February 2014 - Silver Chips Print

Montgomery Blair High School SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND

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KYRA SEIGER

February 6, 2014

Winner of the 2012 National Pacemaker Award

Sweet treats

The Howard County Police have identified Darion Marcus Aguilar, 19, as the man who shot and killed two people and himself at Columbia Mall on Jan. 25.

According to the Howard County Police Department’s official press release, the shooting occurred inside Columbia Mall’s Zumiez skate, clothing and shoe store at 11:15 am. Aguilar shot and killed store employees Brianna Benlolo, 21, and Tyler Johnson, 25, before killing himself. Aguilar also shot shopper Susan Kay StrauKYRA SEIGER

KYRA SEIGER

NEXT THING TO HEAVEN The new frozen yogurt shop on University Boulevard is set to be the next Blazer hangout spot. Walk across the street for a tasty, frozen treat.

After delay, sweetFrog opens After a year long delay due to plumbing and pipe work problems, the sweetFrog frozen yogurt chain opened their newest store in Woodmoor’s Four Corners Shopping Center on Dec. 20.

According to officials, the idea for the store was first introduced to the neighborhood two years ago. The main setbacks occured because the store used to be a home with residential zoning and plumbing. Jaya Shealton, operations manager of the Woodmoor

sweetFrog, explained that restaurants require specific plumbing in order to be granted permission for opening. “Our biggest issue was plumbing for the building because [the Woodmoor sweetfrog location] used to be a house and still looks like a house, so we had to rip up all the piping and change it all over again,” said Shealton. sweetFrog employee and Blair senior Gage Hack thought that the delayed opening gave the store an advantage. According to Hack, opening in the winter season rather than the summer allows the

Undocumented immigrants allowed licenses

By Wesley Hopkins Where only first names appear, names were changed to protect the identity of sources.

The Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) began allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for learners’ permits and drivers’ licenses on Jan. 1.

Maryland was not the only state to provide this benefit to its undocumented residents, as California, Oregon, and Illinois implemented similar laws as well at the start of this year.

This change was a result of the Maryland Highway Safety Act of 2013, a bill passed in May after extensive debate in the State Congress. The bill passed 29 to 18 in the Senate and 82 to 55 in the House of Delegates.

The law specifies that the type of license available to undocumented people in Maryland is only a second-tier license, providing only the identification of a legal driver without the added capabilities of a standard license, such as the abil-

ity to board an airplane or enter a federal building.

While these licenses are available without showing legal US residency, the applicants must prove that they live and work in Maryland, and also that they meet certain pre-requisites. Applicants must present an individual taxpayer number issued by the International Revenue Service, as well as evidence of Maryland state tax returns filed over at least the previous two years.

Applicants over 25 can get a learners’ permit immediately and get a license within only two months under a special exception to expedite the process, applicants under 25 still have to go through the usual 9-month “learning period” before obtaining their license.

Opponents of the bill, like state Senator Chris Shank, expressed concern that it would reward illegal immigrants for breaking the law by entering the country illegally and that Maryland would receive an influx of undocumented

see LICENSES page A2

VOL 76 NO 4

Police identify Columbia shooter

By Leigh Cook

By Naomi Weintraub

Celebrating Sankofa C3

store to slowly enter the community without being overwhelmed with business. “If we opened in the summer we would have been bombarded with people; opening in the winter allows us to ease into business,” said Hack.

Shealton believed that although the delayed opening created advantages and allowed the staff to familiarize with people and facilities, it has some setbacks. “It’s kind of hard from a manager’s point of view to know how the schedule

see SWEETFROG page A4

manis, 49, in the foot. Straumanis later claimed that the shot was fired from the upper floor, where Aguilar was stationed in Zumiez, and reached the food court where Straumanis was located. Four other patrons sustained minor injuries from the rush to evacuate the mall but no others were shot.

Police tasked explosives investigators stated that Aguilar’s body was covered with ammunition.

According to Howard County Police press releases, the police found Aguilar lying beside a 12-gauge shotgun that they discerned was

see SHOOTING page A2

Teachers adjust to Common Core

By Kelsey Gross

MCPS began teaching the new Algebra 1 Common Core Curriculum at the beginning of this school year. Teachers reported trouble adjusting to the new curriculum’s focus on real-world applications and word problems as well as the county’s method of implementing the changes. Teachers also complained about receiving exam review packets only a month before final exams.

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a set of guidelines developed by educators from 48 states designed to put United States students back at the top of

international rankings on standardized tests. According to the MCPS Mathematics Curriculum 2.0 packet, Maryland adopted the CCSS in June 2010, and MCPS developed their own Curriculum 2.0, a new curriculum with a focus on word problems, critical thinking and application skills.

To develop the new curriculum for Algebra I, the MCPS Math Implementation and Development Team had to determine the most effective methods of teaching the CCSS. “The Common Core itself is just a list of things that students should know. It’s not telling you what things to teach each day or

see ALGEBRA page A4

Maryland’s last good knight

By Langston Cotman

gate are shockingly anachronistic when compared to the surrounding shopping centers. Behind the chained gate there resides a man committed to bettering the lives

Blue Knight of Maryland, and the Enchanted Kingdom is his domain.

An undercover police officer, the man who made the decision to drop The Knighting of Sir Edward Agent Orange on Vietnam and the Secret Service In 1985, Edward agent who Jagen traded in his saved Presibadge for a sword and dent Reagan’s a suit of armor. The life got togethformer Major Crimes er and built a investigator for the castle. If this Washington D.C. Poscenario were lice force, known by posed during a his undercover name round of Jeop“Good Knight,” retired ardy the most and withdrew his encommon retire pension with the sponse would intention of creating be “What is the an organization that most unbelievaided in the location of able retirement abducted and abused plan you’ve youth. He turned to ever heard of?” close friends Admiral Yet to anyone Elmo Zumwalt Jr. and COURTESY OF GOOD KNIGHT CHILDHOOD EMPOWERMENT NETWORK who has driven Dennis V.N McCarthy through Belts- CONTEMPORARY CASTLE The Enchanted Kingdom’s inner to help him realize this ville, a suburgoal. Zumwalt was ban town in courtyard is meant to resemble medieval royal homes.

Chief of Naval OperaPrince George’s tions during Vietnam county, and War and was the first wondered why they were see- of children everywhere. His work to allow women into the Naval ing a looming relic from medieval has been honored by presidents, Academy in Annapolis. His lifetimes, that’s the explanation. The his writing read by millions and time achievements earned him castle’s wooden towers painted to his message spread across all fifty look like stone and its imposing states. He is Edward Jagen, The see CASTLE page C5

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February 6, 2014

Licenses issued to Maryland’s Aguilar’s motives undocumented immigrants remain unclear Governor passes new law for 2014 from LICENSES page A1

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immigrants as a result of the law. “It could create a haven,” warned Shank in an interview with the Herald Mail.

Republican Delegate Herb McMillan of Anne Arundel County extended on the opposition, warning that the bill could harm the employment opportunities of documented Americans. “They’re not here to contribute, as far as I’m concerned,” he said during the floor debate. “If we encourage people to come here illegally, we encourage them to take jobs from Americans.”

Proponents of the bill, meanwhile, argue that the law will increase safety on the state’s roads.

According to the MVA, the administration of tests and drivers’ education will help to make illegal immigrants into safer drivers. “We want everyone to understand the rules of the road,” professed MVA administrator John Kuo. The road safety of undocumented immigrants has indeed been shown to be a problem. According to The Economist, “unlicensed drivers are almost five times more likely to be in a fatal crash. They are also less likely to stay at accident scenes.” The new law will allegedly limit this safety concern as well as allow insurance companies to cover these drivers and their victims in the event of an accident.

Supporters also hope for the law to show an increase in tolerance and support for its residents, regardless of their legal status.

“We’ve changed the conversation on how we deal with residents in Maryland, and that includes everyone, including immigrants,” said Sen. Victor Ramirez, the PG County Democrat who introduced the bill, in an interview with the Baltimore Sun.

“We’re going to take a practical approach and not drive people underground and not treat them like criminals.”

Undocumented immigrants are pleased with this change. Anthony, a professional painter who immigrated from El Salvador fifteen years ago, thinks the law is beneficial and appropriate. “It’s a really valuable opportunity,” he said. “The cause was definitely worth the effort to make the

GRACE WOODWARD

change. It’s always been a crime to drive and so I’ve avoided it, but now I will be able to get to work more easily or drive my son to thehopital in an emergency.”

After the law was passed, officials went to work to make undocumented immigrants aware of the new law and encourage them to obtain licenses so they could drive legally.

“We’re going to reach out to this population that will be interested in acquiring the second-tier product. We’re in the process of developing brochures and radio ads, and things like that,” said Buel Young, a spokesman for the MVA. Anthony was satisfied with the awareness efforts. “All my friends talk about it, and I’ve heard about it in advertisements.”

The MVA is expecting to issue about 135,000 learner’s permits and driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants in the US between fiscal years 2014 and 2018.

from SHOOTING page A1

purchased legally in December in Maryland. Inside his bag, police found two homemade weapons.

The police investigation is ongoing and according to press releases and official statements on social media, Aguilar’s motives remain unclear. After obtaining a search warrant, officers found Aguilar’s personal journal in his home in College Park. Reports noted that the contents of the journal expressed general unhappiness and the police have concluded that Aguilar was dealing with mental health issues, though the journal did not reveal whether Aguilar had any personal connection to the victims of the shooting. Aguilar does not mention targeting specific people but does convey a homicidal state of mind. The Howard County Police Department have released statements on Twitter claiming that in his journal Aguilar expresses apologies to his family for what he is about to do.

Collin Ready was working in Columbia when the shooting occured. “At first I thought the noise was the construction that had recently been taking place inside the mall, but I heard it again and knew it was a gunshot. It was just footsteps away,” he said.

Ready claimed he raced to the back of the store and left through the emergency exit, but his manager called him and told him to stay inside the mall. “The police had the mall on lockdown. Everybody was screaming and running,” Ready said. No shoppers or employees were permitted to leave the mall immediately after the shooting. The mall remained on lockdown for 40 minutes before police allowed Ready and his employees to evacuate the mall at 12:10 PM. Nina Blake, an English teacher at Blair, was one among the many shoppers that went to the mall shortly after the shooting.

Blake was planning to take her daughter to the movie theater inside the mall. She arrived at noon and was shooed away by a police officer when she pulled into the Sears parking lot. “The first thing I saw was more emergency vehicles than I had ever seen in my life,” she said. The cars in front and behind her were also instructed to evacuate the parking lot . “I was shaken because the shooting took place close to where we were heading. I usually let my daughter ride on the carousel in Columbia Mall, which is right around the store that the shooter was in,” said Blake. Despite the shooting, Blake stated that fully intends to shop at Columbia in the future.

Blair requests additonal registrar from B.O.E

By Leslie Chen

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Blair administration and students advocated for additional clerical staffing at the Jan. 16 Montgomery County Operating Budget Hearing. At the meeting, Blair students and PTSA presented their rationale behind the need for additional staff to support registrar Marguerite Berardi to the Board of Education (BOE).

Superintendent Joshua Starr stated that the need for another registrar would be reviewed after first attempting to redistribute the duties of the staff that is already at Blair. Another registrar would be provided to Blair if this review shows that shifts in work of secretarial staff cannot accomplish what another registrar could. “We will, once again, commit to working with the Blair administration to determine whether there is another way to allocate and reallocate staff… so that all the paperwork is done and if it is absolutely impossible to do so, then I will do what I have, as always, promised to do. If there is no other way to do it without additional resources, we will provide that,” Starr said.

The first of the Blair speakers, sophomore Susana Perez, outlined the responsibilities of the registrar. “[The role of] a school registrar…involves, among other responsibilities, processing transcripts for seniors applying to college, enrolling ninth graders, managing transfer students and more,” Perez said. She also explained how the number of students at Blair factors into the increased workload that Berardi has had to take on.

“Blair’s size and complexity creates some challenges and… one such challenge [is] that Blair only has one registrar,” Perez stated.

According to the MCPS one-size-fits-all

policy, only one registrar is assigned to each Montgomery County high schools whose enrollments range from approximately 1,200 to 2,800 students, with Blair being the largest. “Every school only gets one, regardless of size and breadth of their responsibilities,” said Perez.

Blair’s second student speaker, junior Noelle Mason, provided numerical data as evidence. “There are just under 800 seniors at Blair and just under 200 at Wheaton, yet both schools have one registrar. Our registrar sent 2,583 transcripts as of January First,” she said. The registrar at Wheaton, Sonia Meneses, said that she has sent around

Next MCPS Board of Education Meeting: Tuesday, February 11, 2014 Closed Session Approval 9:00 am Business Meeting 10:00 am

675-700 transcripts.

Berardi’s job also includes handling the numerous students that are enroll in and transfer out. “Blair has a mobility rate of 9.7% and 45 feeding middle schools, compared to the 5.1% mobility rate and 2 feeding middle schools that Wootton has. Wootton and Blair still have the same amount of registrars,” Mason told the BOE.

Chris Barclay, the BOE member representing District 4 (Olney), added that since Blair is part of the Down County Consortium (DCC), the range of possible middle schools that incoming Blair freshmen are coming from creates more difficulty for the registrar.

Barclay explained, “It is not simply that you have a clear set of feeder schools.”

In her testimony, Blair PTSA President Therese Gibson explained that MCPS denied Blair’s previous appeal from last year for another registrar because they said that there was a sufficient number of secretaries already. However, these secretaries do not always have the time to help the registrar.

“The secretaries have their own responsibilities,” said Berardi. Even when the counseling secretaries, Frances Conway and Priscilla Shub, do have free time, certain jobs, including filing, checking that graduation requirements are fulfilled, entering transfers into the system and making grade changes, can only be completed by the registrar. Berardi cannot have other volunteers to help her, either. “I handle student information, so I can’t have parent volunteers or student aides. Only someone who works at Blair can assist,” she said.

After the Blair speakers, Michael Durso, the BOE member representing District 5 (Silver Spring-Burtonsville area), suggested adding a part-time registrar and Judy Docca, the BOE member representing District 1 (including Poolesville, Potomac and Bethesda), agreed that Blair’s size warrants additional staffing. “We talked about this last year, we do think there should be another position there. It is an unusual school that has at least five different schools within it. There are a lot of different needs there,” Docca said.

News A3

silverchips

February 6, 2014

Intel talent search recognizes Blazers

Three Blair seniors will advance to finals this year

By Milena Castillo The Society for Science and the Public (SSP) named three Blair seniors among forty finalists for this year’s Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS) on Jan. 22. Shaun Datta, Neil Davey, and Jessica Shi have been nationally recognized for their achievements in science and mathematics and will have the opportunity to receive large scholarships for their efforts.

In March, Datta, Davey, and Shi will travel to Washington, D.C. for a week to meet with the other 37 finalists and display their work at the National Geographic Society. Here, they will undergo final judging and compete for $630,000 in awards, including a first-place prize of $100,000.

To participate in the prestigious competition, applicants must do extensive research on a subject of their choice and then develop a coherent twenty-page report on their findings. Although it is an independent project, students are allowed to collaborate with institutions for their research and may seek limited assistance from their teachers, peers, and families. Many contestants are also advised to find a mentor to guide them along their research process.

For his application, Datta worked in the physics department at the University of Maryland on a project related to theoretical nuclear physics in the field of quantum chromodynamics. His goal was to simplify the theory in the hopes of being able to extract real, workable numbers from it when applied to specific situations.

“The goal is to get a realistic pic-

ture of nuclear physics on a more tensive science projects alongside Blair, was one of the people who rigorous mathematical basis so their mentors at research instituworked closely with the three fithat it will be useful for physicists tions. “Just being part of the whole nalists throughout their entire who want to understand nuclear research experience is really excitexperience. She encouraged all matter out in space,” said Datta ing. You know what it feels like her students to participate in the Shi completed her project at the to be a scientist for a summer and competition and helped those who Massachusetts Institute of Tech- you develop an incredible sense did with developing their ideas, nology with the help of an under- of problem solving,” said Davey finding mentors, and editing their graduate student there. She studDatta said that his experience papers. “This was actually my first ied intersection year doing this project and I graphs which really enjoyed helping my have applicastudents with what they tions in DNA needed for their applicamapping and tion process,” said Bosse. sensor networks.

Although not all of her stuHer goal was to dents who applied made it find the upper through as semifinalists, she and lower limits was impressed by everyof these graphs one’s hard work and dedcreated from sets ication. “It’s just a natural of other funcprogression after putting in tions in a place in all this effort to share it and order to help rebe proud of it regardless of searchers better whether they’re selected or understand other not, I know I’m proud of all kinds of graphs. my students,” said Bosse.

ZEKE WAPNER Davey’s projThis contest aims to inLEARNING THROUGH APPLICATION (from left to ect focused more spire student-led innovaright) Seniors Jessia Shi, Neil Davey and Shaun Datta on how math tion and distinguish those and science re- all placed as finalists in the Intel competition this year. who show the greatest late to the medpotential to be future leadical world. In a ers in science, mathematdifferent competition last year, while creating a project for the ics, and engineering. Through Davey worked with parasites in competition was unlike most of their Talent Search Program, Inthe bloodstream, which gave him the work he had done at school tel wants to recognize students the idea for another project having because it required a much deepwho have excelled in academics to do with rare invasive subjects in er level of understanding on parand give them the opportunithe human body. “This year I made ticular subjects. “It was a really ty to meet others like them in an a detection mechanism for early di- interesting experience just sitting intimate setting. Past winners of agnosis of cancer. I used a method in a desk in the summer just the contest have gone on to win known as drop base microfluidics thinking all the time, which was such awards as the Nobel Prize, to actually encapsulate these circu- different than school where you the National Medal of Science lating tumor cells from the blood usually have to plug in numbers and Technology, and the MacArand isolate them,” said Davey. and do things like that and you’re thur Foundation “Genius” grants.

Datta, Davey, and Shi spent part constantly on the go,” said Datta. of junior year and the entirety of Mrs. Angelique Bosse, the MagEditor’s Note: Jessica Shi works for summer vacation working on ex- net Research Coordinator here at tech staff on Silver Chips Online.

Blair celebrates Mental Health Awareness SGA organizes events to educate students about mental health

By Grace Woodward Blair’s SGA worked with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to organize a week aimed at increasing mental health awareness. The week featured more events than it had previously, including a NAMI sponsored assembly on Jan. 29, a slam jam at lunch in the Media Center on 31, and a booth set up in Blair Boulevard throughout the week.

The SGA contacted NAMI to receive help planning and facilitating Blair’s Mental Health Awareness Week, to make the event more feasible for the SGA. “We wanted to make our work smarter, not harder and NAMI allowed us to do that,” said the SGA sponsor Christopher Klein.

The assembly, slam jam, and booth were all designed to grab Blazers’ attention and encourage opening the dialogue about

KYRA SEIGER

RIBBONS FOR A CAUSE The SGA organized a Mental Health Awareness week from Jan. 27-31 by setting up booths on Blair Blvd., holding an assembly with guest speakers and hosting an open mic event.

mental health. “Talking can be the hardest battle to fight,” Klein said. During lunch on Wednesday, speakers from NAMI led an assembly to inform Blair students about mental health. The assembly had four speakers, one of whom is a former Blair student.

They discussed symptoms, effects, and coping mechanisms of common mental health issues in high school students. The assembly also aimed to offer students an opportunity to talk to professionals.

On Friday, the SGA hosted a slam jam, which was similar to an open mic, in the Media Center, where Blazers were invited to perform.

Although the event was in support of mental health awareness the student performance did not have to have a mental health theme.

NAMI provided the SGA with materials for their booth which was displayed in Blair’s main hallway, including various colored ribbons which signified different mental illnesses, jellybeans that represented the percentage of people affected by mental illness, flowers to raise money, and an informational display to help further educate students. “NAMI’s been the backbone of the entire week, they’ve made it all possible,” said school vice president, senior Amalia Perez.

In previous years, Mental Health Awareness Week occurred in October and overlapped with homecoming. This year, however,

the SGA choose to move it this year to a time when they were less busy with other school wide events, like homecoming. “Something as important and serious as Mental Health Awareness Week deserves a time when we have more hands on deck. If we’re going to do it we want to do it right,” Klein said.

Students in the SGA were also given the opportunity to attend a class prior to the event with NAMI that informed students about the numerous ways to handle mental illness. The class included teaching student members of the SGA about the resources at Blair designed to help students affected by mental health issues. NAMI offers support and comfort to those impacted by mental illness while also working to influence public policy.

Overall, members of the SGA saw the week as a success, largely due to rearranging the schedule of the week and NAMI’s help. “Last year we were spread too thin, this year we’ve become more coherent, organized, and successful,” said Perez.

The awareness week was an effort by the SGA to help students realize the importance of ending the silence and opening the dialogue regarding mental illness.

“It’s important to be out there, be visible, to give information, and raise awareness. It just might take that little bit of recognition to help someone,” said Klein.

Newsbriefs Two women charged with exorcism murders

Police are holding two women without bond for murdering two young children and injuring two additional children while performing what they told investigators was an exorcism. Zakieya Avery, 28, and Monifa Sanford, 21, claimed they saw evidence of evil spirits which moved between Avery’s four children and then performed an exorcism. Police responded to a neighbor’s 911 call Jan. 16 about a child left alone in a car, and arrived at Avery’s townhouse after a second call Jan. 17 to find her children, Norrell and Zyana Harris, ages 1 and 2, on their mother’s bed with fatal stab wounds. Avery’s two other children, Taniya and Martello Harris, ages 5 and 8 respectively, were seriously injured but are expected to recover. Each woman was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder. District Judge Gary Everngam ordered a mental health examination of Avery Jan. 24.

