“I was made fun of every single day for something I

felt I couldn’t control.”

December 5, 2012 Leesville Road High School, Raleigh, N.C. Volume XX, Issue 2

THE MYCENAEANLeesville artists create Jason’s mural

By: Dan PollarDStaff Writer

lrhsnews.org

By: anDrew wenDtStaff Writer

Leesville’s art department has taken on a new challenge. Jason’s Deli in Brier Creek asked Leesville art students to paint a mural to display its their core value-- community. Early in October, Jason’s Deli representatives visited Leesville’s campus and noted the senior wall. Impressed with the painting, they approached Mr. Espinal and asked if he could choose a couple of artists to develop a mural for their business. Espinal chose Alisha Smith, Rachel Radulovich, Grace McLeod, Erin McCauley and Gabe Romero, all seniors. The artists started immedi-ately. First, they had to create a sketch of what they wanted to represent in the bigger mural. Smith, Radulovich, Romero, McLeod and McCauley collabo-rated to create the design which features a town, complete with buildings, cars and airplanes all made out of sandwiches and other food. “We were all asked to bring in designs, and we just kind of combined them to create the actual sketch,” said McCauley. “We’re about 60% done right now,” said Romero. He also said that the majority of the

hard work is done. Now they just have to outline and touch everything up. According to McCauley, the mural should be displayed outside the Jason’s Deli at Brier creek by early January. The young artists are not being paid directly, but they have an unlimited budget for any art supplies they may need, and they receive free food from Jason’s Deli when working on the project.

“The free food has been a big motivating factor as far as finishing the project,” said Mc-Cauley. Other motivating factors include the support of teachers as they walk in and commend the students on their hard work. The dimensions of the mural are 12’x12,’ making it a bit smaller than the senior wall, but with limited time, the paint-ers feel that it has been a much longer task to complete. “It’s definitely not harder, but it’s

taking longer since we only have about two hours a day to work on it, as opposed to eight,” said Romero. Jason’s Deli emphasizes com-munity and wanted to incorpo-rate that into the mural. The only requirement Jason’s Deli gave to the students is for the Raleigh community to be represented. The artists described their sketch

Erin and Sara McCauley work alongside Rachel Radulovich on painting the flat colors. The finished mural should be displayed at Jason’s Deli by early January.

LEESVILLE BAND SHINES IN

CHRISTMAS PARADEPAGE 3

TECHNICAL THEATER IS FAMILY

PAGE 4

THE STRUGGLE WITH OBESITY

PAGE 6

PHILLIPS’ DEBUT ALBUM IMPRESSES

PAGE 10

INDEXN e w s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 - 3C o m m u n i t y . . . . 4 - 5F e a t u r e s . . . . . . . . . . . 6 - 7P h o t o s . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 - 9O p i n i o n s . . . . . . . 1 0 - 1 1S p o r t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Mrs. Petty set to retire

Leesville High will lose a bit of history when one of the founding members of its staff retires on January 22. Mrs. Petty, a career and technical education teacher who has been teaching since she was 23 years old, will step down after a long career at Leesville. Petty came to Leesville when it was just beginning in 1993. She started in the attendance office for a year and a half before moving into a classroom. Unlike English or Physics, Petty’s courses over the years illustrate our changing society with new technology. “Since I started at Leesville, I’ve taught Keyboarding, then Computer Applications, then Microsoft Office, Word, Powerpoint, and Publisher and Accounting 1,” said Petty. One of the things she likes most about teaching is at the end of the semester when she sees what the students have learned. “[It’s] pretty exciting because as you go through the semester, you only see individu-al parts, but at the end when you do a review or you have the big exam, you get to see it all come

together.” Asked about her fondest memories, Petty replied: “Prob-ably the funniest moment was when I had a student ask me if I remembered when the Titanic sank, and I was shocked. I’m not that old I said. And he was serious, he was very serious, he thought I was as old as the Titanic, but that’s not the case.” Petty will miss the many friends and colleagues she has made here at Leesville. “Stu-dents and all of my colleagues, staff members, it’s a big variety of people that I enjoy being around.” Maggie Weathington, a for-mer student of Petty, said Petty

was a very thorough teacher. “She made me learn a lot. I miss her class; I had a lot of fun in it.” “I think the whole focus for the school is to prepare all of you for what you’re going to do after high school, whether it’s college or work. I think most of the staff works together to get that done.” said Petty. Mrs. Caudill, a CTE colleague, also admires Petty. “She’s kind of like the CTE mom,” said Caudill. “She has been doing this for so long, and she has so much knowledge about computers.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Mrs. Petty started teaching when she was 23 years old. She has been working at Leesville since 1993.

Upcoming EventsChorus Concert

Cheerleading Competition

Hannukah

Wrestling @ Enloe

Winterfest Assembly Tryouts

Band Concert

Varsity Basketball vs. Enloe

JV Basketball vs. Broughton

Early Release

Winter Break

Christmas

Dec. 7

Dec. 8

Dec. 8 to Dec. 16

Dec. 12

Dec. 13

Dec. 14

Dec. 17

Dec. 21

Dec. 25

Dec. 22 to Jan. 2

Winterfest auditionsBy: Hailey StePHenSonSenior Editor

Winterfest assembly audi-tion forms were released to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Mrs. Brammer, in collaboration with Senior Class Council, is leading the assembly this year. Auditions for acts will be on December 13, followed by Em-cee auditions on the 18. Mrs. McGarry, who was in charge of the assembly last school year, feels the assembly is important because it gives students the chance to showcase their otherwise hidden talents to their fellow peers. These uncovered talents are something for the Lees-ville community to be proud of. Students like Seth Fulmer, senior and assembly performer two years back, set aside his shy exterior and sang, with guitar, for the school. Hardly anyone knew of Fulmer’s musical abilities; in fact, most of the other per-formers made their debut. The same goes for last year, and every year to come. These new discoveries and hidden abilities are something for the rest of the school to take pride in. Who needs Scotty McCreery when Leesville has an entire school

full of talented students? The Senior Class Council con-firmed the “Outer Space” theme earlier in the school year. Claire Coward, Council president, says, “We’re going for more of a futur-istic outer space theme--kind of like in the Zenon movies. We’re still planning it, but we think it will be a really fun theme.” “It had been suggested as a theme for last year’s assembly but was beat out by the ‘World Wide Web’, so we already knew we wanted it as the theme for this year,” says Coward. “We have so much talent at Leesville so we’re excited for the assembly to showcase some great acts!”

Seth Fulmer, senior, has been playing the guitar for over four years. He will be performing in this year’s Winterfest assembly.

Dec. 13

2 The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, Month #, 20012/ News

Aerospace visits RDU

By: CarSon ellerBy, Matt ConraDStaff Writer, Business and Online Editor

three touchdowns against Gar-ner—and ran for another 829 yards and 11 touchdowns. 2012 was the year of Braxton Berrios, junior team captain, tearing apart the Cap-8 for a truly unbeliev-able season. Berrios racked up whopping 1,142 rushing yards and 766 receiving yards for 32 total touchdowns—with 180 of those yards and three of those touchdowns against the Trojans. 2012 was the year of Maurice Lauchner and Kamir Bowen, senior running backs, combining for 1,142 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. 2012 was the year of Tucker Bell, Devin Williamson, Brock Pyper and the rest of the defense holding Leesville’s opponents to an average of 18.9 points per game. 2012 was the year, in truth, of all 56 Leesville football players who dedicated themselves, night in and night out, to making this

5653 Creedmoor Rd, Raleigh (919) 782-0064www.Harmony-Farms.net

Family Owned & Operated for Over 30 Years

• Raleigh’sOnly100%OrganicProduceStore!• LargestGlutenFreeProductSelection!• HighestQualityTrustedSupplements!• HealthyNon-AnimalTestedBeautyCare!• Organic&Antibiotic/Hormone-FreeMeats!• 100%OrganicBulkHerbs,Grains,Nuts, Seeds&Granola!

