Issue 11

ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL

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4 7 0 0 M e d f o r d D r. A n n a n d a l e , VA 2 2 0 0 3

LAS AB T informing the Atoms since 1954

703.642.4229

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TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2003

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D’OH

AHS TO NCAA

BOYS LAX

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An in-depth look at America’s favorite primetime cartoon family, The Simpsons.

Several standout athletes will try to bring thier game to the next level.

Boys Varsity Lacrosse team beat Hayfield 11-2 last Saturday.

X-cell ent x -citement that puts the first ‘X’ to shame, with x-quisite special effects.

Cloudy with high chance of rain and thunderstorms.

70º hi /50º low

brought to you by NBC 4

NEWS BRIEFS The Fanta Moses Fund To make a donation to assist Fanta Moses’ family with her burial expenses, donations can be made by visiting any local branch of Bank of America, or by sending a contribution to 7950 New Hampshire Avenue, Langley Park, Maryland 20783. Donors should reference account 003938416462. Questions, call the Victim Services Section at (703) 246-2141.

Principal search continues As the search for a new principal continues, the school is becoming closer to determining who will replace Principal Don Clausen.

Eight candidates were interviewed April 28 by a board of four faculty members including Steve Sengstack, Nancy Grim, Al Martin and Kathy Hermann. Three finalists will be determined from the rankings given by the 12member panel which includes the four teachers, four parents, one student representative and three representatives from Human Resources. Dr. John English, Cluster III director, will interview and select the new principal from the three finalists sometime in the next month.

The A-Blast wins big Staff members of The A-Blast attended the Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Portland, Oregon from April 10-13.

The staff received fourth place for the Best of Show awarded by The National Scholastic Press Association, a competition between schools from around the nation.

This is the highest rating The ABlast has received in this competition.

PTSA Scholarships Available The PTSA will be awarding four scholarships in June that were mentioned at the Senior Breakfast.

Applications are available in the Career Center. There are two James Finch Scholarships for academics and activities for $750 and two Ray Watson Scholarships for technology and family consumer studies for $500. The deadline for applications is May 12.

The A-Blast can be read online The most recent issue of The ABlast can now be read online through the AHS website at www.fcps.edu/AnnandaleHS/ Ablast/index.htm

Missing alumni found dead

BY ANDREW SATTEN Co-Editor in Chief “She was the kind of kid that comes to AHS, learns what this country is all about, and it was just a privilege having her in class...she had a major contribution to make,” said government teacher Mary Ann Richardson regarding former student Fanta Moses.

The body of 19-year-old Moses, a 2002 graduate and nurse’s aid who had been missing since Dec. 11, was found April 15. An autopsy and DNA results led police to conclude on April 25 that the remains were those of Moses.

The cause of death has yet to be determined. According to Officer Doug Lingenfelter, a group of youths walking in a wooded area in close proximity to Cherokee Avenue and Navaho drive discovered the body.

Moses was scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 13 to testify in a stalking case against her former boyfriend, 28-year-old Momodu Jalloh. His location is unknown, and

he is the prime suspect in Moses’ death. An arrest warrant has been issued for his arrest, charging him with the murder. A wanted poster has been issued and Jalloh has been entered into the National Crime Information Center, a database that is used to apprehend fleeing suspects.

Moses had a documented history with Jalloh. On Oct. 29, an incident previous to the stalking case, Moses told police that Jalloh abducted and attempted to shoot her at gun point, but she was able to flee after the gun failed to fire. At the time of Moses’ disappearance, Jalloh was out of jail on bond, and since Moses was the only witness and failed to appear in court, the stalking charges were dropped.

Moses immigrated from Sierra Leone in 1999 with her sister and a number of cousins, and was enrolled in the ESL program at AHS. “She was very hardworking, and came from a country with a lot of war and unrest. She was genuinely grateful to be in this country,” said ESOL teacher Robin Thomp-

Friday night fever

BY CAROLINE FRIEDMAN News Editor

From dresses to dinner reservations, seniors are putting their finishing touches on their plans to make Friday night’s “Tropical Paradise Prom” a promising event.

With so much to be done, many students are taking advantage of Principal Clausen’s permission for seniors to be excused at 10:35 a.m. on Friday, pending that they present a note from their parents excusing them by 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

From then on, the girls’ preparation is underway from hair, to nails, to outfit they bought months ago. The girls are not the only ones who have errands to run; the boys will be picking up the corsages for their dates and getting dressed in those classy tuxedos.

“The Night of Tropical Paradise” will start its adventure at 9 p.m. till 1 a.m. at the Hilton in Mark Center in Alexandria. The hotel is much bigger in size from last year, and can accomodate a more comfortable social aspect. The dance will included virgin daiquiris, light snacks, and related decorations to go with the theme.

“In comparison from last year’s Prom, the Prom at the Hilton will be better quality and we have worked hard to pay off for it, and also will be a time for everyone to remember.” said Senior class President Anteneh Addisu. Tickets can be bought at the

Just as we are all thinking of the fun that is soon to come, testing month arrives. No longer are May and June times to wind down from the school year and relax with friends, they have been deemed “testing time,” and everyone knows what that means.

AP, IB and SOL (Standard of Learning) tests are creeping up faster than we all had thought.

The first tests began on May 2. Teachers change their curricula so that students will be more prepared, and many students feel the pressure of numerous tests. “All the testing consumes all of our class periods with teachers trying to prepare us,” said junior Coury Shadyac, who will be taking two SOLs this year. “It’s stressful because there is a lot of pressure riding on these tests.”

SOLs are the tests that are most commonly associated with having the most pressure, mainly for juniors. Starting with the class of 2004, students must pass a certain number of SOLs in order to graduate. To get the standard diploma, students must pass their two English 11 SOLs and four others of their choice. To receive the advanced diploma, students must pass the two English 11 SOLs, two math SOLs, two science SOLs, two social studies SOLs and one other of their choice.

The SOLs are state-mandated, so everyone who is in Algebra I and II, Geometry, Biology, Chemistry, Geosystems, World History I and II, U.S. History, and English 11 must take the appropriate SOL. Therefore, about 4,500 - 5,000 tests will be given at AHS this year, considering many students take more than one SOL class.

The testing does not stop there, however. AP testing begins today. While many teachers use the standard methods of reviewing for tests, Eleanor Shumaker’s AP U.S. History class reviews in a different way. In the past, Shumaker has had her students over to her house for a lock-in sleepover and review session. This year Shumaker had stu-

“Prom” continued on p. 5

Senior Lindsey Grant tries on her Prom dress and shoes while her cat checks her out.

Seniors and others invited to Prom can leave at 10:35 a.m. Friday to prepare.

“”Tests” continued on p. 4

AHS seeks Ossian May 12 meeting could give school ownership of park

How concerned are you about the outbreak of SARS?

BY KATHY IBARRA Staff writer

WALA’A EL BARASSES

Somewhat

Very

41%

43%

16%

The survey was administered to 122 students by The A-Blast during A, B, and C lunches on April 29.

“Moses” continued on p. 5

BY SABRINA STACY Staff Writer

The SARS Scare

Not at All

son. Though Moses came to the United States without much of a formal education and little English, she persevered, often staying for extra help, working her way into mainstream classes and on towards graduation. Multiple teachers cited her desire to be a nurse.

“She was so sweet and so caring, she would have been a Moses wonderful nurse,” said Richardson. “She had a real human touch to her.” At the time of her disappearance, Moses was working at Sunrise Assisted Living in Fairfax City and was set on taking classes to become a nurse.

“She was in a profession where she wanted to help

IB, AP tests in full swing

CHAE-WHA PARK

Today’s Weather

Dumpster fire quickly doused Firefigthers were called to the school April 23 about 2:15 p.m. to extinguish a dumpster fire on behind the cafeteria. Smoke sailed through the windows above, triggering the fire alarms inside and causing a short delay in bus departures. The cause of the fire is unknown.

AHS has stated a case in order for it to assert control of Ossian Hall Park. A meeting has been scheduled for May 12 at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of Annandale Terrace for discussion of the revision process for property.

As a member of the Ossian Park task force, Richard McCormack stresses the importance of the Annandale community to attend the meeting. “It’s a grassroots effort of a lot of interested parents, teachers, coaches, students and others,” said McCormack. “We want them to really understand the severity of

the concern of the safety we have for our students and our hopes that we can ameliorate an increasingly dangerous situation with gangs and drug activity.”

The main reason AHS wants Ossian park is for safety and security. Currently AHS has no authority over who may not be permitted in the park, including gangs. Annandale Terrace also is concerned about the issue. AHS would also like to add another ball field.

But in order for all this to occur, McCormack and other proponents such as student representative sophomore Meghan Johnson need the support of the community. “I’m sure there’s going to be opposition at this first meeting, and we really need the community as a whole to be engaged in some way to have it succeed.”

2 EDITORIALS Do you think the U.N. should be allowed to help rebuild Iraq?

“Yes, if the U.S. went and did all of the work themselves, I do not think it would be fair. It is likely that we are trying to colonize Iraq.” —Danielle Briggs senior “I do not think they should because the U.S. kicked them out once, and there is nothing for them to do.”

—Amal Jama junior

“Yes, that is the only organization that should be helping out.

They would be ordering diplomatic reaction to the regime without unilateral invasion.”

—Alexa Bobe sophomore

“They should help out.

American should not do this alone because they have bad foreign policy.”

—Sami Dajani sophomore

“I’m skeptical because of our government awarding contracts to big businesses to rebuild Iraq before the war started.”

—Steve Shapiro math teacher

“Yes, because it should be an international process, so there is credibility. The U.N. was designed to be a governing body.”

—Julia Durand ESOL teacher “Yes, the U.N. would be able to a good job with food, water, and medicine. But they would not do a good job with security, because they are stretched already.”

the

ABLAST

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

Keep the U.N. on the sidelines

BY MATT WIEST Staff Writer The armed conflict in Iraq has ended, and now the international community has directed its attention to reconstructing postwar Iraq and who will lead the efforts.

As the building begins in Baghdad and elsewhere, many still argue that it is imperative for the United Nations to lead in the reconstruction process. Much to the chagrin of these U.N. supporters, Coalition forces have taken the lead in this one, and rightfully so, because the United States, Great Britain, and the other Coalition members took it upon themselves to depose the corrupt and oppressive dictatorship of Saddam Hussein.

While the United States must improve its reputation in some regions of the world, it can only make concessions to the United Nations to the degree which it has proved itself capable, that is, providing humanitarian aid.

The United Nations has shown itself to be ineffective and far too tentative as an international body. First, and most importantly, the United Nations failed to take necessary action against Saddam Hussein’s dictatorial regime and neglected to realize that 12 years of exhaustive diplomatic measures were essentially useless. The idle member nations of the United Nations sat out the mili-

tary action, and now they should not expect to play a key role in the rebuilding of Iraq. Unfortunately for the U.N., its reputation and competence as a global organization have been brought into question by many analysts. The only function of the United Nations in this scenario should be providing humanitarian aid and relief.

After the liberation of Kosovo in 1999, for example, the United Nations turned the province into a protectorate. Kosovo, however, remains in a state of disarray with soaring unemployment and widespread violence and corruption, even after several billion dollars in aid. In Rwanda throughout the 1990’s, the failure of the United Nations to take necessary military action to bring an end to the rampant genocide cost nearly 1 million lives. Still, however, violence remains a pressing issue throughout Rwanda and many other African nations. This shows the incapacity of the United Nations in its recent attempts to set up governments in volatile regions.

The United States, on the other hand, has a more successful history of reconstructing troubled nations. Take for instance Germany and Japan after World War II, the two nations have been developed into two of the world’s most prosperous. Afghanistan, too, is proof of America’s capabilities as a world leader.

The region is slowly becoming more

the United States and Great Britain alleviate the pressing human rights issues that are widespread in the region.

The Iraqi people deserve a rapid reconstruction, as many cities are currently without electricity and running water, among several other basic necessities.

Twelve years of suffering have been had as a result of the failure of U.N. to act accordingly.

We cannot afford to let them wait another 12.

The United Nations has lost some legitimacy as a body of international law. By refusing to take action, it allowed Hussein to remain in power, andŁŁŁŁ on an even more concerning note, the body continues to represent to an extent the views of nations that are semi-democratic at best.

Politically speaking, the United Nations will have to sit this one out during the reconstruction of Iraq and, in the meantime, it might want to reconsider some of its own serious internal flaws. The U.N. as a body of international law is just plain pathetic.

stable as the United States cooperates with Afghan officials to set up a capable government.

And we must not ignore the internal problems of the United Nations. Of the 191 member states, many are either nondemocratic or simply claim to be democratic, but make a mockery of even the most basic principles of democratic systems. On the Commission on Human Rights are some of the leading human rights violators, namely Libya, an oppressive military dictatorship, which also happens to be the chair of the committee, and Sudan, an authoritarian state.

Furthermore, Iraq was scheduled to chair the U.N. Disarmament Committee.

Is this some sort of joke? To top off the United Nation’s ridiculous resumé, Cuba has recently been reelected to the Commission on Human Rights, a nation with a track record of imprisoning political opponents and executing civilians without trial. As White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer so aptly put it, “it’s like putting Al Capone in charge of bank security.”

With an internal structure such as this, how is democracy to be established in a hot bed of violent conflict and political unrest?

The United Nations has one primary role in the process of Iraq’s reconstruction: humanitarian aid and relief. The United Nations must focus international aid on the troubled state of Iraq to help

MATTWIEST@COX.NET

U.S. should share the wealth

BY EDRIS QARGAH Editorials Editor Saddam Hussein’s government may have fallen, but the war has just begun. Not a war of bombs and guns, but a struggle to rebuild a nation, and bring stability to a troubled region. In this effort, it is imperative that the international community have an active role, hence the United Nations, should dominate the reconstruction process.

It is true that the U.N. did not provide support for the war on Iraq. However, this was not because the U.N. did not oppose Saddam Hussein’s ruthless regime, but many member nations opposed the method by which the United States sought to eradicate Saddam’s rule.

This is not a reason for the U.N. to be excluded from the formation of a new Iraq.

The U.N. provides an international legitimacy to the newly established regime, without which the nation will indubitably suffer.

To achieve the support of the Iraqi people and of the Arab Kofi Annan, UN Secretary world, the United States needs to make it clear that their goals are not imperialistic, and any government established is one that serves the Iraqi

people and not the U.S. and Great Britain. In order to do this, the U.N. and the League of Arab Nations need to have prominent roles, as a counterbalance to the U.S. In order to create a stable government the people must be able to trust in it.

Adversaries of U.N. intervention claim that the dissension among the U.N. members makes the organization too slow and unwieldy. However, this provides a much needed security. The checks and balances of members with opposing goals, assures that no nation, the United States included, takes advantage of Iraq’s dependent state.

Essentially the source of the conflict over who controls the reconstruction process involves money and power. The U.S. made a fortune in the post WWI and WWII reconstruction, a profit that would certainly gladly repeat. If the reconstruction were truly a humanitarian motivated endeavor, it would not matter who was in charge as long as Iraq’s stability was assured and its economy and infrastructure restored. By establishing a new government, the U.S. is solidifying its influence in the nation and ensures that it will reap the benefits to be had. This is exactly the image the U.S. does not want to propagate.

The U.N. may not have the best track record in creating stable regimes, but neither does the U.S. While many would cite Germany and Japan as successes in this category, it must be remembered that both nations had strong economies and solid infrastructures before WWII. In most recent efforts involving third would nations such as Iraq, the U.S. has proven itself incompetent by supporting a series of leaders with questionable practices.

Iraq itself is a fine example. The U.S. supported Saddam Hussein’s regime during the Iran-Iraq war.

Afganistan fits this mold as well. First the U.S. supported the Mojahidin in an effort to oust the Communist government, in the early ‘80s, some of whom were known to have committed human rights violations. In order to collect misused weapons the U.S. provided, the U.S. then supported the creation of a militant group, which became the Taliban. Upon ousting the Taliban, the U.S. supported the establishment of what is essentially a nominal government led by Hamid Karzai, whose power barely extends over the capital city.

The U.S. also bungled in the Far East, supporting Ngo Dinh Diem in Vietnam, which arguably lost them that war. Diem, a devout Christian, restricted Buddhist practices is the predominantly Buddhist nation, maintained his rule by eliminating opposition, all while doing little to bring about much needed land reform. This resulted in a severe lack of support for his government and the strengthening of the pro-communist National Liberation Front (Vietcong), which led to the fall of Vietnam.

But wait, there is more. The United States’ infamous School of the Americas graduated notorious dictators Manuel Noriega and Omar Torrijos of Panama, Leopoldo Galtier and Roberto Biola of Argentina, Juan Velasco Alvarado of Peru, Guillermo Rodriguez of Equador and Hugo Banzer Suarez of Bolivia.

If this war is to end in peace and stability, the U.N. is needed to mediate any decisions made regarding the structure of a new government.

E_QARGAH@HOTMAIL.COM

—Carl Durkin math teacher

“Yes, because it is a world issue. If the U.N. helped, we could spend less money and we can use all the help that we can get.”

—Jonathan Kriss junior

Making the Grade Weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq

A

U.S. troops have now found about a dozen 55-gallon drums in an open field near Baiji, Iraq. Initial tests showed traces of nerve gas and mustard gas. A chemical team at the site checked the drums, and the test came back positive for cyclosarin, a nerve agent, and a blister agent. Soldiers also found two mobile laboratories that contained equipment for mixing chemicals.

IRA said it is willing to disarm

CORRECTIONS ISSUE 10 —In the April 9 issue of The ABlast, Joey Barr’s 14-month-old boy Brandon Casey was mistaken to be a two year old girl in the Iraq insert.

A

The Irish Republican Army would be willing to disarm fully as part of a final peace deal in Northern Ireland. The peace process in the British-ruled province has been deadlocked since London and Dublin rejected a private offer delivered to them by the IRA as too vague.

The IRA made a clear statement of its commitment to peace and stood ready to disarm.

Illinois schools not told of Ammonia in food

F

State documents now show that Illinois school officials failed to notify schools that some food shipped to them had been contaminated with ammonia. Due to the contamination, dozens of children were sickened. The food was contaminated when a ruptured pipe leaked 90 pounds of ammonia refrigerant at Gateway Cold Storage in St. Louis.

SARS virus continues to take lives

F

After starting in Beijing, the World Health Organization, now says that Toronto could be the next city. So far in the Chinese capital, 693 people have been infected with SARS while 35 have died. Anne Arundel County reported last week that two people also developed symptoms after visiting foreign cities. Many Chinese travelers have been forced to wear masks to protect themselves against SARS. The WHO has placed cautions against visiting Beijing and Toronto.

the Annandale High School 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, Virginia 22003

ABLAST Vol. 48 No. 11 May 6, 2003

Editors in Chief::

Philippe Podhorecki Andrew Satten Managing Editor: Reid Edwards News Editors: Caroline Friedman Abby Segall Editorial Editors: Edris Qarghah Junaid Shams Academics Editors: Laura Johnson Rebecca Kraushaar In-Depth Editors: Hayley Fletcher Hana Nguyen Features Editors: Martha Amoako Maggie Owner Sarah Bizer Atomic Articles Editor: Profiles Editors: Laura Hollowell Saman Hussain Cultures Editors: Wala’a El Barasse Rachel Sinaiko Sports Editors: John Bernhardt Jared Smith Sports “Extra”: Paul Gleason David Marin Atomic Athletics Evan Ashe Editor: Entertainment Edi- Alejandro Salinas tors: Katie Stanton Crystan Blanco Arts Editors: Erin O’Brien Adviser: Alan Weintraut

Gallup Award Quill & Scroll 2000-2001

All American National Scholastic Press Association 2001-2002

(703) 642-4229 e-mail: ahsablast@aol.com fax: 642-4197

Cameron Kynes Katharine Kishiyama Business Manager: Ryan Teichler Ad Manager: Rachel Jones Copy Editor: Meg Nielsen Photography Chae-Wha Park Editor: Weekend Editors:

Photographers: Morgan McEvilly, Chris Rauer, Sean Sullivan, Andrew Menegat, Sarah Sherman Staff Writers: Anteneh Addisu, Kathy Ibarra, Wided Khadroui, Chris Kallander, Laura Kelly, Sohaib Khan, Elizabeth Nowrouz, John Reiss, Erik Rooney, Evan Rowland, Kathy Saupp, Amanda Sheaffer, Sarah Sherman, Kyle Smeallie, Sabrina Stacy, Lauren Sterlacci, Matt Wiest Videographers: Shabier Bahramy, Stephen Benson, Amanuel Beyene,Rachel Johnson, Josh Lewin, Mike Mahn, Javier Sanchez-Yoza, Brent Sullivan

Trophy Class Virginia High School 2001-2002

The A-Blast is an award-winning newspaper that strives to inform, educate and entertain the student body and community. Published every three weeks. The A-Blast will not print any material that is obscene or libelous; or that which substantially disrupts the school day or invades an individual’s right to privacy. 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, 2003.

EDITORIALS 3 Pajama End college waitlisting controversy

the

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outdated

BY JUNAID SHAMS Editorials Editor It’s April 1, the day you receive your acceptance letters. You open up the first letter...waitlisted. Open up the second letter...waitlisted. Hoping for some better news, you open up the third letter, and guess what...waitlisted!

Don’t worry you’re not the only one. All across the country, more and further colleges have now started to waitlist students. Does this plan of waitlisting students have any logic? Students should not be told that they are good enough, but cannot be accepted. They should be told straight out if they are accepted or rejected. Looking at the amount of students that actually get off the waitlist is even more discouraging than getting the waitlist letter in the first place. Colleges should abandon the concept of waitlist, and start sending more acceptance or rejection letters to students.

Getting waitlisted is more common than finding people complaining about pajamas. Whether it’s James Madison or Duke, people are getting waitlisted more than ever.

Some colleges are even waitlisting more students than they are accepting. Columbia University, for instance in 2000, sent out more waitlist letters, 1,896, than acceptance letters, 1,749, making its waitlist 108 percent of its admit list. Surprisingly, of the 1,119, only six made it into the freshman class.

And this trend continues to occur nationwide, even at our local universities. At UVA, 5,482 students were admitted and 2,082 were waitlisted. Out of these two thousand plus students, only 65 were eventually accepted, a mere 3%. Johns Hopkins took only one applicant (out of 1,754) off their wait-list last year and Amherst took nobody. Even George Mason only took 22% of the students off their waitlists. If colleges are going to waitlist so many students, they should try to accept them also. Accepting three students out of 2,000 is ridiculous.

