Author: Jacob Smith, staff writer
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Leesville Tops the charts on COVID-19 Cases in April
Leesville didn’t make it through the first official in-person month of classes during the 2020-2021 school year flawlessly. In fact, of all the public high schools in Wake County, Leesville ranked number one in…
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Census numbers released, NC gains a seat
The Census Bureau recently released the numbers gathered from the 2020 census. Only seven House seats require reallocation from state to state, much smaller than the 12 seats that changed hands after 2010. The…
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Understaffing Causes Woe In American Businesses
As more and more Americans receive some form of the COVID-19 vaccine, the country is slowly returning to normal. The pandemic saw the country go into lockdown, and some aspects of daily life are…
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Modern Music Video Mania
Lil Nas X recently released his hit single “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” quickly claiming the number one spot on the Billboard’s Hot 100 list. “Montero”’s bold music video catches the audience’s attention…
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State Republicans aim to stomp out Indoctrination in NC Schools
A new subject of concern has arisen in the North Carolina Republican Party. On March 16, Lt. Governor Mark Robinson (R) announced that he would be establishing a task force to catch and stop…
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Cancel Culture: The Latest Online Boogeyman
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines cancel culture as the act of canceling as the removal of support for public figures in response to their objectionable behavior or opinions. I define cancel culture as an overreaction…
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The Debate on Reopening NC School’s Drudges On
Passage of Senate Bill 37 On March 1st, the North Carolina Legislature passed a bill that would have some say in how NC schools reopen for in-person classes. Senate Bill 37 requires that all…
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College Living: What To Expect and What’s Needed
As the senior class of 2021 works their way through their final semester of high school, those planning on going to colleges or universities have a lot of preparation to do. Perhaps the most…
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The Pasta That Took Over Tik Tok
Recently on Tik Tok, a pasta recipe has been going viral, the dish has been labeled by most as simply “Feta Pasta”. That’s what makes this dish so popular — the fact that everything…
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Valentine’s Day Doesn’t Have To Break the Bank
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, couples all around the world will be using this holiday as an excuse to shower their significant others in love. I personally think couples should treat every…
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Republicans Back Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in House Vote
The United States House of Representatives voted on the night of February 4 to strip freshman Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) from the two committee’s that she’s assigned to. The vote was 230-199, with…
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NC’s Senate Race is Heating Up…22 Months Before Election Day
With a whopping 22 months until the 2022 elections, the race for the open North Carolina Senate seat is already heating up. Three major candidates have already declared their candidacies for the office which…
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Biden’s Inaugural Entertainment Stole the Show
President Joseph R. Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2020. While that was the biggest event of the day, Biden’s inauguration took the breath away…
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Trumpism Won’t Die Out After He’s Out of Office
Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in attempts to stop the certification of President-elect Biden’s win. While they were unsuccessful, these rioters still caused five deaths and thousands in property damage. (Photo courtesy of…
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Democrats Will Control The US Senate
Democrats Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock have both won their Senate runoff races in Georgia. Their wins mean Democrats will control the US Senate. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.) It’s official. The…
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The 117th Congress is Sworn In
The 2020 election narrowed both chambers of Congress. The House of Representatives has a slim Democratic majority, while control of the Senate is still up in the air. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.) November…
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Civics Has Been Lying to Us
The purpose of the three branches of government is to be checks on one another, but are becoming increasingly hyperpartisan and polarized. (Used by permission of the Norwegian Digital Learning Arena.) Starting as early…
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Opinion: Restaurant Workers Perspective on COVID
Restaurants were some of the first businesses to close when the pandemic started. Now with more and more restrictions lifted, some are becoming superspreaders. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.) As the United States as…
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How to Have a Safe Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, health officials are worrying about a spike in Coronavirus cases due to mass gatherings. This year will test whether or not Americans value safety over family. (Photo courtesy…
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Democrats See Lackluster Results in NC
Governor Cooper may have handily won a second term, but other Democrats across the state weren’t as lucky. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.) North Carolina Democrats felt hopeful going into election night. Polling had…
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Fundraising for Quarter Three is Done, Millions Raised
*DISCLAIMER: These are the author’s personal ratings and analysis. They do not represent any form of endorsement or support of a certain party or candidate from The Mycenaean.* The Impact 1 Western NC 2…
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NC Can’t Catch a Break When it Comes to Cheating
Former North Carolina senator John Edwards’ political career ended when it came out that he had an extramarital affair, is Cal Cunningham next? (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) Turn on the TV anywhere in…
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North Carolina Gets Hit by a Flurry of Political Storms
The Friday night news drop sure hit North Carolina hard. Three candidates for statewide office in NC come under scrutiny. (Photo courtesy of Jenna Wadsworth’s TikTok, and Wikimedia Commons.) North Carolina got plenty of…
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The Breakdown of the Council of State Races
The North Carolina Executive Mansion is the official residence of the Governor. Some of his top advisors and colleagues could lose re-election in November, including the Governor himself. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.) North…
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Coronavirus is Going to be the New Normal in America
The United States has seen some of the worst coronavirus numbers out of any other developed country. Daily deaths are still in the triple digits, and cases are still rampant. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia…
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NIMBYism: Its Rise and Fall in Raleigh
Andrew’s Chapel is a sprawling neighborhood on the Wake-Durham County line in Brier Creek. It includes both townhouses and single family homes, giving families different pricing options. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Smith) The topic…
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North Carolina is Sending Out Absentee Ballots
With 2020 shaping up to be one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime, every vote will matter. In North Carolina, the list of competitive races goes all the way to the bottom…
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The NC State Senate. What’s the State of Play?
