 Andrew Bulieris Sports Editor After a supposed technical issue the high school basketball brackets were released last Sunday in the evening which revealed Apex men’s basketball (17-10) would travel to Hoggard high (18-9) in Wilmington, and Apex women’s posted a high enough record (20-7) to host Rolesville(16-11) at home in what would end up being the last women’s basketball game at home in the Cougar Den.  Emily Caroline Sartin Features Editor Registering for classes can be an overwhelming task that seems to determine your success in high school. Take a deep breath and inhale and exhale. Here is my advice for the registration process:  Jessica Stiehm Editor-in-Chief Are you looking for a way to make studying more bearable? Go to Common Grounds Coffee House in Downtown Apex! As you walk inside, you’re immediately greeted with the comforting smell of fresh coffee and sweet pastries. Besides their superb menu items (which include not only coffee, but tea, smoothies, shakes, cakes, and an array of other sweet treats), the atmosphere is what makes Common Grounds one of the best hangouts in Downtown Apex.  Claire Garner Staff Writer When most people hear the word slavery, they think of forced labor for African Americans in the South and the abolition of such practices by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, but what would you think if I told you that there are an estimated twenty-million people in the world right now who are trapped in slavery? Thursday, Feb. 23 is Shine a Light on Slavery Day, and people who participate in raising awareness will wear a red ‘X’ on the back of their hands. This red ‘X’ is the logo for the End It Movement, a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness and put an end to the modern-day slavery that takes place in 167 countries throughout the world.  Jessica Stiehm Editor-in-Chief Congratulations, freshman and sophomores! The North Carolina School Board is in the process of potentially revising the traditional-calendar for the 2018-2019 school year. On Feb. 4, House Bill 53 was filed and is currently awaiting review that would allow for major modifications to the current school calendar. Around ten years ago, the traditional-calendar moved start times up to late August and end times to early June, and that is how it has been. Until now. If House Bill 53 is passed, scheduling could work out so students in North Carolina could take their exams before leaving for winter break, and start a new semester at the beginning of January. This means that students would have to go back to school earlier in August, but it could also mean getting out for summer by....  Jake Gibson Staff Writer On Thursday, Feb. 16, NC State made it official that Mark Gottfried had been fired as the Head Coach of Men’s basketball; however will finish the season with the Pack. Gottfried had three years left on his contract, worth about $2.28 Million. Debbie Yow spoke on the issue stating that “Mark and I met today to discuss the future direction of our program. While it has been my long time practice to evaluate the body of work at season’s end, in reviewing the overall direction of our program, we believe a change in leadership is necessary moving forward.” Jessica Dorcelien Co-Editor-in-Chief Ever since our elementary school lessons on the negative effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke, we have become flooded with the simple facts that not only are the substances within tobacco highly addictive, but that tobacco itself is a leading cause of cancer and preventable death. But we know, realistically, that even after hearing these statistics on repeat, they will not stop some of our peers, or maybe even ourselves, from indulging in the deadly addiction of cigarettes. We have heard that tobacco use may stem from joining a new crowd or from searching for a new ‘hobby’. But just as tobacco use is a cause of cancer, socioeconomic status is the single greatest predictor of tobacco use. According to Tobacco Free Maine, “Tobacco and poverty create a vicious cycle [where] low income people smoke more, suffer more, spend more, and die more from tobacco use.” |