Transit officials to build Dale Drive metro station

Transit officials plan on building a Purple Line metro station at Dale Drive and Wayne Avenue when the metro rail is built. Michael Madden, the Maryland Transit Association’s manager for Purple Line planning, said Jan. 28 that the planners decided to build the station because community support for it has grown. Opponents claimed the station may increase commercial and residential development in the area, while proponents who liked the station’s convenience showed their support through 16 comments and a petition signed by 203 people. The station, which will be built in 2040, will serve about 960 passengers each day for the 16 mile Purple Line through Montgomery and Prince George’s County. It is expected to have the second-lowest ridership on the line after the Long Branch station.

Madden says the Dale Drive metro station will be included in the project’s $2.2 billion estimated cost.

Folk singer Pete Seeger passes away

Renowned folk singer Pete Seeger passed away at age 94 Jan. 27 in New York. The banjo player and troubadour passed away from natural causes at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Seeger was best known for his songs such as “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and for using his music to promote his liberal views in times of political turmoil in addition to being an American icon. Seeger was also sophomore Dio Cramer’s great uncle. “He was like a grandfatherly figure,” she said.

“We were pretty close…we would visit him a lot.” Cramer explained that Seeger’s death did not surprise her family. “Because he was really old and his wife passed away earlier this year, I wasn’t really surprised,” she said. She remembers him for his personality as well as his impact on the music world. “He was just one of the coolest people. His stories were absolutely incredible,” she said.

Newsbriefs compiled by Kelsey Gross

A4 News Newsbriefs BOE implements new disciplinary rules The Maryland BOE adopted new student disciplinary regulations which will allow school administrators to use their discretion when deciding appropriate actions against students who commit major offenses. The new regulations, which will be implemented during or before the 2014-2015 school year in all Maryland cities and counties including Montgomery, also refer to suspensions and expulsions as “last resort options” and require that schools provide certain services to suspended students. LoriChristina Webb, executive director MCPS deputy superintendent of teaching, learning, and programs, said that while school administrators could previously use their discretion for the “vast majority” of offenses other than the most serious ones, this new policy gives administrators more power to use their discretion in extreme cases of misconduct. Webb also said she believes the regulations show a “positive change” and will end the “disproportionate impact” of disciplinary procedures on minorities and special-education students.

Boy dies after falling into frozen waters A Gaithersburg fourth grader passed away after falling through ice over a sediment pond Jan. 13.

Ten-year-old D’Angelo McMullen, his brother Jonathan, 11, and another 10-year-old friend fell through a thin sheet of ice over the partially gated pond near the corner of Diamondback Drive and Reprise Drive in Gaithersburg around 4:15pm Jan. 13. Firefighters rescued Jonathan and the friend within five minutes, but spent about 30 minutes searching for D’Angelo before they could locate him and pull him out of the water. McMullen passed away from hypothermia at 7pm after paramedics rushed him to the hospital. Grief counselors were available Jan. 14 at Rosemary Elementary School, which D’Angelo attended, to help teachers and students cope with their loss, and Principal James Sweeney sent home a letter to parents. Counselors were also available at Forest Oak Middle School, where Jonathan, who is expected to recover, is in the sixth grade.

Common Core faces difficulties in classrooms from ALGEBRA page A1 Nolan, the director of the Math Implementation and Development Team.

Nolan and his team used the curriculum designed by the state of Maryland as a template for the county’s curriculum. “The state put out the order they think would work for how to do the teaching of Algebra over the year. Our office looked at it and made some changes, but overall, it’s very similar,” he said.

According to Nolan, the new Algebra I curriculum teaches a mathematical approach with an emphasis on math’s applications.

“It’s a way to investigate how to generalize patterns in the world, so it looks at linear functions, quadratic functions, exponential functions, compares the different properties of functions, and looks for general rules…It looks at events in the real world and tries to figure out [if there are] patterns we can use to predict future events and future outcomes. It’s really looking at trying to ‘mathematize’ the world,” said Nolan.

Teachers criticized the new curriculum for its more challenging aspects. “It’s really Algebra 1.5 because it’s part Algebra II. [Though] I like the new material, students are not prepared for it,” said Tung Pham, Blair Algebra I teacher. Celita Davis, Blair Mathematics Resource Teacher agrees.

“A lot of the material is built from things from the earlier years. [Students] may learn a simple algebraic concept in say, third grade, which is supposed to build with the curriculum, but because the 6, 7, and 8 graders have not [learned] that yet, we have had to do a lot of filling in the blanks for kids,” she said.

Nolan believes the problem is not the difficulty of the curriculum but the new style of teaching it requires. “The content of Algebra 1 is not really that different. It’s how we’re teaching it, it’s the type of activities we’re doing, and it’s the

sooner…we really wanted it done before the end of the summer so everyone would have access to the entire curriculum,” he said.

Nolan explained that the lag was due to a lack of materials. “We were hoping to find resources that would be more completely developed, like textbooks with materials that were more [aligned with the CCSS]. We have not found these materials and we had to create them, which slowed the process tremendously,” he said. Teachers worked together this year to adjust During the 2014-2015 school year, the HSA will be to the challenges replaced by the Partnership for Academic Readiness a c c o m p a n y i n g the new curricufor College and Careers (PARCC) exam. lum. The Algebra team meets every Wednesday during lunch. “We try to look at the objectives and we look at the county formatives to DILLON SEBASTIAN make a decision real-world problem solving, and with access to the formative assess- as to how we should proceed. when you bring that in you bring ments and lessons for units 1 and What we’ve done is come up with in the need for more literacy and 2, and received materials for the learning packets that are common critical thinking skills. We try to following units as they were final- to all of the Algebra teachers with provide the resources so teachers ized by Nolan’s team. Some teach- the objectives and the activities,” have what they need to prepare ers complained of the difficulties said Davis.

Nolan is pleased to see teachers students of all different types of of teaching the new curriculum as backgrounds to be ready for the it is being developed. “We should working together to maximize the have field tested it this year [in- implementation’s success. “While common core standards,” he said.

While teachers of courses which stead of implementing it through- this has been a challenge at every school for different reasons, what follow pre-existing curricula have out the county],” Davis said.

However, Davis acknowledges I’m most impressed with is how access to final exam review packets at the beginning of the year, Alge- that the implementation of the hard the teachers are working to bra I teachers did not receive re- new curriculum this year was in- try to help students,” he said.

Davis appreciates the longview packets until late November. evitable. During the 2014-2015 This is because the curriculum is school year, High School Assess- term benefits of the curriculum’s being developed and edited as the ments will be replaced by the Part- increased difficulty. “One of the year progresses. As a result, teach- nership for Academic Readiness benefits is that we are introducing ers had trouble determining what for College and Careers (PARCC) kids to different concepts at differto teach their students. “We were exam, which tests students on the ent times,” she said. For example, kind of lost because we didn’t CCSS that guide the new math cur- the new curriculum now exposes know what [students] would be riculum. “I believe what Maryland Algebra 1 students to exponential tested on,” Pham said. Although and Montgomery County wanted equations.

Teachers also report the benefits teachers received resources to to do was to at least start the curguide each unit, Pham explained riculum this year so that next year of the emphasis on real-world apthat teachers were uncertain about [teachers] could feel comfortable plications. “Students are more engaged in the material,” said how the problems on the final teaching it,” she explained.

Nolan admits that this situation Pham. Davis agrees. “Having [the exam would be formatted.

Nolan believes the materials his is not ideal. ““I was really hoping students] do more free thinking is team provided at the beginning of we would be getting it done much always good,” she said. fact that there’s so much more creative thinking and problem solving than students are used to,” he said.

Teachers reported increased difficulty teaching the new curriculum to ESOL students. “Some ESOL students struggle with the word problems,” Pham said.

Nolan acknowledges that the curriculum’s emphasis on real-life application may be more difficult for certain students to understand.

“This curriculum is based more on

the year should have adequately prepared teachers and students for the final. “The exams are no different than all of the instruction materials and the assessments which were provided at the beginning of the school year. What the exam looked like is exactly what the formative assessments and lessons looked like, so they did have a very good idea of what we’re going to be putting on the exams,” he said.

Teachers began the school year

sweetFrog opens despite major plumbing setbacks Frozen yogurt chain brings new dining option to Woodmoor

Charter school closes

from SWEETFROG page A1

Montgomery County’s first and only charter school will close at the end of this school year after financial struggles. The Crossway Community Montessori School in Kensington will continue to operate as a private school beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, but will no longer be a part of MCPS. The Board of Directors of Crossway Community Inc., which operates the school, announced Jan. 15 that they will terminate the school’s charter due to a funding deficit. The school, which opened in fall 2012 as a public charter, educates students in combined classrooms of students between ages three and five, and expanded from 65 students last school year to 98 students this school year. Kathleen Guinan, Crossway Community’s chief executive, explained that this year the school received public funding for only 39 students, which caused a “sizeable” deficit.

She attributed this deficit to Maryland’s system of public education funding, which begins at age five.

is going to be,” said Shealton.

SweetFrog has also had to figure out the right way to cater to the area’s needs being a new business in the Woodmoor area. According to Shealton, not everyone knows that the store is open, making it difficult to determine the best way to accommodate to the community

Newsbriefs compiled by Kelsey Gross

February 6, 2014

silverchips

because they do not have a consistent crowd yet.

Along with catering to the Woodmoor neighborhood as a frozen yogurt store, SweetFrog wants to give back to the area through volunteering and outreach programs. “One of the things I’ve been talking to my staff about is how we can get involved in the community. We are planning doing volun-

KYRA SEIGER

FROZEN TREATS The sweetFrog yogurt shop in Woodmoor Shopping Center is now open from 12 -- 9 pm on Monday through Saturday and 2 -- 9 pm on Sunday.

teer work and reaching out to the community; that’s my main goal as a manager,” said Shealton.

According to Shealton and the website’s mission statement, the SweetFrog franchise has a Christian background; “Frog” stands for “Fully Rely On G-d.” As stated on the website, the SweetFrog franchise has goals for their stores to, “become part of the fabric that wraps their communities.” Shealton wants to fully embrace this ideal for the store. “I am trying to show that we’re not here just for business; we are here for the community itself. At the end of the day we wouldn’t succeed if it weren’t for everyone around us. I’m trying to instill in giving back to what has given so graciously to us,” said Shealton.

Shealton tried to appeal to the area by starting a promotion allowing for Blair students to get yogurt for 10% off with a student ID. Shealton explained that hiring for the store was an on-going process. “I personally started hiring December 2nd; we had two open houses for open interview, and then on the 18th, we had orientation for new hires,” said Shealton.

They are not hiring any new employees at the moment but will be interviewing for new staff members in April.

Blazers responded positively to the store opening, many going to the store frequently. Junior and Woodmoor neighborhood resident Sammy Wichansky thought that the store was a good addition to the area. “My neighbors and I are very excited that there is a good summertime dessert place nearby,” said Wichansky. Freshman Suad Mohamud was satisfied with the wide variety and flavors that were available in the store. “I was surprised with all the choices of yogurt and toppings. My friends and I plan on returning,” said Mohamud as she explained her recent trip to the store. Some Blair students were curious to find out more about the store and its history. Senior Michelle Zaman was interested in learning more about the franchise’s religious connection.

“I didn’t know it was a Christian organization; they should advertise that more and let more people know,” said Zaman. Blair students were excited for the opening of the store and plan to visit in the future.

February 6, 2014

silverchips

ADs A5

Prom and Homecoming Corsages Friendship Bouquets ~ Birthdays Romance ~ Anniversaries ~ Holidays

Family owned and operated since 1954 Same day delivery ~ Local & Nationwide (301) 593-4700 ~ 24 hours a day

B1 Opinions

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Montgomery Blair High School 51 University Boulevard East Silver Spring, MD 20901 Phone: (301) 649-2864 2012 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Finalist Winner of the 2009 and 2010 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown Editors-in-Chief: Paris Parker-Loan and Dillon Sebastian Managing News Editors: Emma Rose Borzekowski and Mallory Rappaport Managing Op/Eds Editors: Isaac Jiffar and Evan Morris Managing Features Editors: Desiree Aleibar and Jenna Kanner Managing Entertainment Editor: Kenyetta Whitfield Managing Sports Editor: Kyle Desiderio Production Manager: Kyle Desiderio Managing Design Editors: Desiree Aleibar and Jenna Kanner Outreach Coordinator: Kenyetta Whitfield Ombudsman: Langston Cotman Distribution Supervisor: Alanna Natanson Fact Checks Supervisor: Alanna Natanson Extras Editor: Aditi Subramaniam Newsbriefs Editor: Emma Rose Borzekowski Public Relations Director: Maya Habash Executive Business Directors: Allie Fascione-Hutchins and Jared Collina Business Staff: Mattan Berner-Kadish Liza Curcio Ian Jackson Ismail Nur Jackeline Portillo Elana Rombro Page Editors: Jesse Broad-Cavanagh Milena Castillo-Grynberg Leslie Chen Leigh Cook Emily Daly Alex Frandsen Alani Fujii Kelsey Gross Leila Habib Maya Habash Landon Harris Wesley Hopkins Blue Keleher Rebecca Naimon Alanna Natanson Alexis Redford-Maung Maung Aditi Subramaniam Naomi Weintraub Grace Woodward William Zhu Editorial Cartoonist: Eva Shen Managing Photo Editors: Leila Bartholet and Zeke Wapner Spanish Page Editors: Milena Castillo Cindy Monge Jackeline Portillo Ronald Sotelo Karen Tituana Marisela Tobar Photographers: Leila Bartholet Kyra Seiger Phuong Vo Zeke Wapner Managing Arts Editor: Eva Shen Artists: Katrina Golladay Maggie McClain Elizabeth Pham Ben Safford Eva Shen Puzzle Editor: Jesse Broad-Cavanagh Copy Editors: Paul B. Ellis and Miriam Jiffar Professional Technical Advisor: Peter Hammond Advisor: Jeremy Stelzner Silver Chips is a public forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions.

Unsigned editorials represent the views of the editorial board and are not necessarily those of the school. Signed letters to the editor are encouraged.

Submit your letter to Jeremy Stelzner’s mailbox in the main office, to room 158 or to silver.chips. print@gmail.com. Concerns about Silver Chips’ content should be directed to the Ombudsman, the public’s representative to the paper, at silver.chips. ombudsman@gmail.com. Letters may be edited for space and clarity.

silverchips

February 6, 2014

Teenage lust and other disasters

On Valentine’s Day, lonely adolescents find themselves at the mercy of Cupid’s mighty bow

By Milena Castillo Humor Each year, as the sun rises on the fourteenth day of February, a strange spell falls over the world.

Outside, the sidewalks are scattered with red roses and the pungent smell of pheromones fills the air. Blushing couples walk handin-hand down the street, white doves dance in the sky, and far off in the distance, you can hear the whines and grumblings of lonely teenagers shuffling through the doors of their high school. Ah yes, this is Valentine’s Day. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to reprimand the single people who cynically lash out against the day of love in order to hide their own insecurities and hidden longings for someone to hold. And I’m certainly not here to make fun of those who do have a special someone and buy into the sappy Valentine’s Day commercialism by purchasing armies of oversized teddy bears and spending hours arranging elaborate balloon arches for their partners. No, I’m here today with one purpose only, and that is to finally shed some light on the conveniently neglected truth: that you’re all wrong. You see, anyone who feels any form of self-entitlement on Valentine’s Day is not only incorrect, but also terribly misinformed. That is, of course, unless you’re me.

Hi there, it’s Cupid.

First off, I’d like to say that I

ELIZABETH PHAM

know this must all be very overwhelming. After all, it’s not every day you get to converse with a winged adolescent celebrity. So, before I begin, I’d like to make it very clear that I will not be taking selfies with any of you under any circumstances and that my arrows are not available for purchase, no matter how totally hot and single your new lab partner may be.

Now that that’s out of the way, I’d like to reiterate that Valentine’s Day is about me, not you, not your boo, not your cats. Me. I don’t know why people seem to forget this so easily, especially considering that my face is literally plastered all over stores and streets for the entire month of February. I mean let’s face it, I’m basically the living representation of Valentine’s Day. They might as well change the name to “Cupid’s Day.” Anyways, keeping this in mind, try to understand my frustration as I explain to you how my Valentine’s Day goes pretty much every year: I wake up promptly at the crack of dawn with a big smile on my face, dress myself in my very best silk diapers, and carefully arrange my polished arrows in my bag, all the while thinking “This is going to be your year, Cupid. You’re finally going to get yourself a Valentine.” After my little pep talk, I make my way out the door with new found confidence and lo and

behold, as soon as I step outside, the requests begin. Everyone is suddenly all up in my personal space, begging me to shoot this girl and that guy and make them fall in love, promising that this is the last time they’ll ask me for a favor.

“Cupid, please ohmygosh, I think this is really the one this time, if you don’t help me out I’m gonna die, pleasecupidineedyourhelppppppp.”

I’m sorry but who do you all think I am, some kind of personal hitman or something? Please. I answer to no one, except myself. Well, ok, maybe Aphrodite, but she’s a goddess and all so that’s not really relevant. What is relevant is the fact that all you people ever do is ask, ask, ask. Well, let me ask YOU something; what do I get?

No, really. Every year I go through the same routine of flying around the world with my bow and arrows, shooting you people in the face or back or whatever and then watching you fall happily in love. Yippee. Then at the end of the night, I fly all the way back home and single-handedly eat a whole a box of chocolates on my couch while watching reruns of New Girl. Do you see what’s wrong with the picture here? How is it possible that the almighty baby of love, out of all people, is alone?

You see, to all you mortals Valentine’s Day is just about celebrating your romantic partner with scented candles and fancy dinners followed by long proclamations of love. But never have I once, in my whole life, been invited on one of these steamy and strawberry- vanilla scented dates.

Not only that, but I’ve also received exactly zero appreciation for giving humanity only like, the greatest gift of all time. Seriously guys, a thank you once in awhile wouldn’t hurt.

I mean, all Santa Claus does is bring festively wrapped cheap plastic gizmos from China and even he gets a plate of warm cookies and a glass of milk.

Where’s the love for Cupid?

Sure, there’s nothing wrong with using Valentine’s Day as a time to show your love for the people that make your world a little brighter, but let’s not forget who’s making this possible. So if you are going to buy a dozen roses for sweetheart, why not be a pal and leave one by the door for your buddy Cupid?

Oh, and if you haven’t got anyone to buy sappy gifts for this year, hit me up. I’m single.

Without net neutrality, ISPs control the Internet D.C. Court abolishes FCC’s power to regulate Internet service providers

By Kyle Desiderio An opinion On Jan. 18, 2012, the entire Internet, known for its anarchistic tendencies, banded together.

More than 4,000 websites coordinated a service blackout in order to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) that planned to pass through the U.S. Congress. For the most part, the protest worked; it brought the bill to a halt before a vote could even be called. At that time, SOPA was the closest the American public ever got to censorship of the Internet. Now, however, with the D.C. Circuit Court’s net neutrality ruling on Jan. 14, the censorship we feared in 2012 threatens to become a reality.

Net Neutrality, at its core, is the freedom we expect when we get on the Internet. Google defines the idea as the “principle that Internet service providers should enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source, and without favoring or blocking particular products or websites.”

Essentially, it’s the idea of keeping the internet free from the regulation of any outside forces, where anyone can post anything and be held on the same level as anything else posted on the internet. The free web is the only medium where every perspective and website is just as accessible as the next. Your personal blog is just as accessible as Facebook.

In order to maintain the neutrality of the internet, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) FCC has long monitored Internet providers such as Verizon and Comcast in order to maintain

the equality of each website. The D.C. Court of Appeals, though, recently overturned the FCC’s ability to regulate these companies, after Verizon successfully argued that the commission overstepped its authority. Since the internet is not technically a “utility,” unlike phones and cable, the FCC has no jurisdiction in that area. As a result of this ruling, everything that peo-

The net neutrality ruling is going to allow extortion to run rampant across the Internet.

ple protested in 2012, and everything the FCC has been protecting since 2010 is essentially nullified.

As of Jan. 14, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) now have complete proprietary control of the Internet.

The situation is much more severe than people wondering how they will be able to torrent their favorite TV shows, or how they will receive their favorite entertainment. The fact that only a few ISPs will have complete control over the information an entire country receives ruins the pure freedom of the Internet. If websites don’t pay up to ISPs, then providers ISPs could conceivably slow down their loading times, severely crippling their viewership.

This becomes a big problem when it comes to accessing news.

For example, take what’s hap-

pening in the Ukrainian capital.

Recently, Kiev, the capital, has turned into a warzone, with hundreds of thousands of protestors fighting against the elite police.

Yet when news came out that the police were detaining and torturing captured protestors, barely any of the top U.S. news sites reported on it. Instead, plastered on CNN and FOX’s website homepages were the latest updates on Justin Bieber’s arrest. MSNBC even interrupted an NSA debate in order to update the American public on the latest Bieber news.

Other small independent news organizations, such as Al Jazeera and RT, still allow the public to access information on the latest developments in Ukraine. With the recent ruling, though, it’s conceivable that that these smaller news companies will have a hard time satisfying the monetary demands of the ISP overlords, making their websites slower, and harder to reach than the more popular CNN or FOX news sites. Also, companies have the complete power to just flat-out block a website they don’t like. Verizon doesn’t want Al -Jazeera to report on Ukraine?

Verizon can just block the site until Al Jazeera stops reporting on it.

Another major scare is that media streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu Plus will be forced to raise their subscription prices. Since streaming takes a large amount of bandwidth, which is a headache for ISPs, it’s likely that they would begin to charge extra to carry streaming services, and the cost would undoubtedly go straight to the consumer.

Additionally, this is the per-

fect opportunity for ISPs to promote their own on-demand services.

