Issue 11

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the Wednesday, April 10, 2002 Volume #47 Issue 11

Blast

ANNANDALE HIGH S CHOOL

Informing the Atoms since 1954

h t t p : / / w w w. f c p s . k 1 2 . v a . u s / A n n a n d a l e H S / A B l a s t / 2 0 0 2

4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 703.642.4229

KADA fest to promote safety

Dolly opens tomorrow

by Katie Stanton Copy Editor

Sophomore Andrew Winters concentrates on his music, ignoring everything around him. Actors are singing, dancing and reciting lines, members of the crew are yelling from one side of the stage to the other and lights are being turned on and off as the orchestra pit practices for AHS’s latest production, Hello, Dolly. “[The music] covers a lot of parts, the woodwinds, flutes, clarinets, trombones... I think there’s even a banjo and guitar part,” said Winters, who plays first trombone in the orchestra pit. “It covers everything.”

AHS’s yearly collaboration of the drama and music departments is right around the corner, and students have been working since March to complete the production. Auditions were held in late January, and, despite a few hindrances, preparations have been running smoothly.

“We’ve had a few setbacks, where we’ve had to change some of our crew and change some of our cast,” said Vicki Farish, AHS drama teacher and Dolly’s director. “I see a lot of good things [and] beautiful voices.”

Hello, Dolly, based on the play The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder, is the story of Dolly Levi (played by Paige Singh), a widowed matchmaker who wants to match herself up with Horace Vandergelt (played by Owen Beste). “She acts as the matchmaker between all the leads, making sure they get together in the end,” said senior Ellen Connor, choreographer and member of the ensemble.

Beste, a junior, has been preparing for his part in the musical for only a short time “and he knows his lines,” said Farish. “He’s done a beautiful job.” Beste had originally been cast as Ambrose Kempter and as an understudy for Horace, but got moved up after the originally cast student dropped out.

by Shin-hyung Ahn Staff Writer

SHANT SHAHRIGIAN

Junior Michael Weinburg, senior Stacey Langsner, junior Matt Pena, senior Ayo Odejimi, and junior Bala Whitten (blocked) rehearse yesterday for Hello, Dolly! The play is to be performed tomorrow through Sat.

“Musical” con’t on p. 6

Hallway opens, library closes

by Lauren Sterlacci Staff Writer

SHANT SHAHRIGIAN

Junior Hung Le opens his locker at the end of his R1 Weight Training class. P.E. teachers have taken extra lockerrrom security precautions to prevent theft.

Thefts cause security increase

by Philippe Podhorecki News Editor

“You never [know] who is going to bust in and take it,” said junior Afua Amponsah expressing her feelings of distrust after having her shoes and $20 stolen from her locker.

Coaches and school administration are trying to put an end to thefts like these. They majority of the thefts are a results of students leaving their lockers unlocked. The thefts would, most likely, be less frequent and less severe if all lockers were locked.

Several coaches, Security and Safety Specialist Cliff Cornwell and Principal Don Clausen held two meetings to find a solution to the problem of theft in the school locker rooms during after school practice. “We want to try and find a way so that if you’re a student athlete here you don’t have to worry about your stuff being stolen,” said coach Jamie Carayiannis.

At the meetings several solutions were suggested for stopping the problem. The most likely solution and most wanted would be to have one or two people around the locker rooms after school and in the evening. Their sole responsibility would be to watch over the locker rooms and ensure the people who shouldn’t be around aren’t.

Part of the problem has been that coaches can’t watch over the locker rooms all the time as they work. The Jock Lobby, where the locker rooms are located, is also home to late buses Mondays and Wednesdays after school. More students are around who can walk into locker rooms and take clothing and other belongings easily. This part of the problem will be stopped next year if the late buses are moved to the finished front circle as planned.

Another solution for getting the students and visitors who do not belong in the area was to move the concession stand down to the cafeteria, also helping to eliminate the extra traffic. “The kids we really want down here are the students,” said Carayiannis.

Those caught are suspended automatically. “It “Thefts” con’t on p. 7

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With the reconstruction process underway, the workers are finding themselves to be about six months behind schedule, in the second of three phases. The new goal for the construction of the main office is set to be April 12th. Another recent development is the that they are counting on the students being able to move out of their old math classes by the first of May, presuming that the new Math addition will be completed by that point.

“Once we get into May, we have SOLs and other issues. And I don’t want to be moving during the SOL’s,” said Clausen. “Once we move the Math Department into the new math wing then we will turn over another set of rooms in the center hallway where the Foreign Language and A-Blast room and all that are,” said Principal Don Clausen. He also commented by saying, “Right now it seems to be the kind of work where you can’t get too much accomplished with the students in the classroom. When the addition process is going slow, it

then slows everything else down which is why this reconstruction phase has fallen behind.”

The entire second phase costs around $24 million alone, but because of the economy falling, the construction prices have gone down, which has helped . Other schools in the district getting reconstructed are J.E.B. Stuart, which is ahead of schedule and Hayfield, who just started their construction last fall.

Senior Kara Brostrom said, “ This whole process seems to be taking such a long time and it’s ashame myself and the rest of the seniors won’t be here to see much of the improvements.”

Last Mon., the hallway by the front entrance was expanded.

Since the wooden walls protecting construction of the new main office were removed, the area is much less cramped.

Library circulation has already stopped, and the building itself will close for renvations on April 19.

Although renovations were initially scheduled to begin during summer vacation, they were pushed forward due to concerns that they would not be done on time.

School to end two days early Reid Edwards News Editor

In response to Fairfax County’s $50 million budget shortfall, Superintendent Daniel A. Domenech has implemented several cost-cutting and morale-boosting initiatives that will ultimately end schools on June 14 instead of June 18.

To save $14 million, all class sizes will likely be increased by one divisionwide, and as a gesture to FCPS employees who were

granted a two percent salary increase earlier this year, the last two unused snow days will be “given back” as paid days off.

Domenech’s proposal, which includes 12 initiatives in all, will be approved later this week.

In addition to June 17 and 18 being removed as school days for students, June 19 was eliminated as the final teacher workday and was replaced by June 17 as the last teacher workday.

“Calendar” con’t on p. 4

Heritage Festival displays cultures

by David Covucci Co-Editor in Chief

It is not every night that one can see Korean dummers, American breakdancers and Somalian steppers, all in the same room.

Bring on Annandale's first ever Heritage Night, a smorgasbord of dance routines, singing and martial arts displays representing over a dozen countries from around the world.

“Annandale has such

rich talent,” said sponsor Social Studies teacher PaulWatlington. “We think this is an excellent opportunity to display this.”

At 7:00 p.m. on April 25, Heritage Night will take place in the auditorium.

Tickets are going on sale on April 15 for $3. At the door, tickets will be $2 more.

Family Studies teacher Sarah Hrobowski is sponsoring a light dinner which will be sold for $3 before the show. Eight different clubs will sell

desserts. All proceeds from Heritage Night will go towards improvements of the auditorium, especially the outdated sound system.

Twenty acts will be on display that night and more than ten of them will display traditional, ethnic dancing. Two days prior to the show, a preview of sorts will be held during Flex.

Eight acts that won’t be seen during Heritage Night will be seen then.

“Heritage” con’t on p. 6

hat’s inside

8 Since the recent proliferation of films on psychology, interest in the subject has spiked. Find out how and who gets effected by mental disorders.

SHANT SHAHRIGIAN

A construction worker picks up a tool in the new front office. In addition to the office, new classrooms, lockerrooms and more are being built.

10 Since the recent proliferation of films on psychology, interest in the subject has spiked. Find out how and who gets effected by mental disorders.

AHS will host its annual KADA (Kids Against Drugs and Alcohol) Festival on Sat. April 20. featuring the main theme of “Hugs not Drugs!” The event, sponsored by The Annandale Community Coalition and funded by The Safe and Drug Free Communities Grant of 1994, along with the Annandale community, will bring together hundreds of middle school students from AHS’s feeder schools to attend sessions targeted to keep students away from drugs.

In previous years, the festival has been open and promoted to elementary schools along with middle schools but this year, it is concentrating on the middle schools that feed into AHS. Also, this year the festival is being held in the spring instead of in February to allow for more outside activities.

At the Festival, students will have the opportunity to take a total of three 40-minute sessions, one of which must be the one held by the Peer Mediation class of AHS. The session will feature a Q & A, where the students can write down questions on index card. There will also be group talks where the mediators will discuss attending AHS and problems the school has with drugs and alcohol. “We hope to teach the kids how to communicate in order to say no and be their own person and make decisions for themselves versus going along with the group,” said Peer Mediation teacher Lori Barb.

The Mediation class will be handing out folders that “contain all kinds of drug and alcohol brochures as well as peer mediation information about cummunication and succumbing to peer pressure,” said Barb. The folders will also include coupons and other interesting items donated from the local community.

Also, community members will be hosting sessions to inform students “KADA” con’t on p. 6

Attendance to be taken during Flex period

by Rachel Jones Staff Writer

Due to sporadic attendence of Flex, the administration, starting the fourth qurater, is requiring teachers to take attendence during the flex periods.

A skipped Flex would count as an unexcused absences for the class. If students recieve three unexcused absences or six unexcused tardies a quarter, then they automatically fail the cource regardless of the student’s grade.

The policy is being changed because many students were expressing the attitude of, “It’s only Flex,” according to Recource Administratior for Attendance and Community Communication, Danny Giles.

Giles has found several students at CVS and in the park during flex. “They all have their own place to hide out,“ said Giles.

Although attendance during Flex has not counted in the past, the flex period has always been

18 You’ve heard Tweet’s collaboration with Missy Elliot on the sultry “Oops,” but see how she does on her own on her debut album.

crucial to teachers. Flex provides opportunties for teachers to review old material, practice for the SOLs or cover new material.

Earlier this year, the administration implemented a new policy requiring that all students “Flexing Danny Giles out” of a period must make arraingments 24 hours in advance. The policy is strictly followed by some teachers, laxly by others.

“Sometimes we cover new material, because I need to move on to the new chapter,” said math teacher Eunae Hwang.

Not all students share the same view on the importance of Flex. “I still do well in my classes without going to Flex,” said senior Blaine Misser who called the period “stupid and boring.”

20 Top two things about Spring: warm weather and... roller coasters! Check out what local amusement parks have to offer this year.

2 aBlast

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Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Anti-swearing law struck down by court 3-0

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Historians should be held accountable

The study of history rests on accuracy and authenticity, and the lack of respect for these fundamental elements of the trade endangers the entire research profession

LOCATION — The case was heard in Traverse City, Michigan at the state appeals court.

THE LAW — “Anyone using indecent, immoral, obscene, vulgar or insulting language in the presence or hearing of any woman or child shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.”

ITS HISTORY — The law was first ratified in 1897 and modified in 1931.

The AHS administration in recent months has adopted an extensive program to curb plagiarism in the school through tools such as the innovative Turnitin.com website along with requiring all students to sign the zero tolerance plagiarism pledge in their English classes.

Unfortunately, greater deterrents such as these may need to be applied not only to students, but to the very historians whose works are the focus of extensive study.

Historians Stephen Ambrose and Doris Goodwin have been accused of serious plagiarism infractions. There is no excuse for failing to document correctly through quotations or footnotes, or in Ambrose’s case, failing to use them at all. Historians of this prestige have the ability of documenting correctly, and for choosing not to do so they should be punished. Teachers at AHS have rigid standards for documentation, and when procedures are not followed, students are penalized.

Further, even if quotations and footnotes are utilized, that does not justify historians inserting complete segments of another researcher’s work into their own books. In Ambrose and Goodwin are at the top Goodwin’s latest book The of their profession, it is imperative Fitzgeralds and the that they set an Kennedys, thousands example for younger THE A-BLAST STAFF EDITORIAL of words are repeated scholars. Instead, Historians should be verbatim from Lynne they have been held to the McTaggart’s book swept away by the same Kathleen Kennedy: prestige and finanstandards as No students with Her Life and Times. cial benefits that 0 Yes regard to This is not right. their occupation plagiarism.

58 Readers should not offers. Instead of pay for reprinted focusing on history, versions of another person’s work. they focused on conducting a That is why books are copyrighted, business. Last year alone Ambrose’s and this loophole detracts from the historical pursuits grossed him over effort that others put into their $3 million. work. Even at the high school level, A recent trend has developed the pasting of long quoted passages among many historians in which into reports is discouraged. Teachers research panels are assembled to expect students to paraphrase and aid prominent authors in putting then provide attribution. together their books. The help that Historical fraud and negligence these historians receive continues to among the field’s most prominent eclipse the genuine research and authors should not be tolerated by analysis that is actually conducted the education community; they by the author. should be held to the same accountStudents do not have the luxury ability standards as students. of having a group of students work Considering historians such as on their projects. The same restric-

tomic reactions

How do you feel about our nation’s media coverage of the Israel/ Palestine conflict? For example, has there been any bias overtones?

“I feel the coverage is very informative to the situation but there should be more articles that are less bias.”

— Jenna Wade freshman

“They’ve shown more support for the Israelis because we support [their] efforts against terrorism.”

BY CHAE-WHA PARK AND KATIE CLARK

tion should apply to the books of historians, at least to a certain extent.

Worsening the situation is the fact that these historians will not even admit to their fraud. Ambrose has passed the plagiarism off as negligence of his own part and promised to correct the documentation problems in future versions.

Goodwin blames her historical theft on a discrepancy she had while taking notes. She claims that when she began to write her book, she was confused about which notes had been paraphrased and which were directly copied. Regardless of which bogus explanations these historians offer, they still were responsible for the error. As a historian, admitting to carelessness is just about as bad as admitting to intent to steal someone else’s work.

The study of history rests on accuracy and authenticity, and the lack of respect for these fundamental elements of the trade endangers the entire research profession.

— Jared Davis senior

“We should pull our media out, because if they die it will cause more problems and its costing us money to be over there.”

— Andrew Vaccaro junior

“The Washington Post has done a good job staying neutral, but there should be more articles about the subject.”

THE CASE — Timothy Joseph Boomer appealed his conviction under the law regarding an incident in which he fell into the water while canoeing and proceeded to curse profusely.

RULING — The appeals court panel ruled unanimously in favor of Boomer’s appeal.

Letters to the

Editor

Clearing up misconceptions In the March 6 edition of The A-Blast, there was an interesting spread of vegetarianism and veganism. However, there was some misinformation about the nutritional needs of vegetarians and

vegans.

Contrary to public opinions (including at least two of your staff members), vegetarians rarely suffer from protein deficiency. While it is true that a vegetarian diet usually contains less protein than a meat based diet, most vegetarians consume more than enough protein. In fact, most nutritionists agree that the average American consumes considerably more protein than what is necessary for a healthy diet, and in fact, the excess protein most Americans consume lead to other

M akin’

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nutritional problems.

The main controversy that arises from a vegetarian diet is a lack of iron, especially in females of childbearing age. However, most females (either vegetarian, vegan or meat eaters) fail to get enough iron in their diets. One sign of lack of iron is fatigue, so anyone changing to a vegetarian diet should increase their iron intake, either through supplements or by increasing the intake of food that contains iron.

For more information, I would recommend looking at the US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Information Center at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/index.html. At that site, there is excellent information about the nutritional needs of vegetarians and vegans, and there is also a “Vegetarian Food Pyramid,” (similar to the traditional Food Pyramid) that can be downloaded and printed out.

Gr ade

Active training staff keeps athletes in action

A B D F

The athletic training department headed up by Kathy Ayers should be recognized by its unyielding service that it provides to athletes. With over 9 teams competing during the spring season (the track team alone has over 200 members) each day the trainers examine, treat and rehabilitate a large volume of athletes. Without the training staff, AHS sport teams would be defeated by injury.

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ditorials

A let up in construction-induced hallway traffic Students enjoyed a notable relief in hallway traffic this week.

With another step in the completion of the front lobby behind them, construction workers were able to double the hallway space around the still-in-progressive lobby. Unfortunately, some students are still blocking the middle of the hall ways and hallway intersections. But, while construction continues, hopefully we can remember to move our conversations to the side of the hallways to facilitate travel.

UMD students must learn to control themselves The student body at the University of Maryland has had a reputation for poor sportsmanship and volatile behavior. The students were true to form during their Terrapins run through the NCAA tournament as they smashed store windows, vandalized the surrounding town and set fires after their team won the national championship. This behavior should not be tolerated by the administration as it reflects poorly on the school and is unfair to residents.

Stop the music hating The end of our morning announcer’s “morning jams” as a result of faculty complaint was representative of the little room for creativity and freedom that our administration apparently permits. (Not to mention, did anyone notice that the music really caught students’ attention for the announcements?) If the teachers and administrators who decided to “buckle down” on Mr. Sharigian’s attempt to open our days with some cultural music can recognize their mistake, hopefully the student body will be able to maintain some respect for what our faculty considers important enough to spend its time on.

Meghan Hall World History I Teacher

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the Annandale High School 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, Virginia 22003 Volume # 47 Issue 12

Editors in Chief Managing Editor News Editors Academics Editors Editorials Editors In-Depth Editors Features Editors Atomic Articles Editor Profiles Editors Cultures Editors Sports Editors Entertainment Editors Atomic Athletics Editors

Wednesday April 10, 2002

David Covucci Shant Shahrigian Chris Hogeboom Reid Edwards Philippe Podhorecki Hayley Fletcher Hana Ngyuen Katie Clark Andrew Satten Heather Downen Rebecca Sample Young-Zi Byun Sarah Kelman Chae-Wha Park Monica Miller Richie Price Martha Amoaka Cameron Kynes Chris Bagot Ryan Croft Alejandro Salinas Mike Mahn Kristie Moore

Gallup Award Quill and Scroll International Honor Society 2000-2001

— Jake Edwards senior

“[I think there should be] a little more detail about Yasser Arafat [and] a little more insight about the situation.”

— Paul Pickett student resource officer

(703) 642-4229 email: ahsablast@aol.com website: www.fpcs.k12.va.us /AnnandaleHS/ABlast/2002 fax: 642-4197

Arts Editors

Rebecca Kraushaar Abby Segall Weekend Editors John Bernhardt Caroline Friedman On-line Editors Monica Price Leah Selim Business Ryan Teichler Advertising Manager Crystan Blanco Copy Editor Katie Stanton Photography Editor Jenny Beam Photographers: Sean Sullivan, Andrew Menegat, Sarah Sherman, Linda Fairall Staff Writers: Junaid Shams, Paul Gleason, Saman Hussain, Rachel Jones, Maggie Owner, Evan Ashe, Sam Molavi, Annette Bouadi, Rob Payne, Walaa Elbarasse, Aminah Kakeh, ShinHyung Ahn, Kyle Smeallie, Lauren Sterlacci, Morgan McEvilly, Mohammad Edris Qarghah, Laura Hollowell, Sara Bizer, Jared Smith, Katharine Kishiyama, Kathy Saupp, N’hawa Tangula Principal Don Clausen Adviser Alan Weintraut

Trophy Class Virginia High School League 2000-2001

All American National Scholastic Press Association 2000-2001

Published every three weeks, The A-Blast is an award winning, newspaper that strives to inform, educate, and entertain the student body and community. 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. Unsigned editorials represent the staff opinions which solely represent the opinion of the newspaper staff. The A-Blast is an independent, open forum for discussion which is printed at the Springfield Plant of The Washington Post. Signed letters to the editor of 250 words or less may be submitted to room 225 or mailed to the school. The A-Blast reserves the right to refuse advertisements. All submissions become property of The A-Blast Copyright, 2002.

After many highly competitive students have received their rejection letters from schools they expected to be welcomed by, Northern Virginia students have been left with the impression that their more competitive region has placed them in a disadvantage in the admissions process.

Solving the national energy crisis

By Ryan Croft and Ryan Teichler Sports Editor and Business Manager

by Chae-Wha Park and Andrew Satten

Sl an t

Sa tten ’s

Satellites monopolize radio Andrew Satten Editorials Editor

Snoop Dog, the father of gangsta rap, crashes through the ceiling into an office of cubicles filled with blue collar caucasian males. Dusting himself off, he proceeds to utter “Sup, foo?” to the bewilderment of the employees. The logo for XM Satellite Radio appears on the screen with the company’s audio system set on “Rap Music.”

This commercial, a favorite among teenagers, repeatedly provokes both amusement and the question, “What is a satellite radio?” The answer: A novel radio development that will provide listeners with many advancements.

However, at the same time it poses a serious threat to free public broadcasting. As can be seen from the commercials, celebrities such as Snoop Dog and

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oth satellite and free public radio offer important services and have their appropriate places in society. However, it is imperative that free local radio remains viable and is not dismantled by satellite services gaining a monopoly through local content David Bowie may be taking over the airwaves that lesser known and rising musicians and personalities depend on to get a start.

Satellite radio service is a paid subscription to over 100 static free channels that feature virtually all genres of music, talk and news. This

service is the cable television and DirectTV of the radio industry. Currently two companies, XM and Sirius, plan to offer their product that can be installed in cars and the homes for about $10 a month. Satellite radio does not utilize the typical radio dial, but is received by a separate fixture.

Considering satellite radio is a national pay service, free public radio would survive the competition due to its local edge, at least for the time being.

Without this edge, satellite radio would monopolize the airwaves.

However, a device called a “terrestrial repeater” is necessary for satellite radio to be broadcasted in areas of high urban density, the nation’s major radio markets. These repeaters would have the capability of providing broadcasts with local content, and a debate is being waged about whether this should be allowed.

Though the coexistence of a radio station on both satellite radio and the regular dial is not being pursued by the satellite companies, certain television networks including MTV, VH1, CBS and ESPN will be allocated their own satellite channel. Satellite radio companies should be kept as a solely national service and not be permitted to broadcast local content. It would destroy free public radio and its important role in our society.

