ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL700 Medford Dr. Annandale, VA 22003Athe

Gurus tantalize taste buds while teaching new tricks

BY SARAH WAITER

Health Editor

Stews brewed and onions sizzled as four certified master chefs shared their tricks of the trade with culi-nary art students. The event, known as CIA (Culinary Institute of America) Day, was held on May 2 in the AHS Bistro. The CIA provided four ambassador chefs to come to AHS to pass on their passion of cooking to the future chefs of tomorrow.

Among the highly credited chefs were Chef Fritz Sonnenschmidt, Chef Noble Masi, Chef Solomon, and Chef Betty van Norstrand, assisted by Chef Cicconi.

The ambassadors’ “biggest focus is to educate young people in the culinary field,” said culinary arts teacher Chef Christine Gloninger.

By doing so “they are showing their passion and love of food to the next generation who are going to basically take on food in America,” said Gloninger.

The chefs prepared a diversity of dishes, all of which could be replicated at home. Chef Fritz Sonnenschmidt prepared sautéed chicken medallion with apricots. The dish included ingredients such as ketchup and chicken broth.

“Chefs” continued on page 5

VOLUME #52 ISSUE 12 WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2007 703-642-4229

Third Atoms 5K a successCongressman Davis starts off with a clarion call; students finish with a smile

BY ALYSSA NAVARRETE

Co-Editor in Chief

“I relied on my natural talent to complete the run,” said senior Teddy Langel. “Maybe if I was in better shape I could have beaten everyone else.”

Though Langel believes he could have done better, he was only one of many runners who participated in this year’s 5K Run/Walk.

On Saturday, May 12, at 8:30 a.m., the third annual Atoms 5K Run/Walk was held. This event was designed to benefit the AHS Athletic Boosters. Overall, the event raised about $4,000 to support athletic programs. This is an $1,000 increase from last year’s race. One hundred and eighty people pre-registered for the race, while only 151 people completed the course and crossed the finish line.

Though the race began at 8:30 a.m., a team of vol-unteers arrived much earlier to prepare for the event. Approximately 20 adults were needed to facilitate the event. Volunteers created the balloon arch, assembled tents and placed cones throughout the neighborhood to mark the course.

The Marching Atoms played at the start of the race. Congressman Tom Davis, who ran the 5K, started the race with an air horn. Once the race began, the band began playing the AHS fight song and continued to play until the conclusion of the race.

“I think it’s cool that Tom Davis started the race,” said Langel. “It motivated me.”

“5K” continued on page 5

Master Chefs visit AHS Testing takes over

BY PAUL MATHIS

Co-Editor in Chief

Eric Jurenas’ hand is aching, but he is not ready to let up. His pen continues to feverishly write his IB Environmental Systems essay, and he is determined to finish it before time runs out. When Mrs. Albright calls for the end of the IB exam, Jurenas puts his hands behind his head, relaxing.

“I think I did pretty well,” said Jurenas, a junior. “I looked over the materials beforehand, went through my head the formulas and everything you needed to know.”

This is the experience of hundreds of students this May who are taking IB exams. The exams are the culmi-nation of one and two year courses, and last up to six and a half hours spread out over two days. Overall, nearly one hundred hours of testing will be administered.

Some students see the exams as beneficial to their overall understanding of material and ability to per-form under pressure, while others feel that the exams are a waste of time.

“I think having nine days of testing pretty close together helps me to deal with that much work on top of what I usually get in school,” said Brendan Fields, a senior who is hoping to pass all of his tests in order to earn his IB Diploma. “It’s a skill that I can use in the future, time management, you know.”

“Everything ran very smoothly,” said Jurenas. “Testing definitely helps you prepare for moments under pressure. It prepares you for the future by giv-ing you the understanding as to how to deal with this kind of pressure, the pressure of the tests, when you are timed.”

Senior Graham Prosch did not feel he had as great of an experience. “The system has a flaw,” he said. “We have no motivation to do well on the IB exams. Most col-leges don’t give credit for any standard level classes and the results of the test don’t affect our FCPS grades.”

There is some merit to Prosch’s words. Many colleges, such as Stanford University and Dartmouth College, do not give credit for any score on Standard Level exams. Some students feel that their efforts are thus fruitless.

“I know like eighty percent of the people aren’t trying because they know they won’t get credit for their exams,” said Rose Bingham, a senior. “To them it’s a joke. Col-leges need to either recognize IB Standard Level or AHS needs to drop it and return to AP.”

Bingham’s sentiments about Standard Level tests might be in part true, but other students expressed the fact that in the scope of the overall IB Diploma, all tests are invaluable.

“Since I am doing the diploma, all of my tests are worth while,” said Fields.

Student Recieves Master Certification for Microsoft

Kevin Leach recently completed his fourth Microsoft Office Specialist exam at the Expert-Level and has earned a Master Certification for Microsoft Office.

In the three years that Fairfax County has offered the certification to high school students, only four have become certified at Leach’s level. Three of the four were from AHS. Leach recieved certification for Microsoft Office Version 2003, which is significantly harder than recieving certification for Version 2000.

Achieving certification involves mastering the multifarious aspects of Microsoft Office 2003, including formatting content, organizing content, formatting documents, collaborating (creating and modifying forms, creating and modifying document backgrounds, etc.) and customizing Microsoft Word (running macros, customizing menues, etc.).

NEWS BRIEFS

This survey was distributed on May 11 dur-ing B, C and D lunches. Of 500 surveys dis-tributed, 467 were completed and returned for inclusion in this graph.

Yes

22%

Und

ecid

ed 3

5%

No

43%

The A-Blast conducted a survey to de-termine whether or not students believe AP and IB tests are worth while.

Ossian Hall Park Authority holding Clean-up Day

The Fairfax County Park Authority/Community Connections and the Planning & Development Division of the Park Author-ity are collaborating in holding an Ossian Hall Clean-up Day. They are inviting the Park Operations Area Manager Division II (Richard Maple), Annandale High School/Parent Liaison (Vida Sanchez), Region II Community Developer (Telly Whitfield) and the Virginia Justice Center (Arnoldo Borja) to help them in the endeavor. They are hop-ing for some resources i.e. trash bags, gloves, dump truck or dumpster, refreshments and snacks/lunch possible for all the volunteers for this community clean-up day.

2007 All-State ChorusEight students from AHS were selected

to participate in the 2007 Virginia All-State Chorus. AHS has set the record for the most students selected to participate in District 10. The All-State Chorus concert was held in Christianburg, Virginia on April 28.

—Fiona Agnew, senior—Anna Marcois, junior—Madeleine Mejean, senior—Alaina Talley, junior—Lucia Schaefer, senior—Derick Elmore, junior—Eric Jurenas, junior—Evan Milberg, senior

The following students were selected as alternates:

—Patricia Eggerton, senior—Amber McCoy, junior—Bryce Donald , senior

Today’s WeatherPartly Cloudy

Today’s LunchSoft Beef Taco w/ Shredded Cheese Beef and Bean Burrito Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich Yogurt w/ Pretzel

This Day in History1866 — Charles Elmer Hires invents Root Beer1918 — The Sedition Act of 1918 is passed in the U.S. Congress, making criticism of the government a federal crime and fueling the nullification crisis of the early 1800s1966 — The Communist Party of China issues the “May 16 notice,” starting the cultural revlution

High: 68 Low: 49

Left: AHS students prepare for the race. The race began on Four Year Run and ended on the track. Top Right: Jim Connor, one of the coordinators of the event, speaks to the runners before the race. Connor discussed the rules and the course for the 5K. Bottom Right: AHS parent Martha Merz crosses the finish line. Merz finished first overall for the women, and third overall for both the men and the women.

Chef Fritz Sonnenschmidt, one of the four Master Chefs who visited the AHS Bistro, prepares a vegetable dish. There, they showed “their passion and love of food to the next generation.”

Milberg

IRAQ BILL SURVIVES BUSH?Democrats are trying to pull funding from Iraq and bring our troops home, but Bush is putting up a front.

OBESITY AND AMERICAEveryone knows that America gluts on fatty foods, but is it possible to turn the trend around?

STRUNG OUT: AN AHS STORYA student at AHS describes a life full of wrong turns and an eventual recovery.

SEQUELS SPREAD SUMMER THINThis summer, sequels will be the dominant force in all theatres. From Harry to Spidey, which ones to watch.

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ESOL drama play premieres tomorrowAn ESOL drama student rehearses for the ESOL drama troupeʼs production of an adaptation of Shake-speareʼs The Taming of the Shrew, which premieres tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium.

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2 May 16, 2007EDITORIALS AtAA

Annandale High School Vol. 53 No. 12 (703)642-4229 4700 Medford Dr. May 16, 2007 email: thea-blast@thea-blast.org Annandale, Virginia 22003 fax: (703)642-4299

CSPASilver Crown 2004-2005

Pacemaker National Scholastic Press Association

2005-2006

Trophy Class Virginia High

School2005-2006

AttAAA

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 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, 2007.

MAking the GrAde

Legally blind Swede caught driving

City worker crashes bar mitzvah, one deadThe city of Montreal has been ordered to pay

Dr. Peter Neumann $30,000 in compensation after a city worker disrupted his son’s bar mitzvah. The intoxicated city worker entered the rented ballroom and began to steal things from the tables. He later tried selling the stolen goods to the attendees of the bar mitzvah. The worker later got into an argument with the bandleader causing the bandleader to suffer a heart attack. The bandleader was pronounced clinically dead but was later revived by Neumann.

Chick hatches from store bought eggs

A nine year old boy from the United Kingdom incubated six store bought eggs and one chick hatched. The chick, Celia, hatched after three weeks of incubation. Sarah Orford, the boys mother, said that they are trying the same experiment with duck eggs and quail eggs. “None of the quail eggs hatched. We’re still waiting to see what happens with the duck eggs,” said Orford.

BA swedish citizen who has received over $35,000

in disability for being legally blind was caught driv-ing on three separate occasions. The Swedish Social Insurance Agency requested reimbursement after the claims were confirmed. They said in a letter to the motorist, “we have received information sug-gesting that you cannot be considered sightless . . . and [you] were involved in a traffic accident in July 2006 in which you yourself were the driver.” The motorist has been asked to return a quarter of the disability benefits that were allocated to him.

F

D

Paris Hilton’s money can’t help her in prison. The decadent pop icon who is also the heiress to the Hilton empire has been sentenced to 45 days in jail. The sentence was handed down by a judge after Hilton was pulled over for driving 70 mph in a 35 mph zone. A

Celebrity faces the consequences

The rise of better politiciansBY LUCAS HIGGINS

Staff Writer

In recent years, the pool of presidential candidates has yielded some very poor contenders. Weak candidates like Bob Dole and John Kerry left the nation less than enthused about election time. No one fresh and new was present-ing unique ideas, especially in the 2004 election, in which “Neither2004” was one of the most common bumper stick-ers in the D.C. area. Politics were a depressing landscape, nothing but a consistently negative and monotonous topic of conversation. We were fed a constant stream of 21st century versions of Michael Dukakis.

But now, just when it seemed like we were doomed to deal with a series of names that hardly inspired hope, we have been given a field, on both sides of the political spectrum, that is rich with potential and experience. The field may be deeper on the Democratic side, but the two favorite Republicans, John McCain and Rudy Guliani, both seem to be legitimate challengers for the general election in 2008.

Everyone has heard the drama between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Surrounding these two are as many stories as one could dream up for a novel about a political election. Hillary has the money, the high-profile state of New York, and her admittedly controversial but extremely popular husband, Bill, in her corner. Barack has managed to capture the hearts and minds of millions across the country ever since his 2004 Democratic Keynote Address, which was easily the highlight of that election for Democrats.

Both have their problems. For example, Hillary has the potentially fatal issue of being perceived as too polarizing, too cold, and just generally too liberal. Some people won-der whether Hillary will have a need to compensate. As a woman, her leadership skills will be attacked, her decision-

making skills will be attacked. By not wanting to appear as weak, will Hillary avoid compromise and therefore deepen the already gaping hole of communication and trust that has formed between Democrats and Republicans?

Barack’s main issue is his lack of experience. Compared to most presidential candidates, Obama is a baby in the federal government. On top of these juicy storylines, there are countless subplots, such as John Edwards calling out current senators on the bill to end the war on Iraq, specifically Chris Dodd, another Democratic presidential candidate. The element that makes this such an interest-ing development is the fact that Edwards, no longer in the senate, cannot be held accountable for his call to arms be-cause he, now a private citizen, no longer votes on issues such as the war.

On the Republican side, Guliani will cash many votes in the primary because he was the mayor of New York during 9/11, obviously not an easy assignment. John McCain will have surrounding controversy be-cause some claim him to be a sellout, being a rare Republican who did not fall in line with the religious right early in the millennium, but now cozying up to Bob Jones University and Jerry Fallwell now that he is running for president and realizes he cannot win without the religious

right’s endorsement.With all of this going on, it has never been easier for

a young voter to be in the know about current politics. Every move every politician makes is captured, uploaded on YouTube, and seen by thousands of, potentially millions of, people. The point is that it does not require very much effort to be a part of what’s happening in the world of politics now. A subject that used to be boring and basically taboo amongst teens is now something that can be talked about regularly. It’s not boring anymore, it’s not the same old faces. The Democrats could have the first female candidate, the

first black candidate, or even more interesting, the first female candidate and first black vice presidential candidate simultaneously. The Republicans could have the first pro-choice candidate in their history.

If you take a step back for a second, look at the situation as a whole, you realize something. It’s May 2007, and we are fervently following the plotline of an election that is not going to be held until late 2008. This, to me, is reason enough to be excited. It shows that the doom and gloom theory is no longer the way to go. The country is feeling optimistic and involved again. The more attention we pay, the more educated we will be when it comes time to settle this in 2008. An educated electorate provides for better politics and more honest politicians. Stay tuned, we’ll be handsomely rewarded for it next year.

author’s e-mail: lucas.higgins@thea-blast.org

BY AMINA MOHAMED

Staff Writer

Abdul-Rasoul Sayyaf’s house rests on a hill overlooking Kabul. It is surrounded by fences, guards and stone tur-rets bristling with machine guns. Sayyaf was once from the Mujahideen, by most accounts one of the most vicious factions in Afghanistan’s long civil war in the 1990s, whose men were known not only to rape, but also scalp, women. He was also the commander who, in 1996, reportedly of-fered Osama Bin Laden haven in Afghanistan.

Today Sayyaf is a member of parliament and an ally in

the pro-American government of Hamid Karzai.The enduring power of the warlords is one constant

of Afghan politics. But there are others. From Pachman, Sayyaf’s ancestral village, Kabul appears idyllic. Set against the Hindu Kush range, it rises from a muddy plain sur-rounded by clumps of apple, mulberry and pomegranate trees. It is only up close that you register a city ravaged by three decades of war.

In the 1970s, 700,000 lived in the Afghan capital. Today there are 4 million. There are no jobs. Piped water reaches only ten percent of the households. On any given day only half the garbage is cleared, leaving Kabul wrapped in a mu-cous-colored smog. Sixty kilometers of roads in the capital are beyond repair, including, inexplicably, the main road from the airport. Electricity is intermittent.

Pushpa Pathak from Kabul municipality says he would need $3.5 billion and “ten to 15 years of peace” to render basic services to most of the people. The city budget this year is $26 million. It is taken from an overall foreign aid package of $3 billion, much of it spent on security, including funding for the 37,000 NATO troops now in Afghanistan. Yet compared to this, the capital is an oasis, absorbing on average one suicide bombing a week. But the sense of fear, of siege, is palpable. At night the streets empty like a curfew is in effect.

The lack of results has made the Afghans cast an in-creasingly jaundiced eye over a foreign occupation many once welcomed as liberation. The perception is strengthened by the behavior of NATO troops, especially the Americans. Last month a U.S. military convoy was ambushed on the main Kabul road to Jalalabad. The soldiers fired back and kept firing for nearly 5 kilometers. Twelve civilians were

killed, including a four-year old girl and a one-year old boy. Protests erupted in Jalalabad.

