Top spots to study and snack - The A-Blast

Top spots to study and snack
Ocha Tea

Ocha Tea is perfect for those who like to study with a bubble
tea in hand and are open to enjoying a stimulating board game.
At first step inside the quaint store, the sweet aroma of
fruit and the assortment of teas is striking. The place
maintains a cool temperature inside, but not so cozy as to
make students fall asleep in the midst of their studying.

“I enjoy drinking a mango smoothie with mango jelly when I go
there with my brother,” sophomore Ryan Lam said.

Ocha Tea is unique, and sets itself apart from the popular
Kung Fu Tea, in that the store brews loose leaf teas for its
drinks instead of using from powder. The service is quick, so
students can stop by to get a drink if they prefer to study
elsewhere. Free internet is provided at the store as well as
bike parking outside the storefront.

Ocha Tea is open 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and
until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, while being open from 12
– 8 p.m.

Breeze Bakery Cafe

Breeze Bakery Cafe draws in customers far and wide with its
variety of mouth-watering cakes, chocolates and pastries. The
location is very spacious and adorned with traditional
paintings and other artwork. Breeze also provides free
internet. Throwback music blasts from the speakers, appealing
to the nostalgia in everyone. However, the music isn’t so loud
as to be distracting. The proximity of the store to the
neighborhood proves to be enticing to many students.

“It’s fairly close to school, so it’s a nice place to go right

after to do some work before practice because sometimes the
library gets super loud and impossible to work in,” senior
Efrata Tecle said.

All the food is intricately crafted, perfect for someone who
wants a treat after a diligent study session. There are two
levels, with the upper level containing outdoor seating where
patrons can bask in the fresh air. Breeze Bakery Cafe is open
from 7 a.m. until 12 a.m. from Sunday to Thursday and closes
at 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

De Clieu Coffee & Sandwich

De Clieu Coffee and Sandwich is an alternative to the
traditional Starbucks study spot with locally roasted coffee
beans, sandwiches, soups and salads. Many of the foods, such
as the banh mi and ice cream, are made in-house. The business
takes pride in every drink they prepare with their highly
experienced baristas.

The environment is inviting for students and working adults
alike. “I find that the calming atmosphere of the cafe makes
it easy to focus and relax,” sophomore Han Le said.

Their music comes from the record store nearby, and customers
can play their favorite albums in the cafe. There is free
internet, and the seating accommodates for groups of all sizes
with a variety of tables and benches. The place is usually
packed so customers who plan to stay for a long time should
show up early.

The cafe is open 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and 8
a.m. – 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Natalie’s Baguette

Natalie’s Baguette is not only a stellar choice for a place to
study but also an opportunity to try new foods of different
cuisines. Natalie’s is a local eatery that offers Vietnamese
sandwiches, and French crepes and beignets. The place is very
homey, and it has free internet. Although it’s smaller
compared to the other stores, it still has lots of tables
being somewhat of a hidden gem of Fairfax.

Natalie’s has excellent customer service with the owner
bringing the food to the table and checking in constantly to
make sure everyone is satisfied. The items are also reasonably
priced, such as two beignets for $1.50. Although, one student
complained that the seating was uncomfortable for a long
period of time.

“If you’re just planning on doing a quick assignment, this is
definitely a viable option,” senior Maisha Maliha said.

They are open from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. from Monday to Thursday
and stay open an hour longer on Friday and Saturday.

Annandale Theater Company
works on their Fall Play
Anonymous
The cast for the new fall theatre play, Anonymous, came out
recently and it has all the cast members excited yet nervous.
When they auditioned, they knew they were signing up for long
hours of rehearsals for preparation for the play. Despite the
stress they might be feeling, they know that it will be a
cathartic experience, especially for the ones who aspire to
get into the acting field.

There are about 35 cast members in this play. Katherine
Brunberg, the drama teacher, gave a brief explanation of
Anonymous stating that, “Anonymous is loosely based on the
Odyssey, it is the story of one immigrant’s journey through
America trying to find his mother, who he got separated from
in a shipwreck, and on the way he encounters many different
immigrants from different cultures and backgrounds.”

Cast members in a play or movie always struggle with a certain
thing, hence the long hours of rehearsals.

