Issue #4

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ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL

the VOLUME #62 ISSUE 4

4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 470

Informiing the Atoms siince 1954 4

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WEDNESDAY, DEC. 14, 2016

(703) 642-4229

Students look forward to orchestra concert

BY TEAGAN FOTI Co-Editor in Chief Get into the holiday spirit on Thursday, Dec. 15 with orchestra at their winter concert. The performance will be at 7 p.m. in the auditorium and will showcase all the hard word that the students have put into practicing their instruments since late October.

Students who perform will wear Christmas hats and playing winter themes music.

"Almost all of [the music is winter themed]," orchestra director Angela Ammerman said. "I like to give [some orchestras] pieces that are strictly classicals and not necessarily winter themed but for

the most part [it's holiday music]."

Admission to the concert is free but donations to help the orchestra department will be accepted. Snacks will also be sold in the foyer outside of the auditorium.

Because the concert has been a long time coming, orchestra students have certain aspects of the performance that they are most excited for.

Senior, violinist Mollie Valorose is "most looking forward to playing Christmas music and getting in the Holiday spirit."

Director, Ammerman, also has specific pieces that she can't wait to hear on performance night.

"Philharmonic [orchestra] is most advanced group and they are sounding really good," Ammerman said. "They have this really cool piece called Bailes para Orquestra with two solo violinists and it's just sounding so great and so we are all really excited about that piece because it features two kids in particular but the whole orchestra really embodies the style of the

NHS Tutors

BY DIEGO FELICIANO Staff Writer PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ANTENNA YEARKBOOK

Second performance of the year is winterthemed

Today’s Weather

Orchestra student, Mikalah Parsons, practices her music as class begins.

piece and it's really exciting.

Bailes para Orquestra is a Latin/South American showcase song that "simply sparkles with its engaging rhythms and vitality" (as described by JW Pepper, a

sheet music retailer). The song in English translates literally to 'Dances for Orchestra'.

All are encouraged and welcome to come to the concert and dance with the orchestra.

National Honor Society is beginning a tutoring program to help students with homework, understanding lessons or simply answering questions.

Tutoring will take place after school every Wednesday in room 203 and will commence after winter break on Jan. 11. The after school assistance will be available all throughout second semester.

To sign up to be tutored one must fill out an application, which can be accessed by scanning the QR codes on flyers hung around the school or by going to room 203. The application will ask a variety of questions in an attempt to match the student up with an appropriate tutor. Once paired with a tutor the students will meet one on one after school.

There are also slots open to become a tutor. Anyone can become a tutor and are able to receive community service hours for their see TUTORING pg. 5

Is AHS teaching for the 21st Century?

Textbooks are online and students are receiving personal laptops, but is the school really preparing kids for the technological era?

NO NOT ENOUGH YES

BY SADIE MODICA Co-Editor in Chief Grades on your phone, textbooks and classes online, laptops provided by the school, these are all relevant changes in technology AHS has worked to incorporate into education. But how effectively are teachers utilizing the technologies at their fingertips? And is AHS adequately preparing students for the 21st century?

AHS has made attempts to synchronize teaching with technology by incorporating more technologies into the classroom, like online textbooks, online classes and distributing laptops through the One-toOne program. The One-to-One program is the beginning of an initiative to distribute laptops to all AHS students, starting with underclassmen, ESOL, SAM and AVID students. The program began on Sept. 14.

"The one-to-one program is a process," said technology specialist Jennifer Cory.

"We are in the very first stages and it has been effective in the primary goal of getting computers into the hands of kids. We have distributed almost 1000 machines with very few hiccups."

Senior Michael Nguyen received his computer through the program at the beginning of the school year.

"I personally love it. It makes my life so much easier since I didn't have a computer before," Nguyen said.

AHS Students have the opportunity to take online classes. Senior Aisha Tahir has mixed feelings about her online class, Government Honors.

Data was collected through a survey handed out in W4. Over 200 surverys were conducted including all grades and genders.

"I appreciate the free period in my tough schedule but I think a lot of the time the work is too much and unnecessary," Tahir said.

Online textbooks are another example of how technology can be incorporated into the classroom. While some students and teachers enjoy online textbooks for their ease of use and access, others dislike them for their glitches and deviation from the tangible book.

"A good percentage of my students do not like the online textbook, and neither do

I," said Topics in the 21st Century teacher Jonathan York. "I think it has to do with the feel of a physical book, but also with how it affects the eyes and concentration."

York thinks it would be educationally constructive for students to veer away from online textbooks.

"I'm not a luddite, but I think in general there is a dependency on phones and electronics and it cuts down on concentration," York said. "Students have become used to clicking a button and seeing the information. It's about finding the fact

for them, not reading."

IB Geography and USVA History teacher Meagan Padgett has used the online textbook for both World History and for US Government, and for the most part she thinks the idea behind them is great.

"I love how interactive they are, I love all of the resources that they provide for students who have additional needs, speak another language or don't process well when they're reading," Padgett said.

"There's a lot of auditory options, which are really nice. I don't think they get used."

For the most part, despite the positive interactive characteristics of the online textbooks, teachers prefer the physical book.

"We've had a lot of issues with access to the textbooks as well, either students who can't access them from home, or are having a lot of trouble with getting to places that have wifi, or just the textbooks themselves not functioning very well," Padgett said.

Another recent incorporation of technology into education is SIS, the online grading and attendance system. Teachers do not have a choice in using SIS to account for and calculate students' grades. York prefers his old method of calculating grades.

"For almost 20 years, I have been using the total point system, and I never had any issues," York said. "Now the county wants uniformity, where every history teacher gives the same percentage for the same thing. It takes away from the individuality and the autonomy of the teacher."

Padgett, on the other hand, thinks that the system is a useful tool.

"I like that you all and your parents don't have to wait for teachers to send out progress reports to be able to know what you have in their classes and I like that it gives you instant feedback," Padgett said.

"I love having everything all in one place so I can take attendance there and I can do grades there."

Students also enjoy the system, as they have constant access to their grades and can use it to decide when they need to take action in a class.

"SIS is amazing and helps me keep track of assignments I may have forgotten as well as adding a constant reminder of how well I'm currently doing," Belkhayat said. see TECHNOLOGY pg. 4

Filament hosts coffee house Students play songs and read poetry in after school showcase Staff Writer Clausen Hall was filled with performers on Wed. Dec. 7 at the bi-annual coffee house.

Students from all grades came to watch or perform original songs and poems, as well to see other students play their favorite tunes.

The event was hosted by the Filament, the literary magazine, which is distributed in late spring. The magazine features similar content that was performed on Wednesday and hosts the event every year in an attempt to raise $1,000 to help fund the production costs.

Fusun Sulzbach, four time sponsor of the coffee house, organized the event. Auditions were held in early Nov. and students were selected to perform based on their presentation and content. The final set list included nine participants showing off their

Holiday Health h Find out how many calories are in your favorite holiday drinks Health 7

talents.

Two performers, Mustafa Elamin and Ramata Sesay recited emotion packed poems about the black lives matter movement, specifically touching on police brutality and the oppression of the African American community.

A few other students performed their favorite songs and some used it as practice for playing in front of audiences.

Senior, Saad Farooq, performed Cello Prelude #1 by J.S. Bach to "get practice performing in front of a crowd."

Turnout for the coffee house has been standing room only in years ast, but wasn't quite as successful this year. The Filament moved the start time back to 3:45 to accommodate students and staff who had mandatory after school meetings or a part of another club and organization.

The coffee house also lived up to its name by having snacks and drinks for

the participants and attendees. Sulzbach brought in coffee and cocoa and there were also sweet treats like cookies and cupcakes.

Despite Sulzbach sponsoring the display, it was mainly student run.

"Students were in-charge of the fundraising, before the event started," Sulzbach said. "They put the chairs and tables and brought the cookies that were [sold]."

The next, and final coffee house for the year, will be in April. The proceeds from that will also go towards the production costs of the Filament. Sulzbach hopes that teachers will participate and get on stage to share some of their talents or favorite literary pieces in April and that they will also be able to have more students participate and attend.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WALEED AWAD

BY DIEGO FELICIANO

Senior Nicole McCoy performs "Cherry Wine" by Hozier at the coffee house.

Winter Holidayss Read about the different seasonal holidays students celebrate International 12

Study Skills Discover what the most effective study tactics are for your next test Academics 6

2 EDITORIALS FCPS releases 2017-2018 calendar

Dec. 14, 2016

It's time to stop the music Unplug your earphones when you're studying

BY CASEY NGUYEN Staff Writer Seniors, you can stop reading here, this won't apply to you. Underclassmen though, August will be your new September. Get ready and prepare for the shortest summer you've ever had.

Fairfax County Public Schools just released its standard calendar for the 2017-2018 school year, which features a few big changes.

For the first time in FCPS history, schools will start before Labor Day on Aug 28.

But don't freight, most of the schedule will remain the same. We still have our two week winter break and one week spring break.

There will still be two hour early releases when the grading quarter ends along with the traditional long four day weekends.

The new calendar has currently has 11 three to four day weekends for students and four early release days.

Starting school early has its perks though.

It will help with the SOL testing window. We follow the calendar for state testing set by the Commonwealth's Department of Education.

This means that there are usually several weeks after the SOL and before finals week where teachers and students alike do not know what to do with that time.

Also, this will aid the rising seniors with college applications as transcripts will be sent out earlier.

"Colleges are looking for semester grades in the January time frame," Director of Student Services Jennifer Crump-Strawderman said, "With the current schedule, transcripts and semester grades don't go out until mid-February, this is very late."

But as with any major change, there will be huge impacts. In this case, not all of the changes are all positive.

As the holiday season continues in full force, everyone is jamming out to their favorite holiday songs and getting into spirit for the most wonderful time of the year. However, it's time to hit pause on your playlist while studying or doing homework.

Music and studying may seem to go hand in hand.

When walking into a library, almost everyone has their earphones in to isolate themselves from the world and other noises that might shift their focus away from their work.

But what students do not realize is that two of the biggest distractions, lyrics and musical preference, are moving up those cables and wires and straight into their ears.

According to Clifford Nass, a professor at Stanford University, listening to music with lyrics while studying, especially in writing or reading, can be problematic.

Lyrics can jumble up our thoughts and cause our performance in writing to decrease as well as the absorption of read material. While listening to a song, people, whether consciously or unconsciously, get thrown off by the words and notes imbedded in the music.

In another study conducted by Dr. Nick Perham of the University of Wales, it was found that experimenters listening to both music that they liked and music that they disliked yielded similar results: low performance in short term memorization.

Both types of music were found to have led to lower performance results than the control trials that had a quiet environment.

Music can also alter the mood or feeling in the student, which causes rifts in focus and draws the student's attention away from their text and into the blank space ahead; they end up thinking about everything except for what is going to be on that huge exam tomorrow.

BINQI CHEN

BY BINQI CHEN Editorials Editor

Junior Tristan Dock listens to music while completing his math homework.

In summary, listening to music while doing work causes interference with the processing of information and students should reconsider playing their favorite songs during an intense study session.

However, for those that simply cannot stand the silence and must constantly have music playing, all hope is not yet lost. Many studies have shown that listening to more classical music can actually benefit a person's memory and ease anxiety. This is called the "Mozart Effect."

Perhaps it has come to the time to set away those rap songs and breakup anthems for some calmer and more peaceful classical or orchestral sounds.

Listening to music at a high volume also can damage your eardrums.

Changing up your selection is also not a hassle at all.

Many music streaming companies and websites already have pre-made play lists and hours of Beethoven or Bach

on loop.

Another solution is ditching music completely and settling for white noises that includes hums and even sounds of nature that includes raindrops or chirping birds.

In the end, it all comes down to personal preference.

Be realistic with yourself. If you know you aren't the best at multitasking and focusing, then ditch the global Top 100 play ist for some smoother, distraction free tunes.

Find out music's effect on yourself, and then make a choice that will make you the most productive.

Although listening to music might be fun and relaxing, it's important to know that you should consider ditching your headphones and turning off the speakers while doing activities that require high levels of focus.

Flag burning is an American freedom

Junior Rudy Flores, who will be attending soccer camps this summer, will have to re-adjust his plans.

For most students, their families traditionally spend August away from home.

Other students will be attending summer programs and sports camps. These will be equally affected.

"No one will be able to keep the same plans as they did before during the summer because of how short summer is becoming," sophomore Tiyo Kebede said.

Give or take with possible snow days and other cancellations, students will end the school year on June 15th.

This is a couple of weeks earlier than normal, however, it will also cut the summer short.

Families will have a narrower time frame to be in each other's presence, meaning quality family time is cut short.

As of now, the change in school start time is still up for debate. If taken into effect, there will be definite changes to the personal lives of the students.

BY BINQI CHEN Editorials Editor President Elect Donald Trump has gone on yet another Twitter rant. This time, his target is the First Amendment.

Trump has called for the imprisonment and revoking of citizenship from those who burn the American flag.

Through the course of history, the American flag has been altered over 20 times and its look have drastically changed since its first version in 1777.

However, there is another image of the flag that has stirred up a national argument: the Star Spangled Banner engulfed in flames.

We've seen it on the news and all across social media, people are choosing to symbolically burn the American flag to show their discontent with the nation.

These actions have garnered mixed reactions. Some are okay with the burning of the flag while others are enraged, calling for legislation against flag burning.

So is flag burning illegal and should it be banned?

The answer is no.

Flag burning is legal and will remain legal, under the United States' Constitution. The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights covers the freedoms of the American people which include: religion, assembly, petition, speech, and press. Specifically, the burning of the flag is under the category of free speech.

The Supreme Court has twice voted to uphold the rights of the American people to symbolically burn the flag in the ruling in the 1989 Texas v. Johnson case and the second time in the 1990 U.S. v. Eichman decision.

Although flag burning makes some uncomfortable and is looked down upon, it is effective in attracting

AZ.GOV

COURTESY OF RUDY FLORES

President-Elect attacks the First Amendment

Burning of the American flag has become a controversial topic following results of the Presidential election.

attention and getting a message across. People have the right to execute their right of free expression and speech. The government cannot imprison or revoke one's citizenship for practicing their individual rights.

This goes against everything the United States was built upon. America is a land that promises freedom, and it should remain that way.

An argument for the prohibition of flag burning is the fact that there are current and previous members of the military fighting and fought overseas for the safety of Americans.

Yes, burning the flag does rub people the wrong way and makes everyone squirm. However, It is necessary to realize that just as the flag represents the country of freedom and prosperity for some; for others, it

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

Cameron Foti Jude Nanaw SPORTS XTRA EDITORS Ryan Gammon Grace Hogye PEOPLE EDITORS SoulisaPathammavong Marilyn Rivas WEEKEND EDITORS Mohamed Elhag Conrad Shartel INTERNATIONAL EDITORS Lina Al-Taii Tooba Siddique ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Julius Miller Hussein Salem LIFESTYLES EDITORS Sheila Aguirre Lucie Lefbom

HEALTH EDITORS Judy Nanaw Julie Nguyen PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Alaina Garay Kailyn Garay ART EDITORS Serene Ghul Kavi Shamdin ACADEMICS EDITORS Rachel Shogren Halley Thadeus WEB EDITOR/MASTER Alex Tran AD MANAGER Mauricio Reyes CIRCULATION MANAGER Mauricio Reyes

Heard in the Twitter-verse...

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

represents the decades of unheard oppression and discontent.

The burning of the flag is offensive, but the taking away of the rights of Americans is offensive. Both parties, and everyone under all points of the political spectrum need to accept this. In the Supreme Court, the justices have also shown support in protecting the freedom of speech.

The late Justice Scalia, who has become the Republicans' ideal mold for the next SCOTUS Justice, stressed the protection of the right to burn the flag, even if he personally denounced it. No matter how disrespectful flag burning is, sometimes, we have to make decisions not necessarily because we agree with them, but because they are the right thing to do.

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

Annandale High School Vol. 62 No.4 4700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003 703.642.4229 Dec. 14, 2016.

The A-Blast is an award-winning newspaper that strives to inform, educate and entertain the student body and community.

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

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

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

The A-Blast reserves the right to refuse advertisements.

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

EDITORIALS 3

Dec. 14, 2016

Minorities needed in STEM Mentorship encourages students

BY ASEAL SAED Editorials Editor Junior Heaven Lemma has always dreamed of wearing her namebranded doctor's coat and her own stethoscope since the third grade.

She has always known that being a pediatrician was the career for her.

"I want to go into pediatrics because children are our future and their health is important," Lemma said. "I also love working with kids."

Since then, she has rigorously pursued the IB classes and extracurricular activities to further her pursuits including volunteering at INOVA hospital. She has done so to ensure her future in STEM. Although Lemma has the recipe for success, as an African American girl in STEM, her story is not repeated very often.

Minorities are underrepresented in most fields, however, in the STEM field this divide is the most dramatic.

According to the National Center for Education statistics, African Americans make up over 13% of the U.S. population, but in 2011, they received less than 10% of STEM related Bachelor degrees, 5% of masters, and less than 5% of PHDs. The demand for STEM students is high because STEM jobs are projected to increase significantly more than any other field in the coming

years.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, some STEM professions are expected to grow by 27% by 2022.

As the need for jobs increase, the supply of workers is going to be at risk as minorities continue to be underrepresented.

The need for more minority STEM professionals is important for the moral reasons in that everyone regardless of race, socioeconomic background or religion should have the right to pursue whatever dream that wish, but it is important for the scientific reasons also.

