Issue #7

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the VOLUME #62 ISSUE 7

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

Informiing the Atoms siince 1954 4

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FBLA competes at regionals Two students advance to State Leadership Competition

BY TEAGAN FOTI Co-Editor in Chief A few Atoms made it onto the podium at the recent Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competition at Oakton High School. Of the 10 students who attended, six placed in the top three of their respective category and two will be moving on to the State Leadership Conference (SLC) on April 7 and 8 in Reston, Virginia.

The two students moving on to the SLC are Sebastian Delgadillo and Abdullah Saif, who placed first in the Banking and Financial Services competition.

"To prepare for the SLC and [National Leadership Conference] Sebastian and Saif will continue to study because they will take another [test] at the SLC," FBLA Advisor Albert Steppe said.

"If they are in the top number of students to get the highest score they will present a case study in front of the judges but it will be difficult to know what the judges will ask them in a case study for Banking and Financial Systems."

Senior, FBLA President, Bitania Endalkachew placed second in her category, Impromptu Speaking, missing the state cut off by a hair.

Though she would've liked to make it further she

FAMILIES IN FEAR

New immigration policy provokes uncertanity amoung undocumented Atoms

BY SADIE MODICA Co-Editor in Chief Throughout his campaign and now in his term as president, Donald Trump has spoken of deporting the so called "bad hombres," a term that seems to encompass a larger group of undocumented immigrants daily. Now, his rhetoric combined with a drastic increase in ICE raids and deportations have stirred anxiety in the minds of many undocumented students.

Unlike the promise of President Obama during his presidency, "felons, not families," President Trump's words create a more poignant image-- one where all illegal immigrants, regardless of circumstance, have a cause for fear of deportation.

The future is uncertain, especially for young immigrants like senior "Ana Garcia," whose story is true, but her true name will remain anonymous. Garcia was born in Ecuador, and she was brought to the U.S. at the age of two by her mother after her father left them, leaving the family homeless. Garcia's mother decided to bring her children to the U.S. so they would grow up safe and with greater opportunities.

"It's scarier now than ever before," Garcia said. "But I know that in the case that my family gets taken away, the only thing they care about is that I continue my education."

When the opportunity arose, Garcia applied for a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) certification.

"Getting DACA was a fairly short immigration process than most, but it did still take up most of a year," Garcia said. "It was easier for me than for others because I was already currently enrolled in school, but they still made me prove some ridiculous things, like you have to have been here before a certain date, specifically on a certain date, have gone to school here and be over and under a certain age."

By March of 2015, Garcia had finally gathered all of the necessary materials and submitted her entire application near her 16th birthday. She received her approval for a DACA certification in September of the same year.

"It was kind of expensive for my family, but in general inexpensive for an immigration process," Garcia said. DACA is probably considered expensive for most undocumented immigrants in Garcia's position, at about $500, however it is a worthwhile expense as dreamers are the only immigrant group whom it seems President Trump has any interest in keeping.

Although earlier on his his campaign Trump called DACA an "unconstitutional executive amnesty," he has radically changed his position. Trump recently called DACA "one of the most difficult subjects I have," and referred to students eligible for DACA as "these incredible kids."

"Being undocumented at AHS is weird because I am forced to feel alone in all of this" Ana Garcia Undocumented Senior His ultimate stance on the situation, and whether he will approve a draft bill that will bar any future applications and renewals of DACA is yet unknown. What is known, however, is that many non-criminal and working parents, like California father Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez and Arizona mother Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, will be detained and possibly deported, leaving their children to fend for themselves.

Garcia is among roughly 2 million other dreamers, many of whom are adjusting in high school and working hard towards further education. These students are often in need of guidance as they decide their future like other high schoolers, but with the obstacles of language, culture, and often poverty as well.

Ana, her two older siblings, and her mother stayed with an aunt in an apartment for the first month, and after her mother got a job they were able to afford a one bedroom apartment.

"I don't know much about those first few years except for things I vaguely remember and what my siblings have told me, like how we couldn't afford a table so my mom put placemats on the floor in the dining room, or how we only had one mattress and a crib that were donated by a church," Garcia said.

The furniture only started to accumulate when Garcia's aunt decided to move to the U.S. to help Garcia's mother raise her children. With the two incomes, the family slowly was able to accumulate the resources necessary for a comfortable life.

"Since then, we've moved about 12 times," Garcia said.

"My mom and aunt have had to work many jobs but we got by through by the help of people we met."

Garcia grew up speaking Spanish, until kindergarten when she truly started to pick up English. Today, her and her siblings are perfectly bilingual.

ESOL Level 1 and 2 School Counselor Evelyn Clumpkens is one of the main resources for undocumented students at AHS. "I'm the primary resource because I can speak Spanish," Clumpkens said. "The majority of our immigrant students are from Spanish-speaking countries. I speak their language and help advocate for them."

Some of the additional resources provided to these students cited by Clumpkens are as follows: The parent liaisons in translation services, workshops, connections with companies like the Northern Virginia see FAMILIES pg. 5

Leadership Conference Held Co-Editor in Chief 15 students represented Annandale at the 2017 DECA State Leadership Conference at Virginia Beach. The conference started on Friday, March 3 and lasted through Sunday, March 5.

The conference featured students from all across Virginia and who came to represent their school in the hopes of advancing to the National level. "[My DECA friends and I] went because we thought it would be a great chance to do something out of school on a bigger stage," senior DECA member TJ Ullah said. "We wanted to go and represent Annandale."

The conference features many different categories and competitions that students could compete in from Hospitality and Tourism to Finance, Marketing and more. "[Everyone] on the trip had signed up to be competing in events such as fashion marketing and sports marketing," Ullah said. "Some of us had essays to write and speak to

BY JESSIE SALISBURY News Editor Throughout the year Annandale's band program had been striving to make memorable impressions and performances that would not be forgotten at Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association State Assessments. All of the hard work definitely paid off, with the Symphonic Band earning an overall excellent rating, and the Wind Ensemble earned an overall superior rating. The Symphonic Band performed on March 2, while the Wind Ensemble performed March 4, both were held at West Potomac High School.

The band assessment consisted of two parts, concert performance and sight reading. During the assessment the bands played three pieces in the concert hall, and were judged on their performances.

"The repertoire consisted of one march and two pieces selected from the VBODA Selective Music List," Band Director Joseph Witkowski said.

The judges then assessed the performances using a scale of l (superior), ll (excellent), lll (good), lV (fair), or V (poor).

"We didn't get the rating I knew we were see BAND pg. 5

Hall safety increases

BY DREW WHITE Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICK STRAND

BY TEAGAN FOTI

Band Wind Ensemble earns Superior Rating

Security cameras installed

DECA students compete at Virginia Beach judges about our ideas for the categories we picked and others had to do role play events in which they acted out what companies should do."

The Annandale Chapter was awarded the Top Growth Overall Percentage. Although no Atoms won in their category it was still a good practice for real world, workplace scenarios.

"All of the students learned valuable lessons in teamwork and critical thinking by being a part of the Conference. Most importantly, all 15 students represented Annandale High School grace and dignity," DECA Advisor Mick Strand said. "I was proud to have them represent me as their advisor and the school."

DECA, as an organization, prides itself on preparing "emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe."

"Deca is kinda like FBLA but it's mostly about marketing and using real life scenarios and companies to market new things to that can help them grow and such," Ullah said.

see FBLA pg. 5

Students and teachers have erupted with concern about all the cameras throughout the hallways at AHS. "What's next, cameras in classrooms?" senior Tim Grey questioned.

Twenty three cameras have been put up in the school hallways not including ones outside. School security argues that it is a perfectly acceptable measure being as Annandale is one of the last high schools in Fairfax County to put cameras throughout the school in addition to those outside.

It is not only students questioning measures taken by the school but also the teachers.

"I don't want cameras following me around in school. Are [they] going to put them in the see CAMERAS pg. 5

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2 EDITORIALS

March 21, 2017

Trump: Read the Constitution Groundless claims

by POTUS are no longer tolerable In his latest Twitter rant, President Trump has boldly accused President Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during the election season.

This reckless and baseless accusation of a previous administration is extremely dangerous. Even the former CIA director has come out to deny these claims. Instead of conducting a thorough investigation, President Trump has shown the American people once again that he cannot control his emotions by tweeting.

One of the frequent targets of Trump's attacks is the press. From his run during the primaries and as the Republican nominee to finally being the President of the United States, Donald Trump has never been shy about expressing his dislike of the mainstream media.

However, Trump's continuous attacks against multiple news sources have raised eyebrows of not only Americans, but global citizens. Many see his dislike of the media as unfounded and a direct violation of the First Amendment's freedom of press.

On Feb. 18, President Trump, after ranting a a press conference, tweets about the press saying: "The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!"

Trump repeats this point again at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 23. It has come into question as to why the leader of a nation built on

BINQI CHEN

BY BINQI CHEN Editorials Editor

President Donald Trump continues to have an unfavorable relationship with the mainstream media.

democratic ideals is criticizing the media instead of taking action and regulating his closest advisors. Even members of his own party have come out to show their support for a free press.

The Founding Fathers understood the importance of a free press. The Constitution guarantees the opinion of the people to be heard and their right to hold political leaders accountable for their actions. The press acts as the Fourth Estate in influencing policy and decision; it is the direct connection between the American people and the leaders who represent them.

Trump clearly has no idea how the Constitution

works.

The term "enemy of the people" also holds historical significance. It was a term used in the Soviet Union and targeting those who had ideals in opposition of Joseph Stalin. This is a term used in authoritative government and should never be used lightly.

Although there may be many fake news sites, the media outlets that Trump has targeted include of some the most reputable publications in the world. The President needs to realize that when the press informs the American people of the truths in events regarding government events, they are not conspiring against the

American people, but rather simply doing their job, the job that the Supreme Law of the Land guarantees.

The President has every power to conduct private research before publically accusing a previous administration of committing such baseless crimes.

On March 4, the CIA director Michael Hayden has shut down Trump's claim on CBS' Late Show. Either way, the ending is not positive for President Trump. If the CIA investigates his claims, that means that the agency has probable cause in Russia having suspicious contact with the Trump campaign.

Trump's opinion of the media has resonated with the entire White House as Sean Spicer, the White House's press secretary and communications director, blocked numerous news outlets from attending a briefing. This was an unprecedented and unexpected action as daily briefings are normally on camera and is inclusive of all major networks.

Every president has come under the scrutiny of the press during their political careers, this comes with the job. This is how democracy works: people hold leaders in power accountable for their actions. It is that simple.

Nobody is purposely trying to attack and bring down the POTUS. On many occasions, President Trump has called the media dishonest and fake. This is hypocritical as the Trump administration has continuously reported untrue data and events.

News outlets and the press should continue to hold President Trump and his administration accountable for their actions. We cannot normalize and become immune to this behavior. There is already a huge disconnection between normal American citizens and Washington. The press acts as the people's eyes in the realm of politics and global affairs.

Just as the Washington Post's new maxim reads: democracy dies in darkness. A free press is the light in the dark. The American people deserve reality and not a series of alternative facts that have proven time after time of being blatanly incorrect.

BY BINQI CHEN Editorials Editor A decade ago, Fairfax County promised to take initiative in reducing greenhouse gas pollution through the Cool Counties pledge. The highly publicized pledge had goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from both public and private sources by 80 percent by 2050.

Ten years have passed, and while the county has made some improvements, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

Earlier this month, the county released a statement on the improvements that it has cut greenhouse emissions by ten percent per capita. In the Cool Counties pledge though, it promised for a 80 percent overall deduction.

Per capita is in regards to the pollution emitted per person, which means that the county is also accounting for the surge in population growth in the county, while not reducing the actual overall emissions.

Environmental groups such as the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS) has called on the county to create an energy office, instead of just one environmental coordinator.

However, Fairfax has made major improvements and should be recognized for them. One innovation that the county has implemented in combating climate change is the use of capture landfills.

Carbon dioxide and methane gas from garbage is collected at these dump sites and then reused to produce electricity, incinerate biosolids at wastewater treatment plants and heat maintenance facilities.

The county's parks are extraordinarily clean, utility bills have been reduced, green buildings are constructed, computers are shutting down themselves through a newly developed software and hybrid cars and charging spaces are on the rise.

Continuity and sustainability is key to long term success. Climate change is not just a myth, but something that can really affect us. Less frozen water and the increase in liquid leads to the loss of land.

As the icebergs and ice caps melt at the poles, sea-level also rise, flooding communities along the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. Floods would also be a regular occurrence all around the county.

Most Virginians agree that climate change is an issue they are concerned about. According to a poll by the National Resources Defense Council, 88 percent of Virginians support the county to raise the amount of clean and renewable energy in daily life.

Also, 95 percent of Virginians support increasing the use of energy efficient measures to meet not only the necessities of the county, but also the state's.

In conclusion, although sufficient progress has been made, there is still lots of work to be done in targeting climate change. It will take the efforts of the entire county to create change.

ENERGY USE IN FAIRFAX COUNTY · Residents and businesses produce 97 percent of emissions, while schools account for 3 percent · Electricity use generates about 40 percent of emissions · Vehicles and planes make up 34 percent of emissions · Automatic shut down software for computers saved $273,163 in electricity use and 5.9 million pounds of carbon dioxide · Capture landfills prevent the release of an estimated 300,000 tons of greenhouse gases annually

FAIRFAXCOUNTY.GOV

Rising sea levels may flood the Fairfax County and neighboring towns

NASA.GOV

County tackles pollution Living in another world Possible alien lifeform on seven newly discovered planets

BY BINQI CHEN Editorials Editor For decades, scientists have been looking into outer space in search of Earth-like exoplanets. Hundreds of expeditions have been conducted not only in our own solar system, but orbits hundreds of light-years away. The primary purpose of this endless search is to find possible life forms.

Even though most of the finds have been in vain, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has made an incredible discovery.

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has revealed the first known system of seven relatively similar to Earth-sized planets orbiting around a single star located in a solar system 40 light-years (235 trillion miles) from Earth.

Currently, the exoplanet system is labeled TRAPPIST-1; its namesake comes from Chile's Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope. The center of this solar system is a dwarf star, sizing in at about Jupiter's dimensions.

This new discovery presents a great leap in finding extraterrestrial life as the closer a planet's size is to Earth's, the higher of a possibility that it would be able to inhabit life. Not only is the possibility of uncovering alien life present in this situation, but also the chance that these planets can someday sustain human life.

Due to the deteriorating state of Earth's environment, scientists are desperately looking for other planets that could carry on the human race. NASA is already calculating and estimating the conditions in the solar system for possible habitable planets.

Another extraordinary aspect of this finding is that since the 1990s, there have only been 18 Earth like planets ever

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

Cameron Foti Jude Nanaw SPORTS XTRA EDITORS Ryan Gammon Grace Hogye PEOPLE EDITORS 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 AD MANAGER Mauricio Reyes CIRCULATION MANAGER Mauricio Reyes SOCIAL MEDIA

Heard in the Twitter-verse...

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

discovered out of the total 3,600 known planets outside our solar system.

Prior to the revealing of the seven planets, NASA and other space organizations around the world have been focusing on exploration of Mars and this finding could certainly push the range of investigation.

NASA is one of not only America's, but the entire world's greatest science and space agencies in the world. Their discoveries should be taken seriously and we should all be cheering on and supporting NASA in their pursuit in gathering more evidence about these seven planets.

However, there has been issues rising in regards to NASA's continuous decrease in funding. The federal budget has been supplying NASA less and less government support.

This can seriously hinder research and exploration as advanced scientific technology is becoming more expensive and more manpower is required to ensure the efficiency of the agency.

There may be some possible progress though, as both the Senate and the House of Representatives unanimously voted on the bill which ensures that $19.5 billion of the national budget is provided to NASA. The success in passing the bill in Congress has shown that the importance of space exploration and education can no longer be a partisan issue. It simply is not up for debate anymore. Both Democrats and Republicans, even from the farthest end of the political spectrum, have shown their support.

This is the first time in seven years that NASA has asked for a major legislative change. The bill will be hitting the Oval Office for the President to sign. Hopefully, the POTUS will be making the right decision in approving the bill.

We need space exploration now more than ever now.

The terrible effects of pollution have led to global warming and the extinction of both organisms and resources. We need to find another place where humans can live.

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

Annandale High School Vol. 62 No. 7 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 703.642.4229 March 14th, 2017 The A-Blast is an award-winning newspaper that strives to inform, educate and entertain the student body and community.

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

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

Signed letters to the editor of 250 words or less may be emailed to theablast2016@gmail.com or submitted to room 262 or mailed to the school.

The A-Blast reserves the right to refuse advertisements.

All submissions become property of The A-Blast, Copyright, 2017.

EDITORIALS 3 School spirit needs to change March 21, 2017

Teacher responds to basketball game CHRISTOPHER BAGOT Special to The A-Blast Friday, February 10 was a great day for Annandale High School. The tradition of senior night was celebrated for both the Atomic Dance Team and The Annandale Boys Basketball team.

In total, 18 seniors were honored before the game in front of their peers and families. It is one of the truly unique and special moments of being a high school athlete.

However, what should have been a great night for everyone involved was marred by terrible sportsmanship off the court.

The night was not just about one incident; it started just after the court was cleared of the seniors and the National Anthem was sung by AHS junior John Lopez.

This is my second time getting to see Lopez sing live.

I first got to see him before the district wrestling meet, and he absolutely brought down the house. It was one of the best versions I have ever heard sung live, not just before a high school game.

This time however, the experience was different.

While Lopez was singing, honoring our country, representing his school, and displaying guts to perform in front of hundreds of people, I heard multiple audible "emissions" from the bleachers where our students were sitting.

Without being right in front of the crowd, I can't say what exactly was said, but the "emissions" sounds like someone mocking Lopez or just trying to be rude. That type of behavior during a live performance is not respectful and at no times should be acceptable.

From this same section, is where the incident that ended the game and marred the night took place. During a time-out, in the fourth quarter, a bottle ended up on the court.

A dance team member grabbed it and there was nothing more to be said. With about four minutes left in the game, another bottle ended up on the court. This

4th quarter.

What made this worse was that our crowd was jumping up and down, doing spins on the court, and acting as if it was the first dunk of the game.

Our team was never able to get back on track and lost what was a close game by 10 points.

I just don't understand the desire to humiliate our classmates and friends. I would hope that Dontae's dunks in the first half may have received that reaction.

I would hope that when soccer wins 6-1 in a scrimmage, they are greeted with, "congratulations" and "great job," not, "oh, well, the other team stinks," or some other way to downgrade their success.

I hope this awful moment becomes a turning point.

I hope we can "bottle" up this negativity and throw it away. As our spring sports begin, as our spring play approaches and as concerts and graduation end our school year, I am not here to bash our students, throw blame at any administrator, or cry about what happened that Senior Robert Figley boxes out an Edison player. He was one of the seniors who was robbed of a great final senior night. Friday night.

I want that Friday's incident to represent a turning time it was almost to the free throw line. At this point, coaching and playing a high school sport is not always point, a change. The start of a better Annandale. An Mr. Thomas, Mr. Stevens, myself, and several other facul- fully understood.

Annandale where participation is encouraged. ParticipaAs a coach you want to tell your kids that hard work tion in multiple sports. Participation in plays, music, and ty members made our way to the section where it looked pays off. Dontae had the opportunity to leave with a fan- clubs. like the bottle was thrown from.

The referees took notice however, and warned that tastic memory, validation of all of his hard work and a And finally, participation in the stands and seats of all if another bottle gets thrown, the AHS bench would be win. of these great activities. That the goal of this participaInstead, that was taken away by an immature and tion is to cheer on our fellow classmates. given a technical foul. With time winding down, and trailing by one point, Dontae Johnson, a senior, a team leader, cowardly act. The fact this happened sickens me as a fan, Tell them great job when they try their absolute best. made what should have been the perfect ending for his as a coach and as an Atom.

To respect the work that went into getting an opportunity In 2014, the Atomic Hypesquad was named the best to make a game winning shot, sing in front of an audience last home game as an Atom.

He drove the lane, got fouled, made the shot and in the area by WUSA Channel 9. The article can easily be or try to win Mr. Annandale. gave the Atoms the lead with under 10 seconds to play. A found on the Hypesquad Twitter page.

To have the integrity to say when something is wrong.

