Body cameras to be implemented into Charlotte police force

Jessica Stiehm 
Staff Writer

Charlotte police officers will be expected to wear body cameras while on the job in the near future. More and more police agencies are using body cameras in light of repeated public complaints against officers. The American Civil Liberties Union, local civil rights activists, and police unions are all advocating the use of the cameras in the police workforce. Due to the urging of the public and continued reports of unnecessary use of force, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police will record police activities when approaching a subject. The seven million dollar purchase is expected to be fully integrated among officers by October 2015.

Email scam strikes UNC students and faculty

Michael Lyday
Features Editor

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently warned students and faculty of two email scams affecting the university.

One scam targets students through their student email with fake offers of work-from-home jobs to gain their bank account information. Another scam also done through university email targets faculty members with a phony message from human resources about a change in payroll, prompting the victim to give up their log-in information. This can be used to direct pay to the scammer’s bank account rather than the victim’s.

The FBI is currently investigating the situation.

UNC coalition pushes to rename building named after KKK organizer

Maya Horton
Staff Writer

#KickOutTheKKK is a movement on the UNC Chapel Hill campus to rename Saunders Hall. Participating students claim the hall’s moniker glorifies William L. Saunders, alumni of UNC and chief organizer of the Klu Klux Klan in North Carolina during the 1860s.

Students have taken offense to the University’s historic hall and have created a Facebook page to make their grievances clear.  According to the page, along with renaming the hall, the group is asking for a plaque on “Silent Sam” explaining the racial history and for curriculum to be placed in first year orientation that would contextualize the racial history at UNC.

Civil rights group acquitted of all charges 54 years after arrest

Henry McKeand
Staff Writer

The Friendship Nine, a group of nine African-American men arrested for protesting against racial segregation in 1961, had their convictions vacated this Wednesday.  The group consisted of eight college students from Friendship College at Rock Hill and one civil rights activist.  They were charged with trespassing and given a labor sentence for 30 days after they sat at a whites-only dining counter.  The group’s arrest was important for the civil rights movement, and the fact that they chose not to pay bail after their arrest led other civil rights organizers to follow their lead and actually serve their jail time, easing the financial burden on protesters.  The national attention that the case received helped start other civil rights protests around the country.

Highlights of Obama's State of the Union Address

Aaron Koch
Staff Writer

President Barack Obama delivered his annual State of the Union Address to Congress on January 20, 2015. He spoke of how the economy is improving to 1999 levels, how we’re moving away from using foreign oil, how our upcoming generation is more educated than ever before, and our shift out of Afghanistan. The major focus points of the speech were education and the economy. Obama brought attention to families that had bounced back from the Great Recession in 2008. He brought up stories about Rebekah and her husband, Ben Erler, struggling to make ends meet after his business dried up. Through it all, the family of three still landed on their feet with Ben picking up jobs where he could and Rebekah taking out student loans to go back to college.  Obama was eager to use this family as a poster-child for his idea of the middle class. It was clear that his vision of optimism was fueled by the American family, but the American family also fueled his need for change. “Middle class economics works,” Obama emphasized, “expanding opportunity works, and these policies will continue to work as long as politics don’t get in the way.”

Newspaper and other electives looking for applicants

Alexandria Sands
Arts & Entertainment Editor

There are a number of electives that require an application. One of those classes, is newspaper.

“My years in newspaper have been great ones, I've developed essential writing and interviewing skills needed for my future.  Other than that, newspaper has a more laid back atmosphere than other electives, if you meet your deadlines.” - Sarah Kebea (three year veteran, editor-in-chief)

Here at Apex Legacy, we update students on worldwide, local, and school news. If you enjoy journalism, sports, reviewing music or movies, sharing your opinions, photography, or cartooning you could be a valued member of the newspaper staff in the 2015-2016 school year. Applications are available in student service. Please complete and return to student services by February 10.

Snack your way to the Super Bowl

Maya Horton 
Staff Writer

Are you more a fan of the food than the game?  Do you find yourself throwing Super Bowl parties for the sake of the snacks?  With the big day right around the corner you’ll need to start planning your snacks; here are some edible items that are sure to be crowd pleasers.

