Issue 4

A

the VOLUME #61 ISSUE 4

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

Informinng the Atoms siince 1954 4

Mostly Sunny

64 41 WEDNESDAY, NOV. 18, 2015

(703) 642-4229

AHS reacts to Paris attack Students reflect on ISIS terror bombings

Chemistry lab fire leads to revisions FCPS changes science fire policies

BY NICHOLAS MORTENSEN Staff Writer

BY TEAGAN FOTI

Close to a week after the tragic attacks on Paris, many students are still trying to cope with the event.

Danielle Robinson, a senior, is among those who were impacted.

"Friday marked the day of devastation for my family," Robinson said. "I found out at the football game when my dad told me near the gate and I broke down. My family was in Paris and any one of them could have been hurt. It broke my heart as my grandmother told me one of her friends was among the 129 that were brutally murdered.

France is where my heart is. I pray that they find peace and not turn their sorrow into anger."

While many students have been impacted by the deaths caused by the Paris attacks, other students, including senior Dini Mohamud, are concerned about how the attacks could influence how the international community views Islam.

"I feel like [the attacks] add to the theory that Islam promotes terrorism, but ISIS is a terrorist organization that does not represent Islamic values," Mohamud said.

Annandale is a diverse community, and has a large number of Muslim students. Mohamud is not the only one who is concerned about the global and local perception of Islam as a result of this attack.

Youssef El Boukri, a junior, also shares Mohamud's sentiments.

"I am fed up because every time a terrorist attack happens [people] automatically blame Muslims," El

News Editor

The "Peace for Paris" symbol that was released after the ISIS bombing attacks on Paris.

Boukri said. "If you actually read and study the religion, we are totally against violence and always promote peace."

Many students have joined the international community in a display of solidarity for the French people.

Facebook has released a tool that allows users to change their profile pictures to display France's national colors.

Websites such as Google, YouTube and others displayed France's colors or released statements of support for the people of France.

While some users have simply changed their social media accounts in a show of support, others have been quite active in condemning the Islamic State. Over the weekend, the twitter hashtag, "#notinmyname," has been used by Muslims throughout the world to decry the actions of the Islamic State.

Others have asked the international community not to allow the Paris attackers to define what Islam stands for.

Within Annandale, sophomore Mariam Mohamed is one among the

many condemning the Islamic State.

"I feel as if Muslims have once again been shed in a bad light," Mohamed said. "It's really saddening to see such things happen. Terrorism has no religion.

Friday s terrorist attacks throughout Paris have left over 129 people dead, and over 200 more injured. The French president Francois Hollande has called the attack an act of war, and according to NPR, has driven France to pursue a more aggressive bombing campaign against the Islamic State in Syria. see PARIS pg. 5

Parents can begin to purchase yearbook ads for their student

New club has students excited about soccer

BY HALLEY THADEUS

BY HEZEKIEL YONAS Editor in Chief

Senior ads are a part of the yearbook exclusively made for seniors so that they can look back and remember all the good times they had in high school. Parents can buy the ad and write a short message.

They are able to add pictures to go along with the message. The pictures can be from the current day or even a baby picture.

Most messages are wishing the senior good luck in both college and the future. Some parents like to surprise their children by keeping the ad a secret and do not have the child find out until the yearbook comes out.

"Seniors have worked hard for all four years and now it's time to show how proud we are of them," a parent of senior Nataje Fachkoul said.

One of many senior ad layouts.

It's possible to buy an ad and share it with a friend so that the picture and letter are about both you and your friend. Some students choose to do this due to expensive prices.

"Yearbook is a self funded class, meaning we do not get the money from the school so most of our money comes from selling those ads and yearbooks so that we have enough money for the Walsworth Company to print all the yearbooks," yearbook staff member Mariam Mohamed said.

To buy an ad, contact Ms. Hanneman.

The AHS Soccer Club is a program that encourages the appreciation of soccer through different activities, such as debates, discussions and sometimes even video game tournaments.

Every other Wednesday in room 263, the AHS Soccer Club holds their bi-weekly meeting.

"Members in the club have the opportunity to participate in discussions about soccer related issues or topics and debate those issues," senior Faisal Hassen said.

"They also get to participate in one of the most anticipated activities our members look forward to, the 16man FIFA tournament we hold each month."

Hassen founded the club last year in effort to bring students

together to celebrate their love of soccer.

"I created the club because I knew there were many students in Annandale who enjoyed the sport, so I thought it would be awesome to have a club at AHS that is dedicated to soccer," Hassen said. "When I first created the club, my hopes were to make this a club that people can be proud to say they're a part of."

The popularity of the club has increased due to the numerous group activities that they hold, including indoor soccer tournaments.

"Last year we were barely known but this year, I think I'm allowed to say that most of the students at Annandale know that there is a soccer club," Hassen said. "The indoor tournaments are really popular and usually the spots are filled up really quickly."

Hassen recently had to resign from his position as president of the club partly due to the arduous work the job requires.

"I didn't receive as much aid to run this club that I had expected. see SOCCER pg. 5

Staff Writer In the past few months the long awaited turf field made its big debut for fall sports season. Fall athletes were so excited to use the field and recently they have.

When it comes to grass vs turf, questions about injuries are very common.

Learn all about a student's experience in the Phillipines International 12

BY KADIJAH SESAY Staff Writer During the week of Nov. 16-20, AHS will be participating in Virginia College Week. Virginia College Week gives seniors the opportunity to get a fee waiver for colleges that they are applying to.

College applications must be submitted during the week of November 16-20 for the fee waiver to be applied. The Career Center will be open so that seniors can get help and assistance with their college application.

The hours that the Career Center will be opened will vary by day during that week. On Monday, it will be opened in the afternoon, from Tuesday-Thursday it will be opened all day and on Friday, seniors will have the opportunity to get help

December 15 Allegra Ford AXA Achievement Burger King Scholar Flosum

Coaches get ready to start football practice on the turf field.

see TURF pg. 5

Phillipines

VA College application fees waived

December 10 American Legion Spokeo Connections

TEAGAN FOTI

BY AMANI MUNTU

Research has shown that there is a higher rate of injuries when playing on turf.

Junior Tehya Moss, who played powderpuff last year on the grass field and this year on the new turf says she thinks differently.

"I feel the turf prevents injuries because it's softer than the grass even though it is very slippery," Moss said.

The turf field comes with its pros and cons. One of pros is that the field looks well taken care of. Sophomore Genesis Lara agrees with this idea.

VA College Week

Be creative!

before and after pride time.

"I will be using the opportunity to go during pride time on Friday and get the help I need for my application for James Madison University," senior Danielle Robinson said.

The college waiving admission fees are Marymount University, Longwood University, James Madison University, Garrett College, University of VA, Eastern Mennonite U., Stratford University, Norfolk State University and North Carolina A&T State University. Seniors are encouraged to participate in this opportunity to help lessen the costs of applying to colleges.

"I'm excited for the college fee waiver. One of the schools that I am applying to is giving the fee waiver and that is a great opportunity for me to save $70," senior Vinicius Rangel said.

Seniors are looking forward to this opportunity because it will help them and their parents save money.

The money that they are saving can be invested into some other task for college.

UPCOMING SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINES

Turf field reactions Athletes and coaches share thoughts about new grid iron

In the wake of the chemistry classroom fire on Oct. 30 at W.T. Woodson High School, FCPS has revised its open flame policy in science classrooms county wide.

The use of flames is temporarily suspended. Additionally, all high school science teachers in the school system must complete a review science safety course covering lab safety and procedures before open flames can be reinstated into the county's curriculum.

"I think that taking out the use of open flames in science classrooms is extreme, well not extreme, but I think that we just need to use caution," AHS Biology teacher Rachel Lazar said. "It's just a matter of following procedures. I'm not sure of any of the particulars, but it's just making sure that everyone is clear on them."

The fire's impact was especially prominent because of Woodson's close proximity to the Annandale community and the friendships many students have with other students there.

Of the 31 students in the classroom, five were injured from the flames. Two of the students were airlifted to Washington Burn Center, where one was rushed into surgery in critical condition and the other was monitored in stable condition. The three other students were diagnosed with minor burns and taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where they were released later that day. The injured teacher was treated at the scene.

After a thorough investigation

the fire was ruled accidental, as a direct result of a chemical demonstration showing how fire changes color when reacting with different metals. The experiment, called the "rainbow fire experiment," is under scrutiny as it has been known to cause safety issues in the past. Experts have urged schools and museums to stop the demonstration as a precaution.

"The school was upset but Woodson has had things like this happen in the past," Woodson junior Mary Dodd said. "So we knew the drill."

The building was evacuated right after the fire began, relocating students and staff to the football field. The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department was called immediately, reporting to the scene just minutes after the fire began.

About half the classroom was damaged by fire, smoke and water, which was repaired for the students' arrival back to school and classes were resumed there. The estimated total for the cost of all the damage was around $7,500.

"There was a lot of commotion," Woodson junior Randall Prosperi said. "The whole experience just makes you realize how important safety guidelines are."

Three of the fire victims returned to school on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

Another was released from the hospital on Sunday, Nov. 1 and the fifth student underwent surgery last week on her arm and is recovering.

The two teachers in the room at the time of the incident are on leave and are recovering at home.

Woodson, as well of the rest of the community, has rallied around those injured and affected by the fire. Twitter, as well as other social media sites, was filled with prayers see FIRE pg. 5

Senior Yearbook Ads Soccer Club Staff Writer

Today’s Weather

February 15 Apple Federal Credit Union Education Fairfax Eagle Scout James H. Dillard II Sharifa Alkhateed Memorial Virginia State Fund WACE National Co-op Program March 15 Divine World International Ministiries

January 15 Dells Scholar SAE Enginerring Washington Crossing National Multi-Sclerosis

Leaders of Tomorrow April 1 Bull Run Civil Round Table Wal-Mart Sam Walton Community

Upcoming events

Learn how to spice up your room with polaroid pictures

Be up to date with the upcoming concerts and events

Lifestyles 15

Weekend 20

2 EDITORIALS

Nov. 18, 2015

Blood drive denies gay men

Fast food slows us down The consumption of fast food endangers teens

BY SHARON SANCHEZ Staff Writer

The easiest and most enjoyable food for teenagers to get and eat in today's society is fast food. McDonald's, Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A are only some of the many fast food restaurant chains that children and teenagers can be found in.

Even though ordering fast food is extremely simple and could make for a very tasty meal, it s crucial for one's own health to remain cautious on just how much of this food they are usually consuming.

While the amount of fast food being eaten by every one has decreased overall, the same cannot be said for teenagers. They are getting sucked into all of the fast food restaurants' desperate schemes to hang on to customers, including introducing all-day breakfast. Just how often are kids and teens eating this junk food? Over a third of U.S. youth eats fast food daily.

This fact brings attention to just how much the young people of today are harming their bodies and overall health, possibly without even being aware of it because of the foods' addictiveness and design to make a person overeat.

To dine on fast food every day is a big risk for adolescents as it means they are consuming large amounts of processed food that could lead to immensely threatening illnesses.

If you're part of the 12 percent of teens who eat fast food every day, it's time to start watching out for the effects such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and fatal blood clots.

"I eat too much fast food, but I don't care because I only live once so I need to enjoy my life as much as I can even though it can affect my body," freshman Fares Ayoub said.

Because of their age and how attached they are to the food they are regularly consuming, they will grow to continue this bad habit of eating out. They may even be influencing younger generations to do the same as they

SADIE MODICA

BY JUDY NANAW Staff Writer

A McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with cheese has a calorie count of 749

do-- eating harmful foods non-stop.

Given fast food is available in restaurants around every corner and social media is covered with posts that contain pictures of junk food, it is pretty clear that fast food has taken over teenangers' lives.

When pictures of fast food appear constantly while scrolling through Instagram and Twitter, pressure into believing that is what is cool to eat makes teenagers go to these diners where the temptation of feeding on unhealthy junk foods are high. Keep this in mind in case you are one of the people who like to switch out water for a milkshake at Chick-fil-A, a drink that could reach up to 850 calories.

A paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that it is very common for fast food restaurants to be located around schools, similar to how close places like Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Little Caesars Pizza are to AHS. It is no wonder so many teenagers are eating fast food everyday of their lives.

It is an effortless task for teens to gain access to fast food joints when they are a walking distance from their school.

To save the youth of today from the dangerous risks, the restaurants that are very close to middle schools and high schools need to be removed. There is no need to make gaining diseases due to unsafe food any more tangible for kids than it already is.

Although fast food is easily accessible, teens should try to find alternatives.

"I feel that kids do eat too much fast food," freshman Zain Ghul said. "Teens can start to eat healthier and schools can provide healthy food. Parents can also cook more."

When teenagers begin to make themselves used to eating home cooked meals instead of their daily McDonald's burger, there will be a significant change in their health. The amount of fast food children and teenagers alike are handling daily is ridiculous and alarming.

To think that someday most of America could be obese or have diseases due to the food that is available to them, a real possibility, should make people more concerned in the subject and how to prevent this scary outcome.

Next time you buy a McDonald's Big Mac remember that you are adding 570 calories and the risk of getting many diseases just from eating that one sandwich.

Government lies about aliens

Does Starbucks hate Christmas?

BY SADIE MODICA Editorials Editor In the latest ridiculous media controversy, Starbucks' simple, red holiday cup was met with outrage from many Americans on the grounds that it did not honor Christmas enough.

Joshua Feuerstein, a passionate evangelical, provoked the public with a one minute and 18 second 'call to arms' posted on Facebook on Nov. 5th. He prompted "great Americans and great Christians" to join him in a protest of Starbucks' Christless cups.

He held up a cup and triumphantly announced that he had told the cashier that his name was Merry Christmas-- tricking Starbucks into putting the words "Merry Christmas" onto one of their cups.

He asked that Americans start a movement, doing the same and then sharing a selfie of them with their cups on social media with the hashtag "#MerryChristmasStarbucks".

Feuerstein's video went viral, with more than 15 million views after five days.

He received both support and criticism, but mainly criticism from Americans who find his arguments to be unfounded and inflammatory.

Feuerstein claimed that "in the age of political correctness we have become so open--minded our brains have literally

SADIE MODICA

Americans revolt over a red cup

Starbucks' new cup features a simple red ombre design.

fallen out of our head," meaning that in an attempt to be inclusive of various religions, Starbucks overlooked their perceived obligation to honor Christ on their cups.

Starbucks is a secular organization which has never advertised anything overtly Christian on a holiday cup.

"I don't think [the cups are] a big deal," AHS senior and Starbucks barista Dianna Agyeman said.

"I'm a Christian myself, and I think that having the red cups is enough because we don't change our cups all year, it's always the white and the clear for the plastic cups... Muslim people come to Starbucks and they get drinks and they're not Christian."

In the video, Feuerstein also asked " do you realize that Starbucks isn't allowed to say Merry Christmas to customers?" Starbucks gives no script or policy about greeting customers. Baristas are encouraged to be welcoming, and often that entails not giving a greeting specific to a certain religion, but there's no anti-Christmas policy.

Clearly, the argument that Starbucks new simplistic design is a "war on Christmas" is just another way to gain media attention. In today's society, people will go out of their way to find the smallest things to make a big deal out of. Even presidential candidate Donald Trump encouraged others to boycott Starbucks as an opportunity to gain more public attention.

People of various other religions, agnostics, atheists and Christians alike disagreed with Feurstein.

Starbucks has to be mindful of their customer base, like any good organization.

Whether or not the words "Merry Christmas" are printed on a cup is something most people don't even think about.

Why seek religious affirmation from a coffee chain? Pretty much anything they do could be offensive to someone. It is not even like Starbucks is devoid of Christmas paraphernalia.

Typically their cup designs celebrate winter and holidays in general. In the past their cups have had snowmen, snowflakes, at most a design that looks vaguely like a tree ornament.

"We have a whole wall of Christmas stuff, I think we honor Christmas pretty well," Agyeman said. Starbucks is currently selling Christmas blend coffee and gift cards that say "Merry Christmas" on them, as well as various Christmas themed gifts and ornaments.

Last Tuesday, Feuerstein posted a second video, furthering his attack on Starbucks. In his video, he called Starbucks coffee "abortion coffee," claiming that since Starbucks is one of the many major corporations who donate to Planned Parenthood, it supports the "genocide of millions of little babies."

Now that Feuerstein has gotten the attention of the public over an arbitrary issue, he is choosing to use that momentum to cause even more of an uproar. The argument is unnecessary.

Evidently, even a simple red cup is enough to start a controversy. There's no winning in Feuerstein's "age of political correctness."

MANAGING EDITOR Alexandra Zernik NEWS EDITORS Mohamed Elhag Teagan Foti EDITORIALS EDITORS Sadie Modica Julie Nguyen

Raphael Yu PEOPLE EDITORS Conrad Shartel Julie Swenton WEEKEND EDITORS Cayley Byrne Biruk Negash INTERNATIONAL EDITORS Nancy Evora Timothy Gray

COPY EDITORS Linus Bumbaca Sharon Sanchez

ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Daniel Yenegeta Ahmad Ayub

IN-DEPTH EDITORS Binqi Chen Aseal Saed

LIFESTYLES EDITORS Thida Pathammavong Tipyan Omer

SPORTS EDITORS Ryan Gammon Andrew Gonzalez Nebeyu Solomon

HEALTH EDITORS Sabrina Hawa Phuong Nguyen

SPORTS XTRA EDITORS Marem Atef

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Soulisa Pathammavong Marilyn Rivas

ART EDITORS Alaina Garay Kailyn Garay ACADEMICS EDITORS Marife Baragano Kiara Patino WEB EDITOR/MASTER Christopher Han HEAD VIDEOGRAPHERS Faisel Hassen Bailey Oliver AD MANAGER Hussein Salem CIRCULATION MANAGERS Jeanine Barakat Maria Suarez STAFF WRITERS Almaz Abedje Sheila Aguirre Seham Ahmed Lina Al Taii Laura Clemons Anthony Dinh Serene Ghul

Grace Hogye Nicole Jordan Jennifer Kang Lucie Lefbom Kirk Lindberg Angelo Lopez Crew McCarthy Ruth Mekonnen Julius Miller Nicholas Mortensen Amani Muntu Judy Nanaw Duy Nguyen Andrew Nunez Sergio Pozo Cory Pringle Kadijah Sesay Kavi Shamdin Rachel Shogren Camilia Soruco Halley Thadeus Karungu Thuku Melanie Valencia Firdousa Wasuge PHOTOGRAPHER Tooba Siddique ADVISER Alan Weintraut

BY JULIE NGUYEN Editorials Editor Los Angeles and other Southern California residents tipped their heads up on Nov. 7th to see a strange blue light across the sky.

Ever since, the topic of aliens and UFOs has flooded social media.

The government claimed that it was a simple test missile launch and whether or not that statement is the truth, people still wonder if there are other beings within our solar system.

Of course, this was not the only UFO sighting known to man and the debate over aliens has grown over the years.