Looking at the packed crowds in those pictures dem- The integrity to do the right thing when so many around great way to end your high school career on senior night in your last home game. This moment could not have onstrates this Atom Pride. you are not. To be determined to follow through with a Contrast that to this year. Too often the discussion in commitment. Determination to make a great effort in been more deserving for a kid that has worked as hard as Dontae to put himself to be in position to be a college the hallways is negative. Making fun of a team that loses. the classroom even when it is hard.

Pointing out a bad moment in a game. Predicting losses athlete.

Determination to try hard at everything you do. The However, after the shot went in, the moment was before games start. empathy to know what it is like to have done everything I cite a boys basketball game from earlier in the year right and know that sometimes that still isn't enough to spoiled quickly: another bottle was thrown on the court.

A technical was called on Annandale. After taking as an example. While playing TC Williams, Dontae John- win, and let your classmates know you appreciate their the lead, Mount Vernon made their two free throws and son had two great dunks in the first half that gave the effort.

Atoms a lead. After those dunks, our crowd clapped poAnnandale lost the game.

I want all 18 seniors that were celebrated, and every Coach Behne, Dontae Johnson, the 17 other seniors litely in approval. other member of the teams, coaches and managers know Unfortunately the Atoms could not hold their lead. that I appreciate the efforts you made to this school. honored, every member of that basketball team, and TC took a small lead and the game was sealed when a Thank you for giving a great effort. Respect, Learning, their families deserved a better than that ending.

The amount of work and sacrifice that goes into member of TC Williams had a dunk of his own late in the Relationships, Diversity- Value All; Compromise None.

Transgender protections must be upheld Student reacts to Trump's order KATANA NEGELY Special to The A-Blast President Trump's recent reversal of the directive protecting transgender students has brought uncertainty to what the government should do about transgender students and whether the individual states should decide on their own.

This means that unless there is a current state law protecting the transgender community, nothing is protecting students from being forced into a bathroom that does not match their gender identity.

In the transgender community it is often referred to as "navigating the bathroom," rather than simply using the bathroom.

It is called this because it is uncertain as to whether a transgender individual will be accepted in the bathroom they use.

Navigation is used in areas that are unfamiliar; places that you do not feel safe in.

This is what using a public restroom is like for many transgender people.

Most of the non-passing transgender community fear going into the restroom that accommodates their gender because they believe that they'll be harassed or worse.

There are many terms that the public should be acquainted with such as: "passing,"

the ability for a transgender person to be regarded as cisgender. A "cisgender" person is anyone who identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth.

"Passing privilege," is the same privilege a cisgender person has, but for a transgender person because they pass as being cis.

Passing depends on how much a person conforms to the gender expectations of the society they live in. For people who do not pass it is very hard to know which bathroom to use.

For example, I do not have passing privilege so I know that if I used the boy's bathroom, I would not be welcomed. For this, I restrain from using public restrooms and restrict my water intake.

Obviously this is not very healthy but so is the risk of being beaten up in a bathroom.

If I absolutely have to use the restroom I wait until I can be sure no one else will be in the bathroom and even then I still use the girl's bathroom.

In places like malls they have family restrooms or gender neutral restrooms. These types of bathrooms make it easier for transgender individuals to safely use the bathroom without threat of being harmed for being in the "wrong" bathroom.

The people arguing that transgender students should not be in the bathroom that corresponds with their gender say that it is because they want to keep their children safe from predators such as rapists and pedophiles.

In order to stop the Houston Equal Rights

WORDS 1. Cisgender/Cis: Someone who identifies with the gender they were assigned to at birth.

2. Passing: The ability of a transgender person to pass as cis.

3. Passing Privilege: A transgender person who has the same privileges as cisgender because they can pass for being cis.

Left: Transgender students often feel relieved when bathroom are unisex because they do not have to choose which bathroom they prefer which results in them being in fear to follow the sex of their choice.

Right: Words that is used in the transgender community

Ordinance (HERO), which prohibited discrimination in public services/accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, the conservative party in Texas targeted transgender women as being these rapists and pedophiles.

These claims have no evidence to back them up on.

There have been no reported cases of a transwoman raping someone. All these things that people claim are true just add to the stigma that transgender people are criminals and mentally ill people.

As a transgender student attending a federally funded school, I hate to admit that I do not feel safe using the bathrooms at school especially now because I have no protections.

Getting rid of these rights only puts me in an even more scary situation in that it shows that school is not a safe place for me and other transgender people like me.

School is supposed to be a safe environment for learning.

Not a place where my right to use a public facility is taken away because the

government is more concerned with what genitals I have rather than if my learning experience is wholesome and safe.

To put my life in a little more perspective I am going to provide some eye opening statistics.

A cisgender person has a one in 21,000 chance of being murdered in the US. A transgender person has a one in 12 chance of being murdered.

Laverne Cox said it best: "It was never about bathrooms. Just like it was never about water fountains."

Black stereotypes overused in film

Cartoonist Corner

Moonlight defies the usual

ILLUSTRATION BY CINDY MA

BY SUAD MOHAMED Staff Writer It was a big spectacle last February when Moonlight won Best Picture at the Oscar Awards. Although the mix-up between La La Land and Moonlight was shocking, the real surprise was the fact that a mostly black acted, produced and directed film was able to win.

Not only does it consist of an all black cast, it also features multiple queer characters. Split into three parts, the film follows main character Chiron from childhood to adulthood. We see how he struggles to balance being black and being gay, all while being raised by a drug addict mother in a ghetto neighborhood. Directed by Barry Jenkins, the film challenges homophobia amongst the black community.

When you see a film or television show with a black character, you tend to get the same three narratives.

Most common is a thug with deadbeat parents who is trying to make a life for himself, but ends up getting drawn into something immoral, like drugs or gang violence.

Another recurring black character in major media is the token black friend who is only there to prop up another, usually white character, like Veronica Fisher in television show Shameless.

Sometimes the hidden racism is more obvious and nearly

Moonlight, a mostly black directed and acted movie, was able to defeat the odds by winning best picture and focusing on sexuality and race.

indistinguishable from slavery, similar to the servants Aibileen Clark and Minny Jackson in The Help.

While these narratives are informative, provide humor and sell well, they are getting to be extremely repetitive and obnoxious. The lack of non-stereotypical black representation sends a message to black youth that they don't fit in the mold of society enough for people like them to be shown. It also sends a message to white people that these archetypes are all that we'll ever be.

Moonlight slowly breaks these molds by depicting a black man's inner struggle with his sexual orientation, which is something we rarely see in people of color on the big screen, but still set in the "hood."

Many directors and producers have said that films with black leads don't sell as well. In 2014, an anonymous Sony producer claimed

that this is true, since international audiences are racist. Moonlight has made nearly $17 million outside the U.S., clearly defying this false theory.

It seems that the only thing that the predominantly white media wants to show is how they've supposedly overcome racism.

They depict thugs to show that they understand the harsh lifestyle we go through in inner cities.

They have white people with black friends to tell us that they accept us and sometimes even value us.

They include slavery to try to send a message that they know now that the slavery is wrong, but they are recognizing their history and are being honest about the brutality in it, so we should move on.

The problem is, we're not going to move on. It happened, and nothing is going to change that. The devastating history continues to affect many black people in multiple different ways, especially the way many of us view ourselves. Instead of displaying blackness as multifaceted, diverse and as intricate as any other race, we are consistently fed repetitive and negative images of ourselves.

As a whole, we need to show the world the different sides of black people, whether it's gay, affluent, intelligent or anything else besides the typical narratives we see. We need to support black directors, producers, and actors and give them the same opportunities that white people have.

4 NOTICIAS DESTACADAS

March 21, 2017

Sección de Salud

Químicos toxicos en comida rapida POR JUDY NANAW Editora de Salud Adama Kalomo del grado 11 no puede vivir sin comer su hamburguesa favorita de McDonald's. Cuando escuchó que la hamburguesa tenÍa ciertos quÍmicos dañinos y malos para el cuerpo se sorprendió puesto que los quÍmicos son malos para el medio ambiente y el cuerpo. Aunque Kalomo sabe lo malo que los quÍmicos son, ella no cree que podrá dejar de comer McDonald's.

La comida rápida de por sÍ ya tiene mala reputación por sus quÍmicos que se encuentran en la comida ya que son malos para el cuerpo. Lo que muchos no saben es que los quÍmicos dañinos son guardados en los mismos recipientes en que aguardan la comida que preparan.

Estudios recientes de las Ciencias del Ambiente y Technologia han encontrado productos quÍmicos que son usados para remover la grasa de la madera y ropa.

El problema con estos quÍmicos es que causa que el sistema digestivo los procese en poco tiempo y más lento. Más bien, los quÍmicos se acumulan en el cuerpo y el medio ambiente.

Estos quÍmicos han sido relacionado con ser los causantes de problemas tales como alto colesterol, problemas sexuales, cáncer y problemas en el sistema inmune.

Los problemas de salud usualmente se ven presente cuando el cuerpo es expuesto a ciertos quÍmicos dañino durante un largo tiempo, una vez el cuerpo ya no tenga más defensas, los sÍntomas se empiezan a hacer visibles.

Uno de los problemas que son más alarmante es que en los contenedores han encontrado quÍmicos que son utilizados en la ropa.

Como precaución, la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos de los Estados Unidos (FDA) ha prohibido el uso del quÍmico PDOA en los empacadores de comidas.

Aunque las restricciones se han hecho en Los Estados Unidos, en otros paÍses del mundo tales como China aún se sigue usando.

El estudio dice que no aun no se sabe exactamente como ese quÍmico término en los empaques de comida.

Ciertos restaurantes tales como Burger King, McDonald's, Chick-fil-a, Chipotle, Starbucks, KFC, y Wendy's han detectado estos quÍmicos en sus empaques.

"Las compañas de comida rápida deberÍan de empezar a usar diferentes contenedores que no contengan quÍmicos que son malos para la salud y el ambiente," Kaloko dijo.

Otros esperan que la situación cambie, aunque no creen que las compañas de comida rápida hagan algo al final.

"Para los restaurantes esto seria una perdida de dinero el usar otro tipo de contenedores," estudiante de último año Josephine Ohene-Okae dijo.

Las compañas de comida tienen la obligación de Taco Bell, KFC, Wendy's Subway, Burker King son unas de las empresas de comida con toxicos quimicos. informarle a FDA cuando ellos vayan a usar un nuevo quÍmico en los empaques de comida aunque la FDA al A pesar de los resultados de los exámenes, los expertos nose se debe de comer comer en exceso. final no verifica si los quÍmicos son dañinos o no. en vez, en quÍmicos y comida no están sorprendidos de el Los reportes dicen que uno no debe de comer muchas lo que la FDA hace es que ellos esperan que las compañas alarmante problema. comida chatarra pero hasta la fecha aun no e tratado de de comida hagan sus propios chequeos para ver que no Al comer todo este tipo de comida rápida nuestros comerla," Ohene-Okae dijo. todo está en orden. cuerpos prácticamente tienen residuos de los quÍmicos y Recuerden que para la próxima vez que deseen De 400 muestra de contenedores que fueron poco a poco termina afectandonos de salud lo cual causa comer comida rápida, es mejor comer comida hecha en estudiados, quÍmicos en el pan y postre fueron que nos enfermemos. casa que sea saludable y que no tenga ningun quimico encontrados con tener residuos de quÍmicos tóxicos.

Para mantenerse saludable, es recomendado de dañino.

El papel con el que se envuelve la hamburguesa comer menos comida chararra. Palomitas , pizza, y se llevó el segundo lugar con tener tóxicos, las cajitas comida rápida es una de las muchas comidas de que donde se ponen las papas terminaron en tercer lugar .

Sección a profundo

Nueva technologia hace que los estudiantes hagan trampa POR KIM VAIDES Editora de In-depth ¿Cuántas veces te han preguntado cómo estuvo el examen? ¿Estuvo facil? ¿Qué es lo que necesito estudiar?

O quizá fuiste tú la que pregunto el montón de preguntas.

La verdad es que el copiar hoy en día es algo común y corriente que se ve a diario entre los estudiantes de todos los grados.

El decir que uno nunca ha copiado es como decir que uno nunca ha dicho una mentira en la vida. Todos somos culpables de copiar ya sea de una clase o sea la tarea que se te olvido hacer ayer en la noche.

Los profesores no son extraños a esto. Algunos maestros tomas sus propias precauciones durante un examen o prueba para que los estudiantes no copien.

Entre ellos, el apagar los teléfonos durante un examen, hacer que haya espacio entre los escritorios son unas de las cosas que los profesores están haciendo para que los estudiantes no copien.

Nosotros siempre escuchamos la frase "si copian, el mal se lo están haciendo a ustedes mismos." yo en lo personal, siempre me a caido mal escuchar esa frase aunque al final se que es la pura verdad.

Sin querer meter en problemas a los estudiantes, yo he visto a muchos que les gusta ir al extremo cuando copeyan. Usualmente he visto a los estudiantes copiar antes de que las clases empiezan o entre clases.

Estudiantes usualmente le piden la tarea a sus amigos para copiarla. Estudiantes hoy en día se copian entre si.

De cualquier manera, con la nueva tecnología y los electrónicos copiar se hace mas facil. Los estudiantes de alguna manera obtienen los examen antes de tomarlos para memorizar las respuesta y obtener buenas notas.

Algunos hasta deciden tomar fotos de los exámenes para mandarselos a sus amigos/as. Muchos tienen grupos de chat para cada clase y se comparten la información entre sí para no tener muchas tareas que

Muchos estudiantes estan haciendo trampa en los exames y pruebas. El ejemplo muestra las respuestas en una botella de agua.

terminar en la noche. Unos hasta se mandan los examen completos con las respuestas.

Para los que copian, las consecuencias para todos los involucrados pueden ser grandes. Entre estos incluyen advertencias, remisiónes, y la más grande expulsión.

Si los estudiantes saben que copiar es en contra de las reglas de la escuela, ¿por qué deciden arriesgarse?

La respuesta más directa es que los estudiantes se preocupan más por obtener un A que por aprender algo.

Uno de nuestros trabajos como estudiantes es esforzarnos por obtener calificaciones altas y por

entregar los trabajos completo que reflejan nuestra comprensión de lo que se ha aprendido en la clase. Como causa, hoy hemos creado un sistema rígido que hace que los estudiantes tomen cualquier medida drástica para obtener una buena calificación aun asi sea por medio del copear. En todo caso, nos importa más en los grados que los de las universidades verán en vez de los valoramos el aprendizaje. Los estudiantes quieren una nota A, sin que los profesores se den cuenta de cómo esos grados se obtuvieron.

"Llegas al punto donde estás dispuesto a hacer lo

Sección Editorial.

Trump necesita leer la constitución POR BINQI CHEN Editora Editorial En uno de sus ultimos mensajes por las redes sociales, el presidente Donald Trump sin escrúpulos acusó al ex presidente Obama de haber puesto cintas de grabar en la Torre Trump durante la elección.

Esta acusación es extremadamente peligrosa.

Inclusive el ex director de la CIA salió en una prensa a negar las acusaciones por parte del presidente Trump. El presidente una vez más le ha mostrado a la nación que él no puede controlar sus emociones en Twitter.

Uno de las personas que él ataca con frecuencia es a la prensa.

Desde que se lanzó como candidato a la presidencia y hasta el día de inaguración como candidato final del partido republicano, Donald Trump nunca a parado de expresarse lo mucho que detesta la prensa.

Sin embargo, los ataques de Trump contra múltiples fuentes de noticias han levantado las cejas no sólo de los estadounidenses, sino de los ciudadanos globales también.

Muchos ven sus palabras contra los medios como infundada y una violación directa a la libertad de prensa de la constitución.

En el 18 de febrero, el presidente Trump, después de una conferencia de prensa, dijo: "Los medios de las NOTICIAS FALSAS (tales como @ nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) no son mi enemigos, son el Enemigo del pueblo americano! " Se ha cuestionado por qué el líder de una nación construida sobre ideales democráticos está criticando a los medios de comunicación en lugar de tomar medidas y regular a sus asesores más cercanos. Incluso

miembros de su propio partido han salido a mostrar su apoyo a una prensa libre.

Los Fundadores de la nación desde un principio comprendierón la importancia de una prensa libre.

La Constitución garantiza que la opinión de las personas deben ser escuchadas y su derecho a responsabilizar a los líderes políticos por sus acciones. La prensa actúa como el Cuarto Estado que influyen en la política; Es la conexión directa entre el pueblo estadounidense y los líderes que los representan en todo el país.

Trump claramente no tiene ni idea de cómo funciona la Constitución.

El término "enemigo del pueblo" también tiene un significado histórico. En aquel tiempo era un término usado en la Unión Soviética y dirigido a aquellos que tenían ideales en oposicón a José Stalin, el líder comunista de Rusia. Este es un término utilizado en el gobierno con autoridad y nunca debe ser utilizado a la ligera, mucho menos por un presidente que tiene valores democráticos.

El Presidente tiene todo el poder para conducir la investigación privada antes de acusar públicamente a una administración anterior de cometer esos crímenes sin tener ninguna prueba.

El 4 de marzo, el director de la CIA Michael Hayden ha cerrado la reclamación de Trump en El Late Show de CBS. De cualquier manera, el final no es muy positivo para el presidente Trump. Si la CIA investiga sus afirmaciones, eso significa que la agencia tiene alguna causa probable en que Rusia tuvo algún tipo de contacto sospechoso con la campaña de Trump durante las elecciones el el

que sea necesario para mantener tu GPA lo mas alto posible," dijo la estudiante de tercer año Katheryn Hout.

También hay la falta de tiempo disponible para los estudiantes, especialmente aquellos en actividades extracurriculares o los que practican deportes. De alguna manera, nuestros proyectos, tareas, ensayos y pruebas son todos asignados para la misma fecha.

Hay numerosos estudiantes que están tratando de mantener equilibrio entre los deportes y el estudio al mismo tiempo, ¿Cómo puede la escuela esperar que participemos en los clubes y los deportes con tan poco tiempo mientras que a la vez tenemos que hacer tareas y estudiar para dos pruebas del día siguiente? Además de esto, tenemos nuestros propios cosas personales, la familia con la que necesitamos pasar tiempo, y a aparte de eso también se supone que uno tiene que dormir al menos por ocho horas.

Para ahorrar tiempo y esfuerzo, los estudiantes recurren a los compañeros para obtener respuestas de las tareas y lo que estará en la prueba para saber lo que tiene que estudiar.

Para otros, el copiar podría ser el resultado de ser haragan.

"Creo que los estudiantes hacen trampa porque tal vez no pueden hacer el trabajo y piensan que la única manera que pueden hacer para tener buena nota es sabiendo las respuestas antes de tomar el examen," estudiante de primer año Tesabih Omer dijo.

Habrá un momento en el que no se podrá confiar en nadie para obtener respuestas y tendrás que depender de ti mismo.

No estoy de acuerdo con el concepto de hacer trampa, pero puedo entender por qué algunos lo hacen.

Al final del día, nos vamos a casa y lo único que queremos es descansar. El copiar no debe definirlo a uno como estudiante o persona. En la vida, se tiene que aprender a no confiar en los demás y debemos de trabajar duro para llegar a donde queremos.

PINK POSEY FLORIST

7857 - D Heritage Drive Annandale, VA. 22003 La constitucion permite que las personas tengan libertad de expresion.

2016.

La opinión de Trump sobre los medios de comunicación se ha escuchado en toda la Casa Blanca, ya que Sean Spicer, el secretario de prensa y director de comunicaciones de la Casa Blanca, bloqueó la participación de numerosos medios de comunicación. Esta fue una acción inesperada, ya que las sesiones de información diarias están normalmente en cámara y son inclusivas de todas las redes principales.

Cada presidente ha estado bajo la opinión de la prensa durante sus carreras políticas, esto viene con el título de ser presidente. Así es como funciona la democracia: las personas tienen a los líderes en el poder y son responsables de sus acciones. Es así de simple. Nadie está tratando deliberadamente de atacar y derribar al presidente de la nación.

En muchas ocasiones, el

Presidente Trump ha calificado a los medios de prensa como falsos. Esto es hipócrita ya que la administración de Trump ha informado continuamente datos y eventos falsos a el pueblo estadounidense.

Los medios de prensa deberían seguir responsabilizando al Presidente Trump y ha su administración por sus acciones. No podemos actuar normal y pretender que nada está pasando. Ya existe una enorme desconexión entre los ciudadanos estadounidenses y Washington. La prensa actúa como los ojos de la gente en el ámbito de la política y los asuntos mundiales.

Como dice El Washington Post: la democracia muere en la oscuridad.

