North Carolina Implements Education Changes

Sarah Muzzillo and Ciara Healey 

Layout Editor, Staff Writer
     

North Carolina was one of twelve states to receive a $400 million Race to the Top grant in 2010. Since then, multiple changes have been implemented to satisfy grant requirements. The requirements include: improving low-performance schools, adopting new assessments, and setting performance-based standards for teachers.

Best and Worst Dressed at the Oscars

Ciara Healey
Staff Writer Opinion Piece
  

Best Dressed of the 2012 Oscars:

1. Mila Jovovich

2. Penelope Cruz

3. Octavia Spencer

4. Michelle Williams

5. Jessica Chastain
   

Worst Dressed of the 2012 Oscars:

1. Sacha Baron Cohen

2. Sandra Bullock

3. Viola Davis

4. Rose Byrne

5. Berenice Bejo

To see photographs of all of this year's memorable red carpet attendees, visit the official website for the Oscars by clicking Here.

The Danger Zone: Facebook versus Twitter

                              

Corporations Want to Buy Our Elections

Frankie Campisano
Arts and Entertainment Editor Opinion Piece

            America’s free elections are in danger of being legally bought out by powerful corporate interests. The 2012 presidential election will be unlike any that have come before it, due in part to a recent Supreme Court decision that we are only just now seeing the fallout from. The case of Citizens United versus the Federal Election Commission was heard by the Supreme Court in 2010, and it ruled that corporations as legal entities are considered people.  The decision reversed existing rules that stopped corporations and non-profit organizations from airing campaign commercials within thirty days of a primary or sixty days of a general election. Coupled with an earlier Supreme Court decision in the case of Buckley versus Valeo, which ruled that the spending of money qualified as a form of protected speech, the results are disastrous.  The Citizens United case notably opened the door to the creation of independent expenditure political action committees, commonly referred to as Super PACs. When combined with a 501(c)(4) organization, a shell corporation with little practical use, Super PACs can exploit loopholes in the election system to collect unlimited, anonymous donations from corporations and individuals to use them for political campaigning for candidates.

Apex Interact Club to Host Inaugural “Cornament”

Taylor Adcox

Features Editor

Apex residents will have the opportunity to demonstrate their beanbag throwing skills at the Interact Club’s first annual “Cornament” on April 28.  All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House.

Students Draft Bill at Legislative Conference

Paige Smith
Staff Writer

The Apex High School Youth and Government Club attended its first North Carolina Youth Legislature Conference from February 9-12. From Thursday evening until Sunday afternoon, the eight students and two advisers participated in a mock government setting, writing bills, arguing cases, and reporting on the events of the YMCA-sponsored conference.

Scholar Athlete: Katie Burnet

Jake Pedersen

Senior Katie Burnet before an
Apex lacrosse game.

Staff Writer

Senior Katie Burnet, Lacrosse and Cross Country

 GPA: 4.5
Current Class Schedule: E-Commerce II (Honors), English IV (Honors), PEPI Favorite teacher: “This is a very tough question because I've enjoyed almost all my teachers, especially my AOIT teachers. However, if I had to choose my influential one it would be Ms. White. Her class was definitely one of the more challenging classes I have taken at Apex. She was willing to spend extra time with me to make sure I understood all the material before tests and helped me to understand my mistakes on tests. She showed me teachers really do care about your success in the classroom” 

Scholar Athlete: Collin Gibbons

Jake Pedersen

Senior Collin Gibbons, left, receiving a baton
pass from junior Jalen Ware, right.

Staff WriterSenior Collin Gibbons, Track

GPA: 4.6071

Schedule: Honors Spanish IV, AP Statistics, Honors Physics, AP European History

Favorite Teacher: Betty Brown.  "That class helped me improve my writing more than any other and made me realize I enjoy classical literature." 

Coming Soon to Theaters

Frankie Campisano

The Avengers, the culmination of
four years of Marvel Studios films, unites
many of the company's popular heroes.

Arts & Entertainment Editor

While most of the year’s biggest blockbusters will be gracing the silver screen in the summer, the spring of 2012 is still packed with exciting films for all ages. Legacy takes a look at some of the best and worst feature films being released between the months of March and May.

Long Time Apex Coach Bob Wolfe Retires From Coaching

Coach Wolfe, who has ended his eighteen
year tenure as head football coach at Apex.

Taylor Adcox and Jonathan Crighton 
Features Editor & Sports Editor

Football coach Bob Wolfe has retired after 18 years on the job at Apex.  Head coach since 1994, Wolfe accumulated a 103-99-3 record during his tenure.

“I just felt that inside of me it was time.  I’ve been coaching for 38 years now,” Wolfe said.

New French Teacher Joins Foreign Language Department

Mr. Kuhn passes out papers while his second period
students complete an assignment.

