ANNANDALE HIGH SCHOOL4 7 0 0 M e d f o r d D r. A n n a n d a l e , VA 2 2 0 0 3

BLASTBLAST703.642.4229 TUESDAY JUNE 10, 2003 VOLUME #48 ISSUE 13

A i n f o r m i n g t h e A t o m s s i n c e 1 9 5 4

6LITTLE LEAGUEPOPULARA look into the advantagesof playing on a LittleLeague team before highschool.

11CELL PHONES:TOTALLY COOLRead about the growingpopularity of cell phonesand find out all differenttypes that are available

8-9SAY GOODBYETO SENIORSCheck out a map of theU.S. and track whereseniors will be headingafter high school

16A-BLAST SE-NIORS SAY ADIOSThe staff reflect on the pastexperience of The A-Blastseniors

NEWS BRIEFS

Today’s WeatherPartly cloudy, withtemperaturesslowing warmingup.

85º hi /61º low brought to you by NBC 4

the

Lecture hall to be renamedAfter serving as Principal of AHSfor nine years, Principal DonaldClausen will be honored by havingthe Lecture Hall named after him.The Fairfax County School Boardallowed the naming of “ClausenHall” after parents and co-workersrequested to commemorateClausen’s leadership and pride inAHS.

How much preparationhave you given (or willyou give) to your finalexams?

A g reat deal

19%

A little

Let the exams begin...

23%

Somewhat

Not at all

33%

—The survey was administered to219 students by The A-Blast staff during

B, C, and D lunches on June 5

Students tograduate inone week

Principal speaks on Capitol Hill

Grim

BY SABRINA STACYAtomic Articles Editor

The Class of 2003 will graduate on June 17 at 7p.m. at DAR Constitutional Hall in Washington, D.C.Transportation to the ceremony will be provided bythe All Night Graduation Celebration sponsors; costwill be $12 per person.

The All Night Graduation Celebration will takeplace after the ceremony at South Run RecreationCenter. At the event, graduates may participate invarious activities including mock casino gambling,games, recreational sports and swimming. The cel-ebration will take place between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

“Graduating is one of the biggest accomplish-ments and all my hard work had paid off for a rea-son,” said senior Howard Anane.

The graduating seniors who paid their senior dueswill be granted four free tickets to Constitutional Hall.Between 2,200 and 2,500 people are expected to at-tend this ceremony.

“I am delighted that they are graduating,” saidgovernment teacher Will Young. “They are absolutelywonderful to work with, and I’m sure they are goingto be a credit to the educational system of FairfaxCounty.”

However, this year extra security precautions arein place. Metal detectors, bag and personal belong-ing searches and body searches will occur at Consti-tutional Hall. Also, there will be no camera boxesdue to construction at Constitutional Hall, but peoplewill be allowed to take pictures from their seats.

Graduation rehearsal will take place on Friday,June 13 at 10:30 a.m. inthe auditorium.

Graduation would notbe complete without aguest speaker to add somewords of wisdom to thegraduates before leavingfor high school. The Presi-dent of George MasonUniversity, Dr. Mertenwill be speaking to theclass at ConstitutionalHall. Graduation wouldnot be possible without the

Principals step out of office

25%

Holocaust survivor HenryGreenbraum will be visiting AHStoday during flexes to speek toEnglish classes

Principal Don Clausen (far left) and Administrator Barbara Fugate (far right) pose at MarshallHigh School during the 1980s where they were part of the administration team.

Holocaust SurvivorSpeaks Today

Henry Greenbaum, Holocaustsurvivor, will be here todayduring flex periods to talk toEnglish classes about hisexperiences. Greenbaum wasborn in Poland, and in 1939,when he was 12, was forced tolive in a ghetto with his family.Greenbaum and his familystayed in the ghetto until 1942when he was sent to a laborcamp. One year later was forcedin Auschwitz, where some of hisfamily members were not aslucky as he was and were put todeath. Greenbaum went on afour-month Death March. Hewas liberated in April 1945 andnow lives to speak to othersabout his experiences. He worksat the Holocaust museum inWashington, DC and will speakto juniors in IB English todayduring flex.

“Clausen” continued on p. 3

Baseball slides into regionalsSenior Travis Johnson slides into home during the first regionals tournament game on May 22 and makes the game-winning runagainst Woodson. This was baseballs first district title since 1980. The baseball team lost during their second regionals gameagainst Yorktown.

BY JOHN REISSEntertainment Editor

Principal Donald Clausen,along with Mike Hanna, the prin-cipal of Storm Lake High Schoolin Iowa, took part in a discussiongroup on Fri. June 6 on CapitolHill to discuss with members ofthe community how they haveincreased the role of parents inschool life, strengthened commu-nity, and built on academic pro-grams.

“We talked about all of thepositive aspects of our schools,”said Clausen. “We mainly concen-trated on what makes diverseschools better and stronger.”

AHS was a chosen represen-tative due to the fact that over

60% of the student body is minorityand 46% of students taking IB andAP classes are minority. Storm Lakeas witnessed a large influx of minor-ity students, from 475 in 1990 to 625in 2003.

Both Hanna and his staff haveworked to raise the achievement lev-els of all parts of the school, as wellas mixing together the schools al-ready diverse population.

With more than 80 different coun-tries represented by the student body,AHS is one of the most diverseschools in the country, and with anever-increasing diverse population it,has become necessary for schools togrow and expand, not just in size, butin programs and classes as well.

Clausen and Hanna spoke infront of a panel from the American

Youth Policy Forum, a group whichlooks into the policies of kids in allpart of the community, not just school.

“In some ways we were justpreaching to the choir,” said Clausen.“They’re more progressive thinkers,an open minded group of looking atand for change.”

Both AHS and Storm Lake serveas centers for diverse student bodiesthroughout the nation and will con-tinue to grow and expand with theirsurrounding communities.

The conference was moderated byEileen Kugler, mother of AHS AlumniAlex and Sara, and an advocate fordiverse schools.

She is also the author of Debunk-ing the Middle-Class Myth: Why di-verse schools are good for all kids.

BY MARTHA AMOAKOFormer Feature Editors

As she reflects on her experience withthe AHS staff, Dr. Barbara Fugate’s voicetakes on the emotional tone of one whowill soon depart from a close-knit family.

“If I’ve had any success it’s only becauseof the support of the people that I workwith,” said Fugate. “A person is only asgood as the people around her.”

After spending 46 years in education,15 of which were spent at AHS, Fugate isretiring. She speaks with the same ardorof a person who has just arrived for thefirst day of a terrific new job. “The indi-vidualism of [students’] personalitiesmakes it fun because everyone is differ-ent,” said Fugate. “I like to see studentssucceed whether they’re going to college,the working world, or the military. I wantto see them get a good start in life.”

Fugate was born in southern Texas.Her career in education began shortly af-ter her high school graduation. At the timeof her graduation in the early 1950s, therewere primarily three fields open towomen; nursing, secretarial work andteaching. Her love of interacting people,specifically young adults, propelled hertoward teaching. She later attendedBaylor University in Waco, Texas, whereshe received a B.S. in education and biol-ogy.

While attending Baylor University, shemet her future husband, Kearby Fugate,in a biology course called Taxonomy ofSeed Plants. She married him when shewas 25 years old. She cites mutual respectand support as the basis for the success ofher long marriage.

Fugate spent the initial part of hercareer teaching elementary and juniorhigh schools in Port Arthur, Richardsonand Dallas, Texas. Then, she moved to

“Fugate” continued on p. 4

TERRY A

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“Graduation” continued on p. 4

CO

URTESY O

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CLA

USEN

BY ANDREW SATTENCo Editor-in-Chief

After a tenure that spanned three anda half decades of service for FairfaxCounty Public Schools as a teacher,coach, administrator, and principal, acareer launched even a year before theWoodstock spectacle, the “Don” of AHSis moving on from his nine-year princi-pal post at the helm of AHS.

Though never one to command thespotlight, his presence and leadershipstyle have been vital in elevating theschool. Despite the fact that he is mov-ing on from AHS, in retirement he willcontinue his quest of providing serviceto others, planning on going full circleand returning to volunteer in LatinAmerica where he met his wife and un-derwent a stint in the Peace Corps be-fore coming to the D.C. area.

Iowa RootsClausen hails Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as

his hometown, citing it as an ideal placeto be raised. The city which numberednearly 75,000 people was described as“A great town to grow up in, the kind ofplace where you never locked any doors,”said Clausen. Born May 24, 1943, he wasthe youngest of three children in theClausen family. From first througheighth grade he attended TrinityLutheran School, a small building whichonly had two rooms and meshed studentsfrom a number of different grades intothe same classroom. For his high schooleducation, Clausen transitioned to hislarge hometown public high school. “I

wasn’t a terribly gifted student in highschool, I was a B, C student that couldhave done better,” said Clausen. “I wasinterested in athletics, and that’s all I did.”

A free day would be spent playing“baseball all morning, and golf all after-noon.” In high school, Clausen wasequivalent to what at AHS is deemed a“Three-Peat Athlete,” as he played highschool football, basketball, and playedbehind the plate as catcher for a statechampion baseball team. Prompted by histeam’s run to title, Clausen shaved his

After 15 years atAHS, Dr. Fugate says“good-bye”

2 BLASTAtheTUES. JUNE 10, 2003EDITORIALS

Vol. 48 No. 13June 10, 2003

Annandale High School4700 Medford Dr.Annandale, Virginia 22003

(703) 642-4229e-mail: ahsablast@aol.comfax: 642-4197

Editors in Chief:

Managing Editor:News Editors:

Editorial Editors:

Academics Editors:

In-Depth Editors:

Features Editors:

Atomic ArticlesEditor:People Editors:

Cultures Editors:

Sports Editors:

Sports “Xtra”:

Atomic AthleticsEditor:Entertainment Edi-tors:Arts Editors:

Weekend Editors:

Business Manager:Ad Manager:Copy Editor:PhotographyEditors:

Paul GleasonAbby SegallCaroline FriedmanJunaid ShamsKyle SmeallieJohn BernhardtMaggie OwnerLaura KellyAlex SilanoErin O’ BrienKatie StantonMeg NielsenRachel SinaikoSabrina Stacy

Andrew MenegatSarah BizerKathy IbarraWided KhadouriJared SmithMatt WeistEvan RowlandAmanda SheafferErica Satten

Ben BerglundJohn ReissKimiko YerikAmy Suddarth

Laura JohnsonElizabethNowrouzEvan AsheChris SopherJulia SingerMorgan McEvil-lySean SullivanA

BD

FThe 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 materialthat is obscene or libelous; or that which substantially disrupts the school day or invades an individual’sright to privacy. Unsigned editorials represent the staff opinions which solely represent the opinion ofthe newspaper staff. The A-Blast is an independent, open forum for discussion which is printed at theSpringfield Plant of The Washington Post. Signed letters to the editor of 250 words or less may besubmitted to room 225 or mailed to the school. The A-Blast reserves the right to refuse advertise-ments. All submissions become property of The A-Blast Copyright, 2003.

Gallup AwardQuill & Scroll

2000-2001

Trophy ClassVirginia High School

2001-2002

All AmericanNational ScholasticPress Association

2001-2002

Writing Coach: RebeccaKraushaar

Staff Writers/Photographers:Stacey Marin, Caitlin Beckett,Joeseph Buke, Shayna Dublar,Edward Gibson, CristianHernandez, Bilal Javed, BridgetteKim, Amy Mathis, Molly Sterlacci,Mike Weist, Julie Wolf, TinaDourourdian, Stuart Dubar, Jill,Matt Hubacher, Ashley Jones, JoeWilbur, Alex Wahl, Chris Kallendar,Sohaib Khan

Videographers:Josh Lewin, Stephen Benson, BrentSullivan, Oscar Ycaza

Web Design: Omar Nachanati

Making theGrade

BLASTAthe

Adviser: Alan Weintraut

CLAUSEN’S RETIREMENT MARKS END OF NINE GREAT YEARS

1996 OLYMPICS BOMBER CAUGHT

FCC DEREGULATES MEDIA OWNERSHIP

9/11 DETAINEES’ CIVIL RIGHTS ABUSED

After eluding the FBI for five years, Eric Robert Rudolph,who is charged with the bombing of the ‘96 Olympics thatkilled one person and wounded 100 others, was finally appre-hended in North Carolina. Although Rudolph’s arrest bringsclosure to families of the victims, it took the FBI 6 years totrack down the culprit. Rudolph is also accused in the bomb-ings of an abortion clinic in 1998 and a gay nightclub in 1996.

On June 2, the Federal Communications Commission(FCC) relaxed or in some cases eliminated media owner-ship regulations. The new lax restrictions will allow con-solidation among newspapers, television and radio compa-nies. Opponents of the relaxation believe the deregulationswill give the media too much power to sway the public’sopinion.

A 198-page report submited by Inspector General GlennA. Fine on the detention of 762 immigrants, showed thatmany of the detainees were arrested without probablecause, and that they were physically and verbally abused.The majority of the 762 immigrants, who were from Arabor South Asian descent, were taken into custody after theU.S.’s nationwide terrorist sweep after the 9/11 attacks.

Standarized tests ineffectiveDo you think thatthe SAT accurately

represents someone’sintelligence?

BY JOHN REISSEntertainment Editor

“In God We Trust,” or at least most of us do. Someastute students may have noticed a small plaque in thefront lobby of the school that states our national motto,which was established on July 30, 1956, “In God We Trust.”I find it hard to believe that in a school with 88 nationsrepresented, that we all trust God. I mean some of usmight trust in Allah, Shiva or might not even trust any-one at all, but I can gurantee that not everyone trusts inGod.

For those of a political mind, they might believe thatthis plaque is in violation of the 1948 Supreme Court caseof McCollum vs. Board of Education of School Districtswhich decided that religious instruction in public schoolswas a violation of the establishment clause, and there-fore unconstitutional, setting in motion the “separationof church and state.”

However, last year, the Virginia General Assemblypassed House Bill 108 on July 1, 2002, which made it isnecessary for all Virginia public schools to post the na-tional motto “within plain view” of students and staff.

Virginia is not the only state however to pass such alaw. In states throughout the country students can seeour nation’s motto in their school.

For myself though, it seems that it is quite clear cut.Regardless of the how much this law is not in violation ofthe Constitution, I don’t like think that we should have towalk past a sign everyday reminding us of whom to trust.

In a country where it is completely normal to live nextto someone who has seen the hardships of war all theirlife, or lived uner a dictatorial rule, it doesn’t seem rightfor us to put them through that again. Not that the U.S.falls under either of these cat-egories, but some of the moreattractive features of coming toAmerica, are the freedom of re-ligion and the freedom fromnot living under any estab-lished deity.

However, this is not theonly circumstance of separa-tion and church and state, rel-evant in our schools. ThePledge of Allegiance comple-ments the national motto inthe line “One Nation underGod.” When the Pledge wasfirst written in 1892, the words“under God” were not included.Then in 1954, two years beforethe passing of the country’smotto, an amendment adding the line was made. Presi-dent Eisenhower stated, “In this way we are reaffirmingthe transcendence of religious faith in America’s heritageand future...” Eisenhower’s idea of transcendence has aninteresting way of representing many religions when itonly reaffirms one.

