LRHS 2021 December Print

Leesville Road High School, Raleigh, N.C.

December 13, 2021

Dear teachers...

PAGE 10

Volume XXIX, Issue 1

Seperating from screens: an experiment on the effects of smart phones

Quiz: Do you know your teachers? -PAGE 5

THE MYCENAEAN @lrhsnews

lrhsnews.org

In the news

• The last day of school before break is December 17. Students will return on January 3.

• Exam week is January 10-14.

• Seniors: Order your cap and gown by December 17!

• Varsity men’s and women’s basketball play at Heritage on December 14. Loonies: Show up to support the team!

• Men’s wrestling will compete at Sanderson on December 14.

• Senior Superlative voting will occur during the first two weeks of January.

Band Concerts

@LRHSnews

@lrhsnews

The PAC project at LRHS

By: Ellie Thompson Editor in Chief

On December 15, the LRHS Orchestra is hosting its annual winter concert. The event will take place from 7-9 p.m and will include two of Leesville’s orchestras: String and Chamber.

The much-anticipated concert was one of many events canceled last year because of the pandemic. As a result, everyone is excited to see what the orchestra will do this year.

For their concert, the Chamber Orchestra will perform five songs, while the String Orchestra will feature four.

By: Jacob Polansky Junior Editor

By: Mary Mabry Engagement Editor

At the beginning of December, The Leesville Band Program had their first in-person, indoor band concerts since March of 2020. The Intermediate, Concert, and Jazz Band held their concert on December 2. The Symphonic Band performed the following day, December 3.

Intermediate Band is the beginner level band at Leesville.

Most of these musicians spent a significant amount of their middle school band career online, which stunted their musical growth. Alyssa Montgomery, the band conductor at Leesville, shared this with the audience to emphasize how proud she was of how far they have come since the beginning of the school year.

Concert Band also had a great performance. The percussion section had a strong performance in multiple of their pieces. Flute soloists Heather Kleinert and Sarah Dood were also applauded by the audience.

The audience was very impressed by the Jazz Band. With only three weeks of rehearsal leading up to the concert, they put on a great performance and featured fantastic soloists.

The Symphonic Band put on an amazing performance. They played some classic holiday pieces and featured a number of soloists, including Caleb Thomas, Mariann Haney, and Kat Davis. Many guests participated in this concert: the Hilburn Middle School band conductor conducted “Sleigh Ride,” the previous Leesville band conductor narrated “The Night Before Christmas,” and the Pine Hollow Middle School Band conductor played a solo in “Victor’s Tale.”

Overall, Montgomery and her students were grateful to play live music again, and they put on fantastic performances for the Leesville community.

INDEX

News.....................................2

Orchestra’s winter concert

Ever wonder where ticket sale money goes? Pride Athletic Association or PAC uses this revenue to fund and support sports programs at Leesville. (PHOTO COURTESY OF EMMA NANI)

By: Emma Nani Taylor

and

Lauren

Staff Writer, Junior Editor $897. That’s how much Wake County gives Leesville Road High School annually for sports.

The school covers the rest of the funding.

PAC, or the Pride Athletic Association, is a Leesville based group dedicated to collecting funding, providing for the teams, and deciding budgets for the sports program. Using ticket sale profits from games, PAC fills in the gaps $897 cannot cover and distributes it to cover fees like uniforms, equipment, and facility upkeep.

PAC and Coach Rogers A group of board members run PAC; they are not teachers

and do not work at the school.

Jon Duncan, the elected chairperson, is at the top of PAC’s Board of Directors.

Connecting this board to the school is Jack Rogers, Leesville’s Athletic Director.

Rogers is the middleman between sports coaches and PAC. He meets with PAC at their quarterly conferences to advocate for the needs of the coaches at Leesville. Whether it’s new uniforms, more basketballs, or money for travel expenses, Rogers meets with PAC to determine if the coach’s needs are within budget.

“We have quarterly meetings for PAC, and that’s when coaches will [propose the idea for specific equipment], and then I’m the liaison between the coaches and the PAC club, and I’ll say this is what we’re looking

at.” Rogers spoke on improvements the PAC has made for Leesville’s campus, giving the example of the baseball and softball fields. “Most schools just have a chain-link fence around the [backstop]. We decided, six or seven years ago, that we were going to do a little brick wall and netting-- more major leaguish,” said Rogers.

As Rogers said, most of PAC’s expenditures are not for uniforms: funds mainly go towards keeping facilities updated and maintaining the grass on practice and game fields.

Keeping up the grass fields on campus is by far the most expensive payment PAC makes.

Rogers said, “We spend close to $50,000 a year just on grass fields. Cutting and fertilizing

See PAC, page 11

String • Concertino in G • The Hunger Games • Carrickfergus (featuring 3 soloists) • The Moon of Winter Chamber • Fantasia on a Theme from Thailand • Libertango • Ellis Island • In the Bleak Midwinter • The Polar Express Each member of the orchestra has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this concert happen. The students have been working hard to prepare for the event. Since September, both orchestras have been preparing for their pieces.

After a year where the orchestra was virtual, the class looks different. “The lower strings are way stronger now because last

See Orchestra, page 2

What is Black Student Union?

By: Mary Mabry Engagement Editor

The Black Student Union (BSU) at Leesville is a service club established in 2017. This fall, the BSU hosted a number of events, including the Welcome Black Block Party and a schoolwide blackout for Ahmaud Arbery.

More recently, the BSU hosted a toy drive for homeless children. “We’re actually giving the toys to the children at Family Promise, a homeless shelter by NC State,” said Mariah Kern, Vice President of BSU. Gently used or new toys were donated through December 10.

In the coming months, the Black Student Union is hoping to assemble care bags for the homeless, hold a food drive, and

Satire.....................................3 COVID-19.............................4

host an event for Black History Month.

All of the ways the BSU is giving back to the community follows a time period when they were not able to do so. During the peak of the pandemic, they were only able to hold meetings over Zoom: “There wasn’t much we could do within the community because of COVID, so we’re trying to change that this year,” said Kern, senior.

Along with creating change in the community, The Black Student Union is a safe space for Black students. Kern wants the Leesville community to know that “there is a space at the school for Black students to feel safe and included and special” in a “school that is majority white.”

See BSU, page 2 Teacher Quiz.........................5 Social Media......................6-7

Students and teachers at Leesville wore black for the blackout held by the Black Student Union. This event helped to promote unity among the student body and teachers. (PHOTO VIA @leesvillebsu ON INSTAGRAM)

Arts Feature..........................8 Reviews.................................9

Dear Teachers.....................10 Sports...................................11

2 / News

BSU, cont’d This rings true for members of BSU. Emmanuel Joyner, a senior and member of BSU, described this community as a “family.”

The Black Student Union is a place where “everyone is welcome,” said Danielle Mankessi, President of BSU and senior.

For non-Black students at Leesville, BSU can be a place to “be educated on stuff that’s happening in the Black community or with Black lives,” said Kern.

If you’re looking for a way to support the Black community, the BSU encourages you to join them.

The BSU also wants everyone to know that “Black lives still matter even when it’s not a trend,” said Kern. They bring awareness to this topic as much as they can. For the school-wide blackout they organized, they brought awareness to “the Ah-

maud Arbery case because not a lot of people knew about it,” said Kern.

For the Welcome Black Block Party, they collaborated with National Achievers Society to bring people together and have fun -- “It started out with a panel where we talked about some of the issues that we face within Leesville, and the change that we want to see and then after that we did a few affirmations which I thought were really helpful,” said Mankessi.

The BSU would not be the same without their advisors. Senor Florence and Ms. Tabron are the official advisors of the Black Student Union, but Ms. Fletcher also provides her help. These individuals are heavily involved; the BSU “is a safe space with teachers and staff who are willing to help us with our issues,” said Mankessi.

Fashion trends for 2022

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, December 13, 2021

Orchestra concert, cont’d

Two students practice their pieces on violin to prepare for the concert. The challenging instrument takes a lot of work to master. (PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION OF KELSEY SCHLEGAL)

year… we had mostly violins… because of schedule issues or virtual [academy], so now the music sounds more complete,” said Shani Inbari, LRHS orchestra member.

They have put hard work and dedication into making the concert great, making up for what was lost last year.

“To prepare, we practice[d] by taking the piece apart and then we put it back together again,” said Mark Stiles, Leesville’s Orchestra Director, via email.

“We work together as a group or by section -- Violin I, Violin

II, Viola, Cello, Bass… to help assess ourselves we record the piece and then listen back.”

Many hours of work go into preparation, which pays off in the end.