Local radio provides services to the community that satellite radio would not be able to accommodate. The media has the potential to perpetuate and preserve culture. For instance, local artists often get their breaks by getting their music played on the air by small local stations.

If free public radio is destroyed, it will be very difficult for aspiring musicians to get a nationally programmed service to allocate them a spot for their songs to be heard. Also, around the country there are thousands of small scale broadcasting productions, some even conducted out of basements, that offer their unique style and music and work to enhance the diversity of our culture. Institutions such as these would also be in danger.

Free public radio provides focus on community issues and news. It’s responsible for relaying information

regarding local weather, traffic, sports and even announcements such as school closings.

Listeners have developed a rapport with certain radio stations and hosts.

Many teens at AHS have grown accustomed to listening to their favorite stations such as 99.1 HFS, D.C. 101.1, and WPGC 95.5 along with their hosts

DIAGRAM FROM THE OFFICIAL XM SATELITE RADIO WEBSITE

Satelite radio operates much differently from traditional radio. A signal is broadcasted from the ground, to a satelite, and back to a reciever device in a customer’s car or home.

such as “Elliot in the Morning” and the “Donny Simpson Show.” All of these are in jeopardy of folding if satellite radio is permitted to broadcast local content.

Further, local radio stations are very involved in community service activities.

They frequently hold events of their own such as (current radio charity event) along with helping to promote local charities. Other events such as the popular HFestival Concert could be threatened.

Considering satellite radio carries a cost that could amount to over $120 a year, many people would not be able to purchase it. Therefore, if free local stations begin to fail due to satellite competition, those people that cannot afford this product are left with a drained public radio network or the absence of one altogether.

Both radio media offer important services and have their appropriate places in society. However, it is imperative that free local radio remains viable and is not dismantled by satellite services gaining a monopoly through local content.

Bush’s real education initiative For all of the criticism President George W. Bush has endorsing non-governmental projects. Not only will the cut received for his blunt or sometimes awkward speech, one of the damage the bill’s goals, but in this new light, the way Bush most ridiculous statements issued from his administration sold us on the bill has become reprehensible. It’s all well and thus far into his presidency did not contain a single faux pas or good to undertake a bipartisan initiative, but to undermine the grammatical error: “Money is not the answer.” Apparently, we bill- especially after aggressively taking credit for it only are supposed to take the statement, issued by White House months after its passage through Congress- is wrong. spokeswoman Anne Womack, as justification for why Bush has Funding for the bill was initially set at $26.5 billion, $4 cut back on necessary funding for the bipartisan education billion more than Bush wanted and $6 billion less than reform bill he had been parading into the ground until just Democrats did. After months of celebration over how wonderrecently. At the same time that the White House ful it was that Democrats and Republicans were states that money plays no role in “meaningful working together on a piece of legislature, Sen. [education] reform,” it is forwarding a budget Edward Kennedy (D-Massachusetts), Bush’s which will offer $4 billion to private schools and highly visible partner in the bill, strongly cut back on funding for the education reform bill. criticized the cut in funding in his delivery of Now explain that! the weekly Democratic radio address last Sat. The education bill, which Bush signed into After all of the corny jokes (“The folks at the law on Jan. 8, was touted as one of the top Crawford Coffee Shop would be in shock when I priorities of his first year in office. Espoused by tell them I actually like” Kennedy, Bush said Democrats and Republicans alike, the bill calls again and again), it looks like things are not for public schools to demonstrate a minimum going so well between Democrats and Republilevel of proficiency in reading and math in statecans, after all. administered testing. If schools fail to meet the “It was a wonderful promise,” said Kennedy, Shant Shahrigian standards, they receive federal aid for tutoring, “but, it has become a hallow promise.” Indeed it Co-Editor in Chief summer school, and even for transportation to has. Although the bill is still backed by an other schools. Progress of third through eight increase in funding, billions of dollars that graders, divided when necessary into subgroups of minorities should have gone to public schools have been taken away and and poor, is to be evaluated over a period of twelve years. If an given to private schools, threatening the bill’s goals and acceptable level of improvement has not been shown by the effectiveness. But it looks like Bush will have gotten his cake end of that period, then the government places sanctions, and eaten it, too: he won credit for forwarding a bipartisan including changes in curriculum, faculty, and more. effort, and has now undermined it with the reduction in However, the cut in funding threatens that. Without the funding. necessary funding, the education reform bill becomes less Bush’s handling of the education reform bill has been effective. The cut also shows Bush’s true motivation: to limit reprehensible. We should expect more of our president than to spending for government programs while simultaneously champion a bill and subsequently undermine it.

Shantsense

editorials

Apparent random selection leaves students bewildered

A man walked into Jerry’s Dodge on Commerce Street last month, browsing for a new automobile. At first glance, the powerful, classy Durango caught his eye. With skepticism, he asked the dealer if the car came with a six-cylinder engine. The dealer’s response shocked him. “No,” replied the dealer, “nobody who can afford to buy this car cares enough that it costs more money for gas, so it doesn’t have a V-6 model.”

This scenario reaffirms the view that there are significant roadblocks in the path of a healthier national energy plan.

Due to the apathy of some affluent people and the stubbornness of environmentalists, our country relies upon foreign markets to supply the U.S. ` with 55% of our oil. To lessen our dependency on foreign oil markets, the U.S. must tap the unknown amounts of oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), draft legislation which places higher standards on fuel efficiency and push forward in the research and testing on alternative fuel technology.

The United States is responsible for consuming 25% of the world’s oil resources, spending in excess of $100 billion annually on foreign oil. Our dependency on foreign markets is growing annually.

President George W. Bush, Senator Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska), leaders in the oil industry and a majority of Alaskans are in favor of drilling in ANWR to lower petroleum prices, reduce spending on foreign oil and boost the Alaskan economy. It is an irrefutable fact that we are dependent upon foreign sources of oil and actions must be taken so that we can be self sufficient.

Drilling in Alaska would prove beneficial to the United States in many respects. First, the millions of gallons of oil estimated to be in the refuge can temporarily reduce our dependency overseas. Further, it would also addresses another pressing national issue— skyrocketing unemployment. Wharton Econometrics Forecasting Associates believes between 250,000 and 736,000 new jobs would be created as a direct result of drilling in Alaska. Most of the jobs created would be in manufacturing, mining and construction fields.

ANWR is a pristine arctic home to a wide variety of plants and wildlife, nearly untouched by the wrath of man.

Traditionally, environmentalists have been concerned that the refuge will not be properly cared for. What many are unaware of however, is the fact that the technology in the drilling field has drastically improved and also the drilling area is quite small. The size of ANWR is comparable to the size of the state of South Carolina. The proposed drilling area for oil is approximately the size of an airport.

As a result, less than one half of one percent of the reserve would even be tapped for drilling. Even so, people have the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1990 in the back of their minds, when neglect was the cause of an 11 million gallon spill of crude oil into the Prince William Sound. But, technology is dynamic and has advanced in leaps and bounds since then. Also, all of the drilling would be done in the winter on ice roads that would melt away in the summer. This would side step the concern for machinery chewing up the tundra of the refuge. Drilling will at least significantly lessen the obody who can afford problems at hand. The oil to buy [an from Alaska’s ANWR wouldn’t be available for SUV like this] cares that it use for seven to 10 years, so costs more money for gas, the U.S. should adopt a so it doesn’t have a V-6 sense of urgency in its planning to commence model.” drilling in the artic refuge.

Conservation at home is the second step to a healthier national energy plan of action.

In the age of huge, gas-guzzling cars (like the Durango), the government should step in and regulate by imposing stricter standards for fuel efficiency for motor vehicles.

SUVs waste precious gas every time they fill up because there hasn’t been sufficient standards on fuel efficiency for larger motor vehicles. The higher we set the fuel efficiency standards for today leads to less foreign dependence on oil tomorrow.

In February of this year, President Bush visited a car show to observe the cutting edge, “fuel cell cars” which run on hydrogen and emits water vapor. The advancement of such automobiles would revolutionize the oil industry to the extent of obliteration. However, these cars are years away from becoming available to the public. Experts predict the soonest introduction into mainstream consumerism is between 2010 and 2015. Although the rewards seem far down the road, working to better the future of the national energy crisis would be enhanced through such research conducted now.

The easiest way the Sophomore United States can wean Nick Veizaga itself off of foreign fills up his dependency would be gas tank, dismayed to drill in ANWR, raise at the inflated the standards on fuel gas prices. efficiency and to continue to research for alternative fuel technologies. Only then could we as a nation consider ourselves responsible in the way we use and conserve our natural resources.

n

The low down on satellite radio THE COMPANIES — Currently two companies, XM and Sirius, are developing a satellite radio service to offer the public. XM Satellite Radio has already been launched and has over 1 million customers

WHAT IS OFFERRED — Satellite radio offers over 100 static free channels. These channels feature virtually all genres of music, talk and news.

Certain television networks such as MTV, VH1 and ESPN are also being given channels.

THE PRICE —The service carries a price of $10 a month. A fixture is also installed in the customers home of car to receive the satellite broadcast

Its impact on free public radio THE LOCAL ISSUE — Currently a battle is being waged in the radio industry concerning whether or not satellite radio should have the right to broadcast local content. Free public radio depends on this local edge to compete with satellite radio.

Otherwise, satellite radio would have a monopoly in the radio business.

CULTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS —Free public radio plays a critical role in perpetuating and preserving culture.

Young and upcoming artist depend on local airwaves to be heard.

AUDIENCE RAPPORT —Listeners have developed a rapport with certain radio stations and hosts.

aBlast

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Wednesday, April 10, 2002

PHOTO BY ANDREW SATTEN

3

4 aBlast

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Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Blood Drive brings many donors

Over 70 students participate, blood donated to INOVA Blood Donor Services

AHS BLOOD DONORS

Rebecca Wise Mr. Paul Weiss Beck Gibson Elizabeth Tran Elda Aramayo Leah Selim Kristie Moore Ahmed Mohamed CK Calhoun Megan Araya Jason Benjamin Victor Dinarte Barbara Hunter Dinah Beltran Martha Reys Natalie Wallace John McDowell Megan Nelson Jackey Barrentine Jen Ott Hilda Goitia Ruthie Edwards Teresa G. Lusby Ann Harper Matthew PeÒa Lisbeth Espinain Zoraya Vega Heather Norwood Kara Brostrom Young An Chistine Deibes Carlos Peret Preston McNeil Mr. Clausen Diego Torrico Caitlin McKinney Zarrin Chua Rita Mrad Michael McMarlin Stephanie Carrion Cintia Rojas Sherri Brain Shana Echevarria Talia Miller Kevin Fox Chris Velilla Claudia Sandoval Khurram Walud Elizabeth Murphy Courtney Thieberger Melissa Manley Lisbeth Espinoza Terri Beam Corey Edwards Lindsay McQuid Heather McDonal Rachel Astrow Erin Pak Daqmawit Shimelis Jackie Elba Christina Fisher Melena Rhee Sun-Jin Chung Caesar Xavier Rivera Tammy Pham Kelly Ferrer Alloyia Sims Holly Eveler Duk Young Kim Hyung-woo Kim Marie B. Yiadam Laura Barnes Kristine Kim Robin Thompson Kyle Easter

by Aminah Kakeh Staff Writer

The gymnasium was filled with the aroma of rubbing alcohol, the numerous gasps of donors as the needles penetrated and the hopeful filling of numerous blood bags, on Thursday April 4.

The biannual blood drive, which is traditionally sponsored by the SGA, yet again had a strong turn out. Beginning at 7:30 a.m. and concluding at 1 p.m. about 90 juniors and seniors as well as faculty members flooded in to donate their time and blood to the INOVA Blood Donor Services. Students had to be 17 years of age or older and must have had parental consent in order to donate their blood.

The anxious and nervous gestures of the student donors generated a general sense of tension within the room; however, the students fully believed in the cause of donating blood on a general level despite the discomfort.

Although slightly tired after donating, many students were satisfied with their efforts. “I had a friend who had a heart transplant a few years ago, so after seeing what he was going through and experiencing it with him made me want to give blood, since I had a first hand

AMINAH KAKEH

Senior Melissa Manley gives prepares to give blood at the recent blood drive.

experience with the needing of donated blood,” said senior Talia Miller.

Many students felt this was a wonderful first time around opportunity with the process of blood giving. “I feel it is my duty as a citizen to give blood, so I decided to just do it routinely as I get older, and this seemed like a good opportunity to get the first time over with,” said Brostrom.

Schools to get out early FCPS announces two inclement weather days to be used “Calendar” from pg. 1 According to FEA representative Leonard Bumbaca the recent initiatives are only a concession for the minimal salary increase that FCPS teachers received earlier this year.

“We think they’re a step in the right

w

e think they’re a step in the right direction, and individually they’re important, but they dont’ solve our problems,

Leonard Bumbaca

Math teacher

direction,” said Bumbaca “and individually they’re important, but they don’t solve our problems.”

Domenech has also proposed a defined workday in which teachers will not be held after school for unreasonably longer then

the time they are required to be in school.

Domenech suggests that principals are keeping teachers after school for unreasonable lengths of time and has amended the teacher workday regulations to read: “Principals should be sensitive to the number of faculty meetings involving all teachers that extend beyond the normal workday. Cluster directors will monitor schools were faculty meetings continually exceed the normal workday.”

In a separate proposal Domenech addressed a similar problem concerning elementary school teachers being kept after the early closing time on Mondays with a similar solution.

Time off was also granted to 12 month employees of FCPS who will be given a Holiday on July 5 because these employees do not benefit from the inclement weather initiative.

In a separate budget proposal, FCPS will likely add 14.1 million dollars to the budget by increaing class size county-wide by one student per class.

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Following the September 11th tragedies, many people felt a more compelling obligation to donate blood to their local hospitals and clinics. “Following the attacks last year, you always want do things for others, and this is a really simple convenient way to give back,” said senior Erin Pak. The want and need for blood has risen in the recent months following the attacks;

therefore, many students have taken on more adult perspectives on the giving of blood. The attacks raised my awareness a lot and I really wanted to be able to help,” said senior Heather McDonald.

Senior Lindsay Mcquaid agreed with McDonald, saying that, “since September 11th my views have changed on the world, and I want to help more and have more of a presence.”

The complex process is much more then just lying down and getting the blood drawn. Prior to being “put under the needle,” each student had to fill out a survey questionnaire in order to ensure that his or her blood would be of some use to the center. The clinicians took the blood pressure of each student and evaluated their forms before letting them make way to the stretcher where they would begin the blood giving process. According the SGA school-wide President, as well as blood drive coordinator, senior Maame Boateng said, “We simply contacted INOVA Blood Donor Services because we know that people want an opportunity to donate blood in the general student body here at Annandale. Therefore, we recognized by having it here, at our local high school, it would give the students easier access and a greater opportunity.”

Math Honor Society inductions to be held

by Alejandro Salinas Entertainment Editor

Sukho Na, sophomore at AHS, is involved in both the JV and Varsity Math Team.

Although math is not Sukho’s favorite subject, he acknowledges its importance for college.

This motivation has led him to become a new member of the Math Honor Society.

Like Sukho, 54 other students at AHS will also become members of the Math Honor Society on April 17.

“I decided to become a member because of the opportunity of meeting new people,” said sophomore, Brenda Duong.

To become a member a student must have a 3.5 GPA in their high school level math classes and a 3.0 GPA in their other classes.

A student must then fill out an application and apply to be accepted.

According to Carol Rychlik, sponsor of

the Math Honor Society, the induction ceremony will be held in the auditorium from 7 to 9 p.m., and a reception will be held outside the auditorium after the ceremony.

During the ceremony, the new inductees will receive a certificate from the National Organization, and senior members will obtain their Honor RYCHLIK Cords.

Among some of the activities, the new members of the Math Honor Society are required to complete five hours of community service in a math or science related field.

“It’s a great opportunity to help other people,” said sophomore Sukho Na. People interested in joining the Math Honor Society should contact Rychlik during September next year.

(703) 813 - 6262

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DECA competes

by Denice Miller Profiles Editor

Seniors Shant Shahrigian and David Covucci have been been named the Journalism Education Association’s first and second place winners of the JEA’s Virginia High School Journalist of the year. In the last seven years, various ABlast editors have won this award five times. Last year, graduates Katherine Lehr and Kelly Floyd also won first and second place.

COURTESY OF DECA

DECA attended a state leadership confrence in Richmond, Virginia in March.

by Rachel Jones Staff Writer

Covucci

Shahrigian

In order to be eligible for this award, contestants must have participated on their high school newspaper for at least two years, maintained a 3.0 GPA, and declare journalism as a major in college.

“I think [Shahrigian and Covucci] have been excellent editors. They’ve maintained the quality of the paper and the writing,” said Clausen.

Last week, Clausen congratulated the two during announcements, stating that both Shahrigian and Covucci had submitted “35-page portfolios of their articles, layouts and sample newspapers from the last four years.” An announcement was also placed in the PTSA letter.

“Receiving this award is no doubt the pinnacle of my high school career. It’s an honor to be named the top journalist in the state. I’m also glad to now join preceding A-Blast Editor-in-Chiefs who have won this award,” said Shahrigian.

When asked why AHS has won many top journalism awards, Clausen said, “It’s directly attributable to the teaching, to the instructor. Certainly, the quality of the students has been high, but it also reflects the quality of instruction. All the students who have won the award are highly-deserving, but I think all of them would say they are better because of him.”

Guitar Club rocks

by Katharine Kishiyama Staff Writer

The audience cheered as the lights flashed and I.J.Q. took the stage, head banging and singing Pink Floyd’s famous song, “The Wall (Part 2).” Lead singer sophomore Colin Agnew belted out, “We don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought control...hey, teachers! Leave them kids alone...” to the crowd’s applause and screams as freshman Aaron Brown slammed down his guitar and jumped off of his amp.

I.J.Q was just one of the bands that was featured in the Guitar Club’s annual concert last Friday night, April 5, at 7 pm in the auditorium.

The concert featured 18 members of the Guitar Club and consisted of an acoustic portion and an electric portion.

The cost was only $2 for three hours of quality entertainment.

The Guitar Club has held its annual concert every year for the past nine years. The concert attracted over 100 people.

Both parents and students along with former graduates attendend the concert.

This year the concert raised $265. “The money raised goes to benefit the guitar programs, so we’ll probably get a [new] electric/acoustic guitar,” said guitar teacher Russell Kee. Auditions for the concert were open to all members of the Guitar Club and were held the week before spring break.

During the acoustic portion of the concert, six acts performed both individually and in small groups. Performers were freshmen Marian McLaughin, Heather Willy and Jordan Bonds, seniors Mick Wurzer, Paul Kehrer, Talia Miller, Liz Hopson, and junior Jack Bartuska. Most of the artists played popular alternative songs by artists such as Nirvana, Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Eat World, Dispatch and Dave Matthews.

However, Mick Wurzer and Paul Kehrer performed one of Garth Brooks’ songs, while other performers such as Talia Miller, performed songs they composed and wrote their own lyrics for.

“A lot of the bands were pretty good.

The concert sampled all kinds of music, some of which I thought were better than others. What stood out the most to me was Mick’s set. I liked his song choices, execution, and overall singing and playing,” said junior Erik Zottnick.

“I’ve been in them [guitar club concerts] since freshman year and they’re always a lot of fun. Everyone did really well,” said Wurzer.

During the electric portion of the

Eighteen members of DECA attended the annual state leadership conference (SLC) March 15-17 in Richmond. Three members were chosen as state finalists: Rachelle Returco, Alexander Silano and Tracie Hiatt.

After winning local district competitions, DECA members compete again at the state level. Silano and Hiatt were required to complete a 100 question multiple choice test and then role-play business

scenarios in front of a judge.

“They all did fantastic,” said DECA sponsor Jennifer Hendrickson. Sixteen of the students attended the conference to compete in individual or team events, and two attended as delegates.

Delegates helped select state officials for Virginia next year.

It is an honor to be selected for the SLC and members attend for a variety of reasons, such as winning a district event, presenting a manual, competing in a Quiz Bowl, running for state office or voting for the next leaders of the State

Action Team.

The SLC had a variety of speakers and workshops for DECA members to attend.

Speeches ranged from DECA in college to the value of teamwork in the future. In addition to speeches, members competed in competitions and Quiz Bowls.

This years DECA team was very successful in the competition portion of the conference.

Returco finished in the top 10 for the Communications category. “It was my first year of competition,” Returco said, “It was exciting to win.”

Sophomores Silano and Hiatt finished in the top six for the team Sports and Entertainment Marketing competitions. “Its an accomplishment that many people never get the chance to do,” said Silano.

“SLC was different than what we thought. We went to districts and it wasn’t that big of deal, but states is different,” said Hiatt. “We didn’t expect to do that well, we thought we did well but not that well,” said Hiatt.

DECA is planning several upcoming events, including a fun day for the children at Higher Horizons Day Care in May. A fashion show scheduled in May was canceled.

news

Editors win awards

Yearbook sales ending

by Sean Sullivan Photographer

Have you purchased your yearbook yet? If you haven’t, you are not the only one. The sales for this years Antenna are down considerably from last years. When asked why this was the case Christine Vandereyk, a senior on the yearbook staff, said “ Last year there was more advertising for the yearbook.

Plus, this years advertisements started later.”

Yearbook staff members are now trying to make up for lost time and doubling their efforts to sell the books. To boost sales, staff members are to sell five yearbooks for their third and fourth quarter grade requirement. In addition to going directly to their peers for sales, posters have been hung all over the school promoting yearbook sales.

