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, MAY 6, 2003

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

8D’OHAn in-depth look atAmerica’s favoriteprimetime cartoon family,The Simpsons.

15AHS TO NCAASeveral standout athleteswill try to bring thier gameto the next level.

16BOYS LAXBoys Varsity Lacrosseteam beat Hayfield 11-2last Saturday.

19X2X-cellent x -citementthat puts the first‘X’ to shame, withx-quisite specialeffects.

NEWS BRIEFS

Today’s Weather

Cloudy with highchance of rain andthunderstorms.

70º hi /50º low brought to you by NBC 4

the

Missing alumni found dead

Friday night fever

CH

AE-W

HA

PA

RK

Senior Lindsey Grant tries on her Prom dress and shoes while her cat checks her out.Seniors and others invited to Prom can leave at 10:35 a.m. Friday to prepare.

IB, AP testsin full swing

BY CAROLINE FRIEDMANNews Editor

Just as we are all thinking of the fun that issoon to come, testing month arrives. No longer areMay and June times to wind down from the schoolyear and relax with friends, they have been deemed“testing time,” and everyone knows what thatmeans.

AP, IB and SOL (Standard of Learning) testsare creeping up faster than we all had thought.The first tests began on May 2. Teachers changetheir curricula so that students will be more pre-pared, and many students feel the pressure of nu-merous tests. “All the testing consumes all of ourclass periods with teachers trying to prepare us,”said junior Coury Shadyac, who will be taking twoSOLs this year. “It’s stressful because there is a lotof pressure riding on these tests.”

SOLs are the tests that are most commonlyassociated with having the most pressure, mainlyfor juniors. Starting with the class of 2004, stu-dents must pass a certain number of SOLs in or-der to graduate. To get the standard diploma, stu-dents must pass their two English 11 SOLs andfour others of their choice. To receive the advanceddiploma, students must pass the two English 11SOLs, two math SOLs, two science SOLs, two so-cial studies SOLs and one other of their choice.

The SOLs are state-mandated, so everyone whois in Algebra I and II, Geometry, Biology, Chemis-try, Geosystems, World History I and II, U.S. His-tory, and English 11 must take the appropriateSOL. Therefore, about 4,500 - 5,000 tests will begiven at AHS this year, considering many studentstake more than one SOL class.

The testing does not stop there, however. APtesting begins today. While many teachers use thestandard methods of reviewing for tests, EleanorShumaker’s AP U.S. History class reviews in a dif-ferent way. In the past, Shumaker has had herstudents over to her house for a lock-in sleepoverand review session. This year Shumaker had stu-

AHS seeks Ossian

The Fanta Moses FundTo make a donation to assist FantaMoses’ family with her burialexpenses, donations can be made byvisiting any local branch of Bank ofAmerica, or by sending a contribu-tion to 7950 New HampshireAvenue, Langley Park, Maryland20783. Donors should referenceaccount 003938416462. Questions,call the Victim Services Section at(703) 246-2141.

Principal search continuesAs the search for a new principalcontinues, the school is becomingcloser to determining who willreplace Principal Don Clausen.Eight candidates were interviewedApril 28 by a board of four facultymembers including SteveSengstack, Nancy Grim, Al Martinand Kathy Hermann. Threefinalists will be determined fromthe rankings given by the 12-member panel which includes thefour teachers, four parents, onestudent representative and threerepresentatives from HumanResources. Dr. John English,Cluster III director, will interviewand select the new principal fromthe three finalists sometime in thenext month.

BY KATHY IBARRAStaff writer

AHS has stated a case in or-der for it to assert control of OssianHall Park. A meeting has beenscheduled for May 12 at 7 p.m. inthe cafeteria of Annandale Terracefor discussion of the revision pro-cess for property.

As a member of the OssianPark task force, RichardMcCormack stresses the impor-tance of the Annandale commu-nity to attend the meeting. “It’s agrassroots effort of a lot of inter-ested parents, teachers, coaches,students and others,” saidMcCormack. “We want them toreally understand the severity of

the concern of the safety we havefor our students and our hopesthat we can ameliorate an increas-ingly dangerous situation withgangs and drug activity.”

The main reason AHS wantsOssian park is for safety and se-curity. Currently AHS has no au-thority over who may not be per-mitted in the park, includinggangs. Annandale Terrace also isconcerned about the issue. AHSwould also like to add another ballfield.

But in order for all this to oc-cur, McCormack and other propo-nents such as student represen-tative sophomore MeghanJohnson need the support of thecommunity. “I’m sure there’s go-ing to be opposition at this firstmeeting, and we really need thecommunity as a whole to be en-gaged in some way to have it suc-ceed.”

May 12 meetingcould give schoolownership of park

Dumpster fire quickly doused

BY ANDREW SATTENCo-Editor in Chief

“She was the kind of kid that comes to AHS, learnswhat this country is all about, and it was just a privilegehaving her in class...she had a major contribution to make,”said government teacher Mary Ann Richardson regard-ing former student Fanta Moses.

The body of 19-year-old Moses, a 2002 graduate andnurse’s aid who had been missing since Dec. 11, was foundApril 15. An autopsy and DNA results led police to con-clude on April 25 that the remains were those of Moses.The cause of death has yet to be determined. According toOfficer Doug Lingenfelter, a group of youths walking in awooded area in close proximity to Cherokee Avenue andNavaho drive discovered the body.

Moses was scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 13 totestify in a stalking case against her former boyfriend,28-year-old Momodu Jalloh. His location is unknown, and

he is the prime suspect in Moses’ death. An arrest war-rant has been issued for his arrest, charging him with themurder. A wanted poster has been issued and Jalloh hasbeen entered into the National Crime Information Cen-ter, a database that is used to apprehend fleeing suspects.

Moses had a documented history with Jalloh. On Oct.29, an incident previous to the stalking case, Moses toldpolice that Jalloh abducted and attempted to shoot her atgun point, but she was able to flee after the gun failed tofire. At the time of Moses’ disappearance, Jalloh was outof jail on bond, and since Moses was the only witness andfailed to appear in court, the stalking charges weredropped.

Moses immigrated from Sierra Leone in 1999 withher sister and a number of cousins, and was enrolled inthe ESL program at AHS.

“She was very hardworking, and came from a countrywith a lot of war and unrest. She was genuinely gratefulto be in this country,” said ESOL teacher Robin Thomp-

son. Though Moses came to theUnited States without much ofa formal education and littleEnglish, she persevered, oftenstaying for extra help, workingher way into mainstreamclasses and on towards gradu-ation. Multiple teachers citedher desire to be a nurse.

“She was so sweet and socaring, she would have been awonderful nurse,” saidRichardson. “She had a real human touch to her.” At thetime of her disappearance, Moses was working at Sun-rise Assisted Living in Fairfax City and was set on takingclasses to become a nurse.

“She was in a profession where she wanted to help

Moses

BY SABRINA STACYStaff Writer

From dresses to dinner reserva-tions, seniors are putting their fin-ishing touches on their plans to makeFriday night’s “Tropical ParadiseProm” a promising event.

With so much to be done, manystudents are taking advantage ofPrincipal Clausen’s permission forseniors to be excused at 10:35 a.m.on Friday, pending that they presenta note from their parents excusingthem by 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

From then on, the girls’ prepara-tion is underway from hair, to nails,to outfit they bought months ago. Thegirls are not the only ones who haveerrands to run; the boys will be pick-ing up the corsages for their datesand getting dressed in those classytuxedos.

“The Night of Tropical Paradise”will start its adventure at 9 p.m. till1 a.m. at the Hilton in Mark Centerin Alexandria. The hotel is much big-ger in size from last year, and canaccomodate a more comfortable so-cial aspect. The dance will includedvirgin daiquiris, light snacks, and re-lated decorations to go with thetheme.

“In comparison from last year’sProm, the Prom at the Hilton will bebetter quality and we have workedhard to pay off for it, and also will bea time for everyone to remember.”said Senior class President AntenehAddisu. Tickets can be bought at the

The A-Blast wins bigStaff members of The A-Blastattended the Spring National HighSchool Journalism Convention inPortland, Oregon from April 10-13.The staff received fourth place forthe Best of Show awarded by TheNational Scholastic PressAssociation, a competition betweenschools from around the nation.This is the highest rating The A-Blast has received in thiscompetition.

PTSA ScholarshipsAvailable

The PTSA will be awarding fourscholarships in June that werementioned at the Senior Breakfast.Applications are available in theCareer Center. There are twoJames Finch Scholarships foracademics and activities for $750and two Ray Watson Scholarshipsfor technology and family consumerstudies for $500. The deadline forapplications is May 12.

The A-Blast can be readonline

The most recent issue of The A-Blast can now be read onlinethrough the AHS website atwww.fcps.edu/AnnandaleHS/Ablast/index.htm

The SARS Scare

“Moses” continued on p. 5

“”Tests” continued on p. 4

“Prom” continued on p. 5

How concernedare you about the

outbreak ofSARS?

Not at All

41%Somewhat

43%Very

16%

The survey was administered to122 students by The A-Blast during A,

B, and C lunches on April 29.

Firefigthers were called to the school April 23 about 2:15 p.m. to extinguish a dumpster fire on behind thecafeteria. Smoke sailed through the windows above, triggering the fire alarms inside and causing a shortdelay in bus departures. The cause of the fire is unknown.

WA

LA

’A E

L B

ARA

SSES

2 BLASTAtheTUES. MAY 6, 2003EDITORIALS

Vol. 48 No. 11May 6, 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:Profiles Editors:

Cultures Editors:

Sports Editors:

Sports “Extra”:

Atomic AthleticsEditor:Entertainment Edi-tors:Arts Editors:

Weekend Editors:

Business Manager:Ad Manager:Copy Editor:PhotographyEditor:

Philippe PodhoreckiAndrew SattenReid EdwardsCaroline FriedmanAbby SegallEdris QarghahJunaid ShamsLaura JohnsonRebecca KraushaarHayley FletcherHana NguyenMartha AmoakoMaggie OwnerSarah Bizer

Laura HollowellSaman HussainWala’a El BarasseRachel SinaikoJohn BernhardtJared SmithPaul GleasonDavid MarinEvan Ashe

Alejandro SalinasKatie StantonCrystan BlancoErin O’Brien

Cameron KynesKatharineKishiyamaRyan TeichlerRachel JonesMeg NielsenChae-Wha Park

A

AF

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

Photographers:Morgan McEvilly, Chris Rauer,Sean Sullivan, Andrew Menegat,Sarah Sherman

Staff Writers:Anteneh Addisu, Kathy Ibarra,Wided Khadroui, Chris Kallander,Laura Kelly, Sohaib Khan, Eliza-beth Nowrouz, John Reiss, ErikRooney, Evan Rowland, KathySaupp, Amanda Sheaffer, SarahSherman, Kyle Smeallie, SabrinaStacy, Lauren Sterlacci, Matt Wiest

Videographers:Shabier Bahramy, Stephen Benson,Amanuel Beyene,Rachel Johnson,Josh Lewin, Mike Mahn, JavierSanchez-Yoza, Brent Sullivan

Making theGrade

BLASTAthe

Adviser: Alan Weintraut

Kofi Annan, UN Secretary

Keep the U.N. on the sidelines

The Irish Republican Army would be willing todisarm fully as part of a final peace deal in NorthernIreland. The peace process in the British-ruled provincehas been deadlocked since London and Dublin rejected aprivate offer delivered to them by the IRA as too vague.The IRA made a clear statement of its commitment topeace and stood ready to disarm.

IRA said it is willing to disarm

SARS virus continues to take lives

Weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq

Illinois schools not told of Ammonia in food

State documents now show that Illinois schoolofficials failed to notify schools that some food shipped tothem had been contaminated with ammonia. Due to thecontamination, dozens of children were sickened. Thefood was contaminated when a ruptured pipe leaked 90pounds of ammonia refrigerant at Gateway ColdStorage in St. Louis.

U.S. should share the wealth

BY MATT WIESTStaff Writer

The armed conflict in Iraq has ended,and now the international communityhas directed its attention to reconstruct-ing postwar Iraq and who will lead theefforts.

As the building begins in Baghdadand elsewhere, many still argue that itis imperative for the United Nations tolead in the reconstruction process. Muchto the chagrin of these U.N. supporters,Coalition forces have taken the lead inthis one, and rightfully so, because theUnited States, Great Britain, and theother Coalition members took it uponthemselves to depose the corrupt and op-pressive dictatorship of Saddam Hussein.While the United States must improveits reputation in some regions of theworld, it can only make concessions tothe United Nations to the degree whichit has proved itself capable, that is, pro-viding humanitarian aid.

The United Nations has shown itselfto be ineffective and far too tentative asan international body. First, and mostimportantly, the United Nations failed totake necessary action against SaddamHussein’s dictatorial regime and ne-glected to realize that 12 years of exhaus-tive diplomatic measures were essen-tially useless. The idle member nationsof the United Nations sat out the mili-

tary action, and now they should not ex-pect to play a key role in the rebuildingof Iraq. Unfortunately for the U.N., itsreputation and competence as a globalorganization have been brought intoquestion by many analysts. The onlyfunction of the United Nations in this sce-nario should be providing humanitarianaid and relief.

After the liberation of Kosovo in 1999,for example, the United Nations turnedthe province into a protectorate. Kosovo,however, remains in a state of disarraywith soaring unemployment and wide-spread violence and corruption, even af-ter several billion dollars in aid. InRwanda throughout the 1990’s, the fail-ure of the United Nations to take neces-sary military action to bring an end tothe rampant genocide cost nearly 1 mil-lion lives. Still, however, violence remainsa pressing issue throughout Rwanda andmany other African nations. This showsthe incapacity of the United Nations inits recent attempts to set up governmentsin volatile regions.

The United States, on the other hand,has a more successful history of recon-structing troubled nations. Take for in-stance Germany and Japan after WorldWar II, the two nations have been devel-oped into two of the world’s most pros-perous. Afghanistan, too, is proof ofAmerica’s capabilities as a world leader.The region is slowly becoming more

After starting in Beijing, the World Health Organiza-tion, now says that Toronto could be the next city. So farin the Chinese capital, 693 people have been infectedwith SARS while 35 have died. Anne Arundel Countyreported last week that two people also developedsymptoms after visiting foreign cities. Many Chinesetravelers have been forced to wear masks to protectthemselves against SARS. The WHO has placed cautionsagainst visiting Beijing and Toronto.

U.S. troops have now found about a dozen 55-gallondrums in an open field near Baiji, Iraq. Initial testsshowed traces of nerve gas and mustard gas. A chemicalteam at the site checked the drums, and the test cameback positive for cyclosarin, a nerve agent, and a blisteragent. Soldiers also found two mobile laboratories thatcontained equipment for mixing chemicals.

stable as the United States cooperateswith Afghan officials to set up a capablegovernment.

And we must not ignore the internalproblems of the United Nations. Of the191 member states, many are either non-democratic or simply claim to be demo-cratic, but make a mockery of even themost basic principles of democratic sys-tems. On the Commission on HumanRights are some of the leading humanrights violators, namely Libya, an oppres-sive military dictatorship, which also hap-pens to be the chair of the committee, andSudan, an authoritarian state.

Furthermore, Iraq was scheduled tochair the U.N. Disarmament Committee.Is this some sort of joke? To top off theUnited Nation’s ridiculous resumé, Cubahas recently been reelected to the Com-mission on Human Rights, a nation witha track record of imprisoning political op-ponents and executing civilians withouttrial. As White House Spokesman AriFleischer so aptly put it, “it’s like puttingAl Capone in charge of bank security.”With an internal structure such as this,how is democracy to be established in ahot bed of violent conflict and political un-rest?

The United Nations has one primaryrole in the process of Iraq’s reconstruc-tion: humanitarian aid and relief. TheUnited Nations must focus internationalaid on the troubled state of Iraq to help

BY EDRIS QARGAHEditorials Editor

Saddam Hussein’s government may have fallen, butthe war has just begun. Not a war of bombs and guns,but a struggle to rebuild a nation, and bring stability to atroubled region. In this effort, it is imperative that theinternational community have an active role, hence theUnited Nations, should dominate the reconstruction pro-cess.

It is true that the U.N. did not provide support for thewar on Iraq. However, this was not because the U.N. did

not oppose Saddam Hussein’s ruthlessregime, but many member nations

opposed the method by which theUnited States sought to eradi-cate Saddam’s rule.

This is not a reason forthe U.N. to be excluded fromthe formation of a new Iraq.The U.N. provides an inter-national legitimacy to thenewly established regime,without which the nationwill indubitably suffer.To achieve the support of the

Iraqi people and of the Arabworld, the United States needs

to make it clear that their goals are not imperialistic, andany government established is one that serves the Iraqi

people and not the U.S. and Great Britain. In order to dothis, the U.N. and the League of Arab Nations need tohave prominent roles, as a counterbalance to the U.S. Inorder to create a stable government the people must beable to trust in it.

Adversaries of U.N. intervention claim that the dis-sension among the U.N. members makes the organiza-tion too slow and unwieldy. However, this provides a muchneeded security. The checks and balances of members withopposing goals, assures that no nation, the United Statesincluded, takes advantage of Iraq’s dependent state.

Essentially the source of the conflict over who controlsthe reconstruction process involves money and power. TheU.S. made a fortune in the post WWI and WWII recon-struction, a profit that would certainly gladly repeat. Ifthe reconstruction were truly a humanitarian motivatedendeavor, it would not matter who was in charge as longas Iraq’s stability was assured and its economy and infra-structure restored. By establishing a new government,the U.S. is solidifying its influence in the nation and en-sures that it will reap the benefits to be had. This is ex-actly the image the U.S. does not want to propagate.

The U.N. may not have the best track record in creat-ing stable regimes, but neither does the U.S. While manywould cite Germany and Japan as successes in this cat-egory, it must be remembered that both nations had strongeconomies and solid infrastructures before WWII.

In most recent efforts involving third would nationssuch as Iraq, the U.S. has proven itself incompetent bysupporting a series of leaders with questionable practices.

Iraq itself is a fine example. The U.S. supported SaddamHussein’s regime during the Iran-Iraq war.

Afganistan fits this mold as well. First the U.S. sup-ported the Mojahidin in an effort to oust the Communistgovernment, in the early ‘80s, some of whom were knownto have committed human rights violations. In order tocollect misused weapons the U.S. provided, the U.S. thensupported the creation of a militant group, which becamethe Taliban. Upon ousting the Taliban, the U.S. supportedthe establishment of what is essentially a nominal gov-ernment led by Hamid Karzai, whose power barely ex-tends over the capital city.

The U.S. also bungled in the Far East, supporting NgoDinh Diem in Vietnam, which arguably lost them thatwar. Diem, a devout Christian, restricted Buddhist prac-tices is the predominantly Buddhist nation, maintainedhis rule by eliminating opposition, all while doing little tobring about much needed land reform. This resulted in asevere lack of support for his government and the strength-ening of the pro-communist National Liberation Front(Vietcong), which led to the fall of Vietnam.

But wait, there is more. The United States’ infamousSchool of the Americas graduated notorious dictatorsManuel Noriega and Omar Torrijos of Panama, LeopoldoGaltier and Roberto Biola of Argentina, Juan VelascoAlvarado of Peru, Guillermo Rodriguez of Equador andHugo Banzer Suarez of Bolivia.

If this war is to end in peace and stability, the U.N. isneeded to mediate any decisions made regarding the struc-ture of a new government.

E_QARGAH@HOTMAIL.COM

CORRECTIONSISSUE 10

—In the April 9 issue of The A-Blast, Joey Barr’s 14-month-old boyBrandon Casey was mistaken to bea two year old girl in the Iraqinsert.

Do you think the U.N.should be allowed to

help rebuild Iraq?

“Yes, if the U.S.went and did all

of the workthemselves, I do

not think itwould be fair. Itis likely that we

are trying tocolonize Iraq.”

“I do not thinkthey shouldbecause the U.S.kicked them outonce, and thereis nothing forthem to do.”

“They shouldhelp out.American shouldnot do this alonebecause theyhave bad foreignpolicy.”

—Danielle Briggssenior

—Alexa Bobesophomore

—Sami Dajanisophomore

“I’m skepticalbecause of our

governmentawarding

contracts to bigbusinesses torebuild Iraq

before the warstarted.”

—Carl Durkinmath teacher

—Steve Shapiromath teacher

“Yes, that is theonly organiza-

tion that shouldbe helping out.They would be

orderingdiplomatic

reaction to theregime without

unilateralinvasion.”

“Yes, the U.N.would be able

to a good jobwith food,

water, andmedicine. But

they would notdo a good job

with security,because theyare stretched

already.”

“Yes, because itshould be aninternationalprocess, so thereis credibility. TheU.N. wasdesigned to be agoverning body.”

—Amal Jamajunior

—Julia DurandESOL teacher

“Yes, because it isa world issue. Ifthe U.N. helped,we could spendless money andwe can use all thehelp that we canget.”

—Jonathan Krissjunior

the United States and Great Britain al-leviate the pressing human rights issuesthat are widespread in the region.

The Iraqi people deserve a rapid re-construction, as many cities are currentlywithout electricity and running water,among several otherbasic necessities.Twelve years ofsuffering havebeen had as a re-sult of the fail-ure of U.N. toact accordingly.We cannot af-ford to let themwait another 12.

The UnitedNations has lostsome legitimacy as abody of internationallaw. By refusing to takeaction, it allowed Husseinto remain in power, andŁŁŁŁ on an evenmore concerning note, the body contin-ues to represent to an extent the views ofnations that are semi-democratic at best.Politically speaking, the United Nationswill have to sit this one out during thereconstruction of Iraq and, in the mean-time, it might want to reconsider someof its own serious internal flaws. TheU.N. as a body of international law is justplain pathetic.

MATTWIEST@COX.NET

BLASTAthe EDITORIALS 3TUES. MAY 6, 2003

Satten’soundoff

Andrew SattenCo-Editor in Chief

Pajamacontroversyoutdated

BY CAROLINE FRIEDMANNews Editor

So we all thought the wholepajama scandal here at AHSwas over and done with. Thestudents had received themessage that sleepwear wouldnot be tolerated as a form ofexpression, and hopefully, theadministration heard ourmessage loud and clear thatwe wanted to be respected andhave our rights heard, even atschool.

Well, we all thought wrong.Recently, the pajama issue

has been pulled out of the darkcorner it was tucked away inand was reported on in TheWashington Post, on ABCChannel 7 News, and it evenreceived a blurb in The NewYork Post. Flattering right? Ithink not.

It is ridiculous that anissue that has been over foralmost a month is suddenlycoming out of the woodworkand beingreported invarioustypes ofmedia.Notonly is itreportinglate andon anissue thatseems to no longerbe a problem at AHS, it makesthe problems of AHS and thequandaries that we face seempetty and unimportant.

We are being put in thespotlight because our studentsroll out of bed and come toschool and the administrationdoesn’t approve of that. Butwhat about Ryan Trimble, theLake Braddock student whoserights of free speech, the rightto protest and the right to goagainst our government wereviolated. Trimble wore a shirtwith a picture of PresidentGeorge W. Bush with a captionabove the picture calling himan international terrorist.During the day an assistantprincipal sent him home,stating that his shirt wasdisruptive. This event sent anuproar through the school, andother students have becomeoutraged at the violation ofTrimble’s rights. Many of hispeers and teachers havesupported Trimble in hispetition against theadminstration so that he willgain the right to wear the shirtagain.

And AHS students areprotesting...pajamas?

Where are the three-minute news stories or thequarter page picture andthousand-word story on him?His rights were violated in atime when it really matters inthis country and when thevalues and the principals ofthis country being stronglyquestioned. Our right to wearpajamas compares little inmagnitude to our fellowstudent’s right to protest ourgovernment.

Many have heard of thecase of Tinker vs. Des Moines(1969) in which three studentswere suspended from schoolfor wearing black armbands inprotest of the Vietnam War. Itwas ruled that “in wearingarmbands, the petitionerswere quiet and passive. Theywere not disruptive and didnot impinge upon the rights ofothers. In these circumstances,their conduct was within theprotection of the Free SpeechClause of the First Amend-ment and the Due ProcessClause of the Fourteenth.”

So why did this sameruling not apply to the LakeBraddock student? These arethe questions that the mediashould be asking, not if somestudents are upset that theycan’t wear their pajamas toschool anymore.

FRIEDBCN@EROLS.COM

More and more colleges are now starting to waitlist more students. In many cases, some colleges are even waitlisting more studentsthan they are accepting and rejecting combined.

BY JUNAID SHAMSEditorials Editor

It’s April 1, the day you receive your acceptance let-ters. You open up the first letter...waitlisted. Open up thesecond letter...waitlisted. Hoping for some better news,you open up the third letter, and guess what...waitlisted!