Stiles facilitates the preparation for both orchestras in addition to the middle school orchestra -- he has been a teacher for thirty years and has been the director for Leesville’s orchestra for twenty-three years.

Stiles started playing the cello when he was five years old. He began his teaching career in New York, teaching for three years

before coming to Leesville. He has been an invaluable addition to the school.

“Mr. Stiles has always made the orchestra a safe place [that I can] rely on and make friends.

He [is always] there for you and will make you laugh when you are down. He is very supportive but still pushes you to improve,” wrote Inbari. Without him, concerts like this one wouldn’t be possible.

Show up on December 15 to support Stiles and Leesville’s orchestras in their exciting and magical winter concert.

Many new trends are expected to pop up in 2022. Styles like these will become increasingly more poular. (PHOTOS COURTESY OF PUBLIC DOMAIN)

By: Viviana Straniero Video Editor

The end of 2021 is sneaking up on us which means another round of fashion trends are available for us to try in the new year.

The start of the new year brings a fresh load of styles to work into our wardrobes.

Unluckily for some, there is not a lot of loungewear insight -- instead, these new styles are bold and inlude body-empowering pieces.

Below are predictions to some 2022 trends that may already be sitting in your closet, along with some tips for how to wear them right now: Cutouts Yes, the cutout trend will stay thriving. Cutouts are proving to be far more of a long-term look than any of us initially gave them credit for. The flashes of skin that are in almost every type of clothing will only continue to grow in popularity as we head into 2022.

Additionally, spring will bring a lot more asymmetrical cuts with intricate layering.

Clothing with cutout pieces can be styled up or down, making them an ideal piece to have

in your closet.

Color blocking combinations Instagram feeds and the runways have convinced us that maybe a combination of saturated hues isn’t such a bad idea.

The key 2022 hues are a yellowish orange, calming blue, plant-based green, creamy shade of butter, and an electrifying pink. The beginning of the year is all about in-your-face color combos that are right on the verge of clashing.

It is best to stick to solid hues for a custom color-blocked outfit.

Knitwear As we saw the 2021, summer brightened up by groovy knitwear.

The new season will continue celebrating knitted garments in comfy yet flattering silhouettes.

Try out skirts, dresses, coats, and more for a cozy look that will keep you warm without too many layers. Even better, it’s a great way to add a bit of texture to a simpler styling pair.

These are just a few of the many styles we can look forward to styling in 2022. Don’t miss out on these new trends as we start the new year.

8601 Glenwood Ave. Suite A Raleigh, NC 27617 919-783-7547

Hiring seasonal parttime positions

We sell Equipment and clothing from your favorite winter brands.

Philgarian

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, December 13, 2021

Satire / 3

THE MYCENAEAN

Holiday gift ideas for your mom Polar bear plunge

By: Lauren Taylor

(PHOTO IN PUBLIC DOMAIN)

Junior Editor • •

Christmas season is a time to spend with family and give gifts. You could wow your mom this year if you buy her the right things. (PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLIE THOMPSON)

By: Julia Thorne Staff Writer

Our mom’s have put up with us for so long and never even get a reward for it. To thank them for their hard work and commitment to keeping us alive, here are some gifts that you can get your mom!

We are starting out strong with something every mother needs and deserves: a roto wipe!

It washes your bum for you instead of wasting paper! Now she will never have to worry about how much toilet paper you use and complain about it every other business week.

For everyone with type-a moms who like to be prepared

this is for you. A dog pooping calendar with the prettiest backgrounds, but not the prettiest behind. Over 500 people have gotten this adorbs calendar and love it.

For every mom who likes to turn jokes into a lecture, get her a cat themed gun safety book, to help her educate you, siblings, and friends on the dangers of the world.

Facebook Moms who get their personality from Hallmark Christmas cards will love this-socks with wine jokes. Now whenever they hang with some girlfriends, they can talk about the fact that they have funnier socks and make the 1000th joke that you’re the reason they need

those #relatable socks.

A famous book that will be sure to knock the air out of your mom when she opens up the present is a parenting guide. It may gaslight, but it sure is helpful! She will thank you later, I promise.

For the mom who eats unhealthy stuff and says “Oh I am so bad, take this away from me” and still eat it, is a Ben and Jerry lock! You will never have to see them shove ice cream in their mouth and complain about being unhealthy again.

Buying a gift for your mom can be a daunting task around the holidays. These ideascan make your mom happy arnd are something she’ll never forget.

Women in America are fortunate

Women in America are very happy people. They are given everything they need to lead successful lives. (PHOTO COURTESY OF LAUREN TAYLOR)

By: Gretchen Stern Senior Editor

Life in America is so much better for women than men.

While both women and men undoubtedly have many struggles, women have advantages men can only dream of.

First, women get to spend so much more than men: on necessary feminine products and other things society tells them it is neccessary to have.

There is another fun factor women in America get handed to them when shopping called the “pink tax.” While this is not a literal tax, it is an unseen cost many do not know about. The idea behind this is that women shop more than men, and so their items are higher priced than men’s products. According

to a 2015 study products market towards girls cost an average of 7% more — manufacturers use pink or purple packaging and sweet scents to target and attract women.

Women actually like having to pay this little bit of extra money if it means they can get the colored and scented products that suit them. “When I heard of the ‘pink tax’ I honestly just thought, well that means manufacturers care more about giving women what they want, which made me happy,” said Mariah Elizabeth, a freshman at Leesville Road High School.

Women also love peoplepleasing — it is a challenge women happily accept to find outfits that are cute but not too cute as to attract unwanted attention, or to put on just enough makeup as

to cover any “imperfections” but not too much so that people will call her “fake.”

“A boy in my class said I was too loud and assertive, so I stopped speaking in class discussions to make him and others more comfortable,” said Lisa Stephens, a junior at Leesville.

Feeling unsafe is another thrill in life that women often get to experience more often than men.

For example, Andrea Lasten detailed her routine for when she walks to her car at night. “I have my car keys between my fingers and pepper spray in my purse, and sometimes I will also call my parents to talk while I’m walking.”

To some, this might seem like a negative ritual, but it just goes to show how women get to learn survival skills and how to protect themselves better than men might.

The issue of the gender-pay gap is also still relevant. Women make 82% of what men earn, have a harder time paying loans, and even receive less in Social Security. This could discourage some women, but if you think about it, 82% is pretty close to 100% so it is okay! Receiving less just allows for girls to work harder in life and become stronger than men.

These are just a few of the many ways society supports women. While America has many issues, treating women well and fairly is definitely not one of them.

Where: Roof of the Murphy Building (People will be present to direct students to the ladder) When: December 17, 7pm

For the first time, Leesville Road High School is taking advantage of the Murphy building’s rooftop pool to host the first annual Polar Bear Plunge on Friday, December 17, at 7pm.

The LRHS Executive Council planned the event in hopes of starting a new winter tradition at the school. The pool party is also an attempt at raising school spirits since new rules have prohibited pep rallies and parades on Leesville and Wake County property.

“Leesville doesn’t have a homecoming dance, and it doesn’t have a winterfest, so we decided to plan a get together the whole school could enjoy,” said Executive Council president Samantha Johansen. “It’s outdoors, it’s at school, and everyone agreed the roof of the Murphy Building is the perfect place for a banger party.”

Teachers and admin as well

are excited for the new Leesville event. The Leesville staff welcome it as a great way to keep students out of trouble on a Friday night.

“I honestly think the Polar Plunge is a great idea to introduce at Leesville. The safety of students is always a teacher’s top priority, and having them all at the party--away from drugs and alcohol--is an easy way to keep them out of trouble. I would much rather have them up here two stories off the ground and roughhousing in a pool than out on the streets making bad decisions. Nevermind the fact that the Murphy has no guardrails, as long as everyone stays close to the center of the building they’ll be fine,” said Mr. Parker, a teacher and chaperone for the polar plunge.

Don’t miss Leesville’s first Polar Bear Plunge -- it’ll be a party for the ages!

4 / COVID

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, December 13, 2021

Covid-19 THE MYCENAEAN

Changes in media

By: Gretchen Stern Senior Editor

Over the past year and a half, shows and movies have had to combat the effects of COVID-19.

COVID presented a new challenge for directors and actors everywhere. When things were really locked down in the height of the pandemic, production stopped -- people had to think of a way to remedy the situation, and fast.

Films like Black Widow were delayed, so producers focused on the only type of content they could really make: shows and movies about the pandemic.

COVID was the first feature film, and then broadcasts and late night shows like SNL made sketches of celebrities at their homes. Everything new meant that viewers watched others talk through zoom calls, or watched shows about people trying to live their lives normally in a pandemic -- such as in Social Distance.

