Issue 6

Go to the Web to see more pictures from the DECA trip to the Capitol, go to www.thea-blast.org

Driving tips The Fairfax County Police Department would like to inform young drivers of common violations in an effort to reduce driver violations and the risk of motor vehicle crashes.

The speed limit on school property is 15 miles per hour.

The law requires all drivers to come to a complete stop at all stop signs located both on and off school property.

Learner permit holders, and first year drivers under the age of 18, may only carry one passenger under age 18. Second year drivers, or until the age of 18, may carry only three passengers under age 18.

Drivers under the age of 18 may not operate a motor vehicle between the hours of midnight and 4 a.m..

Except in a driver emergency or when the vehicle is lawfully parked or stopped, the holder of provisional driver’s license shall not operate a motor while using a cellular telephone.

Each person at least 16 years of age and occupying the front seat of a motor vehicle must wear a safety belt.

Students should be aware of the crossing cuard in the morning and afternoon and should obey his or her traffic signals.

Childrens play held tonight The Winter Children’s play will be held tonight, Jan. 30 and Jan 31. The play will be held in the auditorium and will begin each night at 7 p.m.

“Rezoning”, continued from page 1. underclassmen will be included in this movement, many families with children of different ages will be impacted.

Families who had hoped to send all of their children to AHS may now have to adjust to the new plan. Many “Atoms” use to the familiar environment of AHS, may soon be forced to enter rival territories such of the “Raiders” and “Jaguars.” Those students living in the housing areas closest to Falls Church and Jeb Stuart High Schools are beginning to fear the abrupt change in their future.

“It would be a shame for me to have to leave AHS. I’ve been here for two years. My friends and I are tight and leaving them now to finish high school somewhere else would be awful,” said sophomore Eric Reynolds.

Freshman Willie Labarca’s mother, Susan Labarca, discerns the loss, but is not hostile to the possible boundary changes.

“FCPS has not been making these changes very accessible to the public. It would be very unfortunate for my son to have to switch schools in the middle of his high school career. However, due to the recent financial problems, it may be necessary,” said Labarca.

With AHS’s overcrowding continuing to grow and the school site being simply to small to allow any type of building additions, the Facilities Planning Staff is anticipated to go to the School Board this coming spring for the authorization for a boundary study. Aspects of this boundary change are still in the works and definite plans will not be released to the public until the more fixed decision is reached.

Jan. 29, 2009

FCPS.EDU

NEWS BRIEFS

A Boundary changes possible next year

Students who live in the gray areas above face the risk of being transferred to Stuart or Falls Church High Schools.

“Annandale is a big switch from my middle school experience. The overcrowded hallways and huge amounts of students definitely adds to the stress of being a new student to AHS, “ said freshman Willie Labarca.

Many students feel the same way about the immense numbers of students at AHS. As student population numbers continue to increase, many wonder if the current trend will ever reverse. While the new boundary changes may be detrimental to those moving from AHS, other students may be relieved with the decrease in student population.

“All we do know is that Annandale is overcrowded and needs relief. We do anticipate beginning discussion later this spring,” said FCPS’s Superintendent Jack Dale.

As the halls of AHS normally look like a sea of students, all trying to make their way through, the new rezoning plan allures some students.

“At first getting through the hallways was a constant struggle. Being pushed and shoved around and sometimes being late to class because of it was really annoying. But as a junior, I’m now used to it.

That’s Annandale for ya,” said junior Jenny Miller.

Designing the President’s website networking sites.”

The Obama administration plans to continue using the Internet as a way to effectively communicate with citizens around the country, particularly in a video address to the nation that the new President plans to make every Saturday

BY EMILY FRUCHTERMAN morning throughout his term.

News Editor “We target [a] much younger demographic “OBAMA!! OBAMA!! OBAMA!!” This chant, called out by thousands over since most of our contents are web based,” stated the past year, has become a rallying cry for many. For those weary of the Wan. “As our site is the primary vessel for the Will Wan worked on Obama’s administration led by George W. Bush, for those hungering for change, for president to reach [a] younger and wider audi- campaign and transition team. the wealthy and the poor and for those of all races and religions, those three ence, we use various online social networks to syllables have become more than simply a name. They stand for freedom, for promote and spread the president’s message.” justice and for the hope of a better tomorrow.

While Wan attended AHS, he worked on the A-Blast. There, he gained valuProud Americans from all across the nation gathered together on Jan. 20 able experience in Web Design as the creator and designer of thea-blast.org. to chant their unflagging anthem. They gathered for a dazzling spectacle that “I had a lot of freedom with the design of the website,” said Wan. can be called the most impressive triumph of democJournalism was also one of his favorite courses at racy: the peaceful transfer of power known as the U.S. AHS, as Alan Weintraut, Journalism teacher and A-Blast Presidential Inauguration. adviser, was “very easy to work with.”

The election of Barack Obama to the highest office After graduation, Wan went to Virginia Tech to study in the free world could not have occurred without the visual communication design. Although he took the fall The work that I and tremendous effort put forth during the election season. semester off to work on the campaign and transition, he millions and others have Many have noted that Barack Obama revolutionized is returning to the school for the Spring Semester and is the election process by utilizing the Internet in ways planning on finishing his degree. done got this man elected never before imagined. An army of volunteers were Wan became involved in the campaign in May of organized through e-mail and a phenomenal website as president.

2008, traveling to Chicago to work in the campaign made it possible to get thousands involved and to collect headquarters.

—Will Wan an unprecedented amount of donations.

“I started as a volunteer, where I made graphics for Former AHS student Will Wan, a 2006 AHS graduate, was one of the different e-mails and the website,” said Wan, “When I people most involved in this process. He rose through said I was going back to school for the fall semester they the ranks of web designers, working on www.barackostopped me and offered me a job.” bama.com and other related design pieces.

Since then, he devoted much of his time to the campaign and loved every His star, however, truly began to shine shortly after Obama won the minute of it. election.

“The work that I and millions of others have done got this man elect[ed] “I was chosen from the team of 15 designers to work on change.gov,” said as the President of the United States and he is going to bring change to this Wan, “[I]work for the Presidential Transition Team, in the New Media De- country, change that has never seen before,” said Wan. partment.”

Some of Obama’s ideas for improving the education of Americans are to Wan, as the Art Director of the Transition Team, had several other major boost teacher salaries and create more incentives for educators to be more responsibilities, including creating the official web site for the President of effective. Currently, FCPS teachers are not going to receive a raise next year, the United States. and many new teachers might lose their jobs due to budget shortfalls. Many “[During] the past few months, another designer and myself have com- hold hopes that Obama will create changes that will see benefits for educapletely redesigned the whitehouse.gov,” said Wan, “My job consists of design- tion, as that was one of the focal points during his campaign. ing web graphics [for change.gov and whitehouse.gov] and all related social

A former student designs the official website for the newly inaugurated Obama

EMILY FRUCHTERMAN

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NEWS

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Musical auditions begin

Upcoming varsity math meet The next math meet will be held on Feb. 4. It will begin at 2:10 p.m. and will last approximately half an hour. Varsity math meets are open to all students who are in Algebra II/Trigg and above.

Yearbook deadline extended The deadline for purchasing yearbooks has been extended until the end of February. The last chance to buy with a credit card online is still Jan. 30, but now, yearbooks can be purchased at AHS during lunches and after school with cash or checks made payable to AHS. The cost for a yearbook is $58.75. See Ms. Holmes in room 262 or 264 for more information.

There were other kids eating and still trying to get warm as Elhak made sure that everyone had their folders for the senators they were going to visit “I was very excited and confident that this lobby day would go as planned. I was glad that all the work would soon pay off and most of the stress would go away,” said Elhak.

Most of the groups went and visited various officials even without appointments; while Elhak, Roache and Brown had appointments with some of the senators’ advisers. They went into the offices and spoke to advisers, making their case for why CAPTA needs to be reauthorized. Why? “Because,” said Elhak. “America’s children are important.”

Elhak is very confident in what she’s doing and believes she can get CAPTA reauthorized.

BEN WOLFENSTEIN

The first fashion show rehearsal will be held on Feb. 9. It will take place from 2 p.m to 5 p.m. in the MultiPurpose Room.

The following rehearsals will be held on Feb. 9.

“DECA” continued from page 1.

Project directors sophomores Hebah Elhak and Steven Roache were two students who decided to do their DECA community service project on CAPTA, setting their goal at getting CAPTA passed once more, as the initial bill has since expired.

“Four children die every day [from child abuse],” said Roache, “and we want it to be none.”

They received assistance from CHILDHELP, an organization that helps prevent child abuse and helps abused children. Lobbyist Jim Brown also helped the DECA kids prepare to lobby in Congress on Jan. 15.

On that lawn on Thursday, the DECA students survived the bitter cold to make a case for CAPTA. During the rally, Elhak talked to reporters from FOX 5, Red Apple 21 and The Hill. Then the leaders of the project held a press conference started off by DECA president Erica Anderson.

Elhak and Roache also spoke, just before sophomore Jody Cha introduced Jackie Dodd, the Congressman’s wife. She congratulated the students and thanked them for supporting CAPTA and she said she was hoping her husband would come out and speak. Only moments later someone cried, “There he is!”

Senator Dodd was rushing from the Capitol to the lawn with an aide. After Cha introduced him, he spoke quickly, thanking the gathered crowd for standing out in the cold. The students stood attentively as Elhak made one last statement about the project and thanked Senator Dodd. Finally, the outside session was over. The kids split into groups of 2-4 people and headed into the office buildings to meet with 98 senators. Inside the Russell building, the DECA students sat down after going through security to rest and let their feet and hands warm up. Cheeks flushed, hands red and frozen, they were able to get started. Brown helped Elhak, Roache, and the reporters from Apple 21 make their way down to a cafeteria for lunch.

Sophomore Jody Cha holds up her sign during the recent visit to the Capitol.

Sophomores Katie Bui and Victoria Ko try to stay warm at the CAPTA rally with junior Jenn Oakes.

BEN WOLFENSTEIN

Fashion show rehearsal

Students fight against child abuse

BEN WOLFENSTEIN

Auditions for the musical, The Sound of Music, will be held after school from Feb. 2 through Feb. 6 in the Black Box and the auditorium.

Sophomore Hebah Elhak speaks with the press about their fight to get CAPTA reauthorized.

NEWS Budget cuts create frustration A

chose to date rather than hook up.

Atoms Red Cross holds blood drive

worries.

“I believe there is a direct corollary between the situation that America finds itself in right now and the fact that this country places such a low premium behind funding for education,” said Twyman. “I want to go up in front of the school board and tell them why it’s so difficult to find committed teachers to work in this field- we work evenings, weekends, and summers, and we never get rewarded or appreciated for it.”

It is apparent that frustration is growing among teachers who work so hard for their students and receive little in the way of gratitude from the county.

“Next year, my cost of living will go up, but my salary will stay the same,” said Phillips, echoing the fear that many teachers are currently living with. “It sucks.”

For the complete details of Dale’s proposed budget plan and to find ways to voice your opinion before the final budget is adopted, log onto www.fcps.edu.

Winter coat drive

The Hispanic Language Literacy Club is looking for Spanish-speaking tutors to mentor second and third graders at Braddock Elementary. For more information contact Leslie Chekin.

Ask The Principal: Morning and Afternoon traffic at AHS

John Ponton

Q: What do you think of the traffic situation in the mornings?

A: “In my view, traffic congestion occurs primarily for two reasons: The neighborhood infrastructure have not expanded with the boom in student enrollment (more drivers and cars) and there should be a traffic signal at the intersection of Four Year Run & Heritage Drive. I would urge those affected to contact VDOT [Virginia Department of Transportation] to request a traffic flow study.”

Q: How do you think traffic would change if Annandale had a traffic director as opposed to only a crossing guard?

A: “Only a Fairfax County Police Department officer is authorized to direct traffic at Four Year Run and Heritage Drive. Currently, a police officer is not assigned to direct traffic in the morning or afternoon. Those affected can contact the West Springfield District Station.”

Q: Where do you buy your ties?

AISHWARYA VENKAT

FCPS recently released the official data from last year’s IB Exams, revealing that AHS’s pass rate on IB exams increased from a 70.6% in 2007 to a 79.9% in 2008. The rise was most visible in higher level classes, whose pass rate increased by almost one percent since last year.

Some teachers agree that these scores are a result of teachers better adapting to the IB Diploma Program. “It takes a while to get used to IB,” said the IB Coordinator Erin Albright. “But after their first year, most teachers personalize the program to make it their own.”

Such personalization was why Jim Evans drastically changed the HL Math program after teaching it for a year.

“I gained valuable experience from my first year of teaching IB. It was a matter of learning as you go,” he said.

Some of his changes include summer work packets, IB test questions and spending most of junior year on Calculus.“Every year, I go back and make some changes in my lesson plans,” he said. This is part of his overall goal, which is to raise the HL Math exam score average above the world average.

Other teachers insist on maintaining their high standards for all their students. “I challenge ALL my students— not only my IB kids, but my regular classes too,” said Bianca Mullins, who teaches both HL and SL Spanish.

“We have a lot of oral activities, writing activities, essays and discussions, so they know what to expect when they’re taking the exams,” she said.

Another reason the scores have gone up is that more students are becoming dedicated to academics. “Students today are required to be well-rounded,” said Mullins.

“They’re willing to work harder, and they have great teachers to help them!”

IB students are more than satisfied with the rise in exam scores. “That’s reassuring. It means that our teachers are doing a good job of teaching us what we’re supposed to know. I think I’ll be prepared for my IB exams this year,” said senior Stephanie Berg.

So will these results change as more students start taking up IB classes? “My experience tells me no,” said Albright. “It depends on the 9th and 10th grade teachers.

If they teach their students well, they will be well-prepared for IB classes. Many kids here overestimate the IB workload, and underestimate their ability to handle it.” added Albright.

But for some, the scores are only a secondary statistic.

The important thing is what the students learn in the HL Math teacher Jim Evans fixes his powerpoint classroom.

“What we all want is for kids to experience is a college- study guides to ensure his students are welllevel class,” said Albright. “Even if they DO perform badly prepared for IB exams. on the IB exams, it’s not going to matter much because they’re still better-prepared for college.”

Parents are invited to attend Sophomore Parents Night on Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria. Randy Ross, Vice President of Enrollment at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina will share his college admissions expertise with the audience.

HLLC Tutoring Program

BY HELENA BELAY AND KRISTEN HENNESSY Staff Writers As an expectant hush fell over the audience, the lights turned off, the spotlight hit the banner and all eyes peered at Vin Ngo, the first ever Mr. Annandale.

