Issue 1

Wed. Sept 18, 2019 Vol. 65 Issue #1

Annandale High School’s

THE A BLAST Informing the Atoms since 1954

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

“STRETCH DANNY!” AHS Boys football falls in a close one to Justice 26-20 SPORTS 16

Annual Taste of Annandale to be held

CELEBRATION!

GEORGE NEWCOMB

BY MANNY PRECHT Co-Editor in Chief Every year, the town of Annandale hosts a special culinary event near the center of Annandale.

The event, called Taste of Annandale, is a public event where food trucks and stands serving different ethnic foods are set up along Tom Davis Drive and the local Giant parking lot.

This year, Taste of Annandale is set to occur on Oct 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event has offered many activities such as food, face paint and live music. This year, there are plans of a 5k race, live music and dance, restaurants, food trunks, an expanded beer garden, children’s entertainment and games, a chili cook-off, best-dressed pet contest, law enforcement display, and vendors.

Junior Nick Belmonte dances a traditional Bolivian dance at the Salay Bolivia USA Open House earlier this year at Patrick Henry Elementary School.

Students observe Hispanic Heritage Month

BY SUAD MOHAMED Co-Editor in Chief Hispanic Heritage Month is a longstanding national observance in the U.S., mostly for the culture and arts of Hispanic nations.

Spanning a four-week period over two months, the commemorative period starts on Sept. 15 and lasts to Oct. 15.

It starts on this date because that is when five Hispanic nations; Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; celebrate their independence.

Celebration of this month began in 1968 when President Lyndon B. Johnson designated one week to recognize the 8 million Hispanics living in the country and their contributions.

By the time President Ronald Reagan extended the week to a month, the number jumped to 20 million Hispanics.

Today, there are nearly 60 million people in the U.S. who identify as Hispanic, making up nearly 17% of the population.

In this community, the presence of Hispanics is more evident. Last school year, 49% of students identified as Hispanic or Latino.

While many Hispanics celebrate their heritage every day, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for all people to join in the culture in an admiring and respectful manner.

FCPS to put pads in girls restrooms

BY SUAD MOHAMED Co-Editor in Chief In the past, students who needed a pad during the school day had to go to nurse in the clinic.

This meant having to leave class, go down to the nurse, get a pad, go to the bathroom, and then go to class. This process can take a very long time, and some are too embarrassed to go through with it.

Now, FCPS schools are working to put pads in girls bathrooms for easier access.

The plan began in Justice HS. The school’s Girl Up club, which promotes gender equality, decided to stock the school’s 13 bathrooms with menstrual products.

Soon enough, the FCPS School Board took notice and opened up a committee.

The committee then decided that this action needed to be taken up at all schools in the county.

The plan is all about accessibility.

One box of pads can cost anywhere from $10 to $25.

This adds up to a cost of more than $2,000 over a woman’s lifetime, according to the Huffington Post.

Because they are so expensive, some people may not be able to afford them.

Cheaper alternatives, like toilet paper, are not as effective and can lead to health issues.

Putting pads in all school bathrooms prevents this issue and ensures that no girl has to go through any embarrassment when they need a pad.

Festivities include festivals and parpart of this school, and this country as a ties, amongst other events. whole, so I think it is important to honor Perhaps the biggest event is the El them in some way,” SHS president Barrio Latin Jazz Festival in New York Emily Shawish said. “At the same time, Every year, the Hispanic Family we can use these posters to educate peoFestival is held in Springdale, Massaple who are not aware of the importance chusetts. of these figures.”

In this area, the Smithsonian InstiDuring this time period, many tute holds multiple events throughout teachers talk about Hispanic Heritage the month, including tours, dance recitMonth in class, too. als, and informa“Most of tion sessions. the time, histo“Personalry teachers and ly, it is very nice “It is nice Spanish teachto see other peo- to see other ers will bring it ple appreciate our up so that we culture and how people know what is rich it is,” senior aprreciate going on and how Andres Pachecomuch the Hisour culture Rivera said. panic communiHere at AHS, and how ty impacts this many clubs are country,” junior looking for their rich it is” Jessica Vo said. own ways to cele“It is really nice --ANDRES PACHECO-RIVERA brate this month. because a lot of senior Spanish Honpeople do not ors Society is know about it.” working on putHowever, the ting up posters notion of Hispanaround the school to honor the many ic Heritage Month has always been a bit Hispanic-American icons. of a controversy.

Past examples include singer Selena The term Hispanic can be used to Quintanilla-Perez and activist Cesar identify any Spanish speaker, including Chavez.

Spaniards.

In addition, they plan to change the Many Latino people, a term used to display board in the language hallway identify only those from Latin Amerito show their respect. ca, are upset with the fact that Spanish “The Hispanic community is a big people are honored in this month, too.

Nowadays, most people would much rather be called Latino than Hispanic.

This is because the word Hispanic reminds them of the colonialism and imperialism that many Latin countries suffered at the hands of Spain.

Another issue with Hispanic Heritage Month is that sometimes, AfroLatinos feel excluded.

Many celebrations do not include figures who were both Latino and black.

“Sometimes, it does feel like in these honors and posters, I am seeing a lot of fairer skinned Latinos and not a lot of darker ones that look like me,” senior Jasmine Mann said.

Today’s political tension only serves to stir more issues around the month.

There is no doubt that President Donald Trump has shown a clear antipathy towards the Latino American community.

He has cancelled DACA, putting thousands of young, undocumented Latinos at risk of deportation.

His administration has controversially separated young children from their parents.

Many of this children have been locked in immigration centers without basic necessities like toothbrushes and toilet paper.

Additionally, Trump has attacked Latinos over and over again, through both directed attacks and misleading generalizations.

CONT. Page 5

DSS to leave AHS Jennifer Crump-Strawderman to part ways after 18 years

BY MANNY PRECHT Co-Editor in Chief After an amazing and impactful 18 years at AHS, Director of Student Services Jennifer Crump-Strawderman will be leaving for a position as the Director of Student Services at Mountain View High School in Centreville.

Crump-Strawderman announced her plan to leave on Sept 11 and plans to have her last day be tommorow.

The change is a big one for CrumpStrawderman as her new school, Mountain View, is a smaller building. She will be working with alternative education students, adults, ELL students, and students who just need an education in a non-traditional setting; a huge shift from a seemingly normal public high school.

Crump-Strawderman is excited to take on the new opportunity and work on a more one on one basis with her students.

Before her time at AHS, CrumpStrawderman engaged in many things that led up to tenure at AHS. “In high school, I took a course called Peer Helping which was a little different than the course offered now. We were taught counseling skills and we were paired with a middle school student as their mentor/counselor,” she said.

“I realized I really liked helping people. In high school, I did not have a very good counselor and would go to see my boyfriend’s counselor instead. And my mom’s best friend was a high school counselor,” she aid. “All these experiences helped me to realize I wanted to be a counselor.”

It’s obvious that Crump-Strawdermans dedication and care for what she does comes from a very genuine place.

This connection with her career choice is the reason why she was so great at

DSS Jennifer Crump Strawderman plans to leave to Mountain View, a school for adult learners her job, and why she will be missed so much.

However, not everything she did was related to being a counselor. “I worked as a bank teller, receptionist in a doctor’s office, and I was a substitute teacher as I paid my way through graduate school,” she said.

After her time in those positions, her career as a counselor began. “Once I graduated, I worked as a long term sub counselor at Lake Braddock Secondary prior to working at Annandale. I came to Annandale because a family friend at my church recommended the school and encouraged me to apply. I left for two years after having my first child and then worked at Edison High School as a counselor but I missed Annandale.

As soon as a counselor opening became available, I came back to Annandale.”

In addition to her responsibility as DSS, Crump-Strawderman also faced the responsibility of attending school events. It is a school rule that school events must be attended by at least one

administrator and over the course of 18 years, one can only imagine how much of her time was spent at school events.

Her persistence with her work shows her extreme level of care and dedication to what she does.

Crump-Strawderman also shares the same high praise about our students and staff that we give to her. “ I think we have the best students in the county (and I have worked at two other high schools) – students here value their education, value diversity and honestly really try hard to get along with each other,” Crump Strawderman said.

“I feel like Annandale is my home.

I will be very sad to leave the students and the staff. I honestly believe this place is special and will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Mason District Representative Penny Gross attened Taste of Annandale last year and is expected to attend again this year.

“It’s always cool to see the wide variety of food and cultures there,” senior Mustafah Qureshi said. “The food is always good and well priced and everyone is really friendly.”

This year, the AHS Jazz Band Chicken and Waffles is participating in the event. This isn’t the first year the band has been involved with Taste of Annandale either.

“I’m super excited to play at Taste of Annandale again because last year it was a lot of fun and the crowd seemed really into it,” Jazz band member Jackson Fournaris said.

“We haven’t really started practicing yet but we’ve talked and already started picking out a few songs we want to play.”

The Taste of Annandale is organized by the Annandale Roundtable, a nonprofit organization of community members.

FCPS bus fleet to make the switch to electric

BY MANNY PRECHT Co-Editor in Chief Everyday, many Annandale students make their commute to and from school on their bus.

In the age of climate change, riding the bus may be one of the most environmentally friendly ways to commute.

Buses, like any other vehicle, still have room to become more environmentally friendly.

‘Mothers Out Fairfax County’, a local advocacy group, has been pushing for more environmentally friendly buses with their Clean Buses for Kids campaign.

On August 20th, the group pushed for a change from diesel school buses to electric school buses.

The result of their advocacy were a shock even to the group board members.

Dominion Energy, accompanied by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, announced its support for the deployment of 50 electric school buses on August 29th. The 50 buses plan to be in action before the end of 2020.

Dominion’s goal to change the entire state wide school bus fleet to electric is planned to be active by 2030.

“I think the plan is great, changing buses to electric is great benefit for th environement and for students,” senior Mitchell Eggert said.

The move would be a dramatic change; Virginia as a whole as 17,000 buses, 99% of which run on diesel fuel.

In addition, FCPS is responsible for the second largest school bus fleet in the U.S. The benefits outweigh the costs as well, the move to electric would prevent 54,000 pounds of yearly greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere and reduces maintenance and fuel costs by more than 60 percent a year, according to Dominion.

“I hope Dominion follows through with their plan,” Eggert said.

2 EDITORIALS

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

FCPS NOT DOING ENOUGH FOR ENVIRONMENT New tardy policy unpopular among students

Though straws are to be removed, more can be done

BY ADAM SHAWISH Editorials Editor

UN Environment

The overuse of plastic is an impending doom on our society. As more plastic waste fills the Earth’s landfills, oceans, and waterways, consumers are asked to be more cautious of the waste they produce.

While most of the students and staff cannot help this problem on an international scale, we can make change in our county.

FCPS uses large amounts of plastic each day during lunch periods. Plastic straws and plastic utensils are seen in large tubs. Many times students grab utensils and straws even if they don’t need them. Even the fruit is in a small plastic cup.

FCPS has made strides in recent years to reduce their plastic waste by switching from pink polystyrene trays to the current molded fiber trays. The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) follows waste guidelines provided by the government. These guidelines make sure the FNS does not produce

BY DIMA DIB & GRACE RAI Staff Writers

Plastic waste overuns land fills and goes into waterways. Plastic kills thousands of sea animals every year. large quantities of food waste.

The FNS has two major vendors for cafeteria supplies, Dade Paper & Bag LLC and Riverside Paper Supply Company. During the 2018-19 school year, FCPS spent about $1 million on cafeteria supplies. FCPS has been working with their vendors to get paper straws instead of plastic in middle and high schools.

There have been many initiatives to help make our school system more environmentally conscious. Clubs at AHS, like the Green Atoms, are also helping by recycling and managng the courtyards.

However, FCPS and AHS still produces a large amount of garbage.

FCPS is not the only reason there is so much waste. Schools around the county are horrible at recycling and trash is still being produced in large sums.

According to FCPS Get2Green, a FCPS sponsored environmental program, AHS has been lowering the amount of recyclables produced. In 2018, 81.19% of waste was trash and only 18.81% of waste was recyclable.

Other high schools, like Justice and Woodson, recycle as bad as AHS or worse. One reason for this is the size of the school. In 2018, 79.43% of waste

produced at Woodson was trash. The other 20.57% were recyclables.

Elementary schools are the best recyclers in the county because they are so small. Another reason is recyclables being thrown in the trash anyways.

Students bring in sports drinks, soda cans and other recyclable materials and then throw them away in the garbage can. Students need to recycle properly because our custodial staff does not sort out the trash.

All student and staff must do their part to help make FCPS and AHS more environmentally friendly.

LEOULE YARED sophomore “I think the tardy rule is bad because it seems too strict. It just gives teachers and administrators more work.”

VICTORIA VUONG junior “I think the new policy is dumb. In the morning there is a super long line of students who are late. The new tardy system ends up making all the students more late to class then they would be otherwise.”

Source: FCPS Get2Green

Recycling trends at AHS

What do you think of the new tardy policy?

GLENY CHICAS freshman “I find it really annoying. I hate it when I am a second from class and the teacher just locks the door. I end up being more late.”

DALIA GONZALEZ freshman “I think it is really funny.

When kids come up to the door and teachers make them leave makes me laugh. The new policy makes me glad I get to class early.”

KENNETH ANDERSON sophomore “I think that the new tardy policy is an inconvenience. It is very effective at getting people to class, but it is kind of excessive.”

CHRISTINA TRAN junior “Truthfully, it does sound a little extreme but it really doesn’t affect me at all. I am usually never late to class. I feel as if it is really only affecting the people who are always tardy.

THE A BLAST STAFF CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF Suad Mohamed Manny Precht MANAGING EDITOR Khadija Ahmed NEWS EDITOR Suad Mohamed Manny Precht EDITORIALS EDITORS Jane Elkins Adam Shawish IN-DEPTH EDITORS Frances Montevilla Marian Osman SPORTS EDITORS Evan Burita Tyler Plank SPORTS X-TRA EDITOR Eyob Dagnachew WEEKEND EDITOR Elena Leopold PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Daniel Vo ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Alex Burita Henry Hoang Erik Rivas-Martinez LIFESTYLES EDITOR Thonny Anwar

PEOPLE EDITOR Karla Mercado-Dorado ARTS EDITOR Mia Antezana Garcia INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Brooke Fekru HEALTH EDITOR Jamie Hamadeh ACADEMICS EDITOR Nathan Ferson SPANISH EDITOR Brenda Huamani SPANISH ADVISER Mauren Hunt WEB EDITOR/MASTER Cynthia Nguyen AD MANAGER Suad Mohamed Manny Precht SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Frances Montevilla CIRCULATION MANAGER Erik Rivas-Martinez VIDEOGRAPHER Tarik Darweish Himran Kamara Kaleab Mengitsu

STAFF WRITERS Lilliana Alaniz Cyrus Assadzadeh Nardos Bekele Khedija Beshir Insaf Bouzana Allison Cespedes Aminata Dia Dima Dib Fatima Sayed Eltayeb Mariamawit Endalkachew Nathan Ferson Tyler Foti Dylan Gill Siryet Girma Brenda Huamani Uyen Huynh Maram Ibrahim Cerys Jones Jensi Ralon-De Leon Elena Leopold Sydney Long Eldana Mengitsu Hayat Muiez Duc Ngo D’Andrew Orozco-Lazarte Marian Osman Ernest Owen Alondra Obando Pereyra Vivian Phan Jared Piza Cassandra Quach Kristina Regmi Rachel Tran Rylie Zimmerman ADVISER Alan Weintraut

START on time, better known as “sweeps,” has students rushing to get to class on time. The new initiative has been effective, however, a majority of the student population are against it.

Most students dislike the hall sweeps because it not only makes them more late, but it also makes them feel embarrassed and like they did something wrong.

“I hate it. Getting walked back to class is so embarrassing. It doesn’t even make a difference,” freshman Sarah Bakhtiar said.

Teachers are in favor of the new initiative because it causes less disruption. They also do not have to confront their students in the middle of talking to the class “I personally like the sweep stations because when the student come in late they’ve already had a discussion with someone about their attendance,” history teacher Catharine Bishop said, “This makes it so teachers do not have to disrupt the class to talk to the student.”

Staff on station duty are instructed to interact positively with students that they might not know or teach and to assist students to get to class, not to provide discipline.

Teachers at the sweep stations have noticed less tardies.

“The administration at AHS went to West Potomac and Falls Church and we noticed that their policies were working. We started this to mainly help teachers,” assistant principal Brian Valentine said, “We are getting more consistent and accurate attendance. We hope this maximizes instructional time.”

Justice HS has a similar program but instead of having students escorted the students walk themselves to an admin and fill out a tardy slip.

Then the administrators check excused or unexcused. This teaches the students responsibility, although it does leave more opportunities to skip class.

“In my opinion, it’s a hassle if you have a good reason for being late because most teachers and admin won’t believe you. However, it is a successful way to get students to class on time,” freshman Alina Ngo said.

JACK DALRYMPLE senior “I think that it is a little over the top. Being a couple seconds late should not result in being swept.”

ILSON GUEVARARIVAS senior “I think it is very unnecessary. It is not fair if I am marked late when I am a step from the door. Also, a lot of people walk very slowly in the halls and I get stuck behind them, so I end up being late.”

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

Follow The A-Blast Annandale High School Vol 65. Issue No. 1 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 theablast19@ 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, 2019.

14 people voted 79% said relaxing 14% said going on trips 7% said working 0% said attending camps

JACKSON RAMOS senior “My favorite part of summer was attending a summer camp. I had so much fun there.”

LILIANA INKPEN freshman “My favorite part of summer was flying by myself to Florida. I visited old friends that I haven’t seen in a while.

It was a lot of fun and I can not wait to go back.”

EDITORIALS 3

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

Popeyes causes chicken craze

IS THIS THE END OF NETFLIX? PHOTO FROM NBC STUDIOS SHOW “THE OFFICE”

BY CYRUS ASSADZADEH AND JANE ELKINS Staff Writer and Editorials Editor

The Office is one of many programs that will be taken off Netflix by the end of 2020. NBC now has its own streaming platform called NBC Universal, where subscribers of its parent company, Comcast, as well as subscribers of other TV services such as AT&T and Dish. The service, which will have ads, will also be available to other

NBC, Disney, and other companies now have their own streaming apps

BY JANE ELKINS Editorials Editor Netflix has had an extreme amount of success in recent years, especially considering how it has only been streaming content since 2007.

It now has a little under 200 million users worldwide and is only growing in size. Having Netflix has revolutionized the way TV is watched.

It’s a way of life, a utility, a

universally understood medium, and it has become a brand name used in an offhand way to describe a piece of technology, like the iPhone and the Jet Ski before it. It has become an essential part of millions of American lives.

Unfortunately, people will no longer be able to enjoy the luxury of bingeing all their favorite movies and TV shows on one site.

Big film companies such as Disney, WarnerMedia and Universal, as well as TV studios like NBC, have mostly focused on big-ticket cinema releases and releasing shows on their own separate channels.

Now, however, those companies want to step into the ring and launch their own streaming services.

As good as that might sound, it

means all of their content on Netflix will be taken off and moved to their own sites.

This means that popular NBC shows The Office and Friends, as well as all Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar movies will move to NBC Universal and Disney Plus, respectively.

In the near future, if users want to achieve the same effect as Netflix, they will have to pay for more subscriptions and begin paying higher prices for smaller archives.

This coming glut of streaming services is why companies such as Netflix have been so eager to pump out film and TV that they outright own.

They are trying to compensate for the loss of so many popular shows.

Who’s responsible for opioid crisis?

Teachers’ pay should reflect their hard work INFOGRAPHIC FROM DCDRUGABUSE.GOV

BY JANE ELKINS Editorials Editor Everyone knows about the recent opioid epidemic that has swept the nation. Every day, 140 individuals in the United States die of a drug overdose and 91 of those overdosed are specifically due to opioids.

Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50, who are now more likely to die from a drug overdose than from car accidents or firearms.