If colleges plan to accept only three or four students out of thousands, don’t waitlist the other thousands, just tell them they are rejected. Those three, four students should be accepted in the first process. Waitlisting just keeps up the hopes of those students who already know that at the end they will not get accepted. Colleges should not keep the hopes up of thousands of students, when in fact; more than 98% of them will get rejected.

Supporters of the waitlist idea believe that waitlisting helps colleges fill the number of students in the upcoming class. Sure, picking less than ten kids out of thousands really fills the class size. If colleges are worried about the amount of students that will actually accept their

BY CAROLINE FRIEDMAN News Editor

More and more colleges are now starting to waitlist more students. In many cases, some colleges are even waitlisting more students than they are accepting and rejecting combined.

universities, just accept more students. Colleges will have a higher yield rate, and students will be able to go to their top choice schools.

Students probably have a better chance of winning the lottery than getting off the waitlist for college. When certain schools like Georgetown only take 123 students out of 1,667, students know that they might as well look at other schools, instead of waiting for Georgetown to call them. Colleges should not send this junk mail out to thousands of arduous working students, and then tell them “you’re a very strong student, but we can not accept you right now.” College admission directors should be mature enough to tell the student whether they were accepted or rejected, not waitlisted.

College Waiting Lists University American Columbia Georgetown Johns Hopkins University of Maryland University of Virginia Virginia Tech

Admitted Waitlisted Admitted from list 6,054 1,749 3,124 3,023

740 1,896 1,667 1,754

41 6 123 1

10,340

1,626

215

5,482

2,082

65

11,542

500

N/A

JUNAIDSHAMS@HOTMAIL.COM

Take me out to the ball game...not Dulles Sept. 30, 1971 was a dismal day for D.C. area baseball fans. The date marked the Washington Senators final home game before the franchise was moved to Texas, prompting disgruntled fans to protest by storming the field with two outs in the 9th inning. And on top of losing the team, the Senators also lost the game by way of a forfeit due to the riots, despite their 7-5 lead.

Ever since the Senators split town, changing their name to the Texas Rangers, metropolitan area fans have cringed as they have continued to strike out in their quest to return baseball to the area.

Smaller, less worthy markets such as Tampa Bay and Anaheim have been awarded teams, and the sport has even found a home north of the border in two Canadian cities. And this year the

clincher. Puerto Rico, yes Puerto Rico, the small island located in the middle of the Caribbean has been granted a 22-game home stand from the Expos. Now this is not to say that the Puerto Rican people do not deserve a franchise, a region that nurtures avid baseball fans and some of the MLB’s top prospects. However, if Puerto Rico can have baseball, our nation’s capital should have our nation’s past time.

But before fans start rioting again (the D.C. area can leave that to the unruly University of Maryland student body that resorts to smashing things whether their beloved Terps win or lose), they should note that the region is truly on the brink of being granted a team. In early July MLB authorities intend on making a decision regarding the relocation of the

(Above) Camden Yards, the home field of the Baltimore Orioles

Montreal Expos to one of three competpractically driving out to the “country” ing markets, the District, Northern Virto see their team play? If officials wish to ginia and Portland. A critical element in select a site that is not downtown, the the campaign to be awarded a team, and region may as well not even be awarded also for the success of the franchise as a a team; fans already have a team that whole once it is in place, is the stadium. they can drive a distance to see, the OriA number of proposals are in the works, oles. and it is critical that the right type of ball Another argument for locating the park is built in the right place. stadium downtown are the dividends it Currently there are will pay for the city. Though research has three plans for locations in shown that baseball Virginia (Rosslyn, Pentastadiums do not gengon City, and a site near erate as much revDulles International Airenue as a multi-use port) and three in D.C. MCI Center type sta(adjacent to RFK, dium, a state-of-the-art New York Avenue, facility which will host Andrew Satten and M Street on Co-Editor in Chief almost 81 games a seathe Anacostia wason provides an added atterfront). traction to the city and launches the reIf anything can be gleaned from the development of the area it is situated. Of construction of previous D.C sports venthe six site proposals, the M Street Proues, it is that location and convenience is posal on the Anacostia waterfront best critical. The relocation of the home of the fits the ideal criteria for a location. At an Wizards and Capitals from a remote estimated price tag of $411 million, this grassy field in Landover, Maryland to the location would feature easy access to fans, MCI Center in downtown Washington a stellar view of the Potomac River and provided a tremendous boost for both ormonuments and an opportunity to reviganizations. The site of the MCI Center talize the area. features easy access to major highways, In terms of the aesthetic angle of the a Metro station that is within the buildstadium, architects should go all out. Like ing, and most importantly a sports atmany who attend Orioles games at mosphere. The blocks of restaurants and Camden Yards, I am not a baseball fan. sports bars in close proximity and the However, the aura of the ball park, the immense mural on the side of an adjashops, the restaurants, the view, and, oh cent building also highlight the Wizards’ by the way, the game being played, make or Capitals’ latest star. All of these qualifor a great afternoon out. ties should be found in the site for the As the District enters the final stretch baseball stadium location. in the quest for a team, it should bring in In contrast, Redskins ownership falthe “closer,” a stellar stadium plan on the tered in their placement of Jack Kent Anacostia waterfront, a force that not Cooke Stadium, located in RalJon, Maryeven Peter Angelos will be able to comland (a city that did not even exist before bat in his pursuit of keeping the nation’s owner Jack Kent Cooke bought the plot past time out of the nation’s capital. ). The Dulles location would be a similar SATTDOG03@AOL.COM debacle, because who wants to deal with

S

atten’s oundoff

‘To be the best, we must compete with best’ I hate to lose. To that effect, when I first made the varsity girls soccer team, I held no anticipations of 5-0 routs at the hands of teams to the likes of Lake Braddock and Robinson.

Sadly, negativity has become the general outlook of many of the members of my team (and others at Annandale), and most believe that the Atoms are destined to always be among the pariahs of the Patriot District. Most attribute the lack of on-field success to the schools we are pitted against.

The Patriot district is one of the most challenging girls soccer

districts in the nation, with Lake Braddock, Robinson, and Hayfield ranked 3rd, 4th and 5th in The Washington Post, respectively. Many, in fact, state that it would be a positive change for the Atoms to be moved to an easier district, where we would be assured more wins and a Kathy Saupp berth in regionals. However, in the end, this would hurt, rather than help the quality of AHS athletics.

It has been argued that the situation in our district is unfair, with large schools like the mono-

K athy’s Q uandaries

lith in Burke overshadowing us year after year, with no opportunity to let smaller schools shine.

In the past, many have raised the possibility that the district makeups should be changed, to allow fairer competition.

However, while my past four years of spring soccer have heralded few convincing victories, the opportunity to play against some of the best teams in the nation has forced myself and my team to raise our level of play. It is for this reason that I would not trade my position in the Patriot for one with more assured victories.

Take the National District, for example. National schools (Edison, Falls Church, Mount Vernon, Stuart, Washington-Lee,

Wakefield, and Yorktown) in general are more similar in size and student makeup to AHS, but by far would not offer the same level of competition as the Patriot district matchups do. If AHS were to switch to this district, without a doubt all of our teams would finish at or near the top of the district, and would move on to regionals (which the soccer team has not done in many years).

However, while the regular season and the district tournaments would be full of success, the level of play would remain stagnant, with no team to force players to be faster and more precise.

In addition, while we would avoid playing the regional superpowers in season play, AHS would no doubt be pitted against them in

the first round of regionals, with little or no real competitive experience under our belts.

While on the field, working until our chests are heaving and our legs are cramping, it may seem like being a National District school would be a confidence building relief to the usual tough matchups. We should look beyond the season record to see what exactly those talented squads force us to do as players. In order to get better, it is imperative that an athlete learns to elevate his or her play. The tough yearly matches that our teams play each year teach us more about teamwork and elite play than any easy win ever would.

PHILE09@AOL.COM

So we all thought the whole pajama scandal here at AHS was over and done with. The students had received the message that sleepwear would not be tolerated as a form of expression, and hopefully, the administration heard our message loud and clear that we wanted to be respected and have our rights heard, even at school.

Well, we all thought wrong.

Recently, the pajama issue has been pulled out of the dark corner it was tucked away in and was reported on in The Washington Post, on ABC Channel 7 News, and it even received a blurb in The New York Post. Flattering right? I think not.

It is ridiculous that an issue that has been over for almost a month is suddenly coming out of the woodwork and being reported in various types of media.

Not only is it reporting late and on an issue that seems to no longer be a problem at AHS, it makes the problems of AHS and the quandaries that we face seem petty and unimportant.

We are being put in the spotlight because our students roll out of bed and come to school and the administration doesn’t approve of that. But what about Ryan Trimble, the Lake Braddock student whose rights of free speech, the right to protest and the right to go against our government were violated. Trimble wore a shirt with a picture of President George W. Bush with a caption above the picture calling him an international terrorist.

During the day an assistant principal sent him home, stating that his shirt was disruptive. This event sent an uproar through the school, and other students have become outraged at the violation of Trimble’s rights. Many of his peers and teachers have supported Trimble in his petition against the adminstration so that he will gain the right to wear the shirt again.

And AHS students are protesting...pajamas?

Where are the threeminute news stories or the quarter page picture and thousand-word story on him?

His rights were violated in a time when it really matters in this country and when the values and the principals of this country being strongly questioned. Our right to wear pajamas compares little in magnitude to our fellow student’s right to protest our government.

Many have heard of the case of Tinker vs. Des Moines (1969) in which three students were suspended from school for wearing black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War. It was ruled that “in wearing armbands, the petitioners were quiet and passive. They were not disruptive and did not impinge upon the rights of others. In these circumstances, their conduct was within the protection of the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth.”

So why did this same ruling not apply to the Lake Braddock student? These are the questions that the media should be asking, not if some students are upset that they can’t wear their pajamas to school anymore.

FRIEDBCN@EROLS.COM

4 NEWS NEWS BRIEFS SCHOOL NEWS DECA buys lawn mower

the

ABLAST

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

DECA honored at nationals MEG NIELSEN AND LAURA JOHNSON Copy Editor and Academics Editor

Eleven members of the DECA chapter attended the International Career and Development Conference in Orlando, Florida, where they competed in a national competition for marketing April 25-30. The conference had approximately 13,000 students from all over the country participating.

To qualify to reach the national conference, the DECA members had to be in the top five of the categories that they competed in at the Virginia DECA State Leadership Conference. “I thought it was a great experience and it

gave me a chance to meet people from all around the country. It was an opportunity to experience different people and their different activities,” said junior Alex Silano.

No AHS students moved onto the finals, however, Khalid Abul-Hawa, Anteneh Addisu, Jason Bracken, Jeannine Frank, Lindsey Grant, Tracie Hiatt, Dave Marin, and Alex Silano all received competency awards in their competitive areas.

Each competitive area gives competency awards to the students who score in the top 25 percent of their category.

“It’s basically an award of excellence, because there are anywhere from 200 to 300 students competing in each category,” DECA sponsor Jennifer Hendrickson.

DECA members Paul Baldwin and Michelle Perez attended a two-day academy focusing on various aspects of leadership development, such as creativity, teamwork, and diversity and ethics in leadership.

The AHS DECA members raised money to attend the conference, with help of donations from other companies, and prepared for the trip by rehearsing presentations and studying for tests. This was the last competitive event for DECA this year, however there are other DECA sponsored events during May and June.

“Whether you win or lose in terms of competition, being a part of the international career development conference is a once in a lifetime experience,” said Springfield.

Way to the Forum: a hysterical good time To help with the upkeep of the school grounds, members of DECA have given Awareness Aide KW Williams the gift of a brand new lawn mower as well as gardening tools. DECA hopes these gifts will be good use in maintaining the sod which has been put in place around AHS.

BY LAURA KELLY Staff Writer

Colleges coming to visit DC Metropolitan Area Duke, Harvard, Georgetown and University of Pennsylvania will be holding information session at 7:30 p.m. on May 11 at the Doubletree Hotel in Tyson’s Corner. Also on Sunday, the program, Colleges That Change Lives (named after the book, Colleges that Change Lives) will be held from 5-7 p.m. at the Marriott Metro Center in Washington DC. For more information on these two college fairs visit Robin Roth in the career center.

The 6th annual Red and White Golf Tournament will be held on May 21st at Andrews Air Force Base.

Volunteers are still needed to help with mailings, delivering brochures, donations, sponsors, helping on the day of the event and serving breakfast for the golfers. More golfers are still encouraged to sign up. People who would like to help with the event should call PTSA President Jennifer Van Pernis at 703-750-9430.

All Night Graduation Celebration Tickets on Sale Tickets for the All Night Graduation Celebration’s Beach Blast are on sale. This event will be held on June 17th starting from 11:30 p.m. - 5:00 a.m. at the South Run Recreational Center in Springfield. The night will be filled with sports competitions, swimming, racquetball, a DJ and karaoke, carnival and casino games and loads of food and amazing prizes. Prizes include stereos, TVs and DVDs, other prizes and gift certificates that can be used for college, and a new 2003 car from Ted Britt Ford. Tickets are $25 now and $35 at the door, reduced lunch students can get tickets for $10.

Ticket forms are available in the office or at www.allnitegrad.com.

Make checks payable to PTSA/ ANGC.

Buses Available for Graduation Ceremony The All Night Graduation Celebration committee has leased Scenic America buses to transport parents, families and friends of graduates to the celebration at DAR Constitution Hall. The buses are airconditioned and equipped with restrooms. By taking the bus, there is no rush hour driving, no looking for parking, no chances for parking tickets and passengers can avoid possible inclement weather. Tickets for the bus cost $12, make checks payable to PTSA/ANGC. Call Randy Hixson at 703-354-2007 for more information or any questions.

Junior Ashley Lippolis acts as one of the courtesans in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The musical was full of comedic performances by the drama department.

Local movie allows AHS students to get involved

BY CHRIS SOPHER Journalism 1 Student The summer movie craze has hit AHS and the local area. Currently in shooting and production, the local film Henry Dodd Meets Real Men (HDMRM) has become a local marvel and has a cast and crew from several schools in Fairfax County, including two AHS students.

The movie is from RMS Management Group, director Richard Michaels Stefanik’s film company.

The plot is simple, yet intriguing: when an unsocialized nerd loses his gas station, he must face the macho business world as he finds himself a spokesperson for a tycoon’s questionable enterprises, making the tycoon’s

business millions. However, when Dodd meets the love of his life, she encourages him to leave the advertising world and follow his dreams.

Angered by Dodd’s departure, the tycoon does everything in his power to pull the couple apart and ruin Dodd’s life.

The project, directed by Stefanik and produced by Gloria Baltrop, has two AHS students on crew: sophomores Steven Benson and Eric Hickey, both boom microphone operators. Hickey’s father James is also involved as the location and site manager for filming.

“I got the job through Mr. Hickey,” said Benson. “I’m doing it because it gets me involved in the movie process, something I’m very

interested in.”

“Not only does the local production and shooting allow students and local movie-lovers to get involved, but it also makes shooting the movie easier,” says Hickey. There are plenty of actors and comedians who perform at local clubs and theaters around the metropolitan area, and the production team had no trouble finding actors and crew to work on the film.

“Steven” and I have been inStephen Benson

SGA Elections bring new leadership

BY SOHAIB KHAN Staff Writer The SGA class elections for 2003 2004 were held on Monday April 28. Juniors assembled in the main gym, sophomores in the cafeteria, and the freshmen in the upstairs gym.

The officers for next years sophomore class whom were elected are Mohammed Rahman as President, Alex Barker as Vice President, Suzanne Van der Eijk as secretary and Laela Shallal as treasurer.

The officers for the class of 2005 elected are Jennifer Brackett as president, Lilian Tetteh as Vice President, Ana Rosa Alvarez-Flores as secretary and Sara Fargo as treasurer.

Juniors who beat the competition and were elected were April Brassard as President, Miranda Brackett as Vice President, Lindsay Miller as treasurer and Janet Partlow as secretary.

All students went to their class elections during the R5 flex period. During Jennifer Brackett’s speech, she spoke about her experiences, class accomplishments, and her goals for the 2003-2004 school year. She promised to raise money for her class, and to increase the officers participation.

Sophomore Jennifer Brackett was selected to be President while competing against five contenders. This school year she was the Vice President and treasurer in her freshman year. She participates in Model United Nations, Key Club, plays softball, and swimming. “I am excited to represent my class and I hope I will do a good job,” said Brackett. “I think if we work hard we will be able to achieve our goals.”

Freshman Mohammad Rahman, the new selected president for the class of 2006, presented himself to the

SEAN SULLIVAN

Juniors Shireen Abdulhaq and Yodit Gebreyes converse during speeches at the SGA elections held on April 28.

volved in independent short films for the AHS film festival, but we’ve never done anything like this; a real movie,” said Hickey.

The RMS team plans to show the locally-made movie on Fairfax Public Access Channel 21 later this summer when it premieres at local theaters. The movie will also be sold and may be distributed to local schools for viewing. If the movie is successful, Stefanik is planning to begin a new production group for more local films.

“I anticipate a great final product for this movie,” said Benson. “It’s projects like these that get the community involved and help to strengthen the community as a whole.”

Sophomores Stephen Benson and Eric Hickey work on a local movie

Students adjust to extra minutes

BY ABBY SEGALL News Editor

SEAN SULLIVAN

Annual Red and White Golf Tournament

Drama students performed the musical comedy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum April 24-26. This hilarious comedy sold $4,000 worth of tickets ($5 presale, $7 door) and kept the entire audience laughing throughout the entire performance. The audience could not get enough of the crazy antics in the play.

Junior Ashley Lippolis, who played the courtesan Tintinnabula said, “I think it went very well considering the night of our first dress rehearsal the whole Act I took four hours. The play was a definite improvement.”

The play takes place in Ancient Rome, telling the story of the frustrated slave, Pseudolus, who longs for his freedom. Fortunately for him, the parents of his young master, Hero, are going out of town, leaving Hero to do whatever he wants.

Hero promises that Pseudolus may have his freedom if he will get him a young virgin, named Philia, who lives in a house full of courtesans next door to Hero. Pseudolus thinks that this is fair enough, only to find out that Philia has already been sold to a soldier, Miles Gloriusus.

Desperate to win his freedom, Pseudolus plots to get the two lovers together without getting himself in trouble with the Roman soldiers and Hero’s parents. While this is all going on, Erronius, an old man, is trying to find his

two children who were stolen from him by pirates many years ago. After many comedic mishaps and misunderstandings, Hero and Philia are allowed to marry, Erronius finds his two children, who turn out to be Philia and Miles Gloriusus, and of course, Pseudolus gets his freedom.

The set design, made up of three large houses, complete with doorways and balconies, was very impressive. The costumes were basic ancient Roman robes and togas for the towns people. The soldiers wore armor and swords and the courtesans wore belly dancer outfits with exotic jewelry.

“I was very pleased, “ said drama teacher Vicki Farish. “Saturday night rocked. It was everything we hoped it would be.”

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is AHS’s entry in the annual Cappies competition, sponsored by The Washington Post. The Cappies are the local high school equivalent of Broadway’s Tony awards. At the end of the year, all the plays are reviewed by the Cappies and some students are given awards.

It was obvious that the actors put a lot effort into this musical. “The play went especially well Friday and Saturday night. Any mishaps that happened could be covered up with the humor of the play,” said senior Owen Beste, who played Pseudolus.

Junior April Brassard was reelected for SGA President for the class of 2004. She has helped the junior class raise over $10,000. “I plan on using my leadership skills from my past two years as president to make a classic 2004 for prom and graduation the best AHS has seen,” said Brassard.

students as being responsible and his willingness to help his class.

“We have a solid foundation to achieve something great, and i think we are going to do better,” said Freshman Rahman. Rahman was the vice president in seventh grade and does track and wrestling for his extracurricular activities.

Junior April Brassard (who has been president since sophomore year) told the juniors about her experience as president so far. Brassard has helped out the class by arranging the Sadie Hawkins dance and the organizing the brick walk way project. She hopes to have an amazing prom and graduation. “I plan on using my leadership skills from my past two years as president to make a classic 2004 for prom and graduation the best AHS has seen,” said Brassard.

Brassard is the Drum major marching atom, 1st chair clair symphonic band. She plays lacrosse for AHS, and is part of the swimming team and the French NHS. The students who lost during the elections seemed to be really disappointed because they thought they had a really good chance of winning and had really high hopes.

“I was angry and depressed because I worked really hard, and I was the treasurer for my class last year so I thought I really had a good chance of winning,” said Freshman Anoosh Awan a competitor for treasurer for the class of 2006.

On April 21 the much anticipated added 30 minutes started for all Fairfax County Public Schools.

Elementary, middle and high schools were forced to add 30 minutes to the bell schedule in order to makeup for the 10 missed school days because of the snow.

The school board was given the decision between adding one day at the end of the year or adding 30 minutes to each school day for four weeks.

“I think it is preferable than to have another day at the end of the year,” said Principal Don Clausen. “[The thirty minutes] is certainly more valuable.”

Each class has an extra seven to 12 minutes and these minutes add up to a little more than one full school day.

“I think that the 30 minutes is much better than cutting into our summer, but it also puts a strain on time for athletes between school and practice,” said freshman Kaity Burdette.

Besides only a few spring sports games which had to change their time because of the minutes, “it has not really effected after-school activities,” said Clausen.

Although, some students with after-school jobs may argue. “With all these extracurricular commitments, it tires you out,” said sophomore Amy Jacobs.

“We are just dead tired.”

Jacobs was explaining how her after-school job is directing on Friday afternoons and describes extra minutes as a “tremendous strain.”“I’m, going to have to run to work in Old Town and I don’t know how I’m going to do it.”

In addition to extracurricular activities being a problem, students argue the effectiveness of the extra-time.

Some people find it useless to have the time added on like Sophomore Susan Rauch. “I think you get nothing done in those extra minutes. We just sit there and do nothing,” said Rauch.

Junior John Olson agrees. “Adding the time isn’t effective because it doesn’t allow you to do anything productive,” said Olson.

However, some feel that it is positive to have the time added. “I think it’s good because don’t want extra days at the end of the year,” said sophomore Amir Abu-El-Hawa.

NEWS 5 Art work revealed in exhibit the

ABLAST

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

NEWS BRIEFS

Band recieves recognition at Myrtle Beach

BY CHRIS KALLANDER Staff Writer On Monday April 28, AHS held an art exhibit in room 149 during the W2/R5 flex periods. The exhibit fufilled the IB exam requirement for 10 seniors who had been taking IB Art for one or two years.

“It’s the most laid back IB exam that I’m taking,” said senior Caitlin McKinney.