Now, don’t think that I am unpatriotic because I don’tsupport the pledge, or that I don’t support our motto be-

One country not under one God“No because it

doesn’t testyour common

sense. It’sridiculous tohave to take

them forcollege.”

—Amanda Greenjunior

“No, not at all. Alot of peopledon’t test welland can’t workunder pressure,but that doesn’tmean they’redumb.”

—Chris Roesophomore

—Carlos Mirandasenior

“In some waysbecause it testsyour knowledge

like math andverbal, but notin every area.”

“I don’t think so.It’s not a subjectyou study about.It doesn’t meanyou’re smart ornot.”

—MohamedJamajunior

“I don’t think itrepresents

yourknowledge. It

just showswhat you havelearned in high

school.”

—Stephanie Carrionsenior

“Absolutely notbecauseeverybody has adifferentlearning style,and not everylearning style isgeared toward athree-hour longexam.”

—Robert ChristieComputer Graphicsteacher

“Yes. I thinkit’s pretty

correct. Theytest you onknowledge

everyoneshould know.”

—Monica Dinhsophomore

Despite his tendency to stay out of the spotlight andmaintain a low profile, Principal Don Clausen has led theschool for the last nine years with the perfect blend of au-thority, understanding and people skills. The faculty com-mends his hand-off leadership, and his services will be missednext year. In retirement, he plans on volunteering in Cen-tral America with his wife, where the two originally met whileworking in the Peace Corps.

Junior Aziza Dang studies a SAT preparationbook. Like Dang, many high students usebooks such as 10 Real SATs to prepare forthis stressful test.

MA

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BY ABBY SEGALLCo-Editor in Chief

SAT Stressful Anxiety-provokingTrail

For the average teenager, the SATbrings nothing but negative feelings.

The standardized test do not repre-sent the student’s intellect; it only illus-trates how well the student tested oneday out of their whole life. Not only dothese test not demonstrate the teenager’strue knowledge, it also adds too muchpressure on to the student’s alreadystress-filled life. It is enough having toworry about which classes to take thefollowing year, or keeping up their gradesin their current classes. Having to takethe SAT only adds additional burden onto the student’s ever-growing list of thingshe or she must be good at in order to provethemselves worthy to graduate and getinto a decent college.

In addition to rejection by school andcollege administrators, if these studentsdo not do well on these tests, they mustface the unsympathetic critics made upof their parents and peers. Doing well ona standardized test is a status symbol inhigh school. The students who did wellboast about their fantastic scored, whilethe students who didn’t do their best be-cause they happened to be sleepy the day

of the test, try to keep their disappoint-ing scores a secret rather than be ridi-culed by the cruel judges.

There are many reasons that stu-dents do not do well on the SATs otherthan being inadequately intelligent (akadumb).

Perhaps there is not enough time forthe slow reader to finish the test, or pos-

sibly the student is confused or bored bymultiple choices. On the other hand, givethat same student an essay any day ifyou want to see them shine.

Different abilities, different learningstyles, different ways of expression shouldbe taken into account.

Colleges are becoming more and morecompetitive as well as demanding highertest scores. When students attempt to beaccepted at a college, why must the SATbe the crucial factor in that decision?Much more important is that the studentshould be judged on their GPA, theclasses they are taking, ad their extra-curricular activities. Do they challengethemselves, do they have a special tal-ent, will their point of view challengeother students?

I’ve heard it argued that for biggeruniversities, standardized tests scoresmust be used because too many studentsapply and they need a quick basis ofjudgement, but couldn’t the GPA, classtypes, essay and after-school activitiesserve the same purpose? Every studenthas many different assets, and beingjudged by one test is unreasonable andunjust. The students all want to haveothers see their more outstanding capa-bilities, not their ability or inadequacyat test-taking.

The SAT should still be available forstudents to take, however less impor-tance should be placed on them. For ex-ample, Bates College in Lewiston, Mainedoes not require the SAT (while manyother colleges do require it).However if the stu-dents would like toshow the scores theyare more then wel-come. This relievesthe pressure to do per-fect and gives the stu-dents a chance tobreathe. If more collegescould be like Bates Col- lege, thenstudents would not be so overwhelmedwith pressure and anxiety.

The most unfair thing about the SATis the help available to those who can af-ford to spend $300 to $600 on prepcourses. Where does that leave the stu-dent without the cash? At a disadvan-tage.

This stressful, aggravating and un-fair test is a seriously flawed interpreta-tion of one’s abilities and knowledge. I’mnot asking it for be banished becausethat’s unreasonable. However, less impor-tance should be placed on the SAT.

ABBYISS527@AOL.COM

cause I’m not Christian, which I am. I only believe thatin a country built on freedom of choice and liberty, weshould pay more attention to it. Our country is becomingincreasingly diverse, to the point where it may seem rea-

sonable to change the motto to “In Allah WeTrust,” or “In Buddha We Trust,” etc. Thepoint is that while these laws were establishedat a time when Christianity was the predomi-nant religion in America, Christianity is notanymore. Granted that Christianity is notthe only religion which worships under God,it was the primary influence on the currentlaws we have regarding religion.

How can we as a people, expect to becomeunified when our younger generations are be-ing exposed to and influenced by a single reli-gion, which may hinder cultural backgroundsor infringe on their rights established by theConstitution. Keep in mind though, that theserights are applicable to all ages and races, tod-dlers to senior citizens, Americans to Arab-Americans. Despite the establishment of acountry of religious freedom under one deity,under Supreme Court precedence a student

cannot be forced to recite the pledge, and as an exercise ofmy First Amendment rights, I do not stand for the pledge,not because I do not believe in America, but because I donot believe that we are one country under only one God.

RECKLESENDEAVOR@AOL.COM

NEWS 3TUES. JUNE 10, 2003BLASTAthe

head in celebration, assuming a hair style which is simi-lar to the look he sports today. Clausen’s mother, Wilma,was not pleased by the stunt, but commented that “Donnever got in any trouble,” since he was always too busyplaying sports.

In a 1994 A-Blast article marking the beginning of histenure, Clausen was quoted as saying, “When I was inhigh school, I didn’t even know what girls were.” It wasn’tuntil his senior prom that he ever really went on a date.In terms of hobbies and activities, Clausen was very ac-tive in the city recreation programs, always interested inthe youth. His mother recalled him often lending or giv-ing up his sports equipment to kids who did not have any.And to balance out his athletics, he was

also very involved at hisLutheran Church, singing as

a choir boy.For college he at-

tended Valparaiso Uni-versity in Indiana, wherehe continued his athleticpursuits by playing bothfootball and baseball.During the summerswhile in college he re-turned home with his fa-ther at a company thatmanufactured construc-tion cranes.

During his childhood,just as today, Clausenmaintained a low pro-file. “All through hisyouth he was a veryquiet person, veryhumble, in fact evennow I don’t think Iknow of all his ac-complishments,”said WilmaClausen.

Peace CorpsLaunches NewPerspective

Clausen graduatedfrom Valparaiso Universityin the middle of 1965, andconsidering the point in theyear, there were few teach-ing openings. He was able

to land a brief position at an inner city parochial school inSt. Louis, Missouri. “That was the first time that I cameface to face with people that looked different than me,and it was a bit of a shock,” Clausen said.

With no clear direction or job, Clausen decided to en-ter the Peace Corps, in which he was assigned a physicaleducation post in Ecuador. During his 27 months in thePeace Corps, he often coached the youth of the region,taught in schools, played on a team in Ecuador’s profes-sional baseball league, and even helped set-up a littleleague baseball organization.

In 1967 while on a assignment at a small coastal towncalled Manta, he met his wife Patricia, who now works asa nurse practitioner. “What really strikes you is the depthof the poverty, contrasted with the hope of the people,”said Clausen. This exposure set the stage for a lifetime ofdevotion towards helping the people of Latin America,

along with a global perspective that allows Clausen toembrace people of all beliefs and cultures.

“Once you do become aware of what the bigger worldis like, then it’s very hard to turn back from that... and it’sa reciprocal thing, it enriches your life,” said his wife.Clausen’s extensive time abroad has also allowed him torefine his language skills to the point in which he nowspeaks fluent Spanish, a skill that has aided him as prin-cipal of AHS, which features a large Hispanic population.

Since the Peace Corps experience, Clausen and hiswife have made repeated trips back to the region to workon projects. Through an organization called Witness forPeace, he worked as an election observer in Nicaragua, aregion that suffered under heavy Contra activity betweenwarring drug lords. Clausen recalled hearing gunfire offin the distance while he worked the polls during the day,and one instance in which a man was carried in on astretcher to vote after both his legs had been blown off byland mines.

The church has also played a critical role in his life,and ties in to his passion for working in Latin America.

“He’s a firm believer in living his faith, not just goingto church on Sunday, but going about it on a daily basis,”said Tim McKinney, father of senior Caitlin McKinney,fellow church member, and friend. Clausen attends LadyQueen of Peace Church Catholic Church which has a re-ciprocal relationship with a number of sister parishes inLatin America.

“It’s not just about raising and sending money, its re-ally about trying to form connections with the people,”said Clausen. For their efforts, Don and Pat were a fea-tured couple on a video entitled Stories of Solidarity thatdocumented their involvement in Latin America throughtheir church. Clausen often travels on missionary andvolunteer trips to the regions in which the sister churchesare located, along with housing Latin American churchmember when they travel to the D.C. area. Through theirtravels, the Clausen’s have developed many strong friend-ships in the area. Even for their 25th anniversary, Clausenand his wife returned to Ecuador to celebrate by workingin the region, Patricia employing her medical backgroundwhile Don utilizing his educational experience to make adifference.

His social awareness extends beyond just Latin Ameri-can issues, as he also is a strong pacifist and adamantlyprotested the war in Iraq by attending rallies on the Mall.True to his “practice what he preaches” mentality,Clausen’s concern for the environment prompt him to com-mute to school every day in an environmentally-soundHybrid Electric Toyota Prius. “Any social issue that comesalong, he is invariably going to view from the side of thepoor and disenfranchised,” said McKinney.

Post Peace Corps: From Ecuador to Educatorand the Road to AHS

After the Peace Corps experience Clausen married Pat,and in August of 1968, the couple relocated to the D.C.area. And so began Clausen’s 35 year tenure in FairfaxCounty Public Schools. Langley was the first stop on histeaching trail, a school in which he also coached the foot-ball and baseball teams. In 1973, he tried his hand atteaching physical education at the elementary school levelat Kings-Park Elementary, before being elevated to anadministrative post at Oakton High School in 1976. AfterOakton, he spent seven years as an assistant principal atMarshall High School, in which he worked with Safetyand Security Specialist Cliff Cornwell and Assistant Prin-cipal Barbara Fugate both of whom he was later reunitedwith at AHS. During Clausen’s tenure at Marshall, hisdaughter Tonya was a student at the same time. Clausen

The ‘Don’ of AHS DepartsCLAUSEN THROUGH

THE YEARS

The ’60s

The ’70s

The ’80s

The ’90s

Clausen holding his firstdaughter in a sack in 1967.

Clausen with his daughter, Tonya,and wife, Pat.

Clausen making a mockery ofhis dog during the early 1970’s

Clausen with his wife, Pat.

Clausen in the kitchen with hiskids during the early ‘70s. Hiswife cited his flair for bakingbreads

Clausen standing next to twonuns in 1999

Clausen poses next to a podiumin 1999

Clausen recieving the StateFootball Championship trophyfrom coach Dick Adams in 1994

assumed another assistant principal job, this time atThomas Jefferson High School, however, did not feel hisservices were needed at the position. After being turneddown for a few principal positions, in 1994 he landed thejob at Annandale, taking over for Ray Watson, becomingonly the fourth principal in the school’s history.

At the Helm of Annandale“Annandale just provides that excitement, there’s

something different everyday,” Clausen exclaimed withhis signature smile. From his inception at the school, hehas always advocated an “open-door policy,” and executeda hands-off leadership style. “He’s not the sort of boss thatgoes around hitching up his pants and ordering peoplearound,” said Assistant Principal Jon Fredrickson. “Hesort of allows people to become professionals, and bringsout the best in them.” Many of his co-workers and friendshighlighted “Clausen the comedian,” and the dry sense ofhumor that he brings to the work place. “Whenever youare with him, especially at a serious situation, with Don,it’s just not quite as serious. He’s very serious about help-ing other people, but at the same time takes himselflightly,” said McKinney.

One of Clausen’s landmark achievements over the lastnine years was reforming the public’s perception of AHS.In 1994 when he took over, the media consistently fed onracial tensions at the school, repeatedly citing “the inci-dent,” a conflict that spilled over from the weekend intoschool one Monday in which their was an altercation be-tween African-American and Hispanic students.

“A lot of people jumped on it as a means to transfer toa predominantly white school,” said Clausen. Instead offollowing the school’s precedent of laying low, Clausenlaunched an aggressive preemptive media blitz, puttingpressure on the press to cover positive elements of theschool, marshaling parent support, launching a peer me-diation program and prejudice reduction workshop, andsetting up student-parent panels at feeder schools. In re-cent years, he has endeavored to further raise the bar atAHS, establishing the Academic Task Force, launchingthe I.B. Program, and playing a critical role in the school’sfive-year renovation.

Though he adopts a rather quiet persona, generallypreferring to stay out of the spotlight, he places tremen-dous importance on being at as many school events aspossible, at times working 18-hour days. “Watching kidssucceed, whether it’s on the field, in the classroom, or in aplay, is the best part of the job,” he said. “and where elsewould you get all that free entertainment.”

Geri Lee, Clausen’s administrative assistant, high-lighted his keen awareness of everything that goes on atschool. “In terms of the issues, he usually sees them com-ing before they even get to him,” she said.

“He’s got that balance between a person who reallycares about people, but at the same time can take a standand enforce the rules, and that can be a difficult thing todo,” said Safety and Security Specialist Cliff Cornwellwhose relationship with Clausen dates back to the 1980’sat Marshall. Cornwell cited instances in which he hasseen Clausen go toe to toe with some of the toughest gangmembers around if a discipline issue arose.

And despite his efforts to stay out of the spotlight, hisaccomplishments at AHS were nationally recognized whenMet Life awarded him with the Building Bridges Award,for working to unite the diverse Annandale community,along with being named the FCPS 2000 Principal of theYear. Clausen also assumed numerous leadership rolesin organizations including being the chair of VHSL, cur-rently chairing the FCPS Principal’s Association, servingon the board of directors for the Network of Education forCentral America, and the Patriot District consul.

Family Man, Friend, and a True People’sPerson

“One of the things that makes him so special is hisability to relate to such a wide variety of people. He’s justas comfortable and acts the same with a celebrity or a bigpolitician as [he would] with some of the poorest of thepoor of Central America,” said McKinney.

