A
ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL
the VOLUME #59 ISSUE 10
Hottest Headlines
4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 470
Informiing the Atoms siince 1954 4
TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2014
(703) 642-4229
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION OF PAULA ALDERETTE, WHO WILL ATTEND JMU, BY OMNIA SAED
EDITORIALS gives their opinion about The change in start times scheduled for 2015 See page 2.
NEWS looks back at CincoK race See page 4.
HEALTH examines the increasing usage of e-cigarettes among teens See page 7.
In-state tuition granted to DREAMers
INTERNATIONAL looks at suicide and depression rates in other countries. See page 12.
BY JAROD GOLUB Co-Editor in Chief Applause erupted at the end of Vi r g i n i a A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l M a r k Herring’s speech outside of Northern V i r g i n i a C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e ’s A l e x a n d r i a c a m p u s o n Tu e s d a y, April 29. Herring announced that students who are residents of Virginia under
WEEKEND takes the Philly Cheesestake Challenge. See page 20.
the DREAM Act can now receive instate tuition at Virginia state schools. “I found out through my mom, one of her colleagues at our church’s immigration center told her, and she later told me,” junior Paula Alderete said. “I was honestly a little bit shocked, because I wasn’t expecting it.” The DREAM Act, or the Development, Relief and Education
for Alien Minors Act, is a federal law that, according to the National Immigration Law Center, “permits cer tain immigrant students who have grown up in the U.S. to apply for temporary legal status and to eventually obtain permanent legal status and become eligible for U.S. citizenship if they go to college or serve in the U.S. military.” The DREAM ac t has benefited
many people in the Northern Virginia area, including students here at AHS. “When the DREAM Act passed last year, I remember the day, it was in June, right after school ended, I was obviously really happy,” Alderete said. “Two months later, in August, my mom and I started the process of filing “In-state” continued on page 5
Low enrollment cancels electives to next issue
In-Depth will be featuring senior reflections. This gives seniors a chance to look back on their high school years and prepare days until for the years to graduation come.
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IB Business management among the courses BY BAYLEY BRILL Co-Editor in Chief Every year there are a select few electives that aren’t popular and end up getting cut in order to avoid dedicating an entire class to five students. This year these classes are Broadcast Journalism, Peer Mediation 1 and 2, Fashion Marketing 1 and 2, IB Business Management HL, Information
Systems, Advanced Information Systems, Office Administration and Design Multimedia Web Tech. Electives are generally canceled due to lack of enrollment. If only a handful of students sign up for a class, it makes more sense for the school to no longer offer the class instead of dedicating 90 minutes of teaching time every other day to a class of five students when the teacher’s time could be used to teach a more popular class. A reason for the lack of enrollment may also partially be caused by the new fiance elective requirement.
BAYLEY BRILL
FAST-FORWARD
“Security” continued on page 5
Security initiative for safety AHS students share their reactions to the new security system put in place last week
Tuesday, May 6 – 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM - IB Exam: Classical Language SL (Clausen Hall) – 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM - IB Exams: SL English & SL English Language & Literature (Clausen Hall) – 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM - IB Exam: HL English (Upstairs Gym) – 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM - Theatre Without Borders Rehearsals (Auditorium) – 2:15 PM - Science National Honor Society Bake Sale (Cafeteria Lobby) – 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM - Volleyball Green Day (Main Gym) – 6:30 PM - Softball vs. Osbourn Park: JV (A); Varsity (Ossian) – 5:00 p.m. - Track & Field vs. W. Springfield, T.C. Williams, W. Potomac (West Potomac) – 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM - Transitional High School Student Meeting (Clausen Hall) – JV/Varsity Boys’ Lax vs. Woodson (5:30/7:15 pm) (Woodson)
BERTA TARQUI
BY BERTA TARQUI Co-Editor in Chief
Students may recall seeing these directions on how to enter the building on doors. The directions point to the new buzzers that were added as a part of the system.
On April 23, the new Door Entry Control System was activated. The security system consists of buzzers on the main entrance and the jock lobby. Doors are locked at 7:20 a.m., after school begins, students must buzz in to enter the building. Students who arrive late or leave the campus during school hours must be buzzed in to reenter the building, then report to the attendance office to sign in. Many students dislike the new security system because they are usually used in elementary and middle schools and they feel that once they begin high school they have built
enough trust to access the building without a teacher or adult with them. Some students who have classes located in the modulars or trailers are annoyed that they are locked out during their period. Doors are unlocked in between classes. “The new school security system is really arbitrary,” junior Alan Vargas said. “If I’m late, the process of going through the main office and wasting time getting the pass, especially since both my morning classes are in the opposite side of the building, demotivates me to even show up for class at all.” Many students do not like the new rules that have been enforced this year. For example, students must leave the building by 2:45 p.m. if they do not have a pass or are with a teacher. Safety and security in public places such as schools is becoming a huge issue since the rise of school shootings in the past decade. Ever since the Sandy Hook shooting, schools across the nation have been increasing their “Security” continued on page 5
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How do you feel about later start times? “I’d rather leave school earlier than attend school later. I only get five hours of sleep and I don’t function well at night.”
Stress under sleep proposal Later start times will make schedules worse for students BY PHUONG NGUYEN AND SACHA CAMERON Editorials Editor and Special to the A-Blast
— Kimberly Romero freshman
“I will get out of school and practice later. That will give me less time for homework and more stress overall.” — Julius Miller freshman “This would affect my schedule with sports because of practice, getting rides and taking care of my brother.” — Katie Pacak sophomore
“I don’t do well in the mornings, but I’d [rather] have time at night to do homework.” — Natalie Jones sophomore
May 6, 2014
High school students are one step closer to getting more sleep under an approved FCPS proposal to make the changes a reality. On April 30, the Children’s National Medical Center presented four start time options at a FCPS School Board meeting for consideration. One of the options includes starting high school at 9:15 a.m. and dismissing at 4:05 p.m. starting in the fall of 2015. Meanwhile, FCPS plans to move middle school start times to 8:20-8:30 a.m. and elementary start times as early as 7:40 a.m. Implementing any one of the plans requires the purchase of new buses at a cost of $2.7 to $7.6 million. School Board members are projected to cast votes on the four options in the fall. Extra sleep looks very tempting, considering the fact that many students have to manage challenging courses and numerous extracurricular activities. Since the amount of hours in the school day will remain the same, students will start their homework routine late and go to sleep late. There will be no change in the amount of sleep, as regular schedules are simply shifted ahead one to two hours. This poses a major detriment to students’ normal schedules. Since this is the case, there is no reason for FCPS to impose a later start time.
Across FCPS, sports, clubs and organizations will be hampered by the start time changes. Whether joining for fun or to boost up college applications, participation in extracurricular activities like sports, music and volunteer work is expected of students. With extracurricular activities, coupled with the mountain of homework students lug home every day, there isn’t enough time to get everything completed. No one knows this better than rising junior IB Diploma students, who will be some of the most affected by the changing start times. With after school classes such as Theory of Knowledge, clubs and piles IB homework, IB Diploma candidates will struggle to manage school and sleep. Candidates expect around three to five hours of homework a night. According to IB Coordinator Shirley Campbell, the senior class in the fall of 2015 will contain the greatest amount of IB Diploma candidates AHS has seen in years. Official numbers are projected to surpass a current total of 38 graduating seniors and 45 rising seniors. These future IB students could use extra sleep, but a delayed start time would hardly help. This is because practices for sports, music and arts extracurriculars as well as club meetings take up lots of time. Most sports practices end around 5 p.m. Under the proposal, most students will not get home until after 6 p.m. Other activities such as AHS Theater are known for having late nights until 10-11 p.m. for dress rehearsals. With everything in the school day set back two hours, these students have no choice but to remain in school until after midnight to meet
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY PHUONG NGUYEN
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EDITORIALS
Starting high school later creates the issue of students not finishing homework on time.
rehearsal schedules. This should be illegal and not to mention inhumane. At AHS, dislike for later start times has prompted sophomore Jennifer Kang to start a petition against the proposals. A total of 63 signatures have been collected so far by students and teachers. In addition, starting school at later times will only encourage students to procrastinate. Right now there is plenty of time to participate in sports, clubs, spend time with friends and do homework, if time is managed well. For students that do not possess adequate time management skills, starting school later will not change a thing. Students will be tricked into believing that they have extra time to complete their assignments. Moreover, the proposal will negatively affect transportation to and from school. Many students are dropped off at school just in
Sterling gets a reality check Scandal shows free speech has its limits
“ Juniors won’t benefit from it. It’s fine the way it is.”
“It’s kind of good for high schoolers because we have a hard time in the mornings.” — Amber Scaff senior
–Compiled by Phuong Nguyen
Corrections: On page 4, Anya Montes De Oca was spelled incorrectly.
“Let him be, you do support our basic right to free speech, don’t you?” And it is at this moment of the conversation with my friend, that I can’t help but find myself cringing. Coming from a school as diverse as Annandale, it’s hard to realize that segregationist ideologies still have a place in society today. Nevertheless, when stories appear in the media, we are awoken from our pleasant utopia. Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling brought the media ablaze when recorded exchanges surfaced with his alleged girlfriend Vanessa Stiviano. During the ten minute recording released by TMZ, Sterling disparages his girlfriend for taking a picture with basketball icon Magic Johnson. In one tirade he states, “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?” It’s no surprise that Sterling’s tirade is a testament to the reality that racism in the 21st century is very much alive. In retrospect, with the Civil Rights Movement less than 50 years to date, it is not a surprise
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
BY OMNIA SAED Special to The A-Blast
— Shawn Diggs junior
time for parents to drive to work. Moving start times back will mean that students are unable to receive rides to school. This will cause more dependence on buses as well as the need to raise transportation costs With that in mind, later start times call for the purchases of new buses. The traffic congested roads in the area are horrific. Adding more buses will lead to chaos on the roads for other drivers, teachers and students. Even school board officials have expressed concerns about the high cost, citing cost and budget deficits. With all the anxiety for students trying to balance classes and extracurricular activities, it’s not worth it to waste time and money on a useless plan that will not benefit the well-being of students. If the clock isn’t broke, don’t try to fix it.
Sterling’s controversial race based comments has called free speech into question.
that many still attain outdated and bigoted ideologies. It is a surprise however, that a public figure, a face to one of the nation’s (and the world’s) most progressive organizations is the source of such remarks. Yes, everyone has the right to free speech. But freedom of speech doesn’t grant a pass from the consequences; a note that all students should remember in their Government classes. Donald Sterling screamed fire in a crowded theater and – inevitably–chaos ensued. It’s absolutely outrageous that a man who owes a large part of his fortune to the success of AfricanAmerican basketball players can be
so openly racist. Especially a man (born in 1937) who has witnessed firsthand the transgressions of race through the years and the Civil Rights and progressive movements of the late 60s. When you are at the stature to own a basketball team, when you become a part of the faces that comprise the NBA, when the general public knows your name, the things you say hold value. The NBA has every right to ban Sterling. They are a private corporation with rules and bylaws, and a multi-cultural commitment to their players and fans. The league has no room for
sanctioning belligerent racists and superiority complexes from pre-dated plantation mentalities. Moreover, NBA commissioner David Silver’s ruling in banning Sterling for life is a step in the right direction, but hopefully also a catalyst to change the culture of ownership in the league, which lacks diversity in its bureaucracy– this is not limited to simply the NBA (take a look at the NFL). He is the archetypal 21st century racist, reinforcing the institutionalized racism that is plaguing our generation. There’s no need to hold a pity party for Donald Sterling either. Worth an estimated $1.6 billion, Sterling’s $2.5 million fine by the commissioner is hardly a dent to his pocket. Interestingly enough, in an interview with Barbra Walters Stiviano claimed that Sterling was not a racist. Yet, the circumstances have proven otherwise. Sterling has a documented history of blatantly bigoted behavior towards minorities. He was sued twice by the federal government for refusing to rent apartments to African Americans and Latinos. He was also sued by former Clippers executive Elgin Baylor for racial discrimination. Amidst all these convictions, Sterling emerged unscathed. The real question is, why did it take the NBA so long?
QUOTE COLLECTION The A-Blast wants to hear your opinion. Your response to the following question might be features in our quote collection:
What is your opinion on the new FCPS high school start time proposal? E-mail your responses to ablast.editorials@gmail.com
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Staff Editors in Chief: Jarod Golub Berta Tarqui Managing Editor: Chelsea Alfonso Editorials Editors: Phuong Nguyen Sarah Metzel Copy Editor: Linus Bumbaca In-Depth Editors: Alexandra Zernik Cayley Byrne Sports Editors: Marife Baragano Sabrina Hawa Sports Xtra Editor: Daniel Yenetega People Editor: Biruk Negash Weekend Editor: Erin Johnson
International Editor: Summer Ayoub Entertainment Editors: Nuhami Mandefro Conrad Shartel Lifestyles Editors: Soulisa Pathammavong Marilyn Rivas Health Editor: Nancy Evora Photography Editors: Kiara Patino Julie Swenton Art Editor: Bailey Oliver Academics Editor: Kailyn Garay Web Editor/Master: Jared Lefbom Head of Social Media: Andrew Gonzalez Head Videographer: Rahel Tecle Ad Manager: Akrem Idris
Circulation Manager: Zeke Yonas Staff Writers: Destiny Gammon Omnia Saed Joe Sehrer Aashna Viswanathan Benny Le Soulisa Pathammavong Efstathia Carayiannis Mery Berhene Luka Fernandez Marin Masson Noah Nelson Cynthia Weiner Sean To Tara El-Achi Yesenia Blount Hussein Salem Arzoo Marzi Photographer: Andrew Nunez Videographer: Ashley Britton Adviser: Alan Weintraut
Annandale High School 4700 Medford Dr.
Vol. 59 No.10 May 6, 2014
The A-Blast is an award winning newspaper that strives to inform, educate and entertain the student body and community. Published every three weeks, The A-Blast will not print any material that is obscene or libelous; or that which substantially disrupts the school day, or invades an individual’s right to privacy. The A-Blast is an independent, open forum for discussion that is printed at the Springfield Plant of The Washington Post. Signed letters to the editor of 250 words or less may be submitted to room 262 or mailed to the school. The A-Blast reserves the right to refuse advertisements. All submissions become property of The A-Blast, Copyright, 2014.
EDITORIALS
May 6, 2014
Protect cell phone privacy
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Should police officers be allowed to search a phone without a warrant?
