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the VOLUME #62 ISSUE 2

ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 470

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Fairfax County proposes Meal Tax 4% add onto prepared meals causes controvery

BY SADIE MODICA Co-Editor in Chief On Nov. 8, Fairfax County voters will cast their ballots for or against a meal tax, affecting the whole county. The 4 percent meal tax would be added to the 6 percent existing sales tax on all prepared foods and meals.

The tax would apply to all prepared meals at restaurants, lunchrooms, cafeterias, coffee shops, cafes, taverns, delis, push cart operations, hotdog stands movie theaters and food trucks.

The meal tax is expected to bring in an additional $100 million of revenue, 70 percent of which would go to Fairfax County Public Schools, and most of the

remaining 30 percent to the county government. The county would use their 30 percent for services as well as the building and refurbishment of such edifices as police stations, fire stations and libraries. The tax was proposed as a way to avoid further raising property taxes.

"I have very mixed feelings on the meal tax" English teacher Catherine Gibson said. "Of course I would like the benefit going to Fairfax County Public Schools, but it does seem a bit excessive for it to go all the way up to 10 percent for a food tax. I would be interested to see if it actually ends up being used for the proposed purpose."

Many surrounding counties and cities also have meal taxes of similar levels. Neighboring Alexandria has a tax of 4 percent, as well as Arlington, Falls Church and Fairfax City.

Regions farther from Washington D.C. tend to have lower meal taxes, such as Herndon with a tax of 2.5 percent and Vienna with a tax of 3 percent. D.C. takes

the cake with a tax of 10 percent.

Supporters of the meal tax argue that it would diversify the county's revenue, because unlike property taxes, meal taxes apply to everyone buying meals in Fairfax County, including tourists, visitors and commuters.

Opponents say that the tax will especially impact lower income families because they are the primary customer base for prepared meals, hurt family businesses and create more unemployment.

The last meal tax proposed in Fairfax County in 1992, failed because the county government and FCPS are facing a large deficit. However, the idea was reintroduced last spring. In order to compensate for their prospective loss of revenue, the county offered to give $3 million directly back to the restaurants. In the end, the choice regarding the meal tax is up to Fairfax County voters.

RE-WRITING THE PAST Schools attempt to right their wrongs through renaming and reimbursement

BY TEAGAN FOTI Co-Editor in Chief

J.E.B. Stuart fought through America's bloodiest war wearing the confederate flag over his heart.

Georgetown University sold 272 slaves to keep its classrooms operating in 1838. Route one, commonly known as Jefferson Davis highway enables millions of Americans to travel along the names of the confederacy as it is named to honor the Confederate President.

So, what's in a name? An estimated 12.5 million slaves arrived to the new world between the early 1500s and the mid 1800s but many of their names are not known. On the contrary, nearly 200 schools and centers in the United States are dedicated to honor confederate civil war leaders and many famed sports teams use racial slurs to represent elite athletes.

In the local vicinity, J.E.B. Stuart High School, named to honor the Confederate States Army general, has not come to a conclusion over revising it controversial name.

The work group tasked with the naming challenge has until June 2017 to come up with recommendations for the board even though the decision to officially rename hasn't been declared.

It is estimated that rededicating the school would cost the county nearly $700,000 in total, and money is already tight in the county, as seen through FCPS's recent monetary crisis.

"I think you can remember the past through a proper historical context, such as museums and markers at the side of the road but I think when the government gets involved in using street names, school names and other things that is going a little too far," said social studies teacher, Stratton Shartel. "I am in favor of renaming the school buildings and some of the others but I know that there's a point in which you can't do it all."

It is a split panel over the necessity of changing names. Some believe that the name is a way to

remember the past and that renaming would deprive students that chance to see how far the nation has advanced, whilst others see it as a poor way to represent one of the counties most diverse student bodies.

Although progress is slow at J.E.B. 8 miles south, Alexandria, a city widely known for its many confederate named streets and statues unanimously voted on Saturday Sept. 17 to change the name of Jefferson Davis Highway, otherwise known as route one. The highway honors a confederate soldier and politician, and although it is an important part of American history many believe that he shouldn't be remembered in such a heroic way.

Although it has been agreed upon that the name needs to be changed, the alteration is not happening overnight as approval from the General Assembly is required before any rash and final decisions can be made.

"I don't know what they could change the name to, and I'd imagine that will be a great debate," said senior Julia Sheehy. "I just hope that whatever name they choose can stand the test of time."

Along with changing the roadway name, the city has concluded to move its 7-foot-tall confederate statue. The 'Appomattox' statue currently sits at the cross section of Prince and Washington street and after an elongated public hearing it was finally decided that the statue should be moved to a history museum on the coinciding block.

"Sometimes it seems as if the wrong people get all the glory. Moving the statue will be difficult, but it seems as if that is the best option," said senior Sabrina Huynh. "Plus it's not going to be destroyed, just moved, so the public will still have the opportunity to see and learn from it."

The council has also decided to reevaluate the naming of 30 plus streets after confederate combat heroes. However, that will be a larger challenge because

of the difficulty of proving that certain streets are named after war members and not unrelated local families.

Street name changes will be handled on a case-bycase basis and citizens will have to begin petitions in order to be recognized by the city. Although it is not the most direct and time efficient way to achieve change, it is a starting point and leaves the door open for edits in the future.

"Revising the titles of every school and street wouldn't be very cost or time effective," Sheehy said. "I think changes would be beneficial but a timely method of action should be developed first."

Words possess great power and the public acknowledgement of the people who inflicted pain and racist opinions versus those who endured and suffered has become a large social epidemic, and Georgetown University has found itself in the midst of it.

Georgetown, which is one of the nation's oldest universities, was established in 1789 and has come under recent scrutiny due to a dark revelation from it's past: the possession of slaves.

"Educational institutions are looked up to for their prestige and honor so to discover that one of the nation's oldest schools had ignored this momentous fault in its history is very sad," said Sheehy. "I'm glad [Georgetown is] finally facing its past."

It is proven that 272 slaves were sold in 1838 to produce a profit of $115,000 for the university, although it is assumed that the school owned upwards of 400 slaves. The money produced from the sale prevented Georgetown from closing it's doors and payed off the university's looming debt. "[Georgetown] recognize[s] the need to reconcile a painful part of [it's] history; our participation in the institution of slavery and the benefit we received from the sale of 272 enslaved children, women and men from Jesuit plantations in Maryland in 1838," said President of Georgetown, John DeGioia in a public speech. see RENAME pg. 5

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FCPS names interim superintendent After Karen Garza's resignation, Dr. Lockard chosen

BY SABRINA HAWA Managing Editor FCPS appointed Dr. Steve Lockard as the new deputy superintendent on an interim basis.

Lockard is set to take over Karen Garza's position in December, who announced her resignation in September.

Garza's resignation was unexpected by many, but she is moving onto a new stage in her life and will become the president and chief executive of Battle for Kids, a nonprofit organization that provides devices, solutions and products to empower teachers and improve schools to advance student learning.

She commented in an interview that she saw this organization as a big opportunity and that she will not leave the district because she "was not interested in being superintendent anywhere else."

Lockard has served as a deputy superintendent since August 2014.

Prior to coming to Fairfax County, Lockard was the deputy superintendent for Fredrick County Public Schools in Maryland.

Being a graduate of Frostburg State University, Lockard has a masters degree in school administration from Western Maryland College. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in educational leadership and policy studies.

He has also worked as a second and fourth grade teacher as well as taken the role of principal at an elementary school.

"Steve Lockard is a skilled, collaborative administrator who understands how our school district works," School Board chair Sandy Evans said in a statement. "He is a champion for students and ensures that student achievement is at the forefront of everything we do."

Luke, come home Seniors want Mark Hamill to speak at graduation

BY IVANNA PEREZ Staff Writer Seniors are going crazy trying to get Mark Hamill to speak as a special guest at their graduation this year.

Before he starred as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies, Mark Hamill was a student at AHS. He attended his sophomore and junior year before moving to Japan. He considers Annandale his home high school. "[Mark Hamill] is one of the most famous alumni [from Annandale]," said senior class president Matthew Vogus. "We want to get a fun and interesting speaker, and having Mark Hamill speak would definitely make our graduation one to remember."

Senior SGA informed the class of the plot yesterday at their class meeting. The seniors then began tweeting at Hamill, trying to achieve a trending tag and get noticed by @HamillHimself.

According to one of Hamill's close friends, he checks his twitter more than his mail. Twitter is the best way to reach him. They are tweeting loads of hashtags trying to get Hamill to notice. The hashtags used to catch Hamill's attention are '#AHSgraduation2017' and '#LukeComeHome'.

Join the tweeting bandwagon and help the senior class bring Luke home on June 15.

One of the tweets that was posted to try and capture Hamill's attention.

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2 EDITORIALS Candidates need to focus

Oct. 11 , 2016

NPR.ORG

Election has turned into a mudslinging battle

BY BINQI CHEN Editorials Editor In recent years, polls have become increasingly innacurate. For example, Gallup and many other companies wrongly predicted that Mitt Romney would win over President Obama in 2012. Here's seven reasons why have polls lost their accuracy. · Some polls are conducted through landlines, which are on the decline in American families as most people are switching to cell phone use only. · Only nine percent of people actually state their opinions during polling, compared to the 80 percent rate in the 1970s. · Early pollings are done during a time when the general public does not know each candidate's policies in detail, causing an inaccurate percentage. · Just because a person states their opinion in a poll does NOT mean that they will actually go out to vote. · Most importantly, the outcome of a poll does not equal the outcome of an election. · Many cell phone users refuse to pick up their device unless the number is from within their contacts. · There is a difference between likely and registered voters, many polls include likely voters, who might or might not register in time, in their statistics.

"She's crooked." "He's racist."

"She's a bigot." "He's a misogynist."

"She's rotten." "He's a bully."

"She's the devil." "He's homophobic."

For the last 18 months, Americans have been hearing this constant name calling from both nominees.

This has become a regular occurrence in what has become America's longest Presidential election.

News sites have been flooded with the latest slander from both sides. In the last month of the election cycle, both candidates should fixate their attention on spreading their political views.

During the first debate, both candidates bashed one another on issues that strayed far away from the standings of their parties. There were periods of the debate that left both moderator Lester Holt and the entire American population confused and unable to apprehend what was happening on the debate stage.

Although it is inevitable that criticism will exist during elections, it is unnecessary for either candidate to make comments about areas unrelated to politics.

Even though Secretary Clinton was much more well prepared and organized for the debate and the entire campaign in general, many of her campaign's advertisements are direct quotes or recordings of what Donald Trump has said in the past.

Although this is an effective way to point out the flaws of Trump, the constant repetition of what Trump has said does not show voters how Clinton will enforce change and what her stance on the issues at hand are.

Even after pointing out Trump's very problematic messages in his campaign, Clinton's support within minority groups has not risen immensely and Americans continue to be confused as to where Clinton draws the line on different concerns.

Clinton has also made comments on Trump's past marriages, which has nothing to do with either of their campaigns.

HILLARYCLINTON.COM

Why polls aren't always reliable

BY BINQI CHEN Editorials Editor

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump shake hands before their debate at Hosftra University in New York.

But Trump is no better. Throughout the entire campaign, he has not only attacked Clinton, but much of the population as a whole.

Trump has continued to make sexist and belittling comments towards women. He has poked jabs at women and other prominent figures time after time.

Trump constantly brings up former President Bill Clinton's scandal with Monica Lewinsky as if that has anything to do with Clinton's policies.

During the debate, Trump repeatedly bragged about his temperament and how great it was compared to Clinton's.

However immediately following the debate, Trump went on a Twitter rant at 3:20 A.M. and made downgrading comments about the previous Miss Universe, Alicia Machado.

How does calling a woman fat and disgusting on social media show the country your political ideologies and how you are ready to take on the role of the Chief Executive?

The media went into frenzy a few weeks ago after footage showing Clinton wobbling and fainting while exiting a September 11 commemoration ceremony had surfaced the web.

He of course, accused Clinton of hiding a terrible disease from the public.

While it is certainly essential for the leader of the free world to be in exemplary health, it absolutely does not mean that a sick president is not able to perform well or that a healthy president equals a good president.

President John F. Kennedy suffered from Addison's disease and excruciating back pain, yet he still achieved greatness during his time in the Oval Office.

JFK not only led America through a time of heightened racial and poverty problems within borders, but during the time of international tension.

In conclusion, it is important that we hold everybody, political figures included, accountable for their actions. Clinton should and has been held accountable for Benghazi and her private emails.

Trump's current racist and bigotry ideals as well as his suspicious tax returns should be in discussion.

However, both candidates need to leave subjects uncorrelated with politics out of this election.

Both Trump and Clinton need to make use of the last month of the Presidential race to strengthen their own campaigns and make it crystal clear on where they stand on every issue.

Is early action the way to go? America is already great

Senior Areeba Atique is applying early decision to her dream school.

"I decided to apply ED because Virginia Tech is my first choice and I've been wanting to go since last year. [ED] relieves stress since you find out whether you got in or not by winter break."

Increasingly, students like Atique are making the choice to apply early to schools instead of waiting. But with so many different deadline options and restrictions, applying early can be confusing. Early application options serve a purpose, both for the student and the school. Some are more restrictive than others.

Rolling admission means you can apply any time in the fall before a hard deadline and they will get back to you when they can. Rolling is the most relaxed option and if you apply early and get in, you can hope to have a (relatively) stress free senior year. There are no restrictions, this is an option with virtually no risk to the applicant.

Early action also has no restrictions on where else you can apply and is non-binding. Early action is a great option for those who can organize their life enough to slap together an application before prior to November 1st.

Restrictive early action, however, does require more commitment of applicant. It is non-binding, but the catch is that the applicant is prohibited from applying early to any other schools. Also like early action, if you get in you are not required to attend. Early decision is the only binding application deadline option.

An early decision applicant can apply anywhere else early action or regular decision but if they get into their early decision choice, they are required to rescind all other applications.

There is sometimes more leeway with students

Senior Areeba Atique applies early decision for VT.

Presidential election's biggest campaign slogan is inherently racist

BY SERENE GHUL Arts Editor If you have ever heard the name Donald Trump you probably know about the biggest thing associated with him since the start of the presidential race, his infamous campaign slogan "Make America Great Again."

What does he mean by this exactly? What does he mean by "again"? During what time was America great and when did America stop being so great?

Great is the keyword in this whole argument.

Trump's slogan contains racial undertones.

By creating this slogan, Trump creates large amounts of anti-black and pro-white messages.

And what everyone thinks is a heroic cry to fix this country, is actually just a racist statement trying to restore and maintain the power of the whites. In fact, Donald Trump's slogan is strangely related to the ideas and words of the Ku Klux Klan.

Donald Trump wants to make America great again by going back to the way it was before. And by "before," he means half a century ago, when caucasians held all the power.

He dreams of going back to a time where people were trivialized by the color of their skin.

As former president Bill Clinton said about Trump's slogan, "What it means is, I'll give you the economy you had 50 years ago, and I'll move you back up on the social totem pole, and other people down."

Trump's version of a great America is one where there are no immigrants, women are treated poorly, and being in power means being white.

His promise is nothing more than an idea of imprudent man that cares about nothing more but to

Staff CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF Teagan Foti Sadie Modica MANAGING EDITOR Sabrina Hawa VIDEO EDITOR IN CHIEF Crew McCarthy NEWS EDITORS Nancy Evora Jessica Salisbury EDITORIALS EDITORS Binqi Chen Aseal Saed COPY EDITORS Yvonne White IN-DEPTH EDITORS Ruth Mekonnen Kim Laura SPORTS EDITORS Cameron Foti Jude Nanaw

SPORTS XTRA EDITORS Ryan Gammon Grace Hogye PEOPLE EDITORS Soulisa Pathammavong Marilyn Rivas WEEKEND EDITORS Mohamed Elhag Conrad Shartel INTERNATIONAL EDITORS Lina Al-Taii Tooba Siddique ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Julius Miller Hussein Salem LIFESTYLES EDITORS Sheila Aguirre Lucie Lefbom HEALTH EDITORS Judy Nanaw

Julie Nguyen PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Alaina Garay Kailyn Garay ART EDITORS Serene Ghul Kavi Shamdin ACADEMICS EDITORS Rachel Shogren Halley Thadeus WEB EDITOR/MASTER Alex Tran AD MANAGER Mauricio Reyes CIRCULATION MANAGERS Mauricio Reyes STAFF WRITERS Jordan Adams Kidus Ayele

Fares Ayoub Yabi Bereket Laura Clemons Luke Elkins Diego Feliciano Brandon Ho Kayla Holcomb Mahdi Larhmari Arzoo Marzi Suad Mohamed Amani Muntu Casey Nguyen Katie Pope Sharon Sanchez Ashleigh Storm Kimberly Vaides Andrew White Lennon Wuhrer Ethan Zimmerman ADVISER Alan Weintraut

DONALDJTRUMP.COM

BY SADIE MODICA Editor-in-Chief

requesting financial aid but early decision remains the most unforgiving option. It is also the most rewarding for students who are certain of their top school.

