Issue 7

Tues. March 13, 2018 Vol. 63 Issue #7

Annandale High School’s

THE A BLAST

“TURF WARS” Athletes weigh pros and cons of artificial fields.

HEALTH 7

Informing the Atoms since 1954

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

Students use laptops for SOL testing

WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

TestNav availability gives students access to testing software

Senior Priscilla Park and sophomore Sadaf Khan are two of the many students who are calling for stricter restrictions on the ability for people to access guns.

BY ASEAL SAED Co-Editor in Chief In the wake of a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman High School that left 17 people dead, Americans were bombarded once again with images of violence, tears, and condolences.

19-year-old Nikolas Cruz arrived at the Florida high school in an Uber, equipped with an assault rifle, magazines, and smoke grenades which then set off the fire alarm. As students were filing out of their classes, Cruz began using his AR-15, a semiautomatic weapon made for military use, to shoot at students and into classrooms.

The Parkland shooting is considered to be the deadliest school shooting since the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, which took the lives of 20 children and six adults.

A myriad of voices have risen up to try to bring an end to gun violence, but Americans have varying opinions regarding the solution. At AHS, located only nine miles away from the National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters, students have a variety of possible solutions.

Some students believe that the solution to the mass shootings is

After recent school shooting in Florida, Americans strive for ways to better protect students implementing increased restrictions on gun access.

“There should definitely be serious restrictions on guns in America to prevent accidents, and those who feel like owning guns should be educated about the risks and the laws concerning gun possession as to clear any confusion in the future,” senior Priscilla Park said.

An emergence of teen activism has risen in response to the tragic events as well. Students like Park will be joining thousands of students in a nationwide school walkout on March 14 at 10 a.m.

The walk-out was created by an organization called EMPOWER in hopes of inspiring lawmakers to increase gun restrictions some of which include banning assault rifles, and require universal background checks.

“I am marching because I don’t think enough people, especially my friends and family, realize how severe and out of control the shootings have been recently,” Park said. “If me marching can bring awareness so that

they too can join in the fight for gun control, that can prevent more lives being lost.”

School Board Chair Jane Strauss warned that inviting speakers to protest political beliefs is not allowed during the school day, but will not bar students from advocating for their beliefs.

Students, and people all over the country will gather at the National Mall on March 24 to protest stricter gun restrictions. The Florida teenagers who survived the shooting at their school have called on the nation’s leaders to immediately work to enact stricter gun control laws to prevent another shooting from occurring in the United States.

The Parkland shooter legally obtained an AR-15, one of at least ten guns he purchased after turning 18.

Florida, where the recent shooting occurred, does not require fingerprints, a special permit, or a waiting period to buy a gun which has been a point of

Trump official visits AHS Class of 1985 alumna talks to students about nuclear energy usage

Senior Advisor of the Office of Nuclear Energy Suzanne Jaworowski (right) speaks to IB Science students about the advances and innovation in nuclear energy. graphs, the Office of Nuclear Energy developed a slideshow titled “The History & Future of the Atoms” which highlighted aspects of nuclear science such as the beginnings of nuclear energy, the use of nuclear energy in the United States today, the first self-sustaining chain reaction and the processing of nuclear energy into electricity.

She also encouraged students to pursue a career in nuclear energy and provided fliers for the audience outlining some possible professions.

After her presentation, Jaworowski responded to the questions that the

audience had for her. Some were focused on the content of her presentation, while others were about her previous jobs in the coal industry and how that background impacts her work today.

“The speaker was very informative, but she didn’t say anything that we hadn’t learned in class,” senior Benjamin Lee said. “I did research on the topic beforehand from the Department of Energy website and found the exact information that she had in her slideshow.”

The new one-to-one laptop program has been integrated into and out of classroom settings. Students have been seen carrying around the laptops everywhere they go. As the standardized testing season approaches, these assigned laptops have found a new purpose.

Throughout the past week, juniors took their writing SOLs in various classrooms and computer labs throughout the school. Instead of solely using the desktop computers, many used their laptops instead.

“It was an opportunity to do a trial run for the SOL testing that will happen in May.,” AHS Technology Specialist Jennifer Cory said. “By having students complete the SOLs in the computer labs, there was a backup computer available in case there were issues” Since there will be no extra set of desktop computers for students testing in the main gym in May, this trial run would provide the school with an image of the issues that should be anticipated for in May. This new way of testing is another benefit of personal school laptops.

However, before being actually used in a testing situation, each laptop needs to be checked for compatibility with the TestNav software program that the state uses for SOLs.

Superintendent visits AHS Superintendent Scott Brabrand talks to senior Mariam Mohamed during his visit to AHS on March 9. He talked to students, visited classrooms, and walked the halls in hopes to better connect to county schools.

Learn about Brabrand’s visit in this video:

CONT. Page 5

Students hold fundraiser Just World partners up with Foxfire Grill Throughout the day, the club was able to spread their message to members of the local community beyond the students within AHS. As the annual Just World Festi“Everyone was really nice and really val approaches on Friday, Mar. 16, the generous in their donations as well. PeoInteract Club is still looking for differ- ple were also interested in our club and ent ways to raise money for the event. what we had to offer,” Vice-President The club almost $1000 with Fox- Shirley Chu said. “Overall it was a realfire Grill in Alexandria to promote both ly nice time and there were a lot of famtheir organization and the activities ilies that went to the fundraiser so we offered through it. interacted with them.”

The club leadIn school, the ership was present Club has also at the restaurant “Everyone been conducting from 4 to 10 p.m. finishing prepand talked with was realarations for the customers about ly nice and Just World Fesboth the mission tival. The theme and importance of really generfor the annubeing involved and ous in their al festival is aware of the prob“Unity in Diverdonations.” lems that impact sity.” The event the global commu-SHIRLEY CHU will feature nity. senior numerous clubs “Firefox Grill and businesses agreed to give 20% such as Girl Up, of the proceeds made to Just World for Green Planet, Annandale Kendo Assothe festival,” President Steven Hy said. ciation, Seta, pearl Raven and Shelter“Through the fundraiser, we also man- box. The keynote speaker for this year’s aged to gain another $100 in donations event will be FCPS School Board memby talking about the purpose of our ber Ryan McElveen. club and what we wanted.”

“I’m expecting a successful festival The fundraiser has been planned and where people are happy,” Hy said. for months and the officers consistent- “I hope there’s a lot of attendance and ly advertised for both existing mem- that the businesses and other clubs that bers and all other interested people to come are also happy.” participate.

BY BINQI CHEN Co-Editor in Chief

BY BINQI CHEN Co-Editor in Chief Over a hundred students gathered inside the Watson auditorium during Pride Time on Friday, March 10 for a presentation by the Department of Energy.

The presentation was given by the current Senior Advisor of the Office of Nuclear energy Suzanne Jaworowski.

Jaworowski is also an AHS alumnus, graduating alongside the class of 1985.

After being introduced by Principal Tim Thomas, Jaworowski briefly outlined the purpose of her presentation, which was to discuss the application of future energy systems and innovations in nuclear energy.

“The reason I wanted to come and do this is a couple of things,” Jaworowski said. “One is because very little is known about nuclear technology in our country today and it’s a very critical and important and relevant asset that we have.”

Jaworowski began her presentation by talking about her career after high school. She attended Radford University and majored in marketing. Afterward, she moved on to discuss the history of nuclear energy.

Accompanied with videos and

contention amongst the public.

Gun laws vary significantly from state to state. Eight states, including California and Rhode Island, impose waiting periods to purchase a gun. In states with less regulation, purchases are speedy.

Some states have stricter regulation for certain types of guns, such as assault rifles, but in states with less gun regulation, semi-automatic guns can be treated similarly to any other firearm purchases.

In Florida, machine guns and heavy ammunition guns can be obtained legally for 18 year olds, including Cruz, creating a slue of debates about the severity of gun restrictions.

No other developed country in the world has the same rate of gun violence as America. The U.S. has nearly six times the gun homicide rate as Canada. “[I use guns for] hunting. I was trained at a very young age how to use a gun properly and also for home protection,” history teacher Jonathan York said. “The second amendment means that people have the right to own guns, but the government also has the right to regulate it as well.

That is what a lot of people forget,

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ASEAL SAED

BY BINQI CHEN Co-Editor in Chief

2 EDITORIALS

Tues. March 13, 2018

Caught redhanded

Liberal arts programs eroding

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION OF SOPHOMORE VY LUU BY SUAD MOHAMED

BY SUAD MOHAMED Editorials Editor

Many politicians and institutions favor STEM over the liberal arts

BY SUAD MOHAMED Editorials Editor The world advances daily due to technology. As these changes occur, many people have developed a defective belief.

Most have come to the conclusion that degrees and careers related to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) are more important than the liberal arts, which include things like philosophy and literature.

Often parents will even steer their children away from studying a liberal arts topic and will encourage them to pursue a degree in STEM. Students argue that liberal arts courses aren’t rigorous enough and have no real benefit. Even former President Barack Obama called into question the worth of an art history degree.

But why is this happening?

The simple answer is job outlooks and the economy.

There aren’t many job openings for liberal arts majors. Most times, the pay is less than those who go to vocational schools rather than college, like welders.

Because of this, those who are against studying liberal arts argue that people who do study it do little to nothing to help the economy.

In fact, many lawmakers have proposed plans to cut state funding for those who wish to study liberal arts, and in turn provide more aid to those who plan to pursue STEM. Governor of Kentucky Matt Bevin defended this stance, saying that there’s “more incentive to electrical engineers than French literature majors.”

The National Conference of State Legislature reports that 15 states provide bonuses to universities based on how many people graduate with STEM related degrees.

Some school districts have also decided to pay public school teachers in high demand subjects more than others.

This means that in places like Douglas County in Colorado, math and science teachers are paid more than history and English teachers.

There’s also been an increase in school sponsored STEM activities and programs across the country.

As a result of all of this, the amount of people with degrees in STEM have increased by 43 percent from 2014 to 2017. Meanwhile, the number of people who graduated with degrees in the liberal arts has dropped 11 percent.

This is a real problem because in reality, liberal arts are just as important as STEM.

Students who want to take liberal arts courses have to deal with pressure from their parents to take STEM classes.

Those who study liberal arts learn important skills like critical thinking and analysis, which can be used for any type of career It’s not chemistry majors that teach kindergarten students how to read, write, and spell. It’s liberal arts students. How would society function if they weren’t there to teach basic skills.

Additionally, liberal arts and STEM are beneficial to one another.

If people didn’t study history, there would be no one to pass on knowledge that came from previous civilizations, like the Chinese compass.

Also, liberal arts majors can benefit from the new technology created by STEM majors.

Consequently, many liberal arts universities, like Wellsley, have introduced

STEM programs.

Conversely, a few STEM universities, like Rutgers, have worked on implementing liberal arts programs into the curriculum.

“It’s very important that all people know and recognize that STEM and the liberal arts are equally important and beneficial,” sophomore Cynthia Nguyen said. “It’s also important to note that STEM wouldn’t exist without the liberal arts.”

All in all, both liberal arts and STEM are important. Both should be treated equally. People should be able to study whichever they want without having to worry about whether or not they’ll be given aid.

The big issue with American healthcare Doctors rely too much on prescriptions because they’re cheaper

When people talk about the issues with health care, there’s a lot to discuss. The lack of it, how expensive it is, how hard is to find the right one, and so on.

But there is another issue that most people are oblivious about.

Because specialists for health issues, like orthopedics and physical therapists, are so expensive, most health insurance companies aren’t willing to pay for the cost.

As a result, many doctors don’t bother with recommendations to go to one. Instead, they sign a prescription for drugs to help with pain and discomfort.

This is wrong for many reasons, but most importantly because it’s a direct cause to drug addiction and the opioid crisis.

Many of the drugs related to the opioid crisis, such as OxyContin and Vicodin, are prescribed by doctors.

Usually they’re prescribed for

things that can easily be treated without the drugs, such as post-operation pain.

Both doctors and drug companies have been put at fault for this issue.

As a solution the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created a guideline for doctors to follow when prescribing opioids.

This includes prescribing the lowest doses possible and looking at the pros and cons first.

Every state has implemented different levels of prescription drug monitoring.

Last month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that a new task force that would target drug manufacturers and distributors had been created.

That same week, anti-drug bills were introduced in the House of Representatives.

Alex Azar, the secretary for Health and Human Services has also expressed support of medically assisted drug treatment, which is using medication and therapy to treat drug

“So in terms of life skills, I think that it [cheating] is a real issue.”

--EILEEN WALSH

WHITEHOUSE.GOV

BY SUAD MOHAMED Editorials Editor

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has created a special task force to monitor drug distributors and manufacturers in order to alleviate the opioid crisis. abuse.

But despite all this hard work, opiate issues still persist, and they probably will for a long time.

That is because the real cause of the issue is health insurance companies.

Health insurance companies are the ones who are tying the hands of doctors and drug manufacturers.

They’re the ones forcing them to continue prescribing and selling these harmful drugs because they’re the ones

who make it impossible for patients to pay for other types of treatment.

“So many different tactics have been implemented, but none of them have worked,” sophomore Megan Le said. “It’s obvious that the next step should be trying to get insurances to change things.”

In order to eliminate the opioid crisis once and for all, the logical thing for the government to do is to get health insurances to work with them.

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 Brenda Gamez 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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“Several years ago, students had to write an essay on oceanography. I had a student copy an article, cut and paste from Wikipedia,” geosystems teacher Eileen Walsh said. “He deleted every other sentence.”

Still, it’s obvious that cheating is a persistent issue that needs to be dealt with.

Students who cheat don’t get to benefit from all of the pros that come along with being a hardworking student.

This includes developing work ethic, study skills, and patience.

“Cheating is a problem because some students aren’t learning how to do their own work or how to cite sources properly,” Walsh said. “So in terms of life skills, I think that it’s a real issue.”

Other students also agree with this truth.

“When people cheat, it shows a lack of effort,” senior Luis Rodriguez said.

“People who cheat are in a bad position because they can’t show their knowledge and intelligence.”

Monthly Poll

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

Cheating is a common problem in all schools.

Cheating constitutes things like copying answers and plagiarism, and can get students in a lot of trouble.

Most students cheat so that they can get the grades that they want.

Other reasons for cheating include stress and not having the time to do the work the proper way.

Teachers have recognized the fact that some students are willing to go above and beyond to achieve certains scores.

To curb this issue, many teachers have become much more aware of what happens in class during quizzes and tests.

But students cheating habits are evolving along with teachers.

Many cheaters have figured out new methods in order to avoid getting caught.

“With iPhones and all that technology, it’s a lot more challenging to be vigilant about everything that’s going on. So I’m sure that there’s a lot more going on than we realize,” Spanish teacher Maureen Hunt said.

Sometimes, cheaters don’t even care about whether or not fellow students see them or not.

“The weirdest way that I have seen someone cheat is when I saw a girl write things on her legs under her skirt,” senior Astha Banjara said.

“The strangest way that I’ve ever seen someone cheat is when a group of kids were throwing papers that had answers on them around the classroom,” senior Karla Castillo said.

But sometimes, cheaters’ creative efforts just aren’t enough, and they do get caught red handed.

“Once, a student had taken a water bottle and took the label off. And instead of writing down answers, he typed up a cheat sheet in really small letters,” Hunt said. “He rewrapped the paper around the water bottle and was sipping on it throughout the quiz until the student was caught.”

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

Annandale High School Vol 63. Issue No. 8 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.

Signed letters to the editor of 250 words or less may be emailed to theablast2017@gmail.com or submitted to room 262 or mailed to the school. The A-Blast reserves the right to refuse advertisements.

All submissions become property of The A-Blast, Copyright, 2018.

57

people voted

46% said that

they plan on staying home

25% said that

they are going on vacation

11% said that they will be doing homework 18% said that they are not sure yet

KELLY TIEU freshman “Over Spring Break, I will probably study for my SOLs. I’ll be focusing mostly on history because my class is a little behind.

I’m also going to be taking SOLs for math and biology.”

EVERETT STENBERG senior “For Spring Break, I don’t have any plans yet. But I will probably watch a lot of Netflix. I will probably come up with more plans for spring break later.”

EDITORIALS 3 PHOTO CREDIT: NOAH TAYLOR

Tues. March 13, 2018

Youth Activism through the years

1960: Greensboro strike African-American students organize a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina causing the store to remove their segregation policy.

WE ARE THE VOICE

Sophomore Fathima Samsudeen protests gun violence at Justice High School on Feb. 21. Many students left classes to participate in contrast to the AHS students who didn’t participate. These protests came after the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Outbreak of protests show the power of teens As junior Sherin Kellermann-Nowrouz marched during the Unite the Right rally at Charlottesville on Aug. 12 2017, she couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sensation.

“I was traumatized. My heart was beating out of my chest as I saw the alt-right white supremacists walking around,” Kellerman-Nowrouz said.

But as she continued to stand tall against them and feel the support of the other protesters around her, she couldn’t help but feel confident. “The fear fades away and turns into passion,” Kellerman-Nowrouz said.

When a mass group of students took to the streets to protest against gun violence after the Parkland shooting, many people were surprised and even astounded at the sight of students speaking up and actually getting things accomplished. Just like Kellerman Nowrouz, these students were beginning to demand change.

Gun violence has been an ongoing issue. Tragedy after tragedy, it has become something normal that no one was able to compromise or find a

to easily resonate with the public. The solution to.

Even after the horrific Sandy Hook students from Parkland are able to shooting and the Las Vegas shoot- reach the nation.

Students from all over the couning, the country remained at a stalemate. So what is the thing that made try joined together to stage walkouts, the Parkland shooting different? The marches and even shutdowns.

They were even able to garner supanswer is student activism.

Unlike the other victims, the Park- port through social media going as far land students telling their own story, as to being able to have a sit-down with and using their own platform to spread the President.

They are awareness and able to make fight to make change at a time sure that this where people feel never happens “Most of the silenced. But this again. time, adults is nothing new.

As opposed don’t take Students have to adults whose always been at views are often us seriousthe forefront of misguided by ly because of change throughpolitical agendas, out history. it is easy to have our age and “I feel the compassion for this is the need them. time for us to show them uously to continspeak They aren’t speaking against that our voices are just as out and protest against injusticanyone or any- important.” es because it’s thing, in fact, --JEMELA KANU just my personalthey are only senior ity,” said Kellerspeaking up for mann-Nowrouz. those silenced.

“Whether it’s a They are able

peer at school or someone I don’t even know, if there’s an injustice going on I will always speak out and defend those who need it. If I don’t then who will.”

Many teens feel this way. Although it may not feel like it, every voice does count. The Parkland students wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all that they have without other students, just like them, speaking out.

As seen by the lack of student participation during the walkout proceeding the Parkland shooting, it was saddening to know that our school wasn’t representing the very thing that makes it so great.

No matter your political views, we should be able to band together to speak up against violence.

We need to represent our views and demand change. After all, we are the next to lead and problems will get tougher and harder to solve.

“I address any student reading this to take a part in some form of activism.

Do something. You are the next wave of change the world will see especially since you live in one of the only countries that allows you to protest freely,” said Kellermann-Nowrouz.

Companies respond to public outcry Retailers Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart are limiting the sales of guns

BY VICTOR TORRICO Staff Writer With all the shootings that have happened in the recent years, many businesses have been using these tragic incidents to increase their sale or to promote new devices.