The United States has become known for having the highest percentage of drug-related deaths in the world. All this makes it very clear that we are in the midst of a nationwide opioid crisis.

What makes opioids different from other drug epidemics is the fact that the majority of them are prescribed legally by doctors.

In most cases, drug dealers are the source of sales for illegal drugs, but when it comes to prescription opioids, drug dealers play a very small role in the supply chain.

So far, most of the blame has been placed on pharmaceutical companies that manufacture opioids. There is no doubt that they have contributed to it, but their share of responsibility for the epidemic is overstated.

There have been thousands of lawsuits that states are filling all over the country against pharmaceutical companies. They blame them for playing down the dangers and overselling the benefits of opioids.

In one case, Johnson & Johnson was ordered it to pay the state of Oklahoma a whopping $572 million for

the destruction wrought by prescription painkillers. Oklahoma has suffered mightily from opioids. It is said that between 2015 and 2018, 18 million opioid prescriptions were written in a state with a population of 3.9 million.

Since 2000, it’s estimated that about 6,000 Oklahomans have died from opioid overdoses, with thousands more struggling with addiction.

Although this story is tragic, Johnson & Johnson should not be the only ones that are facing punishment. In fact, there are many people at fault. For one, doctors are over prescribing pain medications. In 2013 alone, doctors wrote 207 million opioid prescriptions, and that number has only gone up in recent years.

There is no way that well-educated doctors are naive enough to give into the overselling excuse.

Another group at fault is our federal government. In the 1990s, the federal government enacted the rule of pain as “the fifth viral sign” and stressed that doctors are undertreating pain. This rule made it that doctors had to use

pain scale whether or not the patient’s complaint was pain or the hospital would be penalized if they did not meet these requirements.

Finally, patients need to start taking some personal responsibility.

Doctors are consistently frustrated by patients who come seeking prescriptions for opioids when they are not in fact indicated.

Chronic pain is a real thing that many people suffer from. Patients who are abusing the system in order to get these medications for non-medicinal purposes make it more difficult for patients suffering real pain to get the medication they need.

This crisis has gotten out of hand.

Finding who is at fault is an important thing however helping victims of this but we also need to help these patients.

Politicians need to stop acknowledging the epidemic and start taking action.

We need easier access to recovery services as well as strict limits placed on doctors.

It is time for action, by all parties.

MAKIN’ THE GRADE It: Chapter 2 leaves crowds unsatisfied

B C C F

When good movies or shows get removed, Netflix gets the backlash, not the studios.

So Netflix is beginning to burn more and more cash on original content.

Netflix is still a young company, but it is one that is sitting on a mountain of debt and keeps spending millions of money creating new film and TV at a rate that is unsustainable.

Although some Netflix originals have been well received, many are mediocre at best and lose more money than they bring in.

To bring in more money and keep the company afloat, Netflix will need to make the general public happy by pushing out great shows with plots that rival those that are leaving to join other streaming sites.

The new Popeyes’ chicken sandwich has been all over everyone’s social media feeds for the past three weeks.

Supplies that were supposed to last through September quickly sold out nationwide almost instantly. People have been waiting in lines for hours just to get this chicken sandwich.

“I waited in line for 45 minutes for it,” freshman Faisssal Bahar said, “It was worth the wait.”

With its recent burst in popularity, there is really no surprise that the chicken sandwich has created some problems.

One Popeyes in Houston, Texas was held at gunpoint over the low supply of chicken sandwiches. Another Popeyes in Florida was robbed of bags upon bags of chicken sandwiches.

Luckily nobody was harmed in either, but the craze is getting out of hand. Along with that, thousands of people online are enraged that Popeyes has sold out of their chicken sandwiches.

On Aug. 27, Popeyes issued a statement on Twitter, saying that they are sold out of chicken sandwiches “for now” and will have customers informed when the sandwiches are available again on their Popeyes app.

It is speculated that the chicken sandwiches will be restocked in October. This tweet was not well received as it was bombarded with negative replies and faced severe backlash.

Popeyes may be sold out of their beloved chicken sandwiches momentarily but once the sandwiches are restocked, hopefully this time around people can peacefully enjoy a sandwich without chaos.

BY AMINATA DIA AND JANE ELKINS Staff Writer and Editorials Editor Teachers work hard in order to help students succeed.

Day in and day out, they deal with difficult kids and working long hours.

They do all of this so that they can give students the education that they deserve.

Teachers take the time to plan fun and informative material.

That is why they deserve to be compensated fairly.

Teachers’ salaries need to reflect all their hard work.

One thing to consider is that fact that the pay teachers receive is way under the national average from people that have the same education but went into a different career.

Most people who have a Master’s degree earn roughly $80,000 a year.

However, teachers who have a masters degree only make a mere $60,000 a year.

In fact, some teachers are not only dissatisfied with their pay.

Studies show that some even say that they would leave teaching as soon as possible if they could find a betterpaying job.

Along with high dissatisfaction rates, fewer young people are showing interest in the teaching profession.

Despite a slight growth in the 2015-16 school year, enrollment in

teacher preparation programs is still substantially less than it was 25 years ago.

This shows how low teacher pay is causing a disinterest in the profession, which is leading to a shortage in the number of teachers.

Another thing to consider is that Fairfax County is an expensive area to live in.

Taxes, insurance, bills and housing takes a chunk of money out of anyone living in the Fairfax area.

This makes it extremely unsurprising that 18% of all teachers in America work a second job.

According to the Adopted Budget Overview of 2019, a person who earns $40,000 salary rarely leaves any money in savings That person would not have a small amount of money left in their bank account.

No one should have these types of issues if they paid the expensive fee of college and have earned a degree.

In all, teachers all over America are not satisfied with their salaries.

Teachers have a high level of education, and the amount of work they put in does not deserve anything less than what a doctor makes.

Educating the next generation is one of the most important jobs out there.

Teachers do so much for our society and they must be paid properly.

Cartoonist Corner

The sequel of the popular movie It came out on Sept. 6. Although it has received decent reviews, many fans believe that it fell short of their expectations. It left people horrified and shivering with fear when they left the theater, yet its sequel was more of a childish scare that was lacking jumpscares. Since It was such a hit, many viewers expected its sequel to be amazing too.

iPhone 11 launch receives mixed reviews Apple launched the new iPhone on Sept. 10, 2019 and it is one of the most anticipated electronics of 2019. This iPhone offered something that Apple has never done before, cheaper prices. Although people like the lower prices, many see the new iPhone release as rather annoying as they keep unnecessarily tweaking with features that already worked well, like the camera quality and the headphone jack, instead of things actually needed like battery life.

Questions arise from Trump’s e-cigarette ban On Sept. 11, President Trump annouced that he will seek to ban the sale of flavored vaping products in an effort to get young people to give up the dangerous devices. “There have been deaths and there have been a lot of other problems,” Trump stated. This enraged lots of people because only six people have died from e-cigarette usage, but around 35,000 people are killed by guns each year.

On Sept. 14, coordinated strikes on key Saudi Arabian oil facilities knocked out half of the country’s oil capacity. Now, oil prices in the US are spiking. Saudi Arabia is one of the main suppliers of oil to the US, due to a 70 year long deal with them. When this happened in the 1970s, oil prices tipped the economy into recession. Now however, oil-price shocks no longer pack the same punch and there will only be a slight rise in gas prices.

ERNEST OWEN

Saudi attacks send oil prices soaring

4 NOTICIAS DESTACADAS

Miercoles, septiembre 18, 2019

Fechas para preparar tu proximo paso al colegio

WISCONSIN ETF

BY BRENDA HUAMANI Editora de Noticias

Aunque las tropas tengan hijos en las bases militares, la ciudadania automatica ya no aplicara y tendran que aplicar por ciudadania por ellos.

Hijos de tropas nacido en el extranjero no tendran ciudadania POR BRENDA HUAMANI Editora de Noticias Los niños nacidos en el extranjero de tropas estadounidenses siempre han recibido la ciudadanía automática, pero esto no será el caso en un par de semanas.

El 28 de agosto, el Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de EE. UU. anunció que una nueva política entraría en vigencia en octubre de 2019.

Terminará la ciudadanía automática para los niños nacidos de ciudadanos estadounidenses estacionados en el extranjero como empleados del gobierno o miembros de las fuerzas armadas. Esta política

está dirigida más hacia ciudadanos estadounidenses naturalizados que están sirviendo en las fuerzas armadas. Sus hijos ahora tendrán que solicitar la ciudadanía a través de sus padres antes de cumplir los 18 años.

El presidente Donald Trump ha hecho varias declaraciones sobre su desaprobación de la ciudadanía por derecho de nacimiento y ha dicho que la terminaría si pudiera, pero no puede hacerlo bajo la constitución. Esta política hecha bajo la administración Trump solo está haciendo las cosas más difícil para estos padres.

“Los militares ya tienen

suficiente con lo que lidiar, y lo último que deberían hacer cuando están estacionados en el extranjero es pasar por obstáculos para asegurarse de que sus hijos sean ciudadanos estadounidenses”, dijo el director ejecutivo de la Asociación Militar Moderna de Estados Unidos, Andy Blevins.

Estos padres reciben una amplia capacitación y tienen que viajar continuamente a sus diferentes estaciones asignadas, sin embargo, no pueden confiar en el gobierno para proteger el estatus migratorio de sus hijos. Arriesgando sus vidas todos los días en beneficio de los Estados Unidos y la reputación de su presidente,

ahora se verán obligados a hacer trámites con la posibilidad de que sus hijos sean negados ciudadanía por el que luchan.

Anteriormente, estos niños estaban protegidos por la Ley 320 de Inmigración y Nacionalidad, que automáticamente les otorgaba la ciudadanía debido a que “residían en los Estados Unidos”, ahora incluso aquellos nacidos en hospitales militares o instalaciones diplomáticas en el extranjero no tendrán el mismo beneficio. Ahora están sujetos a la Ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad 322 que les exige que soliciten la ciudadanía si cumplen con todos los requisitos.

Se acerca el momento de comenzar a aplicar a las universidades. La mayoría de las universidades de los EE. UU. tienen Open Houses anuales para invitar a los estudiantes interesados a su campus. Aquí ellos y sus padres son informados sobre admisiones, académicos y la vida general del campus. Estas son algunas de las escuelas en Virginia con próximos eventos: James Madison University Sábado 28 de septiembre A las 9 a.m en Harrisonburg Virginia Commonwealth University Sábado 5 de octubre A las 7:30 a.m. en Richmond

En las últimas dos semanas, Trump lo ha estado haciendo más difícil para los oficiales militares considerar permanecer en las fuerzas o incluso reclutar nuevos funcionarios. No solo ha tomado la ciudadanía automática de un par de familias, posiblemente un conjunto en su idea de revocar la ciudadanía por derecho de nacimiento, sino que también ha robado del presupuesto de construcción militar para construir el muro en la frontera suroeste. “$3.6 mil millones”, según CNN. Trump se postula para la reelección en 2020 pero su futuro sigue en limbo.

Virginia State University Sábado 12 de octubre A las 9:30 a.m. en Petersburg Virginia Military Institute Viernes 18 de octubre A las 8 a.m. en Lexington Virgina Tech Sábado 26 de octubre A las 8 a.m. en Blacksburg Old Dominon University Sábado 16 de noviembre A las 8 a.m. en Norfolk Estos eventos son oportunidades para aprender más sobre las escuelas que quieren asistir.

La mayoría de estos eventos requieren un registro que se puede hacer fácilmente en sus sitios web.

POR SUAD MOHAMED Co-edior jefa El Mes de la Herencia Hispana es una celebración nacional en los Estados Unidos, principalmente para la cultura y las artes de las naciones hispanas.

El período conmemorativo comienza el 15 de septiembre y dura hasta el 15 de octubre.

Comienza en esta fecha porque es cuando cinco naciones hispanas: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras y Nicaragua celebran su independencia La celebración de este mes comenzó en 1968 cuando el presidente Lyndon B. Johnson designó una semana para reconocer a los 8 millones de hispanos que viven en el país, junto con sus contribuciones.

Cuando el presidente Ronald

Reagan extendió la semana a un mes, el número de hispanos en el país había aumentado a 20 millones.

Hoy en día, hay casi 60 millones de personas en los Estados Unidos que se identifican como hispanos, y representan casi el 17% de la población.

En esta comunidad, la presencia de hispanos es más evidente. El año pasado, el 49% de los estudiantes se identificaron como hispanos o latinos.

Aunque varios hispanos celebran su herencia todos los días, el Mes de la Herencia Hispana es un momento para que todas las personas se unan a la cultura de una manera admirable y respetuosa.

En esta área, el Instituto Smithsonian celebra múltiples eventos durante todo el mes, incluyendo giras, recitales de baile y sesiones de información.

presidenta de SHS, Emily Shawish.

“Personalmente, es muy agradable “Al mismo tiempo, podemos usar ver a otras personas apreciar la estos carteles para educar a las riqueza de nuestra cultura”, dijo el personas que no son conscientes de la senior Andrés Pacheco-Rivera. importancia de estas personas.

Aquí en AHS, varias Durante este período, muchos organizaciones buscan sus propias formas de celebrar este mes.

La sociedad honoraria de español está trabajando en colocar carteles en la escuela para honrar a varios íconos hispanoamericanos.

“La comunidad hispana es una gran parte de esta escuela y de este país en general, por eso creo El mes de la herencia hispana empezo el 15 de septiemque es importante bre y dura hasta el 15 de octobre. Las celebraciones honrarlos de alguna empezando el dia de independencia de unos paises, llemanera”, dijo la van a cabo durante el tiempo entero en todo el pais.

INSTITUTO SMITHSONIAN

Celebrando el mes de la herencia hispana en AHS maestros también hablan sobre el Mes de la Herencia Hispana en clase.

“La mayoría de las veces, los maestros de historia y de español lo mencionan en sus clases para educarnos sobre lo que está sucediendo y cuánto impacta la comunidad hispana en este país”, dijo la junior Jessica Vo. “Es realmente agradable porque mucha gente no está informada”.

Sin embargo, la noción del Mes de la Herencia Hispana siempre ha sido un poco controvertida.

El término hispano se puede usar para identificar a cualquier hispanohablante, incluidos los españoles.

Hoy en día, la mayoría de las personas preferirían ser llamadas latinas que hispanas.

Los hispanos han contribuido en gran medida al EE.UU.

El ATC se prepara para Dos estudiantes son Semifinalistas la obra de otoño de Humanos de Annandale del Mérito Nacional este año, “For the Love Señora POR FRANCES MONTEVILLA Editora de Profunidad De 237 estudiantes en 18 escuelas secundarias en FCPS nombrados como Semifinalistas de Mérito Nacional 2020, dos de ellos son nuestros estudiantes.

Los estudiantes de último año, Zak Belkhayat y Susan Connell, han sido reconocidos por sus puntajes en la Prueba Preliminar Nacional de Mérito (PSAT / NMSQT).

Aproximadamente 16,000 estudiantes del último año de secundaria en todo el país fueron nombrados finalistas de National Merit Scholarship para 2020, que es sólo menos del 1% de los 1.5 millones de jóvenes que ingresaron al programa 2020 National Merit al tomar el PSAT / NMSQT® 2018, que sirvió como su pantalla inicial de participantes del programa.

En un día normal, Connell recibió un correo electrónico de su consejera, Stacey Marville, diciéndole que se reuniera con ella después de la escuela para un anuncio especial. Poco sabía Connell que esta noticia la tomaría por sorpresa. Le entregaron una carta de la National Merit Scholarship Corporation que reveló que era semifinalista.

“No estaba realmente seguro de que era la Beca Nacional al Mérito al principio, pero sabía lo suficiente sobre eso que me sentí muy honrado cuando me enteré”, dijo Connell. “Definitivamente no

lo esperaba, eso es seguro”.

La noticia también tomó a Belkhayat por sorpresa. El mismo día que FCPS reveló públicamente los nombres de los semifinalistas del Condado, que fue el 12 de septiembre, sus padres y él se sorprendieron con la noticia. “Descubrí que era semifinalista cuando los resultados se publicaron en línea y mis padres me sorprendieron cuando llegué a casa el día en que los publicaron”, dijo Belkhayat.

“Me sorprendió y me sentí muy feliz,.”

Como la mayoría de los estudiantes de secundaria, Connell y Belkhayat no estudiaron para el PSAT, pero para lo que sí estudiaron fue el SAT, que les permitió obtener un puntaje alto en el PSAT. Ahora, el siguiente paso para los dos es completar una solicitud en línea, que luego será revisada por la National Merit Scholarship Corporation para determinar si califican como finalistas. La aplicación incluye información personal, una lista de actividades extracurriculares y logros, y un ensayo.

Como semifinalistas, Connell y Belkhayat son elegibles para competir por 7,600 premios National Merit Scholarship.

Ambos estudiantes dicen que su próximo paso en el proceso es postularse para ser finalista. “Independientemente del resultado, estoy muy feliz de haber llegado tan lejos”, dijo Connell.

of Three Oranges” POR DUC NGO Editor de Personal The Annandale Theatre Company se está preparando para la obra de otoño de este año, “For The Love of Three Oranges.”

La obra tiene lugar en un reino ficticio llamado El reino de las copas. La trama es sobre un príncipe que ha sido maldecido con la incapacidad de reír, a pesar del esfuerzo de las personas en el reino para corregir este problema. Un día, sin embargo, su maldición se va, solo para ser maldecido nuevamente y enamorarse de tres naranjas.

“Es graciosísimo. Hay un príncipe maldito, un compañero bufón, hay princesas, hay un rey muy viejo, una hechicera, una prima malvada del príncipe, un mago y muchas cosas más locas que sucederán en esta obra “, dijo la maestra de teatro Katherine Brunberg.

En comparación con las obras más serias realizadas en los años anteriores, como “Anónimo,” la actuación de este año será una obra de humor italiana que se clasifica como una comedia del arte, un género de teatro profesional temprano del que se inspiró todo el humor moderno.

Otra cosa que será diferente es que este año es que la obra no será dirigida por Brunburg.

En cambio, asumirá el papel de directora de escena y entregará el sombrero del director a su amiga cercana y graduada de

la Real Academia de Artes Dramáticas, Cathryn Benson.

“Ella es brillante”, dijo Brenburg, “Ella tradujo el guión del italiano, haciendo que el guión sea original, por lo que será la primera vez que se realice esta versión. Los niños también tendrán la oportunidad de aprender un estilo de actuación completamente nuevo y aplicarlo a una producción real “.

Al elegir la sala de teatro que se presentaría este año, Brunberg dijo que buscó algo que fuera más alegre.

“Creo que este es el primer espectáculo puramente divertido que hemos hecho desde que he estado aquí”, dijo.

Brunberg también se aseguró de elegir algo que desafiara artísticamente a todos.

“Tenemos estos personajes grandes y exagerados”, dijo, “También quería asegurarme de que hubiera buenas oportunidades para el aspecto del diseño técnico, por lo que podría haber maquillaje muy creativo, disfraces creativos, conjuntos creativos. Se necesitan muchos accesorios para esta obra, por lo que habrá muchos desafíos tanto para las áreas de diseño como para los actores.”

Con la confianza y el entusiasmo que Brunberg mostró por esta obra, parece que será diferente a cualquier otra que hayamos visto. La obra sera el 25 al 27 de octubre.

Cualquier persona que tenga

Jesica Mera Administradora de Asistencia ¿Cuál es su país de herencia?

Nací en Lima Perú ¿De qué manera contribuyes a la comunidad hispana?