When in a diverse group with different background and ideas, it creates an atmosphere perfect for creativity and curiosity which can lead to more innovation.

Over 70% of the country's scientists are white, which shows that we are drawing most of our scientific ideas from one group of people, which can be improved.

Gaps in STEM education and the workplace often begin in high school. According to National Center for Education Statistics, minority students often don't have access to and often aren't interested in STEMrelated honors or higher level learning classes.

Schools need to focus on making sure minority students have more opportunities to get interested and involved in the workplace. Nationally, the problem is still quite clear.

Nationally, minority students are

significantly less likely to be interested in the STEM curriculum. Minority students often have perceptions that STEM is too hard.

"Going into the STEM field being a minority and a woman is a challenge because of he lack of representation," Lemma said. "However, I want to be a person who breaks the boundaries and won't let it discourage me."

When representation is at a low, it is hard for minorities to try to go for a career where they have no role models.

However, Lemma's situation is different, "Watching my mother go through years of nursing school gave me the motivation to aim high."

One strategy for improving or increasing minorities in STEM is more mentorship and one on one work with minority students.

Programs like The White House's Educate to Innovate encourage those who are at the middle for achievement in science and math and mentor students to move ahead.

In 2009, President Obama started this initiative with one of the goals set to bring in more minorities in STEM by creating more role models.

The initiative used different leading minorities in various fields and has them reach out to underrepresented students.

Additionally, the encouraging of extracurricular science programs like Lemma's volunteer work at INOVA hospital allows students to get involved and interested in STEM.

What career are you interested in pursuing?

Top RIght: Junior William Wheatley balances a pulley system to determine force in an IB Physics lab.

Above: Students in IB Biology work collaborating on an online lab.

RIght: Junior Shirley Chu leads a class in a problem in IB Math SL.

Beware of fake news Social media spreads lies

BY YABI BEREKET Staff Writer

"IT because I like technology. " SOFIA AHMED freshman

"Engineering, because it has been in my family for a long time."

MAXIMUS LEHANEY freshman

"Medicine, as a doctor "Pediatrics to go into because I like helping the medical field. " SELAM NEGASH people" KEVIN HOANG junior junior

"Computer science because I am very interested in computers and programming."

JENISA NGUYEN sophomore

"Teaching, because I like to work with children."

MARAKIE MEKURIA senior

"Music and Arts because it has a big influence on people's lives."

ALEX OHENE sophomore

"Business, because I love money and one day I want to start a business."

JESSE AGYAPONG senior

Right after the election, a viral article came out that named Hillary Clinton as leader of a trafficking ring out of a pizzeria shop in Washington D.C., and as a result a gunman, on Dec. 4 came to the shop to root out the supposed "trafficking ring."

No one was injured, but this is a result of the rapid spread of viral fake news and news sites.

Fake news sites are a new phenomenon that distribute lies to increase web traffic. In using catchy headlines like "Face of Satan Has Arrived in USA" or "Want To Quit Smoking? This Herb Instantly Destroys Your Desire For Nicotine (And How To Grow It)," people are fooled into reading the stories and sharing them.

People are not only increasing the website's circulation, but misinforming their followers.

Although these websites seem harmless, many of these stories became viral.

Fake news stories about the candidates were at an all time high, which influenced the candidates reputations.

One of the most viral stories during this election was that the Pope

Cartoonist Corner

A screen grab from the fake news site Liberty Writers News told the Washington Post that their stories focus on "chaos and aggressive wording."

endorsed Donald Trump.

Because of this the Pope called out the media to say that the spreading of these lies is a great "sin."

Another viral story said that Trump won the popular vote by a landslide, when actually he only won the electoral votes.

Tech giants like Facebook and Google are working to reduce these fake news stories and websites as many are blaming them for the rapid spread of these stories.

These sites have even been credited for the result of the 2016 election because many of these fake stories about the candidates went viral.

Because of this, Facebook and Google have decided to block fake

news sites from advertising on their websites and are taking steps to deny revenue to the fraudulent news sites.

However, neither site is prepared to stop the spread of those stories in search engine results.

This does not mean that social media sites are to blame, rather we, as consumers must demand for better content.

Anyone can take measures to reduce the spread of these lies by double checking your sources before sharing these articles.

People are sometimes unaware that they are helping these sites with a simple retweet.

Muslims facing more hate Muslims forced to assimilate

BY ASEAL SAED Editorials Editor

ILLUSTRATION BY HUBBERT PALACIOS

A Muslim woman in New York is pushed up stairs on a subway, injuring her, is told, "You're a terrorist, go back to your own country!"

German Chancellor Angela Merkel campaigned for a ban on the full veil covering, targeting Muslims.

The Islamic Center of Southern California was sent threatening letters that told the mosque that Muslims were vile and that President-elect Trump would "eradicate Muslims like Hitler did to the Jews."

It is becoming increasingly clear that attitudes towards Muslims are evolving in the post-election season to a level of hatred and prejudice unprecedented since 9/11.

Since then, we have become a society that has become more prejudice and uncomfortable around Muslims, and that is to put it mildly.

Despite the attacks on Muslims due to Islamaphobia and xenophobia, Americans live on their lives without regard to these occurrences.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups in the United States reports that there are approximately 34 Anti-Muslim hate groups that are

NYPD Muslim officer Aml Elsokary and New York mayor Bill de Blasio was hold a press conference after she attacked with her son.

actively work.

To many, the mistreatment of Muslims has been normalized and just a fact in society, and this is where we find the problems.

Increasingly, Muslims have had to deal with ignorance and prejudice because of the actions of a few. Hate speech is being spread not only from citizens, but now to our politicians too which is a clear indicator of the climate of this nation.

These sentiments became clear when Somali-Muslim Abdul Razak Ali Artan drove his car into a crowd, took out a knife and hurt 11 people at Ohio State University. Immediately people jumped to ideas of terrorism.

The public's immediate jump to terrorism only affirms the feeling against Muslims in this country.

One cannot doubt that there are terrorism groups that claim to committing terrorism in the name of Islam.

However, it's also a fact that most Muslims do not follow this idea and live their lives peacefully.

Yet, even those who claim to understand these facts still have a construed view of Muslims in that they need to be cautious of Muslims. In doing so, they allowed for extremist views to fester and build up.

Muslims are constantly having to appease or compromise their morals to assimilate and prove they are not "terrorists."

This is where the problem lies.

It is time for changing and more accepting towards the Muslim faith.

4 NEWS

Dec. 14, 2016

Student run club needs volunteers

BY TEAGAN FOTI Co Editor in Chief People often seen running and jumping from the school buses parked in jock lobby to their teachers standing underneath the red and grey overhead are just a small part of Annandale's Special Education Program.

Their excitement for school is visible and senior Julia Sheehy wanted to make sure that although their brain mechanisms and learning styles may be different that they were still given opportunities to be involved in Annandale's vibrant community.

Sheehy started the club, Atomic Students Unite (ASU), at the beginning of last year to try and give special education students the opportunity to play games with and to form friendships with ordinary Atoms.

Sheehy had great success with the club last year but is having issues getting students to attend meetings this year.

"The significance of Atomic Students Unite is based on the idea that at the end of the day we are all Annandale Atoms," Sheehy said.

"Despite the fact that [special education students] take different classes and have a mental disability does not mean they are not a part of the student body."

Annandale has a large special need population, in fact, demographics from last school year revealed that 13.64% of Annandale students are enrolled in some form

of Special Education Service.

Although a few special ed. students are well immersed in the Annandale community, Sheehy, started ASU in the hopes of helping to bridge the gap between those with special needs and the "average" student.

"I started the club to give the special ed. students a way to feel like a part of the school," Sheehy said. "[It aims to give them] the opportunity to make connections with the general population, through fun games and activities."

The group meets once a week, either on a Wednesday or Thursday (depending on which it falls), during Pride Time in a special ed. classroom.

The goal is to have students sign up to be requested, but the students signing up are falling short this year.

"Ideally I'd like to have 8-10 volunteers each week because the whole idea behind [the club] is that [the special ed. kids] are able to build friendships with the students."

The meeting consist of playing games or doing other fun activities such as making shamrock shakes for St. Patrick's day or decorating masks for Halloween or simply playing board games.

The activities are designed to be fun for the special ed. students as well as the volunteer.

The expenses for the club are funded through fundraisers and bake sales. Sometimes the activities completed in W4 are sold to increase revenue and Senior and ASU founder poses for a group picture alongside the Special Education kids. awareness.

"This club is something so special to me and the "Last April we made puzzle piece pins to help spread Scan this code on your Autism awareness and make money for the club," Sheehy special ed. students involved," Sheehy said. "All I want for the club is for it to be able to live on, even after I said. "It was an activity we did for a meeting." smartphone for the Although, Sheehy is graduating at the end of this graduate." year she wants to make sure that other have the chance Atomic Students Unite to interact and form strong relations with 12-15 special Sign-Up 2016-2017 education students just like she did.

JULIA SHEEHY

Atomic Students Unite looking for volunteers to do activities

Is AHS teaching for the 21st century? Senior sells Tribute ad

CONT. TECHNOLOGY

BY KIDUS AYELE Staff writer

writing."

So will students be prepared for the level of technological requirements in college and after? York said while AHS is making strides with incorporation of technology, vocational education and encouragement is lacking.

Padgett thinks that the school system has a ways to go before students can be fully prepared upon graduating.

"I think they'll be using it differently after they graduate," Padgett said. "One of the issues that is that you guys by and large are a generation that has grown up having access to a lot of technology, so there are things that you are really really good at, like finding

almost anything on Youtube, or spreading information.

However, "there are things that you'll be expected to do after you graduate, either in college or in the workforce, things that people expect you to know, but no one ever teaches you, like formatting and digital research skills, and having grown up with so much access to technology, it's always just been assumed that you all can do this, but like anything else they're skills and they need to be taught and reinforced consistently."

The Antenna yearbook will be accepting senior ad orders for those interested in buying them.

The Ad sizes range from 1/8 page to full page. The 1/8 page has up to 50 words and 1 picture, costs $65.

The 1/4 page has up to 75 words and up to 3 pictures, costs $125. The 1/2 page has up to 100 words and up to 7 pictures, costs $235. While the full page has up to 150 words and up to 10 pictures and costs $400.

The add can include baby pictures, special personal photos this can be done so parents can also express how proud they are of their children.

Attaching a video to your senior ad for free is also available, please email the yearbook staff at antennaybk@gmail.com or jehanneman@fcps.edu for further information.

The orders are due by December 16, 2016, deliver your orders to Julia Hanneman in Room 262 or 268, Senior Tribute Ad can also be brought online by going to www.yearbooksforever.com.

NANCY EVORA

These changes work towards better preparation of students for the increasing technological skills required to succeed in the workforce. However, students and teachers agree that more can always be done to accelerate this change.

Padgett believes that AHS is on track with programs like One-to-One, especially with the limited availability and funding. However, she believes the technological focus should be redirected.

"We need to make sure there's a focus on digital citizenship and digital skills as well, so rather than just doing the same things that we've always done but doing them on the computer, figuring out how to teach digital research skills," Padgett said.

Padgett is one of the few AHS teachers who has a laptop cart in her room. She often distributes the laptops to students for research-based activities.

"Throughout the year we build up to a point where students can do their own online research, either through the databases, or using online library resources. We work on figuring out how to create the right searchterms, and how to use keywords and searches, things that I think a couple of years ago most people didn't learn in high school, but that you really need by the time you get to college," Padgett said.

York has a different approach to using technology in the classroom. Though, like most teachers, York posts Powerpoints on Blackboard as a studying tool, he chooses not to use them in class.

"I'm trying to get students more interactive in notes and discussions, especially in my IB Topics class," York said. "I want to get them ready for college, and in the humanities, there's a focus on reading, vocab and

Senior tribute ad from last year's edition.

Green Atoms hosts speaker

BY NANCY EVORA

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

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

Phone: (571)-217-1441

Email: titusdrivingschool@aol.com

VA State LIC # 1503-00634

News Editor The Green Atoms will be hosting its annual Wild Annandale Speaker's series. For the December speaker, the club has invited Senior Enforcement Policy Advisor, Elizabeth Freed on Dec. 14 at 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the library.

She will be talking about the controversity certain laws passed by Congress to protect the environment cause in the community.

Freed will also discuss how the government tries

to implement the laws Congress passes and what happens when there are gaps and courts decissions that affect how we try to protect public health and the environment.

Certain science teachers will offer extra credit to those who decide attend the event.

"I'm really excited to hear whay Mrs. Freed has to say to us on Wednesday. I have always been interested in issues that deal with the environment," senior luka Fernandez said.

Just World hosts Write for Rights

BY NANCY EVORA News Editor In other countries around the world, freedom of speech is not a right people enjoy. Instead, those who support human rights or protests against the government end up facing jail time.

The Just World Interact Club once again took the the initiative to hold their annual "Write for Rights" event on Nov. 30 in which club members met after school and wrote letters to help convince government officials to free prisoners of conscience, support human rights defenders and end other urgent cases of abuse.

The event took place after school where club members gathered for an hour and half on Wednesday and wrote as many letters as they could so they could be sent to the prisoner's government.

Those who participated were awarded community service hours.

"The purpose of write for rights is to petition to free those whose rights have been violated due to lack of safety, unjust imprisonment, or in other ways," Club secretary senior Tori Collins said.

This year the club wanted to help "Amnesty International" surpass 4 million actions and make a difference in the lives of the 12 cases the club chose to write the letters to.

Students who participated in the letter writing had

NANCY EVORA

TITUS' DRIVING SCHOOL

Just World Interact Club member Dyanna Rodriguez, 12 participating in the Write for Rights event.

the choice to pick from 12 different cases and had a brief summary of their profile and for what cause they were imprisoned.

"I like how I was able to understand their perspective and why they were in jail. It is great how Just world as a club is able to help those people just by writing letter," senior club member Dyanna Rodriguez said.

NEWS 5

Dec. 14, 2016

Clubs raise some funds

CONT. TUTORING time.

"There are no requirements to be a tutor other that being comfortable in helping another student with the specific subject that they selected," Math teacher Casey Grandy said.

Whether you are the tutor or the tutee the program gives students the opportunity to meet new peers, gain experience and maybe learn something new in addition to acquiring community service hours. That was the whole idea behind the program. "[The main part of the program is to] help students with their homework and also for students that need community service hours," Grandy said.

To be tutored, you must continue to sign up every week and vice versa for tutors.

Though the program was supposed to start this week but was unable to due to technical difficulties it is expected to be a great success all around and be a 'win win' situation for both student instructors and their tutees.

Groups raise money through various fundraisers to support their program

BY JESSICA SALISBURY News Editor

As the holidays are quickly approaching many clubs and organizations have been holding fundraisers to help out their programs and others in need.

The Future Business Leaders of America held a Classic Cookie fundraiser from November 10 through November 30. The FBLA sold cookie dough, cinnabons, pastries, popcorn and magazines in hope of raising enough money to attend the FBLA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, CA in June 2017.

Business teacher, Albert Steppe enjoyed seeing his students realize that by applying themselves to the fundraiser, they could accomplish more than they imagined.

"It is always interesting to me to see which students have the motivation to excel," Steppe said.

The Orchestra department has also had many fundraisers this year and have plenty more coming up in the future. The next fundraiser they are planning on having will be at Barnes and Noble in Tysons Corner on Dec. 14.

"This will be a fairly big one for us, we hope to make at least $500," orchestra teacher Angela Ammerman said.

All of the money that the orchestra receives throughout the year will be used to pay for critical items needed in the orchestra program such as instruments, strings, and new sheet music. The donations will also be able to help students participate in events that they normally wouldn't be able to due to financial strains.

Ammerman is very proud with her students and the amount of effort they put in to continue to allow their program to grow.

"I love to see how the students come together for a bigger cause and I am constantly amazed at how motivated students are to help one another," Ammerman said.

The Special Education department was also holding a fundraiser to collect donations for the Homeless Project. Staff and students were asked to bring in

NHS Tutors

Personalized Bricks for Sale

BY TEAGAN FOTI Co-Editor in Chief

One of the many letters that were left in teacher mailboxes this past week as a part of the Special Education fundraiser. Donations that were made were used to as a part of their help the homeless project.

donations of items or cash to room 92.

Another club who recently held a fundraiser was the Theater Company. Their fundraiser took place at a Chipotle chain in Alexandria.

People were encouraged to go to the Chipotle between 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. and notify the cashier that they were with Annandale High School. 50 percent of all of the proceeds were donated to the theater department.

Some athletic teams have also had winter fundraisers to help raise money for new equipment.

The wrestling team spent a day raking leaves throughout the neighborhood to raise money for their program.

"It was a great experience to help out the neighborhoods and get our athletic department money for sports," sophomore wrestler Oussama Jordan said.

The swim team had a fundraiser as well. Each swimmer was asked to sell cookie dough for 20 dollars a piece and whoever sold 25 received a jacket.

"I enjoyed the fundraiser because I love cookies and it's fun being able to sell them to other people," senior swimmer Adriana Romano said.

As more fundraisers will continue to take place throughout the year everyone is encouraged to donate and help the clubs at Annandale High School grow and develop.

Get your name forever etched into Annandale history by buying a brick to be placed in Annandale soil.

Bricks can be engraved with your name, grauduating class, clubs, sports or anything else you want to be remembered for.

Four different brick sizes are available. Prices range from $75-$150 and can be placed in either the Jock Lobby, Bolding Stadium, Carter Field, Softball field or near the A sample brick engravement.

Track.

