
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Capital Pride Participates in Emerging Issues Forum
On Feb. 9 Leesville’s Capital Pride traveled downtown to the Raleigh Convention Center, where they participated in North Carolina State University’s 25th Annual Institute for Emerging Issues Forum. Every year, the forum addresses state…
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Black History Month Must Progress
Now that Black History Month has come to a close, perhaps it is time to reassess its origin and significance in today’s society. In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week, which…
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Wrestling Takes Second Place at CAP 7
On Feb. 6 Leesville took second place with a total of 154.5 points in the CAP 7 Wrestling tournament held at home. CAP VII Champions included Bobby Griffin 140lbs, Matt Brown 145 lbs, James…
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Fire Takes Homes
On Saturday, January 9, twelve people lost their homes to a fire. The blaze began in the kitchen of a rear unit on the second floor of the Raleigh Gardens apartments located between Glenwood…
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The Irregardless Cafe
I am a vegan, which makes eating out a daunting task in Raleigh, North Carolina. Even finding vegetarian-friendly restaurants is difficult, and when you finally find one, the options are about as bland as…
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The Trader Joes Experience: Why I will Never Go Anywhere Else
I do not think I will ever shop at a regular grocery store ever again, that is, until Trader Joes’ trading hours cease to exist. With a new location on Wake Forest Rd., opened…
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Washeck Devoted to Wrestling
Andrew Washeck, senior, is a Leesville varsity wrestler devoted to his sport. “Wrestling is great,” said Washeck. “It takes discipline, but I enjoy it.” As a wrestler, Washeck must go to practices every day…