Apex Friendship High Schools Student Newspaper

Vol I Issue IV

Photo By: Neda Dabbagh

By: Neda Dabbagh

Have you ever thought about where

you get your turkey on Thanksgiving? Studies
have found that many store bought turkey
brands produce massive amounts of birds to
the point of abuse. According to the Humane
Society of America, approximately 250 million
turkeys endure harsh treatment in large turkey
factories. According to abc11.com and CNN
news reports, turkey breeding facilities and
farms, such as Butterball in North Carolina,
grow turkeys to be bred larger than normal,

causing artificial reproduction in the hens.

One worker from a turkey breeding
facility in Missouri described how, The birds
were terrified, and beat their wings and
struggled in panicI have never done such
hard, dirty, disgusting work in my life: 10 hours
of pushing birds, grabbing birds, wrestling birds,
jerking them upside down and pushing open
their vents.
Young poults in factory turkey farms
begin their lives on conveyer belts in less than
24 hours of birth. The process begins with the
beaks being burned off without any anesthetic
and the removal of injured or unwanted birds.
Reported on the Huffington Post, undercover
investigations at Hy-Line Hatchery showed
workers tossing around the newly hatched
birds. Workers separate them into bins if injured
or sick, sending them into chutes to ground
them alive. Male chicks, destined for the
grinder, die because of their inability to produce
eggs.

Continued on Page 2

Band Takes the Win

The AFHS Patriot Regiment recently
finished the marching band season on Saturday,
October 29th with a final performance of their
show Adventures in Time at Cary Band Day.
With a tough competition, the band placed 4th
overall in class 3A, along with 3rd place drum
major (Emily Keefe) and 2nd place general
effect. Color guard took home 4th, only two
points away from 2nd. Also at Fuquay Varina
Band Expo, the band performed two times that
day. Band Director Mr. Rowe explains, Our first
performance, that was our state marching
assessment, and we received superior rating,
and that is the highest rating you can receive at
the state level for marching band.

EDITORIAL

NEWS
Page 2

Inside Scoop

AFHS junior Nasir Flana says his

favorite part of marching band is friends.
AFHS freshman Anthon Hamur says he enjoys
percussion the most. Only a three level band,
consisting of freshmen, sophomores, and

juniors, won 1st overall in class 3A at

Fuquay Varina Band Expo and first overall
in class 4A at Greene Central Band Day. At
Greene Central Band Day, the Patriot
Regiment also brought home 1st place
music performance, 1st place color guard,
1st place percussion, 1st place visual
effect, 1st place general effect, and 3rd
place drum major. When the Patriot
Regiment wins 1st place, AFHS
sophomore Brandon Lucas says he
feels, excited and proud and AFHS
junior Jesse Leeder says Oh I get
happy.

Photo courtesy of @AFHSbands

By: Chase Parsons

However, alternative options exist to

secure proper conditions for the turkeys. Local
farms, such as Ray Family Farms, grow farmraised, free-range turkey with no antibiotics,
hormones, or other additives. Besides
industrial companies, various family farms
produce turkeys in a more humane manner.
About 15% of the turkeys consumed on
Thanksgiving Day may come from family
owned farms, using less invasive tactics and
ensuring a healthy lifestyle for the birds.
Pasture raised turkeys consume antibiotic free
food, lowering the possibility of antibiotic
resistant bacteria and superbugs that threaten
Photo By: Neda Dabbagh

Whats on the Menu?

Why Turkey?

November 18, 2016

afhspatriotpress.weebly.com

STUDENT LIFE
Page 3 AFHS Gratitude

Page 5

Expect to see the Patriot

Regiment televised in the Raleigh
Christmas Parade on November 19th,
Continued on Page 6