Friendly, Helpful, Knowledgeable StaffTotal Household Shopping Experience

— Natural Food Store —

Fantastic Leesville football season ends

JDRF The challenges of graduating

early

The same team. The same stadium. The same round. The same record. On paper, Leesville foot-ball’s 56-35 third-round loss to Garner in the NCSHAA 4AA playoffs was hardly different than last year. Once again, the Pride fell to the Trojans by three crucial touchdowns, and, once again, Leesville’s season ended with 12 wins and one heartbreaking loss. But, no matter what the statistics show, 2012 was far more than just another im-pressive season for Leesville’s football program. 2012 was the year of Evan Parker, a senior transfer from Sanderson, not just replacing, but possibly overachieving, graduated quarterback Austin Berrios. Parker completed 73 passes for 1,240 yards—in-cluding 22 for 282 yards and

season as good as it could be. “I love every single one of these guys on the team,” said Parker. “When it comes down to it, I played how I did [against Garner] to try to get these guys one more game, so I could play one more game with them. I just wanted to go out there and have fun. It’s been the best season of my life.” And while he may not have

worn any shoulder pads, 2012 was the year of Chad Smothers, head coach, as well. As he put it personally, “In the two years I’ve been the head coach here, we’re 24-2, have won two con-ference championships, have gone 12-0 two times in a row [and have] made it to the third round twice”— an incredible track record, to say the least.

Book Drive

Mycenaean Staff

Every day, approximately 80 people across the United States are diagnosed with type one diabetes. Although some Leesville students live with type one diabetes, this is the first year the school has taken an interest in JDRF, raising over $9,019 to support testing treatments and researching preventions. From Monday, Nov. 5 to Friday, Nov. 9, students donated money during Pride Period. From selling chocolate bars, Executive council raised $2,400 in revenue. Through the Triangle Walk To Cure Diabe-tes on Nov. 10, Leesville raised $3,619.86.

There are many benefits to graduating early. Finishing college early or a head start in the work-force are just two of these benefits. But there are also some drawbacks to exiting high school premature. In order to graduate early, a lot of red tape needs to be crossed, such as earning 26 credits, the minimum for graduating. “The last day for early graduates is the end of the first semester,” said Mrs. Dinkenor. “There are, however, people who are graduat-ing in December because they have to be accepted to college and are starting college in January. They take exams the last week before winter break.” They do not have their own ceremony due to the lower number of people; however, they are al-lowed to come back in June for the graduation ceremony. Sydney Vestal, senior, has taken on this challenge. “I want to graduate early so I can take a semester to get a head start on college and spend time with my family. It will be difficult, but it will be worth it.”

The LRHS Distributive Education Clubs of America, or DECA, held a book drive from Nov. 1 to 16 to collect used books to donate to Wake Med Hospital. This drive offered students and teachers the opportunity to donate their old and gently-used books. Over the course of the drive, over 600 books were collected.

FROM CONTRIBUTING STAFF WRITERS

Band/Chorus The Ninth Grade Band and Concert Band will perform their Win-ter Concert on Thursday, Dec. 13-- followed by a performance from Jazz Band. Symphonic band will perform on Friday, Dec. 14. The performances will begin at 7:30. Chorus will hold its Winter Concert on Friday Dec 7. Beginner Chorus, Intermediate Chorus and Capital Pride will all perform along with the Men’s and Women’s Choirs. The performances are at 4:30 and 7:30. All concerts are in the high school auditorium.

Evan Parker, senior quarterback, throws a pass in Leesville’s season-ending 56-35 loss to Garner. Parker com-pleted 22 of 38 passes for nearly 300 yards and three scores in his final high school game.

On Friday, Nov 16, forty Aerospace students traveled to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to explore Raleigh’s best runways and airplanes. For many students, this trip was a new experience. Shy Whittingham said, “We went to the army base, the fire station and the hangers. The airport hangars were the most

interesting out of everything I saw.” The class witnessed heavy duty CFR firetrucks, National Guards and plenty of Apache helicopters. The firefighters displayed how the CFR firetrucks work in a demonstration in which they drove down a taxiway while blasting out hundreds of gallons of water. During the demonstration, students were told not to cross a thick white line; doing so incur a $10000 fine. A visit to the National Guard highlighted the trip for some because the students were able to see Apache heli-copters. The National Guard gave the students a tour of the $20 million helicopter’s mechanics. In the process, students learned about the amount of maintenance they require and what the govern-ment uses them for. Interactive field trips such as this one help students learn outside the classroom while experiencing real-life applications of the classroom material. RDU field trips have become a tradition for the Aerospace students.

By: Ben PoPeStaff Writer

No, this wasn’t just another impressive season. This was, very possibly, the best season in Leesville history. And, as Smoth-ers said before anything else after the Friday, Nov. 6, loss to Garner, “One night is not going to identify us. It cannot take away what we accomplished this year.” “Tonight...is not going to dimin-ish the kind of season we had.”

Students watch a demo run of a CFR truck. RDU has a com-plex network of emergency services to prevent mayhem at the airport, especially during busy months or holidays.

Brendan Marks, Editor-in-ChiefMatthew Conrad, Business and Online Editor

Editors: Sarah Bush, Hailey Stephenson, Anne Cushman,

Camille Churchwell, Griffin Morehead

Staff Writers: Ben Pope, Connor Choate, Laura Della Badia, Kristin Hommel, Carson Ellerby, Juliana Rube, Nia Doaks,

Helen Phillips, Dave Nyamu, Jacob Blackmon, Spencer Schneier, Alex Stephens, Dan Pollard, Carson Saffold,

Catie Byrne, Andrew Wendt

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, Month #, 2001 3

DELIcontinued from front page

By: CarSon SaffolDStaff Writer

Each year, members of the LRHS Symphonic Band awake in the early hours of the morn-ing, don their uniforms, and travel to downtown Raleigh to march in the annual Christmas Parade. They brave the cold, stand-ing around for what seems like forever until the parade begins. “It was chilly, especially because I was surrounded by a giant piece of metal, but I’m a pretty big dude, so it was OKAY,” said Seth Pixton, sousa-phone player in the band. Having lost most of the feel-ing in their appendages, the students wait until they receive the order to form their parade block. The students fight the brutal cold by huddling together and dutifully attempting to keep their instruments warm. Finally, the familiar call of “tech!” rings out-- followed by “form parade block!”

The Leesville Road Symphonic Band marching down Fayetteville Street during the annual Raleigh Christmas Parade. The band will march in the similar, but larger, London New Year’s Parade next year.

A sketch of the mural for Jason’s Deli. Jason’s only required that the mural include their trademark label, as well as represent the Leesville community.

FRIENDLY SMILESAND HIGH FIVES

Look closely, and you will see a responsible group of youth counselors. Join our staff, and be one of the positive role models making a difference in the North Raleigh community.

A.E. FINLEY YMCA 9216 Baileywick Drive, Raleigh

Visit YMCATriangle.org to learn more.

The Finley Y congratulates our senior staff.

The artists described their sketch as a “giant city made of food.” McCauley had one word to describe the painting--“colorful.” Romero in particular has grown as an artist through this experience. “In the past, my paintings have been small projects for myself or friends, but now I feel like my career as an artist is starting to develop because of the opportunities I

have received,” said Romero. McCauley agrees. “I’ve never worked on such a big project, so it’s definitely expanding my technique.” Jason’s Deli will host an open-ing night with the painters of the mural present. The date is to be determined and 10% of the sales will be donated to Leesville. Announcements will be made concerning opening night to-wards the end of December.

The students go to their spots, exchanging high-fives, fist bumps and “good lucks” along the way. The parade be-gins several minutes later, and the band starts their approxi-mately 1.4 mile route march through downtown Raleigh. The gaze of hundreds of spectators and dozens of cam-eras are trained on the band from the very start. Many stu-dents face an understandable nervousness, but all know that their job is to put on a great performance. “It was a little intimidating at first,” said Nicola McIrvine, drum major in the band, “but I just got out there and had fun with it.” As they march along the route, the band pays tribute to a time honored tradition through their tunes: “Hark the Herald,” “Jingle Bells,” “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas” and “Joy to the World.” The arrange-ment has been played in North Carolina since the mid 20th century and was brought to Leesville by Dave Albert, the

former director of bands. “I was just thinking about how to look and sound as good as pos-sible, while still making it fun,” said Brian Waldron, clarinet player. Adrenaline is in abundance and spirits are high as the band reaches the end of the route. “It still feels pretty surreal,” said McIrvine. “I can’t actually picture it happening now.” Tired and cold, most students can look forward to a hot meal when they get home. They can also take pride in a superior performance, and the chance to practice for next year’s London New Years Parade. Compared to the thousands of audience members and hun-dreds of cameras at the New Years Parade, the Christmas Parade may seem insignificant. But the band welcomes the chance to practice and hone skills that will need to be perfect for next year. “I felt really proud of our band,” said McIrvine. “I love any oppor-tunity to show people who we are, and I can’t wait to do it again next year in London.