Una prensa libre es la luz en la oscuridad. El pueblo estadounidense merece la realidad y no una serie de hechos alternativos que han demostrado tiempo tras tiempo de ser incorrecto.

(703)-941-PINK (7465) PinkPoseyFlorist.com

Why is this page translated to Spanish?

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

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

NEWS 5

Mar. 21, 2017

Band Assessment

FBLA Compeition

CONT. BAND

CONT. FBLA

capable of earning, those judges must have clouded judgements because my band worked really hard and we really wanted a superior rating," Symphonic Band sophomore student Hangyul Chang said.

After the concert performance the bands then went directly into a room to sight read a piece of newly, composed music that was two levels below their concert repertoire.

Using the same rating scale, the judges then evaluated their performance.

Each band was classified by the grade of music they were preforming, which ranged from l (easy), to VI (challenging).

"Most high school bands play music that ranges from grade lll to Vl, " Witkowski said.

To determine the band's final rating, the judges averaged their ratings.

During the performances the band's were judged on many different characteristics, including Tone Quality, Technique, Rhythm, Balance, and General Factors.

"The feedback we receive helps us to know what we are doing well and the areas we can continue to improve for the remainder of the school year," Witkowski said.

Not only did the Annandale band program do great during assessments, but they also have had two All-State Qualifiers.

Senior Andrew Lauler finished first on percussion and sophomore Gaby Pho finished third on percussion, both at All-Virginia auditions held at James Madison University.

"I am extremely proud of their work ethic, leadership, and skills that enabled them to finish so well amongst a large group of talented students," Witkowski said.

To first become eligible to audition for the All-Virginia

stills looks back at the competition as a great learning experience.

"I learned more about the process," Endalkachew said. "It was interesting talking to FBLA members in many different schools and [it] definitely widened my perspective of FBLA." The 10 students who represented the Annandale Chapter of FBLA were just a small portion of the very large club. Students who competed either volunteered for a specific category or were recommended to compete by a teacher.

"Some students were shown a list of competitions which interest them and made their choice," Steppe said. "Others were selected by one of the business teachers if we felt they would do well in a particular competition."

Signing up was the easy part; students who wished to compete had to prepare in an effort to ensure success.

"Students used various reference books and

Members of the Symphonic Band

Band both students had to successfully audition into the Northern Virginia Senior Regional Orchestra. Then, they had to travel to James Madison University to audition live.

For the audition there was a required ewtude that everyone had to learn and perform. Everyone was given two and a half weeks to learn the music and to become prepared to demonstrate fundamentals and sight reading ability.

"It was especially challenging to prepare for states this year because I was also auditioning for colleges, which have completely different requirements," Lauler said.

Both students ended up placing which is an outstanding accomplishment. This was also Lauler's second year in a row receiving first.

"It felt great, I worked really hard in preparations for my audition and it is nice to know that my work paid off again," Lauler said.

World Down Syndrome Day Wear blue and yellow to raise awareness

BY TEAGAN FOTI Co-Editor in Chief

1 in 700 babies are born with Down Syndrome each year.

As a result, 1 in 365 days each year are dedicated to bringing attention to the world's most common chromosomal disorder, Down Syndrome. Every year on March 21 people of all ages born with the disorder are celebrated as a part of World Down Syndrome day. "[World Down Syndrome day is the] 21st day of the 3rd month of the year because it represents the triplication of the 21st chromosome, resulting in Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21)," ESOL teacher Shana King said in an elementary newsletter.

Although people with Down Syndrome will be celebrated on a worldwide scale there are also ways that the Annandale community is helping to raise awareness.

The easiest way would be to wear blue and yellow, which are recognized as the universal colors for Down Syndrome.

A more active way to participate in the cause would be to dine at Flippin' Pizza on West Broad Street in Falls Church.

A portion of any of the meals purchased between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on March 21 will be donated to the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia (DSANV).

"I think it's really important to celebrate the members of our community who have Down Syndrome," senior Julia Sheehy said. "I plan on majoring in Special Education, so I think it's very important to celebrate those who live with disabilities."

There is also a variety of events all around Annandale that will be held in an attempt to bring attention to the nearly 6000 people born with Down Syndrome every year.

Some events include a viewing of Beauty and the Beast at the Fairfax Corner Cinema at 10 a.m. on March 19. VIP's (moviegoers with Down Syndrome) will get a free ticket and can bring up to three guests for an additional $5 per person.

But if movies aren't your thing you could also buy dinner at Burger 21 in Sterling, Chipotle in Fair Lakes or Vola's Dockside Grill in Alexandria to support the DSANV. It doesn't take much to make a difference, consider joining in one of the fun events to celebrate those born with Down Syndrome every year. It doesn't take much to make a difference.

material provide by the FBLA Advisers (Albert Steppe, Howard Dwyer and Jerry Dwyer)," Steppe said. "Students also used some of their own materials as well as the internet."

Endalkachew prepared a lot at home by reviewing past competitions and using internet tools.

"To prepare I found a topic generator and made myself do speeches on the spot for a bit and the weekend before that was all I did," Endalkachew said. "Then I looked at videos of other FBLA contestants to see what the judges wanted."

The efforts made by the entirety of the Atoms at the competition was tremendous and something Steppe is proud of.

"I feel the students gave a valiant effort. They each successfully competed in their competition and believed in their abilities to win," Steppe said.

"They are each a winner just for trying because you never know the outcome until to take the first step and continue to press forward."

Hall cameras installed CONT. CAMERAS classrooms and bathrooms next? Seems like an invasion of privacy to me, where do they even get that, right?" Computer science teacher, Lark Madoo, said. "Where did I sign that they could be videoing and watching me throughout the school when I accepted my job here."

The computer science teacher raises some great points. Where did students and teachers sign saying that they were fine with being followed around the school on camera?

Although there are some questionable aspects to the cameras, there is a lot of good that will come out of it also.

Some students will feel safer rather than scared of these cameras. Security will be able to catch students skipping easier or any fights being staged. It will make Annandale a safer place overall. They can also be a reference point when something happens and there are two different stories.

Principal of AHS, Tim Thomas defends the cameras by stating that "it is just another way to protect our students, parents, and staff.

There is more accountability and they are just more sets of eyes with timely and accurate footage which can be a major help when investigating incidents that occurred."

Thomas said this process started last year and is now in action. He says that AHS is even a little late to the party being as almost every other high school in Fairfax County has had cameras for a couple years. Thomas said that the cameras are a protective measure that will make everyone feel safer.

One of the many security cameras dispersed throughout the school hallways.

Thomas reasssured that student's and teacher's privacy would be protected as cameras will not be placed in classrooms. Thomas stated that the only other possible places more cameras would be put up in the future is in stairwells around the school.

Although the cameras do not have sound, they will be able to see what happens and therefore easily be able to choose the true story from both parties.

Hopefully ensuring a more secure learning environment.

NEWS BRIEFS MAKE A DIFFERENCE AWARD

STUDENT HOLIDAY

COFFEE HOUSE

CLASS ELECTIONS

Nominations are open unitl March 30 for Annandale's making a difference award. The award recognizes students who have made an impact through volunteer activities.

There will be no school on March 24, it will be a student holiday.

STUDENTS RELEASED EARLY

SPRING BREAK

CINDERELLA

HERITAGE NIGHT

From April 11 thorugh April 17 students will have no school, it will be spring break.

The AHS play, Cinderella, will be held at 7:00 p.m. on April 20 and 21,. On April 22 there will also be two more shows at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Heritage Night will be held on Friday, April 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the auditorium.

On Friday April 7 students will be released 2 hours early to kick off spring break.

Class Elections will be held on March 30, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

The AHS Filament will be holding a Coffee House on March 22, in the Clausen Hall, at 3:30 p.m. Come and enjoy Musical performances, Poetry recitals, and baked goods while drinking free coffee.

JOB FAIR The annual career and job fair will take place on April, 29 during W4. The program is great for all grade levels. and wil provide informtion for full time and part-time employment opportunities.

NO SCHOOL There will be no school on May 29, it is Memorial day.

Fear of Deportation CONT. FAMILIES Family Services, Catholic charities, United for Social Justice for scholarships, Goodwill in the parent's resource center, especially for students that are needy, homeless, or low income, seminars to teach the students their rights, counseling services, the parents' education program where parents come to learn how the school system works and how it differs from schools in their country, and a family reunification workshop.

"I'm always collecting resources and information," Clumpkens said. "If we don't have it, if we don't know it, we find a way."

And what about college? Possible, but harder to access and harder to afford. "[Dreamers] can have in state tuition at any university, but the problem is getting loans," Clumpkens said.

For undocumented students, FAFSA only signals to colleges that they need money. It does not qualify them for federal loans.

"I really struggled during my college application process and in the search for scholarships and financial aid," Garcia said, "I had to spend the majority of the past two years doing my own research, friends help, and Ms. Hunt also tried to provide me with resources for scholarships."

Garcia hopes that other students have easy access to the information that she didn't.

"I hope this information becomes available soon because I struggled so much throughout this, and I don't want anyone else to feel that helplessness and frustration or to be hindered by lack of access to a college education," Garcia said.

Clumpkens always encourages these students not to lose sight of their goals.

"A lot of colleges have different programs to allow students in that want to keep studying that are undocumented," Clumpkens said. "A lot of companies, especially run by people that immigrated here themselves, like to help people by providing scholarships and information to kids."

Unfortunately, without DACA college becomes even harder to afford.

"The kids that are not dreamers would be required to pay full tuition in the schools that they go to," Clumpkens said, "but there are lots of schools in the country, four year, two year. If they want it, we just keep encouraging them."

Many of these undocumented students feel alone and unwanted.

"I only know of a few people with DACA and no one

else seems to want to talk about their immigration status. I don't blame people for being scared, I was for a long time as well because I felt like every time I talked about being undocumented I was putting my family at risk, but I came to a point where I realized I had to speak up about it and let at least some of my friends and teachers be aware of it because it meant I was restricted in certain things," Garcia said.

A group is currently being formed to combat this issue.

"It was very important to one of my MYP students to form a group where everyone feels free to come and talk and gen. ed. kids can support the ESOL kids and integrate them more," Clumpkens said. "I'm putting her together with an ESOL student that had approached me about making a similar group back before the holidays. And then I also have a teacher that's interested in bringing leadership in."

Forming a group and a support system for these undocumented students, regardless of whether they're in ESOL or not, DACA or not, could be an excellent way to support and engage them.

Garcia felt that on the whole, her experience at AHS did not support her status as an undocumented immigrant.

"I'm not angry with Annandale for not catering to DACA students because I know being undocumented is something that's rarely ever acknowledged at school, since it's supposed to be a place where that doesn't matter, but at the end of the day it does matter because it determines how life will be outside of school," Garcia said.

And in addition to these concerns, now these students worry about losing their parents. Clumpkens understands the fear of her students, but she has hope in democracy and the future.

She encourages others to "put yourself in their place."

Some of these kids, the parents come when they're toddlers, and they're escaping a lot of bad things: wars, gangs, violence. They're coming here because they feel they have to," Clumpkens said. "Taking the chance is better than staying, even if you die."

Some of these parents, who have been separated from their kids for a decade, are just experiencing a reunion now.

"These kids have been separated, and they're just joining their parents," Clumpkens said. "They're still arguing and being teenagers like you are, but now [the government is] threatening to take their parents away.

That's traumatizing, so we've got to be supportive and understanding."

TITUS' DRIVING SCHOOL 1. The school is bonded and insured 2. Students do not need 45 hours driving time prior to the program 3. Parents and students can Google the Titus driving school for school reviews 4. Students don't have to pay until they get their driver's license 5. If you bring your friend along, you get $25 off your payment.

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

Phone: (571)-217-1441

Email: titusdrivingschool@gmail.com

VA State LIC # 1503-00634

6 ACADEMICS

March 21, 2017

Sudoku

Shakespeare theatre visits IB English classes

BY HALLEY THADEUS AND RACHEL SHOGREN

Allison Jean White played Kate Middleton. in the play King Charles III.

Robert Joy played Prince Charles |||, in the play King Charles III.

situation and modern innovations.

"The play imagines what would happen in England in the future once Queen Elizabeth dies and Prince Charles takes over the throne," Chekin said.

Students left school after first period and made it through Washington D.C. traffic to meet 800 other students at the theatre.

"I enjoyed the play because I got to see a fictionalized version of how different countries governments work and the comparisons to how our government is being run at the moment," Junior Kendall McCleary said.

The performance was only for students, ranging from middle schoolers to even college.

"The play had a very unsatisfying ending because they built a lot of

suspense and it amounted to nothing," junior, Ricardo Perrera said.

Directly following the performance, classes were invited to a question and answer session with the actors.

"The after-talk with the actors was the best I've ever participated in. And, of course, our students are an amazing audience," Chekin said.

The actors took off their makeup and costumes then joined a few volunteers on stage. Students were encouraged to write down their questions during intermission and those those questions were handed to the actors on stage.

"I liked the question and answer part because it gave us the opportunity to get more in-depth with the story and the cast members," McCleary said.

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE

The Shakespearean theatre visited IB Literature and Language classes during the beginning of March to prepare them for their field trip to see Mike Bartlett's, King Charles III directed by David Muse at the Shakespeare Theatre Company on March 2.

"King Charles III fit perfectly as a culminating activity to our IB Language and Literature Part || unit: Advertising, Politics and Celebrity," Leslie Chekin.

A representative, Chelsea Mayo, from the theatre did activities with each class to get the students minds thinking about their views on celebrities in politics and what to expect in the theatre. Mayo went over each characters from the play and compared and contrasted them with who they resemble in real life. Mayo was very passionate about the theatre and play; she is an understudy.

"My favorite part was that I read the play a while ago and now I get to see how these actors and the director made the play work," Mayo said.

"I love the way the playwright and director wove shakespearean elements into a modern story: The play was on a royal family and country in crises," Chekin said.

The play is primarily written in Shakespearean blank verse and is a combination of an historical

SHAKESPEARE THEATRE

Academics Editors

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.

Get the Answers!

On your smartphone, scan this code using the application QR Code get the answer to the Sudoku.

What class are you most excited to take next year?

"IB Chemistry because I really like science."

Rahul Mann freshman

"Advanced Robotics because its interesting."

Andy Chen freshman

"Preclac because it will challenge my mind."

Tallis Estevez freshman

"Yearbook, because I want to have a leadership role."

Ruth Seyoum sophomore

"Advanced PE because it seems fun."

Ender Sanchez sophomore

"IB Anthropology because I "Psychology because a lot enjoy learning about other of my friends are taking it cultures." and I like the teacher."

Fatima Mustafa junior

Grace Hatch junior

"IB Anthropology because I want to learn about other countries."

Ayah Rabebeh junior

IB Spotlight: Aisha Tahir Q: How do you keep up with your academics and social life?

A: I keep up with my academics while maintaining my social life by getting my major assignments done early and the usual homework later at night. Also it helps that most of my friends are either diploma candidates or take a lot of IB classes.

Annandale High School PTSA presents the

Annandale High School

All Night Graduation Celebration 2017 Games • Music • Prizes • Entertainment • Food

Thursday, June 15, 2017 10:30 p.m.–5:00 a.m.

Audrey Moore RECenter 8100 Braddock Road Annandale, VA 22003

Tickets Now Available!

Tickets are $45 through June 13 ($20 Free/Reduced Meals) Ticket forms are available in the front office or online at www.annandalehsptsa.org

Q: What are your studying habits?

A: My studying habits are very varied. Usually after school, I come home late because of extra curricular activities so I go to bed early and wake up early. For example, I would go to bed at 10pm one night and if I have a major test or a huge assignment, I would wake up at 2am and study.

Q: What is your favorite IB subject?

A: My favorite IB subject so far has been either IB Theory of Knowledge or the content in IB Topics.

Q: What are your plans after high school?

A: My plan after high school is to attend Princeton University.

Q: How are you going to prepare for the IB exams?

A: To prepare for IB exams, I am reviewing all my notes from last year for the two year classes and for the one year classes, I am planning on studying closer to the exam.

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

A: Take some time for yourself sometimes. This is a stressful program and it's going to wear you down every once and awhile. In the end, the one assignment you're probably stressing on isn't as important as your mental well-being. On the other hand, don't procrastinate (it's usually not worth it and helps in avoiding stressful situations).

Q: What is your extended essay topic?

A: My extended essay topic was: To what extent has the diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis and Hemochromatosis Q: What skills do you think the IB program has taught changed with the advancement on technology? you that can help you later in life?

A: IB has taught be how to be an open minded thinker Q: Is your only focus academics? and how to form my own views on the world. It has A: My only focus has never been academics. I believe taught be confident and has given me the most valuable that what we learn in class needs to be applied to every gift of being opinionated. part of our lives. I think academics have taught how to be principle the most and for the past two years, I have Q: Who has helped you on your IB journey? made sure to value an A less then going to a protest or A: Through out my IB journey, my fellow IB candidate doing a nice thing for a loved one. friends and all of my other friends have helped me on the days that I slept past my alarm or just didn't have time to Q: What advice would you give future IB diploma canget an assignment done. Not only in school but also they didates? have helped me during the painful late nights. I have it to A: Advice that I would give future IB candidates is don't the end because of their moral support and the wonderworry, you will make it. Learn how to work hard and give ful IB teachers who mostly been nothing but understandit your all but don't get obsessed with the A. Sometimes ing. it's really okay to BS things and pick personal time over school.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A: In 10 years, I see myself being done with medical school Q: Who is your favorite IB teacher? and moving to a third world country to give assistance to A: It's very hard to pick a favorite teacher considering people who are poor and lack basic necessities. If Iww'm I love almost all of my teachers but the one that I have lucky, I would love to be joining doctors without borders. had for four years and that has not only been my favorite teacher but the reason for my high school success is Ms. Ash.

HEALTH 7

March 21, 2017

Bounce your way to class with yoga ball chairs Teacher switches traditional seats to more fun options

BY JULIE NGUYEN Health Editor When senior Madison Schinstock walked into her IB Geography class, she was shocked by the sight of large, gray yoga balls spread around the room.

IB Geography and U.S. Government teacher Meagan Padgett had the great idea of replacing the stiff, plastic chairs with fun, bouncy yoga balls with the purpose of positively enhancing the students' learning environment.

"I am in a grad school program for library science and one of the projects we're working on is taking a physical library space and turning it into a more blended learning commons area," Padgett said.

"One of the big studies that I've been reading about was using more flexible seating options to make it a more student-centered space and I started thinking about the kind of benefits it could have in a classroom space too."

After getting her idea approved by an administrator, Padgett started a DonorsChoose project to raise money for her idea. With support and donations, she was able to buy a classroom set of yoga balls, raising $450 in six days.

"I started looking into where it had been done in high schools and how it had been done in high schools and found that the schools who had done it had seen huge improvements in focus and concentration,

test scores, reading comprehension and student engagement, so I decided to try it," Padgett said.

According to a 2003 study published by the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, using yoga balls in a classroom setting improves behavior and legible word productivity. A 2007 study by the Mayo Clinic supported those claims and found additional benefits of a chairless classroom.

Although some may believe that introducing bouncy balls into a classroom may serve as a distraction, allowing students to move around while learning actually promotes greater focus and concentration, stopping students from falling asleep.

"For one thing, if they fall asleep they're going to fall off. Having that slight error of danger I think keeps people a little more alert," Padgett said. "One of the things that they do is they improve posture, core strength and circulation. So when your blood is circulating more it's the same effect as if you're up and walking around you're less likely to feel tired or fall asleep."

While the students are bouncing on their yoga balls, their brains are being more engaged and active. With more movement involved, neurological pathways are being sent from the body to the brain. As a result, the brain is forced to be more alert and attentive.

"I think it's really fun and it makes class more interesting," senior Ilhan Ahmed said. "It's harder to fall asleep so that helps me more to focus."

Still, the strangeness of having yoga balls in a classroom is hard to ignore for some students.

"I think it's mostly just kind of weird.

It'll probably distract me in class," senior Saad Farooq. "I'd rather have a regular chair with back support."

In terms of posture, sitting on a large round ball in comparison to a chair forces students to sit up straight with both feet flat on the floor. With no back to rest against, students are more likely to sit up properly without leaning due to the need to maintain balance.

When students are sitting in their regular hard chairs, they often have their feet rested on the legs of the desks or are slouching in some sort of way.

This bad sitting posture only leads to negative effects like frequent back pain and excess pressure on the neck or shoulders. As a result, implementing yoga balls into the classroom will serve as a solution to these problems.

