Author: Jacob Polansky, senior editor
-
Three Things I Learned In High School Wrestling
With high school wrestling in the rear view, it’s time to reflect. Four years of late nights, early mornings, and an innumerable amount of sweat, blood, and tears…it’s certainly been a wild ride. The…
-
The Death Of Leesville’s Club Community
For a number of years, Leesville Road High School has operated under the SMART Lunch schedule: a school-wide lunch period just shy of an hour long where all classrooms are open for studying, tutoring,…
-
Leesville Wrestling Performs at Cap 7 Tournament
On February 1, Pride wrestling kicked off its postseason at Enloe High School for the always tough Cap-7 Tournament. With the regular season behind them, this would be the first real test for the…
-
The Rise Of Skywalker Sticks The Landing
The following review contains spoilers for The Rise Of Skywalker. On December 19, the world collectively held its breath and silently pondered a single thing: the fate of the Star Wars universe. With the…
-
Pride Wrestling Dominates The Nac
While the rest of the world was asleep, still ringing in the new year, Pride wrestling was on the prowl. Whether it was bright and early or the dead of night, the Pride spent…
-
Tattoos That Tell A Story
Whether their purpose is strictly artistic, deeply emotional, or designed to tell a story, tattoos paint a picture on the most unique canvas of all: the human body. Each drop of ink that hits…
-
Caroline Marks makes first US Olympic surf team
Caroline Marks is a normal person, just like the rest of us. She wakes up, brushes her teeth, and puts on her pants one leg at a time, just like the rest of us.…
-
Online Relationships: Are They Legit?
A: The internet is the backbone of today’s society. We use it for everything: shopping, researching, completing schoolwork, and even forming relationships? In today’s digital age, we spend lots of our time online, so…
-
Zombieland 2 Stays True
If you’re looking for wacky action, hilariously ridiculous set pieces, and some surprisingly good spirited characters considering the apocalypse, Zombieland 2: Double Tap is the movie for you. All four of the original cast…
-
Travel Wrestling: The Good, The Bad, The Unforgettable
As one grows increasingly adept at a sport, it is only natural for them to set their sights on larger playing fields. More competitive tournaments, stronger competitors, and locations with more significant credibility beckon…
-
Argument Series 1: Paying on dates
J: Some say chivalry is dead; I say it’s changed. A: The expectation for men to pay for dates is simply outdated. The tradition initially started before female employment needs to be reevaluated— it’s…
-
Joker: A Tragic But Flawed Origin
For nearly a century, DC Comics dominated the superhero scene, utterly quashing lowely competitors such as Marvel Comics. Batman, Superman, and the entirety of the Justice League are the brain children of DC; to…
-
The Busch Wildlife Experience
For the better part of three years, I spent most Saturdays at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary in Jupiter, Florida. Busch Wildlife Sanctuary was not a zoo, but a place of refuge for the flora and…
-
Wrestling preseason is in full swing
If your morning stroll to class is interrupted by the crashing of metal, the slapping of frantic feet, or the grunting of disheveled kids, you can be sure the wrestling team is afoot.…
-
Six reasons every kid should get a summer job
A summer job is an opportune way for any teenager to utilize their abundance of time in a productive manner.
-
An MCU Reflection: Counting Down the Best
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been at the forefront of the film industry since its onset nearly 11 years ago. Now, more than a decade later, the film empire built by the Avengers is…
-
Toxic Masculinity
Masculinity definition: “qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men.” Stoicism Strength (physical, emotional, mental) Pride Aggression Courage Independence Assertiveness Take a moment and imagine something: a tank of gas, perpetually filling up,…
-
Caroline Marks soars to #1 in the world
Florida native Caroline Marks began her pro surfing career at 15 years old, becoming the youngest girl to ever go on the pro tour. In her maiden season, she was named the World Surf…
-
Shazam! Is a missed opportunity
Releasing in the U.S. on April 5, Shazam! was projected to steal the show as DC’s next breakout star—and it did just that. Boasting a $53 million opening weekend, resounding fan approval, and an…
-
What Do Athletes Do In The Offseason?
