![The Phoenix varsity volleyball team lines up for the national anthem. “We were more communicative [with each other] during this game, and I feel like we kept our energy up, especially after the first set,” senior Jessica Valdov said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0202-1200x800.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)
Seniors Celebrate National Decision Day
On May 6, seniors came together to enjoy a breakfast and celebrate their future paths while enjoying burritos, snapping pictures in their college gear, and decorating their caps as they prepare for their final weeks of high school.
Seniors Ashley Bademian, Vishal Mistry, and Aida Vera Marijani visit the cap decorating table in the gym after grabbing their burritos. After reviewing important dates with the seniors, Principal John Duellman announced the winners of the decorating contest—Marijani (“Most Creative”) and seniors Samantha Smith (“Funniest”) and Megan Hayes (“Most Powerful Message”)—who took home five dollar Starbucks gift cards.
May 16, 2022
On Monday, May 6, seniors gathered in the main gym at 8:30 a.m. for their second-to-last senior breakfast. As National Decision Day was on Sunday, May 1, Rock Ridge celebrated the event alongside the mandatory senior meeting. Students and staff wore shirts and sweatshirts representing their future college that they will attend in the fall or other post-graduate plans, such as joining the armed forces or entering the workforce.
Senior Darby Sherwood will be going to community college following graduation. Sherwood said that she specifically enjoyed learning about psychology in high school. “I think my psychology class stood out to me the most, because everyone had very authentic conversations,” Sherwood said.
Students attending Northern Virginia Community College were instructed to wear plain shirts via Remind from Career Center Specialist Mary Barnes and were given NOVA Nighthawks stickers to wear throughout the day.
After going through the buffet line to pick up their breakfast burritos, granola bars, juice, and candy, seniors gathered in the gym with their peers. As they enjoyed their breakfast, groups of students were called to get their photos taken with the students planning to attend nearby colleges. Staff judges also analyzed and picked winners for the graduation cap decorating competition.
Around 9 a.m, Principal Duellman began the senior meeting in the gym, reminding seniors of the important upcoming dates, including graduation practice on June 7, senior awards ceremony on June 9, final graduation practice on June 15, and graduation on June 16. During the meeting, the staff judges also announced the winners of the graduation cap decorating contest in three different categories: funniest, most creative, and most powerful message. Samantha Smith’s cap featuring the witty slogan “hotter by one degree” won the funniest cap, Aida Vera Marijani won the most creative with a self portrait silhouette adorned with a crown, and Megan Hayes won the most powerful message with a quote from the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The next and final senior breakfast for the class of 2022 will take place on June 15 at 8:30 a.m. before graduation practice.
![In a historic presidential election, voters nationwide turned out to make their voices heard. Virginia’s 10th congressional district had three key national positions up for election: president, senator, and representative.
In the race for the House of Representatives seat previously held by Democrat Jennifer Wexton, the Republican Party nominated Mike Clancy, while the Democratic Party put forward Suhas Subramanyam, a former Virginia General Assembly Senator. Subramanyam won the seat with a 52% majority.
For one of Virginia’s Senate positions, Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine and Republican challenger Hung Cao faced off. Kaine took the position with a 54% majority.
For the White House, current Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump fought to obtain the 270 electoral votes needed to get the bid. News outlets worldwide tracked the results live, with close attention to seven key battleground states: Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Wisconsin, Georgia, and North Carolina. Trump ultimately crossed the 270-vote threshold early on Nov. 6, with the swing states playing a pivotal role in his campaign’s success.
This election was the first presidential race for many Gen-Z voters, who entered a sharply polarized environment. Adela Booth, mother-in-law of Representative-Elect Subramanyam, traveled from Connecticut to support his campaign, encouraging young voters to engage in the political process. “Vote,” Booth said. “Get involved in politics. Even [if] you don’t think it applies to you, it applies to you. You will carry this debt. It will affect your grandchildren and you have to do something about it. You can’t sit back and watch anymore.”
✏️ and 📷 by Shivu Sathe](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)