Don’t worry you’re not the only one. All across the coun-try, more and further colleges have now started to waitliststudents. Does this plan of waitlisting students have anylogic? Students should not be told that they are goodenough, but cannot be accepted. They should be toldstraight out if they are accepted or rejected. Looking atthe amount of students that actually get off the waitlist iseven more discouraging than getting the waitlist letter inthe first place. Colleges should abandon the concept ofwaitlist, and start sending more acceptance or rejectionletters to students.

Getting waitlisted is more common than finding peoplecomplaining about pajamas. Whether it’s James Madi-son or Duke, people are getting waitlisted more than ever.Some colleges are even waitlisting more students thanthey are accepting. Columbia University, for instance in2000, sent out more waitlist letters, 1,896, than accep-tance letters, 1,749, making its waitlist 108 percent of itsadmit list. Surprisingly, of the 1,119, only six made it intothe freshman class.

And this trend continues to occur nationwide, even atour local universities. At UVA, 5,482 students were ad-mitted and 2,082 were waitlisted. Out of these two thou-sand plus students, only 65 were eventually accepted, amere 3%. Johns Hopkins took only one applicant (out of1,754) off their wait-list last year and Amherst took no-body. Even George Mason only took 22% of the studentsoff their waitlists. If colleges are going to waitlist so manystudents, they should try to accept them also. Acceptingthree students out of 2,000 is ridiculous.

If colleges plan to accept only three or four studentsout of thousands, don’t waitlist the other thousands, justtell them they are rejected. Those three, four studentsshould be accepted in the first process. Waitlisting justkeeps up the hopes of those students who already knowthat at the end they will not get accepted. Colleges shouldnot keep the hopes up of thousands of students, when infact; more than 98% of them will get rejected.

Supporters of the waitlist idea believe that waitlistinghelps colleges fill the number of students in the upcom-ing class. Sure, picking less than ten kids out of thou-sands really fills the class size. If colleges are worried aboutthe amount of students that will actually accept their

End college waitlisting

Kathy Saupp

QKathy’s

uandaries

I hate to lose. To that effect,when I first made the varsity girlssoccer team, I held no anticipa-tions of 5-0 routs at the hands ofteams to the likes of LakeBraddock and Robinson.Sadly, negativity hasbecome the generaloutlook of many ofthe members of myteam (and othersat Annandale),and most believethat the Atomsare destined toalways beamong the pariahs of the PatriotDistrict. Most attribute the lackof on-field success to the schoolswe are pitted against.

The Patriot district is one ofthe most challenging girls soccer

‘To be the best, we must compete with best’districts in the nation, with LakeBraddock, Robinson, andHayfield ranked 3rd, 4th and 5thin The Washington Post, respec-tively. Many, in fact, state that it

would be a positivechange for the

Atoms to bemoved to aneasier dis-trict, where

we would beassured morewins and aberth inregionals. How-

ever, in the end, this would hurt,rather than help the quality ofAHS athletics.

It has been argued that thesituation in our district is unfair,with large schools like the mono-

lith in Burke overshadowing usyear after year, with no opportu-nity to let smaller schools shine.In the past, many have raised thepossibility that the district make-ups should be changed, to allowfairer competition.

However, while my past fouryears of spring soccer have her-alded few convincing victories,the opportunity to play againstsome of the best teams in the na-tion has forced myself and myteam to raise our level of play. Itis for this reason that I would nottrade my position in the Patriotfor one with more assured victo-ries.

Take the National District, forexample. National schools(Edison, Falls Church, MountVernon, Stuart, Washington-Lee,

Wakefield, and Yorktown) in gen-eral are more similar in size andstudent makeup to AHS, but byfar would not offer the same levelof competition as the Patriot dis-trict matchups do. If AHS wereto switch to this district, withouta doubt all of our teams would fin-ish at or near the top of the dis-trict, and would move on toregionals (which the soccer teamhas not done in many years).

However, while the regularseason and the district tourna-ments would be full of success, thelevel of play would remain stag-nant, with no team to force play-ers to be faster and more precise.In addition, while we would avoidplaying the regional superpowersin season play, AHS would nodoubt be pitted against them in

the first round of regionals, withlittle or no real competitive expe-rience under our belts.

While on the field, workinguntil our chests are heaving andour legs are cramping, it mayseem like being a National Dis-trict school would be a confidencebuilding relief to the usual toughmatchups. We should look beyondthe season record to see what ex-actly those talented squads forceus to do as players. In order toget better, it is imperative that anathlete learns to elevate his or herplay. The tough yearly matchesthat our teams play each yearteach us more about teamworkand elite play than any easy winever would.

PHILE09@AOL.COM

universities, just accept more students. Colleges will havea higher yield rate, and students will be able to go to theirtop choice schools.

Students probably have a better chance of winningthe lottery than getting off the waitlist for college. Whencertain schools like Georgetown only take 123 studentsout of 1,667, students know that they might as well lookat other schools, instead of waiting for Georgetown to callthem. Colleges should not send this junk mail out to thou-sands of arduous working students, and then tell them“you’re a very strong student, but we can not accept youright now.” College admission directors should be matureenough to tell the student whether they were accepted orrejected, not waitlisted.

JUNAIDSHAMS@HOTMAIL.COM

Take me out to the ball game...not DullesSept. 30, 1971 was a dismal day for

D.C. area baseball fans. The date markedthe Washington Senators final homegame before the franchise was moved toTexas, prompting disgruntled fans to pro-test by storming the field with two outsin the 9th inning. And on top of losingthe team, the Senators also lost the gameby way of a forfeit due to the riots, de-spite their 7-5 lead.

Ever since the Senators split town,changing their name to the Texas Rang-ers, metropolitan area fans have cringedas they have continued to strike out intheir quest to return baseball to the area.Smaller, less worthy markets such asTampa Bay and Anaheim have beenawarded teams, and the sport has evenfound a home north of the border in twoCanadian cities. And this year the

clincher. Puerto Rico, yes Puerto Rico, thesmall island located in the middle of theCaribbean has been granted a 22-gamehome stand from the Expos. Now this isnot to say that the Puerto Rican peopledo not deserve a franchise, a region thatnurtures avid baseball fans and some ofthe MLB’s top prospects. However, ifPuerto Rico can have baseball, ournation’s capital should have our nation’spast time.

But before fans start rioting again (theD.C. area can leave that to the unrulyUniversity of Maryland student body thatresorts to smashing things whether theirbeloved Terps win or lose), they shouldnote that the region is truly on the brinkof being granted a team. In early JulyMLB authorities intend on making adecision regarding the relocation of the

Montreal Expos to one of three compet-ing markets, the District, Northern Vir-ginia and Portland. A critical element inthe campaign to be awarded a team, andalso for the success of the franchise as awhole once it is in place, is the stadium.A number of proposals are in the works,and it is critical that the right type of ballpark is built in the right place.

Currently there arethree plans for locations inVirginia (Rosslyn, Penta-gon City, and a site nearDulles International Air-port) and three in D.C.(adjacent to RFK,New York Avenue,and M Street onthe Anacostia wa-terfront).

If anything can be gleaned from theconstruction of previous D.C sports ven-ues, it is that location and convenience iscritical. The relocation of the home of theWizards and Capitals from a remotegrassy field in Landover, Maryland to theMCI Center in downtown Washingtonprovided a tremendous boost for both or-ganizations. The site of the MCI Centerfeatures easy access to major highways,a Metro station that is within the build-ing, and most importantly a sports at-mosphere. The blocks of restaurants andsports bars in close proximity and theimmense mural on the side of an adja-cent building also highlight the Wizards’or Capitals’ latest star. All of these quali-ties should be found in the site for thebaseball stadium location.

In contrast, Redskins ownership fal-tered in their placement of Jack KentCooke Stadium, located in RalJon, Mary-land (a city that did not even exist beforeowner Jack Kent Cooke bought the plot). The Dulles location would be a similardebacle, because who wants to deal with

practically driving out to the “country”to see their team play? If officials wish toselect a site that is not downtown, theregion may as well not even be awardeda team; fans already have a team thatthey can drive a distance to see, the Ori-oles.

Another argument for locating thestadium downtown are the dividends itwill pay for the city. Though research has

shown that baseballstadiums do not gen-erate as much rev-enue as a multi-useMCI Center type sta-

dium, a state-of-the-artfacility which will host

almost 81 games a sea-son provides an added at-

traction to the city and launches the re-development of the area it is situated. Ofthe six site proposals, the M Street Pro-posal on the Anacostia waterfront bestfits the ideal criteria for a location. At anestimated price tag of $411 million, thislocation would feature easy access to fans,a stellar view of the Potomac River andmonuments and an opportunity to revi-talize the area.

In terms of the aesthetic angle of thestadium, architects should go all out. Likemany who attend Orioles games atCamden Yards, I am not a baseball fan.However, the aura of the ball park, theshops, the restaurants, the view, and, ohby the way, the game being played, makefor a great afternoon out.

As the District enters the final stretchin the quest for a team, it should bring inthe “closer,” a stellar stadium plan on theAnacostia waterfront, a force that noteven Peter Angelos will be able to com-bat in his pursuit of keeping the nation’spast time out of the nation’s capital.

SATTDOG03@AOL.COM

AmericanColumbiaGeorgetownJohnsHopkinsUniversity ofMarylandUniversity ofVirginiaVirginia Tech

College Waiting ListsWaitlistedUniversity Admitted Admitted from list

6,0541,7493,1243,023

10,340

5,482

11,542

7401,8961,6671,754

1,626

2,082

500

4161231

215

65

N/A

(Above) Camden Yards, the home field of the Baltimore Orioles

NEWS BRIEFSSCHOOL NEWS

DECA buys lawn mower

To help with the upkeep of theschool grounds, members of DECAhave given Awareness Aide KWWilliams the gift of a brand newlawn mower as well as gardeningtools. DECA hopes these gifts will begood use in maintaining the sodwhich has been put in place aroundAHS.

Colleges coming to visit DCMetropolitan Area

Duke, Harvard, Georgetown andUniversity of Pennsylvania will beholding information session at 7:30p.m. on May 11 at the DoubletreeHotel in Tyson’s Corner. Also onSunday, the program, Colleges ThatChange Lives (named after thebook, Colleges that Change Lives)will be held from 5-7 p.m. at theMarriott Metro Center in Washing-ton DC. For more information onthese two college fairs visit RobinRoth in the career center.

Annual Red and White GolfTournament

The 6th annual Red and White GolfTournament will be held on May21st at Andrews Air Force Base.Volunteers are still needed to helpwith mailings, delivering brochures,donations, sponsors, helping on theday of the event and servingbreakfast for the golfers. Moregolfers are still encouraged to signup. People who would like to helpwith the event should call PTSAPresident Jennifer Van Pernis at703-750-9430.

All Night GraduationCelebration Tickets on Sale

Tickets for the All Night GraduationCelebration’s Beach Blast are onsale. This event will be held on June17th starting from 11:30 p.m. - 5:00a.m. at the South Run RecreationalCenter in Springfield. The night willbe filled with sports competitions,swimming, racquetball, a DJ andkaraoke, carnival and casino gamesand loads of food and amazingprizes. Prizes include stereos, TVsand DVDs, other prizes and giftcertificates that can be used forcollege, and a new 2003 car fromTed Britt Ford. Tickets are $25 nowand $35 at the door, reduced lunchstudents can get tickets for $10.Ticket forms are available in theoffice or at www.allnitegrad.com.Make checks payable to PTSA/ANGC.

Buses Available for Gradua-tion Ceremony

The All Night GraduationCelebration committee has leasedScenic America buses to transportparents, families and friends ofgraduates to the celebration at DARConstitution Hall. The buses are air-conditioned and equipped withrestrooms. By taking the bus, thereis no rush hour driving, no lookingfor parking, no chances for parkingtickets and passengers can avoidpossible inclement weather. Ticketsfor the bus cost $12, make checkspayable to PTSA/ANGC. Call RandyHixson at 703-354-2007 for moreinformation or any questions.

4 BLASTAtheTUES. MAY 6, 2003NEWS

SGA Elections bring new leadership Students adjustto extra minutes

BY ABBY SEGALLNews Editor

On April 21 the much anticipated added 30 min-utes started for all Fairfax County Public Schools.Elementary, middle and high schools were forced toadd 30 minutes to the bell schedule in order to make-up for the 10 missed school days because of the snow.

The school board was given the decision betweenadding one day at the end of the year or adding 30minutes to each school day for four weeks.

“I think it is preferable than to have another dayat the end of the year,” said Principal Don Clausen.“[The thirty minutes] is certainly more valuable.”

Each class has an extra seven to 12 minutes andthese minutes add up to a little more than one fullschool day.

“I think that the 30 minutes is much better thancutting into our summer, but it also puts a strain ontime for athletes between school and practice,” saidfreshman Kaity Burdette.

Besides only a few spring sports games whichhad to change their time because of the minutes, “ithas not really effected after-school activities,” saidClausen.

Although, some students with after-school jobsmay argue. “With all these extracurricular commit-ments, it tires you out,” said sophomore Amy Jacobs.“We are just dead tired.”

Jacobs was explaining how her after-school jobis directing on Friday afternoons and describes ex-tra minutes as a “tremendous strain.”“I’m, going tohave to run to work in Old Town and I don’t knowhow I’m going to do it.”

In addition to extracurricular activities being aproblem, students argue the effectiveness of the ex-tra-time.

Some people find it useless to have the time addedon like Sophomore Susan Rauch. “I think you getnothing done in those extra minutes. We just sitthere and do nothing,” said Rauch.

Junior John Olson agrees. “Adding the time isn’teffective because it doesn’t allow you to do anythingproductive,” said Olson.

However, some feel that it is positive to have thetime added. “I think it’s good because don’t wantextra days at the end of the year,” said sophomoreAmir Abu-El-Hawa.

BY CHRIS SOPHERJournalism 1 Student

The summer movie craze has hitAHS and the local area. Currentlyin shooting and production, the localfilm Henry Dodd Meets Real Men(HDMRM) has become a local mar-vel and has a cast and crew from sev-eral schools in Fairfax County, in-cluding two AHS students.

The movie is from RMS Manage-ment Group, director RichardMichaels Stefanik’s film company.The plot is simple, yet intriguing:when an unsocialized nerd loses hisgas station, he must face the machobusiness world as he finds himself aspokesperson for a tycoon’s question-able enterprises, making the tycoon’s

Local movie allows AHS students to get involvedSopho-moresStephenBensonandEricHickeywork ona localmovie

Stephen Benson

Juniors Shireen Abdulhaq and Yodit Gebreyes converse duringspeeches at the SGA elections held on April 28.

business millions. However, whenDodd meets the love of his life, sheencourages him to leave the adver-tising world and follow his dreams.Angered by Dodd’s departure, thetycoon does everything in his powerto pull the couple apart and ruinDodd’s life.

The project, directed by Stefanikand produced by Gloria Baltrop, hastwo AHS students on crew: sopho-mores Steven Benson and EricHickey, both boom microphone op-erators. Hickey’s father James is alsoinvolved as the location and sitemanager for filming.

“I got the job through Mr.Hickey,” said Benson. “I’m doing itbecause it gets me involved in themovie process, something I’m very

interested in.”“Not only does the local produc-

tion and shooting allow students andlocal movie-lovers to get involved, butit also makes shooting the movieeasier,” says Hickey. There are plentyof actors and comedians who performat local clubs and theaters aroundthe metropolitan area, and the pro-d u c t i o nteam hadno troublefinding ac-tors andcrew towork on thefilm.

“Steven”and I havebeen in-

volved in independent short films forthe AHS film festival, but we’venever done anything like this; a realmovie,” said Hickey.

The RMS team plans to show thelocally-made movie on Fairfax Pub-lic Access Channel 21 later this sum-mer when it premieres at local the-aters. The movie will also be sold andmay be distributed to local schoolsfor viewing. If the movie is success-ful, Stefanik is planning to begin anew production group for more localfilms.

“I anticipate a great final prod-uct for this movie,” said Benson. “It’sprojects like these that get the com-munity involved and help tostrengthen the community as awhole.”

Junior April Brassard was reelected for SGA President for theclass of 2004. She has helped the junior class raise over$10,000. “I plan on using my leadership skills from my pasttwo years as president to make a classic 2004 for prom andgraduation the best AHS has seen,” said Brassard.

BY SOHAIB KHANStaff Writer

The SGA class elections for 2003 2004 were held onMonday April 28. Juniors assembled in the main gym,sophomores in the cafeteria, and the freshmen in theupstairs gym.

The officers for next years sophomore class whom wereelected are Mohammed Rahman as President, AlexBarker as Vice President, Suzanne Van der Eijk as sec-retary and Laela Shallal as treasurer.

The officers for the class of 2005 elected are JenniferBrackett as president, Lilian Tetteh as Vice President,Ana Rosa Alvarez-Flores as secretary and Sara Fargo astreasurer.

Juniors who beat the competition and were electedwere April Brassard as President, Miranda Brackett asVice President, Lindsay Miller as treasurer and JanetPartlow as secretary.

All students went to their class elections during theR5 flex period. During Jennifer Brackett’s speech, shespoke about her experiences, class accomplishments, andher goals for the 2003-2004 school year. She promised toraise money for her class, and to increase the officersparticipation.

Sophomore Jennifer Brackett was selected to be Presi-dent while competing against five contenders. This schoolyear she was the Vice President and treasurer in herfreshman year. She participates in Model United Na-tions, Key Club, plays softball, and swimming. “I am ex-cited to represent my class and I hope I will do a goodjob,” said Brackett. “I think if we work hard we will beable to achieve our goals.”

Freshman Mohammad Rahman, the new selectedpresident for the class of 2006, presented himself to the

students as being responsible and his willingness to helphis class.

“We have a solid foundation to achieve somethinggreat, and i think we are going to do better,” said Fresh-man Rahman. Rahman was the vice president in sev-enth grade and does track and wrestling for his extra-curricular activities.

Junior April Brassard (who has been president sincesophomore year) told the juniors about her experience aspresident so far. Brassard has helped out the class byarranging the Sadie Hawkins dance and the organizingthe brick walk way project. She hopes to have an amaz-ing prom and graduation. “I plan on using my leadershipskills from my past two years as president to make aclassic 2004 for prom and graduation the best AHS hasseen,” said Brassard.

Brassard is the Drum major marching atom, 1st chairclair symphonic band. She plays lacrosse for AHS, and ispart of the swimming team and the French NHS.

The students who lost during the elections seemed tobe really disappointed because they thought they had areally good chance of winning and had really high hopes.

“I was angry and depressed because I worked reallyhard, and I was the treasurer for my class last year so Ithought I really had a good chance of winning,” said Fresh-man Anoosh Awan a competitor for treasurer for the classof 2006.

Junior Ashley Lippolis acts as one of the courtesans in AFunny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The musicalwas full of comedic performances by the drama department.

Way to the Forum: a hysterical good timeBY LAURA KELLY

Staff Writer

Drama students performed the musical comedy, AFunny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum April24-26. This hilarious comedy sold $4,000 worth of tickets($5 presale, $7 door) and kept the entire audience laugh-ing throughout the entire performance. The audiencecould not get enough of the crazy antics in the play.

Junior Ashley Lippolis, who played the courtesanTintinnabula said, “I think it went very well consideringthe night of our first dress rehearsal the whole Act I tookfour hours. The play was a definite improvement.”

The play takes place in Ancient Rome, telling the storyof the frustrated slave, Pseudolus, who longs for his free-dom. Fortunately for him, the parents of his young mas-ter, Hero, are going out of town, leaving Hero to do what-ever he wants.

Hero promises that Pseudolus may have his freedomif he will get him a young virgin, named Philia, who livesin a house full of courtesans next door to Hero. Pseudolusthinks that this is fair enough, only to find out that Philiahas already been sold to a soldier, Miles Gloriusus.

Desperate to win his freedom, Pseudolus plots to getthe two lovers together without getting himself in troublewith the Roman soldiers and Hero’s parents. While thisis all going on, Erronius, an old man, is trying to find his

two children who were stolen from him by pirates manyyears ago. After many comedic mishaps and misun-derstandings, Hero and Philia are allowed to marry,Erronius finds his two children, who turn out to bePhilia and Miles Gloriusus, and of course, Pseudolusgets his freedom.

The set design, made up of three large houses, com-plete with doorways and balconies, was very impres-sive. The costumes were basic ancient Roman robesand togas for the towns people. The soldiers wore ar-mor and swords and the courtesans wore belly danceroutfits with exotic jewelry.

“I was very pleased, “ said drama teacher VickiFarish. “Saturday night rocked. It was everything wehoped it would be.”

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forumis AHS’s entry in the annual Cappies competition, spon-sored by The Washington Post. The Cappies are thelocal high school equivalent of Broadway’s Tonyawards. At the end of the year, all the plays are re-viewed by the Cappies and some students are givenawards.

It was obvious that the actors put a lot effort intothis musical. “The play went especially well Fridayand Saturday night. Any mishaps that happened couldbe covered up with the humor of the play,” said seniorOwen Beste, who played Pseudolus.

DECA honored at nationalsMEG NIELSEN AND LAURA JOHNSON

Copy Editor and Academics Editor

Eleven members of the DECA chapter attended theInternational Career and Development Conference inOrlando, Florida, where they competed in a national com-petition for marketing April 25-30. The conference hadapproximately 13,000 students from all over the countryparticipating.

To qualify to reach the national conference, the DECAmembers had to be in the top five of the categories thatthey competed in at the Virginia DECA State LeadershipConference. “I thought it was a great experience and it

gave me a chance to meet people from all around the coun-try. It was an opportunity to experience different peopleand their different activities,” said junior Alex Silano.

No AHS students moved onto the finals, however,Khalid Abul-Hawa, Anteneh Addisu, Jason Bracken,Jeannine Frank, Lindsey Grant, Tracie Hiatt, Dave Marin,and Alex Silano all received competency awards in theircompetitive areas.

Each competitive area gives competency awards to thestudents who score in the top 25 percent of their category.“It’s basically an award of excellence, because there areanywhere from 200 to 300 students competing in eachcategory,” DECA sponsor Jennifer Hendrickson.

DECA members Paul Baldwin and Michelle Perezattended a two-day academy focusing on various aspectsof leadership development, such as creativity, teamwork,and diversity and ethics in leadership.

The AHS DECA members raised money to attend theconference, with help of donations from other companies,and prepared for the trip by rehearsing presentations andstudying for tests. This was the last competitive event forDECA this year, however there are other DECA spon-sored events during May and June.

“Whether you win or lose in terms of competition, beinga part of the international career development conferenceis a once in a lifetime experience,” said Springfield.

SEA

N S

ULLIV

AN

SEAN SULLIVAN

NEWS BRIEFS

Broadway DessertsEncore Presentation

The AHS Choral Department withperform selected numbers fromtheir historically sold-out show onTues. May 12 in the auditorium.This special performance is to helpthe department recover frommoney that was lost due to thecomplications with their New YorkSpring Trip. Tickets will be soldthe week of May 5 and they willalso be sold at the door. Tickets are$5.

Class of 2004 to takeSenior Pictures

Starting May 14, Juniors will havethree different times to take theirsenior pictures for the 2003-2004Yearbook.They may take theirpictures on May 14, 15 and 19from 3-9p.m. in the lecture hall orJuly 31 and August 1 from 9a.m.to 3:30 p.m. in the lecture hall,and the last time to take theirsenior picture is on Sept. 17, 18and 19 from 3-7p.m. in the lecturehall. Scedules should come in themail and this will be the studentspass. Prices for the pictures rangefrom nothing (for yearbook shotonly) to $20 (yearbook headshotplus three favorite outfits).

NEWS 5TUES. MAY 6, 2003BLASTAthe

Band recieves recognitionat Myrtle Beach

AHS had a successful spring bandtrip to Myrtle Beach coming homewith plenty of awards to show fortheir performances. The tripextended April 10-13. The bandreceived overall parade champion,with a superior rating and firstplace drum majors.The symphonic band received asuperior rating and first place inDivision 6. The Indoor Guardreceived a superior rating and theGold, Jazz, and Jazz Ensemble allreceived excellent ratings for theirperformances . The oustandingsolos award went to oboe playerFreshman Rachel Seiden. Thehighlight of the entire trip, however,was the recognition of GrandChampions Runners, missingGrand Championship by a mere0.006 points.“I knew when they said the bandswere 0.006 point away that we werethe runners up,” said band directorJack Elgin. “I was pleased withsymphonic and really happy forRachel Seiden. Our number onegoal is to get a superiror rating thenhave everything fall into place.”The marching band hasn’tperformed their routine since thefall, had only twenty minutes ofpreparation prior to theirperformance in Myrtle Beach andreceived the award for overallparade championship. “There was alot of confusion. [Elgin] wanted usto change the tempo but in the endhe wanted to drop that. It wasmessy but we still won,” saidsophomore trumpet player MaggiePurdon.“My reaction was just ‘What?because we haven’t practiced it in solong. Everything else we’ve beenpracticing through the winter andspring,’” said Elgin. “I think theculmination of the year speaks foritself. The whole year has beenamazing. We’ve been veryfortunate. To see the excitement ofthe kids’ faces makes me rememberwhy I do this.”