One major company that just came out that said they will stop selling the AR-15, which was the gun used during the Parkland school shooting was Dick’s Sporting Goods.

According to The New York Times,

CEO Edward W. Stacks said that they have reconsidered their action to sell military weapons like that.

However, this is not the first time that they’ve said that. Dick’s promised that they would stop selling military grade semi-automatic weapons at all stores after the Sandy Hook shooting, but failed to do so.

In fact, according to People magazine, a year after the Sandy Hook shooting, they opened a chain of stores called Field and Stream, which sold semi-automatic weapons in 35 stores.

But this time, Stacks said on Good

Morning America that after all the tragedies he saw, he will halt the sales permanently.

This could mean that they’re finally taking matters into their own hands to stop sales.

In addition, Walmart soon after also took measures to stop gun violence when they decided to raise the age to buy a gun from 18 years old to 21 years old.

According to CNN, CEO of Walmart Doug McMillon said the reason for the gun age to be raised was because the company was so moved by the student survivors from Parkland that they were motivated to change their gun policies.

Another company that will also be making change is the well known dating app Bumble.

MAKIN’ THE GRADE West Virginia strike works

A A B B

Governor Jim Justice agreed to raise teacher wages by 5 percent on March 6.

This decision came after teachers from throughout the state striked for almost two weeks causing schools to close. These teachers rightfully decided to strike because they are among the lowest paid in the nation. This accomplishment is proof of how this nation needs to value teachers more.

Barbies inspire Matel announced that they would be creating a collection of Barbies in honor of International Women’s Day, March 8th, based on inspirational women from modern times and throughout history. This new “Inspiring Women” collection will include 17 different dolls. This is great for young children who will use these strong women as people to look up to.

Polos save endangered species Lacoste, a French clothing company famous for its crocodile shirts, announced plans to create limited-edition polo shirts. The reasoning behind the 10 polo shirts represent the number animals that are alive in the wild.

Teaming up with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, this is an amazing way to raise awareness. Although this is a step in the right direction, is this just a marketing ploy?

Mushroom beef burgers Sonic, a fast food chain, has begun selling burgers which have 25% mushrooms. The burgers are a part of their “menus of change” initiative. Not only will these burgers reduce greenhouse emissions, but it was met with a lot of positive feedback. However, there are still many people who question how good this will really taste.

Their new policy is that the Bumble management team will not allow people to post a picture of themselves and a gun.

Although these businesses are banning the sale of guns to improve sales, considering how much scrutiny they were facing, they are also helping society a lot, one store at a time.

Since there is still a large debate among lawmakers about gun control, these policies are definitely a great step towards change.

Not only will they be limiting the purchase of guns and decreasing the amount of gun violence, but they are sending a message that if the government can’t do something, they will.

Mary Beth Tinker is expelled from her high school after wearing a black armband to protesting the Vietnam War. This landmark case set the precedent for free speech at public schools today

2012: Malala Yousafzai After being shot in the head by the Taliban on her way to school, Yousafzai made it her mission to advocate for girls education. She is an author and the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

2013: Black Lives Matter Thousands of students took to the streets to protest police brutality after the killing of Michael Brown on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri causing nationwide outrage.

2017: DACA Trump’s announcement of removing DACA, a policy which lets undocumented minors to stay in the U.S., lots of these students took to the streets to protest. remove the plan COMPILED BY VARIOUS SOURCES

BY RUTH MEKONNEN

Cartoonist Corner ILLUSTRATED BY: ERNEST OWEN

BY RUTH MEKONNEN Editorials Editor

1969: Tinker v. Des Moines

4 NOTICIAS DESTACADAS

Mаrtes. Marzo 13, 2018

En estas imagenes se ve los estudiantes y staff que murieron (medio), tambien se ve como los estudiantes tienen que agacharse por miedo a ser atacados (izq) y la reunion con el Presidente Trump (der)

Tiroteo en Florida causó temor y alarma La nacion se conmovio por el tragico evento en Parkland pero esta tragedia llegara a cambiar las leyes?

POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de Noticias Uno de los acontecimientos más grandes que paso recientemente fue el atentado que ocurrió en la escuela secundaria Stoneman Douglas en Florida.

Este sorpresivo acontecimiento fue uno de los más trágicos debido a que la persona que se atrevió a cometer estos actos era un ex-alumno de esta escuela un año atrás.

Todo esto ocurrió a las 2 de la tarde, para todos los estudiantes fue un dia normal y ellos ya estaban a punto de terminar sus clases pero ellos nunca se lo esperaron que ese dia seria el mas largo que vivirian.

De pronto, un antiguo estudiante de la escuela decidió tomar una acción equivocada que probablemente él se arrepentiría por el resto de su vida debido a la consecuencia que esta decisión trajo.

A las 2:30 el empezó a disparar tanto a estudiantes como a otros empleados y profesores de la

escuela. Lo más resaltante de este momento fue la decisión de algunos estudiantes de despedirse de sus padres por mensaje debido a que no sabían si iban a sobrevivir o no.

La policía respondió las llamadas de auxilio a las 2:53 e identificaron que hubo por lo menos 14 víctimas. Por suerte, la policía logró atrapar al muchacho que causo todo este daño y lo identificaron como Nikolas Cruz.

Todo este acontecimiento nos hizo pensar acerca de la necesidad de una ley para restringir el uso de armas.

Previamente, y ante muchos otros trágicos eventos, se intentó pasar leyes para limitar el uso de armas pero los republicanos piensan que está en contra de la idea de su partido y del segundo derecho de la Constitución.

Previamente se habló acerca de cambiar la ley de armas cuando hubo un tiroteo en una discoteca en Florida, lamentablemente no hubo ninguna respuesta y ni siquiera los políticos hicieron algo para esto.

Pero, este tiroteo en la escuela secundaria

Florida.fue la punta del iceberg para actuar en relación a este problema con las leyes de restricción de armas, mucha gente se dio cuenta que en bastantes estados no hay una edad mínima para comprar armas y lo peor es la facilidad de obtener un arma.

En el estado de Virginia, las leyes indican que para obtener una pistola se debe tener 18 años y 21 años para un rifle.

Lo sorprendente es que no se necesita una licencia para poder obtener estas armas, lo único que se necesita es probar residencia en Virginia pero hay ciertas excepciones, aunque uno sea residente de otro estado, la persona puede comprar una pistola pero no un rifle del estado de Virginia.

En otros estados como Colorado no hay un mínimo de edad para poder obtener un arma o una restricción para adquirir rifle, este y estados como Delaware, Florida, Georgia además de otros muestran la ineficacia de las leyes para controlar la venta de armas.

Este acontecimiento nos mostro la verdad acerca de las leyes en contra de las armas y mas que todo la facilidad que uno tiene para poder adquirir un arma. Todo esto muestra que cualquier loco puede comprar su arma o conseguirla

ilegalmente para realizar estas sadicas acciones.

Desgraciadamente tomó un evento como este para que los políticos y la gente en general se den cuenta de la necesidad de tener una mejor ley de armas y fue sorprendente ver al Presidente Trump apoyar por una ley para la restricción de armas.

El llegó a organizar una junta en la Casa Blanca en el que los estudiantes comentaron los problemas y los miedos que tienen debido a este acontecimiento pero más que todo ellos mencionaron la ineficacia de los congresistas y los senadores para poder finalmente pasar una ley que les ayude con la venta ilícita de armas Solo nos queda ver cómo este tema avanzara y si realmente nuestros políticos han aprendido que realmente necesitamos una ley que regularía la venta de armas.

Ojala que no tome otro trágico evento como esta masacre para poder pasar una nueva ley en contra de las armas pero al paso que la nación está.yendo, la posibilidad de una ley como estas es mínima a no ser que el partido republicano cambie la idea base de su partido por una más comprensiva que prevenga estos tristes acontecimientos. y se puedan unir con los democratas para poder pasar la ley que todos esperaban.

Cual fue el origen de los premios Oscars?

Estos son los premios mas populares del mundo pero, cual fue el origen de este?

POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de noticias Los Oscars es uno de que mucha gente les gusta ver y hay algunos fanáticos que deciden apostar para ver quién ganará el premio, pero en general este evento sirve para los famosos para hablar de temas tanto políticos como económicos.

Este evento es realizado cada año y la organización hace una selección basado en el comentario de la academia y de mucha gente en el medio para determinar la pelicula o el actor que representa el premio galardonado.

Pero muchos se preguntan cómo fue que se originaron estos premios y cuál fue el motivo de este.

Es interesante el origen de los premios Oscar. La primera celebración de este evento fue el 16 de mayo de 1929 en el Hotel Roosevelt donde la entrada costó solamente $5 y era una cena sencilla para todos los invitados.

Desde entonces se empezó la famosa tradición de galardonar los premios a los famosos que realmente se lo ganaron, pero en los primeros años solo fue un evento cerrado y no fue transmitido hasta 1959 En la primera entrega de los premios Oscar, Janet Gaynor fue la primer persona en ganar un trofeo (para ese entonces el premio no se llamaba Oscars) por la película que participó

El nombre Oscar fue originado debio al mote que la productora Margaret Herric puso al premio (“El Séptimo Cielo”, “EL Ángel De La Calle” y “Amanecer”).

En el segundo año se entregaron siete premios y de ahí empezó a subir la popularidad poco a poco.

Este programa de premios no fue televisado hasta 1959 pero solamente (para ese tiempo) fue transmitido en blanco y negro, ya después en 1966 se pudo transmitir a color La curiosidad más grande es porque se llama Oscar.

Según la productora Margaret Herrick, ella comentó que la estatuilla se parecía a su tío Oscar y lo uso como mote que, después de un tiempo, el nombre se volvió bastante popular y se usó como un nombre oficial.

Hubo tres ocasiones en el que los premios se tuvieron que cancelar. La primera fue en 1938 por las inundaciones en Los Ángeles, la segunda fue en 1968 debido al asesinato del Reverendo Martin Luther King Jr y en 1981 debido al intento de asesinato del presidente Ronald Reagan.

Después de esos terribles acontecimientos, el evento no fue interrumpido para nada, otro cambio que hubo fue la productora que transmite los premios pero no fue un gran problema y no afectó casi en nada los premios.

Para la novena ocasión de los premios Oscar, los famosos se enfocaron en la igualdad de las razas, los sexos y más que todo el respeto a distintas culturas que fueron presentadas en la película “Coco” y en películas independientes.

Estos temas se pudo ver presente con famosos latinos como Guillermo del Toro que ganó el premio por mejor director con su película “La Forma del Agua” y la presencia de Lin Manuel Miranda que mostró el apoyo a la comunidad latina.

Otra famosa representación de la comunidad hispana fue con la victoria de la película “Coco”. Cuando se anunció esto, el ambiente se llenó de alegría y emoción por la gente que se sorprendieron al ver los colores y los trajes tipicos de Mexico que se llevó al evento.

Estos premios tuvieron un inicio interesante y es sorprendente ver como con los años estos premios se estan volviendo mas abiertos a la comunidad y a las diferentes culturas.

A la vez estos premios sirvió como un medio para comunicar los problemas que se está viviendo actualmente, al inicio se habló de los derechos para los Nativos Americanos, después para los derechos civiles y poco a poco este evento se volvió un gran medio para la política y la nación.

La tensión volvió subir en el mundo

La Parent Liason Gisella Sanchez fue entrevistada esta ocacion

Las reglas generales de asistencia POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de Noticias Para esta edicion del periodico A-Blast, tuvimos el agrado de entrevistar a una de las parent liasons de la esucela.

La senora Gisella Sanchez nos presto su tiempo para hablar acerca delas asistensias y las opciones disponibles.

Ella nos brindo una explicacion en general acerca de el tema de las asistencias en la escuela y como uno debe comunicarce efectivamente para evitar

problema alguno.

En la entrevista la senora Sanchez aclaro preguntas que muchos estudiantes y padres tienen acerca de la asistencia, por ejemplo ella aclaro si los estudiantes mayores de 18 anos pueden llamar por si solos para poder estar ausentes y como los papas pueden ver si los estudiantes estan en la clase o no.

Esta sera la primera vez que se dejara un codigo QR para poder ver el video de la entrevista y, en caso que no funcione, tu puedes ir al canal de youtube “AHSstudentfilms”.

Para muchos, esta tension es el inicio de otra Guerra Fria POR DIEGO FELICIANO Editor de Noticias Actualmente, el mundo está sufriendo muchos problemas debido a los desacuerdos entre diferentes países como Estados Unidos, Corea del Norte y Rusia.

Recientemente Rusia anunció que su sistema de misiles es el mejor del mundo y que es indestructible, esto causó una gran alarma alrededor del mundo debido al problema que actualmente se está viviendo entre Corea del Norte, Rusia y los Estados Unidos.

Para muchos, el conflicto de interés entre estos países está aumentando drásticamente al punto que muchos piensan que es el inicio de otra Guerra Fría, lo increíble de esto es que nuestro actual presidente no está haciendo un esfuerzo para calmar la situación y, a lo contrario, él está incitando a tener más problemas con estos líderes debido a que les pone sobrenombres o les critica de una manera muy dura.

Por ejemplo, el llamó a Kim Jong Un “Rocket man” y también insinuó que él es un payaso debido a la manera que actúa.

Con referencia a Putin, él no llegó a decir nada pero se puede ver que hay una tensión entre ellos y en especial con la administración de Trump.

Los problemas no pararon ahí, el presidente

Basado en un reporte, el misil de Rusia llegaria a afectar el este y parte del sur Credito MissileTreat.org Trump anunció que a él le gustaría tener un desfile militar para mostrar las armas nucleares de los Estados Unidos y de esa manera presumir al mundo el armamento de nuestro país.

Esta situación parece que empeorara debido a las amenazas que Corea del Norte y Rusia y a la vez, las acciones de nuestro presidente no están ayudando de ninguna manera y se espera que suframos otro conflicto con estos países similar al que tuvimos en el siglo 20 pero en este caso es más peligroso debido al armamento que estos tres países tienen.

La gran ventaja es que recientemente el presidente Trump aceptó tener una reunión con Kim Jong Un para poder discutir distintos temas desde internacional hasta militar.

La ventaja de esta reunión es que el

presidente puede arreglar la situación con Corea del Norte y formar una buena alianza con ellos pero a la vez esto puede ir mal y el Presidente Trump puede empezar una guerra accidental.

Esta reunión se realizará en abril pero la gente ya está hablando acerca de lo que puede pasar y los resultados que puede traer tanto positivos como negativos pero lo más importante es que hay una oportunidad de que esta situación mejore para la nación e internacionalmente.

Existe una gran posibilidad de que estos países puedan tener un acuerdo y dejar de insinuar la posibilidad de una tercera guerra mundial pero puede que tome un buen tiempo para esto u otro presidente para poder tener un acuerdo y evitar el inicio de otro gran conflicto

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 ABlast. We hope that through this new section, we can be a more inclusive and diverse publication.

NEWS 5

Tues. March 13, 2018

Students showcase talent News briefs What lesson did you take away from your artwork?

IB Visual Arts seniors present their collections

BY BINQI CHEN Co-Editor in Chief The art department held a showcase in Clausen Hall on Tuesday, Mar. 7 from 6 to 8 p.m.

The event exclusively highlighted artwork from those taking the IB Visual arts course.

Preparations started earlier in the day and all participating students were excused from their red day classes in order to help organize and set up their artwork.

Through the evening, students were also given brief presentations to their visitors and described the meaning behind their art. The works included numerous types of art forms such including photography, painting and sculpture.

Senior Betel Eyob painted on two different mediums of glass and wood.

“I liked painting on the wood because it was different from what I did before,” Eyob said. “I liked making the different perspectives with the poses of the people.”

Eyob concentrated her pieces on self-reflection and making the viewer

such as what age someone can buy a gun, the size of the magazines you can use so the government has every right to regulate guns.”

In most states, the store will run two background checks and provide nearly instantaneous results. Customers can fail the federal background check for a number of reasons, including if they are a convicted felon, fugitive from justice, or convicted of domestic violence.

“It is ridiculous that you can buy a gun without being properly trained for it. To get a car, you have to be licensed and registered. You have to go through a course to learn how to drive a car,” York said. “The fact that an 18 year old or any aged person can go to Walmart, K-Mart and buy a shotgun or apple without training is absolutely crazy.”

In 33 states, including Virginia, private sellers are allowed to sell guns without performing any kind of background check - state or federal.

“I think that is good that a lot of people are starting to form opinions

The annual Just World Festival will be on March 16. The event will allow students to learn more about both global and local issues in their communities

Heritage Night

Senior Megan Lee shows off her months-long work during the annual art show. develop a sense of discomfort while looking at the art.

“The viewer is supposed to look at it and feel uneasy about the blood and the darkness of the wooden pieces and feel like each body part is something speculated or criticized,” Eyob said. “When you look into the mirror the viewer is supposed to take in that self-reflection and the in beauty inside of them.”

Each student was also required to submit a rationale for their pieces and how that relates to the overall purpose

of their exhibition.

Senior Ian McClelland took photographs of various styles of architecture in different states around the country.

McClelland wanted to display the intricacy of architecture.

“There’s a feeling of how houses and buildings are just there so you can stay away from the rain or something,” McClelland said. “But there’s actually more of a meaning and reason behind building design.”

BETEL EYOB senior “I learned from my project and exam that basically you can use pretty much anything to make art”

IAN MCCLELLAND senior “Learning more about the job of an architect and about the form and function of buildings as well as the artistic style.

The showcase was for the IB students to complete their course exams.

Each of the students needed to submit a selection of their artworks for their exhibition.

“The most difficult part about the project was painting on the mirror because the paint doesn’t layer with an opaque color,” Eyob said.

Students call for stricter restrictions on guns CONT. Guns

Just World Festival

and get more involved in politics, especially young people as they reach the voter age,” senior Hunter Swedish said. “People need to understand that bad things happen and you can’t let your emotions get in the way of the facts. If young people can enlist at 17, why shouldn’t young people be allowed to have access to guns?”

In response to the shooting, the Fairfax County School Board met on Feb. 23 to discuss different methods to keep students safer in schools. School Board member Ryan McElveen asked County residents to demand stricter federal and statewide gun control measures in a resolution passed that night.

In addition to gun regulations, McElveen’s resolution seeks to advance mental health support for students.

Many attribute the acts of violence to the mental health of the shooters.

Students at the school described Cruz as an “outcast” and a “loner” in interviews following the incident.

Some said Cruz would talk about his “guns, knives and hunting,” and that “everyone predicted” he would turn

JOIN Enroll in journalism to become an active member of The A-Blast staff to see for yourself where the magic happens.

Don’t miss out on activities like Fun Fridays and Secret Santa. Take advantage of the opportunity to have your name featured in the newspaper.

Impress colleges by showing them you are a member of The A-Blast, the only high school newspaper printed for free by The Washington Post. We are among the top ten high school newspapers in the nation.

You could report the latest sports events by becoming a sports editor, record significant school events as the head videographer, or determine who will star in the next fashion spotlightby being a lifestyles editor.

Enjoy class periods by bonding with friends, making jokes, and sharing priceless memories. You won’t regret it.

See Mr.Weintraut in the Publications Lab for more information.

into a school shooter.

In addition to stricter federal and state laws, lawmakers have also called for increased security within schools. County Board member Elizabeth Schultz will introduce a proposal that would consider the possibility of a full-time armed presence at all Fairfax County schools.

