Issue 3

8

Arts explores the history of cartooning

A

20

Lifestyles advises you on creating a great homemade halloween costume

InDepth takes a look at cultural trends and how they impact teenagers

Weekend gives you a taste of four fall favorites

ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL

the

4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003

Informiing the Atoms siince 1954 4

TUESDAY OCTOBER 19, 2010

(703) 642-4229

USED WITH PERMISSION FROM LADY DANVILLE

VOLUME #56 ISSUE 3

14

10-11

EMMA BARKER

Atoms Volleyball Record: 3-8

Seniors-only concert to come to AHS Lady Danville to play free concert in auditorium on Oct. 25

Military Fair today during FLEX During both flexes, the annual AHS Military Fair will take place in the upstairs gym. Students will have the opportunity to meet with recruiters from all three branches of the armed services and find out what opportunities are available to students graduate from high

Make-up senior pictures to be taken this week Any seniors who missed their original senior portrait dates will have the opportunity to get their pictures taken between Oct. 20 - 22. Pictures will be taken according to the schedule posted outside the publications lab. Underclassmen retakes will be taken on Oct. 26 and 27.

PTSA meeting tonight The AHS Parent Teacher Student Association will be holding a meeting at 7 p.m. tonight in the Library. The next meeting regarding the Annandale Regional Planning Study aimed at reducing overcrowding at the school will be held on Oct. 27.

BULLIED National Bullying Month begins tomorrow; FCPS promotes awareness

BY ANNIE CURRAN News Editor Feelings of hopelessness rush through their heads. The taunting is like torture that is following them everywhere. The internal conflict presents a major problem, because they don’t want to be a “snitch” and ask an adult for help. It feels like there is no way to make the bullying go away, like there is no escape. This is how children feel when they are bullied.

In the past couple weeks, the media has been a buzz with stories about bullying and the sometimes drastic consequences. Five boys in the U.S. have committed suicide because of bullying in past few months alone. Many experts say bullying is becoming an epidemic, because it no longer occurs just in the halls and bus stops of schools, but a takes place on the Internet, on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, or on cell phones. This means that a teenager’s tormentors can strike at any time and can follow him wherever he goes.

“People were writing “you’re annoying,” “you’re ugly” and it hurt my feelings,” said junior Kaitlyn To, who was bullied on a website called Formspring,

which gives people the option to post anonymous comments on someone’s profile. Because of this, the poster never has to deal with the consequences of what he says. Without any fear of retribution, people do not self-censor the way they do with everyday speech. This allows for extremely negative and hurtful comments to come out.

“I just see [bullying] online,” said junior Beth Hardbower. “Because people are afraid to do it in person.”

October is National Bully Prevention Month, an event put on by the Pacer Center, a foundation which strives to improve the quality of life for children with disabilities.

The event used to be limited to a week, but this year was lengthened in order to raise greater awareness. Their International Bully Prevention Day is October 20 and they are hoping to get countries from all around the world to participate.

FCPS hosted an event on Oct. 13 at the Dunn Loring Center called Bullying Prevention: Tips for Parents, in order to inform parents about bullying and give an open forum for their questions. The “Bullying” continues on page 5

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY AJ MCCAFFERTY

BY EMILY FRUCHTERMAN Co-Editor in Chief Seniors really do seem to have it all.

Members of the senior class were the only students to receive parking passes, take PSAT day off and have the option of ditching the cafeteria for the courtyard during lunch. This year, however, the seniors have an added bonus – their very own private concert.

This Monday, Oct. 25, Lady Danville will be coming to play a free, exclusive show at 2:30 p.m. in AHS’s auditorium.

“All seniors should come on Monday,” senior class president Emma Barker said.

“This is a huge deal! What else would seniors be doing at 2:30 on a Monday afternoon? Homework? I highly doubt it.”

“It was actually Principal Ponton’s idea “Concert” continues on page 17

Scientist to visit AHS Dr. Diandra LesliePelecky to come to AHS to inspire students

BY ELIZABETH WILSON Webmaster Science teacher Steven Fenchel announced that top U.S. scientist Dr. Diandra Leslie-Pelecky will be coming to speak at AHS as a part of The Inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival.

“We were selected as one of only 50 schools,” said Fenchel. “Our speaker is well-known for her research with magnetic nanomolecules and its application to medical diagnosis, MRIs and chemotherapy.”

She is also the author of the book, “The. “Scientist” continues on page 5

Varsity team beats West Springfield in a blowout to improve their record to 4-3

BY DAVID HOOKEY Co-Editor in Chief

See www.thea-blast.org for a video about volleyball’s recent car wash to raise both money and awareness for breast cancer.

The Homecoming football game was not one to remember last year. The Lake Braddock Bruins were able to rack up 48 points while accumulating almost 400 yards of total offense. The Atoms, meanwhile, barely surpassed the century mark in yards and managed a meager 3 points. Needless to say, anything would be an improvement over last year.

This year, the Atoms came out strong and never looked back, resulting in a 42-6 victory

over West Springfield on Oct. 15. “[The game] was redemption for us because we lost on Homecoming last year,” said senior Moe Bah, the team’s captain for the game.

On the very first play of the game, junior Ali Musa forced a fumble that was recovered by the Atoms and returned to the Spartan four-yard line. The next play, senior JP Jenkins ran it in, giving AHS a 7-0 lead just 18 seconds into the game. The defense’s strong play continued on West Springfield’s ensuing drive, as the Atoms recovered another fumble. Jenkins again capitalized on the turnover, this time scoring from 18 yards out to give AHS a 14-0 lead with 9:30 left in the first quarter.

“My offensive line made key blocks and I was able to just break off the block,” said Senior Yari Mizouri makes a tackle on West Springfield running back “Football” continues on page 17

Jonathan Dunn. Mizouri was named Homecoming King at halftime.

RACHEL BERGEN

Atoms win Homecoming game 42-6

2 In what way have you seen or experienced a racism at AHS? “People think that because I am Hispanic, I mow the lawn and hopped over the border.”

— Xavier Arias

freshman

“No, there is a lot of diversity here.”

— Tahani Yosuf freshman

“I see a lot of racism, but not at the school.”

—Hamdi Abdullahi freshman

EDITORIALS

Oct. 19, 2010

Get out of this country?

Personal encounter with racism raises questions about future of America

BY NASIHA RASHID Editorials Editor Walking down the streets of Chinatown on a sunny day, I felt the warm breeze make its way through the crowds of people. The sidewalks, filled with tourists, University Students and Book Festival Attendee’s were very busy. The savory aroma of food coming from the restuarants filled the air as I walked by. I was on my way to a park near Pennsylvania Avenue to carry out my anthropology assignment. While crossing the street a shadow appeared right over me and I saw a pair of boots stand in front of me, I slowly looked up to see a caucasian man in his mid-thirties towering over my 5’1 form.

In the span of a couple of seconds he said, “ Get the (expletive) ouf of the country,” and quickly walked away glaring at me. I stopped in the middle of the street with my mouth open in shock.

The first few thoughts that went through my mind were, “What? Why?” and then I laughed. I didn’t provoke anyone nor did I say anything to instigate a verbal attack. The only reason why he would say something like that to me would be because I wear the Hijab, an obvious symbol that I am a Muslim. Although this is not nearly as extreme as other instances of racism in America, at this young of an age I can attest that this is not something that anyone would want to go through.

I was unprepared when hostility towards Muslims broke out, hate crimes increased and antiIslamic rhetoric barraged every news channel this year. Despite these events, I ignored those who told me that this was a dangerous time for the Muslim generation. It never crossed my mind that I would be confronted because of what my religious beliefs are.

It’s hard to understand what it feels like to be targeted or to have someone physically tell you that

The American flag’s message, which has long been to symbolize freedom for all, is far from the beliefs of the people today.

you don’t belong in this country. This country was built on the five major freedoms that allow us to live the way we prefer. I have every right to be in this country, as does every other Muslim in this country.

The principles we abide by pertain to everyone that lives in the United States, and if certain individuals can’t look past that then we will always be in the midst of a constant battle of entitlement.

The blatant ignorance that people express about Islam, in addition to many other things, is absolutely preposterous. The media is misleading Americans about issues that they will never fully comprehend unless they do background research.

The portrayal of Muslims as terrorists is completely wrong, but the small group of Americans who listen to nothing but the news are being fed lies and manipulated information.There are so-called “experts” debating about whether Islam is a threat to America. It only takes a few minutes of research to

find out that many of these “experts” simply spew out hatred about Islam and Muslims. People are beginning to take what they hear from the media and use the surface-level information to carry out hour-long discussions, while the truth is that they have no idea what they’re saying. All this drivel is allowing hatred to stay alive in our communities.

I can never understand justifications for racism.

The implication of the man’s words led me to believe that I am no longer an American but an enemy. Saying that Muslims are not responsible for a extremist minority in our religion falls on deaf ears. If words aren’t working, and neither are actions, what else is there left to do? Should I teach myself to accept displays of racism? There’s a stigma attached to the word “Muslim,” and as long as it remains, I can’t help but feel let down by my country. Not only that, but when I do go back to Chinatown my pride will be intact and my Hijab will symbolize more than just a

Intolerance against gays leads to suicide

“Someone wrapped their head up in a sweatshirt and pretended to be a terrorist.”

Homophobia has become a major issue in society

—Shanze Faisal

BY SAMIR SHAH Staff Writer

sophomore

“In the cafeteria each race kind of forms their own social group.”

—Robert Schieble

junior

A Rutgers University student committed suicide by jumping off of George Washington Bridge after his roommate secretly filmed a “sexual encounter” in his dorm room and posted it on the Internet, live.

Tyler Clementi’s roommate Ravi Dharun, and Molly Wei, have been charged with two counts each for invasion of privacy after police learned the camera had been placed in the room without Clementi’s knowledge. They face up to five years in prison. Paul Mainardi, the attorney for the Clementis commented for the family. “…The family is heartbroken beyond words. They respectfully ask that they be given time to grieve their great

loss and that their privacy at this painful time be respected by all,” Mainardi said.

A Facebook memorial group was established in honor of Clementi, and already has hundreds of members, many being fellow high school graduates from Ridgewood High school in New Jersey, where Tyler graduated from this last spring.

This tragic story about a gay, young college student sheds light on a growing issue in America: Intolerance towards gays. A recent study found that nine out of 10 gay kids report being harassed, and gay kids are four times more likely than straight kids to commit suicide.

Although we have come a long way since the times of racism, this incident sheds light on the intolerance present in our society towards gays.

This is especially demonstrated by the controversy over the issue of gay marriage, with many advocates across the nation against it.

This tragedy also brings attention to the amount of influence and hurt cyberbullying can bring,

pushing this young college student to the edge.

In my opinion, this occurrence is unbelievable.

The fact that the students roommate would video tape and broadcast what a person does in the privacy of his room is ridiculous and immature. If Clementi wanted to have a “sexual encounter” with a person of his own sex in the privacy of his own room, let him. There is absolutely no explanation for broadcasting it live on the Internet. Things like this shed light on the menace and cruelty of society these days, the seemingly universal view to shame gays or, as a matter of fact, anyone outside what is considered normal is truly daunting to me.

Everyone deserves the right to make decisions for themselves, and all should respect these decisions instead of jeering and teasing them.More importantly cyberbullying needs to be put to an end because it obviously has real consequences.

Clementi seemed like a bright young man with a promising future, but we won’t be able to see that now.

Rule of Thumbs

“There are people that use stereotypes as a way of making fun of someone. ”

Editors In Chief: Emily Fruchterman David Hookey

Lifestyles Editors: Jennifer Allshouse Erin George

Spain held a sleeping contest to see who could fall asleep the quickest, in the middle of a busy shopping mall. This contest’s purpose is to promote napping after lunch.

Managing Editor: Ndidi Obasi

Health Editors: Katie Vu Gessica Azzam

Rule: Sorry, but IB students may not participate.

News Editors: Annie Curran Rebecca Malzahn

Ad Managers:

In-Depth Editors: Katie Masters Erin Johnson

Circulation Manager:

Siesta Fiesta?

—Esreal Muche junior

“I don’t see any racism, everybody respects each other.”

—Sintayehu Meteku

Teen crashes car after Passing Driving Test

junior Just after passing his driving test, a teenage boy accidentally crashed into the State Driving Licence Center in an attempt to leave.

“Whenever you are in the hallway, you hear people making racist jokes.”

— Abraham Rojas senior

Go to the web for to read more opinons on the early decision process for college. www.thea-blast.org

Staff

Rule: Learn to actually drive.

Two Gorillas and a chicken steal teen’s Bike

Three people dressed as Gorillas and chicken and stole a bike from a teenager in Long Island, New York.

Rule: Recycle your Halloween costumes.

Editorials Editors: Jeff Shim Nasiha Rashid

Video Editor: Greg Nielsen

Staff Writers/ Photographers: Lance Miller Helina Daniel Carly Bouchard Maria Suri Elizabeth Kruse Ngan Pham Viviana Valle Rocha Samir Shah Alexa Lafferty Mohamed Tunis, Isabel Villarroel-Teran Alex Davalos Alexis Gunther Arthur McCafferty Kim Long Hoang William Labarca Rachel Bergen Sarah Bergen Natalie Johnson Kylee Nisker Kida Gizaw Stephanie Allshouse Carli Loeb Colleen Adenan Brekhna Gull Rowan Shartel Jerald Sheppard Gunner Thompson Kate Grandchamp Wisna’odom Keo Noah Fitzgerel Megan Flynn Haben Berihun Hila Ghorzang Parker Gillcash

Videographers:

Adviser: Alan Weintraut

Photography Editors:

Emma Barker Kristen Hennessey Rachel Coulter Daniel Park Rachel Baker

Sports Editors: CJ Aftergut Jake Barnes

Art Editors:

Sports Xtra Editors: Brenna O’Neill Esra Gokturk

Academics Editors:

People Editors: Kelsey Knoche Alley Adcock

Copy Editors:

Weekend Editors: Kelsey Price Helena Belay International Editors: Haumaira Safi Jayran Moridzadeh Entertainment Editors: Mackda Dinberu Mary Anne Kavjian

Jane Aman Jordan Aman Tricia O’Neill Nikki Contrino

Brook Tamir Marwa Abdelaziz Rebecca Burke

Historian: Mariah Pollet Web Editor: Liz Wilson

Gwen Levey Patrick McCann Stephen Craig

Annandale High School Vol. 56 No.3 (703) 642-4229 4700 Medford Dr. Oct. 19, 2010 email: theablast@gmail.com Annandale, Virginia 22003 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, 2010.

EDITORIALS

Oct. 19, 2010

A curse and a blessing

3 Do you think there should be limits on First Amendment rights?

Though freedom of speech is a right, limitations should be practiced

BY NOAH FITZGEREL Staff Writer

— Ashlyn Nisker PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CJ AFTERGUT

With a 24/7 news cycle, stories that would have been ignored 30 years ago now seem to receive undue amounts of media coverage.

For example, the group who planned the Koran burning would have been no more than a blip on the radar instead of a near international disaster.

Since stories like these are repeated over and over again in the media, many believe that the country as a whole is becoming more extreme - it is not.

The mainstream is still the mainstream, and the extreme is still the extreme. With no “official” group, the agenda of organizations like the Tea Party does not reflect the values of most mainstream, modern Americans.

For example, the Tea Party appeals mostly to those who believe that the government should have a pre-Great Depression level of involvement in daily life. These “rogue movements” might have a spotlight on the television, but by no means are they the views of the majority in America.

Unfortunately, these groups are spotlighted for the extreme rhetoric they use and the actions they take. They exercise their First Amendment rights to make points that seem amoral or unethical. The question is, how far should they be able to go?

One of the most recent headlines that involves one of these extremely conservative groups covers an issue between Albert Snyder and the Westboro Baptist Church. Four years ago, Snyder’s son, Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder, a soldier who died overseas serving in the war against terrorism, was buried to the protest of members of the Westboro Baptist Church. The members of this Kansas-based group decided that the best way for them to spread their message that homosexuality is a sin, and that God hates America because of the existence of gays (they held signs that read “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” and “God Hates

“Sometimes, people take advantage of it and take it too far.”

Freedom of Speech is often taken for granted; however, the line is crosses a lot of times, and restrictions should be placed.

America”), was to go the funeral of this marine, and demonstrate, in front of his family and friends, that they were glad that this brave solider died. This disgusting and most deplorable exercise of their Freedoms of Speech has caused this case (Snyder v. Phelps), and many other cases along these lines to be heard at the Supreme Court. This case raises that age old question- How far should people be allowed to go to exercise their First Amendment rights?