-Kathy IbarraStaff Writer

Cameron’s Tennis Lessons

(703) 801-8049ExperiencedVery patient

THE FAREWELL ACTThe New EP: Evanescent

Next Concert May 29Next Concert May 29

Contact John Bernhardt (703) 323-6908

(Alternative Punk Emo)

Pink Posey FloristFresh & Silk Arrangements

Fruit & Goodie Baskets

Balloons and Gifts

(703) 941- Pink (7465)

(800) 472-3475

7857-A Heritage Drive

Annandale, Va 22003

Art work revealed in exhibitBY CHRIS KALLANDER

Staff Writer

On Monday April 28, AHS heldan art exhibit in room 149 duringthe W2/R5 flex periods. The exhibitfufilled the IB exam requirement for10 seniors who had been taking IBArt for one or two years.

“It’s the most laid back IB examthat I’m taking,” said senior CaitlinMcKinney.

Even though the exhibit wasonly open on April 28, the 10 par-ticipants started setting up theshow early in preparation for theIB evaluator who came on April 24.

The artists also had to xerox 20pages from their art notebooks inpreparation for the evaluation.Their art notebooks includedsketches, research and museum vis-its and were an important compo-nent of the IB exam.

Every page of each notebook wasread by the evaluator so that hecould better understand the artists’work.

During the evaluation the stu-

Junior Julie Bowes goes through her portfolio to make sure it is all in order for the IBArt Fair. Portfolios contained completed assignments from the students, other worksby the student and information from the many museum visits they have had to takethis year.

Tenstudents

in IBArt

pre-pared

portfo-lios that

wereana-

lyzed byan IB

evalua-tor dents had to talk about their work

for 30 minutes. “I was a little ner-vous about it. In the beginning I kindof froze up, but the evaluator was re-

ally nice, so I loosened up,” said se-nior Caitlin McKinney.

Despite the hectic time of year, thedisplay peaked the interest of many

who all stopped by the room to checkout the students’ work. Art teacherJoyce Weinstein called it a “spectacu-lar success.”

Though this was only the secondyear such an event was held, audi-ence interest was apparant.

“I think that everyone in the classhas grown a lot,” said McKinney.“I’ve learned what art really is. Be-fore I just thought that art had to bepretty, but I learned about symbol-ism in art and different types of me-dia.”

During the show each person hadtheir own room in which they dis-played all the art they had createdover their years in IB Art.

“Every student’s work was com-pletely unique and sophisticatedcompared to others,” said Weinstein.“They all stood out. It is not a com-petition, so no one is the best.”

The art department intends oncarrying the success of this programonto next year. With many talentedartists at AHS, students will be wait-ing with baited breath for next year’sexhibition.

Math lovers inducted in societyBY LAURA KELLY

Staff Writer

On April 23, 2003, the math honors society, Mu AlphaTheta, inducted forty-six new students. All these stu-dents have maintained at least a 3.5 GPA in math and a3.0 overall GPA. The students had to apply in order to beadmitted into the honors society. “It fosters a greater ap-preciation for math and honors those who are especiallytalented in math,” said Mu Alpha Theta’s secretary, Se-nior Zarrin Chua.

During the school year, Mu Alpha Theta conductsmany activities. One requirement of being in the societyis that the members must perform five hours of commu-nity service each quarter. They also provide tutoring inmath to all students into school, which is one way of ful-filling the community service requirement. Previously thisyear students attended the Math and Science Bowl, wherethey had to answer math and science questions as a team,as well as conducting science activities.

The students also attended the Math in Industry In-

stitute where they solved a problem involving a supersoaker. The KADA festival was another way Mu AlphaTheta got kids more interested in math and away fromdrugs and alcohol. The society has also been painting thedumpster in the new math hall outside math teacher andsponsor of Mu Alpha Theta, Carol Rychlik’s room.

Being admitted into a prestigious society such as MuAlpha Theta is a special honor for many math studentsat AHS. As sophomore Nick Schwind commented, “Itwill look good on my diploma and college application.”

After a welcoming speech, Rychlik announced nextyear’s 2003-2004 officers. They will be juniors Mei-LingLiber as President, Anh Hoang as Vice-President, AnhNguyen as Secretary, and Linda Tran as Treasurer.

Speeches were then made by this year’s officers.Rychlik gave special recognition to the seniors who

would be graduating this year. She is very happy aboutthe new inductees and said, “the students who have beeninducted are wonderful. They have already begun com-munity service hours by tutoring and I know they willcontinue to be successful next year.”

DC United Player Bobby Convey visits AHSD.C. United Player Bobby Convey signs autographs for eager fans on Tues. April 22. Convey came to AHS as the culminationof the D.C. United marketing project. This was part of a year-long project that the Advanced Sports Marketing class puttogether to gain real world experience in marketing. AHS and three other area high schools (Edison, Hayfield and LakeBraddock) all formed a partnership to sell tickets to the May 3 D.C. United soccer game. The four schools were competing tosee who could come up with the best campaign and sell the most tickets. The AHS campaign began with a survey in the fall,followed by an analysis of the results and then a plan for how to sell tickets. In the end, AHS won the competition with theother schools by selling 95 tickets. Senior organizers of the project, Jeannine Frank and Lindsey Grant will be recognized atthe game, as well as the student who sold the most tickets, junior Michael Perucci.

student foundM

AG

GIE

OW

NER

CO

URTESY O

F J

EN

HED

RIC

KSO

N

“Moses” from pg. 1“Tests” from pg. 1

Students prepare for testspeople, and that makes sense of what I know of her,”said Thompson.

Last year senior Fanta Sesay often sat next to Moseson the bus to and from school. Sesay recalls her dili-gence, as on the bus she could often be found wrappedup in her studies, “trying to get ahead in life,” said Sesay.“She wasn’t very outspoken or loud or anything, but ifyou sat down to talk to her, she was always open forconversation,” said Sesay.

Richardson cited that though Moses struggled aca-demically and generally assumed a shy persona, shemade great strides which culminated at the end of theschool year in a moving presentation in front of theclass that reflected her bolstered confidence.

“She always wanted to keep things peaceful andcalm in the classroom, trying to get along with every-one, and resolving things in a peaceful way,” said Th-ompson.

Moses’ family was unavailable for comment, how-ever, a fund has been established to aid the family infuneral and burial expenses (see page 1 sidebar for de-tails). Workers at Sunrise Assisted Living were alsonot available for comment. According to The Washing-ton Post, Jalloh made a number of calls to the nursinghome stalking Moses, and in one instance arrived asMoses was leaving work, prompting her to flee to thefacility and seek the help of her coworkers.

When asked if Moses slipped through a judicialcrack and did not receive adequate protection, OfficerLingenfelter declined to speculate considering Jallohhas yet to be tried. He did note that if a victim or wit-ness feels threatened, they can seek an emergency pro-tection order from a magistrate, basically a restrain-ing order, and additionally can seek protection in oneof the county’s “safe houses” at undisclosed locations.

According to police department statistics, in 2002there were five domestic homicides of a similar naturein Fairfax County. “Most of the time in domestic cases,the victim is known to the suspect,” said Lingenfelter.According to The Washington Post, Jalloh and Moseshad dated for nearly 18 months, and that Jalloh hadbecome “obsessed.”

Lingenfelter, who works in the Police Department’sOffice of Public Information, believes that the story hasbeen closely followed by the public, and cited that themedia has been persistent in covering the case as hefields two to three calls per day from media organiza-tions seeking to obtain the latest information.

Prom approaching

Senior class meeting and during all lunch periods.Ticket prices this year will be $35 for each person, nocouple rates issued. The prom takes a lot of hard workfrom everyone and fund-raisers are a main part thathelps the classes have a prom that will be never for-gotten. From car washes to Fuddrucker Restaurantnight, the class of 2003 has paid off all of their hardwork and effort to make their prom a time of celebrat-ing the end of the year.î I think that this yearís Promwill turn out really good because the people in chargeare so organized and it has been planned out very well,which will make it a great night for all of usî said Se-nior Kari kraus. Prom planning takes much more timethen planning out a Homecoming dance, but also costmuch more to be held and make memorable. This yearísprom cost around $17,000 with all expenses paid for,from the hotel, to music and other extra needs to com-plete this night of paradise.

Prom is not only one the last school functioned par-ties happening this year, the All Night Grad party willbe held the night of Graduation. Graduation will beheld at D.A.R. Constitution Hall.

dents come to her house just for the day on May 4 to watchmovies and review for the exam. “I think it better pre-pared me because I don’t think I really would have stud-ied much on my own and since she [Shumaker] has beendealing with the AP exam for so long she knows whatthey expect,” said junior Kate Bagnulo. “I think it helped.We read through a bunch of packets of articles on differ-ent topics in history, we took an old AP exam which reallyhelped and then we watched 1776.”

This is the first year that the IB program has a groupbeen completing the two-year program and the first timethat AHS will be testing its IB diploma candidates. For

the 15 seniors up for the diploma, this is the last step incompleting the IB program. As for the completion of thefirst year of the program, IB coordinator Erin Albrightseems optimistic. “I think it was very successful,” saidAlbright. “We learned a lot. There are things we see thatwe want to change.”

As for testing conflicts, some things have had to be re-arranged for students who are taking multiple kinds oftests and they will have a tougher testing schedule.

But, the glitches have been worked out. The studygroups are being organized and the testing months arestarting up. When all the AP, IB and SOLs are over, how-ever, there will still be finals to worry about.

“Prom” from pg. 1

6 BLASTAtheTUES. MAY 6, 2003ADVERTISEMENT

7 BLASTAtheTUES. MAY 6, 2003ACADEMICS

6 7 85 9

12 1413 15 16

17 18 19 20 21

26 27 28 29 30

Academics editor RebeccaKraushaar sat down with IBcordinator Erin Albright todiscuss the progress of the IBprogram at AHS, and theupcoming exams.

Q: What’s being done to preparestudents for their tests?A: A lot of teachers are giving practiceproblems and making sure that theirstudents are familiar with the formatof the exam. Preparation is really atwo-year process and it’s notsomething that can be crammed for.

Q: What are teachers goingthrough?A: They really want their students todo well and they’re working reallyhard. Being an IB teacher is likebeing a coach for two years. But theydon’t get to play a game until the endof the two years. They don’t reallyknow until the end how well preparedthey are. The testing also puts morepressure on the teachers because it’svery public. Some feel that it’s ameasure of their teaching, but howstudents do is really based on manyfactors.

Q: Do you have any qualms aboutthis year’s testing?A: Guidance here is so terrific. Theydo everything possible to make it gosmoothly. This is the first year withstudents taking so many IB exams,but I feel really good about going intothis year’s test.

Q: When will students get theirtest scores?A: On July 6 students can go to the IBweb site, www.ibo.org, and use theirpin number to get their scores.Seniors fill out a form before theyleave, so that their scores are sentstraight to their colleges.

Q: How do colleges view thescores?A: It really depends on the college.However, in general, colleges givecredit for a 5, 6, or 7 on a higher levelexam and then many colleges also givecredit for standard level exams. Wecan always work with the college onan individual basis if a student doesn’tget credit.

Q: What’s your advice tostudents?A: One thing to remember is that thenature of the test is one that you can’tcram for. Yes, you should review, butyou need to remember that if youhaven’t studied all year long, you’renot going to learn it in one night. Also,do all the typical things: get a goodnight sleep and eat breakfast. Thesearen’t silly tips; they can make adifference. Remember the rewards ofdoing well on the tests are great.Seniors have a chance of placing out ofcollege classes, and the risks are low.It won’t affect college admissions, sorelax.

Q & A WITH IBCORDINATOR

Test anxiety? Usethese survivalstrategies tosuccessfully taketests.Before startingthe test:— Skim over the content of thequestions before answering any ofthem— Use what content you read towrite notes to yourself of things thatyou might forget, or concepts youaren’t certain of— Plan out the time you will spendon each section of the test

During the test:— Read all directions— Answer the questions that you arecertain of first— Once finished with the easyquestions, go back to the harderones, or the ones that require morethought— Use the margin of the test toexplain answers you felt wereunclear or ambiguous— Circle key words in difficultquestions— Rephrase questions that areunclear in your own words tounderstand them better, but makesure you don’t change the message ofthe question— Use all of the time given andmake sure you go over your answersa few times, but remember most ofthe time your first intuition is correct

TESTTAKING TIPS

May testing schedule

IB Spanish A2 HL/ AMIB Spanish A2 SL/ AMIB Higher Math/ PMIB Math Methods/ PMIB Math Studies/ PM

AP EnglishIB Higher Math/ AMIB Math Methods/ AMIB Math Studies/ AMIGCSE Lit./ AM

AP Computer Sci/ AMAP Music Theory/ PMAP Statistics/ PMIB Biology SL/ HL/ PMIB Environ. Sys/ PMIGCSE Chemistry/ AM

AP Calculus AB&BC/ AMIB Biology SL/ HL/ AMIB Environ. Sys/ AMIGCSE Chemistry/ AM

AP US History/ AMIB English A1 HL/ AMIB English A2 SL/ AM

IB Spanish A2 HL/ AMIB Spanish A2 SL/ AMIB Spanish BHL/ SL/ AMIB French A2/ SL/ PM

IB French B/ SL/ HL/ AMIB French A2 SL/ AMIB Spanish BHL/ SL/ AMIB History SL/ HL/ PM

AP Government/ AMIB History HL/ AMIB Chemistry SL/ HL/ PMIGCSE 1st LanEng/ AM

IB Chemistry SL/ HLIB CompSci SL/ HL/ PM IB Comp SciSL/ HL/ AM

IB Physics SL/ PM IB Physics SL/ AMIGCSE Math/ AM IGCSE 1st LanEng/ AM

IB Music SL/ HL/ PMIB Classic Lang SL/ PMIB ITGS SL/ PMIGCSE Math/ AM

IB Classic Lang SL/ AMIB ITGS SL/ AM

Holiday SOL Exam W2/ AMSOL Exam W8/ PM

SOL Exam R1/ AMSOL Exam R7/ PM

SOL Exam R5/ AMSOL Exam W6/ PM

SOL Exam R3/ AMMakeup SOL Math/ PM

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

RED

RED

RED

RED

RED

RED

RED

RED

RED

RED

IB tests make me

Thesefour IBcandi-

datessharetheir

storiesof

pressureespe-cially

with theIB tests

thismonth.

Gina SobelA usual away message that I or one

of my friends may have up goes some-thing like this: “I have SOOOO muchhomework, this is crazy. Looks like it’llbe another long night.” So, if I could dohigh school over again, would I choosenot to go for the diploma? Of course I’dgo for it!

The IB program has been one of thehardest things I’ve ever done, and I’mglad I decided to do it. I have learnedan incredible amount from this pro-gram, and gained a ton of new perspec-tives on the world. It was SO worth it.

On top of IB I participate in manyother activities like band, outside mu-sic groups, horse back riding, teachingat Sunday School, tutoring... the listgoes on. I don’t have a lot of just chilltime, which is a downfall ofovercommitment plus IB diploma.Once IB exams and finals are over, Iplan to spend my summer as the aver-age American teen. Until then, well Ibetter get back to that history essay.

Zarrin ChuaI know they’re there, but I don’t

want to think about them: IB exams,graduation, college. I look forward tothose three things, reverse order. ButI can’t think about any of them-- if Istart focusing on them too much, I’llforget what’s happening tomorrow.

It’s kind of like looking too farahead, and tripping over your ownshoelaces. I think about the nexthour, the next day, I think about thenext landmark: what exam is next?The thinking is too much, and the dayis nice. I go for a walk, and remem-ber to wear sandals.

Jonathan FarrarI write this as I sift through my pock-

ets desperately searching for Jefferson,and hopefully even Washington: themen who will be buying me my IB life-line. Over the two-year period, I havespent more quarters and dimes on caf-feine pills than I have on gasoline formy car, which reeks of rotten books andstudy sweat (if such a thing exists).

As the climactic month of testing forthe IB program rapidly approaches,some teachers have eased in theirhomework assignments while othershave seized the opportunity to pile onreview exercises.

Surprisingly, the stress level alreadypeaked back in December with collegeapplications. Now, there is only thechallenge of managing your time, bal-ancing “playtime” with “studytime.”Between after school study sessions andweekend outings with friends, sacrific-ing to maintain the balance becomesincreasingly more difficult. At least ithasn’t come to sacrificing morningshowers.

Elaine FiladelfoIt’s 10:43 p.m. as I sit down to write

this, and I’m trying to get it done be-fore I start all my real homework be-cause I know I’ll forget otherwise. Thisis nothing unusual for me, because Ilive on both procrastination and over-scheduling. Over the course of the nextfew weeks, I’ll be taking all my IB teststo determine if I receive my IB diploma,for which I’ve already written a 4,000word essay and done 150 CAS hours. Ishould start studying for those... whenI get home from my Superintendent’sCouncil meeting with Dr. Domenech,or on a day when I’m not umpiring aLittle League game, or when I don’thave dance class.

Maybe I should suggest to my promgroup that we have a study session inthe limo, since we’re all in the sameposition. No matter what, however, Iwill get everything done. I will not sac-rifice a club meeting or a viola lesson,but I will sacrifice sleep, because thatdoesn’t let anyone down.

Number of students taking IB tests— 166 registered in 12 higher level

subjects— 327 registered in 20 standard

level subjects— 16 registered in 9 extended

essay subjects— 255 students taking IB tests

ACE CREATIVE CONSTRUCTIONClass “A” Licensed General Contractor

Yoon, Kyung Hae

Tel: (703) 914-0301

Cell: (703) 629-7273

4121 Thortons St

Annandale, Va 22003

Club Tan, Inc.6234 Little RiverAlexandria, VA 22312(703) 642-0668

PRA Recreation AssociationPRA Recreation AssociationSocial Activities

Membership:

(703) 256-8933

CHILD AND INFANT DAY CARE

* Phone (703) 941-2218

* 17 years expierence

* Infants to school age children

Spanish and English Spoken

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

Pet Sitting - Mike Krzywicki16 years- expierenced - (703) 750-0905

Available Any Time

BONITA and FANTAHAPPY BIRTHDAY

From Martha, Noy and Hana

Happy Birthday

Zelo!!

Celebrate Any Occasion With Ice Cream

And Individual Treats

BASKINROBBINS

Turnpike Baskin Robbins

Turnpike Center 9547 Braddock Rd

703-425-5131

Club Tantanning salon

Certified TanningConsultants

Darlene and Jeff DavisonProprietorsMon-Fri: 9 am-10 pmSat- 9 am-8 pmSun- 10 am-16 pm

8 BLASTAtheTUES. MAY 6, 2003FEATURES

THE CASTDANCASTELLANETAprovides the voice for:Homer, Krusty theKlown, Groundskeeper

Willie and Grampa Simpson.

Homer Simpson— resident ofSpringfield andemployee at theSpringfield nuclearpower plant. Homerhas held over 40different jobs.According to Lisa, the Beauty Queen,Homer is 36 years old. When DanCasetellaneta began voicing Homer,he basically imitated WalterMatthau. However, Dan reportedlyhad trouble with certain emotionalregisters with the voice. Sobeginning with Season 2, he changedit slightly to create Homer’s currentvoice.

JULIE KAVNERprovides the voice forMarge, Selma, Pattyand Mrs. Bouvier(Marge’s mother).

Marge Simpson—loving wife to Homerand mother to Bart,Lisa and Maggie.Originally the colorstylist, Gyorgi Peluci,colored Marge’s hair blue and he’sliked it, so it stuck.

NANCYCARTWRIGHTprovides the voice forBart, Nelson, ToddFlanders, RalphWiggum, Kearneyand Database.

Bart Simpson—therebellious son of Homerand Marge. ProducerDavid Silverman saidthe Simpsons “had tobe in yellow, otherwise,Bart would look like he had aserrated forehead. And if they areyellow, you get kind of used to thefact that it’s their hair and their skincolor “once the shock wears off.”

YEARDLEYSMITH provides thevoice for Lisa.

Lisa Simpson—thepreco-cious

daughter of Homer andMarge. According toDavid Silverman, duringthe creation of TheSimpsons, Lisa was characterized tonothing but the “annoying littlesister.” Even though she behaves sodifferently, she is basically a femaleBart.

HARRYSHEARERprovides the voicefor over 100characters includingMr. Burns,Smithers, NedFlanders, Principal

Skinner, Otto and Kent Brockman.

Montgomery “Monty” Burns—The owner of theSpringfield nuclearpower plant andHomer’s angry boss.According to WhoShot Mr. Burns, he is104 years old and/or81 according to Simpson andDelilah. The voice for Mr. Burnsprovided by Harry Shearer.

Waylon Smithers—Burns’ overlyfaithful assistant with a fetish for

Malibu Stacey.Is Smithers gay? Yes!In Sideshow Bob’sRoberts, he saysSideshow Bob’sultraconservativepolicies conflict with

his choice of life-style. In Who ShotBurns Part 2, he tried to march inthe St. Patrick’s Day Parade, areference to the Irish gay people whotried to march in it a few years ago.Producer David Silverman has saidoutright “yes, he is gay.”The voice forSmithers is provided by HarryShearer.

Ned Flanders—Homer’s religiousneighbor. Flanders’wife, Maude, dieddue to a blow from aT-shirt thatpropelled over astadium stand.According to the producers, salarynegotiations failed between theactress who voiced Maude Flandersand the Fox. As a result, theproducers decided to end thecharacter. The voice for Flanders isprovided by Harry Shearer.

Information complied fromhttp://www.snpp.com/

TOP FIVE EPISODES

1. LAST EXIT TO SPRINGFIELD —The union leader at thePower Plant disappears, leaving the employees without a leaderto renegotiate their contracts. Mr. Burns removes the dentalplan from his employees benefit package. Everybody, includingHomer, agrees, until Lisa needs braces. Homer and the othermembers argue to reject the contract, and is elected the newplant union rep.

2. ROSEBUD—Mr. Burns wishes he had his teddy bear backfor his birthday. When Bart goes to the Kwik-E-Mart to buyice, one of the bags has a stuffed bear in it. He gives it toMaggie. Homer learns that the bear is Mr. Burns’. Burns of-fers them money, but when Homer sees how attached Maggieis to the bear, he pulls out of the deal. Burns gives up and tellsMaggie to keep the bear, but Maggie feels sorry for him andgives it back.

3. CAPE FEARE— Somebody is sending Bart anonymous deaththreats through the mail. He soon realizes it is Sideshow Bob.The family joins the Witness Relocation Program and they moveto Terror Lake in a house boat. On their first night, Bob attemptsto kill Bart. However, Bart asks Bob to sing the entire score from“HMS Pinafore” during which the boat drifts back to Springfieldwhere Chief Wiggum is waiting for him.

4. MARGE VS. THE MONORAIL— The town gets its hand on$3 million, and the town holds a meeting to discuss how the moneywill be spent. A con man named Lyle Lanley convinces them thata monorail should be built. Marge is suspcious and researchesabout Lyle’s past. The monorail with Homer as the conductorreaches high speeds and will not stop. Homer saves the day byusing an anchor.

5. HOMER’S PHOBIA—The Simpsons must sell an old fam-ily heirloom in order to pay for a $900 bill. The family meetsJohn, the owner of the collectibles store. Homer takes a likingto him, but Marge informs him that John is gay. Homer re-fuses to see John again, but notices Bart’s behavior haschanged since he had been with John. Homer tries to makeBart more manly, but in the process, takes him to a gay steelmill. Homer takes Bart hunting where they find themselves

in danger. John saves them and Homer overcomes his phobia.

Information complied from Entertainment Weekly

1. Who is Radioactive Man’s sidekick?

2. What is Rainer Wolf Castle alias?

3. Who replaced SideshowBob?

4. What was the happiest day of Ralph’s life?

5. Who is the host of “Channel 5 Action News”?

6. Who is the founder of Springfield?

7. What is the name of Burns’ beloved bear?

8. Who is the female version of Homer?

9. What were Bart’s first words?

10. Who is Selma and Patty’s favorite star?

11. What drink is unique to the Kwik-E-Mart?

12. Where does the head of the Kwik-E-Mart reside?

13. Who played Happy Birthday for Mr. Burns?

14. Who is Lisa’s jazz playing mentor?

15. What instrument does Lisa play in the whackingepisode? (hint: not the saxophone.)

16. Who does Springfield believe is trapped down awell?

17. What is Lisa’s future occupation according to theCANT test?

18. What instrument does Homer replace Lisa’s Saxo

phone with the after it is stolen?

19. What do Patty and Selma say you can’t spell with-out I.O.U.?

20. What singer does Mr. Burns force to perform forMarge?

Answers: 1. Fallout Boy 2. McBain 3. Sideshow Mel4. When the Doctor said he didn’t have worms anymore5. Kent Brockman 6. Jebidiah Springfield 7. Bobo 8.Mindy Simmons 9. Ay Carumba 10. MacGyver 11.Squishee 12. India 13. The Ramones 14. Bleeding GumsMurphy 15. Bass guitar 16. Timothy O’Toole 17. Home-maker 18. Jug 19. Obsequious 20. Tom Jones

5 or less—Boo-urns! I didn’t know it was possible, butyou both suck and blow. You suck-diddily-uck.