Clausen has two kids, Tanya and Jeffrey, both of whomwere married this Spring. His wife Patricia described himas a very “hands on father,” delving into whatever hiskids’ interest were, whether it be coaching his son’s soccerteam or working back stage at his daughter’s ballet per-formances. However, his wife cited that he likely wouldnever go to another Nutcracker performance, after beingin attendance for countless performances each yearthroughout his daughter’s childhood. ?He and his wifeseem to be best friends, always seem to be doing some-thing together,? said McKinney. And even despite his longhours, Don makes a point of splitting the cooking respon-sibilities at home, as his wife highlighted his flair for bak-ing breads.

“Don is a man of great integrity, if he says he is goingto do something, you can bet he is going to do it,” saidMcKinney. “I trust him and respect him as much as any-one I have ever come across.” Clausen’s presence at AHSwas also one of the key factors in McKinney’s decision tomove into the Annandale district for his daughter Caitlinto attend school there, and Clausen even aided the familyin finding their current residence.

Post AnnandaleWhen Clausen first came to AHS in 1994, in an A-

Blast article he said, “I will remain at AHS until I retire,”and true to form, he kept to his word.

“Just the fact that he worked for 35 years tells yousomething about where his dedication lies,” saidFredrickson. After 30 years in the county, Clausen waseligible for full retirement benefits, however he opted tostay another five years at AHS.

Assistant principal Barbara Fugate described Clausenas being a mentor-like figure. “He’s the kind of person Icould always go to. It’s like a friend is leaving, and as Ilike to say, I don’t ever like to say goodbye, just I’ll see youagain,” said Fugate.

When Clausen is relieved of his post on July 1, he saidthe first thing he is looking forward to is sleep. He willalso be occupied helping his two newly wed children getset-up in homes, and has a retreat with his wife plannedfor New Mexico. “I’m going to get back in shape too, lose25 pounds,” he said.

And after taking a few months off, Clausen and hiswife plan to team up and delve once again into their pas-sion for working in Latin America. “My wife, she has allthe skills, I just help out with what needs to be done,”said Clausen.

And though it will no longer be at AHS, that’s exactlywhat he will continue to do-get the job done.

—“Clausen’”from pg. 1

NEWS BRIEFS

SCHOOL NEWSAHS hit with viruses

On Wednesday, Thursday, andFriday May 23-25, the AHSdomain was hit with theElkern.cav.c virus. The virus,which infected the Sasiattendance system, is rated“Medium” in danger. The sourceof the virus has yet to bedetermined, but administratorsstress caution to faculty whenopeing e-mail attatchments.

AHS Awards ExcellenceAnnandale Rotary ClubMedalJulia EhrenfeldAnnandale Rotary Scholar-shipElaine Filadelfo, SamanHussain, Martha AmoakoPamplin Leader AwardRichard McCormackAnnandale Lions ClubScholarshipFaezeh RazjouyanDartmouth Club of Washing-tonBryce ChadwickWellesley College BookAwardLauren ShermanStudent GovernmentAssociation AwardsMyerling Danielle Rumber, AnNguyen, Elizabeth Rhee, KarlynHixson, Ashley DublerElmer Timberland LodgeScholarshipNatalie WallaceTaiwanese-AmericanScholarshipSaman HussainUnited States Air ForceAwardsRomina Contreras, JordanBonds, Akin Arikan, AlexRomero, Mendrault PeraltaUnited States Air Force MathAwardAshley DublerUnited States Air ForceScience AwardFaezeh RazjouyanNVADACA Rachel E. PetersScholarship AwardNatalie WallaceFairfax County Women’sSports AwardsAshley Welch, Kari Kraus, KatieLittlefieldBoys State and Girls StateRepresentativesKojo Asamoa, Elias Chamoun,Edward Gibson, Nhut Mich Le,Vernon Liechti, Donald Martin,Andrew Menegat, John Reiss,Junaid Shams, Alex Silano,Angela Briggs, Julia Ehrenfeld,Ashley Lippolis, Gilda Villela

4 BLASTAtheTUES. JUNE 10, 2003NEWS

Seniors Elaine Filadelfo andChristine Sabotta view each othersyearbooks and eat pizza at SeniorNight, June 3.

Senior Night heldAHS Seniors gathered forSenior Night last Tuesday, thefinal meeting for the class beforegraduation. Members of theClass of 2003 had a chance tomeet with friends and reviewtheir final year at AnnandaleHigh School. Held from 4 to 6p.m. after school on June 3,seniors purchased yearbooksand looked back on their fouryears together. “It’s nice to beable to spend time with friendsand get our yearbooks,” saidsenior Meagan Ogletree. SeniorNight was also an opportunityto tend to last minuteadministrative issues, namelylibrary obligations for seniorswho had outstanding paymentsor overdue library books. Classpresident Anteneh Addisu andvice president Andrew Satteneach addressed the members ofthe class and took the time tothank their class sponsors,Jennifer Hogan and Hudson, onbehalf of the entire class. “Weappreciate everything they’vedone for us,” said senior KatieBurton, “we couldn’t have doneeverything we did without theirhelp and dedication.”

-by Matt WeistSports Editor

Baseball hits stride at regional tourneyBY JARED SMITH

Sports Editor

The Atoms moved on into the regional quarterfinal gameWed. May 28 against the National District runner-upYorktown Patriots, but lost 8-3. The Atoms got off to a rockystart giving up two homeruns in the first four innings andwere snakebitten on offense, hitting the ball hard, but rightto the Yorktown defense.

“It was a tough game, we lined into a double play, andhad several sure hits taken away from us,” said Coach MattCaudle. The Atoms loss ended their improbable winningstreak at five games.

Caputuring the first district title since 1980, the base-ball team was celebrating on May 22. But after the jubila-tion and excitement, the Atoms had more games to playopening the regional tournament on May 26 at home vs.the Woodson Cavaliers. The Atoms’ played a sloppy game,but still went into the bottom of the 7th inning with thescore tied at 4-4. With the bases loaded and one out, juniorChip Brandt hit a fly ball to centerfield which went justdeep enough for senior Travis Johnson to tag up and scorethe winning run in the Atoms’ 5-4 victory.

Seniors recognized with awardsBY STACEY MARIN

Staff Writer

For on of their last events together, the Class of 2003 gath-ered in the gym on June 4 for the senior awards ceremony.The ceremony honored seniors for their academic accomplish-ments over the last four years, as well as selected under-classmen that deserved special recognition.

The Annandale Rotary Club Medal was the first awardpresented, and it was awarded to Julia Ehernfeld. The crite-ria for this award were that it went to a student who showedleadership, did community service for their school and com-munity, and maintained high academic standards. TheAnnandale Rotary Club also awarded scholarships to ElaineFiladelfo, Saman Hussein, and Martha Amoako.

Jack Hiatt, the SGA sponsor, presented awards to theSGA officers that helped lead this year’s government. Forleadership, awards were presented to 2002-2003 SGA Presi-dent Danielle Rumber, Vice President An Nguyen, and Trea-surer Elizabeth Rhee. Outstanding Leadership awards weregiven to Ashley Dubler and Karlyn Hixson.

The United States Air Force was represented at the cer-emony and presented awards as well as recognizing studentswho had enlisted in the Air Force. The USAF Science Awardwent to Faezeh Razjouyan while the USAF Math Award wentto Dubler. Romina Contreras, Jordan Bonds, Akin Arikan,Alex Romero, and Mendralt Peralta were honored for enlist-ing in the USAF. The US Army presented a scholarship toan athlete who showed leadership on and off the field andhad high academic standing, which went to Ehab Awodallah.

Three Fairfax County Women’s Sports Awards were dis-tributed at the awards ceremony. Katie Littlefield was hon-ored for journalism coverage of women’s sports, Kari Kraussfor dedication, leadership, and character to a sport and team,and Ashley Welch for Sportswoman of the Year, for successin athletics, school, and helping the Annandale community.

“I felt really honored to win this,” said Welch. “There areso many worthy female athletes at Annandale.”

Awards were presented to students from each departmenthead in the school. The departments that gave out awardswere Auto Mechanics, Business, English, English for Speak-ers of Other Languages (ESOL), Fine Arts, Foreign Language,Journalism, Marketing, Mathematics, Performing Arts,Physical Education, and Social Studies. Every departmentgave an outstanding student award, and most had otherawards within the department.

All students attending Governors School, as well as Boysand Girls State, were also recognized. Also, 85 students re-ceived Presidential Academic Excellence Awards, and wereacknowledged for their accomplishments.

The PTSA gives two scholarships a year, both named af-ter previous principals of AHS. The James G. Finch Schol-arship is a $750 award, and was given to Andrew Satten andFiladelfo. The G. Raymond Watson Scholarship is a $500award that was given to Michelle Beland and Isata Kamara.Next year, an award will be added to honor Principal DonClausen, who is retiring at the end of the year.

The PTSA also honored students in all four grades whoreceived all A’s for the first three quarters. There were twofreshmen, six sophomores, one junior, and one senior.

Fugate’s 15-year tenure endsWashington D.C. when her husband wasoffered a job with the Food & Drug Ad-ministration.

From there, she taught at LangstonHughes Intermediate. During this pe-riod, she taught Grant Hill, the now fa-mous basketball player, when he was inthe seventh grade. She remembers thatHill was a motivated student who had avery supportive family. “He’s a wonder-ful young man. It was great to see himbecome successful both academically andprofessionally,” said Fugate.

Fugate acknowledges that she was astrict teacher who held her students tohigh standards. “The rules for the class,were established at the beginning of theyear and the same rules were still in ef-fect at the end of the year,” said Fugate.“There were never any questions aboutwhat to expect in class.”

At the same time, she enjoyed differ-ent aspects of her students. “I like [stu-dents] who are really academically chal-lenging, and ones that I can challengeacademically. I also like kids who mayhave to struggle in the beginning, and Ilike to see their satisfaction when theysucceed.”

Throughout her years teaching,Fugate remained dedicated to her job de-spite times of disappointment. “When Iwas in a classroom, I didn’t get frustrated.I got disappointed when I knew that stu-dents could do better and were not work-ing toward their full potential.”

However, she remembers that therewere some tiresome times. “Late at nightwhen you’re grading papers, you some-times wonder why I did do this,” saidFugate.

After teaching at Langston HughesIntermediate, Fugate moved on toMarshall High School. Then, she lateraccepted a position at AHS. “When Iwalked in, I though I had my work cutout for me,” said Fugate.

For the past 15 years, she hasmultitasked several duties. She is theDepartment Head for the English, Auto-technology and Marketing departments.“These departments have teachers thathave been so supportive of the things wehave tried to do,” said Fugate.

The members of these departmentshave also greatly appreciated Fugate’sefforts and work. “I’ve known her since1993 and she has 100 percent of the timebeen there for the English Department,”said Jacqueline Foote, English teacher.“She has also been there for the studentsby making sure that every student istreated fairly.”

In addition, Fugate is responsible forordering and receiving textbooks, han-dling student obligations, planninggraduation and performing other tasksas well. Currently, her schedule is verybusy because of the imminent arrival ofthe 2003 class graduation.

“She goes above and beyond. She isprobably the one person at AHS who hasdone something for everyone in the

“I was expecting to score that winning run,” said headcoach Caudle. “We had been on a roll ever since the play-offs started and I knew we wouldn’t be denied.”

As for next season the Atoms are only losing four se-niors, but they include two time All-region honoree TravisJohnson, 2nd team All-district Outfielder Loren Sexton andthe no. 1 catcher Bobby Morganthaler.

“It all starts over again next year,” said Caudle. “Oncethe season starts next year, we will only be the defendingDistrict champs, and everyone will be gunning for us.”

Of those returning the Atoms only have one .300 hittercoming back next season, junior Evan Ashe, who has beena two-year starter on the varsity team. And only one pitcherhas previous varsity experience, junior Ted Gibson. Gibsonwas a key contributor in the playoffs, picking up two cru-cial Patriot District tournament victories over West Spring-field and Lake Braddock, both of which he pitched 5 plusinnings.

“If we can play like we did in the playoffs and improveour hitting, we will have a solid chance to repeat,” saidGibson. But after the first district title in over 20 years,the Atoms are satisfied with the improvements and ac-complishments achieved over the course of the 2003 sea-son.

Homerun kings make regionalsThe Atoms moved on into the regional quarterfinal game Wed. May 28against the National District runner up Yorktown Patriots.

school,” said Fugate’s secretary, MaryWolfe.

Although AHS has changed signifi-cantly since Fugate arrived, it does nottrouble her. “Demographically, it’schanged, but young people are youngpeople. So it doesn’t’ really matter wherethey come from, I still want them to suc-ceed.”

During her 15 years at AHS, Fugatehas developed a close bond with the fac-ulty and staff. “The faculty and the staffwork so hard to make this such a goodschool.”

Likewise, AHS staff members also

Time for cap and gown

BY AMANDA SHEAFFERSports Xtra Editor

After facing sniper threats, a hard, bitterand cold winter, going to war, and a rainy 2002-2003 school year, it has finally come to a clos-ing. Even with all these occurrences, students,and teachers and staff recognize those teach-ers, administrators and staff who have madetheir years at AHS memorable.

Many standout teachers and other facultymembers are making their careers come to anend.

Many teachers and staff along with DonClausen and Barbara Fugate are also retiring.Richard Tabor, who is a counselor, is also retir-ing. He has spent many of his years atAnnandale and has helped students all aroundthe school. Mrinalini Sadananda,a chemistryteacher, taught and influenced many young stu-dents lives here at AHS.

Glenna Coffing, science teacher, and contrib-uted 21 years as a staff member at AHS. Coffinghas shared many stories and life long goals andmottos with her students, her main motto be-ing: “Whatever you do, work at it with all yourheart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

Along with teachers and counselors, WinnieMitchell, Guidance Office Assistant for 11 years,is retiring.

Students, teachers and the staff would alllike to thank each one of these teachers andstaff members for their long and prosperousyears at Annandale, for this school would nothave stayed as strong if they had not contrib-uted as much as they have to the school.

Teachersset toretire

agree that Fugate will be greatly missed.“Someone can take her place, but she cannever be replaced,” said Wolfe.

“She has exceeded in every area of herjob professionally. We’ll function withouther, but she will definitely be missed,”said English teacher Nancy Grim.

Fugate and her husband plan to moveback to Texas after her retirement. “I’lljust take it one day at a time.”

She leaves with these words of adviceto the graduating seniors: “Whatever youdo, make sure it’s the best that you cando.”

PH

ILIP

PE P

OD

HO

RECKI

Assistant Principal Barbara Fugate sits down with English teachers for a retirement celebration.

—“Fugate” from pg. 1

—“Graduation” from pg. 1

Coffing, Sadananda,Mitchell retiring

help of Nancy Grim and MaryWolfe the the Graduation coordina-tors and Barbara Fugate the gradu-ation administrator.

“It’s going to be a dignified cer-emony which the graduates deserve,it takes everyone to accomplish sucha thing,” said Grim.