Hark, jingle, jolly, joyPETTYcontinued from front page

“We call her Grandma Frankie because she’s kind of like the grandmother of our kids,” said Caudill. She will miss Petty’s hard work and dedication. William Franzen, current student of Ms. Petty, admires her teaching. “She’s a great teacher, and she makes difficult concepts easy to understand.” “It’s a great place,” Petty said. “There are a lot of really nice people here, and it’s a really great place for all the students to learn. ” It’s fair to say that plenty of people at Leesville will greatly miss Petty, too.

Ms. Petty works diligently at her computer. She will be greatly missed by students and staff alike.

4 The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, Month #, 2001

COMMUNITY

By: Helen PHilliPSStaff Writer

Communities, a group of like-minded individuals, have a common goal. However, they become more, forming meaningful and lasting relationships. Together, these people find camaraderie and safety in an overwhelming environment. They seek others to create a small group of people to survive and thrive in a much larger community, a much larger group of people. Using other community members for support, guidance and relationship, these mini-communities navigate through Leesville’s bureaucracy to find success--be it academic, athletics, social, identity, safety, or extracurricular.Some Leesville Communities

BandThese musically oriented kids have received many awards and recog-nitions, but this close knit group also helps each other learn about themselves and each other -- mov-ing through the large group of band students to become individually and collectively successful .

Drama StudentsEven outside of play season, the drama students have created a mini community for themselves as they journey through high school at Leesville.

GSAThese students find a safe haven among each other in an otherwise overwhelming environment.

Executive CouncilThe officers of executive council have a distinct sense of hard work and dedication when it comes to organiz-ing Leesville functions. They find suc-cess extracurricularly and academi-cally together--forming relationships to increase their success.

Yearbook and Newspaper StudentsFacing the anxiety of reaching deadlines, yearbook and newspaper students band together to accom-plish their goals socially and within the class. Compromise, collaboration and teamwork within a smaller group allows students to thrive in the larger community.

Students find family through Technical TheaterBy: Juliana ruBeStaff Writer

Each technical crew is run by one or two crew heads. The crew heads for Jane Eyre are: (Standing) Abby Hilyer, Nicole Vlanich, Leah Mahr, Jennifer Dupree, Hannah Daley. (Sitting) Kim Smallwood, Madi McNair, Ian Plocharczyk, Destiny Mahoney, Juliana Rube, Mckenzie Morrison. (Laying down) Andrew Goff.

Leesville High contains dozens of communities. All of them serve their members’ inter-ests to find success. What makes the English as Second Language class different than any other communities? The ESL classroom is a more heterogeneous class than one may think, with various countries and languages fill-ing the room. In fact, the ESL classroom contains students from South America, Central America, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. There are 63 students at Leesville who

are considered to have Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and of those, 42 are enrolled in the ESL program with teacher Ms. Anastasia George. The range of cultures found in the ESL classroom does not deter the students from feeling comfortable around each other. The room is, to an extent, a safe place for the students, where they can survive and thrive amid a larger community.

“One of the things about the ESL classroom is that it is one of the very few places that [stu-dents] get to be themselves and where they get to feel comfort-able speaking their language or speaking English,” said George. Many students echoed George’s opinion. Andrea Flores, a sophomore, said that the tran-sition to Leesville was hard. It is completely understand-able, of course--transferring to a new school would be hard on anyone, but adjusting to a new culture and a new language seems somewhat impossible. Yet Flores has used the ESL com-munity as a source of support and guidance to make friends and lasting relationships. “At first, I didn’t like it. I

missed my family and friends, but, once I learned English, I became more comfortable and made some good friends. Some of my best friends are here,” said Flores. There is also

Murtadha Al-Attar (left) and Josue Benitez Aleman (right) work together during their ESL class. Over 40 students are currently in the English as a Second Language program at Leesville.

English as a Second Language works together

After-school tech (“tech”) is offered for every show. There are nine crews at Leesville: makeup, hair, costumes, props, sound, lights, house, paint and set. Every crew is open to everyone. Last year, as a sophomore, I joined my first tech class and crew; I immediately knew that it was where I belonged. Maybe it was the couches in the class-room. Or maybe the fact that I could proudly let out my cre-ative side. Either way, I found myself enjoying every second I spent in class and after-school. I couldn’t get enough. I realize now what the at-traction was: I enjoyed feeling needed somewhere. Tech is an environment where every-one’s work is appreciated and necessary. I, and many others, thrive in this kind of situation and seem to return for this very

reason -- to feel appreciated. Someone was there to support me if I was feeling sad. Someone was always there to give me a hug if I was having a bad day. It was easy to make new friends and build relationships. Whenever I introduced myself to new people, I introduced myself as a techie. It was my new identity in high school--a large, impersonal place. Tech class, and theater in general, is about utilizing team-work. Students learn through each production and assignment in tech class that teamwork is imperative for making the show go on. The delicate balance between each crew makes it run smoothly; if one aspect was to be taken away, the production would fail. In my own tech class, I was forced to work with a student I didn’t really like. After the project, I realized we are alike in many ways. Our friendship now has grown.

Nevertheless, the relation-ships are not just built through forced teamwork and compro-mise. There’s something about tech that makes the relation-ships much deeper. When students join tech, the environment is family from the moment they walk in. The family

was established way before my time but it’s still prominent. As a family, we help each other through Hell Week, but we also help each other navigate through high school. The best way to describe tech is as the Island of Misfit Toys from Rudolph. The students who

seem to grow through tech are the kids who do not necessarily have anywhere else to go. Tech theater is an oddball, eccentric group of students who find joy in producing plays and musicals--we find identity together. I shine with happiness when I tell people of my accomplish-ments. Tech gives me something to be proud of because those around me are happy with what I do. Tech and the others in-volved give me a self-confidence that I have never found before. In tech, we rely on each other for support and guid-ance through the trials and tribulations we meet during high school. Tech isn’t just about pro-ducing a good show: It’s about creating a community for the kids who willingly seek guidance from others in the group. It’s a safe haven. It’s an identity. It’s our little home in the big world of high school. It’s a family.

“To me, that is the definition of a community--when people look out for

one another.”

a strong sense of camaraderie found within the ESL room. Students help each other

understand homework from different classes and survive in an otherwise overwhelming environment. “I have a Belarusian, Peru-vian, and an Iraqi student who are taking Civics and Econom-ics together, so they all end up working together. There is defi-nitely a sense of community,” said George. While there are various cultures in the ESL classroom, there is also a drive towards a common goal--learning english and adjusting to a new culture at an unfamiliar place. The ESL community be-comes a secure environment for its students to not only achieve its common goal, but also form meaningful friendships and thrive at Leesville.

English as a Second Language (ESL) stu-dents hold up flags representing their home country. Despite the number of countries in the ESL class, the students manage to over-come language barriers to form a strong communities.

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, Month #, 2001 5

Scioli’s view on communities

Athletes build camaraderieBy: anne CuSHMan & Dave nyaMuSenior Editor & Staff Writer

Chorus forms tight knit family

Pictured left to right: Allie Chorney, Tiffany Applewhite, Elena Mulligan and AJ Sanchez. Members of Intermediate Chorus won a superior rating at their Busch Gardens com-petition last May.

After a rather disappoint-ing season last year, the var-sity basketball team is ready to start anew. They will begin this season under new coach Russ Frazier, who comes in with two championships at his previous school. “He’s bringing that winning mentality to this school,” said senior forward Reggie Jones. “Now we have that mentality to win and work hard to get where we want.” However, the best part of the season might be the friendships they form with each other. In winning or losing, mentally chal-lenging away games, and gruel-ing practices, they will come together. Using each other for support and guidance they strive to find success in basketball. The coach and players have their own individual goals coming into the season, coming together for a common goal: to win. Along the journey, they will create a place of safety to work through the ups and downs of the season. “We definitely are a family. Sometimes we are around each other more than we’re at home,” said Jones. “We understand how important it is to bond as a team and as brothers so we can perform at the highest level on

the court.” The camaraderie off the court

Men’s basketball

The Leesville varsity basketball team breaks a huddle. Through the weeks they have become a close knit group.