“Netflix loading too slow? Try Comcast On-Demand for faster (and more expensive) service!” The day the appeals court announced its ruling, Netflix’s shares fell 2.3 percent.

This ruling isn’t going to create more competition between ISPs. Instead it’s going to allow extortion to run rampant across the Internet. It threatens to create an “upper class” of websites who can pay to keep their service running smoothly and who will begin to dominate the lower class of websites who can’t.

Fadi Chehadé, CEO of the nonprofit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) believes this fragmenting of the Internet is its biggest danger.

“The biggest threat is to start building walls that create frictions. Frictionless Internet, where innovation is permissionless... is critical,” he said in an Huffington Post interview. Without the freedom that the internet so uniquely provides, the boundless innovation that can only be found on the internet is in danger.

Any form of success is stuck behind a pay wall created by ISPs. The biggest problem with the net neutrality ruling is that it’s complicated and relatively unknown. People were able to create a strong opposition to SOPA because it had a clear-cut infringement on our rights, but the DC appeals court ruling is much more abstract. The FCC can ensure that ISPs remain under its jurisdiction, but it’s up to the people to let the FCC know it has support.

Opinions B2

silverchips

February 6, 2014

Should Maryland legalize recreational marijuana?

MAGGIE MCCLAIN

ZEKE WAPNER

Emily Daly When people talk about legalizing weed, two vastly different images may come to mind. If you agree with legalizing marijuana, you probably see a more ‘relaxed’ and ‘laid back’ society where people are free to smoke when and where they want. If you’re on the other side, you probably imagine the streets teeming with pot smokers driving high and teens toking up one day and shooting heroin the next.

While both of these views can seem a little “high-perbolic,” there is some truth to the first one. Legal marijuana has benefits. First of all, people are going to smoke pot whether it is legal or not. As of 2013, 48 percent of adults admitted to having tried marijuana. Legalizing it would just make the practice more regulated and hopefully safer. Maryland lawmakers have already drafted a bill that would legalize marijuana for the state. When weed is legal, states can impose strict regulations on vendors to try and ensure what consumers are buying is safe, ‘pure’ and unlaced.

Say you’re in the mood for a burger for dinner. You head to the grocery store and pick up a package of ground beef, reasonably sure the meat is safe to eat because it had to pass government inspection. You can’t say the same for that baggie your dealer sells you in the bathroom. Legalization means that you can pick up marijuana from behind the counter at your local pharmacy feeling confident that there are rules regulating it.

And when they’re at the register, they’ll pay a tax just like they would for beer or cigarettes. Just look at what happened in Washington, one of two states that have legalized recreational use of marijuana.

Officials there estimate that the tax paid on marijuana purchases will bring in as much as $1.9 billion over the next five years— talk about a reason to get high. Washington officials say they’ll spend most of the cash on healthcare, substance abuse programs, and marijuana education.

There’s no reason that Maryland can’t do the same thing with the money we’ll get from sales. The bill moving through the state legislature stipulates that pot will be taxed similarly to alcohol, and “an excise tax must be collected on all marijuana sold to retailers at an initial rate of $50 per ounce.” This money could be a major benefit to the state of Maryland.

Money is important, but so is public opinion. According to a recent Gallup poll, 58 percent of Americans agree with legalization of recreational marijuana. To be blunt, people want legal weed.

One of the main reservations, however, is that it may serve as a so-called ‘gateway

YES:

NO:

Join the green team.

Don’t feed into weed.

drug’ that will lead teens and adults to abuse harder and more damaging substances. Yet alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in America, and you don’t hear people saying that beer is dangerous as a gateway drink that has the potential to catapult people into alcoholism. Yes, some people are more easily susceptible to addiction than others, but legalization will not change people’s abilities to say no to the drug if they so choose.

In fact, alcohol may be even more dangerous than pot is. According to the Journal of Psychopharmacology, “A direct comparison of alcohol and cannabis showed that alcohol was considered to be more than twice as harmful as cannabis to [individual] users, and five times more harmful as cannabis to society.”

Even the President agrees. Although he is reluctant to talk about marijuana and the White House is officially against legalization, President Obama recently commented, “I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”

Marijuana is often thought of as one of the least dangerous drugs because most users tend to mellow out rather than become violent. And yet, there were 749,825 marijuana-related arrests in the U.S. in 2012, 88 percent for simply possessing the drug, according to drugpolicy.org. These arrests and subsequent trials and imprisonments are clogging up our legal system and our jail cells, and costing Maryland an enormous amount of money. According to the Open Society Institute, it cost $33,000 a year in 2010 to incarcerate just one person in a state prison.

Instead of looking out for every person who lights up, police should be able to focus their efforts on arresting those who pose a serious threat to society.

As if the sheer number of people in prison was not enough, the enforcement of drug laws is also notoriously racially-biased. In 2010 the American Civil Liberties Union found that black people were 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites—even though their usage rates were proven to be nearly the same.

While it’s unlikely that racial profiling will be entirely eliminated, legalization could be one step closer to equal protection under the law for all citizens.

It’s time for state lawmakers to blow away the smokescreen of myths surrounding marijuana use and recognize that the benefits of legalization are just piling higher and higher.

Marijuana is good for you in the same way eating ice cream after getting your tonsils removed is good for you. After a tonsillectomy, your mouth is extremely sore. So eating ice cream, a “comfort” food that is not only soft, but tasty, can help relieve some of the pain. And smoking weed, a drug that is not only widely considered - “safe,”- but calming and relieving can help alleviate some of the stresses and anxieties of life. But it’s also no secret that ice cream is littered with fat and sugar, and that marijuana is a psychoactive drug that impairs neural functions. The differences between ice cream and marijuana are of course extreme, but at the end of the day neither is actually good for the body.

Yet there exists a common misconception that weed is a “soft drug” and thus harmless. Where exactly we draw the line between “soft” and “hard” on the drug spectrum is unclear, but the effects of marijuana on the body are anything but uncertain. As THC– the active chemical ingredient in marijuana smoke – travels from the lungs and into the blood stream the chemical affects the brain and other bodily organs. Most users report a high after smoking marijuana, but coming along with it are distorted perceptions, impaired judgment, and difficulty thinking and problem solving. The argument that marijuana is “soft” compared to other drugs stems from the myth that marijuana is not as addictive as some of the more frowned upon drugs such as heroin and crystal meth. But while marijuana is not physically addictive, it can lead to psychological dependency which many experts are beginning to claim can be just as bad. “Psychological addiction occurs in your brain and it’s a physical change,” asserts Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. While it would be foolish to say that all of those who use marijuana become addicted to the drug, many marijuana users will crave the drug to relieve stress, to make them social, or simply because they love the feeling of being high. The National Institute on Drug Abuse cites that around 10% of marijuana users become dependent on it, with that figure increasing to over 15% for those who begin using in their teens, and up to 50% among daily users. Those percentages will come to represent a much larger portion of the population if marijuana is indeed legalized for all to use recreationally.

The oldest argument against marijuana is perhaps that it leads to further use of other drugs. The phrase “marijuana is

voicebox “Yes, because there’s been studies proven it relieves stress.”

Jasmine Rubio Junior

“No, because it’s dangerous.”

Matthew Guerrera Sophomore

“Yes, because it helps everyday and calms them down.”

Faith Sharp Freshman

ZEKE WAPNER

Landon Harris a gateway drug” has become a trite cliché, but that doesn’t take away from its legitimacy. The validity in the gateway drug theory is not in the idea that marijuana usage causes a physical need for other drugs down the line. It rather results in an increased openness to experiment with other drugs, drugs that would still be illicit even if marijuana was legalized. Once marijuana ceases to be new and exciting, a user might search for even more dangerous drugs to reach an even better high.

So why would the Maryland government even consider the legalization of a drug that impairs brain functions, can be psychologically addictive, and may lead to further drug experimentation? Well one line of reasoning is that it’s no worse than alcohol. The negative effects of alcohol on one’s health are well documented. But there is no point in legalizing another drug that impairs judgment and decision making. This would augment the societal problems caused by impaired drunk individuals by adding impaired high individuals, especially in a nation that struggles with drunk driving to the degree that the US does. In 2012 there were over 10,000 national deaths resulting from drunk driving, comprising 31% of all traffic related deaths. Because marijuana impairs motor functions and coordination much like alcohol does, driving high is every bit as dangerous as driving drunk. Other than alcohol, marijuana is the drug most often found in drivers involved in crashes. And this is while the drug is still illegal. With people getting high more often, we have to anticipate more instances of driving high.

Another argument for the legalization of marijuana is that current enforcement of the drug ban is racist, as minorities are busted and jailed for pot possession at a much higher percentage than whites are.

The logic behind this argument is flawed however, as legalizing marijuana will do little to eliminate the preconceived notions and prejudices of law enforcement officials. Whether marijuana is legal or not, racial prejudices will continue to influence police officers, and this is what leads to higher arrests rates for minorities. A change in cultural attitude will have a lot more impact in eliminating racism in the law than drug policy ever will.

The best case for the legalization of marijuana is in its economic benefit. Government legalization and sale of marijuana could generate substantial revenue in taxes. But I do question the morality of a government that would attain this economic advantage by administering a substance that can be harmful to its people.

“Yes, because it would be controlled by the government instead of gangs.”

Wynston Reed Senior

KYRA SEIGER

“Yes, because it would help the economy and if it’s not forbidden then maybe less people will do it.”

Maia Pramuk Freshman

B3 Opinions

silverchips

February 6, 2014

On Hulu and your iPod, it’s gay first, character second The media stereotypes Americans listen to and watch create flat images of the LGBT community

By Leila Habib

such as “fag” the song, as if they suddenly couldn’t hear regularly. Mackhis crystal-clear vocals whenever he said “When I was in third grade, I thought lemore observes something offensive.” that I was gay/’Cause I could draw, my that “‘Man, Senior Andrea Bravo believes there isn’t uncle was, and I kept my room straight,” that’s gay,’ gets an effective way to stop artists from using Macklemore raps. The “bunch of stereodropped on the derogatory words. “People say you types” stuck in Macklemore’s head that led the daily,” with can petition against it, but honestly, that’s him to this conclusion didn’t come from people using it as like telling a sailor he can’t cuss. It comes out of nowhere. Over the years, as we have an insult based down to every individual person to decide seen more and more homosexual characters upon the stereowhether or not they’re going to say it or in television shows and movies, Hollytypes with which not,” she said. wood’s interpretation of what it means to we are bombe gay has become increasingly defined by barded. This has Changing their tune stereotypes. Yet, looking around Blair and been a pertinent its relatively large LGBT community, you problem in rap, Yet, there seems to be a light at the end realize that these stereotypes aren’t usually beginning with of the tunnel. In addition to Macklemore’s true. lyrics like Big active support for gay rights, several other Daddy Kane’s hip hop and rap artists have been speaking COURTESY OF ABC Stereotypes on screen that were explicit out, such as Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar.

CAM AND MITCHELL Mitchell laments how society “doesn’t about his beliefs “I’ve always thought [about] it as somehave the right vocabulary” to describe his relationship with Cam. on homosexuals.

On the TV screen, we see gay males thing that was still holding the country portrayed as fashion-oriented, social, “The Big Daddy back,” Jay-Z told CNN about the fact that said to NBC. “I’m playing a police captain flamboyant, and feminine, characteristics law is anti-faggot/ same-sex marriage is not legal everywhere. who happens to be gay…The gay police that earned Damian from Mean Girls the That means no homosexuality,” Big Daddy “What people do in their own homes is captain is eventually going to be wearing quotable label “almost too gay to funcKane raps in his song “Pimpin’ Ain’t their business, and you can choose to love hot pants and singing ‘YMCA.’ The police tion” from the moment he is introduced.

Easy.” Junior Alex Alia believes the use of whoever you love. That’s their business. captain who happens to be gay is going to Throughout the movie, Damian’s stereothis language is not necessary. “I’ve heard It’s no different than discriminating against be a huge collection of personality chartypical characteristics unfold from the first words like faggot or fag tossed around in blacks. It’s discrimination, plain and simacteristics and motivations,” Braugher scene, as he obsesses over Cady’s hair color songs, and I don’t think it’s appropriate or ple.” asserted. and acts overprotective of his pink shirt. needed,” he said.

All of these stereotypes portrayed in the His constant use of the word “fierce” and Rapper Eminem was surrounded with media have created a flat, two-dimensional All in the family the phrase “Oh no she did not!” don’t help a homophobia controversy due to a couple image of the LGBT community that some to stray away from the label either. of lines in his song “Criminal.” “My words real-life members feel they must conform This is the opposite of ABC’s Modern Although FOX’s Glee advertises itself are like a dagger with a jagged edge/That’ll to. “Executives should keep in mind that Family, which always seems to remind the as a diverse and inclusive television show, stab you in the head/Whether you’re a the diversity they present in their characters audience that Mitchell and Cameron are a the stereotypes present in its portrayal of fag or lez/Or the homosex, hermaph or a can have a great impact on our society’s gay couple. “That’s something that’s highKurt Hummel as a feminine, gay charactrans-a-vest/Pants or dress - hate fags?/ understanding and acceptance of the LBGT lighted with primary colors,” actor and fan ter obsessed with fashion contradicts the The answer’s ‘yes’,” Eminem Dan Bucatinsky says. Mitchell plays a lawstatement. Kurt is obsessed with fashion, raps. In 2001, the rapper then yer while Cameron is a stay-at-home father, exemplified by both his keen sense of style explained what the word and his own comparison of himself with his creating visible lines of who is meant to “faggot” meant to him. “‘Fagembody the expected “male” and “female” boyfriend, Blaine. “Blaine loves football. I got’ to me just means...taking roles in the relationship. love scarves,” Kurt says in an episode. Furaway your manhood. You’re The show particularly touches on this ther pushing the line, Kurt refers to himself a sissy. You’re a coward,” he subject in an episode about Mother’s Day, as an “honorary girl” and complains about declared. where Mitchell says that one of them must his stepbrother’s refusal to participate Since these derogatory be the mom as society “doesn’t have the in “little lady-chats.” Although Blaine lines circulated the world, right vocabulary” for the couple. provides some relief from the stereotype, it Eminem has come out against isn’t enough to overthe use of such deprecatcome the ones present ing terms, even endorsing in Kurt, who also refers gay marriage. However, to himself as “Lady these slurs still find a way Hummel.” into his more recent songs.

“I’ll still be able to break a The color and sexuality motha******* table/Over the spectrum back of a couple of faggots and crack it in half,” he spits Not only is there a out in his 2013 song “Rap COURTESY OF ABC lack of difference beGod.” tween the characteristics But that’s not all. “Little JAY-Z “[Same-sex marriage being illegal] is something of LGBT characters in gay looking boy/So gay I can holding the country back,” the rapper told CNN in the media, but we don’t barely say it with a straight 2012. “You can choose to love whoever you love.” see much representation face looking boy,” Eminem of those from different raps. Oh, but that’s not the ethnic groups, socioend of it. “Oy vey, that boy’s gay/That’s all community,” GLAAD’s 2013 report read. economic levels and they say looking boy,” he continues. EmiThe media needs to portray the LGBT genders. White, affluent nem, however, still finds a way to defend community realistically instead of relying and male characters are the song by vaguely stating he uses “fagon the same overused and widely inaccuCOURTESY OF FOX the ones that are usually got” to mean something different. When he rate stereotypes that are present in society.

CAPTAIN HOLT The officer on FOX’s Brooklyn-Nine-Nine is present in the media. raps about breaking the table, he says he is Why must the fact that a character is gay According to the Gay referring to his ability to ward off his rivals. both African-American and homosexual, a combination that be emphasized over and over again? Why and Lesbian Alliance The media has praised Eminem’s “Rap must a character be solely defined by his/ most audiences have never seen on primetime television.

Against Defamation God,” ignoring the hateful lyrics behind it. her sexual orientation? It’s time to get rid of This greatly reinforces the stereotype (GLAAD) organization’s TIME described the song as “divine.” Scott the preconceived ideas of what it means to that there must be a dominant and passive 2013 “Where We Are on TV” report, which Meslow, entertainment editor for The Week, be a part of the LGBT community. role in a relationship. Junior Rachel Ederer relies on the character count and diversity condemned Just Jared, an online entertainrecounts her experience while watching the of scripted characters in the upcoming ment group, for its depiction of the rap show with her friend. “Whenever we watch season to rate television networks, 72 song. “Worst of all is Just Jared,” Meslow percent of LGBT characters are white, while Modern Family, she always yells ‘That’s so writes, “which took the time to painsstereotypical!’” Ederer said.

28 percent are people of color – a 2 percent takingly transcribe the six-minute song’s There has also been a problem in regards decline since last year. The directors at FOX lyrics — and took the coward’s way out by to the lack of transgender characters in the are trying to change that with their new writing ‘[?]’ over every homophobic lyric in Despite hip hop’s past reputation in media. According to GLAAD, the show Brooklyn-Nine-Nine. regards to its portrayal of and beliefs about public perception of transgender In the comedy, Andre Braugher plays the LGBT community, there has been a people is about 20 years behind Captain Ray Holt, an African-American, rising support for gay rights from Macklewhere it is now for gay and lesbigay commander of a Brooklyn police more, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and 50 Cent. an people. “Transgender people precinct. The producers of the show have Macklemore was exposed to the issue face shockingly high levels of made it clear that they would like to at a young age as his uncles and godfather discrimination,” GLAAD wrote make the show as close to the real world are gay, while 50 Cent had to take a couple in a 2013 report. “GLAAD’s own as possible. “Our feeling was not calling years to evolve and become more open. study of transgender repreattention to their ethnicities and not calling sentation in the last 10 years of Frank Ocean coming out of the closet attention too much to Captain Holt being television found that more than gay,” producer Dan Goor said. “We just feel led 50 Cent to come out in favor of LGBT half were negative.” like, in real life, you’re in a workplace, and rights. He remarked, “I could care less Glee is hoping to change this the Latina lady is not referencing the barrio. about what his personal preference is in the as it introduced Unique, the She’s a person, just like you’re a person. bedroom...people make choices, you can only transgender character on a To a certain extent, it’s just writing toward live your life your way.” broadcast series. reality,” Goor continued.

Beyonce posted a picture to Instagram Braugher emphasizes the fact that being COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO with a message that read, “If you like it you Rhymes with homophobia gay is only one part of Holt’s personality, should be able to put a ring on it,” on the MACKLEMORE Same-sex couples got married and, like any straight character, there is issue of gay marriage, alluding to her song during a performance of Macklemore and Ryan In the musical realm, many more to him than his sexuality. “I’m not “Single Ladies.” artists use derogatory words Lewis’ “Same Love,” at the 2014 Grammys. playing a gay police captain,” Braugher

in the lyrics

February 6, 2014

silverchips

Opinions B4

Students shouldn’t be studying during winter break Having midterm exams before break is beneficial to students and teachers

By Alani Fuji An opinion The days leading up to exam week are always the worst days of the school year. The only friend you have time for is Starbucks, and the attempts to understand molecular orbital theory keep failing as you drift in and out of consciousness. Even during the holiday, sleep becomes a prized possession, and social life has decreased to sitting on the floor, studying.

A long awaited winter break is nothing like it should be. Junior Jirah Mae Querubin does not enjoy the book-filled break. “I have family around, and will be busy over break, and it’s vacation. I don’t want in the back of my head to be worrying about studying,” she said. Doesn’t it seem a little sadistic that we are put in a position where the longest break we have during the stressful school year must be spent studying for school. Basically, it’s disgusting.

A poll done by the UK’s ChildLine found that ninety-six percent out of the thirteen hundred that participated in the poll

felt anxious about exams, with fifty-nine percent feeling pressure from their parents to do well, and sixty-four percent claiming that they have never received any support in dealing with exam stress. This can all be avoided with quick swipe of the red marker on the academic calendar: move the exam schedule before winter break, not into the new year.

A poll done by Palo Alto High School’s newspaper, The Campanile, found that sixty one percent of students felt stressed about the result of their final grade during winter break. Break should be a celebration of conquering the old year, and rejuvenating into the new.

If exam schedule was moved to before break, students would not have to stress about closing up grades because grades would have been finalized by the time the last bell rings. No homework, no worries.

It would almost be like the days after exam week this year, the beautiful days of sleep, hanging out with friends, and keeping Netflix open on the computer at all hours.

It also would give us an opportunity to actually spend a decent amount of time with our families. The previous months of homework, studying, and extracurriculars kept us away from that “family time” that was always emphasized when we were kids. Whether this means a family vacation, or just relaxing with your parents at the house on the weekends and holidays they have off, you can certainly focus more on bonding without school on the mind. This kind of opportunity is all too rare during the school year.

Even the teachers that we think might be torturing us with work and stress have a burden lifted off them as well. Teachers will not have to spend break answering emails from worried students about the chance of pulling themselves up to an A, or whether they will still be able to do that project that was due in October. Grades would be finished. A new year should be a new start.

No one likes to celebrate the old year, during the new year.

Most people celebrate the coming of 2014, not the ending of 2013. Tom Peters, a sucessful writer most known for his book In Search of Excellence, said, “Celebrate what you want to see more of.” Don’t we want to see better grades?

A bettering of ourselves intellectually, along with more?

Worrying ELIZABETH PHAM

about last year’s grades shouldn’t be on our minds because a new year in not supposed to hang in the last. When the ball drops on midnight that January 1st, letting go of the past is the first thing on my to-do list, at that includes first semester grades.

If a student fails to keep up a strict regimen of studying over break, then he or she risks coming back having forgotten a lot of material, and right before exams too. If exams were before break, the material that we learn in school would be fresh in the mind, not forgotten.

Students are already in the “school” mindset, so studying will be an easier task.

It is harder to take the initiative over break to study because we’re not in school; most people don’t like to spend time studying, so not being in school for winter break reinforces that.