Mi colaboración con la comunidad hispana consiste en llevar la atendencia de los alumnos de AHS. Respondiendo los teléfonos y traduciendo para aquellos padres de familia que no hablan el idioma inglés. Monitoreo las ausencias justificadas y no justificadas en el Sistema escolar del Condado de Fairfax. ¿Estás orgullosa de la diversidad en AHS? Si, me siento orgullosa y muy agradecida a Dios y a los dirigentes de esta escuela por darme la oportunidad de trabajar en la oficina de atendencia. Es mi segundo año en esta escuela donde encuentro una gran diversidad de nacionalidades y culturas. Y aprecio la gran labor de todos y cada uno de los maestros, administradores, y empleados que continúan trabajando para el suceso de cada estudiante y simplemente la razón es que: WE CARE about you!

Why is this page translated in Spanish?

This section was created with the intention of expanding our reach as a publication towards the growing population of Spanish-speaking students. As one of the most diverse schools in Fairfax County, Spanish has become the second most spoken language at our school, accompanied with an extensive ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program.

The goal of The A-Blast is to inform and entertain the largest possible group of readers. Las Noticias Destacadas is a collection of articles of relevant news affecting the hispanic community, written in Spanish. We hope that this section will allow the A-Blast to be a more inclusive and diverse newspaper.

NEWS 5

Wed. Sept 18, 2019

News Briefs Just World Interest Meeting Just World will hold its interest meeting on Tuesday, Septebmer 17th. The meeting will be held in room 90, starting at 3:15. The club is great for volunteer hours and free food will be provided at the interest meeting.

Chalk for Peace Chalk for Peace sponspered by Just World will be held at the front afterschool Thursday, September 19th.

MEGAN LE

Play in a Day Comp The AHS Theatre Compnay will be holding a “Play in a Day” competition on Septebmer 21st.

The competition lasts from 8 am up until 6 pm. The public performance will be at 7 pm.

Key Club members earn points by volunteering to unpack new English textbooks. “It was nice to see us all working together,” club President Megan Le said.

Clubs gear up for the new school year

BY SUAD MOHAMED Co-Editor in Chief As the school year begins, so do the hecticness and activities associated with clubs and other extracurriculars.

At AHS, there are many different types that a student could join.

The list of options ranges from sports, honors societies, cultural and religion based, community service related, and more.

In order to attract as many prospective members as possible, many clubs are introducing new programs and activities this year.

For National English Honors Society, this means making the club more interactive.

The club plans on introducing new activities, such as a book club and a

program to read to children.

The goal is to make the club as interactive and engaging as possible.

“We want to ensure that we are using the club to have an impact on as many people in the community as possible,” NEHS President Anoosh Tauqir said.

Meanwhile, Key Club is coordinating a drive with other schools in the county to gather food for the homeless.

“Hunger and malnutrition is a problem in the community, and we want to try to assuage the issue,” President Megan Le said.

Additionally, the club plans is planning more frequent opportunities for volunteering hours.

Continuing with their efforts last year, the Black Cultural Awareness Association is further along in their

attempt to transform the club into a Black Student Union.

The reason behind the change is to make the club more organized.

Additionally, BSU is a nationally recognized group, while BCAA is not.

“Our plans are more finalized than they were last year, but there is still a lot left to do,” club President Kadijah Janneh said. “However, we are getting there.”

Many of these new initiatives were announced at the annual Club and Sports Fair, which was held on Sept. 6 during W4.

The fair is designed so that new students and underclassmen have a chance to learn about the ways that they can be involved.

“As a newcomer, it was nice to see what clubs and sports were available

for me,” freshman Correne Bellem said.

A lot of students take the fair seriously to see what they can join over the next four years, even if they are not eligible this year.

“I took note of what honors societies I could join next year, since you can’t join most of them until you’re a junior. sophomore Correne Bellem said.

Getting involved is an important part of succeeding in high school.

The more clubs and extracurriculars one involves themselves in, the more likely they are to reap from multiple benefits such as, making new friends, being more engaged with the community, and having more activities to show for college applications.

“If anyone has the chance, they should try to join a new club,” Tauqir said.

Coffee House Auditions Coffee House auditions will be held Wednesday, September 25th in the Lecture Hall from 3:30 to 4:30.

Homecoming Football Game The Homecoming football game is being played on Friday, October 11th against T.C. Williams. There will be booths and games to visit prior to the game.

Homecoming Dance This years Homecoming dance will be held on Saturday, October 12th from 8:00 to 11:00 pm in the AHS gym.

Hispanic heritage celebrated at AHS and across the nation to the music.

Hispanic people have also contributed plenty to America’s economy, boosting it constantly with every job they take and business they create.

The United States would not be as great as it is without the help of Hispanic Americans, People should take advantage of the next four weeks to appreciate them.

Freshman Frank Cordova-Ferrufino dances a Bolivian folk dance at the Salay Bolivia USA Open House at Patrick Henry Elementary School.

Seniors Sydney Wuhrer and Andrew Delgadillo look over and discuss the new guidelines in the SR&R booklet.

AMAZON

MANNY PRECHT

It may be hard to reconcile the fact that this holiday is government-sponsored with the fact that Trump has shown harshness towards the Latin Americans.

“It must be hard for some people to attempt to celebrate this holiday when they are in fear of being deported or having something equally worse happen to them,” senior Megan Le said.

In fact, in a statement from the White House recognizing this holiday, Trump did nothing more than talk about how the Hispanic community has progressed since he took office in 2017.

There was no mention of any Hispanic figures or the accomplishments of the community.

“That is kind of disrespectful that he was basically just bragging and not talking at all about Hispanic people,” Pacheco-Rivera said.

“Especially when that is the holiday is meant to be about Hispanic people,” Le added.

However, this should not take away from the whole point of the holiday: to honor Hispanic people.

Hispanic Americans have done a lot for this country.

They have impacted American culture in so many ways, from the cuisine

GEORGE NEWCOMB

Continued from Page 1.

While available at AHS, the Harry Potter books are among the most commonly banned books.

New revisions added to SR&R book Schools try to ban books

BY MANNY PRECHT Co-Editor in Chief At the beginning of every school year, students go through the same routine of becoming acquainted with their peers, teachers and setting.

Although the procedures during the first weeks of school seem tedious, they are very important for setting the groundwork for a successful school year.

A big part of this is the yearly presentation about the Students Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R).

Despite what seems like an endless presentation given during every students W4, the SR&R handbook contains many important rules and regulations that affect everyone county wide.

Some students may brush off the information that the presentation contains, but this year, new rules have been added to the SR&R guidelines.

Amidst the growing dangers of nicotine vaping products, stricter guidelines have been added addressing the issue.

In addition to these new guidelines, other new revisions include the addition of an FCPS vision for discipline, guidance for administrators on consistency and tiered responses to behaviors, changes to first time drug possession and use, increased use of parent notification, change in practice for students with disabilities, and clarifying language around reporting bullying

and Title IX violations.

School Board Chair Karen Corbett Sanders stated that the new revisions to the SR&R handbook hope to “reduce the amount of time that our students spend away from school while ensuring a safe learning environment for all.”

Part of ensuring a safe, friendly school environment is the attitude students, teachers and administrators alike take to certain situations.

“It’s a good thing to enforce especiay since more and more younger kids are getting involved with vaping.”

--SYDNEY WUHRER

senior In particular, the issue of missing school is heavily mentioned in the SR&R guidelines.

The presentation stresses the importance of what is an acceptable reason for an absence and what is not. This is especially important for students who have responsibilities such as work or homecare.

In addition to the issue of missing school, guidelines regarding drug use are also mentioned. A change to

the first time drug use policy as been issued, stating that punishment will not be as harsh and will involve more parental involvement.

The change shocked students. “If anything, I thought rules and regulations about drug use would tighten up in light of recent events,” senior Sam Rodriguez said.

Like mentioned before, the issue of nicotine and thc oil use was heavily covered. The guidelines made it clear that engaging in such activities was not only against county policy, but against the law.

As always, the guidelines still include the standard rules that have been in place since day one.

One old rule that was added to recently is the rules involving a search of students backpack or locker. FCPS has made it clear now that parental notification of general searches or individual searches of belongings will occur.

All in all, the new revisions to the SR&R handbook seem to hope to influence school life in a positive way.

“These changes reflect the district’s commitment to providing fair and equitable treatment to all students,” Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand said.

“Working in collaboration with our families, we want our disciplinary practices to focus on prevention of problem behaviors while ensuring that every FCPS school promotes a responsive, caring, and inclusive culture.”

Committee meets to discuss the book and whether or not it should be allowed.

“It requires a lot of paperwork,” In Nashville, Texas, the headHead of the Committee and Head master of St. Edwards Catholic Librarian Patricia Brown said. “All of School banned all us have to read seven Harry Potthe book to see ter books, decree“A lot of times, when what the person ing that no student is trying to chalsomeone trying to could read them. lenge.” challenge material, Why? Because Though this he believed that they are making an may seem like a they promoted unnecessary decision for tedious task, it is witchcraft. a necessary one.

While this may everyone.”

“A lot of seem odd, it is not times, when --PATRICIA BROWN the first time that a head of the materials challenge committee someone is chalschool or a district lenging material, has opted to ban a they are making book based on their beliefs. an unnecessary decision for everyone, Besides the Harry Potter novwhen they really just want to make els, on the list of commonly banned it for their kids,” Brown said. “So we books are The Perks of Being a Wallhave to take that into account.” flower by Steven Chbosky, Of Mice However, these reports happens and Men by John Steinbeck, and To very rarely.

Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. “It has not happened before in the Some places even ban religious two years that I have been here, but texts, like the Bible.

I have seen it happen in other counFurthermore, AHS has a system ties,” Brown said. and committee in place to deal with Also, the few times that it has any books that are contested. happened in the past, the reports did Students, parents, and other not succeed. members of the community can file a This is because all the books that claim about any book available in the are available in a school are there for library, and say that it should not be a reason and pass strict guidelines prohibited. created by the school district.

Then, the Materials Challenge

BY SUAD MOHAMED Co-Editor in Chief

6 ACADEMICS

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATHAN FERSON

ANGIE SNOW

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

Senior Sebastian Florero assesses his options for college during his W4 class.

As the class of 2020’s senior year gets underway, students are starting the long process of applying to colleges.

The typical deadline for college applications is mid January, with most colleges giving a response in March or April.

Students applying for early action (an application method in which colleges see your application early and decide admission in advance) have until midNovember to complete their applications.

Many colleges require students to submit their applications through programs such as CommonApp or Coalition. These programs are free and help students efficiently complete their applications.

From balancing school work and after school activities, to hanging out with friends, many seniors struggle to find time to start their applications.

The first semester of senior year is one of the hardest times for a student, and this can be attributed to the added

What are your plans after high school?

pressure to complete their college appliMost Virginia colleges give in-state cations. tuition for less money, this has many Student athletes who participate Annandale students looking at their inin fall sports find themselves balancstate options. ing schoolwork Schools such with practices as VCU, Virginand games. Most ia Tech, UVA, and “I want my fall athletes have George Mason students to practices everyhave caught day of the week the eye of many be succsesand many have seniors. These colfull, so I do multiple games leges have highin a week. er admission my best to “Sometimes rates for Virginguide them it’s hard to find ia residents and time for schoola diverse set of during their college work in the aftermajors. journey ” noon, so I sug“I’m applying gested that we to George Mason --Carmen Lucas have mornDigital arts teacher and Swim team coach because it’s close ing practices on to my house and Wednesday so I can get my work done,” I like their cyber security program,” senior linebacker Danny Flynn stated. senior Ryan Charest said.

Aside from sports, seniors particiMany students have non-Virginian pate in other after-school activities that colleges on their list despite losing the take up a large portion of their time. resident tuition benefit.

“I have to put homework first, so Although out of state universities whenever I have free time, I look at colgenerally have a higher tuition rate, leges” senior Sebastian Florero said. that hasn’t discouraged many seniors,

SAVANNAH GRAVITT senior “I want to pursue a career in acting, so I plan to go to a college with a great acting major.”

ABRIL SANCHEZ QUIERO senior ‘‘I plan on going to VA. Tech, Georgetown, or UVA. They seem like really great colleges.”

DANIEL FLYNN senior “I plan on going to West Virginia University, I want to major in forensics and they are known for it.”

BRANDEN KIM senior “I plan on going to NOVA and then George Mason or Fullsail to pursue and online degree.”

who want to pursue their careers outside of the state.

“I want to go to Georgia Tech because they have great engineering programs,” said senior Cristian Alfaro.

Students aren’t the only ones preparing for the college application season. Many teachers are assisting students in their search for colleges.

Digital arts teacher Carmen Lucas helps her students with college essays and writes recommendations.

“I ask students if college is in their plan, I ask them what they want to do regardless of money, and if they say college, I’ll guide them through the process,” Lucas said.

Many teachers have to balance their work schedule with their role in a student’s college applications and which can be overwhelming.

“I balance my schedule by interviewing students during pride time and then writing recommendations over the weekend,” Lucas said.

As the final year for the class of 2020 gets into gear, students try their best to prepare their college applications despite the heavy work load.

ESTIFANOS HAILU senior “I want to join the Air Force when I graduate, they have great educational programs and I’ve always wanted to serve.”

Senior Angelina Snow visits VCU

BY NATHAN FERSON Academics Editor Q: Why did you want to visit VCU? A: I wanted to visit because I’ve always heard that VCU had a great art program. I also wanted to give the entire campus a look in case I end up going there.

Seniors prepare for college

BY NATHAN FERSON Academics Editor

A photo of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart taken by Snow during her visit to VCU.

CINDY AMAYA senior “I want to go to UVA because they have the Society of Hispanic Proffesional Engineers and I plan to join it.”

Q: What was the drive there like?

A: The drive was really fast. I slept some of the way there because we had to leave early so we could arrive on time for the tour.

Q: What did you learn from visiting?

A: I found that I really liked their arts program. They seem to have an involved and experienced group of teachers and some top notch facilities.

Q: Did the visit change your opinion of VCU? A: I already thought VCU was a good school. I had heard great things from my family, but now that I’ve seen it in person, I know for real.

Q: What colleges besides VCU are you looking at?

A: I’m probably going to apply to RISD and Taft University.

THOMAS CHANG senior “I want to stay in state. I plan on applying to University of Virginia or Virginia Tech with early action.”

MITCHELL EGGERT senior “I plan on applying to Virginia Tech because they have an amazing engineering school.”

Fall Word Search

Anoosh Taquir Grinds Through IB

BY NATHAN FERSON Academics Editor

Q: What clubs are you in?

A: I’m the president of the NEHS, I’m in the Math Honors Society, Girl-up, and the Atoms Writing Center.

Q: What is your favorite IB subject?

A: I like IB Literature the best because the teacher gives a lot of leeway and the material is very interesting.

IB Spotlight: Profiles of Diploma Candidates

Q: What made you decide to get the IB diploma?

A: My sister did the IB diploma, so it was only natural that I wanted to do it.

Q: What is your extended essay topic?

A: My field is literature, and I’m focusing on the works of Loung Ung and how she creates empathy within her reader through her emotional memoirs.

Q: What lasting impact do you want to leave on this school?

A: I’m not sure how but, I want students to know this, but they should be who they want and do what they want while respecting their environment, but ultimately represent themselves how they want and to not care about what others think. Don’t get caught up in scores and standards, do not let it define you.

Q: What colleges have you applied to/plan to apply to?

A: I plan to apply to UVA and George Washington, I’m pretty confident I can get into those schools, My reach school is Harvard and my backup is VA. Tech. I’m also applying for a few special programs that would give me the opportunity to get a full ride scholarship.

ANOOSH TAQUIR

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

A: Being an IB candidate has improved my writing and analytical skills. It also improved my work ethic because it requires you to take college level classes.

Senior Anoosh Taquir, who is in her second and final year of her IB Diploma journey, poses with after school activity fliers. Taquir’s favorite after school activities to participate in are the Atoms writing center and the National English Honors Society.

Q: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

A: When I am 27, I hope to see myself having travelled a bit and I want to be working a job outside of Virginia. I also hope my job has flexible hours with room to travel.

Q: What advice do you have for future IB candidates?

A: Truthfully, I would advise them against going for the IB diploma. You can still get the benefit of IB classes without doing the diploma, and that takes the added stress of the extended essay away. The IB diploma schedule does not allow flexibility or choice with classes, requiring specific courses in order to get the diploma.

FALL LEAVES FOOTBALL SCHOOL SEPTEMBER

NOVEMBER AUTUMN CIDER HARVEST OCTOBER

HEALTH 7

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JAMIE HAMADEH

ANNANDALE RECOGNIZES SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH

Junior Andrew O’Riley and senior Emmanuel Riverson have been very close friends all throughout high school. They make sure to be there for each other especially through the rough times.

School psychiatrists stress the importance of mental health

BY JAMIE HAMADEH & RACHEL TRAN Health Editor and Staff Writer

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and schools want to spread awareness.

Now that school has started, students are put under great amounts of stress to get that college-ready GPA, which could greatly affect their mental health.

Every September, AHS shows a presentation and gives a small questionnaire to all sophomores about suicide and the signs to look out for.

At the end, the results are submitted to the students’ counselors so that they can reach out to each student who shows any signs of poor mental health or depression.

Suicide is real and needs to be taken seriously because the death toll it has taken is increasing by large numbers.

What are some things people could do to improve their mental health?

Currently, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and the 2nd leading cause of death in children.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in 2017, 47,173 Americans died by commiting suicide.

Another 1.4 million Americans attempted suicide.

That little bit of information speaks volumes as to how important this issue has become.

“It’s really important to have good self-care behaviors and strategies,” psychologist Laurie Ottehenning said, “Doing healthy activities like sports and reading or writing is important, too. It is crucial to reach out when you feel like your mental health is getting to a place where you feel like you can’t manage it alone.”

AHS offer support to students through two social workers and two psychologists.

MAYA MANN freshman “People could talk to somone they know personally about their feelings. It is also good to write down your thoughts in a journal if you don’t feel comfortable enough to open up. Self care days are good to have so they can do things to make them feel better.”

MIA MENDEZ freshman “Talking to a trusted adult about what your problems are and what difficulties you’re having is a good idea.

You can also meditate.

It is a really good way to calm yourself down.

When something is wrong just breathe and take a couple moments to gather yourself.”

Their names are Alissa Green, Christina Ferrari, Laurie Ottehenning, and Andrea Chambers.

They’ve helped many kids get the help they need to be successful in school and at home.

It is crucial to feel safe in the environment that you are in at school.

Surrounding yourself with the right crowd plays a huge role in

“Try to find a hobby that you enjoy so that you’re focused on the positive rather than the negative.”

--LAILA LOPEZ

Junior

NEYLAN MCEUEN sophomore “Try to be more social and hang out with your friends. Talk to adults and friends that you trust. Talking to your parents is also a good way to release some of the stress. Find an extracurricular activity that you enjoy to take your mind off of issues.”

CALEB YENENEH sophomore “Think of positive things in your life that you love and that make you happy. Try not to surround yourself with things that make you unhappy and things that aggravate you. If you are in an unhappy environment, try to find your happy place.”

your mental health.

“Take your mind off of things,” junior Laila Lopez said, “Try to find a hobby that you enjoy so that you aren’t always focused on the negative things.”

Many schools like AHS offer a plethora of extracurricular activities and sports that all students are welcome to take part in.

Students enjoy participating in clubs and sports with their friends so that they can have something to do in their spare time.

Students can make appointments during Pride Time or after school to talk to their counselors and psychologists and receive help when it is needed.

They make sure that they give students a safe and welcoming environment to open up in.

Being that school is where kids spend most of their time, it

MELEK MOHAMMED junior “People can start by getting off their phones and start talking to friends so that they can have fun. Talking to family and trusted adults is really good, too. Stop stressing about things because at the end of the day, everything will be

DRAKE AMAYA senior “Being around positive people like your friends is really helpful. Try surrounding yourself with positivity and get a good amount of sleep every night. That’s important for staying on track, and a good nights rest affects the way you treat people and how they treat you.”

is vital for everyone to be aware of signs of suicidal ideation, and how to react.

In most cases, students that are affected by their mental health are not comfortable going to an adult or their counselor.

This leads them to turn to friends.

