Issue 10

A

ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL

the VOLUME #60 ISSUE 10

Today’s Weather

4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 470

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 2015

(703) 642-4229

Citizenship promised by Clinton Students excited about new immigration proposal

BY MARIA SUAREZ Circulation Manager Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has announced that she plans to take President Barack Obama's executive immigration policy a step further if elected.

Clinton"s objective is to create a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. Even though Clinton will face opposition from those that consider the action undemocratic, she is ready to fight.

During a campaign stop in Nevada, Clinton stated, "If Congress continues to refuse to act, as president I will do everything possible under the law to go even further."

According to U.S. News, AHS

Transgender legislation sparks controversy

BY TEAGAN FOTI News Editor After an 11-1 vote held in May, the Fairfax County School Board elected to support and include sexual orientation and gender identity in its upcoming policies. This change followed the United States Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage in Virginia.

Although there was a majority vote in support of the policy, some were opposed, stating that confusion among gender identity is really just an act of self hatred and the board is just trying to slip the policy through.

Ryan McElveen, a board member who supports the new change in policy, said the goal is to "support everyone in our community."

The new policy aims to make Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) students feel more accepted and less oppressed while at school as well as to protect them from remarks made toward them.

"This policy will help to provide a safeguard against harassment and discrimination at school," GayStraight alliance sponsor and ESOL teacher Bethany Slingerland said.

The policy is intended to be inclusive of everyone, regardless of sexual identity and orientation. It will ban discrimination aimed toward LGBT see TRANSGENDER pg. 5

consists of a student body of more than 2,000 with a minority rate of 76 percent. Diversity is very much existent and conveyed throughout our hallways. Students come from more than 92 countries speaking more than 45 languages. Clinton's plan of action would not only increase culture throughout our school, but help families that have suffered and struggled in their countries.

"It's especially important as a student here at AHS," senior Kevin Arevalo said, "especially if you're a junior or senior, because you can't get financial aid. This would open up a lot of opportunities."

While more than half of undocumented immigrants come from Spanish-speaking countries,

BY ALAN VARGAS Special to The A-Blast Juniors continue their transition into their last year as senior portraits roll around.

They were sent postcards randomly, indicating that they arrive at AHS at a given time and date to take their senior portraits.

Juniors are given the option to stay with their first date, or reschedule for a later date, most likely at the beginning of their senior year.

The day that students are scheduled for their pictures are May 28, 2015. The times will vary depending on the student's last name. The portraits will start at 3 p.m. and will end around 8:30 p.m.

Although this is very quick and surprising, the juniors are thrilled to take thier first steps as seniors.

This makes for an exciting start for some juniors.

"I'm pretty excited and I don't really expect much to happen," junior Gabriella Guzman said.

"If we're one of the most diverse high schools in the county, I feel like [Clinton's plan] will be great for our school. If other schools become diverse, it would be amazing," Autumn Yang junior

who are living in the United States undocumented, might need to qualify for higher paying jobs, receive an excellent education and remove themselves from unfair societal conformity.

"I think it's a great thing for the United States and the Annandale community in general because I feel like there are a lot of people here that are affected by this," Arevalo said. "I think it's great that Clinton's expanding a system that helped solve those problems."

Many students know someone that are or come from immigrant parents, so Atoms support what's best for their community and the people they care about. see IMMIGRATION pg. 5

Atoms raced to the finish line last weekend to raise money for college scholarships Yonatan Ayele comes in first, while Mahiteme Tigabu finishes second.

BY SUMMAR AYOUB & HEZEKIEL YONAS

W

ith a time of 18 minutes and 30 seconds, senior Yonatan Ayele was the first to cross the finish line at the Atoms 5K on Sunday. In a race in which participants sprint, jog, or even walk to the finish line, placing first is an incredible accomplishment.

"In the beginning I tried to keep up with the top group," senior Yonatan Ayele said, "they started out pretty fast so I just tried to stay with them. I knew if I dropped from the top pack then it would be over."

Ayele has been on the Annandale cross country team and track and field team since his freshman year.

Because of his involvement with

these teams, Ayele didn't need much training to be successful in the race. "[For preparation] I didn't do anything specific, except run cross country," Ayele said, "I knew this was coming, so I just wanted to see how I'd do without any 5k training."

Although Ayele was victorious in the race, he wasn't sure that he would win coming into this race. Neither does he post the fastest times, nor did he have a clear advantage over his fellow cross country mates.

"I was not looking to win. In the whole top pack that I was in, anybody could have won," Ayele said, "In track they are all faster, so I was just looking to keep up with them."

Not only was Ayele successful in the race by finishing first, but he was also able to conquer all of the goals he set for himself prior to the race.

He planned to compare his time in

BY CHELSEA ALFONSO Special to the A-Blast After competing against schools like Thomas Jefferson High school which is known for focusing on Science and Technology, AHS Technology Student Association (TSA) improved from not placing in the top ten last year to being ninth in the state out of 75 schools. Senior Rasel Abutaa, president of TSA, came in eighth overall for individual events.

"This is the best we have ever done, this is the highest level we have ever performed," adviser

the race to the times he received his freshman year in order to determine how he has either progressed or regressed during the span of his high school career. "[My expectations were] to just break 20 minutes which was around my time in freshman year," Ayele said, "I was looking to do it again because it's a good mark to know that you don't suck."

Finishing first isn't the main reason people participate in the event. Many people compete in an attempt to improve their own personal times, to enjoy a nice run with fellow peers, or to just get good exercise in. The population of participants in the race was increased because Braddock Elementary School and North Springfield Elementary School see ATOMS 5K pg. 5

Phil Harris said. "We did outstanding, to even being considered in the same conversation as TJ (Thomas Jefferson High School), but we should've beat Lake Braddock."

After competing at States in Hampton, VA from May 1st to the 3rd, they have started to prepare for the Nationals competition.

"Webmaster was really competitive at the state level because of the various frameworks used. I believe that I won because of the simplicity of our website," senior Ammar Al-Khafah said.

"The research and documentation was very detailed. The national competition is extremely

Prom venues

IB candidate talks about his experience

Easily find the perfect Prom venue Lifestyles 14

Cellphones banned New policy affects students and teachers

BY JEANINE BARAKAT Curculation Manager During SOL testing students are not allowed to bring their phones into the testing location. If phones are found, they will be confiscated and the student will fail the exam and will not be able to retake it.

Students are advised to leave their phones in their lockers or classrooms. If their cellphone is found on them, it will be confiscated and the teacher will have the right to look through the students phone, in order to determine if the student was cheating.

Although advised not to bring their cellphones, in past years if students did bring their cellphones teachers would collect them and return them to the students after students completed their tests.

"The Virginia Department of Education has determined that there has been extensive cheating with cellphones during testing," assessment coach Laura Walters said.

"VDOE created a new policy that says you can't have them [cellphones] in the location, even if they're turned off," Walters said.

"If they are found with the student in the location during a test, the state has given authority to take the phone and search it for evidence of cheating."

SOL testing will begin on Monday, May 18, starting with the reading exam. The examinatiosn will continue through all of May and end in June.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEBEYU SOLOMON

ATOMS 5K TOP 12 · 1st place: Yonatan Ayele · 2nd place: Mahiteme Tigabu · 3rd place: Dagim Tigabu · 4th place: Risky Alvarado · 5th place: Mubeen Farukh · 6th place: Michael Farrell

FBLA Banquet

· 7th place: Omar Ghuramah · 8th place: Ivy Roe · 9th place: Roger Friedman

FBLA celebrates the end of the year

· 10th place: Edgar Alvarado · 11th place: Zach Skyes · 12th place: Armondo Reyes

TSA places ninth in states

IB Candidate Academics 6

United States, such as being exposed to corrupted jobs and living in fear of deportation.

"Kids may have been born here legally and their parents may have come here illegally, so they're faced with having to be separated," history teacher Kathlyn Berry said. "It's a terrible thing. Just here in our own school we have kids that are born citizens, but their parents may have come illegally. It's a situation that has to be addressed. I don't know how, but we have to fix it."

According to U.S. News, 46 percent of AHS's student body consists of individuals that are economically deprived and eligible for free or reduced lunch. Clinton's plan of action could be just what those families,

ATOMS 5K

Editors in Chief

Juniors take senior portraits

hundreds of thousands of them come from countries such as the Philippines, Korea, China and India.

AHS students and staff can deeply sympathize with issues that undocumented immigrants face in the

competitive and we need to take ourwebsite to the next level."

Students are able to choose what projects they want to compete in based on their skills and what they are interested in.

"Fashion Design at the national level is extremely competitive. This year's theme is Colonial America and me and my team member Angela, are each creating a dress. I'm really excited to see how they turn out." senior Amber Hines said. see TSA COMPETITION pg. 5

Avengers 2 Read all about the new Avengers movie Entertainment 18

BY HEZEKIEL YONAS Editor in chief The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is holding a banquet May 13 in the Bistro at 2:30 p.m.

The banquet is a celebration of what the club has been able to achieve this year.

"It's just celebrating another successful year of FBLA. It will also be honoring the FBLA members who are competing in Chicago for the national competition," business teacher Howard Dwyer said.

The business club will also make provisions that will affect the members of next year. These changes include finding new FBLA leaders to succeed the current ones. see FBLA BANQUET pg. 5

2 EDITORIALS

May 13, 2015

Is the MYP project worth it?

Students discuss the benefits and challenges of MYP Middle Years Program, also known as MYP, is meant to perceive the IB program as a motivator for students to perform academic service in their lives. It is meant to round you out as a student and allow students to explore the things they are interested in.

The personal project is an individual project that consists of three major parts: a product, a process journal and a personal statement. The assignment must include a global context which is meant to help students engage in an act of investigation and a process that leads them from educational understanding to thoughtful, reflective activity.

Every year the sophomore class is required to participate in the MYP Fair. They are assigned to create a project that appeals to their interest. Students use this opportunity to enhance their skills in technology, cooking, art, music and much more.

The MYP Fair was on Thursday, May 7th in the cafeteria during W4. It gave teachers and parents a chance to view all the projects. Parents and teachers walked around the cafeteria asking students questions regarding their project. The MYP Fair was very crowded, with many students gathering around certain eye-catching projects.

A big portion of the projects were about the countries the students are from and their culture. This included scrapbooks, posters and plenty of food.

A lot of the personal projects also included music.

From playing instruments to creating playlists, the cafeteria was booming with tunes.

Students taking part in the MYP project are required to have a personal project supervisor. The supervisors are meant to act as an advisor or mentor to their student.

JUDY NANAW

BY JUDY NANAW Staff Writer

Sophomore Jennifer Condezo poses next to her personal project, a hand-made newspaper dress.

They assist them throughout the entire process and guide them towards a successful final product.

"We spent a lot of time in my classes preparing for it.

Every month we spent two days in the computer lab working on research, working on planning for your product and working on writing the personal statement," IB English teacher Stephanie Hanson said.

Students all have different opinions about the MYP personal project. Some students enjoy the opportunity they get to be able to choose what they want to work on and be creative. Others did not feel like they benefited from the experience.

Those who liked the chance they had to work on the MYP project appreciated the fact that they were able to work on and present the things that they are interested in. All their lives in school were filled with assigned projects that came with specific directions and certain specifications. Having the freedom to do an original project on

whatever they want was new and refreshing.

"I feel like if you are interested in a topic the person will want to learn more and it applies to whatever they're interested in in their life," ESOL teacher Evelyn Hsia said.

Because of the amount of independence students had to create their project, some were stuck from the very beginning. The endless possibilities of what they can do overwhelmed them and left them unsure of what to do.

"The biggest obstacle was finding out what to do in the beginning. At first I had a plan, but it didn't work out so I had to come out with this completely different thing but it turned out just the way I wanted it to," sophomore Stephanie Garsia said.

When asked, most students say the MYP experience improved their ability to use their time productively. Many had troubles completing their product because of their constant act of delaying the project.

"I benefited from this project by learning time

management so I realized to start the project earlier instead of waiting until the last minute," sophomore Andrew Ours said.

"MYP has made me more of a non-procrastinator. My biggest obstacle was finishing the product because you think you have a lot of time, but I procrastinated a lot," sophomore Diamond Monee said.

The MYP project allowed students to develop their abilities and skills needed to produce and present a large piece of work. These techniques are ones that will stick with them and support them in their future practices.

"I have better communication skills as far as communicating with my teachers. While doing this project I did a lot of thinking on my own and really thinking about what the research is telling me to do," Monee said.

Some students used the MYP personal project to not only help themselves by gaining skills and self-sufficiency, but also help their fellow classmates.

"I benefited by helping people. My project is based on rush hour so it helped people when they're late with hairstyles and I feel like I really helped out," Garsia said.

MYP is an essential part to a student's high school experience. Being able to participate in this activity brings out originality and talent.

"The whole program together gives students a more global concept of the world, it educates them further than just the standard Virginia state curricular," Hanson said.

The MYP personal project expands the necessary abilities one needs to prosper in later tasks that won't necessarily be school related activities but ones they will use in the outside world.

"The project is an opportunity for students to do a project that actually means something to the them because they are able to relate and it does not feel like a chore as many other projects unfortunately do." sophomore Yuki Zheng said.

By participating in this MYP project, students are given the opportunity to earn the MYP certificate. This certificate is impressive on college applications and shows colleges that you took the route towards IB courses throughout your freshman and sophomore years.

In conclusion, the MYP project is worth it. All of the work put into creating the projects is beneficial as students develop new skills, learn to be independent and improve their work habits.

BY SADIE MODICA Editorials Editor

The most anticipated school event in one's high school career is Prom. This once in a lifetime experience is a reward for the seniors who worked hard for four years.

From freshman year, students dream of going to Prom with the perfect date and hope to be asked in the most creative way possible.

Promposals warm the hearts of those watching and oftentimes create an enjoyable atmosphere for those around.

For seniors, Prom is the one of the most important days of their lives. Girls spend hours getting their hair done, doing their makeup and getting their nails done. For them, choosing a dress is the most stressful thing in the world.

Looking forward to something for so long and then being asked flippantly would be incredibly underwhelming. The idea of the big ask excites everyone in the school, and provides the students a moment of positivity to recollect

Prom is meant to be a consummation of a young adult's high school experience, a perfect night to make up for all the imperfect, homework-filled, sleepless ones.

The average Prom attender might expect to dress up, get a limo, go out to eat and then hit the dance.

The part I'm omitting is, of course, the most important part; the company. Although many people attend Prom with a group of friends and thoroughly enjoy it, it's traditional to go with a date. Along with the culture of going with a date, there is a lot of pressure relating to the proposal. Asking someone to Prom is a ridiculously big deal.

The asker will prepare months in advance. They will work painstakingly on whatever creative and thoughtful idea that occurs to them. They'll pick a perfect time and situation to ask their crush or significant other, usually enlisting the help of their friends

SADIE MODICA

BY JULIE NGUYEN Editorials Editor

Julie Nguyen approves of this Promposal.

about Prom and none of them attend, then the students lose that magical night, and along with it part of the closure of stepping out of high school and into their futures. Promposals boost the teenagers' self-esteem because not only is the girl getting asked, but the guy is getting a yes.

There is nothing negative about a big show of love and it makes everyone happy, the asker, the person being asked and all of the friends and students who get to share the delight of viewing such a beautiful display.

Promposals are a tradition for all highschoolers. Without them, senior year would not be same.

during the boring school day.

On the other hand, boys fret over their Promposal ideas and fear rejection. With competitive spirits, the guys strive to have the best Promposal and prepare for months by gathering friends to help out. It is a friendly competition, and a fun one.

Also, Promposals are basically advertisements for Prom. They hype the students up and influence a lot more students to want to attend Prom. The more students that are excited about it, donating money to their class, helping helping set up, the better it is.

If none of the students care

JULIE NGUYEN

Should there be Promposals?

YES NO Sadie Modica disapproves of this Promposal.

and making a huge heartwarming spectacle that half of the school will gather to see and will be the topic of conversation for at least a week.

It's always fun to hear about the egregious ways that people will ask each other, but there are some glaring drawbacks to the system through which we conclude our senior year.

First of all, the person being asked can't possibly say no for fear of looking mean or dismissive.