Paige Smith 
Staff Writer

Apex High brought back French for the 2011-2012 school year, and this semester James Kuhn is taking a traditional approach to teaching the language as the newest member to the Apex family.

           

Previously teaching English in both France and Japan, Kuhn has now been teaching French in the U.S.  for eight years. In college he majored in French, but returned to earn Master’s degrees in teaching and counseling, both jobs that he’s had experience with now. Kuhn said that his inspiration to study French in college came from his own high school French teacher. “She had traveled all over the world to almost every country,” remarked Kuhn, “she just made it sound so exciting.”

With all his teaching experience, Kuhn had some very important advice for students. “High school drama won’t mean anything in five years. The things that will matter are your grades, because they follow you.” Kuhn suggested that students “focus on their future” and use high school as a stepping stone for their goals. Above all, Kuhn said that students should not take it personally when a teacher calls them out on something. “We’re here to help, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” he states.

Besides teaching and traveling, Kuhn enjoys exercising and reading, though choosing one absolute favorite book is too difficult. “There are way too many for me to pick one,” he explains. His favorite movie, however, is The Shawshank Redemption, and his top television picks include Flashpoint and American Idol. Kuhn said he mainly enjoys watching the latter for the amusing tryouts before the actual competition starts.

Kuhn said that he is “happy to be here,” and that he finds Apex students to be “polite and hardworking, [as well as] serious about their grades.” However, he thinks that the French students “don’t quite know what to make of me yet.” Kuhn hopes to promote a productive learning environment as well as to show his unique personality.

Vampires, Headbutts, and the Apocalypse Highlight Disappointing Field of Super Bowl Ads

The logo for the National Football League.

Taylor Adcox 
Features Editor Opinion Piece

At $3.5 million for a thirty second spot, one would think that the various advertisers of Super Bowl XLVI would put more effort into the biggest marketing opportunity of the year.  While the game lived up to all of the hype and more, the commercials did not meet the same level of expectation. 

Kilby to Lead Cougars

Kilby coaching his team from the sidelines.

Jake Pedersen
Staff Writer

Joe Kilby will be the new head football coach for Apex High School in the 2012-2013 season.  Until then, he will be working with the players in the weight room.  “Right now, our focus is on getting the players in the weight room.  It does not matter what level you play at - you win games in the off-season,” said Kilby.  He was hired to succeed retiring head coach Bob Wolfe.  Wolfe said, “It takes a lot of energy to get the program to where it was before, not that I don’t have the energy; it would just be easier to have someone younger do it.”

Upcoming Concerts: March and April

John Santos

The ad mat for the upcoming Glamour Kills Tour,
headlined by The Wonder Years.

Staff Writer

Read on for a list of exciting musical acts visiting the Raleigh area during the months of March and April.

Super Bowl Wrap-Up: Elite and Eli, One in the Same

Jonathan Crighton 

The logo for Super Bowl XLVI.

Sports Editor

Eli Manning is the big man in the NFL after one-upping Tom Brady and leading the New York Giants to a 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots in Sunday's Super Bowl, and now there are two Super Bowl championships and two MVPs to prove it.

Legacy Predicts 2012 Oscar Winners

The logo for the 84th Academy Awards ceremony.

Ciara Healey
Staff Writer

The Oscars are a much anticipated and highly coveted award in cinema. On February 26, viewers across the world will tune in to root for their favorite celebrities. This year there have been several highly-acclaimed films that are all worthy of Oscars, but of course only one can win.

Students Prepare for Play Premiere

Senior Nicole Barone rehearses for her role as
the Baker's Wife.

Ciara Healey
Staff Writer

Theatre students at Apex High School are preparing for another spring production with passion and excitement. “Into the Woods” opens on Thursday, March 1, and the other performances take place on March 2-3 and 8-10, all at 7:00 p.m. A cast of 28 is currently working hard to bring together this musical, rehearsing Monday through Friday from January until opening night.

Apex Legacy Presents Promotional Video

Attention rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors: If you're interested in applying for Legacy, please stop by Student Services before February 17th!

United States Fails to Act on Children's Rights

John Santos

Columnist John Santos

Staff Writer Opinion Piece

The United States and Somalia are about as opposite as two countries can be. So why is the United States the only country that stands with Somalia in failing to ratify the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, one of the most important international advancements in children’s rights ever?  The United States prides itself as a nation of justice, freedom and prosperity. Somalia, on the other hand, has virtually no government, is run mostly by pirates and warlords, and is one of the poorest countries in the world. If the United States truly wants to be a leader in human rights, shouldn’t we at least ratify landmark human rights treaties?

NFL Playoffs in Review

Jonathan Crighton

A collection of the NFL's mightiest teams battled it
out in this season's playoffs.

Sports Editor

If this weekend’s games didn’t live up to your expectations as a football fan, I don’t know what will. An unbelievable pair of conference championship games both decided by the kicker’s foot, leads to a New England Patriot and New York Giant Super Bowl rematch.

