Issue 2

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017 Vol. 63 Issue #2 Annandale High School’s

THE A BLAST 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 www.thea-blast.org

“IMPROVING STEADILY” Field Hockey prepares for their games.

SPORTS 17

Informing the Atoms since 1954

Fundraising rules changed

DREAMERS FEAR FOR THEIR FUTURE

As Trump begins to dismantle DACA, students are unsure of their options

Improv night held tomorrow BYASEAL SAED Co-Editor in Chief A night of improve comedy: the Improv team, Atomic ConFusion will be hosting hosting a free night of comedic acting on Sept. 27 in the theater room from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m..

The Atomic Confusion is a competitive team of improvisational acting. It is in its second year of existence and already one of the top teams in the area. The group recently had their initial auditions for the team, so everyone who made it will be performing.

“We work on the major rules of improv: relationships, objectice, and Who/What/When/Where/Why.” Some of the improv games that will be played are Space Jump, Styles, and Fairy Tale in a Minute.

The actors will have no idea what they are performing until they are on stage.

“I am excited for people to come up and try Improv for themselves,” junior Dalsimer said. “I hope some people find out how fun it is.”

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services lays out the rules to be considered for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). a certain group of undocumented immigrants. It offered legal status for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States by their parents at a young age.

In tweets, a week following his decision, the President offered a more comforting tone to DACA recipients by saying “Does anybody really want to throw out good, educated and accomplished young people who have jobs, some serving in the military? Really!” and “They have been in our country for many years through no fault of their own - brought in by parents at young age.”

“When I first heard that Trump had ended DACA I immediately broke down into tears,” Nancy said. “All my plans for the future had just disappeared as if I was sailing into the ocean and a storm wiped out my boat.”

Nancy, who is originally from Bolivia, knows only the United States as her home. She was brought to the U.S. when she was only a year old. At school, she is a well rounded student and is involved in multiple varsity sports and clubs. Nancy also takes multiple IB classes, enlisting herself in some of the most challenging and rigorous classes

AHS has to offer.

However, this was not always the case. Nancy, like many other DREAMers, did not find out that she was undocumented until she was 15 years old. “I kept asking my parents to go get my driving permit, but they kept making excuses about it,” Nancy said. “Finally, they pulled out a folder with ‘DACA’ written in black sharpie.”

Unaware that she was undocumented, she didn’t see the value in obtaining high grades in school. During her freshman and sophomore year, Nancy earned poor grades, resulting in a drop in her overall grade point average.

“I didn’t apply myself that much into school,” Nancy said. “Now knowing that I am undocumented and that I would have a harder chance of getting into college, I would have definitely tried much harder [in school].”

Nancy has seen the struggles that her family had experienced without the support of DACA and wants to become the changing factor in this legacy.

Her parents were absent for portions of her childhood. They always told her that they had to work and couldn’t attend any of her school events. This

Students pose before this year’s tag day which is an annual event where band students go door-to-door to raise money for the band program.

Leadership prepares for Homecoming Students excited for Neverland theme

BY ASEAL SAED Co-Editor in Chief Togas, pep rallies, flick on the field: Homecoming week is coming up soon which also means the dance is right around the corner.

“I am pretty excited for the dance,” senior Megan Lee said. “As a senior, I want to make sure we enjoy our last Homecoming.”

The theme of the dance is “Neverland.” According to Leadership President Rebecca Kindling, the theme came from, “five choices that we were considering and chose it based on how much we could do with the theme.”

Homecoming dance ticket sales began on Sept. 18 and will end on Oct. 6. The price for the tickets are now $20 for the second week.

This year for the first time, tickets are being sold online for $15 instead of $20 in school.

Tickets are $20 to make back the money being spent on decorations.

It is expected that 700 to 750 kids will be in attendance of the dance, and possibly even more for this year.

“We really want to encourage school spirit this year and Homecoming is great place to have all students come together,” Kindling said.

Leadership has been working everyday and during W-4 to make the decorations for every wall and to make the decorations look really nice.

“We have worked really hard on all types of decorations, so I know that the night will be amazing,” Kindling said.

For the decorations, the gym will be partially decorated. An entire wall will be dedicated to captain hook and his ship with a waterfall and the lost boys.

They are holding back on the rest of the details to allow students to be surpised and wondered by beautiful and creative designs.

“I really enjoyed the decorations last year which made the dance more fun,” Lee said. “It really made the experience so much better.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MEGAN LEE

Walking into school, senior Nancy (her real name withheld for privacy) feels the invisible eyes on her. During class, she is shaken up by every knock on the door and every phone call that comes in, afraid that someone might send her to the office for questioning.

Her paranoia heightens from class to class; avoiding eye contact with whomever she feels might somehow know of her immigration status. Nancy, along with 800,000 other people, and dozens of AHS students, are DREAMers protected under DACA. DREAMers are the name given to those protected under DACA, or the Deferred Action of for Childhood Arrivals. The name derives from the DREAM Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors), proposed to Congress in 2001.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced the end to this protection in a statement,and later, in a briefing by Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Justice Department.

While on the campaign trail last year, Trump had been vocal about ending DACA. He had vowed to completely dismantle the program once he took.

President Trump finalized his decision after receiving a letter from 10 Republican attorneys general threatening to begin a lawsuit against DACA if a decision was not made by Sept 5.

DACA will now be completely phased out within the next six months.

DACA itself is a policy established and enacted in 2012 by the Obama administration that provides relief for

USCIS.GOV

BY BINQI CHEN Co-Editor in Chief

ultimately caused tension within the family.

Unbeknown to Nancy, both of her parents had picked up two additional jobs. They were constantly commuting between work and home, trying to provide the most for Nancy and her three other sisters. Her siblings, who are also undocumented, were participating in programs at the time dedicated to helping undocumented immigrants.

Nancy was initially overwhelmed by confusion and frustration as to why her parents told her about her DACA status so late. She felt as she was tangled up and living what she called a “double life.” This news came as the missing link that connected previous unclear parts of her life together.

Before its retraction, DACA was eligible to 1.1 million people in the United States. However, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration services, this executive action protected 788,000 immigrants out of the 11 million undocumented persons in America.

Those granted permission to stay in the United States had to renew their enrollment in the program every two years. Most DACA recipients arrive from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

There were also several thousand recipients of Asian descent.

The program gives immigrants a chance to come out of the shadows and obtain their driver’s licenses and other credentials. However, contrary to popular belief, DACA does not grant its recipients a pathway to citizenship.

DACA also does not permit students to apply for financial aid when going to college. Nancy’s older sisters were offered partial scholarships to attend in-state universities.

However, even with the financial help, they still could not afford the demanding tuition.

“They didn’t end up going to the schools they wanted to go to and pursue the dream they wanted to,” Nancy said. “It took a lot of time, but now with DACA, they were able to become professionals.”

Under DACA, undocumented immigrants who arrived in United States cont. page 4

Under the new fundraising regulations, students will now not be required to fundraise as part of their grade.

In early September, FCPS released a new and updated fundraising regulations for the new year.

One popular form of fundraising that has been affected is door-to-door solicitation by students.

AHS, like other high schools, uses tag day for for band students to dress in full marching band attire and go doorto-door asking for donations from the loca community. The new rules no dictate that all students must sign forms to allow them to participate.

With these new adjustments, it is hoped that fundraising will benefit students more fairly. The funds will benefit benefit everyone equally to an entire student body or a specific group.

As part of this movement, more specific details are required by the requestor in order to make sure thatthe funds collected are opened more equally to all.

Schools must also make “every effort” to utilize funds raised for the purposes they were collected and where possible use the majority of funds collected during the school year when the funds were raised.

Before activity begins, a budget must be perpared by showing the anticipated revenue and assocaited expenses. Along with a brief narrative describing the overall fundraising goal. By reviewing the school activity calendar, in advance conflicts must be avoided ahead of time.

Along with this, a fundrasing Notification and Approval Request form and Fundriarer Budget Sheet for principal review and approval.

The new rules also stress to get approval from the principal before the start of the activity.

An important message from the rules is that all funds collected during school sponsored fundraising must be recorded and deposited in a school activity fund account.

All services that are provided from an outside source must be signed to a tight contract and any contracts that exceed $5000 must be subject to compeptive procedures and additional administrative review. All contracts must follow purchasing regulations and guidlines.

Also, the acticity should not require students to solicit funds via telephone, social media, or email.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KHADIJA AHMED

ASEAL SAED

BY ASEAL SAED Co-Editor in Chief

Good friends enjoy dinner before dance Seniors (right to left) Megan Lee, McKenzie Yi, Jessica Roop, Melissa WIlson, and Allen Kokilananda pose for a picture before last year’s homecoming dance.

2 EDITORIALS

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

U.S. ARCHIVES

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Affirmative action has a long history, as far back as the Reconstruction Era. Above is a picture of people from the Civil Rights Movement in 1963, marching in Washington, D.C. for equal rights amongst the races.

Should race be a factor in applications?

BY SUAD MOHAMED Editorials Editor As students begin to apply for colleges and jobs, they may hear of something called affirmative action.

So what exactly is affirmative action?

Affirmative action can best be defined as a system that allows for minorities to have a certain advantage when it comes to applying for jobs and college.

Most of the legislation associated with affirmative action apply to people of color and women.

Some were written to aid people who are disabled, those with low income and other categories that are deemed appropriate.

It is an attempt to address the discrimination that minorities face, by giving them an upper hand. It is also vital in order to make sure that institutions have a diverse population.

The basic ideas behind affirmative action were first thought of during the Reconstruction Era because many former slaves did not have the skills to live

a sustainable life.

Fighting against discrimination led to the Fourteenth Amendment, which addresses equality amongst races, being passed.

The idea was brought up again during the Civil Rights movement.

Eventually, President John F. Kennedy passed an executive order in 1961 that called for employers to not judge based on “race, creed, color, or national origin.”

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson passed his own executive order which called for an end to employers discriminating based on “race, skin color, religion, gender, or national origin.”

The order also said that employers should seek to hire more racial minorities and women.

Since then, more legislation has been passed, like the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and business and colleges have developed processes in order to eliminate discrimination.

In recent years, this has included universities putting racial quotas on students.

This means that each year, a certain amount of students who are not white must be accepted.

This has caused a lot of backlash, with some saying that it is reverse discrimination. Many people argue that it defies people’s expectations of equality.

They also claim that favoring minorities will not help in reversing the damage of discrimination, but instead will create new issues.

“It is a ridiculous concept. I feel like it’s unfair to choose someone based on something other than skill,” junior Josh Boynton stated. “If it were white people who were given a leg up, then there would be an outrage against it. The policies would definitely be deemed racist.”

Opponents also contend that accepting applicants based on factors like race and gender rather than skills decreases the quality of the institution, as they are not as qualified to do the work.

“If a white person has a better GPA and skills, then they should get the opening at a college or job. If a black person has a better GPA and skills, then it

should be them who gets the position,” Boynton said.

Proponents of affirmative action say that it helps balance out the discrimination that racial minorities and women faced in the past, and to this day.

They also maintain that affirmative actions hold employers and universities accountable when it comes to needed diversity.

“Affirmative action has been extremely effective at helping minorities,” sophomore Karla Mercado-Dorado said. “Seeing as how discrimination against racial minorities will probably always be a thing in this country, the continued presence of affirmative action would help to at least balance things out.”

Affirmative is such a heated topic, that cases having to do with it have been brought in front of the Supreme Court repeatedly.

Most recently is Fisher v. University of Texas (2016), in which two white females argued that the university had rejected their applications due to their race.

The Supreme Court voted in favor of the university, saying that it had the right to use race as a factor when considering which applicants to accept, as long as it is for a beneficial reason.

But the Supreme Court has made decisions against affirmative action, too.

One example is Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action (2014).

The case did not result a majority vote, but Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote a plurality opinion stating that state’s are allowed to ban affirmative action, and it does not defy the Constitution.

Since that ruling, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington - a total of nine states - have put some sort of ban on affirmative action.

Regardless, it does not seem like there is a nation wide restriction coming soon. Race is still used as a tipping point when dealing with college applications.

“I really hope that President Trump does not remove affirmative action,” Mercado-Dorado said. “Because then some people will not have a chance.”

Students struggle to balance academy classes

BY MARYAM DEREJE & GALILEA SEJAS Arts Editors Going to school may be hard enough as it is, but going to yet another school during the day? It may be more complicated than it seems.

Many students this year, 97 to be exact, are going to different academy classes, such as animal science at Edison, fashion at Fairfax, criminal justice at Falls Church, physical therapy at West Potomac, JROTC at Chantilly, nursing at a college institute and STEM robotics at Marshall.

These are only a couple of classes that are offered at different locations, so that students can get a glimpse of what their potential future career requires.

These classes are getting people more involved in their community and thinking about the future.

Academy classes also give students an opportunity to gain a leg up in college admissions, since they would already have some knowledge before getting into college.

Junior Ioana Marin is very happy with her professional musical theatre class. “The class helps me with my college auditions and dance and vocal classes. It’s an amazing start for someone who is serious about being in show business,” Marin said.

There are also a JROTC class.

Attendees include senior Gabby White and junior Adam Tran, who both have an interest in joining the military or Air Force. White already enlisted in the Air Force, so attending this class has benefited her greatly.

“I really enjoy the class, and I feel like it’s helping me prepare for what’s coming later,” White said.

But along with the benefits of taking these classes, there are a few significant downsides.

There is often difficulties in getting to and from the supplementary classes. Bus drivers are constantly changing, leading to delayed arrivals and departures.

The delays are usually no more than

MANAGING EDITOR Grace Hogye NEWS EDITOR Diego Feliciano EDITORIALS EDITORS Ruth Mekonnen Suad Mohamed COPY EDITOR Yvonne White IN-DEPTH EDITORS Casey Nguyen Kim Vaides SPORTS EDITORS Fares Ayoub Luke Elkins SPORTS XTRA EDITORS Jude Nanaw Ethan Zimmerman WEEKEND EDITORS Cameron Foti Halley Thadeus

ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Lina Al-Taii Nicolle Uria Christian Reyes LIFESTYLES EDITORS Yabi Bereket Ivanna Perez PEOPLE EDITOR Henry Hoang ARTS EDITORS Maryam Dereje Galilea Sejas HEALTH EDITORS Rachel Shogren PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Serene Ghul Katie Pope ACADEMICS EDITORS Jessica Salisbury Kavi Shamdin WEB EDITOR/MASTER Victor Nguyen AD MANAGER Ryan Gammon

Most students start off their school day by catching a bus. The problem? School buses this year have become more packed than ever.

Usually, some people are able to sit alone for the ride, while a few have to sit next to one other person. This year, most seats are being filled by three people.

Transportation director Tom Italiano has said that the county is going through a shortage of about 100 bus drivers.

Crowded seats create safety concerns. If seats are holding more than two people, then some people are in the bus’ aisle. If the bus makes a sudden stop or turn, those students are at risk of getting injured.

Besides safety issues, the sky-high amount of people riding one bus also creates discomfort amongst the student body.

“I feel so uncomfortable and smothered,” sophomore Idil Hilowle said. “A lot of the times we have to sit three to a seat. It feels like I can’t breathe.”

A significant amount of students are so irritated by how filled buses are, that they have sought out other ways to get to school.

“One of my friends doesn’t even bother with the bus anymore,” freshman Ladan Abdi said. “She just has her parents drop her off.”

A large amount of students on buses also create stress for bus drivers. It’s difficult to be aware of what 40+ kids are doing while keeping your eyes on the road.

The noise that this amount of kids make also makes it harder for the bus driver to focus his or her eyes on the road.

“I feel so uncomfortable and smothered. It feels like I can’t breathe.” sophomore

The afternoon academy students at Fairfax High School during Kick Off ten minutes, but as the saying goes, every second counts. Those few minutes can cause problems for academy students as they have only two class periods to get to and attend their class at the second school, come back, and get to their classes here on time.

Arriving late means missing crucial information in class, which makes it hard to succeed.

“I always miss the first couple minutes of my W8 class,” Marin said. “I also don’t have much time for lunch; I have to eat ahead of time, during W4.”

Marin isn’t the only academy student whose time for lunch is cut short. A majority of academy students miss part of lunch because of limited time. Some students don’t have lunch at all.

“I heard fashion students don’t have a lunch period here or at Fairfax,” sophomore Safia Ahmed said. “They have to eat lunch on the bus and in between classes.”

Even though there are complications, students seem to really enjoy their classes. Hopefully, the issues will be sorted out.

THE A BLAST STAFF CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF Binqi Chen Aseal Saed

BY SUAD MOHAMED Editorials Editor

--IDIL HILOWLE

FAIRFAX HIGH

Supplementary classes are causing time issues

School buses are getting more crowded

CIRCULATION MANAGER Ryan Gammon SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Lennon Wuhrer STAFF WRITERS Mustafa Abbas Khadija Ahmed Aformia Assefa Jamie Baker Alexander Burita Shyeim Campbell Jacqueline Claros Lopez Mya Clyburn Maryam Dereje Noe Gonzalez Jamileh Hamadeh Abraham Kebrom Mahdi Larhmari Elias Moura Arzoo Marzi Tiana Reams Erik Rivas-Martinez Jason Reyes Hasan Royer Uriel Sejas

Follow The A-Blast

Sometimes, drivers are even put in the difficult situation of having to leave students behind due to a lack of enough space for them.

“Once, the bus driver couldn’t stop at one stop, because there wasn’t any space for them to sit,” Hilowle said.

Changing bus routes is one of the solutions that FCPS has come up with. The office for transportation is also advertising the need for bus drivers heavily.

Getting new bus drivers would not only help crowding, but would also shorten bus routes and decrease the time each route takes.

“Hopefully, new bus drivers will be hired, and the situation will be fixed soon,” Abdi said.

Monthly Poll Look out for the next poll @theablast on Twitter to vote for the next issue!

Annandale High School Vol 63. Issue No. 1 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 222003 The A-Blast is an awardwinning 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 theablast2017@ gmail.com or submitted to room 262 or mailed to the school. The A-Blast reserves the right to refuse advertisements.

All submissoins become property of The A-Blast, Copyright, 2017.

66

people voted

38% said social studies

EYOB MENGISTU senior I like Advanced Composition because I love helping people.

30% like English 18% favor math 14% picked science

ZAIN GHUL junior My favorite class is IB Bio because my teacher makes the class fun, and my friends are in the class.

EDITORIALS 3

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

Don’t fall for this iPhone X scam Is the product worth the price?

BY ALEX BURITA Staff Writer When Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak first started Apple out of their own garage, they probably never dreamed that they would be changing technology for the better.

Fast forward ten years later, Apple has grown to become a company who has one of the highest selling smartphones and a ranking of number one most profitable company in the world.

For its ten year anniversary, Apple is releasing several new phones including the iPhone 8 and a futuristic iPhone X. Many fans were excited when hearing about this release until they found out the price.

The pricing starts at $999 for the iPhone X with a 64GB storage plan.

On the other hand it starts at a merely $699 for the iPhone 8 and $799 for the iPhone 8 plus.

Some of the new iPhone features includes being able to swipe your finger from the bottom of the screen no matter what application you are on.

In addition, the glass on this new phone is more durable than ever and it is very difficult to shatter which is a major improvement considering how fragile iPhone’s are.

Apple is also changing the security on the phone. Now, consumers are able to unlock the iphone and get into certain applications like online bank accounts

and ApplePay through a face recognition.

This has raised concern from many critics who believe that hackers can get in with a picture.

Also, is it really necessary to change the security for the iPhone?

Last year, FBI agents were unable to hack into an iPhone because they couldn’t break through the six-digit code.

“I do not think the new iPhone is worth the price that it is because there isn’t much that makes it different from the old models.”

--JEREMY FERNANDEZ

sophomore The camera and the quality of the pictures have also been changed. Apple has announced that there will be built in studio-quality lighting.

In addition, when you take a picture with the iPhone X, the camera can mirror your expression and convert it into emojis.

The camera adapts to your face over

Apple announced on Sept. 12 that they will be coming out with the iPhone X for their 10th anniversary.

The iPhone will come out on Oct. 27th.

time so that you are not locked out of the phone when you get a haircut for example.

However, the most extraordinary improvement is the wireless charger.

