This summer's hottest concerts

Sarah Kebea
Editor-in-Chief 

The school year is coming to a close, which means summer concerts are right around the corner.  Prepare yourselves, good music is coming your way. 

Meet this year's valedictorian and salutatorian

Dylan Tastet
Staff Writer

Valedictorian – Sanjna Iyengar

Sanjna Iyengar and Trevor Hair 

GPA: 5.2

Future plans: honors college at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in biomedical engineering

Career Plans: to go to medical school and become a neurologist

Clubs – National Honor Society, TutorConnect (president/founder), French Club (president), Math Club (president), Key Club, National Technical Honor Society (tutoring lead), French Honor Society

Hobbies: tennis, piano, art, ballet, reading

Favorite Food: pasta

Favorite Movie(s): the Divergent series

Favorite Class: Art gave Sanjna the freedom to express herself, so it is one of her favorite classes. She also enjoyed AP Calculus because of the interesting subject matter and because Calculus “…taught me how to think about math in a way I have never thought about before”

Favorite Quote: “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde

Salutatorian – Trevor Hair

GPA: 5.1

Scholarships/awards Earned: Alpha Delta Kappa Mary Rose Mills-Linda Rankin Memorial Scholarship

Future Plans: going to UNC-Chapel Hill

Career Plans: to become a computer scientist/programmer

Clubs: National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, Student Council (president)

Hobbies: swimming, video games

Favorite Food: cheeseburger

Favorite Movie(s): Identity Thief

Favorite Class: “Spanish, because I love foreig

n languages and I have had amazing Spanish teachers.”

Favorite Quote: “Stay awesome, bros.” -Pewdiepie

What to do during summer break

Jo Gatlin
Staff Writer

Summer break is the number one season that all students look forward to. There are only 76 days of summer vacation and every day should be spent eventfully before heading back to school. No more excuses for summer boredom. If you are lacking summer plans, here are some activities to pack your summer with.

Outdoor Activities: Go on a nature walk. There are so many outdoor activities that keep your body in motion. (Swimming, running, biking, hiking, etc.) After some exercise sit under a shady tree and enjoy a picnic with friends. Display the beauty of summer flowers fully in bloom by planting some in a garden or in your own yard. Later in the day as the sun goes down, enjoy some outdoor camping with friends followed by a bonfire and some late night stargazing. Try to go on a clear night, in order to see the stars.

Seniors pick top trends

Apex Legacy staff

Check out this year’s top trends, according to the class of 2015:

http://prezi.com/qh8g4ew_jrir/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Carolina Railhawks owner and 13 other FIFA officials indicted for bribery

Michael Lyday
Features Editor 

Nine FIFA officials and five corporate executives, including Carolina Railhawks owner Aaron Davidson, were indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in a case battling the rampant corruption in the organization early this morning. 

Instances of bribery totaling over $100 million by officials in FIFA aroused the suspicion of the Department of Justice and the government of Switzerland, both of which are probing the organization in search of further offenses. Other sources of controversy and claims of corruption include the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, a nation who has implemented forced labor by migrant workers in its preparations, and the rampant mismanagement of funds.

The 2018 and 2022 World Cups will not have their locations changed. The charges come just two weeks before FIFA’s presidential election. Current FIFA president Sepp Blatter was not indicted in this scandal, but will have to face those calling for a clean-up of the organization, a possible source of opposition in the upcoming election. 

AOIT website receives upgrade from Webmaster

Nicholas Chupka
News Editor

As the 2014-2015 school year comes to a close, AOIT students have finalized and turned in their required 140-hour internships. An AOIT statement sent to Apex Legacy explains, “This spring, [Webmaster] Matt Cozzalino has done a major overhaul on the AHS site, and added a new Director’s Notes blog as a way for Director John Evans to communicate with students and teachers.” In the statement, Cozzolino is quoted as saying, “The Director’s Notes are especially helpful because Mr. Evans can post any communiqués he plans to send to students and parents on the blog.”

Matt Cozzalino spoke about the changes he made to the Apex AOIT website, saying, “[Wordpress] kind of acts like a repository for any announcements sent out to parents of students. It’s really for people who are already in AOIT and just want reminders and things like that.”

