Issue 4

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017 Vol. 63 Issue #4

Annandale High School’s

THE A BLAST

“KEEP IT GOING!” Tyler Westfall balances sports, homework, and social life.

SPORTS X-TRA 15

Informing the Atoms since 1954

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

IB Information Night to be held Parents can learn more about the diploma

BY BINQI CHEN Co-Editor in Chief

Parents and students can learn about the benefits of IB classes like Evaristo Martin’s IB Math SL senior class.

“I hope that rising ninth grade and rising tenth graders and their parents come and find out more about the MYP program and the passion project,” Bradshaw said.

The IB Middle Years Program and its Passion Project will also be discussed. The Passion Project allows sophomores at AHS to research and present a subject of their choice. The full length requirements of the IB Diploma Programme will also be presented.

However, this night is not exclusive for students interested in pursuing the entirety of the IB Diploma. The various course offerings and sequencing will be provided to those who attend. Whether the students wants to pursue the full diploma or just take a single course, the information session is an opportunity to be exposed to the IB program offerings for upperclassmen.

The night will also feature both teachers and students who are currently part of the IB program.

“We’re going to talk about specific IB courses and the requirements for the full IB Diploma,” Bradshaw said.

If there are people interested in learning more about the IB Program, but cannot attend the evening information session, they are encouraged to contact either Bradshaw or Wells at the IB Office for the IB Open House on Thursday December 7 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Correction from last issue

BY ASEAL SAED Co-Editor in Chief The A-Blast, in its October edition, published a picture of the Varsity Cheer team kneeling for the front page feature, “Sit down to stand up.”

Beneath the picture was the caption, “The varsity cheerleaders take a knee during the national anthem at an away football game against the Mount Vernon High School Majors on Oct. 20.”

The picture was a photo illustration and was not labeled as so. Usually, when we stage a photograph to represent a broader point, we label it as a photo illustration.

All of the cheerleaders in the picture agreed to be photographed and knew its intent.

The photo, although not labeled as a photo illustration, was meant to represent the sentiments of the cheerleaders from the Homecoming game the week before, where they indeed all kneeled.

The A-Blast strives to uphold the highest professional standards in journalism and is working to prevent another mistake like this in the future.

BREAKING THE SILENCE Joining the number of men and women who have spoken out on their own sexual abuse as part of the #MeToo movement Editors Note: Generally, it is The A-Blast’s policy not to print the name of minors involved in sexual assault.

However, the victim and her mother, in a bid to encourage other survivors to come forward, chose to go public.

BY ASEAL SAED Co-Editor in Chief She was eight years old when she was first raped by her father.

Since then, she has lived two lives.

By day, she was a normal teenager committed to her studies and friends.

She earned a 4.1 GPA, and was involved in theater where she played the fairy godmother in Cinderella. By night, she was fighting for her sanity against the wicked that is her father.

Her father had a calm, charismatic persona in public. But only she knew the fear he reigned in their home, first by physically abusing her mother, then by sexually assaulting her.

She battled with rage and shame as he molested and harassed her continuously until she was 16. She immersed herself in school in order to feel a semblance of hope. It was not enough to shield her from the living hell she experienced. She began to have flashing fits of anger which

escalated to severe panic attacks.

Senior Hidaya Hussen could not take it any longer.

She finally told her mother the summer before her junior year. Her father is now convicted and his sentencing is approaching. Before then, it had been a secret for almost nine years.

Online, however, it took only two words to open the floodgates: “Me too.”

When actress Alyssa Milano asked those who have been sexually harassed or assaulted to use the phrase “me too” on social media, millions of women and men used social media to disclose harassment and abuse they have faced in their own lives.

It began when a New York Times exposé revealed detailed sexual allegations against prominent Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein.

Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company and co-founder of Miramax created a mini-empire as one of the most well-known figures in Hollywood.

It all came crashing down with a series of damning stories by dozens of women that revealed sexual abuse and violence — from screaming and berating to character assassination and rape. His behavior was both an open secret and a secret ritual.

Weinstein is only one of dozens of men who have been implicated for sexual assault and harassment.

Actor Anthony Rapp accused Kevin Spacey, who stars in Netflix hit television show House of Cards, of making sexual advances on him when Rapp was 14. In the wake of Rapp’s accusation, numerous other men alleged that Spacey had sexually harassed or assaulted them. As a result, Netflix indefinitely suspended production of House of Cards.

The issue is not just isolated in Hollywood.

Nine women have now come forward with accusations against the attorney of Roy Moore, former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate. Three of the women accusing him are underage; one claims she was as young as 14 when Moore first approached her when he was 32.

These controversies have sparked the biggest national conversation on sexual harassment since the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas battle in the early ‘90s when Hill accused her boss and then Supreme-Court nominee, Thomas, of sexual harassment.

They have also revealed that the United States does not have a rape problem — it has a rape epidemic. One woman in this country is raped every

two minutes, and 42 percent of victims are raped before they are 18 years old.

Prominent actors and actresses have come forward with stories, putting their fellow Hollywood A-listers sharply in the spotlight.

Major public figures like Olympic gold-medalist gymnast Aly Raisman, who came forth with allegations against the Team USA doctor Larry Nassar, have come forward with their own stories. Men have made allegations as well.

Actor Terry Crews publicly named Adam Venit, the head of the motion picture department of agency William Moris Endeavor (WME), as the man who groped him at an industry party under the hashtag #MeToo. Ordinary people, like Hussen, felt empowered to speak out as well. However, Hussen says she was not always this outspoken.

“I always come close to telling people, especially entering high school.

Whenever the subject came up, I’d come very close but would refrain. It was an hourly struggle,” Hussen said.

Every survivor responds to traumatic events in their own way. The effects of the trauma can be shortterm or last long after the sexual CONT. Page 5

Just World participates in Write4Rights Students write letters for advocates of human rights

BY ASEAL SAED Co-Editor in Chief Students gathered after school with the Just World club to write over 50 letters for Amnesty International’s Write4Rights campaign.

Run for 15 years by Amnesty, Write4Rights allows people to write letters to those who have been imprisoned or harassed for advocating for human rights.

Each December, Amnesty sponsors people and groups from all over the world, like Just World, to participate in the campaign.

The Write4Rights campaign is done every year for the club. ““The letters are helpful because every letter counts,” Vice President of Membership Shirley Chu said. “The governments of these countries will release the people or change the law due to outside pressure or do not want bad publicity.”

Each student is assigned to write two letters: one to an authority figure

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIN LEE

ASEAL SAED

The International Baccalaureate Office will be holding an IB information night on Nov. 28. The event will take place in Clausen Hall from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This is targeted for parents and students who want to learn more about the IB program at AHS and what it has to offer.

The event will be hosted by IB Diploma Programme Coordinator Linda Bradshaw and IB MYP Coordinator Laura Wells. The evening will be dedicated to sharing the benefits of IB, such as earning future college credit and having the opportunities to take some of the most rigorous high school classes.

Students gather for the Write4Rights campaign which allows people to write letters to those who have been imprisoned for advocating for human rights. (king, head of police); the other to the person or group who is being fought for.

Students wrote to different leaders and activists from around the world. For example, some students wrote to Madagascar’s Minister of Justice, Rasolo Elise Alexandrine, to overturn Clovis Razafimalala’s prison sentence who is an environmental and human rights activists who protested Madagascar’s vanishing rainforest.

Many students were moved by the Independent Lenca Indigenous Movement of La Paz (MILPAH) who advocate against hydroelectric, mining and other interests that are out to exploit their land. In their letters, students called on President Juan Orlando Hernández to acknowledge their work of MILPAH as they braved smear campaigns and physical harm to protect their land.

“I am really happy that I got to write

all of those letters because I knew that my letters were actually making a difference,” senior Eva Bejjani said. “I know I am going to participate in other Just World events like this one later on.”

Internationally, people in more than a million letters, emails, tweets and petitions are written every year.

The program has made real changes every year by putting pressure on oppressive governments and leaders by convincing them to release activists and changing their abuse laws.

Just World hopes to continue to participate in other campaigns similar to this one to bring awareness to the global community.

Their biggest event, The Just World Festival, will be hosted in the spring under the theme “Unity in Diversity” to represent these ideals.

For now, they hope to continue working with Amnesty and creating their own events to make a global impact.

Earlier this year, Just World participated in a book drive for a school in Swaziland where they collected over 100 books.

“I am so happy students got to spend time together while particiapting in Write4Rights while helping other people in the world,” Chu said.

2 EDITORIALS

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

How will Northam winning affect students?

Teacher revamps classroom

BY VICTOR TORRICO Staff Writer

BY SUAD MOHAMED Editorials Editor Walk into Kathleen Mathis’ English classroom, and you will be surprised.

Mathis has creatively changed her classroom from typical and boring to a lively and comfortable space.

The interesting set up includes bright colored bean bag chairs, purple yoga balls, soft and plush chairs and rugs that come in nearly every color of the rainbow to replace the wooden desks and traditional school chairs.

But why has Mathis done this?

There is no doubt that most students find their classes boring.

You go over notes, complete a worksheet, get the homework assignment, and repeat.

It is an exhausting cycle and most students have trouble paying attention and learning in this repetitive, monotonous environment.

To find a solution for this, many teachers like Mathis have found new methods and techniques to make the classroom more interesting. They hope to persuade students to find education exciting and not something to dread.

Mathis uses Donors Choose, a website which allows friends and family to donate money for her renovations.

“I have always wanted my classroom to be an inviting space for students,”

Mathis said. “Donors Choose gave me an opportunity to do so without spending a lot of my own money.”

By crowd sourcing, Mathis was able to raise $1,200, along with using $200 of her own money.

Students have recognized the hard work that she has put into her classroom and are extremely satisfied with the end product.

“I really like how Mrs. Mathis classroom is set up,” sophomore Cynthia Nguyen said. “It makes me feel more comfortable in class, and it makes the class enjoyable,” An innovative classroom is not the only endeavor Mathis has made to make her class more engaging.

She has also made use of online programs to make homework assignments and class work more engrossing for students.

Instead of doing the usual annotating with highlighters and sticky notes, Mathis’ students get to annotate online with systems like Diigo and Kami.

Along with review sheets, Mathis helps students review for vocabulary quizzes and tests with Padlet, Kahoot and Pear Deck.

“Now that we are a One-to-One school and every student has a laptop, I wanted to utilize the technology provided to everyone in an engaging way.”

“The annotating systems we work with definitely make it easier to

SUAD MOHAMED

Comfortable seating allows for students to relax in class

Sophomores Karla Mercado-Dorado and Frances Montevilla read books and take advantage of the fun set up in English teacher Kathleen Mathis’ room. annotate,” Nguyen said. “And the review methods make studying less boring.”

Mathis is not the only teacher who has found innovative ways to catch students’ attention.

World History teacher Joseph Valentino has figured out ways of his own.

Valentino is known for acting out historical events and major historical figures.

This includes yelling amongst other things that you normally wouldn’t see a teacher do, in order to truly get in character.

“It wasn’t anything I set out to do.

I didn’t do it my first couple years, but as I got more experience as a teacher, it evolved naturally as a way to set the mood and create an experience for students to remember,” Valentino said.

Valentino believes that this method is a sure fire way to help students focus on the material being taught in class.

“It’s effective because students won’t forget what I act out, such as the Reign of Terror. But it wouldn’t be effective if I used it all the time, so I use it as impact for certain times.”

Valentino’s students find his acting sequences to be entertaining and beneficial to learning.

“Personally, I really enjoy them,” freshman Ladan Abdi said. “At first you get intimidated, but then you realize how it connects to what we’re learning and you’re like ‘that makes sense.’”

School is vital for the development of the human brain and success in the future. Education provides people with the building blocks of life. Despite, it being occasionally a bore, it is a necessity.

However, learning can be fun with creative ways to approach it, and teachers are the key to unlocking that very much needed door for students.

With former Lieutenant Governor and Ralph Northam (D) winning the Virginia gubernatorial election, a lot of people are speculating about what changes will occur under his command.

While most of his campaign had to do with immigration issues, he had a lot to say about education system.

As high school students, this is important to know about.

One major change is that Northam wants to either modify or put an end to the Standards of Learning test, better known as the SOL. This is because he believes that with modern jobs, children need to think more outside the box, and not just answer multiple choice questions.

Additionally, Northam plans on improving and expanding the STEAM program.

He wants to attempt to reach out to engineering and technology companies, so that students have a chance at learning about new topics such as coding, which would open them up to many more well paying jobs,.

Another very important change is that Northam wants to lower the price of local community colleges.

He also wants to offer more apprenticeships to students that do not want to or cannot go to college.

This is a fabulous idea because it would let a lot of people get degrees that they didn’t have access to in previous times.

It would also help students who do not want to go to college get hands-onexperience for jobs that would have otherwise hired college educated students Northam has many interesting and new endeavors in his plan to improve the education system in this state.

If he is able to follow through on all of his promises, a lot of people who did not have the chance to attend tertiary schools will finally have that opportunity, and that in itself is a win.

Students agree with the controversial name change

BY SUAD MOHAMED Editorials Editor For the past few years, all anyone talked about at J.E.B. Stuart High School was the possibility of the name being changed.

The Fairfax County School Board finally made the right decision on Oct 26. and decided on a name: Justice High School.

Many years ago, a group of students began asking for the School Board to change the name.

J.E.B. Stuart was a Virginian who served as a general for the Confederacy.

He fought on for the continuance of slavery during the Civil War. They did not find it acceptable that a diverse school was named after someone who supported racism and slavery.

The process to get to Justice was long and hard, which is disappointing. It is

difficult to understand why the county would have second thoughts on changing a name that gives power to a man who would probably be against the immense diversity of the school.

It took the School Board a year to even agree to have a discussion on the issue. In July 2016, the School Board opened the discussions to solely members of the community, as they would be the ones affected by the change.

Finally, votes on what the new name would be were held in Sep. of this year.

Then came the School Board’s decision on Justice.

While there were many students who were indifferent to the name change, the majority had distinct opinions.

“Personally, I do not mind the name change,” Maya Kertache, a sophomore at Justice said. “Stuart was a Confederate general, and for that, he doesn’t deserve the glorification.”

However, Kertache was upset by one aspect of the name change.

“It is not fair that the School Board chose the name Justice when it was not even on the ballot and the students, who are the ones affected by it, didn’t choose it.”

Bianca Terceros-Granado, another

STUART HS

J.E.B. Stuart HS has been renamed Justice

Implementing the name change on things like the marquee and uniforms will cost upwards of $670,000. sophomore at Justice, had a different opinion.

“Changing the name was the right thing to do. Stuart and his actions do not represent the diversity of our school,” Terceros-Granado said. “I think Justice is an okay name for the school. However, I can see why people are upset, as it is not what we chose.”

While some are upset that the decision did not take the people’s votes into account, others are mad for a different

reason.

Some people believe that the name change is arbitrary. They believe that although Stuart was anti-black, his stances have no meaning or hold on the school’s name.

Another source of discontent is the fact that changing the name would cost at least $678,000.

People are wondering if it is worth it to use that much money for changing the name, when it could be used to

THE A BLAST STAFF CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF Binqi Chen Aseal Saed MANAGING EDITOR Grace Hogye NEWS EDITOR Diego Feliciano EDITORIALS EDITORS Ruth Mekonnen Suad Mohamed COPY EDITOR Yvonne White IN-DEPTH EDITORS Casey Nguyen Kim Vaides SPORTS EDITORS Fares Ayoub Luke Elkins SPORTS XTRA EDITORS Jude Nanaw Ethan Zimmerman WEEKEND EDITORS Cameron Foti Halley Thadeus

ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Lina Al Taii Nicolle Uria Christian Reyes LIFESTYLES EDITORS Yabi Bereket Ivanna Perez PEOPLE EDITOR Henry Hoang ARTS EDITORS Maryam Dereje Galilea Sejas HEALTH EDITORS Rachel Shogren PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Serene Ghul Katie Pope

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Lennon Wuhrer STAFF WRITERS Khadija Ahmed Jamie Baker Alexander Burita Shyeim Campbell Jacqueline Claros Lopez Mya Clyburn Pablo Gammara Noe Gonzalez Jamileh Hamadeh Abraham Kebrom Mahdi Larhmari Elias Moura Arzoo Marzi Tiana Reams Erik Rivas-Martinez Jason Reyes Hasan Royer Victor Torrico Calderon

ACADEMICS EDITORS Jessica Salisbury Kavi Shamdin WEB EDITOR/MASTER Victor Nguyen AD MANAGER Yvonne White CIRCULATION MANAGER Yvonne White

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Annandale High School Vol 63. Issue No. 3 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 The A-Blast is an awardwinning newspaper that strives to inform, educate and entertain the student body and community.

Published monthly, 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.

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remedy other problems, such as overcrowding in classrooms.

But Fairfax County has a budget of $2.7 billion. Surely, there is enough money to spare for the name change, which would make students of color feel more comfortable at the school.

“The people who are upset with the name change do not understand the significance of upholding the legacy of a white supremacist,” Idman Dahir, a former student at Justice and Annandale graduate, said. “It shouldn’t matter what the new name is. What should matter is the fact that the school is no longer representing a hate filled person.”

As a result of Stuart’s name change, people have begun talking about other schools that are named after deplorable historical figures, most notably Robert E. Lee HS. “If the School Board has changed the name of one school because of it’s ties to racism, then it should do the same with the other,” sophomore Megan Le said.

“It’s really important that other schools have started a discourse about the meaning behind the names, too. I’m glad that Stuart had a hand in starting the discussions elsewhere,” Dahir said.

59

people voted

54% said that they planned on celebrating at home 22% said that they

planned on catching up on school work

14% said that they

planned on Black Friday shopping

10% said that they planned on travelling for the holiday

SAM BERHE junior “I am going to eat a lot of turkey and other great foods on Thanksgiving. I also plan on hanging out with my friends a few times over the weekend, but I’m not sure yet what we’re going to do.”

FARJANA MIM sophomore “Over the break, I plan to do a lot of things with my family. The most fun thing I plan on doing is going to Shenandoah Park with my mom and dad. We are going to have a picnic. I’m looking forward to it a lot.”

EDITORIALS 3

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

Don’t murder for fashion Animals used for clothing

BY RUTH MEKONNEN Editorials Editor In countries like Denmark, Greece, and Russia, it is very common to see the average person sporting a fur coat or scarf.

For centuries, animals have been getting killed and abused in the name of fashion.

More companies should follow Gucci, an Italian designer brand, announced that by 2018 they will be going completely fur-free.

According to CNN, under the new policy that they have set, they will no longer be using mink, coyote, raccoon, dog as well as many other animals.

In addition to that, they will be donating their remaining fur clothing to charity.

“Companies in the fashion industry continue using fur because society is structured to think that the wealthy and people of a higher class wear fur” senior Angela Kim said.

Although Gucci is not the only highend brand that has announced this change to faux fur, this has been an ongoing debate in the fashion community.

Last year, FendiMa faced a lot of backlashes when they unveiled their first “haute faux fur” show and Armani recently also announced that they will be taking a stand against real fur.

“I feel it is completely wrong to be wearing another animal’s skin and there are no justifications for it,” Kim said. “It’s so saddening that animals have to be killed to be a part of someone’s wardrobe, especially when these people won’t educate themselves on the cruelty that goes toward their jacket trim or their Ugg boots.”

This stand against real fur comes from the ideology that animals are being heavily harmed through the process.

As seen in the chart on the right,

Sheep When you think of wool, what you imagine are your comfy blankets and warm sweaters. However, the harsh reality is that thousands of sheep are getting killed every year for their wool.

Bear Canada allows the hunting of polar bears to use for fur. In fact, they are illegally exporting bears to China.

Eco Watch reports that 500-600 polar bears are getting killed every year.

Snakes Senior Manoa Raharinaivo wears a faux fur vest at Georgetown. Faux fur was first introduced in 1929 and has had an increase in popularity in recent years because of animal right activists and organizations such as PETA. Made out of fabrics that look similar to animals, they are a great alternative to real fur. there is a lot of cruelty that comes with real fur.