Another benefit of these yoga balls is that it incorporates physical activity into the students' daily schedules (although it is a minimal amount).

The constant bouncing on a ball helps burn off excess energy and with classes lasting around 90 minutes each, this could pose to be a positive opportunity for students aiming to lose some weight.

With the introduction of yoga balls into the classroom environment, most students have reacted positively despite some small nuances.

Perhaps these advantages will encourage teachers to promote movement within classrooms and incorporate more active lessons. The advantages to this trend may result in expansion of yoga balls into the rest of the school.

How it helps: Benefits of alternative seating More Physical Activity Research has shown that it may be beneficial to include physical activity before or during academic tasks. Not only does it help students stay active, it is also a way to slowly burn off excess energy.

Increased Brain Engagement Movement is essential for development of students' central nervous systems, brain and body. Motion from bouncing on yoga balls engages the brain as the body sends neurological pathways to the alert system in your brain.

Better Posture Sitting upright on a ball requires the lower body and core muscles to be engaged.

This forces students to maintain an upright stature while atop the balls.

Better posture also promotes confidence and prevents back pain linked to bad posture.

Improved Concentration Studies show that having the ability to move makes students more attentive to lessons and lectures. Yoga balls discourage students from having to constantly get up to throw away trash or go to the bathroom and encourages greater concentration on the task at hand.

Senior Madison Schinstock tests out the new yoga balls in her class.

How is early spring affecting your allergies?

"Not much really, I feel fine. There's usually a cool breeze early in the morning but other than that nothing is bothering me."

"I never know what to wear for the day because the climate is always changing and the pollen gets mixed."

"During gym we have to go outside sometimes and the pollen gets in my eyes so they get itchy and I don't perform well."

KALYN GA

GABRIELA ALARCON

RICHARD LE

freshman

freshman

sophomore

"My nose gets more stuffy and itchy and my eyes also get itchy around the ends."

GALILEA SEJASMACHADO

"I don't really have allergies so early spring isn't affecting me at all."

"I get a really stuffy nose and I sneeze a lot."

ANNELISE SCHADER

YEISON SHULTZ

junior

junior

sophomore

"For me, it makes me sneeze because of the pollen from the plants."

SAM FOFANAH

"Spring is all year for me, literally. It doesn't matter what time of the year it is, I'm always crying."

senior

KARLA MEJIA senior

KATIE POPE

Various toxic chemicals found in fast food containers

Pollen from flowers often results in symptoms like nasal congestion, sinus pressure, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, scratchy throat and a cough.

Warmer weather brings an increase to allergies Abrupt changes in temperature bring out unwanted symptoms

BY KATIE POPE Staff Writer As spring is approaching, so is the spread of germs and diseases. It is good to enjoy the spring season, but at the same time, be wary because along with spring comes warm weather which aids the growth of trees, flowers and weeds as well as the return of insects such as bees and mosquitos.

Spring is the number one season for allergies and diseases. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 50 million people in the United States are affected just by nasal allergies.

In addition to nasal allergies, some other types promoted by the warm spring weather include sinusitis, asthma, bee stings and hay fever.

Allergies are comprised of symptoms such as congestion, sneezing, swelling and inflammation of the nasal passages and airways, irritation of the eyes, wheezing and more. All of these symptoms are caused by the spread of allergens, which are substances like pollen that cause the human body to have an allergic reaction.

Allergic diseases are the fifth leading chronic disease in the U.S. in people of all ages. About 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of children are

affected by allergies. Unfortunately these statistics are increasing due to climate change and priming effect. Recent studies show that pollen levels gradually increase every year, resulting in an increase of seasonal allergies. Warmer winters can cause plants to release pollen earlier than usual, making the spring allergy season longer.

"For me, I tend to get hives when I get allergies, so everyday in the morning I take two pills of Benadryl to help my immune system fight germs," junior Edgar Falla said. "When I actually get an allergic reaction, I take an additional two pills of Benedryl."

In 2012, 11.1 million people were diagnosed with rhinitis and 24.2 million people were diagnosed with hay fever with 17.6 million being adults and 6.6 million of them being children. Stings from insects affect about five percent of the U.S population and at least 40 deaths occur yearly due to sting reactions.

In the spring, it is a good thing to stay inside because the outside is where people contract germs and allergies. Also getting a lot of sleep is good.

Additional ways of preventing allergies include: removing shoes when entering the house, showering immediately after being outside for an extended period of time, frequently vacuuming the house, washing out your sinuses daily, and sealing any cracks in the house. These methods help limit the amount of pollen as well as dust that is traced into the house, therefore limiting the amount of germs and pollen exposed.

Because allergies are impossible to get rid of, following these steps will help reduce the effects that pollen and other allergens have on your body.

Take-out bags, boxes, wrappers and cups linked to cancer

BY JUDY NANAW Health Editor Sophomore Adama Kaloko cannot go one week without having her favorite McDonald's burger. She was surprised to hear that the box it comes in contains chemicals that are dangerous to the environment and her health, but does not think she will succeed in staying away from them for that long.

Fast food alone has a bad rep due to the harmful chemicals and ingredients that are put in them, but what is not as well known is that many chemicals are also stored in the containers the food is placed in.

Recent studies from the Environmental Science and Technology Letters found that fluorinated chemicals known for repelling grease stains on things like furniture and clothing are in one-third of the fast food packaging researchers tested.

The issue with their grease-resistance properties is that it does not allow for the substances to easily break down over time. Instead, they remain and build up in the environment and in our bodies.

These chemicals, or PFASs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), have been linked to several health issues such as high cholesterol, reproductive problems, immune system damage, and cancer.

Health issues typically arise when people are constantly exposed to the toxins in small amounts over long periods of time, making the effects dangerously unnoticeable.

Most concerning is the fact that some of the containers were found to have PFOA or C8, a chemical that used to be a major part of nonstick coating materials.

For safety reasons, the FDA officially banned PFOA in food packaging used in the U.S., but it is still being made in other countries, like China.

The study authors say they are not sure exactly how PFOA ended up in some of the food packaging they tested, but it is not a good sign.

Some of the restaurants in which fluorinated chemicals were detected in food wrappers and containers include Burger King, McDonald's, Chick-fil-a, Chipotle, Starbucks, KFC and Wendy's.

"Fast food chains should start looking into switching out their harmful containers so they won't have any court cases against them," Kaloko said.

Others hope for this change, but do not think that the fast food chains will actually act towards this issue.

"[Restaurants] would just view it as a waste of time and money," senior Josephine Ohene-Okae said.

Food companies are expected to inform the Food and Drug Administration when they plan to include a new chemical into their food packaging before they implement it, but the FDA does not do anything to check whether or not the new chemical is safe.

Instead, the FDA expects the food companies to conduct their own safety testing to determine the chemical's risks.

Having food boxes, bags, wrappers, and cups infested with chemicals is the equivalence of eating the chemicals since they get rubbed onto the food they are holding.

Out of the 400 samples of fast food containers that the study tested, bread and dessert wrappers were discovered to be the most likely to hold chemicals. Suddenly that cookie from Subway does not sound so good.

Burger wrappers came in second place of most chemicalfilled and paperboard containers came in third as one out of five boxes that hold french fries, for example, tested positive.

Despite these facts, some food packaging experts do not find the results of the study that surprising or cause for alarm.

Because we are constantly exposed to such chemicals

"Fast food chains should start looking into switching out their harmful containers so they won't have any court cases against them."

Adama Kaloko sophomore through food packaging and other sources, we always have some in our bodies and are therefore basically immune to their dangers.

Still, hearing that not only the food we may be eating has harmful contents, but the bags they come in do too is not so appealing.

To be on the safe side, the authors of this study recommend people reduce their exposure to the chemicals by avoiding food that's been in contact with greaseproof packaging, such as microwave popcorn, pizza and take-out boxes, and fast food wrappers.

"Researchers also say that you should stay away from fast food, but I haven't done that," Ohene-Okae said.

This whole study only further proves that more fresh and homemade food is the better option for our health. Remember that the next time you go through a drive-thru to pick up a hamburger, you may be getting your meal with a side of chemicals.

8 PHOTO

March 21, 2017

Center helps community ITEMS YOU CAN DONATE

ss

Winter Coats

Shirts

Hats

Shoes

Mittens

Slippers

Pants

Baby bottles

Shorts

Canned foods

Clothes have to be in good condition and can be all sizes. Bring all donations to the Parent Resource Center during school hours.

ALAINA GARAY

Staff information

ALAINA GARAY

Students are offered backpacks that come with pencils, paper, and other materials. Students are welcomed to go to the center whenever help is needed.

KAILYN GARAY

These are a few of the many prom dresses collected by the Make a Night Princess program. The dresses will be distributed to students who can't afford a dress for prom.

If a student needs a dress modified there are parents at the center who will do it for them at a very low price.

ALAINA GARAY

The center provides bags filled with macaroni, cereal, and other preservatives on Friday so that students can have something to eat over the weekend.

ALAINA GARAY

The clothes are donated from community members, churches, clothing stores, and more. The center is always open for students and only once a month for the community.

Some of the many baby and toddler clothes the center collects. The center also has baby bottles, shoes, diapers and other baby things. They usually provide these things to teenage parents.

ALAINA GARAY

ALAINA GARAY

A few volunteers fold and organize clothes that have been donated. Every week, about five to seven volunteers come to work in the center. That doesn't include the students that come in during free periods and W4 to get community service hours.

ALAINA GARAY

ALAINA GARAY

Winter coats ready to be given to someone who needs them most. Most families who come from different countries aren't aware of how cold it gets during the winter and can't afford a proper winter coat, so the center can provide them with one.

Maria Delgadillo is a parent liaison and works in the Parent Resource Center She helps organize clothes, food and other things.

She also helps with the organizations within the Parent Resource Center.

KAILYN GARAY

The Parent Resource Center is located in the trailers near the modular. It is an organization that provides clothes and canned goods to students and the community. The center is run by parent liaisons Gisela Sanchez and Maria Delgadillo, with the help of many volunteers. These ladies and other staff love to help others. This job takes time, patience and a big heart to complete. Sanchez and Delgadillo admire the baby shoes while they sort them.

Parent liaison Gisela Sanchez is one of the staff members that helps with the organizations in the Parent Resource Center.

She has work here for four years.

Donated canned goods and preservatives that the center collects to give to students.

The center also collects shoes for students who can't afford them.

ARTS 9

March 21, 2017

Art 1 class completes big project Students display their talent by making tape sculptures

students cut the mold off and re-tape it in order to create each body part.

Once all molds have been cut out and re-taped, the students stick each body part together. This step is very diffucult as it requres problem solving skills.

Each group has the option to dress the sculpture with colored tissue paper.

Sculptures are required to be free standing, meaning they must be able to stand alone.

"My favorite part about the tape sculptures when I worked on them was that it allowed you to work with a group of people to engineer a self-standing sculpture. junior Valeria Salinaz said.

This means that the students must use engineering skills to get their sculpture to stand fully on its own.

The project usually takes the students around a month with all of the small lessons prior to actually building.

"The students spend many months learning about the parts of the body in order to work their way up to such an advanced assignment" Pappas said.

Learning the anatomy is critical to figuring out the proportions of the sculputres as well as the body parts that need to be included.

Many sculptures in the previous years included humans such as Superman, teachers and even aliens.

After completing their sculptures, they display them around the school in the hallways for all students to enjoy.

"Every person was essential to this project and without one the job could not be finished," Salinas said.

BY SERENE GHUL Arts Editor

SERENE GHUL

The spring semester is a time art students look forward to the most.

Filled with many projects, shows and competitions, the opportunities for students to display their creativity are endless.

Every year after studying the anatomy of the human body in proportions, Art 1 creates life size tape sculptures.

"The tape sculptures are one of the biggest sculptures the students complete this year and something they look forward to throughout the year" Studio Art teacher Jacqueline Pappas said.

These are based on a theme that the students choose.

Students usually start thinking about potential themes at Students working on dressing their sculpture after creating a sketch of their ideal piece. One student is assembling the body parts as the other students are preparing the clothes out of tissue paper. the start of the lesson.

There are many themes student can choose from such these. Each student has a specific role. they need for their theme. as dreams or nightmares, relationships, heroes, identity, One student is assigned as the "taper", the other the Everything is made from tape. To start, students wrap spirituality, aging, family, power and materialism, social justice, diversity, culture, ritual, conflict or change, and "cutter", the third the "assembler" and the fourth is the tape around the body parts of the model, then tape inside model. out in order to prevent it from sticking to the model. community.

In the end, they all work together to create the props After wrapping the tape around the model, the Students work in groups of four in order to create

Student wins the Gold Key for photography piece

BY SERENE GHUL Arts Editor IB Art students have worked all school year for this day.

After spending several months thinking of a potential theme, the art department is ready to display its creativity to the entire school.

Only seniors were allowed to participate in this major event. This is their first and only big art display of the year.

The art show took place in Clausen hall from 6:00 p.m to 7:30 p.m.

Iris Arrazola, a student in IB Art, chose to do the themes of love and diversity.

"I chose to do the themes of love and diversity because our school inspired me a lot. Also recently there has been a lot of instances of hate and I believe that diversity and love makes the world a better place,"

Arrazola said.

Many students had similar themes but each person expressed the theme in their own unique way.

The show was solely for displaying the students work, as no awards were given.

The works displayed during the show were also a part of the students IB exam, as they will be sent to IB to be graded.

Despite the pressures of the projects being examined, the students found many notable aspects to the show.

"My favorite part of the show would have to be explaining why I did what I did and also looking at what my classmates created," Arrazola said.

The art show occurs once a year and is the biggest show the art students display their pieces in.

This show was also a very big moment for senior Skylar Franzelas.

Franzelas was honored with a gold key for her photograph "Breaking Through" She was the only person in the entire school to win this award.

Not only did the photograph win a gold key, but it also won an American Vision's Franzela's piece titled "Breaking Through" nomination.

Due to her gold key and American Vi- will be advancing to the competition in New sion's nomination, her photograph will be York City.

Featured artist: Sloan Limon

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKYLAR FRANZELAS

Student's photography heads to NYC competiton sent to New York City to get judged again.

Only one person is nominated per category for the American Vision's nomination in Fairfax County.

The award ceremony was held at NOVA. If Franzela wins the gold in New York City, she will go there for another award ceremony at Carnegie Hall.

This is Franzela's second year winning a scholastic's award.

Last year she was awarded with a silver key for a photograph she took of her younger sister.

In order to advance to the next round, students must win a gold key.

Nevertheless, there were many other awards given out to our students for their pieces of art.

Senior William Cardoza won his first silver key for his self-portrait of himself displaying an extreme pose.

Sophmore Vy Nyguen also received honorable mention for her self-portrait using an extreme angle and lighting.

Winning these awards is seen as a major accomplishment by anyone.

"It honestly means a lot to me. I didn't think that I had the talent. The way that I view my work is completely different than others. I personally didn't think I could do it,

Featured artist: Jessica Ferson

Q: What's your favorite part about art?

A: My favorite part about art is being able to express myself in an infinite amount of ways and the amount of freedom you are given.

PHOTO COURTESY SLOAN LIMON

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA FERSON

Q: What's your favorite part about art?

A: My favorite part about art is being able to test my skills and expand them as I constantly create new pieces of work.

Q: What gave you the idea to create these pieces?

A: I usually choose to draw when I am bored or want to express ny ideas down on paper.

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

A: With practice and patience art can be done by anyone. It's important to never give up and maintain patient, with time skills will develop. Just be yourself and art will come.

so this was a huge confidence boost," Franzela said.

Although Franzela has been recognized with some of the highest honors for her photograph, photography is not her main career choice to pursue in the future.

"I am probably not going to pursue photography in the future. I'm not going to completely drop it though. I plan to keep it as a hobby," Franzela said.

Franzela has been taking pictures since the 6th grade but did not start taking photography as a class until she entered high school.

She is now currently enrolled in three photography classes and practices her photography outside of class as well.

Franzela enjoys taking photos of people as she believes they give off so much emotion.

Franzela has also been known to take many photos of things she is fascinated by such as porcelain dolls.

She is a fan of photographs that are not typically shown in today's media.

"Never give up. Art is one of those things that requires a lot of hard work and dedication, when you can achieve that, anything is possible," Franzelas said.

Junior Sloan Limon has been interested in art for many years now.

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

A: I get the ideas for my pieces from pictures I see displayed elsewhere. A lot of my pieces are based on things I see in everyday life such as nature or current events.

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

A: Anyone can be artistic because art has no rules or limits to it, it's just you and your creativity. No matter how old you are its never too late to start. The opportunities of imagination are endless and there are no rules or boundaries.

Senior Jessica Ferson attended Governor's school for art this past summer.

PHOTO COURTESY SLOAN LIMON

Q: What do you enjoy about art in general?

A: I enjoy art and the freedom it gives you. I like that it is something anyone can do with enough practice. You can start young or you can start old and any skill set is welcome.

Limon used computer graphic to create this piece of a cat and special designs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESS FERSON

Q: How long have you been practicing art?

A: I've been doing art for a long time. I discovered my love for art Limon used black ink to create this drawing of a girl when I was very young. I have inspired by an image she had in her mind. been practicing art for over ten years now after starting art in the first grade.

Ferson made this piece out of watercolor in honor of The Woman's March.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA FERSON

Q: What inspired you to do art?

A: I was inspired to do art because I know how fun it is and I really was inspired at such a young age.

I entered an art show in the first grade and I've loved art ever since.

PHOTO COURTESY SLOAN LIMON

Q: What style of painting do you enjoy best?

A: I'm not really a painter, but when I do choose to paint I ebjoy painting a variety of scenic paintings.

Ferson made this piece titled "Light & Dark" out of ink pen.

Q: What style of painting do you enjoy best?

A: Art is something where you can create anything you desire. I like painting what comes to mind and anything that inspires me to do so. I enjoy doing a little bit of everything.

Q: What inspired you to do art?

A: I was inspired to do art because of my desire to be part of something that will touch lives. The art I paint always has an underlying message in which I hope to touch people inside deeply.

Q: How long have you been practicing art?

A: I've been doing art for a long time.

I even got the huge of honor of being accepted into Govenor's school for art last summer and it taught me a lot of new skills.

Q: What do you enjoy about art in general?

A: I enjoy art and that whatever I create can possibly touch the lives of someone. I love that I can express myself in anyway I choose.

10 IN-DEPTH

March 21, 2017

IN-DEPTH 11

March 21, 2017

COPY-CATCHED

Different ways teachers have caught students cheating English: Cat Gibson

To snitch or not to snitch?

BY YABI BEREKET

World History: Joe Valentino

Staff writer Cheating on tests or homework is an act which has no toleration anywhere, especially college. We're only a couple years away from college, and to have a strike on your record for cheating could ultimately affect your chance of getting into a good college, or one of your choice.

If you see it happening right before your eyes, the choice is up to you: rat the person out or stay quiet.

In my opinion, I think the safest answer would be to not say anything.

One of the hardest situations to be in is when you see someone cheating on a test or a quiz.

If I was in that situation, staying out of it would be the safest thing to do because you wouldn't have to deal with people trying to find out who told, and I personally would feel guilty if I confessed to a teacher.

On the other hand, what if you were cheating on a test? Would you want someone to snitch on you?

To be told on is possibly the most frightening thing that anyone could deal with in their school career, especially in high school.

Recently, the entire sophomore

"The student had been apparently sharing the information about the essay question with the other students.

The next day, he had a copy of the essay question underneath his paper to use during the course of the test. I was walking by, I found it, took it, and and gave him a zero.

The other kids who shared the information also got zeros. I busted about eight or nine kids at that time. Don't cheat. Do your own work, have faith in your own work and don't do it. "

"A lot of times when I give vocab quizzes and things like that, I will give two tests that look exactly alike but they're not the same. They have different answers.

Sometimes students look off the student next to them and have the answers for the other test, but not the one they're working on."

Chemistry: Phuong Lue

Algebra 1: Michael Mazzarella

"Students taking back their work and their graded tests.

Students saying teachers made a mistake and hand it back to them.

It leaves teacher's asking "are you sure about that?" Because we want to give them a second chance.

When they say they're not lying, we have to go with a referral."

"One time I found a student cheating by having her identical twin sister take a test for her.

I did not find out right away, I did not notice at first. Eventually I found out later on and she got a zero on the test.

Don't cheat. Teachers are not stupid and we'll find out eventually."