Future dates of yearbook sales can also be heard during morning announcements and found 0in folders placed on teachers doors yearbook staff member Laura Bellingham believes that “Our final sales numbers will meet the staffs goal of 1100 yearbooks.” Procrastination of the student body plays a factor in the staffs optimism. Many students wait till the last sale to buy a yearbook. The last day to purchase a yearbook is June 6.

Gisch attends international science fair

by Wala’a Elbarasse Staff Writer

Freshman Andrew Gisch has been selected to attend the International Science Fair in Louisville, Kentucky in May and the State Science Fair in Randolph Macon College on April 13 for his project on a cup holder insert.

“It [Science Fair project] was talking about designing a cup holder insert to hold up larger cups in cars, and it would basically just go in there and prevent cups from tipping over and causing accidents,” said Gisch.

Accompanying him to the State Science Fair are juniors Greg Karch and Eshani Chikara who took first place in Computer Science and Botany respectively.

Another project that caught the eyes of judges and won first place at the school Science Fair and third at the Regional Science Fair in the category of Engineering was done by a team of three juniors: Christine Sabotta, Despina Kiaoulis and Leigh Castaldo.

The lasting effect of the World Trade Center (WTC) collapse caught their interest, and they decided to research the cause of the collapse.

“Our project was about how the WTC collapsed, it was a last minute thing. So many people thought the building collapsed because of different reasons, we wanted to know the real reason it collapsed,” said Sabotta.

As for any other project, this project required the group to do extensive research on the building structure. “It was basically a lot

Career fair assists students

by Sarah Bizer Staff Writer

AHS students explore future careers and summer jobs.

Thinking about for a career? Come to the career fair held in the upstairs gym on April 17 during Flex.

The career fair is an opportunity put together for students to discover information about careers,” said Robin Roth, career center specialist.

Ever wish you had a summer job to get the money to go buy that CD player you have been looking at?

Many students come to the career fair just to get a summer job. There are many organization jobs for pool management.

Some of the summer employment organizations include, Century Pool Management, Community Pools and Winkler Pool Management. The career fair is mainly for the undecided seniors to help make plans for their future.

The U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and the Navy are all prepared to answer any questions.

All five branches of the military, except the Navy stills has to respond, but will probably be there, said Roth.

Many students were able to find out the information they wanted to learn about the 5 branches.

Last year at least 2 students from Annandale went to one of the branches.

Two of the students were Emma Hagen who joined the Navy, and Betsy Baker the Coast Guard.

The upstairs gym is going to be turned into a room filled with tables decorated with brochures and information all about the jobs.

Students can just go up to the table of their interest and find out information about if that is what they actually want to do.

“The main thing I want people to get out of this, is to just come away with information, and resources for furthering their education or training in various career fields,” said Roth.

The career fair has been a part of Annandale high school for four years, since Roth has been the career center specialist.

Some college that will be there will be Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), and Stratford University.

of research on different parts of the structure and the factors that caused the collapse, like the plane crash and fire. We constructed a model of the base structure of the WTC to show the domino effect, we also drew the model of the WTC to show how the building was built and structured ...We showed how those factors damaged the structure so that it collapsed due to all the pressure,” said Sabotta.

Their hard work and research paid off in the end; the win was a pleasant surprise to the unsuspecting group. “We were surprised and happy that we won, and it was a good experience for us,” said Sabotta.

Tying with the group’s first place win and receiving honorable mention at the Regional Science Fair was junior Zarrin Chua, who did a project on the influence of plastic fibers on concrete properties.

“I did not expect to win at all,” said Chua.

Chua’s time-consuming project required help from her father, a civil engineer. “My dad helped me set the concrete and mix everything up. Then we had to wait until the concrete dried to run the test,” said Chua.

Another student that participated in the Science Fair was sophomore Khalid Abulhawa. “I was pretty nervous about the Science Fair at first, but when it came time I was ready,” said Abulhawa.

Although Abulhawa did not win an award, it proved to be a good experience for him. “I can always try again next year,” said Abulhawa.

With Gisch being selected to attend the International Science Fair, AHS students have achieved a new level of recognition.

“What these students have achieved just by going sets new levels of success that show what our school can do when given the opportunity,”

News Briefs ABOVE AND BEYOND RECOGNITION AWARD RECENT WINNERS The following are being acknowledged for their reception of the “Above and Beyond” award. AHS staff members can be nominated

by AHS students and teachers for exceeding the expectations of their jobs: Shirly Altounian, Food Service Employee John Clauss, Biology Teacher Danny Giles, Administrator Kathy Hermann, ESOL teacher Sossi Krikorian, Food Service Employee Tom Pratuch, Science Department Chair Jennifer Sharp, Attendance Support Janet Pfeiffer, Librarian Robin Roth, Career Center K.W. Williams, Security Paula Woolsey, Librarian

AHS sponsored a clothing drive during the month of April. Collection boxes are set up in the jock lobby for collection. All donated items will be given to the Salvation Army. Any questions, call Kathleen Sullivan at 644-2850.

Remember to buy your yearbook!

-Come to room 229 before April 30 to receive a $5 discount with this coupon.

$5

Off

aBlast

the

Wednesday, April 10, 2002

purchase of the Antenna

-expires April 30. Limit one per customer

5

6 aBlast

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Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Hello Dolly sings its way to AHS have made a lot of money,’ but they don’t realize that on a musical... you’ll spend around $5,000 to $7,000. Figure that out in ticket prices and you’ll realize how much it is.”

Coordination between the band, chorus and drama departments can also take more time, and make a musical harder to put on due to communication and scheduling. In addition, trying to perfect singing, dancing, acting and instrument playing at the same time can be difficult.

Music played during the musical is traditionally live, performed by members from the band and orchestra. Music and lyrics for Dolly were written by Jerry Herman, and are being performed by “anybody who signed up for it,” said Winters.

“It’s hard because we have so many people working on so many activities down here,” said band teacher Jack Elgin, who is directing the orchestra pit. “I’m the traffic cop, I tell them when they go and when they don’t go. I have the headphones on, communicating with the stage manager, the light people, the cues backstage and I kind of pull everything together this week, in terms of conducting.

I’ve got the script on one stand and the score on the other.”

Some teachers will have to fill in for students, as not every instrument can be covered. AHS’ orchestra teacher, Valerie Weintraut, will be playing the bass with the orchestra, as the normal bass player will be performing in the musical, and Carleen Dixon, chorus teacher, may be playing the piano. Dixon is also the vocal director in the play, and works with Dolly’s singers before they go on stage. “I just do the preparation,” said Dixon.

Hello, Dolly will be performed on April 11, 12 and 13 at 7:30 pm. Pre-show tickets are $5, and tickets at the door will cost $7.

“Muscial” from pg. 1 “First I was a little bit daunted by being such a large part, but it hasn’t been that huge of a deal,” said Beste. “I’m really glad to have this chance to have a really important part as a junior.”

Beste’s previous acting experiences include many roles in AHS productions, including two Class Acts roles in his sophomore and junior years (he played the lead and won Best Actor for his junior role), A Christmas Carol, M*A*S*H, and most recently as the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. He is a part of Annandale Singers and Men’s Chorale, and has been taking private voice lessons since last winter.

Singh, a senior, has also been involved in quite a number of AHS productions. One of her most memorable and emotional roles was in the fall play, as Helen Keller.

“I felt emotionally and physically drained after every rehearsal, but I loved it,” said Singh. “I poured every ounce of my being into that character, and felt a great appreciation about myself and Helen Keller.” Other experience she has includes Class Acts in her sophomore year and winning Best Actress, private voice training for four years, being in Annandale Singers and All-State Chorus and attending Governor’s School for the Arts last summer Singh believes that there is more to acting than everyone thinks. “Actors have to be good listeners, and we’re some of the best observers that you’ll every meet,” said Singh.

“Acting is so rewarding. You always learn something.”

An actor and a singer, Singh is passionate about both, and looks forward to playing the lead role of Dolly. “Dolly is definitely an interesting character to play,” said Singh.

“She was very independent and bold for a

SARAH SHERMAN

Junior Michael Weinberg and senior Paige Singh rehearse for tomorrow’s performance of Hello Dolly. The muscial will be performed tomorrow, Friday and Saturday of this week in the Auditorium.

woman of her time.”

Performing a musical is quite different from putting on play, because of the different aspects involved. “It takes a little bit more effort to put on a musical, because of the singing and dancing,” said Connor. “I think it can bring in more audience appeal, due to the variety of things going on.”

“Number one, it usually has more people,” said Farish. “More people means bigger sets or more sets, and means more costumes. The royalties for a straight play for three nights will run you... at the most $200; for Dolly it’s over $2,000.” Ticket prices are slightly higher than normal because of this. “Everyone says that, ‘Well, you had a big crowd, you must

KADA Festival to be held Heritage Night allows soon, students get involved cultural sharing Students unite against drugs and alcohol, hugs and not drugs “KADA” from pg. 1 kinds of drug and alcohol brochures as well as peer mediation information about cummunication and succumbing to peer pressure,” said Barb.

The folders will also include coupons and other interesting items donated from the local community.

Also, community members will be hosting sessions to inform students about various issues and items.

There will be sessions on swing dancing, guide dog training, baby-sitting services, building and racing model cars, and many others.

Along with the community groups, organizations like the SGA, the Star Program, and Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society) will be holding sessions as well.

Last year, the Mu Alpha Theta set up different stations, each with it’s own activity.

They had different math related activities like puzzles, string art, and bubble geometry. ìThereís fun in things out there that they can sit with their friends and do and our goal was to show them fun things math related,” said

aa

Carol Rychlik, Mu Alpha Theta sponsor.

With the festival coming up, Hook is gathering volunteers from, asking them to plan their own session and to host it during the Festival.

Because the time the event is held has changed, Hook does not know how many people to expect so wants to make sure that there are enough volunteers to go around.

She will be accepting until the morning of the event.

“I really hope to get the AHS students involved in presenting sessions to middle school students so that we can have as much positive interaction between high school students and middle school students that choose to attend,” said Hook. “When the middle school students leave at the end of the day, yes they’ve learned something but theyíve met some high school students that they can look forward to meeting again in their communities and here.”

Students will be provided bus transportation from specific pick up/drop off points along the community.

“Hopefully [we will give them] a good message of making good choices in their life to avoid the use of drugs and alcohol,” said Cindy Hook who is organizing the event.

“Might be a very subtle message but the message will be there.”

Mon

Tue

tomic genda

April

15

Wed

1/2 day

16

* B-Soccer v. Lee, Home, 7 p.m. * G-Lax v. Hayfield, Away, 7 p.m. * Softball v. Stafford, Home, 6 p.m. * B-Lax v. Hayfield, Home, 7 p.m. * Baseball v. Stafford, Away, 6 p.m.

22

* Ice Cream Social, cafeteria, 2 p.m.

* Softball v. Hayfield, Away, 6 p.m.

23

* Softball v. Lake Braddock, Home, 6 p.m.

* B-Lax v. Bullis, Home, 7 p.m.

30

* Distribution of Graduation announcements- FLEX

11

Sat/Sun 13 14

12

Student Holiday

* Softball v. T.C., Home, 7 p.m.

* B-Soccer v. Herndon, Home, 7 p.m.

* Baseball v. T.C., Away, 7 p.m.

* G-Lax v. West Pot, Home, 7 p.m. * B-Lax v. West Pot, Away, 7 p.m. * “Hello Dolly” in Auditorium, 7:30, p.m.

18

“Be not simply good; be good for something.”

19

Report cards mailed

* Fashion Show, FLEX

* KADA Festival, 8:30 a.m

* G-Soccer v. Lake Braddock, Home, 7 p.m.

25

* Heritage Night, cafeteria, 7 p.m.

20 21

* B-Soccer v. Lake Braddock, Away, 7 p.m. * B-Lax v. O’Connell, Home, noon

* Tennis v. T.C., Away, 4:30 p.m.

* B-Soccer v. Robinson, Away, 7 p.m.

* G-Lax v. T.C., Away, 7:15 p.m.

26

27 28

* B-Lax v. T.C., Home, 7:15 p.m. * Softball v. West Springfield, Away, 7 p.m. * Baseball v. West Springfield, Home, 7 p.m. * Tennis v. T.C., Away, 4:30 p.m.

1

* G-Lax v. West Springfield, Away, 7 p.m.

2

* B-Lax v. West Springfield, Home, 7 p.m.

* Financial Aid Night, cafeteria, 7:30 p.m.

* Baseball v. Robinson, Away, 6 p.m.

said Del Conte. “We want everyone to come out and see it.”

Watlington expects not only students to come out for the show, but also parents and other members of the Annandale community. With moving the show to nighttime, Watlington is aiming to change

* G-Soccer v. Herndon, Away, 7 p.m.

* G-Soccer v. Robinson, Home, 7 p.m.

* Baseball v. Lake Braddock, Away, 6 p.m. * Tennis v. Robinson, Home, 6 p.m.

* Softball v. Robinson, Home,6 p.m. * B-Soccer v. T.C., Home, 4:30 p.m.

24

* Annandale Night, Library, 7:30 p.m.

PHILIPPE PODHORECKI

One of several posters promoting Heritage Night as well as the Heritage Contest. Entry forms are in pockets with these posters.

Fri

End of 3rd Quarter

-Henry David Thoreau

* Baseball v. Hayfield, Home, 6 p.m.

* B-Soccer v. West Springfield, Home, 7 p.m.

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* Mu Alpha Theta Induction, Auditorium, 7 p.m. * Tennis v. West Pot, Home, 4 p.m.

* Tennis v. West Springfield, Away, 4 p.m.

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* Career Fair, Upstairs Gym, FLEX

* G-Soccer v. West Springfield, Away, 7 p.m.

* Baseball v. West Pot, Away, 6 p.m.

ews

Previously, Annandale held Heritage Day, in which students where invited to were traditional clothing to school, and the entire student body went to an assembly in the gym during FLEX where students put on a multi-cultural display of talent.

This year, Watlington is bringing over a tradition he started 11 years ago in Falls Church. There, they had their own Heritage Night and averaged 800-1000 people every year. The show rounded out at about 25 acts, only five more than what will be on display this year.

“Twenty acts about right for the show,” said Watlington. “Any more wouldn’t give enough time to all of these kids.”

The show is being put on by Watlington, Catherine Del Conte, Georgina Tomisato and Patricia Heininge. Together the four of them auditioned all the acts and organized the entire show.

Sponsoring the show are the ten members of the Heritage Club, of which Watlington is the sponsor. They are expecting to draw nearly 500 people for the show.

“We are expecting it to be a big success,”

* SGA speeches during FLEX * G-Lax v. Herndon, Away, 7 p.m. * B-Lax v. Herndon, Home, 7 p.m. * Baseball v. Robinson, Home, 6 p.m. * Softball v. Robinson, Away, 6 p.m. * Tennis v. T.C., Away, 6 p.m.

* PTSA meeting, * G-Soccer v. Lee, Away, 7 p.m. Library, 7 p.m.

* G-Soccer v.

T.C., Away, 4:30 p.m.

“Heritage” from pg. 1

* A-blast #11

4th Quarter Begins

* G-Lax v. Robinson, Home, 7 p.m. * B-Lax v. Robinson, Away, 7 p.m. * Softball v. West Pot, Home, 6 p.m.

500 people expected to attend, students, parents invited

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* Softball v. T.C., Away, 7 p.m.

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* SATs, Annandale, 8 a.m.

* Baseball v. T.C., Home, 7 p.m.

* G-Soccer v. Yorktown, Away, 7:30 p.m.

* Tennis v. Hayfield, Home, 4 p.m.

* Tennis v. West Pot, Away, 4 p.m.

Annandale High School Calendar of Events

* Guitar and Percussions Concert, Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

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* A-blast #12 * G-Soccer v. Hayfield, Home, 7 p.m.

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* B-Soccer v. Hayfield, Away, 7 p.m.

Test Schedule Test Schedule AP CALCULUS AB (AM) AP ENGLISH LITERATURE AP CALCULUS B (AM) (AM) AP GERMAN LANGUAGE (PM) IB SPANISH B (AM) IB MATH STUDIES(PM)

—Compiled by Atomic Agenda Editor Chae-Wha Park

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news

MSA holds annual dinner Students experience authentic foods, delicacies

by Saman Hussain Staff Writer

Tangy ground Humus, Arabic for chickpeas, and colorful aromatic South Asian rice called Biryani were among the many diverse dishes served at the Muslim Students Association annual dinner on March 15, making it a thoroughly agreeable cultural and religious experience.

“It was the MSA event of the year,” said MSA treasurer Rasha Dahab senior. “Everything we’d been doing in the club led up to it.”

MSA members had earlier signed up for designated volunteer tasks to perform in preparation for the dinner.

Most students stayed after school, setting up the cafeteria and auditorium while other took care of catering.

A group of volunteers also set up a brochure table that hosted various brochures, including Jesus In Islam and The Misconceptions of Islam.

“We were trying to educate and inform people as much as possible about Islam,” said junior Beenish Mukhtar, who helped set up the table. “The brochures were free so a lot of people picked them up and actually read them.”

The dinner began at 6 p.m. and ended at 10, guests bought $7 tickets for entrance.

Upon arriving, guests were escorted to the auditorium where they were given an Islamic lecture on inter-faith relationships.

“It [the lecture] was really informative

SAMAN HUSSEIN

MSA members enjoy a table of food at their annual dinner.

especially because it discussed issues that concern and often trouble the Muslim youth of today,” said former MSA secretary, GMU student Dua’a Elbarasse.

The lecture went smoothly with the exception of one of the much-anticipated speaker’s late arrival.

After his arrival, however, the rest of the

procession continued as scheduled.

Following the lecture, guests made their way to the cafeteria where they enjoyed hearty Middle Eastern-South Asian cuisine.

“The food was great especially because we got the opportunity to taste these unique exotic dishes that we wouldn’t have eaten otherwise,” said senior Maisara Ahmad.

While enjoying their food, a number of Muslim high school students attending schools all over the county accompanied with a few non-Muslims mingled with AHS students adding up to a total of over 100 guests.

The club held frequent bake sales and sold lollipops throughout the year to raise money for the momentous event.

A few restaurants and individuals also lent a hand by donating money to pay the expenses for the dinner.

“My dad gave around 100 pieces of cooked chicken and lamb for the dinner,” said sophomore Tamara Khatib.

The ultimate purpose of the fundraising dinner was to earn money for the MSA scholarships.

“We managed to make around $1,200 this year, that’s a pretty reasonable amount,” said MSA secretary, senior Deena Razik.

Four scholarships are handed out to rising junior and senior MSA members at the end of the school year.

“They’re based on the applicant’s GPA, how much they helped out at the dinner and how actively they participated in the club on a whole,” said Razik.

This year, the club’s officers are working towards handing out four $700 scholarships; the students who qualify will be notified in June.

“I’ve attended all three MSA dinners our school has held so far, and each year we’ve managed to show improvement,” said Dahab.

“This year we all cooperated and put on a well-organized dinner, and I hopefully future MSA members will continue putting in an effort in the years to come.”

News Briefs FLEX SPEECHES TODAY Today during W6 FLEX the SGA election speeches will be held in the main gym.

Seniors will go to the cafeteria. There will be two assemblies, one for the upstairs classes and one for the downstairs. The voting ballots will be given to students as they enter the gym. Students must bring a pencil to fill the ballot. SGA President nominee Elaine Filadelfo said, “I’m in SAC [Student Advisory Council] and that gave me exposure to student government.” Her plans for the school if she wins are, “I want everybody to be more involved in SGA and for people to actually care,”

Band prepares for next week’s Fiesta-Val competition

by Kathy Saupp Staff Writer

With the most highly anticipated event of the school year right around the corner, members of the band are marking off the days on their calendar, setting their alarm clocks, packing their overnight bags, and (of course) practicing. Thursday, April 18, at 6:00 a.m., busloads of eager musicians and guardsmen will depart the school, en route to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for the Spring 2002 Fiesta-Val competition.

The Fiesta-Val competition is similar to the Festival competition that took place earlier this year. “The bands will be judged based on qualities of musicality, blend, and intonation, just like Festival, but along with these ratings the judges give points in order to determine an overall winner,” said Band Director Jack Elgin.

According to Elgin, about 115 band students will travel to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. In addition to the Symphonic and Gold/Red bands that performed at Festival, members of the marching band, indoor guard, and both jazz bands will be attending to compete in parade and jazz competitions. “In the parade competition, the marching band and guard will be graded on all of the basic music requirements, as well as the skill and unity of their marching,” said Elgin. The marching band will perform the music from their fall field show for the parade competition.

According to Elgin, the attitude toward the Fiesta-Val competition is similar to that of

Festival. “We’ve changed only some of our music from Festival, but there is much more excitement from the students because they can get out of school, see and hear groups from other regions,” said Elgin. Groups from schools in Michigan, Ohio, Florida and closer schools like Westfield and James River High School in Richmond will be competing with the bands and guard.

To the students, the Spring Trip means more than just a competition. “Competing helps for experience, but the travel is fun, getting to see schools from all over the country is exciting,” said senior Cindy Brundage. The accolades that the groups have received in the past prove that they are still focused. “In the past we have done well, the bands have won the overall competition in Myrtle Beach, the Grand Championship, as well as lots of marching and jazz awards,” said Elgin.

“Im excited about it, but I don’t really think about playing as much as I did before Festival. There is so much more to this trip than just the competition,” said junior Cailin Yaroch. In addition to competing, students have access to all the host town has to offer.

“Usually we spend time at Myrtle Beach and the town, this year were somewhere else,” said Brundage.

All other activities aside, the competition comes to a dramatic close Saturday night, with the awards ceremony, to be held at the Dixie Stampede Amusement Center. “The awards ceremony is the highlight of the trip, it’s always a big show,” said Elgin. “There will

ANDREW MENEGAT

Several band members rehearse for the upcoming parts in the musical. This is only practice for them as they prepare for their upcoming competition.

be a horseback riding competition at the Dixie Stampede, and the awards will be lowered from the ceiling of the arena down to where they are presented.”