When you buy the phone, it comes with a mat where you set your phone down on it and it charges.

All of these new features seem great, but many are not convinced that the extra $300 is worth the only minor improvements between them.

While the iPhone 8 does not get as much attention, it still a major step up from the iPhone 7 and is very similar to the iPhone X. The iPhone 8 is smaller, the screen does not cover the entire front face, there is no Face ID and its screen does not adapt as well.

I think that the iPhone 8 would be the better decision because of the better value for the many similarities it has with the great, new iPhone X. You can also buy the iPhone 8 and get it right now rather than waiting for two full aggravating months to spend a fortune.

If you have the money for the iPhone 8, you should get it as soon as possible because demand for it is expected to rise with crowds of people who don’t want to pay $1,000 for a smartphone.

If you are due for an upgrade, I would highly recommend buying an iPhone from this generation rather than any other since more has been added to it than ever.

Honor societies lead to success We often associate honor societies with college. Most people have the mindset that if they join an honor society, they have immediate access into colleges. But how much of that is true?

National Honor Societies differ from most other high school clubs.

There are a variety of different National Honor Societies available to students, such as the Math, Science, English, Social Studies and even Theater National Honor Societies.

Although the application process for National Honor Societies is more rigorous than it is for regular clubs, I think joining an honor society is worth the process. The fact that everyone cannot just join an honor society makes the club more significant to academic achievements and morality. Being in an honor society can reveal great character and emphasize morality.

That’s another line to add on college applications.

Another reason to join the club is all the opportunities that come with it. Most honor societies will already have planned, organized community service opportunities.

ANTENNA YEARBOOK

BY KATIE POPE Photo Editor

Members of the first National Honor Society in 1957. Some activities that they began are College Nights where juniors and seniors talk to representatives from many colleges. They would also offer scholarships to their members by raising money through bake sales.

“Being a participant in a National Honor Society benefits students in the way that they get to serve the school community and also serve the community at large,” social studies NHS sponsor Steven Zaret said.

Students simply need to sign up and show up to gain school required community service hours. Take advantage of the events offered through National Honor Societies because it’s a great approach to becoming involved with a school and neighborhood community.

A few things just the Social

Studies Honor Society does within the school includes making announcements for Black History Month, creating videos for Women’s History Month, and updating the Social Studies Display case. “This year, we will be bigger and better!” Zaret said.

As for the Math National Honor Society, it competes in competitions approximately every month, also known as math meets.

“I participate in math meets because I think it’s a great way of improving my math skills,

MAKIN’ THE GRADE Blogger shuts down body shamer

A B

as it [math] can be challenging sometimes. The math meets challenge me which helps to improve my overall intelligence,” said junior Michael Woldeab.

Competing in friendly, but challenging competitions can enhance one’s intellectual abilities as well as social abilities and is another great experience that can be included on college applications, as well as job resumes.

Even though there is a lot of responsibility that comes with being a part of an honor

societiy, a lot of responsibility also falls on the sponsor. Currently, the National Honor Society is looking for a sponsor.

All clubs need students to fill leadership positions where they can learn organizational skills, social skills, leadership skills, confidence, and more. Clubs are also a great way to meet new people and make friends who have similar interests.

Participation and involvement in an honor society can greatly increase the chances of obtaining a job at a young age.

Doors may open and students gain useful connections which may help for future references and job opportunities.

Additionally, being a senior in a National Honor Society can qualify a student as eligible to apply for a scholarship.

The scholarships can range from $2,300 to $22,000 or even more. Just look up ‘National Honor Society scholarships’ and a galore of possible scholarship links will appear.

Most importantly, committing to a National Honor Society motivates students to achieve and maintain good grades throughout the year. It gives them encouragement to try their best in school, help out the community, and be an over all honest and good person.

Do you think the new iPhone X is worth the price that it is being sold?

AKLESIYA ABEBE junior No, absolutely not because Apple barely fixed anything important like facetiming more than one person not to mention the earphone jack and everything is still the same. The navigation, the apps, the system is also still the same. I also think that the face system won’t do much for security.

JIHUN KIM senior Yeah, it is worth the price because it has all the latest iPhone features and now it is more compatible.

The price is always going to get larger and larger as new phones come out because they are incorporating new technologies into it. Based on the new features it has, I think that Apple has given it a reasonable price.

Cartoonist Corner

Leyton Mokgerepi posted a versus meme on Twitter that was met with a lot of controversy. The meme showed a model as girls he likes and plus size blogger Lesego Legobone as girls that like him implying that she is not beautiful.

Legobone clapped back at Mokegerepi by tweeting out that she in fact does not like him. This is yet another step to ending body shamers.

New W4 classes for IB diploma candidates This year, the administration decided to put IB diploma candidates in the same class for W4. Although many candidates were upset about leaving their friends they made in their old classes, these new classes have many benefits.

One major benefit is that news wil now be able to reach everyone at the same time. In addition, being in the same classes enables the candidates to collaborate much easier.

Crowding in the hallways

Teachers putting grades in late Grades, we love them but we hate them. We want them to be good but they mostly turn out bad. I know I always have to say a little prayer before checking them. But how can we check them if we are unable to see them? Although it is understandable that teachers have a lot of work to do and their job is way more than just putting in grades, ever since SIS was introduced to us about 2 years ago, this has become an issue. Please teachers, make sure to put in grades earlier.

ERNEST OWEN

D F

Public service announcement! Stop overcrowding the hallways. Although there isn’t much that we can do about the fact that our school is huge, let’s take into consideration that students don’t want to be late for class. Some simple advice, walk on the right side of the stairway, don’t have a conversation with your friends in the middle of the hallway and teachers, let students in your classrooms as soon as the bell rings.

4 NOTICIAS DESTACADAS

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

El Español se convierte en el lenguaje mas hablado a AHS POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de Noticias La poblacion hispana y el lenguaje español empezo a crecer de una manera significativa con el paso de los años y la informacion de que el porcentaje de estudiantes hispanos bajo muestra que sta nueva generacion esta lista para las pruebas de la vida.

El departamento de educación publicó que desde el año 2000 a 2015 el porcentaje de estudiantes saliendose de High School bajo de 27.8% a 9.2%, en adición la majoría de los estudiantes que estan aprendiendo ingles son fluidos en español representando 77.1%..

Esto es un numero significatívo considerando que 9.4% o 4.6 millones de estudiantes estan aprendiendo ingles pero al saber esta informacion ¿como las escuelas reaccionan a esto, ellos ayudan a sus estudiantes o solo lo dejan a los profesores de ESOl? En relacion a nuestra escuela nosotros vemos que es muy diversa y en respuesta a eso el condado de FCPS decidio abrir lineas telefonicas en distintos idiomas como Chino, Koreano, Àrabe, español y otros. Por este medio los padres podran enterarse de lo que está ocurriendo en la escuela, como su hijo esta progresando y para saber acerca de los eventos de la escuela. Gracias

a la administración de el Director Tim Thomas y su conocimiento en español, el promovió el español y ayudó a padres que no son fluidos en el Ingles al conseguir traductores para los eventos de la escuela. Ademas el director esta dando

los anuncios en español para ayudar a nuestros estudiantes que estan en el proceso de aprendizaje de ingles, de esta manera ellos tambien estan al tanto de lo que esta pasando en la escuela.

Decidimos contactar otros High

Schools para ver si ellos siguen un formato similar pero solamente recibimos una respuesta de Ann Bonitatibus, la directora de Thomas Jefferson High School, ella nos comento que la escuela no promueve o incentiva a los

estudiantes con el español o otro lenguaje, otra informacion que nos mencionó es que la comunidad hispana es pequena en su high school pero ella apoya la idea acerca de el estudio de una lengua estranjera es importante para convertirse en un ciudadano global.

Para que las escuelas puedan promover programas de ayuda, depende mucho de la comunidad y la cantidad de estudiantes.Por ejemplo basado en la informacion dada por edexcelencia. org, los estudiantes de California son 51% Hispanos en el programa k-12, con esta grán población, California promueve programas para ayudar a la comunidad hispana pero en esta informacion podemos resaltar que de 36% de adultos Hispanos solamente 16% obtuvieron un titulo. En otras areas como en Nuevo Mexico, los numeros son mas altos, de los estudiantes K-12, 58% son hispanos pero el porcentaje de estudiantes con un título solo aumento un 3%.

Podemos deducír que la poblacion hispana esta creciendo en bastantes estados pero lo mas crucial es determiner si el verdadero problema es en High School o en la Universidad pero gracias a la ayuda que nuestra escuela esta brindado, muchos de los estudiantes decide seguir su educacion e ir por un titulo.

Cambio de clases para los estudiantes Visítas de universidades durante la escuela POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de Noticias

Annandale ahora esta aceptando estudiantes para convertirse en asistentes de los profesores, “T.A. es una posicion donde los estudiantes primeramente ayudan los profesores o las oficinas de la escuela” dijo el consejero Marcelo Valencia.

El tambien nos comento el proceso para poder tomar este curriculo, “Los estudiantes tiene que llenar un formulario para poder moverse de una clase que generalmente son electívos.

Luego nosotros empezamos a asignar los estudiantes a diferentes oficinas como el de asistencia, servicios para los estudiantes, la oficina principal y despues empezamos a tomar pedidos de estudiantes que quieran ayudar a los profesores”.

Se consultó al consejero Valencia acerca de que piensa en la idea de que los estudiantes se cambian de la clase casi menos de un mes.

El nos comentó que como consejeros nosotros recomendamos los estudiantes se queden en esas clases y den una oportunidad porque ellos tuvieron un largo tiempo para pensar que clases quieren tomar.

Es porque hablamos con los estudiantes para que hagan una decision formal porque puede afectar el numero de profesores que contratamos”.

Cambiar las clases puede ser dificil porque los consejeros tienen que mover otras clases para que el estudiante pueda mantener las mismas clases.

En muchas ocaciones para poder cambiar de clases hay que salirse de otra clase adicional porque no esta disponible en ese periodo.

La misma regla se aplica para clases IB clases, pero el consejero Valencia incentive la idea de que los estudiantes den una oportunidad a la clase.

Si el estudiante decide hacer el debido cambio el/ella tendra que llenar el debido formulario y esperar al administrador a analisar el caso y decidir si el cambio es correcto o no.

Una buena recomendacion es que los estudiantes hable con los profesores primeramente y les expliquen la razon porque quieren cambiar la clasel; esto ayudara a hacer el proceso mas fluido y ayudara a la aprobacion por parte de el administrador.

En general se recomienda a los estudiantes penzar antes de hacer el debido cambio porque esto puede afectar otreas clases.

POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de Noticias

Jennifer Crump-Strawterman es la administradora en cargada de las clases y ella aprobara el debido cambio de clases.

Fechas Importantes

Why is this page translated to Spanish?

6/12/17

1/10/17 Se abrira la aplicacion de FAFSA

Se realizara una noche de informacion de universidades para familias Hispanas

1/1/17

11/11/17

Se realizara una noche de informacion de ayuda financiera (Salon de Lectura)

El centro de carreras esta organizando visitas de colegios durante el mes de septiembre, octubre y noviembre para ayudár a los estudiantes que por razón de tiempo no puede visitor estas universidades, estas visitas les ayudara a obtener información de Universidades que estan fuera del estado y ellos podran hacerle preguntas a los reprecentantes acerca de la vida en la universidadd, las carreras, clubs y otros.

Cada visita durará 30 minutos y tu podras dar tu información para que la Universidad te envie correos y otras fechas importantes.

Ademas tu podras obtener la tarjeta del representante y el te podra guiar en este proceso riguroso.

Para poder attender estas visits, tu tienes que registrarte en “Family Connection” (https://goo.gl/kttFyN) luego selecciona la Universidad que estas interesado y regístrate.

Acuerdate de imprimir esa pagina y muestrale a tu professor para que de

esa manera tu asistencia en la clase no sea afectada.

Ademas estudiantes interesados en attender la feria de universidades “Alcanza” podran atender si llenan la forma indicada en Family connection (https://goo.gl/wmwrUK) , esta es otra oportunidad para aprender mas acerca de universidades que estan mas lejos de Virginia, habran mas de 150 universidades y los representantes te responderan cualquier duda que tengas.

Esta es una oportinidad increible para estudiantes que no puede ir a la Universidad de visita por razones de tiempo y esto impactara su decision acerca de aplicar o no a esa Universidad.

Si tienes alguna pregunta acerca de eventos de universidades futuros habla con Mrs. Roth del Centro de Carreras o reviza en “Family Connection” por su mensaje.

Por este medio Mrs. Roth trambien envia informacion de becas, servicio comunitario y eventos importantes.

Se ayudara a lennar a FASFA (Lab 18 9am-12pm)

This section was created with the aim of broadening our reach as a publication towards the large population of Spanish-speaking students. AHS is the most diverse school in Virginia, with an extensive ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program, and Spanish is the second most spoken language at our school.

As a newspaper, our goal is to inform and entertain the largest possible group of viewers.

Las Noticias Destacadas is a selected translation of a variety of the most pertinent articles in The A-Blast. We hope that through this new section, we can be a more inclusive and diverse publication.

Lo mas importante del noche para los Seniors POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de Noticias La noche para los senior se realizo el dia 19 de septiembre, esta fue una oportunidad maravillosa para aprender mas acerca de el proceso de las universidades, la trancision a la Universidad y como la Universidad comunitaria puede ser una Buena opcion.

La introduccion fue dada por Jennifer Crump-Strawderman, ella anuncio el proceso de este evento “Los padres podran atender dos de los tres eventos disponibles, cada session durara 30 minutos y los padres tendran tiempo para preguntar acerca de dudas que tengan”.

Cuando Mrs. Crump-Strawderman termino la explicacion y los saludos la presidenta del PTSA hablo acerca de la participacion de padres y especialmente la importancia de “All night grad” tanto para padres como estudiantes.

Una vez que la introduccion termino los padres pudieron elegir la session qeu querian empezar, muchos de los padres decidieron ir a la session de el proceso de aplicacion por las consejeras Rebecca Lockard, Cheryl Kim y la encargada de el centro de carreras, Robin Roth.

En esta session las presentadoras hablaron acerca de el proceso de applicacion, ellas hablaron acerca de la idea de que los estudiantes tienen que tenere en promedio seis escuelas en mente y ellos tenen que dividirlos en tres: universidades seguras, universidades en medio, y universidades que tienen

requerimientos mas altos de los que tu ofreces.

Un buen consejo de ellas es de no poner todas tus universidades en una seccion, en cambio uno tiene que dividirlo dependiendo en la cantidad que quiere aplicar.

El Segundo Punto que se hablo es la introduccion de una nueva forma por el condade que require el concentimiento de los estudiantes para dar sus records.

Cada estudiante ahora tiene que

“Los padres podran atender dos de los tres eventos disponibles, cada session durara 30 minutos y los padres tendran tiempo para preguntar acerca de dudas que tengan.”

--JENNIFER CRUMP-STRAWDERMAN

La administradora en cargada

firmar esta forma una vez para poder enviar sus records tanto como a universidads o para becas.

Los primeros 3 seran gratis, despues de eso los estudiantes tendran que pagar 5 dolares por cada envio.

Lo mas importante es por parte de los estudiantes de saber la fecha limite para poder enviar tus aplicaciones, lo requerido ahora es llenar esta forma 3

semanas antes de la fecha limte para que la escuela pueda asegurarse que llegara a tiempo.

La otra informacion a considerer es que tienes que preguntar a tus profesores o consejeros por una carta de recomendacion en avanze para que tengan tiempo suficiente para escribir.

Lo mas recomendable es que les des una lista con las actividades que hiciste durante tus tres anos en la escuela para que puedar escribir acerca de ti.

Lo mismos e aplica a las consejeras pero ellas estan dispuestas a recibir informacion por parte de los padres como ayuda para poder escribir la carta.

El tercer punto recalcado son als visitas de universidades y las entrevistas de los seniors, las dos consejeras hablaron hacerca de las visitas de las universidades que Mrs. Roth puso el enpeno para poder traer 65 universidades y llevar a lso estudiantes que estan interesados a una feria de universidades.

Si los estudiantes ya tienen en mente una Universidad y decidieron aplicar temprano los estudiantes tendran que hacer una entrevista con su consejera para saber como les esta yendo y para ver si necesitan ayuda.

Cunado la session termino, los padres pudieron ir a la siguiente session de su eleccion.

Algunos padres fueron a la session para saber como aplicar a la Universidad donde la persona encargada de hablar es una directora de admission de Mcdaniel university, Mrs. Betsy Cotton; ella explico acerca de el punto de vista de un director de admission y

Estudiante Lina Osman (12) comentó:El precio para atender las universidades es muy alto, por esta razon voya aplicar por ayuda financiera. Tambien, Estoy tartando de tener el habito de hacer mi tarea antes,eficientemente tomar notas durante las clases para no estar retrasada y alistarme para la universidad su consejor para cualquier estudiante aplicacion. que esta aplicando.

El punto general de este evenElla menciono que el rendimiento to es de resaltar la importancia de el esolar es importante como las activi- plazo de las universidades y que los dades fuera de la escuela pero lo mas estudiantes tienen que enfocarso en importante es el ensayo de el estudi- sus aplicaciones pero a la misma vez ante escpecialmente de que no tiene no estresarse cone sto y en vez estar que tener errores ortograficos. felices y orgullosos por el trabajo que Ella tambien menciono hacerca de estan hacienda para obtener un nivel la importancia de notificar a tu direc- de educacion alto y lo mas importante tior de admission acreca de algun cam- es que hay ayuda disponible para bio o retraso en tus resultados del todos los estudiantes SAT o otro factor que pueda alterar tu

NEWS 5

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

Taste of Annandale: a day of festivities to celebrate diversity

News Briefs Homecoming Dance The Homecoming dance will be on Oct. 7 at 8 p.m.. The theme of the dance is Neverland. Tickets are being sold until Sept. 25 at all lunches for $20.

BY ASEAL SAED Co-Editor in Chief

PowderPuff Game The annual PowderPuff game will be played on Oct. 4 of Homecoming Week.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIE ASHFORD

Live music and dance, children’s programming, and a chili cook-off, are only some of the biggest attractions of the event.

Every year, since 2015, the Annandale community has come together for the Taste of Annandale Festival. The event is back for another year on Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tom Davis Drive.

The free festival, organized by local community leaders in Annandale, aims to offer visitors a variety of food, entertainment, and music to highlight and celebrate the diversity of Annandale.

“We want to bring the community together to celebrate how great the diversity of Annandale is,” editor of tje Annandale Blog and Taste of Annandale board member Elie Ashford said.

It is hoped that engagement in the community increases as well as more attraction for the local restaurants and businesses who will be present.

A lot of major members of the community are invitited to the event including Chairwoman Sharon Bulova, Supervisor Penelope Gross and Congressman Gerry Connolly.

A variety of groups from the AHS community will be there as well including principal Tim Thomas aand the AHS Culinary Arts Department.

“We would love to have the

Dancers from the CentroPeru dance group dance for their performance at last year’s Taste of Annandale festival.

Annandale community involved especialy for the 5K,” Ashford said.

A variety of entertainment groups will be in attendence including Moncara in Flight which offers an aerial performance; Alice Gu-Zheng Ensemble which performs Chinese zither music, a Han Couture Fashion Show presented by the Chinese Culture Institute.

Food vendors like Baja Bistro, Peruvian Brothers, Honey Pig, and several more will be in attendance.

With the variety of activities offered for the festival, the organizers are looking for student volunteers, who will be

given community service hours for their work.

This will be the third Taste of Annandale, which has grown in support from the previous 2015 and 2016 events.

The idea for the Taste of Annandale evolved from the “Dialogues on Diversity,” a series of community forums at Annandale High School in 2010 and 2011 which sought to promote communication among long-time Annandale residents and newcomers from other countries.

In 2012, a group of Annandale stakeholders, including representatives from

the police, business community and local organizations, decided to keep the conversation going through an informal group called the Annandale Roundtable.

They decided to focus on a youth initiative that would be developed and implemented by students at Annandale High School and agreed to host a community festival, the Taste of Annandale, in 2015, to raise funds for it.