At a typical pageant, gorgeous women hit the stage to show off their fashionable gowns. However, this event began with 10 hopeful male candidates, some in jeans and The winner of Mr. Annandale, Senior Vin Ngo, prefers to all the other Disney princesses because T-shirts, others sporting slick, black shoes Jasmine “she is pretty and has a good heart.” and ties, all aiming to woo the judges with their stunning good looks and impressive After waiting for the judges to tally answers. their scores, Irwin and senior Sahar Atayee “We wanted a confident and outgoing walked out into the front of the stage. The senior who could connect with the student moment had arrived, and the audience sat body,” said junior Madeline Irwin. The at the edge of their seats in anticipation. leadership class planned an event with Irwin held the crown as Atayee said, “And challenges to test each candidate and find your Mr. Annandale is…Vin Ngo!” someone who truly deserved the crown.

Confetti burst into the air, and Irwin The show was judged by four AHS teach- crowned the new and deserving Mr. ers and consisted of a fashion walk, Q&A Annandale. “I was shocked. I thought sections, a choreographed group dance, Cason Kynes would win,” Ngo joked. When talent show and an intermission featuring asked what he did to win Ngo replied, “I was a performance by the step team. just being myself.”

The show began with all contestants Ngo did not win the crown without efwalking down the red carpet showing off fort. Many looked upon his talent, krumptheir casual school wear. Next there was a ing, in awe of the practice and skill it must collaborative dance. The contestants were take. “I’ve just always loved to dance and divided into two groups and each group was I’ve danced since middle school. Chris given one minute to perform the cha cha Brown inspired me and then I learned slide. The dances were hysterical and truly krumping through a friend,” said Ngo. He captured the audience. This was followed was also presented with a rather tough by a questionnaire about AHS. question when he had to choose which DisThe next part of the night was the most ney princess he was most like. He settled memorable moment–the talent show. Tal- on Jasmine because “she is pretty and has ents ranged from Cason Kynes singing “A a good heart.”

Whole New World,” to Hocque Figueroa Overall, the night was a huge success playing the recorder. The top five contes- and members of leadership and students tants were announced right before inter- alike were pleased with the outcome. ”It mission when the step team performed. was great. It was good for the first one, but After intermission, the top five each of course we would have liked to have more answered a moral question. The judges people come out,” said junior Aby Diop. “I then had to decide who should be in the top think it went pretty well, it was a lot of fun three. Lucky contestants Cason Kynes, Vin and the audience seemed to really enjoy the Ngo, and Derick Amoaful were chosen. The show,” said Atayee. Leadership students last and most crucial event of the night was are now preparing to make next year’s Mr. another question round.

Annandale a bigger, if not better success.

Sophomore Parents Night

The Jewish Culture Club’s coat drive ends tomorrow Jan. 30. Donations must be brought to Gabriel Romano in Room 203.

All donators will be entered in a raffle for a $50 Best Buy gift card.

IB scores continue to rise each year

BY AISHWARYA VENKAT News Editor

All students 16 years or older are invited to sign up for a Red Cross Blood Drive sponsored by the leadership class. The sign ups will be available from Thursday, Jan. 22 through Tuesday, Feb. 3 in the cafeteria on red days.

Some of the provisions of Superintendent Jack Dale’s new proposal include increasing class sizes by .5 students and cutting back on bonuses for teachers.

Leadership attempts to find Mr. Annandale

SHRIYA ADHIKARY

“Dating”, continued from page 1.

While many dispute the definition of hooking up, none deny that it has become increasingly popular.

“You just kinda meet up with a person and…bam,” said Johnson.

When asked whether she prefers hooking up or dating, sophomore Kari Berg said, “I would rather date someone because it’s less stress.”

“I would rather date [someone] because if I like someone, I want them to like me too, not just for the fun of it,” said sophomore Daniel Titus.

The original stereotype has been reversed in that instead of dating a few times before considering a physical relationship, couples will “hook-up” a few times before considering dating. Put simply, this means that instead of Bob being attracted to Sally and asking her to the movies, Bob and Sally would see each other at a party and end up in one of the host’s bedrooms.

As well as the increasing popularity of hooking up, the typical definition of “dating” has been skewed. Decades ago, the word “dating” was more casual. This means that a girl or a guy could go out with someone on Friday and then go out with someone different on Saturday. Now, “dating” is more serious and means having an actual boyfriend or girlfriend.

“I’d rather have a boyfriend because I think it’d be a lot of time to go out on dates with different people and I’d rather have someone who understood me, than a lot of people who only know a little about me,” said Berg.

While national studies suggest that hooking up is the new trend, there is not sufficient evidence to suggest this is true among most students at AHS. Although students may say that they prefer dating to hooking up, they may not mean the traditional form of “dating.” Most prefer today’s model of “dating”, meaning that a date is not necessary to be an item.

However students date, none can disagree that couples are a big part of high school social life.

Senior Matt Perez and junior Monica Athey

Go to the Web

NEWS BRIEFS

A men’s pageant

Is dating dead?

5

To read more about Broadway Desserts, go to www.thea-blast.org

AISHWARYA VENKAT

“Budget”, continued from Page 1 prepare for school and leaves only at 4 p.m. after finishing up after school help sessions with her students. “I finally gave up on the other job idea, and now I’m just going to get a roommate instead,” she said. Phillips currently spends half of her monthly paycheck on rent, leaving little else with which to pay the bills, buy food and cover other expenses.

Phillips isn’t the only teacher at AHS who has had to make changes to her lifestyle in recent times. History teacher Joel Jepson is currently working a second part-time job with the county’s Adult and Community Education (ACE) program, which offers special interest classes at night and during the weekends, in addition to teaching and taking classes to complete his Masters at George Mason.

“The thing is, the county only gives you $700 to pay for classes and right now I’m paying $1000 per class at Mason. So with three credits, I’m basically paying $3000 myself, since the $700 only covers my books for the whole year,” said Jepson, who predicts that the actual adopted budget will contain cuts that run much deeper than even what Dale has proposed.

The general consensus about the budget proposal seems to be that it is too harsh on teachers.

“I think it’s horrible that teachers will not receive any salary increases next year. We’re already underpaid. It’s hard for anyone to fix your face to say that you’re not going to pay your teachers considering what we deal with everydaythe future of our country,” said English department chair Augustine Twyman.

“The idea that we’re not even getting cost-of-living raises is really insulting because we’re going into our own pockets to provide materials for the classroom and taking away from our own families.”

Some of the other provisions of the budget include an increase in class sizes all around by 0.5 students and the reduction of classroom support, which would further teachers’ frustrations and hinder their ability to properly implement classroom instruction.

“When the class sizes increase it’s harder to give individual students more attention and there’s a greater chance of students slipping through the classespecially minority students, of which AHS has a large population,” said biology teacher Mariam Ahmadzai.

An increase in class size would also make it more difficult for teachers to effectively handle their classrooms.

“Considering it’s my first year, it is already difficult to control my students.

Behavior is the biggest problem,” said Samantha Kreshover, who teaches biology to more than 30 students in a small classroom that often lacks an adequate number of desks.

By next year, with the many program and support staff cuts that the upcoming budget will entail, a lack of desks may be the least of teachers’ and students’

KRISTEN HENNESSY

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Jan. 29, 2009

A: “I buy my ties at J.C. Penney which has a nice variety.”

Q: What is your favorite football team?

A: “My favorite football teams are: Redskins (pro), Terrapins (college), and Atoms (high school).”

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Oct. 21, 2008

SPORTS XTRA Outside the lines of the field A

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Jan. 29, 2009

volved,” said Simpson.

The club originally started in the fall of 2008, but the first season starts in March. It plans on being a part of a Northern Virginia Washington Area League, where athletes will play in matches and competitions. However, getting to the point the

BY LOGAN MILLER Frisbee Club is at now wasn’t easy.

Sports Xtra Editor “We worked mostly with the Athletic Department Frisbee and ping-pong are sports that most of us play during our days of our school to get the Ultimate Frisbee club started, off in the summer, but for a group of AHS students, these sports and there was a lot of paper work,” said Simpson. have become important aspects of their lives during school.

On the other hand, the Ping Pong Club, creIt is very easy to sign yourself up for an extracurricular activated by Imran MacMillan and sponsored by ity and never go to a meeting. Many clubs fit to the individual chemistry teacher Sara Zagurski, has alneeds of students, and have no active basis to them, while most ready started its season. Practices are held sports entail strenuous practices. But for students who want every Wednesday, and tournaments are an activity that is a balance between the two, a particular held once a month. Every meeting, about group of AHS students and teachers have created clubs to 20 to 25 students show up to play pinghelp their fellow students get involved. pong in Zagurski’s classroom, and there AHS introduces the Ultimate Frisbee Club and Ping are about 50 members in the club.

Pong Club.

“The club idea was passed last Established by junior Charles Simpson and sponspring, but we started playing in the sored by government teacher John Hawes, the Ultifall,” said Zagurski. “It was created by mate Frisbee Club meets the needs of a a tennis player, so the club is just an number of students. extension of the sport.”

“There is a lot of interest in the sport, It was not easy to create the Ping and a lot of people like to play it,” said SimpPong Club. MacMillan had to go son. “There isn’t an actual school sport that through a series of steps to get it off allows people to play Frisbee.” the ground.

The Ultimate Frisbee Club expects at least “I created it because there were a few dozen students to actively participate in it. a lot of people that wanted to play A better turnout of players will amount to a better ping-pong and there was no way Frisbee team. for them to express their interests,” “A lot of people signed up, and it’s a club where you said MacMillan. “It helps keep kids don’t have to go to every meeting, but you can still be inoff the streets, and it’s better than track.”

Like the Frisbee Club, the Ping Pong Club holds intramural tournaments between AHS students.

“I’m trying to get the Ping Pong Club in a match with Thomas Jefferson High School,” said MacMillan.

“We held fundraisers to raise money for the ping pong tables, but several of President of the Ping Pong Club and its founder Imran them were donated to us,” said MacMillan gets ready to serve the ball to start the game.

Zagurski. “We had a booth at Back-to-School Night, and every member had to pay five dollars as club fee.”

Like the Frisbee Club, the Ping Pong Club was created to give AHS students something active to do without the commitment and intensity that a sport requires. If it is an Olympic sport that Americans participate in, it should at least be practiced at AHS. Most important, these clubs will help to make AHS a better rounded school that understands the importance of diversity in activities.

Now, what inspires a student to form an organization like this? “The Senior Daniel To, a founding member of the Ping Pong Club, awaits a serve from his opponent to start an epic match. famous movie, Balls of Fury,” said MacMillan.

New clubs at AHS give students a better way to get out and meet new people

—Jessica Campanilla freshman

“The Steelers because they beat the Chargers.”

—A.J. Mazarei sophomore

“Anquan Bolding will fry for the Arizona Cardinals.”

---- Britney Crawford sophomore

“The Ravens because they have an improved defense and they have Ed Reed.”

Opinion

By Marcus Mavlian

Can any of you recall the last time the Arizona Cardinals made it to the playoffs, let alone had a winning season? They did that in 1998 after their last Superbowl run. After that, their next winning season and playoff appearance was the 2008-2009 season.

The Cardinals came into the playoffs as the winners of the NFC west, which was not a big accomplishment.

It was unlikely that they would beat the Atlanta Falcons in their first game, but they did. With another win against the Carolina Panthers, they proceeded to the NFC championship where they pounded the Philadelphia Eagles, who have one of the best defenses in the league.

I spoke with an Eagles fan, senior Matt Mayne, about the success of the Cardinals this season. “Everyone was saying such bad things about them when the season started, so I think that gave players like Fitzgerald, Boldin, Warner and James a reason to step it up and do what they did,” said Mayne.

A large part of their success this

—Gabrielle Willis senior

“Based on their track record, it will be Pittsburgh.”

Gymnastics finishes high AHS Gymnasts soon to end season positively

—Jack Elgin band director

KELSEY KNOCHE Sports Editor As the AHS girl’s gymnastics team looks to compete in districts and possibly regionals, the main thought on all of their minds is whether they will be able to continue the sport next year. The girls’ gymnastic program is a part of the Fairfax County Public Schools plan to improve the budget, and therefore is almost certainly going to be cut after this year.

To save funds, the AHS girls team practices with other area schools, such as Lake Braddock, Woodson, and Falls Church. The Atoms girls only have five members on the team, and it costs the county over $4,000 a year to support the small group. Should the plan to cut the sport go through, around 125 girls and their coaches would be affected across the county, and it would save about $221,000 overall.

The Fairfax County School Board held the first hearing about the cuts on Jan. 21, which allowed concerned citizens to sign up for time slots to voice their concerns.

The team has many goals this year; from landing their back handsprings to having all five girls make it to the Patriot District championships.

All members of the team will qualify for the district tournament,

COURTESY OF ANNE-MARIE

Marcus’ Mentality

for video on the Ping Pong and Frisbee Clubs, visit: thea-blast.org

“The Eagles because they have Donovan McNabb.”

LOGAN MILLER

For the first time in 11 years the Cardinals are going to the playoffs

season is their ability to throw the ball to the two best receivers in the league, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Both had over 1000 yards receiving and each had more than ten touchdown receptions. However, the key to their success was veteran quarterback Kurt Warner who put up MVP type numbers this season and almost broke Dan Marino’s passing yards in a season record.

Even though they have one of the most star-studded offenses in the league, their defense this season has been rather shaky at times. Any football player or coach will tell you that you need to have a good defense to win in January. The Cardinals this year and the Indianapolis Colts of 2007, proved that is not necessarily to have a defense to win. It is vital to have an offense that can score at will.

With an offense as imbalanced as the Cardinals are, they have not been able to run the ball very well seeing as they barely crossed the thousand yard mark as a whole team.

When they play on the first Sunday in February they will face a defense that they have never seen before. The Pittsburgh Steelers have shut down everyone this season, entering the Superbowl with the number one ranked defense. The game will be played in sunny Tampa Bay so the weather factor will favor the Cardinals because they play in a temperate dome and the Steelers play in one of the coldest stadiums in the NFL. I spoke with Mayne about the Cardinals’ win against the Eagles. “I was very upset and because of this I hope that the Steelers win the Superbowl,” said Mayne.

Go to the web

Who do you think will win the Super Bowl this year?

MARCUS MAVLIAN

Cardinals unexpectedly cruise to the Superbowl

9

Player Profile: Rachel Wattenberger

Sophomore Adrienne Williams on the balance beam during a gymnastics meet.

and all hope to succeed. “I really want to do well in districts and possibly qualify for regionals,” said sophomore Adrienne Williams, who is in her first year as a part of the AHS gymnastics team.

