Issue 12

8

Arts examines the songwriting process

10-11

InDepth

A

BY CJ AFTERGUT Co-Editor in Chief Winning a state championship is tough enough within itself, but winning multiple titles is a challenging feat for any athlete. For junior Ahmed Bile, however, such a task has been customary, as Bile has won three state titles in just as many consecutive seasons this year.

On the heels of Northern Region victories in the 4x100 meter relay and 1600 and 800 meter individual events, Bile took to the track once again to compete in both the 1600 and 800. With added pressure from his phenomenal indoor season performance, Bile spent the week before practicing as he would for almost any other meet to cut down on his nerves.

“I was really nervous [before the regional meet] because I was the favorite going into [the 1600],” Bile said. “I was also really confident though, because I knew I was in good shape.”

This confidence was well-founded, as Bile defeated Grassfield’s Jeremy Greenwald by 1.43 seconds to win the 1600 in a personal best of 4:09.48. “[Winning the 1600] was a relief,” he said. “I collapsed after the race and people had to help me up. Coach O’Hara even had to help take my shoes off.”

“The mile just obliterated me,” Bile added. “I came out a little too slow in my mile, so the second half of the race was so much faster.”

Due to his slow start, Bile was forced to close the gap in the second half of the race, running the second 800 in 1:59, approximately 11 seconds faster than his first.

Visit www.thea-blast.org for the entire story on Bile’s state finishes and preparation for nationals.

provides AHS with an inside look at seniors’ college choices

Informiing the Atoms siince 1954 4

WEDNESDAY JUNE 8, 2011

(703) 642-4229

Proposal seeks changes to Flex

VICTORY

Group of teachers considers options to alter concept of Flex before fall

BY DANIEL PARK Editorials Editor

Both the boys track and field and lacrosse teams excelled in state competition, which was held this past weekend. Senior Stephen Craig (above) and the rest of the lacrosse team advanced to the second round of the state tournament, defeating EC Glass 13-9. The team will take on two-time defending State Champion Langley tonight. Junior Ahmed Bile was named State Champion in the 1600 meter race, receiving his third state title and propelling the team to a fifth place finish overall. Visit www.thea-blast.org for full coverage.

A committee of teachers, counselors and administrators has made a proposal to change Flex next year. Although nothing is finalized, these proposed changes include having a 30-minute W4 class, followed by an hour-long period called “Atom Time” that would function similarly to Flex.

W4 would be a 30-minute class during which teachers would conduct all of the activities that would normally take up W2 time on White Days, such as morning announcements, the SR&R video and the Pledge of Allegiance. W4 would be implemented by the 2nd or 3rd week of school.

The proposal states that during W4 students would go to their assigned classes. The W4 class would be comprised of 15-18 students, based on last names and grade levels.

According to the committee, the addition of a permanent class assignment that lasts all four years will offer a little more stability to the Flex schedule.

Under Atom Time, the student body will be separated into three groups: Atoms in Good Standing (students whose grades are Cs and above with no unexcused absences, excessive tardies, or behavior conflicts), Atoms not in Good Standing (students with Cs or higher, but who may have “Flex” continues on page 5

Lax to take on Langely tonight Team looks to strong offense in rematch with defending champions

BY DAVID HOOKEY Retiring Co-Editor in Chief

EMMA BARKER

The varsity boys lacrosse team finds themselves in an eerily familiar place. They are in the semi-final game, playing Langley with a chance of squaring off against Chantilly in the title game. The Atoms went through this just two weeks ago in the Northern Region Tournament and will do so again tonight at 5 p.m. at Westfield.

“Anytime you have a rematch, you’re going to have teams that will have done their homework,” Head Coach Bill Maglisceau said. “There’s going to be things that they’ll want to fix and things that we’ll have to fix. Hopefully, we have the means to stop whatever they’re going to do.”

In the first meeting, the Atoms came out on top, 12-8.

They used a strong offensive effort in the first quarter and solid defense the rest of the way to secure the victory. It can be assumed that one of Langley’s top priorities in this game will be to shut down senior Nathan Miller. In the regional game, Miller exploded for five first quarter goals before Langley finally began to double team him. Meanwhile, the Atoms will have to adjust to Langley’s defense, as they were able to score just five goals after the first quarter. “[The offensive strategy will be to] move the ball and to move off the ball,” Maglisceau said. “If we try to dodge into slides, that could get us in trouble. We want their defense to guess a little more.”

The Langley defense is a very strong unit that features an All-American defenseman in Brendan Dwyer, a first “Lacrosse” continues on page 5

Sports physicals at AHS

National Honor Society is still looking for a sponsor for the 20112012 school year. Teachers and parents that are interested in running the society can contact incumbent President Carolyn Hartley at Carolyn_Hartley@ hotmail.com or counselor and current sponsor Cliff Hickman at Cliff.Hickman@fcps.edu.

looks ahead to the end of school with a calendar of summer activities

4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003

All VHSL athletes will be required to attend a concussion education course prior to participating in sports next year. The course must be attended by the athlete and at least one parent and will cover the dangers, symptoms and signs of concussions, in addition to how to treat the injury. The course will last approximately 20-30 minutes and must be attended annually.

For more information, visit www. fcps.edu/sports.

NHS Sponsor still needed

Entertainment

ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL

Concussion course now required for athletes

AHS will be holding sports physicals for the 2011-2012 school year from 6-8 p.m. on June 14.

Pre-registration costs $40 and all proceeds go towards the funding of athletic training supplies.

Volunteers are also needed for the event, and help from MDs, DOs, NPs and PA-Cs is especially needed. To register for a physical or to sign up to volunteer, go to www.fcps.edu/sports and click on “VHSL Sports Physicals for 20112012.” Contact the athletic trainers at (703) 642-4181 or e-mail alison. lane@fcps.edu with questions.

19

College

explores teachers’ bad dating experiences and has tips to personalize your room

COURTESY OF BRIAR CREEK PHOTOGRAPHY

Bile wins states, looks to nationals

16-17

Lifestyles

Investigates the evolution of the “Modern

the VOLUME #56 ISSUE 12

14-15

Key faculty set to retire Principal, Activities Director, Athletics Director, Department Chair among those leaving

BY ANNIE CURRAN AND NASIHA RASHID Co-Editor in Chief and News Editor As the school year comes to a close, seniors are not the only ones preparing to say goodbye to AHS forever. Teachers from all departments are retiring, resigning and transferring. All of the faculty members who are leaving will be honored at the final faculty luncheon on June 21. Although retirement is common at the end of every school year, this year AHS is losing key administration officials and teachers, including Principal John Ponton, Director of Student Services Steve Sengstack, Director of Activities Angelo Hilios, English Department Chair Augustine Twyman and math teachers Bruce and Judy Fisher.

Ponton said. “I was sort of torn. At that point I had Principal Reflects on Career Ponton e-mailed the AHS community on only been in education for a few years, so there was January 13 to announce his departure. “As an a lot I had to learn.”

After serving as a social studies teacher and a educator, my work isn’t done until the very last JV basketball coach for six years, he was hired as student ‘crosses the finish line’,” Ponton said.

He discovered his passion for teaching when he the varsity basketball coach and a social studies teacher at Stuart HS. Ponton worked at was in high school, after working as a Stuart for 19 years, the last four as an camp counselor for under-privileged assistant principal. Before he became an kids and serving as a boys club team administrator, he began participating baseball coach. in a cohort program for education at Ponton credits many of his teachers George Mason University. for inspiring him to go into the field of “The unique thing about it is, all the education. “Some of the teachers I had classes were taught by Fairfax people, in high school really enjoyed what they and so you got to network and meet were doing and really had fun being a people along the way,” Ponton said teacher. All of those things drew me After completing the two-year into the career,” Ponton said.

John Ponton program, he received a Masters Ponton began teaching straight out degree and was endorsed to become an of college in the D.C. school system and transferred to Marshall HS three years later. administrator. Ponton was promoted to assistant “Early in my career, as far back as Marshall, principal of Stuart before completing the program.

“It was just a point where I felt like I had taught I had contemplated administration, but I also wanted to become a varsity basketball coach,” “Retirement” continues on page 5

2 Is a good college education necessary for success?

“Yes, it is an extremely important experience.”

—Kyle Peich freshman

“No, because some athletes do not go to college.”

—Hung Truong sophomore

“Yes! I plan on going to college.”

—Tyler Miller junior

“Yes, because it helps you get jobs and bank.”

—Alex Alvez junior

“No, I plan on going to plumber school.”

—Kardo Omerbell junior “Yes, college gives great opportunities in life.”

EDITORIALS Revisiting AHS redistricting

June 8, 2011

PTSA President responds to boundary changes

BY EMILY SLOUGH Special to the A-Blast You may be thinking any (or several) of the following things right now regarding the potential boundary changes: (1) I don’t care; (2) Oh no! I’m a freshman and this means I/my friends might get moved junior year; (3) this is so complicated – I can’t begin to understand it; (4) “BOOST.” There are still cookies left at D Lunch! or (5) nothing I say or do is going to make a difference, so why bother? I am always happy about cookies myself. As to the other thoughts: it’s not that complicated, and you do have a say.

Anyhow – in case it somehow escaped your notice, AHS is overcrowded. We have 2539 now and are told we’ll have 2704 students by 2016.

The goal is to get that number down to 2350 or fewer students; therefore, the community has been given 4 possible solutions to consider. If you don’t know what they are, you really should look them up. But basically, if you live in the Bren Mar Park ES, Wakefield Forest ES or Parklawn ES attendance areas – you/your neighborhood could be redistricted. You should also understand that the “non-boundary option” means taking 9th grade out of AHS, and having all 6th-7th grade students attend Holmes and all 8th-9th grade students attend Poe. I’ve looked at all four proposals closely and here’s my take: none of them will “fix” the problem (result in long-term relief for our school and/or our region). If what they (FCPS staff) are saying about the future is true (that the number of students at AHS and most schools in our region will just keep going up), then it is likely we will be back at the drawing table in 3-6 years due to our own overcrowding or that in neighboring schools (Stuart HS, Glasgow MS, Jackson MS). Building additions or even another school (MS or HS) may be deemed necessary.

So – given all that, what do I think is the right solution? That is a terribly loaded question.

My kids have friends who live in just about every part of our attendance area; the thought of losing any student who wants to be at this school is heart-breaking, but we must lose some students. To that end, I have two preferences.

The PTSA is considering four proposals to change AHS boundaries. The boundary changes will decide who attends AHS. 1- Wakefield Chapel, 2- Parklawn, 3- Bren Mar East, 4- Bren Mar West.

Although I don’t like the idea of removing 9th grade from AHS, I do like the “non-boundary” option for a variety of reasons, and many families with young children prefer it over any other option because it preserves our community.

Opinions of these families should get some weight because many of us (current students and families) would likely be unaffected by this change; as long as no boundary shifts occur

“

AHS will continue to be the wonderful school it has been for us all.

- Emily Slough

”

with this option, each student in the building as of this coming fall should get to graduate from AHS. There is much resistance to this idea (from FCPS staff, School Board, some parents), however, because it is “too different.”

If a non boundary solution is not viable, then boundary changes with only generous “grandfathering” that would allow every student who is in the building as of this fall to remain until graduation. Since we are likely to revisit all of this in a few years, I don’t think we

have to take a huge number of students out of AHS now.

There is much discussion about the impact of boundary changes and it is true that many programs and activities at AHS could be hit pretty hard. At this point, I suggest the following: we need to figure out how to start working on a new reality here at AHS, no matter what happens.

AHS is always in a state of change – whether boundaries shift or not – so it is important to consider what kind of school you want and how to achieve it and maintain it in light of that change. Having a school with a wide variety of options (advanced academics, sports, and activities) is an American tradition and it helps attract families and students to any school, but there must be participants to keep those opportunities alive, and there have to be parents willing to provide support. We can encourage each other to try new things.

Here’s the bottom line: as long as we each –whether student, administrator, parent, teacher or coach – choose to bring our very best efforts to this place, then AHS will continue to be the wonderful school it has been for us all.

I welcome questions! Please feel free to contact me at ahsptsa2010@hotmail.com.

Does knowledge depend on college?

An elite education helps, but is not necessary for success

BY DANIEL PARK Editorials Editor

“Duh, it’s how you succeed in life!”

— Ebonie Mclaurie senior

“Not necessarily, people who are musicians do not always attend school at a college.”

—Russell Kee Guitar Teacher

CORRECTIONS

Bill Gates. Barack Obama. Mark Zuckerberg.

Conan O’Brien. Natalie Portman. What do all of these successful and famous people have in common? They all attended Harvard University.

In today’s society, there is a greater stress on education, especially in the fields of math and science. College and graduate school are obviously huge steps in life, but how necessary are they to succeed?

William Deresiewics, author of “The Disadvantages of an Elite Education” and a Yale and Columbia University alumnus states he has fallen into “Ivy Retardation” and described the symptoms that constituate it.

The first disadvantage was that he was unable to shake off the elitism of an Ivy League School. He states, “my education taught me to believe that people who didn’t go to an Ivy League or equivalent school weren’t worth talking to.”