However, each time there is news of mysterious objects or creatures, the government always seems to have a solution or side story as to what it actually was. It is possible that the government is trying to hide the fact that we are not alone.

How can it be that we are the only living beings in the entire solar system? It seems unlikely and a bit egotistical to believe that humans are the only creatures that are intelligent enough to create technology enabling space travel.

If you do not believe that there are other living things on the seven other planets in our solar system, then what about the billions of other stars and planets outside of the Milky Way? People tend to forget that there are other galaxies beyond ours that make up the universe. It is impossible to think that all the planets in those galaxies are barren and uninhabited. With abduction stories, unusual sightings, and secret government projects like Area 51 being constantly circulated, it is easy to believe and come to the conclusion that aliens are in fact real.

Dos and Don'ts: tryouts

Staff CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF Summar Ayoub Hezekiel Yonas

Saving someone else's life is probably one of the most selfless acts there is; donating blood does just that. It allows people to help others in need of help.

There are many people who are willing and find it a privilege to donate, but some are unable to. Homosexuals aren't allowed to donate, which is unfair.

Since 1985, the FDA has banned homosexuals from having the right to donate blood. The reason why the FDA has forbid homosexuals from donating blood is because statistically, men who sleep with other men are more likely to transmit HIV. Of course the law was passed in a time where they didn't have the advanced technology to detect viruses in blood like we have today, and yet, now that we do the law that bans homosexuals from donating blood is still here.

There has been a lot of discrimination towards homosexuals for a long time and this issue is just another example. There are many qualified and fit men who happen to be healthy and willing to donate. The fact that they are considered inefficient because of their sexual orientation is ridiculous.

For years, gays, bisexuals, lesbians and transgenders were a minority group, treated unfairly for the way they are. They have been questioned if they are fit to adopt, treated poorly by certain religious groups, have fought hard for their right to get married and so much more. It is sad that a harmless group of people have been through so much because they are considered different by others.

However, with so much hate comes so much love and acceptance from others. Just like samesex marriage was once illegal and now is legal, banning homosexuals from donating blood will hopefully be a thing of the past if Americans take action in the same way.

Annandale High School Vol. 61 No.4 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 703.642.4229 November 18, 2015 Adviser: Alan Weintraut ajweintraut@fcps.edu

The A-Blast is an award-winning newspaper that strives to inform, educate and entertain the student 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 theablast15@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, 2015.

Do have all of your forms turned in-- you wouldn't want one paper to ruin your chances!

Don't show up late-- it leaves a bad impression on your coaches!

Do try your best, the coaches will note your effort and enthusiasm.

Don't wear converse to track tryouts-- make sure to dress the part in order to look and feel your best!

EDITORIALS 3

Nov. 18, 2015

Uber is a positive alternative

Cartoonist's corner

Rising app prevents drunk driving

ILLUSTRATION BY MADISON SCHINSTOCK

BY JUDY NANAW Staff Writer With drunk driving being one of the most serious problems in society, people are desperately searching for possible solutions.

To stop the violation from being carried out any longer and save the lives that have not yet been affected by the tragic act, effective resolutions need to be found.

Where many have unexpectedly discovered a solution is in the latest cab service app called Uber. The app has served as a hero for many people, most of them being millennials.

Over the past year Uber has become overwhelmingly popular. While it has quickly spread throughout the nation, the majority of those who use Uber consist of teenagers and young adults.

Since the act of committing a DUI and the use of Uber are both most frequent among minors, it is not too surprising to find that the two things can work together to solve the issue of driving while intoxicated.

Although Uber has had debates regarding whether or not it is safe, there is no denying the fact that it may save the lives of people who may have otherwise gotten into a car and attempted to drive while drunk.

Senior Nancy Perla believes Uber can prevent drunk driving among teenagers.

"It's almost like a taxi type of form," Perla said. "Rather than driving themselves, they would call an Uber to drive them."

Despite Uber having many fans, it faces numerous legal problems and criticism over its tactics in the United States and beyond. Uber has been a controversial manner because of the idea of getting into a car with no knowledge about the person driving being risky and potentially dangerous.

"I think that Uber needs to have more regulations to

verify that their drivers are not like psychos or anything." senior Amal Ahmed said.

Even with the obvious concern, when Uber is being put to use there are many lives that are being protected.

Anyone on their way home after a night out that consisted of drinking could use the convenient app that is right at their fingertips. It will prevent them from driving under the influence and possibly being killed.

Uber officials have been aiming to adopt a softer tone to the company that will ease the harsh critique Uber frequently gets. As part of the company's effort to do so, officials have even started to promote that their service can help to reduce drunk driving.

"It's almost like a taxi type of form. Rather than driving themselves, they would call an uber to drive them."

Nancy Perla senior Their statement is an accurate one because for college students it is common to leave a bar late at night and be left waiting for a long time because of the lack of available taxis. An outcome to a time like this is for the student to try driving themselves, despite them being unstable.

The app is provided as a designated driver for these young adults when stuck in this occasional problem. To extend the idea that this app can be a go-to chaffeur in times when they are not sober gives Uber a better image and saves countless people at the same time.

Uber itself is one of the most useful and convenient apps because of its ability to help in resolving issues involving the frequency of driving when drunk.

The app should be available to all people in all places to prevent tragedies linked to drunk driving.

Football poses a great risk

BY KIRK LINDBERG Staff Writer The recent death of an Illinois high school football player, Andre Smith, has sparked discussion on whether high school football is too dangerous of a sport.

On the last play of a Thursday night game at Bogan High School, Smith took a hit to the head, walked over to the sideline and then fell unconscious to the ground.

It's hard to control how rough one is with other players when in the midst of a game, with adrenaline running high. As a result, football can be considered a highly dangerous sport.

Smith was then rushed to the hospital but could not be saved and died early Friday morning. Smith, 17, a

senior at Bogan High School, died of blunt force head injuries due to a football accident, as reported by the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.

According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, Smith is the seventh high school football related death in the year 2015 alone.

Just one day following Smith's head injury, another high school football player, Josh Nava, suffered a severe head injury after making a head first tackle.

Nava, of Riverside Poly High School, needed emergency treatment to release the pressure and swelling on his brain, and is currently hospitalized in a medically induced coma.

Nava, a safety, tackled an opposing Moreno Valley player running the ball in the third quarter of the game.

Both Smith and Nava were wearing certified five-star protection football helmets, but this was obviously not enough from preventing two major head injuries, one of which being fatal.

Both districts have looked into what needs to be done to prevent future head injures in the high school football discipline.

The districts are looking into hiring experts to teach the players safer ways of tackling, which may not be

enough to prevent future severe head injuries.

Although Smith died of blunt force trauma to the head, the leading cause of high school football deaths is sudden cardiac arrest.

According to the National Athletic Trainers' Association, only 37 percent of high schools employ a full-time medical trainer, which undoubtedly needs to improve for the safety of high school athletes.

Even hiring just one physical trainer and buying a few pieces of equipment for rehabilitation would drastically reduce the risk of long-term injuries.

It's much easier for coaches who are skeptical of player injuries to just tell them to head to the trainer's, but without an in-school trainer coaches have to take an extra step, and that step impedes on the expediency of treatment.

After Smith's death Friday, the Illinois High School Association stated, "As anyone who has participated in athletics knows, there is a risk of injury any time a player steps on the field of play."

Acknowledging the risk and actually doing something about it, however, are two very different things.

FOOTBALL FACTS · Football related deaths average to about 12 a year (one in 100,000) · 4/12 are from direct fatalities · 8/12 are from indirect fatalities · Injuries include heat illness, brain fatalities, concussions, fractures and intra-abdominal injuries and cardiac arrest · In the 2014-2015 school year, 1,083,617 students played football nationwide

NATIONAL CENTER FOR CATASTROPHIC SPORTS INJURY RESEARCH

Popular high school sport causes more deaths

Do you think football is too dangerous?

"With the right protection that prevents concussions, no."

JUDE NANAW freshman

"No, because there's a lot of protection and people spend money on emergency care and ambulances to be there."

"It is dangerous, but precautions can be taken to prevent it."

"Yes, because they tackle each other and throw each other to WILLIAM WHEATLY the ground and that sophomore can really damage your brain."

"Yes, the risk of concussions are higher than in any other sport."

"Yes, because if you don't have enough padding you can get hurt."

KATIE POPE

ALLISON COLOMO

"[No], because they have a lot of practice time so the more they practice the more they are used to how AMIER JARADAT violent it is." senior JULIA QUIZON

freshman

sophomore

senior

HUNTER SLOAN

FATMATA KAMARA

junior

junior

"It is a tough sport, there is danger and physical activity in it which could cause any type of danger."

Students overdose on homework Excessive workload can lead to unneeded side effects The homework debate has been going on for as long as students can remember. While some people argue that homework is essential to our learning, others argue that it's just a waste of time.

On top of that, there is the question of how long students are supposed to do their homework.

The new policy stating that teachers cannot count homework for more than 10 percent of a student's grade does not stop teachers from assigning an overwhelming amount.

Nevertheless, as much as you might dread it, homework is an important part of our learning. For one thing, it enables us to comprehend and practice what we've learned throughout the day.

Because of the lack of time a teacher has to completely explain a topic, a student might not have enough time to grasp everything that was taught in class.

MOHAMED ELHAG

BY RUTH MEKONNEN Staff Writer

A student rushes to study and finish her homework during lunch.

Homework allows a teacher to see what needs to be reviewed for the test and what they need to spend more time on.

On the contrary, because a student has other homework to also complete, he or she might not have sufficient time to complete their work.

This might influence the student to copy someone else's work, find the answers online, or even have one of their parents complete it for them.

Plagiarism has become a very serious problem. Not only is it unfair to the person who isn't credited for their work, but it is also unfair to the person who is cheating.

By copying another person's homework, you won't understand what is being taught and this might affect you when you are taking a test.

Not to mention, that if a teacher catches you copying someone else's work, there would be serious consequences.

Another problem that comes with homework is that students lose time that could be spent doing other things, like sleep for instance.

Many students are in clubs and sports and with the new late-start time schedule, many students get home late.

It is very hard to complete homework in a short-period time considering that the average teenager needs to have nine and a half hours of sleep.

As a student who has a lot of homework to complete, it's hard to finish everything and have nine and a half hours of sleep.

Too much homework causes a student to reduce their time for sleep which is harmful to their health. This brings me to my next point, health.

On average, a high school student completes about three and a half hours of homework. If you add in a couple of hours for extracurriculars, it really doesn't leave any time for relaxation.

According to Anne Brosnan, one of the school psychologists, too much pressure of any type can lead to stress.

"When people are feeling too much stress it can cause all sorts of problems," Brosnan said. "Stress can cause physical problems such as headaches, stomach aches, and skin outbreaks."

According to the American Psychological

Association, teens are more stressed than adults.

About 54 percent of teens report stress to have slight or no impact on their body or physical health, which differs from the 34 percent of adults.

Some tips that Brosnan has for managing homework stress is to keep track of your homework and to not procrastinate.

"Keep track of your assignments by writing them down in your notebook," Brosnan said. "Start homework on the day it is assigned so you can get help from your teacher if needed."

Having a routine and additional help from other students can also help you with stress management.

Even after doing all of these things and you are still feeling stressed, Brosnan advises you to talk to your school counselor to see if there are any additional changes to make it better.

With the amount of homework teachers assign, it's easy for students to believe that teachers are only trying to keep students busy.

Too much work can eventually become ineffective. Students are more focused on completing assignments on time rather than actually trying to comprehend the information.

4 NEWS

Nov. 18, 2015

FCPS students ride for free

Les Miserables to debut The drama department here at AHS will be performing their first play of the school year from Dec. 3-5, Les Miserables.

"Les Miserables is a beautiful musical about a man's journey to redemption and it also includes all the people he crosses paths with along the way," freshman Rediate Zewdu said.

The cast of Les Miserables rehearse after school on their vocals and are starting stage practice today. Each student is doing what they can to prepare for their upcoming performance.

"I've been blasting the sound track to every performance and I'm pretty sure that at this point my family's sick of me, but I am so excited!" Zewdu said.

Les Miserables is a world famous musical based on the novel Les Miserables, written by French poet and novelist Victor Hugo. Over time this musical has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history.

"I certainly think our show will live up to the great expectations people have for it," drama teacher Katherine Brunberg said. "Our actors capture the inner struggles of these characters beautifully and the design compliments the action and mood in just the right way."

Generally, when performing

something well-known, people have high expectations.

"I think the audience will really enjoy seeing this beautiful show and I hope we are able to do it justice," freshman Emily Trachsel said.

Cast members were asked about what they thought makes this upcoming production unique from previous plays and musicals Annandale's drama department has performed.

"Based on the productions I've seen here at Annandale, I'd say this one is very different content wise considering it is a very serious and solemn story, however there are a few humorous parts," Trachsel said. "The name literally translates to 'The Miserables,' making this production different from others in the sense that the other productions were on the fun and happier side."

For this production, there will be many students participating on and off the stage. On set they'll have flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, percussion, drums, guitar, violin, viola, cello, bass and the keyboard playing.

"On weekends we have tech calls.

During tech calls we build and paint the set pieces, pull and make costumes and props, hang and focus lights, organize sound equipment, etc." Brunberg said.

Brunberg also has singing teacher Jessica Irish running the vocal rehearsals

Students eligible for Fairfax Connector pass

BY HEZEKIEL YONAS AND MOHAMED ELHAG Editor in Chief and News Editor

Junior William Rangel practicing vocals in preparation to play the second lead role.

while she runs the acting rehearsals.

Assistant directors Sacha Cameron and Trevor Boynton also help out with the rehearsals to make this production as great as possible.

Setting up and preparing for this

production was not easy, but the drama department is extremely excited to put on a great musical for everyone going out to watch it.

Atoms Code! formed, new Lit. mag organizes club for computing biannual performance HEZEKIEL YONAS Editor in Chief Students have gathered together to form the first programming club at AHS, Atoms Code!

The club was founded by senior Christopher Han in order to give students an opportunity to indulge themselves into programming activities.

"I created Atoms Code! because I was dissatisfied with the computer science department here at AHS," Han said. "I wanted to create another place students could go to if they wanted to get started with programming."

The club isn't just for those who are experienced coders, it also consists of those who are just interested in the subject.

"There are some members that have completed multiple projects and there are others that have no coding experience at all," Han said. "We take all kinds of talent at Atoms Code!"

One of the perks of the club is that it unites kids who are passionate about coding and brings them together to perform activities. The environment is that of a club, not a

classroom, so there are no coding assignments due for the club. Instead they do projects during their meetings.

"I don't want this club to be a class.

There's no pressure for anyone to meet a deadline or finish a project," Han said. "Right now, we're working on creating a website for the club and we're thinking about entering a mobile app competition.

Students have joined this club in hopes to expand their knowledge of programming and to realize their coding potential.

"I joined the club because I want to be a computer engineer in the future," senior Natnael Weldegiorgis said. "I felt like it was a good opportunity to develop my coding skills while having fun with my peers."

Don't be discouraged to come to the club meetings if programming isn't necessarily your forte; all students are welcome to join.

"For anyone that wants to join the club, I say go ahead and join in," Weldegiorgis said.

"I promise this club is a very stress free, yet productive club that you won't regret joining."

For further information about Atoms Code! ask Ms. Scharankov in the library.

CAMILA SORUCO Staff Writer On Nov. 17, be sure to head down to Clausen Hall and watch as students from all grade levels perform poetry, rap, sing and play their instruments.

It's a time where students are able to showcase their musical talents at the Coffee House Filament.

This annual event provides many students with the chance to show off their abilities and skills, and also an outlet to share with the school their perspectives or opinions through a creative form of art.

"Well I think it's a great thing not only because it gives students a chance to express themselves in their own artistic way, but they get to share it with others," senior Mahlet Bereket said.

The event not only provides music but is also selling delicious treats and serving coffee for those who come and watch.

"It sounds like a lot of fun and I'm

Students reflect on new turf field CONT. "TURF" "The turf is better for running, I feel that I have a better grip on the turf and it is a lot smoother with no bumps."

And let's not forget our cons, such as how slippery the turf is and the killer turf burns. The transformation of our field from last year to this year is very evident.

"I think that the new field definitely impacts the way I play. The

turf field gives me a better grip and it feels more leveled. It also looks nicer than the grass," Junior Varsity football player Leslie Moriba said.

At the end of the day, turf and grass fields will always be debated.

"The turf doesn't really impact the way that the team plays. But one of the advantages of turf is that when it's wet, of course the ball gets slick but their shoes don't seem to [as well]," Coach Scott said. "The turf keeps its grip."

However, Coach Scott still prefers the grass field over the turf.

"It's more traditional. I think it looked better and I liked the fact that we had bushes around the stadium, even though the grass field was hard to maintain and the turf field allows the team to practice in all weather," Coach Scott said. "In a perfect world I would have the practice field be turf and our game field be grass."

New teacher profile STEPHEN HOM Teaches: Algebra 2 & Trigonometry Honors and IB Math Studies Years teaching: Six

SABRINA HAWA

Education: Bachelor's from Victoria College and Master's from Columbia University Why do you like teaching: I like teaching because I think it's fun.

Hobbies: My hobbies include art, music and watching sports.

Favorite food: My favorite food is take-out chinese food.

Biggest pet peeve: People who constantly keep sniffing their nose when they should be blowing it.

Most excited for this year: I'm excited to see how this year goes.

sure that it will have many participants. I think many students should go relax and enjoy the music and food, especially after a stressful day at school," senior Danielle Robinson said.

"I think many students should go relax and enjoy the music and food, especially after a stressful day at school."

Danielle Robinson senior Overall, students seem to be really excited for the Coffee House Filament this year and are expecting a great turn out as well as amazing talent. So be sure to come watch and ease your mind with the great music and talent provided as well as the pastries and coffee that will be sold.

Currently in action is a new program where Fairfax County Public School students are able to receive a bus pass in order to ride the Fairfax Connector. The Connector is a bus service provided

by Fairfax County and operates under a contract with MV Transportation.

The students will be able to ride the bus for free from Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Although the new policy makes transportation easier for students who do not have a car, the Fairfax Connector doesn't reach as many places as the metro bus.

The metro bus travels to various locations around the D.C.-Maryland-Northern Virginia region, making it easier for students to get to their desired locations. So hopefully the new policy will extend to the metro bus and metro rail like it has for students attending school in Washington D.C. "I take the bus almost everyday," senior Naod Teklie said. "Since I moved, the school bus doesn't drop me directly at my house so I have to take a metro bus to get there."

The Fairfax Connector bus pass for FCPS students could provide students who normally ride the connector with easy and convenient access.

"I've been taking the bus since I was in ninth grade," senior Naod Teklie said. "I felt that they provided easy transportation so I kept using it."

In order to obtain a free bus pass, students should go to the Career Center and pick up forms from Robin Roth, the career center specialist.

After completing the forms and having approval from one's parent or guardian, students should turn them into Roth in her office and will be provided with a pass with that student's name on it.