In schools, currently, school resource officers, who are Fairfax County police officers, are the only people allowed to be armed in county middle and high schools. In the event of an active shooter, officers present in the school building are required to locate the shooter and diffuse the situation.

“The training that we have provided since the very beginning is that regardless if you are the SRO in the building, you try to locate that threat and try to deal with it. That’s one good reason for our presence- we are already here,” SRO Adam Curcio said. “If I am on my way to a threat and someone is injured they have to understand that I have to deal with the threat first.”

There are certain preventative

methods in place to make sure that threats are dealt with before something were to happen. The school participates in regular lockdown drills to ensure the school is prepared in a threatening situation.

Since last week’s school shooting in Parkland, FL, the number of threats of violence against schools across the country has increased. It was recorded that schools recieve about 50 threats a day on average since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed.

Also, all threats reported online and to the school are investigated. The threat is a first assessed by the school, but if severe enough can be required to be investigated by the SRO which are all taken seriously.

“SROs and school personnel are trained to be prepared for any potential threat” Curcio said.

The Leadership class will be hosting the annual cultural showcase in March 16 in the auditorium. Rehearsals are being held throughout the weeks leading up to the event.

Spring Break Spring break will be from Monday, March 26 to Friday, March 30. Students will resume classes Tuesday, April 3.

Student Holiday There will be no school for students on Monday, April 2.

School will resume on Tuesday, April 3.

Spring Musical The theater department will perform the spring musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame on Thursday, April 12, and Thursday, April 19 to 21.

End of Third Quarter The third marking period will end on Friday, April 13. Report cards will be handed out during students’ W4 classes.

Student Holiday There will be no school for students on Monday, April 16.

Teachers will be finalizing report cards for distribution.

Varsity Math Meet There will be a Varsity Math Meet in the cafeteria on Wednesday, April 11 at 3 p.m.. The Math Honor Society will follow the meet.

Band Area Concert The band department will be holding an area concert in the auditorium on Wednesday, March 26. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. and admissions is free.

6 ACADEMICS

Tues. March 13, 2018

What really goes down in W4?

What are your thoughts on Pride Time?

“The amount of time given to students in Pride Time is a big factor that contributes a lot to their success.”

JESSICA SALISBURY

In 2015, the administration decided to start something we all refer to as Pride Time.

On White Days, students have a class referred to as W4. The first 35 minutes are held in your main room and following that is Pride Time. Pride Time gives students the opportunity to seek help from any teacher they’d like.

“I think W4 allows me to be more successful in school, because it helps me keep up with all of my classes,” freshman Orlando Torres said.

This class was created with the intent to help students catch up on work they have missed, get help with teachers when they don’t understand the material, or to allow students to get a jump on upcoming assignments.

Although Pride Time is intended to give students the ability to get school work done, it is still very common to see students using this time as a free period to do whatever they please, rather than do school work.

With this being said, the big question that comes to mind is, what really goes down in W4?

If students actually use W4 and Pride Time for its intended purpose; to focus on academics, many will find it to be very beneficial.

According to a poll The A-Blast took from a total of 197 students, including 73 freshmen, 56 sophomores, 23 juniors, and 45 seniors, only 13% said that they always use Pride Time to prioritize school.

“In my opinion, I think W4 is a good thing. It gives me the freedom to do what I want, and allows me to take a break and then refocus back into school, which I think helps me do a lot better,” junior Jonathan Ruiz said.

What students end up doing during Pride Time also can depend a lot on whether or not they get requested by a teacher.

After the 35 minutes of W4, teachers have the option to request students to come to their classroom to either make up work they missed when they were absent or to better understand the material taught in class.

“I find Pride Time to be helpful when I need time to work with students, especially those who missed class that week,” English teacher Sasha

--JEFFREY SMITH

English teacher

Duran said.

According to the poll results, 38% of the students said that math is the class they get requested for the most, followed by electives and science. Additionally, 35% said that they get requested once a month, 33% said they get requested weekly, and 31% said that they never get requested at all.

Students can be requested one of two ways, either by asking the teacher or when the teacher realizes they’ve missed a test or quiz that needs to be made up.

Some people aren’t really affected by W4 and figure that they would be fine with or without it.

“For the most part, I build remediation and revision time into my general classes, so I am fine with or without it,” Duran said.

Other individuals, such as student athletes, find W4 and Pride Time to be a very useful and necessary study hall.

Students who participate in other extracurriculars after school do not

ANDREW LE freshman “I consider Pride Time a free period, because if I’m done with all of my red day homework before W4, I can just slack off and use my laptop or phone to play games or talk to people. However, when I do have work I find W4 to be very helpful.”

BRITNEY NGUYEN freshman “I believe W4 is a free period, because I get to work on anything I want from any class, meaning there is no focus on one certain subject. If I don’t have work to do, I usually watch the Food Network on the school TV because I find it very entertaining.”

Junior Jonathan Ruiz browses through Netflix to find something to watch during Pride Time. always have time to get their work done, so W4 can help them with that.

“Practice takes a lot of time after school and after that it is very hard to do homework because I am usually tired. I am very thankful for W4 because it allows me to catch up,” Ruiz said.

As for those who don’t actually focus on academics during W4 or Pride Time, what are they actually doing?

According to the polls, 36% watch TV shows or movies, 20% sleep, 18% use that time to catch up with friends, 13% play video games, and 10% just skip it all together.

“In W4 I usually hang out with friends or watch YouTube, there is usually nothing else to do,” junior Philip Barlow said.

Some students prefer to get their work done at home so that they can use Pride Time to relax and mentally

prepare themselves for the next two classes they have following W4.

W4 can be seen as a free period for many, a time where they are able to do whatever they want. This also depends on the students W4 teacher.

According to the polls, only 25% of the students said that their W4 teacher requires them to use their block for academic purposes.

“I have a senior W4 and it seems like I have a total 50-50 spilt; some students use it quite effectively, while others don’t, but it also depends on the day,” Duran said.

Despite the fact that Pride Time is intended to help students, a lot of teachers will not request a student unless a student has asked to be requested.

A lot of teachers believe students are expected to use their time wisely and take responsibility of what they need help on and what they need to get done.

MIKYAS SAHLU sophomore “Pride Time can be both a free period and also a working period. When I have homework that needs to be done, I will get it done.

If I have nothing to do then I usually just use the period to chill. It all really depends on how you use your time and whether you choose to be productive or not.”

AYMAN ELHAG junior “I think it’s a good thing, because students can get work done with the teachers for classes they are struggling with. For those students who are caught up on work and understand what’s going on in class, they can just relax and spend the period watching something or

AYA MOHAMMED sophomore “I like that we have time to get help and do work while still in school instead of coming in after school. However, I don’t like the fact that it’s the in the middle of the day because I use the class to do homework. For example, I can’t do my W2 homework in class since it will be due before W4.”

EMILY TRACHSEL junior “I like it because it gives me time to do any work I have. However, in a way I find it draining, because if I have no work to do I’m going to feel extremely bored.

Sitting around for a whole period doing nothing and being expected to get to work the period afterwards is frustrating.”

Survey Results

25%

Say their W4 teacher requires them to use W4 for academics

32%

Watch TV and or movies during Pride Time

38%

35%

Get requested for math

ADRIEN HENAO senior “I think it’s pretty cool, because students get to use the time as they please. A lot of times students can’t stay after school to get extra help, so with Pride Time they are given the opportunity to see their teacher outside of their actual class period, while still in school.”

Sudoku

Ethan Yu rows his way out of IB

BY KAVI SHAMDIN Academics Editor

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

I try to balance my schedule by assigning days to certain things. I work three times a week, I reserve Friday and Saturday nights to do things that I want to do and I fit in homework for the rest of the week whenever I have the time.

What are your studying habits?

My studying habits aren’t the hardest, but I get by looking over material a day or two before a test or quiz to familiarize myself with the criteria and I do whatever review I am provided with from my teachers.

IB Spotlight: Profiles of Diploma Candidates

What is your favorite IB subject?

My favorite IB subject is math because I’ve always enjoying doing math. Although math is and can be challenging, I enjoy it because in a way it comes to me naturally.

How do you prepare for IB exams?

I prepare for IB exams by taking advantage of the study days that we are given and spend the whole day at the library or Starbucks with a classmate to go over all the material.

Is your only focus academics?

No, I have other focuses such as music. I play the clarinet so I try to squeeze in as much time as I can to practice and in a way it’s also a stress reliever for me. I also focus heavily on those close to me. Lastly, I work at Kung Fu Tea so making money is also a focus of mine.

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

Mrs. Bradshaw was my rock during the IB journey and convinced me to join the program even though I was refusing to four months later than the rest of the candidates; she kept me sane.

ETHAN YU

What are your plans after high school?

My plans after high school are to go to a fouryear university to major in biology. Following that, I plan on attending a dental school.

Senior IB candidate Ethan Yu enjoys the sun by spending the weekend canoeing at Burke Lake.

Other people that helped me were candidates from previous years who told me about their experiences as well as those currently in the program who can easily relate to what I’m going through.

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

The IB program has taught me how to manage my time.

Before I joined the program, I would wait last minute for everything, but with IB there’s just no time to procrastinate, meaning managing my time was something I had to learn.

What advice do you give to future IB candidates?

My advice to future IB candidates is to not procrastinate.

It will always seem like there is more time to get an assignment done, but in reality your work will only pile up, so use your time wisely.

36%

Use W4 for its intended purpose sometimes

Check your sudoku answers for this issue!

Get requested once a month

SURVEY TAKEN BY 197 STUDENTS ON MARCH 15, 2018.

BY KAVI SHAMDIN & JESSICA SALISBURY Academics Editors

MELISSA WILSON senior “I like it because I can spend it how I want, whether it’s catching up on school work, seeing a teacher to better understand a lesson, doing something personal, or just relaxing.

With Pride Time everyone is given the chance to spend that extra time doing whatever they’d like.”

HEALTH 7

Tues. March. 13, 2018

Turf burn is caused by friction when an athlete falls on the artificial turf fields. It removes a layer of skin, and there is normally bruising.

160 degrees temperature that turf reaches on a 90 degree day

11 PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRACE HOGYE

Number of human health risks that artifical turf has.

98%

46.5 million

of synthetic Acres of artificial turf turf fields use in the U.S. granulated recycled tire rubber, or crumb rubber.

Artificial turf, also known as astroturf, is commonly used for athletic fields. Although it allows for athletes to play during bad conditions, such as rain, it has also been criticized for causing cancer and injuries. Turf fields are composed of sand, plastic blades of grass, and crumb tire rubber. Athletic trainers have also seen an increase in wounds due to turf burn.

TURF WARS Athletes weigh pros and cons of artificial fields

BY RACHEL SHOGREN Health Editor

Spring sports are beginning, which means dozens of athletes will be running on AHS’s new turf fields. They were installed less than two years ago, and some athletes are already missing the grass fields.

“On grass fields, the atmosphere is better, it is easier to dive for the ball and make risky plays without having to worry about turf burn,” varsity lacrosse captain senior Jon Figley said. “They also don’t get so hot as easily.”

AHS was one of the last high schools in Fairfax County to get turf fields. According to Director of Student Activities, John Ellenberger, the total cost for the two turf fields that were installed was $1.6 million.

This money came from several different groups. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and Neighborhood and community services were responsible for $750,000. Fairfax County Public Schools were responsible for $750,000. Annandale Boys and Girls Club donated $70,000 and use the field frequently for their practices. Lastly, Annandale Athletics Booster Club donated $89,000.

The booster club also gives $15,000 each year to be set aside for maintenance.

“The biggest reason for the switch from grass [fields] to turf is playability. Games are no longer cancelled due to unplayable field conditions,” Ellenberger said.

Turf fields have been replacing grass fields since 1965. Turf allows athletes of all sports to play while it is raining and grass

gets too muddy. Turf also allows for severhave definitely gone up,” Athletic Trainer al games in a row to be played while grass Bethany Osborne said. gets torn up from cleats and needs to grow A study from the Orthopedic Journal of back.Turf takes less work to maintain, grass Sports Medicine released a study in 2016 needs to be mowed and treated every few where they tested soccer players for 12 years weeks to keep it nice. on both grass fields and artificial turf fields.

“I like turf better because it is flat and “Statistics have shown that injury rates easier to run around on without problem as are higher on turf especially with ACLs opposed to grass where there could be holes because your foot almost gets caught in the or missing grass patches,” varsity lacrosse turf, and your body twists while your foot is captain senior Melissa Wilson said. “Turf caught,” Osborne said. also makes it possible to practice in many The study revealed that there was a sigweather conditions. Grass gets too muddy nificant increase in both upper and lower and it’s gross.” extremity injuries. They also discovered that Although there are all these advantages there was a high muscle strain on the lower to turf, there are several important down- extremities. Once more turf pellets were sides. added to the field, the muscle strain slowly Athletes understand just how hot turf can decreased. get. Turf fields can get to 170 degrees dur“I like running on turf better because the ing the warmer months, and players can feel ground gives more and feels better on my that when on the fields. feet and shins,” Wilson said.

“Turf gets really hot in the spring and Another common injury among athletes summer and I can feel is turf burn. the heat through my “ W o u n d cleats, so my feet get hot “I like turf fields care rates have too,” Wilson said. gone up as well Since turf has better than grass because turf burn become popular, doctors fields and things like have seen an increase in that,” Osborne because I am injuries on the field. said.

Turf fields, made of allergic to grass.”

Turf burn is synthetic (plastic) grass the result of falland rubber tire pebbles, ing or sliding have been attacked in across the fake recent years for causing grass. A turf burn --DIANNE NGUYEN cancer and increasing Freshman injury generates the risk of injuries. heat while also “Yes, injury rates ripping off a layer

a layer of skin. You receive a nasty cut or bruise that resembles a severe rug burn.It is painful and can take a long time to heal.

“I don’t like turf because I get turf burn,” Varsity Lacrosse Captain and senior Grace Hatch said.

The University of Washington discovered that several of their soccer players had been diagnosed with cancer, especially those who played as goalie. The university found that the chemicals found in tire rubber can be harmful to people when exposed at high levels.

Fifty-three soccer players from the University of Washington were diagnosed with cancer, many of them were blood cancers.

60% of them were goalies.

Some claim that when the turf pellets are inhaled or ingested, the toxins in the turf cause cancer. Goalies are on the ground more and have more contact with the turf than other players do, which is why blood cancer occurs more frequently in goalies.

Although this data seems important, the health department at the university found that the link between turf and cancer is not significant. Despite this, many athletes and parents are against turf fields. Coaches at the university have requested more studies.

“I like turf fields better than grass fields because the soccer ball moves smoother,” junior Alison Scott said.

Despite being popular in fields because of the low cost, artificial turf fields are not popular among athletes and parents because of the injury prone and cancer questions surrounding it.

RACHEL SHOGREN

CREATIVE COMMONS

Weather it’s tanning lotion or the bright sun, getting tan may be dangerous

Skin Ageing

Skin Burns

Premature aging is caused by

Tanning beds can cause first-

repeated exposure to UV rays,

and second-degree burns.

which will lead to various forms

According to a report by the U.S.

of skin damage such as fine

Surgeon General, 3,200 Amer-

lines, wrinkles, and age spots.

icans are sent to the emergen-

The harmful rays break down

cy room every year because of

the collagen and elastin fibers in

burns and injuries from tan-

the skin, leaving it wrinkled and

ning beds. Light skinned people

loose. Also, increased melanin

can also quickly burn from sun-

production will trigger hyperpig-

light because they lack melanin,

mentation (age spots), contribut-

pigments that protect the skin’s

ing to an aged appearance.

deeper layers from damage.

BY KHADIJA AHMED Staff Writer

Spring break is less than two weeks away and while some students are heading to tropical and sunny destinations, its important to keep in mind the dangers of tanning.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a “safe tan” because tanned skin, from both indoors and outdoors, is the result of skin cell damage.

In fact, the practice is so dangerous that many countries, such as Brazil, have made indoor tanning illegal.

The American Academy of Dermatology suggests a relationship between tanning and the risk of developing melanoma, a type of

skin cancer.

Alongside renouncing indoor tanning, there are ways to prevent the harm of the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

“I always wear sunscreen when I tan to protect my skin,” senior Kendall McCleary said.

It is important to seek shade when the sun’s rays are most intense and to wear protective clothing such as a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses when possible. Using broad-spectrum sunscreen is also wise since it provides further protection against UV radiation.

Sunlight, along with indoor tanning, has many adverse effects such as skin cancer, skin burns, premature skin aging, and eye damage.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RACHEL SHOGREN

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE GETSEY

Why tanning is bad for you

Skin Cancer

Eye Damage

Ultraviolet radiation comes from

Photokeratitis and cataracts are

the sun and artificial sources

both forms of eye damage. The

like the sun lamps in tanning

former is thought to be a sun-

beds. Tanning salons use UV-B

burn of the cornea and is caused

rays and UV-A rays, both of

by intense UV exposure of the

which damage the skin and can

eye. Cataracts lead to clouded

lead to skin cancer. The Inter-

or spotty vision and have to be

national Agency for Research on

surgically removed. Other types

Cancer has classified tanning

of eye damage include cancer

devices that emit UV radiation

around the eyes, macular degen-

as the highest level cancer risk:

eration, and irregular tissue

“carcinogenic to humans.”

growth that can block vision.

8 PHOTO

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAM MOHAMED

Tues. March 13, 2018

Daily Double! Parents form together on one team to play Arabian Night Jeopardy, which included a variety of categories such as tourism, countries, art, music, and food. Rudy Al-Hassan waves her arms in victory after answering another question correctly. “Arabian night was truly a blast. It’s so amazing to see how well these students and Ms. Layaly put such a wonderful event together,” AlHassan said. “I have come to Arabian night every year, and this was definitely one of the best ones yet. I am also really competitive, so I loved that they incorporated a lot of games into the night.”

Students Celebrate

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAM MOHAMED

Arabian

Night

Hands in the air: sophomore Tarishio Darwiesh and junior Idris Dahir perform a celebratory handshake as their team takes the lead in a game of Jeopardy. “My favorite part about Arabian night was when my team dogged everyone in Jeopardy,” Darwiesh said.

Sweet surpirse: senior Lina Osman fills her plate with desserts among the variety of sweet dishes, including popular Arabian desserts such as khnafeh and awama. “[Arabian night] is a night where different Arabian cultures come together and share great experiences such as food and language with everyone. My favorite part is definitely the food.

There are a lot of different foods to try,” Osman said. “I like to participate in Arabian night because it’s always super fun and nice to see all my friends and their families.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASEAL SAED

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASEAL SAED

Pin it to win it: children of all ages line up to pin a tail on the camel after being spun a few times and blindfolded. “Playing these games were a really good way to get everyone involved in the night, especially the younger kids who were too shy to get on the dance floor. Seeing them get excited over the prizes like pencils and notepads was really adorable,” freshman Danya Khreshi said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAM MOHAMED

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAM MOHAMED

Dancing the night away: seniors Aya Khalaf and Ayah Rababeh take center stage on the dance floor wearing their traditional outfits while performing a traditional Arabian dance. “I really liked how welcoming the atmopshere was and how towards the end of the night everyone started dancing. Also the food was amazing,” Khalef said. “I like to go to Arabian night because it is always fun to see where people come from and try new foods from various cultures.”

