Issue 6

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019 Vol. 64 Issue #6

Annandale High School’s

THE A BLAST

“NEW SEASON” The girls soccer teams prepare for a new season as tryouts begin.

Informing the Atoms since 1954

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

PTSA holds online auction for grad party

SPORTS 17

Keys, please!

BY KIMBERLY LAURA Co-Editor in Chief The PTSA will hold their third online auction to benefit All Night Grad. The two previous auctions were successful raising over $4,000 in each auction.

“Expenses for an All Night Grad celebration for over 400 students are enormous,” Online Auction Coordinator Kate Scrivener said. “Ticket sales to seniors do help defray some costs, but the goal is to try and keep ticket prices affordable so that all seniors can attend. This auction is one way to raise money for this event.”

The online auction will take place on Bidding Owl. Those who are interested in bidding must create an account on Bidding Owl. The website and auction will be regularly updated as the PTSA receives new donations and bids.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JUDE NANAW

“Expenses for an All Night Grad celebration for over 400 students are enormous.”

--KATE SCRIVENER

Online Auction Coordinator

The auction will begin at 12 p.m. on March 16 and close at 12 p.m. on March 30. The winning bidders can pick up their items from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday, March 30 at AHS. The PTSA is currently accepting donations for their online auction. They are looking for gift cards, small to large gifts and other gifts that could be auctioned. If interested in donating auction items, contact the PTSA through AHSPTSA.auction@gmail.com.

“We reach out to local and national businesses. We seek donations of gift cards, products and services,” Scrivener said.

A few items that have been donated to for the auction include: entry tickets to Mt. Vernon and the State Theatre, etc.

In addition to the auction, the PTSA has organized a fund raiser that began Oct. 1 and will continue until March 31 at any Glory Days Grill location.

Receipts from Glory Days Grill can be turned in at the front office and 10% of the total purchased will go towards the All Night Grad.

All Night Grad will be held on Thursday, June 6 at 10:30 p.m. to Friday, June 5 at 5 a.m. at Audrey Moore RECenter. Only 2019 AHS Grads are allowed to attend and doors close at 12:30 a.m.

Tickets are currently $35 until Feb. 28 and will rise to $45 through June 3. Tickets will cost $60 at the door.

Those with free or reduced lunch can buy their tickets for $20. Tickets can be ordered online or at the front office.

Senior James Gore commutes to school and back by driving. He is among the many teen drivers who have a school parking permit and at times, rides with friends.

BY JUDE JUD UDE E NANAW NANA NA NAW W Co-Editor in Chief It is one of the biggest moments for teenagers growing up and a major key in the transition from adolescence to adulthood, learning how to drive.

Despite the percentage of high school seniors with a driver’s license declining in recent years, getting a license is still a very exciting achievement for many.

For senior James Gore, as he inserts the key into the ignition slot of his 2013 Mustang convertible, he thinks about freedoms that were previously unthinkable before he earned his license and then his own car.

“Before I had my car, I had to mostly rely on either one of my parents to pick me up and drop me off,” Gore said. “Now that I have my own car, I am able to get myself from point A to point B without having to depend on anybody else.”

For teens such as Gore, being able to drive to school comes with many benefits. Many students often stay after school for extended periods of time for various extracurricular activities such as clubs and sports.

“I stay after school really late into the day sometimes since I play

Teenagers revel in first-time freedom lacrosse,” Gore said. “I also have to make-up and retake tests and quizzes after school on some days so having a car is just really convenient.”

Driving to school provides advantages for students who take academy classes as well. Students enrolled in academy courses often have to transit from AHS to different schools that provide their course of choice.

Senior Samir Hossain is enrolled in Social Media Marketing, a class not available at AHS, thus resulting in him having to attend the course at Fairfax High School. Students who take academy courses leave school during the period in which their class is taking place. These students have the option of taking a school bus to their class or driving themselves.

“Being enrolled in an academy class junior and senior year, I can say that the transportation was a hassle last year,” Hossain said. “I had to take the bus most of the time which caused for me to be a little late to class or too early sometimes.”

Having the availability of a car

at school allows students enrolled in academy courses to drive themselves to and from class.

“Now having a car my senior year, I drive myself to Fairfax for my social media class,” Hossain. “It just eases the process because I don’t have to wait on the bus anymore and I actually end up having some free time in between academy and getting back to school.”

When it comes to driving to school, most students park their vehicles at Ossian Hall Park. Parking passes for the school year generally cost $200 and are reduced progressively at the end of each quarter. Students are able to purchase passes year round from the main office.

However, students who do not purchase a parking pass and park their cars on school grounds anyway face having to pay parking tickets. Earlier in the school year, many students believed that this rule was unfair as they thought the prices were unreasonable.

“I think that the prices for the

Teacher’s family proposes legislation Partition walls in schools pose safety risk to children

“I think that we need to do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen to any other family.”

BY JUDE NAWAW Co-Editor in Chief

--MARK SICKLES

House of Delegates (43rd District)

NBC NEWS 4

The family of Wesley Lipicky, the nine-year-old boy who died when a partition at Franconia Elementary School crushed him last May, is taking action to prevent another tragedy from taking place.

Lipicky was in the gym at the school when a motorized room partition was opened. Lipicky was caught between the partition and a wall and suffered serious traumatic head injuries and passed away later at a hospital the same night.

Wesley is the son of Adapted Physical Education teacher Amy Lipicky.

The language of bill states that it prohibits school employees from opening or closing an electronic room partition in any school building except under certain limited circumstances.

HB 1753, the bill introduced in the Virginia House of Delegates by Del. Mark Sickles of Fairfax, unanimously passed every committee in the House and then passed the full House vote by a margin of 99-0.

Generally speaking, the legislation requires for extensive training of anyone who is permitted to operate the partitions. Guidelines will be stipulated by the Department of Education.

“The biggest thing in the whole bill is that it will require sensors for the partitions that are non-contact sensing devices,” Sallie Dievendorf, the grandmother of Lipicky said. “That will stop

FCPS schools with motorized room partitions There are hundreds of electronic partitions located in schools all across Fairfax County including schools with close proximity to AHS such as North Springfield and Thomas Jefferson. and reverse the operation of any panel if it detects a body between the panel and another approaching panel or the wall.”

Upon the passage of the legislation, in the absence of sensors, partitions can only be operated if there are no children in the building. They can also be operated if the area or door is secured and locked so that students cannot gain entry to the area during the operation.

“I am pleased at this point in the process,” Dievendorf said. “It took a lot of

people six months, to get to this point.”

The bill is currently in the Virginia State Senate after unanimously passing every House Committee as well as the full floor vote.

In addition, the bill has also unanimously passed one of the committees in the senate and will need to be read a total of three times before it can advance for a full floor vote in the senate.

After this, the bill can be signed by

the governor which is expected to take place at some point in April as the passage of the bill in the senate is expected.

“I think that this is a huge step in achieving safety with partitions in schools as far as children are involved,” Dievendorf said. “I personally would like to see sensors that would protect operators and adults as well.”

At AHS, there are not any electronic partitions, but rather only manual ones. However, schools near AHS such as North Springfield Elementary School and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. There are hundreds of more partitions present around the rest of FCPS. Once the bill is signed into law, individual school districts must to choose between purchasing sensors or only operating partitions when there is absolutely no way there could be children in the locked area.

“It was easy, ultimately, to have the bill passed with the choices that were available,” Dievendorf said. “Children will be protected and that was my goal.”

Scan here to read Josh Lipicky’s tribute to his son, Wesley.

parking ridiculous,” p rki pa king g passes p sses are rid pa idiiculous,” l ” senior senior i Hlina Wondwossen said. “There is absolutely no reason to charge high school students $200 to park in a spot which is minutes away from the school. It frustrates me that they want us to pay to come to school.”

However, prices are not determined by AHS, but rather by Fairfax County. Outside of Ossian Hall Park, there are parking areas around the school that are considered public and available for students.

“There is parking in the neighborhood, such as the church, that students can legally park at,” School Resource Officer Adam Curcio said.

“There are a couple of zones in the area that are public or free parking where students can park if it works out with their schedule.”

More often than not, the process of learning how to drive begins in Driver’s Ed class. At AHS, Driver’s Education is administered as a quarterlong course where students are taught both road safety and rules as well as driving skills.

Students are also provided with an official DMV handbook in preparation for the learner’s permit exam.

“The most beneficial part of Driver’s Ed is getting the driver’s manual CONT. Page 5

After school meals offered

BY JUDE NANAW Co-Editor in Chief FCPS’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services recently announced a sponsorship of the At-Risk After School Meals Program.

The new program will provide a meal or snack to any student at participating schools who are staying after school.

A start date for the program has yet to be announced by the county.

Meals will be provided at a total of over 30 schools including AHS and multiple middle schools in the area such Holmes, Poe and Glasgow.

The same meals that will be provided after school will also be available at no separate charge to all participants at each site upon request.

The program is a part of the Child and Adult Care Food Program which is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and administered by the Virginia Department of Education’s Child and Adult Care Food Program.

This is yet another step that AHS is participating in to ensure that all students are receiving proper nutrition through meals.

Also implemented earlier this year was the second-chance breakfast opportunity which allows students to get breakfast in between the 15-minute break

2 EDITORIALS

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

The state of the Democratic party in 2020

Strong Contenders: Kamala Harris, former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Senator Elizabeth Warren all announced their commitment to the 2020 election.

Democrats need to get in touch with their base if they want to beat Trump

BY ELIAS MOURA Editorials Editor The 2020 presidential race is on.

With the Iowa caucus just a year away, the race is wide open. Among other candidates, President Donald Trump stands alone.

Trump held his first 2020 campaign rally on Feb. 11 in El Paso, Texas. There was a huge attendance for the President, who is entering his third year of office.

Thousands of people attended, with Trump giving a speech to remember.

Fresh off a successful State of the Union, Trump begins where he left off and calls for improved border security.

Trump will have a good chance against the imploding Democratic party.

More and more Democrats are coming out and announcing their campaigns for President. Big names such as former, Sen. Kamala Harris, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced their campaigns recently.

However, the Democratic party is increasingly becoming divided and more radical. Being a moderate in the race would put you at a disadvantage as the progressive base won’t stand for it. Each candidate has to stand out more than the other, which would require them to step out of the norm and be outgoing.

With the radicalness of the left being more publicized, more people are being exposed to other views. Many Democrats are in the hot seat at the moment, such as Virginia governor Ralph Northam.

Bernie Sanders while being popular

among the younger demographic, is considered by many, a socialist with extremely radical viewpoints. Kamala Harris, an African American female senator from California. She, like many other candidates, gained support by coming out and issuing change to many policies.

The age of these candidates has become increasingly younger which would appeal to the younger generations. All of these Democratic candidates will have to battle against each other in the primaries to come out as a Presidential nominee. However, a tough primaries battle would leave the nominee weakened for the general election. The Democratic party should steer away from constantly nitpicking and instead remind their voter base why

Annandale location is set to open in late 2019

BY THOMAS RAY Copy Editor

COURTESY OF CHICK FIL A

BY ABEL SAMSON Staff Writer

Chick-Fil-A is considered by many as America’s most popular fast food chain with over 2,200 restaurants nationwide. customers per day and 800 to go through the drive-thru. It will employ around 75 people with operating hours from 6am to 10pm. “I think I would go to Chick-fil-A every single day if it gets built here,” sophomore Glory Nseka said. “It’s my favorite restaurant and they serve actual real chicken, unlike other restaurants in the area.”

This new Chick-fil-A restaurant has caused a lot of buzz in school by students, both in a positive and negative way. “It’s very convenient to have a Chick-Fil-A near our school,” senior Reade Sherrif said. “It is my favorite restaurant and a school favorite. We won’t have to drive 15 minutes to eat there anymore.”

The closest Chick-fil-A to Annandale is the one in Backlick Shopping Center,

which is not too far of a drive but can be a factor for some people without any type of transportation.

Some students also believe that adding the restaurant so close to the school can cause a huge problem with traffic and population increasing in the area. “I don’t like the idea of having it near school because traffic would increase dramatically,” senior Blanca Rodriguez said. “It could make getting to school a lot harder for most people that don’t walk to school.”

Things like this should be taken into consideration before the venue is built, and it is crazy to think that such a small restaurant can cause such a big impact on a school.

The top three in our Commonwealth should resign.

Recently, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam made headlines regarding a radical pro-choice comment said during an interview.

Just two days later, journalists reported on a racist image on Northam’s medical school yearbook page. After admitting to wearing blackface on one separate occasion, Northam’s Lieutenant Governor was accused a second time of sexual assault. The commonwealth attorney didn’t escape the strong arm of justice as he admitted to wearing blackface as well. It is clear that the top three are not fit to serve and they all happen to be Democrats. Is there a correlation?

On Jan. 30, Northam was responding to questions from reporters asking about his support for a then-proposed bill to reduce the restrictions on late-term abortions.

“If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered,” Northam said. “The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.”

Although the question was strictly about the procedure itself, Northam, who is a pediatric neurologist, obviously felt qualified enough to answer.

In short, Northam is clearly advocating for the ability of mothers to decide to abort their children after birth. The age-old defense

MANAGING EDITOR Casey Nguyen NEWS EDITOR Jude Nanaw Kim Laura

ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Cameron Foti Christian Reyes Matthew Dinh Ayman Elhag

AD MANAGER Ethan Zimmerman

ADVISER Alan Weintraut

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Kayla Holcomb

LIFESTYLES EDITOR Maryam Dereje

CIRCULATION MANAGER Ethan Zimmerman

Annandale High School Vol 64. Issue No. 6 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003

PEOPLE EDITOR Jamie Hamadeh

STAFF WRITERS Ladan Abdi Robin Han Jasmin Harris Bismaa Khan Fatima Mohamed Marian Osman Manoucher Precht Thonny Anwar Dilan Yousif Ivanna Perez Mia Antezana Garcia Jane Elkins Tyler Plank Abel Samson Patrick Brown Eyob Dagnachew Shyeim Campbell Jacqueline Claros Lopez Abraham Kebrom

EDITORIALS EDITORS Elias Moura Luke Elkins

ARTS EDITOR Galilea Sejas

COPY EDITOR Thomas Ray

INTERNATIONAL EDITOR Yabi Bereket

IN-DEPTH EDITORS Suad Mohamed Henry Hoang

HEALTH EDITOR Manny Precht

SPORTS EDITORS Alex Burita Eric Rivas-Martinez SPORTS X-TRA EDITORS Fares Ayoub Adam Shawish WEEKEND EDITOR Katie Pope

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Jessica Salisbury ACADEMICS EDITOR Khadija Ahmed SPANISH EDITOR Frances Montevilla SPANISH ADVISER Mauren Hunt WEB EDITOR/MASTER Victor Nguyen

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

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of Democrats and Pro-Choicers, that abortions are permitted if the mother’s life is in danger, is no longer valid as the child can no longer be a threat to the mother’s health after they are born.

Governor Northam made headlines just a few days later following the revelation of a 1984 Eastern Virginia Medical School yearbook photo of two individuals, one was wearing a Klan hood, and the other was wearing “blackface,” on his yearbook page.

Northam apologized and acknowledged that he was in the photo. Later in the day, the Virginia Black Legislative Caucus and many high-profile Democrats called for his resignation.

Governor Northam contradicted his previous states by adamantly denying his presence in the photos on Feb. 2nd.

Just after promising to stay in office, Northam admits to wearing blackface to look like Michael Jackson for a dance contest.

Northam’s initial apology should be enough for him to resign and for him to admit to wearing blackface on a completely separate occasion is simply disgusting.

Although it seems unlikely that the Governor would resign willingly, if that were to happen, his replacement, Lt Gov. Justin Fairfax is a young and fairly inexperienced politician who faces multiple sexual misconduct allegations.

Fairfax denied the allegations better than his potential predecessor simply by not changing his statement two or three times.

The Democrat’s delirious preaching for the protection and unconditional belief of a accuser suddenly disappeared.

Many are wondering when the double standard will end along with Gov Northam, Lt Gov Fairfax, and Atty Gen Herring.

Monthly Poll

THE A BLAST STAFF CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF Jude Nanaw Kim Laura

the Democratic primaries were just as polarizing as the general election.

With rampant mudslinging and controversies, the top two contenders, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders made a scene at each debate appearance.

Many young Democrats were unhappy of the treatment Sen. Sanders received from Clinton. This early on interparty polarization may have been what caused the Democrats the Presidency.

The same was seen on the Republican side; however, Trump brought in a whole slew of supporters from outside the party. This election cycle, Republicans will most likely support their President and each other, putting aside differences and refraining from the liberal standard of false and personal attacks.

Governor Northam needs to resign

Chick-Fil-A excites students The popular chicken chain restaurant Chick-fil-A is officially coming to the city of Annandale. They plan to construct a 4,400-square-foot restaurant with dual drive thru lanes and outdoor seating at 7120 Little River Turnpike.

Most of the city will be happy with this plan to add the restaurant, since it is a fan favorite and known as one of the most popular places to eat.

The establishment was formerly a shop named Antiques and Art Emporium, which was sold in June for $2.5 million. Very little to no landscaping exists on the property, and with the Chick-fil-A proposal, the site will be revitalized and improved with landscaping, open space, and an attractive building design.

The restaurant is scheduled to be constructed by late 2019 to early 2020.

Students are excited to see a change in what they eat in the area and how it will affect their community.

Chick-fil-A is an American fast food restaurant chain, specializing in chicken sandwiches. There are over 2,200 restaurants across the globe, primarily in the United States.

In Oct. 2017, The Annandale Blog covered the plight of vendors in the Antiques and Art Emporium, who were forced out of the establishment due to the building being declared unsafe by the Fairfax County fire marshal. In the comment section in the blog, a person had posted: “This needs to be something more useful! Like a chick-fil-a!” Perhaps this comment is the reason we are getting the restaurant.

The new restaurant expects 500

they should support their party. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz was a pronounced Democrat, but the recent radicalness of the party caused him to disassociate himself with them and to run his own independent party.

This doesn’t mean the Democrats will perform poorly and the Republicans cannot overlook anything. The election will still require a good candidate to come against President Trump.

Around 30 Democratic candidates came out saying they’re ready to run in the election, which is even more than in 2016. The sheer number of competitors alone will hinder one person’s ability to come out in a strong manner. This is reminiscent of the 2016 elections regarding the Democrats seemingly unorganized party. In 2016,

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

27 people voted 37% said that they prefer eating at Chipotle.

48% said that they prefer eating at Chick-Fil-A.

7% said that they prefer eating at Panera Bread.

8% said that they prefer eating at Tropical Smoothie.

HEMEN BESUFEKAD senior “I like to eat at ChickFil-A because I love how good their customer service is. They really try to appease the customer and the food they serve is better than most other places.”

CORT HOLLIS senior “I like food like Chiptole, however, I prefer Qdoba because they have a good deal for students on Tuesday. It is also a good move with the boys.”

EDITORIALS 3

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

The media should wait to cover sexual assault allegations

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LUKE ELKINS

BY LUKE ELKINS Editorials Editor

WASTE OF A VOTE As the polarization between Republicans and Democrats continues to grow, is a third party candidate a realistic solution to this problem?