Applying early to a school shows them your commitment. When you visit a school or sign in at their booth at a college fair or sign up for their emailing list, they make a note of it. Colleges care about student satisfaction.

They want their student retention rate to go up and giving students an early application option helps determine which students will be more likely to attend the school for longer. For most schools, early admission rates are higher than admission rates for students who apply at the regular deadline.

When considering applying early decision, you should consider a number of things.

Does the school have the programs and opportunities you want? Is it your ideal size and environment? Is the price possible for your family?

Perhaps its the vibe of the school. It's something you only get if you pay a visit and walk around. It's in the students you see walking around, it's in the layout of the campus and the look of the facilities. It's in the location and the feel of the place.

Acquaint yourself with your options. And then decide what application deadline option works for you.

JUDY NANAW

Weighing the choices between the varying types of college admissions deadlines

Donald Trump's infamous slogan won't unite America.

cater to the white population.

Although some people believe that the racist nostalgia behind Trump's slogan is just an idea formed by the Democrats to bring him down, Trump has said many statements during debates and speeches that make this argument true.

Choosing to make America great again will only create a larger barrier between the people of this country and continue to split us further and further until we are no longer united.

If we are no longer united, we can no longer achieve potential greatness.

Rather than try to make America great again, and aiming for the society this country once was in the past, we should focus on fixing the present, to prosper in the future.

Heard in the Twitter-verse...

Annandale High School Vol. 62 No.2 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 The A-Blast is an award-winning newspaper that strives to inform, educate and entertain the student body and community.

Published every three weeks, The A-Blast will not print any material that is obscene or libelous; or that which substantially disrupts the school day, or invades an individual's right to privacy.

The A-Blast is an independent, open forum for discussion that is printed at the Springfield Plant of The Washington Post.

Signed letters to the editor of 250 words or less may be emailed to theablast2016@gmail.com or submitted to room 262 or mailed to the school. The A-Blast reserves the right to refuse advertisements.

All submissions become property of The A-Blast, Copyright, 2016.

Look out for the next tweet @theablast on Twitter for a chance to be featured on the next issue!

EDITORIALS 3

Oct. 11, 2016

Stop being afraid of immigration Refugees are not terrorists

BY ASEAL SAED Editorials Editor

The death of Eric Garner in 2014 is a vivid example of how cellphone footage has shed light on aggressive police.

Videos ensure that the police are held accountable Be aware of your rights

BY ASEAL SAED Editorials Editor Keith Lamont Scott. North Carolina, 2016. Shot while carrying a handgun after police came .

Philando Castille. Minnesota, 2016. Shot in his car after telling officers he was carrying a weapon legally. his wife and child was in it with him.

Phillip White. New Jersey, 2015.

Died after being beaten by officers.

Walter Scott. South Carolina, 2015. Shot in the back after running away from police arrest.

Eric Garner. New York, 2014. Died a heart attack after being put in an illegal choke-hold by police officers .

What links all of these deaths is not only that they were black men, but these death were taken on video by bystanders.

Although some of these

videos proved that officers did act in a correct fashion, the countless other times proved a trend of increased violence against African Americans.

A conversation that would not have been possible without these cellphone videos.

This is not the take away all the work that police officers do. Most officers act in a respectful manner, but one cannot forget the increasingly alarming trend of unarmed black Americans being killed.

These videos come at a time where cellphones are readily at hand.

Yet many fail to use and understand the power this resource can be used as a way to hold officers accountable.

It is becoming increasingly important for people to use because we are in a time where unarmed black men and women are killed at a high rate by officers which is now being acknowledged more in media.

Despite this, we cannot continue this fight against brutality without the evidence to back up our claims.

Claims that video proof would

Until body cameras are made possible, it is important to realize that cellphone footage, is the only way citizens can take back our power. Despite the access of dash cam footage, oftentimes, the release can be controlled by state laws and the law enforcement.

Additionally, many are apprehensive because they think that it is a crime or against a rule to film police.

According to Virginia law, bystanders have the legal right to film the police if they are on public property or, his or her private property.

As long as you are not interfering with what they are doing, you are allowed to film.

Filming videos of aggressive or uncertain situations make sure not only law enforcement is held accountable, but citizens themselves.

These videos can help lead to the truth.

Videos should not hamper the way officers conduct themselves, rather they can also be a way to highlight their bravery as well as accountability.

support, which is why Americans need take initiative and use the resources they have.

More Americans need to be more aware of the responsibility we have on making sure this is possible, and cellphone videos are the easiest way to do so.

At the same time, more people need to acknowledge the power that these videos do have.

We have a responsibility to make sure the rights of others are protected just as our own.

Yet, many are reluctant to understand or validate these cellphone videos. This is because the videos, usually cannot give the entire story.

Oftentimes, these videos leave out context of a situation.

With many Americans using this logic, this holds back the potential handful of cases that could be helped with cell phone footage.

This argument often leads to the discussion of body cameras, a system that most states do not have at this time. With this in mind, it should further your want to take initiative as members of this society.

Do you think filming fights is acceptable?

"Yes, if you want proof to accuse people of doing something. " SOFIA MARTINEZ freshman

"Yes it brings attention to problems in the community."

ALEX OHENE sophomore

"Yes, it is good to see what actually happened."

CONNOR YI freshman

"No, but it is a teenagers' first reaction."

AMANI MUNTU junior

"No, you should spend your time stopping the fight in case there are serious injuries."

GALILEA SEJAS sohphomore

"Yes, it is better than doing nothing."

KIDUS HAIMANOT sophomore

"No, because the person who loses the fight gets ashamed."

LEVI GOMEZ junior

"No, because it gets spread around and encourages the fight to occur."

FATMATA KAMARA senior

Cartoonist Corner

In the response to Donald Trump's surge in media attention, he has had many opportunities to share mostly unfounded on opinion on a range of topics, most infamously immigration.

When Trump speaks on his immigration views, he often ties it back to terrorism or crime as a way to plant the dea of xenophobia.

He has created a link in that every discussion on immigration, people often think of fear and crime.

This narrative is held most often on Syrian refugees and Mexican immigrants.

Now, we have created a fear within ourselves that terror and crime lurks on every corner in the face of immigration.

Data continuously shows that few refugees end up committing terrorist plots.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, of the 784,000 refugees that have come to the United States since 9/11, only three have been charged with plotting terrorist acts.

Despite this data, this rhetoric of terrorism and crime are often spun so much that we feel fear despite the statistics.

Many of those in power who use this rhetoric are acting out their own racism and xenophobia, and using the only way they know how to act on this fear: repeating it so many times until you think the idea is your own.

It is scary to think that statistics are oftentimes forgotten in a conversation that holds the lives of so many families in its' hand.

Rather, most links between immigration and terrorism are the fester of dispelling anything foreign.

The problem is the United States was built on the idea of entitlement and racism.

These xenophobic beliefs are embedded in our history and trail into today.

Because of this, it is hard to get out of depending on

beliefs rather than the facts.

Even we, as a sea of faces of immigrants, and the sons and daughters of immigrants, we get so comfortable in this society that we forget that these views are often held against us and our families.

It is easy to get in a cycle where one gets comfortable coming to America and forgets that there are others behind you trying to get the same opportunities you have.

We must turn around and help those who do not have the same opportunities as we do to get into this country.

This is not to forget that there were instances in the past where immigrants have committed acts of terrorism, and that these events were not horrific and terrifying for all.

Yet, time and time again those arguments are used as a way to mask the racism and xenophobia that people have.

Despite the fact that many of us know this, we still allow ourselves to get looped into this narrative and begin to believe it.

A lot of times when immigrants do come to this country they are faced with their own obstacles of prejudice.

The least Americans can do is give the benefit of the doubt and open our arms to these immigrants.

However, it is an obligation to educate ourselves in immigration before we reach conclusions.

It is time to start doing our own research and depend on the facts and and statistics rather than our "gut feelings" because the lives of many families are being thrown around because of this conflict.

When a potential president is allowed to say, "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best.

They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us.

They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime.

They're rapists," there needs to be a review of the facts.

"No, because it instigates more fights and it would go downhill."

KENZIE GARDNER sophomore

"No, it promotes negativity and on social media it shows it is an allowed practice."

BENNY LE senior

Seniors need to clean up their act Courtyard is always full of litter

BY CASEY NGUYEN Staff Writer

ILLUSTRATION BY MADDIE SCHINSTOCK

The iconic senior courtyard is the perfect spot to escape the stuffiness of the cafeteria. However, permission to eat at such haven is one of the few privileges that seniors are permitted to hold.

"Since day one, it's always been a small goal that kept me motivated," senior Kevin Huynh said.

These soon to be Annandale High School graduates hold their courtyard near to their hearts as they spend a 30 minute period in the middle of the school day outside.

Nevertheless, this sacred ground is slowing rotting from the inside out. The students leave for class after every lunch period to their courtyard looking the way that it always is: trampled and filled with waste. Some go to the lengths of comparing the courtyard to a "mini landfill."

"There would be food trays left

A glimpse of the senior courtyard covered in mostly utensil wrappers.

and trash on the ground," senior Nicole McCoy said.

"It's pretty dirty and it's gross to look at," senior Justin Vo said.

Despite this wondrous opportunity given to them, they fail to keep it in orderly shape.

"We're too lazy and because of that the janitors have to clean it for us," Vo said.

The students believe that cleaning up this privilege granted to them by the school, is not in their job description. Rather, they are solely doing exactly what previous

graduates did themselves.

"We do it just because we can," Huynh said. "Rising seniors are going to do the same thing."

While some may not see littering as an issue, others believe that change must occur. Since it is their courtyard, they must go out of their way to clean it up for themselves.

"It's just common courtesy to pick up after yourself," McCoy said.

4 NEWS

Oct. 11, 2016

Career Center helps students Colleges visit AHS throughout the fall

BY DIEGO FELICIANO Staff writer

One of the best resources to get information about different colleges is to visit the Career Center.

In the following months, career center will have many college visits from different places of the U.S., with this opportunity students will be able to get different material that will help them to think about which university or college they are interested in.

To be able to attend students will have to "sign up" through Family Connections and print the page that shows that you are attending.

"Every visit is at least 30 minutes long," said career center specialist, Robin Roth. "The [college] representative(s) focus on explaining about the majors that they offer, the school size, the cost of attending and the scholarships that are available."

Currently, Roth is receiving many application from different colleges from all 50 states to be able to come to Annandale to talk about their college or university.

Career Center Specialist is doing the best she can

to schedule them all so that students get a wide variety of informations from all different schools so students can see which school fits for them.

"There will be more visits through the following months but it will stop in December," said Roth. "This event will be back in the next spring so you will have the opportunity to visit other colleges and universities that you weren't able to go [in the Fall]."

Students are also encouraged to check for College Fairs that are offered locally because it is a good opportunity to learn about many universities and is easier and more convenient to get all the information that you need in at the event.

"This is a good opportunity for every student because this is a valuable information that you will be using when you apply to college, you will see the opportunities that every college and university offer for each student and if this is the place that you think is good for you," said Roth.

Aside from college visits and fairs students have many resources to help them find the best college fit for them.

By logging into their Family Connection account they can compare the results of their SAT, ACT and GPA. Family Connections also shows the requirements that colleges are looking for and t-hey also have access to a useful feature which estimates their chances

COLLEGES VISIT IN THE CAREER CENTER · James Madison University on 10/12/16 at 2:00 p.m.

· Elon University on 10/18/16 at 1:00 p.m.

· George Mason University on 10/13/16 at 9:45 a.m

· Syracuse University on 10/20/16 TBD

· American University on 10/13/16 at 11:45 a.m.

· The College of New Jersey University on 10/120/16 at 10:30 a.m.

· Longwood University on 10/17/16 at 9:00 a.m. · University of Rhode Island on 10/17/16 at 10:00 a.m. · Marietta College on 10/17/16 at 11:00 a.m. · University of Virginia on 10/17/16 at 11:45 a.m. · Southwestern University on 10/18/16 at 8:30 a.m. · Stevenson University on 10/18/16 at 11:00 a.m. · Virginia State University on 10/18/16 12:00 p.m.

of acceptance.

This gives applicants an idea of what colleges are looking for and what they will offer you in relation with the career that they plan to study.

For seniors, taking advantage of all these opportunities will help them learn about college and what they need to know.

Roth offers some final advice for the visits.

· Meredith University on 10/20/16 at 11:30 a.m. · High Point University on 10/20/16 at 1:00 p.m. · Cleveland Institute of Art on 10/21/16 at 9:00 a.m. · Marymount University on 10/24/16 at 8:30 a.m. · Northwestern University on 10/26/16 at 8:30 a.m. · Virginia Tech on 11/2/16 8:30 a.m.

"sign up early for these events,write in your agenda the day that you will be going so you don't forget and develop important questions for the day that you are attending."

Theater prepares next performance

BY NANCY EVORA

ANNE BROSNAN

News Editor

Guest speaker Martha Kiene showed students a hive of bees in the library so they could learn about their importance.

Green Atoms learn about bees

BY NANCY EVORA News Editor

The Green Atoms club has taken the initiative to spread awareness of the environment and why is important to take care of it.

The Club has created "Wild Annandale Series" which consist of different guest speakers each month to address important environmental issues that affects everyone and the environment.

"Wild Annandale tries to make students aware of their immediate environment, such as the trees that surround the school, the birds flying over them, the bees who are pollinating their food etc," Green Atoms sponsor Anne Brosnan said.

To kick off the month, the first speakers of the Wild Annandale series was a local bee keeper, Martha Kiene who is the Outreach Coordinator and VP of Northern Virginia Beekeepers Association.

According to the club sponsor, the main reason why they decided to invite a beekeeper as a guest speakers is because of the Bees being added to the Endangered Species list.

"I wanted to invite her since the bees are super important to our environment and our food supply," Brosnan said.

The club met in the library from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. on october five.

Around 30 students attended the event.

Students had the opportunity to learn about the importance of pollinators in the environment and how pollinators are disappearing such as the honey bees.

Aside from explaining students about the importance of honey bees, she brought a hive of bees so students could see them and learn about them. w Student discusses what he learned at the event.

"I learned that honey bees are the only bees that store honey, and that bees pollinate flowers so we can have food and without them we would not have a variety of food," senior Kevin huynh.

The club discusses future events for the rest of the year.

"We will have four more speakers in the upcoming months," senior VP of green Atoms Michelle Hong said.

The Annandale theatre company (ATC) is preparing to debut its fall production of the Spanish play Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca.

The cast was chosen after auditions took place on September where students demonstrated their talent to the judges.

The play is set in Spain in the 1930s and it focuses on the story of a bride who used to be in a relationship with Leonardo, another key character. The story follows Leonardo murdering the bridegroom's father and brother.

This year, according to the Assistant Director of the play, senior Jessica Smith, there are two Assistant Stage Managers.

Sophomores Christina Le and Chelsea Robles will be overseeing the stage.

Students have been working really hard so the production can be successful.

"We are preparing for the show by having rehearsal, daily. Before rehearsal even started we had a read through as an ensemble (both cast and crew), along with table work as an ensemble," Smith said.

The cast will be performJessica Smith is an assistant ing the show for three days Senior director for the play, Blood Weeding. with a total of four performances.

The play's opening night is Thursday, November 17th at 7 p.m., and its other two days will be November 18 and 19, both shows starting at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The set design will have different transformations as the scenes changes.

"The set will be representational, as it needs to transform into many different locations throughout the play including a kitchen, a forest, and a large cathedral. In order to quickly change between locations, the set designer senior Carson Binkley has created a set of periaktos (3-sided rotating triangular prisms), that will be turned as the scenes change," Smith said.

Students are excited to see their friends perform.

"I am very excited to see how my friends do in the play," senior Rose White said.

Those who want to see the play can buy tickets during all lunches for $8 and $10 at the door.

Taste of Annandale festival TITUS' DRIVING SCHOOL

BY NANCY EVORA News Editor

1. The school is bonded and insured 2. Students do not need 45 hours driving time prior to the program 3. Parents and students can Google the Titus driving school for school reviews 4. Students don't have to pay until they get their driver's license

The Culinary class participated in the Taste of Annandale festival on Oct. 1. The class was invited for the first time to show the visitors the food that Annandale Culinary prepares.

The festival was hosted by the local park authority of Fairfax County. The event offered visitors a variety of food, music and entertainment.

"Taste of Annandale was to show the different sources, benders, restaurants, dancers anything that you could do in Annandale," Culinary teacher Christine Gloninger said.

Aside from the food, Annandale entertainment was represented at the festival.

"There was a huge stage, a number of politicians

that came, a number of dancers, the Bolivian dancers, Indian dancers, little kids from of the elementary schools, so it was great," Gloninger said.

Students who attended the event had a great time experiencing what Annandale businesses have to offer.

"I loved the festival. I really liked the food they had at the tables and the music," senior Marquez Summers said.

Culinary students shared the knowledge they learned in class with the guests.

"We baked biscuits that were pumpkins, sage and butter milk, we also showed them how to make them so a few people would stay and demonstrate what the skills are in order to make a good biscuit."

Gloninger said.

