Issue #1

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ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL

the VOLUME #62 ISSUE 1

Select students to receive laptops

is called ignite, she has made it clear that she wants to make sure every student in Fairfax County gets a laptop because it supports the learning that they ve identified they want to do based on the

BY TEAGAN FOTI portrait of a graduate."

Co-Editor in Chief Students will return their computers at the conclusion of Starting Sept. 14 laptops will the 2016-17 school year and can begin to be handed out to students plan on having the same computer enrolled in select programs such as, issued to them for the remainder of ESOL, AVID and SAM. The laptops their time at Annandale. will be issued to all students in "[Laptops have] never been the program and will be in their kept over the summertime before," possession for the entirety of the Cory said. "The plan as of now is year. that [students] will turn in their The distribution of laptops are laptop at the end of the year and aimed at helping to enrich learning they will receive that same exact and productivity, as well to give laptop the following year." equal opportunities to all students.

Of course risks come with giving "This is an FCPS initiative, free laptops out to high school similar to the Chantilly Pyramid," students so before any computers technology specialist Jennifer are distributed students and their Cory said. The Chantilly pyramid parents are required to sign a is a program in liability form. which all students "If [a from schools that computer is filter into Chantilly broken the high school will student] is receive a laptop, responsible kindergartners for the fee to through seniors. replace it and if "[Annandale] a it is stolen then part of phase one a police report is Students will receive a HP filed" Cory said. [of the chantilly ProBook 11 EE G2 laptop pyramid] and there The liability are five schools in the form also clarifies county that got the grant from the that the laptops sole purpose is state. We qualified for the grant for school related work and not from the state because of our for personal use and any breach in ESOL and free and reduced lunch the agreement of the contract can populations, and so our laptops are result in ramifications. coming from the state but it's being The program is expected to be rolled into this 'FCPS on' program," a success and deeply enrich the Cory said. "['FCPS on' is an] FCPS learning process at Annandale. initiative by Dr. Karen Garza and through the strategic plan, which

ESOL, SAM and AVID students to get personal computers

ESOL program makes changes Special Education Department alters its approach to learning

BY NANCY EVORA News Editor Coming from another part of the world to America can be big challenge especially for those who do not have sufficient knowledge of English. Fairfax County Public School (FCPS), being the 10th largest school division in the United States offers English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) services to more than 28,000 students according to FCPS website.

The ESOL program is divided into four different levels. This year, FCPS introduced changes to the department in subjects such as Science, Social Studies and English where certain core classes are being adapted for English Learners so they can receive high school credit according to ESOL head chair.

"The whole goal [of this new changes] is to help English learners graduate with more credits more efficiently," ESOL head chair Meredith Hedrick said.

The ESOL program is offered in most Fairfax schools starting with kindergarten and ending in high school. According to FCPS, those students who are coming to the U.S from a foreign country must first complete a Home Language Survey (HLS) with the purpose to know whether English is spoken at home. For those students who do not speak English at home, they must first take The World-Class Instructional Design Assessment (WIDA) that provides the school with an overview of the students' English skills and level.

The changes in the ESOL department consist of giving English 9 credit to those students who are in level two. In the past years, students who were in level two had to take English literature and English composition without receiving any English credit. Now, students are receiving English 9 credit by taking English literature while still being in level 2.

Asides from the changes in the English subject, changes in social studies have also been made.

"Instead of Social Studies concepts, students are taking US VA government for credit. A level 2 student can now take an adapted government class that equal to US see ESOL pg. 5

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MAKING THE GR DE New policy helps students

BY TEAGAN FOTI Co-Editor in Chief Fairfax County Public Schools is making it harder for students to fail classes as they welcome in a new grade policy with the new school year. The policy, nicknamed the 'no zero' grade policy, focuses on struggling students and giving mandatory chances to make up work.

The biggest feature of the new policy is that any student who scores below an 80 on a test must be given a chance to remediate and retake the test.

The policy aims to measure learning as opposed to behavior.

"I think [the new policy] reigns true when it comes to measuring learning versus behavior except when it comes to submitting things late" English teacher Melissa Phillips-Reavis said. "If I let students turn [papers and assignments] in anytime [they] want I don't think [they] will learn the importance of deadlines, which are so important outside of school."

It is up to the teacher and subject department if a test will simply be re-given, or if the student will take an entirely new, or altered test. It is also the teacher's discretion what the student must do to

get the chance to retake the test, be that a review packet or study card or anything else they may choose.

"The English 10 team decided that students need to get remediation before they can get another opportunity. So that means they aren't just taking a test doing poorly and then taking the same test again, they are getting remediation and learning somewhere in between there" English teacher Stephanie Hanson said.

The grade a pupil can receive on a retest alters depending on how many students were afforded a second opportunity. If all students in a class are given a second opportunity to be assessed the highest grade they achieve will be the grade recorded in the grade book. However if not all students receive a second chance then the highest achievable score is an 80.

Additionally, students who fail to make attempts to retake their work will not receive a zero in the grade book until the conclusion of the quarter, and those who make attempts, but do not meet the set standard are encouraged to be scored with a grade of no less than 50 in the grade book.

Also stated in the policy is that no one assignment can be worth more than 30% of the

final quarter grade.

"I like the new grade policy because it give you a chance to make up your work and improve your grades if you didn't perform well the first time" junior Grace Hatch said. "By remediating before you take a test again it ensures that the student reviewed the topic and learned something."

The change will likely not have an effect on students in good standing, however some community members fear that teachers will begin to focus more time and attention on to struggling students, via remediation and retesting as opposed to students who are achieving sufficient grades on the first assessment.

"I don't think [the new policy] takes time away from other students, it's just a part of the job. I already spend so much time beyond my contract hours working, as almost everyone else I know [at see GRADE POLICY pg. 5 On your smartphone, scan this code using the application 'QR Code' to read the official new grade policy.

Chimney Tradition Changes

BY SADIE MODICA Co-Editor in Chief As AHS students may have noticed last week the chimney, previously serving as seniors' beacon of pride, still bears the painted 16 of last year's seniors.

Because of safety reasons and construction on the roof, Principal Tim Thomas chose not to allow the seniors to paint the chimney this year.

Considering how the chimney is the most visible painted tradition, seniors balked at the notion of missing out on the opportunity to paint it.

"I'm extremely bummed about it because it was a fun tradition that I was looking forward to, plus it's so noticeable," senior class president Matthew Vogus said. "It was a good way to celebrate how far we came along, but I understand the reasoning for

not being able to."

Thomas cited numerous factors contributing to the decision, but he said that the main cause is a concern for the safety of the seniors.

"Allowing students access to the roof and having students paint the chimney by being on cherry pickers is of concern to me, and it was of concern last year," Thomas said. "There have been some pretty unfortunate incidents involving FCPS, specifically several years ago, there was an incident at an elementary school in the Reston area."

The incident mentioned included a 14-year-old boy who fell off of a roof at Fox Mill Elementary School and onto a live wire. He was electrocuted and died. see CHIMNEY pg. 5

Marching Atoms take on a bigger stage AHS Band to perform at halftime at United Stadium

BY LUKE ELKINS Staff Writer Imagine how hard it is to play an instrument. Now imagine how much harder it becomes when you have to move around while playing and be performing in front of thousands of people. This is the challenging aspect of marching band.

The Marching Atoms will be performing at halftime of the D.C. United game versus Columbus Crew SC on Sept. 28th.

According to Joseph Witkowski, the marching band director, the opportunity to play at this event came through a random phone call, and he quickly accepted, being a big MLS fan.

"We've been preparing like we normally would," said Witkowski, but he also noted that their performance would feature less movement. He attributed this to the lack of lines on a soccer field, unlike a football field, where there are a plethora of lines.

Samuel Berhe, a sophomore who plays the trumpet, was excited to play at the DC United game. Berhe was rather optimistic addressing their halftime show saying, "It's going to be really fun and the Annandale Marching Band will be better halftime

performers than Bruno Mars."

When he entered high school, Sam planned to play football, but then he heard he had made the top band at the school, meaning marching band would be mandatory.

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At first he wasn't excited to do marching band, as he thought it wouldn't be that fun. He was wrong.

"It was way better than I expected. It is fun playing music on see BAND pg. 5

2 EDITORIALS Lower the price of EpiPens Every time junior Elizabeth Corcoran attends an event, she has to double check that nothing has been contaminated with peanuts.

This inspection extends to aspects beyond just food, including utensils and tables.

However, Corcoran is not alone. According to Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), roughly two students in every classroom across the country is impacted by a food allergen which includes: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish.

However, Corcoran was shocked to find out the large increase in the price of EpiPens. She's not alone, in FCPS alone, 12 percent of all students identified to having a food allergy.

The deadly reaction called anaphylaxis may trigger a person's body to turn blue, breakout in hives, obstruct swelling in the lips, tongue, throat and drop in blood pressure.

In case of a severe reaction, families and schools are equipped with epinephrine autoinjectors, more commonly known as EpiPens.

These injectors contain a rapid dose of adrenaline, which is the first line of defense used against the reaction before the patient gets rushed to emergency services.

However, these injectors are not cheap, and due to increased prices over the years, the lives of millions are in danger.

The culrpit is Mylan, the pharmaceutical company that has dominated the EpiPen market, has come under fire for the striking price hikes of the rapid dose of epinephrine.

SANDERS.SENATE.GOV

BY BINQI CHEN Editorials Editor

EpiPen. Mylan not only has power in the economic field, but also in politics as well. In 2010, the company, with a recommendation from the FDA, successfully lobbied for EpiPens to be sold in pairs. The argument for the legislation was that a second injector would be there in case the first one malfunctioned.

The legislation would also make EpiPens available in public areas like defibrillators.

Mylan has tried to offer coupons to its consumers, but they are simply useless.

These discounts are only applicable to a very small number of people, which does not include people on Medicaid.

With competitors out of sight and successful lobbying on Capitol Hill, Mylan has brought in some serious money.

The CEO of the company earned $19 million just last year. This is concerning as the events have encouraged the conclusion that this market is turning monopolistic.

Fortunately, Congress has shown concern over the company due to the recent price hike which occurred right before back to school season.

Twenty Democratic senators, including Elizabeth Warren, have addressed a letter of concern to Mylan's CEO. The senators are demanding answers and investigation as to why the prices have been so high.

The senators have made a step in the right direction as it is unacceptable for a company to completely dominate a market and take advantage of the public with a medicine of such importance.

Hopefully, there will be some positive change in the market after pressure from lawmakers.

In conclusion, all affected by allergens should be able to live their lives knowing that if accidents do occur, they can have a backup before they reach the emergency room.

At the same time, families should not be paying outrageous prices for these crucial backups.

Senators demand answers from Mylan due to huge the huge jump in EpiPen fees.

According to CNN, EpiPen's price has been hiked 15 times since 2009. The price of two epipens costed $124 in 2009, now the same package is sold at $609. This is a staggering 400 percent price increase.

This is extremely unsettling, as an Epipen only actually contains $1 of medication. EpiPens also have a short expiration date; every single injector needs to be replaced after only one year.

Many families keep several injectors around their homes and now simply do not have the money to keep paying for such expensive medicine.

Some have even resorted into creating their own injectors, which can be potentially dangerous and unsanitary as well.

"Whenever I go out, I will have one with me. I'm able to self-carry so I have one in my backpack at school at all times," said Corcoran, "I have two more at my house."

According to The Washington Post, Mylan has been able to get away with unbelievable prices due to the fact that the company adds a nine to 15 percent price increase each time and insurance companies often made up for the difference.

It definitely is not fair for those impacted by food allergens to pay skyrocketing prices for such a small dosage of medicine.

People should not have to choose between buying or not buying something can determine life or death.

It also does not help that Mylan is one of the only companies in the country that produces epinephrine autoinjectors.

Sanofi's Auvi-Q, a previous competitor, had their products recalled due to inquiries on whether the devices were delivering the correct amount of epinephrine.

Another company, called Adamis Pharmaceuticals is currently on hold with the FDA as the agency is conducting further inspections on the product.

As of now, only a generic brand, called Adrenaclick, is on the market with Mylan's EpiPen. Thankfully, Adrenaclick is much more affordable, retailing at a price of $142.

However, according to the Washington Post, doctors are reluctant to prescribe Adrenaclick as the instructions for injecting the Adrenaclick is very different from the EpiPen, and most people are trained on the

APPLE.COM

The epinephrine autoinjector market turns into a monopoly

Sept. 15 , 2016

You don't need the new iPhone 7

BY BINQI CHEN Editorials Editor · New IOS 10 operating system is already available to most current Apple products · The headphone jack has disappeared!

Apple has gotten rid of the headphone jack to for the new battery · The supposedly 14 percent increase in battery life only gives an hour more than before · You cannot charge your phone while listening through headphones anymore · Apple has even said that their phones have an average lifetime of three years, while users replace their phones every 18 months · These phones are not cheap. The starting price for the iPhone 7 starts at an impressive $649 and the 7 plus starts at $749 · People start lining up outside Apple stores days before actual release.

Crowded streets can lead to physical altercations and stampedes

Ban drug positive athletes

Quarterback draws attention to racial injustice

Russian competitors involved in mass dopings

BY BINQI CHEN Editorials Editor

BY BINQI CHEN Editorials Editor

In what would have been a rather normal preseason football game against the Green Bay Packers has turned into international news after quarterback Colin Kaepernick for the San Francisco 49ers refused to stand for the singing of the national anthem.

Kaepernick was sitting in uniform in the game against the Green Bay Packers to protest against racial oppression in the United States. The quarterback has always publicly voiced his discontent with the way African Americans and other people of color are treated via his Twitter feed.

Many are in support of Kaepernick's action, but there are also some that are angry. Kaepernick is receiving backlash claiming that it was disrespectful and against regulation for the him to sit and some even want him off the team. However, these people should know that Kaepernick s decision was perfectly legal.

The NFL encourages, but does not require a player to stand for the singing of the National Anthem.

Kaepernick was simply exercising his Constitutional right to protest. President Obama has backed this argument, and says that Kaepernick has sparked conversion around a topic that needs immediate attention.

This actually is not the first time Kaepernick has remained seated during the national anthem, the quarterback has been protesting throughout the whole preseason.

The unnecessary amount of resentment against Kaepernick is promoting extreme nationalism that can quickly go out of hand.

Instead of hating on a football player who is simply showing his rights, people should respect his decision not to take part in celebration of the anthem.

The attention should be directed to the very cause

Elite athletes from all around the world traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this summer to compete in 2016 Olympics. However, there was a lack of Russian athletes from the rosters of many of the sports.

This is because the Olympic Committee has issued a ban against Russia that stems back to a worldwide scandal from the 2014 Winter Sochi Olympics. It was revealed that numerous Russian athletes had participated in a state-sponsored doping program.

In response to the scandal, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) established bans on Russian athletes from competing in the Rio Olympics.

The IOC decided on a total ban in the athletic events (track and field), partial bans in sports like wrestling and aquatics, but other sports such as fencing and tennis were not affected.

The IOC was correct in prohibiting these athletes to compete as it is absolutely unfair and unsportsmanlike for any competitor to take performance enhancing drugs.

China also had a huge state-sponsored doping problem back in the 1900s, and even American sprinter Justin Gatlin (won silver in the 100m dash) was tested positive more than one time for banned substances.

It is ridiculous that Gatlin was allowed back into the sport after several bans throughout the 2000s. Regardless of the athlete's nationality, he or she should not be permitted to ever compete again once faced with a substance charge. The same rule should be applicable to high school student-athletes as well.

Many student-athletes around the country take performance enhancing drugs due to pressure in situations such as defending a state title, or securing a position on a collegiate team.

In Virginia, when a school fails to take action against banned substances, the Virginia High-School League

Colin Kaepernick under fire for sitting during anthem

Kaepernick is trying to promote: equality.

Kaepernick had succeeded in garnering the attention of the American public, and hopefully, change can follow suit.

In addition to having the right to remain seated during the national anthem, it should also be known that students are not required to participate in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

For the majority of American public school students, standing up every morning and repeating the pledge from memory with their hands over their hearts has become a habit.

In FCPS, students are expected to be able to recite the pledge and participate in a moment of silence, unless there is objection from the parents. Those who do not participate should remain silent during the pledge and moment of silence.

Patriotism has become a crucial part of American culture, and it is wonderful that citizens are displaying love for their nation. However, it must be understood that freedoms and rights are the very ideals that America was founded upon, and should be just as important to Americans.

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

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

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Alaina Garay Kailyn Garay ART EDITORS Serene Ghul Kavi Shamdin ACADEMICS EDITORS Rachel Shogren Halley Thadeus WEB EDITOR/MASTER Alex Tran HEAD VIDEOGRAPHERS Crew McCarthy AD MANAGER Mauricio Reyes CIRCULATION MANAGERS Mauricio Reyes STAFF WRITERS

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

(VHSL) will determine the consequences. The league will either give a warning, probation, suspension or fine. The school in question can also be stripped of any championships that were won.

Not only is it humiliating for everyone in the community when an athlete is caught with drugs, it can have permanent and serious impact to the student's health.

Steroids cause problems which include: increased cholesterol, severe liver damage and aggressive behavior.

Fortunately, the athletic department has been very strict in accordance with regulations. This truly defines our beliefs and shows that our school values great sportsmanship and fairness in competition.

From the international level to high school competitions, the use of drugs to help an athlete win is a despicable act.

A successful athlete should not only be defined by the number of medals and trophies won, but also by his or her character.

METRO.CO.UK

SFCHRONICLE.COM

Stop the hate on Kaepernick

Sprinter Justin Gatlin was allowed to compete in the Rio Olympics even after multiple doping scandals.

Heard in the Twitter-verse...

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Annandale High School Vol. 62 No.1 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 703.642.4229 September 15th, 2016 Adviser: Alan Weintraut ajweintraut@fcps.edu The A-Blast is an award-winning newspaper that strives to inform, educate and entertain the student body and community.