The second disadvantage is that an Ivy League degree gives you a false sense of selfworth. Yes, you have a fancy degree from Harvard, but what do you really know? People that tend to focus too hard on the numbers aspect of college (The SATs, SAT IIs, ACT, GPA) tend to start identifying themselves with the numbers, which do not show a person’s value.

Finally, the third disadvantage of an elite education is that in some cases it is antiintellectual. There is more to intelligence than simply doing homework. Elite education tends

to blur the line between making minds and making careers.

The most important thing to know is that

“

A degree from an Ivy League School does not make you set for life.

“

—Sergio Moya junior

a degree from an Ivy League School does not make you set for life. A degree from an elite college is no way indicative of the success that may follow after college.

In fact, sometimes an Ivy League education is not the best for a real world situation.

Elite colleges such as Stanford, MIT and the Ivy League schools will obviously make

your resume stand out from others, but how important is it to getting a job, and getting a paycheck? Surprisingly, Harvey Mudd College has been dominating the leaderboards in terms of median salary over the Ivy league and many other prestigious colleges.

There are several “miracle” stories of a man with a lower education standing up to the elites and winning. Such tales have inspired movies such as “The Blind Side” and “The Pursuit of Happyness.” Still, the fact remains that education from an elite college will greatly facilitate your chances in the world in the future wand should be every student’s goal.

Vol. 56, Issue 11:

Staff

––Junior Marrisa Uriarte was pictured as junior Troy Callahan.

Questions, comments, or ideas for the editors?

E-mail the editors at: ablast.editorials@gmail.com

Go to www.thea-blast.org to read about the new Flex changes.

Annandale High School Vol. 56 No.12 4700 Medford Dr. June 8, 2011 Annandale, Virginia 22003 phone: (703) 642-4229 email: theablast@gmail.com fax: (703) 642-4299

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

Published every three weeks, The A-Blast will not print any material that is obscene or libelous; or that which substantially disrupts the school day, or invades an individual’s right to privacy. The A-Blast is an independent, open forum for discussion that is printed at the Springfield Plant of The Washington Post. Signed letters to the editor of 250 words or less may be submitted to room 262 or mailed to the school. The A-Blast reserves the right to refuse advertisements. All submissions become property of The A-Blast, Copyright, 2011.

EDITORIALS Finals should be more creative

June 8, 2011

Finals given as standardized tests are not always effective

QUOTE COLLECTION RESPONSES Last issue, The A-Blast asked for your opinion on a certain question. Here is the opinion of a certain reader to the following question:

NOAH FITZGEREL

BY THE A-BLAST STAFF Most would agree that 120 minutes is not a lot of time, especially when compared to the approximate 8,100 (the amount of minutes spent in one class per year, not including Flex) minutes that students spend each school year in one class. In 120 minutes, one could watch two episodes of 60 minutes or drive to Baltimore and back. For this reason, it is not fair to students that they have 120 minutes to complete a final exam. Especially because this is something that accounts for 20 percent of their final grades, to measure what they have learned in a class.

In fact, AHS possesses a policy that reflects this problem.

“Teachers have the flexibility of either administering a final exam or a culminating activity. However, the decision to choose one or the other should be communicated from teachers to students and parents early in the school year,” Principal John Ponton said.

Clearly, most teachers choose not to take advantage of this policy.

The reason most likely being that teachers have a short window of time to grade final assessments

3

Due to the fact that final exam results account for 20 percent of a student’s grade, teachers should give more creative assignments.

and turn grades into the office.

However, assigning a “culminating activity” means that teachers have the opportunity to create a due date that would accommodate the time needed to grade such projects.

“I think that teachers should assign a creative take-home project, because we would be more able to use all of our knowledge from the year to be completed in a creative way,” sophomore Christina Uglietta said. “This would show that we paid attention. However, taking one test that is assessing our knowledge from the whole year is not fair, and puts way too much pressure on the students.”

This alternative seems to be receiving some popularity at AHS. In fact, some classes already assign creative projects that carry the same weight as a final test. An example of this is Human Anatomy where students must create a picture book.

An assignment such as this allows for the student to whom it is assigned to truly apply the knowledge they gained during the year. Distributing and administering a standardized test is simply not the most optimum manner for assessing a student’s knowledge.

Another class where students can participate in a “culminating activity” instead of taking a standardized test

and receive a grade for their “final test” is Mary Richardson’s IB Topics class. “We were given two days in class to research a historical figure to be represented at a dinner party.

I like this manner of testing because it is not as stressful, and because we have been tested throughout the year on material we learned,” senior James Grandchamp said.

It seems that assigning a “culminating activity” instead of a final test is a less-stressful option for students, and a more effective manner to assess a student’s knowledge that was gained during the school year.

An unfair decision by the administration Noah’s Notes

Editorials Column

In early March, the Class of 2013 held a t-shirt contest, resulting in two winning designs. The first design had a slogan that stated “We do it like a 13oss,” and the second one had the slogan “We’re just 13oss,” with the number thirteen being used in both as a substitute for the letter “B.” Days after submitting the design to the administration for approval, as class president, I was summoned to the office to speak about the designs. Although the administration declined to make an official comment, in my capacity as sophomore class president, I was told, and I quote, “Your class, unfortunately, drew the short end of the straw.” Because AHS has had a troubled history with the gang MS-13, I was told that we could not use the number, as classes around the nation are able to do. This includes putting it in words, slogans, and other forms of class spirit.

However, the controversy lies more so in the fact that from that moment on, not only was it banned from t-shirts, but from the future of the Class of 2013. In other words the rising juniors will not be able to decorate the smoke stack, C-Train, or senior courtyard with a slogan including “13” just as the “rebe11ious” seniors of 2011 were able to do this year, or the “sen10rs” of 2010 were able to do last year. In fact, most of the slogans of the Class of 2013 contain the number “13,” such as “13east,” “F13rce,” and “Bel13ve.”

Since that fateful day, I have had to regurgitate to confused sophomores the reasons that the administration made this decision. Explaining something that I don’t believe in is extremely challenging, but it is something I’ve had to do for scores of sophomores.

Before I begin articulating the many things wrong with this decision, it is important to remember a few important things.

First, this decision was made by the administration, not by one sole administrator, official or adult. Often, when hearing the news for the first time, I find my peers flabbergasted,

COURTESY OF BRYAN JEFFERSON

By Noah Fitzgerel

What do you propose is the best option for the upcoming boundary changes?

“I believe that the best solution to Annandale’s over crowding problem would be Option 4, in which the boundaries are not changed and the freshmen are moved to Poe. If we were to move the Wakefield Chapel area, many of our volunteers and sports teams would be changed for the worse.

More of the AHS population would be on free and reduced lunch, and there would be less funding from local and federal governments. Also, by moving boundaries, kids are removed from their group of friends, and sent to an entirely new place. If Poe was to become an 8th9th grade school, and Holmes a 6th-7th, very few students would get the social shock of being moved out of their social security area.

If the option in which no boundaries are changed gets affirmed, then the population of our schools would decrease.

Annandale would lose their substantial senior class, but wouldn’t gain a new class of kids to replace them. Poe, losing their 7th and 6th graders would only be adding one extra class of kids (rising 8th graders from Holmes, rising 9th graders from Holmes, and their own rising 8th graders). Each middle school, rather than having 3 “classes” would have 4, which could possibly have overcrowding issues, however, as it is an option I believe the board to have already thought through this. Freshmen sports would not pose an issue either, as Poe has just recently had their fields redone. This change also would be able to greater incorporate more teachers into the coaching staffs. While teams like the swim team, dive team, gymnastics team may have issues with transportation and practice times (as they only have varsity teams), this could potentially be solved by moving practice times back.

Personally, I find this option to be the lesser of four evils, though not the best solution. I think TJ should be changed back from a magnet school, as it is contributing to the problem. TJ’s boundaries as a regular school included Pinecrest, New Orleans village, and others nearby those. These areas, after TJ became a magnet school, were sent to AHS, which could be a cause of the overcrowding. Nonetheless, I understand the detrimental effects that change might have on the local population. ” Sent by Jenny Jessen

One of the designs in question, pictured above, has been banned by the administration for the use of the Class of 2013.

followed by an involuntary reaction of demanding who the architect of this decision was. To those people I explain that just like with other decisions made within the administration, this decision was made in a meeting of multiple administrators, not in the office of an individual person.

Secondly, the history of AHS came was an important factor. This reason was slightly more understandable, but still not agreeable. Among many wonderful achievements, one thing that Principal John Ponton was able to accomplish in recent history was marginalizing the gang problems that once riddled AHS. The benefits of the eradication of such problems has its obvious benefits. Unfortunately for AHS students, one “down-side” of this ordeal is the increased paranoia of the administration over situations such as this.

This result was not reached by wishful thinking, but by strict policies and decisions, some more controversial than others. However, I refuse to let this decision be among those made in years past to stop gang violence. As you will be able to read later, one of the arguments against using such slogans was the result of a substantial concern by the administration over gangs. Finally, remind yourself that the administration tries to make decisions based on the school’s best interests.

Sometimes those beliefs can be wrong.

As aforementioned, a desire to avoid any gang-related problems was, or so I was told by the administration, the main proponent for the banning of “13” from the slogan of the Class of 2013.

It is because of the above statement that so many AHS students find this new policy unfair.

While this policy might have made sense four years ago, I believe that to allow the Class of 2013 to use “13” in its slogans will turn a new chapter in the chronology of AHS. To affirm this decision is to tell the roughly 700 members of the sophomore class, who, on a majority basis, can be assumed to not be affiliated with gangs, that their attempt to enjoy their time at AHS is second to the concerns of a diminishing minority of Annandale culture that is “long gone.”

In a more concise statement, by not reversing this decision, the gangs have won this battle. It is simply not fair to those students who partake in productive activities that benefit the community.

Therefore, I respectfully ask the administration to rethink their decision about this controversial topic.

ask annandale Do you think that the administration’s decision to ban the use of “13” from the Class of 2013 is unjust?

sophomore

What do you think about changes in gas prices and how do they affect you?

“I don’t drive, so I don’t care.”

—James Barker

freshman “I’ll actually learn to ride a bike.”

— Skye Lindberg sophomore “Well my car is fairly fuelefficient, and has a small tank, so I can fill up my car.”

— James Grandchamp senior

GRAPHICS BY NOAH FITZGEREL

“Who could possibly be happy giving $4 per gallon instead of $2 per gallon?”

These statistics and feedback are based on a May 24 suvery of 55 AHS students distributed during white day A-Lunch

— Kristen Wood chemistry teacher

NEWS

4

June 8, 2011

NEWS BRIEFS SSHS Senior Dinner Held The AHS Social Studies Honor Society held their annual senior dinner in Clausen Hall on June 6 which began at 6:15 p.m. The event recognized the seniors who had earned their cords this year by completing their service hours.

The dinner included the seniors, the new SSHS officers, and some social studies teachers.

Publications Banquet Tonight The Quill and Scroll publications banquet will be held tonight at 6 p.m. in Clausen Hall. The event includes members of both The Antenna yearbook and The A-Blast.

Final Atom Branch Raffle The Atom Branch raffled off a $15 Chipotle gift card last week.

The winners were notified yesterday and today is their last day of operation for this year.

IB Film students reflect on their work-in-progress

BY MARWA ABDELAZIZ News Editor Action, comedy, romance, music videos and drama are the genres that will be featured at the IB film Festival next Friday June 10 at 6 p.m. in the auditorium.

Students in both the first year and the second year of IB Film will be submitting at least one film for the festival as their final assessment of the year.

Their 5-10 minute films will be judged based on sound quality, cinematography, script and editing for both a final grade and the chance to win a prize at the festival.

“There’s a lot of competition between the juniors and seniors this year,” IB Film student junior Jerusalem Mekonnen said.

Although there is a difference of a whole year of experience between the students taking IB Film 1 and IB Film 2, both groups will be judged equally at the festival, which puts the seniors at an advantage. “[The seniors] are second year students, they know more about films and the techniques,”

Mekonnen said. “They have a lot better skill since they’re a whole year ahead of us.”

However, a junior still has a fair chance of winning the grand prize if their film really delivers.

Senior Rackel Jurdi won at last year’s festival as a junior. This year, she’s “working on a music video for my original songs that I’ve recorded,” Jurdi said. “Hopefully we win the Best Music Video prize.”

Making a film is not as easy as it can seem to be. It takes “imagination, creativity, passion and a good soul,” senior IB Film student Brian Coffman said. It also requires “a lot of organization, scheduling and of course a camera.”

The students had the option to work alone or with a group of up to four students, however “choosing your group is a challenge,” Mekonnen said. “Sometimes everyone can’t work it out for some reason.”

Most students seemed confident about their film ideas, but expressed concern when it came to bringing that idea to the screen.

“The idea is good; but as for the execution, we probably could have put more effort,” Coffman said.

Some of the challenges the students faced were time management and finding a way to shoot some of their scenes.