However, Vogue reports that there are environmental issues that arise from using faux fur.

For instance, some furs are made of non-biodegradable materials like nylon and polyester means it will end up sitting in a landfill for years.

However, people will not stop wearing fur unless high-end celebrities also take similar steps.

The Kardashians have been under social scrutiny for a while as they have made fur their fashion staple.

Even Khloe Kardashian, who has

posed for PETA in the past has been caught wearing real fur.

“It especially shows how low a famous person’s moral is when they wear fur because not only are they promoting fur, but they are also encouraging their fans that want to follow in their footsteps,” Kim said.

Animal cruelty will always remain a heavy debate within the fashion industry and although wearing real fur might seem like the ideal choice, it is not the right choice.

Animals are often overlooked in the name of fashion and this needs to be stopped.

According to PETA at least 440,000 pythons are slaughtered in Indonesia to create handbags and shoes. In addition, because the skin that snakes shed are too thin they have to die to create these supplies.

Rabbit When you think of rabbits, it’s hard to not think of their fluffy fur. PETA reports that about 1 million rabbits are killed every year for their fur to be used for clothing.

Fox Foxes are captured and abused for their fur and their tails which used to create accessories. PETA states that hey are usually put on fur farms where they are kept in small filthy cages before being killed.

Celebrities are not role models

BY RUTH MEKONNEN Editorials Editor When Jelena, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, first began, he was singing “One Less Lonely Girl” to her at Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special.

Although he was only 15 years old, many fans were excited about the potential new celebrity relationship.

Whether they were simply getting dinner or hanging out in the park, magazines would report and news blogs would go crazy.

At every single interview, either Gomez or Bieber would be questioned about each other.

The obsession that society had for their relationship definitely seemed unhealthy.

When they announced their official split in 2015, fans were, of course, devastated.

Not only did Selena Gomez receive negative press and hate mail, but they were unable to privately mourn the loss of their relationship.

Junior Fareha Sultana looks at pictures of Austin Mcbroom and Catherine Paiz better known as the ACE family. They are a couple that documents their lives on You Tube along with their daughter Elle.

It was almost like the coverage increased.

Everyone wanted to know what went wrong and who did what.

Celebrity relationships, no matter the celebrity, is something that constantly remains covered. When there is heartbreak, society becomes even more invested.

Whether we like it or not, celebrities play a large role in our lives.

“I don’t really follow celebrity relationships because most of the things that they show us aren’t real. I also

don’t care about what they’re doing with their significant other because it really doesn’t apply to me,” senior Alichia House said.

Even though we aren’t directly influenced with celebrities’ daily activities, their lives draw our attention, whether it is out of jealousy or interest.

“We continue to follow them because they are celebrities. Their lives seem more interesting and they are able to do things that we are unable to do,” House said.

This mentality is common among

MAKIN’ THE GRADE Barbie wears a hijab

A B C F

Ibtihaj Muhammad, who was the first American athlete to wear a hijab in the Olympics, is now creating a new change in the world of dolls. Mattel has included a replica of her in their new Shero collection. This is great news considering that now many girls will be growing up with dolls who look the same as them.

Muhammad is continuing to inspire people to break boundaries.

Thanksgiving break Thanksgiving break is coming up this Wednesday. This is a great time of the year to catch up with family and count our blessings. The only problem is that with family dinners also comes family discussions. Try to avoid the politics and religion talks to prevent arguments from happening. In addition, since there will be Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales so be sure to hit your favorite stores.

Sticking it to Trump Juli Briskman cycling next to Donald Trump’s motorcade raised her middle finger at it in defiance. Although her face wasn’t visible in the photo,which ended up going viral, Briskman’s told her bosses that it was her and unfortunately she was fired from her job for violating their code of conduct. Fortunately, she stood up for herself and others have contributed and raised more than $70,000 on her Go Fund Me page.

Celebrity sexual assault claims After reports surfaced accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault, more reports about high profile celebrities have come to light. In this case, Harvey Weinstein has been subject to criticism by numerous celebrities, including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow. Unfortunately Cosby and Weinstein are at the tip of the iceberg. Victims have come foreword alleging others such as George Bush, Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., and Al Franken to have committed sexual assaults.

today’s society.

We put public figures on a high pedestal rather than seeing them as ordinary humans.

Because of the way we view them, becomes difficult for us to imagine that they are going through tribulations and struggles.

Humans are social creatures. We love to hear stories, talk and listen to each other. Reality shows and celebrity lives just enable us to do so in the comfort of our home.

“I watch Real Housewives of Atlanta because it is interesting to see them beyond what they post on social media.

They aren’t picking and choosing what they want to show. We are able to see most of the aspects of their life,” senior Jemela Kanu said.

We cannot help but be fascinated in the dramatic stories of celebrities.

However, because most people are more interested in the story rather than the problems or the aspect of the solutions, things can get dangerous.

With an increase in couple YouTube channels and reality T.V. shows, there is a blur between real relationships and those made just for show.

There are always news reports about sexual allegations and cheating scandals as well as domestic abuse regarding celebrities.

In fact, the Huffington Post reports that celebrity relationships have a 35 percent success rate, not to mention

that celebrity news blogs are constantly fabricating their stories for higher page views.

Celebrities will continue to grasp our attention with their interesting and public daily lives.

This becomes dangerous because hearing stories of abuse and cheating constantly makes us immune to that.

The shock factor isn’t going to last forever and feeling as though circumstances like that are normal can prevent us from finding our own solutions to that.

If a celebrity is going through something as horrible as that, then of course it is important to talk about it.

It can help an audience member find the best preventative measures for themselves and potentially can save someone who is feeling as though they are alone.

However, faking allegations like that and making it out to be like a joke can stop people from taking stories like this seriously.

There needs to be a balance between following celebrities and making them a part of your life.

If you enjoy watching them and reading about them, then do so.

But make sure that you are clearly identifying what is wrong and right and what is the truth from the lies.

Cartoonist Corner

ERNEST OWEN

Students should not take cues from famous people

4 NOTICIAS DESTACADAS

Miércoles. Nov. 22, 2017

Vacunarse contra la gripe es primordial para combatir el virus

Kevin Spacey (Izquierda), George H. W. Bush (Medio) y Harvey Weinstein (derecha) fueron acusados de actuar inapropiadamente

Hasta que punto la fama dá poder?

POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de Noticias Hollywood está en shock al descubrir muchos casos de abuso sexual en la misma industria. Todo esto empezó con Harvey Weinstein que se reveló que abusó a más de 79 actrices durante su carrera. Todo esto empezó el movimiento “yo también (#Metoo) en el cual distintas actrices y famosas decidieron contarle al público sus malas experiencias con Weinstein o con otros famosos.

Esto sorprendió a la gente y cambio la idea que tienen de estos artistas Poco a poco se empezó a descubrir que Weinstein abusó a bastantes modelos y actrices jóvenes desde los 80 y la mayoría prefirió mantenerse callada con temor de que Weinstein arruine su carrera porque él llegó a ser una poderosa

figura en Hollywood y un tremendo productor de cine. Lo que le sorprende a la gente es que estas abusos ocurrieron desde los ochenta y ningún medio reveló acerca de esto y también porque los famosos no pudieron interferir o revelar lo que estaba pasado pero si uno se pone a analizar cada evento de hollywood o los chistes que generalmente hacen hacia los artistas, ahí uno puede ver que alguno de los famosos sabian de estos rumores.

Después de la denuncia de Weinstein, Kevin Spacey fue otro actor que se descubrió sus acciones inapropiadas contra un joven en 1986 pero no fue hasta el mes de octubre que se reveló. Él, en modo de defensa, comentó que no se acuerda dicho encuentro pero de toda manera se disculpó por lo que pasó. Esta revelación destruyó completamente

la carrera de Spacey cuando la productora canceló la siguiente temporada del show “House of Cards”.

Cabe destacar que estas acusaciones no solo ocurrieron en Hollywood pero también en el mundo del periodismo. El antiguo director de ABC, Mark Halperin, fue acusado de insinuarse o atacar a por lo menos doce mujeres. Al inicio, cinco mujeres acusaron a Halperin de actuar de maneras inapropiadas hacia ellas. Días después, más mujeres decidieron revelar a la prensa sus experiencias con Halperin y las acciones inapropiadas contra ellas. Al descubrir estas acusaciones, shows como “Morning Joe”, noticias NBC y MSNBC cancelaron los contratos que tenían con él.

Sorprendentemente también los políticos fueron acusados de actuar

inapropiadamente, personas como Roy Moore y George H. W. Bush fueron acusados de actuar inapropiadamente. Actualmente Bush es el único que se disculpó, él comentó que lamenta la ofensa que causó a Heather Lind. En el lado de Moore, el negó todas las acusaciones y comentó que solo son trampas políticas contra él.

Hay muchos casos más y nos hace pensar ¿qué es lo que está pasando en el mundo y porque los mismos artistas no pueden revelar esto? Lo más importante de esto es que la gente está empezando a hablar y a denunciar todos estos casos, pero no sabemos hasta qué punto llegó estos casos de abuso y si realmente pararán pero toda esta situación inspiró mujeres en el mundo a denunciar cualquier tipo de abuso físico o sexual contra ellas.

Que tan efectiva son las vacunas contra la gripe?

POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de Noticias La gente le da toda su confianza a sus doctores y a las vacunas que les inyectan, mucha gente piensa que eso es suficiente para poder curarse e incluso se descuidan y no se abrigan pero basado en información de CNN se descubrió el problema que está ocurriendo con las vacunas y también se dio un pronóstico de lo que pasara en esta temporada de gripe.

El año pasado, la vacuna contra la gripe fue efectiva solamente un 42% en gente de todas las edades. El efecto limitado fue mas que todo basada en una mutación que ocurrió con la influenza A (H3N2). Todo esto dio señal que esta será una temporada mala de gripe.

Es interesante como crean las vacunas para la gripe, cada año los científicos crean una vacuna basada en el virus que está esperado a que circule y despues la distribuyen a los doctores pantes que la temporada empiece.

Lo sorprendente fue que durante el año 2014-2015 la vacuna que ellos crearon sólo fue efectiva un 19% y contra el virus (H3N2) fue solo un 34%.

Generalmente, los científicos sacan las vacunas de los huevos del pollo pero una pequeña fracción es producida

en insectos o en células mamarias.

Esto causó un gran problema debido a que los huevos están teniendo esta mutación rápidamente, por ende, los científicos están pronosticando que estos virus se estan volviendose mas inmunes a estas vacunas.

Para esta temporada, se pronostica que va a ser una temporada muy difícil debido a que el virus se volvio mas inmune. Actualmente solo están recibiendo pocos casos de este virus pero para ellos es muy temprano para decir lo que pasara.

Doctores recomiendan que todos se vacunen contra el virus y mas que todo personas mayores de 80 años y niños menores de cinco.

La mutación de este virus no es bueno para nosotros y basado en los datos, los científicos ya empezaron a tener problemas para prevenir estos casos, lo más importante es abrigarse y no tener tanto contacto con gente que tiene la gripe debido a que este nuevo virus es fácil de transmitir.

Trata de prevenir la gripe y protegete de esta al abrigarte y evitar contacto con personas que estan enfermas, de esa manera podras estar sano en esta nueva temporada de frio.

Elecciones en Virgínia sorprendio a ambos partídos POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de Noticias Virginia eligió al siguiente gobernador, Ralph Northam; Para ambos partidos, la elección de 2017 fue una de las elecciones más difíciles de ganar y mucha gente puso todo su empeño para que la gente fuera a votar.

Esta elección fue tan importante que figuras grandes como el ex-presidente George W. Bush y la ex-candidata Hillary Clinton apoyaron a los respectivos candidatos e incluso el Presidente Trump dio su apoyo por el candidato que representa su partido.

Días antes de la elección, Northam y Gillespie estaban a la par con un 49% en encuestas pero la sorpresa más grande fue para los demócratas que ganaron con más de el 52% de los votos, un 3 por ciento más de lo que las encuestas pronosticaban.

Es increíble ver la diversidad que hay en Fairfax que gracias a ese condado Northam pudo ganar las elecciones.Lo mismo pasó en las elecciones del 2016, gracias a los condados de Fairfax y Loudoun, la candidata Hillary Clinton ganó el estado de Virginia, sin esos dos condados los resultados hubieran sido diferentes.

Ambos candidatos usaron distintos

Ralph Northam es el gobernador electo de Virginia y sera inaugurado en enero del siguiente año medios para conectarse con la gente especialmente los medios de comunicación y los anuncios que pusieron en la televisión. Cabe destacar que cada candidato fue extremo y directo en lo que decía cada uno pero al final ganó el candidato que convenció más a la gente.

Ahora el gobernador electo Northam tendrá que continuar el trabajo duro y

seguir con lo que él prometió a la gente pero, más que todo,tendrá que convencer al otro partido que él también puede ser un buen líder.

Virginia no fue el único estado que tuvo las elecciones de gobernador, también New Jersey donde el candidato demócrata Phil Murphy ganó por 55.6% contra la candidata Kim Guadagno El gobernador Chris Christie no pudo correr de nuevo debido a la regla que, al igual que virginia, limita a solamente dos términos para que puedan correr los gobernadores.

Sera una triste despdida par elgovernador Terry McAuliffe pero el esta feliz que su partido seguira en Virginia y la transicion de McAuliffe a Northam sera mas sencilla porque comparten los mismos puntos de vista.

El siguiente año el gobernador electo Northam sera inaugurado como el gobernador numero setenta y tres, y seguira con la agenda que el prometio.

Ahora solamente queda darle apoyo a nuestro nuevo gobernador y esperar a las elecciones de 2018 donde ambos senadores estarán corriendo por reelección y se verá si el partido demócrata seguira en control de Virginia por otros seis años mas.

Que es “Friendsgiving” y como los estudiantes celebran esta actividad?

POR AVE CLYBURN Escritora Recientemente, el evento tradicional de Dia de accion de gracias fue reinventado para crear “Friendsgiving”. Una de las razones porque se volvió tan popular fue porque adolescents y millenials empezaron esta nueva tradición para compartir un buen momento con sus amigos y comer buena comida.

Friendsgiving le da un cambio único porque tu lo celebras con tus amigos y no sigues las mismas reglas que hay en el dia de accion de gracias.

De acuerdo con Country Living Magazine, uno tiene que pensar “Friendsgiving como un evento libre de tensiones y estrés. Esta es la maravilla de esta nueva tradición”. Algo que los estudiantes de ahora les encanta.

Aunque la razón principal fue para que sea diferente al dia de accion de gracias, todavía incorpora alguna de las mismas ideas como mostrar agradecimiento a tu familia e amigos y tambien comer los mismos platos que se sirven tradicionalmente como el pavo, pastel de manzana u otros.

Uno de los grandes beneficios es no preocuparse de pasar un momento incómodo con tus padres o tu familia cuando te preguntan acerca de la escuela o como estan tus grados o tras situaciones que

a los estudiantes de ahora no les gusta.

Si tu planeas en hacer tu propio Friendsgiving, como generalmente es, tendrás que proveer el tradicional pavo o otro plato principal que tus invitados disfrutaran. La maravilla es que tu pondras tu propio toque y no seguirás la misma rutina cada vez. “ Vimos friendsgiving en las redes sociales como Twitter y Instagram.

Todos estan pensando en hacerlo, eso nos incentivo para que nosotros lo hagamos y pongamos nuestro propio toque” dijo Senior John Lopez.

“Mis amigos y yo lo llamamos ‘Dons’ givin, nos gusta mantenerlo clásico y simple. Lo estamos cambiando para tener una cena elegante, escuchar musica de Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley y Dean Martin” Añadió el estudiante.

Otro trabajo es asegurarse que tus invitados traigan un plato diferente y tambien saber si es que alguno de ellos es alergico a algun ingrediente para evitar cualquier accidente.

“Yo creo que es una buena idea de tener este evento porque la situación familiar es diferente de cada uno y estos eventos reúnen a todos” dijo sophomore Kelsey lazard. Ella primero oyó acerca de este evento en sexto grado.

Si tu quieres ver a amigos que no viste en largo tiempo, este es una oportunidad ideal porque combina dos cosas que a todos les gusta, família e amigos

Friendsgiving es la nueva moda para los adolescentes y comida.

Este nuevo feriado es una nueva manera para unir esas relaciones que debido a trabajo o escuela se perdieron.

También es una manera para demostrar lo agradecido que estás a las personas que amas.

Friendsgiving fue principalmente creada para empezar una nueva tradición con nuevos o viejos amigos, intenta hacerlo con tu familia e amigos y veras lo divertido que es Tambien puedes ver ideas en linea de gente que ya creo su propio friendsgiving y podras inspirarte para crear el tuyo.

Este es el edificio principal de la Universidad de Radford

Oportunidad para entrar a las universidades POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de Noticias

Ellos recomiendan que envies tu aplicación antes del 22 de Noviembre y tus otros documentos antes del 27 de noviembre para que la representante de admisión pueda recibir todo a tiempo.

Generalmente Radford envía las cartas de aceptación hasta el primero de abril pero con la entrevista tú sabrás si te aceptaran o no. La única información que no sabrás es cuanta ayuda financiera recibirás por parte

El centro de carreras está organizando entrevistas para entrar a las universidades. Ésta es una excelente manera para acelerar el proceso de aceptación a las universidades.

Actualmente hay dos universidades que están viniendo a la escuela, una de ellas es la universidad de Mary Washington y la otra es la Universidad de Radford. La ventaja de estas entrevistas es que te avisaran si te aceptan o no.

Los pasos más importantes son que envies tu aplicación una semana antes de la entrevista, obtener una copia oficial de tu récord de la escuela, enviar tus resultados del SAT o ACT La entrevista para Radford sera el seis de a la escuela y más que todo, dejar diciembre saber a Ms. Roth que tú estarás par- de la escuela y por parte del gobierticipando en esta entrevista. no, para eso tu FAFSA será un factor Es importante que realices todo determinante y no te llegará hasta el esto con tiempo, por ejemplo: los siguiente año. resultados del SAT toman de una a Ésta es una oportunidad increíble dos semanas para que lleguen a las para que puedas mostrarles que eres universidades y tienes que hablar un buen candidato para la universicon la señora Salgado para obten- dad y a la vez tú tendrás una respuer tus récords con el sello oficial de la esta inmediata. No te olvides de conescuela. tactarte con Roth para informarle que Una vez que tengas todos estos participarás en la entrevista y tamdocumentos, estarás listo para la ent- bién tendrás la oportunidad de que te revista. dé algunos consejos para que te vaya Un gran consejo es de estar rela- bien en la entrevista. jado, sé tú mismo y ten confianza Aprovecha esta oportunidad y que saldrá bien. Si te ayuda, también habla con la persona encargada de puedes practicar para estar más rela- admisión para poder entrar en la jado durante la entrevista.

Universidad.

Para la Universidad de Radford, las entrevistas se realizarán el seis de diciembre a las ocho de la mañana.

Why is this page translated to Spanish?

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

As a newspaper, our goal is to inform and entertain the largest possible group of viewers. Las Noticias Destacadas is a selected translation of a variety of the most pertinent articles in The A-Blast. We hope that through this new section, we can be a more inclusive and diverse publication.

NEWS 5

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

Junior Phillip Barlow completes his Eagle Scout project by helping out AHS Wrestling

News briefs Thanksgiving Break

Shelves built for wrestling

Parents and students can join IB Coordinator Linda Bradshaw and MYP Supervisor Laura Wells to learn more about the IB program on Tuesday Nov. 28.

and painted the shelves red and white to show his Atom Pride.

Barlow stenciled the words “Annandale Wrestling” onto the shelves as well. Although the project required a lot of hard work and effort, it proved to be worth it for Barlow.

“What I found rewarding about this experience is the fact that I completed a project that I had been working towards for a long time,” Barlow said.

This project is one of the requirements needed for becoming an Eagle Scout which is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America program. Barlow, who has been a Boy Scout for six years and a Cub Scout for five, has been working hard to reach the honored rank of Eagle Scout.