Published every three weeks, The A-Blast will not print any material that is obscene or libelous; or that which substantially disrupts the school day, or invades an individual's right to privacy. The A-Blast is an independent, open forum for discussion that is printed at the Springfield Plant of The Washington Post.

Signed letters to the editor of 250 words or less may be emailed to theablast16@gmail.com or submitted to room 262 or mailed to the school. The A-Blast reserves the right to refuse advertisements.

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

EDITORIALS 3

Sept. 15, 2016

Celebrities must atone for mistakes

This is why most of your teachers are Caucasian Students diversity is rising while teacher diversity is lowering

Chris Brown gets away with abuse

BY ASEAL SAED Editorials Editor

BY SABRINA HAWA Managing Editor

At AHS we pride ourselves with the fact that the student body is so diverse and rich with different cultures, ethnicities and religions.

However, as students go through each of their classes they cannot help but notice a glaring fact.

It is not that they are surrounded by classmates who can speak a plethora of languages or the different lunches that reflect their culture, it is the lack of racial diversity.

At AHS, we have a plethora of teachers that are diverse in age, political views, languages, and other factors ;yet racial diversity is lagging.

Of course the easy solution would be to hire more minority educators, but the solution may not be so simple.

According to a study published by the Albert Shanker Institute, endowed by the American Federation of Teachers, the number of minority teachers across the United States has declined.

According to the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES), Asian and Hispanic men are the least likely to go for teaching jobs after college and African American men are not far behind.

Within the last 40 years, the United States has doubled its number of minority teachers, but within the last 10 years that number has remained pretty stagnant.

With the low numbers of minority men attending college for teaching, the prospective pool shrinks dramatically. This is not including the fact that fewer minorities go to college in the first place.

Recently, the population of Hispanic students have rocketed exponentially, meaning later on, the number of Hispanics going into college will increase at that rate too. Thus, it could bring in more Hispanic teachers.

There in front of us, and students now cannot wait another 40 years for growth.

Arabic teacher Ola Layaly is one of the few Arab Muslim teachers at AHS. She is known for connecting with her students through their shared language, culture and heritage.

Another reason behind why there are less minorities in teaching is the low pay.

Many minorities that get the opportunity to attend college, many being first generation, have pressure put on them to go toward higher paying jobs like doctors and lawyers.

Attitudes about teaching are also at a low because of the low pay, and to some, low prestige and low importance.

Despite this fact, there are active ways some states and organizations are doing to get more minorities in teaching.

For example, Teach for America is an organization that takes high placing college graduates and places them in low income schools for two year periods is now going into over 200 historically black colleges and hispanic majority schools to recruit more minorities.

The results from this technique was apparent because in 2014, a year later from when they started their recruitment, half of their new teachers identified as racial minorities.

Districts like Boston Public Schools

are creating specific initiatives to gain more Hispanic teachers by sending recruiters to states in the south near the border.

Not only are districts all over the country trying to understand the issue more, but there are also state wide initiatives.

In 2014, the Colorado Department of Education commissioned Augenblick, Palaich, and Associates to create a report in understanding teacher diversity. By using qualitative data, interviews, and thorough and cited research, they hope to understand and aid in bringing in more minority teachers.

The report, focusing a lot on recruitment for the next school year, suggested building relationships with community programs as well as "teacher preparation programs." It also suggests expanding their search pools with not only teachers, but those involved in the classroom (first generation university students, teacher assistants, career changers.)

Additionally, the report called for the "recognition of institutional barriers for first-generation college or

university students," support for those struggling with certification exams, financial incentives like scholarships, grants, and stipends.

However, the same report concluded that each recruitment would cost approximately $10,000, more than what is available in FCPS. Despite methods like these that are available, many school districts cannot afford to pay "stipends" for students trying to become teachers.

Another problem that ensues is that once minority teachers are hired, they are more likely to resign.

This issue is often tied back to the fact that many minority teachers are placed in low-income, high volume classrooms and many get upset and quit.

Putting minority teachers in front of students helps to dispel racism and stereotypes and allow for more positive views on minorities.

Having more minority teachers in the classroom is necessary, however.

Many districts are not willing to pay the price for it, even if it may mean more engaged students.

Celebrities are quickly becoming a household topic. Even parents are up to date on all things in the entertainment world.

From sex scandals to drug possessions, famous actors and singers have been known to avoid the harsh penalties of the law.

Back in 2014, Emmy award winning actress and writer Lena Dunham published a book of personal essays about her life titled "Not that kind of girl."

In the book, she talked about sexually abusing her younger sister. This response received mass amounts of backlash, so much that Dunham's book tour got cancelled.

While Dunham received large amounts of hate and criticism, no legal action was taken against her. In fact, the television that got her to be an academy award winner, Girls, is still on HBO today.

While the topic was controversial within itself, the police or local authorities should have taken some sort of precaution and launched an investigation.

If this was any other person, severe actions would have been taken to determine the validity of her statement.

In more recent news, Chris Brown has had another run in with law enforcement. With his LA home being surrounded by choppers and police cars for nine hours.

The police were tipped off that Brown had a gun in his house, which violates his probation.

With any other civilian, it is highly unlikely that the police would have given them a nine hour period to come out of his house. Brown went to social media to prove his innocence.

Again, this would not have been something tolerated if it was a normal person.

The law should not be something that is avoidable for people who can sing really well or can act.

These two celebrities are just a few examples of how people in powerful positions can manipulate law enforcement, and even their fans, to automatically assume they are innocent.

Many of these people are still being highly praised and supported in the industry today. While actions against them do not necessarily have to be severe legal actions, they should have some repercussions against their actions.

Sometimes, they do get called out on social media, but fans continue to be loyal no matter the circumstances.

The only thing that separates celebrities and their fans is money, which should not determine a person's guilt or innocence.

Should J.E.B. Stuart change the name of its school?

"I don't think they "Yes, because it's a should because sign of disrespect."

Stuart is proud of GARRET MEADOWS their school and I freshman think that's all that matters. " RACHEL TRAN freshman

"No, because that's the past and it shows us what we overcame in the civil war" GINGER MEDEZ sohphomore

"I think the name is offensive and disrespectful."

ALEX OHENE sophomore

"It's pointless either way because it'll just take up too much time and money to change signs and everything."

AMY HAN junior

"No, because it already a part of our history. we have to show all of our history" DARNELL KAY junior

"No, because there are many other landmarks based on confederate ideas as well and that's pretty much taking away history.."

TRAN NGUYEN senior

"No, because it's already tradition and the school shouldn't change the name just because of a confederate soldier."

GASTON SANCHEZ senior

J.E.B. Stuart HS may change its name

Cartoonist Corner

Acknowledge racist past

ILLUSTRATION BY MOHAMMED ELHAG

BY ASEAL SAED Editorials Editor Over the summer, the Fairfax County School Board opened debate and eventually approved, with a 10-2 vote, a motion to explore the possibility to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School.

This is an amazing first step in acknowledging the history and racism that is behind the name of J.E.B. Stuart.

Stuart was a Virginian who served as a Confederate States Army general during the Civil War. The name reflects an ideal that does not represent the Stuart community and keeping the name would only continue to further it.

It was decided that a committee would be created with members including students, parents and other members of the community to consider the advantages and disadvantages of renaming the school.

Despite the fact that many may not be fully aware of the person behind the school name, a change would allow more students to be aware of its history. The name could be changed to someone who reflects the ideals and the sense of the community more.

Some encourage the name to be changed to Thurgood Marshall High School, which would not only have a man who embodies perseverance, but also reflect the high schools ever growing 60 percent racial minority population.

However, there is a rising number of people who are against the change,

J.E.B. Stuart one of the most diverse schools in the county is beginning to think about changing their name from a Virginian Confederate soldier.

some citing the idea that people do not feel offended by the name change anymore, and changing the name would only be an expensive issue.

If it is decided to change the name it would cost an estimated $700,000, and some say that money could be put toward the school.

Because of the mixed feeling on the subject, the School Board has prolong their research and data collection on how the community really feels and to understand the complexity of the issue.

Despite this, the decision should be quite simple.

We have seen continuously people forgetting and not recognizing the power that simple institutions, like a name, have on the keeping those oppressed down.

Many students at Stuart did know the history of their own school's name which goes to show that the students lacked pride in their own school's name which is why the Schools Board going into the issue with this committee is a great step in the right direction.

However, this topic has been a

heated discussion since December of last year, and the fact that this discussion, which has been brought up many times in the past, is still going to be prolonged is a problem.

There are going to be logistical issues to deal with, but ideological issues should not have this much conflict.

There are numerous landmarks, street names, and buildings that align with those who are racist or don't represent the more open and diverse community Fairfax County is now, but having a school change it's name is the most basic thing the county could do.

It should be the first of many changes in our county in taking steps to recognize the racist institutions still abundant, even in a diverse area like Annandale because school represents the knowledge and attitude of a larger body.

This change has to happen faster because changing something as fundamental as a name displays the attitudes of this community and those with the power to change it.

4 NEWS

Sept. 15, 2016

to school night Freshmen orientation held Back to take place AHS welcomed class of 2020 in auditorium

BY NANCY EVORA News Editor

BY TEGAN FOTI Editor Editor

TIM THOMAS

The newest Atoms have a perfect vision for this upcoming school year.

The Class of 2020 are settling in and getting accustomed to life at Annandale.

The transition from middle school to high school can be overwhelming, with bigger hallways, classes and even kids, but on Thursday, September, 1 all freshman students were invited to attend freshman orientation, an annual event that aims to help them get a better sense of the school and their classes before the first day of school.

"The school is really big, and there were The new upcoming freshmen watch the Atoms marching band play the fight song. a lot of new faces" freshman Mia Muntu said. teacher, class and pupils prior to the first day sometimes freshmen can get intimidated by "[Orientation] made it easier for me to find my craziness. them" senior, leadership student Tehya Moss classes and be on time to them [on the first day "[At first] I thought [Annandale] was really said. of school]." big and I wasn't sure how I felt about it" freshThe day concluded with a class picture and Orientation started in the Auditorium with man Jack Dalrymple. "I think [orientation] was pep rally in the Gym where the band, cheer introductions from counselors and other staff really helpful, at orientation I didn't know where team and color guard all performed to get the members and a quick speech from some of the to go it was like a maze, but on the first day of kids excited for their new school. administrators. school it was easier because I had already seen Principal Tim Thomas even have a motivatThe Leadership class, also showed a short all my classes and went to them." ing speech to the new class and taught them the presentation on their tips for high school sucLeadership students volunteered to help school's more prominent acronym, PRIDE. cess. and lined the hall to direct kids and answer "I'm really excited for this year I'm not really After being dismissed from the Auditorium questions. nervous at all anymore. I think it will be a great the new students took to the halls and had a "I thought that it was helpful for the fresh- year with many opportunities" Dalrymple said. mock school day where they attended all of men to see helping and smiling faces in the their classes for a brief time. hallway, especially upperclassmen because This enabled students to scope out the

Every teacher has their own way to present the information to the parents,it depends on the class that they are taking and the level that the student is in.

Teachers talk about clarifying the

Class of 2k17 continue with senior traditions

Yearbook unveils theme

BY KIDUS ASMARE

BY NANCY EVORA

Staff Writer

News Editor

Yearbook staff members display this year's theme at JMU camp.

leadership position on the yearbook staff and she is looking forward to taking on the new role.

"This year for the yearbook I am looking forward in leading my staff as editor in chief" Huynh said.

"I'm extremely excited to work with them in creating my senior yearbook but also allowing them to grow creatively."

The collection of photos and interviews for the yearbook take a time consuming process but it is nothing compared to the time staff members take editing the pages.

"My favorite part of the yearbook is one of the most dreadful part which is editing. Although it's a pain, it pays off in the end. It gives me a sense of leadership to know that I am the one who essentially finalizes it but also submit it off when it's done," Huynh said.

Yearbooks are on sale now and price for the yearbook increases as time passes by. So get yours while you can.

NANCY EVORA

Green Atoms clean Ossian Park

On Saturday 10, The Green Atoms Club organized their first clean-up of the year by cleaning Ossian Park. About 20 students showed up where they collected recycling bottles,falling leaves, and gardened the plants with fertilizer. The even took place from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm.

After waiting all summer, the Class of 2017 gathered today at 9 am to paint the senior courtyard and the C- train as part of their senior spirit activities.

The Class of 2017 officers announced on Tuesday via Twitter the date and time of the event and invited all seniors to participate and show their senior spirit as school starts next week.

"It was fun and great catching up with old friends before school started, we were able to gain more ideas for the upcoming year," senior Fatmata Kamara said.

Seniors started the day by painting the sea train that is close to the school's track field and then they painted the senior courtyard.

According to Vice-President of the Class of 2017, senior Sabrina Huynh the class theme is "Elite" because is short and simple.

Seniors are happy with the theme picked to represent Class of 2017.

"I like the 'elite' theme for our class because it's simple and short," senior Dyanna Rodriguez said.

Even though in the past years, seniors were able to also paint the chimney, this year seniors were not allowed.

NANCY EVORA

High school is where memories are made and the yearbook is designed to preserve that.

The design and layout changes annually and is decided by the yearbook team at the beginning of the school year.

Last year the theme was Out of It, and this year it is Ignite.

The task of making the 300 page yearbook begins at the first week of school and is finally sent off to the publishing company in the midst of third quarter where distribution takes place a few days after they have received the yearbooks.

"New things we are adding into the yearbook this year is playing with more white space Which means that we are creating new layouts and kind of playing what we have since the standards for the past two years have been quite the same," Yearbook co-editor in chief Sabrina Huynh said.

Huynh, like many other students, looks forward to the debut of the yearbook in early June.

"The thing I enjoy the most is seeing the end product of course. I know that I have made a mark to a school whether it's taking simple candid picture to writing the closing of the yearbook" Huynh said.

This is Huynh's first year in the

With school having started a few weeks ago, teachers and AHS prepare to welcome their student' parents to back to school night.

Back to school night is a great opportunity for teachers to explain and discuss what they will be covering this new school year and also an excellent opportunity for parents to meet with each teacher and to know all about the new classes their children will be taking.

The reunion will allow parents to visit classrooms for 15 minutes where every teacher will have the opportunity to talk with the parents and discuss any concerning issues.

Math teacher talks about his opinion on Back to School night.

"This [ Back to school night] is a great opportunity to talk about what they [teachers] will cover this year and to answer every question that they have," Roberto Obando said.

parents about the expectations are of the course.

"I will show the curriculum,the way that I grade this year, what I will teach this year in my Algebra 2 honors class," math teacher Obando said.

Some teachers believe that 15 minutes is not enough time to explain an entire course.

"I think it is enough time to show to the parents what the teacher will do this new school year and also the syllabus is a good way to show what we did not talk in the reunion," Obando said.

The use of technology nowdays provide parents with a great opportunity to access the information they need in order know more about the courses their children are taking without having to come to any more meetings.

"With the current online tools that are available is not necessary[ to have monthly meetings] but if they have any questions or concerns the parents can arrange a reunion to talk about it," Teachers hope parents can take advantage of this opportunity so they can be familiar with the courses. Back to school night will start at 7:00 pm on September 15.

Seniors Karen Lara and Daniel Chamul work on one of the murals.

"We cannot paint the chimney because they are fixing the roof," Huynh said.

Overall, seniors enjoyed the outcome and had a great time with their friends. "[I enjoyed the most] the bond between all the seniors when we came together to paint," senior Jessica Smith said.

On your smartphone, scan this code using the application "QR Code" to see more

See more pics

NEWS 5

Sept. 15, 2016

Light up the night at Homecoming

BY SADIE MODICA Co-Editor in Chief Homecoming falls earlier than usual this year, on Saturday, October 8th, after a four day school week. As a result, the pep rally will take place on Wednesday, October 5th and the game will follow on Friday, October 7th.

The homecoming dance is for students to enjoy music and fun decorations with a date or a group of friends.

"Usually what goes on is extremely loud music and everyone having a fun time" senior Tommy Nguyen said.

Students interested in a date often ask each other in fun and creative ways. They then arrive at their date's house with a corsage and take them to dinner. Even without dates or corsages, groups of friends have fun by getting ready together and dining together before busting a move at the dance. The DJ usually plays a mix of pop and hip hop music.

This year's homecoming theme is 'city lights' and the students are working hard to prepare for it.

"The students are doing all kinds of stuff to prepare, like decorating walls, themes for inside the gym, and just all kinds of stuff," said Leadership advisor Jessica Arias.

Leadership arrives early in the morning to start setting up, and leaves late at night after taking all of the decorations down.

"The dance is a lot of work but its all pays off when you see how happy students are and how good the gym and jock lobby look" senior leadership student Tehya Moss said.

Students from every grade love the experience of homecoming and just go to let loose with friends.

"I went for the high school experience," senior Jess Ferson said. "It was really fun, I loved the lights. It was an excuse to dress up and take lots of pictures."

The game will be against Mount Vernon High School and the football team is looking forward to winning and celebrating at homecoming.

"I am [looking forward to the game] and the Atoms are taking home the dub and singing the fight song," senior, varsity football player Liam Conroy said.

Homecoming tickets will go on sale in early October and will sell until right before the dance.

Senior Mian Shah dances with Homecoming date Danelle Robinson

AHS alumni Molly Gormley and senior Liam Conroy smile leaving Homecoming AHS alumni pose for a picture mid-Homecoming

AHS welcomes new staff members We emailed all new staff members and featured are those who replied.

ASHLEY STEPTOE Teaches: ESOL Gov and World History 2 Years teaching: First year teaching Education: I went to Christopher Newport University for my Bachelor's degree and George Mason for my masters.

What are you most excited for this year: I am most excited to form relationships with my students and to get involved with extracirricular activities at Annandale.

Hobbies: I enjoy hiking with my two dogs, reading, and traveling.