Women’s soccer

As a junior at Leesville, I have finally gained the knowledge and confidence to feel comfortable in high school. Some students find a sense of belonging in sports or

academia; I find mine in chorus. Ever since my first chorus class freshman year, I have found a community of friends united by a love of singing. I had no idea what to expect when I joined chorus. I was still discovering my social identity and felt a general anxiety over how to succeed in chorus. What I could not have pre-dicted was the casual and fun community. The bond and ca-maraderie created through mak-ing music together with a group of people is unlike anything else in the world. LRHS chorus creates a safe place for students to connect and form friendships through music. The work chorus students put in to reach the same goal unifies the class.

Now in my third year of chorus, I reflect on how lucky I was to enroll in a course that creates long lasting friendships and memories far beyond that of a typical classroom. Surviving high school is possible because of the support and guidance chorus provides. The passion, love and com-munity of music in Leesville’s chorus nurtured my personal growth and achievement. Cov-ington tells her students that once you learn a piece of music, it stays with you forever. My chorus experience will undoubt-edly be the same because I have gained experiences and skills necessary to survive as a mem-ber of a small group in a much larger group.

Sports teams spend countless hours work-ing together, but does that really make them a community? Some-times. Sometimes these teams form rela-tionships that makes them closer than just teammates. Some-times they become family. These particu-lar people choose to spend time together outside of practices, looking to each other for support and ad-vice.

The women’s soccer team is a close knit group. These girls stick together whether it’s in the halls, after school, or on the weekends. Mary Kate Bowers, junior, said, “We are a family. During the season, we spend so much time doing team building activi-ties. We go camping, golfing, etc. After the games, we would have dance parties by our cars.” But the team sticks together even outside of the soccer sea-son. “Everyone is always super excited for the season. I know I look forward to it all year long, “ said Sydney Wooten, junior. The members of the team look to each other for more than just soccer issues. Both Bowers and Wooten spoke of feeling im-mense trust in their teammates, turning to each other for support and guidance. Bowers said, “I can trust my teammates on and off the field. It is almost like nothing is out of bounds. We talk about every-thing and anything.” Creating these mini-com-munities form strong relation-ships that will last for years to come. The members of the team struggle through practices and games, leaning on their relation-ships to survive the season’s ordeals. The skills they develop through these relationships will serve the girls well -- they can transfer these skills into the next stage of their life. By having such close and lasting relationships, it gives the girls on the women’s soccer team a way to survive and thrive in Leesville’s bureaucracy--they help each other move through high school with peers who trust them. It gives them meaningful relationships. It gives them a community.

will turn into success on the court. Unselfishness is the key to any winning team, whether it may be an extra pass, or com-municating on defense. They started by coming together for a common goal. The goal isn’t to win--the goal is to win as a community. And as importantly, they help each other throughout the school year, navigating the ups and downs of high school.

The women’s soccer team celebrates together after defeating Milbrook in a hard fought game last year. Their sense of family is apparent on and off the field.

To survive the rigorous de-mands of an AP class, students bond together to learn, dis-cover and explore the difficult concepts. Without peers and friends, AP classes would be an overwhelming environment and difficult to succeed in. With classmate’s support, guidance and relationships, AP students find a way to thrive in this men-tally stimulating environment.

In what ways are AP classes a community? AP students want success. “In AP classes, I feel that my peers and I interact more based on trying to solve a problem or discussing an idea while in regular classes students interact just to socialize,” said Leah Mahr, senior. Students in these classes continually learn from each other and build strong bonds. These tools are utilized to help the students through high school and college--these

students learn to navigate high school as practice for finding people to help them later in life.

Which AP class do you find yourself working with your peers the most?In most AP classes, stimulating group work contributes to the learning and community feel. In her AP English 3 class, Sophia Menozzi utilizes group work on a daily basis. “We do so many projects and a lot of them are about incorporating ideas of our peers. We really end up learning from each other, not just Mrs.Anderson,”. For Ryan Moreno, junior, AP Psychology is the class he works with his peers the most. “We do a lot of group work to help us understand the mate-rial more,” said Moreno. This practice of working in a stimu-lating environment provides students with practice of form-ing bonds for the rest of their lives. AP students learn skills needed for success in college and

the business world: Their ability to thrive in larger settings will give them advantages later in life--and they develop this skill by working together in their AP classes.

Is your friend group basically people you take classes with? After so many years in high school, students who take similar classes tend to bond because they’re spending class time together. Through work-ing together, learning from each other and teaching each other, meaningful friendships in-evitably form between students who take similar classes. For Sierra Thomas, senior, she finds friends in her classes. “My AP English friends are also my AP Calc and AP Physics friends,” said Thomas. Again, the AP students who spend so much time and energy together, form relationships providing them with support to move through the much larger student body.

By: Juliana ruBeStaff Writer

Inside Leesville’s AP communities

Q: Why do teachers form com-munities? A: A lot of teachers come here for a job and don’t bring their social network with them. Younger teachers form a com-munity for that reason. Then, there is a set of teachers that form a community when they have children at the elementary school. There is another commu-nity that forms among teachers who are considering retirement because there is a lot of infor-

mation and meetings and all these very detailed calculations that have to be made. [Com-munities between teachers] are based on our stage of life.

Q: What makes communities among teachers different from communities among students? A: When you’re a student, your needs are different--you need people to socialize with, so I think we create communities be-

cause we have these real needs and the community functions to serve those needs. I think the community of younger teach-ers is much like the community formed by their students, in that they consider attractiveness, to some degree. Those teacher groups are most like the student groups, because they are going to hang out with people based on similar activities. I think that once you get married and have children, your needs become

different.

Q: In general, what are the advantages of communities? A: One advantage of communi-ties is that they meet physical needs. They also meet emotional needs. An institution as large as [Leesville] can be very imper-sonal, so your community can give you a soft place to land. To me, that is the definition of a community--when people look out for one another. There is an unfortunate byproduct of a community,

and that’s that they can seem exclusive without any inten-tion on the part of the people within the community to be that way. It comes to a point where a community is large enough and it’s sustaining itself so that you aren’t able to add people without there being a decrease in returns. There is kind of a carrying capacity of the community; there is a point of diminishing returns to add-ing people to the community, and then you can’t help but to be seen as exclusive.

By: Catie ByrneStaff Writer

6 / Features The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, December 5, 2012

C o n c u s s i o n s h i t h a r d e r t h a n e v e r

By: SaraH BuSH, KriStin HoMMelSenior Editor, Staff Writer

With recent advances in technology, concussion awareness has risen dramatically. However, concussions seem to be something that comes with the physical game of football.

By: nia DoaKS, JaCoB BlaCKMonStaff Writers

A Leesville football player makes a big tackle on the kickoff versus Jor-dan High School. It isn’t necessarily the big hits that cause concus-sions, but the repeated pound-ing of tackling.

Medical analysis

Being bullied

She wakes up and takes a shower. She then looks in the mirror and hates what she sees. She wears a big sweatshirt she tends to hide in. She goes down-stairs and can’t decide whether she should eat breakfast or eat the donuts sitting on the counter. She grabs a bag of chips and runs out the door. It’s 6:45 a.m., if she doesn’t leave for school right now, she’ll be late. The two subjects featured in this article are not obese. Howev-er, they are two Leesville students who are willing to share their story of struggle with their weight throughout their childhood until this point and how it has helped them become a better person.

True stories The first is Monet Miller, a senior at Leesville. “I have lived with my grand-parents for as long as I can remember. When I was growing up, they spoiled me and let me eat whatever I wanted. I was always bigger than everyone else. My weight has been a struggle throughout my childhood. I lost a lot of weight before ninth grade. I think it had a lot to do with the pressures of fitting in in high school. During my sophomore

year, I maintained a healthy body weight. In eleventh grade, I gained it back. The summer be-fore senior year I lost it again. I’m okay with myself right now, but I have a goal. I’m working hard to reach it.” Chris Pendergraft, junior, shared a somewhat similar sce-nario. “I’ve always been big. Since elementary school, I’ve been in-volved in three sports throughout the year. It keeps me busy, but it takes a lot of time away from important things. I don’t always have time to sit down with my family and eat a nutritious din-ner. Friday nights, for example, I don’t even get back to the school until 11 p.m. after football games. The only places open at that time are fast food places, and that’s where we end up going. You got to eat what you can.”