Ms.Brunberg explains the biggest challenge the cast members
face, “For this play, I’d say the one thing that people are
struggling with is being able to understand another culture
and accurately portray it on stage, because there are people
playing characters that aren’t necessarily from their same
background and so they need to open themselves up to be able
to learn about and experience a different culture.”
Assistant director senior Shae Rigo explains that “As an
assistant director I help block the scenes. I really want to
focus on the acting and the acting techniques, it’s my goal
for the show.”

Like almost everyone else in the play, Rigo says, “I think i’m
most excited about the cultural dances and movements that
we’re going to have.”
Every actor/actress face complications that they must overcome
with the part they have. Sophomore Mariam Sesay plays Naja, a
goddess, who helps the main character find his mother. Sesay
would describe Naja as confident and beautiful. She talks
about the complication she faces, “I have to kiss somebody on
stage and it’s something I’ve never done before. It’s just
really awkward for me.”

Other cast members struggle with their own things, which is
precisely why rehearsals are long. Sesay goes on to explain,
“Rehearsals are about 6 hours long. It depends on what
character you are, because the main characters have rehearsals

every day of the week, and there are others that you only need
for certain scenes so they’re only required to come on a
certain day.”

Although it’s going to be a challenge, Mariam Sesay claims
that, “Me and the rest of the cast members are most excited
about portraying characters’ diversity and adversity and how
there are so many varieties of cultures.”

First Coffee House a Success
The first Coffee House of the year held by the Filament
Literary Magazine was a major success as high audience turnout
and outstanding performances took over the Bistro.

Entrance to the event on Sept. 26 was $5 with baked goods on
sale in addition to free coffee.

Students and staff packed into the Bistro as performers of
various talents took the stage.

Seniors Sesen Beyene and Tiya Ayele hosted the Coffee House
and introduced performers.

Performances included Spoken-Word Poetry, singing, rapping and
even playing the ukulele.

“The best thing about the Coffee House is that we get to see
new faces and people come out of their shell and do things
that they have never done before,” senior and Co- Editor in
Chief of the Filament Ephrata Yohanes said. “It was a great
opportunity for performers to express themselves.

Performers auditioned prior to the Coffee House on Sept.
17-18.

The event opened with the performing of poems by seniors Shae
Rigo and Emily Trachsel.

Ephrata Yohanes performed a song by Whitney Houston and junior
Elvera Miller performed original songs while playing the
ukulele. English teacher and Filament sponsor Soo-Jin Lee
joined in the performances with an electrifying spoken word
poem.

The final performance was a motivational rap performed by
juniors Kaleb Mengistu and Tarik Darweish along with senior
Idris Dahir.

“I thought it was a massive success,” Lee said. “We had
quality performers and plenty of great audience members.

These performances along with many more made the first Coffee
House of the year extremely enjoyable for all. The next Coffee
House will be held on Oct. 31.

Check out the video of the First Coffee House and all of the
performances above.

College visits coming up
For seniors beginning to apply to their schools of interests
and juniors planning out their college application process for
next school year, college visits can be a prime opportunity to
ask questions and gain information about schools and
universities.

Recently, a number of schools and universities including Elon
University, the University of Virginia, and Albright College
have held informative sessions in the AHS career center.

A representative, typically an admissions officer, from the
university opens up the session by discussing academic
programs, campus life, extracurriculars, etc. available at the
school.

“I think   that college visits at the career center are helpful
most of    the time,” senior Samuel Berhe said. “You end up
learning   things about the school or about college in general
that you   didn’t know before.”

This is followed by an opportunity for students in attendance
to ask the representative questions they have regarding the
university. Questions range from broad inquiries to specific
and personal to a student.

“I usually try to get a feel for and information about what
the campus life is like at the school and the different
activities that are available there,” Berhe said.

Representatives from colleges that hold visits in the career
center also provide guidance and information on the
application process including requirements such as SAT and ACT
scores, submission of a transcript, teacher recommendations,
etc.

Also   typically   discussed   are   deadlines   for   application
submission. Whether it be early action, early decision, or
regular decision, these application deadlines may vary from
school to school.

Students interested in attending college visits are able to
sign up through the Naviance Student (formerly known as Family
Connection) tab on their FCPS Blackboard account.

Through Naviance, students can scroll through the list of
upcoming visits and register to attend visits for their
schools of interest. Due to the popularity of some schools,
some visits at the career center have a limited number of
spots available.

Upcoming college visits this week include the University of
Maryland, Radford University, Northwestern University, and
Mount St. Mary’s University. These visits are scheduled
throughout the day and take place during class meaning that
students must be excused by their teacher in order to attend.