For spring installation, bricks must be ordered

by Feb. 20, 2017. For more information contact the athletic boosters at AnnandaleBoosters@gmail.com.

NEWS BRIEFS SPIRIT WEAR

WILD ANNANDALE Join the Green Atoms by talking about the laws passed by Congress for the environment. This event will take place December 14, from 3:15 to 4:16 p.m. in the Library.

The online spirit wear store is now open. Order your spirit wear online and pick it up at the concession stand in the jock loby open from 3:00 p.m. to 400 p.m.

MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

SCIENCE FAIR

Monday, January 16 will be Martin Luther King Day. Students and staff do not have school.

The AHS Science Fair will be held after school on Januray 25. Judges are needed, go to the AHS website if interested in judging.

ORCHESTRA AT BOOK FAIR The Atoms orchestra will be performing at the Barnes and Noble book fair at Tyson's Corner Center from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. tonight, Wed. 14. Come to support the orchestra.

STUDENTS RELEASED 2 HOURS EARLY On Friday February 3 students will be released 2 hours early. This marks the end of the second grading period.

WINTER BREAK Winter Break will be on December 19 through January 2. Students and techers will not have school. The building will be open for practice.

STUDENT HOLIDAY Students will not have school on Monday, February 6 due to the end of the second quarter.

GIRLS BASKETBALL HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT The girls basketball holiday tournament will be held at Oakton High School, from December 27 through December 29.

PRESDENT'S DAY On Monday, February 20 it will be Presidents Day. Students will have no school.

6 ACADEMICS Useful study skills leads to success

Dec 14, 2016

BY KATIE POPE Staff Writer Studying is neccessary and can make or break your grades. There are various approaches to it, make sure to study in the way that is best for you. Some people may find that flashcards help them the most.

"I like to use flashcards for Spanish and Chemistry because they help me memorize the material through repetition," sophomore Hunter Schinstock said.

Some prefer a website called Quizlet for online flashcards and quizzes.

"I use Quizlet a lot because it helps me review and memorize Spanish vocabulary as well as English vocabulary," sophomore Alex Bellem said.

If you really want to learn and remember the maximum amount of material, use both flashcards and Quizlet.

"I like to use flashcards and go on quizlet as well, because both ways are pretty easy to do and Quizlet is very accessible," sophomore Kora Coker said.

Being organized can improve students' study habits greatly. A way to be organized is to keep a calendar of any upcoming events and big assignments. Therefore, time will not be an issue because you will know when you are busy.

Picking a specific time every day and every week to study will help establish a routine and make it a habit and a part of your daily life.

"Every time I study I like to repeatedly write down all of the material I learn because the more you write something, the more you remember it," junior Amy Han said.

Consistency helps prepare a person for a study session, therefore the studying will be more productive.

Procrastination is one of the worst things you can do to your grades and yourself.

Procrastination will turn into a habit that is hard to break. Setting a due dat for yoursel before the actual due date will help you complete your assignments on time.

Top six ways to study 1. Flashcards Write the question or word on one side and the answer or definition on the other. Make sure to study both sides and keep them until the end of the year to sudy for finals.

2. Start a study group Get together with a group of friends from class and share notes. Quiz each other and help each other with what you may not know.

3. Break information down Break big topics down into smaller ones and then summarize the smaller pieces. Create an outline or a diagram that organizes the information in a way that makes sense to you.

6. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat Re-read your notes over and over again. The more you read and go over something, the better chance you will have at remembering it.

5. Get extra help Ask your teachers when they are staying after or stop by during pride time and have them go over homeworks, worksheets, or anything you still don't understnad before the test.

4. Complete the Study Guide Weather it's for a grade or not, complete all the material given to you by your teachers. Study guides give you an outline of the test and will help you remember.

"The best way for me to study is by quizzing my self several classes before a test or quiz so that I can remember the material," senior Kelsie Licatovich said.

Putting off assignments to watch Netflix or play Game Pigeon is never a good idea because later there will be a big stack of homework and studying that needs to be done in a short amount of time. Start with the most difficult subject first. The most effective and energized part of studying is the beginning when your brain is fresh and awake.

"I do not really study, I just cram before tests/ quizzes. I don't have enough time to study," sophomore Chase Robson said.

Cramming and rushing is not helpful in gaining a successful future. Putting everything off until the night before a test or quiz, will strain your brain causing you not being able to retain quality information.

Studying a whole unit right before a test or quiz leads to late nights which makes the brain tired for the next day. A tired brain does not function nearly as well as a well rested brain. Shoving a bunch of material into the brain does no good, the brain will most likely only remember about half of the information.

One of the most important things to remember while studying is to stay focused.

"I have my phone with me when I study and it

Scholarship Watch College is expensive these days, and many people need help paying for it. There are many of scholarships out there and some are not too hard to get. Check here for scholarships each issue or log into your blackboard and click family connection for more ideas. Scan the QR codes for more information on each scholarship. There will be sport, minority, merit, and service based scholarships, look here to find these types of scholarships.

Sherman & Nancy Reece (VA) Essay: No, but applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or more Reward: $1,500 Deadline: Feb. 1, 2017

UNIGO $10k Scholorship Essay: Yes, 250 words or less.

"Is college worth it for you?"

Reward: $10,000 Deadline: Dec. 31, 2016

sometimes distracts me," senior Hunter Sloan said.

Phones can be very distracting so leave them in a room where you're not studying. Avoid the temptation to check your phone every ding and notification.

"I use my phone to play music as I study, but I think that if I turned my notifications off I would probably get some more work done," Sloan said.

If needed, you can seek help on how to study by talking to teachers, parents, and peers inorder to discover what study method is most effective towards achieving the best grades possible.

How do you study?

"I don't study, I just pay attention in class."

Tommy Thadeus freshman

I Have a Dream Scholorship Essay: Yes, 250 words or less.

"What do you dream about?

Whats in your future?"

Reward: $1,500 Deadline: Jan. 31, 2017 "I make flashcards and have someone quiz me."

Leslie Moriba junior

IB Spotlight: Vivian Tran

"I review the notes and the review packet to study."

Eileen Ngo -Tran freshman

"I make flash cards and go over them a couple of times."

Jessica Roop junior

"I mean, I just study my notes. What else am I supposed to do?"

Adam Lakis sophomore

"There's no point in studying because I take good notes during class."

Andrew Somoza senior

"I go over my notes and read them like a book."

Franco Kitilia sophomore

"I study with notes and homework a few times a week."

Kelsie Licatovich senior

Sudoku

Senior Vivian Tran, balances her time between hanging with friends and studying for her full IB schedule. She studies hard and hopes to graduate with an IB Diploma in June and go onto attend college.

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

A: I try to keep a balance of both in my schedule. I usually set aside time right after school or take breaks during the evening to talk to my friends.

Q: What are your studying habits?

A: For me, making quizlets and rewriting notes a few days before a quiz or test work best.

Q: What is your favorite IB subject?

A: My favorite IB subject would have to be Physics.

Q: What are your plans after high school?

A: I'll (hopefully) be in my first year of college.

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

A: I'll probably end up studying every chance I get. After all, it's what will determine whether or not I get the actual diploma.

Q: What is your extended essay topic?

A: My extended essay topic is within the field of visual arts, more specifically photography.

Q: Is your only focus academics?

A: No, of course not. My main goal is keeping myself happy so I try to spend a lot of my free time doing things I love such as playing video games.

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

A: Mr. Kelly's TOK definitely had a lasting impact on me. After a semester, my outlook on the program and life in general has changed. I find myself thinking a lot deeper about certain issues that I would not have before.

Q: Who is your favorite IB teacher?

A: My favorite IB teacher would have to be Ms. Stevens.

Q: What advice would you give to future IB Diploma Candidates?

A: Do your work on time. It seems simple, but it can help in so many ways.

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

A: Coming from a super shy person in the past, it is weird to say I am completely comfortable with public speaking thanks to the IB program.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A: I see myself living with my best friend, a cat, and a dog. All while struggling to pay off lingering student debt.

Directions:

1. Place numbers where they do not already exist.

2. The game only contains numbers 1-9.

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

Get the Answers!

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

HEALTH 7

Dec. 14, 2016

Dramatic increase in teen depression How often do you have depressing thoughts?

At least once a day At least once a week

BY JUDY NANAW Health Editor The suicide rate for teenagers has caught up to the death rate from traffic accidents. With the most recent available data, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found it is as likely for children ages 10 to 14 to die from suicide as from traffic collisions.

Why is it that suicide rates have risen dramatically among young adolescents? There is evidence that teens are suffering from various health problems due to the U.S.' rapidly changing culture.

The pressure of social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, makes it easy for information to spread among young adults. And because they have constant access to social media, the mental stress that comes with these websites is always weighing teenagers down.

"Cultural norms have changed tremendously from 20 years ago," Dr. Marsha Levy-Warren said. She is a clinical psychologist in New York who works with adolescents. "It's clear to me that the question of suicidal thoughts and behavior in this age group has certainly come up far more frequently in the last decade than it had in the previous decade."

Death is a rare occurrence for young people. That is why the current rise in suicide among such youthful ages is surprising and troubling.

In 2014, 425 children ages 10 to 14 killed themselves in contrast to 384 children of that age who died in car accidents. The suicide rate and car accidents rates have now reached the same point because suicide has increased and

"Some people don't feel like sharing how they feel and then some people don't know how to talk to the people who are depressed," Fatmata Kamara senior fatal traffic accidents has decreased.

In 1999, the death rate for children from traffic accidents was quadruple the rate for suicide. This changed in 2014, when the death rate from car crashes cut in half and the suicide rate almost doubled.

Although more boys than girls killed themselves in 2014, the increase for girls was much sharper as their rates tripled while there was a rise of about a third for boys.

There are no set reasons for suicide as the factors are complex and vary, however social media tends to worsen the rates.

Once a month Never

Nutritional facts you should know about your favorite seasonal beverages

30% 42%

18%

10%

This survey was conducted on Dec. 6 during W4 with 120 responses from Annandale students.

Since girls tend to dominate sites like Facebook where they face judgment from their peers, it makes sense that their rise has been more significant than males.

The Mayo Clinic says that women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression. It is known that depression is an element that influences suicide among most people. It is the most common illness in the U.S. and it extends to teenagers as well.

Last month, new research published in the journal Pediatrics found that the rate of depression is increasing among young people, and it is especially high among girls and women.

Researchers found that depression among females has increased from 13 percent in 2005 to about 17 percent in 2014 and from about four percent in 2005 to six percent in 2014 for males.

In addition, researchers also realized that most young adults suffering with depression do not receive treatment.

"Some people don't feel like sharing how they feel," senior Fatmata Kamara said. "Then some people don't know how to talk to the people who are depressed so it's kind of hard to reach out to them," This generation is under a lot of stress and so many young people are not getting enough sleep. Both are factors that Farha Abbasi, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Michigan State University, believes are causing depression to increase among adolescents.

"They're being told an undergraduate degree isn't enough, and college tuition has gotten really high," Abbasi said.

Many times teenagers are not given attention on their depression diagnosis. The reason being that they may look fine and their mood swings in which they feel sad are usually misinterpreted as "just teen behavior".In order to combat the rising depression and suicide rates, it is crucial for teens and adults alike to look out for one another and to not overlook any changes observed in someone.

They may look stable on the outside, but a sudden drop in school performance, change in their interests, or distance from friends are indicators of depression.

It is important to seek help from someone you trust or a mental health professional if you suspect that yourself or a

Starbucks Chestnut Praline Latte Calories: 330 Total Fat: 13 grams Cholesterol: 50 miligrams Sodium: 160 miligrams

Dunkin Donuts Creme Brulee Calories: 180 Total Fat: 6 grams Cholesterol: 20 miligrams Sodium: 50 miligrams

7-Eleven Hot Chocolate Calories: 170 Total Fat: 2.5 grams Cholesterol: 0 miligrams Sodium: 200 miligrams

McDonald's Peppermint Mocha Calories: 340 Total Fat: 12 grams Cholesterol: 35 miligrams Sodium: 150 miligrams

Frozen Pumpkin Spice Latte Calories: 290 Total Fat: 9 grams Cholesterol: 35 miligrams Sodium: 5 miligrams

Peet's Eggnog Latte Calories: 450 Total Fat: 20 grams Cholesterol: 145 miligrams Sodium: 380 miligrams

Lower the volume or suffer hearing loss Listening to music too loudly can damage your eardrums

BY JULIE NGUYEN Health Editor When walking down the hallways, seeing students with headphones hanging from their ears isn't an uncommon sight.

Between class changes, during lunch and after school, students are always in their own worlds while listening to music on their personal devices but they aren't aware of the negative effects that these headphones pose.

Whether students are using the typical Apple inner ear headphones or their expensive over-thehead Beats, students use headphones as outlets to block out their surroundings.

Being in a high school environment, the surrounding noise may be too difficult to completely cancel out and as a result, students tend to raise the volume of their headphones little by little.

"It takes me out of school for a few minutes and I relax while going to the next class," senior Daniel Chamul said.

This is a mistake that most students make. Most headphones are not supposed to be used to block outside noises and are simply gadgets that are made to make listening to music more convenient.

Using basic earbuds in replacement of noisecancelling earplugs or headphones is a practice that needs to be stopped because of the potential risks that may result from high volumes of music.

As a student continues to blast their music, other peers and teachers can hear the muffled beats and rhythm of the music without even having to share earbuds.

Those students listening to their music on full blast don't even seem to realize that they are disturbing their neighbors with their loud music.

Not only is this a public disruption, but the intense drumming within a student's ears can also damage their own hearing.

According to the World Health Organization, safe listening depends on three different factors-- intensity, duration and frequency. It is important to monitor how loud your music is as well has how long and how often you blast your music.

Increasing the volume frequently will damage your hearing as the powerful sound waves will continuously exhaust your ears' sensory cells.

Sometimes, being exposed to extreme volumes for too long could result in a ringing sensation within the ear, an indication of temporary hearing loss.

However, as you continue to listening to music at such high volumes on a daily basis, the strain on your

AUDIO STATISTICS 路 Over 43 million people between the ages 12-35 live with disabling hearing loss 路 The highest volume that is considered to be safe is 85 decibels Among teenagers and young adults aged 12-35 in middle- and highincome countries: 路 Nearly 50% are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal audio devices 路 Around 40% are exposed to potentially damaging sound levels on a daily basis

eardrums and other nerves will become permanent, ultimately leading to hearing loss that is irreversible.

The World Health Organization states that 85 decibels is the highest volume level that is considered to be safe for longer durations of exposure of approximately eight hours.

Of course, the time and duration will change depending on the different volume levels. If you're listening to your music at the high volume of over 100 decibels, your ears can only handle that deafening level for a short amount of time.

For most personal audio devices like an iPhone or MP3 player, their sound capabilities typically range between 65 decibels to as high as 135 decibels.

Keeping this in mind, physicians recommend keeping the volume bar below two thirds of its maximum capacity.

The little hair-like cells within your inner-ear are sensitive and exposing them to intense amounts of volumes is a risk you shouldn't take.

Those cells have multiple functions which include filtering out dirt and bacteria and they also help reduce small amounts of sound waves that travel to your brain.

By damaging those cells, the noise that enters your ears is bound to increase, leading to even more complications.

This is why you should limit the intensity of your music and watch out for others who have a tendency to blast their music.

Since noise-induced hearing loss is preventable, there is no reason for someone to lose their sense of hearing due to irresponsible actions of blasting music.

It's important to keep in mind that if the person standing next to you can hear your music, then it's too loud and you should take the time to lower your volume.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANNIZATION

Suicide and car accident death rates are now the same

Holiday drinks

8 PHOTO

Dec. 14, 2016

Creative classrooms

ALAINA GARAY

Teachers decorate their rooms to make learning more fun and cheerful

ALAINA GARAY

A corner in Mathis' room, with colorful shelves and a comfy chair where students can sit.

KAILYN GARAY

KAILYN GARAY

Arabic teacher Ola Layaly accessorizes her classroom with food menus, magazines and students projects.

A map of the Middle East is also hung up in Layaly's classroom.

ALAINA GARAY

KAILYN GARAY

This classroom was decorated by English teacher Kathleen Mathis. The room is complemented with posters about what the students will learn throughout the year. It is also very organized and has everything the students will need right when they walk into class. "I decorated my room this way because I wanted a place where I felt excited to come everyday and I wanted my students to feel the same," Mathis said. "I remember as a student I enjoyed classrooms that were inviting, bright and cheerful."

More of the posters in Hughes's classroom. "I would like to think that my room helps the students learn more," Hughes said. "There are always things on the wall for them to read."

Biology and Human Anatomy teacher Francesca Mast decorates her classroom with things that relate to what she is teaching. "When I can have things that are related to biology around the room it's something positive because they will associate it with biology," Mast said. "Even if it's not their favorite subject maybe they will notice something that they think is really cool."

KAILYN GARAY

KAILYN GARAY

Physical and drivers education teacher Pat Hughes decorates his room with educational posters. "It's kinda fun to decorate the room, I try to make it look more interesting and brighter," Hughes said. "I'm hoping it will tweak the kids interest and make it a better learning environment."

Mast hangs up her students projects around the classroom. "It's a personal thing for me that when I go into a room I want it to be relaxing and inviting," Mast said. "Especially to the kids because one of my main teaching philosophies is that I think kids learn better when they feel safe in their environment and when it's homey and inviting, I feel like it's a place where they can breathe."