This is the first year that the groups will be traveling to Tennessee. “In the past, musical groups have gone to Myrtle Beach, Orlando and Atlanta.

Regardless of where the groups travel to, the spring trip is full of surprises. “I remem-

ber my freshman year, when the bus broke down on the way home and the air conditioning didn’t work,” said Brundage. “We had to stop and wait for 3 hours until another bus came.” Although Elgin acknowledges that little things can go wrong, he is optimistic about the trip as a whole. “Other than some health issues, and the inevitable I forgot this and I forgot that,” as long as we keep on schedule, things will go smoothly,” Elgin said.

Administration to stop thefts “Thefts” from pg. 1 also helping to eliminate the extra traffic. “The kids we really want down here are the athletes,” said Carayiannis.

Those caught are suspened automatically. “It really starts with the students,” said Cornwell. He believes that if students put locks on lockers it would end part of the problem. Most of the

thefts have not been on locked lockers but on those left open for theft.

Cornwell said that he hasn’t delt with a locker that has been broken into. He has had ten reported thefts. Recently freshman Davis Murillo found a wallet which contained $30. In an e-mail sent to the AHS staff Carayiannis said, “I thought that was a great display of character on the part of Mr. Murillo.”

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Of Mice and Men given a new twist Students recreate the film Of Mice and Men by combining the acting experience of Bill Brock and the raw talent of his tenth grade english class..

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by Hayley Fletcher Academics Editor

Wednesday, April 10, 2002

What are your duties as a behind the scenes technician?

BY KATHY SAUPP

Cast and Crew “I am the prop mistress. I organize and create props by improvising with what [the theater department] has. My duty is to set the stage up on production days.”

Writer, Director, Editor: Bill Brock George: Matt Henderson Lennie: Jon Kriss Curly: Tony Caldron Curly’s Wife: Holly Couihan Candy: Clovis Fleming Slim: Brent Sullivan Crooks: Brittney Huff Carlson: Hugo Salvatierra Whit: Andrew Judge Candy’s Nurse: Gina Castro Missy: Tori Barrentine Aunt Clara: Rachel Bonds Suzy: Jennifer Ott Ranchers: Erick Alva, Austin Van Austin, Will Stravino, Greg Loewer, Scott Rodden Stuntmen: Andrew Judge, Greg Loewer, Salva Bratishko Grapic Arts: Amandeep Singh Still Photography: Kendra Adams Director’s Assistant: Scott Rodden Sound: Dalal Atef Prop Masters: Peter Lereshe, Carlos Mirand, Andrea Eguino Key Grips: Manny Gomez, Ahmad Pierce

—Ashley Miller sophomore

“I’m what you call the gopher.

I paint, fix backdrops, work with the lighting, and run errands. ” —Patrick Giannico junior

“I’m the publicity master for Hello Dolly. I make all of the posters and “A” frame [road signs] as well as design and paint.”

Acting behind the curtains

by Sarah Sherman Photographer

The stage is set. The lights are in position. The actors collect their thoughts and go over their lines as the curtain rises. The audience leans back to enjoy the show.

Backstage, it is a whole different story. Lighting technicians are scrambling to stay in line with the actors’ cues, props directors are rushing to find the last missing piece to a set, and the makeup mistress is coaxing the male actors to at least put on a little blush.

This is the life of theater techies, the crew of the drama department.

The class is taught by Vicki Farish during W2 and is made up of both Tech I and Tech II students.

Each theater techie has completed a fine arts credit to get into Theater Tech, preferably Theater I. Their grades depend on how they do in practice and class, not to mention their written tests and how they perform during the show.

There are several different jobs to be done behind the scenes. (There’s lights, sounds, set, props, and makeup, not to mention clearing and cleaning before and after the show.) Before performances, there are many problems that can arise.

The week before a performance, techies must go through what is known as “tech week,” where rehearsals last from 5-10 hours each weeknight. During the week, cues, sounds, and props are checked and double checked to make sure they comply with the play.

“It can get really hectic,” said freshman Andrew McDowell. “There’s a lot of yelling. For the whole week through opening night everyone is stressed out.”

As if stress from the long rehearsals wasn’t enough, the heat from the actors is at times unbearable. “Some of [the actors] can be so rude, they’re always blaming stuff on us,” said junior Ashley Miller, one of the props directors. “But without us, they’d be nothing.”

Miller, along with the other two prop directors, sophomore Holly Panik and Maria Venesantos, take pride in the work they do for the drama department and enjoy the time spent behind the curtains.

“You have to be creative, because sometimes you have to improvise and make the props out of a limited supply of materials,” says Venesantos.

Senior makeup mistress Elizabeth Dere has been the mistress for the entire drama department for two years. When on stage, the lights can often “wash out” the faces of the actors, making it difficult for the audience to make out their features. This is why everyone, even the males, must get makeup.

a

cademics

—Marcia Copeland senior

As Lennie and George run from Weed to escape the hunters and dogs, there is a sudden shout that penetrates the action; “Cut! Back to one!” Bill Brock, English teacher, directs his students in filming Of Mice and Men. The students reassemble and prepare to expand on the chase scene at the beginning of the play, which is filmed at the AHS tennis courts.

The tenth grade English class read the novel and viewed the 1992 movie adaption staring John Malcovich and Gary Sinise. After the class was tested, Brock chose to dramatize the novel into a student-produced film.

In addition to teaching, Brock is a part-time actor.

Brock was also featured in theater performances as well as commercials and stand up comedy. Some Richmondarea commercials Brock was featured in include Kings Dominion, Circuit City and Sprint. With a total of 36 plays, including last year’s performance of Misery, Brock continues his career with various auditions.

Brock enjoys using his acting experience with his students. He usually creates a video project every year with his students similar to this performance. Since his arrival to AHS last year, he has upheld that tradition. Last year, he produced the Brock Westfield Show with tenth grade students, similar to the Jerry Springer Show, only with characters from the Odyssey.

The W8 class started the production in Feb. and is still in the process of completing the film. They used props and costumes provided by the drama department and filmed in outdoor locations throughout the school. The script was written by Brock and a schedule was made.

“I play a rancher in the student production,” said sophomore Greg Loewer. “The class production is really funny and it goes by the book.”

The cast and crew were chosen by Brock based on physical appearance and not necessarily acting ability. “It is a nice combination of literature and movie making. The students take direction very well. They’re naturales in front of the camera,” he said.

The play was modernized and remolded to fit the time.

“It was like 1933 collided with 2002,” said Brock, “We threw in a lot of comedy.”

HANA NGUYEN

Geordie Campbell uses a hand saw to make final adjustments on the background of Hello Dolly.

“Most of the time the boys don’t want to get make up,” says Dere. “It’s stressful, especially when there’s a huge cast. It’s hard to squeeze everyone in.”

One key aspect about being on crew is to be prepared for the unexpected.

The worst can happen at anytime, and it’s the techies job to fix it and fix it quick. Sometimes, weeks of preparation cannot prepare the crew for what is going to happen once the curtain rises.

“On the opening night of The Miracle Worker, the table on the stage broke when [an actor] jumped on it,” said Josh Buzzell. “I had to step out on stage and began acting, like it was part of the play, just to replace the table. The audience didn’t know it was improvised, but the actors did,” Despite the stress, baggage from the performers or opening night jitters, most techies enjoy the backstage life and what they’ve learned about what it’s like behind the scenes.

“I want to be a teacher when I get older,” said senior techie Marcea Copeland. “Theater helps you overcome problems with limited resources.

It helps you better deal with problems for whatever.”

Sure, they’re not the ones prancing around on stage, singing their hearts out or taking a graceful bow as the audience cheers, but without techies, who would keep that stage clean? Who would control the acoustics in the room? And who would shine the spotlight during the curtain call? They only get their name in the program and a bow on the last night, but techies make the show.

“Without us, the show would be nothing,” said junior, Greg Karch.

SARAH SHERMAN

Matt Henderson and Jon Kriss act out a scene from of Of Mice and Men performed in their sophomore English class.

The students had to use their knowledge gained from the novel to transform it into a full, highly creative production.

There was a scene that introduced the ranchers as the Rancher Club Round-Up, similar to the Mickey Mouse Club Show.

Humor was also added with the use of props and exaggerated film techniques including sound and filming angles. “We stay faithful to the novel, yet take the time to toss it on its comedic ear,” said Brock.

There were a variety of jobs and responsibilities required in producing the film. The class involvement ranged from actors and actresses to prop masters, who are all under the supervision and artistic aid from Brock.

“I’m the key grip,” said sophomore Manuel Gomez. “My job is to move tables and chairs, but I also play a farmer in the play.”

The main characters of George and Lennie were played by sophomores Matt Henderson and Jon Kriss respectively.

“By portraying George, I get a sense of what it would feel like to be in Hollywood, because I modeled my character after Gary Sinise’s performance,” said Henderson.

“Putting on this production takes many class periods,” said Kriss. “But it’s all worth it, because it’s an entertaining experience. I learned what it was like to live back in the 1930s.”

The most time consuming part of the production is the “dreaded editing process,” according to Brock. “During break, there were a couple of late nights putting it together.”

The time and creativity to produce this film is selfevident. The students as well as Brock enjoy the idea. “It is not just a simple project of placing kids in front of the blackboard with scripts and one simple camera angle,” said Brock. “It is a lot of work, but a lot of fun.”

Atoms Who Matter Name: Josh Buzzell Grade: 11 GPA: 3.4 Experience in Drama Tech: Buzzell began his experience as a freshman in Theater I class, where he started as a “gopher” and an usher. He went on to assist with the lights and technology for the spring production of Music Man. In 10th grade, Buzzell took the Drama Tech class where he assisted with the lights and technology for Class Acts as well as the fall play. He later became the co-lightmaster for the production of M.A.S.H. as well as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. As a junior, Buzzell is still in the Drama Tech class and was the lightmaster for the junior and senior Class Acts, Alice and Wonderland, Miracle Worker, and Hello Dolly.

Future Plans: “Definitely in college. I’ll probably perform in amateur productions as a hobby. The technology profession earns good money. I’m always interested with this stuff.”

Other Hobbies: Eagle Scouts, Order Arrow—the Boy Scouts Honor Society, helping with the sound system at church

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and one softball field. For younger kids, there are two playgrounds with a tot lot.

Visitors can enjoy hiking Chilly, harsh-blowing and nature trails as well as winds have turned to a a refreshment stand. warm, pleasant breezes.

“I’ve been going to Flowers have bloomed to Mason District ever since I enlighten what has been a was little,” said senior dull winter, and children Melissa Manley.

“I used to have begun to come play go with my brother and outside more often, aware of we’d walk through the the advent of spring. It’s trails, trying not to get lost. time to grab that pair of I still love experiencing the hiking shoes or golf clubs outdoors and being able to and head outdoors. There’s walk through the woods no need to look very far; a when things get hectic.” number of great local parks Mason’s facility rentals include rowboat and camping with rental rates ranging from $55 to $150, in addition to three picnic areas. Hiking and biking trails in Lake Accotink are popular, as SARAH KELMAN well as its 77The arenas at Frying Pan are available for local acre lake equestrians to use. among local fishermen.

Children enjoy feeding around the area feature the geese that always flock various activities. to the shore of Lake Mason District and Lake Accotink and playing at the Accotink are the closest playground. There are also parks around. Mason tourboat rides, fishing, District has six tennis miniature golf, and courts, two basketball carousel, along with pedal courts, two soccer fields, boats, rowboats and canoes

by Young-Zi Byun and Sarah Kelman Features Editors

available for rentals. There are six picnic areas, costing $66 to $300 to rent.

“Having the Lake Accotink park open is a great option,” said sophomore Erin O’Brien.

“Our softball team likes to go there for team gatherings and we have so much fun. It’s a great place to just chill and hang out.”

Great Falls and Occoquan are favorite sites for retreats, amateur sports games, and variety of featured activities.

Visitors to Great Falls marvel at watching the waters of the Potomac River crash down the 76foot falls of Mather Gorge.

Allowing access to such activities as visitors center exhibits, rock climbing, and whitewater boating, the admission to Great Falls is $4 per car for a three-day pass. There are tables for picnic areas and a snack bar is open from March to November.

“Going to Great Falls is one of my favorite outdoor activities,” said senior Yukari Nakamura. “My friends and I hike along the trails, climb some of the rocks and walk down the Potomac River. It’s so beautiful and peaceful out here; I absolutely love it.”

Located on the Occoquan River in Lorton,

Occoquan Park offers 400 acres of recreational space.

In addition, it boasts a touch of the past with its historic brick kilns and plaque reminders of the women suffragists imprisoned there in the early 1900s.

Although Occoquan is only open from March to November, it SARAH KELMAN offers several Senior Melissa Manley prepares to take off for hiking, one of many outdoor different facilities, activities she enjoys. including soccer and ball fields, batting Park also features a ponds and streams bordercages, walking trails, and restored 18th-century ing the Potomac River. It is its trademark marina. manor house, with a home to resident and Other activities offered gazebo and ponds. The migrant birds as well as include boating and fishing, attraction of Herndon’s wildflowers. The visitor and there are tables, grills, Frying Pan Park is Kidwell center features live a water fountain, three Farm, a working model animals, seasonal exhibits, gazebos and snack bars farm typical of farms found a nature library and a available for picnics. in Fairfax County in the naturalist on duty during Looking for some new early 20th century. Frying open hours. It has unique adventure or experience?

Pan includes an indoor programs on birds, reptiles Plan to visit Green Spring activity center, indoor and and insects, campfires, Gardens, Frying Pan, or outdoor riding arenas, and nighttime hikes and River Bend. Green Spring an equestrian trail. With wildflower walks. The cost Gardens Park, located right these facilities, you can of the programs vary around the corner in enjoy horseback riding, although admission to the Alexandria, has many farm programs and park and center are free. different demonstration hayrides. The old schoolRiverbend offers rentals for gardens, as well as a house is also available to a pavilion on a first-come, greenhouse and newly rent for weddings, parties first-served basis, starting expanded horticulture and meetings.

April 1. Other facilities center to provide visitors Riverbend Park is an include picnic tables and a with ideas for home expansive park with 400 boat ramp for private landscaping. acres of forest, meadows, launches.

Green Spring Gardens

features

The Great Outdoors

Where to buy your outdoor gear

1-800-441-5713 www.llbean.com

L.L. Bean

1-800-426-4840 www.rei.com

Don’t take local parks for granted…take a look around Fairfax County

R.E.I.

Parks Green Springs Gardens’s 18th-century Manor House (near right) is its main attraction. Located in Alexandria, it features many different demonstration gardens and horticulture center.

Kidwell Farm (far right), the main attraction of Frying Pan Park, is centered around a replication of working early 20th-century farm.

Nottoway is home to Hunter House, a historical mansion that used to be owned by immigrant John C. Hunter.

Today the mansion is available for corporate rentals. Nottoway is a small park with tennis courts, basketball courts, nature trails, and baseball fields (far left). Lake Accotink is one of the closest parks around. Flocks of geese at the lake’s shore often entertain children (left), along with the park’s carousel.

PHOTOS BY SARAH KELMAN

• Bull Run: Pool, camping, mini golf, bridle paths, shooting center • Bull Run Marina: Rowboat and canoe rentals • Burke Lake: Carousel, train, golf course, boating • Ellanor Lawrence: Playing fields, hiking trails, nature center • Fountainhead: Mountain bike trail, mini golf, fishing, boating • Hemlock Overlook: Outdoor challenge courses • Huntley Meadows: Wetland, nature walks • Lake Fairfax: Cricket, playing fields, carousel, pedal boats • Mason Neck: Canoe tours, fishing, bird watching, boating • Meadowlark Gardens: 95acre garden park, horticultural programs • Nottoway: Courts, playing fields, fitness trail • Pohick Bay: Golf, camping, boating, bridle paths, nature trails, pool • Riverbend: Nature center, nighttime hikes • Runnymeade: Guided nature walks, trails • Sandy Run: Olympic canoeing and kayaking training

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Galyan’s

(703) 506-1470 www.ems.com

Eastern Mountain Sports

The outdoor person’s essential list of supplies Before you head outside, make sure you’re properly equipped with the right stuff.

These are the basic must-haves.

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Wednesday, April 10, 2002 Proper shoes are a must-have for your outdoor experience.

Rugged, thick-soled boots like these will protect your feet and give you the lateral stability you need to maneuver around.

Running around outside is sure to make you hungry. Healthy, highcarbohydrate snacks like granola bars are perfect for the outdoors because they’re portable and tasty.

A necessity for hiking and everyday living, water will keep you hydrated and ready for action.

A baseball cap is very useful outdoors; it blocks the sunlight and keeps your hair out of the way.

Despite their little size, insects and bugs can be surely annoying—even dangerous. Don’t let them ruin your fun. All it takes is a couple of sprays.

9

The Beautiful Mind

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Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Films featuring mental illness

Senses pair up in synesthesia

by Laura Hollowell Staff Writer

Syn-es-the-sia: noun- a subjective sensation or image of a sense (as of color) other than the one (as of sound) being stimulated. The literal meaning of the word is “shared senses.”

Synesthesia is a world where colors have smells, sounds are seen, and words and aromas have color. The senses are fused together and a person has difficulty characterizing between sensory inputs. The most common form of synesthesia is colored hearing.

Neurologist Richard Cytowic reports that while a normal person has distinct senses; synesthetes have senses that overlap each other, giving them the ability to even smell a color.

The five senses have up to 10 synesthetic pairings. “[Synestheses] don’t see pastoral landscapes,” said Cytowic. “They see blobs and

THE RAINMAN

Autism Dustin Hoffman plays the autistic Raymond Babbitt, as he travels cross-country; based on a true story.

HEATHER DOWNEN

SIXTH SENSE

Telepathy/Esp

Schizophrenia/ Paranoia John Nash, diagnosed as paranoidschizophrenic, goes on to win a Nobel Prize for work on game theory.

AMADEUS

Depression The story of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who suffered from depression and other mental illnesses.

by Crystan Blanco Ad Manager

Those dreams that seem real are pretty scary, the one’s where you see things and hear things. But then it’s all okay because once you open your eyes, everything’s gone and you slip back in reality. But what if you couldn’t slip back in reality, if you had these “dreams” even when you weren’t asleep?

Schizophrenia is a disorder that is very rare and is often misunderstood. According to the National Mental Health Association, it only affects about 1% of the world’s population.

“Schizophrenia is a mental illness that is characterized by disorganized thinking, reasoning and behavior,” said psychology teacher Scott Hambrick.

Pyschologists are still unclear of its causes, but theorize that genetics, chemical imbalances in the brain and other various viral infections play an important role. If Schizophrenia runs in your blood stream, you have 46% chance of developing the disorder.

The symptoms of Schizophrenia vary with each person and develop through months, years or very suddenly. Signs include, but are not limited to, hearing or seeing things, a constant feeling of being watched, odd way of

speaking or writing, strange body positioning, change in personal hygiene, deterioration of schoolwork and inablitly to sleep or concentrate.

As of now, there is now cure for schizophrenia, however, crisis services, therapy/ counseling and psychosocial rehab programs are available. New antipsychotic medications have also been helping schizophrenics cope with the discorder and lead healthy lives. “Early detection helps minimize the impact schizophrenia has on one’s life,” said Hambrick.

If you know someone suffering with Schizophrenia, the best things you can do is get them help.

“Through personal experience, I know how someone with Schizophrenia acts and what the people around them go through,” said senior Tony Cavalero, whose late uncle was diagnosed with this disorder. Cavalero explained how his late uncle was affected by this disorder.

“Sometimes he would call and say crazy things, like the refrigerator is was talking to him or he heard voices in the attic,” said Cavalero. “It’s just sad to see someone you care about in that position, to watch them lose it.”

For more information call, 1-800-829-8289.

Or visit www.narsad.com.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

Nymphomania Blanche Du Bois is plagued by memories of her dead husband, constantly hearing voices as well as being addicted to sex.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS

OCD more common than most assume Melvin Udall stands at the entrance of a New York clothing store, staring at the floor and yelling to a salesperson at the top of his lungs. If he was to enter the store, he would have to face one of his worst fears, cracks. Melvin, a writer who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is played by Jack Nicholson in the 1997 movie As Good As it Gets. In addition to his fear of cracks, Melvin washes his hands excessively, brings plastic utensils to restaurants, never uses the same bar of soap twice and constantly locks and unlocks his door.

According to the National Mental Health Association, an estimated million children and teenagers suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It is estimated that one in 50 adults in the United States currently has OCD, while twice that many have had it at some point in their lives.

While there is no single, proven cause of OCD, research suggests that it is an anxiety disorder caused by an imbalance of of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a chemical that acts as a messenger between the front of the brain (the orbital cortex) to

the deeper parts of the brain (the basal ganglia). When the levels of serotonin are unbalanced, messages that travel through parts of the brain are manipulated, resulting in repetitive thoughts. The repetitive thoughts become intrusive impulses, or obsessions which cause the person to develop compulsive habits.

OCD symptoms can be detected in people of all ages.

However, it is important to keep in mind that not all daily rituals, such as praying, are significant symptoms and that it is normal for worries or obsessions to increase during times of stress.

People who suffer from OCD are plagued by obsession, which includes thoughts, images, or impulses that occur over and over again and leave the person feeling as though they are out of control.

Some common obsessions include imagining harming oneself or others, imagining losing control of aggressive urges, intrusive sexual thoughts or urges, excessive religious or moral doubt and the need to ask or confess something.