However, some teens may not know how to react in a way that could ensure the other student is safe.

Counselors advise students to tell an adult so that they can take action and help the student get the support they need.

If you or a loved one is struggling and needs help, please do not be afraid to reach out and get help as soon as possible.

The suicide hotline is available 24 hours and can be reached at 1-800-273-8255.

MCCLAIN HERMAN English teacher “For me, personally I like to get exercise in and try to prioritize that no matter what.

Maintaining a regular sleep schedule by going to sleep at a reasonable time is really important. That’s honestly what helps me balance my mental health.”

BRENT ROBERSON systems of support advisor “First, I would say to just take a deep breath if you’re overwhelemed.

Remove yourself from that stressful situation, and after refocusing, come back to readdress the issue with win-win strategies. Try to avoid advice off of social media and stay around loved ones.”

Students become more involved in vaping and the use of Juul products

BY SIRYET GIRMA & KRISTINA REGMI Staff Writers

Many of the students can, unfortunately, say they have tried some form of vape.

For a large number of students, it has become a part of their daily routine, meaning that they are addicted.

A Juul is a new form of an e-cigarette that got very popular for teens in the past three years.

“To me, vaping is completely pointless,” junior Najma Abikar said. “I don’t get why people start just to get addicted when you can simply avoid it. It’s supposed to be for people who are addicted to nicotine.”

One single Juul pod is equivalent to 20 cigarettes packed with nicotine. The average Juul user can use three Juul pods or more in as little as one week. Most people do not see the danger of vaping because it is advertised to be a better and healthier alternative to smoking cigarettes or other harmful drugs.

When people try to quit smoking cigarettes, they tend to slow down their smoking rate by using Juul or another type of vaping product like Smok, Wismec and many more.

When advertised, the model will be releasing a puff of smoke with a bright smile on their face, making Juul look like a positive alternative.

“I know vaping is bad for you and you can get addicted to it,” senior

“Students vape in the bathroom and even try to vape in class. Students shouldn’t be doing it because it is dangerous for their health.”

--ASHLEY SENIOR

History Teacher

Milcha Brhane said, “But I know a lot of people who do it, so I think it has become a pretty normal thing now.”

While we mostly see the positive effects of switching from cigarettes to Juul, there are also a large amount of negative effects that are potentially life threatening.

When people inhale the nicotine that is packed in vaping products,

not only does it affect that person’s heart or lungs, but it can also severely damage their teeth and gums, which increases the chances of developing cavities.

The damage that a cigarette causes is bad, but when using a Juul or vaping product, you put yourself at risk of developing “popcorn lung,” which is short for bronchiolitis obliterans.

So far, six people have died from vaping in the U.S and there has been over 450 lung disease cases associated with vaping.

Many students spend money on the juice that goes into a vaping product or Juul pods. The prices may not seem that high, but over time, the cost adds up and it can really get expensive.

People who constantly Juul or vape can typically spend about $180 per month.

The Juul starter kit costs $49.99 and other vaping products typically cost around the same price, sometimes more.

What usually happens is, teens buy the vaping product and sell it to other teens for a higher price to make their profits.

Instead of wasting money on these vaping products, teens could be saving their money for things like clothes, shoes, and even college savings, and avoid harmful effects at the same time.

NIH.GOV

Vaping becomes a greater issue at AHS

8 PHOTO

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANIEL VO

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

Varsity cheerleading captain Khadija Janneh turns towards the homeside bleachers to celebrate a touchdown. “I feel like this year is very promising. I can just tell that everyone is ready to give their all this season and it’s exciting to see so many victories so early in this season,” Janneh said.

AHS celebrates its first touchdown of the night against Forest Park on Sept. 6. The Atoms lost by a score of 21-27.

Friday Night Lights

Students ring in this year’s football season with excitement and enthusiasm The Marching Atoms erupt in fanfare to hype up the football team. Percussionist Gabe Mills plays passionately surrounded by the various other instrumets like trumpets, flutes, tubas, and clairinets that make up the ensemble of the marching band.

Senior Hakim Idris rocks out in all red Atoms gear to support the varsity team during the game against Forest Park on Sept. 6. “I think school spirit can make every school day feel less like a chore,” Idris said.

“That’s why I’m proud to be an Atom.”

Rooting on the Atoms football team, seniors Annika Marigliano, Allauna Harrison, Vy Luu, Umi Hermann, Lily Le, and junior T.J. Hutnan represent Annandale in the bleachers. “It’s fun to be engaged with the school and being with friends,” Hutnan said. “I like being able to cheer on my fellow classmates.”

Senior Yawar Ibbas and junior Jimmy Le hype up the crowd during the Sept. 13 game against the Justice High School Wolves. The Atoms fell 20-26.

Students gather together to form the first hype squad of the year. With the faces of players such as Danny Flynn, Garrett Meadows, and Brian Fuentes printed on large posters, sophomore Megan Brown, junior T.J. Hutnan, and senior Max Lehaney hold them up as they cheer for their fellow classmates. “Football games are a great time to hang with friends and to support the school,” senior Jae Sung Kim (in sunglasses) said.

The team huddles around coach Mike Scott, after a timeout was called. Scott coached the players through a successful game on Sept. 6 despite the 21- 27 defeat against Forest Park.

ARTS 9

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

Theater Company prepares for the Fall play For the Love of Three Oranges set to debute Oct. 25 through 27.

BY DUC NGO Staff writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMERICAN EAGLE (AERIE)

The Annandale Theatre Company is preparing for this year’s fall play, For The Love of Three Oranges.

The play takes place in a fictional kingdom called The Kingdom of Cups.

The plot is about a prince who has been cursed with the inability to laugh, despite the effort of the people in the kingdom to correct this issue.

One day, however, his cursed gets lifted, only to be cursed again to fall in love with three oranges.

“It’s hilarious,” theatre teacher Katherine Brunberg said, “There’s a cursed prince, a jester sidekick, there are princesses, there’s a really old king, a sorceress, an evil cousin of the prince, a wizard, and many more crazy thiwThis year’s play will take a differente turn. Instead of the usual political perfomance, For the Love of Three Oranges, will be wngs that will happen in this play,” Compared to more serious plays a comedy. Written and dirceted by Cathryn Brenson, graduate fo The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. The cast and crew are very exciting for this change in pace. of previous years, such as Anonymous, this year’s performance will be audition as much as possible. I think “I took the basic plot of the play and something that would challenge a humorous Italian play that is categothis performance excites me because rized as a commedia dell’arte, a genre added a few more original stock char- everybody artistically. we’re the first ever performance of it “We have these big and exaggerof early professional theatre that all acters,” Benson said, “I wrote it specifwith a world premiere, so it’s kind of ated characters,” she said, “I also ically for Katie Brunburg’s students.” modern humor took inspiration from. crazy.”

Benson is excited to work with wanted to make sure there was good Another thing that will be different “I am the co-props designer. I am is that this year is that the play will the students, she said. She wants to opportunities for the technical design designing weapon props, so I get to explore their strengths and weakness- aspect, so there could be very creative not be directed by Brunburg. make five weapons. Two of which are make-up, creative costumes, creative Instead, she will be taking the role es to find their characters, she said. stabs and three of which are swords, “Because it’s a very silly fairy tale I sets. There are many props needed for of stage manager and will hand the and this play is very funny with director hat to close friend and Royal want everyone to go into the extreme this play, so there will be a lot of chalmanny silly combat scenes,” ChounraAcademy of Dramatic Arts graduate, reaches of their imagination and real- lenges for both the design areas and may said. “If you didn’t already know actors.” ly think out of the box,” Benson said.

Cathryn Benson. this is a commedia dell’arte which is Junior Hunter Duggan, who plays When choosing the play theater “She’s brilliant,” Brunburg said, a very funny form of theater. It’s not “She translated the script from the would perform this year, Brunberg a part of the royal court and senior much seen and has probably never Italian, making the script original, so said she looked for something that was Alexander Chounramany, who is a been seen before in Annandale thestage manager, shared their exciteit will be the first time this version will more light hearted. ater, so come watch.”

“I think this is the first purely ment for the play. be performed. The kids will also have The cast for the play will include: “All theater excites me because I the opportunity to learn a whole new funny show we’ve done since I’ve been junior Nia Collins as Truffaldithink all it’s exciting in general to peracting style and apply it to an actual here,” she said. no, senior Tarik Darwiesh as Prince Brunberg also made sure to choose form,” Duggan said. “I always try to production.”

Theater has a change in direction

Tartaglia, senior Jack Dalrymple as Leanrod, sophomore Jewel Coulter as Princess Clarice, and junior Mariam Sesay as Fata Morgana as the primary characters.

Secondary characters will playes

by Junior Han Le as Celio Mago, and senior Makayla Collins as Princess Ninetta as the main performances.

Other performance will include junior Sarah Wheatley as Princess Concetta, sophomore Clara Billows as Princess Violetta, freshmen Jasson Rodriguez as Il Dotorre, sophomore Kenneth Anderson as Il Capitano, sophomores Kelly Martindale as Brighella, sophomore Amanda Weaver as Pantalone, sophomore Ana Clark as Smeraldina, sophomore Kayla Osipchak as Crefonta’s voice, senior Kadijah Janneh as Fararello.

Last but not least Junior Hunter Duggan, junior Sirena Clemons and freshmen Tim Hurd as Zanni, and junior Alonzo Sanchez, sophomore Ana Clark, sophomore Clara Billows, freshmen Gleny Chicas, freshmen Jasson Rodriguez, sophomore Kayla Osipchak, sophomore Kenneth Anderson, sophomore Rania Harid and junior Sarah Wheatley will be a part of the Royal Court.

“When casting the characters I was looking for anyone who was willing to be ridiculous,” Benson said, “I wanted people who would be willing to make a fool of themselves, people who wouldn’t be self conscious and would really go for it as far as the exaggeration in the character is concerned..”

With the confidence and excitement that Benosm and Brunberg show for this play, it seems it will be unlike any other we’ve ever seen.

The play will be held from Oct. 25 through 27. Anyone with any questions should talk to Brunberg in Room 324.

Color guard works hard to achieve artistic flair

he said, “Guard has almost exclusive visual performance responsibility in the Marching Atoms.”

And indeed they do, with the flags, riffled, swing flags, and various other equipment they use. They twist, turn,

and have an impeccable choreography that coordinates with the music being played certitaly makes the show more amazing to watch.

Preparing the performances is no easy task, however.

“There is a tremendous amount of demand in respect to body fitness and body movements for the performers,” Witowski said.

Guard instructor, Shannon Lwandowk, elaborated more on this, “Color guard has to learn how to spin, how dance, how to perform, and how to march,” she said, “It’s three more things than what the band does, but they have been pushing it all season so far.”

Shannon Lwandok and Christina Robinson are relatively new instructors for Color Guard, hired last year

by Joshua Witkowski.

“They were looking for someone to do the choreography,” Robinson said, “I came here, fell in love with the kids, fell in love with the activities, and we’ve been trucking along ever since.”

The two have been friends for a very long time and have worked together on other occasions.

“We do other groups outside of

this,” Lwandok said, “We met in college and have been doing this together for the last couple of years, but last season we got hired by Mr. Witowkis and it’s been pretty surreal ever since.”

While the instructors have many goals for Color Guard, their main hope is making sure they improve as performers.

“I want to take what they have and what they’ve learned, and give them the tools to move forward,” Robinson said, “I want them to become bigger and better performers. I want them to get a lot more comfortable with performance and open their mind to bigger things.”

Jakson Ramos also shared how they prepare for competition.

“We prepare with each rehearsal,” he said, “We try to learn at least one thing every time and do a lot of repetition.”

Color Guard looks forward to giving their best performances and continuing their legacies alongside the Marching Atoms.

Artist Spotlight: Carter McGraw Senior Carter McGraw shares his experience in orchestra.

What made you join orchestra?

“I joined orchestra in 4th grade because I liked the sound of the cello. It wasn’t as high pitched as the violin and it was bigger than the viola. When I first played the instrument, it felt natural and right, so after school that day I immediatly begged my parents to take me to a music store so I could try all the different cellos.”

What makes orchestra different from other departments?

“I think what makes orchestra different is the unity we have as a class. You need to be really in sync when you play in an orchestra and really listen to each other. It makes us closer as a group which is something I enjoy.”

Why do you choose to continue orchestra?

“I continue with orchestra because it’s something I really enjoy.

Not just the musical aspect but also the unity we have. We’re all friends in orchestra and eveyone know eveyone’s buissnes, so it’s definetly a differente enviorment. I also enjoy performing and the conduction style of our teacher, Larissa Mariam. I think she’s great and really enjoy her classes. I hope she stays long after I graduate.”

What other intruments do you play?

“I play the guitar, it’s another instrument I instantly connected with. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve looked up at bands such as The Beatles, Slip Knot, and Avenge Sevenfold. Some of my favorite guitarists are Synyster Gates, Jim Root, Eric Clapton, and Zacky Vengance. I hope somday I’ll be able to play at their level. As of now, however, I still want to improve.”

Is music a hobby or a pssion?

“I think it’s a little bit of both. I am very passionate about it, yet I don’t plan to continue after high school. It’s something that I hold very close to me, however, and something that I will always find the time to do.”

What advice do you have for people that are learning an instrument?

“I would say, just do what feels right and stick to it. As much as I love playing the cello, there have been many times in which I thought of quitting because it was too hard. I stuck with it, however, and now I’m in Philharmonic, the highest orchestra. I don’t regret my decision.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHAE RIGO

It’s the middle of the game, you hear the percussions, listen to the flutes and trumpets, start humming to the song they’ve started to play, and from behind you catch a glimpse of the flags.

But what does that mean? What aspect of the show does Color Guard serve the Marching Atoms?

Senior Jackson Ramos, who has been a part of Color Guard for the past two years and currently serves as Co-captain of the team shared the role he believed Color Guard had in the Marching Atoms.

“We are definitely the more visual aspect of the show,” he said, “Although the band does visual as well, we add more to it to help make it a better show.”

Marching Atoms Director, Joseph Witwoski,shared a similar belief when

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAVANNAH JONES

BY MIA ANTEZANA Arts Editor

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

AN ADVENTUROUS SUMMMMER RECAP

Survival Guide for freshman year “I wish I knew this when I was a freshman,” many upperclassmen say. Entering freshman year, one has probably heard several stories about the high school experiences from a family member, friends, television shows or even online videos. Freshman year is a new setting and can make one feel scared, uncomfortable, confused and excited.

How movies portray high school is not the case. High school is extremely different than what you see when watching a new Netflix movie featuring Noah Centineo. This doesn’t mean that high school is going to be boring.

Don’t expect high school to be a certain way because of the stories that you heard.

Enter high school positively, explore and make a good experience. Make your own experience and be the judge of high school.

Q: What types of activities did you particpate in?

A: During my stay in Ecuador, every day was a new adventure. On the first day, I visited with locals in the cloud forest of Yunguilla, went to the Equator Line, and went shopping at a market in Quito. The second day consisted of a nine-hour drive and a 30-minute boat ride to the Amazon Rainforest.

During the majority of the trip,

Q: How was it leaving Ecuador?

A: Leaving Ecuador was bittersweet. I missed my home and my parents a lot, but I had also formed close bonds with people on the trip. The trip ended up being the most incredible experience I have ever had. I made lifelong friendships, and as cliché as it sounds, I truly came back a changed person.

I have heard just about everyone complain that they don’t like school,

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Sophia Baraban enjoys the sunset after her first day of service in the Amazon. “The lodge I was staying in had the most beautiful view of Río Napo,” Baraban said.

but I’ve come back knowing that I cannot complain because there are so many people in this world that don’t have the same educational opportunities as we do.

If you ever get the chance to make

a difference in this world, to give someone a better life, take it, even if it’s scary. It will be the best thing you will ever do, I promise.

Shafia Khan’s no-phone Janine Impat’s experience vacation to Pakistan in the Philippines

BY FRANCES MONTEVILLA In-Depth Editor

The Korangi Creek is located in the Sindh Province of Karachi.

The main reason why Khan and her family traveled to Pakistan was to visit her grandmother who has been having fluctuating health issues. Nevertheless, Khan was able to enjoy the beautiful country of Pakistan by going on a phone detox that allowed her connect back to her roots.

Senior Janine Impat traveled to the Philippines from July 27 to Aug. 23. During this time, she was able to visit several historical attractions.

For example, the Cagsawa Ruins was a church in the 1500’s but was burnt down, so what Impat saw was the only remnants that the mayor preserved from the 1910’s until now.

Behind the ruins is the Mayon Volcano, one of the tallest in the world. “Although you can’t see it in the photo, it was huge when we got there,” Impat said.

Impat also visited the entrance to Anahawan Hot Springs, also known as Mainit, or “Hot” in Tagalog. According to Impat, it’s like a local hot springs in Anahawan, Southern Leyte, Philippines.

“We were on our way back to our hometown after we visited relatives in the province,” Impat said. “We happened to stumble upon this hot spring resorts and it was super nice.”

The reason why Impat and her family traveled to the Philippines was to visit relatives and places, since they haven’t gone out of the country for 8 years.

Q: What were your first concerns about going to Governor’s School?

A: At first I was really worried that I would have trouble finding things on the college campus, and my map was definitely my best friend the first few days! I also wasn’t sure how I would feel living in a dorm on a college campus for a month, but I was really excited about the experience as well.

From June 23 to July 20, senior Susan Conell attended the Governor’s School for Humanities, held at Radford University.

Q: Why did you apply to Governor’s School?

A: I applied to Governor’s school mostly because I wanted to challenge myself. I also wanted the opportunity to learn about interesting topics that

SUSAN CONNELL

Q: What classes did you take?

A: My main two classes were First Amendment Law and Ethics and Environmental Sociology. I chose them because they seemed to cover topics that were both interesting to me and applicable to everyday life. I also had the opportunity to take some shorter classes, such as Creative Nonfiction Writing and Horror, Fantasy, and SciFi: What’s the Difference? to name a few.

Susan Connell poses in front of the Radford University campus during her time at Governor’s School.

Q: What activities did you participate in?

A: There were a lot of activities provided for students, some of which were optional and some of which were “fundatory.”For example, every Friday all the students got to watch performances at an open mic, and on the 4th of July we all went to a

local theater to watch Spiderman: Far From Home. There were also a lot of classes and workshops that we could participate in in the evenings, such as sign language classes and gospel choir practice.

Forming friendships in the Governor’s School environment was pretty easy. Most of the people there were super nice and fun to talk to, and I had the opportunity to meet people from areas all across Virginia. There were lots of ways to meet people, whether in classes, in our assigned small groups, or just in the cafeteria.

Q: What are “Write-Ups”? Why didn’t you get any?

A: “Write-ups” were a type of warning or punishment given to students who broke the rules. Once a student received six write-ups, they got kicked out of the governor’s school. However, they became a huge inside joke because of how easy it was to receive one for seemingly inconsequential. Reasons included stepping out of a crosswalk, petting a dog, etc. Even really well-behaved students got them, usually for being a little late to something. I didn’t get any during my time at Radford (but I was lucky no counselors saw me the time I stopped to give directions to a lost stranger, because I would have definitely gotten written up for that).

you should think about your future and keep in mind what you want to get out of high school.

Attendance counts and showing good impressions to your teachers might help you in the future for college letters.

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GET INVOLVED High school is supposed to be about finding things out about yourself and there’s no better way to do it than joining a club or sport. There are more opportunities for you to make new friends with people in clubs or sports. Joining a club or sport will also tell colleges that you will be applying to in senior year that you can handle everything. Annandale has many clubs and sports to offer and if you don’t know about them, there will be a fair to show you clubs and activities during Pride Time. Not only should you join clubs, but you should also go to football games and other sport games that happen at Annandale. Live in the present because once high school is done there’s no going back and you might regret not having fun with friends.