“It was difficult to find a location and we had to do a lot of risky things,” Jurdi said. “I had to actually climb on one of the rocks of a waterfall,

COURTESY OF EMMA BARKER

IB Film prepares for festival

Seniors Tyler Britton, Lance Miller, Emma Barker and Chris Marshall won two awards for their documentary “Like” at last year’s film fesival. The IB Film students collaborated to produce another entry this year.

which wasn’t even legal.” The students also had to be cautious not to include things that were against the guidelines, such as showing blood or direct violence.

Last year, the festival was a hit. “Aside from the technical difficulties, I thought it was a fun time,” Coffman said. “There are food and drinks, and some pretty good films.”

Tickets for the festival are $5 and will be sold at the door.

Four proposals awaiting votes

Rising senior photographs Senior pictures were taken last week for members of the Class of 2012. If you missed this opportunity to have your photo taken, retakes will be held in the fall. Girls should wear something that can be covered by the velvet drape in addition to simple jewelry. Guys should wear a dark suit coat, white shirt and tie, which can be provided by the photographer if you do not have your own. Contact Niki Holmes (rooms 262/264) with questions.

FCPS will announce the final AHS student redistricting plan in late July

BY ANNIE CURRAN Co-Editor in Chief

AJ MCCAFFERTY

For further online content, such as the stories listed below, visit: www.thea-blast.org

Students celebrate Memorial Day

July 28 is a very important date to the AHS community. It is the day where students will find out if their siblings and neighbors will soon be attending a new high school. It is the day where a vote will reveal if AHS will be restructured to become an anomaly in FCPS. This is the day when the School Board will make their final vote on the boundary study for AHS. Currently, there are four proposals, three of which are boundary options and one which is non-boundary. The boundary options would move students to new schools, while the non-boundary would restructure the grades available at AHS. The first boundary proposal would redistrict the Bren Mar Park Neighborhood to Edison HS. Of all the boundary options, this would move the smallest amount of students. According to the PTSA, approximately 270 students would be redistricted.

The second boundary proposal would move Bren Mar Park to Edison HS, Parklawn to Stuart HS and Wakefield Chapel to Woodson HS. The purpose of this option is to eliminate “split feeder schools.” In other words, they want to stop splitting students up by sending them to different middle schools.

For example, students at Wakefield Forest Elementary in Wakefield Chapel attend Poe MS and Frost MS. The PTSA reports that this could possibly move approximately 610 students.

The final boundary proposal would move Bren Mar Park to Edison HS, Parklawn to Stuart HS and Wakefield Chapel to Lake Braddock SS. This option was created with the purpose of focusing on K-6 elementary schools.

Like with the second boundary proposal, 610 students could be moved.

The one non-boundary option would affect all AHS students. If implemented, AHS would become a 10th-12th grades school. Holmes would hold 6th-7th and Poe would hold 8th-9th. The foreseeable issues with this option include the future of our 9th grade faculty and extra-curricular activities for freshmen.

The purpose of the community dialogue meetings was to inform parents and students about the four options and for them to share ideas. School Board member Sandy Evans attended the meeting at AHS on May 17 and has found three common themes from the parents.

First, she said that for those who are not facing redistricting, they want to make sure that AHS stays the same “strong, vibrant school.” This means that the school does not lose any energy because of the possible loss of students.

Second, the community wants to make sure that after this decision, the school will not have issues with the boundary in the future. Third, members of the community have noted that the process has been more appealing than past boundary studies. “Though it hasn’t been perfect, it’s better than what we’ve had in the past in terms of involving the community from the beginning,” Evans said.

Finally, Evans says that the Bren Mar Park neighborhood feels that they are being picked on. This stems from the fact that they are subject to redistricting in all of the boundary options. Members of the community are now organizing advocacy groups to make sure their voices are heard. “They want to know how that happened,” Evans said.

On June 23, the School Board will post the formal staff recommendation of the four options. Though this does not mean it is the option that the board will vote on, it is generally a good indicator. The actual recommendation will likely be posted on the School Board’s website a week before the meeting. “The staff will have taken into account all the comments they got at the community dialogue meetings,” Evans said.

The community can sign up to talk during public hearings on July 11 and 12 on the School Board website. This is an opportunity for their voices to be heard by all of the members of the board. Evans says she especially wants to hear from students. “I actually want to hear from the students. It’s an important voice.”

She also wants to hear from parents who are just now becoming involved in the process. Though many parents have been informed since the beginning, there is a new crop of parents who are now beginning to voice their opinions after the community meanings. “Anyone who has a view should speak, not just people who are directly affected,” Evans said.

The final vote on July 28 will be during a public meeting and will air on the FCPS T.V. channel, 21.

Challenge Index Discipline policy EMMA BARKER

Jay Matthews ranks D.C. area schools Track wins regional championship

GABY CAMILLI

By Samir Shah, Sports Editor

’11 yearbooks are here

AJ MCCAFFERTY

By Gaby Camilli and Olivia Lafferty, Photographers

Q & A with Teacher of the Year Jonathan York

By Annie Curran, Co-Editor in Chief

BY NASIHA RASHID News Editor

and AP courses. While a majority of the students take IB courses a small group of students go on to pursuing the IB diploma which requires a student to take all 7 IB classes.

For some schools, in order to achieve higher rates they only allow the students who will guarantee high scores to take the courses.

The reasons for why AP, IB and college level assessments are accounted for are because the courses allow the student to experience a college level work load.

Studies have shown that success in college is not determined by high school grades or test scores, but rather the rigor of the academic experience is the determining factor.

“At AHS we encourage and embrace everyone to take advanced classes. Whereas other schools do a designer selection and leave a large population out,” and “ We embrace

Where does AHS place in the competition among Virginia High Schools? “The Challenge Index,” created by The Washington Post, measures the efforts of public high schools to challenge students.

The rank is created by dividing the number of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate or other college-level tests the schools gave in 2009 by the number of graduating seniors; all students are accounted for in this rating system.

In essence the index measures how accessible college level classes are for students in their high schools.

In the past few years AHS has fluctuated in its ratings. In 2008 AHS was 105 out of 166 area high schools, in 2010 it ranked 122 out of 172. This year AHS was number 101 out of 178.

As of 2010 there were 1,623 students enrolled in IB and AP courses. While a majority of the students take IB courses, a small group of students Shirley Campbell, the AHS IB Coordinator, organizes IB curriculum go on to pursue the for students, which is one of the most important factors of the IB diploma, which Challenge Index ranking. requires a student every student and his or her ability to take all 7 IB classes.

The accessibility of IB courses in to achieve their true potential,” AHS is fairly high as of 2010 there Campbell said. were 1,623 students enrolled in IB

FCPS makes changes to disciplinary policies

BY KL HOANG In-Depth Editor After half a year of reform efforts in the FCPS system, decisions are finally being made concerning changes to the current disciplinary policies that the FCPS School Board will vote on tomorrow. The board has also dedicated $500,000 to policy reform as part of the 2012 budget and Superintendent Jack Dale introduced ten recommendations to the SR&R handbook and the discipline process at the May 16 work session.

Among the recommendations for the 2011-2012 school year are increasing the communication and understanding between parents, students and staff members of the expectations for student behavior, and consequences for misbehavior, as stated in the Student Responsibilities and Rights handbook, increasing instructional support such as having an Alcohol and Drug Youth Services school resource specialist at a school, and having an psychologist or social worker stay with the family of a student for emotional support.

Changes to the SR&R include clarifying nonprescription drug use and possession (administrators can recommend alternative consequences for students instead of being required to recommend expulsion), what a controlled substance is (synthetic marijuana) and adding razor blades to “other” weapons.

Principals will also be required to notify parents at the earliest possible time regarding their student and disciplinary actions and parents now can review recordings of any hearing proceedings involving their Discipline is a private child. Further recommendations thing and it should be to the SR&R and the disciplinary process can be found at the FCPS handled with discretion. website.

“I think that discipline in the —Jamie Carayiannis school is a complex and involved Assistant Principal issue. It is just like parenting.

It is the same as parents dealing with their kids at home. There are different levels.” Assistant Principal Jamie Carayiannis said. Carayiannis continued to say there are different consequences for every situation. “Some people who are not educators do not understand the complexity of disciplinary policy at school. Discipline is a private thing and it should be handled with discretion.”

In AHS, discipline is an intricate process just as any other place. “My fear is that if you take the consequences away, it is hard to have discipline. Every situation is different, but some lessons have to be learned,” Math teacher Judy Fisher said Administrators county wide have to follow the SR&R without straying and they have little discretion in matters of discipline, but the administrators of Annandale share ideals about the objective of discipline. Students should have the right to learn in a safe environment and should not be at risk to any harmful influences.

“Most of the students at AHS are of high character and don’t find themselves in disciplinary matters with their administrators, but administrators are here to get kids back on track if they get lost,” Assistant Principal Pam Gravitte said.

“

NASIHA RASHID

By Dili Aklilu, Staff Writer

”

NEWS

June 8, 2011

Faculty reflections on career

Hilios prepares for something new

FCPS

Hilios has been working in the education field for 33 years. In 1978, he began his career at Woodbridge HS in Prince Williams County and served as a social studies teacher, a boys soccer coach and a girls tennis coach until he became a temporary administrator one summer.

He says that after 17 years of serving as Director of Activities, AHS has become a part of him that he will miss when he is gone. “It’s the people that you will miss the most, the daily communication.

It becomes part of your life,” Hilios said.

After retirement he is considering working as an educator or for a private business following his summer vacation with his wife. “I’d liked to do something I’m familiar with. Things have changed since I was teaching,” Hilios said. His replacement will most likely be hired by the end of June.

AJ MCCAFFERTY

Sengstack begins to say goodbye Sengstack’s office, along with his “great guidance staff”, can be found inside the Student Services office. He is known as the man who has the difficult and draining task of overseeing the schedule assignments every year. Sengstack has served as Director of Students Services at AHS for 17 years. After working in FCPS for 37 years, he has decided that he needs a change in his life.

“At some point it’s time to start doing other things,” Sengstack said. “I think it’s time to turn it over to someone else.”

AJ MCCAFFERTY

“Retirement” continued from page 1

for 21 years and I felt like as a teacher I was really on top of my game and I needed a new challenge,” Ponton said. “The bulk of my career has been spent in the classroom and it has helped me to become an effective administrator.”

Ponton, who is modest of his accomplishments, feels that AHS is now moving in a positive direction and feels that this is a good time for him to retire.

When asked, he noted that among academics, athletics and other AHS activities, he has many memories. He says he will miss activities like Homecoming, Prom and graduation.

“I think the greatest honor I have is graduation,” Ponton said. He believes that being the Principal of AHS is something very special.

“I look at it as almost a privilege. In 57 years, we’ve only had 6 principals. Some of the newer schools have had a bunch of principals in a short period of time,” Ponton said. “I’ve felt really honored and privileged to be the principal of Annandale. This is a very, very special school. And I would put our school up against any in Fairfax County. Hands down, without hesitation.”

As for what his plans are for retirement, Ponton is still “mulling over” a few ideas. He feels certain that he will take a year off and then will have to return to some form of work or activity because of boredom. Like many former FCPS faculty members, he is considering becoming a substitute teacher. The hourly pay and lack of a formal contract is considered to be an attractive alternative to the average hectic school days.

English Department Chair Augustine Twyman recently announced that she would be one of the multiple teachers leaving AHS. Twyman has been involved in the field of education for 20 years, 15 of those at AHS. She completed her teaching credentials at Howard University. She had previously attended Junior Monterey College and transferred to Howard her junior year and later to Georgia State to complete her masters.

Twyman has worked to diversify reading lists by incorporating contemporary and world literature in the English curriculum. She was appointed as Department Chair in 2009. “[I enjoy] being in a room with kids [and] listening to them talk about books [and] discuss literature,” Twyman said. “[I got to] experience watching young people mature in their lives at this time, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Her plans for the summer include traveling to Europe and Alaska and writing a children’s book.

The thing she is most looking forward to, Twyman

AJ MCCAFFERTY

Main teachers and administrators leaving AHS this year

At AHS, Sengstack taught English for 10 years and served as a guidance counselor for another 10.

Then, Sengstack was appointed Director of Student Services. He began his career at Lake Braddock HS in 1974 and moved to Robert E. Lee HS before coming to AHS. “I love counseling and working with students and all, but I’ll be able to find that somewhere else.

I haven’t committed to anything, but I’ll continue in working in education somehow,” Sengstack said.

After retiring he has a few plans, including working at George Mason with interns or expanding his part-time job with Apple Federal Credit Union.

One thing Sengstack knows for sure is that he will be spending more time with his family.

“I have a brand new granddaughter, who is a year old. I’ll be able to spend more time with her, so I’m looking forward to that,” Sengstack said.

says, is being able to sleep past 5:30 a.m. every day.

Fishers look forward to retiring This year the AHS math department will also lose two teachers, as Bruce and Judy Fisher both announced their retirement last year. J. Fisher has worked in the field of education for a total of 28 years and began teaching math at AHS in 1991.