Agree

6%

24%

Neutral Disagree

Strongly Disagree

33%

10%

Cheating is okay if I don't get caught

7%

11%

34%

33%

16%

Cheating will not affect me in the long run

13%

18%

22%

31%

17%

In-Depth Editor The A-Blast distributed 200 surveys on March 7 during Pride Time.

In the survey, students were asked to answer a series of questions relating to cheating. The results were surprising considering that more than half the students have cheated on a test before.

There are many reasons why a student may cheat on a test but the most common reason is because the test was important. In fact, 57% of students report to have cheated only when the test is important. Students cheat more often in cases like this because it seems like the ends justify the means.

Failing a midterm or a final exam

If other students cheat, it's not wrong for me to cheat

31%

40%

21%

5%

could determine whether or not the student will be able to pass a class, graduate or be able to go to college.

The risk the student faces by cheating is the chance of being caught. In fact, according to the survey about 24% don't feel guilty and believe that cheating is okay if they don't get caught.

The survey also showed that more than 88% of students have never snitched on someone who cheated on the test. This is surprising considering that teachers usually tell us to be honest and have integrity. "[The student] would not feel like they were cheated because somebody else was cheating," Driver's Ed teacher Pat Hughes said. "Students will often resent the kids who cheat on tests because they are taking the

easy way out."

31% of students agree with Mr. Hughes on the belief that it is wrong for them to cheat because other people are cheating.

It is hard not to harbor some negative feelings because if you receive a lower grade than someone who cheated on a test and they get a higher grade, you feel like you were at an unfair advantage.

Another issue that makes students feel as though they are at an unfair advantage is when they take a test and their friends ask them for the questions.

At one hand, the student feels as though he/she should help their friend but on the other hand, especially if the test was hard, the student feels as though it is unfair that

his/her friend will be able to have a good score on the test.

However, that doesn't mean that when the roles are reversed that the student doesn't ask for the score.

In fact, 40% have reported to ask what was on the test when their friends take it before them.

It is very difficult to stay away from cheating, especially in an education system where the scores of a test are more important than the knowledge itself.

The next time you or someone asks for answers, it is important to make sure to ask yourself whether or not the consequence is worth the risk and to stay true to yourself morally.

3%

I always ask what was on a test when my friends take it before me

2+2=4 study tips 6%

15%

55%

15%

9%

I won't get caught if I cheat

10%

31%

38%

15%

9%

I would allow others to cheat off of me on a test

10%

24%

33%

18%

14%

I feel guilty when I cheat 200 surveys were sent out during pride time on March 7, 2017.

"It's more frightening to have to come forward for doing one of the worst things someone could possibly do in high school" retake the test.

Unfortunately, that person didn't come forward, and the innocent students had to pay the price of those who chose to cheat.

Sophomore Casey Bonano, heard from the halls that a strike may have been put on transcripts, even though not everyone cheated. Bonano had her parents email the principle and one of the government teachers, Ms. Richburg, who helped put the rumor to rest that a strike was going to be put on our transcripts.

"My mom emailed Ms.Richburg and within twenty minutes, she

tracts between students and the school. By understanding what the booklet says, students are abide to its rules.

This is one example of why cheating just shouldn't happen in the first place.

Students work for the grade they have, and it is our own fault for not putting in the effort of studying. It's in one of many instances like this that students wish teachers wouldn't use the saying about how everyone in the class is bonded, rather than have an individual take the fall.

In high school, it has been well

engraved in our minds that even if snitching is the right thing to do, getting caught for snitching can give you a bad reputation among your peers.

The simple fact that snitching and tattle tailing are both words with negative connotations helps to prove the point that it is easiest to just stay out of it.

Telling the truth could sometimes be seen as the annoying, or wrong thing to do, but it could also be something that saves a lot of people from getting into trouble for another person's fault.

All in all, it comes down to what type of person you are. If your set of virtues are in the right place, then confessing to a teacher would seem to be the honest thing to do; not that keeping your knowledge to yourself makes you a bad person, it just feels as if you have to pick sides with either the teacher, or the students, which most definitely isn't a situation someone would want to be in.

But keeping it to yourself is always an option, and is the option that seems the safest, because in high school, laying low and playing it safe will help you in the end.

More than half the students at Annandale have reported to have cheated on a test before

BY RUTH MEKONNEN

27%

emailed back saying that's just a rumor" said sophomore Casey Bonano. Assitant Principal Mr. Schneider came into some classes to talk about the utter disappointment, and to remind the students of the code we follow from the SR&R booklet.

He mentioned how when you sign these booklets, they are con-

Would you tell the teacher if you saw someone cheat?

Student survey results Strongly Agree

government honors classes was caught cheating on their midterm, because the answers were leaked.

Some of the consequences they faced was having to retake a much more harder version of the test.

In some classes, the students were offered a chance to have the guilty person confess themselves, and the whole class wouldn't have to

1. Stay after with your teacher

2. Get involved in peer tutoring

This may not be an option to some bus students, but staying after with your teacher allows you to have a clear and focused one-onone lesson. Take advantage of this opportunity!

There is peer tutoring available at our school such as the National Honors Society, Math Honor Society and the Atoms Writing Center. Each are great sources for help.

3. Email your teacher Almost all teachers respond immediately to student's emails. If you ever have a questions about homework, project, and materials. Simply email your teacher for a quick and painless answer!

4. Khan Academy and Google For a majority of the materials we learn at school, there is more than one way to learn it. We may not all understand the way teachers teach but we can simply go online and find a way we understand.

"If they're near you, it would probably be a good idea but it depends on the person."

KARLA MECRADO

"Yes, I would because it is the right thing to do."

ESTIFANOS HAILU

freshman

freshman

"I would tell a teacher because it's morally wrong and if you don't stand up for what's right, you will do the same thing."

VINH TRAN

"Adults always tell us to do so but I think it's none of my business."

CHELSEY ROBLES sophomore

"It depends on the person and if I am also having a hard time. If it was a normal test, I would tell."

RANDY ROMERO

"I wouldn't tell a teacher because it's not my business and teachers could think you had something to do with it."

junior

sophomore

In-Depth Editor How many times have you been asked "What was on the test?" "Is it easy?" "What exactly do I need to study for?" Or perhaps, you were the one asking these questions.

The truth is, cheating is occurring all the time in every grade level of our school. We can't deny this. Saying someone or yourself has never cheated is the same as saying nobody has ever lied in their entire lives. We are all guilty of it whether it be from a simple class assignment to all the answers for a midterm.

If everyone told on each other for every time we saw someone cheat, 57% of our students would be in detention.

Our teachers are not oblivious to this fact. Some teachers take a few precautions during a test or quiz to prevent cheating. A few methods are creating a small barrier between two students, turning your phone in before class starts, creating a one desk separation between two students and moving desks.

We always hear the phrase, "if you cheat, you're only cheating yourself."

Personally, I have always disliked this phrase but it is true in some ways.

Without having any intentions of getting students in trouble, I have personally seen others go to the extreme of cheating. More commonly, I see cheating happen before class or early in the mornings. Student's take their friends homework to copy or ask what will be on a test. People also occasionally copy off each other's class work.

However, modern day technology has made electronic cheating a popular method. Students acquire physical

and electronic copies of a test or quiz.

Students have gone as far as taking pictures of a test and sending it to their friends as it circulates around students in that class. There are group chats for just about every class with innocent and guilty moments. In a matter of minutes a group chat can go from asking what the homework was, to asking to send someone's completed homework. Then there are moments where pictures or answers of an entire test is sent.

For these measures of cheating, the consequences for everyone involved can be lethal.

If students know that it's against the rules to cheat, why do students take the risk and cheat? The more direct answer is that students care more about getting an A than actually learning.

One of our jobs as students is to strive to get high grades and complete work that reflects our understanding of what we learn. Thus, we've created a domestic system that makes students take any drastic measures

senior

NICOLE URIA

senior

Honor code Honorable school citizens take credit only for work that is their own. Deliberately copying or using the work of others is considered cheating, plagiarism, or forgery.

Consequences of cheating Students often rush to copy homework during lunch

our projects, homework, essays and tests happen to be due on a single day. There are numerous students who are trying to balance late hours of practice and schoolwork How can our school expect us to be involved in clubs and sports, claiming it will help with time management, while having to do homework and study for two tests the following day?

"Students care more about getting an A than actually learning" to strive for those grades. If anything, we value the polished grades that colleges will see more than we value learning. Students want a nice clean facade of an A student, without our teachers and colleges seeing what happens behind the scenes.

"You get to the point in your life where you are willing to do whatever it takes in order to maintain your GPA," junior Katheryn Hout said.

There's also the lack of time available to students, especially those in extracurricular activities. Somehow,

LIBAN OSMAN

"I wouldn't because I believe that it is the teachers' responsibility to catch a student."

IRIS ARRARAZOLA

junior

Why students cheat

BY KIMBERLY VAIDES

"It's a tough situation. I wouldn't know what to do, so I would ignore it and let it go."

In addition to this, we have our own personal matters to deal with, family to spend time with, and students just want to rest after being in school for six hours. While stressing about all of this, we are expected to get the required 8 hours of sleep.

To save time and effort, students turn to peers for answers on homework and what will be on test to know what to study for.

For others, cheating could be a result from laziness. Then, there are the students who cheat that have no

understanding about the subject.

"I think students cheat because maybe they can't do the work and think that the only way they can pass is by cheating," freshman Tesabih Omer said.

By cheating, you are relying too much on others that you become dependent. There will be a time when you will be unable to rely on anyone for answers and have to depend on yourself. When that time comes, will cheaters be prepared to find the answers with their own knowledge?

I do not agree with the concept of cheating, but I can understand why some do. At the end of the day, you go home, oblivious to the material being taught, living a lie on your transcript.

Cheating should not define you as student or person. Part of our high school lives is working hard to get the grades we want. In our lives, we have to learn to not rely on others. We must work hard to get to where and what we want.

There won't be anyone to give you the answers to neither your job, nor your problems.

If these interventions are successful, referral to the school administrator may not be necessary - Reminder of improper action and expectations - Seat change - Teacher conference with student -In-class time-out and/or written reflection - Loss of privileges based on behavior

If previous attempts are not effective - Phone call and/or letter

to parent - Teacher conference with parent - Conflict resolution with counselor - Peer mediation - Class or schedule change

When earlier interventions are not effective or behavior is extremely disruptive, additional schoolbased consequences may apply - Detention - Alternative Instructional Arrangement (AIA) (less than 1/2 day) - In-school suspension (1/2 day or more) - Referral to counselor - Suspension of computer or personal device privileges - Loss of personal device privileges - Parent conference with administrator and teacher - Referral to school psychologist and/or school social worker Information provided from SR&R book

12 INTERNATIONAL

March 21, 2017

Immigrants make Annandale great How to respond to an ICE raid

Immigrants are the foundation of an understanding and well-rounded culture

1. Do not open the door, unless the ICE officer has a warrant signed by the judge.

2. Remain silent, or tell the ICE officer you want to remain silent.

3. Do not answer any questions, not even your name.

4. Ask to speak with a lawyer or family members.

5. Do not sign any documents without speaking to a lawyer.

6. Ask if you are being arrested. If you are not being arrested, then you should walk away and avoid further contact.

7. Insist on speaking with an attorney before agreeing to show ICE any of your documents.

People from other countries, whether they are or are not documented, bring a broader and unique perspective into other countries and cultures. However, the recent presidential election used fear and hostility as the foundation of a campaign. President Donald Trump used the idea of building a wall to keep refugees and immigrants out of the U.S. In the weeks following the election of President Trump, the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has expanded and began holding raids throughout the country, especially in diversely populated areas such as D.C. and Northern VA. ICE officers now go to Metro Stations and stop civilians who look like they could be undocumented immigrants, asking for ID. The harsh attitude towards undocumented immigrants is spreading throughout the country.

However, Annandale's diverse community shows the importance of understanding and empathizing with others, no matter where they come from.

Immigrants and their different cultures bring new aspects to the average life and cause every person to challenge their own views. Even in an aspect such as education and school, learning how other countries and people do things is important to improving our own educational system.

"I think the diverse community at AHS is a wonderful thing because we learn to live how other cultures live," Robotics teacher Phil Harris said. "When I talk to kids that are from other countries I learn about their educational systems and how it is set up. Such as in India, how their students take higher math classes at younger ages than our kids do. When we get kids from places like that, that's why they rank so much higher than our kids. This helps us see what we can do differently in the classroom to give students similar opportunities."

This diverse community of immigrants and minorities creates unique opportunities for students to learn about the world from their peers. Learning with other students as equals is important to every student's education and their opportunities for the future.

"The immigrants that I'm seeing have no difference from others. There's

Photo Courtesy of Cecilia Joseph

BY LINA AL-TAII International Editor

SOURCE: NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LAW CENTER

Your rights as an undocumented immigrant

The henna station at the 2017 Just World Festival. Just World is a club at Annandale that celebrates cultural diversity; spreading peace to our students and community by raising awareness and creating community service opportunities for

no difference between immigrant students and any other students in AHS," Harris said. "As a teacher, I hold them accountable to the same amount of work, they read the same books and take the same tests, so there is no difference to me. I hold them as much accountable as other students and I hope that they get into the same colleges as anyone else, therefore they get the same salary as anyone else."

With the recent attention brought to immigration and the harsh immigration laws being pushed by the new administration, it's important to take a look at how immigrants have created the society we love and appreciate today.

"When everyone is from different places and different cultures it creates an environment where you learn a lot of valuable things from one another and about each other," sophomore Ruth Seyeoum said.

Any student can tell you that this diverse environment is better for them to learn about different people, cultures, and beliefs. Even though everyone learns about different religions and cultures in their history classes, experiencing it and

actually interacting with different people is important to create a broad understanding of others.

"The diverse community in Annandale exposes me to a lot of different cultures, and so I learn a lot about different places around the world," junior Ian Marburger said.

Even though America was built on the ideas of immigration and freedom from persecution, recent changes have caused fear amongst undocumented immigrants and even students. The rise in ICE raids led to three unnamed AHS students feeling the need to exit school completely, in order to keep their family safe.

"In the past administration I thought we were headed in the right direction. I feel that immigrants had the same opportunities as anybody else and they could get the same education as anyone else," Harris said. "Recently it's been brought to my attention that a kid at AHS could get approached by ICE. I like kids being kids and I don't like anything messing with their educational process. I want students in my class to feel safe, ready to learn, and I think having ICE or anything else coming in, it's asking a lot of that

student."

Though the line between school and government may seem blurred, there is a strong boundary that prevents any government agency from coming into a school just to arrest undocumented immigrants.

According to an FCPS Spokesman, "FCPS policy is to provide equitable treatment and opportunities for all.

FCPS is not permitted to request a student's proof of citizenship and does not enforce immigration laws." This means that all students are granted the right of safety while they are at school.

The hostility towards immigrants has grown, but it is important to remember that all immigrants are people, who deserve the same respect and rights that you do.

"I think immigrants bring a new perspective and help us have a better, wellrounded understanding of the world," senior Abubakar Hashi said. "Everyone deserves the same opportunities no matter if they are immigrants or not, and every person should feel safe in their home with their family."

1. You have the right to defend yourself from removal and deportation from the United States.

2. You are allowed a driver's license in some states which just permits driving but doesn't confer any form of legal status.

3. You have the right to be paid for the work you do, at minumum wage and in safe and healthy work conditions, free from abuse or any sort of harassment.

4. You have the right to be treated at the hospital.

5. You have the right to be legally protected against discrimination on the basis of race and nationality.

6. You have the right to a hearing before an immigration judge in the executive office for immigration review.

SOURCE: NATIONAL IMMIGRATION LAW CENTER

Is immigration hostility justified?

"We're all immigrants and we're all people so I think it is unnecessary that people are kept hostage and are deported."

ANDY VOUNG

"I think immigrants make up a majority of our population and I don't think it's okay to generalize an entire group based on a few poeple."

freshman

HALEY NYUGEN freshman

"No, because I believe it's racism and I believe it is wrong to use prejudice to judge people."

MO OBADI sophomore

"I dont think it is justified because they come for a better life and it's disappointing that they're deported from so many opportunities."

HANAN ISSE

ALI ALI

sophomore

junior

American stories Sophomore Kamila Shamansurova's experience of moving to the U.S. from Uzbekistan

BY KAMLIA SHAMANSUROVA Special to the A-Blast As a young girl born and raised in Uzbekistan, I was very curious about the world. I just wanted to travel to different places so that I could gain knowledge of learning new languages.

In Uzbekistan citizens mostly speak Uzbek, Russian, and Tajik, I'm a native Uzbek; I'm also half Crimean Tatar.

Then at age seven at school I learned Russian. In life I've always dreamed of coming into the U.S and start a new journey.

"I think if you're willing to work then it's okay but if you come illegally and do not act like an American, then that's a problem."

In 2006, my mother left Uzbekistan, Tashkent to the U.S. because she wanted to start everything from a new page since her American company closed.

After two years, in 2008, I arrived to New York and was picked up from the airport by my mother and new dad. We finally came home to Annandale, Virginia and I began school in Annandale Terrace as a fourth grader.

Within six months I learned English. The process of adapting into this country took me a very tremendous time, because in my culture people are very different and there are certain rules that needed to be followed.

For example, you always needed to be respectful towards adults, women are usually wed within their early twenties, old citizens are always considered nice and all have kids.

Living in U.S changed my perspective towards everything, including women that cannot have the same rights as I do.

As time passed I started to appreciate the way I live

"No, because I feel like everyone has the right to come into America and fulfill their American dream."

ANGELA KIM junior

"No, because we all have the right to come here and get a good education and it's not fair if someone comes here and gets kicked out."

"I think everyone is an immigrant and it's disgusting how people want immigrants to distance themselves because they're afraid they'll cause harm."

JONATHAN FERNANDEZ senior

BITANIA ENDALKACHEW senior

First person accounts of coming to America and did not want to go back to Uzbekistan. I do initially go there every two years, but something always bothers me in the country of the Silk Road.

That something included gender ideality, it is considered weird for women to play soccer, men are stronger in every way, and women need to stay more in their homes should be respected.

I'm not stating the situation in my country is terrible; the city where I'm from Tashkent is very modern and progressive.

However, now I'm very proud of my success into coming here and meeting new friends from around the world.

I am currently a senior in Annandale High and know almost five languages, including Uzbek, Russian, Turkish, English and new addition of Spanish. Waiting for new great memories!

Senior Kamila Shamansurova, who moved to the U.S. in 2008 from Uzbekistan.

LIFESTYLES 13

March 21, 2017

Get your room clean this Spring Daylight Saving has has arrived so get an early start to your Spring cleaning

BY YABI BEREKKET

Tip #1 Don't stress yourself with cleaning.

Organzie yourself and plan out sections of your room to clean each day.

Staff Writer It's that wonderful time of year again, flowers are blooming, Daylight Savings has come, and best of all, the time to spring clean has begun. Spring is known to be the season of major transformations whether that be with the blooming flowers, giving your room a total makeover, or giving yourself the opportunity of a fresh start.

I'm someone who is all about major changes, so this time of year excites me because I take full advantage of the meaning of spring cleaning.

First, I like to play a motivating playlist on Spotify to help get me in the mood for cleaning. Dress comfortably, and prepare yourself for hours of intense and thorough cleaning of your room.

It's best to usually start with clothing.

Spring and summer are approaching, so sort through your clothes, and pack away winter jackets and winter clothing to welcome in clothes for the approaching warm weather.

When you're unpacking your summer clothes and putting away your winter clothes, look for things you know you're not going to wear anymore. Put them in a bag to donate to a local thrift store, such as Salvation Army or Goodwill. You could try donating to Treasure Trove, a place fro clothing collection associated with Inova Hospital. All the proceeds from your donated clothes go to fund their medical campus programs.

"As much as I hate cleaning out my clothes, I feel better afterwards because then it makes the clutter smaller," said freshman Melat Haimanot.

Tip #2 Buy bins to organize your living space, they will give you more room for different items. It will make your room look more neat. Also you can get different types of design on the bins to make your room pop.

Tip #5 Make sure to prioritize what you have in your room. Make sure to throw away things you don't need anymore.

There is no need to keep papers or books that you no longer need.

While separating, make sure to get your clothes in a laundry bin to get that out of the way.

In addition to going through your clothes, go through your shoes too.