“All of the entertainment and food we offer is a great opportunity for the community to try new restaurants and open themselves to new diversity,” Ashford said.

DigPink Game Girls Varsity volleyball team will be having their DigPink game on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.. All proceeds of the event will go toward Breast Cancer Awareness.

Taste of Annandale The Taste of Annandale festival will be on Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tom Davis Drive. The free event will include live music and dance, a 5K run, booths for local restaurants and much more.

PSAT Day All underclassmen will be testing on Oct. 11 and will leave early at 11. Seniors are not required to come into school that day.

Tailgate Different clubs and organizations will gather on Oct. 6 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. right after school.

Food and entertainment will be provided by different clubs and organizatiosns.

Students practice for PowderPuff game

BY ASEAL SAED Co-Editor in Chief As part of fall festivities, the annual Powderpuff game appraoches for students on Oct. 4. The annually-held game organized by the Leadership classs comes higly anticipated as part of homecoming week festivities.

For the fourth consecutive year, all classes will be able to participate, not just upper classmen. Each class usually has their own team and set of chearleaders and coaches.

Although powderpuff may be a played by girls, guys also have an opportunity to participate by either coaching or cheerleading.

However, the freshman this year did not have enough participants who wanted to sign up, so only sophomores, juniors, and seniors will be playing.

The teams are made up of all girls, cheerleaders made up of all boys, and coaches who are usually boys as well.

Positions for the teams came at a first come first serve basis, and the same went for coaches and cheerleaders.

“There’s a lot to learn in a short amount of time,” senior coach Allen Kokilananda said. “But the other coaches and I are giving our best effort for a chance to win this year’s championship.”

Powderpuff also gives students a

ASEAL SAED

Class of 2018 works hard to continue winning legacy

Students gather to take the first step to revitalize the courtyard

Senior Rosa Acevedo catches a snap from senior Emely Castillo during a class of 2018 Powderpuff practice. chance to meet and play with students that they may not otherwise talk to.

“I feel like we have a lot of potential to do well because we have a lot of speed on our team,” sophomore Jane Kim said.

Each team meets and practices to prepare for the game day tournemant where the competition will be tough.

“We have been working on our defense because we weren’t very good at it last year,” junior player Kassie Peralta said. “For our offensive, we’re working on running routes.”

Last year, the class of 2018 won the

game, defeating the other classes, even the seniors. The seniors this year hope to continue their winning streak.

However, their past loss won’t deter the other classes from practicing to the point of winning.

“I am excited to play because we have a great team and I think our plays will work against the sophomores,” Peralta said. “The seniors may be a challenge because they won, but we have a good chance at winning.”

Students to participate in International Walk to School Day

BY BINQI CHEN Co-Editor in Chief In an effort to promote physical movement and health, numerous elementary and middle schools in Fairfax County will be participating in International Walk to School Day on October 4.

In FCPS, it will be under the name of Safe Route to School Day (SRTS). Not only will the event be promoting health, it is conducted in an effort to reduce traffic congestion and pollution near the schools.

This effort is not exclusive to students though. Parents and faculty are welcomed to participate as well. Parents

are encouraged to accompany their children to class.

This is to ensure safety while walking to school. Previously, parents have worked with their respective schools and their Parent Teacher Associations to correctly assemble and organize bike trains. Walking groups will also be planned. In many of the participating schools, there are staff members from each school on the sidewalks to guide students inside.

Safe Routes To School was established to improve the health and wellbeing of children by enabling and encouraging them to walk and bike to school.

SRTS was originally started as a federally funded program across the country.

In Virginia, the event is under a

Elementary schools all Fairfax are encouraged to walk for the annual event.

grant program administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Now it is an active movement in schools in every state in America.

So far, over 40 elementary schools and two middle school in FCPS have signed up to join.

Trump to dismantle DACA in the coming months CONT. DACA DISMANTLED before the age of 16 by their parents, were able to obtain a temporary reprieve from deportation. With this reprieve, these young people agreed to either work and contribute to society, join the armed services, or to continue furthering their education.

Nancy’s sisters did just that, and she hopes to follow in their footsteps.

“DACA has helped me with almost everything in the past two years because since then I have gotten my license and a worker’s permit,” Nancy said. “I was also able to apply for scholarships now entering my senior year.”

As of now, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will continue to process all new applications they have received before Sept. 5.

The federal government will also not revoke any existing deferred action. Trump has also said that he has advised law enforcement that DACA recipients are not enforcement priorities unless they are involved in criminal activities.

The President’s decision to end DACA has

received mix reactions from both sides of the aisle. Democrats have come out in unison against the call. More than 1,800 governors, attorneys general, mayors, state representatives, judges, police chiefs and other leaders signed onto a letter supporting DACA recipients. Although many conservative politicians have been long against Obama’s initial proposal, this issue has divided the Republican Party.

Republican Senators such as Marco Rubio, John McCain, and Jeff Flake announced their opposition to Trump’s decision to end the DACA program. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced in a statement that he hopes Congress will create a better solution to Obama’s.

Democratic Senate Whip Dick Durbin and DACA has helped me with almost everything in the past two years because since then I have gotten my license and a worker’s permit Senator Lindsey Graham have also called for a DREAM Act together.

In the lives of students like Nancy, the impacts of DACA ending strikes too close to home. For the most part, she has kept her

immigration status on the down-low. Only her closest friend and a few teachers know about her immigration status.

“Sometimes my friends will make jokes about the stereotypes of immigrants or automatically assume every person who is undocumented is Mexican which is very uncultured of them,”Nancy said.

She often feels stuck in awkward situation because she does not know how to respond and criticize those comments without exposing her own undocumentation.

Due to the lack of support she has gotten at school, Nancy has been confiding in a program called the DREAM PROJECT for the last two years with 50 other DACA recipients.

“My counselor doesn’t even know about my situation and status because I am afraid that she just won’t understand,” Nancy said. “I just have to stay on top of my school work and keep my faith until a new law comes out.”

For now, all Nancy can do is hope.

Students dig ditches for the Trellis arch.

Green Atoms beautify the courtyard

BY ASEAL SAED Co-Editor in Chief The Green Atoms are building the first stage of an environmentally responsible redevelopment for the courtyard on Sept. 23 and 24 and Oct. 1.

The project, titled the Trellis Project, hopes to revitalize the “Lost Courtyard.”

The project was led by senior Everett Butler and the Green Atoms to build a trellis, which is anything that a plant can grow on. The trellis that was made was an arching tunnel.

The Green Atoms, along with other volunteers, are going to build a lightweight permanent arbor that will encourage native vines to create a natural, shaded green walkway as the focal point of a low maintenance natural space.

Senior Green Atoms president Janlynn Ngo said, “ The event was a sucess. We had a lot of people that had a construction background and were ready to help.”

The materials used to construct the trellis were already cut up by Butler and his father. The Green Atoms team then built up one structure at a time and put them all together. People then dug the foundation for the trellis and put the trellis in place. The team thenput chicken wire around the unfinished trellis. The Green Atoms plan on finishing the project on Oct. 1. After the trellis is complete, they will begin planting.

The Green Atoms don’t usually do this type of project, but it was introduced by Butler for his Eagle Scout project.

“This is something that we usually don’t do and I don’t really know much about contruction,” said Ngo. “It was really fun because the people were fun and we built somthing tangible so it was cool to see it happen.”

The Green Atoms hope that this first step will bring the courtyard closer to becoming more beautiful.

Students who came to volunteer were given community service hours.

12 people came in to help on Saturday and 15 people on Sunday. They are expecting more next weekend as well.

“I am really happy with all of our work,” Ngo said. “We are happy with all of our hard work and hope more people notice.”

6 ACADEMICS

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

Students just can’t make up their mind

BY KAVI SHAMDIN Academics Editor On Sept. 11, student services released the course change request form. The form consists of five steps along with a student questionnaire and a parent/ teacher/counselor feedback section.

“As counselors we encourage the students to stay in their initial classes and give them a chance considering they’re already two to three weeks into the school year,” counselor Marcelo Valencia said. “And as students you also have six to seven months to pick your classes, so that’s why we discuss with our students to make an educated decision when picking those classes.”

On this form, there’s a different section for everyone that should be aware of the schedule change. The first step is to be completed by the student themselves, following that is step two which should be completed by a parent.

After the student has filled out steps one and two, they have to ask the teacher, whose class they are dropping to fill out step three.

Once steps one through three are done, students have to give the form to their counselor who will then sign it off and show it to

the administrator.

“Essentially, they’re the ones that makes the decision if the students will withdraw from a class or not,” Valencia said.

Students have lots of time to decide what classes they would like to take, so why do they still choose to drop classes?

“I dropped journalism to take computer science and the reason I took journalism to begin with is because I was told I had a free spot on my schedule,” senior Uriel Sejas said.

The student questionnaire consists of five questions. All of the questions are wrapped around why you haven’t been successful in the class, whether you’ve discussed your difficulties with your teacher, whether you’ve stayed after school for additional help, what other steps you’ve taken to try and be successful and whether you’ve completed all the homework.

“I had to go to my counselor to get a transfer form then I had to have my teacher sign it, along with my parents,” senior Kourtnie Mauldin said, “I then had to take the form back to my counselor to have her sign it and show it to administration,” senior Kourtnie Mauldin said.

A lot of students believe that the process to drop a class is long and unnecessary. “Dropping a class shouldn’t be this difficult.

The process takes so long and the

KAVI SAHMDIN

Three weeks into the school year and students are still unsatisfied with the classes they chose

Counselor Luis Valencia helps out sophomore Hakim Idris look at his elective options in preparation to drop a class. longer it takes the more students are falling behind in the classes they plan on switching into,” junior Ayman Elhag said.

Other people will argue that dropping classes shouldn’t be allowed considering students have so long to decide what classes they are interested in taking, “I decided to switch from criminal justice to IB business to help my GPA with the IB credit,” senior Adrien Henao said.

Many students want to switch

their classes after a change of mind due to class experience being different than what they thought it would be,“I signed up for Criminal Justice last year to learn the laws, but over the summer I found a love for business. Which is why I want to switch into IB Business,” Henao added.

Although students cannot drop an IB class, they can easily be switched into one if they are interested.

Instead of students taking a

class they aren’t interested in, they have the option to become a teacher’s assistant.

“Once students have filled out the course change request form, counselors start by filling up the T.A. positions in the offices first, i.e. the attendance office, student services and main office. As soon as those spots are filled, counselors can take requests of students who wanna be an assistant for a specific teacher,”

Valencia said.

Although the request form was released, students are still unable to drop IB classes.

The reason for this is because teachers and counselors want students to get used to the environment and the pace of the classroom for at least a month before beginning the course change process. Students are given the opportunity to try and drop an IB class on Friday, Sept. 29.

How often do you check SIS and do you find it beneficial?

YASMEEN OTHMMAN freshman “I check SIS weekly and I find it beneficial because I get to know what work I’m missing and I have the opportunity to make it up.”

SALVON SIMMAVONG sophomore “I check my grades once a week and I find it to be beneficial because it helps me know whether I’m failing or passing.

SIS also gives me an idea of what work I have missing and whether or not my teacher incorrectly graded something.”

SANDRA BENITEZ junior “I check SIS about once a day and I find it really useful because it helps me keep track of any missing work and or assignments that I may be missing. I also like having an idea of what classes I should be working harder in.”

ZUHAIR RAHMAN junior “I check SIS like three times a day. I find it extremely beneficial becaue I can know what grades I get on my assignments as soon as my teacher puts it into the grade book, versus having to wait to get my papers back.”

MIGUEL OROZCO freshman “I check SIS every other day and I find it beneficial because I want to make my parents proud and by knowing what grades I have, I can do that.”

ALLAUNA HARRISON sophomore “I use SIS daily. I like to be able to check my grades after a test or quiz to see how well or poorly I did. I also like to check and see what work I’m missing periodically.”

DAZON HARRISON junior “I check SIS everyday and I find it beneficial because it helps me stay on track and gives me an idea of what my grades are like and what classes I should be working on in terms of missing work.”

ELIZABETH CORCORAN senior “I check SIS every other day because I don’t want to stress myself out by looking at it everyday. I find it benefical because it helps me to keep track of my assignments. I also have the chance to improve my grades before my parents see them.”

Angela Kim is more than just a track star

BY JESSICA SALISBURY

Sudoku

Academics Editor

How do you keep up with your academics and social life?

I manage my time wisely. I make sure to put all of my energy into school so I can get my work done during the week. This gives me free time on the weekends to make moves with my friends.

IB Spotlight: Profiles of Diploma Candidates

What are your studying habits?

While studying, if I feel sleepy I usually just go to bed and continue again early in the morning because once I feel tired I know that there is no way that I will be able to focus. It’s better to work when I’m full of energy and can put all of my attention on the tasks I’m trying to complete.

What is your favorite IB subject?

My favorite IB subject is IB Business because it’s a fun class and I love my teacher.

What are your plans after high school?

My plan after high school is to hold my bachelor’s degree and then complete a Veterinary of Medicine doctorate degree to become a Veterinarian.

How do you prepare for IB exams?

To prepare for IB exams I usually just review things I don’t remember from weeks prior, and I try not to stress about reviewing things I already know because it’s a waste of time and energy. Basically, I prioritize studying the information that I know I’m not fully familiar with.

Is your only focus academics?

No, a lot of people revolve their world around academics which I think is a waste of the high school experience. High school is supposed to be fun, what’s the point if all you do is stress? I think everyone should be able to have fun while getting good grades in their classes.

Who has helped you on your IB journey and how or why?

Niki Holmes and Linda Bradshaw helped me stay organized. If it wasn’t for them I probably wouldn’t have been as efficient as I am and I

This edition’s

Outside of the IB classrooms, Angela Kim takes on the field for her final season of cross country would’ve struggled a lot more.

What advice do you give to future IB candidates?

My advice to future IB candidates would be to just push forward and stay strong through the process because although tedious, struggling for half of your high school life and experience is going to be a lot more worth it in the future.

What skills do you think the IB program has taught you that can help you later in life?

If I’m being honest, the only skill the IB program taught me was to teach myself to completely stop being stressed and worrying about every single due date, and to just keep a positive energy and get things done.

TYLER RUSH senior “I check SIS multiple times a day to make sure my grades are where they want to be so that I can start the year right. I find it very beneficial if teachers actually update grades.”

AMANI MUNTU senior “I check SIS like three to four times a day. I do this because I find it’s beneficial and helpfu considering it keeps me on track and gives me an idea of what I have to do to keep my grades up.”

On your smartphone, scan this code using the application QR Code get the answers.

HEALTH 7

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

Tasty and healthy options to snack on Replace the junk food with these healthier options

BY RACHEL SHOGREN Health Editor Most people binge eat chips, candy, pizza, ice cream or something else that is really bad for your body. Healthy options are not only tastier but better for you. These options don’t contain as much fat, sodium or carbs as the junk food you buy from vending machines.

They provide vitamins and nutrients that will help you have more brain power and energy throughout the day.

Sliced Potatoes Microwave buttered popcorn contains over 20 grams of fat, 690 miligrams of sodium and 48 grams of carbs; making it extremely unhealthy for you.

Slice a potato thin then throw some olive oil and a little bit of seasoning on it. Put it in the oven and you’ll have an easy, tasty snack that is much healthier than regular potato chips.

Atoms overloading Students binge eat when stressed and emotional

BY JAMIE HAMADEH AND RACHEL SHOGREN Staff Writer, Health Editor As students approach their second month of the school year, they start experiencing some emotions that they have not had to deal with since last year. These feelings consist of being bored, sad, excited, happy, worried, or stressed.

These emotions can cause students to stress eat.

Along with the new school year comes sports, homework, clubs, and other activities outside of school that students participate in. Juggling these busy schedules adds a lot of stress to a student's life. If not dealt with properly, the student might resort to stress eating despite the many alternatives that can be used to deal with stress.

Many Annandale students have become prone to stress eating.

"When I get in my feels I like to eat ice cream from Ben and Jerry's because it's my favorite ice cream brand," senior Allen Kokilananda said.

"There is always a flavor for what mood I'm in.

Cherry Garcia always serves as a great pick me up."

Stress eating can lead to weight gain because typically, people that are stressed out tend to eat fat foods such as McDonalds or foods high in sugar like chocolate. It can throw off your diet schedule and lead to bad nutritional habits. This can also lead to long term health problems such as obesity or having high blood pressure because when stress eating is done too much you get in the habit and like the fat foods more and more.

Lack of sleep causes you to be more on edge

upset or angry my stomach feels nauseous," junior and sensitive to emotions. It is another factor of Zain Ghul said. stress because without sleep, our bodies cannot There are many alternatives to dealing with recharge or rest. A couple foods people eat when stress, one of which is simply doing yoga. Head they're stressed are hamburgers, french fries, down to Spark Yoga in Mosaic District for classchips, ice cream, candy, pizza, and cake. es that are occasionally held outside to de-stress.

"I stress eat all the time. I eat when I get upset Another alternative is taking 10 minutes to youror when I don't feel good. It's how I cope. Food is self. This is important to do when you are stressed my friend, I love food. Everyone should eat when because everyone needs time alone to de-stress. they are stressed," senior Jessica Roop said.

You can take a walk, listen to music, or read a Studies from Harvard medical school prove book. De-stressing can that stress causes adrebe fun especially when nal glands to release a you find people who can hormone called cortisol. “I stress eat when I do it with you.

The Cortisol is located have to stay up doing Some people just get under the ribs. Cortisol bored and start eating. increases your appetite homework especially "Occasionally, when and the motivation to after I come home eat. If the stress is perI'm bored I eat fruit sistent, then the cortisol from soccer practice. because it's something levels stay elevated. In I eat cookies, cereal, and pizza. sweet," Getsey said. order to prevent stress Things you can do --BINJAM GEBREMSKEL eating and to even freshman with friends are to go out cortisol levels, it is see a movie, play a important to de-stress sport, or go try someand give yourself time thing new like hikto relax and have fun. ing. Audrey Moore Rec Although many people do eat when they are Center has a plethora of classes that cover variemotional or stressed, others don't want to touch ous different options. They range from pottery, food. swim, soccer, biking, and ballet. Stress levels "I don't eat when I'm stressed or sad, I tend will continue to rise over the next few months as to not have an appetite," senior Charlotte Getsey school gets more intense, students need to make said. sure they find a healthy outlet for their stress. Be When people get upset, they tend to lose their sure to find some way to cope, weather it is talkappetite or feel nauseous. ing to friends or being active, over eating isn't the "I don't stress eat when I'm sad or angry answer. because my emotions are too prominent, and if I'm

What’s your favorite food to eat when you’re having a bad day?

Dark Chocolate Try to stick to dark chocolate. It is proven to contain important vitamins and nutrients as well as protect your skin from the sun and improve brain function.

Apple Slices You can customize them however you want. Add a little bit of peanut butter for protein, some chocolate to make it a little sweeter, or some cheese to add some flavor.

Popcorn Yes, popcorn can be healthy! Get rid of all the butter and extra sugar and air popped popcorn has very low calories. You can add some dark chocolate shavings for extra flavoring.

Fruit Smoothie SOPHIA AGRAFAS freshman “My favorite food to eat on a bad day is pizza because it’s my favorite food. I like it because i’m always eating it.”

LINDSEY KEYS sophomore “I like to eat cookies and cream ice cream when my day is not going well because it tastes good.”

TOMMY THADEUS sophomore “Pizza because it’s always a good time to eat pizza, not just on a bad day.”

HAN GYUL junior “When I’m having a bad day I like broccoli cheddar soup from panera because it warms up my insides and make me feel good.”

LINA OSMAN senior “Sea Salted Caramel Gelato is my go to comfort food because it tastes good and is both sweet and salty.”

JONATHON NGUYEN senior “I like to eat sour cream onion lays when I am feeling sad or having a bad day.

They taste good and make me feel better.”

SAPPHIRE RUSH senior “My favorite food to eat on a bad day is party cake ice cream. it’s sweet delicious, it makes me happy.”

Four Health Myths

Seeds Toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds are tasty and also really healthy. They are high in fiber and have plenty of minerals and nutrients. They are perfect for a quick snack instead of chips.

