• Important Dates -->
  • Sept 5 - Sept 8: Spirit Week
  • Sept 7: Back to School Night
  • Sept 8: Pep Rally
  • Sept 10: PTSO community 5K
  • Sept 12: Senior Parent Meeting and PTSO meeting
  • Sept 22: Senior Breakfast
The Student News Site of Rock Ridge High School

THE BLAZE
Junior Ruth Gemechu guides her blindfolded partner, junior Kailyn Fetterman, as they try to stack cups.
Kicking off the School Year With Spirit Week
SPED Dean Jesse Hudson fist bumps sophomore Keira Bacas as she steps out of the school bus to begin her first day of school on Aug. 24. Teachers and students were excited to return back to school for Rock Ridges 10th year and were looking forward to starting the school year with new projects.
Welcome Back, Phoenix!
Senior Akanksha Potluri and her little sister paint her designated parking spot, inspired by her graduating year. Potluri enjoyed painting her spot. “I am doing the route 24 sign and then putting ‘the end of the road’ at the bottom,” Potluri said. “I just thought it would be cool because [it is] a little fun and creative.”
Parking Spot Picassos: Seniors Bring Creativity and Color to Start the Year Off Strong
Founded in 2019 by Erica Sullivan, who has a history of skin cancer in her family, Low Ultraviolet is a small, Virginia-based business aiming to “outshine skin cancer” by producing fashionable clothing articles with UPF 50+ protection, for younger women.
Rock Ridge Alumni Works to Outshine Skin Cancer One Stitch at a Time
Sophie King plans to continue following her passion for horseback riding after high school, but for now, she enjoys spending her time schooling horses twice a week.
Talking to Something That Can’t Talk Back: The Story of Sophie King
Founded in 2019 by Erica Sullivan, who has a history of skin cancer in her family, Low Ultraviolet is a small, Virginia-based business aiming to “outshine skin cancer” by producing fashionable clothing articles with UPF 50+ protection, for younger women.
Rock Ridge Alumni Works to Outshine Skin Cancer One Stitch at a Time
Phoenix Profiles: Humans of Rock Ridge
Phoenix Profiles: Humans of Rock Ridge
LCPS has experimented with the schedule in the past, leading to much controversy. Students and staff are left with mixed feelings regarding this years schedule change.
The New Schedule: the Positive, the Negative, and the Neutral
Volume V, Issue II: Winter 2022
Volume V, Issue II: Winter 2022
Return to The Rock
Return to The Rock
The U.S. Capitol on the morning of President Bidens Inauguration.
Road To The Presidency
A distorted image of an I Voted sticker from Loudoun County. (Photo courtesy of Katy Greiner)
What’s A Rumor You’ve Heard About The Election?
The general election, and final day to vote, will take place on Nov. 3. In Virginia, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What To Expect On Decision Day: Ins and Outs Of Following A Major Election
President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 5, 2019. (White House/Shaelah Craighead)
Trump Agrees on New Spending Bill; Promises an Emergency Declaration
After fighting hard, the Phoenix and Bobcats congratulate each other on a game well played. While the game went on for four sets, ending with a victory for the Bobcats, the Phoenix kept their energy and enthusiasm at a max until the match point was won. “When [the team loses] a point or they start getting down, theyre good at not letting themselves fall into a hole,” assistant coach Whitney Leach said. “They’re really good at staying positive, pulling themselves up, and keeping that energy going during games.”
Phoenix Volleyball Faces First Loss of the Season
Celebrating a victorious end to his decade long hunt for the famed Stanley Cup, left winger and captain for the Washington Capitals, Alexander Ovechkin cheers on the celebrating fans at the championship parade in June of 2018. Simply known by many hockey fans as “Ovi,” Ovechkin has changed the game worldwide. Hailing from Russia, and largely known as one of the greatest players to ever play the sport (as he currently sits at number two on the all time goals scored list), he has single handedly grown the game in the D.C. Metropolitan area to unprecedented heights.
Breaking the Ice: Phoenix Hockey Club and the Stanley Cup Finals
Senior Keerthi Uppalapati volleys the ball over the net. “My best memory with the team was with coach Neal after states last year,” Uppalapati said. “It was very nice and it was just a great team bonding moment.”
Phoenix Girls Tennis Sweep Patriots Off the Court