Democrats just barely broke the Republican supermajority in the NC State Senate in 2018, keeping Republicans one seat from the key two thirds of the chamber. While it will be an uphill climb, Democrats…
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The NC State House. What’s the State of Play?
Democrats saw huge wins in 2018, they flipped eleven seats in the North Carolina State House. This brought the composition of the chamber from a 75-45 Republican supermajority, to a 65-55 Republican majority. Democrats…
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It’s Official: Joe Biden versus Donald Trump. What does that mean for November?
The field is set. On November 3, 2020, voters will decide whether to give Donald Trump four more years, or oust Trump in exchange for Joe Biden. With the two competitors decided, we can…
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Nominating Sanders or Warren Will Spoil 2020 For Democrats
I would like to make the argument that it is very possible that if Democrats nominate a candidate like Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren, there will be down ballot carnage. I’m not saying that…
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All the Hate Against Meghan Markle is Completely Unwarranted
In May of 2018, the marriage between American actress Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was making headlines on every media outlet. People had Royal Wedding parties, onlookers all over the world viewed the ceremony,…
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Who’s Running in NC Elections?
North Carolina has always been a swing state, but in recent years has trended red. Democrats are hoping to change that in 2020 and turn the state blue in every race. (Photo courtesy of…
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Leesville is Drawn Into a New Congressional District
Representative George Holding (right) is retiring after redistricting has made his district much bluer. 2016 Senate nominee Deborah Ross (left) is one of many Democrats to replace him. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons) Redistricting…
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The United States is Becoming Increasingly Polarized Politically
Political parties have always been at each other’s throats but it seemed there was always a sense of moderation and crossover between Democrats and Republicans. In the last few years, it feels as though…
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Republicans Won’t be Winning in the Suburbs Anytime Soon
Rows of houses line the edges of Harrington Grove in the north Raleigh suburbs. Fifteen years ago this precinct was solidly Republican, but times have changed. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Smith) The suburbs. The…
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Municipal Election Aftermath
Local politics may not always be as interesting as national politics, but the Raleigh municipal elections sure were a shake up. On October 8, citizens of the City of Raleigh voted to choose a…
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Trick or Treat For UNICEF
These charming orange boxes aren’t just to raise money for any old cause, the donations in this box can really increase a needy child’s standard of living. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Smith) If you’re…
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What’s Marine Ecology’s Project All About?
Marine ecology students set up their presentations in the library. They dress formally to impress curious professors and doting parents. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Smith) The school may not hold a science fair but…
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Are Young People Moving Towards the Left, or the Center?
(From left to right: DeKeriah Webb, Leah Ervine, Taylor Potts, Sarah Cash, Tahalia Nira, Trinity Cash, Jacob Smith) Leesville students sit in a focus group to learn about Socialistic ideas and see if they…
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Big Mouth Season 3 Review
Big Mouth’s opening “Changes” has become a classic to fans who listen to the song at the beginning of every beloved episode. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Smith) Crude, vulgar, a bad influence. Those might…
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Are NC State House Republicans Playing Dirty, or Are They Just Being Smeared by Democrats?
Representative Deb Butler has gone viral for her fiery protest to the House majority’s surprise veto override vote during a 9/11 commemoration ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Terrance Everitt’s Twitter) “It’s undermining people’s trust in…
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NC is Getting New Legislative Districts
These are the current State House and Senate maps. The districts found unconstitutional span from Wilmington to Asheville. Now the Legislature must go through a redistricting battle. (Photo from the North Carolina General Assembly.) …
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Raleigh’s Mayoral Race
Yard signs dot the ground in downtown Raleigh, an area where candidates must get out the vote to have any chance of winning their election. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Smith) *In no way is…
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Hurricane Dorian, Did We Overreact?
Many people in Wake County were worried about the hurricane, but for most people in the county this was this scene. No torrential rain, no 100mph winds, no dark clouds, nothing. (Photo courtesy of…
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New Problems Have Arisen Within Model UN
Every time a new school year starts, it gives clubs a chance to advertise themselves and attract new members. This year, some clubs are finding it increasingly difficult to operate. An example of one…