Too see more information about the Fairfax Connector and its routes and when it operates, visit the Career Center.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOWIE LIVING

Staff Writer

MOHAMED ELHAG

BY KAVI SHAMDIN

NEWS 5

Nov. 18, 2015

Paris Attack CONT. "PARIS" Internationally, the event has sparked widespread condemnation of the Islamic State, the group responsible for the attack. The international consequences go further than that. Although the G-20 international leadership meeting in Turkey is ongoing at the time of writing, it appears the attacks in Paris could potentially create a renewed "united front" against global terrorism.

That all said, the consequences of this event are not isolated to the international stage. This event has had domestic impacts throughout the world. The Washington Post reports that hundreds of arrests and police raids have been made in France and Belgium. The BBC reports that the French president, Francois Hollande, has ordered a state of tighter security in France for three months. In the United States, the Washington Post has reported that many governors have publicly stated they would not allow Syrian refugees and migrants into their states.

The Islamic State has wasted no time making additional threats. In a recently released video, a Reuters translation indicates that the group is warning of the possibility of a similar attack in Washington D.C. According to Reuters, the Department of Homeland security has refused to comment on the video, but has stated that it has "not received information indicating a potential attack."

Though the Federal government has not confirmed the video as a credible threat, the Washington Post has reported that the D.C. Metro system has "beefed up security measures."

Additionally, Around the NFL has reported that football games over the weekend had a heightened state of security, and observed moments of silence for the French people.

According to the Washington Post, many French businesses "have defiantly remained open," and French citizens are still frequenting Paris's many cafĂŠs and restaurants.

However, the NPR has reported that many French citizens become uneasy when they hear emergency vehicle sirens and firecracker explosions have triggered a number of false panics throughout the city.

Woodson Fire CONT. "FIRE" and condolences for the victims, using the hashtag "#cavstrong" across the county.

Woodson has had grief counselors available for those traumatized by the event and are hoping to resume normality among students and staff.

Club Fair Students get a chance to learn about and join different clubs NEFTALI REYES Staff Writer Annandale High School held its annual Club Fair on Friday, Nov. 6, during the W4 class period. Club Fair is a huge way for clubs to recruit members and to get more exposure.

A variety of clubs attended, including the Green Atoms, the Feminist Club and Latin Club.

"It went really well and over 20 people signed up and that was only the first group of kids. It was a great opportunity to expand our club," Green Atom member Mykim Le said.

Many students from different grades attended the Club Fair. For one student, seeing the multiple clubs AHS has to offer was enough for him to sign up for multiple clubs.

"I think it's a fantastic opportunity to see what kind of clubs are here at Annandale and to sign up for many of them," junior Robert Figley said.

Feminist Club

Other students were able to join multiple clubs and take advantage of this opportunity, seeing that clubs look great on college applications.

"It was great, I got to see all the clubs our school has to offer and I got to join a few which look great on college applications. It was a great way to give exposure to the plentiful amount of clubs we have here at Annandale," junior Mikael Mechal said.

Apart from having so many options to choose from, Club Fair offered many clubs the opportunity to attract many students to be involved in their club.

"It was a great opportunity for our freshmen to see the many clubs we have here at Annandale and a way to encourage all our fine Atoms to be involved. [This] leads to more participations in our school and higher grades," Latin Club supervisor Norm Ash said.

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE TO THE AHS AUTO PROGRAM

The Filament

Objective: To create a magazine that Objective: Raise awareness for expresses the talents of AHS. gender equality.

When and where do we meet: When and where do we meet: Room 272 every other Thursday night Room 289A every other Tuesday. after school.

AHS Green Atoms

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Objective: To clean the school by Objective: To encourage each other recycling and gardening. as Christians, students and athletes When and where do we meet: When and where do we meet: Wednesday and Thursdays in room Every white Wednesday at 7:20am in the 110. upstairs gym

Annandale Bible Study

AHS Theatre Company

Objective: To learn about Christianity and study the Bible as well as worshiping and following Jesus.

When and where do we meet: Clausen Hall every other Friday.

Objective: To put on high quality productions and teach students about the aspects of theatre.

When and where do we meet: During productions, Monday-Friday 3-6 p.m.

Soccer club CONT. "SOCCER" Organizing and setting up meetings, FIFA tournaments, games and occasionally some activities during school that the club can participate in is easy with a four to six man board," said Hassen. "But, organizing and setting up all those activities by yourself and occasionally one or two people is extremely difficult."

Now, senior Naod Teklie has succeeded Hassen as the head of the club. He hopes to help the club prosper and expand and wants to encourage more students to join the club.

"I want students to join because I know for sure at the end, they will end up being a soccer fan for life," Teklie said. "The activities we do throughout the year will make more students want to join and participate."

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

NEWS BRIEFS THANKSGIVING BREAK

WINTER SPORTS PICTURES

SAT ADMINISTRATION

FEDERAL SURVEY BREAKFAST

NHS INDUCTION CEREMONY

There will be no school for students and faculty on Nov. 26 and 27 due to Thanksgiving holiday.

All winter sports teams will take their team and individual pictures on Monday, Dec. 4 in the health room. Athletes should see their coaches for specific times.

On Saturday, Dec. 12, the SAT will be administered at AHS. It will begin at 8 a.m. and students should bring their printed test ticket and ID with them on test day.

The federal survey breakfast will be held on Friday, Dec. 4 during W4. The breakfast is a reward for the W4 classes that turned in their federal impact forms first.

National Honor Society will induct its new members on Monday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m.

The ceremony will take place in Clausen Hall.

TWO HR EARLY RELEASE

SWIM MEET VS SOCO AND TJ

CLASS OF 2017 FUNDRAISER

On Wednesday, Nov. 25, all students and staff will be released two hours early due to the Thanksgiving holiday break.

The Atoms swim and dive team will have their first meet on Friday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. They will face South Couny and TJ in a tri-meet at South Run Recreation Center.

The class of 2017 is having a candle fudraiser through Yankee Candle. To order go to www.yankeecandlefundraising.com and place your order using the group number #990090307.

WRESTLING JAMBOREE The Atoms wrestling team will host its first wrestling scrimmage on Nov. 24 in the upstairs gym.

BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL VS CHANTILLY The varisty boys basketball team will take on the Chantilly Chargers on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 2:30 p.m. The game will be played at J.E.B Stuart High School.

6 ACADEMICS

Nov. 18, 2015

High school and college comparison essay AHS Alumni shares an essay written for his college English course

Applying to College Breakdown

There are a lot of adjustments to be made while transitioning from high school to college. Some of these transitions are as simple as teaching yourself responsibility, or learning to use your time wisely. Learning how to adapt to these changes becomes a key factor to succeeding in your education.

In high school, students have more guidance throughout the year, as opposed to college where students are expected to be more independent. High school students are required to attend class every day, by law, while school is in session even if the teacher is not present.

For students that attend college, going to class is your responsibility. The reason for this is to help students learn to manage time, since that is the only way to accomplish your goals when it comes to achieving good grades in college.

The material taught in college courses vary from topic to topic, but they all require extensive study time.

Some students may find that in high school they could get by with mediocre test grades if they completed their homework assignments, and extra credit. This is not the case when it comes to the college curriculums.

In college, students need to make every grade count; even with the immense freedom they are allowed.

Students in high school have less freedom than college students. In high school, students are required to have a pass wherever they walk within school hours.

They must have permission from the teacher to use the rest room, for example. This can be very interruptive when it comes to a lecture. Some students may be susceptible to losing their focus due to these small but intrusive interruptions. Interruptions like these can even delay the class.

College professors have eliminated this rule. The lesson must go on with or without any particular one student.

In college a student can get up and excuse themselves whenever they feel it necessary. The implementation of rule which pertain to receding from the classroom is based solely on the honor system. Professors do not condone students to leave the classroom

Go on Family Connections and add the colleges you are interested into the "Colleges I am interested in" tab.

Make a list of the schools you would like to apply to.

Go on Family Connections and see if students services has sent your transcripts to your colleges yet.

Go to the application the school requires and start the application.

often, but otherwise are understanding. Most teachers also don't enforce tardy penalties simply because they understand the repercussions of a large campus, especially for commuting students who are going to encounter traffic entering campus parking.

Some students in larger universities might have to walk as long as twenty or thirty minutes to get from class to class.

College students can also accommodate their schedule to the days they want to have class. Students can have one or two classes on one day and the other classes spread out through the weekdays. Some students may not have any classes during particular days.

This freedom established by colleges gives students the ability to space out their work load.

College campuses also have numerous student resource centers. These centers have specialties, for the most part, that focus on a singular area such as English or Math, for example. These student resources can be a very helpful tool when students are struggling with certain topics. The professors and fellow students trained to help overcome academic adversity can be utilized whenever students need help.

A major reason these resource centers are extremely helpful is because some students can't captivate or understand the lessons because of the format in which the teacher is explaining the subject at hand.

If students are having trouble grasping their teacher's methods of teaching, they can go to a resource center and ask for extra help on the subject.

Ask teachers for recommendations if your colleges require them.

High school students also have plentiful resources. Although some resources may be limited due to overwhelming need, students can always request to stay after school with their teachers. This personal interaction with Your teachers can be very helpful in the long run on the road to your academic success. Students that stay after school for extra help with their teachers are more likely to understand the topics and be ready to advance to new subject. High school teachers also acknowledge the effort of students that stay after school to put time into their education, and often reward them for doing so.

College professors have office hours where students can drop by or schedule a meeting in order to gain perspective or extra help. They don't, however, stay after class for extra assistance.

College professors expect you to exhibit the responsibility and self determination to reach out and ask for help. Their emails are always provided and encouraged to be contacted when their students need help. They do not, however, take in assignments or absent work through these emails.

While some high school teachers might be lenient and let you get away with late work, college professions often demand the assignment be turned in on time. Very few professors accept any late work, even for a grade penalty.

The reason being is that the assignment due dates are clearly stated on the syllabus, a document which

Have a college meeting with your counselor.

is presented to us at the beginning of each session. This document has rules and regulations, but most importantly the key schedule to keeping students on track with their duties.

Although some high school teachers do hand out a syllabus, it s never been as detailed and necessary as a college course syllabus. Students need to refer back to the syllabus several times in order to keep up with the lesson plans and most importantly readings.

Responsibility and time management are key factors in obtaining the best college experience due to the differences between the high school and college environments. Although it may take a little time to get yourself accommodated, the extra effort will be worth it in the long run.

The lessons you learn will prepare you for entering the working world where you will be prepared to lead future generations to a world of success.

IB Spotlight: Natnael Mulat

COURTESY OF NATNAEL MULAT

SAT/ACT Word Search

Fill out Transcript Request Form and make sure you get stamps, if needed.

COURTESY OF DANNY HUYNH

BY DANNY HUYNH Special to the A-Blast

How do you keep up with your academics and social life?

I keep up with my academics and social life by trying to mix both of them, meaning that most of my friends are either IB diploma candidates or they take IB classes with me. This makes it easier because we are all stressed together, and when we are free, we all have fun together. At least the IB version of fun.

What are your studying habits?

My studying habits are a little weird since I am a kinesthetic learner. Every time I study, I make flashcards or walk around reading my notes out loud this helps me connect what I am doing at that moment to the subject I am studying. I also love to participate in classes because it makes me feel engaged and I remember what I learned.

What is your favorite IB subject?

My favorite IB subjects are IB Math SL II and IB Physics HL II because I have always loved math and science, and no matter how difficult they get I have always managed to do well.

What are your plans after high school?

God willing, I plan to attend an engineering school, hopefully Virginia-Tech, and go on to major in Computer Engineering. I also want to do something related to the arts, but I have yet to decide what that is.

What was your extended essay topic?

In my extended essay, I am researching how an online computer program, v-python, is able to be used to model different physics equations.

Is your only focus academics?

No, I am also in more than six clubs. I run in Annandale's winter and spring track team, and I have also acted in school plays and hosted school shows.

Do you play any sports? If yes, how hectic is your life during the season?

Word search word box Abase Descendent Abbey Abbot Nefarious Aberration Psychrometer Alienable Alkali Irascible Overproduction

Nominal Vaudeville Wrangle Overstride Invidious Populace Luxuriance Zodiac Treachery Judicature Derelict Lunar Noisome

Nuisance Maize Wearisome Integrity Wizen Hawthorn Hemorrhage Polemics Poetaster Haggard Heteromorphic Poise Excitable

Neocracy Fungible Vehement Gamut Metaphysician Garrote Exhaustive Exodus Zephyr

When track season starts my life becomes very chaotic. I come back from practice around five/ six and I have to make sure to do all my homework, annotate articles, and read the books that are due for that week. What this means for me is that I have to drop all of my hobbies, stop watching any shows, stop hanging out with friends, and texting. I have to spend most of my time either catching up or trying to work ahead. However, since I always stayed organize with to do lists and calendars, I have always endured at these times.

How are you IA's coming along?

I only have my geography and my physics IA this year and so far I have only had to think of a topic for physics, so I can't really say.

What kind of clubs are you in?

I am in Math Honor Society (MHS), Science National Honor Society (SNHS), Nations Honor Society (NHS), Technology Student Association (TSA), Key Club, Annandale Bible Study (ABS), GIVE tutoring and KAST tutoring. I also mentor kids at my church on the weekends.

Do you know what schools you are applying to?

I am applying to Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University.

HEALTH 7

Nov. 18, 2015

Processed meat causes cancer Scientists have found red meat to be carcinogenic

Q&A with culinary chef Christine Gloninger and her opinions on bacon and its potential of being a carcinogen

"I will eat anything if it is covered in bacon," is a common slogan many people live by. From eating the crunchy item alongside eggs for breakfast, to crunching on a BLT for lunch, to having it on a pizza for dinner, bacon is easily incorporated into many meals.

Not only is bacon high in fat and sodium, it is also a cancer causing carcinogen according to a World Health Organization report on processed meats. Scientists from the WHO made these claims after analyzing data from 800 studies regarding different meats and their impact on cancer.

Processed meats contain a type of iron that can damage intestinal cells. Recent studies by the International Agency for Research on Cancer show that people increase their chances of developing colorectal cancer by 18 percent as a result of consuming 50 grams of processed meat per day. According to the American Cancer Society, that is equivalent to the size of a deck of cards.

Consumers can distinguish processed meat from unprocessed meat if the product has been cured, smoked, salted or fermented for flavor enhancement.

To make matters worse for consumers, the WHO classifies red meat as "probably carcinogenic" due to inconclusive evidence dealing with red meat and cancer.

Although many Americans have cut down on the amount of meat and fatty foods they consume due to obesity, processed meats such as bacon are irresistible

PHOTO COURTESY WEBMD

Staff Writer and Health Editor

Eating processed meat such as bacon can raise the risk of developing cancer.

food products.

Many students are not afraid of eating processed meats such as bacon, even after hearing about their deleterious health effects.

"It is delicious and I cannot avoid it," junior Jasmine Gosalvez said. "A bacon hamburger from Five Guys is life."

Other students like junior Iris Arrazola insist on substituting bacon for healthier foods because they taste better and have less harmful effects.

"I barely eat bacon, but when I do it is turkey bacon," Arrazola said.

The sizzling sound and scrumptious smell of bacon and ham may be too overwhelming for some people to reduce their intake, like senior Katie Pacak.

"I'm very sad," Pacak said after finding out the bad news about bacon. Pacak states that she will try to be more cautious now of consuming bacon.

Despite the health risks associated with

processed meat, people do not have to eliminate eating meat altogether. According to CBS News, eating three and a half servings of regular lean meat per week doesn't cause negative health effects. On the other hand, red meat provides humans with iron, vitamin B12 and essential amino acids for proper body functioning. However, it is important to consume red meat in moderation, which means avoiding paleo-type diets.

Adopting a healthy diet with vegetables, nuts and fruits is one way to decrease consumption of processed and red meats. Instead of snacking on artery-clogging beef jerky, grabbing an apple and eating servings of cashews is the way to go. Healthy diets combined with exercise reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The next time you think of frying up bacon or making a smoked ham sandwich, make sure you're planning on eating in moderation. Although processed meats may taste delicious, they are harmful in the long run.

Q. What recipes do you make using bacon?

A. At Annandale it is really hard to use bacon, but I use it as a base seasoning and prosciutto. It would be for a crostini with wild mushrooms and blue cheese, which we put on top of french bread and use as an appetizer. Then we use it in a pasta dish with peas and bacon and a very heavy cream sauce.

NICOLE JORDAN

BY NICOLE JORDAN AND PHUONG NGUYEN

Q. What is a good substitute for bacon?

A. Smoked paprika. It gives you that smoky flavor without the fat and without any of the side effects of bacon.

Q. Do you believe bacon could cause cancer?

A. Yes. The preservatives, and I do not necessarily think bacon is the thing causing the problem because it is just the belly of pork. I think we are putting too many preservatives and when we feed the animals the feed has all kinds of additives in it. So when I buy food I am trying really hard to buy it from the farmers market (directly from farmers), where I know where it is coming from.

Q. What was your reaction to the news?

A. I am a little surprised but I think the news has the opportunities of letting people think that things are so horrible. I think that more often you over indulge and you have bacon at every meal, and every day.

Q. Have you changed your diet in any way?

A. Well I have reduced red meat anyway, and I eat more fish and chicken. I am really careful about the chicken I eat too because chicken could cause salmonella and food borne illnesses. I think that lowering red meat is better for human beings, if you think back to the beginning of time we did not eat that much red meat but wild boar and wild animals that we killed (and a lot of vegetables).

Gobble these for Thanksgiving dinner Side Dish

Dessert

Main Course Serving Size: 1 cup

Serving Size: 6 ounces

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

30 cal.

230 cal.

80 cal.

0g

14 g

Fats

0g

Fats

Collard Greens

White Meat Turkey

One cup of collard greens contains high amounts of essential vitamins and minerals such as 250 percent the daily amount of Vitamin A, 50 percent of Vitamin C, and 12 percent of iron. In general eating leafy greens instead of artery-clogging red and dark meat reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, maintains bone health as well as stabilizes blood sugars.

White meat turkey contains less calories and fat, particularly saturated fat, than dark meat turkey. Although there is only a 90 calorie difference between white and dark meat, this can really add up considering that most people will eat more than a portion during Thanksgiving dinner. Make sure to eat a skinless portion and avoid adding gravy to prevent packing on calories.

Fats

Cranberry Sauce Homemade cranberry sauce is a better choice than the canned version found in supermarkets which contains added sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Fresh cranberries contain phytochemicals that help prevent cancer and urinary tract infections.

Avoid these on your Thanksgiving table Side Dish

Main Course

Serving size: 1/8 of 9 inch pie

Serving Size: 6 ounces

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

250 cal.

320 cal.

12 g

22 g

Fats

316 cal.

14 g

Fats

Sweet Potato Casserole Sweet potatoes provide the body with nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber and potassium. However, sweet potato casseroles are overloaded with sugar from being cooked in syrup and baked with a marshmallow crust. Skip this side dish altogether and opt for a healthier sweet potato puree to go with your turkey.