In addition to the college visits to the career center,
students can also sign up for college fairs through Naviance
including the Catholic College Fair on Oct. 3, FCPS College
Fair on Oct. 14, etc.

Students applying to four year colleges are highly encouraged
to attend college visits at the career center as they are a
key opportunity to learn more about schools of interest.

“The most helpful aspect of the visits which some do not
always realize is how finding out details about the schools
can help you decide on where you want to go,” Berhe said.

Homecoming Dresses; Online or
In-Store?
With Amazon, eBay and a million other shopping websites and
apps, I think it’s safe to say that the majority of people
have ordered something online. We all know it can be a little
risky, but we do it anyway because it’s way easier than going
to a store. Any girl who’s attending any sort of event knows
the endeavor of finding the right dress. Whether it’s
Homecoming, Prom, a formal, or any other party, it can get
difficult. Especially with Homecoming being this Saturday and
so early in the year, it can be very short notice to find a
dress. Is it too risky to order a dress online or should you
spend hours in a store looking for the right one?

Online shopping is a very quick and easy option for people who
are too busy to look in a store. One of the many advantages of
online shopping is that finding simple dresses for cheaper
prices is made easier for the customer. Sites make it so you
can shop by price, color, and brand, which not only makes it
faster but helps you stay within budget.

Although, you should still be careful with ordering online
because some online stores may not be reliable, so you must
make sure to check reviews on the sites before buying or order
from stores that you know have actual locations.

On the contrary, when buying in store, you can try it on and
ensure that you like it. By buying online, a “medium” in one
store can be different from another. This a major benefit of
shopping in a store because you can make sure that it fits
nicely. Even though stores may seem the more expensive option,
they tend to have many discounts and clearance sales.

You shouldn’t stress about something that could be so
uncomplicated. Any dress, cheap or expensive, ordering online
or bought in a store, will guarantee that you have a fun
night.

The     Filament’s      first
auditions of the school year
The first day of auditions for the Filament’s annual Coffee
House was held today and will continue tomorrow, Sept.18,
after school in room 270B. The first official Coffee House
date will be on Sept. 26, and this event will be held in the
Bistro after school.

This event is held to showcase students creative and artistic
abilities, which sometimes may not have as much of a platform
to be shared on. Acts typically consist of many singers, some
acting, and dancing.

As opposed to having only two Coffee Houses a year as they
did previously, Filament will be holding one Coffee House
every other month- leading to a total of five Coffee Houses.

This gives students more of an opportunity to display their
talents, whether they want to perform now, or at the end of
the year.

“Our school is very talented, and only having two events does
not do us justice in trying to show the potential that
everyone has,” senior Ephrata Yohannes said. Yohannes is one
of the Co-captains in Filament and has been a member for three
years.

Along with this, hosting more events gives the leaders of
Filament more of a platform to share what they are and what
they do.

This year, Creative Writing is a class which is provided for
students who want to better their writing abilities. With the
help of English teacher Soo-Jin Le, who is also Co-Advisor for
the Filament, students practice writing, which could also be
shared on the stage.

“With the creation of Creative Writing, students can also
share their poetry in Coffee House, which we have a lack of
from time to time,” senior Ephrata Yohannes said.

Atoms Writing Center kicks
off school year
The Atoms Writing Center will be officially opening up for
business this school year on Sept. 17.

In past years, the Writing Center has always been lending a
helping hand to students through tutoring them on their
writing assignments.

As in past years, the Writing Center will be open during R5
and W4/Pride Time for any students who need assistance.

The club will introduce a few changes this school year that
vary from past years.

“We are getting better organized every year,” Atoms Writing
Center Director Stephanie Hanson said. “We are setting up and
opening up a bit earlier than we have before.”

The Writing Center will be holding a freshman program again
this year where freshman English students and classes will be
invited and introduced to the Writing Center.

Freshmen will have the opportunity to learn more about the
operations of the Writing Center and work on practice writing
while getting tutoring help from AWC tutors.

“I became a tutor for the Writing Center because I thought it
was a really good opportunity to help,” senior Neyda Villatoro

said. “Overall, my favorite part of the tutoring process is
just helping the students who come in and making sure they
receive the help that they seek.” .

In addition to the freshmen program, the AWC is currently
organizing times for seniors who are working on college essays
to attend the Writing Center and receive help.