Being asked is a huge display, and everyone, the asker himself, the crowd that gathered, the friends that helped, expect the person

Dos and Don'ts of SOLs

Staff CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF Summar Ayoub Zeke Yonas MANAGING EDITOR Alex Zernik NEWS EDITORS Teagan Foti Mohamed Elhag EDITORIALS EDITORS Julie Nguyen Sadie Modica COPY EDITORS Linus Bumbaca Sharon Sanchez IN-DEPTH EDITORS Binqi Chen Aseal Saed

SPORTS EDITORS Ryan Gammon Nebeyu Solomon SPORTS XTRA EDITORS Raphael Yu Marem Atef PEOPLE EDITORS Conrad Shartel Julie Swenton WEEKEND EDITORS Biruk Negash Cayley Byrne INTERNATIONAL EDITORS Nancy Evora Tim Gray ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Daniel Yenegeta

Ahmad Ayub LIFESTYLES EDITORS Thida Pathammavong Tipyan Omar HEALTH EDITORS Phuong Nguyen Sabrina Hawa PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Soulisa Pathammavong Marilyn Rivas ART EDITORS Alaina Garay Kailyn Garay ACADEMICS EDITORS Marife Baragano Kiara Patino WEB EDITOR/MASTER Christopher Han

HEAD VIDEOGRAPHERS Faisel Hassen Bailey Oliver AD MANAGER Hussein Salem CIRCULATION MANAGERS Jeanine Barakat Maria Suarez STAFF WRITERS Andrew Nunez Rachel Shogren Halley Thadeus Julius Miller Crew McCarthy PHOTOGRAPHER Tooba Siddique ADVISER Alan Weintraut

being asked to say yes. It would be very difficult and painful to reject such a proposal.

Not only is there pressure in responding to the proposal, there is pressure to the proposal itself.

A student can't just ask another student, they have to buy a blimp, rent out Madison Square Garden and hire the National Symphony Orchestra. It's too much. There's other ways to show them you care, like taking them out to dinner and simply asking when there's no one else around.

Wouldn't you want to know if your date really wants to go with you?

Annandale High School Vol. 60 No.1 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 703.642.4229 May 13, 2014 Adviser: Alan Weintraut ajweintraut@fcps.edu

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 emailed to theablast14@gmail.com or 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, 2015.

Eat breakfast on the day of your test.

A nutritious breakfast will keep you focused throughout the day.

Don't bring cellphones into the testing locations.

Leave them in your lockers to be safe.

Carry a book with you to read after you finish your test. You don't want to be bored while waiting.

Don't forget to study.

Reviewing will freshen up your mind and will help you remember information.

EDITORIALS 3

May 13, 2015

Why lethal injection is not the way to go Recent mishaps with executions anger the nation

BY SADIE MODICA Dennis Mcguire pleaded guilty to raping and murdering a pregnant newlywed named Joy Stewart in 1989. Mcguire was sentenced with the death penalty, and on January 16, 2015 he laid strapped to a bed, ready for the injection to end his life. For 26 minutes, it didn't.

He thrashed and struggled against the pain for 10 minutes, until finally succumbing to the two drugs administered, midazolam and hydromorphone.

Mcguire's death set a record for the longest execution in Ohio's history, but unfortunately it is among many botched lethal injection attempts since its inception in 1982, including an Oklahoma execution that lasted 43 agonizing minutes.

Instances like these have raised questions nationally and internationally about how effective lethal injection is as a punishment, and even the morality of the death penalty itself.

Capital punishment has always been the government's way of effacing criminals they consider to be incorrigible, or beyond reform.

The first time the death penalty was used was in Texas to execute 40-year-old Charles Brooks for murdering Fort Worth mechanic David Gregory. Since then, the death penalty has been the preferential treatment by the government due to its supposed painlessness.

Until 2010, the process consisted of a three-drug combination that used an anesthetic, a paralytic drug and a drug that stopped the heart, but lately due to vast shortages in supply and disapproval of international community, states have been taking shortcuts and using risky or untested combinations of drugs in lieu of the older methods.

CDCR.CA.GOV

Editorials Editor

Workers walk through the halls where executions take place.

European manufacturers of the drugs introduced a sort of embargo and refused to export if the drugs were being used for lethal injection. The states scrambled to find alternative combinations of drugs and the effects have been detrimental.

The number of cases in which complications have occurred has risen steadily since the embargo, and national trust in lethal injection and the death penalty itself has waned.

Now, the supply of the drugs runs dry for most states and the search for an alternative remains.

Questions have been raised over the past year concerning how humane lethal injection is, considering many instances where prisoners have waited agonizingly long to die when the drugs don't do what they're supposed to,

or don't do it fast enough.

The public attention brings back the avid debate of many and widespread disapproval.

There is a wide range of drugs that states have been testing out on unwitting death row inmates, but some of the more common and controversial drugs are called midazolam and pentobarbital, and they cause paralyzation and stopping of the heart, respectively.

Midazolam is especially unpredictable and has been the cause of flukes in a large number of lethal injection cases.

It isn't possible to ensure a peaceful transition into unconsciousness, or to know how much pain the inmates are experiencing.

The only thing that is clear is that it certainly isn't painless and a change should be made.

The problem with injecting a concoction

of chemicals with a range of results into a prisoner is that there is no way to predict across the board how each person will react to the drug, and if it will have the intended effect.

The drugs that were standard issue prior to the shortage at least had relatively homogeneous effects, but now with the unpredictability of the drugs states are using, it's a roll of the dice.

From an international standpoint, the death penalty is abhorred, but even nationally, disapproval runs high.

Only 32 states continue to use the death penalty, and within those states, many citizens protest and actively oppose the punishment.

Heated debates in Supreme Court bring the problem to the national table and pose

the question of the effectivity of the method, as well as a wider question pertaining to the morality of the death penalty in general.

The two sides of the debate oppose and support lethal injection on the grounds of personal morals, qualms against the effectivity of the method and more.

Proponents of lethal injection argue the point that it is the fault of the opponents who actively lobbied to discontinue the use of the more stable and predictable drugs, which caused the subsequent frenzy of states using unpredictable drugs and giving lethal injection a bad reputation.

Additionally, the perspective of those who agree with the punishment is of a more karmic nature in that they believe that an action such as murder should have an equal repercussion.

On the other hand, the opponents believe that the death penalty is unconstitutional, no matter how painless it is, so even if lethal injection were 100 percent effective in 100 percent of cases, the fact that it is killing makes it cruel and unusual punishment.

The opponents also believe that killing someone for murder is hypocritical. If the punishment is identical to the crime, the punishment itself must be the same crime.

The death penalty has always been controversial, for a number of reasons, but when putting a criminal to death is synonymous with torture, the issue deepens exponentially. Isn't the process supposed to be streamlined? Isn't America better than that?

The way that these states are willing to try out untested and dangerous drugs on prisoners shows a blatant disregard for their humanity.

Despite whatever terrible crimes they may have committed, all citizens have the same right to fair treatment, and cruel and unusual punishment is not fair or right.

Regardless of one's stance on the death penalty itself, all should agree on the fact that the unpredictable and unsafe lethal injection should not be allowed under the law even for the most wicked of criminals, because the law should be objective, and all citizens equal underneath it.

Heard in the Hall: What is your view of the death penalty?

"I believe that killing people is bad and that it should not be a thing."

"I think it's really "It depends if cruel and unusual someone should punishment for people deserve it, or not." that did something really bad."

LEEANA NAZAFRIF MARIAM MOHAMED JOSEPH MCCOY sophomore freshman

"I think it should be allowed in serious times like mass murder."

freshman

LUCIE LEFBOM

"I think it's bad, but it also depends upon the type of crime that was committed and how bad the crime was."

"I don't think there's any problem with lethal injection, what you deal out is what you deserve to get"

JAMIAH HARRIS

DOUGLAS NGUYEN

junior

senior

sophomore

"The question I have is why do we kill others to show others that killing is wrong?"

"I used to be okay with it, but the more I see it having problems I've become over time opposed to it."

FUSUN SULZBACH

LEONARD BUMBACA

English Teacher

Math Teacher

A steep decline in peaceful protests Baltimore riots after the death of Freddie Gray

BALTIMORE FACTS · The population in Baltimore in 2014 was 622,793 · Baltimore has 295,737 housing units

BY JULIE NGUYEN Editorials Editor

Baltimore residents gather in support of Freddie Gray.

However, several of these Americans have taken it into their own hands to make a statement through the use of violence.

Protesters have brought havoc into the city by setting the town's streets on fire and raiding local stores, damaging tons of property in the process. But the question is, is violence all that necessary?

There is an innumerable amount of alternatives one can take in order to have their voice heard without the use of violence. It is a civil responsibility as an American citizen to contact state representatives in order to express any ideas and concerns. Likewise, through the first amendment, the freedom to protest is protected under non-violent conditions.

Following the death of Gray, citizens had gathered in the streets of Baltimore to protest against police misconduct. Comparable to the similar situation in Ferguson, the peaceful demonstrations also evolved into riots, adding to the year's list of protests

gone wrong.

Several dozens of protesters were arrested while a number of officers were injured. As a result, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the mayor of Baltimore, enforced a city-wide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. that lasted for almost a week.

Despite her orders, many defiant protesters continued to fill the streets, forcing police forces to stay out in order to clear the crowds.

It seems as though the violence and public disturbance is leading nowhere. The cycle continues with another man being killed, and police officers being publicly scrutinized.

Yet, no official reform is being made in attempts to fix the problem. The previous riots in Ferguson and most recent ones in Baltimore are only inflicting fear among the people.

But why do the protesters continue to turn to violence? The public seems to believe that creating chaos and rebelling will change

· Residents with Bachelor's degree or higher: 26.8% public policy. They feel that by constantly appearing in the news, the government will take action and fix the problem for them.

Contrary to the popular belief, that is not how the government works. As a democracy, the people define the government and public policy is a result of our own efforts.

Seeing as how the protests and riots following the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Gray, are for the most part ineffective, the people should be finding inspiration in highly recognized leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. In the mid-20th century, Martin Luther King Jr. fought for the civil rights of AfricanAmericans by leading mass marches and held speeches, all of which were peaceful. He garnered supporters from all around the nation and as a result, changed history for the best.

With these ideals, the citizens of the 21st century should follow in Martin Luther King Jr.'s footsteps. Without hard work and dedication, there will continue to be racial discrimination against African-Americans in the

QUICKFACTS.CENSUS.GOV

· The percent of Baltimore residents that are white is 31.6% SANDERS.SENATE.GOV

With police brutality being a frequent topic among headlines, there was no surprise when news broke out that Freddie Gray, an African-American man, had died after being arrested by Baltimore police.

The 25-year-old male was chased by police officers on April 12 and was reported to have suffered from severe spinal injuries resulting in his death. Gray died on Sunday, April 19, exactly a week after his arrest, with a broken vertebra.

In conclusion, six Baltimore officers have been charged and were held responsible for Gray's death. The residents of Baltimore protested and rioted in response to their crimes, connecting the case to several other cases across the nation that have arisen due to police racism and brutality.

The friends and family of Gray experienced relief and expressed their gratitude for Marilyn Mosby, the state attorney who prosecuted these officers.

For the past year, several cases similar to Gray's have arose, angering the American public. Unfortunately, many of those cases did not end well. Justice was not served and the families of those victims did not receive closure.

Through the use of social media, news coverage and all sorts of mass media, the country has expressed its immense disapproval of the police department nationwide.

The anger-filled citizens are outraged with yet another case involving the death of an African-American man at the hands of police officers. The people are tired of having history repeat itself and are consistently voicing their opinions on these issues.

· The percent of Baltimore residents that are African American is 63.3%

police force.

The people must come together in an organized manner in order to be taken seriously. If we continue to raid the streets in the midst of all the anger, the government will view us immature children. Acting like a spoiled child that could not get the latest iPad will lead us nowhere.

The goal should be to eliminate the stereotype of African-Americans across the nation. The first step begins with the people themselves. The public must first change their own viewpoints and put an end to their own ignorance.

The racial stigma must be defeated before any proper change can be instituted.

They must stop viewing African-Americans as a threat to the community. Of course, racial discrimination will never be 100 percent eliminated, but we must put continued efforts into striving towards that goal.

In the Annandale community, we are lucky enough to have an immense amount of diversity. This makes it easy for us to meet and socialize with people of all races. Unfortunately, the majority of residents in the United States do not have that privilege.

The U.S. is filled with pockets of racism, and there are many places where people grow up in a homogeneous environment and never get the multicultural education that we do.

Until the entire nation is as diverse as the AHS community, racial discrimination will proceed to live on. To end this injustice, the country must be willing to accept all people of different backgrounds until there is fair treatment and equality for all.

The fight for civil rights will continue to plague this nation until we the people remove racial descrimination throughout all of our communities.

The solution begins with this generation.

An end to police misconduct will only occur once Americans change their mindsets. Otherwise, these ineffective riots will not cease.

Together, we must unite as a nation to make this country fair and just for all.

4 NEWS

May 13, 2015

In The Heights Success

Class of 2014 sets new tradition

Staff Writers Last year, the class of 2014 had fundraised very hard for their Prom.

Fortunately, after having a marvelous Prom, the senior committee discovered that they had money left over so they decided to donate benches to the school.

When it came to raising money for both Prom and giving back to AHS, the seniors did not hold back.

They held many successful fundraisers. Restaurant sales, car washes, pizza sale at the powder puff game, bake sales and other entertainment opportunities like the facultystudent games. The participation at these events was very high, which is why the seniors earned enough money to have a big Prom.

"We wanted them to have the best experience possible," the two class sponsors Jan Austin and Carrie

Schaefer said. "We were relentless with our fundraising, from the very beginning we wanted them to raise as much money as they could.

The senior class made reasonable decisions for Prom, which is why they ended up with money left over and wanted to do something big and memorable.

Every class has a sponsor(s) that helps them with the fundraisers and the sponsor(s) stay with the class until they graduate. However, the students are the ones who do most of the work.

The class of 2014 also had other ideas prior to finalizing benches and tables. They originally wanted to donate a scoreboard with the class's name written on it but it was going to take a long time, and cost the seniors more than their budget could handle.

They had another idea to donate a rock on which the seniors could paint their class name, which was

TOOBA SIDDIQUE

BY TOOBA SIDDIQUE AND RUTH MEKONENEN

From left to right: Senior class of 2014 sponsors Jan Austin, Carrie Schaefer and alumni Lewis Foli.

also not approved by the administration. So when they found out that not only could they donate benches but also use them until graduation, the seniors immediately decided to go with the benches.

Although more benches and tables would be nice, the sponsors say that it would be great to have each class donate something unique.

"It was not me that was doing everything, they really were working hard." Austin said.

The class of 2014 hopes to have inspired the rising seniors to raise enough money to donate to AHS as well.

So for the juniors graduating next year and all the other classes that will follow, the previous senior sponsors advise that they start early, plan accordingly and always think about your whole class instead of just yourself when donating back to your school.

How can your class improve AHS?

"[I'd want] to improve the garden, and buy a vase [for the main lobby]."

"Maybe a device for growing food in the garden [and] more food seeds for the garden."

ELLIOT ALWES

CHRISTINA TRAN

"I would want to fix the Annandale sign [at the front] and the track, cause it's ugly."

freshman

"As a class we could donate a [new] mascot suit."

ERICA ARIAS sophomore

TRAN NGUYEN

SHS takes up new challenge

BY MOHAMED ELHAG

MOHAMED ELHAG

News Editor The Science Honor Society has been working to improve the courtyard which can be seen next to the weight room.

"We started [at the] end of November, beginning of December," SHS sponsor Francesca Mast said.

"At that time we just wanted to start by getting the ground ready."

In this process they did things like clearing out the courtyard, digging up all the big stones and weeding the area. All this in preparation for when they finally could buy the plants in the spring.

In February, they came back to do another clearing. They described it as harsh because they still had rough and erratic weather then.

Director of Student Activities Karl Kerns assisted the Science Honor Society by providing them with a supply of the school's free mulch.

They were able to make the ground and soil more suitable for planting by spreading the mulch around and letting the rainy weather do the rest.

"We are going to do a majority of our planting on Monday the 18," Mast said. "We already have a fountain in the courtyard."

School psychologist Anne Brosnan did all of the grant writing for them and secured a $3,000 grant towards the enhancement of the courtyard. The grant is based on turning the courtyard into a wildlife garden.

They plan to only plant plants

Current picture of the courtyard before adding plants.

which are native to Virginia. Caroline Gergel, the other Science Honor Society sponsor, is in charge of ordering the correct plants and flowers that they plan to use in their reanimation of the courtyard.

Mast works to gather up people that are in the Science Honor Society who are willing to help the makeover of the courtyard.

The new custom that will come with making the courtyard nicer is that, after it is completed, it will be available for everyone. Before they thought to improve the courtyard, it was blocked off by a locked door and closed curtains.

They hope that the courtyard will not only prove to make the jock lobby look more visually appealing, but also serve other purposes.

"I envision that it ll even be a nice little meeting space that people

could sign up for," Mast said.

Individual clubs have recently done their own things that they think would make the school look better in its own way.

"We wanted to start with a courtyard that's small," Mast said.

But now they want to work on bigger projects in the school with other clubs like the Latin club and green Atoms and pool their resources together.