Put away those Uggs and bring out the Rainbows. Donate the shoes you've grown out of, or the ones that you don't wear anymore Next, go straight to the floor and pick up all the trash around you. Make sure to check behind your bed and around furniture too to make sure you get most of it gone. Look out for little bits like hair and gum wrappers. Once all of it is picked up and thrown away, go ahead and vacuum the floor, or use whatever cleaning supply

Tip #3

Tip #6

Tip #4

Make sure to deep clean your room.

Dust places that you can't see and make sure to vacuum hidden corners.

Clean your windows with Windex and open up a window to allow fresh air to enter.

When getting rid of items, ask yourself questions about it. Ask yourself if you'll use it again. Do you actually love the item? Is the item worth keeping or is it just taking up space? If not, take a look at the list of stores to which you could donate your clothes.

Tip #7

Give back

Make extra room in your closet for new purchases. Find ways to organize that maximize your space. Store out of season clothing in bins in your closet in order to make room for this season's clothes.

Give away apparel that you don't use and has been in your closet for more than 6 months. Give clothing that does not fit you anymore to family members or give it away to your friends.

Donate locally to support the community.

Where to donate - Treasure Trove Consignments -Auntie Te's - Your local clothing drop box located at the senior parking lot -Goodwill -Salvation Army

you have on hand to clean the floor. Take out the trash that you have accumulated to get it all out of there.

Next, gather all your cleaning supplies you have with you, and slowly make your way around your room. Complete it all in small sections, like first with glass furniture or anything that could be cleaned using glass cleaner, such as a desk or a full length mirror. Wipe down the surface until you can see your own reflection through it, and then continue on. Don't forget to also clean any screens in your room such as a computer screen or a T. V. screen.

Move on to wood furniture next. If you have a wood chest of drawers, throw away anything you don't need lying on top of it,

and remove anything else lying on top of it so you can clean the wooden surface with your wood cleaner. After doing so, arrange anything that goes on top in an orderly fashion.

Something that helps get stains such as marker off of walls is a can of hairspray and a rag. Directly spray the area on the wall with the stains. Let it sit for a couple seconds to allow it to take effect, then get a rag and rub it off the walls. They should then be stain free after using this simple remedy. Proceed to do this with any stain on the walls in your room.

"My walls have old pen stains on them for years, and using this trick has helped me remove most of it, which made me

really happy because the dirtiness would bother me," said sophomore Hemen Besufekad.

If you have spare bed sheets, go right ahead and change your current bed sheets and pillowcase for fresh and clean ones, as the old ones have probably accumulated dirt and bacteria over time.

Finally, after being completely exhausted and drained of energy, light a scented candle in the freshly renewed bedroom to help tie together the cleanliness of it.

Materials Needed

DIY with Katie Pope Pot of Gold Brownies

-Pan of brownies -Frosting -Bowl -Whisk -Spatula -Rolos -M&Ms

-Eggs -Water -Canola oil -Baking pan -Rainbow Template -Plastic knife

Chocolate bark to share with loved ones this Valentine's Day

1.

Mix and bake the brownie mix according to the directions on the box.

5.

Remove the brownie shape from the pan, and be careful so that you don't break them.

2.

6.

While the brownies are baking, organize the M&Ms by color.

3.

Make a rainbow template out of a thick piece of paper.

4.

Spread an even layer of frosting across the brownie.

7.

Carefully place your M&Ms on the brownie, I did them in rainbow order.

8.

Cut the brownies around the template, a plastic knife works the best.

Place a few rolos at the end of the rainbow as the pot of gold and enjoy.

FASHION SPOTLIGHT Thuy Tran, 12

Q: How did you learn how to dress?

A: I learned how to dress mainly through fashion bloggers on Instagram and Youtube. I also depend a lot on my own sense of preference to decide what pieces of clothing fit my sense of style.

are pastel colors that are perfect for the spring.

Q: Where do you like to shop?

A: I like to shop at Francesca's and Madewell. I also like to rummage through small boutiques.

Q: How much do you usually invest in clothing?

A: Shopping is my guilty pleasure so I do invest a considerable amount of money in clothing. I try to limit my spending to less than $100 per month.

Q: What are your favorite clothing pieces?

A: One of my must- have clothing pieces are high waisted denim jeans and a pair of neutral - colored booties that go with any outfit.

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

A: For school, I like to dress more casual with jeans and a statement blouse. But for a date, my go to outfit always include some sort of skirts or dresses.

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

A: On lazy days, I wear comfortable pajamas and any simple tee that I get out of my closet.

Q: What is your favorite season to dress for?

A: My favorite season to dress for would undoubtedly be spring. Most of my clothing pieces

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

A: Typically it takes me around half an hour to get ready. However, it also depends on the occasion.

Q: What is your favorite pair of shoes?

A: My brownish- yellow booties that I wear with basically everything.

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

A: A little of both if I have to be honest.

Q: Who is your fashion inspiration?

A:.I get inspired by bloggers and Youtubers quite a lot. So one of my fashion inspirations is Jenn Im. Q: What's your favorite accessory to add to your outfit?

A: Because most of my clothing are pretty simple, I always like to wear a pair of statement earrings or just a simple necklace.

Thuy Tran posing in Georgetown with her friend Amber Tran.

14 PEOPLE

March 21, 2017

Ivy League bound

"There are many people who surround me that have better grades, and I felt that if in my school this was the case then people who apply to Princeton are more qualified than me."

Tahir is also apart of multiple honor societies, Latin club, Asian American Lead, as well as a tutor for the Atoms writing center. She previously did field hockey, but due to work she was unable to be apart of the team this year. Tahir also works at Starbucks on the weekends for about eight hour shifts each day.

"I managed my time by mostly not getting enough sleep and prioritizing," Tahir said. She finds it easiest to study or work with group of friends, since it makes massive amounts of work seem like less.

"I balance everything with being an IB Diploma candidate by just accepting the work load and the late nights that will happen during the week," Tahir said, "if

PHOTO COURTESY OF AISHA TAHIR

Senior Aisha Tahir was recently accepted into a private ivy league school: Princeton University, in New Jersey. Princeton University is known for being a prestige university with roughly a 6.5% acceptance rate, making it extremely difficult to be granted acceptance.

But against these odds, Tahir was granted admissions for the 2021 class.

Tahir decided to apply to Princeton University due to a program she did over the summer.

"I fell in love with the campus, it was pretty diverse and out of all the ivy league's it has the smallest student to teacher ratio," Tahir said. She believes that Princeton has the resources she needs for the next four years to be able to further her education and commence her career path.

Tahir was shocked when she received her acceptance letter.

"School ended and I went to meet my best friend Jess Ferson at her graphic art class and oddly enough, that's where I opened my decision," Tahir said, "at first I just stared at the computer, but right when Jess started yelling and jumping, I joined her, we went crazy together."

As soon as, she got home, she told her parents the good news. Tahir's parents were extremely proud of their daughter and supportive. "While they do not understand the magnitude of getting into Princeton University, they told me they never thought I would not get in," Tahir said.

Tahir was an IB diploma candidate and top 10 of her senior class. Even with all her high school achievements, she was shocked about Princeton's undergraduate

office of admissions decision.

Tahir received financial aid, and also obtained money from the merit based scholarship program. The merit based scholarship is awarded based on academic, athletic, artistic merit and special interests.

"I have good grades and do numerous extracurricular activities, but there are many people who surround me that have better grades or I can say are smarter than me, and I felt that if in my school this was the case then people who apply to Princeton most definitely are more qualified than me," Tahir said.

Tahir and her best friends senior Jessica Ferson and senior Sadie Modica pose in their animal onesies.

Tahir in action during a student Trump protest that her and her best friend organized. Tahir held a sign saying "Love Trumps Hate."

Tahir shows her acceptance letter from Princeton University.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AISHA TAHIR

People Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF AISHA TAHIR

BY MARILYN RIVAS

a friend asks me to go get Snocream after school and I know I have a lot of homework, I still go because I just accept a late night over composing my time with my friends."

Her favorite part of the day is when she gets to go home, relax and do something by herself, whether it be going on a nice walk, watching tv or reading a book.

She finds this time to herself to help cope with stress from all the school work she has to complete.

Also in her free time, Tahir enjoys campaigning for her political party. She has even organized a protest here at AHS for the Democratic Party against President Donald Trump. 200 students particpated in this protest back in November.

Tahir believes her biggest accomplishment is not getting into Princeton University but organizing a protest for those who want to stand up against President Trump.

"I organized a protest because I believe in something so much really makes me proud about the kind of person I have become by the end of high school," Tahir said.

Tahir plans on majoring in politics and going on a pre-med track. She plans on doing Doctors Without Borders, which help individuals worldwide that are in need, whether it be due to conflict, epidemics, natural disasters or exclusion from medical care, these doctors will provide medical aid.

Tahir is extremely excited to start a new chapter of her life at Princeton University. "I am excited for many things: to be at such a beautiful place with people who are passionate about the world, to have professors who care so much and have won prizes in their fields, to make friends from all over the world, and lastly to be independent and major in something that I have always been very excited about," Tahir said.

Princeton University is the first step Tahir will make into making a change in the world, whether it be big or small. Tahir has committed and anxious to become a tiger at Princeton University for the upcoming fall school year.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AISHA TAHIR

IB Diploma candidate Aisha Tahir has committed to Princeton University class of 2021

Tahir and senior Tran Nguyen pose with their field hockey game day shirts supporting breast cancer.

A picture of Princeton University that Tahir captured when visiting the college.

Q&A with Aisha Tahir When I grow up I want to be: a heart surgeon.

My hobbies are: reading, watching shows, and hanging out with my friends.

My biggest fear is: giving up who I am.

My favorite type of music is: rock and alternative.

My favorite sport to play is: field hockey.

My biggest pet peeve is: when people play their music out loud in public.

My favorite subject is: Human Anatomy.

My biggest inspiration is: Elizabeth Warren, Democratic senator of Massachusetts.

I describe myself as: someone who would do anything for the people she cares about and is not scared to voice my opinion and what I think is right. I am extremely hard working and no matter what goes on in my personal life, I never let that affect how I am towards others or my school work.

My fears are: not doing my part to change the world and not being there when someone needs me.

The most important things in my life are: my sister (Zoha), my education, my best friend (Jess), my parents, Mrs. Ash, and my close friends.

What makes me different from everybody else is: the fact that I care deeply about the people in my life and the things around me.

My biggest accomplishment is: who I have become as a person. Even though most people would think getting into Princeton University is my proudest accomplishment, and it is to a large extent, but what I most proud of is my character and the fact that I organized a protest because I believe in something so much makes me so proud about the kind of person I have become.

My greatest stength is: being able to block everything out and keep going forward.

A motto that I live by: Gut of Honesty.

My favorite thing about high school is: the experiences you get and the people you meet I can contribute to society by: helping others live a life where they have basic neccessities 10 years from now I see myself: doing Doctors Without Borders, which is an international humanitarian non-governmental organization.

If I had $10000, I would: give it to a refugee non-profit organization to help kids in Syria get fed, clothed and a safe place to live.

One thing that should be taught in school that isn't already: Learning and appying that matters in life, not what you memorize.

WHO AM I? I attended: The University of San Diego

Jessica Smith, senior My name is Jessica Smith, and I'm currently a senior here at AHS. I grew up locally here, as my family has been in this area since before my parents were born (my father's side of the family, anyway).

I am half Filipino, and I was born in Washington D.C..

I am a member of multiple honor societies. However, my main extracurricular activity has been theatre the past four years. I've spent more hours in the auditorium for productions than I have in my own room. These past four years have been filled with laughter, happiness, and positivity. Without theatre, my high school years would have been empty.

Throughout these past four years, I have been an actor, publicity designer, assistant stage manager, dancer, and an Assistant Director.

My favorite out of all of those was definitely being the publicity designer and assistant director. I have been the publicity designer for all the shows since In The Heights my sophomore year. Publicizing for the productions is such a fun part because I get to showcase the accomplishments of everyone that

has put effort into the production.

Being an assistant director for this year's fall show of Blood Wedding was an interesting experience. I love that I was at every rehearsal, because it allowed me to get to know almost everyone involved in the production process. I also got to see discoveries being made.

Following High School, I plan to go to college and double major in English and History and minor in Spanish with a pre-law concentration. Over the summer, I attended a Law & Advocacy Conference with NSLC that took place at Georgetown University. I knew that I wanted to pursue law

before attending the conference, but this conference allowed me to fully decide that a career in law is what I want to pursue. I'd really like to work at the U.S. Attorney Office in Washington D.C. as a federal prosecutor. I had such an amazing opportunity to be an intern at a well represented law firm over the summer. This truly gave me what working at a law firm will actually be like. I'm very grateful that I was able to spend my time in such an affluent atmosphere.

Recently, I started taking Ballet.

I always wanted to be a dancer, yet it was too expensive for my family to afford when I was younger. I started taking ballet with International Dance located in Alexandria, and it s become of my main passions.

Performing arts is something I'm really attached to, and being able to express myself through dance has become something I really enjoy. I also decided to be in the ensemble for this spring production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella and I am having a blast with all the choreography. It's something I look forward to on the daily.

I was born in: the Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego, California.

Before teaching at AHS: I began my teaching career on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota at Red Cloud Indian School. When I left I taught at both public and private schools in CA. Just before leaving CA, I was a lecturer and supervisor in the teacher education program at UC San Diego.

I teach at AHS because: when I moved here, I had nine interviews in a matter of three days. The first of these was here at AHS. After spending some time with Mr. Carayiannis and Mrs. Chmura, I left AHS convinced that this was where I was meant to teach. I shared my thoughts with my fiance on my way to my next interview. He told me to calm down and realize this was only the first interview of many. However, my gut was right. I have been very happy teaching here since I arrived in VA. In my free time: (If I interpret free time to mean time not spent here at AHS) I spend my time with my husband and our almost five year old. Our son keeps us on our toes building lego sets and playing superhero and bad guys. I am often assuming the role of WonderWoman, Batgirl or Owlette.

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

SPORTS X-TRA 15 Is your bracket busted now?

March 21, 2017

Unsuspected March Madness results upset viewers

Fun Facts about the NCAA tournament The first NCAA tournament held in 1939 only had eight teams

BY RYAN GAMMON Sports X-Tra Editor

UNC holds the record for scoring the least amount of points when they scored a mere 20 points against Pittsburgh in 1941 PHOTO COURTESY OF VILLANOVA

This year's March Madness may have topped off all of the teams that should not have made it past the first round to begin with. Rhode Island (11 seed) beat Creighton (six seed) which was one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. Another big upset was Xavier (11 seed) beating Maryland (six seed) and also having more chatter beating Florida State (three seed).

"I had Xavier beating Maryland, which was risky, but in the end played out well for me," senior Ryan Peich said.

"My bracket is doing really well, but the upsets that are happening are crazy because with Florida State losing, my bracket now is busted with that upset."

Having last year spark a lot of controversy with top ranked teams losing in the early rounds of the tournament, the underdogs should not be ruled out just yet.

Teams like Middle Tennessee (12 seed), who beat Minnesota (five seed) to advance to the next round, but did not get too far after losing to Butler (four seed) in the round of 32.

With this year hopefully being the year for a one seed to win since 2015, when Duke beat Wisconsin by a score of 68-63. A lot of people are doubting that Gonzaga will stay up to expectations because of the teams they will play if they make it to the Elite Eight. With a veteran lineup Gonzaga should be able to make it to the Elite Eight with the way they are playing.

"I chose Gonzaga to win because I feel like since they have dominated throughout the whole season that they will be able to beat any team that comes their way and that is why I have them beating out every team in the West Region of the tournament; their bid to get to the Final Four is also not as hard as the other regions so it should be easy for Gonzaga to place in the Final Four," sophomore Sam Abourakty said.

Another upset team that could potentially buy out their bid to the Final Four, is the Michigan Wolverines.

The odds of filling out a perfect bracket are one in 9.2 quintillion

Junior, Phil Booth, drives the lane against a North Carolina defender in last year's NCAA championship game where Villinova won on a last second three pointer to win the game 77-74

Ever since the investigation with the plane crash that happened while flying to Washington D.C. to play their first game in round one of the Big Ten championship against Illinois, the Wolverines have been winning and winning big and will now face Oregon on March 23 in the Elite Eight.

"I called Michigan to win the whole thing before the bracket came out on sunday. With one big key player on the team, Derrick Walton Jr., the Wolverines will be a good contender in this year's tournament even with all of the doubters that are out to get my team," sophomore Patrick Brown said.

There are a lot of key players that will determine how games will go for some teams in the crucial rounds of the tournament, having Malik Monk, who starts as a

freshman for the Kentucky Wildcats, averaging 20.4 points a game, which is outstanding for a freshman, especially starting for a prestige basketball school like Kentucky.

Even though he is hated on by all of college basketball and gets criticized every game another key player for the tournament is Grayson Allen, a point guard for the Duke Blue Devils, who have a good chance of going to the championship game.

Allen had a really good game against the South Carolina Gamecocks (seven seed), but came up short losing 81-88. This was a game of scoring for both sides, Allen finished with 33 points but not on his game from the three point line shooting only 30 percent, which is low for him averaging 37 percent from behind the arch.

At age 31, Emmit McCracken, coach of Indiana, was the youngest coach to win the tournament in 1940 Beer companies increase production by 3 million barrells durng March Another key player is junior, Justin Jackson, who plays for North Carolina. He averages 18.1 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, and 2.7 assists per game. He has shined during the tournament and will continue to do work. With Butler up next in the Sweet Sixteen, it should not be a problem for the Tar Heels as they should place themselves into the Final Four Aborakty said.

With a lot of upsets that have happened in the first week, and a lot of rising stars that will continue to shine in the next rounds of their career, this will be one of the biggest and most exciting next rounds of the tournaments than the others in the past. Do not be surprised if the teams that should be in the Final Four or even the championship game get knocked out in the next days to come.

Which team are you rooting for?

"UCLA because it's my favorite university and because of Lonzo Ball" ZAIN GHUL sophomore

"I am rooting for Michigan because I like their mascot and the team is really good."

GINGER MENDEZ

"Florida because their guard is nice and they have good postmen."

AKLILU GESSESSE junior

"UCLA because Lonzo Ball is nasty, there's nobody like him."

"I am cheering for Kentucky because I think they have a pretty strong team."

"North Carolina because I was born there and I really like the school."

"I am rooting for Kansas because of Josh Jackson. He is a superstar."

"North Carolina. I think they have a better team dynamic than the other teams."

JAEDON HENRY junior

sophomore

MEGAN LEE

SAMMY WONDWOSSEN

KATHERYN HOUT

DANYOM BEYENE

junior

junior

junior

senior

Athletes recognized at the winter sports banquet

BY MAHDI LARHMARI Staff Writer AHS held a Winter Banquet on Feb. 28. All winter athletes as well as their parents and coaches were invited to the annual award ceremony that celebrates the successes of the season and the hardwork of all the athletes.

Although the banquet acknowledged the effort of every player, it also had awards for individual players who showed the most dedication, persistence, and time throughout the season.

The banquet provided a chance for those who work th3e hardest to get their glory moment on the podium in front of all athletes, families, and friends.

Besides the bigger and more serious awards, the winter sports banquet also allows each coach to give their athletes a specific award based on how they performed.

While handing out these awards, a lot of coaches gave feedback back to their players on how the season went and what they can improve for the next one. The feedback allows the athlete to know what they need to improve on and what they did well.

The big award of the night is the Atomic Achievement Award. It is handed out for each level of sports. The winter coaches select the athlete that worked hard on the field and worked hard to maintain great grades for the Atomic Achievement Award.

Many student athletes work hard on the field and in class in order to win the award. The winners of the Atomic Achievement Award get a certificate and a lot of pride and support from fellow teammates and coaches.

Sophomore Dazon Harrison who played J.V. Basketball for the winter was one of the few to win and Atomic Achievement Award. "It was a great experience to recognize winter student athletes," Harrison said. "I felt really proud of myself and thankful for winning the Atomic Achievement award. I was also happy when I took the flick with Coach Behne after the Banquet," Harrison said.

And the Atomic Achievement winners are...

Emily Pope - Track & Field Jacob Weber - Track & Field Sarah Shamdeen - Girls Basketball Sarah Hawkins - Girls Basketball Nia Lewis - Girls Basketball Dontae Johnson - Boys Basketball Dazon Harris - Boys Basketball PHOTO COURTESY OF DAZON HARRIS

Student athletes are rewarded for their efforts during the winter season

Anthony Marnell - Boys Basketball Kayla Velasquez - Swim & Dive Ben Padrutt - Swim & Dive Award winner Dazon Harris poses with Coach Behne

Ben Padrutt, another athlete that won the Atomic achievement Award, was really excited and honored to hear that he won. It is a great achievement to win the award. It is one of the highest awards given to athletes at the winter banquet.

