![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)
Orange You Glad You Go Here?
With the hope of bonding over a shared love of juice and similar drinks, juniors Dhaya Bharath, Tanisha Desai, Maddy Springer, and Anna Nguyen started the Juice Club. Meeting biweekly, the club has gained about 30 regular members, and congregates to drink mystery juices and engage in friendly competitions over the ultimate juice.
@rockridgejuiceclub on Instagram
Holding a cup filled with the meeting’s mystery juice, Juice Club members gathered on April 6 before school in science teacher Michael Clear’s room to try new juices, mingle, and eat snacks.
May 24, 2022
In November 2021, juniors Dhaya Bharath, Tanisha Desai, Maddy Springer, and Anna Nguyen wanted to start a club and thought of the juiciest idea—the “Juice Club.” An idea that started off as a joke eventually attracted much attention from the student body. “When I first advertised it a lot of people said they wanted to join,” Juice Club President Dhaya Bharath said. They started by finding science teacher Michael Clear to be their sponsor and advertised it all over social media.
The Juice Club has attracted over 30 regular members and together, they enjoy beverages including lemonade, hot chocolate, and shirley temples.
Juice Club meets every other week, and before meetings, they post the “mystery juice” for the following day’s meeting on their Instagram and members have to comment to guess what they think the mystery juice is. Their first meeting was an automatic hit, and it quickly turned into the organizers favorite memory. ¨We had so many juicers show up and everyone got along really well. I also really enjoyed the juice debates since everyone was so passionate,¨ Desai said.
The meeting ended with a love for juice, which was Springer’s favorite part. “I loved how Dhaya improvised for the first two minutes then we all started chanting “juice” at the end,¨ Springer said.
The club isn’t always smooth sailing, though. Organizers went through multiple challenges, including funding. ¨The biggest challenge was getting funding for all the juice, especially since we had so many members, but we figured it out and now there’s enough money in the club for juice for all,¨ Desai said.
The club also hosts various competitions related to juice. On April 6, they had an orange juice vs. apple juice competition in which members debated which juice was superior — apple juice ended up taking the prize. The people on team apple juice got to choose the juice for the next meeting.
Q: What’s your favorite part about Juice Club?
DB: My favorite part is how relaxing it is and how it adds something positive and fun before a long day at school.
Secretary Anna Nguyen: [I like] hanging out with people and enjoying different juices and snacks together.
TD: I love how, even though I don’t know many members, we can all come together with one common interest, juice, and it helps us bond as juicers. It always takes away the stresses of everyday life.
Market manager Maddy Springer: [My favorite part is] drinking juice; I get to have juice I haven’t had in years and try new ones that others recommend.
Q: What does Juice Club mean to you?
DB: Juice Club means community. Juice Club means happiness. Juice Club means perseverance. Juice Club means hydration. Juice Club means drinking club.
AN: Honestly it’s a community, juicers are family.
TD: Juice Club means peace and unity. No matter our differences we have we all become one as a juice club member and everyone is treated equally.
MS: Juice Club represents our friendship and how people can come together to enjoy little things like drinking juice and having fun with people you never talk to.
Q: What’s your favorite juice?
DB: My favorite juice is probably Shirley Temple or Arnold Palmer. I don’t think the [Shirley Temple] counts as juice, but in the Juice Club we enjoy things other than juice too.
AN: I can’t choose; there are so many great ones it would feel like betraying the others.
TD: My favorite is apple.
MS: My favorite juice is cranberry juice.
![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)