5. If you bring your friend along, you get $25 off your payment.

Phone: (571)-217-1441

Email: titusdrivingschool@aol.com

VA State LIC # 1503-00634

TIM THOMAS VIA TWITER

6. If you're 18 years old, you don't have to hold your learner's permit for 9 months.

Chef Gloninger talks to Sandy Evans, FCPS School Board Chair, about the culinary arts program at AHS. The 2nd annual event gathered local businesses and school groups in a street festival.

NEWS 5

Oct. 11, 2016

Coming to Grips with the past CONT. RENAME The fact that the university owned slaves is nothing that can be changed, however Georgetown is looking for ways to compensate for it's unjust past.

DeGioia announced in his public apology speech that the school is looking to provide preferential acceptance to the descendants of not only the 272 sold slaves but to any slave whose work benefitted the university. The preferential treatment will be similar to that of the children and grandchildren of alumni.

According to one model, created by a scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which explores how populations expand and multiply, it is estimated that there are between 12,000 and 15,000 descendants of the original 272 sold slaves.

"I think [offering tuition money in addition to preferential treatment] is something to consider but I'm

not sure, I would have to learn more about it before I decided whether it was something definitely to do or not," Shartel said.

Although school acceptance may be influenced, DeGioia's plan does not include special scholarship opportunities or financial aid, despite being suggested by the university committee.

In addition to the possibility of positively influenced admittance, the school has announced plans to create an institution for the study of slavery and to display a memorial for the slaves whose inhumane sale benefited the school.

Two campus buildings will also be rededicated.

One to an African-American professor, who was also a member of a Catholic religious order, and another to an enslaved African-American man.

The renaming of the buildings to honor those who struggled instead those who thrived is something which

is not often seen and is a trend that many people are working to change. In the past few years, the push for new names of schools, roads and other public tax funded properties nationwide has never been larger as citizens petitions and protests urge immediate change.

"It's a step towards confronting the past, something that was wrong and that we know was wrong now and while it can never completely undo what happened it's a good first step," said Shartel.

Remembering and reflecting for those who anonymously suffered isn't always enough, sometimes it is what's in a name.

J.E.B. Stuart was the a United States Army officer from the U.S. state of Virginia, who later became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War.

Get Involved, Join a Club ATOMS WRITING CENTER

POST 505

GREEN ATOMS

What is it? A Fairfax County Police ExWhat is it? An environmental club plorer program What is it? A peer tutoring group Where? Room 26 Where? Annandale High School Where? Room 274, The Atoms Writing CenterWhen? Most Wednesdays after school When? Next meeting Tuesday, October 11 When? Different times after school or during Who can join? We are inticipating 30 from 6:00p.m. - 9:00p.m. lunches students this year but anyone can join!

Who can join? Any teens from ages 14 - 21, Who can join? Anyone who is interested in they are looking for new recruits now. becoming a passionate tutor.

What do you do there? Recycle, park cleanups, gardening, community out reach.

It's is a great way to get community service.

What do you do there? Students are taught the different aspects What do you do there? We work to improve the compostition and critical of police work as well as public speaking. They work on scenarios thinking skills of our peers by facilitating the writing process and encour- What is the main goal of the club? Our mission is to raise student awareness of environmental issues and to improve our similar to police scenes in a safe and educational setting. Students aging collaboration.

What is the main goal of the club? The main goal is to help students with local and global environment through hands-on activities and learn handcuffing technics, bomb threats, and Crisis Intervention.

What is the main goal of the club? We emphasize in leadership and community outreach their writing. working with a student tutor can really help students who providing the explorers with the opportunity to learn and interact with the struggle with writing to be a bit more comfortable. public.

NEWS BRIEFS VARSITY FOOTBALL VS. WEST POTOMAC

VARSITY FOOTBALL VS. SOUTH COUNTY

On Friday, Oct. 14 Annandale will play West Potomac High School. The game will be held at Annandale High School and will start at 7:00 pm.

Annandale Varsity Football will play South County High School on Friday, Oct. 31. The game will be held at South County and will start at 7:00 pm.

THANKSGIVING BREAK Students will not have school on Thursday Nov. 24 and Friday Nov. 25. It will be Thanksgiving break.

1ST ROUND OF FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS The Region 6A North Football Playoffs, 1st round starts on Friday, Nov. 11. The location is TBD.

2 HOUR EARLY RELEASE

STUDENT HOLIDAYS

On Friday, Nov. 4, students will be released 2 hours early due to the end of the first quarter.

There will be no school November 7 and 8. This marks the end of the first grading period.

WINTER BREAK Winter Break will be Dec. 19 through Jan. 2. The school will be open for practices and games for sports teams.

IMPROV CLUB New club focusing on improvisional acting and confidence. Meetings will be most Weds. in room 324 from 3:15p.m. to 4:00p.m.. Contact Ms. Brunberg with questions.

STUDENTS RELEASED 2 HOURS EARLY

On Wed., November 23 students will be released 2 hours early to start off Thanksgiving break.

SAT ADMINISTRATION On Sat. Nov. 5, the SAT will be administered at Annandale. Students taking the test should plan to arrive no later than 7:15am and check in at Entrance 1, Main Lobby.

6 ACADEMICS Senior qualifies as a National Merit Semifinalist

BY HALLEY THADEUS Academics Co-Editor 213 Fairfax County students from 21 high schools have been named semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation for 2017.

Our very own Benjamin Betts has qualified as being one of the semifinalists. By scoring one of the top scores on the PSAT. The National Merit Scholarship Program began in 1955 and is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. To enter to become a National Merit Scholar, high students have to take the Preliminary National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

Approximately 1.6 students take the PSAT. Also, the high school student has to be a U.S. citizen or U.S. lawful permanent resident.

In the spring of 2017, semifinalists are allowed to compete for 7,500 National Merit Scholarship awards with $33 million. About 16,000 high school seniors were National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. The pool of students

represents less than 1 percent of total U.S. high school seniors. Depending on the state's percent of total graduating senior will affect the number of semifinalists in a state.

In 2017, three types of Merit scholarship awards will be offered such as, National Merit $2,500 scholarships, corporate-sponsorship scholarships and college sponsored scholarships.

Merit Scholarship winner will be announced sometime in the spring of 2017, there is no official date yet.

Merit Scholarship awards are supported by around 420 independent sponsors and by NMSC's own funds. Sponsor organizations include corporations, and businesses, company foundations, professional associations, and colleges and universities.

Betts has to write an essay and submit some other documents to be scored against the other semifinalists to become a finalist. Betts was shocked to find out he was one of the semifinalists because some of his peers excelled more than him in school but did not end up being a

Oct. 11, 2016

semifinalists. Before taking the SAT, Betts has taken an SAT class at Huntington Learning Center.

Senior Benjamin Betts says, "I do not study that much but I did prepare for the SAT which helped me to score well on the PSAT." Benjamin Betts pushes himself to take all honor and IB classes for his core classes. Benjamin Betts said, "I have always found math pretty easy, reading is not that hard either, grammar tends to make sense."

His main focus is music, he strives to major in music production.

He plays the trombone for Annandale's band and sings for Annandale's Choir. Betts has a few colleges in mind that he would like to attend, such as the University of Southern California, University of Michigan, Shenandoah conservatory, and then everyone's usual JMU.

Senior Ben Betts is a semifinalist for National Merit Scholars.

How do you check your grades online? How often do you The online grade book has become extremely popular.

Without interims this year students have been checking online consistently to see what grades they got Step 1: Go to on each assignment and www.sisparent.fcps.edu/ how they are doing in their classes. FCPS expects students to check their progress in their classes on their own through their parents portal since they are not printing interims.

Step 2: Log in using your

parents email and password that they created at the beginning of the year.

check your grades online?

We posted a poll on twitter and got over 80 responses.

Step 3: Click on Grade Book Once a day or more: 55%

Never

O quance a rte mo r nth or

Once a week: 24%

Once a day or more

Once a week

Once a month or quarter: 6%

Step 4: Click on each indi-

Never: 15%

vidual class in order to see your graded assignments

IB Spotlight: Mustafa Elamin

SAT Word search

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

A: Being an IB diploma candidate academics becomes part of your social life. You find out as you start the program that they become interwoven, and for me most of my friends are doing the IB Diploma or are in most of the same IB classes as me so it works out in a way.

Q: What are your studying habits?

A: One thing which can get stressful is having many quizzes or tests on the same day so if I have a test or a quiz coming up for certain classes I try to study 3-4 days ahead and then briefly review my notes the few nights before the test or quiz. It also helps to study in groups for certain classes because your friends can help you on subjects.

Q: What is your favorite IB subject?

A: In school, IB Theory of Knowledge is my favorite IB Subject because it is unlike any other classes. The course allows you to share your beliefs and opinions on topics you would not regularly talk about in any of your other classes. It also helps you see other people's perspectives on certain topics and forces you to think of different approaches to solve problems.

Q: What are your plans after high school?

A: After high school, I plan on hopefully going to Virginia Tech or George Mason University to major in Advertising or Marketing or Public Communication.

Q: What are you going to do to prepare for IB exams?

A: For IB exams, I am going to review my notes and material from junior year and this year and with the help of my teachers, hopefully will get decent scores on my exams.

Q: What is your extended essay topic?

A: My extended essay topic is, "to what extent has the Brown vs. Board of education supreme court case affected northern Virginia compared to the rest of the state".

Q: is your only focus academics?

A: No, believe it or not, I am actually planning to become a comedian after college, but for right now I post weekly jokes to my instagram page (@know_ what_i_elamin).

Q: Who or what has helped you on your IB journey?

A: Honestly, without the support of friends and family, I would not have survived the IB program this long, But most importantly it is the IB community, teachers, counselors, and supervisors who want to see you succeed and want you to go and graduate with that IB diploma.

Q: Who is your favorite IB teacher?

A: There are a good number of teachers who I like who I have had, but in my IB journey so far, Mr. Jepson is one of my favorite teachers I have had for IB HOA. Q: What advice would you give future IB diploma candidates?

A: You will probably hear this a lot, but don't procrastinate. Its one of the worst things that you can do to yourself. The IB diploma is not as hard as it is rumored to be, do not get me wrong there are times where you will want to quit. But just remember that it is only two years that you will have to put in the work and dedication.

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

A: Doing the IB diploma, I have become a better public speaker and I have significantly improved my essay-writing skills. Hopefully all the work I have put in will pay off in college.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A: In ten years, I have hopefully graduated college with a bachelors in communication, going to graduate school and I see myself working to becoming a famous or uprising comedian. (Psst... You should remember my name.)

WORDS: Abbreviate Adversity Antagonist Arid Assiduous Benevolent Camaraderie Circuitous Condescending Deleterious

Digression Disdain Empathy Emulate Exasperation Florid Fortuitous Incompatible Inevitable Intrepid Jubilation

CHECK YOUR ANSWERS! On your smart phone, scan this code using the application “QR Code�.

HEALTH 7

Oct. 11, 2016

Candy Column

Reasons why packing lunch may be healthier for you

Statistics you should know for this Halloween

How to manage the contents and portions inside your lunch box

Kit Kat

Serving Size: 4 bars Calories: 210 calories Sugar: 21 grams Sodium: 30 milligrams Fat: 11 grams

BY JULIE NGUYEN Health Editor

Twix

Candy Corn

Serving Size: 19 pieces Calories: 140 calories Sugar: 32 grams Sodium: 70 milligrams Fat: 0 grams

M&M's

JULIE NGUYEN

Now that school lunch has increased to $3.25 a tray, a cheaper alternative may be to bring a packed lunch yourself. Waiting in those long lines for a limited assortment of food is not worth your time.

Invest your mornings to packing a solid lunch that will benefit you in the long run.Having the freedom to make your own lunch, is a nice option because what you eat for lunch won't be a surprise and you'll be more likely to enjoy what you made yourself.

Planning out your lunches to have balanced portions and a variety of nutrients is important to staying healthy. The important points to focus on should be grain, protein, fruits, vegetables and drinks.

"You don't have to wait in long lunch lines and you get to pack what you want to," senior Kimberly Romero said. "You get to pack healthier options and bigger portions."

However the freedom you have when packing lunch, does not justify you tossing random things into a paper bag and calling it a day.

Grains Carbohydrates should be the largest portion of your meals. Your carb intake should be approximately 50 percent of your calorie breakdown and grains are a good source to get them from.

Making a sandwich with whole grain bread is a better choice as whole grain has lots of nutrients.

Whole grain is healthier than white bread and contains tons of vitamins, minerals and fiber that will last you throughout the school day.

In addition to whole grain, the contents of your sandwich should also be healthy. Having whole wheat bread but filling it with nutella is not an ideal lunch.

Make a sandwich that is both nutritious and quick to make such as a simple ham and cheese or a peanut butter sandwich.

Another source of whole grain can also come from granola bars. These easy to pack snacks are convenient and are oftentimes high in fiber as well.

Serving Size: 2 cookies Calories: 250 calories Sugar: 24 grams Sodium: 100 milligrams Fat: 12 grams

Serving Size: 1.69 oz bag Calories: 240 calories Sugar: 30 grams Sodium: 30 milligrams Fat: 10 grams

Skittles

A packed lunch should not just be a small sandwich and should instead include carbs, fruits and protein.

Filled with the necessary nutrients, whole grain will keep your stomach filled and acts as your source of carbohydrates.

Protein Although protein is typically associated with meat, peanut butter also has a good amount of protein. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is easy to make and will cover your daily dose of protein in one sitting.

If peanut butter isn't a good option for you, there are other alternatives to protein. Ham, bologna and turkey are all good options for packing lunch and have plenty of nutrients for your body.

Another source of protein can also come from hard-boiled eggs. These are easy to make and are simple enough for you to pack every day to lunch.

Fruits and Veggies It may be tempting to pack sugary sweets but a better source of natural sugar can come from your portion of fruits. A small bag of strawberries or simply an apple will suffice. These fruits will serve

as your sugar intake without having to eat any of those artificially flavored candies and many fruits also have carbohydrates.

If fruits are not appealing to you, vegetables may be the better option. Vegetables are rich in potassium and contain tons of fiber.

One serving of baby carrots of about eight pieces is only approximately 30 calories and has 2.5 grams of fiber.

Drinks A sweet beverage like a Capri Sun or Gatorade may be appealing but you're better off just packing a water bottle. Water is zero calories and is more effective at keeping you hydrated. Those sugary juice boxes are likely to make you parched throughout the day and being thirsty all day is uncomfortable.

Overall if you have the option to pack lunch instead of buying, you should take it. Packing your own lunch will enable you to control your portions and diet choices.

Serving Size: 54 pieces Calories: 231 calories Sugar: 43.3 grams Sodium: 9 milligrams

Gummy Bears

Serving Size: 12 pieces Calories: 120 calories Sugar: 18 grams Sodium: 25 milligrams Fat: 0 grams

Tootsie Roll

Serving Size: 6 pieces Calories: 155 calories Sugar: 22.5 grams Sodium: 17.6 milligrams Fat: 1.3 grams

Health myths: False facts debunked

Eight glasses of water a day Sugar makes you hyper Although drinking water is extremely important in The popular belief that sugar leads to hyperactivity staying hydrated, having too much water can also be dan- has been proved wrong by many scientists. They state gerous. Sometimes, eight glasses of water a day is too that although diet does affect one's behavior, there is no much because lots of your water intake comes from the real link between sugar and being energetic. food you eat.

Seven years of swallowed gum If you accidentally swallow gum, there is no need to panic. It won't actually take seven years to digest inside your stomach. Although it will take longer to get through your digestive system, it will eventually make its way out normally.

Sitting too close to a screen can damage your eyes It is said that being exposed to a bright screen for too long may ruin your eyes. However, it has been proved that it won't damage your eyes permanently. The symptoms of blurry vision and headaches after staring at a screen for too long are just signs of temporary eyestrain.

Do you eat food that Five-second rule is you drop on the floor? no longer an excuse Research shows that food gets contaminated faster than we think "Yes, but it depends on where it is."

"Sometimes, depending on the ALEXANDER food."

CHOUNRAMANY RILEY MELENDEZ freshman

"Yeah because it's not dirty if it's less than five seconds. If the surface is nasty I'm freshman not touching it, if it's pretty clean I'll eat it."

"Yes, I don't like to waste food. It depends on what surface. It can't be dirty but if it's something that's clean then yeah."

DEVIN GILL

ABAG ADAWI

sophomore

"No I do not because if something is on the ground it's probably nasty and wasted already so I dont feel like I should eat it."

WESLEY VAUGHN junior

"If it's public, no because those floors are really dirty. At home, I would!"

AMY CHUNG

junior

sophomore

"I follow the ten second rule."

"No, if something falls on the ground I'm not BRANDON LIEN going to eat it because senior that's nasty."

ILHAN AHMED senior

You buy a doughnut from Shoppers and drop it on the ground, but it has only been four seconds. After making sure no one saw you, you quickly pick it up and continue to eat it. Was that the right move? According to recent studies, no it was not.

The five-second rule states that if food drops on the ground, it is safe to eat within five seconds of its contact with the floor. However, researchers at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey recently tested this theory and discovered that it is false.