9 ARTS

PHOTO COURTESY OF KEELIN CORDOVA

PHOTO COURTESY OF SERGIO VILLARROEL

Dec. 14, 2016

Junior Keelin Cordova perfroms with her mixed Bolivian dance group called "FFC 100% Salay USA"

Senior Sergio Villarroel perfoming Caporales with his male group wearing the traditional costume

Bolivian students participate in local dance groups

BY MIA RASHEED Staff Writer Bolivian dance and music is an essential part of Bolivian culture and festivities.

In the category of Bolivian dance, there are many variations in styles of music and dance, often depending on regional differences in the country.

There are over fifty types of Bolivian dances.

Annandale High School's diverse student population contains many of Bolivian descent.

Keelin Cordova, a junior, is an active part of a group called FFC 100% Salay USA, which practices the salay style of dance.

Accompanying FFC 100% Salay USA is a music group known as Sumaya Andina.

Sumaya Andina is a Bolivian pop music group which combines modern and traditional styles, and travels with Salay USA to their performances.

The dance group engages in parades nearly every month of the year, and during the summer their numbers of performances increase to every weekend rather than every month.

"What I like about caporales is the choreography of the dance because i get very into it and show the passion and the emotion it takes to do it, " Sergio Villarroel senio

Their traditional dance costumes are elaborate and often expensive to tailor.

The group holds fundraisers to collect money to put towards their costumes and other aspects of their performances, often in the form of food sales at the events that they host.

Ceramics 101: create your own teapot

Being a full time student and a professional dancer can be grueling.

For the duration of the entire year, FFC 100% Salay USA practices three times every week. Each practice is typically three to four hours long.

Despite the schedule and time commitment, the participants believe that in the end, it is all worth it when they get to perform.

Their parades are held all over the country, in states including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, Rhode Island, California, and Nevada, and sometimes even perform internationally when given the opportunity.

Junior Sergio Villarroel is also part of a Bolivian dance group known as Caporales Ruphay.

The caporales is a traditional Andean dance which originated in La Paz, Bolivia. Most of its performances take place outside of South America, as many people of Bolivian descent see it as a way to keep their culture alive.

Like Cordova's dance group, Caporales Ruphay performs at parades throughout the year.

Some of their biggest performances are at the

annual Bolivian Festival in Manassas and at a parade/festival known as Fiesta D.C, which celebrates the diversity of Bolivian culture.

Male caporal dresses are modeled after old Spanish military guard uniforms, consisting of heeled boots with bells known as cascabeles, and sometimes carries a hat and a whip.

Female costumes consist of a short dress, heeled shoes, and hair is worn in an updo, often placed under a hat.

The caporales is a very active dance, and can be physically strenuous.

"What I like about caporales is the choreography of the dance because I get very into it and show the passion and the emotion it takes to do it," says Villaroel.

In a community which is a melting pot of global cultures, it can be difficult to maintain your own culture and heritage, and Villarroel enjoys being able to educate people about what dance is like in Bolivia, as many are unfamiliar with it.

Featured artist: Jailene Rivera Q: What's your favorite part about art?

A: My favorite part about art is being able to do and create whatever I want without there being a right or wrong.

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

A: I didn't have an actual idea of what I was going to do I kinda just painted freely.

Q: What inspired you to start doing art?

A: What inspired me to do art was the fact that I wanted a place where I could express my creative side without having to follow any rules.

Q: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

Step 1:

To start, first take out the clay you will be using to create your piece. Make sure to be working on a hard, flat, and smooth surface. Grab some small pieces of clay that will be used for details.on the exterior later.

Step 2: Next, gather any materials you will

need such as a wooden mallet, sponge, rolling pin and needle tool.

Q: What style of painting do you enjoy best?

A: Although I enjoy all aspects of art, painting with acrylic is my favorite.

Q: How long have you been painting?

A: I have been painting for a few years now.

Q: What do you usually enjoy painting?

A: I don't have a specific subject that I like to paint.

I enjoy painting whatever comes to me.

Step 4:

Take your piece of clay and form it into a ball. Make sure to use your hands to smooth around the edges.

Once you have formed your ball, you can flatten it out using a rolling pin. It should be thin but no too thin that it will fall apart.

Step 5:

Step 6: Give your piece to your teacher to

Using your needle tool, cut the pieces to use for your design. Put the pieces together and shape the clay to create your product. Make sure there are no cracks (it will cause your piece to fall apart in the kiln)

Junior Jailene Rivera has been interested in art for many years now.

put in the kiln. Once its dried and cooled, feel free to paint in any which way you desire. Enjoy!

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAILENE RIVERA

Step 3:

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAILENE RIVERA

A: My advice to aspiring artists is to do what makes them happy.

A painting by Junior Jailene Rivera of several flowers scattered with specs of pollen floating in the air.

10 IN-DEPTH

Dec. 14, 2016

IN-DEPTH 11

Dec. 14, 2016

MEASURING SELF WORTH Student opinions on their image 10%

of students have tried a fad diet and it has NOT worked

33%

of students compare their appearance to the advertisements they see

35%

of students believe there should be more availability of plus sized clothing

Can't a girl love herself?

BY YABI BEREKET Staff Writer Many girls at school compare themselves to other girls. Some are brought down by the comments others makeabout their appearance.

Sadaf Marzi, a sophomore, has often experienced judgemental comments about her body throughout her life.

"People would still come up to me and ask if I was anorexic," Marzi said.

"There were a few annoying people who would pick on my weight because I didn't have any boobs," she said.

But those comments made by ignorant kids did not stop her from embracing herself from top to bottom.

Our culture imposes the image of what a girl should look and act like, but in this day and age, everything is rapidly changing, starting with a girls image.

At a young age, my family would often make comments about my weight, unaware of how horrible it would make me feel. Whenever people would talk about weight in general, I would feel like hiding in my room and crying because I did not like my size.

I used to feel the nerve wracking fear of being told off by my peers because of my weight. I knew people were judgemental at school. Thankfully, after some time, I began to fully accept and love myself. All it took was not caring about what other people had to say, and just listening to myself.

Body and self acceptance has been a battle girls are begining to win.

By educating girls at a young age to learn to love and cherish themselves, the whole idea of obsessing over flaws could be demolished for good.

The problem began with common misconceptions of what a pretty girl should look like. Those ideas were conceived through television shows, ads, and even rules enforced by the school.

Stores like Victoria's Secret add on to the feeling of insecurity. Posting pictures for ads of models with a size 0 waist makes girls question "Why don't I look like that" and "how can I look like that?" I have felt that way before.

"I fully found myself. My sense of style has definitely changed since my middle school days, and a lot of people would look at me strangely for not wearing skirts or dresses," said Ventura.

A song written by Meghan Trainor called All About That Bass has had many mixed reactions about her song and what it says within it. The song touches base with the topic of body weight and acceptance, which is great; it helps younger girls quickly understand the idea of accepting, but on the other hand, with lyrics like "yeah, my momma she told me don't worry about your size. She says, "boys they like a little more booty to hold at night." It makes it sound as though there is only one type of look guys like on girls.

In a setting like high school, people are constantly compared to one another; there are those judging, and there are those on the receiving end.

On top of that, bullying continues on with no end. What matters is that those on the receiving end can learn to look past those comments, because at the end of the day, the only opinions that matters is yours.

If you see someone getting picked on for whatever reason, say something, let that person know they are not alone.

When the school creates dress code rules, the rules are highly stressed by administrators because they do not

want any 'distractions' clothing wise while school is taking place.

"In school, girls have more rules and guidelines to follow. If we do not follow them, we are viewed with a negative eye," said senior Jennifer Ventura.

The type of clothes girls wear should not determine anything about a girl. It is just the way girls express who they are.

It seems as though guys have it a little more easier than girls when it comes to clothing at school. Guys wearing weed socks on a daily basis has become habitual, but if a girl is seen wearing a pretty tank top, she is asked to cover up. How is that fair?

"You can't wear shirts with weed signs or show any gang member affiliations. The same rules apply to us [girls] as well. Only difference is, guys are not being told they can not wear certain shirts or shorts. There is no such thing as "cover up because it is distracting when it comes to guys," said Ventura.

It has been drilled into the minds of people that a young lady should act and look a certain way, and she should be well acquainted with the type of reactions she may face based off of her looks and actions. We all know it's

45%

of students do NOT think the media should show different body types

unfair, but regardless, we still subconsciously commit the crime of judging; we jump to automatic conclusions on that girl, simply because of her appearance.

Social media has finally started to try and get a move on ending gender stereotyping for women of all ages. It is slowly beginning to make an impact on everyone.

It is through our culture's stereotypes that people are soon to cross this line, and the response so far has been mostly positive.

Although people are starting to adapt to the new change, it irks me, along with many others, that we are told to act like ourselves, but if it's out of the norm, we're told to stop because it's unacceptable. But the point is to learn to accept and celebrate change!

It is our job to put an end to stereotypes, so future generations will be able to fully explore and embrace themselves, without having to worry about 'expectations' they have to live up to, set by a one minded society.

50% of students are self conscious about their body and have participated in a beauty trend because others have

68% of students are NOT persuaded to buy a weight loss product when it is endorsed by a celebrity

74%

of students DO NOT plan to change their appearance in the future

84% of students have not tried a fad diet

200 SURVEYS WERE DISTRIBUTED DURING PRIDE TIME ON NOVEMBER 30, 2016. RESULTS CAME TO A TOTAL OF 125.

Can't a guy be confident?

BY HAN GYUL CHANG Special to The A-blast For me, the ideal man type is not to have a six pack, but you've got to be somewhat in shape. You have to have a nice jawline, eyes and perfect eyebrows.

I think it would be nice if every guy was like that, but I'm sorry to break it to you: they're not. There are many guys in the world who don't fit those standards. You can't wish for every guy to be like that because every guy is different.

It's not just girls that are insecure, it's guys too. It's everyone.

Girls could say: "I'm not pretty like her," "my body is not as nice as other girls."

Whereas guys could think "I'm not as fit as other boys" or "I'm not popular like those boys."

People have made negative comments about my appearance, and it hasn't been just one time.

Both genders can be criticized for their bodies. It's terrible, but it's something that is very common in

our modern society. Once it happens, it happens. Although comments, thoughts, and opinions like that should not be something we cling on to. Focusing on the past and comments others have said should not affect us because it can mess up your future, health, and self esteem.

In P.E classes when people are being chosen for sports, it's the worst because it's like "I'm sorry I'm not who you want me to be." But I don't care who you want me to be because I'm me. I love myself.

Yes, I'm fat but that doesn't change me.

In ads and commercials, they rarely use fat guys. They turn to good looking guys with perfect bodies for shaving and cologne commercials.

It's never about the out of shape guys.

One standard for guys is that you have to be strong. You can't be too short or have a high pitched voice.

You have to be tall and have a low, nice voice. You have to have muscles and that cool aurora.

In terms of being tall, I qualify for the boy standard. In body shape, no.

Intelligence wise, I think I'm your average smart Asian kid because I have strong math skills.

I would want a fit body but not because of what others think of me. I want it for myself. I want to be healthy and live a long life.

The worst part about this, is that people don't see that.

Unless it's my friends or someone who really gets to know me, they don't know who I am, what I'm good at, or how I am feeling.

My appearance and body does not define that, but in the eyes of society, that's the only thing anybody sees.

Another insecurity that could apply for guys is "I'm not as popular as that guy." They see cool guys and wonder why they can't be more like that group.

Everyone has feelings. Yes, it's uncommon for boys to cry in front of people. Everyone has emotions and it's fine for guys to cry, there's nothing wrong with that.

When I cry I feel judged because people will say "oh why are you crying? You're a guy so you shouldn't be

crying."

Then sometimes people ask if you're okay because that's their initial reaction.

After awhile they'll tell you it was over such a little thing, so why are you crying?

In terms of how people show their emotions, girls and boys are different.

Guys tend to keep it to themselves. Guys have a very different approach; they mainly go towards fighting and it's all about fists.

I am emotional because I get really angry when someone says something about me or about my friends.

When others cry, I can feel and understand people's pain. I start to feel sad too and think "Why is that person upset?"

I've heard the phrase "man up" a lot, even in the hallways. Usually when I complain about something people will say "grow up" or "man up." I've heard this growing up but it really started in early middle school.

I don't think anybody should keep things to themselves and hold onto stuff.

In some ways, I think society should change the way they see boys. Not every boy is going to be that ideal man. If society pushes standards on boys, it is going to cause stress upon a lot of boys. I think that it's one of the factors that contribute to depression and suicide in high school because it makes people start thinking "I'm not perfect.

I'm not who society wants me to be. I don't belong here."

Overall, I do not think boys, or anyone, should care about what anyone thinks. Sometimes you should care but you should not let that control you.

I am sorry I am not who society wants me to be, but I am me and I am not going to let someone else's thoughts influence me to change.

At the end of the day, they are not in control of your life. You are.

You should shape who you want to be. Don't let other people make decisions for you.

What does being pretty or handsome mean to you?

I survived three days on the military diet "Handsome means a very good looking person that is muscular and have pecks."

JASON GALLEGOS freshman

"Beauty means being the person you want to be, showing all your colors and loving everyone around you."

DESTINY MORRIS

"Handsomeness is what you find attractive. It's a very subjective thing."

"Being a good person inside and out and having a good personalilty."

MO OBADI

SESINA BEYENE

sophomore

sophomore

"Someone who looks good in someone else's eyes."

AHMED IBRAHIM junior

"To me beauty is how I percieve something that I like, if something's visually apealing."

"Somebody that looks like me."

OTHMANE KERFAL

KENDALL MCCLEARY junior

freshman

senior

"I think beauty is when girls wear make up and dress nice for anything they do. For school or anywhere they go."

VICKY LUU senior

In-depth Editor There are more than 318 million people in the United States. 318 million different faces, body types, cultures, personalities, and yet none of this is evident while watching movies, commercials or TV shows.

That's So Raven, The Proud Family, Lizzie McGuire and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody are among the many TV shows I grew up with.

Not only were these shows entertaining but they were diverse and they shed light on some issues that not many shows touch base on.

I distinctly remember an episode of That's So Raven where Raven designed a dress and won a contest only to have her body photoshopped to a point where she couldn't even recognize it because she just didn't have the look.

Also, I remember an episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody when after receiving a comment from one person about London having a larger

behind and Maddie having chicken legs, they begin an unhealthy strings of diet, like eating junk food and exercising to the point of exhaustion.

In addition to that, all of these TV shows included a diverse cast ranging from different body types to different races.

Representation matters. It shows us that there isn't just one way to live life, look or act.

I know from personal experience.

When I watch a character who looks like me and accomplishes great things, it motivates and makes me think that if she could do it, then so can I. According to NPR, only 7 percent of films had a cast whose diversity represented the country's diversity.

TV is supposed to be a source of escape like a book.

We turn to movies and shows to get our mind off of things.

TV is a great way to stop worrying about your problems and just see life through a character.

I definitely have moments where

Students often compare themselves to each other on social media such as Snapchat.

I cry when my favorite character is sad, or even have the feeling that someone close to me died when a character dies.

Although it is hard to admit, TV really does impact our lives and seeing characters who look like us will only enhance the experience.

"I think some TV shows promote positivity but there isn't a lot of focus on it. There should be more TV shows that focus on portraying a range of body types and represent everyone's beauty," sophomore Aklesiya Abebe said.

However, everything is not that black and white.

There are TV shows today that promote diversity and have female leads.

"On TV, I watch shows that have a pretty diverse cast, so I think now TV shows in general are getting diverse," Abebe said.

Shonda Rhimes, best known for her hit TV shows Grey's Anatomy and How To Get Away With Murder, has lead black female characters and in addition to that, these female characters don't spend most of their screen times focusing on boyfriend issues.

Commercials are also beginning to show the different faces of America.

Just last year during the Super

Bowl, there was a lot of diversity.

In fact, according to the 2015 study of Super Bowl ads by the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, African Americans had a leading position is 19 out of 61 commercials.

In addition to that, the objectification of women has also reduced.

This new change in media has to do in part by the millennia generation.

According to NBC News, young adults between the ages of 18-33 are more diverse.

The fact that there is more diversity in the next generation is proof that there is some sort of change happening in our society and it is hope that there will be more representation and acceptance in the future.

Society is changing. Although Hollywood is attempting to change the lack of diversity in their shows and movies, they need to move quicker and catch up and show the colorful nation that we are.

Portabello mushrooms, a cup of green beans, half a banana, an apple and a cup of greek yogurt

An egg, toast and half a banana

A cup of cottage cheese, an egg and 5 saltine crackeres

Veggie patty, a cup of broccoli and carrots, half a banana and a cup of greek yogurt

Day Three

BY RUTH MEKONNEN

Half a cup of tuna, toast and green tea

Dinner

Day Two

Half a grapefruit. toast with 2 teaspoons of peanut butter and green tea

Media and its impact on our body image

Lunch

Day One

Breakfast

Five saltine crackers, chedder cheese and an apple

Egg and toast

A cup of tuna, half a banana and a cup of greek yogurt

BY KIMBERLY VAIDES In-depth Editor The Military Diet is well-known for its promise to lose 10 pounds after three days. As an experiment to test the validity of the diet's promise, I strictly followed the foods the diet assigned. I recorded my weight at the start of Day 1 and the foods I ate for three consecutive days.

Truthfully, the diet was awful yet somewhat bearable. Yes, it did work.

I lost 5 pounds but, was the diet worth it?

During the three days, you are not allowed to eat between meals or other foods than what is listed.