Dedication is needed to reach the rank of an Eagle Scout which requires a Boy Scout to attain badges, possess life skills, pass several lower ranks and hold various leadership positions.

Although the project was important to Barlow’s scouting career, it also meant a lot to him personally.

“Seeing the completed project and the improvement it made to the facility meant a lot to me,” Barlow said.

Barlow’s Eagle Scout project not only helped him get closer to becoming an Eagle Scout, but it helped the athletes on the wrestling team as well.

His project will be a huge help in organizing the shoes and cutting down a lot of preparation time for the team.

“It certainly helps those who are underprivileged and undeserved,” said Sweet. “It also brings a sense of ownership and pride.”

Barlow’s hard work and dedication paid off and will be able to help the wrestling team this upcoming season and for many seasons to come.

Winter Band Concert

PHOTO COURTESY OF PHILLIP BARLOW

As the wrestling season approaches, the team is fortunate to benefit from a new addition to their equipment room.

Junior Phillip Barlow, having been a part of the wrestling team, noticed the need for shoe shelves, took action and built them himself. Barlow constructed these much needed shelves for his Eagle Scout project. wrestling team to use this upcoming season and for many seasons to come.

Barlow’s participation on the wrestling team is what most inspired him to pursue his project. After noticing the need of a shoe organizer, he asked wrestling coach Derek Sweet if he could start construction. After getting permission, he began his project.

“He just wanted to be a part of the team and leave a lasting impression on the team,” Sweet said. “I thought it was a great idea, the product is really nice.”

The project was not an easy task and took Barlow a total of 8 months.

This included time for gathering supplies and the actual construction of the shelf.

A majority of this time was also dedicated to acquiring the necessary paperwork to be able to start construction.

“The biggest difficulty was the paperwork because it would sometimes take hours and it was very tedious,” Barlow said.

Despite the challenges he faced, Barlow was able to complete his construction on Oct. 21. The shelves feature enough space to hold all of the wrestlers shoes in an organized manner. Barlow even added his own touch

IB Information Night

Junior Phillip Barlow builds the much needed shoe shelves for wrestling. He used the project for his Eagle Scout Project.

The band department will be hosting their annual winter concert featuring the numerous ensembles and groups. The concert is free and will be held in the auditorium on Thursday Dec. 7 at 7:00 p.m.

Winter Blackbox Tech Interest Meeting There will be a technical crew interest meeting for the Annandale Theatre Company on Monday Nov. 27 at 3:15 p.m. in room 324.

See Ms. Brunburg for more details.

Winter Blackbox Play Audition The Annandale Theatre Company will be holding their auditions for students interested in acting in the winter BlackBox plays. Auditions will begin at 3:15 in room 324 on Tuesday Nov. 28.

PHOTO COURTESY OF pHILLIP BARLOW

BY GRACE HOGYE Managing Editor

Thanksgiving Break will start Thursday Nov. 23 and Friday Nov. 24.. Students will have a two-hour early release on Wednesday Nov. 22.

National Honor Society Inductions New members selected to be in the National Honor Society will be recognized along with returning members in Clausen Hall on Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m.

SAT Administration The SAT will be administered on Dec. 2 at AHS. Doors open at 7:45 a.m. and will close at 8:00 a.m.

These are the final shelves that Barlow built for the wrestling shoes.

Writing Center looks for new tutors

The Filament takes on a new approach

Applications for new tutors are due December

Students audition for the coffeehouse On Nov. 15 after school, a group of students gathered in close quarters in Room 270 B. The students were all there to audition for The Filament’s fall Coffeehouse.

Published numerous times throughout the year, the magazine features dozens of interested and gifted students. Along with its magazine, The Filament also hosts coffeehouses throughout the year.

Poets, singers, instrumental artists and bands have all performed at the coffeehouses to showcase their talents.

The Filament is facing a major change this year as they are welcoming in a new sponsor after the retirement of Fulson Sulzbach. IB Language and Literature SL teacher Soo-Jin Lee is the new sponsor of the club. This is Lee’s first year at AHS. “She is very helpful and tries to put as much effort as she can into the Coffeehouse,” said Literary Editor and senior Danielle Barrett.

This year, The Filament wants to be more inclusive regarding their Coffeehouse performers. The team wants

BY ASEAL SAED Co-Editor in Chief

to branch out more to underclassmen and a wider variety of artists.

Lee is not the only new member of the magazine. Since there are only two returning members this year, there is almost an entirely new team of editors and staff members.

Both the new and old members are trying to spread the word about the club and gain more publicity.

“We email a lot,” Lee said. “We meet together and get ideas up in the air and are really trying to fundraise this year.”

The leadership is attempting to fundraise more than they have in previous years.

The Coffeehouse will also play an integral part in The Filament’s new goals. As a result, there are more Coffeehouses planned this year. In years past, Coffeehouses have raised up to $400 for the Filament program.

“I hope that people will get more awareness about the Filament and submit their work so the student body can see all the talents that everybody has” Barrette said.

After auditions, the actual Coffeehouse will be held on Dec. 13 in Clausen Hall.

The Writing Center is looking for new tutors for the next semester. To bring in more members, the Center held an interest meeting to attract members for the program.

“We held the interest meeting so we know that there is a lot of interest for those who want to help others,” Writing Center advisor Stephanie Hanson said.

During the meeting, Hanson went over frequently asked questions, the requirements of being a tutor, and expectations for the tutoring.

“We would love to have many more passionate tutors who are excited to help out students.”

--SHIRLEY CHU

senior Hanson is hoping more students are interested in joining as the next cycle of

ASEAL SAED

BY BINQI CHEN Co-Editor in Chief

Senior Lydia Adisu (left) enjoys tutoring because she gets to help students of all grades, better her own writing skills and bond with students. students leave.

Students of all classes can come into the Writing Center at any time to learn more about the center’s use, or to become a tutor.

Applications can be picked up from The Writing Center and Hanson’s classroom in Room 239.

Applications for new tutors are being accepted until Dec. 1.

“Don’t forget that it is a really great opportunity for community service. We have students of all levels of need at our schools, so we need tutors no matter what class you’re taking,” Hanson said.

“So if you like writing and helping others, we want you to be a tutor.”

Students who are tutors can enter into the Advanced Composition class to further their experience as a tutor.

Benefits of being a new tutor include advancing your own writing skills, earning community service hours, and being part of a welcoming community.

The Writing Center already has over thirty trained tutors this year and are hoping for more.

“We would love to have many more passionate tutors” said Writing Center manager Shirley Chu said.

With additional interest meetings, the tutors hope they will be able to bring additional students who can help at all levels.

“It is a great way for me to help students who need the help,” tutor Mariam Mohamed said. “As a writer, I know that I am developing my writing as well, so it is for a good cause.”

Assault survivors begin to speak up assault or rape.

“When students are abused, they can often feel ashamed or be hesitant to speak up,” school psychologist Dr. Anne Brosnan said. “That can lead them into not being able to concentrate as well, sleep problems, not interacting with friends as much.”

Hussen threw herself into her studies, which acted as an escape.

“There weren’t many effects until after the summer I told my mom.

Before [the abuse] was engraved in my mind as my role. Just another thing I had to go through growing up. School was my biggest distraction and time investment,” Hussen said.

However, when her panic attacks became too overwhelming she decided to tell someone.

“After one of my episodes, I was close to suicide. Something stopped me,” Hussen said. “The next morning, I told my entire story to my best friend.”

This also later prompted her to tell her mother as well who was, at

PHOTO COURTESY OF HIDAYA HUSSEN

CONT. Me Too

Senior Hidaya Hussen plays the fairygodmother in the 2017 spring production of Cinderella. that time, bringing charges against her father in family court for domestic abuse.

Soon, things escalated as Hussen and her mother told the police without telling her father who was not staying at the home at that time.

She struggled as the police

questioned her as they asked her questions that sought to quash her credibility: Are you only now coming forward with this to help your mother’s divorce? Why did you wait so long to say anything?

After being bought in for questioning, her father admitted his crime.

He was and still is placed in the adult detention center until sentencing, which is approaching in December.

As her father’s case was developing in her junior year, Hussen’s grades deteriorated and school was no longer her refuge. It began to serve as a reminder of all that she kept within her. She could not face it. She began missing school, staying in, sleeping in, struggling to hold onto what she valued.

“My grades have deteriorated, I’ve questioned my being beyond words can describe. For a good seven months, I walked a ball of emotion as well as a figure of nothing. I was no one, my dreams were gone,” Hussen said. “I had to discover whether or not my past passions were me or him, whether my

friend and life choices were of my own or influenced by him. I didn’t want him in my life at all.”

Brosnan said that this was not something unusual for students who are victims of violence of this nature.

“If they are thinking about something a lot, it can be more difficult for them to concentrate and focus even when they are in school or at their after school activities or their sports,” Brosnan said.

Although she is glad she finally able to lift a weight off her shoulders as the panic attacks decreased, the release was offset by an increased feeling of anger that produced itself in violent fits of yelling and screaming. After therapy, which she regularly attends, she discovered that the root of the anger was Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Hussen is glad that she told her someone. Although it comes with a lot of guilt. She knows she did the right thing and it able to at least have a semblance of a life outside of her home.

“If you are uncomfortable or if another person is making you

uncomfortable, speak up. Tell your friend, but also come and tell an adult.” Brosnan said. “We also hope that everyone has an adult that they can trust that can be a teacher, administrator or another person in the building.”

Hussen has now committed herself into her passions. Last year, as everything as unfolding, she says that music and theater helped her discover herself.

“I loved singing. Music provided a way for my heart to speak. It was my faith. No matter what went wrong, music was always there,” Hussen said.

“I discovered acting which was exactly what a crazy, vibrant, emotional human like me needs.”

She knows that she will continue to struggle internally and that the abuse will never leave her.

“I am still not okay, I’m better. I probably will never be okay, but I will always be getting better. Because here I am, speaking out about something I swore I’d never tell, rest with in the grave. Successful in ways I never

6 ACADEMICS

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

Students maintain grades over break Set the phone aside, turn the TV off and pick up your books instead

As the holidays approach, school may start to seem less important to students and their grades may take a backseat.

With all of the excitement that comes with winter holidays along with the long upcoming breaks, it can become challenging for students to focus in school. As students begin to enjoy relaxing and spending time with loved ones, school is the last thing on their minds.

“Around the holidays I usually get really lazy and I don’t really prioritize school, I am more focused on sitting back and relaxing,” junior Kaitlyn Lee said.

Even though Thanksgiving and winter break are supposed to give students a break from all of their assignments, it is still really important that they are able to keep up with the work that is given to them.

Teachers are not supposed to assign any homework over the breaks due the day they come back from school, but this does not mean that there is no work given to the students at all.

“In general, my student’s test grades tend to either go up or remain the same.

Probably because the students have had a long break and time to reset and refocus, it helps them get back on track with their work,” history teacher Ashley Senior said.

Some teachers assign books to read,

W

hile starting college applications, you will notice that almost every school requires their applicants to send in recommendation letters. Here are some tips on what you should expect and do.

1

WHEN TO ASK: Make sure to give those you are asking at least one month before your earliest deadline to complete and send letters. The earlier you ask, the better it’ll be in the long run. If you are considering doing early decision/action, make sure to ask for recommendations during the summer, since that’s when teachers are most available.

2

WHO TO ASK: Since it is your application, you are in charge of who you feel knows you best. Things to consider when deciding on who you’re going to ask is: who the colleges expect letters from (i.e. a teacher, a counselor, a coach, etc.). If you do

ILLUSTRATED PHOTO BY ORLANDO TORRES

BY JESSICA SALISBURY Academics Editor

Freshman Orlando Torres keeps up with his academics while feasting on food during the holidays. packets to complete, or even tests to study for, that they expect to be done the week they get back.

“What I should do is complete the most time consuming work first and dedicate certain days during my break for school so I can stay on top of all of my school work,” Lee said.

Even the lucky students who have no work assigned during the break can still use their time wisely. They should make up missing assignments that they have not yet completed.

“My teachers don’t usually assign too much work over holidays so that’s when I make sure to get a head start on upcoming projects and other assignments

during that time,” junior Maisha Maliha said.

The extra time can also give students the opportunity to review material that they don’t really understand to help them really grasp the concept upon their return to school.

Another thing that students need to think about is the fact that midterms and finals don’t disappear over the breaks either.

The time off from school can be used help them get a jump start on preparing for those major tests.

Regardless of whether they are assigned work or not, one to two weeks without school can really enable

students to slack off.

Most students hate the idea of receiving work during their time off, and would rather be doing other things that are more enjoyable.

“It’s hard to keep up with grades because on one hand I want to do school work to maintain my grades but on the other hand I really want to spend time with my relatives,” sophomore Jane Kim said.

A lot of people like going to holiday shows, parties, or festivals with loved ones to get into the holiday spirit, and having a load of unfinished school work waiting for you at home can really put a damper on the fun.

“My family likes to meet up during the holidays which leaves me less time to do school work,” Lee said.

For students who have been excelling in school, it’s important that they don’t allow the winter holidays to be a reason for them to fall behind, and for the students who are behind, the breaks are a perfect way for them to catch up.

“There is barely any days besides long weekends to be able to relax and not stress about assignments so that’s why I really look forward to vacation and it makes it even harder to return back to school once it’s over,” Kim said.

Of course it is really important for students to relax and allow their brains to take a pause, but this doesn’t mean that it is a great idea for students to become lazy. The more out of routine the student becomes, the harder it will be for them to jump back into their schedule when school returns.

“I hate having to go back to school after break because I get really used to sleeping in and being with friends and family all day,” Maliha said.

Going from 14 days of doing nothing to diving straight back into school can be a little overwhelming for some.

“I like to stay up late and wake up late during my time off. When I get back from the holidays I don’t want to do anything school related, that’s what makes coming back so hard,” Lee said.

Taking a little time out of your academic life is always much needed and can be very beneficial.

As long as you’re ready to get back into the swing of things you will be set.

The smart way to get a college recommendation Q & A with Robin Roth ask a teacher you’ve previously had make sure it’s someone that’s aware of your strengths and interests, and also make sure your asking someone who shows in interest in wanting to help you out and write on behalf of you.

3

HOW TO ASK: If you are asking a teacher, e-mail them or see them after school. If it’s a counselor, make an appointment. If it is a coach/boss, make sure it is at a time they can fully focus on what it is you’re speaking to them about. Always remember to be considerate of what is going on in their lives.

4

WHAT TO CONSIDER: When asking for a letter of recommendation, you must remember when your college deadlines are, what your teachers prefer in terms of being contacted, what your schools policy is, and what year it is you’ve had the teacher/counselor/coach. The reason for this is

because those you are asking can be writing other letters as well as yours and they also have things to do and worry about outside of just your letter. Keeping in mind how long it’s been since you’ve known the person you are asking is also very important since the person writing your letter should be aware of your recent successes, challenges, achievements, strengths and weaknesses.

What do you recommend students do when applying to colleges?

Apply on time and read and follow the instructions carefully. When it comes to applying, most kids are doing it electronically these days and this can create problems if everyone submits their applications all at once. When a large number of students submit their applications at 11:59 p.m. the last day they are due, it can cause the computer system to crash. Just Career center specialist Robin Roth. do yourself a favor and apply a couple of days they will accept everyone no early. matter how low a students GPA is, they will be able to get in there.

What’s important for students to keep in mind when applying?

How many schools should a stuAlways use your full and correct name that dent apply to? is on your school records, social security card, I wouldn’t recommend applying to or any other important documents, it must more than six, seven at the most, match. otherwise it gets to be too much for the student. Students already have What do you recommend to students who so much going on between trying don’t have a backup plan? to enjoy school, getting their school NOVA should always be your backup plan, work done on time, and participating if not your first plan. It is open admission so in extracurriculars.

5

WHAT TO INCLUDE WHEN ASKING: Although the people you are asking to get a letter from may already know you well, it’s important to still give them an idea about what you wish for them to speak about. Make it easy for those you are asking to write you a letter by: talking to them about your overall participation, reminding them of specific works/moments you’re proud of, what you’ve learned throughout the course and challenges you’ve overcome.

Marina Chen performs outside of class

BY JESSICA SALISBURY Academics Editor

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

A lot of my friends are in the same extracurricular activities as I am, and for those who aren’t I make special time with them on the weekends. With my academic life, I usually keep all of my deadlines in a calender on my phone and get daily updates on what I should prioritize that day, so I don’t procrastinate too often and can get a sufficient amount of sleep for the next day.

IB Spotlight: Profiles of Diploma Candidates

What are your studying habits?

I study each subject a little bit everyday so I don’t have to cram it all in the day before a test. Also, sometimes I get my family members or friends to help me on something that I may be struggling to memorize or figure out.

What are your plans after high school?

I plan to get into and go to college and hopefully have the chance to study abroad as well because I just love seeing other parts of the world and learning about them. Studying abroad gives you a fresh outlook on life and your own hometown.

How do you prepare for IB exams?

I study/review throughout the year and ask my teachers a lot of questions. Last year, I also ask them for extra practice IB exams in that field of study in order to better prepare myself for the format of the test.

Is your only focus academics?

Being in the IB diploma it’s hard to focus on more than just academics, but I still believe my life is more than just studying for this and that and getting grades over here and over there. I love being in marching band (color guard) and I love theatre.

JORGE VENTURA freshman “I want to apply and attend Harvard University because, in my opinion, it is the best school in America. I also believe you have to be extremely smart and intelligent to go there, therefore it would benefit me in the future.”

MARIAM SESAY freshman “I would like to apply to Juliard because I want to pursue performing arts as a career and I think that since it is a performing arts school, it would really help me accomplish my future goals. I am also aware that I must work hard.”

KALUNGA NSEKA sophomore “I would like to go to Texas A&M University because I was born around the area and I also have a lot of family near the school. I think it would be extremely cool to go back and see family a lot more often.”

DANI VILLARREAL sophomore “I hope to apply and go to the University of Virginia. I would like to attend UVA because I think that they have good programs and I feel like I would really enjoy their education system and the way the school works altogether.”

AYMAN ELHAG junior “I would like to go to Virginia Tech because I like the sports events and the educational programs. All of my friends also said that the campus is very nice and that there are a lot of fun things to do on and around campus.”

SANZIDAH HOQUE junior “I was planning on applying to Virginia Tech because it’s somewhat close to home, so I wouldn’t be so far from my family. My sister also goes there and I think it would be fun and less scary if I went to college with her.”

ADRIEN HENAO senior “I plan on applying to Princeton, Harvard and I’ll do Stanford as my safety. The reason I’m applying to these schools is because I believe they are the best fit for what I want to pursue in the future.”

AMANI MUNTU senior “I am going to apply to Virginia Commonwealth University because I love the location as well as the diversity of the school.

I also believe that this school is best fit for what I want to do in the future.”

JESSICA SALISBURY

What is your favorite IB subject?

Honestly, I love IB Theory of Knowledge. There are no tests or quizzes, but I feel like it’s still one of the classes that I learn the most from because it helps me find connections between all the other IB subjects. It’s a discussion-based class in which we get to voice our opinions while analyzing our own biases every time we do reach a conclusion or raise a question about a certain topic which I think will serve as extremely helpful in college and in the real world.

What colleges and universities do you plan on applying to and why?

Senior Marina Chen performs at halftime during the senior night football game on Nov. 3.

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

In this I’d like to say it takes a village, as in, my family, my IB classmates, my friends, and my teachers, have all helped me along the way. There is not one specific person I can really give all the credit to, when in reality, there are a lot of people to blame for my success.

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

The IB diploma has taught me how to manage my time effectively in order to have time for myself, friends, family, school and my extracurriculars. I also think that the IB diploma has truly helped me understand the value of risk-taking; life really is too short not to ask questions and to be stuck doing the something you hate, therefore ask away and dream realistically.