A&E
Family Fun

SPORTS
Page 6

On The Ball

Page 7

The Patriot Press

November 18th 2016

Editorial

Whats behind Black Friday? As

we know, its an intense night of shopping
where customers seek products with
tremendous holiday deals, but how did it
start? Black Friday supposedly got its name
from many different myths, only one proves
true. According to History.com, in the 1950s
Philadelphia police officers used the term as
chaos after Thanksgiving, when shoppers
and tourist flooded the city for the annual
Army vs. Navy football game. Black refers
to the stores moving out of the red. Red
indicates loss and black indicates profit.
Black Friday shoppers continue to increase
annually as does the anger of working
employees during the holiday season .
During this time, many stores such
as Walmart, Target, and Macy's have major
discounts for holiday shoppers. According to
Usnews.com, approximately 133.7 million
people shopped online and in stores during
Thanksgiving weekend in 2015. According to
National Retail Federation, the rates will
climb up to 135.8 million shoppers.
Customers tend to be satisfied with
their holiday deals and bargains, but what
about the employees?. As customers line up at
doors, stores require their employees to clock

Why Turkey?
By: Neda Dabbagh

Photo By: Neda Dab-

Start imagining the glorious

food as it enters your dining room table on
Thanksgiving Day. Full of gravy with a
smooth taste. Mouthwatering pumpkin pie
filling the room with a warm aroma.
Roasted sweet
potato
casserole and
the special
smoked turkey!
Countless
Americans
celebrate this
national feast
with one
traditional bird, the turkey. Beginning in
the mid-19th century, Sarah Joseph Hale
Godmother of Thanksgiving celebrated

the holiday with a roast turkey. Thus, modeling

the turkey tradition adopted by Americans.
Others credit the English celebratory feast
where this large sized bird became practical
for family sized gathering.
At the turn of the 19th century,
Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding
fathers, states that No citizen of the U.S shall
refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Last
year, over 80% of Americans consumed turkey
on Thanksgiving to commemorate the unity of
Native Americans and Pilgrims. According to
Mentalfloss.com, journals by William Bradford
in 1856 state that colonists hunted wild turkey
which lead to Thanksgiving established as a
national holiday in 1863.
The majority of Americans believe
the turkey honors the hunt and the formation of
peaceful diversity. However, we put our blood,
sweat, and tears into the preparation for the
turkey to be at its utmost perfection. A lifeless
bird should not ruin the family gathering on

Whats On The Menu?

Continued from front page
the human body. With family raised turkey
farms, their animals will be given the proper care
and nutrients supply for both the consumers and
the turkeys health. Asgard Farm, in Gibsonville,
NC, operates with chemical-free pastures and
feed their animals with certified organic, soyfree, rations. All poultry processed in local farms
ensures the wellbeing of turkeys and other
animals. In general, family turkey farms and
pastured turkeys endure positive living
conditions, open pens to roam in, and include
more health benefits for human consumption.
Local Areas

Pasteurized or Farm
Grown Turkeys

Louisburg, NC

Ray Family Farm

Gibsonville, NC

Asgard Farm

Saxapahaw, NC

Cane Creek Farm

Efland, NC

Fickle Creek Farm

Photo By: Neda Dabbagh

By: Braylin Campbell

in several hours before opening time, preparing

the store for the shoppers. According to the
Harvard Business Review, last year a Target
employee started a petition on change.org to
save Thanksgiving and open Friday morning.
By noon, more than 370,000 people signed the
petition.
Business owners and customers get
so wrapped up in their own needs that they
forget the people working hard for them have
lives, too. It may be effective for the businesses
and the customers needs, but all stores should
open later Friday morning. Stores and
restaurants should close early on Wednesday,
be closed Thursday, and open later Friday.
Though those employees may need
the money for their own holiday shopping,
family trumps work. Usually, for many families
the holiday season represents the only time to
get together. An example would be military
families. If the employees works during that
time, they wont have a chance to see their
loved one. From a low wage to a high wage,
job, money, or wants shouldnt determine if one
should have that time off. Most people have a
life and someone waiting for them at home.
Photo By: Braylin Campbell

Black Friday

Thanksgiving Day. Year after year, families

chow down on this dry and tasteless creature.
Overall, it becomes a worthless cause of
defrosting, glazing, and cooking this hopeless
bird. Including the loss of valuable family time
to bond and appreciate each other on the
holiday.
Instead of turkey on Thanksgiving,
various immigrant families prepare unique
foods based on their cultures traditions.
Interviewed in a New York Times article,
Professor of UCLA International Institute, Leisy
Abrego, states how her and her family
celebrate the roots of their Salvadoran culture
and reminisce over the long struggle to keep
the family together. The Abrego's prepare a
traditional Salvadoran dish to honor their
origins and the diversity of America.
This holiday began as an encounter
between two cultures and the binding of a
divided people, which should continue with the
celebration of multiethnic cuisine besides the
boring, old turkey.