Graduation this year will be atime to look back on the past and allthe memories which the studentsshared amongst friends and teach-ers. Although some seniors are justexcited about leaving the past be-hind. “I can’t wait to get out of

Annandale and not having to seepeople I don’t like,” said seniorCameron Mittelman.

Throughout the ceremony therewill be a presentation of specialawards to seniors who have madegreat accomplishments during theiryears at AHS.

Awards for citizenship, service,and faculty will be handed out as wellas the top ten academic best awards.The student will receive a woodenplaque for their achievement in theseareas.

With the year coming to a close,finals approach and colleges decisions

have been made. The seniors havefinally received their high school di-ploma and will move on to differentadventure. “I’m very excited for allmy students and I’m sad to see mostof them go,” said computer graphicsteacher Robert Christe. High schoolis the last step before becoming anindependent person and taking thatbig and scary step into a differentexperience, whether it be college ortaking a year off to explore yourself.The possibilities are endless.

JAV

IER S

AN

CH

EZ-Y

OZA

TERRY A

SH

E

5 BLASTAtheTUES. JUNE 10, 2003ADVERTISEMENT

AHS ALL NIGHT GRAD CELEBRATION

THANKS FOR SAVING LIVES!!THANKS FOR SAVING LIVES!!THANKS FOR SAVING LIVES!!THANKS FOR SAVING LIVES!!THANKS FOR SAVING LIVES!!

The All Night Graduation Celebration Committee would like to thank the fol-lowing businesses and individuals who have contributed to Annandale HighSchool’s 2003 All Night Graduation Celebration. Your generous contribu-tion will enable over 200 parent volunteers to hold a safe, chaperoned, drugand alcohol-free celebration for our g raduating Seniors!

BUSINESSES, RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS and RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS

7-Eleven, Inc.American Car Wash Corpora-

tionAnnandale Florist, Inc.

Annandale Veterinary MedicinePractice, LTD.

Annapolis Marriott WaterfrontHotel

Arthur Murray Dance CenterBally’s Total Fitness

Bank of America - Lake BarcroftBelmont TV, Alexandria

Bilmin Company, Inc.Bowl America

Bracken OpticiansCannons Baseball Team

Century-21 Howell & Associ-ates

Chadwicks RestaurantsCherner-Lincoln-Ford-Mercury

Circuit City FoundationClyde’s at Mark Center

Comedy Sportz DC

Crossroads CleanersCrystal Springs Water, Alexan-

dria BranchD&P Printing

DaVinci Family RestaurantDover Downs Hotel & Confer-

ence CenterHenry F. Dutson,DDS,MS,LTD

EB GamesE-Campus.com

Einstein Bagels, Falls ChurchEinstein Bagels, Annandale

Mark Egber, DDS, Ltd.Feline Friends

Firestone, FairfaxRichard D. Fischer, DDS

For EyesFrank and Company, P.C.

Rosa Guerreiro, OptometristHair Cuttery

Harris Teeter, AnnandaleHollywood Video

Holy Spirit Catholic ChurchHome Depot, Annandale

Michael L. Houliston, P.C.International Spy MuseumJewish Community CenterK&B Plumbing & Heating

Kiwanis Club of AnnandaleLifetime Fitness, Fairfax

Luggage OutletLuray Caverns

Magill’s RestaurantJohn A. Marino, DDS, P.C.Mason District Democratic

CommitteeModells

Mother’s Against Drunk Driv-ing (M.A.D.D.)

Nail’s HurricaneNortheastern Supply, Inc.

North Springfield Civic Asso-ciation

Paul Michael’s Hair SalonPinecrest Exxon

PInecrest Golf ClubPizza Hut

Price Costco, Newington

Shear ShackSkateQuest

Six Flags AmericaSmith’s Center

Sprint StoreStarbucks Coffee Co.

Stratton Publishing & Market-ing

Squire RockwellsTemporaries Now

Tippy’s Taco HouseThomas Summerville Company

Tower RecordsTrader Joe’s, AnnandaleTourmobile SightseeingUtica Contracting, Inc.

Valentino’s Salon & Day SpaVirginia Commerce Bank

Washington FreedomWhole Foods Market,

AnnandaleWindows Plus, Annandale

Xerox Corporation

Amyalene & Michael D. Ackard

Dorothy Bowers

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Burke

Bob & Lisa Clark

The Dekker Family

Larry & Cathy Edmonds

Ron & Carol Edwards

Steve Yaroch and Rita Foley

Robert E. Frye, Sr., Member at

Large FCSB

Robert A. and Diane Marie Fulcher

Robert & Ann Gisch

Greg & Julie Henry

Randy & Diane Hixson

Shelley and David Hollowell

Donna Hores

Marilyn B. Jackson

Elizabeth D. Koppelman

William and Susan Kynes

Vonnie Malek

Nancy & Bob McIntyre

Mr. & Mrs. Timothy McKinney

Sina and Beth Molavi

Ilryong Moon

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Pectol

Suzanne Podhorecki

Joel and Carlie Ross

Cindy and Elliott Rubino

Anneli & Douglas Sexton

Andrew & Deborah Sherman

Pat Stevens

Kathleen Sullivan

Vivian Watts

Richard & Karen Weinberg

Personal Donors

PARENTSTHERE’S STILL TIME FOR YOU TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Volunteer NOW!

To volunteer contact Janet Petty at 703-425-6359, e-mail J1009@aol.com or for more information contact Co-Chairs Beth Molavi(beth247365@aol.com) 703-354-7181 or Carlie Ross (carlie@aol.com) 703-642-2244

LITTLELEAGUERS

6 BLASTAtheTUES. JUNE 10, 2003FEATURES

Victor Black poses before his game.

STUART

DUNBAR

as lettering in any high school sportif you can’t letter in all sports.”Ellison shows devotion to winning,as he has two hour practices and doesnot coach or participate in any othersport.

Though sometimes they makebad calls, referees are always needed

rapidly in popularity,” said Ellison,“but most of all it is quick and fun,played indoors, and kids have ablast.”

Ellison did play roller hockey asa kid, but due to an injury had to giveit up, and turned towards coach-ing. Coaching is all volunteerwork, where he gets paid noth-ing and gets no benefits.

Ellison feels that a stu-dent should be able to playin a club sport as well asa regular sport, say-ing that “Thereshould be nosuch thing

to play hockey. M.J. Mayassi is a first-year referee and a last season player,ending his 15-season career. Mayassiis a freshman and is one of a few highschool players that still plays rollerhockey at the REC. Mayassi has 11goals and 14 assists on his unde-

feated 5-0 team.“It’s hard to be the best,”

said Mayassi. He has playedcenter his whole career andhas won countless faceoffs.Mayassi started playinghockey because he fre-

quently watched it withhis dad, and

plans tostart

playingice hockey after

finishing foot-ball for

A H S .Mayassiis notonly agreathockeyplayerb u talso

a referee. In his first season as a ref-eree, Mayassi makes $7 an hour butreceives a raise at the end of everyseason. At a seminar, Mayassi re-ceived extensive training in the fieldsof formations, rules, and penalties.“This is the best job you can have,because the owner works along side

Manystu-

dentspartici-pate inseveraldiffer-

entsports

outsideof AHS.Some of

themost

popularof these

sportsare

rollerhockeyand icehockey

Do you play a sport outside of Annandale?

yes

no

Did you continue with the sport?

yes

no

Name: Jim BarkerYears coaching: 11Team Coaching: ANSLLRedsBest part of coaching:The look on parents’ faceswhen their struggling childfinally masters a techniquethey have been trying toperfect all year.Started coachingbecause: He loved baseballand wanted a better coachfor his son

69%

31%

74%

26%

Team sports: not just foryour little brother

Mosthighschoolbaseballplayershaveplayedin somekind ofLittleLeaguebeforecomingto AHS.Mostsay itwas acrucialstep

Name: James BarkerAge: 8Team: ANSLL RedsYears playing: 4What he learned: How to pitchand hit farPositions played: Short stop andcatcher, but he likes short stopmore

Name: Charlie MalloryGrade: 9Sport: SwimmingTeam: Broyhill Crest BarracudasRecord: 16-1Stroke: BreaststrokeYears Playing: 10Awards won: many first placesCost per season: $120

Name: Brittany NelsonGrade: 9Sport: BasketballTeam: AAUPosition: Shooting GuardFavorite team: WashingtonMysticsIdol: Coco MillerAwards won: one championshipYears Playing: 9Cost per season: about $400

Name: Dana McRaeGrade: 9Sport: SwimmingTeam: RavensworthStroke: freestyle and breast-strokeAwards won: first place inbreaststrokeYears Playing: 9Practice: 1 hour practiceIdol: Brittany NelsonReason started: signed up by hermomCost: free

of you and you learn to make decisionson the fly.”

In the end, roller hockey comesdown to the people playing it. VictorBlack, a 13-year old 7th grader at LakeBraddock, has played for six seasonsas a goalie, and will leave roller hockeyafter this season when he moves to Vir-ginia Beach. Black adores roller hockeybecause of how fast it moves and howeasily a team can comeback and win.Like all great goalies, Black has an idolthat he follows. His is Jean-SebastienGiguere, the goalie for the AnaheimMighty Ducks, which is Black’s favor-

ite team. Giguere is an amazingplayer, leading Anaheim to their

first ever Stanley Cup.Giguere has a record of 13-

4 with a 1.39 GAA (goalsagainst average), saving

95.4% of the shots against him,to go with four shutouts in this

postseason. Black is playing likehis idol, going to the state games

for Vir-ginia and

winning thegold medal.Black hasalso gone tothe champi-onship gameonce atWa k e f i e l dRECenter.When Blackmoves to Vir-ginia Beach,he plans to start playing ice hockey andwill try to continue into college. Blackis currently on the Raiders with an 0-3 record. The Raiders usually lose byonly one goal, but despite a poor de-fense, Black still makes highlightsaves.

Ultimately, players of all ages, race,and gender can enjoy the fun and com-petition that roller hockey provides.

Mayassi

to Annandale.At AHS, the Varsity baseball team

has Matt Caudle, an experiencedcoach who has 23 years of high schoolbaseball as well as the more pliablelittle league team experience under hisbelt.

His son’s T-ball team is easy toteach because they often seem more

eager to put in their all.“They’re just more energetic,”said Caudle.

In the first few years oflittle league, the main focus islearning the rules of the game.

They learn how topitch well, hit ef-ficiently, andperform the

best at

Jim Barker encourages his team in the dugout during the game. Little League often stresses team building rather than wins.

BY JOE WILBURStaff Writer

As he steps up to the plate, hetries to remember his newly learnedhitting technique: elbow back, swingto the shoulder. The pitcher receiveshis signal as the batter analyzes theplate. Realizing the family pride atstake: his older brother hithere seven years ago and his

dad taught over this plate 11 yearsago, he readies himself. He swings,feels the contact, and remembers tofollow through to his shoulder. Thelatest in Barker baseball legacy iswell on his way.

This is one of the many familiesthat have made baseball a huge partof their lives.

[High school baseball] is justa little more intense and com-

petitive, said Alex Barker, afreshman who played on

the JV team this yearand played 10

years of littleleague be-fore com-i n g

Little league baseball trains for the real dealtheir posi-tion.

Annan-dale NorthS p r i n g -field LittleLeague isone of themost popu-lar leaguesfor kids,ranging inage anywhere from kindergarten tosixth grade. Once they finish sixthgrade, children change into prepleague and then into Babe Ruth foreighth grade. If students want tocontinue little league, they can gointo Senior Babe Ruth league forninth grade.

Most little league coaches spendmore time on building close team-work and relationships while mosthigh school teams emphasize train-ing and maximizing talents. “[littleleague] gave me a chance to be morethan just a teammate,” said Alex.

Neither little league nor highschool baseball would be nearly asfun or rewarding without the lead-ership of the coaches. Jim Barker,an eleventh year coach of ANSLL,is coaching the Reds this year,mainly because his son is on thatteam. He started coaching becausehe loved baseball and saw “howbadly the other coaches were doing,”that would be coaching his son.

Caudle

GEO

RG

I BA

RKER

BY STUART DUNBARStaff Writer

Roller hockey is composed of two el-ements; fun and competition. It is grow-ing extremely fast in the number ofplayers, and at Wakefield RECenter, ap-proximately 264 players on 24 teamsplay. Roller hockey is growing rapidlyin popularity not only in leagues, but incolleges, high schools, and professionalleagues. A vast number of colleges andhigh schools have clubs that continueto grow in exponential proportions.

Only players between five and four-teen years old are eligible to play at theREC. Hockey is played in two 17-minute periods, with a two minute half-time. The short six game season withonly a possible four game postseasond i s a p p o i n t smany who hope for alonger season. Each team is com-posed of 11 play- ers, but only fourskaters and one goalie are al-lowed on the court atonce. Playing time c o u l dbe long for the start- ers,so the REC designedline changes, so that afterevery whistle or two, a linechange would be made withnew players on the court. Rollerhockey games are played on Fri-day from 6-9 pm and on Satur-day from 4-10 pm.

Coaches play an importantrole in the sport. “I teach any-thing that’s necessary to getthe W, whether they do it ornot is up to them.” said coach BenEllison, which be obeyed by his play-ers. In his five years of coaching, Ellisonhas 24 championships under his belt.Ellison, 25, started coaching when hewas 18, and is currently coaching sixWakefield REC teams and the LakeBraddock High School roller hockeyteam. Ellison’s best team is the RedWings, who have won a record ninechampionships in a row, and are 4-1 thisseason. “This is a league that is safe,sometimes competitive, and is growing

Careful coaching causes content competitors

FEATURES 7TUES. JUNE 10, 2003BLASTAthe

Celebrate Any Occasion With IceCream And Individual Treats

Turnpike Baskin RobbinsTurnpike Center 9547 Braddock Rd

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Things to knowbefore getting a

piercingQ: What are the risks of aninfection?A: Serious infection, such asHepatitis B, Hepatitis C. and AIDScan be contracted through anunsteril needle. The best way tosterilize a needle is to use anautoclave, which is when eachindividual instrument is wrappedand exposed to intense heat to killbacteria. Minor infection, such aspuffyness, swelling, and rednesscan be avoided by taking necessaryaftercare procedures, which includecleaning and rinsing with acleaning solution.

Q: What piercings are the mostpopular with teens?A: The ear is the most popular, withits availability of piercers and thelow risk of infection. The navel,(belly button), and tongue are alsovery popular.

Q: How old do you have to be to geta body piercing in Virginia?A: In Virginia, you must be 18 orolder without parental consent.

Q: Does it hurt?A: It depends on the person’s paintolerance although if performed byan experienced body piercer, thepain should be minimal.

Q: How long does the wholeprocedure take?A: The entire procedure takes 10-15minutes. Most of it is preparationfor the actual piercing, such aspreparing and sterilizing theinstruments. The actual piercingtakes a couple seconds.

Q: How long do piercings generallytake to heal?A: The time a piercing takes to healdepends on the individual. Factorssuch as smoking, obesity, diabetes,and poor health can take a piercinglonger to heal. Provided there areno complications, (e.g. infection),most piercings take a minimum of 6weeks to heal. The navel takes thelongest to heal, (3-4 months),because of the location, movement,and exposure to clothing.

