Chanda's Secrets a Must Read

HIV/AIDS are consuming the continent of Africa! In the gripping suspense-filled thriller Chanda’s secret, a sixteen year old is forced to battle with the virus as it continues to force its way into her life. I recommend this book as a must read to my fellow young adult readers. Chanda’s Secrets was awarded the Michael L. Printz Honor Book for Excellence in YA Literature, ALA along with many other awards.

By: Samaya Edwards

AIDS is running wild in Africa and Chanda’s family is hiding something…

Chanda’s Secrets is a suspense-filled book that focuses on the hardships of a teenage girl who lives amid the HIV/AIDS pandemic of Africa. The thrilling book takes you on a roller coaster of emotions as the story progresses. It reveals problems that are unknown to our society as it takes place across the Atlantic ocean, on a different continent. This book gives you a little insight to what life is like for a teenage girl living in poverty.

Chanda’s Secrets focuses on the life of sixteen year old teenager, Chanda. Chanda is an intelligent hardworking student and a good person. She wants to make life better for herself and her family. She lives in a single parent home with her mother Lillian, and two siblings Iris and Soly. The story tells of the struggles that Chanda faces. Throughout the book Chanda faces the recurring issues of death, shame, and secrets. However, the biggest problem Chanda is forced to tackle is HIV and AIDS. With the huge outbreak of the disease the fatality rate is running rampant. Surrounded by death, Chanda is forced to face the inevitable as she has to overcome the obstacles the virus brings.

As I read Chanda's secrets I couldn’t put the book down.The story was filled with many twists and turns. It also revealed many secrets throughout the book which is intriguing to the reader. For me personally, I was able to really connect with the main character Chanda. I saw myself in her which made the book that much more interesting. I must say the emotional connection I felt was very real. I was touched by this book as the resolution almost brought me to tears.

Spring Brings Creativity to East Wake Students

Trash to Fashion: Seniors Rebekah Irwin and Kaitlynn Blow stand together during the Rubbish to Runway Trashion Show. Blow’s dress, made of random odds and ends including dental floss, was modeled by Irwin. Blow’s original design was different and at one point was set to make noise as she bounced between the idea of using playing cards or aluminum cans. “I wanted to use something weird at first and I spent a lot of time--too much time, with the whole process of making the dress,” laughed Blow. She also described the fashion show as “awesome” and noted that it gave her goosebumps. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Bostic.

By: Gabby Talucci

East Wake students showcased their artistic abilities during the month of May. The town of Wendell hosted its first Art Walk on the May 16th as part of the local Spring Fling. Seniors Kaitlynn Blow and Michael Russo, who participated in the event, will have their paintings hung at the Town Hall for the next month. Blow also joined in on the third annual “Rubbish to Runway Trashion Show” presented at the Mercedes Benz in Durham by Mercedes Benz and FRANK where she entered her self designed and constructed dress. The dress was made of aluminum cans, dental floss, trash bags, and bottle caps and was modeled by senior Rebekah Irwin.

In addition, Artsplosure accepted pieces from East Wake students Sheldon Campbell, Sofia Caprio, Angie Mejia-Leiba, and Summer Sims. These pieces were displayed in downtown Raleigh in the PNC Plaza. Ms. Bostic, the art teacher who helped the students enter, was very proud of the display of artistic ability. “It is an amazing feeling to have my students have their work validated by the community.I know that all judging and contests are subjective, but when someone besides myself recognizes the talents of our students, it's awesome!”

Time to Dance: EWHS Dance Classes Show Off Skills at Recital

By: Diamond Evans

On Thursday, May 5th East Wake High School performed a dance recital.  Dance teacher Ms. Cathy Wills had her students from each period perform that night as part of their class grade.  It was a student-led production, as students worked hard to develop choreography, costumes, lighting cues, music cuts, and marketing for the event. The majority of the dancers were nervous but excited at the same time. The admission of the event was $5 for students and $7 for adults.  Sophomore Demaria Jackson stated, “I think we put a lot into our recital: good dedication and hard work; there were a few bumps, but of course we managed to get through it. It was fun to see what would could create by ourselves.”

The types of dances that were performed were African, musical theatre, ballet, hip-hop, tap dancing, and lyrical.  The performers wore clothes that fit in with each theme of the songs. During the two acts a total of 23 dances were performed, 12 dances in the first act and 11 in the second.  The beginning of the recital started off with a poem dance written by Kimia Bell, Unique Champion, Ashleigh Tew, Christina Valentic, and Katye Wainwright, where each person expressed herself through her own dance.  The finale was “7/11,” by Beyoncé and performed by all of the dancers in all three of Ms. Wills’ classes.