6-10—Gee, how many episodes have she-males evenseen? Worst fan ever!

11-15—You’re on a roll-a-gay. Aahh, Jizepy’s a happymonkey! Are you a Simpson wonder or a Simpsonblunder?

16-20—Wow, you’re good...groin grabbingly good,Radioactive Man has nothing on you!

BY WIDED KHADRAOUIStaff Writer

“The Simpsons has created something absolutely amaz-ing. [Number one] the show basically made Fox what it isnow, and number two, the number of people following thatshow is crazy,” said sophomore Enwei Liber. “From TheSimpsons’ addicts, to people who watch it because it’s theonly thing on T.V., they all love it.”

Liber’s sentiment’s reflect how the show’s creator per-formed a phenomenon: taking a cartoon and turning it into adynamic show that fosters discussions, arguments, debatesand class lessons. Even with the mark of its 300th episode,the show’s popularity doesn’t seem to be stalling at AHS.

“The Simpsons are so popular because we don’t see manyfamilies like that, they say what we want to hear, they’re themodern family,” said sophomore Halli Wahadi. “They’re outof control, it attracts a lot of viewers because of its random-ness and humor.”

The Simpsons are the brainwork of Matt Groening, who

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SIMPSONS

was asked to create a series ofshort animated vignettes to beaired as so-called “shorts” onthe then extremely popularThe Tracey Ullman Show onthe Fox Network. He createdan animated series that waspacked with political, socialand cultural satire. The lives

of The Simpsons characters re-volve around situations that aver-

age people experiences.Senior Jorge Arias has been a de-

vout Simpsons follower for years. Hereligiously watches three episodes ofthe show per day. “The storyline isvery clever. They are far fetched so

they take you away from the realworld,” said Arias. “At same time, it pre-

sents all real world problems with an out-rageous twist. Some of the jokes are hard to understand be-cause they are esoteric, but the show has a good way of let-ting you figure it out somehow.”

Characters on The Simpsons have become immortalizedin households across America. Some viewers argue that TheSimpsons is similar to a reality T.V. show that parodies Ameri-can families and values in a sarcastic and humorous way,while others disagree, stating that The Simpsons is merelyfor entertainment and has no deep philosophical or socialmeaning.

As the popularity of The Simpsons grew with Americansso did the characters presented on the show. The initial fivecharacters have grown to include more than 100 characters.Yet, surprisingly, all of the character voices are provided byonly twelve people.

According to an AHS survey, Homer Simpson is the mostpopular character on the show. “[Homer] reminds me of mydad,” said senior Kyle Easter. It requires little analysis toappreciate the complexity of the doughnut- lovin’ and beer

drinkin’ oaf. His trademark “D’oh”, has been even entered inOxford’s English Dictionary.

The Simpsons’ satirical perspective on historical eventshas incorporated in AHS history lessons. “I use The Simpsonsepisodes in my class to keep the kids involved, it provides away for them to connect. I think the median that the histori-cal issues are expressed in it relates to them more closely,instead of an abstract lecture on the Cold War...” said WorldHistory teacher Joe Valentino. During his lectures on the ColdWar, Valentino presents a Simpsons episode about the Alba-

nian exchange student who turns out to be a spy. “I don’t use the episodes to teach, I use them to reinforce

what’s being taught,” said Valentino,“I always watched TheSimpsons, but I never realized that it made a statement abouthistory, like what was taught last year in Mr. Valentino’s class,”said sophomore Tiffany Merchant.

For almost fourteen years the show has maintained itspopularity and has outlasted shows that came before. “It keepsup with the times,” said sophomore Sarah Sozio. “I think TheSimpsons won’t lose their popularity for awhile because theyseem to keep in touch with the real world...and they alwaysseem to keep us laughing.”

What is your favoriteSimpsons’ phrase?

Behind the laughter

200 people were surveyed duringall lunches on April 23 and 24. Stu-dents were asked various questionsconcerning the T.V. show, TheSimpsons. The survey demonstrates

the studentslove for thiscartoon fam-ily. A majorityof AHS stu-dents are avidS i m p s o n sfans whowatch theshow daily.Also the survey

reflected that AHS’ s favorite char-acter is Homer, and the favoritephrase is Homer’s famous “D’oh.”

Who is your favoriteSimpsons character?

“D’oh!”39.5%

Other23.5%

“Worst episode ever” 9.5%

“Don’t have a cow man” 5%

“Excellent”22.5%

Homer37%

Maggie2%

Milhouse 1%

Bart20%

Other13%Apu

8%

Lisa8%

Marge 2%

Krusty 9%

SIMPSONS SURVEY

How often do youwatch The Simpsons?

Daily26%

More thanonce a week

23%Weekly20%

Monthly13%

Never 6%

Few times a year14%

“[The storylines] are far fetched so

they take you away from the real

world. At the same time, it pre-

sents all real world problems with

an outragreous twist.Jorge Arias

senior

ARTS 9TUES. MAY 6, 2003BLASTAthe

“To be, or not to be, that is the ques-tion,” wrote William Shakespeare.When examining the beginnings oftheater as we know it, that name,among others, comes up much.Today’s theater as we recognize it, iscomposed of different theatrical influ-ences from across the globe. From An-cient Greece, to China, Eastern Eu-rope and even India, each one has hadan effect on thetheater.

A n c i e n tGreek theaterbegan between600 and 200B.C. TheGreeks cre-ated the firsttheaters in theWest of theworld, and alsodeveloped such styles of acting as com-edy and tragedy, which remain a defi-nition for acting genres today. Dramawas born from a religious following ofthe Greek god, Dionysus, the god offertility. This cult was called the Riteof Dionysus, and from which modernday theater is mostly derived. Greeksalso were the first to construct am-phitheaters, which acted as groundsfor theater production, the most fa-mous of which was in Athens, knownas the Theater of Dionysus in Athens.

Taking from the influences of theMediterranean, Elizabethan theaterdeveloped into a new stage for theworld of acting. The most prominent

character in the Elizabethan theaterwas playwright William Shakespeare.He established the Globe Theater, whichbecame the most well known, as well asa model theater for all others. With theopening of this theater, others soon fol-lowed such as the Hope and the Rose.In the beginning, the theater was onlyfor the upper class of society in Europe,but as it grew in popularity, so did the

diversity of itscrowd, drawingaudiences fromevery level of thesocial web.

At the sametime, Asia beganto develop its ownform of dramaand theater.Royal families inChina enjoyed

viewing reenactments of ancient battles,or of stories that portrayed their gods.For the most part, the Asian theater de-veloped a musical and dancing style.

As traders in the East began mov-ing across the continent, they mixedtheir own forms of acting with that ofEuropean nations, which has maturedand evolved over the past centuries todeliver the many different styles of the-ater and drama one can enjoy today.

For more information on area pro-ductions, visit http://www.shakespearedc.org/ and http://www.arena-stage.org/.

(703) 813-6262

expires 5/26/03

$10.99

1 Large3 Topping

$17.99

2 Large2 Topping

$13.99

1 Large1 Topping

w/ Side Orderexpires 5/26/03 expires 5/26/03

Shakespeare’s ‘stage’ Future vocalist hits notes

Q: How long have you been performing?A: I’ve been performing since seventh grade when I joined the choir at Holmes M.S.Q: When was your first performance?A: My first “real” performance was when I played the role of Annie in eighth grade.Q: What kind of performing have youdone at AHS?A: I have been in all of the musicals through

out my four years and almost every play. Ihave also been in chorus all four years. Igot into Annandale Singers as a sophomore,which is very difficult for girls. I was thesecond girl to ever do that.

Q: What is the best and worst thing aboutperforming?A: The best is the feeling I get when I am on

stage singing. I love plays, but singing iswhat I really love to do. I love watchingthe audience smile and laugh with me. Theworst is how I can never predict whetherI’ll get sick or not. Because singing usesmy own instrument, it is hard and frus-trating to perform when I’m sick, and I hatethat feeling.

Q: Do you ever get stage fright?A: I get nervous for everything. I get nervous

for performances and especially for audi-tions. For my audition for Royal Academyof Music in London, I just breathed reallydeeply. You can’t sing without support from

BEHINDthe scenes

your diaphragmand you can’thave supportwhen you arenervous. I alsothink aboutshowing the au-dience (or judges)how much I lovemusic and justtry to convey thatthought to them.By showing them my compassion, I calmdown.

Q: Where will you be going to college?A: Royal Academy of Music in LondonQ: Why have you chosen this college?A: London is a great place for the arts. I will

be in a beautiful country, around thousandsof talented people. I will also be in an areathat will provide opportunities for me.

Q: When did you know that you wantedto perform in college?A: When I got into Annandale Singers my

sophomore year, I started taking singingmore seriously. I really fell in love with it.

Q: What are your future goals?A: Someday I hope to perform musicals on

Broadway. If I can’t do that, I would love tobe a professional classical singer, having myown CD and concerts.

Q: Where do you picture yourself in 10years?A: I see myself in New York trying to make it

big in the business. Hopefully by being outof college for six years by then, I will be in agreat show like “La Boheme” or “Aida.”

The costumes, the sets, the props, the lights...what goes into a single production?

PH

OTO

ILLU

STRA

TIO

N B

Y P

HIL

IPPE P

OD

HO

RECKI, C

HA

E-W

HA

PA

RK A

ND

MO

RG

AN

MCEV

ILLY

BY ELIZABETH NOWROUZStaff Writer

Upon entering the auditorium, you feelas if you have been transported into theheight of ancient Rome. Sculptures andbuildings surround you, even the occasionaleunuch may stroll by. But then, things getcrazy. Drama Teacher and play producerVicki Farish marches in, demanding thateveryone pay attention and get to work.There are costumes to be made, make upapply, and lighting to perfect. Within min-utes the auditorium is a frenzy of motion.Excited young students are preparing forthe spring musical, “A Funny Thing Hap-pened on the Way to the Forum.”

To the untrained eye, this may seem likea frantic attempt to put everything in orderfor opening night. In some ways it is, butnot nearly as much as you would expect.“You have singing, hammering, wet paint,you’re testing sound and light too,” saidFarish. “To the unexperienced eye, it lookslike chaos, but it’s really quite organized.”

To some this play may seem insignificant,just another production by the same depart-ment that puts out three plays every year.However, a great deal of work goes into ev-ery play, and this is no exception. This playmay perhaps be more difficult than most ofthe previous productions.

This year’s production was not only aperiod piece, but Forum has been a critically

acclaimed play and movie. These aspectscreate high expectations, but luckily the the-atre department is known for its ability toturn even the most difficult of performancesinto a masterpiece.

An experienced actor, Bayla Whitten,who played the character of Philia, couldmake even her stumbling seem pre-planned.“My blocking was the easiest part, becauseI was supposed to be dumb, so even if Imessed up, it looked okay,” she said.

Months of hard work from the theatreand music departments have gone into thisplay, and the results are the proof.

This year the production was musicallyaccompanied by “the Pit,” led by Band Di-rector Jack Elgin. Many long, tiring grouprehearsals occurred to make the action upon stage and the music down in the pit coin-cide, and it took a great deal of effort to puteverything together.

Though Steven Sondheim’s music is in-ternationally recognized, there are difficul-ties one might encounter when learning hissongs. “Sondheim is known for his lyrics,which can make it difficult to learn,” saidsenior Meg Stoltz, who played the narrator.

Plans for the production began late lastspring when Farish and the theatre depart-ment decided on the plays for the 2002-2003school year. The process of choosing a playis very informal. Farish will throw aroundideas to her students and Elgin, who wasvery excited at the idea of doing Forum, as

were the students. “We all have pet peevesand plays that we don’t like, so we neverpick one that any of our kids will hate,”said Farish. It has been nonstop worksince then to make the play a reality. “Forevery minute you see on stage, there isprobably at least 10 hours outside of thatto get it there,” said Farish. Making thespring show a classical play is always abig priority. “This is some kids’ only op-portunity to experience the arts,” saidFarish.

And experience the theatre they did.On Thursday, the play drew the attentionof the Cappies, a renowned group of stu-dent critics sent to analyze student pro-ductions. There was an immense turn-out for all performances, especially on Fri-day, when the cast was given a standingovation.

Stage manager Coury Shadyac, jun-ior, played a large part in creating whatthe audience sees, from the props to theblocking. Shadyac is the person you wouldsee running around backstage, makingsure everyone enters the stage on cue andhits their marks. There are many differ-ent aspects of the play that have to cometogether to create a sound performance.“The hardest part was getting the acting,choreography, and singing put together,”said Shadyac.

Reiss’Pieces

Art Commentary by John Reiss

AHS’s star singer, BaylaWhitten, gives the ups anddowns of performing.

Staff writer, Elizabeth Nowrouzsat down with drama teacherVicki Farish and found out a littlemore about the lady that makes itall happen.

How long have you been teachingat AHS?16 yearsWhen do you plan to retire?Not for at least 4 more years.What is your most memorablemoment since you’ve been here?It was my 3rd or 4th year and we did“The Sound of Music.” The principalcame late. I looked up and asked ifhe’d ever seen the auditorium this full.He hadn’t.What is the worst moment?It was my 2nd year. The band directortold me we didn’t have a pit orchestra.I was numb. We ended up with half ofthe Fairfax Youth Symphony. We hadno pit until dress rehearsals.Do you have any onstage actingexperience?I have very little. I did one play incollege that I was talked into.How did you get into the job?I was masquerading as an Englishteacher. I worked at Jefferson. Whenthey merged, I moved here.What do you like most about yourjob?The kids. I like the fact that nothingis ever cut and dry. It is alwayscreative. I love watching the childrengrow and getting to witness theiraccomplishments.What is the most stressful thing?The kids again. I am much closer tothe students than a regular teacher. Ideal with their emotional creativeside. Kids are like an iceberg, you seea little above the surface, but there isso much more.With all the time you put intoyour job, how do you manage tokeep a balanced life?It is not always possible. For somepeople, teaching is a job, but for me itis my life. I keep things balanced withmy family, myfriendsandmycat.

Ad-lib: To extemporize stage businessor conversationBlocking yourself: Getting behindfurniture or actors so that you cannotbe seen by the audienceC: The symbol used to designate centerstageCue: The last words or action of anyone actor that immediately precedesany lines or business of another actorDown or Downstage: The part of thestage toward the footlightsDressing the stage: Keeping thestage picture balanced during theactionFeeding: Giving lines and actions insuch a way that another actor canmake a point or get a laughHit: To emphasize a word or line withextra forceHolding it: Keeping perfectly stillOverlap: To speak when someone elsedoesPointing lines: Emphasizing an ideaRing up: To raise the curtainSet: The scenery for an act or a sceneShowmanship: A sense of theatreand feeling for effectsTag line: The last speech in an act or aplayTempo: The speed with which speechand action move a play alongTop: To build to a climax by speakingat a higher pitch, at a faster rate, orwith more force than in precedingspeechesUpstaging: Improperly takingattention away from an actor who isthe focus of interest

GLOSSARY:THEATRE TERMS

THE LADY BEHIND THE CURTAIN

CHAE-WHA PARK

IN-DEPTH 1110 IN-DEPTH TUES. MAY 6, 2003BLASTAthe

Freshman BrianFletcher, like manyAHS students, lovelistening to music whiledoing their homework ordriving in the car. Varyinggenres of music from rap,rock, pop, country, classical,and hip hop are all presentin his CD collection. Withthe growing popularity offile sharing, studentscreate mix CDs thatreflect their eclecticmusical tastes. Fletcheris no exception andrepresents a largepopulation of AHSthat enjoyslistening tomore then onetype of music.

Can you guess the artistand song title?...

Don’t know the reason that I stayed out all season,With nothing to show but this brand new tattoo,But it’s all a real beauty, a Mexican cutie,How it got here I haven’t a clue...

Can I hit it in the morningWithoug givin you half of my doughAnd even worse if I was broke wouldyou want me?...

When you call my name it’s like a little prayerI’m down on my knees, I wanna take you thereIn the midnight hour I cann feel your powerJust like a prayer you know I’ll take you there...

Chickity China the Chinese chickenYou have a drumstick and your brain starts tickin’Watchin X-Files with no lights on,We’re dans la maison...

If I fell in love with youWould you promise to be trueAnd help me understand‘Cause I’ve been in love before...

I’m not a girl, not yet a womanAll I need is time, a moment that is mineWhile I’m in betweenI’m not a girl

All right stopCollaborate and listenIce is back with my brand newinvention...

Like a river flows surely to the seaDaring so it goesSome things are meant to be.Take my hand, take my whole life too...

The clock’s run out, time’s up over, bloah!Snap back to reality, Oh there goes gravityOh, there goes Rabbit, he chokedHe’s so mad, but he won’t give up that easy...

File sharing craze continuesBY MATT WIEST

Staff Writer

Have you ever wanted tohear a song before the artist re-leased the CD? Wanted towatch a movie or a music videowithout going out to the storeand buying it or watching TVuntil the video youíre waitingfor finally comes on? Wanted toget your hands on any hard-to-find pictures or multimedia?File sharing makes all this pos-sible.

File sharing isthe allotment ofcomputer data,publicly or pri-vately, over a net-work that allowsseveral people to use to samefile. However, to the perspec-tive of a typical teenager, filesharing is simply downloadingfiles from one computer to an-other via a file sharing programsuch as Kazaa or WinMX.What many teens either don’tknow (or simply choose to ig-nore) is that file sharing is ille-gal.

The sharing of files, whichis essentially piracy, is a viola-tion of copyright laws, because

each of the files that are down-loaded are property of an artistunless a person has actually paidto own the music. Downloadingor dispersing these files is a crime,and is in fact punishable by law.Many Internet service providerssuch as AOL have confidential-ity agreements with their custom-ers stating that they will not re-lease their clients’ information tooutside organizations. However,the courts have recently ruledthat ISPs such as AOL must re-

lease the names ofsuspected indi-viduals engaged inthe piracy of copy-righted files. Still,the ever-growingobsession with file

sharing continues.Beginning with Napster in the

late ’90s, individuals were giventhe opportunity to download mu-sic from the Internet throughuser-friendly programs thatmade the process of downloadingsimple. Although Napster hasbeen shut down, many file shar-ing programs have evolved fromthe concept of Napster.

Kazaa and WinMX haveemerged as perhaps the two most

popular file sharing programsavailable through free downloadonline.

“I choose Kazaa over any otherprograms to download files be-cause I find that it is easier to usethen any other program, and itworks more often than not,” saidjunior Matt Hubacher.

Many other students seem toshare Hubacher’s views on filesharing; they recognize thatKazaa allows for more variety inthe medium of the download.

“Kazaa is just easier and it’s alot like Napster, which I had beenused to. I also like being able todownload videos like old episodesof Saved by the Bell,” said juniorJustine Bui.

Kazaa-users are quite fond ofthe ability to search for audio,video, images and programs us-ing the same programs, andmany feel that it makes thesearch process easier and allowsfor more options in terms of mul-timedia.

WinMX-users, like juniorChrissy Castaldo, however, sharedifferent views of file sharing. “Ithink it’s easier to use [WinMX]and I get more results when Isearch for songs,” said Castaldo.

Music for thoughtBY JOHN REISS

Staff Writer

Whether it’s Sinatra, Van Morrissonor the Beach Boys, junior Chris Evansdoesn’t let the music stop him, instead,it helps him concentrate. “I just need tokeep my work interesting,” says Evans.“It keeps me going.”

With more and more higher levelclasses becoming available and with stu-dents taking advantage of them, workloads are increasing, and that onlymeans one thing: more late nights do-ing homework. How do students makeit through a night full of studying, oreven studying at anytime? Listening tomusic seems to be coming up as analternatvie more and more oftenthroughout school.

“I like to listen to Ska or even a littleEmo, it gets me going on my work,” sayssophomore Elizabeth Waxler.

Such a habit is not unusual, in factresearch has been done on the topic.This research is called the Mozart Ef-fect. Study of the idea that music canbe beneficial to health and the educa-tional process began in the 1950’s. Itwas originally theorized that Mozart’smusic could help children with mentaldisabilities, such as dyslexia and autism.In the 1990’s, at the University of Cali-fornia in Irvine, research on the effectof music on learning and education wasincreased.

The effects of music on one’s study

habits also depend on the style of muisc.For senior Danielle Briggs, each subjectdemands a different type of music.

“When I listen to music while I work,it really depends on my mood and thesubject,” says Briggs. “For math I liketo listen to metal because I don’t need to

concentrate, but for English I enjoy lis-tening to classical pieces.”

Junior Carl Hubacher has morespecfic tastes though. “For me it’s al-ways O.A.R.,” says Hubacher. “It’s re-laxing, chill.”

Many students don’t necessarily usemusic for aesthetic purposes, but to finda little distraction, and just because it’sthere.

“When I work, I like to listen toLinkin Park or Simple Plan, mainly justbecause it’s right there in my room.” says

“For math I like to listen

to metal because I

don’t need to concen-

trate.—Danielle Briggs

senior

sophomore James Brouse.Other students though, find it a ne-

cessity to have music around them atall times. One such student, junior AlexSilano has a unique love for music, andis always ready to offer his opinion on agroup to anyone.

“I just love music,” says Silano. “Idon’t necessarily have to be doing home-work, though I do listen to it while Iwork.’

However, many students use musicas a buffer. Many find it comforting tohave background noise on as they com-plete their work. Soothing sounds of na-ture or classical music is generally con-sidered the best music for concentration.

“The muisc gives me energy,” sayssophomore Danny Vicco. “No matterwhat I’m listening to, it makes home-work easier.”

Some people use music as somethingto break the silence and stillness of theroom. “Most of the time I listen to musicwhile I do my homework. Anything ex-cept country or heavy metal music,” saidMo Bhatti, senior. “That way my home-work isn’t as boring, and it’s a way torelax.”

Psychology and government teacherScott Hambrick said, “For some peopleit’s distracting, but for others it is not.When I’m reading I flip on the T.V. forbackground sound.” It depends on one’spersonality and preference on whetherthey listen to music or have a pattern totheir work habits.

Kazaa and WinMX are notthe only options available tothose who seek alternatives tothese methods of file sharing.Programs such as Morpheus,similar toKazaa, andiMesh can alsobe downloadedfree-of-chargefrom theInternet.

File sharing, however, hasproduced its share of legal uproarin the music and entertainment,as artists have complained thatit is a violation of copyright laws.The Recording Industry Associa-tion of America, or the RIAA, es-timates that 3.6 billion songs aredownloaded each month, and to-tal losses are estimated at $4.5billion. The movie industry, too,has seen its share of losses, asestimates show that Spidermanand Star Wars: Episode II weredownloaded 4 million times eachthe week after their release.

Regardless of the legality, filesharing continues to increase asmore and more capabilities areprovided to computer users allover the world.

Many Musical TastesThis survey was conducted on Wednesday, April 30, during R3 and W2 flexes inaddition to all lunches. Five hundred surveys were distributed, 373 were returned.

What is your favorite genre of music?

Pop

Other

Rap

Rythm and Blues

Rock / Alternative

Country 18%

35%

15%

7%

14%

11%8%4%

24% 46%

17%

1%MALES FEMALES

How many hours a day do you listen to music (Radio, CDs, mp3s, etc...)?

23%

4%

18%

31%

24%26%

12%

28%

17%17%

Less than one hour

Four hours

Three hours

Two hours

Five or more hours

Senior business manager Ryan Teichler and senior staff writer Sarah Sherman debate rap androck music. Teichler hails rap music for altering society’s modern day language whileSherman side with rock’s legitimate, passionate lyrics.

HAYLEY FLETCHER

And the Beat Goes On . . .Rap vs. rock: the ongoing battle

BY RYAN TEICHLER AND SARAHSHERMAN

Business Manager and Staff Writer

RAP

Who out there is into having sex andnot into making love? I know I am (mom ifyou are reading this I’m just joking). Whoout there is a pimp and they know theydon’t love them hoes? Rap music is vulgaroffensive and many times outright demean-ing. Don’t ya just love it?

Rap is in your face. There is alwayssomeone trying to push the envelope anddo something nobody has done before.There is always a fresh face on the scene.About four years ago it was Eminem. Thistime last year it was Ludacris and twomonths ago it was 50 Cent. Rap is full ofyoung, talented artists who, unlike most ofthe young alternative artists, produce morethen one good song. Take Eminemfor example. He haswritten anywherebetween 20 and 30great songs in thelast four years.What modern rockgroup can say theyhave done that?