With the situations these two are in comes bullying, but also a chance to overcome adversity. “People think I can’t do things because of my weight. I love to prove them wrong. You learn to put off what people say. People try to make fun of me when my weight training class has to run and say things like ‘you can take a break if you want to, or, ‘aren’t you tired?’ which motivates me to keep going even more,” said Pendergraft.

On the warm night of August 30, 2012 the varsity football team prepared to play Jordan High School from Durham at home. Running on to the green, grassy field, Derahjai Robinson and his team were excited and ready to play in this game. During the fourth quarter, among the roar of screaming fans and the smell of freshly-cut grass, Robinson initiated a helmet-to-helmet collision with another player. This player was a heavy-set lineman from Jordan high school-- a tall, wide, muscular boy. Robinson was dazed, but overall felt okay. A few minutes later, he began feeling dizzy and seeing double. His head was hurt-ing, and he had to sit out.

Shake it off Concussions are common oc-currences in the sport of football because it is a contact sport. “The hit seemed like a regular hit,” said Robinson. “I just kept

playing after it happened. I didn’t realize my vision was starting to blur until a few minutes later.” Robinson had head-on contact with a heavy-bodied lineman from Jordan’s team during the kick-off. He delivered the blow, but he was the one who ended up with the concussion. “When I got home, I had a really bad headache. I called Mrs. Ennis and told her what was go-ing on. She told my mom to call the doctor and to see them next day because I probably had a concussion.” Susan Ennis, Leesville’s athletic trainer, gave Robinson a number for the concussion hot-line. He set up an appointment for the next morning; he had a mild concussion. When an athlete is tested for a concussion, they are given a

range of tests-- they are given the line test, where they are told to walk forwards and then back-wards in a straight line.

A mother’s concern

Erica Robinson, Derahjai’s mother, kept a watchful eye on him after the game. “I didn’t see the hit, so I didn’t know he was hurt until he com-plained about a headache in the car,” she said. “When we called the doctor they told him to stay

Because knowledge of concus-sions has changed, there is but one single definition. It is very simple: if concussive symptoms are evident, then it is classified as

a concussion. Cooked pasta noodles in a glass of water acts in the same manner as the brain. If you shake the glass, you will notice that the noodles slosh. During a hard blow to the head, the brain can smash into the skull, causing damage to the brain. Different parts of the brain have different functions and control differ-ent parts in your body. Because of this, a concussion will affect the part of your body that the damaged portion of the brain controlled which is why most concussions cause varying long term effects. ”In a sense, the more concus-sions you have, the possible greater negative affect on your IQ,” said Susan Ennis, Sports Medicine teacher and athletic trainer for Leesville. The effects are classified in two different ways, long term and short term. Due to the wide

“The hit seemed like

a regular hit.”

Also, they are given a balance test and instructed on how to take the IMPACT test on a computer. “The concussion didn’t really affect me much except for right after it hap-pened. I was told to take Ibuprofen three times a day to help the pain,”

says Robinson. “Coach Ennis was really helpful. She told me to take a cold shower, and to not go to sleep right after the game.”

in the dark and told me to keep an eye on him throughout, which I did.” Robinson was told not to text, use the computer, or watch TV for a few days after the injury. He was given ibuprofen to take three times a day for a couple days after the injury. Ms. Robinson says that this concussion hasn’t changed her opinion on her son playing football. “The first few games after the injury I felt like I had to keep an eye on him, but after that I got used to it. I didn’t want him to stop playing. It’s really just some-thing that comes with the game.”

To learn more about the physical effects of obesity and why it is such an issue in the world, Suzanne Tadlock, Leesville health instructor, gave her insight and her tips on how to fight it. “My opinion is that the ad-vancement of technology and being a part of the ‘instant’ gratification generation, obesity will continue to be an issue on the rise,” she said. “Also, it is more economical for many families, on a bud-get, to eat products that are high in fat and sugar then to eat healthy.” Tadlock reasons that one of the biggest causes of obesity in today’s society is the avail-ability of fast food every-where, with a McDonald’s on almost every street corner. “The fast food industry and $1 menus make it more eco-nomical to feed a family of 4 then buying fruits and veg-etables that could cost twice as much,” she said. With obesity as a major issue, Tadlock takes her job as physical education spe-cialist seriously. “Obesity in children can be due to their lifestyle or family history of obesity and when unhealthy eating gets combined with in-active lifestyle gaining weight is inevitable,” she said. “That is why as a Physical Educator

it is important to incorporate cardiovascular programs into our daily class time.” Another major contributor to childhood (and therefore teen) obesity is the lack of physical exercise in the el-ementary and middle schools. “...at the elementary school level, students only meet with the Physical Education Specialist once a week for ap-proximately 40 minutes,” she said. “This is not enough time to combat the many issues that foster obesity.”

By: KriStin HoMMelStaff Writer

Centers for Disease Control numbers

for North Carolina: • 64.9% of adults 18 & over were overweight• 27.8% of adults were found to be obese• 14.6% of high schoolers were overweight

and 13.4% obese

That's a total of 28% of teenagers in North Carolina

with weight problems.

Tadlock, teachers combat obesity

A few Leesville seniors properly exercise by playing badminton in P.E.

Exploring

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, December 5, 2012 Features / 7

Shown above are two brainscans, one before a concussion and one after. The darkened space in each diagram represents electrical brain activity; the pre-concussion image (left) shows more dark areas, and therefore a higher capacity for brain activity.

obesity at Leesville

Overcoming adversity

People who have Body Mass Index over 25 are classified as obese. There are arguments as to whether BMIs are the correct way to diagnose obesity.

Miller recalls similar situations ,like Pendergraft’s, that happened to her. “My middle school years were probably the worst years of my life. I was made fun of every single day about something I felt like I couldn’t control. I remem-ber walking through the cafeteria one day and someone threw a can of Slimfast at my head. The worst part about it was I couldn’t do anything about it.”

With strikingly different life-styles, Pendergraft, a strong foot-ball player, and Monet, a sweet chorus singer, share similarities in experience, thoughts about themselves, and thoughts about how others view them. “I’ve become a better person. I don’t judge other people as quickly as I used to. I’m mentally a lot tougher now, which helps me be physically tough. Football also helps me take a lot of anger out,” said Pendergraft. Miller advises others who struggle with poor body image. “Be comfortable with your body. No one knows how you feel but you. If you dress confidently and act confidently, other people will believe, and you will believe it, too. Everyone is beautiful in their own way. Every girl should feel beautiful. Cliche, but it’s true.”

The psyche behind obesity

Obesity is a problem teens must confront as they seek accep-tance from their peers and move through society. Many obese teens are con-fronted with bullying problems due to their weight, most often in middle schools. This leads to low self-esteem, low morale and loss of motivation. While speaking on the psycho-logical effects of obesity, Petals Rainey, Leesville’s psychologist, discussed several issues. “[Obe-sity] affects [peoples’] emotional state. A lot of times when you find a lot of individuals who have weight issues, they have emo-tional difficulties, coping skill, some difficulties with social skills. You know, they might be getting picked on, might not [be] making friends. It definitely has a psycho-logical impact.” Often, a student’s grades and social interactions will suffer once obesity becomes a problem. “It all goes back to self esteem,” Rainey said. “The short term effects are that it could affect you academically, of course. Because if you’re having difficulties at school, socially, then you’re not going to come to school, [or] wanna come to school, and do everything you can to stay out of school. So you know, that could start as a short term problem that could morph into a long term

problem. Whenever you have is-sues with self-esteem, it’s always a critical issue.” The major issue with obesity (besides obvious health concerns) is the low self-esteem that can de-velop. Although it is often played down as unimportant, self-worth is an important factor to succeed-ing both in high school and in the world. There are many factors to con-sider when an individual is con-fronted with obesity, with obesity often leading to extreme issues such as anxiety, depression, and other psychological states. To navigate through and ad-dress all of the effects of obesity,

there needs to be a thorough understanding of how it impacts all aspects of a person’s life.