Q: Why do piercings take so long toheal?A: There are two main stages ofhealing a piercing endures. Duringthe first stage the scar tissue is veryweak, and has only 30% of thestrength of normal skin. Thepiercing also heals during thisstage. Once that stage is com-pleted, for approximently 2 monthsthe scar goes through the maturingphase when the scar regains its full

strength.

Q: Are pierçing guns dangerous?A: Yes, although the guns wereorginally designed to pierce earlobes, they still cause problems.The action performed damages thetissue when the studs in the gunare forced through the flesh.Sometimes when used to pierce thenose or top-ear, swelling and painoccur which can lead to pernamentlumps. Also, since the guns weredesigned to not come into anycontact with bacteria, nose piercingis extremely dangerous. When it isinserted into the nose the guncomes into contact with bateria.Since the gun cannot be sterilizedproperly, it is possible for thebacteria to be transmitted to thenext person.

Q: Why are ear piercings lessexpensive than other bodypiercings?A: Piercing ears with a gun takesalmost no training, skill orexperience. Body piercings must bedone using an Aseptic or “sterile”technique to reduce infection andtramisission of deadly disease. Thepiercing must be performed usingsterilized instruments, specificjewerly, and covered afterwardswith a sterile bandage, (all of whichcost money).

Body piercing is apopular form of selfexpression for teens

BY AMY NOVAK AND JULIA SINGERJournalism 1 and Copy Editor

Walking up the long stairway, she startedhaving second thoughts. What was it go-ing to feel like? Would it hurt? Am I going toregret this? With a reassuring squeeze fromher friend, she took a deep breath andopened the door. Inside an assistant wel-comed her with a friendly smile, and helpedher pick out her barbell as her father filledout a release form. Then she met her piercer.Decked out with extreme tattoos all over hisarms, almost every possible place on his earspierced, and multiple piercings on his face,she was instantly reassured. This guy wasan experienced professional.

After showing her the working autoclaveand placing all items

inside to be sterlized,he explained theprocedure.

In a coupleminutes she waslying on thetable, staring ata plush monkey

hanging fromthe ceiling and

hearing the piercercount to 3.

By the time hereached 2, a needle was sticking through herbelly-button and a second later the curvedbarbell was in place.

After recieving an after-care sheet withinstructions, she was back on the streets ofGeorgetown enjoying the new ring throughher belly-button.

Piercings are one of the most interesting

Ring-style jewerly is comfortable to wear, allowing greaterair and blood circulation. They are easy to clean and allow swell-ing when first pierced, which encourages healing. Rings can beused in navel, tongue, eyebrow, nose, ear, and lip piercings. Theycome in a variety of design and color, and are available for pur-chase in stores and online.

Straight barbellStraight barbells are a popular style of jewerly, with its com-

fort and availability. The barbell shaft is threaded on the inside,which is held in place by screwing the ball/end into the barbell.With its circular movement, it first swells and the heals quickly.It has an assortment of uses, and is most commonly worn ontongue, ear, eyebrow, and nose bridge piercings.

Curved barbells are similar to straight barbells, with theexception of a 1/4” curve to them similar to that of a banana.They

are most commonly used in naval piercings.

Ring

Straight barbell

Curved barbells

Basic body jewerly

forms of body modification. No matterwhat style a person has, there is alwaysa variety of choices from parts of thebody to pierce to the jewerly used toadorn it. Over the years, body piercingshave become a commonplace in soceity.

Before getting a piercing, manythings should be considered. Beforegetting the actual piercing, research-ing the subject is advised. Find outwhere you will be getting pierced andmeet the person that will be perform-ing the procedure.

Be aware of health precautions,such as using an autoclave to sterilizemedical instruments and jewerly.

Make sure the needle is brand newand that it is opened from a package infront of you , so that potentially deadlydiseases such as Hepatitis B or AIDSare not contracted through a dirtyneedle.

“Pro-fessional”piercerscan befound ev-erywherefrom thestreets tothe beach,but what

separates the professionals from theamateurs is experience and health pre-caution.

Since there is no such thing as a“certified” there is no formal, rigid train-ing to become a piercer, so it all dependson experience. If the piercer has a lotof piercings it is assumed that they areaware of how to take care of a piercingand have experience.

l taste, tolerance of pain, andamount of money willing to be spent.

There are many different places onthe body that can be pierced. Facially,

The pains and pleasures of teenage piercing

The ‘hole’ truth

PHO

TO

ILLU

STRA

TIO

N B

Y J

ULI

A S

ING

ER

www.bme.freeq.com

there are the ears, the nose and nostril,the eyebrow, the lip, and several varia-tions of the labret.

Orally, the tongue can be pierced inseveral places. Also, the navel (belly but-ton) can be pierced.

With a multitude of choices andpiercers, body modification continues tobe an influence in society. Boy or girl, hip-hop or rock, piercing is always a stylishaccessory option.

10 BLASTAtheTUES. JUNE 10, 2003FEATURES

What’s yourfavorite amusement

park and why? THE

WITH AMUSEMENT PARKS BY SHAYNA DUBLER AND JILL GUERIN

Staff Writer

Whether it’s sitting in the front cart of your favoriteroller coaster with your hands up in the air and your heartbeating intensely, dripping with water after just steppingoff of the log fume, or standing in line to buy a funnel cakewith your best friends, amusement parks have alwaysattracted people of all ages. And whether it is Six Flags,Kings Dominion or Bush Gardens, everyone has theirfavorite park.

Plunging 50 feet through the water like an anaconda,or feeling weightless flying through the air like Super-man, rollercoasters take away reality and put people in asupernatural world. Rollercoasters are very popular ridesat amusement parks and always bring the longest lines.Sophomore Scott Anderson stated his opinion on whyamusement parks rock, “One word--rollercoasters.”

Many other students here at AHS, agree with Ander-son. Even though the lines are ridiculously long for a 30second ride, that does not change their minds about ridingthat awesome coaster. “I’m a roller coaster fiend. I lovegoing with my friends and riding all the rides, even thoughmost of my friends are wimps,” said freshman KaityBurdette. Freshman Anna Hubacher agrees withBurdette and said, “ I love rollercoasters and amusementparks are usually somewhere you can go with friends.”

Big, huge drops, corkscrews, loops, flips, twists andsharp turns are the main excitement of rollercoasters.These features make people want to ride numerousrollercoasters and to experience any one that they can.There are also so many different ways to ride: sitting up,laying on your stomach, standing up, or dangling in theair. Every rollercoaster is unique in its own way to bringyou both an awesome rush and unforgettable ride.

They can be built out of wood and various types ofmetal. Either way, the thrill of the drops and turns arenot determined by the material of which it is made. “Ilike the metal ones because are smoother to ride on, butthe wooden ones are more exilerating because you don’tknow if they are going to break,” said junior MaryannaO’Neill.

“I like BuschGardens [best]because I likeApollo’sChariot.”

— Joe Krusefreshman

“KingsDominionbecause I

like ridingthe Rebel

Yellforwards

andback-

wards.”

— Nicole Mottfreshman

“[I like] KingsDominionbecause it hasThe Volcano.”

—TravisJohnson

Senior

“KingsDominion thebest becausethey have agood variety ofrides.”

— Maryanna O’Neilljunior

“I like Six Flagsbecause it hasSuperman, andit’s new so thebathrooms aren’ttoo stinky.”

— Lizzie Waxlersophomore

SURVEY RESULTS

38%

like Kings Dominion over any otheramusement park

46%

62%prefer to go to amusement parkswith friends

favor Six Flags over any otheramusement park

Volcano is one of Paramount Kings Dominion’s most popular rollercoasters. It shoots you out of a volcano at a very high speed andthen corkscrews down and around the volcano. It was voted as the favorite rollercoaster by students here at AHS.

What's your favorite roller coaster?

Volcano

Batwing

Apollo's Chariot

Loch Ness Monster

Superman

Hypersonic XLC

other

Kings DominionDistance: 75 south of D.C.Park Times: 10:30 A.M. - 10 P.M.General Admission: ad. $42.99 ch. (3-6) $28.99 (2 & u) freeSeason Pass: $89.99# of Rollercoasters: 11# of water rides: 3Water park? yesKiddie park? yesSpecial events? yesDinning: a variety that entertains young and old, has everythingfrom sit-down restaurants to funnel cake stands.Website: www.kingsdominion.com

Busch GardensDistance: 150 mi. from D.C.Park Times: 10 A.M.- 9 P.M.General Admission: ad. $44.99 ch. (3-6) $37.99 (2 & u ) freeSeason Pass: ad. $99.99 ch. (3-6) $84.99# of Rollercoasters: 5# of water rides: 4Water park? no (Water Country USA is outside of park)Kiddie park? yesSpecial events? yesDinning: unique dinning experience, gives you the opportunity toeat in different countries; has sit-down restaurants as well as standsin the park.Website: www. buschgardens.com

Six Flags AmericaDistance: 15 min. east of D.C.Park Times: 10:30 A.M. - 9:30 P.M.General Admission: $35.99 (under 54”) $24.99 (3 & u) freeSeason Pass: $62.99# of Rollercoasters: 8# of water rides: 2Water park? yesKiddie park? yesSpecial events? yesDinning: variety of choices, from fun, quick bites, to sit-down familyrestaurants.Website: www.sixflags.com

These survey was distributed during C and D lunches on May22 and 23. 300 were distributed, 268 were returned.

HUNAN KITCHEN

(703) 256-5399 (703) 642-8683 (703) 642-2677

Le Mei Ly Manager

Pinecrest Shopping Center6550-D Little River Turnpike

Alexandria, Va 22003

Best theme parks

18%

Go to amusement parks once asummer

The Low-Down on Parks in Town

How many times do you attend amusement parks?

Once a summer

2-4 times a summer

4 or more times a summer

Never

Rollercoasters, however, are not the only attractionamusement parks hold. There is a huge variety of ridesand games that the public seek. Water rides are also verypopular and hold just as long of lines as most rollercoasters,especially on hot, humid days. The Log Fume and WhiteWater Canon are famous water rides from Paramount’sKings Dominion. Senior Mike Scott said, “ [I like] seeinggirls on water rides!”

Searching for attractive members of the opposite gen-der, also known as “hotties”, is another favorite thing todo for teens at amusement parks. Sophomore HelenJohnson laughed as she said that she likes to see all ofthe hot guys at amusement parks when she visits. Look-ing for new people from the opposite sex with your friendsseems to be enjoyable for all teens.

Amusement parks also give you a place to go hang outwith your friends. Sophomore Jessica Arias stated that,“[I love amusement parks] because I love walking arounddoing basically nothing but waiting in line and sitting onmy butt, but still having fun.” Even if you choose not to

ride one the many exhilarating rides, you can still enjoyplaying games, going to Old Time Photos, lounging in theLazy River, or eating anything you can imagine! Fresh-man Chris Jenkins is easily pleased with amusementparks because “they give you something to do.”

Amusement parks have anything imaginable, fromrides to food, you name it, they got it. The trip to an amuse-ment park is also an enjoyable experience for a familytrip. There is a portion of the park for everyone, evenyour younger brother or sister. Almost every amusementpark contains a “kiddie park” where youngsters can goenjoy the same rush on small “kiddie coasters”. There’salso a place for mom to go-- lay out at the pool in thewater park. Dad can go eat and enjoy rollercoasters withyou and your friends, as much as that might kill you.

So, as you can see, amusement parks all over hold oneof the most exciting days you can experience. They haveattracted many people in the past and will continue toattract many more in the future.

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Office Hours by AppointmentTelephone: (703) 750-9300

7010 Evergreen CourtAnnandale, Virginia 22003

FEATURES 11TUES. JUNE 10, 2003BLASTAthe

CA

ITLIN

BECKETT

Freshman Julie Wolf gabs on her cell phone after school in the JockLobby. Many students have begunusing cell phones to keep in contact with their friends and family.

Many cell phone companies havedeveloped ear pieces such as these due toradiation concerns.

Plan it out: best individual cell phone plansCompany Daytime minutes Cost Nights and Weekends?

200

250

300

150

$29.99

$29.99

$35.00

$30.00

Unlimited

5,000

1,000

1,000 for $10 extra

agers using cell phones, parents can be put at ease with asimple periodical call.

ÒProviding my daughter with a cell phone has mademe less worried about her safety because it gives me peaceof mind that she can get a hold of me if she is in a tightsituation,Ó said parent Valerie Nelson of freshman Brit-tany Nelson. Many students remark that numerous fam-ily fights have been avoided by just using their cell phone

a couple of times a dayto inform their parentsof their whereabouts.

Some cell phoneshave also made it easierto keep in touch withdistant relativesthrough unlimited longdistance minutes.

Lastly, mobilephones have led tofamilies being able totake care of householderrands more effi-ciently. If a familymember is drivingaround town and hastheir cell phone on,

other family members can call and have them pick upitems that are on their way.

Although cell phones have made our lives easier in anumber of ways, they have also created certain hazard-ous conditions and hardships. One of the most promi-nent cell phone concerns is talking while driving. A 2002Harvard Cell Phone Study shows that about 570,000 in-juries a year result from drivers talking on phones whiletheir cars are in motion.

Teachers also have to struggle against so many stu-dents having cell phones. Even though cell phones mustbe turned off during school hours, occasionally a ring willinterrupt the focus of a class.

Finally, scientists and doctors are debating the pos-sible negative effects that cell phones can have with re-gard to cancer through radiation. There are is no defi-nite proof that radiation from cell phones is linked to can-cer, but cell phone companies have already developedearpieces to avoid direct contact by the user.

As cell phones continue to evolve and change the waywe live, the world becomes smaller and more connected.ÒI love my cell phone because it always keeps me con-nected to my friends and family,Ó said freshman LaelaShallal.

The modern connection

CellularSyndrome

A cellular society... and there’s no going back

The 2003 Sanyo5300 from Sprint

with a built indigital camera.

Doctor Martin Cooper, known as thefather of cell phones, is seenholding the first ever cell phonemade by Motorola in 1973.

The firstEricsson

handheld phonecreated in 1987.

The 1995Motorola flip

phone.

The 1991Ericsson GSM

cell phonenamed Sandra.

BY ERICA SATTENAtomic Athletics Editor

Gone are the days when businessmen could takevacations and tell their bosses that they couldn't bereached. Gone are the days when teenagers couldavoid friends that they didnÕt want to talk to.

Over the last twenty years cell phones have burstinto society, making the world more connected, andnow there is no going back. The business world, fam-ily life, and teenage social scene have all been radi-cally transformed as we experience a cellular revolu-tion.

This new world wide market has spurred economicgrowth and created hundreds of cell phone compa-nies. Students coming out of college or others seek-ing employment have been given one more job area topursue.

Businessmen now have the ability to contact theirclients anywhere at anytime. ÒCell phones havecaused business and personal life to become more of asingle activity and this is important because everyone isjust trying to stay connected,Ó said Steve Miller, who isin charge of national distribution for Nextel.