Dessert

Fats

Pumpkin Pie

Dark Meat Turkey

This classic fall dinner table dessert is an unhealthy mess. Despite containing high levels of beta-carotene in the pumpkin filling; sugar, butter and whip cream ruin the health benefits of pumpkin which can stand on its own as a dish.

Dark meat found in the legs and thighs of turkey is generally less healthy than white meat found in turkey breasts. Although dark meat has its benefits of providing the body with more iron and zinc, it contains more saturated fat. Be aware of portion sizes and do not overeat on dark meat.

Sources: EatingWell.com and EXOS Core Performance

Heard in the halls: What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

"I like mashed potatoes because the gravy and the feeling [of eating it] is really good."

ALEX BRENNAN freshman

"I like turkey because it is the main and it is the only thing that fills me up."

"I like turkey on Thanksgiving because of the way it's cooked."

"I like turkey on Thanksgiving because it is the main dish."

EMILY CLAROS

"I like mashed potatoes and gravy on Thanksgiving because it is good as hell."

NINNA ADAMS

KEVIN KOU

sophomore

MOISE AHMER

freshman

sophomore

junior

"I like mashed potatoes and gravy because mashed potatoes and gravy slays."

VIVIANA SANDOVAL junior

"My favorite food on Thanksgiving is eggnog because it is delicious."

DEZHAWN DUMORNAY senior

"I like turkey because it is delicious and juicy."

RYNA WEINBURG senior

8 PHOTO Room Tour: AHS edition

Nov. 18, 2015

Take a look inside the rooms of students and the way they express themselves Anna Perez

Perez dedicated this wall to all of the good memories she had with her closest friends. She bought this John Lennon "War is Over" poster from Amazon to bring out her style and interest. "I'm just really intrigued by the whole hippie era and my pictures are just from good moments in my life or my happy places," Perez said.

SOULISA PATHAMMAVONG

SOULISA PATHAMMAVONG

Perez added this tapestry next to her bed because it fit well with her decorations, picture wall and posters. On top of her bed, she added a priceless hand knitted blanket that her grandma made for her. "I always put my grandpa's blanket on top of my bed because it means so much to me and I want to be able to show it off . It also matches the vibe in my room," Perez said.

SOULISA PATHAMMAVONG

Perez owns three different tapestries, from Amazon, that are hung on her wall and ceiling in her room. The tapestries above display a moon with a sun and the tree of life. "It's the perfect piece to cover my boring white ceiling. They make my room feel like a tent because they're draped like a canopy and I always like looking up at them when I'm laying in my bed," Perez said.

SOULISA PATHAMMAVONG

SOULISA PATHAMMAVONG

senior

Perez's favorite thing in her room is her record player from Urban Outfitters. It displays her love for music and the indie vibe that contributes to her room. "I got it two Christmas's ago with my first vinyl. I love going out to buy new records and collecting them. For me, getting new records top getting new clothes," Perez said.

The wall of art as Perez calls it, consists of posters and paintings along with personal decorations, such as her initials in wooden letter blocks. "I get compliments on my wall because there's always something to look at. Most of the stuff on my wall means a lot to me," Perez said. "I have paintings from friends, posters from different concerts of my favorite artists and some inspirational quotes for everyday reminders."

Conroy organized and dedicated this wall to all the sports he participated in throughout the years and accomplishments he gained. On one side he displayed all the karate belts he earned starting from the lowest to highest level.

Beside it he also placed his trophies, team pictures and souvenirs. Below, he aligns his baseball trophies and gear.

"Everytime I look at the wall, it makes me proud of my achievements and motivates me to add more to my collection," Conroy said.

Liam Conroy

Conroy's closet has a unique display of Italian soccer team flags that he got from a trip to Italy. He hung them up in his closet to make it less dull and to give his organized closet a touch of who he is. "I like to keep my closet very organized. All of my short sleeve shirts hang on the left side and all of my long sleeves on the right," Conroy said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIAM CONROY

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIAM CONROY

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIAM CONROY

PHOTO COURTESY OF LIAM CONROY

junior

Although this section of Conroy's room is simple, it coordinates with the rest of his room to draw attention to the more important things he wants to show off.

He added a surfboard above his bed to give it a hint of his personality and hobbies.

"This section of my room is my favorite part because after practice or a game I can just come home, do my thing and cool it," Conroy said.

Conroy showcases more of his surfboards in this corner of his room. Every section of his room exhibits who he is and what he loves. "I keep surfboards around my room because I love surfing, it's one of my favorite things to do in the summer. My cousins live in North Carolina so every summer I visit them and surf with them," Conroy said.

ARTS 9 The Reflection programs art showcase Nov. 18, 2015

Students submit artwork into PTA contest

BY RACHEL SHOGREN

This artwork was created by junior Jessica Ferson called Glamour. "My piece relates to beauty because it is a woman in a model like pose," Ferson said.

LINUS BUMBACA

This artwork was created by senior Antonella Gross called 2 Faced.

"This piece relates to the theme of individuality. It is about being and looking like yourself and being comfortable. It is also about embracing uniqueness," Gross said.

JACOB WEBER

LINUS BUMBACA

This artwork was created by senior Linus Bumbaca called RISK: Three Armies. "When my friends and I play games like Munchkin or Risk, we like to create characters and stories around them.

These are the earliest characters we came up with," Bumbaca said.

JESSICA FERSON

Junior Jacob Weber was the winner of the annual PTA's Reflection program contest. "I feel honored that I was picked," Weber said. Weber submitted a digital painting called Star Gazing (second row on the far right).

17 specific pieces of art were put up in the Clausen Hall to recognize the students who submitted their artwork into the contest.

This event, brought to us by the National Parent and Teacher Association, lets students show what makes them unique and special through the many types of arts such as music composition, photography, visual arts, dance choreography, film production and literature.

It is a great honor and very hard to be selected for the Reflections program.

ANTONELLA GROSS

Staff Writer

This artwork was created by junior Jacob Weber called Star Gazing. "My theme is perspective, this piece relates to that because it's from the perspective of a child," Weber said.

This artwork was created by senior Linus Bumbaca called A Moment In The Rain. "As someone who loves the feeling of a rainy day, I like to imagine the brief moments of peace an awning or overhang provide," Bumbaca said.

Museum spotlight: National Portrait Gallery

BY RACHEL SHOGREN AND ALMAZ ABEDJE Housed in the old Patent Office Building on eighth St NW & F St NW, The National Portrait Gallery is located in one of Washington D.C.'s oldest buildings. The building opened up in 1836 and was marked as a historic landmark. It underwent an extensive six-year renovation in 2000.

Praised by Walt Whitman as, "the noblest of Washington buildings," this museum is known for its modern architecture and original glory, with a 346-seat underground auditorium, a conservation lab and an art storage area. The National Portrait Gallery is known for the thousands of portraits of American leaders and other people who have impacted the nation.

The old Patent Office building is home to both the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. When you walk into this historical building, go down the right hallway to find breathtaking portraits of famous Americans.

If you continue to walk down this hallway, you will find several ravishing exhibits, ranging from the Civil War Era to World War I to famous pop singers of the current day.

ALMAZ ABEDJE

Staff Writers

A statue of Alexander Graham Bell the inventor of the telephone.

Walking down the left hallway will bring you to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which houses many oil paintings as well as articulate landscape pieces. This part of the building also contains intricate wood carvings and statues.

"I really liked how the artists captured the essence and purity of their subject,"

senior Nancy Zheng said.

One of the most popular exhibits is the "Eye Pop" exhibit which holds some of the most prominent pieces in the museum.

This exhibit is home to hundreds of works surrounding influential people of the 21st century.

The portrait of Michelle Obama was a

crowd-drawer. Due to the use of black and white contrast in the painting and the artist's ability to emphasize the powerful color pop in the background without taking attention away from the well-detailed first lady.

The famous singer Katy Perry is realistically portrayed to the point where it could almost be a photograph. The artist captured her makeup and face nearly perfectly and added a crazy outfit and headband that matches the 31 year-old singer's outgoing personality.

One of the first major paintings you will see when walking into the "Eye Pop" exhibit is an astounding piece detailing actor Brad Pitt. This painting accentuates his long hair and rugged physique.

"This piece was by far my favorite in the museum. As a big movie fan, it was really interesting to see the artist's perspective of not only his subject's physical features, but also the emotions he felt as well," Zheng said. "The contrast between light and dark that were used also emphasizes the little details, like the white hairs in his beard and the wrinkles on his forehead. It was truly a breathtaking work of art."

This destination should definitely be on your to-do list if you're looking for a popular tourist spot in D.C.

National Portrait Gallery information Address: The museum is conveniently located at Eighth and F Streets NW, Washington, D.C. 20001 Telephone: 202-633-8300 Email: npgnews@si.edu Daily: 11:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

Extra info: The gallery is closed on Dec. 25. Admission is free. The museum is located above the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail station. When exiting the Metro take the arena exit at seventh and F Streets. There are a few parking lots and ramps in the vicinity of the museum.

Q & A with artist Alicia Orellana Q: What do you create and what got you into doing it?

A: I love to paint random things and ideas that come to mind. I got into it when I was little and started taking art classes.

ALAINA GARAY

Q: What materials do you use for your artwork?

A: The materials I use for my artwork depend on my idea or theme and what I am trying to portray. Though I do prefer acrylic paint on a canvas or water colors on water color paper.

Q: What is it about creating art that you enjoy?

A: I enjoy being able to freely develop my ideas in a creative and imaginative way.

Q: What advice do you have for other young, developing artists?

A: I would suggest that they learn to embrace the mistakes they will make while doing their artwork because art doesn't need to be perfect.

Q: What do you plan to do with creating art in the future?

A: In the future I plan to do art as a hobby and possibly take some art classes in college. I also hope in the future that I become a better artist than I am now.

ALICIA ORELLANA

Q: What do you like most about your artwork?

A: There is no specific thing I like about my artwork because all of my art pieces are different from each other and they are all based off of different ideas.

Q: What is your favorite piece of artwork?

A: I don't have a favorite piece of artwork because there's just too many to choose from.

Q: What would you say to someone that wants to get into creating art?

A: I would tell them to definitely give art a try because it's really fun and it allows you to be creative.

An art piece made by Alicia Orellana called Melting Ice.

10 IN-DEPTH

Nov. 18 2015

QUIZ: Do YOU have a technology addiction?

1. How many hours do you spend online on Saturdays?

A. None, unless you have to.

B. 1-2 hours, spent on homework and leisure.

C. 5+ hours, mostly spent streaming movies and checking Twitter

7. If the electricity went out, and wouldn't be fixed for a few days, how would you feel: A. Don't worry about it B. Worried, because you aren't sure how you will finish your work C. Like you are disconnected, and upset.

2. The first thing you do when you wak up is: A. Hop out of bed and take a shower B. Check your phone for messages C. Log into all of your social media accounts

8. When you get upset where do you turn to: A. Talk to famiy and friends B. Rant on Twitter C. Make a YouTube video talking about your problems

3. How often do you tweet?

A. Almost Never B. A few times a week C. Multiple times a day

9. Where do you keep your phone throughout the school day?

A. At home B. In the front pouch of your backpack C. In your hand

4. When someone does something funny in class you: A. Laugh and forget about it B. Think about how it would have been a good video C. Immediately go on twitter and tweet about it 5. If you were stranded on an online, you would bring: A. A good book B. Your iPod C. Your laptop and Wi-Fi 6. How often does your family complain about how much you spend on technology: A. Never B. Sometimes C. Always

If you picked mostly A's: You are far from an addict. Try to open up to technology more. You probably don't even own a smart phone.

1. Creating fake or parody accounts Under Twitter's terms and condi tion, Twitter does not allow users to impersonate others unless the account clearly says it is a fake.

2. Making GIFs and Memes If you picked mostly B's: You are a normal student. However, i would keep a a bit more of a distance from the tech.

It's illegal t use copyrighted material without permission. Though, it is legal to parody copyrighted material. However, it is almost impossible to track the source of most memes because of its quick spread.

3. Using unofficial TV Service Using unofficial television services such as Project Free TV and Channel 131, it is still illegal under copyright law.

10.What is the first thing you do when you go to your friend's house A. Do homework B. Talk and catch up C. Ask for the wifi password 11.What do you do when your relatives come over?

C. Just stay in your room and continue watching TV B. Greet them, then run upstairs A. Go on Twitter & complain about them

6 things you are doing illegally online:

4. Clicking Save As

If you picked mostly C's: You are definitely an technology addict.

Spend less time with your phone and spend more time outside or reading a book.

It is actually illegal to pull and JPG, PNG, PDF, or any type of file from a Google search. If you distribute the pictures it is illegal unless given permission from the owner

5. Faking your name online Whether it be on an online forum or social media, under the vague "unauthorized access" clause of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

12.How do you do your research?

A. You go to the library and look for books B. Check online databases C. Google is the first stop

6. Not buying your music Downloading music illegally, which is popular now, is a real punishable offense.

Unplugged: life away from social media Students shares how their life is made better by using less technology

By LINA AL TAII Staff Writer No Twitter, no Instagram, no Facebook. Many would cringe at the thought of that kind of life. However, this is an actual reality of a few that choose to remain disconnected to most or all forms of social media.

There are still a few that have remained, for the most part, unplugged from technology. Some say being disconnected from modern technology is more beneficial than the easy access information that comes with smart phones.

Many people who are not in touch with modern technology believe that it benefits them for the better. Sophomore Elliot Alwes is one of the few that can atest to this.

"Not using social media as often makes my life a lot better," Alwes said. "I realized that I have something productive to do every minute of the day and that I should not waste any of my time doing things that do not benefit me at all like looking through social media."

Conversely, the Internet and technology are useful for getting work done because everything is at your fingertips.

There are many websites for online tutoring and help with just about anything.

However, the same websites can cause distraction and make a small assignment take over two hours.

This is another raising concern, that technology is a bigger distraction than a helpful tool. This tends to push students to push aside their school work and

spend their time on technology.

Procrastination is not the only concern.

Spending hours watching videos on YouTube and scrolling through the news feed on twitter does not only make people far less productive, it also raises health issues.

Staring at a screen all the time may seem normal these days, but that does not change the health issues that come with it.

Eye strain, tension headaches, and dry uncomfortable eyes are some

"Not using social media has made my life better, I realize I have something productive to do every minute of the day."

Elliot Alwes sophomore

common issues that accompany the use of smart phones for more than one hour every day.

Alwes also finds that people tend to focus less on life experiences, but how to capture that moment through pictures and video.

"People definitely worry about other people's opinion too much," Alwes said. "I want more people to seek to have more physical experiences and do more things they have never done, without documenting every step of the way."

Alwes thinks some of the biggest benefits of being unplugged are living a

worry free life, getting more things done, and being a better social communicator outside the screen.

"I mean technology actually helps me stay focused on my work sometimes," Alwes said,. "Whenever I listen to classical music, I don't have much to say or do on social media, because no one cares about what I say or do, so I just don't use it."

He also says it has affected his life for the better by helping him realize that there are so many things he could do to improve.

There are also so many things to explore, discover. He would not be able to accomplish these goals if he falls into the abyss of social media.

Alwes is not alone in his stance about social media.

Sophomore Lydia Peters find that social media is a distraction. Being social media free allows her to be fully present in each moment and able to interact with others.

Peters also agrees and finds that life has been made much easier without using her phone. "[Being away from social media and technology] allows me to interact fully with friends and family," Peters said. "Instead of being addicted to my phone, I've had more time to invest in my studies and other people."

A lot of teens find that letting go of social media is hard, and especially with technology and media being around teens almost all the time.

It can be hard to let go of technology and Alwes shows that it is possible for teens to let go of their devices.

Both have found a way to balance and even depend more on his life outside the screen.

Rather than focus their entire lives on what is going on online, through social media and different mediums of communication.

"I'm definitely closer to my family," Peters said, "We end up spending time together rather than apart."

IN-DEPTH 11

Nov. 18 2015

Are we using enough technology in school?

NO YES

BY ASEAL SAED In-Depth Editor

Increasingly, technology has been depended on in almost all situations of life.

Teenagers especially have been raised and, for the most part, dependent on technology from a young age.

Now, we depend on our devices to find our next meal, communicate with our friends, entertain ourselves, finish homework and countless other activities.

For this, technology is a blessing, but it is also a curse. It must be understood that technology can be easily abused, especially in the classroom.

One of the many problems with the integration of technology into the classroom is the expenses.

Huge amounts of cash have been spent in an effort to expand technological devices to keep up with times. In a classroom, every minute counts. Teachers need to make sure that students can get all of their work done by the end of the year.

It is useless to say that we should stop the technological movement altogether because it is inevitable. Clearly, in the future, technology will be in the classroom.

However, the issue that arises is how the technology will be used in a realistic and personalized manner.

Additionally, it is also unreasonable to say that technology will be useful in the classroom and will play a vital role in learning.

With technology there are technical problems.

When valuable time is being spent on teachers dealing with issues that come with new devices, time that should be focused on instruction is being wasted.

With wasted time comes not enough personalized time. Teaching requires personalized instruction.

This allows students to better understand the lesson and learn it at a certain pace that fits their needs.

Depending on electronic devices to complete the job of a teacher will be what inevitably happens and because of this students will be more behind than they were before.

As Fairfax county depends more on technology to aid teaching, the personal experience of learning will be gone. Eventually this power of technology will be overused and manipulated to hurt agendas.

Technology has become an abused power. Instead of using technological resources in a beneficial way, people are using it in ways that won't help their education.

Technology should be used used to help

supplement the classroom curriculum, and should be utilized as a source of learning.

However, when FCPS starts to depend more and more on the new technological devices that are sweeping the nation, it leads to more overuse in schools.

That is where the problem lies, because students will be drawn in by the technology that they obsess over in their free time during school hours.

It is important to go back to the core of teaching and understand that before more technology is pushed in the classroom.

We must understand and plan how it will be used

Teens in the 21st century are known for being glued to all sorts of gadgets and electronic devices, although, that may not be the case for all. According to a study done by the Pew Research Center in 2013, 25 percent of households are without computers and 29 percent are without internet access.

If schools incorporated more technology into the curriculum, it would give both underprivileged students

efficiently. Additionally, technology will be utilized regardless of the drawbacks, which is why it must be done in baby steps.

Before we jump into a full fledged technology dependent classroom, different strategies need to be used to help make the classroom experience efficient, without the full dependence of technology.

and students in general, increased learning opportunities.

Another recent study by education.com showed that students enjoy the interaction of technology and that more than 90 percent of youth in each country are digital natives, which means a person brought up in the age of technology.

BY SERENE GHUL Staff Writer

Increasing the amount of technology in the classrooms makes the distance between students and information almost nonexistent.

More technology also gives students quicker and more up to date information.

Incorporating more devices such as tablets and laptops into classrooms allows students to select the pace and style of their learning.

