Issue 6

9

Arts gives you a glimpse of one of AHS’s newest student bands

10-11

InDepth investigates the pressure put on students by helicopter parents

A

Weekend looks into the crystal ball of local psychics

International brings you its take on gender roles around the world

ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL

the VOLUME #56 ISSUE 6

20

12

4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003

Informiing the Atoms siince 1954 4

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 19, 2011

(703) 642-4229

w

Proposed law stops electronic communication Student/teacher e-mails, text messages, raise concern

BY REBECCA MALZAHN News Editor

AJ MCCAFFERTY

Boys Varsity Basketball Record: 8-4

According to the Virginia Board of Education, being Facebook friends with students may soon become illegal for teachers and faculty.

The board is in the midst of deciding whether electronic communications between students and teachers should be considered acceptable or not. Policies are currently in the process of being drafted, and will soon be voted on, to determine how school staff should interact with consideration to a professional code of conduct.

The policy at stake would prohibit oneon-one electronic communications between school staff and students through personal online social-networking sites, such as Skype, Facebook, Twitter and by email.

“I’m an English teacher, so a lot of times “Communications” continues on page 4

IB Night for parents and students approaching IB Night will be held on Feb. 8 in Clausen Hall. IB Coordinator Shirley Campbell will address parents about the requirements for the diploma and other opportunities in the program.

Spring musical auditions to be held Students have the opportunity to audition for the spring play, which continue today and tomorrow.

Auditions will be held in the Black Box and will last from 2:15 until around 4:00. Students will perform a one minute reading and a song of their choice. Call backs will be announced after the initial auditions. The actual play is yet to be determined.

Leadership Changes

Principal John Ponton prepares to pie teachers at Battle of the Classes on Jan. 14. He, along with several other adminstrative officials, recently announced his retirement.

Principal and director of student services both set to retire in June

BY ANNIE CURRAN News Editor Principal John Ponton and Director of Student Services Steven Sengstack both announced their retirement after students and faculty returned from winter break. Though it is not yet half way through the year, early announcements such as these are commonplace so that the school can have adequate time to hire and train replacements. Ponton has been at AHS for six years and Sengstack has been here for 17 years. “[Ponton] has given a sense of purpose and organization to this school, without which AHS would not be the excellent place it has become,” social studies teacher John Hawes said. “Mr. Sengstack has enormous wisdom, sensitivity and the ability to solve even the most complex problems.”

Since both announcements are fairly recent, the process of interviewing and hiring the replacements is still in its earliest stage.

The next principal will most likely be hired by May 1 after the long process involving input from faculty, parents and selected students. Dan Parris, Superintendent of Cluster 3, will be in charge of hiring Ponton’s replacement. “He wants the new principal to be announced by May 1 because he wants me to work with whomever is selected,” Ponton said.

The process is still being hammered out by Parris and will hit the ground running sometime in the beginning of the second semester. Generally, the process involves meetings with the faculty, students and community and interviews with an official selection committee.

AJ MCAFFERTY

Counselors will begin to talk to juniors, sophomores and freshmen about their class opportunities for next school year.

Orientations for juniors will be on Jan. 24 and 25, Jan. 26 and 27 for sophomores and Feb. 2 and 3 for freshmen.

AJ MCCAFFERTY

Course orientations to begin for underclassmen

Juniors Abigail Fleming and Kayla Meadows rehearse before Broadway Desserts.

Chorus presents quite a dessert Annual event showcases various Broadway tunes

BY CAROLA ROJAS Staff Writer Immediately after Winter Break, the AHS Choral Department began to prepare in earnest for their biggest event of the year: Broadway Desserts. The event, held on Jan. 16 and 17, provided more than just cheesecake and brownies to the audience; it gave everyone involved a glimpse into various Broadway shows and raised funds for several upcoming chorus trips.

Tickets for Broadway Desserts, which took place in the Fine Arts building of George Mason University, cost $10 for the matinee and $20 for the evening performance. While this year’s sales numbers

“Retiring” continues on page 5

“Desserts” continues on page 5

Panel proposes solutions to overcrowding Regional planning study explores various boundary and non-boundary options

Visit www.thea-blast.org for a look at the highs and lows experienced by AHS students during the year 2010.

Change has been a long time coming for AHS – its hallways have been crowded for years, new trailers appear each fall and lunch lines seem longer than ever. There is no question that the school is overcrowded, but what to do about it is an entirely different matter.

The middle and high school subcommittee of the Annandale Regional Planning Study (ARPS), a group charged by the School Board in April 2010 with exploring potential overcrowding relief AHS PTSA President and Annandale Regional Planning Study commitmeasures, believes it has come up with a solution. tee member Emily Slough addresses the community at a recent meeting regarding the ARPS’s report.

EMILY FRUCHTERMAN

BY EMILY FRUCHTERMAN Co-Editor in Chief

In its final report, presented to the School Board on Jan. 10, the committee examined 12 different scenarios, which range from changing boundaries to changing grade configurations.

“What we really have are two choices,” AHS PTSA President and Chair of the Enrollment and Capacity subcommittee of the ARPS Emily Slough said.

“We could do a boundary change or we could find a more creative way to keep the Annandale community together.”

The non-boundary options focus primarily on using all of the space available in the AHS pyramid. In one scenario, Holmes Middle School, which currently holds grades 6, 7 and 8, would be converted into a grades 6 and 7 middle school, while Poe Middle School would “Overcrowding” continues on page 5

Jan. 19, 2011

What do you think about Snowflake intiative is a the snowflake strategy for Battle practical and fair strategy of the Classes?

B M A Y

ARWA

BDELAZIZ

Copy Editor “It’s effective, but I think teachers should be allowed to buy them for their class.”

— Zach West freshman

“I don’t like it because it’s not fair since not everybody has the money to buy snowflakes.”

— Alaa HajAssaad sophomore

“It’s good because it adds to the competition and promotes school spirit. It makes it more fun to the people who win.”

— Caitlin Hill junior

“It should be the teachers because the teachers might have something planned [for class] and might not let students go if they paid for it.”

AHS students have not yet had a full snow day, as there has not been very much snow to frost the school grounds and cancel class lately. However,many have seen an abundance of snowmen located in every corner of the school during the past few weeks.

The snowmen represent each R5 class and students were instructed to purchase paper snowflakes during lunch for 25 cents each and stick them on their class’s snowman.

What is the purpose of this decorative scheme? To prepare for Battle of the Classes, which took place on Jan. 14.

Fire code restrictions state that no more than 1,357 people can be packed into the gym, which is where Battle of the Classes took place. This meant only about half the school was able to participate in the event.

In past years, the issue was resolved by a first come first serve basis where teachers received an e-mail and the first teachers to respond were granted access to the event.

“If teachers aren’t sitting at their computers right when the e-mail is sent out, then it is not fair to them,” junior Leadership member Kelly Goodison said.

Teachers cannot be expected to sit at their computers all day. Most of them are actively teaching at the whiteboard or engaging with students’ classwork.

The e-mail strategy would create a dis-

advantage to teachers who may not have access to a computer at all times such as physical education teachers or performing arts teachers. It would also create an unfair advantage for those who teach computer based classes such as business and technology courses.

The snowflake solution was a fair alternative to the technique used in the past. Not only did it give each teacher an equal opportunity to have their class attend the event, but it gave students a role in the decision-making.

Students who would have really liked to experience Battle of the Classes but could not in previous years because of teachers who restricted their entry could now take charge instead.

All they had to do is buy snowflakes for his or her class rather than rely on their teacher to sign them up..

Most students would rather have gone to watch or even take part in the battle rather than suffer through long and boring class time.

Many students had made remarks about how they planned on creating their own snowflakes and sticking them onto their class’s snowman.

This tactic definitely did not earn anybody a spot for Battle of the Classes.

The Leadership committee tallied the purchases made for each class rather than counting the actual snowflakes that appeared on each snowman to avoid fraud.

The money raised will be “used to buy something beneficial to [AHS],” Goodison said.The whole idea of the snowmen was creative and effective because it encouraged students to actively take part in planning and attending school events.

By Greg Nielsen and Pat McCann

“I think it’s not fair that you have to pay to go.”

—Nisha Sarath junior

Junior Sergio Moya sticks a purchased snowflake to his classmates’ snowman.

Flex is being used for wrong purpose Greg Gripes &PatEditorials Ponders Column

— Sarah Knenlein junior

MARWA ABDELAZIZ

2

EDITORIALS Leadership snowflakes effective

Despite a long and stressful night filled with extra curricular activities, homework, studying and little sleep, work still remains incomplete. Luckily, Flex offers a solution to your time management issues… or so we think.

Flex was created over 10 years ago and was designated for educational purposes. The main idea behind the creation of Flex was to ensure students fully understood what was to be covered by the SOL

standardized tests with opportunities to review material covered in previous instructional periods.

The official teacher handout describing the function of Flex has suggested uses for the separate 45 minute blocks, such as individual help, makeup work, re-testing material, quiet studying and homework.

However, in recent years, teachers have strayed away from the intended objective.

AHS’s Flex periods have been a model for other schools across both the county and the nation as a means of improving student performance on these standardized tests.

However, instructors are now using this time to introduce new material, despite the handout explicitly stating it should not be used for new concepts.

Because individual students leave the classroom for other make-up work, academy classes, group meetings or mediation, it is unfair for a student to

miss required class work.

“It really annoys me when I have to do work in Flex because half of the time I am unprepared for class,” junior Ryan Miller said. “I fear missing something important in a Flex period if I go to visit my counselor.”

Flex has lost all flexibility. It seems like today the only way to “flex out’” is with a mandate signed and stamped by President Obama two weeks prior to your inquiry.

When this personal letter from the president is finally approved, teachers take it as a personal offense that you would dare to miss their period.

They see everything but their class as unimportant. We are not saying Flex should be solely free time. Please, all we are asking for is a little extra time for homework and a respite from the stressful grind of non-stop instruction; all we want is a little Flex-Ability.

Rule of Thumb

Staff

Italian man sneezes out bullet

“I think it is a fair strategy; because it gives all students an equal chance to see battle of the classes.”

An Italian man who was shot on New Year’s Eve sneezed out the bullet that was lodged in his nasal passage.

— Alan Van senior

Rule: If you are too scared of surgically removing bullets, try sneezing.

“I have no snowflakes, the [snowman] is naked, so I don’t think it was effective for my class. My class was upset that they had to pay for battle of the classes but it was a good idea.”

— Katherine Gibson English teacher - Compiled by Marwa Abdelaziz

CORRECTIONS

Please contact The A-Blast with any corrections.

Chupacabra mystery solved Biologists finally confirmed that the legendary creature found in the Americas, often referred to as the “Chupacabra” is actually a hairless raccoon.

Rule: When a hairless raccoon is spotted, still call it a Chupacabra.

Two thieves call police for help Two thieves in Germany called the police after getting stuck in a broken down elevator Rule: If you are a thief try to do your job the correct way.

Visit www.thea-blast.org to read an opinion about the Sudanese Referendum.

Managing Editor: Ndidi Obasi Editorials Editors: Nasiha Rashid Jeff Shim News Editors: Annie Curran Rebecca Malzahn

Vol. 56, Issue 6: -In the news story “The DREAM Act affects students” the name of the anonymous interviewee was revealed

Editors In Chief: Emily Fruchterman David Hookey

In-Depth Editors: Erin Johnson Katie Masters Sports Editors: CJ Aftergut Jake Barnes Sports Xtra Editors: Esra Gokturk Brenna O’Neill People Editors: Alley Adcock Kelsey Knoche Weekend Editors: Helena Belay Kelsey Price International Editors: Jayran Moridzadeh Haumaira Safi

Entertainment Editors: Mackda Dinberu Mary Anne Kavjian Lifestyles Editors: Jennifer Allshouse Erin George Health Editors: Gessica Azzam Katie Vu

Web Editor: Liz Wilson Video Staff: Haben Berihun Alex Davalos William Labarca Gwen Levey Patrick McCann Greg Nielsen

Photography Editors: Emma Barker Kristen Hennessey Ad Managers: Rachel Coulter Daniel Park Circulation Manager: Rachel Baker Art Editors: Jane Aman Jordan Aman Academics Editors: Nikki Contrino Tricia O’Neill Copy Editors: Marwa Abdelaziz Rebecca Burke Brook Tamir Historian: Mariah Pollet

Annandale High School 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, Virginia 22003 email: theablast@gmail.com

Vol. 56 No.6 Jan. 19, 2011 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

Jan. 19, 2011

A Congress like molasses Decades of the same-old, same-old has turned the U.S. Congress into a legislative sloth

BY NOAH FITZGEREL Staff Writer Abraham Lincoln once said, “a house divided cannot stand.” Although he was referring to the Civil War, a much more dire situation, this statement is, unfortunately, applicable to the current state of the U.S. Congress. As the media has dubbed it, the “lame-duck” session of Congress, which terminated a few weeks ago, might have been productive, but its potential to pass more legislation with an overwhelming majority of Democrats was never fully realized.

Numerous pieces of hallmark legislation were passed under the Democraticmajority. The health care reforms and the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” are some shining examples. However, the path to achieve this accomplishment was a much more difficult one than it has been in the past.

Around election time in November and inauguration time in January, voters hear the same sentiment across the board: “No more ear marks!” or “The days of old politics are over!” These promises have swayed voters for years, but it seems that voters are finally seeing these appeals as empty ones. Hard evidence of this would be the regaining of the majority in the House of Representatives by the Republicans after their overwhelming defeat two years ago.

Yes, there might be results to show from the 111th session of Congress.

However, the finger-pointing throughout the past two years that has been completed in order to achieve that legislation by both sides of the aisle has been sickening and seems contradictory to the promises made by many of the

3 Are textbooks sufficient when it comes to teaching?

candidates, who promised to stop the bickering, which seemed to plague Congress in years past.

A recent Princeton University podcast entitled “The Polarization of American Politics,” narrated

by Professor Nolan McCarty, provided some unsettling statistics explain why things need to change and change quickly.

One of the most surprising examples highlighted by the report was a graph displaying information about Congress voting trends. It dates back to the 1870’s, just after the Civil War. It showed that the number of Democrats and Republicans voting completely differently is at an all time high, beating the record set during the Civil War. However, the shortcomings of the lame-duck Congress were startled not only for exclusively news commentators and political pundits, but high school students as well. “It is a two-party system, but it’s not supposed to work like a split house,” sophomore Tom Updike said.

Remember what Lincoln said? A split house, a divided house, it’s all the same, and it’s no laughing matter. Teachers are also feeling the drag.“I think that there seems to be less of Democrats and Republicans working together, and I also think that anytime they work together, it’s behind closed doors, whereas in public, they seem to attack each other more,” government teacher Kellie Burke said .

Can this fever of partisanship that seems to have swept Washington be cured? Well, like any fever, only time can tell. However, there is always a starting point: fulfill the promises of bi-partisanship in issues that was promised in November.

“Somewhat sufficient, sometimes they use big words and you get confused.

Sometimes they put stuff you’re not actually learning.”

—Yoseph Tijuh freshman “They’re an easy way to assign homework but not efficient to just teach out of. It’s better to make students interact!’”

—Skye Lindberg sophomore “I think they’re sufficient, but teachers should give their own interpretation and make it fun.”

— Adrianne Williams senior

Forget about Va. textbooks Virginia textbooks are unnecessary for teaching

BY NASIHA RASHID Editorials Editor There were 11 confederate states, not 12. The Battle of Antietam occurred in 1916, not 1917.

No one could care less at this point, and most definitely not the students who are required to memorize these facts. However, these trivial facts led to a controversy over fourth grade textbooks that had printed erroneous information about the Civil War.

“

We’re Americans, not Virginians.

”

—John Hawes history teacher The Five Ponds Press, one of the known, fairly cheap textbook publishers, published textbooks written by Joy Masoff, who is not a trained historian. It began in October 2010 when a historian Carol Sheriff first brought up a question regarding information in Masoff ’s textbook.

The old saying goes, “Do not cry over spilt milk,” and in this case, the spilt milk has angered several historians.

As a history teacher John Hawes so eloquently put it, “We’re Americans, not Virginians,” and that fact holds the truth.

When students or individuals venture out into the world, it is most likely that they will not identify

themselves as Virginians. Rather, they will refer to themselves as Americans which is perfectly fine.

But in reality, who really cares? According to the state government, Virginia is required to teach Virginian history, but not even Jonathan York, who teaches the US-VA History, does not focus on our state. Instead of jamming factual information into the hard heads of fourth graders, schools need to introduce ideas and allow students to look beyond the materials in textbook and effectively learn, for once.

Textbooks are merely used for facilitating a discussion. Doting on the information and using it as the primary source of learning only makes the schools go in a downward spiral in teaching. Students will never learn from history textbooks, as better resources can be utilized for teaching about the Civil War or history in general.

For example, in the IB History of Americas class, instead of learning everything from the textbooks, students are given two other books that are filled with historical narratives which provide a different and more engaging view of the Civil War and a number of other historical events that were otherwise brushed upon in a regular textbook.

Hawes mentioned that schools should stop purchasing textbooks altogether. As a teacher, he voiced that he rarely ever uses a textbook. Historians find excessive errors in fourth grade history textbooks.