Rock music

Seniors Sa-rah

Shermanand Ryan

Teichlerexplain thedifferences

between rapand rock

music. Fromthe differentartists to the

strong lyr-ics, rap and

rock are twoof the most

popular andwidely de-

bated genresof music.

is filled with one hit wonders and groups thatsound exactly alike. There are some talentedpopular groups out there. Blink 182 has pro-duced quality music consistently for the pastfour or five years, but bands like them arefew and far between. Rappers like Snoop andDre have been producing fresh soundingmusic for the last ten years. There is no rockgroup that has done anything comparable tothat in the last decade. And now Snoop con-tinues to amuse us by hosting Girls GoneWild, which happens to be one of the bestever produced shows (or so I’ve heard).

Rap has transformed the way we speak.How many times do you hear the words pimp,or playa or gangsta in the halls of AHS? Ifsomething is cool we say, “oh that’s tight.”There are even a select few who seem to ran-domly add Z’s and l’s to words, transformingterms like “for sure” into “for shizzle.” Rapmusic has inculcated our culture. We talk likerappers, we dress like rappers we buy Timsand Air Force Ones because of rappers. Noneof that can be said about rockers.

Haters of rap complain that every song isabout how rich they are and what kind ofcars they drive. Okay. A lot of rap is aboutthat sort of thing, but you have to look atwhere most ofthese rappersare comingfrom. 50 Centhas been

shot nine times growing up in the ghetto. Drecame out of the projects of Compton, Califor-nia. Nearly all rappers grew up in povertyand now have the ability to buy “pimped out”Escalades and Mercedes. Let them talk abouttheir phat rides. At least they are talkingabout something. What do rockers singabout? Nothing! 60% of all modern rock songshave absolutely no meaning what so ever. Iwould rather listen to a guy talk about howrich he is and how many girls he crushes thena guy talking about nothing at all.

There is nobody out there right now thatcan mold words into a harmonious line likeEminem. He is a modern day Bob Dylan, JimiHendrix, or Janis Joplin. The talent of rap-pers such as Eminem, Nas, Jay-Z, Snoop, andDre are unparalleled by any rock artist orentire group for that matter. Rockers are cur-rently out manned, they have inferior talentand are over matched by rappers. They sim-ply just can’t bang.

ROCK

ŁOk, there is nothing I like more thanwalking into a loud party and hearing myfavorite rappers, like Ludacris and Eminembanging from a stereo. And I love going outon a Friday night and blasting the Snoopsongs from my speakers, with the bass sohigh my car shakes. But in all seriousness,when all is said and all is done, how could

anyone say that rap is better thanrock?

America was built on rockand roll. The founding fathers(I’m talking about the Beatles,

Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, theRolling Stones, and Bruce

Springsteen) created a style of mu-sic that is unique to American culture

and society. Rock is built on human emo-tion. It can be angry, happy, sad, passion-

ate, hateful, loud or soft, fast or slow. It getsthe message across without demeaning a par-ticular group, person, or idea.

I hear practically the same rap song overand over again every time I come across anew jam. Be it about coming out of the ghetto,buying new shoes, pimpin’ those hoes, orshooting those wankstas, or spending G’s, rapsongs follow the same boring formula. On theother hand, rockers sing about everythingfrom the aforementioned human emotionsto social issues. John Lennon sang about warand peace. Joni Mitchell sang about women’s

MALES FEMALES

1877 ThomasEdison invents andperfects the means ofpermanentlyrecording andplaying back soundsand vibrations calledthe “tin-foil” cylinder phonograph.

1887 Emile Berliner invents the flatrecord player “gramophone,” using anacoustic horn. Berliner’s flat recordseemed more likely to be massproduced than the cylinder formatEdison created.

1901 Edison perfectscylinder mouldingallowing large scalecommercial massproduction andduplication of 2-minute“Gold Moulded” WaxCylinder records.Eldridge Johnson thenforms the Victor Talking Machine Co.and later takes over Berliner’s Gram-O-Phone Co. Victor introduces 10” discrecords after product sales increasesubstantially.

1903 VictorTalkingMachinesintroduces 12”and 14” discrecords underthe Deluxename.

1927 The Automatic MusicInstrument Company creates the firstmulti-selection phonograph, laterreferred to as the Jukebox.

1929 Victor (now RCA Victor) andColumbia cease sales of “hand-crank”phonograph models.

1946 The Wurlitzer’smodel 1015 was the mostpopular jukeboxproduction with morethan 56,000 units shippedunder the slogan“Wurlitzer Is Jukebox.”

1948 The commercial microgroove33 1/3 LP is developed by Dr. PeterGoldmark of Columbia and others.

1949 RCA Victor responds to the LPby introducing the large hole single 45rpm disk.

1963 Phillipsdemonstrates its firstcompact audiocassette using highquality BASFpolyester 1/8” tape.

1966 U.S. cars become equippedwith 8-track stereo cartiridge tapeplayers developed by William Lear,Ampex and RCA. By the early 1970’s 8-tracks are virtually phased out by audiocassettes.

1979 Shu Veyama of Sonyproductions invented a small cassetteplayer capable of stereo playback with apair of headphones which many refer totoday as the Walkman.

1982 First digital audio 5” compactdiscs marketed, merging the consumermusci industry with the computerrevolution.

1992 Sony introduces the Mini Disc,though the format has not flourished.

1997 Michael Robertson foundsmp3.com.

1999 College student ShawnFanning invents a file-swappingnetwork called Napster.

2000 In April, rock band Metallicasues Napster for copyright infringe-ment. By October, Napster shuts downand no longer provides free file-sharing.Napster now has a partnership with aGerman media company that charges amonthly fee for file-sharing usage.

2002 Apple Computers introducesthe iPod. The digital music playerweighs an average of six ounces andholds up to 7500 songs. The iPod issmaller than the average CD andranges from $200-$300.

2003 Courts rule that IinternetService Providers (ISP) like AOL, Coxor Verizion are responsible for revealingthe names of users who download ordistribute pirated copies of movies ormusic.

Compiled from Internet sources

TIMELINE OFMUSIC

TECHNOLOGY

But everybody’s goneAnd I’ve been here for too longTo face this on my ownWell I guess this is growing up...

WHAT IS YOURFAVORITE RADIO

STATION AND WHY?

“I mostly listen toWMXQ 98.7. I’mnot a fan ofcountry, but Ilisten to it in thecar to and fromwork. ‘Where ICome From’ byAllan Jackson ismy favoritesong.”

—Joe DishunBiology teacher

“93.9 WQYS ismy favorite

station becausethey play a lotof the songs Ilike. I listen to

the radio mostlywhen I am

driving and myfavorite song is

‘Hail MaryRemix’ by

Eminem, 50Cent, and Busta

Rhymes. ”—Chris Owens

senior

“99.1 HFS is myfavorite stationbecause theyplay the kind ofmusic I like. I ama fan of punkmusic and myfavorite bandsare SomethingCorporate andThe All-Ameri-can Rejects.”

—Julia Ehrenfeldjunior

“I like the goodvariety of HOT99.5. I listen tothe radio morethan I do CDsand my favoritesong is ‘TheAnthem’ byGood Charlotte.”

—Joanne Lagunasophomore

“99.1 HFS is myfavorite radio

station. I listento the sports

junkies in themorning be-cause it’s on

when I’m drivingto school. ”—Jack Newman

freshman

“99.1 HFS hasthe best musicselection. They

play a hardersound as op-

posed to otherradio stations.

‘Send the PainBelow’ by

Chevelle is myfavorite song

because I canrelate to it.”

—Adrian Vigneaultjunior

rights. Bono from U2 sang about the conflictbetween Ireland and Great Britain. Rock mu-sicians take a social issues and speak aboutit through song. It is how they get a messageout that change is necessary.

Rappers are often uninspired and un-imaginative in their writing. Rappers like PDiddy are notorious for using rock songs intheir new cuts. Take “Missing You” for ex-ample. It was an exact replication of Sting’s“Watching You,” a song over ten years oldwhen Puffy recorded his version for his re-cently shot partner Notorious BIG (or BiggySmalls, or Chris, Chris Smalls, etc).

Rappers often make up for their lack oftalent by creating cult personality-type fanclubs as well. They dress a certain way, speaka certain way, and act a certain way, which ispromptly mimicked by youngsters every-where. We buy Tims and Air Force Ones be-cause the rappers are. We “pimp walk” be-cause 50 Cent and Snoop do it. Therefore, itis cool, no matter how ridiculous people maylook. I can never distinguish between pimp-ing and limping. As my rap-defending coun-terpart points out, rap music has “trans-formed the way we speak,” or to put it bluntly,has dumbed-down the English language. In-stead of saying “yes” teens say “fo sho.” In-stead of “I agree,” teens say, “true dat.”

Granted, I will admit the new rock scenehas been seriously lacking. With poser-rockwannabes like Avril Lavigne and Good Char-lotte, and straight-up scary rockers like Dis-turbed and Godsmack, it’s no wonder whyrock has gotten a bad rep lately. An unfortu-nate culmination of rock and pop have cre-ated insults to the rock name. Still, one mustlook at the positive points of rock, at bandswho forged the way like the Doors and Nir-vana. Rock may be on a shelf for now, but Ihave no doubt that up and coming bands likeSaves the Day and The Ataris will restorerockss rightful place as the music that de-fines our generation.

I’m tired of hearing about how 50 Centsurvived nine shots and how Biggie died atragic death. It seems that rap music feedsoff of raw emotion, off “dissing” others andfeeling sorry for oneself because they wereraised in the ghetto. Rockers come fromhumble beginnings as well. I When rappersfind something interesting and original to rapabout, I’ll tune in.

And the answers are... 1) Barenaked Ladies’ “One Week,”; 2) Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,”; 3) Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville,” ; 4) Jay-Z’s “Can I Get A ...,”; 5) Britney Spears’ “I’m Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman,”;6) Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby,”; 7) Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You,”; 8) Blink ‘s “Damnit,”; 9) The Beatles “If I Fell,”; 10) Eminem’s “Loose Yourself”

12 BLASTAtheTUES. MAY 6, 2003PEOPLE

Adding up therewards of teaching

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Who am I? • I have been working at AHS for five

years.

• I came here because they offered me ajob.. it’s a fun job, in fact the best job inFairfax County.

• Before I came here, I was running aninternet lab at Centreville High School.

• I have been married for 25 years andhave two children.

• I went to Southern Methodist Universityin Dallas, Texas.

• At college I majored in Fine Arts,Printing & Education.

• I was born in Texas and have lived inKansas and New York.

• I like to read,cook, I love mydog and I love toantique andthrow partiesand entertainpeople.

• I dislike dishon-est people anddoing house-work, especially cleaning the toilet.

• My favorite book is Lonesome Dove.

• My motto in life is “Carpe Diem!” inother words, “sieze the day.”

If you think you know the answer, comeby Room 265A and give us your guessto win a signature The A-Blast prize.

Last issue’s Who Am I? was Pam Feil. Feilhas taught English at AHS for 12 years.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

6 George Clooney, 42

8 Enrique Iglesias, 28

9 Billy Joel, 54

10 “Bono” Hewson, 43

12 Tony Hawk, 43

13 Dennis Rodman, 42

13 Stevie Wonder, 53

16 Janet Jackson, 37

17 Tahj Mowry, 16

20 Busta Rhymes, 31

22 Naomi Campbell, 33

24 Bob Dylan, 62

25 Lauryn Hill, 28

28 Kylie Minogue, 35

31 Clint Eastwood, 73

“I’m going to hangout with mygirlfriend Laura,and the nextweekend I’mgoing to gocamping withfriends.”

—James Alvarezsophomore

“I’m going to outand party withmy friend Jackieon my birthday”

—Lindsay Callahanfreshman

“I’m going to goto practice andget smashed inthe face withcake and thengo celebratewith myfriends.”

—Kari Kraussenior

“I’ll probablygo out to

dinner withmy friends

and eat a lotof cake.”

—Dorsa Hassassenior

$10off

FAMILY HAIR NAIL SALON & BARBERGreat Cuts for a Great Look

BARCROFT SHOPPING CENTEROn Columbia Pike Next to Harris Teeter

703 642-1633GreatCutsSalon.com

GREAT CUTS

HAIRCUTSPECIAL

students &seniors

$9MANICURE &

PEDICURE

$21PERMANENT

men’s haircut$10 women’s hair-cut

Mention this ad when getting service

$12

AHS SPECIALONE FREE HOUR

Ask for details

703-266-8709

Victor’s Pizza & Pasta

Heritage Mall, 7881 Heritage Dr. Annandale Va 22003

(703) 941-8368

“I’m going tohave a party

with myfriends.”

—Monira Begumsophomore

“I’m goingclubbing with

a bunch offriends who

are 18.”—Karlyn Hixton

senior

“I think I’mgoing to gohorsebackriding with myfamily andsome of myfriends.”

—Jessica Graysophomore

Last Issue’s Who Am I?

BY EVAN ROWLANDStaff Writer

Those who know her have all experienced her sheerfriendliness. She maintains great relations with all ofher former students, whether it be via e-mail, telephone,or alumni coming into school to say “hi.”

From her room in the new math wing, you can seethe dumpster on which she has been working with herstudents to paint. Her teaching skills are at least equalwith her her people skills; those which have helped herto shine through as one of the top finalists for FairfaxCounty’s Teacher of the Year.

Carol Rychlik, who has been teaching Math at AHSfor nine years, received notice in January that she hadbeen nominated by the PTA for the Fairfax Countyteacher of the year. Prior to her nomination, she had tofill out paperwork, yet the nomination nonetheless tookher by surprise.

“I thought that another teacher that had been teach-ing for more years than me would have received the nomi-nation. There are a lot of excellent teachers in the county,and to be one is very nice,” said Rychlik.

Rychlik has always worked with math throughouther life. When she was only eight years old, she would“line up her barbie dolls in a row and pretend to teachthem.” Rychlik began to share her knowledge with oth-ers in junior high school by tutoring her neighbors.

Initially entering college with plans to become an el-ementary school teacher, Rychlik ended up dropping outof college due to social issues. She proceeded then to pur-sue a masters degree in education, and a bachelors de-gree in mathematics from the University of Massachu-setts. “If I wasn’t teaching mathematics, I would be work-ing in the banking or retailing field, which I was study-ing at UMASS before I decided I wanted to teach highschool math,” said Rychlik.

Rychlik has been the sponsor of the Math Honor So-ciety, also known as Mu Alpha Theta, ever since she be-gan to teach at AHS. At the Mu Alpha Theta inductionon April 23, Rychlik nearly broke out in tears as she hadto say goodbye to he senior members and recollect thepast year’s activities.

Buy 2 subs or

Platter

Get $2 off

Second Platter

$4 OFF

Large Pizza 3 or

more toppings

FREE

Small Pizza($5.95 value)

w/any order $20 or

more

2 Medium Pizzas

(14”)

plus one topping

$13.99

FREE

medium Pizza($7.95 value)

w/any order $30 or

more

$6.99

Pickup Special

16” Large Pizza

w/one topping

All Coupons For A Limited Time Only - Not valid with any other offer

Senior Anh Tran Nguyen is a Mu Alpha Theta mem-ber, and has been a student of Rychlik’s for all four of herhigh school years. “I feel that Mrs. Rychlik deserves to beteacher of the year because she is a great teacher. Shewill cause you to give a lot of effort, but it is beneficial andyou will learn,” said Nguyen. “She has stayed after withher IB students till 9 p.m. working with us, and then giv-ing us a ride home.”

Nguyen said she plans to keep in touch with Rychlikwhen she goes off to college next year by e-mail, and anoccasional visit.

Rychlik currently teaches both regular and IB math.She teaches her students not to give up. “My pet peeve iswhen my student’s say ‘I can’t do it Mrs. Rychlik,whenthey haven’t even attempted the problem,” said Rychlik.

Rychlik has always wanted to give back to the com-munity and share her knowledge. That is the main rea-son of her being the Mu Alpha Theta sponsor and a teacher.She has passed these characteristics onto her son by hav-ing him participate in Boy Scouts.

If Rychlik wins the FCPS teacher of the year award, itwill not be her first. In November 2001, she received theNational Board Certified Teacher award. She is also re-ceiving the Allen Winnie Hotchsten award for excellencein teaching, along with a $200 savings bond.

For now, Rychlik will be waiting to hear the county’sfinal decision to see if she is in fact the county-wide teacherof the year.

Math teacher Carol Rychlik helps out an Algebra I studentduring her R-5 class. She has been teaching at AHS for nineyears.

SA

MA

N H

USSA

IN

AHS teacher qualifies as one ofthe top contenders for FairfaxCounty Public School’s teacherof the year

• I have previously taughtat Gaithersburg HS,Madison HS and FairfaxHS.

• My motto in life is:“Work hard, getdone, play last andyou will have morefun.”

13PHOTOBLASTAthe

The A-Blast is the productof much time dedication and effort on behalfof its 62 staff members. Printed every threew e e k s , each 20-page publicationis pieced together, sent andprinted by The Washington Post,with a partnership aimed at developingyoung journalists.

TUE. MAY 6, 2003

theBLASTA

Senior Ryan Teichler’s tee shirt with The A-Blast’sinfamous saying refers only to Desktop Publishing,nothing more.

After every publication, all A-Blast staff members gather inthe journalism room for a copy meeting. Every page isscrutinized over, critiqued and suggestions to improve thequality of sections are given. New ideas for the next issueare brainstormed and staff members voice news and otherevents that are happening through out the school.

Pen and Steno pad in hand,News Editor CarolineFriedman interviews

Administrator Dr. BarbaraFugate while on cafeteria

duty. Although there are 17staff writers, many editors

fulfill more roles than pageplanning and layouts. When

it comes to sensitive newsstories, the Co-Editors in

Chief and News Editors takeit upon themselves to

research information andwrite articles.

Photographer Morgan McEvilly takes a quick mugshot of anathlete who will be featured in the sports section. Staffedwith five photographers, The A-Blast tries to capture newsand features events that happened throughout the year.Equipped with two $800 digital cameras this year, The A-Blast’s photo qualities improved drastically. Staff from TheWashington Post made tremendous efforts to advise in howto improve picture quality.

Arts Editors Crystan Blanco andErin O’Brien work on their pageafter school. Although both arevarsity athletes, they manage toproduce quality pages for everyissue. Page editors areresponsible for completing apage that has good eye flowand readability. Editors dependon staff writers and photogra-phers to perfrom their jobs inorder to have all the contents oftheir page.

All content that is published is read by The A-Blast AdviserAlan Weintraut. Academics Editor Rebecca Kraushaardiscusses her page with Weintraut. It is the staff writers’ andeditors’ responsibilities to make sure that their articles orpages are edited by the Editors in Chief numerous timesbefore reaching his desk. This year’s goal on staff is toreduce the misspelling of names. Copy Editor Meg Nielsen’sjob description consists of reviewing articles and catchingerrors such as misspellings, which makes her a key staffmember in the production process.

With only 11 computers to produce 20 pages, TheA-Blast editors cram into “the A-quarium,” the

small window enclosed area in the old Math Hall,to produce each issue. Editors try to follow adeadline schedule in order free up computersand to give each other room to work on their

pages. Meeting deadlines calls for late nightssometimes, especially during publication week.

But strongly against an “all work, no play” policy,The A-Blast makes sure to take a break during

late nights to enjoy each other’s company as wellas the four cheese, two pepperoni pizzas

provided by Papa John’s in exchange for anadvertisement an issue.

After arduous effort put into revisingand perfecting content, editors createPDFs (portable document formats) oftheir pages and email them to the Postwhere the paper is printed. Editors inChief Philippe Podhorecki and AndrewSatten pick up the 3,000 printed papersat 6:30 a.m. at the Springfield plant’sloading docks. Always distributed on awhite day, A-Blast staff members gatherduring the first flex to label, count outset numbers of newspapers for eachclass in the school and walk arounddropping off the newspapers, all beforeheading off to class. People’s EditorLaura Hollowell drops off her flexclass’s The A-Blasts. Staffmembers are required towearThe A-Blast shirtsevery distribution day.

The A-Blast has awide range of

readership thatconsists of parents,relatvies from other

states, alumni andother people withinthe community who

have an interest inwhat happens within

AHS. On everydistribution day, the

W6 Journalism classfolds, labels and

prepares almost 500newspapers to be

mailed. SeniorsLauren Sterlacci and

Hana Nguyen help thisprocess.

Photographer Chris Rauer carries themail bag full of stamped A-Blasts to thepost office to be sent out to eachsubscriber.

The whole cycle of publication starts over againas The A-Blast gathers for another copy meeting.

Editors in Chief Podhorecki and Satten andAdvertisement Manager Rachel Jones follow

along during critiques.

A-BlastFacts

Staff genderMales: 31Females: 31

April 25, 2003: Placed 4th place in Bestof Show at the National High SchoolJournalism Convention for publications17 pages or more, in Portland, Oregon.

November 1996: A malfunction froman old answering machine destroyedroom 225. Journalism students andAdviser Alan Weintraut were at theairport on their way a convention inChicago when Principal Don Clausencontacted him with the news of the firein their room.

Random Staff Facts:

The A-Blast was first printed as aliterary magazine in 1954.

Sports “Xtra” editor Paul Gleason got his“nubbin” pierced during the AprilJournalism Convention in Portland,Oregon.

Adviser Alan Weintraut has a 14-year-old three-legged dog, given to him as agift from kids in an inner city youthprogram. This is Weintraut’s 8th year asThe A-Blast adviser.

Editor in Chief Philippe Podhorecki’smom makes mouth-watering chicken-pot-pie and brownie cookies every issue.

The record for the latest deadline nightis held by the 1998 A-Blast staff, whostayed until 4 a.m. the next morning.

There are only 6 Journalism IVstudents: Seniors Philippe Podhoreck,iRyan Teichler, Andrew Satten, ReidEdwards, Mike Mahn and Chae-WhaPark

Senior Wa’la’a El Barasse

Editorials Editor Edris Qarghah is not25 years old. His age is still uncertain.

Sports “Xtra” Editor Paul Gleason,Sports Editor John Bernhardt and Staffwriter John Reiss are founding membersof their band “The Farewell Act.”

This year’s staff was jam-packed withathletes. At least one staff memberparticipated in all but three sports.

Due to a 3 to 10 ratio of male to femaleeditors who regularly show up to workon their pages, “the A-quarium” isestrogen-filled.

Staff writers John Reiss and Matt Wiestat first glance, might be mistaken astwins.

Weekend Editor Cameron Kynes hasstrategically featured his best friend/special buddy/future wife/ non-girlfriendsenior Cecilia Mallory on his page everyissue.

Staff members have consumed 66 boxesof Papa John’s pizza thus far.

Best Late-night Conversation

Chae-Wha: (singing) ‘Quit playinggames with my heart, playing gameswith my heart...I should’ve known fromthe start...’ Hey Philippe you know, Ithink guys play a lot more games thangirls. What do you think about that?

Philippe: Video games? Oh yeah,definitely!

How to join The A-Blast staff

1) Taking Journalism I is most beneficialway to become a staff member becausethe course teaches journalism basics.

2) Students earning at least a “B”average in English with their teacher’sreccommendations can bring a writingsample to Weintraut. To be a photogra-pher, experience would be helpful.

3) It is not too late to join The A-Blast.Graphics and web designers and

photographers are needed.

PAGE LAYOUT AND PHOTOS BY CHAE-WHA PARK

14 BLASTAtheTUES. MAY 6, 2003CULTURES

Kurds retain hope for stateBY RACHEL SINAIKO

Cultures Editor

With the war in Iraq winding down,the world is speculating on what willbecome of this recovering country. Anew government system will have tobe instituted and peace will have to beestablished. However, the conflicts be-tween the Shiite Muslims and theSunni Muslims in Iraq are not the onlystruggles that need to be resolved. TheKurdish people, who make up about 23percent of the Iraqi population, are an-other ethnic group that will be factoredinto the equation of rebuilding Iraq.

The Kurdish people are a non-ArabMiddle Eastern minority group thatlives in a southwestern Asian regionreferred to as Kurdistan. There is anestimated 20 million Kurdish people,most of whom live in Iraq, Turkey, andIran. Kurds were promised their ownstate after the fall of the Ottoman Em-pire following World War I in the Treatyof Sevres, but the secular Turkish Re-public Founder, Kemal Ataturk, did notabide by the treaty and instead rene-gotiated it and renamed it the Treatyof Lausanne. This new treaty recog-nized the new Turkish state, and di-vided Kurdish region among Turkey,Iraq, and Syria. The Kurds were leftwithout an official state and have beenfighting for statehood ever since.

“The Kurds have always had theraw end of the deal... they’ve always feltin limbo,” said Iraqi peace activist AndyShallal, an AHS parent. “They are thelargest ethnic minority without a coun-

try.” One of the leading forces in the fight

for Kurdish statehood is the KurdishWorkers' Party (PKK). The PKK wasfounded in 1978 and started a guerillawar against Turkey in 1984, andagainst Iraq after the Persian Gulf War.The PKK relies mostly on terrorism tofight, and over 35,000 people have beenkilled since the PKK started its cam-paign.

“They’re [the PKK] a terrorist orga-nization comparable, in my opinion, toHamas and should be dealt with accord-ingly,” said half-Turkish senior KenanMarks.