Does this mean NATO should leave? Not necessarily, some Afghans believe that it is hard to discern the inten-tions of foreign occupants but do not wish for their with-drawal. The reason is obvious: however dire the situation is in Kabul, few residents wish a return of the Taliban.

Under the Taliban, education for women was banned. Today there are dozens of girls’ schools in the city. Female students walk the lawns of Kabul University where they study, talk, relax and hang out, sometimes with men. Un-der the Taliban, there was no media save for that which adhered to its own pathological brand of Islam. Today there are over 100 newspapers, periodicals and radio stations and six satellite TV channels, including five independent. In a city where politicians are deemed corrupt and the police are seen as militia, the media has become the voice of Kabul civil society.

For example, last week, in true warlord fashion, Afghanistan’s new attorney general dispatched dozens of police to the Tolo TV network to haul in a reporter who, he said, had “misquoted” him. A hundred Afghan journalists rallied to the station in Kabul in defense. The next day they were joined by others, including the Afghan Special Olympics team.

“It’s good TV. All the time they defend the rights of the people,” said team captain Haji Abdul-Rahman from his wheelchair. But did he not support the attorney-general, the appointment of President Karzai? He laughed: “I’m not supporting anyone. I am supporting Afghans.”

author’s e-mail: amina.mohamed@thea-blast.org

As avid readers of The A-Blast, my friend and I would like to inform you that we are shocked and disappointed by your reporting. Your last issue not only had inac-curate information, but it had photos that were upsetting and in bad taste.

Your lead inset story on the Virginia Tech tragedy had an inaccurate headline. It claimed that the shooting rampage left 32 victims dead, when in fact it was 33 victims. While the 33rd victim was the shooter, he was still a victim of his ram-page, and his family is dealing with his loss just as the other families are.

Not only that, but they have to deal with the pain and suffering their son has caused hundreds of people. Not including Cho in the number of victims is unprofes-sional, ignorant and incorrect.

Also, the pictures of Seung-Hui Cho that were displayed in your newspaper, the ones depicting Cho with guns and other weapons, are incredibly upsetting to many students and it is despicable that you would publish such photos in your paper. It was bad enough that they showed those photos on the news, but since so many stu-dents at AHS were directly affected by the Tech tragedy, having them in this paper specifically is unconscionable.

Who knows how many people he had killed when he took those pictures of himself, and they therefore bring up violent and disturbing memories for many students.

Beyond that, it is sickening to think that The A-Blast would be drawn into writ-ing stories for reactions, like news stations do, instead of reporting for the facts and for the interest of the students.

Needless to say, we are extremely upset by the actions of this newspaper, and I hope that in your next issue you will have the professionalism to address and correct the mistakes you have made in the previous issue.

—Kate Salpini and Rachel Wattenbarger sophomores

Letters to the editor

Editors In Chief: Alyssa Navarrete David Sherman

Managing Editor: Krista Silano

News Editors: Michelle Risse Emily Sample

Editorials Editors: Shriya Adhikary Mohamad Elbarasse

In-Depth Editors: Paul Mathis Chrissy Osipchak

Sports Editors: Avery Adcock Greg Rosenstein

Sports Xtra Editors: Jeff Dean Matt Johnson

People Editors: Julie Baker Lindsey Downen

Weekend Editors: Kate McCormack Tim Shadyac

International Editors: Vanessa Cerro Waliha Gani

Entertainment Editors: Layluma Hotaki Jenny Jacobs

Health Editors: Becca Grimsley Sarah Waiter

Academics Editors: Michael Craig Cason Kynes

Art Editors: Lyndsay Jacobs Laura Simpson

Webmasters: Erik Vu Matt Camilli

Online Editor: Bryan KrzywickiDesign Editor: Kevin LeachGraphics Editor: Adam KasdorfVideographers/Editors: Gus Nielsen Drew Wildes Ben Hendrickson

Photography Editors: Margaret Crowley Julianne Simpson

Copy Editor: Tim YuskavageAd Manager: Amy StevensCirculation Manager: Kyle KnocheSpanish Consultant: Antonio RivadineraAdviser: Alan Weintraut

Online Staff: Saman Janparvar, Amy Steinbuechler, Marisa Tordella, CJ Sidener,Taylor Hobson, Emily Vincent

Staff Writers/Photographers: Lucas Higgins, Lea Nickerson, Meredith Rutherford, Amina Mohamed, Laith Abu-TalebRachael Burnett, Ebony Chambers, CharlieWinters, Julie Tumasz, Brandon Williams, Bud Ireland, Daniel Fishman, Greg Young, Nathalie Cladera Carrera, Claire Bui, Nicole Swiger, Aya Saed, Caroline Merz, Cristian Roldan

An educated electorate provides for better politics and more honest politicians

““”

Kabul with nothing left to burnAlthough inexperienced, Barack Obama is one of the strongest contenders for the Democratic Party.

A NATO soldier observes the remains of a village in Afghanistan destroyed by a suicide bombing.

Annandale’s diversity is something we all take pride in. But, diversity is only functional when differences are understood and common threads are respected and embraced.

Like it or not, the one thing we all share is the fact that we are all Americans. True, there are few activi-ties devoted to fostering any form of pa-triotism in American high schools.

However, the Pledge of Allegiance is one such activ-ity in which many students

participate as a sign of respect for the United States of America. We all know we are not compelled to say the pledge. All that is required is the simple act of standing quietly.

Unfortunately, many students choose to sit, talk loudly or otherwise be completely disrespectful of those who choose to recite the Pledge. Many take pride in the flag and the pledge because they are tangible symbols of the country that they love.

By asking students to stand, no at-tempt is made to coerce students into accepting certain political beliefs or relinquish the love they hold for their countries of origin. Rather, by stand-ing during the pledge, we all show a simple form of respect for the nation that grants us such a wide array of freedoms.

There is simply no excuse for refus-ing to stand during the 30 seconds it takes to say the pledge. Your education is being paid for by the USA for you. Think of standing as a personal thank-you note to America.

Dana Hardbower senior

Issue 11, April 24 corrections

On page 16 in the story “Food chain face-off” Diana Benavides’ name was mispelled.

Inaccurate number of victims

Standing up to sitting down

3EDITORIALSAtAAMay 16, 2007

Bush will be remembered as the President of bloopers

Students throughout the United States are told in government and history classes that the President is the most influential person in the country, as he is the head of state and the government. Children learn about the president’s power of persuasion and his ability to take command in politics. There are many presidents in our history who stand as testimonies of noteworthy and ef-fective leaders.

President George W. Bush however, seems to be floun-dering in a stormy sea of politics and ridicule created by his own administration. What started off as a promising tenure has turned into a political nightmare that even Bush himself must be desperate to wake up from. With Democrats now in control of Congress, Bush has lost what little clout he once had. Bush has been rendered a lame duck, as he has lost most of his political power, even with two more years still left in his fruitless presidency. His war rhetoric has long become stale, none of the policies he has been pushing seem to sell, and his embarrasing public speech blunders are splayed in headlines and Internet blogs for all to access and mock. In fact, there is a book titled George W. Bushisms, dedicated entirely too the president’s misstatements with over a 100 quotations.

With the daily mockery he faces from so much of the country, I suppose it is a small wonder that Bush can even

keep his head up in public. A big part of being a successful president is effective

communication. The world knows Bush is greatly lack-ing in this department. A prime example of this occurred just last Monday at the White House State Dinner, the President suggested that Queen Elizabeth was over 230 years-old when he misspoke in a speech; He said the Queen had helped the United States celebrate its bicen-tennial in 1776. Although the Queen graciously indulged his gaffe with a nod, Bush obviously embarrassed himself and made the United States look absurd in the eyes of the international community.

You would think that after all these years of bloop-ers, Bush would have learned how to control his tongue and practice his speeches thoroughly before speaking in public.

By now, I have started to think that at least some of these blunders and embarrassing Bush moments are actually premeditated and intentional.

It is an interesting speculation and certainly one that is far-fetched, but it is plausible nonetheless.

President Bush has only two more years to hold on to that title, and at this point he must be thinking about the legacy that will be left behind. Since he won’t be remembered in a warm light for any policy or program, Bush is likely thinking to leave a mark in an atypical fashion.

He seems to be trying to endear himself to the public by acting like a humble, country bumpkin struggling in the politics of Washington. By now, Bush has become infamous for making political errors in almost all of his speeches. It

has gotten to the point where Americans actually expect him to mess up and if by some small chance he does not, it becomes news to speculate over. There are sites popping up all over the web that contain quotes from Bush and list the many mistakes and bloopers the president has made over the years. It has become a nationwide hobby to discover Bush’s inaccuracies and slip-ups.

Can President Bush actually be playing into the media and public’s enthrallment with his goof ups? I wouldn’t put it past the president that took his nation to war based on a lie to sacrifice his pride for a few indulgent laughs and compassion from citizens that look upon him as a father might look upon a blundering son.

After all, anything is better than being remembered as a two-faced liar who took the nation into a senseless war, which looks like it will never be won.

author’s e-mail: shriya.adhikary@thea-blast.org

The loss of innocence

A cheap Mickey Mouse look-a-like preaches to Pales-tinian children to take up arms against the Israelis and proclaims that they will win against President Bush, Ehud Olmert and Condoleezza Rice.

Absurd isn’t it? The segment is part of a television program called “Tomorrow’s Pioneers” that aired on the Al-Aqsa TV, a station controlled by Hamas, a dominant faction in Palestine. To indoctrinate children with thinly disguised propaganda is a shame in any culture.

The television station and sister radio station of Al-Aqsa was established in January of 2006 by Hamas. A senior Hamas operative stated that the staff will strive to make Al-Aqsa TV as great as Al-Jazeera and other great Arab television networks.

All of the staff members of Al-Aqsa TV received train-ing in Egypt and at Qatar-based Al-Jazeera. The pro-gram, “Tomorrow’s Pioneer’s,” first aired about a month ago and since then has caused much controversy.

In addition to being politically incorrect, the cartoon also raises copyright issues. “Farfur” is an obvious, poor facsimilie of Mickey Mouse. Squeaky voice and inap-propriate rhetoric aside, Al-Aqsa TV may face copyright infringement charges. Diane Disney Miller, the only surviving succesor of Walt Disney, was quoted saying that Farfur is “pure evil” when she heard about how her

father’s most popular character was being misused. But this is drawing away from the fact that “Farfur,”

the rip off of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse, is a product of the ongoing conflict between the Israelis and Palestin-ians.

If there was no conflict, there would be no violence. If there was no violence there would be no need to take up arms in defense of Palestine. And if there was no need to take up arms, then there would be no reason to steal a child’s innocence.

This kind of psychological training is not unprec-edented. All throughout history cartoons have been used to direct the way of thinking in the younger generations. During World War II Tex Avery, a popular cartoonist who produced cartoons for MGM and Warner Bros, created Blitz Wolf.

Blitz Wolf was an allegorical cartoon that portrayed the Allied Powers as the three little pigs and Hitler was played by the belligerent wolf who would huff, puff, and blow their homes to smithereens.

Also during WWII, Bugs Bunny played a pivotal role in taking on the biggest figureheads of evil. In Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips, Bugs lands on an island in the Pacific and runs into numerous amounts of stereotypical Japanese soldiers. Bugs then greets his enemy with trenchantly childish slurs like “monkey face” and “slanty-eyes.”

Later, Bugs faces a sumo wrestler and every other asian stereotype except for the calculator wielding math wiz. The cartoon was eventually banned for its offensive racial slurs.

Seeing any similarities yet? Now one might argue that “Oh well, that is different the Japanese were our enemies back then.” It is no secret that Israelis are oc-cupying Palestinian lands and that there is a plethora of animosity between both sides.

But what Americans need to realize is that they see this as a threat to them because they are aligned with Israel and that the occupying force of Israel is the Pales-tinians antagonist.

But I digress.The long and short of it is that Hamas is at fault for

trying to persuade children in such an underhanded way, but Hamas is not the first nor the only group in history to do this. Children should be left to play and watch non politically charged cartoons.

The last thing that Palestinian children need is more violence, we all know they get enough from their neighbors.

author’s e-mail: mohamad.elbarasse@thea-blast org

ShriyaShriya Says Says

By Shriya AdhikaryBy Shriya Adhikary

Opinion

Mr. Blunderer-in-ChiefFarfur, the host of a childrenʼs program that aired in the Gaza Strip, tells children to take up arms against Jews and pro-claims that the Palestinians will win against their adversaries.

Bush smiles apologetically at the Queen after accidently saying that the queen had visited the United States in the year 1776 to help celebrate the countryʼs bicentennial.

Do you think teenagers need to be more educated

and informed about politics?

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The nation must come to a decision about Iraq now

Article one of our Constitution gives Congress the right to “ To raise and support armies.” Thus, in the end, the responsibility of maintenance of all of our armed forces and their missions lies, in fact, with Congress. This is important because Congress recently passed a bill regarding the war in Iraq and withdrawal from the war. The newest Iraq spending bill, vetoed by President Bush, would have, in addition to funding the war effort for another year, called for a full withdrawal from Iraq by April of 2008. This veto by Bush is a poor decision on his part, regardless of his objections.

America’s history with long-term occupations is not a pleasant one. Past experiences in Vietnam and the Philippines show that it is extremely difficult to successfully occupy foreign lands for extended periods of time. The logic behind this is natural- who would want their country’s sovereignty pre-empted by another’s? Mr. Bush should be taking every chance given – and this bill by Congress is a great chance – to leave Iraq for good.

One of the most common criticisms about this mandated timetable for withdrawal is that marking a date on the calendar for when the United States would be planning to leave would only

embolden the terrorists in Iraq. This, however, is a weak argument at best. First of all, the United States cannot stay in Iraq forever. At some point, our armed forces will have to leave and let the Iraqis run Iraq. Outside of that, what do those on the right expect? It is not feasible for the army to spontaneously decide to leave on a given day; the logistics of such a task require much preparation time.

The scary thing about this veto is the message it sends. If the United States were to stay in Iraq until it is safe and under control, does this mean that we will be willing to commit as many years as it takes to do so? Suppose five years from now we are no closer to accomplishing that

goal than we are today. To withdraw from Iraq would not

be a “surrender” or a “cut and run” as many critics describe it. There is a point where a nation must decide what its acceptable losses are in a con-flict. Are we willing to sacrifice more of our citizens’ lives for a cause which is not well defined? The thought that if we stay in Iraq long enough we will defeat all of the terrorists there and finally secure democracy is naïve. In order to justify his veto, Bush must himself give his criteria for when he feels it will be acceptable to leave Iraq.

No good has ever come out of a nation staying indefinitely in a situa-tion like Iraq. If what the Democrats have offered is not good enough for the President and others on the right, then what is their plan? For years now, Republicans have claimed that the Democrats have complained about the war effort without offering any alternatives. Now, the situation

is one where the Democrats have in fact offered an alternative.

What will those who support the war do with it? Evi-dently, based on the president’s actions, they will push them aside in favor of continuing the American involve-ment in an overwhelmingly unpopular war. This is the unfortunate result of a unhealthy mix of pride and alle-giance to ideology. Both in the arenas of popular support and military strategy, this war has bottomed out and it is hard to see any significant improvements. Rather, the Bush administration is too stubborn to admit failure and additionally, there is too much of an ideological push for “democracy at any cost” in the Middle East.

Bush has been given a fine opportunity to get America out of Iraq . By vetoing the most recent Iraq spending bill, he is vetoing the American people, because Democrats were voted in last November to do something about the war. Structuring a withdrawal from Iraq would not be irresponsible, but rather forward thinking and good for America. It is allowing America to linger there indefinitely which is the irresponsible act.

author’s email: tim.yuskavage@thea-blast.org

Bush veto misses the mark

By Tim YuskavageBy Tim Yuskavage

Opinion

Tim’s Tim’s TakeTake

Mo’s Mo’s MindsetMindset

By Mohamad ElbarasseBy Mohamad Elbarasse

Opinion

Bush delivers remarks about the Iraq War and his veto on the Iraq War bill at the As-socitaed General Contractors of America Conference.

“I do not think teenagers really care about poli-tics. They should because it will help them in the future.”

—Caleb Torricofreshman

“No, because it’s not important untill they become seniors or mature.”