This year, people have seen shows that have included COVID into new seasons. In season 17 of Grey’s Anatomy -- set in April 2020 -- all the characters are wearing masks and staying safe as best they could.

“The whole premise is that they work in a hospital with new cases coming in constantly. They incorporated a lot of the political aspects COVID had as well with the debates about vaccinations and not having enough supplies for people at hospitals,” said Aditi Yerra, a senior at LRHS. “They definitely deep dived into the whole COVID situation, and

I think they did a really good job depicting the hardships. A lot of people don’t see what the hospitals and doctors were going through.”

Brooklyn 99 is another example of a show involving COVID-19. In their last season, they started wearing masks until they recieved their vaccine and spent the rest of the season dealing with things like police reform and police brutality that were so prevalent on social media.

“In You, they tried to incorporate COVID, but they talked about it like it was already over,” said Genevieve Fontenot, a senior at LRHS. “They mentioned the pandemic in the show multiple times but then that’s all they did.”

Right now, if television is going to incorporate COVID, they should make sure to recognize it not as a thing in the past, so it seems like they are dismissing something so important.

But, many people also agree that the Coronavirus should be kept out of the film industry.

“TV is supposed to be different from reality, an escape. I think it is too soon to incorporate it because we are still going through the pandemic,” said Fontenot.

Yerra fully agreed. “I don’t want to see this on television shows because I’m living it in real life. It’s exhausting to watch it and live it at the same time.”

The conclusion is clear: Most people feel it is too early to add the pandemic to storylines right now. Viewers want films to reflect life before COVID.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed a lot in our lives, from what we wear to how we socialize. As much as we want this pandemic to end, there may be things we keep from this time. (PHOTO COURTESY OF KAELYN MCCANN)

What COVID changes will stick around?

By: Kaelyn McCann Staff Writer

Covid-19 is a historical, ongoing pandemic that has made massive changes in all of our lives. Hopefully, in the near future, our lives will go back to normal, but there are some changes that may stick around.

I know we all want masks to go away ASAP, but they may stay around. Not only do masks protect from Covid, but they can also protect from other illnesses like the flu.

In the 2020/2021 flu season, only 646 people died from the flu compared to the 24,000 to 62,000 deaths in the 2019/2020 flu season, according to Health Hive.

Of course, last year most of us were at home, contributing to

the low numbers. Though, even as the world starts opening, those numbers may stay relatively low due to masks.

After the pandemic ends, masks may become something that you only wear when you’re sick to protect others -- even if you only have a common cold.

Working from home skyrocketed during the pandemic, for good reason too. It gives people more flexibility and more control over their work and home life.

Other things like online school and telemedicine have also gained popularity.

Virtual school can be beneficial for students as they become more independent. “Virtual school has helped me become more accountable and responsible over my work,” wrote Rania Brown, a sophomore at Lees-

ville, over text.

Not having to get out of the car to get your food or that shirt you ordered online is amazing, especially as it gets colder this winter.

Also, curbside pickup has increased in popularity during the pandemic by 208%, according to a CNBC article.

“I love curbside pickup because you don’t have to leave the car,” wrote Brown. Not only does curbside decrease interaction and therefore the spread of the virus, but it also is much more convenient and usually quicker than ordering something to your house.

While Covid-19 is a negative situation, there are a lot of positives with the new things popularized to help us overcome this pandemic.

Teacher Quizzes / 5

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, December 13, 2021

Teacher Quizzes

Directions: Follow each QR code to take the full quiz and recieve answers to see how well you know that teacher!

How Well Do You Know Your Teachers?

Coach Dink

1) When did he move to the US? a. 1970 b. 2002 c. 1995 d. 1984 2) How long has he been coaching soccer at Leesville? a. 20 years b. 43 years c. 15 years d. 38 years

Ms. Barrow

Mr. Miura

1) What’s one of her hidden talents? a. Dancing b. Singing c. Sewing d. Jump roping

1) What’s his favorite power tool? a. Air compresser b. Angle driller c. Cordless drill d. Nailer

2) Which animal does she own as a pet? a. Lizard b. Donkey c. Chinchilla d. Hamster

2) Where was he born? a. Honolulu, HI b. Raleigh, NC c. Denver, CO d. New York, NY

3) What’s his favorite TV show? a. Ted Lasso b. The Good Place c. Stranger Things d. Dynasty

3) What does she use other than a chair? a. Yoga ball b. Edge of desk c. Stool d. She prefers to stand

4) How does he like his coffee? a. Black b. No sugar, cream c. Lots of sugar, no cream d. He doesn’t like cofee

4) What’s her favorite unit to teach? a. Factoring b. Traingles and vectors c. Limits d. Trig proof

4) What was his favorite class in school? a. Shop b. Art c. Computer design d. Interior design

5) What’s his dream vacation? a. Africa

5) Where did she go to college? a. NCSU

5) What’s his go-to drink? a. Coke

b. Antarctica

b. UNC Chapel Hill

b. Pepsi

c. England

c. Duke

c. Dr. Pepper

d. Italy

d. ECU

d. Mountain Dew

Ms. Wilkerson

1) What year did she start teaching at Leesville? a. 1995 b. 2010 c. 2007 d. 2015 2) What’s her favorite book to teach? a. Four Souls b. Little Fires Everywhere c. Sula d. Les Miserables 3) What superpower does she want to have? a. Invisibility b. Flying c. Teleportation d. Time travel 4) How many children does she have? a. 0 children b. 4 children c. 2 children d. 1 child 5) What breed of dog does she have? a. Boston terrier b. Labrador retriever c. Labradoodle d. Pitbull

Sr. Florence

Ms. Oxendine

3) How long has he been teaching at Leesville? a. 10 years b. 8 years c. 24 years d. 16 years

Mr. McLemore

1) What’s her favorite ACC team? a. NCSU b. Georgia Tech c. UNC Chapel Hill d. Clemson

1) What’s his favorite book? a. War And Peace b. Mistborn c. Moby Dick d. The Great Gatsby

2) How does she like her coffee? a. Black b. Lots of cream c. Cream and sugar d. She doesn’t like coffee

2) What sport does he coach? a. Men’s Tennis b. Women’s Tennis c. Men’s LAX d. Women’s LAX

3) What’s her party trick? a. Speed jump roping b. Tap dancing c. Riding a bike with no hands d. Juggling

3) What’s his favorite hobby? a. Reading comic books b. Playing LAX c. Reading fantasy novels d. Writing short stories

4) What’s her favorite fast food restaurant? a. Bojangles b. Taco Bell c. Chick-fil-A d. Dunkin Donuts

4) What’s his favorite holiday? a. Christmas b. 4th of July c. Halloween d. Valentines Day

5) What’s her dream vacation? a. Italy

5) What’s his favorite shoe brand? a. Vans

b. France

b. New Balance

c. Greece

c. Nike

d. Antarctica

d. Adidas

Mr. Shingler

Ms. Tibbets

1) Where did he study abroad? a. Venzuela b. Spain c. Mexico d. Costa Rica

1) What’s his favorite art medium? a. Paint b. Pencil c. Pastel d. Sumi ink

1) What’s her favorite course to teach? a. Math Plus Honors b. Geometry c. AP Statistics d. Calculus

2) What’s his favorite hobby? a. Story telling b. Yoga c. Synchronized swimming d. Dancing

2) What sport did he play in high school? a. Football b. Basketball c. Swimming d. Baseball

3) What’s his favorite clothing brand? a. Lululemon b. Gym Shark c. Banana Republic d. Fabletics

3) What’s his favorite hobby? a. Camping b. Fishing c. Painting d. Running

3) What’s her homestate? a. Wyoming b. Utah c. Virginia d. New York

4) What was his favorite class in school? a. Spanish b. Art c. Math d. Science

4) Where was he born? a. Talahasee, FL b. Orlando, FL c. Tampa Bay, FL d. St. Petersburg, FL

4) How long has she been at Leesville? a. 24 years b. 10 years c. 18 years d. 5 years

5) What’s his favorite fast food restraurant? a. Chick-fil-A

5) What’s his favorite swimming event? a. 500 Freestyle

b. McDonalds

b. 100 Backstroke

c. Taco Bell

c. 50 Freestyle

d. Bojangles

d. 200 Butterfly

2) What year did she earn Teacher of the Year? a. 2001 b. 2010 c. 2020 d. 2021

5) What’s one of her hidden talents? a. Juggling b. Always early c. Balancing on one hand d. Hair styling

Coach Dink: 1. D 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. D Ms. Wilkerson: 1. A 2. D 3. A 4. C 5. C Mr. Florence: 1. D 2. D 3. D 4. C 5. D

Mr. Miura: 1. C 2. A 3. C 4. A 5. B Mr. McLemore: 1. B 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. C Ms. Tibbets: 1. C 2. D 3. D 4. A 5. B

Ms. Barrow: 1. C 2. C 3. A 4. D 5. B Ms. Oxendine: 1. C 2. D 3. D 4. C 5. A Mr. Shingler: 1. D 2. C 3. A 4. A 5. B

6 / Seperating From The Screens

By: Gretchen Stern

Seperating F

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road

The Experiment

Senior Editor

The goal of this social experiment was to find out how screens and social media really affect people. While this experiment included 12 people, it points to a larger trend in society today.