Want to voice your opinion? Send your Letters to the Editor at: afhspatriotpress@gmail.com

November 18th 2016

The Patriot Press

News

Inside Scoop on Thanksgiving

for granted today, including corn, turkey,
pumpkins, cranberries, chili peppers,
According to history.com, it took
potatoes, raspberries, blueberries, Concord
sixty-six perilous days of sailing for the
grapes and chewing gum, too. Many
Pilgrims to reach land on their boat, the
Mayflower. Most people are familiar with the Indians feared the Boat People, as they
called the Pilgrims, and their nasty diseases
tale of the Pilgrims struggles in the New
World, and how the generosity of the Native such as scurvy, which is a disease caused by
Americans with the help of a Pawtuxet Indian the lack of vitamin D, fruits, and vegetables.
named Squanto saved their lives.
However, some Native Americans
However, the effects that the
Pilgrims had on the Native American way of
life gets lost in the traditional account of
history. Washington Post writer John S. Lang,
through interviews with Native American
descendants, describes the effects the
Pilgrims had on them. [The Pilgrims] washed
ashore a ways up the beach, chilled and
hungry, disease-ridden, dirty and stinking, not
having bathed in six weeks. They couldnt
speak the language and wouldnt learn it,
belonged to an odd religious cult, had no
respect for property rights and had no job
skills.
Lang also states in the article that
Indians introduced the Europeans to 80
percent of the foodstuffs Americans now take

Loneliness

Thanksgiving became an official holiday

in 1863, when Abraham Lincoln finally heeded the
requests of Sarah Josepha Hale- author of the
nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb- after 36
years of her writing letters to senators, governors
and presidents to make Thanksgiving an official
holiday. Today, the majority of Americans alter
took pity on the Pilgrims, and taught them how Thanksgiving into a more food and family oriented
to hunt animals, grow crops and differentiate celebration rather than a mainly religious holiday.
the poisonous plants from the nonpoisonous. Americans also celebrate with pies, cakes, and
One of these Native Americans, Tisquantum, different dessert assortments that Pilgrims could not
a member of the Wampanoag tribe, helped
make without ovens.
the Pilgrims to survive through their first year.
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving
Most Native Americans today
differently according to their heritage and
celebrate Thanksgiving much differently than perspective of the holiday, and all in all, it has
the average American. Some choose not to
become a holiday of giving thanks for a variety of
celebrate it, some choose to acknowledge it
different reasons, depending on your heritage.
as a day of mourning, and some have a
Thanksgiving feast with their family. Its really
a national day of mourning, says Tayac, one
of the 100 survivors of the Indian tribe called
the Piscataway. Their tribe numbered in the
thousands before Europeans colonized their
land. Were survivors. Thats what its about.

Photo By: Jada Enoch

social contact generally bring the emotional

discomfort or distress.
Research points to loneliness being
By: Jada Enoch
as serious as obesity and substance abuse.
Some have chosen to refer to it as the invisible
epidemic that affects nearly 60 million
Americans. Everyday Health states chronic
loneliness increases the chances of early death
by up to 45%. John Cacioppo in his book
Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for
Social Connection compares the needs for
companionship and connection to the
importance of food and water.
Different studies point to the different
effects of loneliness. Cacioppo has also found
that for those living alone, higher stress levels,
increased suicide rates, dangerous changes in
Loneliness in teens links to the recent blood pressure levels, insomnia, and cognitive
loss of friends or family members, bullying, and decline can all appear as symptoms. He links
loneliness to a main cause for high school
even divorce, but these causes tend to spawn
temporary isolation. Although everyone can feel dropouts. Students unable to form social ties
then continue to live with outcast status.
lonely at times, chronic loneliness presents as
A 2015 Brigham Young University
a real issue both physically and mentally.
study research screams at officials to ring the
Psychology Today describes loneliness as a
bell on this new public health concern. The
lack of close friends and a dearth of broader