Padrutt is a senior this year and has done swim all four years of his high school career and has attended many winter banquets.

"The Winter Banquet went well, as usual, this year," Padrutt said except this year, Pradutt won the Atomic

Achievement Award. "I was really happy. I knew a lot of previous players who won it. It feels great to be apart of them. The greatest part of the Banquet is when Swim was alone and every swimmer got their own award. It was very fun."

After the team announcements and awards were given to all the teams, the individual teams split up to have more intimate award ceremonies.

In the individual team setting, more personal awards that are based off of the players' personalities are given

out to each member on the team. The coach then recaps the season.

These individual gatherings are a great opportunity for the teammates to discuss the season and have fun doing it.

Although the banquet is often viewed as a positive activity, not everyone was satisfied with the event.

Sophomore Devin Gill, who played J.V. basketball this winter and also plays quarterback for the football team, had some differing opinions about the winter banquet. "I do not like the winter banquet. I think it is boring," Gill said. "So far, I had no great memories of the winterbanquet. Hopefully, next year, I can find the winter banquet better than these past two years," Gill said.

Not everyone was dissatisfied with the event.

Sophomore Mohamed Kanu, J.V. Basketball player, had his own positive opinion about the winter banquet.

"I felt the winter banquet was very nice and fun. It gave me a chance to interact with my J.V. teammates and other student-athletes who attended the winter banquet," Kanu said. "I also enjoyed it when I got a chance to talk with my coach. It allowed me to understand what I need to improve entering next season and what I did well ending this season," Kanu said.

The athletes who attended the event had many mixed feelings about it. Despite the mixed feelings, overall the banquet provided the coaches and students with a great opportunity to assess and reward their efforts from the season.

It also informed parents of the athletes about the activites their children do and meet the coaches that spend a lot of time with their kids.

The banquet was a great way to end the long winter season and acknowledge the athletes that worked hard to excel.

"This winter I did two sports and the winter banquet made it worth it" sophomore Alejandro Casquino said. "I enjoyed the fact that me and my friends and teammates could reflect on funny moments that happened during the season and talk about the season and enjoyable moments."

16 SPORTS

March 21, 2017

Boys lacrosse defeated by Girls lacrosse competes in South County Stallions Atomic Blast tournament

BY ETHAN ZIMMERMAN

BY JUDE NANAW

Staff Writer

Senior Matthew Vogus cradles the ball upfield in a game against the Stonewall Jackson Raiders.

on, communicate, make smart decisions and learn more about the game so that we can improve as much as possible for our coming games," Kamara said.

The Atoms' team this year still faces a younger roster with players that do not have much prior varsity experience. However, the new roster has given the Atoms a different approach to their playing style.

"Last Season we had some dynamic players, and this year we have a team where everybody can score, everybody can get ground balls and the chance for playing time is wide open," Maglisceau said.

The Atoms will take on the West Springfield Spartans in their next game on March 22.

The girls varsity lacrosse season is underway as the team has competed in two scrimmages as well as in the Atomic Blast tournament on March 18.

In the tournament, the Atoms competed in three different games. In the first match-up the girls took on the Osbourn Park Yellow Jackets. The Atoms struck early with the first goals of the game and took a lead.

The team was able to defeat Yellow Jackets by a score of 12-4 to pick up their first victory of the afternoon. The Atoms next faced off against the James Madison Warhawks.

The team this time got off to a slower start and fell behind early. The Atoms would go on to allow 19 goals and were defeated for the first time on the day by a score of 19-6.

The Atoms' final game of the day would be against the Bishop O'Connell Knights. The Knights jumped out to an early lead against the Atoms and never looked back to win 20-4.

The Atoms finished the day 1-2 and will continue with the Atomic Blast tournament on March 25 with games against the Patriot Pioneers and Mt. Lebanon.

Prior to the tournament, the Atoms went up against the Falls Church Jaguars in a scrimmage on March 3. The Atoms got out to an early lead against the Jaguars 2-0.

However, Falls Church would get back into the game and the teams traded the lead until late in the final minutes. The Atoms held onto a 14-13 one goal lead to win the scrimmage.

The outcome was different for the Atoms' second scrimmage of the season on March 8 against the South Lakes Seahawks as the Atoms fell behind early and went on to lose by a lopsided margin.

The team looks to improve for their next games following the scrimmages and the tournament.

"I feel confident after the two scrimmages and the tournament because we showed that we have a natural

COURTESY OF MELISSA WILSON

COURTESY OF MATTHEW VOGUS

Sports Editor

The Atoms boys lacrosse team competed in their first regular season game on March 16 against the South County Stallions on the road.

The Stallions offense got off to a booming start against the Atoms and jumped out to a 5-0 lead early.

South County did not let up a few possessions later with a goal from junior Dillon Spalding to extend their lead.

The Atoms struggled to create a rhythm offensively and were shut-out from scoring for the game. On the defensive side, the team was unable to halt the Stallion offense, giving up 16 goals on the game. The Stallions picked up the win over the Atoms 16-0.

"Against South County, our coaches emphasized our lack of desire to win and how we weren't able to get the job done against a team that wasn't as good as they were last year," sophomore Sam Phan said. "We had a shot to capture the victory, but we just didn't have the fight within us."

The team failed to capitalize off of the momentum gained in their 9-5 victory in a scrimmage against the Thomas Jefferson Colonials on March 7. The Atoms split their scrimmages for the season, losing the first against the Fairfax Rebels by a lopsided margin on March 3, but then bouncing back to pick up a victory against the Colonials.

"We redeemed ourselves with the win against TJ, but we couldn't keep that momentum going for our first regular season game,"senior Bilal Kamara said.

The Atoms look to review all aspects of their play for their next game against the West Springfield Spartans.

"We need to improve on our stick skills so we don't give the other team more opportunities, talk and communicate more and also help our goalies out on defense," Head Coach Bill Maglisceau said.

Improving on communication on the field and fundamentals will be key for the Atoms to have a successful regular season.

"Overall we just need to be aware of what's going

Junior Melissa Wilson sprints upfield while cradling the ball and prepares to take a shot.

chemistry that allows us to work together," senior Sasha Silva said. "We need to back that up with some conditioning and stick work."

The team showed strengths in their first games such as good communication and chemistry.

Despite some bright spots for the team, the Atoms still have many areas for improvement for the regular season games.

"One area that is a weakness is our transitions and attacking," junior Grace Hatch said. We have already improved with those things but can still do much better."

The Atoms' in their next game against the West Springfield Spartans on March 22.

Which spring sport do you think will do the best?

"Spring track because the team has been training and working hard since the winter."

"Girls lacrosse because Coach Hook is very good at her job and she helps us improve."

HUNTER WESTFALL

"The tennis team because I see them working really hard everyday and they MYA AVE have some talent."

CLYBURN IDRIS DAHIR

freshman

sophomore

sophomore

freshman

TIYA AYELE

"Soccer because their team seems like a strong unit all together."

"Softball because the team has improved from last year and is putting in more JACK MCCROSSIN effort." junior ANDREA AVENDANO

"Track because their team has a lot of talented athletes running for them. " BRENT ESCUETA

"Girls lacrosse because they won the Patriot Conference finals last year."

TRAN NGUYEN

senior

senior

junior

Baseball wins second scrimmage Team prepares for regular season games following scrimmages

BY JUDE NANAW Sports Editor The Atoms Baseball season has begun as the team has competed in two scrimmages leading into their first regular season games.

The Atoms took on the Park View Patriots on March 6 in their first scrimmage of the season. The Atoms trailed early against the Patriots and went on to lose the scrimmage 1611. Junior Ryan Gammon and senior Ryan Peich combined for seven hits as the team scored 11 runs in 10 innings of play.

The Atoms bounced back in the following scrimmage against the Osbourn Eagles on March 9. The team got off to a slow start in the first inning failing to score after two hits.

The game would be tied at 2-2 after the Atoms scored off of a big hit by sophomore Alex Brennan.

The team expanded their lead over the Eagles 4-2 and a home-run by senior Liam Conroy completely flipped the momentum in the Atoms' favor giving the team a 6-5 lead late in the game.

The Atoms never looked back following Conroy's home-run and went on to win the game 10-6 over the Eagles.

"We looked really good in our scrimmage against Osbourne," senior Ryan Peich said. "We came away with a win against a very strong team, made very little mistakes and hit the ball extremely well."

Following the two scrimmages, the Atoms were scheduled to face the Hayfield Hawks on March 13 and the Lee Lancers on March 14 in the Icebreaker Tournament. However, these games were postponed due to inclement weather. The new dates for these games has yet to be determined.

"I'm really excited about our season beginning," Head Coach Christopher Bagot said. "I think we learned a lot in the two scrimmages and got a lot of experience which I hope will help us in our regular season

COURTESY OF ETHAN ZIMMERMAN

"I think track will do well because they always have a lot of people running at conference."

Sophomore Ethan Zimmerman prepares to swing during a scrimmage against the Park View Patriots on March 7.

games."

The Atoms showed some of the team's strengths in the first two scrimmages that will be important to the team's success in the regular season.

"Right now there are about five or six guys that are really hitting the ball well that have gotten multiple hits, extra base hits and shown power in our scrimmages," Bagot said.

The roster's strength this season thrives off of the team's ability to hit well allowing for runs to be scored.

"One of our biggest strengths is hitting, our line-up is powerful from top to bottom," Peich said.

Despite the team showing strength in hitting there still multiple areas for improvement. One of the main weaknesses of the team in the first scrimmage was pitching.

"One of our weaknesses was our pitching in the first scrimmage, we walked way too many guys," Bagot said. "Our pitching got better in the second scrimmage however, we are not where we want to be."

The Atoms look to be more

consistent in all aspects of the game for the start of the regular season.

Improving and being consistent will be key for a good record this year.

"Consistency in all areas is what we need to focus on and that will make us very prepared for the season," Peich said.

Along with improvement in pitching and consistency, the Atoms also look to allow players to gain more experience at the varsity level.

The roster this year is comprised of mostly younger players with only three seniors.

"Compared to last year the roster was a senior driven squad where players had up to three or even four years of experience," Bagot said.

"I'm not too concerned about last year because this year we have an energetic group of guys that are hungry to do whatever they can to improve and win."

The Atoms are set to take on the West Springfield Spartans in their first regular season game of the season on March 21 (results to this game were not available by the day of publication).

SPORTS 17 Boys soccer looks ahead for victories

Mar. 21, 2017

BY MAHDI LARHMARI Staff Writer

As the boys varsity soccer team prepares to kick off it's regular season matches in a positive fashion, they are hopeful for an improved season compared to last year as they went 2-11-1.

Their two wins came against the West Springfield Spartans and the Thomas Jefferson Colonials.

So far, the boys have come out on top of one of their two scrimmages.

They lost to the Marshall Statesmen by a score of 2-0. Nonetheless, the boys bounced back and defeated Hayfield Secondary School with a score of 6-1.

They showed their resilience by rebounding after their loss against Marshall to absolutely destroy Hayfield in what seemed like a one sided game.

Junior Rudy Flores led the Atoms to victory against Hayfield with a big goal. Flores showed off his great ball

control and is ability to score.

As the first regular season game was at home on March 13 against the Robert E. Lee Lancers, the boys are working their hardest in practice in order to do their best come game time.

Sophomore varsity goalkeeper Diego Aquice thinks that their team is very balanced and needs to work hard to reach their full potential.

"I need to practice a lot more, since I missed most of our practices due to a concussion I had," Aquice said.

Aquice also thinks that he has made improvements from last year and looks to show them off all of them in upcoming games.

"I feel like I am able to communicate better than I did last year but I can still use some improvements," Aquice said.

Following their first game, the Men's Soccer team will be squaring off with the Fairfax Rebels at home and the South County Stallions away.

The goalkeeper is very excited and confident about their home opener.

"I feel like it will be an easy win. All we have to do is communicate with each other and give 120% throughout the game. If we do all that, then it will be an easy win," Aquice said.

COURTESY OF CECE JOSEPH

Atoms soccer showed resilliance in a 6-5 victory over Hayfield

Junior midfielder Rudy Flores juggles the ball in the goalie box before the team's practice on March 9.

Tennis makes improvement Girls soccer makes coaching changes

BY LUKE ELKINS Staff Writer

The lady Atoms begin their hopeful campaign toward a conference title

Junior Cindy Ma gets ready to return the ball in practice.

our conference, but we have hope," sophomore Carolyn Lemens said.

The girls will be assisted by Ashleen Lee, a transfer from Thomas Jefferson High School, who is a regionally competitive tournament tennis player.

The Girls Varsity tennis team has plenty of players to compete, and they are hoping this will lead to improvement from a 3-12 record from last spring.

Athlete of the month: Michael Nguyen Senior varsity captain excited for the season

BY CAMERON FOTI Sports Editor

Senior captain Michael Nguyen has played three years of lacrosse for Atoms. This year, he is working harder than ever to get his team as far as they can possibly go.

Nguyen is excited for the season and is optomistic about his teams future.

Ariana Ward senior

Q: When did you first realize your love for lacrosse?

A: I really started to like lacrosse when all my friends started to play during freshman year.

Q: How do you and your team deal with a loss?

A: When we lose, we push even harder at practice to get ready for the next.

Q: What's the hardest thing about lacrosse?

A: The hardest thing about

OURTESY OF MICHAEL NGUYEN

Q: What do you do usually before a game?

A: To get ready for a game I will eat two foot long subs from subway.

Q: How do you and your team celebrate a win?

A: When we win, we stay focused on the goal at hand and work hard every day.

The girls varsity soccer team kicked off its season with scrimmages against the Marshall Statesmen on March 3 and the Hayfield Hawks on March 6.

Sadly, the Atoms lost both scrimmages, 5-0 against Marshall and 8-0 against Hayfield.

The girls have to work out a few kinks before the their next game.

The Lady Atoms will start fresh with new coaches this season. Head coach Dan Thorp and assistant coach Eddie Ward will lead the team to great things this spring.

The new coaches are both very experienced around the game, both have played for the majority of their life and even in college.

"I grew up playing youth and High School soccer in Pennsylvania," Thorp said. "I was a member of the Lycoming College Soccer team. I have had the opportunity to learn from different coaches before coming to Annandale."

Thorp brings new potential to the team carrying his experience both coaching and playing soccer with him. Senior Gabriela Jordan goes after the ball against LBSS. My first few seasons were with Centre Soccer in the program and to improve how we compete as a team.

State College, Pennsylvania coaching a recreational Thorp said. league team. Then went on to be an assistant JV Boys The girls will kick off their regular season on March 15 coach with Farmington High School in Farmington, New away against Fairfax High School at 7:15.

Mexico," Thorp said. "After moving back to the east Although the girls are excited about the new staff they coach, I continued coaching at Capital City Public Chardo realize the work that still needs to be done. ter School in Washington D.C. and most recently was a "The team is looking good, but we have new talent so varsity assistant for the Mount Vernon girls team." we have a lot of work to do." Ward said.

Thorp and the rest of the coaching staff have received a warm welcome from the excited players.

"The team is looking good, but we have new talent, so we have a lot of work to do."

Q: When did you start playing lacrosse?

A: I started playing lacrosse my sophomore year.

Q: What has been your favorite moment in your lacrosse career?

A: My favorite memory from lacrosse would have to be the scrimmage against Falls Church last year when I had a really good game and a kid on their team wanted to fight me.

BY JORDAN ADAMS Staff Writer

OURTESY OF GABRIELA JORDAN

YVONNE WHITE

The girls tennis team is preparing for its season, with their opening match on March 14.

Girls Varsity faces the South County Stallions on their home courts, and will be looking to improve off of last season, where they only won three matches.

Head Coach Hassan Mims is in his 7th season as the girls tennis coach. He believes the team is ready for success.

"We have the largest girls tennis team in the district32 players. I expect our team to compete hard, improve skills each week, do well academically and demonstrate good character," Mims said.

"Compared to last season, we have a stronger team led by an upperclassmen core of players. The girls are extremely hard working, willing to improve skills, and hungry for wins," said Mims.

The girls on the team also believe that they are an improved squad from last year. They are ready to go for the season.

I'm excited for tennis season. I expect us to win more games and to play our best this year. I think that our team has improved a lot this year and we have conditioned ourselves and improved our game plans in order to become more successful in matches," sophomore Jasmine Phan said.

The team seems to get along well, and it is a competitive atmosphere. There are many other good teams in

Senior Michael Nyugen running upfield against Falls Church last season.

lacrosse is having to be able to do everything while moving.

Q: What do you do in the offseason to prepare for lacrosse?

A: I go to green days and we do drills to get ready for the season.

Q: What is your favorite pregame meal?

A: My favorite pre-game meal would have to be a steak and cheese sub from Subway.

Q: What is your favorite part about your team?

A: My favorite part about my team is how close we are and how we are all friends.

Q: Is it difficult for you to balance school, sports, and other activities that you have?

A: To balance school and sports it can be difficult at times but it does not last too long, so I just keep pushing through my homework.

Q: What is one thing that your team has to do in order to have a succesful season?

A: During practice we need everybody to give it their all if we really want to make an impact this season.

"I feel confident with our new staff. Thorp has good ideas and respects what we want as a team," Senior midfielder Gabriela Jordan said.

"They are super nice and understanding, they set goals for the team and really want to accomplish them. senior Ariana Ward said.

The team sets goals to help them work towards achieving all they can throughout the season.

My goal for the season is to bring back pride to

ss GIRLS SOCCER 2017 SEASON

SCHEDULE

3/15/17: at Fairfax HS 3/23/17: at West Spingfield HS 3/27/17: vs TC Williams HS 3/31/17: vs Washington-Lee HS 4/05/17: at WT Woodson HS

4/06/17: at Colgan HS 4/19/17: at West Potomac HS

Grappling Atom competes at states Alan Kokilananda finishes top 8 at states

BY KAYLA HOLCOMB Staff Writer On Feb. 16, at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake Virginia, Allen Kokilananda started his journey at the Wrestling State Championship.

Kokilananda, has been wrestling for 11 years, but was still a bit nervous going in despite his experience, since this would be his first State Tournament.

Also going in he had his eyes on some tough competitors.

"I think my toughest competitor would have been Aiden Murphy from Ocean Lakes," Kokilananda said.

Murphy had an unexpected injury, so he had to concede the match which gave Kokilananda the win.

Besides Murphy, the Coaches and Kokilananda did not see anyone else as a huge threat.

"We weren't afraid of anyone, it boils down to execution and determination, which Allen carries with him each and every time he steps onto the mat," varsity Wrestling Coach, Derek Sweet said.

To prepare for the tough competition he would have to face, Kokilananda pushed himself during practices and focused mainly on technique. Kokilanandas coaches also had a big part in helping him prepare.

Day one of practice consisted of a one-to-one session with just his coaches. Day two and three Kokilananda went to Hayfield to train with multitude of wrestlers from several schools.

"It is always a good idea to get a wrestler of Allen's caliber as many different looks as possible, so that he is prepared for most any style of wrestler he may face in the tournament," Sweet said.

Kokilananda ended his states run with a record of one win and two losses, essentially placing in the top eight of his weight class.

Going forward the team looks to improve on repetitions, meaning dedicating themselves during the off season and staying fresh.

"We will also strength-train and push our athletes to play football in the fall for additional help with strength and coordination," Sweet said.

Kokilananda honors his coaches, parents and friends for pushing him all season.

"Without their support I would have never accomplished what I did," Kokilananda said.

18 ENTERTAINMENT The Gallaghers dominate Chicago Showtime's explosive hit dramedy Shamless dwells between the mundane and the insane

BY SABRINA HAWA Managing Editor ********SPOILER ALERT******** Showtime's hit drama Shameless is the story of a dysfunctional family living in the suburbs of Chicago. The show began in 2011 and has recently wrapped up its seventh season and is in the process of filming its eighth season.

The plot follows a drunken, deadbeatdad Frank Gallagher and the lives of his six children; Fiona, Phillip, Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam.

While Frank spends his days either at the local bar or getting into trouble with local neighbors, the kids fend for themselves, with eldest daughter Fiona being the main breadwinner.

Each kid goes through their misadventures, having their own dilemma which overlaps into the family's overall life.