Even though the exhibit was only open on April 28, the 10 participants started setting up the show early in preparation for the IB evaluator who came on April 24.

The artists also had to xerox 20 pages from their art notebooks in preparation for the evaluation.

Their art notebooks included sketches, research and museum visits and were an important component of the IB exam.

Every page of each notebook was read by the evaluator so that he could better understand the artists’ work.

During the evaluation the stu-

MAGGIE OWNER

Ten students in IB Art prepared portfolios that were analyzed by an IB evaluator

Junior Julie Bowes goes through her portfolio to make sure it is all in order for the IB Art Fair. Portfolios contained completed assignments from the students, other works by the student and information from the many museum visits they have had to take this year.

dents had to talk about their work for 30 minutes. “I was a little nervous about it. In the beginning I kind of froze up, but the evaluator was re-

ally nice, so I loosened up,” said senior Caitlin McKinney.

Despite the hectic time of year, the display peaked the interest of many

Students prepare for tests “Tests” from pg. 1

dents come to her house just for the day on May 4 to watch movies and review for the exam. “I think it better prepared me because I don’t think I really would have studied much on my own and since she [Shumaker] has been dealing with the AP exam for so long she knows what they expect,” said junior Kate Bagnulo. “I think it helped.

We read through a bunch of packets of articles on different topics in history, we took an old AP exam which really helped and then we watched 1776.”

This is the first year that the IB program has a group been completing the two-year program and the first time that AHS will be testing its IB diploma candidates. For

student found

“Moses” from pg. 1

the 15 seniors up for the diploma, this is the last step in completing the IB program. As for the completion of the first year of the program, IB coordinator Erin Albright seems optimistic. “I think it was very successful,” said Albright. “We learned a lot. There are things we see that we want to change.”

As for testing conflicts, some things have had to be rearranged for students who are taking multiple kinds of tests and they will have a tougher testing schedule.

But, the glitches have been worked out. The study groups are being organized and the testing months are starting up. When all the AP, IB and SOLs are over, however, there will still be finals to worry about.

Math lovers inducted in society

BY LAURA KELLY Staff Writer On April 23, 2003, the math honors society, Mu Alpha Theta, inducted forty-six new students. All these students have maintained at least a 3.5 GPA in math and a 3.0 overall GPA. The students had to apply in order to be admitted into the honors society. “It fosters a greater appreciation for math and honors those who are especially talented in math,” said Mu Alpha Theta’s secretary, Senior Zarrin Chua.

During the school year, Mu Alpha Theta conducts many activities. One requirement of being in the society is that the members must perform five hours of community service each quarter. They also provide tutoring in math to all students into school, which is one way of fulfilling the community service requirement. Previously this year students attended the Math and Science Bowl, where they had to answer math and science questions as a team, as well as conducting science activities.

The students also attended the Math in Industry In-

who all stopped by the room to check out the students’ work. Art teacher Joyce Weinstein called it a “spectacular success.”

Though this was only the second year such an event was held, audience interest was apparant.

“I think that everyone in the class has grown a lot,” said McKinney.

“I’ve learned what art really is. Before I just thought that art had to be pretty, but I learned about symbolism in art and different types of media.”

During the show each person had their own room in which they displayed all the art they had created over their years in IB Art. “Every student’s work was completely unique and sophisticated compared to others,” said Weinstein.

“They all stood out. It is not a competition, so no one is the best.”

The art department intends on carrying the success of this program onto next year. With many talented artists at AHS, students will be waiting with baited breath for next year’s exhibition.

stitute where they solved a problem involving a super soaker. The KADA festival was another way Mu Alpha Theta got kids more interested in math and away from drugs and alcohol. The society has also been painting the dumpster in the new math hall outside math teacher and sponsor of Mu Alpha Theta, Carol Rychlik’s room.

Being admitted into a prestigious society such as Mu Alpha Theta is a special honor for many math students at AHS. As sophomore Nick Schwind commented, “It will look good on my diploma and college application.”

After a welcoming speech, Rychlik announced next year’s 2003-2004 officers. They will be juniors Mei-Ling Liber as President, Anh Hoang as Vice-President, Anh Nguyen as Secretary, and Linda Tran as Treasurer.

Speeches were then made by this year’s officers.

Rychlik gave special recognition to the seniors who would be graduating this year. She is very happy about the new inductees and said, “the students who have been inducted are wonderful. They have already begun community service hours by tutoring and I know they will continue to be successful next year.”

people, and that makes sense of what I know of her,” said Thompson.

Last year senior Fanta Sesay often sat next to Moses on the bus to and from school. Sesay recalls her diligence, as on the bus she could often be found wrapped up in her studies, “trying to get ahead in life,” said Sesay.

“She wasn’t very outspoken or loud or anything, but if you sat down to talk to her, she was always open for conversation,” said Sesay.

Richardson cited that though Moses struggled academically and generally assumed a shy persona, she made great strides which culminated at the end of the school year in a moving presentation in front of the class that reflected her bolstered confidence.

“She always wanted to keep things peaceful and calm in the classroom, trying to get along with everyone, and resolving things in a peaceful way,” said Thompson.

Moses’ family was unavailable for comment, however, a fund has been established to aid the family in funeral and burial expenses (see page 1 sidebar for details). Workers at Sunrise Assisted Living were also not available for comment. According to The Washington Post, Jalloh made a number of calls to the nursing home stalking Moses, and in one instance arrived as Moses was leaving work, prompting her to flee to the facility and seek the help of her coworkers.

When asked if Moses slipped through a judicial crack and did not receive adequate protection, Officer Lingenfelter declined to speculate considering Jalloh has yet to be tried. He did note that if a victim or witness feels threatened, they can seek an emergency protection order from a magistrate, basically a restraining order, and additionally can seek protection in one of the county’s “safe houses” at undisclosed locations.

According to police department statistics, in 2002 there were five domestic homicides of a similar nature in Fairfax County. “Most of the time in domestic cases, the victim is known to the suspect,” said Lingenfelter.

According to The Washington Post, Jalloh and Moses had dated for nearly 18 months, and that Jalloh had become “obsessed.”

Lingenfelter, who works in the Police Department’s Office of Public Information, believes that the story has been closely followed by the public, and cited that the media has been persistent in covering the case as he fields two to three calls per day from media organizations seeking to obtain the latest information.

Prom approaching

COURTESY OF JEN HEDRICKSON

“Prom” from pg. 1

DC United Player Bobby Convey visits AHS D.C. United Player Bobby Convey signs autographs for eager fans on Tues. April 22. Convey came to AHS as the culmination of the D.C. United marketing project. This was part of a year-long project that the Advanced Sports Marketing class put together to gain real world experience in marketing. AHS and three other area high schools (Edison, Hayfield and Lake Braddock) all formed a partnership to sell tickets to the May 3 D.C. United soccer game. The four schools were competing to see who could come up with the best campaign and sell the most tickets. The AHS campaign began with a survey in the fall, followed by an analysis of the results and then a plan for how to sell tickets. In the end, AHS won the competition with the other schools by selling 95 tickets. Senior organizers of the project, Jeannine Frank and Lindsey Grant will be recognized at the game, as well as the student who sold the most tickets, junior Michael Perucci.

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Fresh & Silk Arrangements Fruit & Goodie Baskets Balloons and Gifts (703) 941- Pink (7465) 7857-A Heritage Drive (800) 472-3475 Annandale, Va 22003

Next Concert May 29 (Alternative Punk Emo)

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Senior class meeting and during all lunch periods.

Ticket prices this year will be $35 for each person, no couple rates issued. The prom takes a lot of hard work from everyone and fund-raisers are a main part that helps the classes have a prom that will be never forgotten. From car washes to Fuddrucker Restaurant night, the class of 2003 has paid off all of their hard work and effort to make their prom a time of celebrating the end of the year.î I think that this yearís Prom will turn out really good because the people in charge are so organized and it has been planned out very well, which will make it a great night for all of usî said Senior Kari kraus. Prom planning takes much more time then planning out a Homecoming dance, but also cost much more to be held and make memorable. This yearís prom cost around $17,000 with all expenses paid for, from the hotel, to music and other extra needs to complete this night of paradise.

Prom is not only one the last school functioned parties happening this year, the All Night Grad party will be held the night of Graduation. Graduation will be held at D.A.R. Constitution Hall.

Cameron’s Tennis Lessons (703) 801-8049 Experienced Very patient

AHS had a successful spring band trip to Myrtle Beach coming home with plenty of awards to show for their performances. The trip extended April 10-13. The band received overall parade champion, with a superior rating and first place drum majors.

The symphonic band received a superior rating and first place in Division 6. The Indoor Guard received a superior rating and the Gold, Jazz, and Jazz Ensemble all received excellent ratings for their performances . The oustanding solos award went to oboe player Freshman Rachel Seiden. The highlight of the entire trip, however, was the recognition of Grand Champions Runners, missing Grand Championship by a mere 0.006 points.

“I knew when they said the bands were 0.006 point away that we were the runners up,” said band director Jack Elgin. “I was pleased with symphonic and really happy for Rachel Seiden. Our number one goal is to get a superiror rating then have everything fall into place.”

The marching band hasn’t performed their routine since the fall, had only twenty minutes of preparation prior to their performance in Myrtle Beach and received the award for overall parade championship. “There was a lot of confusion. [Elgin] wanted us to change the tempo but in the end he wanted to drop that. It was messy but we still won,” said sophomore trumpet player Maggie Purdon.

“My reaction was just ‘What? because we haven’t practiced it in so long. Everything else we’ve been practicing through the winter and spring,’” said Elgin. “I think the culmination of the year speaks for itself. The whole year has been amazing. We’ve been very fortunate. To see the excitement of the kids’ faces makes me remember why I do this.”

-Kathy Ibarra Staff Writer

Broadway Desserts Encore Presentation The AHS Choral Department with perform selected numbers from their historically sold-out show on Tues. May 12 in the auditorium.

This special performance is to help the department recover from money that was lost due to the complications with their New York Spring Trip. Tickets will be sold the week of May 5 and they will also be sold at the door. Tickets are $5.

Class of 2004 to take Senior Pictures Starting May 14, Juniors will have three different times to take their senior pictures for the 2003-2004 Yearbook.They may take their pictures on May 14, 15 and 19 from 3-9p.m. in the lecture hall or July 31 and August 1 from 9a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the lecture hall, and the last time to take their senior picture is on Sept. 17, 18 and 19 from 3-7p.m. in the lecture hall. Scedules should come in the mail and this will be the students pass. Prices for the pictures range from nothing (for yearbook shot only) to $20 (yearbook headshot plus three favorite outfits).

6 ADVERTISEMENT

the TUES. MAY 6, 2003

ABLAST

7 ACADEMICS

Q: What’s being done to prepare students for their tests?

A: A lot of teachers are giving practice problems and making sure that their students are familiar with the format of the exam. Preparation is really a two-year process and it’s not something that can be crammed for.

Q: What are teachers going through?

A: They really want their students to do well and they’re working really hard. Being an IB teacher is like being a coach for two years. But they don’t get to play a game until the end of the two years. They don’t really know until the end how well prepared they are. The testing also puts more pressure on the teachers because it’s very public. Some feel that it’s a measure of their teaching, but how students do is really based on many factors.

Q: Do you have any qualms about this year’s testing?

A: Guidance here is so terrific. They do everything possible to make it go smoothly. This is the first year with students taking so many IB exams, but I feel really good about going into this year’s test.

These four IB candidates share their stories of pressure especially with the IB tests this month.

Q: When will students get their test scores?

A: On July 6 students can go to the IB web site, www.ibo.org, and use their pin number to get their scores.

Seniors fill out a form before they leave, so that their scores are sent straight to their colleges.

Q: How do colleges view the scores?

A: It really depends on the college.

However, in general, colleges give credit for a 5, 6, or 7 on a higher level exam and then many colleges also give credit for standard level exams. We can always work with the college on an individual basis if a student doesn’t get credit.

Q: What’s your advice to students?

A: One thing to remember is that the nature of the test is one that you can’t cram for. Yes, you should review, but you need to remember that if you haven’t studied all year long, you’re not going to learn it in one night. Also, do all the typical things: get a good night sleep and eat breakfast. These aren’t silly tips; they can make a difference. Remember the rewards of doing well on the tests are great.

Seniors have a chance of placing out of college classes, and the risks are low.

It won’t affect college admissions, so relax.

TEST TAKING TIPS Test anxiety? Use these survival strategies to successfully take tests.

Before starting the test: — Skim over the content of the questions before answering any of them — Use what content you read to write notes to yourself of things that you might forget, or concepts you aren’t certain of — Plan out the time you will spend on each section of the test During the test: — Read all directions — Answer the questions that you are certain of first — Once finished with the easy questions, go back to the harder ones, or the ones that require more thought — Use the margin of the test to explain answers you felt were unclear or ambiguous — Circle key words in difficult questions — Rephrase questions that are unclear in your own words to understand them better, but make sure you don’t change the message of the question — Use all of the time given and make sure you go over your answers a few times, but remember most of the time your first intuition is correct

ABLAST

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

IB tests make me

Q & A WITH IB CORDINATOR

Academics editor Rebecca Kraushaar sat down with IB cordinator Erin Albright to discuss the progress of the IB program at AHS, and the upcoming exams.

the

Gina Sobel

A usual away message that I or one of my friends may have up goes something like this: “I have SOOOO much homework, this is crazy. Looks like it’ll be another long night.” So, if I could do high school over again, would I choose not to go for the diploma? Of course I’d go for it!

The IB program has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and I’m glad I decided to do it. I have learned an incredible amount from this program, and gained a ton of new perspectives on the world. It was SO worth it.

On top of IB I participate in many other activities like band, outside music groups, horse back riding, teaching at Sunday School, tutoring... the list goes on. I don’t have a lot of just chill time, which is a downfall of overcommitment plus IB diploma.

Once IB exams and finals are over, I plan to spend my summer as the average American teen. Until then, well I better get back to that history essay.

Zarrin Chua I know they’re there, but I don’t want to think about them: IB exams, graduation, college. I look forward to those three things, reverse order. But I can’t think about any of them-- if I start focusing on them too much, I’ll forget what’s happening tomorrow.

It’s kind of like looking too far ahead, and tripping over your own shoelaces. I think about the next hour, the next day, I think about the next landmark: what exam is next?

The thinking is too much, and the day is nice. I go for a walk, and remember to wear sandals.

Jonathan Farrar I write this as I sift through my pockets desperately searching for Jefferson, and hopefully even Washington: the men who will be buying me my IB lifeline. Over the two-year period, I have spent more quarters and dimes on caffeine pills than I have on gasoline for my car, which reeks of rotten books and study sweat (if such a thing exists).

As the climactic month of testing for the IB program rapidly approaches, some teachers have eased in their homework assignments while others have seized the opportunity to pile on review exercises.

Surprisingly, the stress level already peaked back in December with college applications. Now, there is only the challenge of managing your time, balancing “playtime” with “studytime.”

Between after school study sessions and weekend outings with friends, sacrificing to maintain the balance becomes increasingly more difficult. At least it hasn’t come to sacrificing morning showers.

Elaine Filadelfo It’s 10:43 p.m. as I sit down to write this, and I’m trying to get it done before I start all my real homework because I know I’ll forget otherwise. This is nothing unusual for me, because I live on both procrastination and overscheduling. Over the course of the next few weeks, I’ll be taking all my IB tests to determine if I receive my IB diploma, for which I’ve already written a 4,000 word essay and done 150 CAS hours. I should start studying for those... when I get home from my Superintendent’s Council meeting with Dr. Domenech, or on a day when I’m not umpiring a Little League game, or when I don’t have dance class.

Maybe I should suggest to my prom group that we have a study session in the limo, since we’re all in the same position. No matter what, however, I will get everything done. I will not sacrifice a club meeting or a viola lesson, but I will sacrifice sleep, because that doesn’t let anyone down.

Number of students taking IB tests

— 166 registered in 12 higher level subjects — 327 registered in 20 standard level subjects — 16 registered in 9 extended essay subjects — 255 students taking IB tests

May testing schedule MONDAY

TUESDAY

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17 IB Physics SL/ AM IGCSE Math/ AM

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26 R E D

18 R E D

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AP US History/ AM IB English A1 HL/ AM IB English A2 SL/ AM

15 IB Chemistry SL/ HL IB CompSci SL/ HL/ PM

IGCSE 1st LanEng/ AM

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20 R 21 IB Music SL/ HL/ PM E IB Classic Lang SL/ AM IB Classic Lang SL/ PM IB ITGS SL/ PM D IB ITGS SL/ AM IGCSE Math/ AM

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SOL Exam W2/ AM SOL Exam W8/ PM

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8 FEATURES

the

ABLAST

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

THE CAST DAN CASTELLANETA provides the voice for: Homer, Krusty the Klown, Groundskeeper Willie and Grampa Simpson.

Homer Simpson— resident of Springfield and employee at the Springfield nuclear power plant. Homer has held over 40 different jobs.

According to Lisa, the Beauty Queen, Homer is 36 years old. When Dan Casetellaneta began voicing Homer, he basically imitated Walter Matthau. However, Dan reportedly had trouble with certain emotional registers with the voice. So beginning with Season 2, he changed it slightly to create Homer’s current voice.

Behind the laughter

JULIE KAVNER provides the voice for Marge, Selma, Patty and Mrs. Bouvier (Marge’s mother).

Marge Simpson— loving wife to Homer and mother to Bart, Lisa and Maggie.

Originally the color stylist, Gyorgi Peluci, colored Marge’s hair blue and he’s liked it, so it stuck.

NANCY CARTWRIGHT provides the voice for Bart, Nelson, Todd Flanders, Ralph Wiggum, Kearney and Database.

Bart Simpson—the rebellious son of Homer and Marge. Producer David Silverman said the Simpsons “had to be in yellow, otherwise, Bart would look like he had a serrated forehead. And if they are yellow, you get kind of used to the fact that it’s their hair and their skin color “once the shock wears off.”

BY WIDED KHADRAOUI Staff Writer “The Simpsons has created something absolutely amazing. [Number one] the show basically made Fox what it is now, and number two, the number of people following that show is crazy,” said sophomore Enwei Liber. “From The Simpsons’ addicts, to people who watch it because it’s the only thing on T.V., they all love it.”

Liber’s sentiment’s reflect how the show’s creator performed a phenomenon: taking a cartoon and turning it into a dynamic show that fosters discussions, arguments, debates and class lessons. Even with the mark of its 300th episode, the show’s popularity doesn’t seem to be stalling at AHS. “The Simpsons are so popular because we don’t see many families like that, they say what we want to hear, they’re the modern family,” said sophomore Halli Wahadi. “They’re out of control, it attracts a lot of viewers because of its randomness and humor.”

The Simpsons are the brainwork of Matt Groening, who

YEARDLEY SMITH provides the voice for Lisa.

Lisa Simpson—the precocious daughter of Homer and Marge. According to David Silverman, during the creation of The Simpsons, Lisa was characterized to nothing but the “annoying little sister.” Even though she behaves so differently, she is basically a female Bart.

HARRY SHEARER provides the voice for over 100 characters including Mr. Burns, Smithers, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, Otto and Kent Brockman.

Montgomery “Monty” Burns— The owner of the Springfield nuclear power plant and Homer’s angry boss.

According to Who Shot Mr. Burns, he is 104 years old and/or 81 according to Simpson and Delilah. The voice for Mr. Burns provided by Harry Shearer.

Waylon Smithers—Burns’ overly faithful assistant with a fetish for Malibu Stacey.

Is Smithers gay? Yes! In Sideshow Bob’s Roberts, he says Sideshow Bob’s ultraconservative policies conflict with his choice of life-style. In Who Shot Burns Part 2, he tried to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a reference to the Irish gay people who tried to march in it a few years ago.

Producer David Silverman has said outright “yes, he is gay.”The voice for Smithers is provided by Harry Shearer.

Ned Flanders— Homer’s religious neighbor. Flanders’ wife, Maude, died due to a blow from a T-shirt that propelled over a stadium stand.

According to the producers, salary negotiations failed between the actress who voiced Maude Flanders and the Fox. As a result, the producers decided to end the character. The voice for Flanders is provided by Harry Shearer.

Information complied from http://www.snpp.com/

was asked to create a series of short animated vignettes to be aired as so-called “shorts” on the then extremely popular The Tracey Ullman Show on the Fox Network. He created an animated series that was packed with political, social and cultural satire. The lives of The Simpsons characters revolve around situations that average people experiences.

Senior Jorge Arias has been a devout Simpsons follower for years. He religiously watches three episodes of the show per day. “The storyline is very clever. They are far fetched so they take you away from the real world,” said Arias. “At same time, it presents all real world problems with an outrageous twist. Some of the jokes are hard to understand because they are esoteric, but the show has a good way of letting you figure it out somehow.”

Characters on The Simpsons have become immortalized in households across America. Some viewers argue that The Simpsons is similar to a reality T.V. show that parodies American families and values in a sarcastic and humorous way, while others disagree, stating that The Simpsons is merely for entertainment and has no deep philosophical or social meaning.

As the popularity of The Simpsons grew with Americans so did the characters presented on the show. The initial five characters have grown to include more than 100 characters.

Yet, surprisingly, all of the character voices are provided by only twelve people.

According to an AHS survey, Homer Simpson is the most popular character on the show. “[Homer] reminds me of my dad,” said senior Kyle Easter. It requires little analysis to appreciate the complexity of the doughnut- lovin’ and beer

drinkin’ oaf. His trademark “D’oh”, has been even entered in Oxford’s English Dictionary.

The Simpsons’ satirical perspective on historical events has incorporated in AHS history lessons. “I use The Simpsons episodes in my class to keep the kids involved, it provides a way for them to connect. I think the median that the historical issues are expressed in it relates to them more closely, instead of an abstract lecture on the Cold War...” said World History teacher Joe Valentino. During his lectures on the Cold War, Valentino presents a Simpsons episode about the Alba-

“

[The storylines] are far fetched so they take you away from the real world. At the same time, it presents all real world problems with an outragreous twist.

Jorge Arias senior

nian exchange student who turns out to be a spy.

“I don’t use the episodes to teach, I use them to reinforce what’s being taught,” said Valentino,“I always watched The Simpsons, but I never realized that it made a statement about history, like what was taught last year in Mr. Valentino’s class,” said sophomore Tiffany Merchant.

For almost fourteen years the show has maintained its popularity and has outlasted shows that came before. “It keeps up with the times,” said sophomore Sarah Sozio. “I think The Simpsons won’t lose their popularity for awhile because they seem to keep in touch with the real world...and they always seem to keep us laughing.”