Although the team has struggled in recent meets, losing all four that they have competed in, they look to improve as the season winds down.

“I’m really working to get my back handsprings done, but I feel like we’ve improved a lot this year.

One of the biggest challenges is that we don’t have enough people to place in meets,” said Williams.

This is Williams’ first year on the gymnastics team, and although she has struggled at times, she would be very disappointed if the sport was cut.

The girls look forward to competing in districts, as many members of the team have been working hard all year for this event.

Grade: 12 Height: 5’8’’ Team: Dance Team Years Dancing: 15 Years on AHS Dance Team: 4 Favorite food: Tortellini Favorite toothpaste: Colgate Red Cinnamon Favorite movie: Juno Favorite musician: Jack Johnson Favorite T.V. show: House and Two and a Half Men Favorite Dance Team memory: Freshman year when we won Best Cos tume at a competition

IN-DEPTH

Niki Holmes speaks to the 6,000 student body of Cotton Hill girls school in Tribendem, India. This was one of the seven schools that Holmes and Kathleen Dion visited.

Compiled by: Charles Simpson Source: www.cia.gov/library/

Bringing Indian culture to America America has always welcomed cultures and traditions from all across the world. India is no exception. Indian customs and practices have become an important part of American culture.

Top Indian celebrities Popular Indian actress who is best known for her role in Bride and Prejudice.

She was also Aishwarya Rai voted as the world’s most beautiful woman.

Shah Rukh Khan

He is seen in Kal Ho Na Ho and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.

Khan was named one of the most powerful people in the world by Newsweek.

Movies based on Indian Culture

Slumdog Millionaire highlights the poverty of Indian streets.

Bride and Prejudice shows how Indians want to retain their old traditions while adapting to Western changes.

Bend it Like Beckham, the Harold and Kumar movies and Monsoon Wedding portray Indians in what seems to be a positive light.

They also highlight the struggles Indians have to face throughout the world to integrate their traditional customs into their adopted ones.

Compiled by Aishwarya Venkat

Rotary International works to eliminate polio through a program called “Polio Plus”. India is one of six countries still suffering from the disease. “I was asked to partake and I vaccinated an infant,” said Niki Holmes.

COURTESY OF NIKI HOLMES

India is the world’s second most populous country, it contributes an enormous portion to the world’s economy, and controls a massive, nuclear armed military.

In an increasingly globalized and internationally connected world, what happens in one country now directly and significantly affects the others.

Therefore, what occurs in India will directly and significantly affect life in America. It is important to recognize the economic, security, and cultural influences India has on the United States.

India is a major trading partner with the United States.

Changes in the economy of either country will directly affect the other.

India is a nuclear power at odds with Pakistan, another nuclear power. A war would clearly directly affect American international interests and national security conditions.

India is home to over 15 percent of the world’s population. Its culture, food, traditions, music and film are constantly witnessed spreading into America.

It is 8,000 miles away from Annandale, but India affects us.

Teachers travel to India COURTESY OF KATHLEEN DION

COURTESY OF NIKI HOLMES

and why we should care

Jan. 29, 2009

COURTESY OF NIKI HOLMES

Rise of the East

A

COURTESY OF KATHLEEN DION

10

th

In cities like Jaipor in northern India, elephants are more practical for earning tourist money than transportation.

English teachers Dion and Holmes have a rare travel opportunity to India

BY NATHALIE SPITA In-Depth Editor Two AHS teachers left their classrooms with a group study exchange program coordinated by Rotary International in Kerala, India. Kerala is a state in the southern part of the country on the western coast bordering the Arabian Sea. English teachers Niki Holmes and Kathleen Dion had a study experience that most teachers only dream of. Holmes and Dion traveled from Nov. 29 to Jan. 5 and in that time period visited seven schools, attended numerous Rotary business meetings, and participated in cultural events. Their study experiences and the awareness they gained have changed both teachers’ views on education, culture and themselves.

“The goal of the trip was for professionals to learn about their professions in another country,” said Holmes. “Education in India is vastly different, it’s just fascinating.”

Just as in the U.S., India has both public and private schools. Private schools are extremely expensive and the average classroom size is about 35 people.

Only the very privileged attend these schools.

The differences in the public schools of India are astonishing. There are 50 to 60 students per classroom and the sizes of the rooms are as big as a typical classroom at AHS. “There was no activities that required work or mobility,” said Holmes. “There were only teacher directed questions, no group interaction, just call and response and note taking.” Students always stand to address a teacher and there are virtually no behavioral problems. This was due to the fact that Indian schools still use corporal punishments. If the students misbehave or disrespect the teacher they will be beaten. “It struck me how happy and respectful the students seemed to be,” said Dion.

Can you imagine sitting elbow to elbow on long thin wooden benches in a classroom with 60 people and no air ventilation? The students of India go through a lot in order to acquire a proper education. “I recognized that they had fewer resources yet these students were enthusiastic about learning,” said Dion.

Holmes and Dion were taken aback at how well-educated and informed these students are. “They were more informed about American politics than some of our students at Annandale are,” said Holmes. “They were very informed about what is happening with the financial crisis.”

“I was very impressed with the students’ knowledge about American politics from elementary school students to college students, they all seemed excited and curious about Obama and what his becoming President would mean,” said Dion. “American students are lucky because they are more aware than most high school students but still don’t have complete awareness. They are so much more globally aware than some Americans are,” said Dion.

Schools in India have fewer resources than schools in America, yet Dion and Holmes feel that these same students are so highly motivated and value education much more than Americans. “If you are going to make it in India you have to pass with high marks and if you don’t, you don’t go on,” said Holmes.

After sophomore year, students take a test to enter into 11th grade and then another test to be accepted into 12th grade. These grades are called +1 and +2 respectively. In America there is a “rags to riches mentality” but it is not present among the people of India. “You can’t bomb these tests and become rich in India, that just not optional,” said Holmes.

Students only have two options, either to go on the academic track and pursue an education or enter directly into the working field. The non-academic track is working 10 to 12 hours of manual labor making five to six dollars a day. In India, this is a fairly decent and respectable pay. However, education in India is highly valued, competitive, and is the premier source for determining the path that one is to go on in life.

While on the trip, Dion and Holmes were engulfed in the culture of India, experiencing new traditions, tasting foreign foods, and absorbing unfamil-

An example of a typical classroom at an Indian public school.

Students are provided long benches rather than personal desks. Class sizes are large, often 50 to 60 per teacher, and rooms are cramped.

iar smells and sights.

“The smells, the colors, the complete foreign atmosphere was chaotic,” said Dion.

The India, Pakistan “What we saw was border and the location of territory of Kashmir amazing,”added Holmes.

Despite the lack of infrastructure, communication, and sanitation, the beauty of Kerala was still present, extraordinary and seen both by Dion and Holmes.

“It is very dirty,” Where the Mumbai said Holmes. “Rest attaks occured rooms were a challenge for me as a traveler, they were Dion and Holmes went to the the worst I have ever state of Kerela. seen.” Kerala claims they have 100% literacy. The local government spends a great portion of their budget on education. Yet even with education as a priority in Kerala it lacks waste removal and other basic needs.

As in any culture, food is a big and a very important aspect of a culture. Its tastes, variety, and sizes says a lot about a culture and its traditions. Dion and Holmes ate with traditional families and experienced different foods. The food they were provided was very rich yet simple and lacking in variety.

Dion and Holmes ate the typical meal (identify what a “typical meal” is, and it might be wise to point out the disparity between what the rich and the poor eat) including curry and a large amount of rice three times a day for thirty days.

“We are so used to a vast variety here that was a very big cultural change for me,” said Holmes. “We ate the same 15 meals three times a day.”

Food is a big part of the Indian culture and it is a mark of honor to feed a guest. As a long-term guest one is expected to gain weight. With Dion and Holmes being guests to these people, their bellies were always full. Once they cleaned off their plates the hosts would quickly refill them. “The portions were huge,” said Holmes.

The people of India take their meals very seriously. Breakfast and lunch is a sitting affair and dinner is often buffet-style. The traditional Kerala meal was no fewer than 12 separate dishes, served on a banana leaf. “We ate this special meal about 20 times,” said Holmes.

Rejecting food as a guest is extremely offensive and is looked down upon.

“They don’t understand if you say you have food allergies,” said Holmes. “Our world here is so clean that we create allergies for ourselves, and in India they don’t understand how we don’t eat everything.”

This once in a lifetime travel opportunity was greatly appreciated by both teachers.

“My feeling about India defies a simple answer, it is beautiful and dirty, the food was simple and delicious but lacking in options, the cultural exchange was challenging but resulted in a whole type of knowledge that I am grateful for,” said Holmes. “We experienced many things and learned things I would have never learned.”

“It seemed for the most part everybody lived in harmony despite overcrowding and vast differences in religion and economic status,” said Dion. “I learned a lot about myself and that you can learn a lot from experiences even if they weren’t what you expected.”

India

IN-DEPTH Students reflect on Mumbai attacks A

the

Jan. 29, 2009

As the effects of the attacks sink in global significance becomes apparent

BY CHARLES SIMSPON In-Depth Editor

While India has faced smaller attacks in Mumbai before, nothing from the past is comparable to the organized attack, loss of life and destruction incurred in November. The U.S. under went the tragedies of September 11; Europe was shocked by its train bombings, now India has been struck similarly in Mumbai.

Deep implications

Explosions. Gunshots. Fire. Fear. “We were just happy we were not in India at the time. All the people in India were all scared about what would happen next,” said sophomore Avneet Singh.

In a recent survey conducted by The A-Blast, of nearly 300 AHS students, over 14 percent identified themselves as Indian or Indian-American.

This 14 percent was clearly affected by India’s Mumbai attacks in November. The remaining 86 percent, and all Americans, are indirectly affected by this attack— despite the 7,998 miles from the center of Mumbai to Annandale High School’s front door. It should be recognized that in a globalized world, we are all tied to terror in India.

The Indian government claims Deccan Mujahideen, the group claiming responsibility for the attacks, is linked to Pakistani based Lashkar-eTaiba which is in turn linked to al-Qaeda. These accusations have been met by some skepticism.

“They shouldn’t say that, they have no proof Pakistan was behind it,” said junior Zeeshan Abbasi, who heard about the attacks through a televised Pakistani news show. The Pakistani government has dismissed Indian evidence that Lashkar-e-Taiba was involved in the attacks, but the connection has been difficult to disprove.

Why it matters

The sophistication of the attacks suggests foreign involvement and monetary support. Funding trails from Pakistani based, and United Nations banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa, equipment similarities to Lashkar-e-Taiba and information from interrogations supports claims of Deccan Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba relations. If this is the case, as India has proposed, the attack in Mumbai was simply a front to the Indian-Pakistani conflict in Kashmir.

It should be recognized that India, and its less than amicable neighbor, Pakistan, are two of nine nuclear-armed countries in the world. One should note that India has the world’s 12th largest economy categorized by gross domestic product, and that India has the world’s second largest total population. The world, U.S. included, will shift based on India’s reaction to the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. World trade will be weakened or advanced by India’s degree of economic stability. The U.S. led ‘war on terror’ will be benefited or further burdened by a spread of fundamentalist Islamic terror organizations into southwest Asia. Pakistan will see improved stability or be farther impaired, and renewed tensions between Pakistan and India will—at one extreme—escalate to nuclear war, or—at the other extreme— serve to unify the two adversaries in a common cause.

What it will mean

Two months after the attacks, as the initial shock wears down, the long-term implications are becoming apparent. The first and most clear repercussion is India’s increased interest in international efforts to curtail organized terror and acting Islamic extremism. The Indian government clearly blames al-Qaeda tied Lashkar-e-Taiba, its funding branch Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its unproven subsidiary group Deccan Mujahideen for the Mumbai attacks.

“I knew some people there [in India]. It came as a shock to people. Seeing those places go up in flames was a call to go against terrorism,” said junior Deepu Nair. “It is comparable to the American reaction to the September 11 attacks in 2001.”

Arguments

Kashmir: the source of tension

The Indian government claims that the Pakistani army’s intelligence wing, Inter-Services Intelligence, helped support Lashkar-e-Taiba and train Deccan Mujahideen members. “There are serious concerns about ISI involvement in the attacks,” said Nair. Both Pakistan and Lashkare-Taiba have interests in reacquiring the Indian controlled territory of Kashmir due to its large majority Muslim population.

The attack on Mumbai clearly symbolizes warfare over Kashmir between India and Islamic extremism. Whether India’s suppressed minority Muslim population will chose to follow up on these attacks through acts of protest against the Indian government will largely define the failure or continuation of the modern jihadist movement.

“It [The Mumbai attack] was a catalyst for the tensions that already exist from the Kashmir conflict,” said junior Zainab Ibrahim. Kashmir embodies a primary reason for tensions between the two countries. Pakistan and India have fought two declared wars and several other conflicts over the territory of Kashmir.

Both wars were fought before nuclear weapons

entered the equation. Since then, to gain an advantage over Pakistan, India launched a nuclear weapon development program and tested its first successful nuclear bomb. Pakistan then began pursuing similar weapons to prevent military domination and is currently armed with a stockpile of several dozen nuclear warheads. Consequently, the countries have entered a military standstill.

A nuclear engagement is clearly unacceptable, but the current situation is equally unsavory.

Q: When and why did you move to America?

A: I moved here August 11, 2008. Actually my father got transferred here and we had heard lot about America and how good it is. So, it was a good opportunity.

Kaur

Avoiding war

Whether the Mumbai attacks symbolize proxy warfare between India and Pakistan remains unclear. The Indian government appears fixated on advocating this position, meaning its newfound directive against terrorism is also aimed specifically at Pakistan. Consequently, relations between India and its neighbor have, and could continue to escalate towards instability.

“The incident in Mumbai raises the tensions, but obviously neither side wants war,” said government teacher John Hawes, who was stationed in India during the Indian-West Pakistani war for Bangladesh independence. Adding to Pakistan’s desire to avoid war is its reliance on India to support its increasingly feeble economy and fill any existing or developing agricultural scarcities.

Hard to shake hands

Avoiding nuclear war, benefiting economically and galvanizing international support all provide incentives for India and Pakistan to remain diplomatic. Unfortunately, existing feelings of distrust and malignancy between Pakistani and Indian citizens could prevent this from occurring.

Indian media is increasingly pugnacious and the Pakistani people are increasingly defensive.

Q: How are the schools in India different from American schools?