Supreme Court prepares to issue a ruling on warrantless phone searches BY SARAH METZEL Editorials Editor
“No, because they have to have a reasonable cause and that just scares people.”
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH METZEL
You are caught texting in class and your teacher confiscates your cell phone. Many students are familiar with the feeling of dread that comes from being in this situation. In a similar situation, policemen often confiscate the phones of people that they arrest. These phones are often searched by policemen, which gives them access to a plethora of information about the arrested person. The Supreme Court is now grappling with the issue of how invasive these phone searches can be, including the issue of whether or not a warrant is needed for phone searches. The two cases regarding this issue that made it to the Supreme Court are from San Diego and Boston. In Riley v. California, David Riley was pulled over for driving on a suspended license when the officer found guns in the car. When he was taken into the station, his phone was searched and law enforcement found texts and pictures associated with gangs. A state appeals court upheld the search done by the officers without a warrant. In United States v. Wurie, Burma Wurie was arrested for allegedly selling crack cocaine. When he was taken into the police station, Wurie’s phone rang and the number was traced to a location in South Boston
where the police found drugs and a weapon. In the days before the ubiquitous use of cell phones, policemen were allowed to search people in a small window of time “from incident to arrest.” This was allowed in order to prevent the suspect from destroying any last-minute evidence, and to protect the officer from a concealed weapon. According to a January survey by the Pew Research Center, more than 90 percent of Americans have a cell phone and 58 percent have a smartphone that has Internet access. These days, when cell phones are confiscated by policemen and end up in a police station, law enforcers could potentially have access to a large
amount of personal information about the suspect without a warrant. It is this practice that is being debated in the Supreme Court. Searching a person’s cell phone without a warrant is a blatant violation of their Fourth Amendment rights. The Fourth Amendment protects from unreasonable search and seizure, stating that both a warrant and probable cause are required for any search. Allowing the police to search people’s phones without a warrant is the equivalent of them randomly knocking on a person’s door and searching their house without a warrant. When you carry your cell phone, you carry a library of your personal information in your pocket.
If the Founding Fathers were drafting the Constitution in the world today, they would undoubtedly have included a clause in The Fourth Amendment about the necessity of having a warrant before searching cell phones. It is predicted that the Supreme Court justices will come up with a “middle-ground” rule, that allows cell phone searches without a warrant for some cases, but not all. Thus far in the judicial process, justices have asked questions for both sides and their questioning did not show any leaning to one side. They are expected to make their final decision by late June. Here’s hoping that they rule in favor of the people.
— Isabella Jimenez sophomore
“Legally, they should not be able to because it’s an invasion of privacy, which is one of our fundamental rights.”
— Alex Lind sophomore
“No, because it’s your private device and it contains private stuff. There is a reason why you lock your phone”
— Kim Mai sophomore
Sexual assault has gone too far Obama intervenes on college campuses riddled with incidents of sexual assault
“It should be decided caseby-case because certain evidence incriminates certain people.”
BY SARAH METZEL Editorials Editor
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH METZEL
One in five young women are sexually assaulted between freshman and senior year of college. Vice president Joe Biden mentioned this appalling statistic when announcing the report findings from the Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. Obama started the task force in January, and the surveying initiative released its findings on April 29. The survey taken by the task force found that 11.5 percent of women had been victims of rape – including incapacitated rape, drug-facilitated rape, and forcible rape. It is completely ridiculous that three of the most prestigious universities in the country – Harvard, Princeton, and Dartmouth are under investigation for possible negligent handling of sex violent claims. Personally, the amount of sexual assault that occurs at a school will definitely be a negative factor in where I apply to college and where I decide to attend. I’ve already had to reimagine what my life would be like at a school I looked forward to applying to, Emory, because they’ve been accused of neglecting sexual assault accusations on their campus. Sexual assault is defined as any unwanted visual, verbal, or physical sexual contact or attention. It includes anything from whistling from a rude stranger, to date rape that is so common amidst college students. Catcalling and rude comments are also included in the category of sexual assault. These are most
— Bakr Marouf sophomore
common forms, and are often executed when walking down the street – often witnessed by passing bystanders. All types of sexual assault are included in the surveys issued by the task force. The relatively recent national concern about the issue of sexual assault on college campuses has beginnings traced back to a 19-page letter from the Obama administration three years ago. Despite the fact that sexual assault has existed on college campuses for decades, President Obama’s bold move marked the first time any presidential administration dealt with the problem as the civil
rights issue that it is. In the past, sexual assault was dealt with in private between the parties involved and the school administrators. Obama’s rape-prevention campaign has made the issue more public, bringing it to the forefront of everyday discussions. It is imperative that the Obama administration improves the assault situation on college campuses so that it is one less issue for college students to worry about.
“No, because of people’s privacy. It’s not right. I would not be happy if someone tried to search my phone.”
— Sahireen Hajassaad junior
“No, because it is an invasion of privacy. I would not want them to search my phone.”
— Sam Sesoi senior
U.S. graduation rate competes internationally Historic marker has graduation at 80 percent, researchers predict 90 percent by 2020 According to data collected in 2012, U.S. public high schools have reached an 80 percent graduation rate -- the highest in US history. Virginia is a state with one of the highest graduation rates. It was 89 percent in 2013, compared to 88 percent in 2012. Most of this recent growth has happened since 2006, after decades of no improvement. This improvement is due in large part to the attention paid to the dropout problem and the combined efforts of district, state and the federal government. Schools have started to take more action on the problem, including hiring specialists and working with students one-on-one to keep them in school. We have our very own program at AHS to improve our school’s graduation rate. Named the On-Time Graduation Committee, this program works with seniors who are at-risk of dropping out or graduating late. Although our improvement as a nation is impressive, this statistic still means that one in five young people do not graduate from high school. This is simply unacceptable since the U.S. brags of being “leader of the We are still behind Denmark, Japan and the United Kingdom, whose graduation rates are 96, 93 and 91 percent respectively. The U.S. is rising up in the ranks, and for a large country that is relatively young, it is doing quite well. If we want to meet our projected goal of 90 percent by 2020, educational programs have to continue.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH METZEL
BY SARAH METZEL Editorials Editor
This means funding cannot be cut to go towards defense spending. Defense spending is now the second largest portion of our budget, taking up 22 percent of it. It is second only to pensions, which is 23 percent. Education, a largely bipartisan issue, is an important one that cannot be neglected.
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NEWS
4 NEWS BRIEFS My Friend’s Closet On Wednesday May, 7, My Friend’s Closet will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. It will be held the Neighborhood Center.
4th Quarter Interims 4th Quarter interims are being distributed during W4 on Thursday, May 8.
Theatre Without Borders Performance The Theatre Without Borders Performance will be held on Friday, May 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium
Paying For College Meeting The “How to Pay for College Without Going Bankrupt” will be held on Saturday May, 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Bistro.
NOVA Placement Test
May 6, 2014
AHS holds annual CincoK Yearly 5K run held to help raise money for Booster athletic scholarships BY CHELSEA ALFONSO Managing Editor On your marks, get set, go. Shot fired. Run. AHS’ annual CincoK kicked off outside the jock lobby on Sunday, May 4 with sophomore Risky Alverado taking home the trophy. The CincoK is an event that helps raise money to provide scholarships that are given to athletes. Students, parents and families had the choice to walk or run for approximately 3.2 miles around neighborhoods near Annandale. The CincoK is not only a fundraiser, but it also promotes a healthy and athletic lifestyle. “It is a great community event that promotes healthy living,” senior Lewis Folli said. There were volunteers who helped guide and cheer on runners to inspire them to continue to run through the course. Volunteers were also given the job to time runners as they crossed the finish line. AHS girls lacrosse team supported the runners by handing them water as they passed by. Others helped with the fundraiser by directing runners and others who helped make sure that runners or walkers did not go into the street. Previous volunteers and runners returned this year to continue to support the CincoK. “Last year I watched and supported. This is my second year,” Folli said, “My job was to direct people [runners] so they went the right way.” The CincoK came to an end with junior Aviad Gebrehiwot, 2014’s Mr. Annandale, awarding the winners of the race their trophies. Alverado was titled the first boy to finish the race and AHS track coach Ivy Roe came in first under the women’s category. Winners received a trophy and wore a sombrero hat to celebrate their win. Students and community members are encouraged to participate in the race whether they can win or not. “It was fun and cool but not a lot of the people went, mostly people from distance track went,” sophomore Michael Hang said. Even though the turnout was not as high as expected, many participants enjoyed their time running with their friends and family.
Above, AHS track coach Dave O’Hara is seen running in the race. Below, Mr. Annandale, Aviad Gebrehiwot, presents the first place male trophy to sophomore Risky Alverado. The winner of the first place female trophy was AHS track coach, Ivy Roe.
The NOVA placement test for seniors will take place on Monday May, 12 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in room 217.
SOL Testing Begins SOL testing will begin on Monday May, 12 in designated testing locations. Check with your W4 teacher for schedule and remember to bring your ID and testing ticket to the testing room.
Percussion and Jazz Ensemble Concert On Tuesday, May 13 the Percussion and Jazz Ensemble will perform a concert in the auditorium.
Abovce, the runners take off at the start of the race. Below, senior Kaitlin Martindale poses with her family after competing in the CincoK.
Mock SAT/ACT Exams On Saturday May, 17, the PTSA will hold a mock SAT/ACT in rooms 74 and 75 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
IB Testing Ends
— Photos courtesy of Briar Creek Photography
IB testing ends on Thursday May, 22.
Spring Orchestra Concert The Orchestra department will hold their annual spring concert on Thursday May, 22 in the auditorium.
Boosters Mattress Sale AHS Boosters Mattress sale will be held from Saturday May, 10 to Sunday May, 11 in the main gym.
Math Honor Society Inductions AHS’ Math Honor Society Inductions will held on Tuesday May, 27 from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in the Clausen Hall.
Memorial Day Observed On Monday May, 26, Memorial Day will be observed and there is no school.
Spring traditions take place Students present year-long MYP projects
Leadership holds the battle between classes BY JAROD GOLUB Co-Editor in Chief
BY BAILEY OLIVER AND SACHA CAMERON Arts Editor and Staff Writer
This year, the seniors were crowned victorious in the annual Battle of the Classes competition. “It was a lot of fun,” sophomore Annie Pham said, “I think they improve it every year.” On Friday, May 2, AHS held its Battle of the Classes during W4 and Atom Time. The event took place in the gymnasium with students from each grade participating in different events. The grade that won the most events was deemed the winner of the entire competition. The events in this year’s competition were sumo wrestling, tug-of-war, an obstacle course and a trivia round. Seniors won the sumo wrestling and the obstacle course while the juniors won the tug-of-war round. This year, students enjoyed the fun, inventive games that the Leadership students created for the Battle of the Classes. “The whole thing was super creative and intense,” Pham said. Many students enjoyed the event more than in previous years. A favorite of this year’s event was the sumo wrestling challenge. “It was fun to watch the sumo wrestlers because it was hilarious,” junior Maddy Cook said. The event as a whole gave students an opportunity to support their class and show pride in their school. “It was exciting to see each grade support their class,” Cook said.
Amidst a large crowd of students and faculty, the sophomore class was able to show off their months of hard work at the MYP fair in the cafeteria on April 30. MYP, which stands for Middle Years Program, is the precursor to the IB program. Each sophomore in honors English is required to complete a project of their choice over the span of the school year to present at the annual fair. There are no limits to the creativity and ingenuity students can display with their projects. The fair held a wide variety of projects from musical compositions to baked confections and even a model submarine. It was a chance for students to delve into subjects they enjoyed and show off their talents. Sophomore Joseph Listopad’s project was jazz improvisation. “Basically I picked a song that was of the jazz style and played through a chorus and then for the rest of the song I just made up my own lyrics,” Listopad said. “That was pretty interesting. I started off by doing research on how to correctly do improv with chords and different types of note combinations and then just practiced over and over again until it was quality.” Listopad reflects on his process and the exploration of a topic that interested him. “I like how [the project] allowed me to explore the topic that I liked more in-depth,” Listopad said. Freshmen were invited to the fair as well to learn about the MYP project and see what sorts of things they could do next year, as well as other upperclassmen. Sophomores were also able to see what their classmates had created. “My favorite was Grace Yim’s Hanbok,” sophomore Tihitina Dagnachew said. Yim’s project involved creating the traditional Korean dress herself. For many of the sophomores that completed MYP projects, it was a very positive learning experience. “I liked how it [the project] allowed me to explore the topic that I liked more in-depth, instead of having to do it on my own time. I learned a lot of things while doing the project and it really opened my eyes,” sophomore Amanuel Berehe said. “There’s a lot of things out there I don’t know.” “I thought the project and the fair was fun and exciting,” sophomore AnaRae Howe said. “I thought the process was long, but it was easy and I didn’t really face that many challenges.” Sophomore Jennifer Kang thought the project was a lot of fun. “There were many cool projects at the fair this year,” Kang said. Kang, whose project was to create a mural in the school, reflected on the process of completing her project. “I didn’t procrastinate much, but it was hard to focus on the project since it took such a long time to complete all the phases,” Kang said.
Battle of the Classes video CHELSEA ALFOMSO
On your smartphone, scan the above code using the application “QR Code” to view a video of the Battle of the Classes. Students support their class at the annual Battle of the Classes competition last week.
