The Blaze, 43460 Loudoun Reserve Drive, Ashburn, VA (2024)

06/15/2024

On Friday, June 14, the Class of 2024 turned their tassels, terminating their high school careers. Principal John Duellman began the ceremony by welcoming the audience and expressing what it means for the graduates to walk across the stage in a few short moments. He then introduced SCA executive president Maggie Miller to share her words about the importance of slowing down in a fast moving world. “The days are long, but the years are short,” Miller said.

After Miller’s speech, the Faculty Awards — staff-nominated achievements — were won by Karla Jaen-Valle and August Thomas. Diwa Ahmadie performed the Student Reflection portion of the night, talking about hopes and dreams, and how it’s okay to be delusion in pursuit of your dreams. Valedictorian and Senior Class President Jag Maddipatla highlighted specific moments within his high school career, with shoutouts to staff and students sprinkled in his speech. Keynote Speaker Brad Burzumato was introduced by Salutatorian Rishi Athavale, and his address focused on empathy and fearlessness — both of which he sees prominently in the Class of 2024.

From digital discussions to indelible impressions, the Class of 2024 has left a lasting legacy in the cardinal and grey halls of Rock Ridge High School.

Congratulations, Class of 2024!

06/07/2024

On May 29, Rock Ridge Sings gathered for their final spring concert of the year. Unlike other concerts, this one featured a medley of high-energy, familiar pop songs such as “Mamma Mia,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” and “Uptown Funk.” The concert was a huge success and had the audience clapping along to songs and swaying in their seats. “Since they were all pop songs and the audience knew that, the audience was just so energized, and it just made it more fun for us to perform,” junior Jiya Chadha said.

Despite the numerous upbeat songs, the chorus concert still included other softer pieces, which displayed various different tones from different sections of the choir. “My favorite song was ‘What Was I Made For’ because I was the one who brought it up to my chorus class,” Chadha said. “I really wanted them to sing it and we got to sing it.”

Cantus Avem, the predominantly underclassmen all-female choir, showed off their skills that they’ve honed over the year with songs like “Girls Just Wanna Dance,” “Kiss Me,” and “Mamma Mia.” Despite being a group consisting of first-year choir members, Cantus Avem did not disappoint as they showed the audience what they were capable of. “Cantus had some really fun songs and some really fun dances,” sophomore Zoe Fyne-Okorie said. “We worked pretty hard, so it was pretty fun.”

Click the link in our bio to read more about the spring choir concert!

✏️ by Sruthi Vivek, Riya Cherukuri, and Bhargav Kuniki
📷 by Bhargav Kuniki and Sruthi Vivek

06/06/2024

On Wednesday, May 22, the Phoenix track team competed alongside Broad Run, Dominion, Heritage, John Champe, Loudoun County, Loudoun Valley, Park View, Tuscarora, and Woodgrove at the region championship held at the Phoenix home track.

Six Phoenix athletes placed during regionals, including sophomore Khem Temoka, who placed as a regional champion from the boy’s 400 meter race, senior Daniel Bankole, who placed as a regional champion from the discus competition, and juniors Lilia Jones and Micah Younger, freshman Adrienne Lwanga, and sophomore Zoe Fyne-Okorie placed for the 4×100 race, as regional champions.

During regionals, some athletes took this opportunity to show perseverance after injuries or mental blocks. “I was kind of nervous because it was a home meet, I knew some of my friends were watching, and I just came back from an injury; I’ve been injured for about a week, so I was pretty nervous,” sophomore Khem Temoka said. “To be honest, I was overthinking things, I didn’t know what I was doing wrong, I didn’t know what caused my injury, but I’m good, I’m good.”

Click on the link in our bio to read more about the 5/22 home track meet!

✏️ by Lucian Tiller, Nidhi Manchala, and Fran Rodriguez
📷 by Lucian Tiller and Nidhi Manchala

06/05/2024

On May 2, members of the Art & Literary Magazine distributed copies of their 10th publication of “The Renaissance” to the student body during advisory. Following the theme “The 10th First Draft,” this year’s magazine featured student artwork, written poems, short stories, and photography. Submissions were selected from a pool of art and literary pieces submitted to the magazine throughout the course of the year.

The Lit Mag members spent a year working on their publication to share beautiful art with the school community. From advertising their publication to selecting a theme, then choosing pieces, and finally designing the magazines, the Lit Mag club was able to produce a high-quality issue to share with the student body.