A: The major difference is that you can wear casual clothes over here, but there you have to wear the same boring uniform everyday and have your hair pleated nicely or you will be punished. You move from one class to another and you have different classmates in each class, but over there teachers come to your class; you don’t have to change the room. There you don’t choose your subjects, everybody has the same subjects.

Q: Is the school curriculum more difficult in India or America?

A: Yeah! It is difficult in India. You don’t just learn from your book or notes, you have to learn from several other reference books too. There, only your exams make up your grade, but here you can gain grades by doing your homework. I think IB is more like it is over there but there it is more detailed. I won’t say that it is difficult over here but the project labs are time consuming and sometimes difficult.

Q: Do you want to stay in America or move back to India?

A: I don’t know. I really haven’t decided it yet because my parents would go back to India after three years and stay there. Also, I do not properly understand the system here. So, we’ll see.

Compiled by: Nathalie Spita

•308 people were injured

•Only one was captured •$10,000 were provided in compensation to the families of the deceased •Violence continued for 72 hours after the initial shots were fired •Two Americans, a father and daughter, were killed Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Timeline of India’s Conflict August 1947- India and Pakistan founded as independent countries.

Pakistan is formed from western Muslim majority region of India.

1948- War begins between India and Pakistan over control of Muslim majority territory of Kashmir.

1965- Second war over Kashmir.

1971- Third war over Kashmir.

1974-India tests its first nuclear weapon. The conflict becomes globally significant.

1974- Pakistan begins nuclear weapons program.

May 1998- Pakistan performs first successful nuclear test.

Have you stayed in a country outside of the United States?

May 2003- Diplomatic relations recommence between India and Pakistan, relations improve.

October 2003- Islamic militants attack Indian government figures in Kashmir.

23% of students have never left the country

November 2008- Militant attacks on Mumbai begin Day one- Gunmen enter India and raid hotels, cafes, and residential buildings

51% of students have visited a foreign country

Day two- Indian commandos engage gunmen while Deccan Mujahideen take responsibility for the attack

Q: What is difference between your life back in India and your current life here?

A: I don’t have lots of friend here, so, it’s kind of boring. Everything moves fast, you have to be on your toes. There you can be lazy sometimes and I think it was more fun there especially because I knew everything there. You don’t have much free time over here, but there you have a lot of free time. There I have relatives and friends, so there were a lot of activities going on and we celebrated festivals together. I miss it all.

Q: Was the sudden change difficult and hard to adapt to?

A: Yeah! Earlier it was like, ‘What is going on?’ I even told my mother, ‘if it is possible, please send me back.’ If you don’t have friends, it’s an especially hard time. I used to think that if my friends were here, it would be more fun. Moreover, daily homework was hard for me to finish it fast, but gradually I am adapting to it and it is going on very well.

•173 people were killed in the attacks

Coming together

At AHS, students do not seem to support the idea that existing tensions will prevent peace.

“There’s a lot of resistance on both sides—bombings, violence and all that—so people on both sides are sympathetic to what happened,” said Ibrahim.

“They know it’s wrong.”

“Sometimes people make these issues, but it’s not everyone,” said Avneet Singh, an IndianAmerican, while eating lunch with his Pakistani friend, Zeeshan Abbasi.

“I think it will get better,” said Abbasi. “I don’t know how, but it has to.”

Hopefully, the cooperation, understanding, and cultural tolerance exhibited at AHS in instances like this exist on a global scale. However, as tensions grow, accusations fly and bellicosity advances, optimism towards the issue has become increasingly difficult to substantiate.

Q: Where in India are you from?

A: I am from New Delhi. Delhi is very busy. Many people come from other states to find jobs over here.

Q: What was your first impression of America?

A: I think it’s very cool. And moreover, it is very clean. There is lot of greenery. It is very open and not congested.

Conflict by the numbers

•10 terrorists were directly responsible for the attacks

From east to west Junior Ramandeep Kaur moves from India to the United States

11

Day three- Hostages are released and violence declines

26% of students have lived outside of the United States

How involved in international problems should the United States government be?

19% Very involved

52%

Somewhat involved 18% Limited involvement 11% Uninvolved Of 300 surveys distributed during A, B, C and D lunches on Jan. 15, 296 were included in these results.

Graphics by Adam Kasdorf

Day four- Nine militants are killed and one captured.

The siege is declared over.

December 2008- Links between Deccan Mujahedeen and Pakistan are proposed by journalists and the Indian government

Today- Relations between India and Pakistan remain unstable.

Pakistan’s involvement in the attack remains unclear.

Compiled by Charles Simpson Sources: www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/ www.news.bbc.co.uk/

12 Go to the web for more coverage on a change in times visit www.thea-blast.org

If the school starting time is made later, how do you think it will impact AHS?

ACADEMICS

th

A

Jan. 29, 2009

Later start, more sleep school students home alone for at least half an hour, more if their parents work.

And while some argue that the high school students often take care of their younger siblings, other parents do not like having students unsupervised at home.

After school activities can be another issue for high school students. Some have jobs that would be affected if the school days shifted forward an hour. Many participate in after school sports.

BY DOREEN BOND “I don’t like it,” said junior Monica Athey. “School ending later would make Academics Editor sports practice go on longer. I would get home later, and I doubt I’d get more It is not an uncommon sight at AHS, especially during the first class of the sleep.” day: students fast asleep, faces buried in tired arms, oblivious to the world around Sleep is a major issue for teenagers. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates them. sleep. For teens, it is released later in the day than for adults or children, making Students sleeping in school has always been a problem, but it soon may be falling asleep before 11:00 p.m. difficult for teenagers. It also makes it difficult for solved. FCPS has been considering a cost-effective proposal to shift the school day teenagers to be fully awake before 8 a.m. forward an hour, giving students a chance to sleep in.

Sleep is a huge influence on human bodies. It affects moods and hormones When AHS teachers were asked in an email survey by Principal Ponton about and metabolism. Being sleep deprived has a huge negative influence on all those whether or not they would like the later start times, 42 out of the 179 respondents things, making humans cranky, hormone levels abnormal, and damages the (23 percent) were for it, whereas 130 of the 179 (73 permetabolism. For a teenager to be alert and in the right cent) were against the idea. mind for learning, having an accurate amount of sleep Shifting the school schedule forward would make is a necessity. the school day start around 8:30 a.m. for high schools.

Since 1998 FCPS has been recommended to start their A number of students [have] hours It would also cause the school day to end an hour later high schools later by the Task Force. The only reason they than it does now. of unsupervised time until their have not already changed the starting times is because Many of the reasons behind the proposed start change they had not found a cost efficient way to do so. parents come home from work. are because of teenage sleep habits and the bodies’ needs.

Since 1979, the start time of schools in Fairfax County It has been scientifically proven that most teenagers has slowly become earlier and earlier. In 1979, FCPS high need an average of about nine hours of sleep a night. schools started around 8:00, but by 1986, the average Because of the school schedule though, most teenagers —SLEEP website time for school starting was 7:40 a.m. In 1990, it shifted get about six or seven hours of sleep, with some even to 7:30, and since 1996, the average start time has stayed less than that. at 7:20 a.m.

“I get about five or six hours of sleep,” said sophomore SLEEP has suggested four different ways to let stuAnne Hruskoci. Hruskoci gets up at about 5:30 a.m. in order to get ready for dents start school after 8:00 a.m. school.

The first option is to start elementary schools at 8:30 a.m., and have high school That is about the average time that most students get up in order to get ready students be the second tier of bus stops, followed by middle school students. The for school, especially if they ride the bus. main objective for that option is to spend no extra money on additional buses, but Many parents of students have been pushing for FCPS to start school later. to allow high school students receive the sleep they need.

One of their main concerns is the earliness of the school buses. According to the The second option would need more buses. The elementary schools would information gathered by SLEEP, (Start Later for Excellence in Education Proposal) start in between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m., with high schools starting between 8:30 and the earliest bus in Fairfax County makes its first stop at 5:48 a.m.

9:00 a.m. Middle schools would start soon after, between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m. This When high school students are waiting for their buses, they are typically would make having more buses a necessity while providing students with more huddled in the dark, watching for the flashing lights announcing the bus’s arrival. time in the morning.

The buses arrive at the school around 7 a.m. and disappear until about 2:00 p.m.

The third option has rolling bells, with not all schools starting at the same to take the students back home. time. It would be equally cost-efficient, but more difficult to organize.

Most students prefer the time that they get home from school. Although 2:00 The last option would have middle school bells stay as they are, but start high p.m. might seem like an early hour, it can sometimes mean time home alone schools and elementary schools later. It would cost money for more buses and be without parents and siblings. Members of SLEEP, however, consider the issue difficult to organize the bell schedules as well. problematic.

FCPS has put in a considerable amount of thought for ways to help students’ “A number of students then find themselves with hours of unsupervised time health, in hopes of boosting scores and attendance. If the proposal becomes a until their parents come home from work,” stated SLEEP’s website. reality, it will be up to the students themselves to make sure the dreams of those Most middle schools do not finish until 2:35 p.m. or later, which leaves high behind SLEEP become a reality.

Looking at next year, the board is leaning towards starting school at a later time

“

“I think it’s really good because it gives me more time to get ready in the mornings and less people will fall asleep in class.”

”

—Becca Hendrickson freshman

“Students will be less drowsy, more alert, and more attentive. There will probably be less falling asleep in class.”

—Sam Pokraka sophomore “ We s t a y u p late anyway, so if school started later, we could stay up late and get more sleep.

—MC Larme junior

Before School...

After School...

“ I t h i n k i t ’s a good idea to change the time because then students would get more sleep and would be able to focus better in school.”

School Board passes Fairgrade’s 10-point scale After six months of meetings and debating, the school board has made up its mind

BY EMMA BARKER Academics Editor

FCPS Superintendent Jack Dale listens as members of the school board express their opinion of the scale.

Deputy clerk Linda Sabo and a FCPS staff member read the proposed amendment of the night.

Fairgrade.org representatives hand out signs to hold during the meeting and have more petitions ready to sign.

PHOTOS BY EMMA BARKER

“I hereby announce the passing of the amendment proposed by Ms. Strauss,” declared Daniel Storck, chairman of the FCPS school board. This was followed by a loud uproar from the audience. After waiting three hours for a final decision from the school board, anxious parents, students and TV journalists were glad to hear the outcome of the vote on the proposed grading scale.

It was a unanimous vote to change the current FCPS grading scale to the 10-point scale. Along with changing the grading scale, the new grade system would increase the grade point weight in all AP and IB classes by one point. All honors classes would have their grade point weight increased by half a point.

Superintendent Jack Dale needs to come up with a plan to implement the new grading scale. It is unclear when exactly the grading scale will be in effect and how the transition from the current scale to the new ten point one will be made.

The evening of Jan. 22 at Luther Jackson Middle School began with the national anthem and was followed by speakers who expressed their opinion about the grading scale. Many of the speakers were school board members, teachers, parents, and students who were expressing their opinions and points of view on the idea of the grading scale.

There were cheers and clapping, boos and hisses. More than once chairman Dan Storck had to calm people, leaving the audience to murmur and whisper under their breath to each other.

Not only were the comments from the audience noticeable, but also the sea of white clothing in the auditorium. If someone came in wearing a different color they certainly did not get the memo. Fairgrade supporters came into the meeting in identical clothing and held signs to express their opinions.

Megan McLaughlin, president of Fairgrade.org said, “If the 10 point scale is good enough for Montgomery County and Sidwell Friends School in Washington D.C., it’s good enough for Fairfax County.”

Even though for the past few weeks the school board has been meeting one on one with members of Fairgrade, the parents were still trying to get their point across. Every time one of the school board members spoke of the grading scale the parents would hold up signs that read, “10 POINT SCALE.” Some of the school board members were not given the utmost respect from the audience when they expressed how they felt on this decision.

“It’s not a fair grade, it’s an air grade,” said board member Stuart Gibson, as the crowd booed in response.

“We need higher standards for teachers, higher standards for students and higher standards for parents,” stated Jane Strauss, who proposed the vote to change the existing system to a 10-point scale.

“Anything that’s worth doing is worth doing right,” said vice president Tessie Wilson, regarding exploring more options than just the 10-point scale. She, however, did vote yes towards the change in the scale.

“It’s simply unfair to our kids…it’s just not right,” said Ilryong Moon, who was referring to the current grading system used in Fairfax County.

“It’s time to join parents and students in another direction. This is the kind of grading scale we need to be pursuing and we need to go ahead and do it!” said Strauss.

All of the hard work that they had been fighting for the past few years finally paid off. The 2009-2010 school year will be the first time in FCPS history that Fairfax County will use a 10-point grading scale.

Now the only other issue regarding the grading change is deciding where the plusses and minuses of the 10-point scale fit in. Superinten- In a blanket of white, parents show their support and voice their dent Jack Dale has opinion at the school board meeting. to make the final revisions before the end of March, in time for the scale to become active in September.

The majority of support behind Fairgrade were teachers and parents and students, but in the end the grading scale will mostly affect the students.

“I think it was a good decision, since other counties around here use it. It makes sense for us to use it too,” said sophomore Elliot Kiemel.

While some students are excited about the new grading scale, others are not content with the change.

“I think its not going to challenge us enough and it’s not a good thing,” said junior Kelly May. “I’d rather the GPA be bumped up for the honors classes we’ve been taking than changing the grading scale.”

Teachers also have their own opinions, but most are simply concerned about whether the change will benefit students.

“I’m just curious about how the plus-and-minus part will work and if it will boost students’ GPAs,” said English teacher Megan Jones.

EMMA BARKER

Events of the night

Left, in the morning on the bus, freshmen Marcella Ortiz and Laura Zambrana catch up on their sleep as much as they can before the day begins. Right, Alex King and Mia Salch, two tired freshmen, rest in the jock lobby after an early morning and tiring day at school.

EMMA BARKER

—David Palacioss senior

WALIHA GANI

“I don’t care because I’m a senior, I won’t be here, I hope they make it earlier.”

EMMA BARKER

—Emma Whitmyre junior

Parents show their support of Fairgrade by waving signs and clapping during the school board meeting that determined the grading scale for the 2009-2010 school year.

Cancer answers Frequently asked questions and answers about cancer What is cancer?

Cancer is the uncontrollable growth of abnormal or deformed cells in any region of the body.

What causes cancer?

Cells can become cancerous if the DNA in the cell becomes damaged and the body is unable to repair the damage. Damaged DNA can be caused by environmental carcinogens or be inherited.

How does cancer spread?