A taste of victory: students cheer after the scores had been totaled up and finding out they won the game entirely. Teams consisted of five people per team, with a mix of students and parents on each team. “I go to Arabian night because each year it’s really fun. I love experiencing it with my friends and participating in the games. Ms. Layaly is also the founder so of course I have to go to show support,” junior Sherin Kellerman-Nowrouz said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASEAL SAED

Table for two: sophomores Isabella Steiner and Laila Elbahy enjoy an array of Arabian dishes offered at the event, such as grape leaves and stuffed squash with rice and tomato sauce. “My favorite part of Arabian night was probably the food and Jeopardy,” Elbahy said. “Arabian night is so special to me because I never knew people that I see around school were so profound about their culture. I got to meet people with the same culture as me that I never would have guessed were Moroccan.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAM MOHAMED

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAM MOHAMED

Food heaven: One of the most unique parts of Arabian culture is the food. Teachers, parents, and students enjoy a wide variety of cultural foods made by different families. “I loved how Arabian Night brought everyone together and we could relate to one and another’s culture, especially through the delicious food dishes,” senior Ayah Rababeh said.

Capturing the moment: Arabic teacher Ola Layaly records her students taking part in the fesitivities and food. “The girls did a wonderful job hosting Arabian Night. So many family members came up to me and told me what a good time they had,” Layaly said.

ARTS 9

Tues. March 13, 2018

Performers duel in Battle of the Bands

BY BRENDA GAMEZ Staff Writer

“ I am very passionate about my music and love seeing the faces of people when they’re enjoying my music.”

--NAREG BOHOSIAN

freshman

ALL PHOTOS BY GALILEA SJAS

Battle of the Bands is an event whThis year there are six bands dueling it out for Battle of the Bands champion. The bands are Gabe’s Fault, The Morning Commute, Saxtastrophe, Martyn Cow, Thinh Dang and last years winners Generational Jazz combo. Fortunately enough, Gabe’s Fault and The Morning Commute, were able to make it to the final round of the competition.

This thrilling event is long anticipated by the students participating as well as the students coming out to support their friends. Many performers who were involved weren’t at all bothered.

Junior Ioana Marin who attended the event said, “It was all really fun and everyone was so enthusiastic all the time. We even made it up to the stage and we danced and rocked to the talented musicians, especially Nareg.

Sophomore Garrett Meadows portrays the character, Captain Phoebus and holds Kathy Strong. The other gypsy girls hope to get a chance to be with the handsome Cavalier.

Hunchback at it again with another spring musical Students prepare theater musical “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”

Battle of the bands is a competition with three rounds. In the first round bands can play up to three songs, a maximum of 15 minutes. At the end of round one, the audience members vote for the round one winners.

Round two is the exciting round, the top two performances from round one compete against each other for the winning spot. Again at the end of round two, the audience votes for the ultimate winner. Round three, or the winners round, is a last performance by winners of Battle of the Bands.

In preparation for this the student performers hold hour long practices and millions of songs in order to win Battle of the Bands.

Freshman Nareg Boghosian is the lead guitarist in the rock band Gabes Fault.

“Participating in Battle of the Bands is an opportunity for him and his band to experience what a real rock band performance is like; it’s a way to expand my musical experience,” Boghosian said.

To prepare for this event Gabes Fault has been practicing for over nine months but they say every band has there own way of preparing for this event.

“I am very passionate about music and I do many different AHS music programs and events. Besides being a part of music, I do theater, both acting and tech, for this musical production, ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame,”’ said Boghosian.

The story behind Nareg’s band name, Gabes Fault was created by the drummer of the band who is named Gabe and he was the one to get the group together so ironically the band was Gabes Fault.

Although Gabes Fault is a rock band, there will be a variety of different musical genres represented at Battle of the Bands, from Broadway musicals to original songs from the heart and soul.

For many artists and/or performers who are into music and want to be discovered, they should participate in next year’s Battle of the Bands event. Even if a person is not apart of any band or interested in the arts, they should come and see the rising talent found in Annandale. Like German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.”

BY GALILEA SEJAS Arts Editor An outcast may be what many students describe themselves as due to the type of person they are, or simply from how they have been perceived to be.

For the outcast, Quasimodo, in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” he begins as a social outcast to the French society living below him.

The spring musical is running their choreography rehearsals, by the co-choreographers, juniors Emily Trachsel and Ioana Marin.

The production began when the theater students joined together to read the script for the first time in early February.

Since then, the actors and singers have been working tirelessly trying to be able to block and provide character choices that would be able to show the theme of the musical to the audience members and the guests from different schools that would be judging their performance.

Such people are called Cappies, and if the actors and singers are greatly loved by the Cappies, or the guests from different schools, they would be eligible to receive an award because of their performance and their own role.

Accepting an award is a great honor to receive not only for the individual, but also for the school as a whole. With such influential people attending, there are many people who need to work extra hard to showcase their own expertise in the musical.

Though the work being produced may be strenuous, the choreographers and directors are hoping that everyone will have fun before the end of the production.

“You hear all these people saying that choreography is too hard and that they don’t need this, but after everything is done, I want to see people having fun. We even included some of the crazier moves because it’s impossible for you to be really stressed or frustrated about it, when you are throwing your arms and legs up in the air,” Marin said.

The dances that are seen in the musical allow the actors to live in the moment and felt the same emotions that the actual characters in the musical felt.

“We took a lot of inspiration from

Junior Emily Trachsel teaches senior Kathy Strong and the other gypsies how to dance in the song, “Topsy Turvy.”

Junior Diana Villaroel sings next to senior Marina Chen, while acting as enthusiastic gypsies during the song, “Topsy Turvy.”

Sophomore Jack Dalrymple awaits choreography direction along with the other gypsy girls behind him. swing dance at one point, which is kind of interesting, we literally get it from everywhere,” Trachsel said.

Each performer needs to memorize their own choreography, as well as how their character would go about dancing.

Since each character in the musical has a different story and background, each actor would need to understand their own importance to the plot and truly embrace their own character.

For example, if they are drunk in a specific scene, they can’t go from acting drunk to suddenly being sober when

dancing. Such a task may be difficult to some, but if an actor is able to execute such performance flawlessly, then they may be recognized for a Cappies award.

In order to be considered for a Cappies award or to have some recognition, the specific aspect must be student created and produced, with no adult aiding them.

Each musical in Annandale has been designed by the students for the students to enjoy.

Of course there is Katherine Brunberg, the director of the musical, that

helps in all aspects: the set (i.e. buildings, platforms and structures) or the costumes which may be borrowed from other schools.

Along the dedicated actors memorizing their lines and working on their character, there are talented designers, behind the scenes, supporting and shining a light on them.

Make sure that you don’t miss seeing all their hard work and devotion to their character and spreading the theme of overcoming obstacles on April 19-21.

Artist Spotlight: Diana Villaroel, 11 1. What projects areyou currently involved in?

I am currently involved in the choir program, band program and theatre program. I’ve done tech for theatre productions, sang in the choir and been active in the marching band here at AHS.

4. Do you have any upcoming projects?

I have our spring musical, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” coming up in April, where I will be acting and designing tech as well. I’m at all the choir and band concerts as well.

2. How long have you being doing any type art?

The arts have been a part of almost all of life.

I’ve been involved in music for almost 10 years.

I started with piano lessons and gradually grew towards other areas of music, including choir and band. Theatre was a passion I discovered in high school.

5. What lead you to start what you do?

Things that lead me to start performing was going to a professional band concerts in 4th grade, and seeing these people dedicated to music, inspired me to continue in the arts. I also just wanted to be involved in some extracurricular, and since I’m not the best at sports, the arts seemed to be right.

3. What is the best part about what you do?

The best part about being involved in the performing arts is the people. Almost all of my friends have come from the arts and everyone is accepting of who you are, no matter what your story is. It’s also a safe haven for anyone, you can walk into any rehearsal, performance or reunion, leave your problems and worries at the door, and focus on making amazing music.

6. Do you see a future in art?

Thought it would be amazing to counties in the arts, I definitely would like to pursue my love for engineering in the future for my career. The arts is definitely something I would like to minor in and continue throughout my life.

7. What was the scariest part?

The scariest part of deciding to be a part of the arts was the fear of not being accepted. I was afraid that people would look down on me if I didn’t live up to their standards, but I learned that it doesn’t really matter how amazing you are at something, if you’ve given it your all you’ve already done better than most people.

8. Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to start a profession in arts?

My advice for anyone wanting to start in the arts is to go for it! Almost everyone in the choir band and theatre program are incredibly accepting and are willing to teach you anything you want to learn. There’s something for everyone in any of the arts, from building giant sets for the musical, to playing percussion in the band. There’s always people there for support, so give it a try.

10 IN-DEPTH

SADAF MARZI

Starbucks: Sadaf Marzi, 11

"The pay is really good. It is $12.10 an hour, which helps for paying my car insurance and having extra money to go out with. However, it's not an easy job. I am constantly standing and moving at a fast pace. It is especially hard during the holiday season because Starbucks is so popular. When I work on a school day, I usually only work four hours, but it is usually slow and easy. However, I can manage my time with school and work because I prepare ahead of time and get all my homework done the day before. Despite the stress, I do enjoy my job. It comes with awesome benefits and it has made me less shy. This job has also taught me how to multi-task and work under a lot of pressure. I’ve learned how to make conversation and connect with people, which I know will be beneficial later on."

Selling sweets to treat myself

REEM HASSAN

Al Bohsali Sweets: Reem Hassan, 11

"I started working in October 2017 since I like to go out and usually spend a lot of money. However, I hate asking my parents for money because they have more important things to pay for. I wanted to make my own money and help my parents out if they needed any money. I only work two days during the week and Saturday mornings, so that way I'll have time during the weekend to do my homework. Where I work isn't hard; I just wait until someone comes up to buy sweets. It's only busy during the weekends. I have work at four o'clock during the week. Once the bell rings, I go home to eat and pray, then go to work and I finish around 10 pm. I go home eat and then sleep at 12. I really like my job, but I get bored sometimes. While I'm working, I have to communicate with customers and be kind and that will help me with my future jobs."

Folding pants to fold bills

32%

37%

agree that having a part-time job distracts one from school priorities

agree that a job teaches responsibilities and collaborative work skills

40%

32%

work three times a week

Currently have a part-time job

23%

50%

ON MARCH 7, 2017, 200 SURVEYS WERE DISTRIBUTED DURING W4 AND PRIDE TIME. 110 SURVEYS WERE RETURNED.

of those with jobs work 5-10 hours on a weekly basis

"I work at American Eagle at Tyson's Corner Mall.

I've been working there since November 2017. I found out about the job through a friend, who also works there. They needed more workers around Black Friday and the holiday season; I've stuck with it ever since. My main responsibility is to help customers find what they are looking for and keep them happy.

I like my job, because I get crazy discounts and I like the people I work with. It's not hard for me to manage school and work, because I mainly work on the weekends. I try to get my school work done on Thursdays and Fridays. Overall, it's fun working at American Eagle. You get closer with the people you work with, which makes it more fun. As a sales associate, you don't have much responsibilities because all you basically do is fold clothes, restock, and help customers."

4

"I started working at Kumon at the beginning of my junior year. A friend told me Kumon was hiring, so I decided to apply. I work after school every Mondays and Thursdays, totaling to about four hours a week. It certainly can get hard at times, but I try to balance my time by doing homework early and not working too late. On a normal work and school day, I stay after school until it is time to go to work. It’s also convenient that the walk from school to work takes about 10 minutes. I enjoy that my job has no customer service involved, although grading papers can become repetitive and boring. My job taught me how to cooperate with co-workers and manage my time. This will help me in the future because when I do get an official job after graduating college, I would be more prepared for the interviews as well as the actual job itself in terms of self-management."

5

There are three types of professional resume formats: chronological, combination and functional. Most jobs seek chronological resume formats, which is traditional and familiar to recruiters. However, it is also very common and not creative. Combination clearly showcases highlighted skills for the employers, however, those are not recommended for entry-level job seekers. Lastly, functional resumes allow entry-level job seekers to emphasize their skills instead of experience. However, because of this, recruiters may think that you are hiding something. Also, make sure to use a font that can be easily read.

ALDI

Currently looking for more store associates.

Responsibilities will include everything from working as a cashier to a stocker. In addition to handling a range of grocery items, including produce, milk and dairy, employees also must provide outstanding customer service.

Age Requirement: 18 Address: 7006 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003 Phone: (855) 955-2534

Currently looking for more sales associate. Responsibilities include: working effectively with fellow employees, engaging customers, enhancing the customer experience in order to ensure that every customer leaves satisfied, etc.

Age Requirement: 16 Address: 1961 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA 22102 Phone: (703) 893-0540

Whether you choose chronological, combination or functional formatting, all professional resumes must include your personal information. At the very top of the resume, provide your full name, phone number and e-mail address. It is also optional to input your social media handles, possibly Twitter, Facebook or any other type of social media that you are currently on. In addition to this, provide your home address. This section allows for the employer to effectively and clearly see your name and information in order to contact you if you get the job.

Gap

Currently looking for more team members.

Employees must fill a range of responsibilities: assessing the needs of customers, engaging and interacting with customers and meeting the different needs of the retail store.

Age Requirement: 16 Address: 1961 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA 22102 Phone: (703) 893-4546

WRITE AN OBJECTIVE An objective is typically one to two sentences long. An effective objective is one that highlights your individual skill set and why you are tailored for the job that you are applying for. In simple terms, the objective is where you provide the skills and experiences that makes you ideal for that career. You may also include the reason for creating the resume, in other terms, your objective.

KFC

Currently looking for team members that can work as a part of the KFC team. Employees must prepare products, keep the store clean, serve guests and ring up orders.

Age Requirement: 16 Address: 7450 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003

WRITE AN EDUCATION SECTION

Write your job history in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current position. This section should describe the scope of your responsibilities, the time length you worked there and the address of the location. Make sure to provide contact information as well.

The descriptions of the responsibilities can be in bullet form, however, they should be detailed. If you currently have no job experience, you can instead list your volunteering experience.

PLACES HIRING

Banana Republic

CONTACT INFORMATION

WRITE AN EXPERIENCE SECTION

Fast cash thru fast food

6

FOCUS ON YOUR SKILLS SECTION In order to have a well established resume that stands out, sprinkling your skills throughout the resume is the key. Be detailed in this section and try not to be generic. This does not mean to simply write "organized" or "hardworking". Instead, consider writing phrases such as, "manages time constraints and unpredictable schedules with adaptable methodology" or "performs expected duties beyond expected requirements". The more detailed the better.

Phone: (703) 256-2086

Mango Mango

Currently looking for more servers and wait staff.

Employees will assist in the creation and making of unique tasting desserts, as well as take orders and waiter tables.

Age Requirement: 16 Address: 6795 Wilson Blvd #1DE, Falls Church, VA 22044 Phone: (703) 825-8222

Serving up to save money for college GreenSpring: Bashudha Dhamala, 11

McDonald's: Vinh Tran, 11

Kumon: Jiafu Li, 11

CHOOSE A RESUME FORMAT

Helps display the foundation of your knowledge and expertise. You should also write your education section of your resume in chronological order, with the current school you are attending. You can put your GPA if you want, however, it is advisable to only add your GPA if it is 3.5 or higher. It is optional, but you can also include your coursework narrative.

Junior Kassie Peralta (left) has been working at Auntie Anne's since August 2017.

Being a tutor was the solution

A step-by-step guide on how to write a resume that will get you an interview!

3

Students share their experiences of being a student and working part-time.

of those with strongly jobs have been disagree that working for high school more than a students should year have jobs

KIMBERLY VAIDES

JIAFU LI

RUTH SEYOUM

49%

How to write a resume

2

WORK!

BANK?

American Eagle: Ruth Seyoum, 11

1

YOU BETTER

YOU WANT

"I began working at McDonald's this year to make some extra cash for myself. I already have good time management skills, so it's not too difficult to balance academics and work. The job can be difficult at times, however, it is tolerable and not half that bad. I like my co-workers because they make my job fun. When I have work on a school day, I just bring my uniform to school and walk to work afterwards. I usually work three days a week for two hours a day. From working at McDonald’s, I’ve learned customer service experience that I can use for my future jobs to come. I recommend having a job only if you can handle work while focusing on your academics."

Advice from the career center Q: What is the difference between an internship and a job?

A: An internship can really be any volunteer work and isn't always necessarily paid. Sometimes it is. So, it is all up to the individual internship if you get paid or not. Generally speaking, an internship is a volunteer job. This is because at this time in your life as high school student, you really have no skills or experience, so why would they pay you?

Also, depending on where you're interning at, they all have different responsibilities for the interns. But usually it is making coffee and making copies on the copy machine for the actual employees. A job, however, is always paid. Similar to an internship, you have responsibilities and duties that you have to do.

Q: What are the benefits of taking up a job or an internship?

A: It depends on if you want to get a snapshot of what a particular profession looks like. So, you can get an internship in that profession and get the feel for what is going on in the office and field of work. The internship can Career specialist Robin Roth helps also help you look at the duties that the people, who are in the profession, students when searching for jobs have and then determine if you want to be in it as well. So, yes an internand their life beyond high school. ship can be very beneficial, but it is not necessarily going to give you any skills.

A job can be very beneficial as well. It shows colleges that you have earned money, that you are responsible and so much more. Even if it is a life guarding situation like over the summer or working in a smoothie shop, and all that kind of stuff, it still benefits you a lot. Working for someone and working with others at a job will give you some skills.

Q: Would you say that it is better to have a job than to do extracurricular activities at school, like sports for example?

A: No, I would not say it is better, but it's along the same line. I think that all of those things are good and you should pursue them while you are in high school. You know, all of those things you can do at the same time. Also, sports is not going to take up all summer. So, you can take up a part-time job during the summer. But it really just depends on the individual.

Q: How do you personally help students find jobs?

A: I give information to students about people who want to hire, but it really is from all over the county. Sometimes, it is not necessarily close by. Our students seem to have an issue with transportation. For example, a student can have a job in Herdon, which will be very difficult for our students to get to. Generally speaking, most can get a bus pass, which the whole county has for an opportunity for students. However, sometimes the bus can take too long.

So, yes I do have some information on some jobs. They can come to me and ask. But, I also refer students to the Skills Source Center her at the school. It is in room 136 and is an excellent place for students to find work locally.

Q: What are some tips that you have for preparing for their interview and writing resumes?

A: Well, most students are not required to write a resume because they don't really have a lot of skills or exposure. If they do,they can put their community service. We can certainly build one from the templates off of Microsoft Word. Those are good. I also have some books on that as well. For the interview, my advice is to dress nicely and professionally. Don't wear your torn jeans. Wear a collared shirt, just make sure you are presented nicely. Smile and shake their hand too. Also, don't be on your phone and those kinds of things.

Q: Do you think it's better for students to focus on their schoolwork and classes, or focus on getting money from their jobs?

A: I think that school is your first job as a student and that it the most important job you have now. If you do want a job, you have to make sure that are doing okay or well right now in school. I would say anyone lower than a 3.0 GPA should concentrate on their schoolwork because school is the first priority. Perhaps they can save the job and working for the summertime when they do not have school.

BASHUDHA DHAMALA,

Working latte after class

VINH TRAN

Students work to earn money

IN-DEPTH 11

Tues. March 13, 2018

Tues. March 13, 2018

"I started working at the GreenSpring's restaurant May of last year. I found out about the job because my family friend used to work there before he went to college. I started working because the job offers a $10,000 scholarship for college. In addition to that, I get paid.