The Lit Mag started the year by deciding on a theme and advertising for their magazine by hanging posters with QR codes around the school, informing the student body about the opportunity to have a chance to be published by submitting written works or drawn illustrations to the Lit Mag. As submissions were rolling in, members chose what pieces would make the cut by putting them on a scale of “yes,” “maybe,” or “no,” and decided what pieces fit the theme the best.

Click on the link in our bio to read more about the Lit Mag!

✏️ by Sitwat Mian, Sruthi Vivek, and Melissa Waas
🖌️ by Sitwat Mian

06/04/2024

On the evening of May 23, the auditorium was filled with the anticipatory buzz of excited parents and friends as they gathered for the spring band concert consisting of the Stone Hill Middle School Band and the Rock Ridge Bands. The event kicked off with a short speech by the high school band director Justin Ratcliff. He introduced the Stone Hill Middle School Band and its director, Brian Morton, and set the stage for an evening of musical excellence.

The middle school band opened the concert with a captivating performance of “Zombie Attack!” arranged by Jason Taurins. Following the performance, their director took a moment to announce that it was the seventh grade band on stage. Typically, the eighth grade band performs at such concerts, but the talent and dedication of these younger students had earned them this opportunity. The middle school band concluded their set by performing “Spania!” arranged by David Shaffer with the Rock Ridge Concert Band.

As the Stone Hill band exited the stage to enthusiastic applause, the Rock Ridge Concert Band prepared to take their place. Composed mostly of underclassmen, this group performed the fast-paced “Thunderscape,” arranged by Eric Morales. Following this, Ratcliff explained to the audience that although they are witnessing only a two minute song being played, it is actually a culmination of months of hard work and preparation. He expressed that what the students were doing on stage wasn’t easy. The coordination of the instruments, the pace, and every minor detail had to be accounted for in order for a perfect ex*****on.

Click on the link in our bio to read more about the spring brand concert!

✏️ by Ananya Karthik and Dayanna Anton
📷 by Ananya Karthik

06/03/2024

On May 20, Rock Ridge High School virtually held its “All School Awards” ceremony congratulating the freshmen, sophomore, and junior class students for their effort and diligence.

Students were given awards from all the school departments: math, science, social science, English, language, fine arts, and physical education. A total of 136 awards were distributed among the classes.

Sophomore Reshmitha Rajagopal received the AP Computer Science Principles & Geometry award. “It was totally unexpected,” Rajagopal said. “It gave me some hope for next year. I worked hard, for sure, so it gave me some self-confidence and courage for [upcoming years]—that I can give my 100%, and I can work towards it and I can achieve it, so it’s definitely motivation for the upcoming years.”

✏️ by Hylay Assefa, Azciel Goodhart, and Sitwat Mian
🖌️ by Sitwat Mian

05/28/2024

On Monday, May 20, both the girls and boys tennis teams took on the Loudoun Valley Vikings in the Dulles District championship. The Phoenix boys swept the Vikings 5-0 and became the top seed in the region. The girls team also made a clean sweep and will send a doubles pair to the region tournament on May 28.

With the sun searing down on the Phoenix tennis courts, seniors Kaushik Muskari and A***n Dhiman took the 2024 Dulles District Doubles Champions title. Muskari found that the road to districts was a team effort. “I think what led us to districts was keeping our head in the game and really working hard on the court,” Muskari said. “We always have more to do in practice every day when we don’t have matches. That really keeps us on our toes.” The mental aspect of the game is what the team focused on the most this year, and their record is a direct reflection of that. Muskari and Dhiman will advance to the region tournament as the number one seed on May 28 after a 6-3 and 6-0 win over the Tuscarora Huskies and Heritage Pride respectively in previous matches.

Alongside Muskari and Dhiman, seniors Sannidhi Sangisetti and Tarini Panidepu will also be the 1 seed as they advance to the region finals. Sangisetti looks back on the hard practices this season and is grateful for the conditioning that helped her win various matches. “The running helps us stay consistent during the heat,” Sangisetti said. “We’ve just been trying our best and playing well.” Despite some obstacles throughout the season, the girls tennis team worked together to overcome external pressures to shine through at matches. “I think we did good with staying focused on the game and knocking it out,” Sangisetti said.

Come support the boys tennis team at the state quarterfinals here at Rock Ridge on May 31!