Favorite food: Pizza, if you havent had Matchbox pizza I highly recommend it.

PATRICK PACAK

BETH NANK

THOMAS FRAZIER

DONYA WRIGHT

ANGEL FITZGERALD

Teaches: Administrative assistant in the athletic office

Teaches: English and Government for English Language Learners

Teaches: Special Education World History 2 and Literacy Lab 2

Teaches: ESOL English 9, Government and Strategies for Success

Years teaching: First year

Years teaching: First year teaching

Years teaching: 12th year teaching

Years teaching: First year teaching

Education: George Mason University

Education: Hamilton College for undergrad and currently finsihing up my masters at George Mason University

Education: Virginia Commonwelth University for Bachelors and University of Richmond for Masters

Education: I started at Ohio State University and later transferred to Ohio University

What are you most excited for this year: I am most excited about getting to know my students.

What are you most excited for this year: I am most excited about being able to impact a new group of students.

What are you most excited for this year: I am very excited about being

Favorite food: Shrimp scampi

Favorite movie: The Big Lebows

Biggest pet peeve: People who complain.

Biggest pet peeve: Having my time wasted.

Favorite food: Indian food

Favorite food: Lasagna

What are you most excited for this year: I am excited to learn how to make the athletic office run more smoothly.

Hobbies: I enjoy scuba diving, watching Major League Baseball, Traveling and Watching my kids play sports in college.

Favorite movie: Jaws

Biggest pet peeve: Maryland drivers, sorry I mean slow drivers in the passing lane.

Favorite movie: End of Watch or Donnie Darko, both with Jake Gyllenhaal.

New ESOL Program CONT. ESOL VA government," Hedrick said.

Other core classes have also been adapted for students to receive the high school credit they need in order to graduate.

"English 9 has been adapted, English Language Development (ELD) counting as a WOrld Language class, US VA government for English Learners (ELs) and then math would be the same but being two periods this time [as in the past year where they would take individual math and then move on to Algebra 1)," Hedrick said.

Other classes that have been adapted include BIOlogy and chemistry. However, students must still pass all the required SOLs in order to graduate.

Asides from the changes, FCPS has created a new class called Strategies for success that consists of teaching them computer, technology skills, study skills similar to the AVID program said ESOL head chair Hedrick.

ASides from completing the required classes in order to graduate, students still have the choice to do either the standard or advanced diploma. Those students who

New grade policy CONT. NEW POLICY Annandale] does, it is just more stressful, more exhausting which is unfortunate but if you're really care about your students and you want to see them improve it's a guaranteed way to see that improvement" Hanson said.

Teaches: IB Physics and Biology Years teaching: 3rd year teaching, first year at high school Education: University of Deleware What are you most excited for this year: I am excited to work with such diverse students.

a teacher at Annandale.

No paint on chimney

have achieve a level 5 on the WIDA exit the program by indicating that that students knows sufficient english.

ESOl head department hopes students can be able to graduate within four to five years rather than spending a longer time in high school.

"I think [the changes] are going to support our English learners to receive credits earlier and quicker and I think it will be easier for students when they transfer to another school because they curriculum is going to be the same, and I like that students get support through Strategies for success.

Asides from the new changes, ESOL students will also be receiving benefits such as technology and new counselors.

"Another benefit is that all of our level one, two and three students are getting their own laptop, The levels one and two now have their own ESOL counselors so if they have questions they can go see their counselors," Hendrick said.

CONT. CHIMNEY Especially since then there's been more of a spotlight on safety around rooftops," Thomas said. "I felt like I was being a little bit hypocritical by supporting a tradition that puts our students at risk, number one being on the roof and number two accessing the chimney through a cherry picker (a truck with a basket on it)."

In addition to his safety concerns, Thomas said that construction on the roof would have conflicted with the project.

"The roof was under repair this summer and they still have a punch list of items that they re going through," Thomas said. "The information that we ve received from the supervisor of the project is that there s still some ongoing work that needs to be done."

Because of the lost tradition, Thomas suggested to the senior class start a new tradition.

"I discussed the possibility of painting the bleachers, and we talked about also painting 17 on the bleachers or EL17E somewhere outside," Thomas said. If the senior class is really an elite group, then it makes sense that they would start a new tradition."

Thomas put in a request for the current chimney design to be painted over in red or black.

Vogus said that senior SGA is looking forward to starting a new tradition, and they are considering several different options to replace the chimney. The senior class will not let this setback diminish their spirit.

"Our class will rally behind and embrace the change and continue to be the leaders in spirit in our school," Vogus said.

Band to perform at DC United

CONT. BAND on the field, especially with the rest of the members," Berhe said. He enjoyed it way more than he thought he would.

The Marching Atoms have been dedicatedly practicing for this, and they Although it is too early to determine the actual impact are ready and raring to go perform at of the new policy, teachers and students are optimistic RFK Stadium. and hope that it will help to enrich the learning process for students.

NEWS BRIEFS VARSITY FOOTBALL VS. J.E.B STUART The Annandale Atoms will play J.E.B Stuart High School on Friday, September 16. The game will start at 7:00 pm at Annandale High School.

VARSITY FOOTBALL VS. WEST POTOMAC On Friday, October 14 Annandale will play West Potomac High School. The game will be held at Annandale High School and will start at 7:00 pm.

VARSITY FOOTBALL VS. W.T. WOODSON

STUDENT HOLIDAY

HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME

On Friday, October 7 there will be no Annandale Varsity Football will play W.T. On Friday, October 7 Varsity football will Woodson High School on Friday, September school. play against Mt. Vernon High School. The 23. The game will be held at Woodson and game will be played at Annandale High School will start at 7:00 pm. and will start at 7:00 pm.

STUDENT HOLIDAYS

2 HOUR EARLY RELEASE On Friday, November 4 students will be released 2 hours early.

There will be no school November 7 and 8.

NO SCHOOL There will be no school on Columbus Day, Monday, October 10.

STUDENTS RELEASED 2 HOURS EARLY

THANKSGIVING BREAK

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

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

ACADEMICS 6

Sept. 15, 2016

Are SAT/ACT prep classes worth it?

NO

BY BINQI CHEN AND KATIE POPE Editorials Editor and Staff Writer As juniors and seniors begin a new school year, there is something that is on all of their minds: the SATs. Almost all college applications the Common App ask for at least one SAT or ACT score. Performing well on the SAT is extremely crucial for an applicant to stand out to admissions directors.

To pack in more practice and review for the SATs, many families have chosen the road to take after school prep classes. Although taking prep classes can expose students to more testing material, the costs of going to SAT class outweighs the benefits.

Private SAT prep classes vary in price from about $500 to $1500, depending on the company the families chose. These expensive classes are merely another way for students from wealthy families to have an advantage.

This widens the gap between high and low income family.

A huge fraction of students in FCPS are considered low income and SAT classes are simply a privilege that they do not have.

Many students who do not take prep classes opt for significantly cheaper and equally as effective options online or just review on their own.

"Basically just go on Khan Academy and study there.

It does not have to waste money, it's free," said senior Justin Vo. Khan Academy has worked with the official College Board in preparing high school students for both the SAT and the pSAT. Khan Academy has posted hundreds of videos on their youtube channel that goes into detail of all the subjects and concepts tested in these tests.

Not only are SAT classes are extremely costly, a lot of

the things taught in prep classes or by private tutors are the same as what you learn in school for free.

Six hours of learning every day for five days a week is plenty of time to learn everything students should know for the SAT and efficient testing strategies. Most students also have other extracurricular obligations to attend to such as sports, honor societies, and clubs. SAT classes will only add more stress and compact students schedules future.

There are colleges that are starting to not require an SAT score for acceptance, such as George Washington University. Although scoring well on the SATs are important, the essay on college applications are actually the place where students can really stand out.

YES

BY SUAD MOHAMED Staff Writer Everybody has a dream university that they are trying to get into, but before any college even thinks about accepting a student, a college will check SAT scores.

There are three parts to an Scholastic Aptitude Test. The SAT focuses on math, reading, and writing.

There is also an essay part, which is optional and scored separately.

Each portion of the SAT is timed. The writing and

reading section have 52 questions, which you have 65 minutes to complete. The math section is split into two: a non calculator portion which consists of 20 questions and lasts 25 minutes, and a portion where you can use a calculator for 38 questions that last 55 minutes.

Taking an SAT is very different from taking a test in school. Test takers have to be able to work on 3 different subjects in a certain amount of time, and for some questions you cannot use a calculator. SAT prep classes get students used to not using calculators to solve problems and staying on a time limit.

"Taking an SAT prep class is really important because it will teach you to manage your time so that you do not feel rushed when actually taking the test," said senior Mahlet Samson.

Preparation classes help students refresh their memories and remember things they learned a while ago. It also helps students strategize for the test and plan out how they are going to time themselves.

Different problem solving tecinques are taught in these classes that may not be taught in school. They build confidence and prepare students for the test. Test takers recieve sample questions from old SAT's, so they are exposed to the material.

"SAT Prep classes are extremely important if you need help studying and learning core concepts. Taking one can increase your score by a considerable number if you put your best effort into it," said senior Michelle Huang.

People usually do not take prep classes because they think it is too expensive, but a higher score could result in scholarships, which would make paying tuition a lot easier.

Getting into a university is getting increasingly competitive. Colleges only want to accept the best of the best, and a student's SAT score shows where they are on the scale. Taking a class is important if one is aiming to get into a top notch university or may need the extra help.

Since toothbrushes are most likely placed next to a toilet,

Students weigh the pros and cons of SAT classes.

Heard in the Halls: What is your hardest class?

"Honors Biology because of my teacher."

CLAIRE VAUGHN freshman

"Latin because theres is a lot of words that need to be memorized."

"Algebra 2 because the pace seems very fast."

PATRICK LEE freshman

"Honors Algebra 2 because we already have homework and it's only SYDNEY WUHRER the first day of school." freshman REBECCA TECLE sophomore

"Chemistry because I've heard it's a hard class."

"IB Physics because we now have to participate in the science fair.

ALEX BELLM sophomore

IB Spotlight: Rachel Champion

"Algebra 2 because it's math and that's a subject I don't like.

AMY HAN junior

LESLIE MORIBA junior

"Government because the curriculum seems difficult."

DIANA MARAVILLA senior

Sudoku

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

A: Marching band is my social life, and I usually keep in touch with everyone via Facebook and group chats. With academics, I do most of my homework in class, during W4, and at lunch. I try to get as much done before practice so I'm not swamped with homework and tired from practice.

Q: What are your studying habits?

A: To study, I like to review each lessson at home and rewrite my messy notes so they're understandable and easy to study in the future. My personal study habits are very rigid. I have a schedule of blocked time that I follow.

One hour will be used for say, Physics Homework, and after that I'll have two hours for Spanish homework. I try to use my time as efficiently as possible.

Q: What are your plans after high school?

A: After highschool I want to go to college and study either Aersopace Engineering or Astrophysics and minor in East Asian Studies.

Q: What is your extended essay topic?

A: My Extended Essay topic is in the Physics Topic are and is about whether magnetic levitation of a hoverboard is the best way to hover a craft. My Extended Essay will include an experiment using magnets glued to boards carrying different payloads.

Q: Is your only focus academics?

A: I would say yes because on top of my in-school tasks, the things I do outside of school for fun, are academic in some way. I'm teaching myself Korean at home, and while it's not for school, I'm still learning. I like to compose music too and what I learn from composing, I can recognize and apply in band class. Since this last year is a very important one with the Extended Essay, IB Exams and College Applications, I think that my main focus will be in-school academics.

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

A: A lot of people have helped me on my IB journey. Ms. Holmes, Ms. Bradshaw and Ms. Zurawski helped ease my anxiety about the extended essay and the IB Program in general. Mr. Youmans helped me manage my extended essay topic when I tried to do too much with it; all the other IB Diploma Candidates have helped too, in some way or another. Whether confirming due dates or catching me up in a class I missed due to absence.

And, of course, my parents are always supporting me and are proud of me for taking on such a challenge.

Q: Who is your favorite IB teacher?

A: I love all my IB teachers! I've always loved science and was excited for Physics, but Mr. Tyndall's physics class helped me discover my love for physics and my desire to go into Astrophysics or Aerospace Engineering.

Ms. Miller's Anthropology class exposed me to so many different cultures and customs and I use what I've learned in that class when I research cultures on my own. Those are only two of seven IB teachers I had, but trust me, each one has done something for me that I will remember.

Q: What advice would you give future IB diploma candidates?

A: My advice would be to eat healthy and drink a lot of water. I also encourage future candidates to experiment with different note taking techniques to find which one suits them best. Everyone learns differently, and they should know how they learn so they can help themselves in the future. Another piece of advice is to get to know current IB Diploma Candidates if you can, they can kind of coach you when you are feeling overwhelmed or are unsure about IB. Keeping a good network of positive people around you is important too.

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

A: Time management is the biggest skill that the IB Program has taught me. I am good at blocking out time to do tasks now and I know for sure that will be important in the future. Another skill I have grown is organization. With color coding, filing and tons of labeling, all my work for school is organized neatly. One last skill I have mastered through IB is endurance. The ability to get through a tough task! There were many tough days where I reconsidered my choice to do the IB program, but I endured and continue to do so. Because I know in the end, all my hard work will most definitely pay off! After doing the IB Program, my college workload will be familiar to me and I will be able to endure that with no problem thanks to IB.

Directions: 1.Place numbers where they do not already exist.

2.The game only contains numbers 1-9.

3.The goal of sudoku is to place 1-9 in the empty spaces so that each row, column, and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.

Take the Next Poll On your smartphone, scan this code using the application QR Code to read about the Social Studies Honor Society induction ceremony.

HEALTH 7

Sept. 15, 2016

Returning to a new healthy school routine

Backpack safety Heavy bookbags can be harmful to students and may lead to pain

BY JUDY NANAW Health Editor

BY JULIE NGUYEN Health Editor After a long day of school, arriving home and taking your backpack off oftentimes brings a sigh of relief. Lugging that heavy load of textbooks, binders and lunch around all day only brings soreness to your shoulders.

Carrying a backpack is something students do every day and is something that is often overlooked.

The risk of carrying a heavy backpack is not discussed throughout school, however understanding the potential dangers of wearing your backpack improperly is important in order to avoid any bodily pain.

Wearing your backpack improperly can bring pain to various parts of your body including your neck, shoulders, back and spine.

According to a survey conducted in Houston, orthopedists found that 60 percent of children experience shoulder pain because of their backpacks.

When choosing a backpack, it may not be the best idea to choose based on style and fashion. Instead make your decision based on how much support it has. The perfect

JUDY NANAW

Unfortunately, now that school is back in session, going to sleep at 2 a.m. and waking up at 12 p.m. is no longer an option. We cannot be as carefree as we were over the summer and need to create a better schedule. In addition to changing our schedules back to fit in school, sports and clubs, it is important to make sure that your schedule takes care of your sleep, mind, body and overall health.

Sleep Without a doubt, one of hardest things to get used to again when school starts is a regular sleeping schedule. This also happens to be one of the most important things to take care of.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep every night to function best. Not getting enough sleep can be extremely harmful to one's well-being because the only time when one's brain is able to completely rest is when they are asleep. Also, you are more likely to have skin problems like pimples when you lack enough sleep.

"I know that with my IB classes and workload I won't be able to focus and get through the day without sleeping at least seven hours," junior Michelle Akl said.

More and better sleep will help you improve your ability to learn, listen, concentrate and memorize, so make sure to set your alarms and wake up feeling satisfied.

Breakfast Everyone faces the morning panic of trying to get ready on time now that we are back at school. This often makes time to have breakfast impossible but skipping this meal can make the rest of your day harder.

"I think breakfast is very important because if I don't eat my breakfast it's just like I'm missing a part of my day," said senior Karla Mejia. It's part of my morning routine."

Having breakfast will wake your body up and provide it the fuel it needs to function well for the day. It will give you energy and help keep your mood and school work from suffering. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

Once you get your sleep in order, not having time for breakfast should not be an excuse. If anything, you can pre-plan what to eat or take something on-the-go.

Besides, how embarrassing will it be when your stomach grumbles really loudly in a silent classroom? Think about that the next time you run out of the house without grabbing a granola bar first!

Organization Life is not easy when it is a mess. With all the papers teachers hand out, supplies you have to carry, and events you need to attend, figuring out how to organize it all becomes vital.

You will find that getting through school is a lot less complicated when you know where your things are and remember what was assigned to you. This will keep you from becoming stressed and worrying your mind.

backpack should be big enough to fit in two to three binders and should have proper shoulder support.

Shoulder straps without padding may lead to soreness and will most likely make your journey around school uncomfortable.

For those classes that require several textbooks and binders, it is important not to stuff all of that weight into your backpack. Instead, try carrying some of your books to balance the weight.

Physical therapists recommend students to carry no more than 10 percent of their body weight as the heaviness of your backpack can pull you back leading to bad posture.

Carrying a backpack improperly can also affect the people around you. When walking from class to class, your backpack may swing into the person behind you when turning the corner or when maneuvering through the cramped hallways.

To reduce the risk of injuring others and yourself, wear your backpack properly at all times and be aware of the risks your backpack carries. Although style may be important to you, comfort should always come first.

When short on time, grabbing breakfast from the school cafeteria is a quick alternative to making breakfast at home.

Stress is dangerous not only for teenagers but for all people. It is terrible for one's bones, muscles and brain. Although school can get tough with the workload, do not make it harder on yourself by being disorganized. When you clear your space, you clear your mind.

Keep from losing your things and forgetting appointments by using binders and folders for your papers and an agenda or calendar to record homework and events.

Do not be that messy person that stuffs their papers in their bags and constantly asks what the homework was because they did not write it down!