She has been at the school for 10 years and was also the boys varsity tennis coach.

“I always thought I wanted to be a teacher, I had my mother [as a math teacher] twice [and she] was very good, she taught me calculus,” she said.

B. Fisher came to AHS in 1996 as the swim coach. However, he began working part-time as a math teacher and later became full-time. He has been working at the school for 16 years and coached for a total of 13 years.

“My primary job is to motivate students, I’ll miss the challenge the most,” B. Fisher said.

Judy and Bruce Fisher met in 1995 through teaching math at AHS and were married in 2000.

Their plans for retirement include traveling to England next year for the Olympics and to visit Wimbledon.

AHS wishes Ponton, Sengstack, Hilios,Twyman and the Fishers he best of luck in this new chapter of their lives.

To read the full biographies go online to: www. thea-blast.org/news.

Twyman reminisces

Committee to discuss changes to Flex Students given more time for academic support “Flex” continued from page 1

unexcused tardies, a suspension on record, referrals, or excessive tardies) and Directed Students (students with any Ds or Fs).

“We are looking at the entire student body... whether it is an IB diploma candidate, a special ed student, a general education student, or an ESOL student. This is a support mechanism for all students, not a class division,” Assistant Principal Vincent Randazzo said.

Students will be separated into these groups starting next year, and their statuses will be dependent on their grades, attendance, behavior history and SOL scores from the previous year.

Students’ statuses will also be refreshed either every interim or every quarter.

Atoms in Good Standing will be able to go to any classroom, the library, the computer labs and more.

The library will be able to take about 100 students, who will also be able to meet with teachers to catch up on notes and missed material. Students can also meet with counselors, a change since most counselor meetings involve pulling a student out of class or meeting after school. Another major change is that students will be able to conduct club meetings and activities during Atom Time.

The Atoms not in Good Standing will have to either stay in their W4 class, or attend the academic support classes. Meanwhile, Directed Students will go to a specific teacher where they will receive academic support.

Atom Time is the brainchild of several months’ work by the Enhanced Academic Support Team (EAST) Committee. EAST was created to come up with an intelligent solution to institute more time for academic support.

“There was a big push to have remediation available during the day. The goal of the committee was to come up with an intelligent plan to feasibly meet the needs of everyone involved,” science teacher and committee member Claudia Lemus said.

In the event of collaboration, W4 will be skipped, but there will still be an Atom Time.

“Collaboration and Atom Time details [are] still being worked out,” Randazzo said.

Isaac Boakye, a chemistry teacher known for teaching new lessons during Flex, welcomes this new change.

“It’s a good opportunity for struggling students to get help, and for good students to have more time on projects. It also reduces the time lost when counselors call on students,” Boakye said.

Other teachers seem to agree that Atom Time will not create divisions between students because of their grades.

“Mount Vernon and Lee have similar programs, I actually think that with the extra remediation

Categories of Students •

Atoms of Good Standing (C or better, no excused absences or suspensions, no excessive tardies)

•

Atoms not in Good Standing (C or better, but has unexcused tardies or absences)

•

Directed Student (Students with a D or F are directed to a specific teacher for academic support)

opportunities, we will be closing in on the achievement gap,” psychology teacher Katie Gould said.

The EAST Committee has yet to issue a definitive stance on some aspects of the proposal.

Students will be notified of their status with a letter in their first W4 class.

“You should not be afraid of change,” Boakye said. “People only do changes when the old system has a problem.”

More information will be handed out in student information packets in August.

Atoms lacrosse ready for semi-finals rematch tonight Varsity team looks to advance to state championship “Lacrosse” continued from page 1

team All-Region goalie in Andrew Spivey and a first team All-District defense man in Chandler Suk. The Atoms will look to match the highly touted defense with their own offense – the highest scoring unit in the Northern Region. The offense is led by Nathan Miller, junior Ryan Miller, senior Nick Lalande, senior Stephen Craig and sophomore Zack Lalande.

Offensively, the Saxons are led by junior Sean Ahearn – the hero of their state quarterfinal game against Battlefield. Ahearn won the game for Langley in double overtime and, in doing so, knocked out the Northwest Region’s No. 1 seed.

The Atoms did a great job containing Ahearn and the rest of the Langley offense in their first game thanks in large part to senior defensemen Peter Hagen, Bob Stevens and Andy Craig and sophomore goalie Joe Bermingham.

As for the match-up at midfield, the Atoms are known for using a relatively short bench.

The starters play a significantly greater amount than many of the starters on other teams, but the emergence of sophomore James Terrell as a reliable threat has helped ease the pressure to succeed and given the Atoms’ bench a spark. The Atoms will need strong play from their bench if they are

going to successfully endure the 100 degree heat expected at game time.

“We try to play as many guys as we can,” Maglisceau said. “We do our best to keep guys fresh. It’s June so hopefully conditioning won’t be a problem.”

The Atoms will look to come out firing against the Saxons and hopefully replicate their success from the regional tournament. The winner will advance to the VHSL State Championship game and take on the winner of the match-up between Chantilly (Northern Region No. 1 seed) and Albemarle (Northwest Region No. 2 seed) on June 11 at 8 p.m. “[The key to the game will be] whoever makes the least amount of mistakes,” Maglisceau said.

“Whoever’s not sloppy with the ball probably has a good chance to move on to the finals.”

5 Increase in budget will raise teacher salaries and cap athletic fees

BY CJ AFTERGUT Co-Editor in Chief When the U.S. economy recovered from its recession in June 2009, people across the country remained jobless and without the means to support their families.

To compensate for this loss of purchasing power, many jobholders were given a cost of living adjustment (COLA) to increase consumer spending.

The faculty of Fairfax County, however, was left unassisted, forced to fend for itself in what had become an expensive world.

These employees, many of whom had grown used to salary raises, were denied wage increases, leaving them at the mercy of America’s disastrous economy.

This would not be the only year their salaries remained stagnant, however.

Their wages remained the same for the 2010-2011 school year, marking the second year in a row that FCPS employees failed to be granted a raise.

For this reason, the FY 2012 Approved Budget was accepted with much appreciation on the part of FCPS faculty.

The $2.2 billion budget, which was adopted by the FCPS Board on May 26, includes a one percent market scale adjustment for all employees and step increases for all eligible employees. “[The raise] will be much appreciated because everything has gone up in cost, from health care to gasoline to food,” history teacher Jonathan York said.

York, who received a pay increase for 13 straight years before the recession, recognizes that this raise will have only a minimal impact, as FCPS faculty will earn very little additional pay.

Still he remains appreciative, knowing that the lack of a raise has been a necessary step by FCPS. “It was needed in the economic crisis we are in,” York said.

“Everybody had to make sacrifices.”

In addition to the pay raise for FCPS employees, the new budget has allocated funding to expand full-day kindergarten to all FCPS elementary schools.

This plan will renew an earlier commitment by the board to expand the program to all of its elementary schools, creating the need for an additional 152.2 FCPS positions. “[Half-day kindergarten] is like easing your way into school, so the fact that they’re giving them a full day doesn’t give them that time to adjust,” junior Abby Fleming said.

Fleming attended half-day kindergarten at Ravensworth ES, which is among the 36 schools to which the full-day program is being expanded.

It will also be instituted at Canterbury Woods ES and Wakefield Forest ES, two of AHS’s main feeder schools.

Due to the large amount of money required to pay for both this expansion and the salary increase, the board has been forced to find ways to cut back.

This is also due to the $28.4 million needed to accommodate a projected increase of 2,333 students, in addition to the fact that an estimated one out of every four students will be eligible for free or reduced priced meals next year.

In order to compensate for their expenditures, the board has also decided to require students to pay fees for their participation in high school sports.

However, rather than force them to pay a fee for every sport in which they participate, the board has set an athletic fee cap of two sports per student each school year.

“To a certain extent, [the fees] are expensive, but they’re worth it for varsity sports because of the travel opportunities,” junior Quy To said.

“For example, for track, varsity usually goes to invitationals, which coast a lot of money.”

Although the impact of such fees are predictable, as some students may choose to participate in fewer sports, the affect of the budget as a whole has yet to be foreseen.

For that, students will have to wait until the fall, when FCPS students and faculty will experience the result of the changes to the budget firsthand.

6

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June 8, 2011

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2011!

HAVE MOE’S CATER YOUR GRADUATION PARTY!

PEOPLE

June 8, 2011

Grade “A” participation

What are you doing this summer?

With the school year coming to a close, students look back on their accomplishments

“I’m going to Camp Underwood Pennsylvania, it’s a giant skate complex.”

BY CHRISTINE TAMIR AND KATE GRANDCHAMP Copy Editors

—Tyler Hohenstein freshman “This summer I’m planning on participating in tennis lessons. I’ve gained a love for the sport and find it enjoyable. ”

ABBY BARNES

With less than 10 days left in the 2010-11 school year, students are able to become nostalgic of even their struggles. For freshmen, the biggest hurdles were challenging classes and handling large amounts of homework.

“This year wasn’t too hard except for my language classes like English and Spanish,” freshman Yoseph Tiguh said.

Becoming accustomed to the rigor of high school was not made any easier by adolescent distractions like iPods, Facebook and Twitter.

“Next year I plan to not procrastinate as much. [Procrastination] really stressed me out,” freshman Kessarin Horvath said.

Sophomore Sherief Adel-Latif believes that his year, academic-wise, was good. “It was my first year doing all honors, and I’m doing great so far.”Adel-Latif plans to continue with higher level learning next year, and will do the IB Diploma.

According to a recent survey of 122 AHS students, 81 percent participate in a sport or an extra-curricular activity. A significant amount of AHS students, 30 percent, only participate in one sport per year, while 11 percent are ‘three-peate athletes’. The typical sports practice takes place five times per week, and the typical club meetings take place weekly, leaving little time for homework.

On a daily basis, 54 percent of the surveyed students spend two to three hours on their homework. About two percent of students spend six or more hours on homework.

“I was unprepared for the challenges I would face doing a sport,” freshman Katherine Ross said. “For a while my grades suffered. But I’ve adjusted and I feel like it helps my grades now because I get rid of excess tension from the school day.”

Students were asked the amount of their assignments they complete

The number of hours students spend doing homework

7

Some students start off the year on a bad note, but quickly regain their momentum.

on a daily basis, and 52 percent said they have most of their assignments completed daily. Barely one percent said they get none of their assignments done every day and 28 percent said they complete all of their assignments.

According to sophomore Hung Truong, involvement in sports has really helped his academic performance. “I tend to perform better in school and complete more assignments during the season than off season,” Truong said.

The Class of 2011 contains some of the most academically stressed students, yet it also has some of the most wistful members of AHS. “[This year] was very difficult. Not only [were there] the IB tests, there’s college applications and scholarships, and teachers put pressure on you to not have ‘senioritis’ early on,” senior Kari Berg said. Berg will leave AHS forever and attend University of South Carolina next year.

The amount of clubs students participate in per year

This survey was distributed during all lunches in early March.

Out of 150 distributed, 122 were returned.

—Madeline de Mello sophomore

“I’m taking summer classes to graduate early. ”

—Javan Mills junior

“I’m excited to go to the Jersey Shore and to be a sailing instructor for the third year in a row, then go down to Miami for freshman orientation. ”

—Jenna Balicki senior

June Celebrity Birthdays

AHS students going above and beyond Meet four AHS role model students who excel in the classroom, on the field and in their communities

Julian Jordan

Annette Janwatin

Class of 2011

Class of 2012

What are you involved in academically?

“I’m involved in the IB program although not for the diploma. I’m involved in NHS, Model U.N., the Filament and the Red Cross club.”

What sports do you play?

“I am part of a cycling team in the DC area.”

How long does it take you to do homework and study every day?

“I study for as long as I need to.”

Do you have any advice for keeping your grades up?

“Do what is necessary and not what everyone else does. Also, get a head start on assignments and projects; don’t put them off.”

Michael Hennessey Class of 2013

What are you involved in academically?

“I am taking four pre IBs and level three Spanish as well as National Honor Society.”

What sports do you play?

“I play basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring.”

How long does it take you to do homework and study every day?

“I take about two hours or so to get all my homework done, but when I need to study for a test it takes about three hours.”

Do you have any advice for keeping your grades up?

“Do your homework and work hard. Also, never procrastinate on projects. ”

What are you involved in academically?

“I take all IB classes, TOK after school, Social Studies Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Historian of National Honor Society, Key Club and I am currently Vice President of the Class of 2012.”

What sports do you play?

“I don’t play any sports but I’ve managed volleyball, basketball and tennis.”

How long does it take you to do homework and study every day?

“Homework takes me about 7 hours.”

Do you have any advice for keeping your grades up?

“Be super organized and remember time is your best friend and always try to fit in some social time.”