NEWS
May 6, 2014
In-state tuition granted “In-state” continued from page 1
for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.” Students here under the DREAM Act are typically immigrants in the U.S. and therefore cannot receive in-state tuition at state universities. “I came to the U.S. when I was four years old, so I’ve been here most of my life,” Alderete said. “I had to come from Argentina because in Bolivia, they wouldn’t let me out of the country. I was able to get a passport because of my mom’s Argentine nationality.” Herring’s decision instantly made college more affordable for the more than 8,000 illegal youths in Virginia, about 7,000 in Maryland. Nationwide, there are more than half a million students that have won approval based on their age, length of residency and full-time enrollment in school. “Ever since kindergarten, my mom has been gathering money for me to go to college. We knew that it was going to cost more since we’re immigrants,” Alderete said. “This has really opened so many opportunities for me, being able to come and study close by and at a very affordable price.” As of the year 2012, AHS had a student body of 2534 people. In that same year, the percentage of students with Free or Reduced Price lunch was 46.4 percent. The total minority enrollment in the school was 77 percent. These statistics are just some of the information that shows the diversity of AHS and Northern Virginia in general. This extreme diversity is just one of the reasons that the recent action taken by Herring will positively affect AHS and the Northern Virginia area. Herring believes that students that have been here for most of their lives should be able to pay the same amount as someone born here. “I have concluded that in-state
tuition rates can and should be extended to students who qualify,” Herring said. “They have known no home but Virginia.” Many people see the benefit to this action and to letting immigrants have better access to postsecondary education. “It will give students a little more hope,” Principal Vincent Randazzo said. “It means that after higher education they can go on trying to fulfill those dreams that they had while they were going through school, you know, being a lawyer, a doctor or an astronaut.” “We should welcome these smart, talented, hard-working young people into our economy and society rather than putting a stop sign at the end of 12th grade,” Herring said. However, there is also a conflicting viewpoint associated with this. “It’s going to give them an opportunity to perhaps afford postsecondary education because of being warranted in-state tuition,” Career Center Specialist Robin Roth said. “But for a lot of them, it’s going to be difficult because, as my understanding goes, they have in-state tuition, but they still cannot Virginia Tech and James Madison University are two of the state schools that will be affected. get federal aid for schooling.” including Maryland, have enacted Aside from having an effect on the that is Virginians will go up. Others disagree with Herring’s some form of in-state tuition for students, this action will also have a qualified young illegal immigrants, profound effect on the state schools views on this. “I don’t think it’s going to change spanning a variety of regions and that it applies to. At the University of Virginia, the ‘look’ of the school,” Roth said. “I political leanings. The others are: undergraduate tuition and fees in don’t think it’s going to allow these Texas, California, Utah, New York, the coming school year for Virginia students to go to and be residents Washington, Illinois, Kansas, New residents will total $12,998. For those of that community because it’s still Mexico, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Colorado, Minnesota, from out of state, the charge will be going to be out of reach.” The fact that the action was New Jersey, Oregon, Hawaii, $42,184. In Virginia as a whole, there are announced in Spanish, Hindi, Michigan and Rhode Island. “I really hope that this continues about 137,000 Virginians who are Vietnamese and Korean in addition undergraduates at public four-year to English shows that Northern on and spreads across the country, universities. That’s about 80 percent Virginia is such a diverse area with a because there are a lot of young multitude of ethnicities represented. immigrants here who could be of so of total enrollment. With this new state action, more This is all the more reason for these much benefit to the country,” Alderete Virginia residents can afford to go different groups of people to be able to said. to state schools, thus increasing the afford to get higher education. Across the country, 19 states, percentage of the total enrollment
Update on security system Ever since the Sandy Hook shooting, schools across the nation have been increasing their safety measures. A few students are not bothered with the installation of the security system. Some feel safer with the knowledge that unauthorized people do not have access inside the building. “It’s not really affecting me, but I heard it’s affecting my friends because they’re late to school and it’s really annoying because they have to go to the main office,” sophomore Rida Fatima said. “I think it’s good; it prevents people from skipping school.” Some students are questioning how secure the school really is with the new security system. “I don’t really notice it because I am always here early and it does not really affect me. I don’t feel any more safe because if a person intends to do something bad, they’ll be able to get inside
anyways,” junior Victoria Park said. AHS has not encountered any big problems with the new security system. “It seems to be running pretty smoothly, just getting used to the new system,” Principal Vincent Randazzo said. “We had to do a repair on door number six last week, but that was taken care of really quick, and basically it’s just getting used to the new system.” The new buzzers are here to stay and students just have to get familiar with the new system. “I am sure that it’s pretty tough on kids to have to come in entrance one if they are late for school; that’s something kids are going to have to get used to,” Randazzo said. No complaints about the new system have been reported. So far it’s been in for a week and a half now, and we haven’t had any incidents.
DREAM Act by the numbers
1.03
million illegal immigrants are enrolled in government funded facilities.
16
years is the limit a person must be in order to qualify for the Dream Act.
19
states have allowed for young illegal immigrants to apply for instate tuition.
8,000 $12,998
$42,184
137,000
young illegal immigrants will be affected with the new action.
is the cost for in-state tuition at the University of Virginia.
is the cost for out-of-state tuition at the University of Virginia.
Virginian undergraduates at public four-year universities.
Cancelled electives
On your smartphone, scan the above code using the application “QR Code” to view the full list of cancelled electives.
BERTA TARQUI
“Security” continued from page 1
5
In the main entrance, the buzzer system is located next to the door. Students must buzz in and wait to be let in by the main office if they are deemed safe enough to enter.
Elective classes cut from schedule “I’m taking IB Business next year to get my credit for a finance course,” sophomore Hime Kebede said. With this requirement, electives are seeing a decline in students. Freshman and sophomores are required to take a laboratory science, English, history and math class, along with P.E. This only leaves students with two free electives, one of which usually goes to the Advanced Diploma foreign language requirement. “I really wish I took the finance class my sophomore year, because now I have other classes I want to take, like Photo 2, but I can’t because of all of the other classes I have to take to receive the Advanced Diploma,” Kebede said. But not all classes have see a drop in enrollment. Some departments have seen their enrollment double with the addition of new courses. The art department over the past three years have added Ceramics 1 and 2 as full year courses. And starting next year the department will be offering an entire class on animation.
JAROD GOLUB
“Electives” continued from page 1
The business classrooms will be holding one less elective next year. With all of the cancelled electives, some students have had to change their schedules.
These new classes have been both very popular in terms of enrollment and have made the department extend the course offerings to fulfill the demand. Most of the courses will be offered again next year. New requirements for graduation is making it difficult for students to have a class they enjoy in the first two years of their high school career. Underclassmen have to choose wisely between following a high school path for a certain diploma or taking classes they want to take. Students who have an elective cancelled for the 2014-2015 school year have to talk with their counselor so they can arrange a new schedule. “It’s going to cause some problems because I want to do IB classes for college-diploma doesn’t matter, junior year is most important year. The finance class is okay, but you should take it freshman year because now I don’t have that free extra class. Now I may not be able to take Photo 2 next year,” Kebede said.
Story of the Day On your smartphone, scan the above code using the application “QR Code” to view the A-Blast website.
6 What is your ideal dream job?
PEOPLE
If you ain’t talking money... Students share about their job experiences. A fiery passion
“I want to be a lawyer because I like to debate others.”
Khalid Kandeh senior
— Ivan Giron freshman
Name of employment: Firehouse Subs Job description: Making hot subs and getting them sent out to the customers in under six minutes Wage: $10.00 an hour Duration of employment: “I’ve been working at Firehouse for two years now.” Distribution of pay: “I always give one-third to my parents, the rest is mostly spent on food or my personal bills and savings.” Enjoyable aspects of job: “I don’t really like working there as much as I used to, because it has a lot of stressful moments at random times like customers and bosses.” Time management: “I work only weekend nights so I can have time to study during the week. However, some weekends I can’t really study that well because I come out late. My advice is to try to make sure that you’re scheduled around your time so you can have time to do other important things.”
COURTESY OF KHALID KANDEH
“My ideal dream job would be a food tester because then I get paid to eat well.”
May 6, 2014
A whale of responsibility
— Madison Fister freshman
“My ideal dream is to become a psychologist because I love helping people figure out their problem.”
— Ruth Tiguh sophomore
Name of employment: Vineyard Vines Job description: Cashier Wage: $10.00 an hour Duration of employment: Six months Distribution of pay: "I save half and spend the other half on a variety of things." Enjoyable aspects of job: “I love my job because I love my co-workers and I love the product. On a typical day I fold clothes, work the register, restock shelves and interact with customers. I also learn communication skills and learn about responsibility in general. I'm the youngest person working there, so I have to prove that I'm just as responsible as everyone else.” Time management: "Balancing work with school is tough, but I make it work by staying up late to study and do homework. My advice for high schoolers who want to work is to do it, because extra money is sweet."
“I want to be a film director because I’m constantly finding myself creating movies in my head when I’m daydreaming.”
COURTESY OF ANDREW LEAL
Andrew Leal junior
Kicking it with kids Marem Atef sophomore Name of employment: Lee’s Hapmudo Martial Arts Job description: Afterschool Program Staff Wage: $8.50 an hour Duration of employment: Three years Distribution of pay: “Most of my money goes to online shopping as well as food.” Enjoyable aspects of job: “I’ve been attending the school since I was six, so I grew into my job. I come in and give snacks to the kids and we all come together as a group to do homework. I love working there and helping the kids. Since working here, I’ve developed my communication skills.” Time management: “Honestly, managing your time gets rough and that’s an important skill to have. I highly recommend high school students to work and be productive. It feels good to make your own money and be independent.”
“I want to be a sports commentator because I’m an athlete and I love sports.”
— Andre Wright junior
COURTESY OF MAREM ATEF
— Seth Tweneboa sophomore
A flavorful occupation
Become CPR certified Becoming CPR certified is an important skill that many employers look for.
Melissa Pratt senior Name of employment: Rita’s Italian Ice Job description: Treat Team Member Wage: $7.25 an hour Duration of employment: Since February Distribution of pay: "I’m trying to save up for college and a lot of it goes to gas." Enjoyable aspects of job: “I’m constantly making treats, running the cash register and cleaning up. Although the cleaning kind of sucks, I like the flexibility of having a job and being in high school.” Time management: "A lot of late nights and dedication goes into having time for school. My advice for high school students is to wait until senior year if you do a sport. Balancing school, work and sports is something I would not have been able to do my junior year.”
COURTESY OF MELISSA PRATT
Tips for students seeking employment:
Alumni Post Card: Claire Gastanaga AHS alumni shares her experiences as the head of the American Civil Liberties Union and how she promotes freedom and equality for all. Volunteer Volunteer at a variety of places in order to experience and expose yourself to a variety of settings.
Tutor Tutoring allows you to work on skills that you’re good at and tends to pay more money.
1. What year did you graduate from AHS (did you go there all four years)? I graduated from AHS in 1967 (back then I was R. Claire Guthrie). I was at AHS for my junior and senior years (I transferred from Punahou School in Hawaii where my father was stationed with the Army). 2. What were your favorite subjects in school? History and Government 3. What did you like about AHS? The friendships that I formed that have lasted a lifetime. One of my favorite memories is the senior class club that we formed called “Wildlife” that built a float for homecoming with an octopus on it and the slogan “Octopi the End Zone”. 4. What college(s) did you attend? I graduated from Michigan State University and from the University of Virginia Law School 5. What do you do now and what made you choose that career? What do you love about your job? I am an attorney by training and I’m now serving as the Executive Director of the ACLU of Virginia. I chose this job because it brought together lots of things I’ve done in my career and gave me the
opportunity to work with a great team of people and a wonderful board of directors. I love my job because I’m passionate about our mission which is to promote civil liberties and civil rights and achieve equality and freedom for all. 6. Are you married or do you have any children? I am married to Javier Gastañaga. We don’t have children but we have eleven nieces and nephews. 7. What inspiring words do you have for AHS students? One of my favorite quotes is that “the force of waves is in their perseverance.” Making change is like that. You have to set a goal and keep at it resolutely and with unwavering determination if you are going to be successful. And, the most important piece of advice I can pass along … be an ant, not a grasshopper. Open your retirement account now. Learn the time value of money. Saving small amounts of money consistently from now on will pay off big dividends in the long term. Nothing is more important to your capacity to be a change maker than having the financial security to take risks and challenge the future.
HEALTH
May 6, 2014
E-cigarette usage among teens Electronic cigarettes have negative health effects on students The National Cancer Institute released a report on the increase of electronic smoking devices among middle school and high schools. students from across the country were surveyed about whether they have ever tried an electronic cigarette or not. The results collected by the National Cancer Institute revealed that from 2011 to 2012, the use of electronic cigarettes among teens had increased by 3.1 percent. In 2011, 17,323 students said they used the device, and by 2012 the number have increased to 22,529 students using the cigarettes. Jose, an AHS student who did not want his identity to be released, talks about his experience and transition from traditional cigarettes to electronic cigarettes and how it has affected his life. “I started smoking at a very young age,” Jose said. ‘’I was around 13 years old when I first tried a real cigarette. I became really addicted to the nicotine and when I tried to quit, I could not because I was addicted to it.” An electronic cigarette is a battery powered device with a cartridge that holds nicotine and liquid flavor inside the cigarette. The device uses heating elements in order to release a flavored vapor that mimics real tobacco cigarettes. E-cigarettes are gaining popularity among teens due to the fact that the producers claim that their cigarettes are safer than traditional ones. “I was introduced to the electronic cigarettes by a friend of mine around a year ago” Jose said. “I started smoking once a day without the nicotine just to
ELECTRONIC-CIGARETTE-REVIEW.BIZ
BY NANCY EVORA Health Editor
The e-cigarettes are advertised to smokers and non-smokers as a healthier option or to help some people to quit their addiction to the nicotine
get myself tested, but as I got used to the device I started smoking twice a day.” When electronic cigarettes were first released in the market, they were thought to be the solution to help people with tobacco addictions quit, but so far the results have been varied. “When I tried my first e-cigarette, I thought I was finally going to quit smoking. I heard a lot of people and commercials say that they [e-cigarettes] were the cure to quit your tobacco addictions but honestly it has gotten worse for me now,” Jose said. “The increased use of e-cigarettes by teens is deeply troubling,” CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said, adding nicotine is a highly addictive drug. According to CBS News, “Many teens who start with e-cigarettes
may be condemned to struggling with a lifelong addiction to nicotine and conventional cigarettes.” Even if the cigarettes are meant to help people with their tobacco addictions, and might be safer than traditional cigarettes because they make nicotine-free products, they still sell products that nicotine can be added to. “The e-cigarettes don’t work. The more you try them, the more you want to smoke a real one because it mimics the real thing but without the same pleasure and smell,” Jose said. Jose advises young people to not try something you are not sure of or you do not want to do. “Never try something just because your friends tell you to,” Jose said. “Sometimes people or friends tell you
to do [something] or smoke things that you have never had before and that can be really dangerous because once you try [it], you get hooked up really easily.” Despite the claims by electronic cigarette makers saying their products are safer and that their only goal is to help people quit smoking, it does not mean that that they are really effective. A product that is supposed to help people quit smoking should not mimic the real cigarette or have nicotine added in their products. Every product, no matter how safer or healthier it looks, always has some side effect that will affect your system in a near future. Effects on your system The use of daily electronic cigarettes can damage your system, especially your lungs. The reason for this is because even if you are not adding the nicotine into the cigarette, the vapor that is released from the cigarette can lead to problems in your respiratory system. Another effect that can alter your body is the amount of nicotine present in each e-cigarette. People who smoke using these devices .without reading the precautions might acquire too much nicotine in their system, which is very harmful because it would be no different than a traditional cigarette. Another risk that affects your body is the tetramethylpyrazine that is found in each e-cigarette you smoke. This chemical has been found to cause brain damage over time. Even though there are still no signs of cancer caused by e-cigarettes, some greater illnesses caused by the electronic devices include heart attacks or diseases because the products contain some carcinogens that might lead to fatal diseases.