Hate is a very ugly thing. Groups like the Westboro Baptist Church and Rev. Terry Jones (the man who was thrust into the national spotlight for organizing a day to burn Korans) all reflect this attitude that is often brought about during tough economic times when people blame whatever group they can. Unfortunately, these hateful people are protected under the same rights that protect the rest of America. The First Amendment, which contains the Rights to Freedom of Speech, Petition, Assembly and Religion, cannot be denied for certain people, but then upheld for others.

If a group receives a permit, they are allowed to

peacefully assemble and spread whatever message they choose, as long as it is not threatening or intimidating.

It is for this reason that groups like the Westboro Baptist Chruch are allowed to boycott funerals like they did for Cpl. Snyder. However, even though they are protected under the law, does that mean that they should exercise it?

There is a fine line to Freedom of Speech. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. What Westboro Baptist Church did to Albert Snyder is utterly despicable; however, it is perfectly legal.

There is no law against insensitive acts, and as much as I wish that these protesters realized that the damage they did was irreversible, there is no punishment. To bury your own child is one of the worst possible nightmares that a parent can endure, and for someone to think that they can intrude on the sanctity and privacy of a funeral in the first place, and then declare that the person being buried had no right to exist on Earth, is out of their mind and should be severely punished.

Now is the time to ‘Restore Sanity’ Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart respond to Glenn Beck’s rally back in August

BY JEFF SHIM Editorials Editor Since the beginning of American political system, only the voices of extremists, such as members of the Tea Party, have been heard. However, on Oct. 30, the more moderate majority might finally be heard.

As a response to Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor Rally, that was held this past summer, Jon Stewart, the famous political satirist and host of The Daily Show, is holding a rally of his own.

According to Stewart, his rally, unlike Beck’s, is for “people who think shouting is annoying, counterproductive, and terrible for your throat; who feel that the loudest voice shouldn’t be the only ones that get heard.”

Stewart is joined by pundit Stephen Colbert, whose show The Colbert Report follows Stewart’s on Comedy Central. While Stewart is known for promoting the liberal agenda, Colbert made his name doing the opposite - he leans far to the right and intentionally points out the absurdities within the conservatives ideology.

His own event, which is being held as a companion to Stewart’s rally, is called the March to Keep Fear Alive. While both Stewart and Colbert

are appearing in character at their events and will represent the extremes of the political spectrum, these rallies are actually an opportunity for moderate America to step up and shout.

Usually, the loudest shouters tend to be on the extreme ends of the political spectrum. Their usually controversial opinions make a stir and spark debate, making them more famous filling their campaign’s bank accounts with money that makes them more likely to win political office.

But should this happen? The answer should be a resounding no.

These extremists, whether they be to the right or left, do not represent America. But because their comments make for good sound-bytes, their quotes are repeated time and time again, until their tremendously biased message has been etched onto the minds of millions. In this coming election, moderate America should be able to speak its mind - the rallies held by Stewart and Colbert are just the beginning.

Although Colbert and Stewart’s shows are intended to criticize and mock public figures and issues in entertaining ways, their commentaries are sometimes more rational than those of extremists. As an example of the insanity, he is fighting against, Stewart called attention to the propaganda techniques used by candidates hoping for a seat on either side of the aisle, saying that his rally is for people “who believe that the only time it’s appropriate to draw a Hitler mustache on someone is when that person is actually Hitler. Or Charlie Chaplin in certain roles.” Hopefully, this march will be the spark moderate America needs to ignite and

BY ZULY HUMA Editorials Editor At least a dozen American soldiers deployed in Afghanistan were recently accused being part of a “kill team” that murdered civilians and took body parts as souvenirs and photographs with the corpses. Out of the 12 , five are allegedly responsible for murdering three different men and the seven others have been accused of keeping the murders under wraps and lying to the authorities about the murders.

The suspects of the murders are Calvin Gibbs, Andrew Holmes, Jeremy Mortlock, Michael Wagnon II and AdamWinfield. According to documents, the discussions of murdering Afghan civilians started a about a year ago when Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs transferred to the forward operating base Ramrod and began planning with Jeremy Mortlock about Afghan killings. In the following months,they both allegedly killed three civilians by shooting and or throwing grenades at them. The slayings came in light when a young recruit reported authorities later on. Allegedly, Gibbs and Mortlock brutally beat up the young recruit for “snitching” about the members smoking stolen hashish and drinking alcohol on duty. The soldier then reported the beating to the authorities as well as everything he knew about the “kill team.”

These abuses are not the first to have surfaced in recent years concerning the U.S. Army mistreating and abusing persons. In fact, these are just extended examples of misconduct by American soldiers. In 2004, the Abu Ghraib scandal horrified

The U.S. Army needs to pass proper judgment on soldiers for their actions and abuse.

everyone across the nation on what members of the U.S. Army were really doing to the prisoners. The question of how could the American army, under the pretense of liberating the people, possibly enact torture and abuse on these so-called prisoners.

These tortures and abuses varied, but most, if not all, are absolutely repulsive and inhumane, especially the explicit sexual abuse.

The list of tortures goes on. Several photographs and videos depict naked prisoners, stacked upon each other or both women and men getting raped.

Prisoners were forced by the U.S. Army to perform various sexual acts. Many were tethered by leashes when the soldiers were unable to obtain straitjackets. The suspects were beaten, had chemicals

“I do not think people are abusing it, but utilizing it.

They are not breaking the law.”

— Banna Gebremichael senior

“Yes, when it comes to situations like Westboro Batist Church members [picketing at solders’ funerals].”

—Salma Kerfal senior “There should not be limitations, people need to understand that there are responsibilities that come with freedoms.”

—Megan Saladino

Social studies teacher

Five U.S. Soldiers Afghan ‘Kill Team’ Profiles On Oct. 30, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will hold the “Rally to Restore Sanity” and “March to Keep Fear Alive.”

stand up for itself.

Although Stewart already announced that his rally and politics would not correlate, I know for sure that it will definitely influence the voter turnout for the mid-term election in November.

The Election Day is Nov. 2, only three days after the rally/march, and many moderates attending the rally are likely to vote. Currently, the Democrats hold majorities in the House and Senate, but depending on the impact of the moderates’ voice, the election truly could go either way.

Either way, the rally will change many perspectives and hopefully restore “sanity,” which has never truly existed in the nation’s political history, and pass the megaphone to the moderates.

Torture by soldiers cannot be justified Abuse of Aghans recently unfolded in the news

junior

poured on them, dragged across by ropes tied to their legs or genitalia.

The objective of torture is to humiliate and completely destroy a person’s morale and identity.

But is this how Americans justify the 9/11 acts?

These alleged terrorists were taken in in effort to thwart plans of terrorism and to find weapons of mass destruction but has the U.S. been successful? Is torture an acceptable form of interrogation?

Is killing civilians just for the heck of it tolerable?

Americans wondered why Iraqis and Afghans are so hostile to them and they finally have an answer.

There is an intense hate for Americans and Westerners for this very reason; they act hypocritically, claiming they will help liberate these poor, oppressed citizens but turn around and take photographs of soldiers smiling with naked, physically and mentally tortured prisoners and corpses with random body parts cut off for souvenirs.

These acts are disgusting and cannot be justified. There is no excuse, no reason, no value besides the sick pleasure these soldiers received from enacting torture and mercilessly killing innocents.

Why was there no government policy that prevented the brutal torment and agony on these prisoners? Torture is torture, it is not interrogation.

There is no gray shade in this issue, no line between “acceptable interrogation techniques” and abuse. One would think these attacks on civilians and unjustified torture would be stopped but no, even after six years after finding out about such acts, there are no restraints. The U.S. Army needs to find better candidates for soldiers and actually enforce policies that obstruct torture. The American people help in raising their voices against acts that go against the very morals of every sane human being and support a torture-free America.

Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs Charged with three counts of murder.

Private First Class Andrew Holmes Accused of killing Afghan civilian Gul Mudin with a grenade and rifle.

Specialist Adam Winfield Accused of killing Mullah Adahdad, an Afghan civilian, in the same manner as Andrew Holmes.

Specialist Michael Wagnon Charged with three counts of murder and a count of assault.

Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs Charged with three counts of murder and wrongfully using a controlled substance.

NEWS Hypnotist visits AHS tomorrow NEWS BRIEFS

4

Former history teacher Jack White passes away

Oct. 19, 2010

DECA hypnotizes to raise funds

BY ROWAN SHARTEL Staff Writer

This past Columbus Day weekend former AHS social studies teacher, who also subbed at AHS on occassion, passed away. The cause of death was unpublished. A veiwing was be held for White on Oct. 16 from 3 - 7 p.m.at the Demaine Funeral Home. The following day, Oct. 17, burial services were held at 1 p.m. at National Memorial Park in Falls Church.

A look at the Homecoming Parade

Glossed-over eyes, blank stares and mind games are probably the first things that come to most people’s minds when they think of hypnosis. A clever hypnotist entrances his audience, manipulates his subject’s brain and makes a spectacle out of both. Other than old movies, carnivals and shows, though, it is not easy to really be able to experience hypnosis firsthand. The hypnosis show by professional comedy stage hypnotist Jason Linett tomorrow, sponsored by DECA can provide that experience for willing participants.

During the show, which starts at 7 p.m. and costs $8 per ticket, Linett promises to create an “unforgettable experience with entertainment that is clean, safe and guaranteed to keep everyone laughing,” according to his website. This event is different than any put on in the past at AHS, and the show looks to be as exciting as it is unique.

Jason Linett is more than a stage hypnotist; he is actually a professional who studied at the National Guild of Hypnotists and is a certified Hypnotherapist. He places a strong emphasis on stress-free, fun entertainment, because some people’s perception of hypnotism is understandably

linked with embarrassment and trickery.

“Students, teachers, friends and family in the audience may be selected to come on stage to become hypnotized and part of the show that evening,” said Lindsay Zivney, marketing teacher and DECA sponsor.

Hypnosis is based on audience involvement and while it may seem scary to get up on stage and let a hypnotist tamper with your mind temporarily, Linett assures this will not be the case.

“They are happy they volunteered, not embarrassed, and the audience enjoys the program without being offended,” Linett said.

“People should sit in the first two rows if they are looking to be hypnotized,” said sophomore Madeline de Mello, a DECA member. This prospect of being hypnotized sounds very appealing to some AHS students and staff, who are looking forward to the show.

DECA chose Linett for their fundraiser because they were looking for something lively and different to raise money. Holding a hypnosis show will have higher appeal and be more interesting, they presume, than an average car wash or bake sale.

“DECA chose the hypnotist, Jason Linett, as a new fundraiser to do something different and involve more AHS students,” said Zivney. The money from this fundraiser will help fund their spring competition trips.

Hypnotist Jason Linett will give AHS students and faculty a show to rememeber, while helping DECA raise money.

Marching Band: work hard, play harmoniously PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN EPLEY

Long practices and half time shows lead up to State competition

BY BECCA HENDRICKSON Staff Writer

The varsity cheerleaders cheer their way down the street.

Three freshmen cheer as their float moves down the street.

Marching band and color guard will be participating in the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association (VBODA) State Marching Assessment with many other high schools from all over Virginia on Oct. 30.

“I am preparing by working hard during rehearsal and practice and I try to treat all of my practices like I’m in a competition,” said junior saxophonist Andrew Risse.

The Marching Atoms have practice three times each week and each practice is approximately two and a half hours long. The students are also encouraged to practice at least once a week on their own.

Students practice before their previous competition at Manassas Park.

The VBODA State Marching Assessment will be held on Saturday, Oct. 30, at West Springfield High School. AHS is one of the 25 high school marching bands participating in this assessment. The State Marching Assessment will begin at 9 a.m. and the Marching Atoms will perform in class AAA at 11:15 a.m.

“We just continue to work on our

field show and practice to make the performance better,” said first year band director, Andrew Loft. “We need to get every note in the right place, every step in the right place, and every horn in the right direction.”

There is a total of six different categories in which the Marching Atoms will be assessed and judged on. The categories include their

AHS shows spirit during Homecoming week Students attend various activities and show school spirit As students sauntered through the hallway on the morning of Friday, Oct. 8, they noticed two things. First, they felt that good old “It’s finally Friday” feeling hit them, which was quickly followed by the odd apparel of those surrounding them. It was dress like a superhero or villain day, only the beginning of the eventful spirit week.

After the three-day weekend, students arrived at school dressed in wacky-tacky, Disney and Western themed attire. Students finished the week displaying their atomic spirit. Freshmen wore red, sophomores wore white, juniors wore face paint and seniors wore togas as per tradition. “[My favorite day] was wacky tacky day, because people were wearing really ugly clothes and it looked funny,” said freshman James Barker. “I wore weird clothes that didn’t match and two different pairs of shoes.”

AHS’s annual Powderpuff football game was held on Wednesday night. Junior and senior girls duked it out, as the boys cheered for their class from the sideline. In the end the seniors won, with a score of 26 – 18. The crowd then shifted to a bonfire on the football practice field to celebrate.

Freshman Dominic Maier posed as the West On Friday evening, a pep rally was held to get Springfield Spartan during the pep rally. students hyped for the upcoming football game

A.J. MCCAFFERTY

BY REBECCA MALZAHN News Editor

Science teacher Thomas Chorman carries a Periodic Table of Elements.

music, the general effect, percussion, color guard, class and how they look visually. These assessments present an opportunity for the band to perform in front of a panel of judges in which the judges compute the bands performances based off of a rubric.

The Atoms have previously performed at two other assessments this year: the Woodbridge Viking Invitational and the Manasass Park Fall Classic. In the Viking invitational, the Marching Atoms placed third in their overall class. At the Fall Classic, the Atoms received scores of first place in music, second in visual, second in general effect, third in percussion, third in colorguard, and second in their class.

“I am very excited since it is my last year with the band and [the outcome of states] will be the culmination of all of our efforts over the year,” said senior drum major, Lillian Singer.

against the West Springfield Spartans. Athletic teams announced their members, then gathered for their unique team cheers. The dance team and varsity cheerleaders also performed.

“Everybody is a winner today, everybody,” said history teacher and head football coach Mike Scott during the pep rally.

Prior to the game, two firetrucks and several police cars escorted the Homecoming parade.

Multiple cars carrying the Homecoming court followed closely behind clubs, teams, and class floats.

The Homecoming court, composed of freshmen Carly Potts and Jordan Fox, sophomores Betsy Kruse and Stephen Oakes, juniors Nisreen Al-Suqi and Samir Shah, and seniors Katie Bui and Yari Mizouri, walked through a pathway of colorguard members during halftime.

Returning alumni reunited with old friends during the game and regained a sense of Atom pride.

“It felt a whole lot different being an alumni than a student, the atmosphere was completely different, but I still had a great time,” class of 2010 graduate Stephanie Burns said.

By the end of the night, the Atoms dominated over the Spartans, with a score of 42 - 6.

The top songs of 2010 blasted over the grand speakers, the following day, as nearly 1,000 students danced the night away. The three hourlong dance, held in the main gym on Saturday night was packed full of energetic, well-dressed students eager to have a good time.

Underclassmen take PSATs and seniors take a break from school The PSAT gives seniors a “get out of school free” card

BY BETSY KRUSE AND SARAH BERGEN Staff Writers

Five juniors stand on their float, which won the contest and received $300 for their class.

Photos By: Rachel Bergen and Helina Daniel

While the seniors were allowed to stay at home for the day on Oct. 13 and prepare for their last powderpuff football game and Homecoming bonfire following the game, the underclassmen had to come to school at regular time to take a preliminary SAT. The test started soon after students arrived and ended before 11 a.m., when school was dismissed.

The PSAT shows and prepares students for what to expect on the actual SAT and allows students to use skills that they have developed over the years.

“I think the [PSATS] are good because they show us what to expect [on the SATs],” said sophomore Kyle Jamieson.

The test will determine your strengths and weaknesses in areas that will be necessary for college-level material.

“I don’t think people take this test seriously, but they should because it will really help us on the real SATs,” said sophomore Diana Hurtado.

Not only does the PSAT give students an opportunity to practice, but it also can be looked at by colleges and help them decide whether they are interested in you or not.

“I’’m nervous, but I’m going to try my best,” said freshman Noah Green before the test.

If freshman or juniors want to receive the results of their test, they had to pay a fee of $17.

Sophomores do not have to pay the fee to receive their results. The test results will be given back to the students in mid-December.

“I think it’d be helpful if we didn’t have to pay for our results,” said junior Evelyn Jaramillo.

“I thought that the PSATs in previous years were pretty tough. In all honesty, I thought they wouldn’t really matter, but they really do. So take Above is a copy of the official test booklet that was it seriously!” said senior Kate Nguyen. adminstered on Oct. 13.