Although it is difficult to handle my work with my studies, it has taught me to manage my time better and to not procrastinate. Since I started as a sophomore, when I was 15, I got to leave early because I was underage.

However, now that I am 16, I am required to stay until the restaurant closes, which is around 8 at night. It is difficult to finish big projects since I work both Saturdays and Sundays. However, I can find people to cover my shift if it is really necessary."

Interview Tips How to nail your job interview!

BY KIMBERLY VAIDES In-Depth Editor You enter the building that you hope will be your future workplace. Your heart jitters a bit, wondering what the employers will ask. In a short amount of time, you have to sell yourself to convince them that you are the most qualified person in the world for that job. So, what do you do? What do you say?

Interviews can be nerve wrecking, whether it’s for: a job, internship or scholarship. Your words and attitude are what determines the outcome.

Here are some tips to ease your nerves for interviews.

DOs

• • • • • • •

Have everything ready for your interview the night before!

Research about the company Have two copies of your resume and a clean, professional outfit ready Practice by having someone ask you possible questions Shake their hands Have a casual conversation Be professional, enthusiastic and your best self

DON'Ts • • • • • • • • •

Use slang words Be late and not know the location Stutter or hesitate and use “um” Let your phone ring - turn it off Dress sloppy - baggy pants and a T-shirt Wear jewelry Spray massive amounts of perfume or cologne Show too much skin Forget to thank them for their time!

12 INTERNATIONAL

Tues. March 13, 2018

Syrian Civil War affects student’s life Junior Jude Nanaw’s family in Damascus impacted by crisis

JUDE NANAW junior

BY TIANA REAMS International Editor Booms from bombs and roars from planes can be hear from overhead.

Buildings fall apart and fires relentlessly burn through villages. Families are separated and loved ones are buried under rubble. No, this isn’t a scene out of a movie. This is the life of those living in the entangled mess and destruction of the Syrian Civil War. Although the conflicts in the small Middle-Eastern country may seem worlds away to many, it also directly impacts those in the AHS community.

Many families, including junior Jude Nanaw’s relatives, are affected by this.

Nanaw’s extended family currently live in the Syrian capital of Damascus where innocent children, women, and men, are getting killed nearly everyday because of airstrikes or toxic gases.

Almost 300,000 civilians are stuck in Syria while their government attacks the Eastern Ghouta area with bombs and many airstrikes.

“Ever since the war started, there is always a constant worry of something bad occurring to my family over there,” Nanaw said.

Although the fighting has raged for years and has left more than 400,000 dead, the war does not seem to be calming. The number of fatalities is only increasing and the government has becoming authoritarian. Many villages

Damascus, Syria where junior Jude Nanaw went to visit his family in the summer of 2016. He plans to visit again this summer.

Most of the fighting in located in the northern region of Syria.

Mostly in Aleppo.

Eastern Ghouta where 46 convoy trucks came to provide aid for those affected from air strikes. and farms are now controlled by the government and if they fail to oblige, they will be face with destruction.

However, throughout the duration of the war, international humanitarian teams are providing for the citizens in peril. These rescue teams are combating the crisis at a much personal leve as they interact with the people of Syria.

Recently, 46 trucks have entered Eastern Ghouta to provide medical aid and food for about 30,000 civilians.

Despite these efforts, living in Syria has proven to be a daily risk and a humanitarian threat. The struggle, although of a different caliber, can also be felt thousands of miles away for people like Nanaw who are not living in the war-zone, but have family who are impacted.

There is constant uncertainty as to when family members can be in contact

with each other again. The overpowering government has the power to halt critical infrastructure. The military artillery also destructs ways that people can stay in contact. Signals are often blocked or simply deteriorated to and residents cannot reach out for aid.

“I stay in contact with my family in Syria through phone calls or using apps such as Skype, but communication has changed in a way because with the war, there are always power outages over there,” Nanaw said.

Getting in touch with family from Syria is not the only thing Nanaw and his family struggles with. They also have a hard time visiting and leaving the country. Visiting Syria is difficult and unsafe and even numerous airlines and flights have cancelled flights to Damascus and other parts of Syria in fear of the bombs and airstrikes.

3 ways you can help UNICEF

The White Helmets

Islamic Relief USA

The White Helmets are a group of volunteers based in Syria that rush to those to provide aid to the injured. Donations made support the wounded and to the families of victims.

Donate now at https://peoplesmillion. whitehelmets.org

Islamic Relief USA is a organization for human welfare. They look to decrease suffering in countries like Syria. Donations go to mainly providing food and support for those in need.

Donate now https://www. crowdrise.com/

Ola Layaly Arabic teacher Ola Layaly works with freshman student during W4 to practice for pals.

Should the United States be involved in other world problems?

JAYDEN JOYA freshman “Yes, they should be involved because we have a lot of strong army and I think it would be a good production for everyone.”

YASSINE ELOUASSI freshman “I think we should at sometimes but at other times we shouldn’t over involve ourselves.

We should help with small stuff such as in Syria, we should give some shoes and some money.”

LILY LE sophomore “Yes, they should be involved because if we help other countries out we can be allies with them and there will be less wars and conflicts.”

in Syria is different now because the crisis limits when they can go out and they have to stay home a lot of the time because of the dangerous situation surrounding them,” Nanaw said.

The crisis in Syria is not a problem that only impacts the Syrian people. The fall-out and debris from the crisis shakes lives here in America. Being aware of on-going international political events such as this one brings awareness to the problems. This can also lead to contributions to protect the innocent citizens of the country.

Bringing awareness to the problem in Syria allows more people to help those in need and have them consider donating. Not everyone has the life we have in America. Americans should strive to help those in Syria as much as possible.

Arabic teacher makes comments about the Syrian Civil War

TIANA REAMS

UNICEF is apart of the UN that focus mainly on helping the children. An emergency response for Syria. Donations go toward children’s basic needs such as clean water, medical care, and food.

Donate now at https://www.crowdrise.com/

This makes it difficult for Nanaw to visit his family. Even if he is able to get into the country, there is still the problem of going outside in times of war.

“I have visited Syria once since the start of the war,” Nanaw said. “I visited with my mom and sister in late June 2016 and returned in early August.

I was able to visit because the situation in Damascus where they live had improved slightly.

Since Nanaw’s visit, the the Syrian army is trying to retake territory just east of Damascus.

Nanaw’s life here in America has changed due to the Syrian conflict.

Struggling to get in contact with them and being unaware about their wellbeing while not being able to visit them leaves constant worry.

“The living situation for my family

LUIS ACEVEDO sophomore “No, because the United States is too strong to be helping other countries. Other countries should find solutions to solve their own problems.”

ANISSA CHEIKH junior “I believe if people need America’s help then we should help them because America should try to better the world. If it is none of our business then we shouldn’t get involved unless it affects us.”

Arabic teacher Ola Layaly teaches many students from the Middle East and who are Muslim. Her being Muslim herself and talking about the crisis in Syria she prays for those who are hurting and wishes the war will stop.

Many students come to Layaly to talk about how life used to be and how hard it is now to deal with the war.

Many students not being from Syria, countries neighboring the country are still affected.

“ISIS calls themselves they are the Islamic state for Iraq and Syria but they are not Muslims or at least they should not be,” Layaly said.

Syrian students from the past that she has taught, talk about how much they miss the bakery smell on the streets.

The people fighting claim it is apart of the Islamic culture. Considering that Islam is all about peace, it does not make much sense.

“The fighting is just over power. They want this land so they can have their own state for power. They are bombing the cities, killing the people, children, women, and all people, and it is just heartbreaking in a nutshell,” Layaly said.

There is not much we can do now from here except for send donations and pray that it will end soon. But by the looks of how the war is going now, there seems to be no end in sight.

CHADWICK GORE junior “I think we should because if we don’t get involved in other countries problems because it might become a problem for us.”

ANGELA KIM senior “I think we should only be involved in foreign affairs if it’s to help one of the numerous countries that need aid and assistance.”

JACK MCCROSSIN senior “Yes, I think America should interfere with other countries problems, we’re a very dominant country and we can help others. America has a lot of influence on the world because we have a lot of power.

We should use that for good not evil.”

Immigrant Stories: Coming to America

BY KATHERINE TERRAZAS Special to The A-Blast I am senior at Annandale High School and when I was seven my life changed. I came to America the winter of 2007.

I moved to the United States when I was just seven years old. I came with my mom and my older brother.

My mom told me we were going somewhere far for a better life but that it was gonna be okay. I did not question it, I just went with what she said.

Bolivia was all I knew. I had my friends and my family there. I was very close with all my cousins, aunts and uncles.

I loved my school and my teachers. Our school was very different from the one I came to know in America. It was only one floor and there were no hallways. Once you stepped out of a classroom you were outside.

But here in America, schools are multiple floors and more than one classroom. It was hard to get adjusted to at first. I kept getting lost when I first got there.

It does not ever snow in Bolivia either. So going outside was never a problem unless it would rain.

The weather was always nice, we never had to wear layers like we do here in America.

It was always about 80 degrees there, so I was used to wearing shorts and flip flops all the time.

I came to America during the winter time and it caught me off guard. I had to get heavy coats and thick pants.

I got so many sweat pants and hoodies. I got sick easily to from the cold since my body was not used to the cold yet.

When I came, I was starting start 2nd grade here. I came in the middle of the year so I was known as the new kid.

I remember being so shy and not wanting to talk to anyone. I did not even want to talk the teacher.

I did not have any friends and I did not talk to anyone for a while. It was hard to become friends with the other kids.

Everyone was already with their own group of friends so I had to find a group that I could fit in well with.

Eventually I got more comfortable and opened up a bit.

I was tired of not joining in when everyone else was having fun. I made really good friends and some that I still have today.

Middle school is when I really found my circle of friends. I liked my middle school experience I would not change anything about it. I had so much fun.

I think the most challenging part was learning a new language. It helped being spoken to in English everyday and once I made friends I picked it up fairly quickly.

I look back at my journey coming to America and I am very thankful.

Even though I missed my friends and family I still keep in contact with them till this day.

I would not have all the opportunities I had or have today if I still lived in Bolivia.

From this experience I learned to be outside of my comfort zone and that new things can be a good thing, I think so many people are scared of change I mean I was but change is such a huge part of growing as a person.

If I did not come here I would not Senior Katherine Terrazas (middle) poses with friends Rosa Acevedo (left), Genesis Lara and have learned the things I did and Neydi Cruz (right) before the home football game dressed in black spirit wear. not have gone through everything to learn more about myself.

KATHERINE TERRAZAS

Senior Katherine Terrazas leaves Bolivia for a better life

Tues. March 13, 2018

Making money through Instagram Reselling old clothes on social media platforms is the new trend can be harmful. “I’m a big advocate for upcycling clothes. After I made my account, I saw many others like it too, and it was cool to see everyone doing the Unused $85 Victoria’s Secret hand- same thing,” Villarroel said. bag for $11? $70 good condition Calvin Sophomore Hakim Idris made an Klein high waisted jeans for $20? These Instagram account too, to get rid of outare only a few examples of the new fit pieces he doesn’t wear anymore; his thrifting bandwagon which students Instagram account has helped him have begun to jump on. make loads of money since he started.

Buying and selling clothing items “I’ve gotten a lot of money since selling and other accessories on social media clothes on apps such as Instagram, Instagram.

Twitter, and Snapchat “Not only I’ve made is the new way to make over $100 do I sell on bang for your buck. just sellOther items such as my own ing expenshoes and hats get sold sive things too, but more frequently, account, I I don’t ever it’s clothing items that buy clothes wear, don’t attract more customers. like, or grew from other Freshmen, sophout of,” Idris omores, juniors, and people selling too. said. seniors alike have all Getting the stuff fast is It only participated in creating takes a couthese accounts because the best part.” ple days it’s a quick and effective --DANI VILLARROEL to gain the Sophomore right followway to make money and helps clear up a lot of er build up closet space. until someone can start selling old cloth“I sell my clothes at a low price ing items. Once it starts you should be because I think it benefits me and the expecting to make a good amount per customer and I can make a better prof- week. Without even realizing it, many it. I also don’t have to waste my clothes people make $100 within just the first and other people can get a use out of two weeks of making these accounts. them,” sophomore Dani Villarroel said.

Buying clothing through social Rather than throwing old clothing media is favored much more than shopaway, this is a more beneficial opportu- ping at a mall because it’s people from nity to get rid of clothing you don’t wear school who are selling the clothes to you, anymore or that doesn’t fit. This is also so you don’t have to make a time-conknown as upcycling. Upcycling is resell- suming trip to the mall. ing used clothing at a good price while “It’s really easy. People just tell me the quality of clothing is still intact. by commenting or messaging me what By doing this, old wardrobe pieces they want. Then they just pay me at do not have to be thrown away, which school the next day. I don’t have to

How to: sell your own clothing

BY AVE CLYBURN Staff Writer

First, be sure to have quality clothing items to sell. Newer stuff from stores like American Eagle or Topshop is what people tend to buy. Be sure to wash all the clothing for better appeal.

Next, create a social media account, such as an Instagram account, to help promote the items you're trying to sell. Start posting, then gain followers.

When making the posts, add a description of the clothing, original price, and discounted price. This will create more incentive to buy.

The number of customers should begin to increase on your page as more things are added.

With quality items and posts, you'll be making The number of customers should begin to increase on your page as more items are added.

worry about going to their house to give them the item or having to pay to ship the items to their house,” sophomore Lindsey Keyes said.

Students also prefer this method of online shopping rather than the more traditional way of online shopping because there’s no extra payment needed for shipping and there’s no worry

about the delivery never making it to your house because the package is given to you at school.

Reselling your old clothing items this way is the 21st century shopping mall, but better and more convenient for many.

LIFESTYLES 13 appin' with abi

Y

Advice column Dear Yabi, I was in a six month relationship with my boyfriend who was like my best friend. We would frequently hang out and we'd Facetime for hours all the time. To simply put it- we clicked. Sadly, I discovered recently that he cheated on me, but he doesn't know that I know. How should I approach the problem?

- A friend in need Dear friend in need, It hurts me to say this, but it seems like every relationship I've witnessed has not stuck through, mainly because of cheating issues.

The best thing to try and do in this predicament is first, make sure you know for a fact that he is cheating, it's better to be safe than sorry. Second, mentally prepare yourself for what will come when you approach him. Have a plan to ensure that you know what you'll say, so you can get it out.

Finally, confront him face to face. He should know that you're aware that he's been cheating, and even though I may have never been in a relationship, I would leave him on the spot. Clearly there is no respect for you in this relationship, so if you have an ounce of care for yourself, leave.

Getting out of a relationship is clearly a difficult situation. Yet if crying and watching romantic comedies for hours a day is what you need to do to get over him, then do it.

Just be sure to know that he is the one who'll end up more miserable than you in the end, and there are so many other quality people who will give you the real care you deserve. Maybe, in time, you'll be able to talk to him again and rebuild a friendship based on honesty.

Do you prefer to shop on websites or in-store?

Too much risky business when online shopping

JONATHAN ASSEFA

BY YABI BEREKET Lifestyles Editor

ALEX OHENE

junior "I prefer to shop in store because I get to see the item and I know what I'm getting into. I don't like shopping online because I'll see the item and think this is exactly what I want, but when it arrives, it's the complete opposite of what I wanted."

GABBY WHITE

senior "I prefer shoppng in store because then I can actually try the clothing on and because I know what looks good on me and what doesn't right then and there. I think that there are more sales in store if I go shopping than online. I personally like talking to an employee and being able to figure out what it is exactly that I want to get. "

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION OF SADAF MARZI BY: YABI BEREKET

junior "I prefer to shop online because there's more of a variety for me. However, when you do shop online, you may not know all the sizes and you don't get the benefit of trying some of the clothing on. Whenever I shop online, I also get more promotion codes and sales rather than when I'm shopping at the mall."

loss for the person on the other end of the recieving line.

“I wanted to buy a black skirt from H&M, and I did. But when it arrived, it Online shopping has been a way came with another person's jacket that of life for many people; it’s as easy as I didn’t order,” junior Hemen Besufekad breathing and as addicting as Netflix. said. “I tried returning the jacket back The ability to shop while in the luxury to the online store, but I was charged of your own bed is a dream come true for from my own card for their mistake.” many.

To add to the list, making online purEven if this method of shopping is a chases could lead to credit card fraud, preferred way of purchasing goods for meaning your card could be used by some, others have had to witness the another person who has hacked your bad parts of shopping via internet. account.

The range of things which could go “Dealing with credit card fraud wrong are endless. It can be as small is when company websites sell your as getting the wrong size or as large as redit card information to third parties. dealing with credit card fraud. RegardIt couldpossibly less, it’s safe to mess up your credtake precautions “Company it score,” junior Ephwhen shopping rata Yohannes said. websites online.

Although it may One thing sell your not be as frequent to be aware of as other negatives when ordering an credit card when online shopitem is that pur- informaping, it can still hapchased things pen, and the consetion to third have the possibilquence from it could ity of not arriving parties. It could possiresult in getting at all. This is only the legal authority bly mess up your credit the beginning of involved. many unfortunate score.”

Some are under Buying clothes online could be a bit pricey, but having to pay an excessive extra possibilities which the impression that amount for shipping could be stepping out of line.

--EPHRATA YOHANNES people who shop shopping online People turn to this way of buying j junior $10 may not seem like a lot, but online must deal could be cheaper when you’re shopping online to try and because of the easy access it provides with. than going in the store and that is possiand lets people stay at home rather than In most cases, items are packaged in ble. But, online stores are known for try- save money, it doesn’t seem like a whole deal with stuffy stores. But, knowing lot is saved. a warehouse, making it an easy an open ing to trick customers into buying items Lastly, it’s very easy to be ripped what you’re getting into before jumptarget for people to snag items that are which may appear ot be at a fair price, off online. What you buy online could ing into it, could provide you protecmeant to be shipped out. There’s even but when you’re on the final checkout actually be at a better price in the store tion online, and money saved if you take the case of having your package arrive, page, you are hit with a $10 shipping fee itself. This is definitely a frequent occur- the necessary precautions when online but with other people’s orders inside . added to your total cost. shopping. rence that happens to people.

That may be a bonus for you, but is a

Fashion Spotlight: Khanh Nguyen, 12 Q: Where do you like to shop?

A: I like to shop at Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe for my heels, rompers, and dresses. I also like Marhsalls and Ross for simpler and affordable pieces for everyday wear.

PHOTO CREDIT: KHANH NGUYEN

Q: What is your favorite accessory?

A: Big hoops are hands down my favorite accessory. They really make an outfit pop and add a whole new level of confidence.

Senior Khanh Nguyen wears a black halter top tucked into a pink skater skirt, and pairs it with black heels.

Q: What's your favorite season to dress for?

A: Fall is my favorite season to dress for because it's not so cold to the point where I have to wear a big jacket, but I can still wear my black booties and a leather jacket.

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

A: It usually only takes me five to ten minutes to get ready because I plan my outfits a week or two ahead of time.

Q: How much do you invest in clothing?

A: I tend to only spend $30 to $50 on clothing when I'm shopping. I think you can make even the most affordable pieces look great together if you put the effort.

Q: What is your typical outfit for school?

A: Most days, I wear my thigh-high black boots because they add a chic vibe to every outfit. I also wear big hoops, a nice top, and jeans.