1 Heidi Klum 2 Justin Long 3 Rafael Nadal 4 Russell Brand 5 Pete Wentz 6 Staci Keanan 7 Prince 8 Joan Rivers 9 Johnny Depp 10 Elizabeth Hurley 11 Shia LeBeouf 12 George Bush 13 Tim Allen 14 Donald Trump 15 Courtney Cox 16 Diana DeGarmo 17 Barry Manilow 18 Blake Shelton 19 Paula Abdul 20 Lionel Richie 21 Kris Allen 22 Meryl Streep 23 Jason Mraz 24 Sherry Stringfield 25 George Michael 26 Derek Jeter 27 Ed Westwick 28 Kellie Pickler 29 Gary Busey 30 Michael Phelps

38 33 25 36 32 36 53 78 48 46 25 87 58 65 47 24 65 35 49 62 25 62 34 43 48 37 24 25 67 26

Amanda Filsoof Class of 2014

What are you involved in academically?

“I take four pre IB courses this year, along with Spanish two and drama.”

What sports do you play?

“I do cheerleading in the fall and soccer in the spring.”

How long does it take you to do homework and study every day?

“I take an hour on normal nights, but when I have projects I usually take a lot longer.”

Do you have any advice for keeping your grades up?

“Do not procrastinate and turn in all homework and projects when they’re due.”

Go on the web to listen to a student’s reflection on the school year. www.thea-blast.org

8 Artists

ARTS

June 8, 2011

In the Spotlight

Paula Naanou

Pl ay an

nt? me tru ns ni ya pla n’t Do

At a young age, Paula Naanou began playing the piano and has taken her love for the instrument to accompany her songwriting.

Naanou’s original songs portray an indie-like feel with meaningful lyrics, such as in her original song, “Tonight”, in which she talks about wanting to be with someone despite barriers that they may encounter along the way.

Naanou was featured in the AHS Filament’s Annual Coffeehouse, where she debuted her artistic interpretation of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” and also performed in AHS’s 2011 Battle of the Bands.

Naanou’s advice for other songwriters: “It sometimes gets very frustrating throughout the songwriting process because of writer’s block, but if it happens just put it aside, save all of your ideas, and the words will come to you in time.”

in st ru m en t?

Grade: 10 Songwriting idols: Sara Bareilles, Katy Perry, Pink, Jonas Brothers

Observe your life and surroundings and think “what is it that interests me?”, “what catches my attention in life?” (It may be helpful to have a creative title before you start writing, as it will help you build around the song’s central idea as you begin to write and compose).

2 4

Get instrumental Play around on the instrument you have chosen to write the song with to begin building the pitch in which you will write/ perform the song.

Tip: Chords do not have to be fancy as long as they help to create the mood and sound of the direction you want your song to go.

Get melodic Begin with a melody, as lyrics often come to shape once a melody is created.

A melody is not just a simple pattern of notes and beats; your melody should transform your lyrics into an authentic song while directly reflecting the tone and underground meaning of your song.

For example, if your song is happy, your melody should probably be upbeat to match the attitude your lyrics are trying to portray.

Tip: Vary pitches throughout your song in order to eliminate boring sequences.

COURTESY OF ANDREA MELENDEZ

1

Start

Get idealistic

3

Get lyrical

“My voice plays one of the most important parts in the songwriting process,” sophomore Paula Naanou said. Naanou uses her voice to accentuate very meaningful parts of her songs by making her voice stronger while singing them.

Start constructing lyrics.

This is probably one of the most crucial and time consuming components of the songwriting process. Try to ask yourself while writing them, “What do I want to say?”, “Should I creatively interpret my song through complex concepts or do I want to be straight forward about the meaning behind my lyrics?”

Tip: It is often catchier to have a song with some kind of rhyme scheme, rather than one that is free versed.

5

Rackel Jurdi

Get conclusive Once you finish putting together all of the components of your song, make sure that your chorus and verses are tied together by your common theme. Finalize your title and play the song to make sure everything reads and sounds as it should.

Tip: Get a friend to listen to your finalized song and see if they can decode your lyrics/melody; if they can understand your underlying message correctly, then you have effectively communicated your song.

Grade: 12 Songwriting idols: Christina Aguilera, Michelle Branch, Evanescence

Song Dissection

Rackel Jurdi has been singing and performing from a young age. Most know her for singing at various events around AHS, such as AHS Filament’s Coffeehouses, STAND Benefit Concerts, and AHS’s 2011 Battle of the Bands, showing off her powerful vocals and graceful stage presence. Recently, Jurdi debuted one of her original songs at the Landon Azalea Festival, hitting on the sensitive issue of a relationship that went wrong.

Writing on her home keyboard, Jurdi is influenced by dark ballads, pop/rock hits and her own Lebanese roots in creating eclectic songs with an Arab or rock feel, catchy ballads and meaningful lyrics that tell the stories of her own life. One of Jurdi’s proudest accomplishments is going back to Wyoming every year to perform in front of thousands of veterans and their families, as well as recording her own music on the side.

Artists often creatively incorporate aspects of their own lives into song lyrics; here are some songs deciphered to show their true popular meaning

Connect with other songwriters in the Washington D.C./Northern VA area through open mics, showcases and other events hosted

by Songwriters’ Association of Washington.

Taylor Swift’s second nationwide tour, Speak Now, will be hitting the road this June, making its way to the Verizon Swift hits a large bell while performing her song Center “Haunted”, which will on August produce acrobats when 2 and 3. raised into the air.

The show, which is the most artistic tour yet for Swift, consists of a set that includes live fireworks, a lift over the audience, embellished costume changes and a live play wedding scene for the song “Speak Now”. Swift even adds acrobats to this tour, which pop out of different places, including large bells during the song “Haunted”.

Back to December

You’re So Vain

by Taylor Swift

by Carly Simon

“...You gave me roses, and I left them there to die...”

“...I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee...”

Taylor Swift often writes in a way that makes the meaning of a song obvious. In her song “Back to December”, she sings about a relationship in which she treated a boyfriend (strongly rumored to be Taylor Lautner) badly. Swift created sensitive lyrics that expose her mistake of hurting Lautner, who had supposedly given a lot of himself for their relationship, as opposed to Swift who had not returned the favor. Swift explained the meaning and purpose of the song in her recent world tour: “I woke up one morning and realized that I had hurt someone, so I wrote this song...to tell him

Carly Simon’s 1972 hit, “You’re So Vain”, strongly displays her distaste for someone she had supposedly had a relationship with and her annoyance with their egocentric ways. In the lyrics “I had some dreams, they were clouds in my coffee”, it seems that Simon metaphorically displays her previous wishes as fuzzy ambitions that could easily go away with one stir of a problem, which was caused by her relationship. Simon writes with an edge, obviously not pulling back from insulting the one who had apparently been very “vain” during and after the time of their relationship.

First Cut is the Deepest

by Cat Stevens “...The first cut is the deepest, ‘cause when it comes to being lucky she’s cursed, when it comes to lovin’ me she’s worst...”

Cat Stevens’ song writing is usually very metaphoric. In his song “First Cut is the Deepest” (later to be made famous by Rod Stewart and Sheryl Crow), this skill is adequately displayed as he writes about the ending of his first love being the most painful heartbreak that lives on with him forever, like the deepest wound in his body. Stevens uses this universal theme of first love being the hardest to speak to his listening audience, in order to warn them and prevent them from being scarred by their first love as well.

June 8, 2011

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What is different about your family?

June 8, 2011

l a Re

The

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IN-DEPTH Students and faculty share stories of how adoption of their siblings and children has helped to shape their families.

“My brother and I are 10 years apart.”

—Kowthar Said Freshmen

BY OMNIA SAED International Editor

“I

have triplet sisters, but they’re not identical.”

—Kaitlin Martin Freshmen

“My family just really isn’t that typical white pickett fence family, all of us are different.”

—Sarah Padrutt Freshmen

Upon entering a Fairfax County Public School, one is greeted by a rainbow of diversity.

Families in the United States have developed throughout generations with adoption, interracial couples, religion and much more.

Although the diversity at AHS is most often attributed to the myriad of ethnicities who have made the United States their home, adoption can also be credited.

Freshman Faith Paletti is just one example of this. Adopted from a small orphanage in Russia, Paletti and her brother John were adopted by their parents and came to the United States to live with them 10 years ago.

“My dad died and my mother couldn’t take care of [my siblings and me] as a single parent,” Paletti said. “My half sister and my half brother are still in Russia, but my parents could only adopt me and my brother... they don’t know where my half brother and sister are.”

Although she spent approximately four years in Russia, Paletti remembers little about the culture of her native country. She does not remember her childhood or how to speak her first language.

“The only thing I remember from Russia is [going] to a circus [that featured] elephants,” Paletti said. “And in Russian the only thing I can say is dog and bye.”

For parents who adopt children, it is

Valentino adopted his daughter Annie (right) from India in 2001. Above, she poses with Valentino’s biological daughter.

not uncommon for them to keep it a secret.

However, Paletti’s mother has brought up the two siblings with them having full knowledge of their adoption.

“My mother brought up the topic sometimes [when I was little]. She also showed me pictures and I found these documents I wasn’t supposed to see,” Paletti said.

“We all have bright red hair!”

—Andy Riddle Sophomore

“I wouldn’t say it’s unique, but I’m the oldest our of ten grandchildren and my grandfather is the oldest out of 12..”

—Kelsey Penderghast Sophomore

Her adoptive parents changed her name, along with her brother ’s, to sound more American.

“My name in Russian was Faina [Fay-EE-na] and it sounded a bit like Faith so they changed it. My brother’s name was Igor, [and my parents thought people] would make fun of him, so they changed it to John,” Paletti said.

Although Paletti is not sure what her exact birth date is, she knew her approximate age and chose May 25 as her birthday.

Paletti is comfortable with the information she knows about her biological family and does not feel the need to seek more.

“I really don’t plan on finding anything out about my biological family, because I don’t really care,” Paletti said. “This is my home now.”

World History 2 teacher Joe Valentino is another example of a ‘modern family’. In 2001, Valentino adopted his second child from India when she was almost 11 months old. Although Valentino is the head of a Caucasian family, he says race does not play any role at home.

“Anna has grown up with us knowing she was adopted, and both my wife’s and my family have been 100% supportive,” Valentino said. “She is just Anna and [her racial origin] is not even a factor. We have not had any real strange reaction ever– guess it is a function of living in the area we do.”

As for tracing back Anna’s roots, the Valentinos plan on making a trip in the future.

“We do plan to make a home country visit at some point and go to the city of her orphanage as well as do some sightseeing,” Valentino said.

Faith Paletti and her brother John were both adopted from the same orphanage in Russia as young kids.

Students open up about what it is like being brought up in the home of parents who are different races and practice different religions. last name used to be German and now its Americanized from Schnutgen to Shedgen.”

—Corey Shedgen Sophomore

BY NADIA ELGENDY Staff Writer

“Our

Although once frowned upon by the rest of society, interracial and interreligious marriages have become increasingly common amongst Americans. Even interracial dating among students at AHS reflect this.

Nora Belkhayat, whose family is interreligous, knows first hand how different ideas, morals, customs and principles can affect the dynmaics of a family. Her familial diversity began with the childhoods of her parents.

Her father was born in Morocco where he lived for most of his childhood. Here, he was raised as a moderate Muslim. Belkhayat’s mother, however, was born and raised in Illinois as a Christian. Despite the often conflicting cultures and upbringings of her parents, they were married after her father came to America.

“My dad came [to America] from Morocco and he started attending college and could barely speak English,” Belkhayat said.

“I grew up on a farm.

My family is unique because we love pigs and had a pet deer.”

—Kimberely Becraft Science Teacher

1960

1957

1987

1974

The Andy Griffith Show is a sitcom about a widowed sheriff trying to raise a son.

Leave It to Beaver is a sitcom about a curious yet guileless kid named Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver and his escapades at home, school, and his neighborhood.

Her dad was beginning to adjust to American life when he was introduced to a girl who was studying to learn Arabic. The same girl later became Belkhayat’s mother, and taught her father English while she learned Arabic from him.

After studying together, the pair decided to get married and together had four children.The couples’ unlikely union has created a unique childhood experience for all their children, especially when immersed with the cultures of both extended families.

“When I go visit my mom’s side of the family for Christmas, I always have to make sure there isn’t any pork and sometimes there’s alcohol or my mom may drink wine,” Belkhayat said. Muslims are forbidden from eating pork and from drinking alcohol. The limitations and challenged are present on both sides of the family, andextended past dietary restrictions.

“When I go to Morocco everyone’s covered up and they make sure I pray,” said Belkhayat. “It’s actually really cool to be able to experience both an average American culture and a traditional Moroccan culture!”

Today, more and more families have abandonded the one-race, onereligion family image and are contributing to the growing diversity of the United States.

Full House is a sitcom about Danney Tanner, a widower who has the help of his brother-in-law and his best to raise his three daughters.

Good Times is a sitcom about a family trying to make end meets in the projects of Chicago.

1973 An American Family featured a nuclear family going through a divorce. It later influenced the MTV hit show The Real

World.

1984 The Cosby Show is sitcom that focuses on the Huxtable family, a wealthy African-American family living in Brooklyn, New York.

