![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)
![Senior Fatima Qaderi grew into the person she wanted to become when she was younger and continues to work towards growing more confident in using her voice when it matters. “I didnt get treated the way I wanted to be treated, and I realized that it wasnt just them treating me the wrong way, it was me treating me the wrong way,” Qaderi said. “I forced them to like to look at me in a way where Im someone who needs to be respected; they cant just disregard me, they cant just look over me because I have a different opinion, because Im a woman, because Im Afghan, because Im Muslim, or whatever. It just took going through different experiences to figure out how [I wanted to] be heard.” Photo courtesy of Fatima Qaderi.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_3870.jpeg)
![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)
![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-1-1094x1200.png)
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.
![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-600x400.jpg)
![Senior Fatima Qaderi grew into the person she wanted to become when she was younger and continues to work towards growing more confident in using her voice when it matters. “I didnt get treated the way I wanted to be treated, and I realized that it wasnt just them treating me the wrong way, it was me treating me the wrong way,” Qaderi said. “I forced them to like to look at me in a way where Im someone who needs to be respected; they cant just disregard me, they cant just look over me because I have a different opinion, because Im a woman, because Im Afghan, because Im Muslim, or whatever. It just took going through different experiences to figure out how [I wanted to] be heard.” Photo courtesy of Fatima Qaderi.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_3870-600x471.jpeg)