These researchers found that bacteria contamination does not occur after five seconds of contact as the five-second rule states, but can actually occur in less than one second.

Their experiment included dropping differently textured foods on multiple types of surfaces that were contaminated with a salmonella-like bacteria. Then they let the food rest on the surface for various lengths of time.

Although it turned out that if the food was exposed to the germ-filled counters for longer times the spread of germs was worse, contamination still occurred instantly.

"It depends where the food is and it depends where I am," senior Josephine Ohene-Okae said when asked whether she follows the five-second rule or not.

"At any public restaurant I ignore [the five-second rule] because being an employee at a restaurant [myself], I know that sometimes the floors and the surfaces are not always clean to the best of their abilities," Ohene-Okae said. "But if I am at home, I am like 'Oh well I cleaned the floors.'"

An interesting finding from the Rutgers research was that when food is wet, it attracts more bacteria than food that is dry since bacteria is most affected by

JULIE NGUYEN

BY JUDY NANAW Health Editor

Food dropped on tile is said to collect more bacteria than food dropped on carpet.

moisture. For example, their test revealed that watermelon had the most amount of bacteria while gummy candy had the least after being dropped.

Regarding the types of surfaces that food comes in contact with, the researchers' test showed that the foods dropped on carpet were less contaminated than foods that were left on tile and stainless steel.

However, this still does not give you the excuse to eat food that you dropped on carpet! Contact with a contaminated floor will immediately transfer bacteria to the food, even though the amounts of germs will be different depending on the type of surface.

"If I drop something in the sink, I'm never going to eat it," Ohene-Okae said. "If I drop something on the table at my house, I'll eat it. If I drop something on the floor at my house, I might eat it."

So next time you accidently drop food on the floor (even if it is your favorite candy bar), do not think it is safe to eat it if it has not been more than five seconds-remember that germs attach to your food instantly and it is better to be safe than sorry.

8 PHOTO

Oct. 11, 2016

Put some pep in your step Students participate in Homecoming week activities

Juniors Elvin Martinez and Joseph McCoy having fun while waching the pep rally. "Tug of war was my favorite because it was very exciting and unpredictable," Martinez said.

KAYLA HOLCOMB

Sophmores show school spirit while wearing white and enjoying the pep rally.

KAYLA HOLCOMB

English teacher Kathleen Mathis and Sophmores Emily Trachsel and Efrata Tecle imitating the sport that they are wearing. "[Jersey day] sparked good conversation with people," Trachsel said. "It was fun to see all the sport teams my friends were into."

KAYLA HOLCOMB

KAYLA HOLCOMB

KAYLA HOLCOMB

The juniors won the final game of tug of war at the pep rally against the seniors. "I feel like it was unfair because the juniors had more kids, but it was still a very fun experience," senior Lucas Michael said.

KAYLA HOLCOMB

KAYLA HOLCOMB

Juniors Jack McCrossin and Kyle Addo participate in the class relays. "I really enjoyed the satisfaction of crushing the seniors in tug of war and pulling Jalen to the floor," McCrossin said.

Juniors Jessica Roop and Janice Milian participate and have fun on tourist day. "[My favorite part about tourist day was] seeing who was going to participate and what everyone was going to wear," Roop said. "It's the one time that you can dress fun and wacky."

KAYLA HOLCOMB

The dance team preforming at the pep rally. "I felt that overall we did amazing, even though we made some mistakes. As a whole team we worked hard and performed well," captain Arianna Ward said.

KAYLA HOLCOMB

Danyom Beyene and Jovanni Cardenas show their school spirit by dressing preppy. "I liked how I was able to wear something a little different than I usually do," Cardenas said.

KAYLA HOLCOMB

KAYLA HOLCOMB

The junior powderpuff team takes the win becoming the 2016 powderpuff champions.

Freshmen laugh and talk while waiting for the pep rally to start.

Seniors Karen Lara, Sabrina Huynh and Matthew Vogus laugh together while preparing for the pep rally.

Q: What's your favorite part about art?

A: My favorite part about art is that you can express your creativity in an infinite number of different ways.

Q: What gave you the idea to create this piece?

A: I was assigned to create a self portrait by choosing one of the art styles, so I chose Realism.

Q: Who inspired you to start art?

A: No one really inspired me to start doing art. I just started drawing one day when I was younger and really enjoyed it and haven't stopped since then.

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

A: My advice to aspiring artists is to never give up, even if you think you are not the best at art. Over time, you'll get better and see results. Practice makes perfect!

AHS Hosts Third Bi-Annual Play In A Day AHS hosted its third bi-annual Play In A Day competition on where theatre students were given the task of performing a play in front of their peers and a fellow audience.

Play in a day is hosted by the Annandale Theatre Company in which people then compete against other teams!

The catch? It all had to be done in one day. The teams were given variables, a theme, and a line that must be incorporated into the play.

Winners were judged in many different categories such as most creative use of line, strongest comedic performer, and many others.

Anyone is welcome to this event, whether you're participating or

performing in the show.

In this event, you fill out an application to participate.

Once an application is turned in, participants show up at 8AM on a Saturday morning to begin their day!

There is a strict schedule that must be followed. This strict schedule includes writing, rehearsing, tech call, etc.

Teams are usually made the morning of, and decided by the Theatre Director, Ms. Brunberg.

Pictures are released during the day of the event documenting the process on the Annandale Theatre Company's Facebook, AnnandaleTC, and Twitter @ AtomsTheatre.

Before writing, the teams are given variables, a theme, and

a line that they must use within their play.

Variables from this past 3rd Bi-annual Play in a Day included binoculars, a lighting fixture, van seat, plastic flamingo, and a giant banana with a mustache.

The given line the teams had to use was "Alligator soup, it's a crazy idea." The theme for the plays was betrayal.

The teams this past Play in a Day were senior William Rangel Cardozo, senior Daniel Canto, Sophomore Ioana Marin. senior Maya Koch, senior Jessica Smith and junior Sloan Limon.

William and Daniel's play consisted of a company trying to come up with ideas for products to sell.

Ioana and Maya's play included a

Address: 1400 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20560 Telephone: (844) 750-3012 Email: NMAAHC-PublicAffairs@si.edu Hours: 10AM - 5:30PM Closed: December 25th Admission: Timed-entry passes must be purchased

Ioana Marin and Maya Koch rehearsing before curtain at 7PM

William Rangel Cardozo and Daniel Canto at their Tech Call

National Museum of African American History and Culture opens

BY SERENE GHUL Arts Editor

On Saturday Sept. 24, the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in Washington D.C. This is the Smithsonian s 19th museum. But this building is more than just a museum, it s a place filled with memories and the unpolished truth of America.

President Obama was there at the opening of the museum and gave a speech in front of thousands and thousands of people waiting outside the National Mall.

Tickets were free, but hard to obtain as there were about 1,000 invited guests. Obama describes the significance of the museum and says, "African American history is not somehow separate than the American story. It is not the underside of the American story. It is central to the

American story," The opening of this museum was so significant that a 99 year old woman named Ruth Bonner, born to a former slave, was given the opportunity to open the doors to the museum. The building was open to the public at around 1 PM and closed at around 8 PM. Many celebrities attended the opening and some are even apart of the Museum.

Oprah Winfrey, who recently donated 13 million dollars to the museum, has a theater named after her.

In fact, without these donations, the creation of the museum may not have been possible. Although 50% of the funding came from Congress, 43% of the museums money came from donations.

With the opening of this

historic landmark, not only does the museum represent all that has happened in the past, but how we can learn to prosper in the future.

Rep. John Lewis, the man who fought Congress for many years to make the museum a reality, says, "This place is more than a building.

It is a dream come true."

The building itself is quite significant as it contains a bronze-hued exterior which is called 'Corona'. The bronze is used to represent the iron work that enslaved workers in Charlotte and New Orleans once did.

The building is about 400,000 square feet filled with more than 36,000 artifacts. The building is 5 stories high and 60 percent of the museum is below the grade.

As the people

walk through the museum, they are first introduced to slavery and civil movement.

There are many other exhibits in between, and even as recent and extremely significant as the Black Lives Matter movement.

The museum is divided into 10 major galleries. There is Slavery and Freedom, DefendingFreedom, Changing Freedom, all under the history galleries. Under the culture galleries, there is Musical Crossroads, Cultural Expressions, and the Visual Arts Gallery. Power of Place, Making a Way Out of No Way, Sports Gallery, and Military History Gallery, are all under the community galleries.

The museum tells these stories through different artifacts and artwork.

Pieces like Gabby Douglas's uneven bar from the 2012 olympics, Harriet Tubman's shawl, and Carlotta Walls LaNier's dress from Little Rock Nine. Other Artifacts include Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins flute and Carl Lewis's Olympic gold medals.

These artifacts give us a glimpse at a few out of the many achievements and historic monuments of the African Americans.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture although focused on one historic group, contains history and past events that every American can relate to, whether they are aware of it or not.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNY HUYNH

This work is by Junior Valeria Salinas. This drawing was made for a project in her art class. Want to have your art featured in the next issue of The A-Blast? Each issue, the Arts page will pick a student's art from submitted content and feature their work of art on the Arts page.

All mediums are welcome, whether it be a painting, doodle, poem or song. Videos can be submitted too!

Send all submissions to theablast15@gmail.com, or send it to our dropbox (using the same email as above) for files larger than two GB.

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

loyal Vice President (Maya) and President (Ioana), and how the Vice President betrayed the President for their own benefit, as the VP was starving.

Jessica and Sloan's play consisted of friends at a haunted House.

Hanna (Jessica's character) did horrible things to others, so Jen (Sloan's character) brought Hanna to this haunted house to make her face those she had hurt in the past.

This was all over a broken mirror.

At the end, awards were given at the end of the performances by selected judges.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA SMITH

BY JESSICA SMITH Special to A-Blast

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA SMITH

Featured artist Q&A: Valeria Salinas

Sept. 15, 2016

Art on the Avenue Event In Alexandria

BY SERENE GHUL Arts Editor

On Saturday Oct. 1 at 10AM a voluntary event, known as Art on the Avenue, was held in Mt. Vernon Avenue in Del Ray, Alexandria. This event is a celebration of every communities diversity. The event consist of work from all different types of cultures and backgrounds. All indiviuals involved in the event have a stand set up full of art work, music, and more each representing someplace different.

Art on the Avenue is something many people look forward to visiting once an event around their community is

being held. When the event came to Alexandria over 50,000 visitors attended.

If you couldn't attend right away, the stands and entertainment were going on until 6PM. A lot more than just art was included at the event. It also included live music, food, and it even had a pie baking contest. The crazy and special thing about this event is the fact that it's entirely organized by volunteers. The next time Art on the Avenue is around, get your friends together and go look around!

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNY HUYNH

9 ARTS

10 IN-DEPTH

IN-DEPTH 11

Oct. 11 2016

Oct. 11 2016

2016 Presidential Election

Art Credit: Megan Lee, junior

Why Clinton should win

BY CASEY NGUYEN Staff Writer Hillary Clinton has a great chance of becoming the brand-new face of the "Free World." Many support her because that she's the ideal leader for America.

Her character, past experience and responsibility are some of the reasons why she is the candidate to vote for in this year's election.

In any event, the advantages of having an intelligent individual like Hillary Clinton as president would provide an infinite amount of benefits to the nation.

She will be cherished as someone who dramatically strengthened our country during this decade.

"Clinton is able to break barriers," sophomore Sam Phan said, "helping others realize that women can do just about anything men can."

Hillary Clinton has revealed to the world of what she is capable doing.

She makes an impression with a decades-long political career.

Her experience as former Secretary of State and as the first lady shows that she is well qualified for the job.

Not only is she capable of completing the job, her personality makes her compatable.

She is ambitious and dutiful, the exemplary figure of what a President needs to be.

Once Clinton is elected, future generations will grow up with an altered view of what a woman with determination and persistence can do.

Her role in gender equality will counterweight years of male supremacy.

As time progresses, hopefully America will continue to morph into a country that breaks barriers of stereotypes and discrimination from our first African American president to a strong woman as the next president.

Clinton recognizes issues and provides solutions, taking into

consideration the impacts and benefits they will bring to the American people.

She does not just focus on the wealthy people, but she recognizes the majority of the working class in America She has also taken into consideration on what a large number of the people in America are; immigrants.

Her Republican candidate, Donald Trump, is a wealthy entrepreneur, who is known for his own reality show "The Apprentice.

That in itself should demonstrate who is the most qualified the job as President between the two.

"He doesn't have much experience in the politics scene," sophomore Hoang Tran said, about Trump.

"The way he thinks he can handle this job is ridiculous."

"Clinton is overlooked from what she can do for America all because of one email scandal in the past," Phan said.

She had a lapse in judgement at the time of making her mistake, she understands her wrongdoings and shows deep remorse for them.

Despite this, these mistakes are continually brought up and used against her.

"Everyone makes mistakes in their lives because they are human," Senior Kevin Huynh said, "Hillary Clinton is no exception."

She has set a proper example by acknowledging her mistakes and learning from her mistakes.

Unlike Trump, Clinton takes responsibility for her actions and does not constantly deny the truth.

"The past is the past," sophomore Ginger Mendez said, "people need to forgive and forget."

Hillay Clinton is the most experianced and ideal represinative in this campaign. She has acknowldged her past mistkaes and will use her experience to create a stonger America.

Meet your candidates: Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump

Climate change

Student Loans

Gun Control

Wants to generate half our electricity from clean sources.

As president will launch a $60 billion Clean Energy Challenge.

Wants to generate enough renewable engery to supply every home with solar panels.

Believes that families with income up to $125,000 shouldn't pay tuition at in-state four-year public colleges and universities.

Believes that community colleges should be free.

Wants to expand background checks by closing gun shows, and internet sale loopholes.

Will support laws that will prevent domestic abusers, the severely mental ill and criminals, from obtaining and owning guns.

Will fight for federal equality.

Wants to protect transgender rights.

WIll honor LGBT in the military and enforce stronger anti-discrimination policies.

Wants to develop energy sources and power production that reduces dependence on fossil fuels.

Wants to cancel the Paris Climate Agreement and stop tax payments from going to the U.N global warming programs.

Wants to restructure student loans but believes the government can't forgive them.

Wants to financially punish colleges if the students don't repay loans.

Wants colleges to deny students who won't be successful.

Believes in project exile, (a program that was used in Richmond where if a felon commits a crime with a gun, he/she will go to jail for 5 years with no parole or early release).

Wants the whole nation to have the right to carry guns.

Doesn't believe in marriage equality.

Will not enforce federal or civil rights for transgender rights.

Doesn't believe in restricting or outlawing guns.

In fact, he believes that restricting guns makes us all less safe. He also believes being able to bear arms is part of America's society

Believes that the government should have less say about marriage.

He's rather moderate but wants to leave the decison up to the states.

Wants to end federal student loans (he believes that that is the reason why tuition costs are so expensive).

Wants to refinance interest rates.

Believes that the Environmental Protection Agency plays an active role in protecting the environment and that the government should be engaging.

Gary Johnson

LGBTQ Rights

Wants to abolish student debt, and make all public college and universities free.

Wants to also end school privatization to focus on student needs as opposed to corporate needs.

Wants to convert to Lead a global treaty 100% renewable energy by 2030.to end change Wantsclimate to create 20 -End milion jobsdestructive in the clean energyto prevent energy sector extraction climate change.

-Label GMOs, and put a prohibition on GMOs

Wants more regulations and background checks.

Believes that there should be more mental health services.

Believes that there should be an assault weapons ban.

Believes in same sex marriage and wants to protect it and transgender rights.

Wants to end discrimination at the work place.

DANIELLE DAVIS freshman

JEREMY FERNANDEZ freshman

ARACELI CABRERA

sophomore

"I want Clinton to win, because she's not as bad as Donald Trump to be honest."

JOHANNA RODRIGUEZ sophomore

"Hillary Clinton is a better choice beacause Donald Trump is a narcissist."

"I want Hillary Clinton to win because she'd be the first female president of the MARINA CHEN United States. junior

Qualifications to register to vote in Virginia

ISATU KARGBO junior

"I favor Hillary Clinton winning because she'll bring better jobs to our society."

ERICK VASQUEZ

senior

About 185 students were counted in classrooms during W4 on Sept. 29 about who they favor in this year's Presentational Election junior Jack Mccrossin.

It is clear what the population of Annandale says, but all of America is still waiting and anticipating the

BY SHARON SANCHEZ AND KIMBERLY VAIDES

*Resident of Virginia *Legal U.S Citizen *18 years old or older

*In person at the registrar's office at the DMV *By mail-in applications *Register online at https://vote. elections.virginia.gov NOTE: Registration closes 22 days before the elections. The deadline is October 17th!

"I want Donald Trump to win beacuse since he's a good business guy he could get us out of debt."

IVAN GIRON senior

In our quest to find a Trump suporter at AHS, willing to write for The A-Blast, we had no sucess.

Is it really a surprise that a majority of students favor Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States?

There are a handful of students who would not admit to being supporters of the infamous 70-year-old Republican candidate.

From the start, Trump has always had a bad reputation. However, one can not neglect that people are in favor of him.