Q: What is your favorite pair of shoes?

A: My favorite pair of shoes are my long black boots because they go with everything.

Q: What do you wear on bum days?

A: On bum days, I usually have on a black over-sized hoodie with jeans, simple hoops, and my thigh-high boots.

Q: Do you dress to impress or for yourself?

A: I definitely dress for myself. Looking good makes me feel good.

PHOTO CREDIT: KHANH NGUYEN

Q: How did you learn to dress?

A: I watched Youtube videos for outfit inspirations, but I mainly wore whatever I thought would make me feel most confident.

Nguyen wears a black lace dress and black thigh-high boots.

14 PEOPLE

Tues. March 13, 2018

Double the trouble Twins share different sides of their life’s ups and downs

ALEXIS GRANADOS freshman “Yes, because I would want to switch classes with them and it’d be fun to trick people.”

Seniors Jason and Johnny Danh

BY HENRY HOANG People Editor Johnny, what is the coolest thing about having a twin?

At least for me, the coolest thing about having a twin is that a lot of the time, we would have the same thought during the day and we would look at each other at the same time and give each other a slight nod. Like a message saying “You know what I’m thinking.”

Jason, what’s the weirdest thing about having a twin?

The weirdest thing about having a twin is when we are being asked if we are twins, we usually say no and see people’s reactions. We do this to maybe get a laugh out of somebody Johnny, how can other people tell you and Jason apart?

The way others can tell us apart is that

he has a dimple and I don’t. Also, I’m left handed, he’s right handed. He has a widows peak, I don’t He also has a small bald spot. Oh, and we have different glasses.

Johnny, what would you do without a twin?

Throughout my life, I have always had Jason. We share many memories good or bad. He has been there for me and I have been there for him so I don’t really know what I’ll do. But, without him, I would’ve had more space in my house and I would spend more time with my other friends.

Johnny, what misconceptions do other have about you?

The misconceptions that others have of us are that we are exactly alike, and well, personality wise.

Whenever we talk his voice kind of gets annoying. He always bickers alot but then again, he’s still my brother.

Johnny, what is the happiest moment you had together?

Jason and I have played football for Annandale so thats one of the happiest moments.

We don’t really have one but thats about it.

We bonded alot throughout the seasons that we’ve played with.

Jason, what annoys you the most about your twin?

TJ HUTNAN freshman “No, because identical twins weird.

People might mistake me for being him and it’ll get annoying.”

HUNTER WESTFALL sophomore “Yes, because you could play tricks on people and it’d be cool.”

Seniors Jason and Johnny Danh (left to right) pose and smile for the camera.

Juniors Darwin and Darnell Khay

BY HENRY HOANG People Editor

Juniors Darnell and Darwin Khay (left to right) stands back to back for the camera.

didn’t notice at all, and what makes it more weird is that we both talked to them and they still didn’t notice anything.

Darwin, what is the coolest thing about having a twin?

The coolest thing about having a twin is that I would be theoretically be able to take the other twin’s place sometimes.

Darwin, what is the happiest memory you had together?

My happiest memories together with my twin brother would be the time when we both went to Miami Beach. It was fun to hang out with him, especially in the beach or the hotel pool.

Darnell, what is the weirdest thing about having a twin?

The weirdest thing i’ve experienced as a twin was when my brother and I switched PE classes in 6th grade. The teachers

Darwin, what would you do without a twin?

Without a twin, I would live my life differently, but for the most part, it would be the same. Since I share clothes and almost everything with my brother because I am forced to, I don’t think I would have to share anything if he didn’t exist. Also, I would probably hang out with my friends more often.

Darwin, what annoys you the most about your twin?

If there’s one thing that really annoys me about my brother, it would be his hair. He keeps it so long, and it doesn’t look that good in my opinion. I personally don’t like my hair either, but at least it’s not so long as my brother’s.

Another thing that really aannoys me is when he gets annoyed by me when I didn’t even do anything. I didn’t even do anything to him and he would just give me an attitude sometimes.

Darnell, what misconceptions do others have of you?

A misunderstanding that my brother and I have is when one of us does something really different, to a point where we actually facepalm ourselves. For example, this one time my brother told me he wouldn’t stay after, yet he did, and not only that. He also bought food while he was at it, even when we had dinner at home.

Freshmen Prince and Princess Agyeman headphones in and raise the volume but he gets even louder. Sometimes he dances and it gets repetitive.

Would you want to have an identical twin?

Prince, what would you do without a twin?

Princess has been with me throughout my entire life. Her and I share a lot of memories together and we have bonded really closely the older we got. But, if I didn’t have a twin, then I would have more space in my room.

BY HENRY HOANG People Editor

who should get it. It always ends up as neither of us getting it because it would be “unfair.”

Prince, what is the coolest thing about having a twin?

The coolest thing about having a twin is that we have the same facial structure.

We get alot of clout for it whenever we go to parties.

Princess, how can other people tell you and Prince apart?

Well obviously, he is a boy and I am a girl. But if we were either both boys or both girls, I can guess that our facial structure would change.

Princess, what is the weirdest thing about having a twin?

The weirdest thing about having a twin is that when we look at something, we will notice that we are both looking at it and start laughing. Also, whenever someone comes up to us, since we are different genders, people sometimes mistake me for Prince.

Prince, what is the happiest memory you had together?

The happiest memory me and Princess had was when we were about 6, I shaved my eyebrows off and then she shaved hers. Then, when we got caught, we blamed it on eachother and we laughed it off.

Princess, what are some troubles about having a twin?

Some troubles are when my dad has one of something and is debating on

Princess, what annoys you the most about your twin?

One thing he does that annoys me is when he is really loud. I have to put my Freshmen Prince and Princess Agyeman strike a pose and show their love.

MARISSA JOHNSON sophomore “Yes, because I would want another person like me and I would be able to share everything with them.”

ABU ELSADEG junior “No, because I won’t be as unique.

Also, there would be another person exactly like me.”

SARAH ELKHEBRI junior “No, because I would feel like I have to compete with them and I would rather be more independent..”

ELLIOT ALWES senior “Yes, because I would assimmilate with him and I could always have someone to always be there for you.”

MARIAM MOHAMED senior “Yes, because I would be able to relate to them for a lot of things and annoy my friends more than I already do.”

aa I was a cheerleader and President of Key Club and French Club and dance captain for my show choirs, Spotlight and Rhapsody.

HUMANS OF ANNANDALE Hello, My name is Idris and I’m a junior here at Annandale High School. When I was 13, I visited Italy to stay with family.

Although it is a beautiful country, unfortunately there was a lot of indiscriminate racism. NBA Star Derrick Rose was taking a promotional trip in Milan at the time.

Hundreds of people gathered in front of Adidas, ready to see the NBA star. It was extremely hot outside, so I decided to duck down under the booth where the other kids were.

I was instantly shooed out by a white middle aged lady. I tried my luck again, but I was repeatedly kicked out.

The fourth time, I was met with some extremely harsh words. My cousin cursed at the lady and then translated to me what she had said. It was a terrible racial slur that I just couldn’t possibly repeat within the confines of our lovely school newspaper. Tiny occasions like this happened at random and all the time. The word “Negro” seemed to drop from many people’s mouths while speaking to me. I didn’t understand the language well, but the prejudiced occasions were terrifyingly high.

WHO AM I?

I attended...

TC Williams High School and Marymount University (both undergrad and grad school) The extracurricular activities I did were...

Orchestra, NHS I was born in...

Alexandria, Virginia My favorite book is...

Harry Potter Series Before teaching at Annandale....

I taught at TC Williams for 1 year (government and world history II). I also worked at Congressional Camp during the summer as a counselor for 6 years.

Idris Dahir junior It made me realize how blessed I was to be living in Northern Virginia and attending school in Fairfax County.

The diversity here compared to places even a couple hours away is actually crazy!

I know so many things about so many cultures, and almost everyone I meet is openminded.

In Italy, most people didn’t know what in the world Ramadan (holy month of fasting) is, while here most people know and support it. It truly is a blessing to live in such a diverse area.

Why did you choose teaching...

I love the diverse population here at Annandale.

It reminds me so much of where I went to school so I feel at home. I also love getting to learn about the different cultures of my students.

Favorite movie is...

Ugh this is so hard! Any Disney/Marvel movie is always up there so I guess right now Black Panther? The Harry Potter movies rank up there as well.

My greatest feat is...

Being the first person in my family to graduate college and then go on to get my master’s degree.

I teach at Annandale because...

I always loved history and working with kids so it all just kind of fell into place that way.

What I do in my free time is...

I hang out with my family and two dachshunds (wiener dogs!), read, hike, Netflix, the usual.

Favorite quote is...

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light” -Albus Dumbledore Use a QR Code scanner to reveal Who Am I?

SPORTS X-TRA 15

Tues. March 13 , 2018

Teacher athletes

BY JUDE NANAW & TJ GONZALEZ

COURTESY OF FRANCO KITILA

Sports X-tra Editor and Staff Writer

Player Profile: Franco Kitila

History and social studies teacher Michael Mathis is a former collegiate lacrosse player. Mathis competed in lacrosse at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia.

During his time in high school, Mathis was recruited by multiple schools. In addition to this, he also visited other schools of interest.

“I was recruited by a couple schools and I also took the opportunity to visit other schools to show them that I was interested,” Mathis said. “I tried to push myself upon those schools and see if there were any opportunities to walkon.”

During the time Mathis was in high school, there were not many organizations in place to help high school student-athletes with the recruiting process.

“The traditional thing back then was

to send film and then write to the coach to set up recruiting visits,” Mathis said.

Mathis was very active in the process during high school and worked to show interest in various schools that did not recruit him.

“Coincidentally, the college that I ended up going to and playing for initially was not recruiting me,” Mathis said.

“After I reached out to them and showed interest in their college, they contacted me.”

In addition to being a teacher, Mathis is also a lacrosse coach for the Atoms. He applies his own playing experiences to coaching and helping studentathletes today.

“It is a daunting task for any one coach survey hundreds of thousands of high school players to pick who they think will be a good pick for them,” Mathis said. “Therefore, the onus really falls on the individual player to develop a portfolio of both academic and athletic accomplishments.”

Q. Do you run track outside of school?

A. Yeah, I trained in the off-season this summer.

Q. What made you start wanting to run track?

A. I had decent speed and decided to tryout. I hated it at first but refused to quit and ever since then I have just been in love.

Q. Are there any other sports you play or have played in the past?

A. I have also played football.

Q. What are your most notable accomplishments in track during high school thus far?

A. I am proudest of how well the team did during states this indoor season.

Q. Is it difficult to balance school along with sports?

A. Yes, it is hard to balance everything because I work and participate in the TSA club, sing in the choir and run track. But you have to manage it all in hopes of being recognized as special to colleges.

Q. Which events do you most frequently run?

A. I run the 55m, 4x200m relay, 4x100m relay, 100m dash and the 200m dash.

Q. How do you prepare before a track meet?

A. I use the bathroom a minimum of four times before my first race. I also do not talk before my races and I over-stretch because of paranoia also.

Q. What are your future goals in track?

A. Just to bounce back from my injury slump and help out the team and also build closer relations with everyone on the team.

New girls soccer head coach and Health and PE teacher Lindsey Ottavio is a former Division I athlete.

Ottavio was a part of the women’s soccer team at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia.

For girls soccer, the recruitment process begins rather early. The process usually begins by sophomore year and student-athletes begin to verbally commit starting junior year.

In high school, Ottavio was recruited by multiple schools and was left deciding between a number of schools in Virginia.

“I ultimately narrowed it down to JMU and Longwood,” Ottavio said.

“I verbally committed my junior year to Longwood and then signed my

National Letter of Intent my senior year.”

Playing at the Division I level in any collegiate sport including soccer means much more rigorous competition.

“Playing a Division I sport was everything I hoped it would be,” Ottavio said. “It was competitive and challenging and required a lot of balancing the school-end of it as well as the athletic commitment.”

Along with the athletics in college, academics need to be maintained as well. With travel schedules, practice and games, it is difficult but important to balance both.

“You have to be able to schedule yourself so that you can maximize your success in both areas,” Ottavio said.

Now the new girls soccer coach, Ottavio is looking to relate her own experiences of playing soccer both in high school and at the collegiate level. Now a soccer coach, Ottavio played soccer at the Divison I level at Longwood.

COURTESY OF LINDSEY OTTAVIO

Q. How long have you been running track?

A. For about two and a half years now.

BY JUDE NANAW Sports X-tra Editor

Auburn tight end joins Annandale

BY JUDE NANAW Sports X-tra Editor Assistant Atoms football coach and classroom aid Christopher Otersen had the unique experience compete in college football at two Division I schools.

Otersen was recruited to play college football at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia.

“The recruitment proccess was full of anxiety for me,” Otersen said. “I wasn’t highly recruited, but I knew I had this dream to play at the collegiate level.”

Otersen went on to receive one offer from VMI to play college football and accepted it. At VMI, Otsersen’s playing experience was limited due to injuries that kept him off the field for some time.

“My playing experience was very limited due to injuries and transfer restrictions,” Otersen said. “But I enjoyed every bit of it.”

After his time at the Virginia

Which team do you think will win the NCAA tournament?

Military Institute, Otersen later transferred to Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. He received another opportunity to play as he made the team as a walk-on.

“I was fortunate enough to receive a great education and a championship ring from Auburn’s championship season in 2010,” Otersen said.

Now a football coach and classroom aid at AHS, Otersen shares his experiences both on and off the field with others.

“Now I get to work at Annandale so I can share my knowledge of academic integrity and athletic excellence,” Otersen said.

Despite not being heavily recruited early on, Otersen managed to defy the odds and worked towards earning the opportunity to play on a consistent top football team in the nation.

“I’ve noticed that if you work hard, keep the faith, and are willing to do your part, you can fulfill your dreams in life.”

CARLOS CABRERA junior “UVA because they are ranked number one right now and have a good shot to win it all.”

ISATU KARGBO

junior “Texas because they have a good shot and are strong at rebounding.”

JAD ABUTAA sophomore “Kansas is about to win that whole thing, because it’s that home town and they barely lost last year.”

LISSIS LAZO-CALIX sophomore “Texas Tech because of their zone defense and they have a good ranking right now.”

EVERETT STENBERG senior “I am going to say that North Carolina is going to win because they are pretty solid and won the whole thing last year.”

ALICHIA HOUSE senior “Duke is going to win the torunament because they are really consistent and have good coaching.”

Coming out of high school, Otersen committed to VMI to play football but then later transferred to Auburn University.

March Madness craze begins Students prepare for annual basketball tournament

BY JUDE NANAW Sports X-tra Editor

JAYDEN JOYA freshman “I would have to say Duke because they have a really good offense and defense this year.”

COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER OTERSEN

Junior Franco Kitila has been a member of the Atoms track team since freshman year. He specializes in sprints and relay events such as the 4x200m relay and 100m dash. Kitila in a consistent qualifier for regional and state meets as well as a participant in various extracurricular activities.

freshman “I think Duke is going to win the whole tournament because that is my favorite team.”

Once recurited by multiple schools, Mathis eventually decided to attend Roanoke college to play lacrosse.

College captain turns to coaching

BY JUDE NANAW Sports X-tra Editor

GLORY NSEKA

COURTESY OF MICHAEL MATHIS

Lax player becomes history teacher

With the official bracket being released on March 11, the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament is set to kick off on March 15.

Many students are racing to begin creating brackets which predict winners and losers of each round of the tournament.

“I like creating brackets because it almost feels like I am writing a script,” junior Muaz Nasher said.

The intense and crucial moments of many tournament games are highly anticipated as dynamic high-scoring

teams such as Kentucky and Kansas get set to take the court.

“My favorite part about March Madness has to be the buzzer beaters and exciting plays,” junior Alex Bellem said.

A number of students around school join leagues with friends and classmates in which all members create brackets and attempt to have the highest number of correct picks.

“It is always fun to compete against my friends,” Nasher said. “When it comes to March Madness, there is always an exciting feeling of getting correct picks.”

In the championship game last year, North Carolina came out victorious against Gonzaga.

This year, the favorites to win the tournament this year include Villanova, Duke and Virginia.

There are also a number of underdogs that have an opportunity to come out victorious such as Oklahoma and Missouri.

“I really think that Ohio State can win the championship this year,” Bellem said. “They are really severely underrated and nobody is giving them a legitimate shot to win.”

In addition, both Michigan and Michigan State are viewed as highly improved teams from last year with an opportunity to make the final four.

Those competing and creating brackets mainly do so in apps. In past years the most popular have been the ESPN Tournament Challenge and the NCAA March Madness app.

These apps provide notifications and updates on the status of brackets and breakdowns of individual games.

“I enjoy using the ESPN app because of the updates it gives me on my picks,” Bellem said.

Make sure to create and finalize brackets by March 15, as they will lock and be submitted automatically on that day.

Screenshots from both the NCAA March Madness and ESPN Tournament Challenge give a view of current games with scores. In addition to creating brackets on the apps, they also provide updates on individual teams and most likely winners and losers.

16 SPORTS Wed. March 14 Baseball vs Fairfax HS @ 6:30 (Home) Softball vs Edison HS @ 6:30 (Home) Girls Soccer vs Robert E. Lee HS @ 7:15 (Away) Boys Soccer vs Robert E. Lee HS @ 7:15 (Home)

Thurs. March 15 Girls Tennis vs Lake Braddock HS @ 4:00 (Away) Boys Tennis vs Lake Braddock HS @ 4:00 (Home) Softball vs Falls Church HS @ 6:30 (Home) Girls Lacrosse vs WashingtonLee HS @ 7:15 (Home) Boys Lacrosse vs WashingtonLee HS @ 7:15 (Away)

Fri. March 16 Baseball vs Yorktown HS @ 6:30 (Away) Girls Soccer vs Wakefield HS @ 7:15 (Away) Boys Soccer vs Wakefield HS @ 7:15 (Home)

Sat. March 17- Sun. March 18 Girls Lacrosse plays in Varsity Invitational Tournament (Home)

Mon. March 19 Girls Tennis vs Edison HS @ 4:00 (Home) Boys Tennis vs Edison HS @ 4:00 (Away) Baseball vs Robert E. Lee HS @ 6:30 (Away) Girls Lacrosse vs West Potomac HS @ 7:15 (Away) Boys Lacrosse vs West Potomac HS @ 7:15 (Home)

Boys lacrosse victorious in their second scrimmage AHS Atoms battle to 9- 2 victory against the Lee Lancers

BY LUKE ELKINS Sports Editor It was a decisive victory for the Atoms on Thurs. March 8, as they defeated the Lancers with a dominant scoreline of 9-2.

Junior Alex Bellem was a star performer in the Atoms final preparation for their season, as he bagged a teambest four goals.

Junior Cameron Foti secured a hat trick, and seniors Tyler Westfall and Jon Figley each grabbed a goal as well.

The victory against the Lancers comes after the Atoms were victorious in their first scrimmage against C.D. Hylton HS as well.

The Atoms dominated each of their scrimmages as they won against the C.D. Hylton Bulldogs 8-4.

“The past two scrimmages went really well,” Westfall said. “I think we got better from the first scrimmage to the second scrimmage so that’s a positive sign. Hopefully the trend continues and we continue to get better every game.”

The large margins of victory in each scrimmage for the Atoms is a sign of the success they hope will be coming in their season.