HEALTH 7

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

Going meatless

Students share Thanksgiving traditions IAN MARBURGER senior

Vegans and vegetarians celebrate Thanksgiving

“Every Thanksgiving my family gets together and has a jam session, my dad and I play guitar, my uncle plays drums and my aunt and grandma sing.”

BY KHADIJA AHMED Staff Writer

DRAKE AMAYA sophomore “On thanksgiving I don’t have a family tradition so I watch netflix alone. I usually watch criminal minds. Unlike others, instead of turkey I eat cereal.”

ANNA VOGUS senior “I think most people view us negatively just because it’s harder to go out and eat at restaurants or they think we’re self righteous.”

JONATHAN GARCIA senior “For thanksgiving I usually watch netflix and movies. Sometimes I watch a football game while my mom prepares dinner. We eat turkey and she also makes rice and some beans.”

Vegetarians don’t eat meat and eat mostly vegetables. Some eat fish but others do not. Vegans do not eat any animal products including milk and eggs.

GABRIELA ALACRON sophomore “For thanksgiving I cook all the dinner with my mom. We make mashed potatoes, and the usual, turkey. After we cook, at night all my family comes together and we pray for the food and everything we are thankful for and have a good time.”

USDA

Thanksgiving is customarily associated with turkey and has been for centuries on end, dating back to 1621 during which colonist William Bradford noted in his journal of others hunting wild turkeys in autumn of that year. But what does this mean for vegetarians who don’t eat animals, and vegans who don’t eat animal products at all?

Senior Anna Vogus, a vegetarian for four years and counting, lists mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, bread, and peas as her favorite Thanksgiving foods.

Vogus decided to become vegetarian because it’s considered a healthier lifestyle and because of the inhumane treatment of animals.

“I think [vegetarianism] has really benefited my life. When I first switched, I noticed that I had a lot more energy than usual and I’m just healthier in general now,” Vogus said.

Junior Hansol Yoon has been vegan for about a year now, and enjoys mashed potatoes with vegan butter and any plantbased milk during Thanksgiving.

As for the reason she became vegan, “I love animals and I believe that animals should be your friends, not your food.

I also want to become a vet after high school and college.”

Junior Maisha Maliha was vegan for almost a year.

“It’s good for the environment, and preserving our environment for all the generations to come is really important,” Maliha said.

Maliha is no longer vegan because when she fasted during the month of Ramadan, it was difficult to practice veganism.

“I had to go long hours without eating, and [for iftar] my family usually made dishes containing meat and eggs so it was really hard to uphold a vegan diet,” she said.

Yoon suggested vegan alternatives that can be put to use this Thanksgiving.

She spoke of veggie burger patties and in fact, Tropical Café offers a vegan meat alternative.

During Maliha’s time as a vegan, she enjoyed Gardein’s meatless “chick’n tenders” and “mandarin orange crispy chick’n”. Yoon also mentioned ice cream containing milk alternatives such as

coconut milk, almond milk, or cashew milk which can be found in many nearby grocery stores. Maliha recommends So Delicious, a brand that makes soy milk and coconut milk ice cream among other dairy free products.

Trader Joe’s currently offers countless vegan Thanksgiving options such as turkey-less stuffed roast with gravy, riced cauliflower stuffing, sweet potato and marshmallow pie mix, and almond nog.

Tofu (bean curd), seitan (wheat gluten), and vegetables are also eaten by vegetarians and vegans in place of traditional turkey this Thanksgiving.

Vogus mentioned that tofu can be easily substituted into many Chinese and Thai meals.

“I always thought tofu looked gross but once I tried it, it wasn’t that bad,” Maliha said.

Maliha and Yoon find vegan recipes online, and Vogus finds vegetarian recipes using Pinterest. However, being the only vegetarian in her family, Vogus sometimes just eats everything but the

meat from her family’s usual dinner.

Maliha or her sister cooked vegan dishes, and Yoon makes them herself. Vogus usually cooks vegetarian dishes with the help of her mom.

“My family is really supportive and they help me make sure that I have plenty of foods that I like and will eat during Thanksgiving,” she said.

Yoon said she doesn’t really experience negative feelings regarding her inability to eat some Thanksgiving dishes.

Despite the diet becoming increasingly popular, vegans still face setbacks.

“There’s a lot of stigma surrounding veganism, and you have to careful when eating out,” Maliha said.

Yoon pointed out that there are less sources of nutrients, and that vegan products are expensive.

Regardless, “[Veganism] took the guilt of consuming animal products off of my shoulders and made me feel a lot better about myself. Also, I have been eating a lot healthier,” Yoon said.

JAYDEN JOYA freshman “My family usually goes to visit my family who lives in woodbridge. When we get there my aunt and uncle have a nice meal prepared with turkey and other things. That’s how I spend my Thanksgiving.”

JONATHAN VERGARA freshman “For my thanksgiving tradition we go to DC every year. My family finds a fine restaurant and when the food arrives we pray at the table.

We can’t eat turkey though, because my brother is allergic to it.”

Recipe for the perfect vegan pumpkin pie Ingredients:

Directions:

1 3/4 cups (1, 14 oz can) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (the kind in a can, shaken well before measuring) 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 store- bought pie crust

Ingrediants blended together to make the pumpkin filling. Vegan pumpkin pie recipe perfect for the holidays courtesy of: itdoesnttastelikechicken.com

1.) Preheat your oven to 350F (180C).

2.) Add the pumpkin, coconut milk, brown sugar, cornstarch, maple syrup, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt to a blender or a large bowl.

Mix well.

3.) Pour the pumpkin mixture into the uncooked 9” pie crust . Use a spatula to spread the pumpkin evenly. Bake for 60 minutes. When you remove it from the oven, the edges might be slightly cracked and the middle will still look wobbly.

Let cool, and then chill in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight until set.

What you need to know about protein powder Four facts that may shock you Consuming too much protein powder can be dangerous for your health.

You could gain weight, get dehydrated, increase liver enzymes and cause intestinal irritation. Some of these reactions only happen when you lack drinking water. For example, when you increase the amount of protein you consume, you could get seizures if you are not fully hydrated. If you consume protein powder at the serving size, you have nothing to worry about.

You can’t get fit by only drinking protein shakes.

In fact, the opposite will happen. The only way you can start seeing results from drinking protein shakes is by working out. Protein shakes have a lot of calories which is why they are sometimes substituted for meals. By doing this you may gain some protein, but instead you could be getting better nutrients from meals. Sitting around and drinking protein shakes will not do you any good so do not try it.

BY JAMILEH HAMADEH Staff Writer Protein powder is used by many of our annandale students. Senior, Ian Marburger, is one of them.

“I started using protein powder around the same time I started lifting because I saw all the big guys at the gym using it too,” Marburger said.

He personally uses the protein brand PROMASIL and has been using it for a while. He only takes it directly after a workout session to maximize protein synthesis.

“I like to use chocolate when I am just using protein powder

and vanilla when I mix it with spinach or berries,” Marburger said. “Protein powder is good when you need protein after a workout, or when I need an extra protein boost, but it is better to get your protein from real foods.”

Some facts about protein powder that you will read about in this article are that too much protein powder can be really bad for you. You cannot get fit from only drinking only protein supplements.

You will learn about some positive effects of drinking protein powders.

Protein powder makes you gassy.

Benefits of drinking protein supplements.

Some protein powders result in having a lot of gas. It can cause bloating, gas after eating, heartburn or sometimes vomiting. If you experience gas, try switching brands. Depending on the quality of the protein powder, you might find that some protein powders are easier to digest than others. This happens when you consume way too much protein powder.

Protein needs a lot of stomach acidt o get broken down properly.

Protein can be found in dairy, meat, nuts and beans. However, protein shakes share the same value as these meals.

Protein powders make it easier and faster to get these proteins. Amino acids are easier to get while consuming these powders. Whey protein can provide muscle while working out, fat loss, and it helps you gain your energy back after working out.

Protein is not expensive at all and is easily accessible.

8 PHOTO

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

Seniors Ethan Yu and Natnal Endalkachew measure the instructor’s arms and torso for their calculations in order to properly estimate his terminal velocity. “It was very intersting to learn about the physics behind skydiving and actually do labs with problems we learned about in Physics 1,” Yu said.

i

Learn, Dream, Fly

Calculations with no hesitation: this group of students is focused as they write down their worked out problems by using the mass of the ball they measured and its radius in order to determine which ball will fly highest in the wind tunnel.

IB chemistry, biology, and phsyics students take a trip to iFly: an indoor skydiving company, where they explore the velocities and accerlations of different objects and people.

There’s an “i” in “iFly” but not in team: students get together using the measurements they made to calculate their instructor’s terminal velocity when inside the wind tunnel.

iFly instructor Zach pours a pitcher of water across the wind tunnel, showing the cohesive property of water molecules as they stick together inside the tunnel.

Hard at work: junior Franco Kitila and his Thrown a curve ball: seniors Luis Rodriguez and Jacob Tlusty team gather around the table as they discuss record the radius and height of the bouncy ball, trying to figure out their experimental plan for calculating the how well it will fly in the wind tunnel or if it will fly at all. terminal velocity using the formula on the screen.

All smiles as seniors Shirley Chu, Augusto Gonzalez and Luis Rodriguez jot down some formulas they received from the presentation as they get ready to send their instructor into the wind tunnel.

The sky is the limit: students huddle near the air chamber, inspecting the different properties and determining the number of fans and the speed at which the instructor will lay completely still in the air.

ARTS 9

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

District Chorus Auditions

BY GALILEA SEJAS Arts Editor

--CHRISTINA LE

Junior They were given a small piece of the music that they used to practice their specific singing tone and volume. On top of this, they needed to sight read or read for the first time when in front of the judges.

The scoring is a bit different compared to sports competitions. It is a blind audition, where the judges don’t see the person auditioning.

The judges solely judge based on what they hear, which makes their scoring even more unbiased.

There are two judges that give the singer a score out of 100. If the choral student scores very well, then they will be placed in a higher chair for their singing section.

Junior Alene Boghosian said, “It’s pretty cool auditioning in Districts and succeeding because you get to find out other singers that have the same or more motivation to do better.”

Performing in front of these judges requires that every singer give it their all by singing with their hearts as well as their souls.

Both Le and Bohosian were not nervous about the competition, but this was mainly because they had practiced before during their chorus class, as well as their past experience in their District auditions in the previous years. One would need to ensure that they showed their individuality through their singing and made themselves stand out from the crowd of choral students that were hoping to make it to the “next round,” while also remaining accurate.

“Districts is something that means a lot to me because I’ve actually participated in Districts for the past 3 years and have always had such amazing time every year,” said Le.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSH MCCREARY

Junior Emily Trachsel reminisces over the time that she was Tilly Evans.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSH MCCREARY

“I prepared for districts by running through the audition song multiple times in the week prior to the audtions”

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSH MCCREARY

Tens of hundreds of chorus students prepared for the Districts auditions that occurred on Nov. 11th. The auditions were held at McLean High School where students were judged on their ability to sight read and use dynamics.

Each chorus student in the Districts attended such auditions in order to see how they place alongside the other singers. If they receive a top scoring or rating such as first or second chair, then they make it into States.

Besides the memorized music, they need to work on their performance overall and the dynamics that they use, such as keeping their voice consistent throughout the audition and not change their tempo and/or volume towards the beginning, middle or end of the song.

Understudy lead actress and Junior Chelsey Robles plays Agnes Evans as she tries to battle monsters in the D&D campaign.

Cheerleading squad supports Miles the football player, played by Junior Cort Hollis, who is holding his girlfriend Agnes Evans, played by Junior Rediate Zewdu, after Milescored a winning touchdown during their game.

Annandale Theater Company production of She Kills Monsters New LGBTQ+ play produced by the Annandale Theater

BY MARYAM DEREJE Arts Editor “Let’s Go Bobcats! Let’s Go,” chants Steve, played by freshman Nareg Boghosian, when the infamous football player, Miles scores the winning touchdown, giving another win to the Bobcats, their school’s mascot.

Proceeding the game, Miles greets his varsity cheerleader girlfriend, Agnes Evans, played by junior Rediate Zewdu. The relationship between Agnes and Miles is similar to any other relationship that one would find in a stereotypical high school movie. Fortunately enough, the majority of the show includes many themes and subjects that are not so stereotypical.

Such themes are evident between the relationship that Agnes Evans has with her sister, Tilly Evans, played by junior Emily Trachsel. Agnes discovers the truth behind her sister’s bullying after she passes away in a car crash. She discovers this through the virtual reality Dungeons and Dragons campaign or game that Agnes begins to play with Dungeon Master Chuck Biggs, played by sophomore Raffi Krikorian.

He is an average game shop worker that helps Agnes play the D&D game

Junior and understudy for Agenes, Chelsey Robles, stands to the left of Junior and understudy for Tilly, Magdelena Iglesias, as well as junior and understudy for Lilith, Ioana Marin (far right). earth: earth, fire, wind, water and lightthat her sister has created, that served ing. as a diary at times for her tormentThe whole campaign fight alongside ed self. their leader, the Tillius the Paladin, to In the game, Agnes along with other retrieve the Lost Soul of Athens. members of the party which include In this journey, Agnes learns that Kaliope, played by Sophomore Savannah Gravitt, Lilith, played by Junior she has been too focused on herself and Shae Rigo and Orcus, played by Sophoher own life throughout high school more Jack Dalrymple, fight comedic yet instead of listening to her sister and deadly monsters that venture in their spending enough time with her. path to defeating the ultimate monster: She was unable to know that she the Tiamat. was being bullied for being herself, The Tiamat is a five headed dragwhich was a tomboy nerd that never on that represents the five elements of dressed nor acted like any other girl

herself and her own life throughout high school instead of getting to know her own sibling and understanding the struggles that she faced.

The most powerful part of the play is when Agnes, the sister of Tilly, is very surprised and not sure what to think when she discovers that her dead sister is gay. It’s a very powerful moment in the show because it shows that even people who don’t consider themselves homophobic can still take an issue with the community, and it’s an eye opening moment.

The play really focus on the LGBTQ+ community.“This play speaks to a community who isn’t always accepted and it really highlights that they are no different from anyone else.

They should be treated with kindness and love just as anyone else is,” said Assistant director and Junior, Kyle Dalsimer.

“My favorite part of the play is how beautiful the message behind it is, and how despite a dark story, it’s written so that the audience will be rolling on the floor laughing most of the show,“ said Dalsimer.

The show overall is great and eye opening. It’s all about what people actually go through. The theme is all about acceptance and the fact that everyone should have the opportunity to live their life freely. Everyone should be able to have the choice to reveal their sexuality on their own time and in their own way; never forced out of the closet.

Artist Spotlight: Junior Yosuf Mohammed When did you start drawing?

What do you normally draw?

I started to draw when I was in the 5th grade because my older sister and brother draw and I used to look up to them and I still do. And so I started to draw and I became good at it.

My skills developed in the state Rochester New York. I was really young when I started to draw. My compassion grew more as I grew too. My siblings started drawing when they were young as well, which just inspired me even more. As the days went by I started acquiring different skills, different items to draw. I don’t like coloring my drawings, I keep them black and white, that’s usually because I’m lazy ,however, sometimes I just think it’s better black and white.

I usually draw Anime When I was younger I used to watch a lot of Anime which made me want to draw. Since I used to watch Anime a lot, all of the characters just got stuck in my head, which made it really easy for me to draw them at some point all I needed was a paper, a pencil and my imagination. I learned how to recreate drawings resembling Anime without having to look at them, which is actually a great relief. I also like to draw moments that catch my eye. Usually if I see something beautiful I can’t get it out of my head until I actually put it on paper. I do really focus on one thing, I like to draw many things.

Why do you like art?

What type of artist are you?

When I’m not feeling my usual self or when I’m feeling really down I like to draw because it calms me down. I draw for several occasions.

I do it when I’m bored, mad, sad or even when I have nothing else to do. Funny thing is I’ll draw on anything I can find, I’lI draw on a wall, a table, sometimes I’ll draw on a chair if I have too. The real reason I started to draw was because of my siblings, I just started to like it better when I started growing up. Now, however, I really like it now. I do it because I want to and I enjoy it very much. It relaxes me more than anything can.

I think myself to be a creative artist.

I’m a very playful person. I’m happy and cheerful and so my behavior plays in my drawings. My drawings are more like my story, it expresses all of my feelings and all of my behaviors.

I don’t really like drawing anything depressing and sad, I like keeping my drawing happy and fun. When people look at my drawings, I want them to smile and laugh. I keep my drawings black and white most of the time, it expresses my feeling for that picture more. Although, my drawings are black and white, it’s easy for people to see the true meaning behind the drawings.

10 IN-DEPTH

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

PRESS PL

Student Gaming Profiles GAMER PROFILE SARAH WHEATLEY, 9 Rep: Year Started Playing: 2014 Daily Gaming: 2-3 hours GPA: 3.0 - 3.5 Addiction Level: Moderate Favorite Game: Call of Duty WWII Zombies

Y TO START

At times like a free period and during class, students can be seen playing video games from something as simple as Poptropica to Halo. To those who are unfamiliar with the massive enjoyment of video games, many wonder how these students have the time to play and still be able to balance school work? Some do not, and their grades can reflect that.

Some can.

How does one person remain stationary for hours, non-stop, on a single video game?

Junior Jonathan Yim started playing video games in third grade when he was intrigued by the enjoyment he got out of the graphics. His first online game was Club Penguin but then shifted to a favorite 2D Korean multiplayer online game, Maplestory. Since then, he admits that not a day has gone by where Yim has not played video games.

He confesses that he is indeed addicted to the fun.

If you ever see Yim at school, there is a very high chance he is rapidly making combos and scratching his tablet screen whether it is during lunch or class.

Yim owns a Wii and a DS, but a majority of the time he plays on his PC. In fact, off the top of his head, he knows that he has played exactly 87 different games, including Team Fortress 2, League of Legends and Minecraft.

If it is not his tablet, he plays games on his school laptop much like many other students.

A significant amount of his dedication, skill and time is invested into Maplestory. At one point, Yim was

GAMER PROFILE HAKIM IDRIS, 10 Rep: Year Started Playing: 2006 Daily Gaming: 2 hours GPA: 3.0 - 3.5 Addiction Level: Moderate Favorite Game: Call of Duty: Black Ops

GAMER PROFILE NAHOM DAGNACHEW, 11 Rep: Year Started Playing: 2011 Daily Gaming: 5 hours GPA: Higher than 4.0 Addiction Level: High Favorite Game: Fornite

GAMER PROFILE BENJAMIN LEE, 12 Rep: Year Started Playing: 2017 Daily Gaming: 7 hours GPA: Higher than 4.0 Addiction Level: High Favorite Game: League of Legends

ranked the third best Maplestory player in the world.

His advanced gaming skills cannot be questioned due to this immense training and practice he performs.

Every single day Yim plays at the least five hours after school. On the weekends, he plays about 8 hours. Yim averages about 30 hours a week playing.

“Once I get home I finish my homework as fast as I can, and then after I finish I either eat something and play games or play games then eat,” Yim said.

“The more time you spend on a game, the less time you have for anything else.”

--JONATHAN YIM

junior

However, to make room for games in his school schedule, Yim sacrifices his sleep. He regularly stays up past one in the morning to play with his online friends. If he has a test the next day, he will quickly study right before he falls asleep.Every month, Yim spends an average of $100 to buy new games. Yim will spend $50 on a game if he deems it worthy.

One of Yim’s proudest moments is receiving profit out of his hobby. In two years, Yim has made a total of $2,100

10 best selling 2016 video games

Gaming industry making “money moves”

Addicted, but happy

BY KIMBERLY VAIDES In-Depth Editor

IN-DEPTH 11

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

BY CASEY NGUYEN In-Depth Editor

off of CSGO, an online shooter game that is also played for its trading.

“You put your items on a list, and it starts growing. Whoever has a high priced item has a chance of winning the gamble. One knife could cost $200 and two can make $400, then you could have a 60% to 70% chance of winning it.

After that, the more you add, the higher the chances,” Yim said. “I was opening cases, and out of luck I got some high prices, and my friends encouraged me to continue playing.”