As winter sports seasons come to a close, fall sports seem more like a distant memory, and we welcome the onset of spring sports. But as time passes and new sports begin, we’re left…
-
The Value Of Success
Success. Why, may I ask, does just the sound that word elicit such emotion? Why does society–from presidents to parents, from bums to lawyers, and most importantly, from children; from our future; place the…
-
How To Train Your Dragon Three: A Cinematic Masterpiece
How To Train Your Dragon Three released on Thursday, February 22, and is already making quite the splash—a $56 million opening weekend splash– to be exact. Being the third and final installment of this…
-
Leesville Wrestling Regionals and States: The End To A Great Season
On Friday, February 8, Leesville wrestling set out for New Bern High School with a single goal in mind: qualify as many wrestlers for the state tournament as possible. New Bern High School was…
-
Leesville Wrestling Performs At Cap 7
On Saturday, January 26, Leesville Wrestling took on Cap 7’s best at the annual conference tournament. Though the event was held at Enloe, the Pride came in full force and quickly distinguished themselves as…
-
Aquaman: Saving The DCEU
DC Comics was founded in 1934 and has seen incredible success throughout its 85 years in existence so far. Spawning some of the world’s most memorable and influential super heroes ever–such as Batman, Superman,…
-
Race Reversal Character Roles
In the ever-expanding realm of film making, nothing is ever certain, and as time passes, films themselves evolve. Be it the shift from black and white to color, the the transition from practical effects…
-
Winter Track Preps For Season
As the air gets colder and the snow begins to fall, most high school sports head inside for the season to train–but not winter track. Track is a three season sport, existing in the…
-
Wrestling Champion Kyle Snyder Visits Leesville
On Thursday, November 30, Kyle Snyder, a world and Olympic wrestling champion payed a visit to Leesville Road High School. Upon releasing his new line of wrestling shoes, Rudis—the company who makes said shoes—threw…
-
Why We Learn History
When looking through a typical high school student’s schedule, it is fairly easy to see the real world application for each class. Pre-Calculus is a must for engineers, any English class is helpful in…
-
The Death Of A Legend: Stan Lee
On November 12, 2018, the world lost a real life hero; the world lost Stan Lee, an innovator, an artist, an absolute legend, whose work will long transcend his existence. The seemingly invincible creator…
-
Cross Country Cap 7 And Beyond
On Wednesday, October 17, Leesville’s cross country team faced off against the best competition our conference has to offer in the 2018 Cap 7 Championships. Despite both the boys and girls teams falling just…
-
Venom Movie Review
Venom is the origin story of the classic comic anti-hero of–you guessed it–Venom. Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy, is an investigative reporter and an anti-hero in his own right. Brock utilizes shady and…
-
AP Summer Work: Why It Is Necessary
The bane of many student’s vacations, summer work is a staple for nearly half of all advanced placement (AP) courses at Leesville Road High. While many students find the prospect of completing school work…
-
Red4Ed Speaks Out At Leesville Press Conference
On Friday, August 24, dozens of Wake County Schools staff/faculty members, parents, and news crews gathered in the bus lot of Leesville Road High School. The purpose of this gathering was a Red4Ed(NC) press…
-
Girls Track Brings Home Conference Championship
On Saturday, April 28, Leesville Road High spring track and field took on the Cap 7 conference championships. Southeast Raleigh High hosted this event and the stakes were higher than ever as the Pride…
-
Avengers Infinity War Review
The following review contains potential spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War. Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War is the climactic culmination that encompasses 19 feature length films, ten years of worldbuilding (beginning with the release of Iron…
-
Eye-opening stats on the U.S. prison system
Jacob Polansky, senior editor
-
March Madness: Why the hype?
It’s the month of March, and here in North Carolina, everyone knows what that means: March Madness. This collegiate basketball sensation is one of the most highly anticipated athletic events of the winter sports…
-
Athlete Spotlight: Richie Rizzuto
Richie Rizzuto, a sophomore wrestler at Leesville Road High, is taking the high school wrestling scene by storm. This past season–Rizzuto’s first in the starting lineup–he achieved or surpassed nearly every goal set for…
-
Les Misérables: The experience
Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo, is a French historical novel originally published in 1862. The novel has been widely regarded as one of the greatest works of literature of the 19th century and has…
-
Persepolis Book Review
Persepolis, by Marjane (“Marji”) Satrapi, is an autobiography-graphic novel about a young girl growing up in Iran during the time of the Iranian Revolution. Marji is the only daughter of an upper middle class…
-
Leesville wrestling takes on regionals
The 4A East region wrestling championships took place on February 9-10, and Leesville showed up in force. Of the nineteen schools present, Leesville placed fourth overall, narrowly losing third place to Corinth Holders. The…
-
Leesville Athletics Dominate Cap 7
The Leesville athletics program has always been known for its general success, but Cap 7 titles across four different sports is simply unprecedented. Leesville’s gymnastics, cheerleading, women’s swimming/diving, and wrestling teams emerged as the…
-
Styrofoam In Schools
Snuffing out our oceans, clogging our landfills, and feeding our children? The culprit of these heinous deeds is none other than insidious styrofoam. Styrofoam–scientifically known as polystyrene–has been the bane of the environment for…
-
The Grind Never Sleeps
You are in overtime, in a wrestling match that could qualify you for the individual state tournament. Your entire high school athletics career has been building up to this single moment–the last four years…
-
The Last Jedi: Fans Get Hyped
Star Wars: A name synonymous with “nerd heaven” for the past forty years. With each passing film, TV show, and novel, the franchise’s prestige and fan base only seem to rise. Featuring eight movies…
-
Net Neutrality
Take a moment to imagine an internet divided — our once free-roam domain carved up by varying net speed, arbitrary paywalls, and a slew of restricted websites. This is the possible future for our…
-
The Problem With Teacher Salaries
How can the state that has a rank of 12 out of 50 for upper education, some of the most prestigious universities in the world, and some of the most rapidly expanding family-based communities…
-
Wake County Affordable Housing Crisis
Wake County is the second most rapidly growing county in the United States, with a 12% cumulative growth rate in the past five years. It goes without saying that an influx of residents requires…
-
Thanksgiving: Traditions and Changes
Turkey, football, and family — the traditional picture of an American Thanksgiving. However, Thanksgiving hasn’t always looked like this. Traditions and values have evolved throughout the course of its existence, dating all the way…