Freedom! Sophomores Amani Boyd, D’lijah Ellis, and Shawnie Green dance to their West African song about freedom at the dance recital on May 5th. “I was the most nervous about performing the African dance; it took us a very long time to put it together to get it RIGHT! I was so anxious about it I was counting out loud on stage to make sure that we’d stay together,” commented Green.

Prom 2016: Dancing the Night Away

East Wake High School's prom, themed Mardi Gras, took place Friday, April 29, 2016 at City Market, in downtown Raleigh from 8 pm until 12 am. Students walked in to a magical room, filled with hanging lights and Mardi-Gras themed decorations, and DJ Highrise's beats playing in the background.  Over the course of the evening, school administrative assistant Teressa Allmon introduced the seniors at a senior walk, a special moment for the class of 2016.  Later, principals Stacey Alston and Jennifer Newby announced the big news everyone was waiting to hear: Prom King and Queen. Tyler Burton and Tessa Perry were crowned and danced together in the spotlight. Junior Tyease Wooten remembers, "When I first walked in, I was amazed by how nice it was. I loved the lights and the location. I can't wait to do it again next year." Many other students agreed with this sentiment; they were happy to have the prom at City Market this year. In recent years, East Wake has held its prom at the Wendell Community Center but decided to move the venue for this year's event. Most of the students were excited by the change, which helped contribute to the formal atmosphere.

Appreciating Our Teachers

By: Alayjah Jones

May 2nd-6th was Teacher Appreciation Week, and teachers were appreciated all over the country. At East Wake High School, teachers were made to feel extra special. During this week organizations like the Student Council, PTA, and FFA and local businesses like Wendell Falls put together lunches for our staff. Lunches consisted of catered meals from Sweet Tomatoes, Jersey Mikes, Dickeys BBQ,  Moes, and Sheetz, and breakfast items came from Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts. English teacher Mrs. Rachel Marchant reported, “Out of the entire week my favorite day was Wednesday when we had ate Dickeys BBQ, because it’s always good to have a good meal to fill you up during the day.” Mrs. Natalie Clark, also from the English department, agreed that Dickey’s was her favorite, because she had to have a second helping of the macaroni and cheese.

Not only were lunches provided, but Mr. Garry Allmon set up free car details for teachers through his automotive classes. Lots of teachers were satisfied with this offering, including science teacher Rhonda Rhodes. “I think the kids did a very good job washing my car; it was nice to get it done free,” said Mrs. Rhodes. Many teachers enjoyed this extra perk of Teacher Appreciation Week. And the parking lot was full of shiny cars throughout the week.

History teacher Mr. Mike Costantino prepares his hot dog plate during Friday’s lunch, catered by FFA. Teachers and staff enjoyed lunches every day of Teacher Appreciation Week.

Driving to Live Campaign Makes a Frontal Impact on Student Drivers at East Wake

By: Samaya Edwards

Last year, more than 58,000 collisions involved teenagers here in North Carolina. Bad driving habits like texting while driving and speeding have become more prevalent among student drivers. It was essential to bring the severity of these issues to the attention of these student drivers.

Driving to Live was a presentation launched by state troopers at East Wake. It was directed towards student drivers to encourage them to stay safe on the road. With intentions to prevent roadside dangers, certain measures were taken to get the point across to drivers. For instance, more troopers were added to high schools to enforce driving laws, especially speed limit. For most students the presentation was intense and a little disturbing. Senior Amarachi Achonu was sitting in the front row during the presentation. Achonu says, “The assembly was very straight to the point. The officer came in and told us he had one job, which was he was trying to save our lives. He was very loud and very detailed with heart-breaking stories and gruesome descriptions. This made people in the room skirmish, and some people thought it was inappropriate, but I thought that it was just real. The hard truth doesn’t get watered down and I think that he achieved his goal and got through to a lot of people in the room. He really made them rethink their choices.” Achonu’s personal account of the assembly really summarizes the presentation as a whole. It shows how the officer was able to impact the students’ lives and emphasize the importance of driving safely.