Differences between electronic cigarettes and traditional cigarettes E-cigarettes -Nicotine free (optional) -Generates a watery vapor - Does not smell like tobacco -Does not have any burning tobacco or need for a lighter -It has variety of flavored liquids -An electronic device that can be used on multiple occasions.
Cigarettes
7
Do you think e-cigarettes are safer than the traditional ones? “Yes, I think they are safer than the traditional ones becuase they do not have nicotine”
— Marilin Guzman freshman “No becuase at the end you are still smoking the nicotine that the draditional cigarettes have”.
—Iftikhar Ahmad sophomore
“No, I do not think so because they have the same amount of nicotine.”
—Mo Harris junior
“They are the same becuase I have seem some studies in which it says that both contain nicotine and harm your lungs.”
—Reinaldo Zelaya senior
—Compiled by Nancy Evora
-The cigarettes contain nicotine and cancer-causing components chemicals -Cigarettes release an uncomfortable odor that stays for a long time. -Burns tobacco and other chemicals - Needs a lighter -Can only be used once.
Six tips to help quit smoking 1. Share with a friend: Sharing your addiction with somebody you trust about your decision can help ease the worry and stress you are putting yourself into. Talking with your best friend can help you through it.
Three new exercises to try at home Pistol Squat: Place yourself in a squat position with both of your hands straight facing your foot with a single standing leg. Then extend your other leg out right in front of you. After you get the position needed, do a squat up and down using one leg, and then hold your hands above it.
L-Sit: Lay down on the ground in a 90 degree position with your back and legs straight. Put your hands behind your head and hold them. As you hold your hands, start making a sit up with your hands on your back. Lift your legs back and forth as you work out your stomach. Do as many as you want.
Wall-Walk: Before you do this exercise, you have to be careful and take some precautions. Next,get near to a wall and place your hands on the floor and make a handstand with your legs all the way up. Try to keep your legs and arms tight for a few seconds . Then do the the handstand back and forth as many times as you want.
2. Avoid alcohol: When trying to quit smoking, the best way you can start off is by avoiding alcohol because drinking can give you back the sensation of cigarettes and then you will get back into your addiction. 3. Do not give up: Even if you have an urge to smoke, keep pushing yourself towards your goal.Try over and over again until you are not addicted anymore. Giving up is not going to help you quit your addiction. 4. Keep yourself busy: Try to keep yourself busy so your brain can be thinking about something else instead of cigarettes. Go out with some pals and do some physical activities that will keep you busy. 5. Eat healthy: Try healthy food such as vegetables, grains, fruits and low fat meals that will help cleanse your system. 6. Enjoy it: the process of quitting your addiction will help you enjoy the time spent quitting.
Four exercises to try at home On your smartphone, scan this code using the application “QR Code” to view an exercise routine that you can stick to.
The Acts
Freshmen “The freshman play is about Two knights who are roped into killing a dragon by another knight, against their better judgment,” freshman director Maya Koch said. “Conflict arises when they run into trouble involving a witch and a magic sword, and it’s up to them to kill a dragon and gather 100 gold coins before 30 minutes is over. Can they do it? Probably not, but at least it’ll be interesting to watch.”
May 6, 2014
Class Acts takes center stage Classes prepare for performances this June BY BAILEY OLIVER Arts Editor Four performances, four classes and one day of an Annandale classic. Students for the theater department’s annual competition of Class Acts have begun to prepare for their performances this June. Traditionally, Class Acts has taken place in the beginning of the year. The tradition pits each of the classes against each other, each tasked with writing and performing their own short play. Each class has a designated stage manager and director to help lead their act. The seniors’ director is James Barker, Gabrielle Lewis for the juniors, Stan Bottcher for sophomores and Maya Koch for the freshmen. At this point and time, auditions have passed and the each class is well into proper rehearsal. Students from the sophomore class prepare for their act by reading through the script while in character on stage. “The junior class held auditions last week and April 30 was our first rehearsal with scripts,” she hopes to see the audience react. “We are looking forward to kicking some butt Lewis said. “We’re really trying to go abstract and weird so with our performances and show everybody what “Auditions are complete and all roles have been that people are like ‘Wow, that was really cool... we can do,” Bottcher said. cast,” Bottcher said. these people are weird.’ at the end,” Lewis said. Every class writes their own script, ranging “They [the auditions] are done and all the roles “It’s fun and no one can say they did it before.” from ten to 40 minutes and have eight weeks to have been casted except for one,” Koch said. “Our process is on schedule and we are on track prepare. All aspects of the act must be from each At the end of the performances, judges will with costumes, set and props,” Bottcher said. class, including the scripting, direction, stage choose a winner based on their quality. Koch and Bottcher expressed similar production and tech or the class will face immeAs each class works on their act, the directors sentiments, as they look forward to their classes’ diate disqualification. Class acts will take place reflect on the rehearsal process. performance. June 4 in the auditorium. “We’ve mostly worked out a schedule, though “[I look forward to] actually seeing the we have to coordinate with the other directors a play I wrote performed and seeing the bit more succinctly,” Koch said. fruits of our collective labor,” Koch said. Lewis elaborates on the goal of her act and how PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA STAMP
8
ARTS
Musical auditions fall into rhythm Hard Candy is the name of the sophomores’ act. Hard Candy is a story of Banff Enterprises, a company with corrupt hiring practices. Job applicants will do anything in their power to claw their way up the corporate ladder. In a fast-paced series of hilarious interviews, the new recruits try every trick in the book -- from bribery, nepotism to the Old Boy Network to blackmail, seduction and mind control.
Juniors
Students prepare to audition for musical groups next year BY MELISSA STAMP Special to the A-Blast Now that the end of the year is approaching, students enrolled in music classes have their minds set on the upcoming school year. All students have the opportunity to move up to a more challenging and professional ensemble by way of audition. Students are given a piece of music to learn and sufficient time to prepare the piece. “I start practicing a week before, and I stay after to ask Mrs. Ammerman for help,” sophomore DaHoen Sim said. For choir students the most prestigious choir is Annandale Singers, a mixed vocal ensemble for all voice parts. The other auditioned groups are Select Womens and Mens Chorale, an after school class. Students who audition are possibly called back in order to hear how different voices will blend in specific assembles. For Orchestra the entry level group is Beginning Orchestra, followed by
THE-ABLAST.ORG
Sophomores
Students in Orchestra prepare for next year’s musical auditions.
Concert, Symphonia, Artiste, and Chamber Orchestra. For band there are Red, Gold and Symphonic bands along with Jazz Band offered after school. Members of the Marching Band also must go through an interview and application process to be considered for officer positions. “This is my first year playing since Middle School, I want to advance so that I can challenge myself and improve as a musician, but also I want to be in a class with people closer to
my age,” Sim said. As members of auditioned groups, all the Annandale music directors agree that students are held to a higher standard. They are required to behave as professionals and display a desire to be part of an advanced ensemble. “All the advanced orchestra’s involve more independent practice time and for Philharmonic they are expected to do something to represent our school whether it be private lessons or
participating in a church orchestra,” Ammerman said. Within the auditions directors are looking for more than just technique and preparedness. “I monitor students throughout the entire year, to see who is constantly putting forth effort, but the audition is a formalized way to see what everyone can accomplish in about a month,” Ammerman said. Auditions for current students mostly take place during class time, but callbacks and auditions for students who are not already in music classes take place after school. Rising freshman musicians with experience are also encouraged to set up a time to audition after school. For chorus, boys in Middle School can also audition since there are fewer of them in the program. Students who are not already in music classes, but have interest in joining are also able to audition and get into more prestigious ensembles. Students need to add the class they are interested in to their schedule and will be contacted by a teacher.
For the juniors, their Class Acts play is one neutral scene, which has no context to it, so the actors can add whatever characters, context or relationships that they want to it. Their act is a series of the same neutral scene, but done multiple times in a row with different circumstances each time.
Seniors The seniors will be writing their own original play, but want to keep the story a secret. “We decided to write our own play this year and decided we should keep it a secret,” senior director James Barker said. “Not that we are worried about people knowing what we are going to perform, but we just want to perform it without anyone else really knowing what happens. It will help the jokes be funnier, we hope.”
are What you g do in t ig h n e h t of ion? t a u grad Th All e Nig Gra ht d Cele brat io of c o ur n se!
-Compiled by Bailey Oliver and Melissa stamp
On your smartphone, scan the above code using the application “QR Code” to read about the Pyramid Art Show hosted at Annandale.
Class of 2014 Seniors
All Night Grad Celebration
Audrey Moore Rec Center 10:30pm - 5am Tickets are $45 until the end of May Forms available in the front office or online at www.annandalehsptsa.com Games - Music- Prizes- Entertainment- Food and more! See your counselor for “free and reduced lunch” price
May 6, 2014
Students gather to observe the Middle Years Program (MYP) projects made by sophomores. The projects vary from cookbooks to musical performances.
Photo
MYP Madness
9
Peach Fuzz A few of the senior and junior boys played a friendly game of volleyball on Wednesday, April 30, after school in the gym. Seniors defeated the juniors 2-1.
The junior team meets in a huddle with their coaches before the game begins.
Senior Charlie Montano spikes the ball during warm up.
Marem Atef’s project on foodwall, which is a Twitter hashtag and account Atef made to get students involved on social media. Atef wanted to know the effect of social media on teens, and was surprised how many teens made foodwall a trend on Twitter. Hassan Malik’s project (to the left) was a 3D origami motorcycle. Malik made the motorcycle using 32 pieces of paper and a hot glue gun to put it all together. This took Malik a span of two months to accomplish. “I started making origami three years ago and I really liked it so I thought that it would be a great fit for my project,” Malik said.
Ahmed Mohamed’s project is on airplane designs with the theme of Annandale High School. “I did my project on airplanes because as a child I was really interested in becoming a pilot, so I wanted to do it on airplanes, it was fun,” Mohamed said.
Tim Johnson’s project is about the spending habits of professional athletes and how they either succeed or fail financially before and after they retire.
Julia Nguyen’s project is a recreation of a renaissance painting (below). “What inspired me to do this was my love for art so I thought I would go back to the renaissance because that was when art really improved,” Nguyen said.
Junior Cody Reagan reaches to hit the ball during the second set.
Senior Kendall Sapp scores a point.
Shawn De Lopez’s project is a time lapsed video and painting. It took him two days to make this painting. De Lopez made this painting with acrylic paints (below). “It was a good experience for me because I learned how to do a timelapse video and learn how to edit and make videos,” De lopez said.
Natnael Weldegiorgis’ project is building a remotely operated underwater vehicle, like a submarine. “I did my project on this because i’ve always had an inspiration for electronics and robotics,” Weldegiorgis said. “I’m thinking of becoming a robotics engineer one day so I just thought that I would do research on Senior Diego Cabrera bumps the ball to his teammate.
Leif Jomuad did his project on professionally recording music in a home environment. “I was inspired to do this as my project because I am a music enthusiast and I do a lot of musical things and by listening to a lot of music, I wanted to do my own thing and share it with the world,” Jomuad said. “Sometimes you can be really good at something but you don’t have the right techniques and right ways to show it to people, you won’t be justified as the performer, so I try to do as much as possible and I kind of overdid my whole setup to make it sound the best it can.”
Grace Yim created her own Humble (a traditional Korean dress), for her project. It took her two days. Yim loves wearing Humble dresses, so she decided to try and create a smaller version. “I benefitted from MYP because I connected more to my culture,” Yim said. “I grew up here and I didn’t really learn much about Korea so it was really nice to go back and look through because I don’t remember much about Korea.”
The senior team celebrates the victory with a group hug.
The teams high five once the game is over. -All photos taken by Kiara Patino
10
IN-DEPTH
May 6, 2014
As Prom season approaches,people start organizing their plans for the unforgettable evening. A breakdown of the costs of typical Prom items
Staying Safe
53%
of students drink more than 4 drinks on Prom night.
22%
of teens involved in motor vehicle crashes were drinking.
56%
of teen drivers who died in car crashes after drinking and driving were not wearing their seatbelt. There are
22
DUI arrests per 10,000 people on average in Fairfax County. In America an average of
12,000 people die from alcohol-related crashes.
90% of teens believe that their peers are more likely to drink and drive on Prom night.
28.5% of high school teenagers have ridden in a drunk driver’s car with one or more -Statistics obtained from the CDC
Should the guy have to pay for all of the girl’s expenses?
yes
BY NUHAMI MANDEFRO Entertainment Editor As adolescents, girls anticipate for the night of their senior Prom. The dance symbolizes the last time you and your peers get together for a school function before you transition to adulthood. It isn’t just the girls putting emphasis on the big day, boys also discuss who they’re asking and how to wow them months prior. The proposal displays a guy’s desire to take that specific girl and it should come with the guy giving them a ticket to attend with them. For Homecoming a majority of the guys automatically pay for the ticket so why not on the biggest night of most peoples high school experience. On the girls end, I feel it is their job to buy their dress, get their hair and nails done, do
their makeup, buy their shoes and overall just get ready in all the ways a girl does. This is their responsibility to pay for because it is their personal preparation. A guy also has to dress up but when preparing for this night they only need to rent a tux and put it on, while a girl takes hours beforehand and hundreds of dollars to get her prom look just right. Therefore, guys do have sort of a responsibility to pay for the rest. Prom is technically a date, even if the couple agrees to go as just friends, so it’s common courtesy for the guy to pay. It might sound old fashioned but I think most guys would agree that they would find it weird if a girl treats them to dinner. Prom is a huge deal to high school students, so guys please don’t complain about going the extra mile to make your date smile.