One thing they hope to work on is to embellish the larger courtyard in roughly the center of the school.

Also make each courtyard serve a purpose instead of just being there.

By then they'd know what they're doing and work more efficiently.

They hope that they can keep working on newer and newer ways to improve our school's environment.

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE TO THE AHS AUTO PROGRAM The Annandale High School Auto Program needs your vehicle. By donating, you may be able to deduct up to the full value of your vehicle.

The process is fast, easy and helps the best automotive program in Fairfax County Public Schools. To schedule your donation, please call: Joe Desio, instructor, 703-6424212 or email at jfdesio@fcps.edu

"I would want to help improve the interior of the school [as a class]."

VINH TANG junior

sophomore

freshman

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIELLE ROBINSON

Benches donated, other classes to follow example

BY MOHAMED ELHAG News Editor

In the Heights was a musical about a neighborhood in New York City which was largely populated by Hispanic people. It revolved around one main plot where someone in the neighborhood won the lottery.

Everybody grew frantic about what they would do with the money.

On the side there were some romance highs and lows between Usnavi and Vanessa, two of the main characters, as well as Benny and Nina, the other two leads.

At one point in the play, everything that could go wrong did.

They lost all hope in everything, but then they had hope in the money that the abuela won.

The musical incorporated not only Hispanic cultured music but also rap. I really enjoyed the play overall and many things influenced how I felt about it.

One thing that I was really impressed by was how each actor truly enveloped themselves in their own character's aura. They managed to evolve their characters and display them realistically.

Another thing was the fact that they rapped instead of strictly

sticking to the stereotypical view on musicals. Not only did one or two characters rap, but they had a couple of other characters to also do so.

Lastly they really got the crowd into the musical. While performing, they not only broke out into dance on the stage, but also throughout the isles. For me personally, I liked having to look around to watch the whole thing, like I was in the musical itself.

I would give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars solely because, after asking some people on what they thought, they commented that they were confused.

There were also specific scenes in the musical that really got the crowd riled up. Some dance scenes were really fun to watch and they just executed every step exquisitely.

There were special scenes that made everyone in the crowd, including myself, jump out of our seats in excitement.

The big romance scenes where the couples kissed were definitely crazed over by the audience. I really enjoyed watching this production.

NEWS 5

May 13, 2015

Check out the times for race On your smartphone, scan this code using the application QR Code look at the racer's times.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEBEYU SOLOMON

Elementary School and North Springfield Elementary School both joined Annandale in the Atoms 5K. The Atoms 5K was sponsored by organizations and companies such as Szechuan Star, Perfect Pita, Potomac River Running Store and others. The community event supports Annandale High School Student/Athlete Scholarships and Annandale High School Athletic Programs.

The Annandale High School Athletic Booster Club also accepted donations of sports equipment in good condition. The equipment will be resold at the Sports Physical Night on June 1.

Runners begin the race as the gun sounds.

Mahiteme Tigabu comes in a close second place to finish his run in the Atoms 5K.

FBLA BANQUET

TSA COMPETITION

CONT. "TSA COMPETITION"

New Immigration policy CONT. "IMMIGRATION"

The FBLA conference gave several AHS students awards for their work.

Many students know someone that are or come from immigrant parents, so Atoms support what's best for their community and the people they care about.

"Growing up in Annandale, I have a lot of friends who come from immigrant parents," sophomore Jeremiah Bethea said, "NOVA is a large area that it is very diverse, which creates comfortable living environment for immigrants who choose to settle here."

CONT. "FBLA BANQUET" Participates of the FBLA competitions and members of the National Business Honor Society should come to the the banquet in order to receive their accolades for their accomplishments.

"Principal Randazzo will also be handing out graduation cards to the national business honor society," Dwyer said. "They will also be handing out medals to those who competed in the FBLA competition (regionals) and placed."

All the FBLA members who sent an RSVP in advance are welcome to the banquet.

Students in TSA meet every Wednesday to go over the progress of their projects. Depending on the projects, they either work at home or after school. They can also use class time if they are in Animatronics, STEM Engineering, Advanced drawing, Architectural classes and Design and Tech.

"Kids in Architectural classes are able to use the floor plans we are working on in class. A lot of the projects that we do fit into the class assignments we do, STEM Engineering does research, like Biotech, Engineering Design and Transportation, it's a natural fit," Harris said.

For Nationals, students are currently working on the same events, but improving on their projects and competing against students from all over the nation.

Since Nationals is happening in Dallas, Texas at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center from June 28 to July 2, TSA is raising fundraisers and using the grant from Verizon to pay for some of the cost of the trip.

"This is once in a lifetime, this is something they will remember, that's why I'm pushing them," Harris said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAI LE

teens and will hopefully help to stop the hate towards them.

"It is a huge step on the way to equality for all and it's so great to see that the change is hitting not only the states as a whole, but also the small parts of them" Senior Samira Abdulkadir, an LGBT club member, said. "It s great to see steps in the right direction."

The policy also addresses teachers and other faculty members in their fight for equality in the workplace. It mentions that a teacher may not be discriminated against for their gender identity, just as they couldn t be for the race that they are.

There is still much more work to be done to end discrimination; however, I have seen a positive change in the last few years among both students and staff in trying to make this school a safer place for everyone, Slingerland said.

The policy change is a small step in the right direction but will still face many challenges along the way such as which sports teams, locker rooms and bathrooms the transgender students and faculty will use.

However, "any policy or law passed no matter how big or small can help" Abdulkadir said. "Once it becomes illegal to discriminate against a particular minority group in school or in the workplace it becomes more common for people to start accepting it because it's mandatory."

CONT. "ATOMS 5K"

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEBEYU SOLOMON

CONT. "TRANSGENDER"

Annual fundraiser excites

PHOTO COURTESY OF DIVA CHOWDARY

Transgender sparks controversy

The TSA winners posing with Mr. Harris and their trophies they recieved.

TSA WINNERS · 1st place webmaster: Ammar Al-Khafah, Rasel Abutaa, Kevin Wilson · 2nd place animatronics: Ammar Al-Khafah, Rasel Abutaa, Micheal Heng, Jordan Herman, Ali Ghormah, Kai Le · 2nd place extemporaneous speech: Rasel Abutaa · 2nd place essays on technology: Victoria Deng · 3rd place VEX excellence award: Thomas White, Amber Hines, Rasel Abutaa, Victoria Deng, Jessie Arevalo, Kai Le · 4th place fashion designer: Amber Hines, Angela Mclean · Rasel Abutaa came in eighth place overall for states · AHS placed 9th in the state out of 100 schools

NEWS BRIEFS FBLA BANQUET

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR SENIORS

PROM

GRADUATION REHERSAL

KEY CLUB BANQUET

Monday, June 15, seniors will be walked through the way graduation will work. This will be held in the auditorium.

On Wedneday, May 13, the Key Club will hold their annual banquet, giving out awards and much more.

GRADUATION

MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY

On Tuesday, June 16, the AHS seniors will be graduating at D.A.R Constitution Hall at 7 p.m.

On Monday, May 25, there will be no school due to the Memorial Day Holiday.

Students will be having a three-day weekend.

On Wednesday, May 13, the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) will be holding their annual banquet.

The last day of school for seniors will be Thursday, June 11. The seniors will not be able to enter school grounds as students.

Seniors will be having their prom on Friday, June 5, at the Hilton Hotel. The dance will begin at 9 p.m. and will end around 12 a.m.

SPRING BANQUET

SAT SCORES CAN BE ACCESSED

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

On Tuesday, May 26, spring athletes will On Thursday, May 21, students will be The lst day of school will be June 19th, be celebrating the end of their spring sport able to access their SAT scores online at so all students. Students can come and season by having a potluck and receiving collegeboard.org recieve their grades from their teachers. awards.

6 ACADEMICS

May 13, 2015

Student success hindered by lack of sleep Academic Editors and Staff Writer As we get closer to SOL testing, adequate sleep becomes a necessity for students. Studies from the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) show that teens need 8.5 hours of sleep every night, yet less than 15 percent of students actually sleep for the recommended amount of time.

"I get six hours of sleep every school night due to homework, and I usually end up sleeping during a majority of my classes," junior Cory Pringle said.

Sleep helps the body recharge and helps your brain absorb information, which is crucial in a learning environment.

"It [getting not enough sleep] makes me lose all concentration, all I want to do is put my head down," freshman Nicole Solis said. "It makes me lose my motivation for the rest of the day."

Many students who don't get enough sleep at home end up dozing off in class, leading to lower grades and missing assignments.

Just like food, sleep is considered vital for the brain to perform at full capacity. Because of this, there are more than 100,000 car crashes each year caused by who people fall asleep at the wheel. When the body does not receive enough sleep it is more likely to cause

There are several things you can do to prevent being sleep deprived. Making a daily schedule can help. Plan out your day and make a certain time block for doing each activity to manage your stress.

Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day will force your body into a routine. Many people also suggest doing yoga or eating foods with less sugar and caffeine. Studies show that listening to quiet music can help you doze off.

To help students with not getting enough sleep the school board has decided to change the start time for the 2015-2016 school year. Next year, class will begin at 8:10 a.m. and end at 2:55 p.m.

ILLUSTRATION BY MARIFE BARAGANO AND ALEX ZERNIK

an accident, injury or become ill.

Lack of sleep can cause the body to become prone to acne and other skin problems; this occurs to teens more than any other age group in the world. Lack of sleep can also cause people to be more irritated and angry. Other symptoms of sleep deprivation include weakened immune response, hallucinations, impaired brain function and high blood pressure.

"Not getting enough sleep affects me by making me fall asleep in class," sophomore Liam Conroy said.

"It also makes me too tired to perform in school and sports."

When students stay up late their bodies start to crave food because it has been a long time since they have eaten their last meal. The body then begins to crave snacks which can cause them to gain weight.

Stress is the leading cause of lack of sleep. People who are stressed tend to stay awake longer, or not get any sleep at all. Everyone has stress, but if you have too much it leads to major anxiety and sleep problems.

Many people lose sleep over homework, Netflix and coming home from practice late. Teens who don't get enough sleep at night tend to be exhausted when they get home.

When they get home they decide to take a nap, causing them to stay awake all night and the cycle repeats.

BY KIARA PATINO AND RACHEL SHROGREN

On average, how many hours of sleep do you get?

"I get about eight hours of sleep a night now because of senioritis hitting, but I used to get about five."

BEZA YOSEPH

"I go to bed around 12 a.m. every night because of the homework I have to do and sports."

MICHAEL HENG junior

"Because of sports, I don't get home till late so I only get about six hours of sleep."

"I get about six hours of sleep."

GRACIE HATCH sophomore

BEAU HATCH

"I get about seven hours of sleep, it's a pretty good amount for me."

BRANDON LIEN sophomore

"I go to sleep around 11:30 p.m., maybe I'll go to sleep later because I need to finish homework."

RAMA TARABULSI

junior

"I get about nine hours of sleep to refresh my mind and be energized for the next day."

MOHAMMAD SAYYAD

freshman

freshman

senior

SAT Word Search

IB Testing Schedule 4/13 IB Span Lang/Lit AM, IB Spanish SL/HL AM, IB Math Studies PM, IB Math SL/HL, *AP English AM* 4/14 IB History SL/HL AM, IB Chem SL/HL PM 4/15 IB Chem SL/HL AM, IB History SL/HL PM 4/18 IB History HL AM, IB French SL/HL PM 4/19 IB French SL/HL AM, IB Geography PM, IB Comp.Sci SL/ HL PM

IB spotlight: Jarod Golub How do you keep up with your academics and social life?

I really don't keep up with either. Well, that's not true, I balance them. There's always things you're going to miss in your social life when trying to be in good academic standing. If you're trying to keep up your grades, you're not going to talk to your friends as often, which is something that I struggle with. I make it work by trying really hard to dedicate time where I do things that I want to do, instead of working on school work. Usually, it balances out in the end, but only because I try to make it work.

What are your studying habits?

If I have a test, I look over my notes beforehand, but when it comes to regular homework assignments, I just do it and I don't really look it over afterwards. For the most part, I retain the information that I learn in class, so I don't really have to study. For IB exams, I've studied a little more just because they're pretty important. At a certain point though, you have to stop worrying about it because if you know it, you know it, and if you don't, you don't.

What is your favorite IB subject?

I really like Topics because the stuff we learn in there is really cool. The class itself is super interesting and Mr. York is a great teacher, which makes the class even more fun.

What are your plans after high school?

Next year I'm taking a gap year, during which I will be spending nine months in Israel. While I'm there, I will be living on a Kibbutz for three months and living in a city for the other six working with after school programs to teach English and build relationships between Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis. After my gap year, I will be going to the University of Maryland to study Multi-platform Journalism.

Word search word box Atheist Colloquial Dotard Furrow Instigator Misnomer Percipient Quaff Staunch Vilification Atrophy Collusion

Drawl Furtive Insurgent Misogynist Perdition Quagmire Stereotype Vindicate Attenuate Commandeer Drivel

Perfidy Quandary Stifle Virulent Auspicious Compliant Drone Gambol Modicum Stoic Vital Balk

How are your IB exams coming alone so far?

So far I've only had English and Physics. The English exams were pretty easy, but Physics were a lot harder. I'm a lot better at English than Physics, so that was to be expected.

Interminable Misrepresentation Peremptory Quaint Stevedore Virtuoso Augment Complacent Droll Galleon Intermittent Mitigate

What was your extended essay topic?

I wrote my extended essay on the relationship between journalism and politics and how changes in news readership have led to changes in politics. For example, looking at the demographic of people who read the news in relationship to the demographic of people who vote. It was really cool because I got to look at the changes in journalism throughout history.

Is your only focus academics?

I do a lot outside of my academic environment. I was the Editor in Chief of The A-Blast and I was involved with that throughout high school. I also really enjoy playing baseball and ultimate outside of school. Along with school and sports, I work in a youth movement with kids from fifth grade through high school and I really like doing social activist related things. For example, I am really passionate about improving race relations in America, so I do a lot of work surrounding that, like going to peaceful protests and running workshops on topics related to it.

HEALTH 7

May 13, 2015

Online trend becomes dangerous Viral "Kylie Jenner Challenge" can cause permanent damage

BY PHUONG NGUYEN AND SABRINA HAWA Health Editors

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KIM MAI

Kylie Jenner poses with her ridiculous lips.

From the salt and ice challenge to the ALS ice bucket challenge, viral dares are becoming a trend among teenagers and have become annual events.

The "Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge" is the latest dare that has caught the attention of millions of users on Twitter for the last two weeks under #KylieJennerChallenge.

Countless teens, both boys and girls, have been sharing their videos and photos over social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram in order to receive more popularity online.

Inspired by reality star Kylie Jenner's plump lips, the challenge involves people sucking air out of items such as shot glasses, water bottles and pills for several minutes while recording a video for posting later online.

After time has passed, the containers are removed, revealing swollen lips to the horror of the participants.

The increase in swelling is caused by high concentrations of blood in the lips which resulted from prolonged exposure to suction on small containers.

By sucking in the glass, this created a

Junior Kim Mai demonstrates the Kylie Jenner challenge with use of a bottle cap. vacuum effect thus causing their lips to swell up.

"I like watching the videos online because they're really funny, but I also think it's damaging because I see some of my friends coming to school with purple lips," junior Casey Nguyen said.

Doctors have warned teenagers not to participate in the challenge.

According to dermatological surgeon Dendy Engelman during an interview for Seventeen, sucking on shot glasses can

cause painful injuries such as bruising, tissue scarring and potentially permanent skin damage. In some cases, shot glasses can shatter under pressure and cause further injuries to the face.

Photos posted on social media sites such as Instagram and Twitter show participants of the challenge with fatter lips that resemble botched lip injections.

The unattractive and unsafe results of artificial lip plumping have even prompted

previous participants themselves to warn others on social media to avoid taking part in the dumb dare.

Many AHS students have heard about the lip challenge on social media and express their concerns towards the dangerous dare.

"No, I would not do it myself because I do not want to come to school with bruised lips," junior Nancy Perla said.

Nowadays, the lip challenge highlights the mentality of many teenagers wanting to unrealistically alter their features to look similar to Hollywood celebrities.

It also gives girls the impression that having outrageously full lips is considered more appealing than the normal size.

The emphasis on having the perfect cosmetic features allows teenagers, especially girls, to stand out and feel attractive amongst their peers. However, this notion comes with serious health consequences that result in social detriments rather than increased beauty.

Moreover, Jenner admitted last Wednesday to using lip fillers to enhance her lip size after weeks of media speculation.

Jenner's fake lips highlight that high level of influence that celebrities have on teenage perceptions of beauty.

Some have gone to the extent of criticizing Jenner for giving the impression to young adults that having this feature is appealing.