I personally come back from break forgetting many of the topics I’ve learned in school, and it is not fun re-teaching myself.

It’s not learning anymore, it’s memorization. Suli Breaks, an English spoken word poet with over ten million views on YouTube, recites, “Students! How many equations, subjects, and dates did you memorize just before an exam never to use again?”

Preach.

With exams before break, students would be in a much better position. There would be no need to frantically re-teach yourself the binomial theorem because you would already be using it in school recently.

It might take time to adjust to a completely new schedule, but if we can get more time to spend with our families and more peace of mind during our time off, it’ll be worth it. Having exams before break means we can let go of our past grades, celebrate the end of a semester, and start fresh in order to better ourselves for the new year.

Hitting the books with a press of the power button In Montgomery County, the switch to digital textbooks is long overdue

By Isaac Jiffar An opinion We are the iGeneration. We are growing up with our own laptops and smartphones.

The GPS technology we use has relegated paper maps to the museum display case.

Print newspapers have become relics of an earlier time--for those who do not know how to use the computer, avid crossword solvers, nostalgia-ridden 80-somethings, and Montgomery Blair students.

Now e-books are not the newest of these technologies, as the first Kindle came out more than six years ago now. But I would argue that they do present a largely underutilized opportunity that could make my life and yours a lot easier.

I mean e-books as textbooks.

The best argument one can make for a move from textbooks to e-books is pure convenience. Honestly, we are living in a day and age where we can access a seemingly limitless body of information on a device we can fit in our pockets, and we are still carrying around heavy textbooks that bend us into upside down Js as we walk down the hallway. You’ve got to admit, it seems so 2013.

Just think, what could happen if Montgomery County got an e-book for each high school student and lent them out with all the necessary textbooks pre-downloaded.

No more aching backs, no more ripped backpacks. No one will mistake your backpack bulge for a turtle shell on the bus.

Because you’re doing your chemistry, NSL, and Algebra II homework with your sleek, pocket-size e-reader.

The movement to digital textbooks also

looks promising as far as cost. After many price drops, the original Kindle, which is one of the more inexpensive and popular e-readers, is now going for $69, around the cost of many textbooks. Meanwhile, the cost of buying textbooks on the Kindle, as Amazon proudly advertises, is up to 60% less than buying new print textbooks.

As an example of the e-conomics that would go into the switch, let’s look at Blair.

The school would need to get about 3,000 kindles to lend out each semester and one copy of each e-textbook under a school account that can be accessed from each kindle. With print textbooks, Blair ends up needing several textbooks for each student. Think of how many textbooks you just received for the new semester, or still have from the beginning of the school. 3? 4? 5? And MCPS has to foot the bill for each one.

But what about our eyes? Won’t laboring over a World History reading for hours on a Kindle cause damage to our vision? Will we all have to buy glasses that make us look super nerdy or squint to see the board from the back of the classroom?

Nope.

It is well-documented that the Kindle uses something called “E Ink,” meaning there is no light coming from the back of the screen to illuminate the Kindle like with normal computers. The variation in this light is what causes eye strain when staring at computers or other tablets, and without it, reading on a Kindle is similar (in terms of risk of harming the eyes) to reading an actual book.

Of course, there are those who

cherish the experience of reading an actual physical book. “I know I’m probably oldfashioned, but I like the feel of a book.

Turning pages,” says English teacher Adam Clay. Junior Patty Pablo, an avid reader who prefers print books to electronic ones (although she will gladly take either medium) echoes Clay’s statements. “The feeling of having a book in your hand, old or new, is absolutely sensational,” says Pablo. And I do admit that the notion of curling up

in bed on a cold winter day and spending hours perusing a cold, illuminated piece of plastic lacks a certain romantic sentimentality. In fact, I could not see myself choosing an e-book over a print book when reading for pleasure. But I think for textbooks, especially those with the explicit purpose to inform rather than captivate, the merits definitely outweigh the negatives.

It’s time to make the leap. The choice is e-asy.

BEN SAFFORD

B5 Soapbox

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February 6, 2014

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45 states have adopted the common core curriculum for Algebra 1 There are 5 different ways to pronounce the word “pecan”

How do you spend your Super Bowl Sunday?

see page F2

“Like every other Sunday - playing video games and procrastinating until the last second to do my homework.” - freshman Daniel Busis “I spend it with my family. We eat all types of snacks, with a side of yelling.” - freshman Joie Edmonds “I go out to buy snacks and then start a pick-up game of tackle football with my friends before the game starts.” - freshman Alex Sarri-Tobar

Do you support the legalization of marijuana? see page B2 “Of course. It’s victimless, saves the government money on incarcerating offenders, and can be taxed.” - senior Yikalo Yohannes @Yikalo_ Yohannes “Yes, we could benefit from the taxes and regulate it.” - sophomore Hannah Kaufman “It should be legalized because people should be allowed to do what they want at their own discretion.” - sophomore Matthew Yu “No, it hinders a person’s ability to function and will to achieve.” - senior Micahyas Akama

What is your favorite winter Olympic sport?

see page F1

“Ski jumping, because it just seems to defy gravity.” - sophomore Eliya Cook “My favorite winter Olympic sport is extreme curling!” - sophomore Charlie Laming “Snowboard X is awesome!” - senior Mattan Berner-Kadish @MatBerKad “Figure skating - I love to see the skaters glide and spin on ice.” - sophomore Elizabeth Quinteros

71.4% of Blazers support legalization of marijuana 357 movies are planned to be released this year There are 216 openly gay professional athletes Clayton Kershaw is the highest paid MLB pitcher of 2014 12 states allow illegal immigrants to drive Chips Index compiled by Aditi Subramaniam with assistance from Michelle Hao, Siddhartha Harmalkar, Thomas Humphreys, Mariam Jiffar, Brian Le, Alex Melinchok and Sasha Tidwell.

How do you like to get your fro-yo at sweetFrog? see page A1 “I like chocolate fro-yo with strawberries, bluberries, blackberries, gummy bears, rainbox sprinkles and hot fudge.” - freshman Jacqueline Nickel “I always get either plain or pomegranate with strawberries and raspberries.” - sophomore Meggie Gallishaw “I love M&Ms, gummy worms and gummy bears on my chocolate-vanilla swirl fro-yo at Sweetfrog.” - sophomore Gabriela Pleitez-Gomez

What is your favorite television show on Cartoon Network? see page C6 “Robot Chicken on Adult Swim.” - sophomore Brendan Mayer “I like The Amazing World of Gumball.” - sophomore Whitney Nguyen “My favorite show is Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. I have a lot of great memories watching that show.” - freshman Steven Dunne “I like Scooby Doo and The Grimm Adventures of Billy and Mandy.” sophomore Cierra Duell

Opinions B6

silverchips

February 6, 2014

THEN:1988

My Blair: Personal Column

Reflections on Black History Month

Principal Renay Johnson COURTESY OF SILVERLOGUE

TELEVISION Communication Arts students tape a television show.

& NOW:2014

PHOUNG VO

BLAIR NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS Seniors Joshua Briggs and Ismael Oates are filmed for Infoflow in the TV production studio.

February is Black History Month and a time to reflect on the great accomplishments of African Americans. As the first African American principal of Takoma Park Middle School and the first woman principal of Montgomery Blair High School, I do not take for granted the rights bestowed upon me from the generations of African Americans that fought for equality and justice for all people. Thinking of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, Ida B. Wells, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, and our nation’s first African American President, Barack Obama, these are African Americans that have forever changed our nation. Although prominent for their work, these African Americans did not work alone for equality. They were joined by people from all ethnicities to accomplish the America that we benefit from today.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) the civil rights law that desegregated public schools. As I walk the halls of Montgomery Blair, I do not take for granted that years ago I would not have been the principal of this school because I am African American. I would not have had the benefit of instilling my vision that all students deserve the best instruction, 21st century facilities, and exceptional high school programs. I would not have had the benefit of getting to know my amazing Blazers and their diverse families.

The Little Rock Nine are the brave African American teenagers that integrated Central High School in 1957. These students were escorted to school daily by armed National Guards. These students suffered daily from blatant bullying, harassment, verbal and physical abuse. When these students graduated from Central High School, their peers did not celebrate them, but their sacrifice for equality will never be forgotten. Two books that give personal accounts of the integration in 1957 of the Little Rock Nine are Little Rock Girl, by Shelley Tougas, and Warriors Don’t Cry, by Melba Partillo Beals.

Although I went to an integrated high school, my mother went to segregated Wiley H. Bates High School in Annapolis, Maryland. In the 1950s, Bates High School was the only public high school in Anne Arundel County for African Americans. She shares stories of riding the school bus for an hour and a half, passing white high schools that were closer to her home. She shares stories of feeling pride when her youngest sister became the first one in her family to attend and graduate from an integrated high school. My mother has fond memories of her high school and she describes it as a big family; all the mothers knew each other; and although there were no cell phones or Connect Ed calls, school news traveled fast to all families. She adds that you always dressed well for school….“no pajamas or hats, Mom?”….none. She describes a school full of pride and tradition. As you know, change happens quickly. One of my mother’s high school teachers left the segregated high school and, because of Civil Right laws and citizens advocacy, became the first African American principal of my integrated middle school.

As I reflect on Black History Month, I want Blair students to never take for granted the right to go to school, the right to sit in any seat in the classroom or on the school bus, the right to be the first one in the lunch line, and the right to have access to courses and high quality instruction. As I go about my day interacting with staff, students, parents, and community members, I know that I am privileged to lead a large, diverse school where all cultures are embraced and celebrated. I know that those who sacrificed, marched and protested for equality would be proud of my accomplishments.

This October, Montgomery Blair High School will celebrate 80 years of history, tradition, pride, and excellence. I will have the opportunity to meet Blazers Alumni from many decades. I know that Blair’s past will embrace Blair’s present and support Blair’s future. I will share my pride and story of being the first woman to lead this amazing school!

Up and Coming Friday, February 7 Magnet Arts Night

Friday, February 28 Early release day, Planning

Monday, February 17 No school, Presidents’ Day

Saturday, March 1 Spring athletics tryouts begin

Student & Teacher Awards & Honors Senior Daniela Velasquez won the Comcast Leaders & Achievers award on Jan. 7.

Blair teachers Sarah Fillman, Diane Norris and Karen Shilling were named National Board Certified Teachers on Jan. 30.

Blair’s Science Bowl Team (Michael Winer, Victor Xu, Bendeguz Offertaler, Eric Lu, and Arnold Mong) earned first place at the 2014 Maryland Science Bowl on Jan. 18.

The Poms team took home the Spirit Award at the county competition on Feb. 1.

Blair Principal Renay Johnson was named a National Board Certified Teachers’ Network Outstanding Principal of the Year on Jan. 31.

Zoe Johnson, Samantha Chyatte, Ravyn Malatesta and Willa Murphy qualified for the Forensics Semifinals on Feb. 2.

B7 Editorials

silverchips

February 6, 2014

Personal column contest

By Langston Cotman I just think…It’s my personal opinion that…the way I see it…if I’m not mistaken…I’m pretty sure I’m right.

Talking incessantly about oneself is like nose picking, everyone has done it at least once whether or not they admit to doing so.

Some people go to great lengths to conceal their self-centeredness, while others don’t shy away from their socially acceptable (though annoying) vice. Don’t worry, we at Silver Chips understand that you are the most important person

EMMA HOWELLS

Ombudsman Langston Cotman you know, and we want to embrace your need to share personal information. As avid readers of the paper, you have noticed that recent issues our paper has included a personal column written by a Silver Chips staff writer. They have spanned a broad range of topics ranging from the bottleneck that is the Blair student parking lot to a brainy kid’s struggle with pushups. Now, we at Silver Chips would like to open the personal column slot to our readers. We know there is an untapped pool of talented writers who’s work goes unseen by most of the Blair community. We aim to change that.

If you have a personal quibble, a witty piece of observational

humor or just a really entertaining story about your life, Silver Chips urges you to Write it Loud and Write it Proud.

Immediately after the distribution of the paper you are reading (like, right now!!) we will begin accepting personal column submissions. Your column should range from 500 to 700 words and be appropriate for our readership.

There will be a folder on the door of room 158 where you will be able to place your pieces once they are crafted to a level of perfection that meets your standards. We will read through all submissions and select the best one through a complicated, foolproof selection method (remember, we’re professionals. I think we even have business cards somewhere). Regardless of whether your column is selected, we will be grateful for your submission and I, the Funbudsman, will personally thank you for your participation.

And, if you are the individual lucky enough to see your article survive our selection process, you will see your name on the byline of the personal column next cycle.

It will be like you are Internet famous, but in the real world. I think that means you are just famous? Yep, my editor just told me that I am correct. I’m too hip.

Oh, I almost forgot, the winner gets free tickets to the Fillmore. I don’t know how that slipped my mind; it’s a pretty big deal. It’s also a onetime deal, so I suggest you start brainstorming column ideas as soon as you finish reading this paper. Encourage all your friends to submit one or even multiple personal columns. Based on the response to this contest, the personal column competition could become a regular feature and mainstay on this paper.

Please, help this competition take off in popularity and put yourself in the running for some free tickets and I mean, I just think, as my personal opinion and my opinion is pretty important, that this a pretty great deal.

Comments or concerns?

Email the Ombudsman at ombudsmansilverchips@gmail.com

EVA SHEN

Corrections The graphic on page A4 was credited to Kelsey Gross.

It should have been credited to Elizabeth Pham.

The art on page B2 was credited to Grace Woodward.

It should have been credited to Eva Shen.

The art on page C1 was not credited.

It should have been credited to Katrina Golladay.

The art on page D4 was credited exclusively to Ben Safford.

There were also contributions by Eva Shen and Elizabeth Pham.

The Comic Secret Life was credited to Katrina Golladay.

It should have been credited to Elizabeth Pham.

The Ombudsman photo on page B7 was credited to Leila Bartholet.

It should have been credited to Emma Howells.

The key to gridlock: bringing executive order to Washington “America does not stand still, and neither will I.” This year’s State of the Union address saw President Obama engage in many of the same rhetorical acrobatics as he has before, and make more than a few vague promises. So we, the viewers, take the speech with a few thousand grains of salt and move on.

In previous years, Obama’s cries to raise the minimum wage and enforce stricter gun control laws have been lost in the raucous din of intense partisan squabbles.

At times, he has verbalized his intentions to push forward without congressional assistance on a few isolated hot-button issues. But there was something different this time. Obama’s lofty promises carried a little more weight this year, as he coupled them with a vow to take universal, unilateral action if necessary: if Congress can’t get its act together, he will merely cut out the middle man and focus on whatever he can get done with executive orders.

In the past few years, we have seen a Congress that came within one day of a government shutdown in 2011 and nearly defaulted on their loans after a two-week shutdown last year. For the past three years, Democrats have controlled the Senate, and Republicans have controlled the House of Representatives, and neither party has been very will-

ing to listen to the other’s arguments. Passing a simple budget is now considered an accomplishment, and even legislation that has already passed in earlier times of pseudo-cooperation has come under relentless fire (Republicans in Congress have voted to repeal or defund Obamacare nearly 50 times). It is hard to blame Obama for losing his patience with this do-nothing Congress..

Up until now, Obama has campaigned on the message of compromise in Washington. His faith in the ability of Republicans and Democrats in Congress to work together has been evidenced in his lack of independent action since taking office. As of now, Obama has issued only 168 executive orders - according to MSNBC, the fewest of any president since Grover Cleveland held office. That was 117 years ago.

And yet Republicans like Senator Ted Cruz have called Obama out on abusing his power.

“Over and over again this president has disregarded the law, has disregarded the Constitution and has asserted presidential power that simply doesn’t exist,” stated Cruz before the presidential address on Jan. 28.

Yet, while the Constitution does not specifically mention executive orders, it does say that ““the executive power shall be vested in a President of the United

States” and that “he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” Past presidents have interpreted this vague description of presidential power to justify their executive orders--effectively, any legislation that the president can pass by himself pertaining to the executive branch of government. The precedent for this practice goes back as far as George Washington, who issued eight executive orders over the course of his presidency. It will still take a vote of Congress to enact major legislation, and he is definitely not introducing some heinous, new constitutional loophole when he says that he will try to circumvent Congress when possible in order to make progress in Washington.

Even more relevant than the argument of whether Obama can do this is the case that he must. In an ideal world, everything could be accomplished through bipartisan compromise. But the paralyzing gridlock that we have seen since the 2010 elections created opposing majorities in each chamber has shattered any naive hopes we may entertain regarding a reconciliation of liberal and conservative power players in Washington.

Take the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, created to avoid what turned into the debtceiling crisis of 2011. Heralded as the best hope for bipartisan fiscal compromise in a divided govern-

ment, the committee contained senior members of both the Democratic and Republican parties. Six Republicans. Six Democrats. Six Senators. Six Representatives. As fair and as unbiased as you can get. Congressmen were patting themselves on the back for the creation of what was later referred to as a “supercommittee,” and the prevailing notion was that if any group on Capitol Hill could reach a consensus on a plan to avoid default that satisfied both parties, it was this one.

But when the smoke cleared, and all was said and done, the committee released a devastating statement so characteristic of the broken Washington we have come to accept that it is a wonder anyone even took it as a surprise.

“After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline.”

In other words, they failed.

It is by no means the fault of Republicans entirely. Democrats have stuck to their ideological viewpoints just as firmly when negotiation time rolls around. And why shouldn’t they? Everyone is just looking forward to the next election. Over the course of every representative’s two-year term, every decision, every comment

to the media, every vote on every bill must be scrutinized through the lens of how it will affect their chances in the next election cycle.

In a society where almost everyone has access to the Internet, and we can find information on everything Congress does on our smartphones, any defect from the party agenda could be punished.

Just last week, John McCain was censured by Arizona GOP leaders for being too willing to negotiate with liberals. No one wants to be the trailblazer who initiates compromise, but someone needs to be.

Because right now, the American people are getting shortchanged in the wake of a congressional campaign season that never stops.

According to the latest Gallup data, Obama’s approval rating is hovering around 41%. Hardly rousing support. But Gallup’s January data on Congressional favorability puts our legislators’ approval rating at a dismal 13%.

The message is clear. Our legislature is hopelessly paralyzed, and America knows it. While Obama may not be the most popular man in the country right now, someone needs to lead our government, and Congress certainly isn’t ready to step up to the task.

Do you have any feedback or see any mistakes? Let us know.

E-mail the editors at silver.chips.print@gmail.com

February 6, 2014

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February 6, 2014

Rolling the dice: Blazers put their money on the line

Gambling has permeated the Montgomery Blair community to a noticeable extent

By Alex Frandsen

Seven or eleven. Seven or eleven. A boy blows on the pair of dice in his hands, as if to impart some mystical blessing upon them.

All he needs is to roll a seven or eleven, and the pot is his. He tosses the dice, and after skittering across the table, they come to a rest. Simultaneously, the group cranes their necks to see what has been rolled. Four dots lay face up on one die, three on the other.

A grin erupting across his face, the thrower lets out a whoop of victory, and snatches his spoils from the center of the table. The rest of the boys groan, watching their money disappear into his pocket. But the mood picks up almost instantaneously. After all, there’s always another chance to win your money back in the Dice Game.

The stereotypical image of a gambler is an adult male hunched over a blackjack table, accessorized by a five o’clock shadow and glass of liquor.

Gambling is seen as an almost exclusively adult behavior. But in actuality, gambling may be a bigger problem for teenagers.

According to the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling, four to six percent of adolescents qualify as teen gamblers, an exceedingly high number when compared to the one to three percent figure for adults. The number of teens who gamble without any sort of problem or addiction is substantially higher, coming in at 35%.

the Dice Game, it’s a quick way to earn money. One of Colbert’s favorite memories is rolling the dice at a party, and coming away a richer man. “I ended up playing for about an hour and I won $54 in the process, which was pretty awesome,” he reflects. Tesgera estimates that he’s made at least $280 over the course of his dice-playing career.

But skill isn’t really the name of the game.

After all, there’s not much more you can do than pray once the dice leave your hands.

“People say, like, ‘I’m hot’ or ‘I’m on fire’ but I don’t really think so,” Tesgera says with a shake of his head. “Luck is definitely involved, though.”

Increasing the competition There’s more than just the Dice Game, however, for Blazers looking to make a quick buck. Betting on sports is commonplace, so

friends, and to make the games more fun to watch,” Li explains.

The other side of the coin But is all this gambling harmful? Carl Robertson, a prevention manager at the Maryland Center of Excellence on Problem Gambling, believes it can be. Part of his job is visiting schools across the state, and warning kids as young as age ten of the dangers of betting. He believes that teenagers are extremely susceptible to excessive gambling, or as he refers to it, “irresponsible gambling.” There are two distinct categories of gamblers: responsible ones and irresponsible ones. And according to Robertson, adolescents are just naturally susceptible to falling in the latter group.

“The brain development process in teens is not completed until the age of 22

know, they’ve been playing the video game for three or four hours. That age group can simply have difficulty sticking to limits.”

What’s perhaps more troubling, however, is the clear link that has been drawn from underage gambling to gambling addictions later on in life. A survey found that 96% of adult male recovering gamblers started putting money down before the age of 14.

So essentially, the younger you start, the more likely you are to develop an issue later on in life.

Colbert, however, isn’t worried. He plans on gambling in some fashion once he’s all grown up, but he has no intention of going overboard. “I don’t want to become a hard core gambler, as I know I would probably lose a lot of money,” he says, “But I could definitely see myself going to a casino once or twice just for fun, and I think it would be fun to play poker with some friends even when I’m older.”

Tesgera predicts a similarly tame future.

Says Tesgera, “Maybe I’ll go to a casino once a year or something for fun, but not more than that.”