Germs Entering the school building every day again means entering it with 2,000 other students. This makes you exposed to all of their germs which can be in the air and on all the things you touch. You would be surprised at just how unsanitary some people and areas in the school are. Some people walk out the bathroom stall without washing their hands.

Make sure to wash your hands before heading to eat lunch to avoid getting all the germs on your hands into your mouth and getting sick. It is also a good idea to carry hand sanitizer with you to apply throughout the day.

Another thing that is often forgotten when around so many people is the possibility of them carrying lice-- sometimes without them even knowing! Lice is overlooked because it is highly unnoticable but to stay safe one should not get too close

to others' hair and never share brushes or hair accessories.

Exercise Even though your schedule is going to become more packed because of homework and clubs, it is important to leave some time for exercise.

Especially if you do not do sports, you should definitely incorporate some type of exercise into your day. Whether it is a simple walk around the neighborhood or a personal workout routine, any type of exercise is key to keeping a healthy body.

This especially reaches out to juniors and seniors as physical education is no longer a required course for you. Taking it into your own hands to find the time to exercise for an hour is recommended for teens.

Only eating healthy will not guarantee a healthy lifestyle as a balanced diet needs to be accompanied with daily movement in order to maintain a stable mind and body.

Because the school community does not only consist of students but also includes teachers and other staff members, it is important that the faculty also stays healthy with their own school routine.

"I always make sure that first I eat right," Arabic teacher Ola Layaly said. "I get enough sleep every day and best of all I try not to upset my stomach."

It can be hard accommodating to the changes that come with back to school, but when adjusting, make certain that above all you are caring for yourself during the shift into a new routine. Sleep, eat, destress and stay clean to stay happy!

Tip 1: Do not overflow your backpack with too many binders or textbooks! The weight may create a drag on your shoulders and having to readjust your backpack every 10 minutes is annoying.

Tip 2: Make sure your backpack has good shouder support. Straps with proper padding is a must in order to avoid any pain in your shoulders or upper back.

Tip 3: Wear your backpack on both shoulders.

Although one-strapping may look cool, it can lead to bad posture and having too much weight on one side is not ideal.

Tip 4: Do not wear your backpack too low or too high. Your backpack should hang three to four inches below your shoulders in order to avoid pressure on your neck or lower back.

How much exercise do you get daily?

"Probably half an hour "About two hours. I or 45 minutes every run home and then I day after school." run everwhere else JAYLENE TENEMAS and then once I get freshman home I just do a circuit of exercises."

"It depends on the day, but I guess 20 minutes to 25 minutes."

"I get 30 minutes of "Almost two hours "90 minutes every day exercise each day. I every day." practicing Jiu Jitsu." go outside and run ANNA BYRNE ELLIOT ALWES around my whole junior junior JOSELYN CASTELLON neighborhood." sophomore JAMAL DIXON BROWN

ALIEU KAMARA

sophomore

"I get a lot of exercise because I'm on the field hockey team and our coaches make us run a lot."

"Not much daily because of school, but I walk a lot afterwards. I walk from here to there."

BITANIA ENDALKACHEW

REMMY SALINAS senior

senior

freshman

Health checklist: Are you ready for school?

Vision Have you gotten your eyes checked within the past six months? If not, it may be a good idea to visit your local optometrist.

Blurry vision will get in the way of your education and hinder your learning experience.

Sanitation Back to school means back to germs! Over the summer you most likely were not exposed to as many people as you are now.

The school building is filled with bacteria in the air and on many surfaces so it is a good idea to keep hand sanitizer with you to kill all germs.

Vaccines Aside from the required vaccines required from the county, an important vaccine you should think about as we enter school again is the flu shot. The flu shot is effective in keeping you from catching the virus from other students or teachers around you.

Checkups It is highly recommended that you visit your doctor early in the school year. This will prepare you for sports and for fighting off illnesses. Having a cold is the worst feeling-- easily avoid it by going to your annual checkup.

Sunscreen The sun is hotter than ever this September! Since it's early in the month and summer is still very present, your skin may be prone to the dangers of the harsh sun rays. To prevent sunburns, rashes or possible skin diseases and cancer, lather on sunscreen before stepping outside.

Snacks Have you stocked your cupboards with healthy foods? If not, you should run to your local grocery store and buy nutritious snacks for the school day. Replace those chocolate bars for fruits or granola bars. It's time to start taking care of your body and feeding yourself better.

8 PHOTO

Sept. 15, 2016

Day in the life photos of

Back to school

KAILYN GARAY

Seniors Maddy McCrossin, Iris Arazola, Jasmine Gosalvez, Nicole Jordan, Kasey Richitt and Katie Garrish pose for a photo together on their first day of senior year. "I was very excited [to start my senior year with my friends] because I've gotten so close to them through volleyball," Jordan said. "I'll miss them a lot in college."

Coach Harris coaching freshman Suad Mohamed afterschool for girls cross country.

KAILYN GARAY

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMIAH BETHEA

Varsity football seniors Jalen Jackson and Brahim Bangura start the school year off strong in the senior parking lot. "This year I'm mainly excited for my senior football season, should be nice," Jackson said. "Seeing the underclassmen running around the halls is pretty funny, good old days. Really excited that I'm finally about to graduate the most though."

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE JORDAN

PHOTO COURTESY OFJALEN JACKSON

KAILYN GARAY

Juniors Elizabeth Corcoran and Elliot Alwes talking and enjoying the weather by sitting on the bench that was donated from the class of 2014 while waiting for their rides after school.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPHINE OHENE-OKAE

Junior Mathew Mckiver palying on his phone in jock lobby after a long second day of school.

KAILYN GARAY

Business teachers Howard and Jerome Dwyer and Bus Coop office Ed teacher Albert Steppe discussing work on the computer.

The varsity football players started preparing for their season under the hot sun of August. Their next game is this friday againts Jeb Stuart High school.

KAILYN GARAY

KAILYN GARAY

Seniors Josephine Ohene-Okae and Johana Soto-Rivas happily starting off their last first week of high school. "My first week of senior year has been amazing so far, everything feels familiar and nostalgic," Ohene-Okae said.

Jeremiah Bethea and Salima Khan posing in the senior courtyard during C lunch. "I'm excited for my senior year overall. This fall I'm looking forward to the football games, since I'm a senior I can be a part of the hypesquad and support our team," Bethea said. "I'm super excited to be a senior athlete this winter also. Hopefully I can reach all of the goals I set in Pole Vault. I'm most excited for graduation in the spring though."

Senior Amber Tran doing homework while waiting for her ride.

ARTS 9

Sept. 15, 2016

Special to A-Blast This summer I went to governor's school at Radford university for a camp for the arts.

The camp also included the humanities, theatre, vocals and instrumentals.

It consisted of 300 kids who lived on the Radford campus for a month. The camp was highly competitve and was a big honor if you were accepted. Students in high school from all over Virginia applied.

The girls lived in one dorm and the boys in another.

Kids attended classes for their discipline throughout the day and had optional activities on the weekend.

My classes consisted of ceramics, metal working, installation art and 2D art. We had these classes from 9-4:45 with an hour lunch in between.

Eating lunch was one of the best parts of the day because there was an enormous varied selection, and eating with my friends was the best part.

The classes that I learned the most in were ceramics and metal working. I learned how to work with a porters wheel, silver and a blow torch.

I spent everyday of the camp with my fellow art students who became my really great friends. We were a group of ten and basically spent 14 hours a day together.

Spending time with them was my favorite part of the camp and I plan to keep in touch. I would say most people at the camp thought the best part were the friendships.

Every person got assigned to a group of about 20 and counselor as well the counselor. I was really lucky to have a great counselor and counselor's group.

Spending time with my friends as well as the kids in my classes made the trip memorable. I had a great time during the activities and did things I never have before.

I zip lined and went to a lake. The camp also had speakers like politicians and artists come on and speak to us.

A black lives matter representative came in and I learned quite a bit from that presentation. I also got to watch a political debate.

Overall I learned a lot and had a very busy summer but one that I will always remember! The camp gave me the opportunity This painting was created using colored pencil and pens to express myself and show everyone what I can do.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESS FERSON

By Jess Ferson

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESS FERSON

Art Student Attends Art Gov. Camp Senior Jess Ferson attends art gov. camp at Radford University

This is a picture of a wall exhibit as part of the student's final project.

Student Accepted Into Theatre Camp

By Serene Ghul Arts Editor Lights, camera, action! Senior William Rangel had the experience of a lifetime when he was given the opportunity to attend a highly competitive theatre camp over the summer.

The camp was open to every student attending a high school in Virginia.

In order to be considered for the program, you had to be a sophomore or a junior. The first part of the process is going through a rigorous application where your resume and all your experience in theatre is listed.

You are also required to write an essay explaining how you would benefit the program.

Once they have decided who to

send through, if you are selected, you must audition with a prepared monologue of around 50 seconds.

While auditioning, they consider your improv skills, warm-up knowledge, and monologue.

"For my monologue, I went with something a little out of the ordinary. Usually everyone picks some sort of despondent monologue from some emotional scene, but I went with a comedic monologue from Hedwig and the Angry Inch" Rangel said.

After auditioning, there is nothing else to do but wait and see if you have been chosen.

"Three months or so after the audition, I got a letter in the mail congratulating me on my acceptance!" Rangel added.

The Theatre Division for Governor's School Arts accepted only

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILL RANGEL

Senior William Rangel accepted into highly competitve theatre camp

Students rehearse on stage preparing for an upcoming performance

40 student from all over Virginia.

Although getting in was tough, Rangel believes it was definitely worth it.

With lots of new friends and positive environment filled with people who share the same passion, it is hard not to fall in love with the experience. While it was not only fun, it was also a learning experience.

Students learned different warm-ups, monologue presentations, and improv techniques, to name a few. Students were also encouraged to bring their own techniques and styles into the mix!

Overall, Will's experience at theatre camp is definitely one to remember. The environment was filled with kids who are dedicated and passionate about what they love to do.

In the morning, the field is filled with students singing, playing their instruments, or rehearsing lines and running scenes with partners.

"Art students would be drawing or painting. Dancers would even be in groups practicing numbers choreographed by themselves! This was the best environment imaginable." Rangel said.

All though many things stood out, his favorite part was the people.

"My favorite thing at Government school was all the people there, since everyone there was pretty much hand picked, these are all some of the most talented youth in Virginia. When you're surrounded by people who worked hard and want to be there, you learn so much."

Mosaic Hosts Community Listening Project Merrifield Mosaic hosts non-profit project to bring storytelling to the D.C. area On Friday, Sept. 9, the Mosaic in Merrifield hosted a non-profit project to bring people in the D.C area together through the power of speech.

The event took place from 5:307:30 p.m. in the Mosaic District.

The organization that hosted the event is called SideWalk Talk.

One of the main goals of the organization is to get rid of the stigma associated with mental health.

The program was originally created by two therapists in San Francisco. The idea grew very popular and soon became a "national movement. " "A Northern Virginia based psychotherapy practice" , the Group Therapy Associates will be sponsoring SideWalk Talk as well as the event itself. Without them, SideWalk may not have come to life in the DC metro area.

So how exactly does it work?

Chairs were set up with trained listeners behind each one. Anyone was welcome to sit down and talk with them. The best part? It is totally free!

People are also allowed to talk about anything and everything.

Although many of the trained

listeners are psychotherapists, this is not to be mistaken with "street therapy".

Art was also displayed to create an even more positive enviornment. All the art was created by local artists and anyone who wanted the opportunity to express themselves.

SideWalk Talk inspires people to express themselves and share compassion with one and another.

By talking with the people of the community, it brings everyone closer. SideWalk Talk is "filling the gaps that has kept our community segregated. "

Photos taken of art work displayed at Mosaic's Community Listening

Featured artist This work is by freshman Jane Kim. This painting was made specifically for the A-Blast. Want to have your art featured in the next issue of The A-Blast? Each issue, the Arts page will pick a student's art from submitted content and feature their work of art on the Arts page.

All mediums are welcome, whether it be a painting, doodle, poem or song. Videos can be submitted too! Send all submissions to theablast15@gmail. com, or send it to our dropbox (using the same email as above) for files larger than two GB.

This painting was made by featured artist of the month, Jane Kim, completely made with paint.

10 IN-DEPTH

Sept. 15, 2016

IN-DEPTH 11

Sept. 15, 2016

Pokemon Go or Pokemon No? Should people still keep playing Pokemon Go? NO YES

BY KIMBERLY VAIDES In-Depth Editor It was just a typical, hot summer with kids staying inside taking advantage of the AC on full blast.

Then, on the fateful day of July 6th, 2016, the world was never the same. Instantly, the app store was overwhelmed with the massive demand of the newly released game, Pokemon Go. Next thing you know, every corner of social media is covered with Niantic, Inc. successful mobile game and the events that it brought.

Kids have been out and about visiting new sites, parks, gardens,neighborhoods and stores trying "to be the best like no one ever was" . . . just like everyone else. Yes, there are some beneficial things that came out of this addictive game, but there has been a good amount of bad things as well.

A fair amount of players like to take the easy way out and collect supplies when passing Poke Stops during car rides. In an update, if the player is moving very fast, they ask if they are a passenger.

However, this warning does not refrain drivers from checking their phone. According to the Wall Street Journal, the first Pokemon Go related accident in Japan happened in in late August.

A car crashed into two women killing one and injuring the other, as the driver was playing the

mobile game. Moreover, a camera caught a Baltimore man crashing his car into a police car while playing and driving, says USA Today.

Not only is there danger on the road but in the streets as well.

"It's addictive. When you play Pokemon Go, you can't let it go. It can leave you vulnerable," junior Yeison Shultz said.

Players attention, eyes and focus are glued to the screen that their surroundings are of no importance.

According to USA Today, a teenage girl and her friend were attacked in California while out looking for Pokemon at 2 a.m.

There have been numerous reports of other robberies, attacks and crimes as well.

A few players don't let anything stop them from getting that snorlax, not even the law.

Trespassing has been an issue with reports of players going into unfamiliar neighborhoods and backyards. In another update, the game inserted a message reminding players not to trespass into areas.

Also, there are ethical concerns in public areas. Just about every church is a Poke-Stop or gym which are visited daily by players.

At museums, memorials, cemeteries and churches, some players are disrespectful on the premises and can be a disturbance to guests. In Indonesia, Pokemon Go players are permitted from entering the presidential palace, as it is seen as disrespectful.

"I think Pokemon Go is a fun activity to do as long as you know when and where to do it. You don't

P

want to do it in an inappropriate place, which is why it's been banned in Arlington Cemetery and the Holocaust Museum," Mrs. Crane, Chemistry teacher said.

Additionally, the game may be free, but there are players who spend their personal money to upgrade their profile.

Pokemon GO is played for entertainment, just like any other game, but players have taken the game too far and has become an unhealthy addiction. To those who play Pokemon Go, have fun but be courteous to those around you and listen to the warning pop ups the game tells you while playing. Also, just because you "gotta catch 'em all" doesn' t mean you need to.

BY RUTH MEKONNEN In-Depth Editor Junior Jamie Argueta, has been a fan of Pokemon for about 10 years. "When Pokemon Go came out, I just had to download the game."

It all started 20 years ago, February 27, 1996 to be exact, since the world was introduced to Pokemon.

Although there was still a lot of craze going on, we were hearing less and less about Pokemon until this summer when Pokemon Go launched.

POKEMON GO SURVERY RESULTS · 53% of stuents who play Pokemon Go spend an average of 30 minutes playing

· 50% of students who play Pokemon Go are either Level 10 or higher

· 30% of students who play Pokemon Go have walked more miles than they have ever walked on a daily basis since playing the game

· 14% of students who play Poke-

mon Go have spent over $20 on the game

· 48% of students go with one

friend while playing Pokemon Go

On September 7-8, 100 surveys were given out in W4 class and lunch. The A-Blast recieved 66 responses about habits and addiction in relation to Pokemon Go.

Die hard fans, like Argueta, who were there from the beginning, some of which still had their Pokemon Card collections, had their prayers answered, not only are they able to play a new Pokemon game, but now they can go out and hunt them themselves.

With outside pressures from social media, almost instantly, Pokemon Go broke records receiving over 75 million downloads.

Soon, everyone was playing Pokemon Go. News circuits couldn't stop talking about it.With such a diverse appeal, Pokemon Go dominated the summer.

However, Pokemon Go has received a lot of mixed reviews from the media. News Circuits were reporting a lot of unfortunate situations people got into while playing the game. There was a lot of trespassing, robbing, and there was even an instance in which a person discovered a dead body while playing the game. But there are are many benefits associated with playing the game, a big one being exercise.

For years, scientists and parents have commented about the lack of exercise the average teen was receiving.

But since Pokemon Go came out, streets and parks have been flooded with a wide range of people. Not only were people going outside but they were exercising without even knowing.

According to the Independent, the average person plays 43 minutes a day walking and will catch about 22 Pokemons. That means that a man will lose about 13.7 pounds a day while a woman will

lose 16.27 pounds.

The amount of time that it take the eggs to hatch depends on how much a person walks. So people have no choice to walk if they want those eggs to hatch.

Not only does Pokemon Go promote exercise but it is also very educational. To restock pokeballs, players have to go to poke stops, which are strategically placed at landmarks and historical buildings. This makes it easier for people to be more informed about not only the landmarks and buildings, but about their neighbourhoods.

However, because there are predators who use the game for their advantages, it is always important to be careful.

Another benefit of Pokemon Go is that it connects people.It is very easy to strike up a conversation with a person who is playing the same game as you.

Although it is important to stay cautious and aware of your surroundings, at the end of the day, Pokemon Go is a game and should be treated as such. So go out there and catch some Pokemon!

kestops near AHS

This is how I was almost hit by a car playing Pokemon Go Michelle Hoang Special To The A-Blast When Pokemon Go first came out, I was immediately obsessed with the game, I played constantly everyday and everywhere I went.