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GO TO CLASS Many freshmen think that it’s “cool” to walk around school and not go to class at all. There’s nothing “cool” about getting an F on your report card for not showing up to any of your classes and getting detention. There’s also nothing “cool” about coming to school to not go to class. Coming to school means learning and getting an education and not fooling around. Even though your parents are not at school to tell you what to do,

FOCUS ON YOUR GRADES Grades! Grades! Grades! Every student has heard about grades and how they should aim for good grades from a teacher or guardian at one point in their life. Grades are important and help you get into the college that you want to get into. Keeping a good GPA will help you get into the college that you want.

High school is a different setting than middle school and it requires more work to keep up your grades. If you start working hard from the beginning of your freshman year you will adapt to high school and keeping up with grades and extracurricular activities will be easier to handle.

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TIME MANAGEMENT Having your nose in a book or studying all day is not a fun way to enjoy high school year. Grades and extracurricular activities should be important, but you should also have time for other things such as, family time or hanging out with your friends during the weekends. High school is not all about studying but also making sure that you get a good high school experience that you can remember in the future. Doing extracurricular activities can be difficult as they may put stress on you and make you stay up at night to study. Finding the right schedule is key, so that you can also have a life that isn’t only about school.

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MANAGE STRESS High school will make you stressed with the amount of assignments and tests that you need to study for. Getting stressed is normal and is something that you will experience. Whether it’s about your GPA, test grade, teachers, parents or even college admission papers, academic pressure can be an all-time high during high school. Finding a healthy way to get rid of the stress is a must. This includes: self-care, such as going to sleep early, getting healthy food, taking a break from homework to focus on yourself, doing a face mask or even doing something you enjoy that will make you happy.

Janine Impat visits the Cagsawa Ruins.

Freshman Orientation for Class of 2023

Q: How was the Radford University campus?

A: The Radford campus was really pretty, and the facilities were nice and pleasant to use. The building where I had my classes, in particular, was clean and spacious, and the dining hall always had a wide variety of food options. There was also a Starbucks that we could use, as well as a Chickfil-A on campus.

Q: How was it leaving Governor’s School?

A: Leaving Governor’s School was kind of bittersweet for me. I was definitely glad to sleep in my own room again after a month in a dorm, but I was also sad to leave the new friends I made. We did get an opportunity to present our final projects to friends and family during the closing ceremonies, and that was a fun experience as well.

Susan Connell and the group of students that she was assigned to be with on the last day of Governor’s School.

them.

They stayed in each class for five minutes and had ten minutes to find their classes. After going The first week of school began through their red day classes, they on Monday, August 26, and then went through their white the new freshmen class of 2023 day classes. This lasted from 9:30 had a chance to look around the am-11:20 am. school and find the location of Once done with getting to each their classes during freshman of their classes, they made their orientation. way to the gymnasium for a pep Freshman orientation rally. occurred Thursday, August 22.

In the gymnasium, they The freshmen who did come took were met with marching band advantage of the opportunity to students who played music and learn more about AHS and their the cheerleading team that did a teachers. quick performance. While in the Transitioning from middle gymnasium, leadership students school to high school can be a big asked one person from each side change to many students and of the bleachers to pick a song off might be difficult to adjust to how a topic and then the winner was “You never high school works. Freshmen chosen. get a second year can be nerve racking, scary One of the topics that they and overwhelming. chance were asked was to pick a song When students first came that reminded them about their for a first into the school, they were told childhood. Each side had a to make their way into the impression.” representative that picked a song auditorium where counselors and and students voted on which side -- MARK MERELL administrators were introducing interim principal had the better song. themselves. The new principal, The pep rally was not long and Mark Merell also introduced only took about 20-30 minutes. himself to the class of 2023.

“I was going to class, but I didn’t Once it was done students went to Mark Merell is an interim the buses that they were assigned, know about the sweep station principal and will be working until walked home or had someone pick that was happening. The door was a permanent principle is found them up. closed in my face and I had to go to to replace him. He has been in Overall, going to freshmen the sweep station. A teacher then FCPS working as a teacher and orientation was helpful because escorted me to class,” junior Siryet administration. on the first day of school freshmen Girma said.

Principal Merell gave the class won’t get lost and will know their Afterwards, they were told to go of 2023 advice on high school and way around the school. Hopefully to their first period from their red what they should or shouldn’t do on day schedule. If they needed any freshmen take the advice given the first day and years to continue. to them by the staff and have a help finding their classes, there He also told them to not mess up successful year. were many leadership students in their first impression because “you the hallway that would help guide MARIAN OSMAN In-Depth Editor

SUSAN CONNELL

aren’t always discussed in regular school.

techniques are useful tools to help you be organized and will become helpful when the years go on. If you sign up for hard classes, such as IB courses in the future, writing things down would be a good habit.

BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON

Susan Connell’s memorable month at the Governor’s School for Humanities

BY FRANCES MONTEVILLA In-Depth Editor

2

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN You’ve probably heard this one multiple times from teachers and think “I’m going to remember that, I don’t need to write it down.” Whenever you say that you are most likely going to forget and say, “I forgot the assignment was due today,” on the day the assignment is due. Using an agenda is a great way to stay on top of your classes and knowing when an assignment must be completed or when you have an upcoming test or quiz. Although AHS doesn’t give agendas out anymore, you can still buy agendas, which will help you know when you have sports or days for sport games. Another way of keeping track of what you need to complete is using an agenda or any other system that you see best fit. It’s better to be safe and remind yourself about assignments than to regret not writing it down. Agendas, phones, or other

Annandale High School welcomes class of 2023 at Freshman Orientation on Aug. 22, 2019.

JANINE IMPAT

Senior Shafia Khan traveled to Pakistan from July 28 to Aug. 22. During this time, she was able to visit many landscapes and attractions.

However, unlike most vacation trips where people can take random pictures every couple of minutes, Khan has to fight this urge. Being a developing country, poverty can be seen developing in different regions throughout Pakistan. For that reason, it is common for phones to be snatched right out of your hands by someone on the street. “I don’t have many photos in public because it would be too dangerous to take a high quality phone out in public,” Khan said. The only person that was able to take a picture and risk their phone was Khan’s mother.

Khan stayed in a family house located in Karachi, the capital of Pakistan known as “The City of Lights,” where her family’s house was located. Although Karachi is the most populous city in the country, it also has the highest crime rates.

In the picture, it is a view of a place called Korangi Creek, a Pakistani Air Force military base in the Sindh Province of Karachi. The Creek has an open beach and holds many activities for visitors to do, such as golfing and going to the water park. Khan was able to go jet skiing while visiting.

SHAFIA KHAN

BY FRANCES MONTEVILLA In-Depth Editor

DON’T PROCRASTINATE When you get an assignment, it is better to start on it immediately than to wait until the night before it is due to get started on it. It is easy to forget about a project that was given to you that is due in a couple of weeks. Instead of forgetting about the assignment, it is better to plan out days where you complete it step by step. It may seem that you have plenty of time to complete the assignment, but you won’t. Many teachers will also be giving out other assignments and be accepting them to be completed as well. Some assignments might also be due on the same day as other big assignments.

Not procrastinating will better prepare students who want to take Honors or IB classes or even aim for the IB Diploma or Advanced Diploma.

8

PARTICIPATE Asking questions in class can be uncomfortable if the whole classroom is quiet and people stare at you when you ask the question. Even if nobody in class is asking questions, that doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone understands what is going on. Asking a question might help other students who are afraid to ask questions and they might even be grateful for doing a brave thing. The teachers’ goal is to help you learn the curriculum so that you can pass the class with knowledge of what you were supposed to learn in the the class. The teacher is not trying to scare you off, so asking questions is not going to make a teacher angry or mad at you. This will help your teacher to get a better understanding of the type of student you are and shows that you are putting in effort and are paying attention in class. This will help in future years if you are trying to take more challenging courses. This will also help when you need college recommendations and need a teacher to write you a recommendation. Also, take part during spirit week and dress up for each day and take pride of wearing school gear.

never get a second chance for a first impression,” Merell said.

Principal Merell also went over how the bell schedule was going to work this year. He said that the warning bell would ring two minutes before class began and when the actual bell rang the teachers would lock their door.

If students are late, they have to go to one of the sweep stations where they are asked for information about their name, student ID and what class they are running late to. If you are late multiple times you will have to attend detention afterschool.

Tardies get reset every month.

MARIAN OSMAN

Q: Why did you go to Ecuador for a service trip?

A: Making a difference for others is important to me. When I heard about the Ecuador service trip, I was intrigued by the opportunity to help others in a Spanish-speaking country.

While I was nervous about a trip that would take me so far from home without my parents, I was excited for the adventure. I knew it would give me perspective.

Our service project focused on helping a village in the Amazon Rainforest with building a school, and I hoped that our work would help members of the village accomplish their dreams. I knew that it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

my service group and I worked at the local village. Our work consisted of taking a boat to an island, fillings bags with sand, loading the boat, carrying the sandbags up a steep hill to the village, then mixing concrete, and pouring it. It was all very tiring, but so rewarding in the end.

In the evenings, I would participate in bonding activities and go on night hikes in the Amazon with my groupmates. After we left the Amazon, we went to a town called Baños. There, we got to hike to a waterfall, relax in hot springs, and even swing off of a volcano. On the final day, we went to a famous market in Ecuador, Plaza de los Ponchos, in Otavalo.

SOPHIA BARABAN

From June 25 to July 3, junior Sophia Baraban traveled to Ecuador for the purpose of completing community service projects that would make the country a better place. Although the trip took her far from home, the experience was unforgettable as she helped build a school.

Q: Who was the service project benefiting?

A: The service project was through Me to We and benefited a village on the banks of the Río Napo in the Amazon Rainforest. When my service group arrived, we learned that the village did not have a 12th grade classroom, meaning that 12th grade students that lived in the village had to go to another school by boat or foot just to finish high school and many of them chose not to.

My service group helped lay the foundation of the 12th grade classroom, which ultimately will allow them to finish school in their own village. In addition, we also made a walkway that will help all students get to each schoolroom.

7

DO YOUR HOMEWORK “Why would I do my homework if it’s only 10% of my grade?” Asking yourself this question is normal but doing your homework even though it might be only a smart percentage of your grade for a class is important. The teacher might only assign one homework assignment or a few, which can boost your grade if you did horrible on other categories of a class. Homework will also be a great study guide for an upcoming quiz or test. Homework is a great way to remember and make sure to not forget the lesson that you learned in class. Turning in homework late is better than not turning it in at all even though you should complete it on time and get it out of the way.

BY MARIAN OSMAN In-Depth Editor

Sophia Baraban’s once-in-a-lifetime community service trip to Ecuador

BY FRANCES MONTEVILLA In-Depth Editor

IN-DEPTH 11

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

MARIAN OSMAN

10 IN-DEPTH

Leadership gives a presentation to welcome the class of 2023 at freshman orientation on Aug. 22, 2019.

12 INTERNATIONAL

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

Bonne Été: Student's journey to France Senior Asta Signui talks about her travels and tours in three cities during the summer This summer senior Asta Singui, along with her family, made their annual trip to France.

It is a tradition since she was a little girl, every year during the summer they would travel to France to visit family that resides there.

However, this past summer was extremely important to Singui’s mother in particular.

"My aunt and my mom have not seen each other in 11 years because she lived in the Central African Republic,” Singui said.“But she recently moved to France and the main reason of this year’s visit was to reconnect with her."

She recalls the moment her mom and aunt first saw each other at the airport.

"Everyone was so emotional, especially my mom and my aunt understandably, but it was in a good way, we were all so happy to see each other,"Singui said.

Her trip in France started in Le Mans. There Signal stayed with her aunt and cousins. Singui was excited to spend time with her cousins, whom she missed throughout the year. Unfortunately, because schools in France were still in session she was unable to spend the whole day with them. "In the morning I was mostly by myself, and it was boring,” Singui said. “But right after school, we would make the best out of the rest of the day by going out to the mall or to watch a movie or something."

In Le Mans, Signui went to numerous historical sites. One place she was really fond of was a famous attraction Nuit des Chimères, where the city of Plantagenet is lit by bright lights, capturing the eyes of visitors. After staying in Le Mans for about a week or so,

Singui and her mom were off to their next destination, Marseille.

What Singui experienced when she got to Marseille, however, was a brutal heat wave that was making its way across the nation. This summer was record-breaking for setting extremely high temperatures across western parts of Europe. Many scientists credit the heat to climate change caused by

“The hardest thing about France would be the transportation, it is always hectic and is always very busy.”

--ASTA SINGUI

senior greenhouse gasses. What is worse for Asta was the room she was staying in throughout her stay there did not have air conditioning. She describes how this contributed to her lack of sleep, as the room was small which ultimately amplified the heat.

Nevertheless, she still enjoyed her time in Marseille because she was with her cousin and aunt. "Even though it was really hot, we did a lot of things to forget about it, we go to get ice cream and we always found ways to enjoy ourselves'' Singui said.

Singui says the most memorable time she spent in Marseille was touring Parc National des Calanques on a boat. Singui and her cousins boarded a

boat and enjoyed a night of sight seeing.

She recalls the mesmerizing beauty of the water and the nature surrounding her. "It was like a work of art, everything seemed so perfect and peaceful," Singui said.

After her time in Marseille, Singui and her family went back to where they started, Paris.

Her most enjoyable time was spent in the city of lights. During her stay in Paris, Singui spent her days with new friends she met. She expresses that her most memorable time in Paris was helping a new friend she had met with her English skills. Because Singui is fluent in both English and French, she was able to help translate words and teach her new friend to say basic phrases in English. "We would spend a lot of time translating French words to English,” Singui said.“Most of the time it would be simple words but she was really eager to learn and I had fun helping her.”

During her time in Paris, Singui stayed with her aunt, which had a window view of the Eiffel tower. "It was really cool because I would be able to look out the windows and I could see the tower." Although Singui makes a trip every summer to France, she says she is always mesmerized by the beauty of the Eiffel tower. The most special moment as she described was "When it is dark, and the tower is lit up by all the lights, it’s just amazing.''

After spending an entire month in France, her trip finally concluded. Singui says she had a wonderful time, even with the heatwave she experienced in Marseille. Although she was saddened because her trip ended, she is always happy when reminded there is always next year.

ASTA SINGUI

BY BROOKE FEKRU International Editor

The social stigma of menses The menstrual cycle is the basic part of a woman's life. Nevertheless, women have time and time again experienced some kind of shaming in relations to this at some point in their lives. There has been a stigma that has existed ever since the foundation of this earth, that menstruation is dirty, unsanitary and that every month it transforms the personality of a nice woman into a vulgar beast.

This stigma has been a doctrine shared by cultures and countries across the world. Through this belief, the misogynistic ideology lives and forces women to forever live in shame.

On September 6, 2019, the world saw how dangerous period shaming really is.

Jackeline Chepngeno, a 14 year old student in Kenya, started off her day by waking up and attending school. It was while she was in one of her classes she realized that she got her period. Embarrassed, Chepngeno began to fidget since she was self-conscious and nervous.According to BBC and other media outlets, this is when she attracted her teacher’s, who is also a woman, attention.

In a room full of her classmates, the teacher then began taunting and making fun of Chepngeno. A teacher, whom she is taught to be a guidance figure, shamed her over an outcome she had no control over. Furthermore,

DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS

BY BROOKE FEKRU Interntional Editor

Chepngeno was then forced to leave the classroom and was then sent home because of her stained pants.

This perfectly exemplifies how menses is viewed by society, and the hurdles women undergo because of it.

Just like Chepngeno, there are hundreds of girls across the world who are being taunted and embarrassed over a natural aspect of a woman’s life.

Chepngeno getting sent home shows a class full of young adolescents the negative stigma that is intertwined over the topic of menses. The teacher who could have used this opportunity to console Chepngeno and comfort her as she was being stared at by her classmate, instead affirms to her students that women should be shamed and taunted over their periods.

As Chepngeno made her way home she began to reflect on the immense humiliation she just underwent. She replayed the taunting of her teacher calling her "dirty" over and over until she got home to her mom. Her mother tells reporters that Chepngeno told her about what had occurred that day as soon as she got home. After having a conversation, her mother sent Chepngeno to fetch water, which is when Chepngeno used a cloth to hung herself and die.

Following her death, the school Chepngeno attended closed in response.

As far as the teacher, there has not been any reports that state the teacher faced any repercussions for her actions.

What is more saddening is that this was not, is not, and will not be an isolating event. The stigma revolving menstrual cycle continues to affect every

woman from the day puberty hits until the day she dies.

Even in the western world, where it is thought to be progressive society women still feel ashamed to comfortably speak about their periods.

We can even see this stigma as being part of our school. As progressive and woke we all claim to be, walking in the hallways several remarks can be heard that are parallel to period shaming. Phrases such as "Are you on your period" when women are feeling down for the day is condescending to the experiences women go through in regards to menses.

This furthermore plays in a role over the issue for gender equality.

Women are always being labeled as too emotional and are thought of as too sensitive. Although many might think this does not have a major effect on a women’s day to day life, it is characterizing women to be deemed inferior to men. Ultimately being passed down for various opportunities as they are labeled unequipped to make clear decisions because of emotions clouding their judgments.

Moving forward, we should all think about the remarks and outlooks we have on stigmas associated with menstrual cycles. Understanding menses is a natural part of life, and by not associating the misogynistic ideologies that come with it is a key way to provide women with the support they need. If we can all do that then perhaps we can prevent what happened to Chepngeno to happen again.

Around the world Israeli elections With elections on the horizon in Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to appease voters by promising annexation of the West Bank if he wins next week’s election. This would undermine Palestine’s sovereignty and crush any possible future peace negotiations.

#BlueGirl in Iran An Iranian soccer fan has set herself on fire as a protest to her arrest. Her arrest came after getting caught by authorities because she attended a soccer game that was played by men. This goes against the law in Iran, whose regime has been time and time again accused for its numerous instances of gender inequality.

Brexit (Great Britain) Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to suspend Parliament following disagreements with elected officials over negotiations for a Brexit deal. Johnson is under a lot of pressure to effectively negotiate a Brexit deal before the Oct. 31 deadline.

Immigrant stories: coming to America

BY BROOKE FEKRU International Editor Senior Laura Gabriela Alarcon moved to the U.S. at the age of thirteen. A time where most kids her age are grappling with the difficulties of transitioning into their teen years, it was during that time Gabby made her journey to America.

It was hard for Alarcon to move as she had already established a life for herself in Colombia. She had friends she grew up with a family she was close to, and an area she was familiar with.

Nevertheless, she was not completely frightened at the thought of this monumental change. This is partly because her parents never disclosed to her about their decision to move until Alarcon had already arrived in the U.S. As she recalls, originally the trip was to visit relatives that were living here at that time. However, after spending 5 hours in the plane from Colombia as they arrive in the U.S., her parents told her about their plans to permanently relocate to America.

Alarcon recalls this moment as jaw breaking. She remembers herself being astonished after hearing the news. "I have traveled to the U.S. before, but only for vacations. The thought of completely living here was a little bit scary," Alarcon

said.

Their reasoning was primarily over finding new opportunities. Her parents wanted her to have a better education, a better future, and a better life.

Living in the U.S. was different in many ways than living in Colombia. One thing Alarcon had trouble with was the urban life of America.

In Colombia, Alarcon resided in an area that was closely knit together. A place where everybody knew everything and everyone knew each other. This was not the case in America. To Alarcon everything seemed distant, far away and at times this implicated a feeling of loneliness. However, as time passed, she was able to find close friends that resembled her and was able to combat that feeling.

Another change Alarcon had to grapple with was the necessity of cars.

When she was in Colombia, because the area she lived in was small, everything was close distance for her. However, in the U.S. it became a must to have a car in order to go to various places. "Everything in America is so far away, that you see very few people walking in the streets," Alarcon said.

In addition to this Alarcon experienced her greatest hurdles with the school system.