Cancer can spread to more then one area of an individual’s body. Cancerous cells can spread through the blood stream or lymph system. When a cancer spreads to more than one region or organ it is called metastasis.

Benign tumors are unable to spread throughout the body.

How many people are affected by cancer?

Millions of people are living with cancer today and, according to the American Cancer Society, “half of all men and one-third of all women in the US will develop cancer during their lifetimes.”

How is cancer treated?

Cancer can be treated using surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, biologic therapies, and/or hormone therapy.

Surgery can be used to remove tumors in several locations in the body.

Radiation can be used to change the DNA of cancerous cells so they no longer divide and grow. Radiation can only be used on a concentrated cancerous area, as it can be harmful to other cells.

Chemotherapy works to stop cells from dividing. Chemotherapy works throughout the body and therefore stops all cells from dividing and growing, that is why patients lose hair.

Biological therapy helps aid the immune system to help patients fight cancer.

Hormone therapy can stop a hormone from aiding the growth of cancer cells or increase a hormone that prevents cancer cells from growing.

How do you plan to stay healthy this year? “[I want to] get rid of the habit of eating at night, have small portions of snacks, and exercise 2-3 times a week.”

---Perla Quintanilla Sophomore “I plan to have better time management and better study skills so I can have more time to sleep.”

—Salma Kerfal Sophomore “I [would] fix my sleeping schedule making it more consistent, and I want to drink more water ”

th

Physics teacher Darold Harris was diagnosed with lymphoma

BY AMY STEINBUECHLER Health Editor On Oct. 7, 2008 Darold Harris, a happy and healthy 66-year-old physics teacher, visited his doctor with a minor back pain that would wake him at night. The doctor immediately scheduled a CT scan and in the weeks following, a biopsy with a final diagnoses in mid-October. Harris’ minor back pain was one of three tumors in his lymph nodes that would press on his spine a night.

“I went into what I consider to be just a fog. It was ‘this can’t be happening to me,’” said Harris. “There was a shock effect throughout the diagnoses part of it. I was only about half aware. I was a bit afraid, I would say, but the encouragement that I got and the more information I got, the more I came to believe we’ll get this fixed and move on.”

The tumors found throughout Harris’ body were a form of cancer called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is found in an individual’s immune system. Although the cause of his cancer is unknown, the military has made non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma a service related illness in which the military will give health coverage to military patients.

Lymphoma was made a service related illness after it was found that agent-orange, a defoliant used in Vietnam, could cause this form of cancer. Harris, a Vietnam veteran was never assigned to work with the material but could have been exposed to it in his service. “It’s not definitely service related or tied to my Vietnam service but there is a likelihood,” said

“

Above: Lymphoma is a cancer that is found in and affects the lymphatic or imune system which includes lymphnodes, tonsils, the spleen and even bone marow.

Right: Harris remains teaching physics at AHS while undergoing chemotheraphy.

family doctor and the oncologist I saw both said non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is very treatable,” said Harris. “NonHodgkin’s lymphoma is actually one of the first [cancers] that the medical profession has declared curable through chemotherapy.”

Harris receives treatment at Fairfax Northern Virginia hematology and oncology center and routinely sees his regular physician. “I just have absolute confidence in those folks they’ve been great. They’re my new best friends,” said Harris.

Harris receives treatment every three weeks, on Mondays and is scheduled for six cycles of chemotherapy. “[After treatment] I feel a little nausea the first few days, which [my doctors] give me an anti-nausea medication for. I don’t feel the real effects except for a little out of sorts for three days,” said Harris.

Senior Samantha Wilkins, a student of Harris’ said, “Harris occasionally has to miss class for treatment but otherwise [class] hasn’t changed much.”

“One of the things I have enjoyed about teaching is I am able to talk to kids about that and they are very understanding,” said Harris, who openly discussed his diagnoses, but

Harris.

This particular cancer is located in the lymph nodes which are found throughout the body and therefore the tumors can be as well.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is characterized in four stages. Harris was diagnosed with slow-growing or “lazy” tumors, as Harris put it, in stage IV (four). In stage IV there is more than one tumor throughout his body and the tumors are on both sides of his diaphragm, a muscle —Darold Harris located in the midTeacher abdominal region.

Harris’ tumors are located in his back on his left side, also in an area near his sternum and in the left hip, which has invaded his bone marrow.

The prognosis for Harris in his condition is said to be a 90% chance the cancer will go into remission after treatment. “I got one of the lucky ones,” said Harris.

As a result of the location of Harris’ tumors, radiation treatment was not an option. On Dec. 2, 2008, Harris received his first round of chemotherapy. “From the very beginning my

I have every confidence that this will be recoverable.

”

does not focus on it in the class room.

“He barely seems different at all,” said Wilkins, “It’s easy to forget.”

Over the winter break, Harris received his second round of chemotherapy on Dec. 23, just two days before Christmas. Although that was a difficult treatment time for Harris, his wife and children were very supportive and understanding, and he was still able to enjoy the holiday season.

“Getting use to some of the limitations is difficult.” Harris said.

Harris still enjoys bike rides, but, with the chemotherapy robbing him of a lot of his energy, he has had to reduce the lengths of his trips. Harris was a healthy man going into the doctor’s office and despite the diagnoses he received, he remains in good health and spirit.

With trust in the medical profession and his own good health, Harris has accepted his diagnoses and limitations and is determined to battle his cancer. “I have every confidence that this will be recoverable and by summer I am absolutely confident that this will be done with.”

The catch 22 of students’ sleep Students suffer stress and drowsiness from not receiving enough sleep, often times due to the busy and active lives they maintain

Sleep Statistics 20% of high school students sleep the nine hours of sleep

BY BEELAN YONAS AND JULIA MOELLER Health Editor and Staff Writer

recommended by the National Sleep Foundation.

Senior Sahar Jamialahmadi is jolted awake at the sound of her alarm.

Feeling tired from the four hours of sleep, she pulls herself together to get ready for school in less than 20 minutes to catch the school bus.

At school, she dozes off in her classes, half-heartedly finishes her Geography test and can barely concentrate in her math class. The cycle continues to stay up late for the rest of the week.

It is a familiar story to many students who fail to catch enough sleep and can barely function during the day.

One cause of lack of sleep is stress. “My sleeping patterns are very unstable,” said Jamialahmadi. “I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about college and then I can’t go to sleep anymore. Usually, I go to bed at 12, but by the time I [fall] sleep it’s 2:00 a.m.. I can’t stop thinking about school, tests, homework, college and grades.”

Seniors, more than underclassmen, have a tough time getting enough sleep, especially during this time of the year with college applications due on top of homework assignments, sports, extracurricular activities and scholarship forms.

A study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation in 2006 confirmed that teenagers do not receive enough sleep. According to the study, seniors sleep about two hours less than the recommended nine hours a night.

For some students, sleeping less is something they take pride in. “I don’t want to sleep,” said senior Alba Fuentes. “It’s a waste of life. I take naps during the day at 6 p.m. and then I wake up at 8 p.m. to do my homework.”

Evidence shows that lack of sleep can cause problems ranging from depression and moodiness to acne and other skin problems. Chronic lack of sleep has been attributed to such problems as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

50% or more of seniors go to sleep after 11:00 p.m.

59% of students do not believe they get enough sleep.

65% of people lose sleep due to stress.

90% of parents believed their children received enough sleep. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

“I plan on exercising a lot because the previous year I didn’t do much.”

— Derek Amoaful senior “I [will] keep excercising and eat[ing] more fruits and vegetables.”

—Bonnie Vining

BEELAN YONAS

English teacher

suggestions for New Years’ Resolutions.

Jan. 29, 2009

AHS teacher battles

—Rene Medranos Senior

Go to the web Visit us at thea-blast.org for

ABLAST

AMY STEINBUECHLER

14

HEALTH

Seniors Asena Fern and Stephanie Berg find it difficult to stay awake in their English class.

Additionally, those “sleep binges” during the weekend until noon, in which teens try to catch up on all the lost sleep during the weekday, do not help; it just confuses your natural body rhythm for sleep.

Sleeping in school is another “solution” for students who do not make the time to sleep at home. “Half of red days are nap time [for me],” said senior Bryan Vasquez. According to the study, about 28 percent of high school students sleep in school once or more a week.

Many causes have been blamed for these sleep-deprived teenagers. Too much homework and early school times can be attributed to students’ lack of sleep, but the most prominent stimulant today is the number of electronic items in a students’ room, which the National Sleep Foundation has discovered is directly linked to the amount of sleep a teen gets. “I spend most of my nighttime online on Facebook, fixing or editing my pictures, or watching movies,” said senior Sahar Atayee.

Students are not the only ones that are affected by sleep deprivation; one-fourth of teachers in the United States claim that they are so impacted by sleep deprivation that their teaching abilities are considerably affected.

Almost 43 percent of teachers studied said that they typically sleep six hours or less a night and 64 percent of teachers claimed that they suffered from drowsiness during the school day.

Math teacher Tobias Dienstfrey admits that he occasionally suffers from lack of sleep and that it can sometimes affect his mood in class. However, he claims that being prepared for a lesson is what really counts. “As long as you’re prepared, it doesn’t matter how tired you are. It’s like that with any job. It’s got nothing to with sleep, [It has to do with] just being prepared,” said Dienstfrey.

It is sleeping habits like this that have made energy drink sale rise. Onethird of 12-24 year olds make up approximately $3 billion in energy drink sales.

“I drink energy drinks to stay awake,” said senior Rachny Soun. “Amp is my favorite. It’s so good.”

Though energy drinks provide a quick a relief to their stressful problems and give a boost, the increased energy is lost as rapidly as it is gained. Popular energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, Volt, and Amp can lead to caffeine addiction, insomnia and dietary deficiencies. Instead of giving students the energy they desire, it worsens their sleeping habits because of the large amounts of sugar and caffeine.

Also, one of the continued faults for lack of sleep, early school times, may be solved if Fairfax County School Board votes on the proposal to change school times later, which would have all high schools starting at 8:30 a.m. Hopefully, this will allow students to get those nine hours of recommended sleep.

Cancer answers Frequently asked questions and answers about cancer What is cancer?

Cancer is the uncontrollable growth of abnormal or deformed cells in any region of the body.

What causes cancer?

Cells can become cancerous if the DNA in the cell becomes damaged and the body is unable to repair the damage. Damaged DNA can be caused by environmental carcinogens or be inherited.

How does cancer spread?

Cancer can spread to more then one area of an individual’s body. Cancerous cells can spread through the blood stream or lymph system. When a cancer spreads to more than one region or organ it is called metastasis.

Benign tumors are unable to spread throughout the body.

How many people are affected by cancer?

Millions of people are living with cancer today and, according to the American Cancer Society, “half of all men and one-third of all women in the US will develop cancer during their lifetimes.”

How is cancer treated?

Cancer can be treated using surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, biologic therapies, and/or hormone therapy.

Surgery can be used to remove tumors in several locations in the body.

Radiation can be used to change the DNA of cancerous cells so they no longer divide and grow. Radiation can only be used on a concentrated cancerous area, as it can be harmful to other cells.

Chemotherapy works to stop cells from dividing. Chemotherapy works throughout the body and therefore stops all cells from dividing and growing, that is why patients lose hair.

Biological therapy helps aid the immune system to help patients fight cancer.

Hormone therapy can stop a hormone from aiding the growth of cancer cells or increase a hormone that prevents cancer cells from growing.

How do you plan to stay healthy this year? “[I want to] get rid of the habit of eating at night, have small portions of snacks, and exercise 2-3 times a week.”

---Perla Quintanilla Sophomore “I plan to have better time management and better study skills so I can have more time to sleep.”

—Salma Kerfal Sophomore “I [would] fix my sleeping schedule making it more consistent, and I want to drink more water ”

th

Physics teacher Darold Harris was diagnosed with lymphoma

BY AMY STEINBUECHLER Health Editor On Oct. 7, 2008 Darold Harris, a happy and healthy 66-year-old physics teacher, visited his doctor with a minor back pain that would wake him at night. The doctor immediately scheduled a CT scan and in the weeks following, a biopsy with a final diagnoses in mid-October. Harris’ minor back pain was one of three tumors in his lymph nodes that would press on his spine a night.

“I went into what I consider to be just a fog. It was ‘this can’t be happening to me,’” said Harris. “There was a shock effect throughout the diagnoses part of it. I was only about half aware. I was a bit afraid, I would say, but the encouragement that I got and the more information I got, the more I came to believe we’ll get this fixed and move on.”

The tumors found throughout Harris’ body were a form of cancer called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is found in an individual’s immune system. Although the cause of his cancer is unknown, the military has made non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma a service related illness in which the military will give health coverage to military patients.

Lymphoma was made a service related illness after it was found that agent-orange, a defoliant used in Vietnam, could cause this form of cancer. Harris, a Vietnam veteran was never assigned to work with the material but could have been exposed to it in his service. “It’s not definitely service related or tied to my Vietnam service but there is a likelihood,” said

“

Above: Lymphoma is a cancer that is found in and affects the lymphatic or imune system which includes lymphnodes, tonsils, the spleen and even bone marow.

Right: Harris remains teaching physics at AHS while undergoing chemotheraphy.

family doctor and the oncologist I saw both said non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is very treatable,” said Harris. “NonHodgkin’s lymphoma is actually one of the first [cancers] that the medical profession has declared curable through chemotherapy.”

Harris receives treatment at Fairfax Northern Virginia hematology and oncology center and routinely sees his regular physician. “I just have absolute confidence in those folks they’ve been great. They’re my new best friends,” said Harris.

Harris receives treatment every three weeks, on Mondays and is scheduled for six cycles of chemotherapy. “[After treatment] I feel a little nausea the first few days, which [my doctors] give me an anti-nausea medication for. I don’t feel the real effects except for a little out of sorts for three days,” said Harris.

Senior Samantha Wilkins, a student of Harris’ said, “Harris occasionally has to miss class for treatment but otherwise [class] hasn’t changed much.”

“One of the things I have enjoyed about teaching is I am able to talk to kids about that and they are very understanding,” said Harris, who openly discussed his diagnoses, but

Harris.

This particular cancer is located in the lymph nodes which are found throughout the body and therefore the tumors can be as well.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is characterized in four stages. Harris was diagnosed with slow-growing or “lazy” tumors, as Harris put it, in stage IV (four). In stage IV there is more than one tumor throughout his body and the tumors are on both sides of his diaphragm, a muscle —Darold Harris located in the midTeacher abdominal region.

Harris’ tumors are located in his back on his left side, also in an area near his sternum and in the left hip, which has invaded his bone marrow.

