• Important Dates -->
  • May 1-12: AP Exams and SOL Testing
  • May 4: PTSO Meeting
  • May 5-13: Spring Musical
  • May 8-12: Teacher Appreciation Week
  • May 15: Guitar Concert
  • May 16: Orchestra Concert
  • May 17: PTSO Parent Pep Rally
  • May 18: Chorus Concert
  • May 20: Prom
  • May 25: Band Concert
  • May 29: Memorial Day (Student Holiday)
The Student News Site of Rock Ridge High School

THE BLAZE
Whether you are an under or an upperclassmen, there is no right or wrong way to enjoy high school, as long as you make the moment last.
Upper Vs. Underclassman: The Views of High School
At their second meeting of the month, the school board discussed new course recommendations for current CTE courses, gun awareness and LGBTQ+ month.
School Board Discusses Gun Safety Awareness, Pride Month Proclamation, and Zone Changes
During Decision Day, the school set up a screen with college names where students could go up and pose in front of the college they are attending.
Final Senior Breakfast Ends With Decision Day
Class of 2023: 23 Questions with Jack Capobianco
Freshman Anthonya Lassissi skims through the Lit Mag after members go room to room passing out the magazines.
The Art Behind The Lit Mag
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
A collage of all of the students profiled. (All photos courtesty of the profiled students.)
Humans of Rock Ridge: Pandemic Profiles
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
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
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
Jennifer Virbickis huddles up with her team to discuss the game plan during a timeout as the Phoenix took on the Stone Bridge Bulldogs on April 19.
Back to Her Roots: Virbickis Returns to Phoenix Lacrosse
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
As freshman Nathan Martinez scoops up a ground ball, his teammate freshman Trevor Aucoin holds back the Atoms in an attempt to make room.
Boys Lacrosse: Tying for Victory
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
Senior Karis Adnan sets off the point by serving the ball to the opposing team. The Phoenix kept the game lighthearted as they continued to lead. “We have been on a really good winning streak, so that was really fun,” Adnan said.
Phoenix Dominate the Patriots on Senior Night
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
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
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
As freshman Nathan Martinez scoops up a ground ball, his teammate freshman Trevor Aucoin holds back the Atoms in an attempt to make room.
Boys Lacrosse: Tying for Victory
Sophomore Rishit Choudhari sets up to pass the ball while teammates attempt to get open. “Right now we’re in a good spot, our goal is to just keep improving as the season goes,” Choudhari siad.
After Unfortunate Injuries, Phoenix Boys Soccer Lose Against the Vikings
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
Bryson Tiller fans are ecstatic as he announces his “Back And I’m Better” tour, as many have been waiting for six years to see him perform live again.
Ticket Trauma: Are the Bryson Tiller Tickets Worth the Cost?
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].”
Phoenix Orchestra’s Spring Concert Features Senior Spotlights
From baseball conflicts to relationship drama, the second season of “All American: Homecoming” goes everywhere, making it an extremely intriguing and addictive show.
A New Season of “All American: Homecoming” Comes With Relief to Viewers
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
Yoon Swan Song: Thank You
Yoon Swan Song: Thank You
From the expectations of a perfect SAT score to attending medical school to getting a degree in computer science, the profile of what someone from an Indian background “looks like” has not deviated much from its original mold.
Stuck in Stereotypes: Indian Misrepresentation in Media
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.
Social Media Sets High Beauty Standards, Harming Teenagers Along the Way
Art block, the lack of motivation to draw, heavily affects artists of Rock Ridge.
Drawing a Blank
Class of 2023: 23 Questions with Jack Capobianco
Meet RRHS: Vaishnavi Raghunandan
The Unity
The Unity
Media by the Minute
Media by the Minute
Book Bans: Silencing the Voices of Now
Book Bans: Silencing the Voices of Now
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
Tanishka Enugu

Tanishka Enugu, Sports Section Editor

Tanishka Enugu is the sports editor and a third year member of The Blaze. Tanishka strives to be a prominent part of the Rock Ridge community, and she is on the track team and was previously part of the basketball team. Some of her passions include her role in the newspaper, sports, and pop culture. In her free time, Tanishka watches a lot of TV and movies, and reads many books.

All content by Tanishka Enugu
From the expectations of a perfect SAT score to attending medical school to getting a degree in computer science, the profile of what someone from an Indian background “looks like” has not deviated much from its original mold.