Many students were excited about getting out of school three hours early and spending the extra Copenhaver. time to complete miscellaneous tasks.

“During my time off from school I did a lot of “I slept and did current events for my history college work, was able to hang out with my friends, class,” said freshman Katie McCann.

I caught up on my sleep and went to the doctor’s,” Some students even spent the time preparing said senior Jenna Balicki. “Overall it was a very for the Homecoming dance, which is this Saturday, relaxing break from school.”

Oct. 16.

“I did my homework early, so I could have time to “With the extra time after the test, I went home, hang out with my friends,” said junior Erik Hoff. slept, ate, watched TV and got my nails done with friends for homecoming!” said sophomore Julia SARAH BEGREN

Three sophomores stand on their nautical themed float.

NEWS

Oct. 19, 2010

FCPS addresses bullying Parents attend forum to help answer their many questions and to become more aware “Bullying” continued from page 1

organizers of the event hoped that it would increase awareness in order to decrease bullying. It was hosted by Dede Bailer, the FCPS coordinator of School Psychology Services. Bailer focused on the three types of bullying; direct, indirect and relational.

“The type [of bullying] we see in high school is relational and indirect,” said Bailer. Indirect bullying is anything from spreading rumors to cyberbullying.

Relational bullying is intentional non-inclusion, which most often occurs in cafeterias and other unsupervised areas. In fact, most bullying today is not of a physical nature. “I see it more in school. I see name calling,” said sophomore Ayat Elhag.

A poll shared during the event stated that 66 percent of students said that they don’t report bullying because they don’t think teachers will do anything. Another six percent said that the bullying got worse after they told their teacher. “Teachers really do want to intervene. They don’t know how to do it,” said Bailer.

The bullying awareness night stressed that FCPS’s main strategy to combat bullying should be to continue educating teachers and students. “We’re training educators, providing them with a knowledge base,” said Bailer. “We’re teaching them the skills to effectively handle these situations.

FCPS will also be compiling a manual on bullying to be used in the coming years. Results from a survey distributed to seniors and sophomores during the 20092010 school year will be presented to a board in the district soon. After reviewing the material, they will decide how to move forward with the issue.

Recently, major media outlets have dedicated news specials to bringing this topic to light. According to CNN, though 30 percent of children feel they have been bullied in some form or another, 60 percent of parents think that it is minor issue or not an issue at all.

One story that has garnered a multitude of media attention in the past couple of weeks is the story of

NEWS BRIEFS

be charged with more serious crimes than just invasion of privacy.

New research proves that gay and lesbian teenagers bear the brunt of bullying in today’s society. In fact, the five teenagers who committed suicide mostly recently were teased for their sexuality.

At AHS, the Gay/Straight Alliance has been working to stop intolerance of gay teens. The GSA’s goal is to educate people in order to garner more acceptance for the gay community. The club meets every other Monday of the month to discuss their efforts.

Projects to stop intolerance have also been all over the media. The “It Gets Better” campaign, led by some of the most prominent celebrities in the business, serves to tell gay youth that in time people will become more accepting. Ellen DeGeneres, Tim Gunn, Kim Kardashian and Ke$ha are among the many celebrities who have posted videos on the Internet for the campaign.

“Things will get easier, peoples’ minds will change,” said DeGeneres on her talk show. “And you should be alive to see it.”

FCPS reported that bullying decreases as children get older. This research is based on what children report and therefore does not include the cases of teens who choose to remain silent. “We’re seeing less reported bullying in high school,” said Bailer.

Even with the lower rates, Bailer said that they had one goal specifically for the students who are not targets or bullies. FCPS wants “to move the bystanders towards being defenders.”

‘It’s more than just the target, it’s more than just the bully, all of the bystanders are affected,” said Bailer.

To learn more about FCPS’s mission to combat bullying, go to http://www.fcps.edu/dss/ips/psychologists/ overview-of-services.htm.

Bullying Facts: Close to 50 percent of children report that they’ve been involved in indicents of bullying.

Most bullying done in school today is not of a physical nature.

Boys bully more than girls do, but girls are more likely to be involved in cyber-bullying.

Most children who are bullied so not tell an adult or a teacher at school.

The most common type of bullying in high school is relational and indirect, which includes cyber-bullying Source: Dede Bailer, FCPS coordinator of School Psychology Services

Trevor Clementi. Clementi was a freshman at Rutgers University in New Jersey, who had his privacy violated when his roommate set up a hidden camera in his dorm room. The roommate filmed Clementi’s sexual encounter with another male and uploaded it to the Internet for the world to see. “I just felt that it was immoral and unethicial,” said junior Tae Kim. After finding out, Clementi ended his life by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. The story has sparked outrage across the country, including in groups on Facebook that believe the students involved should

5 STAND concert audtions to continue today On October 19, auditions for the STAND Benefit Concert will continue for the second day in Clausen Hall. They will begin at 2:00 p.m.. The concert benefits areas of the world that have been affected by conflict and war.

Halloween parade in the AHS community The AHS Marching Atoms will take part in the community Halloween parade on Oct. 23. They will walk throughout the town of Annandale, and then go to the Wakefield Chapel neighborhood and finish with a mini-parade and performance at the Sprague Media Center. People of all ages in costumes are welcome.

In the next part of this series, AHS students will share their personal stories about bullying and how it has affected them. The piece will also feature a survey about how much bullying is really at AHS.

Senior panoramic picture to be taken The 2010-2011 senior class panoramic picture will be taken on October 21, on the the football stadium bleachers. The picture will take place during flex. The rain date is October 25.

Caution: Seniors to go rockin’ Rock band Lady Danville to give AHS seniors a special concert Oct. 25 “Concert” continued from page 1

Courtesy of Lady Danville

to make it a seniors-only concert,” said Class of 2011 officer Victoria Ko. “It’s really nice just to have our own class event – I think it’s going to spark a lot of class spirit.”0In order to ensure that the event remains solely for seniors, school IDs will be checked at the door.

“The school isn’t paying for anything,” Barker said. “However, Lady Danville is selling shirts, CDs and other merchandise after the concert.”

The journey towards making this show happen started off as a chance encounter.

Class of 2010 President Jen Oakes heard one of the band’s songs, “Spoon,” in the mockumentary “Dorm Life” over a year ago and decided to track the band down.

“I added them on Facebook and just started talking to them about their music and whatnot,” Oakes said. “One day, they were like ‘hey, by the way we might come to DC to play at Jammin’ Java for our East Coast tour!’ So the SGA got really excited and tried to arrange plans for them to come play at AHS, but in the end they didn’t have the funds to travel out to the East Coast.”

Although plans for the show did not come to fruition last year, Lady Danville still kept AHS in mind. “[Lady Danville] recently messaged me and was like ‘could you put us in contact with the current senior class president because we are coming to Virginia and we want to play for AHS! ’” Oakes said.

At the moment, Lady Danville is making their way toward AHS in their tour bus, which they have affectionately named Brenda.

“We’re driving across the country, with a few shows on the way to New York, where we’ll be performing at the CMJ Festival,” vocalist and drummer Matt Frankel said. Lady Danville is made up of Matt Frankel, Michael Garner and Dan Chang. Principal Ponton decided that the concert should be a seniors-only concert.

“Then after that we’re coming to Annandale!”

In addition to Frankel, Lady Danville features the voices of Michael Garner, who also they will be a ‘break,’ but they just end up being fun and make us feel like we have plays the keyboard and Dan Chang, who plays guitar. The band gets their name from accomplished something great as a band, regardless of how it moves our careers forward.” the town of Danville, California, where Garner and Chang both grew up.

The band also has some quirky habits.

“Dan and Michael didn’t know each other in Danville, they actually went to different “We do have a couple of pre-show rituals. Michael does somersaults, Dan blows his high schools,” said Frankel. “We all met at an audition at UCLA for an a cappella nose and I tape my fingers,” said Frankel. group!”

After their show atAHS, Lady Danville plans to play another show at Jammin’Java in In addition to being featured on “Dorm Life,” Lady Danville has shared the stage Vienna. with several well-known artists, although they do not believe they’ve had a definitive “We wanted to have this show because the AHS show is only for seniors, so in the big break. evening we would love to have all of the underclassmen and their families (and of course “We’ve joined the stage with some amazing artists, such as Sara Bareilles, Jack’s seniors that want to see us again!) come to the show in the evening,” Frankel said.

Mannequin and Adele,” Frankel said. “We won a really cool radio competition too [and] Lady Danville goes on at 6:30 p.m. Sing Me Insomnia, Alexis Babini and Kyle were featured on the 98.7 Star Lounge CD with John Mayer, Keane, Maroon 5 and Patrick, from The Click Five, will also be performing. For more information, visit www. some other great artists.” jamminjava.com.

It’s interesting,” Frankel continued. “Sometimes certain accomplishments feel like

NASCAR scientist to give presentation Guest speaker part of intiative by the USA Science Festival to make science appealing

Courtesy of Dr. Leslie-Pelecy

“Scientist” continued from page 1

Physics of NASCAR,” and has appeared on ESPN, Speed TV and other media outlets.

The purpose of the USA Science Festival is to help raise awareness and enthusiasm for science and engineering. On the Festival’s website, the group states that their aim is to “re-invigorate the interest of our nation’s youth in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by producing and presenting the most compelling, exciting, educational and entertaining science gatherings in the United States.”

The need for this is clear, as according to Nobel Laureate Richard Smalley, 90 percent of the world’s scientists and engineers will live inAsia by the end of this year.Additionally, 80 percent of US students studying for degrees in advanced physical science are from abroad.

Smalley’s fear is that innovation in the field of science and engineering will ultimately be completely outsourced.

In their mission statement, Lockheed Martin and the author sponsors of the events say that they hope to

Dr. Leslie-Pelecky has worked with the Physics of NASCAR.

combat this trend by “offering stellar multi-faceted programs with high entertainment value and integrity of scientific content.” They believe that if science can be made more accessible and presented in a way that is more entertaining, interest in the field will increase.

In addition to Dr. Leslie-Pelecky’s presentation at AHS, the festival will have its grand finale on the National Mall on Oct. 23-24. The EXPO will have over 1,500 interactive activities in addition to 75 stage shows. The event is aimed at all ages and all interest levels and will include presentations on the science of the magic of Harry Potter, the physics of superheroes and the science behind special effects in movies as well as on more serious topics like trends in global warming and renewable energy sources of the future.

Presenters include storm chasers, astronauts, Nobel Laureates and even celebrities such as Bill Nye the Science Guy and the MythBusters. There will also be a variety of hands on activities from Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II Cockpit to Sprockit the Interactive Robot. For additional information on the festival, visit www.usasciencefestival.org.

Go to the Web

To stay up to date on the latest events happening at AHS such as:

Students celebrate on “Atomic Day” Seniors defeat juniors in powderpuff game Survivor appreciates Holocaust Museum Students’ alteregos show on Superhero day Students react to first interim of the year Volleyball team raises money for breast cancer Key Club holds first meeting All aboard the pep train Parents and teens learn rules of the road

PEOPLE

6

Oct. 19, 2010

Invitations to remember Students come up with creative ways to ask their peers to this years Homecoming dance

“I want a guy to sing and play guitar for me and write a song asking me to Homecoming.”

— Eliana Sejas junior

“I think it would be cute if someone asked me by a scavenger hunt.”

— Annette Janwatin junior

“I would want her to stop my football game and ask me over the loud speaker.”

— Joe Bermingham sophomore “I would want it to be spontaneous.”

— Nick Torrico freshman

Student spotlight: AHS Model UN

––Compiled by Becca Hendrickson

Elisa Figueroa, Senior Years in Model U.N: 3

October Celebrity Birthdays

1 Jimmy Carter 2 Kelly Ripa 3 Ashlee Simpson 4 Jackie Collins 5 Nikki Hilton 6 Amy Jo Johnson 7 Taylor Hicks 8 Jesse Jackson 9 Sharon Osbourne 10 Tanya Tucker 11 Luke Perry 12 Hugh Jackman 13 Kelly Preston 14 Usher 15 Sarah Ferguson 16 John Mayer 17 Eminem 18 Zac Efron 19 Omar Gooding 20 Tom Petty 21 Celia Cruz 22 Shaggy 23 Nancy Grace 24 David Nelson 25 Katy Perry 26 Keith Urban 27 Kelly Osbourne 28 Bruce Jenner 29 Ben Foster 30 Gavin Rossdale 31 Peter Jackson

BECCA HENDRICKSON

How would you like to be asked to Homecoming?

As students walk the halls dressed in Batman costumes, a myriad of unmatching colors and patterns, Disney princess dresses, cowboy boots, and finally Roman-esque togas, only one thing can be certain: Homecoming week has arrived at AHS. The annual Homecoming dance, the culmination of the week long ritual, took place Saturday night in the dressed-up gymnasium. And, as usual, the build-up to the much anticipated dance included many teenage boys searching for creative methods to ask their carefully chosen dates.

When senior Alley Adcock returned from a weekend vacation, she found her car soaked in a little more than the rain from the weekend’s Junior Kim Rowland’s car was decorated when she returned to school after an away torrential downpour. With the help of a friend, senior Edcel Argueta field hockey game. Rowland accepted the invitation with a phone call. had covered her car in hand-written messages and balloons, as well as decorating her driveway with chalk to pop the question. Post-It notes were also pasted all over the car for added affect.

“The rain had basically washed away a lot of the writing on my car and my driveway, but Edcel had told me he had a surprise for me when I got home so I figured it out pretty quickly,” said Adcock.

“It was a spur of the moment decision that I made when I was hanging out with my friends. I chalked all over her driveway and tied balloons to her car,” said Argueta.

Others, such as senior Matt Chiappane, enlisted the help of family members to help make their question memorable. “Matt had his baby niece Kayla walk into the room wearing a shirt that said ‘Homecoming?’ on it. It was so cute and also surprising because I didn’t know he was going to ask me. Since we’re dating he really didn’t have to,” said Chiappane’s girlfriend, senior Jessica Camilli.

“I came up with the idea because I know how much she loves my little niece and I knew it would be cute and make Jessica happy,” said Chiappane.

Senior John Oakes asked his girlfriend Colleen Adenan with a poster at her Sophomore Colleen Adenan was also surprised by her boyfriend, senior house, flowers and a basket of treats.

John Oakes, with balloons and a sign in her front yard. Unbeknownst to Adenan, Oakes had been planning the surprise with her parents and as Adenan walked into her house after seeing the sign, Oakes surprised her with flowers and a basket of brownies and cookies.

“At first I had a different idea of a way to ask her, but I was afraid it wouldn’t work out. I came home from school last week and decided I needed to stop procrastinating so I sat down and started brainstorming and that’s what I came up with. I surprised her by popping out from behind the island in the kitchen with a bouquet of roses,” said Oakes.

Some couples even chose to ask their significant others during school.

As John Hawes’ R7 Geography class viewed one of his infamous PowerPoints, he told the class that the next slide was a special request from a student. The slide, made by senior Carrie Vergel de Dios, asked her boyfriend, senior Matt Haines, to Homecoming.

“I came up with the idea because I know Geography is his favorite class and it would catch him of guard. I wanted to surprise him and take the opportunity to make him get really red and feel embarrassed,” said Vergel de Dios.

Senior Stephen Cook asked his girlfriend Natalie Johnson to Homecoming by Senior Stephen Cook took a very public approach in asking girlfriend sending a message during a concert which came on the screen for everyone to Natalie Johnson to the dance. During the Drake concert they attended see. together, audience members were given to opportunity to send text messages that would then appear on the big screen at DAR Constitution As junior Kim Rowland returned to school following a field hockey Hall. game, she found her car decorated with window paint by junior Willie “His text came on the screen saying, “Natalie, will you go to Labarca asking her to Homecoming.

Homecoming with me? Then he tapped me on the shoulder and told me “I was really surprised when I saw it and also really happy because to look at the screen. I was so happy because I didn’t think he would do it was a good way for him to ask me; I liked that it was a surprise and I something like that. I of course immediately said yes and grabbed my was not expecting it at that time,” said Rowland. camera to take a picture,” said Johnson.

COURTESY OF JOHN OAKES

visit www.thea-blast.org

For more profiles on creative Homecoming invitations

BY KELSEY KNOCHE People Editor

NATALIE JOHNSON

Go to the Web

Why did you join? History is my favorite subject in school, so I thought that I would enjoy this club. I also had heard about it before and it sounded interesting and fun.