Keep it on the low

For the time being, however, any betting Blazers will have to proceed with caution.

After all, gambling of any sort is banned in Montgomery County Public Schools. The Blair agenda book states that a first time offender can expect a phone call home and a one-day in-school suspension if caught. If they get caught more Name of the than twice, however, game the repercussions get a little more severe: Up The most popular to a five-day suspenform of gambling gosion from school, and a ing on within Blair’s mandatory conference halls isn’t cards, with the parents.

LEILA BARTHOLET scratch off tickets, or Li believes these slot machines. It’s the MONEY OVER EVERYTHING, MONEY ON MY MIND A way to both liven up a party and win some cash, a growing number of Blazers are rules are necessary, Dice Game. Like most participating in the Dice Game. The game can require a buy-in as low as $1, and an unlimited amount of players means it’s accessible to all. despite his gambling great achievements, ways. When asked the Dice Game was whether MCPS should born out of summer boredom. much so that many forget that it’s considered years old. The impulse control part of the allow gambling on some level, he strongly Seniors Wyatt Colbert and Oliyad Tesgambling. Fantasy sports leagues can require brain in teenagers just isn’t fully formed disagreed. “Our schools shouldn’t be teachgera were hanging out with some friends, fairly startling buy-ins, and come springtime, yet,” says Robertson, when contacted over ing students to gamble. That would only when Colbert brought a pair of dice. MoMarch Madness can lead to pools where the the phone. “If you ask a teen, ‘What were lead to gambling being more accepted in ments later, the hottest way to gamble at prize is in the triple digits. And of course, you thinking?’, the answer usually has the classroom and that wouldn’t promote a Blair was born. good learning environment,” Simple to play and even simhe stated. pler to understand, the game Tesgera, however, is in the basically consists of a few simopposite camp. His attitude ple steps: To “buy in”, a player is more along the lines of, if puts a preset amount of money someone wants to put cash into the pot, generally less than on the line, you should let five dollars. Then, each player them. “Yeah, it should be altakes a turn rolling a pair of dice. lowed, as long as you’re not Whoever rolls a seven or eleven hurting anyone. If you want first wins, and gets to take home to lose your money, it’s up to the entire pot. Granted, it’s not you,” he argues. the most sophisticated activity, In all likelihood, howevbut it’s enough to keep Blazers er, the no-gambling policy is hooked. For proof, look no furnot going anywhere, and The ther than Tesgera, one of the creDice Game and sports betting ators of the Dice Game. will have to proceed as unap“Oh it’s very addicting,” says proved MCPS activities.

Tesgera, a sharp grin flashing But that won’t stop gamacross his face. “Every time we bling from existing and flourplay on a weekend, our group ishing among the Blair comof friends will just pick a cormunity. Pause in the halls, ner and start dicing. We’ll forand you might hear someone get about other people for just shout out, “Yo I’ll put five on NCPGAMBLING.ORG KELSEY GROSS hours.” the Eagles!” Walk into a party The game, most likely due to in Takoma Park, and chances its basic requirements and easy rules, has there’s always simple bets on the weekend’s nothing to do with that. It’s mostly reac- are, some corner will be occupied by the become a prime source of entertainment at biggest game. tive.”

Dice Game. parties. It’s not uncommon to see a gaggle Junior Eyal Li, an avid sports fan, admits To further illustrate his point, RobertThe clatter of dice and the money windof teens surrounding a table at a social gaththat gambling on sports has become a weekly son brings up an analogy that should be at fall that can accompany it has found its way ering, eyes intently watching a tiny pair of ritual for him. He estimates that he gambles least somewhat familiar to most. “A teen- into Blair social circles, and it could be here black and white dice. on NBA or NFL games once every weekend. ager will say, ‘I’ll play video games for one for a while.

And if there’s anything to be said about “I do it to have some competitive fun with hour, until eight o’clock.’ Next thing you

February 6, 2014

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Attending school by day, saving lives by night Blair student follows her dream of learning to be a volunteer EMT

By Aditi Subramaniam Junior M-E Burton kneels next to an elderly man and squeezes the bag valve mask, pumping air into his mouth. Her fellow crewmember is at the man’s side, doing chest compressions. A million thoughts swirl in her head, but she forces herself to stay focused on the task at hand. Pump, pump, pump. Seconds ticking by feel like hours, and just as she begins to lose hope, the man convulses and coughs. Relief floods through her as she realizes that he’s going to survive, and she can’t help but smile. She had just performed her first successful CPR. On the weekends, Burton works as a volunteer emergency medical technician, or EMT, so saving lives is part of her weekly agenda. For almost a year now, she has been volunteering at her local fire station, donating between four and eight hours each time.

Burton is one of 184,947 volunteer EMTs in the country, which makes up twenty-two percent of all EMT personnel. Volunteer EMTs are invaluable in maintaining the ambulance response service that fire departments provide, and with the number of adult volunteers declining, teenagers are stepping up for the job.

steps and become an EMT. “I’ve wanted to be an EMT ever since I was really little because my brother was one,” she says. In February 2013, she started her EMT career by shadowing a professional at the fire department, but she was unable to do much because she wasn’t certified. Becoming certified, however, is a long, multi-step process.

Although EMT training varies slightly between states, all prospective volunteers must take a certification course, which covers topics such as hazardous materials and emergency childbirth. In Maryland, this course is approximately 165 hours long. The state also requires applicants to complete an internship and score at least seventy percent on the certification exam. A Maryland EMT certification is valid for three years before required renewal.

Completing these requirements consumed Burton’s entire summer, preventing her from holding a research internship. Despite this, Burton was adamant about pursuing her EMT career. “I really wanted to have an internship over the summer, but I couldn’t do both and becoming an EMT has always been important to me,” she admits. By the end of the summer, Burton was certified and ready to save lives.

EMTs in action

Living the dream From a young age, Burton has wanted to follow in her older brother’s foot-

EMILY DALY

As an EMT, Burton is part of the medical crew that travels in the ambulance responding to 911 calls. When a call is placed, bells go off at various stations in the firehouse, signaling which personnel are needed.

Depending on the situation, the crew loads different materials to address the crisis. “If someone reported a heart attack, we would bring an automated external defibrillator. Or if we needed to do CPR, we would bring the bag valve mask, which is a bag that pumps air into the person’s body without

us having to do mouth-to-mouth,” Burton says. Other essentials include the jump bag, a pack full of basic medical supplies, and a cot for injured people unable to walk to the ambulance.

Once on the scene, there are standard procedures that EMTs follow when assisting injured people. First, they assess an individual’s vital signs: pulse, blood pressure, breathing rate and pupil dilation. Burton explains that, “these give us key signs of certain injuries that may not have been apparent. For example, if a patient’s pupils are different sizes, it could mean they have an internal brain injury.” They also check blood oxygen levels with a laser device that counts the number of hemoglobin molecules bonded to oxygen molecules. If the count is low, the EMTs provide supplemental oxygen. The crew will also ask victims or witnesses about the accident and possible injuries.

“Someone’s life is in my hands” The first time she had to conduct CPR, Burton was extremely nervous. “It’s pretty shocking because you’re like, ‘Oh wow, I have someone’s life literally in my hands! But you have to put that thought behind and do exactly what you’re told to because you could be the difference between a person’s life and death,” she stresses.

For Burton, the scariest part of being an EMT is knowing that her patients won’t always survive, even when she tries her best.

“I’ve heard stories about people dying on the scene. Luckily, it’s never happened to me,” she says.

She does recall one incident, though, where it almost did happened. “Once we went to assist a lady who had had a severe stroke.

Her husband insisted that we take her to their regular hospital, even though it was pretty far away. Her chances of surviving were slim to begin with, but now we were certain that she wouldn’t make it. It was so difficult to watch her fade in and out of consciousness.

I still don’t know if she survived,” Burton says solemnly.

PHUONG VO

EMT M-E Burton poses in her uniform.

Cherishing the life she has Through her work, Burton has been exposed to countless horrific scenes, many caused by careless actions. She remembers an incident where a driver hit multiple pedestrians and then slammed into a wall, amputating a man’s leg in the process. Events like these have taught her to cherish her own life. “Anything can go wrong in an instant so you have to treasure your life to the fullest because you don’t know what’s going to happen to you,” reflects Burton.

Despite the emotional stress, Burton admits that being an EMT is a rewarding experience. One of the victims of the accident was a woman who was hit after pushing her kids out of the way. “It was really touching how she put herself in the way of harm for her kids,” she remarks. Burton and her crew were able to stabilize the woman, and it is because of these moments that she loves her job. “When we send [someone] to the hospital knowing they’re going to be alright, it feels satisfying and hopeful. It’s a really good feeling to know that I’ve made an impact on someone’s life,” Burton says, smiling.

Teen Court: testifying before a jury of your peers

By Maya Habash Where only first names appear, names were changed to protect the identity of sources.

Tension filled the air in the wooden court room. The judge and jury await the respondent—the term to refer to the defendant in the world of teen court—to enter. The respondent, a mere teenager, looks across the stands to the jury, who are all minors as well. The case is heard, the options are contemplated, the decisions are made. Though there are hundreds of ways that teenagers can make a difference in the world, there are not many ways they can do so by being contributing to the justice system. The increasingly popular system of teen court provides an outlet for exactly that.

Teen court is a system in which the respondents have already been deemed guilty by a separate court, and come before the teen court jurors merely in order to receive an appropriate sentencing. According to Georgine Debord, Coordinator of Montgomery County Teen Court, it is the diversionary program for first time juvenile offenders who admit responsibility. Teen court started in Texas, Florida, and Illinois over 30 years ago as an alternative for formal court action, with the intent to serve as means of education instead of punishment. “It has the intent of making the respondents more productive members of society,” says Debord.

In teen court, both the respondents, and the jurors are teenagers. Teen court cases usually only deal with misdemeanor charges.

According to senior Reva Resstack, a teen court juror in Montgomery County, “most of the cases on the docket are for controlled dangerous substance/drug paraphernalia (marijuana), drinking underage, or shoplifting items under $1000.”

Resstack believes the system functions in a very sound manner. “Because the teenagers are only determining the sentence, not guilt or innocence, I think it’s a very effective system in teaching both the jurors and the respon-

dents about the legal system and how to be a responsible citizen of society,” she says. The court is comprised of volunteer jurors, like Resstack, and former respondents as a part of their sentence. Resstack believes this system of including former respondents helps to develop a balanced environment. “[It] creates a very collaborative environment, to ensure that these teens are really being judged by their peers, as the Sixth Amendment guarantees,” she says. Debord agrees, saying that positive peer pressure is present in teen court. “When kids are judged by their peers they tend to take it more seriously than if an old guy with white hair was telling them ‘what you did was wrong’,” she says.

Blair senior Tim, who was arrested for possession of marijuana last April and thus became a respondent in teen court this past summer, also believes that teens can relate better to other teens than with adults. “I think that it helps out the teens that are being prosecuted because the teens on the jury can identify with some of the problems that they face and understand that they are going through a hard time,” he says.

Former Blair student, Joe, was arrested for marijuana possession last March and had his teen court hearing last April. Joe has different opinions about having teenagers as jurors. Usually, as a part of the sentencing, the respondents have to complete juror duty

on a teen court case in the future. In Joe’s experience, none of the other jurors took it seriously. “They only do it for hours. And from the 12 jurors, only 3 were volunteers and all 3 were 13 [years old],” he says. But according to Debord, the juries are as diverse as possible. “I balance my juries by school,” she says, “We want it to be very reflective of the school population. Private, home school, public school.” Unlike Joe’s experience, Debord explains that on each jury of 12 teens, usually “two kids are there because they have to be. The majority are volunteers.” The age range for being a volunteer jury member can be anyone who has completed 8th grade,

t o anyone who is still in BEN SAFFORD high school. The respondents can be as young as 12.

Resstack also explains that there is a net of protection to make sure that the sentences are fair. The presiding judge will review the sentence before issuing it to the defendant, and may make any edits they see fit. “However, because the system works so well, judges rarely change the sentences that the teen jurors propose,” she says. Debord agrees that the system is a just and sound system.

“Teen court juries are fair. Not easy, they’re fair,” she says. Resstack also finds that the juries get creative in their sentences. “[Some examples include] a possible obituary as a

result of drunk driving to be written as part of a respondent’s sentence, or an essay on how drug use will obstruct a respondent from accomplishing their future goals,” she says.

The creative sentencing can also be seen through that of Tim’s. Tim’s sentence mandated having to complete the Screening and Assessment Services for Children and Adolescents (SASCA) program, 36 community service hours, and write an apology letter to his parents. Joe’s sentencing was similar to that of Tim. Joe had to complete phase 1 of a Suburban Hospital program, which is a drug class twice a week, had to take a law education class, and complete 38 hours of community service.

Though Tim believes the sentencing was fair, he was uncomfortable with the environment in the courtroom. ‘It was nerve-wracking. Everyone was nervous and quiet,” he says. He also felt like he was being treated in a demeaning fashion. “It also felt like the jury and judges were talking down to me… it was like they were trying to make me look like a kid who got in trouble a lot,” he says. Joe felt quite similarly and felt as though the environment was stressful. “[They] treated me like I was a serious criminal,” he says. Resstack agrees in the sense that she believes the courtroom can often feel very tense as the respondents and their family members wait for their cases to be heard.

She also, like Tim, feels like the judge plays a huge role in setting the tone in the room. “If the judge is jolly and light-hearted, everyone lightens up and relaxes a bit. But if the judge is very stern and disapproving, it can make everyone feel like a respondent,” she says.

Teen court was created so teenagers can learn from their mistakes. If they successfully complete what they are told to, their case is closed at the police department and they have no juvenile record. According to Debord, “[You avoid] the stigma of being known as a delinquent. Teen court uses education to restore justice principles.”

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February 6, 2013

STORY BY ALEXIS REDFORD

GRAPHICS BY DESIREE ALEIBAR & JENNA KANNER

Sankofa is an annual stage production held at Blair that honors black art, music, and literature. According to director and creator of the show at Blair, Vickie Adamson, “Sankofa is a celebration of black history and culture which includes African-Americans and black people everywhere in the world. We connect and celebrate those people who have made black people special. We honor works by published artists that includes music, poems, other writings, other works, songs, and dances.”

To the Akan people in Ghana, “Sankofa” is a symbol of a bird that has its head turned backwards while taking an egg off its back. It symbolizes taking one’s virtuous experiences and using them in the present to create positive progress through one’s knowledge of history.

Look back, go forward Twenty years ago, Adamson saw her first Sankofa show at Blair. However, shortly thereafter, the show was replaced with a night designated to honor black history. Adamson admits that this night was not nearly as elaborate as the Sankofa show. Years after its departure, Adamson decided to bring the production back to Blair. “Sankofa used to be a very proud tradition, so a couple years ago I decided, hey, well why don’t we try to revive this level of Sankofa,” she recalls. “So, two years ago was the first time we did it.” Senior and student director Amie Idriss believes that, before the show made a comeback, black

history was not as commemorated as it should have been. “Ms. Adamson, along with other teachers, revamped this night to make sure black history was celebrated properly at Blair,” she explains.

The Sankofa bird is an important symbol to the show, and its message reflects a belief shared by its cast members and directors. “Sankofa is a mythical bird that flies forward while looking backwards so that it knows where its been so it knows where it’s going. The notion of history is critical to Sankofa,” says Adamson. The acts in Sankofa all honor the work of black people and therefore the directors and casts deem it necessary to realize the impact that figures of the past have on their show. “We celebrate black history and culture and pay homage to black figures who paved the way for us to go forward” explains Idriss.

Not only is this message a concept that the show embraces, but performer Alex Michell also believes everyone can benefit from its message. “The whole look back, go forward is relevant to anyone. Progress is nearly impossible if you do not learn from your past,” states Michell.

Diversity in all aspects In past years some of the acts in Sankofa have included step, African dance, an African fashion show, poetry recitations, songs, and music. This year’s production will include performances like these, along with a possible performance from Blair’s World Drum-

ming class. However, unlike previous productions, this year’s Sankofa has a theme. The performances will be based on works from the 1920-1930s, a time period more commonly referred to as the Harlem Renaissance.

Adamson pioneered this selection process in order to write this year’s Sankofa script. “I selected the works and the historical figures we’re going to honor. I thought of a framework and then I wrote an original script to house and frame the acts,” she explained.

This year, Sankofa’s cast of 70 students is comprised of mostly black students. However, other races are represented in the cast as well. “It’s not just black students who are in Sankofa, we have a lot of mixed race students. This is the first year we have Indian students who have tried out, and we have a couple of Asian students. We do have students from all different groups in the show and we encourage that and are happy to have it,” says Adamson. This diverse cast is one of the factors that makes Sankofa unique from other high school stage performances. “Other school plays tend to feature the same group of thespian students. Sankofa pulls from all parts of the Blair population. Namely, the African kids.,” explains performer Kalanzi Kajubi. “This socio-cultural diffusion makes the atmosphere super fun and entertaining.” The fact that Sankofa is all-encompassing is what makes students like Michell appreciate being a performer in Sankofa. “It is extremely inclusive, you don’t have to be a talented dancer, musician, or actor. Sankofa is a learning experience; everyone has a place in the show. It is really cool that so many people are interested in black history.”

While the cast is made up of diverse races, grades, genders, and cultures, all members share a love and passion of performing and an appreciation for black culture and history.

Senior Dana Cook will be performing a Langston Hughes poem called “As I grew older”, which he describes as “a short poem that explores a man’s experience with adversity, and how it almost destroyed him as a man.” Cook performed in Sankofa last year, and says the production’s message and uniqueness brought him back for another year. “Being part of a collaborative effort has always been the appealing part of theatre for me. Adding the celebration and education of Black history to that effort makes the production unique,” says Cook.

Michell also says he enjoys theatre in general, but finds something particularly special in performing in Sankofa. “I like performing in front of an audience. It gives me a cool rush, so I try to take any performing opportunities I get. Sankofa is also a good way to meet a variety of people I wouldn't have the chance to know. The whole social experience is something that I will never forget,” says Michell. Michell will be performing a slow, jazzy love song called “Aint Misbehavin’” by Fatts Waller.

Other acts in the production will include a performance of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Song” and dance, Kajubi’s recitation of a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar, routines by the step team, and many other performances honoring the Harlem Renaissance. Idriss says that she and the other participants anticipate a great show. “There are more people this year, a lot of talent that I’m excited about. The Blair Step Team is performing, and for the most part all of the music will be live,” says Idriss.

Features C3/C4

“Black history is American history” During the month of February, Americans place a special emphasis on recognizing what Sankofa celebrates: the importance of black history. Sankofa’s cast members and directors share the sentiment that black history does not merely apply to black people, but rather should be remembered, embraced, and celebrated by everyone - especially considering that students at Blair and all over America lack significant exposure regarding AfricanAmerican history.

Sankofa plans to begin implementing this appreciation and education of figures of Black history by hosting its own academic support, which will take place before rehearsals begin after school. Academic support will give time for cast members to do work for school, but it will also double as a time for them to learn about the figures they will be celebrating in the show. “We want the students in the show to know about the people we’re performing about. Part of this is educating the audience so that they get it, but we want the students to be able to perform it so that the audience gets it,” says Adamson.

The production’s student participants say that they appreciate the opportunity to learn more about black culture and history. “Sankofa gave me the opportunity to experience this culture and history from varied perspectives,” says Kajubi. Similarly, Cook has also learned a great deal from Sankofa and believes these lessons are necessary in preventing future racial tensions. “I learned that the best way to advance the prosperity of a culture is through celebration and education. The repression of historical pains will only perpetuate the racial problems that exist today,” says Cook. Michell also acknowledges that Sankofa has educated him for the better. “My prior knowledge of the culture that I come from was pretty embarrassing to be honest. I mean, I knew what I had learned in school, and I knew what the Harlem Renaissance was, but there is so much more depth to the African-American culture,” says Michell.

Sankofa intends to educate its viewers as well as its cast members. Adamson realizes that some people’s knowledge of black history is only limited to the negative aspects such as slavery and segregation, and therefore she wants to highlight the positive aspects in the show. “We draw strength from the past. When some people look at black history they see slavery. If black history is slavery, what does that say in terms of mentality? That’s not what black history is,” she contends. “There is a lot to celebrate about black history and that’s what we have to remind people about. To be proud and take pride in your heritage and culture.”

Idriss believes that black history is not only important for black people, but for people as a whole. “Black history is American history, its not limited to only blacks,” she says. “Especially because of Blair’s diversity, it’s important to learn and embrace other cultures.”

The cast of Sankofa will perform two shows at 7:30 pm on Friday, Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15 in the Blair auditorium. See Mrs. Adamson in the English Office for tickets.

KYRA SEIGER, MIMI SIM & PHUONG VO

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February 6, 2013

STORY BY ALEXIS REDFORD

GRAPHICS BY DESIREE ALEIBAR & JENNA KANNER

Sankofa is an annual stage production held at Blair that honors black art, music, and literature. According to director and creator of the show at Blair, Vickie Adamson, “Sankofa is a celebration of black history and culture which includes African-Americans and black people everywhere in the world. We connect and celebrate those people who have made black people special. We honor works by published artists that includes music, poems, other writings, other works, songs, and dances.”

To the Akan people in Ghana, “Sankofa” is a symbol of a bird that has its head turned backwards while taking an egg off its back. It symbolizes taking one’s virtuous experiences and using them in the present to create positive progress through one’s knowledge of history.