I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I thought I could handle it.

Day 1 started off nicely with a satisfying breakfast. Before lunch, I did develop cravings for a snack and sweets. When lunch came, the difficulty began when I saw everyone with their delicious food. Dinner was not any different when I solely ate my dull meal.

Day 2 was not any better. Breakfast did not fill me up as much as the day before. Lunch was good, but at that moment I realized I was eating like a bird; just small bites and barely any food at all.

Usually when I get home from school I get hungry and eat a snack.

Instead, I had to anxiously wait for dinner. From that moment on, the only thing I looked forward to was my next meal.

The hardest day had to be Day 3.

It felt like I wasn't eating anything at all. Chugging water throughout the day helped a lot with my hunger.

I was optimistic and told myself that it was the last day.

I researched alternative foods you could eat, even though the diet does not recommend substitutions.

Instead of eating 3 ounces of meat for dinner on Day 1, I ate 3 ounces of

portobello mushrooms.

For dinner on Day 2, I ate a veggie patty instead of the two hot dogs that were assigned.

For all three days, I ate greek yogurt instead of the cup of vanilla ice cream it required.

My substitutions could have interfered with the end result of my weight loss. However, results may vary for each person who takes on this diet. The amount of weight lost at the end of three days can depend on the commitment, age, gender, weight and body a person has.

Personally, the diet did work even if I did not reach the 10 pound weight loss. There is no guarantee that you will lose 10 pounds, 5 pounds or any weight if you perform this diet.

Despite losing 5 pounds, I personally would not recommend this diet. You eat less than your recommended calorie consumption. You eat a decent amount of food, but you are hungry throughout the day. This diet is not the appropriate way to lose weight.

After the diet, I returned to my regular eating habits. I typically have a few snacks between my three meals. I rarely eat fast food.

After the three dreadful days, people will began to overeat. Some assume they can eat unhealthy foods since they've lost weight. This just contradicts the entire ideology of a diet.

Losing weight requires exercise and healthy eating. You also need to have the strength to decline unhealthy foods. It's okay to indulge in fried foods and sweets now and then.

What I learned during the three days was that the most important thing in a diet is commitment. Also, that a diet doesn't have to be three days long. A diet should be a lifestyle of avoiding the unnecessary food and leaning more towards the foods that benefit your body.

12 INTERNATIONAL

Dec. 14, 2016

Students celebrate cultural holidays Junior Afomia Assefa celebrates Ethiopian

Photo Courtesy of Afomia Assefa

BY LINA AL TAII International Editor

Right: Assefa poses infront of the Christmas tree on Christmas with her friend.

Christmas in the Ethiopian culture is celebrated on Jan. 7 going by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church which still follows the old Julian Calender.

"To me, Ethiopian Christmas means a time to recognize and appreciate my religion, family, and culture," junior Afomia Assefa said.

In Ethiopia, the Christmas celebration is called Genna or Liddet and the preparations begin a week in advance, while the actual Christmas celebration is only one day.

The Ethiopian Christmas starts with a fasting period of 40 days beginning on Nov. 21 and ending on Jan. 7.

"We fast by not eating any dairy,

meat or other animal products so it is basically a vegan type of fast," Assefa said.

The traditional celebrations begin on the eve of Christmas.

"We usually go to church the night before and spend the night there, and then come home the next day and feast on cultural food and just spend the rest of the day together with family and close friends," Assefa said.

Spending time at church is one of the most important parts of Ethiopian Christmas.

"We have church service for a few hours and then we sing hymns," Assefa said.

On Christmas day, Ethiopians eat cultural food such as injera, samosas, wot, cake, and baklava.

"My mom cooks all week in preparation for the celebration, but the actual celebration happens all on Jan. 7," Assefa said.

One notable difference between Ethiopian Christmas and the traditional American Christmas is that most Ethiopian families don't give or recieve presents on Christmas day.

"Giving presents just isn't part of the tradition. It's more about recognizing the gift of God rather than the physical gifts," Assefa said.

Though most Ethiopian families celebrate the holiday in the U.S., some go back to Ethiopia to see other family members.

"I went to Ethiopia in 2010.

It is chaotic, but fun. There are a lot of beaches, resorts, and pretty

landscapes to visit, but there is also just a lot going on at the same time," Assefa said.

Americanized Ethiopian families celebrate Ethiopian Christmas, but also celebrate American Christmas the normal way with dinner, presents, and family.

This blending of different traditions is very common in American Ethiopian families.

Overall, the meaning of Christmas is the same and the change in date is due to the different calendar the Ethiopian Orthodox Church follows.

BY KATIE POPE Staff Writer

moon and the solar year.

This year the last day of the Chinese New Year is Jan. 28.

Chinese New Year is also known as "The First Day of the Great Year" or "The Lunar New Year" and it translates to "The Spring Festival."

Chinese New Year represents another year someone is alive, it is like a second birthday for Chinese people.

Chinese New Year has a unique perspective to it.

Each year represents an animal and every 12 years the animal cycle is repeated. It started with the rat, then the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, and finally the pig. After the pig year is the rat year and repeats in the same order.

Red is the main color of the Chinese New Year holiday. Bright red decorations are often put up around houses and on doors and windows.

The decorations are cut papers that represent wealth, long life, happiness, and good fortune.

The children usually receive red envelopes stuffed

Chinese New Year is celebrated to let go of the past and welcome new beginnings, similar to the American New Year.

"To me, Chinese New Year means a new year to be grateful for," junior Shirley Chu said.

The celebrations last about 15 days starting from the last day of the Chinese calendar year. Some students take off an entire month of school for this holiday.

"I do different activities with my family throughout a span of 12 days," Chu said. "Relatives come over and we eat dinner and play games. Then my family and I go to the temple late at night to pray and celebrate with more people."

The last day of the year varies. Just like the American calendar, it depends on the year.

The Chinese Calendar is based on the lunar calendar which is a calendar based on the phases of the

with money, similar to Christmas but instead of presents, they get money. However, there is a restriction to the amount of money given in the envelopes. The amount is usually an even number, but the number cannot be divisible by four because four symbolizes death.

"My family doesn't follow that rule because we are more Americanized and not as superstitious," Chu said.

Chinese New Year is celebrated in the streets as well as in homes. There are very popular dragon dances where people dress up as dragons and lions and dance for the crowds.

"I like to watch the dragon dances at Chinese New Year festivals because they are unique and fun," Chu said.

The last day of the Chinese New Year is called Lantern Day. People celebrate the end of the holiday by walking around with paper lanterns to light the way for the New Year.

Photo Courtesy of Binqi Chen

Junior Shirley Chu celebrates Chinese New Year

Junior Binqi Chen's family friends Alexis Chen and Olivia Chui celebrate by cooking traditonal Chinese Food at a festival.

Senior Maya Koch celebrates Rosh Hashannah Photo Courtesy of Maya Koch

BY KAYLA HOLCOMB Staff Writer

Koch's family on Rosh Hashannah day.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, literally translated from Hebrew as "beginning of the year."

The two day celebration begins on the first day of Tishrei, the first month of the Jewish calendar, roughly equivalent to the end of September.

Like the New Year, most Americans celebrate on December 31st and January 1st,. This holiday has a different meaning for each person. For Senior Maya Koch, Rosh Hashanah is a time of "reflection, and looking forward to

the coming year."

On Rosh Hashanah, Jewish families and friends gather to celebrate with traditional customs, such as dipping apples in honey, symbolizing the wish for a sweet new year, or eating a special round challah bread, reflecting the cyclical turning of the years.

Usually, much of the day is spent in religious services which often focus on the concept of God's sovereignty.

"The service involves a lot of singing songs of prayer and listening to the rabbi speak," Koch said. "There are also a few Torah readings."

Rosh Hashanah is one of the most

important Jewish holidays outside of Yom Kippur (the day of atonement) and Passover (a festival that celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt). "Almost all religious Jews celebrate it, and if they don't, it's either because they have a more secular lifestyle, or because of conflict with work, school, family emergency, etc.," Koch said.

"My family makes a point of going to Rosh Hashanah services every year.

Since Jews are a diaspora community, we find it important to hold on to traditions, because that is the only surefire way to preserve our culture," Koch

said.

The Jewish people are diverse because they are in a worldwide diaspora. Across the religion are many ethnic groups, such as the Kaifeng Jews in China.

Despite a variety of different cultural practices, religion is a consistently unifying force across the globe.

For the many Jewish communities out there, Rosh Hashanah is a bittersweet holiday.

Though reflecting on the past can be sad, the Jewish people continue each year to look forward to future with hopes of the new and better

What winter holiday do you celebrate?

"I celebrate Christmas and New Year's and love the holiday spirit as well as the decorations."

DANIELLE DAVIS freshman

"I celebrate Christmas and more than getting gifts I love to give gifts away to people."

JACKSON RAMOS freshman

"I celebrate Christmas and the best part is traveling to family in California."

"I celebrate Christmas and New Year's and my favorite part is receiving gifts and eating cookies."

TRINA NGUYEN

GERSON RAMOS

RAZAN ABDELAZIZ

sophomore

sophomore

junior

"The holiday time itself is my favorite and I just love watching Christmas movies."

"I don't celebrate Christmas, however love the holiday spirit and I look forward to the New Year as well."

"I celebrate Christmas and the best part about it is that I get to see my entire family."

SHEILA MARQUEZ senior

SAMEER SHEIKH

"Since Eid has already passed and I dont celebrate Christmas, I celebrate winter break."

BILAL KAMARA

junior

Sophomore Aysha Rayaz's experience of moving to the U.S. from Dubai

BY AYSHA RAYAZ Special to The A-Blast Dubai, my city where I was born is one of the most amazing and developing cities. It is one of the best countries.

However the year 2016 brought a huge change in my life when I got the visa to the United States.

My father has his own business here and because of his job my family and I shifted here which made all of us really happy. However, leaving Dubai was one of the hardest decisions my family has ever made.

We all were going through tough times and it was really difficult to even think of leaving Dubai. It was like leaving everything behind and moving forward. We

had no other option other than coming to the United States. My siblings were really excited to move here but I was going through a lot of mixed emotions.

But somehow I always wanted to visit the United States as it is one of the developing countries with greatest technology and a really good place for education.

I always had a dream of going to United States and getting admission in the Harvard university, which is one of the best universities in the United States.

When I first came to United States I was really fascinated by the nature and the beauty of this country because Dubai is a whole different country where there are huge building and no nature around there but compared to US I really liked the natural beauty over here.

But after spending fifteen years in Dubai, our family moved to a totally different environment. This I knew would be my toughest challenge to date.

When I joined school I saw students over here don't have a certain dress code which really bothered me.

Another thing which bothered me was the

American style of teaching was completely different from the school I went to was a British curriculum and everything over there was totally different from here.

After a few weeks of school, everything seemed okay and I was getting a bit more comfortable with the lifestyle of this school.

The teachers were super sweet and helpful, the people here where really polite and really helpful.

I felt comfortable with the mixed group of people.

This school and country made me a really confident person and it had a great impact on me.

I am very glad and happy to be in this great country getting the best education with all the medical facilities at a greater range with the latest technology.

I am a sophomore and it has almost been a year since I came to this country. As I look back, I still miss my home country the United Arab Emirates.

If I would have ever been given a choice to choose the United Arab Emirates or United States it would be the most difficult choice to make.

Photo Courtesy of Aysha Rayaz

American stories

First person accounts of coming to America

Dubai, the luxurious city Rayaz left, has a population of 2.657 million.

senior

LIFESTYLES 13

Dec. 14, 2016

What's in your wallet this Christmas?

A guide to helping students find the perfect gift for their family or friends

BY MARYILYN RIVAS People Editor The most wonderful time of the year can turn into something stressful when it comes to gift giving.

Christmas shopping, especially on a student budget can be rough. Family and friends are all expecting gifts, but do we really know what to get them? Looking at your bank account can discourage you but here are some tips that will save you from awkwardly explaining to someone that you did not get them a gift.

Family members are usually easier to shop for, since they are more aware of your budget and they appreciate gifts from the heart. Pay attention to what they like,

what hobbies they are into and things they need.

"I plan to get my grandfather a fishing hat because he loves to fish," Freshman Sydney Wuhrer said.

Usually, your family memebers will fake a smile and give you a warm huge no matter what, write a card as well, it will make your effortless gift ten times better.

If you want to spend a little more on for your parents, Macy's is always a great option for essentials. You can never go wrong with housewarming items or cooking utensils. Home Goods and TJ-Maxx are also great places to find the perfect item. A few more affordable gift are candles, gifts cards or coffee mugs, but remember to pay attention to what your parent likes.

Also, if your parent likes sports, get them a jersey or a hat, anything that screams their loyalty to their team.

"My mother loves the redskins, so I'm planning on saving my money and buying her a new Redskins jersey of her favorite player," said senior Kiara Andino.

Although jerseys are a little more expensive, do not let that stop you. NFL, MLB, NHL and other sport organization stores have great deals right now with

nearly 70 percent off clothing, cups and blankets.

For your siblings, depending if they've been naughty or nice, and whether you plan on getting them a gift or not, you can easily make them write you a list of their top choices. Although sometimes their list goes way above your price range, try to get them to negotiate with you and pick items within your budget.

However, if they do not provide a list, some affordable items for younger children are Legos, dolls, stuffed animals, toy cars and/or shopkins, which all can be found at Toys R Us or Target with prices can as low as $10.

Great and quick gifts for teenage siblings are gift cards, phone/laptop cases, shoes and video games. "I'm getting my sister a pair of black booties," said senior Tehya Moss.

Try not to give clothes as a present, your gift runs high risk of being returned. If you truly feel the piece of clothing will be loved by the person, get it but make sure there is a gift receipt with it.

It gets a little tricky when it comes to your significant

AVERAGE COST GIFTS

HIGH END GIFTS

Gift Ideas: Books, Bluetooth, Speaker,

Gift Ideas: Swell water bottle, Polariod camera,

Gift Ideas: Apple Watch, Purse, Jewlery, Shoes,

Headphones, Phonecases and gift cards.

Makeup sets and wallet.

Tablet, Sport Team Jesery.

Price range: $20 and below Buying a bluetooth speaker for any family member or friend is such an unviersal gift. Everyone loves to listen to music.

Price range: $30-$60

Price range: $70 and up Buying a tablet for a family member is a great idea.

The tablet has many uses to it. It can be used to watch movies, play games via apps or use it to read.

GIFTS IF YOU'RE ON A BUDGET

Polariod camera's are the perfect gift to buy for any age. The photos taken come out instantly. These instant photos give nostalgic feeling. Also you can use the pictures taken for decoration.

other. No matter how many times you ask, they're answer will be nothing. You can never go wrong with getting your girlfriend makeup from Sephora, jewelry, or even cute items from PINK. For your boyfriend, video games, tickets to watch their favorite sport team or artist or even sports gear will do just fine.

Most items for everyone on your list, can be found for cheaper on Amazon. You can get a great inexpensive gift for everyone. Many of the suggestions given can be found for less than $40 dollars. There are also suggestions for those with a higher price range but still are less than $60.

You may think some people are hard to shop for, but there are always a few inexpensive presents that will do the job. For the most part, any gift given on Christmas with thought, will be received graciously and thankfully because Christmas is not about the gifts, but about the love.

How much are students spending?

A week long survey was conducted via Twitter. Out of the 1,373 A-Blast Twitter followers, 40% would rather spend $10-20 on a Christmas gift.

DIY with Katie Window cling snowflakes This holiday ornament can make any room look more festive.

2.

3.

Materials Needed 1.

-Printed snowflake patterns -Parchment paper -Hot Glue gun -Glue gun sticks -Glitter Where to buy: A.C Moore or Target.

4.

Put the parchment paper on top of the printed snowflake pattern.

5.

Let the snowflake dry for at least two minutes, or until it is cool.

Trace the pattern with the heated glue gun. Make sure the glue is thick so that the snowflake holds together.

6.

When the glue is dry, carefully peel the snowflake off of the parchment paper.

Sprinkle some glitter on to the snowflake (optional).

7.

Then, put some small dots of hot glue on the corners of the snow flake.

Press the snowflakes against the window and enjoy!

Your snowfalkes are reusable.

FASHION SPOTLIGHT Liam Conroy, 12

Q: How did you learn how to dress?

A: I learned to dress from my mom and dad, I've asked them for advice since I was young.

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

A: It usually takes me about 15 to 20 minutes to get ready.

Q: Where do you like to shop?

A: I like to shop at J. Crew, Pacsun, Vineyard Vines, Patagonia, Nike, Columbia, and Ralph Lauren.

Q: How much do you usually invest in clothing?

A: Usually I spend around $2000 a year on clothes.

Q: What are your favorite clothing pieces?

A: My favorite pieces of clothing are my J. Crew quarter zip and my beige Columbia winter coat.

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

A: For school, an outfit I would wear is sweats, a t-shirt, and Nike shoes. An outfit for a date would be jeans, a button up, nice boots, and a jacket.

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

A: Every school day for me is a lazy day, I usually wear sweats.

Q: What is your favorite season to dress for?

A: I like to dress for fall and winter because I love the styles of those seasons, and the places I like to shop have great collections for those seasons.

Q. What are your favorite pair of shoes?

A. My favorite shoes are either my Tods or my Frye boots.

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

A: I dress to for myself, because I like what kind of styles I wear and I don't care what others think.

Q: Who is your fashion inspiration?

A: I don't have an inspiration, pretty much just myself.

Q: Whats your favorite accessory to add to your outfit?