As a club, the Writing Center is working on placing more focus
on the brainstorming and prewriting processes this year rather
than the revision process.

“We are working on learning how to tutor someone who comes in
with nothing,” Hanson said.

AWC tutors provide help to all students at any stage of the
writing process.

“You do not need to have a completed draft to come in the
Writing Center,” Hanson said. “If a student is really
struggling to start an assignment or procrastinating for some
reason, we will help them out.”

In addition to tutoring, the AWC will be holding workshops
this year as well posting blogs to their online website.

AWC blog posts provide helpful writing tips and advice either
in general or about specific writing assignments given in
classes.

To check out the Atoms Writing Center website and blog posts,
click here.

“I always love seeing the Writing Center in action,” Hanson
said. “It makes me really happy every time there are people in
there to be tutored and tutors step up to help them.”

Improv Comedy Club has first
meeting
The Improv Comedy Club, a relatively new club at AHS, had
their first meeting on Sept. 12.

Now in its third year, the club is open to all who are
interested in joining     and   participating   in   theatrical
improvisation.

Members of the club perform scenes with improvisational acting
and without a script or prior preparation. Scenes or games
performed by members of the club typically have a comedic
sense to them.

The sheer randomness and humor involved in the making of these
scenes allow participants to express themselves freely through
spontaneous acting.

When performing scenes, participants may be randomly asked to
complete certain tasks or incorporate random objects into the
scene.

“My favorite part is seeing a scene come together,” senior
Kyle Dalsimer said. “People bringing random pieces into the
scene and seeing it all come together is hilarious.”

In addition, the club also participates in live performances
and shows as well as at competitions.

The Improv Comedy Club is quite different and   varies from the
acting done in the theatre class. Rather than   having a script
and memorizing lines, improvisational acting     requires swift
decision-making and quickly figuring out the     direction of a
scene.

“Playing the different scenes, events and games allows us to
tests ourselves,” Dalsimer said. “It also provides us with the
opportunity of just having a good time,” Dalsimer said.

New members to the club are excited about having the
opportunity to join in the unrehearsed acting.

“I think it will be a very nice way to express myself,”
freshman Jewel Coulter. “I like the idea of incorporating
random variables into our scenes on the spot.”

The club typically meets every Friday and will hold multiple
performances and shows throughout the school year.

Creative Writing introduces
new spoken word poetry
Creative Writing students will have the rare opportunity to
learn from a spoken word teacher and artist, Regie Cabico.

A spoken word pioneer, Cabico has had many television credits
including Tedx, HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, NPR’s Snap Judgement and
MTV’s Free Your Mind. He has also won top prizes in three
National Poetry Slams.

Cabico will be working alongside English and Creative Writing
Teacher Soo Jin Lee in spoken word poetry workshops.

The beginning unit for the Creative Writing class will be
poetry where students will not only be writing poems but also
performing in front of live audiences.

“I really want students to be engaged with the poetry unit,”
Lee said. “I think that memorizing their poems and performing

it in front of a live audience will make it more exciting.”

Through the wide-open window for creativity in the class,
students will be able to write their own poetry and perform it
to their liking in a spoken word fashion.

“I hope that everyone will be empowered by the time they
perform their own words because everyone has a story,” Lee
said.

Spoken word poetry workshops will be taking place not only in
the Creative Writing class but in the Strategies for Success
class as well.

Creative Writing, a new class to AHS this school year has
sparked interest from many students.

The class has an interesting and unique curriculum which
intends to enhance and allow for more student expression
through multiple forms of writing and literature.

With this being the first school year where spoken word poetry
is available for students, there is strong hope that the
program will continue to grow and branch out in coming years.

“It would be awesome if we have a spoken word club in the
future or student communities for spoken word that naturally
come out of what we do this school year,” Lee said.

Ultimately, spoken word opens up opportunities for student
expression through writing and performing while also
encouraging students to work outside of their comfort zones.

“I want students to feel poetry is live and real so that they
can embody it,” Lee said. “I also want them all to know that
their voice counts.”

Classroom quads removed
In late June and early July of this year, the two trailer
quads behind the modular unit were removed from AHS. In total,
8 classrooms were lost, but most teachers located in the quads
have been relocated inside the school building.

The quads were transported to other schools in the county with
a greater demand for classroom space.

The area originally occupied by the quads will now be used as
additional parking space.