Senior Sarah Baig holds surprise gifts from her teammates as a celebration of her senior night.
Phoenix Girls Lacrosse Celebrate Senior Night Against the Patriots
Junior Carter Divalerio dribbles the ball to keep it away from Captains. “It was a rough season, there were some ups and downs, we took some Ls, but well bounce back next season,” Divalerio said.
Phoenix Commanded by the Captains
After fighting hard, the Phoenix and Bobcats congratulate each other on a game well played. While the game went on for four sets, ending with a victory for the Bobcats, the Phoenix kept their energy and enthusiasm at a max until the match point was won. “When [the team loses] a point or they start getting down, theyre good at not letting themselves fall into a hole,” assistant coach Whitney Leach said. “They’re really good at staying positive, pulling themselves up, and keeping that energy going during games.”
Phoenix Volleyball Faces First Loss of the Season
Senior Ethan Strine gets in position for the next play. “Even our juniors, sophomores, our younger guys, it really felt like all of our last games, even though they have next year and the year after,” Strine said. “It was just a team that we were all a part of. This whole season was very memorable for all of us.”
Seniors Appreciate Last Moments at Their Final Home Game
During halftime of the homecoming football game, senior Jack Capobianco wins homecoming royalty and is officially crowned by junior Maggie Miller. “I wasn’t expecting [winning homecoming royalty] at all,” Capobianco said. “I was very surprised but very excited.”
Phoenix Celebrate Homecoming With a Victory
Leaving the season behind, sophomore Aiden Patel walks along a golf course holding all his golf equipment. Patel, although not yet a senior, is already thinking about his future in golf. “Hopefully, [I’ll continue golf] in college, and if I can go pro, a 100%,” Patel said, “But if I cant, Ill probably just find a job.”
Putt-ing Another Season Away: Golf Season Recap
The Phoenix prepare to face the Huskies in a new play. “[We could improve by] focusing on trying to get people healthy, running the ball, and getting people work at different positions just in case [of] injuries,” Qadri said.
Huskies Put Out Phoenix Fire at Pink Out Game
As the 2022-2023 winter came to a close, teams across the state of Virginia competed for fame, glory, and titles.
Phoenix Athletes Rock Winter Championships
Ilias Cholakis attempts to pin down a struggling Spartan wrestler.
Phoenix Wrestling Reaches New Heights
In the final moments of the boys varsity game, Phoenix coach Jay Geyer lays out a gameplan to lock the Spartans down on the defensive end of the court and prevent them from scoring.
Phoenix Redeem Themselves in Clash with Spartans
At Rock Ridge’s home meet on Jan. 4, sophomore Micah Younger, junior Alyssa Tucker, and sophomore Lilia Jones line up at the start line for the Girls 55m Dash. “[The most difficult thing about this season] is that I’m not at my best right now, but I’m going to get there in [outdoor track],” Younger said.
Indoor Track & Field’s Record-Breaking Season Makes History
Senior Mehma Kathuria keeps the ball away from the Bolt defender. “Our game was together, we were playing with a new play,” Kathuria said. “[The Team’s] chemistry builds and gets better every game.”
The Battle of Ridges Results in Both Wins and Losses
Celebrating a victorious end to his decade long hunt for the famed Stanley Cup, left winger and captain for the Washington Capitals, Alexander Ovechkin cheers on the celebrating fans at the championship parade in June of 2018. Simply known by many hockey fans as “Ovi,” Ovechkin has changed the game worldwide. Hailing from Russia, and largely known as one of the greatest players to ever play the sport (as he currently sits at number two on the all time goals scored list), he has single handedly grown the game in the D.C. Metropolitan area to unprecedented heights.
Breaking the Ice: Phoenix Hockey Club and the Stanley Cup Finals
Senior Keerthi Uppalapati volleys the ball over the net. “My best memory with the team was with coach Neal after states last year,” Uppalapati said. “It was very nice and it was just a great team bonding moment.”
Phoenix Girls Tennis Sweep Patriots Off the Court
Senior Sarah Baig holds surprise gifts from her teammates as a celebration of her senior night.
Phoenix Girls Lacrosse Celebrate Senior Night Against the Patriots