He takes articles from newspapers, studies and books that challenge the reader while and challenge needed to move up. Students now sparking interest in students. are finding it hard to read articles that are geared Studies show that in the past several years, toward their supposed reading levels, and as the textbooks have reduced the difficulty of the wording years progress it will only get more difficult. and content which serves to be problematic for Nevertheless, this “scandal” is in fact a glitch in students each new school year. Studies also indicate the educational system and should be an indication that as each year progresses textbooks are made for schools to stop relying on textbooks and find easier which denies the student the information another effectual way of getting lessons across.

Are students on a race to nowhere?

BY NASIHA RASHID Editorials Editor In bold white letters across a two minute long trailer, the documentary Race to Nowhere boldly asserts in a statement: “Our children are in a race to be the smartest, to test the highest, to the achieve the most. The competition is fierce but in the race to be the best our kids are paying the price.”

The documentary was created

by Vicki H. Abeles, a disheartened mother who had firsthand experience seeing the price her daughter had to get an education and rising to the top. Fueled with contempt and concern for her daughter’s well being she decided to speak out against the American education system through a more effective medium, which is in the form of a now critically acclaimed documentary.

The same subject is brought up in the trailer; the idea of having too much pressure brought upon students, who inevitably are on a race to nowhere.

This is especially frustrating for parents who watch their children spend long hours on homework assignments, extra curricular activities and volunteering.

It is expected for some children to buckle under this pressure, but with hundreds and thousands of students overwhelmed, this becomes a national concern that must be addressed.

What is the American Educational system doing to students? To begin, schools need to invest in more counselors that can reach out to students on an individual level and not on a basis of a number or roster.

Better psychiatric care is unfortunately a necessity for students who need an additional method of dealing with the demands of high school.

Nonetheless, the most important question many have right now is whether or not students are in a race to end up nowhere. The answer is: no.

H o w e v e r, c o m p a r e d t o t h e educational system in China, Japan or Central Europe, the American system is lagging way behind their counterparts. If anything, this competitive system needs to get even more aggressive in order for American students to catch up to students around the world.

But students will get to college and

—Jeremiah Davis math teacher

Is school putting too much pressure on Students?

“They put enough pressure because students do sports and clubs.”

—Brket Yemaneberhane freshman

“I don’t feel any pressure to succeed in school. I’m the only one who pressures myself to succeed.”

— Ahmad HajAssaad junior

“Our school hours compared to the ones in China are less, so I feel like they put more pressure on them than us.”

— Patrick Khoueiry senior “The system is okay because we have fewer subjects to study compared to other countries with 14-15 subjects.”

RACE TO NOWHERE WEBSITE

A documentary highlights the faults of American education

“The textbooks are adequate but since teachers have to use what they’re given, they do the best they can to meet SOL standards.”

—Genisse Ibanez senior

For some students the pressure of school is daunting and feels like an endless race

will get jobs in the future. It is just a matter of fixing the faults in American education. The system needs to start pushing children harder, but not in the sense that the teachers need to pile on more homework.

If anything, this competitive system needs to get even more aggressive if the American students need to catch up to students around the world. The system needs to start pushing children harder, but not in the sense that the teachers need to pile on more homework.

The nature of competition is harsh, but it does not have to be that students end up nowhere. The competition that is spoken of needs to be made fair so that every student has a chance at success and can lead to productive education and jobs.

And for some students who take the competition lightly they may not end up in a place that they think they deserve. Nurturing and coddling students through the entire 12 years of education will only hinder their chances at success.

“The academic rigor is subpar to many other countries.

Overall we need to have higher expectations for teachers and students.”

—Hassan Mims Dean of students

NEWS

4

Jan. 19, 2011

NEWS BRIEFS

Facebook between students and teachers potentially banned

BCI holds cheesecake fundraiser An assortment of sweet treats are currently being sold by all BCI students. The cakes, made

by Sweetz Cheesecake, include carrot cake and cheesecake Sweetz Classic, Cookies ‘N’ Cream and Rasberry Swirl, Tomorrow marks the final day of sales for the “sweetz”, which will arrive the week of Feb. 7, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Communications” continued from page 1

my students all email me papers,” Catherine Gibson said. “But I would never have a Facebook friend as a student until after they graduate.”

“Technology is a wonderful tool. However, teachers should maintain strictly a professional relationship especially with their current students... The use of social networking websites, i.e. Facebook, between teachers and students in a non-professional manner should be prohibited,” Dean of Students Hassan Mims said.

Staff also would not be allowed to communicate with students through the transfer of text messages or by intentionally using online gaming networks as a mean of unprofessional communication. If invited by a student to privately join any of the said online or wireless networks and systems of communication, school employees must decline or ignore, and vice versa for students.

“Some teachers, like coaches, can be like mentors or just somebody that kids feel comfortable talking to. So we should be able to text or email them if

ESOL WIDA testing to begin The cafeteria will be off limits during the day, from Jan. 24 - 28 as per ESOL WIDA Testing will be taking place.

Students are asked to be respectful when around the testing zone.

they feel comfortable with it,” junior Christina Miller said.

“Coaches are county employees. However, it is implicit that the status quo of their relationship with players is slightly different from a teacherstudent relationship. However, the relationship still should be professional,” Mims said.

Instead, the policy suggests that in order to communicate with students electronically, employees must only send information through an individual account, system or platform that will be provided to them. By doing so, the content within the message will be able to be easily accessed and monitored by the School Board in order to avoid any unprofessional or inappropriate behavior.

If, for the purpose of an emergency or other urgent circumstance, a teacher or other staff member happens to use an electronic device, aside from the designated platform provided by their school, they must immediately report the incident with the date, time and reasoning of the incident.

The policy, if passed, would also apply to teachers and faculty of virtual school programs and additional vendors who educate students outside of the school building.

The reasoning behind the proposed policy is in response to the over 120 calculated acts of harassment and sexual misconduct between students and school faculty investigated in Virginia schools since 2000. By monitoring and maintaining a professional code of conduct between students and

REBECCA MALZAHN

riend request denied

English teacher Catherine Gibson checks her email daily to receive updates and to see if her students have emailed her.

staff members, the Virginia School Board is hoping to diminish future incidents.

If this policy passes, individual districts within Virginia would be responsible for deciding if they would like to pursue it. However, if the vote sways towards the proposal of avoiding mass dictation of the personal relationships between students and staff, a list recommendations for future conduct of the matter will still be sent to all school districts within Virginia.

IOCs bring stress and success folders that contain a passage from one of the books or poems that are a part of the IB curriculum.

The student is given 20 minutes to prepare their speaking part. They then give a 15-minute oral presentation to an English teacher, part of which includes follow-up questions from the teacher.

“There were some spots where I lost my train

Seniors in IB English finish their IOCs

BY COLLEEN ADENAN Staff Writer

BREKHNAA GULL

Visit www.thea-blast.org for the following stories:

Snow shower yields two-hour delay

“

What literary features in this passage from Othello show the themes found throughout the play? Annotate the poem and write a 15-minute oral presentation in 20 minutes.

This question was just one of a variety that senior Jenna Balicki had to answer as a part of her Individual Oral Commentary, or IOC exam.

Balicki took her IOC during the afternoon on Jan. 12. Students began taking the IOC exams shortly after returning from winter break.

Students who take IB English their senior year are required to take the IOC Exam as part of the requirement for the certificate in the class.

The student walks into a private room supervised by a teacher. They randomly choose one of many

Once you get it there is nothing you can do but go with it.

”

—Jenna Balicki senior

of thought or made a bad transition so there were some awkward pauses,” Balicki said. “I also spoke fairly quickly, so I think it would have been better if I slowed down.”

“I wasn’t really that nervous during the actual speaking part,” Balicki said. “I had prepared as best I could for it and I basically just started talking.

By Mariel Rocha, Staff Writer

The worst part about the IOC is walking in there and picking your passage, once you get it there is nothing you can do but go with it.”

Balicki felt that she did a decent job on her IOC. She spoke for 10 minutes before English teacher Samantha Spinney began asking questions.

Senior Josh Sarker took his IOC on Jan. 13 in the morning. He chose the poem “Cut”, by Sylvia Plath.

“They give you 20 minutes to annotate the passage or poem,” Sarker said.“You have to come up with a thesis and then talk about the poem or passage and try to back up your thesis with examples from the text.

Sarker felt he did well on the IOC. He felt his thesis was pretty good and believes he did well backing up his thesis through the text.

“I felt pretty good while taking it,” Sarker said.

“It was before [the IOC] that I felt really nervous.”

“If I could take it again, I think I would have touched a little more on the imagery within the poem and tried to explain the allusions a little better than I did,” said Sarker. “But other than that, I think I was on point.”

And the answer is: It’s Academic!

Annual Battle of the Classes gets a wonderful winter twist

BECCA HENDRICKSON

By K.L Hoang, Staff Writer

Performers STAND up to genocide Students holds Benefit Concert for Darfur

Students relax over winter holiday

By Becca Hendrickson, Staff Writer

MARWA ABDELAZIZ

BY KYLEE NISKER AND ROWAN SHARTEL Staff Writers

New year comes with retirement for Hanger

By Marwa Abdelaziz, Staff Writer

A multitude of acts showcased their talents at the STAND Benefit Concert, held on Jan. 14.

Performances covered many different forms of creativity, ranging from bands to accompaniments, to hula dancing. Some performers, such as Gwen Levey, who sang and played an original song on guitar, were returning acts from last year, while others, such as members of the band Audio Essence, were new this year.

“It’s fun and it supports against genocide,” senior KC Thomas, who performed for the first time with Audio Essence, said.

STAND is a student-run anti-genocide coalition, which is a division of Genocide Intervention Network. The club at AHS works to spread the message of anti-genocide to students and get them involved in supporting the cause.

“STAND raises money, aids refugees and gets everyone involved,” club sponsor Robin Thompson

said.

“Last year we did really well,” senior Sam Pokraka said. She was involved in the concert production last year and decided to showcase her dancing talents by participating again. Pokraka performed a Hawaiian dance in the style of hula and Tahitian.

“I was a member of STAND last year, and so I know it’s a great cause to be involved in. I would have joined [the club] again this year if I could have but I couldn’t, so I thought that at least I could do my part by participating in the concert,” Pokraka said.

“It’s a really good program because it makes people aware of issues in Africa, specifically the genocide in Darfur,” senior Kevin Cleary of Audio Essence said. According to the concert’s Facebook event page, all proceeds will go to the Genocide Intervention Network, which will help the victims of mass atrocities all across the globe.

“I think it’s a really good idea that they raised money for a needy cause,” sophomore Christina Uglietta said. “Genocide is a really serious issue and we should spread the program to other schools.”

The STAND Benefit Concert helps to raise awareness, money and encourage support of the group through a fun activity.

REBECCA MALZAHN

K. L HOANG

By Betsy Kruse, Staff Writer

Amidst a cheering live audience and hot studio lights, the AHS It’s Academic! team displayed their knowledge of trivia in a nerve-wracking competition against DC schools Gonzaga and School Without Walls on Jan. 8 at the taping of the It’s Academic! game show, held at the NBC 4 studio in Washington, D.C. The show, featuring AHS, will air at 10:30 a.m. on Feb 5.

Junior Robert Truong and seniors Scott Fulton and Kidist Ketema represented the AHS team on-air, supported by team sponsors and social studies teachers Meghan Saladino and Kathlyn Berry, Assistant Principal

KATIE MASTERS

BY KATIE MASTERS In-Depth Editor

Starbucks to debut new logo

because I was good at Jeopardy, and I wanted to get into a club. I plan on continuing trivia in college because I want to go on Jeopardy, so doing It’s Academic! is a good way to practice.”

“It was nerve-wracking, because I was afraid I was going to humiliate myself somehow,” Truong, who was competing for the first time, said.

The three team members competed with impressive ability, quickly emerging as a dominant team. Throughout the competition they raced neckin-neck with Gonzaga, who also displayed extensive trivia knowledge.

ThoughAHS will lose Fulton and Ketema next year when the two go to college, the future looks promising for the It’sAcademic! team. The large number of strong underclassmen players waiting in the wings ensures that the team will have exciting seasons in the years to come.

COURTESY OF ALTMAN

Students compete in It’s Academic competition

Vincent Randazo, and Principal John Ponton.

The It’s Academic! competition, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, holds a Guinness World Record for longest-running quiz show, and has a history that spans back to 1961. The show pits three high-school teams from around the DC, Baltimore and Virginia regions against each other for a five round contest of trivia knowledge. The questions offered on the show boast a wide variety of content, and vary from scholarly topics like math or English literature to topical pop culture or sports questions. The team that wins that day’s competition goes on to compete in the It’s Academic! Super Bowl held later in the year.

All three teams start with 100 points at the beginning of the competition, and strive to accumulate points as the show progresses.

Questions are either toss-ups, which go to the team that buzzes first, or team-directed, which are presented in a set to a single team. In general, teams are awarded ten points for correct answers and penalized ten points for incorrect replies, unless the question is established as more valuable.

Visual questions, which center around an image shown to the teams, are usually worth thirty points, the highest value on the show.

For seniors Scott Fulton and Kidist Ketema, appearing on the show is nothing new. Both are seasoned It’s Academic! veterans who have represented the AHS team for the last three years.

“I’ve been on the show twice before, and I enjoy the competition,” Fulton said. “My dad encouraged me to go into It’s Academic!

First-time band in the STAND Benefit Concert, Audio Essence, rehearses their songs before the big night.

NEWS

Jan. 19, 2011

Key administrators to retire

NEWS BRIEFS

School begins process of finding a replacement for the top positions

Annual 8th grade parents night to be held

“Retiring” continued from page 1

AHS will host an event on Jan. 20 for the parents of the students who are planning on attending AHS next year. It will begin at 7 p.m. and will be held in the cafeteria and the auditorium.

Late buses reinstituted on Mondays for students AJ MCCAFFERTY

As for Sengstack’s position, the next director of student services will most likely be hired sometime in June. “Once the principal is hired, then the principal will be the one to head up the committee to find the next director of student services,” Sengstack said.

Traditionally, the Principal will select the top two candidates and turn them over to Parris, who will make the final decision. There is also the possibility of hiring an experienced temporary director to hold the job for a few months. It is also possible that the next principal will bring a candidate with them from their former job.

In the coming months, more details about the process of finding Ponton and Sengstack’s replacements will emerge from the AHS administration.

For students and teachers, the news of their school leaders’ upcoming retirement has brought many different emotions. There are some who feel sad about the loss of leadership, while others feel honored to have had them at all.

“Mr. Ponton is just a positive force at this school. He really sets a positive tone.

He’s actively interested in teachers and he goes out of his way to get them what they need,” English teacher Samantha Spinney said, who was a student of Mr. Ponton’s at Stuart HS. The discussion of Ponton’s accomplishments, including the raising of test scores and the lowering of violence are common discussion topics around the AHS community. “I think he was a good principal for getting rid of the gang violence,” junior Ryan Beamer said.

Both men have been recognized for their unwavering and firm leadership in the many difficult situations that have arisen over the years. “[Sengstack] is an incredible guidance director. He makes something so difficult seem so easy,” History teacher

5 AHS will now offer the late bus on Monday afternoons.

The students are called to the cafeteria at 4:00 and must have a pass from their teacher or sponsor to receive a pass to get onto the bus.

Principal John Ponton completing work in his office. Once a replacement is hired he will work with the new principal to show he or she the ropes of AHS.

Jonathan York said. “I have been so fortunate to work with these guys.”

Go to www.thea-blast.org to read a full story with teacher reactions and Ponton and Sengstack’s history at AHS.

School Board considering options Boundary study would possibly move more students

AJ MCCAFFERTY

“Overcrowding” continued from page 1

Junior Evan Washington belts out the song “Random Black Girl” at the Broadway Desserts dress rehearsal.

SOURCE: FCPS

considers moving the Wakefield Chapel neighborhood to Woodson HS. Along with outlines of the options, the report includes some pros and cons for each, including the potential impact on IB and honors classes and the effects on each community.

Many also hope that students that begin high school at AHS will have the opportunity to stay.

“If a boundary change happens, we will really push for the grandfathering of students,” Slough said. “Preferably any student who starts ninth grade at AHS could stay.”

The Annandale Regional Planning Study Committee held community meetings Jan. 13 and Jan. 18, to discuss the report.

The report has been given to the School Board’s staff, who, according to Wilson, will “look at all kinds of information, from pure boundary configuration to balancing the Free and Reduced Lunch groups.” The School Board will look at their staff’s report in March, determine the scope of any study in April, carry out the study and vote on the matter during the last School Board Meeting in July. For more information, visit http://www.fcps.edu/fts/ planning/annandalestudy/index.htm.

Chorus performs a “sweet treat” Students perform hits from classic musicals to raise funds

AJ MCCAFFERTY

“Desserts” continued from page 1

came in too late for this edition, last year, the choral department was able to raise approximately $8000.

This included the $3000 fee $3,000 paid to GMU for hostingAHS. This year, most of the money raised is going to the upcoming trip to Richmond, the spring trip to New York, and Germany in the summer.

