Issue 2

A

the VOLUME #60 ISSUE 2

ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 470

Informinng the Atoms siince 1954 4

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, 2014

(703) 642-4229

Back to School Night reaches AHS Annual parent night takes place; clubs prepare to recruit students

BY OMAR HADDOU Staff Writer As students begin to settle into their classes, parents enjoy a chance to look at their students' schedules and experience a piece of their day to day life.

Back to School Night, an event that helps new students and their parents get to know the school and extracurricular system, does just that.

This event gives parents a chance to follow their students' schedule and visit each one of their classes. It is also a chance for students to look at clubs and for club sponsors to recruit students.

Back to School Night will take

AHS boosts security measures New photo IDs required for all visitors, guests

BY ALAN VARGAS News Editor This year, another new security measure has been introduced to AHS, this time involving the visitors of students in the school. Guests to the school who come in during the school day must sign in and produce a photo I.D. "This new technology has been put in place of many high schools across the county," said administrator of safety and security William Tippins. "It's supposed to help monitor who comes in keep the school safer by doing so. It's also supposed to help keep watch for sex offenders around the area."

This installment and several others (including door-access technology and hallway cameras), have been put into place as a result of school shootings at Newtown, Connecticut and Virginia Tech.

All across Virginia, counties and individual schools have been taking see SECURITY pg. 5

Senior portraits taken

BY EMILY LIEN Photographer Students have been getting their school pictures taken since their time in kindergarten.

Seniors should be numbed to the typical occurrence of school photos.

They know which outfit to wear, how to do their hair and makeup (if applicable), but senior portraits throw them back to the excitement of their first school photo.

Seniors are busily talking about when they're taking their portraits, which packages to get and which outfits to wear buzz around.

Some early birds took their senior pictures as early as the spring of their junior year, but the majority of seniors are taking their pictures this week.

Unlike past picture days, senior portraits aren't taken with your entire English class at the auditorium. Instead, each senior is

place tonight starting at 6 p.m.

The event will begin in the main gym with students and parents having the opportunity to walk around and look at different clubs.

One of the clubs that will have a table at the event is the Math Honor Society.

"The information stations will provide parents wit hthe opportunity to learn all about Math Honor Society and the requirements for it," math teacher Roberto Obando said.

Muslim Students Association (MSA) is another club that will have a presentation at Back to School Night.

Senior Umar Farooq, President of MSA, is excited to start fresh and find new students ready to join.

Each club will have what is known

"The Information stations will provide parents with the opportunity to learn all about Math Honor Society and the requirements for it," Roberto Obando Math Teacher as an Information Station; these will be available from 6 to 7 p.m. This is a table dedicated to that club in the main gym during the first hour

of Back to School Night. These are meant to give parents and students an idea of the different clubs that they will have the opportunity to join.

The stations will give a brief overview of the activities available at AHS, and they provide parents a place to ask any questions that they may have about the clubs. The Information Stations are organized by the PTSA. All Information Stations must be put up and staffed by 5:45 p.m. and have to be taken down before 7:30 p.m.

There will also be many resources at Back to School Night for parents and students who do not

know what is going on or get lost in the hallways.

"The leadership students will be stationed in the hallways to help students and parents," leadership advisor Carmen Bartley said. "It makes leadership more visible to the community."

All attendees will also enjoy a performance by the AHS Advanced Choirs and presentations by keynote speakers. After that, parents will visit classrooms according to students' schedules and have a chance to meet with their students' teachers.

Schedules will be handed out at the start of the evening.

High schools to start later Superintendent Garza sets October vote

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

BY BERTA TARQUI Editor in Chief Superintendent Karen Garza has proposed a new start time schedule for FCPS. The changes she proposed will keep the same start time for elementary school students, middle schoolers start at 7:30 a.m. and high schools cannot begin school before 8 a.m.

The ongoing debate on whether or not high schoolers should be able to come in later will be answered with a vote by the school board on Oct. 23.

The new plan is expected to cost less than the first draft explained to be. New buses will be purchased to transport students, but FCPS already intends to fit new buses into their budget for the 2015-2016 school year.

This subject has been debated for several years, and for the past few years studies appeared such as the one the American Academy of Pediatrics' study. According to American Academy of Pediatrics, when teens go through puberty their biological clock can change which results in them sleeping later.

With the help of the CNMC, FCPS was able to come up with a loose

NFL prompts discussion over widely controversial Issue

see START TIMES pg. 5 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JAROD GOLUB AND MARIFE BARAGNO

Ray Rice case brings issue of domestic violence to the forefront suspending him indefinitely and terminating his contract with the Ravens.

"Rice should definitely be punished for what he did. It's also unlikely that he will ever get a job in the NFL again, because teams don't like to associate ccording to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, with such a person," senior Mubeen Farukh said. roughly 1.5 million people report being victims of domestic However, despite so much media hype, only 15 percent of a sample of AHS violence in the United States each year. students surveyed admitted to actually following the situation closely and About 85 percent of this number is made up of women. knowing what was going on.

That adds up to 1.3 million women each year.

The reason that the more recent domestic violence occurrence between One in four women will experience Domestic Violence in Rice and his now-wife brought the issue to light is because of the way that the her lifetime.

National Football League handled the situation.

The scary part is, domestic violence is rarely ever reported. So this Rather than immediately terminating Rice's contract, the NFL suspended number, in reality, is much, much higher. him for two games. This, after physically abusing his significant other, .

"It [domestic violence] certainly exists. I mean it exists within families, On top of all that, Goodell claimed to have not seen video of the incident, kids are exposed to it," school Psychologist Anne Brosnan when in reality, the NFL had known about the footage said. "Sometimes kids might not have someone who is for months. Only after it came to the public's attention involved in domestic violence right in their home, but in DOMESTIC VIOLENCE that the NFL had seen the video, did they take initiative their neighborhood or in their community and then a lot against Rice.

HOTLINES of the time kids are involved in dating situations where "I think that Roger Goodell should have acted a lot they are exposed to domestic violence." earlier on the situation regardless of whether or not he · National Domestic Violence saw the second video," Farukh said. "Going forward, I Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 The Ray Rice Situation think the NFL needs to define a clear policy on domestic Domestic Violence has always been an issue. The · National Sexual Assault violence, because there are still players with pending recent actions of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 trials." have brought the issue into the spotlight throughout the The NFL shouldn't be let off the hook though. There · National Teen Dating Abuse country. AHS students have also been talking about the are still two other players, continuing to play, that have Hotline: 1-866-331-9474 events in question. been accused of domestic violence, the Carolina Panthers' In April, surveilllance footage of Rice dragging his Greg Hardy and the San Francisco 49ers' Ray McDonald. · Fairfax County Office for then-girlfriend, Janey Rice out of the doors of a Vegas Neither had been suspended or fined as of press time.

Women and Domestic and casino elavator, surfaced. At the time, the NFL suspended Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson Sexual Violence Services: Rice for two games. was also deactivated for Sunday's Week 2 game against 703-360-7273 Last week, a second video of Rice hitting his nowthe New England Patriots after being indicted in Texas on wife and her falling to the ground and hitting her head. · Family Violence and Sexual a charge of reckless or negligent injury to his 4-year-old The NFL commissioner, Roger Goddell claimed to Violence Hotline (VA): 1-800child, who was then hospitalized because of Peterson's have not seen the video. Only after the second video 838-8238 actions. This presents another issue entirely that the NFL became public did they take further action against Rice, must tackle.

BY JAROD GOLUB Editor in Chief

A

see PICTURES pg. 8

Cross country

Life in Color

Runners look forward to rest of season

Age restriction put on popular concert

Sports 16

Superintendent Karen Garza.

Entertainment 18

Five senses of fall Using your senses to experience the season Weekend 20

ANDREW GONZALEZ

Big check delivered during Friday's football game against Stuart.

$70,000 donation ABGC donates for turf field

BY JAROD GOLUB Editor in chief The Annandale Boys and Girls Club (ABGC) has stepped up and given the largest donation to AHS in recent memory.

With the $70,000 check presented Friday during the football game, AHS is closer to having a turf field installed by 2015. Fundraising efforts have been on-going since 2013.

Principal Vincent Randazzo and Director of Student Activities Karl Kerns accepted the check on behalf of the school.

2 EDITORIALS

Sept. 17, 2014

New policies are disruptive Students say good-bye to Atom Time and other privileges

BY SACHA CAMERON AND PHUONG NGUYEN

Special to The A-Blast and Editorials Editor Students were dismayed to find out that Atom Time is to be replaced by Flex. Starting on Sept. 17, students will go to their regular classes on a rotating schedule, similar to SOL season schedules.

To many students, Atom Time was the hallowed hour after W4 in which students keeping on top of their schoolwork had the privilege of relaxing and talking with friends or getting ahead with their homework.

Students who were struggling in one or more classes were directed to whichever classes they were not doing well in so that they could improve.

Atom Time was fair and practical all around. It was a time worth looking forward to and an inspiration to keep up good grades throughout the quarter. That's why it is such a shame that Atom Time ended.

This would make the hour after the precursory meeting of W4 exactly like SOL season perpetually.

One of the reasons for this new schedule has to do with the fact that many students who were directed for Atom Time did not go to their assigned class.

The trouble with eliminating Atom Time completely in order to get rid of that problem is that it punishes the rest of the student population for crimes they did not commit.

Where is the sense in eradicating such a motivational program?

Atom Time provided non-directed students with a much-needed break in the week or extra time to get their assignments done.

Students are prohibited from using PEDs in the halls and can get them taken away if in violation.

For the directed students who went to their assigned locations, Atom Time provided them with an opportunity to work on improving their understanding of class curriculum as well as catch up on assignments, study for tests and complete projects.

With the new rotating schedule, a student who needs to retake a test or quiz may have to wait a whole cycle to be put in that class for Atom Time, or else must do it after school. The original scheduling made retaking tests more flexible for both students and teachers.

Many students in honor societies used Atom Time to complete tutoring hours as well.

The change will greatly affect IB Diploma candidates as many students regularly go to their most challenging classes to complete work and review.

Atom Time was also a stress reliever. The period-long break is like a breath of fresh air

in the school day. The added time for either work or relaxation can definitely lighten the load that students all shoulder throughout the year.

According to a study from the New York Times, the best work is done in intervals with breaks taken after each one. The body works in cycles of high energy to fatigue and it is important to recharge in between to boost productivity and creativity.

Atom Time may not have been every day, but even every other day is better than nothing.

What is more important than providing an environment in which students can be at their very strongest and most productive?

Replacing Atom Time with another class period would force everyone to go that class and prevent students from receiving more remediation in their classes.

Stripping away Atom Time is like taking away a reward from all the students who work hard to earn a bit of a break. Used

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY PHUONG NGUYEN

wisely, Atom Time is a valuable part of the day.

Towards the end of last year, there was a crackdown on students being not directly with a teacher sometimes even before 2:30 p.m. And now we're saying good-bye to Atom Time as well?

The restrictions are making it hard to breathe. Students all need a little room to take some time to themselves to unwind, do a bit of work if they have to, and prepare themselves to put their noses back to the grindstone when they return to their W6 period.

The reasons behind this change are not sound. Punishing everyone for the actions of a few is not only unfair but frustrating as well. Already, many freedoms have been taken away from students.

The staff has been promoting a new ideal called "Atom Pride." The P in pride stands for participation. How are students suppose to participate in anything self-productive

if every last bit of free time is being taken away?

In addition, personal electronic devices are now regulated more harshly.

The new policy states that students are able to access their PEDs during lunch, before school, and after dismissal. When in class, students are only allowed to use their PEDs with verbal permission from a teacher.

Students are forbidden from using PEDs in the hallways, locker rooms and during exams.

Students are also banned from putting on their earbuds and headphones in the halls and classrooms.

Students are to report to the main office to make emergency calls home and will get their devices taken away if they choose to use them in the halls.

Seriously? What's so bad about using PEDs in the hallways. Students are always in a rush, there's no time to go to the main office every time they need to make calls.

There's no reason why devices should be treated as contraband items in school.

If students are late to class as result of wasting time on their devices, then so be it. It is their fault and they should take responsibility for their unwise decision.

Teachers and administrators stand in the halls everyday during class transitions to keep an eye on students that try to use their devices.

Not only is this unnecessary, it highlights how rigid of a school AHS has become.

Nowadays, there seems to be a new rule for just about everything.

Students need passes from teachers just to enter the library and leave early after school before the hall gates close.

All in all, students should have the right to make choices for themselves, if they violate any preexisting rules, then they should face the consequences.

Rules and regulations are meant to keep students safe and encourage a productive learning environment.

Atom time and PEDs have no harm what so ever.

Try not to tarnish the Atomic name

Avoiding inappropriate behavior at games and uniting as a team will better AHS

BY PHUONG NGUYEN Editorials Editor

During the Varsity Football season opener against Falls Church High School on Sept. 5, four students were caught intoxicated.

Principal Randazzo broke the disappointing news on Sept. 8 during morning annoucements. The incident highlights inappropriate behavior that students often commit during sporting events.

First off, this is an embarrassing example of unacceptable behavior that students should never get involved in. Students have the responsibility of representing AHS at games with the utmost decency and respect.

Football games are supposed to be all about the players. Members have been working all season long to better themselves and show off their athleticism in front of their home crowd. By engaging in lewd and disgusting acts such as drinking, students are not only disrespecting the team, but also themselves and most importantly their school.

According to the SR&R rulebook, "using, possessing, distributing, or being under the influence of

COURTESY OF @AHSCLASSOF2015

Students should represent AHS positively by spriting and avoiding unruly behavior.

alcohol" is a violation punishable by a possible suspension of 30 days from school sponsored activities.

With that said, being drunk at games and the inevitable

consequences of getting caught are not worth it.

There are other ways to have fun at games such as joining Hype Squad and catching up with friends.

Moreover, students should understand that not everyone has the same reaction and appeal towards certain Hype Squad chants Parents in the audience

complained about the squad's chant "Suck my Atom."

It is understandable that the chant can come off as tacky and inappropriate to some listeners. In other words, not every adult has a sense of high school humor.

Likewise, incorporating the school mascot in a phrase that contains sexual overtones is likely to bother some adults and alumni trying to enjoy the game.

The squad should come up with more creative and crowd-friendly ways to spirit in order to pump up with audience.

Furthermore, as students who should pride in representing our school, we should try to include everyone to share one common goal of supporting the players.

Leadership is making an effort to expand the student section and promote school spirit by starting a rewards program. Students from all grade levels have the opportunity to earn points and earn prizes by attending games.

AHS has had problems in the past of students not be included in organizations such as Hype Squad and Atom Girls due to their exclusive nature.

Now, it's nice to know that now anyone can be a part of events

Staff EDITORS IN CHIEF Jarod Golub Berta Tarqui MANAGING EDITOR Chelsea Alfonso COPY EDITOR Linus Bumbaca NEWS EDITORS Alan Vargas EDITORIALS EDITORS Phuong Nguyen Sarah Metzel IN-DEPTH EDITORS Alexandra Zernik Cayley Byrne SPORTS EDITORS: Marife Baragano Sabrina Hawa SPORTS XTRA EDITOR: Daniel Yenetega

PEOPLE EDITOR: Biruk Negash WEEKEND EDITOR: Erin Johnson INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Summar Ayoub ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS: Nuhami Mandefro Conrad Shartel LIFESTYLES EDITORS: Soulisa Pathammavong Marilyn Rivas HEALTH EDITOR: Nancy Evora PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS: Kiara Patino Julie Swenton ART EDITOR: Bailey Oliver

ACADEMICS EDITORS: Kailyn Garay Alaina Garay WEB MASTER Jared Lefbom HEAD OF SOCIAL MEDIA: Andrew Gonzalez HEAD VIDEOGRAPHER: Rahel Tecle

Maria Suarez Raphael Yu Timothy Gray Tipyan Abdelrahman Marem Atef Ahmad Ayub Annandale High School Vol. 60 No.2 Jeanine Barakat 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 Haben Cheffna 703.642.4229 Sept. 17, 2014 Omar Haddou Adviser: Alan Weintraut ajweintraut@fcps.edu Emily Lien Mery Berhene Hussein Salem The A-Blast is an award-winning newspaper that Arzoo Marzi strives to inform, educate and entertain the student

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Andrew Nunez

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HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Ricky Lam

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body and community.