Junior Carter Divalerio dribbles the ball to keep it away from Captains. “It was a rough season, there were some ups and downs, we took some Ls, but well bounce back next season,” Divalerio said.
Phoenix Commanded by the Captains
Junior Tarini Panidepu waits for her opponent to serve the ball. Panidepu has improved greatly over the course of the season. “I was definitely able to get my first serve percentage up,” Panidepu said.
#2 on the Court, #1 in our Hearts: Tarini Panidepu Takes on the World of Tennis
Released on April 5, The Super Mario Bros. Movie stands out in the world of cinematic renditions of video games, and proves a good video game movie is possible by making the top 20 list of highest grossing films of all time, and holds the third place spot for animated films.
Super Mario Bros.: A Video Game Movie Done Right
Freshman Parth Jaiswal strums his guitar. Because the performance was the last concert of the year, guitar teacher Teresa L. Gordon wanted her students to both enjoy and challenge themselves this time. “That was more of a challenge for the intermediate advanced artists just because there are four different parts in the music,” Gordon said. “But then the bass part, the fourth part, has more octaves and [moves] around like that, and chords in the third time. I think they enjoyed it for the most part.”
Rock Ridge Guitar Strikes the Right Chord at Their Spring Concert
Destroy Lonely goes on many people’s playlists and minds with the popularity of his release of his new album. The experimental aspect of the album gave it hype and interest to fans.
Destroy Lonely’s New Album “If Looks Could Kill” Goes Number 1 on Apple Music
Voces Virilis sings “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” arranged by Roger Emerson.
Singing the Last Verses
United Sound group members pose for a picture after the end of their first ever performance, where they played ‘Forward March’ by Paul Murtha alongside the Rock Ridge band Wing Ensemble. The United Sound group was founded this year with the mission to ‘Foster Social Change Through Music.’ The group meets twice weekly, where student-teachers of the band, orchestra and choir department help teach music to students with special needs.
Senior’s Say ‘Goodbye’ at Final Band Concert of the Year, While United Sound Members Greet ‘Hello’ With First Ever Performance
Superhero movies and TV shows have been slowly declining in popularity and demand from younger audiences in the past few years.
Are Superhero Movies Dying?
Three days after its initial release on May 12, Nintendo’s new game “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” sold ten million units around the world.
Tears of the Kingdom: A Long Awaited Adventure
“They Both Die At The End,” “HomeGoing,” and “Little Fires Everywhere” are some of the many books that are being challenged in a few states due to the “explicit content” contained within the pages.
Opinion: Banning Books: Ignorance in Action
Throughout the school year, female sports often face lower attendance compared to male sports. Students should be supporting their fellow peers to help them to aim for victory.
Opinion: Girl Sports are Here Too!
John Hopkins Medicine finds that chocolate is proven to enhance athletic performance, improve brain function, and provide energy throughout your day. However, this is only the case when it is eaten in reasonable amounts.
Happiness is One Rich and Delicious Bite Away
SPED Dean Jesse Hudson fist bumps sophomore Keira Bacas as she steps out of the school bus to begin her first day of school on Aug. 24. Teachers and students were excited to return back to school for Rock Ridges 10th year and were looking forward to starting the school year with new projects.
Welcome Back, Phoenix!
Class of 2023: 23 Questions with Jack Capobianco
Meet RRHS: Vaishnavi Raghunandan
The Unity
The Unity
Media by the Minute
Media by the Minute
SPED Dean Jesse Hudson fist bumps sophomore Keira Bacas as she steps out of the school bus to begin her first day of school on Aug. 24. Teachers and students were excited to return back to school for Rock Ridges 10th year and were looking forward to starting the school year with new projects.
Welcome Back, Phoenix!
Class of 2023: 23 Questions with Jack Capobianco
Meet RRHS: Vaishnavi Raghunandan
Book Bans: Silencing the Voices of Now
Book Bans: Silencing the Voices of Now
The Student News Site of Rock Ridge High School

THE BLAZE
The Student News Site of Rock Ridge High School

THE BLAZE

THE BLAZE

The Student News Site of Rock Ridge High School
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