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SIMPSONS 1. Who is Radioactive Man’s sidekick?

12. Where does the head of the Kwik-E-Mart reside?

2. What is Rainer Wolf Castle alias?

13. Who played Happy Birthday for Mr. Burns?

3. Who replaced SideshowBob?

14. Who is Lisa’s jazz playing mentor?

4. What was the happiest day of Ralph’s life?

15. What instrument does Lisa play in the whacking episode? (hint: not the saxophone.)

5. Who is the host of “Channel 5 Action News”?

6. Who is the founder of Springfield?

7. What is the name of Burns’ beloved bear?

8. Who is the female version of Homer?

9. What were Bart’s first words?

10. Who is Selma and Patty’s favorite star?

11. What drink is unique to the Kwik-E-Mart?

20. What singer does Mr. Burns force to perform for Marge?

Answers: 1. Fallout Boy 2. McBain 3. Sideshow Mel 4. When the Doctor said he didn’t have worms anymore 5. Kent Brockman 6. Jebidiah Springfield 7. Bobo 8.

Mindy Simmons 9. Ay Carumba 10. MacGyver 11.

Squishee 12. India 13. The Ramones 14. Bleeding Gums Murphy 15. Bass guitar 16. Timothy O’Toole 17. Homemaker 18. Jug 19. Obsequious 20. Tom Jones

16. Who does Springfield believe is trapped down a well?

5 or less—Boo-urns! I didn’t know it was possible, but you both suck and blow. You suck-diddily-uck.

17. What is Lisa’s future occupation according to the CANT test?

6-10—Gee, how many episodes have she-males even seen? Worst fan ever!

11-15—You’re on a roll-a-gay. Aahh, Jizepy’s a happy monkey! Are you a Simpson wonder or a Simpson blunder?

16-20—Wow, you’re good...groin grabbingly good, Radioactive Man has nothing on you!

18. What instrument does Homer replace Lisa’s Saxo phone with the after it is stolen?

19. What do Patty and Selma say you can’t spell without I.O.U.?

SIMPSONS SURVEY

TOP FIVE EPISODES 1. LAST EXIT TO SPRINGFIELD —The union leader at the Power Plant disappears, leaving the employees without a leader to renegotiate their contracts. Mr. Burns removes the dental plan from his employees benefit package. Everybody, including Homer, agrees, until Lisa needs braces. Homer and the other members argue to reject the contract, and is elected the new plant union rep.

2. ROSEBUD—Mr. Burns wishes he had his teddy bear back for his birthday. When Bart goes to the Kwik-E-Mart to buy ice, one of the bags has a stuffed bear in it. He gives it to Maggie. Homer learns that the bear is Mr. Burns’. Burns offers them money, but when Homer sees how attached Maggie is to the bear, he pulls out of the deal. Burns gives up and tells Maggie to keep the bear, but Maggie feels sorry for him and gives it back.

3. CAPE FEARE— Somebody is sending Bart anonymous death threats through the mail. He soon realizes it is Sideshow Bob. The family joins the Witness Relocation Program and they move to Terror Lake in a house boat. On their first night, Bob attempts to kill Bart. However, Bart asks Bob to sing the entire score from “HMS Pinafore” during which the boat drifts back to Springfield where Chief Wiggum is waiting for him.

4. MARGE VS. THE MONORAIL— The town gets its hand on $3 million, and the town holds a meeting to discuss how the money will be spent. A con man named Lyle Lanley convinces them that a monorail should be built. Marge is suspcious and researches about Lyle’s past. The monorail with Homer as the conductor reaches high speeds and will not stop. Homer saves the day by using an anchor.

5. HOMER’S PHOBIA—The Simpsons must sell an old family heirloom in order to pay for a $900 bill. The family meets John, the owner of the collectibles store. Homer takes a liking to him, but Marge informs him that John is gay. Homer refuses to see John again, but notices Bart’s behavior has changed since he had been with John. Homer tries to make Bart more manly, but in the process, takes him to a gay steel mill. Homer takes Bart hunting where they find themselves in danger. John saves them and Homer overcomes his phobia.

Information complied from Entertainment Weekly

200 people were surveyed during all lunches on April 23 and 24. Students were asked various questions concerning the T.V. show, The Simpsons. The survey demonstrates the students love for this cartoon family. A majority of AHS students are avid Simpsons fans who watch the show daily.

Also the survey reflected that AHS’ s favorite character is Homer, and the favorite phrase is Homer’s famous “D’oh.”

Who is your favorite Simpsons character?

How often do you watch The Simpsons?

Never 6%

Monthly 13% Few times a year 14% Weekly 20%

Daily 26%

More than once a week 23%

What is your favorite Simpsons’ phrase?

“Don’t have a cow man” 5%

Milhouse 1%

Apu 8%

Other 13% Homer 37%

Krusty 9%

Maggie 2%

Lisa 8% Marge 2%

Other 23.5%

“Excellent” 22.5%

“D’oh!”

39.5%

Bart 20% “Worst episode ever” 9.5%

ARTS 9

the

ABLAST

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

BEHIND enes

THE LADY BEHIND THE CURTAIN

the sc

The costumes, the sets, the props, the lights... what goes into a single production?

Upon entering the auditorium, you feel as if you have been transported into the height of ancient Rome. Sculptures and buildings surround you, even the occasional eunuch may stroll by. But then, things get crazy. Drama Teacher and play producer Vicki Farish marches in, demanding that everyone pay attention and get to work.

There are costumes to be made, make up apply, and lighting to perfect. Within minutes the auditorium is a frenzy of motion.

Excited young students are preparing for the spring musical, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”

To the untrained eye, this may seem like a frantic attempt to put everything in order for opening night. In some ways it is, but not nearly as much as you would expect.

“You have singing, hammering, wet paint, you’re testing sound and light too,” said Farish. “To the unexperienced eye, it looks like chaos, but it’s really quite organized.”

To some this play may seem insignificant, just another production by the same department that puts out three plays every year.

However, a great deal of work goes into every play, and this is no exception. This play may perhaps be more difficult than most of the previous productions.

This year’s production was not only a period piece, but Forum has been a critically

acclaimed play and movie. These aspects create high expectations, but luckily the theatre department is known for its ability to turn even the most difficult of performances into a masterpiece.

An experienced actor, Bayla Whitten, who played the character of Philia, could make even her stumbling seem pre-planned.

“My blocking was the easiest part, because I was supposed to be dumb, so even if I messed up, it looked okay,” she said.

Months of hard work from the theatre and music departments have gone into this play, and the results are the proof.

This year the production was musically accompanied by “the Pit,” led by Band Director Jack Elgin. Many long, tiring group rehearsals occurred to make the action up on stage and the music down in the pit coincide, and it took a great deal of effort to put everything together.

Though Steven Sondheim’s music is internationally recognized, there are difficulties one might encounter when learning his songs. “Sondheim is known for his lyrics, which can make it difficult to learn,” said senior Meg Stoltz, who played the narrator.

Plans for the production began late last spring when Farish and the theatre department decided on the plays for the 2002-2003 school year. The process of choosing a play is very informal. Farish will throw around ideas to her students and Elgin, who was very excited at the idea of doing Forum, as

Shakespeare’s ‘stage’ “To be, or not to be, that is the quescharacter in the Elizabethan theater tion,” wrote William Shakespeare. was playwright William Shakespeare.

When examining the beginnings of He established the Globe Theater, which theater as we know it, that name, became the most well known, as well as among others, comes up much. a model theater for all others. With the Today’s theater as we recognize it, is opening of this theater, others soon folcomposed of different theatrical influlowed such as the Hope and the Rose. ences from across the globe. From AnIn the beginning, the theater was only cient Greece, to China, Eastern Eufor the upper class of society in Europe, rope and even India, each one has had but as it grew in popularity, so did the an effect on the diversity of its theater. crowd, drawing Ancient audiences from Greek theater every level of the began between social web.

600 and 200 At the same B.C. The time, Asia began Greeks creto develop its own ated the first form of drama theaters in the and theater.

Art Commentary by John Reiss West of the Royal families in world, and also China enjoyed developed such styles of acting as comviewing reenactments of ancient battles, edy and tragedy, which remain a defior of stories that portrayed their gods. nition for acting genres today. Drama For the most part, the Asian theater dewas born from a religious following of veloped a musical and dancing style. the Greek god, Dionysus, the god of As traders in the East began movfertility. This cult was called the Rite ing across the continent, they mixed of Dionysus, and from which modern their own forms of acting with that of day theater is mostly derived. Greeks European nations, which has matured also were the first to construct amand evolved over the past centuries to phitheaters, which acted as grounds deliver the many different styles of thefor theater production, the most faater and drama one can enjoy today. mous of which was in Athens, known For more information on area proas the Theater of Dionysus in Athens. ductions, visit http:// Taking from the influences of the www.shakespearedc.org/ and http:// Mediterranean, Elizabethan theater www.arena-stage.org/. developed into a new stage for the world of acting. The most prominent

Reiss’ Pieces

were the students. “We all have pet peeves and plays that we don’t like, so we never pick one that any of our kids will hate,” said Farish. It has been nonstop work since then to make the play a reality. “For every minute you see on stage, there is probably at least 10 hours outside of that to get it there,” said Farish. Making the spring show a classical play is always a big priority. “This is some kids’ only opportunity to experience the arts,” said Farish.

And experience the theatre they did.

On Thursday, the play drew the attention of the Cappies, a renowned group of student critics sent to analyze student productions. There was an immense turnout for all performances, especially on Friday, when the cast was given a standing ovation.

Stage manager Coury Shadyac, junior, played a large part in creating what the audience sees, from the props to the blocking. Shadyac is the person you would see running around backstage, making sure everyone enters the stage on cue and hits their marks. There are many different aspects of the play that have to come together to create a sound performance.

“The hardest part was getting the acting, choreography, and singing put together,” said Shadyac.

Future vocalist hits notes AHS’s star singer, Bayla Whitten, gives the ups and downs of performing.

Q: How long have you been performing?

A: I’ve been performing since seventh grade when I joined the choir at Holmes M.S. Q: When was your first performance?

A: My first “real” performance was when I played the role of Annie in eighth grade.

Q: What kind of performing have you done at AHS? A: I have been in all of the musicals through out my four years and almost every play. I have also been in chorus all four years. I got into Annandale Singers as a sophomore, which is very difficult for girls. I was the second girl to ever do that.

Q: What is the best and worst thing about performing?

A: The best is the feeling I get when I am on stage singing. I love plays, but singing is what I really love to do. I love watching the audience smile and laugh with me. The worst is how I can never predict whether I’ll get sick or not. Because singing uses my own instrument, it is hard and frustrating to perform when I’m sick, and I hate that feeling.

Q: Do you ever get stage fright?

A: I get nervous for everything. I get nervous for performances and especially for auditions. For my audition for Royal Academy of Music in London, I just breathed really deeply. You can’t sing without support from

your diaphragm and you can’t have support when you are nervous. I also think about showing the audience (or judges) how much I love music and just try to convey that thought to them.

By showing them my compassion, I calm down.

Q: Where will you be going to college?

A: Royal Academy of Music in London Q: Why have you chosen this college?

A: London is a great place for the arts. I will be in a beautiful country, around thousands of talented people. I will also be in an area that will provide opportunities for me.

Q: When did you know that you wanted to perform in college?

A: When I got into Annandale Singers my sophomore year, I started taking singing more seriously. I really fell in love with it.

Q: What are your future goals?

A: Someday I hope to perform musicals on Broadway. If I can’t do that, I would love to be a professional classical singer, having my own CD and concerts.

Q: Where do you picture yourself in 10 years?

A: I see myself in New York trying to make it big in the business. Hopefully by being out of college for six years by then, I will be in a great show like “La Boheme” or “Aida.”

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY PHILIPPE PODHORECKI, CHAE-WHA PARK AND MORGAN MCEVILLY

BY ELIZABETH NOWROUZ Staff Writer

Staff writer, Elizabeth Nowrouz sat down with drama teacher Vicki Farish and found out a little more about the lady that makes it all happen.

How long have you been teaching at AHS? 16 years When do you plan to retire?

Not for at least 4 more years.

What is your most memorable moment since you’ve been here?

It was my 3rd or 4th year and we did “The Sound of Music.” The principal came late. I looked up and asked if he’d ever seen the auditorium this full.

He hadn’t.

What is the worst moment?

It was my 2nd year. The band director told me we didn’t have a pit orchestra.

I was numb. We ended up with half of the Fairfax Youth Symphony. We had no pit until dress rehearsals.

Do you have any onstage acting experience?

I have very little. I did one play in college that I was talked into.

How did you get into the job?

I was masquerading as an English teacher. I worked at Jefferson. When they merged, I moved here.

What do you like most about your job?

The kids. I like the fact that nothing is ever cut and dry. It is always creative. I love watching the children grow and getting to witness their accomplishments.

What is the most stressful thing?

The kids again. I am much closer to the students than a regular teacher. I deal with their emotional creative side. Kids are like an iceberg, you see a little above the surface, but there is so much more.

With all the time you put into your job, how do you manage to keep a balanced life?

It is not always possible. For some people, teaching is a job, but for me it is my life. I keep things balanced with my family, my friends and my cat.

GLOSSARY: THEATRE TERMS Ad-lib: To extemporize stage business or conversation Blocking yourself: Getting behind furniture or actors so that you cannot be seen by the audience C: The symbol used to designate center stage Cue: The last words or action of any one actor that immediately precedes any lines or business of another actor Down or Downstage: The part of the stage toward the footlights Dressing the stage: Keeping the stage picture balanced during the action Feeding: Giving lines and actions in such a way that another actor can make a point or get a laugh Hit: To emphasize a word or line with extra force Holding it: Keeping perfectly still Overlap: To speak when someone else does Pointing lines: Emphasizing an idea Ring up: To raise the curtain Set: The scenery for an act or a scene Showmanship: A sense of theatre and feeling for effects Tag line: The last speech in an act or a play Tempo: The speed with which speech and action move a play along Top: To build to a climax by speaking at a higher pitch, at a faster rate, or with more force than in preceding speeches Upstaging: Improperly taking attention away from an actor who is the focus of interest

10 IN-DEPTH

the

ABLAST

And the Beat Goes On . . .

Rap vs. rock: the ongoing battle

TIMELINE OF MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

BY RYAN TEICHLER AND SARAH SHERMAN Business Manager and Staff Writer

1877

Thomas Edison invents and perfects the means of permanently recording and playing back sounds and vibrations called the “tin-foil” cylinder phonograph.

Seniors Sarah Sherman and Ryan Teichler explain the differences between rap and rock music. From the different artists to the strong lyrics, rap and rock are two of the most popular and widely debated genres of music.

1887 Emile Berliner invents the flat record player “gramophone,” using an acoustic horn. Berliner’s flat record seemed more likely to be mass produced than the cylinder format Edison created.

1901

Edison perfects cylinder moulding allowing large scale commercial mass production and duplication of 2-minute “Gold Moulded” Wax Cylinder records.

Eldridge Johnson then forms the Victor Talking Machine Co. and later takes over Berliner’s Gram-OPhone Co. Victor introduces 10” disc records after product sales increase substantially.

1903

Victor Talking Machines introduces 12” and 14” disc records under the Deluxe name.

1927

The Automatic Music Instrument Company creates the first multi-selection phonograph, later referred to as the Jukebox.

1929 Victor (now RCA Victor) and Columbia cease sales of “hand-crank” phonograph models.

1946

The Wurlitzer’s model 1015 was the most popular jukebox production with more than 56,000 units shipped under the slogan “Wurlitzer Is Jukebox.”

1948

The commercial microgroove 33 1/3 LP is developed by Dr. Peter Goldmark of Columbia and others.

Freshman Brian Fletcher, like many AHS students, love listening to music while doing their homework or driving in the car. Varying genres of music from rap, rock, pop, country, classical, and hip hop are all present in his CD collection. With the growing popularity of file sharing, students create mix CDs that reflect their eclectic musical tastes. Fletcher is no exception and represents a large population of AHS that enjoys listening to more then one type of music.

RCA Victor responds to the LP by introducing the large hole single 45 rpm disk.

Phillips demonstrates its first compact audio cassette using high quality BASF polyester 1/8” tape.

1966

U.S. cars become equipped with 8-track stereo cartiridge tape players developed by William Lear, Ampex and RCA. By the early 1970’s 8tracks are virtually phased out by audio cassettes.

1979

Shu Veyama of Sony productions invented a small cassette player capable of stereo playback with a pair of headphones which many refer to today as the Walkman.

1982

First digital audio 5” compact discs marketed, merging the consumer musci industry with the computer revolution.

1992

Sony introduces the Mini Disc, though the format has not flourished.

1997 Michael Robertson founds mp3.com.

1999

College student Shawn Fanning invents a file-swapping network called Napster.

2000

In April, rock band Metallica sues Napster for copyright infringement. By October, Napster shuts down and no longer provides free file-sharing.

Napster now has a partnership with a German media company that charges a monthly fee for file-sharing usage.

2002

Apple Computers introduces the iPod. The digital music player weighs an average of six ounces and holds up to 7500 songs. The iPod is smaller than the average CD and ranges from $200-$300.

2003

Courts rule that Iinternet Service Providers (ISP) like AOL, Cox or Verizion are responsible for revealing the names of users who download or distribute pirated copies of movies or music.

Compiled from Internet sources

RAP Who out there is into having sex and not into making love? I know I am (mom if you are reading this I’m just joking). Who out there is a pimp and they know they don’t love them hoes? Rap music is vulgar offensive and many times outright demeaning. Don’t ya just love it?

Rap is in your face. There is always someone trying to push the envelope and do something nobody has done before.

There is always a fresh face on the scene.

About four years ago it was Eminem. This time last year it was Ludacris and two months ago it was 50 Cent. Rap is full of young, talented artists who, unlike most of the young alternative artists, produce more then one good song. Take Eminem for example. He has written anywhere between 20 and 30 great songs in the last four years.

What modern rock group can say they have done that?

Rock music

is filled with one hit wonders and groups that sound exactly alike. There are some talented popular groups out there. Blink 182 has produced quality music consistently for the past four or five years, but bands like them are few and far between. Rappers like Snoop and Dre have been producing fresh sounding music for the last ten years. There is no rock group that has done anything comparable to that in the last decade. And now Snoop continues to amuse us by hosting Girls Gone Wild, which happens to be one of the best ever produced shows (or so I’ve heard).

Rap has transformed the way we speak.

How many times do you hear the words pimp, or playa or gangsta in the halls of AHS? If something is cool we say, “oh that’s tight.”

There are even a select few who seem to randomly add Z’s and l’s to words, transforming terms like “for sure” into “for shizzle.” Rap music has inculcated our culture. We talk like rappers, we dress like rappers we buy Tims and Air Force Ones because of rappers. None of that can be said about rockers.

Haters of rap complain that every song is about how rich they are and what kind of cars they drive. Okay. A lot of rap is about that sort of thing, but you have to look at where most of these rappers are coming from. 50 Cent has been

HAYLEY FLETCHER

Senior business manager Ryan Teichler and senior staff writer Sarah Sherman debate rap and rock music. Teichler hails rap music for altering society’s modern day language while Sherman side with rock’s legitimate, passionate lyrics.

1949

1963

IN-DEPTH 11

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

CHAE-WHA PARK

File sharing craze continues

BY MATT WIEST Staff Writer Have you ever wanted to hear a song before the artist released the CD? Wanted to watch a movie or a music video without going out to the store and buying it or watching TV until the video youíre waiting for finally comes on? Wanted to get your hands on any hard-tofind pictures or multimedia?

File sharing makes all this possible.

File sharing is the allotment of computer data, publicly or privately, over a network that allows several people to use to same file. However, to the perspective of a typical teenager, file sharing is simply downloading files from one computer to another via a file sharing program such as Kazaa or WinMX. What many teens either don’t know (or simply choose to ignore) is that file sharing is illegal.

The sharing of files, which is essentially piracy, is a violation of copyright laws, because

each of the files that are downloaded are property of an artist unless a person has actually paid to own the music. Downloading or dispersing these files is a crime, and is in fact punishable by law.

Many Internet service providers such as AOL have confidentiality agreements with their customers stating that they will not release their clients’ information to outside organizations. However, the courts have recently ruled that ISPs such as AOL must release the names of suspected individuals engaged in the piracy of copyrighted files. Still, the ever-growing obsession with file sharing continues.

Beginning with Napster in the late ’90s, individuals were given the opportunity to download music from the Internet through user-friendly programs that made the process of downloading simple. Although Napster has been shut down, many file sharing programs have evolved from the concept of Napster.

Kazaa and WinMX have emerged as perhaps the two most

popular file sharing programs available through free download online.

“I choose Kazaa over any other programs to download files because I find that it is easier to use then any other program, and it works more often than not,” said junior Matt Hubacher.

Many other students seem to share Hubacher’s views on file sharing; they recognize that Kazaa allows for more variety in the medium of the download.

“Kazaa is just easier and it’s a lot like Napster, which I had been used to. I also like being able to download videos like old episodes of Saved by the Bell,” said junior Justine Bui. Kazaa-users are quite fond of the ability to search for audio, video, images and programs using the same programs, and many feel that it makes the search process easier and allows for more options in terms of multimedia.

WinMX-users, like junior Chrissy Castaldo, however, share different views of file sharing. “I think it’s easier to use [WinMX] and I get more results when I search for songs,” said Castaldo.

Kazaa and WinMX are not the only options available to those who seek alternatives to these methods of file sharing.

Programs such as Morpheus, similar to Kazaa, and iMesh can also be downloaded free-of-charge from the Internet.

File sharing, however, has produced its share of legal uproar in the music and entertainment, as artists have complained that it is a violation of copyright laws.

The Recording Industry Association of America, or the RIAA, estimates that 3.6 billion songs are downloaded each month, and total losses are estimated at $4.5 billion. The movie industry, too, has seen its share of losses, as estimates show that Spiderman and Star Wars: Episode II were downloaded 4 million times each the week after their release.

Regardless of the legality, file sharing continues to increase as more and more capabilities are provided to computer users all over the world.

Can you guess the artist and song title?...

I’m not a girl, not yet a woman All I need is time, a moment that is mine While I’m in between I’m not a girl

All right stop Collaborate and listen Ice is back with my brand new invention...

Many Musical Tastes This survey was conducted on Wednesday, April 30, during R3 and W2 flexes in addition to all lunches. Five hundred surveys were distributed, 373 were returned.

MALES

FEMALES

1% 4%

17%

11%

Pop

18%

7%

Country Rock / Alternative

46%

24%

Rap

15%

14%

Rythm and Blues

35%

Other

How many hours a day do you listen to music (Radio, CDs, mp3s, etc...)?