NO BY CHLOE LOVING Special to The A-Blast Prom should be a celebration of the school year, a moment for friends to dress up and have the time of our lives. In our generation, Prom is just one big price tag. Students go over the top with party busses, professional photos, overrated dinners and paying entirely too much for a flower wrapped in some ribbon, topped with a bow. Girls find bragging rights in spending more on a dress than a bride would. But why subject boys to this superfluous need for extravagance? Our poor dates are sometimes faced with paying close to $800 from the time of the prom-posal to the night of the dance. As a teenager, often working at minimum wage, money truly is earned through hard work. Having over the top Prom-posals is enough,
but asking for a boy to spend a fortune on a night that isn’t a monumental moment, is too much. No doubt that Prom is a very important night for high schoolers everywhere. It is absolutely a time to be enjoyed and remembered. But please girls, if you choose to spend the night in luxuries, split the bill! Prom night should not end in empty pockets. I know it is so taboo to go dutch and pay your own way, but who cares? No guy will ever suggest that because they don’t want to scare away a date by having a tight wallet. Now I’m not saying pay for your own dinner, he should do that courtesy, but maybe offer to pay for your own ticket or for your seat in the limo. The night should be filled with anticipation and excitement. Don’t bog your man down by letting the little things add up. He shouldn’t be checking his account balance in between songs.
IN-DEPTH
May 6, 2014
The inside scoop on... an s a g n i Go n e m s s a l Underc
tag S g n i Go “ It re ally is n’t a b There ’s no ad thin press g to g date, ure to o alon you ar e. stick e free with y to do -Elisab our w hatev eth Ze er.” rnik, A HS Alu mni
“I’m s o glad sopho I got more to ex becau and m perie se now ake it nce p I know less s rom a how t tress sa o ful for next y handle pro -Junio m r, Ree ear.” m Lak kis
“When it can you b you’r e a little n go to pro e m e can ha with a gro rve-rackin with date g, but up of ve mo close re w friend hen -Gwen fun.” s you Levey , AHS Alumn i
“It w asn’t along my p w rom exper ith my dat e’s pla so I just ie went ns this y nce and I’m ear.” lookin but it was g forw a ard to fun -Senio prom r, Ken dall S app
Once upon a Prom BY CAYLEY BYRNE AND NOAH NELSON In-Depth Editor & Staff Writer As the AHS community enters Prom season once again, students are beginning to find dates, dresses and organize transportation. In recent years, it has almost become tradition for students to go all out with the Prom-posal. 50 years ago, students would ask each other privately if they wanted to go. Today however, students make their proposals as big and public as possible. Anything from a car full of balloons, to a bunch of people holding the sign. That’s not the only thing about prom that has changed, the Prom itself actually used to be a lot different. “Annandale’s Prom used to be both juniors and seniors. It was always at a hotel, ballroom, or somewhere else off campus,” said special education teacher Tim Nelson. “Dinner was served there and students could
reserve tables,” said Nelson, “The guys were required to wear tuxedos, while girls had to wear a formal dress.” Back then, Annandale’s Prom was planned,and fundraised for, by the juniors for the seniors. Nowadays, the senior class officers pick the theme for the prom, are in charge of all the fundraising, and are responsible for finding a venue for the dance. If a class does not raise enough money for their dance, they may even borrow money from the class under them. The formality of Prom, and the outfits worn, have also varied throughout the years. At English teacher Melissa Phillips’ Prom, “The bigger the outfit the better, and the poofier the sleeves the better. Some even had frills attached.” “For my junior Prom, I borrowed my sisters dress. For senior prom, I got a $20 dress from Forever 21,” world history teacher Caylen Beight said. “It was not as formal as I expected.” In contrast, artistic director Noelle Viñas had a
very formal Prom. “I wore an open back dress, I had a Bump-It in my hair and got a french manicure,” Viñas said. “I went to The Melting Pot for dinner, and after Prom I hung out at a bonfire with my friends.” Prom has become a huge deal, and it is something that high schoolers can’t wait to experience, but it didn’t use to be so important to people. English teacher Fusun Sulzbach didn’t even go to her senior Prom. “I moved in the middle of my senior year, and only knew three people at my new school,” said Sulzbach. As much as things have changed over they years, a lot of the Prom still remains the same. Students still go and get their pictures taken. They still rent limos or party buses for the night of Prom, and go out to a big dinner before Prom with their friends. Prom night has remained a night to look forward to for seniors, a symbol of their departure from high school, and is something they never forget.
11 Senior Prom 2014 info.
When: June 6 Where: Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Cost: $40 (cash only) Tickets will be sold during all lunches on Monday, June 2 though Thursday June 5. Tickets will not be sold the day of Prom.
Things to remember: -Non-AHS guests cannot be older than 20 years old. -If you owe an obligation to the school you will not be able to buy a ticket for yourself or your date. -All required Prom forms will be sent electronically to students’ emails, and will also be available in the main office and the cafeteria during ticket sales. -Seniors will be permitted to leave school after the second block of the day on Friday, June 6 if they provide a parent permission note to the attendance office 24 hours in advance.
Do’sandDont’s Do open the door for your date. Don’t ask your date to Prom via text.
Back to the Basics Corsage Tips
Do take the time to pose for pictures with your date. Don’t abandon your date at the dance. Do coordinate colors with your date.
•
Order your corsage or boutonniere a week in advance to be sure that it will be available for pick up the day of Prom. • There are different types of corsages, so choose one based on style and color. Make sure to match the corsage to the color scheme of your outfit. • Try looking for local flower shops to order your corsage or boutonniere from. Stores like Harris Teeter may have corsages readily available if ordering the corsage slips your mind until the last minute.
Don’t wait until the last minute to plan. Do pick your outfit ahead of time. Don’t forget the corsage or boutonniere. Do keep in touch with your date after you ask them to be your date. Don’t ignore your date at dinner before Prom. Do ask someone you’re familiar with.
Capturing the Moment
These classic snapshots are essential to memorializing your prom experience.
Don’t stress out. Do have fun!
Stretching the Dollar As the size of your ride goes up, so does the price.
* Prices per hour
On your smartphone, scan the above code using the application “QR Code” to visit The A-Blast website.
12
international
May 6, 2014
What’s your opinion on suicide and mental stability in other countries? “I think suicides happen in every country and it is very bad and we should do something to stop it.”
— Liam Conroy freshman
Photo Courtesy of Scotland.Gov.UK
“Suicide is bad, it happens everywhere. It’s sad that someone would think it’s better to die than live.”
— Lucie Lefbom freshman This chart shows the suicide rates in countries around the world between females and males, according to the World Health Organization (WHO.
“I think suicide happens everywhere, they’re a tragedy. There should be precautions to help prevent them.”
— Janan Gokturk
“I think suicide is mainly in the U.S. because of what teens are exposed to and the stress they deal with.”
— Julie Swenton sophomore
“Suicide happens everywhere, and it’s not preventable. You can’t prevent what other people think.”
— Ron Alston junior
“I feel like it is spread across the world; not in Annandale, which is a good thing. Suicide is a problem.”
— Eric Mejean senior
“The rate is higher in Asian countries because of the academic stress and their studies.”
— Ahyeong Park senior
Compiled by Summer Ayoub
Downfall of the Greek Economy On your smartphone, scan the above code using the application “QR Code” to vread about the Greek downfall.
Suicide around the world Statistics show the suicide rate is relatively Outside the United States: Effects and outcomes differ. low compared to other coutnries By Aniqa Rashid Staff Writer
By Summer Ayoub International Editor
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eleven percent of Americans have taken antidepressant drugs for more than a year. It was found that the older age group, those ages 40 and over, have a significantly higher rate of depression than those in younger age groups, ages 12-17, and high school students in particular. However, the rates and effects of depression in high school students are increasing at a rapid rate, in which the average age for the early signs of depression is 14 or 15. According to Mental Health America’s survey, one in five teens in the US is depressed. Also found within an Associated Press survey, the youth experience stress at a much higher rate than that of adults which can lead to fully developed of depression in a student. When considering the causes for the increasing number of students with depression, one must understand the environment they are in. There are various factors that affect the different states with a higher rate of depression, including obesity and sleep disorders. School and academics itself places a huge stress among students all over the nation, with many students participating in countless extra-curricular activities and also maintaining their grades to get into competitive schools. With the application for top-tier schools, also comes standardized testing placing a huge burden on students, especially when they are trying to. With the school environment, also comes pressure from home, friends and family who wish to see the student excel in all possible activities and fulfill the higher expectation that is given to them. A persistent trend is of depression, anxiety and stress rates continuing past the border of the previous years’, signaling the severity of this growing epidemic. Still with this pattern, we see a growing number of suicide rates in the US simple for the reasons of higher levels of stress and depression found among students. Annually, over 600 to 800 students commit suicide due to the major factors of depression and stress as well as anxiety caused by school. Especially seeing the effect of suicide in the Northern Virginia area, at Woodson High School with six suicides within three consecutive years, efforts are being taken to increase the number of health-related staff on board to help diagnose and treat students who may be suffering from depression earlier. Above all, the rate of depression among teens increases when there is not much spotlight on mental illnesses or attention on the health of students, also raising the suicide rate significantly. With an emphasis on focusing more on mental health issues throughout the US, there will be an increase in efforts to diagnose and treat students that are found to have depression, so as to decrease the number of suicides. With the use of social media in society today, students are put in a more exacting position than they were ten years ago. There is pressure from friends and others online.
Suicide might seem uncommon in international countries, but according to statistics every year, more than 800,000 people die. Suicide is caused by mental disorders in humans form the ages of 15-44. There are high percentages of suicide in international countries because of the amount of academics that is being given to the students. Worldwide suicide prevention has been unproductive. Students are the ones that have the highest percentage of suicides. “Suicide worldwide was estimated to represent 1.3% of the total global burden of disease in 2004,” according to the World Health Organization. Suicide is not only caused by academic stress, but also family problems, career problems, and relationship problems. Students that are usually under depression always have common signs of anxiety, and low-self esteem. China has a suicide rate of 22.23 people out of 100,000 suffering from depression. One third of the chinese college graduates usually commit suicide because of the lack of employment. Ages 15-34 are the number one age groups that commit suicide. Russia has the second highest suicide rate in the world. From 1990 to 2010 around 800,000 Russians have committed suicide, which means around one million in 20 years. Overall, the 15-19 year olds are the ones with the highest percentage of suicides. South Korea has an annual suicide rate of 28.4 people out of 100,000. Suicide is very common in South Korea because of the academic stress being put onto the students by their parents. The most common age group for suicide is 15-29 years old. There are also many South Korean famous people that have committed suicide, such as, professional baseball player,Cho Sung-min, and supermodel, Daul Kim. United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 25.9 people per 100,000. The age group of suicide that is most common in the UK is 40-44 years old. Due to all of the financial crisis that is occurring in Greece their suicide rate had rose up 45% within the last four years. “The official stats are generally lagging. Our data suggests a very large rise. We are talking about specific individuals whose names and circumstances have been recorded,” Greek Activist, Aris Violatzis, said. Japan has a suicide rate of 23.8 suicides per 100,000. According to statistics, it has the third highest suicide rate in the world. The Japanese population that usually commits suicide is 14-25, which are usually highschool and college students. As academics are taken very seriously in Japan, the students can not seem to take all of the pressure that is being put into their shoulders. Eygpt has a suicide rate of 6.5 people per 100,000, which is very unusual due to the governemnt crisis in act this year. Suicides usually happen between the ages of 15-44 years old. This shows that there is academic stress and unemployment rates are not as high. “Very often families of suicide victims seek to cover-up, or to avoid mentioning that a family member has taken their own life,” Doctor Mohamed Rakha said. Greenland has a suicide rate of 107 people per 100,000, which is about one out of every five people there is one that attempts to kill themselves every year. Greenland is known as the suicide capital of the world. “Every young person in Greenland knows someone who has committed suicide,” Bodil Karlshøj Poulsen, director of Paarisa.
Signs of Suicide and Depression - One or more prior suicide attempts - Family histroy of suicide - Family violence - Physical or sexual abuse - Exposure to suicidal behavior of others - Incarceration - Always talking and thinking about death - Visiting or calling someone to say goodbye - Losing interest in things one used to care about - Having a “death wish” - Deep sadness - Drug abuse
- Anxiety disorders - Seriouss medical condition or pain - Feeling trapped or desperate - Acting irritable - Insomnia - Feeling humiliated - Panic attacks - Looking for a way to kill themselves - Becoming socially isolated - Impulsive and agressive behavior - Impulsive personality - Loss and seperation - Wanting to harm themselves - Feeling of guilt
ACADEMICS
May 6, 2014
13 What field trips would you attend that are not currently offerd? “[I would like] to go on trips to colleges since highschool is preparing you for one anyways.” ––Sabrina Huynh
PHOTO COURTESY OF LINDSAY ZURAWSKI
freshman
“[I would like to go on a field trip to a] theme park.” ––Astrid ligonde junior
Anthropology students pose infront of an Amish museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania to enhance their knowledge on a culture they’ve been learning through out the course of the year..
“[I would like to go on a field trip to] another country for psychology and see the differences of mental institutions [compared to the US].”
Students breaking Amish “During the trip, I was able to see people doing exactly what we do only without technology,” senior Chelsea Flores said. Students attending the field trip had to wake up bright and early to get on the charter bus and depart at 6:00 a.m. The three to four hour drive was accompanied by the film, Frozen, and snacks provided by the teachers. As students sat in the bus, they saw the transformation from a suburban environment to a
Anthropology students visit the Amish community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania BY CHELSEA ALFONSO AND NUHAMI MANDEFRO Managing Editor and Entertainment Editor
The IB Anthroplogy class got the opportunity to visit an Amish community. Both Anthropology teachers, Lindsay Zurawski and Holly Miller were able to organize a field trip for their students to go to Lancaster, PA, a prominent Amish settlement. The juniors and seniors who are enrolled in the IB Anthropology class had recently gone over a chapter focused on the Amish in their curriculum. On April 23, 46 students were able to personally visit the Amish and observe their lifestyle. During the school year, students had also been reading an ethnography called The Riddle of Amish Culture. An ethnography is a piece of writing on a certain culture and/or society in which the author becomes part of the culture and is able to observe and participate in its customs and present them to the world. “I really enjoyed seeing a lot of things we learned in class about the Amish,” junior Iman Naieem said. Students were able to witness the different lifestyles of Americans compared to the Amish. The Amish believe in having no technology or electricity whatsoever.
