Why Kony 2012 Fails to Help Uganda

John Santos 
Staff Writer

Columnist John Santos

Kony 2012 appears to be an awareness campaign that no one could argue against. The Kony 2012 video, made by the charity Invisible Children, calls for action against Joseph Kony, a vicious Ugandan warlord who is infamous for using children as soldiers and slaves in his Lord’s Resistance Army. The video encourages viewers to “make Kony famous” by putting up posters and contacting public figures. As of March 19, the video had been viewed over 83 million times on YouTube and has been endorsed by celebrities including Bill Gates and Kim Kardashian.

The video leads viewers to believe that Kony is operating in Uganda with 30,000 children in his army. The truth is that the Lord’s Resistance Army now only numbers in the hundreds, and they are no longer active in Uganda, but in the neighboring nations of Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. The Kony 2012 video shows Uganda as it was six years ago, ignoring the fact that Uganda is no longer a country in conflict.

Many Ugandans have expressed anger about the video. A screening in the Ugandan town of Lira was met with outrage; the audience threw objects and jeered. The Ugandan viewers were angry that the film focused more on Kony and the filmmakers than the conflict’s victims and ignored Ugandans’ recovery.  The Ugandan Prime Minister uploaded a response to YouTube inviting the world to come see Uganda and stressing that they will find that it is a very different place than the Kony 2012 video would lead one to believe.

Scholar Artists: Henry Boyd

Paige Smith
Staff Writer

Henry Boyd poses for a picture.

Henry Boyd has been playing the clarinet with the school band since sixth grade. He has been on the honor roll for the majority of his high school career and is a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist. He enjoys physics and chemistry, the latter being his favorite class at Apex.

Besides academics and clarinet, Henry loves to play guitar. “It’s more like an obsession,” said Boyd. He has a band called Light the Atlantic, and that’s his main commitment outside of school. He also enjoys watching movies, though his favorites change with his mood. “Currently, I’d have to say Gone With the Wind,” he decided. In general, Boyd likes music, walking around lakes, and reading. His favorite books include both Outliers and Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, whom he said is “very good at writing interesting non-fiction.”

Boyd is very influenced by school, and he counts a few teachers among his favorites. He especially likes Coach Little, Mr. Oltmans, and Ms. Keller, who “floats on a hover-throne above the scale,” according to Boyd. He plans to attend N.C. State and study computer science engineering and chemistry. When asked about his future plans, Boyd says that ideally, he would be a professional musician with his band, but the back-up plan would be to work towards a career at SAS, where he interned over the summer.

New Movie Leaves Viewers Hungry for More

Frankie Campisano
Arts and Entertainment Editor

 The Hunger Games is Hollywood’s next big thing, hailed as the successor to Harry Potter and Twilight. The first film, which stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, and Elizabeth Banks, introduces viewers to a post-apocalyptic America, where teenagers are pitted against each other in an annual fight to the death. The film follows Katniss Everdeen, portrayed by Lawrence, a typical teenager who is engulfed in the titular Hunger Games competing for her life. The Games themselves are devised as a way for the lavish, corrupt government system known as the Capitol to keep the twelve Districts, akin to impoverished, powerless states, in line. Though there are roughly two dozen competitors, the plot homes in on Katniss and her male counterpart, Peeta Mellark, which adds a level of predictability to the plot, keeping the core cast intact for the entire trilogy.
 
The Hunger Games has a lot going for it; a solid script co-penned by the author of the original book series, Suzanne Collins, a cast with strong on-screen chemistry, and successful marketing campaign that has positioned the film to be the next big film franchise for teenagers. Bringing in $155 million at the box office for its opening weekend, the Gary Ross directed film has been a critical and commercial success. But the film’s biggest strengths are also its biggest weaknesses. Ross’ rollercoaster directing leads to many scenes where the excitement and thrill feels entirely manufactured. Scenes of simple dialogue are trumped up in an attempt to make them heart pounding and keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The series’ plot is too heavily lifted from the Japanese franchise Battle Royale, which delivers the same premise with stronger political and emotional messages, while at the same time refusing to pander to young audiences in the way that The Hunger Games does.

Scholar Artists: Gloria Yoo

Paige Smith

Senior Gloria Yoo poses for a picture.

Staff Writer

Senior Gloria Yoo’s passion is chorus; she even serves as a teacher assistant for the class. She has been on the A and A-B honor roll her entire high school career, and she received an AP Scholar Award. Yoo is president of the Book Club and International Club, and she takes care to commit fully to her endeavors.