His policy, terms and plans go with the ideals of what some people think the United States shouldbe to make it "great again."

We were not surprised that there were not a lot of students who would confess to being a Trump supporter, let alone willing to write for us.

Is that necessarily a bad thing? What

does this say about our school?

Our school is very diverse. In fact, it's one of the most diverse schools in the U.S. We're a school who accepts everyone and does not discriminate others in terms of race.

We have various clubs that represent different ethnicities and identities, students who come from multiple countries and many who speak little to no English.

It is almost obvious to say that most students are more likely to be against Trump and what he stands for.

A number of people could agree that watching the beginning of this Trump era, that he would not have made it as far as he has.

Trump possesses unfiltered speeches and tweets. On May 5, Trump tweeted a photo of him eating a taco bowl, celebrating the Mexican holiday captioned " I love Hispanics!" trying to seem in favor of latinos. This is quite hypocritical when he wants to create a border to prevent certain people from crossing. He wants to deport 11 million

month of November, to find out who will be the the 45th president of the United States.

Registering to Vote

BY TEAGAN FOTI Co-Editor in Chief Senior Robert Figley turned 18 in early September, just in time to exercise his 15th amendment rights this November.

"Trump is crazy, but I haven't decided who I'll vote for, but it will most likely be a third party member," Figley said.

Like many other teens, the privilege to have a say in who will be the next leader of the free world is a big responsibility and one that Figley doesn't take lightly.

He has kept up with both candidates campaigns in an effort to make

Are students against Trump?

Staff Writer and In-Depth Editor

"Hillary Clinton should win because she has a political view and isn't racist."

A survey was taken to find out what Annadnale has to say about the presidential race, and who they think will win.

Trump, Clinton, Johnson, and Stein are the last four candidates running in the 2016 presidential race.

When students were asked who they would vote for, 10 percent said they'd want Johnson, 65 percent said Clinton, 10 percent said they want Trump, and 13 percent said they would vote for Stein.

It's pretty evident that the win will come down to either Trump or Clinton, but there is really no saying on who's going to make it to the finish line first.

Both Clinton and Trump have recognition to their names for past performances: Trump being the billionaire businessman of his handed down company from his father, The Trump Organization, and Clinton being the first lady and the 67th Secretary of State. Johnson founded one of the largest construction companies in New Mexico.

Stein was governor of

Massachusetts and is the representative for the Green Party.

With Stein having a higher popularity than Trump, it comes as a wake up call to everyone one: Trump is not in favor at AHS. Although what these candidates intend for America is to be of a benefit, there is no sure answer on who will win the race.

Trump and Clinton, although well known, have secrets hidden which could truly make or break their reputation. Last week, Trump made a statement at the National Debate,"I will release my tax returns once she releases her emails, relating back to the email scandal of Clinton which was first discovered March of last year.

Trump definitely takes the lead of being seen as the joke of the election.

"His plans are insane, and are unlikely to even happen," Freshmen Hemen Besufekad said.

The economy is a topic which is debated about non-stop, since it is either on the rise, or facing a major downfall.

"He knows a lot about money, so obviously, he's gonna end up making a lot of money for our country,"said

You can register to vote in Virginia

Who do you favor in the upcoming election?

"I want Hillary Clinton to win because she's going to make America great again."

BY YABI BEREKET Staff Writer

Jill Stein

"I don't favor in Trump because he is closed minded and a bigot."

AHS favors Clinton

immigrants and have Mexico pay the expenses.

Previously, Trump has said he will call for a complete ban on Muslims entering the U.S. after the shooting in Orlando and California.

However, are we really going to put our hate of terrorism on all Muslims and ban them all?

Trump has even come out on supporting his son when he compared poisonous

Skittles to Syran refgees on Twitter.

Trump Jr.'s post read, "If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you.

Would you take a handful? That's our Syrian refugee problem."

Many were shocked at the comparison and have even came out to state that "Skittles are not people."

Ironically, according to The Washington Post, back in May, Trump has in fact said, "I am the least racist person that you have ever

the most informed vote.

"Neither [Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton] seem like a perfect fit for presidency," Figley said. "They both have very large weaknesses and aspects of their campaign that I don't agree with."

Although Figley is unsure of which candidate will earn his definite support this November, he is in the process of registering to vote and looks forward to getting to the polls in a few weeks and helping to impact the future of America.

"It's an honor," Figley said. "Voting isn't a universal right so it's something I don't want to take for granted."

encountered."

Donald Trump has really been quite a character in this year's presidential election.

With all the humor and immaturity that he has brought with him, we will either have to witness more of his ridiculous behavior or soon forget him whether or not he gets elected this year.

"I don't want Trump to win because he has no experience in politics. Personally.

Donald Trump's views on immigration and foreign affairs are inhumane. He's also very sexist and he doesn't care for the poor and the families that are struggling. He only cares about the wealthy because he grew up wealthy" sophomore Zain Ghul said.

This year's election is critical. It''s important to vote this year because our entire reputation as a country is at stake. Diversity is one of the factors that makes America so unique.

When voting, choose wisely with the thought of everything that creates America in mind.

12 INTERNATIONAL Fun facts about the recent changes made in American public school lunches

BY LINA AL TAII International Editor

»

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was promoted by The President and First Lady, setting off the major changes made to public school lunches nationwide.

»

One big reason that the lunch reforms were made is research which showed about one in three kids in America were obese.

»

According to the FNS (Food and Nutrition Service) Proposed Rule: Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in School Presentation consistent research showed that American children's diets do not meet recommendations.

»

After the act was approved, a lot of controversy followed, students and parents outraged at the miniscule portions of food given to growing high schoolers.

»

According to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, this legislation was the first time in 30 years that the USDA was allowed to improve the nutrition for school lunch and breakfast programs.

»

Some examples of food which has been restricted from being provided to students in public schools are regular soda, donuts, and chocolate sandwich cookies.

»

Additionally, in elementary and middle school environments, foods and beverages are required to be caffeine free.

»

The SBP (School Breakfast Program), a state level nonprofit breakfast program, provides money assistance for schools that have free breakfast programs.

»

Michelle Obama replaced the well known food pyramid with a food "plate" which has colored sections like a pie chart depicting what a nutritious meal should look like.

»

The smaller details like what is served when and how it is presented are still decided by locals, they only need to follow the guidelines given to them by the FNS.

Oct 11, 2016

How American cafeteria food compares to other countries New Zealand Ukraine

BY FARES AYOUB Staff Writer

BY LINA AL TAII International Editor

In New Zealand, the school lunch concept does not exist, and every student brings their own lunch or previously purchased pre-packaged food.

"We didn't have a cafeteria, [but] we had one hour lunches during school so we had a lot of freedom," said Conor Mckay, transfer student from New Zealand.

One example of a traditional food they bring to school is Maori, a Hangi cooked food such as fish or chicken.

Potatoes and meat being cooked over Hangi is a culinary style used in New Zealand to hot rocks, a traditional way of cooking for cook food on hot stones in a pit. New Zealand food New Zealanders. is made from their local ingredients, with mainly a British based cuisine.

Some New Zealanders believe that lunch is the parent's responsibility. However others believe that the government should be more involved in the school and health programs.

"The New Zealand public wants strong government leadership to ensure that what is served in the school canteen matches what is taught in the curriculum about healthy eating," said Professor Boyd Swinburn the population nutrition specialist at University of Auckland.

In Ukraine, public school students do not have a special lunch period, and instead eat during passing period breaks. "[Passing breaks] are pretty long: 15-20 minutes, and students usually eat in the cafeteria, which offers different American foods such as hot dogs, burgers, and pizza," said Daryna Hoch Annandale Ukranian student.

Students all pay for school lunch instead of bringing their own, mostly because it is a lot more Borshch, one of the most common foods affordable. eaten by Ukrainians "Some students, however, prefer eating soups or main dishes that are also available," Hoch said. The school cafeterias in Ukraine also serve traditional Ukrainian food such as borshch, which is a sour beet soup commonly eaten in Ukraine and Russia.

Another traditional Ukrainian dish served in most cafeterias is varenyky, also known as perogi, which is an eastern European stuffed dumpling dish.

Though the food may differ, for the most part the school lunch system is greatly similar to that

Iraq

Eritrea

BY LINA AL TAII International Editor

BY KAYLA HALCOMB Staff Writer

Compared to the simple lunch system in the US, the Iraqi system requires parents to provide food for their children every day. Iraqi public schools do not provide lunch or breakfast to any of their students, and all students had to bring their own food.

"We all had the same lunch period but it wasn't in a lunch room because we didn't have one, so we had to go outside and eat on the playground," said Aya Khalaf, Iraqi junior. For A man shaving Iraqi shawarma beef off a lunch most students would bring a beef or chicken vertical spit which slowly cooks the beef kabob sandwich to eat, or a traditional Iraqi food for a couple of hours. called Shawarma.

Shawarma is a common middle eastern meat dish where the meat is cooked vertically for a long time and shaved off into a textured gyro-like meat.

Some students had to go home and eat their lunch at home and then go back to school. Though this may sound like a waste of time, in their culture it was pretty common. "If we go home and eat it is usually rice and some sort of soup," Khalaf said.

This is a system which has been suggested to be used in America many times, however the American child obesity rate raised concerns for parents ability to provide nutritional food for their

The Eritrean school lunch system is very similar to the U.S. system in the aspects of the timing and where food is eaten.

Their cafeteria food is served similarly to American cafeteria food, however instead of a foam plate they served food in reusable trays.

"It's really different how food is prepared here compared to back home, I like how it was prepared in Eritrea because it seemed more fresh" Eritrean injera with different stews and a Sophomore Sesina Beyene said Another similarity was the length of the lunch salad. period, "We had about 30 minutes to eat but lines were much shorter in Eritrea and we got our food right away, so it felt like more time," Beyene said.

However, the freedom of the lunch period is much more prevalent in America than it is in Eritrea, "We have a lot more freedom here, in Eritrea you couldn't leave the lunchroom and had to sit with your class, here you aren't restricted to staying in the lunchroom and you can sit where ever you want," said Beyene.

In her opinion the food back home was much tastier than food here because of the variety of choices and it being the food she grew up with, "I grew up with food from Eritrea and ate it everyday so obviously I grew to like it," said Beyene.

What do you think of the new cafeteria setup?

"I think it's nice because they haev different options, you don't have to eat the same food everyday."

IDIL HILOWLE

"I think it's fine the way it is because it tells which food is where."

OMAR HAJHASSAN

freshman

"The set up is fine but the lunch ladies should give at least 3 packets of ketchup."

MAISHA MALIHA sophomore

"It's okay, but i don't like how they have the same food for everyday."

CORT HOLLIS sophomore

freshman

"I like it because you can chose which food you want to have before going into the lines."

ARANXIA VEJCIK

"I think it is a brilliant idea to provide different options each day,; however, I wish we had more options."

"I bring my own lunch, however i think it is beneficial for those who do eat the cafeteria food."

KELVIN PHANG junior

junior

"I think it is convenient and everyone gets to have an option each day."

FULIN DANG senior

FATIMA JARADAT senior

American stories Students from different countries share their journey

BY ZARAH FATIMA Special to The A-Blast Pakistan, my native country is a developing country. Pakistan has been facing a lot of problems including terrorism, poverty, unemployment, and corruption.

However, I still love Pakistan more than anything else.

The year 2013 brought a huge change in my life and a change that surprised me because it came unexpectedly. My father got a job here in the U.S. as a Mechanical Engineer which made my family happy about the achievement but also very sad thinking about the possibilty of having to move along with him. We were

experiencing a lot of different emotions, like confusion, wariness, and excitement at the same time.

We knew the USA has been developing much faster than most countries and there will be greater resources provided to us. For example, the latest technology, and an overall better atmosphere.

Also, we knew that we were going to get a much more advanced education and of facilities of life than we would ever get in Pakistan. However, we still do have loads of concerns about where we live now.

When we moved in 2013, I was a very sensitive 13 year old girl. I was quite reserved at nature, however I am much more outgoing now because of my surroundings here in America. I had a lot of concerns; including, the fact that America was a new place with people from all over the world and with a totally different culture.

Other concerns I had were about the school I would go to once I got to the America. I always wondered what kind of school it would be, what kind of people I would meet, if I would be able to make any friends,

if the teachers would be able to understand and help me learn the material and get a good education. Also, here in America I wear whatever want to school since I go to a public school, but in Pakistan I always had to follow certain dress code and wear a uniform to school all year. Another thing that bothered me here was that I would have to speak English. I have listened to people speak English but I have never spoke it my self. However, I have gotten used to it, and even though I have an accent I speak lots of English with my family and friends.

But after a few weeks of school, all my worries were gone. School was like an imaginary place. People around me were nice, polite, and just really helpful. I felt comfortable when I observed multicultural people around me having no concerns with the language I spoke, the clothes I wore, or even the religion I practiced. The acceptance I felt here in the U.S. has really had a great impact on me.

I am very happy to be aided with education and the

Right: Senior Zarah Fatima with her mom in pakistan. best medical facilties at great institutions equipped with the latest technology, clean enviroment, and also a goof law and order situation.

Now I am a senior, and almost three years have passed by and I still miss my beautiful country, Pakistan. I miss the strongly bond I had with my family. I also miss the events and holidays I celebrated with my family. The enjoyment of the religous and cultural estivals like Eid ul Adha and Eid ul Fitr was a great feeling.

If I would have to choose between America and Pakistan, it would be a very hard decision for me. Both these countries are home to me and I would miss either one if I were to go away for some time.

LIFESTYLES 13

Oct. 11, 2016

FALL ESSENTIALS Create a new look with these fashionable items Watch

Infinity Scarf

Watches are a great essential for the fall because you're restarting school and have to get use to managing your time. You can mange your time and be fashionable.

Places to buy: Macy, Nordstorm Prices: $45 & up

This scarf can be worn any way and still be wearable in the winter! These scarfs vary in color making it possible to make any outfit brighter.

Places to buy: Forever 21, Wet Seal, H&M Prices: $7 & up

Boys WindBreaker

Girls Trench Coat

As rainy weather approaches, its best to bring out your windbreaker. Windbreakers are easy to put on and easy to match with other clothing items.

Places to buy: Northface, Pacsun, Forever 21 Prices: $30 & up

Trench coats keep your clothing water proof and makes any outfit look more chic. A trench coat can be used as a style accessory which could go over a dress or jeans.

Places to buy: Topshop, H&M, Zara, Forever 21 Prices: $55 & up

Flannels

Flannels are something easy to throw on and very casual to wear. Also flannels are comfy and warm , which will make any cold day feel better.

Places to buy: Target, Hollister, Topshop Prices: $15-20

Turtleneck

Tight turtlenecks are coming back in style. These form fitting sweaters are best worn with jeans or colored skirt.

Places to buy: Target, Macy, Urbanoutfitters Prices: $9 & up

Dark Wash Jeans

Leggings

Dark wash jeans are perfect for the fall because there stylish and match anything. Also, these jeans color coordinate with the fall look which involves dark color appearal.

Places to buy: American Eagle, Levi's Prices: $45 &up

Leggings are a must have this fall. You can dress them up and dress them down to be as comfortable as you want Places to buy: H&M, Garage, Zara , Pink Price: $10 & up

Chelsea Boots

Chelsea boots are becoming a big trend with men this fall.

These pair of boots make any outfit look a bit fancier.

Places to buy: Topshop, H&M, Clarks Prices: $60 & up

Riding Boots

Pair your outfit with a chestnut brown riding boots, to make any dark color outfit pop.

Places to buy: Lulus, DSW, Nordstorm Prices: $54 & up

DIY FALL DECOR FOR YOUR HOME Toilet paper roll bats

1.

1.

Set up your area and make sure you its an area that can be easily cleaned.

2.

Melted crayon pumpkin 4.

4.

Cut out two eyes and a mouth from a piece of white paper and color them however you like.

5.

2.

5.

Take all the paper off of the crayons.

Color the toilet paper roll with a black sharpie and fold the tops in on both side of the roll.

3.

Outline the bat wings and cut them out. Glue them to the toilet paper roll.

Glue the eyes and mouth to the bat and there you go, a simple bat made with materials you have at home.

Materials needed: -Toilet paper roll -Black sharpie - A colored pencil - Scissors -Brown paper -White paper - Glue

Turn your blow dryer on hot, and blow dry the crayons on the pumpkin until they melt.

Set up an area where things can get messy.

3.

Tape the crayons on the pumpkin, and keep them a little spread out.

Take the tape off of the pumpkin, and your cute, easy to decorate pumpkin is complete.

Materials needed: -Colorful crayons -A pumpkin - Hair dryer - Tape -Newspaper - A big empty space.

FASHION SPOTLIGHT Sydney Wuhrer, 9 Q. How did you learn how to dress?