BY LUKE ELKINS Editorials Editor Republicans and Democrats are more and more isolated by the day, and an increasing number of Americans feel left out. A poll by Gallup discovered that only 39% of Americans have a favorable opinion of how the two main parties are leading America, and 43 % of Americans call themselves “independent.”

But will this change anything at all in the political process?

The debate over third party candidates was reignited after former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced he was considering running as an independent in the 2020 election.

He received abuse from both Democrats and Republicans as Michael Bloomberg said “an independent would just split the anti-Trump vote” and Donald Trump said “Howard Schultz doesn’t have the guts to run for President!”

“I think the U.S. has such a strong history of two parties that has made it impossible for third party candidates to really have a chance of winning.

Maybe at the local level [they could against third parties. win],” Government teacher Kellie Burke For one, each U.S. state has their said. “For a third party candidate to own ballot access laws that determine be successful it would have to take an who may appear on the ballots. These implosion of one of the main parties, laws are supposed to prevent numerous or continued local success. I think it’s candidates from being on the ballots, unlikely for a third party candidate leading to splitting the votes of similarly to win a seat in minded voters, Congress or the yet this type of presidency.” election goes “I don’t think This two party fine in other system is really I could ever countries like a uniquity to the vote for a France, Brazil United States. and Spain.

Most democratic third party The 1974 countries have more candidate.

Federal Election than two parties. In Campaign Act is Israel, for example, Voting for another obstacle twelve parties or a third party candidate for third parties. party alliances Third parties feels like a useless vote.” held seats in the are only eligible national legislature. to receive public --IZZUDEEN YAHIA Japan has several after senior funds major parties, the November including the Liberal Democratic Party, election and then only if they appear the Democratic Party of Japan, the New on the ballot in at least ten states Komeito, and the Japanese Communist and obtain at least five percent of the Party. It’s different in the U.S. because national popular vote are they allowed the whole election system is set up to continue to the general election.

New proposal to increase smoking age to 21

BY JANE ELKINS Staff Writer Everyone knows about the recent “Vape Epidemic” that has invaded high schools all over the country. It’s not really surprising that new legislation was proposed to raise the legal age to consume tobacco from 18 to 21. But this proposal is not the right solution.

The proposal first passed the Virginia Senate on Jan. 29 on a lopsided 32-to-8 vote and then passed the Virginia House on Feb. 11 on a 66-to-30 vote. The bill now goes to Gov. Ralph Northam, a former pediatrician, who as a state senator led a successful effort to ban smoking in Virginia restaurants.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report this week that 4.9 million middle and high school students were current users of some type of tobacco product in 2018, up from 3.6 million in 2017. Almost 21 percent of middle and high school aged students have tried e-cigarettes.

Although statistics do show an increased amount vaping and e-cigarette use in the past year, I don’t think raising the age will prevent teens from picking up the habit.

During the 1990s, for example, three communities in Massachusetts

implemented a vigorous enforcement campaign against under-age tobacco sales. Advocates promised teen smoking would fall sharply when it became harder to buy cigarettes.

The result, according to a two-year study by medical school researchers, it is a failure. Strict enforcement of minimum-age laws did make it so fewer stores sold tobacco to minors. But surveys of high school students in those same communities revealed no effect on the ability of teens to get tobacco products and no reduction in the prevalence of smoking. In fact, there was an increase in teenage smoking compared with nearby communities that hadn’t cracked down.

All this just comes to show that making the legal age higher will just create a black market for it and kids in high school who are buying these tobacco products are already receiving it illegally.

This also shows hypocrisy in the sense that once you turn 18, you are a legal adult and are fully accountable for your decisions. You can vote, work, get married, and serve in the military, but drinking and smoking are illegal? To me, this doesn’t make much sense.

In fact, if the drinking age and smoking age are a milestone that people obtain at 18, it would create a controlled environment for these habits

instead of at hostile conditions like at parties. And let’s face it, no one really waits until 21. A 2011 study by The Partnership at Drugfree.org showed that the average age at which teens had their first drink was 14.

People do argue that having the drinking age at 18 would cause a spike in underage drinking because it would making alcohol consumption “less of a big deal” because of its accessibility.

However, thinking of it as “less of a big deal” can be a good thing. That means alcohol would have lost its mysterious appeal.

The same idea with tobacco products, it would be “more mysterious.” It would create a greater appeal to teens because of its illegality.

With this change in law, the U.S. would mirror other countries.

According to International Center for Alcohol Policies, the U.S. is one of a small number of countries to have a minimum drinking age of 21; almost all the rest have drinking ages ranging from 16 to 20.

At 18, we deserve the right truly to be full-fledged adults and make our own decisions. Whether it is drinking or smoking, we should be able to choose what we do with our bodies, internally and externally. We do not need the law to baby us any longer.

MAKIN’ THE GRADE El Chapo going to SuperMax prison

A B C F

A final reason is a lack of media coverage. The media hypes up Republican and Democratic candidates and barely covers third parties. Donald Trump received the support he did because of the extensive TV time the media gave him.

The reality is third party candidates will probably not be able to carve out a significant role in the U.S. government beyond raising important issues for major political parties to address. Anything beyond this is pretty challenging considering the lack of a platform they receive.

“I don’t think I could ever vote for a third party candidate. Voting for a third party candidate feels like a useless vote,” senior Izzudeen Yahia said. “They end up finishing millions of votes behind anyway.”

All third parties combined received about 5% of the total vote during the 2016 election. It seems likely this percentage won’t change in 2020, even amid a growing number of Americans who are unhappy with current leadership.

Major political sexual assault cases have been all over the news recently. Justin Fairfax, lieutenant governor of Virginia, is currently facing sexual assault allegations dating to his college years in the early 2000s from two different women. In September, Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh faced allegations from Christine Blasey Ford about an alleged sexual assault that occurred during high school. The two cases have striking similarities, and both have been extensively covered in the news.

However, both cases should never have received the attention they did.

First off, each case is one opinion against another. Each case occurred quite a while ago, there is a lack of evidence for either side. The case becomes a back and forth of accusations of who did what, leading to ad hominem arguments.

Secondly, when allegations are blown to the proportions that the Fairfax and Kavanaugh cases were, both the victims and defendant are tormented with abuse. Victims are harassed online and are accused of being liars and making up a story.

Defendants are attacked by people calling them a rapist and receive tons of slander. The defendant also suffers from a permanently damaged reputation, whether or not the allegation is true.

Cases on sexual assault should ot be covered until there is sufficient evidence for a proper verdict. Accusations that are overblown by the media that create a scene are helpful to no one and solely create controversy.

When the media waits until there is a verdict, it takes away unnecessary attention and allows outrage to be directed fairly. In the cases of Fairfax and Kavanaugh, they would only receive criticism after the appropriate verdict was found, and the victims would receive support after the truth is appropriately found out.

Late term abortion controversy

BY CAROLYN LEMENS Special to The A-Blast In Virginia and New York, new debates have been sparked over legislation that would increase access to abortions in late-term pregnancies.

Both bills, discussed in state legislatures, would make it easier for women facing serious health risks for themselves or their unborn fetus to get an abortion in the second or third trimester.

The bill passed in New York allows women to receive a late-term abortion if her life was at risk, or if the fetus is not able to survive outside of the womb. In the bill proposed in Virginia, the time frame to get an abortion would remain the same, but the number of doctors required to sign off on the abortion would be reduced from 3 to 1.

Many right wing politicians falsely peddled accusations of infanticide, with President Donald Trump claiming, “Democrats are also pushing extreme late-term abortion, allowing children to be ripped from their mother’s womb right up until the moment of birth,” at a campaign rally in El Paso, Texas.

This claim is not only a scare tactic, but it is also patently false. Neither of these bills allows infanticide or the

killing of already born children. They simply make it easier for struggling women, often who face severe danger to their own health, to access healthcare that would save their lives. Despite the ongoing debate, late-term abortion itself is already extremely rare, according to the Centers for Disease Control, making up only about 1% of all abortions performed in the US. Women have been allowed to have late-term abortions when there is a risk to the mother’s health since 1975 in Virginia, and this bill does not change that. It simply makes it easier for people to access this life-saving medical treatment. For example, women in rural areas already have decreased access to healthcare, and requiring three doctors to sign off on an abortion makes it even harder for them to access life-saving treatment. The current law poses further limitations on a right that has been guaranteed by the Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade, under the guise of the US Constitution. We should continue to uphold this right with the same vigor that is used to defend rights like free speech or the right to privacy.

Even though this type of abortion is used with such a small percentage of women, they are life-saving procedures that all women should have access to as a standard of basic health care.

Cartoonist Corner

Drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán twice escaped from Mexican prisons in the last two decades. Now under control of American authorities, he’s likely headed to a SuperMax prison in Colorado with the worst of the worst prisoners and terrorists. No one has ever escaped from the prison, where all 400 inmates spend up to 23 hours a day alone in 7-by-12-foot concrete, soundproofed cells.

Amazon cancels NYC headquarters plans Amazon has canceled its plans to build an additional headquarters in New York, leaving Arlington, VA as its sole pick for HQ2. Their new second headquarters will be in the Crystal City neighborhood of Arlington, close to the D.C. area and CEO Jeff Bezos’s house. The new HQ will add a lot of job possibilities in the NOVA area, but it may disrupt housing and transit in the area as well.

3rd quarter begins After a stressful last couple weeks in the second quarter, the first semester ended and now students and teachers have to get ready for a whole new semester. The third quarter is often considered the hardest quarter by many as classes begin to prepare for the final exams, SOLs and IB tests at the end of the year, so teachers and students will need to buckle down and get ready to work hard.

Even as Congress passed a bill ending the shutdown on Feb. 14, the fact that it was able to go so long was ridiculous. The shutdown lasted 35 days, with a partial agreement that bridged the gap to an official agreement. The level of partisanship in the government right now is something that needs to be addressed, and representatives need to put the needs of America ahead of their own interests.

KORA COKER

Government shutdown

4 NOTICIAS DESTACADAS

Miércoles, Febrero 20, 2019

Estudiante inmigrante de AHS relata su experiencia de asimilación en América POR FRANCES MONTEVILLA Editor de Noticias

BRENDA HUAMANI

Según el presentador de noticias de NBC, Tom Brokaw, los hispanoamericanos no están haciendo un buen trabajo al asimilar al estilo de vida estadounidense. Dijo que los inmigrantes deberían “trabajar más duro en la asimilación” y “asegurarse de que todos sus hijos hablen inglés.” El problema con esta afirmación es que Brokaw no es un inmigrante que ha tenido que adaptarse a un idioma, cultura y estilo de vida completamente diferentes.

Para la estudiante Gabriela Alarcón, esta declaración fue muy personal para ella, ya que hace unos cuatro años, a la edad de 13 años, ella y su familia llegaron a los Estados Unidos desde el país latinoamericano de Colombia.

Cuando trataba de Junior Gabriela Alarcón, nacida en Colombia, lee el libro “Crónica de una muerte anunciada” de Gabriel García Márquez en la clase aprender inglés, Alarcón de literatura en inglés. parecía adaptarse rápidamente al idioma. “No que llegué aquí, pero todavía hablan inglés o hablan inglés fue extremadamente difícil aprendí y desarrollé la mayor bastante bien. Esto indica aprender inglés para mí parte de mi inglés en los que, a diferencia de lo que dijo porque estaba muy dedicado Estados Unidos.”

Brokaw, los hispanos pueden a ello y contaba con el apoyo De acuerdo con los datos adaptarse a la lengua a un de mi familia que ya vivía recopilados en un estudio ritmo más rápido de lo que aquí,” dijo Alarcón. “También realizado por Pew Research generalmente se espera. tuve una clase de inglés en Center en 2014, el 88% de los Según el mismo estudio Colombia que me ayudó con hispanos de 5 a 17 años solo realizado por Pew Research las cosas básicas una vez

Center en 2014, el 77% de los hispanos entre las edades de 18 a 35 años creen que, de acuerdo con las partes centrales del Sueño Americano, la mayoría de las personas que desean tener éxito pueden hacerlo si está dispuesta a hacer el trabajo duro.

Alarcón actualmente está tomando varias clases de BI, incluyendo literatura en inglés, historia de las Américas y lengua y literatura en español.

Además, participa en varias actividades extracurriculares, tales como la cross country y el atletismo, la compañía de teatro de Annandale, la Sociedad Honoraria Nacional, la Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica y Misión Posible.

“Estaba luchando para adaptarme al sistema de los Estados Unidos, pero no una vez que había desarrollado mi inglés”, dijo Alarcón con respecto a cómo se sentía cuando llegó a Estados Unidos.

La asimilación no es fácil para la mayoría de inmigrantes, de hecho, generalmente requiere sacrificio y dedicación para poder “integrar bien” con los nativos del país. A pesar de los comentarios de Tom Brokaw sobre la incapacidad de los hispanos para asimilarse bien, Gabriela Alarcón es un ejemplo de cómo se equivoca.

ICE engaña a los inmigrantes ilegales que buscan una educación universitaria POR FRANCES MONTEVILLA Escritor de Personal Los estudiantes del duodécimo grado están a poco más de la mitad del último año. Además de graduarse de la escuela secundaria, comienzan a pensar en su futuro: ¿debo ir a la universidad?

Ahora, en última instancia, esto puede ser una decisión difícil para muchos, considerando que también podrían tomar la ruta de entrar directamente en la fuerza laboral. Además, el estrés de postularse a las universidades puede ser estresante y riguroso porque implica escribir ensayos, obtener recomendaciones de los maestros y obtener una transcripción.

El proceso es, en última instancia, el más difícil para

los inmigrantes ilegales, la mayoría de los cuales vienen a los Estados Unidos por la razón exacta de obtener una educación universitaria para tener una vida mejor que la de sus padres. En la ciudad de Farmington, Michigan, había una universidad llamada la University of Farmington, que aparentemente se veía bien y lo suficientemente decente para postularse. Los solicitantes recibieron una gran sorpresa al enterarse que la universidad no tendría clases, ni estudiantes, ni profesores; era simplemente una trampa.

El 31 de enero, se reveló que aquellos que soñaban con obtener una educación universitaria en la Universidad de Farmington fueron decepcionados por el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE), que estableció esta

universidad falsa con agentes encubiertos que trabajan con el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional.

Lo que hizo que la universidad pareciera real fue que tenía un sitio web en ejecución que incluía el programa de la universidad, el precio de la matrícula y la información de contacto, con un número de teléfono que conducía a una casilla de correo de voz para la “oficina de admisiones.”

De acuerdo con Detroit Free Press, para poder estudiar en EE. UU., los estudiantes deben obtener ciertas visas y aprobaciones de universidades autorizadas por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional. Una vez que reciben una visa, deben permanecer inscritos y progresar para obtener un título. Si no lo hacen, se verán obligados a abandonar los Estados Unidos

en 60 días.

Según The Independent, los estudiantes que presentaron la solicitud, la mayoría de los cuales provenían de la India, sabían que estaban solicitando una “universidad falsa”, ya que estaban pagando para que pareciera que estaban matriculados en universidades para permanecer en el país por más tiempo.

En una entrevista con Detroit Free Press, el Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Este de Michigan, Matthew Schneider, dijo: “Todos somos conscientes de que los estudiantes internacionales pueden ser miembros valiosos de nuestro país, pero como muestra este caso, el programa de visa estudiantil internacional, aunque bien intencionado, el programa también puede ser explotado y abusado.”

¿Deberían haber límites sobre en qué tiempo y lugares ICE puede arrestar a los inmigrantes ilegales?

ERIC ALCANTARA freshman “Sí , siento que debería limitarse a la situación y si estaban conscientes de lo que estaban haciendo o no.”

ALEJANDRO ERAZO GUTIERREZ sophomore “Sí, creo que deberían haber límites sobre donde los oficiales de ICE pueden andar porque pueden interrumpir la paz en lugares públicos.”

ALEJANDRA FERRUFINO-RIVAS junior “Sí, porque la mayoría está buscando un estilo de vida mejor. Es triste e injusto que el estatus migratorio tenga que contar para que alguien tome la oportunidad de tomarlo.”

ANDREW SILVERA junior “Sí, porque la gente debería arriesgarse cuando se les ofrece.

La gente está tentada a tomarlo porque les gustaría tener un futuro mejor y es más difícil con alguien tratando de detenerlos.”

OMAR AVENDANO junior “Sí, porque ICE tiene la habilidad de arrestar a cualquier persona en cualquier lugar y tiene que haber un límite para esto para que no abusen de su poder.”

JOHANNA HUARACHI senior “Sí, creo que en ciertos casos, el ICE no debe interferir. Especialmente si tienen que tratar con estudiantes de DACA. Ya que su situación ya es lo suficiente difícil y está llena de innumerables obstáculos.”

El pueblo venezolano sigue sufriendo en una crisis sin fin a la vista En Venezuela, el líder de la Asamblea Nacional, Juan Guaidó, se posicionó como presidente interino el 23 de enero. Esto viene después de la juramentación de Nicolás Maduro a su segundo mandato como presidente del país, en medio de una gran controversia. Solo puede haber un presidente, entonces, ¿quién debería renunciar?

Actualmente, el país está en crisis en manos de Maduro y su régimen totalitario.

La inflación y la escasez de alimentos han provocado un aumento de la desnutrición.

Los enfermos, principalmente niños y ancianos, mueren en los hospitales porque no tienen acceso a la medicina y atención adecuadas. Según la revista de noticias NowThis,

las mujeres han llegado al único presidente legítimo de la oposición que está en extremo de la esterilización de Venezuela y envió contra de Maduro. Por esta para evitar tener hijos que no recursos y suministros razón, Maduro lo considera podrán alimentar. al país. Maduro rechazó un enemigo, así como a todos En Venezuela, es una esta acción prohibiendo la aquellos que simpatizan con lucha diaria para sobrevivir. entrada de estos recursos, él.

Todo esto sucede mientras a pesar de su alta demanda Esta última semana, el que Maduro y sus seguidores para la salud del pueblo gobierno estadounidense disfrutan de la mayor riqueza, venezolano. Afortunadamente, reconoció a Guaidó como el ajenos al sufrimiento Guaidó logró conceder del pueblo. la entrada de esta Muchos países ayuda humanitaria, alrededor del mundo comprobando nuevamente han expresado su aptitud para ser líder. preocupación sobre el La batalla para la estado desmadrado libertad de Venezuela de Venezuela y su continúa y es difícil gobierno. Guaidó, predecir qué les espera. como líder, se ha El gobierno Madurista no convertido en una muestra señales rendirse imagen de esperanza y Maduro mantiene para el pueblo que no renunciará. La venezolano y para comunidad internacional el resto del mundo mantiene una estrecha mientras se esfuerza vigilancia para cualquier por arreglar un país avance. roto por la corrupción. Nicolás Maduro camina junto a miembros de la El problema existe en Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana para protestar contra las decisiones de Juan Guaidó. que Guaidó es parte SHARE AMERICA

POR KARLA MERCADO DORADO Escritor de Personal

Rapero famoso, 21 Savage, detenido por ICE POR BRENDA HUAMANI Escritor de Personal El rapero y compositor, Shėyaa Bin AbrahamJoseph, más conocido por su nombre artístico 21 Savage fue arrestado por agentes de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) de los Estados Unidos el domingo, 3 de febrero, después de que se descubrió que era un ciudadano británico y no de EE.UU. como él había estado reclamando.