The evening show lasted about two hours and had 40 songs. Most of the songs that the chorus sang came from the West Side Story and Cabaret.

AHS has a new chorus director this school year, Jessica Lardin. “Students benefit a lot from the unique performance they work hard on,” Lardin said. She also explained how she believes that it is a great chance for students to be able to work with a real theater that involves special lighting and opportunities. Although she is the new chorus director, she has not made any special changes to how the students may prepare or perform for the show. Lardin also hoped to raise just as much as the previous year because students rehearsed for a while beforehand and she believes they deserve it.

Choral Booster President Patricia Quezada has been

working with the chorus department for two years now.

She explains that the Broadway show has been put together for 14 years, but it still manages to be the highlight of the year for choral students. “It’s an opportunity [for the chorus students] to shine and have fun with the parents, volunteers and directors.” Quezada said.

Junior Abigail Flemming has been participating in the Broadway Desserts show for the past five years now, which includes middle school. “Everyone enjoys coming, so my favorite part of the show would be getting to perform,” Flemming said.

Preparing for Broadway Desserts is not all fun and games. Due to the cancellation of after school activities on Jan. 11, students in chorus had no choice but to rehearse on Jan. 14. It was a very hectic evening, as students rushed to get their hair and make up done and moved through the schedule quickly so that they could rehearse their part, because GMU only offered two hours of rehearsal.

“It’s a show and you get desserts, what else could you ask for,” senior Alan Van said, who has been participating in the Men’s Chorale for four years now and Annandale Singers for one.

The entire chorus department was in high spirits towards the Broadway Desserts show, and is hoping to have raised even more money than previous years.

Seniors Anne Hruskoci and Caroline Rodrigues sing “Come to my Window/Lift Me Up” from The Secret Garden, one of the many songs performed during the show.

Juniors Alec Jefferson and Lorraine Turner pull during the tug-of-war contest at Battle of the Classes.

RACHEL BERGEN

will take the more “out of the box” solutions seriously.

“History tells me that a boundary study is likely,” Slough said. “But I am very hopeful that the School Board will take into account the past and current success ofAHS and work to maintain it well into the future.”

While the committee spent a lot of time and energy exploring non-boundary options, they also took a look at the boundary changes that would have the least impact on the AHS community.

“At this point, it’s hard to move anything around,” Poe PTSA President and ARPS co-Chair Jennifer McGarey said. “We’re down to moving areas that are around the edges – there are simply not many easy options.”

Several scenarios revolve around the Bren Mar Park neighborhood – in one, all AHS students residing east of I-395 would move to Edison HS, while in another, AHS students living west of I-395 and inside the beltway would move to Lee HS.Another solution would eliminate the split feeder currently at Parklawn ES and move all Parklawn students to Holmes MS and Stuart HS. The report also proposes that North Springfield students living outside of the beltway attend Lake Braddock SS or Lee HS instead of AHS. Finally, the report also

RACHEL BERGEN

The darker areas represent sites of possible redistricting in the future. The Annandale Regional Planning Study (ARPS) is also looking into changing the grades that attend Poe MS, Holmes MS and the other feeder elementary schools.

Senior Davis Nguyen represented his class with Nick Vu (not pictured) in the dance-off at Battle of the Classes.

RACHEL BERGEN

change from a 6,7,8 school to an 8,9 junior high school.

This would take ninth grade out of AHS and reduce enrollment to below capacity.

“To the committee’s knowledge, both Holmes and Poe have the capacity to house the entirety of two grade levels,” Slough said.

This option would also keep the AHS community intact and allow eighth graders to participate in high school activities.

Several other scenarios also explore removing ninth grade from AHS. In one option, Poe and Holmes would both become 7,8,9 junior high schools and sixth grade would move back to elementary schools.

The search for an overcrowding solution has been complicated by the differences in school configurations that the AHS pyramid currently experiences.

“Part of the reason that this is so difficult is that some elementary schools are K-5 and others are K-6, which means that we run into all sorts of problems with boundaries,” Tessie Wilson, the School Board representative for the Braddock District, said. “It would work if we could just home school the sixth graders for that year, but we can’t do that.”

In fact, the ARPS’s report states that the underlying cause of AHS’s overcrowding stretches back to 1985, when Thomas Jefferson High School became a magnet school and AHS took over much of its former territory.

Some are concerned that implementing a unique grade configuration for the AHS Pyramid could lead to problems down the road.

“If we are concerned that something we did 25 years ago is causing significant problems today,” Wilson said.

“I worry that if we make the solution so unique that in ten to 15 years, when we might have to take another look at AHS’s boundaries, we will have closed the door on any kind of option.”

Sandra Evans, the School Board member representing the Mason District, takes a slightly different view of the non-boundary solutions, “We have a lot of unique schools, particularly in this part of the county,” Evans said. “We’re already not uniform with the rest of the county with our elementary school configuration. Some might value uniformity, but I believe that uniformity takes a back seat to doing what is right for this area.”

Although the School Board tends to use boundary changes in order to relieve overcrowding, many community and committee members hope that the school board

Senior D’Angelo Boyce throws a pie in Dean of Students Hassan Mims’ face.

Go to www.thea-blast.org to see the newest installment of the A-Blast All Access.

PEOPLE

6 What do you want to be when you grow up?

Jan. 19, 2011

Aspiring for a life in theater Lights, camera, action: AHS students excel on the stage

— Alice Tan freshman

“I want to do something in marketing, because I am good at talking.

—Gunnar Thompson sophomore

“I want to be a marine biologist and work at SeaWorld, because aquatic animals are amazing.”

— Andrew Risse junior

“I want to be an OBGYN and deliver a lot of babies.”

— Lillian Singer senior

––Compiled by Alexa Lafferty

January Celebrity Birthdays

1 Verne Troyer 2 Kate Bosworth 3 Eli Manning 4 Don Shula 5 Marylin Manson 6 Susan Perabo 7 Nicolas Cage 8 R. Kelly 9 Richard Nixon 10 Rod Stewart 11 Mary J. Blige 12 Andy Lawrence 13 Orlando Bloom 14 LL Cool J 15 Drew Brees 16 Kate Moss 17 Michelle Obama 18 Mark Messier 19 Jodie Sweetin 20 Rainn Wilson 21 Hakeem Olajuwon 22 Willa Ford 23 Rutger Hauer 24Mischa Barton 25 Alicia Keys 26 Wayne Gretzky 27 Donna Reed 28 Elijah Wood 29 Adam Lambert 30 Dick Cheney 31 Justin Timberlake

42 28 30 81 42 42 47 43 97 65 39 22 33 42 31 36 46 49 28 44 47 49 66 24 29 49 89 29 28 69 29

Visit www.thea-blast.org for a feature on “Battle of the Classes.”

Comedian Kevin Tran, a sophomore, has a YouTube channel under the name “0noNoodle” which he regularly updates with comical content.

“I want to be an actor because it’s something I love. It comes naturally to me, I enjoy entertaining people and making them laugh,” Tran said.

Although he has wanted to be an actor for some time, Tran has just recently become involved in theater.

“I’ve never acted before, so I wanted to try it in a formal setting, with other real actors,” Tran said.

Tran is known for his passionate body language and ability to imitate many different celebrities and types of people on command.

However, his path to acting has not been easy. “I search online and look for casting calls; hopefully I can be admitted into an acting school, and eventually secure an agent,” Tran said.

“I did the drug play here, and I’ve also been to a Nickelodeon casting call.

Although I have yet to receive a callback, I felt that it provided wonderful insight into the world of entertainment.”

Andy Riddle, 10 Sophomore Andy Riddle has been an avid actor since a young age.

“I’ve wanted to be an actor since I was six.”

When Riddle’s mother noticed his desire to perform, she contacted an acting agency which has led to many opportunities in the acting world.

“Since then, I’ve gotten some roles in films such as Gods and Generals, commercials, and Night at the Museum Two,” Riddle said.

“I enjoy acting, because it’s fun to see the audience enjoying what I do, and I enjoy the reaction from the audience,” Riddle said.

Despite his successes in acting already, Riddle has higher aspirations as he continues in acting.

“I plan on receiving a minor in musical theater, because I want to act, but I need something to fall back on,” Riddle said.

Riddle also has big plans for his future; with a role in New York and Hollywood. “I see myself, hopefully, in Hollywood, performing in movies, and in between movies, performing in shows on and off of Broadway,” Riddle said.

BECCA HENDRICKSON

Kevin Tran, 10

“I want to be a doctor, because I want to help people.”

Sophomore Laura Hackfeld Laura Hackfeld, 10 has the stage presence of the most seasoned Broadway actors.

Hackfeld excels in playing many different roles in productions.

In order to play the role of a character effectively, the audience must be convinced that the actor is truly the character.

This is an ability Hackfeld has really succeeded in mastering.“I want to be an actor because I love creating the illusion of another person, and it’s natural for me to be on stage,”Hackfield said. She has participated in eleven shows over five years, demonstrating her desire to act and a track record of excellence.

“I audition for everything I have time for, get a lot of experience through that whole process. I also plan on going to college for musical theater,” Hackfield said.

Her drive to succeed in the theater industry has been supported by others as well. “Last year Ms. Dixon really influenced me and encouraged me to sing in professional shows and sing and perform as a living.” To practice, Hackfeld looks up to some of the best in acting. “In terms of Broadway, actors such as Sutton Foster, Sheri Rene Scott, and Idina Menzel ‘belt’ really well, and listening to them helps with my technique.”

Senior Tori Gowland has been an aspiring singer for many years. She has been a major contributor and standoutperformer at many different AHS Sophomore Andy Riddle expresses productions and outside his passion for acting. “I plan on remusical organizations. ceiving a minor in musical theater,” At three years old, Riddle said.

Gowland experienced her first successful theater venture when she was selected at a professional singing audition.

“That was when I knew what I wanted to do,” Gowland said.

Not only does she know what she wants to do, she loves every minute of it.

“Singing gives you this adrenaline rush. I just feel as if I’m on top of the world,” Gowland added.

Gowland has been very involved in theater throughout her life, participating in both musical and theatrical productions both inside and outside of AHS and is now working on a professional career as a performer.

“I’ve done professional productions since I was three. Right now, I’m actually working with a record company on a demo-CD,” Gowland said.

––Compiled by Noah Fitzgerel

Tori Gowland, 12

HEALTH

Jan. 19, 2011

Burn fat on your own Work-out videos have increased in popularity among teenagers looking to lose weight, gain muscle and get healthy

BY NATALIE JOHNSON Staff Writer Dressed in yoga pants, a loose T-shirt and Nike tennis shoes, senior Banna Gebremichael is ready to begin her daily workout. She does not drive to the gym or attempt to go running in the brisk air, she merely turns on her television, searches through the many options on her Verizon Fios OnDemand, and finds her favorite abdominal workout video.

“I like workout videos because someone is telling me how to do the workout so that I’m not clueless and that someone is directing in how to properly tone my body.” During a normal work-out video, instructors such as Jillian Michaels, slowly teach the different workout stances, including lunges. “I also enjoy the selection of music that comes along with it and that there are different paces so if I don’t know how to do something I can go along with the slower person. If I want to work out harder I’ll look at the person who is going faster,” said senior Banna Gebremichael.

Deciding which workout video is right for you depends on what parts of your body you are trying to target and what you want your outcome to be. If you are looking to lose weight and burn fat try a cardio video that involves kickboxing or dancing. If you are looking to tone your abdominals, try the Six Pack Now workout DVD. If you are looking to tone your arms and legs, try Eight Minute Workouts: Arms, Abs, Buns, Legs.

No matter what type of workout you are searching for, there is a video to suit your needs.

If you tend to cringe when someone says “exercise,” try looking into dance videos. They are a more enjoyable opportunity to get a workout without realizing you are doing so. Try Dancing With the Stars winner, Julianne Hough’s, new dance video called “Dance With Julianne: Just Dance!” She uses upbeat music and encouraging words to keep you moving along. It is a workout in disguise and targets your abdominals, legs, and arms.

“Dance videos are much more fun to follow along with rather than a regular workout video because working out to a dance video not only gets you in shape but it helps you move on the dance floor,” said sophomore Connie Tran.

Other popular workout videos include yoga, pilates, mediation, kick-boxing, and even workout bootcamp. During a usual pilates and yoga work-out they focus on the different yoga stances that helps you gain strenth, balance, flexibility, and concentration.

7 How do you get your excerise during the winter?

“I love the variety that excercise TV provides, if I get bored of one thing, I move onto the next work-out,” said senior Elisa Figueroa.

Workout videos are also becoming very popular in the Hollywood world. A lot of famous celebrities are also making videos and showing how they got skinny. Kendra Wilkinson, from the E! television show Kendra, made a workout video “Be a Knockout with Kendra,” which focuses on six fun and easy workouts that incorporate football, soccer, kick-boxing, running,

“I’m lazy but I try to get exercise by playing basketball for about ten minutes a day.”

--Shareen Arshad freshman “I don’t exercise at all. The only exercise I do is walking from class to class.”

and basketball.

Not only are workout videos becoming popular, but so are workout video games such as Wii’s Just Dance game and their Wii Fit workout game.

Just Dance offers a great cardio workout while dancing. The Wii Fit game offers yoga, balancing games, and strengthening techniques.

“I think Wii Just Dance gives you a good workout and I think it’s because it’s so fun so it makes you want to move more as well as all the music.” said junior Amiel Terry. Other video games are now focusing on work-out systems to In many popular workout videos, including Jillian Mihelp kids and teenagers chaels 30-Day shred, the main workout is jumping jacks, excersise while playing which help with cardio. video game. “It’s more fun than just working out because of all the music and with the Wii you have more chances to get friends involved and have competitions and games among other things.”

If the weather or the sheer monotony of exercise is preventing you from working out, try these simple and more entertaining ways to get in the fitness you need.

---Vanessa Cabrera freshman

“I exercise everyday for three hours at Bally’s gym for soccer.”

--Maseh Ghorzang sophomore

“I lift weights, do curl ups and play sports with my friends around two to three hours every weekend.”

---Diego Valle sophomore

Jillian Michaels

“For the track team, I practice everyday for about two hours.

Sometimes I attend five hour meets over the weekend.”

Video workout instructor Jillian Michaels, a famous workout instructor, has been in the fitness field for 17 years who has devoted herself to several different field of training. She practices martial arts, personal training, health and wellness and strength.

She has become famous by being a strength trainer on NBC’s The Biggest Loser where she helps overweight contestants lose weight. She has made over 20 different workout videos including “Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred.”

Visit her web site JillianMichaels.com to see how she lost her weight and helped others with their weight. If you want help with an efficient weight loss plan you can sign up for her “Free weightloss plan, Customized for you” and get to a great healthy diet and workout videos.

—Thanh Vo junior

Kenzi Wright, junior “During field hockey season we did a bunch of [Jillian Michaels]workout videos when we were not able to play outside. It actually helped a lot and was fun because it was different than just running sprints in the gym.”

“I exercise for five days a week for about two hours lifting weights.”

---Moe Bah senior

“Since I’m on track I do two hours a day for five days a week. It keeps me busy.”

5meals minute

—Victoria Ko senior

By Katie Vu and Gessica Azzam

––Compiled by Gessica Azzam

These meals satisfy hunger and provide a healthy dose of calcium necessary for a healthy body. With foods from a variety of food groups, they are perfect for school!

Workouts that get your heart pumpin’

Crackers and Frozen Yogurt A mid-day snack 1. Open a small bag of Teddy Grahams or a bag of plain animal crackers for your snack.

2. Place 10 to 15 crackers in a bowl.

3. Put about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of frozen yogurt of your choice in the bowl and mix.

4. Feel free to sprinkle fresh berries or sliced bananas on top.

4. Mix thoroughly and enjoy!

The Plank: In order to do this exercise, you need to lay face-down with your elbows touching the floor. Interlock your hands, and lift your torso and knees for 30 seconds. Remember to keep your spine straight. If this is easy for you, feel free to extend the amount of time you are lifting your body.

Tortilla Snack 1. Put two small flour tortillas in the microwave for about 45 seconds to a minute.

2. When the tortillas are warm, spread grated cheese of your choice over each.

3. Place two pieces of sliced ham on top of the tortillas.

4. Sprinkle on paprika or another spice.

5. Wrap the tortillas and enjoy.

COURTESY OF 1800FLOWERS.COM

A light lunch

Check out A-blast.org to see the rest of the workouts for this week and to view a homemade workout video from your own class-mates!

8

How to Deal With Difficult Teachers 1. Put it in perspective; is your

teacher having a bad day? Is it just you? Is this the first time you have had problems with this teacher? Ask yourself these questions before getting upset about a teacher’s attitude. Most of the time it will just be a oneday event.

2.

Try to stay on the teacher’s good side. If you follow all class rules, your teacher will not call you out. Not being called out means less confrontation.

ACADEMICS

Gr

Jan. 19, 2011

ding your teachers

The tables were turned when about 200 students graded each of the major departments to get an overview of students’ view of the teachers.

Science Department Availability to Stay After School

3.

Ask questions that are on topic. When a teacher knows you are involved in class, they may be more likely to help when you fail a test or miss a homework assignment.