“
We hope our students were able to take something of value away from the trip. – Lindsay Zurawski
”
traditional Amish community. “It’s one thing to talk about the Amish losing farmland, it’s another to see housing developments and side businesses springing up in the middle of their community,” Zurawski said. When students arrived at the Amish village, they were welcomed by an “English” tour guide who walked the students around a duplicate model of an Amish home. The tour guide explained to students how Amish people refer to Americans as “English” people. The students first went to an Amish museum that
was designed like a traditional Amish community. “I was really surprised to find out that they are not secluded and live among the ‘English’ people,” junior ––Saroona Khilji junior Tsiom Tadess said. They later took a bus tour around a real Amish community and observed Amish houses, schools, farms and traditional buggies. Students were only able to take candid photos while “I think that we on the bus of the Amish people because the Amish should have more strictly believe in not taking posed photos. field trips that The students were amazed by how the Amish were support the class. able to continue to go through their daily lives without For example, IB technology, especially with how advanced the world is Chemistry can visit a research lab or today. “I got the chance to see how people [the Amish] something along the lines.” maintain a lifestyle without technology,” Flores said. “It amazed me that throughout all these worldly ––Kristina Nguyen changes, they stay true to their culture.” senior After, students were dropped off at a barn where they were able to feed horses and see an Amish buggy. There was an Amish owned store where students were able to buy their homemade soap, clothing, and food. There were Amish cashiers which enabled students to interact with them. “All of the people were nice and it was a great experience,” Naieem said. The final hours of the trip were spent at a center VICARIOUS in the community called Kitchen Kettle Village where adjective students ate lunch and walked around shops. The field trip gave students the chance to compare Done by one person what they read and learned in class to real Amish life. substituting for another. “We hope our students were able to take something of value away from the trip,” Zurawski said.
Vocabulary Words
ANACHRONISTIC adjective Something out of its proper time.
Students get to see a typical Amish classroom.
JAROD GOLUB
JAROD GOLUB
CHELSEA ALFONSO
DEBACLE noun A sudden disastrous collapse, downfall or defeat.
Participants on the Amish trip saw an Amish garage.
The students got to see farms that were run by the Amish.
INSIDIOUS adjective Working in a subtle or secret manner. EULOGY noun A public speech given in praise of someone or something. FAÇADE noun The front face of a building; an artificial or false appearance.
Tackling the History of Americas “Death packet” On your smartphone, scan this code above using the app “QR Code” to learn how to tackle the HOA “Death Packet.”
14 AHS collection obsessions LIFESTYLES
May 6, 2014
Senior Ali Imran
Spring Nail Designs
ALI IMRAN
Shoe Fanatic
For a spring mood, go with a vibrant neon color and add a detailed flower.
Senior Ali Imran has an obsession with collecting sneakers. Imran has around 60 pairs of shoes and spends about $200-300 on each pair. He supports it financially by working with his father. Imran saves all his money and makes smart decisions when it comes to buying shoes. He started getting serious about his collection during freshman year. Imran got inspiration when he saw a pair of Nike shoes in a music video. “When I saw those nice Nikes, I just started falling in love with shoes,” Imran said. A lot of Imran’s friends share the passion of collecting shoes. They have bets to see who will get a new pair first. His family and friends enjoy his collection and support him. “What I like the most about my shoes is that most of the shoes [they] have, not everyone can say I have those so it excludes me from everyone else,” Imran said. Owning many shoes gives him options for numerous occasions. Imran loves Nike. His favorite pair of shoes are his Varsity Red 2002 Nike Air Foamposite Pro’s. Imran makes his shoes last by taking care of them. “I wear all my shoes,” Imran said, “But I have some [pairs] that I try not to wear as much since they’re old and I want them to last a long time.”
Freshman Gabriela Jordan Sock Lover
.GABRIELA JORDAN
Freshman Gabriela Jordan started her Nike Elite sock collection about three months ago. She began to wear them when she started track and soccer. These trendy athletic socks have been worn by many athletes and sold in a variety of colors and designs. “I usually just wear them with track leggings or with sport shorts and running shoes,” Jordan said. Jordan buys basic elite socks and customizes them to her liking. She owns 10 customized ones and almost 25 basic pairs, spending about $20 on each. Her customized elite socks includes ombre, tie-dye, galaxy, watermelon, and many other designs. Jordans favorite pair are her Hawaiian scenery socks. Jordan thought they were very creative to start wearing them. “I prefer elite socks to regular socks because they are way more creative with the designs,” Jordan said, “They’re also very comfy and don’t slip off as easily.” Nike elite socks give extra cushioning in areas of the foot more capable to get injured making them more comfortable than regular socks. Adding a touch of glitter can add glamour to a dull nail color.
Sophomore Amir Sajanie iPhone Case Hoarder
MARILYN RIVAS
Goodbye dark winter colors. The spring season is meant for pretty pinks and pastels.
Sophomore Amir Sajanie has been collecting different types of iPhone cases. His collection started in eighth grade when he got his first iPhone. He purchased a case to protect the new iPhone then started to purchase more. Sajanie has about 20 cases in total. He saves his old phone cases to expand his collection. Sajanie spends around $30-80 on each case depending on the brand. He has different types of cases including waterproof, magnetic, Otterbox, etc. “My favorite is my magnetic case and my favorite brand is Mophie,” Sajanie said. Mophie sells popular iPhone cases that charge your phone on the go. “Since my phone is constantly dying, this comes in handy,” Sajanie said. Even though phone cases are used for protection, he uses them mainly for style. He buys cases that represented his favorite sport teams. “I like getting Life Proof and Otterbox because it actually protects my phone unlike other iPhone case brands,” Sajanie said. Life Proof cases are dirt, snow, water and shock proof. Sajanie takes his Life Proof case to the pool and takes pictures underwater. “I think it’s cool how Life Proof and Otterbox can survive many accidents, ” Sajanie said.
Freshman Sheila Aguirre
Feeling daring? Paint one of your nails a different color than the others.
To make your nails stand out, go with a shiny metallic color. For a more edgy look, add a design of your choice.
On your smart phone, scan this code using the application “QR code” to read and see a slideshow about 5 must have gadgets.
Freshman Sheila Aguirre’s obsession is with the popular and comfortable yoga pants. Yoga pants have become a huge trend for girls for the past year. “My obsession started the summer before freshman year,” Aguirre said, “I started wearing them because I would do yoga classes to relieve stress.” She continued to wear them daily because of how comfortable they were. Aguirre spends about $20-30 on each pair. She purchases them from Pink by Victoria’s Secret. “I prefer yogas over leggings because I’m used to them and they aren’t as see through,” Aguirre said. These pants come in many different colors and designs on the fold-over. Aguirre usually gets them in a solid colors, but is starting to purchase more to expand her collection. Her favorite pair are her plain black yogas with a silver sparkly fold-over and the word PINK on the back. “I tend to wear them a lot and usually wear them with a t-shirt and running shoes or moccasins,” Aguirre said. Not only does she wear them for exercising but also wears them fashionably.
SHEILA AGUIRRE
Crazy for Yoga Pants
SPORTS X-TRA Northwestern votes to unionize May 6, 2014
AHS reacts to college athletes possibly being paid
Northwestern University’s football team has a chance to do something that could change college sports forever. After Peter Sung Ohr, a National Labor Relations Board regional director, ruled that football players at Northwestern should be considered employees, members of the team voted on whether or not they wanted to form a union. If the players vote yes, it will be the first ever union in college sports. College sports have always been widely watched and enjoyed. They have also been very profitable. The 2014 Bowl Championship Series National Championship game between Florida State University and Auburn University had 26 million Former quarterback Kain Colter led the fight to unionize. viewers. In 2010, the National Collegiate Athletic to be playing a sport at the collegiate level and Association agreed to pay $10.8 billion to CBS/ getting scholarship money to do what they love,” Turner Sports so they could broadcast the March senior Michelle Burnett said. “I don’t think they Madness Tournament. should be paid and form a union because you’re According to Forbes Magazine, The University of going to school to get a college education, not to Texas’s football program brought in $34.5 million get paid to play. As an athlete you already get so worth of ticket sales last season. many benefits. You get free gear, cleats and clothes, College athletes do not receive a dime of this you get free meals and you get tutors for free, but money because the NCAA considers them students at the end of the day you’re a student before you’re and not employees. However, this could change an athlete.” soon because of the NLRB regional director’s Burnett is a senior varsity soccer player and ruling. future University of Delaware soccer player who The NLRB Chicago regional director decided has been playing for 13 years. that at Northwestern University, football players When Northwestern tried to appeal the director’s should be considered employees and be allowed to decision, it went all the way to the NLRB unionize, or come together as workers to negotiate headquarters in Washington D.C. with their employers about things like working They have yet to make a decision. If they agree hours and health care. with the Chicago regional director, it could have a This could change the whole landscape of college domino effect where other private schools’ athletes sports. would start to vote on unionizing. For public AHS athletes feel strongly about this issue. schools, however, it is not up to the NLRB. For “I think that players should be fortunate enough public colleges like UVA, George Mason University
PHOTO COURTESY OF FOX NEWS LATINO
BY DANIEL YENEGETA Sports X-tra Editor
and VCU, it would be up to their state congress to decide whether to consider their student athletes as employees. The votes that the players cast have been sent to a NLRB regional office where they are waiting to be counted. Despite support, a yes vote is unlikely. Coaches and staff at Northwestern have been urging players to vote no. Considering student athletes as employees does cause some problems. One major concern is scholarship money. If student athletes are considered employees, some might consider their scholarship money as their payment, which would mean they would be taxed on it. In spite of these questions, there is support for the treatment of college athletes as employees. Shabazz Napier, senior point guard at the University of Connecticut, described the decision made by the NLRB regional director as “kind of great.” He told reporters that there are “hungry nights” where he goes to bed “starving.” Other supporters say that college athletes should be paid because coaches and the NCAA make a lot of money off of their work. However, others say that student athletes are students first, and they are there to get an education. “College players shouldn’t be paid because it’s not their job,” senior Tyler Pacak said. “Their job is to go to classes and get a diploma. If and when they make it professionally, they will be paid but they were never paid before and they shouldn’t expect to be paid now.” Pacak is a senior varsity baseball player and future Randolph-Macon College baseball player. If the full NLRB says they do not agree with the regional director’s ruling, then the votes will not be counted and there will be no union at Northwestern University. Regardless of what the full NLRB says, many former players are very passionate about the issue at hand, which will not go away anytime soon.
15
Upcoming Games Softball vs. Osbourne Park @ 6:30 p.m. (H) May 6 Boys lacrosse vs. Woodson @ 7 p.m. (A) May 6 Girls lacrosse vs. Woodson @ 7:30 p.m. (h) May 6 Boys track vs. Ann, SC, TCW @ Lee @ 8:00 a.m. (A) May 7 Girls track vs. Ann, SC, TCW @ Lee @ 8:00 a.m. (A) May 7 Boys tennis vs. T.C. Williams @ 4:00 p.m. (A) May 8 Softball vs. T.C. Williams @ 6:30 p.m. (H) May 8 Boys soccer vs. T.C. Williams @ 7:00 p.m. (H) May 8 Girls soccer vs. T.C. Williams @ 7:00 p.m. (A) May 8 Baseball vs. T.C. Williams @ 6:30 p.m. (A) May 9 Boys lacrosse vs. T.C. Williams @ 7:00 p.m. (A) May 9 Girls lacrosse vs. T.C. Williams @ 7:30 (H) May 9 Boys track vs. Invitational: TJ Last Chance Meet @ 8:00 a.m. (A) May 16 Girls track vs. Invitational: TJ Last Chance Meet @ 8:00 a.m. (A) May 16
“No, because it would require the tuition prices for normal students to go up.”
---Joseph Listopad sophomore
“Yes, because most of them don’t have a job so this is kind of like their job to play a sport for the college.”
—Amir Sajanie sophomore
“Yes, because if they get good grades and play a sport then I think they should get paid.”
—Madelyn Sanchez sophomore
“No, because they are already getting college paid for.”
—Seth Tweneboa sophomore
“No, because a lot of them already have scholarships, and they go to school basically for free and get free food.”
“Yes because college life is expensive, so they should have money to go towards that.”
—Shawn Courtney junior
— Dre Wright junior
“No, because they already get scholarships and free athletic coaches and trainers. There’s no need for them to get paid”
— Faith Paletti senior
Longtime basketball coach steps down CoachHughesretiresfromthewomen’sheadbasketballprogram BY DANIEL YENEGETA Sports X-tra Editor Q: How long have you been coaching? A: Since 1988. Q: Why are you stepping down as Girls Varsity Basketball coach? A: With the increase in class size and responsibilities along with a number of personal reasons, it just felt like the right time to take a step back. Q: What was your favorite memory as coach? A: I have so many, with the girls program game wise it was taking a number of teams to regionals and advancing. Also the great relationships I was able to develop with the kids in the program and an unbelievable coaching staff. Q: What will you miss about coaching? A: Practice, I love teaching the game and watching players improve. Coach Hughes talks strategy with the Lady Atoms during his time as their head coach.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BEZA YOSEPH
Do you think college athletes should get paid?
Q: What will you be doing instead of coaching? A: Trying to assist my aging parents as well as exploring other areas of interest. Q: Will you remain at this school? A: Right now I plan on being here next year. Q: Will you still be involved with sports at Annandale? A: I’m not sure about the sports part, but I do want to help in other areas. Q: What has coaching taught you? A: That there is always more than one approach to reach student athletes and to get the results you want. You have to be willing to try what may work best for that student, not necessarily what works best for the coach. Good communications are increasingly important in coaching, student athletes can misinterpret a coach’s actions or efforts. As a coach when you get on a player for a mistake or on them to give more effort, they may interpret that as you don’t like them. It is always important to try and read players’ reactions and get in their ear in a positive way to pick them back up or just let them know you still believe in them.
Q&A with Beza Yoseph BY DANIEL YENEGETA Sports X-tra Editor Q: What kind of coach was Coach Hughes? A: Coach Hughes is a really great coach, he picks up on our mistakes and helps us work through them really well. His coaching style helps us get better as a team. Q: How did Coach Hughes help the team? A: Coach Hughes helps us by always being there when we need him. It’s really great to have a coach like that. Q: What will players miss about Coach Hughes? A: I think we’re going to miss how he can be so serious and strict one second and have us cracking up laughing the next. Q: What is your favorite memory of Coach Hughes? A: We had practice over spring break and the music to change classes was still in the system and we heard the cha cha slide play. Right in the middle of us running a play, we all started dancing and after the song ended he was just staring at us like we were crazy, and we all started cracking up. Q: What are your hopes for the future? A: Hopefully the team and the new coach can create that player to coach bond quickly and effectively so we can have a great season next year.
Wizards end five-year playoff drought
Coach Hughes subs in a player during a game at West Springfield
Coach Hughes congratulates a player during Senior Night.
Coach Hughes after a tough loss.