In an increasingly digital age, teens spend an average of 7 hours

and 22 minutes using screens per day. They are constantly connected to people across the world through social media. While there are many other factors to consider in regards to sleep, productivity, and happiness, technology appears to be a major one, impacting society in major ways.

Experiment Set-Up:

The Groups:

Students from the newspaper class volunteered to give up an aspect of their technology for one week in order to test the impact it has on daily live. There were five groups all given packets with questions to complete each day for a week.

•

•

How much quality time did you spend with your family and friends today?

1-2 hours 8.3 %

2-3 hours

•

25.0 % •

3+ hours 66.7 %

* An example of one of the daily questions. Graph results from Friday, November 26

•

The first group was the control group, they were to go about their week as normal.

They were the standard we compared each group to.

The second group could only be on their screens four hours a day -- they used the “screen time” feature on their phones to track their time. The four hour count included social media, music, games, videos, or any other form of entertainment. School work done on computers was not included in the limit.

The third group had to give up social media. They could not use Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok, Twitter, or any other form of social media.

The fourth group had to turn their phones off at eight in the evening. This group was important especially in order to test if looking at screens right before bed affects a person’s sleep.

The fifth group was not allowed to use headphones of any type. The participants

Student’s experiences By: Elizabeth Hanson

By: Dayna Wilkerson

By: Emma Nani

By: Grant Silver

I spent the week doing what I normally do, but recording information about my day and my screen time as everyone else did.

Thanksgiving week was overall pretty fun, but I spent a lot of time on my phone. I did spend time with my family and friends, but I also found myself on my phone more than I would expect. Everyday I would go to my room and watch videos or text my friends. I would play video games, and I did not leave the house that much besides walking the dog. I spent around eight hours in total every day on a device.

However, on the day of Thanksgiving I put my phone down and spent time with my family. We ate a lot of food and had a wonderful time. It was a major difference from my normal routine since I actually really connected with my family. I also helped put up Christmas decorations, which was another time I got to talk to my family.

Although my task was to do everything as I normally would, participating in the experiment made me a little more aware of what I was doing.

The strange thing is that most of us do not realize how long we are on our phones. We could be having a conversation with someone and just instinctively pull out our phone. We could scroll mindlessly for hours without actually comprehending anything. On the last day of the week I got rid of my phone, but I still spent most of the day watching TV or playing games. Our devices can be really addicting, so I would recommend putting the phone down every once and a while and doing something off the screens.

I did not go on any social media from Monday, November 22, to Saturday, November 27. No social media meant no TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter.

At first, I was very hesitant to do this experiment. I am always on Twitter or TikTok. Twitter was my second most used app with 3 hours and 48 minutes, and TikTok was my fourth most used app at 3 hours and 13 minutes.

So, I did not think I could go a week without social media, especially during Thanksgiving break because I need a distraction from my family sometimes. However, I wanted to challenge myself since I’ve used social media for so long.

On Monday, I rolled across my bed and went to scroll through Instagram like I do every morning, then had to stop myself.

Throughout the day, I consciously did not fret that I could not go on social media. Subconsciously though, I pressed on Instagram five times when I did not intend to. It was just so natural for me to open my phone and scroll through Instagram.

By Thursday, it became so natural not to have social media; it did not bother me even though I went on a 2-hour car ride with my family.

On Saturday, I was excited to go on social media again, but it was very anticlimactic. When I finally got to the apps, I did not miss it as much as I thought I did.

I learned that I was stronger than I thought I would be losing social media. This social experiment disproved what many other teens and I felt: we cannot live without social media. We actually can, and while it may not be easy at first, leaving social media behind may be a good habit.

When I first heard of the experiment we were doing, I was immediately interested and wanted to participate. Once I found out that the majority of it would take place over Thanksgiving break, I was not so excited.

Limited time on my phone during the school week is not so bad-only four hours on my phone for a four day holiday is a different story.

For the first two days of the experiment I was in school and had regular work. I made an effort to remain off my phone at school to save up my screen time hours for after school. Despite being a self-proclaimed procrastinator, I switched things up and began my homework almost as soon as I got home from school to avoid going down the rabbit hole of distractions on social media. With my phone down, I found myself getting through my work quicker instead of getting on Instagram when I got to a hard problem.

Luckily, my time over Thanksgiving break was not monotonous and I was able to break up my time spent at home with a few day trips and Black Friday shopping sprees. I replaced Netflix and Instagram with something more productive: reading -- a pastime I usually pick back up in the summer when I have more free time.

By the end of the weekend I finished three books and now have four on hold to read sometime before the holiday break.

Overall, I think the experiment was a good way for me to reflect on how screen time can influence my productivity in and out of school. Now I am going to be more conscious about my phone use, especially while doing homework.

For this experiment, I signed up to turn my phone off at eight every evening.

The first day was easy because I usually go to bed early before school anyway. That night, my family also watched the new Ghostbusters movie in theaters so that helped occupy my time.

On the ride home, It was a lot of fun talking about our opinions of the movie.

The next morning, I woke up feeling unusually well rested.

During school, I felt more awake than usual, which was abnormal.

When I got home for the evening, I talked to my family for a little bit and went to sleep around 9:30.

Over the next few days leading up to Thanksgiving, nothing changed that much. I woke up feeling more rested and I talked more with my family and friends when I saw them. I also fell asleep easier instead of just laying in bed for a while. Thanksgiving night, I felt I had stronger interactions with my older relatives without my phone distractin me.

On Friday and Saturday night, my friend group hung out. During these bonfires, we have great conversations followed by some time of just sitting on our phones.

However, this time I could not do that, so instead, between conversations, I just watched them on their phones. This made me realize just what these devices are doing for socialization.

Now after thinking about the effects of this test, I know that phones make a difference in our lives. I am going to start turning my phone off at eight regularly, especially when I am doing other things with people.

Staff Writer

Junior Editor

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

had to disconnect from the devices that block out the world around them, therefore pushing them to be more aware of life outside the phone screen.

Around 10:00 pm, Monday Saturday, participants answered questions, recording what they did, how they felt, and what they noticed about their screen time limitations.

Also on Saturday, participants concluded with some general questions that synthesized their experiences.

Scan this QR code to quiz yourself on your own phone usage!

By: Francis Fleming Senior Editor

As a high school student, isolation is a huge part of my life. I often find myself hiding away in my room to watch videos rather than interacting with my family, and when I do “interact” with my family, I often put my airpods in and space out of any conversation they may be having.

However, this past week, with a little encouragement from my classmates, I took on the challenge of not using any headphones for the entire week. This obviously was not the hardest challenge in the world, but I was curious how I would handle it, especially because I use headphones pretty often.

On Monday, I immediately noticed how annoyed I was that I could not listen to music while I studied during class. Other than that minor inconvenience, I did not notice much of a difference during the first two days.

On Wednesday, I was relaxing in the living room with my family. I was playing Pokemon on my Nintendo Switch, while my family talked about random things. Typically, I would have put in my airpods and zoned out, but since I could not do that, I listened to their conversation in the background and became more aware of what was going on around me -- my parents talking about the Thanksgiving meal, my dog sleeping next to me, even the wind blowing outside while I played.

The same thing happened to me on Thursday, where I noticed that I was becoming more aware of what was going on around me while I did various tasks.

By the end of the week, I did not notice any significant changes in my behavior. The only changes were that I was more aware when doing various tasks. There was also the downside of not listening to music at school, which made me a little less focused.

From Screens

d High School, December 13, 2021

5

5

(very well)

(very happy)

4

4

3

3

2

2

1

1

(poor)

0

Seperating From The Screens / 7

(unhappy)

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Discussion

By: Gretchen Stern Senior Editor

On Monday, November 29, many participants agreed they slept better. A variable not accounted for was the Thanksgiving break which may have led to better sleep and less phone usage.