Según ICE, 21 Savage nació en Londres, Inglaterra y había ingresado legalmente a los Estados Unidos con una visa junto a su madre a la edad de 7 años.

Permaneció en el país hasta junio de 2005, cuando hizo una breve visita de un mes a su ciudad natal.

Regresó nuevamente con una visa en julio de 2005 y sobrepasó la visa, que expiró en julio de 2006.

Este es uno de los millones de casos de niños que se ven en todo el país cada año y, según su abogado, 21 Savage “perdió su estatus legal por causas ajenas”.

Según RollingStone, su abogado, Charles H. Kuck, afirmó que la mitad de la información que ICE estaba

proporcionando al público era falsa, cosas tales como, el año de llegada y las condenas / los cargos criminales.

21 Savage ha crecido en los Estados Unidos y ha pasado más del 90% de su vida aquí.

Se ha convertido en un rapero famoso en todo el mundo y ha ocupado varios de las puestos de mejores canciones en Billboard.

Tiene 3 hijos nacidos en los Estados Unidos con quienes pasa mucho tiempo. También tiene 4 hermanos que residen legalmente en los Estados Unidos y su madre es residente.

Debido a sus lazos fuertes con los Estados Unidos en lugar de su propio país de origen, su caso fue examinado cuidadosamente por los jueces que están a cargo para tomar la decisión final.

El 12 de febrero, a 21 Savage se le otorgó una fianza para su liberación al día siguiente después de pasar más de una semana en custodia federal de inmigración.

Según sus abogados, aún se enfrenta a la deportación y una posible prohibición de 10 años en los Estados Unidos, pero está decidido a continuar la lucha no solo por él, sino por varios de los que están en su misma posición.

Los estadounidenses son reintroducidos a la identificación real POR BRENDA HUAMANI Escritor de Personal Grandes cambios están ocurriendo en todos los estados del país. Un nuevo requisito federal entra en vigencia cuando se emitirán tarjetas de ID REAL La ID REAL proviene de un acto en 2005 que fue una ley aprobada por el Congreso como medida antiterrorista después de los ataques del 9/11 para brindar mayor seguridad en EE. UU. al dificultar la obtención de una identificación falsa. Algunos de los atacantes usaron una identificación falsa para abordar el avión y esto evitaría que algo así sucediera otra vez.

Por lo general, a las personas se les permite ingresar a edificios federales e incluso volar dentro del país en los Estados Unidos solo con su identificación o licencia de manejo, pero según esta ley, para el 1 de octubre de 2020, todas las personas en los Estados Unidos necesitarán una identificación REAL para obtener acceso a estas cosas.

El gobierno federal ya no aceptará su identificación o licencia actual como forma de identificación.

De acuerdo con WLTX19, aunque son importantes, las IDs REALES no serán necesarias para lo siguiente: votar, manejar, acceder

a hospitales, solicitar beneficios federales o participar en procedimientos o investigaciones de aplicación de la ley.

Los mismos requisitos para las identificaciones y licencias son necesarios para las ID REALES, como la prueba de identidad, el número de seguridad social y la prueba de residencia. A diferencia de las identificaciones normales, estas no podrán pedirse a través del sitio web del DMV, en su lugar, todos deben ingresar personalmente y tomar una nueva fotografía, además de proporcionar sus huellas para colocarlas en una base de datos.

Según algunas personas, la identificación real solo se está configurando para que el gobierno federal pueda localizar a sus ciudadanos de una mejor manera y posiblemente incluso buscar inmigrantes indocumentados.

El LA Times afirma que, después de todo, los “’documentos de identidad’ tienen todo que ver con la ciudadanía y el estado de inmigración” y que este ID REAL será difícil de obtener para aquellos que no tienen hogar o que no tienen una condición de vida estable.

Aunque es llamado “innecesario” por varias personas, está sucediendo y la palabra debe ser difundida a todos.

Humanos de Annandale Señorita Hunt Profesora de español ¿Cuál es su país de herencia?

Nací en Newport, Rhode Island, en Estados Unidos. ¿De qué manera contribuye a la comunidad hispana?

Llevo 27 años enseñando español, más de 5 dando clases avanzadas como de Bachillerato Internacional a los alumnos hispanohablantes.

Me siento muy orgullosa poder compartir mi conocimiento con mis alumnos y ayudarles a mantener un lazo fuerte con su cultura por medio del lenguaje y la literatura. Les brindo a los alumnos nacidos acá y los nacidos en países hispanohablantes la oportunidad de conocer aún mejor la lengua y la cultura.

En mi clase ellos exploran el modo en que vemos y entendemos el mundo en que vivimos, siempre conscientes de ser hispanohablantes de un país donde pasan la mayoría de su tiempo comunicándose en inglés. ¿Estás orgullosa de la diversidad en AHS? Claro que sí. Estoy muy orgullosa de la diversidad aquí. Me fascina enseñar en una escuela con gente de tantas partes del mundo y ver cómo ellos se llevan tan bien. Cada uno puede aprender de otros.

Me alegra ver las amistades de alumnos que nunca tendrían la oportunidad de conocerse si no hubieran salido de su país natal. Las lecciones que los alumnos aprenden de estar en un ambiente tan diverso son lecciones de la vida que les enseñarán a otros en el futuro.

Why is this page translated in Spanish?

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

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

NEWS 5 News briefs

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

Broadway Desserts impresses audience

Band Pyramid Concert

Despite rescheduling, annual chorus tradition drew crowds with lively talent and acts

The band department will be hosting their pre-assessment concert with middle schools on Wednesday, February 20. The concert will be held in the auditorium at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

BY GALILEA SEJAS Arts Editor

Mr. Annandale

Coffeehouse Coffeehouse will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 3:30 p.m. at Clausen Hall.

Varsity Math Meet There will be a Varsity Math Meet in the cafeteria on (date & time). The Math Honor Society meeting will follow.

GALILEA SEJAS

The chorus department completed their two shows for Broadway Desserts on Friday, Feb. 15 and Saturday, Feb. 16.

Each choral group chose their own Broadway song to perform with costumes, props and set items to accompany their performance.

“Typically for the choirs, I let them throw out ideas or suggestions. We talk about them and we see what arrangements are out there, then we vote for them,” choral director Patrick Vaughn said. “I have learned in the past that if the kids are really passionate for a song, they work that much harder to make it better.”

Originally, Broadway Deserts was scheduled a week prior. Due to the snow days and delays, Vaughn made the decision to reschedule the performance for more preparation time.

“Considering that we hadn’t had a run through in two weeks, it was quite good. The sound and music are great.

I’m pretty pleased,” Vaughn said. “We had a couple of kids were not able to perform at Broadway Desserts. I had one kid already plan to travel outside of the country and one that had major conflicts, so they both had to back out of the show. We had some acts removed, but it shouldn’t negatively affect what we’re doing.”

Choir students auditioned early December. Each choir performer who auditioned was not automatically guaranteed a spot, so they had to prepare weeks in advance of their auditions in order to better their chances.

The annual contest will be held on Friday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Tickets will be sold during all lunches and at the door for $5.

Mens Choral performs “Grease Lightning” from the hit musical ‘Grease’ during student night on Feb. 14.

Being chosen for a song is difficult, since each chorus member had to audition in front of Vaughn with their act prepared.

The songs that were chosen are from a wide range of popular Broadway musicals such as Grease, Mamma Mia and Spongebob Squarepants.

Atom Chorale performed “We Go Together,” from Greece. The Men’s Chorale performed “Grease Lightning.”

Women’s Chamber showcased “Another Day of Sun” from La La Land, and Select Women performed “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana.

“I was disappointed with the postponement, but it gave me more time to work on the character that I

was going to do,” freshman Amanda Weaver said. “I did ‘The History of Wrong Guys’ by Kinky Boots. I tried to find stuff that’s kind of funny so that it’s not boring to watch; something that’s different or not as popular.”

Every song that was chosen for Broadway Desserts had to have been school appropriate for the audience.

Although each song has to be appropriate for all audiences to enjoy, the students themselves have to enjoy the song as they will be performing it both nights.

“We can do something more wholesome here and we can include everybody in the Annandale community,” Vaughn said.

In addition to AHS choir students, Broadway Desserts featured Holmes Middle School Advanced Women on Friday’s performance and Poe Middle School Bella Voices on Saturday’s performance.

To conclude the night, Annandale Singers performed two pieces: “The Telephone Hour” from Bye Bye Birdy and “Seasons of Love” from Rent.

Overall, the audience was please with the talent of students. The combination of quality acting, vocals and desserts made the night a beloved tradition.

Forest Park Soccer The Girls Varsity soccer team will have a scrimmage against Forest Park at home on Friday, March 1 at 7 p.m. in the stadium field.

Heritage Night Heritage Night will be held on Friday, March 8 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Admission is free. This will take place directly after the Just World Festival.

3-hour early release Students will have a 3 hour early release on Monday, March 11.

Battle of the Bands The annual Battle of the Bands will be held in the auditorium on Friday, April 26.

Admission is free.

Experts caution teens against driving while distracted so that I can study at home,” sophomore Haleluya Worku said. “I don’t think the class is that beneficial in the process of getting my permit because I can just study the manual on my own.”

Upon earning their permit, students are eligible for the Behind-the-Wheel course which upon completion, awards them their driver’s license. However, there is always precautions that should be taken with teens getting behind the wheel.

Especially in recent years, despite a drop in the rate of high school students with a driver’s license, accidents

involving teenage drivers have been on the rise.

According to the CDC, in 2016, 2,433 teens in the United States ages 16–19 were killed and 292,742 were treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes. That means that six teens ages 16–19 died every day due to motor vehicle crashes and hundreds more were injured.

Teen accidents are usually the product of drivers being distracted and preoccupied while behind the wheel. Contributing factors include texting and driving, music or other individuals in the vehicle.

“The biggest problem I recognized when I worked the street and encountered a lot of traffic problems is distracted driving,” Curcio said. “It was either speeding, distracted driving by phone or friends, or drunk driving which was pretty rare.

With this being said, teens should ease themselves into learning how to drive and abide by laws such as the limit on passengers allowed in their vehicle.

“My advice is for teens to be familiar with their vehicle and learn how to drive their car while also limiting distractions,” Curcio said.

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JUDE NANAW

CONT. Page 1

Senior Philip Barlow receives his car key while being behind the wheel.

Heritage Night auditions continue Performances will consist of traditional dances, clothing, instruments and music.

The garments that Besufekad and The student body at AHS represents the females of the group will be wearover 80 countries and 40 different laning are called “A Kemis” and scarves guages. Heritage Night allows an opporcalled “Netela.” The males are wearing tunity for students to showcase their traditional clothes called “Ager libse” culture, traditions and roots. which means “home clothes.”

The annual Heritage “Students should look forNight is scheduled for Friward to seeing their friends day, March 8 at 7 p.m. in the showcase their different culauditorium. Admission will tures,” Leadership member cost $5. senior Rebecca Tecle.

Senior Hemen Besufekad Tecle has been in charge of is one of the 24 participants organizing Heritage Night and in a group that will showdirecting the weekly practiccase a mixture of Ethiopies. She will also oversee all the an and Eritrean dances. The aspects at Heritage Night EPHRATA group comprises of seniors Those interested in particYOHANNES and juniors with an Ethiopiipating attended an interest senior an heritage. meeting last month to be con“I like to show my cul“We hope that this sidered in the audition process. ture and I think my culture is dance will be just as This year, leadership had stuunderrepresented in America. good as last years, or dents sign up on Google Docs This is a way to show my cul- even better.” as a first come, first served ture to the people,” Besufekad basis. said. “In Ethiopia, we have a All participating groups have been lot of different cultures and tribes. We practicing every Sunday since late Janwanted to show the diversity in that. We uary. All members will continue to are not just one type of Ethiopia, there practice leading up to auditions and are many tribes.”

Heritage Night.

Approximately eight countries “I am excited to see all the similariwill be represented this year, includties and differences between the differing countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, ent cultures,” Tecle said.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bolivia.

BY KIMBERLY LAURA Co-Editor in Chief

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www.titusdrivingschool.com titusdrivingschool@gmail.com Seniors Ephrata Yohannes, Feven Lebamu, Elleni Abraha, Aklesiya Abebe, and Mariamawit Woldeab practice for Heritage Night on March 8. Their practices last 2 hours long, and auditions will be held on Feb. 14 and 28.

6 ACADEMICS

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KHADIJA AHMED

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

IB English Literature teacher McClain Herman instructs her R5 class to help them prepare for the English 11 SOL.

IB curriculum changes impact students

BY KIMBERLY LAURA AND KHADIJA AHMED Editor-in-Chief and Academics Editor There will be new changes in the Mathematics and English curriculum that will take effect next school year.

Regarding Mathematics, rising juniors will now sign up for an IB class without deciding to take Standard Level or Higher Level until selecting classes their senior year classes. This originally only applied to science, social studies and English courses.

In addition to that, the one year IB Math course and Pre-Calculus will be eliminated. Instead, there will be two new math classes: IB Applications and IB Analysis and Approaches.

“Every seven years, IB updates all of its curriculum on a cycle,” IB Coordinator Linda Bradshaw said. “This is done to make sure the assessments are fair, and the reading lists for English are on a wide range of authors. It’s all for good intent.”

IB Applications will focus more on real-world math concepts, reviewing previous math, statistics and a brief introduction to Calculus. This class is targeted towards students who enjoy reading and writing and would like a solid mathematics background.

Why or why not are you taking IB classes next year?

IB Analysis will have a faster pace possibly lead to teachers doing separate and focus more on Calculus. This class activities in their classes to still chalis targeted towards more advanced lenge those specific sophomores. mathematics students. Both classes are The new IB guide was released this two-year courses and could lead into month.

HL math senior year. It may also mean “It’s going to take a lot of time for the that high school graduates can skip IB English teachers to read the guide Calculus 1 and 2 in college. and find what we need to change,” IB “Some of the English teachconcerns for the er McClain Her“I think the IB Math curricuman said. The fact lum is that we are changes to that not only our not having a speassessment but the math cific class called also the text is curriculum ‘Precalculus’ anychanging is going more, but that to lead to us overwill make the material material will all hauling a lot of redundant, and it will be what we’re doing.” be embedded into the two new math unhelpful for us.”

According to curriculums,” IBO, the IB Eng--BENNETT STENBERG Bradshaw said. lish course will sophomore now incorporate However, for sophomores cursix principles in rently in Precalculus with Trigonomthe studies of language and literature. etry, taking the harder IB math class The new curriculum will allow for more next year, Analysis, would still mean organization and sequencing, thus more repeating a lot of the same materivariety between courses. There will also al. Current Pre-Calculus and IB HL II be more collaboration and even though teacher Roberto Obando even said that students don’t like this, they will still he thinks 70% of the Analysis materibe taking the class. “I prefer to work by al will be the same as in Pre-Calculus. myself because I know I can be dependBecause this only affects around 30 stuable, so more group projects seem dents, there is no action being taken. annoying,” sophomore Eva Gomez said.

Bradshaw explained that this could Another problem posed is the added

AREEB FAREED freshman “I do plan on taking IB Chemistry next year. I might want to get the IB Diploma in future years, so IB classes will be helpful to prepare me.”

JAIRO TERCEROS freshman “I don’t plan on taking any IB classes next year, because I don’t want to risk taking any classes that I might not be able to handle.”

LIVIA ALEXANDER sophomore “I’m doing IB Business Management, IB Lit and IB World Religions because I want the opportunity to get college credit.”

Hlina Wondwossen riffs on IB

BY KHADIJA AHMED Academics Editor

Q: What clubs are you in?

A: I am in National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, National English Honor Society, Girl Up, Co-President of Black Cultural Awareness, Vice President of Mission Possible, Vice President of KAST, and Secretary of the Red Cross.

Q: What is your favorite IB subject?

A: My favorite IB classes are Theory of Knowledge and Topics. Both classes cover really interesting material and have really funny teachers.

IB Spotlight: Profiles of Diploma Candidates

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

A: I decided to do the IB diploma because I wanted to make the most out of high school and take the most rigorous classes offered since it is free.

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

A: IB has taught me how to manage my time which is definitely a skill that will help me throughout life.

Additionally, IB has taught me to always put in 100% of my effort even if I am not sure what I am doing.

Q: How are you preparing for IB exams?

A: As of right now, I am trying my absolute hardest to pay full attention in all of my classes and take thorough notes in order to be prepared for the exams.

MOUSA AYOUB sophomore “I’m taking IB classes so that I can get the IB diploma and get into a good college like Virginia Tech or MIT.”

work before the next school year.

“The downside is that we have very little wiggle room on teacher preparing materials,” Bradshaw said. Teachers will be introduced and have to learn the new curriculum by August.

“It’s a good thing that IB is changing because it means that IB is being reflective of how they can continually improve their assessments and curriculums,” Herman said.

Juniors who are currently enrolled IB Math Studies, IB Math or IB English will finish the old curriculum next year.

The current sophomores will be starting the new curriculum next year as juniors. The new English and Math classes will be a two-year courses and the new IB exams will be released by 2021. Underclassmen will still not be able to take an HL exam until their senior year.

Students that want to start IB Math as a junior have to finish Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2. Students will have the ability to take a math class over the summer in order to take IB math junior year.

Although IB curriculum changes happen routinely, it still requires effort on the part of teachers and students alike to pull it off.

MONIRA AHMED junior “Yes, I am taking three IB classes next year. In addition, I am currently taking four. I like taking IB classes to help raise my GPA.”

ANOOSH TAUQUIR junior “Yes, I am taking IB classes. In fact, I am an IB diploma candidate.

I am excited to take all these classes to earn the IB diploma.”

Q&A with IB coordinator Linda Bradshaw

BY KHADIJA AHMED Academics Editor Linda Bradshaw has been working at Annandale High School for ten years.

She has been married for fourteen years and has three sons, aged 8, 11 and 12. She lives with her family in Oakton, VA. Q: How did you find yourself in this career?

A: In college my advisor told me to balance my pre-med coursework with a humanities major so I selected British Literature. I applied for med school and got accepted, but I decided to take a gap year because I was burnt out from all the studying and competition in college.

I accepted a job as a Biology teacher at a private boarding school in New York.

It is during that year that I became invested in being a teacher. I returned home and entered a masters of teaching program and earned my license.

Q: Why do you always say that you have the best job in the world?

A: There is something magical about a student who takes IB courses. Even if they don’t want to admit it, they have this love of learning and questioning ideas. It’s a wonderful journey and I love to be a part of it supporting each student along the way. I also enjoy working with the IB teachers. They are so passionate about their subject area and so devoted to preparing students for college. They put in so many extra hours of preparation and grading and they do it without complaint.

Q: What lasting impact would you like to leave at Annandale?

