Category: opinion
-
Boomerang by Michael Lewis
“The more complicated the times, the more crucial are those who demystify. These are really complicated times. So let’s acknowledge the endearing, enduring genius of Michael Lewis: the Explainer.” –Forbes Boomerang: Travels in…
-
School report cards call for celebration, improvement
Dr. Anthony Muttillo does not consider Leesville a “test-prep” kind of school. He never wants Leesville to focus solely on standardized tests or even feel like it has to be an area of focus.…
-
Musical styles converge in “FourFiveSeconds”
Collaborations between modern artists and musical “legends” always seem to produce some of the most interesting compositions. For example, take “FourFiveSeconds” by Rihanna ft. Kanye West and Paul McCartney. The artistry of each singer…
-
Parks and Recreation is coming to a close
Parks and Recreation, a comedy series shown on NBC, is sadly on its seventh and final season. The show portrays the life of Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), the Regional Director of National Park Services…
-
American Sniper, both fact and fiction
American Sniper, the film depicting record-breaking U.S. sniper Chris Kyle, has been attracting both critics and viewers. On its opening day, January 16, the movie raked in a whopping $30.5 million. Sniper also scored…
-
“Pedestrian at Best” is far from pedestrian
“Put me on a pedestal, and I’ll only disappoint you,” belts Courtney Barnett in “Pedestrian at Best,” the first single off her long-awaited debut album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just…
-
Je suis Charlie
Freedom of speech was never meant to protect the popular opinions. It’s not for vague or hazy points about weak subjects. It’s meant to protect any and all controversial topics, satires and commentaries. The…
-
Enter Shikari
Enter Shikari has always been a band to cross genre lines. Although rooted in post-hardcore, the British group has utilized elements of electronica, and even spoken throughout their discography, to great effect; a duality…
-
SNL’s take on Ferguson protests
In early December of 2014, SNL filmed a dress rehearsal for a skit called “Morning News” which poked fun at the events occurring in Furgeson. In this skit, Kenan Thompson (Kip) and Cecily Strong…
-
Fall Out Boy’s “American Beauty/American Psycho” review
After releasing multiple new songs when fans least expected it, Fall Out Boy finally released their new album “American Beauty/American Psycho” on Jan 20. The highly anticipated album has 11 new songs including the…
-
Deflate Gate: the world’s dumbest sports controversy
“The New England Patriots have cheated their way into Super Bowl XLIX.” Everyone’s been hearing about it for nearly two weeks now. Every news article, television channel, and internet homepage displays the next update…
-
A very “popular” musical
The musical The New York Times called “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” traveled to the Durham Performing Arts Center. Wicked, the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, premiered at the DPAC January 7; showings…
-
Amoeba Culture presents “The First Chapter” in the US
Korea’s hip-hop heavyweights are finally here! Korean record label Amoeba Culture has announced that they will be hosting two concerts in the United States, marking the labelmates’ first collective appearance in the US. The…
-
Supernatural seasons 10 and 11
Supernatural is a fictional horror and drama show that has just been picked up again by the CW Network for an eleventh season. The show began in 2005 and was projected to end after…
-
A case for cats
“A dog is a man’s best friend.” “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.” We’ve all grown up hearing these things about dogs. We all…
-
Meghan Trainor releases predictable album
Meghan Trainor, the artist responsible for the overplayed “All About That Bass,” released her first album, Title, January 9 after hitting the top of the music charts with two singles. Both tracks, “All About…
-
Mainstage takes a dark turn
On January 8 and 9, Leesville’s honors theatre class, Mainstage, put on an enthralling production of Before Juliet, a sharp contrast to last year’s more comedic Mean Girls. Before Juliet tells the story of…
-
Analyzing Interstellar: The power of the visual medium
2014 was arguably one of the greatest years in terms of movies that has been seen for a long time, such as Boyhood, Birdman, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Nightcrawler to name a few.…
-
The Colbert Report, a lasting legacy
On December 18, 2014, Stephen Colbert gave his last “word,” “Same to you, pal.” Stephen Colbert retired his persona and The Colbert Report to succeed David Letterman in hosting The Late Show. The show…
-
Into the Woods has something for everyone
Movie, for example. It was only fitting that Into the Woods end the year with one last well-orchestrated bang. Into the Woods, based on the Stephen Sondheim musical of the same name, follows a…
-
Agent Carter kicks
Marvel’s Agent Carter is the newest show on ABC, which aired January 6 as a two hour special. The show portrays the life of undercover agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) working for the Strategic…
-
Frozen on Ice was nICE
For the first time in forever, Frozen came to Raleigh, much to the delight of little kids and their parents. Disney on Ice Presents Frozen was held in the PNC Arena for a week.…
-
The Review: The Interview reviewed
2003 — photos of Barbara Streisand’s Malibu home are published on the internet. Streisand, through a lawsuit, attempted to suppress the images; however, ironically this led to the pictures gaining viral attention. This phenomenon…
-
The Imitation Game’s brilliance is impossible to imitate
Every year, the Christmas season is met with a massive release of movies. The majority are nominated for Golden Globes and considered for Oscars. The shining star among them is the biopic of English…
-
Making the disconnection with grade-based learning
Grades are a problem. Not to say that they aren’t necessary, but grades greatly affect the amount and direction of effort that students put into their education. Grades seem to be a paradox of…
-
VH1’s “Sorority Sisters” causes unfair outrage
The National Pan-Hellenic Council, informally known as the Divine Nine, is a group of nine predominantly African-American sororities and fraternities. Founded in 1930 at Howard University, these nine Greek organizations bonded over the same…
-
Anthology versus literary criticism
This year’s graduating class has been hard at work all semester on the famous senior year english project. However, instead of the typical senior anthology, this year Ms. Wilkerson and Ms. Dinkenor’s AP English…
-
Who cares if Christmas comes early?
