Anonymous came out in late 2011. The movie addresses the controversy that Shakespeare’s work may not be completely original.

On Friday, May 11, Leesville Road High School’s Film Club gathered in room 217 to watch Anonymous, a famous film exploring the authenticity of William Shakespeare’s works.

Typically, the club’s president, Anna Foley, says a few words to start the meeting. However, she was unable to make it to the meeting, so Mr. Phillips, club advisor, gave a brief summary of the film to begin the meeting.

Laura Dellabadia, junior, joined Film Club because she found it interesting that films have meaning behind them.

“We watch the movies and then discuss it as a group. Everyone brings different opinions and ideas and it is fun to see what everyone thinks,” said Dellabadia. ”It’s also a great way to be social.”

Kevin Commons, junior, loves getting to watch movies and analyzing them afterwards. When asked what his favorite part of film club is, he could not come up with just one answer.

“I love everything about the club; it’s too hard to pick one favorite thing!”

When the movie ended, the group gathered to discuss what they had just watched. Zoe Simpkins, vice president of the club, summarized the discussion:

“We just discussed how the plot did not occur chronologically and was somewhat convoluted, which contributed to the ‘obscure history’ of Shakespeare. We also talked about how the lighting was often dark and gloomy which contributed to that element of being shrouded in mystery. In addition, we talked about how historically, a lot of the people who interacted would not have actually interacted but it just added an interesting element to the film.”

This was the club’s last meeting for the 2011-2012 school year. The club will continue to meet next year, though the dates are undecided.

Any plaque that goes up in front of the East Building will be funded by private funds. The name change has been in effect for 3 ½ weeks.

Mr. Murphy, the first principal at Leesville, opened the school with the end in mind. His end goal was to have an outstanding high school. The legacy he left still continues today.

On Tuesday, April 24, the Wake County School Board voted to rename the East Building to honor former Leesville principal Richard Murphy.

The change was announced by Leesville Interim Principal Dr. Tom Dixon. Dixon, in a special announcement, said over the intercom some of the things that Murphy had accomplished including how he lead the movement for the new building.

Former Leesville Social Studies teacher Mary Propes, who is part of a committee made up of  “former teachers, administrators, alumni, parent leaders, family and friends” to commemorate Mr. Murphy’s legacy, said via email, “Our reasoning for both the scholarship and the building name center around Mr. Murphy’s emphasis on high academic expectations for all students.”

She was part of a committee made up of “former teachers, administrators, alumni, parent leaders, family and friends.”

Propes, a 35-year veteran of the Wake County School System, talked about how Mr. Murphy had to push hard for the county to give Leesville the new building.

“Mr. Murphy was the driving force behind the construction of the East building. By the third year the school was open, Leesville had mobile classroom units, and our population grew more rapidly with each academic year.”

She also mentioned that the building was built to be more progressive, saying that it was for “classrooms, art rooms, technology labs,specially outfitted rooms for special programs classes, and a music room.”

The building will fittingly be named the Murphy Classroom Building; any sign or plaque that commemorates it will be supplied via private funding and not county money.

One of the last things that Propes said in the email certainly resonates.

“It is appropriate, in light of Mr. Murphy’s death, to name the building in his honor because of his steadfast dedication to academics and his leadership in getting the building approved, designed, and built.”

Dr. Muttillo speaks at the Awards Day Ceremony on May 10, 2012. The Ceremony honored many Leesville students for their accomplishments both this year and throughout their high school careers.

Leesville held an Awards Day on May 10, 2012, to celebrate the achievements of students both this and past years.  Most of the awards were given out during the school day on May 10, but some were awarded at a special ceremony that night.  These included special awards for excellence in certain subjects, as well as awards for doing well in competitions.

The ceremony began with an opening by Sarah Martin, Leesville’s student body president.  The podium was then handed over to Dr. Muttillo, Leesville’s new principal, who was very eloquent about how well Leesville has performed over these last few years.  Shortly thereafter, Ms. Golden took over and called forward the chairs of Leesville’s departments to hand out the awards.