Photo By: Katelyn Bohn

By: Katelyn Bohn

A Cheyenne tribe member named Suzan Shown

Harjo says this about the holiday; Were here
because some white man didnt kill our ancestors. I
see it as a time of mourning and commemoration
for those who didnt make it. And also as a
celebration for those who have survived, she says.

study furthered the divide between social

isolation and ordinary loneliness. However, this
does not mean that both dont result in potential
harm to the human body. By bringing
awareness to the issue, the Brigham Young
researchers hoped to solve the problem with the
encouragement of talking to more people and
making more social connections.
Not all loneliness proves fatal, but
repetitive cases could turn out harmful. One of
the healthiest things we do as humans beings is
discuss our feelings states Mr. Sapienza,
counselor at Apex Friendship High School. He
recommends for students to write a gratitude
list, make a list of everything one is thankful for
and on the other side one can even write what is
wished for. Writing letters or sending texts to a
former loved one also promotes as a tactic to
get over chronic loneliness. Even a positive
attitude change can improve ones mental state.
For those who believe they might be
experiencing this chronic loneliness talking to
one of the counselors here at Apex Friendship
can benefit ones mental stability and future
physical state.

The Patriot Press

November 18th 2016

News
By: Kierney Leonard

Photo By: Kierney Leonard

As Halloween came
to a close, people traded their
ghoulish decorations for
turkeys and pilgrims. To get
into the mood of
Thanksgiving, read below to
find local activities in the
area.
Black Friday
shopping provides a lot of
excitement to those looking
for activities to do this time of
year. November 25th will be
the day of unbelievable sales. Not every store
will begin their sale on the 25th. Many
companies will open their doors much earlier,
creating a Black Friday Week. Stores that will
participate in this vary, but one example would
be Kohls. For more information on when stores
will begin their sales, visit www.blackfriday.com/
black-friday-2016.
The Turkey Trot 5k run in Apex
Community Park will take place the Saturday
before Thanksgiving. In this race people will run
through the beautiful park and around the lake.
Participants have the option to either compete

against others or run for leisure. The top

three runners in each category, as well as
the top male and female overall, will receive
awards. While the Turkey Trot no longer accepts
participants, anyone can head out and cheer the
runners on. If you want to participate in the race
next year, you can begin signups as early as
July 1st. Registration usually fills at least a
month prior to the actual race, so dont
procrastinate.
Thanksgiving gives people a reason to
feel grateful and thankful for what they have as
they gorge themselves with food. This year,
make a difference to those who normally cannot
celebrate Thanksgiving. Several organizations
allow volunteers to help, such as the Durham
Rescue Mission. This group hosts an Annual
Thanksgiving Day Dinner for the homeless and
needy and they need volunteers to help serve
food, host games, and clean up the events. Even
volunteering at an ordinary food bank or food
drive can really open your eyes to the meaning
of Thanksgiving.
This Thanksgiving will offer it all;
racing, shopping, eating, and giving back. Enjoy
the holiday, surround yourself with family and
good meals, and be sure to get involved in your
community.

Does Thanksgiving Make You Sleepy?

By: Grace Twomey

serving, while light meat turkey contains 270

milligrams in the same serving size. If tryptophan
did in fact cause drowsiness, one would be more
likely to fall asleep after eating chicken than
turkey.