With the diverse cast of actors from Golden Globe nominee Emmy Rossum, who plays Fiona, and William H. Macy, playing Frank, who won an Emmy for his role, the show is nothing less than captivating and binge worthy.

Eldest brother Lip, portrayed by Jeremy

Allen White, is the smartest in his family, and one of the smartest in his town. To make money on the side, he even scams kids into paying him to take the SAT for them to receive a decent score. He struggles with being stuck in a small, ghetto neighborhood where no one gets out. Throughout the season, we see him struggle with college and his family life.

Second brother Ian, played by Cameron Monaghan, goes through one of the biggest character developments throughout the duration of the show. Ian goes through a large identity crisis throughout all seven seasons of the show, coming to terms with his sexuality and coming to terms with being a gay male. He also faces the reality of wanting to join the military at a young age. Later on in the show's duration, Ian is diagnosed with Bipolar disorder which severely affects him as well as his family.

Sister Debbie, played by Emma Kenney, is the fourth Gallagher sibling. She starts out being that young girl who wants to make a good impression and is always willing to help people out. As the series progresses, she too goes through her own identity crisis. Being a pre-teen, Debbie goes through the struggle of wanting to be more mature and striving

to have a more appealing or feminine body. This desperation to be more mature eventually lands her in the position of being a 16 year old mom by season six.

Carl, played by Ethan Cutkosky, is the second youngest Gallagher child. In the first few seasons of the show, he shares a room with older brothers Ian and Lip who try to keep him interested in more adult material.

This later presents itself in later seasons when Carl finds himself in large amount of school and legal trouble.

Lastly is the youngest Gallagher, Liam.

Being a running joke throughout the series, Liam is black despite having two white parents. This is a constant throughout the whole show and is never really fully explained. This adds to the comedic effect of the show while still giving it a real life feel.

With a vast array of characters, there is something everyone can relate to. While the show is not really considered family friendly material, it covers heavy topics that most teens today face, whether it be sexual orientation, family trouble, identity crisis, or even mental disorders.

The show gives a real life look at how some families around the country tend to live, and creator of the show Paul Abbott wanted just that. The idea of teens and young adults having real life issues portrayed through a televisions shows gives the audience a way to relate to all characters in one aspect or another, and to feel a sense of sympathy for what they are going through.

SHOWTIME

March 21, 2017

Shameless is set to return to the air in May 2017 for its eighth season

The show's comedic aspect also gives a lighthearted touch to the show, after dealing with heavy topics.

Shameless will make you laugh, cry, cheer, and scream throughout all the current

84 episodes.

Up to season six of Shameless is currently being streamed on Netflix and Hulu, with season 7 soon to follow.

TV shows returning in the spring House of Cards

Prison Break After almost eight years of being off of the air, Fox's Prison Break returns for it's fifth season.

Fox announced that they actionpacked TV show was returning in June of 2015. Despite Michael dying in the show, he is said to return.

"A logical and believable explanation to why the characters are alive and still moving around the world," Fox CEO Dana Walden said. It was also confirmed that Sarah Wayne Callies, Amaury Nolasco, Robert Knepper, Rockmond Dunbar and Paul Adelstein would keep their roles.

The show is centered around Michael Scofield, an intellectual and architect who goes to extreme lengths in order to get his brother, Lincoln Burrows out of prison: getting himself inside. Prison Break surpasses the streamlined escape from prison, and delves deeper into the politics and controversy surrounding Lincoln's imprisonment. Prison Break will air April 4, 2017 on Fox.

"I'm not very excited because the producers of show the ended it very cleanly and it would be a disservice to the quality of the show to create new plot lines."

"I'm not hyped for the new season because of how Claire Underwood is able to communicate with the audience the same way Frank does."

ANDEW OURS

SAAD FAROOQ

senior

senior

Pretty Little Liars Freeform's mystery and drama tv show Pretty Little Liars returns with the second half of their final season, season seven, on Tuesday, April 18 at 8 p.m. The season had it's midseason finale in August and it contained 10 episodes.

The finale left off with one of the main characters, Spencer Hastings (Troian Bellisario) getting shot by Jenna Marshall (Tammin Sursok) and reveals that Mary Drake (Andrea Parker) is Spencer's biological mother.

The last scene of the episode showed a doll figurine of Spencer being shut in a tiny coffin, perhaps hinting at her fate. The upcoming other half is said to include another 10 to end the series as a whole.

The finale will stretch to two hours, followed by a one-hour tell-all special featuring the main stars Troian Bellisario, Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale, Shay Mitchell, and Sasha Pieterse, and showrunner Marlene King.

House of Cards, Netflix's highly popular and critically acclaimed political drama, will return with its fifth season. The release comes with much delay, as the show usually returns around Netflix's first quarter in mid to late Winter, as opposed to this late Spring release.

There has been much speculation as to the reasoning for the delay. One such theory being political backlash in the wake of the 2016 election, in which writer Beau Willimon intends to scrutinize Trump through a new Citizen Kane-esque project.

Other speculation points to the possibility of shows being pushed ahead of House of Cards, such as the summer hit Stranger Things. House of Cards left off with a bang: For the first time in the show's run, the machiavellian Frank Underwood will be a wartime President, the season ending with his statement of "We make the terror."

It will be very interesting to witness how the war plays out within Underwood's corrupt White House, and the mind-blowing twists that will surely ensue. House of Cards returns to Netflix May 30.

Empire

"The show has been dragged on for so long so I lost interest in it and don't think I'll watch the next season."

TARA EL-ACHI senior

Fox's Grammy-nominated drama will return on March 22 for it s fourth season. The season three finale back in December garnered over 7.5 million viewers.

Like seasons two and three, season four will consist of 18 episodes. It will feature the main stars; Terrence Howard, Bryshere Y. Gray, Taraji P. Henson, Trai Byers, Jussie Smollett, including guest stars. During season three, Empire took over social media, being the number one trend every Wednesday.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season got a rating of 83%, the second season got 88% and the third season got 87%.

The show is about Lucious Lyon, a former drug dealer-turned, hip hop mogul and CEO of Empire Entertainment whose life begins to turn to bad after his past sins come back to haunt him following his alleged diagnosis. The show returns to Fox on Wednesday, March 22.

"I'm excited for the new season of Empire because I want to find out the missing piece of the puzzle."

FATMATA KAMARA senior

Other shows coming soon in 2017 Iron Fist

Better Call Saul

Netflix

AMC

Season 1 - March 17

Season 3 - April 10

A young man is bestowed with incredible martial arts skills and a mystical force known as the Iron Fist.

Orange is the New Black Netflix Season 5 - June 9 The story of Piper Chapman, a woman in her thirties who is sentenced to prison after being convicted.

AMC's highly coveted spinoff of Breaking Bad featuring lawyer Saul Goodman returns this spring. Law bending is abound.

Game of Thrones

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Netflix Season 3 - May 19 After being held hostage in an apocalyptic bunker led to believe the world has been destroyed, Kimmy Schmidt has been liberated and thrusted into the turbulent NYC.

Silicon Valley

HBO

HBO

Season 7 - JULY 16

Season 4 - Summer 2017

Return to Westoros this spring with Daenaerys coming to Westeros, and Cersei holding on to power in King's Landing. War is coming.

Following the struggle of Richard Hendricks, a silicon valley engineer tries to build his own company called Pied Piper.

March 21, 2017

ENTERTAINMENT 19

Future makes history with two albums The success of HNDRXX and FUTURE earns the rapper a chart milestone

BY JULIUS MILLER Entertainment Editor Future recently made history in the world of hiphop. He released his fifth studio album, Future, with amazing success on Feb. 17. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 140,000 equivalent album sales.

This was his fourth number one album following his 2015 releases DS2 and What A Time To Be Alive and his 2016 release EVOL. Future digs deep into his roots to uncover traces of Dirty Sprite and Pluto to inspire his self-titled album. The result is arguably some of his best work in which he raps over trap-inspired tracks. He also spits some of his most disrespectful lines to date on this project. For example, on his track High Demand, he jokingly says "Grabbing the p*ssy like Donald." This is in reference to Donald Trump's infamous comments during the election.

One of the most important things Future proves on this album is that he doesn't need anything too ambitious to rap over. This is proven through Mask Off, in which he tackles a soft beat highlighted by a flute. Mask Off is one of the best songs on the album and can unfortunately put other songs in it's shadow. As great as the album was, some tracks felt lazy, almost as if they were slapped together in a weak hour-long studio session. It was in this, that I found Future to be reminiscent of EVOL in it's sometimes lazy tracks.

Some found disappointment in this album while

others found hope because of the clear improvement from EVOL. It fell very short of the quality found in DS2 or his mixtape 56 Nights. DS2 felt like the hits were neverending and 56 Nights was enticing and unforgettable.

"It was definitely better than EVOL," senior Gabriela Jordan said. "That's good because EVOL was lacking."

The disappointment was saved when shortly after, Future announced he would release a second studio album titled HNDRXX on Feb. 24.

HNDRXX sold 121,000 equivalent units total, with 48,000 of those in traditional sales and 63,000 in streaming equivalents. His two consecutive chart toppers means that he's the first artist ever to have two different albums debut at the top spot two weeks in a row. HNDRXX was an amazing improvement from his previously released self-titled album. It showed Future's emotional side, specifically towards women. This is shown the most on his song My Collection, which is dedicated to all of his exes.

Otherwise, the album is highlighted by fast paced songs with beats that remind listeners of summer. It was truly a refreshing second release following Future.

All in all, it looks like Future will be having a better year than last year. Last year he only released EVOL, arguably his worst project, and Esco Terrestrial, a mixtape produced by DJ Esco and hosted by Future. This year, he released two back to back number one albums in two consecutive weeks. That is improvement at its greatest.

Fans even found themselves more excited at the rumor of a third album release. Unfortunately, this did not happen.

"I really did think he was gonna release three," Jordan said. 'It sucked he didn't but I was satisfied with only two anyway."

Future released HNDRXX on Feb. 24.

Future topped charts with his two new albums.

Future released his self titled album, Future, on Feb. 17.

Artists who have delayed their projects in the past Frank Ocean - Blonde Frank Ocean's delay of his 2016 release Blonde is for sure one of the longest in the game.

After various fake release dates, many of which were given by Ocean himself, Blonde finally dropped after four years.

In fact, various students complained that they had gone through all of high school without a second album.

More time will be needed for More Life album Drake delays his highly anticipated project for the second time

BY JULIUS MILLER Entertainment Editor If you were expecting a new Drake project to be released on Mar. fourth, you were likely disappointed along with numerous other fans when nothing dropped.

Yes, you heard that correctly, nothing dropped. This is the third time Drake has delayed his new project More Life, and not at all the first time he has delayed a release.

His most recent album, Views, saw a delay of several months before it's release in Apr. of 2016.

"Was I disappointed that Drake didn't release More Life?" senior Mikael Mechal said. "Is that even a question?

Of course I was, I have been waiting on More Life for months now."

It is true that Drake has been delaying his newest project for months. In fact, the anticipation and wait began shortly prior to his 30th birthday.

He released two tracks, Two Birds, One Stone and Sneakin. Two Birds, One Stone takes shots at other artists Kid Cudi and Pusha T. This track saw a lot of attention due to his criticism of Kid Cudi's mental health.

Following that, a leaked release date of December 3 circulated until it was shot down by the OVO boss himself.

Drake commented under an Instagram photo announcing the date saying, "More Life More Chunes More Everything...just not on December 3."

Then, on his first stop in Europe on his Boy Meets World tour on Jan. 28, he told fans in Amsterdam that More Life would be out before his next stop there.

"I know we got three more shows in Amsterdam, but the best part of that is if you coming back to any more shows, More Life is gonna be out and we can do some whole new sh*t," Drake said to the crowd.

He stopped again in Amsterdam on Feb. 26 and More Life was still nowhere to be found. His next two stops in Amsterdam will be on Mar. 27-28 so hopefully fans will have the project by then.

The next release date was the previously mentioned March fourth, which brought more disappointment.

He teased this date by posting a photo on Instagram and then quickly removing it.

The post featured a hand written note that said, "If You're Translating This It's Too Late", in Swedish. It was signed "The Boy" and said "More Life March 4, 2017" under the signature.

So, the anticipation continues. Drake recently announced More Life would release on March 18, but it's hard to believe at this point.

"It's getting annoying," Mechal said. "He did this with Views too but come on man, it's childish."

Kanye West The Life of Pablo Kanye West's delay of his 2016 release, The Life of Pablo, is perhaps one of the craziest to date.

He changed the title of the project from Swish to Waves, and after heavy disapproval, changed it to The Life of Pablo.

This all occurred within a three year long wait for an album.

Chris Brown - X Chris Brown's X album got pushed back from releasing on Nov. 19, 2013 to Dec. 3, 2013.

In the end, it was delayed for good reasons.

That being the addition of five new songs to the album.

The project ended up being a Chris Brown fan favorite and held fans over for years until the release of Royalty.

Lil Wayne The Carter IV Lil Wayne's The Carter IV was originally slated for a June 2011 release, but got pushed back to Aug. 29, 2011.

Wayne's song "John" with Rick Ross not blowing up and his busy tour schedule were to blame.

On this project, he showed he still retained his impressive bars.

Lorde disappoints with new, lazy single Pop artist releases single prior to first album after a three year hiatus

BY JULIUS MILLER Entertainment Editor If someone were asked about Lorde today, they would either discuss her hit song Royals or ask who she was. It has been roughly three and a half years since Lorde last released her debut album, Pure Heroine.

Pure Heroine was a quality project that left fans impatient for her newest work. It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and sold 63,000 copies its first week.

It went on to go triple platinum. She recently reassured fans that she was in the process of making new music via Instagram.

"Give up on me if you want to! I write a record when I have enough special stories to tell, and it's all me, every melody every lyric, not some team who just start the machine up every eighteen months like clockwork," Lorde said. "The record is written, we're in the production stage now. I've worked like a dog for a year making this

thing great for you guys."

At last, her fans could breathe again.

Then, in February, Lorde appeared in a cryptic advertisement on television in New Zealand. It featured her in the back of a car eating chips and sipping on a milkshake.

This scene was followed by the date "3.2.17 NYC".

This turned out to be the date for the release of her new single, Green Light. At the same time she released Green Light, she also revealed the title of her new album via Instagram.

"Green Light is officially out in the world, and I am so pleased to share with you that this song is the first from my sophomore record, Melodrama," Lorde said.

Green Light was a below average single. It was highlighted by shaky lyricism, rough production, and a vibe that wasn't really reminiscent of the work fans all adored off of Pure Heroine. Overall, it was a bad first single.

Hopefully, she will be able to redeem herself by a second single or quality in the album. This sophomore album does have a lot of hype to live up to, being that it is following a three year hiatus of music by Lorde.

"I'm really excited for the new album," senior Maddy McCrossin said. "Pure Heroine was really good, specifically Royals."

Lorde released first single in three years, Green Light, off of her upcoming sophomore album.

20 WEEKEND

March 21, 2017

Staff Writer As the weather warms up and spring officially nears, cooler and more refreshing foods are becoming the go-to.

South Block Juice Co., located on Westmoreland St. in Arlington, has a wide variety of foods from acai bowls and acai smoothies to baked goods and breakfast.

The acai bowls feature exotic blends such as the Magic Dragon bowl, which consists of dragon fruit, coconut milk, agave, strawberries, mangos; or the peanut butter and jelly bowl, consisting of acai, peanut butter, bananas, blueberries, and almond milk.

The atmosphere of the smoothie shop is quite organic; large windows allowing for rays of sunlight to peer through, as well as long bamboo-blend tables for large groups to sit and socialize at. This makes for an enjoyable experience and setting for all types of gatherings, ranging from hanging out with a group or just one other person.

A long refrigerator is stocked full with various teas, coffees, chocolate and basic milks, parfaits and salads. It is nice to see where everything is kept and easier to browse and decide what to order.

The exterior of South Block. The smoothie/juice bar tries to offer the healthiest optiojns for food in a relaxed

PHOTO COURTESY OF TIMOTHY GRAY

BY TIMOTHY GRAY

Upon my visit, I ordered the peanut butter and jelly bowl. Not only did it taste like PB&J, but the various fruity flavors popped significantly.

The combination of the thick and flavorful smoothie, topped with granola, bananas and blueberries which excellently accented the flavor was certainly something else.

Not only do these bowls taste amazing, but they are extremely healthy and will have you feeling great afterwards.

I waited roughly 10 to 15 minutes for my bowl, and the employees were extremely friendly; as you d expect them to be at a place like this.

My single qualm with South Block is its menu. Its items tend to vary from location to location; and while all acai bowls and smoothies might remain constant, whether or not it sells sandwiches or other breakfast items is in question.

In my experience, the Arlington location does not sell breakfast sandwiches, and this was a disadvantage as a friend in our group planned on getting one rather than a bowl but was disappointed to find out they did not carry them.

Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives at South Block. I highly recommend going and getting a bowl for yourself, as they are simultaneously crafty, delicious and nutritious!

PHOTO COURTESY OF timothy gray

Smoothie bowl cafe offers a variety of creative, healthy snacks

PHOTO COURTESY OF

South block is the best place on the street

Rating for South Block: 8/10 Find South Block at 2121 N Westmoreland St. Arlington, VA Menu: www.southblockjuice.com The front of the store, which also sells Stumptown coffee.

An acai bowl filled with strawberries and banana.

Embrace the great outdoors this spring Hike the Billy Goat Trail Take advantage of the nice, new spring weather by treating yourself and some friends to the view at Great Falls. It's about a 25 minute drive, so not too bad, but definitely worth it. The hiking is undoubtedly the best in the area, with views of the huge waterfalls at the top, climbing on natural rocks alongside the Potomac River and great forest trails.

It is the perfect place to bring your friends, a football or frisbee, some food, and maybe even your dog to spend a nice day enjoying the outdoors. It has multiple different hikes within the park, the biggest and most popular being The Billy Goat Trail.

"I like the Billy Goat Trail because it is really hard but still fun and I feel good afterwards," senior Diego Loving said.

The trail is about four hours long, and can get rigorous at some points, so make sure you are prepared. Don't forget water on the trip, because you'll be tired!

Enjoying sports outside

"I like hiking at Great Falls with my friends because seeing the waterfalls at the top is so cool."

"When the weather is nice I like to go to Holmes and lax it up cause I live right by it."

DIEGO LOVING

MADIE WALSH

senior

Take a trip to the National Zoo

The nice weather is the perfect time to grab a ball, lacrosse stick, baseball glove or whatever you please, and hit the local fields and courts for some sports.

Grab some friends and head to the local spots such as Mason District Park, Audrey Moore Recenter/Wakefield Park, Holmes Middle School or Ossian Hall Park.

Get some friends and go play a pickup game, bring your dog and some music to work alone, or even try going for a run.

"Playing lacrosse on the weekends is a ton of fun, especially when I bring my dog with me," senior Madie Walsh said.

The spring time is a great time to take advantage of the weather to get some exercise, and to finish it off, go grab a smoothie at Tropical Smoothie in Alexandria.

You earned it!

senior

Eat at D.C. and Georgetown

The Smithsonian National Zoo is a great place to enjoy the nice weather.

Famous for their panda exhibit, the large zoo has many animals from all over the world making it an attraction for anyone that enjys wildlife. The zoo is organized by parts of the world, so you can go see animals from any region you would like as you get to pick and choose.

"My favorite animal at the zoo is definintely the otter," senior Tran Nuyen said. Make sure to make this trip, but don't feed the animals!

Georgetown and D.C. are both great places to take some friends when the weather gets nice. Going to the water at Georgetown is a lot of fun, and make sure to bring some cupcakes there too from the famous Georgetown Cupcake. Paddle boarding is another activity they offer which you can do at the Potomac River.

Make sure you really want to do this and are a good swimmer, because paddle boarding is hard and you may fall. D.C. also has a lot of fun activities, such as museums and fancy restaurants, like Zaytinya and Oyamel.

Both areas will have a lot of walking, and may

"I like the zoo because it gives me a flashback to my childhood and reminds me of when I was a kid"

"My favorite thing about going to Georgetown is eating Georgetown Cupcakes."

TRAN NUYEN senior

VERA MILLER freshman

Class of 2017 Bulletin

99

Days until graduation

To-do list: March Edition Make sure to check your acceptances!

Go watch the spring sports win!

Find a date for prom!

Junior Janice Milian running at an outdoor track meet.