IN-DEPTH

June 8, 2011

family

11 What is the age difference between your parents?

A recent survey conducted after school yields mixed results about just how typical the families of AHS and how the definition has adapted over time.

19% 20+ Yrs. 7% 16-19 Yrs. 6% 11-15 Yrs.

BY DESTINY GAMMON International Editor As the increase of reality and family-based television storm the social media world, the idea of what a family should look like changes. Shows like The Fresh Prince Bel-Air, Full House, Kate Plus Eight, 19 Kids and Counting, and Modern Family are contributors.

“Families are different now because the word ‘family’ doesn’t mean they’re just your relatives,” freshman Dana Jannoun said.

The favorite shows of older generations were Leave it to Beaver, Family Ties and The Andy Griffith Show. These trite story lines consisted of white picket-fence families made up of a mom, dad, brother and sister who undergo typical family problems like sibling rivalries.

However, as society changes due to new views of the typical family, television shows are being forced to adapt to these new standards. Modern Family, for example, shows the lives of an extended family that consists of two gay uncles who have adopted aVietnamese daughter, a grandfather who has a wife over twenty years his junior, and a secretly crazy family of five.

“Families [have] become more unique, because not all families are expected to have two or three children,” freshman Aysha Ghaffar said. “I’m the youngest of six.”

Although most AHS students have one to three siblings, 15% have five or more and 9% have no siblings.

Celebrities are also a strong influence on what is considered as

typical for a family. Angelina Jolie, a well-known actress in the Hollywood industry, is famous for her large family of biological daughter Shiloh and five other adopted children.

Divorce is also a common trend among celebrities. There has been a large increase in divorced parents in the US since the fifties and divorce has now become a part of many children’s everyday lives.

Celebrity Halle Berry gave birth to her daughter Nala out of wedlock with Gabriel Aubry. Though some people see this to be a negative way to raise a child, but many find marriage to be a burden.

“Actually it’s just that now I’ve come to a place where I think two people can share their lives without the ring, without the piece of paper,” Berry said in a recent interview with People about her ideas of marriage.

Halle Berry is also breaking the racial boundaries by being in relationships with men who are of different decent. Nala was born with a mixed heritage of French, Caucasian and African-American.

“Families are more diverse in America because of the mixing of different cultures,” freshman Ali Ashar said.

According to a recent survey, 15% of AHS’s population is of mixed race, with 14% incorporating different religions into their family’s lifestyle.

22% 6-10 Yrs.

Are you parents of the same race and/or religion?

14% Same race and relgion

86% Diff. race and religion

Celebrities with nontraditional families Angelina Jolie, 35, and Brad Pitt, 47, have three biological children, and three adopted children from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Ethiopia. Jolie and Pitt are not married or in a civil union.

46% 1-5 Yrs.

How many siblings do you have in your family?

0

Sir Elton John, 64, and his civil partner, David Furnish, 48, have one son, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, by surrogate. To avoid confusion, John is know to his son as “daddy” and Furnish is known as “papa”.

1

2

4

5+

How do you think families have changed over the years?

“They are leaving their own culture to fit [into] American society.”

—Osman Abdullhi Freshmen

Demi Moore, 48, and Ashton Kutcher, 33, are well known for their large age gap of 15 years.

Celine Dion, and her husband, Rene Angelil, have three sons: a ten-year-old, and seven-monthold twins. But what makes this family unique is that the parents have an age difference of 26 years, with Dion being 43 and Angelil being 69.

3

“I don’t really think they have changed all that much” —Jessica Strong Sophomore

2009 1996

2007

Everybody Loves Raymond is a sitcom about the life of Raymond Barone, a sports journalist living in Long Island, New York with his parents and brother living across the street.

Kate Plus 8 formerly named Jon & Kate Plus 8, is about the Gosselin family with their eight children: fraternal twin girls and sextuplets.

1990

1987

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a sitcom about Will Smith (a fictional character with the same name) who gets sent to live with his uncle and aunt to Bel Air, were his lifestyle is a foil from theirs.

Malcom in the Middle is a comedy television series about dysfunctional family that consists of a genius, a rebel, a bully, an authoritarian mother, and a disengaged father.

Modern Family is a sitcom about three different types of families that are all related in some way, one with a young woman and her dysfunctional family, another with a man and his exponentially younger wife and son, and another with two married men raising their daughter adopted from Vietnam.

2008 19 Kids and Counting is about conservative Christian family, the Duggars, which features of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 children in Tontitown, Arkansas.

“People are having more kids than back then.”

—Mohamed Omar Junior

12

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June 8, 2011

June 8, 2011

Where’s

See if you can spot Waldo hiding out in D.C. during Rolling Thunder

?

PHOTO

13

Think you’ve found Waldo? Check if you’ve got it right!

1.

1.

SARAH

SARAH BERGEN

BERGEN

2.

Rolling Thunder has been a tradition since 1987 to honor Vietnam veterans during Memorial Day weekend. Over 250,000 motorcyclists participate in this ride through D.C., which starts at the Pentagon and wraps around the National Mall.

3.

3.

2.

Motorcyclists were arranged in three lines to keep the parade under control.

RACHEL BERGEN

RACHEL BERGEN

4.

Participants wait in the North Pentagon parking lot to begin lining up for their turn.

4.

RACHEL BERGEN

5.

Motorcyclists sported American flags on their bikes in support of the Memorial Day festivities occurring throughout the weekend. Bikers also passed out flags to bystanders.

Go to www.thea-blast.org to see pictures from the Battle of the Bands on May 20.

Enthusiasts arrived early to various locations along the bike route. Arriving ahead of time ensures that you receive the best location possible for the parade.

SARAH BERGEN

RACHEL BERGEN

SARAH BERGEN

5.

14 Carli’s Corner

LIFESTYLES

June 8, 2011

Personalize your space Whether you are going off to a dorm room in college or just looking to change your bedroom at home, give it a makeover to fit your style and personality

Advice Column

VIBRANT

Dear Carli, Every Sunday night is absolute chaos at my home. I have two younger siblings and all three of us are horrible procrastinators. I don’t know how every opportunity I have free time to do homework during the week is completely wasted doing trivial activities like going on Facebook, watching TV, or playing video games. I want better time management skills, I just don’t know how to go about getting them. If there is any way you can help myself and my two younger siblings, that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot!

PBTEEN.COM

Have a problem? E-mail Carli at: carli.loeb@gmail.com.

What is your favorite thing to wear in the summer?

Vibrant rooms are bright, cheerful and uplifting. This room from PBTeen incorporates flowers for a colorful look that conveys joy and lifts the spirits. The color schemes can easily be accessorized because they coordinate with neutral furniture.

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•

•

•

--Jordan Fox freshman

“I like wearing shorts and a t-shirt.”

---Dylan Gore sophomore

“Sundresses and flip flops.”

--Christina Uglietta sophomore

“Loose, off the shoulder shirts.”

--Sarah Holmlund junior

Go to www.thea-blast.org to see Sarah Othman’s video on guys’ fashion.

Classic rooms have warm, soft, traditional colors. The general feel of the room is proper, feminine and stately. In this room from Bhoudesain, the white and pink color scheme coordinates to tie the room together.

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•

Pink: feminine and soft.

•

Purple: royalty and regalness.

•

Red: stimulating; works in contrast with the softer accents of the furnishings.

Black: associated with a chic and cleancut style. Should be balanced with more colors to ensure that the room is not too bleak looking.

White: purity; ensures calmness and peace. Should not be overused in order to prevent a washed out look.

Look for: sleek pieces and accents

Curtains and bedspreads in bright hues add color without layout changes in the room. Target sells these in a variety of colors starting at $10.

Make a photoboard to add interest to your walls: staple any fabric onto a stretched canvas and use thumbtacks to attach pictures, collages and memos.

Spring is already here, and summer is right around the corner. Students at AHS are trading in their jeans and Uggs for flip-flops and shorts. Coming out of the colder spring season, most teens are looking forward to summer and the more exciting fashion choices to go along with the season.

Spring is usually the most loved season by many. People start getting ready for summer with shorts, flip-flops and tank tops. Floral dresses also come out, as the season turns flowery enough to be reflected in the clothing.

“I’m going to wear lots of shorts, floral spring dresses, a lot less make-up and a lot less jewelry,” sophomore Laila Sayed said. “I’m embracing flip-flops this year and I’m going to leave my hair all natural.”

Stripes are also hot this year, as they are nearly every year. This style is popular because it is an easy way to look stylish without excessive effort.

Maxi dresses are very popular at this time of year. They are light and frilly, yet stylish and elegant. They are probably the most beloved trend in both spring and summer. Maxi dresses are almost always guaranteed to steal the show

Look for: details and coordinating furniture

•

Throw pillows and rugs in black, white and one bright accent color easily add more dimension to the room.

•

The modern and stylish accessories at IKEA start at less than $5 and their options are nearly endless.

Style for the summer sun Fashion trends to keep up with the heat

BHOUSEDESAIN.COM

Modern rooms have clean, fresh colors and are focused on using space in unique ways. In this room from World Designs, the low bed and hidden legs give the illusion that it is floating, minimizing vertical space.

Yellow: spreads happiness and is associated with power. Brings warmth and interest to a room when used as a wall color or decoration.

• Orange: known to bring liveliness to rooms and to be emotionally uplifting.

Good for rooms that do not receive much natural light.

BY SANGYA SHRESTHA AND SHAMAIM SYED Staff Writers “Soccer cleats and shin guards.”

CLASSIC

WORLDDEISNGS.ORG

Look for: florals and bold colors

FURNISHINGS

-Carli

COLOR

--Procrastzilla Dear Procrastzilla, Make sure to turn off all of your electronics while attempting to complete any necessary tasks like homework. If this is too hard for you, then go to a quiet area (in your house, outside, or even at a library) to get your mind focused on one chore and not multiple things at once; you are more prone to distraction when in a noisy or chaotic environment.

Also, if working on assignment after assignment becomes too tedious to complete, set incentives for yourself.

For example, finish one part of your homework then reward yourself with ten minutes of TV then go back to finishing more homework. Finally, get started early. If you don’t wait until the last minute to start a project then you will be more motivated to get the rest of it done and out of the way.

MODERN

STYLE

By Carli Loeb

with their glamour that adds to the beauty of summer.

While some girls like to keep an eye out for the newest trend, many girls just like to mix it up with their individual style during the hot seasons. For some, just a t-shirt with capris paired with a cute pair of flip-flops will be enough for the day.

“I shop out of state [in Maryland] for a reason – so I don’t look like everybody else. My style is ‘Sty-Comfy;’ stylish, yet comfy!” junior Angelica Bolds said.

Spring is a very fashionable time of the year, but everyone always waits with anticipation for the summer heat to come around. Summer is a season filled with laughter, sun, flowers, and cute clothes. Of course, for the sun, you definitely need shades.

“You got to keep it cool!” senior Karina Lopez said.

All this sun is also making people yearn for water; that is where pools come into the picture.

“Forever 21 is my favorite store for swimsuits because it’s very colorful and has all kinds of sizes,” Sayed said.

While some people go “gaga” over cute clothes and hot trends, others just don’t seem to care. “I think fashion is too cliché; nobody should really worry about it,” freshman Karen Torres said.

One thing is for sure, though.

Students are ready for warm weather fashion to come and sweep them off their feet.

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Brass accents add detail to drawers, doorknobs and curtain rods.

•

Lighting features that are soft and classic contribute to the overall stately feel of the room. Pottery Barn sells intricately detailed and numerous lampshades for as little as $30.

How often do you follow new fashion trends?

How much money do you spend on shopping per month?

These surveys were distributed during the school day. Out of 150 surveys, 129 were returned and counted.

LIFESTYLES

June 8, 2011

Teacher disaster dates

15 What tips do you have about dating?

Among forgetting names and not showing up, teachers expose their worst relationship experiences from the past

“Just be yourself and don’t let your shyness or loudness get in the way of how you interact with the other person.”

—Dana Jannoun freshman

Wearing the wrong outfit, saying the wrong things, embarrassing yourself -- everybody worries about what could go wrong during their dates. It may seem like you’re alone but everyone has had a date that took a bad turn into becoming a “disaster date.” Even your own teachers have gone through the same bad experiences.

One of the most commonly made mistakes that makes a date a “disaster” is having bad conversations. A lot of times people on dates make the mistake of talking too much about themselves, too much about boring topics or just too much in general.

“Once I went on a date with a weatherman, and he talked about the weather for a good 45 minutes,” math teacher Jan Austin said.

What is perhaps seen as the biggest mistake a person can make on a date is forgetting basic information about their date, especially the other person’s name.

“I went on a date and I didn’t know the girl’s name the whole entire time,” biology teacher Steve Fenchel said. Fortunately for him, his date didn’t notice.

One of the most important parts of dating is taking your date to the perfect place. Sometimes, picking the wrong location can lead to a horrible outcome. When you don’t know the person well enough before the date, it is easy to choose a place that doesn’t suit your date’s interests. When taking your date to a restaurant, knowing what types of food they like to eat is vital “So basically I was a vegetarian at one point of my life. Before my first date with this guy, I let him know that I was a vegetarian, but he still decided to take me to Outback Steakhouse because he had a gift card,” English teacher Kathleen Dion explained.