—Seth Ellingsonfreshman

“Yes. In order to get by in life it is necessary to understand the workings of our government and the governments of other coun-tries.”

—Spencer Smithsophomore

“No, we don’t vote, so what’s the point? Just let the adults take care of it.”

—Jon Molinasophomore

“I think they should know about politics because they should know what is happenning in their country.”

—Jimena Rojas junior

“Well, I personally don’t like politics, so I don’t think it really matters. If teenagers like pol-itics they should get information on their own.”

—Francisco Benitez-Gomez

senior

“If they are going to graduate and they are aruond their junior and senior year, they should start to be more informed.”

—Amanda Davis

senior

“They should be. They should take a stronger stand and know their politicians. We are the future.”

—Ashleigh Nicholsjunior

4 May 16, 2007NEWS AtAA

NEWS BRIEFS

Student council officers elected

Performers present ArtSpeak!

Math Honor Society inducts new members

Broadway actors visit Poe Middle School to share personal stories and advice

BY PAUL MATHIS

Co-Editor in Chief

Hundreds of middle-schoolers were crammed wall-to-wall in the would-be auditorium. The decibel level seemed to be at an all-time high as singers on stage belted out songs from favorite Disney performances. No, this was not Disney on ice. It was the highly entertain-ing, but somewhat shallow, final Artspeak! of the year. Artspeak! is a venue held at Poe Middle School where Broadway actors and actresses are invited to sing and share their life experiences. This year’s final program featured Emily Skinner and Marc Kudisch.

The night began as most Artspeak!’s do. Annandale students senior Rachel Navarette and junior Eric Jurenas introduced the two Broadway actors and described their achieve-ments: Kudisch just finished starring in The Apple Tree, and performed in a series of other shows on Broadway such as The Beauty and the Beast, Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Skinner just finished the show Sideshow (for which she garnered a Tony nomination in her role as a Siamese twin), and has appeared in other shows, such as The Full Monty.

After the introductions, Kudisch provided a little “sumpin-sumpin,” a playful song from The Apple Tree, as he tried to seduce “Eve” into eating from the apple tree itself. “Eve” was not there, but Kudisch assured the audience that “everything is better with Eve.”

“The singing was definitely the best part. I really enjoyed the singing,” said Poe student Adrienne Williams.

Following the initial song was what most Artspeak! attendees seem to look forward to: the sit-down interview. Skinner and Kudisch began with their personal histories. Skinner grew up in Richmond, surrounded by a lot of community and professional theatre. As a child she was the sort of varying hyperactive, and so in kindergarten was designated the class entertainer for ten minutes a day. She has since sworn that this was the beginning of her theatre career. Skinner took her first professional job as a commercial girl in Richmond when she was eleven, and continued doing professional work until she finished high school and attended Carnegie-Mellon University.

Kudisch seemed to live on the opposite side of the tracks from Skinner, growing up in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, far from any big community or professional theatre organiza-tion. In his high school he tried new things, including JV basketball, the school musical, and his favorite high school activity: cheerleading. Kudisch said that he was terrible in the musical, My Fair Lady, but added that he loved it. He never knew that he would be drawn to theatre later in life, considering he wanted to continue being a scholar through college and eventually enter the political world.

The only signs of his future occupation appeared in his love for English in high school. When he arrived at Florida Atlantic University, Kudisch said he was finally able to fall in love with theatre, performing in about 20 different shows and directing four or five. In fact, he was attracting so much attention that agencies in New York were flying him back and forth regularly to audition for parts. Kudisch said that he surely would have left college before he received his diploma, had he not had the determined will to finish what he had started, which was propagated to a greater degree by the fact that he had had to pay his way through college.

“The great thing about going to college is learning about yourself, and what you want to do in your life,” said Kudish. “Look at the idea of going to college for yourself; the respon-sibility [since I was paying my way through college] was mine.”

“I think it was really beneficial for some of these students to hear the stories of actual Broadway stars,” said Poe Middle School teacher Patricia Noone. “Hopefully it will get the

wheels turning in their minds in considering their own paths.” One Poe student, Tori Clodfelter, devised her own opinions of the actors. “I liked the

guy better,” she said. “The girl came off as too commercial.” The personal histories were definitely the most interesting point of the night, besides

perhaps the singing. They provided the most eye-opening information into the lives of these Broadway stars, and what followed (more singing and questions from the audience) was relatively dry and unenlightening. More time seemed to be taken up answering the ques-tions presented by the host, Mark Shugoll, rather than those asked by the guests.

Nevertheless, the actors went on to share more interesting points about their lives, such as the survival jobs that each had taken in order to make it in New York: Skinner was an elf at Macy’s one Christmas season and a perfume sprayer at Bloomingdale’s; Marc was a waiter and bartender at a Mexican restaurant from which he would emerge every night smelling like tequila. Both performers also shared their most embarrassing moments, like when Kudisch forgot nearly all of his lines and had to rely on a supporting actor to help him through the entire first act. Skinner felt that her worst moment was when a set piece broke apart in Sideshow and she and her Siamese twin were separated from one another, never again to regain their magic connection.

“The last time I attended Artspeak!, I was pretty impressed at the talent of the artists,” said Ana Sophia Horner. “I enjoyed very much listening to their stories and feel that it was a good way to inspire kids to fulfill their dreams. I think they were just great!”

Thus, for the final Artspeak! of the year, the audience was met with both high points and let-downs. The talk was interesting and the singing was phenomenal, but all the while there was nostalgia for a more professional setting, and more in-depth speech.

“It was amazing that so many Poe kids showed up, but I thought the show could have been better,” said Anita Dienstfrey, a history and politics teacher at Poe Middle School.

New leadership announced for the new up-coming classes of ‘08, ‘09, and ‘10

BY JERRY SOLOMON

Staff Writer

When you see teachers trying to hush loud, bustling students, and candidates straight-ening up their ties and looking over their speeches, this can only mean one thing: class elections are here.

On April 26 students were gathered into their designated areas, and separated by class in order to listen to candidates and elect their class officials for the coming year. Earlier, during campaign week, potential candidates were to contrive with a packet, which included a letter of intent, three teacher recommendations, and a petition signed by fifty members of the student class. To go along with these requirements, they also needed a grade point average of at least 2.5.

Abbie Kahn, the SGA sponsor, was in charge of overseeing the class elections, but the people who played big roles in the election were the class sponsors, Maureen Hunt, Damali Hay, and Robert Snowhite. They are the ones responsible for helping to organize the class officers and work on fundraising for the class they sponsor.

“ This being the first election I’ve ever run for, I was a little nervous, but the speech

kind of rolled along once I got up in front of the sophomore class. I was relieved when I heard my name on the announcements,” said Teddy Oh, the newly elected president for the class of 2009.

Oh is not the only one new to the spotlight. Tamika Jones, president for the class of 2010, is also a first-time class official. Jones is a very active student in school. As a fresh-man, she has achieved their goals of being on the varsity basketball and lacrosse teams, marching band, the step team and also has been able to maintain a 3.5 GPA.

Although Oh and Jones are newcomers, the class president of 2008 is experienced. Not only was Laith Abu-Taleb elected for class office in his past three years at Annandale,

serving his first two years as vice-president and third year as president, but he has been elected again for his fourth and last year as president. In his past years he has helped come up with and organize events such as selling chocolate bars, and recently helped set up a proctored SAT practice test, both of which were successful. Abu-Taleb is also on the AHS tennis team and is a part of leadership, which goes hand in hand with his ongoing suc-cess as a class officer.

“I am happy with the officers who have been elected and I am looking forward to a good year with all of their hard work,” said Khan.

“This happens to be what most of the student body wants also, mainly the class of 2008. Procrastination affects us even when it comes to fundraising for prom, but now we really have to step it up because it’s our last year. I

think that the elected officials will be able to reach our goals by the end of our senior year,” said junior Thao Lee.

53 students join the distinguished Math Honor Society on April 30 with par-ents, friends, and teachers in atten-dance. Only select students were chosen for this honor

BY MOHAMAD ELBARASSE

Co-Editor in Chief.“I hope people won’t think I am a nerd

now,” said junior Tiffanie Le. “But I am glad I was inducted because now everyone can know that I excel in mathematics.” On April 30 the Clausen Hall was packed with mathletes, math teachers, and friends and family alike to witness the induction of 53 new members in the Math Honor Society.

“Enrollment was a tad bit higher than last year,” said sponsor and math teacher Jim Evans. “I think we had about 45 mem-bers inducted last year.”

Inductees and their family members were greeted to the induction ceremony

and appetizers cooked by the Culinary Arts Department. Aside from the food, the outgoing officers of the MHS prepared the entire ceremony.

“We put a lot of effort into planning the ceremony,” said President Tim Yuskavage. “And in the end it turned out well.”

The induction ceremony began with speeches from Yuskavage, Tina Le, and Nita Avary and was followed by the presen-tation of the induction certificates. Sponsor Jim Evans presented a demonstration of the workings of a mobius strip. Afterwards seniors who are set to graduate in the spring were recognized and presented with their blue and gold MHS chords. After the 40-minute ceremony was over family and

inductees were invited to stay and enjoy the cuisine provided.

To be inducted members must meet spe-cific criteria. Members must pay member-ship dues at $10 a year, have an overall GPA of 3.0, and have at least a 3.5 GPA in high school mathematics. Members must also have passed high school level geometry and complete ten service hours each year. The majority of students tutor lower level math students who are struggling in class.

“It is a huge benefit,” said Evans, regard-ing students tutoring their peers. “It is also a huge benefit to the teachers.”

MSA DinnerOn Friday, May 4, the ninth annual

Muslim Student Association dinner took place with an abundance of traditional food and a learning experience for all. The MSA members coated the cafeteria and Clausen Hall with green and white – the universal colors of the Islam faith – decorations, for a heart-warming night.

According to MSA sponsor and World History II teacher John Nemeth, the event, which cost five dollars pre-sale and seven dollars at the door, gathered its usual sum of 50 to 70 people. Also in attendance was the night’s keynote speaker Dr. Aslam Khan, a Muslim scientist taking part in recent colon cancer research who spoke for about an hour on various subjects that tied into Islamic Youth.

“I’m personally anxious to learn about my religion,” said sophomore Dalia Faris at the onset of the program. “It’s important nowadays that today’s youth be motivated by someone like [Dr. Khan] to keep us on track.”

The powerful and poignant words used by Dr. Khan, who spoke with a mixture of Arabic and English, inspired interest among those in attendance.

“If we want to remove the misconcep-tions and stereotypes from Muslims and non-Muslims, we must first educate the

not so-well edu-cated,” said Khan dur-ing his speech. “Success and fail-ure is in

the hands of our effort, and we must learn by experience. We must work together, my brothers and sisters, to educate and estab-lish truth as our foremost duty.”

Immediately following Dr. Khan was one of the more moving parts of the night: the Maghrib, prayer. Anyone who wished to participate in the prayer did so on his or her personal prayer rugs in the cafateria.

As the night came to a close with an exquisite Middle Eastern buffet, which consisted of Chicken Tikkas and beef Kabobs as the main course. Along with Tandoori Naan – a side similar to Pita bread - as part of the Kabob dish, fresh salad spicy rice, ice cream, and soft drinks were available. Senior President Wahaab Saeed, senior Vice President Sadiah Choudhry, junior Secretary Sarah Shami, and sophomore Treasurer Shoaib Jaffarani were in charge of providing food for the dinner. The night provided every person with something new to remember and look forward to next year.

“The speaker got me really inter-ested about [Islam], and the food was so delicious, too” said junior Minerva Guan-dique, who attended the dinner with her little brother.

—Nathalie Cladera CarreraStaff Writer

FCPS jobs availableFCPS is still accepting applications for

summer school teaching positions and spe-cial education. 2007 applications for sum-mer enrichment instructors are also being accepted. All interested individuals should apply as soon as possible. Contact Michelle Padgett to request an application at 703-227-8444 or michelle.padgett@fcps.edu.

Orchestra concertAHS orchestra will hold

its spring concert on May 24 at 7p.m. in the auditorium. The concert is free and open to the public.

DECA holds competition Members travel to Florida, support student participating in international competition

BY MOHAMAD ELBARASSE

Co-Editor in Chief

“To make it out of the state of Virginia, in comparison with some other states, is really tough,” said DECA sponsor Jessica Raynor. “So to make it all the way to nationals out of Virginia is definitely an accomplishment.”

The AHS DECA Club took part in the international DECA competition in Florida from April 27 to May 2, where the highlight of the competition for AHS was senior Kelly Scrivener. Scrivener was the only AHS student to participate in the competition, although a number of DECA members took the trip to Florida just for the experience alone.

Despite triumphing at district and state competitions, Schrivener was unable to place at the Florida competition.

“I was really well-prepared for it, but I think there were a few things I could have done better. I tried my best,” said Scrivener, “It was challenging and a lot of fun, though. We met people from all around and we got to go to Disney World.”

DECA participated in a total of three competitions this year: districts, states and in-ternational. Approximately 50 students took part in the district competition, 20 in states and six in internationals.

There are a number of various scenarios at the competitions. A student either par-ticipates in a role play scenario, where they are given the task of having to make a sales pitch to their boss, who is also the judge of the students’ performance. If a student does a written manual, the manual is submitted to the judges and then followed up with a ten

minute presentation, including visuals and a question-and-answer session, by the student at the competition.

“It’s pretty intense at these competitions,” said Raynor. But it was not all work and no play for the DECA members that went on the trip. The DECA team visited sites of the educational and recreational nature including the Se-nior Management Institute, where DECA members learned about leadership in the business world, the MGM Animal Kingdom, which displays an array of wildlife from around the globe and is home to some of the best rollercoasters and rides in Florida. Finally, the team went to Universal Studios to wrap up their week-long trip.

Raynor has high expectations for DECA next year. “We hope to have more written manuals,” said Raynor. “They are the other

way you can compete instead of the role playing scenarios.”

PAUL

MAT

HIS

Left: Marc Kudish performs a short skit from The Apple Tree. Right: Emily Skinner sings a song from one of her Broadway musicals. Skinner and Kudish were highlighted at ArtSpeak! on May 8.

French Honors Society In-ducts New Members

The French Honor Society, sponsored by Rich Kearsley, held its induction ceremony on May 9 in Clausen Hall. In order to be admitted, students had to maintain a 3.5 G.P.A. in French and a 3.0 G.P.A. overall.

New Initiates:Best, DerrickRayesse, LindaMejean, MadelineKinch, AsheighLe, TrungLee, ArielCardena, LayraArgueta, JacquelineAvary, Nita Best, DerrickChamoun, CarlosFerrufina, FernandaFrank, RachelNguyen, AmandaNsiah, LindaPaterson, HelenPham, Y-VanSiv, AlvinZambana, Jean Paul

Scrivener

Abu-Taleb

5NEWSAtAAMay 16, 2007

Play that replaced annual musical flops, ticket sales drop, resulting in loss ofmoney for theater department

BY DAVID SHERMAN

Co-Editor in Chief A master thief carrying around corpses, animals inhabiting a house filled with

thieves, birds being eaten by a fox: this does not sound like any familiar musical to be produced by AHS’s theatre department for its annual spring musical. That’s because it isn’t. These are all aspects of Story Theatre, AHS theatre department’s back up play (actually, a mixture of short plays) that was held on May 4 and 5 in place of the annual spring musical.

The Music Man, the department’s original intention for a musical this year, was cancelled nearly a month ago, and the department scrambled to put together a play to be held in the first week of May. Unfortunately, the decision to forgo the musical was a disaster for the department since only roughly 50 people showed up, a spattering of fam-ily and friends, which led to the loss of thousands of dollars. Some students believe that the theatrical let-down is emblematic of further divisions within AHS theatre itself.

“[The play] was sort of a let-down, but at the same time I am really happy that we had something,” said Jenni Patton, junior, who starred in the play. “I think that Story Theatre suited the talent and the time that we had, given the number of people that ended up wanting to do it and the month that we basically had after the musical was cancelled.”

Junior Elizabeth D’Amico, another actress in the play, said “Story Theatre turned out better than I thought, but I still would have rather done a musical. It’s a tradition.”