A: If I'm dressing casual, my favorite accessory is a hat.

If I'm dressing up, a watch.

Conroy with AHS alum Molly Gormley.

14 PEOPLE

Dec. 14, 2016

AHS says farewell to chemistry teacher Yaara Crane

Q&A with replacing teacher Phuong Lue

BY SOULISA PATHAMMAVONG

Where were you working before you came?

"I worked at Marshall High School for seven years, followed by Woodson High School, and then I went to work in D.C. At Cesar Chavez Public Policy school as an instructional coach, then came here."

FARES AYOUB

After 11 years of teaching for FCPS and six years at AHS, chemistry teacher Yaara Crane will become to being a STEAM Resource teacher for the Mount Vernon Pyramid.

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. The STEAM innovation in the Mount Vernon Pyramid aims to help teachers innovate new ideas on how to teach their students in ways that are more relevant to the skills and opportunities of the 21st century. It offers student-centered and inquirybased instruction while exposing students to the STEAM curriculum and potential relating careers.

"STEAM is often considered the way of the future, and many of the best schools are moving away from standardized testing to project-based learning," Crane said.

As a STEAM Resource teacher, Crane will be working with the teachers at the schools in the Mount Vernon pyramid (elementary, middle, and high school) to help them create innovative new approaches to teaching.

In the past, Crane has worked as a coach for novice 7-12th grade FCPS science teachers and enjoyed working with adults. She plans to pursue a degree in education leadership at George Mason University for May 2017.

She accepted the professional opportunity to share her love of science and innovation with many more students and teachers than she would have otherwise.

"I chose to accept this opportunity because I want to be on the forefront of this change," Crane said, "I want to help other teachers learn how to integrate this style of teaching into their classroom, and this is an avenue to use what I have learned from GMU." Crane has taught Chemistry and IB Chemistry at AHS for six years and made many memories and experiences throughout those years. "So much has happened it's hard to pick my favorite memory! I will miss all of the teachers and staff who I have gotten to know so well

FARES AYOUB

People Editor

Yaara Crane packs up her classroom materials during her last few days at AHS.

over the years, particularly my amazing chemistry team," Crane said.

Although she is trying to make this transition as smooth as possible, some students find it hard to say goodbye.

"I'll miss her willingness to help others, she would always help my friends after school with IB chemistry and we could easily talk to her about anything, " senior Micaela Valdivia said.

Crane also shares a bond with her W4 class. "AHS is

full of so many spirited and dedicated students," Crane said, "I will miss my W4 who I have known for 4 years and are so close to graduating."

Moiz Ahmer from Crane's W4 said: "She was always a nice person and she was always kind to us. I miss talking to her because she was real with us."

Former FCPS chemistry teacher, Phuong Lue, has been hired and will be returning to replace Crane.

"I wish nothing but success for everyone in the future, and I truly treasured my last week," Crane said.

What are you excited for?

"I really like the multicultural atmosphere. I just feel very much at home here. Everyone here is so nice."

How much experience do you have with this subject?

"I have 12 years experience with this subject. I've taught regular, IB, and AP." What challenges do you think you'll face?

"I don't think that much. I think of in terms of instructional practices they're the same challenges that you face in every school, such as reading, writing, math, science, etc."

Fun fact about you: "I used to be a DJ."

Alumni talks about her trip to Bali

BY MARILYN RIVAS People Editor

Waugh plays a game with her students during class in Ubud.

Waugh and some students walk along the Black Sand beach of the village of Tianyar.

Waugh attended atraditional Balinese wedding of her neighbors in Tianyar.

Waugh poses with an elephant at an elephant reserve in Southern Bali.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ELIZABETH WAUGH

Class of '13 alumni Elizabeth Waugh recalls her time at AHS and her unique decision to take a gap year to Bali following graduation and how it helped shape her future. Waugh was the Co-Editor in Chief of the yearbook for two years and participated in tennis and field hockey her sophomore year. The thing that stuck with her about AHS most was the diversity among the students and staff. "I learned so much about other religions and cultures and I think it's probably Annandale's best quality," said Waugh.

Waugh decided to take a gap year after AHS her senior year, during the rush and stress of college applications.

"I realized I had zero drive to go to college at that point, and if I forced myself to go to I would probably drop or flunk out which would be a huge waste of time and money," said Waugh.

She began looking for other alternatives besides college, Waugh wanted to pursue her passions and then revisit college when she was ready and motivated.

Waugh finally decided to take a gap year, and since her family is from the U.K., gap years are common, they were very supportive. Staff at AHS had mixed responses about her decision since gap years in the U.S. are not very popular and fairly new, but many believed it was the best path for Waugh.

Waugh decided to take her gap year in Bali, Indonesia. She spent the year teaching English to underprivileged children.

"I had always wanted to travel to Asia and started researching volunteer programs in the region that would allow for extended stays," said Waugh.

Waugh had to communicate with several programs before choosing the right one.

Since Bali is safe with a pretty low crime rate partly due to their belief in Karma, she

decided it would be fine to travel there on her own.

Waugh went across the country, and the fact that she did not know anyone or the language made her grow up quickly and adapt to the culture.

"It was phenomenal, educational, enlightening, to say life changing feels like a cliche, but it was," said Waugh.

Since she is under 25 years old, she was able to obtain discounts so that travelling and volunteering abroad were not too expensive. She was able to live off of $50 a week in Bali, which included 3 meals per day, transportation and hotel stays on the weekend.

In Bali, Waugh's point of view changed.

She realized what path she wanted to take

to further her education and what career she wanted to pursue. She even caught the "travel bug."

Waugh plans on pursuing a degree in Global Studies online with The New School based in NYC. "The New School, allows me to travel and work at the same time," said Waugh.

As of right now, she is currently working

as a manager and workshop coordinator at the art and printing company. She spent the last few years working as a teacher at a nature center, travelling and getting various certifications to teach English as a foreign language.

Waugh has yet to decide where her next destination will be. She is waiting to see where her fiance will obtain his master's degree. She will call that unknown place home for the next two years, while still continuing to travel, teach and volunteer.

For any student planning on taking a gap year, you must plan ahead. You should travel, volunteer or do internships that will expose you to a new career or education opportunities.

"Have a plan, you can't just sit on your couch and work part time at starbucks all year," said Waugh.

Waugh has three tips you should follow if you plan on travelling during your gap year. One is "always travel and work under the correct visa and documentation."

Waugh has witnessed her friends overseas charged and fined for not following the correct procedures.

Secondly, "be careful choosing the right volunteer-tourism program, as there are a lot of frauds. Always talk to people who have done the program, the program should give you contact information of former individuals that have done it."

Lastly, "Say yes as much as possible, common sense is your best friend, but yeah go bungee jumping and attend that local ceremony, you won't regret it."

Waugh did not regret her decision to take a gap year to Indonesia, it allowed her to find the correct career path for her and gave her the motivation to continue studying. She did not do well in the traditional high school setting therefore, she knew college was not right for her either and volunteering abroad was the best option.

WHO AM I? I attended: James Madison University, where I double majored in History and Political Science and double minored in Secondary Education and Sociology. I also got my Masters Degree in Secondary Education from JMU as well. I was involved with many things on campus, including my sorority and intramural sports.

I was born in: Washington, D.C. and grew up in McLean, VA. I attended McLean High School. I was involved with student government and I also played four years of varsity basketball and softball.

Before teaching at AHS: I was a college student! I was literally hired by AHS on my last day of student teaching here. Yay to no job hunting! (Or having to live at home with my parents for very long after graduation!)

I teach at AHS because: I couldn't imagine teaching anywhere else. I am completely enamored with our student body and I have learned so much from my students in the ten years I have been here. Our school's diversity, open mindedness, and sense of community is something that I am confident cannot be found at other high schools in our area. I hope that I have had the impact on my students that many of them have had on me.

In my free time: Free time?! What the heck is that?! If you mean the hours that I'm not teaching or at games/school related events, you can find me playing with my 7 month old son, hanging out with my amazing husband, and the best friends and family anyone could ask for, or cheering on the Redskins.

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

There is always room for improvement. Always.

This has been in the back of my mind for the past 4 years that I have been at Annandale. After 3 years of unhappiness in middle school, I entered high school with the same mindset: that nothing was going to get better.

I accepted that I would still face the derision from the same people who underestimated me and beat me down throughout middle school, for my appearance and my inability to speak English fluently. I was extremely self-conscious and the constant anxiety slowly made its ways towards me.

Words such as "annoying", "stupid" and "weird" haunted me everyday.

Though I knew that I should put those thoughts aside and let it be, those unnecessary comments indeed affected me a great deal.

It was sophomore year when I started to study again, though it was difficult to get back on track after so many years of letting loose; however, I wasn't going to give up because this

when I decided to try out something new: theatre.

Before long, I realized that the black box was going to be my new home. Theatre was something I completely enjoyed doing, spending time with so many loud but lovely children trying to figure out an aspect of a show or trying to work together to make a production happen.

Within a year, school subconsciously became my number one priority. Having the time to go out with friends is still more of a luxury to me. Though it got extremely difficult to handle the stress of IB during my junior year and even now, theatre was a place where I could escape whenever I wanted to run away from my responsibilities. Throughout my four years of high school, finding something that I genuinely love doing and a supportive group of friends taught me to value the ways I think of myself, not the way others think of me, because at the end of the day, no one will be there for you but yourself.

Amber Tran, senior

time I was doing it for myself. I have learned that focusing my energy on worrying about things that I can t change would lead me nowhere.

The 4.0 that I earned my sophomore year was surely satisfying after a year of working hard and trying to understand and learn the materials instead of just trying to get decent grades.

It was also sophomore year

SPORTS X-TRA 15

Dec. 14, 2016

6:15 a.m.

START

7 a.m.

Left: "I pack and plan my outfit the night before so it only takes me about 20-30 minutes to get ready.

For track, I have to pack extra clothes and shoes. I also bring some extra food to have before and after practice."

Left: "I don't go on morning runs too often, but when I do, they are really relaxing."

Megan also occasionally has morning practices for winter track as well, however most of her practices are held after school.

Junior Megan Lee is a 3-peat athlete as well as an IB diploma candidate. This is what a day in her life looks like.

A DAY IN THE midnight

Above: "I definitely don't get as much sleep as I should, but it's important to get sleep so you can function mentally and physically throughout the day."

10 a.m.

OF A HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE

6 p.m.

Below: My homework usually takes four to five hours. I typically get the most homework from HOA, but I enjoy that class, so I don't usually mind too much."

Above: "I take seven IB classes, but my most challenging class is probably HL Biology since I've never been great at science. Even though school can be hard, I believe doing sports helps me manage my schoolwork. It keeps me on a schedule and forces me to not procrastinate."

Featuring junior Megan Lee 12:30 p.m.

3:30 p.m.

Right: "My track practices usually last about an hour and a half. Our practices vary throughout the week. We do longer distance runs some days and other days we stay on the track, doing more mid-distance and sprint routines. On the weekends I do distance runs by myself and I'll play some lacrosse or field hockey if I have free time."

Right: "I usually have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch with other snacks like hummus and fruits. On meet days, I have pasta the night before to carb up then I usually have a banana right before I run to give me some extra energy."

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MEGAN LEE

How do you balance time between school and sports?

"I make time for my homework, I will usually finish most of it [homework] during pride time or when I get home."

JOSEPH BOATENG

"Right after track ends,I don't have a lot of homework because I get it done in W4."

KALEAB MENGISTU freshman

"I do my homework during W4 and sometimes when it's assigned, I will do it right away."

LUISA CORTES

"I work hard in my sports, but sometimes I have to put that aside for school work, especially chemistry."

FRANCO KILLA

"Right after practice I like to finish my homework so I can get it done quickly and on time."

LINA OSMAN

"When I get home from practice I work on my homework, and sometimes I work on it in the morning."

NASH ALEXANDER

"I do my homework in advance and stay focused. After I get home from school, i get my work done."

VICKY LU

sophomore

sophomore

junior

junior

senior

"I prioritize and put school before sports.

If I have a test, I know it's not a good idea to spend a lot of time at practice."

SHADI HAMADEH

freshman

senior

*Stats as of December 14

Fantasy Football picks of the week

NAME: Davante Adams TEAM: Packers POSITION: Wide Receiver REC YDS: 897 RECEPTIONS: 63 AVG YDS PER CATCH: 14.2 TOUCHDOWNS: 9 FUMBLES: 2 NEXT THREE GAMES: @Bears, vs Vikings, @Lions

NAME: Tim Hightower TEAM: Saints POSITION: Runnng Back RUSHING ATTEMPTS: 1 RUSHING YDS: 453 TOUCHDOWNS: 1 FUMBLES: 0 RECEPTIONS: 18 REC.YDS: 178 REC TOUCHDOWNS: 1 NEXT THREE GAMES: @Cardinals, vs Buccaneers, @Falcons

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARSON GOETTLICHER

NAME: Carson Palmer TEAM: Cardinals POSITION: Quarterback PASSING ATTEMPTS: 493 PASSING COMPLETIONS: 300 PASSING YDS: 3,376 PASSER RATING: 83.9 INTERCEPTIONS: 13 TOUCHDOWNS: 20 NEXT THREE GAMES: Vs Saints, @ Seahawks, @Rams

Player profile

Name: Carson Goettlicher Grade: Senior Sport: Dive How long have you been diving?

I have been diving since I was seven, which was the first year my summer pool offered it.

What makes diving unique?

Dive is so unique because to be successful, a diver needs to have no fear and also has to be ok with failure.

Does the fact that the diving team is so small affect the sport?

Having the diving team so small is hard because we have strong athletes, yet they cannot get recognized as well because the other teams overpower us in numbers.

What is your favorite thing about diving?

My favorite thing is the fear factor and adrenaline associated with doing certain dives.

NAME: Ladarius Green TEAM: Steelers POSITION: Tight End REC YDS: 232 RECEPTIONS: 13 AVG YDS PER CATCH: 17.8 TOUCHDOWNS: 1 FUMBLES: 0 NEXT THREE GAMES: @Bengals, vs Ravens, vs Browns

NAME: Jason Myers TEAM: Jaguars POSITION: Kicker FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS: 24 FIELD GOALS MADE: 19 FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE: 79.2 LONGEST FIELD GOAL: 55 yards NEXT THREE GAMES: @Texans, vs Titans, @Colts

NAME: Lions POSITION: Defense FUMBLES RECOVERED: 4 INTERCEPTIONS: 10 POINTS SCORED: 9 SACKS: 22 TOUCHDOWNS: 1 NEXT THREE GAMES: @Giants, @ Cowboys, vs Packers

Have you had any big diving accomplishments?

My biggest accomplishment was probably getting back into dive after hitting a platform . It was rough and mentally intense to get myself into it again and I think that was really important What gets you hyped before you dive?

Before I compete, I talk to my mom, who has come to every meet I have participated in since I started. Talking to her gets me excited to showcase my new dives and to make her proud.

What is the most challenging thing about diving?

The most challenging aspect of dive is the fear that must be overcome while doing certain dives.

16 SPORTS

Dec. 14, 2016

Fast-paced offense keeps Atoms undefeated

Lock-down defense leads to second straight win

BY JUDE NANAW

Sports Editor

Sports Editor The girls varsity basketball team has won their second consecutive game defeating the Broad Run Spartans on the road by a score of 59-33 to improve their record to 2-2 (results of the South County game on Dec.13 were not available by the publication date).

"The win against Broad Run went really well and gives us confidence we will need for upcoming games," junior Grace Hatch said. The team's season got off to a slow start as they were defeated in their first two games of season by the Fairfax Rebels 50-29 and the Loudoun Valley Vikings 59-49.

The Lady Atoms were able to bounce back and pick up their first win in their third game of the season when they defeated the McLean Highlanders by a score of 59-58 in an overtime thriller at home.

The girls jumped out to an early lead against the Spartans taking an 18-1 lead by the end of the first quarter.

The team maintained their lead going into the half with sophomore Sarah Shamdeen leading the team with 15 points and senior Katie Garrish having seven points.

In the third quarter the Lady Atoms would expand Senior Katie Garrish goes up for the jump ball against their lead with multiple three point shots made by Sham- Lake Braddock deen and freshman Annika Yungner. will be vital for upcoming match-ups against Patriot ConThe Spartans were not able to get into a rhythm and ference rivals. cut into the Atoms' lead in the second half leading to a "I feel really good about the season. We have good 59-33 blowout victory for the Atoms. Shamdeen and Garteam chemistry, confidence and we all have the same rish lead the team with 28 points and 16 points respecgoals in mind," Hatch said. tively.

Despite the big win against Broad Run, the team still The Atoms' defense locked down the Spartans and has many areas that can be improved upon for their next held them to well under 40 points, the fewest allowed games against the Marshall and West Springfield."We by the Atoms this season. "We had really good team decan always improve on communication as team and can fense and had a lot of good looks inside the paint which improve ball movement," Hatch said. helped us win the game," Hatch said.

The Lady Atoms' next game will be on Dec. 15 as they The team's two consecutive victories over the Highget set to take on the Marshall Statesmen at home. landers and the Spartans are a confidence booster which COURTESY OF KATIE GARRISH

As the Spartan offense cut into the Atoms' lead late in the fourth quarter, the teams defense made a stand and denied Broad Run any more points to claim victory 98-86.

The victory put the boys at a record of 4-0 (results of the South County game on Dec.13 were not available by publication date) as the team has yet to lose this season.