She says the school system in

Colombia is extremely different from the one in America. She recalls that instead of students going to different classes throughout the day to meet their teachers and attend classes, in Colombia it was the other way around. "I was assigned to one classroom and stayed with the same classmates for all classes,"Alarcon said.

Another difficulty Alarcon experienced is the general atmosphere when it came for special holidays. Alarcon says her favorite time of the year was during Christmas. "What I miss the most is Christmas time in Colombia when there’s a bunch of carnivals and Holidays that we celebrate," Alarcon said. Nevertheless Alarcon says she and her family do their best to recreate the same happy memories that she remembers during her life in Colombia.

Overall Alarcon says her transition from Colombia to the U.S. has been good. She credits this most to living and residing in Annandale. As she is part of a community that is so diverse she does not feel excluded and feels unified even with the variety of cultures that are present.

This applies to high school, as she most often interacts with students just like her who came from various backgrounds, "I am very proud of representing Colombia in a school that is so diverse," Alarcon said.

LAURA GABERIALA ALARCON

How senior Laura Gaberiela Alarcon made her journey from Colombia to the United States

LIFESTYLES 13

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

Accessories to spice up your look

Talkin' with Thonny

BY THONNY ANWAR Lifestyles Editor

Dear Thonny,

ALL PHOTOS TAKEN BY THONNY ANWAR

I have always had classes with my friends and didn't need to get to know anybody else. This year, I have no classes with any of my friends or people I know.

Since my friends and I don't have classes together, we don't see each other much during the school day. I have a feeling that we are slowly fading. What am I supposed to do about them and how do I make new friends?

Sincerely, A friend in need

Knuckle Rings

Crossbody Bags

Pom Pom Earrings

Layered Anklets

Standing out and being different is the best way to go about your school year.

Knuckle rings are a different kind of ring that can be eye catching. Instead of wearing the ring below the knuckles, they are worn above to give off a very cool look unlike any other. Stacking them on fingers is a popular way to wear them.

It is easier to keep track of your belongings when you carry them in a bag that is compact and versatile. These types of bags are both simple and stylish. They come with an adjustable strap that allows for either over the body or shoulder wear. They can also be paired with any kind of outfit to give off a fashionable look.

These fun and adorable earrings will definitely catch the attention of everyone walking past you. They are very popular due to their soft texture and unique form. This is the perfect piece of jewelry when feeling a little bold and crazy. They can be used to add a pop of color to an outfit or just used as a statement piece.

It is more than just a bracelet around your ankle; it is a nice and subtle way of accessorizing an outfit. Layered anklets can dress a look up when being paired with heels or dress a look down when being paired with sneakers. It is the best jewelry piece for walking around the neighborhood or bike riding through the park with friends.

Lariat Necklaces

Hemp Bracelets

Fanny Packs

Bandanas

These necklaces give off elegant vibes.

They look good on any neckline and can look formal or informal. They are like scarves that wrap around the neck and have just one strand hanging down. If pieces that are loud and bold make you feel uncomfortable and are too much, these necklaces are a good choice.

When the humid air hits, the heavy chains are the last thing to grab for.

These hemp bracelets are comfortable and have a smooth, clean finish. They have simple yet creative patterns that are sure to get compliments. A fun fact about the hemp in the bracelet is that it is made out of cannabis, which is a source for producing marijuana.

They’re back and better than ever.

Fanny packs have been around forever but have recently become popular.

Sarah Jessica Parker and many other fashion icons have been spotted wearing them in a variety of styles. They can be strapped around the waist or back and keep your hands free from the burden of carrying essentials.

Bandanas are perfect for adding a stylish edge to any look. They can be worn in a variety of styles like around the neck or tied on the head. Junior Kaledan Malefia chooses to wear it on her head. They can be chosen from a wide range of colors, patterns, and fabrics.

Most of the time they give off a street style look.

Dear friend in need, I’m really sorry that you are going through this, but you are not alone. A lot of people have had this same situation, including myself when I was a freshman.

One of my main suggestions, as scary as it seems, is to make new friends. I know it can be hard to break out of your shell and talk to new people but try thinking positively.

Just introduce yourself and try to find common interests with them. I highly doubt there is not one person in your class that you can connect with.

About your friends fading away, if they really are your best friends then school shouldn’t be the only place to see each other. You could go to each other's houses to hang out.

Another thing to do is hang out after school at the many places near our school like Tutti Frutti or our school-favorite Kung Fu Tea. Joining an after school club together is also a good way to stay in touch if you really can’t see them outside of school or if you just really want to see your friends at school.

The last suggestion I have is attending school games with your friends. It shows school spirit and games are entertaining to watch.

It’s nice to keep friends from the past but that shouldn't keep you from meeting new ones.

Good luck on getting to know new people and I hope you don’t have to worry about your old friends fading after my suggestions.

Sincerely, Thonny

What is your favorite place to buy clothes or accessories?

CORRENE BELLEM freshman "I don't shop a lot, but when I do, I like to go to Francesca's because it has a great selection and it also isn't super expensive like most other stores in the area."

VRUSHAB SHREENIDHI sophomore “I don’t really have one place I always go to. I go to PacSun and H&M to get my hoodies and I like going to Nike’s to get my shoes because they’re my favorite brand and I like the service.”

ELIZABETH BRENNAN junior “I normally don’t go to stores because I usually buy things online from ads on Instagram. I like shopping online because if I see a Youtuber recommend something that I like, the fastest way to get it is online.”

ANDRES PACHECO senior “I sometimes buy sweaters and jackets from Forever 21 because they are made of good quality material. I also go to H&M to buy my jeans and shirts because I like the style. My favorite place to buy shoes is Champions.”

JASMINE MANN senior “I get my earrings and necklaces from Claire’s or Francesca’s because their jewelry is detailed.

I also buy my shoes from Foot Locker or the Vans store because they are the only stores that have shoes I like and wear.”

Fashion Spotlight: Holly Tran, 11

Q: Where do you like to shop?

A: I Iike to shop online because I have access to a variety of options.

Q: What is your favorite accessory?

A: My favorite accessory would probably be chains they can tie outfits together well.

HOLLY TRAN

Q: What is your typical outfit for school?

A: I don't really have a typical outfit for school because I try to change it up every day.

Junior Holly Tran wears an oversized shirt over a black crop top with ripped jeans and a belt.

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

A: Summer because I'm not in school and get to wear whatever I want whenever I want.

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

A: Around 5 to 10 minutes every morning.

Q: How much do you invest in clothing?

A: I spend a lot because I buy my clothes in really big hauls a few times a year.

Q: What is your favorite pair of shoes?

A: My favorite pair of shoes are my Fila Disruptors that I got from Journeys.

Q: What do you wear on bum days?

A: I can never go wrong with a pair of leggings, shirt, and a jacket.

Q: What is a fashion trend you dislike?

A: I dislike the glitter trend because glitter gets everywhere.

Q: Do you dress to impress or for yourself?

A: I dress for myself because looking good makes me happy.

Q: Who is your fashion inspiration?

A: My fashion inspiration is from Asian streetwear.

HOLLY TRAN

Q: How did you learn to dress?

A: I don't really know how I learned to dress; it just kind of happened.

Tran wears an off the shoulder black crop top with army green cargo pants and black combat boots.

14 PEOPLE

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

Teachers on Twitter Kathleen Mathis @AtomicTeacha English teacher

Assistant Administrator 1. How do you use Twitter?

I use Twitter to promote and showcase AHS students and events. I do not use it as often as I would if I had more time.

1. How do you use Twitter?

I use it mostly to connect with other teachers across the world, to share ideas and bounce ideas off of others and also to share the things that we’re doing in our class.

2. What kind of content do you post or repost?

I post content for the school and more specifically the departments that I supervise (Performing Arts, Fine Arts, Science, AVID and Class of 2022). I post classroom learning activities, sports, performances, I repost/retweet AHS related posts, other FCPS activities, educational forums, and Wakefield Basketball and Prolook (my husband is a basketball coach at Wakefield High School), and occasionally something about my daughters.

2. What kind of content do you post or repost?

I post a lot of what I’m doing in the class.

I spent the first year of Twitter kind of just watching and getting ideas from other educators, then I felt like I needed to pay it forward and share some things that I thought maybe other teachers might want to try in their own classrooms.

3. Do you let students follow you? If so, why should they follow?

I do let them follow, but I do not follow them back. If they did follow me, they might see themselves showcased in the work that they’re doing and maybe get a heads up as to what's happening in class. When I see, like, the A-Blast or anything giving a shout-out to a student that I have I usually retweet it and try to promote them that way 4. When did you join Twitter? Why that specific platform?

I joined November of 2017. Ms. Cory suggested it to me. She was taking pictures to post on Twitter and told me to join and check it out. I had no idea what I was doing. I’d been reluctant to join Twitter for a long time

Monica Bentley @monica_bentley1

because I didn't understand it. I can't say that I understand it completely yet but I have found ways for it to work for me.

5. Who do you follow?

Other teachers inside and outside the building, especially.My exception to the rule on following students is if they are doing anything related to the classroom as part of their studies and such.

Tricia Kapuscinski @MrsKapSays

3. Do you let students follow you? If so, why should they follow?

My account is not private because it’s mainly used for work purposes. Anyone can follow me. They should follow me if they are interested in AHS educational activities and other events.

4. When did you join Twitter? Why that specific platform?

I joined Twitter in August of 2016. Mr. Thomas, AHS former principal, helped me create my Twitter account at a Region 2 Kickoff Meeting. Twitter because we were competing

with the other FPCS Regions to see which Region got the most likes and retweets. I have personal Instagram and Facebook accounts, but I do not use them for work purposes. These are also private accounts.

5. Who do you follow?

I follow 216 people. Most are affiliated with AHS and FCPS, my family, Wakefield HS, Tim Thomas, Lake Braddock Secondary, VCU, Justin Timberlake, New England Patriots, the Royal Family, and Barack Obama.

Jessica Klein @TheRealMrsKlein Algebra 2 and IB Applications teacher

ESOL teacher

1. How do you use Twitter?

I use Twitter for professional development / ideas and for AHS stuff.

1. How do you use Twitter?

I use it as a professional account mainly for school purposes and things related to the classroom.

2. What kind of content do you post or repost?

Lately, I’ve been posting about activities that we’ve been doing our classroom. I also like/retweet ideas I see and AHS-related tweets.

2. What kind of content do you post or repost?

I post things related to AHS, activities I’m trying out in class, accomplishments of my ESOL students, things like that.

3. Do you let students follow you? If so, why should they follow?

Yes. Mainly just for the AHS-rel ated going-ons (sports, activities, etc.).

3. Do you let students follow you? If so, why should they follow you?

I do let students follow me, but I’m not sure any actually have yet, haha! It’s so new to me, but I feel like a lot of my freshmen think Twitter is so “old school” already.

5. Who do you follow?

I follow all kinds of people and organizations 4. When did you join twitter? Why that related to education. Lots of Annandale teachspecific platform?

I set up a teacher twitter account this sum- ers, teams, clubs, Leadership and The A-Blast, mer because a good friend of mine said it’s the of course! And then I also follow teachers from other schools and professional organizations best way to get new teaching ideas and she that help with my teaching practice either was absolutely right! because of their awesome resources or inspiration.

HUMANS OF ANNANDALE

4. When did you join twitter? Why that specific platform?

I joined in 2014 for school purposes because *I think* it was one of the most popular platforms among students at the time. I was going to use it to send out reminders and things about class to students.

5. Who do you follow?

I follow a lot of AHS-related accounts (i.e.

AHS Athletics, The A-Blast, AHS Class of 2022), other AHS teachers (i.e. Ms. Olarinde, Mrs. Mathis, Mr. Hardy), and other teachers from different schools (i.e. Mr. Meehan, Mr. Sworsky, Ms. Clarkin)

WHO AM I? I attended...

Old Dominon University

My favorite thing to do during any time off is travelling, or impromptu plans.

I love to go to small towns and look at their style of living. I find it so interesting how they each have their unique style of living.

Recently, my family and I did a road trip around Europe. We visited eleven countries and fourteen cities including Paris, Milan, Venice, and Rome. I loved Paris, Florence, and Venice the most because of the stunning view alongside the water. Rome had the most history, but the weather and great level of tourists made it very tiring. Still, it was so surreal standing underneath huge historical landmarks that I’ve been reading about since elementary school.

I love to take pictures as a hobby and there was always a view to be captured there. The mix of water alongside the classical European architecture was beautiful. I especially loved the colors of the buildings, as they weren’t classical brownbrick. Each cafe or shop had its own vibe and aesthetic that made it unique. Additionally, I loved the nature of the city. It was apart from that of New Yorks’, but had the same bustling nature.

Apart from the architecture and views however, the lifestyle and foods there were amazing. Being someone who is

The extracurricular activities I did were...

Intermural basketball and volleyball I was born in...

Washington D.C. but grew up in Annandale, VA. My favorite book is...

Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris Before teaching at Annandale....

I was a UPS man. Employee of the month three times!

Why did you choose teaching...

I love history!

ZOHA QAMAR Senior obsessed with pizza and pasta, it’s what I lived off of for two whole weeks and loved every second of it! I plan on going back some, but this time highlighting a few cities to focus on.

Paris, Venice, and Switzerland are on the top of my list because each of them have their own culture. Paris has the exceptional cafes and night-time views, Venice is different than any other city because of its river transportation, and Switzerland has stunning landscape.

Favorite movie is...

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974) My greatest feat is...

Catching a 25-inch brown trout in Montana I teach at Annandale because...

I did my student teaching here. I love the diversity and I've been here ever since!

What I do in my free time is...

I like to read and take my dog for a walk. I also like to go fishing and go to different parks with my wife.

What I do in my free time is...

I like to read and take my dog for a walk.

I also like to go fishing and go to different parks with my wife.

Favorite quote is...

"Some people never miss an opportunity, to miss an opportunity"

Use a QR Code scanner to reveal Who Am I?

SPORTS X-TRA 15

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

Don’t play through the pain Trainers provide help with injuries to help get players back on the field

Everyone knows how dangerous sports can be, you could tear a muscle, pop a blood vessel, or worse, break a bone.

But for athletes, it’s all about the game and the passion that you have for the sport that pushes you to the literal breaking point.

While some athletes may value their health over the outcome of a game or practice, some are willing to put their body on the line if it means winning the game.

Students play nearly every sport. Football, swim, basketball, volleyball, golf, etc. And when a student tries out for said sport, they are putting their bodies in harm’s way to an extent. And putting their body on the line can show their dedication to the sport they are trying to get into.

There is no guarantee that a student will never experience an injury while playing a sport.

While many believe that getting injured is a rare occurrence it happens more often than you think.

According to a study found in the Journal of Athletic Training around 30% of all student athletes get injured every year But the most important thingis that, not all injuries are the same. Hurting yourself while playing is physically painful.

But another challenge injured players must face is the mental struggle that follows the unjury.

To some the road to mental recovery can be more difficult than the physical one. Healing a mental wound is much more complicated than a physical.

You don’t just go the athletic trainer to get better the process of mental recovery is much more delicate and complicated. Players who never recover mentaly can never play the same because of whatever is weighing them down

Eyob Dagnachew

BY DUC NGO Staff Writer

The athletic traning room is where injured players come to get back on the field It’s never fun sitting on the sidelines watching your teammates play. “I tore the meniscus ligament in my right knee during a wrestling match. It took about 6 months for recovery” Fowler said.

My mental health was a little down, not being able to do what I usually do, like knowing how to walk, and not being able to anymore, like I want to walk.

But after being back, I was fine.

Missing basically the rest of my season kind of sucked.

Everyone got to progress more as I watched on the side. And wrestling is a winter sport, and I wasn’t cleared till spring.”

Another wrestler for Junior Kris Nguyen, also had injurys in his sophomore year as therewere two occasions when he sprained his ankle at practice “When I sprained my ankle, it was bad, I was not able to walk normally and my coach told me to sit out for the rest of practice.

I also had to wrap up my ankle, and obviously it hurts but I didn’t freak out or anything. The funny thing is,

“I tore the meniscus ligament in my right knee during a wrestling match. It took about 6 months for recovery.

--RYAN H. FOWLER

senior I sprained my ankle again at the next practice!” Fortunately for Kris, his sprained ankle was fine once wrestling actually started; he can still get out on the mat when it’s his turn.

Next, was another senior named Jason Reyes who plays football, “I dislocated my shoulder during

but I didn’t freak out or anything. The funny thing is, I sprained my ankle again at the next practice!” Reyes said.His sprained ankle was fine once wrestling actually started; he can still get out on the mat when it’s his turn.

Next, was another senior names Jason Reyes who plays football, “I dislocated my shoulder during practice, and I was out for the rest of the season. I’ve dislocated it a bunch of other times, non-sports related as well.

It happened again this season.

I’m currently in the process of getting surgery. My mental health was fine.

It was a setback, sitting out, but it’s all for the future, and I’m focusing on lacrosse right now. It sucked being out. I should be cleared by

the end of December of this year.”

And lastly, we have junior Jayden Joya, “I was playing soccer, I kicked the ball and my teammate came at my leg wrong, and all the pressure of the ball went to my Achilles and knee.

I am still recovering, and I hope to be cleared soon.” I hate not being able to play, but I do love being able to support the team at the games. I should be cleared and ready to play by the end of this or next week.”

After interviewing these kids, it’s been made apparent that not all injuries are the same, and most importantly, that not all the players go through a rough mental patch during their leave.

Though it is rough on each athlete to be out, and not be apart of the wins and loses, you will catch all of them on the sidelines cheering on their teammates as hard as they can.

New bleachers finished to mixed reception After being delayed twice now, they are finally complete. Annandle’s new football bleachers were built over the summer after they were planned to be completed during the Spring season, but we’re delayed.

The schedule was not going to have this many delays. It was originally planned to be finished last spring season.

But after two delays and a summer later the bleachers are finally done Compared to the old ones, the new football bleachers no longer have those openings at the bottom of the seats, so you can no longer drop your personal items, there are more entrances, which cuts down on waiting in line, and there is a new banner of the Atoms behind the bleachers. But does the student body believe they we’re worth it?

The student’s thoughts on the new bleachers have been fairly positive.

Junior Nicholas Salazar believed that they we’re an improvement, “The old ones had holes in them. I would

drop my wallet down there. I think they’re nice.” Salazar said. Freshman Waed Addelhamid also preferred them from the old ones, stating, “They’re pretty good. I think (the old ones) rusted at the bottom.”

Even the staff liked them, as Assistant Principal Brian Valentine said, “They look nice. They look to be structurally sound. They got banners on the top, they wrap all the way around.”

However, not everyone seems to agree.

Junior Justin Scott said, “I feel like they should have backed them up, so there would be more space in the sidelines. There’s not enough (room) for the whole team.” And other people seem to not care. “This is a (piece of) metal that I sit on. Every other person sits on them. You sit, down, watch a game, and leave.”

All in all, most people seem to like the new bleachers, and will enjoy sitting on them for this year’s season of football. these bleachers will be here for a long time so it is benefical that the students have a postive opinion of them.

Eyob Dagnachew

BY ERNEST OWEN Staff Writer

The twice delayed bleacher are finally finished and ready for the new year

What do you think of the new bleachers?

MAKONNEN MEKONNEN Junior “I think that we could have spentthat money somewhere else.i didnt think that the bleachers needed that much of an update or any.”

NATHEN ONG Sophomore “I really like it. i especially like that the fact that they closed up the holes ecause some poeple can drop their important items through there and they cant drop trash.”

ANON RAHMAN Junior “The bleachers are very nice.But i’m conerned about all the money that annandale is spending on uneccessary things.”

MIRCHEL EGGERT Senior “i’ve never got to test our the bleachers once but i seems like the structural integrity of the new bleacher is in very good condition.”

DEBORA TREJO Senior “i think they’re way better, beucase the seats don’t wiggle when there are mant people standing on it.it’s safer than last year.”