Many of the actors and actresses praised the department’s ability to get something off of the ground in the nick of time. “Even though it was a small audience, I think we generally got a positive reaction to Story Theatre,” said Evan Milberg, senior, who played a count, a dog, and a fisherman. “I was proud of how the show went; the technical aspects were better than usual.”

“I was disappointed generally in what we did, but we had fun,” said D’Amico. “It was much more relaxed than plays usually are at this time of the year, and it was technically pretty fun too.”

The actors and actresses caution that the failure of the musical should not be dismissed. Story Theatre stood as a symbol for some of a department that is losing ground.

“There isn’t really a whole lot of leadership in the senior class right now, to the point where theatre wasn’t a really inviting place this year,” said Patton. “There is not a whole lot of leadership in general, and that doesn’t mean just the administrators, it also means the students. I want to be completely honest, theatre kids now are tending to scare people away.”

“I think that the overall feeling now is that people in the theatre department, the kids and the teachers, just don’t have as much passion as they used to,” said D’Amico. “I think everything really ended with ’06.”

D’Amico even ventured to say that perhaps a change in leadership is needed. “For [Vicky Farish’s] personal benefit, I think she should retire,” she said. “She needs a break from everything, something that does not involve being here around us all of the time. I think we can drive her crazy sometimes.”

Annual 5K held

“5K” from page 1The 5K began on Four Year Run, and

wound around the neighborhood that sur-rounds AHS. Runners finished the race by running around the track. Both the start-ing line and the finish line were marked with red and white balloon arches. “The course was nice and unique,” said Langel, “It made running more enjoyable.”

“The race was a success because it was a nice community event, it brought people together, it fostered health and fitness and it raised money for the booster clubs,” said Sheila Connor, one of the coordinators of the event. Connor, and her husband Jim, began the event in 2005.

Jim Connor attended a booster club meeting a few years ago when the idea for the 5K arose. The Athletic boosters sponsored runs sporadically throughout the 90s, and the Connors decided to revive and update the run as a fundraiser. Since then, the 5K has continued to grow.

Since the first race began in 2005, many changes have been made. This year, through the support of countless sponsors, the Connors were able to accumulate many

prizes for the runners. Awards were given to the top three male and the top three female finishers overall. Bryan Plunkett, a 2006 AHS graduate, placed first for the men. Martha Merz, an AHS parent, finished first for the women.

Additionally, awards were given to the top three males and females in each age bracket. Trophies were given to the top runners who attend AHS. Finally, everyone who participated in the event in some capacity, either as runners or as volunteers, were entered into raffles to win door prizes.

“I liked the prizes because I got a free three month membership to Gold’s Gym,” said Langel.

Upon completion of the race, runners were offered complimentary refreshments. Panera Bread, Einstein’s Bagels, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Krispy Kreme and Starbucks donated the food.

“It was really nice to have food after the race,” said senior Megan Price. “After running hard and pushing myself, it was nice to relax and eat.”

Master chefs teach students“Chefs” continued from page 1

Chef Noble Masi, a certified master baker, pre-pared apple strudel, while Chef Solomon prepared a vast assortment of dishes such as caribbean stew, spring chicken salad, and mango, tomato and red onion salad. The caribbean stew was a hit among students and teachers with its unique flavor. Chef Betty van Nortstrand shared confectionary art techniques for decorating cakes. Students used “gum paste and fondant icing,” said Gloninger, to create detailed flower petals.

Becoming a certified master chef is “extremely tough and rigorous,” said Gloninger.

The criteria to become a master chef includes a minimum of 15 years of experience in the culinary field. Chefs are required to take a weeklong exam that includes eight to 12 hours of work in the kitchen a day. Chefs are expected to accurately prepare “ter-rines and pates and displaying, to smoking meats, cold platters and hot platters,” said Gloninger. “Ev-erything there is entrees, deserts, everything.”

Gloninger was able to combine her culinary ex-periences with her teaching experiences to relate herself to the highly recognized chefs. “The passion we have as chefs and educators,” said Gloninger, brought satisfaction to her as she watched her curi-ous students look on.

“They got to be able to see the best in field, so it was very exciting for me,” said Gloninger.

The students gained valuable knowledge throughout the day as they rotated to each chefs presentation. “This makes me feel that if I set goals for myself, I can accomplish them,” said junior Devon Aaron.

Gloninger was happy to see the students inter-acting with such proclaimed chefs. Not only were

their new techniques helpful to her students, but also, according to Gloninger, “to see these chefs in their ele-ment, and passing on their passion to future chefs.”

Chef Nobel Masi prepares apple strudel for students. He was one of the four ambassador chefs of the Culinary Institute of America who came to AHS to share knowledge with students.

Runners take their postitions for the 5K run/walk on Saturday morning. The run/walk is an annual event held to raise money for the AHS athletics department.

SEC holds awards

BY MICHELLE RISSE

News Editor

58 students filled Clausen Hall on May 14, for the Student Ethics Council Character Awards. The council’s co-presidents,seniors Madeline Mejan and Kelly Scrivener, congratulated the winners on being recognized for a character award.

“Students are teacher-nominated. The stu-dents who win the character awards are students who have shown good character through respect, compassion, and willingness to help others,” said Mejan.

These awards are given annually to students. The SEC chooses about “50 students every year,” said Mejan. “It feels good to be recognized for be-ing a good person,” said sophomore Anh Pahm, a winner.

The awards are also given as a way to encour-age students to join the Student Ethics Council. Currently there are four members, all of whom are graduating seniors. The number of students who received the character awards this year has increased from previous years’numbers in order to increase interest in the SEC.

“We need more members to join because all of us are graduating,” said Mejan. Next year, the Stu-dent Ethics Council wants to begin a program called Character Education. “This program will instruct students in school how to make a difference within their school,” said Mejan.

Pham is considering joining the SEC next year. “I’ll probably join because they don’t have enough people. I really want to join, but it depends on my schedule,” she said.

NEWS BRIEFSLast Guitar Ensemble under Kee performed

Russell Kee has finished his final con-cert at AHS. After many years teaching all levels of guitar, this year’s spring concert was his last.

The Spring Guitar Ensemble concert drew a crowd of “about 100 people,” said Kee, mainly alumni and parents of the stu-dent performers. For the first half of the

performance, Kee’s group of 32 students played together on several pieces, “mostly classical, with a mix of folk and traditional,” said Kee. The group has been practicing since their last performance in mid-February.

The rest of the night was de-voted to smaller groups of trios, duets and solos who performed seven pieces of their own choos-

ing. Students who weren’t in the guitar ensemble also performed with the group.

“It was the last concert of the year,” said Kee. “It’s always nice to see the seniors up there on stage for the last time, with their parents in the audience enjoying it all.”

-Emily Sample News Editor

By Layluma HotakiBy Layluma Hotaki

Ethics Advice

EthicallyEthicallySpeakingSpeaking

Hey SEC,I have a problem. My two friends

are in an argument and are giving each other the silent treatment. I re-ally would want them to be friends again. It’s been a while and nothing’s changed. What should I do?

Sincerely, Middle Man

Dear Middle Man,I see how you can be considering both

options. My first advice to you is, if you’re not involved in it, try not to be. Let them work it out by themselves. If they can’t and you don’t feel comfortable choosing between one or the other, let them know. I don’t think being a “middle man” will help because usually things are misunderstood and lost in translation. Try not to get stuck in the middle! Good luck!

Sincerely, The SEC

Dear SEC,I have a friend who lies a lot. It’s

really starting to bug me. I don’t understand why she has to lie about everything. I feel like I’m in a really bad position because I don’t know whether or not to believe anything she says. Should I confront her about this?

Sincerely, Sick of This

Dear Sick of This,It’s really easy to get mad at people for

lying, especially if the person gets caught in a lie. The reason they could be lying could be deeper than you think. They could have issues in which they must lie about things or they could possibly just like lying. If you want to confront them, it’s up to you whether you want to risk the reaction you might get from your friend. She might not be very friendly about it. Be careful and good luck.

Sincerely, The SEC

If you have an ethical dilemma and would like advice on how to handle the situation, submit your questions to layluma.hotaki@thea-blast.org. All sub-missions will be confidential.

VT shirts on sale Maketing and DECA students are

selling “A Hokie Nation will Remember April 16, 2007” t-shirts in Room 328. Orange tees are available in small, XXL, and XXXL. The white t-shirts are left in sizes small and XXL and long sleeve white tees in adult small and medium, and youth large. Orange sweatshirts are available for $20.00 in sizes small through large. Checks should be made out to Annandale High School. Please email Pam Gravitte, Marketing Department Chair, at Pamela.Gravitte@fcps.edu to place order.

AHS scholarships still available

Scholarship Applications are avail-able in the Career Center.

Annandale Rotary, due May15

Atoms Booster Club due May 25

Annandale PTSA, due May 25

Theater tells its “Story”

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Senior Sam Updike, one of the lighting technicians for Story Theatre, believed that the general production was of subpar quality. “It was bad, but I had fun lighting it with the new lights and all,” said Updike. Story Theatre was held on May 4 and 5 in place of the annual spring musical, which was cancelled due to lack of interest among students.

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6 April 24, 2007ADVERTISEMENT AtAA

Celebrate Spring with us!

Átomos desde 1954EEl7AtAAMay 16, 2007 SPECIAL

VOLUME #52 ISSUE 1 703-642-4229

Los estudiantes de la clase de español 5 de la escuela Annandale or-

gullosamente presentan esta pagina en español la cual sintetiza algu-nos temas estudiados

en clase.

Students of Mrs. Vergara’s Spanish 5 class proudly present

this page in Span-ish which synthesizes some themes studied

in the class.

Las Tiras Cómicas: Por los estudiantes Drew Chadwick, Dae-Hwan Kim y Adam Wirdzek

La Salud hoy Las Vacunas para los niños

POR MARIE HAN, CHRISSY OSIPHCHAK Y HANNAH TUBB

Los estudiantes de la clase de Español 5

Aunque desde 1999 se ha acordado no usar el thimerosal que contiene mer-curio para la preservación de vacunas, sería importante no usar otras sustancias neurotóxicas con el mismo propósito como es el fenol. Muchos padres de niños con autismo aseguran que poco después de recibir las vacunaciones, sus hijos se enfermaron agudamente con autismo. Estudios en varios países tales como Inglaterrra y francia no ha reportado aún la relación entre las vacunas con thimerosal y autismo. El Dr. Vergara va más allá. El parte de que todo parto debe ser expedito, seguro y exento de trauma así como el Apgar test o el índice obstétrico debe indicar no sólo si el neonato nació vivo o muerto sino que tam-bién se deben indicar por escrito todas aquellas dificultades del recién nacido para que las vacunas se den en forma espaciada. De esta manera se evitaría el choque inmunológico severo que añadido al nacimiento traumático podrían contribuir a la predisposición del autismo en esos niños .

Esperanza para los diabéticos POR ADAM WIRDZEK

El estudiante de la clase de Español 5

Investigadores involucrados en separar los islet cells (beta cells) de páncreas de cadáveres han hecho infusiones en vena porta para llegar a venas tributar-ias del hígado. Ellos obtuvieron un éxito inicial en el protocolo de Edmonton (Universidad de Alberta) en siete de siete pacientes que se reportaron en el año 2000. Pero el registro de transplantes de islet cells que ocupó a 19 centros con 118 pacientes en el 2005, con transplantes de islet cells reportaron que sólo el 60 % han sido independientes de insulina recién a los doce meses de efectuado el pro-transplante. El grupo de Edmonton informó que sólo un 11% de los paci-entes resultaron independientes a la insulina después de 5 años. Hay mucho trabajo todavía para la ciencia para llegar a un tratamiento perfecto.

Sangre del cordón: con stem cellsPOR ADAM WIRDZEK

El estudiante de la clase de Español 5

La terapia de las células es el futuro de la medicina. La infusión de san-gre del cordón suele tener un mejor resultado si se utiliza entre familiares; cuando se usa el tejido de un familiar la compatibilidad es del 63% mientras que si no hay esa relación familiar es sólo del 33%. Muchas de las enferme-dades que están siendo o serán estudiadas como el Alzheimer, accidentes cerebro-vasculares, ALS, daños en la espina dorsal, afecciones cardíacas, del hígado, páncreas, cáncer, fallas de la médula ósea, errores del metabolismo, e inmuno-deficiencias, serán tratadas con la implantación de células Los bancos de células y tejidos están siendo creados, entre ellos el tan preciado que proviene de la sangre del cordón con stem cells. Además hay muchas células pluripotentes que están siendo investigadas como osteoblastos, condorcitos, adipositos, cardiomiocitos y otras.

El campo de investigación y aplicación de las “células terapéuticas” (stem cells) sigue un curso que parece no encontrar límites. La ciencia confronta una vez más los valores éticos más profundos.

Notas ofrecidas por Alfonso Vergara, MD tomadas del Grand Round, Conferencia del Virginia Hospital Center del 11/3/06: Disertante: Joseph Laning, PHD.

La PoíliticaPOR ALEX DOUMBIA, KEVIN LEACH Y ADAM

WIRDZEK

Los Estudiantes de la clase de Español

En las últimas semanas se han presen-tado en televisión dos debates, el de los can-didatos demócratas y el de los republicanos para las nuevas elecciones a la presidencia de los EEUU. Los demócra-tas han pre-sentado ocho candidatos y los republica-nos diez. Los que van al fr-ente entre los demócratas son Clinton, Obama y Ed-wards. Los candidatos que van al frente entre los republi-

canos son Gulliani, McCain y Romney. Ambos partidos durante el debate se han concentrados en las mismos cuestiones: la Guerra de Irak, Inmigración y frontera, La Deuda Externa, Impuestos, Salud y se-guro médico universal, el medio ambiente y calentamiento de la tierra, el terrorismo y seguridad, los valores éticos, el control de los armas, y el aborto.

No se sabe quien va a ganar las próxi-mas elecciones para el puesto más impor-tante de los EEUU y su influencia en el orbe

pero si se sabe que el próximo presidente tendrá que confron-tar una nación y un mundo desafiantes.

Barack Obama y Hillary Clinton

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Los autos del futuroPOR ALEX DOUMBIA, KEVIN LEACH Y TADASHI

UPDEGROVE

Los estudiantes de la clase de Español 5

En francia se presentaron vehiculos que en pocos años cirularán por las rutas. ¿Qué combustible usan estos prototipos ecológicos? La mayoría, electric-idad. ¿Cómo hacer funcionar los autos cada vez major sin nafta? Michelin organiza una exposición mundial de coches impulsados con energías alternativas al petróleo para evitar la contami-nación en el planeta. Se busca una tecnología para cuando el ultimo pozo de petróleo diga basta y ya no quede jugo de dinosaurio disponsible para alimentar el desplazamiento de vehículos.

La idea es llegar al año 2030 con 1.500 mil-lones de cehículos circulando por las rutas mun-

diales, pero sin que esto implique envenenar al planeta. Hay desarrollos híbridos-que usan un par de energías alternativas combinadas-, y otros que funcionan a base de hidrógeno o etanol. Pero en la última feria – realizadas en Paris el mes pas-ado – se vieron principalmente evolucionados co-

ches eléctricos. Basicamente, producen la electricidad a una combinación química de hidrógeno y oxígeno, guardados en celdas de combustible. Son rápidos, ultrasilenviosos, y arrojan lo que quedaría de una

combinación entre molécu-las de hidrógeno y oxígeno.

Buscamos la formula en un manual de 5o grad

y, veamos, ya tenemos agua.

Un auto híbrido

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Los HoróscoposAcuario

El signo de la amistad universal Momento muy importante para

su vida estudiantil.¡No deje para mañana lo que

puede hacer hoy!

Picis Ud. es un soñador

El amor y el respeto lo guían siempre.

Tendrá éxito si se aplica en sus actividades.

AriesPersona de gran éxito en los

negociosUn familiar lo visita pronto.Esté listo para confrontar su

trabajo.

Taurus Lo más grandes trabajadores

Siga el camino de la nobleza que tanto lo caracteriza.

Busque nuevos horizontes.