Yim has gained other benefits from playing video games but they have caused concern from his parents.

“My reaction is very good because of video games,” Yim said, “but my parents want to disown me for the amount of time I dedicate to video gaming.”

Yim plans to play video games for the rest of his life because of the happiness and connections they give him. It is an escape from worries and puts his mind into a different place.

“I recommend others playing video games because it ruins their lives in the best way by killing a large amount of time and bringing happiness of satisfaction,” Yim said.

Even with a job in the future, Yim will find the time to play after hours with on and off days depending on his schedule.

However, Yim wouldn’t make a career out of video games because it would ruin other people’s lives by dragging them into this void of addiction with undying storylines and graphics.

With their vibrant colors and expressive sounds, video games immediately captivate and feed the appetites of game players. Games are about business being both a form of art and entertainment. The dynamic landscape of the video game industry is crucial to recognize.

Video games are a multibillion-dollar industry. According to the 2015 Global Game Market report, researchers state that the video game market jumped from a value of $91.5 billion in 2015 to $107 billion in 2017. This is because thousands of companies develop and publish games in all 50 states.

Both video and computer games are now affecting a broad range of businesses.

Games, game design and our instinct to play them are addicting forces that now drive the advancement of technology and business. Mobile devices and social networks have become a platform for playing video games.

Advertisement and propaganda have in result turned games into a new mass medium.

Why are games such an essential aspect of modern-day economy and business? It is because videos games provide a means of entertainment.

They cater to people’s appetite for fun and competition, offering incentives and motivations for improvement. According to The Statista Statistics Portal, over half of American households are consumers who have played video games. This creates mass consumption for the addicting products that consumers can’t help but continue to use.

Game designers are masters at stroking that appetite, providing just

California, for example, is known to house the most significant number of video game personnel in the nation.

Approximately more than 41 percent of total industry employment nationwide is from video games. California’s computer and video game industry grew at a real annual rate of 8.8 percent from 2009 to 2012. However, this is a reliable comparison to the state’s overall economy that experienced negative growth.

Despite this, the industry is a highly competitive market.

Biology teacher Zachary Proffit was a videogamer himself, forming a Halo Club in his high school. Their success and skill led them to compete in significant video game tournaments, such as a tournament in Chicago in 2007 which was run by the Major League Gaming company. They placed 15th out of a couple of hundred teams, making extra cash from merely doing what they loved.

Just about everyone that has played video games as a kid has dreamed of one day making their games. But getting a job in this industry can be extremely difficult. To work in the industry, workers must have advanced training in skills like computer graphics, animation, software design, or programming, just to name a few. Companies must be on top of innovation, imagination, knowledge of the industry and continuously changing markets.

The video game industry creates a welcoming environment for entertainment software companies, creating jobs and adding value to each state’s economy.

the right amount of entertainment to make their games deliberately addictive. With the use of psychological tricks, such as humor, action, storytelling, and a system of reward, it is similar to the addiction that lures gamblers.

Some designers succeed, serving up jolts of pleasure that users can not stop to come back for more.

“We realized we had the potential to play video games professionally.”

--ZACHARY PROFFIT

Biology Teacher

Video game companies utilize innovation and invention. The industry continues to grow, and as it does, more and more jobs will be available. The video game industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. economy. A study conducted by Economists Incorporated in 2014 stated that the interactive entertainment software industry has grown at an annual rate of nearly 10%. Over the same period, the entire U.S. economy only increased by 2.4%.

In addition to this, the interactive entertainment software industry’s growth has also provided economic and financial benefits to the individual.

Jobs continue to grow in the foreseeable future. According to Salaries, the average salary for video game designers is over $129,700.

1. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

2. Battlefield 1

The players play as Captain Nick Reyes while fighting enemies in a deadly environment

First-person shooter game created by EA DICE. It is set during World War I with weapons during that time

3. Grand Theft Auto V

4. Madden NFL 17

Players assume the role of three criminals in the city of Los Santos, and their action-filled lives intersect.

This American football sports video game based on the National Football League

6. Tom Clancy’s The Division

5. NBA 2K17

EVOLUTION OF VIDEO GAMES

Players can play a simulation of the NBA games with a wide selection of famous basketball players.

Set in dystopian New York City after an outbreak of a smallpox pandemic. players attempt to investigate the origin of the outbreak.

7. Overwatch

8. Minecraft

A group heros, called Overwatch, who work together to restore peace to the world after an international crisis

Players must maintain their health and survive with resources and food while avoiding enemies.

9. Call of Duty: Black Ops III

10. FIFA 17

The game takes place in the year 2065 as the player takes the role of a soldier.

The player can assemble a soccer team and perform the maneuvers of a soccer players.

SOURCE: Entertainment software association

1952

1958

1962

1972

1980

1983

2010

Creation of tic-tac-toe

First Video Game

First Interactive Computer Game

First Video Game Home Console

Creation of Pac-Man

Nintendo Donkey Kong

Introduction of Kinect for Xbox 360

British professor A.S. Douglas created OXO, also known as noughts and crosses or tic-tactoe. This is a paper-and-pencil game for two players, X and O, who take turns marking the spaces in a 3×3 grid. The professor created the game as his doctoral dissertation at the University of Cambridge.

Physicist, William Higinbotham, created a simple tennis game. Tennis for Two was a 2-D sports video game for two players. An aluminum controller would serve and volley the “ball”, which was a bright for that bounced from one side of the “net” to the other.

Steve Russell at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology invented Spacewar!, a computer-based space combat videogame. It was the first videogame to be played on multiple computer installations.

Magnavox releases Magnavox Odyssey. It is a home video game system that is based on the “Brown Box”, a prototype invented by Ralph Baer. It invades living rooms, selling 300,000 units.

The introduction to the United States of Japan’s hugely popular Pac-Man. Originally created in Japan, it was created by Toru Iwatani.

The game requires eating small dots all around a maze without being captured by a ghost.

Video games do more good than harm Gaming provides cognative and physical benefits, despite traditional beliefs

BY CASEY NGUYEN AND HASSAN ROYER In-Depth Editor and Staff Writer “Get off of that screen; your brains will turn into mush!” We’ve heard it all before. This is a common phrase stated by our parents and teachers. Contrary to the traditional belief of gaming being merely an addictive source of entertainment or aversion, video games can bring about change.

Gaming can bring forth numerous benefits and positive life skills during adolescence that will prove to be useful in adulthood. Key among these aspects is the development and improvement of behavior, cognitive skills and physical ability.

According to the American Psychological Association, building strong leadership and teamwork skills are necessary for one’s future, whether it is in school or in the workforce. Surprisingly, playing multiplayer team-based games can assist in this aspect. Working with a group, or a team is required to gain points and win the game.

One must communicate and cooperate with others to find the most effective course of action to win the game. This is similar to sports teams, where all positions on a team must work together to help score. The team performance and teamwork behavior can directly assist in not only building communication skills but also help to improve one’s behavior into a better team player.

Online gaming can also enable many players to improve their social skills. Not everyone develop relationships and friendships among them.

Gaming helps players meet new friends with similar interests and hobbies, as well as strengthen bonds with old friends.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a habit is defined as a “regular tendency or practice that is hard to give up”.

Due to human habits, players tend to pick up essential skills through gaming. Players repeatedly perform under pressure. Due to the fast pace of games, players must make more rapid decisions.

The ability to retrieve information

Junior Kidus Asmare-Ayele plays Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare during W4 Pridetime, with other gamers. and react in a split second can be strengthened through gaming. Because new information is continuously being displayed on the screen, players are forced to adapt quickly. Not only this, but video games also have specific rules.

This means that the player must carefully maneuver to follow the rules within the particular game. These

split-second decisions will determine whether or not he or she will advance to the next level. This skill of problem-solving can be applied in future situations.

The lives of teenagers today are continuously filled with stress and chaos.

According to the American Psychological Association, videogames can help one escape and relax. These games tend

to make one lose track of time due to their addictive and engrossing nature.

This relaxation of the mind also requires full attention to the screen, not allowing the player to be focused on real-life problems. They can be seen as a beneficial way to cope.

“It helps me escape reality a little, especially from a long day of school and homework,” freshman Akira Negley said.

In addition to this, video games have the benefit of the restart or retry button.

This is similar to real-life situations. If one falls, they will get back up. If one fails a test, they will retake it. If one misses the ball in the basketball hoop, they will shoot again. The incentive to respawn and try again in video games allows one to develop the mindset never to give up.

The repeated action of continually trying to win, despite losses, will bring one into the habit of always trying to be the best one can be. These animated games will help in building confidence and a strong work ethic.

While video games might be beneficial, there is a need to play them in moderation. It is also essential to pick the right game as not all provide the same benefits.

What are some advantages and disadvantages of playing video games?

Nintendo’s creation of Donkey Kong, which introduced the world to the character Mario. It is an early example of the platform game genre.

The game requires maneuvering across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles

AKIRA NEGLEY freshman “The advantages is that you can connect with people and a disadvantage is altering how you think overall.”

DAIANY SALOMON sophomore “Some advantages is that you can relax from school, but it can distract you from doing school work.”

Microsoft introduces Kinect for Xbox 360, which tracks users’ motions, no controller required. It is a handsfree motion control device that allows players to control games using a combination of body movements.

IDRIS DAHIR junior “Video games take up a lot of time, but they’re fun. They can teach you a lot about puzzle solving and real-life situations.”

KIDUS HAIMANOT junior “They’re really fun and good for entertainment. It’s something I can invest time into, but it can take up a lot of time.”

GINGER MENDEZ junior “They are a good way to relieve stress from school, but they’re also very time consuming.

They can be addicting and frustating.”

TOMMY NGUYEN senior “An advantage is that you don’t get bored and a disadvantage is procrastinating.”

How many hours do you play video games daily?

51%

= 10%

of students play two+ hours daily

49%

Do you consider yourself to be addicted?

Does playing video games negatively impact school performance and grades?

35% 21%

28%

Strongly Agree

SOMEWHAT

51% Agree

Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

23% 30%

YES

17%

2%

of students play less than one hour daily

36%

85%

of parents are say price influence own a device to NOT present when their purchase of play video games purchasing ESRB games rated games

NO

47% =10%

200 surveys were given out during W4 on November 10, 2017, 158 surveys were returned.

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017 12 INTERNATIONAL What is your favorite Culinary Arts sells turkeys to the needy thing about Thanksgiving? Students help fundraise for their program

ADAM LAKKIS junior “I like being with my friend and eating all the food and grubbing on all of the food.”

RAZAN ABDELAZIZ senior “My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is when it is time to have dinner because all my family is there and it is like a reunion.”

EDWIN LOPEZ senior “My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is sitting at the table with my family because we do not usually do that. My mom makes us pink mashed potatoes that are really good.”

stressful but it is nothing that I can not handle,” said Koppie.

Chef G is more than a teacher, she creates bonds with her students so that they look forward to coming to class and making food for money.

“What we do wouldn’t be possible without Chef G, she is the best teacher I could ask for and gets us through each day,” said Henao.

Word spreads fast. Students hear of the great culinary program and volunteer.

If you are interested in being apart of this tradition and joining the Culinary Arts program, stop by Chef G’s room, either in the bistro or room 134 for more information.

Thanksgiving around the world

CONOR MCMANUS

MARLENE ANGEL junior “I like spending time with family and eating. I like seeing my mom, my stepdad, all my sisters, and my little brother mostly.”

ZEUS RAMIREZ senior “My favorite part of Thanksgiving is spending time with family grubbing on turkey. I gather with family every year and we eat basically anything.”

same time for them to be productive.

“I actually find the class very relieving. It is my safe haven when i get a peace of mind and get to relax,” said Henao.

The students don’t have a lot of time, but still manage to complete their given tasks. Recently, they have made about 30 turkeys per class period.

Gloninger picks fresh herbs from Annandale’s garden and buys the ingredients needed to make each well-seasoned turkey.

Gloninger assigns each group to work with a turkey. In each group, students clean, season, and cook the fresh turkeys.

“During Thanksgiving time, it starts to get a little more

EMELY CASTILLO SEVERINO

ALLAUNA HARRISON sophomore “I stay home and spend time with my family and then we having Thanksgiving dinner. I look forward to eating the Pumpkin pie.”

Students of Culinary Arts are planning to make and sell 30 fresh, never frozen turkeys for the needy this Thanksgiving.

The turkey prices are about $20.

The dedicated students put in a lot of hard work, specifically around Thanksgiving time.

They go above and beyond in class and make it count.

The Culinary students cook turkeys for families who lack the time or money to buy and cook one in their household for an affordable price.

Culinary Arts teacher Christine Gloninger, also known as Chef G, has been in the program

for a long time.

“The turkey sales help students who are needy in the school,” said Gloninger.

The Culinary Arts program shows their goodness through this amazing tradition.

“We have been doing this for 14 years and whatever profit we are given, we then take that profit and put it into turkeys or gift cards to give to students within Annandale,” Gloninger said.

The students learn precious skills through the program such as time management. They have to plan ahead and meet deadChef Christine Gloninger works on lines.

Seniors Adrien Henao and her computer, working on orders Kyle Koppie find it as a time to from people. have fun and help Chef G at the

TIANA REAMS

OMAR AVENDANO sophomore “My favorite thing to do on Thanksgiving is eating the food that my mom makes. She makes turkey and some Bolivia food. While spending time with my family

BY TIANA REAMS International Editor

Pavlova, a type of dessert that senior Conor McManus eats every Thanksgiving.

They have to hand make it not buy it at the stores.

New Zealand’s Thanksgiving meals His step mom is the one who encourages Thanksgiving. She is the one who typically cooks all the food for everyone.

This will only be McManus’ third year New Zealand does not usually celcelebrating Thanksgiving. ebrate Thanksgiving in its country.

“To me Thanksgiving means a time Conor McManus is a stuto give thanks for the food dent here at Annandale you have, for the family you who moved to the United have and for the friends you States only 3 years ago. have” McManus said.

He previously lived in A typical Thanksgiving New Zealand before comat the McManus’ household ing to the States. would be himself, step mom, Conor being new to dad, and a ton of friends. “We America, learning about hold sometimes have 50 peoa new holiday and how it CONOR MCMANUS ple,” said McManus. was adjusting to ThanksgivOther than hosting thanksing. giving at his house, another great part A holiday which he is not used to of the holiday is the food. celebrating. Most countries around the Of course being from New Zealand, world are familiar with Thanksgiving, McManus’ family can not forget to have but not everyone celebrates it since it is a home dish. an American holiday.

“Pavlova is a New Zealand dessert, “Even though I did not celebrate you can not buy it at the stores, so we Thanksgiving in New Zealand, I was make it,” McManus said. still familiar with the holiday,” Conor He is enjoys the holiday and is very McManus said. happy to be apart of the American TraSince McManus’ dad lives in the dition.

United States, he already knew how “Overall Thanksgiving is a great Thanksgiving goes. “My dad lived here time and I’m glad to have great people years before I came, so he would tell me to spend it with” McManus said. about it,” McManus said.

BY GENESIS LARA-PALACIOS International Editor

A typical Thanksgiving dinner in senior Emely Castillo’s household. Including chicken, carne asaada (a type of pork), brown rice, and ceviche.

Dominican Republic’s Thanksgivng meals “It is a mix of red beans, condensed milk, spices, and other ingredients served cold pudding style,” Castillo said.

For Thanksgiving celebrated by In the Dominican Republic, they Americans, for dessert they having a do not eat the typical Thanksgiving type of pie. Apple pie or Pumpkin pie or meal. a type of cranberry filling.

Usually everyone who celebrates Sometimes they eat cake if they have Thanksgiving eats turkey, the time to make it. But Dominmashed potatoes, mac icans eat tres leche which is a and cheese, and stuffing. type of cake that is made up Typical American foods of three kinds of milks. Evapthat other countries and orated milk, heavy cream, and cultures eat as well. sweetened condensed milk to Moving to America make it soft and moist. did not stop senior Emely “For desserts we eat bizcoCastillo from the DominiEMELY CASTILLO cho which is an kind of cake and can Republic from celebratalso we eat Dominican arepa ing Thanksgiving how she always and that is a cornmeal and coconut would. She tells how her Thanksgiv- cake,” Castillo said. ing is not the same as everyone else’s.

Most countries around the world celTurkey can be substituted for any ebrate Thanksgiving but there are some kind of main meats such as chicken or who do not. It is not a holiday where peopork. “For Thanksgiving, we eat pork ple are believing in a religion such as out of the oven instead of having a tur- Christmas. key,” Castillo said.

But it rather a time to eat and have a As side dishes, they do not eat the great time with all family members that stuffing of the turkey or eat mashed you do not get to see very often. potatoes. For example, they eat arroz “I love celebrating Thanksgiving with blanco, also known as white rice and all my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I am habichuelas con dulces which is sweet glad to have this holiday,” Castillo said. beans in English.

BY TIANA REAMS International Editor

Immigrant Stories: Coming to America

BY HANGYUL CHANG Special to The A-Blast Imagine leaving everything behind: your culture, family, beliefs, and home.

Imagine leaving behind everything and going to a country where you had no friends, nowhere to live, and a language barrier.

That was life for me in 2006. My grandpa (from my dad’s side) invited us to come to the US, so my family decided to move to America.

I had so many memories of Korea!

The house where I lived, the streets I walked in, the friends I’d made, the school I went to and so much more.

One of the best things about Korea is that there is no need for a car unless you’re travelling somewhere far. Everything is close to each other, so everyone walks.

For example, if you walked down the street from my house, there was a supermarket there. Kids walked to school, those who rode in a car to school often symbolized wealth.

Korea was such a beautiful place, there was so much to do. I loved playing with my friends and cousins there.

It was hard for me to accept the fact that I would have to leave all of this, the life I was living then, all behind.

I was 5 when we decided to come to America. I remember the final days in Korea. Walking down the streets for the last time, going to the supermarket and buying sweets for the last time, and making phone calls to family friends.

The goodbyes at the airport still bring sad memories to me. I remember my family members all crying, kissing me on the cheek, and taking pictures.

I had never seen my grandma and grandpa cry so hard in my life. I was terrified, honestly. The flight to America was another adventure.

I was so excited to order food, and watch movies, like my Mom had told me. I ordered so much food, and distinctly remember watching “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”.

My parents were expecting a new life and a new journey in America. I could tell they were also nervous and scared, because none of us spoke English, and we had nowhere to go.

When we landed, my Uncle greeted us at the airport. We went to my dad’s parent’s house, a retirement home.

There, we settled down a bit and ate pizza for the first time. Korean pizza is very different from pizza here, so I remember not being able to finish it.

After a couple weeks of staying with them, we moved to an apartment complex in Annandale where I would call

that home for the next 11 years. My parents feared for me because I spoke no English and had no friends.

The first day of Kindergarten, my Mom had a conference with the teacher expressing her concerns. Laughing, my kindergarten teacher told her not to worry, because I was doing better than kids who were born in the US. At that time, I had no idea I would grow up in Annandale, make so many friends and move on to middle school, and now high school. I had no idea I would be writing this story on my laptop, in W4 at Annandale High School.

America has changed my life.

I was able to experience a whole new culture, make so many friends, and experience so much stuff that I would not have been able to experience at Korea.

In some ways, I’m glad we’re living here now because there’s so much more opportunities for us and better living conditions. But I will never forget Korea.

I will never forget my family there, my culture there, and the brief time I lived there. Although I enjoy living in the US, Korea will always be a part of me.

I am a Korean-American, and I will always cherish the memories I have from both America and South Korea and how they have shaped my life.

HANGYUL CHANG

Junior Hangyul Chang comes from South Korea, a life-changing journey

Junior Hangyul Chang poses during the varsity football game during halftime while being in the stands with the Annandale Marching Band.

LIFESTYLES 13

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

Hit the streets with fall fashion Lightweight tan jacket

Thick coat with tie

Forever 21; $22.95

Forever 21; $40

The fall season has very confusing weather; it's usually cold in the morning then warmer during the afternoon. On days like those, wearing a light weight jacket is your best option- it's stylish and suits the weather well.