History Department Effectiveness of Teaching Methods

4.

Acknowledge the teacher in the hallways. Giving a simple “hey” can easily make a teacher’s day and win you major bonus points.

5.

Offer your teacher help after school. Some one-on-one time might give you a chance to get to better know your teacher. You may end up liking them more than you thought and learn interesting facts about them.

“I would give us an A++.

I think every [teacher] is truly dedicated to the students. We are all willing to take the extra step.”

—Kim Becraft Science Teacher

Use of Technology

Overall

Overall

B-

Effectiveness of Teaching Methods

B+

Availability to Stay After School

“I would give us an A. We all have at least our Masters Degree and we all love what we do and put a lot of effort into our work.”

—Johnathan York History Teacher

Use of Technology

6.

If things do not get better in class, talk to your teacher.

Express your concerns on why you are having trouble with your teacher. However, remember to always respect your teacher.

7.

Ask past students the best way to interact with your teacher. You may just be rubbing him/her the wrong way with the comments you make.

8.

Suck it up. Not every teacher you have is going to be your best friend. Relax, at the end out the day, you may even learn something!

SAT Words to Know

English Department

Math Department Availability to Stay After School

Availability to Stay After School

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

Acrimony

2.

Boon

3.

Divergent

4.

Enshroud

5.

Harangue

6.

Impetuous

7.

Plaudit

8.

Repudiate

9.

Sagacious

Overall

Effectiveness of Teaching Methods

B+

“I would give the English Department an A-. The teachers all have the same goals and care about the kids.”

—Noelle Davis English Teacher

“I would give the department somewhere between an A and a B+.

I think the teachers are successful with the kids, the kids that aren’t doing well are the ones in the wrong math level.”

—Gail Chmura Math Teacher

Overall

Use of Technology

A

Use of Technology

10. Superfluous

Effectiveness of Teaching Methods

Definitions A. (adj) Rash or sudden B. (v) To cover or enclose C. (n) Harsh or biting sharpness especially of words, manner, or disposition D. (v) To reject; to cast away or disown

Language Department

E. (adj) Wise F. (n) A gift or blessing G. (adv) Moving or extending in different directions

Availability to Stay After School

H. (adj.) A forceful or scolding speech or writing

Effectiveness of Teaching Methods

Overall

B-

Use of Technology

I.(adj) Excessive; Going beyond what is needed or necessary J. (n) Enthusiastic approval or applause

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

Visit www.thea-blast.org to see photos from the IB diploma ceremony.

“I would give the Language Department an A. Our goal is to help students be successful and help them understand the material.”

—Bianca Mullins Language Teacher

Survey Methodology: Surveys were distributed after school on Jan. 11-12. The overall grade is an average of the results for each criteria: availability to stay after school, effectiveness of teaching methods, and use of technology

ARTS

Jan. 19, 2011

Check the levels

BY JANE AMAN Arts Editor Their practice room is small (a grandparent’s basement) and the amplifiers, PAs, drums, guitars and bass practically sit on each other, but when Audio Essence begins to play it is easy to forget the venue.

Audio Essence is an AHS band comprised of seniors Berihu Abdulkhadir, who plays bass, Steven Cardenas, who is the lead guitarist, KC Thomas, the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist and Kevin Cleary, who plays drums.

The band lists artists such as Santana, Los Lonely Boys and Victor Wooten as their major influences, giving their music a bluesy feel. “It just has a lot of soul to it,” Abdulkhadir said.

The band members have been playing together for almost a year, though they have known each other for much longer than that.

Their practices are more like a get together of friends than a rigid rehearsal.

This is because the band, at its most basic level, is simply a group of friends coming together to do something that they each obviously love: playing music.

They claim their official debut as the 2011 STAND concert which was held in the auditorium last Friday.

However, Cardenas, Abdulkhadir and Thomas had played as a trio for the Filament’s fall coffeehouse previously.

This year, Audio Essence covered “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes, “Encore” by Linkin Park ft. Jay-Z and Cake’s version of “I Will Survive” for STAND. In order to complete the sound for these songs, they featured Julian Jordan and Josh Sarker in “Encore” and Jake Hrovat in “I will Survive.”

However, the band is now looking forward to continuing to write their own music.

“There’s no formula, but it usually goes rhythm, music, melody, solo,” Cardenas said of their song

writing process.

Though song writing is not particularly complex, writing the music requires at least a basic knowledge of music theory and/or how to read music.

Thus, all of the band members have taken guitar classes through AHS. “Being in a band helps you to be able to make a song more interesting than just playing straight through it. It also makes your sense of tempo a lot better,” guitar teacher Russell Kee said, “You get a feel for what makes something come alive to a viewer.”

This combination of knowledge, passion and camaraderie is the secret to Audio Essence’s musical flow and their potential for being a great band.

“The point when you don’t have to have words to communicate with each other,” Abdulkhadir said, “When everything just comes together, it sounds great.”

1. KC Thomas– rhythm guitarist/ lead vocals 2. Berihu Abdulkhadir– bassist 3. Steven Cardenas– lead guitarist 4. Kevin Cleary– drummer

COURTESY OF AUDIO ESSENCE

The story behind the music of AHS’s Audio Essence

9

For those who don’t know...

AHS band Audio Essence has been playing together for a full year. Though they debuted with covers at the 2011 STAND concert last friday, they are looking forward to creating and recording their own sound.

Audio Essence’s music has a bluesy feel, which probably comes from their influences such as Santana and Victor Wooten. “It just has a lot of soul to it,” senior Berihu Abdulkhadir said.

Half Stack

Musician in the spotlight: Jeff Bynum

BY JANE AMAN Arts Editor

JANE AMAN

When you walk into senior Jeff Bynum’s bedroom you are practically suffocated by the myriad of musical equipment covering every inch of the room. There are Marshall full and half stacks, two fender amplifiers, a four-foot pedal board boasting 17 different guitar pedals, three true acoustic and one acousticelectric guitar, one 1960s classic Gibson Les Paul (affectionately named “Blondie”), one Gibson SG and one fender Stratocaster, a mandolin, a drum set, a keyboard and countless cables littering the floor. All of this leaves barely enough room to stand and just enough room for a small bed nestled in the corner.

Music is his life.

Bynum has been playing guitar for four years and just completed three years of formal lessons. Interestingly, the decision to play guitar was not one that he made.

“I just got [a guitar] for Christmas and was spurred on to learn to play it,” Bynum said.

Since that fateful Christmas, Bynum has been a member of four bands, including AHS’s Light Request and Ordinary Plus.

He has played numerous shows throughout the D.C. metropolitan area and several shows at AHS.

“He’s a very reliable player, very skilled,” guitar teacher Russell Kee said of Bynum. Bynum plays many different types of music, which helps to expand his skill level.

Senior Jeff Bynum has been playing guitar for four years and performing for three. This photograph (right) was taken at the “Jam 4 Pakistan” which was hosted by the W.T. Woodson DECA and Woodson for Pakistan. The concert was held at Jammin Java, a local venue and coffee house.

“When you’re performing you get an adrenaline rush that I love. And I love getting feedback from the audience and how people come to see you [play]. It’s a very happy experience,” Bynum said.

Aside from his private lessons, Bynum has also been a two-year participant in AHS’s guitar program.

“He’s a very reliable player, very skilled.

He’s a diverse player too and he’s capable of playing a lot of different styles which makes him good for ensemble,” guitar teacher Russell Kee said.

Bynum draws influence from professional musicians such as Jimmy Page, Joe Bonamassa and Steve Vai. However, he cites his most important influences as his guitar teacher and his father. “[My dad] made me listen to a whole bunch of music. It really has expanded the genres that I play,” Bynum said, “I’m very lucky to be the son of a musician.”

Though he does not plan on carrying his guitar career formally into college, he is confident that he will continue to play.

“I don’t think I’m going to go to school with it, but it’s something I’ll always have,” Bynum said.

However, he is open to considering a minor in music. Bynum’s passion for his instrument is inspiring to say the least.

“No matter what, you get that adrenaline rush, which is why I love to do it”

USED WITH PERMISSION BY CHRIS SHEUBLE II, THE FAIRFAX CITY PATCH

This senior guitarist shows his stuff through his music

A half stack is a speaker cabinet with a separate amphead usually stacked on top. The Amp cabinet is comprised of four Twelve-inch speakers connected to an external amplifier.

Full Stack A full stack is simply two speaker cabinets stacked on top of each other with an amp-head also resting on the top.

1960 classic reissue Gibson Les Paul This is one of the most preferred guitars for rock guitarists. It is named after the famed creator of the modern electric guitar, Les Paul.

Acoustic-electric guitar An acoustic-electric guitar takes the shape of classic acoustic guitar, but is also capable of being plugged into an amplifier for live shows. This is made possible by “pick-ups,” which literally pick up the sound from the guitar.

Often, acousticelectrics have “cutaways” to aid the sound. For example, the Weichter acousticelectric pictured at left has a double cut away.

Guitar pedals

Go to www.thea-blast.org/arts to watch an exclusive video about Audio Essence and to view a “Dancer in the Spotlight.”

Guitar pedals are literally pedals that create different effects on the guitar’s sound. This includes the classic “distortion” pedal and “wa-wa” pedal (not pictured).

Above is a pedal board, which holds all of the pedals via velcroe in one place so that the guitarist can access them at all times while playing.

10 How to handle a ‘helicopter parent’

IN-DEPTH

Jan. 19, 2011

Helicopter parents

Sometimes parents try to influence or control their children’s lives too much. Here are some helpful tips to handle a helicopter parent without completely pushing them away.

– Communication is key: let your parent know that you can handle your own schoolwork.

–Listen to the advice your parents give you, but do not let them make your decisions for you.

– If your parents are putting too much pressure on you to succeed, tell them that you understand they only want what is best for you, but you cannot handle the extra stress.

– Do not overreact and assume that they are trying to ruin your life.

– Tell your parents that you would respond better to their support rather than their judgment and control.

– If you feel as if your parent is “hovering” too much, look at your own life and see if there are any improvements you should make.

– Tell your parents that you love them and appreciate their support, but that you need to learn to handle your life independently.

–Show your parents you are responsible by getting good grades and staying out of trouble.

How much pressure do your parents place towards your academic achievement?

No pressure

Some pressure

35%

ERIN JOHNSON

7%

Strong pressure

58%

How involved are your parents in your life?

Some students feel that they are overwhelmed due to their parents’ over involvement in their life; including school work, sports, college decisions and even in their personal lives.

Overparenting affects students Parents place extra stress and pressure on their children at school

Not involved enough

10%

BY KATIE MASTERS AND ERIN JOHNSON In-Depth Editors

Too involved

23%

Appropriately involved

67%

How involved are your parents in important life choices, such as college and career paths?

Somewhat Very involved involved 56% 54%

Not involved 10%

This survey was distributed on Jan. 13 during all lunches. Out of the 400 surveys distributed 321 were returned and counted.

W

hether it is helicopter parenting, hover parenting, or curling parenthood; it all comes down to one thing, the recent phenomenon of “overparenting.”

Helicopter parenting, the most common of the terms, is used to describe a parent who “hovers” over their children and becomes extremely involved in their lives. To a high school student, this means interfering in academic, sports, college and even personal decisions.

This type of overbearing parenthood has not popped up out of nowhere, but rather has been bred from parents in the 1990’s who were extremely anxious about the safety of their children. According to Time Magazine, the percentage of children walking or biking to school dropped from 41% in 1969 to 13% in 2001. These children, affected by the parenting styles of the 1990s, are the present high school students still undergoing similar pressure and influence.

Many students find that it would be much more beneficial if their parents allowed them to make their own decisions. “It helps me learn to be responsible for myself and to mature a lot faster than if they were holding my hand,” senior Jake Dang said.

Parents do not only pressure their students in school, but also in sports. Senior Melvin Robinson has been playing basketball and football since he was a young child, mostly due to his parents’ influence. “When I was smaller they wanted to keep me out of trouble, so they said ‘Yeah you’re going to play football, you’re going to play basketball.’ It wasn’t a choice, I had to,” Robinson said.

“

It wasn’t a choice [to play football], I had to.

Melvin Robinson senior

”

Parental influence in areas such as this is not always negative. In Robinson’s case, he found that his parents’ decision, while frustrating at first, worked out for the best in the end. “Now that I look back, I’m glad for it because if I hadn’t played sports I might have gotten in trouble,” Robinson said.

Some athletes find that their parents, while supportive of their sports decisions, pressure them to focus more on schoolwork. Junior Ahmed

Bile, state champion in cross country and 14th place at the Foot Locker Cross Country National Championships, comes from a family of runners.

“My father was a runner and won the world championships in 1987. Most parents, especially former athletes, would pressure their kids into doing the sport. I feel lucky because my dad is very supportive of me regardless and he enjoys that I’m running,” Bile said. “[My parents] care a lot more about my school work than my athletics so I feel more pressure at the end of the quarter than before a race.”

Helicopter parenting appears to be a rapidly growing and culturally acceptable phenomenon.

Gone are the days when ten year-olds could ride their bicycles into town by themselves, but taking their place are a slew of new products designed to benefit the modern child. Mothers who simply want the best for their children provide a strong and loyal consumer base to discerning marketers, who respond with products like hypoallergenic bedding and socks, GPS devices for locating fast-moving elementary school students and test tubes that help determine whether an object is a choking hazard. No child is too young for extra protection, so helmets, kneepads and leashes for babies are naturally offered to keep infants from the dangerous and fast-moving world. ven more excessive are increasingly popular specialized pre-schools, which offer courses like Mandarin Chinese to prepare three year-olds for the rigors of the competitive global market. The biggest issue is the pressure that some parents place on their pre-school children continues to follow them into high school and beyond, where their now-adolescent children are embedded with the perception that they cannot simply be a good student or athlete, they must be the absolute best.

High school and college professors often relate instances where parents have contacted them, appealing a grade or admission rejection on behalf of their child. The intense pressure put on many high school students have led college deans to develop the term “crispies,” used to describe freshmen who come into university already burned out, and “teacups,” for kids who enter college and break down under tiny amounts of stress.

Helicopter parenting can even extend to the job market. Company managers admit that the parents of some young job applicants try to influence the interview process or negotiate salary issues for their children.

AHS students are not immune to the pressure that parents often put on high school students.

Many students are pressured to excel academically and attend a prestigious university, and many parents also press their children to take more challenging classes and fill their schedules with extracurricular activities.

“I get a lot of pressure to take IB classes at home, because my mom was the IB Coordinator here for so many years,” Senior Eduardo Albright

E

said. Albright is the son of former IB Coordinator Erin Albright.

Senior Ellen Dong also acknowledges that she receives academic pressure from her parents.

“My parents expect me to get good grades and get accepted to prestigious colleges and they would be upset with me if I didn’t. They would probably yell, or constantly nag me,” Dong said.

She also discussed the pressure that many Asian parents put on their children, which can be more extreme than parents with other backgrounds.

“

My parents expect me to get good grades...they would be upset if I didn’t.

Ellen Dong senior

”

“In general, Asian parents do have high expectations when it comes to grades and college acceptance and they mostly only think about the prestigious reputation of the universities,” Dong said. “Most Asian parents don’t really understand or regard the process of learning, but just rather look at results. That leads them to only focus on the title or numbers for proof of excellence. It’s probably it’s due to the hierarchic structure of the society in certain Asian countries. That could lead them to be very competitive and focus on superiority. If you think about it, a lot of Asian countries are very small with a high population, which means that there are less opportunities for people to excel in their careers.”

Asian or otherwise, not all parents put excessive amounts of pressure on their children. Senior Georgia Garney, the president of the National Honor Society and an IB Diploma candidate, doesn’t describe her parents as overbearing when it comes to school.

“My parents will ask me about my homework and if I have done it, but they don’t nag me about it. They don’t expect be to get straight A’s, but they do want me to get more A’s and B’s; a C is unheard of. I take IB classes, but my parents and I never thought that I wouldn’t take them, and becoming an IB Diploma was my own decision,” Garney said. arents that do over-pressure their children, however, face consequences later. Studies have shown that hover parenting can have a negative effect on children, making them more neurotic, needy and dependent, and less able to function independently in the real world, according to a psychological study presented at the Association of Psychological Science Convention in Boston. Unless society takes a step backward, helicopter parenting seems to be a phenomenon that will continue into the foreseeable future.

P

IN-DEPTH

Jan. 19, 2011

hover too close Pros

Cons • Less independent and confident children.

• Children are living their parents’ dreams instead of their own.

• Children can learn from their parent’s mistakes to keep from making them themselves.

• Children could rebel against their parents.

• Can lead to invasions of privacy.

• Protects children from making bad decisions.

• Instills a fear of failure.

• Can negatively affect a child’s personal development.

• May help children get into a prestigious college.

Bottom line: Parents truly care about their children and want them to be successful and try to help them by involving themselves in their child’s life.

Quiz: Are your parents too overbearing?

1) Do your parents allow you to participate in whatever extracurricular activity you want to?

• Parents are more aware of what is going on in their children’s lives.

• More involvement helps children focus on school and activities.