Apex Honors Four Former Baseball Greats

Four former Apex players are presented with their banners.

Taylor Adcox 
Features Editor

Apex retired the numbers of four former baseball players in a ceremony led by varsity coach Michael Valder at halftime of the men’s basketball game on December 16. 

Tim Federowicz, Class of 2005, Michael Knox, Class of 2007, Matt Mangini, Class of 2004, and Seth Frankoff, Class of 2006 will join Landon Powell as the only baseball players in Apex history to have their numbers retired.  All five players are currently members of Major League Baseball organizations. 

Car of the Month: Kevin Travers

Taylor Adcox
Features Editor

Senior Kevin Travers' Fiat Spider parked in the junior lot.

Inhabitants of the junior lot have probably seen senior Kevin Travers zip by in his red 1977 Fiat Spider this year.  The self proclaimed “giant kid who drives the tiny car” is the only student at Apex who can truthfully claim to own a red Italian sports car. 

Apex Announces Lenovo Partnership

Apex students experiment with new Lenovo tablets while
attending the press conference in the media center.

Emily Lindesmith
Editor-in-Chief

The National Academy Foundation (NAF) and Lenovo have selected Apex High School’s Academy of Information Technology (AOIT) as one of five schools across the country to pilot a mobile application development program. North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue attended a press conference at Apex High on January 23 to congratulate students, staff and administration on the new program, which will allow selected students to develop apps for the Android operating system as well as a marketing plan.

Everyone Has a Story: Nick Chamberlain

Sarah Muzzillo
Layout Editor

Freshman Nick Chamberlain’s unique talent stands out among students at Apex. Since age six, Chamberlain has honed his skills in yo-yoing.

The Race to the Republican Nomination

Frank Campisano

Mitt Romney's Florida primary logo and Ron Paul's 2012 campaign logo.

Arts & Entertainment Editor Opinion Piece

With the primary season well under way, the Grand Old Party’s field is rapidly narrowing in the race to the 2012 Republican National Convention in August. Although past electoral trends indicate that there should be a clear nominee by May, it is still anybody’s race. The early January primaries and caucus have cleared the field of all except four serious contenders. The candidates have begun battling it out in heated debates as the campaign takes new twists and turns with each passing week.

Apex Welcomes New Assistant Principal

Kelley Simpson joins the Apex High administration
after a previous position teaching at Cary high.

Lila-Faye Joyce
Staff Writer

Kelley Simpson joined the Apex High School administrative staff in December. Before coming to Apex, Simpson attended East Carolina University and earned an undergraduate degree in middle school education. Though Simpson enjoyed teaching math, the principal of Cary High School, Doug Thilman, suggested she further her career path. “The principal [Thilman] saw leadership in me and suggested I take the next step to administration,” Simpson comments.

New Voter ID Plan is Unconstitutional

The first sections of the current North Carolina
voter registration application for residents.

John Santos
Staff Writer Opinion Piece

You’ve never left the country so you don’t own a passport. You can’t afford a car so you don’t have a driver’s license. In the state of North Carolina about 500,000 registered voters have no current photo-ID. This chunk of voters consists disproportionately of the elderly, poor and minorities. According to the Charlotte Observer, African-Americans are 22 percent of all North Carolina voters, but they are 32 percent of voters without a photo-ID.

Coach Thomas Reflects on Shrine Bowl Experience

Coach Thomas, who was honored to participate
in the Shrine Bowl, helping to raise $1.5 million for
Shriners Hospital for Children.

Matt Wotus
Staff Writer

Coach Gregg Thomas had the honor of coaching in the 2011 Shrine Bowl, a game featuring the best high school players in North Carolina against the best high school players in South Carolina. “Being selected is one of the greatest honors in high school coaching in North Carolina. I was very fortunate to be selected,” Thomas said.

Students Redecorate Holmes-Style

Paige Smith 
Staff Writer

Poster locations, clockwise: Sign hanging in the window of Room 203;
Pro-Sherlock poster graffitied by a Moriarty sympathizer
Junior Yacob Malik shows his pride;
Sign slipped into gym lobby trophy case.

“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” These are the words of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic character, Sherlock Holmes. In recent years, the detective’s stories have been making a comeback among a younger audience, and now Apex High students are showing their support.

Apex Students Raise $30,000

Emily Lindesmith

L t R: Katie Godfrey, Sydney Snedeker, Megan Gravley

Editor-in-Chief

 
Seniors Katie Godfrey, Megan Gravley and Sydney Snedeker raised $30,000 at the Peak City Gala of Hope, a charitable event to fundraise for The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Principal Matt Wight announced on the first day of the new semester that the day of the Gala, January 22, was one of his proudest moments at Apex High School.

Welcome to Apex Legacy!

Welcome to the Apex High Legacy official website!