Look back, go forward Twenty years ago, Adamson saw her first Sankofa show at Blair. However, shortly thereafter, the show was replaced with a night designated to honor black history. Adamson admits that this night was not nearly as elaborate as the Sankofa show. Years after its departure, Adamson decided to bring the production back to Blair. “Sankofa used to be a very proud tradition, so a couple years ago I decided, hey, well why don’t we try to revive this level of Sankofa,” she recalls. “So, two years ago was the first time we did it.” Senior and student director Amie Idriss believes that, before the show made a comeback, black

history was not as commemorated as it should have been. “Ms. Adamson, along with other teachers, revamped this night to make sure black history was celebrated properly at Blair,” she explains.

The Sankofa bird is an important symbol to the show, and its message reflects a belief shared by its cast members and directors. “Sankofa is a mythical bird that flies forward while looking backwards so that it knows where its been so it knows where it’s going. The notion of history is critical to Sankofa,” says Adamson. The acts in Sankofa all honor the work of black people and therefore the directors and casts deem it necessary to realize the impact that figures of the past have on their show. “We celebrate black history and culture and pay homage to black figures who paved the way for us to go forward” explains Idriss.

Not only is this message a concept that the show embraces, but performer Alex Michell also believes everyone can benefit from its message. “The whole look back, go forward is relevant to anyone. Progress is nearly impossible if you do not learn from your past,” states Michell.

Diversity in all aspects In past years some of the acts in Sankofa have included step, African dance, an African fashion show, poetry recitations, songs, and music. This year’s production will include performances like these, along with a possible performance from Blair’s World Drum-

ming class. However, unlike previous productions, this year’s Sankofa has a theme. The performances will be based on works from the 1920-1930s, a time period more commonly referred to as the Harlem Renaissance.

Adamson pioneered this selection process in order to write this year’s Sankofa script. “I selected the works and the historical figures we’re going to honor. I thought of a framework and then I wrote an original script to house and frame the acts,” she explained.

This year, Sankofa’s cast of 70 students is comprised of mostly black students. However, other races are represented in the cast as well. “It’s not just black students who are in Sankofa, we have a lot of mixed race students. This is the first year we have Indian students who have tried out, and we have a couple of Asian students. We do have students from all different groups in the show and we encourage that and are happy to have it,” says Adamson. This diverse cast is one of the factors that makes Sankofa unique from other high school stage performances. “Other school plays tend to feature the same group of thespian students. Sankofa pulls from all parts of the Blair population. Namely, the African kids.,” explains performer Kalanzi Kajubi. “This socio-cultural diffusion makes the atmosphere super fun and entertaining.” The fact that Sankofa is all-encompassing is what makes students like Michell appreciate being a performer in Sankofa. “It is extremely inclusive, you don’t have to be a talented dancer, musician, or actor. Sankofa is a learning experience; everyone has a place in the show. It is really cool that so many people are interested in black history.”

While the cast is made up of diverse races, grades, genders, and cultures, all members share a love and passion of performing and an appreciation for black culture and history.

Senior Dana Cook will be performing a Langston Hughes poem called “As I grew older”, which he describes as “a short poem that explores a man’s experience with adversity, and how it almost destroyed him as a man.” Cook performed in Sankofa last year, and says the production’s message and uniqueness brought him back for another year. “Being part of a collaborative effort has always been the appealing part of theatre for me. Adding the celebration and education of Black history to that effort makes the production unique,” says Cook.

Michell also says he enjoys theatre in general, but finds something particularly special in performing in Sankofa. “I like performing in front of an audience. It gives me a cool rush, so I try to take any performing opportunities I get. Sankofa is also a good way to meet a variety of people I wouldn't have the chance to know. The whole social experience is something that I will never forget,” says Michell. Michell will be performing a slow, jazzy love song called “Aint Misbehavin’” by Fatts Waller.

Other acts in the production will include a performance of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Song” and dance, Kajubi’s recitation of a poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar, routines by the step team, and many other performances honoring the Harlem Renaissance. Idriss says that she and the other participants anticipate a great show. “There are more people this year, a lot of talent that I’m excited about. The Blair Step Team is performing, and for the most part all of the music will be live,” says Idriss.

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“Black history is American history” During the month of February, Americans place a special emphasis on recognizing what Sankofa celebrates: the importance of black history. Sankofa’s cast members and directors share the sentiment that black history does not merely apply to black people, but rather should be remembered, embraced, and celebrated by everyone - especially considering that students at Blair and all over America lack significant exposure regarding AfricanAmerican history.

Sankofa plans to begin implementing this appreciation and education of figures of Black history by hosting its own academic support, which will take place before rehearsals begin after school. Academic support will give time for cast members to do work for school, but it will also double as a time for them to learn about the figures they will be celebrating in the show. “We want the students in the show to know about the people we’re performing about. Part of this is educating the audience so that they get it, but we want the students to be able to perform it so that the audience gets it,” says Adamson.

The production’s student participants say that they appreciate the opportunity to learn more about black culture and history. “Sankofa gave me the opportunity to experience this culture and history from varied perspectives,” says Kajubi. Similarly, Cook has also learned a great deal from Sankofa and believes these lessons are necessary in preventing future racial tensions. “I learned that the best way to advance the prosperity of a culture is through celebration and education. The repression of historical pains will only perpetuate the racial problems that exist today,” says Cook. Michell also acknowledges that Sankofa has educated him for the better. “My prior knowledge of the culture that I come from was pretty embarrassing to be honest. I mean, I knew what I had learned in school, and I knew what the Harlem Renaissance was, but there is so much more depth to the African-American culture,” says Michell.

Sankofa intends to educate its viewers as well as its cast members. Adamson realizes that some people’s knowledge of black history is only limited to the negative aspects such as slavery and segregation, and therefore she wants to highlight the positive aspects in the show. “We draw strength from the past. When some people look at black history they see slavery. If black history is slavery, what does that say in terms of mentality? That’s not what black history is,” she contends. “There is a lot to celebrate about black history and that’s what we have to remind people about. To be proud and take pride in your heritage and culture.”

Idriss believes that black history is not only important for black people, but for people as a whole. “Black history is American history, its not limited to only blacks,” she says. “Especially because of Blair’s diversity, it’s important to learn and embrace other cultures.”

The cast of Sankofa will perform two shows at 7:30 pm on Friday, Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15 in the Blair auditorium. See Mrs. Adamson in the English Office for tickets.

KYRA SEIGER, MIMI SIM & PHUONG VO

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The Enchanted Kingdom

By Langston Cotman from CASTLE page A1 the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Clinton. The third member of the founding trio, McCarthy has his own claim to fame. The former U.S. Secret Service Agent is most remembered for his iconic leap onto John Hinkley Jr., preventing him from assassinating President Ronald Reagan and later earning him the Medal of Valor. These decorated individuals soon found that their original plan of working in tandem with law enforcement to investigate missing persons cases would be far too costly. It was then was then that the three turned to a more educational approach with the founding of the Good Knight Child Empowerment Network.

The network originally focused on educating adults about the prevalence of child abuse and abduction, along with methods

went as far as to make A Good Knight Story mandatory reading material for students in third grade to fifth grade. Jagen had finally found the platform to spread his message.

He quickly fashioned a homemade suit of armor, thus completeing his transformation from Officer Edward to Sir Edward. Though his title was different, his quest was still the same. Jagen notes, “I was going to give them the means to overcome the fear they have.”

The golden age

I dare to be a Good Knight. I dare to stand alone. I dare to have a purpose bold and dare to make it known. Honor, respect and courage together are my creed. As a humble peaceful warrior I am sure to succeed.

This is the Good Knight Creed, a recitation that all must give when attending the Enchanted Kingdom Castle. Completed in 1995, the Castle is located on three acres of land in the middle of residential Beltsville. A grey wall surrounds the property and conceals the inside grounds of the castle from passerby’s.

Draped across the main is a banner titled “Enchanted Kingdom”, with other small print ineligible to drivers quizzically straining their necks in an attempt to make out what exactly this contraption is as they zoom by. The drooping banner is the only form of identification on the castle and its drab walls caked in dull grey paint belie the fantastical wonders that lie on the other side.

Pebbled walkways lined with bricks le ad v is ito rs CASTLE Sir Edward, Lady Sophia and Princess Michaela knight a t h r o u g h a young boy (above). Snow covers the castle in winter (right). SIr Ed- courtyard filled ward and Princess Michaela give a demonstration on how to stay safe with decorative potted plants (bottom right). and one black and gold statue for protecting children, but the adults of a winged woman cradling a weary, and received the lessons with lukewarm en- very nude, man. The terraced castle grounds thusiasm. Jagen attributed their apathy to are a verdant green that contrasts with the opinions on child safety formed over their grey of the cobblestone castle. In the center long lives that they weren’t very open to of the grounds sits an oval shaped pool that change. Jagen and his partners then turned during the summer serves as a swimming their focus toward educating children, but pool for campers. Along with an amphithestill weren’t seeing the success they aspired ater, a cantina and countless other points to cultivate. He traveled to schools, structur- of interest, the Enchanted Kingdom’s three ing his presentation as a former police officer acres houses an exhibit on “The Hobbit” giving lessons on how to stay safe; however, that includes a miniature model of middle he couldn’t hold his audience. “They were earth. The exhibit is meant to highlight bored,” says Jagen, “I was just another adult.” the noble and admirable characteristics of In a dramatic turn of events only fitting prominent literary figures like Bilbo Bagfor a network so unique and improbable gins, while also display the world inside in its inception, the inspiration that would of books in a tangible and interactive way. change its image and lead to widespread “We bring the classics of literature to life,” success came to Jagen in a dream. One night, says volunteer coordinator Sophia West.

Like the Hobbit exhibit, there is an unthe story of a Knight and his quest to recover children in a far off land came to Jagen, and derlying message behind each activity at the the next morning he was inspired to write it Enchanted Kingdom. Jagen and his knights down. It became the basis of his first book, want to instill in all the children they touch A Good Knight Story, a children’s story meant sets of values that allow them to better respect to educate it his young audience on the tech- themselves and their ambitions while taking niques predators use to manipulate children. ownership of their actions. “We want them to In 1990, the same year as the book was pub- feel empowered,” says Jagen, “feel like they lished, a girl in Prince George’s County (Get have a little bit more control.” Along with the school name from Jagen), was able to avoid Good Knight Creed, attendees of the castle are being abducted by using the techniques taught The Code of Selfishness and The Code she’d learned in Jagen’s book. The book’s of Selfless service, the former educating chilpopularity within the county soared. Jagen dren on the universal vices that plague hubegan receiving fan mail from students and manity and the latter commending egalitarian the principal of one PG elementary school characteristics such as humility and generosCOURTESY OF GKCEN

February 6, 2014

In a far off kingdom, in the tallest tower, there lives the knight; his mission to empower. ity. Jagen not only wants children to be good Samaritans, he also wants them to be safe.

Jagen’s mission to protect children stems from a traumatizing childhood incident.

Repeatedly molested by a maid who worked for his family and forced by threats onto the wellbeing himself and his family to remain silent, Jagen has been inspired to teach children safety methods to ensure that they never experience what had to. He and his knights teach visitors to be wary of devious techniques kidnappers use to abduct children. In “The ABC’s of Safety”, an interactive video hosted by one of Jagen’s many fictional creations Mac Aroni Mouse, ten of the most common child abduction techniques are shown to the viewers and then dissected and analyzed by Mac Aroni. Much like an episode of Dora, Mac Aroni asks questions of the audience and encourages them to respond vocally. This multi-sensory learning experience helps the audience to better remember the lessons of the video. “They are not only seeing the video, they are hearing the sound and seeing what the actors are doing and, on an empathic level, feeling what they are going through,” says West.

Attendees of the Castle are also taught how to physically defend themselves. Being approached and harassed by a predator can be a paralyzing experience and the staff at the Castle train kids so they are prepared in the situation that a predator confronts them.

“Most kids, if a predator puts a hand on their knee, they will freeze with fear,” explains West. The staff teaches attendees “ChiWOW” an original combination of kung fu, tai chi, and other physical self-defense techniques.

The training is meant to prepare c h i l d re n f o r the occasions when there are no adults to defend them. “The newfound awareness is like 24/7 protection for when we are not there,” says West.

A fallen kingdom “Evil Prevailed,” says Jagen, chuckling into a phone receiver. He’s referring to the evil that transformed the Good Knight Child Empowerment Network from a federally funded and nationally recognized organization into one that is now facing the possible forclosure of its last remaining site. He’s referring to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At the turn of the millennium, Jagen and the rest of the Good Knight Child Empowerment Network received a strain of national attention. Jagen was Awarded that President’s Service Award Silver Medal from President Clinton, the Lifetime Achievement Award from President Bush and The National Jefferson Award for Greatest Public Service by a Private Citizen. The Networks educational materials had reached over 20 million families across the country and 1,500 Good Knight sponsor sites had been established across all 50 states. In 2002, Jagen met with President Bush and was awarded a five year grant at 1 million dollars a year. The same year, the United States invaded Afghanistan and the following year went on to invade Iraq. The Good Knight Child Empowerment Network only received 750,000 dollars before the grant was terminated to pay for war efforts. The Network has been losing money ever since.

It is now 2014 at the future of the castle looks grim. All but one of the remaining sponsor sites, a small outpost in North Carolina, have been shut down. Jagen’s pension has run out and there are no federal grants available for which the network can apply.

The knights are paying out of pocket to keep maintain ownership of the castle and need to raise 50,000 dollars by the end of the year to keep the bank from foreclosing on the property. “If we don’t do something this year we

won’t be able to exist,” explains Jagen. To raise funds, the network has initiated a “Pay it Forward” campaign. In a January press release titled “Social Experiment Brings Hope Back to America”, the Good Knight Child Empowerment Network announced the commencement of a nationwide campaign to generate awareness and funds for the network based on a traditional Irish good luck charm. The network is selling hemp bracelets with silver four leaf clovers in bulk in hope that purchasers will share them with their friends and create what Jagen refers to “Lucky Circles”, grouping of 144 that all carry a good luck bracelet. The bracelets are being sold at three dollars a piece and a cluster of ten can be purchased for 20 dollars. In return for buying the bracelets and spreading awareness of the networks cause, the network ensures an increased sense of positivity for 95% of participants. “The secret is mind of matter,” explains Jagen, “It’s just a placebo in the form of a trinket on a string, but its tied to something more powerful than you can imagine.

The human mind is all powerful and when you group 144 people together wishing good will to one another miracles often occur.”

Jagen has invested 29 years of his life into protecting and educating youth, a process that has brought his as much closure as it has aided his audience. “I’ve healed because I’ve showed kids how not to be victims,” says Jagen. In a statement, Jagen further iterated

the importance of buying into this Good Knight’s good luck and maintaining the Good Knight Child Empowerment Network. “I have spent my life imagining a world where children aren’t afraid to go outside to play, to the mall or to school because of bullies, predators and weapons threatening their lives. As an undercover police investigator code-named “Good Knight”, I saw firsthand the deceptions that negative people use to manipulate youth. Twenty-nine years ago I founded a charity to combat the growing threats against youth through crime and violence prevention awareness. The road unfortunately ends here unless youth u-knight for the common cause of protecting one another. If everyone who read this story wears a Lucky Break wishing bracelet and pays it forward only then will the road continue.”

The castle is located at: 11001 Rhode Island Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705

February 6, 2014

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From doodles to television cartoon Steven Universe Blair alum Rebecca Sugar writes and creates a Cartoon Network show

By Naomi Weintraub Steven Universe is a chubby “12-year old” sidekick to his three friends who fight evil in space together using their magical superpowers. Steven tumbles exultantly on the screen, singing jubilantly about how he and friends--the Crystal Gems--are going to save the day, and then go out to get pizza. Steven is the humorous and relatable main character in Cartoon Network’s new show, “Steven Universe.” This zany, eclectic, colorful world was invented in the mind of Blair alum, class of 2005 Rebecca Sugar.

Sugar got her start as a cartoonist at Cartoon Network on the popular show, “Adventure Time.”

Sugar was accepted onto the team for the show after taking what they call a “storyboard test.” In the test, a cartoonist is given an outline, and based on the outline they are given, they must draw scenes. Cartoon Network liked what they saw and asked Sugar to join their team as a revisionary, editing and fixing drawings. “It was a really good learning experience because I was just looking at boards all the time, and from there I got to actually draw story boards, and then after having this job I was able to work for Adventure Time,” says Sugar.

Making art personal Growing up Sugar spent a lot of time drawing cartoons with her brother. Sugar wanted to make the show personal. She attributes a lot of her creativity to her time

spent with her brother, making him a good center for her show. “I started out knowing I was going to make something about my brother, because I think that a piece of art should always be about something that is really personal to you,” says Sugar.

“Steven Universe” incorporates Sugar’s love for outlandish fantasy and magic through the shows premise of intergalactic mystical superheroes. Steven’s three friends in the Crystal Gems represent the different sides of Sugar in being an older sister to Steven. “I’ve always tried to be a good role model for my younger brother so it only felt right to make these characters, which are his metaphorical older sisters, just be sort of role models to him. They all have problems and flaws, but they are all also elements of myself,” says Sugar.

From cartoons to storyboards Cartoon Network is known for having quirky, atypical shows.

“Steven Universe” is no exception to this trend, with its abstract plot lines and unexpected humor, the show appeals to a broad range of people. The shows on Cartoon Network are extremely creative and experimental. Sugar explains that they have a lot of freedom as artists, and animators to try new things. “If there is something that you want to do and say that no one has really said or that might not make total sense, you don’t necessarily have to cram it into a box that already exists, especially of

imation and you know how hard it is to see that work, it takes on a new kind of magic,” says Sugar.

Steven creating the universe Not only did Sugar create a show centered on her little brother, but he has become a part of its creation. Steven Sugar draws backgrounds for the show, enabling his talent of perspective drawing to create new worlds. Working on the show with her brother reminds Sugar of when they drew together as kids. “We’ve always been drawing together ever since we COURTESY OF CARTOONNETWORKPR.COM were kids. And I knew CARTOONS Blair alum Rebecca Sugar immediately once I started drawing this created the cartoon “Steven Universe.” up that I wanted him to what a cartoon is supposed to be,” be working on it with explains Sugar. “There is a lot of me,” says Sugar. Steven appreciflexibility here to make something ates working with his sister on the that is not what a cartoonist con- set of the show, and also enjoys ventionally needs to be, and that’s seeing his persona come alive on something that has been going on screen. “I’ve been asked a lot if it’s here for a long time, and I really surreal or strange to be the inspiappreciate,” says Sugar. ration for Steven, but honestly it’s As a child, Sugar grew up being just fun! There’s little similarities completely internalized by car- between me and him that are altoons and the worlds they created, ways enjoyable to spot, but he’s now she understands the com- also grown into his own distinct plex animation and process that character.” goes into creating this art, which Sugar also writes music for her changed her perspective. “When show, including the theme song. you see a really good piece of an- Making music along with writing

allows an animator to control the feelings of the scene in a multitude of ways. “When you write music and draw, especially if you’re a story boarder, its wonderful because you can make something that will look and sound and move in way that will all relate. You can create a sequence with a really specific feeling, because you control all different elements of it,” explains Sugar.

Kickin’ it old school Back when Sugar and her brother attended Blair, Sugar carpooled to take classes Einstein High school’s Visual Arts Program, because she wanted to be able to develop art skills at a higher level than Blair offered at the time. When Sugar wasn’t attending school, she was frequenting Bethesda’s Big Planet Comic store to stock up on the latest editions. “I was drawing comics in every class,” explains Sugar. “When you are at the age where you can find out what you want to do, it’s all inspirational.

I think that there is a feeling that you can only get inspiration from things that are supposed to be inspirational, but it’s really everything and anything. You just have to sit down and do it.” says Sugar.

Sugar’s one piece of advice to aspiring cartoonists: “If you want to draw then draw. There is nothing stopping you from drawing.

The more you do the better you get. Do not expect to do your best work instantly. Just start doing it before anyone tells you it’s the right time to start. There is no time to wait.”

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February 6, 2014

Entertainment D1

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Taking a bite of Takoma’s new hit

Blazer Book Club

Jeff Black and Danny Wells open Republic restaurant

By Jesse Broad-Cavanagh For those growing up in Takoma Park, Summer Delights and Video American had become landmarks of sorts, large parts of an image that immediately pops up when thinking of Old Town Takoma. That image is one of familiarity, but certainly not one that is thought of as refined. So, when the announcement came that a high-end seafood eatery was coming to fill the two vacant storefronts in the heart of Takoma, many people weren’t sure what to expect. The combination of an old, dust filled movie rental store and a cramped family ice cream shop isn’t one that is generally thought of as aesthetically pleasing.

It’s time to let out a sigh of relief. Republic is here, and it works. The restaurant features a retro yet innovative look, and yet the comfortable Takoma Park feel is ever present. Original wooden floors mix with mid-60’s wallpaper to give it a rustic base.

Plush red velvet booths line the walls of one side, while simple black chairs and tables crowd the rest of the room. The only down side to this jam-packed design is that the noise level can be a bit intrusive, but that is to be expected. If the volume becomes too much, diners can choose to enjoy the nicely furnished outdoor patio surrounded by lights for a more relaxed feel. Once you get over just how different the layout of the restaurant is from what it used to be, you’ll be ready to enjoy some signature dishes from owners Jeff Black and Danny Wells.

Black, founder of the Black Restaurant Group (a handful of restaurants in the DC area), teams up with Takoma Park native Danny Well to form a menu full of intriguing seafood and American dishes. The

experience starts with the already famous Raw Bar, home to selections such as the Smoked Tuna and Olive Tapenade and a wide variety of oysters. The oysters, made up of a large assortment that includes Kusshi oysters from British Columbia and Black Pearls from Virginia, boast all the flavors an oyster fanatic would expect. Those new to this exotic cuisine shouldn’t be turned away, the wait staff at hand is more than happy to walk you through the process of navigating an oyster tray. For those less adventurous customers, Republic offers an impressive assortment of salads, including a standout Arugula and Herb salad dressed in a flavorful Curry Vinaigrette.