“I usually have to take Melatonin to fall asleep, but I didn’t have to, and I fell asleep faster,” said Alexis Mast.

Especially for the people who turned their phones off at eight, they had to do without their phones for the evening, which is a time when many people may spend a lot of time on their screens. “I hung out with some friends, and it was nice actually talking to them. Then I was truly seeing how much they were on their phones while I was just sitting there,” said Grant Silver.

“I just replaced the time I spent scrolling on my phone with reading. At least that’s somewhat more productive,” said Emma Nani.

Another big conclusion was that fewer screens equals more time to observe, interact, and connect with others.

“I actually had some time to talk to my family, which

Friday

0

Monday

Tuesday

was nice. We played some games and watched a really bad movie, but it was fun,” said Savannah Sinor.

Francis Fleming agreed. “I just noticed that, when I didn’t have any earbuds in, I was just listening to everything that was going on, so I knew what my parents were talking about. That sounds simple, but I don’t usually hear that stuff. I could tell I was just a little more aware,” he said.

Viviana Straniero even added that when she went to the gym she felt people interacted with her more because she did not have her AirPods in. This is just one more example of how disconnecting from our phones can get us connected with other people. “I feel like I interacted with people more. I feel like more people came up to ask me questions, like if I was using a certain machine, because they weren’t scared,” said Straniero.

When asked if people now think they will use their phones less overall, many people optimistically responded yes. “I honestly think I’ll be on my phone a lot less. Going into this week, I kind of thought I needed social media or Instagram to text people, and then throughout the week, it occurred to me that I don’t text these people all that often and I really don’t need to be scrolling through reels as much as I do,” said Lauren Taylor.

Ellie Thompson agreed, saying that she did not miss

Why is this subject important?

By: Gretchen Stern Senior Editor

There is much to be said from the results of just one week and a total of 12 people’s experiences. From significantly lower screen times to new perspectives, the students definitely learned from the process.

Facebook Scandal Recognizing social media’s effects has become even more relevant due to recent data brought to light. Just months ago, former project manager of Facebook, Frances Haugen, copied thousands of documents and brought them to the press. These papers revealed the company’s research on how Facebook has spread hatred and violence. Furthermore, there was data showing Instagram contributes to low self-esteem, body image issues, and suicidal thoughts in teenage girls. While many people can infer all this was true long before the research came out, it does not excuse the company’s secrecy.

Not only did they hide this data, but they were not seeming to do anything about it, choosing to ignore the problem instead. With this scandal revealed, society as a whole has to take a minute and think about how spending too much time on social media is not just a trivial issue, but something that could severely hurt themselves or others. This is just one more example of something that will hopefully open people’s minds more to the essentiality of separating from screens.

Thursday

Friday

as much as she thought she would without social media.

“I want to more intentionally put my phone away while I’m with people because it helps me be more present and more focused and give them more of my energy and attention,” she said.

People then reflected on the challenge to complete their various limitations.

“It was hard because I would go on my phone in a regular week without even realizing it. If there’s any open block of time, I’ll just go on my phone, and I won’t even realize what I’m doing. I have to stop and think: ‘I could be doing so much more with my time,’ I have to put it down so I can use my time more efficiently,” said Maddy Winick.

Taylor, Thompson, and Fleming empathized how they go on their phones habitually and even “phantom scroll” between phone pages when they could not go on social media.

“The first day I kept subconsciously opening Instagram.

Like I’d open my phone and press it, and then think ‘what am I doing?’ I genuinely wasn’t trying to go to Instagram, but I was just there. I found that how I’d subconsciously go to Instagram for no reason even though I was probably just on there 2 minutes ago was so interesting,” said Dayna Wilkerson. been doing this for about 20 years, and it has been a part of the natural progression. Have I seen an uptick in mental health needs over the years? Absolutely. Is it completely contributed to social media and phone usage? Probably not. There are a lot of other factors that play into it, but I do think it is especially with this age group of students that phones are contributing to that increased need.

How Would You Address This Issue?

I tell kids to focus on what they can control. You have control over who you block, what you look at, the time you spend on it, so that is sometimes where you have to look for places where you have control. Otherwise you’re wasting time and energy worrying about something and trying to fix something that you can’t. Also, student’s have to be aware of what they’re posting and what they are putting out there. When you make yourself vulnerable it is going to invite positive and negative things, and if you are not going to handle it well you shouldn’t be doing that. There are things to be done, I’m not saying they are easy, but there are things to be put into practice.

So Why Is This Even Important?

It is safe to say society today has become reliant on technology. While this can be a great tool used for communicating with others and helping people learn new things, it can also start to control us and our everyday lives. This experiment was to prove that many people have serious work to do when it comes to freeing themselves from their conscious or even subconscious addiction -and it did just that. The results are important because it not only made the participants more aware of their phone usage, but it can make others more aware as well.

Wednesday

Q&A With Mrs. Oxendine Mrs. Oxendine is one of the counselors at LRHS. She has dealt with student’s struggling with issues concerning phones and social media for years.

Do you believe social media and screens negatively affect student’s mental health?

Yes, absolutely I do. Over the years as social media use has increased with teenagers, there is a tie to different struggles. For example, I think a lot of student’s self-esteem is tied up in how people are reacting to things they post, or someone may post something negative about someone else. Also, just the sheer time that kids and all of us frankly spend looking at our phones can be negative because it is taking away from doing other healthy things with our time.

Are mental health struggles rising with the greater usage of phones and social media in society?

I think that is definitely a conclusion to be drawn. I’ve

8 / Arts Feature

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, December 13, 2021

Arts Feature THE MYCENAEAN

Teacher spotlight: Mr. Patterson Student spotlight: Abigail Trammel he returned to North Carolina, he taught again at Jordan High school.

Patterson finally took his job here at Leesville High School in 2015, where he plans to stay until he retires.

“The overall school community, staff, and students are great.

Leesville is a wonderful place to be, and I enjoy my teaching job here,” said Patterson.

Classes

A piece done by Alissa Corbut, senior at LRHS enrolled in Mr. Patterson’s AP Art Studio class. This painting was created for her AP Portfolio -- every AP student mast have a portfolio made of 15 pieces based off of a “theme.” (PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION OF ROB PATTERSON)

By: Maddy Winick Staff Writer

Mr. Patterson is Leesville Road High School’s Visual Arts teacher as well as the Women’s and Men’s golf coach. He teaches both Visual Arts (academic) and AP Studio Arts classes.

The 2021-2022 year marks his seventh year of teaching here at Leesville, and his 27th year teaching overall.

Background Patterson’s interest in art began in middle school, then expanded in high school when he began to think about starting a career around this interest. His love for art was nurtured by his wonderful art teacher he had as a high school student.

Patterson graduated from

Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, earning his BFA in Communication Graphics and an Art Education certification. Following this, he earned his masters degree in Educational Administration from Butler University in Indiana.

When deciding more on what he should do with his future, Patterson’s father encouraged him to get his teacher license.

After earning all his degrees, he decided that taking the teaching route rather than working for a design firm would make him happiest.

Patterson began teaching art at an elementary school in Vance County for about two and a half years, followed by a position teaching and coaching at Jordan High School in Durham. He then moved to Indiana where he taught for eight years. When

In Patterson’s academic Visual Arts and AP Studio art class, he covers many topics including graphic design, painting, drawing, sculpting, art history and more. AP Visual Arts then exposes students to more detailed and descriptive teachings of these topics.

One big difference between the two levels of classes is that in AP Studio Art, students must complete an in depth portfolio of work. It must be completely unique and related to a theme or question.

AP Studio Art is personal to the specific artist, while the academic class follows projects from a curriculum. Students who share interest in art and like to create art that is specific to them tend to take the more advanced class.

Patterson hopes to share his passion for art and design with his students.

“If my students can get anything out of taking my classes, it would be an appreciation for the process and concepts relating to the creation of artwork,” he said.

By: Elizabeth Hanson Staff Writer

Abigail Trammel is a Leesville student and a talented dancer.

Here is her story.

Trammel has been learning to dance since the age of two.

As a kid, she would go to dance studios and learn the basics of dance. Her group of friends were also interested in dance, which helped her discover her passion for the arts.

Trammel’s goal is to help aspiring dancers show off their work and get it out into the world for others to see. “Dance can be whatever you want... show personality and you’ll do great,” said Trammel.

The process for dancers to go to college can be a fun and exciting experience. Dancers like Trammel need to show off their skills and the best work they can do.

Trammel has her own website, which includes a lot about her and what she does as a dancer. Her website acts as an online portfolio, showing off some of her best work to future companies and other groups she might dance for.