Now that these mobile phones have invaded the mar-ket, other products are becoming obsolete. Beepers,which used to be seen clipped onto the pants of mostbusinessmen are becoming rare. ÒWhy have a beeperwhen you could just be directlyreached?Ó said freshman JulieWolf.

Everyday cell phones areupgraded and they are tak-ing over the jobs of otherproducts. ÒThe next genera-tion of cell phones will havemuch more data use andthey will have more games,Ósaid Miller. ÒV ideo phones aregoing to be the next big push.Ó

Although busi-ness people were thefirst to begin pur-chasing cell phones,interest in this popular product has now spread like awildfire to consumers of all ages. Cell phone companiesare urging people to expand their calling circles and are

now marketing to everyone. T eenagers are becoming aprimary target for cell phone advertisements.

As one walks past the jock lobby after the bell rings ona Friday afternoon, one can see cell phones in the handsof many anxious students who are deciding what to donow that the weekend has finally arrived. According to aKey Findings United States survey, in 2002 about one-third of the teenagers in the United States owned cell

phones and that number has risen over the past year. Cell phones allow teenagers to locate their friends

around the clock and plan get-togethers on the spur ofthe moment. Mobile phones keep teens on the go.

Not that anyone would do this of course, but teenag-ers with cell phones can also deceive their parents and goto places that they would normally not be allowed. Bycalling their child's cell phone, a parent cannot use a homephone number to check and see if their child is really wherehe/she claims.

Mobile phones allow teenagers to keep in contact withold friends and to start fresh contacts with new friends.ÒCell phones have made it easier for me to reach my friendsand for them to reach me. I have dial up Internet at home,so I can't get calls when I am online. Now because of mycell phone I can get calls and talk online at the same time,Ósaid senior Vincent Keung.

Other teens that have to pay for their cell phone planssay that this technology cuts into their social lives in adifferent way. Junior Nicholas V ezega said, ÒMy phonesometimes hurts my social life because often my bill ex-ceeds over $200. This keeps me from doing certain ac-tivities on the weekends because I don't want to spendany more money.Ó

With high schoolers and other children being out somuch, parents are always plagued by some type of worryregarding their childÕs whereabouts.W ith so many teen-

BY CAITLIN BECKETT, MOLLY STERLACCI & ALEXWAHL

Staff Writers

One of the fastest growing forms of technology amongteenagers today is the cell phone. New age cell phonesare small and compact, but ironically are loaded with tonsof fresh features and accessories that appeal to the teen-age society.

In general, adults own cell phones for the simple pur-pose of being connected to people, however teenagers aremore demanding when it comes to buying a cell phone.Growing up in the age of technology, teenagers are awareof the numerous possibilities that are available in mod-ern cell phones.

Features can make or break the purchase of a cellphone. ÒText messaging, flip phone, personalized features,games, good ringers,Ó are the features that freshman AnnaHubacher looks for when buying a cell phone.

They are equipped with things such astext messaging, games, the Internet, voicedialing, voice memos and even digital cam-

eras. These features entice teen-agers to purchase cell phones

because they are appealing. Cell phones are ev-

erywhere after school inthe Jock Lobby, in thehalls, locker rooms,and even in class.In a bandwagon ef-fect, cell phones

have spread like wildfire.For some, it is all about popularity. Keeping up with

the times is what cell phones are all about. Several stu-dents just want to have the new product that everyone istalking about.

Some also go for the looks. A sleek, silver flip phonecould be used to impress someone or show off to friends.

However, cell phones surely are not all about popular-ity. Junior Pati Mohamed bought her cell phone partlyÒfor emergency reasons.Ó

In an emergency situation, a cell phone can become alifesaver. Living in America with heightened terroristalerts, parents and students alike feel more secure with acell phone.

ÒI got my cell phone because my mom bought it after9/11 for safety,Ó said freshman Nathaniel Farrar.

The primary reason for having a cell phone is keepingin touch with people. Cell phone owners are constantlyconnected to everyone, everywhere. In the technology

age, people have begun to crave the connection that a cellphone creates.

The cell phone connection brings owners into the glo-bal village.

ÒHaving a cell phone provides a way to keep in touchwith family and friends,Ó said junior, Mahlet Girma.

Some people could buy a phone because their coverscan be changed, and at malls and other stores cell phonecovers are available for purchase. There are numerousstyles, and many teens enjoy replacing the covers changethe look. By adding accessories, teens are able to indi-vidualize their cell phone. This especially appeals to teen-agers because many like to be unique. Other accessoriesinclude headsets, carrying cases, batteries, antenna boost-ers, and even radiation shields.

Modern features such as text messaging allow peopleto send messages from cell to cell without calling, but bytext.

Games can keep someone content in a boring situa-tion and the Internet can become useful when a com-puter is not handy. Various other features attract to cellphone buyers as well.

The newest addition to the cell phone is a digital cam-era. Now people can send messages not only throughvoice, but image. An image can be sent to spread thenews.

Cell phones plug people into a network around theworld. Whatever reason one has for buying one, a cellphone is useful.

Cell phones started out with one purpose, but as timehas progressed, their technology has changed immensely.In the future cell phones will surely evolve even more.

ÒYes, I thinkcell phones

should beallowed in

school if theyare turned off

during the day,because people

need to usethem after

school.Ó

Ò Yes, becauseyou need cell

phones just incase you need

to make anemergency

call.Ó

—Jose Rodriquezfreshman

ÒI thinkpeople shouldbe allowed tohave them inschool, butthey shouldnÕtbe used duringclass.Ó

ÒYes, I think theyshould be allowedin school, becauseright after schoolwe canÕt go homeand pick up ourcell phonesbecause we havelives and it ismore convenient.Ó

Ò Yes, I believethat cell

phones shouldbe allowed in

school.AnnandaleÕscurrent cell

phone policy isappropriate.Ó

The new 2003Motorola T-Mobile cell

phone.

The 2000Qualcomm cell

phone fromSprint.

The standard2001 Nokia,which has

become ever sopopular among

teenagers.

28.2%

32.2%

12.4%

4 %

23.2%

Motorola

Nokia

Samsung

Sony

Other

The cell phone evolution

—Kelly Beamsophomore

Ñ Maggie Purdonsophomore

—Dea Yoonsenior

—Julie HindmanEnglish teacher

Do you think cellphones should be

allowed in school andwhy?

What kind of cellphone do you have?

59.4%

40.6%

Yes

No

73.5%

26.5%

Yes

No

Do you have a cellphone?

MALE

FEMALE

The cell phone revolutioncontinues, sparking newinnovations and concerns

This survey was administered to266 students by A-Blast during

A, B, C and D lunches on May 20and 21.

12 BLASTAtheTUES. JUNE 10, 2003FEATURES

The video gaming world

Computer-like videogame consolesBY OMAR NACHAWATI

Journalism 1

The gap between gaming consoles and computers hasdecreased significantly over the past 12 years. Currentsystems such as Microsoft Xbox with an Intel PentiumIII processor, a hard drive, and networking capabilitieshave tried to blur the line between consoles and comput-ers. Even prior systems such as the Sega’s Dreamcastmade great strides being the first Internet ready consoleand having support for a subset of the Windows operat-ing system called WindowsCE.

This mainstream form of data storage has facilitatedthe production and decreased game production cost. Newgames for current consoles are ten dollars cheaper thanolder systems whose games initially costed $59.99. Yet,due to the increased ease of pirating CD-based games,piracy has become an increasng problem despite lowercosts.

Many amateur developers exist because of fewer re-

What is you favoritevideo game system and

why?

“I like the [PS2]graphics for thegames, and it alsolooks nice”

“[XBox] Because youcan play really coolgames on the XBox”

“XBox because youcan save all yourstuff, like music andgames”

“I Like the XBoxbecause you candownload music tothat junk”

“[PS2] Because ithas DVD capabili-ties and it has goodgames and goodgraphics”

“I like Gamecubebecause over theyears Nintendo hasbeen my favoritecompany and I stillbelieve that it is thebest”

“I feel that the[XBox’s] three-dimensional effectsare good and that itis also a DVDplayer”

“I like the PS2because it has aDVD player built inand good graphics”

“[PS2] because ithas good graphicsand because of thegame ‘Vice City’ ”

—Saad Karimullahfreshman

—Elisabeth Lienfreshman

—Abdul Johnsonsophmore

—Jesus Andinosophmore

—Ahmed Piercejunior

—Ejaz Zebjunior

—Kevin Judsonjunior

—RizwanChaudry

junior

—Ibrahim Najdisenior

BY BILAL JAVEDJournalism 1

Video games today are becoming a partof life for many students at AHS.Many people play video games for funand enjoyment. Most find video gamesas good entertainment for their leisure time.There are many types of games that are playedeveryday by many people. Video games come in manydifferent genres from role playing to strategy, fighting,adventure, sports, and many more. On average a newgame costs between $40 to $50. There are many con-soles on which video games are played, among the mostpopular are X-box and Playstation 2. With game sys-tems being upgraded every five years people find a dif-ferent look in games. The graphics play a vital role in

bringing actual look in the games. Gamesr e - quire various skills, from but-t o n - mashing to war strategy.

Strategy games require complexthinking as well as hand-eye co-

ordination to maneuver char-acters on the screen. “Good

stratgy games make youthink,” said History

teacher Mr. Dunnell,“ Good strategy

game can

b eaddictive.”

“Playing and buyinggames are just a [waste]of time and money,” saidjunior NausheenShahid. But many

people like to play games because they think its a good

BY BEN RODDENJournalism 1

How much money is spent on video games?Games, on average, can cost between $10 and $50.

Current consoles range in price, where a NintendoGamecube can be purchased for $150, but theMicrosoft Xbox and Sony Playstation 2 costsaround $180. If one game is bought every weekfor an entire year, at the average price of $49.99,it would cost $2, 599.48.

Since buying games can be expensive, rentinggames before purchase costs aroun six dollars,and can give enough insight into the game to helpdecide if the game warrants a purchase. Tradingin old games can cut down the cost of purchasing

How much do you spend on videogames?

way form of entertainment instead of boredom. “When Ineed to entertain myself I like to play games “ said sopho-more Daniel Borris.

With games being upgraded and new versions arriv-ing every year, graphics and gameplay advance exponen-tially. Video games have become an addiction that hasentranced millions of Americans. So many infact, thatvideo game revenue has surpassed box office movie salesin revenue.

Senior Mike Flint

quirements needed to develop for a system. Independentdevelopers have released many neat games and useful soft-ware, most of which have been GPL’ed, general publiclicsensed, allowing users to copy and distribute their soft-ware free of charge. However, most are not licensed, giv-ing the the ‘hacker’ nick-name. Popular PC gamessuch as Quake II and Doomhave been rereleased byhackers for sys- tems such asthe Dreamcast. Free mediaplayers also ex- ist for thesesystems, allow- ing any userwith a CD burner toburn com- pressed mov-ies and audio in MP3, MPEGand even DIVX formats and play them in their console ona larger sized screen.

Another big portion of amateur software released forconsoles are emulators. Emulation allows consoles or com-

puters to play a system they do not have by imitating thefunctions of that system with software code. Many oldersystems like the original Nintendo and Super Nintendoas well as more recent ones like the PSOne can be playedwithout the original hardware through the use of an emu-lator. Attempts have also been made to port the MulitpleArcade Machine Emulator, which has the ability to playseveral thousand arcade games.

Besides individual software releases, several amatuerdevelopers also attempted to get the free and popularLinux operating system to run on systems. The Linuxmicro-kernal, the minimal Linux operating systemstripped of features such as media players and word-pro-cessors have successfully been ported to the PSOne andPS2 along with the Xbox and Dreamcast.

As long as software continues to be made for consolesby the amateur community, and video game companiescontinue to mainstream their systems the gap betweengaming consoles and computer systems will contiue toshrink.

Need a head start on summer reading

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a new game. Also, used games are sold at several retailersfor a discount price.

Older games can be traded into stores such asFuncoland, Gamestop, or Electronics Boutique for storecredit or cash. The “trade-in value” varies depending onthe system the game is made for, how recent the game is,

and how well the game has sold.Games are usually shipped on Monday

and arrive in stores on Wednesday or Thurs-day. Games can be reserved prior to releasethrough a deposit. Games such as GrandTheft Auto Vice City or the most recent Leg-end of Zelda have sold thousands ofpreorders before their official release.

Playstation 2 currently has the largestselection of games to chose from due to

launching a year prior to the other systems and wide-spread third-party support.

Between consoles, accessories (such as extra control-

lers), and the games themselves, video games can addup. Though some stores sell games for different prices,usually the prices are all the same since the manufac-turer recommends a set price that is followed. No matterwhich console, or what games, the cost can be cut downthrough “trade-ins” and used games.

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Video game popularity hasgrown to surpass box officemovie sales

FEATURES 13TUES. JUNE 10, 2003BLASTAthe

Something sweetfrom Shilla’s

Fun and facts -Espresso

meaning of the word espresso -Latin: comes from the wordExpresere which means “to pressout”Italian: means a cup of coffeebrewed especially for youEspresso is a small 1 to 2 oz. shot ofpressure-brewed coffee usingbetween 6.5 and 7.5 grams (about 1Tablespoon) of finely ground coffee.Brewing takes about 25 to 30seconds. Properly brewed, anespresso will feature a layer of richdark golden cream, called crema onthe surface. This crema is oneindictor of a quality espresso.Drinking the espresso is alsoconsidered an art. In Italy, youcould witness people sitting in anItalian cafe breathing in the aromaof the espresso as they hold the cupand saucer. After this is done, theydrink the entire beverage in 3-4quick gulps before they finish theritual by firmly tapping the cupback onto the saucer.

-compiled by Kimiko Yerick

Coffee RecipesIce Cream Parlor Mocha SodasServes 4Ingredients:1⁄2 cup hot water 4 scoopschocolate ice cream8 teaspoons finely ground coffee 1 quart club soda2 cups milksweetened whipped cream

Place hot water in a medium sizedpitcher. Stir in coffee. Finely grindinto a powder texture, untildissolved. Stir in milk. Place onescoop of ice cream into each of 4 icecream soda glasses. Pour coffee/milk mixture equally into eachglass. Fill glasses almost to brimwith club soda. Top with sweetenedwhipping cream

Frosted MochasServes 4Ingredients:1 cup freshly brewed coffee 1 pintvanilla ice cream, softened6 tablespoons chocolate syrup1 cup prepared cold coffee

Place hot coffee and chocolate syrupin blender container. Blend untilsmooth. Cool to room temperature.Pour into a medium bowl. Addsoftened ice cream and cold coffee.With rotary beater, beat untilsmooth. Spoon into tall glasses, andserve immediately.http://www.eureka-java-gold.com/recipes.htm#FrostedMochas

Grade: 11thHow often do you drink coffee?1-2 times a weekWhat is your favorite type ofcoffee? frappuccino

Grade: 12thHow often do you drink coffee?1 time a weekWhat is your favorite type ofcoffee? capuccino

Sharie Baldoz

Grade: 10thHow often do you drink coffee?3 times a weekWhat is your favorite type ofcoffee? chocolate browniefrappachino

History of coffee and the rise in popularity

BY CRISTIAN HERNANDEZStaff Writer

Have you ever found yourself at home on one of these many rainy days, won-dering where to go or what to do? Days like these are perfect for Shilla Bakery andCafé. It’s an ideal place to enjoy good coffee and delicious treats at an affordablestudent friendly price. Shilla is located on 7123 Little River turn Pike, in closevicinity to George Mason Public Library.