False facts debunked

BY JAMIE HAMADEH Staff Writer

EATING ICECREM WHILE HAVING A COLD WILL MAKE IT WORSE. If you eat ice cream while you have a cold you have nothing to worry about. The myth says that consuming ice cream while you are sick will make it a lot worse. This is false. Ice cream also does not produce a lot of mucus as told in the myth.

SUGAR MAKES PEOPLE HYPER. This myth was more than likely told to most of us as kids. Around 1974, Doctor William Cook wrote to pediatrics stating that sugar is a leading cause of hyperactivity. However, this is a myth. Researchers have tried to prove it can cause hyperactivity and failed.

Health myths are handed down from moms trying to protecct their kids or things that have since been proven wrong by research and scientists. Moms make up things that then just get handed down from generation to generation and people believe them. Other myths are things that have been tested in labs until proven false.

Remember when “smoking was healthy”? As we advance in science, we further our knowledge in what is good and bad for you. Things like “eating ice cream while you’re sick makes your cold worse,” “sugar makes people hyper,” “we have five senses,” and “swallowing gum stays in your digestive tract for seven years.” In this article you will find out that many of the health “facts,” like the ones listed above, are surprisingly false.

Craving a milkshake? Have a homemade fruit smoothie instead. Add some kale for an extra protein boost instead of adding the extra sugars that would make it unhealthy.

HOWARD DWYER teacher “Grilled cheese cause it tastes good and the warmth is comforting. I like the texture between the crunch and the softness of the cheese.”

WE HAVE FIVE SENSES. This is true but many people might not know that they have way more than that.

Humans have more than five senses and some of which are balance, temperature, and proprioception but these are not mentioned as commonly as the others.

IT TAKES SEVEN YEARS TO DIGEST GUM WHEN IT’S SWALLOWED. This is completely false. Little chunks of gum go through your intestines out of your behind. The only way you can’t digest gum is if it is swallowed with something that doesn’t belong in your stomach.

Dried Fruit Dried fruit can boost fiber, nutrients, and antioxidant intake.

Dried strawberries, bananas and apricots are perfect for a quick energy boost. They are a good pre-meet snack for athletes.

8 PHOTO

P

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

ractice rogress makes

Students spend hours after school with their team to improve on and off the field

Senior Natnal Endalkachew (right) and junior Zuhair Rahman sprint towards the finish line with teammates.

“Practice is important because without it there is no base for the races. I love running and feeling the thrill of the chase with my teammates by my side,” Endalkachew said.

LEFT: Senior Alicha House puts some pep in her step as she bends down to perform her next cheer. “I like doing stunts the most because they are difficult but are fun to do,” House said.

RIGHT: Freshman Elizabeth Ortiz dribbles the ball down the field. “Practice is important because it betters our skills and we improve,” Ortiz said.

Senior Joseph MccCoy is tackled by senior Nawal Omar as they prepare for their powder puff game. “I love playing because I always grew up watching football and wanted to try and play. I just love playing and messing around with my fellow senior girls,” Omar said. “We get the chance to learn from the coaches, go on the field, and give it our all.

It’s important to attend practice because you get more playing time.

If you don’t practice enough, you won’t really get any playing time.”

Sophomore Garrett Meadows takes a water break during a difficult practice. “Drinking water is really important for me to stay energized,” Meadows said.

Sophmore Amy Chavez flies high as she is lifted by her teammates. “I love cheer because we lift each other up (both physcially and mentally). Practice is important to me because perfecting something in cheer is so critical for me,” Chavez said.

TOP: Senior Elizabeth Corcoran stretches before going on a run. “For me, stretching helps to prevent injury,” Corcoran said.

BOTTOM: Senior Charlotte Getsey stretches before practice. “The thing I enjoy most about practice is everyone coming together to improve,” Getsey said.

Several members of the football team work together to push the heavy sled across the field. “We keep each other focused even though we’re practicing in hot weather or raining and we want to go home and fight through it,” senior Wilfredo Zelaya said. “We make the best of it, try our hardest, and have some confidence that we will win on Friday night.”

Junior Sarah Hawkins takes a dive towards the ground, ready to keep incoming balls out of the goal. “It’s really fun to have people shoot on me during drills like rapid fire and 1v1s. Practice is really important to develop skills and it allows us to work on and fix problems we may have in games,” Hawkins said.

Senior David Moore and sophomore Joe Gaston battle it out during practice, perfecting their blocking techniques. “Practices are chill, but when coach gets mad, then it gets hard, but it helps us refine our skills” Moore said.

Coach Cindy Hook leads the girls to the field before winning against Lee. “Helping our girls have fun while they work hard and learn to play as a rock solid team is why I love coaching. It is very rewarding to see the great progress that can be made each season as we learn so many life lessons,” Hook said.

ARTS 9

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

Beginning the show production: “She Kills Monsters”

What are you most excited for in the play?

JASON DOCK Freshman “How the Tiamat is going to come out and how multiple people are going to be playing one monster on stage.”

The cast and crew of the fall theater production meet to read through the entirety of the play

BY GALILEA SEJAS Arts Editor MICHAEL BROWN Sophomore “Playing Orcus for the matinee and how his character can be very contrasting to the other characters on stage.”

The beginning of the experience, the beginning of the show, the beginning of everything in “She Kills Monsters” written by Qui Nguyen, was on September 18th, 2017 for the first read through of the play.

This comedic yet serious play portrays the main kick butt character, Tilly Evans, and her sister, the stereotypical cheerleader, Agnes Evans, battling in the world of Dungeons and Dragons with their fierce, all female team.

On Monday September 18th, all of the actors and tech people came into the orchestra room and began reading their own roles, so that everyone in the Annandale TheaterCompany could become aware of what the whole show was about.

freshman The first read can allow the technical designers to take notes on their own design areas so that they can add on another layer to the show that will allow the audience members to see the world in the eyes of Agnes and Tilly.

Besides the technical or behind the scene ideas, actors who were fortunate enough to be casted as the leads, took notes on their characters, like their motives in a specific scene and the qualities that set them apart from the other

Three hour long rehearsals, lack of hydration and the euphonious sound of musicians marching around in the football field: all of which is an average rehearsal in the eyes of marching band students.

The Annandale Atoms Marching Band and Color Guard are all preparing for their first competition on Saturday 23rd at Herndon High School for the US Bands Circuit in the Northern Virginia Region.

Everyday, with the exception of Mondays and Fridays, these dedicated students have been practicing their routine and songs that they need to memorize playing and marching.

This year’s song that they are focusing on is “Kiss By a Rose” by Seal.

Senior and assistant drum major, Valeria Arnao, has been fortunate enough to be able to conduct the band throughout their entire performance.

“If the band turns around in the show, I am able to guide them and make sure that everyone stays in time,” Arnao said.

She, along with two other drum majors, are able to conduct the band every performance that they had so far.

According to Witkowski, he said, “we separate the show into four parts or four movements, then towards the end of the week, we put all of the chunks together.”

Each week, the marching band students focus on one specific movement, so that they can master small sections of the show then put it all together in the last week, before the rehearsal. The rehearsals are normally conducted on the football stadium fields.

REDIATE ZEWDU Junior “This will be the first time holding a sword and I’m just ready to fight everyone on stage, all choreographed.”

Freshman Hasan Royer (left) and Senior Marina Chen (right) practice their lines for the play. characters in the play.

Though It’s only the beginning of the whole show production, junior and lead actress, Rediate Zewdu who plays Agnes Evans is ready for the show. ople who were casted in the show are new to acting, which comes to show that not everyone is born an actor. Some people come into the show, having never acted before, and they happen to get a major role in the show.

Junior and assistant director, Kyle Dalsimer, along with the director, Ms. Brunberg, had a difficult time casting the show because here were so many talented people who came out and surprised them with their fantastic performances. Auditions and call backs were held all throughout the week of September 11-25th, where the directors could

Marching Band students prepare for competition

BY GALILEA SEJAS Arts Editor

EMILY TRACHSEL Junior “I get to be a kick butt lead character on stage and show how females can be comedic and warriors.”

choose who they would want as their cast.

Even if most of the people who came out weren’t able to get a speaking role, they were still casted as at least one monster in the show, since it is in fact monster heavy.

All of the actors and monsters needed to come for the first read of the whole show where Miss Brunberg, Dalsimer and the fight choreographer, Josh McCreary, gave some director’s tips even before the blocking or scene directions were to take place.

Every single actor and monsters who came were able to listen to the fighting choreography description each scene, with the supplemental music with each fight, that made the actors and tech

--VALERIA ARNAO

senior On average, they rehearse from 3:306pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. As well as from 3:45-6:45 on Wednesday, in order to make sure that each band member is prepared and fully memorized their music and basic dot book (each choreographed step that they need to follow in order to remain in formation).

Fortunately enough, the long rehearsals every day have been able to create new friendships and strengthen the marching band team, especially in the Away Camp, where the marching band students can practice the basics of marching and make the marching band and color guard family even more close knit.

For some people, it’s their first show performing, but with all of the marching band student’s hard work and dedication outside of school, it should be enough to show their Annandale Pride in the competition.

The play will be performed sometime in Novemeber. We are exicted to see what all this hard work was for. We wish them all good luck.

Drawing on paper? Fun, right? How about drawing on the floor for a purpose? That’s exactly what we did here in AHS. Students gathered around after school on Wednesday to draw anything they wanted on the school floors outside.

You know what the best part about ‘Chalk 4 Peace’ was? The fact that anyone that wanted to draw was able to.

Yes, fun right? NO signing up needed, no asking, no nothing. You just get a chalk, get a place to draw on and you just do you magic.

You were allowed to draw whatever you wanted as wherever you wanted as long as you make it appropriate

KATHY STRONG Senior “Learmimg the fights!

Since this show is fighting heavy, it’ll be great to see the full show come together.”

or overall you didn’t draw anything that was offending to others. Everybody did well, what most people drew were related to Peace on Earth and how the world needs to be a better place for everyone.

The president of the Chalk 4 Peace community, Senior Steven Hy, said that this was a good way to bring the community in Annandale to come together and be aware of peace. “It’s a good way to bring people together and just enjoy over each other’s similarities, drawing being one of them,” Hy said.

This will be one of the last events Hy goes to, hence him being a senior, however, he hopes the community continue doing these kind of events. As far as Hy is still here, he will continue doing these types of events for AHS. Everybody has their own opinion

about anything, in this case however, everybody loved it and wanted to go.

I asked many of the people that were there if they liked it, all the answers I got were extraordinary. Everybody that went loved it. I guess that’s all thanks to Hy. Since this is Hy’s last year he’s going to make it memorable, Hy is palnning on doing events like: penthouses for refugees, Books for Africa donating books for children, planning a field trip listening to people give speeches about human rights and about the environment.

We are looking forward to more projects like this. Everybody had a blast, we hope the next one is going to be even better. Thank you for organizing this project for us all to participate in.

This is only a small glimpse of what students from all grade levels drew, as a way to represent peace in the AHS Community.

Artist Spotlight: Junior Chelsey Robles What type of artist are you?

I’m between a sketcher and a doodler, because I mainly doodle when I’m bored in classes, but I always make sure that it doesn’t distract ne all to much.

What do you normally draw?

I normally sketch people, especially realistic portraits When have you started to draw?

I have always drawn or done art ever since I was litle. In Kindergarten, I remember that some of my friends would ask me to draw a mermaid tail for them, and I would always be willing to do so.

Why do you like art?

I like everything about art because it made me closer to my sister and especially my dad since it was a way that we destressed after a long day.

MARINA CHEN Senior “To working with a lot of my high school peers and bringing a fictional world to life with the school community.”

Chalk 4 Peace: Keeping the Peace in Our Community

BY MARYAM DEREJE Arts Editor

“We all worked hard to make sure that the color guard and marching band becomes one.”

people feel like they were in the Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) virtual campaign or battle.

Throughout the week, Miss Brunberg, McCreary and Dalsimer worked with the actors on two fight scenes with two of the male characters. Miles, played by Cort Hollis and Chuck, played by Raffi Krikorian.

The actors are already hard at work, months before the show production. “ It’ll be magnificent seeing it in the full run through seeing the whole picture, tech, acting and choreography, all in one,” Brunberg said.

That being said, make sure to save this date in your calendars because the show production will take place on November 16-18.

MARYAM DEREJE

--HUNTER BUGGAN

MARYAM DEREJE

“I joined ATC to make new friends and perform in front of poeple who see how hard we worked on the show”

RAFFI KRIKORIAN Sophomore “I get to be a quirky, overexagerrated, and weird kid, so it’ll be fun to show my personality on stage as Chuck.”

Artist Spotlight: Junior Alene Boghosian What type of artist are you?

I’m very experienced in realism I do doodle and draw cartoons, but it doesn’t come out the same way that my portraits come out to be.

What do you normally draw?

I draw whenever, I like to doodle on my school papers because my mind wanders a lot.

When have you started to draw?

I have drawn ever since I was little and I’m mostly self taught. I have been able to teach myself realism, with a lot of practice. I made it my own peronal challenge/hobby, because I always am learning and improving.

Why do you like art?

I love art because its a way to express yourself and emoition, not to mention it’s fun and cool. I’m planning on going to a college for art, because it’ll give me more fun challenges and open my mind in art.

11 IN-DEPTH

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

IN-DEPTH 11

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE I beat depression with help unit. This is because I suffered a relapse during winter of my freshmen year.

BY ANONYMOUS Special to The A-Blast

Do you think FCPS addresses depression effectively?

Back in my dark times, nothing mattered. I did not care about the wellbeing of myself, or anyone else around me. I was incredibly selfish. I sulked in the corner of any room by myself, isolated from the rest of the world. In school, I felt like I had no friends.

No one truly understood what I was going though. My parents played my behavior off as a typical, moody teenager.

I do admit that they probably noticed something was off, but they didn’t recognize the signs of my depression. It was as if they didn’t know the difference between sadness and depression.

Until the age of 12, I was a very happy child. But that all changed when I started eighth grade. I had three siblings, a brother and two sisters, and two loving parents. I had a good relationship with my family and we never had serious problems.

I was considered the golden child to my parents, I got good grades and in their minds, I was a rising artist on the brink of fame. So, I never expected for a moment that I would hate myself so much.

The teenage years can be tough. My depression was mostly due to being diagnosed with an eating disorder, otherwise known as anorexia.

My disease really took up my whole life. Social media definitely played a factor in the cause of this because I would see photos of beautiful, skinny girls.

I thought they were perfect and when I looked at myself in the mirror, I would physically cringe. I would at my reflection with disgust. In my eyes, my thighs were too big and my stomach was bulging.

I thought I was ugly, and even though I weighed about 90 pounds for being about 5’3 girl, I thought I was fat. I didn’t realize until too late, that social media deceived me.

Overcoming depression was one of the most difficult things that I have had to do in the short span of my life. I never understood what it was when I was young, nor why it was so difficult to overcome, until I faced the problem.

I wouln’t consider myself as healed or recovered, per se, but I have definitely improved over the course of a couple years.

When my parents finally recognized that I had a problem and that I needed help, they took my to a psychiatrist at The Children’s Hospital.

There I was, diagnosed and havingto take several lab and blood tests. Everytime the needle was stuck into my arm, I felt that I was getting better.

Therapy and professional help did a lot for me. Over the course of four years, I went into treatment twice at a psychiatric facility called Dominion Hospital in the eating disorder

ETHAN NEWTON Freshman Yes, because there is the SR&R book and during the beginning of the year they show you a video presentation of everything. Your counselor is ready to help you.

NIA COLLINS Freshman No. They make it seem like it’s the student’s fault and they try to put it off as something else instead of what it actually is.

BISMAA KHAN Sophomore No, because they don’t focus on awareness.

They mostly just focus on sports and other activities.

TARISHIO DARWIESH Sophomore Yes, I think they educate a lot of people on the subject in health classes. But they don’t have programs to help people goi through it.

Although I felt like I would’ve improved either way with the help of my family and friends, I am better now and I am happy because of it. When I was at Dominion, it was extremely eye opening in the sense that I met a lot of new people that were like me.

They were understanding of my problem because they were going through the same thing. For the first time, I felt like I wasn’t alone or that I wasn’t an outsider.

Yes, they were battling battles different from mine, but together we got better.

With help, I began to recognize my true worth. I finally realized that no, I’m not perfect, but no one is. Social media is filled with photoshop and editing, it doesn’t represent true and ideal body image.

Now when I look in the mirror, I see an empowering young and beautiful woman. I see someone who faced her problems and was able to beat it. I am someone who beat depression, who beat anorexia, and I am proud of it.

I am stronger than bullying

BY ANONYMOUS Special to The A-Blast

I received prank calls. Unknown would call me, laugh, and say nasty things. I thought it would stop after a couple days, but I continued getting them for a good month.

I didn’t tell anyone about this because I didn’t want to seem like a loser.

Eventually, the prank calls turned into online harassment through various social media apps. I would wake up to hateful or threatening messages telling me to “stay home”,”go die” or that I “wasn’t wanted here.”

At first, I ignored them and continued on with my daily activities.

Then, kids at school began to make comments and laugh as I passed by in the hallway. They judged me based on my appearance and actions.

It eventually got to the point where I had to watch where I walked, looked around corners and hope a friend would be nearby so I could have company.

Whenever I saw them, I would immediately turn in the other direction or try to find another quick route to get to my destination.

Days turned into weeks.

The messages continued, and the bullying at school as well. I began to believe what they said and accepted that I wasn’t wanted there anymore.

I often turned to self-harm

The more oxygen you inhale, the less tense, short of breath and anxious you feel. It relieves stress and your whole body relaxes.

Visual Imagery

Try to relax your body and imagine that you’re in a place that you’re happy. A happy place equals happy thoughts.

A cknowledge

Muscle Relaxing

Kimberly Vaides

LOSS OF INTERESTS IN USUAL ACTIVITIES It’s possible to withdraw from activities one previously participated in and enjoyed. “They might start to

JASON MERCADO Junior Yes, FCPS does a good job because they have prevention lines and hotlines on their website.

There are also posters around the school.

MEGAN LEE Senior No, the stuff they do at the beginning of the year isn’t enough. They should do something consistent throughout the year to make it more visible that we have help.

RUDY FLORES Senior No, because last year when a Woodson student committed suicide, we didn’t talk about it at our school. It went unaddressed, as if our school is scared to talk about it.

T ell

Remind your friend about the good things, reasons to live and that their life is important. Be a source that your friend can tell their feelings to without being judged or pushed away.

Get help from a trusted adult immediately. Adults can provide assistance teens can not. Trust your instinct and never keep quiet. See the school psychologist, Dr. Anne Brosnan, in the Learning Center.

Places to go for help

7

ATTEMPT OF SUICIDE A warning sign can be visible marks on their body which shows self harm. “One of the things people can do is give stuff away. Maybe if you knew somebody who had plans to go off to college and now they’re not talking about college anymore and how life is so hopeless and how you’re going not going to have a future,” Brosnan said.

BY KIMBERLY VAIDES In-Depth Editor

1 2 3

NEYDA VILLATORO Junior No, they never mention depression directly. They talk more about suicidal thoughts.

C are

Listen to what peers are saying and don’t take comments about death and harm lightly. Understand that how they feel is serious.

Concentrate on different parts of your body and try to relax them.

Relax from head to toe.

Here are signs of depression to look for

CRISISLINK

DOMINION

MERRIFIELD

NATIONAL SUICIDE

REGIONAL

HOSPITAL

CENTER

PREVENTION

HOTLINE

EMERGENCY

EMERGENCY

LIFELINE

703-527-4077

703-536-2000

703-573-5679

1-800-273-TALK

CRISISTEXT

LIFE THREATENING

TTY dial 711

1-800-SUICIDE

Text NEEDHELP to

911

INOVA EMERGENCY

85511

703-289-7560 Merrifield Center Emergency located in Falls Church, VA (left) Inova Hospital located in Fairfax, VA (right).

Casey Nguyen

There is a difference between common sadness and clinical depression. Typical sadness comes and goes; it can be caused from drama, school, stress and being overwhelmed. However, depression is the constant feeling of hopelessness, anger, emptiness and sadness.

“A lot of times with depression, what you are seeing is a change in a person’s behavior,” school psychologist Anne Brosnan said. “That’s an indicator that there is probably something wrong.”

