![Junior Diya Arun stares out a window. For Arun, the winter season brings out the holiday blues. “ I think [the winter] has a negative effect on my mental health because I feel like the cold weather and people around me are also sadder [and] that affects me,” Arun said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_8047-1200x800.jpg)
![French teacher Marieme Toure serves a plate of the Senegalese food she prepared for her AP French Language and Culture class, to senior Faiza Syed. “I never had Senegalese food before,” Syed said. “I thought it was so cool that she was able to bring a part of her culture [and] background to us.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_0798-1200x906.jpeg)
![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)
Phoenix Clash with Lightridge Lightning in Final Softball Game
The Phoenix girls varsity softball played against the Lightning on May 18. The game ended with a score of 9-1 with the Lightning winning the game.
Junior Maddy Springer attempts to swing at the coming softball, allowing her team to advance to further bases on the field. “We should go in expecting to win and we need to have high hopes and good spirits,” sophomore Emma Spielman said.
June 15, 2022
On May 18, the Phoenix Girls Varsity Softball team played against the Lightridge Lightning. The game ended with the Lightning winning 9-1 against the Phoenix. The Lightning had an early lead in the game, however, the Phoenix were able to score a run during the 5th inning.
The Phoenix entered the game with high hopes. “I’m going into this game with my head held high and I just really want to beat this team,” sophomore Emma Spielman said. The Phoenix has had a rough season, but the team has kept morale up throughout the games. This was the final game of the season, so many of the team members had goals that they wanted to achieve through this game. “I want to get at least one run in and one or two outs,” Spielman said. “[But] also have fun.”
Despite the loss, many on the team held their heads high, enjoying their last game of the season. “All that matters is that we played our hardest,” sophomore Aishwarya Salur said.
The next softball season will occur during spring of the 2022-2023 school year.
![On Friday, Dec. 20, the varsity Phoenix wrestling team embarked on a two-day tournament against 32 other high schools spanning from Loudoun County to other states. This year, Rock Ridge High School hosted the highly anticipated tournament and decked out the main gym for the occasion, donning six full-sized wrestling mats with the Phoenix logo and clearing out space for coaches, managers, and administrators alike. Every open seat in the stands was filled with family and friends of the players, making a lively environment for the players.
King of the Rock started at 4:00 p.m. and lasted until 9:00 p.m on Friday. Every player on every team had the opportunity to go up against another player for three rounds, with each of them lasting two minutes. The preparation for this has gone on since the beginning of the season in their practices, and their previous meets have been leading up to this specific tournament. “During practices, I’ve been doing a lot of conditioning [and] making sure my body is [as] healthy as it can be,” junior Julian Serna said. “I’ve been doing [all] the moves and techniques our coaches are telling us to do, [too].”
The second day of King of the Rock started at 9:00 a.m on Dec. 21, and ended at 3:00 p.m. South Carroll High School in Sykesville, Md. took the win for the entire tournament. Juniors Nathan Martinez and Elijah Whitfield both placed sixth in their individual weight classes, bringing in a win for the Phoenix.
✏️ and 📷 by Maya Coleman, Bella Gerardi, and Sophie King](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)