Stuck in Stereotypes: Indian Misrepresentation in Media

Rohan Iyer and Tanishka Enugu
May 31, 2023
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

Sarah Baig, Tanishka Enugu, and Nadia Shirr
May 22, 2023
Jennifer Virbickis huddles up with her team to discuss the game plan during a timeout as the Phoenix took on the Stone Bridge Bulldogs on April 19.

Back to Her Roots: Virbickis Returns to Phoenix Lacrosse

Tanishka Enugu, Sports Section Editor
May 22, 2023
Senior Jasmine Lewis hugs senior Valentina Lopez as she reads a poem in remembrance of her late dog. “[I chose this poem] because it is very significant to me and I wanted to share that with everyone else, knowing how significant it is to me, but hopefully I can change someone elses view and give them the same emotion that I had,” Lopez said.

Raving Rants: NEHS Spring Open Mic Night

Tanishka Enugu, Sarah Baig, and Sitwat Mian
May 18, 2023
Science teacher William McClintic takes the ball up as the students guard him from all sides.

Teachers Triumph: Return of the Annual Students vs. Staff Basketball Game

Tanishka Enugu, Sarah Baig, Ananya Karthik, and Maya Coleman
March 31, 2023
Seniors Sneha Khandavalli and Keerthana Govindarajan cheerfully are crowned as the winners of the Phoenix pageant on Feb 17.

Talent is an Open Door at the Annual Phoenix Pageant

Sarah Baig, Tanishka Enugu, and Shaila Patel
March 29, 2023
As the closing act of the Phoenix Pageant, Jack Capobianco and Olivia Helfen come out in green and pink inflatable sumo suits. They danced to What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction. The projector was displaying the Just Dance choreography on a screen behind them.

[Photo]

March 29, 2023
With an all-new, star-studded cast featuring industry names such as Edward Norton and Janelle Monáe, “Glass Onion” brought viewers another humorous, yet completely different, murder mystery to enjoy over the winter break. The film did have some continuities in front of and behind the camera, however, as lead Daniel Craig returned to his role as Detective Benoit Blanc, investigator of the wealthy elite, and Rian Johnson returned as director.

Peeling Back the Absurdity of “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”

Tanishka Enugu, Sports Section Editor
January 19, 2023
Sophomore Mekhi Motilewa dribbles around his defender while they pressure him.“[We need to] play at our own pace,” Motilewa said. “Sometimes we sped up and we didnt keep our composure when we were pressured by the defense…and running our own plays and some communication would help.”

Spartans Conquer the Phoenix in a Head-to-Head Matchup

Sarah Baig, Tanishka Enugu, Shaila Patel, and Bella Strano
December 19, 2022
Media by the Minute

Media by the Minute

Ananya Karthik, Jackson Mitchell, Sarah Baig, Tanishka Enugu, Rachel Adams, and Maya Coleman
November 6, 2022
Senior Karis Adnan sets off the point by serving the ball to the opposing team. The Phoenix kept the game lighthearted as they continued to lead. “We have been on a really good winning streak, so that was really fun,” Adnan said.

Phoenix Dominate the Patriots on Senior Night

Tanishka Enugu, Shaila Patel, and Nadia Shirr
October 20, 2022
A series of changes -- such as the constant switching of hosts after Chris Harrisons departure, Matt James, someone not previously a contestant of the franchise, becoming “The Bachelor,” and Clare Crawley being the shortest lead in “Bachelorette” history -- have been road bumps for the ABC series. These abrupt shifts put into perspective the questionable future of the franchise, and how many more adjustments are in store for it.

Death of a Bachelor (Franchise)

Tanishka Enugu, Sports Section Editor
October 13, 2022
Junior outside hitter Sidney Powell jumps as she serves the ball over the net to the opposing side.

Phoenix Sweep the Vikings as Volleyball Wins First Home Game of the Season

Tanishka Enugu and Sarah Baig
September 1, 2022
Boys Varsity Soccer started their season strong with their first win in 2 years against the Stone Bridge Bulldogs. Senior Prince Amarante scored 2 goals, giving the Phoenix the win 2-1.

Closing of a Chapter, Prince Hangs Up His Crown

Sarah Baig, Amelia Chen, and Tanishka Enugu
June 10, 2022
Senior Anya Ambarish waits for her opponent to return the ball during her doubles match. Ambarish is the captain of the team this year and plans to continue playing club tennis at the University of Central Florida next year. “I might even walk on to their Varsity team,” Ambarish said.