There are several things that can make someone feel down.

It could be a life-changing event, something that is greatly overwhelming, for example: divorce, changing schools, or even a death.

Other times, there is no real explanation to why you feel depressed. “Sometimes too it can be other things that are harder to put your finger on. Sometimes it can be overwhelmed a lot of you guys are working really hard in advance classes and a lot going on,” Brosnan said. “You’re stressed in every which way.”

There is nothing wrong with being diagnosed with depression and it is important to know if you or someone you know are showing serious signs of depression. Common signs of depression include sleep problems, loss of interest in usual activities, talking negatively, poor memory and attempt of suicide.

SLEEPING PROBLEMS Depression can affect sleeping patterns. It can cause getting too much or too little sleep. It can be hard to get out of bed in the morning.

You may wake up sad and lay in bed unable to figure out what is wrong.

FATIGUE goes along with sleep and tiredness. During the day, serious exhaustion can interfere with daily activities. It differs from common tiredness caused by a long day. Fatigue is consistent and halts your motivation.

Do you think FCPS addresses depression effectively?

How to help a friend

Coping Methods Deep Breathing

as an outlet for my frustration.

A few friends tried to help me, but I didn’t listen to them. I believed that I wasn’t wanted here anymore and thought that by disappearing, I’d be doing everyone a favor.

This was my mindset for the last few months of sophomore year, and I hated it so much.

There was no one I trusted fully or believed truly appreciated me for who I am, and I began hating myself so much because of that. I hated everything about myself from my looks to my talents.

I threw away the mindset of everything will get better.

Nothing got better. My attitude only got worse, and the level of hatred I had for myself and this world gradually began to increase.

As if things at school weren’t going bad enough, things at home began to get rocky, too. I got into constant fights with my family members and argued for days and days over every single, small issue. It seemed as my family didn’t care.

They told me that something was wrong with me and others would soon see it, too.

Finally, a good friend of mine reached out to me and assured me that people were there for me.

I got connected to a group of friends who messaged me constantly to check up on me and to make sure I was never alone.

They prevented me from having thoughts about harming myself again. Through my support group and other methods of coping, I slowly began to appreciate myself more and saw the value of my worth.

Whenever things got hard, I would journal everything out.

Spilling out everything, I found it was very helpful.

I released my anger and sadness upon the pages of my journal.

I believe the causes of my depression or suicidal thoughts were due to my lack of self-confidence.

Even before I was bullied, I lacked self-confidence from the beginning. I was also not open to receive help from friends. I ignored what they said, and wanted to go my own way, which was a dark path.

If you or someone you know is going through depression, suicidal thoughts or anxiety, just remember that you are not alone. There are others who go through this and overcome it.

You can too. If a friend that is going through depression and rejects you, keep on checking up on your friend. Don’t give up that person.

My biggest advice is to find someone to talk to. It can be a trusted adult, or close friends, or even family.

They are there for you and will support you and help you through this. Also, journaling helps very well with organizing thoughts and releasing your anger.

Don’t give in to depression. Don’t let depression win. Find the sources available to you so you can overcome depression and look at depression and say, “No. I win.”

withdraw and not want to spend time with their friends and family,” Brosnan said.

4

CHANGE IN EATING HABITS AND WEIGHT There could be a change in appetite which could eventually affect your health.

Having a loss or gain in appetite could cause weight gain and loss. This could lead to anorexia, binge eating, or bulimia. Depression can affect the digestive system and cause nausea, indigestion, diarrhea and others.

5

TALKING NEGATIVELY It’s not uncommon for people to be negative and talk negatively about things. However, there is a difference when someone is talking about feeling worthless and helpless in a serious manner.

“They might start saying things to let you know that they feel hopeless, down or sad,” Brosnan said. Sometimes, a depressed person does not want to tell another person directly how they feel. However, a serious sign is constant and serious talk about suicide and death.

6

POOR MEMORY AND CONCENTRATION According to Healthline, depression can cause short-term memory and forgetfulness. Poor concentration may occur making it difficult to focus on tasks, thinking straight and decision making.

“What all the adults in the building know is that you want to air on the side of caution because once somebody is gone, they’re gone forever. I think it’s important to reach out to someone when they think there is something wrong, you don’t want to make a mistake in that case,” Brosnan said. “Maybe you are misreading the signal and maybe that person is fine but it is certain best to reach out and be sure about it.”

If you or anyone you know is going through any of these symptoms, it is important that you seek guidance immediately.If you can not reach out to family members about your feelings, talk to your friends or trusted adult.

“If you are concerned about somebody you need to intervene right away because that person needs to talk to you and talk to somebody right away.

You need to let an adult know you can go to your teacher or counselor,” Brosnan said.

Mrs. Brosnan is always open to talking with students who need guidance. An additional option is calling an anonymous hot line such as, 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

“There are so many great resources in our community.

You don’t need to be sad and you don’t need to be hopeless,” Brosnan said. “The good thing about depression is that it’s very treatable and a lot of people feel better but you just have to do something about it. You have to speak up and you have to come forward,” Brosnan said.

There are people who want to and are willing to help you.

You are never alone.

Powerful suicide prevention anthems Empowering songs that bring awareness and appreciation to artists to gain more recognition.

1-800-273-8255 Logic, Alessia Cara, Khalid Acting as a message of hope and meaning, the track brings attention to suicide prevention. Featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid, they deliver their verses of encouragement and empathy to those who feel alone and are on the verge of suicide. In addition to this, they bring uplifting and emotional support to listeners to keep fighting. Logic’s lyrics, “I wanna feel alive / I don’t even wanna die anymore,” showcases that a story of tragedy and isolation can be changed.

PHOENIX A$AP ROCKY A song filled with painful and haunting beats, A$AP Rocky reflects on the individuals that are driven to desperate lows. He first opens up his dark track rapping, “Bloody ink on my pad spelled suicide.” The rapper broaches the subject of suicide and being a victim to it.

This somber track describes sadness to its highest point, “You hurt so bad and you’re going through so much pain to the point that sometimes you don’t want to live no more.”

BY CASEY NGUYEN In-Depth Editor Behind the underlying beats and catchy lyrics, there is a deeper story to be told. Whether it’s a sexual innuendo, or just simply improper and profound language, sometimes lyrics can be lost in translation. The vocal and instrumental sounds combined makes a sort of beauty behind the words. It expressed

emotion and harmony. An artist may incorporate word play, figurative language and rhymes to make the music however, the listener must decode the deeper messages within the words.

We must look a little closer at the lyrics of our favorite songs to really understand the message the artist is attempting to tell. Music is a hidden language, the lyrics express the dark realities that cannot be said aloud.

XO TOUR LLIF3 Lil Uzi Vert A song that will make you come to tears. Lil Uzi Vert, originally Symere Woods, delivers his piece with real emotion, seemingly stricken with depression and suicidal thoughts. “She said ‘Baby, I am not afraid to die.” This line brought attention to abusive relationships. “Push me to the edge/ All my friends are dead.” The feelings he wishes to express are dark and moody, stating how alone and isolated he felt.

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE The Fray A story of attempting to revive hope in others. The track brings attention to the necessary steps in helping others who are struggling to help themselves.

The line, “Try to slip past his defense,” is a direct representation of individuals who are afraid to confide in others.

The track’s lyrics are notably important, bringing attention to communication being the key to saving a life.

12 INTERNATIONAL

Tues. Sept 26, 2017

Exchange student becomes an Atom Student from Portugal adapts to the culture and diversity Have you ever thought about leaving your family, home, and friends behind?

How about if it was to experience a whole new country or school?

Junior Joao Teixeira, a foreign exchange student has done just that.

Coming all the way from Portugal, Teixeira came to the the United States about a month ago. Coming to make a life changing experience.

“I made this decision about a year ago and it’s not a decision you make lightly,” Teixeira said. “I left my whole world and I came here, without knowing anybody. Just landing here in another country with a new culture just a month ago.”

His mother was a big factor on why he decided to do the program. Teixeira’s own mother had experienced the program herself and pushed him towards the decision that he made.

“My mom did this exact program, the foreign exchange student program about three years ago,” Teixeira said.

“She always encouraged me to do it.”

It wasn’t an easily made decision, even at first he was pretty indecisive about it. “A lot of people would be scared to do something like this, to leave their friends and family behind, which is exactly what I did,” Teixeira said.

After a lot of what ifs and why nots, Teixeira made the decision to go for it. ”Well I mean, this is something I am going to regret if I do not do, it would be

How do you feel about the diversity at Annandale?

a nice experience,” Teixeira said.

Teixeira mentions that everything is different, especially the school system.

Coming from a foreign country to America, you’re going to experience a different lifestyle. “Such basic things are different for example, students don’t move, we have fixed classrooms. Teachers are the ones that move over there,” Teixeira said.

That is not the only thing different about the school life in Portugal and America. “We have almost no choice of subject, we also don’t have pre calculus, calculus, algebra, we just have basic math,” Teixeira said.

Adapting to a new school isn’t the only thing you have to go through when being an exchange student. They have to live with a completely different fam- Junior exchange student Joao Teixeira (left) and senior Aranxia Vejcik (right) work together in Whitney Hardy’s psychology class. ily, basically strangers.

A host family is a family that offers coming to such a diverse school, sur“Coming to America has made me their home to the exchange sudent. The rounded from people all over the world. realize the good things that I have on a “Well I student then lives with them just as if He gets to know to them and realize he daily basis, back in Portugal the weathit was their own home with their fami- either has a lot in common or almost er is so good,” Teixeria said. mean, this is ly. In Teixeira’s case he is going to live nothing in common.

You would assume people think something I with his host family until the end of the “We grew up watching Disney and America is the best country there is or school year.

Nickelodeon and all that stuff and we have some similarities, but Teixeria am going to “My host family is really nice, I real- see like American High School series sees it in a different way. regret if I do ly got lucky. They came from Mexi- like the riding the yellow school bus and “We often think ‘Oh we are so much co about 20 years ago.

I have two older having lockers.

Now that I’m here all worse than America, they’re so great, not do it, it would be a host brothers and a host sister who is my friends are very excited telling me we are nothing compared to them’ but nice experience.” my age,” Teixeria said.

‘Oh my god you ride the yellow bus! You I mean once I came here I definitely He gets along with his host sister have lockers!’ so you can tell that school started to appreciate my country more,” --JOAO TEIXEIRA since his other two host brothers are in in Portugal is completely different,” Teixeira said j junior college. “I got to know her friends, and Teixeira said.

People should really be more open Even with experiencing a whole new to the program. It is difficult to decide Teixeira is staying with a host fami- we’ve really gotten along really well,” culture and loving it, there is no place but at the end of the day, you get to live ly while in America. Staying with a host Teixeira said.

Coming to America, the culture from like home. A new experience gives a new through something that is a once in lifefamily is apart of the Foreign Exchange Portugal is very different. Especially perspective on many things. time oppurtunity.

Student Program.

Genesis Lara-Palacios

BY GENESIS LARA-PALACIOS International Editor

ZAINAB ISLAM freshmen “We’re a really diverse school which is a lot more than my middle school. There’s 3x the population and over 60 languages, multiple races, a ton of ethincies, and different cultures.”

JACK MAILMAN freshman “It’s really good that there is a lot of diverse people and there’s defiently a lot of people from different backgrounds allowing me to connect with different people. “

LILY LE sophomore “I feel like the diversity is a good trait of the school because we get the chance to experience different cultures.”

WILLIAM PFEIFFER sophomore “We are very diverse, it is certainly more than Frost Middle School where I used to go to.

It’s interesting and good to see different points of views such as poltics and culture.”

JASON MERCEDO junior “There’s a lot of different communities and we all work together because we have one goal to be at school and further our success.”

RUTH SEPTUM junior “I like how diverse Annandale is because you meet different people with different backgrounds and it’s a good thing to learn different things and different customs and cultures.”

ALBERT QUANSAH senior “I feel like the diversity at Annandale gives everybody a chance to experience new cultures.”

AYAH REBEAH senior “I think the diversity in this school is really good because it makes everyone feel comfortable in their home.”

Student’s family affected by Hurricane Irma A category 4 hurricane leaves homes crumbling

WAYS TO HELP

BY TIANA REAMS International Editor

The American Red Cross is training volunteers to transport to Florida for support of the communtities.

Donate blood to the people who were injured in the distruction at OneBlood in Florida.

WWW.FEMA.GOV

Many people all over the Carribean were affected by the recent Catergory 4 hurricane, Irma. Some of our very own Atoms and their family were impacted from it. Families either did not have the money to evacute or did not have a place to go to.

Our school is full of students, teachers, and other faculity that have other family members located all over the world. In different states and different countries.

Seniors Grace Hatch, Sapphire Rush, and Janice Milian Guerrero. share how Irma destroyed their homes and left them worried about their families.

Hatch’s family is from Jacksonville, Florida which is towards the Northern region of Florida. “They experienced a lot of damage to their home and yards.

Such as many large trees, fences, a ton of flooding and debris,” Hatch said.

It’s shocking to see and experience something like that. A place that you once called home now destroyed.

“My aunt’s main concerns were that they were going to have a lot of damages to the house and her business, meaning they would worry about recieving no income,” Hatch said.

Homes weren’t just destroyed, businesses were too. How can people make money if they don’t have a job to work at.

“But my uncle was more concerned about the damage caused to the house affecting if they could live there or not and if someone was injured, it would majorly impact them currently but what would that mean for the future,” Hatch said.

She was concerned for their behalf and it was not easy knowing she had nothing in my control to help them or the situation when it was happening.

Some families did have the chance to evacute before Irma hit land.

Senior Sapphire Rush’s family did have the oppurtinity and choice to leave.

Rush explains how her grandmother left everything behind to save herself.

Rush’s family was orginally from Southern New Jersey but over the years they seperated.

Her grandmother moved to the Miami area in Florida. When her family found out about the hurricane, her

FEMA goes door to door in Miami after hurrican Irma. Senior Sapphire Rush’s grandmother’s house suffered severe flooding. grandmother immediately dropped everything and went back to New Jersey, yet she left all of her belongings and her dog.

“My grandmother went back to Florida after the storm was over to find her backyard completely ruined, her basement flooded and her home falling apart,” Rush said.

Her grandmother had to leave her dog behind because she could not find a plane that could transport her dog with her, the dog was then left at a doggy hotel in Florida.

When her grandmother came back after Irma, she tried to contact the hotel her dog was located at but heard nothing.

“The doggy hotel the dog was placed in never notified if the dogs were okay or anything, so to this day we do not know if he is even okay,” Rush said.

Rush does have other family besides her grandmother that does live in Florida but did not have the chance to leave before Irma. It’s hard to go through something this devestating to know that your family is out there, possibly injured or dead.

Having no way to contact your family because the phone lines and eletricity are damaged. “We do have other family in Florida, a few cousins or so

but we haven’t heard from them and have no clue if they’re even okay,” Rush said.“Cellphones are not ringing at all and no social media posts have been posted, but we are trying not to expect the worst.”

Florida was the last place to be severly hit with the Catergory 4 beast. Other territories such as Puerto Rico. Janice Milian Guerrero has family in Puerto Rico who experienced strong wings, flooding, and power outages.

Puerto Rico was next to the Virgin Islands which was strongly impacted by Irma. Knowing the conditions of other islands worried Guerrero more than she expected.

“I was worried about them during the hurricane because of how most of the house foundationds they live in were found,” Guerrero said.

At one point, Guerrero couldn’t get in touch with her family. “But now I am actually scared and stressed because I’m not able to communicate with them at all,” Guerrero said.

Irma is not the only hurricane that has hit Puerto Rico lately, hurricane Maria has left 100 percent of this small territory without power and allowing no one to be able to get in contact with them.

Many people were found homeless and are going to become homeless, Habitat for Humanity is allowing people to donate or help rebuild houses.

SIGN UP TODAY AT: https://www.habitat.org

If you know anyone who can volunteer to help donate near the Miami, Florida area take a look at unitedwaymiami.org

If you own an Airbnb, they are looking for people to volunteer to allow victims to stay there for free.

You can offer more things other than a place to stay.

Donate clothes, shoes, and other useful belongings to a local Salvation Army. For more information, visit HelpSalvation.org

LIFESTYLES 13

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

Everlasting night in Neverland

5 upcoming events for Homecoming week

Hoco Essentials

Your Homecoming emergency kit to make the dance a successful night

BY YABI BEREKET Lifestyles Editor With the Homecoming dance slowly approaching, leadership continues to work hard to make Homecoming week something worth while.

The way that Homecoming week works is that leadership plans a boisterous week of various fun activities for the student body to participate in, along with teachers too.

All of these events lead up to the big game which takes place on a Friday. The next day will be the Homecoming dance.

Each year, there is a new theme for the dance, and this year that theme is A Night in Neverland, based off of the Disney movie: Peter Pan.

PHOTO CREDIT: ANISSA CHEIKH

PORTABLE CHARGER

1

SPIRIT WEEK Spirit week will be from Oct. 2-6 and as usual, leadership will decide what the theme for each day will follow. The theme for each day of the week leading up to Homecoming in most cases ties into the theme of the dance to get students hyped up for it.

The spirit days this year are Pan vs.

Hook Monday (superhero vs. villain), lost boys club Tuesday (wacky tacky), find your shadow Wednesday( twin day), never grow up Thursday (pajama day), and think happy thoughts Friday (freshmen wear red, sophomore white, juniors grey and seniors togas or black).

There are more posters around the school and in the cafeteria which will have more information on the spirit days and what to wear and how you can participate. “ I love having pajama day as a spirit day in school since it’s just comfy clothes, so I’m happy that they will do that again this year” said sophomore Melat Haimanot. As students are dressing up for the spirit days, many teachers like to dress up to show their school spirit too. On the last day of the spirit week, students dress up in their class colors, and represent their class during the pep rally. In the class competition, also known as battle of the classes. " Me and my friends have made plans to twin with each

Junior Anissa Cheikh and senior Amani Muntu participate in tourist day last year. other to match for find your Beyene. “Coach Jennison was the pershadow Wednesday" said Haimanot son who got pied in the face last year FLICK ON THE FIELD for half of the event, and we’re thinking of having him or someone else as Flick-on-the-field will be on the victim.” There will be a whole lot of Oct. 2. at 7p.m. There is a $5 entrance, and students can bring snacks and there will be freshly grilled burgers and hotdogs served throughout blankets and picnic baskets to have the event. “MSA will also have a henna while watching the movie. Grown Ups station”said Kindling. Almost all of is the movie they will be showing and these events will cost some money so be the flick will be played on the basesure to keep cash on you to try some of ball field. The movie consists of a well everything. known cast, and will guarantee a lot of laughing. Even though the movie will HOMECOMING GAME be projected in a field, it would be wise The Homeocming game will be to try and come early so you could get on Oct.6, at 7p.m.This is what all a good seat. It will be projected on a of Homecoming week and it's fun events big screen for everyone to watch. Peohave been leading up to. he Homecomple who attend the fun filled night can ing football game will begin with the also bring lawn chairs to sit back and Atoms playing against the Griffins this relax. This has been an on-going tradiyear. After their win last year against tion starting since 2015, and continues the Wolverines, the Atoms have been to stay because of the fun it provides for feeling confident in their ability to do students, and opportunity it gives for well for this upcoming game. It is a $5 students to be with friends. entrance to get in, but if you come during half time, the game will be free.

THE TAILGATE With the screams and cheers of friends, Then there will be the annual family, and the famous hype squad, tailgate which will be on Oct.6, there is strong hope and belief of the from 4-6 p.m. after school. This tailgate will take place right in front of the Atoms bringing home the win. school in the parking lot. This is a good HOMECOMING DANCE opportunity for school clubs to try and The homeomcing dance will be set up their own little carnival type on Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. This is what booth to raise funds for their clubs. “I many students have been anticipatknow a lot of the classes, the student ing. Homecoming this year seems to be government classes are coming out for so soon and leaves people in a rush to the tailgate, and I know that the senior quickly get things planned and ready class is doing the throw eggs at Mackfor the big night. Whether or not the enzie, there’s also going to be a lot of Atoms win the game the day before, food” said senior Rebecca Kindling. students don’t let that affect the fun Many of the clubs will either have fun they’ll have during the homecoming games set up such as a pie-in-the-face dance. The theme of the dance is an booth which will be done by the class of enchanted night in Neverland, based 2019, or a backdrop with accessories to off of the Disney movie Peter Pan. The take pictures with as they did last year. school gym and jock lobby will be dec“I hope that our pie booth will be sucorated with cool designs related to the cessful for us, because it seemed to be movie. a big hit last year”said junior Sesen

CUTE DRESS/OUTFIT

Picking out a homecoming dress is a very crucial and tedious thing for girls to deal with; you wouldn't want to get a dress that doesn't match your shoes. Make sure to pick a nice outfit so you look fabulous on the big night. Make sure it's school appropriate.