86 40 26 73 27 40 34 39 58 52 44 42 47 30 50 32 37 22 33 59 84 41 50 73 27 32 25 60 29 42 48

Tyler Jackson, Senior Years in Model U.N: 1 Why did you join? I have heard from people in the club that all the trips are really fun and you learn a lot. Since I’m a senior, I decided I would do it this year since it is my last chance.

What is your favorite part about the club?

I like the UVA trip because it is always an interesting concert and it’s a really fun trip to make with friends.

What is your favorite part about the club?

I’m really excited for the UVA trip because I have heard from people that it’s really fun and I’m excited to debate after researching the subjects.

How does Model U.N. help you in school? I learn a lot about important global issues which helps me when we learn about similar things in school.

What have you done to prepare so far for Model UN? We’ve had a couple of meetings to plan the trips we’re going to. Our first one is at George Mason High School so I have to go to that one since I’m new. Then in November we’re going to UVA for another conference.

Liz Wilson, Junior

Sahnun Mohamed

Years in Model U.N: 3

Years in Model U.N: 3

Why did you join? I joined because i really like to debate and I also like government.

Why did you join? I like to debate and work on my people skills.

What is your favorite part about the club?

Working through complex global issues and attempting to come up with solutions for them in a limited amount of time.

What is your favorite part about the club? The trips because the fun that we all have together.

How does Model U.N. help you in school? It makes you a better public speaker so it helps with presentations. It also teaches you how to argue effectively and research topics.

How does Model U.N. help you in school? It helps you because you learn about countries that you normally wouldn’t research and we learn about world issues. .

Model U.N. does not meet each week, as it is a self-driven club which requires much of the work to be done individually. They meet based on their event schedule, which includes meets at places such as the University of Virginia. For more information, see Mr. York, the club’s sponsor.

––Compiled by Kelsey Knoche

HEALTH

Oct. 19, 2010

How food affects mood

BY NATALIE JOHNSON Staff Writer

Everyone knows that food affects weight, but many people overlook the fact that it also can impact one’s mood. Foods that are high in sugar can actually make people feel more depressed while healthier foods such as carrots and celery can fill people with energy and strength.

Food can affect your mood because everything you eat has a chemical effect. The food you eat and its contents break down into elements that can either raise your blood sugar or greatly drop it. An example of this is seen in caffeine. More specifically, while a large dose of caffeine may make you feel more energized in the short term, it can make you feel tired and drowsy in the long term, which can add to a depressed and stressed mood.

Many people also turn to food when they are bored, stressed, or upset, a habit frequently referred to as “emotional eating.” Eating your emotions away is never a good thing and will not make you feel better at all. In fact, it can actually add to your depressed state. Nonetheless, people continue to resort to foods high in fats and sugars that have such negative effects on the body.

Instead of turning to unhealthy foods high in sugar and fat you should drink milk or eat dairy products such as low-fat yogurts or cheese, both of which have been proven to reduce physical responses to stress and improve mood.

As you eat healthier, your body does not have to use as much energy to control your blood sugar. It is able to run more efficiently thus making you feel happier because your body is not working nearly as hard to maintain a stable blood sugar.

Also, many people feel happier when they eat healthy because they do not think of gaining weight as a side effect of eating well. Regardless of a food’s sugar or fat content, WebMD.com says, “you can still enjoy your favorite foods; the key is moderation.”

“When I eat healthy food I feel like I am in a better mood because it releases some great chemicals into my brain,” said junior Charles Stayley.

On the contrary, “I consider myself an emotional eater because when I’m in a bad mood sugary foods usually make me feel better, like ice cream when I’m sad,” said senior Nicola Yu. Some foods that improve mood include vegetables, fruit, fish, nuts, beans, egg whites and whole grains. Caffeine, alcohol, sugar and white flour are all items you should avoid because they negatively impact your mood.

“Food affects me very positively because we are best friends. Food is always there for me through the good and the bad times,” said sophomore Clark Girardin.

How much do you exercise a day?

“I exercise about an hour and a half a day at soccer or basketball practice.”

--Ally Mastrota freshman

“I probably get three hours of exercise a day from football.”

---Christian Collins freshman

“Everyday I exercise for one hour at soccer practice.”

GESSICA AZZAM

Different foods are capable of affecting one’s mood through chemicals released in the brain

7

—Gaby Camilli freshman

Juniors Susie Sowa (on right) and Caitlin Hill (on left) enjoy fruits and chips during their lunch break.

How much exercise a day is enough?

It is not surprising that the average high school teen does not get nearly the amount of exercise they need, but why? “[It’s] because of TV and video games and all the things that are fun to do that require no physical effort,” said junior Troy Callahan.

Students spend too much of their free time eating, playing video games

BY RACHEL BERGEN or sitting at the computer on Facebook. Obviously one cannot make a teen Staff Writer do something they do not want to do, but doctors can try. “I’d say at least Exercise is an activity practiced by people all over the world, either an hour or more [of exercise] a day because at our age exercise is really intentionally or unintentionally. Whether a student is walking to class important,” says sophomore Brittani Gonzales.

In February of 2010, The Global Corporate Chalor participating in an after school sport, they are indeed lenge, or GCC, published a study which claimed that exercising. Many people choose to exercise for different 10,000 steps a day are necessary for the average person reasons, including “to lose weight, increase endurance, or Some teens actually to maintain a healthy weight. Special devices called reach other fitness milestones,” said Barbara Robb from pedometers are objects that can be clipped onto clothEverydayhealth.com. spend too much time ing and are used to more easily count and calculate Different goals require different amounts of activity steps taken in an entire day. Although walking is not and people, especially high school teenagers, need to exercising and it is not considered a rigorous activity to some, experts tell us know what is right for them. If a teen wants to maintain that at least 60 minutes a day should be dedicated to good for their body. a healthy weight, jogging around the block everyday could some sort of moderate activity. These activities range help maintain that goal. But if the target is trying to shed from swimming, jogging, biking, working out or paroff pounds, increased activities like running, swimming Kidshealth.org ticipating in sports. and working out daily will do the trick.

Not only does exercise keep a person in shape, it is According to Kidshealth.org, some teens actually spend too much time exercising, which is actually unhealthy. Pushing one’s body actually proven to drastically affect mood. Many doctors have shown that to the extreme often leads to joint and muscle problems in the future and doing exercise releases endorphins that can actually boost mood, while sometimes even during the teenage years. Teens that become obsessed relieving pain and stress. This means that teens that are more active are with working out and going to the gym can actually become compulsive less likely to get stressed out and deal with depression.

The truth is there is no exact amount of exercise or physical activity exercisers, although “intense workouts everyday may not give your body that a person needs every day. Each person is different, and every human enough time to recover,” says Mary L. Gavin of Kidshealth.org. body varies.

The amount of physical activity a day that doctors say help maintain a healthy body

“I exercise two hours a day by going running in my neighborhood.”

---Jonathan Pratt sophomore

“I exercise by going to the gym twice a week. I ride the bikes and lift weights.”

“

”

5meals minute

By Katie Vu and Gessica Azzam

Ants on a log is a quick healthy snack that is very popular amongst kids and adults. It provides protein and is a good way to satisfy your appetite without overeating

—Megan Guglielmo sophomore

“I participate in field hockey with two hour practices a day.

On weekends I jog and dance for four and a half hours.”

---Debbie Aderon sophomore

“Ants” on a log –

“I exercise one to two hours a day by weight lifting and running.”

A light snack 1. Start by washing the celery sticks 2. Cut the celery sticks into four even slices 3. With a knife, spread peanut butter evenly into the u-shaped part of celery 4. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the peanut butter 5. Finally, top the celery stick with raisins, and enjoy!

6. Optional: If you do not like raisins, try using small chocolate chips.

—Andrew Huynh junior

“I play football, basketball and soccer with my friends on the weekends.

I’m trying to exercise more to lose weight.”

---Beniyam Eshetu junior “I exercise from two to three hours a day by running at cross country.”

—Dane Harlowe junior

8/8/11

8/8/11

“I don’t get any exercise, but walking to all my classes gives me about an hour a day.”

---Jacinta Lam senior

“I exercise three hours a day because of football practice.”

—Gabe Litvin senior

8/8/11

8/8/11

––Compiled by Colleen Adenan and Kylee Nisker

ARTS

8

Oct. 19, 2010

VINYLRECORDS.COM

The History of Cartooning

“Le Revers du Jeu des Suysses” was the first form of political cartoon, commenting on French relations with Italy.

16th century

“The Outside” by Greg Simkins shows the contrast between nature and urban decay. It shows of the abundant surrealism that he so often displays in his dark paintings.

Dabbling in the dark arts Artist Greg Simkins sets the standard for turning cute to creepy

BY JORDAN AMAN Arts Editor

18th century

RICHARDCOLEMANART.COM

Later, Benjamin Franklin published “Join or Die” in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754, expressing that the American colonies should unite their efforts against by French settlers. By the Early twentieth century, the Cartoon became a tool of artists to convey news and events to the reader.

20th century In 1902, Clifford Berryman published a cartoon depicting t h e “ Te d d y B e a r ” i n T h e Washington Post, commenting on the bear hunt of president, Theodore Roosevelt. In 1915, The New Yorker was launched and began to take cartooning to a new frontier.

The cartoon became an expression of both political and non-political humor that exhibited both the styles and techniques of each contributing artist. The cartoon scene changed from the long-winded explanations of the Victorian cartoons to the quippy “twoliners” and the illustrated single frame remark cartoons of the twentieth century and onward to the modern cartoons of post-WWII artists we have come to know today.

October 2, 1950, the first “Peanuts” comic strip,

by Charles Shultz was published in eight newspapers including The Washington Post and The Chicago Tribune. At its peak, the strip ran in over 2,600 newspapers and created the standard four-frame gag strip.

“Peanuts” ran for the last time on February 13, 2000, one day after Schultz’s death.

On June 19, 1978, cartoonist Jim Davis created the orange cat with an attitude, Garfield.

Garfield now holds the Guiness book of World Records record for being the “most widely syndicated comic strip”, appearing in around 2,580 newspapers worldwide.

The comic

continues to

Go to thea-blast.org/arts to see a slideshow on the “Black Book,” which functions as both a research and sketchbook for IB art students.

Greg Simkins finds inspiration in everything around him, from landscapes to flowers and finds special interest in the images he fabricates in his imagination. Simkins refers to a blank canvas as a “sponge” into which he soaks every thought in his head.

Throughout his work, Simkins uses imagery from his childhood, melding together his obsession with Disney and Sesame Street characters and modernistic designs, reflective of spike pits and cloudy skies.

There also runs a science fiction theme throughout his work that, while familiar, is completely original and manufactured entirely from his mind.

Stylistically speaking, Simkins uses the familiar and nostalgic images of Disney characters and childhood symbols to create a contrast within his work, that speaks to both his life and imagination, creating a personal feeling.

The use of such characters creates a lure to his

work, which is met with sharp spikes and fantastic creatures which are by no means cute or cuddly.

To the contrary, Simkins creates an intense spooky and haunting mood through his use of exaggeration and manipulation of his characters.

Much of Simkins’ work shows evidence of arduous planning and use of technical skill.

Simkins’ style looks almost computer-like through his use of layers and his incredibly smooth lines and textures.

His work is very controlled. This use of control and smoothness within his paintings counteracts the randomness and seeming disorder.

The confusing imagery is composed in such a way that when the viewer is working their way around and within Simkins’ pieces, there are parts which are intense and jarring, immediately followed by soft or blank space, giving the viewer’s eye a chance to rest.

This is shown in Simkins’ “The Outside” (pictured above). Here, the viewer sees an urban theme, in the crumbling wall of graffiti.

Bursting through the crumbling wall are fish and birds from a washed out, “wonderland” landscape.

The lines of the bird and fish draw the viewer’s eye around the piece from the bottom-right corner up through the top-right and on to the upper-left. This image shows a lot of layering and juxtaposition of creatures and themes. Simkins has created a great contrast between the flowing, lucid movement of the fish and bird, and the crumbling, harsh appearance

of the graffiti wall.

Simkins, technically, is a great artist. While his imagery may not appeal to all viewers, his technique is impeccable and his skills are copious and advanced.

“Ima monsta” combines the cute and cuddly images of childhood with the twisted and dark creatures of nightmares.

The work behind the comics Cartooning is a multi-step process that requires a bit more than an artistic hand

1. Start with basic shapes.

For example, the giraffe’s nose is two ovals and the eyes are circles.

3. Exaggerate everything!

Remember, giraffes are tall, so this one is going to be extra tall.

2. Add basic details such as eyelids and spots. This is also the step where it is important to add emotion to your character

4. Pictured left is a photo of a real giraffe.

After stylizing a new version of the animal and creating an outrageous situation, the character is ready to be placed in a finished comic. here we are left with the singleframe, ‘two-liner’ that both tells a story and lets the reader imagine the preceding Little Billy decided to train the giraffes for his and proceeding circus. Somehow, something went horribly wrong... events.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JORDAN AMAN

The first political cartoon appeared around the beginning of the sixteenth century, called “Le Revers du Jeu des Suysses,” which means “The Other Side of the Swiss Game.” This cartoon depicts the Holy Roman Emperor, the Pope, and the kings of France and England standing around a table playing cards. Under the table is a Swiss soldier, stacking cards. This anonymous cartoon is a satirical commentary on the French aspirations and hopes for their connections with Italy.

October 19, 2010

Oversea Admissions

ACADEMICS

Students across the country look to international schools for a spin on the traditional college experience

Upcoming Dates Military Fair- October 19th (flexes)

BY: GWEN LEVEY Videographer College tuition is a word defined by most middle- and lower-class families inAmerica as the bank-breaking four or more years required to obtain an undergraduate degree.

With increasing competition for scholarships, paying for schooling has become that much harder. The majority of high school seniors and a growing number of juniors have been caught in the gridlock of deciding on which schools they wish to begin their college careers at and send applications to. Now, the possibility of attending a school overseas has come into play, becoming more popular than ever.

The amount ofAmerican college students attending college overseas fresh out of high school or transferring from an American university have been fluctuating throughout the years, according to an article published nearly a year ago on MSNBC.com. In the article, about 60 percent of the schools overseas had seen a drop in foreign enrollment from prospective students due to expenses such as tuition, room and board and airfare, even though interest in attending a foreign university has not faltered from interested student’s minds.

Today, though, with the world still drastically changing, new universities and opportunities have opened doors to students wishing to receive the most of their college education, which to many, includes attending universities overseas.

Just recently, the first class to attend the recently-built New York University of Abu Dhabi, located in the United Arab Emirates, began their first semester, combining about 150 students that come from 39 different countries into the new school. One of the students, who is a native of Michigan, is attending the university in the Middle East with all flights paid for while receiving an allowance of $2,000 a year from the school, according to Bloomberg.com. But NYU Abu Dhabi is just one of many American universities that have brought new opportunities to prospective students from around the world as they team up with other countries to build multiple universities worldwide.

Virginia Commonwealth University, which has a university located in Qatar, and Webster University, which has a university located in Thailand, join NYU Abu Dhabi as just a few of the fellow U.S. colleges that have teamed up with different countries to produce new opportunities for students globally.

“I personally think it’s a good thing if the American universities overseas could provide a U.S education, [because then] that would be recognized if said student ever wished to go to the U.S. and actually make a living for him or herself,” said senior Sam Gonzales, when asked about his opinion on the effect of American universities teaming up with foreign countries overseas.

But even beyond students only interested in attending an American university, (in or out of the U.S.), universities located worldwide have given students new perspectives on things that go far beyond just education.

Sammy Qabazard, an AHS alumnus from last year’s graduating class of 2010, is studying Chemical Engineering at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom and recommends the experience of attending a university overseas to anyone who has the choice presented to them

SOL retakes for seniorsOctober 19th-28th Korean Parents NightOctober 19, 7:00 PM in the Career Center ACTs- Saturday, October 23.

Collaboration DayOctober 27th Junior Susie Sowa is part of the growing group of students considering applying to schools overseas

“The great thing about studying overseas, for any duration, is being able to learn how to do things on your own and being able to work with people from any background,” Qabazard remarks. “I’m living in a house with under-grad and post-grad students from Romania, China, Greece and Spain. It’s a great experience meeting people from around the world and being able to work together with others from different backgrounds and cultures.”

But looking for the best education possible isn’t the only thing on students’ minds when deciding on which university to attend, because it is a known fact that college tuition can get very pricey.

“The tuition [of] most European universities are much cheaper than many universities in the U.S.,” Qabazard also mentioned. “However, I would recommend looking for a scholarship or maybe finding a decentpaying job if you are really up for the challenge.”