"I do not think it is Kylie Jenner influencing people, I think it is people seeing a picture of her and wanting to impersonate her for a little while," senior Chelsea Alfonso said. "It is just people being bored and wanting to get a couple of favorites on Twitter."

Overall, this challenge is another Internet fad that will eventually fade out as another one comes along.

In the meantime, teens should avoid participating in dangerous lip plumping and just be comfortable in their own skin.

YOUR LIPS DON'T LIE ·

The lips are the most sensitive organ in the human body.

·

The lips contain numerous nerve endings.

·

The skin that surrounds the lips is called the "Vermilion Border."

·

More people get lip injections than any other injection.

·

The lips are made up of 80 percent muscles.

- Compiled from Huffington Post

Atomic dirty habits

Six disgusting acts that should be avoided

Cold sores & chapsticks

Lending hairbrushes

Germs on gym clothes

Do you chapped lips? If so, we don't recommend sharing chapstick with your best friend. Studies show that sharing chapstick can eventually lead to contracting cold sores and oral herpes. The herpes simplex virus harbors on used chapsticks and can be transmitted via body fluids that come in contact with the lips. Blisters that result from the viral infections are painful and are not worth it over a chapstick.

Dirty hairbrushes can be filled with dandruff particles and are common source for the spreading of head lice. According to the National Library of Medicine, a serious consequence of sharing hairbrushes and combs is transmitting ringworm which is caused by fungus that grows in moist areas of the scalp. This can lead to inflammation of the scalp, pus infections and bald spots.

Late for gym class and forgot your uniform?

Just sit out for that class. Borrowing P.E. clothes from your friends can be a large hazard because the bacteria left over from the person who wore it before can make its way to your body and cause conditions such as rashes even the common cold.

Sharing eyeliner

Bad toilet hovering

Exchanging eyeliner and makeup products can cause conjunctivitis or pinkeye. This infection is very contagious and spreads easily from person to person as eyelashes naturally host bacteria.

According to the University of Rochester, symptoms of pinkeye include pus discharge, sclera inflammation and eyelid swelling. In order to avoid infection, make sure to throw away old makeup, sanitize your containers and stop using products that cause irritation.

Ladies, we know that you're in a rush, but really? Hovering causes urine to build up on the toilet seat which makes the lives of custodians much harder. Not only is it unsanitary, think of the people who may unknowingly sit on your bodily waste. If you're scared of sitting on the porcelain pony, find another bathroom or layer toilet paper on the side of the seat and dispose in the trash when finished.

Sharing earbuds Bacteria trapped in earwax can accumulate on earbuds after multiple uses. Many students share their earbuds with friends which puts them at risk of receiving a bacterial ear infection. Sterilizing earbuds after use with alcohol is the best way to kill bacterial growth.

Compiled by Sabrina Hawa and Phuong Nguyen

Food Review: Ramen noodle nightmare Favorite after school snack is bad for body

BY PHUONG NGUYEN

SABRINA HAWA

Health Editor

A cup of noodles is a quick comfort food filled with sodium and fat.

It's after school and students headed to their sports practices or sports meetings line up at the Jock Lobby snack bar to grab a quick snack.

One of the most popular items is a cup of instant ramen noodles.

Although it is a cheap food option ubiquitous to supermarkets and college dorm rooms.

The concession stand charges $1 for each cup, however a 24 family pack of cup noodles at Costco only costs $8.24.

A cup of noodles is very unhealthy and can lead to adverse health affects.

If you're a person that hardly pays attention to nutrition facts, you will be surprised to find out the a cup of Nissin chicken and vegetable flavored ramen contains a total of 1,480 milligrams of sodium, 13 grams of fat of which seven grams are saturated fats. "[I eat ramen noodles] maybe three to four times a week as a snack when I get home," sophomore Ivana Jarin said.

For a single served cup, that is

a whopping amount of sodium and artery-clogging fat entering the body.

According to Mayo Clinic, the recommended daily sodium intake for Americans under the age of 51 is less than 2,300 mg.

Likewise, Americans should consume no more than 14 grams of saturated fat. With this in mind, one cup of instant ramen noodles contains more than half the amount of sodium and fat that a person should take in a day.

Excessive amounts of sodium and fat from instant ramen is deleterious to the growing bodies of students.

High sodium intake increases the chance of acquiring cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, stroke and heart disease which are

leading killers of Americans Processed junk foods including instant noodles contribute to the reason why 90 percent of children in the United States consume more sodium than they should be.

Students who practically live on instant noodles after school should obtain energy from eating more fruits, vegetables, granola bars, whole grains and drink lots of water to help with kidney function.

Before slurping on a another cup of ramen, student should be mindful of health risks associated with processed foods and make an effort to moderate their consumption.

Students next time should skip the concession stand and pack a banana.

May 13, 2015

Promposals COURTESY OF CHELSEA ALFONSO

8 PHOTO

COURTESY OF NUHAMI MANDEFRO

At the end of his performance at Battle of the Classes, senior Amir Davis asks senior Darlyn Adu with a poster that says "Share the spotlight with me at Prom?"

As Prom season approaches, seniors bring forth their creative side to ask their dates to Prom on June 5

COURTESY OF VICKY LOPEZ

Senior Akim Bangura surprises senior Nuhami Mandefro with a scavenger hunt with the help of mutual friends.

"I was planning this promposal for another friend, only to find out it was for me all along!" Mandefro said.

COURTESY OF CHELSEA ALFONSO

COURTESY OF THIA CARAYIANNIS

As senior Vicky Lopez was walking down the sidewalk, she saw her friends holding signs (shown above) while music was playing. She opened the pink box and senior Kevin Rivas popped out. "I've never been surprised before, so it was the best surprise I could receive," said Lopez.

Senior Georgio Khoury asks senior Thia Carayiannis with flowers and uses basketballs to spell out "Prom?"

Going against the norm, senior Julie Nguyen asks her future Virginia Tech classmate to accompany her at prom.

"The only time an Atom and a Stallion could be this close! You know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Nguyen said.

With the help of friends, senior Andre Lopez asks senior Andrea Pereira to Prom with flowers and a poster. "I thought it was cute that he incorporated my leadership nickname," said Pereira.

COURTESY OF SYMONE JENKINS

COURTESY OF ANDREA PEREIRA

During the varsity girls lacrosse senior night, senior Ahmed Hassan dresses as a penguin and asks senior lacrosse player Nina Fairman with a poster that says "Will you waddle to Prom with me?"

COURTESY OF JULIE NGUYEN

COURTESY OF NINA FAIRMAN

During the annual Battle of the Classes, senior Ricky Lam played a video in front of the entire school to ask senior Kara Hoisington to Prom and surprised her with a poster and a box of pizza.

Senior Tony Gibbs asks junior Symone Jenkins with flowers and a poster with a volleyball related pun. "I thought it was cute and he was the first one at Annandale to start promposals," Jenkins said.

ARTS 9

May 13, 2015

BEBHINN TYREE

"Off the Deep End was inspired by a cartoon that I saw online in which a man was becoming more and more dissociative and incoherent in his mental illness," junior Bebhinn Tyree said.

CHARITY KAMARA

This artwork was created by junior Charity Kamara called Courage. "Courage shows that you should face your fears. The tiger represents the fear that the guy has to face," Kamara said.

JASON PRATT

This artwork was created by senior Jason Pratt called Childhood Memory. Pratt has been doing computer graphics for the past two years. "[Bright colors] give the artwork a fun and happy feeling; that's why I enjoy creating these types of works that are bright and colorful," Pratt said.

ULISES HERNANDEZ

Perseverance was the theme for all of senior Katie Chute's artwork at the art show. "When I created this work I had troubles with the media I used. I didn't feel comfortable or as if I could create something beautiful but I pushed through it and created a really cultivated, bright forest," Chute said.

"Song Spectrum shows a boy and girl back to back, wearing headphones, with lines of different colors, thickness and angles around them," sophomore Eliana Rivas said. "Because music is a big factor in culture around the world, I felt this showed how different kinds of music could have an effect on the mood and mentality of a person."

JORDAN SHOOP

KATIE CHUTE

"This painting is called Spring. It shows a young lady compared to a tree in spring time. The flowers are just starting to bloom as the young lady is starting to live," sophomore Gissela Aparicio said.

ELIANA RIVAS

"Musical Lifeline solely shows an audience that music is so important in my lifestyle, it pretty much resides through the blood in my veins," senior Andre Wright said.

GISSELA APARICIO LOPEZ

Senior Todd Le started doing photoshop when he was in sixth grade.

"The eight pieces I have chosen for this showcase are works I have done throughout my senior year," Le said. This piece of art is called Color Pallete.

This dress was created by senior Angela McLean. "Both dresses took me forever to make and I was terrified that they would not come out right."

ANDRE WRIGHT

TODD LE

Approximately 25 art students participated in the annual art show on Thursday, April 30 in the Clausen Hall. "Digital Age depicts a change to modernization through technology as well, fading into being pixelated," sophomore Jacob Weber said. "It is a piece that is very colorful and has a clear representation of technology."

ANGELA MCLEAN

JACOB WEBER

The AHS art show

This photo was taken at lake Accotink by senior Jordan Shoop. "The world I saw through the lens of my camera was a world of beauty," Shoop said.

Sophomore Ulises Hernandez created this art work called Human After All. "I drew a man half-human and half-robot. I choose to do ink and pen to show detail," Hernandez said.

10 IN-DEPTH

May 13. 2015

IN-DEPTH 11

May 13, 2015

The standardized testing problem Why today's youth has developed a fear of standardized testing ASEAL SAED In-Depth Editor "Standardized tests are the fastest way to terrify any child with five letters outside of just whispering the word clowns," John Oliver said on the most recent episode of the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver show.

Although the late night show host may find it funny, this is an immediate reality for many students.

Standardized testing has been shoved in the spotlight in recent years due to the questioning of its ability to accurately determine students' intelligence on a certain subject. As a student who has taken a variety of standardized tests, I do not support the idea of using standardized tests to evaluate student skills.

Students across the country also agree with my attitude as demonstrated by a boycott at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, Washington, and students opting out of testing in numerous states.

The use of standardized testing increased in 2002 when the United States implemented their No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). This was due to American students slipping from 18th place worldwide in math in 2002 to 30th place in 2009.

The NCLB put almost impossible standards for states to reach each year. For example, one NCLB standard was 100 percent proficiency on standardized tests by 2014. Despite the warning of many government of officials of the impossible expectations set, the standardized testing system continued.

However, the real standardized testing debate began in 2010, when the documentary Waiting for Superman was released.

In "Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing", published by Columbia University in 2013, an analysis was given to contrast both the benefits and the disadvantages of standardized testing.

According to the study, standardized testing holds schools and teachers accountable as well as responsible to teach students the required material that is covered on the tests. Although this pushes teachers to instruct all of the curriculum, it also hinders a student's personal potential and creativity to go beyond the standards.

It is not stressed enough among teachers and administrators that standardized tests do not determine a student's intelligence,

This leads to one of the major problems with the standardized testing system: low self-esteem.

Low-self esteem occurs when students begin doubting themselves and believing that they don't deserve certain luxuries in life. This feeling is brought on from standardized tests when students do not receive as high of a score as they wanted to achieve.

This is one of the major psychological problems from the standardized system.

Standardized tests also take a major psychological toll on students. Tests may lead to students feeling sick and anxious. Because of this, many teenagers may exhibit signs of rebellion against testtaking.

Stress is a major detrimental effect that standardized tests leave upon students. Although not the only health factor linked to the tests, it displays a major problem as a result. Stress could also potentially lead to other health risks such as testing anxiety.

Stress not only affects students taking the required tests, but also causes stress amongst teachers.

The stress occurs when pressure is put on teachers to make sure their students pass the required tests. If not, their jobs and reliability could be at risk because a few students decided not to study the required information.

A teacher should not be punished for a student's negligence, as a student should not be punished for a teacher's. Consequently, many teachers decide to leave the teach-

"It is not stressed enough among teachers and administrators that standardized tests do not determine a student's intelligence." ing profession because they feel the pressure put upon them from administrators and the county can be unbearable.

Another major problem with standardized tests are that they don't measure a student's real strengths, but how well a student can memorize. Many students have trouble with memorization and it

What type of student are you?

1. The night before a huge test you: A. cram in all the studying you should have done before B. know you're well prepared before but review just to be on the safe side C. stress out and start pulling at your hair

does not fit into their learning style.

Under these circumstances, many teachers are forced to become test-oriented in the classroom, leaving behind the projects and additional resources for students. This creates an imagination and creativity-free environment.

These standardized tests only measure the immeasurable. The only information that is counted in the standardized tests is what can be quantified.

A study conducted by researchers at Harvard University, Brown University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology tracked 1,400 students in their standardized testing.

It was concluded that some schools were successful in their testing, however it was said that the improvement was not associated with the increase in skills such as logical reasoning and problem solving.

Because the study was from a reputable source, the date that can be extrapolated from it can be valuable.

This does further prove that the standardized testing system is not

able to quantify a student's ability beyond a certain curriculum. It is not able to go beyond the screen measure a student's skills that can't be seen on a screen.

However, essential learning goals and lessons that can actually be applied into real life are ignored and cannot be qualified to be measured in a standard test.

Students are not given full attention to their individual strengths and weaknesses because standardized tests are based on standards meant to categorize students into one system. Thus, students that do not meet these standards are left trying to catch up without the help they individually need.

Furthermore, standardized tests do not track a student's progress over an entire year. Rather, they only measure a student's ability at a given time and given location.

With this in mind, tests do not take into account external factors that come into play during test day, including sickness or testing anxiety.

Standardized tests also focus teacher's attention away from a

This needs to instead teach student's to the standard. A teacher puts the focus on meeting the requirement, which would mean a better success for their job.

Because of the mounting problems with standardized testing, many parents have turned to opting their students out. In New York, some superintendents reported over 60-70 percent of their students refusing to show up to test.

Despite the consequences behind standardized tests, they do allow an objective way for administrators to compare the knowledge on a certain subject between students. Thus, these comparisons can be made between certain groups based on race, socioeconomic status and special needs.

Standardized tests are usually accompanied by a framework of the curriculum that must be taught throughout the entire year. This allows teachers to guide students through a well adapted system.

Although demanding, the standardized testing system makes sure teachers are following through on their teaching to make sure

students are well rounded and open to different fields in their future.

Not only are teachers kept in check, but also students. The tests make sure students are keeping up with their study habits and make sure they are putting in effort to contribute to their successful future. Thus, students will carry these crucial study habits into their lives.

The tests also allows students who live in different counties or possibly even in different states to be compared objectively on certain knowledge and test subjects.

Additionally, the standardized tests are easy to give to a large number of students in one sitting focused on one subject area, objectively. Objectivity is also an advantage to standardized testing.

Grades given by teachers always have signs of some sort of bias while most standardized testing is backed by computers and experts to make sure that all questions are fair and objective in the line of questioning.

Yet, with all of the advantages of standardized testing, there are still many problems with the

Are standardized tests an accurate way to measure students' abilities?

2. You get home after school and: A. grab a bag of chips and binge-watch a whole season of your favorite show on Netflix B. get the binders out and start cracking on your homework C. worry about the lack of time you have to complete all your homework

ANGELA KIM freshman

"Yes, becuase it holds teachers and students to a certain standard of curricular understanding."

"No, it gives students pressure."

MICHELLE HOANG sophomore

"It doesn't really measure someone's ability because everybody has their own level of intelligence."

TRISTAN DOCK

KOBEY WILLIS

freshman

sophomore

Do go to bed early

The Do's and Don'ts before testing night

Do eat breakfast Do review for an hour Do stay Calm

"Yes, because it forces people to work towards a goal."

5. When met with a difficult assignment you: A. put it aside until a later time or someone is willing to help you B. take out your notes and tackle the problems C. become irritated with yourself and stay in a period of frenzy and confusion

6. You wake up on a 3. It's 12 a.m. and you are: school day are: A. what? waking up? I A. just getting started on was up all night doing the that project that was ashomework I forgot about signed a month ago and B. ready to go with all of due tomorrow your materials in your B. asleep C. sleeping after a long day backpack C. thinking of your schedule of frustration for the rest of the week

7. During a lecture you are: A. sleeping to compensate for the lack of rest from staying up the night before B. taking notes and listening to your teacher C. writing future assignments in your agenda 8. Your friends ask you to hang out on a school night, you: A. agree and offer to bring the snacks, homework can be done later!

B. decline because you need to finish your homework on time C. decline, because it wil ruin your schedule 9. You decide to take a five minute break from work, afterwards: A. you never come back to your work B. come back after five minutes to finish C. you start planning your next break

Results: If you picked mostly A's: You are the procrastinator.

You are the student that always pushes plans until the last minute, the one that's asking your friends for the homework at midnight and not getting much sleep.