At Republic, the fun really picks up with the entrees. Diners who want to keep up with the seafood theme should go for the Atlantic Flounder. Pan-seared and served with cauliflower puree and a rich Vincotto sauce, the flounder is quite the experience. Plated with an assortment of colors, it fits perfectly with the already funky vibe that Republic gives off. Not only does the Vincotto add to the visual appeal, but it also serves as a rich glaze that gives the fish a healthy sweetness. If seafood isn’t your favorite, meat is a definite option. Slowly braised in an Adobo broth and served off the bone, the Beef Short Ribs are quite different from everything else on the menu. The Adobo compliments an already tender meat, and hits with a savory taste that is made up of a nice vinegar and garlic combo. While the meat is done to perfection, the bacon- braised greens and gigante beans on the side come in a large portion that is slight overkill, and the bland flavors don’t mesh well with the smaller serving of ribs. Another American choice with a twist is the Smith

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ZEKE WAPNER

Meadows Burger. Smothered with strong mustard-ale cheese and house smoked bacon, and served on a warm pretzel bun, the burger is out of this world. The seemingly-endless pile of fries on the side only add to easily the most filling option on the menu, But Republic isn’t quite done showing off, so don’t slow down just yet. A Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Cake starts off the dessert menu with a bang, topping two fudgy rectangular bars with a salted caramel sauce. Chocolate lovers should go all in for this one, as the rich taste is a strong one. Another must-have is the house made cookies and cream ice cream. Served with biscotti on the side, the ice cream is the perfect end to a food-filled night.

As is the nature with all high-end seafood restaurants, the food definitely comes at a price. Though Republic is great for a special celebration or for the occasional family dinner, the costs will definitely pile up. One of the cheaper options on the menu, the burger, will still cost you a solid $13, which is relatively cheap, compared to the most of the selections.

Regardless, Black and Well really have outdone themselves with transforming the vacant lots of two former Takoma favorites into what’s sure to become another Old Town hit. A fun filled night of great food and a social atmosphere is always in store for those who venture over to Republic. Adding to an already culturally varied site that is Takoma Park, Republic brings a feel that has never been felt before in the heart of Old Town. It’s a feeling that must be experienced firsthand, and it will always have you running back for more.

TASTY DISHES Republic’s menu features delicious dishes including the oyster on the half shell (left), the tunata penade (bottom left), the short ribs (below). Republic is located on 6939 Laurel Ave in Old Town Takoma (above).

Senior Billy Leete relaxes against a bookshelf in the media center, absorbed in the book Fractals, Chaos, Power Laws: Minutes from an Infinite Paradise by Manfred Schroeder. Although a book connecting math, physics, and the chaos theory doesn’t seem like your everyday casual reading, Leete says he just picked up the book because it looked interesting. He enjoys nonfiction books because he doesn’t just read books for their entertainment value.“ I see them as artistic works. It’s not as much about the story as the things they contain,” he clarifies.

Leete is also interested in math and science, which is why he generally prefers nonfiction works. “I really like nonfiction, but then I figured out I needed to be able to read fiction to do more linguistic things,” he explains.

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Blazers also enjoy dipping their toes into a bit of fantasy. Freshman Kate Baremore recently finished reading Howl’s Moving Castle. Baremore explains that the book is about “a wizard named Howl whose job is to fix people’s problems with magic… He lives in a magic castle that walks, and one day the main character, who had been turned into an old lady showed up at the door of his castle and declares herself his cleaning lady.”

The protagonist, Sophie, has to befriend Howl in order to convince him to reverse the spell. The book has been turned into an anime movie directed by the famous Hayao Miyazaki, who also directed popular anime movies such as Spirited Away and The Castle in the Sky. Baremore clarifies that she got the book for her birthday, and although she did not pick it out for herself she found it fascinating and fun. “I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy,” she states.

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Even though people are always complaining about how little time they have to read, plenty of Blazers seem to find time for a good book. “I like reading because it helps you escape from your life,” says junior Kirin Taylor. Taylor is currently reading Every Day by David Levithan, a novel about a boy who wakes up in a new body and a new life each day. The character, A, ‘leaps’ into a new body every 24 hours, but each time he is in love with the same girl. The book follows A’s story as he tries to discover true love. Taylor recommends the book adding, “I think it’s a really compelling story.”

Written by Emily Daly

D2 Entertainment

February 6, 2014

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Remembering 2013 through tech

A collection of the most interesting technological breakthroughs of the past year

By Blue Keleher Science fiction, while not everyone’s genre of choice, has some undoubtedly appealing aspects. Who doesn’t want to live in a future where cars fly? Who would say no to telepathic communication? Come on – sentient robots? Hel-lo!

When compared to last summer’s highbudget blockbusters, today’s technology may not quite seem up to snuff. But the advance of technology is deceptively rapid, and upon closer inspection, science today might spell more for the future than you think. 2013 was a big year in the world of tech.

Bitcoin: the world’s biggest crypto-currency Take a peek at Wired, Slashdot, or any other tech-oriented news site, and your browser will be flooded with references to Bitcoin. What is it, you ask?

First, envision a world where you can buy and sell in an instant, without using cash, and without going through a third party. This means no banks, no clearing houses, and no processing fees. Then, picture a system where your money is safe and anonymous.

When you make a purchase, no one can track it.

Bitcoin is a digital currency that aims to do just that.

The idea is revolutionary because, unlike prior forms of electronic banking (which still require banks), Bitcoin uses cryptography to ensure the security of the currency.

New Bitcoins can be created by anyone with a powerful enough computer running a certain “mining” program, and transactions are logged into a universal ledger called the “block chain.”

It might sound farfetched, but this year has proven that decentralized crypto-currencies might have a place in the future.

Around when Bitcoin was first released in 2008, you could get a single Bitcoin (BTC) for the equivalent of one two-hundredth of a cent. By February 2013, 1 BTC was worth $20. And today, that number has risen to a whopping $824.04. Bitcoin’s market capitalization (total value of shares) is over $10 billion, making it the world’s largest crypto-currency.

Bitcoin’s appeal as a low-risk, internationally-compatible, and easy-to-use currency means that its popularity has grown dramatically, but the fact that encrypted transactions are untraceable presents some interesting issues. Critics are calling Bitcoin the “criminal’s currency” due to the fact that “ransoms” asked for in BTC cannot be traced back to the criminals. In one instance, a Massachusetts police department paid a $750 ransom in Bitcoins after a virus attack encrypted its database.

The “perfect currency,” which circumvents the fees and schemes of third parties, also provides the gateway to the “perfect crime.”

The war of the console gamers PlayStation 4 versus Xbox One. Sony versus Microsoft. It’s a debate that has dominated gaming news and social media for the past couple months, and will likely continue long past the inaugurations of the new devices.

The two consoles are continuations of existing series, but that doesn’t mean they’re old news. On the contrary, the Internet hubbub more than proves that these gleaming

new devices are far from passé. The nearly simultaneous releases of the two next-generation gaming consoles at the end of 2013 saw online forums swarmed by rabid Sony and Microsoft fans, each side spewing obscenities and ardently defending its beloved brand.

By some curious “coincidence,” the hardware specs for the PS4 and the Xbox One mirror each other, featuring nearly identical optical drives (they both play BluRay and DVD), 8 gigabytes of RAM, 8-core processors, and 500 gigabytes of storage. They both offer live streaming. They both listen to voice commands.

But they also differ in both subtle and more dramatic ways. The PS4 has a slightly larger graphics processing unit (GPU) and a significant

Data mining: NSA surveillance to epidemiology We’ve all cracked jokes about the US’s National Security Agency (NSA) watching us creepily from behind screens. But what if instead of looking for terrorists, the NSA was tracking diseases?

The unveiling of PRISM, the clandestine mass electronic surveillance program run by the NSA, by controversial whistleblower Edward Snowden came as a shock and an outrage to the American public in June of 2013. Data mining, wherein an organization monitors an enormous number of anonymous devices or accounts in order to compile useful statistics (or, in the NSA’s case, pinpoint potential threats using keywords), immediately got a bad rep.

The idea is understandably scary, but while the NSA’s questionable actions are still pending review, other projects during 2013 used big data for a

long-term memories.

Old age, Alzheimer’s, strokes, and other injuries frequently leave people incapable of forming or retaining long-term memories.

For the past couple decades, Berger has been working on silicon chips that would mimic the brain’s neuronal networks that help form such memories.

Last year, using knowledge from his latest formulas describing the movement of electrical signals through neurons in the brain, Berger developed the first successful prototypes of memory storage chips and tested them first in rats, then chimps.

Long story short: for the first time ever, we’ve used artificial materials to contain something as complex and insubstantial as a memory.

Even ignoring for the moment the immediate benefits this technology can provide to people with memory-formation difficulties, the potential of controllable memory storage is enormous. Imagine having unlimited storage space for crystal-clear memories.

Imagine, ultimately, the ability to upload and download experiences, sharing memories between brains.

It’s like something out of science fiction, except that, as pioneers like Theodore Berger are showing us, it can be very, mind-blowingly real.

2013’s gadget roundup

2013 was a big year for gadgets, large and small alike.

After a year of anticipation, Google finally released its unique wearable head-mounted computer, Google Glass, to select members of the public in February. 2014 expects to see the official release of the ground-breaking technology to general consumers.

It’s a reminder both of the incredible rate of innovation as well as the extent to which we’re incorporating technology in our lives on a minute-to-minute basis.

It’s both awesome and, increasingly, a little creepy.

In the vein of wearable technology, the Pebble watch Kickstarter project, started in 2012, quickly boomed into the highest-grossing Kickstarter campaign of all time. 2013 marked the release of the small, sleek, “glanceable” devices. Tired of fishing your phone out of a zipped pocket whenever you want to check your email?

Pebble gives you access to everything you could want to see with just a glance. While the idea isn’t entirely original, founder Eric Migicovsky’s design and conscious emphasis on simplicity are.

Home automation company Nest Labs, according to its website, “reinvents unloved but important home products” with elegance and usability. Nest’s first product was the Learning Thermostat (2011), a programmable, self-learning Wi-Fi-enabled environmentally-conscious atmosphere monitor.

2013 marked the release of the Nest Protect, a smoke and carbon monoxide detector which, in addition to featuring extremely sophisticated sensors listens to voice commands, can be silenced with the wave of a hand, and uses motion detectors to light up your path when walking at night.

In the past few weeks, Nest has made news again with its acquisition by Google, opening up a world of questions about the future effects of, for the first time, inviting Google – one of many benevolent data-gathering firms – out of public internet “space” and into the home.

capitalization

advantage in speed and power.

On the other hand, the Xbox One has expanded the roles of the gaming console, hoping to rival other all-around media players like the Apple TV or Roku. From your Xbox One, you can (verbally) navigate between the current DVD, live TV (including through your TiVo), your active video game, Netflix, and other apps.

Since their previous iterations, the consoles have become faster, their controllers more fine-tuned, and their add-on gadgets more sophisticated. The most commonlyheard criticism, though, is of the games themselves: neither console is backwards compatible, meaning that “old” releases (such as the PS3’s highly-acclaimed “The Last of Us”) cannot run on the new systems.

If you’re an avid gamer looking to trade up, this Sony-versus-Microsoft conflict might put you in a bind, but don’t let that daunt you. When it comes down to it, there’s an easy way to make your choice: If you’ve got cash to spare and are looking for sheer performance, go with the PS4.

If you want to overhaul your whole gaming system, take an Xbox One. If you’re ambivalent but have strong loyalties to one system or the other, performance differences aren’t enough to make you switch over. And if you’re still enjoying an old console, don’t rush to upgrade – the content hasn’t quite caught up to the hardware.

ART BY MAGGIE MCCLAIN GRAPHIC BY DESIREE ALEIBAR

dramatically different purpose.

Take, for example, Harvard professor Caroline Buckee. As an epidemiologist, she studies patterns in health and disease, and she found another use for processing big data: tracking the spread of malaria in east Africa. Over a period of years, Buckee tracked movements using cell phone GPS coordinates to and from identified malaria hotspots to determine who was spreading the disease and to where. The maps she’s built with her data have greatly contributed to experts’ understanding of the disease’s movements, will help short-term efforts to raise awareness in targeted areas and build up to the long-term goal of ridding the region of malaria entirely. “This is the future of epidemiology,” Buckee told MIT Technology Review. “If we are to eradicate malaria, this is how we will do it.

The future of memory storage For decades, scientists have pored over the mystery of memories: how they’re made, stored, and altered in the brain. In 2013, biomedical engineer and neuroscientist Theodore Berger announced that he believed he’d cracked the code used to store

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Turning over a new movie ticket 2014 is the perfect year to overhaul your moviegoing habits

By Alanna Natanson

Back on New Year’s Eve, you, like I, probably made a difficult New Year’s resolution.

It didn’t involve sweating at the gym or ridding the kitchen of sodium and high fructose corn syrup.

You, like I, probably resolved to change your film habits.

But as with most New Year’s resolutions, your vow, like mine, fell to the wayside amidst winter homework, unit tests, and final exams. Before you knew it, it was February and you hadn’t ascended the escalator of the local cinema and stepped on fallen popcorn in weeks. Or worse, you fell back into your old vice, watching the same movies you watched last year.

If we’re going to become better moviegoers, we need some resolutions to start with. So here goes.

Suffer through a sequel

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Release Date: May 2 Familiar faces: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx 60-second summary: Like the average high school student, Spider-Man struggles to balances his life of fighting evil (this time, in the form of a new bad guy, Electro), figuring out his family’s past (what’s his dad’s story?) and falling in love.

The gist: Since most of the movie is about leaping over New York City and dodging electric spurts, those of us who missed the first installment can probably figure it all out.

If you, like me, used to groan that it doesn’t make any sense why Spider-Man had to change actors and storylines and feature more commercials to sit through, know this: Spider-Man is about the good and evil choices we make in order to avoid our inevitable mortality.

There’s a moral buried among all those burning police cars.

The Hunger Games:

Mockingjay—Part 1

Release Date: November 21 Familiar faces: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth 60-second summary: Katniss Everdeen begins all-out warfare against the Capitol.

The gist: Following in the footsteps of the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises, the last installment in the Hunger Games series is split into two parts to draw out the drama (and the box office reapings) as long as possible. Filming is already underway for the first segment, so let’s hope our favorite flaming fireball hero is up to the task of saving those she loves (if she can figure out who it is she loves—Peeta or Gale?) During the final installment, we can figure out what it is about authoritarian dystopian movies that’s just so arresting. Maybe it’s the opportunity to see humanity at its worst and at its finest.

Maybe it’s just the chance to see Liam Hemsworth.

Squeeze in a history lesson

The Monuments Men

Release Date: February 7 Familiar faces: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett 60-second summary: Just your average hunt-the-Nazi movie—except that this time, the Army’s tracking down Da Vincis.

The gist: In the same vein as last year’s Academy Award winner Argo (the art world meets government operatives in a mission that initially sounds crazy), The Monuments Men drizzles in a little philosophy, throws in handfuls of gritty explosions and rapid gun firing, and slathers on the comedy to bake a movie I hope will attract action movie fans and art history majors alike. The history pic director plays up how grossly unfit for the Army most of the middle-aged, round-bellied art experts are, but then shifts to emphasizing how won’t stop at anything to save the art the Nazis stole from all across occupied Europe. Best part of all, the art-hunt actually happened. “The Monuments Men marked the first time an army fought a war while comprehensively attempting to mitigate cultural damage,” according to Robert Edsel, author of the book that inspired the movie. It’s a flick that will reveal what role both art and war play in preserving our culture. Art history and thrilling war rescues? Count me in, Picasso.

Read a book, then wait for the movie

The Giver

The Fault in Our Stars

Release Date: August 15 Familiar faces: Meryl Streep, Taylor Swift, Jeff Bridges, Katie Holmes 60-second summary: Jonas gets the ultimate history lesson: standing up to a lifeless society.

The gist: My first (and probably favorite) dystopian novel, The Giver features a boy breaking a tradition of ignorance in a perfect world. I could see the movie version going very, very badly, an opinion that the presence of Taylor Swift in the cast list does not help. On the other hand, has Meryl Streep ever participated in a bad movie? Okay, Mama Mia was bad, but 80’s Swedish pop bands don’t count. I’m sure the directors will play up the flashes of color that are so important to the book to create breathtaking cinematography. Get excited for the most simplistic dystopian movie of the year: hopefully, that message we loved in the book, why we need grief and pain, holds up on the big screen.

Pompeii

Release Date: February 21 Familiar faces: Carrie-Anne Moss, Kit Harrington 60-second summary: The entrance of gladiators just made the 79 A.D. eruption of the Roman volcano Mt. Vesuvius a whole lot better.

The gist: Netflix is full of natural disaster movies, but Pompeii sets itself apart because these clips of collapsing buildings, engulfing flames, and invisible alien robots actually happened (well, almost all of them happened). In this saga, Milo, a gladiator, must save his beloved Cassia in the midst of smoke and lava-scorched buildings.

My first thought was, admittedly, another gladiator movie? What separates this movie from the others with ripped men in miniskirts (sorry, Roman tunics)? Plus, the lack of historical context in the movie means you can’t substitute the movie for your World History textbook. But there’s something in the preview, in the montage of people leaping over fiery ships, sweeping classical music and (bear with me) gushy romantic lines that draws me to the Majestic. The point, that we in the audience understand that history’s themes are the same ones we encounter today, is there.

Even if the accurate historical sequences are not.

BLUE KELEHER

Release Date: June 6 Familiar faces: Shailene Woodley 60-second summary: Girl meets boy, except both girl and boy have cancer.

The gist: Sadly, it’s easy to predict how a cancer movie will end. But The Fault in Our Stars, based on the popular YA novel by John Green, reminds us that it’s the journey and not the end that matters.

The book’s characters shoot back and forth the kinds of witticisms you wish you could generate, but there are enough spatterings of “like” so that the movie dialogue will sound authentically adolescent. Just to be sure, Green was on the set during the filming to ensure the movie stuck to the story we worshipped. “The movie script was a very faithful adaptation,” notes John Green in his video blog, “one of the most faithful I’ve ever seen.”

The balance of life lessons and achingly sweet romance will carry over to the big screen. Best advice: bring tissues.

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Guzzlin’ down a pop after a slice of pecan pie An exploration into the different dialects spoken around the country

By Kelsey Gross From ‘cray-AHN’ to ‘cran’ and ‘soda’ to ‘pop,’ America’s use of the English language is far from uniform. Blazers may find people from the DC area easy to understand, but if you took a handful of locals and put them in Wisconsin, they wouldn’t know their pa-JAHmas from their pa-JAM-as or their ‘water fountains’ from their ‘bubblers.’

Joshua Katz, a PhD student at North Carolina State University, set out to map these differences in dialect across the country and submitted his result as his endof-the-year statistics project in spring 2013. Katz used data from the Harvard Dialect Survey, a 2002 project by Bert Vaux and Scott Golder, and heat maps to record variation in the answers to each question across the country. If you have a Facebook account, it is likely that a link to these maps has popped up on your newsfeed, but if not, you may find the results quite INT-rest-ing – or are they inTER-rest-ing?

candy found inside chocolate favorites like Snickers is ‘CARE-amel,’ while the word is pronounced ‘CAR-mel’ throughout the rest of the country. Becca Ederer, a 2012 Blair graduate and a sophomore at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, finds that strong distinctions between northern and southern pronunciations are commonplace. “Here, they put differ-

Po-TA-to, po-TAH-to Of course accents across the country differ, but that’s not the only way we switch up what we say – we also pronounce things differently. One common point of contention is ‘pecan’ – according to Katz, there are four different ways to pronounce the name of this nutty pie filling. In the Wild West, they say ‘pee-KAHN,’ and in the Deep South, ‘pi-KAHN’ is the most common. From the choices, ‘PEE-kahn’ was most common on the east coast, including Maryland, but a pesky “other” pronunciation was also prevalent on the east coast, in the Northwest, and in California.

The pronunciations of other words are more strongly split.

Along the east coast and throughout the South, the gooey, sticky

ent emphasis on words,” she explains. “For example, they stress the syllable IN-surance and UMbrella, whereas I emphasize the end of those words, like in-SURance and um-BRE-lla.”

Cut to it So what makes Maryland and the DMV unique? Surprisingly, it all comes down to a blade, specifically, a knife. All over the United States, ‘bowie knife’ is pronounced ‘BO-ie knife,’ except for central Maryland and northern Texas, where the word is pronounced

wedges jo-jos; they’re big fries,” she explains. “Wait, you don’t call them that here?”

Ever heard of a Sadie Hawkins dance, when the girls ask the boys to be their dates? If you’re from Seattle, you probably have not – this New state, new speak is because they’re called ‘tolots’ inThe linguistic differences be- stead. “I remember we had a tolot tween Maryland and the rest in middle school, but mostly boys of the country aren’t limited to asked the girls anyway,” Maynard laughs.

You can’t talk about west coast dialect without mentioning the most controversial word of them all - ‘hella,’ which is sometimes substituted for ‘very.’

San Franciscans love it, SoCal citizens hate it – but where do Seattleites stand? “I’m definitely guilty of using ‘hella,’” Maynard admits. “I feel JOSHUA KATZ, DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS, NC STATE UNIVERSITY like it’s just people failpronunciations. “The way you ing to find a better word, but I’m guys talk here is more casual” guilty of it too.” al,” sophomore Audrey Maynard, Mad beat who moved to Silver Spring from the Bryant/Wedgwood region of Senior Salah Khanjari had a simSeattle during the summer of 2012, says. “[In the Bryant/Wedgwood ilar experience to Maynard’s when region of Seattle], it’s much more he moved to Silver Spring from hoity-toity. There’s not as much Connecticut before starting middle slang.” One DMV-specific slang school. “To talk about something term new to Maynard was ‘bait.’ cool,” Khanjari explains, “kids [in “I’d never heard ‘bait’ before I Connecticut] would say, ‘Aww, this is mad beat.’” came here,” she says.