Marks strongly disagrees with theidea of a Kurdish state, “I don’t thinkTurkey should be forced to give up itsland, but I think the Kurds should havea strong voice in the government,” saidMark. Marks visited the southeasternarea of Turkey last summer with hisfamily.

Turkey has been one of the majorplaces of conflict for the Kurdish people.The Turkish government has tried formany years to suppress Kurdish cul-ture, and fighting has been going onsince 1984, when the PKK launched itsfirst attack. Turkish forces clashed withKurds again in 1992, killing more than20,000 people and creating 2 millionrefugees. Turkey is having difficultygaining entry into the European Union,mostly because the EU directly objectsto Turkey's treatment of the Kurds.

Iraq has also been one of the majorbattlegrounds for Kurds for the last twodecades. In 1988, Saddam Hussein

launched a poison gas attack on theKurdish village of Halabja in an at-tempt to stop Kurdish resistance.These attacks killed more than 100,000Kurds in just one year. In 1992, theKurds created a self-governed regionin Northern Iraq and held their ownelections. The Kurds also have theirown school system, currency, and me-dia. However, the Kurds in this regionsplit into two opposing groups, theKurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) andthe Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK);these two groups have engaged in oc-casional fighting since then. There havealso been fights between the Kurds thatlive in Iraq and those that live in Tur-key.

But what will happen with theKurds of Iraq now? With United States’help, Kurds are now attempting to set

up an operating government in majorcities in the Kurdish region of Iraq. Ifa democracy that protects rather thansuppresses each of Iraq's ethnic groupsis set up in place of Saddam Hussein'sdictatorship, some Kurds feel that theycan remain in Iraq. Kurdish leaderssay that if a democracy is set up in Iraq,they will turn their guerrilla fightersinto a national army. However, thereare still Kurds who want a Kurdishgovernment with a Kurdish leader.

Freshman Hamza Mohammad-Amin is an Iraqi Kurd. His parentslived in Iraq, and because of the ongo-ing war, they left and went to Iran.After living in Iran for some time, theMohammad Amin’s immigrated to theUnited States for the educational op-portunities.

“A state is the only thing that Kurdshave wanted for so long. But dividingIraq into three countries wouldn’t bethe most peaceful solution because itwould anger neighboring countries,”said Mohammad-Amin.

However, Mohammad-Amin be-lieves that a united Iraqi state couldbe acceptable, depending on what kindof government is set up. “If the newgovernment is like Saddam, then thereshould be three separate countries: onefor the Shiites, one for the Kurds, andone for the other Iraqis. But if the gov-ernment is fair, then there should beone country,” said Mohammad-Amin.

With thefall of

SaddamHussein,

the fu-ture for

IraqiKurds isunclear.Kurdishstudents

at AHSalso

wonderabout

the Iraqisituation

Kani Xulam, born in 1960, is a Kurdfrom the village of Gavgas in the north-ern area of Kurdistan, which is pres-ently controlled by Turkey. Xulam isthe founder and director of the Ameri-can Kurdish Information Network(AKIN), dedicated to inform the publicon the Kurdish issue, located in Wash-ington D.C.

Q: What propelled you to advo-cate for the rights of the Kurdishpeople?

First, my village was destroyed bythe U.S. supplied Turkish military. Sec-ondly, in 1988 when Saddam Husseingassed the Kurds, I was a student atthe time, and I didn’t like the coverageI saw on CNN. I felt violated, so I de-cided to do something about it and raiseawareness.

Q: How do you feel about themeans that the PKK is taking inTurkey in order to obtain aKurdish state?

I believe that if you treat people likedogs, expect to be bitten. In Turkey,Kurds are sick and tired of the way theyare treated. The Turkish government

Political activist seeks Kurdish statehooodhas banned the Kurdish language,Kurdish television, and Kurdish cultureand some people resort to violence. But,I believe in nonviolence, I believe in us-ing my pen and tongue.

Q: How has AKIN been activein informing the public about theKurdish conflict?

When I opened up my office in 1993,I had to tell people that have never even

heard about the Kurds who we wereand the infringement on our rights.Now, I get a lot of emails and calls, Iview that as success. If we raised thelevel of awareness to the level of theTibetan issue, I would be very happy.

Q: What events has AKIN heldin order to raise awareness?

AKIN organized a 40-day hungerstrike on Capitol Hill in 1997, it wascalled “Fast for Peace in Kurdistan andthe Freedom of Leyla Zana.” We alsoheld a vigil in front of the Turkish am-bassador’s residence on the 7th anni-versary of Leyla Zana’s imprisonment.Also, AKIN sent a letter to PresidentClinton with the signature of 153 mem-bers of congress urging him to talk toTurkey about the case of Leyla Zana.

Q: Do you believe that theKurdish people will be given astate in post-Saddam Iraq?

I would want the Kurdish region todisband and have its own government.But, unfortunately the United Statesdoesn’t want Iraq to be dismemberedand is urging the Kurds to work withthe Iraqis. The White House basicallywants the Kurds to have a “federalstate.”

Q: Does AKIN have any upcom-ing events?

We are working on a Declaration ofConscience, which states that “Ameri-can supports the right of Kurdishpeople to seek determination.” We are

I believe that if you

treat people like dogs,

expect to be bitten”

“ Kani Xulam in October 1997during his 40-day fast in D.C.

hoping to collect signaturesfrom congressmen, judges, pro-fessors, students.

ADVOCATES FORKURDISH

STATEHOOD

Kani

Xulam,

director of

the AKIN,

f ights for

Kurdish

rights and

state

through his

office in

Washing-

ton D.C.

There are an estimated 20 million Kurdsworldwide, making them the largest nationwithout a state. Kurds are primarilylocated in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. TheKurds refer to the area that they live in,that is made up of Syria, Iraq, and Iran, as“Kurdistan,” even though it is notrecognized as a state.

For moreinformationcheck outKurdistan.org

KURDISHFLAG

The Kurdish flag was first introducedby the leaders of the Khoyboun(“independent”) Movement to representthe Kurds in their struggle forindependence from the moribundOttoman Empire.

UN RESOLUTIONSREGARDING THE

KURDISH SITUATION

The UN has passed a resolutionthat calls on all states to refrainfrom taking measures or fromenacting legislation thatdiscriminats against persons orgroups of persons on grounds ofrace, color, gender, religion, ornational or ethnic origin. Thiswould prohibit Turkey frombanning the Kurdish language andculture. It would also prohibit Iraqand Turkey from persecutingKurds.

Barzani is thecurrent leader ofthe KurdistanDemocratic Party(KDP). Masoud’sfather, MustafaBarzani, foundedthe KDP andMasoud joinedwhen he was 16.Barzani issupported by the

rural-based Kurds.

Ocalan is the leaderof the KurdishWorker’s Party(PKK). WhileOcalan’s main goalis for an indepen-dent Kurdish state,he has killed30,000+ people inhis terrorist cam-paign. He was ar-rested in 1999 andis currently detained in Turkey.

Talabani is thefounder and Secre-tary General of thePatriotic Union ofKurdistan (PUK)and has been an ad-vocate for Kurdishrights and democ-racy in Iraq.

Zana was the firstKurdish womanelected to theTurkish Parliamentwho openlyidentified herself asa Kurd. Zana wastried for treason in1994, and was foundguilty and has beenimprisoned inTurkey ever since.

Zana has been nominated for three NobelPeace Prizes.

Masoud Barzani

Abdullah Ocalan

Leyla Zana

Jalal Talabani

SPORTS XTRA 15TUES. MAY 6, 2003BLASTAthe

Athletes to play in the NCAAAHS’s topathletes prepareto play at thecollege level

BY SEAN SULLIVANPhotographer

Ehab AwadallahFrom his Riddell football hel-

met, to his CK head gear, to hisCascade lacrosse helmet, EhabAwadallah is a man of many hats.As middle line backer,defenseman and 189 weight classparticipant, Awadallah has left hismark on each team and in everyseason. His final year participat-ing in AHS athletics has beenfilled with achievements anddisappointments.This fall season,Awadallah, along with TravisJohnson and Monte Moyer, led theAtoms through a heartfelt seasonfinishing off at 5-5. To the disap-pointment of all the senior play-ers, the Atoms were unable toclinch a playoff spot. Winter forAwadallah was a more promisingand successful sports season.

Once again in

Athletes’ futurecolleges

Travis Johnsonfootball, baseball

School playing for: LibertyUniversityCollegesrecruited by:Ohio University,LibertyUniversity, OldDominionUniversity,PittsburghUniversity,Wake Forest UniversityYears playing: 4Favorite AHS sport moment:Beating Westfield in the fifthsudden-death overtimeGreatest sport achievment:Passing for 250 yards againstOakton

Mike FlintCross country, track

Collegeplaying for:Coast GuardAcademyCollegesrecruited by:Coast GuardAcademyYearsplaying:Track: 2Cross country: 4Favorite AHS sport moment:Winning regions in men’s 4 x 8Greatest sport achievment:Penn Relay(invitational)

Kari KrausField Hockey

Schoolplaying for:LongwoodUniversityCollegesrecruited by:RandolphMacon College,TrinityUniversity,

LongwoodUniversity

Years playing: 4Greatest sport

acheivment: Getting 1stteam All District and 2nd teamAll Region

Andy PelenbergSwimming

Schoolplaying for:Virginia TechCollegesrecruited by:University ofNorth Carolina,ClemsonUniversity,James MadisonUniversity,Virginia TechYears playing: 11Greatest sport achievment:Breaking the district record,becoming state champion, and All-American

Ehab AwadallahFootball, Wrestling,

LacrosseSchool playing for: UndecidedColleges recruited by: Universityof Maryland,George MasonUniversity,AmericanUniversity,MarymountUniversityYears playing:3 wrestling,and 4 footballand lacrosseGreatest sport achievment:Placing fifth in states, 2nd team AllRegion, All-Met Honorable Mention

TonyCavalero,

right, and JayAthey, left, of the

graduating class of2002 are a few of

AHS’s athletes whowent on to play sports incollege. Cavalero iscurrently playinglacrosse for VMI, andAthey is playingbaseball at Universityof Virginia at Wise.

SeniorsTravisJohnson, left,Mike Flint,middle, and KariKraus right,are three ofthegraduatingseniors whoplan onplaying in theNCAA aftergraduation.Johnson willplay footballand baseball atLibertyUniversity.

the captain position, Awadallahdominated in his weight classand went on to win the districtchampionship.

As his winter season came toa close after a heart breaking 5thplace showing at the tate cham-pionship, spring was rightaround the corner where he andattackman Ryan Teichler hope tolead the AHS lacrosse team to aberth in the District and Regionaltournaments.

These latest achievements,along with his All Met honorablemention in football and his placeon the second team all region inlacrosse, have earned Awadallahscholarships to the University ofMaryland, George Mason,Marymount and Auburn Univer-sity.

Mike FlintThroughout his high school

career, Mike Flint has amazedcoaches, teammates, spectatorsand recruiters alike with hisblinding speed and incredible en-durance. He has been a integralpart of the cross country team in

the fall and inboth win-

ter and

spring seasons of track and field.The hard work and determina-tion displayed by Mike, as wellas the rest of the team, have at-tracted the interests of collegesacross the nation Flint’s recentachievements of participating inthe Penn State Invitational andin the Regional meet have earnedhim a full athletic scholarship tothe United States Coast GuardAcademy. Flint plans to runthroughout his college career andpossibly continue after his gradu-ation from the Coast Guard Acad-emy.

Travis JohnsonEntering AHS in his junior

year, Travis Johnson stormedinto the Patriot District scene asan unknown quarterback andkicker hailing from Florida.

This unknown did not stayunnoticed for long. His junioryear, Johnson had such high-lights as the Westfield footballgame that lasted 5 rounds of sud-den death before he led the At-oms to the win and baseball’s dis-trict wins against tough LakeBraddock and West Springfieldteams. His senior year, Johnsoncontinued to dominate on the ath-letic field with his quarterbackand kicking skills. His incrediblethrowing arm and his able receiv-ers shined in their game versusthe Oakton Cougars where theAtoms totalled over 250 yards inthe air.

Along with his successful foot-ball seasons, Johnson has contin-ued to be a key player on the base-ball team this spring once againdisplaying his arm strength as apitcher. Last year the varsitybaseball team went to the districtchampionship versus theHayfield Hawks falling short ofthe title. This once unknown, isnow able prospect for many col-

leges across the country. Ohio,Liberty, Old Dominion, Pitts-burgh and Wake Forest Univer-sities have all shown interest inJohnson, offering scholarshipswith varying stipulations.

Andy PelenbergAs the talk of the Winter sea-

son, Andy Pelenberg has been apopular commodity among colle-giate scouts. Pelenberg was bat-tling not only rival schools, butalso Olympic gold medalist Ed-ward Moses, the 100 meter but-terfly world record holder. Dur-ing the District meet, Pelenbergsplashed his way into the recordbooks with a time of 59.62, justmilliseconds less than Ed Moses.Along with his district record,Pelenberg also holds the title ofState Champion in his event.Pelenberg applied to and was ac-cepted to Virginia Tech, Clemson,University of North Carolina andJames Madison. Both VirginiaTech and UNC offered Pelenberga $1,000 scholarship to attendand compete. Pelenberg decidedto attend Virginia Tech in the falland will be competing in DivisionI meets across the country andhis parents will be $1,000 richerjust as long as he maintains a 2.0GPA.

Kari KrausLongwood

Universityhas al-ways beenfamous forits competi-t i v ewomen’s lacrosse andfield hockey programs.Womens’ athleticscoaches sucha s

BY KYLE SMEALLIEStaff Writer

Practice, games, discipline, kudos, the bitter taste ofdefeat and the scintillating scent of victory, are all a re-sult of the hard work and dedication that players put intotheir teams. An athlete’s college carrier is due in part be-cause of a coache’s dedication to their recruitment.

has more put hard work for the individual athlete’coaches Coaches play an ample role in helping their play-ers get into and succeed in higher education.

There are many steps that varsity coaches and theirstaff can take to help their standout athletes play at thecollegiate level. Varsity field hockey and lacrosse coachCindy Hook takes many steps towards helping her play-ers to the next level.

First, she addresses all of her players, freshman toseniors, about the opportunity to continue playing theirsport and the importance of maintaining their academiccareers as well as their athletic pastimes. She also en-courages juniors to contact coaches of their colleges of in-terest, then follow up for senior year. Furthermore, Hookwrites recommendations and sends emails to the coachesof the different schools. She considers herself a “resource”

to her players to get the right information for the rightcollege.

“I’ve been a minor player and done very little for someplayers, but generally I’m more involved with the com-munications between the college, player and the parent,”said Hook.

Varsity head coach Dick Adams has a similar approachto that of Hook’s, but places more emphasis on the pro-motional portion for each player. He writes, makes high-light films, and puts together player evaluating springrecruiting lists. According to Adams, it is “nonstop pro-motion” for each of his players, especially the ones of av-erage skill who are still looking to continue their athleticcareers. “For the average player, we both have to workvery hard,” said Adams. “I have to help them by makingthe right contacts, but they have to help themselves byattending camps, weight training, playing other sports,and maintaining their academics.”

Adams also points out that the best school is always acase-by-case scenario. For example, former AHS standoutathlete Brandon Fields is playing at Salisbury State, aDivision III school. Adams says he “loves it,” and is “doingsuper.”

Varsity basketball coach Patrick Hughes takes many

steps in assisting his players to college. His main focus ison getting the player to the right college, as is with manyother Annandale coaches. One of those players was formerAnnandale basketball star Aaron Habtom who is at Mont-gomery College. Hughes knew the coach, he came to talk,and he promoted him.

Finally, Bill Maglisceau and the lacrosse staff evalu-ate a number of criteria before suggesting schools to theirplayers. First, his staff makes sure that the athlete wantsto play at the college level. Then, the student decides whichuniversity matches the athlete’s ability and financial re-sources. Last year’s top class included Keith Nolan, whois going to Catawbah, and Tony Cavalero, who is currentlyplaying at VMI.

Similar to Fields in football, Freeden Oeur is one ofMaglisceau’s best success stories. Oeur, who decided to goto Williams College to play Division III lacrosse, got play-ing time as a freshman and was a starter by his sopho-more year.

“My privilege is to help them [the player] find the per-fect school,” said Hook. “It’s out there for everyone, theplace that they can afford, where they fit in academically,and where they can play their sport.”

Coaches help athletes play college sports

Cindy Hook, Lori Barb and JudyFisher have been working hard toproduce women athletes of this col-legiate caliber. Kari Kraus is justone of many stellar athletes AHSwomen’s athletics has produced.Longwood University recruitersrecognized the excellence of thewomen’s field hockey team, espe-cially stand out defensemanKari Kraus. Since her fresh-man year, Kraus has beenan intricate part of eachseason of women’s ath-letics from shot put-ting in the winter todefense in the falland spring.The Atomson theh o c k e yfield in each of Kraus’s four years onthe team have reached an impres-sive second round berth in the re-gional tournament. Despite this in-credible achievement, Kraus and therest of the field hockey team weredisappointed that they could not getpast the second round. Kraus andher teammates struggled on, andstrove to improve for the next year.Other than the acclaim she receivedfrom the recruiters from Longwood,Kraus also earned recognition from

coaches aroundthe PatriotDistrict andaround theregion. Shehas earned

the title ofFirst Team All

District and Sec-ond Team AllRegion for herefforts andsportsmanship.

Senior Ehab Awadallah, joins team memebers in a defensive huddle during atime out.

Travis Johnson throws a pitch during a game against Hayfield.

EXCUSE THEINTERJECTION

16 BLASTAtheTUES. MAY 6, 2003SPORTS

Lacrosse on two game win streakThe boyslax team

has ashot at

the No.2 seed in

the Pa-triot

Districttourna-

ment

Baseball knocks off Titans; shows strong in SC

Girls soccer struggling

BY ANDREW MENEGATStaff Writer

The Atoms girls soccer team contin-ues their season tonight at Hayfield. TheAtoms most recent game, yesterday,against defending Patriot District cham-pion Lake Braddock was too late toopublish at press time.

Against non-district foe Lee last Wed.AHS was crippled by a couple of contro-versial calls late in the game that causedtwo Atoms goals to be taken away. Thisresulted in a heartbreaking 2-2 tie. Withgoals by senior Mary Burke and fresh-man Sam Stoker, the team put up a solidperformacne against a tough squad.

Recently the team has been strug-gling to get a win. In their previous threegames prior to their game against Lee,the girl’s lost to West Springfield,Robinson, and T.C. Williams. “We justcan’t seem to find that element that’llget us the win. We can get the ball downthe field, but we can’t hold it down there

long enough to get opportunities,”saidcoach Mark Boger.

Although the team’s record isn’t muchto look at, the team has been playinggood, physical soccer against tough dis-trict and non-district teams. “We’re in oneof the toughest districts in the region,”said senior starting goalie Riana Bovil.“Playing teams like Lake Braddock andRobinson will only make us better.”

Even with the recent struggles theteam has improved from the beginningof the year. “I think that now that we’veadjusted to the different style of coach-ing, we have what it takes to go far inthe tounament,” said junior ChrissyCastaldo.

The district tournament will beginnext Monday, with games on Wed. andFri. Because of the Atoms district record,the team will have to play one of the topteams in the district. “We’re going to be alower seed this year, so we’re going tohave nothing to lose,” said Boger.

Junior ChrissyCastaldo fightsfor the ball duringthe girls’ soccergame againstdistrict rival WestSpringfield.Despite the grittyplay the Atomssuffered adisappointing 2-1loss.

SEA

N S

ULLIV

AN

The NBA Playoffs are heat-ing up, and there have beensome suprises. The San Anto-nio Spurs, Los Angles Lakes,and Sacremento Kings arefavorites in the Western Con-ference. The New Jersey Netsand the Detriot Pistons holdthe top spots in the EasternConference. Which two teamswill face off the the champi-onship, and who will bringhome the title?

Jared: Even though theyshowed no signs of it during theseason, the Lakers are officiallyback. With Kobe shooting lightsout and Shaq patrolling the in-side they are primed to make anunprecedented 4th straight titlerun. In the East there are twoteams that I feel can make a run.The first team is an obvious fa-vorite, the New Jersey Nets. Nomatter what the obstacle is Ja-son Kidd can overcome it, espe-cially in the weaker Eastern Con-ference. The other team I feel hasa shot is the upstart BostonCeltics they obliterated the verypowerful Indiana Pacers in 5games and they are scoring fromeverywhere on the floor. PaulPierce and Antwan Walker arethe best 1-2 punch in the gameand if they rebound like they didagainst Indiana they have achance to make a title run. So formy finals picks I am going to haveto go with a repeat of last yearwith the Lakers taking on theNets. But the outcome will bedifferent from last year becauseShaq isn’t 100% mentally orphysically and the Nets will havehome court advantage so I ampredicting the Nets will win ontheir home floor in game 7.

John: The Western Confer-ence obviously has the higher cali-ber team this year, as well as mostyears. The Lakers are a solid play-off team, since they are the threetime defending champs. However,this year will be different. TheKings have the quick guard inMike Bibby, outside shooters inPedric Stojakovic, and solid post-men needed in Vlade Divac andChris Webber to win the West. Inthe East, the Nets have the tal-ent and experience in guard Ja-son Kidd. They also boost youngstars with Richard Jefferson andKenyon Martin. When it comesdown to it, the Nets will notbeable to beat the winner of thepowerhouse West Conference.They lack the speed, big manpresence and run-and-gun of-fense that the Kings have per-fected.

Matt: What’s most surprisingabout this year’s playoffs is theimbalance between East andWest. Every team in the West hasan edge over the Eastern Confer-ence teams. My pick for the fi-nals out of the West is the DallasMavericks. With depth and solidteam play, I think they’ll be toughto beat down the stretch, DirkNowitzki, Steve Nash, andMichael Finley are the big threefor Dallas, but they will all needto bring their ‘A’ game. In addi-tion to the Mavericks’ three stars,they get good minutes out of NickVan Exel, Shawn Bradley, andRaef LaFrentz. In the ratherweak Eastern conference, theNets are my pick for conferencechampions. Jason Kidd, KenyonMartin, and Richard Jeffersonprovide the Nets with a strongforward-guard combination.Overall, I think the Maverickswill shock many skeptics andcome out as champs.

SEA

N S

ULLIV

AN

Sophmore Corey Quigley waits anxiously as the pitch is being deliveredto home. Quigley, along with the rest of the team has been strugglingthis year, getting only one win against T.C. in the tough Patriot District.

Name: Ryan TeichlerGrade: 12Sport: Boys LacrossePosition: Starting attackPersonal Achievements:1st Team all-District,Honorable mention all-Region.What’s In Your CDPlayer? Yanni’s GreatestHits, he likes the classics.Personal Quote: “I loveYanni!”

ATHLETE OF THEISSUE

Junoirs Matt Ebner, Jason Bracken, Billy Steinbuchler, and Chris Gobel salute the flagduring the national anthem of their game vs. Hayfield. The Atoms dominated the Hawks andcame away with a solid 11-2 victory. Tomorrow they will face off against the Lake BraddockBruins for second place in the Patriot District.

SA

RA

H S

HERM

AN

BY MATT WIESTStaff Writer

Varsity baseball defeated T.C. Williams 6-2 last Fri-day, improving their season record to 5-11, 2-7 in PatriotDistrict play.

Despite the victory over the Titans, the Atoms havecontinued their district slump, with recent losses toRobinson, Hayfield, WestSpringfield, and LakeBraddock.

“It’s been a toughseason. We’re a youngteam and we’ve had someinjuries that have hurtus, hopefully we can turnit around for districts.”said junior Ted Gibson.

On April 29, Annan-dale fell 9-3 to the 15-2Robinson Rams, who are8-1 in district play andcurrently in second place.Similar losses came to theAtoms on April 28, April25, and April 23, at the hands of 11-4 Hayfield, 10-8 WestSpringfield, and 7-7 Lake Braddock, respectively.

Contrary to the uninspiring district play, the Atomsmade a strong showing in a South Carolina tournamentover spring break. The Atoms went 3-1 in the tourna-ment and made it to the championship before losing 7-2to a Hilton Head area high school ranked in the top in thestate of South Carolina.

The first Annandale triumph came 6-0 against YorkHigh School, followed by two consecutive wins: 8-3 against

Ft. Dorchester High School and 5-2 over Hilton HeadHigh School. “We played great baseball,” said CoachMatt Caudle.

On the whole this season, many feel the Atomshave not lived up to expectations. “It [The season] hasbeen disappointing,” said Caudle. “There’s been no con-tinuity. We just haven’t played up to our capabilitiesother than in South Carolina.”

As of last Friday,the team had a battingaverage of .247 and anearned run average of4.16, marking the me-diocrity of the season sofar. However, thewhole baseball teamlooks to make a movein the district tourna-ment like last year’srun to the Patriot Dis-trict Championship.