Published every three weeks, The A-Blast will not print any material that is obscene or libelous; or that which substantially disrupts the school day, or invades an individual's right to privacy. The A-Blast is an independent, open forum for discussion that is printed at the Springfield Plant of The Washington Post.

Signed letters to the editor of 250 words or less may be emailed to theablast14@gmail.com or submitted to room 262 or mailed to the school. The A-Blast reserves the right to refuse advertisements.

All submissions become property of The A-Blast Copyright, 2014.

without having to worry about "cliques" ruling the place.

Thanks to Leadership, the spirit section will with a diverse group of people chanting together to energize the football team.

This was especially evident at the first home game on Sept.

12 where hundreds of students dressed in white help boost the players morale to earn their first home win.

Being a part of united student body comes with responsibility.

Making an effort to represent AHS in the best possible way should become a priority.

PEP RALLIES

On your smartphone, scan this code using the application “QR Code to read about five Dos and Don'ts at pep rallies.

Football Games Dos and Don'ts Go with a large group of fans and wear school colors.

Don't use profanity at the other team, it's rude and defeats the purpose of school spirit.

Try to arrive early, parking can be very tight during home games.

Don't lose faith! Be as loud and supportive as you can to boost the football team's spirit.

EDITORIALS 3 Let's reset the climate change clock Sept. 17, 2014

People's Climate March in NYC promises to be the largest thus far in history

BY SARAH METZEL Editorials Editor Looking for the chance to make history? What organizers are calling the People's Climate March will be held in the streets of Manhattan, New York City on Sep 21 and is predicted to be the largest environmental march in history.

For years, humanity has been hearing about the ominous perils of global warming. At first, many did not believe it could actually exist.

I mean, come on, could the entire climate of Earth really change drastically and potentially make our planet uninhabitable? The answer is yes.

The climate fluctuates naturally over the course of thousands of years. However, if you look at a graph of the atmosphere's carbon dioxide content (CO2), levels have shot up in a severe vertical line since the start of the Industrial Revolution.

The global community has established 350 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide in the air as the highest safe level of carbon dioxide for a livable planet.

In the spring of 2014, CO2 levels reached just over 400 ppm, which is unprecedented in all of human history. In other words, we are in really bad shape.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, which means that it traps heat in our environment. The excess levels of CO2 have been causing our environment to heat up in the past decades at an unnatural rate.

This warming climate causes Arctic ice caps to shrink, which results in rising sea levels. New York

City, New Orleans and Miami are all cities that are in danger of sinking further into the ocean. Climate scientists are expecting sea levels to rise one foot by 2050.

Personally, I'd rather not live in a world without the beautiful, vibrant and cultured place that is New Orleans, Louisiana. I have so many fond childhood memories of summers in the city, riding the streetcar and walking down the streets of the French Quarter with relatives.

Rising sea levels would also affect the residents of the surrounding land. The field where I rode horses on my Aunt's property could be flooded with water, made into marshlands like so much of the disappearing Louisiana boot.

Humanity's addiction to pollution is not one that we can quit cold turkey. It's going to take decades, perhaps centuries for us to significantly reduce our pollution levels and help the planet heal.

The best part about our dilemma?

We already have a solution! There are two completely clean sources of energy at our fingertips: solar and wind energy.

It would be awesome if we could all set up solar panels on our roofs, but alas, for many of us that's just not practical in the densely populated D.C. metropolitan area.

One thing we are good at, though, is getting together and speaking our minds. For everyone who is tired of feeling hopeless and helpless in the face of impending doom, the People's Climate March is for you.

The march is being hosted by

The People's Climate March will be begin in NYC at 11:30 AM on Sunday Sep 21.

over a thousand special interest organizations that work to put pressure on world leaders to combat climate change.

Several famous persona have endorsed this march, spreading awareness around the world.

Celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Ian Somerhalder and World Cup star Leo Messi have supported the march and are helping to bring it to fruition.

Many of my friends have asked me, "What's the point of marching?

How will it help stop climate change?"

Freedom of assembly, one of the five freedoms listed in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, can actually have more of an impact than people realize.

Think about it this way: major societal change can only be achieved if people discuss, organize and enact

major social movements.

Take any event in history - the American Revolution, the civil rights movement, women's suffrage, the Indian independence movement all of these operations took people power to succeed.

Not only will the march include people power, but we have timed the demonstration just right so that it coincides with the UN summit of world leaders meeting to discuss the climate crisis.

With such a massive movement of people gathering in the streets right outside the windows of their meeting, it will be hard for world leaders to ignore the urgency of the issue. The demonstration may just be the spark we need to finally create meaningful action.

"The scientific facts on climate change are shocking," Ruth

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH METZEL

Ngolela said, a masters student at Yale Schools of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Business who will be attending the climate march and works on climate change issues.

"It's not just about the planet anymore, it's about us being able to live on this planet."

"The most powerful thing that people can do right now is realize that this is NOT an environmental issue," Ngolela said.

"This is not about the polar bears, as cute as they are. It's not even really about the planet. The Earth will survive without us. It is about the ability of our species to survive on this planet."

I think we can all agree on one thing: it would be best to keep the human race alive. It's funny, we think of solving climate change as

a way to save the world, but really, it's a way to save our own behinds.

Stopping global warming is about self-preservation, folks.

This issue has already wreaked havoc on our society in more ways than one. The White House estimates that climate and weather disasters cost the U.S. economy more than $100 billion dollars in 2012 alone.

Some island nations have already declared their lands uninhabitable and are seeking help for evacuating their citizens.

"Who are the people most affected by these climate disasters?

Those without the resources to adapt," Ngolela said. "This is a climate justice issue."

America has already seen the ramifications of failing climate justice. When Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the people trapped within the city during the worst part of the storm were often the poorest citizens.

The Superdome, the football stadium at the center of New Orleans, was so filled with people that many were turned away. People resorted to staking out roof tops and raiding stores to survive.

Watching news coverage of this disaster on television was the first time I was exposed to the extreme impacts climate change can have.

Even in my seven year old mind, I felt that this catastrophe could happen again if we didn't change something.

Don't despair yet. There is still so much we can do to solve this global crisis. The first order of business? Be there on the streets of New York as we voice our concerns and start to fix the fate of the world.

"This is the issue of our generation!" Ngolela said.

"Don't miss this chance to be part of an epic movement."

To learn more about the movement behind the march, go to: peoplesclimate.org

People's Climate March by the Numbers ZERO:

26:

Amount of progress we'll make if we stay home

City blocks the NYPD has reserved for the march

50: U.S. States that will be represented at the march

300+:

401 ppm:

Number of colleges coming to the march

Peak concentration of CO2 in Earth's atmosphere

1500: Number of actions planned worldwide in 130 different countries

On your smartphone, scan this code using the application "QR Code" to read about the about ways you can help save the human race.

Statistics courtesy of 350.org

0 20: Minimum number of marching bands expected to perform

Photo Illustration

by Sarah Metzel

40,000 28: Different faiths represented in the list of endorsing

130: Number of countries worldwide that will host environmental events on the

1100+: 374: Number of buses and trains currently listed for travel to NYC for the march

Number of organizations who have endorsed the march

40,000: Number of people at the largest U.S. climate march to date

Every senior's struggle: College applications Admissions process has become obstacle course

BY SARAH METZEL AND ANIQA RASHID Editorials Editor and Staff Writer The dreaded season of senior stress has begun and hopeful college applicants are hunkering down and attempting to satisfy the admissions requirements of their dream schools.

What makes us the most angry is seeing an IB Diploma candidate being hounded by the pressure that comes with college applications.

It doesn't even have to be an IB student, any high school senior can relate to this scenario.

"One method of organization that my counselor suggested is creating a folder for each college," says senior Jenna Velasquez. "You put all the requirements in these folders, such as the school address, fees, deadline, and all the parts of the application."

We think to ourselves - are all these parts really enough? Can my 400 hours of community service with Islamic Relief or my officer positions in many honor societies enable my acceptance to William and Mary, University of Virginia or any school, for that matter?

I know that countless other students have the same thoughts, participate in several extracurricular activities, and go to sleep at three a.m.

For most students, filling out college applications will be first time they have to spill out their entire life story. Extracurricular sheets can feel like a popularity contest, and sometimes the essays force us to

reveal deeply personal events from our life.

In addition to maintaining good grades and doing extracurricular activities, students must prepare for college interviews.

Even though college interviews help the interviewers get an accurate vibe of the student's character, these can either make or break a student and their hopes in attending a certain university.

To make the process more simple, college applications should be integrated into the school curriculum, whether in English or W4 classes.

Teachers could even start to teach about the college admissions process as early as sophomore or junior year. That way, we would be prepared when the fall of senior year rolls around.

When hearing about college acceptances, our hearts palpitate at the thought of finding out if we are wanted by the school of our dreams.

For most of us, getting into the college of our dreams is the first and last goal in our high school careers.

However, even the ranking in your graduating class matters. How will colleges consider the margins when looking at all the AHS students?

Regularly, universities face the challenge of comparing close candidates: two applicants of different backgrounds but with the same classes, achieving the same marks, similar SAT/ACT scores and nothing to distinguish the two besides a college essay.

Senior Jenna Velasquez is stressed out about compiling all the paperwork for her applications.

Perhaps one of those two college essays was to be deemed unoriginal or trite. That marks the beginning of a successful future for one student and the end of the other student's academic career.

"The competition is really scary," said Velasquez. "Some college essays are only 250 words, and I'm thinking: how can I stand out to them in such few words?"

Sometimes, there will be students with one family member who has donated a huge sum of money to the university over several years.

That student who applies is probably a shoe-in, despite having average or lower than average academic grades and SAT scores.

This is buying your way into college!

Some students have quadruple legacy at a university and there is a much greater chance of this student being accepted to the school than someone who has consistently demonstrated academic excellence.

"I'm worried that I'll put all this effort into my applications, and not get accepted into any of my schools, said senior Alina Garcia.

There are injustices in the college applications process, but many schools are making progress when it comes to acceptance equality.

Schools are starting to adopt need-blind admissions policies, meaning that they do not even look at the socio-economic status of their applicants when determining their

SARAH METZEL

acceptance decisions.

A handful of schools even have a need-blind admissions policy and meet full demonstrated need, including some favorite schools of AHS students. University of Virginia, University of Richmond, Haverford, and Georgetown are a few school who practice both of these policies.

Although the trial of college applications might seem unbearable now, you will thank yourself four months, four years, and four decades down the road.

"When I get in, I will scream and shout with excitement," said Garcia. "I will be so proud of myself because not everybody in my family has gone to college."

Dont give up.

Letter to the Editor

Palestine article biased I was disappointed by the ABlast article in the September 3rd edition, "Gaza: The People of Palestine and the War Occurring Between Gaza and Israel", which was biased against Israel.

The article unfairly labels Israel's actions in the war as a "brutal aggression" but it fails to mention that the war was instigated by Hamas, an organization dedicated to destroying Israel, when it fired rockets at Israeli citizens. Israel had no choice but to react.

It is terrible that so many innocent Palestinians were killed in this conflict, but Hamas deliberately used its citizens as human shields to give Israel a black-eye in the media.

The article also includes a timeline which states, "The UN successfully passes a plan to separate Western Palestine into two states."

The Israelis accepted this plan; however, the Palestinian leadership along with the countries surrounding Israel including Egypt, Syria and Jordan, rejected the UN's two-state partition plan and attacked.

Israel survived that war and has since signed peace accords with Egypt and Jordan. Israel has tried in vain to negotiate peace with the Palestinians, including the 2000 Camp David Accords between Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat, but the Palestinian leader rejected yet another two-state solution.

Many of Israel's citizens long for peace and would gladly accept a two-state solution. However, peace will not be achieved as long as organizations such as Hamas refuse to accept Israel's right to exist.

BY TOBIAS DIENSTFREY, MATH TEACHER

4 NEWS

Sept. 17, 2014

Clubs begin new activities Students particpate in club interest meetings throughout this month

BY ALAN VARGAS News Editor

Several new clubs are introduced to the students this school year. Some of these new clubs include Robots Club, Speech and Debate and Comic Book Club. Students interested in these clubs should attend interest meetings for the individual clubs, most of which are being held throughout this and the following week. For information on the interest meetings, search for interest meeting flyers throughout the hallways, announcements during W4 and/or talk to the sponsors of these clubs.

Those interested in Robotics Club should expect an active and self initiative program. They are expected to take part in several events that involve hardware manufacturing, such as building robots to complete certain actions. The sponsor for the club is going to be technology education teacher Phillip Harris.

Speech and Debate is an elective transformed into a club. The purpose of this former elective is to encourage students to overcome their fear of public speaking.

"You can gain public speaking experience for those who are scared to speak in public and overcome that fear," junior Angel Adu said.

There are no requirements to join the club, and any grade is welcome to join so long as they are interested and are committed to do the work. The work they offer comes in the form of different activities available in the club. For debate activities there are public forum and Lincoln Douglas debate styles. Public forum is when two people debate against another two people and Lincoln Douglas is a single person debating another single person.

In the new Comic Book Club, lead by seniors Umar Farooq and Todd Le, students compare and contrast comic books and the movies made after them. The leaders of this program created the comic book club

because they were always fond of comic books and they all enjoy analyzing and discussing them.

Key Club is also advising the Green Atoms this year, and hopes to work with them to make them as big a part of Annandale.

Though not necessarily new, Green Atoms, a club designed to help keep the AHS community clean and green, is being revitalized this year. Officers and prospective students met together with multiple disabilities teacher Joyann Binsley on Sept. 11 to discuss their plans for the year.

Another part of the many changes coming to Green Atoms includes the major change in leadership. This year, the club is being lead by a completely new set of junior officers. As discussed in their meeting, these new officers all hope to gain more recognition for the club and want members to become more involved than just doing recycling every Wednesday. The officers and sponsor hope to also get members to take part in much larger events to help keep our community clean, such as vine cleaning around the courtyards.

"We discuss environmental problems, we fundraise and we have a garden to look after too," junior president Reemie Jin said.

A big part of the club is handling the school garden.

Across several FCPS, schools have their own garden similar to the one here at AHS. Green Atoms is the main proprietor of the garden. The garden is handled

More club previews

On your smartphone, scan this code using the application "QR Code" to read about more about the upcoming club meetings.

Lending a helping hand Above: Key Club officers discuss plans with their sponsor as one of the them holds the banner for the club. Bottom: Green Atoms assemble to plan events for the garden they hope to fix and make better.

Colleges visit students in Career Center Manhattan, New York University and Mary Washington among the visitors

BY ANDREW NUNEZ & ALAN VARGAS Photographer and News Editor

This week marks the return of college recruiters visiting seniors at AHS. New York University, University of Mary Washington, and Manhattan College will come Friday and will help students understand the college's admission process.