A. My sister Lennon taught me, and I can see what she wears everyday so I learned from that too.

Q. Where do you like to shop?

A. The stores I like to shop at are Topshop and Dick's Sporting Goods.

Q. What are your favorite clothing pieces?

A. My favorite pieces in my closet are my leggings and my sweaters.

Q. What is your outfit for school or a date?

A. An outfit for school would probably be jeans and a sweater. For a date, I would just add accessories.

Q. On your lazy days what do you prefer to wear?

A. On lazy days I usually wear sweatpants because I like to be comfortable.

Q. What is your favorite season to dress for?

A. My favorite season to dress for is definitely fall.

Q. How long does it take you to get ready?

A. It usually takes me about 30 to 35 minutes to get ready.

Q. How much do you usually invest in clothing?

A. I spend between $300 to $400 on clothes per year.

Q. What are your favorite pair of shoes?

A. My favorite pair of shoes are my converse, because they go with everything.

Q. Do you dress to impress or dress for yourself?

A. I dress for myself, because I am too lazy to care what other people think.

Q. Who is your fashion inspiration?

A. I get my inspiration from Pinterest. The app gives me ideas for a variety of styles.

Q. Whats your favorite accessory to add to your outfit?

A. My favorite accessories are my watches, because they're classy and dress up any outfit.

Wuhrer posing for the camera and showing off her cheekbones.

14 PEOPLE

Oct. 11, 2016

Senior Atoms put in work Jeimy Portillo

Where do you work?

I work with a lady named Shena who runs her own company called El Show De Shena Y Sus Amigos.

What do you do?

I entertain little kids at parties/shows, such as playing games, sing, and dance with them to make sure they are having a great time.

How long have you been working there?

For almost three years.

Do you get any benefits or discounts?

Sometimes the owners of the party give good tip.

How do you balance school and work?

I only work on the weekends so it doesn't interfere with school.

Pros about working there: It has helped me improve my communication skills and I think the job fits perfectly with my personality. At the end of hosting a party, most of the times you get food and cake (my favorite part) Cons about working there: You're going to be lifting DJ equipment back and forth from the car and other things that we might need to start the show.

Kevin Huynh

Where do you work?

I work at Snocream Company a food truck parked behind K-mart.

What do you do?

I sell shaved ice and tea. There are different flavors and we use a machine that spins the block of ice, shaving the "sno" into the cup.

I just put toppings on and drizzle whatever syrups they want.

How long have you been working there?

About 3 months Do you get any benefits or discounts?

I get free drinks or delicious shaved ice while working.

How do you balance school and work?

I only work on weekends or I take pm shifts so that I can work after school.

Pros about working there: It's in a cool truck with colorful lights and music always playing. It's also very chill and I get to meet new people.

Cons about working there: It's busy on some days and the line goes outside the bus. The store is also opening a new store front so theres a lot of work to be

Othmane Kerfal

Aisha Tahir Where do you work?

I work at Starbucks at Barcroft Plaza.

What do you do?

I am a barista, so I'm at the register taking orders from customers and at the bar making drinks.

How long have you been working there?

About 1 and a half months Do you get any benefits or discounts?

I get free drinks and food, plus 10% off all other items.

How do you balance school and work?

It's hard to balance, but I try to work weekends and only Friday's so I have time for homework.

Pros about working there: I acquire really good skills from being a barista and I get discount on Starbucks items. They also pay good. I usually meet the nicest people and have conversations with them, which makes my shift go by smoother.

Cons about working there: Dealing with ridiculous people is not fun. The job also requires a lot of physical strength. Also when someone rudely approaches you and demands you to make a new drink.

Where do you work?

I work at Haagan Dazs in Pentagon City Mall.

What do you do?

I scoop ice cream and serve smoothies, sundaes, and drinks.

How long have you been working there?

I've worked there for four months.

Do you get any benefits or discounts?

I get tips from customers.

How do you balance school and work?

I try to get shifts on the weekends or I do my school work ahead of time so that I will not have to do it later.

Pros about working there: I get to eat ice cream while working and take some pints of whatever flavor I want home. Working there is not hard, I just have to remember a few sizes.

Cons about working there: It gets busy. It feels like the line will never end, customers do not stop coming. When I have to close the store I have to clean four freezers, mop, sweep and wipe the whole store, which is tiring.

Alumni obtains diploma and defeats cancer

BY JEREMIAH BETHEA Staff Writer

Class of 1965 AHS alumni Authur Arden was able to conquer death and accomplish his goals even with the difficult obstacles placed in his way. Arden's high school life journey wasn't what he expected.

Authur Arden was born in New York City and grew up in the South Bronx for majority of his childhood. In the Bronx, Arden's family lived in tenements that were built in the 1800s. Arden remembers living up on the sixth floor and that there was no elevator.

As Authur Arden was entering high school a job opportunity for his father arose in Washington, D.C., and therefore his family to move to Virginia.

Arden's high school experience was nothing close to perfect and was actually one of the toughest times in his life, however he still enjoyed it. "My time at Annandale High School was one of the greatest times of my life," Arden said.

Poor health conditions have been a big part of his life into high school and caused him to miss out on a lot. However, he was able to get through two years of physical education and for a while Arden played the clarinet and was a part of the marching band. Arden remembers his experience in the marching band.

"During the march, they would always place the bass drum right behind me so when we were marching I would try to listen intently to the music so I could fit in right, but instead all I heard was bang bang bang. I hated that bass drum behind me," Arden said.

Arden is living in Green Springs Retirement Community.

During junior year, his health conditions continued to follow him and the first thing that almost killed Arden was his allergies. He grew up on an extremely strict diet because of how severe his allergies were. "I was so allergic at one point that all my mother could feed me

Arden's parents were told that he would not make it.

To Arden, this battle with cancer was just another little hurdle in his life. For about five months Arden fought vigorously for his life and he was able to recover. He returned back home in a wheelchair, but the courageous young man did not allow himself to stay in it for long.

"One day the physical therapist came over to my parent's house and knocked on the door, he saw the door open and when the door completely opened he saw me standing there while the wheelchair was in the corner.

He said, 'look at you' and I said, 'yeah look at me," Arden said.

When Arden returned back to school he worked diligently to catch up on everything he had missed. In 1965, Arden was able to graduate on time, along side his fellow classmates. Authur Arden had one goal set for that day in Constitution Hall.

"I promised all the kids that I would not accept my diploma in a wheelchair. They wheeled me in my wheelchair up to the stage and it took me some time but I was able to stand up and walk across to receive the diploma in my hands," Arden said.

Despie the odds aganist Arden with his health, he did not let that stop him from achieving his goals. He Mammogram of Arden's brain where Astrocytoma brain beat cancer and obtained what he wanted most, to cancer was found. graduate with his class. Many high school students was rice with cinnamon on it because I was allergic to think their lives are stressful and complicated, but have everything else," Arden said. not endured what Arden had to go through.

He was later told he had stage four brain cancer.

The doctors diagnosed him with Astrocytoma, a type of brain cancer that takes over the central nervous system.

WHO AM I? I attended: George Mason University and I graduated in 2009 and then again in 2011 to obtain my master. My favorite class was program board where we planned events similar to what the Leadership class does, such as Homecoming.

I was born in: Arlington. I have lived in the Annandale area my whole life and I do not plan on moving. I attended AHS and graduated in 2005. I participated in sports and was apart of many clubs such as field hockey, softball, chorus and peer tutoring.

Before teaching at AHS: I worked at Holmes Middle School for two years before I came to AHS. I worked as an instructional assistant while attending grad school.

Once I completed grad school, I began applying for teaching jobs and Holmes had no openings therefore I applied to AHS. I teach at AHS because: I loved the environment , students and my coworkers. Even when I went here as a student, I enjoyed it and it became like my second home. I have been teaching here for 6 years and plan on continuing. I am currently teaching Geometry and this is my first year supervising Leadership.

In my free time: I like to cook, do yoga, dance and play with my dog Tucker. I also love watching the show New Girl on Netflix or my favorite movie When Harry Met Sally.

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

Janu Gellert, senior

Vulnerability. It is something that we do not get to see a lot these days due to social media. All we see is how happy people appear to be whether it be flexing for the 'gram , or turning up at Jiffy Lube on a Saturday night.

In all seriousness, we do not get to see the hardships a lot of our fellow peers go through. I think at this point in my life the best way for me to grow as a person is to be a little more vulnerable.

I think those who have known me for all four years can all say that I have gone through numerous phases in high school. My biggest phase was sophomore year.

I was trying to be someone I was not, which led to depression and anxiety mid-way through that year. I lost a lot of my friends, my relationship I had with my parents and the respect I had for myself.

As the year progressed, things got worse. I felt like I was in a hole that I could just not escape. I started to skip school to avoid my problems,

and once summer came, I started to use drugs to take the pain away.

Junior year came, and I thought after trying to recover over the summer time things would get magically better, but they did not.

At this point I truly believed that maybe some people just are not meant to be happy in this life, but as a senior I can now confirm that is the stupidest thought ever.

I think the most important thing I

have learned in my journey is that resentment does nothing for you.

I used to feel so much anger towards everyone because of how my life was and how it still is at times. But that anger does nothing for you.

No matter how I feel now, I try to spread love the best I can whether it be making people laugh, complimenting people on their style, or holding the door for someone. They can be small gestures, but you would be surprised how much you can impact people by just being kind and trying your best.

At the end of the day, I still screw up a lot. I am still in my head too much. I still feel resentment towards people at times. I still get angry with how my past high school years, and what they could have been. But that is okay, because I am not perfect and I have a lot I still need to work on.

With a positive mind set I know that one day I will get to where I want to be at, and I wish that for everyone here at Annandale.

SPORTS X-TRA 15 Do you have Fantasy Football fever?

Oct 11, 2016

Fantasy popularity spreads through AHS

Fantasy Football Tips

RYAN GAMMON Sports X-Tra Editor

1. Be Aware of the Rules

This tip may seem obvious, but it is crucial to understand the rules of the game. Study up on the scoring system and understand how your league works and what its rules are.

2. Ask for Advice PACKERS.COM

It is that time of the week for those fantasy football junkies. Time to put the deciding factors in your starting lineup and to put all your money on the thriving rookies.

Fantasy football has been routinely getting exorbitantly bigger over the years.

New draft sites like DraftKings and Fanduel have been considered more money reward draft sites which has risen the number of players because they give them a greater insentive to join and win.

But if you are not as interested in the money and high competition, there is always the option of playing against your friends and family on NFL Fantasy Football or the more widely known ESPN Fantasy Football.

My league is less competitive than most leagues because it is just a random picking league with complete strangers. I could be playing with people from the other side of the world or someone that lives as close as my neighbor, junior Elvin Martinez said.

With all of the superstars locked in for the week, some key injuries may have a setback in Linebacker Jake Ryan tackles a Viking in a 14-17 loss for the Greenbay Packers. a point advantage and may cause owners to start the bench warmer quarterback that they real one and try to find sleeper picks and see if and zero points against the Tennessee Titans, never thought they would have to.

Yi said. their picks were the right one to take.

The injuries of key players like Cam NewBut Fantasy Football is always unFor Fantasy newcomers, know that you are ton, quarterback for the Carolina Panthers, predictable. You never know exactly not alone. An exorbitant amount of newcomers and Julius Thomas, Tight End for the Jacksonhow your picks will per- have signed up this year and the game has been ville Jaguars have really messed with ownform, no matter how ex- getting more and more popular. ers line ups. perienced you are in the They are now getting used to adding, dropIt was a big loss to my lineup when I virtual game. ping, getting sleeper picks, and top rated playfound out that Trevor Siemian [QuarterI picked up DeAn- ers before the other owners of their team do. back for the Denver Broncos], hurt his dre Hopkins for my first It may be hard to understand and fully excel shoulder. This made a lot of changes pick in the first round, at the game at first, but there are always mock to my lineup and I had to make a he has been a con- trials and other ways newcomers can learn and decision because my other quartersistent wide re- practice. back, Carson Palmer, is questionable ceiver for points Even if you are a newcomer, it does not for week six and now I have to decide but has been mean you do not know anything about football how to play it out, junior Nash Alexander declining over or can t succeed, but it leaves you at somewhat said. the last two weeks of a disadvantage to those who have been playAlong with surprise injuries, a lot of other only getting five ing longer than you. surprises have hit fantasy football this year . points against the New People who actually play football, or who Although many rookies do not get a lot of E n g l a n d are somehow involved in the sport, get used credit, many have been excelling the predicted Patri- to the competitiveness and learn how to make amount of points per game. ots, their line up the most superior out of the After seeing their success, Fantasy football league. gurus have now tried to pick up the best rookThey tend to follow the sport and see which ies that are not yet picked up by other owners teams are most successfull. They understand of the team. the rules and are familiar with players and their Sleeper pick Ezekiel Elliott, running back strengths. for the Dallas Cowboys, has been blowing up Although experienced participants tend to the stats and points for the last five weeks. Beperform better, it does not mean that it s cause Elliot has no injuries and has impossible for newcomers to succeed or not been listed as questionhave fun. able, he should My first year of fantasy football has be your next been really fun! I would recommend this trade or to some people, because it is easy to set player up, junior Joseph McCoy said. to pick up.

Fantasy Football is a game for everyT h e one. It is a great way to have friendly comregulars that petition with friends and family. Do not be play fantasy afraid to join, it is not just for competitive football every football players, it is open to everyone. year know that picking up the most common player is not always the right move.

More dedicated participants like junior Mckenzie Yi, make draft lineups before their

If you are a newbie to the Fantasy Football world, it is import to ask others for advice. Whether it s a friend or family member, chances are they can offer good tips and pointers if they have had more experience than you

3.

Carefully Pick Your Team

Always know that it s not all about fame and hype when it comes to your players. Take into account who will be best for your team. Also, make sure you check for player injuries.

4. Understand the Game

It always helps to understand the NFL. A lot of the rules carry to Fantasy. Being knowledgable in NFL will help you be familiar with players, teams, and rules that are evident in Fantasy.

5. Know important dates

Don t ever forget important dates or deadlines you need to meet. These dates are easy to find online, so print them out or keep them on your calendar. Also be aware that drafts close on October 18!

Who is your most valuable player?

"Drees Brees because he always gets the most yards, touchdowns, and completions."

JAMES MENDEZ freshman

"Melvin Gordon is always consistent for my team. He also gets a lot of yards."

"Aaron Rodgers because he is such a good quarterback. He has good accuracy on SYED ALI his throws." freshman ANNISSA CHEIK

"Julio Jones, he has been my highest point producer over the last five weeks."

PAT BROWN sophmore

"Adrian Peterson because he plays for the Vikings and that's my team."

"DeAndre Hopkins because he gets a lot of receptions and gets the most points for my EVERETT STENBERG fantasy team." junior

sophomore

MCKENZIE YI

junior

"Carson Wentz because he is the first rookie quarterback to go 3-0 with no turnovers and no interceptions."

"Tom Brady, even though he just came back from a four game suspension, will come back healthy and ready to rack up DAGIM TIGABU points senior LEVI GOMEZ

senior

*Stats as of October 7

Week Six Sleeper Picks Picks

Name: Stefon Diggs Team: Vikings Position: Wide Receiver Rec Yds: 372 Recptions: 25 Avg yds per catch: 14.9 Touchdowns: 1 Fumbles: 0 Next three games: BYE , @Eagles, @Bears

Name: Brian Hoyer Team: Bears Position: Quarterback Passing attempts: 97 Passing completions: 67 Passing yds: 697 Passer rating: 103.3 Interceptions: 0 Touchdowns: 4 Next three games: vs Colts, @Broncos, vs

Name: Terrance West Team: Ravens Position: Running Back Rushing attempts: 54 Rushing Yds: 232 Touchdowns: 1 Fumbles: 1 Receptions: 4 Rec. Yds: 29 Next three games: @Giants, @Jets, BYE

Name: Caleb Sturgis Team: Eagles Position: Kicker Field goal att: 8 Field goals made: 7 Field Goal pct: 87.5 Longest field goal: 53 Next three games: @Redskins, vs Vikings, @Cowboys

Name: Hunter Henry Team: Chargers Position: Tight End Rec Yds: 153 Recptions: 10 Avg yds per catch: 15.3 Touchdowns: 1 Fumbles: 1 Next three games: vs Broncos, @Falcons, @Broncos

Name: Chargers Denfense Team: Chargers Position: Defense Fumble recoveries: 2 Interceptions: 6 Points scored: 7 Touchdowns: 1 Next three games: vs Broncos, @Falcons, @Broncos

16 SPORTS

Oct. 11, 2016

Atoms get ready to take on a talented roster in 7th game

BY JUDE NANAW Sports Editor Coming off of the Homecoming football game against the Mount Vernon Majors (results of the Homecoming game were not available at the time of printing), the Atoms football team looks to take on the West Potomac Wolverines.

The season has been filled with ups and downs and inconsistencies as the Atoms have yet to be able to win games consecutively.

The team has been able to win by large margins in games against the McLean Highlanders(49-22) and Jeb Stuart Raiders (440), but also has been handed big losses in other games against the Centreville Wildcats (42-0) and Lake Braddock Bruins (52-7).

The team's upcoming game against the Wolverines will be very important as the Atoms look to improve upon their record.

The Atoms were defeated by the Wolverines in a 54-30 shootout at West Potomac last year.

With a hard week of practice, the Atoms look to prepare for the game by scouting the Wolverines.

