Why we need to vote

Henry McKeand

Staff Writer

According to The Economist Intelligence Unit's 2013 report on democracy throughout the world, only 15% of countries have full democracy and 33% of countries are controlled by authoritarian governments.  So why are citizens of the United States, one of the most democratic nations in the entire world, not voting?  In the 2012 U.S. presidential election, only 57.5% of eligible citizens voted.  The percentage is even lower for local elections, which is unfortunate since the results of local elections have a more direct impact.  For example, only 15% of Wake County voters turned out for the 2013 mayoral elections.  Compare this number to the 74.6% of Wake County voters in the presidential election in 2012.  These are disturbing statistics, especially during a time when many people are fighting for their right for representation.

Tech industry shifts focus to wearable technology

Zane Muzzillo
Staff Writer

Wearable technology is changing from being an expensive luxury to an affordable accessory. Smartwatches are becoming the focus of wearable technology. On September 9, Apple announced the release of their own smartwatch, the Apple Watch.

Google was moved to the forefront of smart device innovation when they released Google Glass, the pair of glasses that doubles as a smart device right in front of your eyes. The next step for wearable technology lies in smartwatches, where the big players in the smartphone industry, including Apple, Samsung, LG and Motorola, have shifted their focus. The watches are designed to be compatible with each company’s smartphones. Once connected, the watches can receive text messages, emails and can be used as navigation devices. The watches can also be connected to a bank or PayPal account to replace cash and debit and credit cards.

League Championship Series begins

Matt Sholtis
Staff Writer

This postseason the National League and the American League have been completely different. The American league has two of the most improbable teams imaginable playing in the ALCS, while in the National League there are two perennial teams. Here is a preview on what should be an exciting League Championship Series.

WCPSS names Wight as principal of Apex Friendship

Alex Sands
Staff Writer

The Board of Education appointed Matthew Wight as principal of Apex Friendship High School on October 7. Wight will be leaving Apex High School January 1, 2015.

Apex Friendship will open in August, 2015 with an estimated 1,300 9th and 10th graders. Upperclassmen and those with upperclassmen siblings will stay at their current schools. Wight said, “This is a guess on my part, but perhaps as many as 30 percent of incoming freshman might be impacted.” He then added, “Based on the proposed district lines, it may impact Holly Springs more than Apex.”

Tiny houses... big movement

Rebekah Gould
Staff Writer

Picture taken from: FYI  Tiny House Nation

Often called “Hobbit Habitats”, the Tiny House Movement is sweeping across the nation. Many Americans live with excessive amounts of what they don’t need. Our economy runs not only on what people need, but what people want. Not everyone needs the new iPhone 6, a curved TV, or old projects from elementary school. Since the recession in 2008, paying the mortgage alone has been difficult for many families across the U.S. As a result, the Tiny House movement is spreading across the country for all kinds of people because of the simple lifestyle required and lower cost of living.

New brain injury study drops bombshell on NFL

Adam Mancini
Sports Editor

Columnist Adam Mancini

Football is nearly a religion in American culture. Approximately 111.5 million people tuned in to watch the Seattle Seahawks dismantle the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. That’s over a third of the United States. But are we simply avidly rooting for our favorite teams in the great American sport each weekend, or are we witnessing the destruction of the bodies and minds of hundreds of young men?

In a ground shaking report from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs brain repository, 76 of the 79 former players’ brains studied showed evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a degenerative brain disease associated with impulse control problems, memory loss, and progressive dementia. The brain bank, one of the nation’s largest, would go on to study the brains of 128 deceased football players and find that a whopping 96.2 percent of the former NFL players in the study suffered from the disease.

RDU considering second nonstop international flight

Henry McKeand
Staff Writer

The Raleigh-Durham International Airport is planning to add a new direct international flight to Europe, which is good news for Triangle residents who are interested in traveling overseas.  RDU already has a nonstop flight to Heathrow Airport in London, and the proposed new flight would fly directly to either Frankfurt, Germany or Paris, France.