In fact, tuition for some U.S. colleges can add up to more than $40,000 a year, even with President Obama’s fight to lower taxes for students attending college throughout the country.

But to many AHS students, even the added draw of lower tuition rates is not worth the time away from family and the added distance between them.

“I’d want to be able to come home and see my family and not be so far away from them,” said sophomore Ariam Tedla.

Even taking into consideration all the downsides, some students still revel in the idea of stepping into a new country and studying abroad, not only as a door to new opportunities, but as a way to open their eyes to a whole new culture and way of life.

Sophomore Christina Uglietta couldn’t agree more: “I think [studying overseas] is a good thing to do because you get to learn through different cultural perspectives and see different parts of the world.”

Since the world is more than just America, studying abroad is a great way to start viewing the big picture, and is an option that some students are actively considering as their college future begins to take shape.

Students broaden their horizons

Global Glimpse Program Type: Summer Program Destination: Students will travel around the country of Nicaragua Focus: Community Service, global studies, leadership, developing Spanish language skills, travel Cost: $3595 (Airfare not included) Requirements: Available to rising juniors and seniors

Spoleto Study Abroad Program Type: Summer Program Destination: Spoleto, Italy where students will be housed in a 15th century convent Focus: Art, creative writing, photography, theatre, visual and preforming arts, vocal training Cost: $5500 Requirements: Must be 15 to 19 years old

9

Science National Honor Society InductionsOctober 27th, at 2:30 P.M. in Clausen hall.

College Partnership Program- October 29 during the flexes.

End of First QuarterOctober 29th College Night- November 1st, 6:30-9:30 PM at NOVA

SAT Words to Know Match the word to the definition to test your knowledge of these SAT words 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

ASA: The Oxford Experience Program Type: Summer Program Destination: Participants will be staying in the dorms on the campus of Oxford University Focus: Program offers a wide variety of classes ranging from anthropology, law, creative writing, medical classes, and theatre, to history and business

ASA: Spanish in España Program Type: Summer Program Destination: Students will be staying in the homes of different Spanish families in one of four towns in the city of Adalusia Focus: Academics, foreign language, spanish, and cultural studies Cost: $6795

Cost: $7595 Requirements: Must be in grades 9-12

Aloof Cursory Dearth Fatuous Illusory Neologism Pedagogue Sanguine Raze Timorous

Requirements: Available to 10-12 graders

Definitions A. (noun) a lack, scarcity B. (adj.) cheery, optimistic, hopeful C. (adj.) reserved, distant D. (verb) to demolish E. (adj.) brief to the point of being superficial F. (noun) a schoolteacher G. (adj.) fearful, timid H. (adj.) silly, foolish J. (adj.) deceptive, produced by an illusion K. (noun) the creation of new words, or a new word

Answers 1: C; 2: E; 3: A; 4: H; 5: J; 6: K; 7: F; 8: B; 9: D; 10: G

IN-DEPTH

10

Oct. 19, 2010

MUSIC

I love the 90’s Reminisce over popular and fleeting trends from the 90’s and early 2000s

Hitclips

BEVERAGES

Can you remember a time when iPods never existed? Yeah, neither can we. Nevertheless, in 2002, before Steve Jobs became the mogul he is today, ‘Hitclips’ were unleashed onto the preteen pop culture radar.

The teensy-weensy, ultra low-fi stereo systems used tiny square memory disks to play about thirty seconds of Billboard charttopping pop songs.

They might not have been as sophisticated as the iTouch, but they allowed a generation growing up in the new millennium to get their fix of Britney, N’Sync, and other pop culture icons of the day.

CHARITY

In the 1990s, a clever marketing fad was developed that tried to convince the public to equate clarity with health and purity.

It worked. Americans fell hook, line, and sinker for the idea, and clear soap, cleaning products, and toiletries became the musthave items of the day.

The most iconic outcome of the clear craze was Crystal Pepsi, a translucent, caffeine-free version of of Pepsi-Cola’s original soft drink that debuted in 1992 and stayed on the shelves for a little over a year.

People went crazy for the new beverage, and then all of a sudden, the trend ended.

It’s hard to pinpoint the exact reason why clear lost its coolness, but unopened cans of the retro soda pop now sell for up to thirty bucks on eBay.

LiveStrong Bracelets

Crystal Pepsi

In 2004, the Lance Armstrong Foundation began selling yellow rubber bracelets for one dollar each, whose profits went towards cancer research and awareness. Within a month, hundreds of thousands had been sold, and the accessory became a major trend of the mid-2000s.

The bracelets became a mainstream way to make a statement, and were prominently worn by politicians such as 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry, as well as public figures such as Katie Couric, Matt Damon and Oprah.

The LiveStrong brand inspired a number of charities, who imitated the basic design to raise funds for causes like natural disaster relief, heart disease research, and global poverty awareness. LiveStrong bracelets slipped out of vogue around 2006. LiveStrong bracelets are now virtually worthless.

•

•

• Today’s

The polls are in...

“Twilight” creates

What is your favorite modern trend?

Some obssessive fans have taken up the macabre

BY KATIE MASTERS In-Depth Editor

JERSEY SHORE, 32%

HARRY POTTER, 15%

OTHER, 13%

TWILIGHT, 12%

GLEE, 10%

IPADS, 9%

EXTREME PLASTIC

HIPSTER STYLE, 4%

SURGERY, 5%

How much effect does pop culture trends have on teenage behavior?

Strong

positive 7%

Slightly positive 17% No effect 12%

Strong negative 18%

Slightly Negative 46%

How likely are you to copy the actions of your favorite celebrity?

Uncertain 5%

Not likely 60%

Very Likely 10%

-

Somewhat 25%

In the past few weeks, a number of news sources from around America have reported on a new extreme trend among adolescents. According to sources like MSNBC and CNN, (Perez Hilton, the queen of pop culture, also mentions it on his blog); Twilight-obsessed teenagers have taken to biting each other on the neck hard enough to draw blood, and then suck on or lick the wound. Vampire-themed websites have popped up around the Internet that feature forums dedicated to the new trend.

On one such website, a user with the pseudonym “GothicGirl10” provides an extreme example.

“Having that thick, warm copper-tasting blood in my mouth is the best thing I can think of!

Sometimes my boyfriend lets me feed off him. I let him feed off me as well.”

Besides the pain that undoubtedly accompanies the biting, doctors worry about the health effects on teens that participate in the trend. Couples who bite each other increase the risk of contracting blood-borne diseases like HIV or hepatitis, and their wounds can quickly become infected with the bacteria carried in the human mouth.

On October 14, yet another disturbing incident illustrated the harm that can come from taking the vampire trend too far, when a young couple in

Arizona “adopted” a desperate homeless man in order to drink his blood. According to the New York Daily News, Aaron Homer and Amanda Williamson offered food and shelter to Robert Maley in exchange for his participation in their vampire practices, which included pagan rituals and “feeding” off his blood. The situation turned even uglier after Maley, when approached by the couple for a second time, refused to concede to their demands and purportedly mocked their religion.

Homer then proceeded to stab him.

The couple was charged with aggravated assault and are currently under police jurisdiction. Their story proves that the Twilight trend can be both painful and dangerous, and that the practices of the vampires in books and movies have no place in the real world. Teenagers, however, continue to take part in the activity.

Such behavior is not uncommon among young adults. Pop culture trends have historically had a huge impact on high-school students. In the 1960s, teenagers inspired by anti-Vietnam activists participated in rallies, advocated free love, and wore the earthy, hippie-style clothing popular among folk singers of the day. In the 1980s. the movie ‘Clueless’ sparked a fashion frenzy among girls, who desperately sought clothes that emulated the outfits worn by the film’s heroine, Cher. Around the same time, adolescent males started a trend that remains prevalent today by adopting the baggy style of clothing worn by prison inmates. Even popular jargon is affected by pop culture. The non-traditional use of the word “like” began in the late 1950s after the TV show

IN-DEPTH

Oct. 19, 2010

ELECTRONICS

Tamagotchis

FASHION

Those with younger siblings know that the Nintendo DS and Wii have captivated the children of the 21st century, but kids of the 90s recognized Tamagotchis as the tech toys of the era.

Created in 1996, Tamagotchis were virtual pets that started out as babies and eventually grew into old age. Owners were responsible for feeding and playing with their virtual creature, as well as cleaning up its messes, disciplining it, keeping it in good health, and shutting off its light at bedtime.

If owners forgot their duties for a couple of days, the Tamagotchi would get sick and eventually die.

TOYS A list of trendy items from the 1990s and early 2000s would not be complete without mentioning Furbys, the robotic toy that captured the heart of a generation. They became crazily popular during the holiday season of 1998, and stayed in style for more than three years.

The fuzzy little robots resembled a cross between an owl and a hamster, chirped incessantly until their batteries were removed out of frustration, and talked in a stilted mechanical voice while blinking their bush-baby eyes.

Furby production stopped in 2007, and they are now considered rare collectibles. Most are sold by vintage toy dealers for upwards of one hundred dollars.

Fanny Packs Fanny packs are now an almost universal symbol for frumpiness, but back in 1993 and up through the end of the decade they were considered a pretty trendy accessory.

Big name designers like Prada and Louis Vuitton created high-class versions for the young Hollywood elite, and they functioned as a chic way to carry small essentials like money and lipstick without lugging around a heavy purse.

Fanny packs today are used almost primarily by clueless tourists or older relatives, so you can raid your mom’s closet if you ever plan to put together a retro outfit as a throwback to the 1990s.

Want to read more about trends? Go to the web to read and see pictures about trendsetters and followers at AHS.

Furbys

• faves vampires from fans “Dobie Gillis” brought it to prominence.

In most cases, pop culture trends are harmless. It can be amusing to look back at the Michael Jackson inspired fashion of the 80s, or to remember the scandalous effect that the singer Elvis Presley had on the conservative society of the 1950s.

Some fads, however, such as those taken from certain books, movies, or TV shows, should be appreciated from an observer’s standpoint rather than actively practiced.

Psychological studies have long shown that teens are easily taken in by outside influences. The Social Learning Theory, now the orthodox view among modern psychologists, states that individuals will either accept or reject ideas and images based on the participation of other people.

As a result, items that are widely accepted or appreciated (like the Twilight series) will create a ripple effect, spawning a large number of different trends before gradually going out of style.

The most detrimental trends seem to stem from celebrities and TV shows, rather than books or movies.

Celebrities on TV shows have the most explosive effect. Paris Hilton’s ‘The Simple Life’ glamorized the indulgent and irresponsible life of those born wealthy, immortalizing the phrase, “That’s hot.” Most teenagers, especially those aged 17-19, can remember the once-pervasive influence of the soap opera ‘The O.C,” and everyone can remember a time when ‘The Hills’ ruled the airwaves.

Heidi Montag, one of the characters on the show, helped introduce the now well-known trend of extreme body modification.

Trends can be a great way to define a generation, and are one of the best indicators of the social and political atmospheres of their times.

Most, however, are not meant to be carried into the real world, and can have detrimental effects on the people who take them too far.

11

• What is your favorite trend ever?

“Converse, because they’re cool!.”

—Emnet Benti junior

“I like big sweatshirts because they’re so comfortable.”

—Kari Berg senior

“Skinny jeans because [they’re] in style.”

—Lewis Folli freshman

“Nike shoes, because they’re comfortable.”

—Alex Lash sophomore

–Information compiled

by Daniel Park

•

On October 4, a red toxic sludge flooded through western Hungary where four people died,120 were injured, and 500 evacuated the country. The sludge can cause burns and irritation.

•

In Mauritania, it is tradition to conduct leblouh: women fattening themselves in order to appear prestigious and attract men. Recently, young women are beginning to protest leblouh by educating others about the many health risks than can occur.

Do you think the U.S. should do more than just apologize to Guatemala?

“They should give the people who got the STD money because there is no cure for STDs.” —Ali Imran freshman

“Yeah, they should.

Saying sorry is not going to help all those people who are dying from being sick.”

—Raheemah Tauhidi sophomore

“Yeah...they should start funding to help those people.”

AHS students and faculty appreciate their freedom to have more than one child

BY COLLEEN ADENAN AND KYLEE NISKER Staff Writer Freshman Wilson Tu and his older sister are Chinese. Their parents came to the U.S. about 20 years ago. If they had stayed in China, perhaps Wicksie or Wilson would not have been born.

“If I was born in China, things wouldn’t be the same. The government would be telling us what to do. I wouldn’t have been born, only my sister would be... Me and my sister don’t talk much, but we still treat each other like friends. If she was just an only child, she would be lost, not knowing who to talk to except our parents. But, she needs someone to keep her secrets, she doesn’t want to tell her parents. She needs a true trustworthy friend,” said Tu. In 1979, China announced that it would be establishing a One-Child Policy throughout the country in response to concerns about the social and economic consequences of the continued rapid population growth.

According to official statistics, about 400 million births have been prevented since the policy was enforced. The population has been reduced by at least 250 million.

In late September of this year, China clarified that they will not end their one-child policy anytime soon.

The policy has been both criticized and applauded for its efforts to control the population growth. Studies show that the policy has been more effective in urban areas than in rural areas.

Liu Xingsheng, the principal from the high school attached to Northwest Normal University in China, talked about his views on the policy during his visit to AHS on October 15.

“In countries where the growth is not as rapid it is difficult to understand the situation, the growth is very quick in China...The policy is very good because it helps the people,” said Principal Xingsheng.

Though, there is also many criticism for

BY JAYRAN MORIDZADEH AND HAUMAIRA SAFI International editors “Yeah, they should give money. They have STDs and now people are suffering for it.”

—Quan Ngo junior

“The U.S. should definitely fund four a research and treatment for the people that have been affected by it.”

—Jodie Cha senior

The parents of Junior Wicksie Tu and Freshman Wilson Tu came to the U.S. before either of them were born.

the policy because of its alleged discrimination against female babies. Babies that are born as girls to Chinese families are often abandoned or unregistered by their parents. Some couples have even aborted their female fetuses because families in China often strive for sons.

Others agree with the one-child policy.

“I agree with it because there are already too many people in Asia, even though it’s not morally correct,” said junior Wallace Geiger.

“I disagree with the policy because you are killing babies,” said sophomore Austin Chavez.

Critics also complain about how some families are able to avoid the policy.

If both members of a Chinese couple are both only children, they are allowed to have more than one child. Families in rural areas are also allowed more than one child. Families that have a higher income have also gotten around the policy by bribing officials into letting them have more than one child.

“I would tell whoever is in charge to make more space. I should be able to have as many kids as I desire without going overboard,” said freshman Erika Alwes.

However, Principal Xingsheng disagrees in that too many students in his high school leads to not enough resources. “...a lot of it is now there is overcrowding in school. Now, it has a lot to do with the resources of the school. So, how to educate a single child, an only child, is something our teachers need to research and study,” said Principal Xingsheng.

“I think instead of limiting the amount of children, they should focus more on the environment to make it a safer, cleaner place so the next generation will have a better world to come into,” said sophomore Madeline de Mello.

U.S. apologizes to Guatemala Recent studies prove that the U.S. deliberately gave Guatemalans STDs

—Shalia Johnson sophomore

RACHEL BERGEN

On October 12, 1909, Eulalia Garcia Maturey was a baby when her and her family crossed the Mexican border to live in America.

After waiting for 69 years, on October 12, 2010 Eulalia Garcia Maturey became a U.S. citizen at age 101.

The United States has recently apologized for a late 1940s clandestine research study which deliberately infected citizens of Guatemala with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The research focused on testing a new drug, penicillin, to determine its success in treating persons exposed to syphilis, gonorrhea, and chancres.

The people, who were unaware of what they were being treated on, included female commercial sex workers, prisoners, patients in the national mental hospital, and soldiers.

More than 1,600 people were purposely infected with the diseases.

“My mom told me about it, she was really upset. She felt bad for the people that couldn’t help their own situation, that need aid,” said senior Edcel Argueta who is Guatemalan.

According to CNN, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius both announced their apology to Guatemala, saying

“We deeply regret that it happened, and we apologize to all the individuals who were affected by such abhorrent research practices.”

Additionally, President Obama’s sincere apology is expressed in a White House readout of a call with the president of Guatemala, Alvero Colom.

“I thought it was really messed up how they purposely gave the STDs. I don’t believe an apology was enough,” said Argueta. “The U.S. should set up relief programs and give financial aid to those that are affected,” he added.

“Well, I don’t think they should conduct scientific experiments without the person’s knowledge, unless if someone is willing to volunteer, but to deliberately give someone a disease is unethical. It’s a very awkward position for any leader to apologize what anyone else did decades ago. They didn’t do it,” said english teacher Cynthia Sebring.