By: Chase Parsons

The most popular parade in

America and a tradition since 1924, the
Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade, has
come to represent the holiday. Located in
New York City, the Macys Thanksgiving
Day Parade attracts over 3.5 million
spectators to the parade route with about
10,000 participants each year. According
to fortune.com, Tony Michaels, CEO of
the Parade Company, told Time magazine
that a float costs between $30,000 to
$100,000 to build, not including the cost to
transport the float to the actual parade.
At the 90th Macys Thanksgiving
Day Parade 2016, expect to see an
abundance of floats such as HelloKitty,
Pillsburry Doughboy, Pikachu, Spongebob
Squarepants, The Elf On the Shelf, Red
from Angry Birds, and many more. Look
out for special appearances and
performances by Jacob Whitesides, Fitz
and the Tantrums, Daya, Brett Eldredge,
Aloe Blacc, and many more.
North Carolinas very own Cary
High School Marching Band will march at
the parade this year, along with NYPD
Marching Band, Macys Great American
Marching Band, Greendale High School
Marching Band, just to name a few. Many
dance groups will also perform, such as
Spirit of America Dance & Cheer, National
Dance Institute, and Kilgore Rangerettes.
Tune into NBC at 9:00AM on
Thanksgiving Day to watch the 3 hour
parade and all it has to offer!

If tryptophan doesnt cause some to fall

asleep on the couch after Thanksgiving dinner,
what does? According to The Huffington Post, all
the carbohydrates eaten on Thanksgiving may be
the reason. The majority of Americans eat twice
as many carbs on Thanksgiving than they should
according to the recommended daily intake, and
that huge total only counts for one meal.

Turkey contains an amino acid called

tryptophan. According to MedlinePlus,
tryptophan cannot be produced by the body, so
it must be found in outside sources, such as
turkey. It helps to produce hormones such as
If you
melatonin and serotonin. Many people believe
find yourself
that the tryptophan in turkey causes many
dozing off after
people to feel drowsy after Thanksgiving dinner,
dinner this year,
but that idea lacks evidence.
remember not
Plenty of other foods contain
to blame the
tryptophan as well, including many dairy and
turkey.
meat products, like chicken. Light meat chicken
has 310 milligrams of tryptophan per 3 ounce

Photo By: Grace Twomey

Thanksgiving means family, friends,

and a whole lot of food. According to The New
York Times, the average American consumes
over 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving, and 3,000
of those calories come from dinner alone. In
most American households, Thanksgiving has a
few staple foods, like turkey, but as much turkey
as Americans eat, they continue to lack some
important turkey knowledge.

Macys Parade

Photo By: Chase Parsons

Around Town

November 18th 2016

The Patriot Press

Student Life

5 Ways to Avoid an Awkward Holiday

By: Sierra Sanchez

As the biggest holidays approach,

the clichs will begin to label this holiday
season as one of the most wonderful times of
the year, or so you thought. Whether sitting
around the dinner table or the fire this holiday
season, many awkward family conversations
will surely come your way. Every teenager
knows the basic questions like, do you know
where you want to go to college? or dating
anyone yet? and then youre forced to start a
long conversation that will usually end up with
criticism from the adult. So, follow these 5
steps and hopefully survive this holiday.
Keep Busy
One of the best ways to avoid your Aunt
Susan asking you for the third year in a row
why you arent dating anyone, keep busy so
she cant get to you. Take up a role in the
kitchen during the preparation of dinner. No
one wants to talk to the person dicing the
onions. Another option may be declaring

yourself the holiday babysitter. Spend time

with the kids running around the house this
season. Youll be so busy chasing little Tommy
around that no one will able to get a word in.
Get a Buffer
Make a deal with a friend, cousin, or sibling to
be able to tag into a conversation when the
interaction starts to go south. Say Grandpa
asks you about college; now you decide to
take this conversation head on and get it over
with. You begin to explain your decision
making process when he cuts you off and
starts talking about his war stories...again.
Turn to your buffer and tag them in; this gives
you an easy and polite way to slip away before
Grandpa starts re-enacting his battles in
Vietnam.
Plan ahead
Plan each response to the questions that will
await you. Be ready to lie to your Aunt Mary
about how good her pie tastes, and be

prepared to answer every question about

school. By planning your response you keep it
short and simple, and there will be no
opportunity for the conversation to be longer
and more awkward than it already has been.
Make them laugh
Use your humor to combat an uncomfortable
situation. Everyone likes a good laugh and this
tends to become a domino effect. When one
person laughs another starts. It will turn a
family nightmare into a dream. Try not to go
too over the top on the jokes. You dont want to
give your Great Aunt Velma another heart
attack.
Eat and enjoy
Take a step back and stop worrying about the
night and indulge. Have a spoonful of pumpkin
pie and have fun. The holidays can truly be
one of the most wonderful times of the year.
Enjoy them with the people you care about.
Living in the now will help you more than
stressing about the future. Pass the peas and
enjoy the night.