The list of visits has been emailed to all seniors and the list of visits will also be on the bulletin.

Any student of any grade level is allowed to come and get informed about colleges. It is recommended that the student's research on the college they are interested in to see if the college is appropriate for the student. There will be a sign up at the family connection to see who is going to the visit.

This is an immense opportunity for students to show their passion and/or interest towards certain

colleges. If particular colleges aren't visiting AHS, students would still be able to see that specific visit at another school in the county.

"I regret not visiting colleges last year," said senior Jenna Velasquez. "I think it's really good that Annandale offers these visits, because I'm not able to visit colleges on my own."

AHS has been offering these visits for a long time as a resource to upcoming college freshman, and underclassmen interested in getting a head start on their college career.

"I wish I had gone to some last year, but I plan to attend the UVA visit in October since that's a college I'm thinking about going to in the fall," said senior Vera Choo.

At the visits, colleges send representatives to speak about general facts and other common inquiries from students about the school. They also provide

UPCOMING VISITS THESE SCHOOLS ARE VISITING SEPT. 19 , IN THE CAREER CENTER: NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

10:30 a.m.

UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON

11:30 a.m.

MANHATTAN COLLEGE demographics of the school, along with other statistics they think would be relevant to their audience.

After their information session, students are able to ask questions and/or concerns about the school to

1:00 p.m. figure out if the school would be a good suit for them.

They can also find out what actions they have to take in order to prepare for the school's application process.

Orchestra holds new fundraisers

Rice Pot restaurant gives portion of sales to raise money for instruments

BY BERTA TARQUI Co-editor in chief

The orchestra will be holding new fundraisers this year to raise money for musical instruments and to fund the future Orchestra trip on April 9-11 to Boston, Massachusetts.

The first fundraiser will be held at a chinese restaurant, Rice Pot on Backlick Road. The fundraiser will be held from Sept. 15-19. Students and families will be able to stop by anytime for lunch or dinner.

15 percent of the proceeds will go towards orchestra to help accumulate more money to be spent on the expensive costs of running a year long program.

"It is the easiest fundraiser ever," orchestra instructor Angela Ammerman said.

Fundraisers run throughout the whole school year and the money is used for new strings for instruments, shoulder rests, which is a cushion between the violin and rockstops, which stops bigger instruments from sliding on the floor.

"We are buying one cello right now and we are working a new one because our cellos are really bad," Ammerman said.

The orchestra wants to try new fundraisers events.

They plan on keeping Tutti Fruitti open until 11pm, after the annual orchestra masquerade concert, so students and families are able to get frozen yogurt late at night.

Again, 15 percent of the proceeds will go towards the orchestra.

While they welcome the new fundraisers, old fundraisers that are commonly done such as the catalog sales, which give orchestra the opportunity to showcase their marketing skills to sell foods and other items such as magazine subscriptions and treats, will still be used throughout the year.

The Orchestra is also holding car washes for the orchestra to gain money as well.

"They're gonna be very successful because the orchestra students want money and they'll have to get it through fundraisers," said senior Alex Parrado.

This school year, orchestra will keep in mind that the fundraisers are easy to participate in.

"They are just restaurant fundraisers that are easy to do and they kind of encourage communities and encourage the students to get together," Ammerman said.

The previous year the orchestra raised around $800 solely from a Chipotle fundraiser. In total, orchestra made roughly $8,000.

"I think that is approximately how much we end up fundraising in one year," Ammerman said.

The music department has several expenses and they differ from each program.

"Band, they raise so much money, but we don't have as many as expenses as them either," Ammerman said.

Grand results are not expected, but there are expectations about the amount of money raised.

"From this one, I don't know, I am not expecting a lot.

If we come out with $500, I will be very pleased. I think $500 is pretty acceptable, especially because it doesn't require for any of us to do any work," Ammerman said.

"We are just promoting the restaurant and we go out to eat and enjoy eachothers' company."

A flyer for the orchestra fundraiser from Sept.15-19.

Atomic News Wed. Sept. 17 — Orchestra Rice Pot Fundraiser — Culinary Arts Fundraiser: Pampered Chef —SOL Summer Retakes — 2:15 p.m. - Speech and Debate Club Meeting — 5/5:30 P.M. - Cross Country TriMeet — 6:00 p.m. - Class of 2016 Fundraiser — 7:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M. - Back-To-School Night

NEWS 5 Abuse spotlighted after Rice situation Sept. 17, 2014

CONT. "DOMESTIC VIOLENCE" The Problem Domestic violence is clearly a problem amongst partnerships in the U.S. However, many people do not see it as such, and that is a large part of the problem.

"It [domestic violence] can be really devastating for a person.

The problem is that it can really make you feel out of control and scared,"” Brosnan said. "It can affect kids’ eating, it could affect their sleep habits, and definitely can cause problems for their ability to concentrate and focus on school and to do well academically."”

Domestic violence can create huge problems within the household, causing parents to miss work, students to miss school and exposing children to hostile environments.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, under their Child Maltreatment Prevention section, more than 3 million referrals of child maltreatment are received by state and local agencies each year.

That equates to around five referrals every minute.

Society at large is affected by domestic violence as well.

According to a Fairfax County government report, domestic violence was the leading cause of homicide in Fairfax County in 2010.

7 of the 16 total homicides were accredited to this.

Solutions and Resources While domestic violence is a very pressing issue in society, there are a lot of resources available to help those who become victims of it.

"There is the Woodburn mental health center, if people are in stress," Brosnan said. "A good thing about living in NOVA is that there are a lot of agencies available to work with families to help them get the counseling they need so that they're learning about the patterns of dealing with anger and with stress, both causes of domestic violence."”

One of the most important things that a person in danger of domestic violence can do is to call the police if they feel as if they are in danger.

"If a kid comes to me and they talk about something going on at home that is frightening to them; first of all, if they are in a dangerous situation I tell them to call the police, they need to get out of that dangerous situation," Brosnan said.

"If it’s something where they are feeling threatened, we call Child

Protective Services if they’re feeling that they are the ones being hurt."”

Aside from having resources in the community, students afraid of being victims of domestic violence can come to their school to access different people there who want to help.

"In school counselors are definitely the first person that people [struggling with domestic violence] want to talk to,” Brosnan said. "And then, usually what we'll do is if the school counselor is concerned they'll pull me in or the social worker in to help with the process too."”

One thing a lot of teenagers don’t understand is that domestic violence can occur between kids.

"There's dating abuse that goes on, even in high school, and that’s something that people need to be aware of,"”Brosnan said. "If something doesn't feel right, if they question your whereabouts a lot or if they get mad a lot, that should send up signals that this is not a healthy relationship, and that you need to get out of it."”

While domestic violence is one of the most commonly underreported crimes, it is important that people speak out. Speaking out can be the best thing to do, when it comes

DOMESTIC ABUSE STATISTICS - Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence - For example, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence states that each year "intimate partner violence" results in more than 18.5 million mental health care visits.

- Child maltreatment includes all types of abuse and neglect of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caregiver, or another person in a custodial role - 20,267 Hotline Calls Answered nationally in the 24-hour period - 66,581 victims served nationally in one day. This includes residential and non-residential assistance - Domestic violence is one of the most chronically underreported - Fairfax County Office for Women and Domestic and Sexual Violence Services 703-360-7273

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JAROD GOLUB

down to it, speaking out can save a life.

"It is important that you speak out and you don't feel like it’is

your fault," Brosnan said. "It is important that you don't feel like it’is something you did, because the idea of abusers, what they want to

do, is isolate people and they want to make you feel like the one who's in trouble."”

Senior yearbook pictures Vote to change times

CONT. "PICTURES"

CONT. "START TIMES"

responsible for finding out his or her own time, which was sent to him or her by mail and also posted near the publication lab. Some prefer taking it individually, such as senior Luz Centellas.

"It's embarrassing to take a picture when you know your entire class is there, even if they aren't looking," Centellas said. "At least this year, thankfully, I was scheduled at a time when only two other people were there."

Others, like senior Alexandra Robles, like the individualism of how senior portraits are organized.

"I prefer this year's system more because they are more personal, and you can reschedule them if you need to," Robles said. If a student reschedules their pictures, they will be charged an additional ten dollars.

A benefit to rescheduling is the lower likelihood that other students will be having their pictures taken during the same session. This would EMILY LIEN mean increased privacy and, probably Seniors wait patiently for their photoshoot session. Some wait for hours. more important to most students, a shorter wait time. The average wait the senior is wearing for 30 dollars. take full advantage of the photo optime for a student opting for the Basic Deluxe includes own outfit, yearbook tions. package would be at least 20 minutes. outfit and cap and gown, and only "I would choose the deluxe packWith the more expensive packages, it costs 40 dollars. age or ultimate because I'm able to is not uncommon to wait more than The Ultimate package includes capture pictures with not only the an hour before finishing. two outfits, the yearbook outfit and basic drape but also with the cap and There are four different packages the cap and gown. This package costs gown and outfits of my choosing," available for seniors to purchase.

50 dollars.

Tauqir said. "I'm able to have pictures The Basic package includes the Premier includes three outfits, the which capture the last year of high drape for the girls and a jacket for the yearbook outfit and a cap and gown school but also pictures which end up guys, which is the picture that will be for only 55 dollars. being pieces of memories." in the yearbook. This package costs 15 These packages are also flexible.

Either way, the distinction of difdollars.

Unwanted outfits could be exchanged ferent outfits and a more personal Standard includes the yearbook for extra pictures of another outfit. experience is just a nice benefit of outfit as well as the current outfit Senior Fatima Tauqir wants to reaching your senior year at AHS.

plan on how the school system will run with the new start times. FCPS had to take into account changes to bus schedules and the cost of those changes. They also had take into consideration after-school activities.

Clubs and sports would start at a later time as well as sports and other school events.

Doctors and other organizations argue that high schoolers are not getting enough sleep because they have to wake up as early as 5:30 a.m. to catch the bus, while also having to deal with the workload of a high schooler.

"It's hard to wake up for school at five in the morning because I stay up late trying to complete homework after I get off from work at ten," senior Zaryab Sethi said.

IB students have to deal with the outside clubs and IB diploma requirements such as CAS, in addition to the rigorous homework given each night. This causes many to end up exhausted the next day.

"With IB right now, it's quite hard because it's not just that we have to focus on only our IB work but also we have pressure from applying to colleges. I feel that I have no time between classes, sports, clubs and prepping for college," senior TraMi Ly said.

The school board has held meetings all throughout the summer to listen to different opinions on what the start time changes would entail. The community was welcomed to attend these meetings, especially parents because their schedules may change along with their children's.

Even though the thought of starting school later excites some students, others want the school start times to remain the same.

"I know if I go to school at eight and I will probably stay up until three or four in the morning. There is no RICKY LAM difference between going to school early or late. [I would rather keep it the same way] even though I am Students could be changing their alarm clocks next year. tired," junior Da Hoen Sim said.

The community's voice can be heard. If you have a Attend open school board meetings as well to join in strong opinion on the start times, you can attempt to the discussion. influence school board members by sharing your voice by sending them an email or even a physical letter.

AHS further steps to create a secure environment CONT. "SECURITY" several measures to prevent such tragedies from occurring in suburban communities, such as Annandale.

Teachers across several Virginia counties, including FCPS, have also been instructed on what to do in case of such emergencies.

AHS had an encounter with safety issues in 2012. A fake bomb threat had been reported on March 30. The call was made by Marco Antonio Verduo Toledo, a former AHS student. This incident caused several issues with school transportation, causing 18 elementary schools delayed transportation. Students who had been on the busses to school or were on their way were not allowed in until around 10 am, three hours after school had begun.

"It was unbelievable that someone would actually do that," senior Moesha Farres said. "I think that the new things that Annandale is trying to do to step up security is good, but I [also] think they've definitely overdone it."

Some students feel that the new security measures do not make them feel any safer.

"I know that the new security should make me feel more secure, but the fact that they"re installing new and more security items, it kinda makes me wonder what happened," junior Grace Yim said.

Even some teachers are skeptical about the

ALAN VARGAS

The new security machine involves parents signing in with the office and having some information taken.

practicality of added security.

"I guess the new security system makes me feel a little bit safer," orchestra instructor Angela Ammerman said. "But it seems that, because it's in the office, it's unrealistic for the lady in the office to see everyone that comes in."

Another issue related to the new sign-in feature at AHS involves parents who can't present a form of identification, most likely due to their residential status.

This presents a whole other side to the controversy that arises due to such significant changes.

Students, as well as parents, find issues regarding the new security methods that have come up over the years.

"Everything's harder for the students," senior Moesha Farres said. "I don't feel safer. Everything's just more of a hastle."

Another reason why the new security measures are being introduced is an apparent problem with drugs within the school.

There have also been schoolwide searches in the previous school year.

Feb. 27 the school had went into lockdown as a drill, but also to conduct a simple drug search throughout the school. The intent of the search was to create a safer environment for students and teachers. The search took approximately one hour to conclude.

NEWS BRIEFS CLASS OF 2016 BAKESALE

COLLABORATION

On Wednesday, Sept.17, the Class of 2016 will hold a bakesale in the main and cafeteria lobby at 6 p.m.

On Tuesday, Sept. 23, the first collaboration will be held. Freshmen come at 7:20 a.m. while other classes come at 8:20 a.m.

On Saturday, Sept. 27, the Chorus department will hold a carwash at Sunoco Gas Station on Braddock Road.

FRESHMEN ELECTIONS

LATE BUSES BEGIN

STUDENT HOLIDAY

On Friday, Sept. 19, the freshmen class will hold their elections in the classrooms while other classes have their class meeting.

On Wednesday, Sept. 24, late buses will transport students at 4 p.m. Get a pass from a teacher to get on the bus.

CHORUS CAR WASH

On Monday, Sept. 29, there will no school.

SENIOR DUE COLLECTIONS On Tuesday, Sept. 30, senior dues will be collected in the Clausen hall all day.

POWDERPUFF INTEREST MEETING

The Powderpuff interest meeting will be held at 2:05 p.m. in the Clausen hall on Tueday, Sept. 30.

FIRST QUARTER INTERIM First quarter interims will be distributed during W4 on Monday, Oct. 6.

NATIONAL BUSINESS HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION CEREMONY

On Wednesday, Oct. 8, inductions will be held in the Clausen hall.

6 ACADEMICS Students say good-bye to Atom Time Sept. 17, 2014

Flex time starts today after W4

BY ALAINA GARAY, AND ANDREW GONZALES

Academics Editor and Head of Social Media In 2011 AHS made the change to go from Flex to Atom Time and now AHS is changing it back. AHS will now have W4 from 8:53 a.m. to 9:18 a.m. followed by Flex from 9:23 a.m. to 10:21 a.m. Flex will start on Wednesday Sept. 17 with students going to R1.

The students will have W4 for 25 minutes and then they will go to their Flex class.

Flex is a period when you go to a specific class for 57 minutes instead of staying in W4 the whole time. Each Flex period will change every white day.

In the month of September the students will only have one Flex period. Although these changes are beneficial to the faculty, the students don't feel as though this will be a good change.

"I think that Flex is a hinderance on how the students have free time during the day", junior Kadijah Sesay said.

Without Atom Time, students feel as if they don't have enough time during the school day to breathe. Even though students may not feel as enthusiastic as the teachers about this new change, it is a new change that we will all just have to live with.

Students who were in good standing were granted the opportunity to use it as their own free class.

They were given the privilege for getting good grades to go to the gym or to utilize the time to complete homework.