—Compiled by Daniel Yenegeta Photos courtesy of Patrick Hughes
On your smartphone, scan the code using the application “QR Code” to read more about the Wizards’ playoff run.
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SPORTS Track brings home titles
May. 6 , 2014
runners win big at T.C. Invitational track What do you AHS meet showcasing the team’s athleticism think it takes to B M B Sports Editor be an athlete? On Saturday, May 3, certain members of the Track team were invited to a meet Y
“I think it takes a lot of hardwork and determination to be an athlete. If you work hard at it you receive a good reward.” — Sarah Dieble sophomore
“Athletes have a natural competitive spirit; you can’t learn how to be a really great athlete because athleticism is a state of mind, not really just physical.” — Kevin Folli sophomore
“To be an athlete it takes tenacity. You have to keep working at it to eventually get better. We who have the will to win never shall be beat.” — Maddy Cook junior
ARIFE
ARAGANO
at T.C. Williams. According to the VHSL handbook, each school in the invitational track meet is limited to 25 members that can compete. There are no limits on individual entrants per school by event. The VHSL maximum event limit rule applies per athlete (three running events and any number of Field events per athlete). Schools may have only ONE (1) Team ENTRY in each of the relay events. Relay members must come from the entwwered athletes . Many of the athletes went above and beyond in the events they competed in. Senior Elexis Evans came in first place in the girls triple jump event at the T.C. Invitational with a leap of 36 ft 6 in. Senior Destiny Anderson shattered her own school record in the Long Jump event with a jump of 17 ft 1.75 in. Senior Khalil Haj-Assad placed fourth in the boys shot put event with a throw of 44 ft 3 in. Sophomore Shannyea Whichard holds the new school record in the girls 100m dash with a regional qualifying time of 12.77s. The Atoms Girls 4x100m time of 49.48s was an auto-state qualifying time and a new school record. The girls 4x100m relay team consisted of runners I. Koroma, E. Evans, D. Anderson, and S. Whichard are meet champions. The Atoms boys 4x100m relay team of R. Botock, N. Hogye, S. Jalloh, and B. Andoh were the Meet Champions at the T.C. Invitational with a time of 43.05s, qualifying them for states. They were all enthusiastic about the outcome of the day. They are now working every day to achieve their goal and become state champions. “I thought overall, we did really well,” said Junior Cody Regan, “ individually I thought we did even better, but we have to improve in working as a team.” Sophomore Gabriel Martino said “Even though I wasn’t able to participate in the race on Saturday, from the looks of it we did very well.” Junior Raven Hankinson runs to the finish line to end the race.
Soccer finishes off season Girl’s game rescheduled
Boys come out strong
“Determination and the drive to become better defines an athlete.” — Zac Taylor junior
“I think that being an athlete takes endurance and a lot of focus. If you do have that it becomes hard to perform in your sport.” — Carter Britton junior “I think that it takes dedication, motivation, and the will to win to be a good athlete. If all these things are combined they will make for a motivated athlete willing to do anything for the love of his/her sport.”
Girls get ready for the AHS vs. Marshall game at Annandale High School.
— Ron Alston junior
Varsity soccer boys prepare to hit the ball to keep the game in play.
BY WINNIE MASSON Staff Writer
BY WINNIE MASSON AND MARIFE BARAGANO Staff Writer
Due to the unexpected rain the past few days, the girls’ soccer game has been rescheduled to Monday, May 5. They will be facing the Lee Lancers and have been practicing hard to defeat them. The team has multiple wins already against West Potomac, Centerville, Mount Vernon and Falls Church. The girls’ season has been looking bright considering their victories over these several teams. As the season comes to an end, the girls are hoping to win even more games in order to qualify for districts. The team has three more regular season games, and will face off against Lee on Monday at the stadium field. Be sure to come and cheer the girls on to victory. The varsity team has done exceptionally well this season, and last year, the girls beat Lee with an outstanding score of 4-2, so they are fired up to get another win. The girls are hopeful that another win will place them above other teams competing for district games. Sophomore Kiara Patino said, “I am really happy with how we have done this season, and I am hoping that we go far in districts, and then into regionals.” The girls have a fantastic current record of six wins, one tie and two losses.
Boys soccer hasn’t been the least spoken about this year. The boys’ varsity soccer team has had an outstanding season. The team currently has a record of 6 wins, 1 tie, and 2 losses. The boys will also be facing off against the Lee Lancers on May 5. The team is hoping to win this game and continue their winning streak to finish out the season. “I love my team and I am really proud of how we have done so far this season. If we keep winning, we will hopefully make it into districts,” sophomore Jeffrey Montano said. Overall, the boys are doing very well. They need more support at their games, however. Their next home game is against T.C. Williams on May 8 at the stadium field, and everyone should come out and cheer the Atoms onto victory. “ We started off strong and had a very good start,” senior Kyle Peich said, “ the team as a unit started to get ahead of ourselves and we lost two important games. But we just need to refocus and we should be fine for the end of the year.” The boys are anxious to get back on the field to play against T.C. Williams on May 8.
Sophomore Sarah Dieble gets ready to practice
Girls tennis defeated by West Potomac BY BALIEY OLIVER Arts Editor Girls Tennis falls with a 1-8 loss to West Potomac on May 2 in a major landslide of a loss. Senior captain Chloe Loving reflects on the loss and looks to improve. “I’m certainly disappointed with the loss, but at the same time the match is going to be looked back at in order to improve,” Loving said. “We’ve made good progress and will
Junior Thia Carayiannis about to throw a softball
On your smartphone, scan the above code using the application “QR Code” to visit the Red and White Golf Classic website to sign up.
Sohomore Lara C. sets up to return a serve to her teammate at practice.
anticipate that our next match will end much better.” The Girls Tennis team currently holds a record of two wins and ten losses. The team’s next match is against South County HS at home. The girls are prepared to do whatever it takes to be champions, though that goal may not be acheiveable this year. They will try their hardest to improve on each flaw and be prepared for next year’s wining season.
SPORTS Girls lax falls to South County May, 6 2014
BY SABRINA HAWA Sports Editor The girls lacrosse team was defeated by South County 10-12 on Friday, May 2. The game was very close as the girls took their loss by 2 points, now making them 2-5 in the conference. “The game went really well and we all played really hard,” freshman Sasha Silva said. The game took place away at South County 7:30pm. “We did what we could, but in the end we lost by two, keeping a really close game for the duration of the whole game,” Silva said. Head coach Cindy Hook notices improvements from the team as well as their individual selves. “Each member helps one
SABRINA HAWA
Girls lacrosse falls to the South County stallions, following their record of 2-5.
Sophomore Sarah Deible running down the field attempting to score against South County
another on and off the field,” Hook said. “They have great sportsmanship.” The season is coming to a close soon, regardless of their last two scheduled games against Woodson High School and T.C. Williams High School, as well as their games that have been postponed due
to inclement weather. “To further improve, we are going to practice, practice, practice,” Hook said. “We continue to work on our skills such as footwork, ground balls, communication and stick skills. I look forward to working with each of my players every single day.”
With a few games left under their belt, coach Hook reviews the girls’ strengths and weaknesses that she has noticed this season. “The girls are fiercely competitive and they do not like to give up. We have made great progress as a team and we have played strong in every game and
have given ourselves a chance to win.” she said. ”In the end, most of the games have not always ended in our favor but we are really close to putting all the pieces together.” The girls have a record of 2-5, where they have only lost their games by a few points. “With the team’s two captains, Lailumah Faisal and Sureyya Gokturk, as well as our other seniors, we have great leadership on our team,” Hook said. “They also help motivate the other players as well as keep them focused and on track.” As the coach watches the players on the field she notices how they “Enjoy being together, help each other remain positive and help them off the field as well as on the field.” The girls face the Woodson Cavaliers on Friday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. here at Annandale, Woodson being one of the team’s biggest rivals.
Baseball is looking ahead to the season
17
Upcoming Games Girls Varsity Lax Upcoming games: -Home against Woodson on May 6 at 7:30 p.m. -Home against T.C Williams on
Atoms player at practice
Boys Varsity Baseball Upcoming games: -Away against T.C Williams on May 9 at 6:30 p.m. -Away against Lake Braddock on May 13 at 6:00 p.m .
With a record of 5-8, the baseball team has yet to play half their district games.
Junior Kyle Goettlicher catchng a ball in practice.
While there is only two weeks left in the season, baseball has not yet played half of their district games. “We have seven district games in the next two weeks.” Head coach Daniel Porter said. “These games could drastically change our season and therefore it is difficult for me to say how the rest of the season will go.” Due to the unusual amount rain that has covered the baseball field these past days, the boys have missed several amounts of practices and games. This has pushed the team drastically. On May 2, the boys faced the Woodson cavaliers ending with the team losing with a team score of 5-7. Thus, making their overall record 5-8 in the conference. “We still have to play sixty percent of our games that matter the most” Porter said. With the guys next upcoming game, which is on May 9th, 2014 at T.C Williams High School at 6pm.
The team is also getting closer to their goal of getting top four in the conference. To achieve this goal, the team says that they are going to do specific drills that will be embeded into practice. The team also works very hard on and off the field, helping one and other. The team looks foward to the rest of their season. Sophomore Aaron Boyd at practice
Coach’s Corner
Sophomore Tucker Mack throws a ball at practice
SABRINA HAWA
OLIVIA LAFFERTY
BY SABRINA HAWA Sports Editor
Cindy Hook: Girls Lacrosse Q. What are some positive observations of the team you’ve noticed at practice and games? A. “The team enjoys being together, stays postitive, and helps one another on and off of the field. They are fiercly competive, play with great sportsmanship and never gve up. I really look foward to working with them each day.” Q. What are some weaknesses that could be improved on? A. “We continue to work on footwork and ground balls, communcation, stick skills, the timing and execution in our passng game, and our individual and team defense.” Q. How is the team planning on improving? A. “With focused practice, practice and practice.” Q. How do you think the season has gone so far? A. “Very well. We have steadily improved individually and made great progress as a eam. We have played strong in every game and have given ourselves a chance to win it in the end but in most games it has not always ended in our favor, but we are very close to putting all of the pieces together. It will be an amazing thing to see.” Q. Any other thoughts or comments? A. “We really have great leadership in our captains, Lailumah Faisal and Sureyya Gokturk who, along with our seniors, really help motivate us and keep us on track.”
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Top grossing video games through the decades
ENTERTAINMENT
May 6th, 2014
VIDEO GAMES THEN AND NOW: 1970
1970 Space Invaders: Space Invaders was one of the earliest shooting games. Its primary goal is to shoot all the oncoming aliens with a laser and earn as many points as possible without dying. Space Invaders earned around $600,000 million in profit in Japan during 70’s.
“The big first games were Space Invaders and Pacman. Now let’s not forget Mrs. Pacman.”
Pacman was one of the first arcade games to come The Atari 64, or Atari Jaguar, was the first 64-bit gaming console to hit the gaming industry. With big titles such Doom and Ruiner Pinball, the Atari 64 did fairly well. That is, until it hit its crash and the market went down. The makers of the Atari left the gaming industry and sold it to Hasbro Interactive. The Atari 64 however still kept a strong fan base in later years.
around, and also one of the first video games ever. The game is 2D,and consists of a little face, named Pacman, who is trying to avoid the ghosts throughout the maze. The goal is to collect as many gold coins as possible without being killed by a ghost.
–Jonathan York History teacher
“The earliest game I played was Pong and Atari 64, then later I played Apachi.” –Brian Dunnell History teacher
1980
1980 Super Mario Bros.: Super Mario Bros.’ 80’s debut was instantly a hit. With the game selling 40.24 million copies, it was by far the top best selling game of the decade. The game’s goal is to rescue Princess Peach from danger.
The Nintendo Entertainment System was Nintendo’s first video game system and it actually help to revitalize the gaming industry which crashed in 1983. The console was released in America in 1985 and was by far the best selling console of the decade. It was an 8-bit console, so it was very basic but still very fun. The NES sold over 60 million consoles.
“I started with the first Nintendo (Nintendo Entertainment System).”
The PlayStation was Sony’s first gaming console “I started with the regular Nintendo, then Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and then the Playstation.”
–Mike Mathis History teacher
–Stephen Brooks Math teacher
1990
1990 Tetris: The 90’s introduced the first glimpse of mobile gaming. The first mobile device was the GameBoy, and it was instant hit. Tetris was played on the GameBoy and sold around 20 million copies. Tetris is a puzzle based game.
to hit stores. It was a 32-bit console, so it was not very advanced. Sony tried to focus their console towards more of an older audience, such as people over the age of 15. They knew that Nintendo had the younger kid’s support. The PlayStation was an instant hit among older people, and actually became the top selling system of the 90’s.
The Sega Genesis was Sega’s third video game “The Genesis came out and it was the best thing to have because it had Madden and role playing games.” –Matthew Behne Business teacher
console, a 16-bit console released in the late 80’s. The Sega Genesis is considered by some to be one of the best consoles ever because of how many games got really famous after first being on the Genesis. Games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Mortal Kombat and most sports games started on this and are still very popular today.
The Super Ninentendo system was Nintendo’s second sytem, so it brought back the first big Nintendo titles to the world. Titles such as Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda are still around today and are very popular. There have been multiple sequels to all of these games.
“I played the first Nintendo and the Sega. I played Mario, Zelda, and Sonic.” –Catherine Gibson English teacher
2000 Wii Sports: During the 2000’s, a whole new era of gaming was introduced, and nobody did it better than Nintendo with the Wii. Wii Sports sold about 58 million copies. Wii Sports has no storyline, since the game is based on playing sports on your TV with a remote and some friends.
The Nintendo GameBoy was the first portable video game system to hit stores. It was instantly a hit because gamers could now play in the car, or really wherever they felt the need to. The GameBoy was very small, and the graphics were much less advanced than the consoles. The GameBoy sold around 42 million copies.
“I played the original GameBoy when I was younger and I played Donkey Kong and Mario.”
2000
–Brian Abedi senior
2010 Grand Theft Auto V: In the past four years, the number one selling video game is Grand Theft Auto V. The game sold about 16 million copies on the PS3, and actually came in second place for selling 13 million copies on the Xbox 360. The game is based on c, and throughout the game you perform a series of criminal missions.
On your smartphone, scan the code using the application “QR Code” to read about the older generation getting “hip.”