A: I’d like to see that by graduation, every student has taken at least one IB course. I’d like to see all students be risk-takers and challenge themselves to do more. I want every student to know that I believe in them.

Presidents’ Day Word Search

Q: What is your extended essay topic?

A: My extended essay topic focused on the passing of Bill Clinton’s Three Strikes law and its impact on the incarceration rates of African-Americans in California.

I decided to choose this topic because our prison system is extremely corrupt as it is designed to target and incarcerate people of color.

Q: What colleges have you applied to and why?

A: I applied to several colleges. Practically all of them were Ivy Leagues and other prestigious schools because all of the fees to apply to them were covered

by Questbridge, and I knew that the education offered at these schools were the top ones in the country.

Q: Have you gotten in to any colleges yet?

A: I got accepted to (and will be attending) Vanderbilt through Questbridge, therefore I had to withdraw all of my other applications. Go Commodores!

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

A: The lasting impact I want to leave behind at Annandale is my beliefs about social justice.

Never be afraid to fight for equality and stand up for others, especially those who are not given a voice in today’s society.

Q: Where do you see yourself in ten years?

A: In ten years, I genuinely don’t know what I will be doing but I hope I will be living in D.C. Q: What advice do you have for future IB candidates?

A: My advice for future IB Diploma candidates is to stop procrastinating.

I did not procrastinate and always got my 8 hours of well-needed sleep.

It may be hard to stop, but if you manage your time and schedule everything out, you will be able to stop procrastinating.

Senior Hlina Wondwossen practices playing a guitar at Guitar Center. “Music is something I listen to everyday whether I’m doing homework, driving, or working out,” she said.

Abraham Lincoln Barack Obama Bill Clinton Donald Trump Dwight Eisenhower Franklin Roosevelt

George Washington Harry Truman Jimmy Carter John Adams Thomas Jefferson Woodrow Wilson

HEALTH 7

Wed. Feb 20, 2019

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MANNY PRECHT

TRAINING FOR THE FUTURE

AHS sets the standard for CPR training

BY MANNY PRECHT Health Editor It’s understandable to resent CPR training if your first high school kiss was with a CPR dummy. It seemed like forever to get rid of that rubbing alcohol taste from your lips while simutaneously trying to stop blushing from making out with plastic.

It’s a common occurance your freshman year at AHS to participate in CPR training. The training is part of your physical education curriculum and involves both classroom and hands on learning.

CPR – or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation – is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating. Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest.

Being CPR certified can provide you with many benefits and opportunities.

Not only does being CPR certified open up job opportunities such as life guarding or jobs in the medical or law enforcement fields, but it also provides you with a lifelong skill that will always be beneficial.

You never know when CPR is needed and being able to perform the basic functions can save someone’s life.

Performing CPR which keeps the

Do you think that CPR training at AHS is beneficial?

that it was incomplete,” junior Emily blood flow active – even partially – Shawish said. extends the opportunity for a successful Students went to talk to the coordiresuscitation once trained medical staff nators of the CPR training and the IB arrive on site. coordinator Linda Bradshaw to help With such an important skill, the confirm their completion of their traintraining at AHS should properly preing. pare students so they are trained to the “Considering that the training best of their ability. is mandatory, I was stressed out,’” “The CPR training at Hayfield was Shawish said. “Luckily I was able to lack luster. I wouldn’t say they ran it talk to Ms. Bradshaw and change my that well because I don’t think I would be able to perform CPR if needed,” Hay- status.”

Besides the minor mishap with the field sophomore Hanah Mounier said.

“The final test was poorly set us as well, even if you messed “They bring out a up you still passed.”

Although AHS nice CPR dummy sets a strong preceand the training dent for what CPR training should be is lenghty and in which in turn emphadepth. At the end sizes the importance of it, the confirmation of the training, of completion system you have to pass is faulty. a test to pass the course. The fact Multiple juniors, all of which had that it is mantadory to graduate completed their shows how serious AHS takes CPR CPR training, were marked as incomtraining.” plete in the system.

--NATE FERSON “Despite having junior completed the CPR training, it still said

confirmation system, AHS still takes it CPR training very seriously.

CPR training is important. It can save your life, your children’s lives, your parents’ lives, or even a stranger’s life.

Getting trained is easily accessible to anyone who wants it and not hard to complete.

Despite many high schools providing CPR training in recent years recent studies suggest that less than half of those who suffer from cardiac arrest receive any type of CPR assistance from a bystander.

If you encounter a situation where you need to perform CPR and you’re uncomfortable, use this tale as a guide.

In recent news, a man from Tuscon performed CPR by following the rules outlined by Mike Scott from The Office: compress the chest to the beat of “Stayin Alive” by the BeeGees.

Although CPR training seems like a universally good thing, some students disagree with the training being mandatory for graduation.

“It would be more beneficial to have more classes surrounding life saving procedures than the standard classes we have now in order for it to be a graduation requiremnet.” said junior Michael Brown.

Despite mixed feelings, CPR training is a necessary skill and AHS provides a good training program.

YOFTAHE HAILU freshman “I think it’s very beneficial because in the real world, being CPR certafied can make a big difference. “

ZAK BELKAYAT junior “Yes, I think being CPR certified is a good thing. More people who are able to help in a crisis situation allows are a safer environment.”

JESSE BRENNAN freshman “I think it is beneficial because you never know when you’re going to be in a situation when you need to perform CPR.”

MICHAEL OLIVER sophomore “I believe it’s definityly beneficial because it can be used to save someone’s life and you never know when someone’s life will need saving.”

MARIAM SESAY sophomore “Yes, because you never know when you’re going to need to use you skills that you are able to aquire from CPR training.”

KATHLEEN LEWIS junior “I think that it’s good that students are taughtk how to perform CPR, even if it’s not always needed.”

CPR Facts •

More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States per year, out of which 70% happen inside homes

•

Effective CPR provided by a bystander in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest can increase the chances of survival by 2x or 3x

•

Less than 20 percent Americans are equipped to perform CPR during a medical emergency situation.( AHA Study)

•

A bystander should push the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.

ABU EL SADEG senior “I think it is beneficial because it could be used in emergencies and potentially save a life.”

HEMEN BESFEKAD senior “CPR is beneficial because people need to know what to do in certain situations when emergency services aren’t available.”

Is the energy rush worth it?

Caffeine has many effects on your body’s metabolism. It can stimulate your central nervous system, which can make you feel more awake and give you a boost of energy. However, it can also interfere with the absorption of calcium in the body or increases your blood pressure.

You are able to feel the effects of caffeine for up to four to six hours.

The most unhealthy way of consuming caffeine is found in energy drinks. The amount of caffeine in energy drinks can vary widely, and sometimes the labels on the drinks do not give you the actual amount of caffeine in them. There’s limited data showing

that energy drinks might temporarily improve alertness and physical endurance. There is not enough evidence to show that they enhance strength or power. But what it is known that energy drinks can be dangerous because they have large amounts of caffeine.

And since they have lots of sugar, they can contribute to weight gain and worsen diabetes.

Although caffeine can be beneficial to helping you stay awake during the school day, it is important to be smart about how much caffeine you are taking in. It is important not to build a dependency on caffeine, adequate rest is the better alternative.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MANNY PRECHT

The school day is long and many students stay up late consistently due to their many obligations or plain procrastination. Something has to keep drowsy students awake throughout the 7-hour day. A substance that many students turn to for energy is caffeine.

“I can’t function without coffee in my system,” junior Syndey Wuhrer said. “I need my daily coffee to make sure I stay awake and not accidently kill someone.”

Caffeine can be found in many products such as coffee, tea, cola and energy drinks in the form of seeds, nuts and leaves.

Caffeine usually comes in two main forms. It can be found naturally which is the type in drinks such as coffee and tea. However, there is also synthetic (man-made) caffeine, which is added to some medicines, foods and drinks. For example, energy drinks and “energyboosting” gums and snacks.

Caffeine itself is a stimulant drug, which means it speeds up the messages travelling between the brain and the body.

Caffeine is most commonly used to improve mental alertness.

Most people consume caffeine from drinks. The amounts of caffeine in different drinks can vary a lot, but it is generally: An 8-ounce cup of coffee: 95-200 mg, A 12-ounce can of cola: 35-45 mg, An 8-ounce energy drink: 70-100 mg or An 8-ounce cup of tea: 14-60 mg.

MEDICINEPLUS.GOV

BY MANNY PRECHT Health Editor

8 PHOTO

PHOTO BY MADISON CRUZ

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

PHOTO BY TJ HUTNAN

Students get the most out of their winter season

During his three day weekend, freshman TJ Hutnan visits Wisp Ski Resort to get some snowboarding in. “I love feeling the exilaration shoot through my body,” Hutnan said.

LEFT: During the recent snow storm, sophomore Annie Nguyen poses for a photo as flakes fall from the sky. “The scenery was really beautiful so I decided to go out and take a photo in it,” Nguyen said.

“The best part about snowdays is that we get the day to ourselves and can do whatever we want.”

PHOTO BY JESSICA SALISBURY

RIGHT: On her snow day off from school, freshman Ashley Holcomb goes sledding at Columbia Elementary with her cousins. “Snow days are a lot of fun because they allow me to spend time with my family outdoors,” Holcomb said. “It’s always fun to get out of the house for a little bit.”

PHOTO BY ANNIE NGUYEN

RIGHT: Junior Harneet Bhullar gets the most out of her snow day by making snow angels with friends.

“The best part about snow days is just being able to be outside, sledding and throwing snowballs, with friends and close neighbors until it gets dark.”

Bhullar said.

LEFT: Junior Umi Herman spends part of her snow day outside, playing with her dog. So far this winter, Fairfax County has had five two hour delays, one two hour early release, and four closings due to winter weather. The county is allowed to have up to 18 days missed with no make up days required.

PHOTO BY HARNEET BHULLAR

On his snow day off, senior Philip Barlow goes sledding with his friends at Poe Middle School. “I love snow days because I get to relax, enjoy the snow, and take a break from school,” Barlow said.

Brrr...

It’s Cold Outside

PHOTO BY UMI HERMAN

PHOTO BY JESSICA SALISBURY

Sophomore Madison Cruz jumps midair with her sister in the mountains of Iceland during her winter vacation. “This trip was truly amazing,” Cruz said. “My favorite part would probably be either seeing the Northern Lights, or snorkeling between the Eurasian and North American Tectonic Plates where the water is the clearest on Earth.”

ARTS 9

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

Annandale Theatre Company’s Designers prepare for Seussical

BY GALILEA SEJAS Arts Editor When thinking about the production in a musical, one normally considers the acting, rarely the technical parts of a musical. This year, the Annandale Theatre Company (ATC) is having the musical, “Seussical,” be their Cappies show.

A Cappies show means that other high school students, from the DMV area (both public and private), come

to critique the show and consider the different acting and technical aspects of the show.

Some of the categories are choice lead male vocalist, lighting design or sound design. Each aspect of the show is scrutinized, for if a specific design area or actor produces something above average, then they may be nominated for a Cappies award at the end of the year.

The Seussical designers, many seniors, are showcasing what they learned since their freshman year.

“Since this is my last show, I am trying to make a last ditch attempt in getting at least nominated for an award, because it would be such an honor,” senior Christina Le said. “Of course there are many other schools who we are competing against, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t deserve to be considered.”

This production is going to be vastly different compared to the other previous productions, mainly due to the type of audience that ATC is expecting. Seussical itself, combines

various Dr. Seuss characters, therefore, the designers and other crew members would need to consider the style and general design of the Dr. Seuss books.

“Our concepts for this show is that we want it to be as close to the books as possible,” theatre teacher and director Katherine Brunberg said, “When people watch this show, they’ll gain a sense of nostalgia and they recognize things from their childhood from reading the books.”

The more resemblance that the show has to the books, the better the

performance will appear to be and the better critiques the Cappies will have.

That being said, the designers and directors of the show rely on the dramaturg to research characters, colors and themes of each Dr. Seuss book mentioned in the musical thus far.

“We want to make it feel fresh and interesting while also playing upon the nostalgia,” Brunberg said.

The Seussical performances will be on March 28, 29 at 7pm and 30 at 2pm and 7pm in the auditorium.

What do you hope/expect to see in Seussical?

Shae Rigo

Diana Villaroel

Stephanie Manco Viann Tran

Elisabeth Platt

SENIOR, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

SENIOR, STAGE MANAGER

FRESHMAN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

SENIOR, SET DESIGNER

SENIOR, LIGHTING DESIGNER

“I am one of the assistant directors and I mostly do paper blocking and if there are choreography numbers, I would provide my insight. I hope to see everything done a week before the show, since this tech is more organized than any other show.”

“It’s my job to take note of everything that happens during a rehearsal and to cue every performance. I hope to see a great set, and a lot of the other designers to grow closer and the other people working in tech to have better relationship with the other members in the ensemble.”

“Being a set designer may be a bit difficult because you have to be able to create a model of how you picture the world of Dr. Seuss being. I’m most excited to see the tech in this show, specifically the set because I’m building it.”

“I usually focus on any fixtures and looks that are in the show. I hope to get more into gelling lights and using a lot more color. Seussical is a really bright, happy and colorful show and I want to make this show a lot more creative since this is my last show.”

Describe the tech required for this show in one word: “Whimsical, because everything we do has to be accurate enough to portray the books well. All of our inspiration has to come from each one of the books of Dr.Seuss.”

Describe the tech required for this show in one word: “Blossoming, because (for lights in particular) we have mainly been working in our tech classes since we got new light fixtures so we have to work with getting them to function properly first.”

Describe the tech required for this show in one word: “Colorful, because we’re using a lot of color in the lights to convey tones and meaning through the symbolism of the colors.”

Describe the tech required for this show in one word: “Bombastic, because the tech gives each designer an opportunity to explore, since it’s a magical work of Dr. Seuss.”

Christina Le

Ioana Marin

SENIOR, PROPS DESIGNER

SENIOR, HAIR AND MAKE-UP DESIGNER

“For being a props designer, it’s an important role because the other props designer and me create all the props in the show like a giant egg for the child to sit in. I hope that we see the biggest things that we have accomplished during our four years in high school. I want this show to be my last and best show tech-wise. ” Describe the tech required for this show in one word: Spontaneous, because it’s Dr. Seuss and he’s known for his very creative and wild imagination with no clear time period. Since it’s in the realm of Dr. Seuss, we can take some creative liberties with what we do.

“I am one of the assistant stage managers and Karen Vuong is the other. An ASM takes notes during the rehearsal for the designers and the actors to recall what was blocked for each show. I hope to see that we can pull off a strong and amazing set.”

Describe the tech required for this show in one word: “Overachieving, because the majority of the time the tech designers go above and beyond what they’re actually suppose to do.”

I am the hair and make-up designer of this year’s musical, and I get to decide what the characters will look like. I draw up designs for each of the main characters and some sample makeup pictured for the rest of the ensemble to follow. I hope we get our set to be as fun and playful as this show is. I wanna see bright colors and fun and patterns.

Describe the tech required for this show in one word: “Wild, because we will have to make everything look like it was taken right off a story book page. The characters need to look like they’re drawings, not normal people.”

Emily Trachsel SENIOR, CHOREOGRAPHER “I am co-choreographer with Kyle Dalsimer. This means that I am in the show and I also get to choreograph the show. Sometimes I can choreograph my own character which is a bit weird but also fun. A lot of the sets that I see in the show have been so ‘Seuss-y.’”

Describe the tech required for this show in one word: “Seuss-y, because even though this is not even a real word. Since we’re combining multiple Dr.Seuss books, we have to use a lot of the themes or ideas that Dr.Seuss creates.”

Alex Ohene-Okae

John Wall

SENIOR, COSTUME AND CO-PUBLICITY DESIGNER

JUNIOR, SOUND DESIGNER

“I am costume designer and co-publicity designer and it’s hard work to be a designer. You have a lot of responsibilities and work that you need to complete. I’m hoping to see a lot of color and all the tech groups come together and finish the work for the show as a team.”

Describe the tech required for this show in one word: “Productive, because we’re working as a team. It’s a positive environment because everyone loves one another. We are all dedicated to seeing working and finishing this show to the best of our capabilities.”

“I am one of the three sound designers.

All I can really control is my part in the musical and I can only hope that my part will go well. The sound effects will vary, but the general ideas of the sound design will remain the same.”

Describe the tech required for this show in one word: “Interesting, because everything is based off of Seuss so it’s going to be a bit different. Set, lighting and everything will become more extravagant.”

Meet The A-Blast Cartoonist, Sophomore Ernest T.R. Owen How would you describe your art style?

I would say that I’m a mix of both a cartoonist and a sketcher. I love cartooning.

After all, I am the cartoonist for The A-Blast. All in all, I am an artist.

How long have you been drawing?

I always drew. When I was in kindergarten, I drew an entire canvas of prehistoric animals. My art has evolved since then, better, smoother and less heavier.

Where do you normally draw on?

I’ve had my sketchbooks in order to document my drawings for later use; say, in a professional environment. Sometimes out of boredom, I’ll just draw whatever comes to my mind, usually on a worksheet or piece of paper in class.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ERNEST T.R. OWEN

How did you become interested in art?

I started to become interested in art through the animated films that I watched when I was younger, including those made from Disney.

“During my scouts meetings, I would ask the younger scouts to give me a noun so that I can draw a picture on it. They gave me the word ‘Taco’ and this is what I came into mind,” Owen said.

“The word they gave me was macaroni and cheese. The general theme of this was to prevent you from sleeping,” Owen said.

“I went to the local library and I was interested in drawing or sketching insect anatomy. In the book, it included a section about robotic creatures, used for drones, spying and even on Mars,” Owen said.

“I was trying to hone in on my skills to make them better. I figured that I could use the traditional eyes popping out of fear, as a technique that I could perfect,” Owen said.

10 IN-DEPTH

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

IN-DEPTH 11

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

Shutting Up the Truth How free is speech in schools?

S# &T

AHS administration allows students to express themselves freely

BY SUAD MOHAMED In-Depth Editor Just last month, a group of student journalists from Virginia and their advisers visited the Virginia Capitol Building to fight for their right to say whatever they want in their respective newspapers.

With the help of V.A. delegate Chris Hurst, they brought attention to HB2382.

"We were trying to ensure that student journalists have the freedom to determine the content that they are publishing," English teacher and student newspaper adviser at TJHSST Erinn Harris said.

In Virginia, censorship from school principals and administration has sometimes been a problem.

This issue has been brought up in the courts multiple times, but in the Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988), the Supreme Court decided that school principals can reserve the right to censor their students’ newspaper.

Since then, multiple schools in the state, both public schools and universities, have censored stories from students.

Many have even adopted a policy making principals the editors of newspapers.

In March 2015, the principal of Fauquier High School prohibited the publication of a story on dabbing, another way to smoke marijuana.

While this may seem like a non issue, it is frustrating to see school administration try to stifle students’ opinions.

In fact, it can be considered unconstitutional. The fact that it's a school setting should not hinder people's rights.

"These types of issues are why we went down there," Harris said. "We wanted to ensure that all student journalists in Virginia have their first amendment rights and it is not just based on what county or school district your parents sent you to school."