Many times I would even drive to places like the Mosaic and Ossian and I spent hours trying to catch any Pokemon that would appear.

The game made me exercise, explore, and learn more about the community. In addition, Pokemon Go was an opportunity for me to make new friends and it did.

Even though the game is fun, it could also be dangerous. Like me, everyone was playing Pokemon Go and I mean everyone.

People were playing even while they were driving. On the first week it

came out, while I was trying to catch a snorlax, I almost got hit by a car and the driver of that car was also playing Pokemon Go. The road was empty and I was just

trying to catch them all, however, the driver wasn't paying attention and almost flattened me.

Luckily, I did not get hit and avoided the collision.

I guess, I became more careful after that.

Nowadays, ever since Pokemon Go updated and changed their system like deleting the footsteps that detected where the pokemon are, I slowly drifted away from the game because it no longer entertained me like it used to.

Overall Pokemon Go was lit, but not so much anymore. I'm still waiting patiently for the day Niantic updates to include battle trading mode in the game's system.

POKEMON TIPS 1. Visit Populated Cities D.C. and Old Town are great places to visit when trying to level up and find new Pokemon. you'll find a Pokestop at every corner,

2. Protect Your Privacy If you're worried about your privacy, create a new gmail accound specifically designed for your Pokemon Go account.

3. Save Your Battery During a car ride, don't waste your battery and time trying to catch Pokemon or hatch your eggs on highways

How Pokemon Go could improve Sharon Sanchez Staff Writer If you haven't been living under a rock, you've probably heard and most likely even witnessed the fad that is Pokemon Go. A few months ago it was the game everyone was playing and talking about, but a few things have changed since then, as well as the amount of people who are still playing it.

Some people actually take time out of their day to spend time playing Pokemon; whether that's to have fun with family or friends, use it as a way to exercise or to satisfy their pokemon obsession. Adding new features would definitely attract more players and make the game more enjoyable.

Pokemon go has had a few changes done ever since it first launched back in July.

If you're familiar with the game then you know that they've taken out the pokemon footprints and it's become a little more of a challenge to find pokemon

which have lead for some players to become upset.

The pokemon footprints should definitely make a comeback as well as include other new features and more gifts that would make finding Pokemon Go much easier and fun.

The diversity of Pokemons could also be another start. Pokemons such as, Rattatas, Caterpies, Pidgeys, Weedles are the most common ones to find. However, they are considered to be the least favorite to find due to how common they are and because of their low energy power.

Putting different types of pokemon in unexpected and different locations will not only make more people want to play more, but it will make it easier for other people in populated areas (or where there's not a lot of pokemon) to have access to more beloved creatures.

"I don't live near any poke stops so I only play when I get out," Junior Anakim Herbas said.

Pokemon go at one point became the most downloaded game in the app store.

It's wild popularity has made people wonder off into unexpected places and locations.

The GPS map in the ongoing lucrative app can only show you as much as it will allow you to. It won't let you go as far as to show you more of your surroundings if you stay in one location, but if it did, it would be much more convenient for players. Players would know where to travel to catch a certain pokemon and would struggle less to find their desired pokemon.

One of the most obvious things Pokemon Go could also do to improve the app and the game in general is to fix some of the glitches. They did try to fix some of the problems in the past, but a few glitches still happen here and there on occasions.

The structure and the design of the game could also change for the better.

The Pokemon company could change its layout and design every so often, maybe once every 2 or 3 months or just improve their current layout by adding a more

creative and colorful design.

If there were a way to fight strangers without going to gyms and without threatening anyones safety, it would be great, but then again, one can only hope for so much.

"I've been watching the Pokemon since I was little," freshman Jennifer Sanchez said.

Pokemon fans have grown up playing and watching pokemon for most of their childhood. Pokemon has been around for 20 years now and it makes sense for

people's expectation on pokemon games to be somewhat high since it's already 2016.

"They listened to their fan base because some people have really good ideas," senior Keyla Portillo said.

The Pokemon go company could really benefit a lot from listening to players and fans. This approach on further changes could be taken slowly or haste, either way it will not only make current players happy and more thrilled to play but increase the amount of players.

Is Pokemon Go too addicting?

Is Pokemon Go just a fad, or is it here to stay?

Is the game really going to last?

BY CASEY NGUYEN AND YABI BEREKET Staff Writers What comes to mind when hearing the phrase Got to Catch Them All? The world famous game, Pokemon Go, is participated by millions of players all around the realm, even attracting individuals who typically do not partake in the gaming frenzy.

While the game is currently still trending, many do not have high hopes in its current status in the online world.

But how did the game gain its instant popularity?

It may be because Pokemon has been around since the 1990s, already making a respectable name for itself.

Furthermore, perhaps it is due to the fact that it is purposely designed to attract all age groups, making the app easily enjoyable in the eyes of both children and adults.

During the early weeks of the game first being released, it demolished the

Apple App Store record, according to Fortune 500.

Whereas the previous top games, Candy Crush Jelly Saga and Angry Birds 2, fall from their high pedestals, having their spots stolen to Pokemon Go. The main goal that the makers of the game had while developing it was to have players out of the house, instead of constantly being trapped in front of their screens.

"The more you move, the more you level up," junior Holly Ramia said.

In this case, as you level up, you will be able to catch higher CP points for

your Pokemon, and be able to battle them at local gyms.

The game forces players to leave their homes, even compelling them to exercise and interact with the real world.

It gets people out there to explore their surroundings, something that they would not have done otherwise.

The more miles you walk, the more you win.

Despite all these positive attributes of the game, many question whether its popularity will last.

Perhaps, it will fade out like previous games, such as Temple Run.

Or will it keep its title as the #1 trending game that everyone must download?

"I think it's a fad because there's always going to be something to replace it in the medias eyes," Ramia said.

The game was released in the summer, right in the moment when all students have free time.

However, as school begins the game is quickly forgotten.

It's only memory being a fun activity to make a it summer.

"It's probably going to die down, just give it a couple more months," sophomore Chelsey Robles said.

Similar to all fads, they eventually die off, being replaced by something better.

"It's a one hit wonder like Hotline Bling or Call Me Maybe," sophomore Ephrata Yohannes said.

All and all, the game has been around for months, already catching the eyes of millions.

Most likely it will not die off anytime soon, unless something up and coming is on its way to make its surprise appearance.

Despite this fact, the opinions of many contradict.

Quite possibly, due to the overwhelming negative responses of the game, it will unexpectedly be a one hit wonder.

"Yes, because it is a fun game for people to go outside."

UMAR MIRZA freshman

"Yes, too many people got obsessed about playing and spent too much time outside."

PHILLIP BARLOW sophomore

"Yes, because it makes you want to keep playing."

JONATHAN MORALES freshman

"No, because it is very hard."

RAZAN ABDELAZIZ junior

"Yes, because I always have people asking me to download it."

"No, because I stopped playing after the trend died down."

SESEN BEYENE

HOANG TRAN

CHELSEA ROBLES

sophomore

sophomore

sophomore

"Yes, because people want to catch them all."

ESTER RUIZ junior

"Yes, everyone keeps on playing it."

"Yes, but it is not as good quality as Pokemon."

CINDY VARGASS

"No, because after playing the game for a while it gets boring."

senior

JUSTIN VO senior

12 INTERNATIONAL

Sept. 15, 2016

Although the war in Syria has been going on for five years, the capital of the country, Damascus, has remained untouched and has become the place to go for syrians avoiding the plague of warfare in their homes.

We went to Syria for a month and survived How my trip to Syria showed me that Syrian people are just like us

BY JUDY NANAW Health Editor As we drove through deserted highways from Lebanon to Syria in the middle of the night, we could not help the feelings of fear and excitement on our journey.

The humidity was high and it was uncomfortable sitting in the tiny car crammed with our suitcases for the next three and a half hours, but those things were easy to forget when all that was going through our minds is whether we were going to arrive safely.

Syria's current civil war has been going on for five years now. Since the Civil War was huge news in America, it was scary thinking we were going to be staying in that troubled spot for a month.

Although, with reassurance from our family there that everything is okay for the time being, and because we had not seen them for years, my mom, my brother, and I decided to leave to Syria as soon as school ended-- even though some family and friends thought us crazy for doing so.

It turned out that our family in Syria was right-- all was under control in their home, Damascus, and we learned right away that news on Syria in America is overblown and sometimes incorrect.

When we ask them about certain bombings we heard occurred through the news in America, they would say they did not know what we were talking about-that there was never a bombing.

We stayed with my grandparents, whose house is very close to the mountains.

It was pretty rare, but because of

their close proximity to the mountains where the Syrian army is sheltered, every now and then we would hear the loud, booming sounds of bombs going off or exploding-- giving us a wakeup call as to what Syria is going through.

Our month in Syria was the best time of our lives. We had so much fun and enjoyed every second we got to spend with our family.

We went out to famous, ancient shops in Souq Al-Hamidiyah saw a historic palace called Azm Palace and the well known Umayyad Mosque, took a roadtrip up a mountain to visit a prominent church in a village called Saidnaya, and even spent nights in the more modern and new areas in Damascus at clubs and restaurants where we ran into so many Syrian actors that my mom fan-girled over.

We ate amazing Syrian cuisine and sweets everyday, made by my grandma. Somehow, everything tastes better over there, even down to the fruit.

Although they hide their pain and sorrow very well, Syrians are experiencing things no one should and these incredible people do not deserve to be going through what they are.

It was heartbreaking walking past innocent little girls in a park to hear them talking about their scars from a fire they were caught in.

We also saw houses that had broken windows, dents and marks on the walls from bullets and missiles that made it inside-- including my grandparents house.

In addition to these things, Syrians have to deal with the loss of electricity and water and inflation of their currency.

Every three hours, the electricity gets cut because the country does not have enough money to supply electricity to all of Syria.

Although this has always happened in Syria, with the current war, they are cutting it

During our stay in Syria, we stayed with our lovely grandparents and two uncles from my mom's side of the family.

Left to right: my mom, my grandma Ghada, me, my uncle Kharam, my uncle Kameel, and my brother.

more often.

Households have bought generators that they switch to when the power cuts to get some light and wind from a fan as the heat there is unbearable.

Small lights that run on battery have also become popular there-- we saw them hung in every house we visited.

Water also gets cut in houses because they are dependent on rain for water, which never falls in Syria. My grandma wakes up at five in the morning every day to check if the water on the roof is filled.

Because the American dollar is currently worth 500 Syrian pounds, we were able to buy things and foods that our family have not had for years

because of the outrageous prices.

My uncle once said 'Thank God you guys came, we can finally eat foods we have not had for five years'.

No matter where we went, all conversations were about these issues. They speak of how tired they are in hot temperatures and in their dark houses with no water running.

They miss the days they could buy what they like and eat what they want, but even so, they somehow are able to focus only on the good that is around them and constantly thank God for what they have.

Despite Syrias condition, the people of Syria are the strongest people we have ever

seen. They continue to go outside to hang out, eat, and take walks. They laugh loudly and everyone we saw, we saw smiling.

We met a taxi driver who was part paralyzed-- his hands would shake and his jaw was dented because of a bullet that is stuck in his neck and impossible to remove. Even he was more optimistic than anyone I had met in my life.

They continue to live their lives and live it positively, only praying and hoping for a better tomorrow and peace in their home.

Timeline of the Nanaws' month in Syria July 20

July 9 The view from my grandparents apartment buildings roof. Being so close to the mountains made the bombs sound like they were exploding in the street below and made the apartment shake.

July 14 My grandpa owns a tiny liquor shop in Damascus. He has been out of business and his once alcohol- filled shop has become empty of alcohol and customers. Here my grandpa is sitting in the dark with one candle lit on his desk because the electricity was cut.

BY JUDE NANAW Sports Editor

Souq alhamadiya is very famous and ancient shop in Syria. It is huge and extremely crowded-- many people are holding ice cream cups as they come to have the also famous and delicious Arabic ice cream from Bakdash.

July 24 Every single shop on the streets in Damascus are painted with the Syrian flag to encourage strength and support the country during the war.

July 20 Syria is not as old fashioned as many think! We spent nights in new restaurants and clubs where we danced all night.

My eye-opening experience in Syria

The vast difference in setting between here and Syria was made very evident when we first arrived in Damascus, the capital of the country. It took some time getting used to the constant honking of cars, crossing the street when the cars driving past had no intention of slowing down, the countless mosquito bites, and the sounds of near bombs. Except for the mosquitos and bombs, soon enough I found myself falling in love with Syria and all of its peculiarities.

My mom, sister, and I stayed with my grandparents in their modern apartment in the middle of the city life of Damascus. It was pretty rare, but because of their close proximity to the mountains where the Syrian army is sheltered, every now and then we would hear the loud, booming sounds of bombs going off or exploding-- giving us a wakeup call as to what Syria is going through.

Our month in Syria was the best time of our lives and enjoyed every second we got to spend with our family.

We went out to famous, ancient shops in Souq Al-Hamidiyah, saw a historic palace called Azm Palace and the well known Umayyad Mosque, took a roadtrip up a mountain to visit a prominent church in a village called Saidnaya, and even spent nights in the more modern and new areas in Damascus at clubs and restaurants where we ran into so many Syrian actors that my mom fangirled over.

One of my favorite things about Syria had to be the way the people walked among the cars in the middle of the streets-- I thought it was hilarious and got a sort of rush every time we had to hurry to reach the other side of the road without some car running into us. I also became used to watching where I put my feet as I walked-- it was way too easy to get our feet run over.

On the other hand, what wasn't so great was the amount of mosquito bites we got. Probably due to the fact that our bodies were not used to the type of mosquitos in Syria, my sister and I became victims of major

The gorgeous Azm Palace showed statues with scenes of how rich Syrians in the past lived.

bites.

Each one swelled up and itched to no end, keeping me from falling asleep some nights.

I can't even count the amount of times we went down to the pharmacy to get cream for the itching. Even the pharmacists arms were red and bumpy from the rush of the summer mosquitos.

The Syrian teens I encountered in Syria were unlike me. For one thing, they all smoked at a very young age and the fact that it is so normal in public shocked me at first. They all seemed more older than they are-- even children, sometimes seven or eight years old, had jobs selling food and clothes outside. It was so bizarre when a boy who looked to be no older than six asked me if I wanted a sample of any of the colognes he was selling.

Although they hide their pain and sorrow very well, Syrians are experiencing things no one should and these incredible people do not deserve to be going through what they are.

It was heartbreaking walking past innocent little girls in a park to hear them talking about

their scars from a fire they were caught in. We also saw houses that had broken windows and dents and marks on the walls and furniture from bullets and missiles that made it inside-- including my grandparents house.

Water also gets cut in houses because they are dependent on rain for water, which never falls in Syria. My grandma wakes up at five in the morning every day to check if the water on the roof is filled.

No matter where we went, all conversations were about these issues. They speak of how tired they are in hot temperatures in their dark houses with no water running. They miss the days they could buy what they like and eat what they want, but even so, they somehow are able to focus only on the good that is around them and constantly thank God for what they have.

Despite Syria's condition, the people of Syria are the strongest people we have ever seen. They continue to go outside to hang out, eat, and take walks.

They laugh loudly and everyone we saw, we saw smiling. We met a taxi driver who was part paralyzed-- his hands would shake and his jaw was dented because of a bullet that is stuck in his neck and impossible to remove. Even he was more optimistic than anyone I had met in my life.

They continue to live their lives and live it positively, only praying and hoping for a better tomorrow and peace in their home.

Leaving Syria and my family was one of the hardest things we had ever done. After becoming so used to each other and loving every moment we spent together, it was extremely difficult to say goodbye and leave them to return to the land all the way across an entire ocean. It was miserable traveling back home when we did not know how long it would be until we could return, but just like all the Syrians, we are staying positive, and I am looking forward to every summer we will get to spend there.

PEOPLE 13

Sept. 15, 2016

Student explores the world over summer Senior TJ Ullah and his brother visit different places in Europe

BY TJ ULLAH Special to the A-Blast

Ullah poses in front of the Oxford Circus Station on Oxford street.

While in London, Ullah took a photo of the view from the top of the London Eye.

This past summer I went to europe with my little brother for 30 days. One of my closest friends that lives over there offered to pay for my ticket which was nice and cool of him. It was a fairly short trip, but it was great. I stayed in London in a flat. It was so strange being in a different country especially since it was so small compared to home, even the roads and houses were small.

We were nervous because we were traveling alone and it was our first time ever being out of the country alone. Since it was only my brother and I, our means of travel were not what we were used to. To get around the city we had to take the metro and buses. That was such a hassle since we had never done that before.

Everything in London was so expensive compared to the states. My brother and I had a lot planned that we wanted to do and such a short time to do it. We went to the London Eye, Big Ben, Tower Hill and many other places.

My favorite place was the London Eye, which is a giant ferris wheel. It was so amazing when you got to the top because the whole city could be seen. As it circled around I got to take good pictures of the view.

We also went to Arcelor Mittal Orbit Tower. It is the world's tallest and longest slide that is 240 feet long, overseeing the 2012 Olympic stadium. At first, I was debating going on the slide, but I am so glad I did, the view was worth it all.

What I was looking forward to the most was going to Oxford street. It was my favorite place since it had all of my favorite stores and brands. I was about to have a heart attack because of how excited I got when we had arrived, but unfortunately after going there I had spent almost all of my money.

After London, we headed to Paris. To get to Paris we had to take a train. That was really fun because I had never been on such a fast train. It went up to 186 MPH and we had reached France within two hours. It was really strange there because no one knew English at all but luckily my little brother knew French because of school. We communicated with them very little because of the language differences.

As soon as we got to Paris we were so amazed by everything. However, the downside was that we had to do everything alone. The one thing that was really strange was that they charged you for almost everything, even to use the restroom.

In Paris, I met up with one of my friends and he took us on a tour of the city.

It was by far the best experience I've ever had. It was all so interesting from the street shops to people's home.