As you walk inside of Shilla you first see the many shelves of baskets filled withgoodies. You look over to your right and you find all kinds of pastries, filled withsweet red bean, strawberry cream, and green bean. On your left there is a varietyof breads and other colorful pastries. To the front you’ll find beautifully decoratedand colorful cakes. They are decorated with various types of flowers and fruit.There is also a variety of bite size cakes.

When you have finally made your pick, and walk up to the counter, there aremany types of coffee to choose from, such as mocha, latte and cappuccino. For hotsummer days Shilla also offers cold coffee drinks. Smoothies are also on the menu.At Shilla’s, you can find a vast variety, you have a choice of pineapple to bananasmoothies. Shilla also serves more substantial subs if a pastery is not what you arelooking for.

You pay at the counter and prices usually vary from 95 cent pastries to $2-5lattes and smoothies. Coffee and pastry in hand, there are scattered black tablesand some comfy sofa style chairs to choose from. As you enjoy your coffee andpastry, you’ll find that the pastries do not innudate your tastebuds with too muchsweetness. This is because the butter that is used to bake the pastries is buttercream and therefore is not sugar based.

Overall, Shilla is a good place to relax with friends and the prices are reason-able for students who are trying to watch their budget.

BY KIMIKO YERICKArts Editor

Frappuccinos, mochas, lattes, intoday’s society coffee is becoming in-creasingly popular among highschool students. Coffee has becomea popular drink for both teenage boysand girls for many reasons. DonaldMartin, a junior here at AHS has aspecific scedule for his mornings.Wake up, eat, brush your teeth, anddrink coffee. That’s his motto.

Donald Martin is a prime ex-ample of a “coffee fanatic.” When-ever coffee is mentioned while in hispresence, Donald instantly becomesinterested. Donald drinks coffee atleast once a day. You will never findhim without his coffee cup, especiallyin the morning. For Donald, there isno such thing as too much coffee. “Istarted drinking coffee when i wasthirteen, I just got hooked on the fla-vor of it,” he said. “I drink coffee

Interview with an extreme coffee drinker, junior,Donald Martin

1.You ski uphill.2.You get a speeding ticket even when you’re parked.3.Juan Valdez has named his donkey after you.4.You haven’t blinked since the last lunar eclipse.5.You grind your coffee beans in your mouth.6.You just completed another sweater and you don’t know how to knit.7.You sleep with your eyes open.8.You can take a picture of yourself from ten feet away

without using the timer.9.You lick your coffee pot clean.10.You spend your vacations visiting “Maxwell House”11.You’re the employee of the month at the local coffee

house and you don’t even work there.12.You speed walk in your sleep. You chew on other

people’s fingernails.13.The Nurse needs a scientific calculator to take your pulse.14.All your kids are named “Joe”15.Your only source of nutrition comes from “Sweet & Low”16.You buy 1/2 and 1/2 by the barrel.17.Your so jittery that people use your hands to blend their margaritas.18.You can type sixty words per minute with your feet.19.You can jump-start your car without cables.20.You’ve worn out the handle on your favorite mug.21.You’ve worn out your third pair of tennis shoes this

week.22.Your eyes stay open when you sneeze.23.You go to AA meetings just for the free coffee.24.You forget to unwrap candy bars before eating them.25.You don’t need a hammer to pound in nails.26.You walk twenty miles on your treadmill before you realize it’s not plugged in.27.You’ve built a miniature city out of little plastic stir- rers.28.Starbucks owns the mortgage on your house.29.Instant coffee takes too long.30.People get dizzy just watching you.31.When you find a penny, you say, “Find a penny, pick it up. Eighty-four more, I’ll have a cup.”32.The Taster’s Choice couple wants to adopt you.33.Your taste buds are so numb you could drink your lava lamp.34.You’re so wired, you pick up AM radio.35.People can test their batteries in your ears.36.Your life’s goal is to amount to a hill of beans.37.You channel surf faster without a remote.38.When someone asks, “How are you?”, you say, “Good to the last drop.”39.You want to be cremated just so you can spend eter nity in a coffee can.40.Your birthday is a national holiday in Brazil.41.You’d be willing to spend time in a Turkish prison.42.You go to sleep just so you can wake up and smell

the coffee.43.You’re offended when people use the word “brew” to mean beer.44.You named your cats “Cream” and “Sugar”45.Your lips are permanently stuck in the sipping po- sition.46.You have a picture of your coffee mug on your cof fee mug.47.You think being called a “drip” is a compliment.48.You can’t even remember your second cup.49.You help your dog chase its tail.50.You speak perfect Arabic without ever taking a les- son.51.Your Thermos is on wheels.52.You soak your dentures in coffee overnight.53.You introduce your spouse as your “Coffee Mate”54.Your first-aid kit contains 2-pints of coffee with an I-V hookup.55.You can outlast the Energizer bunny.56.You short out motion detectors.57.You have a conniption over spilled milk.58.You don’t even wait for the water to boil anymore.59.Your nervous twitch registers on the Richter scale.60.You don’t tan, you roast.61.You don’t get mad, you get steamed.http://www.caffeineaddicted.com/toomuchcoffee2.htm-compiled by Cristian Hernandez

You know you’re drinking too much coffee when....

mainly in the morning , but some-times I splurge and drink one in theafternoon as a treat,” said Donald ofhis coffee drinking habits. Donald’sfondness of coffee was passed downto him from his parents. Both ofthem drink coffee, which is probablywhy he has grown to like the drinkso much, and why he started drink-ing coffee at the age of thirteen.

Because Donald’s parents areboth coffee drinkers, it is easy to seewhy he is a big fan of homemade cof-fee. However, whenever he cannotget that special coffee from home,Donald is always ready to head tothe nearest Starbucks like manyother teens and get his favorite fromthe local coffee cafe. “Caramel lattemochas are the best!” Donald saidwith enthusiasm.

As far as the many myths aboutthe effects that coffee has on yourhealth, Donald doesn’t pay much at-tention to them. “Some say coffee

stumps your growth, but being 6‘’1”feet tall, I don’t think that’s a prob-lem,” he said. “Coffee wakes you upin the morning and makes first pe-riod more bearable. I don’t think cof-fee has changed my personality, it’sjust a drink that I enjoy, especiallywith my friends!”

Donald’s friends Anh Duong, LizNettles, and others like to jokearound with him because he is so“attached” to his coffee. They smileand call him “territorial” wheneverhe gets mad at them for stealing hiscoffee cup. They all agree thatDonald can be very temperamentalwhen it comes to his coffee.

However, when you look at thelarge population of the student bodyhere at AHS, even though Donaldmay seem like he is a little extremewhen it comes to coffee, he is just oneof the several examples of the manycoffee drinkers we have here at ourschool.

Anh Duong

Davinder Palsingh

AHS+Coffee

Shilla’s Cafe (shown above) is a great place for people to relax and enjoy coffee.

Junior Donald Martin sips his coffee.Donald Martin uses coffee to relax and get ready for the day.

Crazy for CoffeeCrazy for CoffeeCrazy for CoffeeCrazy for CoffeeCrazy for Coffee COFFEEDRINKERS

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600- Coffee migrates from Ethipoia to Arabia1554- Constantinople’s first coffee houses open1616-1650- Coffee is first brought to Holland, and first coffee houses open in Venice, and England1668- Coffee is introduced to North America1675- King Charles II orders all London coffee houses closed, calling them places of sedition1809- The first coffee imported from Brazil arrives in Salem, Mass.1873- The first successful national brand of packaged roast ground coffee, Ariosa, is marketed by John Arbuckle1928 - The Colomian Coffee Federation is established1962- Peak in American per-capita coffee consumption--more than three cups a day1971- First Starbucks opens in Seattle1975- Global coffee prices rise dramatically after Brazil suffers a severe frostEarly 1990’s- Speciality coffee catches on in the U.S.1998- Starbucks approaches 2,000 U.S. outlets, with as many planned for Asia and Europe

60%16.9%

13.1%

6.2%.8%

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

How old were you when you started drinking Coffee?

14 BLASTAtheTUES. JUNE 10, 2003FEATURES

Name: Edgar SortoGrade: JuniorPlace of Employment: Neighborhood ServicesHow long have you been working there? Alittle each summer since I was a freshman.What do you do? We take out roots, put mulchdown, do a lot of landscaping and clean-up work,and just get dirty.How much do you make? $9 an hour.What’s your favorite part of the job? CoachAdams flips out at someone everyday and getsreally mad; it’s really funny.

Name: Sara FargoGrade: SophomorePlace of Employment: Alexandria Pastry Shopand CafeHow long have you been working there? Six

months.What do you do? I wait on people, write on cakes,serve food, and do a lot of cleaning. I’ve also made afew cakes and pastries.How much do you make? $6.50 an hour.What’s your favorite part of the job? I’ve beengoing there since I was little, so it’s a good first jobfor me.

MALES

YES

NO

FEMALES

YES

NO

Are you working this summer?THIS SURVEY WAS GIVEN TO 155 STUDENTS DURING ALL LUNCHES

84%

16%

72%

Where are youworking this

summer?

A Look Into Summer Jobs

Name: John BechtoldtGrade: SeniorPlace of Employment: Forest Hollow Swim Club,Sleepy Hollow Bath and RacquetHow long have you been working there? Twoyears at Forest Hollow, first year in current job atSleepy Hollow.What do you do? At Forest Hollow I am assistantswim coach, and at Sleepy Hollow I am assistantmanager.How much do you make? I have a paid salaryat Forest Hollow, and I make $8.50 an hour at SleepyHollow.What’s your favorite part of the job? Worksucks.

Name: MJ MayassiGrade: FreshmanPlace of Employment: Greg Keim’s HockeyLeagueHow long have you been working there? Oneyear.What do you do? I referee for hockey gamesand give lessons to little kids.How much do you make? $7.50 an hour.What’s your favorite part of the job? The littlekids are hard to teach, but it’s fun in the end.

“I’m workingat MicroMemComputerStore becausethe pay isgood and I’mdoing what Ilike.”-Austin Vanjunior

BY CHRIS SOPHER, AMY SUDDARTH, AND STACEYMARIN

Ad Manager, Arts Editor, and Staff Writer

While many AHS students are already employed, manyhave been left in the dark without jobs as summer begins.Still want one? Even as summer begins, jobs are still avail-able. We’ll go through the options and give you a foolproofguide to getting a job.

If you’re looking for a good job where you can make moneyand get a nice tan, there are many swimming pools located allaround the Annandale area that may still be hiring. NV Poolsis a major company that manages 73 pools in Northern Vir-ginia. Starting wages are $6.00 an hour, but you can alwayswork your way up to a higher paying job. Basic requirementsfor NV Pools lifeguards are to be certified in CPR and FirstAid, as well as having lifeguard training. To fill out an appli-cation, go to www.nvpools.com and click on Lifeguard Servicesto find an on-line application.

So maybe pools aren’t your thing, but you’re still interestedin an outdoor job. Neighborhood Services is a great outdoorcompany that is run by Coach Adams. The company provideslawn maintenance such as lawnmowing, laying mulch, andother landscaping. They focus on residential yards so the workis always close by. All of the employees of Neighborhood Ser-vices are AHS students and alumni. As of right now, there areonly about 16 employees, but they’re always open for more.“We’ve been in service for 22 years,” said Coach Adams. “We’veprobably had over a thousand kids over the years working forus.”

Some students, however, would rather have a more “pro-fessional” job. Several local businesses and restaurants em-ploy AHS students over the summer. Smith & Clarkson’s, asmall Ravensworth deli, and DaVinci’s, a small Italian res-taurant in Alexandria, both employ many high school students.

One popular job for teenagers is babysitting. The pay rangesfrom $20-$80 a day, and most babysitters do not have to fileincome tax claims. It is usually best to start with families inyour neighborhood or with whom you are acquainted. Wordof mouth often helps in getting your name out.

Many older students find jobs at retail stores, such as OldNavy, American Eagle, Best Buy, Circuit City, and Borders.Pay is generally better than that of younger-employing jobslike lifeguarding. However, these businesses may require abackground in retail before employing. Interested in one ofthese jobs? Follow our procedures and you’ll be rolling in thesummer cash.

FINDING THE RIGHT JOBChoose a job that’s right for you. Pick something you excel

at, enjoy doing, or something you’ve had prior experience do-

ing. You will find the road to employment easier,and you’ll find yourself making quite the goodemployee. Once you’ve chosen a job you’re in-terested in, call the employer and inquire aboutthe job’s details: hours, wages, and requirements.

APPLYINGThe most important aspect of employment

may be the application. Many employers do nothave time to meet individually with each of theirapplicants - your application is your represen-tative. Word your responses professionally andexploit your good qualities. Find references: callemployed friends you know well and ask themif they’d mind serving as a reference. Referencesshow your employer that people know and trustyour abilities.

FIRST DAY ON THE JOBWhen you first meet your employer, be sure to make

a good impression. Show your interest for the job andwork hard - it may sound like sucking up, but you’llshow your employer that you’re both dedicated andvaluable.

There are many more opportunities than those dis-cussed here, and many are available through websitessuch as Monster.com and JobSearch.com. Ask around,call local businesses - there are almost always jobs avail-able to teens, and if you look in the right places, you’rebound to be seeing the summer cash.

Senior Hayley Fletcher at work at Smith & Clarkson’s deli in Ravensworth plaza. Smith & Clarkson’s employs manyAHS students.

Finding the right job for the summer months

28%

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“I’m interningas assistantprincipal atFalls ChurchHigh School inaddition tostarting thefootballprogram atStuart.”-VincentRandazzoEnglishteacher

“I’m workingat the Luna

Grill to makemoney to go

places over thesummer.”

-AngelicaRoy

junior

“I’m workingat ForestHollow SwimClub becauseit’s an easyjob and it’sfun.”-SpencerWisesophomore

“I’m workingat Finish Linebecause it’s an

athletic storeand I’m into

sports.”-AliciaOben

freshman

“I’m probablygoing to workat PowhatanSprings Poolbecause I loveswimming andhelpingpeople.”

-LindsayCallahanfreshman

“I work atTysons II as asalesperson at

GodivaChocolate. Iget to meet

people, plusworking with

chocolate -what more

could youwant?”