The awards ceremony was carried out well and did much to honor student’s accomplishments throughout this year and their entire school career.  The awards also do a lot in the way of motivation for students and should be given to students in recognition of the amount of time they dedicate to a subject, according to Kathleen Arney via email, sophomore and winner of the Chinua Achebe Award for Excellence in English.

Following the bestowing of the awards, the Executive Council for next year was sworn in.  The new council consists of Ingrid Chen, President, Donna Chow and Emily Yoo, Vice-Presidents, Hannah Daley, Secretary, Duane Barksdale, Treasurer, and Jessica Stout, Sergeant-at-Arms.  After all of the members were sworn in, Ingrid Chen, the new Executive Council President, gave some closing remarks.

All in all, the Awards Day ceremony honored Leesville’s students and their accomplishments, and was a great experience for all who attended.

Scootering is as indispensable form of transportation in many places around the world. In the US however, scootering is more a source of fun.

At Leesville Road High School, scootering has struck as an indispensable form of fun.

Yes, a recent group of students, led by Connor Blevins and Garrett Peebles, have started a group, a club, and some may even say a cult of scooterers.

“We call ourselves the Scooter Squad 919,” said Anne Cushman, junior and recent squad member.

Contacting one of the leaders was no easy feat.

“They are practically the Bono and the McJagger of the scootering world,” added Cushman. “We are always wowed when they come join us for our scootering ventures.”

The odds were in my favor, however, and I landed an interview with Connor Blevins, senior.

I approached the classroom, my notebook and pencil in hand, as a bundle of nerves, anxious to speak with the fearless leader of such an inspirational bunch.

He exited the classroom with a cool and collected swagger, as if he knew of his accomplishments but maintained a level of humility and normal person-ness.

He told his story in a calm voice.

“As a young child, I thoroughly enjoyed the art of scootering. It was my release, my escape from the woes of the real world of a 7 year old. I established a lengthy collection of 8 scooters. Sadly, the pressures of the real world pushed my devotion away as I grew up. A few weeks ago, I became sick of it. I refused to let the real world inhibit my true joy of scootering, and my friend Garrett Peebles agreed. We went for a glorious joyride, and the scootering spark was back in me–I needed more.”

In order to never miss a scootering opportunity, Blevins placed a scooter in his car.

“Then, one day, I was at a women’s soccer game. Due to thunder, the game was cancelled, but I knew the fun for the night wasn’t over. I took out the scooter, and then everyone wanted to go and get their scooters. Jacob Trundle, Anne Cushman and Rachel Radulovich joined, and the craze expanded. Jordan Arata also joined,” added Blevins.

Such a glorious group is forever growing and the scooterers are not to be stopped.

If you see them on the street, steer clear. They are a force not to be reckoned with.

One new addition to the Natural Science Museum is a large globe attached to the new wing. The globe contributes to the theme of world wide and universal research.

The Natural Science Museum of Raleigh has recently added a new wing to the building. The addition opened on Friday, April 20.

“I’m not sure of the exact number, but I think there were about 70,000 people who came on the opening night,” said Colin Brammer, a scientist at the museum who helped in designing the wing.

“[The wing] is split up into three investigative labs: the natural world – or in other words, ‘macro’ things: anything down to insect size – and then there’s the micro lab, which is basically microbes down to DNA, and then there’s the visualization lab, which is how we get data translated to things we can understand,” explained Brammer.

In each lab, there is always a scientist at the ready to explain experiments and converse with visitors. “Part of the experience of the science is that you have to figure out how to do things on your own. However, we always have scientists interacting with people at the labs,” said Brammer.

Matthew Jenkins, sophomore, is a junior curator at the museum. “As a junior curator, I help to take care of the animals and teach the public about them,” said Jenkins. “The opening night was very crowded, but it was cool seeing the new interactive exhibits.”

“It’s been a ten-year process, and it’s been a chance to get people connecting with scientists,” said Brammer. “It’s not like reading the paper and knowing ‘okay, scientists say this,’ it’s getting people understanding what’s behind the science.”