After October 31, malls and stores bring out the Christmas lights, songs and decorations. Then follows the constant grumbling that the holidays have been over run with consumerism. With commercials claiming to have the…
-
Play Review: Ira David Wood III’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ 40th Anniversary
The 40th performance of Ira David Wood III’s “A Christmas Carol” opened Wednesday, December 10, at the Duke Energy Center for Performing Arts in Downtown Raleigh. Wood is the founder and Executive Director of…
-
Why ‘Theory of Everything’ could take home an Oscar
As the Academy Awards race begins to heat up, more movies will be released well into the end of the month. Last week, the latest potential picture of the year, Theory of Everything, came…
-
Students are not pies
High school and education isn’t about comparing yourself to others. The classes we take should help us excel in the fields of study that we are interested in. Students should enjoy the classes they…
-
Leesville’s courtyard amenity neglected, underused
Perhaps the most unique aspects of Leesville’s campus lie enclosed within the main building, two natural escapes from the rows of monotonous classrooms that surround them. The courtyards of Leesville were clearly designed as…
-
Reasons not to vote
A preface: I do not vote and am a staunch advocate of voter abstention. My “voter apathy” does not arise from passive apathy, but active removal, springing from two riverheads. One is that voting…
-
New grading scale isn’t a problem, but it is inequitable
Recently, the North Carolina Department of Public Education approved the change to a 10 point grading scale for public high schools. This came as a result of many attempts by the Mecklenburg and Wake…
-
Don’t judge a meal by its garnish: Garland review
Though Garland is situated among many of Raleigh’s best restaurants and bars, it is easily lost in the crowd. Much like the name implies, Garland’s overwhelming motif is decoration–the restaurant’s decor, decorative garnishes, elaborate…
-
Fried chicken in Downtown Raleigh
One block downtown, one dish, three restaurants, three ways: fried chicken has been a staple of the South since the beginning, and the progressive side of Raleigh is shaking it up. The Raleigh…
-
Voter apathy
Only forty-four percent of the registered North Carolina voters filled out a ballot for the midterm election.The United States fought long and hard for democracy, but those numbers show we are not taking advantage…
-
$5 date ideas
Many students are dating on a budget. It’s hard to balance a budget while paying for school and other vitals. In order to make budgeting easier, we have thought of several $5.00 date ideas…
-
Book Review: My Abandonment
My Abandonment, by Peter Rock, is a novel about a young homeless girl named Caroline living in a national park with her father. They are discovered, causing policemen and wildlife officers apprehend them and…
-
Pink Floyd releases final album: a review
On November 7, 2014, Pink Floyd released what will likely be the last album the group ever puts on the shelves, The Endless River. The band has swapped out, fired, and made up with…
-
Mockingjay catches fire
The new movie The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 has taken over the box office, earning over $123 million after playing in theaters for less than three days. There is no doubt that…
-
The importance of summer camp
Dear Parents, I am writing this open letter to parents to encourage you all to sign your children up for summer camp once they come of age. My parents sent my siblings and me…
-
Dance Ensemble concert review
On Thursday, Nov 13, friends and family of the Dance Ensemble (DE) filled the auditorium to watch them perform one of their dance concerts. The hour-long concert was filled with beautiful dances choreographed by…
-
Small Treasures
The North Carolina Museum of Art is holding a unique and interesting exhibit, Small Treasures. The exhibit attracts many art enthusiasts from all over the state to view these small paintings.The exhibit shows off…
-
Supernatural is back in action for season 10
Supernatural, a horror based television show played on the CW channel, is moving on to its tenth season. The show follows two brothers, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), who travel across…
-
Keep Halloween an innocent holiday
For generations, Halloween has been about more than passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters. From teenagers to adults, most people see Halloween as a time to be anything other than themselves. But does that…
-
American food intrigues Gausch
In Europe, Americans have a “fast food” reputation. A reputation of having lost the art of cuisine, of good food. Their reputation seems to be one of always eating at fast food restaurants. For…
-
Modern Family Review
Every Wednesday, I was always excited to watch Modern Family to see what comical conundrum the family would get themselves into. This past week was no different. The episode 5 that aired on October…
-
Another child star resurfaces
2013 and 2014 have held a notable reputation for reintroducing Disney child stars to their former relevance. Last year, it was Miley Cyrus with “We Can’t Stop,” and now it’s Nick Jonas with “Jealous.”…
-
Solo Cinema: Big Hero 6
Sitting in a movie theatre alone at 10 p.m. on a Friday night can be quite cathartic. Surrounded by a total of six other people who, for some reason, seemed to repel each other…