Obsessions often cause uncomfortable feelings such as fear, disgust, doubt or the need to have things done in a certain way.

OCD victims try to rid themselves of their obsessions by

performing compulsions. Compulsions are acts that the person performs repeatedly. Some common compulsions include washing, repeating, checking, touching, counting, ordering or arranging, hoarding or saving and praying. People who suffer from OCD do not perform compulsions for their own pleasure, but to relieve themselves from the discomfort caused by their obsession.

OCD symptoms are divided into different catorgories.

Washers, one of the most commonly known, constantly feel they are contaminated by germs and often cleanse themselves, developing dry, cracked and bleeding skin. Hoarders collect items compulsively, orderers excessively feel the need to keep their belongings perfectly aligned, and checkers constantly check to make sure they’re completed a specific task such as in Melvin’s case, locking the door.

OCD symptoms may cause severe stress and often take up a lot of time (usually more than an hour a day). Symptoms significantly interfere a person’s daily life such as work, social life and relationships. OCD has also been known to cause other anxiety problems such as self-mutilation

and eating disorders.

Children from preschool ages to adulthood (usually by the age of 40) can be diagnosed with OCD. However, one-third of half the adults diagnosed with OCD report having symptoms during childhood. While no specific genes for OCD have been detected, research suggests that genes play some role in the development of the disorder in some cases.

Before modern medicine, OCD was thought to be uncurable.

While OCD sufferers develop strong compulsive habits, recent medications have provided patients with the proper treatment to overcome their disorder.

OCD is most commonly cured using medication and therapy.

One type of medication, selective serotonin reuptake inhabitiors (SSRIs) such as Prozac, Paxil and Luvox, help correct the chemical imbalance in the brain. Doctors may also suggest behavioral therapy. The most common type of therapy is called exposure and response prevention, where the patient is exposed to their obsession and then delays their compulsive response.

For more information on OCD, visit your local library or visit www.ocfoundation.org.

The Florida Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory OCD Screening Test Below is the OCF’s electronic version of Dr. Wayne Goodman’s FOCI OCD Screening Test, provided to help you self-determine if you have any clinical obsessive/compulsive tendencies.

The questions below were originally designed to help health professionals evaluate anxiety symptoms.

Keep in mind that a high score on this questionnaire does not necessarily mean you have an anxiety disorder because only an evaluation by a health professional can make this determination. Answer these questions as accurately and as honestly as you can.

Select a “NO” or “YES” answer for each of the following questions asked, based on your experiences in the past month.

Have you been bothered by unpleasant thoughts or images that repeatedly enter your mind, such as: 1. Do you have concerns with contamination (dirt, germs, chemicals, radiation) or getting a serious illness such as AIDS?

i

n-depth

and balance because they arrange everything by color or smell. They are often mistaken as schizophrenics, but the two conditions actually share no common symptoms.

There are five main diagnostic features to classifying synesthesia. Synesthesia is involuntary but unsupressable and there is no telling when the condition will begin or end or what will trigger this occurrence. Synesthesia is perceived externally and all feelings come from the outside world. Synesthetic perceptions are not changeable and are unelaborated. Synesthesia is memorable and a person is able to recount happenings. Synesthesia is emotional; it evokes feelings of the person.

Right now, there is no cure for synesthesia, but the condition is being explored more and more everyday. But, it is not possible for a non-synesthete to become a synesthete.

ALTHOUGH PLAGUED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, THEY STILL MADE A DIFFERENCE:

by Katharine Kishiyama Staff Writer

A BEAUTIFUL MIND

wavy lines.”

Synesthesia is more commonly pronounced among left-handed females, and is associated with intellectual and artistic abilities and superior memory skills.

The idea is that during episodes of synesthesia, there is a decreased blood flow in the cortex.

Synesthesia has been known to medicine for almost 300 years, but was commonly overlooked because it was unexplainable to man. In the last couple of years, the estimated number of synesthetes has grown from 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 25,000.

Synesthesia runs in families with either autosomal or x-linked dominant transmission. According to Cytowic, “One family [could have] one synesthete in each of four generations, while another family [could have] four synesthetes out of five siblings in the same generation.”

Synesthetes are known to prefer neatness, order, symmetry

Schizophrenics find help

weren’t careful enough?

2. Are you overconcerned with keeping objects (clothing, groceries, tools) in perfect order or arranged exactly?

3. Do you have mental images of death or other horrible events?

4. Do you have personally unacceptable religious or sexual thoughts?

Have you worried a lot about terrible things happening, such as: 5. Do you worry about fire, burglary, or flooding the house?

6. Do you worry about accidentally hitting a pedestrian with your car or letting it roll down the hill?

7. Do you worry about spreading an illness (i.e. giving someone AIDS)?

8. Do you worry about losing something valuable?

9. Do you worry about harm coming to a loved one because you

Have you worried about acting on an unwanted and senseless urge or impulse, such as: 10. Are you concerned about physically harming a loved one, pushing a stranger in front of a bus, steering your car into oncoming traffic; inappropriate sexual contact; or poisoning dinner guests?

Have you felt driven to perform certain acts over and over again, such as: 11. Do you perform excessive or ritualized washing, cleaning, or grooming rituals?

12. Do you check light switches, water faucets, the stove, door locks, or your car’s emergency brake?

13. Do you perform counting; arranging; “evening-up” behaviors (making sure socks are at same height)?

14. Do you collect useless

WWW.MENTALWELLNESS.COM

A boy with a special gift communicates with spirits who don’t know they are dead.

in-depth

10

The human brain is one of the most fascinating and intricate parts of the body. However, it remains susceptible to a variety of disorders that can cause it to be the most mysterious. Although we still have yet to understand these complexities, scientific and medical research within the last 50 years have led to advanced understanding of...

WINSTON CHURCHILL

LUDWIG VON BEETHOVEN

Statesman, scholar, author, and artist, he suffered recurrent episodes of depression during his adult life, however, “had he been a stable and equable man, he could never have inspired the nation...”

Brilliant German pianist and composer of sonatas and symphonies, he suffered with bipolar disorder throughout his adult life, leading to deepening isolation and despair

Through the eyes of the beholder People with synesthesia often associate scents, colors, sounds, or tastes with words and numbers. Below are some actual examples of the images synesthetics see.

A piece of music with heavy bass and high-pitched instruments, associated as a picture in the mind of a synesthetic.

The first few bars of Beethoven’s Symphony #5

16. Do you need to touch objects or people?

17. Do you unnecessarily re-read or re-write; re-open envelopes before they are mailed?

18. Do you examine your body for signs of illness?

The alphabet, colored and represented by two different synesthetics as their unique interpretations of the letters within their own minds

19. Do you avoid certain colors (“red” means blood), numbers (“l3” is unlucky), or names (those that start with “D” signify death) that are associated with dreaded events or unpleasant thoughts?

The colors of some days of the week, according to one synesthetic.

WWW.OCFOUNDATION.ORG

ROBERT SCHUMANN

Academy award winner, played Helen Keller on Broadway, and two “identical” roles in the 1960s TV show that bore her name, suffered from bipolar disorder

Penned over 130 compositions, collaborating with Chopin and Brahms, suffered from severe bipolar disorder, attempted suicide, and auditory and visual hallucinations

CHARLES DICKENS

Your best friend walks exactly 34 steps from the bus to school everyday. He locks and unlocks his door 12 times before leaving his house. At night he washes his hands repeatedly until they are red and raw. Your friend could have OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder, and be one of over 54 million Americans who suffer from a mental illness.

From manic depression to schizophrenia, the lives of one in four families are affected by mental illnesses. This problem continues to baffle experts and scientists, so there is no cure for many of these diseases. However, there are many organizations designed to help people cope with their disorders, including one at AHS. One foundation known for donating to mental health research is the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Recently, NIMH donated $6.5 million to Howard University for

research studies pertaining to mood and anxiety disorders.

NIMH also offers useful information about responding to the terrorist attacks, and coping with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

Another organization that gives charitable donations towards

mental health research is the National Mental Health Association. The NMHA is the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization that addresses the subjects of mental health. The NMHA has recently been named the top health charity, and the organization boasts “91 cents of every dollar raised by NMHA goes directly to mental health programs, education, research, and advocacy.”

For more information, visit www.nmha.org.

If you or someone you know may be suffering from a mental illness, there is a place to help at school. When the counselor of the student recognizes a drop in grades or any other sign of a mental disease, they recommend that the student go to the Child Study Committee. This group, headed by the psychologist, meets every Thursday. Also in attendance are the Special Education Department Chair, the Guidance Director, and the student’s counselor.

At the meeting, students and their parents are encouraged to talk about what can be done to help the student. Sometimes, tests are needed to determine if the student has emotional disabilities, where there are special services.

The tests consist of ability testing (IQ Test), achievement testing (what the student has learned in school), a social case history, and a medical evaluation.

The committee then comes together and decides whether or not the student needs professional

Middle-aged author Melvin Udall suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which plays a significant part in his everyday life.

Author of classic novels, including A Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist, suffered from episodes of clinical depression, and was an obsessive writer

National, local groups work to help people cope with well-known mental disorders

help.

The student can be sent to the Woodburn Mental Health clinic, the county facility. Also, parents can opt to go through a private agency or a doctor.

There are three facilities in Fairfax County that address the issue of mental illness. The closest to AHS is Woodburn. The Mount Vernon Center for Community Mental Health, located in Alexandria, can be reached at 703-360-6910. The number for The Northwest Center for Community Mental, in Reston, is 703-481-4100.

What is your obsessive habit?

PSYCHO

Schizophrenia Motel-owner Norman Bates suffers from schizophrenia, a disease that leads him to do unthinkable acts.

FIGHT CLUB

Schizophrenia Edward Norton portrays a man who is disillusioned by his own life until he meets a stranger, who is actually formed by his own mental illness.

aBlast

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Wednesday, April 10, 2002

“I carry a toothbrush and toothpaste in my backpack, and brush my teeth when I’m bored in class.”

20. Do you feel a need to “confess” or repeatedly ask for reassurance that you said or did something correctly?

PATTY DUKE

16th President of the United States, struggled with severe depression, including occasional suicidal episodes, throughout his life

by Kyle Smeallie Staff Writer

objects or inspect the garbage before it is thrown out?

15. Do you repeat routine actions (going in/out of a chair, going through a doorway, relighting a cigarette) a certain number of times, or until it feels “just right?”

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

—Publio Agrafas, junior

“I put on a lot of lotion because being ashy-dry is bad for you.”

—Marquette Lee, senior

“I always interrupt my friends and correct their grammar when they are talking.”

—Amanda Sheaffer, sophomore

“I always chew my pencil during class, because it makes me less nervous.”

—Chhivguek Op, freshman

11

12 aBlast

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Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Basic equipment of mixing and producing

2 hno c e T4 U

Junior Rob Erickson and seniors Linette Luna and Kevin Marland find true inspiration in electronic frequencies.

Defining the true meaning of house parties; students embrace electronic dance music defying stereotypes and misconceptions in a outdated society.

Head Phones: A good pair of headphones is needed to hear the tracks so that blending is accurate.

Examples: Sony, Technics, Pioneer

Turntable: Used to spin and scratch records (LP’s) and 45’s.

Examples: Technics, Numark, Gemini

Speakers: Speakers that can handle at least 300 watts are needed.

Examples: JBL, Crown, Yamaha

Cartridges: Known as the “needles” are important and necessary for playing records. A wide variety are available to fit either scratching and mixing needs.

Examples: Stanton, Shure, Ortofon

by Shin-hyung Ahn Staff Writer

Music blasts from the speakers and excitement fills the air as people dance to music, feeling the beat inside them. Lights flash in different colors, some fast and some slow, creating different effects. On one side of the room, the DJs smoothly transition from one song to the next, “controlling” the crowd with skill and ease.

Since December of 1999, DJ NiCa (senior Linette Luna), The Child Prodigy (senior Kevin Marland) and the other members of P.L.U.R. (“Peace, Love, Unity, Respect — a rave philosophy”) Productions have been planning and throwing multiple parties in people’s homes, with music provided by Luna, Marland and STARSCREAM (junior Robert Erickson of Woodson.)

“Our friends and family have been very supportive of our parties whether it be setting up, filming or designing fliers,” said Luna. “They have helped us make a successful production team.”

The parties are planned to create a club-like atmosphere for those who love music and dancing, giving the underage an opportunity to experience the excitement of clubbing. “I really love dance music, but I wasn’t old enough to go to clubs, so my whole concept was: ‘If I can’t go to the party, I’ll just bring the party to me!’ ” said Luna.

Having first met in middle school, Luna and Marland were brought together by their shared love of music. “We got to be better buddies in eighth grade, and we kind of fed off each other in terms of music,” said Marland. “She was into groups that I had never heard of. I later listened to them, and it just opened up my horizons a little bit. I started learning more and more about techno and I just got [caught up] in it.”

“AND THEN THERE WAS LIGHT...”

After entering high school, the two friends became separated for a year and reunited in their sophomore year. “We were both spinning so we threw our first house party at my house and have done similar parties ever since,” said Luna. “Some were at my house, some at friends’ houses. We always take turns spinning together.”

Later, they made an addition to P.L.U.R., finding

Mixers: These are essentially used for blending and transitioning tracks.

Basic mixers offer two channels, phone and line.

Examples: Pioneer, Vestax, Numark

profiles

Drum Machines: Essential for writing dance tracks. They have endless machines available that offer a variety of different musical features.

Examples: Roland, Yamaha, Korg

MONICA PRICE

Freestyling, Luna, Erickson and Marland spin supersonic tunes that blast from the speakers.

someone with skill and the shared interest in music. “At one party last year, Kevin’s friend Robert Erickson was playing around on the decks at the end of the night and he was good, so ever since then we all spin together,” said Luna.

Both Luna and Marland have been into techno and dance music since they first heard it, receiving inspiration from groups like Prodigy. “When I was 13, I discovered The Prodigy,” said Marland. “When I got my hands on their first album, I put it into my CD player and my jaw just dropped. I listened to it over and over again on full volume trying to turn it up even louder. It was then that I knew what I wanted to do with my life.”

“In 1997, I got more into dance music and started listening to Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Fluke, The Freestylers, etc... but it was mainly Prodigy that inspired me to explore all styles of electronic dance music,” said Luna.

However, the electronic dance music styles are varied and consist of techno, house, jungle, drum ‘n’ bass, trance, trip hop, happy hardcore, garage and many more.

Marland, Erickson and Luna’s love for music has also influenced their hopes for the future, incorporating techno/dance music into it. Luna hopes to bring her parties with her to create a club. “My goal in life is to own my own club and not just any club; I mean a super club like Ministry of Sound of London, Cream or GateCrasher,” said Luna. “I just want to be involved in dance music all my life.”

“EVERYBODY NEEDS A 303” In addition to spinning, Marland writes his own music and hopes to continue working on this. “Sometimes, it might take me months on end to finish a song,” said Marland. “I’ve written and I still write other types of music; I try to keep my musical horizons open. Even though it takes months on end to get done, when you finally get that track done, it’s really gratifying.”

When writing the music, he needs to write up the different parts of the song and with songs like hip-hop, he works with someone who writes up lyrics. “With techno, I might need 60 different recordings and then just slowly piece them all together,” said Marland. “I have to write bass lines, drum parts, fills, and all this little intricate details and when you put it together, you try to play around with it to see if it works out and it all matches together.”

Right now, he and Erickson make up the Department of NRG and after finishing the album, he hopes to find a record label and to make Department of NRG’s music available to dance lovers. “There’s very few people who actually love drum machines, keyboards on stage and just do it live. We’re trying to get together and do live shows and try to get a record label and see how far I can get with it.”

DIGITAL ECSTACY Despite all the strong love behind techno music, there are many misconceptions about the culture. People associate techno with raves and raves with drugs because of all the media attention. “The media has exploited raves and dance culture by making it look like techno kids are all a bunch of druggies wielding glowsticks,” said Luna. “Although drug use has been a part of rave culture, as well as most music cultures whether it be hip hop or rock, that is not what it’s all about!”

“Don’t hate me for my lifestyle, hate me for who I am and my personality,” said Erickson. “And if you do like me, like me for me, and not because I’m so colorful.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MONICA PRICE

When Luna sees people trying to tie techno with these misconceptions by wearing “techno inspired attire” and bragging about drug use with no apparent knowledge of the music, she becomes enraged at the fact that “they’re degrading something that means a lot to me and other real dance music fans.”

“Techno is a lifestyle and a choice,” said Erickson.

“You’re either into it or you’re not, there is no middle ground.”

Many others look down on the commercialized techno merchandise such as UFOs, glowsticks, pacifiers, candy bracelets, etc. “They’re commercializing the hell out of it trying to make it like disco, and whenever they’re talking about bad youth, it’s ‘drugs, drugs, drugs,’” said Marland.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MONICA PRICE

The flyer for Luna, Marland and Erickson’s upcoming party on April 13th called “We are the Ruffest,” created by members of P.L.U.R. Productions.

“Techno is about dancing till you feel like you’re gonna keel over, with the raw energy of it all.”

Still, they forget their feelings about these issues when people show up to their parties to lose themselves in the music. “To see that they enjoy it as much as I do makes me feel a little more reassured that the message is passed along,” said Marland.

ROCK DA HOUSE They spend a great amount of time preparing for the parties, creating and passing out fliers, setting up the equipment, and pre-selecting music pieces. All of the equipment is purchased with their own money, from savings and birthdays, so they do not charge for their parties. During the party, they alternate between one hour sets where their selected tracks are played. On April 13, DJ Nica and Dept. of NRG will once again experience the thrill of spinning music to a live audience due to the great response from the dancers at their first party.

Members of P.L.U.R. Productions film all of these parties to document the music as well as the dancers and to enable themselves to relive the night over again. This party, unlike others will require a cover charge to pay for the use of the house.

“You listen to your favorite tracks alone in your room and imagine what it would be like to spin them to an entire room and see how they react,” said Marland.

“When the kids go nuts over it, you can’t repress the huge grin that takes over your face.”

Techno: 82 Years of Electronic Music Timeline A mere ten years ago techno was considered an “underground movement.” However, today it has evolved from a “virtual obscurity” to a genre embraced by millions of listeners and musicians worldwide.

1920s The first synthesizer is created and uses electromagnetic waves, allowing users to play without physically touching the instrument

1950 Pierre Henry and Pierre Schaefer compose Symphonie Pour Un Homme Seul, the first piece of “musique concrete”

1967 Stockhausen Telemusik uses shortwave radio as instruments to create a “world music”

1970s Hip-hop DJs in New York use the spinback capabilities of Technics 1200s turntable to create scratching

1939 John Cage’s Imaginary Landscape #1 was the first piece to use means of electronic reproduction 1961 Kraftwerk CD Cover

1977 Kraftwerk releases “Trans-Euroupe Express”

1980-82 Roland introduces the TB-303 bassline machine and the TR808 drum machine

The seeds of Kraftwerk added further developments in the late 70s as Throbbing Gristle, Human League, Ultravox, Cabaret Voltaire, Devo, Yellow Magic Orchestra (from Japan), Simple Minds and many more hit the top lists.

1984 Visage CD Cover

1990s Trip Hop, Downtempo and Jungle music form from techno

cultures

Multi-cultural literature boosts awareness

by Edris Qargha Staff Writer

Students educations are being enriched by the literature of other cultures

Books can be an effective tool in teaching about other cultures. They can provide important insights into the lives of people around the world and throughout time. Students of many cultural backgrounds interact with one another and these books can serve as a catalyst to discussion about those cultures, enlightening not only the student populous but the teachers as well.

IB and AP English teacher Virginia Hale said “It can be a very enlightening experience when [books are read] in the context of the class... students can hear other people’s viewpoints on them, and can be guided by teachers who are knowledgeable on the subject.”

Tenth Grade English Honors teacher Bill Maglisceau said “It’s good here in Annandale because we have so many students from different countries that can share their knowledge of their cultures. For example, when reading the Joy Luck Club, there was a girl last year that could tell us about how some of these customs we’d been reading about still apply today and how some are sort of outdated.”

In light of this, the Program of Studies’ statement of Philosophy says, “The AHS Literature Program is designed to offer students a variety of experiences with genre - short story,

CAMERON KYNES

Students in Vince Randazzo’s English class enjoy multi-cultural readings such as the Joy Luck Club. All students are required to read literature from different cultures by the Fairfax County curriculum.

fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and informational/technical. The program includes traditional and contemporary selections, with consideration for our multicultural student population.”

Among the core reading materials for ninth and tenth grade are To Kill a Mockingbird, which deals with racism in the Great Depression, Night, which deals with the Holocaust, and Julius Caesar. Each of these books provides an outlook on different societies at different points in time. Other supple-

mental (optional) materials delve even deeper into the heart of various cultures and their traditions, as in Joy Luck Club.

Though eleventh and twelfth grade English traditionally focus on American and British literature, these classes can also provide an outlook on not only foreign culture but more local culture as well. Due to AHS’s cultural diversity, learning about American culture can be very foreign to some.

This year is the first in which the IB

program is being implemented and marks, subsequently, the “phasing out” of the AP program. Virginia Hale said “[In] the AP program [choices of reading materials are] really at the teacher’s discretion... Some teachers may teach four or five books a year while others may teach ten or twelve books a year. However with the IB program, we have to let the IB people know beforehand what our books are going to be, which must include world literature books.”

This year the IB program, which was developed overseas, has done a great deal to diversify the literature read by Juniors. Beyond simply books written about other cultures, students have read translations of prominent foreign literature including Paradise for the Blind, translated from Vietnamese, A Doll’s House, translated from Norwegian, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, translated from Spanish, and, currently, Siddhartha, translated from German.