GéminisDoble personalidad pero

siempre carismático Ud. está pasando por el

momento más importante del 2007.

No lo deje pasar.

Cáncer Siempre tan laborioso e

insistente Use las aguas más claras

y calmas para resolver sus problemas.

¡Buena Suerte!

LeoEl signo de la gente a la que le

gusta experimentarUd. será el mejor mentor entre

sus allegados.

VirgoEl signo de aquellos que les

gusta estar a la vanguardia de todo

Siga los consejos que le manda su corazón sin dejar la razón

LibraLa búsqueda del equilibrio los

caracteriza a Uds. Puede estar en peligro pero

saldrá adelante con la ayuda de sus mayores.

EscorpioInsistente pero muy imaginativo Sea diplomático cuando tenga

que enfrentarse con gente importante.

SagitarioEl signo de la gente confi able y

cándidaMuestre más interés en su trabajo

y estudios. Lo van a valorar más.

Capricornio El signo de los pionerosNo dejen que pequeños

agravios lo distraigan de sus responsabilidades.¡No vale la pena!

Por Grace McMurry y Julianne Simpson

Top row: Angie Cusinga, Sra. Vergara, Cindy Doung, Krista Silano, Julianne Simpson, Emily Vincent, Taylor Hobson, Lisa Ottenheimer. Bottom row: Kev-in Leach, Tadashi Updegrove, Drew Chadwick, Adam Wirdzek, Alex Doumbia. Not pictured: Joyce Berrios, Marie Han, Dae-Hwan Kim, Jenny Mahen, Gracie McMurry, Chrissy Osipchak, Hannah Tubb.

8 May 16, 2007PEOPLE AtAA

Q: What advantages are there to having a parent work here?Emily: I don’t have to take the bus to school. If I ever forget to get a signature, I can just go to her in school. It’s fun to be in the same school, we become even closer .

Q: Do you ever get any special treatment?Emily: Not so much at Annandale, I did in el-

ementary school.

Q: Are you ever afraid that your parent will find out something about you from overhearing other students that you don’t want them to know?Emily: No, I don’t do anything bad or something that would disappoint her.

Q: What is your favorite part of working where your daughter goes to school?Mellissa: I get to be a part of her life, get to know her friends, what’s going on with her life since school is a huge part of her life at this point.

Q: Do you think it bothers Emily that you work at Annandale?Mellissa: I actually gave her the choice before I began work here—whether she would mind of not.

Q: What are your biggest similarities? Reema: We’re pretty much the same height and have the same sense of style.

Q: Do you get along well?Reema: Not really, we’re always fighting over the smallest things.Zainab: Not at all. We fight, we have dif-ferent opinions on everything.

Q: Do you hang out at school or avoid each other?Reema: We avoid each other. I see enough of her at home.Zainab: Avoiding each other just kind of happens subconsciously.

What is your favorite part of having your sibling here? Zainab: It’s nice having someone to walk home with. But I hate how having her here creates confusion for so many people because

we look so alike.

Q:What strengths does one sibling have that the other does not?Reema: She’s more socially orientated.

Q: Did having an older sibling at school help you transition to high school as a freshman?Zainab: On the first day of school, she took me to the wrong class!

Q: What are the advantages of having your spouse here?Bruce: Since she is my primary mentor ever since I came into teaching, it’s easy to coordinate because she’s the best source of teaching, ideas, methods, and concepts. I can go to her if I need help. I don’t need to call or e-mail her. Judy: If I have a crisis or a problem, like make copies or anything that needs to be done, he’s there to help me and vice versa.

Q: Do you help each other in grading?Bruce: We don’t grade together, but we seek advice from each other on the subjects

we teach together. We discuss how many points to take off on a certain problem.

Q:Do you both vent to each other about students or problems around the school?Bruce: Yes.

Q: Does teaching some of the same courses make life easier?Bruce: We’re a team. You don’t feel like you’re out there on your own. It’s good to have another teacher to talk to who can sympathize and be more understanding.

BY MEREDITH RUTHERFORD

Ad Manager

Q: What are your biggest similarities and differences?Marie: A lot of people say we act the same and have the same personalities. We have lots of the same tastes. I am different from her because I don’t get as angry as easily as her. Diana: I don’t really know. Everyone says we look the same and act the same but I think we have totally different personalities. Q: Do you hang out at school or avoid each other?Marie: We say hi in the halls, but I don’t go out of my way to find her. It would be kind of weird if we were always together. Diana: I don’t really see her at school so we don’t hang out.

Q: Do you help each other with school work?Marie: We both talk a lot and we’re loud. We are both really outgoing. Sometimes we

help each other with homework. Diana: I think Marie is generally smarter than me. I have tried to give her advice and stuff but she doesn’t listen to it. Q: Do you share clothes?Marie: We share clothes most of the time. It’s really nice because then my wardrobe is twice as big.

A mix of school and homelife

Nuptuals and numbers:married math teachers

Three’s company for the Miles triplets

Similar looks, different personalities

Q: What are your biggest similarities and differences?Elise: I look really different from them. I am tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. We are alike in that we are all in band and we all have our black belts in tae-kwon-do.

David: We all have different interests. Kat likes animals, Elise likes boys, and I am just plain cool.Kat: I just want to say that I am not re-lated to them no matter what they say.

Q: Do you hang out at school, or avoid each other?Kat: Elise and I hang out a lot, especially after school because we do the same activities together, but David’s a slacker with no life-”David: No, I’m not, I just don’t devote my life to track!

Q: What is your favorite/least favorite part of having a sibling here?Kat: I like it because if I ever forget my house key there is always at least one other backup. Do you have the same friends?

David: We are like a Venn Diagram because some of our friends overlap but others don’t and are different people.

Q: What advantages are there to having a parent work here?David: The biggest advantage is that after school, I get to drive her Audi around. Q: What is your least favorite part of having your parent work here?David: She might find something about my friends that might make them look bad. Q: Are you ever afraid that your mom

will find out something about you from overhearing other students that you

don’t want her to know?David: All the time. But she mostly just hears goofy or funny things. Q: What is your favorite part of working where your son goes to school?Judy: My favorite part is seeing him interact with his friends. It makes me feel good—see-ing him enjoy himself. Q: Do you try to have contact with your son during the day or do you let him be on his own?Judy: During the day, I’m busy. He’s busy. If there is something out of the ordinary going on, then I’d contact him. Q: Do you think it bothers David that you work at his school?Judy: 99% of the time: no. There have been a few times where it has, but it never lasts.

BY MEREDITH RUTHERFORD

Ad Manager

BY WALIHA GANI

People Editor

BY WALIHA GANI

People Editor

BY WALIHA GANI

People Editor

All in the family

Celebrity Birthdays for May

4 Audrey Hepburn, 1929

6 Sigmund Freud, 18568 Harry Truman, 188410 Fred Astaire, 189911 Salvador Dali, 190414 George Lucas, 194417 Dennis Hopper, 193620 Cher, 194624 Bob Dylan, 194126 Sally Ride, 1951 Stevie Nicks, 194827 Henry Kissinger, 192329 John F. Kennedy, 1917

31 Brooke Shields, 1965 Clint Eastwood , 1930

“I have a crazy family because I have seven brothers and sisters from blended families and everyone is always going different places and doing dif-ferent things.”

—Lyndsay McCaffertysenior

“It might seem like we have a hectic family because I have two younger twin brothers and we con-stantly fight about anything we can.”

—Chase Briggsjunior

“People may think my family is crazy because we do re-ally random stuff like one time we partied three days in a row with our whole family. ”

—Rosemary Hernandezsophomore

“My friends think my family is crazy because my dad is very loud and has a funny Spanish accent that people find hilarious.”

—Andrea Quezadafreshman

Atoms who matter

Craziest Family

“He has a crazy family because there is always so much going on and everyone in their family has a different per-sonality and none of them match,” said Godbout’s girlfriend Taylor Hobson.

—James Godboutsenior

Compiled by Leah Nickerson and Julie Tumasz. Surveys were passed out during flex and were also chosen by editor selection.

Junior Emily Ainsworth can get parent signatures anytime since her mother, Mellissa Ainsworth, works at school.

Left to right: Juniors Kathleen, David, Elise Miles avoid each other as much as possible.

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The Benavides Sisters: Two of a kind

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BY WALIHA GANI

People Editor

Junior Reema Naz, left, and sophomore Zainab Ibrahim have different perspectives on everything.

Bruce Fisher left, Judy Fisher, right, seek each other for advice when grading.

Judy Winters hands the keys to her Audi to her son, sophomore David Winters.

Junior Diana Benavides, left, sophomore Marie Benavides, are alike, yet so different in many ways.

Winters sees benefits of having mom at AHS

• I have taught at AHS for six years

• I attended the University of Massachu-

setts at Amherst

• I majored in History and minored in

French

• My hobbies are watching old movies

and reading non-fiction

• In my spare time I try to study Japa-

nese and Spanish

• I traveled and lived in Europe and I

and enjoy have visited Japan•I enjoy traveling

•My favorite music is jazz

• I was born in Orange County, Virginia

• My motto is “study and prepare and

one day your chance will come”

Compiled by Bud Ireland

If you know the answer to “Who am I,” come to the publications lab.

Who am I?

• I have taught at AHS for 10 years

• I attended James Madison University

•I majored in business

• My hobby is exercising

•In my spare time I take care of my kids

and take them to my husband’s basketball

games

• I like listening to R&B and hip-hop

• I have traveled to Hawaii

• My motto is “treat others the way you

want to be treated”

•I was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1970

Last Issue’s

Who am I?

Monica Bently

9ADVERTISEMENTAtAAMay 16, 2007

12 May 16, 2007ARTS AtAAPeter & Wendy

BY ALYSSA NAVARRETE

Co-Editor in Chief

Everyone knows the story by heart. Captain Hook, the crocodile, Neverland and, of course, that whimsical boy who refuses to grow up. The story of Peter Pan is one that countless people grew up with. In Peter and Wendy, Arena Stage brings this tale to life.

However, Peter and Wendy, performed in the Kreeger Theater, is not your average play. In fact, there is only one actress in the entire show. The rest of the characters are puppets. The magic behind Peter and Wendy is the ability of the cast to make the pup-pets seem human.

The play begins in the home of Wendy Darling. Upon entering the theater, the set looks as though Arena Stage forgot that they had a show to perform. Scattered around the small circular stage are rags, books and other miscellaneous items. However, when the lights go down, the junk comes to life.

The New York based experimental theater company, Mabou Mines, performs the show. The lone actress, Karen Kandel is the highlight of the play. Not only does Kandel narrate the play, she provides the voices for every character, from Captain Hook to Mrs. Darling.

Kandel is effortlessly able to change the voices of the characters. She carries on con-versations between Peter Pan and the other characters without confusing the audience, or mixing up the voices. Simply put, it is amazing to watch as Kandel single-handedly performs the play.

Kandel’s performance is supported by the skill of the puppeteers. While Kandel creates the voices for each character, it’s the puppeteers that make the lifeless puppets seem real.

Multiple people handle each indi-vidual character. The puppeteers are dressed in white from head to toe, making it easy to forget that they are on stage.

Kandel’s voices are enhanced by the music of the play. Peter and Wendy uses an original score of Celtic music. Often, the music complements the movements of the puppets or the scene which is taking place.

The first act of the show is completely captivating. Artisti-cally, Peter and Wendy is theat-rical perfection. With the use of simple household props, such a books and nightgowns, the char-acters are able to fly to Neverland, Sunbathe at Mermaid’s Lagoon and Ride Captain Hook’s pirate ship.

Though the play is visu-ally stimulating, it is incredibly lengthy. Monologues from some of the characters, such as Captain Hook, seem to drag on to unbear-able lengths. Additionally, the length of the play detracts from its appeal. While it is incredibly interesting to see how Mabou

Mines makes the puppets fly, five to ten minutes of flight is simply too much. The play could have been condensed, and thus maintained some of its charm.

Because Peter and Wendy is based on the classic J.M. Barrie story of Peter Pan, it is natu-ral to assume that this is a show that children would enjoy. That assumption is completely incorrect. Though the play is based on a children’s novel, the length and detail of the play would not hold the short attention span of a child.

In fact, this play may not even hold the attention of most middle school students and some high school students. Watching puppets for two and a half hours is difficult at times. Thus, this play is undoubtedly geared towards mature teens and adults.

Though it is lengthy, and at times a bit verbose, the Mabou Mines theater company does an excellent job of following the story of Peter Pan. Theater fans will appreciate the sets, puppetry and artistic influ- ence behind the show. For those willing to endure the somewhat borng scenes interspersed throughout the play, Peter and Wendy is a two and a half hour journey into the magical world of Neverland.

Featured Artist

2007-2008 Arena Stage Season

The best known artist of the Elizabethan Era, Leonardo Da Vinci, died on May 2nd, 1519. He was most famous for his paintings of “The Mona Lisa” and “The Last Supper”. Along with being a recognized artist, he was a scientist and engineer. His art skills combined with his knowledge of engineering led him to design blueprints for inventions that were far ahead of his time. Some of his inventions include the helicopter, the parachute, and the bicycle, among many others. He began his career as an ap-prentice to Andrea del Verrocchio, who taught him much of what he knows in painting and sculpture. Although he learned traditional styles of art, Da Vinci developed his own unique style that would not be popular until he grew much older. His originality and inventiveness makes him legendary in the art world.

The puppeteers guide The Neverbird who comes to help Peter in the production.

In the opening scenes of Peter and Wendy, the puppeteers bring Peter to life. The narrator, Karen Kandel, right, did the voices for all the characters in the show.

The Mabou Mines puppeteers lift Captain Hook in the Arena Stage presentation of Peter and Wendy.

Hook threatens Peter Pan as Karen Kandel narrates the scene. Multiple puppeteers were used to guide the characters.

Leonardo Da Vinci 1452-1519

The Mona Lisa, by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1506 is one of the most famous portraits of all time.

The Last Supper, by Leonardo Da Vinci is a painting of Jesusʼs last meal with his 12 Apostles before his death.

A remake of the classic J.M. Barrie novel Peter Pan, presented in a whole new way at Arena Stage

33 VariationsBy: Moises KaufmanAugust 24- September 30, 2007

WellBy: Lisa KronSeptember 14- October 14, 2007

The Women of Brewster PlaceBy: Molly SmithOctober 19- December 9, 2007

Christmas Carol 1941By: James MagruderNovember 16- December 30, 2007

EllaBy: Rob RuggieroDecember 28- February 24, 2008

Death of a SalesmanBy: Timothy BondMarch 14- May 18, 2008

A View From the BridgeBy: Daniel AukinMarch 14- May 18, 2008

The Mystery of Irma VepBy: Charles LudlamMay 2- June 8, 2008

Emergence-see!By: Kenny LeonJuly 5- July 22, 2007

Kiki & Herb: Alive On BroadwayBy: Justin Bond and Kenny MellmanMarch 6- March 23, 2008

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-Compiled by Patrick Hill, Arts Editor

13PHOTOAtAAMay 16, 2007

“The cheetah be-cause it is pretty and I like the design on their fur.”

—Tory Deiblefreshman

“ The panda bears because they are really cute, and they eat bamboo.”

—Leah Samuelsonsophomore

“The black panther because they’re fast and cute and attrac-tive.”

—Ashley Garciasophomore

“I like kangaroos becasue I like to box them. It’s a good matchup.”

—Galen Dunbar

junior

“The platypus because everyone thinks it’s ugly, but I think it’s cute.”

—Chester Yavarijunior

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Flamingos congregate during the daylight hours to rest.

A golden-headed lion tamarin tries to get treats out of his milk container. Golden-Headed Lion Tamarins are native to only Bahia.

A scarlet ibis rests on one leg in a tree. Scarlet Ibises live in tropical South America, Trinidad and Tobago.

A family of golden-lion tamarins lives within a hollowed out tree. Tamarins are among the rarest animals in the world, with only 1,000 left in the world.

Meerkats are small mammals that live in southern Africa. They group together in “mobs” or “gangs.”

The strange looking double wattled cassowary is native to Indonesia, and uses its bright plumage as a way of attracting mates.