The autumn chill should be easy to beat with this stylish coat for only $40. It's tie is located on the waist which provides easy access and the gray color matches with anything.

Short sleeved sweatshirt

Red flannel

CINDY NGUYEN 12th grade

ADAM TRAN

11th grade

American Eagle; $30 Flannels are just a necessity to have and looks good with any piece of clothing. It's great for layering and great for fall

Ralph Lauren; $28 The season of autumn brings in colder temperatures and if you're not into long sleeved tops, then this is the right shirt for you. It's a thick fabric which will keep you warm and is a simple

too.

color to work with.

Short sleeved gray T-shirt

Light wash jeans

Forever 21; $12

Pacsun; $50

Owning a solid colored shirt is a staple you should have in your closet. They usually have good prices on them and you can never have

Thankfully, denim is a year round clothing item, so wearing jeans in autumn is expected. Jeans are the universal clothing item, it looks good with any type of outfit and they come in many different designs and colors. Pacsun provides quality jeans which excuses the high price and they always have

too many solid colored shirts.

Denim joggers Pacsun; $50 Joggers are the most convenient pair of pants to have because they come in many different designs and they can help you stay fashionable while being

Black faux fur boots

cially because they are in season.

Senior Cindy Nguyen wears long gray coat, black shirt and faux fur to complete her fall look.

PHOTO CREDIT: ADAM TRAN

Once again, owning a pair of boots is an autumn and a winter essential so it's smart to purchase some before all the good ones go out and before the prices begin to sky rocket, espe-

PHOTO CREDIT: CINDY NGUYEN

comfortable.

Forever 21; $30

Junior Adam Tran wears a coat, flannel and basic T-shirt to complete his fall look.

MTE Vans Vans store; $60 Although the price of the shoes may be a bit high, it's still worth getting because the quality is good and they are durable enough to withstand the harsh weather.

Essential clothing pieces this season

BY YABI BEREKET Lifestyles Editor As the air gets colder and the nights get shorter, it is important to be aware that your clothing should be changing too.

Updating your wardrobe is time consuming but it is important that it is done to avoid getting sick.

Throughout this month, people are able to dress in layers, bundle up and still look amazing One of the main things to remember when dressing in autumn clothing is the colors that pop during this time of the year, such as red, brown, yellow, tan and black.

These next up and coming months will be the most promising in regards to style and fashion.

There are many main components that make a great outfit for the fall, but one of the key elements in looking your

best and staying warm too is investing in a jacket and scarf.

Almost everyone knows the type of look: the long boyfriend coat with a flannel and a printed scarf.

This outfit is the way to go if you feel like dressing up and defeating the altering weather patterns.

What most people seek interest in is the typical camel colored long boyfriend coat or army green boyfriend coat, which of course looks amazing, but there are so many other options for boyfriend coat color and looks, you just have to check in the right places.

“Whenever I go to the mall, I make sure to look through all the stores before I decide on purchasing clothes because I want to make sure I’m getting my money worth," said junior Hemen Besufekad.

“I already went out to buy clothes for the season and a long coat was on the list," said Besufekad.

Another key element in trying to keep up with autumn fashion trends is procuring up a flannel. As basic as buying a flannel may seem, there is an endless amount of reasons why you should own at least one.

Flannels can be worn in other seasons and is a staple clothing piece people should have in their closets.

Using a flannel looks great when layering clothes and can really bring an outfit together. There are so many different patterns and colors which you can purchase at any store.

One of the many great things about a flannel is how it works in either direction: it could make your outfit look like you really tried or it could help enhance the 'bum' outfit look.

Attempting to pick one flannel will be the challenge but one worth overcoming if you find the right one.

“I own like three pairs of flannels and I don’t think my collection will

The one thing to look out for when wearing a flannel is making sure the color scheme of the outfit actually matches and it is not just a combination of non -coordinating colors.

Lastly, I think the over arching component of a fall clothing item is the ever beloved sweater. Sweaters have so much variety and you can always count on Forever21 and thrift stores to provide you with bargains on all types of clothing, especially sweaters during sweater weather season.

A specific type of sweater style that many people tend to steer towards is oversized sweaters.

Over sized sweaters are much more Junior Manny Hailu wears a Helly Hansen coat, Timberland boots, and a gray comforting when wearing and can really hoodie. Junior D'Marco Mobley wears an compliment your outfit.

With these autumn clothing essenauburn flannel and male Uggs. stop growing because flannels are tials, you’ll be sure to stay looking good cheap and I like how I look in them," and warding of the cold weather. said sophomore Melat Haimanot.

14 PEOPLE

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

John Arnold’s panoramic of the houses that have once been intact, now left in ruins. The volunteers who were with him are just left in shock from the chaos of Irma.

Helping Florida recover after Irma Operating Engineer John Arnold travels down to Florida to help recover.

BY AVE CLYBURN Staff Writer

BY HENRY HOANG People Editor The once standing homes in the Florida Keys have been turned into debris. The impacts of Hurricane Irma can be seen throughout the state. AHS’ very own Operating Engineer John Arnold decided to volunteer and help rebuild the town. Arnold arrived in Islamorada Sunday morning and was put straight to work that day.

“Mostly, I performed storm clean up in Islamorada,” Arnold said. “Though I did service a submersible pump and freshwater pond on the site.”

After two days of tough back to back landscaping work in Islamorada, Arnold drove down with a few other volunteers to BSA’s Florida Sea Base in Summerland Key. At BSA’s Florida Sea Base, Arnold installed a water heater for the staff living area where they had been without hot showers for two months.

“I inspected and repaired other water heaters, a solar-assisted water heater, and hot water recirculating systems,” Arnold said. “I also performed all of the rough plumbing for six washer and dryers that were destroyed by Hurricane Irma, cleared drain lines and also repaired the three damaged sinks.”

At Brinton Environmental Center which is apart of the sea base south of Summerland Key experienced 11 feet of storm surge. “The other kind of work was really reinstalling things that have been swept away by the storm,” Arnold said.

All of this work has made Arnold very tired and busy. With the little free time he had, Arnold performed other

Left: Arnold takes a selfie of a concrete wall that is still intact after Irma.

Right: A tipped over ventilation system in frontt of a building full of trash has caught Arnold’s eye. cleaning and maintenance duties.

His drive of making the trip down to Florida has kept him going throughout these tough times. Job after job, Arnold does not stop and won’t stop until he can get the job done.

“My wife and two oldest sons went down to Florida Sea base this summer and they loved their trip. Florida Sea Base, a boy scout high adventure base in the Florida Keys put out a call for volunteers,” Arnold said. “My wife mentioned that she would be supportive of me going and they were very excited to have a tradesman volunteer with a master license in plumbing. Those skills have helped me throughout the trip.”

Munson is a 100-acre island off Big Pine Key, Florida. The short supply of facilities on the island was already destroyed. “There were at least 3-4 feet of sand that were brought up on the beach,” Arnold said. “It pushed several hundred feet into the island interior forcing everything within that several hundred feet into a chaos of broken trees, debris, and ocean floor.”

With all of the help that Arnold was doing on the island, he was able to remove nearly half a ton of trash from the eastern beach of the island. There was a nearby Girl Scout Camp and Arnold’s team walked over there. The amount of destruction that was left of them was substantial.

“Of about 15 structures at their camp, only 4 were left standing after the storm and two of them were condemned,” Arnold said. “I helped salvage a refrigerator from one of the condemned buildings and located a leak on one of their service lines and repaired it.

The group of volunteers and Sea Base staff that Arnold was with worked on and off to diminish the almost-tremendous amount of waste that still chokes the southern Keys. Many people have already abandoned their homes that have been turned into ruins or were forced to leave.

“There were a lot of houses reduced to concrete covered with sand,” Arnold said. “Anybody who lived in a trailer aa

HUMANS OF ANNANDALE Orange and green, two vibrant colors flash in my mind as I think of the two things that make me the happiest.

A joyful song begins to play in my head as I stare out the window, waiting to return home. The song begins slow with a soft guitar sound, but soon it picks up into rock with images flashing across the screen.

I get so excited seeing the images from past episodes go across the screen, I sing along to the song and get hyped for the episode to begin.

Phineas and Ferb bring me so much joy in life, and never fail to put a smile on my face.

The show is truly spectacular and appeals to those of all ages.

I remember when my love for Phineas and Ferb first began.

I was sitting in my living room watching television with my dad, when the first episode came on, immediately I knew that I would be hooked for life.

I have seen all of the episodes of the show more than ten times and I have also memorized all of the songs.

Every year I wanted to have a summer as spectacular as their’s

Sophomore produces her own music on Soundcloud

down there and certainly anybody who wasn’t wealthy is probably the way that they are living now, they either left before Hurricane Irma hit or they have nothing now.

When working at a place that has been struck by such a tragedy and disaster, the feelings and emotions that come out after are tough.

“I worked as hard as I could up until about 10 o’clock at night until I drove home at 5 o’clock in the morning,” Arnold said. “A lot of the feelings about it I sort of processed just in the past week. I wished I could’ve stayed longer and do more because there was a lot of need there.”

“It’s going to be a hard and long time for many of these people trying to move forward and my heart goes out them,” Arnold said. “I encourage you if you have not to contribute to the American Red Cross or any other relief organization.”

WHO AM I?

I attended...

I grew up in Woodbridge, VA so I went to Woodbridge High School.

I went to Christopher Newport University for my undergrad where I studied history and then I went to George Mason University for graduate school to get my master’s in secondary education.

I was born in...

I was born in Dallas, Texas.

ZANE GHUL Junior and they inspired me to do something fun and good with my life each day.

They taught me to live life and carpe diem, which is the Latin term for seize the day.

If I am in a bad mood then I will play one of their songs and instantly my mood perks up.

Watching Phineas and Ferb grow up as I grew up makes me honored and happy to see that their lives ended with so much meaning.

The end of the show was the end of an era, but it created a lifetime of happiness and good memories.

Before teaching at Annandale....

I was in college! This teaching job is my first “real” job. While I was in college I worked at a clothing store called White House Black Market and substitute taught.

Why did you choose teaching...

One of the biggest reasons I became a teacher is because I love helping others. I love history and I love teaching it, but I also love helping students think outside the box, problem solve, look at the world through different perspectives, become better students and citizens. I don’t have any kids of my own so getting to have 100+ kids that I can teach, and help grown into functioning and smart adults is pretty cool.

I teach at Annandale because...

I love the students here. The other teachers are awesome and great coworkers, but it’s the students who keep me coming back every day. I love the diversity at our school and how genuinely nice the students are not only to teachers, but to other students as well.

My favorite movie is...

I have a tie for favorite movie: Clueless and Matilda.

Use a QR Code scanner to reveal Who Am I?

Adding to the talented students at AHS, sophomore songwriter Kanoosh Soloki or “Thrillakayy” wrote and sung her song called “Pink Silk” that you can hear for free on SoundCloud.

Soloki’s song has relatable themes, like toxic relationships.

“What inspired me was a relationship I was in at the time,” said Soloki.

“It’s about a guy, I wrote it in a way where everyone could relate because I know everyone has that one person that’s hurt them or put them through a lot in a relationship.”

Her songs not only relate to most of her listeners, but also give them advice.

“If anyone asked what to do in a toxic relationship, I would tell them to not feel like they can’t leave because nothing lasts forever,” Soloki said.

This is not a one-time thing for Thrillakayy.

“I have a lot of things coming soon,” said Soloki. “I will continue to write music.”

Soloki enjoyed writing “Pink Silk,” as songwriting and singing is her passion.

“I definitely could see it as my career,” said Soloki. “But there is a lot of competition.”

Thrillakayy’s song was produced

by Junior Beatz, a student at Thomas A. Edison High School. “[Writing the song] was a really chill process, I wrote the song back in August, then I hit up my producer and I recorded it in his dining room.”

Surprisingly, writing the song wasn’t a huge problem for her. Lyrics come to her naturally and it was only about a day-long process.

Soloki titled her song “Pink Silk” simply because she liked the sound of it and those are the first two words in the song.

Soloki made her song very public, spreading the word as early as August that her song was on the way.

Nonetheless, she wasn’t as confident when the release was approaching.

“I was really nervous because I wasn’t sure how people would react to it and I wasn’t ready to hear the negative feedback if there was going to be any because I had worked so hard on the song,” said Soloki After dropping the song Thrillakayy was happy to realize that her song is doing really well. She received positive feedback and was told that many listeners related to her lyrics.

“I would tell [anyone pursuing songwriting] to never give up because it is a long and difficult process but if you push through you will succeed and reach your goals”.

Don’t be afraid to give Soloki a shout when you pass her in the hallways. Soloki announced her next song, “Pariah,” is on the way, so stay tuned.

SPORTS X-TRA 15

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

Balancing life on ice Involved senior looks to find stability with school and sports

BY JUDE NANAW AND ETHAN ZIMMERMAN Sports X-tra Editors With multiple IB classes, clubs, leadership, cross country and ice hockey, Tyler Westfall does it all.

Westfall plays hockey for the Montgomery Blue Devils travel team.

His hockey season lasts for multiple months, carrying over into cross country season in school.

On his hockey team, Westfall played a major role in helping the team be victorious as they won the 2016-17 PVAHA Championship.

Westfall has consistently been a top runner on the cross country team throughout all his years in his school and qualified for the conference meet this past season.

Along with school assignments,

--TYLER WESTFALL

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TYLER WESTFALL

“It can be difficult to balance every thing because after school ends I would go to cross country practice and then hockey practice right after. ”

Senior Tyler Westfall prepares for a face off in a preseason ice hockey game for his travel team, the Maryland Blue Devils, against the Washington Pride.

Westfall competes in a cross country meet in Carlisle, Pennsylvania in his senior season where he ran a 17:31. Westfall would go on to compete in the conference meet where he ran a 17:25.

senior

As a leadership student, Westfall dressed for preppy for “A day in the Hamptons” during a spirit week.

tests and projects, student athletes have to manage to find a balance between school work and sports practices and games.

Westfall has been working to find a balance between the two throughout his time at AHS. Not only does Westfall partake in multiple school sports, he also has to manage with making time for ice hockey, which he plays outside of school.

“It can be difficult to balance everything, because after school would end I would go to cross country

practice until five and then go to hockey practice right after,” Westfall said.

“There are some nights throughout the school year where I do not get home until around 10 p.m.”

Playing a sport in school and another sport outside of school during the same season could be problematic for student athletes. There can be conflicts with practices or games between the two sports.

“Ice hockey is one of the most important things to me,” Westfall said. “I do everything I can to never miss a practice or a game.”

With participating in multiple sports throughout the year and having

school work to complete, Westfall is also a part of multiple extracurricular activities such as clubs and is in leadership.

“In addition to hockey and cross country, I am a part of a couple clubs such as FCA,” Westfall said. “I am also in the leadership class, so that is another priority but it is a lot of fun.”

When it comes to athletes being a part of sports outside of school, it is most often due to that sport not being offered in school.

“Playing ice hockey is a huge priority for me because it’s my favorite sport,” Westfall said. “I find it unfortunate that the school does not offer

it and does not have an ice hockey team.”

There are a number of sports that are not offered in schools. When this is the case students elect to join a team outside of school.

“I favor playing sports outside of school because I think where the best competition is,” Westfall said. “I think that is the case for at least ice hockey.”

A large part of being able to balance school and sports deals with work from classes. More rigorous classes typically lead to a larger work load.

Westfall, enrolled in multiple IB classes such as math and topics, has a

large amount of work to be completed.

These classes assign a large amount of homework along with frequent quizzes and tests.

Similar to Westfall, student athletes find themselves in these situations when arriving home from practice late and having a large workload.

“I find it important to put school first before any other activities,” Westfall said. “It’s hard to find balance with everything going but it is possible.”

In these situations, it is most essential to be organized and delegate time for everything. One may have many obligations to fulfill but must remember that school work comes before.

How do you balance sports practices and games with school work?

BRYSON OATS freshman “ I think the main thing is that you need to find time for both and then that way there will be a balance between both sports and school.”

SAMIR HOSSAIN junior “It is hard at times to balance school and sports, but when it is lacrosse season I do homework the day I get it and finish before practice.”

ALEJANDRO CASQUINO junior “I balance school homework and assignments with school sports by doing my homework when I have free time in class or in W4. I also do homework before practice.”

HUNTER SWEDISH senior “One way I balance school and sports is by staying after with teachers when I need help with assignments.

You have to always remember that school comes before sports.”

RAYNE THOMAS freshman “Usually when we have away games, I do my homework before the game starts. I also try to work on my homework the day that I get it.”

ANNIKA YUNGNER

sophomore “I balance school and sports practices and games by using W4 to complete homework and finishing assignments while I am in school because I stay here very late.”

Student athletes visit prospective colleges

*Stats as of November 15 *

PHOTO COURTESY OF MELISSA WILSON

ALEX SMITH QuarterbackKansas City Completion % 69.6 Yards - 2,444 Touchdowns- 18 Interceptions - 1

Senior Melissa Wilson winds up to take a shot at the goal in a lacrosse game last season. are only offered merit money,” Yi said.

“But for D1 and D2 schools you can be given money to go and play for the school.”

A variety of sports that studentathletes partake in are offered athletic scholarships from time to time.

“I visited UDC in order to learn about the athletic scholarships I could be offered for playing soccer,” senior Rudy Flores said.

Depending on quality of play in

the sport, the amount of scholarship money can increase.

“If I play really well, I would be awarded a scholarship to assist my educational needs,” Flores said. “If I perform even better I will earn a larger athletic scholarship.”

Athletic scholarships could be very beneficial in the long run for student athletes and give another positive to participating in high school sports.

ALICHIA HOUSE SENIOR “In order to balance school and sports, I get home and make sure to do the most important things first. After I complete everything, I have time to relax.”

Week 12: Fantasy Football Picks of the Week

BY JUDE NANAW Sports X-tra Editor With every new school year, there are many scholarship opportunities provided.

Athletic scholarships that are offered to student-athletes come from local, in-state colleges to out of state colleges as well.

A number of senior student-athletes this school year visited a number of universities and colleges to learn more about athletic scholarships they can earn to the schools.

“I visited La Salle University, Longwood University, VCU and Temple University to learn more about athletic scholarship opportunities,” senior Melissa Wilson said. “I would have to go D1 in order to earn a full athletic scholarship in lacrosse.”

It is not always necessary to qualify for Division One in order to earn athletic scholarships. It is also possible to earn partial scholarships for lowertier divisions.

“Some of the schools that I visited to learn more about being able to earn athletic scholarships were Chatham, Albertus Magnus and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts,” senior McKenzie Yi said.

Depending on the university or college, merit or academic scholarships are awarded, but athletic scholarships are not always an opportunity.

“I learned that for D3 schools, you

CAROLYN LEMENS junior “I balance school and sports during seasons when I play sports by planning out how much homework I have for the night and not watching too much Netflix.”

GREG ZUERLEIN Kicker- Los Angeles Rams FG Attempts - 29 FG Made - 28 XP Attempts - 30 XP Made- 30 Points- 114

JOE MIXON Running BackCincinnati Attempts - 107 Yards - 321 Average YDS - 3.0 Touchdowns - 3 Receptions - 21

ALSHON JEFFERY Wide RecieverPhiladelphia Receptions - 34 Yards - 500 Average YD - 14.7 Longest REC: 53 Touchdowns: 5

EVAN ENGRAM Tight End- NY Giants Receptions - 40 Yards - 443 Average YDS 11.1 Longest REC - 31 Touchdowns - 5

MARK INGRAM Running BackNew Orleans Attempts - 144 Yards - 672 Average YDS - 4.7 Touchdowns - 7 Receptions - 31

STEELERS DEFENSE Defense/ST-Pittsburgh Tackles - 526 Sacks - 29 Interceptions - 8 Fumble Recoveries - 4

VIKINGS DEFENSE Defense/ST-Minnesota Tackles - 563 Sacks - 25 Interceptions - 8 Fumble Recoveries - 3

16 SPORTS

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

Boys indoor track sprints forward

BY ELIAS MOURA Staff Writer As November rolls around, the winter sports are preparing for their 20172018 campaign. The varsity boys indoor track team is preparing for a good season, with returning talent and upcoming stars.