When being asked about their thoughts, most students were shocked that the U.S did such a thing.

“I am surprised that the U.S conducted those studies and feel really bad for the Guatemalans,” said senior Tatiana Daza.

“Considering I’m Guatemalan, it makes me feel betrayed by the US and question the government because of their ability to do these kinds of things to people,” said Argueta.

Top: Senior Edcel Argueta ponders about the future of Guatemala. Below: Guatemala is situated in between Mexico and Honduras.

“It’s a nice

gesture, but actions speak louder than words.”

—Kathleen Dion English teacher

Compiled by Haumaira Safi

Living in the U.S. may have its benefits, however some things are just hard to forget

BY SINDY QUINTEROS from El Salvador

To listen to more podcasts of Annandale American Stories, go to www.thea-blast.org!

My name is Sindy Quinteros and I am from El Salvador. I have been in this country for six years. In 2004, I came to the U.S. and living here has been a big change for me. Everything is different; the language, the people, and the food. I miss the food that my country has. The food in the U.S. does not compared from the one in El Salvador. In my country, you have more freedom to go out and have fun, but in the U.S. everything changes. Life is not easy in the U.S., but I think that you get use to living life here. In my country, I use to go to the beach, parties, and hang out with my friends.

What I like about living in the U.S. is that I know that there is more safety here. We could be out in the night and not be scared that something is going to happen to us. That is a big difference in my country. Still, I miss my family in El Salvador. Getting the idea that I was not going to see my family for a long time made me feel sad. Everything has changed for me. As a person, I think that I have grown a lot because I never thought that I was going to learn english.

Challenges is what we face everyday, but I we could get through them.

JAYRAN MORIDZADEH

•

JAYRAN MORIDZADEH

Did You Know...

Oct. 19, 2010

WWW.TRAVEL.STATE.GOV

12

INTERNATIONAL China’s one child policy stays

Sophomore Sindy Quinteros came to the U.S. in 2004 and appreciates her new life here.

For example, coming to the U.S. and learning the language was a challenge. Now, I know that coming to the U.S. was the best decision I made.

PHOTO

Oct. 19, 2010

Dig the Pink!

13 Keep-A-Breast Foundation

AJ MCCAFERTY

Volleyball played West Springfield for its annual Dig Pink game on Thursday Oct. 7. Over $700 were raised to support breast cancer awareness.

EMMA BARKER

The Keep-A-Breast Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to spread the word about breast cancer awareness to young people.

They created their name based around the word “abreast”, which means to keep up with the latest information.

Their goal is to help these teens to make choices in life that will keep them heathy in the future.

They developed their “I love boobies” campaign in order to speak to young people about breast cancer in their own voice.

They have developed shirts and bracelets as means of awareness.

Senior and junior boys painted letters on their chests to spell out “Atoms.” On their backs, they painted names of varsity players. They led cheers in the stands during the game to motivate the team.

To support breast cancer awareness or to learn more, visit www.keep-a-breast.org or

EMMA BARKER

Tickets were only $1 and all fans who made a donation that night wrote their name on a post-it note which was placed in the shape of a breast cancer ribbon.

“I like it on...”

Senior Grace Franjie pumps up her team as they come into a huddle.

2

Junior Rebecca Sponga (left) and sophomore Clare Lazar support their team and wear pink.

That night, the whole team wore pink jerseys and ribbons in support of breast cancer awareness.

3

4

AJ MCCAFFERTY

1

EMMA BARKER

EMMA BARKER

EMMA BARKER

Junior Nora Shaefer and teammates cheer on their team as they score a point.

Senior Teppi Shultis dives for the ball as it reaches near the boundary line.

This is Shultis’ third year on varsity.

EMMA BARKER

AJ MCCAFFERTY

1 The varsity volleyball team raffled off an

EMMA BARKER

www.loserkids.com to buy your own “I Love Boobies” bracelet.

autographed Dig Pink ball signed by the team.

2 Senior Bethany Montgomery bumps the ball to her setter.

3 Sophomore Nolan Gilbert escorts sophomore Olivia Franjie onto the court.

4 The escorts and the Varsity players are announced before the game.

If you’ve logged onto Facebook recently, you’ve most likely seen many statuses such as “I like it on the floor” or “I like it on the counter.”

Although many might initially think differently, the “it” stands for where women like to put their purse.

The idea behind this is for readers to question the origin of the status and then continue the trend by creating their own status. By doing this, people are raising breast cancer awareness.

This doesn’t work only for women. Although you don’t see men setting their status likewise, their attention is certainly caught. By leaving them in the dark, they question what the statuses are about, and they too become more aware of breast cancer.

Last January, women set their statuses to what color bra they were wearing, another technique for raising breast cancer awareness.

Be in the know. Learn about breast cancer and how you can support those in need.

Visit www.cancer.org/Cancer/ BreastCancer

60 miles, 3 days, 1 goal Thousands of women from the Metro/D.C. area participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure from Oct. 8-10. This annual 60-mile walk raises support and awareness for breast cancer.

Go to the web for more pictures from Spirit Week!

To see more photos of 3-day for the Cure go to www.thea-blast.org

EMMA BARKER

AJ MCCAFFERTY

AJ MCCAFFERTY

AJ MCCAFFERTY

AJ MCCAFFERTY

www.thea-blast.org

14 Nag Natalie Advice Column

By Natalie Johnson

LIFESTYLES

Oct 19, 2010

Homemade Halloween costumes

Instead of splurging on an expensive costume, use these tips to affordably make yours Batwoman Take a piece of black cloth and cut it accordingly

School Girl

Print off the batman logo from your computer onto iron-on transfer paper and iron on the logo to your t-shirt

Fairy

Use old wings from a past costume or buy a cheap pair from the dollar store

Put your hair in pigtails or braids

Dear Natalie, My friend thinks it is funny to make fun of me all the time. He constantly is making fun of the things I wear or the things I say. He does this in front of large groups of people and it is so embarrassing. I put up with it because I am a guy and I cannot seem soft or weak, but really it hurts. I used to be really confident and I loved to crack jokes, but now I feel suffocated by his jokes and I cannot be who I am because he will just put me down.

— Fed Up Dear Fed Up, First things first, you need to tell your friend to stop. Just because you are a guy does not mean that you do not have feelings. It is not a problem that you are feeling hurt by his remarks at all, in fact anyone would be fed up with all the teasing after it has gone on for some time. Obviously going along with his jokes and staying silent is not working for you. You need to approach him one day and just tell him that he seriously needs to cut it out because his jokes are no longer funny; they are just rude and uncalled for.

If he tries to make a remark or just continues to do this, try to give him a taste of his own medicine. I am not saying completely call him out in front of everyone, but when he makes fun of something you do just turn it into a joke or poke fun at something he does.

This could turn the teasing into a more friendly thing rather than what seems to be an attack on you. Whatever you do though, do not try to be rude back to him, that will only feed the fire. Just try to politely but firmly ask him to stop and he will surely get the message that what he is doing is mean and rude.

Use an everyday tight black t-shirt

Find a plaid shirt at a thrift store

Wear a flowy dress that you already own.

It’s best if this dress has sparkles on it. If you have to buy one try stores like Forever 21

Use a black cape from any of your previous costumes or you can cut up a black bed sheet

Use a tight black tight skirt or you can wear black pants

Wear a pleated skirt that you already own.

If you don’t have a pleated skirt, use a jean skirt to save money

Use old high soccer socks

Wear silver flats or heels

Wear black boots or if you don’t have those you can wear black ballet flats or black sneakers

Greek God

Athlete Wear a hat if necessary

Cover your face with a piece of black cloth or a black mask if you own one

Use a team jersey

Wrap fake ivy leaves around a piece if wire and shape it to fit around your head

Wrap a white bedsheet around so it looks like a toga

Wear a long sleeve black t-shirt or sweatshirt Carry around the ball or stick that represents the sport

Carry around fake swords or other ninja weapons

— Natalie Wear the appropriate shorts to match the jersey your wearing

Have a problem? E-mail Natalie at natalie.johnsonn@gmail.com

What’s Your Favorite YouTube Video?

Paint a fake sword gold and carry it around

“The “Amazing Race” one where she goes to shoot a watermelon in a slingshot and instead of hitting the target, it comes back to hit her in the face.”

Wear black sweatpants or black jeans

Wear sneakers

“Caporales San Simon VA USA because it is my old dance group viewed in the video.”

—Alex Gonzalez freshman

Ninja

Wear strappy shoes like gladiators

-Images used from partycity.com

The best dressed during Spirit Week

—Madeline de Mello sophomore “The laughing baby because his laugh is contagious.”

“My favorite video is Draw With Me because it’s a cute and simple story about life and relationships.”

SARAH BERGEN

—Laura Zambrana junior

Superhero / Supervillian Day Junior Nick Gonzales-Vergara

Disney Day Sophomore Ashley Lok

Wacky Tacky Day Sophomore Skye Lindberg

Western Day Sophomore Kyle Jamieson

Atomic Day

-Brandon Morrison senior

Freshmen wear red Eric Mejean

Sophomores wear white Tessa Iglesias and Connie Tran

Juniors wear face paint Sarah Holmlund

CARLY BOUCHARD

www.thea-blast.org

MEGAN FLYNN

CARLY BOUCHARD

Go to the Web to find out what the top YouTube videos are and why!

CARLY BOUCHARD

Compiled by Rowan Shartel

Seniors wear togas Lillian Singer

SPORTS X-TRA

Oct. 19, 2010

A sneak peek at the upcoming season

15 What team are you most excited to see this season?

“I’m excited to see the Cowboys play, but I’m also rooting for whoever beats the Redskins.”

—Kenzi

Players to watch: Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Bobby Reynolds

Players to watch: John Wall, Gilbert Arenas

“Serena needs to be healthy and needs to fix her foot.

—Deslin Cunningham Sophomore

— Holly Miller History & Anthropology teacher

“The Redskins because I think they have great potential” —Andrew

Clarke junior

“The Capitals because the games are fun and exciting” —Steven Craig senior

“Miami Heat because Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh are on the same team.”

—Chris Marshall senior

Injury of the Issue

Players to watch: Mike Green , Eric Fehr “Head swim Coach Jarvis believs the Caps need to get “more physical” and that “they get too cute with the puck.”

[Both] the Willliams sisters need to be healthy and playing and maybe they need a couple of new guys to play!”

—Neil Jarvis Geosystems teacher

His advice for the Caps is “to check more on the boards and don’t give the puck away in the neutral zone.”

Powderpuff shots

BY ESRA GOKTURK Sports X-tra Editor Athlete: Paige Britton, spohomore Sport: Junior Varsity Volleyball PHOTO BY: A.J. MACCAFERTY

“ [The team needs to]pass the ball more to John Wall [and] let Gilbert Arenas come back.”

THE CAPITALS After an untimely exit from the race to the Stanley Cup last April, the Washington Capitals have vowed to use their disappointment as motivation until the playoffs roll around once more. With a motto of “stay angry, believe in yourselves,” set by head coach Bruce Boudreau, the Alex Ovechkin-led team hopes to find success in the post season, something they have struggled with in the past. With the addition of six new full-time players, the team started the season on a good foot with a pre-season record of 5-1.

However, the greatest challenge that has haunted the team in the past is the lack of consistency needed to go all the way.

On Oct. 8, the Capitals lost their first regular season game to the Atlanta Hawks by a score of 4-2, a team that sat a distant 19 wins behind in the previous regular season. But the following night, the same Washington team annihilated the New Jersey Devils, 7-2.

Although it is still too early to say that the team, as a unit, has improved, many individuals have shown personal growth over the summer break. Right-wing Eric Fehr, who was slow to start last season due to a double-shoulder surgery, looks stronger than ever and hopes to earn a greater role on the power play.

Goaltender Michal Neuvirth, who was officially brought on as a full-time member of the Capitals over the summer, will likely make a great impact with a .915 save percentage and 2.667 goals against average after the past three games. At only 22 years old, Neuvirth will battle Semeyon Varlamov, also 22, throughout the season, as Boudreau will determine the starter on a gameby-game basis.

With thirteen of its players under the age of 27, the young Capitals have clearly set their sights on NHL victory. Unless the team is plagued by injuries, fans are expecting to see Alex Ovechkin lifting the Cup for the first time in history.

Senior Melvin Robinson, demonstrates the correct throwing form during a Powderpuff practice.

Injury: Sprained ankle Cause of Injury: “I hurt [my ankle] at my club lacrosse practice.”

Performance Status: Indefinite“My goal is to be completely better for the South County game this week.”

Recovery Process: “I am wearing an aircast and I have been going to the training room every day.”

Senior Jorge Zeballos directs the team while practicing running plays during practice.

Senior Emma Barker looks to coach, Melvin Robinson for instructions on how to hike the ball.

PHOTO BY: A.J. MACCAFERTY

THE KASTLES Although they may seem foreign to most ESPN veiwers and sports lovers, the Washington Kastles are the D.C tennis team, which is one of many teams in the W.T.T., or the World Team Tennis pro league.

The 2010 season has recently come to a close; the Kastles ended with an impressive 8-6 record. The Kastles have a strong line up of female dominant players including the famous Williams sisters, Victoria Azarenka, Angela Haynes and Rennae Stubbs.

The two male players are Bobby Reynolds and Leander Paes. All of these tennis stars play under head coach Murphy Jenson. The team came in a remarkable third place in the Eastern Conference for the 2010 season, coming very close to winning the King Trophy, the first place prize.

The W.T.T. league that the Kastles are a part of consists of co-ed teams and the league focuses on gender equality and the love of the sport. The matches are played with two men and two women on each team, with on-court coaching and regular substitutions.

The W.T.T. was also one of the first professional sports leagues to ‘go green’ in 2008. While the Kastles are not a very well-known team to typical sports fans, the team has been giving an extraordinary performance and will only continue to improve in upcoming seasons.

PHOTO BY: A.J. MACCAFERTY

The Washington Wizards Basketball team had a rough season in 2009. Between changing coaches, player suspensions and multiple player injuries, the team ended with a 19-63 losing season. This record is one of the worst in the Eastern conference, a clear ebarrassment for the team.

Key player Gilbert Arenas also suffered a major injury that left him unable to play in addition to a few other starters, which had a very negative impact on the team’s performance.

There is question to another injury Arena’s seems to be suffering in his knee, who was unable to play the last few preaseason games.

This year the Wizards are looking for a new beginning. In order to eliminate the bad reputation that has followed the basketball team, steps are being taken in considering a name change to become the Bullets once again. With new owner Ted Leonsis and Monumental Sports now in full control, the team will likely grow into a more successful organization.

Multiple measures have been taken by the Wizards organization to see the change come to life. They began by hiring new Head Coach Flip Saunders and drafting John Wall, who went first overall in the 2010 draft.

The last preseason game was played against the Atlanta Hawks, and the Wizards triumphed in a 107-92 victory.

With only a few games left in the preseason, fans can look forward to a fresh start for a new organization.

Wright junior

PHOTO BY: A.J. MACCAFERTY

THE WIZARDS

Go to the web to view the online eclusive slideshow of Powderpuff practice. www.thea-blast.org

SPORTS XC storms ahead with full force

16

Oct. 19, 2010

Cross country competes in final regular season meet in preparation for Patriot District Festival Go to the web for a video about AHS football and pictures from the homecoming football game. www.thea-blast.org

As the last cross country meet before districts, the Stallion Stampede served as a way for varsity and junior varsity racers to ready themselves for their final meets of the season.

The meet ended with mediocre results for AHS, as the team finished 14th out of 23 teams with junior Samir Shah leading the pack.

Behind him was senior Kamin Horvath, who stepped out and finished second in a big meet for him.

“This year’s course was different from last year’s, most of the course went through the woods on a pretty narrow path,” said senior Matt Haines.

Haines did not do as well as he wanted to in the race and puts thoughts of the Stallion Stampede behind him as he focuses on doing his best in districts.

“I didn’t do too well because I didn’t get out fast enough. I didn’t have a good position going into the woods and passing became really hard.”

The most important part of a race can be argued as the start. Getting out quickly and passing other runners in the beginning is something that varsity and junior varsity runners try to work on.

“I am definitely ready for districts. I’m ready to compete on a course that I’m really experienced with. I think we truly have a shot at getting to regionals, but it will take an all out team effort from everyone,” Haines continued.

As the season comes to an end this week for most junior varsity runners, both they and Coach O’Hara shared their thoughts on the last meet of their regular season and the district meet.

“I enjoy focusing on the JV kids. Because of our numbers we should do fairly well, but there are great programs racing against us like Lake Braddock, West Springfield, and West Potomac that are tough.”