To find the revamped website click the “AOIT” link in the toolbar on the Apex High School website or visit: https://aoitnotes.wordpress.com/

Ask Apex: Summer activities

Kenison Garratt and Jo Gatlin
Staff Writers

Apex High School students are eager for summer, many are even counting down the days. Each student is excited for something different. Some are planning family vacations, some are applying for jobs and others are just going to relax at home. Whatever is being planned, everyone can agree they cannot wait for summer vacation. With school letting out, there will be limitless possibilities for ways to spend the summer. A recently conducted poll reveals Apex High’s summer activity preferences. 

Top 25 dorm room essentials

Maya Horton and Katie Mazanec
Staff Writers

Seniors, there are only a couple of weeks left until many of you are an official college student! Listed below are dorm room essentials:

1. Bedding: The basis of the dorm room color scheme starts with the bedding. The color of the bedding can be matched to rug, organizational bins, and other dorm decorations.
   
2. Bathroom Towels: Bathroom towels need to withstand a week without washing; meaning the quality is very important.
3. Organization Boxes: Since all dorm rooms are the size of nice master suite closet, it is necessary to have extra boxes to store clothes and other materials.  
4. Cleaning Supplies: Keeping the dorm room clean is important, some colleges have a floor monitor who makes sure the rooms are in decent shape. Also, students in suites are responsible for taking care of their own bathroom.  
5. Hygiene Care: Don’t forget the basic necessities such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash, shampoo/conditioner, hair products, hair dryer/straightener, shaving kit, lotion, and other hygiene items.

North Carolina health experts call for increased anti-tobacco funding

Henry McKeand
Staff Writer

The use of electronic cigarettes has increased drastically in the past few years, and some North Carolina health advocates are blaming this rise on a lack of tobacco prevention funding.  The state’s funding for anti-tobacco programs was severely cut in 2012.  The cigarette awareness group Tobacco Reality Unfiltered, for example, saw its funding fall from $17.3 million to $2.7 million.  When the cuts were made, teen-smoking was down, but smoking rates started to rise after the cuts.  Plus, the popularity of e-cigarettes has shot-up, especially for teenagers.  In fact, the use of e-cigarettes by middle and high school students tripled from 2013 to 2014, with high school use going from 4.5% to 13.4%.

Raleigh voted best city to find work

Jessica Stiehm
Staff Writer

North Carolina has a rich history including pirates, first airplane flights, and the birthplace of Clay Aiken. Now North Carolina has something new to add to their repertoire. North Carolina’s capital, Raleigh, was recently awarded the title of Best City for Jobs and Business in the Nation by Glassdoor. Glassdoor, a website that allows employees and former employees to anonymously review their companies and its management, is rather popular with job seekers. The site has three branches currently and is still expanding worldwide. On their American blog post for 25 Best Cities For Jobs, Raleigh was at the top. Forbes also listed Raleigh as the #1 Place in the Nation for Business and Careers.

Seniors attending out of state colleges 2015

Zane Muzzillo
Staff Writer

Seniors attending in-state colleges 2015

Zane Muzzillo
Staff Writer

And the winners are...

Apex Legacy Staff

Check out the winners of Apex Legacy’s 2015 senior superlatives:

Timeline: Our four years in high school

Michael Lyday and Nicholas Chupka
Features Editor and News Editor

As graduation day approaches, seniors rejoice over the end of their high school careers and look back at the many memories that came to define their experience. Here is a timeline detailing the memorable news stories of the day which we look back on as the history of our time in high school.

http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/466680/Our-Four-Years-in-High-School/

Peak Players production of Les Miserables wins Best Musical

Alexandria Sands
Arts & Entertainment Editor

The Apex Peak Players production of Les Miserables took home the trophy for 2015 Best Musical at the fifth annual Triangle Rising Star Live Showcase and Award show at the DPAC on Tuesday night. Seniors, Will Stapleton who played Jean Valjean, Joshua Menzies who played Javert, and David Flowers who played Marius, were all finalists in the Best Actor category.

To be nominated, musicals in the Triangle area must fill out an application. Judges from DPAC, Theatre in the Park, Raleigh Little Theatre, PlayMakers Repertory Theater, Durham Arts Council and WTVD ABC 11 attend the performances of each show in order to select their regional finalist.

