Aarohi Motwani, News Section Editor
Aarohi Motwani is a junior who is currently on her second year of the newspaper staff! She has loved reading and writing ever since she learned to do so. Joining newspaper class has helped her in other aspects such as interviews outside of school or simply in other English classes. Alongside journaling and reporting, Aarohi has been interested in photography from a young age. She feels as though her family has always emphasized news, and what's going on in the world. Going into this new school year, Aarohi is looking forward to AP chemistry, Newspaper Journalism, AP Psychology, and band!
![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.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSC_0911-900x600.jpg)
![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.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Aiden-Patel-900x600.jpg)
![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.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DSC_0070-900x630.jpg)
![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.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DSC_0524-900x600.jpg)
![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.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/use-this-e1676057711919-900x883.jpg)
![Principal cello senior Sydney Pascual plays her solo piece: “Cello Suite No. 3 Sarabande” by Johann Sebastian Bach. “She has a lovely sound, a nice tone,” orchestra director Teresa Gordon said. “She always has, I remember when she was a freshman, taking notice of how beautiful her [playing was].”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/6-IMG_2060-e1685552671223-731x900.jpg)
![As social media becomes more popular among teenagers, many are affected in negative ways. Sophomore Zahra Amusa believes that social medias growing popularity is one of the reasons why it has such an immense impact on teenagers and their beauty standards. “I think I can speak for myself and everyone when I say that social media has negatively impacted everyone because most people have it these days and have [in some way] been affected by it,” Amusa said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Beauty-Standards-900x506.jpg)
![Freshmen Ameya Darade and Arnav Das are finishing their second year of friendship, and in that short amount of time, they have become inseparable. Their friendship has always been one full of laughter and jokes. “[Das] always knows how to make something funny,” Darade said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_4638-900x675.png)
![Principal John Duellman smiles while reflecting on how far the current senior class has come since they were freshmen. During the Principal’s Report, Duellman mentioned some of the major accomplishments made possible by the seniors, and followed that with how the school could celebrate them. “There are a few surprises coming up that I can’t talk about,” Duellman said. “There are some really good [celebrations planned].”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/FBAF8E42-6ADA-496B-991F-B7D5FB0B8319_1_201_a-900x600.png)
![Surrounded by her fellow HBCU alumni, Director of Equity and Virginia State University graduate Lottie Spurlock talks to the audience about why attending an HBCU was right for her. “I don’t know if I appreciated it then like I do know, but going through attending [an HBCU], I felt like I was not robbed of any college experience,” Spurlock said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DSC_4866-2-900x605.jpg)
![After the ceremony, the top students line up on stage with their teacher honorees and look out into an auditorium full of their proud families. “[The students] are confident, passionate, they work hard, but they don’t compete against each other,” Principal John Duellman said. “They’re just genuinely good human beings.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/DSC_0056-900x630.jpg)
![Sitting next to her teacher honoree, social studies teacher Victoria Webb, senior Akshara Somu enjoys a meal and engages in conversation with Webb and other people sitting at her table. “[Webb] is an amazing teacher, and I think our school is so lucky to have such a passionate history teacher,” Somu said. “It’s amazing that it’s only her second year of teaching.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/DSC_0515-900x600.jpg)
![After directing “When I Rise Up” by Donald Moore, the second song of the concert, Assistant Choir Director Terrian Jennings faces the audience to present the choir and take a bow. Jennings came in to help Choir Director Jordan Markwood prepare for the concert while he was away for meetings related to his Teacher of the Year award. “Once I was able to open up for the kids, they were able to open up for me on stage, and that’s been my favorite part [of preparing for the concert],” Jennings said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/DSC_0523-900x600.jpg)
![At the meeting, sophomore Jagadeepram Maddipatla, a student equity ambassador, discussed how the school can be more inclusive. Maddipatla commented on the school’s efforts towards diversity and inclusion with a form where students can anonymously talk about their challenges. “I think [the survey is] a pretty important resource,” Maddipatla said. “It provides a lot of feedback to the county and if more people knew about it, then more people would use it.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/RRHS-PTSO-900x900.jpg)
![Sophomore Jai Kashyap (left) and senior Pawan Kashyap (right) sit across from each other as they perform the carnatic section. Carnatic music is a style of music traditionally played in southern India, whose primary rhythmic accompaniment is an Indian drum called the mridangam. “When I’m playing [mridangam] I represent my culture, and it means a lot to me,” Jai Kashyap said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DSC_0359-900x600.jpg)
![The PTSO agreed to fund travel fees for a speaker at English teacher Jessica Berg’s women’s summit that will be held on Mar. 26. “It was so amazing to have [the PTSO’s] support,” Berg said. “I was on cloud nine.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/RRHS-PTSO-1-900x900.jpg)