I went to the Eiffel Tower and went all the way to the top and you could see the whole city . Also on top they had all sorts of shops and restaurants to eat at, it was all so nice. I wanted to stay the on top froever, but I could not.

Also, we went to the louvre. It was so big full of priceless art and pieces of history. Finally, we took a cruise around France. It was amazing to see so many old buildings and how they still looked new.

It was a great trip. I enjoyed going alone and I wish I could have stayed in Europe and traveled some more.

With the Eiffel Tower behind him, Ullah models in front of it.

Ullah and his brother explore around the streets of Paris.

Heard in the Hall: What was the highlight of your summer?

AHS, ONE STORY AT A TIME. Words have always been my passion, from poetry to novels to song lyrics to even random signs on the streets. I grew up having a difficult time expressing my emotions with my own words, so I turned to others' for substitution.

About a year ago, I went through a very rough time with mild depression and severe anxiety and in those moments, it seemed as though my journal was my one and only friend. It felt like the rest of the world was against me and all I had was my journal and negative thoughts.

One day in September of last year, I decided to pour everything out onto those sheets of paper and it felt like I was being exorcised of my consuming thoughts. I finally had a place of security and trust in those lines of my journal. That started everything for me the dedication, love, and passion for words of not only others, but also my very own.

Journaling has opened my eyes and helped me to grow as both a person and a writer. Being the independent person

morning because I could not sleep with so many things going on in my head. I hope it touches whoever reads it.

I crave adventure, the sort that digs deep into your inner being and pulls out the cloaked pieces you didn t know existed.

I crave art museum dates, late night talks of who could have created this universe, spontaneous road trips with blasting tracks, journeys on the metro at six in the morning, days when our sanity I pushed over the edge. I crave someone whose touch isn t just on my body and lips, but in my mind; someone who opens my soul and fills it with mesmerizing substance. I lust for change, anything. Expand my horizons, cancel your daily plans to seek more, be selfish with e, go insane with me for just a bit, show me the world inside your mind, be so high on the thrill of a new discovery that you can barely get back down. I crave anything and everything, even if it tears me apart, limb by limb. Especially then. Let us do it.

Khanh Nguyen, junior

" I went to NY and the Madison square garden and it was cool."

"The highlight of my summer was traveling to NY with my three best friends."

KALEAB MENGIST

SESEN BEYENE

freshman

sophomore

"The highlight of my summer was going to camp and playing lacrosse in WV"

"Going to Lake Tahoe in California and visiting University of California."

"Going to Rhode Island to visit family members."

SERGIO VILLAROEL junior

"I swam with dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center in Florida."

GRACE HATCH

ROBERT FIGLEY

TEHYA MOSS

junior

senior

senior

WHO AM I? I attended Shenandoah University.

Alumni Postcard Ravyn Hankinson Background: Graduated in the class of 2015. She was involved in SGA, track, and cheer.

I was born in Fort Dix, NJ. My pets consist of a Boxer named Coda and a mutt named Pippit.

College life: Attends Radford University, is majoring in Social Work and wants to work in a children's hospital.

My favorite activities are watching sports, riding my tractor when I cut the lawn, driving my trucks and spending time with my daughters.

Favorite class: International studies.

Best thing about college: Getting to meet so many new people, still being able to cheer and getting involved in other organizations.

My vacation was going to Outer Banks, NC with my family.

My favorite movie is Jaws, I named my mutt pippit because of the movie.

Biggest fear at college: Failing a very big exam that could have a heavy impact on her grade.

Before AHS, I worked for Coca Cola for 20 years as a marketing develop manager.

I have been at AHS for 2 years.

that I am, I do not like to rely on others, so I find comfort in sharing my feelings in a place of privacy, yet understanding.

I am now a much more lightweight and positive person because my overwhelming thoughts are put into my journal and poetry instead of my mind.

Here is a piece I wrote at two in the

What I miss about AHS: All my teachers, coaches, and friends. Also my old job (Activities Office Manager) and desk in Coach Scott's office.

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

Advice to graduating seniors: Don't worry about going off to college! Yes it's scary at first but it really is the best years of your life as cliche as that sounds. Just make sure you keep your grades up so you can go to the school you want. Always go to your counselor, an administrator, a teacher, a coach, or Mr. Villatoro if you have any questions or need any help prepping for college.

They're all there to help you succeed!

14 LIFESTYLES

Sept. 15, 2016

Freshmen Survival Guide Easy tips to make your high school experience successful 1. Have Atom Pride Making sure to show Participation, Respect, Integrity, Determination and Empanthy in your classes. Be sure to look on page eight of your agenda for the Atom Pride expecations.

4. Deadlines matter

Procrastination is not the key to success. Always remember when your assignments are due. Set a reminder on your phone or keep a planner for when the assignments are due.

3. You snooze, You lose

2. Be part of the HYPE Showing school spirit by attending all school events such as football games and leaderships events is essential for getting the most out of your high school experience. Make sure to participate in spirit day to support your class and show the school how much spirit class of 2020 has.

By starting your morning early enough, you will be able to get ready and eat breakfast on time.

By being on time to class, you will be showing enthusiasm in learning.

5. Get to know your teachers

6. Join a sports team

7. Friends come and go

8. Make sure to be yourself

Getting to know your teachers has many benefits. Freshmen having a great relationship with your teachers will be helpful when you're having in trouble in class.

Joining sports allows you to make new friendswhile doing something healthy and active at the same time.

Also you will be able to play with your new friends.

Always rememberfriends always come and go throughout high school.

Do not be afraid to venture out of your normal social group and make new friends.

Remaining true to yourself will aid you in finding real friends. Do not try to change yourself and be someone you are really not.

What's In Your Backpack Guys

Girls "My sisters and I all carry around an angel, it gives us good luck."

"I carry around a lint roller just in case I find something on my clothes during the day."

"I have a protein shake, because I take weight training so I drink it after."

"I have spare contacts in my bag just in case one were to fall out."

Maddy McCrossin Senior

Liam Conroy Senior

Kevin Hoang Junior

Nicolle Uria Junior

"I always have a 100 dollar bill on me, in case I want to get food after school."

"I usually have granola bars for emergencies and pre-practices."

"I keep a pencil pouch in my backpack to be prepared."

Michelle Chhim Sophomore

Tyler Westfall Junior "I keep a lacrosse ball because sometimes I go straight to practice."

Sydney Wuhrer Freshman

Jack Dalrymple Freshman

"I always have a guitar pick because you never know when you might see a guitar laying around!"

Vera Miller Freshman

"I always stash spare feminine products in my backpack because you never know."

"I keep oil absorbing sheets to use through the day."

Jessica Roop Junior

"I bring a bible so I can have God help me on my way."

"I bring extra calculator batteries in case I run out of battery in school."

Matthew Vogus Senior

Gabriela Jordan Senior

Jamal Dixon-Brown Sophomore "I use a small notebook to take important notes I remember during school to do outside of school."

Manny Precht Freshman

How to transition from summer to fall apparel Try out some of these fall inspired items that are school appropriate

Junior Ian Marburger cuffs his pants and wears a t-shirt in order to make his outfit ook more like fall.

"Since my shirt has thin straps, I put it together with vest to make it more school approriate," said Senior Tehya Moss.

To make his outfit have a bit of summer to it sophomore Danny Lam pairs a gold watch with his jeans and t-shirt.

Freshmen Sadaf Khan dresses to impress this fall with a long sleeve dress and add a bit of summer sense to it by adding sandals.

Senior Jeremiah Bethea layers his white shirt with a black t-shirt to give this fall outfit more dimension

Add a cardigan to your outfit like junior Rebeca Kindling, who paired it with shorts and sandals.

SPORTS X-TRA 15

Sept. 15, 2016

It's not all about the "C" in captain RYAN GAMMON Sports X-tra Editor Captains have a harder job than most think. They are responsible for the success of the team. They play the role of leader for the team and greatly affect the dynamic of the team.

You are basically a mentor and a guide for the younger guys. You teach them how the upperclassmen and varsity run things so they can be ready for the big stage. The captains also keep everyone in line and make sure all the players are focused on the team goal, senior, Liam Conroy said.

Even though being a captain is a serious responsibility, it is still important to have fun and get to know the players on their team.

Captains still have to bond with their team. It is their job to unite the team and motivate them before games.

Our captains help us on the field but we also have fun and before the games they hype us up by listening to music before the game. It gets us in game mode but we also have fun when the music is playing, junior, Caitlin Schwartz said.

Captains not only play a leading role on the field, they carry their leadership off the field into the classroom.

It is important for captains to be well rounded. Not only should they be athletically successfull, they should be academically adept as well so they can better help their teammates on and off the field.

They excel in school which helps us because they are the role models of the team and help us do well in school when the coaches aren t there to help, junior Natnal Endalakachew said.

Captains may not be the most talented on the field, but most of the talent required for the role of

captain is mental.

They need to have a leading and fearless charachter that will inspire the rest of the team.

It is harder to be a captain because it requires skills that are hard to be good at, a lot of leadership skills are required, socially it is a lot harder because you have to be dominant and try and motivate your team with actions but more so words that help the team push that much more, said.

The captain position can be a handful to take initiative of. Compare to an officer if his platoon goes down everyone goes down, the people that watch do not know how much he actually does, and sometimes get criticized for their job.

Only the players, coaches and the captains themselves will actually know how much they work to get their team that much more successful.

LIAM CONROY

Teen athletes share what it is like to play a leading role on their sports team

Quarterback Liam Conroy craddles the ball running past McLean's offensive line into openfield

Name: Liam Conroy Grade: Senior Experience: 4 years Favorite hype song: 'Lose yourself' by Eminem Weird traditions: I tape my wrists and write a motivational phrase or Bible verse on my tape before the game Personal Motto: Win the day Most important captain attributes: Vocal and leading

Meet your 2016-17 fall captains Football

Name: Matthew Vogus Grade: Senior Experience: 11 years Favorite hype songs: Can t tell me nothing by Kanye West, I don t like by Chief Keef Weird traditions: I always wear the same compression shirt and shorts for every game. I also always look in the mirror and go through what I need to do.

Personal motto: Don t let the ball drop without a body Most important captain attribute: Hard-working

Name: Shemahr Brown Grade: Senior Experience: 11 years Favorite hype song: War Pain by Meek Mill or FAMOUS by Kanye West Weird traditions: Not weird but I pray before the game and watch college football highlights Personal motto: When your sleeping your not working, But when your working your not sleeping captain attribute: Role model

Cross Country

Name: Emily Pope Grade: Senior Experience: Four years Favorite hype song: I m usually cheering for people in the races before mine so I don t have time to listen to music before I run Weird traditions: We crumple each other s race bibs Personal motto: The faster you run, the sooner it s done Most important captain attribute: Encouraging

Cheer

Name: Sasha Silva Grade: Senior Experience:Four years Favorite hype song: Anything rap Weird traditions: Before every meet, I put a lucky penny in my shoe Personal motto: Pain is for a moment, but glory is forever Most important captain attributes: Friendly and supportive

Volleyball

Name: Lucie Lefbom Grade: Senior Experience: Seven years Favorite hype song: The team listens to Timmy Turner by Desiigner and Caroline by Amine Weird traditions: I move my left thumb to low key make an L so I can tell my right from left before the game begins Personal motto: Don t let the ball drop without a body Most important captain attributes: Energy and motivation

Name: Maddy McCrossin Grade: Senior Experience: Five years Favorite hype song: Lose Yourself by Eminem Weird traditions: We chant songs to get the team hype.

Personal motto: Think positive, be positive Most important captain attribute: The ability to motivate teammates on and off the court

Heard in the Twitter-verse...

Athletes and sports teams get social about their sports on Twitter

Name: Karen Lara Grade: Senior Experience: Six years Favorite hype song: We sing and dance to everything Weird traditions: I do not have a weird tradition Personal motto: I do not have a personal motto Most important captain attribute: Open-Mindedness

Name: Amanda Nguyen Grade: Senior Experience: 5 years Favorite hype song: Whatever is playing Weird traditions: I do not have a weird tradtitoin Personal motto: Don t let the ball drop without a body Most important captain attribute: Understanding

Field Hockey

Name: Mckenzie Yi Grade: Junior Experience: Three years Favorite hype song: Lip Gloss Lil Mama Weird traditions: I eat a peanut butter sandwich before every game.

I have to get my carbs and protein!

Personal Motto: The team with the bigger heart always wins Most important captain attribute: Positivity

Name: Selam Negash Grade: Junior Experience: Three years Favorite hype song: No Problem

by Chance the Rapper Weird traditions: The captains read a team quote to get us all pumped and motivated. We also do a quick prayer asking God to guide and protect us during the game.

Personal motto: A set-back is a setup for a comeback Most important captain attribute: Positivity

Don't forget to follow the offical Twitter account of The A-blast @theablast for the lastest up to date tweets.

Follow these accounts for more updates on your favorite AHS sports events:

16 SPORTS

Sept. 15, 2016

Boys XC begins season with a solid start

Emily Pope sets new record with a time of 13:58

Dagim Tigabu comes in 15th at XC invitational at Great Meadows

BY JUDE NANAW

BY JUDE NANAW

August 25th was a big day for the girls cross country team as senior Emily Pope broke an Annandale High School girls cross country meet record.

At the PR Kick Off Invitational, Pope finished with a time of 13:58 setting a new record for Atoms by breaking the former school record of 15:08 for that meet. The old record was shattered by well over one minute.

The Atoms have been attending the PR Kick Off Invitational for about the past five years and now there is a new Annandale personal best for that invitational.

Pope was very proud of her accomplishment and saw it as her hard work and always pushing herself to her limits in cross country paying off.

"I actually did not know that I had broken the record until about a week after, but it was definitely a really nice surprise when finding out and I was proud of the accomplishment" Pope said.

Pope has been putting in the miles during practices since freshman year working hard to improve.

She has continued to run everyday and adds more distance to her runs to try and get better.

"I have improved throughout high school by running as often as possible and by increasing my mileage" Pope said.

Her times show that she has really been getting faster and improving since throughout her years of participating in cross country.

Pope strives to do even better this cross country season and set new personal records as it his her final year.

"My goals for this year are to finish the season with a new personal record at conference and to continue running each and every day" Pope said.

Head coach of the girls cross country team Phil Harris was proud of Pope's new record having coached her for the past four cross country seasons.

"Every year since freshman year Emily's personal record has

Sports Editor

COURTESY OF EMILY POPE

Sports Editor

Senior Emily Pope pushing hard down a stretch during an invitational.

drastically continued to improve" Harris said.

It has been a long time since the Atoms have earned a medal at the PR Kick Off Invitational but the drought ended this year with Pope's outstanding time.

Pope was one of the top finishers at the meet overall which resulted in her medaling.

"I have not seen a girl medal in the last three years, it was truly one of the happiest days for me since I have been coaching" Harris said.

The team as a whole performed well at the meet with all of the Atoms setting new personal records and improving since last season. All grade levels ran at the meet and performed well.

"The meet was truly great this year, the sophomores, juniors, and seniors all placed higher and improved since last year" Harris said.

The younger runners on the team this year are working harder to improve and the seniors are pushing hard to set new personal records in their final season in cross country.

With only one meet finished, the Atoms still have a long season ahead of them with 10 more meets lined up to take place during September and throughout October until conference finals begin.

With more practices to take place

now that the first meet is over, many runners are looking to work harder during practices to improve their personal times.

Last season the girls team had a successful season.

Many runners improved their times and ran well enough to earn a spot in many invitational meets.

The girl's team last season also had many runners make the Patriot Conference Finals. Younger runners last year were impressive and made conference.

The team hopes to reapeat that same success this season and have many runners set new personal records and improve more upon their times.

The team looks to have even more runners advance to the conference finals and beyond after the regular season is over.

An increase in the number of Atoms at conference would show significant improvement.

The Patriot Conference finals will be taking place near the end of October for the girls team.

The next meet for the team will be the Monroe Parker Invitational followed by the Oatlands Invitational.

Both are meets that the team has been running in for the past years.

The boys cross country team is off to a good start after having a fairly successful meet at the Great Meadows Invitational. The team finished 22nd out of 29 total teams in the Varsity A Division.

This division is exceptionally difficult to run in because it is compiled of some of the best cross country teams.

"The team definitely ran well given the hot and humid conditions at the meet" Head Coach Dave Ciccarelli said.

Out of a field of 251 runners, Senior Dagim Tigabu finished in 15th place at the meet leading the Atoms with the best time of 17:25, a new personal record.

Right behind Dagim was his twin brother Mahiteme Tigabu who came in 27th place at a time of 17:41.

Many more Atoms made new personal records at the meet finishing with improved times. The tough weather and conditions of the meet definitely made running more difficult on the boys. "It was a hard and fast race, but the thing that killed most was heat and the large amount of runners there" junior Nghia Nguyen said.

With there being many runners at the meet, dust picks up making it difficult for the runners to breathe.

"As the race went on dust would just pick up everywhere, which made it hard to see and breath Nguyen said.

Despite the difficult conditions, many of the Atoms broke their past personal records and improved their times.

"I feel like I improved a lot at the meet thanks to the practices preparing me to push myself harder and making me faster" sophomore Bilal Rasheed said.

The practices leading up to the meet got the Atoms ready for difficult hills they would be facing at Great Meadows. "Coach Ciccarelli

COURTESY OF DAVE CICCERALLI

Senior breaks AHS XC record at invitational

Senior Mahiteme Tigabu approaching the finish line during the meet.

having us run one kilometer repeats and up hills that mimic the ones at Great Meadows was also very helpful." Rasheed said.

The boys improving greatly can be credited to having new head coach Dave Ciccarelli. Ciccarelli is experienced with coaching cross country as he was a former cross country coach at Woodgrove High School.

The team will be participating in some meets that they have not run before.

This is because the Atoms also have a new head coach, Dave Ciccarelli who is experienced with coaching cross country as he was a former cross country coach at Woodgrove High School.