Trammel’s dance videos are spectacular. She has some amazing moves that aspiring dancers can model and learn from. Her videos also highlight how Trammel is an expert dancer and the intense practice she puts into learning her dances.

At Leesville, Trammel is the vice president of the school’s

dance team. She has been on the dance team for the past 3 years after starting as a freshman. In Raleigh, Trammel dances regularly at Carolina Dance Center, but she has also done a lot of work for Hollywood Vibe, which is a popular dance competition organization in Florida.

Abigail’s interest in dancing led her to learn complex mov es and styles. One of the ways she learned to dance is extreme tumbling. This side of dance is extremely difficult to do correctly. Trammel has to be a first rate dancer to do some of these moves, and her mastery of this style shows dedication to her passion.

Trammel is a hard working and experienced dancer. All of her contact information can be found on her website. She is truly talented in dance and her passion shows through her work.

Check out Trammel’s website with all of her best work by scanning this QR code!

Reviews

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, December 13, 2021

THE MYCENAEAN

Review / 9

Spotify Wrapped vs Replay 2021 Hawkeye TV series By: Emma Nani

By: Kayleigh Wilks

When comparing Apple Music Replay and Spotify Wrapped at the end of the year, Spotify Wrapped might win for overall presentation, but Replay isn’t far behind. Since 2016, December has never failed to bring numerous reposts of people’s Spotify Wrapped on social media. The colorful graphics and rankings catch attention annually as people often look forward to seeing their music taste condensed down to their top artists and songs.

Apple Music Replay has a simplistic way of presenting users with their top albums, songs, and playlists. Instead of showing the number of minutes users have spent listening to music, Replay records the hours, which I personally think is a better way of putting into perspective how much time I have spent listening.

Grant Silver, a frequent Apple Music user, approves of Replay’s design. He likes that Replay shows him the new albums he’s listened to this year. “[It] shows your top 50 albums. I think that’s really interesting. I checked out 2,353 new albums this year.”

Another difference between the apps is that Replay ranks and reports the number of times you have listened to each song instead of just listing your top songs. However, I would have liked to see the inclusion of a list of top genres I’ve listened to like on Spotify Wrapped. And while Replay is clean cut and straightforward, it lacks the style and gusto that comes with Spotify Wrapped.

Either way, I think Replay wins when it comes to showing users their statistics, but Spotify takes the cake for their graphic design.

Disney is back with another Marvel series, and this time it’s Hawkeye’s turn to take the stage.

I was skeptical about whether or not the show would be any good, because Hawkeye has never been an interesting or likeable character for me, but I was pleasantly surprised by it.

In the couple of episodes that Disney released so far, there’s been murder, street gangs, aristocratic scandal, and one very cute dog.

In the first episode, Marvel introduces us to a new character, Kate Bishop: a young woman growing up in a wealthy family in New York City. Inspired by Hawkeye when she was a child, she has grown to be bold and athletic -- becoming who some have called “the world’s greatest archer.”

When there’s an attack during an auction she sneaks into, she recklessly decides to take things into her own hands. All of this leads to her getting wrapped up in the underground crime world of NYC, and Hawkeye must step in and help for his own sake.

My first thought when I’d finished watching the show was how engaging it was. There’s not a single boring moment or a time when I didn’t want to know what happened next.

A huge part of what kept my interest was the mystery element. There are lots of pieces and hints dropped as the show encourages the viewer to consider how everything is connected, and what sort of answers may be lurking in the background.

I’ve never really been all too interested in Hawkeye as a character, but after the first three episodes, I have high hopes that this will change. In the show, we explore Hawkeye as a person and how he views his role as a

Staff Writer

The culmination of the Spotify Wrapped data into one easily Instagrammable page. You can share your top artists, songs, and genre with one easy click. (PHOTO COURTESY OF SAVANNAH SINOR) By: Savannah Sinor form a soundtrack. The prob-

Staff Writer

Since 2016, every December, Spotify releases their Spotify Wrapped, allowing users to see what they listened to and how long they listened to Spotify during the year.

This year’s wrap, fittingly dubbed 2021 Wrapped, comes with some additional features not seen in previous years. While still containing the usual — top artists, songs, genres, podcasts, and the total minutes listened — now there is 2021: The Movie, your Audio Aura, Playing Cards, and the 2021 Wrapped Blend.

Wrapped 2021 is hilarious to go through. Seeing what Spotify thinks of you and realizing how much of that one artist or song you have listened to is quite revealing and entertaining.

The returning features (top artists, songs, genres, podcasts, and the total minutes listened to) are great, but the new features are not so good. They have a few errors, nothing glaring, but they are noticeable and slightly annoying.

The movie section has the most concerning issue. This section pairs some of your favorite songs with scenes of movies to

lem is that the scenes do not fit together to form a believable movie.

For example, my soundtrack goes from banishing ancient spirits to a dance battle. Those two do not flow as a movie would. This feature is still entertaining, but having the song paired with scenes that could belong in the same film would make it much better.

The Audio Aura has similar issues, with the music part being on point, but its pair being not so great.

You get two words with matching colors in a picture below to describe your aura. My words are wistful and empowering, but my colors are blue and pink. While blue easily matches wistful, pink does not feel empowering. The idea of an Audio Aura is a fantastic addition, but if it sticks around, Spotify needs to up their color game.

However, these are minor issues, and they do not take away from the overall fun of 2021 Wrapped.

Personally, Spotify 2021 Wrapped was well worth it, and extremely fun to compare with friends and family.

Tokyo Sniper album review By: Francis Fleming Senior Editor

Tokyo Sniper is a Japanese city pop album by Ryusenkei released in 2006. It is the second of Ryusenkei’s 10 albums and is regarded as the best one by far.

Ryusenkei is a Japanese city pop band that started releasing music in the early 2000’s.

Toshiaki Takiguchi is the lead guitarist and writes a lot of the songs for the band. Takiguchi has been making music ever since middle school and finally started his career in 2003 with Ryusenkei releasing their first album, City Music.

Ryusenkei would go on to release two more albums in the following years with Tokyo Sniper in 2006 and Natural Woman in 2009. More recently, however, Ryusenkei released an album called Talio in 2020.

Toshiaki Takiguchi believes that city pop is all about leisure and does his best to provide that for his audience. He believes that city pop draws its themes from the ocean and the city, and tries to incorporate that into his music as well.

The other two members of the

band, bassist Takehiro Oshizuka and keyboardist Yuzo Hayashi, aid Takiguchi in creating beautiful instrumentals for their tracks. However, as a group of producers Ryusenkei does not provide any vocals for their music and instead will team up with a vocalist to create their albums.

On Tokyo Sniper, Ryusenkei teamed up with vocalist Hitomitoi (her real name is Shimomura Hitomi) to create the tracks and she does a wonderful job. Her relaxing vocals perfectly sync with the comforting production of the songs.

Throughout the album, guitar and bass strums echo as melodies from Yuzo Hayashi’s keyboard play behind Hitomitoi’s vocals. A wide variety of instruments appear throughout the album with trumpets on songs like “hanabira” (Petal), flutes on “Dancing into Fantasy,” or violins on the title track “Tokyo Sniper.”

Although it may not have many words, my personal favorite track is “Dancing into Fantasy.” The song itself is mostly instrumental, only having one four line verse and two short

Staff Writer

Tokyo Sniper is a phenomenal album by the band Ryusenkei. Many regard this album as one of the best City Pop albums of the 2000’s.

(PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANCIS FLEMING)

choruses. However, the quality of the production more than makes up for the lack of vocals.

The rest of the album has similarly fantastic songs.

Some of my other personal favorites from the album are the opening and closing tracks in “taimumashīn ravu” (Time Machine Love) and “ame no

shinderera” (Rainy Cinderella).

These tracks have a lot more vocals from Hitomitoi which she absolutely crushes. Both of these tracks continue to follow themes of love and adventure. Notably, in “Rainy Cinderella” Hitomitoi sings about embracing love instead of being afraid or running from it.

superhero. In public, he’s cold and stoic, but he really cares for those close to him, especially his family. His role as a father is obviously a top priority for him, and his interactions with his kids are absolutely adorable.

For now though, Kate (Hawkeye’s apprentice) and Hawkeye don’t work very well together-but this only makes their interactions funnier. If there’s one thing I’ve noticed Marvel does again and again in their productions, it’s balancing heavy subjects and action with humor.

In this show, we see humor written into the very disposition of certain characters, particularly Kate, with her over-the-top bold nature.

The disabled representation was also done surprisingly well.