The bill did not make its way out of committee, and did not advance any further.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION OF FRESHMAN ERIC ALCANTARA BY SUAD MOHAMED

H C # $ B

H*E

CENSORED

At AHS, this issue has never been a about sharing their beliefs, it is time to ask: is this right upheld justly at our problem.

“For us, I do not think this has school?

Before one even begins to answer the never been a problem. We do not really get censored, and the administration question, it is important to know one does not really care about what we say,” thing: in what manners does the court senior and newspaper editor Yabi Ber- mean when it says that students can freely “express themselves?” eket said.

According to the ACLU, students Still, sometimes teachers do get offended by what is put in the newspa- should not be prohibited in what they wear, what they say, what they write, per.

“I have seen teachers come up to and how they choose to behave, as long as they are not disruptive. students that Looking at have written a that list, one facstory about some- “We wanted to ensure tor stands out: thing related to the fact that them because that all student journalwe can express they are mad, and ists in Virginia have their themselves sometimes even through clothtry to get stories First Amendment rights.” ing. removed,” Bereket --ERINN HARRIS The FCPS said.

TJHSST newspaper adviser Student Rights But none of and Responsibilthis has ever really ity has a long list come to fruition.

Still, this begs the question: what of clothing and accessories that canot other rights do students have and are be worn during the school day, such as hats, tank tops, skirts of certain lengths, they protected at AHS? The outline of a student’s rights in spiked belts, and clothing with drug a public school setting all began in Des paraphernalia and gang promotion.

While some of these restrictions Moines, IA in 1965.

Five students, whose parents had may seem unfair, the courts have reca background in civil rights activism, ognized that school administrators need decided to wear black bands on their to maintain an environment that is safe arms to make a statement about the for all students.

Administraters are charged with injustices of the Vietnam War. Once the school administrators minimizing disruption in the school day heard about the mini-protest, they as much as possible.

That's why they try to limit sexualdecided to make a regulation stating that any middle and high students seen ly provocative and criminally related with the arm band would be suspended. clothing.

When that is considered, it makes Three of those students -- John Tinker, his sister Mary Beth, and their perfect sense that clothing that features friend Christopher Eckhardt -- were a marijuana leaf or a gang sign would be suspended upon their arrival on cam- prohibited, but it may not be as easy to understand it when it comes to clothing pus.

When it comes to what we say and Despite this small roadblock, these teens were able to make a change when write at school, there are not many it came to the application of the First restrictions.

“I feel like generally, most teachers Amendment in schools.

Four years later, the Supreme allow us to express ourselves through Court determined that students have words in any way we want to,” junior the rights to freely express themselves Abby Kitila said.

However, many students have gotin public schools, as long as it does not ten in trouble for using curse words. cause any disruptions.

The forbiddance of curse words in But as students become more aware of social issues and become more open

Censorship continues to persist as a problem today. From books, newspapers, songs and even tweets, films, and television, many creatives have to deal with both rules and backlash due to people finding things to be too inappropriate for the general public to view.

arguments or bullying is just, as a fight would distract other students in the room.

But nowadays, people -- teens and adults -- use terms that would be deemed ‘inappropriate’ by some in regular conversation.

It is just the way people talk nowadays, and it is not meant to harm anyone.

Still, many people get called out by teachers, and sometimes even receive referrals, for tossing around these words.

While minor, this can also be viewed by some as a violation of student’s rights.

The last right given to students is the ability to express ourselves through our actions.

For the most part, AHS is a model to look up to when it comes to this.

To examine this point, one just needs to recall the on-campus march against President Donald Trump’s election in Nov. 2016.

Or more recently, the March for Our

Lives Protest that was held on campus in March of last year, Hundreds of students walked out in the middle of class, posters in hand, to walk around the stadium in support of gun reform.

None of the teachers restricted the students from leaving. Some even encouraged involvement.

The administration did not punish any students who participated, but went outside with students to make sure it was safe.

For this, the administration should be commended. This type of behavior is exactly what the ruling of Tinker v.

Des Moines (1969) encouraged: student expression without school restriction.

All in all, while there are a few unfair limitations placed on our expression at AHS, it is safe to say that our rights are respected most of the time, and at a further extent than at other schools.

US COURTS

! # @ F

Mary Beth and John Tinker pose with the black armbands that led to the landmark Supreme Court ruling that gave more rights to students in public schools.

Is censorship considered to be a good or bad policy?

Take caution with your words

Limiting speech stifles students You turn on the radio. Your favorite song by J. Cole is playing, but the audio cuts out at all the curse words.

You go to school and read a book with adult themes for your English class. Everyone dances around the odd situation, and the use of certain terms are prohibited by your teacher, even though they’re used in the book.

You come home from school and wait for a new episode of your favorite television show, New Girl, but remember that it only comes on after 9 P.M. Why? Because the little kids are asleep and won’t end up watching it accidentally.

These are all examples of censorship, which is sadly seen everywhere nowadays. We have started letting other people determine what we should be able to hear and see.

How did we end up in a society filled with such disdain for the truth? Censorship is an inescapable part of all our lives.

Since the beginning of civilization, people have been plagued by a never-ending battle, fought over what is deemed right and what is deemed wrong.

However, there is no reason in continually attempting to skew the truth by hiding the cold, hard facts with the intention of “shielding” or “protecting” the public.

It makes me wonder: what is the

value in meddling with everyone’s rights and allowing them to believe that they live in a perfect world? A fantasy?

There is none.

In today’s society, censorship is used in more ways than one could imagine.

The movies and television shows that we watch, and even the musical tunes that we listen to, appear to be filtered in one way or another. Most recently, censorship in music is possibly the most relevant form of censorship.

Popular songs, such as XXXTentacion’s "Sad!" and Drake’s "Nice For What," whose lyrics are filled with curse words and messages regarding suicide, are becoming targets in yet another round of music censorship.

It is disturbing to watch as censorship slowly takes away the rights that we have been granted for hundreds of years.

When the United States was first established, the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution for a reason: to guarantee us freedoms and rights, such as free speech and free press.

With censorship, these freedoms are stifled and breached.

We need to express our ideas or beliefs however we feel appropriate.

Why should outside sources influence our thoughts and actions?

We should be allowed to say whatever we want and let whoever we want to hear it, hear it.

Our country was built around the idea of everyone having a free, unchanged, uncensored voice. Therefore, censorship is impeding our

progress as a society.

In addition, many argue that censoring music from messages of sex, drugs, and violence protects the innocent and youthful ears of children and teenagers.

Parents worry that their children would be exposed to derogatory language and imagers, such as porn and violence, that they think would ultimately be harmful towards their behavior.

However, do people really think that hearing swears words in a movie, television show or song would indeed harm children and teenagers?

Kids these days will ultimately find ways to watch pornographic content on the internet or even explicit versions of music.

The online world today is too vast and extensive to hinder children from being exposed to such content.

They always find a way to learn about the real world, which is inevitable.

Living in a prim, neat and polished lifestyle filled with rainbows and unicorns do not reflect the real world.

Our own president can be seen throwing around inappropriate terms.

Sex scenes are unavoidable on television and movies.

The real world can be ugly and gruesome, but people have to learn to live with it and move on.

Kids and teenagers need to be exposed to these messages now to be better prepared for the time where they fully enter the real world.

It's understandable that many

BY SUAD MOHAMED In-Depth Editor

people do not like the thought of children using profanity or of children watching inappropriate videos.

However, the reality is that the world is not perfect.

The sooner that children realize the reality that perfection is not available to us in this world, the sooner we can begin living lives because of the imperfections.

I say this for all of my fellow teenagers: we can protect ourselves just fine, thank you.

One quick scroll through my timeline on Twitter and I see at least three people cursing each other out and spreading verbal harassment in a back and forth manner.

People even go as far as to spread libelous things about one another. Hundreds, and sometimes even thousands, have liked and retweeted.

In doing so, they are spreading this hatred to their followers, and their followers followers, and so on.

This type of behavior isn’t unique to just my Twitter timeline. It’s seen by everyone constantly on all social media Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat.

It isn’t exclusive to teens who are bullying either. These sorts of exchanges are common in all age groups and professions.

Celebrities, and even politicians, can be seen having an argument that’s nearly crossing the line between healthy and toxic.

Slurs, bigotry, sensitive topics - nothing is off limits in these harmful conversations.

Most of these apps and websites have rules and regulations regarding hate speech and other things that can be deemed abusive.

In the past they haven’t been very useful, but lately, they’re beginning to take a stand.

Last December, Tumblr put a ban on

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION OF JUNIOR JACKSON RAMOS BY SUAD MOHAMED

BY CASEY NGUYEN Managing Editor

all adult content. Any photos, text posts, and accounts that had any sort of sexual content were removed immediately.

Over the past few months, Twitter has begun to suspend all accounts that use any sort of derogatory term. Still, hatred filled accounts that don’t use slurs have been allowed to remain.

Lately, Instagram has started an initiative to monitor users who visit pages or click on hashtags with highly sensitive content.

Why is this? Because not everything needs to be seen and heard by everyone.

The things that people put on social media and the media created in Hollywood, such as movies, films, and music, are readily available.

This means that anyone can see it, including young children and impressionable people.

It’s fairly easy for a five year old to go on Spotify or YouTube and listen to any number of songs with inappropriate words. Or they can even find pornography if they search for long enough.

This isn’t right or okay. Older students can deal with this information, but it shouldn’t be this easy for younger ones to come across it, too.

Viewing that sort of thing can desensitize children, and make them think things like drugs and violence are normal and acceptable. We should be working to protect children and preserve their ignorance to that sort of thing for as long as possible.

Additionally, it is not only kids that don’t want to hear and see inappropriate

things. There’s lots of older people who have valid reasons as well.

Personally, I don’t care, but if someone has religious, moral, or cultural reasons for not wanting to hear about tasteless thing, then that right should be protected and respected.

Another problem with the notion of free speech is that people use it to excuse awful language.

Time and time again, people who have been accused of using racially or sexually insensitive language have attempted to use the first amendment to defend themselves.

Even school bullies try to use it as justification.

This is morally wrong. The writers of the Constitution did not give the American people these freedoms so that they can use them to spread hate about others.

These protections exist for people who have meaningful things to say, not for harmful vindication.

Time and time again, we’ve made multiple exceptions to people’s first amendment rights.

Spreading hateful messages should be made an exception to because why should we force people to have to deal with repugnant language?

Censorship may not be the best thing in the world, but it’s a fair solution in a world where people are beginning to care less and less about how what they say and write affects other people.

There are many arguments for and against censorship. Some argue that information and content should be out there for everyone to see, while others insist that no one should be forced to see certain things.

Five controversial free speech cases 1. Minarcini v. Strongsville (1976) The school board of Strongsville, OH removed Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.

They claimed that it was too inappropriate. Five students complained and sued the school board, saying that the school board was depriving them of a well-rounded education. While the school board won at the district court, the students won their case in appeals.

2. Texas v. Johnson (1989) Gregory Lee Johnson and his group, Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade, decided to make a political statement and burned the U.S. flag.

It was met with a lot backlash, and Johnson was arrested for desecrating respected products. The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court, where a 5-4 decision deemed that burning the flag is protected under free speech.

3. Virginia v. Black (2003) Virginian Barry Elton Black was arrested for burning a cross as part of a demonstration for the Ku Klux Klan, as it was a crime in Virginia at the time. Black sued and took his case to the Supreme Court. A 5-4 majority said that cross burning was legal, as long as intimidation wasn’t the intent.

4. Guiles v. Marineu (2006) A middle schooler in Vermont wore a shirt to school depicting President George W. Bush using cocaine. After several students complained, a teacher asked him to cover up. The student refused, and his father took the teacher to court. During appeals, it was decided that the boy’s constitutional rights to speech were violated, and political speech is to be protected in schools.

5. Morse v. Frederick (2007) In Juneau, AL, high school student Joseph Frederick brought a poster to school that read “bong hits 4 Jesus.”

After his school took his poster away and then suspended him, Frederick and his family took the case to court, claiming that his civil liberties were violated. The Supreme Court ruled against him and said that schools can prohibit drug related speech.

12 INTERNATIONAL

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

Are Islam and Christianity similar?

Senior prays five times a day

BY YABI BEREKET Lifestyles Editor Attending the Mosque every Friday is not the only way senior Abubakr Elsadeg practices his faith of Islam.

“I feel like I have always been dedicated to my faith as a Muslim," Elsadeg said. "My mother is a religious teacher too, so I continue to learn more about it from her.”

Elsadeg has been a faithful Muslim since he was born, and the faith has been an integral part of his family for generations.

The close connection Elsadeg has with his faith has never trembled, but the political situation in America today heavily ruins the peaceful image of Islam for others, and affects him as well.

“I wish it, [Islam,] wasn’t discriminated against because of [the] media and such. It’s hard for me because there’s definitely some deep-rooted tension,” Elsadeg said. “I have witnessed discrimination in my own life often, especially because I live in America, which is a majority Christian country.

I am a guest in this country in regards to my religion."

These tensions and negative responses that Elsadeg may seem to face is still incapable of shaking his faith becasue of the high Muslim population at AHS. "[The high population] allows me to relate to a lot of people, and share experiences with them," Elsadeg said.

The basis of Islam surrounds around the belief that Muhammad is the Prophet of God, and it is expected of Muslims to read and learn the teachings of the Qu’ran.

The Qu’ran is the holy book of Islam, which is divided into 30 chapters and then further divided into verses.

Praising Jesus at home and at church

“What it means to be Muslim is to submit to God and to believe that there is only one God,” Elsadeg said. “Muslims must accept that Muhammad is the prophet of God, and we learn more about him and the importance he holds through the teachings of the Qu’ran."

As he learns about this faith, Elsadeg is able to gain further understanding about life and what the religion means to him.

“What I love about my religion is [that] it gives me a balance in everything and anything, and also gives me a purpose in my own life,” Elsadeg said.

Finding a purpose in life is a journey many people go through, and some tend to find the answers they are looking for in religion.

Despite being a devout Muslim since the beginning of his life, Elsadeg continues to learn more wonders about his faith through his friends and family member.

He sees himself remaining on this path for the remainder of his life.

BY YABI BEREKET Lifestyles Editor Senior Katie Clark has been a Methodist Christian for all of her life.

“Both [of] my mom and dad were raised as Methodists, so my siblings and I are Methodist Christians as well,” Clark said.

Starting from the age of 9, Clark attended a private Christian school. This helped shaped some of her religious beliefs today.

“While I was there, each class had somehow incorporated God into the lesson,” Clark said.

Learning about science, specifically evolution and the existence of dinosaurs and such, was not a topic ever crossed by Clark’s school because they did not want the kids to believe anything that questioned the Bible and what it said.

The constant push of Christianity was a little hard on Clark, since there was no balance between God and anything else. This period of confusion was further pushed by a memory Clark

had in her school.

“In 5th grade, I went to church and the pastor asked the congregation to move to the right of the church if they believed in God. I knew I did, but my school had been pushing my faith on me so hard," Clark said. “I still moved to the other side because I knew where my faith stood."

The harsh enivronment Clark faced in Christian school was something she dealt with for three years. But this did not stop her from realizing the positive impact that God had on her life.

“I attend church every Sunday with my family now because I want to. Every time, I feel the relationship between me and my faith grow more and more,” Clark said.

The Methodist faith is another branch under the large umbrella of Christianity. This specific branch is different to Clark in comparison to other types of Christianity, because it is a much more welcoming and accepting faith.

“There is a false idea that Christians generally follow the Bible verbatim. Methodists are a more accepting to people of different backgrounds,” Clark said.

The basis of Christianity is the belief of the Holy Trinity, which is comprised of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is believed to be the Son of God, and will return once again to the earth unknowingly.

“I always remember this so then I can live my life according to God as much as I can,” Clark said.

Even though Clark may have had ups and downs while on her religious journey, she continues to learn more and more about her faith, and the different impacts it continues to have on her life.

Commonalities of the faiths Monotheistic

Prayer

Around the world

Fasting

Senator Ted Cruz proposed having recently convicted drug lord El Chapo to pay for the construction of the wall along the U.S.- Mexican border. This is to prevent illeagl immigrants from coming into the U.S., which has been a goal of President Trump since the beginning of his campaign.

Islam: Fasting is a pillar of Islam, which is very important during Ramadan. It is the fast leading up to the main holiday Eid. This fasting season rotates yearly. Their fast consists of not eating for the whole day, until sunset, and lasts for 30 days.

As part of the Islamic faith, Muslims are expected to pray five times a day.

While praying, they should be directed towards Mecca, the holy site, and are scheduled at certain times.

Christianity:

Christianity:

Alongside Islam and Judaism, Christianity is the only other monotheistic religion. A common misconception people have about this faith is the understanding that God has three natures: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In Christianity, it is common to pray five times a day as well. The prayers are said in the morning, before the three meals of the day, and at night. The main prayer said by Christians is the Our Father prayer, taken straight from the Bible.

Christianity:

PHOTO ILLISTRATOIN OF MIKIAS SAHLU

Islam is a faith where they believe in only one God. This opposes other religions such as Hinduism, which has belief in many gods.

Islam:

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION OF RICHARD LE

Islam:

PHOT ILLSUTRATION OF MARA ATIQUE

Senator proposes El Chapo to fund wall

Fasting changes based on what sect of Christianity one is, but the main fast, which is followed by Christians is Lent.

It lasts for 40 days, and leads up to the main holiday, Easter.

Melanist leopard spotted in Kenya Last being seen in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1909, the elusive black leopard has been spotted once again in Central Kenya by biologist Nick Pilfold.

This leopard has melanism, which is a gene which causes excess pigmentation, making the cat black.

Polar bear invasion in Russia Roughly 50 polar bears had invaded the town of Belushya Guba in Russia due to global warming affects in the Arctic.

The polar bears are in serch of food, which casued the town to call a state of emergency in fear of what may happen.

Immigrant stories: coming to America

BY YABI BEREKET International Editor Senior Franco Kitila first came to America when he was eight years old.

He left Addis Ababa, the capital city of his home country Ethiopia, in 2009, with his parents and two siblings.

From there, they traveled across the world and moved to Annandale, Virginia. At first, the move was hectic.

Due to making the trip at a relatively very young age, the confusion hit him hard when he first arrived.

Not only was his surroundings completely different, but the behaviors of the people were strange and foreign to him as well. When Kitila first came to America, the first thing that he took notice to was the change in scenery. Instead of tall buildings and flat land, Virginia had an abundance of trees.

“I remember being in the car with my family and looking out the window,” Kitila said. “I thought to myself ‘ there are so many trees here.’”

Besides his shock in witnessing the difference in landscape, he also realized that people’s behavior in America was vastly different. The most prominent and strange act?

People are saying ‘excuse me’ all of the time.

“My dad had to explain to me that you can’t just shove people in a line.

[Instead,] you have to say ‘excuse me,’” Kitila said.

The schooling system in Ethiopia adds onto the list of differences that he noticed. When he started elementary school in America, he quickly discovered that the curriculum was much more straightforward. Instead of taking a course load, filled with advanced classes, Kitila was learning English grammar and simple mathematics. “[Back in Ethiopia,] I went to a private school, which had a very rigorous workload for elementary students,” Kitila said. “We had English, French, and Arabic classes.”