We all have that great fear of embarrassing ourselves on a date. But the reality is, everyone has gone, or will go on a couple embarrassing

OLIVIA LAFFERTY

BY GABY CAMILLI Staff Writer

“Dress well and wear a lot of cologne to smell nice.”

—Luke Lundy sophomore

Freshmen James Barker and Katie McCann pose at a date that took a turn for the worst.

dates during their lifetime.

“One time I went to the movies for a first date with a guy, and I am a big dog lover. At the end of the movie a dog died, and I couldn’t control myself and started crying and getting very emotional, and that was my first time around the guy,” algebra teacher Allison Wheeler said.

Certain sticky situations can be avoided by knowing your date better before you go out. It always helps to know what to expect of your date so you don’t get taken by surprise when your date isn’t what you expected. Track coach David O’Hara found this out the hard way.

“I was going out with someone for three years, and a month before Prom we broke up. So I was on a hunt to find a date. I saw this hot girl who had never gone out on a date and went to prom with her. She had an orange fake tan on Prom night and danced like a gypsy when we were supposed to be slow dancing. I left her on the dance floor,” O’Hara said.

For important events such as Prom, if you

could not find a date in time you might have gone with a friend or someone who you are close to rather than an acquaintance. You don’t always need a date to have a good time.

In a lot of cases, it isn’t your date that does something to make an awkward situation, but yourself.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been on a disaster date, because most of the time I was the disaster.” softball coach Cragin Winkler said.

If you have gone on a couple of bad dates, learn from your mistakes and try to fix whatever you messed up on. Remember to always keep the conversation flowing and don’t focus on boring topics. Do a little bit of background research and know the basics about your date beforehand.

These embarrassing situations seem like a huge deal at first, but they are just a part of the dating process that people have to overcome. No matter what date you go on and who you’re with, you should always be yourself and let your date know who you really are.

“Dress nice and brush your hair.”

--Andrew Risse junior

“Don’t be nervous, have fun, relax and look good.”

—Ahmad HasAssaad junior

“Take extra time to pick out a cute outfit and put on nice makeup.”

—Victoria Ko senior

Dating hot spots at Tysons Corner

OLIVIA LAFFERTY

OLIVIA LAFFERTY

“Don’t take your date to cheap places.”

—Meghan Adair history teacher

The restaurant chain California Pizza Kitchen provides an assortment of pizza toppings that you can select to create a pizza that appeals to your taste buds.

How often do you go on dates?

The Olive Garden chain serves a delectable selection of Italian food for very reasonable prices and is known for its unlimited breadsticks and salads.

OLIVIA LAFFERTY

What type of date do you most often go on?

Chipotle provides its customers with a wide selection of meats, vegetables and other toppings to create their own filling burritos, tacos or burrito bowls.

How much are you willing to spend on a date?

Coastal Flats is a pricier yet delicious dinner date that not only offers a range of seafood dishes but also a wide selection of sandwiches and salads for the non-seafood lovers.

OLIVIA LAFFERTY

OLIVIA LAFFERTY

This survey was distributed on March 30 during lunch and after school. Out of 150 surveys distributed, 118 were returned and counted.

Panera Bread, found in Tysons Corner, is a great place to have an inexpensive date. It is known for its casual atmosphere and outstanding soups, salads and hot paninis.

Go online to check out more advice from Carli’s Corner.

16 Top 10 dorm essentials for college

COLLEGE

June 8, 2011

Seniors stay close to home George Mason University The Art Institute of Stratford Washington - Northern University Virginia DeVry University

Northern Virginia Community College

Laptop It can be your best friend when it comes to homework and keeping in touch with friends and family.

Bridgewater University Fishburne Military School

Shenandoah University James Madison University

University of Mary Washington Marymount University

Mini Fridge Dorm rooms aren’t big enough for real fridges. It’ll keep healthy food and other goodies chilled.

Liberty University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Military Institute

The College of William and Mary

University of Virginia

Virginia Tech Universirt of Virginia’s College at Wise

Camera Capture the best years of your life.

Looking back, you’ll be glad that you documented all the good times.

Christopher Newport University

Radford University

Old Dominion University Alarm Clock Mom won’t be there to wake you up anymore, so alarms will come in handy for making it to class on time.

Microwave These can be a lifesaver for on-the-go college students.

It is especially important with busy schedules.

Plastic Containers The life of a college student can get a bit hectic. Organize belongings for easy access.

Coffee Maker A hot cup of joe can make your day during late night studying and rough early mornings.

Desk Lamp Lighting in college dorms have been notorious for being annoyingly dim.

Virginia Wesleyan College

Salwa Ahmed Anthony Zephaniah Banaszak Kathleen Joyce Bermingham Daniel William Calabro Kevin Anthony Cleary Nicholas Eric Lalande Eboni Angel McLaurie Lance Richmond Miller Allison Michelle Norris Graig Michael Pocalyko Joseph Kedrick Scally Boron Van Soun Kendra K. Valencia Elbettel Zewedu

James Madison University

Longwood University

Virginia Tech Margarita Elena Bottlickl Ryan Andrew Gibson Peter Henry Hagen Matthew Carl Haines Kamin Geza Horvath Jacob Andrew Hrovat Roger Dale McGinnis Erik Kai Morton Andy Huu Nguyen Anthony Trong Nguyen Benny Ong Alay Goitom Tedla Tiffany Tran Carrie Anne Vergel de Dios Lynn Loretta Wu

College of William and Mary

Virginia State University

Virginia Union University

Virginia Commonwealth University Abdullahi Abdulkarim Osman Alan Congthinh Van Allison Joyce Warth Andrew Herrera Rubio Bria Jonea White Daniel Kitae Kim Duc Van Nguyen Eduardo McVadon Albright Jashua Kevin Tastaca Jia Boa Lin Jose Steven Cardenas Laura Ashley Garcia Lydette Yonas Matthew David Chiappane Matthew David Klima Mona Mohamed Ahmed Elrayah Nicholas T Vu Rachel Marie Baker Salma A Omer Scott Michael Hiatt

Acacia Sara Britton Jessica Ann Camilli Andrew Ryan Craig Jessica Elyse Diroll Deanna Kristine Epley Joseph Anthony Mazzara AshbyRose Goodwin Nelson Alyssa Mae Suchar Julia Marie Uglietta

Arish Sadaka Ali Bashir Hassan Warsame David Scott Hookey Emily Louise Fruchterman Georgia Lynn Garney Jane Marshall Aman Kelly Nicole Roman Kristen Marie Hennessey Lillian Marie Singer Sahnun Hassan Mohamud

University of Virginia

Radford University

Shenandoah University

Helena Haregwoini Belay Carlyle Martha Bouchard Polette Jazmin Centellas Dan Ngoc Doan Mitchell Harrison Frank Davic Gordon Keller Erin Kylie Johnson Julian Sands Jordan Victoria Soo-Hyun Ko Louise Denise Manahl Christopher Michael Marshall Kevin Quang Nguyen Gregory Stephen Nielsen Jenna Truong

Stephen Peggs Cook James Carlton Cullen Yaritza Pacheco Lopez Katherine Aurelia Panther Jerald Ryan Sheppard

Jordan Ellen Riddle

Marymount University

Hayden Dadzie Assopiah

Jonathan Michael Dezort Habib Nazarei Sunina Parada Vasquez

Virginia Military Institute

Virginia Wesleyan College Ashton Halim Johnson

Virginia Union University

Old Dominion University

George Mason University Abdullah E. Al Nouman Syed Hazique Ali Stephanie Ayala Gessica Azzam Jeffrey Addison Bynum William Ilsik Choe Julia Rose Delpizzo Alexander Forsley Kelvin Andres Galos Tania Ghods Katherine Thuy-Nhien Le Ngoc-trinh Thi Le Hong Rae Lee Liam Neal McGhee Dong Phuong Thi Nguyen Nga Thi Hang Nguyen Phuc Si Phan Paul Ekaxay Phongsavan Kyle Jacob Rayo Bebe Hawa Reangber Haumaira Safi Maha A Shah Mitra Shamsian Neha Sohail Thang Quoc Tang Thong Dinh Tran Kyle Ernest Tyrrell Thao Thu Vo Steven M. Wu Ailiya Zahra

Christopher Newport University Victoria Wynn Clodfelter Erin Kane George Dana Jeongbin Moon Kathryn Pardee Vu Jenny Lynne Wingfield

Randolph-Macon College Ali Ahmed

James Lewis Grandchamp

Stratford University

Virginia State University

Kendra Alexandra Pearce

Mariama Seray Bah Mohamed Alphamatu Bah John P. Jenkins Beatrice Elizabeth Kenny

Longwood University Yancy Yamileth Portillo Eric Austin Reynolds Robert Franklin Stevens Kyle Edward Transue

The Art Institute of Washington - Northern Virginia

University of Mary Washington Jessica Catherine Bittner Rebecca Danielle Hoehn

Anne Marie Weiner

Bridgewater College

University of Virginia’s College at Wise

Kelly Anne Hughes Thomas Evan Smith

David Gordon Keller

Northern Virginia Community College Portable Music Player Music is key to get you through those boring study sessions.

Dry Erase Board Hang this on your wall so you can communicate with your roomate without being in the dorm.

Zachary Edward Adair Sheikh Sadi Ahmed Ivonne Fabiola Baldelomar Syed Rahman Ali Diana Melissa Anez Pinto Abenezer Zelalem Anteneh Sadaf Fatema Atayee Shabnam Baluch Larra Lorraine Banzuelo Lauren Meadows Barnard Jose Alejandro Cardozo Christian Moises Barreto Derrek Adrian Cantu Rocio Lizet Chavez William Balmori Chavez Dave Guillermo Cisneros Neysa Claros Andrade Konnie Nabiatu Conteh Kris Mason Coolidge Abreham T Dagnachew Adnan Haissam

El-Jannoun Jason R N Eman Enmanuel Garcia Marcelino Daniela Lilibet Garcia Nebiyou Gashawtena Bertha Keren Ghersi Hila Ghorzang Selvin Oreste Gonzalez Yery Mauricio Gonzalez Kadir Cihan Gul Madeena Haidari Tahir Osman Hassen Jasmin Judith Hernandez Kelly Dennis Huarniz Sosa Rackel Imad Jurdi Abdi Omar Kahin Waleed Javed Karimullah Ramandeep Kaur Ahmed Issam Khatib Patrick Sami Khoueiry Min Jung Kim

Karina Melissa Lopez Iskandar Rahman Loynab Paola Andrea Mendez Lewis Clifford Meyers Maria Aidee Melgar Noh Nuru Mohammed George Maxwell Muchmore Thedan Steven Nguyen Richard Op Sukhjit Singh Panesar, Kanika Pathak Carlos Alberto Penado Mejia Rene Mauricio Landaverde Melvin Arnuvio Perla Montana Mathew Phorn Samantha Pokraka Brayan Ariel Pozo Oscar Arturo Reyes Ventura Christopher Reyes Abril Patricia Cespedes Tatiana Rioja

Jessica Antonia Ripani Abraham Jaime Rojas Edgard Jose Santos Knial Ajene Saunders Natali Ziad Shamm’a Mukul Sharma Avneet Singh Emanuel Tamrat Micheal Nigussie Teklie Daniel John Titus Phuong Thao Ngoc Tran Darwin Vargas Karla Elizabeth Vargas Bryan Ale Villarroel Ramatu Williams Paul Yeboah Hermela Yemaneberhane Patricia Elena Zamora Jorge Antonio Zeballos

IINFORMATION CURRENT AS OF JUNE 4.

SOURCE: ROBIN ROTH, CAREER CENTER

ACADEMICS

June 8, 2011

20

going out of state Pennsylvania

New York

Pennsylvania State University

The Class of 2011 prepares to leave home for college. While many students choose not to go out of state due to home sickness and expenses, these bold AHS students have decided to take the risk.

Montana Montana State University Daniel Bode Oviatt

Berihu Yassin Abdulkadir Olivia MeeHyun Ko James JunHao Lei Katheleen Nguyen Hannah Nicole Riehl Temple University Ndidi Lalita Obasi Scott Michael Fulton Duquesne University Brenna Suzanne O’Neill Mackda Teferra Dinberu Indiana University of Pennsylvania Jennifer Elizabeth Allshouse Swarthmore College Aya Radwan Ibrahim

St. John’s University Sahar Kamal Awad New York University Yane Dong Rochester Institute of Technology Benjamin Hampton Fraser Queens College of the CUNY Isabelle Maria Yaroch Syracuse University Samar Mohammed Faris Benjamin Joseph Odom The Culinary Institute of America Bobby Oudom Pradachith

2

Go to class. Many college freshmen take advantage of large lecture classes as an opportunity to skip class.

Maryland

Kansas

West Virginia

California

Source: Robn Roth, Career Center

Find a quiet study place to go to every time you’re studying.