Social expectations

With all of this informa-tion, one can see that obesity is a prominent issue in today’s society. It is an issue that must be dealt with! One way to help people suffer-ing from obesity is to encourage them to improve, and to be nice about it; obese people typically suffer from low self-esteem. Some of the signs that some-one is suffering psychologically

from obesity are, “not think-ing that they’re attractive, and again, that ability to navigate in the social realm. They might be excluded from activities where they are expected to be thin, such as cheerleading, etc,” Rainey said. “So some signs would definitely be low self esteem and being overly critical of themselves and their appearance.” By boosting their pride and helping them to accept their bod-ies and how they are, people who suffer from obesity will not be as concerned with their appearanc-es. Rainey indicated that this, in itself, will improve their grades, as well as their way of life.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 28% of high school students in North Carolina struggle with weight issues due to the boom-ing fast food industry and family genetics. Two of Leesville’s own students opened up about their struggles with weight, including physical and psychological issues they face daily.

Awareness increases

Thankfully, over many years, awareness of concussions has risen, leading to more action. One way schools have stepped up is by having all athletes take a baseline test before the start of the season. It is a test that identifies simple intelligence. A player’s score on the first test acts as a control or an example of his/her skill level while under normal brain functioning ability. If a player is showing symptoms of a concussion, he/she will be required to take the test again. If the player scores considerably lower than he/she did on the original test, then he/she will be required to see a doctor who will decide the severity of the concussion and the ability to resume playing. “I personally enjoy football. I enjoy working with it. This year I have had cheerleaders, football players, soccer players, cross

country runners and even a tennis player with a concussion, so it’s not just the primary contact sports that are dangerous. The bottom line is that safety is a factor. You need the proper equipment and techniques. It is also very important for the player to report when they are hurt,” said Ennis. Unfortunately, the only treat-ment for a concussion is time. On top of that, everyone’s recovery time is different adding to the unavoidable fear of not completely understanding your condition. Despite the obvious dangers and risks involved in contact sports, the thrill of cheering on your team will never diminish, which brings up a very important question. Is the thrill and excitement of contact sports worth the risk of serious physical and mental injury? “Football is a contact sport that requires hitting, so incidents will happen, but it helps to teach the proper techniques and play by the rules,” said Frazier.

range of effects, there is not an exact diagnosis for a concussion but common symptoms that are easily be identified. “As soon as someone has been hit very hard or is showing con-cussive symptoms, I send them to an athletic trainer,” said Russ Frazier, varsity basketball and assistant football coach. Short term symptoms of a concussion include the following: headaches, dizziness, confusion, forgetfulness, nausea, etc. The patient often shows unusual “out of it” behavior, being unrespon-sive, or acting abnormal. Long term effects can include lower brain power, nerve damage and permanent brain damage that can weaken the brain’s perfor-mance. “Current research has led us to more of an understanding that permanent brain injury in profes-sional contact sports is a result of repetitive concussions, “ said Ennis.

Further In format ionFROM PRINCETON UNIVERSITY:Researchers are discovering that concussive injuries may involve structural changes in the brain. Previously, sports-related concus-sions were considered to affect only neurological function. Initial research suggests that, to the contrary, sports-related injuries affect both the structure of the brain, as well. (http://tinyurl.com/coj94h8)

FROM PURDUE UNIVERSITY:Tests examining 45 high school football players revealed that brain damage occurs as a result of many head impacts over time rather than a single major concussion. Only seven of the subjects experi-enced recorded concussions during the study, but an additional 16 players had decreased cognitive function over the season. Further ex-aminations by the Purdue University researchers revealed that most players’ brain damage occurred without any symptoms or noticeable changes in behavior. (http://tinyurl.com/btgsna8)

FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES:Researchers conducting a study on head trauma in junior hockey found that many athletes are reluctant to reveal any concussion symptoms they may have, and many concussions, therefore, go unre-ported and untreated. During the study, the monitored hockey team suffered seven concussions, while the unmonitored team suffered none. The pressure on players to stay in the game causes them to overlook or ignore any concussion symptoms they may be experienc-ing. (http://tinyurl.com/3xvfvf6)

8 The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, Month #, 20018 / Photo Essay

The janitors work until 10:00 after every school day. Even though the halls are void of people, the abundance of trash and

grime will disappear with their work.

The receptionists and front office staff continue to answer

phone calls and work, even after the students go home. The office is full

of life long after 2:18.

Although the hallways of Leesville appear empty, the class-

rooms and other areas of the school are buzzing with activity.

Students from the wrestling team condition after school. The guys ran several Hill Laps to warm up. Many other sports stay after school long

after the final bell.

Ms. Duncan & Mr. Argao stay after-hours to discuss curriculum. Many teachers

stay late to complete any un-finished assignments.

Students mingle in the front circle of the school following the end of the day. Some of these students so-cialize while others await a ride home.

It’s 2:18. The final bell rings, dismissing Leesville’s 2,350 students and staff from school. Things may

look barren and lifeless from the outside, but further investigation proves otherwise.

Leesville After Hours

Students sign up for projects at the Key Club meeting hosted in

the cafeteria. Key Club is just one of many clubs that meet after school.

Sports Medicine students fill the athletic hallway, ready to help athletes who may need assistance. These students sacrifce their time

and stay late for practices and games.

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, Month #, 2001 9

CurriCulum Shift

In Math, students use equations and data to solve problems, doing problem after problem in the textbook, often in iso-lation from the real world.

Ms. Dinkenor, 12th Grade English“We are very lucky in the LRHS English department because we have always taught skills such as analysis, synthesis, argumentation, etc. [However], we are having to rethink the way we teach and make sure that everything we do matches the standards of writing arguments to sup-port claims, drawing evidence from texts, and producing clear and coherent writing. We really need to focus more on non-fiction and the skills in compact passages rather than long reading assignments.”

The Common Core curriculum is based on Bloom’s Taxonomy-- a classification system for educational ob-jectives and levels of critical thinking. The revised edition used for Common Core divides thought into six levels:1. Knowledge--recalling or recognizing informa-tion, ideas, and princi-ples in the approximate form in which they were learned.2. Comprehension--un-derstanding, interpret-ing, and summarizing

Several LRHS faculty members share their opin-ions of the new Common Core curriculum.

Q & A

Q: Which new assessments have been added into Lees-ville’s English Courses?

A: English I, III and IV now have Common Core exams based on the Common Core Standards adopted by the State of North Carolina. The English I EOC has been moved to English II.

Q: How will exams and other general tests and as-sessments be different than before?

A: The English II EOC will have multiple choice questions and a few short answer questions while the former English I EOC only had multiple choice questions. On the English II EOC, students will have to read nonfiction and fiction pieces and answer ques-tions about them. There will also be questions concerning language and writing skills. Although we have not seen a common core exam for English I, II and IV, the tests should be based on the Common Core Standards. Hope-fully, the Department of Instruc-tion will release field tests of the Common Exams so that teachers can acclimate students with the format of the test.

Q: What is being taught differently in order to cover those exam and assessment changes?

A: English teachers are concen-trating on the Common Core Standards and implementing ac-tivities, strategies, and lessons to concentrate on the skills outlined by those standards. Fortunately, Leesville English teachers have been teaching most of the Com-mon Core already, but we have had to develop more lessons con-centrating on language skills and the comprehension of nonfiction.

Q: Has the implementation of these curriculum changes and modifications caused any confusion or difficulty?

A: The implementation of these new curriculum changes has not caused confusion. The difficulty has come with reviewing all the new resources from the State and Wake County and determining which ones will be most help-ful to our students. We also are learning how the state will assess these skills and the best way to prepare students to be successful on these new assessments.

Ms. WilkersonQ. What are the differ-ences between your teaching methods before and after implementing the Common Core standard?A. My teaching methods haven’t changed that much. We were already trying to do more of the stuff Common Core is wanting us to do. It’s definitely more activity based and an investigative ap-proach. It’s changed a little bit.

Ms. Winoski

Q. How are students han-dling the change?A. They are handling it okay. They do more activities; they like that, but it also leads them to socializing. There’s definitely an increase of socializing. Q. Would you consider the changes more difficult to the students now? Why or why not?A. I do think it’s more difficult because instead of direct instruc-tions, they’re having to discover things. They’re having to look at pictures and graphs and discover what the slope does to the graph. It’s probably harder because they definitely have to think harder about things. I think it will help them eventually. I think it’s going to take a learning curve. But I think it’s going to be beneficial, definitely.