11

Bottom line: When parents are too overprotective and controlling, the children will not be able to live their lives the way that they want to.

a) Yes b) Yes, but they encourage me to take ones that will help my academic portfolio c) No, they pick what activities I am a part of 2) You get a math test back that you studied for a lot, but you failed it. What is your parents’ reaction? a) They never ask about the test b) They are upset, but understand because they know I studied for it c) Goodbye social life! I’m grounded for a month 3) It’s a Friday night and you are hanging out with friends. You check your phone and realize it’s 12:30, half an hour past your curfew. When you call your parents, how do they react? a) They do not care, and ecourage me to stay out later b) They tell me to come home as soon as possible, and get upset that I did not call earlier c) Call my parents? They have already called and texted me over ten times 4) One teacher gives you a grade you feel that you do not deserve.

What do your parents do?

Levels of parenting heat up HEATING UP

OVER THE TOP

If your parents are beginning to ascend to this level of parenting, take it as a warning sign.

Parents who are heating up are those who have recently begun to show hovering tendencies.

While these parents are not quite at the top of the helicopter parenting scale, they have begun to increase the pressure they put on their children and keep a closer watch over their lives, often causing stress and anxiety.

Over-the-top, or “helicopter” parents take a too-active interest in their child’s life, often stunting the child’s ability to feel independent and confident doing things on their own.

Guardians with an over-the-top parenting style often put tremendous pressure on their child to excel academically and/ or athletically and assert control over many aspects of their lives. University professors have experienced parents who call them in order to appeal grades their child has received, and helicopter parenting can even extend to the job market.

Company managers have attested that the parents of some of their younger workers will try to negotiate salary and contract issues for them. Over-the-top parents ultimately end up hurting their child by denying them the ability to function independently in the real world.

CELEBRITY PARENT EXAMPLE: MICHAEL AND COLLETTE MOMSEN

CELEBRITY PARENT EXAMPLE: JOE JACKSON

The parents of 17-yearold “Gossip Girl” star Taylor Momsen allegedly pressured her into show business at a young age by signing her up with the Ford Modeling Company at the age of two. They don’t seem to dominate her life yet, but certainly provide an active presence on the set of “Gossip Girl” to make sure Taylor is performing up to par. Taylor herself seems to be rebelling, however, and is famous for instances of age-inappropriate behavior. Her parents had better watch out; any more pressure and Taylor could wind up as the next Lindsay Lohan.

Joe Jackson dominated his children’s lives and prevented them from leading normal childhoods by forcing them into show business. According to the late Michael Jackson and many of his siblings, their father pressured them into exhaustive, hours-long practices, beat them to make them work harder and managed their band with an iron fist. Michael even suggested that his first foray into plastic surgery was due to his father, who criticized the size of his nose. Joe Jackson is an extreme example of a helicopter parent, but one look back at Michael Jackson’s troubled life demonstrates the ill-effects that over-the-top parenting styles can have.

Mostly A’s: Hands Off Parents Your parents love and care about you, they just give you a little more freedom than some of your peers are used to.

Mostly B’s: Happy Medium Your parents influence your life in an extremely positive manner. They allow you to have control over decisions, but are there to help when needed.

Mostly C’s: Helicopter Parents Sorry, but your parents are the definition of a helicopter parent! They try to control every aspect of your life to ensure success.

Do your parents interfere too much in your schoolwork?

“Yes, because they keep saying that I have to put education over everything else.”

—Youssria Aly freshman

HAPPY MEDIUM

Happy Medium parents are those who know how to draw the line between ignoring their kids and giving them too much stifling attention. The best of both worlds, they support their kids and their accomplishments, but give them enough room to become independent and self-sufficient.

If you consider your guardians to be Happy Medium parents, congratulations! Enjoy their company as much as possible before you head off to college and into the real world.

HANDS OFF There are parents who give their kids space to develop selfconfidence and independence, and then there are parents who seem unwilling to take any part in their kid’s life. Guardians with a hands-off parenting style tend to take little interest in their child’s life, providing physical needs but neither encouraging accomplishment nor condemning bad behavior.

Generally, adolescents with hands-off parents will act out in order to attract attention, or conversely, overcompensate in arenas like academics or sports to gain notice.

“Yes, they e-mail my teachers to see if I’m doing alright.”

—Joe Bermingham sophomore

“Not really, they just try to make sure I get everything done on time.”

—Sam Dores sophomore

CELEBRITY PARENT EXAMPLE: BILLY RAY CYRUS For a father with a daughter so involved in show business, and one who so famously advertises their close relationship, Billy Ray Cyrus certainly doesn’t seem to keep an especially close eye on daughter Miley. From dirty music videos to pole-dancing at the Teen Choice Awards to smoking a salvia bong on her eighteenth birthday, Miley is a hot mess in progress and her father seems unwilling to do anything about it. Kids whose guardians demonstrate a hands-off style of parenting should make sure to take responsibility for their own life and actions so they can avoid such Miley-esque behavior as giving a 44 year-old man a lap dance at the ripe old age of 16.

a) Nothing, they assume it is my fault that I got the grade b) They encourage me to talk to the teacher about what I can do to succeed in their class c) They immediately call a parentteacher conference to discuss your undeserved grade

“No, but they help me with my homework sometimes.”

CELEBRITY PARENT EXAMPLE: TINA KNOWLES

Compiled by Katie Masters

Beyoncé and Tina Knowles reportedly have a great relationship, and Beyoncé recollects how her mom worked long hours at a hair salon when she was first getting started in the music business industry with the girl band Destiny’s Child. Tina gave Beyoncé the space to make her own career decisions, which led to her remarkable success as a solo singer, and demonstrated the spirit of entrepreneurship by launching hair salons and her own fashion line, the House of Deréon, which Beyoncé frequently models on the red carpet. Tina Knowles is a great example of a parent who gives her kids support, but also leaves them room to grow and develop on their own.

—Jack Deible junior

“Yeah they care about my grades but they don’t really worry about my homework.”

—Patrick Khoueiry senior –Compiled by Becca Hendrickson

INTERNATIONAL Gender roles around the world

12

Jan. 19, 2010

Cultural roles can affect both males and females Since the beginning of time, man has had dominion over woman. Men were educated and worked, while women were left behind to take care of children and clean. In a mainly patriarchal society and world, men and women took their places. But in today’s world, as we have become modernized, do gender roles still apply to parents and their children?

A study conducted by the Families and Work institute found that in 1970-1971, 94 percent of men earned a professional degree, while only 6 percent of women did. In 2004-2005, 50 percent of both men and women did. “Both my parents have a job and do the housework together,” sophomore Michelle Park said. “For Koreans, traditionally the women do all the housework, cooking, cleaning, etc. and the men bring the money.

But my family has become more Americanized.”

Data shows that in 2007, women were paid 82 percent of the hourly pay of men in hourly jobs, contrasting only 58 percent in 1979.

As women have been increasingly educated and finding jobs that pay nearly the same amount they do to men, duties at home have been balanced out as well. Sophomore Mairead Kennedy said “[My father] takes just as much as my mom. They both drive us to school, help my younger siblings with homework, cook, and everything. They take turns on who does which

• IB Math Studies teacher, Roberto Obando, is from this country • Daniel Ortega Saavedra is the country’s current president • The capital is Managua

Can you guess where it is?

“

For Koreans, traditionally the women do all the housework, cooking, cleaning... But my family has become more Americanized.

Michelle Park

Answe: Nicaragua

”

sophomore

HAUMAIRA SAFI

chore each day.” In 2008, the time that fathers have spent with their children under 13 on workdays had increased to 4.3 from 2 hours since 1977. The amount of men who say they cook the same amount or more than their spouse has increased from 34 percent in 1992 to 56 percent in 2008. The gradual elimination of gender roles in America leads to the matter of why it is happening. My family was all forced to go to

Sophomore Orlin Hernandez reads a book about Honduras.

U.S. and Honduras are more different than they appear

BY ORLIN HERNANDEZ from Honduras Do you know about the differences between the U.S. and Honduras?

Nothing is the same between the U.S. and Honduras. Here in the U.S. we have many different customs like holidays, religion, and school.

In Honduras they celebrate New Year ’s in a different way.

In Honduras they celebrate with fireworks, food and a big party. Here in the U.S. we don’t have much fun as the people in Honduras. I think the problem is the snow because it makes it too dangerous to go outside.

One thing that is the same is that we celebrate New Year’s with family. I think the most important thing is to celebrate with family.

Another difference between the U.S. and Honduras is religion. In the U.S. you can see many different religions, but in Honduras you don’t see as many religions. I think we have many religions here because people came from all over the world.

Honduras doesn’t have as many religions because people don’t travel there as much.

The schools are also different between the U.S. and Honduras. The schools in Honduras don’t have a lot of books like the schools here. The students don’t respect the rules of the school, but here everybody does.

Here we have more time at school than in Honduras. I hope one day the schools in Honduras will be like in the U.S. When I came here everything was different; holidays, religion, and school. I didn’t like this country when I came here, but now I do.

Sometimes it is hard to live here, but things are getting better.

To listen to Orlin Hernandez’s American Story, go to www.thea-blast.org!

In some countries, one’s gender can determine whether or not they can go out at night, do chores, go to work, or any other daily activity. However, the importance of gender roles is more important in some countries than others.

school to get a better education. [It was] the main reason we came to the U.S. When it comes to housework, my siblings and I do not know much, instead we are more leaned towards studying.

There is more sense of equality toward sisters regarding school,” sophomore Errol Arcienga said.

“Sometimes men have more power and women are inferior like my grandparents,” sophomore Patricia Banzuelo said. The gender roles of Banzuelo’s grandparents are characteristic of old world culture, but they do not reflect her beliefs and present life. “I think [gender roles] are bad because you don’t hear the voice of the woman. I want to live a life where there are no gender roles; where everything is balanced out. I have sisters and everything is balanced out between us.”

Modern men and women seem to both take on more responsibilities like jobs and housework so their children can go to school. Many families from other countries have immigrated to the U.S. for better lives and it looks like they leave their gender roles behind in their nations. “My brothers and I aren’t affected much,” Park said.

“We don’t really get chores at all.” Kids are left with less to do with their parents sharing their responsibilities equally.

Taking after the new age of parents, most teenagers carry out their tasks equally and are

equal in each other’s eyes. “Gender roles are not present in my life; most guys treat me like they would anybody else,” Kennedy said, Contrasting to most teens today, junior Amina Khanun takes after her parents and culture in her beliefs about gender roles. “I think that men should work, while women should stay home and respect his decisions. My father works, while my mother stays at home,” she said. Khanun’s beliefs are not unlike that of her Middle Eastern and Islamic culture. “I also have two brothers that work, but I don’t. I think my life will be the same way. I will stay at home while my husband works.”

Khanun’s family and beliefs are rare cases in AHS and the world where many parents both work, share their chores and are equal. The common gender roles of more dominant men that work and inferior women that cook and clean are quickly dying out in this rapidly changing world.

“I believe that gender roles are stupid honestly,” Park said. “It depends on who the person is, maybe the guy likes to cook and the girl would rather make money outside the house.

It all depends.” It sounds like gender roles are old news at AHS.

Students’ gender roles at home From the amount of chores to who is more responsible, two students discuss their lives ANDREW HEYNH

NEHA SOHAIL

Junior From Vietnam

Senior From Pakistan

Q: How does gender affect you in your house?

A: I’m treated better than my brother because I’m the youngest and the girl.

Q: How are chores divided up in your house?

A: My brother barely does any chores; I do most of them with my sisters. My dad does the hard stuff while my mom does the dishes.

Q: Do you feel like you get special treatment because of your gender?

A: Yes, because I’m a girl and more fragile and spoiled.

Q: How would your role in your house be different if you lived back in your country?

A: Girls would not get as much respect as boys and they would be expected to do more chores. Men are superior to women in Pakistan.

Q: Do you think that gender roles are of great significance in your culture?

A: Yes they are but I don’t think they should be.

Q: How does gender affect you in your house?

A: I’m treated more harshly because I’m the boy and have to be an example to my younger sister.

Q: How are chores divided up in your house?

A: Each person does their own laundry and cleans [their own] rooms.

JAYRAN MORIDZADEH

See if you can guess what country

JAYRAN MORIDZADEH

Where in the world?

JAYRAN MORIDZADEH

BY K.L. HOANG Staff Writer

Q: Do you feel like you get special treatment because of your gender?

A: No, I feel like I’m treated the same as my sisters.

Q: How would your role in your house be different if you lived back in your country?

A: I would be more responsible and would have to care for my siblings. My sisters would take on more traditional roles such as cleaning and cooking.

Q: Do you think that gender roles are of great significance in your culture?

A: Yes, it dictates how my parents teach me and their standards.

PHOTO

Jan. 19, 2011

13 Wrestler in the Spotlight

A day in the life of...

LANCE MILLER

Name: Dane Harlowe Grade: 11 Weight: 125 lbs

Senior Jon Le has been part of the varsity wrestling program since his freshman year. Unlike athletes on other teams, Le’s commitment to wrestling affects his decisions

around the clock, as he struggles to keep fit while maintaining his weight of 112 lbs.

Ranked 3rd in the region, Le hopes to end his high school career with a Northern Region title.

Le’s daily menu

What teams do you wrestle for outside of school?

I wrestle on the Gunston National Team with [Le].

Previously I wrestled with the Bandits.

I realized my potential in wrestling when I was in 6th grade when we started traveling and competing with wrestlers in different states.

Lunch 5oz. sliced turkey meat Wheat bread KRISTEN HENNESSEY

I began wrestling when I was 7 years old.

When did you realize your potential in wrestling?

Breakfast Apple Strawberry Ensure shake

Le shakes his Stone Bridge opponent’s hand before his second match of the meet on Jan 12. Le won his first match against Hayfield with a pin and easily defeated Stone Bridge handily in his second match. The varsity team beat Hayfield 39-30 and Stone Bridge 45 - 28 helping the team’s record improve to 9-8.

When did you start wrestling?

What is the most difficult part about wrestling?

Dinner 5oz. sliced turkey meat Wheat bread Bottle of Gatorade Chewy bar

The most difficult part about being a wrestler is going through a tough practice while watching your weight.

What do you enjoy about wrestling?

LANCE MILLER

KRISTEN HENNESSEY

You’re the only one out on the mat. It’s just you and another guy and you’re battling to see who goes home as the winner.

It’s a great feeling to have your hand raised after a tough match.

Another thing I enjoy about wrestling is traveling to really tough tournaments in the off-season.

Le discusses tactics with head coach Keith Sholders during a timeout at his match. Le’s victory in both of his matches improved his personal season record to 26-2.

Le and junior Dane Harlowe scramble on the mat to score a take down during practice. Harlowe, ranked first in the state in the 125 lb. weight class, is Le’s partner during practice. The competitiveness between the two during practice is key to their improvement.

CARLY BOUCHARD

KRISTEN HENNESSEY

EMMA BARKER

On meet days, Le does not eat until weigh-in, which takes place a half an hour before the meet. After his pre-match weigh-in, he drinks Gatorade followed by some chicken or turkey. If Le does not meet his weight of 112 lbs, he cannot wrestle that day.

— Compiled by Kristen Hennessey

Le climbs the ropes in the mat room room twice every practice to build upper body strength. Each day, the wrestling team practices for three and a half hours starting in the weight room and ending in the mat room.

Go to www.thea-blast.org to see pictures from the wrestling meet on Jan. 12 as the Atoms took on Stone Bridge and Hayfield.

Nag Natalie Advice Column

By Natalie Johnson Dear Natalie, I have been dating my boyfriend for six months and everything has been going great. We really like each other and we always have a great time together; except when any sort of holiday rolls around. I have gotten him a gift on his birthday, Christmas, and I even made him brownies on our six month. However, things have not been reciprocated. I am not a high maintenance girlfriend but come on, not even a present on my birthday?! I am just so sick of looking forward to holidays in hopes that maybe he’ll get me something but I am constantly let down. I’m not even asking for anything big, a simple card or home cooked meal would be nice. How can I communicate to him how I feel without sounding snobby?

— Empty Handed Dear Empty Handed, I can assure you that you are not the only one going through this problem. Many times girls get so overly excited for holidays, only to face a huge let down. However, you have every right to feel this way. You have been dating for a good amount of time, therefore that should not be an excuse as to why he did not get you anything. I would not assume that he does not care for you; he could just not know that you deserve a gift for the holidays.

Try telling him that you love spending time with him but that it is important to you that on holidays or anniversaries he give you something that you can cherish whether that be a dinner, a card or a gift.

Tell him that it upsets you that when you take the time to pick out something thoughtful for him, he does not reciprocate the favor. Being open and honest in a relationship is vital and this is the perfect time to do so. Tell him what is on your mind and I can assure you he will not make this mistake again.

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

How do you organize your clothes?

“I organize my clothes by season and I have all my jeans in one spot.”

—Victoria Huenemann freshman

Jan 19, 2011

Closet catastrophes solved

Closets can sometimes define how a person is organized and their everyday lifestyles

BY MEGAN FLYNN AND CARLI LOEB Staff Writers As your eyes scan your room you see heaps of clothes and piles of trash and other unknown objects cluttering your supposed-to-be spotless floor. You’ve been sitting in there for an hour trying to get the cleaning done but once you turned on your computer the time flew by.

