Albums you may have missed

Nicholas Chupka
Editor-in-Chief

Here is a specially compiled list of a few excellent albums that you may not have heard of or maybe just haven’t found the time to listen to. Whether or not you are a fan of pop, rock, punk, or something much more experimental, you’ll be sure to find something you like here.

Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven – Godspeed You! Black Emperor (2000)

Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven is the second album of Montreal based post rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The album is well known for its intense build-ups as well as its overwhelming amount of instrumentation and is compromised of four 20 minute long songs, each broken up into smaller segments of their own. On Lift Your Skinny Fists GY!BE explore a variety of musical ideas, including long droning sound collages as well as lo-fi folk songs. The opening track, “Gathering Storm,” begins with a subtle repeating guitar melody over a soft droning horn arrangement. As the song progresses, more instruments being to ascend, along with the guitar and horns, to the climax, which kicks in about 3 minutes into the song and sets the mood for the rest of the album. The album received much acclaim from Pitchfork, who scored the album 9 out of 10, as well as Allmusic, who gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5. After one listen of the album, Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven will definitely have you coming back for more. 

North Carolina introduces troublesome new student/parent portal

Michael Lyday
Staff Writer

At the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year, Wake County changed its student/parent portal from the Student/Parent Access Network, or SPAN, to the PowerSchool program. These programs permit teachers to enter grades into the online grade book which can be seen through a student or parent account, allowing the users to stay up to date with the student’s work and grades. It also aids in the scheduling process by generating student schedules. Although both systems had the same function, the switch was made to bring in a more contemporary system.

This Week's Fascinating Fun Facts

Devon McCarroll
Staff Writer

In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak. 

He could not be reached for commentary.

In the United States, more Frisbee discs are sold each year than baseballs, basketballs, and footballs combined.

This shirt makes me want to discover why people even play this game at all..

Chicken today contains 266 percent more fat than it did 40 years ago.

I'm not fat... I'm just.. fluffy

Fall Shows Worth a Look

Casey Nash
Staff Writer

Here are just a few of the many exciting shows premiering during this fall season. Whether they are new or returning, they are certainly captivating, original and will hold viewers hostage this fall. So grab your remote, make a big bowl of pop corn, and sit back and enjoy as these stations demand your attention to their fall shows.

The Hunt for the World Series begins

Michael Lyday & Adam Mancini
Staff Writers

As the 2013 Major League Baseball Season winds down, it is time to start thinking about the playoffs. This is the second year that will feature two wild cards instead of one, a new rule enacted last season by the MLB. The two wild card teams face off in a one game playoff, with the winner advancing to meet the top seeded team in the Division Series. Michael Lyday and Adam Mancini will give their best guesses as to who will win each division and who will win the World Series.

Department of the Month: Foreign Language

Natalia Ghan

Staff Writer

Most students need a foreign language to be accepted into a university, but simply pulling one out of a hat isn’t the best choice. So, how should an Apex High student choose the right option? Because not everyone is interested in the same field of study, a student would be wise to consider his/her future goals before signing up.

The first path one could go down is the sensible road of Spanish class.  Kate Lasher, an Apex High Spanish teacher, describes her subject as a “useful skill in today’s global community.” It is widely spoken in the United States and dominates South and Central America as well as a slice of Western Europe, and may increase one’s likelihood of finding a job in travel, communication, business, medicine, or even accounting.  This language would not only be useful to people frequently working with the public, but would also be the most helpful in everyday communication, as 13 percent of the American population is Spanish speaking. There is also a wide variety of Spanish classes offered at Apex High. The seventh level is AP Spanish Literature, taught by Elizabeth Mata; it can be described as an active, creative class where students will gain a deeper understanding of the language. 

NAHS to become part of growing Apex art community

Nicholas Chupka
Editor-in-Chief

Katelynn Whitehead, Co-President of NAHS

It has been an exciting beginning of the year for Apex senior Katelynn Whitehead and many other art students and teachers as the first meeting of the Apex National Art Honor Society approaches. Whitehead, who is Co-President of the National Art Honor Society, explains the origins of the NAHS saying, “When Ms. Rossi became a part of the art program here last year, she brought the NAHS idea with her. It was formed to help the Apex art community grow.”

The NAHS is intended to be an outlet for anyone to express their creativity, while simultaneously doing good for the community. “We want to have NAHS be a community where you can feel safe with your art,” said Whitehead, adding, “We’re going to volunteer, touch up different pieces of art, do community work, and we’ll have some workshops set up.”