-Rita Amanijunior

FEATURES 15TUES. JUNE 10, 2003BLASTAthe

Trout Bass

In and Out listof 2003

LadiesIN—Ultra mini skirts—Polka dots—Fish nets—Cargo pants—Thick strapped tanks—Jersey dresses—Flip flops—Hats—White and pinkOUT—Long ankle skirts—Hawaiian print—Panty hoes—Spaghetti straps—Flower dresses—Sandals—Scarfs—Yellow and black

GentlemanIN—Fitted jeans—Jersey’s—Buckled belts—Muscle Shirts—Converse—Color Collar shirts—White suitsOUT—Baggy jeans—Tank tops—Chains—Baggy shirts—Adidas—Black—White Collar shirts—Black suitsSources: Seventeen Magazine: June2003, Teen People Magazine: June/July 2003, Vogue Magazine: June2003.

FreshmanJordon Jones con-siders himself athug and has beendressing with oldschool style forabout two years. Hisbest friend JavisBurton inspires himbecause of his hipsense of style. “If Icould dress like anycelebrity it would beNelly because he has themost throwback jersey’s.”Jones says he isn’t able tohang out with people who don’t dress similar tohim. When going to the mall he has to go into SportsZone & Foot Action, “because they have tight gear.” Manyguys at AHS dress similar to Jones, because it has a freshlook and the jersey adds a sporty edge.

“I just enjoydressing like aprep, but I don’tnecessarily actlike one,” says,Jairo Martiezsophmore. “Ialways shop atAmerican Eagle,Structure, and/orAeropostale, be-cause I like thelook they are sell-ing.”

Martiez hasbeen dressinglike a prep since8th grade, hesays its betterthan being athug. “Thepreppy look justfits my description.” He was inspired by his friends, whoare mostly white, who dress like preps. “If I could dresslike any celebrity it would be Keanu Reeves, because hehas such a awesome sense of style, and I really likes thesleek look.” Martiez feels he isn’t different from anyoneelse because he dresses similar to other students here atAHS.

Junior CharleneFerrell says GwenStefani inspires her,but she doesn’t haveenough time todress like her inthe morning, “It’sjust too much!” Ifit’s not the GwenStefani look, she

wears whatever iscomfortable and cute. Cat-egorizing is somethingshe is totally against, asshe never labels herselfor anyone else. Eventhough all of Ferrell’sfriends are totallypreppy, Ferrell

doesn’t considerherself a prep.

“Don’t careabout what

people thinkabout you,you should

wear what you want.” Ferrell definitely has a diva atti-tude.

Junior RohinaHussain has wornher hijab (head cover-ing) and her jilbab(body covering)since middle school,“because its part ofmy religion and Is-lam is a very im-portant part ofmy life.” Hussainreceives more re-spect from guysbecause whenguys view hersense of stylethey have atendency torespect herm o r e .Hussain wasmostly inspiredby her Muslimsister at themosque (Dal Al-Hidra.) “I wouldnever changemy style be-cause I am very proud to represent my religion.” Hussianis sometimes judged in a bad way, “they see me as aterrorist, but than again I am just a typical teen likeeveryone else.”

Junior QaisNasseri, enjoysthe clean cutlook, because hefeels more mo-tivated comingto school everymorning. “Mymom inspiresme becauseshe alwaysmakes sure Iam dressed upand look proper.”Nasseri looks andfeel confidentwalking down thehalls with his styl-ish look and atti-tude. He enjoysshopping atArmani, Structureand Kenneth Colebecause he reallylikes the trend theyset. Nasseri will buywhatever fits, iscomfortable and looks good on him. “People think I amstuck up just because I dress like a structure model.” IfNasseri didn’t dress the way he does, he would mostlikely wear a typical white shirt and blue jeans.

The MalePrep

The Jock

The Individual

TheDiva

The Conservative The GQGuy

What do you thinkabout the fashion

here at AHS?

“The fashionhere atAnnandalesucks becausenobody canreally dressbecause theydon’t have anytype of fashionsense.”—DeAundraHeatley junior

“The fashionhere is very

uniquebecause of the

diversity wehave here at

AHS.” —RobelAbraham junior

“I believe only10% of AHS

students candress, but 90%

dress prettyweak”

—MattLindsley

freshman

“Moststudents atAHS don’tmatch, and Ireally hatethat.”—SilvieCastillo junior

“I think it’scompetitiveand prettycasual. AHSstudentscomparethemselveswith others,they try to bewhat theyaren’t.” —FaisalInam senior

With diversity comes style

—By Nigeen SadozaiStaff Writer

Marian McLaughlin, sophomore, has been inspiredfrom Nirvana and Led Zeppelin, her two favorite bands.McLaughlin doesn’t limit herself and she’s able to get alongand fits in with everyone. McLaughlin doesn’t categorizeherself nor does she use labels. “I get along with all typesof people including preps, thugs, and even the conserva-tive crowd.”

,

16 BLASTAtheTUES. JUNE 10, 2003FEATURES

A-Blast seniors say good-bye

So Long, SeniorsLeft to right, Top Row: Andrew Satten, Javier Sanchez-Yoza, Shabier Bahramy, Ryan Teichler, Chris Rauer, Erik Rooney, Philippe Podhorecki, Second Row: Amanuel Beyene, Mike Mahn, Cameron Kynes, LaurenSterlacci, Sarah Sherman, Crystan Blanco, Alejandro Salinas, David Marin, Third Row: Laura Hollowell, Rachel Jones, Chae-Wha Pa rk, Hayley Fletcher, Hana Nguyen, Katharine Kishiyama, Saman Hussain, KathySaupp, Rachel Johnson, Wala’a El Barasse

What will youmiss most

aboutworking on

The A-Blast?

Philippe PodhoreckiCo-Editor In Chief

On staff for three years, Philippe has served on all dif-ferent levels. He has served as Staff Writer, News Editorand Co-Editor in Chief. Besides writing his “Phun with Phil”column, Philippe was always present on late nights, andhis mom was always providing the staff with delicious food.His shoes will be very hard to fill. Philippe will be attendingLynchburg College in the fall.

Andrew SattenCo-Editor In Chief

Andrew has also been on staff for three years, as CopyEditor, Editorials Editor and Co-Editor In Chief. Andrewhas always been there to give guidance and keep The A-Blast atmosphere positive. He likes to be recognized as a“player-pimp” and he will always be remembered for hisnot-so-top-notch computer skills and his ability to fight withPhilippe. Andrew will be attending the University of NorthCarolina-Chapel Hill.

Reid EdwardsManaging Editor

Serving on staff for three years, Reid has been Technol-ogy Manager, News Editor and Managing Editor. Althoughhe was hard to find on late nights, he was always there towrite a last-minute story and to help finish the pages. Hisrandom rantings will be missed. Reid will be rooming withMike Mahn at the University of South Carolina next year.

Edris QarghahEditorials Editor

Edris, a two year staff member, was Editorials Editorthis year. While he was noticably absent for much of theschool year, Edris contributed greatly to the newspaper whenhe was here. His editorial column, Q’s Commentary’, dis-cussed many important and sometimes controversial issues.Edris will be going to the College of William and Mary thisfall.

Hayley FletcherIn-Depth Editor

On staff for two years, Hayley has provided a calming influ-ence in an otherwise hectic A-Blast room. She has servedthe staff as Academics Editor and In-Depth Editor, bothyears with her other half, Hana. Her surveys and smilingface will be missed as she goes off the Virginia Tech in thefall.

Hana NgyuenIn-Depth Editor

Also serving on staff for two years, Hana filled her posi-tions as Academics Editor and In-Depth Editor with noth-ing lacking. She always had a vision for her page and triedher hardest to make it a reality. Hana always was willing tohelp with extra projects or volunteered to do extra stories.She will be attending James Madison University.

Martha AmoakoFeatures Editor

On staff for two years, the chant of “Martha, Martha,Martha!” could often be heard in The A-Blast room. She hasdone a wonderful job working as Features Editor and con-tributing to all sections of the paper. Her academic perfor-mance is one to be admired. She will be attending BrownUniversity in the fall.

Laura HollowellPeoples Editor

As a Staff Writer and Peoples Editor, Laura has been onstaff for two years. Her laugh reverberated through the halls,and she often was not the steadiest in her chair, falling outof it numerous times. Her smiling face and cheerful atti-tude will be missed when she attends Virginia Tech nextyear.

Saman HussainPeoples Editor

Ever the positive thinker, Saman was always using her sar-castic humor to lighten the mood in The A-Blast room. Serv-ing for two years as a Staff Writer and Peoples Editor, Samanwas always eager to get her page done on time. She will beattending the University of Virginia next year.

Wala’a El BarasseCultures Editor

Serving two years on staff as a Staff Writer and CulturesEditor, Wala’a always had an idea in her head and the sar-casm that comes with working on staff. Wala’a, fondly re-ferred to as “Wally,” made her page the most interestingthat it could be. Wala’a will be attending George Mason Uni-versity in the fall.

David MarinSports X-tra Editor

On staff for two years as a Staff Writer and as Sports ExtraEditor, the phrase most often used towards him was “longtime no see.” David was good at providing a few laughs onlate nights, although his co-editor didn’t find him very funnyat times. David will be attending the University of SouthCarolina next year.

Alejandro SalinasEntertainment Editor

Serving on staff for two years, Alejandro was becameEntertainment Editor in the middle of last year. His pageswere always strategically filled with Buffy and Erik Zotnikas a guest writer. Even in his extreme negativity, a selectfew staff memebers were able to get to know “Big Al.”Alejandro will be attending William and Mary in the fall.

Crystan BlancoArts Editor

Beginning her two-year A-Blast career as Ad Manager,Crystan continued her passion for the paper by producingwell-planned Art pages every issue this year as she spenther final year on staff as the Arts Editor. Crystan will attendShepard University this upcoming fall.

Cameron KynesWeekend Editor

Two year editor from Cultures to Weekend, Cameronstrategically placed Cecilia Mallory in every issue. His pageswere always prompt and nicely done. Rising above the stan-dards set by last year’s Weekend editor, Cameron was im-portant in the production process. He will be attending theUniversity of Florida in the fall.

Katherine KishiyamaWeekend Editor

First year editor after her previous year on staff as aStaff Writer, Katherine wrote her columns with wisdom be-yond her years. She was a valuable member to staff andsomeone that no one ever had to haggle or worry about.Even in the worst of times she kept a positive attitude. Con-gratulations and good luck at Mary Washington College.

Ryan TeichlerBusiness Manager

Known for his humor, jokes about his mom, and always ontime labels, three year staff member Ryan served his timeas a Staff Writer and Business Manager. On a more seriousnote, his presence in journalism and on staff will be missed.He will be attending the College of Charleston in the fall.

Rachel JonesAd Manager

Trying to balance athletics, school and A-Blast is a toughtask, but Rachel excelled in all three areas. Her sweet man-ner in dealing with the stressed out staff made everyonecalm down a little. She was on staff for two years as a StaffWriter and Ad Manager, and is wished the best of luck asshe attends the University of Virginia.

Chae-Wha ParkPhotography Editor

Chae-Wha’s smiling face and wonderful photographyskills were greatly appreciated throughout the year. When-ever a last-minute shot was needed, she could be countedon. She was a three year staff member, serving as a Photog-rapher, Atomic Agenda Editor and Photo Editor. She will beattending Duke in the fall.

Chris RauerPhotographer

Whenever he was needed, he could surely be found play-ing on the PC. After a transfer from yearbook, he fit right inwith the rest of the staff. With an unknown number of photocredits this year, he completed his career on The A-Blastwith one year as a photographer. He will be attending George

Mason University in the fall.Sarah Sherman

Photographer/Staff WriterSarah double-hit this year, taking photos and writing

excellent stories. She always came through when the staffwas in a bind. She will be attending Mary Washington Col-lege this fall.

Ateneh AddisuStaff Writer

Even though he has been a great member of the staff,Anteneh, a first year staff member will most be rememberedfor winning “Annandale Idol” and the pajama scandal. Hisfree-stylin’ was wonderful and it is uncertain what will bedone without him next year. He will be attending Duke inthe fall.

Erik RooneyStaff Writer

Erik was a staff writer this year, and has been on staff fortwo years. His movie reviews were always excellent, as werehis other articles. He will be attending Marymount Man-hattan College this fall.

Kathy SauppStaff Writer

Serving as a staff writer this year, Kathy also added herinsightful commentary about topics ranging from bathroomsto backpacks in her column ‘Kathy’s Quandaries.’ Kathywill be going to Towson University.

Lauren SterlacciStaff Writer

Lauren has always been eager to help with a story and issomeone that everyone enjoyed on staff for three years. Whileher nicknames include “Ster-lousy” and “Jasmine Blair,”everyone knows that she has always put forth great effortand it is greatly appreciated. She will be going to CoastalCarolina.

Shabier Bahramy Videographer

This was Shabier’s first year on staff. His excellent workas a videographer greatly contributed to the video yearbook.

Amanuel BeyeneVideographer

Amanuel, a first year videographer, always helped lightenthe mood in class. His ever-growing hair and desperate at-tempts for a good “your-mom” joke to retaliate againstWeintraut always had everyone laughing. He will be goingto Morehouse College.

Rachel JohnsonVideographer

This was Rachel’s first year on staff. Her work as avideographer paid off, it came out great. She will be attend-ing Auburn University in the fall. Thanks for everythingRocky!

Mike MahnVideographer

Mike has been on staff for three years, working as Enter-tainment Editor last year and then videographer this year.He will be going to the University of South Carolina withReid this fall.

Javier Sanchez-YozaVideographer

The A-Blast would not have been able to function with-out ‘Jav-ie’ this year. Calls of ‘Javier is here’ were frequentlyheard in class, since he was almost always there, even whenit was just to hang out. This was his first year on staff. Hiswork as a videographer and support on late nights will bemissed . He will be attending George Mason University nextyear.

The entire 2002-2003 A-Blast staff would like to thankour graduating seniors for all their hard work and dedica-tion to this newspaper over the last four years. They will begreatly missed and we wish them the best of luck in theirfuture endeavors.

Written by Caroline Friedman & Abby Segall

The senior staff members of The A-Blast worked hard on stories and put in long hours after school.Here’s a recap of the varied accomplishments of all 28 graduating seniors.

“All the sillyshenanigans thattake place on latenights and theloud reverberat-ing sound of aparticularsomeone’s burps.”

— Chae-WhaPark

Photo Editor

“The late nights,Phil yelling at meto get my pagedone, your momjokes, and all thefriendships I’vemade.”

— CrystanBlanco

Arts Editor

“Late nightsbecause they

solidify friend-ships and my

overall journalisticexperience from

working on such ahigh calibernewspaper.”

— Hana NgyuenIn-Depth Editor

“Your mom jokes,making fun ofWeintraut, fieldtrips with Phil,and of course, thebest co-editorever, Hana.”— HayleyFletcherIn-Depth Editor

“I will miss thehilarious hijinxesthat occur on late

deadline nightsand the interac-tions with such

awesome people.”— Philippe

PodhoreckiCo-Editor-in-Chief

“I’m going to missthe immensleysociableatmosphere onlatenights.”— EdrisQarghahEditorials Editor

“Just talking withmy best friends

and making fun ofWeintrauts ugly

mom on latenights.”

— AlejandroSalinas

EntertainmentEditor