“Coraline” by Neil Gaiman 

This dark fantasy and children’s horror novella follows Coraline Jones, who moves to a new town with her parents. While exploring her new home, she discovers a mysterious door leading to an alternate version of her house, where she meets her “other” parents, who have button eyes and seem more exciting and attentive than her real ones. However, Coraline soon discovers that this strange world isn’t quite what she thought it was. 

“I loved the imagery of ‘Coraline’ and the way the author wrote about the button eyes was very creepy to me,” junior Vivian Uiselt said. “I felt like I was Coraline herself going on this odd adventure.”

This novella transforms a gloomy old house into a mysterious alternate world, combining rainy surroundings with unusual supernatural elements in order to create an atmosphere that represents autumn’s spookier side. 

“This book definitely reminds me what I love about fall,” Uiselt said. “It’s a book that’s familiar and cozy for me, but there’s still some mystery involved in it.”

“Frankenstein: The 1818 Text” by Mary Shelley 

This gothic classic tells the story of a young scientist, Victor Frankenstein who is fascinated by the secrets of life and death. The story moves through isolated mountains, quiet villages and graveyards, while his secret experiments keep him apart from others as he attempts to create life, raising questions about human limits, isolation and the unknown. 

“I liked how extreme Victor’s passion was to build his creature,” senior Setaish Wahedi said. “I’ve never read a book that had such strong themes of dangerous ambition, so it was definitely a different experience compared to what I normally read.”

“Frankenstein” gives off spooky vibes through its descriptions of the freezing northern waters and glaciers. This classic was written in the summer of 1816, this time period was often known as “The Year Without a Summer,” explaining why the novel regularly featured gray skies and storms. The gothic elements of nighttime and damp settings, candlelit labs and windy days added to its dark autumn atmosphere.

“‘Frankenstein’ was the first book I’d ever read that had horror and dark vibes,”  Wahedi said. “I loved how the book was set in a gloomy time, because it’d make it so fun to read during cold rainy days.”

“The Historian” by Elizabeth Kostova 

Exploring the fifteenth-century reign of Vlad the Impaler and the folklore about Count Dracula, this gothic thriller and historical fiction novel follows a young woman who discovers a mysterious book and letters in her father’s library. These discoveries lead her to uncover his search for his missing mentor, Professor Bartholomew Rossi, who was researching Vlad the Impaler. As she follows clues through libraries and across Europe, she uncovers secrets about the Impaler, her family and a mysterious pact that may have kept his legacy alive for centuries.  

“‘The Historian’ is a great horror book to read,” librarian Kristen Schoenberger said. “It treats the story of Dracula as a serious mystery with real-world history rather than focusing only on the supernatural horror.”

The novel opens in September on a train from Amsterdam, through Vienna and on to Slovenia, where autumn arrives early with rain, falling leaves and gray afternoons. The young woman’s hunt for clues happens inside dim libraries, dusty archives and isolated villages. The story revolves around mystery and historical clues creating a deep introspective atmosphere alongside its spookier themes. 

“It’s a great dark academia book, and one of my favorites for the fall,” Schoenberger said. “I prefer to read longer books during the season and ‘The Historian’ is one of my favorites because of how interesting it is.”

The first district meet was for the JV team on Sept. 1 but was canceled due to the heat and never rescheduled. The first 5K race held was the Wolverine Invitational on Sept. 19. 

“We’ve only just finished our first 5K last week when we usually have more at the start of the season,” senior captain cross country runner Kaylyn Yu said on Sept. 28. “But we haven’t even reached the middle of the season, so the whole team is really excited to see what we can do.”

Their senior night, the Dobson Double Dual Championships, was scheduled for Sept. 29 but postponed to Oct. 14. The boys team placed first and the girls team placed second.

The adverse weather has had an impact on the team, though it wasn’t the only challenge. The team has faced more injuries this season than the last, with Yu saying two people are already in boots and a lot of other athletes with other minor injuries.

“I hope we’re able to recover and get to the end of the season without getting any more permanent injuries,” Yu said. “For me, as a captain, it’s such a big team that it’s really hard to keep it cohesive–especially when it’s divided into boys and girls.