Hawkeye and the “villain” character, Maya, both struggle with different levels of hearing loss.

The show accurately depicted how disabilities make people’s lives difficult, but it also showed how they can work well in spite of it, and how we can be accepting and helpful to them. The disability also didn’t take up the complete character: Both Maya and Hawkeye have lives outside of their disabilities--which hasn’t always been done in film.

Because there are only a few episodes out so far, there is still a lot of story left, and there are a few things I’m particularly excited to see. If you’ve watched the end credits scene of Black Widow, you know that Yelena Belova will be interacting with Hawkeye in future Marvel installments.

I’m hoping that this will be at least hinted at within the show.

I’m also looking forward to a further exploration of Hawkeye’s role as the Ronin, and how it’s affected his emotional state in the present setting.

Hawkeye has started off fantastically, and I’m thrilled to see it continue.

Even though these tracks are mostly in Japanese, I can still enjoy the music solely for the vibe it gives. The vibrant instrumentals and beautiful vocals more than make up for the lack of lyrical comprehension due to the language barrier.

Max2k from Album of the Year summed it up pretty well saying, “The album is absolutely wonderful front to back. City pop and J-Funk collide with extremely charismatic and lovely lead vocals. My jam.”

During the time of the album’s release, Japanese city pop was in a bit of a slump. During the depression of the 1990’s and early 2000’s, city pop artists slowly stopped making music or switched genres. Tokyo Sniper was the shimmer of light in the dark tunnel.

Overall, Tokyo Sniper is a phenomenal album full of great production and vocals provided by the various artists that worked on it. The relaxed atmosphere the album provides makes it great to listen to just about anywhere.

If you would like to listen to the full album you can find it on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube.

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, December 13, 2021

10 / Dear Teachers

THE MYCENAEAN

Dear Teachers,

Please keep... Do not keep...

Assigning us homework Assigning us busywork When given reasonable amounts of homework, we can appreciate its positive impacts.

If there is a subject that we do not understand completely, homework can help us gain clarity on that material, especially if you make yourself available to help us with it.

If we are expected to learn new material after school, please make yourself available to help us with it.

If we already understand the material we learned during class, homework can reinforce what we have learned so we don’t fall behind.

Although practice doesn’t always make perfect, it can certainly help.

For example, it is possible for us to forget how to do a math problem over the course of 24 hours. To prevent this, five math problems per night can allow us to keep up in the class.

Homework is also a good way to help our grades. When it comes to tests, projects, or essays, grades are unpredictable.

When we have a doable amount of homework, we can rely on those grades to help us earn the final grade we want.

On that note, make sure to be clear with instructions and expectations for homework.

Almost all of us have been in a situation where we worked really hard on a homework assignment, just for the teacher to give us a failing grade on it because there was a lack of communication.

If this is avoided, homework can be a good grade for us and help us feel like we are doing something right.

So, teachers, keep making us better students with your assigning of homework.

Sincerely, the LRHS Student Body

Letting us do groupwork I love group work because I love cooperative learning. Oftentimes, you assign work to students to complete by themselves.

Working in groups gives us the chance to split up the work and take some of the stress of being a high school student off of our shoulders.

Having the chance to talk to different people and hear different opinions is beneficial. I have the chance to look at problems from a different view, which broadens my perspective.

In a group situation, we can attempt tasks that could not be accomplished individually. Groups combine a variety of skills and expertise to tackle more complex and larger scale problems.

Groupwork is also highly relevant in the workspace. According to research, group work advances my organization, communication, team work, analysis, and leadership skills -- all qualities my future employer will look for.

My friend loves group work because he is the kid that sits back and pushes his work onto his other group members. He does not even have to participate and will still earn the same grade as those who did all the work.

Please keep giving us groupwork. It saves all of our grades.

Sincerely, the LRHS Student Body

An example of what a basic English multiple choice test in a high school would look like. It is very straightforward and easy to answer. (PHOTO COURTESY OF DAYNA WILKERSON)

Giving us multiple choice tests I know there are arguments against multiple-choice tests: They are not representative of students’ knowledge or it is all luck. I disagree with these arguments strongly.

Multiple-choice tests are the easiest way to get an A. There’s one definitive answer if you know the content.

Unlike free-response questions, multiple-choice questions are more objective, which keeps the answer from many to one.

Therefore, all I need to do is memorize the notes and textbook to earn an “A”.

Multiple-choice tests give me a 20% or 25% of a correct answer I may not get with an open note test.

Sometimes when I half study or am on the edge of an A, I need that cushion to help me succeed.

Please keep giving us multiple choice

questions because they are my strength.

If you get rid of it, all of the questions will be free responses, and I cannot think of an answer.

Besides, making favor of one testing method over another is not fair. If we are talking about what is fair and what is not, it is finding a way to make testing equitable than doing one or the other.

I find it more difficult to create and critically think about the answer to a free response question than a multiple choice question.

So, teachers of Leesville do not listen to the usual naysayers. As they said, you hear it every year, but you trust your judgment and keep multiple-choice tests.

You know what is right and what is wrong for us.

Sincerely, the LRHS Student Body

Content contributed by: Mary Mabry, Kaelyn McCann, Viviana Straniero, and Dayna Wilkerson

An AP Chem student working on her homework at her house. This homework takes up hours of her time at home with her family. (PHOTO BY PERMISSION OF CAROLINE PHILLIPS)

Homework is not effective, nor does it positively impact our learning. Because homework should simply be a reinforcement of material learned in class, there is no reason why we should have four hours of homework per night.

If you are trying to teach us material -- not provide reinforcement -- through homework, good luck; research shows that we will not actually learn anything when we have copious amounts of work to do after school.

If you are unable to fit all of your material into 90 minutes of class, please do not punish us for it.

Bottom line: if you give us homework, limit it to half an hour. This number comes from the 10 minute rule for homework -- suggested by experts and organizations such as the National Education Association.

This rule starts first graders at ten minutes of homework and increases the time by ten minutes per grade level. By senior year, we should have 120 minutes of homework.

A decrease in homework will benefit you as well: you will have less work to grade, and we will appreciate you. By giving us less homework, we will know that you value our mental health and life outside of school.

In addition to the uselessness of homework, it also burdens us who have a lot going on in our lives. We have extracurriculars, jobs, families, and friends that require our attention.

Teachers, please stop giving us busywork that is only a hindrance on our time. xoxo, the LRHS Student Body

Forcing us to work together Our grade shouldn’t depend on someone else doing their part. If my section of the project deserved an A, and my partner carelessly did their part and turned it in late, we should both get a C? According to the WCPSS policy, “students’ grades can’t be limited by other students”, so teachers should be grading based off the work of each individual student and not the outcome of the entire project.

Besides the completely unfair grading system, we rarely get paired with people who are good to work with.

Either there is someone who is controlling and unnecessarily becomes the leader, or you get paired with a bunch of slackers who don’t do any of the work.

Plus, now you have to pretend to like a bunch of people you never talk to.

And if you want to know how many times I’ve had a good group to work with,

count the hairs on the palm of your hands (respectfully).

Group work also limits our creativity. No one can seem to agree if we want to do a slide presentation vs. a Prezi Presentation, using green text vs. blue, or “Alfa Slab One” vs. “Bree Serif” font. This causes and the project to not come out how anyone likes and bland.

Basically, what we’re trying to say: Few like group work and it’s unfair and frustrating. Most of the time our projects would be 10x better if we could work alone.

If you could, please assign less group work, that would give everyone more control over their work and less stress about whose doing what part. xoxo, LRHS Students

Making us memorize for no reason Multiple-choice questions do not accurately represent my knowledge.

They teach me memorization for something I will not remember when I finish the test or use later in life when I am 25 or 50.

We sure do not use multiple choice tests after high school. In fact, freshman college students who went to Leesville admit that their final exams are not multiple choice.

So, we try to conquer multiple-choice tests for 13 years, and then it is not even used in an academic setting in college?

What’s the point?

A valid criticism of those who like multiple-choice tests is that if we throw multiple-choice tests is that if we do away with them, what about standardized tests like the ACT or SAT? Unlike regular multiple-choice tests created in school, the ACT and SAT are made with the intent to make us think critically.

Just compare your average LRHS multiple choice test to an old ACT multiplechoice exam, and you will see the difference.

Those standardized tests are doing what school tests should be: testing my abilities to prepare me for the real world.

In the real world I will not be using y=mx+b or the unit circle unless I become a mathematician. I will need valuable skills like problem solving and critical thinking in anything I do when I am older.

And to think, teachers most likely hear this complaint every year and keep making the same mistakes by giving us the same multiple choice tests.