2

4

3

What are your plans for Homecoming?

JACKSON FORNARIS freshman I’m probably just going to go with a group of friends because I don’t really want to go with anyone since I’m not seeing anyone at the moment. Anyways, I really just want to have fun with my friends.

SARAH WHEATLEY freshman I’m going to get ready with my friends and go to the dance, then afterwards go out to eat. I’m sleeping over at someones' house.

Also, we’re going to try and go roller skating in our dresses and go to Home Depot in our dresses.

JONATHAN VENTURA sophomore I’m going to find a friend to do my makeup; I can do my own hair and then change.

After that, I’m probably going to go back home with my friends and eat pizza.

ANAHI OBREGO sophomore I’m going to go home, get ready with my friends and have them help me with my makeup. Then after that, we might just take pictures together and have a little photoshoot and then head out.

DAVID BETANCO junior I’m going to try and go looking nice, wearing a suit, pants, whatever, kind of dressy and also see if I can find my future wife in there. I plan on going with some of my closest friends and probably go out to eat at IHOP after. It’s my first year going, so I hope it’ll be lit.

HEMEN BESUFEKAD junior Well, my plans for Homecoming is that me and my friends meet up at one of our houses, probably mine, then we all get ready all together. We’re going to stay for the whole time and then go out to eat at Barnside Diner.

DAWIT WONDWOSEN senior My plans for Homecoming are to probably get ready and dressed, go with some of my friends and get something to eat. Then head down to school and get loco for hoco.

MANOA RAHARINAIVO senior Basically, I’m going to get my hair done, my nails, my makeup, well everything. My boyfriend will pick me up and we’re gonna go take pictures,-we don’t know where yet, then go to dinner. Then we'll go to the dance for about an hour and a half, and then go home and watch a movie.

PERFUME/DEODORANT

Because you will be dancing all night in a crowd of sweaty people, you don’t want to end up smelling gross things, or be the one producuing nasty smells.

Make sure you bring a travel size deodorant to freshen up when needed.

MONEY

Just in case of emergency or if you just want to buy a little snack or some dinner before or after the dance, make sure to have cash on you.

WALLET/PURSE For all the supplies you will be bringing to the dance, make sure to bring a handy purse or wallet to contain all your necessities.

WATER Since food and beverage will not be provided for you at the dance, it's wise to bring your own water bottle to avoid dehydration.

Homecoming not worth the hype

BY YABI BEREKET Lifestyles Editor Since freshmen year, I’ve attended two Homecomings, but this year, I’m still deciding whether or not going is still on my list.

What I’ve imagined Homecoming to be was something similar to the basic generalization usually seen on television: good music for everyone, a little snack/punch bar and really just an opportunity to have a good time with friends.

Maybe it was just bad luck, but my first experience at Homecoming was not something I expected, in a good and bad way.

I wasn’t very knowledgeable of the expenses that would go into Homecoming such as buying a dress, shoes, a ticket for $20, and more. Once I realized how much would be going into this, I really raised my expectations for the dance.

Once I arrived, all the decorations that were put up looked good, and so far I was feeling excited.

I figured since it was Homecoming, they would be playing a variety of music. I’m someone who doesn’t listen to any type of trap music at all, but I figured Homecoming music would be comprised of a mixture of something for everyone.

Unfortunately, the music was the first downfall of the night. Besides the one Jackson 5 and mainstream radio song they played, the night consisted of endless rap/trap music, which I’m not a huge fan of.

With my freshmen year being my first Homecoming, I had reasonable expectations, I mean, who wouldn’t? Yet I felt as though there were so many gaping holes in my first experience.

But the number one thing which probably phased me the most was there was no food at the dance.

PHOTO CREDIT: SESEN BEYENE

PHOTO CREDIT: ANISSA CHEIKH

5

Leadership students help set up homecoming last year.

Before making your way to the dance, you should charge your cell phone ahead of time, but bring a charger just in case of an emergency. You don't want to miss an important call or an opportunity to take good pictures.

Date night Date night Juniors Sesen Beyene and Kevin Mendoza attend Homeocming in 2016.

I based my knowledge of school dances off of what I watched on TV or in movies, so I was kind of disappointed.

I wasn’t “in the know” about going out to eat before or after the dance and I didn’t think it really mattered since I thought there would be refreshments there.

I spent the night very hungry and tired of hearing the same genre of music over and over again.

While all of that was happening,

people were dancing really “interestingly” around me while I stuck to my go-to move the sprinkler.

Besides these parts which were a downer for me, I did eventually get used to the atmosphere which was very different from my taste and ended up generally having a good time.

Homecoming is something I think everyone should experience at least once, but going again doesn’t seem appealing for me in the near future.

14 PEOPLE

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

If you could take a gap year, what would you do?

RYLIE ZIMMERMAN freshman “If I had a gap year, I would stay home and sit on the couch playing video games.”

PRINCE AGYEMAN freshman “I would go to Europe to explore their culture, food, and places.”

Having decided to take a break for the next school year, 2017 AHS graduate Kimberly Romero travels alone to Yanachocha, Ecuador to help aid wild life recovery

Alumna begins gap year in Ecuador Graduate travels to take care of exotic animals

HAKIM IDRIS sophomore “I would go somewhere by the water and swim for hours, but first, I’d have to learn how to swim first.”

BY BINQI CHEN Co-Editor in Chief She gets up every morning to the sound of tropical birds outside her window. Lost in the chirps and the nature around her, she forgets where she is for a quick moment. This is how alumna Kimberly Romero begins her mornings in Yanacocha, Ecuador.

Romero, graduating from AHS in 2017 as an accomplished IB diploma candidate, had decided to take a gap year before the beginning her freshman year of college at the wildlife sanctuary in Yanacocha, Ecuador.

At the sanctuary, Romero gets to work hands-on with many of the native animals of Ecuador.

“We work with Coates, toucans, margays, capuchin monkeys, chichicos, chorongos, turtles, alligators, sloths, griffins, raccoons, and several different types of birds,” Romero said.

“There are more animals there too but the veterinarians care for many of them.”

According to Romero, rather than being locked in cages or constrained in small areas, Yanacocha provides the animals with a sense of independence and freedom.

KALKIDAN TUCKER sophomore “For a gap year in college, I would go to a lot of different or the places from each continents and learn different cultures.”

RIC GARCIA junior “I would probably take a vacation to Europe and just chill there with my friends. I’d probably be visiting some places, meeting new people, and having fun.”

[Left] Kimberly Romero poses with her coworkers on a hike through the Amazon Rainforest, [Right] Romero saw many beautiful sites around the Amazon Rainforest, including this waterfall Every weekday, Romero is assigned to two shifts. She gets breakfast at 7:00 a.m. and at 8:30 a.m., her morning shift starts. This shift lasts until noon.

Romero and her fellow workers at the sanctuary have sessions of different tasks and duties.

“We have rounds which consist of feeding the animals,” said Romero. “This includes mammals, monkeys, and birds and cleaning their areas.”

After her break, Romero’s afternoon shift consists of similar tasks. This shift starts at 2:30 p.m. and will run until 5:00 p.m. When she has some down time after finishing her rounds

around the sanctuary, Romero is tasked with extra work which can be activities like building homes for the animals or cleaning different areas.

After the conclusion of her afternoon shift, the rest of the day is free time for Romero to explore do whatever she wishes.

Romero had been planning her trip to Ecuador for quite some time now. She decided to travel alone and experience adulthood to the fullest extent.

Having only been in Yanacocha for a week, Romero already feels a deep connection to both the people at the sanctuary and the locals as well.

“I’ve only been in Yana Cocha for four days and I already feel like I’ve known the people here my whole life,” Romero said.

“Everyone is really motivated to help out in any way possible and it’s just a great environment to be in.”

During her time in Ecuador, Romero will have the opportunity to explore the beautiful South American country first hand. The sanctuary that Romero works at even has its own reserve on the rainforest.

Visiting the reserve, although having to overcome a long and arduous hike has become one of Romero’s most memorable

Out with the old, in with the new Fresh out of college, new math teacher follows Choi’s legacy

BY HENRY HOANG People Editor There’s a new occupant in the once crowded and roaring room 205. After math teacher Hee Choi left to teach at Thomas Jefferson High school for Science and Technology, Evaristo Martins has taken over the room.

Martins began training for this role in the last months of last year’s school year, this time of training allowed him to get a feel for his classroom as well a feel for this new environment.

This time was crucial because it allowed Martins to begin his teaching role with experience already under his belt.

Before Martins even got here, Martins was getting lessons from Mr.Choi.

Mr.Choi told Martins to plan ahead of time. He suggested to Martins to set all lessons by the end of the first quarter.

Martins, a recent graduate from Virginia Tech, is now teaching the IB SL math classes.

Teaching college level math classes may even present a challenge to an experienced teacher, but coming fresh out of college himself, Martins is surely

having a much different experience.

“The transition from college to a teacher was a little rough, because college wasn’t the best time for me,” Martins said.

Now that Martins has taken over room 205, he has a tough responsibility to hack at from the amount of tests, quizzes, and homework.

“I will never be done grading. If I am, I have to be sure to hand them back just to receive a new wave of homework, quizzes, and tests,” Martins said.

The other teachers at Annandale have made Martins transition a bit smoother and easier for him by giving him tips about teaching.

“Mr.Bumbaca showed me how to do homework quizzes,” said Martins. “Ms. Han taught me how to write quizzes.”

Martin’s most memorable moment was getting to know the students. Martins has gotten to know the students by how they’ve been acting in class.

“Some are crazy, shy, loud, or just normal,” Martins said.

As Martin teaches, he tries to figure out the best way for them to learn. Students learn from different ways and it is important for teachers to understand how to teach them best.

“I actually like Martin’s teaching style, people are just used to Choi and the way he taught that’s why they don’t like Martin’s, but I gave him a chance and he’s actually pretty good,” senior Rudy Flores said.

Although, initial transition was difficult, he is learning to make Annandale a fun experience for himself and his students.

He continues to bond with them and expand their understanding of the classes, trigonometry and calculus.

Even though it was a diffucult role to fill, Martins has dove into becoming an IB math teacher and will continue to strive for better techniques about teaching as the year progresses.

adventures.

“My favorite experience so far was being fortunate enough to go to Tamandua,” Romero said.

“It is about an hour drive from Puyo, Ecuador.”

On the reserve in Tamandua, the sanctuary releases any animals that have been fully recovered. Romero hopes to continue exploring places such as the Amazon and Yanacocha during her stay in Ecuador. “It’s really an awesome experience! I’ve met people from all over the world and traveling alone these past few days has really taught me a lot,” Romero said.

IDRIS DAHIR junior “I would want to travel and pursue my dream of be coming a professional harmonica player.”

KEVIN HOANG senior “I would stay in the area because traveling is expensive and staying at home relaxing would be nice.”

HUMANS OF AHS

I was in fourth grade when I decided I wanted to be an actress or a singer. Call me naive, but I was determined to become the next star.

I thought I had a better shot of breaking into the film industry than music.

My goal was to be on Disney Channel or another televsion broadcast channel and get to say “I’m Michelle Akl and you’re watching Disney Channel.

I spent months bugging my parents into getting me into acting classes. They eventually gave into my cries and pleas.

One year and $3000 later I was enrolled in an acting program for six weeks.

Through this short month and a half, I learned a lot and had a lot of fun during the process.

As a ten-year-old, I thought that I would be able to make it big someday and win a thousand Oscars and Emmy’s.

I was such a foolish little girl.

I think it is cute that every child has a dream. It doesn’t matter if that dream may seem unattainable. That’s what being a kid is for.

I eventually grew out of that whole acting phase and started

MICHELLE AKL senior focusing more on choir. I have been involved with the chorus programs at my elementary, middle, and high school.

I’m still enrolled in the choir program to this day. I love the friends that I have made through singing and I hope to continue on with singing as a side passion once I graduate.

However, I do regret spending so much money on something that I have not kept up with to this day.

Although, if you asked me today, I could cry on the spot with tears.

So I guess that came in handy and those lessons eventually did serve some purpose.

SPORTS X-TRA 15

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

Sports traditions upheld Teams participate in rituals to build team chemistry and spirit

BY JUDE NANAW Sports X-tra Editor Throughout the years of school sports, players and coaches have changed but one thing has remained the same each season: team traditions.

At AHS sports teams have their select traditions which they take part in each season.

Some traditions are known and seen by the whole school whereas others are kept between the teammates themselves.

One team tradition is an event that takes place during the fall sports season known as the Dig Pink volleyball game.

This is held by the Atoms volleyball team each season in order to raise awareness for breast cancer.

“I think the dig pink tradition is really good because it’s for a good cause,” junior Efrata Tecle said. “It’s fun that a lot of people come to the event to watch and there’s a lot of spirit in the crowd.”

Raising awareness can be a common theme in any team traditions as seen with the dig pink volleyball game.

Team traditions are also used as a way to motivate a team before a game. This gets a team energized and ready for a match-up.

“I like participating in the traditions because it gets us pumped up for games and they’re fun to be a part of,”

The Atoms volleyball team team takes part in their dig pink tradition to raise awareness about breast cancer before a game last season.

Tecle said.

Another team tradition commonly visible in the halls of school during the winter sports season is the swim teams tradition of dyeing their hair different colors.

However, the whole team is not required to do so, only swimmers who are willing.

“Before conference the guys dye their hair blonde and the girls dye the tips of their hair red,” junior Alejandro Casquino said. “We do that so that we can have good luck and swim fast.”

Participating in team traditions can also provide bonding opportunities for teammates.

Better bonding can lead to an improvement in communication which will help the team during swim meets.

“It was fun dyeing our hair because you get to bond with your teammates and everyone looks at you funny the next day,” Casquino said.

A team tradition that takes place during spring is a collaborative effort between the boys and girls lacrosse teams.

Each season the boys and girls lacrosse teams have a dinner prior to their respective games against the W.T. Woodson Cavaliers.

At the dinner, the girls select a boy and take his home jersey.

The following day, the boys wear their away jerseys and the girls wear the boys’ home jerseys.

“I love switching jerseys and having the big team dinner before the Woodson game,” junior Kayla Holcomb said. “It really brings us all together as a team to have fun and hang out with each other.”

All in all, traditions are truly an essential part of being able to be a team. They are special things that are unique to each individual team.

“Having a tradition really makes you feel like a close team,” Casquino said.

Traditions bring players together, create bonding and enhance communication between teammates which is important and will show both on and off the field.

Sports teams managers put in effort to complete important tasks

Q. How do you prepare for field hockey in the offseason?

A. This year I swam and ran during the summer to stay in shape. I also tried to watch what I ate, but I ended up eating everything in sight; swimming made me very hungry Q. Is it difficult to balance school aong with sports?

A. Sometimes I have those days where I ask myself, “Why do I do this?” But school and sports go well together. It keeps me on a strict schedule of school, practice, eat, and homework and studies.

Senior field hockey manager Lydia Peters works on bookkeeping and keeping track of time-outs, player substitutions and stats of players during a game against the Lee Lancers on Sept. 19. respective teams.

“My most important job is to encourage and help set an atmosphere that allows the team to enjoy playing the game,” Peters said. “This is done at practices, games and in the halls of school.”

Often times former players of a team become a manager for the team in a later season.

“I chose to be a manager for cross

country because I didn’t want to run this season,” senior cross country manager Sammy Wondwossen said.

“But I still wanted to be able to help out the team in some way.”

Being a team manager can potentially have a stressful aspect to it as well. With multiple responsibilities as a manager, time could be tight.

“The only stressful part of being a manager to me is managing the

time it takes out of your schedule,” Leahy said. “We have day long tournaments, daily two hour practices, and games that could last for multiple hours too.”

At the end of the day, being a manager has many responsibilities and tasks to fulfill, but their role is essential to their team’s success.

Students hyped for Fantasy Football With another NFL season underway, the return of fantasy football is here as well. Again this year are multiple options including high stakes and money rewarding sites such as Fanduel and DraftKings.

Also back is the better known NFL and ESPN Fantasy Football in which those partaking can create leagues and compete against friends.

“The best thing about fantasy football to me is that you get to draft your own team that’s special to you,” senior Joseph McCoy said.

Many students have joined and created leagues with fellow classmates and adjust line-ups from week to week in order to have the best chance to garner the most fantasy

Q. How long have you been playing field hockey?

A. I started playing field hockey freshman year. So this year will be my fourth season.

Q. What other sports do you play and which is your favorite?

A. Along with field hockey, I do indoor track where I long jump, throw shot put and hurdle.

In the spring I play lacrosse. If I had to pick I would pick lacrosse in a heartbeat.

BY JUDE NANAW Sports X-tra Editor

BY JUDE NANAW Sports X-tra Editor

Senior field hockey player enters final season

Q. What made you want to start paying field hockey?

A. I actually wanted to play volleyball freshman year, but my mom and my best friend Caitlin said to try field hockey. I also thought it was similar to lacrosse but I was way off.

Managers work hard behind the scenes

As the audience watches the game play on, they do not know about how much work team managers are putting in behind the scenes.

Manager duties consist of bookkeeping, timing, scorekeeping, analyzing stats and more.

“Some of my tasks as manager are keeping track of stats during games and practices and also averaging them,” senior volleyball manager Michael Leahy said. “I also have to keep track of points, time-outs, turnovers and record every substitution made all at a very fast pace.”

All school sports teams typically have at least one team manager to fulfill important day to day tasks.

Managers usually consist of current students who are looking to assist a team in different ways.

“I became a manager because I knew I wouldn’t be able to play another season, but I couldn’t just leave the sport,” senior field hockey manager Lydia Peters said. “”Being a manager has allowed me to still be involved and be a part of the team.”

Along with managing things like scorekeeping, timing, bookkeeping and equipment, managers have the important role of motivating and encouraging players on their

Player Profile: McKenzie Yi

points and win.

“My favorite part of fantasy football is competing against my friends and trying to beat them by having a better team,” junior Patrick Brown said.

Despite drafting and selecting players in the beginning of a fantasy football season, injuries, suspensions or underperformance of a player can result in having to reshuffle and adjust player lineups for that weeks games.

“My biggest bust was David Johnson because I thought he would get me a lot of fantasy points but he ended up getting injured,” McCoy said.

Along with underperforming players, fantasy teams typically have one or two most valuable players that consistently rack up the most fantasy points throughout each week of

the season.

“One of my most valuable players is probably Todd Gurley from the Rams since he always gets me a lot of points” Brown said.

In order to be successful in fantasy football, it is critical to follow the sport and examine which players to start, sit or add to your team in order to increase chances of winning.

Also keep an eye out for “sleeper players”, players that can have productive fantasy weeks but are not too well known or recognized.

“Kareem Hunt is one of my sleeper players because he’s one of the best running backs but not that many people know him,” McCoy said, Be sure to take a look at this upcoming weeks sleeper picks.

Underrated players that could have a productive week fantasy wise.

Q. How do you prepare before a game?

A. Before every game, I always eat a peanut better jelly sandwich with a glass of milk, and watch YouTube or Netflix. I also pray and ask God that our team does well and stay away from injuries. Then I take a quick power nap to clear my mind and focus on the game.

Q. What are your future goals in field hockey?

A. At the end of this season I hope our team will win some games and hopefully win the new district title. After high school, I would love to go to college and play both field hockey and lacrosse at the D3 level.

