![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)
I Paused My Game To Be Here!
As the Esports Club started to gain popularity, they were given new competition opportunities and began to charge into online battles.
Sophomore Chhaya Sou, sophomore Brian Pham, and junior Christopher Danh compete in a game of League of Legends, an online MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game that pits players against each other as they attempt to destroy their enemy’s base. The esports club hosts weekly competitions, where members compete against teams from other schools.“It’s been a really fun time,” Pham said. “You get to play games with good friends, meet friends, and be a little bit more competitive, unlike other clubs.”
January 17, 2023
As the new school year brings plenty of new clubs to Rock Ridge, Esports Club is an extracurricular that stands out from the rest. Esports allows students to share their passion for video games with one another through fun games, tournaments, and competitions. The club is sponsored by math and computer math teacher Logan Flannigan who joined Rock Ridge High this year. “I love esports, I’ve been following it for about 15 years now,” Flannigan said. “It’s a big passion of mine.”
As the club continues to grow, they plan on reaching more players around the school to join their team and find others who enjoy the sport as well.
Flannigan acts as a coach for his students and teaches them how to play and win games. Due to his dedication, the esports team has grown. “It’s been relatively small these past few years,” senior Donovan Nguyen, a member of the professional team for esports, said. “This year [the club has doubled] its size and we actually have a competitive team this year.”
Currently, the Esports Club is meeting during gray days on Fridays during the activity block. They meet in room 1212 and host games such as Minecraft, League of Legends, and Super Smash Bros. During competitions, however, they only host two games: League of Legends and Super Smash Bros.
In order to play, each player must pay at least $75 to enter the tournament. On Nov. 15, the Esports Club competed in their sixth competition against another school. As the students participated in a game of League of Legends, they had Flannigan to guide them along the way. Not only did they have the help of Flannigan, but also they had their competition team leader junior Christopher Danh. “I usually help them with what they can improve on,” Danh said. “[I do] what [I] can do to help, kind of like a coach.”
As the Esports Club continues to develop, sophomore Josh Bell rejoined for his second year because of the club’s positive qualities. “It’s competitive gameplay, and seeing the skill of other people, testing your skill against other people, gives me a sort of joy,” sophomore Josh Bell said. “When you play games a lot, sometimes you want to fight against a certain set of people with a certain type of skill as you. That’s what brought me in.”
Sophomore Brian Pham, a member of the League of Legends competition team, felt that through esports, students can develop friendships without having much gaming experience.“The best moments [are] when we actually just play together [and] have fun,” Pham said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s too competitive or not, we’re always there for each other, we always have our [teammates’] backs.”
Even though some people may not be perfect players, Pham explains that students still help each other during matches. “If we make a mistake, we’re not going to blame each other for it, [we’re] just going to help each other, aid each other, and we’ll get better as a team,” Pham said.
Although sophomore Nitya Matcha may not be a part of the competitive team, she still experiences the other qualities of the Esports Club. “I think my favorite part is playing in person because if it was online, I feel like we wouldn’t really get the team bonding like we do,” Matcha said. “Since we play in the school, it’s more fun.”
![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)