The Zoo offers the people of Washington an opportunity to experience the mystique of the animal kingdom for free. The National Zoo is part of the Smithsonian Museum and contains over 2,000 individual animals of over 400 different species.

What is your favorite zoo

animal?

A banded mongoose investigates a branch in his enclosure. Mongoos-es are famous for being able to attack snakes.

African Elephants are a main attraction at the Zoo. These behemoths are becoming more and more rare in Africa due to heavy poaching.

A rare orangutan rests under a large piece of paper to shield himself from the sun.

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A marabou stork stretches itʼs wings after resting in the sun. Marabou Storks live on the southern tip of the Sahara Desert.

Pandamonium!•There are five zoos in North America that currently have Pandas.

•The four other zoos that current-ly have pandas are the San Diego Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, the Memphis Zoo, and the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City.

•The National Zoo currently has two adult Pandas (Mei Xiang and Tian Tian).

•The Zoo also has one of three Panda cubs born in captivity in America (Tai Shan).

•To keep a Panda in captivity there is a $2 million yearly con-tract from the Chinese.

•The National Zoo recently reached an agreement with the Chinese government to keep Panda cub Tai Shan for two extra years.

Male panda Tian Tian lounges in his enclosure eating bamboo. Pandas must eat over 60 pounds of bamboo every day to stay alive.

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14 May 16, 2007HEALTH AtAA

“Drugs don’t solve problems, they create problems,” said Health and PE teacher Ga-briel Romano. Throughout high school, the pressure to drink and use drugs increases dramatically for some. Often, peer pressure influences teens to drink.

For many, the disturbing thing is that some teens become addicted to horrible, life altering habits. So, why do people start using drugs?

Many teenagers begin drinking and using drugs because they want to rebel against their families. Others succumb to peer pressure from friends or classmates. Some are simply bored. Medically speaking, there are no positive effects from drinking alcohol or using drugs. They can cause health problems and in some cases, result in death.

Along with possibly killing the user, using drugs affects others around and can also break apart relationships with family members. Most of the domestic violence reported is usually related to drug and alcohol use. Teenagers should be aware that by using drugs, there is a possibility that they will end up either in jail or dropping out of school as a result of their drug use.

Of course, everyone makes mistakes. If a teenage happens to follow the wrong path and develops an addiction to alcohol or drugs, they should always feel able to tell a trusted

teacher or adult, who can then recommend them to a counselor. From there, the counselor will guide the teenager through the process of getting their lives back on track. “This is the first line of defense,” said counselor Linda Wheeler.

The counselors, along with the public health nurse, can determine the severity of one’s case. They are able to recommened you to an FCPS sponsored seminar that offers help. It is a three-day Alcohol and Other Drug Use Intervention Seminar which offers help to students in grades six through 12 that have been suspended for drug or alcohol use.

The seminar meets each Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday during the school year from 8 a.m to 2 p.m. Parents are able to make special arrange-

ments for students to attend through the school. This seminar is designed to provide information on the addiction process, which then

enables students to assess their own levels of involvement with alcohol and drugs. School personnel register students for this class by calling the Safe and Drug Free Youth Section at Devonshire Center at 703-876-5246.

Drugs affect the liver, brain, kidneys, heart, and also the reproductive and immune system. A user might think that this is untrue, but in addition to harming necessary vital organs, drugs can have a big effect on their outside image too.

Drugs do everything but make one pretty. Drug use causes wrinkly skin, puffy eyes, and yellow teeth. It destroys fingernails and hair, and overall ages one’s appearance.

Teenagers are more likely to commit suicide when using drugs such as inhalants, metham-phetamine, ecstasy, and other drugs that result in hallucinations.

Drugs also affect the ability to learn at school. They slow down brain activity and hinder the ablility to focus as well in school in comparison to if one remained sober and drug free.

“Learning just doesn’t take place,” said Ro-mano.

Good advice to follow, that has been reiterated to teenagers since elementary school, is simply to just say “no” to drugs and alcohol.

As for the users who have yet to be caught, their time may be fast approaching.

“The more accolades you have, the more ac-complishments you have, the bigger the fall you have,” said Romano.

Instead of going through all the grief that not only affects the user, but also others around them, teens should instead decide not to touch drugs or alcohol. Remember, it only takes one puff or one sip to begin a very harmful cycle.

Students who suffer from a drug addiction can seek help for their problems at AHS

BY NATHALIE SPITA News Editor

Pamphlets in health teacher Mr. Romanoʼs room are available for free to students who want to educate themselves about the destructive-

Annandale offers help for drug problems

Do you know your diseases?

1. You catch the cold because: a. have wet hair b. go out in the cold c. are exposed to a virus

2. Malaria is caused by a mosquito. a. true b. false

3. The disease that causes most deaths in adults around the world is: a. tuberculosis b. AIDS/HIV c. cholera

4. Scientists have recognized how many new diseases over the past 20 years? a. 10 b. 20 c. 30

5. The first vaccine was invented by: a. Sir Alexander Fleming b. Edward Jenner c. Jonas Salk

6. The first vaccine was for the prevention of: a. smallpox b. chickenpox c. cholera

7. Antibiotics are used to: a. make vaccines b. cure backaches c. treat bacterial infections

ANSWERS:

1) C 2) FALSE, IT IS CAUSED BY A PROTOZOAN 3) A 4) C 5) B 6) A 7) C

Food for thoughtOranges are a popular snack.

They have a sweet taste and are rich in Vitamin C. They can be ob-tained year-round in many places.

Just one orange contains 116.2 percent of the recommened daily amount of Vitamin C. Because of this, eating oranges can help pre-vent colds and ear infections.

Additionally, oranges are said to prevent ulcers and protect against cardiovascular disease. Current research indicates that orange peels may contain health benefits as well.

SOURCE: WWW.WHFOODS.COM

“Cocaine” removed from stores

Editor’s Note: The A-Blast only grants anonymity to students in extreme cases where naming them could have serious effect. The content of this story has been verified.

I started my life down the wrong road when I was 14. I met a girl who was four years my elder, and she took me under her wing.

Coming to a new school, it is a natural instinct to hold onto the first good thing that comes your way. For me, she was the person that I attached myself to. She acted like we were destined to be friends.

We started hanging out and I soon real-ized that she was into things that I wasn’t used to. At first, it was just a few drinks, no big deal at all. I was hanging out with kids that were nonchalant and suave in every-thing they did.

They had the power to convince me to do whatever they wanted. Eventually, the drinks led to more, and then the more led to destruction.

My grades slowly slipped from honor roll to barely passing. My relationship with my family became based on lies and my own desires.

My real friends had no control over me and the thing I cared about was the next “shin dig,” as we called them. This lifestyle went on for a year and a half. I had seen it all.

I think it is funny that I can no longer remember any fun times that I supposedly had during this time.

The only times that I really remember are the horrible ones. I look back at the times that I can remember and they are scary just to think about.

I remember one night when I was at a random house. A kid started playing Russian roulette right in front of us. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

This kid was such a normal guy during the day, but

under the influence of the drugs that he was on, he had crazy thoughts that sometimes led to suicidal thoughts.

The crazy thing to me was that nobody stopped him from doing this. He could have, at any moment, blown his head off. What was I supposed to do? I did nothing, and I hate myself for that.

Luckily, he left the house with a head on his shoulders. To him, under the influence, it was a silly game. When I look back on it, I realize that I never want to be the person that doesn’t speak out about crazy things when I see them.

I put myself in the most dangerous of situations and I am super lucky to be in the condition that I am in at this point in my life.

Then one night, I got a call. It was one of my “new” friends. She told me that two of our friends had gotten into an accident. One was para-lyzed, and the other was not as “lucky.”

At that moment, my life became so clear. I saw my ac-tions and my life flash before my eyes. I had just thrown

away a year and a half of my life and there was no way to get that time back.

The next week, I received yet another phone call. I had lost a family member. It was time to clean up.

I erased all of my “new” friends’ phone numbers from my phonebook. I immediately apologized to those I had hurt and lied to.

Some friendships were salvaged, others were not. I came clean to my family about everything. I felt horrible that I had deceived them so well. I cleaned up everything about my old life.

My life now is better than anything I experienced

during that year and a half. I have so many friends that I honestly care about, not just pretend to care about.

My relationship with my family is so much stronger, and I know I will never go back to that lifestyle again. All of the things that stressed me and worried me back then are gone.

I haven’t touched anything since I erased those num-bers from my phone book and I believe that the decision I made was the best I’ve made so far. I encourage every person who has had similar experiences to get out of that lifestyle.

Becoming sober was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and I’m just sorry that it took losing a friend and family member for me to get here.

I had just thrown away a year and a half of my life and there was no way to get that time back.

“—Anonymous

student”

An anonymous AHS student shares his story of the destructive life of drugs and his ability to overcome the addiction and return to a healthy lifestyle

BY ANONYMOUS

AHS Student

Teenage Statistics• Teens whose parents talk to them regularly about the dangers of drugs are 42% less likely to use drugs than those whose parents don’t, yet only 1 in 4 teens reports having these conversations.

• 40% of those who started drinking at age 14 or younger later developed alcohol dependence, compared with 10% of those who began drinking at age 20 or older.

• By the 8th grade, 52% of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 41% have smoked cigarettes, and 20% have used marijuana.

• 50% of high school seniors report drinking alcohol in the past 30 days with 32% report being drunk at least once in the same period.

• 10% of teens say that they have been to a rave, and ecstasy was available at more than two-thirds of these raves.

•In 2000, more than 60% of teens said drugs were used, kept, or sold at their school.

HTTP://WWW.GDCADA.ORG/STATISTICS/TEENS.HTM

The Food and Drug Administration ordered the removal of a drink called “Cocaine” from stores by May 4th. Redux, the company that makes it, said it does not contain cocaine but it does have more caffeine that any other energy drink.

The FDA said that the drink was being sold illegally as a street drug and dietary supplement. Redux is going to rename its product and then continue selling it in a few weeks.

SOURCE: WWW.MSNBC.MSN.COM

On the road

to recovery ILLUSTRATION BY BRENDAN MAUER

15INTERNATIONALAtAAMay 16, 2007

Muslim students encounter cultural and religious differences for prom

BY WALIHA GANI

People Editor

Prom. The word that most seniors, especially the ladies are musing about. For most, prom is the night when everything must go as perfect as possible—the hair, nails, dress, limousine ride, friends, and of course: the date. But what happens when culture, family and religion conflict with this must-go high school event?

Since the late 1960s, prom has been a significant high school event symbolizing the American culture. Annandale consists of a multifarious population with students from all kinds of ethnicities and backgrounds. When it comes to prom, religion and culture collide.

“I didn’t even ask my parents about it, but their decision doesn’t have religious aspects to it. It’s just the image that an immigrant parent has of the night of prom is mixed with alcohol, dirty dancing and sex,” said Sahar Chaudary.

This belief is reaffirmed in Chaudary’s mother, Robina Chaudary. “I don’t want my daughter to go because I don’t know what goes on there. I’ve heard

some things about it,” said Chaudary. For most Muslim students, religion is playing a significant part in the night and is

setting what regulations for what to do what not to do.For seniors Mohamud and Wardere, the arduous task of the night will be to keep

their head scarves on. “The hardest thing for us will be to keep our hijabs on because there is just so much

temptation. You’re wearing a dress and dancing and it gets hard,” said Mohamud. “We’re going to remember who we are and keep within our limits.”

Senior Lithe Salem is also keeping to his religious teachings.“I don’t have a date. Islam is a big part of life and I want to follow its principals, so I’m

going with a group of friends,” said Salem. Senior Shukri Mohamud’s, a Muslim, perspectives on prom are very similar to a

typical American girl.“I’ve been planning for prom since my freshman year. I have a date and I’ve already

made my appointments for my nails and hair way ahead of time because I want everything to be perfect,” said Mohamud.

Mohamud also has the limousine ride and the after parties planned.

“There is 20 of us [friends] going together. We all have our dates, the limousine ride prepared, and reservations for the restaurant. I have my dress ready, and I’m so

excited!” said Shukri Mohmamud. “Religion is a big part in my life and I always keep it in mind in everything I do, but

prom is that one night I want to really enjoy. I’m going to keep it [religion] in mind and do nothing bad, but I also want to have a lot of fun. Prom is prom is prom,” said Shukri Mohamud.

On the contrary, sophomore Iyann Mohamed’s views are adamant to her religious and cultural values.

“Prom and Muslim? Do the words even go together? I personally wouldn’t want to be in that kind of atmosphere. To take part in an such an event with the dancing and music is just not worth it,” said Mohamed. “I can find other ways to make my senior year memorable.”

Wardere, Raisa and Shukri Mohamed, are all planning to have a joyous time and put aside troubles that might come later.

“Even if we get in any trouble, we want to have an amazing night, and deal with everything else later. The fun will make up for any anger from parents,” said Wardere. “We’re going to eat, get our freak on, and have a blast.”

All three girls also have a set curfew for returning home.“I have to be home by 1:00 A.M., but I want to go to the after parties. If I don’t get home

by 1:00, then my mom is going to keep calling over and over,” said Shukri Mohamud. Raisa and Shukri Mohamud, Wardere and Salem did not have much trouble with

convincing their parents for permission.

“I haven’t asked my mom yet, but my sister went last year, so I’m pretty sure she’ll be okay with it,” said Raisa Mohamud.

“My dad went to college here and he attended an event similar to prom, and I’ve built trust over the years,” said Salem.

For many others, getting consent from parents to go to prom usually requires lots of convincing.

“Like I said, I knew my mom’s answer, and didn’t ask either. At first, I was upset because everyone talks about prom, prom, prom, and I really wanted to go, but now I guess I can’t really blame her [mom] for not letting me go because she’s just not used to this culture and there are too many stories about prom out there,” said Chaudary.

“I tried convincing them [parents], and it didn’t work, so now it doesn’t matter to me. I’m not sad or anything,” said Ribaha Farooq.

...the image an immigrant parent has of prom is mixed with alcohol, dirty dancing and sex.

“ —Sahar Chaudary

senior”

“I watched fireworks the night of Cinco de Mayo. They were red, white and green, symbolizing the Mexican flag.”

—Monica Atheyfreshman

“I went to the festival in D.C. and I had a lot of fun because there were tacos and burritos. ”

—Mohammad Humza

sophomore

“On Cinco de Mayo I watched boxing with my friends.”

—Luis Velascjunior

“I went out with my friends to a party filled with delicious tacos and other Mexican food. ”

—Christie Treongsenior

“My Cuban band played at a wedding. But I’m not very fond of Cinco de Mayo because I’m French.”

—Jennifer Carey

English teacher

The cultural clash

Left to right: Senior Muslim students Shukri Mohamud, Hawa Wardere and RaisaMohamud plan on adhering to their religious teachings and having an enjoyable time at prom.

Students celebrate Cinco De Mayo

How did you celebrate Cinco

de Mayo?

World News

On Monday, 20 people were killed in the city of Ramadi by two suicide bombers, according to Iraqi authorities. The attack is being blamed on the Sunni insurgent group al-Queda . The incident has become a successful symbol to the U.S. mili-tary, since the city of Ramadi is known to be a place where Sunni’s try to take over and take charge. As a result of frequent attacks from many extremists groups in Iraq, the U.S. military and Iraqi forces are holding at least 24 suspected members of al-Qaeda in captivity.

Student’sResponse: At the beginning of the war I thought we probably needed to do it, but I have not seen much progress since the fall of Sad-dam Hussein. And I don’t believe it was much progress or a successful symbol killing Sunni extreamist because killing someone is not a good thing.

The United States has already begun to prepare for Castro’s death, and what the U.S. believes will be a huge Cuban migration towards Florida. The United States has hired a Florida company to build a temporary facility in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, which will be a place to hold migrants. It has not been specified if the complex would be used for Cubans, but the Navy Officials have expressed their concerns and thoughts that it could be possible for a Cu-ban exodus. The fenced complex is to be finished by 2008.

Student’s Response:I don’t think the plan is going to work because there’s going to be a major increase in the num-ber of Cubans coming to America once Castro dies and I don’t believe the U.S. can stop all of them. But I do think that the U.S. should take steps to try and help them by granting them citizenship if they are really desperate to leave their country.