With that said, students will no longer have the opportunity to engage in something productive during their only free

period. Even though students will be attending these extra classes, the teachers are not permitted to teach new material but simply just go over old material that the students have already learned.

The administration is looking at its new policy to make sure that the changes are an appropriate fit for students. “ "We are going to take this year to take as much time as possible to do research, brainstorm, and try and create a plan so we can intervene with all of our studentsl," Principal Vincent Randazzo said. "We had hoped that Atom Time [could] accomplish that for us in the past, but the information from that program did not demonstrate those results in and out of school."

"I'm not looking at it as a loss of Atom Time, said Randazzo. "I'm looking at it as an opportunity."

Critics of Atom Time said the time was too unstructured for students who would often use their phones for Twitter and Instagram.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KAILYN GARAY

New grading system Homework now worth 10% of quarter grades

BY ALAINA GARAY, KAILYN GARAY AND OMAR HADDOU Academics Editors and Staff Writer

KAILYN GARAY

English teacher Melissa Phillips helps students finish work in class. For the last seven years, she has emailed progress reports to parents every two weeks. Under a new rule, all teachers must now do the same.

Under a new school policy, homework cannot be valued more than 10 percent of a student's overall quarter grade. Greater emphasis is being placed on quizzes, tests and projects.

This new scale is showing students that missing a major test or project will cost them big time.

Additionally, all parents or guardians of students will receive a progress report from all of their teachers every other Friday.

Teachers are excited with the new progress reports policy mostly because they think it will impact their students tremendously.

"Parents have the right to know how their students are doing," AHS counselor Llana Reyes said. "It holds the students more accountable when they know that their parents are going to see their grades."

In addition, students will have frequent access of their grades through their parents. No longer will students have to contstantly ask their teachers to print out or email grade reports.

Even though they have just enforced this new rule, English teacher Melissa Phillips has been sending progress reports to students parents for seven years.

"It only takes a couple minutes and it makes a world of a difference,� Phillips said. "Because if a student is missing an assignment their parent or guardian sees it and then they talk to them and before you know it I get the missing work and the students grade improves."

Other AHS teachers have done this before and are ok with it because they have done it in the past.

"I'm fine with it," English teacher Timothy Hardy said. "Technology makes it really easy for me."

Although teachers find this very useful to the students, the students may think differently.

"It's kind of scary because I don't want my parents to see if i have a bad grade," sophomore Madison Walsh said.

Other teachers and administrators say this new addition to the grading system is useful to the students, parents and teachers of AHS.

Heard in the Hall: What do you think about the loss of Atom Time?

"You would have "I think that atom been able to go to time helped people let your classes and be a go of their energy." better student so yes I KIMBERLY ROMERO guess I would've liked sophomore Atom Time."

TYLER WESTFALL freshman

"I think its bad because Atom Time is the time to do your homework."

DONTAE JOHNSON sophomore

"I think its stupid because Atom Time was all about doing homework and getting your work done."

ANNA FUENTES sophomore

"I do not like Flex because Atom Time gives you free time if your in good standing."

"I don't like the change because I got to hang out with my friends and if you were directed you LUCERO BARAHONA could get stuff done." junior ALAN MALDONADO

"I think its stupid because now it is practically like another class."

DAIANA MERIDA senior

"I'm enraged because now the smart kids like me, don't get free time."

JUSTICE KERFOOT

junior

ACROSS 1. (adj) Exceptionally insightful, able to foresee the future 3. (adj) Faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy 5. (n) Apprentice, beginner 7. (n) The act of agreement after a quarrel, the resolution of a dispute 9. (adj) Momentary, transient, fleeting 10. (n) Leader, rabble-rouset, usually appealing to emotion or prejudice 12. (n) Impulsive action, unplanned events 13. (adj) Showy, displaying wealth 16. (n) The act of turning aside, straying from the main point, esp. in a speech or argument.

20. (adj) Bitter, hateful 21. (n) Person who seeks to influece political events 25. (adj) Rash, impulsive, acting without, thinking.

26. (n) Jot, celebraion, exulation.

29. (n) Person who pursues as a goal 30. (adj) Ordinary, commonplace 31. (adj) Happening by luck, fortunate 32. (adj) Complaining, irritable.

DOWN 2. (v) To clear from blame or suspicion 4. (n) The state of separate elements joining or coming together 6. (adj) Pertaining to beauty or the arts 8. (adj) Calm, casual, seeming unexcited 11. (adj) Excusing, lessening the seriousness of guilt or crime, e.g., of mitigating factors.

14. (adj) Determined, keeping a firm grip on.

15. (n) Long Life 17. (adj) Uninportant, trival 18. (adj) Relating to prose; dull, commonplace 19. (v) To shorten, abridge.

22. (adj) Thrifty, cheap 23. (adj) Friendly and helpful 24. (adj) C

senior

HEALTH 7

Sept. 17, 2014

Medical Marijuana pros and cons Health Editor

According to the WebMD, about four percent of adults smoke marijuana once a year illegally in the U.S. Out of those people, one out of 300 is a marijuana addict.

For several years, the public has been hearing about medical marijuana or medical cannabis, which is made of marijuana with other medical compounds, all over the news, but the question is what is and what does it exactly do?

The reason why is called “medical marijuana” is because of its main ingredient cannabis which is of what marijuana is made of and its also what gives people the high sensation when they smoke regular marijuana.

Medical marijuana or medical cannabis is a type of medical therapy that is used to treat different diseases such as seizures, AIDS, chronic pain, nausea and vomiting. Although results vary on different patients because it is still not approved by the FDA. The process of how medical marijuana works is by attaching to the person's brain receptors, and the effects produced reduces anxiety and pain.

“"I was really surprised when I read the news on the newspaper that medical marijuana was helping people with their pain and seizures"” junior Crisley Leon said.

"It's really impressive because its main component is marijuana which is really harmful for your body and now is making miracles."

Due its component, Medical marijuana can only be acquired by a prescription from a certificated doctor and a certificated store.

The most common ways of marijuana consumption in the U.S are application by oils, vaporization, direct consumption by food or drink and the most common one smoking it.

Benefits of its use Vomit and nausea: Cannabisbased drug approved by the FDA such as dronabinol and nabilone can help to reduce chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting in cancer patients according to test results.

Loss of appetite: The use of cannabis can help patients with HIV/AIDS to stimulate their appetite back especially for those who in their stage of illness loss their appetite. A clinical trial by the National Cancer Institute revealed that the patients who took cannabis their appetite increased and they

stopped losing weight.

Pain: People who suffer from neuropathic pain caused by spine surgery, alcoholism, amputation, cannabis alnagestic can be a source of relief.

Insomnia: people who suffer from sleep disorders, medical cannabis can help patients to reduce insomnia. tests by National Cancer Institute showed the effectiveness of cannabis on patients.

Muscle tension and spasm: The use of cannabis can help to reduce the muscle tension, especially people who have multiple sclerosis by decreasing in tremors and muscle stiffness according to American Cancer Society.

Side effects Weakened Immune system: The use of cannabis can make people's immune system weak, which sometimes in some cases instead of helping the patients body to ease pain, it can make you body hard to fight diseases.

Lung diseases: Long term smoke of marijuana can make your lungs to deteriorate much faster.

It might help people to ease other illness but also the outcome is really bad. Emphysema disease type can be the result of the marijuana.

Seizures disorders: In some

PHOTO FROM GOVERNMENT.ORG-

BY NANCY EVORA

Medical Cannabis works on some patients, but side effects can be harmful to others.

rare cases, the medical marijuana can make the patients seizures even more worst instead of easing it.

Surgery: The use of marijuana can affect people's nervous central system by slowing the central system during surgery due the

amount of anesthesia.

Several states have already made medical marijuana legal, though for the FDA is still an illegal drug because it is still being tested.

Even though the only way a person can obtain Medical

Cannabis is through a doctor's prescription, people still might fake illness in order to get medical marijuana, which will damage their bodies more than if they had an actual illness and needed it.

Do you think medical marijuana is safe for the body?

"Is safe when is used correctly."

SAM CURTIN freshman

" If it is for medical purpose I think is safe."

MATTHEW VOGUS sophomore

“"No, becuase it messes up your brain."

TOMMY NGUYEN Sophomore

"Yes, I do because I heard medical marihuana is helping poeple with cancer."

RACHELLE MOORE Junior

"No, because it is not safe based on studies."

ALEX LIND Junior

“"Yes and no, is effective when prescribed however some people fake depression in order to get marijuana."

"Only under the right circumstances because it affects people in different ways."

" It is safe when is prescribed and use properly."

MICHAEL MAZZARELLA Mathematics teacher

PAULA ALDERETE DILSHER SINGH

senior

senior

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE TO THE AHS AUTO PROGRAM The Annandale High School Auto Program needs your vehicle. By donating, you may be able to deduct up to the full value of your vehicle.

The process is fast, easy and helps the best automotive program in Fairfax County Public Schools. To schedule your donation, please call: Joe Desio, instructor, 703-642-4212 or email at jfdesio@fcps.edu

8 PHOTO

Sept. 17, 2014

Class of Takeover Tak eover

ERIN JOHNSON

The seniors of AHS "take over" the school by painting the building and themselves with many of their class slogans to show their class spirit and Atom Pride.

One of the 2015 slogans painted in the senior courtyard.

COURTESY OF AMANDA ADENAN

Senior Alex Cruz poses with the senior class flag before the start of the first football game.

ERIN JOHNSON

Senior Daniela Sanlinas waves the "hypesquad" flag at the first football game of the season at Falls Church.

ERIN JOHNSON

COURTESY OF AMANDA ADENAN

Seniors pose for a picture while gathering before the first football game to paint each other for the red-out and show class spirit.

COURTESY OF AMANDA ADENAN

COURTESY OF ROCHELLE KENNEY

Seniors decorated the C-Train with their class slogans, as a tradition that AHS has been passing down for many years. The C-Train is located by the parking lot nearest to the track.

The Atoms Boys of 2015, seniors Richie Fruchterman, Andrew Leal, Robert Lamb, Bennett Collins, Jason Pratt and Aviad Gebrehiwot get painted up and show their Atom Pride before the game.

Senior Aviad Gebrehiwot leads the senior hype squad on to the bleachers at Falls Church.

ARTS 9

Sept. 17, 2014

Stitchin' and Knittin' School psychologist plans new arts club

BY BAILEY OLIVER Arts Editor With the new school year finally beginning to fall into rhythm, new after-school clubs are soon to begin as well. School psychologist Anne Brosnan is in the process of developing a new club: the Atomic Knitters, a club devoted to the art of knitting.

Brosnan talks about her early plans for the club.

"The plan is to start this club, the Atomic Knitters and hopefully get some interest started up," Brosnan said. "Every year at back to school night, the PTSA is doing a table setup for clubs to reach out to students. So we are going to do that and just get the word out as much as

possible."

Brosnan talks about how she came up with the idea of Atomic Knitters and what gave her inspiration to start a new activity for after school.

"What gave me the idea, was that I do this with some friends of mine outside of school. As a school psychologist I meet with a lot of kids," Brosnan said. "I know there is a lot of kids who would like to join a club, who want to do something, but they don't really have something that interests them and for me, meeting with my friends over the years has been something really fun and a great way to develop friendships."

While Atomic Knitters is not officially a club as of this writing, Brosnan has already planned the

to buy anything and we have lots of materials available and it'll all be free to the kids and our plan is to get started with something simple like doing scarfs, which is just knitting a lot," Brosnan said. "From there we'll teach how to do other things like how to make hats if they want or if kids have an idea of something they want to work on. We are planning to meet once a week. Anybody is welcome to join and we are hoping Anne Brosnan we get a good turnout. In terms of School psychologist your skill level, you really just need to want to learn." schedule for the beginning weeks Brosnan has high hopes for of the club and discusses basic Atomic Knitters, looking to get a requirements. good groove for the club and having a "We want to start out giving committed group of students. "What people really simple things. We are I really would like to see is for us to going to provide all the materials, get a good group together ,that kind so people come, they do not need

"It [knitting] is a really nice and relaxing way to spend your time and for people who have a lot of stress."

of sticks together and stays with it at least for the school year and even to continue on for next year," Brosnan said. "I am hoping to achieve that sense of cohesion between the kids and feelings of accomplishment."

With all new things come challenges. However, Brosnan hopes that the club will be able to overcome those obstacles.

"Challenges I guess would just be ensure kids come on a regular basis so they get the fundamentals down, because I know that in high school students have a lot of things pulling them. So just to make a commitment

to come a few times, I think that would be the real challenge," Brosnan said.

In regards to those who may be hesitant to join Atomic Knitters, Brosnan gives advice to possible skeptics and explains some of the benefits that come with knitting.

"What I'd say to them is just try it. If you have any interest, if you like working with your hands and you have any interest at all, just try it," Brosnan said. "It [knitting] is a really nice and relaxing way to spend your time for people who have a lot of stress."

DIY: Make your own arts and crafts DREAM CATCHER

3. Keep looping until you come around and then start looping it through the string.

Materials: 1. String 2. Feathers 3. Metal hoop 4. Glue 5. Beads

GARTER STITCH SCARF Materials 1. One skein super-bulky yarn, around 100 yards

1. Cast on 12 stitches.

2. Size 13 US (9 mm) needles

2. Knit every row to your desired length.

3. Scissors and a crochet hook Size

4. When the center is done, add feathers, beads or anything else that might inspire you to your dream catcher.

Making the catcher: 1. Wrap the string (any kind, hemp can be used a lot) around the metal hoop and secure with glue.

2. Once dry, take more string (something thinner) and loop it around the ring.

Finished scarf is about five inches wide. Length will vary depending on the yardage of your chosen yarn.

Knitting the Scarf

3. Bind off. Cut yarn, leaving a tail of about 6 inches.

4. Weave in tail using crochet hook. Enjoy!

-Instructions and photo provided by Anne Brosnan

ONLINE On your smartphone, scan this code using the application QR Code to visit Emily's Etsy shop, where you can buy a variety of crafts.

-Instructions and photos provided by Emily Oliver

ANNE BROSNAN

Upcoming events in the local community

COMICSMUDGE.COM

THEJAZZBAKERY.TUMBLER.COM

Patricia Barbrer Quartet

Strata Collective

20814

WHEN: Aug. 9-Sept. 30 WHERE: Leica Store - 977 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20004 WHAT: This collective in D.C boasts a range of photographs, capturing the

WHAT: Learning to play the piano at age six, American Jazz performer Patricia Barber will be performing at the Bethesda Blues and Jazz Supper club. Barber has a wide range of musical talents, as a jazz singer, pianist and songwriter. For a unique, fun night full of smooth jazz music, check this event out. Tickets are $25.

many emotions of common, everyday life. Humor, mystery, absurdity and the beauty of humankind are all key ideas of the collective. Although based in L.A. and D.C., exhibitions have been held across the globe. The theme of the D.C. exhibition is "faith", showcasing a large collection of "in the moment" photographs by members of D.C.'s local collective.

WHEN: Sept. 19 at 8:30 p.m WHERE: Bethesda Blues and Jazz - 7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD

ANTIQUESANDTHEARTS.COM

BETHESDABLUESANDJAZZ.COM

American Journeys - Visions of Place

Bethesda Blues & WJazz Supper Club

WHEN: Sept. 21 WHERE: Corcoran Gallery of Art - 500 17th St. NW, Washington,

WHEN: Sept. 28, at 8:30 p.m (various days) WHERE: Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club - 7719 Wisconsin Avenue

DC

Bethesda, Maryland 20814

WHAT: New to the Corcoran Gallery of Art comes a pre-1945

WHAT: Want dinner and a show? The Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club

collection of over 100 paintings and 15 sculptures. The exhibition is supposed to encapsulate a theme of a changing attitude in American art.

has just the right thing. Having recently had a renovation, this club boasts a cajun winspired menu, full of delicious entrees and desserts, with the addition of the soothing sounds from talented, professional jazz and blues artists. The newly imagined Bethesda theatre is sure to offer good time and fine dining.