If you picked mostly B's: You are the hard-worker.

You are always on top of your work. The one that everybody comes to for help and advice. Keep doing what you do!

If you picked mostly C's: You are the overthinker.

You always need to plan everything out beforehand, but sometimes that only adds to your stress. Take a deep breath!

It's test day, and the pressure is on BINQI CHEN In-Depth Editor

"No, because one should not base a fish on its ability to climb a tree."

4. You send a text to your classmate, it reads: A. "Hey, can you help me with this homework I totally forgot about it until now" B. "I don't think I can help you anymore, you really have to stop relying on me for your homework" C. "Don't text me! I NEED TO FOCUS AHH"

"It's just one of those ways, but not the best way for everyone."

BRIAN CHUNG

THO TRAN

junior

senior

"Itis not the most accurate way to measure a persons intelligence"

JULIA NGUYEN senior

Don't cram study Don't stay up late Don't go out Don't stress out

She sits down at her designated testing location and recalls all the review she's done building up to this test, feeling confident in herself. The student proceeds to start the test, and as soon as she obtains access to the test, her brain goes bare, all the work she studied for is gone. This is not new to her, because junior Casey Goettlicher has testing anxiety.

Many students get the jitters and butterflies in their stomachs before a big test, but for Goettlicher, the pressure of testing is on a new level.

"Sometimes I get lucky and I can relax and get a good score Goettlicher said. "But usually, that's not the case."

Testing anxiety is actually a psychological condition that usually occurs when a person is put under pressure to do well. People who experience testing anxiety come in contact with large amounts of distress before, during or after exams.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, some frequent causes of testing anxiety are the fear of failure, lack of preparation and poor test history.

Some symptoms of testing anxiety include physical symptoms such as headaches and nausea, emotional symptoms like fear and anger and behavioral symptoms like difficulty concentrating and thinking negatively.

However, it is important to know that any type of anxiety and pressure varies from person to person and is strictly personal. For Goettlicher, it is not the tested material nor the lack of preparation that is causing her stress.

Goettlicher explains that she constantly studies to make sure she understands the topic and is prepared. It is when she receives the test that the lessons disappear in her head.

"My mind goes blank, like there's a brick wall blocking everything that I've learned," Goettlicher said. "It's so discouraging and frustrating."

Goettlicher describes the feelings she gets while testing as a combination of both pressure and anxiety.

Goettlicher goes into further detail and explains that she puts more pressure on herself than anything else prior to testing. The anxiety part kicks in during the test, which makes her unable to answer the questions.

"The other thing that makes me most anxious on tests is when I have a

time limit to complete it [the test]," Goettlicher said. "I always feel like time is running out so I struggle and panic trying to finish."

From a study by the American Test Anxieties Association, it is revealed that 16 to 20 percent of students suffer from high testing anxiety, making it the most common type of scholastic impairment today. In the same study, it is reported that another 18 percent of students endure a milder form of the anxiety.

Just like how anxiety differs in everybody, the solutions that people take in attempt to reduce testing anxiety also has a wide range.

One study, published by Cornell University titled "Letting Go of Test Anxiety," suggests that students who experience testing anxiety can try to reduce the pressure by doing activities such as visualizing success, praising themselves, concentrating breathing,

relaxing, and exercising aerobically.

In the past, Goettlicher has organized separate plans with the school and her teachers to take tests by herself or at a different time to help with the overwhelming tension of testing.

However, Goettlicher said that making separate arrangements did not improve the situation and she has since stopped doing so."

"I've tried taking SOLs and finals and even regular tests by myself and that doesn't really help any bit," Goettlicher said, "so I just take it with everyone now."

When asked about how other people react to her dilemma, Goettlicher said that people are not negative towards her when they find out and some have even suggested solutions like study groups.

Goettlicher says that it is sweet of people to provide her with help, but she believes strongly that this is something she will have to find her own answer to and conquer it herself.

"I just have to overcome it myself," Goettlicher said.

Tips from IB Diploma Candidate Doreen Joseph 1. How many IB classes are you taking this year?

"Five,not including TOK." 2. What is your schedule before a big test?

"I try to study as much as I can, and I also relax so I don't overheat my brain. It's not like cramming, but revealing as much information as I can."

3. How do you motivate yourself to work?

"I reward myself, so if I study for something or finish a certain topic, I'll eat a snack or something."

4. Who inspires you to work harder?

"My Chemistry teacher because he always motivates us. One of my favorite phrases he tells us is that to aim for the sun because if you fail, you're still going to fall back to the moon. "

12 INTERNATIONAL

May 13, 2015

Earthquake affects Nepal Students relatives impacted by disaster

BY NANCY EVORA AND TIM GRAY International Editors Although junior Ananda Poudel is miles away from home, he has always felt fond of his country.

On April 25, an earthquake struck Nepal.

The earthquake touched students emotionally and left them in shock.

"I loved everything about my country, from its breathtaking view of the mountains to its famous buildings which were unfortunately destroyed by the earthquake," Poudel said.

Poudel left his country so he could be with his parents again.

"I came here to the United States in 2008 because my parents wanted me to come here and live with them," Poudel said.

Although Poudel left his country when he was a little kid but that has not kept him from feeling fond of his birthplace and worrying about what happens in Nepal.

"At first, I was worried whether my relatives were safe or not and there was means of communication at the moment. Later on after my relatives called to let us know that they were fine I was relieved," Poudel said.

After waiting for hours, Poudel was glad that his family was safe and no one was harmed in the city where his family resides.

"My relatives that live in Nepal, fortunately nothing happened to them," Poudel said.

Poudel and his parents are very close to their relatives that live overseas.

The city of Kathmandu, Nepal was struck by an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.8 magnitude scale. The earthquake is known as Gorhka Earthquake, and it is the biggest disaster that has struck Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake.

Nepal is a country located in south Asia with a population of approximately 27 million people.

Junior Shank Rai left Nepal when he was five years old, Rai recalls how Nepal has been in

FACTS ABOUT NEPAL EARTHQUAKE

BY JUAN CARLOS HERNANDAEZ LANDAVERDE Special to the A-blast It is not easy to change culture when you go to a new country and you do not know how the system works. When I came to the United States, it was hard for me to adapt to the new culture.

There are some differences between the United States and El Salvador. Some differences between my home country and the United States are the weather, technology, and school.

Here in the United States, the weather is different in many aspects. In my home country, El Salvador, we only have two seasons during the year while the United States has four: summer, fall, winter, and spring. In the United States, sometimes it's

that took place in Nepal happened about 83 years ago

· The earthquake had already been predicted by scientists

· According to the UK Disaster Emergency Committee there is a chance of a serious disease outbreak because of the lack of hygiene

· 1.7 million kids are in need of humanitarian aid · The last earthquake

Junior Ananda Poudel (left) posing in front of Bhimsen Tower, a historical building located in Nepal that was destroyed by the earthquake. (Right) Ananda enjoying Syangja's town view while going for a walk. a bad condition even before the natural disasters.

"Nepal was a mess before any natural disasters occurred. Nepal has been corrupt for a very long time and is economically and socially unorganized," Rai said.

Rai found himself worried about whether his family was safe or not when he first heard of the earthquake.

"Some of my relatives such as my aunts and uncles live in Kathmandu, which is very near the epicenter," Rai said.

Rai's reaction was mostly shock because he has family near where the earthquake struck the most.

"My reaction when I heard about the earthquake was general shock. I was worried for my family members but I was relieved when I heard from my parents that my family was okay," Rai said.

Nepal has the highest risk in terms of earthquakes. Floods, landslides and fires are common disasters that have attacked the country over the years according to Disaster

Preparedness Network.

According to The Times of India, Gorhka Earthquake killed more than 8,413 Nepalis.

About 14,000 people were injured across the country.

"Nepal is in a terrible position and the nation is going to need as much help as it can possibly get so everything can be stable again."

Ananda Poudel, 11th A report by Discovery News said that more

than 1.7 million affected by the earthquake live in most of the damaged areas by the earthquake, more than 3.5 million are in need of food assistance and 2.8 million Nepalis were displaced in different countries.

According to the Washington Post, Fairfax County rescue group headed to Nepal in order to search for and rescue those who are trapped in debris and are in other forms of distress.

Structural engineers, 50 paramedics, medical personnel and dogs were sent by the county. Also they sent rescue experts with the goal to rescue people who are trapped.

Poudel is thankful that people around the world are donating money and volunteering to help the injured.

"I really appreciate [ the help] and I am pretty sure the people in Nepal do as well that Fairfax County sent help to Nepal because it is going to help the nation return back to normal," Poudel said.

Many countries around the world have made donations. The United States, Japan,

American Stories Student from El Salvador compares and contrasts his hometown with the United States

· Nepal's infrastructure was already weak before the earthquake

cold and sometimes it's hot.

In addition, every time the weather changes many people get sick.

Here in the states when it rains you cannot go out to play soccer or walk with your friends and you are bored at home watching television.

Because of that, I prefer the weather in El Salvador.

Technology in the United States is more advanced than in my country. In the United States, the cars are technically advanced.

Many cars have GPS. One major advantage here in the United States is that you have more access to internet in particular places and it's easier to communicate with people.

In addition, schools have Carlos came to the United States and loves his new school. very essential technology. For smart. They teach us important Salvador. Although it has some example for a student that lives concepts that we can use in the differences, the United States in the United States, It's easier future. Something important is a good place to live in. for them to do their homework about school here is that it is The weather, technology and and projects because they have free; you do not pay any fee in school are all completely difmore resources to do it. order to get educated. ferent. Between El Salvador In comparison to the U.S. Here you have the opportunity and United States, I prefer the and El Salvador, I strongly disap- to go to school and be someone weather from my country, but prove of the technology in my in life. Because of that, I like I prefer technology and school country. school better here than in El Sal- here in the United States. OverStudents in the United States vador. all, I am glad to be here. learn more than El Salvador.

In conclusion, I think the United In the states. We receive good States is a better country than El education and students are very

UK, are one of the many countries that had contributed to Nepal's relief.

Also, organizations such as Twitter, Facebook, United Nations, red Cross and UNICEF and CARE emergency, have also donated money and sent volunteers.

"I have made donations. Although it was not very much, I hope it still contributes to its recovery," Poudel said.

Although Nepal was affected the most by the earthquake, other countries such as China, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan were also affected but not as much as Nepal.

However, with all the donations from different countries around the world and donations from people and organizations, Nepal's government hopes to bring things all back to normal, put the disaster behind and move on.

Every small amount of money or volunteering helps thousands of people and children that are in need of shelter, food and clothes.

You can go the website www.redcross.org and donate.

What was your reaction to Nepal's earthquake?

"I was really surprised by what happened, all I could think of were the lives lost. My prayers went out to them."

SASHA SILVA

"It was definitely devastating. I was really surprised by how many people were impacted."

"It was very tragic, I did not know how bad it was until I read some news about it."

KIMBERLY ROMERO

NGOC-TRAN NGUYEN sophomore

sophomore

sophomore

"I was in shock. It was devastating and sad to see how many people died; I hope many were saved."

KASEY RICHITT Sophomore

"It was a tremendous "I was surprised we tragedy to its people did not hear about it and the country as a earlier. Considering whole. I wonder how all the casualties and they will reconstruct injuries, I would think and restabilize." we would."

LAYLA MOHAMED RAVIN HANKINSON junior

senior

TITUS’S DRIVING SCHOOL “Taking pride in road safety”

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"Titus is a great teacher and helps you become a safe driver. In just a week, I learned so much about driving and gained a lot of valuable experience."

— Michael Ambrosio, senior

1. The school is bonded and insured 2. Students do not need 45 hours driving time prior to the program 3. Parents and students can check yellowpages.com for school reviews 4. Students don’t have to pay until they get their drivers license 5.

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“Titus’s Driving School is the best driving school for any new drivers. I learned how to drive through him and from day one, all he dealt with was driving safely. He would always remind us that when driving, you must be safe because being behind the wheel is the only course in which you are handling your life and potentially that of others.”

— Emmanuel Kwayke, senior

PEOPLE 13

May 13, 2015

Seniors are committed and college-bound Lee Hayes: Penn State University

Andrew Leal: University of South Carolina

Q: What led you to choose this college?

A: I chose Penn State because it's an awesome school and it has a lot to offer like insane football games and a great alumni base.

Q What are you going to study?

A: I'm probably going to be studying public relations and political science.

Q: What are you most looking forward to?

A: I'm looking forward to the creamery on campus, the cows are literally right there and all that stuff goes on campus.

Q: What are you most scared of?

A: I'm most scared of the transition from high school to college.

Q: Were you stuck between this school and another school? If so, how did you make your decision?

A: I was stuck between Penn State and the University of South Carolina. I loved South Carolina but I saw myself more at Penn State.

Q: What are you going to miss the most?

A: I'm definitely going to miss my family and friends the most, but I'm really excited to leave and start a new chapter in my life.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZOE FOULKS

Zoe Foulks: The Academy of Art University in San Francisco

Q: What led you to choose this college?

A: I chose Georgetown because I knew I wanted to stay close to home yet have that college feel by living on campus. They have an excellent nursing program and I love how the school really focuses on creating a supportive community.

Q What are you going to study?

A: I will be a nursing major.

Q: What are you most looking forward to?

A: I am mostly looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing what it is truly like to be a Hoya! I'm really excited to start my nursing clinicals and experience what being a nurse actually means.

Q: What are you most afraid of?

A: I am most scared of being away from home (even though it's only in D.C.) because I'm super close with my family.

Q: Were you stuck between this school and another school?

A: Georgetown was always my top school so luckily it wasn't too hard to choose.

Q: What are you going to miss the most?

I am definitely going to miss playing with my younger brother and all of the friends I made at AHS, but I can't wait to see what lies ahead!

Austin Hall: Northwood University Q: What led you to choose this college?

A: The outstanding academic and basketball program.

Q What are you going to study?

A: Business.

Q: What are you most looking forward to?

A: Receiving a great education and being able to be part of the Northwood basketball program.

Q: What are you most afraid of?

A: Being away from family for long periods of time.

Q: Were you stuck between this school and another school?

A: I wasn't necessarily stuck but I did have some great opportunities to attend some other schools but Northwood was clearly the best fit for me once me and my family sat down and discussed the options.

Q: What are you going to miss the most?

A: My family, my friends and my home.

Q: How do you feel about leaving home?

A: I'll miss my family but I'm looking forward to taking the next step in my educational and basketball.

Q: What led you to choose this college?

A: It's an art-based school, which is something I was really interested in when applying to colleges.

Q What are you going to study?

A: I'm going to be majoring in theatre arts with an emphasis in acting. I'm also looking to double major in international business.

Q: What are you most looking forward to?

A: I think I'm looking forward to the weather the most, and living in a fast-paced environment.

Q: What are you most afraid of?

A: I'm scared of being completely new and on my own in a city as big as San Francisco.

Q: Were you stuck between this school and another school? If so, how did you make your decision?

A: I was stuck between San Francisco State University and The Academy, but ended up choosing to commit to this school because I felt like it would fit my personality better.

Q: What are you going to miss the most?

A: I'm going to miss my dog so much.

Erin Johnson: College of Charleston

Ricky Lam: Virginia Tech

PHOTO COURTESY OF RICKY LAM

PHOTO COURTESY OF SORIYA DELOPEZ

Q: What led you to choose this college?

A: There were a lot of factors including a diverse school, good academies in my major and a great track and field and cross country program.

Q What are you going to study?

A: I'm going to major in kinesiology (study of human movement) in my effort to be a physical therapist one day.

Q: What are you most looking forward to?

A: I'm really looking forward to the overall college life, dorms, new people and running for a D1 program.

Q: What are you most afraid of?

A: One thing I'm scared of is losing connection with people still in high school or people going to other colleges.

Q: Were you stuck between this school and another school? If so, how did you make your decision?

A: It was a three way tie between Virginia Tech, Mason, and VCU but Mason offered scholarship money and they also were overall much more interested in me.

Q: What are you going to miss the most?

A: I'm going to miss my dog so much.

Soriya DeLopez: Georgetown University

Q: What led you to choose this college?

A: The main reason why I chose Tech was the student vibe. I've been talking to a couple students from each college I got into, and Tech was the most friendly.

Q What are you going to study?

A: I'll be majoring in multimedia journalism.

Q: What are you most looking forward to?

A: I'm really looking forward to meeting new people and pursuing something I love.

Q: What are you most afraid of?

A: It'll be scary being out on my own in Southern Virginia. I'm an urban guy, and adjusting to the country lifestyle will be hard.

Q: Were you stuck between this school and another school? If so, how did you make your decision?

A: Virginia Tech was always my top choice.

Q: What are you going to miss the most?