✏️by Sruthi Vivek, Bhargav Kuniki, and Sam Cho
📷 by Bhargav Kuniki

05/17/2024

On April 19, Taylor Swift released her long-awaited 11th studio album, “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (TTPD)” and, in an unexpected turn of events, released another 15 songs at 2 a.m., titled “TTPD: The Anthology.” Arguably her most cohesive album, even with 31 songs, “TTPD” has hints of synth-pop and indie rock that weaves through the original 16 tracks and the anthology tracks. Swifties all around the world stayed up to revel in the excitement of a brand-new album.

“TTPD” was announced at the 2024 Grammy Awards on Feb. 4, similar to how Swift’s 2022 “Midnights” album was announced at the VMAs, and Swifties around the world were taken by surprise. It was speculated that she would be releasing or announcing the re-recording of her sixth album, “reputation,” after she misled the press with numerous red herrings throughout the entire day; namely, changing her website to go black and graying out her profile picture to keep fans on their toes. Immediately following the announcement, the pre-order for vinyls and CDs became available, and a bonus track called “The Manuscript” was included in those orders.

The vulnerability of the album brings a lot of resonance to those of similar age to her, but even those who aren’t. It brings a new light to who Swift is as an actual person rather than a celebrity, and that fosters a more positive and efficacious connection with Swift and her fans. Rather than seeing her as a name on a screen, this album did a remarkable job of humanizing her to the world.

Click on our link in bio to read more about Business Manager Maya Coleman and News Editor Shivu Sathe’s opinions on “The Tortured Poets Department.”

✏️ by Maya Coleman and Shivu Sathe
🖌️ by Sitwat Mian

05/03/2024

After waiting, planning, and preparing for two years, Rock Ridge Performing Arts (RPPA) finally performed “Frozen,” a musical about two sisters — one human and one with powers –who face adversity together in order to protect each other. The first show was performed on Friday, April 26.

“Frozen” was highly anticipated by students, and for good reason. The “Frozen” movie was one of the most successful animated Disney films and had a lasting impact on younger audiences when it came out.

Due to its sheer popularity, the rights to perform “Frozen” as a musical are extremely difficult to attain, and only one school in each state gets the chance to do so per year. “There was a competition called ‘Fifty States of Frozen,’ and we submitted an application two years ago,” Anthony Cimino-Johnson, the director of RRPA, said. “We were accepted as the only school in Virginia to do the musical. [We had to include] set design, how many students, how many performances, [and] photos from previous productions. It was a competitive process.”

The cast and crew of “Frozen” acknowledged the privilege they had to be able to perform the musical. “It’s actually pretty cool to have permission for ‘Frozen,’” freshman Divitha Mathe, a background actress in the musical, said. “We have [one of] the biggest theater programs and we have been preparing for ‘Frozen’ for a long time. There is a really beautiful set and the costumes are so pretty. The actors and tech crew are doing an amazing job. If I would want to shout out to anyone, it would be Mr. CJ and Mrs. Hess because they are really pulling the show together, and I am glad to have them as my teachers.”

“Frozen” is still being performed today and tomorrow at Rock Ridge!

Click the link in our bio to learn more about RRPA’s “Frozen” production!

✏️ & 📷 by Ria Athreya, Rachel Bhardwaj, and Aline Gonzalez

05/01/2024

On April 30, with a thunderstorm looming and both teams eager to complete their games, the Phoenix varsity baseball and softball teams went head to head against the Tuscarora Huskies at home. As they faced random bouts of pouring rain and strong wind gusts, both teams remained dedicated to closing out with a win. While the Phoenix softball team remained vigilant, the Huskies came out quick, ending the third inning up 11-0. In the baseball matchup, however, the Huskies and the Phoenix faced a gridlock as they fought hard, keeping the score 3-1 all the way to the end of the fourth inning. Ultimately, the weather thwarted the Phoenix team’s solid efforts, as both games ended with the Huskies claiming a win, 16-1 in baseball and 17-0 in softball. “I felt like we came out strong but let it go at the end,” junior baseball starter Dhruv Vemuri said.

✏️ Tanishka Enugu
📷 by Tanishka Enugu and Shivu Sathe

04/22/2024

After being thrust into her role as a long-term social science substitute teacher last year following a sudden staff departure, teaching newcomer Aisha Ahmed has persevered time and time again in her first year in the permanent position. Always putting students first, her effort and unwavering dedication to improving her classroom environment earned her the recognition of Loudoun County Public School’s “New Teacher of the Year.”

Following department fixture Danielle Donovan’s departure halfway through the 2022-2023 school year, Ahmed had the daunting task of taking over her U.S. History and AP Psychology classes. While any abrupt change in instruction can be difficult to navigate, preparing students for a heavily weighted College Board AP exam was one of many added stressors she had to face.