In addition to the differences in the curriculum, the teaching methods between the two nations differed as well.

“The teachers were the ones that would make their way to different classes, and would also hit students if they misbehaved,” Kitila said.

To make things worst, Kitila and his family were also continually moving from one location to the next, adding to his confusion and frustration.

“I remember being taken everywhere. After traveling for so long, you don’t know where you’re going,” Kitila said. “Once I finally got to my house, it felt weird to settle down since I’ve been on the move for 20 hours.”

However, these were only a few differences that helped make up a portion of the new experiences that he endured once he made a move.

Despite the chaos of transitioning from an old life in Ethiopia to a new one in a foreign country, Kitila had one solstice: prior knowledge in the English language. This made the transition much more comfortable and smooth sailing for him.

“The TV shows back home had some English subtitles which helped me learn, and we had English classes in school which helped me learn too,” Kitila said.

Even though there were not many parallels between the two different worlds, there were a few that stood out to him — the most prominent being the clothing style.

“People in Ethiopia wore a lot of jeans and westernized clothing, which [made coming to America not] that big of a change for me,” Kitila said.

PHOTO CREDIT: FRANCO KITILA

How senior Franco Kitila made his way from Ethiopia to the United States

Kitila's girlfriend Makayla Lopez works with Kitila on a business assignment.

LIFESTYLES 13

Wed. Feb 20, 2019

ALL PHOTO CREDITS TO MARYAM DEREJE

Students display identity through African-American hairstyles

Afro

Locs

Curly

Hemen Besufekad, 12

Sydney Long, 9

Ruth Seyoum, 12

Locs is a hairstyle achieved by not combing the hair you usu-

The afro hairstyle is one the top traditional African American

The braid out curly style is one the easiest ways to achieve

ally would comb out. When you stop combing your hair, it

hairstyles. Many women love to wear their hair in this style

stretched and heatless curls. This is a popular look for

starts sticking together. There are different ways to begin

during their transitioning phase, or as a way to just celebrate

those that want a shorter look and love beach texture.

this process; you can coil, braid, twist or by palm rolling your

the beauty of their hair texture. It is a natural beauty basic.

Bedhead makes a line of products that offer good holding

hair. You can choose to unlock your hair, however, many

While some say this look is hard to manage, with the right

power. Waves can look weighted down and greasy if you

small pieces of hair will be coming out and it may take hours

conditioners and care, it can be a lovely look. If your hair is

use too much product.

or even days to take off.

very coarse, a light relaxer can be helpful.

“I do a lot of different hairstyles. My hair is natural curly

“My hair is in locs at the moment. It takes me about a day

“My hair used to be oily and kinky, however, it was real-

but I have terrible hair shrinkage. My go to hair style is

and a half to get them done. My mom does it for me," Long

ly long and when I got older I permed my hair and since

box braid, even when it takes me 3-4 hours I really think

said. "I have tried many different styles like a top knot, a

I always put it in a bun it got damaged," Besufekad said.

it’s worth it because you can keep it for a long time," Sey-

slick back bum and braids. Out of all of my styles I pre-

"Because of that I ended up cutting my hair and it became

oum said. "I usually keep mine for about 2 weeks because I

fer this one because it shows my ethnicity. I’m Jamaican so

easier to take care of and now my hair is curly and I take

like to change my hair up a lot. Especially this year, I have

dread lock and locks are a big part of my country.”

care of it, I wash it at least once a week.”

tried many different styles and many different colors. At the moment I have on a lace wig and it’s really easy to handle so I like it,”

Low Bun

Straight hair

Aklesiya Abebe, 12

Braids

Season Beyene, 12

Aamira Conhet, 9

If you’re looking to update your African American natural

This look is easy to get with a quality weave or just your nat-

This classic look can be done in any length you desire. If you

hairstyle, don’t forget about the top knot style, also known as

ural hair. Using real Remy human hair can help for long last-

lack the volume of hair, it is fairly easy to get a stylist to

a bun. This is a classic style for any hair type. This is like the

ing results. You can do a lot with smooth straight hair, so

braid in more natural human hair for a thick look. Braids

messy bun, but more put together and bigger. For those that

options are plentiful after your weave. Once you straighten

can be put in buns or left out, it can last a good 2-3 weeks.

have a lot of voluminous hair, this is the up-do you need.

your hair it is very easy to maintain.

“I did a big chop earlier in October, since I had perm and

“My hair is very hard to handle I have a texture between

“Out of all my physical qualities my hair is probably my favor-

relaxer in my hair I wanted to chop it all off," Conhet said.

3c and 4a. My hair is basically curly and puffy, but it’s not

ite thing to change up because I think it makes up my per-

"Everyone reacted very differently after my hair was cut so I

straight," Abebe said. "It's a mixture between African hair

sonality, I change my hair so often and I like trying so many

decided to try out new hairstyles and now I just feel like my

and Ethiopian hair. Since I have a lot of hair it takes me

new things," Beyene said. "Since I have African hair it’s very

braids are apart of me because I’m west African and it’s a

about 4 hours just to wash it. I do a lot of things to my hair;

hard to manage so I ended up learning to do my own hair and

big part of my culture."

I deep condition and I use every product I see on Instagram.

I ended up knowing how to do different styles. Now, I just do

I mostly braid my natural hair and three times a year, I

hair as an hobby and as a job."

straighten my hair."

Fashion Spotlight: Samir Hossain, 12 Q: How did you learn to dress?

A: My friends would insult me all the time about how I dressed, so I decided I had to change it.

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

A: It usually takes me about 15-20 minutes.

Sometimes it depends on what I’m wearing though if it’s tighter it usually takes me longer.

Q: Where do you like to shop?

A: I like to shop at places like Urban Outfitters, PacSun, H&M and Goodwill.

Q: How much do you invest in clothing?

A: I feel like I invest more in cloth that I’m supposed to. I usually don’t give myself a limit.

Q: What is your favorite accessory?

A: My favorite accessory I have is my Armani watch because it’s shiny and it looks good.

Q: What is your favorite pair of shoes?

A: My favorite pair of shoes are my black Timbs because it makes me taller with it I’m a solid 5’9 and a half.

Q: What do you wear on bum days?

A: On bum days, I wear My famous Matty Dinh hoodie with sweats and my moccasins.

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

A: My favorite season to dress for is spring because you can wear anything from shorts to Senior Samir Hossain wears a blue button up with a boots, of course, not together. khaki shorts and black shoes.

Q: Do you dress to impress or for yourself?

A: I dress for myself, however, it doesn’t hurt when people notice too.

Q: Who is your fashion inspiration?

A: My fashion inspiration would have to be Machine Gun Kelly, but I know I will get dissed so I’m not completely sure.

PHOTO CREDIT SAMIR HOSSAIN

PHOTO CREDIT SAMIR HOSSAIN

Q: What is your typical outfit for school?

A: My typical outfit for school would be a hoodie with flannels and a pair of jeans.

Hossain wears a jeans jacket with an orange sweater and black jeans.

14 PEOPLE

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

BY JAMIE HAMADEH People Editor

Chicken and Waffles plays many different types of music genres. They play pieces by artists like Johnny B. Goode whos main music genres are rock and pop and Joe Zawinul who focuses on jazz.

Chicken and Waffles is a band that formed together when the students decided to put their talents together.

Most of the members have started playing their instruments as a kid.

“I have always dabbled on drums since I was little but I did not really take it seriously until my freshman year of high school,” Fornaris said.

The band of 6, sophomore Jackson Fornaris, senior Milton Ramos, sophomore Nareg Boghosian, senior

Justin Pham, junior Noah Byrne, and freshman Adam Shawish, came together at the Taste of Annandale.

The band is comprised of a pianist, a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, a saxophonist, and a trumpet player.

The name may seem uncommon but it comes with an explanation.

“We did not have breakfast and at the Taste of Annandale, there was a food truck that was selling the traditional chicken and waffles so we decided to name our band that,” Ramos said.

Altogether, the band has played and memorized around ten songs.

“My favorite piece is C Jam Blue written by Oscar Peterson,” Pham said. So far, the band has performed at St. James Catholic Church, Coffee House at AHS, and at Taste of Annandale.

Coffee house is an event here at

AHS hosted by Filament. They allow you to perform and show off your talents in front of an audience.

“Johnny B. Goode is my favorite piece because it is the song that kind of brought us all together and saved our butts for our first gig,” Fornaris said. They plan to continue performing throughout the rest of their high school years.

In the future, the band members in Chicken and Waffles want to continue playing in a band either professionally or just for fun so they can keep sharing their talents with the community.

Although they wanted to participate in Battle of the Bands, an event where multiple bands compete for a prize, they will not be able to. However, the band will continue to perform at events like Coffee House and other locations.

HUMANS OF ANNANDALE Ever since I was a kid, I developed a passion for acting. I was never sure of what I wanted to do but acting was always my priority.

The first time I got into acting was in middle school when I joined theater class with my friends and knew it was where I belonged.

My friends always told me that I would do good in the acting industry and now that I am doing good, I appreciate the people that pushed me to jump out of my comfort zone.

Last month, I auditioned to be in a play called The Wolves with NextStop Theatre Company. At the moment, the cast and I are very occupied performing shows and perfecting our lines.

Participating in the play is very time consuming and at times it can be hard to balance rehearsals and shows with my other activities. At the moment, I have a part time job so it gets really challenging but I manage to do it because, in the end, it will all be worth it.

One of my favorite things in high school is cheerleading. I started cheer here at AHS and made varsity my freshman year.

The thrill of performing and the cheers from the crowd on Fridays is what keeps me as well as my friends running. Making regionals definitely pushed us very far as well.

I will be doing cheer again next year which unfortunately will be my final year.

It will be sad leaving my team because I have made life long friends who are like

PHOTO CREDS JUDE NANAW

Students form a successful new band

Chicken and Waffles performs “Mercy Mercy Mercy” at Filaments Coffee House last month.

WHO AM I? I attended: I graduated from the form the following schools: West Springfield High School, Mount Saint Mary’s University with a bachelors degree, Strayer University with an MBA, Shenandoah University with my Virginia teaching license.

The extracurricular activities I did were: Varsity Football and Track (Shot Put).

I was born in: Fort Dix New Jersey.

MAKAYLA COLLINS Junior

my family now. I am excited to see what next year holds for the team and me.

Another sport I love is ballet. I have always wanted to dance but with my busy schedule, it can be hard to fit it in.

I am thinking of finally going at it and trying ballet out for the second time.

My dream job is to be an actress of course. I would really like to go to a college in either New York or California.

I love the vibes and the energy in both locations so it would be really nice to go to college there.

So far, I have a couple colleges in mind but I do not have a decision set in stone.

Why did you choose teaching: I was always told by my superiors and peers that I would make a good teacher.

What I do in my free time is: Watch the Washington Capitals, Nationals, and NASCAR with my wife and twin girls.

Before teaching at Annandale: I worked for CVS for five years and then Coca-Cola for 20 years.

My favorite subject: Business.

Favorite movie is: Jaws.

My greatest fear is: Heights.

I teach at Annandale because: I love my kids, my fellow teachers, and administrators.

Favorite quote is: “Forgive Me Guss!

This is the answer key to Who Am I? Use the QR Code app on your phone or camera.

SPORTS X-TRA 15

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

Athletes disapointed, seniors upset due to absence of bleachers

BY EMAN JARADAT Staff Writer The new home bleachers at the football stadium are yet to be completed and are not expected to be fully finished until the summer of 2019.

John Ellenberger, the Director of Student Activities, was displeased when he heard about the delay from Fairfax County. However, He is working hard to make the best of this situation.

“A gentleman from Fairfax County Public Schools said they were having a hard time getting the permits pushed through Fairfax County Government,” Ellenberger said. “We went through the whole football and field hockey season [without replacing the bleachers].”

Despite the bleachers being a major necessity for football, the construction of the new bleachers began shortly after the fall season ended.

“At first, the gentleman from Fairfax County Public Schools said that we would have [the bleachers] for the spring season,” Ellenberger said. “That would have been fine, as long as they were installed by March 1.”

Everything seemed to be heading in the right direction until about two weeks ago when Ellenberger received a call from the county.

“They stated that they were behind on another job in the county, and because of that, we are not going to have the new bleachers for the spring season,” Ellenberger said.

There are many problems that must be solved so that the games can go on.

“The biggest issue was the question of sound because they already demolished the press box, where all the sound was amplified,” Ellenberger said. “I need to make sure we have

sound for announcements, music, senior nights, and anthems.”

Ellenburger is very persistent and wants to have the 2019 spring season be just as enjoyable as any other.

Despite this setback, he was able to solve the issue readily.

“Mr. Witkowski let me borrow an extremely loud speaker that is used for band practice,” Ellenberger said. “I’m really thankful that Mr. Witkowski and the band department are hooking me up for the sound.”

Although disappointed, Ellenberger still found innovative ways to recreate the ideal stadium.

Ellenberger reached out to the county and they told him that they would do everything in their power to make sure that the scoreboard works.

“We also had He also has a backup plan in case the county cannot provide him with a functioning scoreboard.

“My plan B is to use an older scoreboard, which is about four feet by six feet, and put it on wheels just in case,” Ellenberger said.

Many seniors are disappointed that these problems will affect sports games. However, they are attempting to ignore the issues and still have fun celebrating their last year at AHS. “I feel annoyed because it is my senior year and it is going to be weird playing lacrosse with no home bleachers and press box,” senior Faris Vadakoot said. “[The bleachers] are going to be a little bit smaller, because of the handicapped requirements under the ADA.” Ellenberger stressed the importance of being compliant with the requirements outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA. Everyone deserves specific accommodations in order to ensure and promote equality and inclusion.

“As a senior, I am glad that the repairs happaned after the football season. The bleachers hold a memory of going to football games for four years.

It’s also a bit upsetting that I will not get to see the final product,” Vadakoot said.

Regardless of the lack of home bleachers and other setbacks, the field

ADAM SHAWISH

Bleachers postponed until summer

The empty space, in Bolding stadium, is where the bleachers are set to be put. will be the sight for many games during the spring season, such as for lacrosse and soccer. During the games, both AHS supporters and any supporters of the opposing team will be sharing the visitor’s bleacher.

Senior Andrew Izqierdo has been playing for the boys soccer team for the past three years. He feels that this spring season will be different without them.

“It’s always been a tradition to have our home fans and hype squad on the home side,” Izqierdo said. “I just don’t think it is fair to have this happen in my senior year.”

Even though we may not have the bleachers completed, the necessary arrangements have been made in order to ensure the best possible season.

Hayfield Secondary School

Annandale High School

Stadium Seating Capacity: 6,052 People

Stadium Seating Capacity: Aproximately 3,000 People

West Potomac High School

T.C. Williams High School

Stadium Seating Capacity: Aproximately 5,000 People

Stadium Seating Capacity: Aproximately 2,300 People

GOOGLE MAPS

Sample of stadiums near AHS

An arial view of the stadium before the bleachers were torn down.

DANIELA DOSEN freshman “I am really looking forward to playing soccer at Annandale High School. Ever since I was little I always wanted to play high school soccer so making the team would mean a lot to me.”

MATEO CARRASCO freshman “I am excited for track because I love running and I think that the sport is fun.”

SYDNEY WILMES freshman “I am most excited for lacrosse because it is my favorite sport to play and I’m excited for the season to start.”

JASON ESCOBAR sophomore “The sport I’m most excited for is soccer because I play it and I really enjoy the sport.”

Q & A with Coach Lindsey Ottavio Q: How long have you been coaching soccer?

A: I have been coaching soccer for four years.

This will be my second year as Annandale’s varsity coach.

Q: Did you play soccer before coaching it?

A: I actually started playing soccer when I was four years old. Then I played all throughout my high school career. I played in college and in England for two years.

Q: How did you discover your interest in soccer?

A: I was so young that I think I just tried soccer because of my parents. I loved it the moment I started and I didn’t want to play any other sport. I didn’t have any other interests. I just really wanted to train and play soccer.

PETER EPPERLY junior “I am excited for track because I like running in the warm weather.”

ANDY HERNANDEZ junior “I am excited for soccer because we have a new coach and hopefully he’s not bad.”

DANICA TRAN senior “The sport I’m most excited for is girls socer because I can’t wait to see Alison’s comeback season.”

JASON MERCADO senior “I am most excited for soccer because I believe that the soccer team has the capacity and potential to reach a regional title.”

Q: What made you want to coach soccer?

A: Coaching is the natural extension of playing. After I stopped playing, I still wanted to be involved with the game, and to pass down the knowledge I gained to girls specificlly.

Q: Do you do anything with soccer in the off season?

A: Yes, I actually coach travel soccer as well.

So I am busy coaching soccer year round.

ADAM SHAWISH

Which spring sport are you most excited for?

Coach Ottavio practices kicking the ball with sophmore Madison Cruz.

Q: How do you prepare for a new soccer season?

A: Preparing for the new soccer season sort of starts immediately after the last season ends. We do a complete reflection and as the new season gets closer it is more about building on the foundation we had last season Q: What is one thing you love about coaching?

A: I love the relationships I create with my players. Seeing them thrive and genuinely improve is such a great feeling as a coach.

Q: What is your favorite memory from coaching?

A: My favorite memory was when we won our first game last season. I was taking over the program and it was new for me. We were trying to develop our own personality for the program. But that moment when we achieved our first victory was the sweetest feeling.

16 SPORTS

Sarah Shamdeen (second from left to right) celebrates both Senior Night and passing the 1,000 career point mark on the same day with fellow seniors on the team.

Shamdeen prepares to dribble past an opponent.

Lady Atoms point guard joins the 1,000 point club

Tournament just one week later to cruise past Mount Vernon by a score of 58-46, where Shamdeen scored a whopping 23 points.

“As a player this season, I have improved a lot [not just physically and technically, but] mentally as I no longer beat myself up after making mistakes during our games this season,” Shamdeen said.

Nevertheless, the team, and Shamdeen especially, had an accomplished season.

Following the win against West Potomac, Shamdeen surpassed 300 points on the season and had 1,022 career points.

Shamdeen also expressed that scoring 1,000 points is not the only accomplishment that came out of playing for the Lady Atoms for four years.

“The best part about playing basketball for my school is the bond that we have formed as a team throughout the years,” Shamdeen said.

The Lady Atoms then went on after senior night and cruising past Mount Vernon to fall in the district semifinal

“It was pretty cool to reach this amazing accomplishment this year because I was not entirely sure that I would be able to.”

--SARAH SHAMDEEN

COURTESY OF ALEX BELLEM

COURTESY OF SARAH SHAMDEEN

COURTESY OF SARAH SHAMDEEN

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

Senior Alex Bellem makes a move around a T.C. Williams player to take a shot on goal on May 9 in the District Semifinals last year.

Boys lax looks to change the narrative

Lady Atoms point guard

Senior Sarah Shamdeen shows offensive consistency in four seasons

BY ALEX BURITA Sports Editor After picking up a narrow three point home win (53-50) against West Potomac on Senior Night, the Lady Atoms’ season hit yet another milestone in their action packed season on Feb. 5.