Keep your eyes on the road! During East Wake’s prom week, a special car was put on display at the front entrance of the student parking lot. STEM director, Ms. Katoina Ford said, “Last week, the agency added more troopers to high schools  to enforce speed limits around work zones.The North Carolina Highway Patrol said the initiative is especially important as prom season gets underway across the state.” Having the car right out front of the school made drivers really consider the choices they made behind the wheel as they left and entered the student parking lot.

Protect That Pringle: The Pringles Challenge Comes to EWHS

Hard at Work: Ray Omabu, 9, Nuvia Maganda, 10, and Darreese Ingram, 12, test their contraptions by placing their Pringles in the center.

By: Nan Becerra

In Mr. Stephen Fister’s first period class, Introduction to Engineering Design, a Pringles Challenge project was given to his students.  He got the idea from a challenge on the internet--The Pringles Challenge. Their job was to design a product that would safely protect a Pringle chip while it was mailed through the US Postal service. Once they designed the contraption, students mailed their packages to a school in Mississippi and received packages from that same school. According to Mr. Fister, EWHS sent a total of nine packages, and we received ten. The main challenge was to construct the smallest and least massive package that also provided the most protection for such a fragile item--the chip.

Introduction to Engineering Design is a class where students learn about designing objects that are made in the real world of engineering. A top packaging engineer in the industry can expect a salary of $85,000, so this particular project provides real-life experience if students wish to go this route. In addition, the use of a software called “Inventor” helps the students make a 3D model of designs they want to make. This is what real engineers use to make items like airplanes and cars.

This was the first time that Mr. Fister has done this Pringles Challenge project in his class, and he looks forward to doing it in future years. Mr. Fister also teaches Digital Electronics and Engineering Design and Development. He anticipates a class of curious learners next school year.

Challenging Himself: Jaziah Rispress, 9, works on his design. “This project was a fun and interesting experience," Rispress said.

Online Athletic Website Launches for 2016-17 School Year

By: Shawnie Green

The athletic department is now collecting athletic paperwork online. The only thing that will be turned in on paper will be medical history and the physical forms. All athletes need to register online. You will need to go to the “Participant Forms” tab on the right side. For first-time registrations online, you must create an account. Once you create an account, you can register. For those who have no access to a computer or the internet, a paper copy will be provided but must be requested from Mr. Randy Pridgen, athletic trainer. If you have any questions, you can contact Mr. Pridgen at rpridgen@wcpss.net.

Click on this link to register:

http://www.wakecountyathletics.com/eastwakehs

Seniors Pick Up Caps and Gowns

Senior Caylin Stokes is excited for her senior year and the graduation ceremony. She realizes it’s all coming to an end as she picks up her cap and gown.

By: Shawnie Green

As seniors wrap up their last year in high school, they have to complete a monumental milestone: graduation. It’s been a long four years but now it’s time for them to go out and experience life beyond high school. May 5th and 6th the seniors got to pick up their caps and gowns from Herff Jones for graduation on June 10th. For some it’s been a little bittersweet. Senior Nilasia Chavis said, “I’m so excited and I can’t believe it’s almost time, but I’m ready for this new chapter in my life. It has been an emotional ride.”

Graduation will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center on June 10th at 8 am.

Service Above Self

With club meetings twice a month, the Interact Club carries out two service projects a year: one project that helps the school or the community and one that promotes international understanding. “Interact Club is open to anyone who is willing to commit the time and help make an impact in their school and community. It’s a fun club to be involved with; we do a lot all throughout the year,” stated Mrs. Coble, the club's adviser.

By: Keely White

Interact Club won the Presidential Citation award this year. This would be the first time the Interact Club won this award and the first time East Wake earned the award in this part of the county. The main goal of the Presidential Citation award is to make a positive impact in the school and the community. To achieve this award the Interact Club had to work with their sponsor Rotary Club and complete five mandatory activities. To receive this citation award they partnered with the Rotary Club of Wendell and collected and delivered Thanksgiving dinners to needy families, they participated with Operation Christmas Child by donating gift boxes to needy children, they worked with the Salvation Army by partnering with Rotarians at the Zebulon Walmart to collect Christmas donations, they created gifts for teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, and they are planning to serve with the Children’s Carnival on May 13th.

Interact is an organization for students who want to join together to tackle the issues in their community that they care about most. Throughout Interact Club, you can carry out hands-on service projects, make international connections, develop leadership skills and most of all have fun!! Interact is seeking leadership roles for the coming year, specifically juniors or seniors. The club currently has 27 active members. To join, please sign up during the Fall Club Week 2016 or see adviser Mrs. Coble for more information.