“I’m really excited for this upcoming season. It’s my first season, so I’m hoping to do really well. ” Westfall said.

Being a lacrosse rookie, Westfall wants to work on many facets of his

game to focus on performing well during the season.

“For me as a first year player, I have a lot of stuff that I need to work on, but I’d say a big one is stick skills like shooting and passing accurately,” Westfall said.

After a 1-10 record in their previous season, there is a lot of room for improvement for the team as well.

As they begin their first season in the Gunston District, with Hayfield, Mount Vernon, T.C. Williams and West Potomac, they will be attempting to be the kings of their district.

Many on the team feel like this is an attainable goal for the Atoms.

“For the team, I’d say that we have a shot at districts, which would be pretty exciting if we pulled that off,” Westfall said. “But, we do need to improve some parts of our game.”

As they continue to train and prepare for their season opener, they will improve.

“The biggest thing we need to improve is communication both in the offensive and defensive zones. When we communicate well, we usually have success on both ends,” Westfall said.

Communication will be something that the squad will develop slowly but surely as they build up chemistry during practices and games.

The Atoms will be kicking off their season with a game against the Washington-Lee Generals on Thurs. March 15, and a victory for them would be crucial to starting the season on the right foot.

The team will be wary of being overconfident, espicially after a 1-10 record in the previous season, but they feel like they have the tools to succeed this season.

RICH FINK

Upcoming schedule for spring sports

Tues. March 13, 2018

Junior Matthew Dinh runs with the ball in a game against Falls Church High School last year on April 10.

Softball steps up to the plate

RICH FINK

Atoms prepare for opening game after their last scrimmage against the Thomas Jefferson Colonials

BY ERIK RIVAS Staff Writer

Sophomore Sydney Wuhrer escapes an opponent against Mount Lebanon High School last year.

Girls lacrosse kick off

BY MAHDI LAHRMARI Staff Writer

ELIZABETH CORCORAN

The Atoms softball team is preparing for their first games of the season after competing in two scrimmages.

Although the score of the games were not kept because it was a scrimmage, the team feel like they put on a good performance that can lead them to victories during the regular season.

“I think the game went pretty well.

We got better as the game progressed,” senior Elizabeth Corcoran said.

There were some positives and some negatives to their clash with the Colonials on Fri. March 9.

“The good things were that we adjusted to the pitcher every time we went up to the plate to bat. We also communicated a lot better than in our first scrimmage,” Corcoran said. “The bad things were that when things were not going our way, we couldn’t stop the bleeding. Instead, we would dig ourselves into a bigger hole before we were able to work out of it.”

With their first game against J.E.B. Stuart HS coming up on the horizon, the team will be looking to see where they can make improvements before they open up their season on Tues.

March 13.

It’s cliché, but practices will play a key role in preparing the atoms for a busy season of softball.

Senior shortstop Elizabeth Corcoran prepares to field the ball during practice.

“Our practices are very structured.

We warm-up, base-run, throw, and then break up into infield and outfield.

Then we’ll do hitting stations and then come back to do a ‘live game situation’ scrimmage,” Corcoran said.

The team has all bases covered for what to practice, and will be hoping to turn this hard work into victories this coming season. Victories are not everything, of course.

“My goal for the season is to help my teammates improve with each game we play,” Corcoran said.

Improvement will be the name of the game for the atoms softball team this year, as the begin their inaugural season in the Gunston District.

They will be hoping to gain chemistry as a team to begin the season on a strong note.

As spring rolls around, the Atoms girls lacrosse is ready to kick off their season. After finishing with only 4 wins and 11 losses last season, the girls are looking to make a long run in their season this year.

The girls faced off against Thomas Edison High School for their first scrimmage of the season but were unable to get the win.

The scrimmage took place at Edison High School. At the end of the day, the Atom girls’ hard work and sweat fell short to the Eagles by one.

The players felt like even though they lost it was a great learning experience. Senior “We lost by one, but overall as a team we got better throughout the game and I’m really excited for the rest of the season,” senior Grace Hatch said.

The coaches agreed with the players that the game was a great learning experience despite the score.

“The scrimmage went really well,” varsity coach Cindy Hook said. “We really improved individually as a team throughout the game. Everyone got a chance to play and we used a variety of combination and tactics.”

To have an improved season, both the coach and the players know that hard work has to be put in.

Every player and coach’s goal is to make it all the way to states and win and also to have fun during the season.

Hatch already has her goals set and ready for the 2018 season.

“Some of my personal goals for the season are being there for my teammates on the field when they need it,practicing how I want to play and improving my shot on goal,” Hatch said.

The girls first game is going to be against Washington-Lee on Thursday, March 15th.

This will be their first game of the regular season and it will also be their first home game of the season.

Player Profile: Alex Bellem How long have you been playing lacrosse?

I’ve been playing lacrosse for 6 years.

How did you discover your interest in lacrosse?

I discovered my interest in lacrosse was back in 6th grade and I really needed a spring sport so it was just by chance that I found out about it.

Who is your favorite athlete and why?

My favorite athlete is [lacrosse player] Paul Rabil because of how much he does for the community and he’s also really good.

What inspires you to play lacrosse?

Something that inspires me to play lacrosse is the contact of the sport and the feeling of hitting a really nice shot on the field.

How have your friends and family supported you?

My friends and family help me by supporting me constantly and a lot of friends have joined the team too.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

I think the best advice that I received was to take chances

and don’t be afraid to just shoot the ball.

What is your daily training routine?

My daily training routine is wake up and do 35-50 pushups in 10 by 10 sets and then I do the same before I go to bed.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time I like to win Fortnite games with my boys.

What’s your favorite song to listen to before a game?

The lacrosse team actually has its own little mix of songs that I listen to before games, but I can’t give out the information of which songs it is.

What’s your favorite pre-game meal?

I actually don’t like to eat a lot for pregame meals, but when I do eat it’s usually a bagel and Nature Valley Crunch Bar. What’s your favorite part about lacrosse?

My favorite part about lacrosse is the mixture of physicality and finesse that allows you to do a variety of different things on the field.

What advice would you give to lacrosse beginners?

My advice to lacrosse beginners is to practice wall ball as much as possible and also practice your off hand early.

A;LEX BELLEM

BY LUKE ELKINS Sports Editor

Junior Alex Bellem fights for the ball against Falls Church last year on April 10.

SPORTS 17

Tues. March 13, 2018

Baseball swings into the season

Senior captain Augusto Gonzalez and Rudy Flores push the ball up the field during their scrimmage against Stuart on March 8.

Atoms fall short to the Raiders Raiders defeat the Atoms 1-0

BY ALEXANDER BURITA

PHOTO COURTESY TO ETHAN ZIMMERMAN

Staff Writer

Sophomore Julio Rivas at practice. the team.”

On March 9, the Atoms played in their final preseason game against Falls Church. AHS won the game with a score of 19-13. The Atoms took control of the game from the first inning.

“We played as a team and we communicated off and on the field,” junior Joseph Courtney said.

The Atomic Icebreaker tournament will kick off with a game against Briar Woods High School on Monday, March 12th and will conclude with a game against Fairfax on Wednesday, March 14th.

“Any questions that we still have as a team will be answered during our game tonight at Falls Church and remaining questions or improvements for the team will be addressed at Saturday’s practice,” Bagot said.

At this point, despite not having played a game yet, both Bagot and Abourakty have expressed their optimism for the season.

“I am excited for the season to start. We are a young team and I look forward to watching the development of our younger players,” Bagot said. “I also am excited to put last year behind us and try to make some noise in our district. We will have two seniors that will lead the team in. They are Ryan Gammon and Travis Beacom.”

Annandale baseball has an ultimate goal of reaching the regional tournament and to finish in the top three in the district.

With a newly stacked roster, Annandale High School men’s varsity soccer played their first preseason game at Falls Church in which they suffered a 2-0 defeat.

Eight days later they played their second and final preseason game at home in which they lost to J.E.B Stuart by a close score of 1-0.

Both of these games were used to make clear what final adjustments the lineup needed to make the Atoms’ season as successful as possible. The Atoms will play their first game at Thomas Edison High School on Monday, March 12.

“It is great that we know which players fit best in what positions and what our weaknesses are as a team before the Edison game,” senior Captain Rudy Flores said. “Also, so far we have improved on our communication

around the field, passing the ball more quickly and playing as a team.”

Most of the game against Stuart, especially the first half, was practically a stalemate.

Possession remained at about 50 percent for each team and there were many opportunities set up. Until the middle of the second half, no team was able to pull ahead.

There were a few breakthroughs through the defense on both sides, but all shots on goal either missed or were saved.

However, most of the action took place in the middle of the field where each team was giving their best effort to keep possession in order to create opportunities.

Overall, in terms of possession and shots on goal, each team seemed to gain the upper hand at times but then started to lose the ball.

The opposing team would then gain the upper hand until they started to

lose possession. The game remained in this manner until Stuart was finally able to pull ahead and win the game.

It was a free kick on Annandale’s right side of the field. The ball came in, Stuart kept possession and the Atom’s defense was unable to clear it. Stuart had an easy shot on goal and scored.

“My personal goal for the team this year is to improve as a player and to win the district.”

--AUGUSTO GONZALEZ

Senior

For the rest of the game, the possession remained on Annandale’s side for the most part and opportunities started to open up.

During the 84th minute, six

minutes before the game ended, Annandale broke through the Raider’s defense and opened up a one on one with the keeper.

Unfortunately, the shot was just wide right.

After that last unsuccessful shot on goal, Annandale was not able to create any other major chances and ran out of time and lost a well-fought game.

“Overall as a team, we are in a good position to start making some noise in the district,” Coach Rico Moore said.

“But, we have to identify and answer some questions about where we need to be more solid and cohesive on the field.”

Moore and the team have all said that the team’s goal for the season is to win the district championship and go to regionals. Right now, they could be in the right spot to do just that.

“I feel really positive about the season because we have a large pool of talented players who have a lot of passion to win games,” Flores said. “In addition, I hope to improve as a player and to help the team to have a successful season.”

Girls soccer kicks off the season

BY JAMIE HAMADEH Staff Writer On Monday March 5, the girls varsity soccer team had their very first scrimmage of the spring season. They played against Freedom HS in Woodbridge. The team won the game with a grand score of 6 to 1. Junior, Alison Scott, scored three goals at the scrimmage. Soon after, junior, Jennifer Chavez, and freshmen Madison Cruz and Laila Lopez scored a goal each to bring the score up to a 6. The girls were really excited to have won their first scrimmage. Scott says it was a great boost of confidence especially since it was their first scrimmage of the season.

“It felt really good to win since it was a big change from last season,” sophomore Lindsey Keyes said.

On Wednesday March 7, the girls played against Freedom HS (South Riding). Unfortunately, they lost the game with a score of 8 to 1.

“I just think we need to change our mentality and think positively because this is a new season, we have new players and new coaches and we’re building something that’s really special, so moving forward we need to have that in

mind,” girls varsity soccer team coach, Lindsey Ottavio said. The girls all agree that they could have pressured more at the top half of the field and also that they could improve on passing techniques as a whole.

They all saw a tremendous change in the start of the second half of the scrimmage that they wish they had started off with.

“My goals for the girls this season is pretty simple, we’re just looking to start establishing the program and also working on our cohesiveness but also making this soccer team something to be proud of,” coach Ottavio said.

Everyday after school, both varsity and junior varsity gather to practice from 3:30-5:00 p.m. A typical practice for the team usually starts off with a couple stretches for their legs and arms.

Once their muscles are warmed up they start to do warm up drills like working on passing or possession.

Finally, the team works on shooting the ball as well as other techniques and they practice some new skills to use at future games and scrimmages.

The team has a set formation of 4-3-3 which they usually use at their games. This formation means that there is four defenders, three midfielders, and

PHOTO COURTESY TO KATIE POPE

Annandale varsity baseball was scheduled to play against Riverbend High School on March 6, 2018, as their first preseason game.

However, the game was canceled and Annandale’s improving team has still not been able to play.

“We were feeling good about the game against Riverbend as we have been making wise plays and decisions in practice,” junior Sam Abourakty said. “So, I feel like we would have done well and won the game if it were not canceled.”

Before the Atoms play in the Atomic Icebreaker tournament against Fairfax and Briar woods, they still have some adjustments that need to be made to the lineup.

“Before our season, we need to ensure that we are strong up the middle in our outfield,” Coach Christopher Bagot said. “We also have to determine who will play second base, shortstop and the roles of each of our pitchers on

PHOTO COURTESY TO KATIE POPE

BY ALEXANDER BURITA Staff Writer

Sophomores Miranda Ankney and Maddy Kim fight for possession during practice. three forwards on the field at a time.

Each and every girl on the soccer team has their own way to prepare for their games. This can be anything from stretching sore muscles to getting more practice by themselves aside from their team practices. “I prepare for games by eating good and going to the trainers when I feel like I need to,” junior Anissa Cheikh said. Scott, says she gets

prepared for a game or scrimmage by showing up to practice ready to work really hard.

The girls will have their first official game on Monday, March 12th against Edison HS here at the stadium field.

They are looking to keep their positive attitudes and confidence to win against Edison on Monday.

Coach’s Corner: Steven Zaret Steven Zaret has been the boys’ varsity tennis coach for four years and counting. He grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and attended college at American University for his undergraduate and then George Mason University. This year his goals for the team are to win as many matches as possible and most importantly, to have fun.

We have the 2nd highest GPA among any sports at AHS (girls tennis is first, so we’re trying harder) so my guys know to keep up with their class work.

How did you discover your interest in tennis?

I always enjoyed watching tennis but played mostly baseball and table tennis growing up. I discovered my interest in playing tennis after college.

How would you describe the organization of a typical practice?

Practices are organized similar to my History lessons with a warmup, central theme (such as volleys), drills to emphasize the theme, play, and a closing activity which is usually a fun and competitive drill.

What other schools have you previously worked at?

I coached at Dominion for a year and taught middle school at a private school for four years.

How do you promote community support for your team?

I have a large network of friends in the tennis community who provide racquets and sometimes tennis clothes.

What are your strengths as a coach?

I can teach anyone how to play. I have even taught three-year-olds.

What is the best advice you have ever given a tennis player?

I like to stress that tennis is a lifetime sport. You can play when you’re 8, 18, or 80. It’s a great way to meet people.

What are your best and worst memories in coaching?

I really enjoy seeing the growth in my players. As a player myself, I learn to put the bad experiences away quickly.

How do you handle the discipline of players?

Tennis is an interesting sport in that it has its own Code of Conduct and players make their own calls. I’m a big stickler for fair play, and I’m happy to say I’ve only had to take one point from one of our players for their conduct.

What advice do you have for your players regarding the balance of athletics and academics?

Who are your role models in coaching?

Hassan Mims What do you enjoy most about coaching?

We just have a great group of young men in the tennis program, and it’s always a joy to work with them What other sports are you interested in?

Pretty much everything. I really want to try curling in Maryland so if any teachers are reading this, come see me!

Get a grip History teacher Steve Zaret helping a new player grip the tennis racket.

18 ENTERTAINMENT

Tues. March 13. 2018

BLACK PANTHER Students react to the message behind Marvel’s new movie

BY LINA AL TAII, AYMAN ELHAG Entertainment Editor and Staff Writer High expectations were set for Director Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. The movie reached great success and continues to astound students.

“I went to watch Black Panther with my friends on opening day,” senior Meron Samuel said. “It was a great experience for me because the movie embraced African roots and it’s very rare to find such a big picture movie, nowadays, that actually portrays African culture in the right way. I liked how the movie portrayed black women as powerful.”

Black Panther revolves around a fictional country in Africa named Wakanda. The nation was struck by a meteorite that contained a powerful substance called Vibranium, which ultimately created the Black Panther.

Chadwick Boseman does a jawdropping job of playing this role. From accents to facial expressions throughout the movie, his character T’Challa was played remarkably well.

“The most influential part of the movie to me was when we see Erik Killmonger and his motives for why he wanted to be king,” senior Danielle Barrett said. “I also liked when T’Challa was almost killed and everyone thought he was going to die, but he turned out to

be alive in the end.”

There was some controversy over the use of Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger.

Erik, the antagonist, is of Wakandan descent, but he grew up in America.

Many people said that Jordan was not “African enough” for the role.

However, this was not the first time Coogler has worked with Michael B. Jordan. They previously worked together on another award-winning movie, Fruitvale Station, where Michael B. Jordan played the role of Oscar Grant in the remake of his death.

Daniel Kaluuya, who previously acted in Get Out, was also in this movie, but he had a minor role. His involvement helped bring recognition to the movie.

Why is it better than any other Marvel movie? A combination of good acting alongside popular actors, and a realistic portrayal of black people in film.

Marvel movies have consistently featured all white casts and lead roles.

However, Coogler has taken this film as an opportunity to showcase minority cultures, and the success of this film is unprecedented. To date, the lifetime gross of Black Panther has exceeded expectations, reaching a whopping $920 million worldwide.

For the film to be breaking records like this, it definitely has made an impact on people and how they view the

film industry.

“I thought it was a really important movie for black people to see,” Barrett said. “Black Panther showcases that we can be superheroes in our own right and it was a great way to celebrate black culture.”

Black Panther, unlike other movies on black culture, steers clear of stereotypes and prejudice.

Many movies made in the Western Hemisphere about Africa like to portray a poor and struggling continent. Black Panther, however, didn’t even glance to wards that plot line.

“I loved how it showed the independence of African culture and how many other cultures actually steal parts of African culture,” Samuel said.

This film not only tackles black struggles, but it emphasizes the power of black women.

“The most influential part of the movie to me was the portrayal of the women warriors,” Samuel said.

“Because they really had their own ideas and their own processes to go by, they weren’t told by anyone how to act.”

Black Panther has reached levels of success similar to other superhero movies such as Dark Knight ($1b in 2008), The Dark Knight Rises ($1.1b in 2012), Captain America: Civil War ($1.1b in 2016), Iron Man 3 ($1.2b in 2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron ($1.4b in 2015) and The Avengers ($1.5b in 2012).

This success is setting a great example for movies in the future which focus on different minorities.

“The whole movie was really influential and it really made its mark because

there aren’t a lot of black superhero movies,” junior Maisha Maliha said.

“The fact that it was so successful kind of set the precedent for more movies including minorities in general.”

Even more, minority students are looking to Black Panther as a message that movies can include anyone, even someone who looks like them.

The message of inclusion is important in film, because many movies feature all white actors and actresses.

“I’d like to see more Bengali people, because I’m Bengali. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Bengali actress in Hollywood,” Maliha said.

Black Panther has made a strong impact on the ideas behind representation of minorities in film. For students who have grown up their whole life watching all-white films and/or blaxploitation films, Black Panther has opened doors and opportunities for more minority inclusion in film.

“The film industry until now has always depicted Africa as poor and dirty,” Barrett said. “But this movie celebrated Africa and showed a vibrant and amazing Africa. It created a completely different depiction from the troubled Africa that movies usually show.”

The movie has broken numerous records already and will continue breaking more as theatres across the country and the world are still selling out this movie’s show time.

The best reactions!

See more reactions on Twitter with the hashtags #BlackPanther and #WakandaForever

African-American Representation in Film

BLACK CAESAR (1973)

12 YEARS A SLAVE (2013)

FRUITVALE STATION (2013)

Directed by a Steve McQueen, this film about a free black man is abducted and sold into slavery. After winning three Academy Awards in 2014, it is now one of the highest rated films.