The ability to have full access to technology, including computers and the Internet, enables students to become self-directed learners.

This means that students will not have to depend on their teachers or books for instructions, and instead develop research and analysis skills.

More technology in the classroom teaches responsibility as students will have to learn to make choices independently.

A majority of jobs in the workplace require basic keyboard and computer skills so if students are given access to these two things at school, they will have these skills on hand in the future.

Adding more devices into classrooms does not only benefit students.

Teachers as well. By making the class virtual, teachers will be able to give out assignments and assessments online which allows them to grade work much faster.

There are also apps that allow teachers to select books, scan documents and even post video lectures.

Another study by South University showed that 90% of pupils believed that having more technology in school was very useful in the classroom. Not only is it useful in the classroom, but in the real world too.

Technology prepares students for the future as our world is becoming more dependent on technology.

Having access to the web in the classroom allows for students to learn not only in the classroom but outside too.

It gives students access to assignments and information anytime and anywhere. Technology gives students the chance to work with other students in the classroom.

More technology means more collaboration between students.

More collaboration between students helps build student's social skills, which is also a skill needed in the workplace.

With more technological advances in the classroom, the number of things students can create is endless.

Students will be able to create videos, PowerPoint slides, etc.

With everything being online in the classroom, it eliminates the amount of paper used and saves the school money by getting rid of expensive paper textbooks.

Having more technology in schools helps spark the interest of learning in students and gives countless opportunities to create and explore the world of education.

Does technology effect your life positively or negatively? Why?

"Negatively, I end up not having enough time to do my homework. " REBECCA TECLE freshman

"Negatively, because I am missing everything in outside life."

GEORGE TWENEBOA freshman

"Positively, when I need help I just text my friends and ask."

DANIA ABU sophomore

"Negatively, it strays me away from work."

ERIN LEE sophomore

"Positively, because Netflix is the greatest."

JONATHAN NGUYEN sophomore

"Negatively, especially because I do sports, it's a lot harder because I spend too much time online I don't get any work done."

MADDY MCCROSSIN junior

"Negatively, it distracts me from homework."

MICHAEL NGUYEN junior

"Both, most of my communication is online, however I tend to get off track and find myself searching through the web."

YOCIAS FEKADE senior

INTERNATIONAL 12

Nov. 18, 2015

Different cultures, same country

Growing up, I thought I was Jewish A culture with 80 languages Growing up I thought I was Jewish. You can imagine It was like I was not even Peruvian and everything I my surprise when I found out I was in fact not Jewish, thought and knew was invalid. but Catholic, and that Peruvian little girls usually do not My family members would call me gringa and I felt spin the dreidel for Hanukkah. like everyone's Spanish was incomprehensible; even the It really wasn't until I moved to Virginia and was Peruvian food did not seem as delicious as I felt it was thrown into a multi-cultural community that I really re- back home. alized what it meant to be Peruvian.

Although the landscape in some of the places I visI know it seems kind of ridiculous for me not to real- ited was gorgeous, I felt a disconnect. When I came back ize I am Latina for that long, but it was home to Annandale I was completely lost. my reality.

I thought that I had no right to call myI had grown up in a mainly Jewish self Peruvian. And if I was not Peruvian, community in Maryland and went to a what was I? Jewish based pre-school.

I definitely was not just American. As I learned all the songs and celmuch as I feel like America is my home, I ebrated all the traditions. don't identify with the wholesome AmeriThe Peruvian side of my family can kind of image that is projected. lived in Virginia, so I did not see them I struggled for quite a bit until I was at a very often. family party (there are quite a few of those Moving to Annandale is what rein a Peruvian family) and the song Contigo ally made me realize and see the dis- BY SASHA SILVA PerĂş came on. tinction between me and the kids I Special to The A-Blast It's basically a song about how awegrew up with. some Peru is. I felt pride swell in my chest Being thrown into a town like and I started dancing with my family.

Annandale where everyone is very aware of their culI came to the conclusion that being Peruvian is ture made me want to find out more about my own. something I feel, it is intangible. No, I was not born in I began by paying more attention at family parties. Peru, but I am Peruvian. I feel the same pride that any I noticed how Peruvian culture had been snuck into my Peruvian feels singing their national anthem. Yes, being life in small ways like the food we ate, the music we lis- Peruvian in America is very different from being Perutened to and how my aunts would sometimes switch to vian in Peru, but they are Peruvian all the same. I feel Quichua in the middle of their conversations. proud to identify as both Peruvian and American.

With this I thought "Hey I definitely understand my Embracing my culture means accepting the fact that Peruvian side: food, language, music; I am covered." being Peruvian-American is different from being a born But then I actually went to Peru, and that is when it all and bred Peruvian, but that my form is just as valid. changed.

I am Ethiopian, so my culture differs largely from cultures.

I think it's interesting to see the different cultures others in America.

But I still love my culture and the practices we and compare them with my own culture. I think it's have. Ethiopia and America are different though. One amazing to see how students from different backhuge difference is the dates. The Ethiopian calendar grounds get the opportunity to experience and learn more about other cultures and see how different they has one more month in it. are from their own.

For me, all holidays are different dates Something that makes me than what they are in the American calenfeel proud about my culture dar. It is also the reason why it is only 2008 is the traditional dances we right now in Ethiopia. We usually celebrate have. One of the most popular holidays by getting together with famdances we have is when we ily and eating our cultural food, injera and put our hands on our hips and waht. then we shake our shoulders On some holidays we get together up and down to the music beat; at church wearing cultural clothes and a this dance is called eskitsa. white cloth that women wrap around their Many Ethiopians have created head and men wrap around their clothes. different styles of this dance In fact, during Easter long leaves are given BY BITANIA ENDALthroughout the years. out and tied to everyone's head during KACHEW Something that has helped church while they listen to cultural music Special to The A-Blast me see things from a different in Amharic, the official language of Ethioperspective is that I lived in pia, by the church choir.

Then, after church food is given out, everyone China for many years. Something I learned from livstays and talks to each other. The most common re- ing in a different country is that I see things from my ligion is Orthodox Christians, however Muslims, Jews own culture's perspective but I also see things from a and other small religious groups exist among Ethiopi- Chinese perspective.

For me, being Ethiopian and embracing my roots ans as well.

Most Ethiopians speak Amharic, however there is important because it makes me who I am as a person and it helps me to be more respectful towards are over 80 different languages in Ethiopia.

There are many Ethiopians in our school, but other cultures because I know what is like to have difthere is also a lot of diversity. Annandale is one of the ferent traditions from other cultures. Although I do most diverse areas, which allows our school to experi- not live in Ethiopia, I am still glad that I get to share ence students from many differing backgrounds and and practice my heritage with other Ethiopian friends.

Country spotlight: The Philippines

BY JESSICA SMITH Special to The A-Blast The Philippines is a republic that contains over 7,000 Pacific Islands located near Thailand and Vietnam.

It is the seventh most populated country in Asia and 12th most populated country in the world.

The Philippines is one of the most popular places for scuba diving and a vacation spot.

A lot of people go there to visit their families, or just to enjoy their summers.

The turquoise water, and rainforests will have you wish you never left.

The people are so welcoming and they love meeting people from different countries, especially the United States.

When I went to the Philippines for the second time this past summer, I had such an enjoyable time with all of my family there.

We spent so much time showing me around the farm, and the markets.

Jessica shares her experiences when she visited The philippines.

A lot of my family comes from my mother's side and they live in the country.

Depending on how far from Manila (the capital) you travel, you will see different types of cities.

You could travel six hours north of Manila, get to the country and continue for another three hours, you will reach one of the most famous cities: Pagasinan.

You could then travel another five hours and end up in the

mountains.

The mountains are really beautiful, and I highly encourage everyone to go at one point in their lives.

When I went back to the Philippines over the summer (17 hours flying plus six hours of driving), I spent a lot of time with family.

We got there three days before my birthday, so we were preparing for that while we were getting settled and unpacking.

A lot of the time I would just ride on a motorcycle with my cousins and just explore.

They do not live in the city, so we got away with riding motorcycles and such.

My cousin also got married on July fifth, I was the maid of honor at her wedding.

Weddings are different there than they are here, so experiencing that was really amazing, except the church did not have air conditioning; it was hot.

However, I would not have traded the experience for anything. I love and miss my family and I cannot wait to go back.

FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES Fifth largest English speaking country behind the U.S., India, Pakistan and England.

If The Phillipine's flag is flown with red on top, it is in a time of war. If it is flown with blue on top, it is in a time of peace.

World's leading producer of coconuts Comprised of more than 7,000 islands.

The first Filipino-Spanish dictionary, the Tagala, was printed in 1613.

Named after King Phillip II.

The Philippines has won at eight international beauty pageant titles.

Camiguin, an island province, has the most volcanoes per square kilometer in the world.

The Yo-Yo comes from a Phillipino language called llocano.

The rice terraces of Philippine Cordilleras have been rendered a UNESCO World Heritage site, as they have been preserved for over 2,000 years.

American Stories

Bolivian student shares her journey and new adaptations in the U.S.

BY FAVIANA ANGULO Special to The A-Blast Moving to another country is not easy. It was difficult to come here and start a new life; I had to adapt to the language, school, and the culture. In the first place, the language is the biggest change I had. In my country, I only spoke Spanish.

I went to an English center where I learned how to write and speak English. There are words I have never seen but I am glad I know them now so my English can increase.

The pronunciation is different and complicated compared to how you write Spanish, and my friends agree with that.

What I like about it here is that when you go somewhere if you do not know English there are people that can translate to you. Both languages are way different from each other.

Also, the schools here are bigger. In my old school, we did not have lockers, and we had to bring all our textbooks in our backpacks.

If we wanted to graduate we just needed to study and pass the classes we have.

We did not need credits of a specific class. The classroom did not have smart boards, the teachers used markers to write on the board and did not use computers. The education in the USA gives students more opportunities, that is why I am studying hard to get a better future.

Schools in the USA have more resources and rules than Bolivia.

When I came to Annandale I thought only Americans lived here. I was wrong; there are people from all over the world which I think is cool.

My classes have students from almost every continent like Latin Americans, Asians, Africans and even Europeans.

They are very nice with me and they teach me about their culture too.

I like that some of them do not forget their original language and cultures.

Diversity makes the United States a wonderful country. To sum it up, it was hard to leave my family and friends when I came to the USA. Leaving my country and family hurt a lot but I know I will learn from this experience, and it will help me in the future.

Moving here was not easy; the language, school, and culture were difficult, but I survived from this experience. I really do miss Bolivia and I hope someday I will go back.

PEOPLE 13 Double and triple the trouble Nov. 18, 2015

BY JULIE SWENTON People Editor Noah, Sarah and Zach Woodward are all seniors.

Sarah was born first, 24 minutes later came Zach and four minutes after Zach came Noah.

Their favorite memories occurred when they were young.

"I will always remember when my brother, sister and I traveled the U.S. in a motorhome with our grandparents," Noah said.

"When we were little, my brother took our mom's

Maldonado twins share a bone

camera," Zach said. "We played with it, took a ton of pictures and had a ton of fun. Then we got in trouble, but we never deleted the pictures."

They all said that life would be lonely without each other, but also somewhat peaceful.

"The best thing is that you never have to be alone, but it's also the worst thing because you are literally never alone," Sarah said.

Sarah and Noah like to binge watch Netflix together, while Sarah and Zach goof-off and sing songs together.

"Noah and I hang out with some of the same people because we both do theatre," said Sarah. "But we mostly have different friends because we do different

activities."

Some of the silliest questions they've been asked are: "Are you guys the same age?" "Do you have the same birthday?" and "How much older are your brother and sister?"

"Not having my own birthday party was/is the worst part of having twin siblings for me, but I love goofing around and laughing with them," Zach said.

As anyone with a sibling would say, it can be hard because you are constantly being compared to your brothers and/or sisters and your parents expect all of you to be the same.

Tigabu twins compete in track

BY JULIE SWENTON

People Editor

People Editor

Kevin and Alan Maldonado are seniors.

Alan is older than Kevin by a minute.

"Growing up was tough because it was just my mom and me and my brother," Alan said.

Although they do look the same, their mother rarely confuses them because she has known them so long. However, sometimes she confuses them if they go into different rooms at the same time.

The two get mixed up fairly often outside of their home, but it has been happening so long that neither really seem to care anymore.

"A funny memory I have with my brother is when we lived in Florida and got lost in a mall. My mom and the mall security found both me and my brother hanging out under a table the whole time," Alan said.

Having a twin is a special bond that other siblings really can never understand, according to Kevin.

"You're pretty much always together," Kevin said.

"He's always by my side and I'm always by his side. It's great having that bond."

Their favorite things to do with each other are just hangout and play video games. If one of them is bored, they can always ask the other if they want to do something, and chances are they'll have fun.

"The worst thing about having a twin brother is getting confused, but in specific situations. If I get

Dagim and Mahiteme Tigabu are juniors.

Mahiteme is older than Dagim by an hour.

"Growing up, the hardest thing about having a twin was when our parents made us wear the same thing almost every day and do the same activities," Dagim said.

Although they wore the same clothes, their parents never mixed them up because they don't look alike. Few people mix them up, but sometimes they'll be called by the other's name, which they said can get annoying.

"One of the funniest memories I have with my brother was when we were younger, Dagim thought he could swim and almost drowned," Mahiteme said.

Having a twin that doesn't look like you is the same as having a brother.

"I love talking to my brother," Dagim said, "We trust one another and tell each other anything that's on our minds."

Their favorite things about having each other are having someone to give them advice, getting two times the amount of clothes and competing against each other in track. Although, sometimes it gets annoying having to share everything, because they've had to do that since birth.

"The worst thing about having a twin brother is that everyone compares me to my brother and asks

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN MALDONADO

BY CONRAD SHARTEL

in trouble for something then get blamed, it really sucks," Kevin said.

His brother, Alan, had a different opinion.

"The worst thing is when I like a girl or something, and she confuses us and calls me his name," Alan said.

The silliest question they've been asked is: "Are you guys twins?" They both said that life would be very boring without their twin.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAGIM TIGABU

PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH WOODWARD

Woodward triplets have different friends but still have a blast

too many questions," Dagim said.

The silliest questions they've been asked are: "Are you both the same age?" and "Are you guys identical?"

They have most of the same friends, so they see each other at home and outside of home pretty often.

Without each other, it would be quiet and lonely because they're with each other every day and night.

Heard in the Hall: What would having a twin be like?

"It would be fun to psych other people out and trick them with my twin."

"If I had a twin, I would switch classes with him for math so he could get me a 100 and KAYLA HOLCOMB I could for him." freshman FARES AYOUB freshman

"I would hate it because it would be hard. If people called me the wrong name that would be annoying."

"People would get so confused and we could play pranks on each other."

MADDY MCROSSIN junior

ANGELA KIM sophomore

"I think it would be cool since I usually don't really care how I look but if I had a twin I would be more aware about what I'm wearing."

"I wouldn't want to have a twin because it would be annoying."

LUCERO BARAHONA

SABRINA HUYNH junior

WHO AM I?

"I think it could go both ways. I would love having a sibling, but I would be mad if my twin was better looking."

ALHASSAN SESAY

senior

VINCENT ROLLINS

senior

Alumni Postcard

I attended Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Rowan Shartel

I was born in Williamsport, PA

Background: Shartel graduated in the class of 2013. She was involved in The A-Blast, track and field hockey.

My pet is a German Rottweiler named Bella

senior

"It would be annoying to get mixed up and it would be more epxensive. But if you had a problem you could turn to them."

College life: Shartel attends GMU, is majoring in Biology and wants to go into the education field.

My favorite activities are working out, playing sports, dabbling in the stock market and reading My favorite vacation was visiting Iceland

Favorite class: Her favorite class is Genetics and Development.

My favorite movies are White Men Can't Jump and The Transporter

Biggest fear at college: Failing a really difficult or important exam.

I love watching football and I am an emphatic Raiders fan!

Best thing about college: Being able to choose your academic path and explore new opportunities.

Before AHS I tended bar and served tables at a restaurant and bar named Ye Old Corner while I was in graduate school earning a Master's degree

What I miss about AHS: I miss my IB teachers, the classes and the community of high school sports.

I have been at AHS for seven years

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

Advice to graduating seniors: Don't worry if you have no idea what you want to do after high school or after college. Don't worry if you change your mind in college about what you want to do. Don't worry if you change your mind about what college you want to attend. There is time to figure all this out, and putting undue pressure on yourself ends up being very stressful.

14 LIFESTYLES

SIMPLY STUNNING

THI

SAAD FAROOQ, 11

, 12 le but OMER ally simp ear a

N re sw TIPoYu Awant to yboeu can alwuadye booties.

Saad is wearing button up shirt along with khakis and grey shoes. he is using neutral colors in his favor to complete his outfit.

If y stylish ng with n still dress alo nude

Quick looks for the fall

BY HEZEKIEL YONAS AND THIDA PATHAMMAVONG Editor in Chief The simplicity of solid-colored clothing has slowly conquered flashy, overthe-top outfits. Instead of flaunting colorful, extravagant wardrobes, students are being stylish in plain shirts and pants.

Neutral-colored clothing consists of different variations of black, white, brown and green. A common example of this style is wearing any shade of blue jeans. This has become a popular fashion choice among boys at AHS. "I think that only certain solid colored clothes would look fresh," senior Ananda Poudel said.

Poudel can easily be spotted in a crowd with his fashionable all-brown Timberland boots.

"I wear a plain white shirt sometimes, but you have to be able to make it look good with what you wear on the bottom, " Poudel said.

It's also very convenient because these types of clothing can go with anything, creating different types of wardrobes.

"I like it because you have more options if you want to wear something

Nov. 18, 2015

WhiteDA PATH and bl anythin ac AMM VO a bit o g and thek can be wA NG would f color.. a burgundy orn with , 12 p s be a g reat atatement neants add ddition c to youklace r outf it.

else," senior Amanda Villagran said.

The simplicity of the style can save you time when you're rushing to get ready.

"Solid colors can easily be put together with anything when you're in a hurry and still look very fashionable," junior Saad Farooq said.

On the other hand, some students are opposed to the simplistic style because they believe it isn't as tasteful.

"I think [solid-colored clothing] makes you look plain and boring," senior Natnael Weldegiorgis said. "But I sometimes put on jeans, Sperry's and a normal plaid shirt, and feel very fresh."

People have differing views on this new fashion, but it's undeniably appealing and makes outfits more affordable. Plain-colored shirts at H&M are only $4, making frugal and fashionable synonymous.

Boys can get inspired by some of their favorite rappers like Kanye West.

His fashion line is full of effortless basic pieces that are paired together nicely.

Although simple colors are in use it still has a sleek and stylish look to it.

Wearing solid-colors isn't a fashion statement that is only limited to males. Many girls wear the simplest clothing and still look as good as boys.