Q. How difficult was it to make the transition to the Common Core?A.I think it’s more difficult for the students. Common Core is a way to present the material. It’s dif-ficult for the kids because they’re not used to learning that way because it’s more group work, but a lot of us already teach [using group work].

Ms. Wade

Q: What do the changes involve?A Just the way you present the material. Obviously the math. Algebra does not change--it’s the way you teach it. It’s more cooperative in groups because when you get into the real world and you have a job, you’re going to work in teams. A lot of the time you have to work together to solve problems, and that’s what [Common Core math] is more geared towards. More indepen-dent thinking, not just ‘here’s how you do it, now let’s do twenty of those.’ It’s not as repetitive. They’re using their problem solving skills to figure it out on their own with-out a teacher probing them with questions. Q: How are students han-dling the change?They are handling it okay. They do more activities; they like that, but it also leads them to socializ-ing. There’s definitely an increase of socializing.

Mr. Caggia, 10th Grade Civics & Economics

“It’s difficult to implement Common Core all at once, without so many resources—the time, the money, the textbooks, etc. For many students, especially in non-honors classes, they’re not prepared for the changes [of Common Core] right now as they come into high school. It’s like dangling them in the air and then, BAM, hitting them with Common Core. It’s difficult.”

Before Common Core:

With Common Core:

Teacher-made quizzes, tests and exams allow teachers to monitor and assess the class on their own.

Questions focus on memorization and other knowledge-based ques-tions.

Tests cover individual lessons and topics specifi-cally to the unit.

In English, students recall vocabulary, summarize texts and read mostly fic-tion excerpts.

In Math, students apply knowledge to career-based examples, such as engineering and model-ing.

County and statewide exams and “benchmark tests” compare students’ progress to others and keep all classes on pace.

Questions require stu-dents to apply and evalu-ate knowledge in real-life scenarios.

Tests focus on just a few fundamental ideas and concepts.

In English, students read more non-fiction and answer deeper-thinking, analytic questions (see Blooms Taxonomy discus-sion on this page).

the main idea of mate-rials heard, viewed, or read.3. Application--applying abstract ideas to con-crete situations in order to solve a problem.4. Analysis--breaking down a concept or idea into parts, and showing the relationships be-tween those parts.5. Synthesis--bringing together parts of knowl-edge to form a whole and building relation-ships for new situations.6. Evaluation--making informed judgements

about the value of ideas or materials and using standards and criteria to support opinions and views. The Common Core curriculum focuses on analysis, synthesis, and evaluation-- the top three levels of the tax-onomy. Students should be spending a lot of class time in levels 4, 5 and 6. These levels increase the rigor of classes and allows students time to think and learn necessary skills for success after high school.

teaCher ViewpointS

10 The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, Month #, 200110 / Reviews

ReviewsTHE MYCENAEAN

Caffé Luna: Out of this world

By: Connor CHoateStaff Writer

In America, people can oc-casionally pigeonhole Italian cuisine into either spaghetti or pizza; Caffé Luna clearly breaks the stereotype. Settled on E. Hargett Street between Blount and Wilming-ton streets downtown, Caffé Luna’s bright, neon sign caught my eyes immediately and drew me to its cozy interior, away from the chilly fall air. Upon entering the restaurant, I was struck by the plethora of oil paintings covering the creamy, yellow walls. The high ceiling gave the place a comfortable atmosphere, and my table was nicely situated in the back cor-ner of one of the many dining rooms that altogether seat 200. Everyone working at Caffé Luna was gracious and nice; the owner constantly walked around and checked on all the tables, talking with everybody. Without even glancing at the menu, I already liked the place. Once I looked over the menu, I found many great Ital-ian dishes. The antipasti and insalata dishes look incredible by themselves, featuring dishes like mozzarella fresca -- fresh mozzarella with tomatoes and basil -- and insalata di Gor-gonzola -- mesclun greens with gorgonzola cheese. The entrees, like a traditional lasagna or veal parmesan, all looked fantas-tic, but it was the pasta on the menu that really stole the show. The menu’s pasta section

had everything -- ravioli fioren-tina, pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese and spinach, or even lin-guini pescatore, calamari, shrimp, mussels, clams and a scallop sauté in olive oil and tomato. After pondering each individ-ual dish, I settled on the fiocchi, described as “fresh pasta stuffed with four Italian cheeses and pear sauté in cream with a touch of tomato”. After envious encourage-ment from my server, I waited for my dish, happy with it. It wasn’t long before I saw a steaming plate of pasta covered in white cream sauce coming towards me. I accepted the par-mesan my server offered and took a bite. Heretofore, I have never had a pasta dish as good as the fiocchi. The savoriness of the cheeses mixed with the sweetness of the pear sauté offered a blend of flavors incomparable to any spaghetti with marinara. It was creamy and rich, the “touch of tomato” offering a break from the sinful cream sauce. The dish was executed perfectly. I’d completely stuffed myself with pasta, but I requested the dessert menu anyway, unsure whether I would actually order anything. Upon seeing the names of rich foods like tiramisu or chocolate gelato, I had to abstain, but I was completely sure I’d be back again. Caffé Luna exceeded my ex-pectations with phenomenal food and service. It makes a perfect destination for any lunch or din-ner downtown.

The menu at Caffé Luna is expansive -- offering a range of meals for everyone. The restaurant is within walking distance of Moore Square downtown.

Phillip Phillips stays true to roots in debut albumBy: Ben PoPeStaff Writer

For Phillips Phillips, it’s been a long road from Lees-burg, Georgia to Hollywood, California. The immensely likeable but comfortably reserved 2012 American Idol winner brought a new dose of original-ity to America’s reality singing spectrum last spring, but, even after his eventual landslide vic-tory, questions remained about Phillips’ true direction. Could he connect with his faint country undertones and deep-south hometown? Would he follow the Mumford & Sons footprints displayed in Idol-winning Billboard hit “Home”, or return to the Dave Matthews Band-esque aura demonstrated

throughout the show? And did he stand a chance in the music industry after the failures of many recent ‘Idol’ champions? This fall, Phillips provided the answer—with debut album The World from the Side of the Moon, he’s “just trying to re-member where [he] came from.” As foretold by lead single “Where We Came From” (and, in a sense, the meandering album title, as well), Phillips’ 12-item debut release displays, albeit rather conservatively, the crooner’s unconventional style and talent with a satisfying col-lection of songs. The album carries under-tones of both aforementioned groups, Mumford & Sons and Dave Matthews Band. The latter is certainly evident in soft rock attempt “Drive Me”, while the former has already been con-

nected by many critics to catchy sing-a-long “Gone, Gone, Gone”. Meanwhile, “Tell Me a Story” builds upon the non-melodic guitar strumming made popular by The Script’s 2010 album Sci-ence and Faith, and “So Easy” will remind music fanatics of a number of early 2000’s Maroon 5 ballads. But, for the most part, The World from the Side of the Moon is Phillip Phillips’ own creation. “Man on the Moon”, the opening track, speeds up Phillips’ typically laid-back pace into a strangely catchy chorus; “Can’t Go Wrong” features a mild country twang rarely heard from the Georgia native. Mellow pop-rock venture “Get Up Get Down”, how-ever, may exemplify Phillips’ theme better than any other single track. An acoustic, growly

bridge identifies the song as one of his own, but the chorus, featuring an addictive hook and strong vocals, will also cater towards even the most mainstream radio station. It’s a chance for Philips to please his own fans while continuing to expand his brand. Nonetheless, Phillip fans,

American Idol viewers and soft-rock enthusiasts alike have no reason not be pleased with the 22-year-old’s first effort. The World from the Side of the Moon, currently third among iTunes’ album popularity rankings, is certainly another positive step for one of the music industry’s most intriguing new artists.

Released Monday, Nov.19, Phillip Phillips’ debut album The World from the Side of the Moon sticks to the 2012 American Idol winner’s roots while venturing occasionally into radio-friendly pop.