"We are preparing for the game by making sure we know what they [the Wolverines] are going to do on both offense and defense," senior Danyom Beyene said.

The Atoms have improved greatly throughout the season but still struggle to execute in some areas offensively.

"The team is getting better as a whole game by game, but blocking is a big thing we are trying to work on and improve," sophomore Franco Kitila said.

The Atom's offense has been part of the inconsistencies, being able to get into the endzone multiple times in some games but also being held to little to no points in other games.

"We just want to improve our offense so that it will be more efficient. We want to put points on the board against any defense which is what we are working for," Beyene said.

The team has also come a long way and improved chemistry between players.

"Throughout the season, we have gotten closer as a team and have started to master our craft which has allowed us to implement more advanced plays into our playbook," Beyene said.

With the game against the Wolverines being the Atoms second to last home game of the regular season, the team looks ahead to match-ups coming up in the following weeks.

The Atoms will be going on the road for the next two weeks following the game

against West Potomac to take on the South County Stallions and the T.C. Williams Titans.

Following this pair of away games the Atoms come back home to play the West Springfield Spartans in the team's final game of the regular season.

The Atoms look to make a playoff push as well following the regular season.

"We are really trying to push towards the playoffs, so we have our best guys on the field so we can win our games," sophomore Ayman Elhag said.

The team has been working to make improvements to improve for the playoffs.

"We have really been working on executing plays so that we are successful," Elhag said.

The Atoms look to make it past the first round of the Region 6A North playoffs and make it to the quarterfinals, semifinals and beyond, unlike last season.

The team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the South County Stallions last season by a score of 35-21.

However over half way into the season, the Atoms are still taking things game by game in order to be as well prepared as possible for each match-up.

"As Coach Scott always says, win the day and take things step by step, so we can't afford to worry too much about future games because our main focus is this week's game against West Potomac," Elhag said.

COURTESY OF SHEMAHR BROWN

Football prepares for West Potomac Wolverines

Senior Shemahr Brown shoving a Lake Braddock running back out of bounds in a home game on Sept. 9 in which the Bruins defeated the Atoms 52-7.

Heard in the Halls: Which sport do you think is underrated?

"Gymnastics because it's a really difficult sport and it doesn't get much recognition."

HUNTER WESTFALL freshman

CYNTHIA NGUYEN freshman

"Cross country because it has a lot of benefits that other sports don't have."

ZUHAIR RAHMAN sophomore

"I think gymnastics is most underrated because you don't hear about it a lot."

"Wrestling because of the certain untrue stereotypes that are associated with it."

NEYDA VILLATORRO sophomore

Golf challenged with harsh conditions at conference

junior

GRACE FECHELM junior

"Field hockey because they don't receive as much support that they should."

YOUNI ESKINDER senior

"I think gymnastics is the most underrated because not that many people know about it."

TARA EL-ACHI senior

Boys Cross Country works hard towards regionals

Senior overcomes rainy weather to advance to regionals

BY KATIE POPE Staff Writer

BY ETHAN ZIMMERMAN AND CASEY NGUYEN

COURTESY OF DREW WHITE

Staff Writers The Annandale Atoms Varsity Golf Team had to battle a rainstorm as they headed to Twin Lakes golf course for their Patriot District Conference tournament.

Senior Drew White was able to manage with the rain and finished in second place which gave him the opportunity to compete at regionals.

White shot an 83 at regionals which was not enough to qualify for states.

"I didn't like course very much and I was not playing good golf," White said.

White believed he did not perform to his full potential.

"It was a tough way to end my high school golf career like that," White said.

The conference tournament was a two-day event with the Atoms facing off against their Patriot District Rivals, such as the Lake Braddock Bruins and the W.T. Woodson Cavaliers.

The Atoms competed hoping to have many boys qualify for the regional tournament.

With their high hopes of dry land during the tournament, they instead faced constant and continuous downpour. The rain played a major factor in the whole event, causing many obstacles and complications for the players.

"We had to stop halfway through because of the thunder," senior Drew White said.

The rain affected the performance of many at the match.

"Golf is a mental sport that will get to you sometimes," White said.

After the delay, the players had to face an even bigger obstacle.

"We then had to restart and only played 9 holes" White said.

Not only did they have to restart the game, but due to the rain they had to be cautious of getting wet as it could affect their mentality and performance.

"The key to playing in the rain is

ELLIOT ALWES

"Gymnastics because it's really challenging and most people don't realize that."

Senior Drew White lines up a shot during a match at Pebble Beach, California .

staying as dry as possible and many of the players were not adequately equipped with the proper [rain] gear," White said.

In addition to not being properly dressed out for the weather, the Atoms also had to face the chills of the rain.

Due to the cold weather, the players on the team weren't able to swing the club correctly.

"Some shots couldn't be hit because it was so wet," junior Ian McClelland said.

The team also had to be cautious to remain as dry as possible to maintain a good grip of their clubs while swinging.

"We had to keep our grips and hands dry or else the club will fly out of [their] hands," White said.

The rain furthermore affected them by influencing their audience turnout.

Golf matches would usually have parents and supporters, but the downpour prevented that.

"On a sunny day, golf will get parents, but with the rain, it was mostly coaches and a few dedicated parents," White said.

The lack of support at the match also played a role in affecting the performance of many of the boys.

The Patriot conference is one of the toughest conferences in the region in many sports which made the match more challenging.

"Our conference creates high expectations and players are always expected to play well" White said.

The team had difficulties executing throughout a majority of the afternoon.

"The team was struggling in putting four solid scores together," White said.

The players on the team believe that with determination and practice, they have the capability and potential to play better than they did at Conference.

But with only two players on the team who practice year round, the experience is scarce.

"Many are playing for their first time," White said.

The Atoms had a great season with Senior Drew White going to Pebble Beach, California, and competing internationally. Despite this, they question is if they will improve their game, next season.

"This year we don't have anybody who is a sophomore or freshmen," McClelland said.

This causes a new inexperienced team in the years to follow.

Since their season started, the boys cross country team has hit the ground running and improved their times in hopes of making the regionals tournament in late November.

In order to make it, the Atoms have to place in the top four out of eight teams at the Patriot Conference meet. It is scheduled to take place on Oct 26.

"Patriot Conference is my favorite meet because it's the last race, so you can see how much you've improved," junior Tyler Westfall said.

Patriot Conference is a varsity meet in which eight teams and the top seven individual runners from each school will race and compete to earn a spot at regionals.

At the meet before a race, the team analyzes the course and plan their strategy, so they know exactly what to do.

"I'd treat and prepare conference and regionals just like any other meet, the name of the race shouldn't change your routine or strategy," senior Dagim Tigabu Senior Dagim Tigabu running hard downhill during the Great Meadows Invitational in The Plains, VA where he ran a 17.25. said.

The Atoms have three great coaches this year, including Assiscountry coach being that he was off of their first time, six Atoms tant coaches Thomas Caine and Ivy a former cross country coach at dropped over two minutes, two Jordan.

Woodgrove High School, and he is more dropped over four minutes, "My strategy for motivating the very well liked by the Atoms. and one runner dropped nearly a boys is reminding them there's alHe pushes the Atoms to get bet- whole 12 minutes off of their previways a little more they can run even ter each and every day which helps ous time. when they're tired and think they've them qualify for higher level meets.

Dagim Tigabu got a personal achieved their limit," Jordan said.

The team is hopeful to reach record of 17.25 for a 5 kilometer run Coaches and runners have dif- meets such as conference, regionals (3.1 miles) during his first meet of ferent ways of motivation. and maybe even states. the season at the Great Meadows "My motivation for while I'm "He has worked us a lot harder Invitational. running is the faster I run, the faster than in the past," Dagim said.

"This year I'm in the top 10, so I'll be done," Westfall said.

For practices the Atoms run an I'm pretty excited to race," Dagim No matter where the motivation average of six miles per day and said. comes from or the type of motiva- sometimes they'll even run ten Mahiteme is just a few seconds tion, the Atoms continue to strive miles. "He knows how to make us behind Dagim with a personal retowards greatness. give him our best," Westfall said. cord of 16.19 minutes which could "I'm very proud of how well the As a result of great coaching and very well get him into regionals boys have done so far and am very hard work, many of the boys have alongside Dagim. excited to see how they do at confer- broken their personal records mulThe team's next three meets are ence," Jordan said. tiple times throughout the year. at Franconia Park, Millbrook HS, and The boys cross country team "Coach Ciccarelli has made an Lake Fairfax on Oct. 13th, 15th, and owes a huge thanks to new head impact on me in so many ways, he 19th. After that, it's finally time for coach, Dave Ciccarelli. made me mentally tougher and the Atoms to take on Patriot ConferIn his first year as head coach stronger" Mahiteme said. ence. of the boys cross country team at From the Atoms' first meet of Annandale, Ciccarelli has been a the season, the Great Meadows InFor coverage of Volleygreat addition to the team. vitational to the team's fifth meet of ball, Field Hockey and "He is a unique coach and if the season, the team has improved you follow what he says, you will greatly.

Cheer, check out: improve and get better," senior MaIn the DCXC Invitational, three www.thea-blast.org/ hiteme Tigabu said. runners dropped over a minute category/sports He is an experienced cross

COURTESY OF DAVE CICCERALLI

"Cross country because not that many people really care about it."

17 ADVERISEMENT

Oct. 11 , 2016

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18 ENTERTAINMENT Artists break free from record labels

Oct. 11, 2016

signing with a label. Apple Music exclusives are usually only on their app for a week, then released to all other services, including VIEWS, Coloring Book and Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight.

Frank Ocean had a very interesting interaction with his label, Def Jam. After four years of not releasing music, Ocean dropped a visual album, Endless, which was exclusive to Apple Music. The release of this visual album suspended Ocean's contract early, which allowed him to release Blonde, the following day, independently.

Many speculated that Ocean did this intentionally, to be released from Def Jam early.

BY HUSSEIN SALEM Music distribution is not the same today as it was ten years ago. In 2005, 13.6 million albums were downloaded digitally. Today, over 100 million albums are downloaded each year. The age of physical music is vanishing.

The problem with record labels may be the initiation of the problem. Record labels take care of the production, manufacturing, marketing, and copyright enforcement of music. They also recruit and find new music talent, and retain contracts with artists and their managers. Many people get upset at the artist for not releasing an album on the expected date, but what they do not realize is it may be the label's fault.

Recently, there has not been the best relationships with artists and their record labels. For example, back in December 2014, Lil Wayne called out Birdman and his long-time label, Cash Money Records, for delaying the release of his long-awaited album, Tha Carter V. "To all my fans, I want you to know that my album won't and hasn't been released bekuz Baby & Cash Money Rec. refuse to release it," said Lil Wayne via Twitter.

"Lil Wayne and other artists should have the freedom to release any content they want, whenever they want." senior Dontae Johnson said.

Just one month later, Wayne files a $51 million lawsuit against Cash Money. He claimed that Cash Money was violating the terms of by not releasing Tha Carter V, his intention was to take Young Money signees with him, including notably Drake and Nicki Minaj. After 18 months after the start of their beef, Wayne went on stage and yelled, "F*** Cash Money," at a performance in Denver.

"When artists leave their labels, it makes it harder for

In 1978, Prince released his first album under Waren Music. After a public argument, Prince compared record contacts to slavery.

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Entertainment Editor

- Prince

Lil Wayne and Birdman posing together at the 2013 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Award in New York City.

other artists to come up and get signed. Leaving the label causes the label to lose money on that contract," senior Saad Farooq said.

This negative relationship between artists and their labels is not uncommon. Lately, several of them have been calling their labels out and exposing their unethical actions. Last year, Prince expressed his real opinions on record labels. "Record contracts are just like - I'm gonna say the word - slavery, I would tell any young artist...

The Rolling Stones

don't sign," Prince said.

This movement has also given the option for artists to sign with streaming companies, like Spotify and Apple Music, and exclusively release their music through them.

This has been very common recently, especially with Jay-Z founded company, Tidal. This two year old company is said to give artists the highest percentage of royalties of all streaming services. This also encourages artists to exclusively release music through that app, and avoid

"It's great. I choose everything: what to release and when to release it," rapper 50 Cent said on starting his own record label.

After having a longtime alliance with label EMI, The Rolling Stones switched over to Universal Studios in 2008.

Prince

"Record contracts are just like - I'm gonna say the word - slavery..."

Even though this may be for the greater good, not everyone agree with these artists' actions. "I think that it's just not good for music culture, with it increasingly difficult for musicians to make a living already. If artists start working for the companies that are deterring their livelihood then the art as a whole will lose quality," Farooq said.

Music management is a transformed industry and the releasing of it may never be the same.

The day before Frank Ocean released his long awaited album Blonde, Ocean released Endless, which set him free from Def Jam.

Lil Wayne Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records at the age of nine, in 1991. Last year, he sued them for $51 million for alleged misappropriation.

50 Cent

Frank Ocean

What is your favorite album that released this year?

"Frank Ocean's because he's such a talented artist."

CERYS JONES freshman

"My favorite album so far is Coloring Book because I love Chance."

MAISHA MALIHA sophomore

"I liked Adele's because she has a beautiful voice."

ONIK ANWAR sophomore

"I liked the new Drake album because the song were nice and got me in my feels."

"My favorite is The Life Of Pablo because Kanye reminds me of my boy TJ."

MCKENZIE YI

NIC WELLS

junior

"VIEWS is my favorite album because Drake is my favorite artist."

GABRIELA JORDAN senior

"ANTI, because it was unique and I love Rihanna."

FATMATA KAMARA senior

"Blonde by Frank Ocean because it was completely different."

MATTHEW VOGUS

senior

senior

Intro to Netflix's Luke Cage

NBA 2K17 review Staff Writer

In the most fragile period in America has experienced in decades, Luke Cage aims to display various ongoing and significant social issues to the audience at point blank range.

Similar to FX's Atlanta, a dramedy created by Donald Glover with a similar focus on modern social issues such as police brutality, Luke Cage utilizes an all black cast to take Mahershala Ali's Cornell Stokes, or Cottonmouth, standing in front of his idol. the entertainment industry in The show's glory does not stop at Luke Cage himself. a chokehold in perhaps what may be Netflix's and Mahershala Ali, most popularly known for his role as Marvel's boldest move yet.

Remy Danton in Netflix's House of Cards, plays the main Luke Cage is a tank. A black, bulletproof, super antagonist. strong, well-read, unmasked vigilante who brandishes a Ali's performance is as gripping and intimidating as black hoodie as he takes on injustice in both the inner that of Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk in Daredevil. Ali's city black community and within the justice system. character; Cornell Stokes, or Cottonmouth, will stop at Essentially, he is the media icon Black Lives Matter absolutely nothing to crown himself king of Harlem and and other pro-black social justice movements so make his family royal. desperately needed, and deserved.

Cottonmouth and his family's thirst for power and Luke Cage's symbolism is undeniable as he is the inclination to kill anybody for the sake of family is first black Marvel protagonist to have his own full akin to The Sopranos, a theme that has been ignored feature show. This broke the standard set by Captain in popular television in recent years and makes for an America: Civil War's T'Challa, or Black Panther, a interesting twist for a superhero show. superhero famously and controversially based off of the As well as themes of black endurance and social Black Panther Party. justice, the show does not hesitate to embrace the The show centers around Luke Cage's life after the common vigilante theme of the protagonist questioning events of Netflix's previous Marvel installment, Jessica how valuable they truly are and whether they should Jones. stay and protect their city, or move on.

In Jessica Jones, Luke Cage is haunted by an Luke Cage finds himself constantly struggling with event from his past, but the show provides little to no this as it seems to him he is harming more than helping. dimension to this character apart from his brooding As his presence is also intimidating to crime lords, nature, as well as hook-ups with the show's main essentially driving them to do insane things they would character, private detective Jessica Jones. not normally do.

Luke Cage provides this dimension. The viewer is In addition to addressing social issues and breaking exposed to Cage's wrongful imprisonment in his past records in black entertainment, Marvel's Luke Cage and how it drastically changed his life, as well as his day provides viewers with an insanely entertaining show to day experiences staying sane and keeping those he to binge watch this fall, consisting of humorous, sad, loves safe in a corrupt, crime-ridden inner city Harlem. empathetic, and bone-chilling moments alike.

Basketball fans around the world rejoiced for the highlyanticipated release of NBA 2K17. Although you could have started playing a little bit earlier 2K gaming released an add on to the game, The Prelude.

The Prelude is a free downloaded mini-preview of NBA 2K17. The Prelude allows players to take the myplayer experience to the next All-Star forward Kevin Durant in his new Golden State uniform on 2K17. level. Another feature 82 games online or offline and you can manage your includes face scanning in the mobile app for the game. roster however you want" senior Edris Raid said on the Just download the app and scan your face, and your gameplay. face will be imported onto your myplayer and into the Personally, I really enjoy the game speed in this game. An additional feature is the college choices this years game, it is not as fast as last year's game; and year. You get to choose what college your myplayer will it feels more realistic. Sadly, NBA 2k17 isn't perfect, attend; you can choose between Georgetown, Arizona, and there are still some majors issues with the game.