AFHS Staff & Student Gratitude

By: Karlyn Wills

Ms. Spaulding
Brenna Matthews

Cole Bouquin

Cameron Joyce

After interviewing a few AFHS students and staff members, being thankful for
friends and family appeared the most common answer. Take a look for yourself.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Sydney Stause

Ms. White

Dalton Hoeing

Nick Ross

The Patriot Press

November 18th 2016

Arts & Entertainment

Fun Family Activities

Band
Continued from front page

Thanksgiving offers more than the

football and food. It offers time to spend with
family and friends whom you are thankful for.
Getting into the spirit of Thanksgiving doesnt
have to be hard. Thanksgiving provides plenty
of fun activities guaranteed to bring your family
closer together this season.
The more popular and essential
pastimes include watching the Macys
Thanksgiving Day Parade, playing or watching

football, and volunteering to help the less

fortunate.
Some different activities to consider
can include getting together with your family
and creating a family tree, or researching your
family ancestry. This can be really exciting and
an incredible bonding experience.
For anyone who doesnt eat meat or
wants to help save the turkeys, think about
adopting a turkey! Families can sponsor a
turkey to live at a farm sanctuary. Instead of
eating turkeys this holiday, consider saving
them.
In the spirit of giving thanks, another
fun activity to do with loved ones would be
putting together a care package for soldiers. A
lot of soldiers dont get to go home to their
families for Thanksgiving. Give back by giving
to our soldiers.
Thanksgiving ultimately means giving
thanks to those you love. Showing gratitude
can be a fun way to spend your holiday.
Having family members write thank-you cards,
or verbally giving thanks provides a great way
to celebrate, and it gets you into the true spirit
of the holiday.

Thankful Family Movies

the Friendship Parade followed by the Apex

Parade later in the evening on December
3rd, as well as the Holly Springs Parade on
December 10th. Band director Mr. Rowe
says that for the next year and the rest to
come, his goals continue to be Grow the
program. Obviously well add the freshmen
class. As I always say, it would be nice to
have 50 freshmen every year. Future goals
could be Macys Parade down in the future.
London, Paris, those kinds of things would
be pretty neat, for the band program, not just
the marching band. The Patriot Regiment is
more than ready to continue their legacy
through next season and the rest to come.

Photo Courtesy of @AFHsbands

Photo By: Julia Uhlman

By: Julia Uhlman

Photo By: Neda Dab-

By: Neda Dabbagh

It will soon be Thanksgiving, the

holiday full of family, food, and
entertainment. However, those family
dinners may become awkward or unsettling.
Family fun movies provide an escape that
bring the household together. The list below
contains a selected few for the most
humorous or heart warming films.
The Incredibles, directed by Brad
Bird, became a worldwide classic animated
film, full of comedy and intriguing adventure.

This well-known tale enhances the meaning

of family and the struggles that many can
relate to. The movie stars Craig T. Nelson as
the voice of Mr. Incredible and Holly Hunter
as Elastigirl. This unlikely couple endures a
mundane lifestyle after the nation banned
the use of their superpowers. However, a
sudden turn of events escalates the plot of
the story into an endless entertainment of
suspense and adventure. This film
expresses the need of family bonds and the
consequences that follow with a broken
bond. Will the Incredibles be able to survive
each other during a national crisis?
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
directed by John Hughes, portrays a nonstop comedy film, with two witty men, Neal
Page (Steve Martin) and Del Griffith (John
Candy). Trying to rush home, Neal Page
endures an unexpected series of events.
First, his flight to Chicago reroutes to

Kansas City where he bunks with talkative

Del Griffith. The clash of these two
characters creates an undeniably hilarious
classic film for Thanksgiving night. From the
beginning to end, this film will make you cry,
from laughter and the touching finale. This
film may become a new family tradition on
Thanksgiving.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,
directed by Bill Melendez and Phil Roman,
creates another Charlie Brown classic for all
family members. Peppermint Patty invited
the gang over to Charlie Browns house to
celebrate Thanksgiving. Throughout this
short film, Charlie Brown and his friends
learn the meaning behind Thanksgiving and
the various things to be grateful for. This film
brings together families to enjoy and laugh
at these adorable characters. Forget those
petty disputes at the dinner table and watch
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