Coach O’Hara has always emphasized that all the runners play a crucial role. As slower guys get faster and catch up to the fastest racers, this motivates the faster runner. No one is not important.

Sophomore Errol Arcinega stated, “My season has been pretty good, I’ve been improving bit by bit. I’m pretty ready for the last meet and I’m going to go all out and do the best I can.”

Girls crosss country Stallion Stampede 10/16

Junior Emily Oliver and senior Victoria Ko attempt to surmount the hilly terrain at South County.

Senior Caroline Kane continues along the challenging course at South County.

—photos courtesy of Beth Oliver

GREG NIELSEN

Coach’s Corner Golf

Q: How can the team improve on this year?

A: “The team can improve on this year if five or six returning players decide that they want to be good golfers. Golf really does suck if you’re not good, so I hope that motivates them to improve.”

In the last 25 years of golf at AHS, never has the team sent more than one player to the regional tournament. This year, the team sent two, seniors Greg Nielsen and Eric Reynolds, to conclude what has been one of the Atoms’ most successful seasons in recent history.

“The team this year exceeded all expectations,” said Nielsen, whose strong performance on the first day of regionals put him in contention to move on to states. “Nobody thought we would be any good, but everyone improved and stepped up in big situations.”

After faltering on the second day of competition, Nielsen missed the cut for the state tournament by only half a dozen strokes. Reynolds, meanwhile, improved after his first 18 holes to finish in the middle of the pack.

The team’s regional showing, however, was not the only form of success it experienced this season.

The Atoms finished with an overall record of eight wins and five losses, taking fourth place in a disappointing district performance.

Despite falling short in districts, head coach Richard McCormack remained confident that given a few more weeks, the team would have been extremely successful in district and regional play.

“Our starters were kicking into high gear just as the season ended,” said an optimistic McCormack. “It’s a short season, which is too bad because

we would have had the best team in a decade had we just had a couple weeks more time.”

Many golfers on the team also felt good about their overall performance this season, citing McCormack as their reason for improvement.

“He got us on the course, he pushed us to get better and taught us the finer parts of the game,” said Nielsen of McCormack, who returned to the head coaching position this year for the first time since stepping down in 2004.

Behind McCormack, the team improved daily, and although they struggled early, the squad was able to overcome the usual pressure that comes with competition in golf. Refusing to succumb to predictions that the team would perform poorly with the loss of so many starters, many players stepped up in leading the team to a winning record.

A similar challenge will be faced next season, as five of the team’s six regular starters will be graduating this year. However, many team members are confident that if they put in the work, they will be rewarded with another successful season in 2011.

“Hopefully the team will perform just as well, if not better, than we did this year, but many of us will have to practice a lot before the season to accomplish our goal,” said junior Adam Huenemann, who competed in the second day of districts.

Nielsen took a similar viewpoint, stressing that, “they just need to practice, be confident, and have fun on the golf course to rip next year.”

Should they continue to practice hard through next September, the squad will be able to retain its form and continue the success it experienced this season.

“It is their decision,” said McCormack. “If they want to be great, then they know what it takes to be great.”

Q: What do you think of the team’s overall 2010 performance?

A: “The golf team did well this year; we finished fourth in the district tournament and sent two players to regionals, which was great. Also, many people improved dramatically and we all had fun which made the season a success.”

Junior Adam Huenemann keeps his head down while preparing to make contact with the ball. Huenemann shot a 104 in the second round of the district tournament.

Q: How have you improved as a player this season?

A: “This year was my first year on the golf team, and I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot from Coach Mac and Coach Smith.

Both are great coaches and I know I will continue to improve as long as they are coaching.”

-Junior Adam Huenemann

Q: How have you improved as a player this season?

A: “I learned how to get backspin on the ball when chipping.”

Q: What can you still do to improve for next year?

A: “Just be more consistent.”

Q: How do you think the team will perform in 2011?

A: “I think we’re going to do pretty decent since we’ve got a lot of returning juniors and a couple of returning sophomores.”

Q: What is your goal for next seaosn?

A: “To beat Woodson.”

-Sophomore Stephen Oakes

LANCE MILLER

Junoir Sabrina Romano pulls ahead of the pack at the Stallion Stampede.

Romano was the top finisher for the Atoms.

Q: What can the team do to have another successful seaosn in 2011?

A: “The only way the team will do well next year is if the returning players commit themselves to getting better starting now. They all know they have a lot of work to do in order to be competitive players capable of shooting in the 70s and low 80s for 18 holes.”

“I thought this season was fun, I loved all the courses that had lots of hills.

I think our varsity guys have what it takes to place well in districts, “ said senior Yery Gonzalez.

Junior Brandon Marwah said, “I feel I sucked this season, but I think I did pretty good in Octoberfest.”

“I think they’re ready. We have a real good chance of reaching regionals after districts. The top four in districts move up,” said Coach O’Hara.

“Cross country this year has been great, we trained hard and progressed really well under Coach O’Hara. I think the competitiveness we had at every meet really led to our success,” Haines said.

Now all that remains on the minds of the varsity and junior varsity runners is to finish their fall season at their best.

LANCE MILLER

BY CJ AFTERGUT Sports Editor

Q: Do you think that next year’s returning players will be able to fill the shoes of the startes you are losing this year?

A: “They can fill anybody’s shoes, but only if they play from now until the beginning of the season in August 2011. If they stop practicing for any length of time, they will lose their game and it will be extremely difficult for them to get it back.”

Varsity runners senior Natalie Johnson and juniors Emily Oliver and Sabrina Romano compete in the 5k at the Stallion Stampede, which was held on Oct. 16 at South County.

Romano was the top finisher for the girls, while junior Samir Shah was the first to finish on the boys side.

Golf finishes strong, looks ahead to next year Team hopes to improve on impressive season behind new group of starters in 2011

Richard McCormack

COURTESY OF BETH OLIVER

BY K.L. HOANG Staff Writer

Sophomore Stephen Oakes tees off during a practice round. Oakes was one of four sophomores on the golf team this year.

In a world of technology, to error is human Aftergut’s Afterthoughts Sports Column

By CJ Aftergut When Buster Posey attempted to steal second base in game one of the National League Division Series, everyone but the umpire knew he was out.

Instead, Posey was called safe, and of course, scored what would be the only run of the game in the Giants’ 1-0 victory over the Braves.

Just days later, a similar situation occurred when second base umpire Ed Hickox called Pat Burrell safe at second base for what would have been the second out of the inning. After the following batter struck out, the inning would have been over, but because of the call, the Giants were able to score what turned out to be the winning run of the game.

The Braves lost both of these games, and are now out of the playoffs, arguably because of these two blown calls.

Almost daily, blown calls are made that may or may not affect the outcome of a game. And even if they do not directly impact the game’s final score,

they can cause pitchers to throw more pitches and tire themselves out. This in turn could affect their overall performance and that of their team, as it seems that the longer an inning is, the greater a chance that a fielder will commit an error.

Blown calls also have psychological effects, as they can frustrate players and cause them to lose focus and possibly make errors later in the game.

Pitchers who are not getting strike calls, for instance, may become frustrated and lose some of their control.

I myself have seen this specific example occur many times throughout the season. Most notable, however, was in game two of the American League Division Series between the Twins and Yankees.

After what appeared to be strike three was called a ball, Lance Berkman crushed an RBI double to give the Yankees the lead. This run turned out to be the game winner, and is just one reason why the Twins, like the Braves, are out of the playoffs.

So, now that the postseason is in full swing and so many bad calls have already proved gamechanging, the question remains, should instant replay be used in baseball?

Having played and watched baseball from a young age, I believe that the game should remain the way it is. Even though blown calls sometimes prove costly, most often they have no effect and receive little publicity.

Also, it’s not as if major league baseball is not trying to solve the problem in other ways. In the postseason, for example, two umpires are added

to the regular season crew of four to reduce the number of calls that each umpire is responsible for. This allows them to focus on the job they are assigned in the hopes of reducing the number of blown calls.

Many people also believe that baseball games are too lengthy, and allowing for instant replay would only make them even longer. It would create a break in the action, and for a sport that is already criticized for its slow pace, would only cause a loss of viewers.

As for me, I am not so concerned with instant replay lengthening games as I am it eliminating what has come to be an integral part of the sport.

Blown calls have always been a part of the game, and without them, baseball would never be the same.

In fact, many people find delight in complaining about umpires and their calls, especially those concerning balls and strikes. It is something that nearly everyone does, and often brings fans together.

When it comes down to it, instant replay would only serve as a hindrance to the game of baseball.

So when Commissioner Bud Selig makes a decision concerning such technology, he must consider not only the negative, but also the positive impact that such calls have had on the game. They may be a source of frustration among fans and players, but they have always been, and should remain, part of the game.

SPORTS

Oct. 19, 2010

“Football” from page 1 Jenkins, who finished the game with nine carries for 130 yards.

In the second quarter, the Atoms continued to pour it on, with junior Tony Hysjulien connecting with senior Andy Craig for a 26yard touchdown and junior Adam Wattenbarger throwing to Jenkins for an 11-yard score to give AHS a 28-6 lead going into the half.

During halftime, the Homecoming court was announced, as well as the winner of the float contest. Senior Katie Bui was named Homecoming Queen, while senior (and linebacker) Yari Mizouri was named Homecoming King. The juniors were annouced as the winners of the float building contest.

In the second half, the Atoms continued to roll on offense, with seniors Stephen Craig and Stephen Cook scoring the final 14 points in the 36-point win.

“It was huge [to win the game],” said head coach Mike Scott. “We had a very physical week of practice; we went back to basics. And it paid off.”

Jenkins led the Atoms with his 130 yards rushing, 46 yards receiving and three touchdowns. Cook totaled 77 yards rushing on 14 carries, and Andy Craig added two catches for

RACHEL BERGEN

AHS wins Homecoming game

Atoms defenders lead by senior Yari Mizouri swarm to the ball during the 42-6 win on homecoming night. The strong team defense started strong and continued throughout the game.

45 yards.

One of the noticeable postitive points in the game was the play of the offensive line. Seniors Paul Phonsavan, Bob Stevens, Abenezer Anteneh, Joel Hoisington, and Nick Doumbia and junior Bryan Jefferson were able to allow the Atoms to rush for almost 300 yards.

As good as the offensive line was, the mental mistakes made by players were glaring. The team committed numerous offsides, false start and roughing the passer penalties that may have cost the team to tack on even more points.

“We need to cut down on the stupid penalties,” said Andy Craig.

“We have to run [in practice] for every penalty we commit so it makes it even worse.”

With the win, the Atoms improved to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the Patriot District. The team next faces Lake Braddock on their Homecoming this Friday, Oct. 22.

“We’re going to practice hard this week and just listen to the coaches,” said Hysjulien. “We’re going to have something for [Lake Braddock quarterback Michael] Nebrich.”

The Bruins, who were the state runner-up last year, boast a 7-1 record with their lone loss coming against the Robinson Rams on Oct. 1. “[Lake Braddock is] a good team so it’ll be a good chance to see where we stack up against the best in our district,” said Craig.

Prior to the Atoms’ Homecoming win, the team lost 38-10 to T.C. Williams on Oct. 9. Through three quarters of play, the Atoms’ only score was a field goal by senior Nathan Miller, but in the final minutes of the game, Wattenbarger hooked up with senior Devin Lawrence on a 38-yard touchdown pass to provide the final points of the game.

Volleyball loses tough game

17 AHS Field Hockey vs. W.T Woodson

Senior Mackda Dinberu takes the ball down the field. The Atoms were unable to score throughout the game and lost 0-3.

Senior Jennifer Allshouse prepares to drive the ball on a free hit. Allshouse won second team All-District honors this year.

After return of key players volleyball still drops game on the road to T.C. Williams

BY PARKER GILLCASH Staff Writer

Junior Esra Gokturk sends the ball to teammate Erin George to start a fast break. The Atoms next game is on Monday.

RACHEL BERGEN

The Atoms varsity volleyball team fell to the T.C. William Titans on October 14. It was a hard fought game that took up all five sets and eventually led to the Titans taking the victory on their home court. “[The T.C. game] was really close, it went into five games, one game we won 25-10, and the last call was questionable,” said Head Coach Jan Austin.

The team seemed disappointed by this loss but wanted to put it behind them and focus on the games ahead. After getting over some key injuries, the Atoms are working hard to improve before their next game. “[The T.C.] game was a game that will definitely wake us up to what we need to work on against South County” said senior Grace Franjie.

The Atoms still have three more big district games coming up, all of which are crucial to determining their rank within the Patriot District tournament. The first is against the South County Stallions, who are undefeated within the district.

“It showed us what we need to work on and who we can count on when it matters,” said senior Grace Franjie.

“We had a long week and a lot of distractions with Homecoming,” added Austin.

The team hopes to finish the season strong to get a good ranking in the district. They are predicted to play the West Springfield Spartans in the first game of district, but the end of the season is critical. The top four ranked teams in the district get the home court advantage in the district playoffs.

“Our goal is to make it to regionals,” said Coach Austin.

Making it to regionals has been their goal for the entire season. The loss to the Titans put the Atoms record at 3-8 and 1-3 in the district.

With three district rivals coming up, the next week is crucial for their post-season success.

—photos courtesy of Rich Fruchterman

Volleyball teammates try to avoid the blockers by tipping the ball over the net. The Atoms lost the game though putting their record at 4-11

The team is composed of many young players and only six seniors. The JV team has a winning record, which, when combined with the young talent already on varsity, makes the future looks hopeful for AHS volleyball. One fourth of the team’s members are sophomores, who still have two more years to give to the program.

The Atoms have some strong hitters but they have to work together as a team to pull through and finish the season strong with some big wins.

The next home game is Oct. 26 against the Lee Lancers. Come out and help support the Atoms in their bid to make regionals. For the complete schedule for the rest of the season and scores and stats of all the games, go to www.annandaleatoms.com.

Field Hockey District Honors 1st Team All-District: Senior, Alley Adcock Senior, Kate Bermingham

Field hockey starts district tournament

Junior, Annie Rutherford

2nd Team All-District: Senior, Jennifer Allshouse Senior, Mackda Dinberu

Girls varsity team begins their district tournament run on Monday against the Titans

Honorable Mention: Senior, Kristen Hennessey Senior, Erin Johnson

The girls varsity field hockey team has struggled through their last few games, ending their regular season with a three-game losing streak and a 6-8 record. The final game of the regular season was played against AHS rival W.T. Woodson High School, with ended score of 0-3. While the scoreboard may not reflect it, head coach Cindy Hook was pleased with the team’s performance, which was a big improvement from their previous game against T.C. Williams High School.

“The girls played more as a team, put great pressure on the Woodson players causing lots of turnovers, and moved the ball through the midfield,” said Hook. “Defense did a good job marking their attackers and Emily [Fruchterman] played well in goal.”

However, there is plenty of room for improvement within the team and a lot of work needs to get done in order to be successful in the District Tournament.

“We are working very hard to sharpen our stick skills, minimizing our fouls on defense while maximizing our effectiveness and attack[ing] as a team to score more goals,” said Hook.

The players also feel that there is still much to work on and accomplish so that they will be able to achieve their personal and team goals that they have set for the upcoming games.

“I hope that we will come together as a team, using everything that we have learned and worked on to play relentlessly, leaving everything on the field and having no regrets,” said junior and varsity starter Annie Rutherford.

District Honors have been awarded to players on the varsity team in recognition of their achievements throughout the season. First Team AllDistrict players are seniors Kate Bermingham and Alley Adcock and junior Annie Rutherford. The Second Team All-District players are seniors Jenn Allshouse and Mackda Dinberu. Finally, Honorable Mentions were awarded to seniors Kristen Hennessey and Erin Johnson.

The girls have also welcomed five new additions to the varsity team that have been moved up from junior varsity including junior Hiba Abuelhawa and sophomores Stephanie Allshouse, Megan Flynn, Christina Uglietta and Jenny Jessen. The four field players and one goalkeeper will dress for all upcoming games and possibly play to help out their fellow teammates on the field.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RICH FRUCHTERMAN

BY JAKE BARNES Sports Editor

Go to the web to to view an exclusive video on the football teams most recent wins.

Senior Erin Johnson drives the ball up the field during a clearing attempt against W.T Woodson. The Atoms unfortunately lost the game with a final score of 0-3.

Being added to the varsity roster and being rewarded for their hard work during the regular season is very exciting for the girls.

“I was very happy when I heard the news because I worked very hard all season and it paid off in the end, said junior Hiba Abuelhawa.”

The Atoms are setting their sights high, starting with the District Championships.