The prognosis for Harris in his condition is said to be a 90% chance the cancer will go into remission after treatment. “I got one of the lucky ones,” said Harris.

As a result of the location of Harris’ tumors, radiation treatment was not an option. On Dec. 2, 2008, Harris received his first round of chemotherapy. “From the very beginning my

I have every confidence that this will be recoverable.

”

does not focus on it in the class room.

“He barely seems different at all,” said Wilkins, “It’s easy to forget.”

Over the winter break, Harris received his second round of chemotherapy on Dec. 23, just two days before Christmas. Although that was a difficult treatment time for Harris, his wife and children were very supportive and understanding, and he was still able to enjoy the holiday season.

“Getting use to some of the limitations is difficult.” Harris said.

Harris still enjoys bike rides, but, with the chemotherapy robbing him of a lot of his energy, he has had to reduce the lengths of his trips. Harris was a healthy man going into the doctor’s office and despite the diagnoses he received, he remains in good health and spirit.

With trust in the medical profession and his own good health, Harris has accepted his diagnoses and limitations and is determined to battle his cancer. “I have every confidence that this will be recoverable and by summer I am absolutely confident that this will be done with.”

The catch 22 of students’ sleep Students suffer stress and drowsiness from not receiving enough sleep, often times due to the busy and active lives they maintain

Sleep Statistics 20% of high school students sleep the nine hours of sleep

BY BEELAN YONAS AND JULIA MOELLER Health Editor and Staff Writer

recommended by the National Sleep Foundation.

Senior Sahar Jamialahmadi is jolted awake at the sound of her alarm.

Feeling tired from the four hours of sleep, she pulls herself together to get ready for school in less than 20 minutes to catch the school bus.

At school, she dozes off in her classes, half-heartedly finishes her Geography test and can barely concentrate in her math class. The cycle continues to stay up late for the rest of the week.

It is a familiar story to many students who fail to catch enough sleep and can barely function during the day.

One cause of lack of sleep is stress. “My sleeping patterns are very unstable,” said Jamialahmadi. “I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about college and then I can’t go to sleep anymore. Usually, I go to bed at 12, but by the time I [fall] sleep it’s 2:00 a.m.. I can’t stop thinking about school, tests, homework, college and grades.”

Seniors, more than underclassmen, have a tough time getting enough sleep, especially during this time of the year with college applications due on top of homework assignments, sports, extracurricular activities and scholarship forms.

A study conducted by the National Sleep Foundation in 2006 confirmed that teenagers do not receive enough sleep. According to the study, seniors sleep about two hours less than the recommended nine hours a night.

For some students, sleeping less is something they take pride in. “I don’t want to sleep,” said senior Alba Fuentes. “It’s a waste of life. I take naps during the day at 6 p.m. and then I wake up at 8 p.m. to do my homework.”

Evidence shows that lack of sleep can cause problems ranging from depression and moodiness to acne and other skin problems. Chronic lack of sleep has been attributed to such problems as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

50% or more of seniors go to sleep after 11:00 p.m.

59% of students do not believe they get enough sleep.

65% of people lose sleep due to stress.

90% of parents believed their children received enough sleep. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

“I plan on exercising a lot because the previous year I didn’t do much.”

— Derek Amoaful senior “I [will] keep excercising and eat[ing] more fruits and vegetables.”

—Bonnie Vining

BEELAN YONAS

English teacher

suggestions for New Years’ Resolutions.

Jan. 29, 2009

AHS teacher battles

—Rene Medranos Senior

Go to the web Visit us at thea-blast.org for

ABLAST

AMY STEINBUECHLER

14

HEALTH

Seniors Asena Fern and Stephanie Berg find it difficult to stay awake in their English class.

Additionally, those “sleep binges” during the weekend until noon, in which teens try to catch up on all the lost sleep during the weekday, do not help; it just confuses your natural body rhythm for sleep.

Sleeping in school is another “solution” for students who do not make the time to sleep at home. “Half of red days are nap time [for me],” said senior Bryan Vasquez. According to the study, about 28 percent of high school students sleep in school once or more a week.

Many causes have been blamed for these sleep-deprived teenagers. Too much homework and early school times can be attributed to students’ lack of sleep, but the most prominent stimulant today is the number of electronic items in a students’ room, which the National Sleep Foundation has discovered is directly linked to the amount of sleep a teen gets. “I spend most of my nighttime online on Facebook, fixing or editing my pictures, or watching movies,” said senior Sahar Atayee.

Students are not the only ones that are affected by sleep deprivation; one-fourth of teachers in the United States claim that they are so impacted by sleep deprivation that their teaching abilities are considerably affected.

Almost 43 percent of teachers studied said that they typically sleep six hours or less a night and 64 percent of teachers claimed that they suffered from drowsiness during the school day.

Math teacher Tobias Dienstfrey admits that he occasionally suffers from lack of sleep and that it can sometimes affect his mood in class. However, he claims that being prepared for a lesson is what really counts. “As long as you’re prepared, it doesn’t matter how tired you are. It’s like that with any job. It’s got nothing to with sleep, [It has to do with] just being prepared,” said Dienstfrey.

It is sleeping habits like this that have made energy drink sale rise. Onethird of 12-24 year olds make up approximately $3 billion in energy drink sales.

“I drink energy drinks to stay awake,” said senior Rachny Soun. “Amp is my favorite. It’s so good.”

Though energy drinks provide a quick a relief to their stressful problems and give a boost, the increased energy is lost as rapidly as it is gained. Popular energy drinks like Red Bull, Monster, Volt, and Amp can lead to caffeine addiction, insomnia and dietary deficiencies. Instead of giving students the energy they desire, it worsens their sleeping habits because of the large amounts of sugar and caffeine.

Also, one of the continued faults for lack of sleep, early school times, may be solved if Fairfax County School Board votes on the proposal to change school times later, which would have all high schools starting at 8:30 a.m. Hopefully, this will allow students to get those nine hours of recommended sleep.

ARTS

A

the

Jan. 29, 2009

Artist in the spotlight

Go to the Web

Juliana Levanthol transforms everyday items into impressive artwork Most people could find no use for a bent metal coat hanger. Maybe someone could use it as a lock pick after cutting it into a few pieces. Or perhaps it could be used as a hook to display something on a wall. Unfortunately, most of us would just throw the scrap metal away without a second thought. But someone like junior Juliana Leventhal would look at it and see an idea for her next art project.

Leventhal is inspired to create art with everyday things. Her recent art exhibition at the Annandale Neighborhood Center (ANC), located in the AHS quad, featured everything from a light-up makeup mirror to sculptures made of reused metal and personalized painted shoes.

The ANC began displaying student artwork when a few students became interested in an art show last year. Today, student artwork from several previous celebrations adorns the walls of the ANC. The students and adult coordinators agree that it ‘brings the place alive’.

“The Neighborhood Center attracts a lot of students after school and its relaxed environment makes it perfect for activities like art shows, study groups or any other student initiative,” said ANC Coordinator Jessica Green. This is why Juliana decided that this was the best place to display her artwork.

Art has been one of Leventhal’s childhood passions. “I’ve been creating art since I started talking,” said Levanthol with a smile.

“It’s my hobby. I basically create anything with anything. My cousin actually got me interested in art. She was able to sell her paintings to make enough money, and I kind of want to do the same,” said Levanthol When speaking of subjects for her artwork, Levanthol said she likes drawing anything except human figures.

“I love drawing objects. People move too much.

Aside from that, I like murals, but I actually love

making sculptures,” said Levanthol.

Levanthol has been taking formal art classes for the past few years. She has taken art classes at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria. This year, she is taking IB Art and Portfolio Preparation at AHS to better her art skills and to prepare her for college level courses.

Levanthol is fascinated with recycled artwork.

This art style is unique in that it turns everyday waste like plastic, paper and soda cans into art. One of her ongoing projects is a bottle cap menorah. The bottle caps are made into a tower that is held together with hot glue. Such works definitely spark the interest of viewers.

Levanthol also makes personalized shoes with artwork on them.

“It’s basically like taking a blank pair of Chucks and making them your own,” said Levanthol about her designs.

Her current shoe designs include patterns, symbols and even human faces on these shoes.

These can be bought from her for $40-$50, and Levanthol is hoping to receive more orders and create more of these shoes in the future.

Teachers also admire her ability to make art out of waste. “That’s a great quality about Jay," said Joel Jepson, Levanthol’s US VA History teacher. "She’ll take something that you and I would throw away, and make something creative out of it.”

“It reminds me of Michelangelo—he used to take scraps of marble that were meant to be thrown away and create statues out of them. It really is a unique quality,” said Jepson.

Levanthol herself admires creative artwork by others. A few of her favorites include Kurt Halsey, Salvadore Dali and Josh Sommers. She loves expressionist artwork, as well as art that make the viewer think. “[Their] pieces are extremely interesting because they all have this other layer of meaning to them. The key to understanding it is seeing it not for aesthetic value, but also for its emotional and inside value,” said Levanthol.

to see more exhibits from the Annandale Neighborhood Center www.thea-blast.org

Amateurs and Prose Students in Creative Writing submitted original literary works to The A-Blast

AISHWARYA VENKAT

BY AISHWARYA VENKAT News Editor

15

Juliana Levanthol’s art was on display at the Annandale Neighborhood Center along with other local student artists.

To show her admiration for these artists, Levanthol has created an abstract handprint, which is one of her favorite pieces of the whole exhibition.

Levanthol aims to pursue art as a career. “I may open a business involving arts, and maybe a few other artists,” said Levanthol. She also plans to study at the Corcoran College of Art and Design after high school.

As for her future plans, everyone around her wishes Levanthol the best. “For people like her, I think the best advice I could give would be don’t give up,” said Jepson. “We all need outlets for our passions and emotions, and art clearly drives Juliana.”

—Kerry de Mello junior My teeth were chattering so badly. I knew it was giving away our hiding spot. Detective Lane looked at me sharply.

“Stop chattering your teeth!” he whispered ferociously. With a lot of struggling, I finally managed to stop. Suddenly, we heard a loud THUD from upstairs. With my hands taking over for my teeth, I clutched my weapon.

This was my first stakeout and I didn’t want to mess up.

The noise upstairs was followed by footsteps running down the hall, being chased by thunderous pounding. A woman came flying down the stairs screaming. The man chasing her was right on her heels as I released the trigger.

AISHWARYA VENKAT

AISHWARYA VENKAT

—Brandon Mitchener junior

Levanthol’s personalized shoe designs can be bought for $40 - $50. She is always looking for new customers so she can create more of her brightly colored graphics on a pair of Chuck Taylors.

The abstract handprint was one of Juliana’s favorite pieces that was shown at the exhibition. Her paintings often reflect a deep emotional meaning.

Going three rounds with the Filament

We had spent the afternoon in a café on the Rue Saint-Jacques, a spring afternoon just like any other. That’s where we first met.

A year later, we were engaged.

But now I’m standing here on this bridge overlooking this river. Her engagement ring in my hand, I clench it tightly.

She’s gone now, and I’ve got to go pick up some flowers. The cemetery is five miles away and I promised I’d visit her today. It seems like only yesterday; she was taken from me a year ago today.

Lit Mag staff decides what submissions get published in 2009 edition

The Filament Literary Arts Magazine is a periodical produced by the Publishing Department and sold with the yearbook at the end of each school year. The club that is in charge of the magazine is called The Filament, and is sponsored by Kathleen Dion, an English teacher at AHS. Anyone can submit a piece of art or literature to The Filament for publication and many students do, but not all of these submissions are published in the magazine.

“Submissions are separated by type and are chosen based on their overall quality,” said Daniela Guevara, Art Editor of The Filament. All of the submissions are made anonymous by removing the names of the students who submitted them before the voting begins in order to preserve the integrity of the process. Members of The Filament showcase art submissions and read literary submissions aloud for the other members, who then vote on whether or not it should be published.

“It takes a while to decide on what pieces go into the magazine because we don’t want to miss anything. We have three distinct rounds of voting.

We look for different things in each round," said Guevara.

In the first round, the staff eliminates things that are of very poor quality, such as doodles on lined paper or incoherent literature. In the second round, they go into more detail and critique things like themes or styles for literature or how expressive an art piece is.

“Sometimes there is a lot of debate over the quality of the submissions we get, so we might split the second round into two separate voting rounds if necessary," said Guevara.

Most, if not all, of the stories that pass the second round of voting are usually considered publishable. The third and final round of voting is done based on the number of submissions that can fit in the magazine, which can vary based on the total number of submissions received and the amount of money that the club receives from its fundraisers.

“The main thing we look for in both categories is the amount of effort put into the work,” said Guevara. “In art submissions, this can include things like good use of technique or just how cool something looks. For literary submissions, this can include how creative, original or interesting a piece is. We also look for grammatical and spelling errors, but those aren’t as important because we can correct them easily."

The selection process sounds daunting, but it is still worth the effort.

“The Filament is a great opportunity for students to showcase their artistic ability and talent,” said Dion.

The deadline for submitting pieces to The Filament is Jan. 30 and all are encouraged to submit.

TRAVIS VALLE

BY SAM YOUNG Staff Writer

The Filament staff has placed folders, which include the submission forms, in most of the English and Art classes for students to drop off their submissions. Staff member junior Brandon Mitchener collects submissions for the Filament to publish.

SENIOR PORTRAITS Please visit our web site at

—Lucy Webb sophomore The sparkling trout stream flowed softly over the rocks with the moonlight turning its surface into diamonds. The firelight cast rubies upon the water as well, warming my face and softly lighting the dark night.

The night around us was alive with movement. A bush across the river was rustling slightly, releasing a storm of white winged butterflies, flying up into the stars like a host of glorious angels.

The shadowed figures of orchids swayed in the breeze, the fire flickering and popping.

I could feel his chocolate eyes on me as I pretended to sleep with hair hiding my eyes and my head in his lap. He brushed back my hair, fingers soft against my cheek, and I felt him lean down and softly kiss the same spot.

“I know you’re awake,” he whispered softly in my ear, and I smiled, eyes still closed, giving myself away. He lifted me up easily and pulled me close, head against his broad chest. I never opened my eyes though because I didn’t want the magic to ever end. All I wanted was to stay in the arms of my big strong knight, safe and warm forever.

www.briarcreekphoto.com to view our portfolio.

We specialize in outdoor portraits of groups and individuals.

BRIAR CREEK PHOTOGRAPHY An Annandale Family Business 571-233-0377

Attention all AHS students!

