![Standing center stage, senior Ananya Akula conducts the Phoenix Chorale. “[Conducting and teaching] is really fun,” Akula said. “Music education is what I want to do.” On the day of the choir assessment, Akula found out that she received the President’s Music Scholarship – a full ride to the University of Miami Frost School of Music.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ananya-1200x800.jpg)
![With the energy and effort the Bolts were bringing to the game, the Phoenix had to step up and match them to make it through their first game of the season. Many of the girls on the team, including freshman Nazly Rostom, have been playing soccer since their childhood and have grown a love for the sport as a result. “It was fun to see how we actually played in a [real] game,” Rostom said. “Even though the outcome was not what we were hoping for, I’m still happy we got to play together.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0154-1200x800.jpg)
![Held up by a group of cheerleaders, flyer sophomore Leyu Yonas poses as part of a stunt, also supported by flyer junior Shayne Mitchell behind her. (Left) Prior to the pink out football game on Oct. 13, the athletes practiced in the aux gym from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Right) On Oct. 19, the cheerleaders competed in their District Championships at Woodgrove High School. “We definitely put all our effort on the mat [at Districts], and it showed,” Mitchell said. Left: Photo by Nadia Shirr. Right: Photo by Steve Prakope via Victor O’Neill Studios.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/feature-image-1200x823.png)
![Sophomore Xavier Smith (6), the Phoenix quarterback, runs the ball as his teammates help hold up the defense. “My [offensive] line collapses, so I just [have to run], and its a good way to get first downs because [Tuscarora’s] defense was really good,” Smith said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/IMG_5383-1200x897.jpg)
![As the referee throws the ball up for the tip-off, freshman Simone Diby leaps towards the ball to get it in Phoenix possession. Diby is a new member of the Phoenix girls basketball team, and despite it being a change, she finds it enjoyable. “It’s definitely a different experience if you’ve never played on a team, [but] I think it’s still fun.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DSC_0057-1200x662.jpg)
It’s the most obnoxious time of the year
Christmas is a fun holiday, but the music makes it almost unbearable.
December 18, 2019
Ah, Christmastime. It’s easily my favorite time of the year due to the sheer amount of childhood memories I associate with it, and winter is simply a beautiful season. There’s gift-giving, cookie-making, sometimes some snow, and I get to spend time with my family. I love the magic of Christmas and its themes of kindness and bringing people together, and it’s truly a beautiful holiday. But even the most beautiful things have problems, and my biggest problem with Christmas–something that almost sours the season for me–is the music.
As a child, I didn’t mind the music one bit and quite enjoyed listening to it. Then I got older and, after hearing the same songs every year for so many years, I realized the music drove me completely and utterly nuts. The lyrics were heard far too often. The tune was way too familiar. The songs had lost their magic, and instead of adding to the enchanting feeling of the season, they made Christmastime virtually unbearable. Never have I once walked through a store after Halloween without hearing “Winter Wonderland” or “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and each time I hear these overplayed songs, I lose another brain cell. I don’t want a lot for Christmas, but there is just one thing I need: to never hear any of these notoriously obnoxious songs ever again.
While Christmas certainly wouldn’t be the same without these songs, as they help shape the holiday itself and give it its identity, it wouldn’t hurt shopping malls to play them a little less. Just when you finally get the songs from last Christmas out of your head, they’re back again for another round, driving you crazy right up until New Year’s.
Christmas is a wholesome, happy season, full of food, family, and togetherness — and it can be like that without the merciless playing of nonstop Christmas songs. Instead of hearing those torturous tunes over and over again, we should all spend the holidays being grateful for each other, being kind, and enjoying good food. That’s what Christmas is really about, and Mariah Carey has nothing to do with it.
![Gracing stages, football games, and even the big screen, Taylor Swifts popularity doesn’t seem to be declining anytime soon as she’s been almost everywhere on social media, and just this December, [Swift] won TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year award. This brought along magnificent pictures of Swift, articles praising her, and some controversy between Swifites (Swifts most devoted fans), and other people on whether or not she should have won this award.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/taylor-swift-person-of-the-year-1-547x600.png)