“I expect the Atoms to come out strong, play with renewed energy and start their pursuit of the District patches!” said Hook.

With the District Tournament games are just getting started, the Atoms Varsity Field Hockey team hopes to progress first to the District Championships, then on to Regionals. The results of the first district game, which was played last night against T.C. Williams, are unavailable at the present time. See thea-blast.org for more information.

www.thea-blast.org

18 The many scandals of Miley

ENTERTAINMENT

More Miley Miley, more problems Parents are up in arms as the teen queen releases another video

BY MARY ANNE KAVJIAN Entertainment Editor

January 2008 - Miley Cyrus’s iPhone was hacked by an anonymous individual who released many of her racy, personal pictures.

April 2008 - A photo of Cyrus taken by Annie Lebowitz appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair wearing only a bed sheet.

Oct. 19, 2010

The video opens to a young woman lying on a bed wearing a blindfold and very little clothes. Dancers at a party flash on the screen for just a moment, quickly returning to the girl rolling on the bed. If asked to name this pop singer, common guesses might include Lady Gaga, Ke$ha and maybe even Madonna, but few would jump to the correct answer of 17-year-old Miley Cyrus.

After wrapping herself up in

her sheets, Cyrus gets out of bed in only underwear and gets ready to go party. She walks across the room to her bathroom, where she sits on her bathtub, still not wearing clothes, and puts copious amounts of makeup on her already dark eyes.

As the chorus begins, Cyrus is in the back of a limousine wearing ridiculously small shorts that covers little more than her underwear. After entering the party, Cyrus’s bare back is visible in the strobe lights.

She is soon pressed up against much older men and women who grope her.

Following her new image that was revealed to her fans in her “Can’t Be Tamed” video last spring, Cyrus continues to raise eyebrows for the content of her videos. Her newest single, “Who Owns My Heart,” is filled with a similar sound and lyrics clearly not aimed at her Disney-age fans.

While the newest song off the Can’t Be Tamed album on is borderline appropriate, its music video cannot escape harsh criticisms. The Parents Television Council (PTC) president quickIn a screenshot from her “Who Owns My Heart” music video, the ever-risque Miley Cyrus sparks controversy among parents.

S U D O K U

Go to the web for an exclusive concert review of Lifehouse. www.thea-blast.org

Primetime TV tonight 8:00 Biggest Loser Glee No Ordinary Family NCIS One Tree Hill

9:00 Raising Hope Dancing with the Stars NCIS: Los Angeles

10:00 Parenthood Detroit 1-8-7 The Good Wife

Years and years ago... number one songs 1980 - Call Me, Blondie

WEBSUDOKU.COM

May 2010 - The music video for Cyrus’s “Can’t Be Tamed” reveals her in a low-cut leotard surrounded by nearly naked men.

YOUTUBE.COM

1980’s

February 2009 - A picture of Cyrus and her friends was released in which she is pulling her eyes to imitate an Asian person.

August 2009 - While performing her single, “Party in the USA,” Cyrus danced on a pole causing uproar from her young fans.

ly spoke out against the video.

“It is unfortunate that she would participate in such a sexualized video like this one,” PTC President Tim Winter said. “It sends messages to her fan base that are diametrically opposed to everything she has done up to this point. Miley built her fame and fortune entirely on the backs of young girls, and it saddens us that she seems so eager to distance herself from that fan base so rapidly.”

Many of Cyrus’s fans are accustomed to seeing the modest and silly Hannah Montana on TV, who bears almost no resemblance to the racy and rebellious ‘new Miley.’ It is only natural that the parents of these impressionable young girls do not want their daughters to be negatively influenced by Cyrus’s new sexually-charged persona.

“She’s just trying too hard and it’s working against her,” senior Aya Ibrahim said.

With her tousled hair, heavy makeup and leotards, Cyrus looks like a mix between Britney Spears and Ke$ha in both of her recent music videos.

With each new video that Cyrus puts out, the more attention from the press the pop princess gets.

And after all, is that not what the music industry is all about?

Whether she gains more fans or critics, no one can deny that Miley Cyrus’s new sexy persona has gained her more press than any wholesome hit ever could.

1981 - Bette Davis Eyes, Kim Carnes 1982 - Physical, Olivia Newton-John 1983 - Every Breath You Take, The Police 1984 - When Doves Cry, Prince 1985 - Careless Whisper, Wham!

1986 - That’s What Friends Are For, Dione Warwick 1987 - Walk Like An Egyptian, The Bangles 1988 - Faith, George Michael 1989 - Look Away, Chicago

1990’s

1990 - Hold On, Wilson Phillips 1991 - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You, Bryan Adams 1992 - End of the Road, Boys II Men 1993 - I Will Always Love You, Whitney Houston 1994 - The Sign, Ace of Base 1995 - Gangsta’s Paradise, Coolio 1996 - Macarena, Los Del Rio 1997 - Candle in the Wind, Elton John 1998 - Too Close, Next 1999 - Believe, Cher 2000 - Breathe, Faith Hill

ENTERTAINMENT

Oct, 19, 2010

Reunited for a cause

What celebrity do you idolize and why?

The members of Pink Floyd come together for a last tour Was the show worth the money and the time?

All the hard work I put into saving up was definitely worth it and the seats came out to be better then what I had expected. Roger’s guitar solo was better then ever, knows how to work a crowd, and hasn’t lost his cool.

BY CAROLA ROJAS Staff Writer

COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

Pink Floyd was established in 1965 in London, England and released their first album in 1967 titled The Piper at the Gates Of Dawn.

Originally there were five members in the band; Syd Barret, Roger Waters, Bob Klose, Rick Wright, and Nick Mason. In 1968, Barret had been replaced with David Gilmour. Millions of fans had been swept over with their epic album, The Wall in 1979.

Unfortunately, in 1985 Waters decided to go solo and declared Pink Floyd over. Although some songs like “Comfortably Numb”, “Dark Side Of The Moon”, and “Brain Damage” are the songs that continue to pull in more fans.

The famous Waters and Gilmour from Pink Floyd have reunited last July for the Hoping Foundation in Oxfordshire, England. It was after the Hoping Foundation that Waters and Gilmour decided to put together a tour that began on Sept. 13 in Toronto that will follow up until June 2011.

On Oct. 10 at 8 p.m., Washington D.C’s Verizon Center held The Wall tour. Marissa Uriarte, junior at AHS, who has not been a fan for too long, attended the tour and had many positive things to say about it.

Pink Floyd band mates, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright pose for a picture.

Overall, The Wall tour was not a disappointment for fans. Waters and Gilmour will continue their tour across America and lead up to Europe.

Although Pink Floyd won’t be coming out with any new albums they continue to capture fans with their legendary songs.

What was your favorite part of the show?

I had many favorite parts but the opening was pretty cool. They had so many lights and a plane was set up to crash into the wall which got everyone pretty hyped up.

“Miley Cyrus, because she is not afraid to be who she wants to be.”

—Jessica Campanilla junior

“Avril Lavigne, because she writes really good music and she is not afraid to express herself.”

What is something you did not really expect to see?

During the break, projectors were set up to advertise peace and being. Anti-government and religion ideas were also promoted. There was even a tribute to everyone who died in the war of terrorism.

What are your favorite Pink Floyd songs?

The song “Time” is my all time favorite song because it’s unique, trippy, and has a deep message about life. Plus, the guitar solo is beyond amazing. “Wish You Were Here” is also one of my favorites because it’s classic, mellow, and catchy. The lyrics never get old.

How did the crowd react to the show?

I saw a lot of both old and young people. The crowd was very supportive by wearing 1973 tour shirts and band t-shirts, some of which I have never seen. At times the crowd sang along and got really loud but other times it was dead quite and some were even crying.

19

—Addy Bramsen sophomore

-

“Leighton Meester, because she is from Gossip Girl, my favorite show.”

—Katie Bui senior

“Tiger Woods, because he is the best golfer in the world, and he is a G.”

Where to get your gossip fix

—Delwyn Molina junior “Steve Urkle because he is funny.”

Students can catch the latest celebrity buzz on tv or the web

—Noah Wolfenstein freshman

“Host Joel McHale’s sarcastic comments on all the mega stars is hilarious. He gives celebrity news a cool twist,” said senior Jenna Balicki.

Top 5 at the Box Office

“Chelsea Lately is the funniest woman ever, honestly I can’t watch an episode without dying of laughter,” said senior Kate Nguyen.

CARLY BOUCHARD

“This show always has very entertaining guests. my favorite by far was the Twilight episode,” said junior Evelyn Jaramillo.

CARLY BOUCHARD

CARLY BOUCHARD

–compiled by Rachel Bergen, Helina Daniels, Isabel Villarroel and Carola Rojas

For the week of Oct. 4-11 1. The Social Network (PG-13) Total: $48,209,249

2. Secretariat

(PG) Total: $14,576,278

3. Life As We Know It (PG-13) Total: $16,211,823

4. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (PG) Total: $40,544,892

5. The Town

“I like TMZ because it keeps me updated about the many celebrities I like and their lives,” said senior Alay Tedla.

AJ MCCAFFERTY

“I love this website because it is updated every day multiple times, and it is highly entertaining,” said senior Meriem Khadraoui.

CARLY BOUCHARD

CARLY BOUCHARD

(R) Total: $74,797,888

“I like how it is not biased and how it tells the celebrity stories how they originally are,” said senior Zeni SaifeSelassie

Source: BoxOffice.com

Top 10 iTunes Downloads of the Week

Lil Wayne releases new album

1. Like a G6 (feat. Catarcs & Dev)

Despite being in jail, the superstar is still a success

2. Just the Way You Are

Far East Movement Bruno Mars

3. Just a Dream

It is crazy to believe that anyone could be so successful in jail. Well, for rapper, producer and songwriter Lil Wayne, the unbelievable is possible. The famous rapper was charged with possession of a weapon and sent to jail on Oct. 23, 2009.

Prior to going to jail, he had been working on many tracks, in which he planned to release.

With the commotion of jail, and federal trials, he could not completely edit all the tracks and release them.

Little by little, many of his songs found their way to Youtube and were being heard and leaked to many out there. One of the most famous songs “Right Above It” gave his fans a glimpse of what was yet to come, and created excitement to all.

He finally released “I Am Not A Human Being” the extended play (EP) on Sept. 27, 2010

sic scene for a bit. Once released in less than a month, I am sure he will be back to making more hits.

Nelly

4. Only Girl (In the World) Rihanna

5. Club Can’t Handle Me (feat. David Guetta) Flo Rida

6. Back to December Taylor Swift

7. Speak Now Taylor Swift COURTESY OF ITUNES

BY MACKDA DINBERU Entertainment Editor

digitally and recently released the physical version on Oct. 12, 2010.

It looks like Wayne’s time in jail might have affected his writing. One of his tracks on the EP is uniquely named “Gonorrhea.” I am not so sure what kind of experiences he had in jail, but they don’t sound too pleasing. He also shares the track “What’s Wrong With Them” with the fierce Nicki Minaj. Although I am not the biggest fan of Minaj, the collaboration works for them.

Lil Wayne has always been known to be a mastermind when it comes to the new generation of rap music, and is probably the reason it has changed so much in the recent years.

Being the bad boy he is, he has always had issues with drugs, weapons, and other illegal activities. Through it all, his fans have always stayed loyal to him. No wonder he is so successful. The guy could kill someone, and somehow would always have people wanting more of him.

It was as if he had not even left the mu-

Lil Wayne’s long awaited EP is finally released on Oct. 12, 2010.

8. Dynamite Taio Cruz

9. DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love Usher

10. Teenage Dream Katy Perry

WEEKEND

20 T

hree Fall Favorites

Oct. 19, 2010

Pumpkin Patch

As a staple activity every year, the pumpkin patch at Burke Nursery offers fun ways to spend the day for the whole family. Upon entering, there is a farmers market which contains species of edible pumpkins, apples and produce for sale. Take a hayride around the property for free and enjoy the beautiful weather. On your way out, grab a full size pumpkin to get ready for the fall. The Burke Nursery is roughly twenty minutes from Annandale and is located at 9401 Burke Road.

Top: Full grown pumpkins sit in the field at the Burke Nursery waiting to be carved, cooked and decorated. Right: The Burke Nursery sells many different types of pumpkins including the Baby Pumpkin and Mini-White Pumpkin varieties.

Fields of Fright

If you’re looking for a spooky night adventure, Fields of Fear at Cox Farm will greatly exceed your highest expectations. Located at 15621 Braddock Road in Centreville, their fun, daytime pumpkin patch turns into a ghoulish scene at night. Activities such as the Nightmare Walk through the Cornfield of Terror, the Dark Side Hayride and the all-night bonfire are more than enough to keep you entertained for the evening.

Nature walk

Fall is the perfect time to take a scenic stroll through all of the beautiful parks in Farifax County. In particular, Lake Accotink Park in Springfield has spectacular views of the changing leaves. Take advantage of the crisp, cool weather and take a nature walk though the long, winding trails of the park. Lake Accotink is located at 7500 Accotink Park Road in Springfield, only five minutes down the road.

Top: Lake Accotink Park in Springfield offers beautiful views of the changing, seasonal leaves and a diverse species of wildlife.

Bottom: Lake Accotink also offers wonderful trails.

Left: A spooky skeleton hangs amidst the trees along the Darkside Hayride, scaring all who pass beneath it. Top: A cemetery filled with tombstones and corpses is just one of the many attractions Fields of Fear has to offer.

Visit us on the web at www. thea-blast.org to view an exclusive “Last Weekend I” column and photo slide show of the pumpkin patch.

2011 class bulletin Check the facebook page for new magnets and t-shirts

Senior concert “Lady Danville” in the auditorium on Oct. 25

Buy senior bumper stickers from Emma Barker for only $3

Culinary Conquests Restaurant Guide

By Kelsey Price and Helena Belay While on the way to see a movie at Fairfax Corner, we spotted a large crowd milling around the outside of an unfamiliar building.

The brightly-lit sign above the freshly painted, red building read, “Ozzies”: The newest establishment by the Great American Chain Restaurant Company.

The Great American chain restaurants include some of the most delicious and wellknown places to eat, such as Silverado, Coastal Flats and Mike’s American Grill. Since we have enjoyed their other restaurants so much in the past, we knew that we had to try it out.

Unlike the other Great American restaurants, Ozzie’s Corner Italian, which is named after the famous Ozzies bread rolls, serves Italian cuisine rather than there other American staples.

Before going to Ozzie’s we did our research like any good journalist would and thoroughly studied the menu as though our lives depended on it. On the way there, we discussed our meal options because we wanted our food fast and had no time to waste ordering. We used the call ahead number on our way there, to avoid waiting in the long line that stretched around the corner.

Despite our best efforts, however, the kind hostess apologetically stated that the wait for a table would be two hours. As Ozzies just opened

Top: Our delicious appetizer, Fontina Focaccia Bruschetta. Middle: The flavorful Panino Italiano panini.

Bottom: A quick glance of the decorative exterior of Ozzies Corner Italian restaurant.

two weeks ago, it is a hot spot for foodies, reviewers and couples alike. We asked if there was another seating option and were delighted to discover that bar seating was available and we were promptly seated within the next five minutes. Although the bar seats were less intimate than a booth might have been, the

friendly and excellent serving staff made us feel very comfortable. We also could not help but the notice the amazing décor, which appeared to have arrived straight from Italy. The an enormous painting of Italy was plastered along one of the back walls and the tables all had uniform, yet unique hanging light fixtures, which offered an intimate and calm feeling.

We can happily say that the only disappointment from the entire meal was that the ozzie rolls did not come with the notably bad-for-your-health butter, commonly served at the other Great Americans. We do appreciate the restaurants efforts to keep us heart healthy, however. We ordered the Sunday Skillet Brick Chicken, which was delivered in Ozzies Corner a pan filled with Italian cannelloni beans, pancetta, spinach, tomatoes and baby meatballs. We highly recommend this dish because it was cooked to perfection and had a very unique, and savory flavor. The other dish we excitedly sampled was the Penne all a Vodka & Smoked Scottish Salmon with vodka tomato cream sauce. Both were excellent choices, though the other items on the menu all looked equally as delicious.

When our waiter asked if we were interested in trying a dessert, we had of course already picked out the items we wanted and quickly ordered cups of Triple Chocolate and Pistachio Gelato, which both came with a piece of chocolate hazelnut biscotti. The gelato was even better than we had imagined. The rich, creamy chocolate contrasted with the crunchy biscotti ended our meal perfectly.

We left the restaurant full and happy, assuring our waiter we would be back very soon. There are so many items left to try and we can’t wait to sample them all.

A

All photos by Helena Belay