Creating an outfit with neutral colors is so easy. You can simply take different neutral shades, pair them together and you'll have a simplistic outfit ready to go. Girls can wear the most basic pieces of clothing and still look as

ANANDA POUDEL, 12 Plain t-shirts can go well with a pair of basic denim jeans and your favorite pair of shoes.

An example of a great pair of shoes would be Timberlands.

good as someone who is wearing bright, flashy colors. The neutral colors and basic clothing trend is in now. The Kardashian and Jenner sisters are the epitome of neutral and basic styles of clothing. You always see Kim Kardashian pairing neutral colors together or even a solid olive colored top with skintoned skirt and coat.

"I like wearing solid, neutral and basic colors because they are easier to work with and also style differently," senior Hassa Koroma said.

Sometimes people wear a basic outfit to help attract attention to something else in their wardrobe. "[I wear solid-colored outfits] only when I want something in my outfit to stand out, like my shoes or a necklace, " sophomore Mia Mouchkelly said.

"But I usually wear solid shoes and patterned clothing."

Instead of being extraordinary, some students are now finding the perks of rocking simple outfits. An addition to your outfit can easily be a pair of shoes or any type of statement accessories. Instead of those items you can use a clean and effortless purse. Those little perks that are added to your outfit will become the main focus and add a little personal touch.

Spice up your room Fujifilm Instax Mini Not only are they great for taking cute little polaroids, they can also be a great addition to your room as a decoration. You can simply place it next to your books or flowers!

alks with hida and ipyan

T

NEW MESSAGE Artifical Flowers If taking care of real flowers is too much to handle, you can buy artifical flowers from any local store like IKEA! It's a great way to add some life to your room.

Photos Arrange your favorite captured memories on your wall so you can always be reminded of the good times. This makes for a meaningful and creative wall decor.

Mirrors Mirrors are an excellent thing to have all around your room. They are essential accesories that you most likely need to look at yourself every morning.

The photo above is the perfect example of how you can use the items on the right to decorate your room. You can rearrange the items however you want.

Some local stores with the best decorations: -Marshalls -Urban Outfitters - IKEA - Ross -Target

Books Pick out some of your favorite books to use as decoration. You can stack them up vertically or horizontally depending on the theme of your room.

Paintings Instead of purchasing a painting, take a day to find your inner muse and create a painting that represents something you love.

FASHION SPOTLIGHT

To Thida and Tipyan

I am having trouble balancing school, my social life, and a relationship. What should I do? -Anon

To Anon We all have a little trouble trying to make everything fit into our busy lives. Although it may stress you out and seem like a struggle, there are many ways to handle it.

Keeping a schedule would come in handy so you never over book yourself. You don't want to become overTo Thida and Tipyan whelmed. With all the expectations you're facing it's no surprise that things are overlapping. Make sure to give your friends a heads up and I'm sure they'll understand.

As for a relationship, leave that for when you have the time. High school should be about keeping up your grades and making memories with your friends. You'll have plenty of time for a relationship after. However if you feel that you're in a serious relationship I'm sure your significant other wouldn't mind meeting you half way.

-Tipyan and Thida

If you need any other advice feel free to contact us at tpath08@yahoo.com

Q: How did you learn how to dress?

A: It runs in the family. My mom was a fashionista too!

Mia Mouchkelly, 10

Q: Where do you like to shop?

A: I love thrift shopping because you find all these original pieces that you'll never find anyone else wearing.

Q: What are your favorite clothing pieces?

A: I would have to say my jean jacket that I bleached and ripped up because I'm proud of how it turned out.

PHOTO CREDIT MIA MOUCHKELLY

Q: What is your outfit for school or a date?

A: I'm crazy on layering clothes. On a date I would wear a short flowy dress with a big T-shirt on top and converse or sneakers.

Q: On your lazy days what do you prefer to wear?

A: Lazy days I always go for leggings, a big T-shirt or hoodie and roshes.

Q: What is your favorite season to dress for?

A: My favorite season is winter because I can layer all I want.

Q: How long does it take you to get ready?

A: I take maybe 15-20 minutes for the outfit part and 25 for the hair and makeup part.

Q: How much do you usually invest in clothing?

A: I probably do spend a lot overall because I literally go to Tysons every Saturday. But I usually never spend more than around $25 on a piece of clothing.

Q: What are your favorite pair of shoes?

A: My favorite pair of shoes are my Urban Outfitter New Balance white sneakers. They go with everything.

Q: Do you dress to impress or dress for yourself?

A: In all honesty, both. I feel a lot more confident when I'm dressed up. I also have to confess that I do look forward to the compliments people give me because who doesn't want to be told they look nice?

Q: Who is your fashion inspiration?

A: I get inspiration everywhere. For example, there was this little boy I saw who was wearing a hoodie with a big t-shirt on top. I thought it was really cool so I literally wore that the next day!

Q: What's your favorite accessory to add to your outfit?

A: My favorite accessory would have to be my dad's old watch. I wear it with everything because it means so much to me. It doesn't even work!

SPORTS X-TRA 15 Taekwondo student kicks to states Nov. 18, 2015

Kevin Nguyen trains for a shot at becoming state champion Among the thousands of students that attend Annandale, there are a few who specialize in unique sports. Taekwondo specialist, senior Kevin Nguyen, is currently training for another shot at becoming a state champion.

In his last run at the title, he finished third in the state. While that may seem like an arduous and impressive feat for most, it is not enough for Nguyen, who is constantly looking to improve.

Winning four gold medals and a championship, Nguyen has accumulated an impressive resume.

Nguyen's talent has not come through luck or simple athleticism, but through training for eight years.

"I was tired of going home and living a sedentary lifestyle," Nguyen said. "I saw taekwondo as an opportunity for me to pursue something cool."

Nguyen's parents support him practicing, but remind him of his priorities.

"We encourage him practicing the sport," Nguyen's parents said. " But at the same time we remind him that his first priority must be school."

Taekwondo is an individual sport where points are scored by hitting the opponent's body. A single point is awarded when a participant hits the opponent on the chest or the sides of his torso.

Two points are awarded when the same thing is

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEVIN NGUYEN

BY SERGIO POZO Staff Writer

Kevin Nguyen front kicks a kicking pad in class while training.

done directly following a spin. Three points are awarded to a hit to the face and four to a hit to the face preceded by a spin.

At the end of two rounds that are a minute and a half long, the sparrer with the most points. The action of fighting in taekwondo is referred to as sparring.

To protect themselves, sparrers use a variety of equipment such as head gear, shin guards, gloves, and much more.

There is a common stereotype that the majority of those who participate in taekwondo are Asian.

It is true that a lot of Asian people practice the sport but this is justified because it originated in Korea.

Still, Great Britain, Australia and the U.S. along with other countries participate in the Olympics.

Although competition for taekwondo is most

vigorous in the months between January and June, Nguyen practices year round in order to be able to get an edge on his opponents during the taekwondo season.

"I practice year round but I practice more intensely when tournament season comes around," Nguyen said.

Nguyen is 5" 5' and in the fin division, meaning he must weigh under 120 pounds in order to compete.

Managing your weight is crucial in taekwondo because one does not want to lose a few pounds the day of competition and not have enough energy to do well in a match.

Kevin's diet consists of a variety of foods to maintain a healthy balanced intake of nutrients along with other necessities essential for having enough energy.

"I eat a lot of carbs, fruits, vegetables and proteins,"

Nguyen said. "I try to restrict sugars as well as other unhealthy foods as the tournaments near in order to be under the specified weight."

Of course, for someone to be as successful as Nguyen in something, whether it is on a test, sport or life in general, a lot of practice is required.

"Before high school and the workload that came with it, I practiced five to six times per week yearround," Nguyen said. "Now I only practice around three two four times in class or at home."

An increase in the amount of schoolwork Nguyen has received since the transition to high school has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of times he practices per week.

Still, his passion for the sport pushes him to find a way to get to practice as much as he can so he can reach his ultimate goal of winning states.

Taekwondo is very important to Nguyen as it has taught him many things such as self-discipline and sacrifice.

"Taekwondo has given me something physically and mentally challenging to do," Nguyen said. "It has taught me mental toughness, optimism and a sense of competition."

Nguyen plans to continue competing as long as he is able to because although he takes the sport seriously, it is also a hobby for him.

He does not plan to compete professionally because of the amount of sacrifice it takes to dedicate your life to the sport.

"The stress of traveling, strict weight control and practice would all be too much for me to handle," Nguyen said.

Nguyen is continuing to train hard, eat right and hopes to advance his ranks in the national bracket.

Heard in the Hall: What additional sports should be offered at school?

"Ice skating because some people come to the school who are really good at ice skating."

"Ice hockey because I "Rugby because a lot of people play it and play and it is fun."

BILAL RASHEED a lot of people wanna freshman join it."

KMARIAMAWIT WOLDEAB

"Badminton because it is fun and people should get to play it.

SAMUEL WONDWOSSEN sophomore

"Badminton because I think it's fun and it was fun when we played it in gym."

"Boys volleyball because it would be nice to have a team."

CECILIA JOSEPH

AREEBA ATIQUE

junior

sophomore

junior

MOIZ AHMER

"Frisbee golf because I have always wanted to make it a club."

AMANDA ADENAN senior

"Ice hockey because all schools in our district have it, and a lot of people would join."

GRANT THOMPSON senior

freshman

Athletes could potentially pay to play receive the amount of exercise necessary to be considered healthy, which would affect their bodies in a negative way.

Sports also play a vital role in shaping a student's character by giving athletes the opportunity to develop relationships outside of the classroom in a safer, more comfortable environment.

A student who wants to participate, but is not able to pay the $200w would not be able to play sports.

"I think this is unfair for students who are unable to pay off the money, but really want to play the sport," sophomore Augusto Gonzalez said.

With this controversial topic still not enforced, the idea could be dropped. With an unpopular idea, FCPS board members need to make a decision, while also coming up with a way of making money without upsetting the students attending the schools.

What would you do?

PAY AND PLAY

Members of the Fairfax County school board have proposed several ideas on how to raise money for the county. They have outlined two plans; one that would save $75 million and one to raise $50 million.

In both proposals, many different extracurriculars and programs are at risk of modifications that include charging students extra. From paying for IB and AP exams to increasing the price of parking permits, student life in and outside of the classroom could take a turn for the worse.

One of the programs at risk within both proposals are charging students $200 in order to participate in school sports teams.

Along with that, the county is also leaning towards cutting out freshman sports teams. Some students feel like this is unfair.

"I think that there are a lot of athletes with a lot of athletic ability, but they are not financially stable and are unable to spend $200 on sports, and should only have to pay for the gear," senior Naol Bayisa said.

Students who are on free or reduced lunch do not have to worry about this problem, for they are exempt. For those who are not on free or reduced lunch, this would mean another bill that would have to be paid.

Students disapprove of this proposed additional charge as it defies the free benefits that public schools are supposed to offer.

"I do not find it right that a public school, that is supposed to be free, is charging kids to play sports," junior Eyob Mengistu said.

This could be one of the reasons that students do not participate in sports, which could cause several problems within a student's life. Without a sport to participate in, a student would not

QUIT SPORTS

BY RAPHAEL YU Sports X-tra Editor

39 students voted anonymously via Twitter for what they would do.

Chinese Halal Cuisine Open 7 days a week!

Sunday-Thursday:11am to 10pm Last Dine in: 9:30pm Friday and Saturday:11am to 11pm Last Dine in: 10:30pm

Springfield Plaza 6366 Commerce St. Springfield, VA 22150 Tel: (703) 912 3118, (703) 912 5855

10% off for any orders over $20 (Entree only). This coupon cannot be applied towards lunch specials and buffet. Cannot be applied with any other store coupons. Expiration date 06/31/2016. Cut out coupon and bring into restaurant.

16 SPORTS

Nov. 18, 2015

Basketball preseason review ANTHONY DIHN

BY CREW MCARTHY AND RACHEL SHOGREN Staff Writer As the fall season comes to a close, AHS has its eyes set on the upcoming winter sports season.

When it comes to basketball, the team has very high hopes.

"My goal for this season is to win the district and make some noise in regionals," senior Dini Mohamud said.

Coming off of a not so good 8-14 season last year, the Atoms hope to turn their record around going into the 2015-16 season.

In order to do this, all players will have to play to their highest ability. This requires players to not

only practice during the season, but off-season as well.

All players hoping to have a spot on the varsity roster or even the JV roster most likely practiced during the off-season.

To go along with practicing, players must also make sure they maintain their fitness to stay in the best shape possible.

"This summer, I worked on my game playing AAU, as well as going to XSport to get in shape for the season," Mohamud said.

AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. AAU really helps the players prepare for the season

by training them and getting them ready for the season to come.

Tryouts began on Monday, Nov. 9. Tryouts consist of players showing off their skills in front of the coaches and lots and lots of conditioning.

Being in a great physical condition is something the coaches are really looking for.

Although endurance is an important part of the game, several players spent time working on strength and their shooting instead.

"I've been working on my jumpshot and my repetition. I've been working on my speed because I know we're gonna play fast this year," junior Andrew Ours said. "I've also been working on my shooting

skills several times a day so I can get better."

After getting beat out during the first round of districts last year, the team is ready to push harder and make it much further.

"South County and West Springfield will be tough because they have good players coming up for them," junior Dontae Johnson said about the team's upcoming tough opponents.

AHS is looking forward to their first scrimmage against George Mason High School on Dec. 20.

Tryouts for the AHS Varsity Basketball team

Q&A: Coach Behne

Q&A: Coach Sweet

Q: What are you expecting from this year's team?

A: Our expectations are to have a successful year on all three levels. We want all our student-athletes to have success in the classroom, community and on the court. The varsity basketball team goal is to host the first round of conference playoffs and advance to the regional playoffs.

Q: What are you expecting from this year's team?

A: I inherited an extremely talented team from Coach Shoulders and I expect us to not only be returning district champions, but to be top five in the region.

Q: What do you expect to see from tryouts?

A: Who wants it more. You really get to see who is cut out for this sport and who isn't.

Q: What do you expect to see from tryouts?

A: We expect to see a number of student-athletes working to the best of their ability to make our program successful and represent the entire school with Atom Pride.

Q: How many athletes are you expecting to keep this year on varsity?

A: We never know how many athletes we will have on each team. The decision is up to the players if they come to tryouts prepared to give their best. Our decision is based on selecting the student-athletes who are the most athletic, skilled, positive, hardworking, team-oriented and academically and psychically prepared.

Q: How do you think the athletes look so far based off of green days and workouts?

A: Our student-athletes look hungry for the opportunity of the new season.

Q: How many people do you expect to keep on the Junior Varsity team?

A: We never know how many athletes we will have on each team.

Q: How many athletes are you expecting to keep this year on Varsity?

A: There are 14 weight classes and we will have 14 starters who will slip in. I estimate about 20 to 22 guys traveling with the team.

A: We will not know the strengths and weaknesses until the season begins. We do play in the best conference in Northern Virginia with teams that play many different styles. We need to be able to play a variety of styles to be competitive night in and night out. The challenge will make us a better team ready for any challenges that lie ahead.

Q: How do you think the athletes look so far based off of green days and workouts?

A: We have guys who came out for the first time on day five and we have guys who have been there since day one. Right now I'm happy but never satisfied.

Q: How many people do you expect to keep on the Junior Varsity team?

A: There is no exact amount. We will keep anyone who will stay and wants to learn. Anyone who doesn't want to be there will cut themselves.

Q: Do you think you can bring another district title to AHS? A: We would be very proud to bring AHS it's fourth District Title, first Conference Playoff Championship or first Regional Championship if we get the opportunity.

Q: What types of athletes will you be looking for come tryouts?

A: I want to see uniformity. I want to see a tight cohesive family. I want to see them helping and pushing each other.

Q: Are your practices rigorous and hardcore?

A: Yes. I know Coach Shoulders ran a pretty tight ship and I know that we will never stop moving and that's the leg up we will have on our competition.

Q: Are your practices rigorous and hardcore?

A: All practices, like all classroom lesson plans, must be planned, rigorous, relevant and timely to be efficient.

Q: What is your prior coaching experience?

A: I was a volunteer assistant during college, then I was a JV head coach, varsity assistant coach then a varsity head coach at Washington and Lee.

Q: What is your prior coaching experience?

A: This is my fourth year as Varsity Head Coach of AHS. Q: What are the team's strengths and weaknesses?

Q: What are the teams strengths and weaknesses?

A: Our strength is that we're going to have a full roster at Washington and Lee. We had eight people and Annandale would walk in and they would be 40 deep.

Our weakness is going to be that we have too many studs and we don't know where to put them.

Q: How are you preparing for the upcoming season?

A: We try to help people individually. We start out soft with the beginners and push the varsity guys to their limits. It's maximum conditioning without killing the guys.

Q: What tactics are you going to bring from your prior coaching experience?

A: I am focused on speed. The teams that I've had were usually based on speed. Footwork and quickness is something we will work on to get the edge on our opponents.

Q: Do you think you can bring another district title to AHS? A: I think I can, but it's not so much about what I think.

We have the talent and now we just have to execute.

What winter sport will have the best record?

"I think track because they run really fast and since it's cold, they need to run faster to keep themselves warm."

"Wrestling, because I guess there are new, bigger people and because there's a new coach."

SARAH SAHAL

freshman

MAURICIO LOPEZ

"Basketball, because our program is developing and it's already good."

"Basketball because ball is life."

DAWIT WONDWOSEN sophomore

ELIZABETH CORCORAN sophomore

"Annandale basketball will have the best record this winter because of our senior leadership and Dini Mohamud."

SALIMA KHAN

"Basketball because I just like basketball. " ROBEL GESSESSE

junior

freshman

junior

"I think wrestling is going to do well this year. We did pretty well last year so I think we're going to keep that going."

KEILA MONTEIL senior

"Basketball because our team is actually really good and wrestling because our wrestlers are extremely good."

SHAHEER AKHTAR senior

Grappling Atoms looking for a back to back Staff Writer The AHS Grappling Atoms enter the 2015-2016 season with a lot of change around the team. Former coach Keith Sholders, resigned after the 2014-2015 season. Also, the departure of talented wrestlers such as Tony Gibbs, Devin Hamlett and Wesley Miller has deeply impacted the team.

These losses left a huge gap in the wrestling staff and team, and left the question of who would fill it.

Coach Derek Sweet and Assistant Coach John Jennison have joined the staff this year with hopes of leading the team to success as they have in past seasons.

"I plan to work hard each and every day with Coach Sweet," Jennison said. "[We aim to] come up with a solid plan to get our athletes in the best wrestling shape possible for competition."

Coach Jennison previously coached in a few different positions.

He spent the last two years coaching golf at W.T. Woodson High School and was able to help out with their wrestling program last year. Outside of school, Jennison is a private coach for indoor rowing to help our Police and Fire Department compete in the World Police and Fire Games and has been doing that for

the last four years.

He has previous experience with wrestling dating back to his middle school years up until college. A more thoroughly experienced staff can motivate the wrestlers to become great like their leaders.

