An interactive timeline of the students’ experience in the U.S. as they learn about American culture.
Rock Ridge hosts and delegates gather together at the farewell dinner. (Photo by Rida Ali)
May 20, 2019
Shradha is a senior and third-year staff member of The Blaze. This is her second year as the editor in chief. When she isn't reading or writing, you can find her crafting scathing reviews of Netflix originals...
Proud owner of 734 make up palettes, Rida Ali enjoys playing with colors— and design. When she isn’t fervently rewatching Grey’s Anatomy, you can find her pining over fonts.
![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)
![On Nov. 22, students and staff competed against each other during the ninth annual Student vs. Staff Volleyball Game. The game ended with a 36-30 victory for the students, marking their third consecutive win and bringing the overall series to 6-3 in favor of the students.
The game was competitive, drawing significant anticipation as the teachers sought to even the score after last year’s loss. “We kind of know the strengths of people,” social sciences teacher Steven Mobley said. “There's a lot of staff emails actually going on about it, like who wants to play where and who wants to play when. So we're communicating a lot more this year than previous years.”
While members of the staff team focused on playing strategy and communicating with each other, the students walked into the game with specific goals they wanted to achieve. “I’m not violent, [but] I want to try to get Mr. Clear, and if not him, I want to get Ms. Leach,” senior Rishit Choudhari said. “I want to see Mr. Clear upset and frowning.”
The game began with the students and staff tying with a score of 10-10 in the first set. However, the students edged ahead during the second set, having a strong lead of 25-19. The final set saw both teams exchanging points in a close contest, but the students pulled away in the final minutes to secure the 36-30 win.
Senior Mihir Peta was crowned MVP for the second time, his first after the 2022 Students vs. Staff Volleyball Game for his dedication to ensuring the student team won. “I don't want to sound cocky, but it was expected, to be honest,” Peta said. “I won it sophomore year, I should have won it junior year, but I couldn't play. So I came back for redemption senior year.”
✏️ and 📷 by Ananya Karthik, Sophie King, and Shivu Sathe](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)