The Atoms picked up another crucial win against a Gunston District team that would impact their seeding in the District Tournament.

However, more importantly, senior

point guard Sarah Shamdeen passed the momentous 1,000 career point mark.

She scored 24 points that game, one of her best performances this season.

Additionally, Shamdeen is only one of fewer than ten Atoms to achieve the accomplishment, either on the boys or girls side.

“The last person do to so [score 1,000]points for AHS] was Dontae Johnson during my freshman year,” Shamdeen said.

Over the past four years that she has played for AHS, Shamdeen has

remained consistent in scoring in order to reach this goal, which is extremely difficult to do.

Each season she played, Shamdeen has scored more than 100 points.

Her highest scoring season was her Sophomore year with 365 total, which is an average of more than 17 points per game.

“To me, it is very cool that I achieved this feat because I was doubtful that I would reach the 1,000 point mark this year,” Shamdeen said.

After reaching this astonishing goal, the team went on to the District

to the top seeded T.C. Williams by a score of 50-68.

The girls will head to their first regional tournament match on March 9.

In the future, Shamdeen plans to move on to play more basketball in college.

“I plan on playing in college and hopefully it works out,” Shamdeen said.

Grappling Atom junior qualifies for state tournament

After finding success during most invitationals and against district teams in their action packed season, AHS wrestling was ready to shift their focus to postseason.

Starting on Feb. 2, the team, yet again, hosted the four other teams from their district for the Gunston District Championship Tournament.

Like most other matches this season, AHS again both sought and found success as the team as a whole placed third out of the five teams with all twelve wrestlers qualifying for the Regional Tournament.

Highlights of the District Tournament include first place finishes by junior Dylan Weaver (170 weight class), junior Patrick Lee (182 weight class), and senior Kevin Reyes (285 weight class).

Then, the 12 wrestlers who advanced to regionals competed in the Regional Tournament at Fairfax High

School just the week after.

At that meet, only two of those who competed qualified for the State Tournament, one of which was an alternate.

Lee qualified by placing high enough in the regional meet while Fowler went as an alternate.

At Regionals, Lee placed third and Fowler placed sixth in their respective brackets. The team placed 15th overall.

The state meet was held at Robinson on Feb. 15. However, results of the meet were not yet finalized and released by the publication date of this article.

“Whenever Lee wrestles at his best, he is a formidable opponent that will be hard to beat at states,” coach Damico said.

“I feel that we performed very well thus far in postseason. Everyone was wrestling their best; while it didn’t always translate to success for every wrestler, Damico said. “The pieces are in place for them to be successful next year at these tournaments.”

Grappling Atoms celebrate the annual pack the pit which is also Senior Night which took place the week before the district tournament.

“It was definitely a plus that we ended up placing better at Regionals than we did at Districts,” Damico said.

Although less wrestlers qualified for States from AHS than what was expectd before regionals, the team has seen a lot of accomplishments this season and will have a lot to look forward to with their underclassmen returners

next season.

“Sending anyone to States is a successful season,” Damico said, “This season it was a steady climb with improvement. There is still plenty of room to improve, but we had a young team and I feel a solid foundation has been built for the future seasons.”

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BY ALEX BURITA Sports Editor

COURTESY OF JOSHUA 2

Junior Patrick Lee of 182 weight class heads to Robinson for the state tournament

BY ALEX BURITA Sports Editor Following a successful finish to their season last year, where they advanced out of the district and eventually fell in the regional quarterfinal against West Potomac, the lacrosse team is preparing for its upcoming season.

Currently, the team is in their first week of training before tryouts are complete and Head Coach Bill Maglisceau finalizes any adjustments for lineups and rosters.

This week, the focus in practice will be improving physically as well as playing better as a team.

Tryouts will take place on Feb. 18 and will feature several technical related drills and a scrimmage.

“Even though tryouts officially started on Feb. 18, they initially start by making an impression with coaches during the offseason,” senior goalie Sam Phan said.

Last year, the game that led to the regional quarterfinal against West Potomac featured a clutch 8-7 win in the first round of the regional tournament against Woodbridge.

In that game, senior Alex Bellem scored four goals along with seniors Matt Dinh and Cameron Foti who each scored two.

Overall, the team did well turning around the unfortunate season that they were starting to have. Of their first ten games, the Atoms only won once.

Then, leading up to postseason, they turned their season around and won three of their last five.

Now, the boys head into a new season which means new opportunity.

The team will look to have a dynamic relative to that of those last five games (three of which they won) last season to hopefully advance past the regional quarterfinal this year.

“This season, our goals are to get more wins and hopefully win the District Tournament and advance further in the regional bracket,” Bellem said. “[In order to be successful this sea-

“Our entire attack has returned along with most of our defense, and we can’t wait to see the talent that has been perfected during the summer.”

--ALEX BELLEM

Senior attack son] our main focus [in practices] will be to perfect our game plans and plays that we worked on last year,” Bellem said.

The first scrimmage of the season will take place on March 2 at home against C.D. Hylton.

Then, they will face Woodbridge again, which they beat in the Regional Tournament, for their second scrimmage on March 7.

These two games will play an important role in gauging how well the experienced team will do with perfecting their plays.

The regular season will kick off a week later on March 14 against Washington-Lee, a team that had a record identical to AHS last season going 4-11.

“Going into the season, AHS lacrosse has many strengths under its belt such as great leadership, coaching, and athleticism,” Bellem said. “We have very strong expectations, especially with most of our starting lineup on offense.”

Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the team has a shot at success this season which may feature a district win or advancing further in the Regional Tournament.

“Our overall goal this season is to make it to the conference championship and pass the first round of the playoffs,” Bellem said.

SPORTS 17

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

BY ERIK RIVAS Sports Editor The varsity basketball teams finished their seasons with decent records, which prove to be improving each year.

The boys ended with a respectable record of 11-13, and the Lady Atoms ended the season with a record of 8-13.

Both teams concluded their seasons in the semi-finals of the district tournament, where they defeated Mount Vernon in the first round. The boys won (75-65), and the girls won (58-46.)

The boys then lost to West Potomac (57-63), and the girls lost to T.C. Williams (50-68) to eliminate them from the district tournament.

Highlights of the boys game against Mount Vernon include a solid performance from the Atoms on offense.

The girls put their heads in the game and deafeated Mt. Vernon.

On Feb. 12, in their defeat to West Potomac, the boys played a great game on both sides of the court, but fell short by a mere 6 points, after not being able to catch the Majors in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

“As a whole, I believe we played really well and did a pretty good job of limiting their offensive rebounding despite their size,” senior Abbey Yared said. “We missed too many free throws, which would’ve changed the course of the game.”

As expressed by Yared, the boys believed that they started to fall short of earning the win in the fourth quarter.

“In the 4th quarter, we should have done a better job of closing out the game

and staying focused on key possessions,” Yared said.

On the other hand, the Lady Atoms felt as if they did not play hard enough to have a chance at beating the top seeded T.C. Williams.

“I feel like we got tired, and we made bad passes because of it,” senior Jayla Irvin said. “They simply started to run up the score based on our errors.”

The girls believed that they started losing control of the game between the end of the third quarter and the beginning of fourth. “[Looking back at the game,] there was not any specific quarter, but probably the end of third and the beginning of fourth is where we could have played more efficiently,” Irvin said.

Although the teams were knocked out in the semi-finals of the District Tournament, they still made great memories and proved to be formidable opponents.

Additionally, senior night was a big night as both the boys and the girls varsity teams won their games.

Following those games, players stated what their favorite part about the entire season was.

Senior Alejandro Casquino said his season memory was made that night by beating Mt. Vernon on senior night.

Irvin said her favorite part about the whole season was the time she spent with her team out of basketball, and before games where they would hang out and have fun with each other.

Despite some ups and downs throughout the season, both times will miss the season, as will the seniors from each team.

Senior players also shared what they will miss about playing high school basketball.

“I’m going to miss going out and playing my heart and putting on a Annandale jersey to play.” Casquino said.

Assistant coach Marcus Mckinney (center) talks with team against Falls Church with head coach Deidrich Gilreath (right).

PHOTO CREDS:KATIE POPE

Varsity basketball out in District SemiFinals due to weak defensive fourth quarter finish

PHOTO CREDS:RICH FINK

Basketball outplayed

Senior Sarah Shamdeen, sophomore Marian Osman, and freshman Jane Elkins huddle up to strategize about how to play offensively and defensively.

Girls soccer ready for tryouts

BY MIA ANTEZANA GARCIA Staff Writer The spring sports have yet to begin, but AHS soccer has already began preparing for its season.

Soccer coach, Lindsey Ottavio, already knows what she is looking for in girls that try out.

“There’s no guarantee for any player. Every year we look at everyone trying out and we take the top 20 girls and they make the varsity roster,” coach Ottavio said. “We look at a couple of things: their physical ability, which includes things such as fitness testing, their technical ability, which includes ball skills, and lastly their tactical ability, which is more in terms of a game scenario.”

Before tryouts, Ottavio holds yellow and green days, where the girls complete activities that will prepare them for the official tryouts.

The first tryouts for the girls soccer team will be on Tuesday, February 19th at Ossian park. All girls are welcomed.

“Within tryouts, we give specific explanations or examples so that they know what’s required of them,” Ottavio said. “I also send out workouts and other things for them to do to prepare for the actual tryouts.”

Ottavio compares preparation for the season to a “wirlwind.”

“We pick the team and create chemistry. We have to figure out what the personality of the team is this year. After that we go straight into scrimmages which gives us a better look at the individual player,” Ottavio said.

Players also shared how the soccer coach prepares the girls before the season starts.

GRACE JONES

Soccer holds green days and yellow days before tryouts; players show up to show their ability and skills

Sophomore Jayden Joya takes a shot looking to make the teams lead higher last year against Mt. Vernon final score 5-3.

“Our coach, Ms. Ottavio, starts preparing us by conditioning us to green and yellow,” Joya said. “She does this so that we get used to the schedule and work we will have when the actual season starts.”

Joya played on the varsity soccer team last year and has been playing soccer for 12 years.

“It’s my passion and my love” she said “My dad plays soccer, and I want to go somewhere with it too.”

Joya was injured earlier this month by playing futsal, which is a type of soccer. However, the injury has not stopped her from working hard to recover in time to play for this season.

“I want to first and foremost recover

from my injury,” Joya said. “I then plan on working out by running some miles and doing some agility ball work on my own, as well as my travel practices.”

Joya also shared her goals for this season.

“My goals for this season is to be better than last year,” Joya said. “It all depends on how I heal during my therapy, but I think I’ll be back before the season starts.”

Lalia Lopez also shared her goals for this season. Lalia played varsity last year.

“My goals for the season is to win more games than last year, to have better chemistry throughout the whole team,” Lopez said.

Boys condition with new coach

BY ERIK RIVAS Sports Editor The boys soccer season is well on its way.

Players came out to many Green Days practices to meet the new head coach and showed off their skills and abilities in the game.

This year the team will be directed by head coach Tejas Patel. Coach Patel is new to AHS and has been coaching for 19 years.

Before coming to AHS, Patel was an assistant coach at South Lakes. The year before that, Patel was the head coach at Herndon.

About 22 people showed up to the green day, which has been the maximum amount of players to show up to a boys soccer Green Day this season.

In fact, one Green Day featured less than 10 players, the season minimum in participation for green days.

Overall, each of the Green Days so far consisted of various activites: running, core drills, game of possession and full field games. All of these will serve to be useful in preparing the team both physically and mentally for the tough

season that they will have ahead.

The players also have the option to show up to a yellow day practice, which consists purely of conditioning and less technical activities.

Yellow day practices are geared to help players become fit for both tryouts and the season.

However, approximately 10 players showed up to the first Yellow Day. The soccer season is beginning soon, the first tryout was on Feb. 19.

Players, specifically those on the JV team and incoming freshmen, have been training for the tryouts since the fall to insure they have their spot on the varsity team.

“Out of school, I have prepared many different ways. I play for a team outside of school, and they gave me the opportunity to play out in Spain,” junior Andy Hernandez said. “I have also trained a lot myself to get better, so I could compete.”

Coach Patel is looking forward to seeing Atoms fans come out to soccer games.

“I am looking forward to seeing Atoms supporters filling our stands during games,” Patel said. “I want to see our stands covered in red.”

How have you prepared for tryouts throughout the year?

JUSTIN SCOTT sophomore “I prepared for tryouts by going to practice with my travel team, and I would go to the Green Day’s to get to know the coaches and some players.”

ELVIS CORNEJO junior “I prepared for tryouts by practicing with my friends in the morning and in the afternoon. I also play with my team, so that’s gonna give me a huge boost.”

LEONARDO IRIATE senior “I started playing in leagues at The Saint James.

I trained with my friends, and in the mornings, I would run two to three miles to raise my endurance.”

Coach’s Corner: Hassan Mims Q: Where are you from?

A: “I was born and raised in Prince George’s County, MD.” Q: Where did you go to college?

A: “I attended Daytona Beach Community College, then Bethune Cookman University, and lastly, Florida A&M University.”

Q: When did you start coaching?

A: “I started coaching 1996. This was during my Summer break of college because I had a lot of free time off of college and I had a passion for tennis.”

Q: Is AHS the only school you have coached at?

A: “No, before I coached at James S Rickards high school in Tallahassee, Florida. Also, I coached at West Potomac high school.”

Q: How did you first discover your interest in tennis?

A: “I read an article about many unclaimed college tennis scholarships. And I wanted money to pay for college.”

Q: Did you play tennis when you were younger?

A: “I started playing tennis in ninth grade. I played for Florida A&M university too.”

Q: What do you like most about tennis?

A: “I like how tennis is primarily an individual sport.”

Q: Who is your favorite player?

A: “My favorite players are Monica Seles and Serena Williams.”

18 ENTERTAINMENT

Wed. Feb 20, 2019

Ted Bundy (middle) in trial and awaiting a final verdict

Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes Netflix streams documentary about America’s first serial killer

BY MATTHEW DINH Entertainment Editor Ted Bundy, a sadistic psychopath who most thought of as a charming, attractive and motivated man, had all the tell-tale signs of a normal everyday person.

As history has come to know, Bundy was a serial killer who raped his victims beforehand and sometimes even after.

Bundy was the first person to be considered a serial killer. A new Netflix series, “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes,” goes in-depth about his damaged childhood, past relationships, and every murder he committed.

Theodore Bundy was born on November 24, 1946 in Burlington, Vermont. He started his short life as his mother’s secret humiliation. His mother, Eleanor Cowell, was 22 years of age when she had Bundy as an unmarried woman.

As the daughter of very religious parents, Bundy’s birth made his mother’s parent’s humiliation as well. Eleanor sent Bundy to be raised and adopted by his grandparents. Bundy’s realization of

his adoption at the age of 14 had a lasting affect.

In school, Bundy was considered a shy, but bright student. He was seen as an outsider to many of his peers. After he graduated from high school, Bundy enrolled at the University of Washington where he met his future girlfriend, Diane Edwards. She had everything Bundy desired: money, class, and influence.

The two later broke up which destroyed his emotional state. Many of his victims resembled his ex-girlfriend Edwards such as Nancy Wilcox, Melissa Smith and Laura Aime.

Bundy graduated from the University of Washington in 1972 with a degree in Psychology and was later on accepted to the University of Utah for their law school.

“I never knew in all my years of teaching Psychology, I never knew he was a Psych major,” said Whitney Hardy. “I thought that he was a genius in a weird way because sociopaths and psychopaths don’t understand normal human emotions. So for him to take those classes to figure out how normal people act and how to act himself

`In 1975, Bundy was arrested for around normal people makes it realthe kidnapping of Carol DaRonch. She ly creepy and smart at the same time.” is one of the few who had escaped him After graduating from the University of and she appeared on the Netflix docuWashington, Bundy changed his visumentary to describe her dramatic expeal appearance and became more conrience and her thoughts during the fident which was evident in his social event which left a lasting scar. Bundy and political skills. was later on convicted and After his change in received a one - 15 year jail appearance, Bundy began to sentence. go on his killing sprees. StoAs time went on, the U.S. ries spread around the Seatstates in which Bundy had tle area and in down state committed the crimes, comOregon that the women who menced communications went missing were accompaand started to connect the nied by a young, handsome, dots, cooperation which was dark-haired man who called unheard of during that time. himself “Ted.” ZAC EFRON Bundy was indicted on murIn 1974, Bundy moved to Zac Efron is taking on der charges for the death of a Utah to begin attending law the role of serial killer school. Woman began to dis- Ted Bundy in new Netf- young Colorado woman.

He decided to represent appear in that area as well. lix film Exteremly Wick- himself as he was once a law Bundy seemed to be in ed, Shockingly Evil, student. the clear since there was no and Vile During one of his briefings, evidence that connected him he was left alone in a room to to the recent disappearancprepare for his case but when es and no one nearly suspected him the security guard came to check up on because of his appearance as a norhim, he was gone. Bundy had jumped mal citizen. Somewhere along the line, from the window and was free for eight Bundy was pulled over by a police car days until he was captured. The first of and his car was searched. multiple escapes.

The police officer uncovered a stockBundy’s second escape was two pile of burglary tools; a crowbar, black years after his first escape. Bundy had face mask, which led to a police investistarved himself to lose weight and gation eventually establishing Bundy as escape through the jail ceiling. the prime suspect.

He casually walked out the front

doors of the jail unnoticed, Bundy was gone for more than 15 hours before authorities figured out what had happened. The Netflix documentary shows the exact cell he stayed in and the way in which he escaped.

Bundy had a plan for everything he did and this escape was no different.

He first took a bus to Denver and then caught a flight to Chicago. After arriving in Chicago, he took an amtrak train to Ann Arbor to watch his alma mater the University of Washington play Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The next day, Bundy stole a car and drove it as far as to Atlanta, where he ditched it and got a bus ride down to Tallahassee where he continued his murders on the campus of Florida State University.

His first attempt on the campus was January 14, 1978 in the Chi Omega sorority house. Bundy attacked four female residents in their sleep, killing two of the women. The next month, on February 9th, Bundy kidnapped 12 year-old Kimberly Leach and murdered her.

Bundy’s capture was a result of the discovery of instinctive bite marks left on the victims. In 1979, Bundy was convicted and given the death penalty twice.

Ted Bundy used his charm and intelligence to prolong his death penalty but was eventually executed on Jan. 24, 1989 by the electric chair.

The Real Bros of Simi Valley

BY PATRICK BROWN Staff Writer

“Living in Simi has been pretty chill for these four best friends, but now that high school ended 10 years ago, it might be time for the bros to grow up.”

On April 10, 2017 Jimmy Tatro uploaded the first episode of “Real Bros of Simi Valley” on his YouTube channel. That first episode now has nearly four million views.

“This show is super funny and all their accents are hilarious. I really want to be a skater bro now,” senior Sam Abourakty said.

The first season consists of four episodes each averaging just under ten

minutes. The second season that is now out is on Facebook Watch, which is Facebook’s new video production platform, these episodes average about 15 minutes in length.