Wrestlers like Alex Joya have wrestled for most of their lives. Joya wrestled for the Mat Rats prior to his high school wrestling career, only building his experience and potential for greatness. Last season he placed third in the states, falling to the state champions Joshua Neil from Colonial Forge.

This season he plans to go even further than his previous season.

"My goals this season are to of course win every match and win states," Joya said. "I plan to achieve this goal by pushing the limits and putting many hours into the gym.

Also by making my technique and footwork a lot better."

There are a lot of big factors in wrestling, such as making adjustments in your technique to defeat your opponent. Sometimes, the key to success is preparation prior to the match.

"There are many things we do as a team to prepare for matches, such as hard work, carbing up and hydrating, and making weight," Joya said. "The individual part of this sport is being out on that mat.

There's only you to help yourself

and you can't blame anyone else for your mistakes."

A large part of what wrestling is known for is their sometimes controversial technique of cutting weight. Regardless of how people feel about it, it is essential to achieving victory while participating in the sport itself.

"Last year, I started off the season at 132 lbs. and then cut down to 126 for districts, regionals and states," Joya said. "Right at this moment, I'm weighing 140 lbs. and plan to start off at 138 lbs. Towards the end of the season I plan to cut to 132 lbs. depending on how I perform at 138 lbs."

With a new staff, this opens the opportunity for already strong wrestlers to learn new techniques and build on their skill.

Their next competition is next Tuesday, Nov. 24. The Grappling Atoms will face Lake Braddock, South County, Thomas Jefferson, Marshall, and Mclean in a scrimmage at home.

COURTESY OF ALEX JOYA

BY JULIUS MILLER

Alex Joya wrestling against Lake Braddock at AHS

SPORTS 17

Nov. 18, 2015

Swim and Dive ready for the new season

BY SERENE GHUL Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF LUKE DAGGLE

The new swim season is approaching and with key players gone like Rachel Allshouse and Ben Martino the team will have to condition harder to try and imitate their successful season they both had last year.

With a lot more people joining the swim team this year compared to the last year, the team is ready for a great season. Swim and Dive performs many different things to make the bond as a team stronger.

When asked about the upcoming swim season and what the swim and divers goals are, sophomore Lennon Wuhrer said, "I hope to drop my time. I will achieve this by working hard and working on kicking faster. I went to districts last year and I hope to do that again and maybe even go further. As a team, I hope to win a couple of meets and I know some gifted individuals on our team who can make it to states."

While still having some of the Martino legacy at AHS we asked senior Gabe Martino on the season to come.

"I plan to go to states again with my relay squad through hard work and years of practice with the team."

Senior Luke Daggle takes a breath while he swims the 400m freestyle at last year's conference championship meet.

Martino said. "Hopefully our team does well enough to make districts to move some people on through region- just being better for the teams sake. continue to lift almost on a daily basis and stay in shape als and states. I feel confident some members of our "I hope to get top three at states, which is not going mentally and physically for the season," Boyd said. team will make it to states." to be an easy task, or even higher, in the 100 freestyle But when asked about how far they want to go as a Members of the Swim team, such as senior Aaron or the 50 freestyle. It will not be easy for me to reach team he said, "I want the boys and girls teams to win at Boyd, has set many goals for the upcoming season this goal without putting in the work I need, so I will least two meets in our conference, which can be done, whether it be trying to hit their personal record times or

and send two relays to regionals and states."

While the goals that Boyd set for his team are achievable he also believes that the girls will need to work hard to reach to those two meet wins.

"We have a tough conference, with Lake Braddock and Soco, but I think we as a team can improve from last year by putting in all of our effort instead of just half."

Senior Ashley Britton feels that although the team is not as large as it could be, they still can do well.

"We have another small team this year, but with density. We are still striving to get some swimmers into Regionals and States as we did last year. As a team we need to go into each meet with a fresh start and solid mindset.

If each swimmer individually shaves off time consistently throughout the season, we should be in good shape."

The Swim and Dive team feels confident in how they will do during meets this year and their performance.

Both the coaches and the team are much more involved in the season this year than last year.

"The coaches have a big impact on how we swim at our meet. Whether it be the motivation they bring when we have a meet or the laughter they give to the team, they play a big role in our swimming performance. The coaches also give us a better environment and only give us constructive criticism instead of yelling at us," Boyd said.

With this being the last year for the seniors they are working hard and trying to get to the goals set by themselves. But with the hard work and integrity of the team they can fulfill the seniors spots from last year.

Man on the street: What sport are you excited for in the winter?

"Indoor track, because I'm doing cross country and I love it."

"Basketball because of the speed and I play it for a living."

NASH ALEXANDER

FARES AYOUB

sophomore

freshman

"Basketball because the games are really hype and my friends play."

GENESIS LARA

"Track because I want to see Shaneya put in work."

"Swimming of course because I love the sport and my teammates."

MASON FARMAN

"Basketball because I like the intensity of the game, and because I play."

BRAHIM BANGURA junior

sophomore

"Basketball because of the hype and the games are hype."

KAYLA HULBERT senior

senior

SHERYL FOX junior

Seniors commit to play collegiate level sports Tim Johnson

Ashley Britton

Saint Josephs University for baseball

High Point University for lacrosse

BY LINA ALTAII Staff Writer

Tim Johnson swings the bat at one of his travel games.

"I don't really know who's on the team now or who's gonna be on the team when I get there but I'll do what I can. I'll work hard and I'll earn my playing time," Johnson said.

Managing with school and playing a sport is something many athletes have trouble dealing with, especially D1 athletes. It s hard for them to balance workouts and school, but Johnson definitely feels like the classes he takes now throughout high school have prepared him for those situations.

On Nov. 11, AHS senior Ashley Britton participated in National Letter of Intent Day, where the senior midfielder officially committed to play Division 1 women's lacrosse at High Point University in North Carolina.

"When I was in sixth grade, I saw High Point play George Mason. The way they moved around the field with such agressiveness and speed inspired me," Britton said. "After I visited High Point, I would always compare other schools to it."

High school is always a stressful time for potential collegiate athletes. Scouts seem to be recruiting earlier and earlier.

"Freshman and sophomore year was an exciting, but stressful time. It was full of college visits and recruiting tournaments," Britton said. Ashley Britton runs down the field in a game against Bishop Britton will have some sibling rivalry at High O'Connell last season.

Point. She will be able to play against her older family members, so I know how much work and time it sister, Paige.

"I am so pumped to play against my sister. Liberty requires," Britton said. "I am excited though, because I and High Point are both in the Big South conference, so it want to be pushed passed my limits."

"I could not have gotten anywhere without my coachshould be very interesting."

Along with playing collegiate athletics comes a little es, teammates, friends and family," Britton said. "And above all, God is the reason for everything. Without Him, bit of stress, but Britton is ready for that.

"I know how tough D1 lacrosse is because of my other none of this would be possible. I owe all of this to Him." PHOTO COURTESY OF ASHLEY BRITTON

Senior Tim Johnson has signed to play Division 1 baseball for Saint Joseph's college. After playing at Annandale for three years now, he is prepared and ready to take on the highest level of collegiate athletics in baseball.

Even though he is excited to work hard at college, there are some aspects of high school baseball that he will miss.

"The thing I'll miss most is just playing with the teammates that I've played with since I was really young," Johnson said. "We have had a bond for a long time, I think I'll miss that and being comfortable with everybody on the team, having a coach that coached me back when we were 13 years old. Just the familiarity of everybody around me."

Being committed to one sport may be hard for Johnson because he has to let go of other sports like football.

"I think I'll miss playing football, and I stopped playing basketball two years ago so I can do that on my own time," Johnson said.

Playing baseball has been one of his dreams for a long time, but he also gotten offers for football.

"I've liked baseball my whole life," Johnson said. "It's been my passion sport since I was young. I didn't start playing football since eighth grade, but my true favorite sport is baseball."

Going to a new college and having to make new friendships with brand new teammates can be hard.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM JOHNSON

BY ANDREW GONZALEZ Sports Editor

Boys Track expectations for the season Girls Track expectations for the season

First Team Jalen Jackson - Running back

Tim Johnson- Defensive back

Tucker Mack- Kicker and Punter

BY GRACE HOGYE Staff Writer Girls track will have to step up their performance with key runners last year that have graduated like Ravyn Hankinson Astrid Ligond.

Many members from last year are returning, so the coaches and others that are part of the team will be relying on them to do what they do best, run. .

"I have been preparing for track tryouts," sophomore Charlotte Getsey said. "I have been running more to get back in the feel of it."

Preparation is definitely needed for the season to come, especially in the winter where they train in the cold. Despite the difficulties, the girls are excited for the upcoming season.

"I am excited to start a new season with a new team," senior Natalie Jones said. "I'm looking forward to figuring out what I'll be running and who will be on the relays."

With the returning players up for the challenge of fulfilling the spots

PHOTO COURTESY OF ED NULL

With key members having graduated last ear like Robert Lamb and Aviad Gebrehiwot the boys will have to step it up and will try and duplicate the season that they had last year.

"Staying in shape while football season continues working on my running form, speed, and endurance throughout our conditioning period during practice," senior Nana Forson said.

While others members are trying to improve from the previous winter season by putting up their full potential in every workout they do there are others that are trying to exceed expectations and get better than expected.

"Last year was my best year in track and it's going to be really hard to beat my personal record, so that means I have to do extra work and stay healthy," junior Mahittem Tigabu said.

The senior members of the boys

improve my times and skills from last year by working hard. This year I plan to be dedicated to track at all times and help out my teammates," said Forson.

Returning athletes are pushing forward making vast improvements in order to reach districts, then make it to regionals and finally states.

"I did track last year and I got 11 minutes at districts for the 2 mile, which is pretty slow so I am focusing on improving my time for the two mile," junior Youssef El-Bourki said.

Sophomore Joeseph McCoy Hurdles over the bar The boys indoor track in last years meet. team is excited for the season to come and for the new indoor track to team are trying to members joining this team this year. make the best of the their last sea"New members of the track son by helping the other teammates team, the meets and even the hard every step of the way. workouts that are to come during "I've done track since my freshthe practices," said junior Jeremiah man year of high school. I plan to Bethea .

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOESEPH MCCOY

BY SHEILA AGUIRRE Videograpgher

Sophomore Genesis-Lara paces herself in a meet last year.

of the seniors, the newcomers are trying to step into the upperclassmen's shoes to do the same thing.

"I'm both nervous and excited," freshman Vy Nguyen said. "I'm

All Patriot Conference Honors recognition Second Team

Honorable Mentions

Tucker Mack- Quarterback

Cristian Linarez- Guard

Eduardo Rivera- Linebacker

Colin Corey- Denfensive back

Greg Stratton- Center

Colin Corey- Wide receiver

Malik Moten- Linebacker

Cory Pringle- Defensive back

David Park - Guard

Sergio Martinez- Denfensive Tackle

excited because it's going to be my first tryout for track and I'm nervous for the same reason. I'm expecting lots of fun and hard work."

In past years, the track team has been successful. They have placed in meets and also made it to state competitions. This season, the girls are hoping to keep Annandale's good name and continue doing well.

"Our track team is really good from what I have heard and seen," senior Casey Goettlicher said. "I think going into the new year we will be wanting to keep that reputation up."

While the girls have their goals set for the season, the coach has a big say on how they will do this year.

"It's hard to say how the team will do because there are always new runners trying out and returning runners can have a huge breakthroughs from year to year," Coach Ivy Jordan said. "Hopefully we will get new runners who are ready to compete along with returning runners."

Nathan Stamp- Offensive tackle

18 ENTERTAINMENT The end of the Hunger Games series

Nov. 18, 2015

Jennifer Lawrence to end the trilogy with passion

BY ALEXANDRA ZERNIK Managing Editor A warning to anyone planning on seeing Mockingjay Part 2, you will probably cry.

Mockingjay Part 1 ended with the dramatic return of Peeta, who is now trained as a weapon to kill Katniss.

The final scene showed President Coin giving a moving speech about the future of Panem and her plans for moving troops into the Capitol. The sound of a moved crowd's dictatorship-type chant continues to play as the scene intercuts with another showing Katniss walking into an observation room that holds a deranged Peeta

This will be Lawrence's last performance as Katniss.

strapped down to a bed.

To those who have read the books, you know what's coming. The conclusion to the film series will now have to contain the other half of the story.

SPOILER: It will begin with Peeta's slow struggle to become himself again and the takeover of the final District, District 2. I am highly anticipating Katniss'

Spectre shines

BY SERGIO POZO Staff Writer Daniel Craig is back assassinating, seducing women and making jokes about alcohol in the 24th James Bond film, Spectre.

Craig is the sixth actor to play Bond and has been doing so for quite some time. Having already played Bond in four movies including Spectre, Craig's time as Bond seems to be coming to a close. Still, it can be expected that he will be around for at least one more movie.

The film appropriately starts off in Mexico City where Bond kills two men plotting to blow up a stadium. This happens during the holiday of Dia de los Muertos, the day of the dead.

Death is a constant theme throughout the movie.

After receiving a message to attend a funeral, Bond learns of a secret meeting of a group named Spectre that he takes down later in the film.

Although the movie is an intimidating two and a half hours long, there is never a dull moment when watching as it is filled with mostly action but also romance and humor. The combination of action preceded by suspense adds to the excitement felt throughout the film.

goes insane is the deepest we get to delve into her subconscious. I loved experiencing her losing herself and then getting to see how she pulled herself back.

I'm excited to see Jennifer Lawrence portray this.

I don't know if she will quite capture the essence of the character but if she does, the viewer will be taken on a very emotional journey.

After I finished the epilogue, I was in a state of deep sadness. Katniss' long story wasn't technically sad when it came to an end but it had a melancholy tone that left me feeling empty.

I really appreciated how Suzanne Collins didn't just end the book with the rebels victory but with Katniss' (somewhat) emotional stability. I think that's what the series was really about, Katniss, not the rebellion, so I hope the film is the same way.

If the movie captures Katniss' internal struggle and nails the tone of the ending then I will definitely be satisfied and so will everyone else watching.

An aca-awesome app Skyfall, being the highest grossing Bond film of all time, set high expectations for the next film in the series. Spectre attempts to be in touch with its roots by revealing details such as referencing older villains and Bond's

The 24th James Bond film is as classic as ever

spontaneous speech in which she convinces the District to join the rebellion and therefore grants the army the ability to move into the final stage of the war.

What precedes the final battle is just as important as the battle itself but, since this is an action-heavy movie, we can assume that the assault on the Capitol will be the film's main focus.

I am curious to see how the intricacy of the Capitol will be exhibited and how they will present Katniss' self doubt during her mission since in writing it was shown mostly through her thoughts as opposed to her actions.

Something I am not looking forward to is the scene where Prim dies. It will be even more heart wrenching in film because, when reading the book, I didn't really get what had happened until two pages into the next chapter.

Her death will be a very difficult event to see visually displayed.

The most imperative thing about the story though is what comes after the rebels win. I will be very upset if they rush through the portion of Katniss experiencing post traumatic stress. The period of time where Katniss

backstory.

It brings back characters like Franz Oberhauser, now named Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), and Mr. White (Jesper Christensen). Blofeld is portrayed through his white persian cat which was his signature in his first appearance in From Russia with Love.

In the movie, it is often mentioned that Bond was orphaned which helps new viewers understand Bond's personality. The references allow new Bond viewers to understand the plot and not be lost throughout the movie.

Bond's humor is highlighted through conversations with Dr Madeline Swann (Lea Seydoux), the damsel in distress, and Q (Ben Whishaw), the gadget geek.

Being a first time viewer of the Bond franchise, I expected to see high tech gadgets similar to those used in the Mission Impossible series. Spectre failed to meet my expectations as the best gadget Bond used was a watch that exploded when its alarm went off.

All things considered, I give this movie 005 out of 007.

BY ALMAZ ABEDJE Staff Writer If you've ever wanted to make a cover of a song but not put more than half an hour of effort into it, your solution is here.

Acapella is a relatively new app that lets you do exactly that. The app lets users create their own beats without using actual music, sparking the creativity of aspiring artists and comedians.

Its success is primarily due to its multiple simultaneous frames of videos and easy to use controls.

This makes the song choice for the user expand tremendously, as the quantity of beats to be made increases per frame.

This app is just another example of the rapidly increasing versatility and creativity of this generation's social media.

Many students have tried out this popular trend. Senior Tabitha Barnes did her own rendition of "Respect" by Aretha Franklin.

"I like the app because it's super simple and easy to use, anyone can do it," Barnes said.

After posting her creation to Twitter, the tweet became popular amongst other students within a matter of minutes.

"I made one because I was bored and had seen some of the videos on Twitter," Barnes said. "I downloaded the app and started to fool around with it. That's how I came up with the one I posted."

In addition to Barnes, other students partook in this popular craze, making covers of other classic hits.

"I heard about the app after I saw a few versions of it on social media. I made three and they were all really fun to make," senior Gelila Reta said. "It's a nice activity to do during your free time or if you just need a break from homework."

Reta made a cover of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by The Tokens, most notably played in the popular childhood film The Lion King.

"I chose the song because The Lion King is my favorite movie of all time and I've always wanted to make a cool, creative cover of it when I got the chance to," Reta said.

Others, however, don't understand the hype surrounding the new application.

"It is a fun app but I think it's too similar to Vine," sophomore Cecilia Joseph said.

The similarities between the Acapella app and Vine are pretty obvious for the most part - limited time constraint, social media apps and video apps.

"Don't get me wrong, the app is very entertaining," Joseph said. "But it lacks full authenticity."

Conversely, the app has gotten more praise than criticism for its originality and simplicity. Many popular songs include theme songs to popular TV shows as well as songs in popular movies. The app is available for free in the App Store for iPhones for a limited time in celebration of its release. However, it is not available for Androids in the Play Store.

Who is your favorite comedian?

"Aziz Ansari because he is funny and has immature jokes."

SAMIR HOSSAINI freshman

"Robin Williams because he was a really good genie and made everyone laugh even though he wasn't happy himself."

"Chris Tucker because his jokes are unique and revolve around current issues."

"Kevin Hart because he is funny and has funny jokes."

TIANA REAMS

ALLEN KOKILANANDA

sophomore

"Gabriel Iglesias because he is funny and has good sound effects."

"My favorite comedian is Kevin Hart because he is short and funny."

"Dave Chapelle because he is a really funny person, and his shows geek."

JOSE LOPEZ

SALIMA KHAN

AARON BOYD

junior

junior

senior

sophomore

"Jonah Hill because he has a really funny personality and he reminds me of my mom's ex."

AUTUMN YANG senior

KATIE POPE freshman

Can an artist release too much music?

More music from an artist means more for the fans

Oversaturation is a dangerous possibility in music

BY HEZEKIEL YONAS Editor in Chief Everything in life should be taken in moderation - water, exercise, sleep, even music. So I'm a bit perplexed by the idea that Future expects his fans to listen to all four of the projects he dropped this year.