November 18th 2016

The Patriot Press

Sports
By: Sierra Sanchez

With the cold approaching, our

Patriot football season and other fall sports
have ended, but when one door closes
another door opens. With the winter sports
season approaching, the AFHS Girls
Varsity Basketball team shows
determination and enthusiasm toward their
upcoming games.
AFHS Co-Coach, Ms. Frantz,
shared some thoughts on the upcoming
season. The foundation of our program was
laid last year. This year, we want to raise
our game, cut down on mental mistakes and
continue to build our program. Ultimately,
we want to be competitive in conference.
Since AFHS has only been open
for a year, Ms. Frantz commented on some
hardships the girls endured last year, and
how they plan to improve them this year.
One of our focuses this year is to play and
compete with intensity through every
practice and all four quarters of the game.

well together and have been on the ball

every practice. Camryn Lunsford (11) and
Maliaka Kimmons (11) represent
teamwork, the foundation of a successful
sports team. AFHS may be new but the
effort and heart of this team declares
otherwise. Make sure to come out and
support your lady patriots this season on
their rise to victory!

1 Word, 5 Teams
By: Sierra Sanchez

MENS
BASKETBALL

Dean Kelley (10)

Unstoppable

Photo By: Neda Dabbagh

On The Ball

Ms. Frantz shared that the team

has become a close knit group; they train

WRESTLING

Maksim Schwartz (11)

Excited!

INDOOR
TRACK

Athlete of the Month

Photo By: Sierra Sanchez

By: Sierra Sanchez

Behind the magic of the AFHS

dance team, Ashley Werner (11) portrays
outstanding leadership skills as one of the
captains of the team. Some may be new
to dance this year, but this has been a
longtime passion of Ashleys. She said, I
started dancing when my parents enrolled
me in classes when I was 3 and stuck with
it ever since.
Ashley described how great of

an outlet dance has been to her over

the years, saying, It makes me feel
like I can express myself in a way I
normally cant. I can go to my happy
place with dance. With all the styles
of dance out there, Ashley found it
hard to just choose one. She
explained, My favorite styles are
contemporary and hip hop. I like
contemporary because its slower and
I can get really into the story behind
the dance. I like hip hop because its
upbeat and fun.

Omar McBride (10)

Optimistic

WOMENS
BASKETBALL

Maliaka Kimmons (11)

Confident

Although Ashley doesnt

wish to pursue a career in dance, she
does hope to join the dance program
in college. Keep a look out at AFHS
basketball games to see Ashley and
the team shine on the floor.

SWIMMING

Will Scudder (10)

Hopeful

Photo By: Jada Enoch

Photo By: Jada Enoch

Photo By: Jada Enoch

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR AFHS VETERANS

D. Mullins -Army

M. Clifton Navy

K. Wooten Army

1986-1990

1988-1992

1986-1992

AFTV
Did you miss the latest AFTV
episodes? Catch them on twitter
@afhsTV or go to:
www.apexfriendshiptv.weebly.com
Patriot Press Staff
Editors

Copy Editor

Katelyn Bohn

Sierra Sanchez

&

&

Jada Enoch

Chase Parsons

Upcoming Events
November
17- Mens/Womens Basketball vs. Wake Forest
@ 4-5pm
18- Wrestling @ Chapel Hill High from 6:307pm

Layout Editors

Content Editor

Kierney Leonard

Grace Twomey

&

&

Julia Uhlman

Braylin Campbell

19 Jazz Life Performance from 7:30-9pm @

the Halle Cultural Arts Center

29- Womens Basketball vs. Fuquay Varina @

5:30
30- Wresting @ Panther Creek High at 6:30

Photography
Chiefs

Freelance
Mr. Rowe

December

Neda Dabbagh
&
Karlyn Wills

2 9th Annual Halle Hall of wreaths and trees

exhibit and auction from 5-8pm