Week Four: Fantasy Football Picks of the Week *Stats as of September 21st * JAMEIS WINSTON Quarterback-Tampa Bay Completion % 61.0 Yards - 204 Touchdowns- 1 Interceptions - 0

CAIRO SANTOS Kicker- Kansas City FG Attempts - 2 FG Made - 2 XP Attempts - 9 XP Made- 9 Points- 15

KAREEM HUNT Running BackKansas City Attempts - 30 Yards - 229 Average YDS - 7.6 Touchdowns - 3 Receptions - 8

MICHAEL CRABTREE Wide RecieverOakland Receptions - 12 Yards - 163 Average YD - 13.6 Longest REC: 26 Touchdowns: 3

ZACH ERTZ Tight End-Philadelphia Receptions - 13 Yards - 190 Average YDS 14.6 Longest REC - 53 Touchdowns - 0

TODD GURLEY Running BackLos Angeles Attempts - 63 Yards - 241 Average YDS - 3.8 Touchdowns - 4 Receptions - 13

JAGUARS DEFENSE Defense/ST-Jacksonville Tackles - 95 Sacks - 11 Interceptions - 2 Fumble Recoveries - 3

TEXANS DEFENSE Defense/ST-Houston Tackles - 142 Sacks - 3 Interceptions - 0 Fumble Recoveries - 2

16 SPORTS

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

Athlete Spotlight: Julia Ghiselli Julia Ghiselli is a freshman on the Varsity Cross Country team. She is also one of top runners in the country.

Besides taking honors classes she likes to run, play with her pet and hang out with friends. Looking at freshman Julia Ghiselli you wouldn’t such power to come from such a small person.

How did you discover your interest for running?

When I was little I loved playing tag, and I still do! My Dad would play intense tag games with me. I remember having so much fun. I joined the cross country team in third grade, and I loved it. I especially liked to race. My Mom signed me up for a few kids races, and I had a blast. I was never nervous back then.

What are your main motivations for doing cross country?

Being part of a team really motivates me. I always want to do the best I can, and I want to make my team proud. I would love to break one of the records at Annandale HS. How have your friends and family supported you?

I am so lucky to be part of the cross country team. The first day of practice I remember that everyone from the team, boys and girls, welcomed me like they knew me for years. They immediately accepted me. I never imagined having such a caring team. They always encourage me during practice,

Which fall sport do you think most improved this season?

they pump me up by playing music, they take my mind off of the pressure, they always look out for me, they make me laugh. I love being part of the team.

I look forward to every practice after school. My family is really supportive, including my dog. She loves to race with me.

What do you like most about your coaches?

All my coaches are hard working.

They really care about us, and they want us to succeed. I love that Coach Harris makes sure everyone is alright. I love that Coach Scarborough is always positive. I love that Coach Ciccarelli makes the long runs fun.

Who is your favorite sport hero?

I am inspired by many runners, especially Scott Jurek, Kathrine Switzer, and Rory Bosio. They are all amazing runners and great examples for young athletes.

How has being an athlete made you a better person?

Running has taught me patience and perseverance. I learned to accept outcomes, good or bad, and learned from my mistakes. Running helps me to concentrate and release the stress from the school day.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

The best advice I have ever received was from my Mom. She told me that it doesn’t matter what place or time you got. It doesn’t matter how you look.

What matters is that you tried your very best.

MARIAM SESAY freshman “Field Hockey because we have been working really hard at practice and I feel like we are improving a lot based on how we were at the beginning of the season.”

DANNY SALISBURY freshman “Football because last year we were 3-6 and right now we are 2-1 and we already almost have the same about of wins three games into the season that we all had last year.”

PHOTO COURTESY ANNANDALE ATHLETICS

BY KHADIJA AHMED Staff Writer

Julia Ghiselli runs on the left at Oatlands Invitational on Sept. 16 which she eventually placed second.

What is your daily training routine?

My training varies each week. It consists of long, hard runs, easy runs and speed training.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I usually don’t have much free time, but when I do, I like to relax. I also like to spend time with my family, friends, and dog. I love to dance and to learn new moves.

What is your favorite song to listen to prior to competing?

I like any songs that are fast and upbeat.

ABBY KITILA sophomore “Cross Country because they are working hard at practice and they have been qualifying for regionals.”

RYAN FOWLER sophomore “Football because it is the only sport I keep up to date with but from what I have see we have improved tremendously from us practicing throughout the summer untill now and we are going to be really good.”

How do you calm down if you’re feeling nervous before competing?

I like to talk to my teammates. It helps me focus on them and not on my race. I also like to be distracted by listening to music.

I get to relax. Also, my Mom gives me a good massage.

How did you feel when you got first place at the Monroe Parker invitational?

I was tired, but once I saw my teammates, coaches, and family waiting for me I got a surge of energy. It was amazing to hear my teammates chanting my name at the last hill. I felt so happy to have the whole team there.

What is one thing you always do after a good performance?

NANCY LOPEZ junior “Football because they got new players and they are improving in their skills and I have been going to their games and they have been doing really well.”

HERSON CRUZ junior “Football because we are 2-1 and we have a better offense and defense this year.”

What are your long term goals for yourself regarding cross country?

My main goal is to try my very best at all my races. I am trying to train smart and avoid injuries.

Are there any events you don’t like to do?

Track is not my favorite, especially the 800m. However, it helps me become a stronger cross country runner.

Do you know what college you want to go to, and will you be doing cross country there?

MARIAM MOHAMMED senior “Cross Country because they got a lot of new freshman athletes.”

EDGAR FALLA senior “Football because I feel like their are some new people that can help improve the team.”

Fairfax Rebels edge out Atoms close game PHOTO COURTESY ANISSA CHEIKH

Atoms fall just short of a win against the Rebels 21-20

Following its recent tough 61-40 loss against Robinson High School, the varsity Football team had prepared to redeem itself during its subsequent game against the Fairfax High School Rebels on Sept. 22 at Fairfax.

The AHS team trained hard both mentally and physically for the matchup against the Rebels, but in the final seconds of the game, fell short of a win with a final score of 20-21.

The Atoms had a chance to score a field goal at the end, but the Rebels took advantage of the time and prevented such from happening. Towards the end of the game the play was over, but the Rebels picked up the football and ran with it even though the play was over.

The referee didn’t blow his whitsle, so the clock kept running.

The Atoms took a huge blow in the final seconds of the game, which resulted in a one- point loss. They have now dropped to last in their district, 3 region, and just below 3-2 T.C. Williams.

Despite the narrow loss, the Atoms went in strong and finished strong.

During the first quarter, the Atoms looked great and prepared to win the game possibly by a blowout, dominating possession and scoring opportunities.

On its first offensive play, the Rebels threw an interception to the right side giving the Atoms the chance to take the lead. A long pass was thrown downfield toward the middle of the field where an Annandale wide receiver beat and tripped up his defensive opponent. He caught the pass and jogged easily into the endzone, putting Atoms up 7-0.

The Rebels started out slow and missed their first field goal attempt.

On their next drive, the on-fire Atoms defense forced the second turnover of the game with a fumble recovery to end the first quarter.

The second quarter was quite literally the exact opposite and the Rebels dominated. The Atoms’ defense seemed

PHOTO COURTESY KENZIE GARDENR

BY ALEX BURITA Staff Writer

Junior Ayman Elhag (left) lines up with senior Jack Mcrossin (middle) preparing to run their offensive play. to tire out as the Rebels scored. Every score seemed to easily penetrate the Atoms defense. The Rebels’ offense was also working harder and looked like the better team with their intensity at that time. Rolling into halftime, the Atoms knew they needed to change strategy quickly to close the 21-7 gap.

Something clicked in the Atoms’ defense as the next two quarters left the Rebels scoreless. Slowly, the AHS offense was improving with more opportunities and a higher intensity of quick play.

This led up to a second score of the game, which was a handoff to number 25 who broke many tackles to score and put the Atoms down by only 7.

The fourth quarter went down to the wire with only six and a half minutes of play left. Number 25 was the star. The running back took the Atoms’ defense to inside the opponent’s 10 yard line on five straight, huge, positive runs, giving the atoms what could be their last chance to win this high stakes game.

The Rebels did everything possible to hold off the feisty Atoms by forcing a fourth down.

The Atoms needed a touchdown or else the Rebels would gain possession and run down the clock. Right when they needed it, a pass was tossed to number 4 who was double covered. An endzone run seemed unlikely seeing it was only about a 6 yard pass and he still needed to somehow gain 8 more yards running the ball. But, somehow he did.

It was an amazing touchdown and it left Rebels fans speechless.

The score was now 20 Atoms-21 Rebels. An extra point would tie the game would send the game into overtime giving the atoms a good chance to win, but luck seemed to run out with a high snap that went over the hands of the holder.

The Rebels recovered and gained possession of the ball.

For four full minutes the Rebels just ran down the clock with every second making both Annandale fans and players more desperate for a score or anything to win the game. Just then, an unexpected pass play at just 1 minute of play left came to the right side for the Rebels. A clutch and very much needed interception was made by number 3 of the Atoms. To give Annandale another

chance.

With a high intensity and quick style of play, the Atoms marched down to the 20 yard line with only about 8 seconds to go in the game. “Our offensice unit we know we can score on any team so we just made sure we all did our jobs with urgency and pace,” junior Devin Gill said. According to Quarterback Devin Gill and Wide Receiver Ayman Elhag, a pass was thrown to the right side of the field with the intent to run the ball out of bounds and stop the clock.

Unfortunately for the Atoms, the referees let the clock run down to 0.4 seconds before the ball was handed back to them. Because of this, the game ended because it was impossible to get a play off in that time.

It was very disappointing because it could have been easy for a field goal to be made to win the game. Only two seconds or so more would be necessary for this.

Also according to Devin and Ayman, The Atoms could have easily won the game by possibly a blowout if they played with the same intensity and mindset that they had towards the end.

Coach John Jennison stands with Varsity golf starters senior JannLynn Ngo and junior Annisa Cheikh after a match.

Golf Preview

BY MAHDI LARHMARI Staff Writer As golf gets ready to swing for a great season, all the players, coaches, and fans hope for a successful turnaround in the season. So far, golf has a one win and five losses and hope for a successful second half of the season.

Anissa Cheikh, a junior, is playing golf for her first time.

“My friend’s dad taught me a little about golf and I would always go with him when he played. I also had clubs so I decided to try it out,” Cheikh said.

This past Monday, Sept. 18, Annandale took on Mt. Vernon. Annandale came up on top with a score of 220 to 202. Even though Cheikh did well, she did want to improve on some mistakes to become flawless. “I need to improve my swing so I can have a full swing and not get frustrated,” Cheikh said.

AHS defeated Mt.Vernon 220-202 on Sept.18.

The golf team have goals to finish strong this season and turn their record into a winning record. Players like Anissa also set goals for themselves to reach and surpass them.

“My goals this season are to just keep working hard to improve and become better for next year,” Cheikh said.

AHS next game will be the the Districts on Sept. 26 and the game will take place at Mt. Vernon country club.

SPORTS 17

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

XC face off at invitationals Cross country squads stick it out in hot and humid weather at Oatlands and Hood College

COURTESY OF ABBEY YARED

BY ELIAS MOURA Staff Writer

Junior Abbey Yared runs at the Utica Park Invitaional in Frederick, MD against 26 other high schools.

Which fall sport is most underrated?

BENNETT STENBURG freshman I think cross country is definitely an underrated sport. A lot of hard work and preparation goes into it, but not many people know about it.

CAITLIN PRZYWARA freshman Cross country is the most underrated sport I would say. I think it’s just not that interesting and its not very exciting to watch so not many people pay attention to it.

Saturday was quite the day for the boys and girls cross country teams.

Sept. 16 was seen by many of the players as a successful day.

The boys varsity cross country team ran at an invitational race in Hood College, Maryland. According to their coach, the boys lived up to their standards.

“The boys team is almost twice as big as last year’s team and many of the guys were racing a full 5,000 meters for the first time,” boys varsity coach Dave Ciccarelli said.

“The weather was not on our sides, it was hot and humid so times were not as fast as they could’ve been, but, in general, we ran well.”

“Saturday went pretty well for me, I hit a personal best time along with most of my time, and I also got a medal,” junior Abbey Yared said, a runner for varsity, agreeing with his coach.

The medal was well earned, with Yared running an impressive 17:04 5k.

Ciccarelli thinks the team is improving very well.

“Last year was the first year under the new high mileage and heavy intervals system and the goal was to advance from conference to regionals in three years. The guys did it in one. This year,

WALTER HERNANDEZ sophomore I think golf is the most underrated fall sport because no one really cares about it or watches it. It’s not really appreciated by many people.

ANAHI OBREEGEN sophomore I think the most underrated fall sport is golf.

No one really watches it or plays it.

the goals are to win the Gunston District meet and to improve significantly on our 12th place (out of 14 teams) regional finish of last year, ” Ciccarelli said.

With the boys team consistently getting better and with new talents on the team, Ciccarelli wants to look even further with his goals.

His icing on the cake goal would be to send an individual or two to the State Championship meet.

The team can see their goals in reach, and the coaches and the players are ready to put as much work in to be able to accomplish those goals.

“The boys squad is improving each week by putting in the hard miles and doing the tough interval work.

The Varsity boys have been averaging about 50 mile per week for the past month or so and even the JV boys are

“I also think that staying hydrated in days prior is really important because it gets super hot on the day of the race.”

--VITALINA FUENTES

junior

between 35 and 45,” Ciccarelli said.

“We’ve been doing at least two sessions of interval training each week including some killer repeat thousands at Poe Middle School under simulated cross country conditions and some really tough repeat hill workouts in Wakefield

BILAL RASHEED junior I think golf is the most underrated fall sport because many people do not even know about it. Not many people do it because you have to pay for your own equipment, so I think they are slept on.

EMAN JARADAT junior I think that cross country is the most underrated fall sport. I think it’s because they work really hard, but not really that many people pay attention to them or how they are doing in meets and stuff.

Park,”Ciccarelli said.

“We run these workouts several times a season and the data shows consistent improvement for those athletes who apply themselves.”

Yared sees these goals also, and he agrees with his coach with his goals for the season and how he can accomplish them.

“By running everyday, finishing my workouts, and with nonstop training I think winning the conference as a team is very manageable. I also aim to place top 5 in the conference,” Yared said.

The girls also had a meet that day.

They ran at a meet called Oatlands, alongside the company of Loudoun Valley, Stuart, South County, and many others.

Junior Vitalina Fuentes was one of the girls varsity runners from Saturday.

“I personally did not do as well as I’d hoped, however the other varsity girls did great as did the underclassmen,” Fuentes said.

Many girls had personal records, giving it their all as they went up “The Hill”, the toughest part of the course.

The varsity runner thinks improvement is necessary and she has a plan to do just that.

“We can improve by doing a few more hill workouts because the course was basically all hill. I also think that staying hydrated in days prior is really important because it gets super hot on the day of the race,” Fuentes said.

The boys’ next meet is on Sept. 30 quite a ways away in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and the girls’ next meet is on Sept. 27, at the Lee district cross country course.

Both cross country teams are looking forward to continuing their strong season and ending on a high note.

TYLER WESTFALL senior It’s definitely golf. It’s a very mental game.

If you mess up on one shot it can ruin your entire match. It can be hard to keep pushing forward after a bad shot.

JAILENE RIVERA senior I think the most underrated sport is golf because no one really goes to their matches. I don’t think anyone really knows that golf is a fall sport.

Field Hockey duels against the Lee Lancers

COURTESY OF RICH FINK

Girls fockey battles for a dramatic 2-1 victory in overtime against Lee

BY LUKE ELKINS Sports Editor

Serving it up Junior Efrata Tecle prepares to serve the ball in a game against Washington- Lee High School, in which they eventually lost 3-0.

COURTESY OF RICH FINK

The girls varsity field hockey team faced a tough battle against Robert E. Lee High School on Sept. 19 as they came from behind to defeat the Lancers 2-1.

The Lancers scored first, 10 minutes into the second half, and it seemed that the Atoms were going to be on the losing end of this game.

The girls did not want to lose, and kept playing tough, desperately searching for the win.

“We continued to push at the goal.

We were still working hard and it turned out that we got a penalty stroke with 9.7 seconds left and there was some discussion between the officials also it took a little while to set it up,” varsity head coach Cindy Hook said.

Senior McKenzie Yi stepped up and slotted the ball into the lower left corner, tying the game with nine seconds left.

“After McKenzie got the stroke, we realized we got this, we just need to stand up and not give up,” junior Kenzie Gardner said.

Sure enough, the team displayed their grit. In overtime, senior Megan Lee passed the ball off a corner to senior Caitlyn Schwartz, who smacked it in from the top of the circle.

“We never gave up, and we ended up winning with a very close score of 2-1,” Gardner said.

The team will be looking forward to the rest of the season, using the momentum they now possess.

“We’ve definitely been getting better every single game and we’ve made

Focus on the field Senior McKenzie Yi has her eyes on the ball in a game against Mount Vernon High School. big strides over the last three games, I would expect that we’re going to continue to do that,” Hook said.

“Everyone’s been doing great, we’re having fun, we’re working hard. We’ve gone around the conference one time, and we’re getting ready to start again, so we’re looking forward to measuring how much we’ve improved from our first time.”

Hook believes her team has what it takes to succeed for the rest of the season.

“We’ve got great leadership out of

our seniors that have been playing for three or four years together, so the teamwork and camaraderie they’ve got is definitely a big plus,” Hook said.

“We also have great goalkeepers, junior Sarah Hawkins and sophomore Kataryna Vejcik, who split time in the goal, and they both are doing great.

We have no weaknesses on our varsity squad.”

The field hockey team has four games left, and they will be looking to garner more wins on their way to the postseason.

Volleyball plays against Hayfield

BY MAHDI LAHRMARI Staff Writer On Sept. 19, the varsity volleyball team took on Hayfield High School.

The Atoms played the Hawks as best as they could, but they ultimately fell short, losing by a score of 3-0.

With the second part of the season awaiting the Atoms, they look to have a better second half of the season than the first, where they limped to an 0-14 record.

Even though the Atoms lost, they never gave up.

“We put up a really good fight. We never gave up on the court,” senior Jessica Roop said.

After the loss to the Hawks, the Atoms felt they had room for improvement.

“I think there is always something

I can improve on. My main focus is my skills. I want to improve on my passes and the power of my hits,” junior Alison Scott said.

Roop also felt she could make improvements, as she felt she could felt she could improve her passing.

With the second half of the season approaching, the Atoms are setting goals for themselves. All the players are looking to go above and beyond their goals.

“I think one goal everyone has is to win some games, although that may not always happen. Other than that, my goals for this season is to have fun no matter what happens,” Scott said, one of many players who will be looking to improve by setting goals for themself.

The Atoms will next be taking on Mount Vernon High School on Sept. 26 and look to improve on what’s been a shaky season.

18 ENTERTAINMENT

Tue. Sept. 26, 2017 COURTESY OF KENDALL MCCLEARY

Left: The Weeknd performed at The Verizon Center on Sept. 15 Above: Senior Kendall McClearly holding her Starboy concert merchandise.

Starboy: Legend of The Fall Concert Review Student attends The Weeknd’s concert featuring Nav and Gucci Mane

BY KENDALL MCCLEARY Special To The A-Blast It’s Sept. 15 and air is heavy with excitement as thousands of fans wait outside in a line that stretches around the Verizon Center all wfor the same artist: The Weeknd.

Walking in the first thing that catches your eye is the Weeknd's set design.

Having a runway that stretched down nearly to half of the floor seats and a spaceship like object hovering over it

only added to the suspense and excitement.

I had gotten there at seven about two hours before the Weekend would take the stage. So to keep the crowd hype there were three performers that went on before him.

The first performer that went on that was well known by the people there was Nav. Not knowing that he was going to perform I was taken by surprise as I thought he was only gonna come out for one song not knowing he had a full 30 min to perform.

He played some of his most well known songs and some of this underrated songs from his soundcloud for his day one fans. Having this be the first time in DC Nav really left an impression.

Nav helped set the mood for what was gonna come next by playing his hypest songs near the end of the set

setting the stage for Gucci Mane.

The lights dimmed and the crowed screamed as from out the dark all we could hear was “It’s Gucci” as the intro to Bricks started playing. The atmosphere changed completely.