Hopefully, this time is different, and you guys will listen and move towards better assessing practices that benefit both us and you. xoxo, the LRHS Student Body

The Mycenaean, Leesville Road High School, December 13, 2021

Sports

Sports/ 11

THE MYCENAEAN

Leesville’s standout swimmer

Coach Danehower’s arrival By: Savannah Sinor Staff Writer

John Danehower joins the CTE department as the new Sports Marketing teacher and women’s basketball coach at Leesville.

Kate Speerschneider swims for the YMCA of the Triangle Area (YOTA) swim team and Leesville’s varsity swim team. Her two favorite events include the 200I IM and 200 breaststroke. (PHOTO USED BY PERMISSON OF KATE SPEERSCHNEIDER)

By: Kyla McGhee Senior Editor

Kate Speerschneider has been an outstanding athlete on the Leesville swim team all four years of her career.

How It All Started Swimming is in Speerschneider’s blood with her parents both swimming at NC State University.

“At not even one I was in the water, so it’s always been a big aspect of my life,” said Speerschneider.

Speerschneider takes after her favorite swimmer, Caleb Dressel. She admires his “determination and drive towards everything.”

Prior to swimming, Speerschneider played softball, soccer, and basketball. Once she got to high school, she chose to focus on swimming.

“I really liked soccer but I had to decide what I wanted to focus on when I got to high school,” said Speerschneider.

She chose swimming because in the water, she goes to her happy place.

“I like how my heart rate goes up,” said Speerschneider.

“It’s like runner’s high, but with [swimming].”

Her Swimming Career At Leesville, there is one team for women’s swimming and one team for men’s swimming.

Fortunately, Speerschneider made the team as the only underclassmen.

That same year, the women’s swim team won the 4A State Championship.

“My freshman year we won states which was a really cool experience, especially being the only underclassmen, ” said Speerschneider.

Last year, the Pride won the conference championship, despite competing during the pandemic.

Outside of Leesville, Speerschneider swims for the YMCA of the Triangle Area (YOTA).

Unfortunately, the yearround swimming season and the high school swimming season overlap with each other, so most swimmers attend year-round swim practice instead of high school practices.

Even though there is a conflict, Speerschneider looks forward to her senior season as the women’s swim team started

off their season with a victory back in November.

“So far this season has been really good, and I’m excited to see where it goes,” said Speerschneider.

The Recruiting Process Speerschneider wants to continue her swimming career through college. She is currently near the end of her recruiting process.

So far, Speerschneider narrowed her list down to five schools: Colorado Mesa, San Jose State, University of Idaho, Old Dominion University, and James Madison University.

She wants to find a college that develops her swimming as well as prepares her for her future career.

“I hope to major in a kinesiology-based major like health science and exercise science, one of those two,” said Speerschneider.

After receiving her bachelor’s, she wants to come back to North Carolina for school to become a physical therapist.

From competing in her first YMCA Nationals to competing in her last high school swim season, Speechneider has a bright future ahead.

The PAC project at Leesville, cont’d and overseeding. [We] spend a lot of money trying to keep our facilities top-notch.”

PAC: Equality VS. Equity When it comes to providing what the coaches need, the first step is a meeting with Rogers. Every year, coaches create a list of any equipment they need, whether that means new netting for the batting cage or more cones. Their list then goes to Rogers where PAC decides if these items are all entirely necessary or not.

“We have a wants and needs list, and we sit down with the coaches and say ‘Okay you wanted 47 soccer balls, can we probably get by this year with 30 instead of 47’ -- we break it down that way,” Rogers said.

Rogers hopes that by meeting with coaches and using a wants and needs list, he can eliminate unnecessary spending. He sees it as a way to preserve the PAC’s budget that works better than giving each team the same amount when not every team needs the money.

“We don’t believe in budgets just because if we give the basketball team 3000 dollars to

spend and they really don’t need anything they’re just gonna use that 3000 dollars because they don’t wanna give it back, so we just talk about what they really need for their budgets,” said Rogers.

In addition to equipment, the PAC provides new uniforms on a three to five-year rotation.

This system allows teams equal opportunity to have the items they need.

“We keep from having to buy every sport uniforms in one year, so next year it might be women’s basketball and golf. That’s their year, and then five years later we’ll buy another set of uniforms for them,” said Rogers.

What Does PAC Not Provide?

While Leesville provides its athletes with a lot of the needed equipment for their sport, there are still many items students are expected to buy for themselves.

The school does not provide gear like practice uniforms, soccer socks, and even football helmets: They are an expense the athlete pays for themself.

Paul Dinkenor is Leesville’s varsity soccer coach and Paideia

social studies teacher. He has been coaching at Leesville since the school opened in 1993 and has roughly 40 years of experience in coaching soccer.

He acknowledges his fortune that PAC pays for a lot of the soccer teams’ more expensive gear, providing items like uniforms, balls, and goals.

While they do cover these expensive items, athletes buy other gear such as their own socks and practice warm ups.

However, buying your own uniform is required for some sports.

Track and field, for example, has a large number of students on their team, so the athletes buy the uniforms if they desire to do so. If an athlete does not want to purchase a new uniform, all that coaches require is a shirt that says “Leesville.”

PAC benefits not just Leesville, but the surrounding middle and elementary schools by providing a sense of community whether it’s at football games or Homecoming parades. Without the efforts PAC has dedicated to supplementing the minimal budget of Wake County, none of these things would be possible.

Coaching As the head coach for the varsity girls’ basketball team, he constantly works with the team to help them improve and be successful in their season.

Though the team had a rocky start, with a 68-24 loss against Panther Creek, Coach Danehower did not give up.

“A lot of coaches, after that first loss, would have given up on us. I feel like he is always working to make it better, like even when things do not go our way,” said Kandace Daniels, one of the guards on the team.

Instead of belittling the team or giving up on them, Coach Danehower encouraged the team for their long season ahead.

“I tried to focus on the things that we did not do well in that game. Not as to make them feel bad about it, but trying to focus in practice about those things,” said Coach Danehower.

So in their practices, the team spent time making sure that they would not make the same mistakes twice.

“He ran a couple of drills that have really helped what we were struggling with in the first game that we lost,” said Molly Zuburg, freshman point guard. “And so from now on I think we are just trying to get better and improve on the little things that we have been struggling with.

When the second game rolled around, the Pride won 44-42 against Jordan. This bolstered the team’s confidence in themselves and in their coach.

“After the second game, I could tell that [Coach Danehower] was more confident in us and himself and his coaching

abilities. So I think it can only go up from here,” said Payton Gable, shooting guard.

The increased confidence in his coaching abilities can only be a good thing for the team.

As a coach, he tries to help set up the team to win, but he also lets the players have some freedom so that they can see what works for them.

“Trying to coach, but not over-coach and allowing people to make mistakes and learn from that, that kind of environment is what I am trying to do,” said Coach Danehower.

Making their own decisions allows the players to become more confident in themselves. “[Coach Danehower] will be firm when he needs to, but for the most part, he lets me be my own player and gives me the confidence I need,” said Daniels.

He knows when to push a player and when to let them be.

That knowledge won him the faith of his players.

“He is definitely my favorite coach I have had so far. He cares about the sport, which I feel like at Leesville is probably the first time we have really had a coach that is as dedicated as he is,” said Gable.

Teaching Before Leesville, Danehower worked at Athens Drive High School for ten years, Cleveland High School for nine years, and Heritage High School for one year. Finally, he joined Leesville. “[Coach Danehower] has had a lot of different background experiences before teaching. So he knows all about different stuff,” said Richard Childs, a sophomore in Sports Marketing.

His diverse background benefits his students in many ways since he’s always willing to help.

“I love the class. It is very engaging, and he is a good teacher.

Like he is always looking out for you,” said Childs.

At the workouts, Coach Danehower helpedthe girls develop their basketball skills for tryouts. After a quick practice game, the coach pulls them off to the side to discuss what went well and how they can improve for future games. (PHOTO COURTESY OF SAVANNAH SINOR).

Recap of Leesville fall sports • • • • • • •

Football: Quarterfinals of the State Playoffs Gymnastics: Cap-6 Conference Champions Girls’ Cross Country: 16th in the state and 4th in the region Boys’ Cross Country: 9th in the region Men’s Soccer: Wake County Cup champions and 14th in the state Women’s Golf: Paige Wilkinson -- Cap-6 All Conference and regional qualifier Volleyball: 3rd in Cap-6 Conference

Volume XXIX, Issue 1

Leesville Road High School, Raleigh N.C.

December 13, 2019

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