MALES

FEMALES

31% 24%

23% 18%

28%

Less than one hour

26%

Two hours Three hours

17% 17%

Four hours

12%

Five or more hours

4%

Chickity China the Chinese chicken You have a drumstick and your brain starts tickin’ Watchin X-Files with no lights on, We’re dans la maison...

Like a river flows surely to the sea Daring so it goes Some things are meant to be.

Take my hand, take my whole life too...

ROCK ŁOk, there is nothing I like more than walking into a loud party and hearing my favorite rappers, like Ludacris and Eminem banging from a stereo. And I love going out on a Friday night and blasting the Snoop songs from my speakers, with the bass so high my car shakes. But in all seriousness, when all is said and all is done, how could anyone say that rap is better than rock?

America was built on rock and roll. The founding fathers (I’m talking about the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, and Bruce Springsteen) created a style of music that is unique to American culture and society. Rock is built on human emotion. It can be angry, happy, sad, passionate, hateful, loud or soft, fast or slow. It gets the message across without demeaning a particular group, person, or idea.

I hear practically the same rap song over and over again every time I come across a new jam. Be it about coming out of the ghetto, buying new shoes, pimpin’ those hoes, or shooting those wankstas, or spending G’s, rap songs follow the same boring formula. On the other hand, rockers sing about everything from the aforementioned human emotions to social issues. John Lennon sang about war and peace. Joni Mitchell sang about women’s

When you call my name it’s like a little prayer I’m down on my knees, I wanna take you there In the midnight hour I cann feel your power Just like a prayer you know I’ll take you there...

But everybody’s gone And I’ve been here for too long To face this on my own Well I guess this is growing up...

And the answers are...

rights. Bono from U2 sang about the conflict between Ireland and Great Britain. Rock musicians take a social issues and speak about it through song. It is how they get a message out that change is necessary.

Rappers are often uninspired and unimaginative in their writing. Rappers like P Diddy are notorious for using rock songs in their new cuts. Take “Missing You” for example. It was an exact replication of Sting’s “Watching You,” a song over ten years old when Puffy recorded his version for his recently shot partner Notorious BIG (or Biggy Smalls, or Chris, Chris Smalls, etc).

Rappers often make up for their lack of talent by creating cult personality-type fan clubs as well. They dress a certain way, speak a certain way, and act a certain way, which is promptly mimicked by youngsters everywhere. We buy Tims and Air Force Ones because the rappers are. We “pimp walk” because 50 Cent and Snoop do it. Therefore, it is cool, no matter how ridiculous people may look. I can never distinguish between pimping and limping. As my rap-defending counterpart points out, rap music has “transformed the way we speak,” or to put it bluntly, has dumbed-down the English language. Instead of saying “yes” teens say “fo sho.” Instead of “I agree,” teens say, “true dat.”

Granted, I will admit the new rock scene has been seriously lacking. With poser-rock wannabes like Avril Lavigne and Good Charlotte, and straight-up scary rockers like Disturbed and Godsmack, it’s no wonder why rock has gotten a bad rep lately. An unfortunate culmination of rock and pop have created insults to the rock name. Still, one must look at the positive points of rock, at bands who forged the way like the Doors and Nirvana. Rock may be on a shelf for now, but I have no doubt that up and coming bands like Saves the Day and The Ataris will restore rockss rightful place as the music that defines our generation.

I’m tired of hearing about how 50 Cent survived nine shots and how Biggie died a tragic death. It seems that rap music feeds off of raw emotion, off “dissing” others and feeling sorry for oneself because they were raised in the ghetto. Rockers come from humble beginnings as well. I When rappers find something interesting and original to rap about, I’ll tune in.

Music for thought

BY JOHN REISS Staff Writer

What is your favorite genre of music?

8%

shot nine times growing up in the ghetto. Dre came out of the projects of Compton, California. Nearly all rappers grew up in poverty and now have the ability to buy “pimped out” Escalades and Mercedes. Let them talk about their phat rides. At least they are talking about something. What do rockers sing about? Nothing! 60% of all modern rock songs have absolutely no meaning what so ever. I would rather listen to a guy talk about how rich he is and how many girls he crushes then a guy talking about nothing at all.

There is nobody out there right now that can mold words into a harmonious line like Eminem. He is a modern day Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, or Janis Joplin. The talent of rappers such as Eminem, Nas, Jay-Z, Snoop, and Dre are unparalleled by any rock artist or entire group for that matter. Rockers are currently out manned, they have inferior talent and are over matched by rappers. They simply just can’t bang.

Whether it’s Sinatra, Van Morrisson or the Beach Boys, junior Chris Evans doesn’t let the music stop him, instead, it helps him concentrate. “I just need to keep my work interesting,” says Evans.

“It keeps me going.”

With more and more higher level classes becoming available and with students taking advantage of them, work loads are increasing, and that only means one thing: more late nights doing homework. How do students make it through a night full of studying, or even studying at anytime? Listening to music seems to be coming up as an alternatvie more and more often throughout school.

“I like to listen to Ska or even a little Emo, it gets me going on my work,” says sophomore Elizabeth Waxler.

Such a habit is not unusual, in fact research has been done on the topic.

This research is called the Mozart Effect. Study of the idea that music can be beneficial to health and the educational process began in the 1950’s. It was originally theorized that Mozart’s music could help children with mental disabilities, such as dyslexia and autism.

In the 1990’s, at the University of California in Irvine, research on the effect of music on learning and education was increased.

The effects of music on one’s study

habits also depend on the style of muisc.

For senior Danielle Briggs, each subject demands a different type of music.

“When I listen to music while I work, it really depends on my mood and the subject,” says Briggs. “For math I like to listen to metal because I don’t need to

“

For math I like to listen to metal because I don’t need to concentrate.

—Danielle Briggs senior

concentrate, but for English I enjoy listening to classical pieces.”

Junior Carl Hubacher has more specfic tastes though. “For me it’s always O.A.R.,” says Hubacher. “It’s relaxing, chill.”

Many students don’t necessarily use music for aesthetic purposes, but to find a little distraction, and just because it’s there.

“When I work, I like to listen to Linkin Park or Simple Plan, mainly just because it’s right there in my room.” says

Don’t know the reason that I stayed out all season, With nothing to show but this brand new tattoo, But it’s all a real beauty, a Mexican cutie, How it got here I haven’t a clue...

If I fell in love with you Would you promise to be true And help me understand ‘Cause I’ve been in love before...

sophomore James Brouse.

Other students though, find it a necessity to have music around them at all times. One such student, junior Alex Silano has a unique love for music, and is always ready to offer his opinion on a group to anyone.

“I just love music,” says Silano. “I don’t necessarily have to be doing homework, though I do listen to it while I work.’

However, many students use music as a buffer. Many find it comforting to have background noise on as they complete their work. Soothing sounds of nature or classical music is generally considered the best music for concentration.

“The muisc gives me energy,” says sophomore Danny Vicco. “No matter what I’m listening to, it makes homework easier.”

Some people use music as something to break the silence and stillness of the room. “Most of the time I listen to music while I do my homework. Anything except country or heavy metal music,” said Mo Bhatti, senior. “That way my homework isn’t as boring, and it’s a way to relax.”

Psychology and government teacher Scott Hambrick said, “For some people it’s distracting, but for others it is not.

When I’m reading I flip on the T.V. for background sound.” It depends on one’s personality and preference on whether they listen to music or have a pattern to their work habits.

Can I hit it in the morning Withoug givin you half of my dough And even worse if I was broke would you want me?...

The clock’s run out, time’s up over, bloah!

Snap back to reality, Oh there goes gravity Oh, there goes Rabbit, he choked He’s so mad, but he won’t give up that easy...

1) Barenaked Ladies’ “One Week,”; 2) Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,”; 3) Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville,” ; 4) Jay-Z’s “Can I Get A...,”; 5) Britney Spears’ “I’m Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman,”; 6) Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby,”; 7) Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,”; 8) Blink ‘s “Damnit,”; 9) The Beatles “If I Fell,”; 10) Eminem’s “Loose Yourself”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RADIO STATION AND WHY?

“I mostly listen to WMXQ 98.7. I’m not a fan of country, but I listen to it in the car to and from work. ‘Where I Come From’ by Allan Jackson is my favorite song.”

—Joe Dishun Biology teacher

“93.9 WQYS is my favorite station because they play a lot of the songs I like. I listen to the radio mostly when I am driving and my favorite song is ‘Hail Mary Remix’ by Eminem, 50 Cent, and Busta Rhymes. ” —Chris Owens senior

“99.1 HFS is my favorite station because they play the kind of music I like. I am a fan of punk music and my favorite bands are Something Corporate and The All-American Rejects.”

—Julia Ehrenfeld junior

“99.1 HFS has the best music selection. They play a harder sound as opposed to other radio stations.

‘Send the Pain Below’ by Chevelle is my favorite song because I can relate to it.”

—Adrian Vigneault junior

“I like the good variety of HOT 99.5. I listen to the radio more than I do CDs and my favorite song is ‘The Anthem’ by Good Charlotte.”

—Joanne Laguna sophomore

“99.1 HFS is my favorite radio station. I listen to the sports junkies in the morning because it’s on when I’m driving to school. ” —Jack Newman freshman

12 PEOPLE HAPPY BIRTHDAY “I’m going to out and party with my friend Jackie on my birthday” —Lindsay Callahan freshman

the

ABLAST

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

Adding up the rewards of teaching

—Dorsa Hassas senior

• I went to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

• At college I majored in Fine Arts, Printing & Education.

—James Alvarez sophomore

“I’m going clubbing with a bunch of friends who are 18.”

—Karlyn Hixton senior

“I’m going to go to practice and get smashed in the face with cake and then go celebrate with my friends.”

—Kari Kraus senior

“I’m going to have a party with my friends.”

• I was born in Texas and have lived in Kansas and New York.

SAMAN HUSSAIN

“I’m going to hang out with my girlfriend Laura, and the next weekend I’m going to go camping with friends.”

• I came here because they offered me a job.. it’s a fun job, in fact the best job in Fairfax County.

• I have been married for 25 years and have two children.

BY EVAN ROWLAND Staff Writer Those who know her have all experienced her sheer friendliness. She maintains great relations with all of her former students, whether it be via e-mail, telephone, or alumni coming into school to say “hi.”

From her room in the new math wing, you can see the dumpster on which she has been working with her students to paint. Her teaching skills are at least equal with her her people skills; those which have helped her to shine through as one of the top finalists for Fairfax County’s Teacher of the Year.

Carol Rychlik, who has been teaching Math at AHS for nine years, received notice in January that she had been nominated by the PTA for the Fairfax County teacher of the year. Prior to her nomination, she had to fill out paperwork, yet the nomination nonetheless took her by surprise.

“I thought that another teacher that had been teaching for more years than me would have received the nomination. There are a lot of excellent teachers in the county, and to be one is very nice,” said Rychlik.

Rychlik has always worked with math throughout her life. When she was only eight years old, she would “line up her barbie dolls in a row and pretend to teach them.” Rychlik began to share her knowledge with others in junior high school by tutoring her neighbors.

Initially entering college with plans to become an elementary school teacher, Rychlik ended up dropping out of college due to social issues. She proceeded then to pursue a masters degree in education, and a bachelors degree in mathematics from the University of Massachusetts. “If I wasn’t teaching mathematics, I would be working in the banking or retailing field, which I was studying at UMASS before I decided I wanted to teach high school math,” said Rychlik.

Rychlik has been the sponsor of the Math Honor Society, also known as Mu Alpha Theta, ever since she began to teach at AHS. At the Mu Alpha Theta induction on April 23, Rychlik nearly broke out in tears as she had to say goodbye to he senior members and recollect the past year’s activities.

• I have been working at AHS for five years.

• Before I came here, I was running an internet lab at Centreville High School.

AHS teacher qualifies as one of the top contenders for Fairfax County Public School’s teacher of the year

“I’ll probably go out to dinner with my friends and eat a lot of cake.”

Who am I?

Math teacher Carol Rychlik helps out an Algebra I student during her R-5 class. She has been teaching at AHS for nine years.

Senior Anh Tran Nguyen is a Mu Alpha Theta member, and has been a student of Rychlik’s for all four of her high school years. “I feel that Mrs. Rychlik deserves to be teacher of the year because she is a great teacher. She will cause you to give a lot of effort, but it is beneficial and you will learn,” said Nguyen. “She has stayed after with her IB students till 9 p.m. working with us, and then giving us a ride home.”

Nguyen said she plans to keep in touch with Rychlik when she goes off to college next year by e-mail, and an occasional visit.

Rychlik currently teaches both regular and IB math.

She teaches her students not to give up. “My pet peeve is when my student’s say ‘I can’t do it Mrs. Rychlik,when they haven’t even attempted the problem,” said Rychlik.

Rychlik has always wanted to give back to the community and share her knowledge. That is the main reason of her being the Mu Alpha Theta sponsor and a teacher.

She has passed these characteristics onto her son by having him participate in Boy Scouts.

If Rychlik wins the FCPS teacher of the year award, it will not be her first. In November 2001, she received the National Board Certified Teacher award. She is also receiving the Allen Winnie Hotchsten award for excellence in teaching, along with a $200 savings bond.

For now, Rychlik will be waiting to hear the county’s final decision to see if she is in fact the county-wide teacher of the year.

• I like to read, cook, I love my dog and I love to antique and throw parties and entertain people.

• I dislike dishonest people and doing housework, especially cleaning the toilet.

• My favorite book is Lonesome Dove .

• My motto in life is “Carpe Diem!” in other words, “sieze the day.”

If you think you know the answer, come

by Room 265A and give us your guess to win a signature The A-Blast prize.

Last Issue’s Who Am I? • I have previously taught at Gaithersburg HS, Madison HS and Fairfax HS. • My motto in life is: “Work hard, get done, play last and you will have more fun.”

Last issue’s Who Am I? was Pam Feil. Feil has taught English at AHS for 12 years.

—Monira Begum sophomore

“I think I’m going to go horseback riding with my family and some of my friends.”

—Jessica Gray

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the

ABLAST

TUE. MAY 6, 2003

the

A-Blast Facts

ABLAST

Staff gender Males: 31 Females: 31

The A-Blast is the product of much time dedication and effort on behalf of its 62 staff members. Printed every three weeks, each 20-page publication is pieced together, sent and printed by The Washington Post, with a partnership aimed at developing young journalists.

April 25, 2003: Placed 4th place in Best of Show at the National High School Journalism Convention for publications 17 pages or more, in Portland, Oregon.

November 1996: A malfunction from an old answering machine destroyed room 225. Journalism students and Adviser Alan Weintraut were at the airport on their way a convention in Chicago when Principal Don Clausen contacted him with the news of the fire in their room.

Random Staff Facts: The A-Blast was first printed as a literary magazine in 1954.

Senior Ryan Teichler’s tee shirt with The A-Blast’s infamous saying refers only to Desktop Publishing, nothing more.

Sports “Xtra” editor Paul Gleason got his “nubbin” pierced during the April Journalism Convention in Portland, Oregon.

Adviser Alan Weintraut has a 14-yearold three-legged dog, given to him as a gift from kids in an inner city youth program. This is Weintraut’s 8th year as The A-Blast adviser.

Pen and Steno pad in hand, News Editor Caroline Friedman interviews Administrator Dr. Barbara Fugate while on cafeteria duty. Although there are 17 staff writers, many editors fulfill more roles than page planning and layouts. When it comes to sensitive news stories, the Co-Editors in Chief and News Editors take it upon themselves to research information and write articles.

Editor in Chief Philippe Podhorecki’s mom makes mouth-watering chickenpot-pie and brownie cookies every issue.

After every publication, all A-Blast staff members gather in the journalism room for a copy meeting. Every page is scrutinized over, critiqued and suggestions to improve the quality of sections are given. New ideas for the next issue are brainstormed and staff members voice news and other events that are happening through out the school.

Arts Editors Crystan Blanco and Erin O’Brien work on their page after school. Although both are varsity athletes, they manage to produce quality pages for every issue. Page editors are responsible for completing a page that has good eye flow and readability. Editors depend on staff writers and photographers to perfrom their jobs in order to have all the contents of their page.

There are only 6 Journalism IV students: Seniors Philippe Podhoreck,i Ryan Teichler, Andrew Satten, Reid Edwards, Mike Mahn and Chae-Wha Park

Senior Wa’la’a El Barasse Editorials Editor Edris Qarghah is not 25 years old. His age is still uncertain.

Photographer Morgan McEvilly takes a quick mugshot of an athlete who will be featured in the sports section. Staffed with five photographers, The A-Blast tries to capture news and features events that happened throughout the year.

Equipped with two $800 digital cameras this year, The ABlast’s photo qualities improved drastically. Staff from The Washington Post made tremendous efforts to advise in how to improve picture quality.

Sports “Xtra” Editor Paul Gleason, Sports Editor John Bernhardt and Staff writer John Reiss are founding members of their band “The Farewell Act.” This year’s staff was jam-packed with athletes. At least one staff member participated in all but three sports.

Due to a 3 to 10 ratio of male to female editors who regularly show up to work on their pages, “the A-quarium” is estrogen-filled.

With only 11 computers to produce 20 pages, The A-Blast editors cram into “the A-quarium,” the small window enclosed area in the old Math Hall, to produce each issue. Editors try to follow a deadline schedule in order free up computers and to give each other room to work on their pages. Meeting deadlines calls for late nights sometimes, especially during publication week.

But strongly against an “all work, no play” policy, The A-Blast makes sure to take a break during late nights to enjoy each other’s company as well as the four cheese, two pepperoni pizzas provided by Papa John’s in exchange for an advertisement an issue.

Staff writers John Reiss and Matt Wiest at first glance, might be mistaken as twins.

All content that is published is read by The A-Blast Adviser Alan Weintraut. Academics Editor Rebecca Kraushaar discusses her page with Weintraut. It is the staff writers’ and editors’ responsibilities to make sure that their articles or pages are edited by the Editors in Chief numerous times before reaching his desk. This year’s goal on staff is to reduce the misspelling of names. Copy Editor Meg Nielsen’s job description consists of reviewing articles and catching errors such as misspellings, which makes her a key staff member in the production process.

After arduous effort put into revising and perfecting content, editors create PDFs (portable document formats) of their pages and email them to the Post where the paper is printed. Editors in Chief Philippe Podhorecki and Andrew Satten pick up the 3,000 printed papers at 6:30 a.m. at the Springfield plant’s loading docks. Always distributed on a white day, A-Blast staff members gather during the first flex to label, count out set numbers of newspapers for each class in the school and walk around dropping off the newspapers, all before heading off to class. People’s Editor Laura Hollowell drops off her flex class’s The A-Blasts. Staff members are required to wearThe A-Blast shirts every distribution day.

The A-Blast has a wide range of readership that consists of parents, relatvies from other states, alumni and other people within the community who have an interest in what happens within AHS. On every distribution day, the W6 Journalism class folds, labels and prepares almost 500 newspapers to be mailed. Seniors Lauren Sterlacci and Hana Nguyen help this process.

The record for the latest deadline night is held by the 1998 A-Blast staff, who stayed until 4 a.m. the next morning.

Weekend Editor Cameron Kynes has strategically featured his best friend/ special buddy/future wife/ non-girlfriend senior Cecilia Mallory on his page every issue.

Staff members have consumed 66 boxes of Papa John’s pizza thus far.

Best Late-night Conversation Chae-Wha: (singing) ‘Quit playing games with my heart, playing games with my heart...I should’ve known from the start...’ Hey Philippe you know, I think guys play a lot more games than girls. What do you think about that?

Philippe: Video games? Oh yeah, definitely!

How to join The A-Blast staff 1) Taking Journalism I is most beneficial way to become a staff member because the course teaches journalism basics.

2) Students earning at least a “B” average in English with their teacher’s reccommendations can bring a writing sample to Weintraut. To be a photographer, experience would be helpful.

3) It is not too late to join The A-Blast.

Graphics and web designers and photographers are needed.

The whole cycle of publication starts over again as The A-Blast gathers for another copy meeting.

Editors in Chief Podhorecki and Satten and Advertisement Manager Rachel Jones follow along during critiques.

Photographer Chris Rauer carries the mail bag full of stamped A-Blasts to the post office to be sent out to each subscriber.

PAGE LAYOUT AND PHOTOS BY CHAE-WHA PARK

AB 14 CULTURES Kurds retain hope for state the

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

ADVOCATES FOR KURDISH STATEHOOD

Masoud Barzani

Barzani is the current leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Masoud’s father, Mustafa Barzani, founded the KDP and Masoud joined when he was 16.

Barzani is supported by the

rural-based Kurds.

Ocalan is the leader of the Kurdish Worker’s Party (PKK).

While Ocalan’s main goal is for an independent Kurdish state, he has killed 30,000+ people in his terrorist camAbdullah Ocalan paign. He was arrested in 1999 and is currently detained in Turkey.

Zana was the first Kurdish woman elected to the Turkish Parliament who openly identified herself as a Kurd. Zana was tried for treason in 1994, and was found guilty and has been imprisoned in Leyla Zana Turkey ever since.

Zana has been nominated for three Nobel Peace Prizes.

Talabani is the founder and Secretary General of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and has been an advocate for Kurdish rights and democracy in Iraq.

Jalal Talabani

UN RESOLUTIONS REGARDING THE KURDISH SITUATION The UN has passed a resolution that calls on all states to refrain from taking measures or from enacting legislation that discriminats against persons or groups of persons on grounds of race, color, gender, religion, or national or ethnic origin. This would prohibit Turkey from banning the Kurdish language and culture. It would also prohibit Iraq and Turkey from persecuting Kurds.

KURDISH FLAG

The Kurdish flag was first introduced by the leaders of the Khoyboun (“independent”) Movement to represent the Kurds in their struggle for independence from the moribund Ottoman Empire.

With the fall of Saddam Hussein, the future for Iraqi Kurds is unclear.

Kurdish students at AHS also wonder about the Iraqi situation

BY RACHEL SINAIKO Cultures Editor With the war in Iraq winding down, the world is speculating on what will become of this recovering country. A new government system will have to be instituted and peace will have to be established. However, the conflicts between the Shiite Muslims and the Sunni Muslims in Iraq are not the only struggles that need to be resolved. The Kurdish people, who make up about 23 percent of the Iraqi population, are another ethnic group that will be factored into the equation of rebuilding Iraq.