Hummus

This chickpea dip is super easy to make.  Most ingredients are easily found in the pantry and the overall preparation time is a mere 15 minutes. Paired with either pita chips or vegetables it is sure to be a crowd pleaser.  

Coach 1K

Cameron Goz
Staff Writer
 

History was made in Madison Square Garden on January 25. Mike Krzyzewski, head basketball coach at Duke, won his 1,000^th game. Krzyzewski is the first coach in NCAA Division I men's history to reach the milestone. The Duke Blue Devils won in comeback style on Sunday, beating St. John’s 77-68. Tyus Jones dropped in 22 points and the team went on an 18-2 run in the second half to vault Coach K into history. "It just, boom! It was great, it was beautiful, really, to see them fight today and win,” Krzyzewski said after the win. 

N.C. court judge rules against five level testing scale

Kenison Garratt
Staff Writer

Superior Court Judge Howard Manning, Jr. entered a final decision on the 2002 Leandro case on whether or not the state of North Carolina is providing a basic education to children now that standardized tests are easier to pass. This review stems from a lawsuit filed by low-wealth school districts in 1994. Five counties argued that they would not have the same opportunities as schools with more funding, and Manning ruled that the students had not been provided with a basic education. The law says that all students must be given a sound education; however, equal funding is not mentioned in the state’s Constitution. Since this first court case, there has been more attention given to aiding low-wealth school districts with more money. There was support behind the idea of giving all children the chance to participate in pre-kindergarten. Manning has continued to hold hearings over the years to see the progress that North Carolina schools have made, and he was also concerned that the state had transitioned from a four level scale to a five level scale.

Studies show sitting is detrimental

Jessica Stiehm
Staff Writer

The average school day is seven hours long. As a student, how much of that time are you sitting down? Almost every class is spent in a seat, and not many people regularly eat lunch on their feet. On an average day, a person spends 9.3 hours sitting down. Combine the hours spent sleeping, and it adds up to a generally inactive lifestyle. Recent research suggests that sitting decreases your life expectancy by several years.

Katy Perry to headline Super Bowl halftime show

Sarah Kebea
Editor-in-Chief

Katy Perry and Lenny Kravitz will join a handful of the world’s greatest artists by performing at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.  TIME recently released their song predictions for Katy Perry, which include “Teenage Dream” and Kravitz’s song “American Woman”.  Perry recently revealed that the show will be “larger than life” and “full of color”.  The Super Bowl will play on NBC starting at 6:30 p.m., which means for you non-football fans, you’ll have to hold off until the real show starts.  

87th Academy Awards to air on February 22

Henry McKeand
Staff Writer

The Academy Award nominations have been released, stirring up excitement and controversy.  It’s been an interesting year for movies, with big budget blockbusters like Guardians of the Galaxy and The Lego Movie as well as smaller scale affairs such as Whiplash and Boyhood receiving critical acclaim.  There were some surprises in the nominations this year, with David Oyelowo not getting a nod for his performance as Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma and The Lego Movie getting snubbed for the best animated film category.  The number of slots in the best picture category also dropped this year, going from nine to eight.  Neil Patrick Harris, who has hosted the Tony Awards in the past, is set to host the ceremony. Here are the six major categories, and a summary of the nominees. 

Best Picture: As usual, the best picture category is a hard one to predict.  Boyhood is a strong choice; it received a 100 on the popular review aggregator Metacritic and is notable for being filmed over the course of 12 years, giving it a novelty factor.  Selma also has a chance, mainly due to the fact that it’s a historical drama and focuses on Martin Luther King, Jr. and race relations in America.  Birdman is being hailed as Michael Keaton’s comeback and one of the best films of the year, giving it an edge.  American Sniper, released very recently, meaning that it is still fresh in the public consciousness. Whiplash, The Imitation Game, and The Grand Budapest Hotel were well-loved despite their smaller scale, but are less likely to take home the trophy.  The Theory of Everything has received the least attention of the group, and is highly unlikely to win.