Battle of the Dulles District: Phoenix Girls Tennis Wins Regular Season Championship

Amelia Chen, Tanishka Enugu, Harini Kannan, and Sarah Baig
May 24, 2022
The apps popularity has mainly seen a surge of new users in recent years. A January 2021 New York Times article reported that “Letterboxd” “has seen its user base nearly double since the beginning of the pandemic,” now having more than three million member accounts, up from the almost two million it had at the start of 2020.

“Letterboxd:” The App That Makes Gen Z Fall in Love With Film

Tanishka Enugu, Sports Section Editor
May 16, 2022
Freshman Kaushik Muskari prepares to hit the ball in his singles match. “I think I could’ve done a lot better,” Muskari said, “and of course there’s always a lot of room to improve, knowing that Im still learning.”

Phoenix Boys Tennis Ace the Huskies

Amelia Chen, Sarah Baig, Tanishka Enugu, and Abhi Sharma
May 4, 2022
The last decade has seen the awards shrouded in backlash, from 2016 with #OscarsSoWhite trending on Twitter, leading to its boycott by many celebrities, to last years broadcast holding the record for lowest viewership with a mere 9.85 million people tuning in. After this years events, the question of whether or not theres a future for Hollywoods biggest night hangs in the balance.

Oscars 2022: A Step Forward in Representation, A Step Back Into Controversy

Tanishka Enugu, Sports Section Editor
April 7, 2022
During the boys varsity match, Senior Prince Amarante (13) dribbled the ball toward the goal. “Personally, I think I was able to run it behind and stretch them, creating an attacking threat,” Amarante said. Amarante is eager for the start of his senior season. “I’m looking forward to just enjoying it with my friends and having a great time,” he said. “I want to just make the best out of it and make lifelong memories.”

Double Trouble: Soccer Double Header Ends in Victory for Girls; Loss for Boys

Sarah Baig, Amelia Chen, Tanishka Enugu, and Abhi Sharma
March 22, 2022
Junior Ilias Cholakis stands on the podium at states on Feb. 18 holding his fourth place medal. ¨I did pretty well -- improved from last year, which was my goal,¨ Cholakis said.

Phoenix Wrestling Dominates At Districts and Soars to States

Sarah Baig, Tanishka Enugu, Harini Kannan, and Abhi Sharma
March 2, 2022
Varsitys junior Nick Canfield (23) looks around to find a teammate to throw the ball to as a Cougar plays tight defense on him. “We did a good job on defense communicating, that was something that we were really trying to work on this past game,” Canfield said.

Phoenix Pounce on the Cougars

Sarah Baig, Tanishka Enugu, and Harini Kannan
February 25, 2022
2021 was truly the year of reboots, with films such as “Dune” and “Cruella” proving themselves to be streaming and box office hits while others, such as the Steven Spielberg directed “West Side Story,” fell short due to the pandemic.

Is Hollywood’s “Reboot Fever” Turning Into A Plague?

Tanishka Enugu, Sports Section Editor
February 4, 2022
Starring upcoming actress Margaret Qualley and her veteran mother Andie Mcdowell, the series proved to be a talented mix of fresh faces and seasoned pros in a stellar cast full of attention-grabbing performances.

“Maid” Sweeps Netflix’s Limited Series Record

Tanishka Enugu, Sports Section Editor
February 4, 2022
Junior James Lee starts the match in the starting position against Patriot. ¨Getting my hand raised and winning a match [is my favorite part],¨ Lee said.

Phoenix Wrestling Takes Over The Patriots and Huskies at Senior Night

Sarah Baig, Tanishka Enugu, and Harini Kannan
February 4, 2022
Poised for the perfect strike, sophomore Grace Tucker aims to score. Tucker was a team star in the first set, scoring multiple set winning strikes. “I’m really glad we won the game because it was our Dig Pink game and we all came together as a team and played well,” Tucker said.

Phoenix Show Out For Pink Out

Tanishka Enugu, Harini Kannan, Abhi Sharma, and Kaleb Ryans
November 16, 2021
Kneeling over the blue construction paper, junior Danny Fortuno puts finishing touches on his painting of Sully from Monsters Inc.

Class Competition Continues With Hallway Decorating

Tanishka Enugu, Harini Kannan, and Lily Bridges
October 26, 2021
Kneeling over the blue construction paper, junior Danny Fortuno puts finishing touches on his painting of Sully from Monsters Inc.

[Photo] Homecoming Pep Rally Brings School Spirit to Students

October 26, 2021
Sierra Bell, 10

Sierra Bell, 10

Tanishka Enugu, Sports Section Editor
September 17, 2021
Nicole Smith, 9

Nicole Smith, 9

Tanishka Enugu, Sports Section Editor
November 9, 2020
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