These books, and others read during their High School years, will undoubtedly leave a profound impression on the students of AHS, and provide them with a greater awareness and appreciation of culture. Virginia Hale said “...

Students have come back and said how much certain works meant to them. Sometimes many years afterwards... [Books] do open the students’ minds.”

Julius Caesar

by William Shakespare

Afghans and Iranians celebrate a hopeful new year

by Edris Qarghah Staff Writer

On March 21, the first day of spring, Afghan and Iranian people around the world, began their extensive New Year’s celebrations. These celebrations, known as Eid-e-Now Roz (Festival of the New Day) to Iranian people, date back to Zoroastrian times, when Persia rivaled Ancient Greece.

Preparations for the festival can start as early as a week in advance, beginning with getting the very important traditional consumable, Samanac (or Samano), ready.

Samanac is created by soaking wheat and leaving it to grow green shoots up to three inches high. The juice is then extracted from these shoots and boiled overnight with constant stirring and careful supervision.

Iranian people stay with close family

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members on New Year’s Eve, and when the hour of New Year arrives, they celebrate and pray for things to come in the New Year. The true celebrations, however, begin the next morning.

In the morning the distarkhan (a material placed on the floor, where Persian people traditionally eat) is set, with live wheat shoots, placed at either end, and is laden with fresh fruit and traditional foods.

Money and occasionally small gifts are distributed among close friends, family, and neighbors; as is the custom at all Eid celebrations (the Afghans do not consider the New Year to be Eid).

For both nationalities, New Years is a festival of “sevens.” Iranians traditionally provide seven fruits that begin with the letter “s” in Farsi. Afghans prepare a dish known as Haft Mewa (Seven Fruit), which

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are seven dried fruits fruit, and dump the and nuts (such as remaining Samanac in a raisins and walnuts), nearby river or large which have been stream. soaked in water for However, many of these days, creating a customs have been naturally sweet, light abandoned, due to the soup. many harsh years of war in The celebrations Afghanistan. During the continue for seven war, many fields were days; it is a huge social ravaged by combat, and affair, where families sown with mines (Afghaniand friends visit one stan has the world’s largest another and exchange amount of landmines), greetings. In Afghanimaking it unsafe to picnic stan, when the wild in unknown areas. tulips began to bud, Additionally music and families would go out games were outlawed by for picnics. the Taliban during recent Huge cultural fairs years. took place, featuring “For New Years we had Afghanistan’s national a huge family gathering sport, Buz Kashee and celebration,” said (Goat Pulling), animal Freshman Ayesha shows in which prizes Rahmanyar. “We watched were awarded for the Afghan and Iranian holiday Freshman Ayesha Rahmanyar displays best animals, and mass specials on the Fairfax her traditional hand embroidered tree planting. There County Public Access Afghan Khomak Doozie, which is usually worn during the New Year would be traditional Channels. We ate all sorts celebration. music and dancing. of great food (among the At the end of the fancy foods the simple, seven days, traditionally, the Iranian traditional white rice and spinach), and had people would gather their distarkhans, the traditional Samanac and Haft Mewa. which had been left ready for the whole We all wore our best Afghan clothing. More seven days, so that all who visited were then anything, however, we thought of welcome to help themselves to food and Afghanistan, wishing it a brighter future.”

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Introducing...

Tony Cavalero

Blast

Wednesday, April 10, 2002

LAX FACTS —Native Americans were the first lacrosse players and used it as a form of military training.

–Teams consisted of hundreds–even thousands–of players, goals were usually miles apart and games could last for up to three days.

—The Six Tribes of Iroquois started a more organized form of the game, with 12 players and a set field.

—The name lacrosse came from the French explorers who thought that the sticks resembled a bishop’s crozier (crosse).

Senior Tony Cavalero is one of four captains on the varsity lacrosse team, starting middle linebacker for the football team and an Honorable Mention AllMet 160 pound wrestler.

Cavalero has been on the varsity lacrosse team since his freshman year. “My best memory of lacrosse is definitely when we beat Robinson for the district championship my freshman year,” said Cavalero.

Despite his demanding athletic workload, he has found time to be involved in drama and become an Eagle Scout. After graduation, Cavalero plans on attending Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and playing lacrosse.

—In 1856, George Beers of the Montreal Lacrose Club rewrote the rules that transformed lacrosse into the sport it is today.

SARAH SHERMAN

Tony Cavalero watches the JV game against Chantilly before warm-ups. “He is committed to athletics, not just lacrosse. Playing football and wrestling have really helped his competitiveness,” said Head Coach Bill Maglisceau.

—The sport was first made popular in Canada and England.

—The first intercollegiate game was played on November 22, 1877 between New York University and Manhattan College.

—The original rules of ice hockey were patterned after those of lacrosse.

—Lacrosse is most popular on the East Coast, but it is gaining popularity in the rest of the country.

LINDA FAIRALL

Cavalero reacts to a comment from senior Joan Diongzon in theater class. “I like all my teachers equally, but my favorite subject is history.”

—The women’s lacrosse team at the University of Maryland has won a record seven national championships in a row.

Cavalero works against Ryan Daggle in a drill at practice.

Cavalero currently plays midfield, but has been working more on attack lately.

SARAH SHERMAN

SARAH SHERMAN

Cavalero gets off the bus at Chantilly. Bus rides are a time for mental preparation and Cavalero said, “Before games, I just try not to think about the game. I just think about playing for fun.”

s

napshots

ANDREW MENEGAT

Cavalero shares a laugh with fellow senior wrestler Andrew Marfull at lunch. The best part of high school to Cavalero is the friends he’s met through the years.

SARAH SHERMAN

The varsity lacrosse teams walks into the stadium for the game against Chantilly. After a hard fought battle, the Atoms prevailed, 13-8.

a rts

Have a blast at the Torpedo Factory

by Maggie Owner Staff Writer

As the day begins in Old Town Alexandria, Debra Swauger sets up her studio for another day’s work. She has worked at the Torpedo Factory for nine years and is one of over 160 artists who work here. This prestigious art gallery welcomes visitors seven days a week.

Art lovers have a chance to see the artists in their natural habitat, ask them questions about the pieces and purchase the art.

Today, the Torpedo Factory is a thriving art center visited by over 800,000 tourists a year. This three-level complex showcases renowned artists and a variety of works. As you walk in the door, studios on each side feature colorful ceramics and unique sculptures. Walking up the decorated stairs to the

i

found that the artists are very friendly. You can come up and talk to them about their art.

—Rhapsody Snyder Sophomore from Sutland High School in Maryland

second floor are handmade jewelry and engraved crystal. On the third floor, overlooking the Potomac River, you can find artists hanging their stained glass, photographers selling some of their most prized pieces and visitors watching a painter create a new masterpiece.

Originally built in 1918, the Torpedo

The photo to the left is the Torpedo Factory while it was still an operating factory in the 1920s. The building was renovated in the 70s and is today a thriving art center.

Factory was made for the manufacture of torpedo shell casing and other weapons, which operated through WWII. The green torpedo in the main hall stands as a tribute to Factory’s history and the Art Center’s namesake. In 1969 the City of Alexandria bought the building and it remained unoccupied until Marian Van Landingham decided to use the building as an art center. On September 15, 1974, the Torpedo Factory opened its doors to the public.

Swauger enjoys the Torpedo Factory because you could come and see the artists

making the work themselves. One benefit of the Torpedo Factory was the fact that artists were “educating the public. Some people don’t realize hands can make things,” said Swauger. She decided she wanted become one the of the Torpedo Factory’s elite members because the artists “make great money. There is so much exposure [at the Torpedo Factory] because it is visited by so many people.”

Local teenagers enjoy the Torpedo Factory as well. Because the artist is working right in the studio, it makes the atmosphere more relaxed and the artist more approachable. “I

found that artists are very friendly and you come up and talk to them about their art,” said sophomore Rhapsody Snyder from Suitland High School in Maryland. Snyder enjoys the Torpedo Factory because you can look at a variety of artwork and learn about other artists and their techniques.

Located in the Torpedo Factory is The Art League School is one of the area’s most respectable visual arts schools. The Art League is a separate entity from the Torpedo Factory; founded in 1953 it is a nonaccredited program. The Art League offers classes starting from the age of five, ranging from beginner to advanced. Classes offered to high school students include oil painting, clay animation, portfolio preparation, motion picture imaging and more.

The Art League School provides a full selection of day, evening and weekend courses. It also offers workshops and summer camps to nurture the neighbor artist. “The Art League’s`prices are excellent, they are about half the amount of a university,” said Cathy Cohen, registration manager at the Art League.

The Torpedo Factory is a precious resource of Alexandria. It provides a great place in which prominent artists can work on, display, and sell their art. It offers a rare opportunity where visitors can see an assortment of art exhibits and the artists themselves. The Torpedo Factory has “rejuvenated Alexandria and changed the face of Old Town,” said Swauger.

was sent to all Fairfax County students in early March.

Nothing brings more delight to “My friends said that it sucks students in third quarter slump having to wake up so early, but it than the word summer. However, was definitely worth it,” said Lanier. when summer is paired with the Students can either drive to school word school, the appeal drastically or take the bus. Students catch the diminishes. bus at the school closest to their However, Institute for the Arts, a house. “I had to carry my cello from Fairfax County the bus stop and summer school walk a mile think I improved not only in program, offers home,” said courses in sophomore my technique—dancing and dance, music, Jessica Vollrath. singing—but I also became theatre arts and Vollrath took more comfortable with visual arts. It orchestra, performing. will run this musical theatre, year from July and a pottery —Kelly Harbison class at the 8-August 1 at sophomore Fairfax High Institute. “I got School. Stuto be a TA in dents must apply by April 26 and orchestra for the younger kids,” she tuition is $570. said. One of her most memorable Eight AHS students still chose experiences was getting the chance to spend their precious summer to conduct the kids. vacation last year at Institute for “Kids get a lot out of it,” said the Arts. “I like art and I wanted to chorus teacher Carleen Dixon. do something over the summer “They grow as musicians.” rather than sit on my bum all day,” At the end of the four weeks, each said sophomore Susan Lanier. department showcases what they She found out about the summer have been working on for the entire program from a brochure sent to her school. Lunch time is also a chance in the mail. This year the brochure for performances.

really experienced and I learned a lot from them,” said Vollrath.

Some of the teachers at the institute are professional artists and some teach in Fairfax County already. “They taught me how to use a camera and dark room techniques. It helped a lot when taking photography this year,” said Lanier.

Students can take four classes daily. Each class is about 70 minutes long. For completing the program students get 1/2 of an elective credit. Grades are not assigned, but no more than two days of school can be missed.

“Colleges always look upon enrichment as a plus,” said Robin Roth, career center director. “You can never waste time doing something positive.”

i

This brochure came in the mail early March. Deadline for applications is April 12.

“I think I improved not only in technique—dancing and singing— but I also became more comfortable with performing,” said Harbison.

Vollrath learned how to work with different clays and glazes in the pottery class. “I’d been doing pottery for a while, but the teachers were

r o f e t u t i Inst the Arts What are some of the classes?

Modern dance, contemporary guitar, acting Shakespeare and cartooning.

When and where?

July 8-August 1, 2002, at Fairfax High School What time?

Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

How much does it cost? $570 How do I get there?

Students can either drive to Fairfax or take the bus. Bus stops are located at schools across Fairfax County.

To find out more check out www.fcps.edu/news/sumsch.htm

Places to shop for art supplies in an area near you

by Abby Segall Arts Editor

Today Annandale has many aspiring artists, but where do they get the supplies needed for them to participate in their desired artwork?

Many places sell art materials such as Michaels, MJ Designs, Total Crafts and The Scrapbook Store.

“I like to buy my art supplies at Michaels because they have a wide selection to chose from,” said sophomore Brandon Booterbaugh.

As many students at AHS, Booterbaugh purchases his supplies from Michaels Arts

and Crafts Store.

Michaels offers many different programs for people to come and learn to create various artworks and express their artistic side. The classes are mostly free with the exception of a few programs which cost anywhere from $2 to $25.

Sophomore Julie Bowes shops at Michaels Arts and Crafts store as well, but most of the time she does not even have to buy her own supplies. “I get a lot of my art supplies as gifts,” she said. Bowes is in Photo I. “A good store to go to is The Scrapbook Store because it has everything I need,” said sophomore Katie Wipf. The Scrapbook Store is a very imaginative art store. Located on Main Street in Fairfax, it is strictly devoted

to the uses of scrapbooks, The Scrapbook Store was founded in 1998. “My mom kept a scrapbook when she was 16 and it helped me

Name: Ric Farrell Grade: 11

Deadline for art institute at Fairfax H.S. approaching

by Rebecca Kraushaar Arts Editor

S potlight A rtists

to understand her, so I wanted to make my own,” said Wipf.

The Scrapbook store carries over 1,000 paper designs, over 500 stickers, a variety of edge cutters and decorative scissors, over 100 different enhancing punches, and a huge book supply.

They also offer classes for color, design, layouts, tinting and “the basics.” The classes are $5 and are held on Monday through Thursday. For addition information on the scrapbook store, go to their website at www.myscrapbookstore.com.

There are many other stores to visit in the area including Twin Cat in Springfield Mall, Select Craft Gallery off of Backlick Road and Fiber Designs in Alexandria.

Noteable Achievement: Farrell is a computer graphics student and was in Art I last year as a sophomore. “Ric is an outstanding, creative writer,” said computer graphics teacher Ann Harper. ”This talent positively impacts on his movie poster and video box project.” Farrell likes computer graphics because he can use the computer to “manipulate photography and settings.”

Personal: [In my free time I like to] play lacrosse and soccer in his free time. He is on the Advantage Lacrosse team outside of AHS.

Name: Caitlin McKinney Grade: 11 Noteable Achievement: McKinney, IB Art student, in her previous years she has been in both Art I and II. “Caitlin is hard working and intelligent,” said Harper. Harper also adds that Mckinney always gets her work done on time.

McKinney enjoys taking photography and making it personal.

Personal: McKinney plays varsity soccer and is on a Loudoun travel team outside of school. “I like to hang out with friends on the weekends,” said McKinney.

Box sets of art supplies are inexpensive and can easily be found at craft stores.

Exhibits coming to a museum near you “Chinese Buddhist Sculpture in a New Light” April 14-May 4, 2003, at the Freer Gallery of Art. The Exhibition includes Buddhist sculptures and artwork that has not been on exhibit recently. The work was made in China and deals with Buddhist beliefs.

“New York: September 11 by Magnum Photographers” May 3, 2002- June 30, 2002, at the Arts and Industries building.

Exhibit portrays the destructiveness and emotional distress of the World Trade Center

attacks. The exhibit is a collection of 11 different photographers who risked their lives to document this destruction.

“Peter Rabbit’s Garden” Feb. 9, 2002- May 26, 2002 at the National Museum of Natural History The museum features a original illustrations from Beatrix Potter’s stories. This year marks the 100th anniversary of “The Tale of Perter Rabbit.”

A theatre shows a documentary

on Potter’s life and the first Peter Rabbit doll is on display.

“At the Controls: The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Looks at Cockpits” May 11-Sept. 23, 2002, at the Air and Space Museum.

Photographs taken by Eric F. Long and Mark Avino illustrate the development of planes over the decades. Some of the planes include the Wright Brother’s 1903 flyer and the Enola Gay. “Year of the horses: Chinese

horse paintings” Feb. 10-Sept. 2, 2002, at the Freer Gallery of Art To celebrate the Chinese New Year, the gallery features artwork of horses from the 11th to the 20th century. To find out more got to www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/horse.htm.

“H.C. Westermann” Feb. 14- May 12, 2002, at the Hishhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden H.C. Westerman is a famous sculptor from the 20th century. Featured are his work from 1950 until 1981, when he died.

“Wood turning since 1930” March 15- July 14, 2002 at the

Renwick Gallery Wood turning has become very popular these days, and the Renwick Gallery in DC has set up an exhibit in its honor. The gallery will show 130 pieces of works from the past six decades.

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Wednesday, October 24, 2001

15

16 aBlast

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Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Slumping Baseball faces Robinson

by David Marin Staff Writer

To avoid those big innings and to start winning again, we need all 15 guys to concentrate

With their 12-3 loss to West Springfield on Monday night, the Atoms baseball team fell to 2-5, 0-2 in district play. Many players had good games, but perhaps the best was turned in by senior Blaine Misner. Misner relieved starting pitcher Kevin Rudd in the 4th inning and pitched well for four innings, only giving up one run.

Misner attributed his success on the mound to hard work.

“Blaine came in and pitched four innings and only gave up one run.

He pitched great,” said Coach Matt Caudle of Misner’s performance.

The Atoms, missing senior shortstop Jay Athey, were done in by a 10-run 3rd inning. In that inning, the Atoms gave up eight hits and also committed three errors.

“We played hard,” said Misner,

LINDA FAIRALL

Senior Kevin Rudd pitches to senior Willy Freeman Monday’s loss to West Springfield.

“we just had that one bad inning.”

The Atoms were also held back by their inconsistent defense, which at some times was spectacular, but at

others was terrible. The Atoms committed seven errors.

The game started well for the team, however. After surrendering a

home run in the top of the first inning, the Atoms struck back to take the lead, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Senior Matt Bickert lead the Atoms hitters getting two hits in three at-bats.

Despite the recent setbacks, the Atoms are not discouraged.

“We need to get rid of distractions,” said Caudle. “To avoid those big innings and to start winning again, we need all 15 guys to concentrate and work hard all the time.”

Bickert agreed saying “we need to stay focused. We started hitting well after that big inning, but we need to concentrate all the time.

We’ve had a lot of off-field distractions that have effected us on the field. We need to keep our focus to move up to the top of the district, where we should be. We are going to turn it around.

Girls soccer looks for first win versus Herndon

by Sam Molavi Staff Writer

UPCOMING EVENTS

Boys Lacrosse Home today vs Herndon JV @ 5:30 Var @ 7:15 Girls Lacrosse Today at Herndon JV @ 6 Var @ 7:15 Boys Soccer 4/11 at Herndon JV @ 5:30 Var @ 7 Girls Soccer 4/11 home vs Herndon JV @ 5:30 Var @ 7 Baseball Today @ Robinson Var @ 6 JV Home @ 6 Softball Today at Robinson Var @ 6 JV Home @ 6 Boys Tennis Today vs. TC @ 4:30 Spring Track Meet vs LB/WS at Home @ 5:00

The varsity girls soccer team opened up their season last Monday with a young but very optimistic group of girls who have a lot to build on from last year.

Despite losing three major contributors in Emma Hagen, Mikaela Bizer and Corin Interbitzen-Brooks, this year squad has already shown they have some great talent along with winning attitudes to compete in the Patriot District. Their regular season has started off a little shaky with losses at Westfield, and most recently to a strong Chantilly team 5-1, coach Mark Cascio is pleased with their play despite their 0-2 record.

“The girls gave too much respect to Chantilly because they have beaten some good teams such as Robinson and West Springfield, so subsequently we started off really slow in the first half and were outscored 3-0 at halftime. However, in the second half we came out really strong and played to our potential. We just have a lot or work on in practice and I’m sure we’ll start winning some games,” said coach Cascio.

Senior captain Molly Sherman, who has been apart of the varsity team for four years, agrees with Coach Cascio’s outlook on their last game.

“The score definitely does not reflect how we played the other night. Everyone on the team played very well and it’s difficult to hang with a talented team like Chantilly,” said Sherman. “We play in a really tough district and competing in it will only make us better.”

Also leading the team this year are captains Heather McDonald and Ashley Matthews who have both been a vital part of the program for many years. With these three, along with a significant amount of returning players, the Atoms could surprise a lot of people this season.

“I am already impressed with the way the girls have come together, especially players like Mary Burke, Natasha Inderbitzin-Brooks and Kara Burney. The season is still very young and we have a lot to prove,” said coach Cascio.

The girl’s played yesterday at Edison however the game ended too late for this edition. Their next game is on Thursday against Herndon at 7 p.m.

SARAH SHERMAN

Varsity players Carolyn Hixon, Mary Burke and Chrissy Castaldo run after the ball in practice. The team looks to improve upon its 0-2 record this season with a game tomorrow against Herndon.

Tennis sliced by Rams Softball looks at Robinson

by David Marin Staff Writer

The boys tennis team has made great progress this year, beating West Springfield on their way to a 12 record. The match versus West Springfield, which happened on April 5, was very competitive. The Atoms prevailed by a score of 6-3, despite the absence of number one singles player sophomore Braxton Koppleman. The Atoms were led by senior Brett Hendrickson and juniors Michael Nakamura and Virak Kchao, who won one their singles match as well as their doubles matches.

“We played well,” said Nakamura, “all of our hard work in practice paid off.”

The Atoms next match was not as successful, however, as the Atoms lost to Robinson 9-0. However, despite the loss, the team is not frustrated.

“The effort was there,” said junior Vincent Keung, “the energy level was really high. They were just very talented.”

The key player for the team was Kchao, who played hard but came up short in the end. The team’s strength was in their doubles

matches, as those were much closer than some of the singles matches.

There was lots of animosity between the two teams. There were many arguments between players of both teams and a lot of trash talking going on. The team gets their chance at revenge on April 24, when the Atoms host the Rams at four o’clock.

The Atoms next match is today at home against T.C Williams.

SARAH SHERMAN

Junior Vincent Kueng waits to return a serve.

by Paul Gleason Staff Writer

The varsity Softball team shut out West Springfield, 3-0, on Monday. The team now has a record of 2-4 with a Patriot District record of 1-1. They play at Robinson tonight.

“The team works extremely well together,” said Head Coach Jill Hammond, “they work hard, and they are determined; which really helps my will to coach.”

Junior Dorsa Hassas pitched a five strikeout game with no walks and only gave up three hits.