University of Maryland Kelsey Paige Knoche James Judson Barnes United States Naval Academy Jake Dang Joshua R Sarker

Kansas State University Stacie Michele Anderson

University of Missouri Katherine Marie Masters

1

Calvin College Elliot James Kiemel

Purdue University Jodie Joo-Hyun Cha

Missouri

Five tips to help you through your freshman year of college

Rhode Island

Michigan

Indiana

Stanford University Elisa Charlene Figueroa University of California Paige Morgan Clark Biola University Lucy Marie Webb

University of Massachusetts Ryan Flynn Keck Boston College Caroline Rose Kane New England Conservatory of Music Anne Marie Hurskoci

Military USMC Victor Anibal Zepeda Rodrigo Sejas Sandoval

Iowa Grinnel College Doo Yong Shim

Massachusetts

17

Mississippi University of Mississippi Madeline Rose Smith

West Virginia University Katherine Campanilla Fajardo Benjamin Frances Kiesel Gabriel Aaron Litvin Glenville State College Melvin Eugene Robinson

Georgia Savannah College of Art and Design Tyler Jacob Britton

Alabama University Of Alabama Alexandra BrookeAdcock Auburn University Patrick Ryan Goodman

3

Carry a map of your college with you just in case you get lost.

Florida University of Miami Jenna Claire Balicki Florida State University Jordan Evans Aman Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Nelson Nicolas Vivero

South North Carolina Duke University Carolina Saffana Syeed Humaira University of South Carolina Jonathan Oakes Kari Leigh Berg Clemson University Benjamin Kaplan Wolfenstein

University of North Carolina Emma Frances Logan Barker Mary Anne Kavjian Henry Custis Smith North Carolina State University Megan LeeAnn Loman High Point University Rachel Suzanne Coulter Elon University Haley Alison Vest Kelsey Elizabeth Price North Carolina Agricutura land Technical State University Shareah Adele Bethea East Carolina University Brittney Nicole Terry Kunthea Lim Stephen Patrick Craig

4

5

Get organized.

Use your planner, and if your college does not provide you with one, buy one for yourself.

Always give yourself time to relax. Make sure you get enough sleep and remember to enjoy college.

Visit www.thea-blast.org in order to learn about the IB/MYP ceremony.

18

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June 8, 2011

ENTERTAINMENT

19 Summer of fun in the sun June 8, 2011

Not sure what to do with your time this summer? We’ve got you covered with a calendar of fantastic activities

July 3

Television Premiere

Album Release

Concert

Festivals/Events

Movie Premiere

AHS Event

4

5

10

11

He Is We @ Jammin Java Curb Your Enthusiasm HBO 10PM

17

14th Dalai Lama @ Verizon Center (Continues through 16)

Happy Fourth of July!

12

Free Slurpee Day at 7/11

13

19

3 Doors Down: Time Of My Life

24

25

Wiz Khalifa & Mac Miller @ Merriweather

31

Miranda Cosgrove & Greyson Chance @ Wolftrap

26

Vans Warped Tour @ Merriweather

Carytown Watermelon Festival in Richmond

14

Scream It Like You Mean It Tour w/ Breathe Carolina, Chiodos & I See Stars @ Jaxx Fall Sports Begin

Alkaline Trio @ The Black Cat Summer Spirit Fest w/ Damien Marley @ Merriweather

21

22

The Beach Boys @ Wolftrap

Movie Premiere

3

Reggae Revival @ Wolf Trap The Smurfs

BY HABEN BERIHUN Videographer All Time Low was so successful by 2009 that it caught the attention of Interscope Records, a label whose universal influence has touched artists ranging from country singers to rappers. Instead of continuing their fun ride on the road of success, All Time Low

Crazy, Stupid, Love

11

Kings Of Leon @ Jiffy Lube Live

6

12 American Idol Live @ 1st Mariner Arena, MD

Steve Miller Band @ Wolftrap

Blink-182 & My Chemical Romance @ Jiffy Lube Live Final Destination 5 Glee Live! 3D The Help

19

17 18 24

25

Field Hockey vs Edison Train & Maroon 5 with Gavin Degraw @ Merriweather

Friendship Firehouse Festival in Old Town Alexandria Red & White Night @ Clausen Hall

13 FREE: Culture Shock East Coast Dance Concert @ Carter Barron Ampitheatre Tim McGraw @ Wolftrap

20

Football Scrimmage vs Centreville Fool’s Gold: Leave No Trace

Christina Perri @ The 9:30 Club

August 5

4

Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival @ Jiffy Lube Live

Spy Kids 4: All The Time in the World

26

FREE: 7th Annual DC Poetry in the Park @ Carter Barron Ampitheatre

27

Varsity Football vs Chantilly (Old Redskins Park) The Temptations & The Four Tops @ Wolftrap

Conan The Barbarian 3D Our Idiot Brother

Jimmy Buffet @ Jiffy Lube Live

31 HAVE A SAFE AND FUN

CSS: La Laberacion

All Time Low fails to deliver

The Bigger Lights @ Jammin Java

The Change Up Rise of the Planet of the Apes The Perfect Age of Rock And Roll

10

30

Field Hockey vs Hayfield Doobie Brothers @ Wolftrap

Dirty Work Disappoints

30

311 & Sublime with Rome @ Jiffy Lube Live

Festivals/Events

Jane’s Addiction: The Great Escape Artist

29

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Grand Opening in DC Journey, Foreigner & Night Ranger @ Jiffy Lube Live

Asian Food and Tennis Festival in Farifax, VA

Lynyrd Skynyrd @ Wolftrap

Concert

Connie Smith: Long List of Heartaches

Taking Back Sunday @ Rams Head Live

23

29

AHS Event

23

Cambodian Community Day Festival in Alexandria

28

28

27

Guster and Jack’s Mannequin@ Wolftrap The Lying Game ABC Family 9PM

Lil Wayne @ Jiffy Lube Live

Manassas 150th Anniversary events begin (Continues through the 24th)

Album Release

16

15

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II Fiddler on the Roof @ Wolftrap

22

Television Premiere

9

8

7

Def Leppard & Heart @ Jiffy Lube Live

16

15

Keith Urban @ The Verizon Center

Greyson Chance: Hold On ‘Til the Night

Zookeepers Horrible Bosses Movies on the Potomac @ The National Harbor

Big Brother CBS 9PM

Vans Warped Tour @ VA Beach

2

1

9

Friends With Benefits

Eric Church: Chief

Britney Spears w/Nicki Minaj @ Verizon Center

Capitol Fringe Festival (Continues through 24)

21

20 Rockas International Live Reggae @ 18th Street Lounge

Degrassi Teen Nick 9PM

8

Slapticon Film Festival of rare silent comedies starts in Rossyln VA (Continues through 17)

Colbie Caillat: All Of You

National Freedomfest Uncle Sam Jam @ The National Harbor Kid Cudi @ Merriweather

14

Blake Shelton: Red River Blue

18

Monte Carlo

7

5th Mid-Atlantic Band Battle @ Jammin Java

National Freedomfest Gaylord National Resort fireworks & summer festival

6

2

1

Lenny Kravitz: Black And White American

Golf vs T.C. Williams, Lake Braddock & R.E. Lee

SUMMER, BUT DON’T FORGET ABOUT THOSE SUMMER PROJECTS!

The Debt

began working on its 2011 album Dirty Work, and liven up All Time Low’s piece. Overall, the album is a catastrophic collage of musical styles. its subsequent decline.

In comparison to the greatness of the music the The music in Dirty Work is marginal compared to the great music the band used to produce. Listeners pop-punk act once made, Dirty Work is mediocre in catch a miniscule earful of the band’s former self only both effort and musical quality; it seems as ifAll Time Low is now making music just to make it. through a section of one song in which Alex 12-year-old girls may consider this album Gaskarth’s voice is not auto-tuned.

Album Review: to be composed of “the best freaking songs In the spirit of remaining positive, the Dirty Work ever!”, but the actual music community songs “ Don’t You Want Me (Dead)?”, “Just knows what the band is capable of.

The Way I’m Not” and “That Girl” are catchy The band set out with one goal and at best, with their easy-to-follow lyrics. The one goal only: to make music people Spanish-accented guitar style of “That Girl” would appreciate and enjoy. Led by singer is a great change from the norm, but the and guitarist Alex Gaskarth, with Zack song doesn’t really commit to the new sound enough for it to be effective. The same problem exists Merrick on bass, Jack Barakat on lead guitar, and with “No Idea”; elements from Cold Play’s “Viva la Rian Dawson on drums.

The band has come far, formerly playing Vida” are present but not new or exciting enough to

C-

Blink-182 covers at local gigs, they now have songs on Billboard’s Top Ten. Although I do not condone in any success of Dirty Work, I am hopeful that this is not the beginning of All Time Low’s downfall. In order to make up for this mediocre album of funky guitar riffs, strong synths, halfrapped lyrics and smooth melodies, the band must produce something original yet crowd-pleasing next year.

Name: Ndidi Obasi Years on Staff: 4

Favorite A-Blast memory: My favorite memory in A-Blast was when Shriya, Waliha and I would get so delirious on late deadline nights that we would spontaneously burst into dance.

Favorite A-Blast memory: My favorite A-Blast memory is watching Mary Anne Kavjian inhale 6 pieces of pizza on one deadline night under the watchful eye of Mr. Weintraut.

Favorite A-Blast memory: Walking in on Mr. Weintraut one late night to hear him listening to “Forever” by Chris Brown! Priceless.”

Arts Editors

Name: David Hookey Years on Staff: 3

Name: Mary Anne Kavjian Years on Staff: 2

Name: Jordan Aman Years on Staff: 2

Name: Mackda Dinberu Years on Staff: 2

Name: Greg Nielson Years on Staff: 3

Name: Gessica Azzam Years on Staff: 4

In-Depth Editors

Name: Katie Vu Years on Staff: 4

Name: Jeff Shim Years on Staff: 3

People Editors

Name: Rachel Baker Years on Staff: 2

Name: Natalie Johnson Years on Staff: 3

Name: Jerry Sheppard Years on Staff: 2

Web Editor

Historians

Name: Rachel Coulter Years on Staff: 4

Name: Katie Masters Years on Staff: 2

Name: Erin Johnson Years on Staff: 4

Name: Kelsey Knoche Years on Staff: 4

Circulation Manager

Name: Alley Adcock Years on Staff: 4

Name: Erin Georger Years on Staff: 4

Staff Writer

Video Editor

Name: Jayran Moridzadeh Years on Staff: 2

Name: Jennifer Allshouse Years on Staff: 4

Ad Manager

Lifestyles Editors

Name: Haumaira Safi Years on Staff: 2

Name: Carly Bouchard Years on Staff: 3

Name: Kristen Hennessey Years on Staff: 3

Name: Jane Aman Years on Staff: 4

Graphic Designer

Name: Brenna O’Neill Years on Staff: 3

Photo Editors Name: Emma Barker Years on Staff: 4

International Editors

Name: Emily Fruchterman Years on Staff: 4

Photographer

Name: Kelsey Price Years on Staff: 4

Name: Jake Barnes Years on Staff: 3

Managing Editor

Health Editors

Sports Editor Name: Helena Belay Years on Staff: 3

Sports X-tra Editor

Weekend Editors

The A-Blast says good-bye to its senior staff members as they leave AHS and look upon their futures

Editor In Chief

Editor In Chief

Editorials Editor

Good-bye graduates

June 8, 2011

Entertainment Editors

20

WEEKEND

Name: Alay Tedla Years on Staff: 1

Name: Mariah Pollet Years on Staff: 4

Name: Lance Miller Years on Staff: 3

-Compiled by Rebecca Malzahn, Carola Rojas, and A.J. McCafferty

bag essentials Splash into man-made waves Do not forget to bring these things the next time you go to the pool

Take a dive into these local water parks to cool yourself off this summer

1 Reusable water bottle Stay hydrated in the humid summer weather, while being eco-friendly.

REBECCA MALZAHN

2 Book Sit back and relax by the poolside during breaks with a good book.

3 Hat and Sunglasses Keep your eyes shaded from harmful sun UV rays by wearing a hat and sunglasses.

Sunscreen Since the sun becomes a lot stronger in the summer, apply sunscreen indoors and outdoors to protect your skin from skin cancer and bad burns.

Location: 4001 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304

Location: 1400 Lake Fairfax Dr., Reston, VA 20190

There is nothing like being able to take a break from the heat than going to a giant wave pool with either your family or friends at Great Waves. The water park also features a batting cage and miniature golf Prices vary, but are not over $15 for an individual pool pass.

Even though the Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole is typically filled with younger kids, it does not make it less of a good place to have an amazing time. It features a lazy river in which people may float around in inner tubes and several slides. Admission is about $14 total which is quite worth it.

Location: 76 Water Country Parkway, Williamsburg, VA 23185 Not only does Water Country USA have a wave pool, but it also has nine water rides.

The park recently just opened up the new Vanish Point slide and many other attractions.

Tickets are no more then $47 for each adult individual.