GET OUT (2017)

Coined as “The Godfather of Harlem” this film follows a young Harlem boy who aspires to become a top criminal. Director Larry Cohen took an all-black take on the mainlywhite Godfather series.

Directed by Ryan Coogler, this film completely ignores the black-man stereotype in Hollywood. Instead, Coogler focuses on the true story of a man who was shot to death by a police officer.

Director Jordan Peele won his first Academy Award for best original screenplay for this movie. This movie gained attention for it’s portrayal of a dangerous interracial relationship.

Red Sparrow relies on Lawrence Playlist of the Issue

Academy Award winning actress takes on action role as Russian spy

LOOK ALIVE BlocBoy JB, Drake Single (2018) Drake explains his break from rapping which began in early July 2017 in this Rap Collaboration.

PSYCHO Post Malone. Ty Dolla $ign Single (2018) The beat and background music take the spotlight in Post Malone’s new rap single.

In her latest solo role, Jennifer Lawrence is Dominika, a Russian Ballerina who becomes a spy due to an injury she suffered. She has to find a way to help support her ill mother, and when she witnesses a crime take place, her uncle gives her a solution.

She is becomes a Red Sparrow, trained by the state spies who are known for the manipulation, seduction, and sacrifice which they create for the state. The plot is well expressed and is executed nicely.

It’s easy to understand throughout the movie.

The build up of the plot is quite lengthy, but it keeps the viewer intrigued with constant outstanding scenes.

However, the plot gets a bit shaky towards the end. The film tries to cover a lot of plot holes all at once, which causes the main idea to be overshadowed by all of the new information.

It is disappointing because the picture is two hours and twenty minutes and it spends about 25% of that time building up the plot, and ultimately fails.

Jennifer Lawrence, who previously gained fame through her roles in The Hunger Games series and other movies such as Silver Linings Playbook, Passengers, and Mother, once again gives a tremendous performance. This film highlights her ability to properly take on a serious and uncomfortable lead, as her

RED SPARROW

BY TJ GONZALES Staff Writer

Jennifer Lawrence, who plays a Russian spy in the movie, dons a bright blonde wig

character goes through extremes to prove her loyalty to the state.

Lawrence shows power in her role and aims to sticks out. She is not like the other Sparrows, because she works differently. As a Sparrow, she takes the abilities and opportunities the state gave her and uses them to prove that she is the best Sparrow.

The only small flaw in her acting is her Russian accent, which isn’t as believable as the other actors. However, all of the thrilling action in the movie takes the spotlight away from her accent. Joel Edgerton really captures the role of a caring American who not only serves his country but even risks his life for the people around him.

Eventually, the power shifts from Lawrence’s character to Edgerton’s, because he saves her and the film takes a play on the ‘damsel in distress’ theme.

This movie really is a tragedy as the

build up is all about making Lawrence’s character this strong, powerful women who defies a Sparrow’s traditions, who left behind a life she loved for her mom.

The imagery in this movie is extreme, and it shows human emotions in a strong, unforgettable manner.

It has some of the most feared actions to ever happen to a human being: injury, sexual assault, rape, torture, incest, blood and gore. The realism in this movie is very strong, because the movie portrays how all of these things happen to a young woman, who is trying to be independent and powerful.

Red Sparrow is likely the most unique picture to come out in 2018 so far. Following the unforgettable release of Black Panther, this movie had to impress the audience, and it did. With great casting and a strong plot, Red Sparrow creates an emotional story that is not easy to forget.

SAD! XXXTENTACION Single (2018) This is a new style for XXXTentacion, who had upbeat and loud songs in the past. This song tackles the subject of suicide.

ALL THE STARS Kendrick Lamar, SZA Black Panther The Album (2018) It’s fitting for the Black Panther album to feature this Kendrick Lamar song, due to his past in black activism.

TOP OFF DJ Khaled, JAY Z, Future, Beyonce Single (2018) This hip-hop/R&B song features a collaboration between married couple JAY Z and Beyonce.

SOLITAIRE Gucci Mane, Migos, Lil Yachty Single (2018) This upbeat hip-hop song talks about getting out of prison and becoming a millionaire.

19 ENTERTAINMENT

Tues. March 13th,

Fortnite Season 3

BY HENRY HOANG People Editor

Netflix’s Veronica is a must-watch Viewers are saying that this movie is too scary to watch alone

BY NICOLLE URIA Entertainment Editor Paco Plaza, a Spanish film director from Valencia, Spain, has once again made a classic just like his past movies: Rec and Rec Two. Plaza transforms a real life horrific story into a horror movie. The movie is also unique because it is in spanish, making it ten times better than American movies.

The movie is based on a real life story about a high school girl , Estefania Gutierrez Lazaro, and two other unnamed friends who had participated in a board game called Ouija, that

allows you to the connect to spirits. The purpose of playing the game was to contact Estefanias friend’s boyfriend, who had tragically died in a motorcycle accident that year.

In the movie, the main character Veronica is trying to contact her dead father. They had performed the ritual in school and it was interrupted by one of their school teachers.

Lazaro started to suffer from seizures and hallucinations. Her friends had confirmed that they saw smoke coming out of her nose the day it happened.

Lazaro started acting very different at home as well after a few months, and would even bark at her brothers and

claimed she saw “evil” shadows walking past her door at night.

Lazaros parents were so worried about her health, they had took her to multiple doctors to see what was wrong with her.

However no doctor could find the answer because she seemed healthy and she was physically fine.

Months after Estefania was found dead in her room and to this day the cause of the death is unexplained.

In the movie “Veronica” the scene takes place in Vallecas, South Madrid where in real life that was her home town.

The movie start with a chilling phone call from Veronicas brothers and sisters to the police department stating that a man is present in the home of the family.

What makes this movie a horrifying thriller that viewers love, is that they

really don’t know the difference of what is real and what isn’t, considering it was based on a true story.

Over these past two weeks, the social media app called Twitter has a trending hashtag of the movie “#Veronica” from different viewers around the world. People everywhere are wanting others to watch this movie on Netflix to see if they are up for the challenge.

Apparently to some viewers it is “too scary that you wanna turn it off.”

“Veronica” has been rated almost five stars on the famous review website “Rotten Tomatoes”.

For “Rotten Tomatoes to rate a movie almost five stars is almost very rare meaning it must’ve been a really good movie” senior Jessica Roop said.

Veronica came out on Netflix on March 6th, 2018.

Rate : 9/10

The game everyone has been hooked on has now released another season.

Fortnite Battle Royale Season 3. This season comes with different rewards and a lot of new adventures in store.

Like season 2, season 3 comes with a battle pass that has a total of six skins, instead of four. But now, Epic Games added 30 more tiers, for those that grind in this game.

Season 3 started off with a level reset for all of the players. With this reset, the company aimed to add new features that haven’t existed before.

“I like how the new additions of this game really sparked an interest into me,” freshman TJ Hutnan said. “It shows that the Fortnite staff really listened when they asked for skydiving trails.”

Those that have stuck around for season 3 are in for a surprise because there are different LTM (Limited Time Game Modes) such as Solid Gold and the new upcoming game mode called “5 Teams of 20”.

“The past game modes that Fortnite has released has always been fun,” Hutnan said. “There was a game mode I really liked and so did my friends.”

Fortnite has taken everybody by storm. First releasing in July of last year, it has been in the media just recently. “I haven’t really played games like this a lot,” freshman Jason Kim said. “But ever since I tried it, I’ve loved it ever since.”

With the John Wick costume being the last skin you unlock at tier 100, don’t be the last of your friends to get it.

What is your opinion on 6ix9ine as a rapper?

IDRISSA KARGBO Freshman “6ix9ine is trash, but I dont even listen to him like that.”

6ix9ine’s debult album, DAY69

BY JASON REYES Staff Writer 6ix9ine released DAY69, his debut album, on Feb. 23. This album features Tory Lanez, Young Thug, Fetty Wap, and A Boogie Wit’ Da Hoodie.

Tekashi 6ix9ine was explosive from the moment you press play on this mixtape. Even with all the straining he puts on his throat, it is refreshing to hear a dude show passion about some of his favorite hobbies.

After listening to his first few tracks, his content starts to feel repetitive, as eventually it will begin to feel like he’s using the same flows and lines.

I guess for some (especially those having a bad day), they would like to hear this type of anger in bulk, but for the normal, oh no.

The album surprised a lot people, mainly because of 6ix9ine being such a controversial artist. He received a lot of hate and backlash for being apart of a new wave of rap music, which is extremely over-hated by a lot of people because they think the music is “dumb” or “trash” due to the repetitive lyrics.

A pro of this album was the good production, which delivered when 6ix9ine did not. After his tracks such as GUMMO and BILLY which many students have been bumping to, I found DAY 69 to be exactly what I expected it to be.

Though the project contains below average lyrics and repetitive sounds, 6ix9ine still ties together everything in the end to make a decent album. I found this album as a guilty pleasure.

Rate: 5/10

SOFIA MARTINEZ Sophomore “I personally don’t like him because hes a terrible artist and two, he has a bad reputation.”

IDRIS DAHIR Junior “6ix9ine is probably one of the best rappers out there at the moment. I’ll be shocked if hes not on XXL Freshman 2018

VITALINA FUENTES Junior “I dont know that person, but by his name I can tell that he and his music are probably inapropriate.”

LINA OSMAN Senior “ I dont like him at all.

He has many legal problems and his music is very bad. He should not be considered a rapper.”

ANTHONY TATE Senior “ 69, he sucks. I really don’t like the sound of his voice because he sounds annoying, and like a little kid”

Atlanta returns for a second season

BY CHRISTIAN REYES Entertainment Editor

Invest in the MoviePass app

BY TJ GONZALEZ Staff Writer Being one of the more useful memberships a movie-junkie will own, MoviePass is not one of the more known entertainment-saving memberships, nor is it talked about, having only over 2 million subscriptions.

MoviePass allows you to watch free movies for a monthly paid price of $9.95 with a $19.95 activation fee, or at the current moment, an annual fee of $105.35, costing only $7.95 per month with a $9.95 activation fee.

Anyone can join the membership, as long as they pay the monthly price or pay the annual fee up front.

It has a one-movie-per-day policy and resets at 2:00 AM so it could be ready for your next day of viewing.

Most theatres in the area allows one to use MoviePass, though most don’t allow reserved seating, nor do they allow you to use it on special viewing experiences like 3D or IMAX .

The way to sign up for the membership is by going to its site, MoviePass.com, following the instructions on setting up your account, and a payment method (debit or credit).

Once all that is done, they’ll ask for an address to send you your MoviePass card to use at theaters, which may take one to three weeks to come in.

Once you get the MasterCard, download the MoviePass App, sign in to activate the card, and once all that’s done, go out and enjoy a movie.

If you love movies but can’t pay for all the films you want to see, this is definitely worth an investment, at least considering getting.

Yes, you may have to buy the ticket at the theatre, and yes it may not allow special viewing experiences, though you save money every time you swipe that MasterCard.

On a personal note, it is one of the best investments I’ve made for entertainment. I go see a movie at least once a week, it’s so useful.

I also have a Regal Membership that allows me to earn points every time I visit a Regal Theatre that goes to free rewards like a free small popcorn or a free 2D movie ticket to take a friend.

I’m still only spending about $10 a month on the five to seven movies I’m watching per month.

It really is a great investment.

Donald Glover’s Atlanta has returned for its second season.

Season 2 premiered on March 1.

“I’m really excited for this new season, since the last season was almost two years ago” senior Grace Hatch said.

Along with a new title, Atlanta Robbin’ Season, the show is set at a different time period.

Instead of the usual summer time vibe that is given off in the first season, this new season will take place during the winter time.

This change can be due to a different theme of the new season compared to the last.

The first season is about Earnest, played by Donald Glover, trying to make it as his cousin’s manager. His cousin is a rapper named Paperboy who is famous for his self-titled one hit wonder, “Paperboy.”

This new season seems to have a darker theme to it, considering it is set during the winter. Besides the overall theme of the new season, a huge focus of Atlanta is the music.

Donald Glover is well known to giving exposure to smaller artists like Xavier Wulf and Tay-k.”I really like the intro music that is played at the start of each episode” junior Bilal Rasheed said.

Atlanta Robbin’ Season will be talked about for months after its last episode, so be the first to watch it now.

The newest Atlanta episode will premiere tomorrow, March 15.

20 WEEKEND

Tues. March 13, 2018

Daily SPRING BREAKdown Day time Night time Play with animals at Petland

Monday, March 26 Ride rides at Kings Dominion Pack up the car and some friends and head south on I-95. Kings Dominion is now open until September. Take a 90 minute drive to get a full day of fun.

Tickets start as low as $46. Kings Dominion is fun for all, whether you like water slides, big roller coasters, or you don’t like roller coasters at all, you’ll have fun at Kings Dominion. They have a new roller coaster called Twisted Timbers.

Who doesn’t love playing with puppies? Go to the local Petland. Pick a puppy to play with, and who knows, it could come home with you. There are also bunnies and birds you can play with and hold.

Petland is located in the Pickett Shopping Center across from Woodson. They do not receive dogs from puppy mills.

Tuesday, March 27 Tee off at Top Golf

Watch the Washington Wizards

Grab a few clubs and friends and head over to Top Golf in Alexandria near Walmart. Be ready for a day packed with wings, lemonade, and good music. You can either play mini golf or golf at the driving range.

Top golf is a fun place for friends to hang out and play a relaxed form of golf. Prices range from $16 for one bucket of golf balls.

The Washington Wizards take on the San Antonio Spurs at 7 p.m. The game will be held at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. The ticket prices start as low as $19 and go as high as $230 for some of the best seats in the arena. An NBA basketball game is a special experience. Whether you’re a fan or not, you’ll have a lot of fun.

Explore the Cherry Blossoms

Wednesday, March 28 Game at Dave & Buster’s Grub and game at your local Dave & Buster’s at Springfield Mall. Buy a $10 power card starting at $19.99 which includes one of their menu items. Or double up with a $20 power card starting at $25 which also includes a menu item. After eating, get your game on with their array of gaming choices.

The Cherry Blossom Festival starts on March 20 and runs until April 15. You may want to grab a jacket, it could still be a bit chilly. You can tour the cherry blossoms on paddle boats near the Jefferson Memorial. Two passenger boats are $14 an hour.

Thursday, March 29 Catch the sunset

Have a picnic with friends

Friday, March 30 Jump at Flight Trampoline Park

Go on a bike ride Going on a bike ride with friends or family is a great way to get exercise and have some fun together.

A bike ride doesn’t need a destination to get to, you can just ride around town or a park and when you get tired take a break or stop. Great places for bike rides are Lake Accotink park, Wakefield park, or Holmes Run Steam Valley Park.

Flight Trampoline Park is located in Springfield. This can range anywhere from $10 to $20 depending on what day and time you go. Flight has different events like Club Flight on Fridays and Saturdays from 9-11 p.m. which is when the lights go out and the lazers go on. Flight has local DJs play music for this event.

ALL PHOTOS BY HALLEY THADEUS

Ending your day with watching the sun go down can be relaxing. This can be a fun activity for you, your friends, your family, or your significant other. Sunset usually starts setting around 7 p.m. A great location for watching the sunset is the National Harbor or at the top of parking garages in Merryfield or Springfield.

A picnic is the perfect opportunity to relax with friends or family and enjoy the outdoors. You can bring lunch to eat or board games to play. Parks are a great place to have picnics or you can go to a more dynamic place such as Gravelly Point Park in Arlington and watch the planes fly over as you eat.

Located in the middle of Mosaic District shopping and dining complex, Matchbox is the perfect spot for a weekend dinner or a stop for brunch. Matchbox offers fresh artisan pizza, outdoor seating for the warmer months, and a cozy upscale feel which matches the price of the food.

Entering the store, there’s a welcoming display with water to help yourself to, mini chocolates, and small matchboxes. The entire restaurant is dimly lit, and there’s a bar, high seat tables, along with cozy booths and free standing tables.

The most striking part of the restaurant is the architecture which includes a ramp, an elevated seating area, booths below that, and a separated dining area in the back which can be reserved for large parties.

The food is very highly priced, but some of it is worth the cost. The pizza is freshly made and they offer multiple unique flavors, all worth trying.

Matchbox even offers to get halfand-half of two flavors. For my trip in particular, they were very accommodating. When we didn’t like one of the flavors, and they replaced it with another pizza for no cost and without any issues.

One item which was extremely

under whelming was the shrimp linguini, which cost a whopping $22.50.

The linguini tastes strongly of sweet acidic tomato, and had an almost vinegary aftertaste. Even more, the “garlic bread” provided on the side was burnt and tasted bitter.

Aside from the linguini, there are a lot of other menu items that are worth the price, like the 3.6.9. mini burgers.

This is an appetizer, and it gives you the choice of how many mini burgers you want, what cheese you would like on them, and if you want them to be topped with French fries or onion rings.

The onion rings are crispy, thin, and a perfect match for the burgers, which come with Parmesan cheese and a tray of ketchup for dipping. This appetizer can also double as a meal for one person.

As for the pizza, you can’t go wrong and it’s definitely worth it to step out of your comfort zone and try something new, especially because if you don’t like it you can replace it with no hassle.

Some must-tries include the margherita and the chicken pesto.

If you aren’t a fan of pineapple pizza, you probably won’t like the prosciutto fig, no matter how much your server recommends it.

This pizza has an awfully sweet taste due to the dried figs. Furthermore, if you can’t find a pizza up to your standards, Matchbox also offers a build your

The shrimp linguine costs $22 and comes with a side of garlic bread. own pizza to let you explore your tastes.

Overall, Matchbox is a hit or miss.

The pizza is a hit. The atmosphere and setting is also a hit. This upscale restaurant is perfect for weekend date nights and special occasions.

Check out this QR Code for the full menu!

LINA AL TAII

BY LINA AL TAII Entertainment Editor

LINA AL TAII

Matchbox brings the heat to the table

The 3.6.9 mini burgers come with a generous topping of thinly sliced onion rings.

Important Dates at Annandale U.S. Service Academy Night March 14 at 7 p.m. in Clausen Hall Attendees have the opportunity to learn more about military options.

Spring sports games Soccer- March 14 at home vs.

Robert E. Lee at 7:15 p.m.

Softball- March 14 at home vs.

Edison at 6:30 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse- March 15 at Washington- Lee at 7:15 p.m.

Baseball- March 16 at Yorktown at 6:30 p.m.

Sophomore parents night March 21 (Snow date: April 4) at 7 p.m. in Clausen Hall Learn about junior year and future college options.

Activity of the month Sportrock climbing Sportrock is a rock climbing gym in Alexandria that offers memberships for frequent visits or rates for a one time visit.

Sportrock strives to be a teaching gym that delivers world-class routesetting, exceptional educational programs, and high quality fitness options to support climbers and for the future.

Sportrock has the tallest walls in the mid-atlantic, easy beginner walls if it is your first time, and boulder walls for climbing without a harness.

This facility has a lot of walls for all talents. Walls range from beginner to expert. Whether it is your first time ever rock climbing, you have been climbing for years, or you want a challenge they have a wall for you.

Rock climbing is a fun activity that you can do with your friends or famSportrock has walls for whatever your skills ily on the weekend. It costs $20 for a may be. The Alexandria facility has some of the day pass. tallest walls in the Mid-Atlantic. Their certified routesetter will help you get to the top.