The Concord District Championship was on Oct. 21 at Burke Lake Park. Regionals, the Northern Region Championship, was on Oct. 28. The team anticipates the boys going on to state on Nov. 7 at Oaklands Plantation.

“I believe the team can keep up a good season, as a whole, by persistently pushing through the end, whether you are going into the postseason or not,” Yu said. “We should lift each other up and help everyone to make sure we accomplish more as a team rather than as individuals.”

For the first few weeks of school, however, the rush of students was more like a slow trickle. Caught in the lines for the metal detectors each morning, many students were late to class.

“The metal detectors were constantly making me late,” freshman Daniel Marquez said. “The lines took 15 minutes to get through every day.”

After the initial slower start due to the security screening, students noticed the procedure begin to move more efficiently. As teachers and staff running the operation in the morning became familiar with the task, the lines began moving quicker.

“Since the changes, the lines have gotten much faster,” Marquez said. “I’m glad that the administrators figured out how to make the lines better.”

Initiatives made by administrators, such as passing items like laptops and binders that trigger the screeners to staff instead of holding the item over their head, have helped make the morning metal detector experience much better.

“The lines have gotten more streamlined and faster as we’ve gained more experience,” activities director Brendan Shapiro said. “We transitioned to having all the students hand us their laptop and things that they know will set off the metal detectors.”

Students have also learned how to go through the lines faster in the morning because many of them now know what they can and can’t have in their backpacks through the screeners. Since students are now taking the proper items out of their backpack, most people do not have to go to secondary screening, making the process faster.

“The people that are working the lines have figured out the process but it takes a little while for the students to figure out what’s going to cause metal detectors to go off as well,” Shapiro said. “For example, an umbrella, lock or a portable charger; stuff that you wouldn’t even think about can trigger the detectors.”

Overall, the lines are much faster than they were at the start of the school year. Students can get to class on time consistently.

“We find that long lines tend to ease up by around 7:55 a.m.,” Shapiro said. “So if you arrive at school before eight or so, you’re not waiting.”

Established in 2003, National Book Month was created by the National Book Foundation to encourage people to read, honor books and authors and help people bond through books. With traditional books, e-books and audiobooks offering different experiences, readers can choose the format that best fits their preferences. 

“I think anything that makes reading accessible for more people, anything that gets people to engage with stories, is a good thing,” librarian and Readers Club sponsor Kristen Schoenberger said. 

Traditional books can support readers’ literacy skills by exposing them to new vocabulary, sentence structures and ideas. Reading print also gives readers opportunities to use context clues and engage closely with the language on the page. According to Science Direct, these skills can contribute to comprehension and language development over time.

“I have a lot of words that I know and now I’m familiar with because I’ve read what most people my age would not have,” Readers Club president senior Wania Ali said.  “I’ve picked up context clues before and after a paragraph, and that helps me digest a lot of the language and understand in a way that I can’t from a dictionary or just being talked to.”

E-books can offer readers convenience by allowing them to store multiple books on one device and access them without carrying physical copies. Some features include adjustable font sizes, highlighters, built-in dictionaries and customizable screen settings.

“Kindles or e-books, have lots of features to increase the font size, things like that, so that things are more legible,” Schoenberger said. “They’re very accessible for people.”

Unlike traditional books and e-books, audiobooks allow narrators to use vocal expression to communicate emotions and differentiate between characters. According to SAGE Journals, research shows that listeners who heard stories narrated by human voices created more mental images, showed greater engagement and remembered more information than those who heard synthetic voices.

“Sometimes [audiobooks] have really great sound production where they hire actors or people who do special voices or they add music,” Schoenberger said. “There is a non-fiction book called ‘Symphony for the City of the Dead’, which is about a composer in World War two, and they play snippets of his symphonies throughout as you’re listening. So it really adds to the story and makes it really immersive when you’re reading.”

Different reading formats can also fit into different times of a reader’s routine. Traditional books and e-books may be more convenient when readers can sit down, while audiobooks allow people to listen while completing hands-on activities.

