Author: Natalie Gore, social media editor
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“~how i’m feeling~” Review
Lauv, singer-songwriter from California, released his 21-song debut studio album “~how i’m feeling~” on Friday, March 6. Before dropping the rest of the album, Lauv had already released 10 of the songs.…
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“The Man” Music Video Analysis
Taylor Swift’s music video of her newest single, “The Man,” dropped on February 27. There is no way that a 4 minute, 14 second video could be extremely complex, right? Wrong. Swift, known for…
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Taylor Swift: Miss Americana Review
Taylor Swift’s newest documentary Taylor Swift: Miss Americana premiered in theaters and on Netflix on Friday, January 31. Although long anticipated, not many fans knew exactly what to expect from the film. After years…
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Teacher Stress
The Leesville English department gathers for some food and some much needed quality time spent with colleagues. Spending time with others who understand the struggle can help to relieve a lot of stress. (Used…
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Crocs Really Are The Best
My blue Crocs have many Jibbitz, some with significance and some that I thought were just pretty. The N and G are my initials, but the yin and yang symbol I thought looked really…
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Sushi in Raleigh: A Sequel
My sophomore year, I wrote a piece that highlighted what I called “the best” places to indulge in sushi in Raleigh. I explained that being from San Diego, I’ve eaten some of the best…
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My Christmas Wish List (Satire)
My name is Katharyne Mairey Elizhabeth, and I’m so excited to tell you guys about what I’m asking my parents for for Christmas this year!! Or should I say, what I’m getting for Christmas…
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The Nextdoor App
Nextdoor is a newer social media platform that brings members of a neighborhood together. Amid the complaints and trouble, the app can be extremely helpful. (Photo permission to Wikimedia Commons) Founded in 2008, Nextdoor…
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A Football Life for Me
Friday nights in the fall, I’m dressed up in a tutu and face paint, standing on the bleachers at a high school field in Raleigh. Saturday afternoons, you’ll find me cheering on a local…
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Workin’ Moms Review
I’m going to be completely honest here. I love The Office, I love Scandal, and I love Orange Is the New Black. My favorite genres of TV range from comedy to drama to a…
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Senior crowns progress
Senior crowns are a Leesville tradition for homecoming every year. I’ve waited three years, and finally my time has come. (Photo courtesy of Natalie Gore) Every year, Leesville seniors receive cardboard crowns from Burger…
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Why We Should Appreciate TikTok
Critical thinking skills, such as creativity and problem solving, are talents that teachers attempt to implement in students’ minds throughout their school career. From building macaroni necklaces in kindergarten to solving calculus problems in…
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The 7 Trumpets Theory
The Book of Revelation is the last book of the New Testament of the Bible. In Revelation 8:6, the “seven angels which had their seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” The seven trumpets indicate the…
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Lover: Song-by-Song Analysis And Review
Photo courtesy of Natalie Gore By: Natalie Gore Two days after the release, Lover became the top-selling album of 2019. Swift’s music is enjoyed around the globe by millions every single day. (Photo courtesy…
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Senior Parking Lot Chalk
In recent years, the Leesville seniors have participated in a tradition on the day before the new school year begins. Rising seniors gather in the student parking lot, bringing their most creative mindsets to…
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The Truth About Prom
Prom comes once a year, but generally it’s a major event for lots of students at high school. At Leesville, teens prepare months in advance for one night full of magical fun. Although tickets…
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The SAT and the New “Adversity Score”
College Board is a non-profit organization that administers the SAT to over two million high school students a year. The organization has created a new “adversity score”, formally called the Environmental Context Dashboard, to…
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Taylor Swift is Back Again
On Friday, April 26 at midnight, Taylor Swift released her new single titled “ME!” featuring Brendon Urie. After keeping fans in the dark for months, new music from Swift has finally arrived. Although fans…
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The Night Before: Studying Habits
Let’s be honest: Procrastination is a key studying technique many high schoolers have acquired over the years at Leesville. While most of us don’t like to admit it, pushing something off until it HAS…
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Sexual Education in the U.S.
As teens transition through puberty into adulthood, their sexual health and lifestyle begin to develop. High school students are constantly exposed to erotic material, through media and peers, and hormones overtake many of the…
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Internet Games of Childhood
The student population at Leesville consists of Generation X kids, meaning people born in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As technology continued to revolutionize during this period of time, laptops continuously gained abilities.…
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Cheez-Its v. Goldfish
If you walk around the Leesville cafeteria during lunch, it is extremely easy to identify Ziploc bags full of salty yellow crackers. More specifically, a vast number of students consume either Cheez-Its or Goldfish…
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Bird Box: Is it Worth the Hype?
SPOILER ALERT I picked up the remote and turned Netflix on. My phone had just sent me a notification that a recommended movie called Bird Box was available. I was bored and…
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Students Should Be Eating More Often
When you Google “healthier ways to eat,” millions of websites immediately bring up search results for all kinds of diets and exercises to lose weight. Among the many tips, a common but rather unused…
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My Adventure at Publix
On Wednesday, November 28, a new Publix Super Market opened at the intersection of Leesville and Strickland Road. Right across the way from an already standing Harris Teeter, Publix is bringing strong competition to…
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Why Are We So Into Satisfying Videos?