With only a few minutes to spare before the final inspection that determines whether or not you’re allowed to go out tonight, you frantically look for the easiest way to make your room appear as clean as possible. Then you spot your solution: the closet.

Many people use their closets as a place to store all their useless junk, while others use their closets to hold racks of clothes, shoes and other accessories. Most people don’t realize it, but a closet is a form of self expression that, when carefully examined, illustrates elements of your personality.

“My closet is the place where I throw everything that makes my room dirty. It shows my intelligence because it saves me time cleaning my room,” sophomore Nolan Gilbert said.

While it is true a disastrous closet may save time and effort needed to clean one’s room, it may come off to others as a sign of laziness and a lack of organizational skills.

To others a closet may be an organized mess, like freshman Travis Swann who said, “I just throw stuff in my closet so the newer stuff is on top.” As long as you can find everything you need, a messy closet

will work just fine. Although some think it’s easier to leave their closet a mess, others find satisfaction in a clean closet.

“I like to keep my closet organized, so once a week I clean it out. It’s like I’m cleaning out the bad,” freshman Victoria Huenemann said.

A simple way to keep your closet orderly is to separate your articles of clothing and color code your belongings.

“I have each type of clothing separated from jeans, to tank tops, to dresses, and long sleeved shirts. I put what I don’t usually wear in my closets so I don’t have to open them,” sophomoreAddy Bramson said.

Keeping your closet in check shows cleanliness in your every day life and important organizational skills.

It’s good to also get in a habit of cleaning out your closet on a regular basis. Senior Madeena Haidari says, “I clean out my closet every Saturday because when I pick out my outfit for the next school day it gets messy. I also label all my drawers and cabinets so i know where all my stuff is.”

People tend to get messy with their rooms and closets when they are in a rush in the morning. School mornings tend to get a little chaotic, so after school take your time to put all your clothes away.

Even though your closet may not seem like a big deal to you, but anyone who walks in your room can easily target your personality from the way you arrange it.

So for a good first impression remember to keep your closet tidy.

ALEXA LAFFERTY

14

LIFESTYLES

Although freshmen Olivia Lafferty’s closet may seem messy, she claims she can still find everything that she needs for her everyday actvities such as school and tennis practice.

Ten tips for your cramped closet 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Hang up dresses and formal clothing so they do not crease Use a hanger to hold up belts

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Separate shirts by tank tops, t-shirts, and long sleeve shirts

Put your oversized jackets and coats in the back of your closet

Buy a shoe rack to keep your shoes together and organized When you take clothes out to wear put them in your dirty hamper or hang them back up, don’t put them on the floor Separate your clothes by color so it’s easier to find a specific shirt

Clean out your closet at the beginning of each season so you know what you have and what you will need Hang your jeans on a hanger, if you get a sturdy hanger you can hang up two pairs Try to clean your closet two or three times a week to make sure it stays organized continuously

Would you wear that celebrity style?

Leopard Print Accessories

Jumpsuits

Skinny Jeans

Leather Jacket

Short Hair

“I put my shoes on the bottom, nice shirts on the right, polos on the left and pants in the middle.”

—Paul Helfgott sophomore

“I hang stuff up like my shirts and coats.”

—Aubrey Gardener junior Sarah Jessica Parker

“All my shirts and dresses are color coded.”

—Jenna Balicki senior

Hit or Miss “I would wear this because it looks cute and fashionable.”

—Kathy Lopez sophomore

Compiled by Alexa Lafferty and Rachel Bergen

Go to www.thea-blast.org to read more advice columns from Nag Natalie.

Heidi Klum

Russel Brand

Emma Watson

Justin Bieber

Hit or Miss

Hit or Miss

Hit or Miss

Hit or Miss

“Iwouldn’twear this because she looks like a swan-goose and it looks awkward.”

“I would wear skinny jeans because they would make my legs feel warm.”

—Chloe

Kamara

Loving

Junior

Freshmen

—Sam

“I wouldn’t wear this because I don’t think it’s appealing for a girl.”

“I would wear a leather jacket because they look good.”

—Katie Mock

Junior

Freshmen

—Ahmed Haj-Assaab

SPORTS X-TRA

Jan. 19, 2011

Shredding up the snow Students carve up the slopes to spend some time outdoors

Junior Ashlyn Nisker hits the slopes on a ski trip to Wisp Ski Resort in Garret County, Maryland. The trip has become an annual event for Nisker, her family and friends.

but at night we all got to hang out at the ski house and watch movies and use the hot tub,” Nisker said.

With so many resorts within driving distance, it is also possible to go on a day trip to the slopes.

“Not only do we go to Wisp, but we have also taken day trips to closer places like Massanutten, Whitetail and Seven Springs,” Nisker said.

Other AHS students prefer snowboarding to skiing.

“I go snowboarding with some of my friends every year at Seven Springs,” senior Eric Reynolds said.

Located in Pennsylvania, Seven Springs is the state’s largest ski and four seasons resort. The resort even has its very own sports school, for

Whitetail Mountain

Massenutten

Wisp COURTESY OF MASSENUTTENPICTURES.COM

COURTESY OF SKILIBERTY.COM

Distance: 77.98 miles Estimated Travel Time: 1 hour 35 min All- Day Pass : (Mon-Fri) $58.00/ (Sat-Sun) $65.00 Open (M-Th) 9 a.m. -10 p.m./ (F-Sun) 8 a.m./ 10 p.m. *Snow tubing and ski lessons available

Distance: 114. 64 mi Estimated Travel Time: 2 hours 14 min All-Day Pass: (Mon- Fri) $58.00/ (Sat-Sun) $63.00 Open (Mon-Fri) 9 a.m.-10 p.m./ (Sat-Sun) 8 a.m.- 10 p.m. *Snow tubing and ski lessons available

Distance: 88.97 mi Estimated Travel Time: 1 hour 45 min All-Day Pass: (Mon-Fri) $58.00 (Sat- Sun) $66.00 Open all week from 8:30 a.m.- 10 p.m. *Snow tubing and ski lessons available

Ski Liberty

COURTESY OF SKIROUNDTOP.COM

—Compiled by Brenna O’Neill and Esra Gokturk

COURTESY OF SKIWHITETAILMOUNTAIN.COM

Nearby ski resorts

Ski Roundtop

Distance: 172.77 miles Estimated Travel Time: 3 hour 45 min All- Day Pass : (Mon-Fri) $39.00/ (Sat-Sun) $59.00 Open (T-Sat) 9 a.m. -9 p.m./ (Sun-M) 9 a.m./ 5 p.m. *Snow tubing and ski lessons available

COURTESY OF WISPRESORT.COM

While the winter is usually a season that sees little outdoor activity, some students have embraced the cold weather and are hitting the ski slopes.

Over the winter break, a group of juniors and their families braved the cold for a long weekend of skiing in the mountains of Maryland.

“My friends and I have gone on a ski trip to Wisp Ski Resort in Maryland for the past two years now and we are going to make it a tradition every winter,” junior Ashlyn Nisker said.

Wisp Ski Resort, which is located in Garret County, Maryland is a great resort if you are just starting out or are an expert. The mountain has over 132 acres available for skiing and snowboarding, with six black diamonds and seven easy trails for the beginners.

Not only did the group take advantage of the slopes, they also spent time relaxing indoors with family and friends.

“During the day we hit the slopes,

COURTESY OF ASHLYN NISKER

BY BRENNA O’NEILL AND ESRA GOKTURK Sports X-tra Editors

even more instruction on the mountain than just lessons. “The best part is just getting away and hanging out with my friends,” Reynolds said.

The more laid back slope action is tubing. Most ski resorts have separate slopes reserved just for tubing.

Tubing is for those who want a more leisurely experience than skiing or snowboarding. It can even be an extra activity between ski sessions.

Be sure to check your resort’s website prior to going on your next ski trip. The snow reports show the current weather and snowfall of the mountain to determine what the quality of the slopes will be during your planned trip. If you want to see for yourself, you can to view the snow-cams to view current or live footage of all the slopes. Ski resorts offer great group discounts and lessons for first timers or just refresher courses for experienced skiiers.

Even those of you without equipment don’t need to worry, as every ski resort rents out boards and provides tubes as well as warm weather gear. Many lodges also have shops so that you may purchase your own equipment if you want.

Whatever the sport and wherever the lodge, AHS students are shredding up the slopes this winter season.

Distance: 114.46 miles Estimated Travel Time: 2 hour 17 min All- Day Pass : (Mon-Fri) $46.00/ (Sat-Sun) $66.00 Open (Sun-Th) 9 a.m. -9 p.m./ (F-Sat) 9 a.m./ 10 p.m. *Snow tubing and ski lessons available

15 A Classic to remember

BY BRENNA O’NEILL Sports X-tra Editor After hearing of a possible cancellation and rain delay, at 7 p.m., I found myself standing outside of Heinz Field waiting with 68,000 other fans before the gates opened for one of the most exciting hockey games of the year on Jan. 1.

As a game between the NHL’s most heated rivalry, the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins, was minutes away, fans began to file into their seats. It was clear that Caps fans would be outnumbered in one of the biggest sports towns in the country, but glimmers of red and white were dispersed throughout the dominant black and gold.

With the drop of a puck, the tension in the stands was at its peak. Just after the 12 minute mark, a huge uproar came when Capitals defenseman John Erskine and Penguins forward Mike Rupp dropped their gloves in a fight resulting in a 5 minute major penalty for both. Up until this point, I have never heard a more deafening sound.

It was clear that the uncharacteristically warm night was not ideal for a solid sheet of ice frozen on top of the Steelers’ home field. Even though there were no injuries recorded at the game, the slush-like conditions became a clear issue when Capitals’ captain Alex Ovechkin tripped on one of the many craters in the ice.

In the second period, both teams seemed to pick up their games, but when Pittsburgh scored the first goal of the game, the Capitals were not going to let another slip through their gloves. Only a week before, Washington racked up an overtime loss against the Pittsburgh at home after a hard fought battle.

From then on things turned around in favor of the Capitals.

With a goal from veteran Mike Knuble and two from second-line forward Eric Fehr, the two-goal lead solidified a win for Washington.

However, the unsung hero of the night was clearly goaltender Semeyon Varlamov, who saved 32 of 33 shots.

The experience would have been memorable with any outcome, but the Capitals’ victory made the night even sweeter.

Where is your favorite place to go skiing?

“Wisp, because I’ve been going there since I was two.”

— Victoria Hueneman Freshmen

“Massenutten, because we have a house there and the slopes aren’t too difficult.”

— Christina Uglietta Sophomore

“Utah, because it has lots of really big mountains, perfect for ski ing.”

— Zack

Belant Junior

—Compiled by Betsy Kruse

Go to the web to see a new reveiw of the latest professional sports coverage in Washington.

SPORTS

16

Boys Basketball By the Numbers

4-2

The team’s district record as of their win against West Springfield.

Now mid-season, the team has only seven district games remaining before the start of the Patriot District Tournament.

Jan. 19, 2011

Boys win fourth in a row Basketball improves to 8-4; remains in contention with blowout win over West Springfield Spartans First it was Lee. Then it was West Potomac. Now it is West Springfield; the latest team to lose to the varsity boys basketball team by double digits during the Atoms’ current four-game winning streak.

“In the last couple of weeks, the intensity in practice has picked up and that’s translated into the games,” Head Coach Anthony Harper said.

The Atoms jumped out to an early lead in the Jan. 13 game and carried a 14point lead into halftime. In the third quarter, senior Karl Ziegler took over and the Atoms squashed any chances of a Spartan comeback. AHS outscored West Springfield 29-4 in the quarter and ended up winning the game, 78-32.

“Getting Karl back has helped,” Harper said. “The chemistry was off at first [in Ziegler’s first game back] against T.C. Williams, but it’s coming back together after a couple weeks of playing.”

Ziegler led the Atoms with 17 points in the game, while fellow seniors D’Angelo Boyce and Melvin Robinson added 11 points and 10 points, respectively. Sophomore Sanar Shamdeen continued his strong play from behind the arc, scoring eight points and draining two 3-pointers.

“Our defense forced a lot of turnovers early and we were able to capitalize off those turnovers,” Harper said. “In practice, we’ve concentrated more on defense as far as rotating and communication [and it’s paid off in the games].”

The Atoms have shown great chemistry in each of their wins (65-59 over Woodson, 80-55 over West Potomac and 80-34 over Lee). These wins have also been particularly important, as they have bolstered the team’s district record after losing to T.C. Williams and South County to start the year.

“Since everybody came back from injury [we’ve had good chemistry],” Boyce said. “It’s been good in practice and even better on the court in games.”

Boyce is third in the Patriot District in scoring this year with an average of 17.2 points per game, slightly behind South County’s Nik Biberaj at 17.6 points per game and Woodson’s John Schoof at 17.5 points per game. Ziegler is second on the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game and Robinson is right behind him at 12.5 per game. “[The last four wins] have been big because they were district games,” Boyce said. “We started out 0-2 [in the district]; having the wins makes our district record better and we can pick up a higher seed at the tournament.”

The Atoms have seven games remaining on their schedule; all of them against Patriot District foes. “[To compete at regionals] we have to keep our defense consistent and continue to rebound,” Harper said. “We out-rebounded Lee and West Pot, but were out-rebounded by West Springfield in the first half and gave up 19 points.

So we need to keep winning the rebound battle and keep teams to shooting around thirty percent and under 50 points.”

If the Atoms keep playing the way they are now, these goals are certainly attainable.

17.2

The average points per game scored by senior guard D’Angelo Boyce.

Fellow seniors Karl Ziegler and Melvin Robinson are the only other Atoms averaging over ten points per game, with 12.7 and 12.5, respectively.

43

The total number of 3-point shots made by the Atoms this season.

Sophomore Sanar Shamdeen leads the team with 14 3-pointers, while seniors Ronny McCoy and D’Angelo Boyce are close behind with ten and seven shots, respectively.

73%

The percentage of free throws made by the Atoms of their 103 total attempts.

Seniors D’Angelo Boyce, Karl Ziegler, and Melvin Robinson lead the team in free throws made with a combined total of 84 points.

8

The number of seniors on the 15-man roster.

This includes D’Angelo Boyce, Peter Hagen, Devin Lawrence, Matt McCartney, Ronny McCoy, Greg Nielsen, Melvin Robinson, and Karl Ziegler.

Swim and dive wind down regular season

AJ MCCAFFERTY

BY DAVID HOOKEY Co-Editor in Chief

Junior center Tyler Schwartz battles for the ball in the Atoms’ home win over West Springfield. The Atoms thrashed the Spartans by a margin of 46 points and hope to continue their recent success against South County on Jan. 21.

An AHS swimmer prepares to dive off the block. The Atoms will take on the Lake Braddock Bruins on Jan. 21 in their final dual meet of the season.

Anticipation builds as face-off against former teammates approaches

RACHEL BERGEN

BY ROWAN SHARTEL AND KYLEE NISKER Staff Writers

COURTESY OF ALLI FOSTER

Freshman Tricia Liller warms up before a recent meet. Liller is one of the top swimmers on the girls team this year.

Head Coach Neil Jarvis talks to his distance swimmers during practice.

Jarvis normally creates two workouts for every practice: one for both the distance and sprint swimmers.

In their final regular meet of the season, the AHS swim and dive team will take on the Lake Braddock Bruins. The competition is now fiercer than ever, as the Atoms have lost one diver, two top swimmers and four key incoming freshmen to the Bruins due to the recent boundary change.

The change, put into effect this year, moved students from the Ravensworth neighborhood out of AHS and into Lake Braddock. For the team, this means that they will face off against their former teammates.

Old friends will become foes on Jan. 21 at Lee District Rec Center.

“I’m a little nervous about swimming against Jackson Hannam because he was our top breaststroker and now he’s on the Lake Braddock team,” sophomore Stephen Oakes said. Hannam, along with Kevin Romero, are the two juniors who have had to split their high school swim careers between schools.

“I’m actually pretty excited to swim against AHS. It’ll be fun swimming against some of my buddies,” Romero said.

“Jackson and Kevin were really good breaststrokers with us last year,” senior Lauren Barnard said.

While some consider this situation to be detrimental, others see it as a positive. ‘‘We know what they can swim, we know some of their times, so we can beat them,” junior Adam Wattenbarger said. Head Coach Neil Jarvis supported this by saying that the coaches already have an idea of other swimmers’ abilities regardless of their team.

“In swimming, after every meet, we [the coaches] exchange meet sheets. It’s not really an advantage [to know Hannam and Romero’s abilities] because everything is kind of open,” Jarvis said.

“I’m excited to swim against Jackson and Kevin and I think it’ll be fun for the boys to swim against their old teammates,” junior Alli Foster said.

The Lake Braddock swim and dive team has been one of AHS’s top rivals for the past several years. Their girls team is in the top ten in the state, and their boys team is within the top 15.

However, the boys team beat Lake Braddock last year and is confident that they can repeat their success in the upcoming meet.

“I think the boys team has a really good chance this year and they will definitely win,” Foster said.