Solar powered flight to circumnavigate the globe

Dylan Tastet
Staff Writer

The first solar powered flight around the world is scheduled to launch this March, says the team behind the Solar Impulse 2, a 5,000 pound solar powered aircraft with a wingspan larger than that of a jumbo jet.  The aircraft will be piloted by Solar Impulse company founders, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg. One of the pair will pilot the one-seater Solar Impulse 2 while the other will follow in a chase aircraft.

Opinion: The forever tarnished era of Brady and Belichick

Cameron Goz
Staff Writer

The Brady-Belichick legacy has come a long way this past decade and a half. With a record of 148-43, Brady and Belichick have amassed more wins together than any quarterback and head coach combo in the history of the sport. They’ve been to five Super Bowls, winning three, and are going to their sixth together this year. They’ve often been seen as the class of the National Football League, with their success over the past decade and team first style of play, but their legacy together will forever be tainted, because they cheated. 

Love Expert: Alex Sands on the perfect Valentine’s Day date

Alexandria Sands
Arts & Entertainment Editor

Valentine’s Day is landing on a Saturday this year and your significant other is expecting a perfect date. Here are some inexpensive and fun, local options.

Have a picnic.

Perhaps the least expensive and the most classic option for a Valentine’s date is a picnic. Pick up some subs or make some at home. Bring some snacks with you too. Find a spot at Lake Pine or Jordan Lake. After your meal, you can take a walk around the lake or trails. Walking usually tends to create a great, natural conversation and you can learn a lot about your date this way.

Super Bowl preview

Matt Sholtis
Sports Editor
 
The NFL has not had a repeat Super Bowl Champion since the Patriots won back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004. The Seahawks are trying to be the first team in 11 years to repeat and who stands in their way? The New England Patriots. For the first time since the playoffs were expanded in 1990 the #1 seeds in the AFC and NFC have advanced to the Super Bowl in consecutive years. Seattle and Denver made it last year and this year Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl as did New England.

Both of these teams advanced to the Super Bowl but had much different games to get there. The Seahawks overcame a nine point deficit with under three minutes to play to beat Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in one of the most unbelievable comebacks in NFL history. Russell Wilson had probably his worst game of his young career, throwing four interceptions earning a passer rating of only 44.3.  The Patriots, on the other hand, won in a more dominating fashion. Tom Brady threw for three touchdowns and LeGarrette Blount rushed for three more as the Patriots dismantled the Colts. Of course now everyone has heard of “deflate gate”. The NFL investigated whether the Patriots deflated their balls below the regulated weight and they found that 11 of the 12 balls were indeed deflated. Whether or not this breaking of the rules and possible punishment by the NFL affects them leading up to the Super Bowl, shall be seen in this upcoming week.

Under the radar news

Sarah Ford
Staff Writer

Over the past few days, a number of odd news stories have cropped up on the websites of several leading news agencies. Ranging from technological innovations to medical developments, these stories are making headlines this week.

UK’s first newborn organ transplant

Doctors in the United Kingdom performed the country’s first successful organ transplant from a newborn earlier this week, with the baby girl’s kidneys going to a patient who was in renal failure and her liver cells being given to another by transfusion.

When the unidentified baby was born, she was full-term and weighed six pounds, but due to the oxygen starvation she experienced in the womb, her heart stopped and she suffered brain damage. After finding out the baby was sick, doctors gave her parents the option to donate her kidneys and liver cells.

The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health is working to develop new guidelines that are expected to help standardize newborn organ donations. In the United States, there is no age limit for organ donors, and, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, only 21 donors between 2008 and 2013 were less than one week old.

News you might have missed

Michael Lyday
Features Editor

With a busy winter break and a hectic exam schedule, you might not have been able to check the news very often. Here are some news stories that took place this month that you might have missed:

January 1: A stampede in Shanghai during a New Year’s celebration kills 36 and injures 47.

January 5: Congress is called into session under Republican control for the first time since 2006.

January 7: Muslim extremists attack the Paris headquarters of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 and injuring 11. Three French mosques are burned in acts of arson as “retribution”.