Sophomore runner, Mikyas Sahlu, thinks the team can improve a lot from last season.

“I guess we did okay last year. We scored well as a team. Some of our top athletes made it to regionals and some even made it to states,” Sahlu said.

Sahlu and the team have been keeping their diets in check as well as running constantly to stay in shape for the new season.

Sahlu also thinks that the returning varsity boys are great for the team and will be great role models for the new runners.

“This indoor season we have a couple varsity runners coming back and a lot of new freshmen that I think have some great potential,” Sahlu said.

Sahlu believes that the team is talented enough to win districts. His goals are to have All-State honors in both the mile and the two mile. He’s working to achieve that by coming off a great crosscountry break and working hard.

The team will benefit well from these high goals, making them put in more work in practices and meets.

The seniors are ready to lead the younger runners, and with new talent,

the team looks to improve under the coaching staff.

Head coach of the boys varsity team, Phil Harris, sees a bright future for the boys.

“Last indoor season was a great season, we were one of the top schools in the region. Our goals for this season should be nothing short of last season,” Harris said. “We should run the region.”

Harris believes more conditioning and more running will benefit all of the boys. This will give them a better chance to meet their goals for the new season.

“We need our distance runners to be committed. We start practice after school at 3:15 and end at 5:00 and the plan is to do a lot of endurance workouts that incorporate weights and hill workouts because we feel like that is what we could improve on,” Harris said.

He doesn’t believe there are much concerns with the younger runners, Harris believes they are a big part of the team and the team overall will do great in the district and conference, “We have a great mix of boys this year, they got the right attitude, and they are young and hungry. If everything goes as planned as last year, we should win regionals,” Harris said.

The team agrees with Coach Harris and Sahlu, proving it everyday during their practices. The boys look to prepare for their first meet on December 2 against Fairfax and Robinson at Episcopal High School.

The boys indoor track warms up by running sprints on the turf field during the first week of practice.

Coach’s Corner: Boys Basketball on the road to Deidrich Gilreath success with new leadership

BY ALEXANDER BURITA Staff Writer

BY KHADIJA AHMED Staff Writer

After finishing last season with a record of 8-15, Annandale boys varsity basketball led by the newly hired coach, Deidrich Gilreath, looks to improve their team mentally and physically.

This new attitude starts with try-outs.

According to Gilreath, their goal for the season is to prepare to win districts.

In order to do so, they have to surpass Hayfield, Mount Vernon, T.C. Williams and West Potomac.

Tryouts for the team ended on Wednesday November 8.

“I was looking for kids who wanted to be on Annandale basketball that would put the team before themselves.

Also, selfishness and being uncoachable will have no place on the team. A player who has no intention to work hard to get better will not make the team or will be cut no matter their skill level,” Gilreath said.

Desire to be on the team and willingness to work hard are traits that Coach Gilreath is looking for on the team.

“Anyone who is committed and has dedication and heart for the sport will always improve,” Gilreath said.

Gilreath also wants the team to be intense, competitive, and take part in physical practices to acclimate the players to the style of district that Annandale will be a part of.

Most importantly, to improve from last year, coach Gilreath wants the team to improve mentally.

“They need to not make the same mental mistakes over and over again,” Gilreath said.

Deidrich Gilreath is the upcoming varsity basketball coach. He grew up in South Arlington in Virginia, attended Wakefield High School and then Norfolk State University, He began coaching high school basketball at Wakefield High School in 2010 until 2017. During the day, he works ISS at Annandale High School.

How did you discover your interest in basketball?

I’ve always loved basketball but I realized I wanted to coach when I was volunteer coaching for recreation centers.

What are your strengths as a coach?

My strength as a coach is letting kids play to their strengths and giving my players the confidence they need to play up to their potential.

Junior Alejandro Casquino betters his skills using drills that target his free throws.

That mindset will leave small room for improvement and could prevent Annandale from being top of their division.

He believes it is the little details that play a huge part in the game and can decide a win from a loss in which the mind-set, confidence and momentum come into play.

“Another factor that will help the team succeed is the easier district that Annandale varsity has moved into this season,” junior Junior Lotongo said.

Lotongo also believes that the new coach will help the players benefit as

individuals and as a team.

“He will bring something new to the table, push the team to do things that have not been done before, and go above and beyond during practices. Coach Gilreath will help the team build up confidence for the season due to how hard he will make the team work during practices,” Lotongo said.

In the pre-season game, the boys defeated the Highlanders and they hope to bring the same heat once the season begins.

Girls Basketball prepares to bounce back this winter

What is the team doing to prepare for the season?

It doesn’t take much for me to prepare for the season. My job is to get my team ready to compete and play well.

How will you handle the discipline of players?

To discipline players, they will either run a lot or be suspended for a game.

Bad attitudes and behavior aren’t tolerated.

What advice do you have for your players regarding the balance of athletics and academics?

Student Athletes. Student comes before athlete. Can’t be an athlete without being a great student.

What are your goals for the team this year?

I want to get this school to the regional tournament. The seniors that we have made that the goal so I will do my best to help them achieve that.

BY KHADIJA AHMED Staff Writer Tryouts for girls’ varsity basketball ended on Thursday, November 9th.

“I wasn’t certain I would make varsity, but I was happy when I did,” Junior Sarah Shamdeen said.

Along with Shamdeen, junior Jayla Irvin has played on varsity since her freshman year and continues to play on the team this year.

Senior Elizabeth Corcoran played on the JV team freshman and sophomore year, and played varsity junior year.

This year, she has once again made the varsity team due to her hard work during green days and the offseason.

“We have a solid group of girls, solid seniors and talented juniors highlighted

by Sarah Shamdeen and Jayla Irvin,” Coach Jimmy Brown said.

Shamdeen and Irvin stayed in shape Junior Jayla Irvin practices her shot afterschool in the upstairs gym. before the season by playing AAU bas“Our goal this year as a team is to “After each season, you have to evalketball.

Irvin described it as travel basket- uate yourself as a coach,” Brown said. “I take away the other team’s 2 best playball that helps college scouts see play- gave myself a C- last year. We were out ers,” Corcoran said. “So, it’s 3 on 3 of shape, did not handle pressure well instead of 5 on 5. We also hope to outers.

Corcoran played travel softball and and did not throw it inside enough. I did score our opponents in all 4 quarters.”

Brown also hopes to lead the area in a poor job last year.” shifted to running once school started.

Shamdeen also said that they will 3’s made.

This year, all winter sports are sellWhen prompted on his advice for ing raffle tickets. Each raffle ticket costs need to improve on shooting the ball. the team this year, Brown said that five dollars, and prizes include a 50” Furthermore, Irvin said last year was difficult due their theme is “Last year is in the past, LED HDTV, a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre, a laptop, and a $25 Visa Gift Card. “This to many players being injured, including this season could be a blast.”

He explained that each day he tells fundraiser will benefit more than past herself.

Shamdeen hopes that the team will the team about a college or professionones because the prizes are an incentive have a winning season and Irvin also al team that improved the next season to get a ticket,” Corcoran predicted.

Brown believes the team will need a hopes to win more games and stay such as 1999 Rams, 2001 Patriots, or healthy while doing it.

2017 Minnesota Golden Gophers. great deal of improvement this year.

How do you plan to improve as a coach from year to year?

Listening to your players and adapting to the changes in the game of basketball helps any coach improve.

How would you describe the organization of a typical practice?

Not sure how to explain the organization of a practice but I personally like to have intense, physical, competitive practices. Pushing each other in practice will translate to games. Everything starts in practice.

What is the best advice you’ve ever given a player?

“Shoot the ball” is the best advice I’ve given a player.

How should parents support their child as an athlete?

Kids look for their parents at the games, All I ask from my parents is to please be present at games. You don’t know how much it means for a kid to look up in the stands and see mom and dad at his game.

What other sports are you interested in?

I am a HUGE football fan. I played football just as much as basketball growing up and I am a HUGE Dallas Cowboys fan!

Girls Track runs towards new goals

BY ALEXANDER BURITA Staff Writer With new talent on the team, Annandale girls varsity track prepares for their season and looks to win their district consisting of Mount Vernon, West Potomac, T.C.. Williams, and Hayfield.

“I’m preparing by running on my own and being consistent before official practices start,” junior Vitalina Fuentes said.

To raise money, the track program is using a new system so that all necessities for meets this season can be financially covered for. This year, each athlete will need to sell 20 raffle tickets which can earn a variety of prizes for an incentive.

Coach Harris, the 400 meter and 800 meter coach, believes that Annandale certainly has the skill to win the district. His only concerns are the distance events such as the 600 meter run and the 4x400 meter relay.

“If we can find a way to win the mid to long distance events, then we have a clear shot at winning the conference

which is our ultimate goal,” Harris said.

In order to build confidence to have the momentum to win “practice and repetition is key,” coach Harris said.

“We will attend more invitationals this year so that our sprinters can start to edge out other sprinters from different schools in the district.”

The coaches and the students all have one goal as a team; however, the individual runners have goals of their own.

“My goal for the season is to get near or even break my PR time which is a 5:52 mile,” Fuentes said.

“Our distance runners will also be able to build up confidence to win the district by running and practicing their event often in real race conditions,” coach Harris added.

To help the distance runners improve to contribute success to Annandale track this season, coach Harris will implement more long track workouts to help the distance runners to build endurance to eventually better their times.

SPORTS 17

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

Wrestling looking forward to success Set for first scrimmage against Mt. Vernon on Tue., Nov. 21 As November approaches, the wrestling squad are preparing for their 20172018 campaign.

They are committed on making this season ten times better than last season.

Junior Kevin Reyes is ready for the season to begin.

“Last season we had ups and downs like every other sport but also some success. We had two conference championships and we had others qualify for regionals. We also had downs. For example we were short of wrestlers at times which costs us points at duels or tournaments,” said Reyes.

Their season leads to lots of offseason improvements to make sure this one meets their goals. Reyes’ expectations are aimed high, matching the rest of his team and coach’s goals.

“My goal for this season is to win conference and go far in the regional tournament. Another thing would be to win Senior Uriel Sejas takes down an opponent, who he eventually defeated, at the annual Pack the Pit meet last season. more matches than last year,” Reyes said. “But it takes a lot of work in the better together. The many great talents mat room, like taking practice more such as senior Allen Kokilananda and serious and just getting better everyday sophomore Yassir Sayed will help the team in terms of leadership and great to perfect my craft.”

Like any team, leadership is very examples.

Led by them, the team will earn a lot important to the success to the team.

Reyes believes they are in good hands.

“We have good leadership, like How has being an athlete made

BY ELIAS MOURA Allen, Hunter, Cesar and Uriel. They ““We have you a better person?

Staff Writer push us in practice, and doing everyBeing an athlete has made me use my good leadthing a leader would do. They show time management skills properly and ership perfect examples of how we should do As November rolls around the corner, it’s helped me mature. things and help us to get better everyfall sports come to an end and winter like Allen, day,” said Reyes.

What is the best advice you have sports begin.

Hunter, To accompany those leaders must ever received?

Senior Allen Kokilananda will be be younger, new wrestlers. That’s what Cesar and looking to lead the wrestling team to a “It gets lonely being the best.” they believe they also have a lot of. strong season.

Uriel. They push us “We got some really talented young What is your training routine? wrestlers like Yassir, Patrick, and in practice, and doing I lift after school with Coach Klein, How did you discover your interDylan. They put in work like everybody our strength and conditioning coach, est for wrestling? everything a leader else and we will only get better,” said big shout out to him for joining the I discovered my interest for wrestling Reyes. program. And then we practice for would do. They show in middle school when I realized why New wrestlers will be in good hands, about two hours in the mat room. On I wrestle.

That is why I love the sport perfect examples of how but according to veterans, they must Saturday we practice about two or and what it teaches me: self reliance, know that this is a challenging sport. three hours. Sunday is my day off but we should do things determination, and many other things.

“The new wrestlers, they’ll get better I train at Episcopal for two hours with and help us to get better too, but they just have to be committed a club.

What are your main motivations and keep going even if they don’t want everyday,” for doing wrestling? to in order to reach success. This sport How do you prepare for big meets My main motivation for doing wres--KEVIN REYES isn’t for everyone either so it’ll only chaltling is to become the best person I can and competitions? j junior lenge them,” said Reyes.

I make sure to be in the best shape be through it.

Derek Sweet, Head Coach for the I can be for competitions and that I Varsity wrestling team is very optimis- of points from the individual matches know what moves to do.

How have your coaches and teamtic for the new season. Ending the 2016- and it will all add up.

The wrestlers will be preparing for mates supported you?

2017 season on a high note with a couHow does it feel when you are ple conference championships, the team their first scrimmage against Mount My coaches and teammates have supsuccessful at meets? ported me through pushing me beyond hopes to repeat that and go even fur- Vernon High School on November 21st.

It is a rewarding feeling because my my capabilities and having me do the ther. Another goal the team has is to After that, they have their first official hard work has paid off and I know meet, a dual meet, on Dec. 2, against right things in and out of the sport of win the conference.

Coach Sweet and Coach Ho have been wrestling.

The coaching staff has proven over King George High School. doing the right thing.

They will be looking to start the seaand over that the team can be great and Who is your sports hero? this year should be no different. The son with a win, and continue to succeed What goals do you have for yourMy sports hero is Penn State’s Zain many practices leading up to their first after that.

Retherford, because he has crazy stami- self and for the team coming into meet will give the team to bond and get the 2017/2018 season? na and is relentless.

URIEL SEJAS

BY ELIAS MOURA Staff Writer

ALLEN KOKILANANDAA

Senior superstar Allen Kokilananda looks to lead wrestling to victory this season

As a team, I believe we can win the Gunston Conference. Personally, I want to be the second ever to win four Conference championships, win the region, and states.

Swim suiting up for success Swim prepares for their first meet against Chantilly HS on Dec. 1

Senior Alichia House flies through the air while performing on the balance beam.

Gymnastics getting ready for the season JOYCE BOGHOSIAN

Annandale Swim has been preparing and training hard in practice, as they look to win the Gunston District, the new district this year that all Annandale sports were placed in.

“Expectations for this swim season are high. Girls and boys need to step up need to now step up because the playing field is now even. Last years district was much harder so this year, the team will better succeed,” Head Varsity Coach Victoria Douglas said.

Junior swimmer Kayla Holcomb has a similar viewpoint.

“Annandale is in a way easier district so more wins are to be expected,” Holcomb said.

Holcomb also believes the underclassmen will be crucial to success this season for the swim team.

“We have a lot of new young talent in the freshman class that we have this year,” Holcomb said. “Last year was not so successful because we barely had barely any wins. But that can easily change with many factors on our side.”

The first upcoming meet of the season is on Dec. 1, which is a tri meet, where there is three teams.

“The goal that every swimmer should accomplish is to give all effort and cheer for other swimmers to build confidence for the team later on in other meets,” Douglas said.

During the swim season, Douglas wants to make sure the team is always working hard.

“We will have tough practices in hopes to improve each team to do better this year and bridge the gap between

ALICHIA HOUSE

BY ALEX BURITA Staff Writer

Practice makes perfect Junior Claire Tyree works on her breaststroke during practice. returning, more experienced swimmers and new swimmers to help the team later on in the season and in future seasons,” Douglas said.

With the easier district that Annandale has this year, many swimmers on the team are setting goals that they believe are attainable.

“My personal goal is to go to regionals for breaststroke,” Holcomb said.

“Overall this year should be a chance to build up confidence for future seasons

and will help the freshman and lower classmen improve by making accustomed to stepping up to win races,” Douglas said. “With all swimmers becoming used to swimming in races where pressure is high, they will be able to focus more and have a better mindset when the districts come around.”

With practice and perseverance, the swim team will be looking to improve their record this year as they begin their first season in the Gunston District.

BY LUKE ELKINS Sports Editor After a last place finish in the district last year, the gymnastics team will be looking to improve their performances this year.

Their season begins on Dec. 1 with a meet against Fairfax High School.

Senior Alichia House is in her third year on the team, and she believes they have a better chance at success this year.

“I think that we’ll do well this year, there are a lot of new people that need to learn the basics, but I think we’ll do well,” House said. “I think we have a better coach this year. I think we’ll improve.”

In previous years, the gymnastics team has struggled with having

enough people to fill out the squad. But that is not the case this year.

This year, they have enough players to fill up the squad.

“My team goals are to have everyone at least do one event this year,” House said. Her goals are explained by the lack of players in previous years, so it is a very realistic goal for this year.

House also set goals for herself to achieve during the season.

“My personal expectations for the season are to work on my tumbling, get a higher score and improve from being last last year. I also want to improve on my floor routine,” House said.

Against Fairfax, the gymnastics team will be looking to start their season on a positive note.

It is widely stated that momentum is very important in sports, and the gymnastics team will be looking to generate positive momentum at their first meet.

18 ENTERTAINMENT

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

REMAKES VS ORIGINALS .

Are remakes better than the originals?

Yes, because of technological advances

No, because they are classics

BY CHRIS REYES Entertainment Editor

BY CHRIS REYES Entertainment Editor

1

THE PRODUCTION IS MORE MODERN With technology advancing day by day, no one wants to watch an old movie with ancient props and poor special effects.

Movies can be made more smoothly and visually please the audience better.

Most originals tend to be older films with older technology used in the production of the film. A crisper remake of a classic childhood movie is something that people enjoy and look forward to seeing.

2

THE ACTORS ARE MORE RECOGNIZED THAN IN OLDER FILMS In original movies, it is not common for younger kids to recognize the actors playing their favorite roles in their favorite movies. This is because kids did not grow up watching these actors in different films. With remakes, the actors are more recognized and can sometimes make the movie more appealing to the viewer. Some people might watch a remake just because their favorite actor is in it. They may or may not have watched the original. Nowadays movies are more about who’s in it, not what its about,

3

REMAKES ARE PRAISED IF THEY SUCCEED For the most part, remakes recieve negative reviews when compared to the originals. Bad remakes are quickly forgotten. If a remake is good, it is talked about for a long time and sometimes is said to be better than the original movie. People start to praise the remake and forget about the original

1 because it becomes outdated and old news.

4

REMAKES ARE POPULAR TO A YOUNGER AUDIENCE With originals getting older and older by the second, it’s easy to forget they even exist. Kids born long after originals are produced grow up watching the remakes of these movies. Even if kids knew about the original movie, they would much rather watch a newer movie that appeals more to their age.

5

REMAKES ADDRESS PROBLEMS IN ORIGINALS Just because they are originals does not mean that they are perfect. Many mistakes are made in originals. Remakes include corrections and improvements to these mistakes and make a better movie.

THEY ARE CONSIDERED CLASSICS Original movies can become a huge hit and be remembered for years. Your grandparents could still be talking about it. One reason originals will always beat remakes is no one wants to sit down and watch a remake of their favorite movie for two hours. They want to see the real thing.

Remakes are cool and all because they are newer, but nothing beats the original movie that you’ve watched countless times with your friends and family.

The remake titled “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” was released on July 10, 2005.

2

REMAKES TWIST THE PLOT Most people prefer originals over remakes because the original plot is usually the favorite. When you like the way a movie is, there is no point in watching a remake of the movie that is similar but also totally different. Remakes tend to add a twist to the original plot by focusing more on specific scenes and adding more details to unneeded parts of the plot. Some viewers can agree that remakes just aren’t the same.

3

YOU CAN CONNECT WITH AN OLDER AUDIENCE Originals are a way for younger viewers to connect with their parents or anyone who grew up watching the original film. Remakes don’t generate the same kind of feelings that originals do. No one ever looks back to a time they were watching a remake of a movie with their family. They always look back to the original film since it appeals to more age groups.