The new wing consists of labs and other highly interactive components.

“Everything is glass because [researchers] want research to be transparent. They want the public to know what we’re doing. We’ve always believed science should be accessible to everyone,” commented Brammer.

The museum is open from 9am to 5pm Monday-Saturday. Visit the Raleigh Museum of Natural Science at 11 West Jones Street, Raleigh NC 27601.

Mia Love speaks at Utah’s GOP convention secured the party's nomination for the 4th Congressional District seat. Love enjoys running and has three kids.

In the political world, there has been much talk about 37-year-old Mia Love, the recently nominated Republican woman for the fourth congressional district in Utah. What makes Love such a prime topic in the political world?

Love is both African-American and Mormon; if she beats her competitor, the incumbent and Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson in November, she will be the first Republican, African-American, female in Congress.

Love is the daughter of Haitians who immigrated to Brooklyn. “I am a product of that hard work,” she said in an interview with Yahoo News, “[I’m] a product of the American dream.”

Her career started with a seat on the city council in her small town of Saratoga Springs, Utah. She became mayor six years later and, along with donations from republican House leaders, she decided to run for a spot in the House.

Love, and her potential as the first Republican African-American  voted into national office, will show others that the GOP more diverse as people think it is.

In reality, the Republican party is evolving from the typical middle class, white membership to a more diverse party, and Love is only a small sample of racial diversity in the GOP.

For example, look at Herman Cain, a business man, media personality and former candidate for President of the United States in 2012, or Condoleezza Rice, the 66th Secretary of State. They are both accomplished, Republican african-americans.

That’s not where they end though.  There’s Florida’s lieutenant governor, Jennifer Carroll, who was the first African-American elected statewide and Peter Boulware, former NFL linebacker and Republican candidate for the Florida House of Representatives.

These men and women are defying political stereotypes, resulting in the changing of political parties and society’s expectations for them; Love is only one part of this movement

“I am ready to go in and change it[the government] from the inside out,” Love said to Yahoo News.

Students throw their caps in the air following Graduation. Graduation is a very important time in a young adult’s life, and Leesville has already begun to prepare for it, even though graduation is a month away.

Graduation is June 7, a month away, but Leesville has already begun to prepare for this important event.

This week, April 30 through May 4, for example, Senior bulletins were released that detailed information about appropriate dress, times, places, and tickets.  There have recently been many meetings involving supervision committees, as well as meetings at the Civic Center about layout and parking.

Other preparations include speech rehearsals and distribution of caps and gowns, which took place May 8.

Speech rehearsals are taking place for the many people speaking at the graduation ceremony, a list which includes Larry Han, Valedictorian, Justin Palpant, Salutatorian, Hannah Taylor, NHS President, Virginia Reed, Senior Class President, Sarah Martin, Student Body President, Kiana Robinson, Leader in academics and athletics, and another speaker who has yet to be confirmed.

When asked who was planning the graduation ceremony, Heather Dinkenor, teacher, said via e-mail, “Technically I am in charge of coordinating graduation with Mr. Duvall. Ms. Flor in the front office, Mr. Greene in Student Services, and Mrs. Scioli and Senor Ross are cohorts in pulling it all together, from double-checking names and symbols on diplomas and the program, to making sure everyone has the right number of credits to graduate, to keeping everyone organized, dressed correctly and marching appropriately; they are integral in making it all happen.”

Of course, these are just the major people in charge of the ceremony, but the whole LRHS faculty works together to make the ceremony come off as smoothly as it does.  The extra activities that the faculty do include music, supervision, tickets, the reception, and baccalaureate.

Dinkenor also said that “the saying that it takes a village to raise a child is true.  It is also true that it takes a school to graduate a child.”

Of course, there is the question that is on everyone’s mind, or at least, used to be, and that is about who is going to be on the stage handing out diplomas at the graduation ceremony.