If you would like your artwork or creative writing to be featured in a future issue of The A-Blast, drop off your submission at the Publications Lab. You must include in your submissions your full name and grade as well as your R5 and W2 classroom numbers.

For full coverage on Pack the Pit, log on to www.thea-blast.org

Boys basketball by the numbers

54

three-pointers made by the team through 14 games. Senior John Welsh leads the team, with 17, followed by sophomore D’Angelo Boyce who has hit 14 threes.

5-3

is the Atoms’ record in the district through 15 games. The Atoms have six more district games before the Patriot district championships start.

943

points scored by the Atoms through 15 games.

The Atoms are led by sophomore forward Karl Ziegler who averages 13.5 points per game. The next leading scorers are seniors Allen Stalp and John Welsh who average 12.5 and 12 points per game.

86

points were scored by the Atoms in their overtime victory over the Lake Braddock Bruins on Jan. 9. A late three by senior John Welsh in regulation tied up the game and led to the Atoms’ win.

Track competes at two day CNU meet

Jan. 29, 2009

After losing two games, Atoms take care of Wolverines 75-65, then Spartans 63-58

BY DAVID HOOKEY Staff Writer The boys basketball team started off their second round through Patriot District opponents on the right foot with a win Friday.

The Atoms led wire to wire, but had to survive a late resurgence by the West Springfield Spartans that brought the game within two points in the closing minutes. After sophomore D-Angelo Boyce made several clutch free throws late, the Atoms had sealed their 63-58 home win.

On Jan. 21, the Annandale boys basketball team traveled to West Potomac to take on the Wolverines.

The Atoms jumped out to an early lead and were able to translate their solid play into a five-point lead at the half. However, the team faltered in the third quarter and was down by 1 heading into the final period.

The Atoms regained their first-half rhythm in the fourth quarter and were able to outscore the Wolverines 24-13 en route to a solid 75-65 victory.

“We played well and we needed the win after losing two in a row,” said sophomore forward Karl Ziegler, who finished with eight points.

The Atoms were led by senior Allen Stalp, who turned in his best performance (23 points) since returning from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for two games earlier this month. Boyce tied a season-high with 15 points and senior John Welsh added 13 points.

This victory came after two losses to district rivals Lee and Hayfield.

The Atoms played Lee on Jan. 16, in front of a home crowd starting off their four-day weekend.

Unfortunately, the Atoms never really got it going against Lee and, although a third quarter run brought the Atoms within four, they were never able to gain control and ended up falling, 70-60.

“We didn’t play as well as we should have, but our bench was positive and encouraging, so that was good,” said sophomore forward Melvin Robinson.

It was a tough loss for the Atoms, who featured a new starting lineup in the game due to regular starters battling sickness. The team was led by Welsh, who scored 24 points and Ziegler, who scored 14 points.

In the Hayfield game, Jan. 13, the Atoms fell behind early and a tremendous dunk in traffic by Hayfield senior TJ Wilson capped off a first quarter in which Annandale was outscored 19-8.

In the second quarter, the Atoms mounted a run of their own, sparked by a dunk by sophomore Ronnie McCoy. This second quarter run allowed Annandale to cut the halftime deficit to four, 29-25.

In the third quarter, the Atoms came within three of the Hawks, but, in a game in which Annandale never led, Hayfield was able to pull away to get the decisive win.

“After the half, we had some momentum and we were able to cut their lead to three,” said Ziegler, who had nine points and ten rebounds. “But we just couldn’t get the win.”

“We didn’t play our style of basketball offensively and didn’t get enough fast break opportunities,” said head coach Anthony Harper. “We also got killed on the glass and didn’t cause much havoc on defense.”

Other than Ziegler, Welsh was really the only other consistent scoring threat in the game. He finished the game with 19 points and four for four free throw shooting.

This rather lackluster performance may be the result of a bit of a letdown after a big win over district foe Lake Braddock. On Jan. 9, the team traveled to the home of the Bruins and pulled out an overtime thriller.

Trailing by three with just three seconds to play, Welsh knocked down a fade-away three-pointer as time expired. The Atoms capitalized on their momentum and outscored the Bruins 17-10 in the extra period.

One of the keys to the game was the AHS’s ability to prevent Lake Braddock senior guard Dominic Morra from taking over the game. “[Morra] is a hard player to contain, but we tried to frustrate him by

LANCE MILLER

Go to the Web

th

Senoir John Welsh feeds the ball down low to sophomore Karl Ziegler in the Atoms 62-45 loss to the Hayfield Hawks. Welsh finished the game with a team high 19 points while Ziegler added nine.

LANCE MILLER

16

SPORTS A B-ball bounces back with wins

Sophomore D’Angelo Boyce drives towards the basket through several Hayfield defenders. The Atoms have a chance to avenge their loss to the hawks on Feb. 6.

putting different defenders and giving him different defensive looks. It also helped that we got him into foul trouble,” said Harper.

In the game, the Atoms were led by Ziegler’s season-high 26 points and Welsh’s 23 points. Robinson and Boyce added 10 and 14 points, respectively.

Though the Atoms currently have a winning record in the district, the team knows there is room for improvement.

“We need to work on not turning the ball over so much and playing better defense,” said Robinson.

Coach Harper emphasized these points, as well as the need for better offensive execution and more hustle.

“We got out-hustled in the Hayfield game, so we need to make sure we maintain high intensity throughout the game,” he said.

The Atoms finish out their season with five straight games against Patriot District opponents, starting tonight when they travel to South County to take on the Stallions.

“If we can come out faster and have a lead going into the fourth quarter, we should be good,” said Harper, “But we still have to take one game at a time because each team in our district has improved.”

The team’s overall record currently stands at 7-8 (5-3 in the district), with the results of the home contest T.C. Williams (Monday, 1/26) available on the web at www.thea-blast.org.

Senior Dale Lin high jumps at the CNU high school showcase. Lin cleared 5’6” at the meet and has cleared 5’11” this season.

Atoms win over Hayfield as the season nears an end

BY KRISTEN HENNESSEY Staff Writer

Junior Kelly O’Brien takes a hand off from junior Maggie Bermingham in the 4 by 200 meter relay. The team finished 11th out of 35 teams.

Senior Emily Koppelman throws the shot at the meet. Koppelman placed fourth in the meet and is ranked 6th in the state and first in the Northern region.

Photos Courtesy of Ted Plunkett

Sophomore Ben Wolfenstein swims at the Atoms recent meet at Wakefield Rec. Center.

scores are combined with the swim team’s score, their performance is not always recognized. Still they have high individual goals for the rest of the season.

“We want to beat Lake Braddock and West Springfield in districts,” said junior Sean Mckinney.

The Atoms stand an equal chance against their next two opponents, Lee and West Potomac, before districts begin; Feb. 4 for dive, and Feb. 6 for swim.

Atoms wrestle strong as season end nears The grappling Atoms are riding a nine meet winning streak heading into districts PHOTO COURTESY OF TRICIA WAYLAND

Junior Alhaji Bah runs the 55 meter hurdles race. Bah is ranked fourth in the district, meaning he should qualify for the regional meet.

The swim and dive team handily defeated Hayfield on Jan. 16 as they prepare for the last two meets of the season before districts. The meet was easy like expected, as Hayfield is 0-5 in the Patriot District. An easier opponent allowed the more versatile swimmers a chance to swim events they are not usually in, whereas normally they are expected to win their best event. The final score for the boys team was 235-79, and the girls with a score of 218 to 92.

The Atoms regained confidence after losing a tough meet against Lake Braddock the week before. The Atoms had hoped to defeat the Lake Braddock Bruins, something that had not been done in years. However, the Atoms came up short and lost to the Bruins; the girls with a score of 122 to 192, and the boys with a score of 154 to 161. In some ways this was still an accomplishment.

“The boys did really well and only lost by seven.

So that’s a pretty significant accomplishment,” said senior captain Erin Price. “The girls lost by 70 points which is pretty decent because in the past years we lost by more than 100.”

Sickness and absence presented a challenge

for the team, with six swimmers not being able to compete in the events they were originally placed in.

“It was kind of crazy. There were last minute changes and we had to switch people into events they either don’t usually swim or weren’t really prepared to swim,” said Price.

The girls swim and dive team is now 2-3 in the Patriot District, while the boys are 3-2. The boys team has performed better than expected with their consistent swimming.

“I would love for the girls to win more meets because we’ve only won two,” said Price.

With the team still adjusting to a new coach and new tactics, Price said, “I think we have a pretty strong team but it’s one of those transition years.”

One aspect that should help the teams down the stretch is the incorporation of dry land into their practice. Although the swimmers acknowledge the fact that it gets them in shape, there are mixed feelings over it.

“It gets us more in shape, but I don’t like doing it,” said junior Kellie Del Signore.

“I love dry land. I love doing it. We definitely need to do more than swim for one hour, which is all the time that is allotted to us at the recreation center. Most every other sports team at AHS has a two hour practice. Some days I don’t want to do it, but I know it’s worth it in the end,” said Price.

The dive team has shown great improvement and accomplishments this season, but since their

CARLY BOUCHARD

Swim prepares for post season

Senior Victor Njomo works towards an eventual pin at the Atoms meet at T.C. Williams high school. Njomo is currently ranked in the state and only has one loss on the season.

BY SCOTT PLUNKETT Sports Editor As the wrestlers have neared the championship season, they have wrestled smarter, stronger and won more matches.

This past weekend the Atoms traveled to T.C. Williams where they wrestled against district foes West Springfield and West Potomac. The Atoms continued their winning trend and won both matches by scores of 69-10 and 59-24.

The team’s only overall loss in the past 15 competitions came and only district loss all year came against the Hayfield Hawks on Jan. 7.

Several Atoms have high chances of placing

at the district, regional, and state competitions including senior Victor Njomo, senior Shane Doty, junior Ricky Adams and freshman Dane Harlowe.

Njomo has only one loss on the season, which came in his match against Battlefield high school.

Harlowe is unbeaten in head to head matches with schools, as his only loss comes from the first tournament of the year.

Adams missed a large amount of competitions at the beginning of the season due to a shoulder injury, but is undefeated since returning midway through the year.

The Atoms hosted the annual Pack the Pit competition in the upstairs gym yesterday. It ended too late for this edition. Visit us on the web at www.thea-blast.org for full coverage on the event. The Atoms next match is the district tournament, which is held on Feb. 6 and 7 at AHS.

SPORTS A Girls 5-10 overall; 3-5 in district games th

Jan. 29, 2009

Girls basketball by the numbers

Atoms hope to improve and finish in the top four of the district after a rocky season

36

three pointers made by the team through 15 games. Sophomore Kristen Hennessey has made the most, with 11, followed by junior Nikki Clarke who has hit nine threes.

BY SCOTT PLUNKETT Sports Editor

Track prepares for districts KATIE VU & ALLEY ADCOCK Staff Writers

COURTESY OF TED PLUNKETT

Hitting the middle of the track season, coaches and athletes hope to end the season with stronger starts and longer jumps. “The team is doing well and in good shape, but we still have room to improve,” said junior Michael Ejigu.

The varsity team is eager to end the season with a district placing team. “Our relay is really good, we’re all friends with each other so we are bonded which helps us run fast and compete as a team,” said senior Laura Burton.

Throughout the season, the team has placed second in the district and would like to end the season placing first with more than one relay reaching the regional and state tournaments.

“Our season is going well with good performances from our varsity athletes with many qualifications for districts and states,” said head coach Sean Miller.

During practices, runners work hard by running longer distances on their own to improve conditioning and their individual race times.

Coaches have realistic goals and predictions Junior Daniel Blasser runs the 1000m run at the CNU to help the runners high school showcase. Blasser placed sixth out of 82 not only physically runners with a time of 2:42.14 and is currently ranked prepare, but mentalfirst in the district. ly prepare as well.

“We run a lot longer distances so our short sprints are faster,” said junior Maggie Bermingham.

The team’s most recent meet was an overnight trip to Christopher Newport University to compete against runners from different teams across Virginia and North Carolina.

“Even after our success at the meet we still need to improve to reach our goal, which is to place high in districts,” said junior Daniel Blasser Students chosen to participate in the varsity meet left school Friday at 9:00 a.m. and took a two-hour drive to CNU. “Overall, the meet was very fun and we represented our school well by placing third and competing against very strong schools,” said sophomore Olivia Ko. Top performances included Scott Plunkett placing third in the 3200 with a time of 9:41, qualifying him for the state meet. Michael Ejigu placed third in the mile with a time of 4:33, and Emily Koppleman placing third in the shot put division. The boys 4x8 relay which includes Blasser, Ejigu, Plunkett and senior Ki Le placed third overall with a time of 8:25. “Our time wasn’t [as] good as we wanted it to be, but I guess it just gives us room to improve,” said Blasser The meet started at 3:00 p.m. and continued until 9:00 p.m. on Friday night, and started again at 8:00 a.m. continuing until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. AHS competitors participated in almost every race, representing their school proudly.

“I liked going to Christopher Newport and getting the experience of what college track would be like. It was also a blast to hang out with my friends and the track coaches,” said Blasser.

Upcoming meets include two junior varsity meets and the District and Regional Meets at the end of the month. The District Meet gives competitors a chance to qualify for the Regional and State Meet. To check out team stats from the Christopher Newport meet or any other previous meet go to www.milestat.com.

605 BRENNA O’NEILL

As the buzzer sounded, the Atoms looked up at the scoreboard to once again see a large margin of victory. Unfortunately, this time it was not in their favor, as the Atoms lost to the West Springfield Spartans for the second time this season by a score of 66-23 on Friday.

The Atoms fell behind early after only scoring four points in the first quarter, and fell further behind in the second leaving them down 10-36 at the half.

“Our offense could have improved by swinging the ball more, and setting better picks to get each other open,” said senior guard Alexis Williams. “Also, we needed more offensive rebounds and execution.”

The failure to swing the ball was also brought up by sophomore Kelly Hughes.

“We have trouble reversing the ball to the other side quickly, which would in time give us open looks at the basket,” said Hughes.

The second half yielded no better results, and the Atoms failed to score double digits in any quarter to finish with a score of 23-66.

One of the big problems of the night was the failure to get the whole offense involved. Only three players scored for the Atoms’, Williams and juniors Aby Diop and Nikki Clarke.

The Atoms also hurt themselves by shooting poorly from the line, making only 6 of 18 free throws. This was especially disappointing because free throw shooting was one of the teams major focuses.

In the Atoms previous game, they easily beat the West Potomac Wolverines by a score of 54-33. The Atoms built a strong 15-point lead in the first quarter, as they held the Wolverines to only five points.