In addition to that, during the end of August, five of the
small brown trailers next to the modular unit was removed. The
trailers were previously used as semi-storage units.
Additionally, the conditions of the trailers were unsuitable
to be used as classrooms anymore. The area will eventually be
plowed with new grass.

The removal the quads and trailers was not a school decision.
Every school in Fairfax County goes through an annual review
that measures how effectively a school utilizes their
capacity.

Upon their review, it was noted that the trailers were not
used as classrooms and could be removed. Moreover, the county
noted that if the quads were removed, AHS could make up for
the loss in the school building.

“We do have some teachers who are changing classrooms or
sharing classrooms,” Principal Tim Thomas said. “We are
fortunate to be in a situation at Annandale where teachers can
have their own rooms.”

There will be no guarantee that AHS will regain additional
trailers.

AHS welcomes Class of 2022
With the first week of the school year in the books, the new
freshmen Class of 2022 is settling into and getting adjusted
to school at Annandale.

With transitioning from middle school to high school being a
significant leap for most, incoming freshmen had the
opportunity to learn more about their classes and the school
as a whole at freshmen orientation on Aug. 23.

The incoming class was met with cheers from the Leadership
class and cheerleaders as many of them entered AHS for the
first time.

Orientation began at the auditorium where staff members
provided brief speeches and an introduction to the school to
the incoming class.

After this, the students proceeded to go through their red day
schedule and find out where all of their classes are located
and get the chance to meet their teachers and classmates for
the first time.

Leadership students and staff members lined the hallways to
provide the new students with directions to their classes.

After cycling through all of their red day classes, the
freshmen went through the same process for their white day
schedules as well.

Once they toured all of their classes, the freshmen were

directed to the gymnasium for a pep rally where the marching
band performed school fight songs and cheerleaders performed
alongside them.

The Leadership class also set up an entertaining game of
musical chairs during the pep rally.

Principal Tim Thomas gave a brief speech to the Class of 2022,
motivating the new class to work hard in their upcoming school
year.

“I’m a big fan of the pep rally myself,” Thomas said. “Hearing
the band perform, watching the cheerleaders and having
leadership set up activities is just exciting.”

While talking to the Class of 2022, Thomas provided advice
including tips on how to be successful.

“My main message to the incoming freshmen class is to keep
things simple like doing their homework and coming to class on
time,” Thomas said. “I would also really encourage everyone to
find at least one adult in the building that they could
connect with and have a strong relationship with.”

Making Ice Cream at Nicecream
If you are craving a sweet, refreshing treat not too far away,
Nicecream is that perfect place to go. Sure, you could go to
Baskin Robbins or the grocery store and pick out the normal,
same old typical flavors of ice cream. But why spend your
money on boring old ice cream when you can treat yourself to
something special at Old Town, Alexandria that is handmade
from a local shop called Nicecream?

Senior Rebecca Tecle
                                    makes  ice   cream  at
                                    Nicecream   with   the
                                    KitchenAid mixers and
                                    liquid nitrogen.

They make the ice cream right in front of you… with liquid
nitrogen. As you explore the cute little town of Alexandria,
make sure you stop at 726 King Street and treat yourself.

As you decide what you want to order, employees like senior
Rebecca Tecle dumps the ingredients into one of the multiple
KitchenAid mixers on the counter, and then adds liquid
nitrogen to solidify the mixture, resulting in ice cream.
Nicecream’s ice cream is unique “because it just tastes better
than other ice cream shops and I really like the consistency
and it’s creamier and fun. Plus I like how they make the ice
cream,” Tecle said.

Nicecream has a complex process of making the ice cream. The

ice cream is made by a milk, cream, and sugar base and
depending on the flavor. “For one of our more popular flavors,
honey lavender, we pour the base in and take a teaspoon of
lavender and squeeze a bottle of honey for two seconds. Then
we pour in the liquid nitrogen and it goes from liquid to
solid,” Tecle said.

However, the flavors available in the shop vary day to day
because they rotate the flavors. “My favorite flavor is
definitely caramel latte because I love caramel and I love
coffee and they put them together to make a really delicious
flavor,” Tecle said. She highly recommends going to Nicecream
due to its unique flavors, creamy textures, and high quality
ice cream.

A 3 ounce small sized cup costs $4.99 while a regular 5 ounce
cup cost $5.99. “The price may be a lot, but you know what the
ingredients are and it’s being made right in front of you so
there are n secrets about what’s in it. Also, it’s just a fun
place to go,” Tecle said.