The team had seven hits throughout the game, and was led by senior catcher Lindsay Quigley. Quigley has been on varsity since her freshamn year and is the team’s only four-year starter.

West Springfield’s starting pitcher, sophomore Rebecca Bond, was pulled in the second inning, after giving up three runs.

She was replaced by sophomore Liz Purvis.

West Springfield’s pitchers gave up seven hits, four walks and only struck out two batters. No runs were scored on Purvis.

“We have to give a lot of credit to Hassas and Quigley. They work really well and can call the game well, Hassas played extremely well, as well as the rest of the team,” said Hammond.

Robinson was been a continual foe for the Atoms. Last year, the team lost both regular season games against the Rams.

LINDA FAIRALL

Senior Natalie Parcell looks to move on to second in the Atoms 3-0 victory over West Springfield.

After close loss, Boys Soccer readies for Herdon

SEAN SULLIVAN

Maintaining possesion is imperative for boys soccer to win games.

Students for Social Justice Want to be more active in the local and global community?

Join STUDENTS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE and help make a difference in the world.

Listen to the announcements for more info on meeting dates and times.

s

ports

by Jared Smith Staff Writer

Next meeting: tomorrow April 11

The boys soccer team came off a tough loss last Friday losing to Chantilly 1-0. Their record fell to 1-1.

“It was a close game,” said sophomore Matt Hubacher. “They scored on a questionable play and won the game because of it, even though we outplayed them. We missed a lot of scoring opportunities in the second half. The loss came to a very good Chantilly team that is ranked number one in the Washington Post Top 10 and ranked 3rd in the state. Coach Eddie Latore was also disappointed with the outcome.

“We played very good but the refs missed an offside call in the last few minutes which gave them the game winning goal. My team and I were very upset with the call mainly because we worked so hard that game.”

Also sophomore Mike Perucci said, “This was easily our closest game this year, we should have won and we really hope to see this team again in regionals.

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The Atoms most recent game was played yesterday here versus Edison High School. Edison is ranked 4th by the Washington Post.

“We played against them in the Spring Break tourney last year in a game we should have won,” said sophomore Johnny Eklund. “They had some great seniors on their team but they all have graduated. The youth of our team should help us beat them. We are one of those teams who gets better each game.” Coach Latore also commented on the game saying, “ We need to win, this team placed high in the Edison tourney and are a tough team. We need a big game out of forward Miguel Mamani and defender Matt Hubacher, those are the two key players in the game.”

The Atoms play Herdon tomorrow night.

The results of the Edison game were too late to be included in this issue.

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sports

2-0 Boys Lacrosse takes on Hornets

by Chris Bagot Sports Editor

Overcoming frigid conditions and a slow start, the boys varsity lacrosse team beat Centreville 6-4 last Thursday. Due to a number of good saves by the Wildcats goalie and some bad shots by the Atoms, the score was tied 1-1 at halftime. But the Atoms responded by dominating the second half. Centreville scored two goals late in the Talking about his fourth quarter, making the senior captain score closer than the game Keith Nolan really was. (above), Coach Bill Maglisceau said: “Even though we went “[He] has been our into halftime with a tie best overall player game I knew our offense . . . He’s been all would get the job done,” over the field.” said senior goalie Rob Payne. “I knew we were going to come out on top.”

ANDREW MENEGAT

The varsity squad has worked extensively on ground balls, as seen above.

The lone first half goal was scored by junior Chris Rauer.

Despite several other opportunities

to build a lead, the Atoms were unable to get the ball into the net.

In the second half, seniors Keith

Nolan and Tony Cavalero each added two goals while senior Kahl Lombardi had one goal.

“Keith Nolan has been our best player overall. He’s done well with faceoffs, ground balls, solid defense and good speed,” said Maglisceau.

“He’s been all over the field.”

The win over Centreville improved the Atoms season mark to 2-0. The Atoms’ previous win was a 13-8 victory over Chantilly where Rauer scored seven goals. The seven-goal output by Rauer was one shy of the school record shared by 1997 graduates Mike Kanach and Eric Lebowitz.

The next opponent for the Atoms is Herndon today at home at 7:15 p.m.

“They beat us last year 11-10, the guys should want to get some revenge,” said Maglisceau.

“We have gotten off to a good start, hopefully we can keep this up and beat Herndon,” said Nolan. `

Girls Lax team falls to C’ville, plays Herndon today

S potlight A thlete

Stars of Spring sports

by Robert Payne Staff Writer

as a team. We are showing a great ability to compete with the best,” said senior Allison Brennan. “I think we Blasting into their 2002 season, the girls lacrosse are going to go pretty far this season because as a team team is 3-3 and looks to improve their record tonight we are becoming more and more confident in our when they take on the Herndon Hornets. playing abilities.”

“We have a very strong team this year. We have an The Atoms started off their first excellent defense as well as a great few games slow but eventually team defense, a speedy midfield and kick-started themselves into gear. hen our timing is on we an excellent attack,” said Head Getting started against Chantilly Coach Cindy Hook. “When our play some of the best took some time, but the Atoms timing is on, we play some of the managed to keep their poise and lacrosse that I have seen best lacrosse that I have seen played pull off an overtime victory. play at Annandale. at Annandale.”

In the second game of the season This will be the first time that against Centreville, the Atoms —Cindy Hook the team has ever faced the Hornets Head Coach dominated slides, doubled the ball and expectations are high for a like champs and controlled draws. favorable outcome. “I expect a good The team defense was especially passing game against Herndon and lots of pressure from vicious and continuously stepped it up in both games. the defense,” said Hook. “It’s going to be a competitive Junior goal tender Jeannine Frank played extremely game.” well in both games, coming up with several key saves.

The team is looking to improve its non-district record “Scrimmages are just like our practices,” said Hook. this season, but it has its eyes set on finishing strong in “Our team loves to scrimmage in practice, and games the district. The district opener is Friday night at home are nothing more than scrimmages, and everyone against the West Potomac Wolverines at 7:15 p.m. practices hard because we always practice how we play.”

“We are doing really well, and connecting on the field

w

ANDREW MENEGAT

Girls Lacrosse Head Coach Cindy Hook directs her team in a huddle just before the start of an overtime loss to Centreville last week, The Atoms (1-1) look to rebound today when they travel to Herndon for a 7:15 showdown.

’97 grads return to coach

by Chris Bagot Sports Editor

AHS Grad and Asst. Coach Kip Tatusko has been well-liked this year by the team.

1997 AHS Grad Andy Suddarth has returned to be an assistant coach for the varsity squad.

The boys varsity lacrosse team welcomed two new additions to the coaching staff this year, ’97 graduates Andy Suddarth and Kip Tatusko. Both were members of the 1997 state champion lacrosse team.

The team was the only state champion AHS has ever had in lacrosse, compiling an 18-0 record.

Both hope to add their experience and knowledge to put the Atoms over the top in the competitive Patriot District.

“It’s all about giving back to the community,” Suddarth said. “When I left Annandale, I said to myself ‘I won’t stop being committed to the lacrosse program.’”

Suddarth works primarily with long sticks and defensive middies on defensive positioning. Tatusko works with the offense on shooting and man up situations.

Suddarth played lacrosse at Mary Washington College after

graduating from AHS. To become more acquainted with the players, he coached the varsity team’s winter league games and a tournament in November. Along with coaching, Suddarth is now studying to be a teacher through George Mason University. He has been subbing and observing here at AHS. Tatusko attended the University of Virginia and planned on playing lacrosse. Unfortunately, he blew out his knee on the first day of tryouts and ended his college lacrosse career.

“At first I didn’t know if I’d like [coaching] because I like to control what’s happening on the field,” said Tatusko. “I’m having a lot of fun with a great bunch of kids.” Aside from coaching, Kip works in construction.

“They can talk about what it was like when they were here,” said Head Coach Bill Maglisceau. “It’s nice to have new ideas because mine aren’t always the best.”

ANTENNA YEARBOOK, 1996

Spring Track to face District foes

by Evan Ashe Staff Writer

Junior Chris Rauer came within one goal of tying a single game scoring mark when he scored seven goals against Chantilly.

Name: Chris Rauer Grade: 11 Sport: Boys Lacrosse Position (s): middie/attack Notable Achievements: Has scored 8 goals in two games this year. MVP diver in the winter.

How do you feel about performing infront of large crowds: “It gives me much enjoyment.”

Favorite Girl Scout Cookie: Thick mints

success in today’s meet.

On the girls side, strong performances are expected from junior sprinter and hurdler Afua Amponsah, sophomore long distance runner Lauren Edwards, and junior Rachel Jones.

The field events also look promising with senior David Eliff and junior Brian Park heading the efforts in the shot put competition.

Park will also compete in the discus event along with senior Sampson Abebe.

Senior Catherine Owusu-Sayki will be throwing both discus and shot put in the girls events this afternoon. Also competing in the girls field events will be sophomore pole vaulter Elizabeth Gill.

Gill finished 7th in regional competition over the Winter season and broke a school record.

The spring track season will begin its season today as AHS athletes square off against opponents from Lake Braddock and West Springfield at 5 p.m.

“We have more kids participating in track and field than any other school in the county,” said field coach Dick Adams. “Its a tremendous amount of involvement from our student body.”

The track team is expecting to have strong performances on the boys side of the track with events from seniors Doug McClellan, Chris Greer, Tim Greer, Chris Hiatt, and David Blau. During the winter track season, the 4x400m relay consisting of Chris and Tim Greer, Chris Hiatt and Doug McClellan qualified to compete in national competition, along with the boys 4x800m relay consisting of Chris Hiatt, Doug McClellan, Mike Flint, and Publio Agrafas.

Freshman phenom Dawit Lagasse also competed in nationals in the two mile event and is expected LINDA FAIRALL to have great Senior Thonnie Grisby attempts to clear the high jump bar.

Personal: Chris carries a 2.9 GPA and is the head coach of a youth lacrosse team.

Chris’s mother is the team’s biggest and most loyal fan.

Sophomore Julie Stone is the team’s leading scorer thus far this season.

Name: Julie Stone Grade: 10 Sport: Girls Lacrosse Position (s): Center Notable Achievements: 1st Team All-District, 2nd Team AllRegion as a freshman.

How do you feel about performing infront of arge crowds: “[I like] the added excitement.”

Favorite Girl Scout Cookie: frozen thin mints Personal: Julie carries a 3.8 GPA and she has two brothers who are graduates of AHS. Julie also plays field hockey in the fall and was a trainer for the basketball team in the winter.

Kip Tatusko, sporting the mid ’90s buzz-cut, here with sweetheart Jennifer Foy.

Behind the scenes at the NCAAs . . .

by Ryan Croft Sports Editor

Seldom does a high school journalist get the opportunity to experience the full magnitude of the business on a professional level.

Thanks to Athelia Knight, the Washington Post and the Post’s roft’s Young Journalists olor Development ommentary with Program (YJDP) it Ryan Croft was all made possible. By attending the 2002 NCAA Tournament Media Day at MCI Center, I got a first hand look at the life and duties of a professional journalist. All the while, I was in awe of the superstars around me.

The main attraction of the day

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was what we were there to see: the players and coaches that make up a portion of the NCAA Tournament.

MCI Center prepared for the media frenzy by allowing the press to watch each of the eight teams practice and interview each team’s coach and best few players.

I watched Michigan State and NC State practice and the interviews for MSU, N.C. State, Connecticut and Hampton. This was my first experience at watching both a collegiate practice and the ensuing interview. A large part of a team’s success in the NCAA Tournament relies on how each individual team deals with the media frenzy. It was quite apparent which players and coaches were accustomed to the attention and others who didn’t handle it quite as well.

The first semi-famous sports journalist that caught my eye at Media Day was author/columnist John Feinstein. As I walked by him, I overheard him talking to another journalist saying “[The Washington Post editors] told me to walk around and find something to write on. I really don’t know what I’m going to do . . .” And sure enough, the next morning when I opened the sports section, there was his column on page one about University of Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun.

This goes to show you that even the professionals deal with procrastination, apathy, and lack of ambition, but they get the job done.

Very few people who read a given article or column know all that goes behind it. It is exciting to grab a behind the scenes look at reporting

when I used to just read the paper like everyone else.

A number of other prominent sports reporters were on hand to watch the day’s events unfold. I caught a glimpse of local sports anchors Rene Knott (ABC-7), Ken Meese (WUSA-9) and Wally Bruckner (NBC-4). Also, broadcast journalists from CBS Billy Packard and Jim Nantz were in attendance.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have gotten get a look first hand at the daily life of a sports reporter (especially when they are reporting on a topic I have a great deal of interest in). My only disappointment is that I had a lacrosse scrimmage and was forced to miss the NCAA Champion Maryland Terrapins’ practice and press conference. Just my luck . . .

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Blade 2: the ‘daywalker’ returns

by Alejandro Salinas Entertainment Editor

Blade 2 is a must-see for fans of incessant violence, explosions, incinerations and spectacular action sequences.

Wesley Snipes reprises his role as the half human, half vampire superhero, who uses all his fighting skills and armament to exterminate vampires.

This time around, Blade learns that his former mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson) is still alive and being held captive at a

What was the last CD you bought?

“Dave Matthews, because its the best band in the world.”

vamp laboratory in Prague. After rescuing and curing Whistler, Blade is contacted by the master vampire, who offers him a temporary alliance in order to exterminate an even deadlier problem: a new race of super powerful, super fast (and let’s not forget super ugly) mutant vampires, who feed on humans and vampires alike. To achieve his goal, Blade will receive the aid of an elite vampire team, originally trained to Blade and the Bloodpack search for the mutant vampires in the sewer. exterminate him.

Off course, nothing is what it appears to be, and soon enough the action and gore, but it also improves hunters become the hunted in this gloomy other areas; the characters have more cat-and-mouse game. Blade and his motley depth and they are more likeable. Even crew discover, during the plot is more elaborate and superior a tragic visit to a to the first one (something extremely vamp nightclub, that MOVIE RATING rare in horror-action movies).

BLADE 2 this new race not only The non-stop action and the plot’s drains their victims, revelations give the movie a sense of but it also infects fluidity. Everything happens so quickly; them with a virus you’ll feel like you’ve only watched a 30that eventually minute TV show. The movie is great fun transforms them into from beginning to end, and its absolute Entertaining plot, with one of their kind stars are Wesley Snipes and Kris some humor and lots (reproducing even of action.

Kristofferson, whose black humor and faster than bunnies!). chemistry are ideal.

Some other interestBlade 2 is an extravagant vampire ing facts our heroes discover are the superflick that will astound both horror and vamp’s immunity to garlic and silver. action fans alike.

With stunning visual effects, gothic settings, dark humor and hideous snakejawed-like vampires, Blade 2 breaks the sequel curse. Not only does it provide more

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Blade battles using his knowledge of martial arts.

—Ashley Batten freshman

Tweet is R&B’s soulful Hummingbird

by Alejandro Salinas Entertainment Editor

“Shakira’s Laundry Service because her music is never out of style. It’s really good.

—Lady Alvarez sophomore

“Jay-Z, because he talkes about girls and more girls and about money and cars.

The three most important things in life.”

H o r o s c o p e s

e

ntertainment

—Kaleab Tesfaye junior

Tweet’s natural talent is undeniable. Her soulful influence, acoustic talent and innovative nature, present during most songs, provide a refreshing change from the current R&B trends.

“I looked over to the lef...I was looking so good I couldn’t reject myself,” is a line you don’t usually expect in a song. But this song of self-satisfaction only scratches the surface of its author’s true skills.

Tweet is an inventive, intense artist who, with her current album, Southern Hummingbird, is transforming the R&B CD RATING TWEET world.

With her steamy, dance-driven single “Oops (Oh My),” Tweet, the latest protege of Missy Elliot and Great soulful album Timbaland, proves she with some occasional is R&B’s novel star. Her up-beat rythms. single is currently on the top 5 R&B/Hip Hop chart, and among the top ten on the Hot 100.

After years of professional struggles, Tweet is finally enjoying the fruits of success with the release of Southern Hummingbird, an album that reveals excerpts from the singer/songwriter’s life.

Tweet, whose real name is Charlene Keys, traveled a twisted path before becoming a successful newcomer, and the album reflects her emotional highs and lows during those times; “Best Friends,” (a duet with Bilal) “Beautiful,” and “Heaven” are acoustic ballads charged with uplifting lyrics; while “Smoking Cigarettes,” “Drunk,” and “Motel” are emotional roller coasters with bitter ends. The album has remarkable quality, and Tweet’s soulful talent shines throughout it.

According to her interviews, Tweet’s career declined after meeting Missy Elliot early on her musical career. She became engaged in a musical group project that had been promised several music contracts. However, these projects never materialized, and Tweet abandoned the group shortly after.

Frustration and disillusionment took their toll, and Tweet decided to renounce her musical aspirations.

Shortly after, she fell into a profound depression that led her to plot her own death.

Things took a turn for the best in Tweet’s career

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AQUARIUS JANUARY 20FEBRUARY 18 You need to slow down. You are piling up school projects, sports and extracurricular activities.

You’re going to overload yourself if you don’t lay off somethings. Relax, and enjoy all the small things around you.

PISCES FEBRUARY 19MARCH 20 This is time you need to spend with friends and family. You don’t have to be extravagant to have a good time. Be innovative and come up with ideas that everyone can enjoy.

ARIES

MARCH 21-APRIL 19

This is your lucky month; every thing is going right.

Your new spring love is soon to turn into a spring thing.

School is going great for you as well, and no better time then at the end of the quarter.

Southern Hummingbird, Tweet’s introspective album.

when old pal Missy Elliot called and asked her to sing the background vocals for the “Miss E...So Addictive” album. Later, she performed an acoustic solo for Missy and an Elektra Records chairman, who shortly after signed her to the label.

Tweet’s natural talent is undeniable. Her soulful influence, acoustic talent and innovative nature, present during most songs, provide a refreshing change from the current R&B trends. She has a natural talent for songwriting, and her songs successfully capture the essence of life. In an instant, Tweet transforms herself from a crude hiphop queen into a helpless, depressed young women, and into a girl in love.

Tweet’s album has only one flaw; it’s too mellow for hip-hop audiences. The introspective Southern Hummingbird rarely ascends into up-tempos; the only notable exceptions are “Call me,” “Boogie 2 Nite” and the torrid, knockout “Oops (Oh My)”. The album is composed primarily of ballads, and although most are great, they eventually hamper Southern Hummingbird’’s rhythmic vigor.

LEO JULY 23-AUGUST 22 You seem to be finding it difficult to separate your emotional life from your school life lately.

Don’t get involved in love triangles or allow your infatuations to get out of hand.

GEMINI MAY 21-JUNE 20 Life is going great, friendships are stronger than ever and your relationship with your mate is great. Your riding on cloud nine. But don’t fly too high, because the fall might hurt.

CANCER

JUNE 21-JULY 22

What a great time to travel. Get involved in projects that will enable you to move around. You need a change of scenery if you want to keep life exciting and fulfilling.

SCORPIO OCTOBER 23NOVEMBER 21 You’ll find yourself burdened with other people’s dilemmas. Don’t fret or complain, just get the job done as quickly as possible. You need to get on with the things you enjoy doing the most.

VIRGO AUGUST 23-SEPT. 22 It’s time to get down to business. You’ll be able to manipulate situations and get your own way if you push your ideas. Your added discipline will enable you to complete some of those unfinished projects.

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23OCTOBER 22 For you life has not been so good lately. Stop worring.

Life, like spring, is going to be fresh and clean. But do not think this is going to happen on its own. You need to make the first move.

Kung Fu Virtua action kicks

by Philippe Podhorecki News Editor

Kick. Punch. Block. Three moves that create an impressively large variety of moves, special moves, throws, and combos.

Sega AM2’s newest sequel to its prized fighting franchise is by far the deepest, and yet hardest, fighting game ever made.

Though the game is technically a port of the arcade version, AM2 did not stop at just the standard port job. The game is packed with a few new modes, and not pointless modes but ones that bring depth to the game.

Kumite is one of these modes. It simulates the arcade atmosphere in which you can create a fighter and name it; and then fight against other characters with corny names who are simply substitutes for real people. The mode is pulled off quite well. Players can advance their characters, ranking higher as well as collecting new items that change the appearance of your character.

The other is A.I. mode, which allows you to train a computer controlled character that learns new moves and skills by fighting you.

The A.I. pet can then be taken into any mode and used as a real player and bout with the computer. You train this character by fighting it; it watches you and learns moves. During other fights you can tell the pet if you like the VIDEO GAME RATING moves it performs or if VIRTUA FIGHTER 4 you don’t like them.

The character learns what you like and pulls off the moves you tell it to. Sounds A great fighting complicated, but after engine and high a few minutes it all replay value. makes sense. This mode isn’t too much fun to play, but is a nice way to practice skills and see what the computer thinks of them.

Virtua Fighter 4’s graphics are highly detailed and pretty, until you get close to the TV. As with most PS2 games, aliasing is a problem. It is not overly noticeable but it is jagged in some spots; however but it does not detract from the overall package. The levels are all unique and diverse with three main groups: breakable, unbreakable, and open. Breakable means that the walls can be broken, unbreakable means they can’t, and open means there are no walls, allowing for easier Ring-Outs. Each level is nicely detailed, especially those where the ground changes in accordance with your motions.

The snow level is particularly pretty as is one level in which the ground breaks apart as fighters are slammed to the ground.

Fighting in this game is the strongest point by far; it is simply incomparable. It takes hours of practice to truly become good with a character; the ability to perform their special moves is a feat. Learning how and when to attack with what kind of move is a lot of work and could easily force players to revert to button-mashing. However, this method will only let you last so long against a player of decent difficulty, or someone trained in the game. This is just as exciting and amazing as it is frustrating and aggravating.