BRANDEN KIM Senior “i don’t care at all.its not like it is going to make a difference your still going to sit on it at the end of the day”

ALEX CHOUNRAMANY Senior “i Don’t think there much to say about them. there just bleachers,its just metal for us to sit on.”

Annandale sports schedule 18 4:00pm Golf: B/V (Rescheduled) @Belle Haven Country Club 5:30pm Cross Country: G/V @Lee District Cross Counwtry Course Gunston District Meet-Mount Ver non is the home team and will pro vide the ATC 6:00pm Cross Country: B/V @Lee District Cross Country Course C

Gunston District Meet-Mount Ver non is the home team and will pro vide the ATC 7:00pm Field Hockey: Freshman @Annandale High School 19 5:00pm Volleyball: G/ Freshman @Annandale High School 5:30pm Football: Fresh man @Annandale High

5:30pm Football: Freshman @Annandale High School 5:45pm Cheerleading: Fresh man @Annandale High School 6:00pm Volleyball: G/JV @Annandale High School Gym I 7:15pm Cheerleading: JV 7:15pm Football: JV @Annandale High School

Gym I 7:15pm Cheerleading: JV 7:15pm Football: JV @Annandale High School 7:15pm Volleyball: G/V @Annandale High School Gym 20 7:00pm Cheerleading: V @Falls Church High School

7:00pm Football: V @Falls Church High School 21 4:30pm Cross Country: B/V @Pole Green Park, Mechanicsville, VA 23 6:15pm Field Hockey: JV @Thomas Jefferson Science & Technology High School 7:30pm Field Hockey: V @Thomas Jefferson Science & Technology High School

24 12:00pm Golf: G/V @Mt. Vernon Coun try Club 12:00pm Golf: B/V @Mt. Vernon Coun try Club 5:00pm Volleyball: G/Fresh man @West Potomac High School 6:00pm Volleyball: G/JV @West Potomac High School

6:30pm Field Hockey: Freshman @Annandale High School Stadium 7:15pm Volleyball: G/V @West Potomac High School 25 5:30pm Cross Country: G/V @Lee District Cross Country Course Gunston District Meet-Annandale is Home team and will provide ATC 6:00pm

Cross Country: B/V @Lee District Cross Country Course Gunston District MeetAnnandale is Home team and will provide ATC 6:15pm Field Hockey: JV @Mount Vernon High School 7:30pm Field Hockey: V @Mount Vernon High School

16 SPORTS

COURTESY OF BO LEE

COURTESY OF BO LEE

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

Junior Quaterback Danny Salisbury is on the run against Forest Park. Even though they lost he was optimistic about his performance saying,“I felt like I did a good job managing the game and getting points up on the board”

Senior wide receiver Jin KIm catches a touchdown pass against the Forest Park Bruins. The Atoms lost 21-27.

Atoms fall to Wolves, 20-26 Justice HS prevails in heated rivalry, FB starts season 0-3

BY TYLER FOTI Staff Writer The Atoms had a rough start and finish against Justice. The Atoms would start the game sloppy, but would have strong second and third quarters.

The fourth quarter started out strong, but they could not finish as they would have some unfortunate mishaps that ultimatley lost them the game.

The Atoms were looking to improve on their last two games and send a statement to our neighboring high school, Justice.

Justice has struggled this season just as much as the Atoms also starting the season off with two losses in two games. The Atoms losing both games just under a touchdown, the Atoms knew this game could have been a win as well.

To start off the game, Justice recovered a fumble and would finish their opening drive with a touchdown but would miss the 2-point conversion.

The next drive, Justice stopped the Atoms from scoring and forced a punt, which led to Justice down the field and scoring again, but this time they do convert on the two point conversion, making the score 14-0.

The second quarter would be a big one for the Atoms, as they would tie the game with two rushing touchdowns by quarterback, Danny Salisbury and running back, Prince

Agyeman who would have over 200 rushing yards in the game as well.

The third quarter started with a Justice touchdown. Fortunately, they couldn’t convert on the 2-point conversion yet again, only scoring six points.

In the fourth quarter, only down 6 points, the Atoms scored another rushing touchdown by Idrissa Kargbo. But Kicker Justin Scotton came into the game looking for the easy 1-pointer, but missed just off the upright and the Atoms would fail to take the lead, leaving it tied at 20.

This would lead to a huge momentum shift in favor of Justice to start the drive.

Justice marched down the field and ended up scoring again and missed the 2-point attempt again.

With the Atoms losing by a score of, 26-20, Salisbury passed the ball with two seconds left in the game but ended

Atoms Schedule 8/29/19 @ Woodson 34-35 L

up getting picked off in the endzone.

The running game was utilized more during the game. “I didn’t throw the ball as well as I would’ve liked to . Quaterback Danny Salisbury said.

“But still gave the team a chance to win.”

Even though the score wasn’t the wanted outcome, the players are working as a strong unit on both sides of the ball.

“We worked hard, executed on both sides of the football, and played together as a team.” says Strong safety Freshman Emmanuel Adomakoh.

This season hasn’t had the ideal start they would have wanted. But the Atoms are staying competitive and plan to win in Falls Church this Friday.

9/6/19 vs. Forest Park 21-27 L 9/13/19 vs. Justice 20-26 L 9/20/19 @ Falls Church 9/27/19 @ Fairfax 10/4/19 vs. South County 10/11/19 vs. T.C. Williams 10/18/19 @ West Potomac 11/1/19 vs. Hayfield 11/8/19 @ Mt. Vernon Total Points: 75 Total Points Allowed: 88

BY FATIMA SAYED Staff Writer Despite their 6-9 season last year, the Atoms varsity field hockey team is already bouncing back. The first two games were a bit rough and resulted in three losses against South County, West Springfield, and Justice High School which was a tournament game.

The South County game that took place on Aug. 27 ended with a score of 0-6. Then, just a week and a half later they lost again but this time to Justice High School. The score was 2-5. Finally, they lost 0-5 against West Springfield on Sept. 10.

Although three games ended with an L, they were sure to get catch some dubs at the Invitational Tournament on Sept. 6. Out of the four games, they played they won three of them. They

beat Robert E. Lee, Wilson, and Wakefield High School.

There is still a very long season ahead of them which means that there are more opportunities for them to make this season a winning one. Some of their biggest competition would have to be T.C Williams, Justice, and West Potomac High School.

Senior Samantha Rodriguez, junior Natalie Nguyen, and sophomore Lilli Dalrymple are all out on injuries “So far I think we’ve been doing pretty well, but there’s always more room for improvement,” Nguyen said.

“I think our team is getting better and better at stick skills and we’re working hard day by day,” said Rodriguez.

As for being on the sidelines instead of the field due to injury and concussions, the girls were upset that they

weren’t able to play. “We’re sad that we’re not able to play and help our team out on the field, but we’re still here supporting them from the sidelines,” Dalrymple said.

The team has been working and playing hard every day at practice to gear up against bigger schools that are known for having good teams.

Their first away game will take place on Sept. 23 against Thomas Jefferson High School at 7:30 p.m.

The girls are super excited for this season, especially their seniors because they know that they’re bound to catch some dubs. This year 12 of the 18 players are seniors, so we all know that the senior night game is going to be quite eventful, to say the least.

FATIMA SAYED

Field Hockey looking to rebound after 6-9 season

Senior Samantha Rodriguez, junior Natalie Nguyen, and sophomore Lilli Dalrymple watch the Atoms take on West Springfield.

After a year hiatus, AHS leadership is holding a Powder Puff flag-football tournament. The tournament is one night on Wed. Oct. 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Each football team is made up of female students. There are four teams, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Each team should have about 15 players per team. Each team will be coached by another student. As of now, players and coaches haven’t been announced.

Last year, there wasn’t enough participation and most players didn’t get their physicals done, which ultimately canceled the tournament. But this year, since the PTSA is sponsoring the event, physicals aren’t required which will be beneficial this year for sure.

Each team plays at least one game.

What fall sport do you think will do best?

The freshmen play the seniors and the juniors play the sophomores. The winner of those games will play in the championship to win the tournament.

The tournament has proven to be popular in the past and the hope is to keep the same attitude here in 2019.

“The point of the Powder Puff football tournament is to increase school spirit before Homecoming and create a stronger bond between the student body through physical activity,” senior Abby Kitila said.

It may help with Homecoming hype but the players also enjoy it .

“I love playing sports and I love watching football,” Sophomore Sayde Pritt said. “It gives a fun twist on the game and it will be really fun.”

So while it benefits Homecoming, school spirit, and an extra activity, it will connect the student body more, which is important for any leadership led event.

Player Profile: COURTESY OF ABBY KITILA

BY TYLER PLANK Sports Editor

COURTESY OF RICH FINK

Powder Puff to come back in 2019

The seniors celebrate winning the championship after the 2016 Powder Puff tounament.

Sophomore Madisyn Dixon What got you into volleyball?

I got into volleyball because when I moved to Virginia my neighbor Elena Leopold played, so in the next season she convinced me to join a team and we played together for the next three years What is your favorite position?

My favorite position is outside hitter because I love hitting the ball and getting kills for the team, but I also play as a defensive specialist which I love as well.

ARMEN BOGHOSIAN freshman “I think cross country will do the best. They seem to do good every year and they’re alot better than most , if not all of other sport teams.

And I have friends on the team.”

BEN WORTH freshmanI ”I think football will do the best, I really enjoy going to games and they’re really fun to watch. I think this will be our season.”

MICHEAL GETSEY sophomore “I think golf will perform best because they work really hard and i really think this is going to be there year. The team is also pretty cool.”

DANIELA DOSEN sophomore “I think cross country will do the best. We do really well usually and we are already having a good start.”

MO HENDERSON junior “I think volleyball will do the best. I have hope for them this year and their games are entertaining. They also do better than our other sports.”

EMMANUEL RIVERSON senior “I think football will do the best because there’s a lot of good students on the team, and they work harder than most of the teams at Annandale.”

2020 ANTENNA YEARBOOK $75 until Sept. 30 $80 until Oct. 31 $85 after Oct. 31

$8 for nameplate (available until Jan. 20) $5 for plastic cover

Was it a tough transition to varsity with no high school experience?

Not really. I have previous club experience, so varsity was just like a different version of club volleyball.

Do you plan on playing volleyball in college?

I would love to play volleyball in college. I love the sport and continuing to play would be awesome.

Who was your role model growing up?

Growing up I was a huge Harry Potter fan, I still am one, in fact, but I have always looked up to Hermione Granger and her actress Emma Watson.

They showed me that I could be smart and bookish, but still have great friends, fun, and an athletic life. Hermione was always the person I wanted to be growing up, and still to this day I think she is a great example for the person I would like to become.

SPORTS 17

Seniors Sadaf Kahn and Layla Lopez get in stance in preperation for the ball from a match last year.

RICH FINK

RICH FINK

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

Captain Madison Dixon leaps for a spike against South Lakes from last season.

Unfortunately, the Atoms lost in three sets, although they put up a good fight.

Despite slow start, volleyball optimistic

BY CYRUS ASSADZADEH Staff Writer

The varsity volleyball team has had a rather slow start to their season, with a record of 1-5. They suffered their most recent loss against South Lakes, with a final score of 3-0.

“We need speed and timing,” Captain Madison Dixon said. “But we have good energy on the court.”

Hopefully, the Atoms are able to sort out their errors and begin to make improvements for the remainder of the season. Opposing teams within the district are improving quickly and the team needs to be prepared.

“This season our team is really working on being good communicators on the court and we are talking

about what is happening so we are all set and ready to do what needs to be done,” Madison said, “There has also been a focus on getting our serves over the net and court.”

So far this season, the Atoms have been defeated by Wakefield, Marshall, Osborn, Falls Church and South Lakes, but were able to pull off a win against Robert E. Lee High School with a score of 3-1.

“Some good things to take away from games is that we are playing pretty good,” Madison said. “As a team we have a good group of girls that play well together.”

Overall, the season has been off to a slow start. Although there is disapointment about their record, there is plenty of time to improve and be more successful for games in the future.

“I think this team has an enormous amount of potential. I really think that if everyone works hard to improve their individual skills, we could tie it together during practice and be an amazing team, a team that has other schools thinking, ‘Shoot we are playing Annandale, they’re good.’ This team could be winning lots of games if each and every one of us worked even harder.” Madison said.

The Atoms volleyball team is very optimistic about the future and could become a great team very soon.

Upcoming games: AHS vs. T.C. Williams (Sept. 19 at 7:00p.n.)

Home AHS @ West Potomac (Sept. 24 at 11:00p.m.)

Away

RICH FINK

Captain Madison Dixon believes Atoms can improve before the end of the season

Captain Madison Dixon stretches to tip the ball over the net.

Cross country racks up the mileage at invitationals

BY EVAN BURITA Sports Editor

Boys varsity cross country began their season with a meet at the Monroe Parker Invitational. Nineteen teams, including AHS, ran the 2.98 mile course at Burke Lake Park.

The Atoms had high hopes for the meet and believed they were well prepared following a summer of intense training. For the majority of the summer, the team ran an average of 50 miles a week to increase endurance and to get in shape.

In late August, the team began interval running and workouts to improve overall speed and leg strength.

“This summer our coach has really pushed us to become better runners and our goal is to go to states for the first time in 30 years and be 3-peat district champs.” Varsity runner Leoule Yared said.

However, accomplishing these goals will not come easy for the Atoms. Although Annandale has

RYAN WILLIS

Boys cross country confident for the season following success at Monroe Parker Invitational

Sophomores Abel Mehari and Yofthae Hailu celebrate their top 15 placements in the Monroe Parker Invitational.

dominated the varsity Gunston District for the past two years, the competition between West Potomac and Annandale in the fight for the division championship will be high.

Of the five Gunston District teams that participated in the invitational, Annandale finished second

Sophomore runner Abel Mehari approaches the end of the 2.98 mile course at the Monroe Parker Invitational.

and West Potomac finished first.

Overall, the Atoms placed 11th of the 19 teams competing.

After the RVA relay meet on Sept. 21, the Atoms have meets for five weeks straight, including one of the season’s most important meets in Carisle, Pennslvania.

The District championship takes place on Oct. 24, giving the Atoms plenty of time to train and improve before their test against West Potomac for the division title.

The Atoms varsity runners are confident for this season, but need to remain focused and work hard.

Athlete Spotlight: Emily Shawish Q: How long have you been playing?

A: “I started playing field hockey my freshman year when I first came to Annandale. I got put on varsity as a beginner so it was difficult in the beginning to learn and develop my skills at a faster pace but I believe it made me a better player and teammate.”

BY EVAN BURITA Sports Editor

Q: What is your favoite part about playing field hockey?

A: “My favorite part about playing field hockey is getting so caught up in the game and just having fun in the moment with my teammates. It’s also one of the best feelings when all of our hard work pays off and we get a goal.

Even though all of us come from different backgrounds and have different strengths, when we come together to play field hockey nothing else matters except the game.”

Q: How did you discover your interest in field hockey?

A: “When I first came to Annandale, I had very little experience with field hockey and had only done a clinic with a club. I remember my mom was pushing me to try out for field hockey but I didn’t really know anyone so I was on

COURTESY OF EMILY SHAWISH

Throughout her career at AHS, senior Emily Shawish has participated in varsity field hockey.

She has a great passion for the sport and is very talented on the field.

Altough playing varsity for any sport as a freshman is very difficult, Emily took on the challenge and became a very skillful player. Her hardwork and leadership positively impacts the players around her.

Although she does not plan to play in college, Emily hopes to play for a club team in the future.

the fence. But once I started coming to practices I really got the hang of it and kept coming back to play more.”

Q: What are your strengths as a player?

A: “I’m very good at communicating with my teammates and bringing energy and positivity into our play. Leadership has always come very naturally to me but field hockey has really let me explore how to be a leader as well as building confidence in myself as well as my teammates.”

Q: How long have you been preparing for this season?

A: “We start preparing for fall field hockey in June and July with green and yellow days. We start our official season at the start of August and practice 2 times a day for 2 hours each. A lot of the girls on our team have done club hockey to keep up their stick skills and conditioning on our off season. Personally, doing sports all throughout the year help me the most in keeping ready for field hockey season.”

Q: Do you plan to keep playing in college?

A: “I don’t plan to go to college on a field hockey scholarship, but I’m open to the idea of playing club just for exercise and having an outlet to release stress and have fun!

Q: What are your goals for the season?

A: “This year for the season, my goal is that we retain and use all of the things we’ve been working so hard on. Also, more than half of our team is seniors so I want to end my last field hockey season going all out and doing everything we can do to make the most out of every game and win the district!”

Q: What was your favorite memory of playing for Annandale?

A: “My favorite memories weren’t so much on the field, but the moments I had with my team off the field. One of my favorites was when we were stuck at TJ because our game kept on getting stormed out. Our whole team went into the locker room and played marco polo while we were blindfolded. The field hockey team is really like a family and we really all care and watch out for each other.”

18 ENTERTAINMENT

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

Final Rambo movie to be released

BY ALEX BURITA Entertainment Editor

Disney+, Espn+, Hulu to be bundled

BY DYLAN GILL Staff writer Disney will launch its new streaming service called Disney Plus on Nov. 12.

This is Disney’s attempt to compete with the streaming giant, Netflix.

Disney+ will feature its own shows with many other movies. It will be the exclusive provider of anything Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and it’s own Disney shows.

While it will have many movies that have already been released, it will include new Star Wars and Marvel shows. Star Wars will have shows like The Mandalorian and an ObiWan Kenobi series.

What do you think about the new iPhone 11?

Would you buy it?

“It will be great to watch all the Marvel and Star Wars movies with my family around Thanksgiving,” junior Kaylyn Allen said.

The new streaming service will only cost $7, compared to Netflix which is $16 a month. There will be a bundle to include Disney Plus, ESPN Plus, and Hulu for $13 a month. Disney offered an early sign up discount which resulted in their website crashing.

Shows and movies won’t contain any advertisements on Disney Plus, but Hulu will have advertisements if you sign up using the $13 deal.

ESPN Plus costs $4.99 a month. It features exclusive sporting events such as soccer, baseball, and UFC fights. It also has shows with Peyton Manning, Kobe Bryant, and Alex Morgan.

Hulu starts at $5.99 a month. It contains a different variety of shows.

It stays up to date with current seasons of shows releasing their episodes whenever they come out. They have shows such as Rick and Morty, Family Guy, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

With the three of these streaming networks combined, you are sure to get your money’s worth. The bundle is $5 cheaper than buying them separately.

There is also a great variety of shows and movies to watch.

You will be able to create up to seven different profiles on your account. This will allow for everyone in your family to have their own personalized account.

Viewers can watch from 4 different profiles at once at well. “I have a lot of

people in my family, so it will be very useful to have a lot of accounts,” junior Nicolas Bellem said.

The November release date is a strategic move for Disney. They have found that the last months of the year have increased viewership.

Last year Netflix released Bird Box, which got over 80 million views in its first month of release.

They will also take a different approach to streaming shows. WhileNetflix releases shows all at once, Disney will release episodes weekly. With a cheaper price and many popular movies and TV shows, Disney Plus will surely be a success.

MET-MIKU MENGASHA freshman “This iPhone just seems like the previous one. I see no point in releasing this one. The camera quality may be better, but I rather just buy a professional camera instead of buying every new iPhone for better quality.“

ZARIYAH BROWN junior “They are adding too much cameras, the phone is not looking as nice anymore. I will still buy it though, not going to lie. Hopefully they add some new colors.”

ABRI SANCHEZ senior “I feel like every iphone is about the same thing, the only major thing that was added in the X was the face recognition. Usuaully the only new thing is camera quality will be better. I would not get this iPhone.”

CAMILA SALVADOR sophomore “I would not get the new iPhone it looks too robotic and also it is too expensive just to have the same functions as the iPhone X.”

MUSTAFA IBRAHIM junior “The camera does not look the best, but I like how they have improved things on the phone. They have made the face recoginiton better.”