4

COSTUMES AND PROPS ARE UNIQUE AND FUNIt is always nice to look back at originals and see how far technology has come. Technology is being upgraded all the time, and because of this there isn’t as much effort put into costumes and props in movies as there used to be.

Original movies don’t have the same kind of technology, but they do have unique and fun costumes that have a story behind them.

5

REMAKES ARE BASED ON THE ORIGINAL, NOT THE BOOK The sole purpose of remakes it to make a better movie based off the original. For original movies based on books, remakes are entirely different than the original book versions. While remakes do address problems from the original movie, they tell a very different story than the book does.

The original “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” was released June 30, 1971.

Do you enjoy remakes better than the original?

JONTA CAROTHERS freshman “I like the originals better because, its the originial creators and what they originally thought of.”

RAYNE THOMAS freshman “I like the remakes better because, they are more funny sometimes and you can see how different the cast is compairing actors.”

MAX LEHANEY sophomore “I like the originials better because, they’re cleaner and they’re better.”

SOPHIA MARTINEZ sophomore “I like remakes better because they are more comical and higher quality.”

IDRIS DAHIR junior “The originals are way better because, the remakes are always trying to recreate what the originals did in the first place.”

YOK WONG junior “I like the remakes bettter because, the quality is better and the special effects are more cooler especially with movies that have monsters.”

ABDI ABDALLA senior “I like the originals better because, they are more old school and just better.”

EMELY CASTILLO senior “I think the remakes are better because, they are more HD and you can see the differences.”

Teachers remark, about remakes vs. originials

Micheal Scott’s opinion on originals and remakes depends. He likes some remakes like the Italian Job and Ocean’s Eleven even though they are remakes of older movies. Remakes are better because there is better technology being used in these movies and they are more updated. Older originals just didn’t have the same technology as we have now. They are more relevant to our time.

Sasha Duran feels that originals are better than remakes. She thinks that remakes could be better if the story were to be kept true and if there was a good use of graphics or technology. She also feels that improved cinematography would also make a remake better than the original. Since there is better technology it could be a really good thing for remakes, but too much would make them bad.

Steven Hom, who teaches math said that he prefers original concepts over remakes. He thinks that originals are better than remakes becase remakes are boring since we have already seen the original plot already, so it would be like seeing the same movie again. He says that although he does not watch many remakes, his favorite one would have to be A Nightmare on Elm Street.

English teacher, Bill Maglisceau said that he prefers originals because he is old school. He thinks that remakes are just Hollywood trying to make money off of the original and doing a “cash grab.” They are not trying to make a good movie and their focus is on the money they are making.

He says that his favorite original movies are the Star Wars movies that first came out.

“It depends. Some remakes I like are the Italian Job and Ocean’s Eleven. It’s old but I like it. Yeah, remakes are good.”

“Ocean’s Eleven is a remake of a movie from the 1960’s. I really like Ocean’s Eleven.

Yeah I think that might be it.”

“I don’t watch many remakes, but if I would have to pick one it would be the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.”

“Originals.

All the way. Why? Because im old school! My favorite original movies are the Star Wars movies.”

--MICHEAL SCOTT

--SASHA DURAN

-- STEVEN HOM

-BILL MAGLISCEAU

Football Coach

English Teacher

Math Teacher

English Teacher

ENTERTAINMENT 19

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

Eminem’s AntiTrump, but can the Left forget his past in music?

BY TJ GONZALES Staff Writer Fourteen Grammys, eight AMA awards, 17 Billboard awards, and an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Eminem has had a tremendous career by offending people with his obscured, violent, homophobic, sexual, and objectifying of women in his lyrics.

The question is whether now, when he is proclaiming his allegiance to the AntiTrump movement, will the feminists and Democrats accept him?

At the BET Hip Hop Awards, an amazing Cypher announced his allegiance with Anti-Trump protesters and the Left. An amazing amount of truth and shade spoken for the self-proclaimed Rap God. He spit about Trump’s mastery on getting a reaction from the Left by attacking the NFL, manipulating his opposing party, distancing himself from Puerto Rico, ignoring Gun reform, and not distancing himself from the Klansmen.

He then called Trump a hypocrite for slandering Hillary for taking luxury trips with tax payer’s money, though Trump does it himself just about every weekend.

Eminem even criticizes Trump’s fight with NFL players on how they need to stand for their soldiers during their National Anthem even though Trump won’t go out of his way to help American POW’s because “he doesn’t like his war heroes captured.”

Eminem even mimics what an average “Trump-Supporter” would be in a

Southern-redneck accent, talking about how Trump’s going to “rid of all the immigrants.” Trump’s going to “build that thing taller than this” referencing the wall, then jumping up high with his arm in the air like a Nazi salute.

At the end of his cypher, Eminem completely “draws in the sand a line” with his fans who support Trump, saying “you’re either for or against” and if you were split on which side to take, Slim Shady did it for you by yelling “f**k you” right at the camera, and right at those split.

This is such a gain for Anti-Trump Protestors and the Left as they gear up for the second year of what could be a four-year war in politics and law.

A white man from the slums of Detroit, admired by all because of his uniqueness and change in the rap game back in the late ‘90s, Eminem is known for not giving a damn when he writes lyrics, and this was very apparent in his debut album, The Slim Shady LP, as it showed heavy violence.

His song “97” Bonnie & Clyde/Just the Two of Us” from the Slim Shady LP, starts off with what sounds like Eminem rolling plastic up and putting it in the back of his trunk.

Through the song, he’s talking to his young baby, Hailie, telling her they’re going to the beach.

Eminem tells Hailie where her mom is, “taking a nap” in the trunk, not worry about that smell, that he must have ran over a skunk, referencing Kim, Hailie’s mother, is dead in the trunk her corpse is stinking up the car.

He says “not to worry about the booboo on mommy’s neck,” telling the listener that he cut her throat. His hook repeats the words “just the two of us”, how Kim isn’t going to keep him and Hailie separated now that she’s dead.

Eminem explains to young Hailie how he had to put Kim in “time out” so he could see his daughter. In the last verse, he tells

EMINEM

Can the Left accept Eminem?

Eminem has had a recent comeback after many years of being out of the spotlight as a rapper, and he has gained attention through his Anti-Trump statements.

Hailie, “Before we play, we’re going to take mommy for a walk on the pier,” referencing where he’s going to dump Kim’s body.

He asked Hailie to help him tie a rope around her feet that’s connected to a rock.

He then asked Hailie to calm down, how “Kim is too sleepy to hear her scream”, showing the listener Hailie knows what’s going on.

Eminem, on a countdown to three, throws Kim’s body over the Pier.

Then tells Hailie “No more fighting with dad, no more restringing order” making Hailie kidnapped, “no more step-dada, no more new brother” referencing what could’ve been Hailie’s new life with Kim. In his hit song “Criminal”, he compares his words to being a dagger, how they’ll stab you “rather you’re a fag or lez, homosex, hermaph, or trans-a-vest” then admits to saying he hates gay people. He

references the media calling him homophobic, then tells the media they’re heterophobic.

He continues to rap about how he has no morals, that his mom was high on cigarettes and speed while pregnant with him, how “he’s the bad guy that makes fun of people that die” and admits to his hypocrisy that he won’t make fun of death if it happens to him.

Slim admits that half of what he raps about is just to get a reaction. Though, critics at the time said what he jokes about discriminates against same-sex couples and disrespects those lost to horrible disasters.

In “Kill You”, he raps about raping his own mother, then mimics the Rolling Stone about giving him the Cover, then raps that they’re right, yet it’s too late because of his vile lyrics, “tragedies have

already happened in two states.”

The hook of the song talks about how he’ll “kill you,” that you’re nothing to him, that girls are nothing but sluts to him.

These are just a few examples of what is considered his classic repertoire.

Are the Democrats and Anti-Trumps actually going to accept him? At this point and time in Trump’s Administration, anyone who has done the same thing Trump is doing right now is a heavy ally to those against him.

He’s already gained support from LBJ, Colin Kaepernick, Ellen DeGeneres, Debra Massing, J Cole. Left news outlets say Eminem’s past in music and lyrics are something that may make the Left look hypocritical while they’re the ones heavily distancing themselves away from actors who had sexual misconducts against men and women.

At the movies: hit or miss Jigsaw is a thrilling masterpiece

The Foreigner fails to capture interest

BY LINA AL TAII Entertainment Editor

BY LINA AL TAII Entertainment Editor

Seven years after the Saw series seemingly ended, the Spierig brothers released this thrilling horror movie which follows the investigation on random bodies which keep getting found around town.

Although the Jigsaw killer was supposed to have been killed at the end of the Saw series, all of the killings in this movie have the same puzzle pieces and are reminiscent of the Jigsaw killer. The real question is whether or not the Jigsaw killer has returned from the grave.

This movie is a masterpiece in filming, suspense, action, and thrill.

Even for viewers who have not watched the Saw series, the movie makes sense and hints at all of the references to Saw. As the movie goes on, the audience builds a connection with Logan and Emily, expecting them to be the ones who solve this mystery.

As the investigation builds, we also build a particular liking to Anna, a clever and seemingly fearless victim of the Jigsaw game.

The most intriguing part of the movie is the identity of the man behind the game. All clues lead to John Kramer, who has been dead for many years.

Unlike The Foreigner, which fails to create an emotional connection between the audience and the mysterious character, this movie creates a strong connection between the audience and the mysterious identity.

This movie will have you squirming in your seat, hoping for Anna to be the one who survives and beats

Look out for this film as you head to the theaters, and steer clear of it. A seemingly average man turns to violence for revenge after experiencing a life-changing trauma. This is a theme played over and over again in movies and books alike.

However, a successful execution depends on the connection the audience builds with that character.

After almost no exposition, this movie dives headfirst into Quan’s (played by Jackie Chan) mission to avenge his daughter’s death. Jackie Chan, however, does a tremendous job.

Held back by a noticeably low amount of dialogue, Jackie Chan tries to develop a connection through his emotional expressions.

This movie heavily depends on things which happened in the past. All of the action happening on screen comes across as a show to create mystery around Quan.

However, it is not successful at that either. The mission becomes outdrawn and repetitive, with almost no progression of Quan’s character. Even though we do learn some things about him, they are just facts of his past.

This movie was a great idea. The trailer looked great, and Jackie Chan held the movie together. However, if the movie had begun with Quan in the past, losing his other family members, it would have created a connection with the audience that would hold up the rest of the movie.

After that, Quan, as an old father with only his daughter left in his life, experiences a traumatic event

Jigsaw is a new play on the Saw series, and was met with a lot of anticipation by viewers. On opening weekend, Jigsaw made $16 million in the box office. the game. However, the end might not be as simple as you think.

Overall, the Spierig brothers were extremely successful with this movie by doing what they are good at, making thrilling and suspenseful horror movies.

USE THIS QR CODE TO WATCH THE TRAILER FOR JIGSAW

Quan is questioning a British government official.

Quan continues to terrorize this invididual through the rest of the movie, even though he is not the bomber. and the loss of his daughter.

These small details would have made the movie tremendously more impactful, because they would make the audience feel something for Quan. For the first movie directed by Martin Campbell in over five years, it is a good start to hopefully more action films.

USE THIS QR CODE TO WATCH THE TRAILER FOR THE FOREIGNER

Amine: Tour For You Review Playlist of The Issue

BY LILY LE Special to The A-Blast October 26th was the night every DMV resident was waiting for. That evening was when Aminé, an AmericanEthiopian rapper, came to the Howard Theatre in Washington D.C. to perform his new album, Good For You. At 5:45, the doors opened for the VIP ticket holders and my friend Angeni Villarroel and I were one of many who were going to meet him. Even though we were the last ones in line, I did not have a care in the world because I was going to be face to face with that beautiful person soon.

There I was, walking up to give him a hug, I gave him the biggest hug and in return he gave me a warm and comforting one. After our lovely conversation, we took a picture together. After that, he gave me another hug, I thought I was in love for a second.

The picture setup was a yellow background with blue words that read “Tour For You” and there was a blue toilet that people could sit on and take pictures, basically the background for the pictures looked like the album cover.

Every person who was at the meet and greet received a merch package. Sooner or later, the other concert goers were coming in and the venue began to fill up slowly. Luckily, my friend and I were in the front row, so we could see everything.

It was 8 P.M. and the concert had not started yet, but in the meantime, there

THE THRILL OF IT ALL Sam Smith The Thrill of It All Listen to this heartbreaking song off of Sam Smith’s second studio album

COURTESY OF LILY LE

Sophomore Lily Le’s first person account of Amine concert at the Howard Theatre

Lily Le posing with rapper Amine before his concert. was music playing to entertain people.

I was enjoying myself because I knew every song that was playing and I was jamming out with my friend.

Suddenly, the venue lights dimmed and the stage lights came on. The opening act was Towkio, a rapper from Chicago.

I didn’t really enjoy his performance because I’ve never heard of him since he’s not that well known. After Towkio’s performance, we waited another 30 to 45 minutes before Aminé took the stage.

Once I heard the screams of the crowd, I knew that he was about to enter the stage. The curtains slowly opened and we saw a large prop that said “Good For You” in big, white, bubbly letters. Then we all heard his beautiful voice and he came out. The first song he performed was “Baba”, which is one

of my favorite songs. Song after song, I was screaming every lyric.

Aminé’s album has a mixture of moods. Not all of his songs are upbeat, there are some songs that are calm and mellow.

At one point, during his performance of “slide,” everyone was swaying to the beat of the song. For most of the concert, Aminé’s performance was energetic and had the whole crowd jumping and care free. Overall, the concert was great. It gave me the opportunity to let loose and be stress free from school.

I recommend for people to go listen to Aminé because his songs have actual stories behind them and they are feel good songs that are sure to make anyone happy, and happy was what I felt when I went to the Aminé Tour For You concert.

MINK FLOW Future, Young Thug Super Slimey Future’s new album is full of work like this, true to his own style and hype.

MOTORSPORT Migos, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj Single (2017) This hype song will leave you hoping for more Cardi B and Migos collaborations

SQUEEZE Amine Single (2017) Amine’s newest single features a slow beat and clever verse GHOSTFACE KILLERS 21 Savage Without Warning 21 Savage elevates his style in this song with a lowkey chill vibe and strong verse.

20 WEEKEND

Wed. Nov. 22, 2017

Ways to help your community Cecilia Joseph

COURTESY OF CECILIA JOSEPH

For the first couple days, she gave child development training to Haitian leaders. During the other days, she hung out with kids and helped the leaders run a Vacation Bible School.

Senior Cecilia Joseph this past summer had the opportunity to go and serve on two mission trips for two different weeks with her youth group from church. She went Haiti and was focused in Savane Plate and Hinche.

Mariam Mohammed

COURTESY OF MARIAM MOHAMMED

Lennon Wuhrer

COURTESY OF LENNON WUHRER

This Thanksgiving season, instead of laying in bed and watching Netflix this autumn and winter, perhaps find a way to give back to your community. However, several seniors have ditched just the seasonal volunteering time, and have continued their passions in service work all throughout the year.

Senior Cecilia Joseph has been actively involved in her church. This past summer, Joseph, along with members of her youth group, went on two different mission trips. The first of the mission trips Joseph went on was to Abingdon, Virginia.

“There were 60 of us and by the end of four days, we completed 5 construction projects on 5 different sites, for different families in need,” Joseph said.

The family that Joseph assisted had a recently disabled daughter. She had gotten really sick became disabled. The youth group decided to build her a walkway.

“The doctors told her she wouldn’t be able to walk again, but when we met her, she was using a walker and slowly rehabilitating,” Joseph said. “She was a living miracle. The family lived on the top of a steep hill in a trailer park, so you can imagine how hard it was for them to get their daughter in and out of the house.”

Being involved in your local place of worship is a perfect opportunity to practice the religion that you cherish, but also making a difference in somebody else’s life. To learn more information about being a member of the Columbia Baptist Church in order to go on a mission trip contact Eric Schneiderhan at Eschneiderhan@columbiabaptist.org. Mission trips cost anywhere from one thousand dollars to four hundred dollars depending on the location of the trip, but the experience and journey are worth the money.

Staying more local, show your passion and love for animals by fostering a shelter animal. Senior Lennon Wuhrer and her family have been doing just that for years.

Wuhrer was first exposed to fostering dogs because her mom used to be an adoption coordinator for Northern Virginia’s Dogs XL Rescue. For more information on how the opportunity to house or perhaps permanently adopt an adorable pet in your home, contact DogsXL.org.

If fostering a dog isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps tutoring at a local elementary school is.

Senior Mariam Mohamed is the President of AHS’ Kids Are Scientists Too program, which teams up students from North Springfield Elementary school to conduct scientific experiments. This is a great way to sustain the future generation’s interest in STEM. KAST runs every other Thursday after school, they are always welcoming more volunteers and tutors into the program.

For more information contact the organization at KAST.org.

COURTESY OF CECILIA JOSEPH

BY BINQI CHEN Co Editor-in-Chief

Senior Lennon Wuhrer has been fostering dogs since third grade.

She fosters have suffered from either broken bones, starvation, or bahavioral issues. Also, she organizes rescue fundraisers.

Senior Mariam Mohammed on the last Thursday of every month goes to North Springfeild Elementary School to run KAST which presents different lessons to first, second, and third graders.

Our guide and tIps to beat the rush and get the best deals

1. Prioritize shopping list

2. Shop with a friend

3. Plan your shopping trip

4. Use your phone

When making your list of items you need to buy, list them first by store and then by order of importance. This will put the “must find” items at the top so you can first focus on finding them as you visit each store. When you get there, first walk to that department to find the item you want.

Not only is it more fun to shop with someone you love, but it can be helpful too! If there are a few must have items on your list, you can work together to find them. Your friend can visit the electronics section for the video game you want while you are in the toy aisle finding another item on your list.

Once you have your list ready, decide which stores you will need to visit first. It is smart that you start with the one that has your must have item. You can then figure out which ones to stop by after that. It might be based upon your list or a route.

Before you head out to the store, make sure your smartphone is fully charged and loaded with a few of the comparison-shopping apps mentioned above, or ShopKick, SlickDeals, Shopula, and RetailMeNot. In addition to providing pricing info, they can often be used to place orders or monitor items via a personal watch list.

5. Follow your budget

6. Get out early

7. Shop for other holidays

Before you even make a list, you need to know your budget. Once that is set, get cash. Leave the credit cards at home. You’ll think more about every purchase and reduce impulse shopping if you have cash. There is no way you can overspend as you don’t have the money to do it.

I know, it means less sleep and being tired, but the sooner you can get to the store, the more likely you will be able to find the items you want. Plan on waking up early (or staying up really late) to get the items on your list. Hopefully the rush of blackfriday shopping will keep you awake.

You should make a list of the events coming up during the following year. For instance, if I know someone is getting married next year, you can look for the appliances or household items they might want. If a birthday is coming up you can buy their gift for a great deal.

8. Check store policies It’s always good to know a store’s price-match and return policies. Almost all of the major retailers have some form of price-match policy, and they’ve been expanding almost every year. Check the return and exchange policies for Black Friday sales to make sure that the store won’t charge a restocking fee for any item you bring back

Upcoming Events ICE! at National Harbor

The Grinch on the Waterfront Christmas on the Potomac

On November 25 frrom 2:00

D.C. Tree Lighting The Tree lighting ceremo-

is featuring ICE! Experience

p.m .to 4:00 p.m. The National

ny is Thursday, November 30.

favorite scenes from Rudolph

Harbor will be showing the holi-

This display is free to visit and

the Red-Nosed Reindeer

day clasic “How the grinch stole

open to the public from 10:00

brought to life in this walk-

Christmas”: on the plaza in front

a.m.-10:00 p.m. beginning Fri-

through winter wonderland

on the water. National Har-

day, December 1. The Nation-

carved from more than two mil-

bor hosts a year-round line up of

al Christmas Tree will be lit

lion pounds of ice. This is taking

amazing events and super-fun

every day from approximately

place from November 18, 2017

movies attractions all shown on

4:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. to cel-

to January 1, 2018.

their amazing waterfront.

brate the holiday season.