“I prefer reading books [traditionally] because I just don’t really like having a Kindle around and having to take it out or an audiobook,” treasurer of reader’s club sophomore Radhika Deshpande said. “I like being fully in the book when I’m reading it. But at home, sometimes I read with audiobooks and when I’m on car rides I read using a Kindle.”

Reader’s club will have their next meeting on Oct. 20 after school from 3 to 4 p.m. in the library. Members will be able to choose their own adventure for the Halloween themed meeting, and spooky themed snacks will be provided.

“Reading is a skill that you need at every single level and every single age, no matter how old you are or how young you are,” Ali said. “The more you’re really acquired or accumulated with reading at a young age, the more you understand it and the less you have struggles in your classes or other coursework that you might have to do, like in college. So it’s like an essential skill that I can’t imagine not having. 

“Clue” is heavily based on the 1980s movie that centers around seven party guests and the butler, Wadsworth, Miss Scarlett, Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, Miss White and Mr. Green. They all have aliases given to them by a Mr. Boddy who has been blackmailing them. Suddenly the lights go out and Mr. Boddy is dead.

“Don’t try to have everything figured out. It’s a murder mystery,” senior Tiernan Zizolfo (Wadsworth) said. “Come see ‘Clue”. Enjoy, it’s very comedic and the characters are very fun. It’s definitely gonna be a fun, thrilling experience.” 

The directors for “Clue” created two casts for the play because of the increased number of theater students. The two crews are: the Skittles and the Gummy Bears. Each cast gets two performances. “Clue” runs from Oct. 22 through Oct. 25 Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:00 pm, and Sunday’s performance is at 2:00 pm. The Gummy Bears cast performs opening night on Thursday and Saturday. While the Skittles performs Friday night and closes the show on Sunday.

“[Clue] is very fun and silly,” Zizolfo said. “A great time to be in that [theatre] room, I like how fun the characters are and everything that goes on as they’re trying to figure out the overall mystery of who is the murderer.”

The movie adaptation of ‘Clue’ is now considered one of the best comedies of the 1980s. It is very fast paced with the characters moving between the nine rooms and two secret passages constantly according to Frank Miller, Clue (1985). On a stage there is a lot of design that goes into recreating all the rooms found in the game.

“We will have six doors on set, which is a lot,” Director Andrew Shaw said. “We’re also working with rotating walls, and changing furniture. The lighting [following] performers, with kind of Scooby Doo style chase scenes.”

The board game version of “Clue” was released in 1949 and was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2017. Clue also appears as a musical and in film, television, books and comics according to The Strong National Museum of Play. 

“One of the cool things that our designers have been doing is using the classic colors that are associated with each character,” Shaw said. “We’re going to have some different lighting, special effects, as well as costumes and different parts of the set that have those big and vibrant colors that each character is associated with from the game.”

Because the play will be closely tied with the movie version. The theater department knows “Clue” has significance with audiences and is planning for plenty of homages, deliberate, respectful tributes or references to an earlier play, playwright, director, actor or theatrical tradition.

“You want your performers putting their own spin on the characters,” Shaw said. “For example our Wadsworth who is double cast, Neither of them is gonna do exactly what Tim Curry did. It would feel a little fake. The performers read through the script and then they did work with Ms. Spicer on creating their own version of these characters vocally and physically.”

Tickets for ‘Clue’ can be purchased at Chantillydrama.org.

Tickets range from $8-$15.Each cast gets two performances. The play runs from Oct. 22 through Oct. 25 Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:00 pm, and Sunday’s performance is at 2:00 pm. One cast performs opening night Thursday and Saturday. While the other cast performs Friday night and closes the show on Sunday.

 “It’s a really funny show,”  junior Alyssa Owens (Yvette) said. “I’m excited for everyone to laugh and have a really good time.”

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What made you interested in biology? 