DCMETROARTS.COM

Shear Maddness

WHEN: Oct. 1-Dec. 31 WHERE: Kennedy Center Theater Lab - 2700 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20566 WHAT: Having over 12,000 performances over 26 years, "Shear Maddness" is one of the largest plays in American history. The comedy murder mystery play tells the story of a famous concert pianist who lives above above the unisex hair salon. "Shear Maddnes" fuses improvisational humor with audience frequent participation, allowing them to solve the crime. Expect plenty of laughs and a good time.

Tickets are $50.

ARTDAILY.COM

Off the Beaten Path: Early Works by James McNeill Whistler WHEN: Sept. 28 WHERE: Freer Gallery of Art - Jefferson Drive & 12th Street SW, Washington, DC WHAT: When artist James McNeill Whistler was young, he and a friend traveled around Europe, attempting to reach Amsterdam.

When they eventually ran out of money, McNeill would trade portraits and other work in exchange for food and lodging. In this collection, many of his works have been accumulated over the years. Inspired by his travels, enjoy the art of his touring adventures .

12 INTERNATIONAL International Clubs offered at AHS

Sept. 17, 2014

Students think globally and act locally through club participation

Annandale Korean Bible Study Teacher: HeeChang Choi

together and show off how much they know about African American History.

Students have over 30 choices of clubs to pick from.

Due to AHS diverse school community, AHS has very diverse students and clubs. In any club they join, they get to express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The clubs are a time for students to freely express their personalities and the way they feel about a certain topic with others.

Overall, the diversity at AHS is represented in its many clubs offered, that are open to all students. Whether you want to participate in after school studying the Bible with the Annandale Korean Bible Study club, or you want to represent your ethnicity with others at the Just World Festival, AHS will always be open to new students to increase the diversity of our community.

Just World Interact Club Teacher: Catherine Mounteer

BY SUMMAR AYOUB & JEANINE BARAKAT International Editor & Staff Writer

As one of the most diverse high schools in the country AHS provides its students with a variety of clubs to choose from.

These clubs include the Black Cultural Awareness Association, the Muslim Student Association, Korean Bible Study and the Just World Interact Club.

The clubs not only give the students a place to express themselves, but also give them time after school to allow themselves and their fellow classmates to show how they feel about certain issues without feeling judged or embarrassed.

The different variety of clubs AHS provides helps meet the needs for most races and cultures of students that attend the school. With diverse clubs students are given a better and more comfortable learning environment.

Annandale Bible Study

The Annandale Bible study club is supervised by Math teacher HeeChang Choi. In this club, the students read multiple passages from the bible and then later on, discuss how the passage has a connection to their lives.

They reflect off the Bible passages and analyze the different aspects of each passage. The students get to enjoy sweets and beverages during their time spent in Bible study.

"We get to read the Bible and enjoy sweets and refreshments, while we are comparing the passage to our lives,"” senior Julia Nguyen said.

Muslim Student Association

The Muslim Student Association is held by Arabic teacher Ola Layaly. In this club, students go into a deep discussion of Islamic knowledge and discuss the struggles and hardships that Muslim students face in their everyday lives. "Diversity isn't only about the color or background it's about the religion also," Layaly said.

The Muslim Student Association is all about tolerance and accepting others differences and similarities. They have picinics with other MSA clubs around the county.

"It's always good to know how other people think, it

Black Cultural Awareness Association Teacher: Kathlyn Berry

Muslim Student Association Teacher: Ola Layaly

Story revision On your smartphone, scan this code using the application “QR Code” to read about the revised version of "Gaza: The people of Palestine and the war occuring between Gaza and Israel of Palestine and Israel

opens people's minds to help other," Layaly said.

The MSA meetings are held every other Wednesday.

Students chose and talk about topics that they are interested in.

Layaly and the students also take the religion of Islam into another point of view. They discuss and look at other people's perspectives on the Islam religion.

"My goal is to help my students enjoy their diversity," Layaly said.

Just World Interact

The Just World Interact Club is supervised by ESOL teacher Catherine Mounteer, but is led by the students at AHS. Students focus on the injustice in the world and host a hunger banquet each year. The club is very diverse in what they do and what they have to offer, from raising money for shelter boxes to organizing the Just World Festival. “ "Just World is named Just World because it is promoting information that is about justice for the world, our main theme is it's not your world it's ours," senior Megan Pendergast said.

The Just World Festival is similar to heritage night but contains some differences. The Just World Festival is held

in February and its purpose is to show people that we are what made up the world and it is our world.

"My favorite part of Just World is working with people that want to make a change in the world,"” Pendergast said.

Black Cultural Awareness Association

The Black Cultural Awareness Association is a club that brings together not only African American students but also students that are interested in learning the African American Culture. The students get to discuss their childhoods, debate about African American history and also organize the Black History Bowl. Students also freely converse about their feelings and emotions.

"I like how we all get to express how we feel about anything and not feel like were embarrassed,"” junior Nawal Abdulkadir said.

The Black History Bowl is held every year in the month of February. Students from each grade study the history and are questioned; the fastest person to answer the question wins a certain amount of points. At the end of the bowl, the group of students with the most points will win the bowl.

The Black History Bowl is when all students come

What is your favorite club?

"I'm interested in Fellowship of Christian Athletes because I'm a fellow athlete and I heard they have donuts at their meetings."

"My favorite club is the French Honor Society because I am currently taking French."

"My favorite club is the English Honor Society, although I can't join it until I'm a junior."

GENESIS LARA freshman

JULIUS MILLER

"My favorite club is the Green Atoms because I can help the community stay clean."

"My favorite club is the Math Honor Society beause we get to help our peers during peer tutoring."

TEAGAN FOTI

sophomore

sophomore

DAVID PARK

"My favorite club is Key Club because it is a good chance to serve the community."

"My favorite club is Just World because I enjoy attending the festival."

NATALIE JONES

junior

AHMED HASSAN

"My favorite club is the Gay Straight Alliance because it supports gay rights."

DANIELA SALINAS

senior

junior

IAN MARBURGER freshman

Country Spotlight: Lebanon

AHS student talks about her trip to Lebanon As you're walking through Lebanon, you may see the beautiful landscapes and beaches. Lebanon has much to offer in an average sized country. You will experience the sight of the first law school ever built in the world as well as the "Paris of the Middle East" also known as Beirut.

The night life of Lebanon is one of the best tourist attractions and the main reason tourists visit the country of Lebanon. The night life offers many live shows, resturaunts, beaches parties and the Corniche boardwalk that stretches around the entire public beach.

"The only thing I dislike about Lebanon is all the fighting and conflicts going on," sophomore Tara El-Achi said.

Beirut is the captial of Lebanon and is a very enjoying place in Lebanon. It has many attractions, such as the National Museum of Beirut, the Jeita Grotto, Rene Moawad Garden and Platinum Tower.

Lebanon is a beautiful country with many sights to see. It is just one of the many countries that our fellow students at AHS are from.

Country Name: Lebanon GEORGIO KHOURY

"I love everything about Lebanon, from the people to the beaches, mountains, the different cultural food and especially night life."

Capital: Beirut Population: 4.43 million Places to visit: The Pigeon Rocks & Roman Baths Tara El-Achi sophomore

Fun Fact: Beirut was destroyed and built from scratch seven times and is known as the “Phoenix.”

senior

PEOPLE 13

Sept. 17, 2014

Q&A with special ed teacher Mike Brown has definitely been rewarding."

BY BIRUK NEGASH & MARIA SUAREZ People Editor & Staff Writer

What is something that you want others to know about your job?

How long have you worked at AHS? "This is my third year working at AHS."

"There are long days but that is the same with every other job. I enjoy having my students throughout the entire day so I can keep a grasp on how they are advancing on their goals and objectives throughout the school year. I have a lot of fun with my job and I look forward to coming here every day and working with these guys."

Why did you choose to work at AHS? "I graduated from college a few years ago and I was looking for work. I actually started out as a substitute teacher for Fairfax County. I had a bunch of subbing assignments here at AHS and one day I had a special ed class. I worked in the classroom and there was something about it that was of great interest to me.

I really enjoyed working with the students and staff here. I made the decision to become a special ed teacher and here I am."

Is there anything about your job that you would change?

"I'm pretty happy with the way it's going."

How has your high school experience prepared you for this when you were younger?

How have you grown as a person?

"I think the biggest thing with special ed and working in this position is that with every student or any person regardless of who it is, communication is key.

Everyone has the ability to communicate. Some don't do it the way that we're used to. I've learned about finding ways to communicate with all kinds of people."

"I had peers with disabilities in high school. They were in the hallways and doing the same things that I was doing; getting their education. I interacted with a few of my peers back in high school, but that was about all I had done before I started working here."

Did you ever see yourself working as a special ed teacher when you were younger?

"I don't think that I ever thought that I would be a teacher. My degree in college was political science and I was thinking of being a big government contractor. I didn't see myself teaching but I'm defintely glad I'm here and I'm defintely glad I did."

What does a day in your job look like?

"A day with special ed is not that much different than everyone else. My students have block scheduling and we follow the Red day/White day calendar schedule. The difference is that we do the entire core academic instead of focusing on a specific subject. I will teach all of my students reading, writing, english, math, science and history. They'll have morning for their morning routine and then we will go into first block, followed by lunch, second block and then they will go to their electives like

What is your favorite memory of working with special ed?

MARIA SUAREZ

Brown works with students during a reading lesson.

P.E. They work in a transition preparation class called Work and Transition, WAT for short. On white days, we have a block where the students will go to another teacher to get that high school feel of going from class to class."

"Yes, I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. I plan on being here for a while. I enjoy doing this."

What is your favorite thing about working with special ed?

"My students teach me new things everyday. I've learned that small progress is good progress. What I think a lot of people don't understand is that my students enjoy the same things that everyone in the school enjoys. They like to go to pep rallies, they love being in the cafeteria with everyone, and they love hanging out in the hallways. One of my students recently got a cellphone and I had to go over the new electronic policy with him and tell him the new rules about using his cellphone in school. I've had some of my students for all three years that I've been teaching so seeing the progress they've made over a long term

"I enjoy teaching and working with students with disabilities. I enjoy seeing the progress that they make and their adaptive curriculum. I enjoy being able to come to school every day and seeing how excited they are to be a part of high school."

Do you see yourself doing this in the future?

Special ed teacher Destini Specht pictured center mid works with students during a reading lesson. Specht enjoys her job working with students. "My career working with special need students is both challenging and

What have you learned from your students?

I attended George Mason University I attended North Stafford High School I graduated in 2006 I participated in cheer and dance I am from Virginia My favorite movie is the Newsies Growing up I have always wanted to be a teacher

What kind of qualities would you need to work in special ed as a teacher?

"Being open minded and being able to adapt is a key thing. Also, having lots of patience because small steps are good steps. It doesn't happen overnight, but it will happen if you keep pushing on."

fulfilling. Getting to see each child progress over the school year is a very rewarding experience. "

MARIA SUAREZ

Who am I?

Who am I? This is my fifth year teaching at AHS

"Every year we have our own prom. We do it in Clausen Hall. I think my favorite memory would be seeing all of the faces of my students and all students in special ed at prom. A lot of them got dressed up, we had a DJ and they were just so happy. Also, I've had some former students who have gone on to graduate from AHS and move on to other places that will prepare them for work, school and whatever they do in the future and that's also very rewarding."

This is my third year teaching at AHS I attended Headover College in Ohio I grew up in Leary Ohio up by the Cleveland area I moved to Virginia about ten years ago I graduated high school in 1997 I mostly played basketball in high school I also played baseball and football when I was younger

I went all the way to LA just to see my favorite band play The craziest thing I have done hasn't happened yet. I'm going to be on the Amazing Race with coach Behne

I like all of Adam Sandler's movies, The Star Wars series, The Star Trek series My first job was working in road construction and mowing lawns for the city

On your smartphone, scan this code using the application QR Code to find the answer to the Who Am I.

One interesting fact about me is that when I was 18, I went to Vegas for my brother's wedding.

On your smartphone, scan this code using the application QR Code to find the answer to the Who Am I.

14 LIFESTYLES

Sept. 17, 2014

How to prevent getting dress-coded DON'T: Wear a tank top if

DON'T: Show off your

the straps don't follow the finger tip rule. Your straps must be at least three inches wide.

undergarments. Sagging your pants is a definite no. Lets be real: No one is interested in seeing your underwear anyway.

TOP STORIES DO: Wear a belt, tuck in your shirt or simply pull up your pants. If you avoid showing off your undergarments you will also avoid getting dress coded.

TARA EL-ACHI

NEFTALI REYES

On your smartphone, scan this code using the application QR Code� to read about Back to School Apps.

DO: Wear a cardigan over your tank top. If you really want to wear a tank top, a cover up adds a flattering look and also makes your outfit school appropriate.

DON'T: Wear a white

DON'T: Wear lowcut

tank or a muscle tee. This shirt is see-through and inappropriate to wear during school. No need to show off your muscles, remember school is a no flex zone.

shirts or shirts that show too much cleavage. Avoid sexually provocative clothing or clothing that exposes private parts and undergarments.

DO: Add a scarf to cover up low-cut necklines.

Scarfs will prevent you from getting dress coded and will make your outfit more fashionable.

DO: Use a white tank or muscle tee as an undershirt. Add outer layer clothing such as a button-up, cardigan, or a simple t-shirt to make your outfit less basic.

MACKENZIE GILLIGAN

SAUD SHAH

Good-bye summer......Hello fall Transitioning from summer vibes to sweater weather could be hard, try these tips to help you out: Go shopping Clean out your closet

1

Get rid of summer clothing and fill your closet with fall outfits. It is time to put your shorts and tanktops away and bring in your favorite sweaters and comfiest jeans. Make sure to get clothing to keep you cozy throughout the season.

2 Make Fall Plans Fall is the season with many fun events. Even though you can't go to the beach or the pool, get excited about football games, bonfires and other school events such as Homecoming.

3

This season is a time of great sales and new collections. Look forward to buying the cutest chillly-weather outfits. Forget about sandals and flip flops, it's time for adorable moccassins and boots.

PHOTO COURTESY BY JEREMIAH BETHEA

PHOTO COURTESY BY AHSHYPESQUAD

PHOTO COURTESY BY SUMMER AYOUB

your room 4 Transform with Fall Decorations Start by buying some different room decorations or trying DIY's to get into the fall mood. Adding warmer colors with accent pieces and using parts of nature (leaves, pinecones, acorns) can change the tone of your room. Candles are also a great way to make your room feel cozy and smell good at the same time.

PHOTO COURTESY BY RAPHAEL YU

5 Change your focus

Back to School Study Apps

BlackBoard (Free)

iHomework ($1.99)

BrainScape (Free)

Blackboard helps you keep up and stay organized with all your classes. This app keeps you updated wherever you go.

This handy app allows you to enter your assignment grades and predict what grade will be on your report card.

Brainscape is a good way to study. You can create your own flashcards and quiz yourself before test and quizzes.

Wolfram Alpha ($2.99) This wonderful app is great for everyone that has diffuculties in math. It can calculate different formulas and problems.