The Kurdish people are a non-Arab Middle Eastern minority group that lives in a southwestern Asian region referred to as Kurdistan. There is an estimated 20 million Kurdish people, most of whom live in Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. Kurds were promised their own state after the fall of the Ottoman Empire following World War I in the Treaty of Sevres, but the secular Turkish Republic Founder, Kemal Ataturk, did not abide by the treaty and instead renegotiated it and renamed it the Treaty of Lausanne. This new treaty recognized the new Turkish state, and divided Kurdish region among Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. The Kurds were left without an official state and have been fighting for statehood ever since.

“The Kurds have always had the raw end of the deal... they’ve always felt in limbo,” said Iraqi peace activist Andy Shallal, an AHS parent. “They are the largest ethnic minority without a coun-

try.”

One of the leading forces in the fight for Kurdish statehood is the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK was founded in 1978 and started a guerilla war against Turkey in 1984, and against Iraq after the Persian Gulf War. The PKK relies mostly on terrorism to fight, and over 35,000 people have been killed since the PKK started its campaign.

“They’re [the PKK] a terrorist organization comparable, in my opinion, to Hamas and should be dealt with accordingly,” said half-Turkish senior Kenan Marks.

Marks strongly disagrees with the idea of a Kurdish state, “I don’t think Turkey should be forced to give up its land, but I think the Kurds should have a strong voice in the government,” said Mark. Marks visited the southeastern area of Turkey last summer with his family.

Turkey has been one of the major places of conflict for the Kurdish people.

The Turkish government has tried for many years to suppress Kurdish culture, and fighting has been going on since 1984, when the PKK launched its first attack. Turkish forces clashed with Kurds again in 1992, killing more than 20,000 people and creating 2 million refugees. Turkey is having difficulty gaining entry into the European Union, mostly because the EU directly objects to Turkey's treatment of the Kurds.

Iraq has also been one of the major battlegrounds for Kurds for the last two decades. In 1988, Saddam Hussein

There are an estimated 20 million Kurds worldwide, making them the largest nation without a state. Kurds are primarily located in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. The Kurds refer to the area that they live in, that is made up of Syria, Iraq, and Iran, as “Kurdistan,” even though it is not recognized as a state.

launched a poison gas attack on the Kurdish village of Halabja in an attempt to stop Kurdish resistance.

These attacks killed more than 100,000 Kurds in just one year. In 1992, the Kurds created a self-governed region in Northern Iraq and held their own elections. The Kurds also have their own school system, currency, and media. However, the Kurds in this region split into two opposing groups, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK); these two groups have engaged in occasional fighting since then. There have also been fights between the Kurds that live in Iraq and those that live in Turkey.

But what will happen with the Kurds of Iraq now? With United States’ help, Kurds are now attempting to set

LAST

up an operating government in major cities in the Kurdish region of Iraq. If a democracy that protects rather than suppresses each of Iraq's ethnic groups is set up in place of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, some Kurds feel that they can remain in Iraq. Kurdish leaders say that if a democracy is set up in Iraq, they will turn their guerrilla fighters into a national army. However, there are still Kurds who want a Kurdish government with a Kurdish leader.

Freshman Hamza MohammadAmin is an Iraqi Kurd. His parents lived in Iraq, and because of the ongoing war, they left and went to Iran.

After living in Iran for some time, the Mohammad Amin’s immigrated to the United States for the educational opportunities.

“A state is the only thing that Kurds have wanted for so long. But dividing Iraq into three countries wouldn’t be the most peaceful solution because it would anger neighboring countries,” said Mohammad-Amin.

However, Mohammad-Amin believes that a united Iraqi state could be acceptable, depending on what kind of government is set up. “If the new government is like Saddam, then there should be three separate countries: one for the Shiites, one for the Kurds, and one for the other Iraqis. But if the government is fair, then there should be one country,” said Mohammad-Amin.

Political activist seeks Kurdish statehoood Kani Xulam, director of the AKIN, fights for Kurdish rights and state through his office in Washington D.C.

Kani Xulam, born in 1960, is a Kurd from the village of Gavgas in the northern area of Kurdistan, which is presently controlled by Turkey. Xulam is the founder and director of the American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN), dedicated to inform the public on the Kurdish issue, located in Washington D.C. Q: What propelled you to advocate for the rights of the Kurdish people?

First, my village was destroyed by the U.S. supplied Turkish military. Secondly, in 1988 when Saddam Hussein gassed the Kurds, I was a student at the time, and I didn’t like the coverage I saw on CNN. I felt violated, so I decided to do something about it and raise awareness.

Q: How do you feel about the means that the PKK is taking in Turkey in order to obtain a Kurdish state?

I believe that if you treat people like dogs, expect to be bitten. In Turkey, Kurds are sick and tired of the way they are treated. The Turkish government

has banned the Kurdish language, Kurdish television, and Kurdish culture and some people resort to violence. But, I believe in nonviolence, I believe in using my pen and tongue.

Q: How has AKIN been active in informing the public about the Kurdish conflict?

When I opened up my office in 1993, I had to tell people that have never even

“

I believe that if you treat people like dogs, expect to be bitten”

heard about the Kurds who we were and the infringement on our rights.

Now, I get a lot of emails and calls, I view that as success. If we raised the level of awareness to the level of the Tibetan issue, I would be very happy.

Q: What events has AKIN held in order to raise awareness?

AKIN organized a 40-day hunger strike on Capitol Hill in 1997, it was called “Fast for Peace in Kurdistan and the Freedom of Leyla Zana.” We also held a vigil in front of the Turkish ambassador’s residence on the 7th anniversary of Leyla Zana’s imprisonment.

Also, AKIN sent a letter to President Clinton with the signature of 153 members of congress urging him to talk to Turkey about the case of Leyla Zana.

Q: Do you believe that the Kurdish people will be given a state in post-Saddam Iraq?

I would want the Kurdish region to disband and have its own government.

But, unfortunately the United States doesn’t want Iraq to be dismembered and is urging the Kurds to work with the Iraqis. The White House basically wants the Kurds to have a “federal state.”

Q: Does AKIN have any upcoming events?

We are working on a Declaration of Conscience, which states that “American supports the right of Kurdish people to seek determination.” We are

Kani Xulam in October 1997 during his 40-day fast in D.C.

hoping to collect signatures from congressmen, judges, professors, students.

For more information check out Kurdistan.org

the

ABLAST

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

SPORTS XTRA 15 Athletes’ future colleges Travis Johnson football, baseball

Tony Cavalero, right, and Jay Athey, left, of the graduating class of 2002 are a few of AHS’s athletes who went on to play sports in college. Cavalero is currently playing lacrosse for VMI, and Athey is playing baseball at University of Virginia at Wise.

Seniors Travis Johnson, left, Mike Flint, middle, and Kari Kraus right, are three of the graduating seniors who plan on playing in the NCAA after graduation.

Johnson will play football and baseball at Liberty University.

Athletes to play in the NCAA AHS’s top athletes prepare to play at the college level

BY SEAN SULLIVAN

Photographer Ehab Awadallah From his Riddell football helmet, to his CK head gear, to his Cascade lacrosse helmet, Ehab Awadallah is a man of many hats.

As middle line backer, defenseman and 189 weight class participant, Awadallah has left his mark on each team and in every season. His final year participating in AHS athletics has been filled with achievements and disappointments.This fall season, Awadallah, along with Travis Johnson and Monte Moyer, led the Atoms through a heartfelt season finishing off at 5-5. To the disappointment of all the senior players, the Atoms were unable to clinch a playoff spot. Winter for Awadallah was a more promising and successful sports season.

Once again in

the captain position, Awadallah dominated in his weight class and went on to win the district championship.

As his winter season came to a close after a heart breaking 5th place showing at the tate championship, spring was right around the corner where he and attackman Ryan Teichler hope to lead the AHS lacrosse team to a berth in the District and Regional tournaments.

These latest achievements, along with his All Met honorable mention in football and his place on the second team all region in lacrosse, have earned Awadallah scholarships to the University of Maryland, George Mason, Marymount and Auburn University.

Mike Flint Throughout his high school career, Mike Flint has amazed coaches, teammates, spectators and recruiters alike with his blinding speed and incredible endurance. He has been a integral part of the cross country team in the fall and in both winter and

Senior Ehab Awadallah, joins team memebers in a defensive huddle during a time out.

spring seasons of track and field.

The hard work and determination displayed by Mike, as well as the rest of the team, have attracted the interests of colleges across the nation Flint’s recent achievements of participating in the Penn State Invitational and in the Regional meet have earned him a full athletic scholarship to the United States Coast Guard Academy. Flint plans to run throughout his college career and possibly continue after his graduation from the Coast Guard Academy.

Travis Johnson Entering AHS in his junior year, Travis Johnson stormed into the Patriot District scene as an unknown quarterback and kicker hailing from Florida.

This unknown did not stay unnoticed for long. His junior year, Johnson had such highlights as the Westfield football game that lasted 5 rounds of sudden death before he led the Atoms to the win and baseball’s district wins against tough Lake Braddock and West Springfield teams. His senior year, Johnson continued to dominate on the athletic field with his quarterback and kicking skills. His incredible throwing arm and his able receivers shined in their game versus the Oakton Cougars where the Atoms totalled over 250 yards in the air.

Along with his successful football seasons, Johnson has continued to be a key player on the baseball team this spring once again displaying his arm strength as a pitcher. Last year the varsity baseball team went to the district championship versus the Hayfield Hawks falling short of the title. This once unknown, is now able prospect for many col-

leges across the country. Ohio, Liberty, Old Dominion, Pittsburgh and Wake Forest Universities have all shown interest in Johnson, offering scholarships with varying stipulations.

Andy Pelenberg As the talk of the Winter season, Andy Pelenberg has been a popular commodity among collegiate scouts. Pelenberg was battling not only rival schools, but also Olympic gold medalist Edward Moses, the 100 meter butterfly world record holder. During the District meet, Pelenberg splashed his way into the record books with a time of 59.62, just milliseconds less than Ed Moses.

Along with his district record, Pelenberg also holds the title of State Champion in his event.

Pelenberg applied to and was accepted to Virginia Tech, Clemson, University of North Carolina and James Madison. Both Virginia Tech and UNC offered Pelenberg a $1,000 scholarship to attend and compete. Pelenberg decided to attend Virginia Tech in the fall and will be competing in Division I meets across the country and his parents will be $1,000 richer just as long as he maintains a 2.0 GPA. Kari Kraus Longwood University has always been famous for its competit i v e women’s lacrosse and field hockey programs.

Womens’ athletics coaches such a s

Cindy Hook, Lori Barb and Judy Fisher have been working hard to produce women athletes of this collegiate caliber. Kari Kraus is just one of many stellar athletes AHS women’s athletics has produced.

Longwood University recruiters recognized the excellence of the women’s field hockey team, especially stand out defenseman Kari Kraus. Since her freshman year, Kraus has been an intricate part of each season of women’s athletics from shot putting in the winter to defense in the fall and spring.

The Atoms on the hockey field in each of Kraus’s four years on the team have reached an impressive second round berth in the regional tournament. Despite this incredible achievement, Kraus and the rest of the field hockey team were disappointed that they could not get past the second round. Kraus and her teammates struggled on, and strove to improve for the next year.

Other than the acclaim she received from the recruiters from Longwood, Kraus also earned recognition from coaches around the Patriot District and around the region. She has earned the title of First Team All District and Second Team All Region for her efforts and sportsmanship.

Travis Johnson throws a pitch during a game against Hayfield.

Coaches help athletes play college sports

BY KYLE SMEALLIE Staff Writer Practice, games, discipline, kudos, the bitter taste of defeat and the scintillating scent of victory, are all a result of the hard work and dedication that players put into their teams. An athlete’s college carrier is due in part because of a coache’s dedication to their recruitment. has more put hard work for the individual athlete’ coaches Coaches play an ample role in helping their players get into and succeed in higher education.

There are many steps that varsity coaches and their staff can take to help their standout athletes play at the collegiate level. Varsity field hockey and lacrosse coach Cindy Hook takes many steps towards helping her players to the next level.

First, she addresses all of her players, freshman to seniors, about the opportunity to continue playing their sport and the importance of maintaining their academic careers as well as their athletic pastimes. She also encourages juniors to contact coaches of their colleges of interest, then follow up for senior year. Furthermore, Hook writes recommendations and sends emails to the coaches of the different schools. She considers herself a “resource”

to her players to get the right information for the right college.

“I’ve been a minor player and done very little for some players, but generally I’m more involved with the communications between the college, player and the parent,” said Hook.

Varsity head coach Dick Adams has a similar approach to that of Hook’s, but places more emphasis on the promotional portion for each player. He writes, makes highlight films, and puts together player evaluating spring recruiting lists. According to Adams, it is “nonstop promotion” for each of his players, especially the ones of average skill who are still looking to continue their athletic careers. “For the average player, we both have to work very hard,” said Adams. “I have to help them by making the right contacts, but they have to help themselves by attending camps, weight training, playing other sports, and maintaining their academics.”

Adams also points out that the best school is always a case-by-case scenario. For example, former AHS standout athlete Brandon Fields is playing at Salisbury State, a Division III school. Adams says he “loves it,” and is “doing super.”

Varsity basketball coach Patrick Hughes takes many

steps in assisting his players to college. His main focus is on getting the player to the right college, as is with many other Annandale coaches. One of those players was former Annandale basketball star Aaron Habtom who is at Montgomery College. Hughes knew the coach, he came to talk, and he promoted him.

Finally, Bill Maglisceau and the lacrosse staff evaluate a number of criteria before suggesting schools to their players. First, his staff makes sure that the athlete wants to play at the college level. Then, the student decides which university matches the athlete’s ability and financial resources. Last year’s top class included Keith Nolan, who is going to Catawbah, and Tony Cavalero, who is currently playing at VMI. Similar to Fields in football, Freeden Oeur is one of Maglisceau’s best success stories. Oeur, who decided to go to Williams College to play Division III lacrosse, got playing time as a freshman and was a starter by his sophomore year.

“My privilege is to help them [the player] find the perfect school,” said Hook. “It’s out there for everyone, the place that they can afford, where they fit in academically, and where they can play their sport.”

School playing for: Liberty University Colleges recruited by: Ohio University, Liberty University, Old Dominion University, Pittsburgh University, Wake Forest University Years playing: 4 Favorite AHS sport moment: Beating Westfield in the fifth sudden-death overtime Greatest sport achievment: Passing for 250 yards against Oakton

Mike Flint Cross country, track College playing for: Coast Guard Academy Colleges recruited by: Coast Guard Academy Years playing: Track: 2 Cross country: 4 Favorite AHS sport moment: Winning regions in men’s 4 x 8 Greatest sport achievment: Penn Relay(invitational)

Kari Kraus Field Hockey School playing for: Longwood University Colleges recruited by: Randolph Macon College, Trinity University, Longwood University Years playing: 4 Greatest sport acheivment: Getting 1st team All District and 2nd team All Region

Andy Pelenberg Swimming School playing for: Virginia Tech Colleges recruited by: University of North Carolina, Clemson University, James Madison University, Virginia Tech Years playing: 11 Greatest sport achievment: Breaking the district record, becoming state champion, and AllAmerican

Ehab Awadallah Football, Wrestling, Lacrosse School playing for: Undecided Colleges recruited by: University of Maryland, George Mason University, American University, Marymount University Years playing: 3 wrestling, and 4 football and lacrosse Greatest sport achievment: Placing fifth in states, 2nd team All Region, All-Met Honorable Mention

16 SPORTS

Jared: Even though they showed no signs of it during the season, the Lakers are officially back. With Kobe shooting lights out and Shaq patrolling the inside they are primed to make an unprecedented 4th straight title run. In the East there are two teams that I feel can make a run.

The first team is an obvious favorite, the New Jersey Nets. No matter what the obstacle is Jason Kidd can overcome it, especially in the weaker Eastern Conference. The other team I feel has a shot is the upstart Boston Celtics they obliterated the very powerful Indiana Pacers in 5 games and they are scoring from everywhere on the floor. Paul Pierce and Antwan Walker are the best 1-2 punch in the game and if they rebound like they did against Indiana they have a chance to make a title run. So for my finals picks I am going to have to go with a repeat of last year with the Lakers taking on the Nets. But the outcome will be different from last year because Shaq isn’t 100% mentally or physically and the Nets will have home court advantage so I am predicting the Nets will win on their home floor in game 7.

Lacrosse on two game win streak The boys lax team has a shot at the No. 2 seed in the Patriot District tournament

BY JOHN REISS Staff Writer After this weekends win over the Hayfield Hawks, the Atoms Varsity Lacrosse advanced its record to 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the district, tying with Lake Braddock for second in the district, behind the juggernaut Robinson Rams who are undefeated in the district.

The Atoms faced West Springfield last Thursday, taking them into overtime after a slow start. The Atoms were down the first half of the game 6-3, but returned in the second half, to tie the game 8-8. Proceeding into overtime, after a near miss goal by senior midfielder Chris Rauer, junior attackman John Bernhardt scored the games winning goal thanks to a pass from senior attackman Ryan Teichler.

“We definetely didn’t play the way we can play,” said sophomore Adam Park. “We were lucky to pull out a win, it shows we didn’t quit.

“They put up more of a fight then we thought they would,” said junior Scott Rodden. “We just kept running them, and eventually came out on top.”

Besides Bernhardt’s winning goal, the team was also aided by the many face-offs won by senior Erik Rooney, as well as good clears from se-

nior goalie Christopher Lusby.

“It was a tight win,” said head coach Bill Maglisceau. “At first, we took our time and didn’t respond to their [West Springfield] goals, but we came back in the second half to tie it up and eventually win it.”

The Atoms hope to finish the season strong with thier final game against Lake Braddock tomorrow at home. A win against Braddock on senior night would secure the number two spot for Annandale in the district tournament, beginning next week.

“I think we can go far in districts this year,” said Maglisceau. “If we keep playing like we have been, we should do fine.”

The only team that has beaten Annandale in the district this year have been the Robinson Rams, and they promise to be the Atoms top competition this year in districts.

“Even though Robinson beat us the first time around, we played well and I think we still have a chance to beat them in the district match up,” said junior Matthew Halkyard.

“If we play well we can beat anyone in the district or region,” said senior attack Ryan Teichler, “When we play hard, we dominate, but if we are laxadasical we are very beatable.”

Despite lots of young players on the team this year, the Atoms have preformed remarkably well against other teams in the region, especially Herndon, Centreville, and Chantilly.

“We’ve always been competetive,”

says Maglisceau. “We might not win every time we play we play private schools and Robinson, but we always play well, and as can be seen from our record, we’ve done pretty well for ourselves.”

Ft. Dorchester High School and 5-2 over Hilton Head High School. “We played great baseball,” said Coach Matt Caudle.

On the whole this season, many feel the Atoms Varsity baseball defeated T.C. Williams 6-2 last Frihave not lived up to expectations. “It [The season] has day, improving their season record to 5-11, 2-7 in Patriot been disappointing,” said Caudle. “There’s been no conDistrict play. tinuity. We just haven’t played up to our capabilities Despite the victory over the Titans, the Atoms have other than in South Carolina.” continued their district slump, with recent losses to As of last Friday, Robinson, Hayfield, West the team had a batting Springfield, and Lake average of .247 and an Braddock. earned run average of “It’s been a tough 4.16, marking the meseason. We’re a young diocrity of the season so team and we’ve had some It [the season] has been disappointfar. However, the injuries that have hurt whole baseball team us, hopefully we can turn ing. There’s been no continuity. We looks to make a move it around for districts.” in the district tournasaid junior Ted Gibson. just haven’t played up to our capabiliment like last year’s On April 29, Annanrun to the Patriot Disdale fell 9-3 to the 15-2 ties other than in South Carolina.” trict Championship.

Robinson Rams, who are Matt Caudle “It’s not too late to 8-1 in district play and Head Baseball Coach turn around, we just currently in second place. need to work hard,” Similar losses came to the said Caudle.

Atoms on April 28, April The district tournament is fast approaching, com25, and April 23, at the hands of 11-4 Hayfield, 10-8 West ing up on Monday, April 12, but the Atoms haven’t diSpringfield, and 7-7 Lake Braddock, respectively. rected their focus there just yet. “ They [All the games] Contrary to the uninspiring district play, the Atoms are big when you’re 4-11,” said Caudle. “But we’re not made a strong showing in a South Carolina tournament taking it one game at a time. We need to take things over spring break. The Atoms went 3-1 in the tournaone minute at a time.” ment and made it to the championship before losing 7-2 Monday night’s game against Langley was postponed to a Hilton Head area high school ranked in the top in the due to inclement weather. The Atoms travel to Hayfield state of South Carolina. on Wednesday night and play at home against West The first Annandale triumph came 6-0 against York Potomac on Thursday.

High School, followed by two consecutive wins: 8-3 against

BY MATT WIEST Staff Writer

SEAN SULLIVAN

“

Sophmore Corey Quigley waits anxiously as the pitch is being delivered to home. Quigley, along with the rest of the team has been struggling this year, getting only one win against T.C. in the tough Patriot District.

Girls soccer struggling Junior Chrissy Castaldo fights for the ball during the girls’ soccer game against district rival West Springfield.

Despite the gritty play the Atoms suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss.

Goooaaallll!!!!!

ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE

Name: Ryan Teichler Grade: 12 Sport: Boys Lacrosse Position: Starting attack Personal Achievements: 1st Team all-District, Honorable mention allRegion.

What’s In Your CD Player? Yanni’s Greatest Hits, he likes the classics.

Personal Quote: “I love Yanni!”

Junoirs Matt Ebner, Jason Bracken, Billy Steinbuchler, and Chris Gobel salute the flag during the national anthem of their game vs. Hayfield. The Atoms dominated the Hawks and came away with a solid 11-2 victory. Tomorrow they will face off against the Lake Braddock Bruins for second place in the Patriot District.

Baseball knocks off Titans; shows strong in SC

John: The Western Conference obviously has the higher caliber team this year, as well as most years. The Lakers are a solid playoff team, since they are the three time defending champs. However, this year will be different. The Kings have the quick guard in Mike Bibby, outside shooters in Pedric Stojakovic, and solid postmen needed in Vlade Divac and Chris Webber to win the West. In the East, the Nets have the talent and experience in guard Jason Kidd. They also boost young stars with Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin. When it comes down to it, the Nets will not beable to beat the winner of the powerhouse West Conference.

They lack the speed, big man presence and run-and-gun offense that the Kings have perfected.