Prior to the match-up the team had won by blowout margins in two of their three victories, defeating the Jeb Stuart Raiders by a score of 76-37 and cruising to victory against the Falls Church Jaguars 90-55.

The Atoms also slid by the Fairfax Rebels in their season opener, 47-44 in a nail-biter.

The boys came out of the starting gates strong once again against the Spartans, taking a 25-17 with sophomore Junior Lotongo having 11 first quarter points.

The team would continue an offensive assault during the second quarter, taking a 57-39 commanding lead.

With a minute remaining in the half, McKiver delivered what was the most memorable play of the night with an ankle-breaking crossover move on Anthony Coo- Senior Dontae Johnson goes up for a lay-up against Madison Ridgeland Academy. per of Broad Run followed by a three point shot.

The Atoms maintained a 78-60 lead going into the coming games and avoid losing. final quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Spartans made "We want to keep our loss total at zero for as long as an effort to cut into the Atoms, lead but their efforts possible and to do that we need to be working as hard as would stall with the Atoms defense stepping up to lock we can in practice," Adams said. up the 98- 86 victory.

Despite the undefeated start, the team recognizes "The season is going exactly how we want it to so areas for improvement for upcoming games. "To keep far," McKiver said. The team's 4-0 start this season is winning, we need to have fewer turnovers and focus one of the best starts to a season there has been under on finishing our shots and making our layups," McKiver the current coaching. said.

"As a team we are feeling great about the season, "As a team we need to improve our defense, letting we are off to a 4-0 start which ties the best start under a team score 80 plus is not good enough," Adams said.

Coach Behne," senior Jordan Adams said.

The Atoms are set to go on the road and take on the The team looks to keep the win streak alive in Marshall Statesmen next on Dec. 15.

COURTESY OF DONTAE JOHNSON

BY JUDE NANAW

Which winter sport do you think will do the best?

"Wrestling because it's the hardest sport to do and the practices help push further."

JOSEPH NEARY freshman

"Indoor track because there are a lot of people on the team which will help them do better."

"Definitely basketball, because the team puts in a lot of time, hard work and effort."

"Basketball because both the boys and girls teams are doing well."

ALEJANDRO CASQUINO

TRINA NGUYEN

DEBORA TREJO

"Indoor track because the team has been working really hard in the cold weather.

sophomore

sophomore

freshman

"Wrestling because everyone on the team is really dedicated and works to reach their IAN MCCLELEAND goals. junior NICOLE GIRON junior

"I think indoor track is going to do the best, because running in cold weather helps the team get stronger."

ALWYN MINZ

"Swim because they have alot of people on the team with swimming experience."

FATIMA NOUR senior

senior

Boys indoor track victorious at first meet Runners win multiple events and improve times at opening meet

BY ETHAN ZIMMERMAN Staff Writer

COURTESY OF JACOB WEBER

The boys indoor track season is underway as the team won a total of eight events including the 55 meter dash and the 3200 meter events such as the 3200 meter individual run and the 3200 meter relay.

The Atoms emerged as the overall winners of the meet as well.

"I was very pleased with everyone's effort," Distance Head Coach Dave Ciccarelli said.

The boys indoor track season is underway as the Atoms hit the ground running last weekend at Episcopal High School for their first meet of the season.

The team faced stiff competition at the meet, going up against Chantilly, Mount Vernon and West Potomac High Schools.

Many returning runners also made new personal records and new runners performed well for their first ever track meet.

"We had a bunch of PRs and quality times especially given the crowded and confused nature of some of the events," Ciccarelli said.

"The meet went as well as possible with Annandale ending up winning the meet," senior Mahiteme Tigabu said.

Senior Jacob Weber gets out of the starting blocks in 100 m hurdles.

Despite the team's overall success at the meet,

some runners were not impressed with their individual performances.

"I was not happy with my performance at the meet ,but we still have a long time until it really begins to count," Tigabu said.

The team still has a long road ahead this season with a total of eight meets lined up throughout the next two months before the Patriot Conference Championship meet on Feb. 1.

The team will continue to work on all aspects to improve for the conference meet and to increase chances of qualifying for the 6A North Regional Championship.

"The practices are tough because they are in the winter-like conditions, but it's necessary to show up everyday and give it all that you have if really want to improve," sophomore Zuhair Rahman said.

Despite the weather and difficult conditions during practices, runners are willing to work through them and really reach their full potential.

"Practices are hard but it's worth it to reach your full potential and I make sure I go to all the practices because I know it will make me better in the end," sophomore Kyle Dalsimer said.

The team will be looking to continue their success next Friday during their next meet on the Feb. 16 at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

The boys will be going up against competitive opponents Wakefield, Yorktown and Mount Vernon High Schools at the meet.

Following this meet just one day later, the team will be competing at the PR Holiday Invitational against

many rivals. ss conference INDOOR TRACK 2016-17

SEASON SCHEDULE 12/16/16: vs Wakefield, Yorktown, Mt. Vernon @ Thomas Jefferson MS 12/17/16: PR Holiday Invitational 12/28/16: FIT Invitational 1/4/17: DCIAA Indoor Invitational 1/14/17: Montgomery Invitational 1/14/17: vs WT Woodson, Marshall, Thomas Jefferson @ Thomas Jefferson MS 1/21/17: Winter Jacket Classic 1/28/17: vs Mount Vernon, Lake Braddock SS, South County @ Episcopal 2/1/17: Patriot Conference Championship - Field Events & 3200 M Relay @ Episcopal HS 2/4/17: Patriot Conference Championship - Running Finals @ Episcopal HS TBD: 6A North Regional Championship @ Prince George's Complex

Coach's Corner: Jimmy Brown Girls Varsity Basketball Coach looks improve team record against rivals Q: How long have you been coaching at AHS? A: This will be my third year coaching at Annandale so far.

Q: What is your favorite part about coaching at Annandale?

A: My favorite part about coaching at Annandale is developing a second family here where the girls can always come back and know that they were a part of this.

Q: Besides basketball, is there any other sport you would coach?

A: Besides basketball, I have coached football and baseball in the past.

Q: What made you want to coach and is there a story behind why you coach?

A: I always wanted to be a professional baseball player, but when that did not happen, I knew coaching was for me. I loved it from a young age and always enjoyed trying to improve players' abilities.

Q: Did you participate in basketball in high school or college?

A: I played basketball, baseball and football for all four years in high school and played baseball at Georgia Southern University.

Q: What advice do you have for underclassmen who are interested in participating in basketball this year?

A: One of my favorite quotes is "the winter will ask the summer what you did." It means that anyone can bounce ball when its basketball season, but a player that wants to improve gets better during the off-season. Its the work that is put in before the games that counts.

Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment in coaching basketball?

A: My biggest accomplishment would be my 2008-2009 at O'Connell High School led the nation in most three point shots made for the season. We finished 17-15 and made the semifinals.

PHOTO COURTSEYGRACE HATCH

Q: How long have you been coaching basketball?

A: I have been coaching basketball for 12 years as a head coach.

Q: What goals do you set for yourself as a basketball coach?

A: If we as coaches build relationships, build a second family environment, make it fun and improve the girls skills, then we have done our job.

Q: Did you play basketball growing up?

A: Yes, I played basketball all the time, but baseball was my first love.

Q: What makes you want to continue coaching basketball?

A: Building the basketball program on all three levels, freshmen, JV and varsity, so that we are as respected as other schools.

Coach Jimmy Brown poses for a picture during basketball practice.

SPORTS 17

Dec. 14, 2016

The Grappling Atoms are off to a solid start after the NOVA Classic

BY LUKE ELKINS Staff Writer

The Grappling Atoms faced a tough test at the NOVA Classic, hosted at Fairfax High School. The NOVA Classic is a 32 school tournament featuring teams from Northern Virginia and surrounding areas.

The Atoms struggled on Friday, they only had Junior Alan Koklinanda place in the top five.

The tournament has over 400 wrestlers participate, which is divided into 32 man brackets in each weight class.

The event stretched over 2 days, with the best wrestlers progressing in the tournament.

Admittedly, they had a high standard to meet but the Atoms wrestling team did not do as well in the tournament as the squads from the past two years. This was mostly due to a less experienced team.

"We are a little younger and inexperienced this year, but last year's team had 10 senior starters and filling those holes is proving to be a challenge so far," said varsity wrestling coach Derek Sweet.

The Grappling Atoms have won the past two conference championships, going backto-back, and a chance at a three-peat is hanging in the balance. Coach Sweet is confident the team can improve and try and win their third championship in a row.

"We just need mat experience and mat

time. Our aggression on the mat and our willingness to get better and observe what is going on around us is a positive on this team and when we put kids on our backs we are able to finish," Coach Sweet said.

He drew upon the positives of the meet saying, "We gained a lot of experience we are very young. Guys got to see what quality wrestling looks like and we had a couple guys do well."

Junior Allen Kokilananda and freshman Patrick Lee were star performers for the Atoms. Both of them survived the first day and progressed into the second day of matches.

Kokilananda fought his way to a fifth place finish in the NOVA classic while Lee surpassed expectations by making it to the second day.

"Kokilinanda has been there before, placing in that tournament is a great accomplishment and it will fuel his fire. Lee reached the second day which most 9th graders don't get to do it's something most don't get to do," Coach Sweet said.

"I feel like it was good for being my first time, but i feel like i could've done a lot better. [As a team,] we did alright knowing we had a couple new guys, but we also could've done better," Lee said.

Kokilananda agreed with him saying, "Since we are a young team, I feel we did well, but there's still a lot to work on." He also felt that he could've done a lot better.

If the grappling atoms are to meet the high bar set by the wrestling squad of the past years, they will need many underclassmen to step up.

"With hard work I believe that we can do what they did," said Kokilananda.

"If we work as hard as them we then we can [do it]," said Lee. "It takes a lot of effort and hard work

ANTENNA YEARBOOK

Wrestling looks to improve from tough meet

Junior Uriel Sejas gets ready to takedown his opponent

and determination to become champions," said Coach Sweet. A sentiment echoed by all of them is the importance of effort, hard work, and determination. If they want to be champions, they will need plenty of effort,

hard work, and determination.

Coach Sweet and his grappling atoms have plenty of meets left to improve, with over a month's worth of meets left. It will be interesting to see how they push themselves

to the finish line.

Their next meet will be on Saturday Dec. 17, will be a Duals meet at Washington Lee.

Athlete of the month: Emily Pope Senior varsity athlete excited for the season

BY CAMERON FOTI Sports Editor Senior captain Emily Pope has run four years of indoor track for AHS. This year, she is working harder than ever to get her team as far as they can possibly go.

Q: When did you start running track?

A: I started running track freshman year.

COURTESY OF EMILY POPE

Q: When did you first realize your love for track?

A: I first realized my love for track when my first track coach (coach Roe) made it a great first season.

Senior Emily Pope sprints in a relay at a indoor meet at Episcopal High School on Dec 3.

Q: What made you want to start runnig track?

A: I wanted to run track because I had done cross country, I wanted to run all three seasons, and because of the team and coaches.

Q: What do you do usually before a meet?

A: To get ready for a meet, I eat a lot of carbs (pasta and bread), drink

more water, and (try to) get enough sleep.

Q: What was the best moment in your track career?

A: The best moment in my track career has been being on the 4x4 relay and figuring out my favorite two races (400m and 800m) Q: How do you and your team celebrate a win?

A: Some of the team and I celebrate a win by getting food and (most of the time) eating until we can't eat anymore.

Q: How do you and your team deal with a loss?

A: My team and I deal with a loss by using that as motivation to work harder for the next meet Q: What's the hardest thing about track?

A: The hardest thing about track is running in the freezing cold, especially over winter break when there isn't team practice everyday.

Q: What do you do in the off-season to prepare for track?

A: During the (two week) off season, I take a short break to recover from cross country, and then do long runs to stay in shape.

Q: What is your favorite pre-meet meal?

A: My favorite pre-meet meal is spaghetti and (lots of) bread the night before, and a banana and Cheerios on race day.

Q: How does playing more than one sport help you during indooor track?

A: Playing other sports gives me an advantage in indoor track. The strength and endurance I get from cross country makes track workouts and conditioning a lot easier. I also do swim over the summer and that helps me stay in shape a little.

Q: Is it difficult for you to balance school, sports, and other activities that you have?

A: Doing a sport actually helps me balance school and their activities.

During the off season, I find it harder to manage my work when I have so much free time without a sport.

Girls track takes off Girls track has begins their grind toward regionals with a successful meet

Sophomore Claire Tyree swims the breastroke against TC Williams at Mount Vernon RECenter on Dec. 10.

Swim gets a taste of success Key changes lead swim to first dub

BY MAHDI LARHMARI Staff Writer

The swim season is off with the first meets against South county HS at Oak Marr Rec center, both Boys and Girls team fell short. The Stallions had a 225 to 76 against boys and 220 to 95 against girls.

"The team needs to re-unite in practice and do better in what they failed on." Junior Jon Figley said, "our technical skills like our starts and flip turns need to improve."

On December 10, the girls swim team beat T.C Williams HS at Mount Vernon rec center.

This was a great bounce back

from South County loss. Coach Douglas also believes that the girls improved.

"The girls stepped it up in the strokes which they struggled in against South County," coach Douglas said, "they helped each other and motivated each other to do better."

The girls team will look to keep up their wins this Friday againsts W.T. Woodson.

The team has started to warm up, and all the returning and new swimmers are ready to go.

With new coaches, Victoria Douglas and Shelly Kendall, the swim team is prepared for all challenges that's holding them from a great season.

The new coaches got an extraordinary welcome. Players are excited to see what the new coaches can

bring to the table.

Jon Figley is returning for his 3rd season, "I think the coaches are going to make us better, but they are changing a lot of old traditions along the way," Figley said.

Hopefully, the coaches live up to the high hopes.

Sophomore swimmer, Alejandro Casquino hopes to break some records including his team.

"We need to work on our technical skills like our starts and flip turns," Casquino said.

Every single second counts in practice in order for Alejandro and his fellow teammates to put some records on the board or break some.

Alejandro is also playing JV basketball.

The boys and girls team will square off against Woodson this Friday the 17th at South Run rec center.

The Indoor track season got underway on Saturday Dec. 3 at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia.

The Atoms indoor track team competed against Chantilly, Mount Vernon, and West Potomac. The meet was very success for both girls and boys.

The girls placed second and the Boys placed first in the competition.

"It was one of the best meets we have ever had," girls varsity track coach Phil Harris said.

Many of the runners ran really well, and some of them ran the fastest they ever have.

"The meet went great a lot of people got personal records in their events," senior Ariana Ward said.

Ward competed in the 4 by 200 meters, 4 by 4,300 meters. The Atoms have a lot of returning runners from last year including Junior Janice Milian.

Milian competed in 1600 meter race, also know as the mile.

It looks to be a very good season for indoor track, lead by the boys cross country team that made it to regionals this fall.

But even with early success there is always room for improvement.

"The team really needs to work on their speed, we have plenty of distance runners," Coach Harris said.

The runners think we need to improve on some other things, like starts, closing speed, endurance, and other important techniques to run faster than they ever have in a meet.

"Overall just dropping our times, even though we have really strong runners who run really good times in their events," Milian said. "I need to improve on my start and pacing myself through the race."

"The team overall is working hard and doing a fantastic job I wouldn't change anything," Ward said.

The girls distance team was successful in the fall during cross country. Many of the girls have been together on the same team for their whole high school track experience.

COURTESY OF VITALINA FUENTES

COURTESY OF JOYCE BOGHOSIAN

BY JORDAN ADAMS Staff Writer

Sophomore Vitalina Fuentes (left) and Junior Janice Milian (right) compete in the mile.

Most of the sprinters play other sports in the fall because their is no sprinting in the fall. Play other sports help them develop other aspects of running and athletic skills needed to sprint.

Over the weekend on Saturday, our Indoor track team will be participating in the PR holiday invitation.

ENTERTAINMENT 18

Dec. 15, 2016

Awaken, My Love! review

Explore your violent delights with Westworld

Grammy-nominated artist drops a refreshing experimental album

BY HUSSEIN SALEM

HBO's Westworld blurs the line between a riveting, grisly Western and an exposition on the human condition

Entertainment Editor

HBO's Westworld is an adaptation of a 1973 action film involving a theme park designed for modern day humans to 'experience' the Wild West. This variation of the plot was simpler, with lighter tones and a smaller amount of underlying themes.

The show begins to rely on our familiarity with the Western genre, utilizing cliches such as Western dialect (them there varmints, them banditos, etc.), as well as various cliche action roles such as the mysterious, deadly Man in Black, the criminal Mexican Bandit, prostitutes who retaliate, the damsel in distress, the naive and sweethearted newcomer, and many more.

The show manages to apply these cliches even to the human 'guests', while simultaneously avoiding a corny dialogue or story and incorporating clever, intellectual writing.

The glory of the show doesn't completely rest in the Western setting. The modern-day setting, which generally takes place in the facility where Westworld develops its AI, or 'hosts', displays the darker, more psychological aspect of the show. For example, we are exposed to one AI character awakening from their "sleep mode" after they die in Westworld, only to have flashbacks of her and her daughter being brutally murdered by a stone cold guest.

Anthony Hopkins, famous for his role as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, reprises his role of a brooding and manipulative figure as Dr. Robert Ford, hellbent on crowning himself a God in his own world.

If anything, audiences should watch Westworld simply for Hopkins' beautiful acting and his perfect execution of the megalomaniac. Hopkins effortlessly intimidates a boardmember under him from proceeding to enact checks and balances by displaying his sheer power over the hosts, freezing them still in order to gain the upper hand in the exchange.