January 11: A “march for unity” is held in Paris in response to the attack on Charlie Hebdo and rising animosity againt Muslims in the country.

January 12: One of the attackers in the Charlie Hebdo shootings eludes authorities and takes hostages at a Jewish grocery store. The situation ends with the deaths of four, along with the attacker.

January 15: A plot to attack the U.S. Capitol is foiled. The FBI arrested 20 year old Christopher Cornell in Ohio after making violent tweets which supported ISIS. 

Marsala named Color of the Year

Katie Mazanec
Staff Writer

A deep maroon color known as marsala has been chosen as the 2015 Color of the Year by Leatrice Eiseman. Eiseman is the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and has chosen the color of the year for the past 13 years. The company Pantone is known as the provider of color and is partnered with Sephora.

Opinion: American Sniper garners controversy after tweets

Michael Lyday
Features Editor

Controversy loomed around the patriotic blockbuster American Sniper following tweets made by actor Seth Rogen and director Michael Moore, leaving Hollywood and many Americans at large abuzz with opinions about the film.

In his January 18 tweet, Rogen stated that, “American Sniper kind of reminds me of the movie that's showing in the third act of Inglourious Basterds.” This references the satirical faux Nazi propaganda movie “National Pride” shown to a theater filled with Nazi officials in the climactic final act of the movie. Many attacked the tweet, alleging that it compared American troops to Nazis. Rogen later clarified, stating that, “I wasn't comparing the two. Big difference between comparing and reminding. Apples remind me of oranges. Can't compare them, though.”

Richard Sherman injury update

Jo Gatlin 
Staff Writer

Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman injured his left elbow in the NFC championship game against the Green Bay Packers while attempting to make a tackle. Sherman sustained the injury on the first play of the fourth quarter. After a brief evaluation, Sherman stayed in the game, playing with his elbow injury by keeping his left arm pinned against his chest for the remainder of the game.

According to NFL Network reporter Albert Breer, the results of Sherman’s MRI concluded that the injury was a sprain. Sherman suffered from a bad hyperextension of the arm. ESPN’s interview clip with Sherman states, “I don’t miss practice,” he said, “So I’ll be out there.” Sherman said he might practice with a brace but hopes to have no limitations by the Super Bowl. Sherman is confident that he will be playing in this year’s Super Bowl.

 

Upcoming albums for 2015

Nicholas Chupka & Michael Lyday
News Editor & Editor-in-Chief

Nicki Minaj - The Pinkprint

On December 12 New York based rapper Nicki Minaj released her third studio LP The Pinkprint. The album features a variety of musicians including Ariana Grande, Drake, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown and many more. Debuting at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, Minaj’s third studio LP was greeted with generally positive critical reception, receiving a 7.5/10 on Pitchfork and a 7/10 from Spin Magazine.

Ten point grading scale applies to all

Grace Fendrick
Features Editor

Comparison of the grading scales

The North Carolina Board of Education voted to change all high school students to the 10-point grading scale for the 2015-2016 school year. The scheduled decision was made on Thursday, January 8.

In August the North Carolina State Board of Education approved plans to slowly integrate the 10-point grading scale in the 2015-2016 school year. The scale was only to be applied to incoming freshmen, the class of 2019. Additionally, it was decided to reduce the weight of extra points or “quality points”, which are added to students’ GPA by taking AP and honors courses. Honors classes currently receive one extra “quality points” and AP courses receive two; the change would reduce the points by one half, honors receiving half a point, and AP receiving one point, this change will not affect current high school students.

Diocese of Raleigh breaks ground for new cathedral

Jessica Stiehm
Staff Writer

The Catholic Diocese of Raleigh celebrated the groundbreaking and Rite of Blessing for a new cathedral on January 3. The Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral will replace Sacred Heart Cathedral, which has become inadequate the number of parishioners over the years. Over 700 people attended the ceremony and took part in the prayer service that commemorated the event. The building is expected to take two years to construct and will seat 2,000 parishioners. The $41 million building fund was commissioned in 2011 with Bishop Michael Burbidge saying that cathedral imagined would be the cathedral that, “God’s people will let us build.” Originally funding was estimated to be between $75-90 million, with a basement and parking deck envisioned. Instead they were eliminated from the plans to accommodate for the lesser funds.