A: I'm going to miss being near everything. Blacksburg doesn't have any type of urban life!

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN JOHNSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF AVIAD GEBREHIWOT

Aviad Gebrehiwot: George Mason University

Q: What led you to choose this college?

A: USC is a part of the SEC, it has beautiful women and they have strong academics.

Q What are you going to study?

A: I am undecided.

Q: What are you most looking forward to?

A: I am looking forward to gaining new experiences.

Q: What are you most afraid of?

A: I'm scared that I won't be able to keep my grades at a "respectable standard."

Q: Were you stuck between this school and another school?

A: I was stuck between USC and Wake Forest, but Wake Forest was too expensive.

Q: What are you going to miss the most?

A: I'm probably going to miss my friends the most.

Q: How do you feel about leaving home?

A: I'm excited and ready to leave, I don't think I'll miss home that much.

Q: What led you to choose this college?

A: I picked College of Charleston because it was a liberal arts school, it was in a great area, it was near the beach, it was a good size and I loved the campus and the environment that the school gave off.

Q: What are you going to study?

A: I am going to major in communications and public relations and hopefully minor in international affairs.

Q: What are you most looking forward to?

A: I am really looking forward to what the next stage of my life has to offer.

Q: What are you most afraid of?

A: I am scared of the possibility that I won't be happy where I am and my best friends forgetting about me.

Q: Were you stuck between schools?

A: I was deciding between College of Charleston and Penn State. I really wanted a big football school like Penn State, but I also wanted warm weather and the beach.

Q: How do you feel about leaving home?

A: I know I am going to miss home a little bit, but it's just that point in my life and every other senior's life where it is time to move on to bigger and better things.

wesome toms

WHO AM I? This is my eighth year at AHS

These students and staff were selected as Awesome Atoms for demonstrating Atom Pride

I was born in Aston, Pennsylvania I went to Penn State University My favorite movie is any of the Star Wars movies In high school I participated in marching band, TV studio and National Honor Society My biggest fear is completely oversleeping and showing up late to work

Senior Jack Curtin is an Awesome Atom because of his great participation and insight in his classes. He is always willing to help out his peers and volunteers to help out teachers any time in any way necessary.

Geography teacher John Hawes is an Awesome Atom because he is a one of a kind teacher who combines curriculum, his real world experience and current events into dynamic and innovative lessons for his students.

When he's not Superman, John Arnold is the mild mannered Building Engineer, a man with the interpersonal skills of a diplomat, navigating through the minefield of a building with more HVAC issues than a leopard has spots, which is why he is an Awesome Atom.

Junior Harlod Colindres Alvarado is an Awesome Atom because of his selflessness, caring, thoughtful and good-hearted nature.

He is a role model to his peers. He is a true example of resiliency, and adjusting to a different culture in a positive manner.

I have a black lab and two cats My favorite TV show is Buffy The Vampire Slayer A fun fact about me is that I did a field school in Scotland The craziest thing I've done is gone cliff-jumping in Jamaica

On your smartphone, scan this code using the application QR Code to find the answer to the Who Am I.

14 LIFESTYLES

May 13, 2015

Green Springs (11 minutes)

Georgetown (27 minutes)

For those of you who love nature and want to take pictures around a gazebo, Green Springs is the place to go. The flowers are beginning to bloom in this beautiful weather and it would be the perfect place to take pictures. It is located behind the Salvation Army.

Take your date to Georgetown to capture the beautiful sunset in the background. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from. This is also a wonderful place to bring a group of friends. You can get an uplifting vibe from the atmosphere.

Meridian Hill Park (31 minutes)

Old Town (23 minutes)

Explore the Meridian Hill Park with your date and take pictures by the radiant flowers. You're able to see the water flowing as you walk up the stairs. It's a very romantic place to spend with your Prom date. It is located in Washington, D.C.

Grab a bite to eat while you wait for the sunset to take the perfect picture. This is the place to gather all your friends and take group photos. You can walk around and enjoy the small restaurants and also get a beautiful view of the Potomac River.

TIPYAN OMER

MARILYN RIVAS

Go to the National Harbor and board a ship to take fun and memorable pictures on the dock or by the water. You can take a stroll along the coast of the Potomac River and you can even ride the ferris wheel for 15 dollars.

SABRINA HAWA

National Harbor (23 minutes)

MARILYN RIVAS

SABRINA HAWA

JEANINE BARAKAT

Free sceneries to snapshot your Prom

Backyard To save some time, take pictures in the comfort of your backyard. Free personal photographers (your parents) are included. It will be much easier for your parents to enjoy the moment of your last high school dance.

All estimated times are from Annandale

UPCOMING EVENT

GIRLS' CHECKLIST

Great Gatsby Themed June 5, 2015

Prom Dos and Don'ts

Don't forget to bring your makeup bag just in case you need a touch up.

1. Do start your day off early 2. Don't wait until the last minute to ask someone to Prom

Prom ticket

4. Don't wait until the last minute to buy your dress or tuxedo

6. Don't drink and drive 7. Do choose a location and take Prom pictures early

After dancing all night you're going to need perfume to freshen up.

GUYS' CHECKLIST

3. Do reconfirm your dinner reservations

5. Do make sure your phone and camera are both fully charged

An extra pair of shoes would be great after walking in those heels for so long.

Don't forget to order your date's corsage ahead of time and most importantly don't forget to bring it.

8. Don't say yes to someone you don't want to go with

Don't be that one couple that realizes they forgot their tickets once they reach the door.

Don't be that guy that forgets his wallet and makes his date pay for everything.

Find the perfect dress and tux!

9. Do use protection 10. Don't overspend 11. Do make unforgettable memories

Location: Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Ticket Cost: $45

TUXES

DRESSES

Mens Wearhouse Jos. A. Bank ASOS Nordstrom Topman Macy's Brooks Brothers

BCBG Nordstrom Saks Fifth Avenue Prom Girl Lord and Taylor Macy's ASOS

SPORTS X-TRA 15

NATIONALS

Pierce steps in place of injured Wall

Harper records six home runs in three games

BY JAROD GOLUB

BY HEZEKIEL YONAS

COURTESY OF ALMAZ ABEDJE

Editor in Chief For the second straight year, the Washington Wizards have shown their dominance with a deep playoff run.

After their resounding sweep of the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs, the depleted Eastern Conference is up for grabs with the Hawks, Cavaliers and Bulls all struggling to find their rhythm.

Junior Almaz Abedje went to game three of the series and had an unforgettable experience.

"It was a really cool experience considering it was my first playoff game" Abedje said. "I have been to like three other Wizards games but nothing like this before.

The atmosphere was Junior Almaz Abedje and sophomore Sabrina Hawa take a picture at the Wizards vs Raptors electrifying!"

In the third game of game. the series, the Raptors and the Wizards were close throughout all four quarters.

In the beginning of the game, it looked like the Raptors would win because they were not missing their shots, Abedje said, "The game consistently went back and forth and in the fourth quarter, the hype was ridiculous."

If Washington can get past the Hawks in the second round, they might be able to make it to the first NBA Finals since 1979, but that is a major "if!" With excellent play from guards John Wall and Bradley Beal, the Wizards are able to make noise in the playoffs. The biggest issue roadblock is the injury to Wall's wrist. The all-star point guard has missed games two and three of the series, and it is uncertain if he will be able to return in the second round.

But the major factor in the success of the Wizards is the emergence of forwards Paul Pierce and Otto Porter. Pierce has been known for his late-game heroics in the playoffs while Porter, former third pick in the draft, has been very useful with his attentive defense and three-point shooting off the bench.

The Washingtons playoff dominance this year eliminates all the doubt the team received coming into their series against Toronto, due to their decline since the beginning of February.

One of the advantages that Washington has is their experience. Not only did this same unit made a deep playoff run last year, but the acquisition of Pierce brings his championship experience from playing with Boston and helps mentor the teams young trio of Wall, Beal and Porter.

Hopefully the Wizards can continue this newfound success and extend their playoff run, but the injury to Wall really hinders the teams chance to advance in the playoffs.

BY RAPHAEL YU

Special to the A-Blast

Sports X-Tra Editor

With the 2015 MLB season well under way, the Washington Nationals have turned around their dismal start behind break-out performances from players like Bryce Harper. If the entire team played the way that Harper has been playing, they would be uncontested on their way to the World Series.

"The Nats have a good chance of doing something special. They have the pitching rotation to go deep into the playoffs and make DC proud," Thompson said.

Harper has been one of these bright spots that have helped turn the season around.

"Offense lately has been coming along, also Bryce Harper is of to a great start and the Nats are still awaiting the return of players like Anthony Rendon which will only make the offense stronger." sophomore Brandon Ho said.

Bryce Harper has not been great, he has been inhuman in the way he has been playing, and the statistics prove this.

Right now, Harper is leading the Nationals in home runs with 11, and is tied for first in hits with 33 (as of May 11).

On May 6th, when Harper stepped to bat, he hit home runs in three of his at bats.

"I think Bryce Harper is going to have a record setting year he's off to a great start." Ho said.

However, after about a month of play, none of the factors that were supposed to lead the Nationals to the playoffs were coming together to create the team that was supposed to be one of the best in the MLB. "The Nats need to be more consistent at the plate. They also need to improve in the field, they are one of the teams with the most errors in the MLB," junior Grant Thompson said.

On April 27, the Nationals had a record of 7-13, good enough for last in the National League East.

Since then, the Nats have gone on to win ten of their last 12 games (as of May 11), putting them at 17-15, and second place in the National League East, and within striking distance of the New York Mets, who currently have the best record in the MLB. The Nationals that have been seen in the last 12 games are much closer to the team that was expected to win the National League East, leading many fans to become increasingly optimistic.

"Overall I think the Nationals are going to have a great season and hopefully make the playoffs." sophomore Brandon Ho said.

Juniors Aaron Boyd, Kevin Folli, Colin Corey, Grant Thompson, and Tucker Mack at the Nationals first game of the season.

CAPITALS

The Caps strive to win Game 7 and advance

COURTESY OF GRANT THOMPSON

WIZARDS

#DCRISING

With the Capitals losing to the Rangers in game six, they now have to enter the lion's den in Madison Square Garden, in what should be an intense and nailbiting game seven. Although the Capitals were unable to qualify for the Stanley Cup last year, they were able to break their unlucky streak by advancing in this year's Stanley Cup. "I'm just really happy with their progress because they weren't looking too hot at the beginning of the season and for the past few years," senior Lee Hayes said, "But now they're doing awesome and they just have to keep it up."

The Capitals have been unlucky throughout their franchise history in the Stanley Cup, but things seemed to change for the better when the team beat the Islanders.

This year, the Caps came Senior Lee Hayes takes a picture with close to being knocked out Captials goalie, Braden Holtby. again, the series against the Islanders went to seven games. Fans are glad to see the Capitals advance after being knocked out in the first round year after year.

The Capitals were able to hold off The Islanders in game seven, winning the series 4-3. The Capitals team captain Alex Ovechkin has led the team in scoring, with 51 goals in the regular season and four goals in the playoffs so far. The Capitals then advanced in the second round of the Stanley Cup, up against a tough opponent, The New York Rangers. The Rangers are usually a dominant team in the regular season and in the Stanley Cup. At the start of the Stanley Cup, many NHL analysts predicted the Rangers would go far in the Cup. In game one, the Caps took an early lead off of a power play goal from Ovechkin. The Rangers tied it up in the third period, and with the game looking like it would go into overtime, Joel Ward put in the game winner with one second remaining in the game.

"My favorite moments whenever I'm watching hockey is when they win in overtime or have a buzzer beater goal like Joel Ward did," Hayes said.

In game two, the Rangers took an early lead, with two goals in the first period, coming from Chris Kreider and Dan Boyle. The Capitals then scored in the second period. The Rangers were able to hold off the Capitals and saw victory in game two. The Capitals then took the next two games, giving them a 3-1 series lead.

The Capitals fell to the Rangers in a heartbreaking game five in overtime, which dragged the series out to game six. Rangers defensemen Ryan McDonagh clinched the game for the Rangers with 9:37 left in the overtime period. Rangers were able to take game six with two early goals in the first period. Caps got two late goals, but it was not enough, falling to the Rangers 4-3. With the game six loss, the series will go to game seven, putting the Caps in a win or go home situation. Game seven will be on May 13, which will be a nerve racking game for Caps fans all over the DMV.

COURTESY OF LEE HAYES

May 13, 2015

16 SPORTS Baseball looks forward to districts

May 13, 2015

PHOTO COURTOSY OF SHAWN COURTNEY

Senior Shawn Courtney finishes taking a swing at a pitch.

Staff Writer As the regular season is coming to an end for the Atoms varsity baseball team, they are preparing for a long run in the district tournament.

This season has been a very successful one for the Atoms, with an impressive record of 11 wins and six losses (as of May 11).

The team also has six wins and three losses in the conference, good enough for third place.

"We are feeling pretty good right now, we are really coming together as a team," junior outfield Corey Pringle said. "We have really improved over these last few games.

We had a rocky start, but we have really picked it up since and we feel we can go really far."

This is an improvement compared to last season when around this exact same time, their record was six wins and nine losses.

"We are pleased with how we are doing so far," Head Coach Daniel Porter said.

"Since the beginning of the season we have greatly improved, not only individually, but as a team as well".

Needless to say, both the coaches and players hope to end the season on a good note and win their last few games.

"We have these last two games to prepare ourselves to the best of our abilities.

We are improving every day and I think we are ready for any challenge given to us" Porter said.

The Atoms are hoping to have a great start in districts beginning with their first game on May 17 with their opponent still to be announced. The team has very high confidence about their chances of going very far into the postseason.

Last season, they went as far as the second round in regional tournament, but sadly

were shut out four to zero against Chantilly.

Their goal is to beat their previous run.

"Obviously district champions is what we are aiming for. We also hope to go really far into regionals and maybe even take home the state title," Pringle said.

In order to make the expected deep run into districts, the team has to be playing to their highest potential. This can be achieved by playing their best for these last two games, improving on what they feel are the weakest parts of their game, and the team being fully prepared for anything that may happen.

"One thing we need to improve on is being more consistent with our pitching," junior infielder Colin Corey said.

"We need more strikes and less walks and the defense needs to make plays," Porter said.

"Practice has been getting very intense in the last few weeks in order to make sure that every player is ready to step up to the task if they are needed. During districts, every player is key to the team's success.

There has to be someone to fill into every role in case of an injury," Pringle said. "We practice six out of seven days the week and because of that I think we have great team depth."

By doing these few things, The Atoms will have a great chance at becoming district champions.

The Atoms strongly believe that this could be the year that they bring home the state championship. This is something they have not done before in school history, but after a very impressive season, their sights are aimed high at winning states.

For their last two games of the season, they will be facing Lake Braddock Secondary on Tuesday, May 12, and South County on Thursday, May 14

PATRIOT DISTRICT STANDINGS · · · · · · ·

Lake Braddock (8-2) West Patomac (8-3) Annandale (7-3) West Springfield (5-5) South County ( 3-7) Woodson (3-7) T.C. Williams (2-8)

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIM JOHNSON

BY JULIUS MILLER

Boys look to improve upon last year's performance

Junior Tim Johnson steps to the plate to bat.

Boys lax looks to improve

PHOTO COURTESY OF TYLER SAPP

Staff Writer Annandale High School's Varsity Lacrosse team will be entering the District tournament on May 14.

The team has gone the regular season with three wins and 10 losses (as of May 11), with one game left on May 12.

They sit second to last in the district at the completion of the season. The bumpy season has made way for questions about the way the team will perform in districts "This district tournament will be tough" Senior Nelson Bersal said "Because we are in the second to last seat in the district."

Aside from the tough appearance of the district

tournament, there is always confidence to be found.

Teams always have a chance to turn around rough seasons at districts. Districts is a second chance at glory that may or may not have been achieved during the regular season.

"We have to be strong fundamentally, and we have to be able to not give teams second chances and when we have the ball on offense we have to get something out of every possession," Head Coach Bill Maglisceau said.

The team has less than a week to prepare for districts, but with confidence and practice, they can expect success.

The Atoms will be playing in the first round of districts on Wednesday, May 15.

Senior Tyler Sapp plays Attack for the Atoms.

BY CREW MCCARTHY Staff Writer After a long regular season, Annandale High School's track team is approaching the District Championships.

Districts are on Wednesday, May 20 and Thursday, May 21. Athletes have been working hard all season, leading up to this one event.

Districts is an event where all athletes have a chance to test themselves against the best around, but it has its ups and downs.

"I am confident with new personal records," senior Aviad Gebrehiwot said.

"But I'm nervous because Corbett from Lake Braddock is a nationally ranked runner and went All-American for the indoor season."