My middle school science teacher, in seventh grade specifically, her name was Ms. Csomay. She explained science in a way where it was very relatable to me. It is something I decided I want to pursue after her class, so I owe a lot of what I did in college, what I do now, because of her. Biology is my passion. I like science; science speaks to me. It’s very fun to do, very fun to learn. It’s you, it’s me, it’s our bodies, it’s what we are made of. It’s how we explain our bodies. It’s how we explain the world around us. So, I really enjoy that.

Why did you decide to become a teacher?

Ms. Csomay inspired me to want to teach children and I want to build the next generation of scientists. Also, recently I started doing public speaking, giving presentations at schools and universities, and I realized I enjoy speaking to people. Sometimes I yap too much and I like it, so I said why not let me yap to students about something that I like, which is science, so I decided to become a teacher.

What hobbies do you have?

I enjoy languages, I enjoy sports, specifically football. My favorite football team would be the Washington Commanders. I enjoy reading about science – I’m a science nerd, so just doing research on that. 

Do you have a special talent?

I can speak, write and read [Arabic] fluently. It’s a good skill, maybe not many people have. I’ve been learning Italian. After I learn Italian, I want to learn other languages, maybe French. I am open to learning new things, nobody knows everything, right? It’s always good to continue learning.

Why is your first name and last name the same? 

My dad, when I was born, came up with the idea, and he said: instead of remembering two names, all you have to do is remember one. That’s much easier to remember, rather than remembering first and last name, just remember one name. When I was younger, I kind of didn’t like it as much, but as I got older, I am very proud of it. It makes me who I am.

What is one of your proudest accomplishments?

Probably becoming a teacher, but also graduating college. Seeing the proud faces of my family, that was a big highlight for me. Overall, what makes me happy is what I do everyday, which is teaching and seeing the progress of the students that I teach get better and better.

What goals do you have for the future?  

I would like to grow as a teacher and inspire others. Hopefully, wherever life takes me, I am hoping I can continue to do it. I hope I never get sick of it.                           

After being at Fairfax High School for several years as a varsity offensive coordinator, Matt Frank is a new addition to the CHS physical education staff and the new head coach for the varsity football team.

How have your first few months as a coach and teacher been like? 

My first few months as head coach at CHS have been pretty good. I’ve enjoyed meeting the people in the community and embracing the support from the different faculty  in the school. Most importantly I have just really enjoyed working with the team and the coaches I have brought along.

What stood out to you at CHS that made you want to be the new coach and teacher here?

I grew up in Fairfax City and went to Fairfax High School. I always played against people that went to CHS, and I’ve lived in the community with them. There’s a sense of pride I’ve gotten from people that came from CHS. When the opportunity that I can add to that popped up, I said “You know what, let’s go for this.”

What is one thing you brought from Fairfax High School to CHS ?

I think it’s the mentality piece. We’re going each day trying to build and that’s the mentality. The little thing’s build up to big successes and so far I’ve seen success from these kids, beyond wins and losses. It’s been stuff on and off the field and [I’m] excited to see where this team can go together.

How has the culture for the football team been developing so far?

I think coming into this I was unsure how the team would be with their culture, but honestly it’s unique because we have a lot of tough-nose kids that have played in a system that is like that. Me bringing that over wasn’t a big change for them. I think a lot of them have embraced getting after whoever is in front of us, and I think with that mentality, it’ll be a great year for us.

What’s the hardest thing you have had to adapt to?

The hardest thing has been trusting other people. That was difficult at first because it’s the entire coaching staff’s first year working together, and we have some unique guys. I played with Brandon Hurford in college, I had worked with Coach Adams before, and I coached Coach Maxwell and Freeman. I feel like it has been gelling together really nicely

What’s the biggest lesson so far in your career? 

A lesson I have learned is that you really need to be good with time management as a coach and teacher, because you only have so many hours of the day where you can commit to certain things. As a head coach I’ve learned to prioritize certain things and put stuff in the back end, but like I’ve said, many people here at Chantilly have been helping me with that.

What are your favorite things to do outside of being a football coach?

I enjoy being outside. I have always been a big basketball fan and player, so I do like basketball and I have coached it in the past. Besides those two, I enjoy working out as well. I do like working out on my own. I also like to swim. I think it’s a good workout and cardio.

