Aarohi Motwani, Editor In Chief
Aarohi Motwani is a senior and an Editor in Chief for The Blaze. This is her third year on staff, and she loves to take pictures and interview people in the student body. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music on her roof, and watching movies with her friends.
![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)
![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 didn't get treated the way I wanted to be treated, and I realized that it wasn't 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 I'm someone who needs to be respected; they can't just disregard me, they can't just look over me because I have a different opinion, because I'm a woman, because I'm Afghan, because I'm 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.jpeg)
![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, they're 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.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DSC_0745-1200x800.jpeg)
![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)