Outside of school, Yoo enjoys a wide range of activities, including reading, making up random songs, and writing letters and journals. “I’m old fashioned like that,” said Yoo, “Postage mail makes me happy.” Her favorite authors include Jules Vern, Robin McKinley, Rick Riordan, and occasionally Jane Austen. When asked about music, she said, “I just listen to what I like to. There are too many good composers and artists out there.” Her role model is her mom, because “she’s taught me a lot and she’s always been there for me even though we don’t always get along. She guides to the truth of the situation.”

Along with chorus, Yoo’s favorite subject is anything to do with the humanities. Though she does say that “the teacher is a big factor in designing how well I do.” Yoo has applied to many prestigious universities, including Yale as her number one choice. In college, she plans to study psychology and education, and hopes to one day become a teacher. Yoo said that she has a “passion to form education so it focuses on the student and their potential, rather than feeding them information.”

Women's Soccer Hopes to Overcomes Challenges

Jacob Pedersen 
Staff Writer


R t L: Katie Thomas, Kaitlin Walker

Apex Varsity Women’s Soccer would like to get a one or two seed in the tournament.   One of the obstacles preventing that goal is Green Hope.  “Green Hope is the toughest opponent [in our conference].  We lost to them the first time around 2-1.  They’ve been very competitive.  They have given us the steepest competition of any conference team,” said Head Coach Kevin Todd.

The team has not won the State Title since 2007 and has not won the Conference title in two years.  “We have a legacy of winning and winning Conference Contenders for first place.  Green Hope is our toughest match.  I think we can get them next time and at least tie with them in conference [Standings],” said Senior Captain Allison Water.  “Our best games are when we’re in a slow, consistent flow offensively,” said Coach Todd about what plan of attack they’re going to have the next time they play Green Hope.  “The key word is attack.” 

Spring Break on a Budget

Paige Smith
Staff Writer

Eleni Krakowski relaxes at the library.

Not everyone has the funds to go to a ski resort or rent a condo on the beach for spring break. So what can you do when you are strapped for cash, other than sit around the house? Luckily, there’s a plethora of inexpensive activities to fill those hours of boredom.

For students in search of an intellectual activity, museums would seem a logical first choice. The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA), for example, has free admission to their permanent collection and reasonably priced tickets for their special exhibits. The special exhibit NCMA will be hosting during spring break is El Anatsui: When I Last Wrote You About Africa, and it follows the work of El Anatsui’s African-inspired sculptures. If you are more of a stargazing type, the Morehead Planetarium offers admission for only $7.25. One could also take a trip to a zoo or aquarium for a rather low price. If you are looking for something simpler, the library is of course free, and books provide an endless source of entertainment for the intellectually inclined.

DECA State Competition Winners

Frankie Campisano
Arts and Entertainment Editor

Advertising Campaign – Tim Merithew and Tyler Rogers – 4^th place

     Laura Brockington, Jenna Blas, Shelby Wilt – 3^rd place.

Apparel & Accessories – Katie Godfrey – State finalist

Business Finance – Mark Tate – 4^th place

Business Law & Ethics Team – Gabby Robinson and Siri Chadalavada – State finalists

Business Services – Paula Crisp and Kayla Roll – State finalists

Buying & Merchandising Team – Dipali Aphale and Karen Cheng – State finalists

Community Service MDA Project – Anthony D’Andreti, Zach Gadwah, Tim Verdi – State finalists

Creative Marketing Project – Mark Tate and Kyle May – 2^nd place

Entrepreneurship Promotion Project – Danny Fredenburg and Shivam Desai – 3^rd place

Financial Management Team – Jeff Valdini and Connor Litton – State finalists

Financial Literacy Promotion Project – Gabby Robinson, Siri Chadalavada, Usman Abbasi – 3^rd place

Food Marketing – Jon Sousa – State finalist

Hospitality & Tourism Professional Selling – Alia Capone – 3^rd place

Hotel & Lodging Management – Alia Capone – State finalist

Marketing Communications Team – Collin Gibbons and Tyler Rogers – 3^rd place

Professional Selling – Caroline Lewis – 4^th place

Quick Serve Restaurant Management – Mike Silk – State finalist

Sports & Entertainment Management Team – Zach Gadwah and Kyle May – State finalists

Sports & Entertainment Promotion Plan – Sarah Hesington and Casey-Jane Farnham – State finalists.  Lena McCord, Erica Gilaranz, Beth Fellows – 4^th place

Entrepreneurship Written Event – Jeff Valdini – 4^th place, Mitch DeForest – 3^rd place, and Chris Denison – 1^st place in the state

Finance Operations Event – Dipali Aphale and Karen Cheng – 1^st place in the state

Learn & Earn Gala of Hope Project – Megan Gravley, Katie Godfrey, and Sydney Snedeker – 1^st place in the state

Public Relations Genocide Project – Collin Gibbons, Matt Bigelow, and Caroline Lewis – 1^st place in the state