Flight takes viewers for rideBy: nia DoaKSStaff Writer

There is a glass vodka bottle in a man’s hand--his inner addiction fighting against him. Triumphantly, this alcoholic sets the bottle on a countertop in a dim hotel room. In the next instant, in one of the most startling scenes in the movie, a hand lashes out and grabs the bottle. This man fights to stay sober and awaits a government trial the next day. This pivotal scene represents this man’s downward spiral with trying to control his addiction. His name is Whip Whitaker, played by Denzel Washington. Whip is a pilot who, by some sort of miracle, crash-lands a plane that malfunctioned while in the air. Whitaker reacts calmly, with quick thinking through technical issues that have the co-pilot screaming “Oh, God”. His calm demeanor is surprising and somewhat unsettling during this scene. Miraculously, he saves 98

out of the 106 people on the flight. He was drunk and high off of cocaine when he flew the plane. Amid public accusations and government questioning, Whip is having a constant inner struggle with his alcoholism. He is both the protagonist and antagonist in this movie-- and is fighting against his own demons. The most action-packed scene is in the very beginning of the movie. After the plane crash, it is expected for the movie to lose intensity. This movie, how-

ever, keeps the intensity going and it increases as the twisted story unfolds. All the scenes in this movie seemed to flow cohesively and the story is one that takes you on an emotional joyride: relief at the plane crash, frustration with Whip, and sympathy at the end. Other characters helped to accentuate the role Denzel played. There was his charismat-ic drug dealer, played by John Goodman, to bring comic relief to certain situations. A lawyer was appointed to Washington, played by Don Cheadle, who was serious and anchored Whip’s fantasy-land of addiction to the reality of the issue at hand. Kelly Reiley played Washington’s love interest -- because what is a movie without romance? She is his reason for living and also the reason for his lowest lows. The secondary characters couldn’t compare to the perfor-mance of Washington. In the end, he has to chose: Face his addiction and lose everything, or lie and continue his life of emptiness?

Rock, paper, scissors, read!

By: KriStin HoMMelStaff Writer

The cover photo on the book shows Alex Stromm, the pro-tagonist, in his school uniform.

Have you ever wanted an inside glimpse into the mind and psyche of a teenage boy? Have you ever wanted to find out what life was like at a boys boarding school in the 1980s? If so, then Paper Covers Rock, by Jenny Hubbard, is the book

for you. At the river during a picnic with some friends, something happened between Alex and the boys that would ultimately kill one and reveal secrets about the others. Secrets that, they felt, must be kept hidden at any cost. While Alex develops a crush on his young new English teacher, Glenn becomes overly suspi-cious between the “relation-ship” that he sees developing there. Glenn plays on the “guy code” that is prominent in the school to force Alex to do what Glenn believed was necessary to protect their secret, no matter the cost. The style of writing Hubbard used was amazing, portraying exactly how I would imagine for a boy’s mind to operate. His thought statements were very succinct and to the point, matching how I often hear boys speak. She used slang and gram-matical mistakes in exactly the way that a teenager does, using diction that is relatable and understandable to the teenage reader.

She included the occasional cuss word which, from my point of view, detracted from the story as a whole, while other students in the book club who reviewed it felt that cussing made the story and characters believable. Altogether, for me, Paper Covers Rock had the potential to be utterly fantastic. How-ever, a truly great novel must have a concise conclusion that wraps up every important plot in a nice neat bow, unless it is meant to leave the reader in suspense. The conclusion in this novel did not create suspense and was incredibly unsatisfac-tory, leaving the reader with a sense of loss and dissatisfac-tion. With this in mind, I would ultimately encourage that you read this book. Although the ending was weak, Paper Covers Rock was, as a whole, a well written and insightful novel that gave a temporary peek into the secret lives of teenage boys in the late 1980s.

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, Month #, 2001 11

12 The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, Month #, 2001

spoRtsTHE MYCENAEAN

Should schools allow public prayer before sporting events?

“That’s tough. A lot of people are Christians or Catholics, but this is a public school. I feel like people would take offense to that. It should be your choice, like practicing the pledge,” said Liz Farnham, junior.

“I would love that. I think it would bring the team together, it would make the players feel a lot more together, more pumped,” said Rachel Essary, sophomore.

“Stand for it, but don’t be disrespectful. Per-sonally, it’s not that big a deal to me. You shouldn’t be disrespect-ful of what people feel strongly about,” said Hunter Murphy, senior.

“I believe that prayer before sporting events is right, but it depends on a person’s religion. If you believe in that stuff, its a good way to get your hopes up before a game,” said Bryan Hall, sophomore.

Pride Perspective

The Leesville Women’s Bas-ketball team has been practicing for weeks, hoping to improve their game this season after last year’s losing season. Harold Wertich, head coach, said the practices have been going great. “Everybody has worked hard,” said Wertich. Many of the girls want to im-prove individually in rebound-ing, ball-handling, and passing--overall, to improve their game. The team goals are much less general. Wertich has high hopes for improving this year and believes the girls can fulfill their goals.

Leesville Swimming and Diving Teams Leesville’s Swimming and Diving teams look great this year, according to their coach, Emily Izquierdo. After graduat-ing more than 15 seniors last year, the team still has more divers than ever. “We’ve got great older swim-mers, great younger swimmers and everything in between,” said

Izquierdo in an email interview. Izquierdo says her goal for the season is improvement across the board. Along with every-one improving their individual times, Izquierdo would love to send more swimmers and divers to the regional and state cham-pionships. “Last year the men won the

Eastern Regional Champion-ship meet and placed third in the State Championship meet. It will be great to see how both the men's and women's teams do this year,” Izquierdo said via email. Though last year was great, the seniors this year are going to go far, and the group of new kids have promise.

Women’s Basketball

Men’s Basketball Wrestling

FROM CONTRIBUTING STAFF WRITERS

The men’s basketball season has begun. They worked really hard in pre-season workouts and have their first game on November 20. They have a new coach, Russ Frazier, and are ready to improve lots this year. “[Our goal is to] just get bet-ter everyday and see where that leads us,” said Frazier. The team’s goal is to improve on their own skills as well as improve from last year’s season, and they are looking to meet this goal. The Pride won their first game away against Apex 71-45.

The wrestling season has just started up. They started October 31 and their first wrestling match was November 20. “We’d like to compete in the Cap-8 conference champion-ship and try to place as many individuals at the regional tour-nament to qualify for the state tournament,” said Jason Wyss, wrestling coach. The wrestlers have been working hard to ensure they can do well this season. “All the new kids, freshman and sophomores wrestled really tough. I’m excited about the year,” said Wyss.

YES Prayer in schools continues to be among the most controversial topics in our country. Recent events in the University of Tennessee (UT)have only sparked this debate. The tradition of pregame prayer before UT football games was revoked, only to be reinstat-ed later. The revocation came after a letter of complaint was sent from Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. “When you’re not religious or are of another faith and you get prayed at during events, it’s really very grating.” said Gaylor in the letter. But prayer is addressed to God, not anyone else. Separation of church and state would apply to the situa-tion if UT was forcing their play-ers to join in the prayer, but that’s not the case. The whole idea is quite simple: If you don’t want to pray, don’t pray. The letter doesn’t mention the second part of the Amend-ment, which says “or prohibit the free exercise thereof.” Pre-venting prayer would be restrict-ing the players’ basic right. “If your faith defines you, then prayer is something that you are going to do,” said FCA leader Selo Kuvana. People want an America with freedom from religion, but they miss a key point: The United States of America was built on freedom of religion.

NO A Tennessee Uni-versity scandal broke out over a pregame prayer ritual that the players, coaches and fans said before the game. Although the fans are not forced to participate, it is still obviously Christian-based. Annie Gaylor, Freedom From Religion Foundation President said to USA Today as much. "They've been praying to Jesus and inviting clergy to come lead the prayer,” said Gaylor to USA Today. Pre-game prayer also shows a bit of incongruity, as another Tennessee government-funded college recently stopped saying prayers before games, Universi-ty of Tennessee at Chattanooga. According to a recent survey, Tennessee has a Christian population of nearly 3.5 million people, with no other religion even up to six digits, but even non-Christians pay taxes. The counterargument to this would be that they should have the right to pray because they are practicing their religion. I disagree with this because there is no need for a structured pre-game prayer, as the players and coaches could simply say their prayers before they get to the stadium, or even on their own before the game. Although I am all for religion and faith, I am not in favor of forcing your religion on every-one else.

-- Dave NyamuStaff Writer

-- Spencer SchneierStaff Writer

Leesville’s wrestling team warms up be-fore practice. The squad is working hard in preparation for a tournament on Dec. 1-2.