Today's Westworld is a longshot from the slapstick Western action film directed by Michael Crichton. The film explores various themes, from the loss of morality to the question of whether artificial intelligence can truly become sentient and live among humanity.

While the question had certainly been explored in film and television before; I, Robot, Bicentennial Man, Tron, Transcendence, Ex Machina, and so on. The approaching relevance of the question of AI in society has even reached superhero films, such as Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron.

FIVE FACTS ABOUT The world needed a cinematic exposition on the Human Condition WESTWORLD (defining factors of humanity such as birth, growth, death, reason for · It is based on the 1973 film. existence, etc.) and the question of the morality and logic behind allowing · It was first teased back in AI, specifically humanoid robots, into August 2015. society. · It has the same composer as Technology is rapidly shifting and Game of Thrones. changing. The difference of five years in modern technology is the difference of · The creator also created 50 prior to the turn of the 21st Century. In Jurassic World. relative terms, society could be dealing · The budget for Season One with the prospect of artificial intelligence was $100 million. as soon as the 2030s.

Westworld, unlike its various

theverge.com

Videographer

Ford, the founder of Westworld, stands over the final scene of his new narrative.

counterparts which explore the ideology of artificial intelligence, also manages to explore the human psyche.

The most unique aspect of Westworld is the guests are thrown into a replica of one of the most chaotic time periods in American history; with the knowledge that they can take lives and destroy without any repercussions.

An ongoing theme in the show is how the park will 'change' its guests; it is often said that the exposure to such unlimited power and possibility will reveal the true characteristics of the humans on the show.

Westworld is mainly accessible to the wealthy elite; those who are tycoons or monopolists and are bored with reality; looking to act out their deepest (and often darkest) fantasies. During the dialogue, the cost of attendance is mentioned offhandedly. Each day of attendance costs $40,000.

While it is possible the number is so high as a result of inflation; it is still notable that only the wealthy elite seem to be entering Westworld.

As a result of their fragile lifestyles away from Westworld, guests can often be found senselessly and brutally murdering innocent hosts for the fun of it. Of course, the guests cannot expect to get away with such devious acts forever; AI or not.

The single most key aspect of the show is as Shakespeare said in Romeo and Juliet: "These violent delights have violent ends."

The exact time period in which the show takes place is unknown, though it can be inferred that it is at least 30 years into the future from 2016.

The lack of immediate consequences for human guests, of course, reflects itself onto a bigger picture. The possibility of the development of sentience on the part of artificial intelligence, or the 'hosts' of Westworld.

Very few of the guests and park developers consider the possibility that the hosts could gain consciousness or sentience and take their revenge on the humans. This naivete is constantly capitalized on by the hosts as the show progresses, influencing the teeth-grinding suspense; climax after climax.

Westworld's exploration of the psycholoical effects of artificial intelligence on the human mind gives it an edge over various other films and television shows to follow the same route. Rather than relying on plot twists and shock factor; Westworld provides viewers with theories and possibilities to truly question. As a result, Westworld is one of the most innovating, must-see shows of this year; and possibly even this decade.

awakenmylove.com

BY TIMOTHY GRAY

California-born artist Childish Gambino released his highly anticipated third studio album, Awaken, My Love!, on Dec 2. The album was produced by Glover and his longtime collaborator, Ludwig Goransson. A couple weeks prior to the album drop, two singles, "Me and Your Mama" and "Redbone" were released on Beats 1 Radio and Apple Music.

Glover has been discovering new forms of entertainment this year, with his TV show on FX, Atlanta and this album. It was different than anything he has released in that past. It consists of an experimental hip-hop album infused with funk and rock.

The first track and one of the released singles "Me and Your Mama" stood out more than any other song. The first two minutes of this track features vocals "I'm in love when we are smoking that la-la-la-la-la," then transitions into a guitar. He then goes on to sing in a smooth R&B/Gospel sound about the girl of his dreams. This was the best track in the album in my opinion.

The next song that stood out was "California," which is different from any other song. Instead of the several genres included in this project, this song has a tropical feel to it. It is also is considered one of the most annoying and undesirable sounds of the year, according to listeners.

The outro, "Stand Tall" brings a calm, collective end to this album, which wasn't expected at all. He looks back to his childhood, remembering advice his parents gave to him, to follow his dreams and to stay positive in times of hardship and worry.

The project received a mixture of reviews from websites and all over Twitter. "The album was something different, I like different kinds of music and am open to it but he needs to go back to rapping if he wants to keep his sales up. Like his older projects, Because the Internet and STN MTN / Kauai," senior Lucas Michael said.

According to HDD, he his expected to sell 85k-95k units by the ninth. To compare, his last album Because the Internet sold 96k copies in its first week. Rating: 7.2/10

The album cover is a spin off of Funkadelic's Maggot Brain

Faculty share their favorite Holiday albums Playlist of the issue: Holiday edition The A-Blast editors pick their favorite Holiday songs

Weihnachten mit Heintje is a German album, "It's my favorite Christmas album and always listened to it as a child."

SYLVIA SCHWIND Administrative assistant

Halley Thadeus Academics Editor Teagan Foti Co-Editor In Chief

"Jingle Bell Rock" Bobbly Helms "Santa Baby" Madonna

Sadie Modica Co-Editor In Chief

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" Ella & Friends

Sabrina Hawa Managing Editor Nancy Evora News Editor Yvonne White Copy Editor

"Fa La La" Justin Bieber "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" Bruce Springsteen "Santa Baby" Earths Kitt

Cameron Foti Sports Editor

"Mistletoe" Justin Bieber

Grace Hogye Sports Xtra Editor

"Last Christmas" Wham!

Weihnachten mit Heintje (1969) The first album from the series, AVSC Vol. 1, is a Christmas-themed compilation album produced to benefit Special Olympics.

Mariah Carey

MAUREEN HUNT Spanish teacher

A Very Special Christmas (1987)

Michael Buble

Soulisa Pathammavong "Jingle Bells " People Editor Michael Buble Conrad Shartel "St. Brick" Weekend Editor Gucci Mane Tooba Siddique "Mary Did You Know" International Editor Pentatonix Lina Al-Taii "Santa Tell Me" International Editor Ariana Grande

"I like Trans-Siberian Orchestra because it is music different than typical Christmas music."

MICHAEL MAZZERELA Math teacher

The Lost Christmas Eve (2004)

Ariana Grande

"I love a Charlie Brown Christmas because I love the Christmas social and the jazzy sountrack and it makes for good 'elevator music'.

Hussein Salem Entertainment Editor Sheila Aguirre Lifestyle Editor

"Christmas in Harlem" Kanye West & Teyanna Taylor "Last Christmas" Taylor Swift

Judy Nanaw Health Editor

"All I Want for Christmas is You" Mariah Carey & Justin Bieber

SASHA DURAN

Alan Weintraut Adviser

"All I Want for Christmas is You" Mariah Carey

Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

Bobby Helms

English teacher

ENTERTAINMENT 19 Twelve must-see holiday movies

Dec. 14, 2016

Teacher and students describe their favorite holiday flicks

The Polar Express (2004)

Elf (2003) Buddy (Will Ferrell) is a human who is wrongfully raised among Santa's elves.

He finds it hard to fit in around the North Pole and takes himself to a foreign New York City in order to find his real father.

Will Ferrell plays his role excellently, and makes Elf a memorable movie overall You shouldn't be surprised if you find yourself dying of laughter at Buddy's adaptation to society.

"It's gross and cringey yet still very very funny."

It's Christmas Eve, and a very skeptical young boy is up late waiting for Santa's arrival. With no luck, he finds himself going to bed.

His rest is interrupted by the arrival of a train outside of his house. He is in disbelief as he discovers a ticket in his pocket and gains access to the train.

Available Dec. 16 on FREFM via cable at 9:45 p.m.

SYDNEY WUHRER

"I really liked the movie and the plot. It's a classic Christmas movie."

freshman

JUBILEE GEBRU freshman

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

A big green creature is out on a quest for revenge, and hopes to find it through ruining Christmas for the citizens of a nearby town: Whoville.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a remake of the 1966 classic cartoon version, and is arguably better.

Available Dec. 17 on TOON via cable at 12 p.m.

Jack Skellington has made a big discovery.

He stumbled into the forest and found Christmas Town.

His amazement was found in the contrast from his home Halloween Town, and he intends to share the newly discovered season with the folks back home.

"This was better than the cartoon one for me. The Grinch is just a good character."

"I liked it because Jack Skellington was a really good main character."

ANTHONY TATE junior

NICK SARATH senior

Frosty The Snowman (1969) Frosty was a surprise among children who saw their snowman come to life.

They are entertained by his jolly songs and fun character, but are sad to find out he will melt when the weather is warm.

In the midst of their obstacle, they came up with the idea that Frosty must be sent to the North Pole via Train.

"I like Frosty the Snowman because Frosty is the GOAT." DAZON HARRISON sophomore

Rudolph The Red- Nosed The Santa Clause (1994) Scott (Tim Allen) made a very big mistake this Reindeer (1964) Christmas season. He accidentally killed a man in Much like the Christmas tune, Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer is a memorable and fun film.

Rudolph has a bit of a problem. While all the other reindeer have black noses, Rudolph has a red one.

One foggy night, Santa is blinded and can't fly his sleigh. Rudolph offers to light up the skies and saves the day!

a Santa suit.

Him and his son are transported to the North Pole where they are then lectured by elves.

Scott is told that to pay for his crimes, he must takes Santa's place prior to the next Christmas.

Tim Allen plays his role fantastically in this film and cements himself as a quality Santa.

Available Dec. 15 on FREFM via cable at 9 p.m.

"I didn't like the way that they bullied Rudolph for his red nose."

"When it first came out I was younger and I really liked Tim Allen. I believe in Santa."

ZAIN GHUL sophomore

Home Alone (1990) One day eight-year old Kevin McCallister wakes up to his family gone. In the event of a rush to the airport, they left him behind.

Unlike most kids, Kevin makes the best of his situation by celebrating Christmas by himself.

This process is disturbed when two burglars attempt to break into his house!

It has been 26 years since Home Alone released and still has the perfect holiday vibes.

Available Dec. 24 on HBO via cable at 10 a.m.

"I like the whole story and how he got to be home alone and was creative with it."

TEHYA MOSS senior

CHRISTOPHER BAGOT English Teacher

It's A Wonderful Life (1946) George Bailey's life is what typically, many would describe as miserable. So much so, that George contemplates suicide given his current sitution.

As he is about to jump from a bridge, a guardian angel appears and shows him what his home town of Bedford Falls would be without him.

Available Dec. 16 on USA via cable at 8 p.m.

"I love it because it's about a family and it shows the impact in the wold if you weren't there."

CHRISTINE GLONINGER Culinary Arts Teacher

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) Christmastime is among Charlie Brown and his friends, and what would Christmas be without a tree?

Amongst all the cheer and joy, Charlie Brown is ridiculed for his short and and nevergreen tree.

Available Dec. 22 on ABC via cable at 8 p.m.

A Christmas Story (1983) It's a 1940's Christmas and a young boy Ralphie has one request from his parents, his teachers and Santa Clause himself : a Red Ryder B.B. gun.

He is constantly badgering them and constantly told he will shoot his eye out!

This classic film twists the heartwarming bond of family with hilarious events unfolding from Ralphie's journey to a B.B gun.

Available Dec. 24 on TBS via cable at 8 p.m.

"I loved it as a kid, but I don't like it as much as I used to."

"One of the best movies ever made.

It's hilarious!"

HOWARD DWYER

Psychology Teacher

Business Teacher

WHITNEY HARDY

A Christmas Carol (2009) This retelling of Charles Dicken's classic novel brings the story to life thorugh film.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a bitter old man around the Christmas season of cheer and joy.

In his sleep, he is greeted by several apparitions who take him on a joruney in search of self redemption!

"I hated Scrooge so much at the beginning, but he got better at the end."

GABRIELA JORDAN senior

20 WEEKEND

Dec. 14, 2016

Walking W alking through t holiday llights

Fa la la Fun

Sledding

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, these are some great places to chill during the holidays!

Holiday Movies ICE At National Harbor

ICE is an exhibit comprised of various ice sculptures kept at below zero degrees.

Visitors are given thick insulated coats specialized for the exhibit. Attractions include Santa's Sleigh, a large ice slide which visitors are allowed to slide on; an ice skating rink, and much more. The sculptures are lit with beautfiul colors and are truly a spectacle during the holiday season.

Do you love the snow, but don't want to travel all the way to a mountain to snowboard or ski? Go sledding! Find a hill in your front your backyard, local park, local school or anywhere with a hill. Grab some friends, wear a lot of extra layers and grab the sleds. Try going with multiple friends on one sled to pick up the speed, or go alone to maintain control.

Whichever way you choose, you will have fun on the slopes!

Snuggle up with some friends or family next to a fire and get the movies going.

Holiday movies are one of the best things about the season, and are funny no matter the age. Some classics include: Elf, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, A Year Without a Santa Claus and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. Most of them are old, but that brings some of the fun to it. Make sure to bring blankets and eggnog!

Ford's Theater

Ice Skating at Tyson's

Skiing

Holiday Crafts

Make some holiday crafts to spread the winter joy and love for the holidays.

Some ideas could be gingerbread houses, gingerbread men, dreidels or paper snowflakes. There are hundreds of more ideas online which can be used to decorate your house, so get creative!

For the holiday season, Meadowlark Gardens is hosting a Christmas light display called a "Winter Walk of Lights". The walking tour includes 500,000 LED lights and unique animated displays with a nature theme such as a bubbling stream, jumping fish, deer, dragonflies, plus seasonal displays including a Gingerbread Village and a pumpkin patch. Be sure to dress for the weather and wear good walking shoes. The garden path is about half a mile long.

Ice Skating is a great way to show all of your winter time skills. Take a trip to Tyson's Corner mall, and head to the rink in the back outside. It is surrounded with a number of other activites, such as large matches of chess and checkers, and even large fires to stay warm by. The area has many restaurants around it too, including a Shake Shack. You are allowed to skate for a bit, then once the rink is very messy, the zamboni comes along and cleans it up. Bring some friends, family, or anyone you like for a great night of ice skating! But remember, it will be cold so be sure to dress warm!

If you can't beat the cold weather, join it. Go skiing over this break at some popular skiing sites that aren't too far away, including: Liberty Mountain Resort, Massanutten Resort, Whitetail Resort and Wisp Resort.

If you're looking for a higher tier resort to stay at, stay at our Editor's Pick, Seven Springs Resort in Pennsylvania!

Head to Ford's theater or the Kennedy Center, both in D.C., to catch a fun and festive holiday plays. A Christmas Carol is one of the most popular, but there are many other popular ones such as The Nutcracker. Ford's Theater has somewhat of a historic attraction to it as well, which can either add it or take away from the holiday spirit. Get the whole famly to go and enjoy some real theater! Ticket prices vary from $20-$100.

For dinner and gelato, Mosaic is the place to go Take a stroll through the small outdoor shops your eye with their large windows and small-store feeling they give off.

The Mosaic District does a great job with making everyone and all the stores feel connected, and is definitely worth going to on a weekend night. Be sure to dress warm, as a lot of the fun is outside!

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOSAICCENTER.COM

Craving a nice dinner, some gelato, and maybe even some shopping? Well, Merrifield, or the Mosaic District, is the place to go.

During the holidays, the outdoor area and shopping center is decked out with holiday decorations such as bush-deer, lights, and ornaments everywhere.

For dinner, you and your significant other, friends, or family, have the option of dining at multiple restaurants. Ted's Bulletin might be considered the best of those options, however.

Serving all kinds of food, such as all day breakfast, dinner meals, sandwiches, desserts, and many more, Ted's is the perfect place to eat for any time of the day.

Once you have finished eating your meal there, if you have the stomach for it, try their famous homemade poptart. They toast it for you, and let you select your flavor from a menu that changes very often, so be sure to choose wisely!

After dining with whomever

you please, take a stroll to the large grass sitting area right outside to enjoy the holiday lights and decorations. And while you're looking, you may notice a small gelato store, called Dolcezza. If you make your way in its direction, you may just have some of the best gelato and sorbet you will have ever tried.

Dolcezza has flavors such as champagne mango (non-alcoholic, just the name of the mango), Afghan Chai, Dark Chocolate, Thai Coconut Milk, Espresso and even the infamous Hot Pepper, which is not recommended unless you are very brave.

Dolcezza knows how to tempt your sweet tooth. The store even sells coffee, baked goods, and other drinks such as hot chocolate, spiced apple cider and tea so it is a very good place to relax and sip on something warm while eating some cold gelato.

After all that eating, if you still have the energy, be sure to check out the shops the Mosaic Center has. Many clothing stores, such a Neiman Marcus, Lululemon, South Moon Under and more, will draw

Rating for Ted's Bulletin: 8/10 Rating for Dolcezza: 9/10 The inside of the gelato parlor store called Dolcezza, which sells gelato, sorbet, pastries and coffee.

A view of the Mosaic Center, showing Target, the Angelika Theater and other stores.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOSAICCENTER.COM

Weekend Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF MOSAICCENTER.COM

BY CONRAD SHARTEL

The interior of Ted's Bulletin and its elegant look.

Class of 2017 Bulletin

185

days until graduation

To-do list: December Edition Finish college applications!

Fill out FAFSA forms Finish off the semester strong!

Junior Mathew McKiver is ready to beat his personal record in high jump this winter track season.