PHOTO COURTESY BY MADISON SAMPLE

Redirect your energy towards the school year.

With summer over, you have less free time than you had before. It's time to focus on getting organized, managing your time wisely, and getting all your work done. Doing this will make it easier for you to get back to your old routine.

EasyBib (Free)

WashingtonPost (Free)

Grammar App ($0.99)

SparkNotes (Free)

When writing bibliographies, this app is useful for citing your sources in different formats.

Washington Post keeps you updated on current events. This app can be used by students taking government, journalism or any other class.

While writing a paper, this app is a good way to find grammatical errors.

Have any questions on a book you’re currently reading? Use SparkNotes to help you figure out your unanswered questions.

SPORTS X-TRA 15 AHS divided on name change debate Sept. 17, 2014

Students react to Redskins name controversy

BY KAYEE LYNCH Staff Writer

Redskins owner Dan Snyder joined hundreds of fans at a Redskins rally at Lucky's Pub on Sept. 7 in Houston. The gathering's purpose was to kick off the season-opener versus the Houston Texans.

As Snyder rose to speak, a chant broke out, "Keep the Name, Keep the Name!". Snyder continued to speak as the deafening crowd chanted. The Washington Redskins name and logo has been the cause of much controversy recently. As the NFL regular season starts again, protests against the name are expected. Last year there were multiple protests, including one at a game against the Minnesota Vikings that drew hundreds. Advertisements were aired during the NBA Finals calling for the name to be changed. The federal government has also gotten themselves involved. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has removed the trademark that the Washington Redskins had on their name, saying it was "disparaging to Native Americans."

According to ESPN, an Associated Press poll showed nationally that four in five Americans disagree with the name change. Only 11 percent of think it should be changed, eight percent were undecided, and two percent did not respond.

Snyder has publicly spoken about his thoughts on changing the trademark name of the Washington Redskins. According to Hogs Haven, Dan Snyder has made his promise of not changing the name very clear. "We will never change the name. It's that simple. Never." Snyder also wrote a heartfelt open letter to all Redskins fans, stating that there is too much history and too many emotional attachments to the name for it to be changed. He later started a charity called the Original Americans Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Native Americans.

Not only have local leaders, Congress representatives and even President Obama stated their opinion on the name, but Native Americans nationally

"We'll never change the name.

It's that simple. NEVER--you can use caps."

Dan Snyder

Redskins owner

have felt offended by it.

In defense of the Native Americans, Oneida Nation Representative Ray Halbritter and the National Congress of American Indians Executive Director Jackie Pata commented on the controversy.

"Snyder and his employees should stop using cheap PR tactics to imply that they're honoring the very Native Americans who are telling him that we are offended and are being ignored," Pata said.

Native American leaders have openly expressed their despise for the name "Redskins" by creating their own webpage, changethemascot.org. As stated on the home page, Change the Mascot's mission is to end the use of

the racial slur "redskins" as the mascot and name of the NFL Washington Redskins team.

The controversy has left everyone clueless as to what the next move may be. Will Snyder give in and rename his beloved Redskins, or stand his ground?

As the difference between the nation continues, AHS athletes, students and coaches, many of whom are die-hard Redskins fans, are also divided on the issue.

People who support the name change point out that the name is offensive to many Native Americans which is unacceptable.

"I think they should change it," junior football player Tucker Mack said, "because it can be offensive to some people."

Some believe that the Redskins name is not only offensive, but also racist.

"They should change the name," junior Kirk Lindberg said, "because it is racist to the still living Native Americans."

Many feel that the name should be kept, citing tradition and the long history tied to the name. The Redskins have been called the Redskins since 1933 and have won three Super Bowl championships under that name.

"I don't think the Redskins name should be changed because the Redskins have created a history under that name," senior football player Cody Reagan said. "It has nothing to do with race. If you were to ask anyone who is a fan what their favorite team is, they always have and always will say the Redskins."

"The Redskins should not change their name," junior Vinicius Rangel said, "because I don't really find the name offensive. The name is not used as a bad term or as a slur anymore. The Washington Redskins have used that name ever since the beginning."

There are also economic reasons as to why the Redskins would want to keep their current name.

"I don't think the Redskins should change their name," junior Andrea Garcia said, "because it will cost a lot of money to change everything that is associated with the Redskins."

Some also feel that the attention on the Redskins name is misguided, and that more attention should be focused on other issues that affect the everyday lives of Native Americans.

"They should not be worried about the Redskins name," junior Ruth Tiguh said. "They should be worried about the poor living conditions on Native American reservations."

A history of teams that:

Kept the name

Changed the name

Stanford University, located in Stanford, California, is a private university that opened in 1891. Its school name was the Stanford University Indians until 1972. They changed the name to the Cardinals after a group of Native American students demanded that the name be changed. They organized among themselves and decided to sign a petition. The petition listed all the reasons why they thought the Indian name and mascot was offensive. They did not like the idea of themselves being caricatured and stereotyped on the football field, especially at the very school that they attended. The group of students showed the petition to the president of Stanford University at the time, President Lyman. After reading it, Lyman decided that the mascot and name should be changed, and it was decided that the new name be the Stanford Cardinals.

The Florida State Seminole's name comes from the Seminole Tribe which is from Florida. The Seminoles have a long history which they are very proud of.

They are the only Native American tribe to not sign an official peace treaty with the United States Government. In 1947, the university voted on a new name. They chose the Seminoles, and chose Osceola as their mascot. Osceola was a Seminole war hero who was famous for fighting the United States Government when it wanted to move the Seminole people off of their land. Florida State University went to the Seminole Tribe and said that the use of Osceola was intended to honor the history of the Seminole people and was not supposed to be a caricature. The Seminole Tribal Council said they were okay with it. Florida State University is one of four colleges that have Native American mascots and names that are approved

by Native American tribes. The others are the University of Utah Utes, the Central Michigan University Chippewas and the Mississippi College Choctaws.

St. John's University's current name is the St. John's Red Storm. However, it used to be the St. John's Redmen. The school's name was changed in 1994 after many groups and activists put pressure on the school to change the name. It was seen as offensive by many and things got to a point where the pressure on the school was too much and they had to change the name. Former St. John's University president Reverend Donald Harrington said in an interview with the St. John's University school newspaper, "In a lot of ways, the decision was made for us." The name "Red Storm" was chosen in an online poll that was given out over a span of 12 days, and the mascot that was chosen was the Thunderbird.

The Thunderbird is a bird from Native American mythology, so the university still paid respect to Native American history and culture without coming across as offensive. At first many people were sad to say good-bye to the name "Redmen," but eventually the name "Red Storm" became widely accepted by the student body.

The Atlanta Braves started out as the Boston Red Stockings in 1871. They changed their name to the Braves in 1912. They moved to Atlanta in 1966. Two big things about the Atlanta Braves have drawn criticism, their mascot and their tomahawk chop. Their mascot is Chief Noc-A-Homa, whose name is supposed to be a play on the phrase "Knock a Homer." Every time the Braves would "knock a homer," the mascot would do a dance. Many people felt that this stereotyped Native Americans. Another practice that has drawn criticism is the tomahawk chop. The tomahawk chop actually started with Florida State University. When Deion Sanders, who formerly played for FSU, played for the Braves, fans did the tomahawk chop and it caught on. Braves fans do the tomahawk chop to this day, and see it as a celebration, not a mockery of Native Americans. Fans also take pride in the name of the team, the "Braves." They feel that the name honors Native Americans.

The name of the athletics teams at the University of Miami, Ohio was the Redskins from 1931 until 1997. There were many traditions and practices that Native Americans found offensive, including a sideline dancing Indian and caricatures of Native Americans. In 1971, a professor at the university, Dr. George Fathauer, wrote a letter to the president of the university saying that the name was offensive and that using Indians as mascots is inherently racist. A committee was made with the purpose of voting on a change, but they chose to keep the name. The university tried to honor Native Americans more, replacing the dancing Indian mascot with a noble chief. However, eventually another professor named Dr. Myrtle Powell also saw something wrong with the name. Along with the Miami Tribe in Oklahoma, she put pressure on the school and eventually the school decided it would be best to change "Redskins" to "Redhawks."

The Cleveland Indians became the Indians in 1915. The biggest part of their team that has drawn criticism is their logo, a Native American called "Chief Wahoo." Chief Wahoo is a beloved symbol of the team to many long time Cleveland Indians fans. However, many see the logo as a caricature that symbolizes stereotypes about Native Americans. Chief Wahoo has red skin, a feather sticking out of his hair and a wide grin. The Cleveland Indians have replaced Chief Wahoo with a large capital "C" as their official logo, but Chief Wahoo is still present on uniforms and, to fans, will always be associated with the team. Robert Roche, who is the leader of the American Indian Education Center, said he wants to sue the Cleveland Indians for 9 billion dollars. Even though the team looks like they are gradually changing their logo, they are not going to change their name any time soon.

The College of William and Mary, located in Williamsburg, Virginia, changed their name from the "Indians" to the "Tribe." There was a wave of schools in the 1980s and 1990s changing their Indian names. The National Collegiate Athletics Association even made a rule saying that school names that create a "hostile or abusive environment" were not to be allowed. The name "Indians" and the portrayal of them fell under this category, so William and Mary had to change their name. They ditched the name "Indians" in favor of the "Tribe." However, they still kept their feathers logo. That would later become a problem. In 2006, the NCAA said that the school had to do away with the feathers as well. The school was not able to think of a logo to replace the feathers with until 2010. The school chose the Griffin, a mythical bird, to serve as a mascot.

The Chicago Blackhawks were founded in 1926. Their name has always been the Blackhawks. The Chicago Blackhawks is actually named after a famous Native American. Black Hawk was the leader of the Sauk Tribe. The Black Hawk War is named after him. The war started when Black Hawk was tricked into signing a treaty that forced him to give up his land. Black Hawk was determined to go and win his land back. The war ended with his surrender. The Chicago Blackhawks have not gotten as much backlash as other team names have gotten, most likely because the team is named after a prominent Native American historical figure and is intended to honor him. Still, many Native American groups who are calling for an end to all Native American based names and mascots are angry. According to ABC News, the Executive Vice President of the Blackhawks, Jay Blunt, said that the Blackhawks logo is "respectful and proud."

Should the Washington Redskins change their name?

"I don't think the Redskins should change their name because I like it like that" MABEL ZUNIGA junior

"I do not care if the Redskins change their name or not."

NATNAEL SAMUEL junior

"I don't think the Redskins should change their name because it is traditional."

ROSE WHITE sophomore

"No because it's such a big hassle to change their name. They would have to change everything that has the Redskins name on it."

MONGNHI NGUYEN junior

"No because it's a tradition. It's not meant to be racist against Native Americans."

KRISTEL FRANJIE senior

"No because it's been like that for a while and I dont know why it's such a big deal now" SAAD FAROOQ sophomore

"Traditions are very important, but I think the best people to MUAID FIDAIL ask this question to senior are people of Native American descent."

"No because they have had that name for a long time."

DAWN WICKLUND Librarian

16 sports Cross Country eager for the season

Sept. 17, 2014

Coach O'Hara weighs in with his opinion and thoughts about the rest of the year

By Sabrina Hawa Sports Editor

The boys cross country season has kicked off with a great start. The team has completed three events so far, including the PR Kickoff Invatational at Bull Run Special Event Center on Aug. 28 and The Monroe Parker Invitational at Burke Lake on Sept. 6. Boys Country coach David O'Hara sees the team improving greatly throughout the season, both physically as well as mentally.

"Our last meet was the Monroe Parker Invitational where we finished 22nd as a team," O'Hara said. "The conditions were very hot and a few of our top runners had some difficulty with that."

The team is training hard to become the very best that they can be and try to get ready for its next competition, making sure that all runners are keeping up with each other and that they are competing at their top performance.

"Right now there is too much distance between our number one runner and our number five runner," O'Hara said. "Cross country is scored by adding all the places of your top five runners together with the lowest score winning so it is very important that you have a tight pack."

Training has already started for the next meet, which is AHS vs. West Springfield vs.

Lake Braddock on Sept. 17. The boys are doing their their training on the track as well as off the track.

Upcoming xc Meets ·· 9/17 AHS vs West Springfield vs Lake Bradock @ Franconia Park, 5 p.m. ·· 9/20 Oatlands Invite @ Leesburg, 8 a.m. ·· 9/27 Six Flags Safari Invite @ Jackson, NJ, 8 a.m. ·· 10/1 AHS vs. West Springfield vs.

Lake Braddock vs. South County @ Occoquan Park, 5 p.m. ·· 10/11 Glory Days Invite @ Bull Run Park, Manassas, 8 a.m. ·· 10/15 Patriot Invite @ Burke Lake, 5 p.m.

"Right now we are in very hard training, usually with two to three hard track workouts a week as well as lifting weights and daily core strengthening," O'Hara said.

"Many of the races that the athletes run in September will be hit or miss on how they perform because we are training right on the edge of exhaustion."

The runners are preparing for their first conference match on Sept. 17 as well as training for the Patriot Conference championships on Oct. 30 and the regional and state championship in early November.

"This training is necessary, however, so

that when championship season starts in late October the athletes will be ready," O'Hara said.

Since the season is only just beginning, the boys still have plenty of time to prepare for more upcoming meets and championships. The coaches as well as the players are looking forward to the rest of the season.

"The number one thing I always look forward to is seeing who steps up and improves the most during the course of the season.

Someone always surprises me," O'Hara said.

"We have four guys that are very competitive but we are looking for at a fifth guy that can bridge the gap and catch up to our top guys. If we can have someone to make that jump we will have a very successful season."

Dagim Tigabu

Sophomore Dagim Tigabu at a meet.

Senior Robert Lamb running at the Monroe Parker Invite at Burke Lake.

Robert Lamb

VB looks ahead to Madison Girls eager to improve upon season record

VB Schedule ·· 9/23 Home vs. Madison, 7 p.m. ·· 9/23 Raider Rumble tourmament @ JEB Stuart, 8:30 a.m. ·· 9/30 Home vs. Herndon, 7:00 p.m. ·· 10/2 Away vs. Robinson, 7 p.m. ·· 10/7 Away vs. Woodson, 7 p.m.

By Sabrina Hawa Sports Editor

·· 10/9 Home vs. Mount Vernon, 7 p.m.

The volleyball team is preparing for the next game against James Madison High School on Sept. 23. The game will be at home and full stands are expected for the game.

"We have been training really hard to prepare for the game against Madison," sophomore Katie Garrish said.

"We have been going through a lot of conditioning as well as running plenty of drills in practice."

Last season, the girls lost to Madison High School high school in a 0-3 set. This season, with a couple of new players, the girls are hoping to redeem themselves this season. Madison's volleyball team is so far undefeated but the girls plan of breaking that streak.

"Madison is a really tough school," Garrish said. "But we are working very hard so I think it will be a good game."

One of the last games the girls played was against Marshall High School at home at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 9. The team fell to the Statemen. The girls lost with a score of 3 sets to 0, continuing with their overall record of 1-2. The score of the first set was 15-25. The score of the second set ended very closely with a score of 23-25. Lastly, the third set ended with a score of 10-25. With the season still just starting, the girls have high hopes for the rest of the season.

"Overall, I thought we played really well, Marshall is a really good school," sophomore Lucie Lefbom said. "I think we really pulled through though with the second set and it really showed how well we can work together as a team."

The stands were filled with fellow volleyball players, parents, students, as well as fans from the opposing team. The fans were cheering throughout the whole game regardless of the score. As well as the girls cheering on each other and making sure that they kept each other motivated throughout each set of the game.