“The dive team is going to crush them. Last year we practiced with them so we got to know some of the

COURTESY OF ALLI FOSTER

RACHEL BERGEN

Swim and dive prepare for rivalry meet

Junior Andrew Risse dives off the block in a recent practice at Audrey Moore Rec Center.

Risse and the rest of the boys team will be seeking their second straight victory against the Bruins when they confront their former AHS teammates on Jan. 21.

people,” sophomore Paul Helfgott said.

With this being the last meet before districts, many swimmers want to step it up and swim their hardest in order to qualify for regionals.

“We’ve practiced hard so the only thing we can do is go out there and give it all we got,” freshman Elizabeth Manthos said.

On top of all this, the meet is also the last one for seniors on the team.

“I’m really excited for this meet because it’s senior night and I’m a

senior,” Barnard said.

This upcoming meet promises to be intense, and the AHS swim and dive team is ready for the challenge.

“We have a chance to win it if we do our best,” Wattenbarger said.

With the rivalry, the promise of familiar faces and the anticipation Senior Night brings, Lee District Rec Center is sure to be filled with excitement when AHS takes on Lake Braddock.

“It’s going to be a close meet,” sophomore Joe Rolen said.

RACHEL BERGEN

The business that is college football Senior Lauren Barnard does a touch turn during practice. Bernard is one of six seniors on the girls team this year.

Aftergut’s Afterthoughts Sports Column

By CJ Aftergut

ISABEL VILLARROEL

Visit www.thea-blast.org for more boys basketball coverage.

In the world of sports, everything has a value.

Players, coaches, equipment and facilities all come at a cost, especially in the college arena. Each of these things is highly valued, and can make a big difference in the success of a college athletic program. Particularly in college football, players and coaches are chosen to produce a winning team, often at the expense of others. In this way, both college football and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are no different from businesses in terms of how they conduct their affairs.

The most obvious example of the business side of college sports is seen through the athletic scholarships awarded to exceptional high school athletes. These scholarships are offered to convince athletes to attend certain schools and, depending on the capability of the athlete, can be worth a large sum of money. But where does the money for these scholarships come from? The truth is, college

athletic budgets are supplied in part by the tuition fees of regular students. And although some schools make it clear that a portion of their tuition will be going to their athletic departments, others simply attach unspecified hidden fees.

This is a major problem, as a USA Today study found that as much as 23 percent of a student’s annual in-state tuition can go towards athletic funding. Therefore, athletic costs are a major factor behind the rapidly increasing price of college tuition. As teams become more and more competitive and seek to improve their programs, their athletic bills increase dramatically. Not only does this augment the price of attending college, but since sports have developed into a major part of campus life, the expenses to build these teams seem unlikely to decrease anytime soon.

However, college football itself could be considered a business based on much more than just tuition prices. By simply looking back at the 2010 season, one can draw a number of comparisons between college football and the business it is steadily becoming.

A major example of this development can be seen through the actions of Cecil Newton, who requested money from Mississippi State during the college’s recruitment of his son. Though it is still unclear whether or not Newton received any money from Auburn, his actions illustrate a number of problems with the current system. Though NCAA rules do not make it clear that such actions are illegal, just the fact that an athlete’s father would try to solicit

money for his son’s services is harrowing. Such negotiations between colleges and the athletes they recruit are immoral, and despite not being specifically prohibited, show how college football has become a business in itself.

Another example from this season deals with the controversy over conference extension and the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). Since only six of the 11 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision conferences receive an automatic BCS bid, a number of schools took part in negotiations to switch conferences earlier this year. One significant discussion that took place was between Texas Christian University (TCU) and the Big East, which sent the University of Connecticut to the Fiesta Bowl this season. As only an eight-win team, many believed Connecticut undeserving of a BCS bid, which is in part why TCU signed a deal to join the weak Big East Conference in 2012. This again illustrates the business side of college football, as competitive teams have been encouraged to switch conferences in order to increase their own opportunity of playing in a BCS game.

Once dependent on competition and the spirit of the game, college football has evolved into a business. Now revolving around negotiations and monetary exchange, the game itself is slowly being overshadowed by behind-the-scenes discussions between teams, coaches and players. It is a development that needs to be reversed, allowing the sport to return to its days of fierce competition free of business worries.

SPORTS

Jan. 19, 2011

Girls lose to ranked Spartans

17 Girls Basketball vs W.T. Woodson

After a big win over the W.T. Woodson Cavaliers, the Atoms fail to win their second straight as they lose to West Springfield

Sophomore Diana Hurtado marks a Woodson Cavalier during their stirring one-point victory last week. Hurtado had 11 rebounds during the game and played sound defense.

The Atoms will have a chance to redeem themselves on Feb. 8, as they will face the Spartans again at home.

The Atoms’ next challenge will be at home against the Lake Braddock Bruins on Jan. 18. For the complete schedule and roster, visit www. annandaleatoms.com, and for scores and results see http://wiki.allmetsports. com/all-met.

RACHEL BERGEN

The Atoms finally faltered against the No. 9 ranked West Springfield Spartans on Jan. 13, ending their three-game win streak, which included wins over Robert E. Lee, West Potomac and rival W.T. Woodson. The game ended with a final score of 59-36.

The loss came only two days after the Atoms won by one point thanks to the last-second heroics of junior Jackie Beathea. Beathea hit a free throw with three seconds left that put the Atoms up 36-35 and sealed the victory.

Beathea scored 15 points and had 11 rebounds in the win.

“It was great beating Woodson. We win by one point every year and it was really relieving when I made the game winning free throw,” Beathea said.

Beathea continued her dominance against the Spartans, scoring 21 points.

Her effort, however, was not enough.

A key aspect of the loss was the Atoms’ failure to produce offensively.

Injuries also plagued the Atoms in the game, as starting center, junior Hailey Brown, was unable to play due to a concussion. This, along with the crushing defense of the Spartans, made it impossible for the Atoms to set up any kind of offense. Usual team leaders were unable to put up strong numbers against the swarming West Springfield defense.

“Their defense was really strong, and we couldn’t handle the pressure they were bringing which hurt us when we were trying to run our offense,” senior captain Kelly Hughes said.

“We did a good job in some areas and competed pretty well,” Head Coach Patrick Hughes said. “We were down with some injuries, but we hope to be a little better prepared [next time].”

RACHEL BERGEN

BY JAKE BARNES Sports Editor

Senior Kelly Hughes runs a play against Woodson High School. Hughes led the team in scoring with 15 points including three 3-point shots to help the team win.

Indoor track runs through the weather RACHEL BERGEN

After winter break indoor athletes get back to training outside

BY SAMIR SHAH Staff Writer Senior Isabelle Yaroch works to pass to a teammate. The team had two 15-point scorers on the night: Jackie Bethea and Kelly Hughes.

JAKE BARNES

Captain’s Corner

HABEN BERIHUN

The indoor track team performed well at an elite varsity meet on Jan 8. Only a handful of athletes were chosen from one of the largest indoor track teams in the country to attend this meet, mainly for the purpose of qualifying for the Virginia High School League AAA state meet. This handful of runners only participated in a few events at the meet: shotput, high jump, 55-meter hurdles, 55-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 4 x 400 meter relay.

The 4 x 400 meter relay team consists of seniors Nathan Seeto and JP Jenkins and juniors Dylan Van Balen and Ahmed Bile. The relay team missed the time to qualify for the state meet by just three seconds.

Other athletes who attended this meet included senior shotputters Nick Doumbia and Paul Phongsavan and high jumper Josh Jean-Jacques.

“It was a good first meet of the indoor season for me. We ran well even though we didn’t hit state auto [qualifying time],” said Bile.

Bile has impressed the AHS community after winning the Virginia AAA state championship and placing 14th in the nation this year in cross country. He hopes to continue his success indoors.

Van Balen also ran the 200 meter dash. He ran fairly well with a time of 23 seconds, but did not automatically qualify for the state meet.

Track athletes work through the cold while they warm up. The indoor track program is the largest sports program in the school with over 200 athletes. The team has won both a indoor championship two years ago and a spring championship last year.

“I felt like I ran a pretty good time but I definitely could have run better. Hopefully I’ll be able to PR [personal record] at the next meet,” Van Balen said The team has high hopes this year as they hope to defend their spring track Patriot District Championship.

They narrowly missed the Northern Region Championship that season, losing by one point. Head Coach Sean

Miller’s team also won the Indoor Track District Champions two years ago, and hope to claim another title this indoor season and pave the way for future success in Spring track.

The top performers and placers of the team include senior Joel Hoisington in shot put, Jean-Jacques, Jenkins, and Bile, along with many other athletes and relay teams who are expected to perform well and

contribute to the team.

The rest of the competition in the Patriot District have reason to fear, as the varsity boys team looks to be in great shape for the Patriot District Championship meet on Feb. 5.

For more information on the indoor track including schedule and results go to www.annandaleatoms. com.

Continuing success, Atoms add three wins The Atoms defeat Hayfield, Stone Bridge and Jefferson to improve to 10-8 this year

Girls Basketball Kelly Hughes Q.How do you feel about the season so far?

A. “I think we’re doing really well.

We are improving each game and learning how to play together, which shows during our games.”

Q. What are your goals for the rest of the season?

A. “We want to beat the teams that we lost to in the district, like T.C. Williams and South County. That way we can place second or third in the district.”

Q. What do you think the team needs to work on for next game?

A. “I think that we need to work on running our offense because we often get too caught up in the tempo of the game and forget to run through our plays.”

COURTESY OF ALLI FOSTER

With a record of 7-8, the varsity wrestling team was able to earn three victories at their home meet against Stone Bridge, Thomas Jefferson and Hayfield on Jan. 12. The final score in the match against Stone Bride was 45–28, against Hayfield was 39–30 and against Jefferson was 53–12. These three wins were critical, as it gave the team confidence as they begin to look ahead to the Patriot District Tournament.

“I thought the team did really well today. We won a lot of matches and worked hard,” sophomore Ulugbeck Israilov said.

In the match against Hayfield, the Atoms were led by pins from senior Jon Le in the 112 lb. weight class, junior Rawand Shamdin in 119 lb. weight class, junior Andy Stratton in the 189 lb. weight class, junior Allen Cabrera in the 160 lb. weight class, and sophomore Jack Johnson in the 135 lb. weight class.

Against Stone Bridge, Stratton, senior Hayden Assopiah, junior Ali Musa, junior John McCollom and junior Fred Nsiah all pinned their opponents.

“We were good today, but we still need to work on skills especially before districts and some other really tough meets. I think the hardest part is the fact that I’m out there alone,” Le said.

The team was without junior Dane Harlowe, the state runner-up last year in the 125 lb. weight class. Harlowe suffered an injury in his first match against Hayfield and could not compete against Stone Bridge or Jefferson.

Head Coach Keith Sholders cited “kids working hard and listening to their coach,” as a key component in the victories. Sholders knows from experience what it takes to achieve success on the mat having been a college wrestler himself.

Wrestling did very well at their recent meet, but some team members are beginning to be concerned about their skill level and abilities to do well at

NGAN PHAM

BY NGAN PHAM Staff Writer

Junior John McCollom works to stay on top of his Stone Bridge High School opponent. The Atoms beat both Stone Bridge and Hayfield last Wednesday.

districts. The Free Lance-Star Super 32 at Riverbend on Jan. 14 and 15. was another tournament that the wrestlers used to prepare for the post season, but the results of that tournament ended after publication time.

The Atoms have rebounded from some tough early season losses with these consecutive wins and have proven to be a challenger for upcoming meets and at the district tournament.

More information about the varsity wrestling team including schedule and roster can be found online at www.annandaleatoms.com.

Go to www.thea-blast.org to see a video about the boys and girls swim and dive teams.

18

Up-coming Concerts January

ENTERTAINMENT

Jan. 19, 2011

Start your new year right TV Shows

22: The Bigger Lights Jammin’ Java

Movies

23: I See Stars

Jan. 14

Jaxx

Verizon Center

13: Jimmy Eat World 9:30 Club

Lauren Conrad L.A. Candy

FOX’s much anticipated police drama is a fictional show based on the daily lives and experiences police offers undergo.

ABC’s new medical television series follows the story of doctors working to save lives in a fictional South African jungle.

Celebrity reads

Jan. 21

Feb. 7 10 p.m.

Jan. 12 10 p.m.

February 10: Linkin Park

Jan. 21

Jan. 17 10 p.m.

Taken from the original UK series, Skins follows the lives of teenagers and the dramatic experiences and hardships they endure.

Albums

21

Adele Jan. 24 Part of Conrad’s three part series, “L.A. Candy” is a story about a young woman’s move to L.A. and the many experiences she encountered.

The Green Hornet

The Company Men

No Strings Attached

The plot of this film centers around a wealthy newspaper publisher who surprisingly is also a masked crime fighter.

This new movie follows the life of three men who have been laid off of their jobs, and the struggles they must endure.

This romantic comedy is about when a relationship which is strictly physical becomes something more.

There Are Rules

Video Games

The Get Up Kids Jan. 25 Feb. 15

Feb. 9

Jan. 11

Jay-Z Decoded

Rapper Jay-Z gives readers an insider scoop on the sentimental meanings of his lyrics and the motivational events that have affected him as a musician.

Thank You Happy Birthday

Cage the Elephant Jan. 11

James Franco Palo Alto

Patti Smith Just Kids

With the new year comes a new chapter and a chance to provide people with innovative and exciting forms of amusement.

As technology and science improve, there are virtually no limits to what can be achieved. Options are now unlimited, and people across the world should prepare to be amazed because 2011 will forever change the world of technology and entertainment alike.

Grab your popcorn and get hyped because 2011 is the year for new releases with over 100 movies set to premier throughout the year.

Movies from all studios, including Warner Bros. Pictures, Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures, are expected to take the box office by storm. It will be the year of sequels, with three successors of popular movies set to come out in May. The fourth installment in the Pirates of Caribbean series with Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, as well as the highly anticipated The Hangover 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2 are also scheduled for May. Other sequels of popular movies include Cars 2, Spy Kids 4, Happy Feet 2 in 3-D, Paranormal Activity 3 and the fourth chapter of The Twilight Saga with Breaking Dawn.

In the world of music, artists are hitting an all-time high with an array of exciting

ay... s s t n Stude The American singer and songwriter writes a memoir of her early career and life. She writes of the many experiences and events that have shaped her.

Steve Martin An Object of Beauty

Portal 2

DC Universe Online

Players are challenged in this fun and action packed game full of a massive mix of puzzles.

This multi-player online game allows players to role-play as heroic characters and defeat the many villains featured.

The new season of beginnings has arrived and is expected to be great

BY CARLI LOEB & MEGAN FLYNN Staff Writers

Franco writes of the typical daily activities and emotional struggles troubled teenagers experience in a collection of short stories.

Marvel vs. Capcom The fighting game phenomenon once created by Capcom, continues for another series.

What show are you looking forward to the most this year and why?

“Glee, because every other episode is awesome!”

— Quy To junior

new albums. ‘Watch The Throne’ by Jay-Z and Kanye West is set to hit stores in January.

Britney Spears is coming out with an album that has yet to be named in March. Dr. Dre is producing ‘Detox’ and Beyoncé is also expected to release a new album.

Looking for something new to watch on TV? With a new year comes many new seasons of pre-existing shows, such as season three of Jersey Shore and season two of ABC Family’s hit show, Pretty Little Liars.

In addition, a lot of new shows are being broadcasted including Bob’s Burgers, a cartoon on Fox about a dad and his family opening a burger place and dealing with the highs and lows of his business.

Also, the premier of Skins hits MTV this month, showing the lives of a group of teenagers as they go through their hectic high school experiences.

Movies, music and shows aren’t the only things to have new editions to their categories.

Many new pieces of literature will be hitting the shelves this year, such as Snooki’s book, released on Jan. 4 titled “AShore Thing” and four additional books to the eight book series of “Pretty Little Liars” by Sara Shepard.

For the video gamers, there are tons of games being released this year as well.Although most will not be released untill mid-year, they are still worth the wait. As for the month of January, DC Universe, Marvel vs. Capcom and others will be released.

So get ready for the new year, get ready for the new entertainment and get looking for what you’re interested in because there will be plenty of never-seen-before books, movies, music, TV shows and much more.

“Tosh.0, because he’s one of the funniest comediens I’ve seen in a while.”

— Zeni SaifeSelassie senior

“V, because the computer graphics involved vs. the old version makes it interesting.”

— Hassan Mims administrator

Classic celebrity books, Jersey Shore style Reality star Nicole Polizzi shows her writing skills in her new adventurous novel

BY NGAN PHAM Staff Writer

This novel follows the intense journey of a charismatic young woman with an ambition as she makes her way in New York’s art world.

Go to www.thea-blast.org to read a review on The Little Fockers .

Everybody’s favorite guidette Nicole Polizzi, otherwise known as “Snooki,” has unleashed the magnitude of her writing skills onto the world by releasing her new book, “A Shore Thing.” While some are shocked by the fact that Snooki has written a book, what is more surprising is that the book is going to be published and is going to be listed at $24!