Matt: What’s most surprising about this year’s playoffs is the imbalance between East and West. Every team in the West has an edge over the Eastern Conference teams. My pick for the finals out of the West is the Dallas Mavericks. With depth and solid team play, I think they’ll be tough to beat down the stretch, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Michael Finley are the big three for Dallas, but they will all need to bring their ‘A’ game. In addition to the Mavericks’ three stars, they get good minutes out of Nick Van Exel, Shawn Bradley, and Raef LaFrentz. In the rather weak Eastern conference, the Nets are my pick for conference champions. Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and Richard Jefferson provide the Nets with a strong forward-guard combination.

Overall, I think the Mavericks will shock many skeptics and come out as champs.

SARAH SHERMAN

The NBA Playoffs are heating up, and there have been some suprises. The San Antonio Spurs, Los Angles Lakes, and Sacremento Kings are favorites in the Western Conference. The New Jersey Nets and the Detriot Pistons hold the top spots in the Eastern Conference. Which two teams will face off the the championship, and who will bring home the title?

ABLAST

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

ANDREW MENEGAT

Junior Matt Hubacher centers the ball while executing a corner kick in the Atoms’ 2-0 victory versus the Robert E. Lee Lancers.

Hubacher has been one of the Atoms’ top offensive players. The Atoms’ senior night will be held tonight vs. Hayfield at 7:00 and their final regular season at West Potomac Friday night. By winning their last two games the Atoms’ have a shot at claiming this years Patriot District Championship. Next Mon. the Patriot District Tournament will begin.

SEAN SULLIVAN

EXCUSE THE INTERJECTION

the

BY ANDREW MENEGAT Staff Writer The Atoms girls soccer team continues their season tonight at Hayfield. The Atoms most recent game, yesterday, against defending Patriot District champion Lake Braddock was too late too publish at press time.

Against non-district foe Lee last Wed. AHS was crippled by a couple of controversial calls late in the game that caused two Atoms goals to be taken away. This resulted in a heartbreaking 2-2 tie. With goals by senior Mary Burke and freshman Sam Stoker, the team put up a solid performacne against a tough squad.

Recently the team has been struggling to get a win. In their previous three games prior to their game against Lee, the girl’s lost to West Springfield, Robinson, and T.C. Williams. “We just can’t seem to find that element that’ll get us the win. We can get the ball down the field, but we can’t hold it down there

long enough to get opportunities,”said coach Mark Boger.

Although the team’s record isn’t much to look at, the team has been playing good, physical soccer against tough district and non-district teams. “We’re in one of the toughest districts in the region,” said senior starting goalie Riana Bovil.

“Playing teams like Lake Braddock and Robinson will only make us better.”

Even with the recent struggles the team has improved from the beginning of the year. “I think that now that we’ve adjusted to the different style of coaching, we have what it takes to go far in the tounament,” said junior Chrissy Castaldo.

The district tournament will begin next Monday, with games on Wed. and Fri. Because of the Atoms district record, the team will have to play one of the top teams in the district. “We’re going to be a lower seed this year, so we’re going to have nothing to lose,” said Boger.

SPORTS 17

the

ABLAST

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

Girls lax wins in OT on senior night

BY ERIN O’BRIEN Arts Editor The AHS girls lacrosse team rose to the occasion on senior night last Friday night as they beat Hayfield 11-9 in overtime.

Their victory brought them to 3-2 in the district and 4-4 overall.

Coming off a rough loss to West Springfield the previous night, Friday’s game was very important. The girls worked hard and were able to move the ball successfully on all parts of the field. Their passing game was on.

There was a lot of excitement because of senior night,” said junior Katie Haines.

“Everyone really wanted to win.”

The Atoms fought hard throughout all of regulation time as well as overtime.

“People were tired, but you couldn’t tell,” said Coach Cindy Hook.

“We really came together in the second half,” said junior Chelsea Duffy. “We were all focused and wanted to redeem ourselves from West Springfield the night before.”

Going into overtime Hook told the girls that they had worked too hard and played too well to get to this point and just let it all go. “We needed to focus on each possesion because each possesion is that important,” said Hook.

Juniors Julie Stone and Lindsay Miller came through with the key goals in overtime. With the game tied 7-7 at the end of regulation, Stone and Miller put 2 goals in within the first 3 minutes. “The Hayfield game is one of those games that we will all remember for a long time,” said Miller. “The

entire team played so well, especially our defense and Jeanine [Frank] in the goal.”

Although the Atoms have consistently been playing well, they have not always been able to come through with the victory.

They fell to the Robinson Rams 16-7 April 21 in a hard fought battle.

“Robinson is the top team in the district and everyone knows it,” said Hook. “Despite the score, we still had more ground balls and more draw controls.”

“Robinson is always a tough one,” said Stone. “We gave them a great game and improved on a lot of things.”

Following Robinson, AHS came back to beat T.C. Williams 15-2 on April 23. The Atoms were able to take what they learned at Robinson and use it against the Titans.

Solid defense was key to the Atoms’ victory.

“Jeanine was great in the goal and our passing game really took off,” said Hook.

On May 1, the girls had some trouble as they suffered a 15-7 loss to West Springfield. The Atoms played hard in the 1st half, going into halftime with a score of 6-5, however they struggled in the 2nd half. “I think our timing on defense was off,” said Hook.

“People were trying, but it just wasn’t connecting.”

“There was a lot of good things done individually, said senior Kari Kraus. “Unfortunately we couldn’t do it as a team.”

With only 1 regular season game left, Wednesday’s game at Lake Braddock is crucial. “This game will be key for where we finish in the district and where we are seeded,” said Hook. “Lake Braddock games are always big for us,” said Haines. “I think

Chris Hall

Record: 3-2-1 Key Players: Kelly Beam, Curtis Reed Result of last game: 14-4 loss to West Springfield Next game: Wednesday at home vs Lake Braddock

GIRLS JV LACROSSE

Junior Julie Bowes tries to keep the ball away from the Hayfield defender. The Atoms’ won their game against the Hawks 11-9 in overtime on senior night. Even though the Atoms final home game was last week they finish off their regualr season at Lake Braddock tomorrow.

Softball hopes to end season with win streak

ANDREW MENEGAT

BY STACEY MARIN Journalism 1 Student

Junior Neila Darvish sprints around the bases during the Atoms’ game versus T.C. Williams. Darvish, who plays outfield, contributed key hits to the Atoms 12-4 victory over the Titans.

With three games left to go in the regular season, the Atoms are looking for a strong finish. The team has won against Robinson and T.C. Williams in the past week and is looking to add three more wins before the regular season ends.

On April 29, the Atoms beat Robinson 5-1. The goal was to score first, which they did by scoring a run in the first inning. Dorsa Hassas singled then stole second, and Neila Darvish-Niknam had an RBI single to score Hassas. Robinson came back with a run in the second inning, but the Atoms scores three more runs in the sixth inning on a bases-loaded double by Meghan Johnson. Johnson later singled in Meagan Ogletree to give the Atoms a final score of 5-1.

“We play our best against Robinson. They play well, but we play better. They bring out the best in us,”said Coach Rick Neave. “If we played everyone the way we play Robinson, we would be undefeated.”

On May 2, the Atoms beat the T.C. Williams Titans 12-4. Hassas pitched three scoreless innings and Ashley Jones followed with four more strong innings. TC Williams had been a team that every other team in the Patriot District had beaten, but they recently had a big win over West Potomac. The Atoms had just beaten West Potomac 4-3, so TC’s win

Track looks ahead JOHN BERNHARDT AND BRENT SULLIVAN Sports Editor and Photographer

MORGAN MCEVILLY

Tonight the Atoms track team will host district opponents Lake Braddock and Hayfield. The Atoms hope to improve on their 1-1 district record and expect to do well in the boy’s 800 meter, the pole vault and the high jump.

The Atoms have high hopes for finishing the season strong and placing people high in the district and advancing deep into the regionals as well.

“I feel like we’re going to take a lot of people to States, who will represent Annadale track,” said senior long distance runner Publio Agrafas. This year’s team has numerious standout athletes. Among these are Agrafas, seniors Mike Flint and Ashley Welch, and juniors Lauren Edwards, Elizabeth Gill and Ayoob Jan. As a four-year track runner, Flint has experienced a steady improvement in

Junior Elizabeth Gil practices the pole vault. Gil has set her own personal record this year with a vault of 8’6’’. She hopes to eclipse that mark in the district and regional tournaments so she can have a chance to compete in the state tournament in June.

came as a big surprise to everyone in the district.

However, this did not have an impact on the Atoms, who won the game.

The Atoms play May 6, 7, and 8 against West Springfield, Hayfield, and West Potomac. West Springfield and Hayfield are the number one and two teams in the Patriot District and West Potomac is an up-and-down team. The Atoms lost to both West Springfield and Hayfield in one run games and beat West Potomac in a close game.

“We were competitive with West Springfield, Hayfield, and West Potomac. If we play against those teams like we did against Robinson, weíll be beat them,” Coach Neave said.

This year the Atoms are losing four key seniors Hassas, Ogletree, Lindsey Grant, and Courtney Thieberger. “They are great players, individuals, and leaders. They’re also unselfish. That’s what we need to be successful,” said Coach Neave.

“We’re looking to improve every season. I want Annandale to be known as one of the best softball programs in Northern Virginia. To do this, we need to create a program, not a new team each year. We need to build from the ground up and be continuously refeeding,” said Coach Neave.

The Atoms play at home tonight against West Springfield, tomorrow against Hayfield, and conclude their regular season Thurs. vs. West Potomac, all games are at 7:00 p.m.

Tennis districts to begin

events. This year Flint is ranked as the No. 1 boys 800 meter runner in the region. At his lastest meet, Flint finish with the stellar time of 1:55.86., and he was follwed by Agrafas with a time of 2:01.37.

Jan is the team’s top pole vaulter and is respected by track coaches across the region. Gill, who is a returning regional competitor, has reached an amazing 8’6” in the pole vault this year.

Besides sprinting events, the Atom’s shotput squad has been competitive.

Dick Adams, the shotput and discus coach, has great expectations this year for senior Brian Park and junior Stephanie Kruse. Park has recorded a throw of 131’4” and Kruse has thrown for 92’11”. As well as giving strong performances, Park provides the necessary senior leadership for the uncoming district meet.

Junior shotputter Matt Komara said, “I feel that as the season progresses our team has a chance to be a top contendeder in the district.”

BOYS JV LACROSSE

JAVIER SANCHEZ-YOZA

Atoms come up big in 11-9 defeat of patior district rival Hayfield

ATOMIC ATHLETICS

The team struggled in a tough match against Robinson losing 1-8 with a win only from doubles team Mike Mahn and With Districts being held at West Spring- Andrew Menegat and also against T.C. field, juniors Braxton Koppelman and Kalid Williams with a 1-8 loss as well. Senior Ebhrahim will be competing in single and No. 4 Virak Kchao kept the team from doubles matches. Seniors Michael Nakamura getting sweeped with his singles win. and Virak Kchao will compete in the No. 2 The team got back on track with wins from Braxton, Kalid, Menegat, Mahn doubles position. and doubles partners Mahn and “I’m really looking Menegat as well as forward to competing Koppelman and in districts soon,”said Ebrahim. 6-3 win junior Braxton against Hayfield.

Koppelman. “I think “Considering we it should be really Considering we didn’t didn’t have a lot of challenging but at have a lot of time be- time because of the the same time it will cause of the weather our weather our record be a lot of fun.” Senior Virak Kchao was the record wasn’t too bad. wasn’t too bad. We only team member to We came in the No. 5 came in the No. 5 poin the Patriot get 2nd team All-Disposition in the Patriot sition District and we did trict for his 6-6 record.

District and we did better than Hayfield At the end of a rebetter than Hayfield and and Lake building season, the Atoms stepped it up Lake Braddock Braddock,” said coach Al Steppe. and finished with a Overall, the top respectable 4-8 dissix players records trict record. Ending were as follows, the season on a high No.1 Braxton note with wins from Koppelman 6-6, No. No. 1 junior Braxton 2 Kalid Ebrahim 3Koppelman, No. 2 Albert Steppe 9, No. 3 Michael junior Kalid Head Coach Nakamura 5-7, Ebhrahim, No. 3 seNo.4 Virak Kchao 6nior Michael Nakamura, No. 5 Andrew Menegat, No. 6 6, No. 5 Andrew Menegat 8-4 and No.6 Mike Mahn and the No. 3 doubles partners Mike Mahn 4-8. No. 1 doubles Braxton Nakamura and Virak Kchao, the team made and Kalid finished 1-11, No. 2 a lasting impression going out with a 6-3 win. Nakamura and Kchao finished 2-10 and “It was a really good ending to a pretty No. 3 doubles Menegat and Mahn findecent season,” said junior Braxon ished 3-9.

Results from the district matches Koppelman. “I was happy with how the team had come together for the last match and I were not available due to publishing hope that next season we have even more deadlines. team unity.”

BY LAUREN STERLACCI Staff Writer

“

Alex Wahl

Record: 3-2 Key Players: Katie Payne and Julia Ehrenfeld Result of last game: 5-3 win over West Springfield Next Game: Wednesday, @ Lake Braddock

GIRLS JV SOCCER

Maggie Purdon

Record: 2-3-4 Key Players: Sarah Sheehan, Natlie Gilbert Result of last game: 2-2 tie vs Lee High School Next Game: Today, 5:30 @ Hayfield

BOYS JV SOCCER

Christian Dominguez

Record: 5-0-2 Key Players: Konrad Hutt, Scott Anderson Result of last game: 3-2 win over Lee Next Game: Today, 5:30, vs.

Hayfield

JV BASEBALL

Alex Barker

Record: 5-7 Key PLayers: Tyler Wolverton, Josh Delpino, Tim Spicer Last game: 8-6 loss to T.C. Williams Next Game: 6:00 Wednesday, vs Hayfield

JV SOFTBALL

Erica Robey

Record: 4-7 Key Players: Kristi Johnson, Marisa Menezes Last game: 10-0 loss to Robinson Next Game: Wednesday, 5:00, @ Hayfield

18 ENTERTAINMENT ‘The slayer’ bites the dust the

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

ABLAST

COMING SOON

BY ALEJANDRO SALINAS Entertainment Editor

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALEJANDRO SALINAS

CAST Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zoey Deschanel.

SYNOPSIS Following a disturbing and violent fight at school, Lyle (Gordon-Levitt) is admitted to Northwoods Mental Institution. At Northwoods, Lyle must decide if he will allow his rage to rule his life, or if he is willing to find the source of his anger and work through it. Like all of the patients, he is on a painful journey of self-discovery that may ultimately save him from himself.

RELEASE DATE May 9

BRUCE ALMIGHTY

WRONG TURN

CAST Eliza Dushku, Jeremy Sisto SYNOPSIS A carload of six teens, including Dushku and Sisto, find themselves trapped in the woods of West Virginia, hunted down by cannibalistic mountain men grossly disfigured through generations of inbreeding.

RELEASE DATE May 30

CA2: FULL THROTTLE

After seven years of slaying demons, vampires and other sources of evil, Buffy will slay her last monster on May 20.

Buffy’s most memorable episodes

Episode: Prophecy Girl Season: One Synopsis: Buffy faces her first apocaliptic scenario when she goes up against “the Master” vampire. After drowning and dying for a couple of minutes, she is brought back to life by Xander who performs CPR on her.

Why is it memorable?: It marked all the firsts for the show: first season finale and the first time Buffy died.

Episode: Becoming Season: Two Synopsis: After experiencing a moment of true happiness, Angel, Buffy’s flame, loses his soul and turns evil.

Angel then decides to open a portal to hell, thus attempting to bring forth the apocalypse.

Why is it memorable?: Buffy loses everything; Angel is no longer part of her life; she’s expelled from school and charged of a crime; and kicked out of home.

Episode: Hush Season: Four Synopsis: A group of sinister monsters, known as The Gentlemen, arrive in town and steal everyone’s voices. With the town in a state of silent chaos, they proceed to murder people and steal their hearts Why is it memorable?: Undoubtedly, this episode (almost entirely silent) is one of Buffy’s scariest to date, combining classic horror with a pop-culture twist.

Episode: Once more, with feeling Season: Six Synopsis: After a demon arrives at Sunnydale, the town’s population begins to mysteriously break out in wonderful tunes. As the episode progresses, the songs get darker, revealing crucial secrets.

Why is it memorable?: It gave Whedon and the entire cast the opportunity to show off their acting skills as well as their hidden singing talents.

Episode: Conversations with dead people Season: Seven Synopsis: Buffy, Dawn, and Willow are visited by crucial figures from their past, who reveal vital information through extended conversations. These figures warn the characters about the dangers that are to come.

Why is it memorable?: It was the first episode in which Buffy’s final nemesis, The First Evil, was finally revealed.

The Stripes’ unstoppable ‘elephant’

BY ERIK ZOTTNICK Guest writer

CAST Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, Demi Moore.

SYNOPSIS The Angels investigate a series of murders that occur after the theft of a witness protection profile database. Their prime suspects? A “fallen angel” (Moore) and the Creepy Thin Man (Glover).

RELEASE DATE June 27

The Scoobies (Top) have prevented and escaped quite a few apocalyptic situations. Together, they even managed to make it through high school. Rogue slayer Faith and Buffy (above) share a troubling past that will reemerge in the series finale.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALEJANDRO SALINAS

CAST Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston.

SYNOPSIS Bruce Nolan (Carrey) is a television reporter in New York who is discontented with almost everything in life. At the end of the worst day in his life, Bruce angrily ridicules and rages against God. The Almighty responds appearing in human form and challenges Bruce to take on the big job and see if he can do it any better.

RELEASE DATE May 23

Maybe it’s the show’s title, which many find to be off-putting, or because the characters’ tribulations usually involve the occult and the supernatural, or simply because people refuse to believe that a show about a young woman fighting vampires, witches, werewolves, and demons can be capable or delivering more than a frivolous, teenage-oriented hour of television, let alone be one of the scariest, smartest, sexiest, wittiest shows after The Sopranos, but every time I mention Buffy the Vampire Slayer as being my favorite show, the reaction tends to be the same: a snooty giggle or guffaw followed by the infamous “what a loser” stare.

Have I ever been ashamed?

Never. Why be so of the coolest shows on television? It’s not everyday that you find a show that is both intelligent and genre-defying. Buffy’s fantasy themes not only allow the show to use elaborate metaphors for contemporary issues, but also to jump efficiently from drama to horror and comedy, and even lead to an entirely musical episode (the aptly entitled Once more, with feeling). But now, after seven seasons (five on The WB and two on UPN), the show that defined my teenage years will finally come to an end on May 20. On that Tuesday, Buffy Summers and the beloved, quirky self proclaimed Scooby gang (formed by lesbian witch and computer nerd Willow, demonologist Giles, socially aloof Anya, misfit prepubescent Dawn and simpleton, yet brave Xander) will finally

come face to face with the greatest evil, The First Evil, and (hopefully) slay it and claim victory for the last time.

How the season finale will conclude is difficult, if at all possible, to predict. After all, The genius creator and executive director behind the show, Joss Whedon, is known for his expert storytelling charged with adrenaline and heart-gripping drama. All that can be said about the finale is to expect the unexpected; including the return of Angel, Buffy’s first love, and once-rogue slayer Faith; the death of some main characters, and the best special effects the show has ever utilized.

“We’re gearing up to tell a fabulous, huge, great arc,” said Buffy’s incarnation, Sarah Michelle Gellar, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “It’s going to be pretty spectacular.”

While the possibility of a Buffy spin-off remains likely, any immediate project is not probable. However, rumors have spread across Internet sites, that the possibility of character cross-over from Buffy to Angel, the 1999 spin-off centered on the vampire with a soul, is high. Yet this would all depend on if The WB decides to pick the show for another season. In a recent Interview with USA Today , Whedon stated that while there is definitely room for a spin-off, his main focus is to bring the series to a logical conclusion. With so much uncertainty shrouding the Buffy universe, what is a geek...hmm...fan to do? Just wait and hope for the best. And if its any consolation, Whedon assures that the show will end with a bang.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALEJANDRO SALINAS

MANIC

“A seven-nation army couldn’t hold me back,” claims Jack White on the White Stripes’ new CD Elephant, and he’s right. He has an arsenal of 14 songs with a sonic assault of wailing guitars and pounding drumbeats.

Recorded in 2 weeks in London on primitive recording equipment (boasting no computers used in the entire process), the Stripes now have a more

CD cover for Elephant, The White Stripes’ latest album.

Zeppelinesque and bluesy sound than their previous album White Blood Cells.

With just Jack White as guitarist, piano, and lead singer, and Meg White on drums, this former husband and wife (or CD REVIEW brother and sisELEPHANT ter), have created a heavier sound than many bands today.

A PLEASER FOR Elephant beROCK&ROLL FANS. gins with a thumping bass line, by Jack, and heavy percussive drums, by Meg, on “Seven Nation Army” the album’s first single. It quickly builds into a crescendo of sloppy guitars and some slides as well, filtered through their unique “garage” sound.

The album has touches of old electric piano and stumbling melodies which make a clean sound seem shameful. Although this may not appeal to everyone, those to whom it does will appreciate it. Songs such as “Black Math,” “Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine,” and “I Just Don’t Know

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What To Do With Myself,” all are standouts with very strong riffs and wailing lyrics.

There are simple but clever lyrics such as, “Is there a way to find a cure for this implanted in a pill?/Is it just the name upon the bottle/That determines If it will?”

With all its heaviness, the album is also able to keep a loose approach and sensitivity in songs such as the “In the Cold, Cold, Night,” Meg White’s Jack and Meg White, the peculiar duo behind Elephant, one of singing debut, and this year’s best albums “Well It’s True That We Love One Another,” a folksy song Acorns” and “Ball and Biscuit,” which with Holly Golightly. In these songs may be quirky or unappealing to some.

Jack shows his versalitity through a However, these are just minor gripes wide variety of styles and ability as a compared with the content of all the composer. positive aspects.

A problem with the album has to be For those fans of garage rock, or just its blues and folk roots. This old style rock fans in general, this should please seems overbearing at times, almost noson all levels. While it is possible to not talgic, like a throwback, unnecessary at like this album, it would seem to be very its worst. There are titles such as “Little hard not to.

ENTERTAINMENT 19 X-2: a Hollywood ‘marvel’

the

ABLAST

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

HOROSCOPES

BY KATIE STANTON Entertainment Editor

“It is a comic book brought to life in every sense of the idea.”

It is the 4th highest grossing movie in its first weekend, ranking behind both Harry Potter movies and Spiderman: X-2: X-Men United, this movie starring the famous Marvel superheroes, may be one of the only sequels to truly be better than the original.

X-2 is a myriad of special effects and comic book references, intert w i n i n g smoothly for all the 134 minutes.