It seems that social media users just can’t get enough of the tingling that they are receiving from watching satisfying ASMR videos. ASMR formally stands for autonomous sensory meridian response and stimulates a static…
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Travel Tips During The Holidays
Excitement fills the air as you walk through the airport doors. Thanksgiving is in three days, and you are flying out to spend time with family. First thinking about turkey and mashed potatoes, you…
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Christmas Songs All Year Long?
The days of October have faded, and the holiday season approaches quickly. This time of year dawns one of the greatest questions of all time: when is the right time to start listening to…
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Country Music Is Actually Political
Fifteen years ago, the Dixie Chicks took the stage at a show in London and made a statement that forever altered the standards of politics in the country music industry. Natalie Maines, lead vocalist,…
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Inexpensive but Fun Fall Ideas
Fall is approaching fast, and Raleigh has experienced its first “cool weather” streak. October invokes many thoughts of Halloween and autumn aesthetics. As a high school student, it is hard to spend money constantly—especially…
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Review: Bikini Body Guide
Although the gym is supposed to be good for you, I’ve always had rather strong suspicion about exercising amongst others. Not only is it unnerving, but visiting a fitness center is time consuming and…
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Real ID in North Carolina
Throughout the school year at Leesville, many students make the horrid trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles to test for their driver’s permit or driver’s license. Recently, the lines at the DMV have…
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Leesville Takes the Student Section Seriously
As summer comes to an end, football season at Leesville is beginning again. As the weather starts to cool off, the excitement from the student section is as vibrant as ever. The varsity football…
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North Carolina School Vouchers
On July 23, 2015, the Supreme Court of North Carolina approved the Opportunity Scholarship Act which allows residents of North Carolina to decide where their tax dollars towards education will go. Before the government…
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Apple’s Prosperous Wireless Earbuds
In September 2016, Apple released their version of Bluetooth wireless headphones called “Airpods”. Since their initial launch, Airpods have gained vast popularity, especially amongst high school and college students. If you take a walk…
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Sushi in Raleigh
Being a native of San Diego, California, sushi runs in my blood. I ate my first salmon roll when I was two and I’ve been in absolute love with the food ever since then.…
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beerbongs & bentleys Review
On Friday, April 27, Austin “Post” Malone released his sophomore album, titled beerbongs & bentleys. Originally expected to drop in December 2017, the rapper has finally released his new track. When the world-famous rapper…
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Where did all the real pencils go?
In every school across the country, standard lead #2 pencils have been around for years. Recently, mechanical pencils have become a major trend — especially among high schoolers. “It seems like at least 90%…
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The sentiment of stuffies
Bears, tigers, unicorns. These wild, ferocious, and extraordinary creatures can be found inhabiting almost every single child’s room. How? They’re not real. The idea of stuffed animals has been around since the times of…
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Postponed Malone?
On December 9, 2016, Austin Post released his debut album, Stoney. Although his first single “White Iverson” debuted over a year earlier, the hit song became the rapper’s breakthrough and ticket to massive fame.…
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Prestige over preference: Attending college because of its name
This spring, students at Leesville have their minds focused on college. Seniors prepare to graduate, and many have already been accepted to universities. Sophomores and juniors work hard to finish their semesters with the…
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Is AP Psych as easy as people say?
As upperclassmen prepare to apply and eventually attend colleges, AP classes are a major part of many students’ schedules. Earning college credits as well as raising weighted GPAs is vital for creating attractive college…
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My experience with grade advancement
When I have a casual conversation with friends and the topic of age comes up, my body tenses and my mind freezes. Having to tell others that I’m the mere age of fourteen years…
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The many, many expenses of the 2018 Super Bowl
As the professional football season ended, the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots prepared to face off in the national championship game. More popularly known as the Super Bowl, the game was played at…
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NFL 2017-18 Season Playoff Scenarios
As the year of 2017 comes to a close, the playoff season for the National Football League is just beginning. Teams with higher records race to secure their spot in the playoffs while division…
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The Importance of VSCO
VSCO, the photo editing app created by and named after Visual Supply Company, has recently exploded amongst the social media community of teenagers and young adults. Both iOS and Android owners use the app…
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Raleigh’s Chinese Lantern Festival
Throughout the holiday season in Cary, North Carolina, the Koka Booth Amphitheatre hosts its annual Chinese Lantern Festival.The program, begins the day after Thanksgiving and lasts seven weeks. More than twenty lighted displays are…
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Reputation: Song-by-Song Analysis and Review
Reputation, Taylor Swift’s sixth studio album, was released at midnight on November 10. After over two years of waiting, fans greeted the 15-song masterpiece with extreme excitement and joy. Swift has recently developed multiple…
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SMART Lunch, our never-ending blessing
At Leesville, SMART (Students Maximizing Achievement with Resources and Time) Lunch is one of the highlights of each day. For an hour after third period, all students have the freedom to eat lunch, attend…
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6 Things All Leesville Students Can Relate To When It Comes to Raleigh’s Fall Weather
[View the story “6 Things All Leesville Students Can Relate To When It Comes to Raleigh’s Fall Weather” on Storify] Natalie Gore, social media editor