AOIT website receives upgrade from Webmaster

Nicholas Chupka
News Editor

As the 2014-2015 school year comes to a close, AOIT students have finalized and turned in their required 140-hour internships. An AOIT statement sent to Apex Legacy explains, “This spring, [Webmaster] Matt Cozzalino has done a major overhaul on the AHS site, and added a new Director’s Notes blog as a way for Director John Evans to communicate with students and teachers.” In the statement, Cozzolino is quoted as saying, “The Director’s Notes are especially helpful because Mr. Evans can post any communiqués he plans to send to students and parents on the blog.”

Matt Cozzalino spoke about the changes he made to the Apex AOIT website, saying, “[Wordpress] kind of acts like a repository for any announcements sent out to parents of students. It’s really for people who are already in AOIT and just want reminders and things like that.”

To find the revamped website click the “AOIT” link in the toolbar on the Apex High School website or visit: https://aoitnotes.wordpress.com/

North Carolina health experts call for increased anti-tobacco funding

Henry McKeand
Staff Writer

The use of electronic cigarettes has increased drastically in the past few years, and some North Carolina health advocates are blaming this rise on a lack of tobacco prevention funding.  The state’s funding for anti-tobacco programs was severely cut in 2012.  The cigarette awareness group Tobacco Reality Unfiltered, for example, saw its funding fall from $17.3 million to $2.7 million.  When the cuts were made, teen-smoking was down, but smoking rates started to rise after the cuts.  Plus, the popularity of e-cigarettes has shot-up, especially for teenagers.  In fact, the use of e-cigarettes by middle and high school students tripled from 2013 to 2014, with high school use going from 4.5% to 13.4%.

Raleigh voted best city to find work

Jessica Stiehm
Staff Writer

North Carolina has a rich history including pirates, first airplane flights, and the birthplace of Clay Aiken. Now North Carolina has something new to add to their repertoire. North Carolina’s capital, Raleigh, was recently awarded the title of Best City for Jobs and Business in the Nation by Glassdoor. Glassdoor, a website that allows employees and former employees to anonymously review their companies and its management, is rather popular with job seekers. The site has three branches currently and is still expanding worldwide. On their American blog post for 25 Best Cities For Jobs, Raleigh was at the top. Forbes also listed Raleigh as the #1 Place in the Nation for Business and Careers.

Seniors attending out of state colleges 2015

Zane Muzzillo
Staff Writer

President Obama works to demilitarize police force

Henry McKeand
Staff Writer

President Barack Obama has banned the federal government from equipping police departments with certain military-grade equipment.  This ban comes after a year of controversy over the militarization of the police forces in cities like Ferguson and Baltimore.   Grenade launchers and armored vehicles will no longer be provided, while riot gear and certain explosives will be more closely regulated.  Many U.S. citizens have expressed concern over what they view as the excessive use of military weaponry by police officers, especially in black communities.

Obama has recently been making other efforts to increase a feeling of community and transparency in law enforcement.  He is planning to announce $163 million in grants in order to give police departments an incentive to be more transparent.  The Justice Department announced a $20 million grant program earlier this month that will increase body camera use by police officers. Obama travelled to Camden, New Jersey this Monday to praise the city’s achievements in improving the relationship between its police force and community.  While in the city, he remarked on his decision to cut back on police militarization, saying, "We've seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people the feeling like there's an occupying force as opposed to a force that's part of the community.”

Lancet Psychiatry conducts bullying study with surprising results

Kenison Garratt
Staff Writer

The Lancet Psychiatry has launched the first study documenting the effects of maltreatment by adults and peer bullying in childhood and mental health consequences, and the results have been rather surprising. Their results revealed being bullied in childhood has long-term effects on the mental health of young adults. The study, led by Professor Dieter Wolke from the University of Warwick, compared young adults in the United States and the United Kingdom who were maltreated and bullied in childhood. The researchers defined maltreatment as, “any physical or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, or negligent treatment resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity.”

NHS inductees announced, ceremony to take place Thursday

Jessica Stiehm
Staff Writer

Over 200 students at Apex High School are being inducted into the National Honor Society on Thursday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m.

Selection into the National Honor Society is based on a student’s excellence in areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. In order to obtain admission into NHS, students must be an upperclassman, have a GPA of 3.60 or higher and complete at least 20 hours of volunteer service by the end of the school year. Apex High School’s chapter of NHS has monthly meetings to assure that members are completing their specific requirements. Tori McGee, Apex’s NHS Advisor, will enroll new members into a Blackboard course which will post weekly announcements.