Nav kept the crowd entertained but Gucci got the crowd invested and hype as each song passed the srecames for the crowd grew louder and the movement of the crowd increased.

As he played recent songs like his feature from “Good Drank” by Two Chains and some of his older work like “Lemonade”. Either way Gucci truly got the crowd ready for the Weeknd.

As the last “It’s Gucci” rang throughout the arena as he made his way off stage the anticipation was at an all time high.

I’ve heard that the Weeknd as a legendary performer and I was so anxious to see for myself if that was true.

The lights went off as the runway lit up having the Weeknd pop up out of the center of it after a 2 minute wait and the crowd exploded. I’ve never heard a crowd be so loud of one performer before. And from the first note that left him I was hooked.

The Weeknd puts everything into his music having a live band back him and used very few backing tracks so every note he hit was from his own mouth.

I was blown away from the talent that the Weeknd portrayed.

He put so much energy into every song have it be “The Hills” or “Acquainted”. He had everyone in the packed arena invested in him 100 percent.

His voice is the same live and in concert which is so hard to find these days, the Weeknd deserved every cheer he received that night because he put on one show that’ll be hard for anyone there to forget.

If you know someone who doesn't like his music take them to one of his concerts and at the very least they won't be able to say that he doesn't have talent because that he seeps it when he’s on stage.

Mid performance the Weeknd stood on his runway as the crowd screamed and cheered for him for a straight two minutes. I’ve never heard such and ear piercing sound of excitement and gratefulness.

The same ear piercing sound happened as he finished his encore that left my mouth open.

He played songs from every album to put on a show that would please even the day one fans.

If you ever get the chance to see him live, do it. He really is a legendary performer with an equally legendary voice.

Which streaming service is best?

‘Stranger Things’ is a fan favorite

‘Rick and Morty’ Season 3 now on Hulu

Netflix

BY CHRISTIAN REYES Entertainment Editor Netflix offers a wide variety of movie and TV selections. You can stream as many titles as you want for a monthly subscription fee. It also features a great reccomendation system. On the downside, its more expensive than other streaming services, and titles come and go frequently. New content is limited.

‘Downtown Abbey’ is popular on Prime

‘Foursome’ is a Youtube Red Original

Hulu

Amazon Prime

Youtube Red

Hulu is more of a TV show streaming service. If you want to keep up to date with your favorite TV shows and don’t want to pay for cable, Hulu is your choice. Sometimes you can watch cable episodes the day after they air.

Hulu also has original shows that you can stream. A bad thing about Hulu is that even with a paid subscription, you have to sit through commericials frequently. Also, some older TV seasons have inconsistent selections.

Amazon Prime has a lot more options and features than a regular streaming service, but it wil cost you $99 annually. There is no monthly option. With Prime, you can get two day shipping, a free kindle book monthly, and unlimited access to Amazon Music and Amazon Prime Instant Video. Prime is said to arguably have a better selection of comedy and childrens programming than its competitors.

With Youtube Red, you wont see ads on the Youtube wbsite or Youtube app. This doesn’t apply to paid content like movie rentals or paid channels, so you will still see ads when watching that content. You can also watch videos offline, and can listen to videos with the screen off. You can download videos to your phone to watch for up to 30 days.Also, Youtube Red offers a free Google Play Music subscription.

This subscription is normally $10.

4 years ago from today September 26, 2013 • Burger King releases ‘satisfries’, quickly become popular with customers • Vince Gilligan, creator of ‘Breaking Bad,’ announces a new series called ‘Battle Creek’ • New York Yankees player Mariano Rivera says goodbye to the organization, retires • Man hacks webcams to get explicit photos of Miss Teen USA Cassidy Wolf, later arrested • Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 released, receives negative reviews • Bill Gates admits that ‘control-alt-delete’ was a mistake, says there was an option to make a single button for this command • Paul Oliver, of the former San Diego Chargers, commits suicide by a self inflicted gunshot wound • MLB commisioner Bud Selig announces he will retire after 2014 season

‘Planet of the Apps’ was made by Apple

Apple TV Apple TV does not have as much content as other streaming services, but because of the brand name, it is well respected. Siri has been updated over the past years, and now you can use Siri to searh for film categories, search for Youtube videos, and channel livestreams. Although Siri has been upgraded, it still recognizes only about half of the commands than it does on iOS, watchOS, or OSX. Also, most better features require an Apple device.

NBA 2K18: Innovation comes at a price

BY TJ GONZALEZ Staff Writer NBA2K serves as basketball fan’s way to escape reality from not only reality, but from their respective NBA team. One of the ways you can escape is by playing “MyCareer.”

The game mode allows you to immerse yourself into the harsh journey of becoming an NBA player and working hard to become the league’s top player and create a legend of an NBA career.

“ProAm,” an eSports competitive game mode, where you can make a team of up to 10 with you and your friends and take on some of the best in the world. “MyPark” is more casual, where you can team up with some friends on the fly and take people head on in 2v2, 3v3, or 5v5. Or even go 1v1 with a friend to see who the better 2K player is.

Though, In 2K18, “MyCareer,” “ProAm,” and “MyPark” where combined to make “The Neighborhood,” a social-like hub, comparable to Activision’s Destiny. It allows you to build your player your way, and grow him in more entertaining way.

There’s also some mini-games if you go down to the “2K Zone” in “The Neighborhood” like trivia and an arcade hoops game. You can really personalize your player.It all sounds great and ingenious until you see the price: 1,500 VC for a basic pair of Nike shoes? In other words, $1.16 for virtual shoes?

2K has decided to implement micro

transactions into about everything in the game: clothes, tattoos, shoes, haircuts, and the development of your player. You can play to earn VC, but it’s not enough. 2K practically puts sanctions on you to go into your pockets, and give them $3.49 for 5,000 VC, and even that won’t give you a nice outfit for a virtual player. A virtual. Player.

The graphics are polished from 2K17, though they did implement new AI, making the computer more difficult on defense, forcing you to make a more educated play. The gameplay is somewhat improved, once again polished, to add a little more realism into 2K. There’s been some bugs with 2K, the main ones are the inability to save your MyPlayer,

and one where it wipes your MyPlayer’s saved data, bought VC, and in-game items. As expected, a large amount of 2K players have complained heavily to 2K. 2K has already released a patch to battle this bug. Then you have the online servers… Never change, 2K. Never change. All in all, 2K took a few steps forward with the introduction of “The Neighborhood”, creating this new, awesome, more social environment for its players though also took a couple steps back with the force feeding of micro transactions into the game, the awful data-wiping bugs, and unimproved online serves.

Rating 7.6/10

ENTERTAINMENT 19

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

Is he Pulitzer worthy?

Kendrick Lamar is qualified in Composition and Poetry

BY HASAN ROYER Staff Writer

What do you think about the horror movie IT?

COURTESY OF: KENDRICKLAMAR.COM

BY TJ GONZALES Staff Writer

Kendrick Lamar is one of today’s best rappers and writers. A 22-time Grammy nominee and 7-time Grammy winner in Rap Album, Performance, Song, and Collaboration.

Online entries must be submitted by Dec. 31, 2017. The work must be recorded and publically released between January 1st and December 31st of each year. A fee of $50 is required along with the submission.

A physical recording of the work is also required to be sent to the Pulitzer Prize Office at Columbia University in New York, New York. It is then reviewed by the Pulitzer Prize Board, consisting of high scholar writers, journalist, and compositionists. The winners are announced in spring of each year.

There has never been a rapper who won a Pulitzer for music.

Lamar is not only a rapper; he’s an artist. He’s a rapper in his flow and production, and an artist in his hard-hitting lyrics and the meanings behind them. Combine these characteristic and not only do you have one of this generation’s best rappers and artists, but a deserving Pulitzer winner in Poetry and Composition.

Lamar is known to switch up his production in music. His first studio album Section.80, the production is a mix of instrumental with the feel of somberness.

Next comes his second album, good kid, m.A.A.d city. Lamar had this modern day sound and hard hitting bass, whilst still retaining the instrumental sound from Section.80.

Now, what can be considered one of the most ambitious rap albums, production wise, To Pimp A Butterfly. His fourth studio album, Lamar had a package of Jazz and Funk, defying modern day rap composition.

Last, but certainly not least, DAMN. Lamar’s fifth studio album, containing a mixture of classic 90’s rap production and shades of modern day composition, making it almost an instant classic.

Lamar’s lyrics preach a wide range of problems: from black people’s strife with Ronald Reagan’s administration in Section.80, to a song dedicated to Compton and it’s unfortunate problems and love towards it in good kid, m.A.Ad city. From talking about how black

Review: Steven Universe

Kendrick Lamar, one of the most praised rappers ever, won six VMA awards for his hit single HUMBLE (2017). Lamar began his career as a teenager in Compton, CA. He was first known by his stage name, K-Dot.

America will be ok through all the racism going on with police officers in America in To Pimp a Butterfly, to saying he’ll kill the man who harms his loved ones, no matter who he is in DAMN. It’s not just the meanings behind these lyrics, it’s the stories and the statements he makes and tells.

In one of his more famous songs The Blacker the Berry, in his first verse, he calls himself a hypocrite as he’s screaming at what sounds to be America, about how America made his skin color a killer. America planned to keep him in poverty. He also talks about the physical stenotypes that America placed on them.

In his second verse, he continues to call himself a hypocrite, making points that America wants to see him behind bars, that they hate he has made something out of the cards he was dealt with. Throughout the song, it becomes clear he’s talking to white America, as Lamar references white America’s treatment of black people, their jealousy of successful minorities and how they stereotype

JESSICA ROOP senior I thought it was overall a good movie. Everyone kept saying it was bad and that I shouldn’t waste my money, but I enjoyed it a lot.

JAEDON HENRY senior I think it was a great movie. It was very funny. It was also very creepy because it would switch from funny to scary very fast.

them as well.

In his final verse, he continues to call himself a hypocrite, whilst still yelling at what becomes clear to be white America. As he references their love for guns, the threats he sees from them, He preaches his hypocrisy as he says he cried at the death of Trayvon Martin but killed another black man himself.

In a more recent song of his, XXX., he begins the song with men blessing those who America is good to, then trying to ask America a question, but interrupted by Kung-Fu Kenny.

He then continues to talk about how he’ll kill a man for no reason, throw the gun on his body and turn himself in. He then continues to rap about a phone call he received from a friend of his.

His friend sounds drunk and is weeping because someone had killed his son due to illegal activity and didn’t pay for it, most likely drugs.

He starts to ask Lamar for advice on what to do in his situation. Lamar gives his opinion on what he would if he ended up in his friend’s situation:

ELIZABETH CORCORAN senior It was a really great movie. I enjoyed the humor part of it the most, and it had a lot of jump scares.

JOSEPH MCCOY senior I think it was a great movie but it wasn’t as scary as the trailer. I recommend that people go watch it because the trailer makes it seem scarier than it is.

he would try and murder the man who hurt his family. No matter where this murderer is, whether he was at church or at the corner store, he’d find him and kill him.

Lamar explains those are life moments and memories with loved ones, that “black power” is not a matter in the death of loved ones, referencing the Black Lives Matter movement and their peaceful protest codes they uphold. Lamar then decides to end his call as he has a Gun Convention to speak at about gun control, referencing his hypocrisy for The Blacker the Berry.

These are just a few examples of the stories and statements Lamar implements in his music. He hss even implemented stories and poetry easter eggs that you have to listen to the entire album to really understand the message behind them. Kendrick Lamar really uses time and effort to change and master his art in rap which is why he is so deserving of a Pulitzer.

CHARLOTTE GETSEY senior It was really good, but it was less scary than I expected it to be. However, there were still parts that made me jump.

ILHAN ABDI senior I thought it was humorous and not scary at all.

It wasn’t scary for me because the humor outweighed the fear.

Steven Universe is an animated cartoon series on Cartoon Network created by Rebecca Sugar, who has also worked on Adventure Time.

Steven Universe follows a boy and his adventures from defeating monsters to dealing with regular everyday life with the Crystal Gems, a rock species from space also known simply as “Gems.” Its light and cartoony-looking animation makes it very nice to look at along with very clean backgrounds.

Steven Universe has a ranging cast of main characters, Steven (Voiced by Zach Callison) is just a light-hearted kid who just wants to help the other gems and other people, Amethyst (Voiced by Michaela Dietz) is a gem who is extremely rowdy and fun, but is also a little selfish. Pearl (Voiced by Deedee Magno) tries to act as a mother figure for Steven, being over-protective and wanting better for Steven.

Garnet (Voiced by Estelle) is a lot more mature than the other gems, and also acts as a mother figure for Steven, but is a lot more about letting Steven do his own thing.

Rose Quartz (Voiced by Susan Egan) is Steven’s deceased mother, she was always very caring to everyone, and believed that all life was precious, she unfortunately died by giving birth to Steven.

Steven Universe released its fifth season in May 2017.

One of the most well known things about this show is it’s music, from classical to rock.

One episode, titled “Mr.Greg” is a perfect example of this, it features six songs (the most this show has in one episode) titled in order “Don’t Cost Nothing,” “Empire City,” “Mr. Greg,” “It’s Over Isn’t it,” “Both Of You,” and “Don’t Cost Nothing (Reprise).”

These songs are really diverse in terms of forms of music and even touch into serious subjects such as dealing with a lost one that you loved.

Although this show is outstanding in many ways, a huge controversy in the show that turns many people off from watching it is the representation of the LGBT community in the show.

For example, the Gems themselves are genderless, but use female pronouns.

Steven Universe is a great show for the music, design, and characters and you should really check it out, it has five seasons as of right now and is still continuing in a great matter.

IT fails to bring the fear Editing tricks can’t save boxoffice hit IT

Playlist of the Issue SAUCE IT UP Lil Uzi Vert Luv is Rage 2 Get hyped to Vert’s newest rap hit.

BY LINA AL TAII Entertainment Editor The theater filled with laughter as Richie said another hilarious comeback to his friends in the movie IT. IT, directed by Andres Muschietti, was released on Sept. 8 after many long months of anticipation by fans.

After releasing two other horror films in the last ten years, Muschietti came out with his biggest work yet, a clown movie.

Many people had been anticipating the film’s release since the first trailer came out in June. However, the over hype and anticipation of the film greatly shadowed the actual horror of the film when it finally came out.

Muschietti failed at creating a work of true horror. Only a few weeks after the release of Annabelle: Creation, this horror movie had a lot to live up to in terms of fear and suspense.

It was obvious that the problem with this movie was not related to the plot at all, but rather the post-production editing.

This movie depended so heavily on skillful editing and special effects that every scare became predictable and even comical.

The editing almost foreshadowed when a scary part would happen, and this resulted in the movie having no suspense factor at all.

SKY WALKER Miguel, Travis Scott Single (2017) This R&B hit is a laid back chill song, like much of Miguel’s music.

ROCKSTAR Post Malone, 21 Savage Single (2017) Listen to this rap single off Malone’s album Beersbongs and Bentleys

However, this does not mean that the movie was a complete fail. IT broke records in the box office. After the worst box-office summer in a decade, IT brought many movie watchers out of their homes and into the theater.

Muschietti also used comedy very cleverly throughout the movie, using it to put the audience at ease before a jump scare.

The funniest character was Richie, who didn’t see the clown until the end of the movie. At one point, he said “Do only virgins see it?” and the theater filled with laughter.

Even so, a movie which claims to

IT, based on Stephen King’s 1986 novel, was greatly anticipated for months before its release. On opening weekend, IT hit the top of the charts, making over $123 million in the box office.

be a horror movie needs to bring more horror than comedy. The imbalance of comedy to horror caused this movie to be less scary than the trailer advertised it to be.

IT heavily depended on the audience to be scared of the clown just because it was a clown, rather than to be scared of the clown because the clown incited true fear into them.

In order for the IT series to be successful, the next chapter of the movie needs to bring actual horror and anticipation, rather than comedy with a pinch of scare.

TOO MUCH TO ASK Niall Horan Single (2017) This pop singie is Niall Horan’s first hit solo song.

CURVE Gucci Mane, The Weeknd Single (2017) This hip-hop song is set to appear on Gucci Mane’s forthcoming album Mr. Davis

20 WEEKEND

Tues. Sept. 26, 2017

More bang for your buck Check out your local thrift shops to find unique clothing, buy cheap clothes and explore new styles

Goodwill

Salvation Army

Goodwill is one of the most well known thrift shops 714 Columbia Pike in America. The store is a good size with many options Arlington, VA, 22201 for you to choose from.

Goodwill has fixed sets of prices for certain items in (703)-979-5947 the store. For example, all t-shirts might be $2.50 and Open Monday - Saturday all shorts might be only $3. Goodwill sells anythings 10 a.m. - 9 a.m. from sports equipment to glass dishes and furniture.

Goodwill has three fitting rooms for changing that are spacious and convenient to use. You can often talk the price down on more expensive items at the register to get an even better price than what is listed on the tag.

Goodwill’s stores are all very organized and have clothing sorted by color and size which makes it very easy to find what you need. They even have a selection of wedding dresses.

Fashion Exchange

Unique

One of the biggest thrift stores in Virginia, Unique is a chain of store all over the counrty that offers the biggest selection of all sorts of items: clothing (men’s and women’s), shoes, books, furniture, other items for your home.

It is considered one of the best thrift stores because it often has sales on holidays ranging from 25% to 50% off. Every Monday there is a 25% off sale on all previously-owned items.

This second hand store offers the most unique selections that no other thrift store has. I go two times a month because I know that every time I go there is something new to be found.

The wide selection it offers brings a lot of people in which is why it is often busy, and has long lines. It can be overwhelming for a first-time thrift shopper, but it is cheap and big so you can always find something you want.

If you are new to thrifting, Salvation Army is 6528 Little River Turnpike the perfect fit for you. It’s not big enough to over- Alexandria VA, 22312 whelm you, but it has a wide range of clothes, elec- (703)-642-9276 tronics and homeware to choose from.

Unlike Goodwill, Salvation Army does not Open Monday - Saturday have fixed prices for specific articles of clothing 9:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. which allows for a lot of cheaper items. Another helpful aspect of the store is that all of the clothes are color coded which can cut down the amount of time you spend looking for clothes.

Along with a wide selection of clothing, Salvation Army has a separate room full of houseware items, electronics, books and music. It is a great place to find vintage records as well as unique decorative pieces.

Overall, The Salvation Army is a great business that helps others while giving you what you want at a good price.

2950 Gallows Road Falls Church, VA, 22046 (703)-992-6560 Open Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Auntie TE’s

Auntie Te’s is a higher end thrift shop that recently moved from Annandale to Merrifield. This store mainly offers jewlery and clothing which can be found in the back room. Auntie Te’s plans to have a broader furniture selection in the future when they expand their store.

Auntie Te’s is known for designer purses, clothing and great outfits at an amazing price.

2931B Eskridge Rd The store doesn’t seem like your traditional thrift shop Fairfax, VA, 22031 because it is very well organized, appealing to the eye and has (703)-321-9363 a wide selection of designer items.

Open Tuesday- Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Fashion Exchange Consignment opened for business in 1995, it is dedicated to the belief that great women’s fashion should and could be available without breaking the bank. They offer a wide variety of designer and better label clothing and accessories.

Consignments are accepted by appointment and in season.

They will look at 15 items during your appointment, unless you have made other arrangements with them.

Fashion Exchange is mostly interested in clothing and accessories no older than two years. Items accepted for consignment must be recently cleaned or laundered, pressed and brought to them on hangers.

Consignors, which are people who give their items to the store, are paid 50% of the sales price of anything sold during the contract term which is 60 days.

6663 Old Dominion Road Mclean, VA, 22101 (703)-760-0808 Open Tuesday- Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

New To You

New To You is similar to Auntie Te’s in the fact that it is a more designer thrift shop with higher end items.

They sell designer shoes, jewlery, purses, and clothes.

They have unbelievably helpful employees who will help you in any way possible. They always have great outfits and dresses to choose from. All of there clothes have been checked and approved by their employees so you can count on great quality things.

You can donate or sell your items to New To You by mailing them in, setting up an appointment or just dropping them off at a store. They are extremely picky in what they buy and sell so if they don’t sell your items in store they are donated.

108 W Broad Street Falls Church, VA, 22016 (703)-533-1251 Open Tuesday- Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.