Some of the new meets that the team will be running at this year include the Blazer Invitational in Frederick, Maryland and the DCXC Invitational at Kenilworth Park in DC. The Atoms will also be running at meets they have participated in before like the Franconia Park and Burke Lake Park meets.

By getting off on the right foot this meet, the Atoms have high hopes and expectations for

upcoming invitationals. The team still has a total of 10 meets left which will be taking place throughout the next month and a half leading up to the Patriot Conference Championship in late October.

The Atoms boys cross country team last year was fairly successful and was able to have many runners in conference.

However, last years team did not exceed the conference meet and advance to regionals.

The Atoms boys cross country team last year was fairly successful and was able to have many runners in conference.

However, last years team did not exceed the conference meet and advance to regionals.

With the good start this year, this year's team looks to continue past the conference finals and reach regionals and maybe even states.

It is also definitely expected for runners to continue to break their own personal records throughout the season.

The team's next meet is the Monroe Parker Invitational at Burke Lake Park. This meet will be familiar to the team as they have competed there in past seasons.

Heard in the Hall: What fall sport are you most excited for?

"Football because I like watching the seniors play in their last season."

RYAN FOWLER

"I'm really excited for volleyball because I have wanted to play for a really long time."

ELVERA MILLER

freshman

freshman

"I am most excited for is cross country because it challenges me."

"I'm most excited for volleyball because it's interesting and exciting to watch."

BILAL RASHEED sophomore

RUTH SEYOUM

"Cross country because our team is improving and our coach pushes us."

"Football because it's fun to hang out with friends on a Friday night"

NGHIA NGUYEN ELIZABETH CORCORAN

sophomore

junior

junior

"Football because the games are lit and its fun to hang out with friends."

" I am most excited for football because I'm on the dance team and we preform at halftime."

ABU KARGBO

NINA NGUYEN

senior

senior

BY JUDE NANAW Sports Editor As senior Jack McCrossin made a grab down the sideline and sprinted towards the end zone for a 49 yard touchdown reception the crowd went wild.

Unfortunately for the Atoms, this would be their only points of the night as the Bruins got their foot on the gas pedal at the start of the game and would not let up.

The football team fell to 1-2 after being defeated by the Lake Braddock Bruins during the team's first home game of the season.

The Atoms were previously 1-1 having defeated the McLean Highlanders by a score of 49-22 but losing to the Centreville Wildcats by a score of 42-0.

The Bruins scored right away on the first play of their opening possession with a rushing touchdown following a quick Atoms three and out.

The Bruins would score once more in the opening quarter with a quarterback sneak, to go up 13-0 going into the second quarter.

The Bruins scored another touchdown on their first drive of the second quarter.

The Atoms ended up committing their first turnover of the game halfway into the second quarter with an interception.

Lake Braddock was unable to capitalize off this turnover, but would later receive the ball again and score with another rushing touchdown with 49 seconds left in the half.

The Bruins then converted on a two point conversion to go up 28-0 at the end of the first half.

Lake Braddock continued their success on all cylinders with a special teams touchdown after scoring on the opening second kickoff return. The Atoms had difficulties with moving the ball down the field and picking up first downs in the third quarter, which contributed to Lake Braddock leading in time of possession.

The Bruins scored once more with a long rushing touchdown midway through the third quarter and tack on a field goal to go up 45-0 going into the final quarter.

The Bruins scored their final touchdown of the game five minutes into the fourth quarter to go up 52-0.

However, the Atoms refused to be shutout and scored with a touchdown pass from senior Liam Conroy to junior Jack McCrossin with about four minutes left in the game.

The Atoms then successfully recovered their onside kick attempt only to have their drive stall around midfield. The game ended with a final score of 52-7 Lake Braddock.

The Atoms struggled to get into the end zone throughout the game and put points on the board. They also had difficulties getting past midfield into Bruin territory because they were unable to pick up first downs to keep their drives alive.

"Lake Braddock has always been a tough opponent and penalties hurt us throughout the game" senior quarterback Liam Conroy said.

The team was not able to get into rhythm through the air or on the ground as their passing and running game was not consistent. There were many incomplete passes and running plays that ended up with a loss of yardage.

"What hurt us the most was mental mistakes and not doing the best that we could have overall," senior Matthew Vogus said.

Though the game was tough and the score was rather lopsided, there were positives the Atoms took from the game. "I feel encouraged, everyone played hard to the last second regardless of the score" Conroy said.

The boys will examine the mistakes and miscues they made during the game and look to correct them.

"We need to focus on what each position needs to do on every play so that we are all on the same page and are able to execute in upcoming games," Vogus said.

"Mistakes are a part of football. We will practice hard this coming week and come together as a team and be successful like I know we can," Conroy said.

"If we play hard and limit our mistakes, we have the heart and talent to beat anybody".

Next, the Atoms will face the Jeb Stuart Raiders in their second home game of the season followed by an away game against the W.T. Woodson Cavaliers.

Senior Liam Conroy drops back to deliver a pass down field against Centreville.

COURTESY OF LIAM CONROY

Bruins defeat Atoms 52-7

SPORTS 17

Sept. 15, 2016

Volleyball grinding through a rough patch

BY CASEY NGUYEN The varsity volleyball team lead

by Iris Arrazola and Kasey Richitt is having another rough start to the season. But, the team is keeping their heads up and looking forward to their future games.

The team kicked off their season with a 1-2 record, beating Robert E. Lee High School with a 3-0 win. They have also played tough games that sadly fell to McLean High School with a 0-3 loss and Wakefield High School with a 2-3 loss. Also this past Thursday the girls fell to TJ, 2-3.

Aspiring to bounce back from their 3 losses, the girls are seeking to improve their upcoming game against J.E.B. Stuart High School, on Thursday, September 8. Coming up afterward in the month of September, they will be also playing against varsity volleyball teams of Washington and Lee High School, Falls Church High School, J.E.B. Stuart High School, and Thomas Edison High School.

In this current moment, their center of attention is focused on Senior Katie Garrish goes up to spike the ball against TJ last Thursday resolving various issues as swiftly and efficiently as humanly possible. with the difficulties they have in in the previous game and to prepare This includes working on making place, they make it their mission to for the next.

This team do not allow their defense better and covering. learn from their errors and mistakes.

However, there are other errors they The team transforms these losses themselves to fret over a few losses into an educational learning and they do this by encouraging would like to improve on.

"We need to work on staying experience by discussing the results each other to not lose hope. Their dedication and teamwork are focused throughout our matches after each game is played.

"We talk about it together in a evident on and off the court and and flowing together on the court," said senior Iris Arrazola. "Our team circle saying one positive and one therefore, they also deal with each negative thing," said Arrazola. loss game together as a whole. wants to work well with everyone.

"There's always that one person Like every other sport, they do By doing this, they fix and execute not deal with losses easily." In fact, certain skills that were not done well that tries to pick everyone back up

PHOTO COURTESY OFKATIE GARRISH

Staff Writer

and say 'it's ok we'll win the next game,'" said senior Nicole Jordan.

Every team has their losses and each one has varying reactions to them. This also applies to the girls as each one deals with their own personal mistakes differently from the other.

"I just rant about it to my little sister and I feel better the next day," said Arrazola.

Compared to the previous years,

there are various new changes in the program. This includes the team's brand-new coaches, Larry and Bonnie Lefbom, as well as Coach Amie. Returning players say that they are not only gaining a pair of fresh new eyes to train them, but also learning new techniques and knowledge about the game.

"Coach Lefbom is a very positive and energetic coach," said Kasey Richitt, senior.

The girls say that these new coaches are also very persistent, but most importantly, supportive in pushing them to do their very best.

"Our new coach set a goal for us to make it into Regionals this year and we are totally capable of doing so," said Arrazola.

This is always the main goal for each season, but this year it seems they may have a fighting chance.

The team has high hopes in making their dream into reality, as returning players say that the team chemistry has drastically improved this season compared to the previous. The season commenced with bringing back 11 of their returning players from last season, as well as pulling up 4 new players.

"We have a lot of potential with all the new juniors on the team," said Arrazola.

These volleyball girls are extremely optimistic as their season will be sure to be filled with surprises and more victories in store. Not only are they determined in maturing into better players, but also better people.

"We will try our hardest and are ready to win," said Jordan. "I know we try our best, even if we don't win, and I know we are improving together as a team."

Be sure to make time to come out and support Annandale High School Volleyball at their next home game on Monday, Sept. 19 at 7:15 p.m. as they face J.E.B. Stuart High School.

Athlete of the week: Katie Garrish Senior varsity athlete excited for the season

BY CAMERON FOTI Sports Editor

A: Normally I like to hang out with the team and get hype for the game.

Senior Katie Garish has played all four years of volleyball for AHS. This year, she is working harder than ever to get her team as far as they can possibly go.

Q: What was the best moment in your volleyball career?

A: My best moment was during my junior year I had a game on my birthday. It was the best game I have ever played.

Q: When did you start playing volleyball?

A: I first played volleyball freshman year when I tried out.

Q: How do you and your team celebrate a win?

A: Normally when we win the team celebrates by going out to eat

Q: When did you first realize your love for volleyball?

A: I first realized my love for the first time I played volleyball.

Q: How do you and your team deal with a loss?

A: When we lose we usually go back and watch film to improve and prepare ourselves for the next game.

COURTESY OF KATIE GARRISH

Q: What made you want to start playing volleyball?

A: I started playing so it could help improve my vertical and keep me in shape for basketball.

Q: What do you do usually before a game?

Q: What's the hardest thing about volleyball?

A: I would say that the hardest thing about volleyball is adjusting to how the other team plays and knowing where they will place the ball.

Q: What do you do in the offseason to prepare for volleyball?

A: To prepare I try to go to the green days and I stay in shape by playing other sports.

Q: What is your favorite pregame meal?

A: My favorite pregame meal is a sandwich from Subway Q: How does playing more than one sport help you in volleyball?

A: Playing more than one sport helps me in volleyball by keeping me well conditioned.

Q: Is it difficult for you to balance school, sports, and other activities that you have?

A: Yes, it is very difficult for me to balance school, sports and my other comitments. I normally get little to no sleep.

Senior Katie Garrish spins the ball on her hand during warmups

Student invited to national tournament in California Senior Drew White invited to The First Tee Open at Pebble beach

Varsity Cheer poses for a picture during the Centreville game, where the Atoms lost

Cheer looking to go back-to-back

BY JORDAN ADAMS Staff Writer The cheer team lead by Amanda Nguyen and Karen Lara have a lot to work on before they can attempt to get back to Regionals again this year.

Our Varsity cheerleading team is coached by head Coach Winkler, and her two assistants Coach Jess and Coach Shannon. Ms. Winkler has been coaching for the Atoms for the last 5 years.

I talked to Senior Madie Walsh about her experience with cheerleading and the cheerleading team.

Madie is a base for the Atoms and has done cheer at AHS for three years. This is what she had to say about her experience.

"My experience with the coaches

and other cheerleaders have been great. Last year we had a really close bond and made it to regionals for the first time and I'm hoping the same for this year" Walsh said.

The Varsity cheer team are always a very close group, they are like family. The Atoms had their greatest season ever last fall, by making it to the regional competition for the first time in school history.

The Atoms can't dwell on their success from last year though, there is a new goal at hand; to get back to the regional competition. I caught up with Senior Captain Amanda Nguyen and asked her what she thinks it'- s going to take for the team to make it back to regionals.

"It's going to take a lot of hard work and determination for the team to go back to regionals"

Nguyen said. Coach Winkler also had something to say about what it will take for the team to make it back to regionals. "Our team needs to put out a solid routine. Solid Stunts, Clean motions, loud voices and most importantly crowd involvement," Winkler said.

I later talked to Amanda Nguyen about what it means to be a captain.

Amanda shares the captain position with her best friend, and fellow senior Karen Lara. "As one of the captains, I have a little extra duties to do. We give extra encouragement to our teammates, call the cheers during games, and pass down information from our coaches," Nguyen said.

We all wish the for Varsity Cheer team to repeat their success from last season. Go Atoms!

This Thursday will be a very special day for senior Drew White. White has been recognized as one of the top First Tee golfers in the nation by being selected to play in the First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.

The First Tee is a golf program for kids 7-18 years of age that teaches both golf and life skills. It focuses on making kids both better kids and better golfers. White has excelled in this program since he was 10.

He now both participates, coaches, and mentors younger kids in the program and can be seen as a role model for many of them.

"My favorite part about working with these kids is remembering when I was in their shoes. It is cool to see the potential of some of them and know that they might be in my shoes one day. Knowing that I am apart of their First Tee career is a really cool feeling."

The First Tee Open is a golf tournament at Pebble Beach where 81 junior participants from around the United States were selected to particapte in by a pannel of national judges. During the tournament, each junior is paired up with a champions tour player.

There are three tournaments going on at the same time: best ball between each pro and junior, stroke play between the juniors, and stroke play between the pros.

The tournament will include a tournament round at Pebble Beach, the next day at Poppy Hills, and for the players who make the cut, the final tournament day at Pebble Beach.

Pebble Beach is the world's number one public golf course and holds a PGA tour event every year. All of golf's greatest have walked and played this course. White will travel to Monterey, California and play on this historic Drew White holding his first place tropy from a First Tee course all expenses paid thanks to The First Tee and its tournament in Pittsburg supporters.

The PGA Tour professional Billy Hurrley III broke the the program for two years as a captain.

Now White is trying to play at the next level, whether news to Drew at the Quicken Loans National, which he went on to win. This video can be seen on The First Tee, that be college or going into professional golf managment.

Golf Channel, and Morning Drive websites.

"It has been fun playing a great game with great "It was completely unexpected when I turned around people these past few years, especally my coaches to cameras and Hurrley telling me that I would be going to California to be playing in The First Tee Open. It was who have supported me the whole way. Coach A, Coach an unbeleivable experiance especially because my family Mac, and coach Jennison, they are the best, couldn't do it without them." and coaches were all in the stands to see it happen live."

White has played 3 years of varsity golf and has led

COURTESY OF DREW WHITE

COURTESY OF CRAGIN WINKLER

BY CAMERON FOTI Sports Editor

18 ENTERTAINMENT Hot anticipated releases this fall

Sept. 15, 2016

The Magnificent Seven The Magnificent Seven is back in theaters for the first time since 1960. This popular American Western film is finally getting a remake, releasing Sept 23, 2016.

The movie is about a poor Mexican putting together seven gunfighters to protect their homes from bandits.

The updated version will be directed by Antoine Fuqua and feature some of the biggest names in film including Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, and many others. Sony has put up a set of teasers that look into each of the main seven characters and who they'll be played by.

Overcoming the original film won't be easy to do, but with the star studded cast, they might just have a shot at it.

indiewire.com

Atlanta follows the story of young, ambitious and witty Earnest as he tries to earn his keep in the biggest city in todays rap game.

Juggling odd-jobs in order to afford a better life for himself, his daughter and her mother, Earnest stumbles upon a video of his cousin, Alfred Miles, or "Paperboy," an up and coming rapper who seems to need some "professional" direction. As a last resort, Earnest does what he can to squeeze himself into the life of Paperboy and his nutty, creative right hand man Darius.

Naturally, asking for a life of this caliber comes with virtues and vices. The show premiered Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 10 p.m. eastern on FX, and will return every week at that time.

"I'm hyped to watch Atlanta because I like Donald Glover as a person and a rapper"

telegraph.co.uk

Atlanta

"I'm excited for Magnificent Seven because I'm a huge Denzel fan, I love his work."

SAUD SHAH

JESSE AGYAPONG

senior

senior

"I'm excited for this album because I always listen to his old music."

22, A Million Indie folk band Bon Iver have announced their third studio album, 22, A Million, set to release Sept 30th, 2016. The Grammy-winning group have been off the grid lately, with their last album dropping back in 2011.

A 10-song tracklist has already been provided and confirmed. Also, a lyrical music video for two songs on the album: "22 (OVER S∞∞N)" and "10dEAThbREasT." The album was initially premiered at Justin Vernon's Eaux Claires Music Festival back in July 2015. Don't expect their new project to sound anywhere near their last one, "Putting something out in the world like this, it's not embarrassing for me, but the old records are of this kind of sad nature, you know?" said Justin Vernon on the new sound. Vernon has been staying active during his five year break from Bon Iver, though.

He spent time collaborating with Kanye West in his album, Yeezus. The band was first discovered to be out of their slump after being featured in a track with Francis and the Lights a couple months back.

Mac Miller makes his return with The Divine Feminine, one year after releasing GO:OD AM, his third official album. Since the release of Watching Movies With the Sound Off, Mac Miller has improved drastically since his days of teenage ballads about partying, sex and drugs.

For the upcoming album, he will most likely be following the formula laid by one of his mixtape releases, a jazz pursuit involving various love songs known as Larry Lovestein and the Velvet Revival.

He also stated that the album will touch on politics, race and drug issues, "One of my favorite things about making music is being able to capture the human experience from different angles. And I feel as though I'm an artist that's not sewn into an identity," Miller said on the sound of the album. Look out for the LP on Sept 16.

GASTON QUIERO

pitchfork.com

pitchfork.com

The Divine Feminine

"I really like Bon Iver because he's such a unique artist."

SAAD FAROOQ senior

senior

The Saint Pablo Tour

Black Out the Sun Tour & Diane by John Mellencamp, Broken Arrows by Avicii, and Baba O'Riley by The Who."I did not know any of the covers but they were still really fun to listen to." said On Friday, Sept 2nd, five adventurous AHS students Moss. More popular covers performed at other locations went to Bristow, Virginia. It all began at 7:00pm at Jiffy during the Black Out the Sun tour include; All Apologies

by Nirvana, Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lube Live: the Zac Brown Band #BlackOuttheSun tour.