MIDDLE EAST

THE AMERICAS

Junior David Bickerstaff

Sophomore Travis Valle

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D.C. festivities held in honor of Mexican holiday

ANNIKA JESSEN

International Editor

Cinco de Mayo is a time of celebration for the country of Mexico. It is often confused with Mexico’s Independence Day, when in fact it marks the anniversary of a victory over the French. This victory was significant because the Mexican army, which consisted of a little over 4,000 ill-equiped soldiers, defeated a French army of 8,000. This battle, known as the “Batalla de Puebla,” or the “battle of a small Puebla,” has become known in the United States as Cinco de Mayo: the holiday that many Americans are now familiar with.

Cinco de Mayo is mostly a celebration of Mexican unity, patirotism and victory. Not everyone celebrates this victory because some say that it is not a holiday to be “celebrated.”

“People put up decorations, but Cinco de Mayo is more

a commemoration of the day the Mexican army beat the French,” said Jackie Sylva. “We celebrate that because it was a big, unexpected event. Beating the French wasn’t something that happened everyday. The only place where Cinco de Mayo is celebrated vigorously is the city of Puebla, where the battle was fought.”

Cinco de Mayo celebrations may be dwindling, but some families stick to traditional events. Most teenagers hold parties or get togethers with their friends and families to remember this day. A traditional party consists of dancing, parades, mariachi music, food and drink.

“My family and I go to my Aunt’s house and have a big party,” said freshman Edgar Rivas. “My cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents are there too. Our mothers cook a lot of food, like tacos, and our fathers have some drinks. Then we all eat Mexican food and play games because that’s how we party.”

In Washington, D.C., there is an annual parade and celebration that is avaliable for anyone to attend. At the celebration there is traditional Mexican food and decorations. Sombraros are sold and there are activities avaliable for young children, such as making pinatas or playing a game of spanish bingo. There are also two stages on which Mexican music is played and traditional dances are performed. President Bush held a gathering this year at the White House where he addressed the importance of the event.

To further celebrate this holiday, a boxing match is often held. Many parties that are held will have the boxing match shown on televisions around the house.

“To celebrate Cinco de Mayo I just watched boxing with my family, you know, cousins, aunts, and uncles. We also had traditional Mexican food on the side,” said freshman Leslie Coronado.

Many people often do not know the reason for Cinco de Mayo celebrations, but they partake in them anyways. Some Mexicans wish that people would recognize the rea-son for the celebrating becuase it is an important event in Mexican history. But for now, people will continue to dance to music and eat mexican food.

“I think that Cinco de Mayo is a great time for people to come together, [both] Latino and American. It’s a time of celebration of a victorious Mexican battle,” said freshman Nikki Clarke. “It’s fun to get together with my friends, eat mexican food, and watch boxing. We always have a great time.”During the celebration of Cinco de Mayo many Mexicans

particpate in a traditional dance.

A band plays Mexican music at the festival.

The festival in Washington D.C involves many activities for children, including creating drawings of Mexican warriors and wearing the traditional Mexican sombrero.

16 May 16, 2007SPORTS AtAA

Districts end losing season for boys tennis, but high hopes for next year remain

BY WALTER SMITH

Sports Editor

AHS’s boys’ tennis finished the season in districts at West Potomac High School last week. The team played well, but none of the players made it past the second round.

Two seniors, Matt Kishiyama and Samson Belay, were two tennis players that qualified for the singles championship tournament, but both lost tough match-es in the first round. Kishiyama and Belay also played on Annandale’s number one doubles team, where they

won their first match, but lost 10-8 to the third seed. The number two doubles team of sophomore Carson Wahl and freshman Connor Volk, played the number one seed and lost in the first round.

“I think I played pretty well this year and I defi-nitely improved,” said Wahl. “I’m looking forward to next season and I hope to be one of the top two players [of the team].”

Wahl also said that he plans on working hard during the offseason, practicing more tennis.

On paper, the boys’ tennis team had a disappointing season, finishing sixth in the district with a 4–12 record. However, all of the players played well and improved throughout the season. And above all, the varsity tennis team is young. Two of the top players are underclass-men, with Wahl and Volk. Along with them, there are two juniors and a sophomore who played on the varsity team this year.

“We should contend for the district title next season,”

Soccer closes season on high note with tie vs. Lake Braddock

BY GREG YOUNG

Sports Editor

As the season comes to a close, the boys soccer club has demonstrated con-sistent improvement throughout the season. Although the team is only 3-8-2, they are coming off one of their most impressive performances of the season: a scoreless draw against Lake Brad-dock. The Atoms not only shut down the Bruins in regulation, they also survived two overtimes in order to salvage the tie. Although the team was unable to score, they were able to deny a victory to the Bru-ins, who are currently 6-1-5 on the season and are consistently one of the top soccer teams in the Washington area.

Against Lake Braddock, the Atoms focused on shutting down the Bruin’s of-fense.

“Before the game, we talked to each individual player, especially the defend-

ers and the midfielders, and told them to mark their men,” said head coach Antonio Rivadeneira.

Additionally, Rivadeneira told the mid-fielders to stay more at the defensive end, giving AHS additional defenders in which to shut down the Lake Braddock offense.

“We really weren’t concentrating as much on attacking [in the Lake Braddock game],” said senior midfielder Jai An.

However, the Atoms still have areas in which they can improve. One of the major problems that the team is having is a lack of communication on the field.

“We need to focus on being more orga-nized,” said An.

Before the tie against Lake Braddock, the team had lost four straight games. In those four losses, the team was only able to score three times while allowing 15 goals.

“[The streak] was a result of bad com-munication about our positions and a lack of chemistry,” said Rivadeneira, who added that he believed that the team was getting much better at resolving their communica-tion issues.

The Atoms will play their first Patriot District Tournament game on Monday against T.C Williams, who defeated the Atoms by 4-1 on May 8. The game ended

Atoms finish regular season with rout of T.C. Williams; head into playoffs strong

BY GREG YOUNG

Sports Editor

Near the end of the season, the AHS varsity softball team has continued to struggle. So far, the Atoms are only 5-11 on the year, and are coming off of losses to Lee and South County.

Nevertheless, there are reasons for optimism about the team. Firstly, the team has vastly improved their record from last two years, when they finished at 8-25 combined. Additionally, the Atoms are coming off of a win against T.C Williams. The team celebrated their senior night by defeating the Titans, 14-0, who are 0-15 on the year.

The win stopped a three game losing streak for the Atoms, in which they were outscored by a combined score of 24-6.

“We have the ability to beat anyone,” said senior co-captain Kelsey Grant. “It just hasn’t worked so far.”

Normally, Grant would be one of the ace pitchers for the Atoms. However, Grant injured her arm during the season and has been forced to play at catcher. As a result of Grant’s injury, sophomore Glenda Ngo has been forced into a starting pitchers role this season. The general consensus around the team is that Ngo has done a solid job filling in as a starting pitcher.

One of the main reasons that the season has not gone as well as the Atoms originally hoped was the lack of a strong defense. So far, the team has committed over 30 errors.

“We need to work on all of the small things,” said senior co-captain Beth Sass. “Our fundamentals need improvement.”

Another problem is that the Atoms have had a lack of focus on the field.

“Our minds just haven’t been in it,” said junior Veronica Ramirez. “We’ve had communication issues throughout the season, and we haven’t been helping each other.”

The Atoms are hoping to turn their season around as the District Tournament starts. The team plays their quarterfinal game tonight at West Potomac. The Atoms have lost both their games against West Potomac by scores of 16-1 and 6-0.

“No team is taking us lightly [in the tournament],” said Grant.

Lacrosse falls in district championship game

BY WALTER SMITH

Sports Editor

The boys lacrosse team finished the district playoffs on a sour note as the Atoms lost to the West Springfield Spartans 3-13 on Friday night. The Atoms came into the district championship game strong, with wins against a tough South County team and top-ranked Hayfield in the first and sec-ond rounds. These two games were even more interesting because the Atoms lost to both teams during the regular sea-son. South County beat Annandale 3-9 and then- undefeated Hayfield beat the Atoms 9-13.

On top of that, the Atoms finished the regular season with five straight wins. However, the Spartans proved to be too tough for the Atoms. The Spartans also beat the Atoms in a 7-8 heartbreaker that had five overtimes earlier in the season. The five O.T. game was also the Atoms’ first loss.

The overall season was good for Atoms’ lacrosse, finish-ing 6-4 in the regular season. Although the record on paper is basically identical to last year’s 6-5 record, the strong play of the Atoms this year has been different in years past. The season had a slow start, with a 1-4 record. Adding to the frustration, the game versus Hylton was cancelled due to constant inclement weather conditions. But after the loss

to O’Connell, the Atoms ended the regular season with a five game winning streak, including a blow out of R. E. Lee and a close game to the Lake Braddock Bruins.

Along with the strong team play, six players were chosen to the All-District team. Junior Matt Johnson and senior Drew Chadwick were selected for the first team All-District. Johnson was a starting attacker for the Atoms and Chad-wick started on defense and was also a captain. Second team All-District candidates were junior Zach Sells, junior Kevin McCracken, and senior Bryan Krzywicki. Sells and

Krzywicki played midfield, while Kevin McCracken started at goalie. Senior Sean Armstrong was nominated for honor-able mention.

“We just lost the Patriot District Championship to West Springfield and now we’re hungry to continue the winning streak,” said Krzywicki.

The season did not end for the Atoms on Friday night. They played Westfield High School last night in the first round of the regional playoffs, but the results were too late for this publication.

Atoms reach next level

Senior defenseman Sean Armstrong moves the ball up the field after a failed Spartan attack. The Atoms lost to the Spar-tans 3-13 on May 12.

Tennis finishes season Softball Slump

Senior Samson Belay returns a ball at districts at West Potomac High School May 8.

Grant

Senior midfielder Jai An warms up prior to game versus T. C. Williams on Monday.

Boys Soccer finishes season strong

Junior midfielder Zach Flynn charges towards the goal against West Spring-field.

Junior midfielder Zach Sells runs up-field against the Spartan defense.

Senior midfielder Krista Silano works to get past a Spartan defender on May 12.

Sophomore attacker Linda Rayasse guards a West Springfield player as she moves up the field.

Boys Lacrosse Patriot District Championship

Girls Lacrosse Patriot District Championship

All-District Boys’ Lacrosse

First Team All-District

Drew Chadwick, SeniorMatt Johnson, Junior

Second Team All-District

Bryan Krzywicki, SeniorKevin McCracken, JuniorZach Sells, Junior

Honorable Mention

Sean Armstrong, Senior

All-District Girls’ Lacrosse

First Team All-District

Mary Bermingham, JuniorMarie Han, SeniorKrista Silano, Senior

Second Team All-District

Maggie Bermingham, FreshmanLinda Rayasse, Sophomore

Honorable Mention

Madeleine Irwin, FreshmanEmily Vincent, SeniorTiffanie Le, Junior

All photos by Greg Rosenstein

We just lost the Patriot District Championship and now we’re hungry to win.

“—Bryan Krzywicki

senior”

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17SPORTSAtAAMay 16, 2007

Thirty-nine runs given up in past four games lead to disappointing end to season and seventh place finish in district

BY GREG ROSENSTEIN

Sports Editor

Seven starters were returning from last year, including five who batted over .340, and Coach Ron Abrigo was entering his second season. On paper, the Atoms looked as if they could contend for the 2007 Patriot District Championship. But on the field, they looked otherwise.

At the conclusion of a below-par regular season (2-12 in the district, 5-15 overall), a team that began with confidence and high aspirations ended up wishing for what could have been.

“The season was disappointing,” said junior second basemen Jeff Dean. “We had a lot of experience back from last year but we haven’t been successful at all.”

The second half of the season was especially bad with the team losing ten of its final 12 games. Though dependable for most of the season, the pitching staff surrendered 39 runs in their last four games. When so many runs are scored by the opposition, it is almost impossible to pull out a victory.

“Defense has not been where we wanted it this year,” said senior pitcher Will Wade. “The pitcher’s job is to throw strikes and pitch ‘ground balls.’ We haven’t been able to do enough of this.”

But while much of the blame for giving up so many runs could be attributed to the pitchers, an inability to make routine plays has been a large factor in the Atoms’ losing record.

“Mental errors have killed us,” said senior outfielder John Derrickson. “Most of the runs we have recently given up are unearned. If you take away every unearned run, I guarantee we would have a winning season.”

“The routine play needs to be made 100 percent of the time,” said Abrigo. “We just lose our focus.”

In the Patriot District standings, the Atoms sit in seventh place, second from last, ahead of only Lee. But with the regular season completed and the first round of the playoffs here, each team can start fresh. The top four seeds of the single-elimination tournament receive byes while teams seeded five through eight will face each other in the first round. Wins in the first two games result in a trip to regionals. The Atoms game at West Potomac (5-9; 8-12) on Monday night ended too late for publication.

“I think we have a really good shot of moving on,” said senior catcher Jon Anderson.

“We feel really confident that we can win the first two games and advance…We have to play to represent AHS,” said Derrickson. “There is not one person from our team that thinks we are going to lose.”

Monday night’s playoff game was not availible at press time

Soccer team ties T.C. Williams on its Senior Night

BY JOSEPH INGBERG

Staff Writer

The girls varsity soccer team’s Senior Night ended as a 1–1 draw between the Atoms and T.C. Williams. This was the final game of the regular season before the district playoffs began May 14 at South County. The Atoms are the eighth seed and faced Lake Braddock, the first seed, on Monday (results of the game were not available at press time). Lake Braddock is currently 9-1-2 on the season and they defeated the Atoms 4-0 on their last meet-ing on May 2.

Although the team would have preferred a win on Senior Night, it was a better result than many of the other games the team has played in. The team finished the regular season with a record of 2-9-2, with no wins within the Patriot District.

Nevertheless the team seemed upbeat after the game.

“The game was a good way to end the season,” said Junior Beth Hertel. “It will be a boost for the next years soccer season.”

The tie against T.C. Williams ended a seven game losing streak for the Atoms, which included two losses by five or more goals.

Seniors Margaret Crowley, Jennifer Jacobs, Madeleine Mejean, Kellyanne Scrivener, Julianne Simpson, and Julie Tumasz were all honored at Senior Night for their hard work through the years as

a part of the Atoms soccer team.T.C. Williams scored the first goal of

the game. However, freshman Stephanie Burns responded by scoring the team’s only goal with about eight minutes in the first half. The rest of the game there were a few near goals for both teams but neither team could manage to score.

Two of the better players on the team have been freshmen Nikki Clark and Burns. Clarke plays on the team as a centermidfielder and a sweeper. Several of Clarke’s teammates have said that Clarke plays with a lot of intensity and that without her the team would be signif-icantly worse. Burns, on the other hand, is known more for her ability at headers and is also known for her fearlessness when she goes up to head the ball. Both freshman are hoping to improve the team for several years to come.

Despite loss in the district finals against West Springfield, the Atoms move to regionals

BY TIM YUSKAVAGE

Copy Editor

“I don’t think anyone could have wanted it more,” said girls lacrosse coach Hook.

The assessment by Hook of the team’s performance in the Patriot District title game reflected her pride in her team’s effort. Although the Atoms lost the district championship to the West Springfield Spartans in a 11-13 decision, the outlook by the team for their next round of playoff games is still positive.

Before the title game, the Atoms breezed through the first two rounds of the district tournament by thrashing West Potomac and Lake Braddock by scores of 14-2 and 11-4 in the first and second rounds. Going into the district championship last Friday, the Atoms had been on a nine game winning streak. Nonetheless, AHS knew that this game would be especially challenging, as West Springfield was a “really strong team,” according to Hook. West Springfield has compiled a record this season of 16-0, including their victory last Friday. Annandale’s record is now 12-5.

The championship game at Lee High School was a back-and-forth affair, with no team ever pulling away. After taking a 2-0 lead, AHS went into halftime trailing 8-6. The first half offense was sparked by sophomore attack woman Linda Rayasse, who scored three goals. In the second half, West Springfield’s lead ranged from one to three goals, but the Atoms never tied nor fell behind by four or more goals. Junior midfielder Mary Bermingham, who scored one goal in the first half, exploded in the second half by scoring three of AHS’s five goals. How-ever, the Atoms could not overcome the deficit, and ultimately came up short.