CHS is one of the largest high schools in FCPS according to Niche. Additionally, CHS is located in a populated area with Route 50, a major highway, adjacent to the school, which has raised safety concerns for some.

“We have over 2,700 students, plus our academy students, who attend in the morning, and the number of buses coming in is between 40 and 50 every morning,” principal Dr. Amy Goodloe said. “With all of that in mind, we benefit from a crossing guard helping us.”

Due to the budget cuts at the beginning of the year, the CHS crosswalk on Stringfellow Road was without a crossing guard for the first few weeks of the school year. However, a crossing guard was reinstated after a student at South Lakes High School was hit by a car at a school intersection when there was no crossing guard stationed on Sept. 1.

“It’s always concerning when you hear about any pedestrian or bike rider being hit by a car, whether it’s near a school or near an intersection,” Goodloe said. “I think the community advocated, seeing what our traffic patterns look like, there were definitely eyes on it that saw that it was a major safety risk. We wanted to make sure that there were crossing guards there for students every day.”

The budget allocated for FCPS from the Board of Supervisors fell short by $28 million from what the school board requested. Because of this, FCPS had less money to work with, causing crossing guards to be eliminated. The budget cuts went into effect on May 21 according to FCPS 2027 Budget Update. These changes sparked some controversies throughout Fairfax County.

“I think the Board of Supervisors has a very difficult job to make budget decisions,” Goodloe said. “But FCPS had real concerns about the safety risk.”

The Board of Supervisors voted on restoring over $700,000 funding for crossing guards on Sept. 15. The newly restored funding covers the cost of 11 crossing guard positions at 10 high schools for the remainder of the year according to the county.

“Student safety is our number one priority at CHS,” Goodloe said. “I want to make sure that every student can arrive safely and be dismissed safely from our school every day. Gia has been our crossing guard for many, many years. She does a really good job and she cares very much about the students.”

“My switch happened pretty abruptly,” Fatima said. “I expected that I would be at Hayfield for at least a few more years. I was nervous when I signed on to start here, but to my surprise, it’s been a pleasant transition and the experience that I’ve had is honestly a testament to how wonderful the English department here at Chantilly is.”

Fatima grew up in Alexandria, Virginia where she attended Hayfield Secondary School and later returned to teach there. After high school, she attended VCU as a psychology major, where she further developed her interest in mental health advocacy and wanted to become a counselor.

“Psychology was something that I was interested in since high school,” Fatima said. “I had a tumultuous time in high school because of outside factors. Having one pillar of support in the school environment made all the difference for me as a student, and helped me graduate. Upon reflecting, I was like, ‘I would love to help any other student in that circumstance.’”

However, Fatima went from wanting to help students in regular counseling to helping them as a teacher, after taking a job as a substitute teacher right before graduating. Fatima was hoping to get a feel for the school environment but instead that job ended up changing her career trajectory.

“I ended up landing a substitute job with a group of kids who had been having subs on and off for two months before I came,” Fatima said. “It was all on me to make sure everyone passes, and that experience had me thinking: ‘wait a second, I love being in the classroom.’”

At Hayfield she taught World History 9 Honors as a sub, and taught ESOL English 7 and 8 as a fulltime teacher. A turning point for her was when she discovered that many of her World 9 students were using AI to get higher grades on their tests.

“I realize you have not had [someone] to teach you the material and I understand wanting to do good on a test and I get that being the motivation behind using ChatGPT, but after this conversation you guys are gonna have to retake” Fatima told them. “They got the same good score without cheating and they did it all on their own; it was so awesome to see. I really love those kids.”

For now, Fatima is currently working on obtaining her teaching license. She is enrolled in a teaching certification program, so she is completing coursework while working full time. She is filling in for yearbook adviser and English teacher Luc Nguyen, who is on extended leave. Fatima has one goal she hopes to achieve here at CHS.

“If at the end of the school year, my students walk away knowing only 75% of the content, but 100% feeling like they were heard and valued in my class, I’d say it was a successful year,” Fatima said.