"Overall, we played really well," junior Ruth Tiguh said. "Our support for each other was really good during the second set."

The second set was the closest scoring set out of the

·· 10/15 Away vs. TC Williams, 7 p.m. ·· 10/21 Home vs. West Springfield, 7 p.m. ·· 10/23 Away vs. South Country, 7 p.m ·· 10/27 Home vs West Potomac, 7 p.m. ·· 10/29 Away vs. Lake Braddock, 7 p.m.

Sabrina Hawa

At the net Sophomore Katie Garrish blocking a spike in the girls game against Marshall High School

three. Most of the game was spent neck and neck between the two teams, going from 14-14 to 15-15 and so on. The game was kept tied for most of the set due to the great serves by many of the players. The girls kept each other motivated on the bench as well by shouting words of encouragement to their teammates.

"I think during the third set, we let it get to us and we could have easily beat them," Tiguh said. "It's just that we need to work on talking more to each other and basically more communication."

As the second set ended and the third set began, tensions were high. The girls fought hard throughout the whole game.

"Overall, I think we did a great job in terms as playing as a team as well as a family," Tiguh said.

Over the next couple of days, the girls are going to be preparing for the Raider Rumble tournament on Sept. 27 at Stuart High School. The tournament is an event that brings all varsity volleyball teams in the conference to

compete. The girls will have pool play games at 9:45 a.m, 10:30 a.m and 12:45 p.m that day. Following that, the championship games will begin following the pool play games. The rest of the season is going to be spent playing conference games and preparing for championships.

Come together

ABOVE: The Atoms girls in a group huddle preparing for the game. LEFT: The team stands for the Pledge of Allegiance right before the game against Marshall on Sept. 9.

Sabrina Hawa

Dance Team begins performance season

Girls ready to wow the crowds at pep rallies and games

By Sabrina Hawa Sports Editor

The Atomic Dance Team is one of the teams that perform during the halftime of AHS football and basketball games, as well as events such as pep rallies. This year, the team prepares for the lengthy season ahead of them by training harder each and every day.

"We're really excited but also nervous because this is our first time performing on the field as a team," sophomore Marakie Mekuria said in regard to the team's first performance on Friday night at the AHS football game against Stuart HS. "However, I feel like we all know the dance fairly well."

The girls have been working on a whole new dance routine that they are going to showcase at upcoming games and pep rallies.

"We have been practicing really hard, with conditioning and learning the routines and working on them each practice," junior

captain Kaylah Strother said. "Sometimes we do extra conditioning and it gets easier along the way because we are already familiar with the routine."

As the halftime begins at every home football game at AHS, the dance team, color guard and marching band all take the field.

"We are very excited to perform this year," Strother said. "It is our first time performing on the big football field."

Each week, the girls begin to practice and perfect the dance that they are taught by their coach.

"Typically, it takes us about a week to two weeks to learn a full routine," Strother said. "We are all looking forward to the rest of the season with competitions and home games."

The girls are prepared for the long season ahead, they play both fall and winter season. Their competition season, which does not start until winter, features the AHS team and another rival team matched up against each other for judging.

Sabrina Hawa

Sabrina Hawa

Sabrina Hawa

Sabrina Hawa

LEFT: Junior Captain Kaylah Strother is excited to perform at upcoming football games. TOP: Dance team members sport new spirit wear for the season ABOVE: Sophmore Marakie Merkuria is ready to preform this season.

SPORTS 17

Sept. 17, 2014

Hypesquad rocks the stadium Hundreds turn out for white out

BY MARIFE BARAGANO Sports Editor

FOOTBALL VICTORY

COURTESY OF AMANDA ADENAN

Fans help Atoms advance to 1-1; Oakton next foe

BY MARIFE BARAGANO AND TIPYAN ABDELRAHMAN

throughout the game, one before halftime and one after but their field goals did not count.

Sports Editor and Staff Writer “I feel like we really came togethThe stands were filled with noise er as a team this week and worked coming from all parts of the visitors hard in practice to fix the mistakes section at the first home game of we made [from the first game] and the season. Students, parents, and it paid off,” junior Cory Pringle said. teachers came out to support the During the fourth quarter Shawn boys.

Courtney was able to give the Atoms The Atoms defeated the J.E.B. a sufficient lead by catching an Stuart Raiders 28-12 on Friday nights eighty yard pass from quarterback first home game of the season.

Tucker Mack and scoring a touchDuring the first quarter of the down. game, Devin Hamlett scored 2 touch“We came out from the first play downs along with the field goals ready to win and we did what we leading the Atoms with 14-0. were coached to do.” Courtney said.

“My offensive linemen did their The Hypesquad at the AHS vs.. job up front, allowing me to score,” J.E.B. football game was humongous.

Hamlett said. “I owe it all to them.”

So many students ranging from Unfortunately a penalty pre- freshmen to seniors came out to supvented defensive back/wide receiver port the boys. junior Tim Johnson from returning “Probably a majority of the punt return for a touchdown. Al- students that were in that crowd though the penalty prevented John- were not necessarily Hypesquad son’s punt return he was able to reward members but they still are score a 10 yard run touchdown dur- the Hypesquad. So, I thought that ing the second quarter. it was great. Regardless whether The boys started off really strong they are members of the Leadership but began to dwindle towards the Hypesquad or not I think that seeing end. the support in the students was awe“I thought we started with a lot some” said English teacher Carmen of energy and were able to execute Bartley. our plays well Last week at and drive down the Falls Church the field, we "Even though a game, a similar need to keep the majority of the time scene could be energy we had seen in the visiin the beginning I’m in the game I’m tors section of throughout the not foucsed on the the Jaguars stagame because dium. we started to Hypesquad. I have The atmoslow down on to say that they have sphere immeoffense,” junior altered stepped up since prior diately David Park said. when the AHS The J.E.B. Stu- years."

Hypesquad art boys scored Cody Reagan began to step 2 touchdowns foot onto Falls

FOOTBALL SCHEDULE 9/19/14

Oakton HS

9/26/14

Lake Braddock SS

10/2/14

T.C. Williams HS

(A) @ 7:30 p.m.

(H) @ 7:30 p.m.

(A) @ 3:45 p.m.

10/10/14 Robert E. Lee HS (H) @ 7:30 p.m.

10/17/14

W.T. Woodson HS

10/24/14

West Springfield HS

10/31/14

West Potomac HS

11/7/14

South County HS

(A) @7:30 p.m.

(H) @ 7:30 p.m. (Homecoming) (H) @ 7:30 p.m. (Senior Night) (A) @ 7:30 p.m.

Suited up Senior Andre Wright fixes his helmet before entering in the game.

Quarterback Tucker Mack walks in from the sidlines.

Church Jaguar territory.

The Jaguar’s Hypesquad wasn’t prepared for the amount of AHS students that came; they were taken completely surprised.

The freshmen and juniors were waiting for the game to begin and just before the game was set to start, an intimidating crowd of AHS Class of 2015 seniors came ready to take over the stands.

Decked out in their red and white, the AHS Hypesquad was prepared to support their team no matter what the outcome.

That outcome turned out to be a

14-12 loss to the Falls Church Jaguars on Friday, Sept. 5 In the first quarter, junior Tim Johnson returned a punt 45 yards for a touchdown, starting the Atoms off strong.

This touchdown caused an uproar in the stands with students and parents cheering, jumping up and down and shaking the bleachers. However, the extra kick point was unsuccessful leaving them at six points.

The Atoms made their way to the end zone one more time to get to their final score of 12 points.

Their second touchdown came from

a 23-yard pass from junior quarterback Tucker Mack to senior Shawn Courtney in the third quarter.

The Atoms attempted to “cage the jags”, but their 12 point game was not enough to top Falls Church’s 14.

“Overall we played pretty well, however we made a lot of mistakes in key areas of the game and turnovers so that hurt us,” Mack said.

“We fought really hard from start to finish and I wouldn’t rather go to war with any other guys but my team. We played our hearts out; however we just didn’t get the outcome that we wanted. We still have nine more games and we’ll fight to the death,” senior Dre Wright said.

“I think we could work on our offense. We made a lot of mistakes like fumbles, dropped balls and things

New tradition is starting at that everyone should be apart of, the AHS Hypesquad “I would call the Hypesquad that AHS Leadership is doing is more like a Hypesquad reward system. There is already what they call Hypesquad at Annandale, which is a group of students who go to all the games and cheer the teams on. What Leadership is trying to do is to reward people for going to the games.” Leadership supervisor Carmen Bartley said. “I would call it a student spirit group that tries to support all kinds of student activities not just the popular ones like home football games but also away games.”

Leadership is trying to instill a new motto of “One School, One Family.” Promoting the importance of a school backing all its extracurriculars not just sports but other activities such as band and Orchestra.

“A lot of people were concerned with the fact that they had to pay to be apart of the Hypesquad but you’ll earn your money back almost immediately. You receive a t-shirt just for signing up and per each 25 points you receive other prizes,” Bartley said.

Right now what we are planning on doing pink t-shirts for the month of October, which is Breast Cancer awareness month, for all members of the Hypesquad. Other prizes include t-shirts, hats, stickers, lanyards, homecoming tickets, Mr. Annandale tickets, etc. All of these prizes will be to promote AHS events.”

This would be a way that students can have fun and reward the students. If you don’t want to pay for homecoming tickets, just go to multiple after school activities.

“We definitely want people to go to the more popular games but those are usually worth less points but something like an orchestra concert or a band concert would be worth more points to try and encourage students to go to these events” Bartley said.

At the moment 98 students are enrolled in the Hypesquad. The goal is to reach all the students so they can receive these prizes.

“The Hypesquad is all about helping the students and promoting school events. Leadership is not using the Hypesquad to collect a profit, actually we may not even collect a profit. The main idea for the Hypesquad is students supporting other students and having a good time in a safe environment,” Bartley said.

Field Hockey defeats Falls Church 5-0

BY SABRINA HAWA AND MAREM ATEF Sports Editor and Staff Writer

COURTSEY OF MONGNHI NGUYEN

Sticks of fury

COURTESY OF MONGNHI NGUYEN

Varsity Field Hockey poses for a picture before they defeated the Falls Church Jaguars on Sept. 10.

With five wins, two losses and one tie Annandale Atoms Varsity Field Hockey girls dominate once again last Wednesday night defeating the Falls Church Jaguars 5-0. Although the girls faced a tough loss against Chantilly five days prior, they quickly made a comeback.

“We could have done better but we took it as a learning experience and came together to beat Falls Church” says Junior Janan Gokturk. Gokturk scored three out of the five points made and had one assist. The senior captain’s this year are really excited about.

Kara Hoisington speaks about the team as a family.

“The big thing that we focus on this year is being a team and one big family. We even call each other ‘the fam’ and we really try not to attack each other. We just try to build each other up and were pretty close knit this year.”

Hoisington said.

“The team this year works well together and gets along without a doubt.

“We really push each other and motivate each other to be better,” senior Captain Jenny McCann also agrees that the team fits well this season.

Being a close group is really important to the team because they say it makes it easier for them to play better on the court and in practice. It also makes it easier for them to work with each other so when one person critics another, they won’t take it to heart and they will actually improve on said skill.

The “fam” looks forward to their first featured game on Monday Sept. 15, against the T.C. Williams Titans, for their pink night in the effort to support breast cancer and to create awareness.

When the team played T.C. Williams last year, they won with a score of 1-0, which was also their pink night. The girls are practicing harder than ever to prepare for the rest of the season, trying different drills as well as conditioning during practice to build their endurance and stamina. On Sept. 23 the girls face off against West Potomac High School whom they beat last season with a score of 1-0. The girls are planning on beating them again this year and hopefully improving their skills along the way. The team says that their main focus this season is become more of a family but also to improve their skills as a whole.

Senior night, which is the game that focuses on the appreciation of the teams seniors, will be held against Lee High School on Oct. 2, The girls look also look forward to making it to the championships which are held towards the end of October.

Courtesy of Mongnhi Nguyen Senior Kaytlin Hopkins runs through a line of her teammates before the game.

FIELD HOCKEY SCHEDULE 9/18/14 9/23/14 9/30/14 10/2/14

West Potomac High School (A) @ 7:30 p.m.

Lake Braddock Secondary School (H) @ 7:30 p.m.

Oakton High School (A) @ 7:30 p.m.

Lee High School (H) @ 7:30 p.m. (Senior Night

18 ENTERTAINMENT Life In Color restrictions starts trend Sept. 17, 2014

New location and age limit is the first of many concerts to get major regulations "I was planning to go to Life In Color with a huge group of friends and we were all anticipating it," junior Amanda Adenan said. "I found out about the restrictions on Twitter from several angry post. I searched it up to make sure it was true."

"I was also planning on going with about 10 friends from AHS," Lamb said.

"I found out that the venue was switched on Twitter and because of the rules of RFK the age limit changed as well. I was really mad when I initially found out because it was really expensive and I was excited to go."

The company returned all their money to the angry buyers. Most attendees were not mad about the expenses, but the overall rejection.

"I have always wanted to go a concert like that because I usually go to country," Adenan said. "I think they created the rules because of the location but I think it was bad on their part to raise the age limit because they just lost a lot of profit. I'll definitely try and go next year though!"

"Because of the situation at Mad Decent Block Party, I'm guessing the Merriweather stadium didn't want another incident to happen with that similar genre," Lamb said. "Eitherway, I don't think changing the venue or age limit will stop people from doing stupid things. I'll probably go next year if the lineup is good."

The concert should not focus on the venue and age groups, but the contents brought in the shows.

BY NUHAMI MANDEFRO Entertainment Editor This mid August, several students were devastated as they found out they were unable to attend with the largest paint party in the nation.

Life In Color is on an annual tour and are eminent for their eccentric dubstep-like music/genre, some of the worlds biggest DJs and feature effects like fire shows and commendable strobe lights. With the show allowing buyers 16 and over to attend, many students were thrilled to finally attend one of the best concerts-including senior Robert Lamb.

"I've known about the show for a while now and have thought about going long before the year started," Lamb said.

The Merriweather Post Pavilion has hosted several concerts alike to Life In Color, including Diplo's Mad Decent Block Party. Mad Decent ended two young men, ages 17 and 20, dead due to overdose and 20 others hospitalized from similar abuses and crowd riots. The stadium has been under pressure and doe not want another potential case in their hands.

The Merriweather Post Pavilion has decided to push the venue to the RFK stadium in Washington D.C. Because on the new venue's regulations, the concert has now been accessible to only buyers 18 and over with a valid ID. The company sent the news through emails and other social media.

Students were shocked and saddened from the news.

Life In Color is considered the most colorful and energy based events.

AHS students favorite concert memories of the year

"I went to the Tim McGraw and Cassadee Pope concert this summer at Jiffy Lube Live with my friend. It was really fun and they were really good live!"

TEAGAN FOTI Sophomore

"I was onstage for the We The Kings performance in the morning at Warped Tour. The picture I got with a member of The Maine (above) before their set. When I went up to ask him for a picture he was talking to a girl and because we were on a hill I slipped and he laughed at me, and later when I saw them at the signing he turned to another member and snickered, it was awesome. Warped Tour is so cool though it's like a billion concerts in one place all in a day, though it was hot and sticky it was a blast."

"I got to go to the one direction concert with one of my best friends. It was amazing and fun."

YUKI ZHENG Sophomore

CARSON GOETTLICHER Sophomore

"Aer is one of my favorite bands so I enjoyed the concert a lot! The fillmore was pretty small though so I was constantly being pushed around and stepped on the whole night but the band was great and very entertaining. I went with a fun group of people to so that made the the concert more enjoyable."