Track is of course a team

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNANDALEATOMS.COM

BY CREW MCCARTHY

Boys track tries to finish strong

Senior Aviad Gebrehiwot runs at an invitational.

sport, but has its way of becoming an individual sport.

Districts chooses select runners from the team and makes it more competitive.

The runners then have to endure both physical and mental challenges, such as hard practices and pressure.

Runners must set their own goals and contribute to the team at the same time.

"I want to shave time off my mile time so I can rank nationally," Gebrehiwot said.

The team has shown strong runners, such as seniors Bernard Andoh and Gebrehiwot, who can make major contributions to the team's success. They have roughly one week to make final preparations for the district tournament.

Heard in the Hall: what school is your teams biggest rival?

LAKE BRADDOCK: "The girls are very fast. They're GOALS, basically."

LAKE BRADDOCK: WOODSON: "We don't "Last year in the like them." playoffs, we beat JOHN PALLETI them and knocked Junior them out. Now this KAREN CARA year, we are the top Sophmore teams in the district."

GRANT THOMPSON

WOODSON :"Because of the legacy we've built with them."

SHAWN DE LOPEZ Junior

LAKE BRADDOCK: "There's nothing you can really say about them. It's Lake Braddock."

SOUTH COUNTY: "Because they are a very tough team to play against."

HECTOR LOPEZ

NINA FAIRMAN

senior

senior

EMMANUEL KWAKYEDOMPREH

Junior

Girls tennis preparing for districts

Boys tennis makes improvements for districts improvements

BY JULIUS MILLER

BY CREW MCARTHY

Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ANNANDALE YEARBOOK

Staff Writer With spring sports coming to an end, boys tennis looks to have a triumphant victory in the first round of districts, but it won't be easy.

With a struggling season, the Atoms have gone 1-12 but they look to bounce back. For singles, senior Todd Le and senior Alex Parrado will represent the Atoms and for doubles it will be senior Todd Le / senior Alex Parrado and senior Lorenzo Aluning/ junior Nebeyu Solomon.

Coach Steven Zaret has built this team throughout the regular season by building a "white team," which is the Junior Varsity team for the Atoms, while the varsity team is called the "red team".

"I think several underclassmen made a lot of progress this year and hope to continue to make great strides for next season," Zaret said.

The Atoms are trying to improve on last year's performance "Last year we had a pretty good effort and I think we will do pretty good this year also," Zaret said. "Last season in districts, Le advanced to the second round and this year he plans to go even further."

For the Atoms, this has been a rebuilding year. With past players gone, they needed new freshmen and sophomores for the future. The team plans to improve and go far in districts.

WOODSON: "Woodson FALLS CHURCH: "Because every time we has a very string play them, they try to team, so its tough." fight us. Among both NATALIA GUIATARREZ senior of our teams, there is also family and friend rivalries."

Todd Le swing at a ball during a tennis match

Last season the girls tennis program ended with a devastating 2-9 regular season, having been eliminated in the first round for both singles and doubles. This year the ladies are looking to bounce back with new people for both singles and doubles going to districts.

"This season we did well in terms of competing," coach Hassan Mims said. "We didn't give up and tried as hard as we could and I'm very proud of them for their efforts on the court."

Representing Annandale High School for singles at the number one position will be Sarah Metzel, at the number two position it will be Soriya De Lopez and they will team

Senior

up for doubles one and for number two doubles it will be sophmores Luka Fernandez and Lucie Lefbom.

With singles number one and two being seniors, this is their last season to make memories so the girls will be striving for greatness this year.

"Last year we lost in the first round for both singles and doubles, however two out of our four matches were extremely close," Mims said.

Mims has encouraged his girls all season. Mims has been coaching for the past four years but has been unsuccessful. His team is striving for greatness after years of rebuilding the tennis program and looks to be successful in the district tournament.

The Atoms look forward to playing home on May 14 and May 15

SPORTS 17

May 13, 2015

Girls Lax expects success either host Lake Braddock or South County, two schools who played very tight games against the Atoms.

The Atoms defeated Lake Braddock 16-15 while falling to South County 17-16 during the regular season. In each of those two games, the Atoms held commanding leads throughout the first half before giving up those leads in the second half.

We plan on just keeping the intensity level really high and having the most aggression so that we can keep those leads, freshman attacker Lennon Wuhrer said.

We re not preparing for the next game, we re preparing as if it is the championship, like we re playing our toughest opponent, senior midfielder Kara Hoisington said The team aspires to go even farther than just winning the conference title. Region 6A North encompasses Northern Virginia schools and is one of the most

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMANDA ADENAN

With the regular season in the rear-view mirror, the AHS girls lacrosse team finished with a 7-6-1 overall and 3-3 conference record and earned a number four seed in the Patriot Conference seven tournament.

Although the Atoms have only won one of their last three games, the lone win coming in an 18-11 beat-down of T.C. Williams HS last Friday they are ready for any team that comes for them. Conference seven is loaded with powerful girls lacrosse teams, such as W.T. Woodson (9-1,6-0) and West Potomac (8-6,4-2).

Everyone in the conference is fairly equal, but any team can beat any team on any given day, junior midfielder and captain Ashley Britton said. It is imperative that we train to beat our toughest competition and rival, Woodson.

The Atoms know they have to be prepared for a possible match up between the top seeded Cavaliers, who were rewarded a Bye in the first round.

In the first meeting this season against the Cavaliers on May 5, the Atoms lost 19-11.

Despite the loss, the Atoms accomplished something no other team in the conference has done against the Cavaliers: score over 10 goals.

We didn t really have a strategy to score over 10, we just hustled harder and tried out our new pass and cut away plays which helped open up room for more drives and feeds to goal, junior attacker Sarah Deible said.

The Atoms are hopeful that these strategies will assist them in their hunt for their first conference champiSenior Maddy cook drives down field in a game against onship since 2009.

In the upcoming first round game, the Atoms will Yorktown.

The girls lax team stands for the national anthem before their game against T.C. Williams.

Softball prepares for playoffs

BY HALLEY THADEUS & RACHEL SHOGREN Staff Writers The boys varsity soccer has not ended their regualr season the way they hoped for- losing the majority of their games. talk about last gamehowever, having a rough season doesn t mean the boys can t turn their performance around in the payoffs.

Most of the players are saying that it is just the beginning, as they hope to go far into the playoffs.

We need to put more heart and effort into the games, 100 percent of the times, senior Robert Lamb said.

One of the concerns going into the playoffs for the boys that comes to mind is their preformance while paying on the field.

There will be a great amount of physical fatigue included with the mental, because now it is an every game count situation, senior Ik Addy said But knowing this task will not be easy as entering the playoffs as the last seed, the team needs to work together and not be a one man show.

If we want to go far, we need the hunger, the fight, and the leadership

1. Lake Braddock (10-2, 5-1)

Girls

2. W.T. Woodson (7-4-1, 4-1-1)

BY RYAN GAMMON Sports Editor

3. T.C. Williams (10-2-1, 3-2) 4. West Potomac (4-5-2, 2-3) 5. South County (3-7-2, 1-3-2) 6. West Springfield (5-5-2, 2-4) 7. Annandale (1-9-2, 1-4-1)

to win, freshman Alex Cromwell said.

Dealing with the intimidation of being the lowest seed, will make the boys work and try harder to show the other teams they are better than what their record shows they are.

The boys are hoping to make it further than last year, thinking that they can go all the way to states.

The girls varsity soccer team had a strong start to the beginning of the season, but as the season comes to an end they have started to fall apart.

Issues on the field are starting to concern players, questioning how deep into the playoffs they will make it, having not executed as well as they did in the first half of the season.

We have to trust each other on the field and communication is key to winning our games, freshman Caitlin Schwartz said. We have been working so hard on and off the field all season and we are ready to kick some butt in the playoffs.

Going up against a really competitive conference in the first round really doesn t come to mind as a concern physicality wise.

We are in pretty good shape overall, everyone can stay in for a good amount of time, senior Daniela Salinas said. We have five subs, so they really do help when others are in for a good amount of time so they can get resting time.

Even though the team has been battling injuries and other obstacles, the team still has confidence that it

Junior Brooke Thadeaus runs with the ball during a game.

will be able to win it all.

I hope to go far with the team this season and beat Lake Braddock and get a second chance at Woodson, hopefully beating them this time, and West Springfield, Schwartz said.

Even though the team has been battling injuries and other obstacles, the team still has confidence that it will be able to win it all.

BY RYAN GAMMON Sports Editor The varsity softball team s season has come to an end. While still staying positive and energetic about the playoffs, the team is figuring out what to fix to try and win playoff games.

We just need to pick each other up if someone gets an error or has bad at bat, freshman Elizabeth Corcoran said. We need to continue to have a positive attitude and good outlook throughout the whole game.

Despite the outcome of a lot of their games, most of the players have high hopes going into the conference tournament, saying it is just another game that we have the potential to win.

Well honestly, the season is not a concern of ours. We have so far had an amazing season with an amazing team, and that alone with our attitude could make us win, senior Thia Caraiyannis said. We are looking to win as much as we can to just play the game of softball to the best of our ability.

While this might be something the Atoms can do, it will not be an easy task to make it far into the playoffs against fellow Conference seven foes such as Lake Braddock and South County.

We need to work even harder than what we have been doing and have each other s back, senior Moesha Fares said. The Atoms goal for this postseason is to make it even farther than they did in their previous seasons. Even though the games have shown otherwise, it can still be achieved with the skill level of the players and the work of the coaches.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THIA CARAIYANNIS

Boys Soccer standings

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNANDALEATOMS.COM

Soccer seeking wins in postseason Boys

threatening regions for girls lacrosse, filled with the likes of Oakton, Langley, Madison, etc.

Although the Atoms want to look ahead, they need to focus on each game one at a time, Britton said.

Coach Cindy Hook believes her team has all of the correct components to beat Lake Braddock or South County.

We need to make maximum use of our next three days of practice to be ready to make sure we are ready for Thursday night, Hook said. We are working to improve all four phases of our game. Our attack, our teamwork on defense, quickness in the midfield and out totally positive attitude.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WUHRER FAMILY

BY ANDREW GONZALEZ Sports Editor

Girls track races for first place

BY RYAN GAMMON Sports Editor Senior Thia Caraiyannis at bat for one her her games this season.

The girls varsity track team has had a good season, but not to the standards of what the girls wanted. It is going to be hard for some of the girls to qualify for the conference, regional and state tournaments, but it is not impossible.

We need to treat every practice like it s meet, senior Ravyn Hankinson said. It is hard with the weather and everything but we always motivate each other so that we can finish strong every day.

Also coming to the fact that there will be a lot of tiredness out on the track, the girls need to get prepared for any conditions that come their way.

We do not worry about the condtition of the fact of being tired, it is kind of the last thing that us track poeple worry about, said junior Shannyea Wichard. You just do it without tinking.

The girls have come a long way from practices untill six to waking up at five for meets and to see their season end early is not an option for most of the girls track runners.

We need to concentrte more on the our own goals so they can be achieved as one big goal. We need to accomplish these in practice so we can be ready for the meet and do our best. Wichard said.

Being tired is not a concern of ours, because everyone hits their wall. The way we are trained to think while running is that we need to push through our obstacles and cross the finish line with all that we have. Hankinson said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNANDALEATOMS.COM

Softball standings 1. Lake Braddock (12-1,8-0) Next game: T.C. Williams on May 15 2. West Potomac (12-6, 8-2) Next game: First round of conference 3. South County (12-5, 6-3) Next game: Annandale on May 15 4. West Springfield (9-7, 5-4) Next game: W.T. Woodson on May 15 5. T.C. Williams (7-7, 4-5) Next game: Lake Braddock on May 15 6. W.T. Woodson (2-14, 2-7) Next game: West Springfield on May 15 7. Annandale (0-13, 0-10) Next game: South County on May 15

Atoms track runners sprint during a meet earlier in the season

Man on the street: How far do you hope to go in the postseason?

"I hope to make it to the first round of regionals and hopefully further."

CAITLIN SCHWARTZfreshman

"I hope to get as far as our team can get us."

BEAU HATCH junior

"We hope to make it past the first round to regionals."

DANIELA SALINAS senior

"I hope to qualify for the 200 and 400 and hopefully top ten in 400 in states."

NATHAN HOGYE senior

"I hope we're really successful and make it to regionals because the lax team hasn't been there in a while."

NINA FAIRMAN senior

"We hope to make it at least to the regional finals."

SHAWN COURTNEY senior

18 ENTERTAINMENT

May 13, 2015

Age of Ultron surpasses its prequel The Avengers make a huge comeback in the box office

BY AHMAD AYUB SPOILER ALERT - The film starts off with immediate action, following the Avengers as they attack a Hydra (a behind-the-scenes organization that controlled SHIELD until its demise) base in the fictional city of Sokovia that turns out to have Loki's (Tom Hiddleston) scepter from the first movie in it, protected by Baron von Strucker and his small army of Hydra agents.

The Avengers invade the base and obtain the scepter, even though they encounter Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) Maximoff, two superhumans who were under von Struckers supervision, who are called Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, respectively.

The way that director Joss Whedon handled the introduction of the twins was very well, except for the fact that because of character movie rights, he was unable to call them mutants (the term used for humans who have a specific genetic trait called an X-gene that allows them to have superpowers) in the film. Also, Whedon wasn't allowed to add who their birth parents were, one of them being Magneto of the X-Men. Instead, he went for a "German science experiment" origin story, similar to the origin of Captain America (Chris Evans).

When the Avengers return to the Avengers Tower, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) try to create an artificial intelligence to help them save the world, but end up creating an evil robot named Ultron ,voiced by James Spader, who wants to exterminate the human race. After practically killing JARVIS (voiced by Paul Bettany), Ultron attacks the Avengers and then escapes through the internet.

Ultron takes over Loki's role from the first Avengers as the primary villain.

He brings a much more dynamic personality, going from Loki's "I just want to rule the world" mindset to a robot who thinks he's doing the right thing, as he was programmed to make the world safe. Ultron thinks that the only way to have a completely safe world is to eliminate the humans and reset everything, using the meteor shower that made the dinosaurs extinct as an example.

Ultron travels to the fictional country of Wakanda (in a new body he

ENTERTAINMENTWEEKLY.COM

Entertainment Editor

A promotional poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron that includes (left to right) Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye.

made with materials taken from von Strucker after Ultron kills him) with the Maximoff twins to obtain vibranium, a fictional metal that makes up Captain America's shield. After a fight with the Avengers, Wanda uses her hex powers and gets into the minds of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America and even the Hulk. This makes the Hulk rampage through a city, practically destroying it, before being stopped by Iron Man in his Hulkbuster armor.

The fight scenes in this film were definitely a step up from the first Avengers, mainly because of the magnitude of these fights. Ultron fighting his "father" (Iron Man) in Wakanda, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) fighting the incredibly quick Pietro and especially the fight between Hulk and Iron Man's Hulkbuster armor. This time, the fight scenes aren't solely in New York and they expand to other countries, although two are fictional.

After the heroes regroup at Hawkeye's safehouse, Thor leaves to recuperate his thoughts after Wanda messes with his mind, and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) helps the Avengers create a plan to stop Ultron. Ultron travels to Seoul to create a synthetic half-flesh, half-vibranium body for himself. He also uses the scepter's gem for the new body to power it.

When Ultron begins uploading himself into the body, Wanda is able to read his mind; discovering his plan for human extinction, the Maximoffs turn on Ultron. Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye find Ultron and retrieve the synthetic body, but Ultron captures Black Widow.

The Avengers have a little spat while Stark secretly uploads JARVIS to the body, and when Thor arrives and helps Stark finish the upload, he reveals that the gem on the body's head is one of six Infinity Stones - the most powerful objects in existence. The body is born and adopts the name Vision, a half-man half-robot that is prepared to help the Avengers with stopping Ultron.

Vision was a great addition to the film, adding not just a new member to the team, but a new type of character. This is evidenced by Vision wanting to destroy Ultron because of his desire to kill all humans, but still respecting Ultron as another robot like himself.

The new team then rushes to Sokovia to stop Ultron from destroying the Earth by lifting up the entire city with a machine towards the sky in order to crash it to the ground with a large enough impact to cause global extinction, just like the dinosaurs. Banner rescues Romanoff, and the Avengers start fighting an army of robots created by Ultron, while Nick Fury and other SHIELD agents evacuate citizens.

In the midst of the battle, Quicksilver is shot by Ultron and dies, enraging Scarlet Witch to the point where she destroys Ultron. The Avengers finish off the rest of the robots, with Vision destroying the last one. The flying city is then destroyed by Thor in order to shatter the city into pieces so the impact doesn't destroy the Earth. After the battle, Hulk leaves in an untraceable jet, fearing that he might hurt more innocent people, thus ending the romance between Black Widow and himself.