President Obama works to demilitarize police force

Henry McKeand
Staff Writer

President Barack Obama has banned the federal government from equipping police departments with certain military-grade equipment.  This ban comes after a year of controversy over the militarization of the police forces in cities like Ferguson and Baltimore.   Grenade launchers and armored vehicles will no longer be provided, while riot gear and certain explosives will be more closely regulated.  Many U.S. citizens have expressed concern over what they view as the excessive use of military weaponry by police officers, especially in black communities.

Obama has recently been making other efforts to increase a feeling of community and transparency in law enforcement.  He is planning to announce $163 million in grants in order to give police departments an incentive to be more transparent.  The Justice Department announced a $20 million grant program earlier this month that will increase body camera use by police officers. Obama travelled to Camden, New Jersey this Monday to praise the city’s achievements in improving the relationship between its police force and community.  While in the city, he remarked on his decision to cut back on police militarization, saying, "We've seen how militarized gear can sometimes give people the feeling like there's an occupying force as opposed to a force that's part of the community.”

Lancet Psychiatry conducts bullying study with surprising results

Kenison Garratt
Staff Writer

The Lancet Psychiatry has launched the first study documenting the effects of maltreatment by adults and peer bullying in childhood and mental health consequences, and the results have been rather surprising. Their results revealed being bullied in childhood has long-term effects on the mental health of young adults. The study, led by Professor Dieter Wolke from the University of Warwick, compared young adults in the United States and the United Kingdom who were maltreated and bullied in childhood. The researchers defined maltreatment as, “any physical or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, or negligent treatment resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development or dignity.”

Tips for rooming in college

Michael Lyday and Adam Mancini
Features Editor and Staff Writer

As you head off to college, one thing you'll need is a roommate, as most universities require freshmen to live on campus. Here are some tips from two future roommates on how to deal with this new experience.

1)      Plan what each person will bring before moving day. While some surprises can be good, if both of you show up with mini-fridges it could become an issue.

2)      When selecting a roommate, going with your best friend can be a risky move. You may be two peas in a pod right now, but it’s said you have to live with someone to truly know him or her.

3)      You’ll have to learn how to deal with conflicts that arise with your roommate. It is important to communicate and be upfront with your problems. Letting issues simmer only leads to contention and mistrust.

4)      Lay down some ground rules on day one. You should agree on a few basic rules, such as what (and who) is allowed in the dorm, what food belongs to whom, or what time to turn out the lights. This leads to fewer misunderstandings in the future.

5)      Don’t expect to be with your roommate 24/7. There will be time where one of you goes out without the other or one of you needs some time alone. Remember that you are both individuals and will need to go your own ways. 

NFL punishes Brady, Patriots for Deflategate

Cameron Goz
Staff Writer

Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady has been suspended four games without pay and the Patriots have been fined $1 million and will lose a first-round pick in 2016 and a fourth-round pick in 2017 in relation to the “Deflategate” case. Attorney Ted Wells was hired by the NFL to investigate the case, and the suspension comes just a week after Well’s report was released. The report found that "it is more probable than not" that Brady was "at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities" of locker room attendant Jim McNally and equipment assistant John Jastremski. Both attendants have been suspended without pay by the Patriots, and if they were to be reinstated, the two would be prohibited from managing the locker room or overseeing preparation of the game footballs. The 243-page report also stated that Brady, who answered questions over the course of a single day, refused to turn over his phone for printouts to be made of his e-mails and texts. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell felt the punishment matched the crime in this case, stating, "We relied on the critical importance of protecting the integrity of the game and the thoroughness and independence of the Wells report." 

NHS inductees announced, ceremony to take place Thursday

Jessica Stiehm
Staff Writer

Over 200 students at Apex High School are being inducted into the National Honor Society on Thursday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m.

Selection into the National Honor Society is based on a student’s excellence in areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character. In order to obtain admission into NHS, students must be an upperclassman, have a GPA of 3.60 or higher and complete at least 20 hours of volunteer service by the end of the school year. Apex High School’s chapter of NHS has monthly meetings to assure that members are completing their specific requirements. Tori McGee, Apex’s NHS Advisor, will enroll new members into a Blackboard course which will post weekly announcements.