American Idol comes to an end after 13 years

Aaron Koch
Staff Writer

American Idol is finally coming to an end. Fox executives and American Idol producers collectively came to the decision to cancel the show after season 15. The final season will start January 2016 with the long time host Ryan Seacrest and judges: Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban and Harry Connick, Jr. American Idol has been a major runner in Fox’s TV lineup since 2002 with the original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson. Other famous judges have fallen in and out of the show like Nicki Minaj and Steven Tyler along with dozens of stars.

Chemistry experiment causes evacuation

Dylan Tastet
Staff Writer

Students were evacuated from Apex High School this morning after a fire broke out in the B-building science lab. AP Chemistry class was in session at the time.

The fire broke out after a student’s experimental apparatus failed, exposing a flammable chemical to a hot surface. The fire, which ignited a nearby electrical outlet and burned surrounding equipment, was quickly extinguished by the supervising teacher. The experiment that ignited was designed to produce a considerable amount of smoke, and, despite the students’ best efforts to dissipate it, it still triggered the fire alarm.

One student suffered minor burns and was treated for his injuries on campus.

Cary man charged with homicide

Sarah Kebea
Editor-in-Chief

A 54 year old Cary man has been charged with Cary’s first homicide of the year.  Dwight Anthony Blount of Cary is currently being held without bond for the homicide of Luciano Mariana Andia, 72. 

Before 7 a.m. on Sunday, Cary police received a call from a shopping center between High House Road and Highway 55.  The witness calling on the phone believed the man, Andia, had been shot, due to the holes through the car window. When officers arrived to the scene, they found Andia dead inside his car. 

On Monday, Howard Cummings, the Wake County District Attorney, said the motive for the homicide appeared to be robbery.  At first the death was not ruled a homicide, until investigators discovered that Andia sustained injuries that caused his death.  Surveillance videos and forensic evidence led authorities to Blount.  This is not the first time Blount has been in custody.  At 19, Blount was found guilty on assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and in 1994 he was convicted of second-degree murder.  His last time in custody was on a breaking and entering charge in 2009, for which he served eight months.

Blount appeared in court yesterday.  His next hearing is scheduled for June 1 at 9 a.m.

State Board of Education cancels North Carolina Final Exams

Maya Horton
Staff Writer

The State Board of Education granted Wake County Public School Systems waiver to eliminate the North Carolina Final Exams in 2015. A waiver was requested by Wake County in early April, asking to withhold the North Carolina Final Exams this year, due to losing too many educational days from weather conditions.  The NCFE will be replaced by teacher made exams.  Due to the waiver, senior exemptions are now back on the table. Exemptions are based on the traditional tally of absences in relation to the grade in the class.  The EOC, EOG and AP tests are unaffected by this decision.  

CTE exams are going to be given on May 27 and May 28 with scheduling that will extend classes into three hour long periods with a single lunch.  A complete test schedule can be found on the Apex High School website detailing times.

Liquid biopsies provide noninvasive care

Henry McKeand
Staff Writer

Liquid biopsies, a new type of blood test, could potentially provide a new noninvasive form of cancer care.  The biopsies look for and capture cancer cells found in the blood.  They utilize gene profiling to determine what mutations cause the cancer.  These biopsies are done as opposed to actually removing tissue from the tumor, and could potentially provide a more accurate way of discovering which cancer medicines will be most effective for an individual.  This could save health care costs by quickly finding the right drugs to use for treatment instead of having to experiment with different medicines. 

Devastating earthquake strikes Nepal and surrounding areas

Aaron Koch
Staff Writer

An earthquake struck Nepal and neighboring nations on April 25 at approximately 11:56 NST (Nepal Standard Time) taking 7,365 lives and injuring more than twice that. It leveled villages and left thousands homeless; but with a magnitude of 8.1 it impacted more than just Nepal, triggering several avalanches along the Himalayas. One avalanche occurred on Mount Everest killing at least 19 people. Another avalanche crumbled across the Langtang valley resulting in over 250 reported missing. The earthquake also killed dozens in neighboring countries including 78 people in India, 25 in China, and 4 in Bangladesh. Throughout Nepal aftershocks frightened victims with 15 to 20 minute intervals with one of the aftershocks reaching a magnitude of 6.7 the day after the earthquake. 

Baltimore officers charged following death of Freddie Gray

Jessica Stiehm
Staff Writer

It’s been nearly a month since Freddie Gray passed, and the six officers involved have finally been charged with murder or manslaughter. The news brought a sense of justice to the roused citizens of Baltimore, many of whom have been protesting, and rioting, since his death.

Here’s what’s happened to date:

On April 12, Freddie Gray, a 25 year old black male, was arrested after exchanging eye contact with the police and running from them. According to the police report, he was apprehended nonviolently despite reports from bystanders. Once arrested, he was confined to a police van but not seat belted into the vehicle. The events that transpired next are unclear.