The Wii was the first console of a whole new era of gaming. The Wii allowed you to use remotes that “When I was younger detect motion to make gaming more interactive. I played the Wii and I After the Wii came out, many other systems liked it a lot.” adopted the idea too. –Kirk Lindberg sophomore
The Xbox One is considered “current generation” console, made by Microsoft, meaning it recently came out and is active. The console consists of coming with a Kinect, allowing for voice interaction to make gaming even more personal. The system also allows you to use your hands to control it, without a remote or any handheld device.
2010
“I recently started playing the Xbox One and it’s really fun.” –Crew McCarthy freshman
The Nintendo 64 was Nintendo’s third video game system. It had to compete with other recently “I played the Nintendo released systems such as the Sega Saturn and the 64 and the GameBoy PlayStation. The console only released 367 games which was around 700 games fewer than past Color.” Nintendo consoles. However, the N64 had more –Franscisco Lam widely-acclaimed games than any Nintendo system senior in the past.
The Xbox was Microsoft’s first big video game console. The Xbox introduced many new video game series that became very popular during this time. The console targeted players older than the standard Nintendo players, making more violent games. The console was a huge hit and sold over 26 million units.
“Playing the PS4 is really fun whether you are competing online or with friends.” –Saud Shah freshman
“I used to play the original Xbox when I was really little.” –Brandon Ho freshman
The PlayStation 4 is also one of the “current generation” consoles, although it was made by Sony. The system focuses much more on online gaming than Sony has in the past, in ways such as enhancing their online program called “PlayStation Network”. The PS4 focuses more on interactive gaming too by having the controller use motion sensors.
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ENTERTAINMENT
May 6, 2014
#MakeTheHashtagsStop to go along with their shows, such as #HIMYM for How I Met your Mother, and #BigBangTheory for Big Bang Theory. It seems to be a common occurrence among certain television networks, like ABC Family. However, the use of hashtags becomes rather excessive when overused. Viewers become distracted and aggravated by these words flashing in the corner of the screen. One of the biggest offenders of these unnecessary hashtags is NBC’s The Voice which tends to flash a new hashtag on the screen every 10 to 15 minutes. Hashtags like #VoiceBattles, #BattleRounds2, and #TheVoice make their appearance throughout the program. “I get really annoyed with all the hashtags TV shows put on corner of the TV because they distract from the show and no one actually tweets about the shows,” sophomore Janan Gokturk said. ABC’s new show Twisted also uses an
Over usage of hashtags on Twitter makes them less effective BY AYAH OWEIS Staff Writer When watching a simple TV show, the most annoying thing of all is when hashtags pop up randomly in the corner of the screen, prodding the viewer to use the symbols on social media websites. Some of the biggest offenders of this newly created fad are reality television and competition shows. Though the shows’ producers are striving to get people involved in the online conversations about their respective shows, it tends to get rather frustrating after a few minutes of watching. Most shows todays have a hashtag
unnecessary amount of hashtags during their programming. New symbols pop up on the lower right side of the screen every few minutes summarizing
Horoscopes Taurus (April 20-May 20)
what just happened. #Twisted is the official hashtag for the show, though many o t h e r s l i k e # WAT C H a b c f a m i l y, #DannyComesClean, and several others pertaining to the show’s content often pop up in bright white lettering. All in all, shows that attempt to reach a younger audience through social media often tend to overuse hashtags.
Reward yourself for all of the good things you have been doing lately, whether it’s a spa day or some ice cream, you deserve to be pampered for a bit.
Many students at AHS believe that this overuse is unnecessary and annoying. Hashtags on TV shows are under utilized by younger generations and therefore do not still need used. Though, some people actually enjoy the use of hashtags and think they are helpful in connecting with other people who watch their favorite shows. But, are there really enough people who participate in these hashtags to continue using them? You decide.
Gemini (May 21- June 20) Try to ease up on the Netflix and take some time out of your day to go outside and hang out with friends. Experience new things and meet new people.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) Be spontaneous this month. Take a road trip with friends, break your curfew or try a new food. Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries.
Just do it for the...Fame!
Leo (July 23- Aug. 22) Open up and don’t be afraid to talk to people. Find someone to confide in and show off your attitude. Come out of your shell this month.
D.C. rapper’s controversial cover art opens discussion of guerilla marketing BY NUHAMI MANDEFRO Entertainment Editor
Virgo (Aug.23-Sept.22)
“
The cover art itself reflects Fat Trel as his joking and playful self. Everyone thinks of the cover as a joke and I feel the reactions from the Glee producers are a little much. —Blin Kebrom
”
AHS junior
The cover art has allegedly not been “authorized by an IP owner, its agents, or the law, but the Glee producers have exclaimed their disgust with the cover and plan to take future legal action for tarnishing their brand. Unlike the blogs and articles online bashing the artist, most students when interviewed like the cover
Take some time to think back on this past month and spend the next month changing things you want to change and saying things you wish you would have said before. PHOTO COURTESY OF FAT TREL FAN PAGE
A number of students at AHS have been anticipating the D.C. native, Fat Trel’s, mix tape since the District of Columbia/Maryland/Virginia discovered his talent years before any record label did. “Anyone who kept up with his music knew that he would eventually get signed somewhere,” Anasimos Mandefro said. “Once Rick Ross finally gave him a contract to MMG/Maybach Music, I knew it would be sooner or later that Fat Trel would make it big.” His first mix tape, Gleesh, was released in April 2014 and though he was commended for the clever and honest lyrics, the world could only talk about his cover art on Glee star, Lea Michele, covered with semen. Since the release of the mix tape, the cover art has grossed the Twitter timelines and other social media sites of AHS students. When asked, the majority of students do not recognize the name of the artist but have seen the cover art before.
art and believe the media is taking it out of proportion. “The cover art itself reflects Fat Trel as his joking and playful self. Everyone thinks of the cover as a joke and I feel the reactions from the Glee producers are a little much,” junior Blin Kebrom said. “I’ve known about Fat Trel before the controversy with his album cover,” senior Eric Mejean said. “I’ve listened to the whole mix tape and I honestly like every song. I wasn’t aware about the potential legal actions placed against him but I think the cover is really creative and it helped him gain recognition since being a local rapper.” Others appreciate his use of freedom of speech, but are still hesitant of his choices. “I’ve never heard of Fat Trel or seen his cover art before,” senior Roya Ansary said. “His album cover is his expression through art but if he didn’t get consent from Lea Michele or the producers themselves, he should be legally responsible.” The fact that the media has talked about Fat Trel’s mix tape in a negative light, whereas the youth actually commend his creativity, shows that the artist
has successfully showed and in other cases sold himself to the market he was initially going after. Numerous celebrities have also used this method in becoming “bad” to enhance their music and attract more fans. Business and Info Tech teacher, Matthew Behne, explained that the tactic used is called guerrilla marketing. As the person “hijacks” and/or uses another brand or person, they are “piggyback riding” from their fame as they create controversy. “Celebrities like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian are eminent in creating controversy and using someone’s fame to get attention,” Behne said. “But if done wrong, this will create a bad name for your brand and the media and public will always have it with them,” With this, Fat Trel has created a name for himself and is now seen by the public from online and other devices. Until the upcoming release of his first album, his guerilla marketing will allow his first album to gross more sells and attention than ever.
You have a rough month coming up ahead of you but keep your head up high and remember that the school year is almost over and summer is almost here.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Talk to that one person you’ve been avoiding all year and try to fix things between you two. Try to keep an open mind and get their side of the story.
A lot of drama is coming your way but face the problems head on. Try to avoid certain people for a while and take some time to figure out who’s really there for you.
Aquarius (Jan. 20- Feb. 18) Switch things up this month. Change the layout of your room, hang out with some people you’ve never hung out with before or finally try that one food you’ve been dying to try.
PHOTO COURTESY OF VEOOZ ENTERTAINMENT
BY NUHAMI MANDEFRO Entertainment Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF BILLBOARD
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Capricorn (Dec. 22- Jan. 19)
With shows setting themselves up for quick finales, upcoming shows think outside the box
Today, Glee is still premiering new episodes for season four; even though the majority of the main characters are unable to.
Things might be hectic now but don’t worry about the drama. Take a deep breath and let it all go. It’s almost summer, focus on that.
Celebrities, like Fat Trel, practice guerilla marketing and create controversy to gain recognizition and boost their fan base.
Keep it short and sweet Senior Indira Gautam has been a devoted fan of the MTV series Teen Wolf since the first season. “I’ve been watching Teen Wolf since it premiered in 2011,” Gautam said. “I watch it every week and it’s my favorite show on TV.” Three years later, the cast of werewolves and friends are on their fourth season and are seniors. With the fact that the show takes places in a high school and the show’s title itself being Teen Wolf, the show will soon have conflict once the cast graduates from high school. “I have thought about the status of the show once the cast graduates high school,” Gautam said. “I’m not sure how they will continue afterwards but I’ll be devastated once it ends because it’s taken so much of my life.” Producers and writers of shows with similar conflicts, like Pretty Little Liars, a show that aired in 2010 with a cast of sophomore girls continues showing after four years, try to create seasons that display a semester of school continuously, which proves to be a problem. For each of these shows, it won’t be long until the cast has to move on. These days, upcoming shows have been utilizing
Libra (Sept.23-Oct. 22)
“Glee” graduation episode was the third season’s finale and concluded the roles of the main characters.
the idea of a show with broad story line that will evidently allow them to create numerous seasons. Shows like Modern Family and American Horror Story have been spotted on the nation’s newest obsessions by having the ability to create a new story every episode; making it possible for anyone to tune in and understand the show without starting from season one. Junior Beza Yoseph has realized her fascination with shows that grow and progress beyond seasons and years. “Modern Family is one of my favorite shows on TV today,” Yoseph said. “I’ve missed previous seasons but I recently decided to start watching it and I love how funny and relatable it is.” “Grey’s Anatomy is practically my favorite show of all time,” Yoseph said. “The show is on their 10th season and have been on it for nearly ten years. The drama is different in each episode and by each season, a character is more developed and enhances the tension in the show.” Award-winning shows like 90210 and One Tree
Hill were also shows that took place in high school, but they successfully transitioned the characters from high school to adulthood by connecting the drama from previous seasons to the older ones. “One Tree Hill based their first few seasons in high school, then were able to skip all of college to the cast as adults,” junior Hiwot Dagnachew said. “The fact that they still continued the show to their adulthood actually made the show better.” Shows like Glee attempted to continue showing the first cast after graduating high school, but the fact that the cast was only connected to the high school glee club proved to fail and have recently started firing the original cast . “The new Glee is not the same or as good as the previous seasons,” Yoseph said. “They should’ve ended the show at the cast’s departure from high school in order to maintain the show’s reputation.” As for the future, many students anticipate the finales of numerous shows but wait for the newly created shows with broad story lines and years of being hooked.
Pisces (Feb.19- March 20) Get rid of your bad habits this month. Try to start waking up early and stop hitting that snooze button.
Aries (March 21- April 19) The school year is almost done, but that doesn’t mean you should give up. Keep up with your schoolwork and end this year of with a bang.
On your smartphone, scan the code using the application “QR Code” to read about the ten year anniversary of Mean Girls.
20
Top four places to get your Philly cheesesteak
WEEKEND
May 6, 2014
The Philly Cheesesteak Challenge Take part in the famous senior challenge that has taken over NOVA
John’s Roast Pork John’s Roast Pork is one of the most renowned cheesesteak shops in the southern side of Phildephia. Not only are their cheesesteaks to die for, but also their roast pork. The restaurant is located at 14 Snyder Avenue www.johnsroastpork.com/
The Challenge: 1. Leave for your destination at exactly 7:15 a.m. (on the weekend) “I am planing on going soon. It’s senior year so I am definitely going to do it.”
2. Drive up to Philadelphia 3. Buy your cheesesteak and eat it 4. Start your trip back home and arrive before the end of the school day at 2:00 p.m.
— Jordan Scroggins senior
5. Present your receipt and picture of you with your cheesesteak as proof of completing the challenge
Tony Luke’s Another one of South Phildelphia’s famous luncheons is the famous Tony Luke’s. Their two most famous sandwichs include their cheesesteak and their roast pork italian, both of which are known for their savory taste. Tony Luke’s is located at 39 E. Oregon Avenue www.tonylukes.com
6. Send in pictures of you and your Philly cheesesteak to The A-Blast!
“I think it’s kind of stupid because unless it’s a really good cheesesteak it’s not worth it.”
7. We will feature your photos on the website for everyone to see
— Megan Kaihlanen senior
“It’s kind of a fun and dumb thing to do. I don’t even like cheesesteak, but I’m still going just to go.”
Pat’s King of Steaks Pat’s King of Steaks, where the cheesesteak was invented by the restaurants founder in 1930. The little restaurant is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Pat’s is located at 1237 E. Passyunk Avenue www.patskingofsteaks.com
“I want to do it. It sounds like a good challenge. It’s kind of unsafe because you have to drive kind of fast [to make the time limit].”
— Tyler Pacak senior
— Allie Vogus senior
“It sounds like an adventure, however I would be concerned that students are trying to race up there in cars because of the timeline and skipping school.”
— James Carayiannis Assistant Principal
Find your treasure Geno’s Steaks Right across the street from where the first cheesesteak was invented, Geno’s Steaks has been competing with Pat’s for the best cheesesteak for 40 years. Geno’s is also open 24/7 selling its most famous sandwiches. Geno’s Steaks is located at 1219 S. 9TH Street www.genosteaks.com
Map out all of your favorite upcoming events in the DMV May 18
Taste of Arlington
Come out and join the lively street festival in Arlington. Experience food from 40+ restaurants, live entertainment, children activities and more! Event located at Wilson Boulevard in front of Ballston Common Mall from
2014 class bulletin
Throughout May Don’t forget to support your hometown baseball team as they take on the Dodgers, the Mets, the Reds, the Marlins and the Rangers in a number of games all throughout May. Tickets available online and at the gate of the stadium before the game.
All-night grad ticket prices go up after June 13th! So buy your tickets before then!
Graduation countdown: 39 days!
Blue Angels Air Show
Nationals Game
Prom Countdown: 28 days!
May 21 and 23
On your smartphone, scan the above code using the application “QR Code” to look at more pictures of the Food Challenges.
Attend a show of U.S. Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron. Watch the Squadron show off their choreographed flight skills. Don’t miss your chance to see fast-paced planes dance in the sky. Both shows are located in Annapolis, Maryland.
Luke bryan Concert May 16, 30 and 31 See Luke Bryan on three separate occasions at Jiffy Lube Live on his “That’s My Kind of Night Tour.” Joining him on tour as his opening acts are Lee Brice and Cole Swindell. Tickets available online for $50 and up.