Dinkenor again proved helpful by telling me via e-mail that “both Mr. Lyons and Dr. Muttillo will be onstage for the ceremony.  Dr. Muttillo was gracious and offered to let Mr. Lyons hand out the diplomas, however, which the senior class, I know, is very excited about.”

Graduation is the next step in life after high school and is a very important time in a young adult’s life.  It is reassuring to learn that the entire school is already preparing for this event, even a month before it is due to happen.

Students donated a lot of money of the short span of this fundraiser. To donate more, visit www.striving4more.org.

Leesville has participated in several fundraisers in the past: food drives, treats for troops, prom dress drives, and countless more. One particular fundraiser caught surprised me because this fundraiser was more than material items, which are just as vital and important, but it was more emotional and moving.

“Striving for More”  isn’t an average fundraiser– not only does it raise money for the Striving for More organization, but it also provides families of cancer patients with emotional and spiritual support regardless of their financial situation.

“The money raised will go to a variety of things.  It is used to help provide emotional support to families and children who are dealing with/diagnosed with childhood cancer.  There are many things that these families and children need that insurance does not cover such as priests, recreational therapists, and more,” Mrs. Sollie, Spanish teacher, said.

The money will also be used to provide bags with essential items that the families and children will need within the first few weeks of their diagnosis.  It has also been used to purchase digital cameras that the children can use to document their journey.

Donations were collected from Monday, April 23 to Thursday, April 26 during students’ second periods. Mrs. Kolb’s class won by donating the most amount of money- $30.97 per person. The second place class was Mrs. Sollie’s class with $13.17 per person.

Some students’ hearts were touched by Diane Moore, founder of Striving for More, when she made an informational video inspiring Leesville students to take action. Visit www.striving4more.org for more information about the organization or if you are interested in donating.

This is an example of a type of anime that members of the group watch. After watching an episode, members of the club review and discuss its content and plot.

According to dictionary.com, Anime is Japanese movie and television animation, often having a science fiction theme. Leesville’s Anime Club made its first impression on students this month. Not many students knew about the club because they didn’t advertise the club until this past meeting.

Being the newest club to form at Leesville, it has several plans for the future.

“We are in the process of discussing the possibility of creating our own anime. It would take a lot of time and effort, but the members in the group are interested,” Mr. Korreck, digital media teacher and advisor of the club, said.

During the meetings, the members watch different episodes of anime and discuss them, reviewing their substance and quality. Sometimes they practice drawing characters.

When the club first came together, not very many people knew about it. After the club started spreading information they had a better turn out.

“We went from three or four people to about eight or nine,” said Victor Rosario,the president.

The next meeting isn’t scheduled yet, but the club plans to meet at least once more before the end of the school year; new members are always welcome.

The first event that seniors should be aware of is the “Senior Breakfast and College Shirt Day.” On May 10, Seniors should get decked out in college gear and gather in the parking lot for breakfast. This particular event is not PTA sponsored, so help pitch in by bringing a box of donuts or a jug of juice. Also, expect to take many pictures with your fellow college attendees. (Pirates and Wolfpack, prepare your finger hooks and finger wolves.)

The next event that scholarly seniors can look forward to will happen the next day, May 11. The senior scholars breakfast will take place in the cafeteria at 8:30 for seniors with a cumulative GPA over 4.2. Parents are invited to come share breakfast with their senior spawn.

After the 11th, seniors can expect a droll two weeks standing between them and the next episode of fun. The waiting game will not end until May 25th. . On this day, we will spend our morning in the gym for the senior assembly. The assembly will consist of various speeches, scholarship recognition, and of course, the senior slideshow. After the slideshow finishes, we will trounce outside for the senior picnic. (Make sure to grab your senior issue of the Mycenaean!) The picnic will be catered by local businesses and will offer the perfect opportunity to socialize in an organized environment.

After the picnic comes a glorious two weeks of graduation parties and no school leading up to the main event; Graduation!

We’re almost there seniors. Continue dragging yourself to school for just a few more weeks and enjoy the provided events on the way. We only end highschool once, so make sure you do it right.