This is where the game really falters.

Arcade mode will be a breeze on most difficulty settings for most players, allowing them to feel accomplished and skilled, only to have their ego put to shame when they play 30 minutes to an hour in Kumite mode.

This offers great replay value along with great challenge.

Most players are going to gibe up long before they get even close to mastery.

Virtua Fighter 4 offers a lot of fun to amateurs and even more fun to masters.

Despite minor graphical flaws, this game is one of the most exciting and fast-paced games out, and even the steep learning curve won’t stop you from this addictive game.

B+

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 22DECEMBER 21 Social functions will bring you in contact with romantic interests. An intellectual approach will be your best bet. Your desire for passion will enable you to show sincere affection.

Great things are on their way for you!

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22JANUARY 19 Problems with your mate will come to a head if you haven’t paid enough attention to the problem at hand.

Financial limitations may cause frustrations when trying to achieve your goals.

TAURUS APRIL 20-MAY 20 You will be in a position to help others. Give advice, but hold back if they want to borrow cash. You should do things that involve family. Don’t take risks when it comes to dealing with your mate.

entertainment

Greg the Bunny, not your grandmother’s puppet show Greg the Bunny is funny not in a Sesame Street way, or an ALF way, but more in a South Park, lowbrow way.

by Sarah Sherman Photographer

When I saw a commercial for Greg the Bunny on Fox for the first time, I immediately had no desire whatsoever to watch.

The idea of a puppet interacting with people, in a real sitcom geared towards teenagers and adults seemed like it would go nowhere. I shrugged it off and changed the channel.

However Wednesday, April 3rd, I decided to give it a shot, and it wasn’t quite as, well, stupid as I had imagined. I even laughed a few times.

Meet Greg, the wisecracking, dog-hating, Playstationplaying furry little rabbit on Fox’s new sitcom this fall. Star of the children’s show “Sweetknuckle Junction”, Greg is best friends with Jimmy, played by Seth Green. Roommates and paintball-pals, the two share a typical sitcom friendship; one is loud and smart-mouthed, the other is innocent and kind.

Greg’s “coworkers” on the show include a parade of other wacky, neurotic puppets, such as Tardy the frog and Warren the ape. There’s even a count, similar in appearance to the lovable Count on Sesame Street, Count Blah (however, the language and content of Count Blah are far from the lovableness of Sesame’s Count). The show’s director Gil, played by American Pie’s Eugene Levy, adds to the familiar cast of crazy characters.

The show mainly takes place at the set of the children’s show, or at Greg and Jimmy’s house. The third show, in which

the cast went “paintballing to reinforce TV SHOW RATING Greg The Bunny office unity” at the set, proved to be a worthy episode to watch. If you missed it, the highlights include Greg getting mauled by a dog and then flushed down a toilet, plus he and his puppet pals A lot of immature humor and in the castrated a dog. Now that’s entertainend you may ment, right? I could feel my intellect actually be dumber. slipping away...

Greg is not a total newcomer to the television spotlight. The show actually made its debut in 1997 on a New York cable access show called “Junktape,” shortly before it was picked up by the Independent Film Channel (IFC) in 1998. Greg hosted IFC’s Saturday Night Movie, at which point the show focused on short skits and parodies, along with segments of movie trivia. Its original creator, Dan Milano (also the voice of Greg and Warren), has been with the program since he made its first show as an NYU film student.

The show was picked up by Fox for the spring season last fall.

I admit it: I laughed, More than once, even at a few of the bad jokes. I still stand my ground, as many other critics have, in that the sheer concept of the show is, well, stupid, but I couldn’t help but crack up when Tardy the frog started to sing “the quiet song” on Wednesday’s episode. So get off your highhorse, because you know you want to watch a bunch of neurotic puppets make wise cracks at each other.

B+

Greg the Bunny stars, Eugene Levy, Seth Green, and the lovable Greg the bunny.

Panic Room needs decorating

by Hana Nguyen Academics Editor

From the very first scenes of Panic Room, the audience knows that it’s in for a suspenseful thriller with thought-provoking acting from Hollywood greats such as Jodie Foster, Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam, and the early 90s heartthrob, Jered Leto.

With director David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club) adding precarious touches in each frame of film, “Panic Room,” sends viewers reaching for the nearest arm to tug and the closest jacket to cover their eyes.

However, all of the talent of Hollywood pros still leaves Panic Room with a flat plot.

“Panic Room” wastes no time developing the story. It opens with Foster’s character, the newly divorced Meg Altman, shopping in a luxurious neighborhood in Manhattan. With her rambunctious daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) by her side, the duo decides on a million dollar home “fashionably” equipped with a panic room, a reinforced bunker on the top floor encased in steel and concrete.

All Meg seems to want is to get some sleep, but as soon as she lays her head down, three burglars quietly invade her home. With Whitaker’s character, Burnham, as the leader of the invasion, Raoul (Yoakam) and Junior (Leto) follow to assist in the heist to seize millions of dollars hidden in the house.

The unorganized trio, however, allow Meg and Sarah to quickly scramble into the panic room. As the plot thickens, the audience is informed that the millions are actually located in the panic room.

Jodie Foster’s character cradles her daughter as criminals break into her house. They hide in the panic room of the house to protect themselves and their money.

MOVIE RATING Panic Room doesn’t live up Panic Room to the hype of its over-the-top commercials. The trailers practically give away the entire movie and show all of An the few interesting sequences. action and With Fincher as its highly suspense leading praised director, Panic Room up to a poor ending. falls short to many of the heart-pounding thrillers that we now expect from movie studios that continually tries to push the envelope. Panic Room doesn’t have an innovative storyline and all of the action takes place in one house and mostly in one room. The actors, however, all give quite memorable performances. Unfortunately, you are forced to chuckle at some scenes that are meant to be tense and are brought to wonder why some of the characters make ridiculously crass decisions.

Foster gives a compelling performance as the intrepid mother who tries to keep her young daughter safe. She seems to fit the role perfectly even though this part was originally given to Nicole Kidman (Kidman had to withdraw from the shoot because of a knee injury). Foster presents another genuine performance of a vulnerable mother, and is the character that always seems to be the most resourceful as well as the most appealing to the audience.

Stewart and Whitaker also give stand-out performances.

One connects Jodie Foster acts well in this film, with Sarah, but her career has dwindled since her major role in Silence of the the scared but Lambs. resourceful youth that battles with diabetes. No one can resist the puppy dog eyes of Burnham who seems to be the only one with a conscience in the movie. While the other robbers are plundering for personal gain, Burnham is simply trying to furnish his family a better life.

The highlight of the film was Leto’s character, Junior. Leto, who seems to have sprung from his Hollywood hibernation, adds comic relief to Panic Room.

Overall, Panic Room falls short of the great suspense movies created by Hitchcock. While it gives strong performances, the movie contains a plethora of obscure moments that makes Panic Room seem to last like an eternity. To add insult to injury, after waiting almost two hours for the movie to end, Panic Room delivers a painfully predictable ending.

C-

New releases on video and DVD: THIS WEEK

Ex-convicts attempt to rob a shady businessman of his nuclear warhead.

Medium-sized Trouble begins telling the tale however, he immediately switches it over to Tim Allen’s character who is a has-been Big Trouble is a hilarious and fastjournalist loser who sells advertispaced comedy about intertwined lives ing and drives a geo. Allen falls in in Miami and a stolen nuclear love with Russo’s character who has warhead. Trouble is director Barry a daughter who is constantly under Sonnenfeld’s comeback comedy after squirt-gun attack (which leads to his failed attempt at humor in Wild many semi-funny doubleWild West, however it sat on the shelf entendres), and a rich husband who for close to seven months because of has been embezzling funds and now September 11. has two hit-men on his tail. Have I The climax of Big Trouble involves mentioned that Puggy lives in a tree the exposure of ineptness by airport in their backyard? Puggy works security checkpoints, oddjobs at a poor bar (a MOVIE RATING hijacking of an American Big Trouble front company for an airplane and the near illegal bombs and missile catastrophic nuclear shop), where two exexplosion over the Bahaconvicts constantly mas. Besides the controvermenace (Johnny Short, too short.

But sial climax, the movie relies Knoxville and Tom very funny and on character chemistry ultimately fun to Sizemore). Between the between the many people watch. illegal antics of the exinvolved in the Miami convicts, the hit men, the underground. blackmarket missile Big Trouble boasts an enormous salesmen and the supersoaking and star-studded cast with familiar teen, the police and FBI are in names like Tim Allen (The Santa constant disarray.

Oh, and there is a Claus), Rene Russo (Thomas Crown poisonous Amazon toad with Affair), Omar Epps (The Wood), hallucinogenic spit that frequently Dennis Farina (Snatch), Jason Lee bothers Russo’s family dog.

(Mallrats), Janeane Garofalo (Wet, Big Trouble is filled with Hot, American Summer), and many reoccurring actions that seem like other very recognizable faces. Big they would not be funny but Trouble’s plot consists merely of the somehow they work.

Television sets random interactions between the get shot out, there are many most arbitrary people of Miami, but hallucinogenic visions, there are these interactions result in a tidy and plenty of moaning Gator fans, and complete finish.

Martha Stewart shows up all too The movie begins with a Frito many times. The screen gets loving hippy Puggy (Jason Lee), who

By Mike Mahn Entertainment Editor

SPY GAME Starring: Robert Redford, Brad Pitt Director: Tony Scott A good action flick about aging spy Robert Redford and young protege Brad Pitt and theirpursuits in espionage.

APRIL 16

B+

BLACK KNIGHT Starring: Martin Lawrence, Tom Wilkinson Director: Gil Junger Time-travel comedy about an urban hustler who is magically transported to the Middle Ages, where he baffles all the lords and ladies with his jive-talkin’ antics.

THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, James Gandolfini Director: Joel Coen Black-and-white neo-noir mystery about post-WWII California barber who gets in over his head when he blackmails his wife’s lover.

Written by the amazing Coen brothers.

Spraying graffiti is great fun, but not in the Future

by Philippe Podhorecki News Editor

Jet Set Radio Future is a worthy sequel to the Dreamcast title released more than a year ago. It offers plenty of challenge, excitement, and this time a multiplayer mode that rounds out this title perfectly.

Fans of the original will immediately see the glaring similarities. The levels look very similar except now they are all tinted yellow and green, a “futuristic” color of sorts.

Many of the characters return from the original as you spray your graffiti for the GG’s, your gang of fellow artists. The premise of the game is basically that you and your friends, who you gather as you paint the town, are protecting your turf from other graffiti sprayers. The story makes little sense but that clearly wasn’t the focus of the game.

Again the difference is in the yellow and green colors. The graphics are celshaded, staying true to the original, but the downright ugly colors are a terrible choice to portray the future of JSR. The weird shades began to hurt my eyes after a little while and ruined the original’s cartoon graphics. Also, there

appears to be little improvement on the models and landscapes.

However, the number of citizens as well as cars and other negligible objects are in high frequency. Another area that developer Smilebit destroyed was the music in the game.

As I played the game it got to the point where I had to mute the TV because the music was so terrible. Weird sounds and screeches get annoying quickly during this game. This is extremely disappointing, considering the original had such a wide variety of fitting music that added to the experience the game provides.

Gameplay-wise the game has a similar feel. However, the difficulty of spraying your graffiti has become a lot easier. No longer do you have to move the analog stick in coherence with a screen display as found in the predecessor. Now, having enough paint cans to paint graffiti is enough. Differing sizes of graffiti require different amounts of paint, but finding enough cans is extremely easy especially when they reappear after a short time.

The cops and other gangs you battle are so easy it is sickening. Barely any effort is needed to defeat them. The only

real difficulty GAME RATING Jet Set Radio Future there is in the game lies within the extravagantly large levels that require you to do a Easy gameplay but series of jumps lots of fun in this creative game. and grinds to get one area covered in paint. This may seem like fun at first but soon enough it wears down patience and turns to frustration.

Considering the relative ease of falling due to poor camera control, this happens quite often. The camera becomes a huge issue in situations above and only serve to alienate gamers.

Despite everything I said above that detracts from what could have been one of Sega’s best games ever, this game is still one of the best games to own for any system. As annoyed as I got in some larger levels, I kept playing and playing; a stereo system can take away the music problem. This game won’t disappoint anyone willing to give it ten minutes of their time.

B

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One of the many characters in JSRF. The cel-shaded graphics were once revolutionary.

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UPCOMING CONCERTS

Six Flags vs. Kings Dominion

by Rachel Jones Staff Writer

Six Flags and Kings Dominion compete to be the best theme park in the area

FACE TO FACE • • • •

April 16 9:30 Club $15 info available at www.ticketmaster.com

Part of the perfect summer vacation includes a trip to the local amusement parks Kings Dominion and Six Flags.

They provide a perfect afternoon, where friends can slip and slide at a water park or scream while riding a 60-milean-hour roller coaster.

The parks, which were open during spring break, are each introducing several new high-speed adventure rides this year.

The Triple Spin, Ricochet and Meteor Attack are the newest additions to Kings Dominion, which introduced the Hypersonic XLC last year.

Similar to the Scrambler, the Triple Spin hurls the rider in every possible direction. It is a “whirling, twirling, and spinning” action-filled ride. It rotates 360 degrees in “every imaginable direction.” The ride will help replace the temporary closed Hypersonic XLC.

ZERO 7 • • • •

April 17 9:30 Club $15 info available at www.ticketmaster.com

NEW FOUND GLORY • • • •

April 18 9:30 Club $15 info available at www.ticketmaster.com

WYCLEF JEAN • • • •

April 24 9:30 Club $35 info available at www.ticketmaster.com

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F r i e d m a n ’s F i n d s If you would like to try to re-visit your childhood ,the circus will be at the Patriot Center from April 10 21

GARBAGE • • • •

Kings Dominion added a 12th scenery,” said sophomore Mahlet who coaster this year, the Ricochet. The is going with the dance team to Ricochet is a “fast-track” roller coaster, compete this Friday. “Spring is which features hairpin turns and a 50here and I want to go with foot drop. The coaster excites visitors for my friends.” three minutes, making it one of the Sophomores park’s longer rides.

Amanda Roth In addition to traditional attractions, and Ashley Kings Dominion is also introducing a Jones visited simulated ride called Meteor Attack.

Kings The riders’ objective is to fly the plane Dominion into battle to defend the plant from an during break. attack once a meteor “Kings Dominion hits. The motion was good,” said Roth, simulator creates a who rode the new movie-like experience, ride, Triple Spin. which provides “non“But all the stop action.” twisting hurt my Six Flags boasts head.” eight roller coasters Part of the including Batwing, drawbacks of having which was introduced fancy and complicated last year and joins rides is that they break other coasters such down frequently. “I went to ride as, Superman: Ride of the Hypersonic XLC last year, but each Steel, Mind Eraser, Wild One and time I would wait two hours then the Typhoon Sea Coaster. Going over 50 ride would close down,” said sophomore mph, the Batwing creates the illusion Donald Martin. of free flying during the 2-minute ride.

Some students find that there is more The roller coaster is 115 feet tall and to parks than just their rides, which over 3,300 often have long feet long. incredible long The lines. Both parks ing’s dominion is good, parks offer offer additional but all the twisting hurt premiere day water parks, my head. activities during where visitors can the weekends lounge on sun after they open decks, float down Amanda Roth Memorial Day for lazy rives or shoot sophomore normal hours. “It’s down water slides. a perfect change of Kings Dominion’s

April 29 9:30 Club $30 info available at www.ticketmaster.com

I never fully understood the meaning behind the phrase “you can never go home again” until I tried to Caroline Friedman revisit the Weekend Editor circus. Sweet cotton candy and buttery popcorn, thundering elephants and the silly clowns were all things we remembered about the circus. We went to Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey’s Circus at the D.C. Armory opening night.

So far, so good. We had gotten into the Armory, Maggie hadn’t run off yet and we had made it through the disgusting conditions of the bathroom.

We were taking our time outside the entrance to the arena when we spotted the concessions stand. We expected the food to be expensive but were shocked to find that cotton candy and popcorn were $6 each. We split a bag of cotton candy and found a plastic clown nose at the bottom of the bag. $6 for candy air and a choking hazard; what a deal. When we entered the arena clowns and other circus performers greeted us. Maggie and I found our seats.

Soon after we had sat down the circus began. The big musical number came on and acrobats started doing tricks down an artificial ski hill. Roller skaters came out and animals, such as camels, llamas and yaks, were paraded about the arena.

The main attraction, which came out next, was the award-winning clown Bello and the star elephant Bo.

While Bo was cute, for an elephant, Bello was not. Not only did he perform the most pointless stunts of the evening, his yellow beehive hair made Maggie and I cringe over and over again.

At this point Maggie and I started trying to make our own fun out of a boring situation. As clowns tried to find food, build a shelter and fire in “Survivor Island,” Maggie and I were playing tic tac toe on my notebook and taking silly photos with my camera.

When we finally got our attention back on the circus, animals preformed tricks in each circle as the ringleaders whpiped

them to keep them in line. After about 15 minutes of camels and ponies running in circles andjumping on their hind legs, we were relieved of watching animal abuse take place right in front of our eyes. The animals and performers left after a large musical number and the lights went on.

Maggie and I were saved. The night hadn’t been a total bust, and we were getting out in time to go to a late movie or go hang out with some friends. Then our doom was delivered: it was only intermission. Fifteen minutes later the whole thing started again, only

this half was accompanied by the wails of a baby and the awful smell of you-know-what from the animals.

The same types of stunts were performed again, only in different costumes and with a few differences thrown in the mix. Contortionists came into the circles and began doing “amazing and astonishing acts.”

These “amazing acts” soon became tacky and tasteless. After being entertained, if that is what you can call it, by clowns in-between acts, the star elephant, Bo, played the trombone and the tambourine. I must say that it is a wonderful accompaniment to crying children and the faint applause of the audience.

Trapeze artists then came out.

They are always interesting to watch and were probably the highlight of the night. The show came to a close with a musical number; in fact, it was the same musical number that we had seen three times before.

Maggie and I shot out of our seats to get some fresh air, a decent restroom and some normal priced food.

Overall, the circus was an overpriced event that was long, boring and repetitive. After you have had your childhood stint of going to the circus every year and getting that elephant shaped snow cone cup and shaking hands with your favorite clown, it is never the same. I hate to break it to you, but you cannot only never go home again, and you can’t ever go back to the circus.

weekend

John Bernhardt Weekend Editor

Cual esta para la cena? If you find yourself asking this question, go to Carlos O’Kelley’s Mexican Cafe for a delicious meal.

Located conveniently on Main Street in Fairfax City, it is less than a 15 minute drive from the Annandale area.

The close location, extensive Mexican menu and relatively cheap prices make Carlos O’Kelley’s a great place to eat.

Just dining in this highly unique restaurant is half of the entertainment. As you enter the dining area, Mexican pottery, baskets and ironworks decorate the walls and shelves. The restaurant duplicates the decor of a Mexican hacienda, with many archways, iron fences and potted plants, including cacti.

Every imaginable type of Mexican dish is available at this cafe. Main meals

The interior of the restaurant is filled with many Mexican items and a wide variety of southwestern plants.

include either enchiladas, burritos, tacos, fajitas or a combination of the three with beef, chicken and vegetarian options. Prices for main courses range from about $7-$10. Entrees come with complementary chips and salsa.

A wide choice of appetizers, including various cheese crisps which resemble a pizza, fajitas and quesadillas make this cafe a place where you can go for an after school or late night snack. These hearty selections are a bit cheaper than the entrees ranging from $6-$8.

Photos from www.kingsdomion.com and www.sixflags.com. FAR LEFT—The Mind Eraser featured at Six Flags. On this ride, the passengers stand up which adds to the excitement. ABOVE—The Extreme Skyflyer at King’s Dominion is a bit different than a rollercoaster, but is exillarating nonetheless.

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tomic reactions

What did you do over spring break?

—Caitlin McKinney junior

“I had a soccer tournament for a select team, the practice for the high school team and I hung out with friends.”

“I came for rehab at AHS for my knee. I came to soccer practice and ran a mile everyday.”

—Ana Rosa Alvarez-Flores freshman

“I went to the movies everyday, went to the gym everyday and woke up at 1 p.m. everyday.”

—Jose Castillo sophomore

ernhardt’s Bites

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water park, WaterWorks, opens May 27. Water Works has 19 acres of water rides and entertainment and comes free with park admission. Six Flags features Paradise Island which includes enclosed slides, multi-colored waterfalls and one of the world’s largest wave pools.

An all-day trip with your friends to either of these parks would ensure a day of fun. Although the price may be a bit expensive for a high school student, forking out the money allows you to enjoy a differnt type of activity.

The service was extremely efficient and the meals came quickly and were served hot. The waitress made frequent checks to ensure the customers’ happiness and to see if there was anything the customer needed.

How did this Mexican restaurant get the Irish name O’Kelley’s you ask? Well, the founder, Gill O’Kelley, wanted his last name in his Mexican restaurant, so he chose Carlos which is a popular Spanish name and RESTAURANT RATING added his CARLOS O’KELLEY’S last name to create Carlos O’Kelley’s.

The Southwestern style in next time northern Virginia. Good you’re in food and good service the mood for a flavorful Mexican dish, don’t visit Taco Bell.

Get a taste of real Mexican cuisine at Carlos O’Kelley’s Mexican Cafe.

B+

“I celebrated my birthday at Chuck E. Cheese and then I went to Florida with my family.”

—Scott Frankel senior

—Lejia Lombardi junior

“I went to New York and saw all the sights; the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, the Statue of Liberty, and I saw my relatives.”

“I coached baseball and went an visited my inlaws in Pennsylvania.”

—Matt Caudle P.E.Teacher