"It was the best night of my life! It was so fun! All Kashmir by Led Zeppelin, and The Devil Went Down to Georgia by The the songs were so fun Charlie Daniels to dance around to with Band.

Another my friends and I just feature is the love country music," said encore of the senior Tehya Moss. show. In their past Some of the Zac set lists and the Brown set list hits list on Sept 2nd included: Castaway, they have done Goodbye in Her Eyes, encores every Toes, Knee Deep, Loving show. "I have been You Easy, Beautiful Drug, to other concerts Homegrown, and Chicken and I have seen Fried. "Chicken Fried encores before. I and Knee Deep were wasn't that excited everyone's favorites. because I knew it Everyone was jumping up was coming," said and down and screaming Moss. when those songs came Seniors and juniors tailgate at the Zac Brown Band concert "Me and my on!" said Moss.

Like all great artists, Zac Brown Band was able to girlfriends got ready and and did makeup together. Then perform covers of other artists and incorporate the our friend drove us. We listened to country music in the car to get hyped for the concert. Jiffy Lube is a very songs into their own distinct style.

The covers vary to each location performed on tour popular spot for summer concerts. It was a perfect way but the songs performed at Jiffy Lube include: S.O.B. by to end the summer!" said Moss.

Nathaniel Rateliff, Freeborn Man by the Outlaws, Jack

BY LENNON WUHRER

Entertainment Editor

Staff Writer

HUSSEIN SALEM

nowhere to be found. We wondered if there was a delay or technical difficulties. Finally at 9:30, all the concert lights went out and a beat started playing, the show has On Thursday, Sept 8th, started the concert experience begun.

West started it off with the first song on his album of a lifetime. A group of three friends and I rushed to Verizon Center in downtown DC right after school to see The Life of Pablo, Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1. He went on to play the majority of that album and threw it back to our all time favorite artist, Kanye West. his debut album: The The lines for College Dropout. merchandise and The concert went food were expected on for about two hours, to be filled up hours including speeches at before the concert the end of "Runaway" started, so we made and "Only One." He sure we weren't late. talked about the real Luckily for us, they meaning of his music, had merchandise lines and how he wants his outside the venue, and listeners to "feel" his we arrived minutes music. He also went after they set it up, on about the death so there was no line. of loved ones and his The products were visions of his passed extremely overpriced, away mother talking but with this once Kanye West reaching out for the crowd during "Fade" to God. in a lifetime opportunity, we went all out with the One of the highlights of the show was the creativity merchandise.

After spending $100+ on Gildan t-shirts we, went up of the lights and stage, it was a piece of art. My personal to our seats and waited for the show to begin. We had a favorite was when he played "Touch the Sky," thats my good view of everything but there was only one problem; favorite song of his.

This concert was truly an experience I'll never forget there was no stage in sight. The stage was not on an actual set, instead it was moving platform, held up in and I believe that everyone should see Kanye West live at least once in their life. midair.

It was around 9:00 p.m., and still West was still

TEHYA MOSS

BY HUSSEIN SALEM

Netflix's Stranger Things turns the world upside down

BY TIMOTHY GRAY Netflix's Stranger Things centers around the disappearance of a young boy in the 1980s. However, the show cleverly maneuvers its way through a seemingly generic plot by telling this story from multiple viewpoints: That of kids, teenagers, and adults, utilizing various pop/ film culture aspects of the 1980s, such as alien invasion (Aliens, 1986) and telekinesis (Star Wars (1977-1983).

If you are a fan of the 1980s, this show will blanket you with nostalgia and makes various nods to the most popular sci-fi films of the '80s.

The show begins with the disappearance of Will Byers.

Out of desperation, Will's friends - Mike, Dustin and Lucas, set out on the path they believe Will took on his way home.

In nearly the same spot Will is believed to have disappeared, they encounter a mysterious girl who barely speaks English and has a shaved head. Eventually, they discover that she harbors some pretty awesome superpowers.

However, with the addition of a new and powerful ally in the girl, later to be identified as Eleven, or "El", the boys soon find themselves a strange and dark enemy.

As more residents of Hawkins are abducted, El gradually shows the boys that there may be some deviation from the side of Hawkins Lab, a government research facility located in their hometown of Hawkins, Indiana.

The teenage aspect of the show begins very reminiscent of popular coming of age high school films in the 1980s, such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982).

It focuses on Nancy, the sister of Will's friend, Mike, as

verge.com

Videographer

Mike, Eleven, Dustin and Lucas hide while they see something none of them expected.

well as Will's brother, Jonathan.

Nancy is caught up in dating the school's heartbreaker and jock, Steven, as the events of Will's disappearance unravel. Jonathan is distraught, and angry at himself for not being more careful and making sure Will was home the night he disappeared.

He's deemed an outcast at school, with a huge passion for photography. As Nancy and Steven go out one

night and party at Steven's house, Jonathon is present taking unsolicited photographs behind the bushes. Nancy gets into a minor argument with her best friend, Barb, resulting in her leaving Nancy and Steven to themselves in the house.

As the night draws to a close and Nancy can't find Barb anywhere, the disappearance of Will and the strange events unraveling in Hawkins become much

more significant to her.

The adults' story centers around Will's mother, Joyce, played by perhaps the biggest star in the cast, Winona Ryder. Joyce makes her way to the police chief, Chief Hopper, the same hour she discovers the disappearance of Will.

She demands Hopper to everything in his power to locate the boy, noting their longtime familiarity as an incentive to make an exception to drop everything and find Will.

Hopper notes that kids always go missing, and that most of the time its on their own accord. Joyce takes this advice, and searches for Will in the woods, specifically his makeshift fort, Camp Byers.

As she realizes there is much more to Will's disappearance than meets the eye, Joyce begins to lose her mind, attempting to talk to Will through the walls or using lights.

She eventually convinces Hopper to look further, and he discovers certain things that would suggest foul play, such as this Hawkins Lab searching relentlessly for a girl with a shaved head and the almost simultaneous disappearance of Will into nothingness.

Stranger Things' employment of multiple viewpoints, ranging from age to age, allows for a look deeper into its story few other shows offer, such as Game of Thrones, which has used this strategy effectively.

The pop culture references are the icing on the cake, and it feels amazing to point out certain nods to familiar shows and movies from the golden age of sci-fi.

Stranger Things is a very unique gem, and while there were other, none will stack up to the nostalgia and pure fun that was present in this show.

ENTERTAINMENT 19

Sept. 15, 2016

Narcos

Students anticipate the future of their favorite Netflix original series

Pablo Escobar truly ruled Colombia and had power invested in everybody. He showed that the concept that everyone has a price was true.

He ran for legislation, had power in the people, power in business, and power in reputation.

Escobar became a household name during the late 1900s in both Colombia and the United States. Narcos covers the story of his reign over Colombia.

"The stuff that The plot of the show is the efforts of both the American happens in the show DEA and Colombian government to shut down Escobar's is hard to believe but drug trade and cartel. it actually happened Narcos is action packed but also intensifies through high quality narration of events as well as excellent character and that's crazy." development.

DAWSON PLUMMER Wagner Moura looks like a drug lord, and takes the senior character of Pablo Escobar to another level.

Sometimes Moura makes Narcos feel like more of a first person than a show filmed in the 21st century.

Peaky Blinders

House of Cards

Marco Polo

Daredevil

If the setting of post World War I isn't enticing enough, maybe the idea of a gang who defends themselves with hidden razor blades in hats will.

Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) leads the Peaky Blinders, and initialy intends on bringing the organization to a legal status.

Murphy embodies the role perfectly, and gives off a radiant feeling of absolute power. He seems unstoppable.

Season one brings drama to the gang in forms of police, family, girlfriends, and rival gangs.

The way that they go along handling it only adds to the excitement.

In this drama, Kevin Spacey takes on the role of a power hungry politician and public figure.

He is willing to manipulate and take advatage of anyone to get what he wants.

He is passed over for appointment as Secretary of State, and then develops a plan to get himself into the White House behind the President's back.

The plot keeps viewers coming back for more and creates a lot of dramatic moments as Underwood comes closer and closer to succeeding in his plans.

Marco Polo is one of Netflix's most expensive originals, and is well worth the price tag.

It draws similar traits from shows such as Game of Thrones and The Tudors, where multiple kingdoms fight over a crown.

In Marco Polo's case, the conflict is both political and religious. Parts of China want more Christianity than the others and it all eventually breaks out into a war. The plot builds as tensions rise, and the show brings a lot of necessary suspense and action.

Currently, Marco Polo has two seasons on Netflx, and in order to understand the second it is essential to watch the first.

Two vigilanties face off in this adaption of Marvel's Daredevil, and the only thing that can stop them is eachother.

In this show, there is a new villian on the streets who goes by the name of The Punisher.

Matt Murdock is attempting to catch him, but unfortunely they are both known as vigilanties.

The initial release of the show was successful due to the hype accumulated through social media and fans itching for more superhero shows.

The first season seemed a bit shaky, but the second ensured it a place in the binge watch collection.

"Thomas Shelby is an amazing character and really keeps me interested in the show."

"The plot is really interesting and kept me binge watching for days."

MADIE WALSH

SYDNEY WUHRER

senior

freshman

"The whole drama between the Khan and Ahmad is really crazy. I love Marco's character and his effect on the show."

"It has a lot of action and I love how the show intesifies over time."

ALLEN KOKILANANDA junior

GABRIELA JORDAN senior

Battlefield 1 beta review

BY BRANDON HO Videographer Fans of the Battlefield series are used to playing in a current or future time period, but this title takes them back to the first world war.

The Battlefield 1 beta takes place in the Sinai Desert, as British and Turkish forces find themselves at odds. The game factors in air warfare, with three airplane categories such as assault, bomber, and fighter.

Other methods of gameplay include cavalry, in which the player mounts a horse and has the ability to attack enemies with all new weapons that reflect what were used in 1914. Dice and Electronic Arts went back in time when preparing to make their new blockbuster shooter, instead of following up their complete bust of a game Battlefield Hardline released in 2015.

EA chose to set their game in 1914 during World War 1, the announcement of the newest battlefield game brought a lot of hype and excitement for a new and refreshing game. Battlefield 1 EA's newest release, Battlefield 1 had a lot of positives, introducing trying to download the game and log in, to get a taste of what all new gameplay and mechanics. the highly anticipated game looked like. With so many people "I liked the gameplay, it was fun and kept me well trying to play at once, many users experienced trouble such as entertained the whole time," said junior Everett Steinberg. servers crashing and matches freezing.

The gameplay of EA's new game completely changes from Sometimes it can take a long time for games to load, and last year s installment. Battlefield 1 has an all new way to play some sights on guns don't look as they can. the game.

When trying to play with friends, some gamers were placed It includes flying, driving, and even riding on horseback; on different teams and had to play whole games against their compared to last year's game when most gameplay took place friends. on the the ground and had a limited amount of vehicles.

Despite some of the technical issues that will for sure be Other improvements made this year were increased weapon gone by the time of the official release, Oct. 21, Battlefield 1 Is customization, graphics, and character dialog. With such a big likely going to be one of the best games of 2016. release for the beta and tons of people trying to download the Overall, the beta was a success with thousands of people game it s not a surprise it came with many problems. playing daily even though servers were not fully functional.

"I thought the game was horrible, I could barely play and let alone log into the game," said senior Javier Bolanos Rating: 8.6/10 When the beta first opened there were thousands of gamers

Past Battlefield games Battlefield Bad Company 2 Imagine a first person shooter where you can mold the landscape and walls of building to your advantage.

In Bad Company 2, you can do that and more. The multiplayer in this game feels more like a war simulator than an arcade shooter, which is how Battlefield games are meant to be.

Rating: 8.3/10

Battlefield Hardline This game took a different and ambitious approach to the first person shooter genre by placing users in a drug infested Miami as a cop.

The approach divided players, causing drastically different opinions.

Some thought the game cept was weak while others thought it was revolutionary.

Rating: 6/10

Battlefield 3 Players stepped into this game as elite U.S. Marines taking on missions across Europe, North America and parts of the Middle East.

Battlefield 3 returned with destructable environments that could be used to the best of the players ability.

It also used a new graphics engine to make players feel like they were almost in the game.

Rating: 9/10

20 WEEKEND Summer is not over yet

Sept. 15, 2016

8. Blast from the

4. Watch your favorite artists at Jiffy Lube Live

past: check out the Renaissance Festival

See some of your favorite artists perform live in Bristow, Virginia.

Many different entertainers have been on the Jiffy Lube Live stage like Linkin Park, Nicki Minaj and Panic! at the Disco.

This venue has also hosted various events like WMZQfest and Mayhem Festival.

It is a fun experience to go with either friends or family to watch your mutual favorite artists.

"I recently went with friends to go see Zac Brown Band at Jiffy Lube Live and it was so fun," senior Tehya Moss said.

Get inspired by these ten ideas for how to have fun close to home while the heat is still here!

1. Watermelon Park

Test your swordsman skills!

The Renaissance Festival in Annapolis, MD is the place for you! Grab some friends and go back in time to enjoy jousting tournaments, music from that time, and all the meat on a stick that you can handle.

The festival includes many gift shops with weapons, charms, jewelry, and even clothing from the era. If you really want to have fun, try dressing up when you go there!

5. Go to the park: Watch

Take advantage of tubing for the low price of $10 at Watermelon Park. The park is a little under an hour away and is a hot spot for all things outdoor. The park has camping and tubing, baseball fields and fishing, and even a little homemade ice cream stand.

Watermelon park is a family space and designed for fun with its low prices and plethora of events, so grab a tube, let loose and let the river take you.

9. Take a day trip to

a Nats game

Washington Nationals baseball games are popular events in Northern Virginia.

You and some friends or family can go support our baseball team.

Ticket prices vary by game and seat, however, they are around $35. It is very fun and will not take too much time out of your week.

2. Burnside Farms

Kings Dominion

Can you handle the Intimidator? If you feel like there's nothing to do in your area why not grab some friends and hit the road? A change of scenery is good since there is still nice weather!

Although it may be a longer drive, it is definitely worth it to go take a day trip to Kings Dominion.

Enjoy the rush and thrill of the large variety of rides with your friends or family over the weekend. Kings Dominion might seem pricey to go to a lot, however, they sometimes have group discounts so plan wisely.

6. Abel lake

Burnside Farms is located just shy of 45 minutes from downtown Annandale. It has many attractions, including a bounce pad, market and playhouse, but it's most trafficked section is its crop field, which is changed seasonally. Mid September usually marks the time when the sunflowers fade and the land plums up with pumpkins and gourds.

Admission to the field is $6 and any souvenirs you cut and take home incur an additional few dollars charge. The patch is a great picture spot so grab your friends and travel down this weekend.

Like being scared?

Like heights and water?

Abel Lake is the place for you. About an hour away in Stafford, VA, take some friends and hike to the top of the cliff, where the descent is a 30 foot drop into the calm lake water.

If you're feeling extra adventurous, try the even scarier 60 foot cliff not too far away.

3. Take a hiking trip

10. Go Pokemon hunting

7. Visit exotic animals at the zoo

through Shenandoah

The National Zoo Park is a great place for families or friends to spend the day or evening! It is very family friendly and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Entrance is free so it is a great spot to go to if you do not want to empty your wallet every time you go out with friends.

Remember to be respectful to all of the zoo animals and the people that work there.

Take advantage of the wonderful weather outside and get active. This is the perfect time to enjoy the weather before it gets too hot. Hike to the top of the legendary Old Rag climb, and take a picture with your friends at the top of the world!

You don't have to stay inside to play videogames all day anymore. Gather some friends and venture to nearby areas and go pokemon hunting!

Some great places to head to are Tysons Corner, West Potomac Park, Washington DC and Mosaic Center. These places are great spots to find all types of pokemon and pokestops.

While you are there, why not stop by for some other things like watching a movie, eating at great restaurants and checking out monuments?

Make sure to bring a water bottle, a hat and a charger to keep your adventure going longer. They are great places to walk around and still make it back home in time to get some sleep for school.

Restaurant Review: Founding Farmers

BY CONRAD SHARTEL Weekend Editor On my birthday, Aug. 16, I went with my family and girlfriend to the restaurant Founding Farmers in DC. The restaurant's whole focus is on natural, homegrown food.

All the ingredients in the food are grown at farms and then bought by the restaurant, which it itself is owned by farmers.

We first ordered appetizers and got cornbread and fried green tomatoes. The cornbread had corn

pieces in it, which I did not actually like. The fried green tomatoes tasted a lot like hash browns to me, and were very delicious. My girlfriend and my family finished them off in minutes.

For drinks we ordered the lemonade they serve. It was very delicious, with such a sour taste that made it feel like it was freshly squeezed and served right up. We had about three glasses each.

I ordered the chicken and waffles. I heard about it from one of my friends who said that it was one

of the best meals he had ever had.

Waffles being my favorite food, I decided it was a solid choice. It came with a side of macaroni and cheese, some syrup for the waffle, and sauce for the chicken. It was the full package. The macaroni and the waffle were the best I have ever have, and the chicken was amazing as well.

My girlfriend ordered grilled cheese and tomato soup with a side of vegetables. She loved all of it, and after trying the soup and grilled cheese myself, I agreed that it was amazing. The food all tasted so authentic, and the cheese was The front of Founding Farmers restaurant in D.C. the most delicious cheese I've ever tasted.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was also very positive. The servers were extremely nice, and even though it was packed, we got our table in minutes. The service was great, and all of our food got out on time and was delicious. We did not stay for dessert, and definitely should have, as it looked delicious on the menu.

Grade: A The famous chicken and waffles, with a side of macaroni and cheese.

The inside of the restaurant, showing all of the fresh ingredients they use in their food.

Class of 2017 Bulletin To-do list: September Make sure you start your college applications Turn in all back to school forms Seniors Karen Lara and Amanda Nguyen pose before the first home football game.

Come to the football game at home against J.E.B. Suart!

267

days until graduation