Scoring for AHS in the game were Rayasse with four goals, Bermingham with four goals, senior midfielder Krista Silano with one goal, freshman midfielder Maggie Berm-ingham with one goal and sophomore Meredith Rutherford with one goal.

But the game was even closer than the score suggested. One of West Springfield’s goals came with controversy, as an inadvertent air horn went off in the parking lot, causing the AHS defenders to stop play, leaving the goal exposed. The game “could have been anyone’s game,” according to Hook. Hook also went on to say how a few different breaks, perhaps

a different call or bounce of the ball, might have changed the outcome. Despite the setback, AHS’s season continues as the team will be facing the third-seeded

Robinson Rams as the number two seed. The team is looking forward to this contest. When talking about the regional tournament, Hook commented that she “liked that draw,” referring to their opponent.

After a little over a month of the 2007 season with no hitting, no pitching and no defense, the phrase Washington Nationals’ management keeps speaking of: “building for the future,” is getting too old.

I agree with President Stan Kasten, who has a phenomenal track record for improv-ing struggling franchises, that we need to be patient and look at the potential of this ball club. But breaking the ten-win mark in the middle of May? This is ridiculous.

As of Sunday, the Nationals have the worst record in the National League East (12-25 on the season), are last in the Major Leagues in home runs (17 hit on the year), 29th out of 30 in runs scored (112), 29th in Runs Batted In (107), 29th in batting average (a miserable .234)…Should I go on?

Pitching-wise, the Nationals are at least a tad better with the 20th ranked staff av-eraging 4.50 earned runs each game. But even when young upcoming pitchers such as Shaun Hill and Jason Bergman have good outings, the Nats still find ways to lose. Through eight games, Hill has an ERA of just 2.70, good for 11th in the National League. But with the lousy run support the National hitters have been providing and the inabil-ity to close games by relievers, he only has three wins. In the past two seasons, when the words “Chief” (signaling an appearance of closer Chad Cordero) came on the board, the crowd at RFK would do the “Tomahawk Chop” in praise. But with four blown saves in eight opportunities this season, the crowd has switched to the “hand on nose,” signaling, “You stink!”

I am also annoyed with the lack of talent on the field. Outside of possibly Cordero and Ryan Zimmerman (who is batting a miserable .250 with two home runs), there are really no other players on this team that the casual fan would even know. Here’s an example: I went on the Nationals website and the first thing that pops up is a ad that says

“Vote Now for your All-Stars,” with the faces of eight players. I think to myself, “These guys are our All-Stars? Who the heck are these guys?” If you can’t name more than two or three off the top of your head, something tells me we’re in trouble. Any team that is hoping to rebuild and bring in a new fan base needs more than two recognizable players on its squad. Period.

But I still have faith in Kasten and his so-called plan for the future. His past experience in turning the Atlanta Braves from a noth-ing franchise to a perennial World Series contender keeps Nationals fans optimistic.

Looking at the bright side, most of the active roster is made up of young, unproven talent that with experience can eventually make some noise. And considering that Kasten and General Manager Jim Bowden are pretty much putting a minor-league club out there each night. It tells you: a) these young kids are trying to the best of their abilities to over-come veteran ball players and b) KASTEN AND BOWDEN ARE FIELDING A MINOR LEAGUE BALLCLUB! Who in their right mind would want to pay more than $20 bucks a pop to see pitcher Matt Chico throw to catcher Jesus Flores and watch hitters Rob-ert Fick and Nook Logan attempt to make contact with a ball?! To top it off, for at least this season, fans have to watch the game in one of the biggest dumps in the Major League, RFK stadium.

One of my friends (lets just call him John) lives, breathes and dies Nationals. And I feel so sorry for him. How much stress and agony must he endure to make it through a full 162-game season? Night in, night out, following a bunch of losers. If, at the end of the season he looks like former manager Frank Robinson, we all know what did him in…

The Nationals better start winning, and fast. Their one genuine star from last season, Alfonso Soriano, took off. And if a contender is not built by 2020, so will the Nationals fan base.

By Greg RosensteinBy Greg Rosenstein

Sports Column

TheThe Extra Extra PointPoint

The Nats...worst ever?

Girls lacrosse falls short

Junior Mary Bermingham moves towards the goal against several West Springfield defenders in the District Final on May 12. Bermingham had 5 goals in the 13-11 loss. “I think that the team is really coming together and that we will be ready for Regionals,” Bermingham said.

Year:SeniorSport: Varsity SoftballNote: Went 4-4 with seven RBI’s against T.C. Williams on May 12.Player Quote: “It was my last game and I wanted to do well,” said Sass. “We’re going to try hard to do well in districts. If we can stay focused and perform to the best of our ability, we will be fine.”

Year:SeniorSport: Track & FieldNote: Cleared the 4’8” high jump in his last attempt during the meet at West Potomac. Player Quote: “I was really excited that I was able to clear the jump,” said Langel. “It’s the highest jump that I have ever cleared and to do it on my last try makes it really special.”

Year: JuniorSport: Varsity Girls LacrosseNote: Scored 5five goals in a 13-11 loss against West Springfield on May 12.Player Quote: “I think that the the team is really coming together,” said Bermingham. “The passing was going well and everyone was finding the open man.”

BETH SASS

TEDDY LANGEL

MARY BERMINGHAM

Compiled By Greg YoungCompiled By Greg Young

Sports Column

SportsSports SpotlightSpotlight

Atomic Athletics

4-6JV Boys Soccer

7-0-3

All sports records taken from www.annandaleatoms.com

JV Boys Lacrosse

Track prepares for Districts

The AHS Track team completed its final regular season track meet on May 9. With a strong showing against Hayfield, West Potomac and Lake Braddock, everyone but the varsity team ended the season on a high note. The varsity team then competed at the TJ Penultimate Experience on May 12 and will compete again on May 15th in the district meet at West Potomac at 5 pm.

Senior Brandon Williams won the 800-meter dash in a personal best time senior Mohammed Alefrangy got third in the 100-meter dash. Overall, it was a good warm-up for the upcoming district meet. The girls team had a successful meet as well with sophomore Emily Koppelman winning seventh place in shotput and sixth in discus.

Many athletes are on their way to the regional meet as well. Senior Alvin Siv qualified for states in pole vaulting, and senior Shakia Branch qualified for regionals in shot put and discus.

“It’s a mental thing, you throw as far as you want to. You have to push yourself,” said Branch.

At the end of the season there is a lot to look forward to with the current freshmen. Daniel Blasser in the 800-meter dash and Michael Ejigu in the mile both ran outstand-ing races as freshmen and there is a lot to expect from them next year.

—Joseph IngbergStaff Writer

JV Girls Soccer 4-6-2

JV Baseball 6-8

JV Softball 4-10

JV Girls Lacrosse 7-3

Girls soccer fails to score for win

Frustration sets with baseball struggling

Anderson

Senior goalkeeper Kelly Scrivener and junior Beth Hertel dribble the ball during practice.

Kasten

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Capital Corporation

May 16, 2007WEEKEND AtAA20

BY CAROLINE MERZ

Weekend Editor

Located off of Route 236 in Fairfax, Woody’s Ice Cream is a small town ice cream joint with a very summer feeling. Opening April 1 of each year, and closing October 1, Woody’s is constantly busy, especially during the summer months. It is open everyday except Sunday.

It first opened in 1998 by Woody Lashley, the current owner. The busi-ness started when Lashley retired from his auto business. He wanted to create a place for future generations to create memories of getting ice cream

with their families. He has had the oppurtunity to watch children grow to teenagers and drive themselves to get their own ice cream cones.

It is set outdoors with outdoor seat-ing and umbrellas. The menu has a variety of choices, all being soft serve ice cream cones and sundaes.

Soft serve cones and the famous “Hot Fudge Brownie” are among the most popular dessert

choices. “I like the Hot Fudge Brownie myself,” said

Lashley, “and also the strawberry shortcake.”Freshman Maggie Bermingham is a regular

customer at Woody’s during the summer. “It’s better then any of the other places, like Dairy Queen, because it’s fresh and

really good,” said Bermingham, “I also like being able to sit outside.”

By Kate McCormack and Tim ShadyacBy Kate McCormack and Tim Shadyac

ChowChow DownDown

Restaurant Guide

Pizza Bazzano is located in the Ravensworth Shopping Center off of Braddock Road.

Food:

Service:

Decor: out of 4 stars

Upcoming Concerts

9:30 ClubVelvet RevolverTues., May 15Elvis Costello

Fri., May 18Keane

Tues., May 29DeftonesSun., June 3

The State TheaterDark Star OrchestraWed., May 16Grace PotterSat., May 19

The BirchmereElliot YaminThurs., May 17The Avett BrothersFri., May18

Patriot Center

Nelly FurtadoFri., June 8

“Rocky Road - it’s so good and I really like the marshmel-lows!”

—Anita Obasisophomore

“Birthday Cake because it’s yummy to my tummy.”

—Tamika Jones

freshman

“Cookies N’ Cream is pretty stamp!”

—Thomas Paxman

senior

“Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough because it’s like a cookie and ice cream at the same time.”

—Zach Flynn

junior

“Berry Berry Strawberry because it’s deli-cious and gets me going.”

—JP Zambranasenior

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Bazzanoʼs offers options like steak and cheese subs.

TIM

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I scream for ice creamWhat’s your

favorite ice cream flavor?

Maggie Moo’s Baskin Robbins

Dairy QueenWoody’sBY CLAIRE BUI

Weekend Editor

Dairy Queen (also known as DQ) is an ice-cream shop and fast-food restaurant franchise based in the United States. When DQ was founded in 1940, a new kind of dessert was introduced - a semi-frozen, “soft serve” dairy product. Soon Dairy Queen’s products expanded to include malts and milkshakes, banana splits, Dilly Bars, Mr. Misty slush treats (later renamed to Arctic Rush), and a range of hamburgers and other cooked foods. Additional items on the menu in-clude ice cream sundaes and the blended coffee drink, the MooLatte. Perhaps the most

popular Dairy Queen treat today is the Blizzard, which is ice cream with candy bits blended in; it has been a staple on

the menu since 1985. The Blizzard is traditionally served upside down to prove its thickness and include flavors such as Oreo Cookies, chocolate chip cookie dough, M&M’s, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, Kit Kat, and Butterfinger.

“I go to Dairy Queen because the ice cream is awesome, my favorite thing are the Blizzards. They also offer a nice, friendly environment and I get great service,” said sophomore Marie Benavides.

The company’s stores are operated under three brands: Small Dairy Queen stores (which serve a very abbreviated menu featuring primarily DQ frozen treats and hot dogs; medium-sized Dairy Queen Brazier stores (which serve a normal fast-food menu featuring burgers, french fries and processed fried chicken products in addition to the frozen treats and hot dogs; and large (and new) DQ Grill & Chill, stores which have an expanded menu including breakfast.

BY CLAIRE BUI

Weekend Editor

Baskin-Robbins is a global chain of ice cream parlors founded in 1945 by Burt Baskin and Irv Robbins. Burt and Irv’s mission was to create delicious ice cream concoctions with loads of ingredients and

whimsical names. They introduced the innovative “31 flavors” concept, offering one fla-

vor for every day of the month, and also believed that that customers should be able to sample flavors until they found one they wanted to buy, hence the iconic small pink spoon.

Burt and Irv’s ideals live on at Baskin-Robbins, where the franchise now possess a

flavor library that consists of more than 1,000 ice cream rec- i-pes. While the flavor list var-

ies by region and by season, four new Baskin-Robbins flavors are

added to the collection every four months. In addition to developing flavors, Baskin-Robbins caters other inno-

vations such as hand-packed quarts of ice cream, the use of traditional dessert ingre-

dients, and the introduction of mousse-textured ice creams. Senior Kelly Pilkerton frequently goes to Baskin-Robins. “I like

to go to there with friends on the weekends when I have a really stressful week with schoolwork. This year I’ve especially gained a

bajillion pounds from eating so much ice cream with sprinkles!” she said.

BY CHARLES SIMPSON

Staff Writer

While everyone from around the D.C. area can remember going to a Baskin Robbins or Ben & Jerry’s as a kid, recently a new contender has arisen in Northern Virginia and became instantly popular for its wide range of ice cream flavors and

toppings.This ice cream store goes by the unusual, but easy to remember,

name of Maggie Moo’s, after the pink-dress, pearl wearing cow used by the business as a mascot and spokesperson to its hundreds of young fans.

Although this business and all of its stores have a laid-

back, kid friendly and humorous environment, their ice cream making

is taken very seriously. Maggie Moo’s has won five blue ribbon awards at the National Ice Cream Retailers Association for their Va-nilla, Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Strawberry flavors. While these are their award-winning flavors, this is not to say their other 35 flavors and numerous toppings aren’t good either.

Flavors and toppings range from A, Amoretto or Apple Strudel and Almonds, to almost Z, Vanilla, Very Yellow Marshmallow, White Chocolate Chips, or York Peppermint Patties.

Unfortunately, to make room for these new flavors, it seems Maggie Moo’s has had to get rid of some of the original classics such as cookie dough. “I went to five different places and they [Maggie Moo’s] didn’t have [cookie dough ice cream] either,” said junior Joe Ingberg.

Get the scoopIce cream is an $11 billion retail industry.

The first ice cream parlor in America opened in New York City in 1776.

Eighty percent of the world’s Vanilla Bean used for ice cream is grown in Madagas-car. It takes 12 lbs. of milk to

make just one gallon of ice cream.

The average number of licks to polish off a single

scoop ice cream cone is approximately 50.

July is National Ice Cream Month.

In Kentucky, it is illegal to carry ice cream in your back pocket.

More ice cream is sold on Sunday than any other day of the week.

Compiled by Claire Bui and Caroline Merz

Air is an essential ingredient of ice cream. Without air, ice cream would

be chewy.

Baskin-Robins offers regular 4oz. scoops for $1 every Tuesday from 6 P.M. to 10 P.M.

Customers can enjoy soft serve favorites in a relaxing outdoor atmosphere.

Pizza Bazzano’s is one of those restaurants in Spring-field that has a great general location, but is hidden in the Ravensworth Shopping Center, so it is not widely known.

Bazzano’s makes Italian style foods, but all of the foods served are served plainly like most American restaurants.

The restaurant itself is nothing special. Its location next to 7-11 does not seem like a great atmosphere. The inside of Bazzano’s is also less than impressive, but the atmo-sphere is casual and friendly.

This restaurant has a family owned feel with its posters of local sports teams and other collectables from the area.

The service is also similar to service you would receive at a small family run restaurant. Servers greet you upon walking in the door and tell you to take a seat where ever you want.

Servers are not shy to ask you if you need anything

more or if anything is not cooked or prepared the right way.

Bazanno’s makes various kinds of pizzas, subs, and sandwiches with typical sides like french fries and onion rings.

Pizzas have the typical topping options like peppero-ni, sausage, ham, and other meats and vegetables.

You might think that your best choice of food would be pizza, but in my experiences I feel like pizza is actually the worst thing on the menu.

Pizzas are often over cooked with bland cheeses and sauces. The pizzas are usually not big enough to share in large groups either.

Bazzano’s subs, on the other hand, are worth the trip to the restaurant. A customer and personal favorite is the steak and cheese sub. The subs are large and fairly priced for the amount of food.

A meal at Bazzano’s will typically cost under $10 per person, which for a sit down restaurant isn’t over priced.

A warning for those of you who go to Bazzano’s, there are no free refills on drinks, which can make your bill add

up if you enjoy soda with your meal. While the foods at Bazzano’s are typically

average, the family atmosphere and feeling of the restaurant make customers always feel welcome, which is why Bazzano’s has a strong following or regular customers.

Bazzano’s is open every night of the week and is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday,

and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

Pizza Bazzano is located: 8019 Braddock Road, Springfield, VA 22151 (703) 321-9270 or (703) 321-9882

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