To conclude a series spanning 37 years and six movies, Rambo: Last Blood will be released in theaters Friday.

The new movie, directed by Adrian Grunberg, cost a mere $15 million in total to produce. The latest Rambo movie made 50 million in the box office worldwide. Although this movie is supposed to be the last in the series, lead actor Sylvester Stallone has been openly enthusiastic about the possibility of an additional Rambo movie in the future, dependent upon the success of this upcoming one.

The film, which is set to take place primarily at the United States and Mexico border, has a rather simple plot.

While living on his home ranch in Arizona with PTSD from his past encounters in various warzones, Rambo is approached by his friend Maria who informs him that her granddaughter has gone missing in Mexico. She crossed the border in order to attend a party but never returned.

John Rambo embarks on one of his most dangerous journeys as he uncovers a secret sex-trafficking ring.

This is likely to cause a great deal of bloodshed, even more than that of the original Rambo movie that took place in Thailand and released in 1982.

Although much of the plot is unavailable, it is likely to be an unforgettable yet violent ending to a popular, long-lasting series. Or so we think.

HUNTER WESTFALL senior “It looks a lot different than other iPhones, but I think it will be a bigger step in technogoly and pregressing to the future. I would buy it.”

New iPhone 11 to be released on Sept. 20 Revamped rear camera gives the cheaper phone better value

BY ALEX BURITA Entertainment Editor Apple will be set to release their newest edition in the 12 year evolution of iPhone on Friday, the iPhone 11.

Announced on Sept. 10, the iPhone 11 was brought along with many other new editions of Apple products. Such new editions along with the iPhone include: a new iPad, the Apple Watch Series 5, and a much awaited Apple TV+.

The new, revamped iPad, which is expected to be as versatile as a MacBook in terms of daily tasks will be released on Sept. 30. With this new design, Apple has attempted to make the iPad function the same as a laptop, shown by the introduction of the new smart keyboard.

For their new Apple Watch Series

5, Apple took a new approach to the display. The new model implements an Always-On retina display, which means the screen is always turned on.

This new display is expected to be useful for exercising as the user will not have to raise their arm in order to see their progress, it will simply be shown to them on their watch face which won’t turn off.

The Apple TV+ is also expected to bring many new possible experiences to users since the first Apple TV came out, which was the same year as the first iPhone.

However, this time around, Apple seems to be taking the cheaper route when it comes to the pricing of their products.

The iPhone 11 is priced at only $699 for a 64 GB model, which is slightly cheaper than the iPhone XR at launch. This is the exact same price of the iPhone 8, but Apple does offer up to $300 for trade in value of older generation phones.

Another option that Apple has also given their consumers this year is the iPhone 11 Pro, which has been said to have a professional grade camera. It will release the same day as the iPhone 11 and will cost the same as the iPhone X

did on its release, a massive $999 for a 64 GB 5.8 inch display.

The difference between the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 lie mostly in the camera configuration. The iPhone 11 Pro will have exponentially more photo capturing potential with an extra lens and a new revamped 12 MP sensor.

The extra $300 for the iPhone Pro has the tradeoff of a few different upgrades, however, they are limited. The only notable upgrades feature a better camera and a smoother use all around. However, one benefit of the Pro is the battery life which is 4 hours more than the iPhone XS. However, it is important to note that with the cheaper price of $699, the iPhone 11 still gives the user a solid camera upgrade which is slightly better than the iPhone XS, which was released just a year ago. Other than that though, the tweaks are rather minor.

So, consumers are now left with the question of whether the iPhone 11 Pro is really pro enough for the $999 price for primarily a camera upgrade. The majority of reviews seem to come to the same consensus which is: not really, the iPhone 11 has better value for $300 less for a camera that is not much worse.

Free apps of the issue

Dolby On: Reord Audio & Video This app will effortlessly help produces live videos with high quality sound. The app clears up the sound with noise reduction, fade in/out with vioce over or music, shapes out the sound.

Polysphere This app is a puzzle game. You rotate till you see the picture. It helps train the brain and is relaxing.

Cyber Hunter This app is a battle royale game like Fortnite or PUBG. You can play with friends in a group up to four and more!

DoorDash This app is a food ordering app with all your favorite resturants. The benefits of using DoorDash it is easy to order and you can also schedule deliveries, with real time tracking.

MOODA This app is to help you track your moods. For each day select a mood, add a journal, Then shake your phone and find the dominant mood.

ENTERTAINMENT 19

Wed. Sept. 18, 2019

It: 27 Years Later 39 Reasons Why?

BY SIRYET GIRMA Staff Writer

IT, comes back around with another movie

BY HENRY HOANG Entertainment Editor A clown film has hit the theaters once again. IT: Chapter 2, the sequel to the first movie IT (2017), portrays more of a childish scare rather than the first movie, which horrified viewers.

For the first movie, there was a lot of potential on the spin of the 1986 novel, and it absolutely killed it.

The second movie is different from the first due to how it takes place 27 years later when they’re adults now.

The clown, Pennywise, comes back and is feeding on little kids again.

In the first movie, the seven kids made a pact that if IT came back, they would come back no matter where they are.

This plays a big role in how the second movie was not that scary. Most critics think that the scares have gotten weaker when comparing both movies.

Also, most of the movie depends on the CGI of the movie and if anything, many of the jumpscares were just freaky, not scary.

“It wasn’t even that scary for me,” junior Isabella Rodas said. “I mean it was pretty funny, but the movie was lacking the jumpscares that got me in the first movie. I mean, in all, the movie wasn’t as terrible. But, if I could’ve spent my $13 on the ticket somewhere else, I would’ve.”

Tim Curry played the evil clown in the 1990 movie, while Bill Skarsgård played the newer version of the clown in the 2017 and the 2019 movie sequel.

Some people may say that the older version was better, while others may think that the newer versions are better, but we can agree that all of the movies have the same plot and characters.

“I didn’t like Curry as the old clown,” senior Jonathan De-Leon said. “I watched all of the movies, but I think Bill played the role excellently.”

The second movie has already made $185 million in two days, and is likely to be catching up to the first movie’s gross of $700 million.

“The movie was 10/10 and I love the whole idea of it. I was super terrified by all the jump scares,” junior Najma Abikar said. “There were also so many jokes in the movie, so I also did have a good laugh. I would definitely watch again, and totally worth the 3 hours!”

Chapter 2 coming back with everyone from the “Losers Club” gives everyone a nostalgic type of feeling.

“Queen of Hip-Hop” announces her retirement

BY SIRYET GIRMA Staff Writer Onika Tanya Maraj, more famously known as Nicki Minaj, is a 36-yearold Trinidad rapper that is well known in the U.S. She recently announced that she would be retiring, bringing an end to her prolific rap career.

Minaj was born on December 8, 1982, in Saint James, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Although she was born there, she was raised in Queens, New York.

In 2010, she released her first single, “Massive Attack”, followed by “Your Love.” After only two months, she won the award for Best Hip Hop Female at the BET Awards in 2014.

Her fame grew exponentially after that success with many more awards, collaborations, and chart-topping hits.

On September 5, Nicki Minaj announced on Twitter that she is going to retire.

“I’ve decided to retire & have my family. I know you guys are happy now.” Minaj said. “To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, x in the box cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. Love you for LIFE.” When Minaj fans saw this tweet, things became a little hectic. Everybody was shocked at this announcement.

“All of her music is very inspiring and fun to jam out to in the car,” junior Isabella Santos said. “I can’t believe she is actually retiring.”

Minaj tweeted again to apologize for being so abrupt about this big announcement. “I’m still right here. Still madly in love with you guys & you know that. In hindsight, this should’ve been a Queen Radio discussion & it will be,” Minaj said.

This is because everyone is all grown up now.

Some movie critics may love the movie and some may hate it. But, in the end, It: Chapter Two is a horrorfilm tragedy, though not all students see it this way.

“Scary movies have been my favorite when I was growing up. I really liked the thrill and adrenaline rush I get from it,” sophomore Nawal Abikar said. “All the actors are super talented and really brought this movie to life even though it’s the third movie.”

The movie IT: Chapter 2, is a big contrast to the first movie, but like the first one, it knocked some viewers off their seat.

“The movie for me, was scary at times but pretty much animated the whole time,” senior Kevin Calix said.

“I just hope if there’s another one, it’ll be scarier than this one.”

With the introduction of a new character and a murder mystery, 13 Reasons Why releases a third season after it’s last on May 18, 2018.

“Finally, a new season,” junior Evelyn Granados said. “I loved watching the show and the last season left me off with a cliffhanger.”

In the first two seasons, the show began all about Hannah Baker.

Baker was played by actress Katherine Langford, and the show revolved around all of her reasons as to why she committed suicide.

She made cassette tapes of all the people that caused her to kill herself and explained the reasons why in each one.

However, in season 2 of the show was mainly focused around Clay and not Hannah. Throughout the show, Clay is imagining Hannah’s spirit and everybody in the show is going through their own problems.

“Honestly, I didn’t like season 2 compared to season 1,” Granados said. “I don’t like how oddly the show shifted.”

Now, Season 3 of 13 Reasons Why has a totally different story line than the first 2 seasons.

This season is mostly about Bryce Walker and Justin Prentice. This season goes in-depth about the characters that weren’t liked by many viewers.

Also, the show introduces a new character to the plot who is Ani Achola, played by actress Grace Saif.

Ever since the new season came out, everyone has been saying that it was a really good show.

“I think shows like this will take a lot of time and money,” junior Najma Abikar said. “Most people think that the show is stretching the story, but I enjoy the twists and drama on the show.”

Season 4 was announced just recently by Netflix. This announcement sparks new theories and outcomes that could happen in the next season of 13 Reasons Why.

Playlist of the Issue ENEMIES (FT. DABABY) Post Malone Hollywood’s Bleeding (2019) Post Malone feauturing DaBaby in his music was a good choice due to the rising fam of Dababy.

NO GUIDANCE (FT. DRAKE) Chris Brown Single (2019) R&B singer Chris Brown comes back for another hit with the help of Drake LEFT RIGHT Lil Tecca We Love You Tecca (2019) After Lil Tecca’s first hit, Ransom, Tecca released his first debut album with only one feature.

Rapper Nicki Minaj announced her retirement on Sept. 5 on Twitter. She then apologized for tweeting it due to the backlash from fans.

“I promise u guys will be happy. No guests, just us talking about everything. The tweet was abrupt & insensitive, I apologize babe.”

Many students are die-hard fans of her music. Hearing that a favorite artist of yours retiring can really be disheartening.

“Now that she is retiring, I honestly don’t know who my favorite artist will be,” junior Zariyah Brown said.

“Some of her music really speaks to me and I don’t know why she would do this when she was doing very well in the game.”

In August, Minaj announced she is going to marry her current boyfriend Kenneth Petty in about four months on Queen Radio show. At the time, Minaj came under fire because of Petty’s status as a sex offender and serving jail time for manslaughter.

She stated she did not want a big wedding any time soon. “I have to work on my album and I have a lot to focus on that I don’t want to do the big wedding now,” she said. “We’ll do the big wedding later.” However, her plans seem to have certainly changed.

Students are devastated to hear this news and are eager for Minaj to explain her retirement.

But, students have to wait for the explanation. There are many students who listen to Minaj in the hallways and during school.

“I have been waiting forever for her to drop an album,” junior Najma Abikar said. “But instead, she drops this huge news saying she is going to retire. She was my all-time favorite rapper and now I just have to listen to her old music.”

SEÑORITA (FT. SHAWN MENDES) Camila Cabello Single (2019) A mix of two beautiful voices into one song completes relationships.

SELF CONTROL YoungBoy Never Broke Again The Continuance (2019) After being released from jail, NBA Youngboy released an EP with 2 new songs with the other being “Slime Mentality”.

TEETH 5 Seconds of Summer Single (2019) With stunning vocals from Luke Hemmings, 5 Seconds of Summer released yet another hit.

Scan the QR code to access the Playlist of the Issue with additional songs on Spotify

20 WEEKEND

Wed. Sept 18, 2019

ECO-FRIENDLY FOOD FAVORITES

ELENA LEOPOLD

Eating at a local family favorite Members of the North Dakota Farmers Union dreamed of owning a restaurant with meals made from locally sourced ingredients. In 2008, their dreams came true. Founding Farmers is a family owned restaurant with nine locations in the nation.

A variety of items are served, but the main focus is on traditional American, country style food. In the DMV area, there are two locations: one in D.C and the other in the Tysons Corner area.

Each location offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Brunch, which is only available on weekends and holidays that fall on Mondays, is

by far my favorite. They offer both a buffet-style brunch and a menu with items ready to order.

I chose to eat at the buffet just so I could experience all of what Founding Farmers in has to offer. They have lots of protein, veggies, desserts and traditional breakfast items like pancakes and bacon.

The wide variety of food offers vegan and vegetarian customers lots of options. Some of the more popular foods are their Jefferson doughnuts and the buttermilk pancakes, which are made per request in the buffet line.

I sampled and liked both, but enjoyed the doughnut more. It had a sweet yet

unique flavor.

The only downfall of Founding farmers is probably the price. For the amount of food you get it is good, but for a student, it isn’t very budget friendly.

Other than the food, the atmosphere at Founding Farmers is very pleasant.

The servers are very accommodating if you need anything and the design of the restaurant is very open and homey.

The location in Tysons is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Mondays, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursday and 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday through Sunday.

JUDITH LOVING

Have a taste of a great vegan plate Loving Hut’s name perfectly describes the environment and feeling you get when you walk in the door.

The vegan fast food chain is all about compassion and sustainability.

The founders created Loving Hut hoping to not only put smiles on people’s faces but to have a minimal impact on the earth. Loving Hut promotes the vegan lifestyle and makes vegan friendly food more accessible.

Each chain in the country provides its customers with different food options, from American to Asian cuisine.

The Falls Church location focuses primarily on Asian food with some

other dishes scattered throughout the menu. At first, I was skeptical that the 100% plant-based meals would still have the same flavor as the ones that include animal products. To my surprise, every bite was excellent.

From the Falls Church menu, I ordered the fried wontons as an appetizer and their veggie pho. Both were amazing, and I highly recommend them.

Other than entrees, Loving Hut also has a lot of desserts and drinks on the menu. I didn’t sample any, but if the food was any indicator or how good they were, they are probably very good.

Another thing I worried about was

the price of my meal. Organic or fresh foods are generally more expensive to use as ingredients, but the prices at Loving Hut were very affordable.

The idea behind Loving Hut was to make a restaurant that provided healthy, environmentally conscious food to anyone who wanted it. That is exactly what the owners have done. I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience and I can’t wait to go back.

The closest location to Annandale is the Falls Church Loving Hut, which is open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Monday through Sunday.

All stories by Elena Leopold.

JACLYN RIVE

Switch it up and be healthy Sustainability, animal welfare and transparency is what Sweetgreen is all about. The eco-conscious restaurant chain focuses on a farm-to-table experience for customers.

This idea came to life in 2007 after a group of friends realized that their community was lacking a healthy restaurant. After getting all of the foundations for construction and meals set, they reached out to local farmers.

The founders went to lots of farmers markets and farmers at their stands.

That was the start of new relationships and connections for Sweetgreen.

Since 2007, all of these connections have grown, and help in keeping

all their ingredients locally sourced.

Sweetgreen specializes in salads and soups, with each season throughout the year bringing new flavors and ideas.

A salad called Guacamole Greens was the one I ordered when I went to the Sweetgreen in Mosaic. It is made with assorted greens, onion, tortilla chips, avocado, lime, roasted chicken and cilantro jalapeno vinaigrette. It was a pretty good salad but slightly dry.

You can also choose to make your own salad. You choose what type of greens, toppings, proteins and dressing you want and they make it for you. It’s a good choice for anyone with allergies

or who is a super picky eater.

Another great aspect of the restaurant are their freshly made drinks. Teas, pressed juice, house-made lemonades and many more beverages are available, and also change seasonally. The prices are slightly high for the amount of food you receive, but the taste is worth it.

Sweetgreen is a great place to go with friends or family to grab a healthy bite to eat. I liked the food a lot, and I’ll be coming back for sure. The location in Mosaic is open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

ELENA LEOPOLD

Try some Mediterranean-style flavors The three friends who began CAVA, a Mediterranean style restaurant, started the thinking process with one belief: Food brings people together. The founders wanted to make food that was healthy, but also delicious and affordable to the average person.

These ideas began one small restaurant in Rockville, Maryland that quickly grew into a popular chain with locations all over the country. In recent years, it has gained popularity as well as changed in style.

At every CAVA in the nation, the food remains the same, but changes seasonally.

CAVA offers customizable grain

bowls, pitas, salads and soups with ingredients that are locally sourced.

You start by choosing a base (bowl, pita or salad). Then you continue down the ingredients line and select your proteins, dips and other toppings.

I always get the grain bowl when I go and top it with rice, falafel, grilled veggies and feta.

Being able to build your meal is one of my favorite aspects of CAVA. It is another restaurant that is perfect if you’re someone who is selective about what you eat, or who has specific dietary restrictions.

Another cool thing about the restaurant is their drinks. They make

seasonal beverages and all-natural fountain sodas that are like nothing I’ve ever had before.

CAVA has a unique style and I like the food a lot. It has a lot of options, yet remains true to the authentic Greek roots that its founders wanted. CAVA is also in the right price range ($8-$10). It is affordable if you want a quick meal, but the quality is still good.

There are lots of locations in the area, but the closest is in Kingstowne.

It is open every day of the week from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m.

CAVA offers different flavors and foods that you should definitely check out.

BY FATIMA SAYED ELTAYEB Staff Writer Carts and stalls line the streets.

With the delicious aromas of empanadas, Korean BBQ and other foods wafting toward you, it’s hard to decide where to go first.

Every Sunday, Mosaic District hosts a Farmers Market for a company called FRESHFARM. They have many vendors and stands that offer a variety of foods aside from just fresh vegetables and fruits.

There are ready to eat foods such as empanadas from DMV Empanadas, Korean food from Bun’d Up and so much more.

In addition, some stalls offer desserts such as Little Austria, which offers Austrian style pastries.

My favorite place to eat at, by far, was DMV Empanadas.

They have a variety of options such as chicken, shrimp, beef, cheese and bacon, spicy pork and cheeseburger.

My favorites were the chicken, shrimp and cheeseburger.

They were packed with flavor and

had this delicious sauce that make your tastebuds jump.

I also got a lemonade slush from Lemon Abe’s.

It’s a little stand where they sell soft frozen slushes made with freshly squeezed lemonade.

It was a bit sour but it went perfectly with my empanadas.

The food sold at the little restaurants are pretty affordable for the most part.

They have so many places to eat at, which makes it hard to choose.

The farmer’s market is a fun place to go to with your friends or family.

The environment is so peaceful and refreshing.

I personally like being able to buy hand pick fresh fruits and veggies as well as being able to interact with the friendly vendors.

The market is almost always packed and bustling with people. This year, it is open every Sunday until Dec. 29. It runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The market also offers more than solely empanadas and lemonade.

They sell a bunch of different fruits and vegetables such as sweet onions,

zucchini, corn, carrots, blackberries, peaches and apples.

They also offer jellies, jams, fresh pasta, baked goods, artisan cheese, poultry and even eggs.

The items they sell also change seasonally.

Once October and November roll around, they’ll be selling items such as cranberries, squash and pumpkins.

Their arrangement of food choices and unique vendors is what really attracts customers and newcomers to the farmer’s market.

Plus, Mosaic district is a very popular place to go, so people are already there on the weekends.

They come to the district and end up checking out the farmers market which adds to the popularity.

It was really fascinating seeing all of the different kinds of food stands and things that they had to offer.

Overall, I would definitely recommend coming to the market and checking it out to see what they have to offer.

Fatima Sayed Eltayeb stands at the entrance of the Fresh Farm Market at All I know is I’ll be coming back for Mosaic. sure.

FATIMA SAYED

Experience the farmer’s market at Mosaic