"We are building a worthy drawing place for God - a home for all the faithful in the diocese. A beautiful and spacious church whose doors will be open to all. A place where sacred music will be heard and lectures will be conducted," Burbidge stated before the ceremony.

NYPD officer killed in act of "retaliation"

Kenison Garratt
Staff Writer

Wenjian Liu, one of the NYPD officers shot by a man vowing to avenge the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, was honored at his funeral held on January 4. Numerous police officers from New York and from across the country were in attendance to pay their respects. Liu, along with Officer Rafael Ramos, was shot and killed while sitting in a police car in Brooklyn on December 20. The shooter, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, had a history of mental illnesses and arrests. Brinsley voiced his opinions of Brown and Garner on social media. Hours before the murders took place Brinsley posted a picture of a silver handgun with the caption, “I’m putting wings on pigs today. They take one of ours, let’s take two of theirs.” After the shooting, Brinsley committed suicide in a nearby subway station, and a silver handgun matching the Instagram picture was found. Officer Ryan Anderson of Berkeley, California says, “This isn’t the type of killing that we can accept. To have an officer killed sitting in their car, that’s difficult to accept.” Garner and Brown’s families also condemn this shooting in retaliation. Esaw Garner said, “My husband was not a violent man, so we do not want any violence connected to his name.”

Tips for staying healthy this flu season

Maya Horton
Staff Writer

The 2015 flu season has been dubbed an epidemic by the CDC, and as of January 5 there have been 21 pediatric flu related deaths in the United States.  The severity of this flu season is thought to be mainly due to the drifted virus, influenza A (H3N2), a variant of the strain targeted by the vaccine.

While Influenza A is not directly targeted by the vaccine it is still recommended to have it administered. Thus far 43 states have reported high or widespread flu activity.  Southern and Midwestern states have been hit hardest as the influenza wave begins to head to the Northeastern states.  Sometime in mid to late January the CDC plans to release vaccine effectiveness estimates for the current flu season.

College football national championship preview

Matt Sholtis
Staff Writer

Number 2 Oregon and #4 Ohio State will face off in the first ever College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 12. The two semifinal games of the College Football Playoff could not have been more different.

Glee, Parks and Recreation among shows to bid farewell

Sarah Kebea
Arts and Entertainment Editor

Out with the old and in with the new; the start of 2015 offers bright beginnings and final goodbyes for some of our favorite television characters. 

Bright Beginnings:

January 21-Backstrom, a comedy drama, will premiere on Fox at 9 p.m.  The Office’s Rainn Wilson, known for his role as Dwight Schrute, will star as Detective Everett Backstrom. 

February 8&9: The prequel series to the famed show Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, will feature a two night premiere on AMC, both halves starting at 10 p.m.  The drama will follow the lawyer of the original series, Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), six years before Walter White was in the picture. 

February 19- The Odd Couple, a remake of the 1970 television version, starring Jack Klugman (Oscar) and Tony Randall (Felix) will premiere on CBS at 8:30 p.m.  Matthew Perry (Oscar) and Thomas Lennon (Felix) will play best friends-turned roommates in the new comedy.  Both shows originally derived from the Neil Simon play, The Odd Couple. 

Influential ESPN anchor and N.C. native Stuart Scott passes away

Zane Muzzillo
Staff Writer

ESPN anchor Stuart Scott lost a seven year fight against appendiceal cancer, passing away on Sunday, January 4 at the age of 49. Scott was married to Kimberly Scott and had two children named Taelor and Sydni. In 2007, Scott went to the hospital with stomach pains and had his appendix removed along with part of his colon and several lymph nodes. After his surgery, Scott appeared to be cancer free, but his cancer returned in 2011, and again in 2013. "To be honest, I'm scared. I've always been afraid of cancer, but this time feels different. My confidence is shaken. I'm a little more vulnerable, a little more aware of my mortality, a little more uncertain about my future," said Scott to Men’s Health Magazine in 2013.