“It’s not too late toturn around, we justneed to work hard,”said Caudle.

The district tournament is fast approaching, com-ing up on Monday, April 12, but the Atoms haven’t di-rected their focus there just yet. “ They [All the games]are big when you’re 4-11,” said Caudle. “But we’re nottaking it one game at a time. We need to take thingsone minute at a time.”

Monday night’s game against Langley was postponeddue to inclement weather. The Atoms travel to Hayfieldon Wednesday night and play at home against WestPotomac on Thursday.

“Matt Caudle

Head Baseball Coach

It [the season] has been disappoint-

ing. There’s been no continuity. We

just haven’t played up to our capabili-

ties other than in South Carolina.”

Goooaaallll!!!!!

Junior MattHubacher cen-ters the ballwhile executing acorner kick in theAtoms’ 2-0victory versusthe Robert E. LeeLancers.Hubacher hasbeen one of theAtoms’ topoffensive play-ers. The Atoms’senior night willbe held tonightvs. Hayfield at7:00 and theirfinal regularseason at WestPotomac Fridaynight. By win-ning their lasttwo games theAtoms’ have ashot at claimingthis years PatriotDistrict Champi-onship. NextMon. the PatriotDistrict Tourna-ment will begin.

ANDREW MENEGAT

BY JOHN REISSStaff Writer

After this weekends win over theHayfield Hawks, the Atoms Varsity La-crosse advanced its record to 8-3 over-all and 4-1 in the district, tying withLake Braddock for second in the dis-trict, behind the juggernaut RobinsonRams who are undefeated in the dis-trict.

The Atoms faced West Springfieldlast Thursday, taking them into over-time after a slow start. The Atoms weredown the first half of the game 6-3, butreturned in the second half, to tie thegame 8-8. Proceeding into overtime,after a near miss goal by seniormidfielder Chris Rauer, juniorattackman John Bernhardt scored thegames winning goal thanks to a passfrom senior attackman Ryan Teichler.

“We definetely didn’t play the waywe can play,” said sophomore AdamPark. “We were lucky to pull out a win,it shows we didn’t quit.

“They put up more of a fight thenwe thought they would,” said juniorScott Rodden. “We just kept runningthem, and eventually came out on top.”

Besides Bernhardt’s winninggoal, the team was also aided by themany face-offs won by senior ErikRooney, as well as good clears from se-

nior goalie Christopher Lusby.“It was a tight win,” said head coach

Bill Maglisceau. “At first, we took ourtime and didn’t respond to their [WestSpringfield] goals, but we came backin the second half to tie it up and even-tually win it.”

The Atoms hope to finish the sea-son strong with thier final game againstLake Braddock tomorrow at home. Awin against Braddock on senior nightwould secure the number two spot forAnnandale in the district tournament,beginning next week.

“I think we can go far in districtsthis year,” said Maglisceau. “If we keepplaying like we have been, we shoulddo fine.”

The only team that has beaten An-nandale in the district this year havebeen the Robinson Rams, and theypromise to be the Atoms top competi-tion this year in districts.

“Even though Robinson beat us thefirst time around, we played well and Ithink we still have a chance to beatthem in the district match up,” said jun-ior Matthew Halkyard.

“If we play well we can beat anyonein the district or region,” said seniorattack Ryan Teichler, “When we playhard, we dominate, but if we arelaxadasical we are very beatable.”

Despite lots of young players on theteam this year, the Atoms have pre-formed remarkably well against otherteams in the region, especiallyHerndon, Centreville, and Chantilly.

“We’ve always been competetive,”

says Maglisceau. “We might not winevery time we play we play privateschools and Robinson, but we alwaysplay well, and as can be seen from ourrecord, we’ve done pretty well for our-selves.”

ATOMIC ATHLETICS

SPORTS 17TUES. MAY 6, 2003BLASTAthe

Girls lax wins in OT on senior nightAtoms

come upbig in11-9

defeat ofpatior

districtrival

Hayfield

Softball hopes to end season with win streak

Tennis districts to beginTrack looks ahead

BOYS JV LACROSSE

Chris Hall

GIRLS JVLACROSSE

Alex Wahl

Record: 3-2Key Players: Katie Payne andJulia EhrenfeldResult of last game: 5-3 win overWest SpringfieldNext Game: Wednesday, @ LakeBraddock

GIRLS JV SOCCER

Maggie Purdon

Record: 2-3-4Key Players: Sarah Sheehan,Natlie GilbertResult of last game: 2-2 tie vsLee High SchoolNext Game: Today, 5:30 @Hayfield

Record: 5-0-2Key Players: Konrad Hutt, ScottAndersonResult of last game: 3-2 win overLeeNext Game: Today, 5:30, vs.Hayfield

JV BASEBALL

Alex Barker

Record: 5-7Key PLayers: Tyler Wolverton,Josh Delpino, Tim SpicerLast game: 8-6 loss to T.C.WilliamsNext Game: 6:00 Wednesday,vs Hayfield

Record: 3-2-1Key Players: Kelly Beam, CurtisReedResult of last game: 14-4 loss toWest SpringfieldNext game: Wednesday at homevs Lake Braddock

JV SOFTBALL

Erica Robey

Record: 4-7Key Players: Kristi Johnson,Marisa MenezesLast game: 10-0 loss toRobinsonNext Game: Wednesday, 5:00,@ Hayfield

JOHN BERNHARDT AND BRENTSULLIVAN

Sports Editor and Photographer

Tonight the Atoms track team will hostdistrict opponents Lake Braddock andHayfield. The Atoms hope to improve ontheir 1-1 district record and expect to dowell in the boy’s 800 meter, the pole vaultand the high jump.

The Atoms have high hopes for finish-ing the season strong and placing peoplehigh in the district and advancing deepinto the regionals as well.

“I feel like we’re going to take a lot ofpeople to States, who will representAnnadale track,” said senior long distancerunner Publio Agrafas. This year’s teamhas numerious standout athletes. Amongthese are Agrafas, seniors Mike Flint andAshley Welch, and juniors LaurenEdwards, Elizabeth Gill and Ayoob Jan.

As a four-year track runner, Flint hasexperienced a steady improvement in

events. This year Flint is ranked as theNo. 1 boys 800 meter runner in the re-gion. At his lastest meet, Flint finish withthe stellar time of 1:55.86., and he wasfollwed by Agrafas with a time of 2:01.37.

Jan is the team’s top pole vaulter andis respected by track coaches across theregion. Gill, who is a returning regionalcompetitor, has reached an amazing 8’6”in the pole vault this year.

Besides sprinting events, the Atom’sshotput squad has been competitive.Dick Adams, the shotput and discuscoach, has great expectations this yearfor senior Brian Park and juniorStephanie Kruse. Park has recorded athrow of 131’4” and Kruse has thrownfor 92’11”. As well as giving strong per-formances, Park provides the necessarysenior leadership for the uncoming dis-trict meet.

Junior shotputter Matt Komara said,“I feel that as the season progresses ourteam has a chance to be a top contendederin the district.”

BOYS JV SOCCER

Christian Dominguez

BY LAUREN STERLACCIStaff Writer

With Districts being held at West Spring-field, juniors Braxton Koppelman and KalidEbhrahim will be competing in single anddoubles matches. Seniors Michael Nakamuraand Virak Kchao will compete in the No. 2doubles position.

“I’m really lookingforward to competingin districts soon,”saidjunior BraxtonKoppelman. “I thinkit should be reallychallenging but atthe same time it willbe a lot of fun.” SeniorVirak Kchao was theonly team member toget 2nd team All-Dis-trict for his 6-6 record.

At the end of a re-building season, theAtoms stepped it upand finished with arespectable 4-8 dis-trict record. Endingthe season on a highnote with wins fromNo. 1 junior BraxtonKoppelman, No. 2junior KalidEbhrahim, No. 3 se-nior MichaelNakamura, No. 5 Andrew Menegat, No. 6Mike Mahn and the No. 3 doubles partnersNakamura and Virak Kchao, the team madea lasting impression going out with a 6-3 win.

“It was a really good ending to a prettydecent season,” said junior BraxonKoppelman. “I was happy with how the teamhad come together for the last match and Ihope that next season we have even moreteam unity.”

The team struggled in a tough matchagainst Robinson losing 1-8 with a winonly from doubles team Mike Mahn andAndrew Menegat and also against T.C.Williams with a 1-8 loss as well. SeniorNo. 4 Virak Kchao kept the team fromgetting sweeped with his singles win.The team got back on track with winsfrom Braxton, Kalid, Menegat, Mahnand doubles partners Mahn and

Menegat as well asKoppelman andEbrahim. 6-3 winagainst Hayfield.

“Considering wedidn’t have a lot oftime because of theweather our recordwasn’t too bad. Wecame in the No. 5 po-sition in the PatriotDistrict and we didbetter than Hayfieldand LakeBraddock,” saidcoach Al Steppe.

Overall, the topsix players recordswere as follows,No.1 BraxtonKoppelman 6-6, No.2 Kalid Ebrahim 3-9, No. 3 MichaelNakamura 5-7,No.4 Virak Kchao 6-

6, No. 5 Andrew Menegat 8-4 and No.6Mike Mahn 4-8. No. 1 doubles Braxtonand Kalid finished 1-11, No. 2Nakamura and Kchao finished 2-10 andNo. 3 doubles Menegat and Mahn fin-ished 3-9.

Results from the district matcheswere not available due to publishingdeadlines.

“Considering we didn’thave a lot of time be-

cause of the weather ourrecord wasn’t too bad.We came in the No. 5

position in the PatriotDistrict and we did

better than Hayfield andLake Braddock

Albert SteppeHead Coach

BY STACEY MARINJournalism 1 Student

With three games left to go in the regular sea-son, the Atoms are looking for a strong finish. Theteam has won against Robinson and T.C. Williamsin the past week and is looking to add three morewins before the regular season ends.

On April 29, the Atoms beat Robinson 5-1. Thegoal was to score first, which they did by scoring arun in the first inning. Dorsa Hassas singled thenstole second, and Neila Darvish-Niknam had an RBIsingle to score Hassas. Robinson came back with arun in the second inning, but the Atoms scores threemore runs in the sixth inning on a bases-loadeddouble by Meghan Johnson. Johnson later singledin Meagan Ogletree to give the Atoms a final scoreof 5-1.

“We play our best against Robinson. They playwell, but we play better. They bring out the best inus,”said Coach Rick Neave. “If we played everyonethe way we play Robinson, we would be undefeated.”

On May 2, the Atoms beat the T.C. Williams Ti-tans 12-4. Hassas pitched three scoreless inningsand Ashley Jones followed with four more strong in-nings. TC Williams had been a team that every otherteam in the Patriot District had beaten, but theyrecently had a big win over West Potomac. The At-oms had just beaten West Potomac 4-3, so TC’s win

came as a big surprise to everyone in the district.However, this did not have an impact on the At-oms, who won the game.

The Atoms play May 6, 7, and 8 against WestSpringfield, Hayfield, and West Potomac. WestSpringfield and Hayfield are the number one andtwo teams in the Patriot District and West Potomacis an up-and-down team. The Atoms lost to bothWest Springfield and Hayfield in one run gamesand beat West Potomac in a close game.

“We were competitive with West Springfield,Hayfield, and West Potomac. If we play againstthose teams like we did against Robinson, weíll bebeat them,” Coach Neave said.

This year the Atoms are losing four key seniorsHassas, Ogletree, Lindsey Grant, and CourtneyThieberger. “They are great players, individuals,and leaders. They’re also unselfish. That’s what weneed to be successful,” said Coach Neave.

“We’re looking to improve every season. I wantAnnandale to be known as one of the best softballprograms in Northern Virginia. To do this, we needto create a program, not a new team each year. Weneed to build from the ground up and be continu-ously refeeding,” said Coach Neave.

The Atoms play at home tonight against WestSpringfield, tomorrow against Hayfield, and con-clude their regular season Thurs. vs. West Potomac,all games are at 7:00 p.m.

BY ERIN O’BRIENArts Editor

The AHS girls lacrosse team rose to theoccasion on senior night last Friday nightas they beat Hayfield 11-9 in overtime.Their victory brought them to 3-2 in thedistrict and 4-4 overall.

Coming off a rough loss to West Spring-field the previous night, Friday’s game wasvery important. The girls worked hard andwere able to move the ball successfully onall parts of the field. Their passing gamewas on.

There was a lot of excitement becauseof senior night,” said junior Katie Haines.“Everyone really wanted to win.”

The Atoms fought hard throughout allof regulation time as well as overtime.

“People were tired, but you couldn’t tell,”said Coach Cindy Hook.

“We really came together in the secondhalf,” said junior Chelsea Duffy. “We wereall focused and wanted to redeem ourselvesfrom West Springfield the night before.”

Going into overtime Hook told the girlsthat they had worked too hard and playedtoo well to get to this point and just let it allgo. “We needed to focus on each possesionbecause each possesion is that important,”said Hook.

Juniors Julie Stone and Lindsay Millercame through with the key goals in over-time. With the game tied 7-7 at the end ofregulation, Stone and Miller put 2 goals inwithin the first 3 minutes. “The Hayfieldgame is one of those games that we will allremember for a long time,” said Miller. “The

entire team played so well, especially ourdefense and Jeanine [Frank] in the goal.”

Although the Atoms have consistentlybeen playing well, they have not alwaysbeen able to come through with the victory.They fell to the Robinson Rams 16-7 April21 in a hard fought battle.

“Robinson is the top team in the districtand everyone knows it,” said Hook. “Despitethe score, we still had more ground ballsand more draw controls.”

“Robinson is always a tough one,” saidStone. “We gave them a great game andimproved on a lot of things.”

Following Robinson, AHS came back tobeat T.C. Williams 15-2 on April 23. TheAtoms were able to take what they learnedat Robinson and use it against the Titans.Solid defense was key to the Atoms’ victory.“Jeanine was great in the goal and our pass-ing game really took off,” said Hook.

On May 1, the girls had some trouble asthey suffered a 15-7 loss to West Spring-field. The Atoms played hard in the 1st half,going into halftime with a score of 6-5, how-ever they struggled in the 2nd half. “I thinkour timing on defense was off,” said Hook.“People were trying, but it just wasn’t con-necting.”

“There was a lot of good things done in-dividually, said senior Kari Kraus. “Unfor-tunately we couldn’t do it as a team.”

With only 1 regular season game left,Wednesday’s game at Lake Braddock is cru-cial. “This game will be key for where wefinish in the district and where we areseeded,” said Hook. “Lake Braddock gamesare always big for us,” said Haines. “I think

Junior Elizabeth Gil practices the pole vault. Gil has set her own personal record this yearwith a vault of 8’6’’. She hopes to eclipse that mark in the district and regional tournamentsso she can have a chance to compete in the state tournament in June.

AN

DREW

MEN

EG

AT

Junior Neila Darvish sprints around the bases during the Atoms’ game versus T.C.Williams. Darvish, who plays outfield, contributed key hits to the Atoms 12-4 victoryover the Titans.

MO

RG

AN

MCEV

ILLY

Junior Julie Bowes tries to keep the ball away from the Hayfield defender. TheAtoms’ won their game against the Hawks 11-9 in overtime on senior night. Eventhough the Atoms final home game was last week they finish off their regualrseason at Lake Braddock tomorrow.

JAV

IER S

AN

CH

EZ-Y

OZA

18 BLASTAtheTUES. MAY 6, 2003ENTERTAINMENT

COMING SOON

CASTJoseph Gordon-Levitt,Zoey Deschanel.SYNOPSIS Following a disturbingand violent fight at school,Lyle (Gordon-Levitt) isadmitted to NorthwoodsMental Institution. AtNorthwoods, Lyle mustdecide if he will allow hisrage to rule his life, or if heis willing to find the sourceof his anger and workthrough it. Like all of thepatients, he is on a painfuljourney of self-discoverythat may ultimately savehim from himself.RELEASE DATEMay 9

MANIC

CASTJim Carrey, JenniferAniston.SYNOPSISBruce Nolan (Carrey) is atelevision reporter in NewYork who is discontentedwith almost everything inlife. At the end of theworst day in his life, Bruceangrily ridicules and ragesagainst God. TheAlmighty respondsappearing in human formand challenges Bruce totake on the big job andsee if he can do it anybetter.RELEASE DATEMay 23

BRUCE

ALMIGHTY

CASTEliza Dushku, JeremySistoSYNOPSISA carload of six teens,including Dushku andSisto, find themselvestrapped in the woods ofWest Virginia, hunteddown by cannibalisticmountain men grosslydisfigured throughgenerations of in-breeding.RELEASE DATEMay 30

WRONG TURN

CASTCameron Diaz, DrewBarrymore, Lucy Liu,Demi Moore.SYNOPSISThe Angels investigate aseries of murders thatoccur after the theft of awitness protection profiledatabase. Their primesuspects? A “fallen angel”(Moore) and the CreepyThin Man (Glover).RELEASE DATEJune 27

CA2: FULLTHROTTLE

After seven years of slaying demons,vampires and other sources of evil,Buffy will slay her last monster on May20.

BY ERIK ZOTTNICKGuest writer

“A seven-nation army couldn’t holdme back,” claims Jack White on theWhite Stripes’ new CD Elephant, andhe’s right. He has an arsenal of 14 songswith a sonic assault of wailing guitarsand pounding drumbeats.

Recorded in 2 weeks in London onprimitive recording equipment (boast-ing no computers used in the entire pro-cess), the Stripes now have a more

The Stripes’ unstoppable ‘elephant’

‘The slayer’ bites the dust

Zeppelinesque and bluesy sound thantheir previous album White Blood Cells.With just Jack White as guitarist, pi-ano, and lead singer, and Meg White

on drums, thisformer husbandand wife (orbrother and sis-ter), have cre-ated a heaviersound thanmany bands to-day.

Elephant be-gins with athumping bassline, by Jack,

and heavy percussive drums, by Meg,on “Seven Nation Army” the album’sfirst single. It quickly builds into a cre-scendo of sloppy guitars and some slidesas well, filtered through their unique“garage” sound.

The album has touches of old elec-tric piano and stumbling melodieswhich make a clean sound seem shame-ful. Although this may not appeal toeveryone, those to whom it does willappreciate it. Songs such as “BlackMath,” “Girl, You Have No Faith InMedicine,” and “I Just Don’t Know

What To Do With My-self,” all are standoutswith very strong riffsand wailing lyrics.There are simple butclever lyrics such as,“Is there a way to finda cure for this im-planted in a pill?/Is itjust the name uponthe bottle/That deter-mines If it will?”

With all its heavi-ness, the album is alsoable to keep a loose ap-proach and sensitivityin songs such as the“In the Cold, Cold,Night,” Meg White’ssinging debut, and“Well It’s True ThatWe Love One Another,” a folksy songwith Holly Golightly. In these songsJack shows his versalitity through awide variety of styles and ability as acomposer.

A problem with the album has to beits blues and folk roots. This old styleseems overbearing at times, almost nos-talgic, like a throwback, unnecessary atits worst. There are titles such as “Little

BY ALEJANDRO SALINASEntertainment Editor

Maybe it’s the show’s title, whichmany find to be off-putting, or be-cause the characters’ tribulationsusually involve the occult and the su-pernatural, or simply because peoplerefuse to believe that a show about ayoung woman fighting vampires,witches, werewolves, and demonscan be capable or delivering morethan a frivolous, teenage-orientedhour of television, let alone be one ofthe scariest, smartest, sexiest, witti-est shows after The Sopranos, butevery time I mention Buffy the Vam-pire Slayer as being my favorite show,the reaction tends to be the same: asnooty giggle or guffaw followed bythe infamous “what a loser” stare.

Have I ever been ashamed?Never. Why be so of the coolest showson television? It’s not everyday thatyou find a show that is both intelli-

gent and genre-defying. Buffy’sfantasy themes not only allow

the show to use elaborate meta-phors for contemporary issues, but

also to jump efficiently from dramato horror and comedy, and even leadto an entirely musical episode (theaptly entitled Once more, with feel-ing). But now, after seven seasons(five on The WB and two onUPN), the show that defined myteenage years will finally cometo an end on May 20. On thatTuesday, Buffy Summers andthe beloved, quirky self pro-claimed Scooby gang (formedby lesbian witch and com-puter nerd Willow,demonologist Giles, sociallyaloof Anya, misfit prepubes-cent Dawn and simpleton, yetbrave Xander) will finally

come face to face with the greatestevil, The First Evil, and (hope-fully) slay it and claim victoryfor the last time.

How the season finale willconclude is difficult, if at all pos-sible, to predict. After all, The ge-nius creator and executive di-rector behind the show, JossWhedon, is known for his ex-pert storytelling charged withadrenaline and heart-grippingdrama. All that can be saidabout the finale is to expect theunexpected; including the re-turn of Angel, Buffy’s first love,and once-rogue slayer Faith;the death of some main char-acters, and the best special ef-fects the show has ever utilized.“We’re gearing up to tell a fabulous,huge, great arc,” said Buffy’s incar-nation, Sarah Michelle Gellar, in aninterview with EntertainmentWeekly. “It’s going to be pretty spec-tacular.”

While the possibility of a Buffyspin-off remains likely, any immedi-ate project is not probable. However,rumors have spread across Internetsites, that the possibility of charac-ter cross-over from Buffy to Angel,the 1999 spin-off centered on thevampire with a soul, is high. Yet thiswould all depend on if The WB de-cides to pick the show for anotherseason. In a recent Interview withUSA Today , Whedon stated thatwhile there is definitely room for aspin-off, his main focus is to bring theseries to a logical conclusion. Withso much uncertainty shrouding theBuffy universe, what is ageek...hmm...fan to do? Just wait andhope for the best. And if its any con-solation, Whedon assures that theshow will end with a bang.

Acorns” and “Ball and Biscuit,” whichmay be quirky or unappealing to some.However, these are just minor gripescompared with the content of all thepositive aspects.

For those fans of garage rock, or justrock fans in general, this should pleaseon all levels. While it is possible to notlike this album, it would seem to be veryhard not to.

CD REVIEWELEPHANT

A PLEASER FOR

ROCK&ROLL FANS.

AAAAAJack and Meg White, the peculiar duo behind Elephant, one ofthis year’s best albums

CD cover for Elephant, The White Stripes’latest album.

The Scoobies (Top) have prevented and escaped quite a fewapocalyptic situations. Together, they even managed to make itthrough high school. Rogue slayer Faith and Buffy (above)share a troubling past that will reemerge in the series finale.

Buffy’s most memorable episodes

Episode: Prophecy GirlSeason: OneSynopsis:Buffy faces her firstapocaliptic scenario whenshe goes up against “theMaster” vampire. Afterdrowning and dying for acouple of minutes, she isbrought back to life byXander who performs CPRon her.Why is it memorable?:It marked all the firsts forthe show: first seasonfinale and the first timeBuffy died.

Episode: BecomingSeason: TwoSynopsis:After experiencing amoment of true happiness,Angel, Buffy’s flame, loseshis soul and turns evil.Angel then decides to opena portal to hell, thusattempting to bring forth theapocalypse.Why is it memorable?:Buffy loses everything;Angel is no longer part ofher life; she’s expelled fromschool and charged of acrime; and kicked out ofhome.

Episode: HushSeason: FourSynopsis:A group of sinister mon-sters, known as TheGentlemen, arrive in townand steal everyone’svoices. With the town in astate of silent chaos, theyproceed to murder peopleand steal their heartsWhy is it memorable?:Undoubtedly, this episode(almost entirely silent) isone of Buffy’s scariest todate, combining classichorror with a pop-culturetwist.

Episode: Once more, withfeelingSeason: SixSynopsis:After a demon arrives atSunnydale, the town’spopulation begins tomysteriously break out inwonderful tunes. As theepisode progresses, thesongs get darker, revealingcrucial secrets.Why is it memorable?: It gave Whedon and theentire cast the opportunity toshow off their acting skills aswell as their hidden singingtalents.

Episode: Conversationswith dead peopleSeason: SevenSynopsis:Buffy, Dawn, and Willoware visited by crucialfigures from their past, whoreveal vital informationthrough extended conver-sations. These figures warnthe characters about thedangers that are to come.Why is it memorable?:It was the first episode inwhich Buffy’s final nemesis,The First Evil, was finallyrevealed.

PH

OTO

ILLU

STRA

TIO

NS B

Y A

LEJA

ND

RO

SA

LIN

AS

PH

OTO

ILLU

STRA

TIO

N B

Y A

LEJA

ND

RO

SA

LIN

AS

PH

OTO

ILLU

STRA

TIO

N B

Y A

LEJA

ND

RO

SA

LIN

AS

ENTERTAINMENT 19TUES. MAY 6, 2003BLASTAthe

Philippe PodhoreckiCo-Editor in-Chief

PHILHUN

WITH

X-2: a Hollywood ‘marvel’BY KATIE STANTONEntertainment Editor

It is the 4th highest grossingmovie in its first weekend, rankingbehind both Harry Potter movies andSpiderman: X-2: X-Men United, thismovie starring the famous Marvelsuperheroes, may be one of the onlysequels to truly be better than theoriginal.