Snooki’s 304-page novel follows the fun adventures of a spray tanned girl named Gia. Snooki describes the character as a “carefree, outspoken party girl” who lives in New Jersey. Just as elegant as the Jersey Shore, the book portrays the drama of a tiny guidette similar to Snooki.

An excerpt from the book reads, “Gia danced around a little, shaking her peaches for show. She shook it hard. In the middle of a shimmy, her stomach cramped. A fart slipped out. A loud one. And stinky.”

Snooki is only the second of the Jersey Shore cast to write a book. Mike “The Situation” wrote a book entitled “Here’s the Situation:AGuide to Creeping on Chicks,Avoiding Grenades, and Getting in Your GTL on the Jersey Shore.” Jenni “JWOWW” will be the third to publish a book which will be released in February.

The classiness of the book has yet been determined but one can only know for sure by reading the book that was released on Jan. 4.

As of now, Polizzi is currently marketing her book around the U.S. and trying to gain press coverage. With the new season of Jersey Shore already beginning, more people are sure to be scrambling for the book soon enough.

Reality star Nicole Polizzi, known as “Snooki” on Jersey Shore, released her novel on Jan. 4.

ENTERTAINMENT

Jan. 19, 2011

FAN Club makes their debut A new rap and hip-hop duo shares their experiences in music-making

BY MARY ANNE KAVJIAN Entertainment Editor Around the halls of AHS, seniors Josh Sarker and Julian Jordan appear as two ordinary high school students. However, in their free time, they are becoming something much greater. As a pair, Sarker and Jordan go by the name FAN Club, and are working on writing and recording singles and mixtapes. Jordan and Sarker shared their experiences starting out in the music industry.

When and how did you meet?

We had some friends in common, but we got to know each other through lacrosse in our freshman year.

How will people be able to hear your music?

We’re going to put it up on Facebook and send it around.

We’ve already started collaborating with Audio Essence and we’ve talked with another hip hop artist we found on datpiff.com named Felix.

What are you currently working on?

We’re producing our single Coffee-Stained Khakis which we hope to have out by Valentine’s Day. By the end of the year, we want to release our mixtape, which currently does not have a name. We also did a song with Audio Essence [another band at AHS] at the STAND concert on Jan. 14.

How do you record your music?

Lately we’ve just been recording our songs with Garage Band on a MacBook. We hope to collaborate even more with Audio Essence and record some songs with them.

Where did the name Coffee-Stained Khakis come from?

It was from a real experience that Josh had. Josh was wearing a pair of khakis after a long night and they had coffee spilled all over them the next morning.

How many songs have you written?

Right now, we have fully finished Coffee-Stained Khakis and are working on finishing up some other songs.

What is your song writing process?

We warm up with some freestyle to instrumentals we find on the Internet, and then we think of a beat that we want to work with. Then we just listen to the beat and write the lyrics.

Right now, we’re thinking of working with Stereo Love and Poker Face. We also are considering making a remix to Black and Yellow.

How did you get the idea for FAN Club?

In our English class, we had a poetry assignment and then we just started rhyming one day. Then we were like, “hey, let’s do this.” It was a pretty spontaneous movement. All these really famous rappers and singers that we love are so young and we thought, “why can’t we do that?”

When did you start FAN Club?

We started FAN club at the beginning of this year because we wanted to live it up in our last year at Annandale.

How often do you practice?

Usually it’s just on the weekends or a day after school if we have time.

Where did the name come from?

Julian and I, in the beginning of the year, we started listening to all this new music.

So we became fans of all these great artists like Mac Miller, Chris Webby, Chiddy Bang, Tayyib Ali, Wiz Khalifa and J Cole, so we decided to call ourselves FAN Club because we’re such big fans of all of them.

19

Famous musical acts that started in high school The Cure (1973) Catholic Notre Dame Middle School — England

U2 (1976) Mount Temple Comprehensive School — Ireland Green Day (1982) Rodeo Elementary School — United States Red Hot Chili Peppers (1983) Bancroft Junior High School — United States Radiohead (1986) Abingdon School — England

Muse (1994) Teignmouth Community College — England

Seniors Josh Sarker and Julian Jordan, also known as FAN Club, hope to have their single out by Valentine’s MA

RY

N AN

EK

AV

JIA

N

Country Strong lives up to its name Superstars Gwyneth Paltrow and Leighton Meester shine in the new film

BY KRISTEN HENNESSEY Photo Editor If you are looking to throw on your cow boots and sing along to Jessica Andrew’s “Summer Girl,” you’ll be disappointed; but pleasantly so. Instead, Country Strong vividly depicts the disastrous alcoholic life of Kelly Canter, played by Gwyneth Paltrow and makes viewers squirm in anguish with the strong desire to step in to help.

The movie starts out with Kelly Canter, a six-time grammy winner, flirtatiously song writing with Beau Hutton (Garrett Hedlund), who she likes to call her “sponsor,” in her room at rehab.

Conflict immediately becomes evident when her husband James (Tim McGraw) awkwardly interrupts them.

We soon learn that Canter was admitted into rehab after drunkenly falling off the stage at her Dallas concert. She was five months pregnant at the time and loss of the baby will haunt her throughout the movie. James, who seems to be more interested in his wife’s career than in her well-being eagerly checks her out of rehab early and schedules three shows for her, including a chance for her to redeem herself in Dallas.

After being paired with Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side, it became evident that McGraw could not keep up with the talent of great actresses. One would think that if they were going to pair him with another star actress, they take advantage of the one thing he can do, and do very well at that: sing.

Instead, McGraw was given the only starring non-singing role and portrays a man with a personality completely opposite of his own. It’s difficult to accept McGraw as a stubborn forceful husband so contrary to the light-hearted man he is in real life.

Besides her struggle with alcoholism, Kelly’s love life is also in shambles, as she continuously comments on the problems of her marriage and compares it was before. She relies on Beau for the affection she does not receive from James. Although he is seemingly aware of their fling, he does not interject

S U D O K U

hoping it will help Kelly put on a good show.

As they prepare to hit the road, James takes special interest in getting up and coming singer, Chiles Stanton (Leighton Meester) to come on the road and open for them.

Meester’s voice manages to wow Kelly’s producers in the movie, as well as the viewers themselves. Canter does everything she can to get Beau to accompany them also, but this backfires as he falls for Chiles.

Hence the traditional love triangle storyline is created between the Kelly, Beau, and Chiles. At first bitter because of her relationship with Beau and promising career, Kelly eventually comes around and gives Chiles possibly the most important advice of the film, “choose love.”

Chiles and Beau’s emerging careers and relationship seem to be the younger version of Kelly and James. As they watch the interaction of what Beau calls “love and fame in the same place,” they base their decisions upon the failure of the older couple.

For anything McGraw takes away from the film, Paltrow makes up for and adds all the more. Paltrow fits the role of an unstable alcoholic star perfectly, as she enables viewers detest her as she drunkenly dances in the local bar before her concert. Her persona can drastically shift, taking the emotions of the viewers with her, when in the following scene she visits a child in the hospital with leukemia.

The one major question viewers went into the movie asking was whether or not Gwyneth Paltrow could sing.

However, for the majority of the movie only one thing was confirmed -- writer and director Shana Feste is very good at leaving viewers in suspense.

As Paltrow’s condition prevented her from singing time and time again, the most the viewers got was a torturous 10 second snippet. It was not until the very end of the movie that the Paltrow let lose and affirmed viewers that, with the help of a catchy tune, she is indeed musically gifted.

No matter what you are looking for in a movie, Country Strong has something to offer everyone. There is a great amount of drama with the multitude of scenes in which the characters battle alcohol addiction, the good country music from a variety of singers and the love stories filled with affairs and new beginnings. If anything, there is a surplus of content. However, the many different aspects of this film are what allow the plot to continue to grow a little bit stronger each scene. Overall, Country Strong is a movie with a well-developed plot and an attraction for everyone.

Years and years ago...

WEBSUDOKU.COM

Song of the year

Best picture winner

1990 Wind Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler 1991 From a Distance by Bette Midler 1992 Unforgettable by Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole 1993 Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton 1994 A Whole New World by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle 1995 Streets of Philadelphia by Bruce Springsteen 1996 Kiss from a Rose by Seal 1997 Change the World by Eric Clapton 1998 Sunny Came Home by Shawn Colvin 1999 My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion 2000 Smooth by Santana (feat. Rob Thomas) 2001 Beautiful Day by U2 2002 Fallin’ by Alicia Keys 2003 Don’t Know Why by Norah Jones 2004 Dance with My Father by Luther Vandross 2005 Daughters by John Mayer 2006 Sometimes Yo Can’t Make It on Your Own by U2 2007 Not Ready to Make Nice by Dixie Chicks 2008 Rehab by Amy Winehouse 2009 Viva la Vida by Coldplay 2010 Single Ladies by Beyonce

1980 Ordinary People 1981 Chariots of Fire 1982 Gandhi 1983 Terms of Endearment 1984 Amadeus 1985 Out of Africa 1986 Platoon 1987 The Last Emperor 1988 Rain Man 1989 Driving Miss Daisy 1990 Dances with Wolves 1991 The Silence of the Lambs 1992 Unforgiven 1993 Schindler’s List 1994 Forrest Gump 1995 Braveheart 1996 The English Patient 1997 Titanic 1998 Shakespeare in Love 1999 American Beauty 2000 Gladiator 2001 A Beautiful Mind 2002 Chicago 2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2004 Million Dollar Baby 2005 Crash 2006 The Departed 2007 No Country for Old Men 2008 Slumdog Millionaire 2009 The Hurt Locker

Awards show season survival guide Academy Awards nominations announcements (Jan. 25) - At midnight, the nominees for all the Oscar awards are read out at the Beverly Hills Hotel by various celebrities.

Screen Actors Guild Awards (Jan. 31) - The union for artists in the entertainment industry, the Screen Actors Guild, recognize the best in thier field. There are awards in film and television.

The Grammy Awards (Feb. 13) - The Grammys are the highest level of recognition in the music industry.

Awards are given in a variety of genres for both individual songs and albums.

British Acadamy of Film and Television Awards (Feb. 14) - The BAFTAs are known as the Oscars of Britain. While there are five ceremonies, the most famous recognizes those in film.

Academy Awards (Feb. 28) Commonly known as “the Oscars,” the Academy Awards are the most prestigious film awards in the entertainment industry. James Franco and Anne Hathaway host this year.

Top 10 iTunes Downloads 1. Hold It Against Me Britney Spears 2. What the Hell Avril Lavigne 3. Grenade Bruno Mars 4. Firework Katy Perry 5. Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You) [feat.

Ludacris] Enrique Iglesias 6. The Time (Dirty Bit) The Black Eyed Peas 7. We R Who We R Ke$ha 8. Black and Yellow Wiz Khalifa 9. What’s My Name?

Rihanna and Drake 10. 6 Foot 7 Foot (feat. Cory Gunz) Lil’ Wayne

Go to www.thea-blast.org to read a review of Little Fockers.

20 How do you de-stress on the weekends?

“I play black ops to unwind from school. ”

—Danny Davalos freshman

“I go to the movies, the mall with my friends and I play football.”

—Sahil Chawla sophomore

WEEKEND

Jan. 19, 2011

The weekend unwind The place to go to relax, refresh and renew yourself

Reiki

Chakra Balancing

This is a form of healing that uses the life energy force from the hands of the practitioner to the client.

It originated in Japan and was brought over to the U.S. as a holistic form of healing.

Reiki does not replace conventional medicine, but works with it to help the body feel better. Typically done lying down, the healer is able to work with the energy from different parts of the body. When healing near the stomach, where the emotions tend to be pent up, the healer turns the hands counterclockwise. This calms down anxiety because the body’s energy naturally wants to turn clockwise.

“I watch football games with my best friends and I shop!”

Anam Cara

—Diana Nguyen junior

“If I’m not busy, I’ll sign onto Facebook and see if my friends want to hang out.”

—Lauren Barnard senior

Everyday tips from an expert

A student receives Reiki treatment at the Anam Cara Wellness Center in Vienna. This holistic form of therapy provides energy and balance in the body.

Chakra balancing uses tone, vibration and sound to channel the energy we are comprised of and use it to create physical harmony. This also allows emotions to escape or enter, and focuses on the seven centers of energy in the body. This is one of the most popular requests at the Anam Cara Wellness Center because itallows pent up emotions to escape from the body.

Not only does balancing your chakras help to create harmony, but it also helps get one’s energy levels back up to par.

This ancient form of holistic healing also originated in Japan. Crystal therapy is one method used in chakra balancing because it is a very powerful method of healing.

Wellness Center 311 Maple Ave. West Vienna, VA (571)236-8096

Tarot Cards

Marty Gegner Dream Interpreter 1. Don’t forget to breathe.

Breathing is very important because it brings oxygen throughout the body and forces us to calm our minds down. It should not be a shallow breath that only raises the shoulders.

The breath should come from deep within your diaphragm.

2. Tell yourself the truth no matter what. Sometimes the ego wants to do what is easiest and may cloud our vision from the truth. However, telling yourself the truth even when it is difficult will make you face your true emotions.

3. Respond instead of reacting. Rather than react instantaneously to a hurtful comment or action of another out of revenge or spite, take a moment or even a day to contemplate your rebuttal. This skill helps us maintain good relationships with the people that we care about.

2011 class bulletin Keep an eye out for the new t-shirts!

They’re on the way and will be $5!

E-mail Mrs. Roth as you hear from more colleges and universities!

This is not the same as fortune telling or predicting the future. The cards are simply images used to evoke specific patterns or behaviors in the client. Each person reads the tarot cards differently and picks up certain feelings or emotions from the images.

This, combined with the person’s body reactions to the images, helps the practitioner unlock potential emotional problems or trends. The interpretations are more based on psychology and human behavior than they are in predicting future events of a person’s life. Depending on what one draws out from the cards, it may help one realize choices to make that can strongly change one’s future.

Culinary Conquests Restaurant Guide

By Kelsey Price and Helena Belay Senior graduation countdown: 148 days

Visit us on the web at www.thea-blast.org to view the Gaylord Ice Show exclusive slideshow

The Peking Gourmet gives traditional dishes a new flare Next to the casual picture of Eddie Tsui, the owner of the Peking Gourmet Inn, standing alongside of George H.W. Bush, the second thing we noticed after entering the restaurant was the delicious smell of roasting duck.

Although it is not a typical delicacy, roasted duck is the star item on the menu at this upscale Chinese restaurant.

Located in Bailey’s Crossroads, the Peking Gourmet Inn began as a small, family-owned business and quickly grew to prominence after President Bush discovered it during his term in the White House. Today, the restaurant offers dozens of original and handcrafted Chinese dishes that are made with fresh, authentic ingredients. Peking Gourmet offers both a lunch and a dinner menu to its customers, which vary slightly in price.

Once we were seated, the pleasant aromas wafting from the kitchen immediately captivated our attention. There was a hint of sweetness from the roasting duck, coupled with a savory menu item like steamed dumplings

and Kung Pao chicken, all of which we ordered.

The staff was very patient and helpful as they answered all of our menu questions and helped us decide on what to try. In addition to those three dishes, we sampled more familiar options such as fried rice, egg rolls and spring rolls.

As duck is the Peking Gourmet Inn’s signature dish, those who order it will attest that it is the highlight of the meal. It is brought out of the kitchen on a silver platter and then carved table side. Thinly pressed pancakes are served at the same time so the duck and plum sauce can be wrapped up tortilla style.

Our waiter fixed our first few pancakes for us with all of the toppings such as duck breast, crispy duck skin, plum sauce and scallions.

The flavor and texture combinations could not have been more pleasing to the taste buds.

Although it takes a leap of faith to venture outside of the typical Chinese food options and order such a rare menu item, the plunge is definitely worth it. As this restaurant was one of the most expensive we have reviewed so far, we recommend trying out this place with a large group of friends, so that you can share dishes and cut down on costs. As you look up at walls covered in photographs of the political and celebrity figures who have all eaten at the Peking Gourmet Inn before, you will be in good company.

Dream Interpretation Some believe our dreams are the bridge between our unconscious and conscious mind, helping us resolve problems and deal with situations that seem overwhelming during our waking hours. There are many types of dreams including unconscious, when one is asleep, and conscious ones, when one is awake, like daydreaming.

A precognitive dream is when you see something happening before it actually occurs. These can be some of the most powerful dreams when listened to because they can save lives or stop something bad from happening.

A recurring dream is very different from a regular one. Try to examine exactly how you feel in the dream and what emotions are triggering you to have the dream.

Contrary to popular belief, a nightmare is actually a good thing because it reveals a problem or calls attention to something potentially distressing in your life in your subconscious.

Upper left: Crystals are routinely used to calm the atmosphere that enable dream telling to happen.

Left center: Relaxing music and sounds are played over an ipod speaker to soothe the participant.

Lower left: A bowl of rocks and crystals serve to balance energy.

––All photos by Helena Belay

Peking Gourmet

A+

6029 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church VA 222041

Left: A steamy dish of Kung Pao Chicken is one of the most popular dishes at the Peking Gourmet Inn. Above: The waiters helped us create a duck pancake complete with duck meat, plum sauce and scallions. Below: The vibrant hues of green broccoli highlight the fresh produce.

––All photos by Kelsey Price