This hectic introduction left Ahmed more than prepared to make this school year her own. “A lot of last year was just survival, and once I got my own room and got my own kids, from the very beginning of the year it was easier to figure out,” Ahmed said. Stepping up to sponsor the Rho Kappa National Social Studies Honor Society, as well as teaching the majority of the U.S. History sections this year on top of World History II, Ahmed had her work cut out for her. But her focus remained the same: supporting her young students.

Recognizing her position as someone younger than her teaching peers, Ahmed’s ability to relate more to her students has guaranteed a smooth class period. “I just try to see most students as people first and then get to know them,” Ahmed said. “Figuring out how each kid works and learns best has been a big part of my learning path this year, particularly interacting and finding how to reach some of the kids who have maybe felt a little bit more left out or left behind in previous years.”

Ahmed will be honored tomorrow at the April 23 school board meeting. Come out and show your support for this incredible recognition!

Click the link in our bio to learn more about Aisha Ahmed’s recognition as Loudoun County Public Schools’ “New Teacher of the Year.”

✏️ by Tanishka Enugu
📷 courtesy of Katy Greiner Babcock

02/10/2024

On Thursday Feb. 8, the Phoenix boys basketball team celebrated their senior night and went head to head against the Heritage Pride, resulting in a Phoenix victory of 45 - 44. The game was intense until the final buzzer, when junior William Beck scored the game-winning three to put his team ahead of the Pride in the final seconds of the game. The final minutes of the last quarter showcased the Phoenix’s chemistry and passion for the game, and they successfully executed many on-the-fly plays to put up easy points on the board.

✏️ by Sruthi Vivek
📷 by Sruthi Vivek, Riya Cherukuri, & Fran Rodriguez

01/31/2024

This album definitely lights up my “dark days.” On Jan. 12, 21 Savage released his newest studio album, “American Dream.” Due to 21 Savage being one of the most influential and popular rappers of the modern era, with songs like “rockstar” peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2017, this album was highly publicized. Adding to the anticipation, “American Dream” also features several star-studded artists, such as Doja Cat and Brent Faiyaz.

Fortunately for Savage, critics had positive reactions to his album. From Metacritic, Savage received a 73/100, an immaculate score when compared to other prominent rap albums released recently. Robin Murray, a critic from Clash Music, gave this album 8/10 due to its diversity and how it lived up to its promotion. “A blockbuster that lives up to the hype, ‘American Dream’ is 21 Savage at his most luminescent.”

“American Dream” follows Savage’s immigration from London to the United States, and how he had to restart how he lived his life. It follows his childhood from days as a troublesome teenager to the hardships of his adulthood. Near the end of the album, specifically on “dark days,” Savage reflects on himself and his significant self improvement, citing words of wisdom, such as “stay in school.”

In conclusion, “American Dream” is a unique and inspirational album. Not only does it display diverse beats, with R&B music as well as drill rap, but it also includes a heartfelt speech by 21’s mother. These characteristics are not shown in many other albums, and overall add to the deeper meaning of the album.Taking all of these factors into consideration, it deserves at least a 95, rather than an 80/100. Perhaps Savage’s next album will increase his influence in the rap genre and “prove it.”

Click the link in our bio to learn more about staff writer Arnav Mahajan’s review of 21 Savage’s newest album.

✏️ by Arnav Mahajan
📷 Courtesy of Slaughter Gang Entertainment

01/30/2024

North Shore High School is back and it’s…worse than ever? “Mean Girls,” the movie based on the musical of the same name, which is based on the movie of the same name, which is based on a book, was released in theaters on Jan. 12. Through all these adaptations, the “Mean Girls” name has headed down a slippery slope from its once high standing, tainting the franchise as a whole.

The movie is about the life of teen Cady Heron, who moves from Africa and is thrust into the complicated life of an American high schooler. Cady meets outcasts Janis and Damian, who warn her of the “Mean Girls” Regina, Gretchen, and Karen. Of course, chaos ensues as Cady becomes one of these mean girls. The movie is a heartwarming tale that says, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

Despite great casting, the underwhelming and overly modernized musical adaptation of the 2004 classic, “Mean Girls,” was nothing more than an hour-and-a-half-long promotional video for budding brands.

The biggest takeaway from the movie, more so than the cast, songs, or actual plot, was the less-than-subtle product placement and promotion. Brands like e.l.f Cosmetics, ticket-selling company SeatGeek, and Bubly sparkling water were openly displayed and stole the spotlight. The product placement was so obvious that not only were the products openly sitting on shelves, but the actors verbally plugged them during the film, even going so far as to name-drop the “e.l.f. (lipstick name).”