Louisville, Connecticut, Illinois, Oklahoma, Georgia Whenever someone scores a certain amount of points Tech, Michigan State and Wake Forest. that player automatically beginnings to get double You get to play six games in college with a chance to team by the defending team's CPU. The double team win the national championship. Depending on how well causes a player on offense to become wide open and you play in college, your draft stock will go up, down or any average to great player will be able to exploit the remain the same. double team and score every possession. Also, help Your draft stock will also help you to know what defense is still an issue. Sometimes players don't come team or teams you could be drafted by. Myplayer also over for help defense and your app one time will get a added some new feature to the full game. wide open or easier shot attempt then what they should In this year's game, your myplayer makes a strong have had. connection with Justice Young, played by Michael B. What may be the worst problem of them all is the Jordan. Your strong connection on and off the court Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have four players can take your duo to stardom, but it is not as easy as it with 90+ overalls, and adding the team's three-point sounds. Myplayer is hands down NBA 2k's most popular shooting and makes them virtually unbeatable. feature but the game has many more features; like "The worst thing about this year's game is the myteam, mygm, myleague, mypark and blacktop.

Golden State Warriors, they are not fair to use or play "I like playing Myleague because you get to play all against," Raid said. Rating: 8.5/10 2KSPORTS

BY JORDAN ADAMS

Staff Writer

NETFLIX

BY TIMOTHY GRAY

ENTERTAINMENT 19

Oct. 11, 2016

Social media's effects on businesses

BY LUKE ELKINS AND MAHDI LARHAMI Staff Writers With the rise of social media, it gives entrepreneurs an easy platform to grow a business.

1.96 billion people worldwide have social media accounts, 27% of the world s population.100 million people use Snapchat, 500 million people actively post on Instagram, 974 million are active on Twitter, and a whopping 1 billion people are active on Facebook.

Corporations are seeing the potential in social media and are investing money and resources in it.

Social media gives start-up companies a boost to start their business. Social media provides them a platform to make a name for their business. It lets people worldwide know about the company.

One of the greatest abilities of social media is that it allows businesses to connect with customers. Businesses can gather relevant customer responses and use that to adjust business decisions.

Companies can also mold out an image for their brand. Perception of brands can

Ron Abovitz, the owner of magic leap, has benefited from social media through promotion

easily be based upon what types of pictures, tweets, or status updates are posted.

For example, Denny s is very well known on Twitter for its unique tweets. People

associate the funny tweets with the business.

For example, one tweet reads: give it up for waffles! thank you for not screaming when we press searing hot squares into your

soft bodies! that would make it weird!

Social media also allows businesses to quickly respond to customer service issues.

Instead of waiting on the phone for hours for

Students anticipate new Weeknd album

BY JULIUS MILLER Entertainment Editor The Weeknd is arguably one of the greatest artists of this generation. His rise to fame in the music industry has been one of pure musical quality. In 2012 it was Trilogy, in 2013 it was Kiss Land and in 2015 it was Beauty Behind The Madness.

On September 15, The Weeknd tweeted out two emojis. An emoji of brown leaves to represent the fall and an hourglass to represent time counting down.

Six days later, he announced that he would have a new album coming 2016: Starboy. He tweeted out an audio snippet with a caption.

"ALBUM PRE ORDER AND SINGLE : STARBOY FT. DAFT PUNK" It was official, 2016 was Starboy. Fans were finally given a piece of what they were to expect come November 25. Starboy is different.

Although it does reflect some of the qualities found in Beauty Behind The Madness, it definitely has it's own distinct sound. He also throws Daft Punk into the song, which was a very interesting choice for him.

It works in his favor, because it gives the song it's distinct sound that was discussed earlier. Although repetitive, it was clear what The Weeknd was going for.

The songs repetition and overall pop sound show that he may be trying to attract a different crowd of listeners. As far as comparison to his other music, it sounds more like Beauty Behind The Madness than Trilogy or Kiss Land.

Trilogy, a compilation of his three mixtapes, had more of a dark feeling to it. It used echoing sounds and the beats were overall quality, but had a dark tone. It complemented his voice and the songs were enjoyable.

customer support, customers can tweet at a business and receive a prompt reply.

When you post a tweet, or post a picture on Instagram, hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of people see it. The potential to grow businesses is there.

Social media also encourages collaboration between companies. It allows them to work together on projects and find potential business partners.

Another way businesses can use social media to their benefit is through internet trends. By posting something relevant to the trends, they can draw people to their business and reinforce emotional connections to their brand Also, social media allows the collaboration between customers and business. This is key because a lot of customers want to know what they're buying.

One start-up that has made the most of social media is Magic Leap. Magic Leap is a company developing an augmented reality system. wMagic Leap haven t even revealed exactly what they are making or when it s released, but they ve totalled 60k likes on Facebook and 32k followers on Twitter.

Starboy is more upbeat, and may worry fans of his earlier work. Understand that this is not Trilogy, Kiss Land or even Beauty Behind The Madness.

The Weeknd is more ambitious on this single than he has ever been, which sets the tone that fans may get from his new album. Judging off this single, the album may be more different than anything he has ever released before.

"I really liked Starboy," senior Jasmine Gosalvez said.

"It was really upbeat, but it definitely was different from his earlier projects for the better."

Starboy, although a good single, cannot be used as a sole reflection for what the album may be like. There are also other factors. In May, it was teased that The Weeknd could be working with A-lister Justin Timberlake on his new album. This could be a positive direction as far as publicity and the quality of the music. Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience dominated the charts in 2013 and presented multiple memorable tracks that The Weeknd could learn off of. As far as production, The Weeknd said in May that he was working with the same team that helped with his 2011 mixtape House of Balloons. House of Balloons is arguably the best of the three mixtapes, and featured songs like Wicked Games, The Morning and High For This.

On September 29, The Weeknd released a second single, False Alarm. False Alarm is once again, very different from his other projects. This time, not for the better. False Alarm has a punk rock feeling to it, with an interesting hook. In the hook, The Weeknd screams "false alarm" and the beat rises.

"The second single doesn't feel like The Weeknd," Gosalvez said. "I hope the album brings more to the table than this did."

Emprial spotlight

The Game v. Meek Mill

photo shoot, in search of models.

"Looking for two models for our first shoots of the tees dm if interested."

Within minutes, their direct messages were blowing It all started with a single statement: Wait On It. Emprial Inc. was initially founded and started up by two up with people bearing interest towards the recently announced model positions. In the end, two models senior students: TJ Ullah and Abu Kargbo.

As time went on and the company started to demand turned into eight. This was all before the concepts had more effort, they adopted four other members. Julius even been brought into a physical product.

"Our concepts were initially rough," Gellert said.

Miller is the head designer of the company. Janu Gellert is the co designer, assistant financial advisor, and event "Eventually, with the help of Nick, Julius and I, everything started to look cleaner and coordinator. Dinh Matthew more composed." is the head of financial They discussed just advisory and social media putting their logo on a long management. sleeve shirt, centered on the Nick Sarath is the chest. This then developed technical advisor and into hoodies, and various brings designs to life. other ways of displaying their "Abu and I always brand. It all came down to wanted to having what looked the best for the something like this," smallest cost.

Ullah said. "I didn t "I was initially using low imagine that it would come quality programs or hopping to life but with the great on CustomInk and using their people we have on board it design program," Sarath said. has become a reality."

"I shifted over to Photoshop In mid August, the Emprial recently rebranded and revealed their new and the next thing I knew we board of Emprial started logo via Twitter. were already contacting a discussing how they could take their company to the next level. They created manufacturer."

The company plans to further develop through accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and gmail for business inquiries. It seemed like the internet would be the main manufacturing their products. They want to set their shirt colors in correspondence to the seasons. component in the expansion in their company.

Such as dark tones for winter and fall and light for "Twitter was the first place we took the company," Matthew said. "Social media is so big in promotion of spring or summer. Their first drop is set to be on October upcoming companies, especially in high school where 28th.

"The future of Emprial is looking very bright from people are always checking Twitter or Instagram."

Come late September, Emprial started talking to the what we all can see," Kargbo said. "Just wait on it." community. They tweeted out about their up and coming

Instagram caption by posting a photo of him and Meek's girlfriend, Nicki Minaj.

"Everybody know you the wife...If she take her Meek Mill has made a continuing impression on the followers back, you gone be back at 100k !!! #snitch rap game, not only for his music but also for his constant #RatsWillDoAnythingForCheese #WeakMeal" beef with artists. Last summer he beefed with Drake, in Not long after, Meek Mill released his long anticipated what seemed to be a huge embarrassment after Drake's diss track. The track, title OOOOUUU Remix, featured Omelly and Beanie Sigel. Perhaps Meek Mill had learned diss track: Back to Back.

At the beginning of summer 16', Sean Kingston and Meek from his last beef with Drake, where he took over a week Mill were in a Los Angeles night club. Sean Kingston had to release an underwhelming diss. a bottle smashed on his head by a random man, and was By the time he has released it, Drake had released two diss tracks and has a third then robbed. one ready.

Meek Mill said that the man "Meek Mill really fired back was one of The Game's goons. with the OOOOUUU Remix," Following these events, The senior Gabriela Jordan said.

Game said that Meek Mill "It showed the community was a snitch and a rat for that he had learned from his blaming it on him. The scene mistakes with Drake." stayed silent for the months This release was followed following the nightclub by a series of editorialincident, until September. length Instagram captions In September, The Game throwing shade and another released a diss track towards diss by The Game: Pest Meek Mill titled 92 Bars.

Control. He rapped over the "92 Bars was a really good starting point for the beef," The Game and Meek Mill in the studio together prior same beat Meek did in his OOOOUUU Remix. senior Mikael Mechal said. "It to their beef.

"Pest Control was a really set the bar higher for the rest of the diss tracks to follow and really built up the tension good diss track," Jordan said. "The Game definitely rapped over the beat better than Meek did." between the two."

Just days after the release of Pest Control, The Game 92 Bars really kicked off the whole beef that would come filmed the video for it in New York City. On his way back in late September. In response to 92 Bars, Meek Mill to Los Angeles he decided to stop in Philadelphia, Meek's stormed to Instagram and called out The Game for using hometown, and get a cheesesteak.

"Now I'm going to kindly take my NORTH PHILLY his diss track to promote his upcoming album 1992.

"U wanna fight?" Meek wrote. "Next morning a diss raps.. cheesesteak to go," The Game said, "& eat it on the bus."

Then pre-order links!"

In less than 30 minutes, The Game responded to the

BY JULIUS MILLER Entertainment Editor

BY JULIUS MILLER Entertainment Editor

Where do students get their music?

Poll taken via Twitter on October 4 - 5 Spotify

Apple Music

Spinrilla

Soundcloud

20 WEEKEND

Oct. 11, 2016

SPOOKY FALL IDEAS FESTIVE FALL IDEAS Want to get your scare on? Get ready to head with your friends to these different Halloween themed locations. But remember, these places aren't for the easily scared. You have been warned.

Cox Farms - Fields of Fear

Centreville can be a bit of a drive, but if you want to be scared, it is worth it. The Fields of Fear include a haunted forest and a haunted maze, both with people dressed as monsters.

"When I went with my friends, one of them got chased and got so scared he ran into a tree," senior Gabriela Jordan said. The people dressed up in costumes, from zombies to clowns to chainsaw killers, are not allowed to touch you, but can get in your face and scream. You cannot do anything back except for take it and be scared. The Fields of Fear are not for the easily scared, and this activity should not be taken as a joke.

Too scary? Try out these autumn ideas that will help get your fall on. From pumpkin patches to cows, hayrides to slides, these ideas will bring out the fall in you. Get ready for apple cider and caramel apples!

Cox Farms Cox Farm is not only the Fields of Fear, but it is also a farm for families during the day. Famous for their hay rides and slides, it is the perfect place to bring your whole family. The slides are tons of fun, and so are the rope swings, if you are willing to wait in the lines. It also has the best apple cider you can try. Enjoy the apple cider with some other fall food, and watch the live music they have at the farm. Then, after that, get your ticket for the hay ride! Go through scary tunnels, see the aliens (not real, of course) and travel through a mud pit on their famous tractor ride. After all this, make sure to buy your pumpkin to take home for Halloween! www.coxfarms.com

fieldsoffear.coxfarms.com

Kings Dominion - Halloween Haunt The Halloween Haunt is for those that can handle anything. It is one of the most haunting and terrifying events to go to if you are looking to be scared out of your socks by pouncing werewolves. When the sun goes down, the monsters come out of hiding. While here, you will get to see some of the best make-up and costumes of your life.

You can also get your own terrifyingly good make-up down at certain stands in the park. "I went a couple of years ago with my family without knowing that it was fright night," said sophomore Ayman Elhag. "My grandma was there with us and it was hilarious to see her get jump-scared by a zombie." Maybe it is not the best place for your grandparents or younger siblings, but challenge yourself and see if you and your friends can survive a night in the park.

Hartland Orchards Love apple picking? Love fresh fruits?

Hartland Orchards is the place to go. With a very scenic route into the countryside of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Orchard is the perfect way to spend a calm Autumn day.

The Orchard has many animals there to see as well, and it is actually owned by a family whom you can meet. With acres of apple orchards, you will leave with more than you can ever eat. The farm was also founded by Henry Green, a WW2 veteran, which gives it a sort of historical aspect. The farm specializes in fruit such as cherries, applies, peaches and pumpkins. They also have homemade apple cider and their famous Hartland honey!

www.hartlandorchard.com www.kingsdominion.com

Corn Maze in the Plains

Cows-N-Corn

For more of a relaxed fall vibe, head to Cows-N-Corn in Midland, Va. Take their narrated hayride to meet the cows and other animals on the farm.

You can even meet the cows, especially their famous "talking" cow named Lily.

Cows-N-Corn also has many farm fresh grill food and dairy. Their ice cream is especially good, and a great treat to have after a long day of looking at cows. The hayride, like Cox Farms, is their biggest attraction. Fun for all ages, especially for families, the hayride is the perfect way to spend a weekend day in the fall. Their apple cider is also great. You can buy tons of it to take home, and also buy some pumpkins to take home with it!

Corn Maze in the Plains is a fun fall activity for all ages in The Plains, VA. There is a big picnic and campfire site, a large fun and spooky corn maze, refreshments, a pumpkin patch, animals, life-size checkers, hayrides and more. You can be there for hours and not be bored, as there are several activities anyone can participate in.

In the corn maze, you can split into groups and compete against each other, seeing who can escape the maze first. Another positive is that the corn maze is only a drive away. It is in Ashburn, Virginia, only a 45 minute drive. Take the kids or a group of friends and road trip together to this big attraction. It also is relatively affordable. Admission is $11 for the general public and $9 for ages 12 and under. Big or small, young or old, Corn Maze in the Plains is a perfect fall escape for you, your family, or your friends. www.cornmazeintheplains.com

www.cows-n-corn.com

Big time food cart from NYC opens chain in Springfield So good it would be haram to go anywhere else!

Weekend Editor

The Halal Guys, a successful food cart from New York City, has come to the area as a quintessential restaurant. The restaurant is located in Springfield Plaza.

I was blind going into this tightly packed eatery, with my prior knowledge of it only being the pictures of their long lines at the grand opening.

When you first walk in, there are tall chairs to your right and more tables on the left. The kitchen is easily viewable through the glass partitions so you can see their food making process.

First you choose whether you want a sandwich or a platter: getting the platter is the equivalent of getting a burrito bowl from Chipotle. Every platter is served with rice, pita bread, lettuce and tomatoes, while the sandwiches are wrapped in pita bread and do not come with rice.

After that you choose one or two from the following: chicken,

gyro or falafel.

Everything on the menu is less than $10.

I ordered the chicken platter in the abnormally large "regular" size.

They ask if you would like to have "white sauce" on top, but when I said "yes," I was surprised by the large amount used. It was the exact opposite for the red sauce. When I asked for some "red sauce," it seemed as if they were holding back (see picture in the bottom right).

The restaurant was so packed that my family and I could not even find a place to sit. We took our food outside, where a different family was sitting while eating their food.

When I started eating my chicken platter, the disappointment turned into satisfaction. The white sauce was not unnecessary at all and the small amount of red sauce was justifiable. I have had my share of spicy foods in my life, but when I accidentally had a spoonful of this red sauce, my eyes watered and my nose cleared up.

The atmosphere of the

restaurant seemed to be very laid back and comforting. I barely had to wait for my food and the staff was very welcoming.

The only flaw that this eatery had was its small size. Although I did not mind eating outside, if I ever go in the late fall or winter, it would be hard to stay there.

Overall, I was very satisfied with my food and service at The Halal Guys.

I recommend it to anyone whether they care if it is halal or not.

Grade: A

Student Ayman Elhag waits to get his food while watching them make it.

THEHALALGUYSFRANCHISE.COM

BY MOHAMED ELHAG

The front of The Halal Guys at 6304 Springfield Plaza, Springfield, VA 22150

The chicken platter from The Halal Guys.

Junior Zaid AlKahfah running in the cross country meet at Hood College.

Class of 2017 Bulletin To-do list: October Edition Make sure you start sending in college applications Sign up for FAFSA Come to the football game at home against West Potomac!

248

days until graduation