Atoms baseball starts swinging strong

A-Blast2 months 1 week ago
The Atoms Varsity baseball team is preparing for their first set of games now that tryouts have ended. With only three short weeks to prepare for their first game of the season, the team has lined up two scrimmages which will allow them to experiment with their new group of players. To prepare for their...
Lily Rumpf and Leo Marzigliano

Tarot: Pentacles

A-Blast2 months 1 week ago
  The suit of pentacles in a classic deck of tarot cards has 14 cards, beginning with ace of pentacles going upward to the ten of pentacles, finishing with the court cards: the page, knight, queen, and king all of pentacles. The suit of pentacles governs our values, family, finances, as well as our sense...
Hannah Henderson, Staff Writer

New LAX talent brings high potential

A-Blast2 months 1 week ago
With over 5o students reporting for boy’s lacrosse tryouts this year compared to the 39 players in last year’s program, the Atoms are headed in the right direction.  New players will bring depth and diversity to the team as they strive to improve upon last year’s 1-12 record. According to Senior, Aiden Peterson, the team...
Andrew McGee, Staff Writer

February Horoscopes

A-Blast2 months 1 week ago
Pisces Season Depending on your time zone, Pisces Season begins on February 18th or 19th and lasts until March 19th. During Pisces season, it’s the season of trusting your instincts and going wherever they take you. This season invites you to remember that everything is existing, that everything unseen, spiritual, and tangible takes time. Aries ...
Hannah Henderson, Staff Writer

Beware of the algorithms working behind the scenes

A-Blast2 months 1 week ago
Have you ever thought about how much content there is on social media, with billions of people from all over the world posting daily? There’s just too many posts for you to see all of them. So who, or rather, what, decides what you see every time you open your favorite app? The answer can...
Jasmin Dinh and Sofia Saavedra

Parents are oversharing their children

A-Blast2 months 1 week ago
Facebook. Youtube. Instagram. Tiktok. All are top social media apps, but who is downloading them? When a new user first scrolls through these sites, they are bound to find photos of children that their parents have posted. “First day of school!” “Birthday bash!” “Just gave birth!” But why do these parents post these photos? For...
Rossy Soto and Munira Khalif

Phones in class: how do our teachers feel?

A-Blast2 months 1 week ago
Students throughout the day are often on their phones for whatever reason that might be. Phones may have numerous benefits, however students using phones in the classroom is often debated among teachers, parents, and students themselves. The issue of cellphone usage in class raises questions about its impact on learning, classroom management, and student behavior....
Sophia Sewall, Staff Writer

My life without a phone

A-Blast2 months 1 week ago
Cell phones are super convenient and useful devices that most people own. They help with day to day life aiding in things like quick google searches, checking the weather or watching an entertaining video. Many people also use it as a way to express themselves or to find some entertainment when they are bored. These...
Sarah Jawad, Staff Writer

4 ways to put your phone down

A-Blast2 months 1 week ago
Perhaps you’ve spent far too much time on your devices, and you’ve wasted the entire day away before you even know it. This is a common occurrence for many. It’s incredibly easy to keep scrolling and scrolling thanks to how easy new content is shoved into our faces. Here are five ways to take initiative...
Jasmin Dinh

Unexcused late passes: Helpful or just a waste of paper?

A-Blast2 months 1 week ago
Picture the scenario: you’re running late for school. You hastily complete the tardy form at the main entrance, snag a tardy pass, and rush to your class. However, upon handing it over to the teacher, you find yourself marked as an unexcused tardy, making you wonder the real efficacy of these passes.   This question...
Kelly Flores, Staff Writer

5 ways to stay safe safe on the road

A-Blast2 months 2 weeks ago
Getting behind the wheel might seem scary at first for some, especially considering that road traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death globally. According to the CDC, over 1.3 million people are killed on the road each year. Staying safe on the road should be your biggest priority, but this means more...
Jasmin Dinh, Co-Indepth Editor

The effect of lights on driving

A-Blast2 months 2 weeks ago
Social media, texting, and phone .Social media, texting, and phone calls. These are some of the things that first come to mind when distracted driving is mentioned, because they all require you to take your eyes off the road, and maybe even take your hands off the wheel. This split second decision can make the...
Jasmin Dinh and Sofia Saaverdra

Not as many teens behind the wheel

A-Blast2 months 2 weeks ago
While being a teenager a lot of new responsibilities can come along. Fortunately, the responsibility comes with new freedoms too. Driving is one of them, being able to go out with your friends and not having to take the bus are just some perks of being able to be behind the wheel. Yet since 1995...
Sofia Saavedra, Co-In-Depth Editor

Tarot: The Major Arcana

A-Blast2 months 3 weeks ago
  Tarot cards have been used for centuries by mystics, see-ers, witches, and fortune tellers. No one knows where they came from or what they were based upon. Even the word “tarot” has a scattered origin. The tarot deck is made up of 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana...
Hannah Henderson, staff writer

Another year, more Kali

A-Blast2 months 3 weeks ago
Young rich & in love is how Kali Uchis is feeling with the release of her 5th studio album, Orquideas.  29 year old Karly-Marina Loaiza better known as Kali Uchis, is a Colombian- American singer, songwriter, and fashion designer. Her musical journey began in Alexandria, VA where she was raised and attended Alexandria city highschool....
Kelly Flores and Anderson Guzman

Districts across the nation adopt a 4-day school week, is FCPS to follow?

A-Blast2 months 3 weeks ago
Remember back during the pandemic, when we had Mondays off? Even though everyone was scrambling due to the uncertainty of COVID – 19, students had free time to pursue their hobbies and relax. Many teachers and students alike have reminisced this year, wishing and yearning for FCPS to renew the 4-day school week. However, I...
Sofia Saaverdra, Co In-Depth Editor

Freshman adjust to a new lifestyle

A-Blast2 months 3 weeks ago
As we begin the school year, each grade level has been taking care of their responsibilities: seniors are finishing up their preparations for their next step after high school, juniors are getting ready for exams, and sophomores are kicking back as they have fully settled into the high school environment.  But where does this leave...
Jasmin Dinh, Co In-Depth Editor

Make meaningful connections through sports

A-Blast2 months 3 weeks ago
Everyone’s heard how fun sports are to play and how good they are for your physical health, but what you may not know is how much of the fun takes place off of the field, or how much it improves athletes’ state of mind.  The relationships made on sports teams are a big part of...
Sofia Saaverdra, Co In-Depth Editor

AI on the rise

A-Blast2 months 3 weeks ago
AI and other programs have been popping up around Annandale in recent years. Students have been using many programs such as chat gpt to cheat on homework, essays and assignments, but there has not been much coverage of AI use in schools recently. Does this mean the AI problem has gotten better or worse? “I...
Logan Barberis, Staff Writer

First-year teacher adjusts alongside students

A-Blast2 months 3 weeks ago
It’s not just students who have to adjust to new environments. First-year teacher Mariam Aburdeineh recently made a big career change from a journalist to a teacher. She has been slowly getting used to her life as a teacher for 9th grade English learners, and she is thrilled to have gotten the position. “It’s been...
Jasmin Dinh, Co In-Depth Editor
1 week 4 days ago
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