If this remake has taught us anything, it’s that though plastic might last forever, the more it’s used, the weaker it becomes.

Mean Girls is in theaters everywhere.

Click the link in our bio to learn more about co-editor in chief Aarohi Motwani and staff writer Maddie Nyman’s take on the 2022 version of Mean Girls.

✏️ by Aarohi Motwani and Maddie Nyman
📷 courtesy of the Mean Girls official Instagram

01/09/2024

On Dec. 7, the Rock Ridge band performed its first concert of the school year in the auditorium, joining Stone Hill Middle School’s band for an hour-long performance. The night began with a short speech from Rock Ridge band director Justin Ratcliff as he introduced the middle school band and its director, Brian Morton. The middle school musicians performed three holiday-themed songs: “And to All a Good Night” by Andy Clark, “Angels in the Bleak Midwinter” by Larry Clark, and “Dragon Lord” by Randall Standridge.

After a brief stage change following the middle school band concluding their performance, the Concert Band took their places on the stage to begin their performance. They played “Gold Medal March” by Paul Murtha and “Dark Fortress” by Rob Grice.

The first piece, “Gold Medal March,” was an upbeat piece that lasted almost three minutes. It started with upper woodwinds and trumpets carrying the first strain, and low brass taking the lead in the second portion of the song. The song finished with a percussion break and a woodwind-carried closing.

The marching band program offers many opportunities to the students who participate, including chances to be a leader and make new friends. “[Being drum major] is a cool opportunity; everyone knows you, and you know everyone,” junior Karis Huang said. “[There have been challenges] with discipline, especially since we’re still kind of building up from COVID, and we’re still trying to teach underclassman fundamentals.”

Click the link in our bio to learn more about the Rock Ridge School band’s collaborative concert with Stone Hill Middle School.

✏️ by Aarohi Motwani, Ananya Karthik, and Leif Labianca
📷 by Aarohi Motwani and Ananya Karthik

12/19/2023

On Dec. 2, the Washington-Arlington Catholic Forensic League’s (WACFL) third Speech and Congress tournament was held at Rock Ridge, with a total of over 250 students from the greater Washington D.C. Metropolitan area competing and 80 adult judges who evaluated the students during their rounds.

Formed 50 years ago by the Christian Catholic Church, WACFL separated and became independent as its own league; however, they still keep Catholic in their name as homage to their formation. The current president of WACFL is the debate coach for Westfield High School, Mark Deaton, who became president recently as a volunteer. Deaton is eager for students to be able to participate in this tournament. “We have over 60 schools that are members of our league, and each of them has students that are either speech and debate participants,” Deaton said. “My job is to make sure that all runs smoothly.”

Rock Ridge has one of the largest debate teams in Virginia, but has a strong focal point in debate rather than speech; only a few students participated in this speech-centered tournament. Nevertheless, RRHS senior Brahmjot Chawla was able to secure a win placing second in Student Congress. “I’m happy it was my first tournament of the year and I got a bid to metrofinals, so I get to just mess around for the rest of the year,” Chawla said.

Although this event is considered smaller than most debate tournaments, it allowed students to come together to practice, learn, and perform skills that have translated into their lives at school. “Debate is your family,” sophomore Aspen Johnson from OLGCHS said. “The more tournaments you go to, the more you practice, the more you learn what you’ll like, the better you’ll get at it, and the happier you’ll be with what you do.”

Click the link to learn more about the 12/2 Speech and Debate tournament.

https://theblazerrhs.com/7638/news/the-rock-hosts-successful-debate-tournament-chawla-takes-home-silver/

✏️ by James Bowles, Melissa Waas, and Nadia Shirr
📷 by James Bowles and Melissa Waas

12/18/2023

In order to advertise the concept of moles, an important unit of measurement for large amounts of small things such as atoms, chemistry teacher Michael Clear encouraged students to turn in a drawing involving a pun on “mole.” He hung them up across the room, for all his students to see. “It’s good to have student work hung up, you can see yours and everyone else’s illustrations,” Clear said. “It’s a fun little thing to do, the best ones are hung in the front, and other really, really good ones like potential candidates for the best, are hung in the back.”

The odd feature he adds to the classroom raises questions every year from new students. “Everyone always asks me: ‘What is [your] obsession with moles?’ because that’s the first thing people see in [the classroom,]” Clear said. “I don’t have an obsession with moles.” To Clear, it’s simply a way of learning and getting knowledge into students’ heads.