The story takes place in Simi Valley, California. The four main characters are Xander who works at his dad’s auto body repair shop. Duncan, who works and manages the second biggest Cal Surf in the valley. Bryce is a failed skater who peaked in high school and now hangs out at the local skate park.

Wade the youngest of the four, is Xander’s tag- along younger brother, who is an aspiring photographer.The show is set up like a reality TV show, although in real life they are just characters.

These bros love to skate, chill and relax “I like this show because of satirical

comedy and how well written it is.

You have to watch it multiple times to get all the jokes, but that’s not a problem because of how short the episodes are,” senior Samir Hossain said.

“I find myself rewatching it when I’m bored, it’s still amusing because I keep finding new jokes. It’s a great way to spend 30 minutes of your day,” said Hossain.

The first season starts off with an introduction to the boys waiting for their girlfriends to get back from Cancun. Problems start to arise and their solution is to host a chill kickback.

Tensions rise when Xander and Bryce get into an argument. After this the kick back ends up getting cancelled… or does it?

A look at the cast

Playlist of the Issue MIDDLE CHILD J. Cole Single (2019) J. Cole dropped a random banger just to remind everyone that he is still the best in the game.

BLEED IT Blueface Single (2019) Another questionable hit song from Blueface, he delivers again after hot track “Thotiana.”

BURY A FRIEND Billie Eilish WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (2019) A teaser from her upcoming album. Eilish doesn’t dissapoint. break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored Ariana Grande thank you, next (2019) From her most recent album, this is easily one of the best songs.

Who could this song be about?

NICK COLLETTI

JIMMY TATRO

TANNER PETULLA

Colletti got his big break on the

Before creating The Real Bros of

Better known by his DJ name

popular app Vine, but already

Simi Valley. Tatro had over 500

“Getter,” Petulla has been in the

had a social media presence on

million views on Youtube and three

music industry since 2010. He

Twitter and Youtube. He also

million subscribers. He was also an

also was a popular Viner, coining

was a music producer early in his

actor on the show American Van-

the phrase “Suh Dude.”

career.

dal.

I’M YUNGMANNY YungManny Hey Manny 2 (2019) One of the youngest rappers out right now, YungManny adds a twist to his usual style with this song.

TALK Khalid Single (2019) This upbeat pop song is perfect for a short drive to school or to work.

ENTERTAINMENT 19

WWW.MOTOWNRECORDS.COM/ARTISTS/LIL-BABY/

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

Rappers, Lil Baby (left) and Gunna (right) perform at Lil Baby’s concert for his Harder Than Ever Tour. This performance was at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Friday, August 24.

Rap Battle: Lil Baby vs. Gunna Lil Baby offers some of the best flow in the game

BY AYMAN ELHAG Entertainment Editor Lil Baby, also known as Dominique Jones, is an Atlanta-native rapper who has always had a passion for music.

At just age 13 he began writing music and releasing mixtapes and singles at a local level. He was fortunate enough to have grown up with rap artist Young Thug, and have remained good friends through Young Thug’s fame. When Thug blew up, he would often promote Lil Baby’s music trying to get him noticed and soon he became well known all over the East Coast.

“Lil Baby is probably one of the hottest, if not the hottest rappers out right now. No questions about it,” junior Hakim Idris said.

Baby has a voice that is somewhat high pitched that some people think is his best trait and others think otherwise. He is best known for intense beats and his flow that is unmatched.

“It is like you hear two fast lines and then it just keeps going and going. It is a

tongue twister but it cranks,” Idris said.

Baby’s most notable track is “Life Goes On” where he featured hot rap artist Lil Uzi Vert and his good friend, Gunna. This track was the top of the rap charts for weeks but started to lose its attention as it aged.

“I am a fan of all is songs but I feel like some people do not ive it the attention they deserve,” Idris said.

Critics of Baby do say that his variety of music is not extensive. He makes a lot of music that sounds the same.

He does not change his style and people believe that it is repetitive. Rap artist, Drake does not agree with the statements.

“This guy is the next big thing,” Drake said in a recent interview with popular rap analyst, DJ Academiks.

Drake and Lil Baby collabed on Baby and Gunna’s new album Drip Harder on the track “Never Recover” that made the top charts in lots of categories. Drake and Baby are good friends and Drake backs him up whenever critics lash at him.

As for me, I am a Lil Baby enthusiast. I believe that he is the next big artists and his features right now combined with his production team, he will take over the rap industry. He has a future and he is humbled. He does not let the fame get to his head.

Who’s Better?

MICHAEL BENKELY freshman “Gunna because his beats are nice and his voice just sounds better than Lil Baby’s.”

JAYDEN JOYA sophomore “Lil Baby because his songs have better flow and his Drake collabs are my favorite.”

NIA COLLINS junior “I prefer Gunna over Lil Baby because Gunna uses his voice better than Baby and I think he’s more talented.”

ALEX HUYNH senior “Lil Baby is better than Gunna because his music is more well rounded and he always has nice features.”

Gunna finds success and fans through his beats

BY AYMAN ELHAG Entertainment Editor Gunna, also known as Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, became interested in music and rapping as a hobby in his early teens, but became more serious about the possibility of a career in hiphop around 2016. He is also an Atlantanative rapper who surfaced just recently due to his connections with one of today’s hottest artists, Young Thug.

Gunna also has a growing fanbase at AHS. “I first came to know about Gunna when I listened to him on a feature on one of of Young Thug’s songs,” senior Alex Huynh said.

The Rapper is best known for his mellow and soothing voice. Resembling that of an R&B artist. This combined with his intense beats leads to a contrast that has been appealing to a lot of people recently.

Gunna is also known for his catchy hooks. His lyrics are almost comedic and we see this in his song “Top Off”

where he says “I took the top off” and then uses the slang term, “drippin’” and says he is “drippin like hot sauce.”

This iconic line has been everywhere from Instagram captions to everyday conversations. It has become Gunna’s most notable lines.

“I hear this phrase about four times on average a day at school or any where else I go,” Huynh said.

Huynh believes that Gunna is the best artist out right now and listens to him frequently. Huynh streams Gunna’s most recent album Drip Season 3 almost every day.

“It’s good music but not lyrically, his lyrics are shallow,” Huynh said.

People believe that he does not rap about anything relevant and that it is rappers like him that are changing the game. Old school rappers that have been around a while like Drake, J. Cole, and rap icon, Jay Z acknowledge him as a hot upcoming artist but have come to the consensus that he needs to take more time on his music as it is always quality over quantity for the music industry.

“He releases music all the time, it’s too much,” said Huynh. “I really like him, but the reason why these bigger rappers are so successful is because they do not release often so their fan bases are eager, and you can always count on them to make quality music and I just can say that with Gunna.”

Two great Netflix shows you haven’t watched

BY CAMERON FOTI Entertainment Editor

You This drama is based on the novel of the same name by Caroline Kepnes and was ordered

by Lifetime on April 2017.

The 10-episode first season, which premiered on September 9, 2018, was produced by A&E Studios, in association with Alloy Entertainment, Berlanti Productions, and Warner Horizon Television; the showrunners were Greg Berlanti and Leslie Morgenstein.

You follows Joe Goldberg, a New York bookstore manager who falls in love with a customer named Guinevere Beck

and quickly becomes obsessed with her.

Guinevere Beck is an aspiring writer and is struggling with her career, relationships, friendships, and with her family.

Joe will do whatever it takes to be with Guinevere, even if that means breaking the law.

On July 26, 2018, Lifetime announced that You had been renewed for a second season.

“This is one of my favorite shows I’ve ever watched,” senior Abu Elsadeg said. “It keeps you on your feet until the

As it gets to that point in the year where procrastination is inevitable, here are two Netflix Original shows that will distract you from all the boring homework and studying.

With about 148 million worldwide users, over 1,500 shows and over 4,000 movies, there is plenty to choose from on todays most popular streaming service. Netflix has every genre you can think of and then some.

It’s most popular genres include action, comedy, documentaries, horror, and international.

“Netflix is by far the best streaming service because of the variety it has,” senior Tahid Mamun said, “there is a show or

61st Oscars Preview

BY JUDE NANAW Editor in Cheif First created in 1929, the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, were vastly different from today’s event that is filled with glitz and glamour. When it was first created, the Oscars wasn’t a televised show at all, but rather a private black-tie dinner that celebrated the achievements of actors and directors.

As the Oscars have rolled around once more this year, the event has stirred up it’s share of controversy. The awards show drew criticism for removing several categories from the televised show. Instead, the four categories of cinematography, film editing, makeup/ hairstyling and live action will be featured during commercial breaks.

Previous Oscar winner actor Russell Crowe took aim at the Academy Awards slamming the decision as “fundamentally stupid.”

Nevertheless, students are

looking forward to the event on Feb. 24 as multiple major films and a number of A-List actors are nominated for awards across the board. Movies that have received a lot of buzz and set box office records such as Black Panther and Bohemian Rhapsody are up for awards as well.

“I’m excited for the Oscars because I’m hoping to see Black Panther win the award for Best Picture,” senior Ruth Seyoum said. “Even though I’d prefer for Black Panther to win, I could see A Star is Born

winning the category.”

Additionally, Green Book, Vice, BlacKkKlansman among other films are also nominated for Best Picture.

Alongside the Best Picture category, there a number of high profile actors and actresses nominated for the Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress awards categories, respectively.

The Best Actor nominees are headlined by Christian Bale in Vice and Bradley Cooper in A Star is Born in company with Rami Malek’s performance in Bohemian Rhapsody.

movie to fit my every mood.”

Not only does Netflix have a variety of genres, it also has a good mix of classic and new movies and shows.

“There are shows and movies on it that I have watched since I was a kid and original shows that I have never seen before,” sophomore Nicholas Bellem said.

The streaming service’s oldest movie is The Third Man from 1949 and is constantly updating its arsenal everyday. Most recently, Netflix added Marvel’s Infinity War from 2018.

Netflix is available on all your devices, which makes it perfect for anytime use.

Both shows are perfect for a quick watch to pass time, each episode is only about 45 minutes.

The Punisher Marvel’s The Punisher is an American television series created for Netflix by Steve Lightfoot, based on the Marvel Comics character, the Punisher.

It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films and other television series of the franchise, and is a spin-off of Marvel’s Daredevil.

The series revolves around Frank Castle, who uses lethal methods to fight crime as the vigilante “the Punisher”, with Jon Bernthal repeating as the role from Daredevil.

In the first season, Frank

Castle, or The Punisher, wants revenge on those responsible for the death of his family and in the process uncovers a larger conspiracy beyond what was done to him and his family.

“You can practically feel what Frank feels because not only is Bernthal an outstanding actor that deserves an Emmy,” senior James Gore said. “The script is beautifully written, not dry and predictable like the other Marvel shows.”

Key Nominees “I think Rami Malek is the best actor nominated from the category,” senior Danica Tran said. “Bohemian Rhapsody was really good and so was his performance.”

Best Lead Actresses nominated include Lady Gaga in A Star is Born and Melissa McCarthy is Can You Ever Forgive Me alongside Olivia Coleman from The Favourite.

Awards are not only distributed to actors on Oscars night, but directors are given their share of praise as well. Nominees for the Best Director category include Spike Lee for BlacKkKlansman, Pawel Pawlikowski for Cold War, Yorgos Lanthimos for The Favorite, Alfonso Cuaron for Roma and Adam McKay for Vice.

“I thought that Ryan Coogler from Black Panther should have been one of the nominees for Best Director,” Seyoum said.

All eyes will be on the red carpet when the 91st installment of the Academy Awards kicks off from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

Christian Bale, Vice

Actor Christian Bale is nominated for best lead actor for his role as Dick Cheney in the dramatic comedy Vice.

The film was written and directed by Adam McShaw. Bale has been nominated four times for an Oscar and won once.

Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman Spike Lee is nominated for Best Director for his film BlackkKklansman. Lee’s film is also nominated for Best adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. These nominations will be his fifth for the Academy Awards without a win.

Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born Singer, song writer and actor, Lady Gaga, otherwise known as Stefani Joanne, has been nominated for her first Oscar as best lead actress in the movie A Star Is Born. Lady Gaga has been nominated for six Grammy Awards and has won three.

20 WEEKEND

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ST. JAMES FACEBOOK

Wed. Feb. 20, 2019

BY KATIE POPE Weekend Editor The St. James complex is a new building on Industrial Road (a short 10 minutes, 3.5 miles away). It just recently opened in Sept. and it is a 450,000 square foot sports, health, and wellness center with everything imaginable.

Inside the stunning building is an olympic sized pool, a water park, and multiple sports fields for all to enjoy.

Also, take advantage of the two NHL sized ice rinks, the three-story rock climbing/bouldering wall, virtual reality games, and a three-floor gym.

If that’s not enough, there’s on-site child care so you can go off and practice twirling in the dance rooms or perfect your handstands in gymnastics gym. Even better, you can relax and rejuvenate at the spa with facials, manicures, and massages.

After a tough workout, reward yourself with a nice meal from St. James’ very own restaurant, Vim and Victor. The food is beautiful, delicious and made with healthy ingredients.

The St. James truly is a place of wonder, and it’s the only building like it in the region.

Strengthen your swing in a baseball batting cage, get your heart rate up on a stationary bike, or improve your golf hits in a simulation room.

This place is a never ending entertainment and activity center.

You can even watch your kids play or get a sneak peak from the observation areas.

In the near future a Medstar Health Center

where members can go to for rehabilitation, medicine, and therapy will be created.

Since St. James is so close to Annandale, several students work in different sections of the center. Senior Kassie Peralta works in the Super Awesome and Amazing facility which is what the department calls itself.

“My favorite place is the gym because of all the equipment they have and their three floors,” Peralta said.

Another senior Alessio Humerez works at the rock climbing wall as an instructor.

“My favorite part would be getting to do something I truly enjoy while making money for it.

Humerez said. “It is nice to meet and climb with new people.”

Employees at St. James receive a free membership. Adult memberships cost $169 a month, student memberships cost $100 a month, and military/first responder memberships cost $135 a month.

Another option is to purchase a day pass which ranges from $15 to $48 depending on the department and day/time.

“I like that I get full access to the facility and that I can enjoy all the sports that I participate in,” Humerez said.

When signing up, there is an initiation fee of $199 for a 12-month contract or $399 for a monthly membership.

The St. James is unique and buildings like this one are difficult to find. They are open 24/7, so make sure to check it out for yourself.

PHOTO BY KATIE POPE

The St. James; a new 450,000 square foot sports, wellness, and entertainment complex is now open in Springfield

The Pool

The SAA

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50 meters long and 25 yards wide (10 lanes) Katie Ledecky swam in this pool and ther celebrities have come to check it out has starting blocks and touch pads offers private swim lessons water polo games and teams includes a water park right beside it hosts college swim meets and practices open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

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called the Super Awesome & Amazing facility 30,000 square feet of fun virtual reality 100 sq. ft gaming bays 3D climbing structures trampolines ninja warrior obstacles ten e-sport stations to play games nerf battling zones open from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Fieldhouse

The Gym

The Restaurant

The Icehouse

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110,000 square feet sports coaching, programs, camps, and clinics development programs used for lax, field hockey, rugby, football made of turf material hosts tournaments and games glass surroundings for viewers to watch open fields for free practice open 24/7

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65,000 square feet group fitness classes for varying purposes and levels and personal training treadmills overlooking the main entrance consists of three floors full of equipment includes 12 racks of weight, kettle bells, benches, hurdles, plyometric boxes, etc. ofers yoga and stationary biking open from 24/7

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named Vim & Victor contemporary American restaurant regular dining, a market cafe, a bar, desserts, and a breakfast menu food like Jamaican chicken sandwiches, açaí bowls, pure green cold pressed juices, steamed mussels and more entrees range from $12 to $42 all day dining open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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two NHL sized ice rinks figure, speed skating, and ice hockey has a skating treadmill and rapid shot/ hands skills training offers a great learn-to-skate program hockey/skating practice and games includes free skating, ice dancing, theater on ice, sychronized skating, etc. open 24/7

BY KATIE POPE Weekend Editor For years I saw Glory Days’ name and logo at almost every sponsored sports event that I attended. I never knew that it was a restaurant until I went for a late night dinner after a swim meet. The night I went to Glory Days was one very enriching and fulfilling experience.

Glory Days Grill is an award winning chain restaurant and bar located along the east coast. They accommodate a large variety of events, such as post-sports dinners, birthdays, dates, or just casual nights out. During my most recent experience there, the AHS swim team went after a meet around 11:00 p.m. We were a rowdy crowd of approximately 25 people and we had a great experience there in terms of food.

I had the pleasure of tasting the chicken tenders platter, the mom’s mac & cheese,

the cheese fries, the medium classic sauced chicken wings, the glory days reuben, the all-star burger and a build your own pasta dish.

Most of the dishes looked appetizing, but some missed the spot in flavor. For instance, the cheese fries appetizer looked enticing and had good toppings, but they were over-salted. The chicken tenders platter was nothing special, but the chicken had decent flavor, texture, and it tasted how typical chicken tenders should.

The mom’s mac & cheese had a great cheese pull intertwined with all of the noodles, but it was not nearly as creamy, gooey, or heartwarming as my own mother’s homemade mac & cheese.

The all-star burger was not a complete miss because the patty was juicy and the onions, lettuce, and tomato blended well, but it was only an average burger with processed cheddar cheese.

One of the least tasty dishes of the night was the build-your-own pasta dish,

PHOTOS BY KATIE POPE

Glory Days guarantees a good time

consisting of fettuccine noodles, marinara sauce, and grilled chicken. The noodles were undercooked and the chicken was tough, dry,and bland. Also, the focaccia bread on the side was less than wonderful for it was cold, soggy, and greasy.

The best dish I tasted was probably the medium classic sauced chicken wings. The flavor of the sauce was spicy, but with a hint of sweetness.

The sauce really added flavor and heat to the chicken wings and they were messily enjoyed. Overall, the

food was acceptable, but not exceptional.

Regardless of the food, the best part of Glory Days, and probably the main reason they’ve won numerous awards, is the ambiance of the restaurant - even at 11:00 a.m. The grill was perfect for

Far left: the best dish of the night was by far the medium spicy chicken wings. They had good flavor with spiciness and a hint of sweetness. When at Glory Days, make sure to order the wings for they are one of the best dishes on the menu, but also have plenty of napkins on hand because it can get messy.

Top right: Cheese fries as an appetizer is a great way to start a meal. The cheese and meat served well with the french fries, but they were definitely over-salted.

Bottom right: The make your pasta dish had option of veggies, chicken, or shrimp and marinara, cream rose, or grarlic cream sauce. It came with focaccia garlic bread, parmesean cheese, and basil. celebrating with good music and chatter. The atmosphere was fun, noisy and laid back.

If you dine at Glory Days will hardly notice the subpar food because you’ll be too busy having a blast.

There are three Glory Day Grills relatively close to

Annandale High School; 6341 Columbia Pike, Falls Church (2.99 miles away), 3059 Nutley St, Fairfax (4.37 miles away) and 9526 Old Keene Mill Rd, Burke (4.66 miles away).