Even dropping more than one album a year is too much from a musician. It should take a lot of time for an artist to publish their product so the end result won't seem too rushed.

They should constantly be making edits and changes to their album before releasing it so they can unveil the greatest album they could have possibly made. They also need a break between projects to get their creative juices flowing.

It frightens me to see Migos drop countless projects in 2015 because it shows that they didn't put enough time into each one as I would like them to. I understand that some of these musicians want to drop albums/mixtapes frequently in order to always stay relevant, but they don't give us listeners a chance to miss them.

In August, hip-hop producer/rapper Dr. Dre dropped his first album since 1999 and now it's one of the highest selling rap albums of the year. I'm not encouraging any artist to wait 16 years to publish their next album, but the point is that people were excited to see Dr. Dre come back on the scene.

For an album to succeed commercially, there has to be a lot of hype behind it followed by music that impresses its target audience. But if an artist has already released three projects in one year, it's hard for there to be hype around the fourth one.

Some artists are supplying the public with too much music, but there just isn't enough demand for it.

Rapper/singer Drake has brilliantly found a way to

YES

Adele is releasing her album 25 on Nov. 20.

Future is soon to be releasing his fourth project this year.

stay relevant but also not oversaturating his audience with music. His method is putting out singles between BY HUSSEIN SALEM AND KIRK LINDBERG albums, even when he has no intention of putting it on Ad Manager and Staff Writer his next project.

Music is a way for artists to Songs like "0 to 100 / The Catch Up" and "Hotline show their passion and express Bling" have entertained his fan base while they anticipate themselves. Every artist is different his solo albums. It keeps them enticed, gives them in the way that they release content. something to look forward to, but for now, just something Some may drop a big project, take a to entertain them at the moment.

A poll was conducted on Twitter year off, and focus on other things, It's a more effective strategy than leading up to an album asking whether it was possible for while others may devote almost by constantly releasing rushed artists to release too much music in all of their time on continuously making music without taking any one year. Here are the results: mixtapes that only have a time off. couple of songs that are We believe that it isn't actually of quality. possible for an artist to drop It's unfair for an artist too much music. Atlantato oversaturate fans with born hip-hop artist Future music. Sometimes it takes is a perfect example of this time for a listener to form argument. an opinion of a project, so In the past two years, it doesn't help when there's Future has released two always a new one by the studio albums, three mixtapes (all considered album artist coming out.

There are always exceptions to dropping more than quality), and one collaborative album with Canadian one project a year. Drake and Future's collaborative What rapper Drake.

Regardless of the three projects he has released this A Time To Be Alive was not their first project of the year, year, another is on the way. A couple of weeks back, but still a very enjoyable listen.

But for the most part, over saturation is a real thing he posted a picture on his Instagram with the caption and artists need to give the public a decent amount of "MONSTER 2," following the format of the announcement time to listen to their project before releasing a new of his previous project with Drake, What a Time to Be one. So many talented artists released stellar projects Alive. He also already announced that he's working on this year; so why should I spend my time listening to a Beast Mode 2 and Ape Sh*t with producer Mike WiLL lackluster and hastily made series of mixtapes/albums Made It. With six projects done and two on the way, one might over a project that took an artist over a year to produce?

NO

say that Future is taking over the rap industry. It can be argued that he's releasing too much music in such a short period of time. However, there is no reason why he can't do that. Each of his projects have been extremely successful and keeps listeners screaming for more.

Another artist that has released a lot of music recently is rapper Young Thug. He has released two mixtapes, Slime Season and Slime Season 2, in the span of just two months, not long after releasing his debut album, Barter 6, in April.

Last year, Young Thug came out with four collaborative albums, teaming up with Gucci Mane, Birdman and Rich Homie Quan.

The fan bases for artists that consistently release content always appreciate the vast selection of music to choose from and listen to, while fans of artists that take years to prepare for an album get impatient very often.

On the other hand, an example of an artist who rarely releases music is Frank Ocean. He hasn't released an album for three long years. Because of that, his fan base has decreased and some of those former fans have resentment toward him.

Kanye West is another example of an artist that doesn't release enough music. He has been postponing his upcoming album, SWISH (previously named So Help Me God), for two years. During this long wait, Kanye has decided to focus on another business front, clothing and the building of his brand.

Regardless of people's opinions, there is no "correct" way for an artist to release music. Dropping a lot of music in a short period of time has its good side as it gives the fans plenty of selection to choose from.

The downside is that if an artist makes releases too much music, there is the possibility that the quality will worsen.

Releasing a long-awaited project has its cons as supporters become eager and gain excitement on its drop. That tactic could end up badly if a highly anticipated album flops after years of high hopes.

ENTERTAINMENT 19 Adele announces new album With a new hit single and music video, plus an album on the way, Adele is back

BY KARUNGU THUKU AND MAURICIO REYES Staff Writers After a five year hiatus, the British singer/songwriter Adele is back with a new album titled 25, set to release on Nov. 20.

The last time Adele released a new album, Lebron had just taken his talents to South Beach, the Lakers were the second best team in the Western Conference and the world was supposed to end in less than a year, according to "Mayan

prophecy."

A lot can change in five years.

One thing that hasn't is Adele's soulful voice and her top quality music.

"She has incredible vocals and raw emotion," senior Ruth Tiguh said. "Overall, she has genuine talent."

Adele's comeback is one that the music industry will not forget for a long time. Her new song, "Hello," has been on top of the Billboard Hot 100 charts for the second straight week as of Nov. 16. Adele has already

broken records, "Hello" was the first song ever with a million digital downloads in only a week. The song has been downloaded over 1.11 million times. It was also streamed four million times on Spotify during the first day that it was released.

Though some AHS students were still in middle school when her last album came out, many greatly appreciate her return. "'Hello' is a good song. It really suits her powerful voice and I'm very glad she's back. She sings the story of my life," junior Saad Farooq said.

"Hello' is one of my favorite songs right now," senior Jashon Reams said. "I am excited that she is back because she is a very talented artist.

I like how her music is emotional."

The music video for "Hello" was directed by Xavier Dotson who has worked with many notable artists such as Usher, Migos, Future

and Nicki Minaj. The music video currently has over 300 million views on YouTube.

"It was cute seeing Dixon Wilson in the music video as her significant other," Tiguh said.

According to Adele, the album represents the mindset she had when she was of that age. Adele had a really difficult time putting this album together. After her album 21, Adele planned to retire, but she changed her mind. Adele took a hiatus to raise her son. She struggled with writer's block when trying to get back into song writing.

Now the 10-time Grammy award winning songstress is returning with an album that could potentially earn her even more.

"Of course I'm buying her new album," Reams said.

"I'm probably going to buy it as soon as it comes out," Tiguh said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ADELE.COM

Nov. 18, 2015

Adele's 25 will be her third studio album and her first since 2011

Dance crazes through the years Popularized by: Soulja Boy Origin: Atlanta, GA

DOUGIE

Popularized by: Cali Swag District Origin: Dallas, TX

2009

2007

CUPID SHUFFLE

Popularized by: Cupid Origin: Lafayette, LA

2007

WHIP/ NAE NAE

Popularized by: We Are Toonz Origin: Stone Mountain, GA

DAB

2014

THE JERK

Popularized by: New Boyz Origin: Hesperia, GA

Popularized by: Migos, Peewee Longway Origin: Atlanta, GA

2015

HIT THE QUAN

Popularized by: iLove Memphis Origin: Atlanta, GA

2015

2009

A new Spike Lee joint

Creed preview

BY ANDREW NUNEZ

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

One of the most anticipated films of the year is Creed, directed by Ryan Coogler, and is set to release on Nov. 25, 2015.

This film follows the Rocky series, and includes Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) as a prominent character. There is a lot of buzz about this film because of the past success of the Rocky films.

"I am looking forward to Creed," senior Dini Mohamud said, "I love boxing movies and after watching Fruitvale Station, I think Michael B. Jordan is a really good actor."

Critics are worried that this movie might deteriorate the accomplishments of the Rocky films, but that's a risk filmmakers are willing to take.

Creed follows the life of Apollo Creed's son Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan), but Johnson never knew his father because he died before Adonis was born.

Johnson wants to follow in the footsteps of his father and become a legendary boxer. He can't do it by himself, so he seeks out his father's most eminent rival, Balboa.

On Dec. 4, a controversial movie entitled Chi-Raq directed by Spike Lee, will be playing in theaters. The movie is a retelling of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata

by Aristophanes.

In the comedic play Lysistrata, a woman with a mission to end the Peloponnesian War forms a plan to convince other women of Greece to not have sex with any men until the violence stopped. This caused the men and women to enter into a battle of the sexes. Chi-Raq depics a similar scenario, replacing the women of Greece with the women of Chicago and the Peloponnesian War with black on black crime.

"I thought [the trailer] was good cinematography wise, like all the colors and all, and it seems interesting enough for me to actually go see it," senior Hibo Ali said Chi-Raq is not the first controversial racial movie that Lee has produced. Bamboozled depicted a modern day minstrel show, and before its release, some thought that Do the Right Thing would start race riots.

Many residents from Chicago do not enjoy the name "Chiraq." They see the name as a bad representation of their city. The trailer has a comedic, satirical

PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROTHERS

BY KARUNGU THUKU

Creed will be releaseing in theaters on Nov. 25

Johnson trains with Balboa and with his help he gets a title shot. Will Johnson grasp this opportunity or will he crumble like his father?

PHOTO COURTESY OF 40 ACRES AND A MULE PROD

SOULJA BOY

Critics of Spike Lee say gun violence is no laughing matter

atmosphere, though it seemed to have a more serious tone towards the end.

"Honestly, when I first watched the trailer I automatically knew it would be controversial. I agree with the fact that the topic is way too significant to be approached in a satirical way, and comparing it to a completely different situation (Iraq) doesn't help." senior Idman Dahir said.

Should social media apps have the right to use your photos?

BY JULIUS MILLER

BY HALLEY THADDEUS

Staff Writer

Staff Writer

The argument of whether social media applications should have access to your photos or not has been around for quite some time. Actually, it just comes with the usage social media itself. With Twitter and Instagram, where you post the content to the whole community, you give everyone access to your posts. The only way around this is the selection of protecting your content, or making it private.

The thing that makes this questionable is that private or not, the producers and workers of these apps have access to what you post. Regardless of what you believe, it all comes back to when you pressed that button that said "Agree to Terms and Conditions".

The point of the terms and conditions is to outline every detail so that the user of the app can have a thorough understanding of what they are getting into.

Yes they are long, but if you truly are concerned with your privacy that much, I would suggest reading up.

For example, the social media application Snapchat uses photos as a method of communication between people. You can post things to your story, allowing all your friends to see what you are up to. You can also have private conversations with people by sending captioned photos back and forth.

The people who work for Snapchat have full access to what you send and post on your story. This is in the terms and conditions, yet people still feel uncomfortable.

At the end of the day, there are millions of photos being sent back and forth on this app. I doubt Snapchat employees are picking apart every single photo being sent, let alone one individual's.

The access is to insure the safety of others and make sure everyone is following the law.

Snapchat is no stranger to the transfer of nude photography, and in many cases underage nude photography. There are other applications out there to save the time-limited photos straight to someone's camera roll.

That means that if someone is trying to send a second long nude photo, it can end up giving them a lifetime of regret. The best way to overcome the fear of social media having access to your content is to not send and post regrettable things.

Always be careful what you share because there's always a way for it to get around. It's not the app's employees you should be worrying about, they're just doing their job to insure the best social media environment possible.

Social media apps should not have the right to use your photos. People have been letting social media apps use their photos without being completely aware.

Most people are too lazy or may not understand when reading the Terms and Conditions.

Shortening the Terms and Conditions would possibly increase the number of people that read it. It also may be hard for language learners to fully understand and comprehend.

Since most people do not realize that social media apps have the rights to use their photos, they do not realize that more people have the ability to see it.

People that do not know the rights could end up in trouble.

People make mistakes and may not realize what is in the background of their photos.

For example, if someone takes a selfie and there's something unwanted in the background, the app now has rights to the photo. It cannot be deleted, the app will always have it.

Also, if another person uses an account that is not theirs, they did not agree to the apps having access to photos of them. If people knew what they were agreeing to, they would rethink what they take photos of. This limits the freedom of the app user because they might have photos they only want certain people to see.

Social media having access to photos takes away the right for you to decided whether or not you want your photos to be private or public. Such as, Instagram, you have the decision on whether or not they want their accounts to be public or private.

Most people want to be able to use the social media app but do not want to have to pay the price that comes with using the app. Other than the fact that it is an invasion of privacy, why does the apps want rights to your photos? No one except the owners of the social media apps know what is done with the photos.

People should at least know what their photos are being used for. The fact that people do not know just makes it even more questionable. There is no real need for a social media app to have the rights to use your photos.

YES

Users should know what they are agreeing to

NO

No real need for apps to have rights to your photos

20 WEEKEND What should you do this weekend?

Nov. 18, 2015

If you feel like... watching a movie

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015)

CAYLEY BYRNE

Miniature pumpkin pies

There are many fun activities that are more enjoyable during the fall and winter months; some are only available during this time of the year!

Ice skating is great during the winter time, especially on outdoor rinks like the one at Pentagon City. It's open from noon to 10 p.m. on most days and admission is only $9!

Attending winter sports games is another great activity to take advantage of this season! Go to the Verizon Center to watch the Capitals or the Wizards take on their oppponents. The excitement of the games is sure to make it a memorable night.

The trampoline park, called Flight, is another fun group activity. Located in Springfield, the floors and walls of this building are covered in trampolines.

It's open late and on some nights they blast popular music!

Cake pops

PHOTO COURTESY OF ARLINGTONVA.US

going out with friends

Baked macaroni and cheese

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID PARK

Making food is an activity that you can enjoy during and after the fact. If you want to do something that your appetite will benefit from, try these easy ideas to make something you and your friends can enjoy!

A fall-time favorite is pumpkin pie, but making miniature versions adds a cute twist on the dish! They're perfect portion sizes for one person and they're really easy to make.

If you like macaroni and cheese switch out the usual stove top preparation for a baked version. Try adding ingredients you might like, such as bacon pieces or a type of vegetable.

Another treat to make is cake pops! They are a delicious treat that are different than your usual dessert since they're small and in the form of a lollipop!

PHOTO COURTESY OF MYRECIPES.COM

making food

Spectre (2015)

PHOTO COURTESY OF METRO.CA

The Peanuts Movie (2015)

PHOTO COURTESY OF NORTHERNVIRGINIAMAG.COM

If you're not in the mood to be out in the cold, going to a movie is a perfect activity! Grab some popcorn at the theater and sit down to enjoy one of the many movies opening this fall.

If you like the classic Charlie Brown movies you'll love The Peanuts Movie.

It will definitely bring back childhood memories.

Another movie coming out is The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, which debuts Nov. 20 and is expected to be very popular with the loyal fans of the series.

For all the James Bond fans out there, make sure to watch Spectre at your local theater! If you want to read a review of the movie, check out page 18 in the newspaper, but watch out for spoilers!

Ice skating rink at Pentagon City

Senior David Park at a Wizards game

Flight in Springfield, VA

Glass pebble magnets

Melted crayon art

Do-it-yourself popsicle stick photo frames

getting crafty Spend a day making something that you can use in your everyday life!

Making a craft yourself is a good way to create something useful that you can also be proud of.

Everyone uses magnets on their fridge to hold up family pictures or a child's artwork, so why not make your own? Use your own pictures or patterns that you like to create personalized glass pebble magnets.

Crayon art is a fun and easy way to make personalized art. It turns out different every time! Try the classic line of crayons, or arrange them in a design to create a unique piece of artwork!

If you're already feeling the holiday spirit, get ready by making your own ornaments or decorations! Make easy picture frames using popsicle sticks and add some holiday-themed decorations.

Photos from Pinterest.com

Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Are they even worth the hype?

BY BIRUK NEGASH Weekend Editor Instead of gathering around the dinner table to feast on a warm, juicy Thanksigivng dinner, many of us will be outside standing in long lines. People will be missing out on time with their families, all with the hopes of catching some great deals.

Black Friday shopping has swiftly changed to shopping on the day of Thanksgiving, with many malls and stores opening the day of.

The anticpated Black Friday sales and Cyber Monday deals are hyped because shoppers are excited to save money and stores are able to boost their sales and open up their holiday business.

For some, Black Friday is the perfect opportunity to get the hottest items on the market for a good bargain.

"Black Friday for me is more of a social event. I like waiting in the lines with my friends and being able to shop with them," junior Saad Farooq said.

For those who find online shopping to be inconvenient, Black Friday is a no-brainer.

"I like Black Friday because I don't enjoy shopping online," sophomore Lina Osman said.

Others find Black Friday to be messy and conflicting with the holiday spirit.

"I personally think that it is dangerous, and a complete waste of my time. I could just

One of GameStop's Black Friday deals is a free, extra controller with the purhase of any Xbox One.

wait for other sales throughout the year when it is not as hectic," senior Hassa Koroma said.

One major aspect of Black Friday is that it is done on a first-come, first-served basis. This not only results in long lines but causes people to act without self-control.

"Black Friday is just crazy and clothing stores are messy if you come in late," sophomore Amy Han said.

Many students work in popular retail stores where they are required to come into work on Black Friday and even on the day of Thanksgiving.

"I work at Footlocker, and I already know

that it's going to be busy on these days," senior Davian Gonzalez said. "It's going to be really hard, stressful and a lot of work. I'm going to hate working because I already know it's going to suck.

For senior Sara Deible, Black Friday has allowed her to start a new tradition. For the past two years, Deible has been going to a mall in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania.

"It's never busy because it is not in a very big city, but the deals are great," Deible said.

For those who want to take part in getting some of the greatest deals but want to avoid the hectic aspect of Black Friday, Cyber Monday is a great alternative. You are able to find deals just as great, and you can pick the items that you want right from the comfort of your own home. An advantage of Cyber Monday is that with a little wait your package comes straight to your door.

"I like Cyber Monday because I'm more of an online shopper. I like shopping in the comfort of my bed," Deible said.

With Cyber Monday being a few days after the holidays you are able to spend Thanksgiving with your family and focus on the shopping later.

Whatever you decide to do this break it's important to make sure that you take the time to appreciate what you have, enjoy the holiday food and remember to thank those who matter to you.

Upcoming events Washington Capitals game Nov. 19 @ Verizon Center 601 F St NW Washington, DC 20004

Alexandria Turkey Trot Nov. 26 @ George Washington MS 1005 Mt. Vernon Avenue Alexandria, VA 22301

Miley Cyrus concert Nov. 27 @ Echostage 2135 Queens Chapel Rd NE Washington, DC 20018

Page compiled by Cayley Byrne and Biruk Negash

Class of 2016 Bulletin Senior Kadijah Sesay poses for a photo during one of the last home football games.

To-do list: November Edition Continue working on college apps due in January!

Use Family Connections on Blackboard to check the status of your transcripts

Enjoy Thanksgiving break wih your family!

215 days until graduation!