The Pirates Hook has managed its current website since 2018. In the past four years, views on our site have quadrupled and we’ve put out more stories this year than any previous year. Our stories were viewed over 17,000 times in 2021.
Here are our most popular posts of the year.
#10 No cops in schools: a new age of student safety – March 26 – 2021 graduate Eva Flowe wrote about abolishing Student Resource Officers in DPS schools, and offered alternative solutions to reduce gun violence in schools.
#9 Riverside Northern Football game ends in gunfire in parking lot – Oct. 8 – A collaborative effort by the Hook staff, multiple students conducted interviews and gathered information for this article about the shots fired at the Northern-Riverside football game on Oct. 1 at Durham County Stadium.
#8 Q&A with volleyball coach Michael Hodge – Sept. 22 – Tyler McLean asked Riverside’s Volleyball coach, Michael Hodge, some questions about how he started coaching volleyball and his opinions on Riverside.
#7 Teacher shortage worsened by pandemic creates crisis at Riverside Highschool – Sept. 29 – Junior Eden Richman’s investigative report details the teacher shortage crisis at both Riverside and the state level. The article describes safety issues at Riverside exacerbated by staff shortages, the issue’s root causes, and how Riverside is handling it.
#6 New Year, New Attitude – Oct. 10 – Senior Janel Perry shares her perspective on a change in atmosphere in the front office and offers solutions to bring the new administration and students together.
#5 Mary Foster is Riverside’s 2021 Teacher of the Year – March 9 – 2021 graduate Ben Patton recounts Mary Foster’s reaction to winning Riverside’s 2021 teacher of the year award.
#4 Principal Leslie Kinard resigns eight weeks into the school year – Oct. 15 Several Pirates’ Hook staff members interviewed Ms. Kinard, students, and teachers about how they felt about her return to Ferndale Middle school and reported the former principal’s reasons for leaving.
#3 To the NFL and back again: a Q&A with Marshall Williams – Oct. 25 – Piper Winton and Jaden Butler asked 2006 Riverside graduate and former professional football player Marshall Williams, about his time at Riverside and his newfound entrepreneurial career.
#2 Introducing Riversides new Principal – March 9 – Mijanel Poole covered the incoming principal Leslie Kinard.
#1 Waving Goodbye to Principal Williams Leathers – Jan. 6 – Ella Whithaus wrote about beloved principal Tonya Williams Leathers’ decision to leave Riverside for a district position in Johnston County and her successes at Riverside in this farewell article posted in early 2021.