The Atoms had a dynamic scoring night with four players scoring in double digits. Williams led the Atoms’ scoring group with 13 points. The Atoms shot 58 percent from the free throw line in their second highest scoring game of the season.

The Atoms recent win over the Wolverines was a severe contrast to their game against the tough Lee Lancers less than a week earlier. The Atoms lost the game by a score of 33-51. Surprisingly the Atoms had a one point lead at the half, but after being outscored 18 to four in the fourth quarter they were buried.

Their leading scorer was once again Williams with 12 points, but this time she was the only Atom in double figures. The Atoms also did a poor job of containing Lee star Priscilla Moseh, who scored 18 points on nine of eleven free throw shooting. The Atoms’ hope to get revenge against the Wolverines on Feb. 13, which is both senior night and the last regular season game for AHS. After going through a mid-season rough patch, the Atoms are now on an overall upward trend with only a few games remaining in the season. After playing every district opponent once, the Atoms had a record of 3-4 in the district. Scoring has been a problem for the Atoms all year long, but when they can get points their defense can usually do enough for the win. In every girls game they have scored over 50 points, they have won.

“We have improved greatly on our defense and talking,” said Hughes.

“Defense wins games and we have learned to work as a team during defense

17

The Atoms watch coaches Pat Hughes and Cleveland Williamson draw up a play during a recent game. The team has had a very up and down season, winning their first two games before losing eight straight.

as well as talking to help each other out.”

Williams also thinks the team has made great strides this season, saying “Our team has improved during this season with being more aggressive towards the other team. We are getting better at swinging the ball and knocking down the open jumpers which has made it easier for us on offense.”

The Atoms now have a 5-10 record overall, despite losing eight straight games in the middle of the season. The Atoms have five games remaining before the district tournament and are hoping to close the season strong.

“We can go 5-0 if we just play to the best of our ability for the entire 32 minutes,” said Williams.

Their next game is against the South County Stallions at home tonight at 7:30 p.m. The Atoms lost by 17 to the Stallions the last time they played, largely in part to a six point scoring first half.

“We want to be in the top four of the district giving us a home game the first round of the district tournament,” said Williams. “We also want to win the first game giving us a bid to another regional game.”

“We really want to finish in the top four so that we can play a first round district game at home. We think this will give us a better chance at winning and therefore qualifying for the Northern Region Tournament, which was one of our goals for the year,” said freshmen Hailey Brown.

In order to finish in the top four and earn home court for the first round of districts, the Atoms will have to win the majority of their remaining games including at least one win over a team they’ve lost to previously in the season.

College b-ball’s Febuary fun Extra Points

It’s nice to know that we, as American sports fans, can now concentrate on the country’s most exciting and compelling sporting event. No, not the Super Bowl. No matter how much Super Bowl ads sell for, as entertainment goes, traditionally it is lacking.

Sports Column The fact of the matter is, once the By: Kelsey Knoche NFL’s Conference Championship weekend (which is truly much more exciting then the Super Bowl) is over, the most compelling stories in sports revolve around the crazy world of college basketball as it careens through a parity filled season toward another completely unpredictable (and completely unforgettable) “March Madness.”

Do you want an even better Conference Championship set-up? Try an amazing week of hoops where thirty-one division one college basketball conferences take to the hardwood to earn the honor of representing their conference in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Since we’re still six weeks away from conference tournament week, let’s just take a brief inventory of where we are as of this writing.

The unanimous The fact of the matter is, once Number 1 North the NFL’s Conference Championship Carolina Tarheels, a team many ‘exweekend is over, the most compelling perts’ thought would go through stories in sports revolve around the the season undecrazy world of college basketball. feated and unchallenged, are beaten at home by —Kelsey Knoche unranked Boston Sports Editor College.

Then UNC is beaten again, by ACC-foe Wake Forest on Jan. 11. Wake Forest earned the No. 1 ranking the following week, and less than 72 hours later fell to Virginia Tech.

After dismantling Maryland, Duke was named the new Number 1 this week. The Blue Devils, though, face the tough task of traveling to former No. 1 and in-state rival Wake Forest on Jan. 29. Should they lose to the Demon Deacons, college basketball will once again have a new number 1 team.

Meanwhile, in the Big East, Louisville beat then newly-crowned No. 1 Pittsburgh. On the same day the Panthers dropped to No. 4, they dismantled No. 8 Syracuse.

Oh, and those are just the most recent games. I forgot to mention that ACC schools Maryland and Boston College were beaten by upstarts Morgan State and Harvard on the same night.

There’s nothing like March for college basketball fans. Turn on any sports channel and you are bombarded with games, from big time conferences like the ACC to leagues like the Missouri Valley and Mountain West who generally only get to send their tournament champion to the NCAA Tournament.

The NCAA Tournament, a 65-team event which this year runs from March 17 to April 7, divides the 65 best teams in division one college basketball into four evenly-matched regions where the sixteen teams (after one is eliminated in the play-in game) duel it out in an effort to reach college basketball’s most storied place—The Final Four.

The most amazing thing about March Madness—the official nickname of the tournament—is the fact that, unlike college football, a real champion is crowned. There is no crazy points system to name the champion—you win, you survive, you advance, and that’s all there is to it.

The bottom line is that any team in college basketball can win on any given night—just ask Harvard or Morgan State—and the race to the April 9 championship game in Detroit is already shaping up to be one for the ages.

“

total points scored by the Atoms through 15 games. An average of 43 points, the girls highest output of the year was 63, while the lowest was 26.

186

points scored by senior guard Alexis Williams, the most on the team.

Junior Nikki Clarke has the second highest point total with 108 points on the year.

148

is the total number of free throws made by the Atoms through 15 games.

They have gotten to the line 259 times, making their free throw percentage 57 percemt on the year.

186

is the total number of field goals made by the AHS girls basketball team. Once again led by Williams, with 58 makes in 15 games, junior Aby Diop has the second most with 42.

5-10

is the Atoms overall record this season.

After winning their first two games, the girls dropped eight straight games before improving in January games.

3-5

is the team’s Patriot District record. The Atoms hope to finish in the top 4 of the district, allowing them to host their first game in the district tournament.

Girls Gymnastics

Senior Nomin Bayarjargal competes on the balance beam during a recent Atoms gymnastics meet.

Bayarjargal continues her routine on the balance beam. She and her team mates are working on improving for the Patriot District Tournament.

Junior captain Rose Broberg executes her floor routine during a recent meet.

—Photos courtesy of Anne-Marie Weiner

“In the winter time I shovel snow for some of my neighbors.

I also do car washes with my friends.”

—Julieta Sole freshman

“I do community service at my church. We’re doing a winter coat drive right now.”

—Pamela Encinas sophomore

“I am one of the managers of the swim team and I help clean my neighborhood.”

—Jeff Huynh junior

“I volunteered for the election and I worked the polls.

I also help out with Mat Rats wrestling.”

— Hocque Figueroa senior

Go to the web For a follow-up video to last issue’s ice skating story visit www.thea-blast. org.

Jan. 29, 2009

Lending a helping hand Donating your time can be a fun and rewarding way to spend your weekends

BY MAGGIE CRAIG Staff Writer Many students throughout the school are involved in community service.

Whether it is to fulfill a service requirement for National Honor Society (NHS) or to help out a local church, community service is a good way to make a positive impact on those around you.

NHS members are a large portion of the student body who are most active in the community. Being a member of NHS is an extra task many students choose to take on during their own free time. The applicants for NHS are students who have exceeded expectations i n t h e a r e a s o f Junior Maggie Bermingham uses a garbage grabber academic achievement, to pick up trash. The garbage grabber helps prevent leadership, character injuries when grabbing sharp objects. and service. These students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of no less than 3.5 and complete a total of 10 hours of community service each semester.

Community service is a large part of being a member of NHS. Students must participate in the semi-annual Ossian Hall clean-up, as well as complete 10 hours of community service outside of school. Each NHS member has a different way of carrying out their duty to the society.

Junior Susan Al-Suqi chose to complete her service requirement by participating in the Annandale Key Club, a group dedicated entirely to community service. Al-Suqi feels this group helps with the hours because it is very accessible. “I complete some of my hours through the Key Club,” said Al-Suqi, “Since it is a school sponsored club, I don’t have to go too far out of my way looking for hours.”

Al-Suqi also finds ways to integrate her hours into her personal hobbies.

“I do a lot of charity walks, which are a fun way to help accumulate my hours since I am an active person, it doesn’t seem so much like community service.” Al-Suqi does some of her hours by tutoring kids in Spanish as well as working in local soup kitchens.

In order to complete his hours, junior Chris Sheehy plans to tutor students as well, while also working with a book club. “Tutoring is a great way to finish hours because the people will come to you and you don’t necessarily have to go out looking for ways to help.”

Sheehy also experienced helping out in another country, but was disappointed to find out his foreign service would not count. “I went to Argentina last summer with my church, but since I wasn’t in NHS at the time, I could not count the time I spent there as service hours.”

While in Argentina, Sheehy helped build homes for the locals while sharing his church’s beliefs. “It was cool to be able to share my beliefs with people from another culture. Even though I didn’t get the hours to count towards NHS, it was still a great experience.” Sheehy plans on continuing service through his church.

Students who participate in community service are not just NHS members. Junior Ellie Holcombe does her part to help the community through her girl scout troop. “Through my girl scout troop I got involved in redecorating a retirement home called Hermitage. This will help me get

Upcoming Concerts

my Gold Award, which is an award for doing community service with girl scouts.” Holcombe plans on redecorating a room to make it more appealing to the elderly community members. “I really enjoy this type of service because redecorating is something I am interested in so it is fun for me and it makes other people happy when it is finished.”

Junior Monica Athey, another student who completes service hours through their church, went to Peru for two weeks. “When I went to Peru with my church we taught English classes for the adults and kids. It was awesome because we were helping people, but at the same time we were having fun.”

Athey and her fellow church members stayed with the locals and learned about their way of life. “It was cool because after we taught them I would get to hang out and make friends with a lot of them.”

During the day, Athey and other volunteers would go into the city to help rebuild, paint and evangelize to the people.

If you want to become more involved in the community or need community service hours, consider joining the Annandale Key Club. “Helping the community is rewarding in many ways and it looks good on college applications, as well as helping you become a more caring person,” said Litter is collected in trash bags and left in the parking lot Sheehy. for the park authority to pick up. The NHS service project MAGGIE CRAIG

What do you do to get involved with the community?

A

the

MAGGIE CRAIG

20

WEEKEND

relieves the park authority of its clean up duties.

How to get involved Homeless Shelter

Homestretch- (703) 237 2035 Homeless shelters provide refuge for the city’s homeless population.

You can help out by volunteering as a food server.

Ronald McDonald House

www.rmnc.com (630) 623 7048 The Ronald McDonald House provides a home-away-from-home for families with seriously ill children. Help these families by volunteering to prepare meals or help maintain the house.

Special Olympics

www.specialolympics.com 1 800 700 8585 The Special Olympics is a year-round training program for children and adults with mental retardation. You can get involved by training, fund raising or staffing events.

Habitat for Humanity

www.habitat.org 1 800 422 4828 This organization builds and gives house to poor families. You can learn how to build a house while giving back to the community.

Libraries

www.fairfaxcounty.gov (703) 256 3800 Volunteers at the library help assist the library staff. You can help by re-shelving books or reading to children.

COURTESY OF MONICA ATHEY

Senior Citizen Center

The Killers

Wed., Jan. 28 Recher Theatre 7:00 p.m.

Price: $25

Columbia Pike Animal Hospital (703) 222 8234 If you are an animal lover, this is the perfect place for you to volunteer.

You can help out by taking care of animals or helping to keep the facility clean.

M unchies & M Restaurant Guide

By Marie Benavides and Marisa Tordella

Pho Hot The Black Keys Wed., Feb. 4 Rams Head Live!

7:00 p.m.

Price: $25

Brett Dennen Sat., Feb. 7 Recher Theatre 8:00 p.m.

Price: $18.00

Annandale is known for being home to many Asian restaurants, but one of the best ones by far is Pho Hot. While this Vietnamese restaurant serves many different types of food, it is most well known for its popular noodle soup called Pho. When I first entered the restaurant, I was amazed at how big it was since the outside made it seem small. The whole room was filled with many tables and was a bright and lively shade of yellow.

I went and took a seat at one of the many booths and waited for my waiter to bring me a menu.

The whole restaurant was very lively and bright, with many Asian-themed pictures on the walls and a small fountain at the center of the restaurant. In addition, there was a large, electronic picture of a waterfall which, when turned on, simulated a running waterfall.

The waiter quickly came with my menu, and I began to read over the restaurants wide selection of Pho types. Each bowl of Pho is based upon a broth with noodles and the customer then selects the type of meat. An order of Pho also comes with a plate on the side with onions, bean sprouts

MARIE BENAVIDES

Citizen Cope

Junior Monica Athey, pictured with her mission group, ventured to Peru to help underprivileged children and families learn about religion and improve their lives.

Animal shelters

MARIE BENAVIDES

Wed., Jan. 28 Patriot Center 8:00 p.m.

Price: $44.50

Leewood www.leewood.com (703) 256 9770 Volunteering at a senior citizen center helps you get in touch with the elderly population. You may even learn something from them.

The restuarant is bright on the inside with TVs on the walls that advertise the meals offered.

and spicy jalapenos that are meant to be added to the soup. I was very relieved to see that their menu not only described each type of meat that could be added, but also had pictures to further explain. There were over 10 combinations that I could choose from, so it was difficult to decide what I wanted.

After contemplating my options for a good amount of time, I ended up choosing the “Tai, Nam, Gau, Gan, Sach,” which was a combination of five different things. Not even five minutes after I had ordered, my steaming bowl of Pho had arrived at my table and I was ready to begin enjoying it, a task easier said than done. The noodles of my soup were at the very bottom of the bowl and the different types of meat overwhelmed the top part of the soup. I tried to mix up the contents, but this was nearly impossible to do without spilling the broth onto the table.

Once I figured out how to mix my meal, the soup itself was very delicious. I did not add the sliced jalapenos to my soup though, because I am not a big fan of spicy things.

Pho Hot is located on Little River Turnpike, in the middle of a busy shopping center.

Pho Hot is located in a shopping center off Little River Turnpike, so there are many parking spots available. The restaurant can get very crowded around lunch time though, because of its popularity.

Location: 7442 Little River Tpke.

Annandale VA, 22003 (703) 333-5955

Pho Hot

Food: Service:

Price: $

Decor: out of 4 stars

out of 4 dollar signs