X-2 is a myriad of special effectsand comic book references, inter-t w i n i n gsmoothly forall the 134minutes .While itcan get alittle con-fusing forthose notused to theMarvel wayof doingthings, pro-viding themost accurateportrayal ofthe comics

The

“It is acomicbook

broughtto life

ineverysenseof theidea.”

Rap and rock:opposites attract

BY KATIE STANTONEntertainment Editor

Rap and rock may seem like polar opposites, but,surprisingly enough, it really is possible to like both atonce.

k-osWhile most people couldn’t imagine quality hip hop

from Canada, k-os (pronounced exactly like “chaos”) re-defines the genre.He represents arevolution in themusic industry,which, he has said,is not new, onlysuppressed: rawbeats and thought-ful lyrics that pro-mote intelligentthought, and themixing of genreslike rock, rap andreggae. It’s a newspin for a musical era where fake images, flagrant wealthand overproduced (sometimes copied) beats equal musi-cal genius.

k-os, aka Kevin Brereton, uses acoustic hip hop andsoul to take listeners away. He admits to a comfortablemiddle class upbringing in Toronto, yet uses it to explainhis focus on music and not monetary success; he said, inan interview on BET.com, “It’s not my main goal to chasemoney, because I had some... what about the kids whoseparents did come up and did make money in the ‘70s and‘80s? That voice needs to be heard.”

Hot Hot HeatCanada offers another brilliant addition to the

music industry on the opposite side of the spectrum:rock band Hot Hot Heat is the latest undergroundcraze. Formed in 1999, HHH has developed a loyalfollowing in the Canadian southwest. They havereleased four previous albums, but none have garneredthe attention as that of their latest release, KnockKnock Knock. It takes the complexity and details oftheir previous works, and focuses on more melody anddanceability. HHH names influences like The Cure andXTC, and other quirky bands that help their sound tosynthesize in a unique way.

PSO is a gameplay “fantasy”

Great music goes On and OnBY KATIE STANTONEntertainment Editor

If music can truly fit a season,Jack Johnson is the epitome of sum-mer. His lazy guitar chords remindthe listener of lounging in the sunwithout a care. Sound like heaven?It very well may be.

Only one negative thing can besaid about Johnson’s latest releaseOn and On, out today (May 6): thesame style of music can get old.Johnson’s sophomore album keepsto thesame for-mula ashis first,and unlessit is reallyyour favor-ite music,it can feelrepetitive.

D e -spite this,Johnson’ssuccess is ensured. The 20some-thing Hawaii native (born on theNorth Shore of Oahu) draws influ-ences from everything from BobMarley to Radiohead to G. Love andSpecial Sauce. He combines it intoa funky acoustic sound with reggaeappeal, pulling the listener into a

dream of Hawaii surf with a pleas-ant soundtrack.

Johnson collaborates with thesame talented crew from Brush-fire Fairytales: Adam Topol on per-cussion and Merlo Podlewski onbass. They also have some unusualinfluences; Podlewski is into hiphop and rock (his projects includeBen Lee and instrumental hip hopbeats called Tropikal), and Topolstudied in California and recordedand studied in Cuba. The listenercan hear the musical allusions,and although in theory they seemawkward, they work together bet-ter than expected.

On and On, produced by MarioCaldato Jr., was recorded at theMango Tree in Hawaii. It’s firstsingle and music video is tracktwo, “The Horizon Has Been De-feated,” one of the faster songs onthe album. Obvious reggae beatsunderscore heavy bass and one ofthe few times Johnson uses elec-tric guitar; its philosophical lyrics(“Future complications/and thestrings between the cans/but noprints can come from fingers/ifmachines become our hands”)sound almost nonsensical.

Other key songs are “Taylor,”chronicling the life of a destituteteenage girl, and “Dreams Be

Dreams,” a simply beautiful work.Johnson has also released Sep-

tember Sessions, the soundtrack tohis surf film by the same name,which includes some songs fromBrushfire Fairytales. This and Onand On is under Moonshine Con-spiracy Records, a division of TheMoonshine Conspiracy (TMC),Johnson’s film label.

Johnson will be in VA on June16 with Ben Harper, at the HarborCenter in Norfolk.

CD REVIEWJACK JOHNSON

POINTS FOR JOHNSON’SLAID-BACK, SURFER

STYLE, BUT IT CAN GETOLD WHEN HEARD OVER

AND OVER AGAIN.

B+B+B+B+B+

Wolverine’s quick reflexesand tormented souldemonstrate why HughJackman (emotional, pissedoff and attractive) is theperfect man for the part.

BY PHILIPPE PODHORECKICo-Editor in Chief

Shoot, shoot, shoot. Attack, at-tack, attack. These same combina-tions are repeated infinitely in Phan-tasy Star Online Episode I & II forthe Xbox. While repetitive, PSO isone of the most addictive and engag-ing videogames available online.

An RPG that (ironically) includesno truly coherent story, PSO ismeant to be played online via XboxLive! and the mandatory Hunter’sLicense with hundreds, even thou-sands of others.

Repetition thrives as each player,or hunter, works in groups of up tofour to find red boxes (rare items)and level his/her character up; how-ever, this never ceases to entertain.Players can chat with each other viathe Xbox Live! headset as they trekthrough one of eight dungeons.

The game play is identical to theDreamcast predecessor andGamecube counterpart in every re-spect except voice chat. Basically, aplayer creates a character, custom-

izes all the aesthetics, and then be-gins the endless quest to discovernew weapons or armor and achievethe seemingly unattainable level 200.Characters run through dungeonsconsisting of two to three stages, eachculminating in a giantboss fight. Episode IIcontinues the questto discover why aprevious expeditiononto theplanetRagolw e n twrong.T h eenemies are much harder and thelevel designs much more complex.

Simplicity is the game’s strongpoint. Chatting with a group of threeguys makes the repetition seem re-freshing and exciting no matter howmany treks through each stage. Co-ordination and teamwork are essen-tial.

Each of four difficulty levels rang-ing from normal to ultimate providesan adequate challenge. By playing

in the harder modes, players canmore frequently find rare items andgain more experience points for eachenemy killed—vital to leveling thecharacter up.

For audio and visuals the gameis a mixed bag. The graphics for Epi-

sode I’s portionlook almost

identical to theDreamcast and

are filled with clip-ping and horrible draw

in. During multiplayeroffline with just twopeople, entire portions

of the map can’t be seen.Episode II is completely different:levels are much more lush and filledwith detail, but still suffer from slow-down problems. The music gets oldwith the hours of gameplay the gamedeserves.

PSO is an awesome experiencefor anyone with Xbox Live!, since itis also required to play offline too. Thehours of fun the game may entail isup to you, but it will surely outlastmost anything else available.

Jack Johnson, surfer, videographerand musician, performs in Berkeley,California in 2002. He’ll be playing inNorfolk in mid-June.

Hot Hot HeatSteve Bays, Paul Hawley, Dustin Hawthorne and Dante Decaromake up Hot Hot Heat, currently on tour; their last US tour wasduring the summer, and they have been touring in Europe.Their first release was a four song 7” in 2000, and their first fulllength CD, Scenes One Through Thirteen, was released in 2001.

basic premise is that the specialschool for mutant children, run byProfessor Charles Xavier (the lov-ingly bald Patrick Stewart), is in-vaded by a radical anti-mutant Con-gressman named William Stryker(Brian Cox). Some students aretaken hostage while others are madefugitives, along with the professors/freedom fighters, the X-Men.Stryker’s plan is to use Xavier’s brainand the machine called Cerebro,

which keeps Xavier con-nected to all mu-

tants, in order todestroy them.

Subplots in-clude Magneto’s(Ian McKellen)escape from hisprison and sup-posed alliancewith the X-Men,

W o l v e r i n e ’ s(Hugh Jackman)quest to discoverhis origins, andthe love trianglebetween Wolver-

ine, Jean Grey(Famke Janssen) and

Cyclops (JamesMarsden). It even covers

Rogue (Anna thank-god-she-has-a-decent-partPaquin) and her new boy-friend Bobby, aka Iceman(Shawn Ashmore, un-known but surprisinglygood), and theirstruggles to bypass abarrier created by op-posing powers: he can,

if you couldn’t figure it out, create iceand make things cold, while she cre-ates unimaginable pain in every liv-ing thing she touches. A struggle forteenagers hopelessly in puppy love,for sure.

By far one of the best parts of themovie, however, comes in the verybeginning. A new character has beenadded to the X-Men, the hopelesslyoptimistic and admirably devoutNightcrawler (Alan Cumming), aformer Munich circus sideshowfreak. The movie’s opening scene isin the White House; within 10 min-utes of showtime, Nightcrawler (whoteleports, moving in a vague blackmist) is attacking Secret Service menin an awesome display of computer-enhanced prowess. This scene alsocontains one of the most memorablelines: as Nightcrawler runs down onehall from guns and suits, he vanishesand teleports into the next hall. Aman shouts into a walkie-talkie, “Wehave multiple intruders!”

Some disappointment came fromone of the final fight scenes betweenWolverine and his “sister,” a creationof Stryker’s. They share a similarability, yet her moves looked awk-ward and, despite the good choreog-raphy, discredited the scene. One al-most wished the female could havegrown into a dynamic counterpart ofWolverine’s, creating yet another

strand of plot.Also the end, which will not be

told here but is probably known toeveryone by now, leaves the audiencewondering what exactly happened.It breaks one of the classic laws ofthe movie experience: someone im-portant cannot be lost.

It is a comic book brought to lifein every sense of the idea, from thesomewhat cheesy script to the cos-tumes and special powers. Yet it doesbring up human issues and moralquestions,somethingwhich creatorStan Lee isgreat at in-cluding. Les-sons in equalrights anddiscrimina-tion comefrom theprejudice be-tween mutants and humans; it evenproffers the “coming out” of a mutantson to his human parents, and theunnecessary bigotry it can cause.

Admittedly, X-2 does not take alot of deep thinking; though ostensi-bly complicated, it is merely the com-bination of lots of little stories becom-ing one. It remains faithful to itsroots, combining romance, action andgraphics in classic Hollywood style.

A display of Pyro’s “fiery” temper; Aaron Stanford plays a mutant student who canmanipulate fire, who is struggling with whether or not to be a good guy or a bad guy.

MOVIE REVIEWX-2: X-MEN UNITED

A FEW DISSAPOINTINGSCENES, BUT

OVERALL A WORTHYREMAKE OF THECOMIC CLASSIC.

AAAAA

Kevin Brereton, also known as the new-wave rapper k-os.

HOROSCOPESIf today is your birthday:Although on the outside you seemvery quiet and observant, there ismore complexity underneath thesurface. As a Taurus you appreciatebeauty in all things, especiallynature; as an Earth sign you aresensible and grounded.Remember to let yourselfgo once in a while, sincenot all of life is aboutbeing sensible all thetime.Lucky numbers: 4, 11, 12.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)Nobody likes a tattletale, butnobody likes to be screwed overeither. Use your instincts to decidewhat you should do about atroubling situation. If it’smore trouble than it’sworth, don’t bother; if itmeans something to you,fight with all you’ve got. Supportcomes from a Taurus.

Virgo (August 23-Sept. 22)You like everything to be in itsplace, including you. If you’ve feltlike you don’t belong lately, focus ongetting ready for yourfuture. You might as wellprovide for getting out ofhere, if that’s what youreally want to do. Youhave more luck than you think; aGemini will tell you something youalready know.

Leo (July 23-August 22)If you’ve been a little self criticallately, stop it already. The only thingwrong with you is that you think toomuch. Trouble with your love lifecould have consequences,but you control what’sgoing on here. ASagittarius provides anunexpected example.

Cancer (June 22-July 22)You’ve tried, but you feel like youcould accomplish so much if youjust had more. Big purchases maymean the world to you,but keep it in perspec-tive. Your friends aretrying to tell yousomething, even if they don’t knowhow. A fellow Cancer will distractyou.

Gemini (May 21- June 21)If your beau has been a little out ofsorts, don’t take it personally. Theymean the best, even if they snap atyou sometimes. Staycommitted to what youreally care about; aCapricorn drives youcrazy for the wrong reasons.

Aries (March 21-April 19)You’ve been a little moody lately,but so far avoiding others hasseemed to keep everything cool. Letsomeone help you foronce. If a friend seemslike they’re not totallycommitted, they’reprobably not. You willmeet (or might have already met)an influential Leo.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)You are nothing but satisfied lately;everything seems to be going right.Don’t look for something to go wrong,because it’s not often thatthis kind of good fortunecomes along. Stay blind towhatever doesn’t make youhappy, and find a Libra whoshares your point of view.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)A big decision has either been madeor is weighing on your mind. Youwant to make up for missedopportunities. An upcoming eventhas you anticipating agood time; don’t be afraidto make that happen,even if the people aroundyou are not as happy. An Aries willhelp you out.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)Generosity comes in more than oneform. Keep track of your obligationsand pay back any loans; remainingblameless means remainingsafe. But remember, youalso have an obligation toyourself. Don’t beirrational. Seek advicefrom a Virgo.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)You appreciate cleanliness in allthings except those that mean themost. Make it your missionto straighten out yourlife. A newfound lovemay mean more to youthan you feel comfortablewith; be careful who you trust. APisces needs some time apart.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)Something doesn’t make sense toyou, but it may be better if you don’tfind out. Don’t be ashamed of yourheritage; stand strong inthe face of adversity.Admitting the truth ishard, but sometimesnecessary. A Scorpio will dosomething unexpected.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)Look to old friends and family tokeep your head on straight. You canusually see the good side ineveryone, but someoneyou know all too welljust might honestly be abad person. Give themthe boot. Consideryourself lucky if you know anAquarius.

WEEKENDUPDATE

20 BLASTAtheTUES. MAY 6, 2003WEEKEND

‘Daughter’ filled with intrigue and humor

CO

URTESTY O

F A

REN

A S

TA

GE

Over the years,many films havefeatured historicalD.C. sites. Checkout these famousfilmmaking hotspots.

BY CAMERON KYNES ANDKATHARINE KISHIYAMA

Weekend Editors

The ExorcistBased on the bestselling novel

by William Peter Blatty, TheExorcist has become a popularclassic horror movie set inGeorgetown. The movie starsLinda Blair as a 12-year-old girlpossessed by the devil. Since itsappearance in 1974, the moviehas been recreated several times.However, each recreation hasretained the original specialeffects that are characteristic ofthe movie.

The Exorcist features severalscenes from sites in the Washing-ton Metro Area such as the KeyBridge, Georgetown University,the Dahlgren Chapel and abridge over the C & 0 Canal. Oneof the most memorable scenesfrom the movie, in which theexorcist hurtles to his death, wasfilmed on the 75 steps atProspect and 36th streets thatlead down to M Street inGeorgetown.

The house at the top located

on 3600 Prospect Street, is alsofeatured in many scenes. Inaddition, the cardinal’s office inthe film is actually the office ofthe president of GeorgetownUniversity.

HannibalAdapted from Thomas

Harris’s gruesome novel,Hannibal is the sequel to Silenceof the Lambs. In this chapter,FBI agent Clarice Starling(Julianne Moore) finds herselfhaunted by her cannibalisticnemesis once again, HannibalLecter (Anthony Hopkins).

Some scenes from the moviewere filmed in Union Station,which serves as both a majortransportation hub and popularshopping plaza. For this scene,the producers insisted that acarousel be present so theyimported a carousel andreassembled it at one end of the

Big screen scenes in D.C.

UPCOMINGCONCERTS

—Friday, May 9– FleetwoodMac @ MCI Center $49.50—Friday, May 9– Boy SetsFire w/ The Hope Conspiracy& Vaux @ 9:30 Club—Monday, May 12– AvrilLavigne @ Patriot Center$35.00

—Friday, May 16– Lil Kim @Dream—Friday, May 16– MatchboxTwenty w/ Sugar Ray &Maroon 5 @ MCI Center$40.00—Monday, May 19–Kottonmouth Kings,Zebrahead, & Riddlin’ Kids @The Recher Theatre $20.00—Thursday, May 22– Musiqw/ Jaguar Wright & Afires @9:30 Club—Saturday, May 24–HFStival 2003 @ RFKStadium $39.00—Friday, May 30– 2 SkinneeJ’s @ 9:30 Club—Wednesday, June 4–Michelle Branch @ 9:30 Club

OTHER MOVIESFILMED IN DC

2001• Collateral Damage• Minority Report• Spy Game• The Sum of All Fears

2000• Along Came a Spider• Hannibal• Traffic

1999• Hollow Man• The Replacements• Rules of Engagement• Thirteen Days

1998• Arlington Road• The X-Files• Enemy of the State• Tom Clancy’s Netforce

1997• Armageddon

• Mercury Rising• Species II• Deep Impact

1996• Absolute Power• Mars Attacks!• Murder at 1600• My Fellow Americans• The People vs. Larry Flynt• Air Force One• Contact• G.I Jane• The Jackal• Kiss the Girls

1995• First Kid• Eraser• Independence Day• The Long Kiss Goodnight• The Net• Nixon• A Perfect Candidate

1994• The American President• Clear and Present Danger• The Enemy Within• Forrest Gump• National Lampoon’s SeniorTrip

1993• The Firm• Guarding Tess• The Next Karate Kid• Patriot Games• The Pelican Brief• Quiz Show• Timecop• True Lies

1992• Dave• In the Line of Fire• Majority Rule• Meteor Man• Running Mates

1991• A Few Good Men• JFK

main floor at Union Station. Atthe other end of the station ahuge 30-foot replica of adinosaur skeleton, “Tyranno-saurus Sue,” the largestdinosaur ever found, which wasalso featured in the backgroundbehind Hannibal Lecter as he istalking to Clarice on his cellphone.

Several other scenes fromthe movie were filmed inRichmond, Virginia. Among thekey scenes that were filmedthere was the shoot-out whereClarice and her FBI cohortsattempt to apprehend a lethalgangster in the middle of acrowded fish market.

The American President

In the romantic, yet politicalfilm, The American President,Michael Douglas stars as awidow who falls for a lobbyistSydney Ellen Wade (AnnetteBenning) and happens to alsobe a single-parent and Presi-dent of the United States.

Since the story concentrateson the everyday life of thePresident, many scenes fromthe movie were shot inWashington, D.C. Of course,there are several outside scenesof the White House, Capitol,

and landmarks such as theWashington Monument.However, the Cato Institutelocated on 1000 MassachusettsAve., NW is shown in the movieas the GDC building whereSydney Ellen Wade worked.

In addition, the GreenworksFlorist in the Willard Hotel on1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW isshown twice when Michael

Douglas attempts to order hisdate flowers. On an interestingside note, according to a numberof people in the White Housepress office, none of the actualfilming took place inside thePresident’s home at 1600Pennsylvania Ave. However, thedirector, Rob Reiner, did make afew visits to help in creatingreplicas of the China Room (DishRoom), Oval Office, and pressroom to feature in the movie.

Mr. Smith Goes toWashington

After almost 60 years thismovie still gives the perfectpicture of political corruption in

Washington. Mr. Smith, playedby Jimmy Stewart, is an“average Joe” who goes to thecapital to make a difference, butinstead encounters crookedpoliticians who are willing to doanything to stay on top.

The D.C. landscape gets a lotof screen time in this movie.From Union Station, to theCapitol, to Arlington NationalCemetery, Mr. Smith sees it alland finds true inspiration. Thisinspiration drives him to take onthe corrupt politicians.

This film premise is quitecommon today, but when it wasreleased in 1939 it caused anuproar among both journalistsand politicians who were bothmade to look bad by directorFrank Capra.

The American public,however, had no qualms with thestory line and flocked to the

The priest stands in front of a house located at Prospect and 36th streets in Georgetown where it was filmed in theoriginal 1974 version of The Exorcist. In the movie, the exorcist hurtles down a nearby staircase to his death.

theatres by the thousands. Themovie received 11 Oscarnominations, but lost in BestPicture to Gone with the Wind.

In the Line of FireDelving into the covert realm

of the secret service, In the Lineof Fire stars the criticallyacclaimed actor Clint Eastwoodas a veteran undercover agent.Eastwood plays haunted by ablemish that cost a president’slife. Agent Frank Horrigan isassigned to duty to protect thepresident from a prowlingassassin.

With John Malkovich as theeerie yet brilliant assassin andClint Eastwood as the intrepidcivil servant, In the Line of Firedually captivates the beauty ofthe nation’s capital as well asthe viewer’s attention.

In the Line of Fire flauntsthe aesthetic beauty andradiance of Washington, D.C.Various scenes take place nearthe Washington Monument, theCapitol, and the White House.

The action-packed car chasescene runs right on the rooftopsand the numerous streets ofD.C. Even the director AlD’Andrea commented on the

shooting choice, he said, “Thistown is so confusing.”

Forrest GumpIn 1994, Forrest Gump was

named Best Picture, took in thefifth most money in the Box officeever, and made its way onto theAmerican Film Institute’s 100greatest movies. Tom Hanksplays Forrest Gump in aninspiring story about a man witha low IQ, a good nature andincredible luck. In his visits toWashington he met Kennedy,Johnson and Nixon. Thesescenes in the movie were doneincredibly through computergraphics so that Forrest actuallyinteracts with the Presidents.

In one scene Forrest takes adip in the Reflecting Pool duringan anti-Vietnam rally. This scenewas done with over 700 extrasplaced around the pool andfilmed in different locations. Thisamazing piece of flimwork is onlyone of many scences filmed in

D.C.Forrest Gump overcomes his

near mental-retardation to live alife full of success and joy.

All the President’s MenFrom the Watergate Hotel to

the White House, All thePresident’s Men tells a story thatis just as riveting now as it was20 years ago. It’s the story ofWashington Post reporters BobWoodward and Carl Bernstein,played by Robert Redford andDustin Hoffman, during theWatergate scandal.

Woodward and Bernsteinhelped the Post win a Pulitzer byuncovering the infamousWatergate break-in, whicheventually led to Nixon’sresignation in 1974.

The movie, based on the bookof the same name by Woodwardand Bernstein, was nominatedfor best picture, but lost to Rocky.This movie is critically acclaimedas the best piece on theWatergate scandal.

— http://www.washingtonpost. com/wp-srv/

stylelongterm/movies/features/dcmovies/

dcfilms.htm

Bob Woodward played by Robert Redford, talks to Carl Bernstein, played byDustin Hoffman, in this successful drama that tells the story of the Watergatescandal. This movie was filmed all around Washington, D.C.

All the President’s Men

BY PHILIPPE PODHORECKICo-Editor in Chief

To end a year filled with hu-mor and enlightenment, theArena Stage chose AmericanDaughter as the final play for theseason—and what a finale.Graced with a superb script andexquisite acting, the commentaryon life, politics and society are ex-pressed vividly.

The premise of the play fol-lows Lyssa Dent Hughes, justnominated by the president forsurgeon general. Her father, asenator from Indiana, playedbrilliantly by Robert Prosky,raised her alone since she was 14.

Other characters include anAfrican-American Jewish doctorfriend of hers who is goingthrough a mid-life crisis and pro-vides the witty sarcasm towardsothers for lightening up the stage.Marrow, an African-Americangay man who formerly wrote for

The Washington Post providesfor the extreme counterpart toLyssa’s husband, an author andintellectual.

Most importantly however,is the antithesis of Lyssa, ayoung feminist by the name ofQuincy Quince (yes that is herreal name) who takes the oppo-site position on most all facetsof politics. The plot thickensaround an argument betweenLyssa and Marrow in front of ajournalist. During the argu-ment, it is discovered that Lyssaavoided jury duty, which is thenexploded into “jurygate.”

Stage design and directionare possibly the best yet atArena Stage, as the simple de-sign takes use of not only thecenter stage area, but also usesthe entrance halls. The entireplay takes place in the livingroom of Lyssa’s house, whichsurprisingly never gets boring.

The play creates a thought-

provoking commentary on lifeand the troubles people face inboth the public and private eye.Saddening to a degree, the ex-citement never ceases, nor dothe surprises.

With such colorful and well-acted characters, the somewhatcomplicated actions never bore.However, many of the jokes andcommentaries are based aroundmiddle-aged America or thosedeep into the political spectrum,possibly alienating those thatdon’t fit into these groups them-selves.

The messages and humorstill comes across well, markingthe end to an exquisite seasonof theater. American Daughter,written by Wendy Wasserstein,and directed by Molly Smith isperhaps the best show per-formed this year. It is being per-formed at the Fichandler atArena Stage until June 1. Lyssa Dent Hughes and her father, Senator Alan Hughes, hug after a

disasterous interview with journalist Timber Tucker that creates turmoilamid her nomination for surgeon general.

PHOTOS IN THIS STORY TAKEN FROM HTTP://WWW. WASHINGTONPOST. COM/WP-SRV/S TYLELONGTERM/MOVIES/FEATURES/DCMOVIES/DCFILMS.HTM