While it can get a little confusing for those not used to the Marvel way of doing things, providing the most accurate portrayal of the comics The

basic premise is that the special school for mutant children, run by Professor Charles Xavier (the lovingly bald Patrick Stewart), is invaded by a radical anti-mutant Congressman named William Stryker (Brian Cox). Some students are taken hostage while others are made fugitives, along with the professors/ freedom fighters, the X-Men. Stryker’s plan is to use Xavier’s brain and the machine called Cerebro, which keeps Xavier connected to all mutants, in order to destroy them.

Subplots include Magneto’s (Ian McKellen) escape from his prison and supposed alliance with the X-Men, Wo l v e r i n e ’s (Hugh Jackman) quest to discover his origins, and the love triangle between Wolverine, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) and Cyclops (James Marsden). It even covers Rogue (Anna thank-godshe-has-a-decent-part Paquin) and her new boyfriend Bobby, aka Iceman (Shawn Ashmore, unknown but surprisingly good), and their struggles to bypass a barrier created by opposing powers: he can, Wolverine’s quick reflexes and tormented soul demonstrate why Hugh Jackman (emotional, pissed off and attractive) is the perfect man for the part.

Rap and rock: opposites attract

BY KATIE STANTON Entertainment Editor Rap and rock may seem like polar opposites, but, surprisingly enough, it really is possible to like both at once. k-os While most people couldn’t imagine quality hip hop from Canada, k-os (pronounced exactly like “chaos”) redefines the genre.

He represents a revolution in the music industry, which, he has said, is not new, only suppressed: raw beats and thoughtful lyrics that promote intelligent thought, and the mixing of genres like rock, rap and Kevin Brereton, also known as the newreggae. It’s a new wave rapper k-os. spin for a musical era where fake images, flagrant wealth and overproduced (sometimes copied) beats equal musical genius. k-os, aka Kevin Brereton, uses acoustic hip hop and soul to take listeners away. He admits to a comfortable middle class upbringing in Toronto, yet uses it to explain his focus on music and not monetary success; he said, in an interview on BET.com, “It’s not my main goal to chase money, because I had some... what about the kids whose parents did come up and did make money in the ‘70s and ‘80s? That voice needs to be heard.”

Hot Hot Heat Canada offers another brilliant addition to the music industry on the opposite side of the spectrum: rock band Hot Hot Heat is the latest underground craze. Formed in 1999, HHH has developed a loyal following in the Canadian southwest. They have released four previous albums, but none have garnered the attention as that of their latest release, Knock Knock Knock. It takes the complexity and details of their previous works, and focuses on more melody and danceability. HHH names influences like The Cure and XTC, and other quirky bands that help their sound to synthesize in a unique way.

Hot Hot Heat Steve Bays, Paul Hawley, Dustin Hawthorne and Dante Decaro make up Hot Hot Heat, currently on tour; their last US tour was during the summer, and they have been touring in Europe.

Their first release was a four song 7” in 2000, and their first full length CD, Scenes One Through Thirteen, was released in 2001.

If today is your birthday: Although on the outside you seem very quiet and observant, there is more complexity underneath the surface. As a Taurus you appreciate beauty in all things, especially nature; as an Earth sign you are sensible and grounded.

Remember to let yourself go once in a while, since not all of life is about being sensible all the time.

Lucky numbers: 4, 11, 12.

A display of Pyro’s “fiery” temper; Aaron Stanford plays a mutant student who can manipulate fire, who is struggling with whether or not to be a good guy or a bad guy.

if you couldn’t figure it out, create ice and make things cold, while she creates unimaginable pain in every living thing she touches. A struggle for teenagers hopelessly in puppy love, for sure.

By far one of the best parts of the movie, however, comes in the very beginning. A new character has been added to the X-Men, the hopelessly optimistic and admirably devout Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming), a former Munich circus sideshow freak. The movie’s opening scene is in the White House; within 10 minutes of showtime, Nightcrawler (who teleports, moving in a vague black mist) is attacking Secret Service men in an awesome display of computerenhanced prowess. This scene also contains one of the most memorable lines: as Nightcrawler runs down one hall from guns and suits, he vanishes and teleports into the next hall. A man shouts into a walkie-talkie, “We have multiple intruders!”

Some disappointment came from one of the final fight scenes between Wolverine and his “sister,” a creation of Stryker’s. They share a similar ability, yet her moves looked awkward and, despite the good choreography, discredited the scene. One almost wished the female could have grown into a dynamic counterpart of Wolverine’s, creating yet another

strand of plot.

Also the end, which will not be told here but is probably known to everyone by now, leaves the audience wondering what exactly happened.

It breaks one of the classic laws of the movie experience: someone important cannot be lost.

It is a comic book brought to life in every sense of the idea, from the somewhat cheesy script to the costumes and special powers. Yet it does bring up human issues and moral questions, something MOVIE REVIEW which creator X-2: X-MEN UNITED Stan Lee is great at including. Lessons in equal rights and A FEW DISSAPOINTING discriminaSCENES, BUT OVERALL A WORTHY tion come REMAKE OF THE from the COMIC CLASSIC. prejudice between mutants and humans; it even proffers the “coming out” of a mutant son to his human parents, and the unnecessary bigotry it can cause.

Admittedly, X-2 does not take a lot of deep thinking; though ostensibly complicated, it is merely the combination of lots of little stories becoming one. It remains faithful to its roots, combining romance, action and graphics in classic Hollywood style.

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Great music goes On and On

BY KATIE STANTON Entertainment Editor If music can truly fit a season, Jack Johnson is the epitome of summer. His lazy guitar chords remind the listener of lounging in the sun without a care. Sound like heaven?

It very well may be.

Only one negative thing can be said about Johnson’s latest release On and On, out today (May 6): the same style of music can get old.

Johnson’s sophomore album keeps to the same forCD REVIEW mula as JACK JOHNSON his first, and unless it is really your favorite music, POINTS FOR JOHNSON’S it can feel LAID-BACK, SURFER repetitive.

STYLE, BUT IT CAN GET OLD WHEN HEARD OVER D e AND OVER AGAIN. spite this, Johnson’s success is ensured. The 20something Hawaii native (born on the North Shore of Oahu) draws influences from everything from Bob Marley to Radiohead to G. Love and Special Sauce. He combines it into a funky acoustic sound with reggae appeal, pulling the listener into a

B+

dream of Hawaii surf with a pleasant soundtrack.

Johnson collaborates with the same talented crew from Brushfire Fairytales: Adam Topol on percussion and Merlo Podlewski on bass. They also have some unusual influences; Podlewski is into hip hop and rock (his projects include Ben Lee and instrumental hip hop beats called Tropikal), and Topol studied in California and recorded and studied in Cuba. The listener can hear the musical allusions, and although in theory they seem awkward, they work together better than expected.

On and On, produced by Mario Caldato Jr., was recorded at the Mango Tree in Hawaii. It’s first single and music video is track two, “The Horizon Has Been Defeated,” one of the faster songs on the album. Obvious reggae beats underscore heavy bass and one of the few times Johnson uses electric guitar; its philosophical lyrics (“Future complications/and the strings between the cans/but no prints can come from fingers/if machines become our hands”) sound almost nonsensical.

Other key songs are “Taylor,” chronicling the life of a destitute teenage girl, and “Dreams Be

Dreams,” a simply beautiful work.

Johnson has also released September Sessions, the soundtrack to his surf film by the same name, which includes some songs from Brushfire Fairytales. This and On and On is under Moonshine Conspiracy Records, a division of The Moonshine Conspiracy (TMC), Johnson’s film label.

Johnson will be in VA on June 16 with Ben Harper, at the Harbor Center in Norfolk.

Shoot, shoot, shoot. Attack, attack, attack. These same combinations are repeated infinitely in Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II for the Xbox. While repetitive, PSO is one of the most addictive and engaging videogames available online.

An RPG that (ironically) includes no truly coherent story, PSO is meant to be played online via Xbox Live! and the mandatory Hunter’s License with hundreds, even thousands of others.

Repetition thrives as each player, or hunter, works in groups of up to four to find red boxes (rare items) and level his/her character up; however, this never ceases to entertain.

Players can chat with each other via the Xbox Live! headset as they trek through one of eight dungeons.

The game play is identical to the Dreamcast predecessor and Gamecube counterpart in every respect except voice chat. Basically, a player creates a character, custom-

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Look to old friends and family to keep your head on straight. You can usually see the good side in everyone, but someone you know all too well just might honestly be a bad person. Give them the boot. Consider yourself lucky if you know an Aquarius.

Gemini (May 21- June 21) If your beau has been a little out of sorts, don’t take it personally. They mean the best, even if they snap at you sometimes. Stay committed to what you really care about; a Capricorn drives you crazy for the wrong reasons.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) You’ve tried, but you feel like you could accomplish so much if you just had more. Big purchases may mean the world to you, but keep it in perspective. Your friends are trying to tell you something, even if they don’t know how. A fellow Cancer will distract you.

Leo (July 23-August 22) If you’ve been a little self critical lately, stop it already. The only thing wrong with you is that you think too much. Trouble with your love life could have consequences, but you control what’s going on here. A Sagittarius provides an unexpected example.

Virgo (August 23-Sept. 22) You like everything to be in its place, including you. If you’ve felt like you don’t belong lately, focus on getting ready for your future. You might as well provide for getting out of here, if that’s what you really want to do. You have more luck than you think; a Gemini will tell you something you already know.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Nobody likes a tattletale, but nobody likes to be screwed over either. Use your instincts to decide what you should do about a troubling situation. If it’s more trouble than it’s worth, don’t bother; if it means something to you, fight with all you’ve got. Support comes from a Taurus.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Generosity comes in more than one form. Keep track of your obligations and pay back any loans; remaining blameless means remaining safe. But remember, you also have an obligation to yourself. Don’t be irrational. Seek advice from a Virgo.

Jack Johnson, surfer, videographer and musician, performs in Berkeley, California in 2002. He’ll be playing in Norfolk in mid-June.

PSO is a gameplay “fantasy”

BY PHILIPPE PODHORECKI Co-Editor in Chief

Aries (March 21-April 19) You’ve been a little moody lately, but so far avoiding others has seemed to keep everything cool. Let someone help you for once. If a friend seems like they’re not totally committed, they’re probably not. You will meet (or might have already met) an influential Leo.

izes all the aesthetics, and then bein the harder modes, players can gins the endless quest to discover more frequently find rare items and new weapons or armor and achieve gain more experience points for each the seemingly unattainable level 200. enemy killed—vital to leveling the Characters run through dungeons character up. consisting of two to three stages, each For audio and visuals the game culminating in a giant is a mixed bag. The graphics for Epiboss fight. Episode II sode I’s portion continues the quest look almost to discover why a identical to the WITH Dreamcast and previous expedition onto the are filled with clipplanet ping and horrible draw Ragol in. During multiplayer went offline with just two Philippe Podhorecki wrong. people, entire portions Co-Editor in-Chief T h e of the map can’t be seen. enemies are much harder and the Episode II is completely different: level designs much more complex. levels are much more lush and filled Simplicity is the game’s strong with detail, but still suffer from slowpoint. Chatting with a group of three down problems. The music gets old guys makes the repetition seem rewith the hours of gameplay the game freshing and exciting no matter how deserves. many treks through each stage. CoPSO is an awesome experience ordination and teamwork are essenfor anyone with Xbox Live!, since it tial. is also required to play offline too. The Each of four difficulty levels ranghours of fun the game may entail is ing from normal to ultimate provides up to you, but it will surely outlast an adequate challenge. By playing most anything else available.

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HUN HIL

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You appreciate cleanliness in all things except those that mean the most. Make it your mission to straighten out your life. A newfound love may mean more to you than you feel comfortable with; be careful who you trust. A Pisces needs some time apart.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) A big decision has either been made or is weighing on your mind. You want to make up for missed opportunities. An upcoming event has you anticipating a good time; don’t be afraid to make that happen, even if the people around you are not as happy. An Aries will help you out.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You are nothing but satisfied lately; everything seems to be going right.

Don’t look for something to go wrong, because it’s not often that this kind of good fortune comes along. Stay blind to whatever doesn’t make you happy, and find a Libra who shares your point of view.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Something doesn’t make sense to you, but it may be better if you don’t find out. Don’t be ashamed of your heritage; stand strong in the face of adversity.

Admitting the truth is hard, but sometimes necessary. A Scorpio will do something unexpected.

20 WEEKEND

Big screen scenes in D.C.

WEEKEND UPDATE 2001 • Collateral Damage • Minority Report • Spy Game • The Sum of All Fears

2000 • Along Came a Spider • Hannibal • Traffic

1999 • Hollow Man • The Replacements • Rules of Engagement • Thirteen Days

1998 • Arlington Road • The X-Files • Enemy of the State • Tom Clancy’s Netforce 1997 • Armageddon

• Mercury Rising • Species II • Deep Impact

1996 • Absolute Power • Mars Attacks!

• Murder at 1600 • My Fellow Americans • The People vs. Larry Flynt • Air Force One • Contact • G.I Jane • The Jackal • Kiss the Girls

The Exorcist Based on the bestselling novel

by William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist has become a popular classic horror movie set in Georgetown. The movie stars Linda Blair as a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil. Since its appearance in 1974, the movie has been recreated several times.

However, each recreation has retained the original special effects that are characteristic of the movie.

The Exorcist features several scenes from sites in the Washington Metro Area such as the Key Bridge, Georgetown University, the Dahlgren Chapel and a bridge over the C & 0 Canal. One of the most memorable scenes from the movie, in which the exorcist hurtles to his death, was filmed on the 75 steps at Prospect and 36th streets that lead down to M Street in Georgetown.

The house at the top located

• First Kid • Eraser • Independence Day • The Long Kiss Goodnight • The Net • Nixon • A Perfect Candidate

• The Firm • Guarding Tess • The Next Karate Kid • Patriot Games • The Pelican Brief • Quiz Show • Timecop • True Lies

1992 • Dave • In the Line of Fire • Majority Rule • Meteor Man • Running Mates

1991 • A Few Good Men • JFK — http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-srv/ stylelongterm/movies/ features/dcmovies/ dcfilms.htm

UPCOMING CONCERTS —Friday, May 9– Fleetwood Mac @ MCI Center $49.50 —Friday, May 9– Boy Sets Fire w/ The Hope Conspiracy & Vaux @ 9:30 Club —Monday, May 12– Avril Lavigne @ Patriot Center $35.00

The priest stands in front of a house located at Prospect and 36th streets in Georgetown where it was filmed in the original 1974 version of The Exorcist. In the movie, the exorcist hurtles down a nearby staircase to his death.

main floor at Union Station. At the other end of the station a huge 30-foot replica of a dinosaur skeleton, “Tyrannosaurus Sue,” the largest dinosaur ever found, which was also featured in the background behind Hannibal Lecter as he is talking to Clarice on his cell phone.

Several other scenes from the movie were filmed in Richmond, Virginia. Among the key scenes that were filmed there was the shoot-out where Clarice and her FBI cohorts attempt to apprehend a lethal gangster in the middle of a crowded fish market.

on 3600 Prospect Street, is also featured in many scenes. In addition, the cardinal’s office in the film is actually the office of the president of Georgetown University.

Hannibal Adapted from Thomas Harris’s gruesome novel, Hannibal is the sequel to Silence of the Lambs. In this chapter, FBI agent Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore) finds herself haunted by her cannibalistic nemesis once again, Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins).

Some scenes from the movie were filmed in Union Station, which serves as both a major transportation hub and popular shopping plaza. For this scene, the producers insisted that a carousel be present so they imported a carousel and reassembled it at one end of the

In the romantic, yet political film, The American President, Michael Douglas stars as a widow who falls for a lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Benning) and happens to also be a single-parent and President of the United States.

Since the story concentrates on the everyday life of the President, many scenes from the movie were shot in Washington, D.C. Of course, there are several outside scenes of the White House, Capitol,

and landmarks such as the Washington Monument.

However, the Cato Institute located on 1000 Massachusetts Ave., NW is shown in the movie as the GDC building where Sydney Ellen Wade worked.

In addition, the Greenworks Florist in the Willard Hotel on 1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW is shown twice when Michael

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington After almost 60 years this movie still gives the perfect picture of political corruption in

Washington. Mr. Smith, played

by Jimmy Stewart, is an “average Joe” who goes to the capital to make a difference, but instead encounters crooked politicians who are willing to do anything to stay on top.

The D.C. landscape gets a lot of screen time in this movie.

From Union Station, to the Capitol, to Arlington National Cemetery, Mr. Smith sees it all and finds true inspiration. This inspiration drives him to take on the corrupt politicians.

This film premise is quite common today, but when it was released in 1939 it caused an uproar among both journalists and politicians who were both made to look bad by director Frank Capra.

The American public, however, had no qualms with the story line and flocked to the

theatres by the thousands. The movie received 11 Oscar nominations, but lost in Best Picture to Gone with the Wind.

In the Line of Fire Delving into the covert realm of the secret service, In the Line of Fire stars the critically acclaimed actor Clint Eastwood as a veteran undercover agent.

Eastwood plays haunted by a blemish that cost a president’s life. Agent Frank Horrigan is assigned to duty to protect the president from a prowling assassin.

With John Malkovich as the eerie yet brilliant assassin and Clint Eastwood as the intrepid civil servant, In the Line of Fire dually captivates the beauty of the nation’s capital as well as the viewer’s attention.

In the Line of Fire flaunts the aesthetic beauty and radiance of Washington, D.C. Various scenes take place near the Washington Monument, the Capitol, and the White House.

The action-packed car chase scene runs right on the rooftops and the numerous streets of D.C. Even the director Al D’Andrea commented on the

D.C. Forrest Gump overcomes his near mental-retardation to live a life full of success and joy.

All the President’s Men From the Watergate Hotel to the White House, All the President’s Men tells a story that is just as riveting now as it was 20 years ago. It’s the story of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, played by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, during the Watergate scandal.

Woodward and Bernstein helped the Post win a Pulitzer by uncovering the infamous Watergate break-in, which eventually led to Nixon’s resignation in 1974.

The movie, based on the book of the same name by Woodward and Bernstein, was nominated for best picture, but lost to Rocky.

This movie is critically acclaimed as the best piece on the Watergate scandal.

All the President’s Men Bob Woodward played by Robert Redford, talks to Carl Bernstein, played by Dustin Hoffman, in this successful drama that tells the story of the Watergate scandal. This movie was filmed all around Washington, D.C.

PHOTOS IN THIS STORY TAKEN FROM HTTP://WWW. WASHINGTONPOST. COM/WP-SRV/S TYLELONGTERM/MOVIES/FEATURES/DCMOVIES/DCFILMS.HTM

‘Daughter’ filled with intrigue and humor

BY PHILIPPE PODHORECKI Co-Editor in Chief

—Friday, May 16– Lil Kim @ Dream —Friday, May 16– Matchbox Twenty w/ Sugar Ray & Maroon 5 @ MCI Center $40.00 —Monday, May 19– Kottonmouth Kings, Zebrahead, & Riddlin’ Kids @ The Recher Theatre $20.00 —Thursday, May 22– Musiq w/ Jaguar Wright & Afires @ 9:30 Club —Saturday, May 24– HFStival 2003 @ RFK Stadium $39.00 —Friday, May 30– 2 Skinnee J’s @ 9:30 Club —Wednesday, June 4– Michelle Branch @ 9:30 Club

Douglas attempts to order his date flowers. On an interesting side note, according to a number of people in the White House press office, none of the actual filming took place inside the President’s home at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. However, the director, Rob Reiner, did make a few visits to help in creating replicas of the China Room (Dish Room), Oval Office, and press room to feature in the movie.

The American President

1994

1993

Forrest Gump In 1994, Forrest Gump was named Best Picture, took in the fifth most money in the Box office ever, and made its way onto the American Film Institute’s 100 greatest movies. Tom Hanks plays Forrest Gump in an inspiring story about a man with a low IQ, a good nature and incredible luck. In his visits to Washington he met Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon. These scenes in the movie were done incredibly through computer graphics so that Forrest actually interacts with the Presidents.

In one scene Forrest takes a dip in the Reflecting Pool during an anti-Vietnam rally. This scene was done with over 700 extras placed around the pool and filmed in different locations. This amazing piece of flimwork is only one of many scences filmed in

BY CAMERON KYNES AND KATHARINE KISHIYAMA Weekend Editors

1995

• The American President • Clear and Present Danger • The Enemy Within • Forrest Gump • National Lampoon’s Senior Trip

shooting choice, he said, “This town is so confusing.”

Over the years, many films have featured historical D.C. sites. Check out these famous filmmaking hot spots.

To end a year filled with humor and enlightenment, the Arena Stage chose American Daughter as the final play for the season—and what a finale.

Graced with a superb script and exquisite acting, the commentary on life, politics and society are expressed vividly.

The premise of the play follows Lyssa Dent Hughes, just nominated by the president for surgeon general. Her father, a senator from Indiana, played brilliantly by Robert Prosky, raised her alone since she was 14.

Other characters include an African-American Jewish doctor friend of hers who is going through a mid-life crisis and provides the witty sarcasm towards others for lightening up the stage.

Marrow, an African-American gay man who formerly wrote for

The Washington Post provides for the extreme counterpart to Lyssa’s husband, an author and intellectual.

Most importantly however, is the antithesis of Lyssa, a young feminist by the name of Quincy Quince (yes that is her real name) who takes the opposite position on most all facets of politics. The plot thickens around an argument between Lyssa and Marrow in front of a journalist. During the argument, it is discovered that Lyssa avoided jury duty, which is then exploded into “jurygate.”

Stage design and direction are possibly the best yet at Arena Stage, as the simple design takes use of not only the center stage area, but also uses the entrance halls. The entire play takes place in the living room of Lyssa’s house, which surprisingly never gets boring.

The play creates a thought-

provoking commentary on life and the troubles people face in both the public and private eye.

Saddening to a degree, the excitement never ceases, nor do the surprises.

With such colorful and wellacted characters, the somewhat complicated actions never bore.

However, many of the jokes and commentaries are based around middle-aged America or those deep into the political spectrum, possibly alienating those that don’t fit into these groups themselves.

The messages and humor still comes across well, marking the end to an exquisite season of theater. American Daughter, written by Wendy Wasserstein, and directed by Molly Smith is perhaps the best show performed this year. It is being performed at the Fichandler at Arena Stage until June 1.

COURTESTY OF ARENA STAGE

OTHER MOVIES FILMED IN DC

ABLAST

the

TUES. MAY 6, 2003

Lyssa Dent Hughes and her father, Senator Alan Hughes, hug after a disasterous interview with journalist Timber Tucker that creates turmoil amid her nomination for surgeon general.