Food Lion discontinues use of live lions in commercials

Nicholas Chupka
News Editor

In a statement published on their website, animal rights activist group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called for a protest of Food Lion’s usage of live lions during the filming of their commercials. Though the American Humane Association (AHA) has made a commitment to monitor the treatment of animals before, during, and after the filming process, PETA remarks that the monitoring is incomprehensive and irresponsible claiming, “The Hollywood Reporter's investigation into the AHA revealed what PETA has been helping to bring to light for years—that the AHA's monitoring of film and television productions is woefully inadequate. As a result, animals have often been put in dangerous situations, injured, or even killed.”

Durham faces rise in crime

Henry McKeand
Staff Writer

Violent crime in Durham has increased 22% since this time last year, and Durham police chief Jose Lopez is attributing this rise to rampant gun use in the community.  “I think the cause is because people are using guns to deal with their issues,” said Lopez.  Homicides have increased 67% in the past year and aggravated assaults have increased 28%. However, an April report from the Department of Justice revealed that overall crime was actually down in the city. Still, it also showed that the homicide rate for black males between the ages of 15 and 34 is eight times higher than the national average and that Durham citizens don’t have confidence in the police department. 

Durham’s police department has recently faced a number of controversies, including a number of marches protesting racial bias in the police force.  A rally was held in the city on Friday evening to support Baltimore citizens protesting against the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. 

In 2013, Jesus Huerta shot himself in the head while in the back of a police vehicle, and his death led to cameras being installed in Durham patrol cars.  His suicide further damaged Durham’s law enforcement reputation and showed the need for a change in the city.  The Office of Justice Programs Diagnostic Center recently offered to help make strategic plans that would improve the city, and Lopez is committed to making Durham a safer place, saying that, “We're looking to improve in anything that we're doing. I mean, response times, our expectations. We really push ourselves to the edge on it.”

Indonesia executes foreigners despite international protest

Kenison Garratt
Staff Writer

Indonesia has formally notified 10 prisoners convicted of drug trafficking that their executions will be carried out as soon as possible. On Saturday, the nine foreigners and one Indonesian man were told their executions by firing squad were to be carried out in Besi prison on Nusakambangan Island. Indonesia has incredibly strict drug laws and often executes smugglers; more than 130 people are on death row, mostly for drug crimes. One third of these convicts are foreigners.

When Indonesian President Joko Widodo took office last October, he declared Indonesia to be facing a drug crisis. Indonesia has some of the toughest drug laws in the world. But Jakarta believes their country’s drug problem justifies their harsh punishments; 33 Indonesians die every day as a result of drugs.

Annual PeakFest returning to downtown Apex

Maya Horton
Staff Writer

This Saturday taste some food and have fun at the annual PeakFest festival held in historic downtown Apex.  From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on May 2, there will be vendors lining the streets offering food, trinkets, martial arts lessons, bubbles and more.  Balloons, bouncy houses, and local businesses will all be there.  There’s even a section catered to the kids in your family featuring Happy Dan the Magic Man and other entertainers.  The weather is predicted to be in the 70s and fairly sunny, perfect for enjoying a day outside.  Don’t forget the sunscreen.

Georgia school system announces random drug testing for students

Michael Lyday
Features Editor 

The Carroll County school system in Georgia has announced that it will begin random drug testing in its five high schools beginning next school year. This new program was put into effect after a unanimous decision by the county’s board of education. The testing will affect all student athletes, students involved in extracurricular activities, and students who drive and park on campus. The measure has been well received by parents and students, who claim drug use among student athletes has become an issue. Critics have taken issue with the cost compared to the success rate of such tests; school drug tests cost $24 each while only 1 in 125 tests return positive. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18 percent of public high schools have mandatory drug testing policies. 

VIP program presents at Apex tomorrow

Alexandria Sands
Arts & Entertainment Editor

Apex High School seniors will view the “VIP for VIP” or Vehicle Injury Prevention for a Very Important Person program tomorrow April 28 during second and fourth periods. The program is scheduled prior to prom and graduation for students to use as a learning experience. The program focuses not only on driving while impaired and speeding, but also avoiding distractions that can cause an accident to occur in a matter of seconds.

The day will begin with a memorial vehicle placed in front of school. Keep in mind that two students lost their lives in the vehicle. The program is broken up into two different sessions. The 9:15 a.m. session will take place in the gym where students will hear from various speakers. These will include emergency services and parents of teenage victims, followed by a video presentation. The afternoon session will begin at 1:00 p.m. During these 30 minutes, students will sit in bleachers in the senior parking lot to observe a reenactment of a fatal car crash.