“I believe [the collection] started in 2017,” Clear said. He doesn’t clean them out year by year either. Clear estimates five to eight drawings up to be from that first year, including his own. “I’m not going to say which one’s mine, but mine’s up here.”

This strange activity has inspired one student in particular, sophomore Myra Singh, to begin handing one in every class to Clear. “I said that I would start giving moles to Mr. Clear every day after I had to go into that class to make up a test, and I drew a mole on the back of the pass,” Singh said. “[Clear] said ‘Wow, this is impressive,’ and then I said ‘Yeah, I’m going to start giving one every day.’”

More than one student is humoring the beloved theme, though: mole drawings can be found sprinkling the open whiteboards, along with students’ notes, and in daily speech in the classroom. This fun concept of mole decorations that started as an educational project has tumbled down the pipes of time to form a culture that will live on forever in the hearts of the students.

Click the link in our bio to learn more about Clear’s moley tradition.

✏️ and 📷 by Azciel Goodhart

12/15/2023

On Tuesday, Dec. 5, the school store, the Phoenix Peak, held its annual holiday shopping night. Volunteers from the school’s business and marketing classes worked to help shoppers find and check out their goods. The products ranged from standard merchandise, such as sweatshirts, pajamas, and jackets, to other objects, including their new sherpa blankets, mugs, and beanies.

The Phoenix Peak offered a 10% discount on all their goods as well as other deals such as $10 off a Rock Ridge-themed sherpa blanket when buying one of the sweatshirts. The sale proved to be very effective in drawing in customers.

“I’m here shopping with my daughter,” parent Rodney Cluck said. “Since [there’s] a sale tonight, I think we’ll probably buy a few things.”

However, there was more to this event than just giving the student body a great discount. DECA is an organization that helps to prepare and educate students to become emerging leaders and entrepreneurs. They specialize in helping students who would like to work in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. For the volunteering students, the event hosted by the Phoenix Peak was a good way to gain experience and knowledge. Not only were they able to put their marketing skills to the test, but they were able to gain first-hand experience in working in finance and helping customers.

“We use [the school store] to compete in DECA competitions,” DECA member junior Dylan Nawaratne said. “We show our records, how [many] sales we make, [and] our items.”

The event attracted many customers and was overall a successful night for the volunteers. The annual holiday sale will take place again next winter.

Click the link in our bio to learn more about Phoenix Peak’s School Store Night.

✏️ by Arnav Mahajan, Diya Chand, and Ria Athreya
📷 by Diya Chand

12/14/2023

Inclusivity is essential in any environment: workplaces, schools, or public activities. Everyone wants to feel included. It’s a unifying force for humans. People want to be a part of something, whether it be a club, activity, or a group of peers.

Junior Truc Bui was about a year old when she moved to the US. “Since I moved here from Vietnam, it was kinda hard going back and forth from communicating with my parents and [the] people here,” Bui said. “I ended up feeling excluded and stuck by myself in the middle.”

Bui found challenges in the language barrier in her life. “It’s hard being bilingual because I didn’t know [much of] English or Vietnamese. [I was] just stuck there trying to communicate in the best way possible, but [I couldn’t].”

Inclusivity can be considered as a “second home.” It’s something or somewhere that one considers “safe.” National University describes inclusivity as “people across varying identities are [valued] and feel valued, [feel] welcomed, respected, included, represented, [and heard], [and feel like they] fully belong, [and] can be authentic, [as well as] contribute to the collective, and have a voice.”

There are a variety of factors that make people feel like they’re being excluded. These can include disabilities, cultural differences, religion, or ethical beliefs. Such factors impact a person’s ability to feel like they belong.

As cliche as it might sound, treat others the way you’d like to be treated: most of us don’t want to be alone. Invite someone to sit or hang out with you if they’re by themselves: maybe you’ll even make a new lifelong best friend.

Click the link in our bio to learn more about graphic editor Sitwat Mian’s take on inclusivity.

✏️ and 🖌️ Sitwat Mian

The Blaze

06/15/2024

06/07/2024

06/06/2024

06/05/2024

06/04/2024

06/03/2024

05/28/2024

05/17/2024

05/03/2024

05/01/2024

04/22/2024

02/10/2024

01/31/2024

01/30/2024

01/09/2024

12/19/2023

12/18/2023

12/15/2023

12/14/2023

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Videos

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Other Newspapers in Ashburn

You may also like