SARA DEIBLE Junior

"Two of my really close friends and I went to the above the influence concert. It was one of my favorite concerts because I loved the music and the environment. Originally I purchased lawn seats but me and the rest of the crowd decided to jump over the gate to get into the actual auditorium. we ended up filling up every seat in jiffy lube. It was exciting. I plan on going to the next year and I highly recommend anyone who likes that type of music to attend."

"My favorite concert I went to this year was Zac Brown Band because they were great live and I love outdoor concerts. It was also really fun to go with my friends. I love Zac Brown Band because they put on such a good show and there was never a dull moment at the concert."

MOLLY GORMLEY Junior

MONGNHI NGUYEN Junior

"I had the best time at the J Cole concert! Our seats were originally the last row on the floor, but they moved the stage up so our seats were taken out. They ended up giving us 8th row which made my experience ten times better! He even shouted my friends and my names out! Even though we waited 8 hours in the freezing cold it was definitely an experience I won't ever forget!"

"The concert was so amazing! Both Drake and Lil Wayne performed well and I got to go with some of my closest friends. It was an awesome way to end summer and one of the best shows I've been to!"

BLIN KEBROM Senior

LAELLE MEKONNEN

"I wanted to go to Kerfluffle because I knew one SOJA was going to be there and they're my favorite band. Music festivals are always fun when you have the lead singer of cage the elephants crowd surfing all the way to the lawn section."

Senior

KAYTLIN HOPKINS Senior

New iPhone 6: The bigger the better?

Is it worth the hype?

BY KAYEE LYNCH AND NUHAMI MANDEFRO Staff Writer & Entertainment Editor This week, Apple released photos and information on the newest addition to the iPhone family, the iPhone 6 and Iphone 6 plus. Both of the two phones we're said to have better and newer qualities than any other Iphone invented.

Senior Sandy Reyes is planning to upgrade her iPhone 5 to the 6.

"I'm excited to get the new iPhone 6. I think it's definitely the next biggest step for all new phones. I'm pretty sure the anticipation will be worth it."

Apple gave the newest iPhone a new look. Rather than the sleek, rectangular look of the current phones; the new iPhone 6 has smooth, rounded edges dating back to the iPhone 3. Squared edges have been on every model of the iPhone since the iPhone 4 debuted in 2010.

Another changed characteristic is the width of the phone. Not only are the two phones Apple's thinnest, but they are also the largest Iphones with more advanced display quality. With the bigger display, comes a better display. The Iphone 6 as well as the Iphone 6 plus have both upgraded to

better resolution in Retina HD. The Apple Iphone features evolve every time a new phone is released. As said by the company, "iPhone 6 isn't simply bigger- it's better in every way.

The iPhone 6's screen is 4.7 inches, while the iPhone Plus screen is 5.5 inches.

According to CBS News, They're definitely targeting the more professional user and the 'phablet' user, "said CNET Editor-at-Large Tim Stevens.

The new word, 'Phablet', comes from the combination of functions and size of a phone and a tablet. The term began when people began thinking the Samsung Galaxy Notes were actual tablets. With all the other phablets out, people have their doubts that the newest iPhone will be a success. As reported by Forbes, "With rivals having enjoyed a head start in the phablet market, Apple will now need to compete...", said Joe Webb, Head of Digital for TNS APAC. Disregarding the fact that Apple has some catching up to do in the phablet industry, people will still buy the product. Especially, dedicated iPhone users, as well as first-timers. Will it stand up to the competition?

"One thing I'm looking forward to are the new features the phone has for messaging," Reyes said. "I like that I can reply to texts quickly and without going to iMessage. I can be on another app and reply at the same time. With my contract ending, I get a deal so there's only benefits to this."

The iPhone 5 and new iPhone 6 in comparsion.

ENTERTAINMENT 19

Sept. 17, 2014

Students vote on a poll for which fall TV show they are most excited to see return with a new season

What TV show are you most excited about this fall?

American Horror Story

Modern Family

The Walking Dead

Arrow

4%

46%

30%

46%

THIS SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH SURVEYMONKEY.COM THROUGH THE WEEK OF SEPT. 5-12 WITH OVER 20 RESPONDENTS.

Students are excited for new seasons coming out this fall

THE BIG BANG THEORY

Shown on TBS, The Big Bang Theory is a comedy TV show that has its eighth season premiering on Sept. 22.

"I'm excited to see what will happen with Penny and Leonard this season," freshman Tyler Westfall said.

The show is centered around a group of friends in which six out of seven are brilliant scientists. It was originally was just four males; Howard, Raj, Leonard and Sheldon who were a group of very nerdy friends. Once Penny moves in next door, their lives all change. They become friends with women, and they gradually start to form relationships.

"Sheldon is my favorite character because everything he says is funny," Westfall said.

The show ended with Leonard and Penny getting engaged and Sheldon deciding to leave Pasadena for awhile.

The show has been on the air since 2007, and has only gotten more popular.

"I hope "I started watching the show recently the next and really started to love it," Westfall season said. is as Many shows have stopped going funny as strong after about five seasons, but The the rest Big Bang Theory does not fall under that were." category.

THE WALKING DEAD

A modern adaptation of the famous DC Comics superhero Green Arrow, Arrow's third season will be premiering on The CW on Oct. 8.

"I am very excited for the third season, I loved the first two," senior Yonatan Ayele said.

The show is about Oliver Queen, a reckless youn man whose parents are billionaires. When on a cruise, the ship crashed and sunk, with his father on it, leaving him the only survivor stranded on a Chinese island. Oliver returns as a responsible, mature and brilliant man who vowed to his father that he would protect the city he lives in.

"The trailer for season three looked so cool, and I am very excited for it to get even more superhero-like," Ayele said.

The show first started out with Oliver just fighting criminals, but as season two rolled around he started fighting people that could be classified as super-villains. If the show keeps going down this path, this season should have even more crazy and powerful "The fact enemies, and maybe allies, for Oliver to that this encounter. season will "I just passed it on Netflix one day and have more decided to watch it for fun. I didn't know it heroes would be a show I would really get into," Ayele said. is so

TYLER WESTFALL

SCREENRANT.COM

A post-apocalyptic show about zombies, The Walking Dead's fifth season is premiering on AMC on Oct. 12 and the show maintains a very strong fan base.

"I remember when The Walking Dead first came out and I didn’t pay much attention to it, but now I love it," sophomore Mauricio Reyes said.

The show takes place in the near future, where a disease has rendered most of the human race either dead or turned into a zombie. If someone is bit they will also turn into a zombie, like all zombie movies and shows. It starts out with the group of people trying to fight the zombies and survive, then starts to branch out with drama within the group and with other groups becoming a large part of the show.

"I liked it better when they fought zombies; that's the most fun thing to watch on the show," Reyes said.

The show recently won the People's "I hope the Choice Award For Favorite Cable TV zombies this Drama. season are "The show has stayed strong for different all its seasons, and I am excited for and scarier." the new things this season will bring," Reyes said.

MAURICIO REYES

awesome."

sophomore

YONATAN AYELE

freshman

SONS OF ANARCHY

CWTV.COM

ARROW

senior

FXNETWORKS.COM

GREY'S ANATOMY

REVENGE

ABC.GO.COM

The final season of the hit FX show Sons of Anarchy will premiere this For having been on the air for ten seasons now, Grey's Anatomy has still September. It is the seventh and final season of the show, and plans to end maintained its large fan base and stayed very popular. with a big finale.

"I honestly like the relationship drama more than the hospital drama," "I really like the show because it reminds me of Breaking Bad because it sophomore Tara El-Achi said. is so intense,"sophomore Waleed Awad said.

The series takes place in Seattle, where it focuses around the fictional The show is about the main character Jax Teller and the motorcycle gang lives of medical interns and residents as they gradually become more he belongs to called SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood respected doctors.

Original). The club resides in the fictional city Charming in California.

"It is fun to watch the characters have intimate lives while also working at "My favorite character is definitely Jax. I think he is awesome," Awad said. the hospital," El-Achi said.

Jax is originally the Vice-President of the club because his father was the Not only does the show focus on medical drama and events in the founder and President of the motorcycle club. hospital, but a large part of the show is the personal relationships "I like how the show has been going strong for awhile," Awad said. between the characters. They have drama with dating and a number The show has a lot of drama, such as of other social interactions while "Jax is my "The fights with rival gangs, police and also outside of the hospital. It could be favorite show is in internal drama within the gang. The club considered a drama in that sense or character and funny, also uses a motorcycle repair shop as the hospital sense, like the show House.

I can't wait dramatic, their front for their illegal activity, much "I hope the show stays on the air for him. and like the car was used in Breaking Bad. for a long time because it is still really "I hope the new season is as good as good," El-Achi said. romantic. the rest," Awad said.

The show continues to get high I love it." ratings, so it there isn't a strong reason WALEED AWAD TARA EL-ACHI as to why it should anytime soon. sophomore sophomore

“"The new season of Revenge looks way cooler than the past three seasons," junior Maddie Little said.

Season four of the hit ABC show Revenge will air on Sept. 28. The show is about a girl named Emily Thorne whose dad was arrested and framed, then sent to jail where he was killed by the same people that framed him.

After growing up, Emily makes it her life goal to destroy all of those who had anything to do with the death of her father. “"I like seeing all of the cool things that Emily does throughout the show to get revenge on the people,"”Little said.

Throughout the show, Emily finds many obstacles, and even has to make allies who are willing to come along for the adventure. She worries that the involvement of these friends will change their lives too much.

"I think it is awesome that she is "Season hunting these people down. It makes her three of seem really scary," Little said. is going Season two of Revenge has proved to be to be the most popular by far, but the awesome, ratings say that season three could get up there this fall. and I'm "I hope the show goes on for awhile, excited." and I really want to see how Emily ends MADDIE LITTLE it," Little said. junior

A preview to movies this fall MOVIEPILOT.COM

Fury

MOCKINGJAY.NET

Mockingjay Pt. 1

IMPAWARDS.COM

The Maze Runner

Release date: Oct. 17

Release date: Nov. 21

Release date: Sept. 19

Taking place in April, 1945 during World War 2, Fury is about a platoon of American soldiers during the war. With just a fiveman crew, the group is sent on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines.

"I am really excited for this movie because all of the actors in it are very famous," sophomore Waleed Awad said.

With a small crew, and one being a rookie soldier, the odds seem to be all but with them on this mission.

The third addition to The Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay takes place after the games from the second movie. The civil war has started and Katniss is the face of the revolution.

"I am excited to see what will happen with Katniss and President Snow in the movie," sophomore Ben Betts said.

Peeta has been kidnapped, the rebellion is residing in District 13 and the war has begun.

Thomas wakes up in a place called the Glade, with no memoery, a bunch of strangers where the only escape is through a hellish, ever-changing maze.

"I am excited to see this because I read the book for school over the summer," sophomore Mauricio Reyes said.

He befriends other boys who are there and in the same situation, but then a girl arrives to the Glade; the first girl ever and she carries a scary message.

THISISWHEREILEAVEYOU.COM

This Is Where I Leave You

Release date: Sept. 19 When their father unexpectedly passes away, four grown siblings are forced to live together under the same roof they group up under.

"This movie looks really funny and I am excited for the actors who are in it," sophomore Julius Miller said.

The family has always been dysfunctional, and doesn't get along too well, so it proves to be an adventure from the start.

ALSC.ALA.ORG

The Boxtrolls Release date: Sept. 26 Living in a cavernous home underneath the town of Cheesebridge, the Boxtrolls have raised and cared for an orphan human named Eggs. Out of nowhere the villain of the town decides he wants to get rid of the Boxtrolls once and for all. Eggs now travels out of the hole and into the light in order to save his family.

"It looks really funny and I think that I'm going to see it as soon as I can," junior Jun Wu said.

20 WEEKEND Fall-ow your five senses this season

Sept. 17, 2014

Use your eyes, ears, mouth, nose and hands to enhance your fall experience

Activity THE BLACK KEYS WHAT: Concert WHEN: Sept. 25 WHERE: Verizon Center COST: $57-$2,000

FIELD OF FEAR

KINGS DOMINION

DARKWOOD MANOR

BATH & BODY WORKS WHAT: Pumpkin Week WHEN: Fall Season WHERE: Tysons Corner Mall COST: $3-$22.50

COX FARM

Sight

WHAT: Camping WHEN: Until Oct. 26 WHERE: 7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Station, VA COST: $28 per night

OPEN ROAD GRILL

CIDER WEEK VA WHAT: Cider tasting WHEN: Nov. 15 WHERE: Richmond Farmers Market COST: $20

WHAT: Indoor/Outdoor restaurant WHEN: Everyday, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

WHERE: 8110 Lee HWY, Falls Church COST: $8-$26

WHAT: Restaurant WHEN: Year round WHERE: 6550 Little River Turnpike COST: $7-$35

BURKE LAKE CAMPING

Taste

WHAT: Garden WHEN: Every day, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

WHERE: $603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria, VA COST: Free

WHAT: Haunted House WHEN: Weekend Nights in Oct. WHERE: 104 N Hawksbill St, Luray, VA COST: $10-$12

Smell

WHAT: Haunted Theme park WHEN: Sept. 26-Nov. 2 WHERE: 16000 Theme Park Way, Doswell, VA COST: $35-$54

GREEN SPRINGS

FOXFIRE GRILL

WHAT: Stand up comedy WHEN: Sept. 27 WHERE: Verizon Center COST: $75-$345

JUMPING IN LEAVES

CROOKED RUN ORCHARD

WHAT: Leaf jumping WHEN: Any time during the fall WHERE: Your house COST: Free!

WHAT: Apple Picking WHEN: Fall Season WHERE: Purcellville, VA COST: No admission fee

WHAT: Farm with many activities WHEN: Sept. 24-Nov. 4 WHERE: 15621 Braddock Rd., Centreville COST: $9-$17

Touch

WHAT: Haunted Cornfield WHEN: Fall Season WHERE: 15621 Braddock Rd., Centreville COST: $13-$19

AZIZ ANSARI

Hear

LIFE IN COLOR WHAT: Concert/paint party/rave (18+ event) WHEN: Sept. 20 WHERE: RFK Stadium COST: $90-$550

Heard in the Hall: What fall activity are you excited for?

"I'm excited for scary theme parks because they sound fun."

"I'm excited for pumpkin picking because I enjoy it."

DAWIT WONDWOSEN

ERIN LUNDY

freshman

sophomore

"I'm excited for Fright Fest at Kings Dominion because it's something fun and they scare so you much."

"Pumpkin spice lattes and the smell of fall because it is so cozy."

"I am excited for Fright Fest because I want to get scared."

CHRISTINA OLKOWSKI

JACOB ROOP

junior

junior

"I'm excited for football games because it is fun to see everyone all together and showing their spirit."

JULIUS MILLER

NINA FAIRMAN

sophomore

senior

"I am excited for Fright Fest at Kings Dominion because I love roller coasters and theme parks."

CODY REAGAN senior

"I [have] liked apple picking ever since I was a kid. It is one of my favorite things to go do. It's a fun activity ."

JAMES CARAYANNIS assistant principal

Class of 2015 Bulletin To-do List: SEPTEMBER EDITION Start your college applications!

272 days until graduation

Set up a college meeting with your counselor Sign up for the ACT/SAT this fall Join the Hypesquad!

Start preparing for HOMECOMING!

Friday's game at Oakton (A) is a...NEON OUT!