The film focuses much more on character development, especially with Hawkeye, Black Widow and Hulk. Hawkeye's past is finally revealed with the uncovering of his wife and children. His more sensitive side is shown, as well as his slight reluctance to return to the Avengers after this last battle.

A very unexpected yet interesting relationship was between Black Widow and the Hulk. There is definitely some sort of love between the two, but Hulk feels that the relationship would not work because of his tendency to lose control of his "other self" and possibly hurt others.

Overall, the movie was definitely better than its prequel, but still not the best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. The movie tried to pack too many different storylines into one film, and although it was mostly a great film, there were moments when it felt like everything was rushed.

Rating: 8.9/10

Top Picks of AHS

Top grossing movies of 2015 (domestic)* Fast and Furious 7

Avengers: Age of Ultron Cinderella

Fifty Shades of Grey

The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water *As of May 11, 2015

Poll composed of 100 students on thea-blast.org and at lunch on May 5.

AHS says good-bye to David Letterman Comedian Stephen Colbert inherits Letterman's throne

BY AHMAD AYUB AND BAILEY OLIVER Entertainment Editor and Head Videographer After 33 years of being on television, Late Show host David Letterman has announced that he will be retiring this year. Having started his hosting career on NBC in 1982, Letterman is currently the longest running late night host in TV history.

While hearing about his retirement, students and faculty remember the countless years of laughs and comedy that Letterman has provided.

While not a frequent viewer, junior Luke Daggle still enjoys Letterman, complimenting the show's setup and execution.

"I like the way he runs his show. I like the guests he has on and the questions he asks him and how he delivers," Daggle said. "I think he's a funny guy."

Math teacher Michael Mazzarella enjoys Letterman's personality and charisma. "I like that he is quirky and

sort of awkward," Mazzarella said.

Junior Shank Rai, however, was never a fan of Letterman and his style.

"I don't like how he's really mean to his guests. It's almost like he's above everyone else," Rai said. Currently Letterman hosts his show on CBS and will do so until September of 2015, when he will be replaced with a new show, the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Daggle believes that Colbert will make a good replacement for veteran Letterman and thinks that he may enjoy it more than the show it is replacing.

"I think Stephen Colbert will make a great replacement for David Letterman," Daggle said. "I think he'll be an excellent talk show host. I watch his show too, and I think he's a really funny guy, maybe even funnier than David Letterman. He's a good comedian, so I think his show might be even funnier than David Letterman's."

Rai also believes that Colbert will do well as the new host.

"Personally, I think it's going to be more entertaining because David Letterman himself is, although intelligent, not very interesting to me. His whole persona is kind of rude when it comes to treating his guests. I don't really like that part about him," Rai said.

In addition, he believes that since Stephen Colbert has experience running a show on Comedy Central, the show will be funnier. "It will be something to watch, because I don't really like David Letterman, but maybe

David Letterman is leaving a legacy behind with his 33 years of experience on TV.

that's just me," Rai said.

Conversely, Mazzarella expresses a different, more cautious sentiment about Colbert's run.

"I think he will be good, but I am worried that he will try to change his personality too much. I know they brought him on to appeal to a younger crowd," Mazzarella said.

While Mazzarella appears to be cautious about Colbert, he believes that eventually Colbert will become accustomed to being a late night host.

"I think he will do well after a while. Most late night talk show hosts take some time to adapt to the show,"

Mazzarella said. "It seems like they're nervous at first."

When asked about Letterman's legacy, Mazzarella believes that Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon has had more of an impact compared to that of Letterman.

"I'm honestly not sure [about his legacy], I grew up watching him but I was very young," Mazzarella said.

"Even though Jimmy Fallon has been on for so much less time, I feel like he has made much more of an impact, at least to our generation. I know that many people will miss him though."

Daggle was more positive, saying that he would have a lasting important impact on the late night scene of comedy.

"I definitely do think David Letterman has left behind a big legacy. He's been on his talk show for many years now," Daggle said. "He's always had a certain way of running things and he must be good at what he does because he's been on the show for a while. So I do think he's left behind a big, important legacy."

Letterman's retirement follows a string of recent replacements and retirements of comedy show hosts.

In 2014, host Jay Leno was replaced by Jimmy Fallon hosting The Tonight Show. Comedy Central host Jon Stewart announced that he would be leaving The Daily Show in August. He is to be replaced by comedian Trevor Noah in August of 2015.

The last episode of the Late Show with David Letterman will air May 20, 2015 on CBS.

Who is your favorite late night show host?

"I like Jimmy Fallon because his show is both informational and funny."

TYREE ANDERSON freshman

"I like Jimmy Fallon because of the lipsync battles."

HUNTER SLOAN sophomore

"I like John Oliver because he's really funny."

"I like Jimmy Fallon because he's a hilarious guy BACAL MESFIN that makes fun of sophomore celebrities."

KIARA ROBINSON junior

"I like Jimmy Kimmel because I think he's very fun to watch because he's always LUKE DAGGLE entertaining his junior audience."

"I like David Letterman because I enjoy the skits he puts on."

CAMILA SORUCO junior

"I like Jimmy Kimmel and I don't really like Conan because he's weird."

"I like Jimmy Fallon because his skits and games are really funny."

AVIAD GEBREHIWOT

ELIZABETH TUFTS

senior

Chemistry teacher

19 ENTERTAINMENT Tidal makes waves in music industry May 13, 2015

AHS students react to the new music streaming service

BY HUSSEIN SALEM Ad Manager Music streaming services such as Pandora Radio and Spotify have taken over the industry, each company valuing in billions of dollars. Tidal, the subscriptionbased streaming service, is the first of its kind.

The service was advocated as the first artist-owned streaming service. The company is currently owned by some of the biggest names in music including Jay Z, Beyonce, Kanye West, Madonna, Daft Punk, deadmau5 and J. Cole.

The slogan "#TIDALforALL" was used by different artists on social media during the launching of the service. The service currently has 25 million tracks and over 75,000 music videos. Having no free

subscription plan, they offer Tidal Premium, the $9.99 plan and Tidal HiFi, their flagship plan which costs $19.99 a month.

The Hifi plan will include High Fidelity, lossless audio and high definition music videos, while both plans will have no ads and unlimited listening time. Many people think the company is overpriced compared to its competitors.

"I wouldn't be willing to pay 10 dollars a month for a music service," sophomore Brandon Ho said. "I think it's pointless because you have services like Spotify and Pandora where it's only five dollars and the only beneficial thing about Tidal is the improved sound quality which most people might not be able to tell the difference."

Tidal's biggest competitors, Pandora Radio and Spotify, each with over 50 million registered users, can both be used with a

"If you provide a service, you should be compensated for it.

And not just artists, just think about the writers and producers."

Jay-Z owner of Tidal free subscription plan, with Tidal not having that option.

Pandora's paid subscription plan,

"Pandora One" is currently charging $4.99 per month which includes no ads, extra skips and fewer timeouts.

Spotify is currently offering a $9.99 per month plan which allows users to play any song, without ads or restrictions, having over 10 million paying subscribers. Although paid subscriptions have many features, the free plan continues to dominate the industry.

"I feel like it is a waste to pay money for streaming music because you can just download the music that you want on your phone and listen to it," junior Ananda Poudel said. "Also, you can use Pandora to stream music without paying, although it frequently gives you advertisements but that's a small price to pay rather than paying $9.99 for music."

On Monday, March 30, Jay Z went on stage with 16 co-owning artists to debut the new streaming service. The conference started with artist Alicia Keys speaking about the artists and Tidal.

"So we come together before you on this day, March 30, 2015, with one voice in unity in the hopes that today will be another one of

those moments in time, a moment that will forever change the course of music history," co-owner Keys said.

To end the launch of the company, the 17 stars signed a declaration which stated all of Tidal's future goals.

"On the artists owning the company, I think it's different," Ho said, "but at the same time it cuts the artist out with its fans who don't have the money to pay for a subscription. Artists should want to spread music rather than make it exclusive."

Users love the higher quality music, but there are downsides as well.

"It's really hign quality music," junior Nathan Ohene said, "but it's not that much better than Spotify, and there's not as much variety in the music."

Some see buying a subscription to Tidal as a way to support those making the music.

"I use Tidal to support artists, especially those that don't get a lot of credit, like producers and writers," Ohene said. "I won't be able to afford it much longer, but if I can support those who make great music, it's worth it to me."

Where do you get your music from and do you pay for it?

"I get my music from YouTube so I don't pay for it."

MIRIAM MOHAMED freshman

"I use Beats music and I don't pay for it, I just renew the trial weekly."

MIKAEL MECHAL sophomore

"Most of my music is from YouTube and an app called Hypemachine, but I do buy a lot of my music from iTunes."

JESSICA FERSON

"I only listen to my own mixtape."

DAGIM TIGABU sophomore

"I usually buy my music from iTunes if I enjoy the artist."

MELANIE VALENCIA junior

"I get the majority of my music from Soundcloud. I don't think I've ever paid for the music I have."

"I use Spotify, Pandora and Soundcloud. I usually pay for my music but not all the time."

DARLYN ADU

NINA FAIRMAN

senior

senior

"Mostly from iTube and Soundcloud, but if I really enjoy an artist I'll pay for it."

MICHAEL VELASQUEZ senior

sophomore

Artists we can't wait to hear from

FRANK OCEAN It has been almost three years since a Frank Ocean album has been released, but many fans are simply glad to hear that he's still making music. The singer/songwriter announced from his Tumblr account that his new album, Boys Don't Cry, will drop in July.

The California born R&B singer's previous album, Channel Orange, showcased his superb songwriting ability on songs like "Pyramids" and "Thinking Bout You." He got his start as a songwriter writing for renowned artists such as Beyonce and John Legend.

He is also known for his work with Odd Future, a hip-hop collective from Southern California. Channel Orange won a Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album, so his follow

up is heavily awaited. Ocean announced that the album is set to be released this July.

KANYE WEST After dropping Yeezus in 2013 to much critical acclaim, Kanye West looks to follow up his past success with his new album. This will be the Chicago rapper's eighth studio album. Originally titled So Help Me God, the title was recently changed to SWISH. The Louis Vuitton Don has one of the most impressive discographies in hip-hop today, with albums such as College Dropout and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Kanye has dropped two singles this year, the mellow track "Only One" featuring Paul McCartney and "All Day," which features McCartney, Allan Kingdom and Theophilus London. These tracks are both very different stylistically, so it will be interesting to see how they fit into the album as a whole. No release date for the

album has been announced as of publishing date, but the album is heavily expected to drop this year.

RIHANNA Rihanna's last album, Unapologetic, was released in 2012. She took a break from consistently making music after releasing albums annually for four consecutive years.

Unapologetic won a Grammy for Best Urban Contemporary Album. The Barbados native has seven other Grammys to her name.

Since releasing Unapologetic, she has released three singles for her upcoming album, two of them being "[expletive] Better Have My Money" and "FourFiveSeconds." She also released "American Oxygen" exclusively on Tidal.

Kanye West and Paul McCartney were both featured on "FourFiveSeconds."

McCartney has also worked on West's upcoming album so fans are awaiting to see if there are more collaborations between the three on Rihanna's upcoming eighth studio album.

20 WEEKEND

May 13, 2015

Experience culture in NOVA Visit these diverse restaurants to dine on international foods

Sakura

Meaza

Pike 7 Plaza, 8369 Leesburg Pike #10, Vienna, VA 22182

5700 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22941

Sakura offers a variety of Japanese cuisines. The restaurant has different themes from Japanese culture. After being greeted by a waitress dressed in traditional Japanese clothing called the Kimono, you are then seated with different people at the Hibachi table.

Soon after, a chef comes and cooks the food in front of you. The food ranges from seafood and vegetables to different combinations of meat with rice. As the food is being cooked, you have the opportunity to participate and catch the food that the chef tosses from the grill.

When the chef tosses pieces of food to you from the grill they have a few tricks up their sleeves. They range anywhere from fiery explosions to different forms of chopping vegetables all while experiencing Japanese culture.

The restaurant's walls are covered in attractive wall painting of what traditional Japan looks like, from multiple unit buildings to beautifully painted images of the Sakura cherry blossom. The restaurant depicts life in Japan by giving a personal feeling of Japanese customs and traditions.

"I like Sakura because the food is really good and I think it's pretty cool how everything is cooked right in front of you. " CORY PRINGLE junior Pictured Dish: Filet mignon, lobster and shrimp Price: $25.99

Meaza restaurant is an Ethiopian restaurant that has a variety of food from vegetarian dishes to meat dishes such as lamb, cow and beef.

Visitors are greeted, seated and given one main platter to share as a whole. The main Ethiopian dish is usually eaten with your hands and little to no utensils are used.

However, dishes like rice, fish and spaghetti are offered. Desserts and refreshments are also available.

While at Meaza, expect to find a diverse group of people from all over the world, who have come to enjoy the traditional food that is offered there.

If you go on the weekends after 9 p.m. you will be able to experience live Ethiopian music playing on stage. There are also television screens where you can watch the news or any of the games that are currently playing. No reservations are needed and there is hardly any wait time due to the large setting of the restaurant.

Mandarin

Guapos

Springfield Plaza, 6366 Commerce St. Springfield, VA 22150

The Village at Shirlington, 4028 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA

Mandarin is a casual Halal Chinese restaurant. All of the foods made at Mandarin are Halal.

Open for more than six years, the restaurant offers different types of Chinese foods all within a casual setting. Open seven days a week, no reservations are necessary and delivery options are available for locations within range.

The food ranges from sizzling platters topped with sea food or chicken to desserts such as Ras Malai and delicious drinks like Horchata.

The restaurant provides a casual atmosphere with floral paintings and a Chinese Buddha to greet you at the entrance. During the day, you can go to the restaurant to relax and enjoy a casual lunch. If you are looking for a night out, you can enjoy dinner all within a comfortable environment.

"The fried rice is really good and the chili chicken never disappoints."

ETHAN YU freshman Pictured dish: Shrimp Lo Mein Price: $10.50

Guapos is a MexicanAmerican restaurant located in Arlington. It is a casual dining place that offers a range of Mexican foods like tacos, quesidillas, fajitas, enchiladas and more.

The restaurant has a theme of having men serve as waiters and women as hostesses.

Remember to make a reservation because it is often crowded on weekends during the lunch and dinner rush. If you go here to celebrate a birthday you will be able to experience wearing a Mexican sombrero followed by Spanish singing.

Guapos was voted the Best Salsa in D.C. by FOX 5 News in February 2015.

A food truck option will be available soon in Northern Virginia locations.

Maggiano's

"I like Meaza restaurant because when we went as a group for Heritage Night everything was already set up for us and the food was really good."

NAOD TEKLIE junior Pictured Dish: Tibs Price: $10.99

"The environment at Guapos was lively because they had a Mariachi Band that was playing and the food was also good."

AMANDA ADENAN junior Pictured dish: Nacho platter Price: $10.99

Dunya Banquet

2001 International Dr McLean, VA

5951 Stevenson Avenue Alexandria, VA 22304

Maggiano's Little Italy is a casual dining restaurant which specializes in Italian-American cuisine. The restaurant's food is mainly associated with various types of pasta.

Maggiano's is an appropriate setting for formal and casual dinners. Maggiano's is a family friendly setting and is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the weekends.

This restaurant offers different types of food such as lasagna, spaghetti, ravioli and linguine. All of the foods at Maggiano's are affordable and reasonable. The wait time at Maggiano's is usually long, so it is recommended to call before coming to the restaurant and make a reservation. Just like the main entrees, they offer many kinds of desserts such as tiramisu, apple crostata and creme brulee.

"Maggiano's is a really good restaurant. What I like to get is the basic spaghetti and meatballs because it's really good there."

GABE MARTINO junior Pictured dish: Taylor street baked ziti Price: $12.95

Dunya Banquet is an Afghan restaurant established in 1989 by the Abassi family. It offers traditional authentic Afghan food. Dunya Banquet is a family run business operation. The Abassi family began the business overseas before they came to America.

The restaurant offers reservations to host big events, including catering. There is a wide variety of options like the veggie platter, soup and salads, different kinds of kabobs and vegetarian delights.

You are also able to experience different types of spices and flavors that are not common in most American foods.

Group specials are offered in forms of packages, to make it more affordable. The group offer specials are available for two, four and eight people. It is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

"I like the Dunya restaurant because the food is authentic Afghan food."

HENNA AYUB senior Pictured dish: Qaubill Palau Price: $13.95

Class of 2015 Bulletin To-do list: May Edition 4th Quarter interims distributed in 9 days Prom is 24 days away!!

Senior Maddy Cook goes for the ground ball to help the Atoms gain possession in her final high school season.

Senior Award Ceremony on June 4 @ 7 p.m. in the auditorium

35 days until graduation 10 Red Days 11 White Days