Another unique Connecticut In addition to adjusting to Maryland-speak, Maynard had to colloquialism is the phrase, ‘It’s leave behind some of her old Seat- brick out here,’ which translates tleite expressions. “We call potato to ‘It’s very cold outside’ in D.C.-

‘BOO-ie.’ In Maryland, this is probably because we pronounce the city Bowie, Maryland the same way, but the reason Texas does this is still to be determined.

speak.

Coming to Maryland took Khanjari a bit of adjustment. “Beat was the one [word] they really didn’t like,” he says.

Which one is it?

Some words and pronunciations are specific to a region, but others are more difficult to trace and understand. ‘Candidate’ is one of those words – according to Katz’s map, the dispersion of ‘canIH-date’ and ‘can-DI-date’ is quite even across the country. However, having multiple ways to say something doesn’t mean one way has to be wrong. When people buy a new pair of shoes, they usually try on a few different sizes before they decide which one fits them best.

When you pick up a new word or phrase, shop around a little! Pick the phrase or pronunciation that you like most, whether it’s toMAH-to or “beat.”

D.C. DIALECT We all know they drink their ‘cwoffee’ in Brooklyn and they ‘rahde’ their ‘bahkes’ in the South, but do we have a D.C. accent? Apparently not. Although the Mason-Dixon Line originally placed D.C., Maryland, and Virginia in the country’s southern half, researchers from Georgetown University’s Linguistics Department found that D.C. residents, especially African-American women, are moving away from Southern accents. On the other hand, it’s easy to tell if someone in Maryland has a Baltimore accent: just ask them to pronounce their hometown. Baltimoreans will often call their city ‘Bal-more,’ as well as switch ‘e’ vowels for ‘i’ vowels, such as ‘rid’ instead of ‘red.’

Decline of a giant: Facebook loses face in the digital arena

By Kenyetta Whitfield Poke. Friend. Like. Those are just a few of the many activities twenty-first century teenagers have engaged in on social networking site Facebook. A few years ago, being able to create a Facebook account would have been a dream for plenty of tweens and teens, but in the past couple of years the idea of logging on to Facebook seems really…middle school. In other words, the site seems pretty juvenile. With the creation of popular mobile based-apps and sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Vine, and messenger apps like WhatsApp, Blazers and teens around the world can connect with their friends instantly through photo, video, and private message. Due to all these choices, many teens have come to the startling realization that the world’s beloved Facebook may be dead.

Well, perhaps “dead” is a bit extreme, but Facebook definitely isn’t the bustling ball of fun it used to be. So long are the days of spending 20 minutes trying to craft the perfect status so that you get tons of likes.

Now are the days of rolling your eyes at the inspirational posts your grandmother posts alongside photos of cute cats. In a November article on the online version of Forbes Magazine, Parmy Olsen explained that Facebook hasn’t died, but that teens just aren’t as into it. “Teenagers are still on Facebook; they’re just not using it as much as they did,” she writes. Is Olsen’s assertion true? According to the numbers the number of teenagers who claim they are active on Facebook went from 76 percent to a startling 56 percent in the later parts of 2013. The drop seems to be

more drastic outside of America, Olsen sited the lowest drop in usage was in the Netherlands.

With all of the new information, many adults and those who’ve joined Facebook more recently could be wondering how the social networking site has become such a dud for kids. The answer to their confusing inquiries is more than one simple answer.

Facebook has more than a few characteristics people don’t like.

The tell all You’ve all logged on Facebook only to be greeted by status after status of personal information from people you’re not even friends with outside of the World Wide Web. A string of posts about what Mom ate for breakfast, what your brother’s girlfriend read last night, and what the blond kid in your math class likes to do after midnight can leave you feeling depleted and surprisingly aggravated.

Perhaps, the reason teenagers are escaping from the formerly-tantalizing Facebook is because they are getting a bit tired of what Olsen calls, the “peer-to-peer community.”

More and more teens have turned to less wordy means of communication through video and photo sharing apps like Vine and

SnapChat.

Idle “likes” Teens are not only sick of seeing their friends (and their less-than-friends) post their life stories through statuses. Many also feel Facebook has lost its fun aspect. Senior Celeste Smith has turned to popular blogging site Tumblr to get a more personal satisfaction. “Tumblr is more personal and there are more features available, rather than Facebook where it’s all about status updates and articles,” explained Smith, who hasn’t had a Facebook account since the summer of 2012.

Social networking sites Tumblr, KATRINA GOLLADAY Instagram and Twitter allows users to upload images and text posts for their followers and get responses similar to likes on Facebook.

Though most social networks are generally similar, each site offers some unique feature.

Tumblr is home of the “fandom” -a group of people who are devoted to a particular celebrity, television show, music group or

other entertainment-related entity. Instagram has pioneered the “selfie” culture by allowing users to post photos of themselves hanging out, eating seemingly appetizing food, and generally having more fun than most of us, while Twitter, one of the older sites, allows users to limit how personal their tweets are.

Apps, apps, apps

Olsen believes that one of the biggest reasons Facebook seems to be declining in usage amongst the teenage population is that the website lacks mobile accessibility. Her article mentions that the Facebook Messenger app is seeing more activity than Facebook itself, and mobile-based site Twitter has yet to be affected in the way Facebook has.

If Facebook hopes to see more activity, the website is going to have to cater to what Blazers and adolescents across the world love: smartphones. Yes, Facebook has an app, but it still feels like a smaller-screen version of the same old status updates. Should we start writing letters to Mr. Zuckerberg on behalf of his dying network? Perhaps.

At the end of the day, a news feed is still a news feed, and as we’ve all learned from relationship statuses that have gone from, “so in l-o-v-e,” to “single life is the only life,” nothing lasts forever. Myspace saw its demise, Google+ ended before it started, and now Facebook is dancing in some dangerous waters.

This could be Facebook’s last status update.

D6 Chips Clips Just Chillin’

by Jesse Broad-Cavanagh

New Tablet

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February 6, 2014

Across 1. Latin west peasant 5. Floatation device 9. Middle of the sunshine state 13. Lone star recovery meeting 14. Bottom of excaliber 15. Amazon prime does it for free 16. Rap battles of history 17. Tony Stark’s man 18. Stylish satchel 19. First person shooter series 21. Surfer dude 22. Blank slate 25. A knight’s wardrobe 28. When you gotta go, you gotta go 30. Danger sign 31. Fire nation navy leader 32. Wicked gentlemen 34. Video game bonus content 35. Middle earth’s father 37. Prisoner of war 39. Licensed to help 40. Fish that lives around coral 42. Chromebook maker 43. ___ and Jamal, 90’s cartoon 45. Triggers a long nose 46. Boat’s rear

47. Fictional baseball player 48. Chairman 49. Imaginary Athletics 56. Shoot some 58. Fought for 59. MD female athletic prgms 60. Requirement to meet 61. ___ the abyss 62. Mouth at Cairo 63. Health class unit 64. Seasonal feet accesories 65. Lifestyle magazine

Down 1. Plant part 2. Extinct Montreal ballplayer 3. Mosquito killer 4. Mark’s network 5. Sumatran or white 6. Sudanese airline; abbr 7. Modest Mouse verb, past 8. Time to next reference, abbr.

9. Mexican treat 10. G.R.R.M.’s epic fantasy 11. Lender Processing Services; abbr 12. Enzyme suffix 15. Health resort

Sudoku: Easy

December Answers

BEN SAFFORD

20. Reading, writing, and arithmatic 23. “Problem ____” 24. At the European Org. for Nuclear Research 25. San Diego athletics 26. Type of quadrilateral, plural 27. Whoppers, milkshake variety, etc.

28. Board of executives 29. Master of ceremonies 30. Rode the bench, abbr.

32. Burt’s animal 33. Gift from Van Gogh 36. Internal rate of return 38. Luke’s home 41. Note to plumber 44. How an organism reacts 46. Tree juice 48. Windows ancestor 50. They’re watching you 51. Car rental company 52. Snow beast 53. A train’s path 54. E.g. Yao Ming, Andre the Giant, Joshua Starr 55. Hook’s second man

BY JESSE BROAD-CAVANAGH

COURTESY OF WWW.WEBSUDOKU.COM

Presidential Priorities

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Nueva ley abrirá puertas a inmigrantes latinos

El estado de Maryland aprueba licencias de conducir a indocumentados Por Jackeline Portillo Una nueva ley fue firmada en mayo del 2013 por el gobernador del estado de Maryland Martin O’Malley para que los inmigrantes puedan obtener una licencia de conducir. La ley pasó con una mayoría de 82 a 55 votos en la cámara de delegados y entró en vigencia el primero de enero del 2014. De la misma manera el estado de Connecticut y California aprobaron licencias para personas indocumentadas.

Se espera que nueve estados más aprueben leyes similares al estado de Maryland. Dichas leyes entrarán en vigor en el ano 2015.

Oganizaciones como CASA de Maryland apoyan estas leyes enfatizando la importancia que leyes como esta tienen hacia las familias inmigrantes. Este es un logro para la comunidad latina quien es la más afectada en todas la decisiones del gobierno. Hay personas que tienen años de vivir en este país y han manejado sin licencias corriendo el riesgo de ser arrestados por la policía. Las personas podrán beneficiarse de esta nueva ley siempre cuando cumplan con los requisitos exigidos.

Los solicitantes tendrán que mostrar cualquier tipo de identificación como un certificado de nacimiento o un pasaporte. También se tendrá que presentar dos

años de retroactivos de los impuestos federales. Los que soliciten una licencia tendrán los mismo derechos de un ciudadano, pero tendrán una marca en la licencia donde especificará el estatus migratorio de estas

mente esta ley porque creen que la ley hará las carreteras más seguras porque estarán obligados a tener seguro por sus carros. Mientras tanto, los republicanos argumentaron que la ley hará que los terroristas

grado comento, “Sí, creo que sería una buena idea. [porque] sean indocumentados no quiere decir que no califiquen en ser buenos conductores . Hay ciudadanos que no pueden manejar [de una manera

POR CINDY MONGE

personas. Este símbolo no les permitirá entrar a edificios federales, abordar un avión, y no serán válidas para obtener un arma de fuego.

Los demócratas apoyan intensa-

puedan obtener más fácil una identificación y que al pasar esta ley será como gratificar a las personas que ingresan a este país ilegalmente.

Nora Nolasco del onceavo

responsable] y lo hacen o tienen la oportunidad de hacerlo,” comenta Nolasco. Nora añade que esta ley traerá un poco de justicia hacia la comunidad latina. “Sería justo dejar

a los inmigrantes tener la misma oportunidad de poder manejar, “ dijo Nolasco. Aproximadamente hay 275,000 inmigrantes indocumentados que viven en Maryland, pero el número de beneficiados por esta ley disminuirá ya que deben cumplir con todos lo requisitos.

Algunos beneficios de esta ley es que podrán adquirir trabajos en otros condados por la practicalidad del transporte automovilístico. También podrán cumplir con tareas simples como llevar a sus hijos a la escuela o cualquier lugar tranquilamente sin el temor que le decomisen el carro.

Esta ley fue puesta en acción cuando la cámara de representantes y el senado dieron la probacion final de un plan de gastos de 37 mil millones que incluye aumento para la seguridad de las escuelas y para los nuevos créditos fiscales.

El director ejecutivo de CASA de Maryland, Gustavo Torres dijo que a pesar que el sistema de inmigración está fraccionado, hay quienes que apoyan la ley, dando así un poco de alivio a la situación de muchos inmigrantes.

Miles de personas se registrarán para obtener una licencia de conducir, pero solo algunos calificarán dependiendo si cumplen con los requisitos y tienen la documentación requerida. No hay que temer solamente hacerlo.

La población de estudiantes latinos incrementa en Blair

Luego de una fuerte batalla finalmente el sueldo incrementará

Por Marisela Tobar Blair ha sido reconocida como una de las escuelas más grandes y más diversas del condado de Montgomery. En los reciente años, el programa de ESOL ha visto un incremento de matrícula de estudiantes internacionales que han llegado a los Estados Unidos y necesitan terminar sus estudios secundarios.

Estos estudiantes enfrentan la realidad de llegar a un nuevo país y empezar una nueva vida, con nuevas culturas, diferentes experiencias, y un nuevo idioma. Muchos de estos estudiantes son motivados a emigrar a los Estados Unidos por motivos economicos, oportunidades educacionales, y especialmente hoy en día, escapando la violencia de sus países. “Tenemos estudiantes de todo el mundo. La mayoría de la población es de centro américa. La segunda mayoría es de Ethiopia, la tercera es de países de habla frances” asegura Sra. Alexiou, profesora de recursos del departamento ESOL. Una de estas estudiantes es Wendy Monge,

del noveno grado quien apenas tiene cinco meses de estar en este país desde que emigró del El Salvador. “El motivo porque tomé la decisión de emigrar fue porque aquí vive mi mamá y quería venir a vivir con ella,” dijo Monge.

Este incremento de estudiantes como el caso de Wendy Monge y de muchos de los estudiantes en Blair también se refleja en las cifras nacionales que indican que el número de menores que llegan a los Estados Unidos a subido 10,000 en años pasados a 25,000 en solo el año 2013.

El programa de ESOL en Blair al igual de todo el condado de Montgomery aún enfrenta altos números de matrículas abren sus puertas a estos estudiantes que son recién llegados al país. Por consecuencia hay cuestiones que dificulta el programa. En el incremento de estudiantes de ESOL el número de estudiantes por clase también ha incrementado.

“Idealmente las clases de ESOL de nivel más bajo tendrán que ser de 10 a 20 estudiantes, para poder ayudar al estudiante lo más posible. Matriculamos a estudiantes durante todo el año… pero nunca sabemos cuantos

“No se trata solo de ensenar el curriculo.”

Sra. Emily Alexiou

se matricularan durante el año,” comenta la Sra. Alexiou. La profesora de recursos de el ESOL también asegura que el tener estudiantes matriculados en medio año afecta no solo a los profesores del departamento de ESOL pero también a otros departamentos de clases.

Con el efecto de clases más grandes, Sra. Alexiou admite que para profesores es más difícil darle la apropiada atención a los estudiantes primerizos, pero cambios han tenido que suceder para acomodar las necesidades de los estudiantes. “Hemos agregado asignaciones en el otoño.

También cambios en este semester. Yo agregue clases adicionales para estudiantes que entran al mitad de ano” asegura Sra. Alexiou.

Al igual del número de estudiantes por aula, la preparación recibida previamente en el país de los estudiantes afecta las clases que tomaran en los estados unidos. “No ha sido muy difícil integrarme. Pero una diferencia es el inglés, el inglés que enseñan en El Salvador es muy diferente. En El Sal-

vador el inglés es muy básico,” commento Monge.

Para estudiantes que necesitan más asistencia porque tienen brecha en su educación se les ofrece el programa METS, que les ayuda rellenar lo que les falta para llegar al nivel requerido de educación. “No se trata sólo de enseñar el currículo, pero también que los estudiantes se acomoden a un nuevo país y que también se acomoden a ser un estudiante” dijo Sra. Alexiou.

SMATCH-INTERNATIONAL.ORG

Y tú, ¿qué piensas? ¿Como beneficiaran las licensias de conducir a los latinos?

“Esta ley demuestra que la comunidad latina no es una amenaza para la sociedad como todos suelen pensar, sólo queremos nuestros derechos.”

“Pienso que a los latinos se les abrirá más las puertas y tendrán más oportunidades, ya no tendrán esa barrera de verse obligados a escoger el trabajo que este más cerca a ellos.”

Patricia Rosales Décimo Grado

Andrea Morales Doceávo Grado

Alexis Torres Doceávo Grado

“La comunidad latina se beneficiará al tener un medio de transporte. Los padres podrán llevar a sus hijos a la escuela si el autobús no pasa por donde viven.”

“La ley ayudara a muchos padres de familia, especialmente a las madres ya que tienen que ir a dejar a la escuela a sus hijos antes de ir al trabajo. “ Jasmin Rubio Baker Doceávo Grado

La Esquina Latina E2

silverchips

6 de febrero del 2014

Hambrientos por un cambio: la vida vegetariana El movimiento verde crece pero todavia no hay almuerzos adecuados Por Milena Castillo Son exactamente las 10:47 de la mañana y un timbre suena tres veces en la distancia. De pronto, los pasillos vacíos se llenan de una plétora de estudiantes ruidosos; todos de diferentes tamaños y apariencias, todos con muchas ganas de comer. Entonces empieza la carrera diaria hacia la línea para la cafetería de Blair. Los estudiantes recogen sus mochilas rápidamente y con un paso ligero, proceden en la direction del olor a papas fritas y otras delicias repletas de grasa. Todos se hacen camino para llegar hasta sus almuerzos, que los esperan dentro de recipientes de aluminio en encimeras.

Bueno, casi todos.

En medio de este caos general, hay un grupo de estudiantes que se quedan atrás, observando a la distancia la actividad de sus compañeros. Estos estudiantes no parecen existir en la mente de quienes planean las comidas que se sirven en la cafetería de las escuelas secundarias. Ellos son los vegetarianos y los veganos de Blair. Hasta hace poco, había muy poca educación sobre este grupo. El vegetarianismo y especialmente el veganismo se veían como prácticas excéntricas o vinculadas con ciertas religiones.

Finalmente, ya cansados de ser ignorados, el grupo decidió “levantar sus voces” y abogar por cambios en el sistema. De hecho, una de estas activistas fue nadie menos que la Primera Dama Michelle Obama.

El año pasado, la Sra. Obama anunció su invitativa de salud llamada “¡A moverse! ,” que intentaba combatir el problema de obesidad entre jóvenes a través de cambios en el menú de las cafeterías en las escuelas estadounidenses. La iniciativa requería que las comidas del “Programa Nacional de Almuerzos Escolares” (NSP)” incluyeran más frutas y

vegetales, y redujera la cantidad de sodio, de calorías y de comida procesada. Aunque la legislación fue aprobada por Congreso, la iniciativa, desafortunadamente nunca tomó demasiada fuerza Desde entonces, el tema de la salud y la dieta en las escuelas a pasado a segundo plano.. Si estas iniciativas y otras iniciativas pasadas hubieran tenido más éxito, la transición a u n p ro g r a m a vegetariano y vegano s e r í a ahora

porque prefieren optar por una vida más saludable. Todas estan personas merecen ser tenidas en cuenta.

Karla Flores, una estudiante del doceavo grado, decidió volverse vegetariana el verano antes de entrar a Blair. Al comienzo de la clases, Karla se dio cuenta de que comer

tudiantes de Blair, no tenía ni idea de que esta aplicación existiera.

Según Karla, nunca se han ofrecido comidas vegetarianas o veganas en la cafetería de la escuela..

Aunque se diera más información sobre el programa vegetariano en Blair, en la opinión de Karla, todavía quedaría mucho por resolver.

“Si en cualquier momento un estudiante se olvida d e

traer u n a notificación, tendrá que quedarse con hambre por el resto del día. Esto no tendria por que ocurrir,” afirma Flores.

Elana Rombro, una estudiante en su último año aquí en Blair, está de acuerdo, diciendo que no es justo que cualquier estudiante de quede con hambre solamente por que no coma carne. “La razón que se ofrecen almuerzos gratis o a bajo costo es para que todos puedan comer, pero si uno es vegetariano, realmente no hay EVA SHEN

mucho más facil. El hecho de que este tema está recibiendo tan poca atención es un problema serio. La mayoría de los estudiantes vegetarianos que hay en Blair, lo son por razones religiosas y no pueden optar por la comida que se sirve en la escuela, sino que tienen que traer sus propios almuerzos de la casa, lo cual, por diversas razones, puede resultar muy difícil para algunos. También hay muchos que son vegetarianos o veganos por razones éticas o

el almuerzo en la escuela no sería posible para ella. “Una dia pregunte si tenían opciones vegetarianas y ellos no entendieron lo que les estaba preguntando,” recuerda Karla. Al poco tiempo, su madre vino a la escuela para hablar con los encargados de la cafetería. Ellos le informaron de que preparaban comidas especiales sin carne para los estudiantes que llenaban una aplicación. Desafortunadamente, Flores, como la mayoría de los es-

ninguna opción,” explica Rombro.

Crear un mejor servicio para los estudiantes vegetarianos en las escuelas es algo que se debería hacer no solamente por respeto a los mismos estudiantes que han adoptado este tipo de dieta, sino también para ayudar a los jóvenes a tomar mejores decisiones respecto a lo que comen y a mejorar su salud. Debido a que existe un sector en aumento de estudiantes vegetarianos en Blair, la escuela debería considerar la implementación del vegetarianismo en el curriculum. Karla notó, por ejemplo, como en su clase de modern world, les enseñaron sobre las diferentes religiones, pero nunca mencionaron el papel que tiene la dieta en alguna de ellas..

En su opinión, sería especialmente útil discutir el vegetarianismo y veganismo en las clases de salud.

Aunque ya se está enseñando una unidad sobre nutrición, solamente se incluye la pirámide alimenticia tradicional, que incluye carne además de otras cosas, y no se explica cómo obtener la nutrición que necesitas si eres vegetariano o vegano. Estos cambios ayudarian a crear más conciencia sobre este tema y a “preparar un camino hacia un programa vegetariano.”

En este momento, los estudiantes de Blair necesitan aprender sobre la discriminación que están enfrentando sus compañeros vegetarianos. Karla explica que a pesar de ser una vegetariana convencida. no tiene tiempo para hacer lo necesario para cambiar la situacion en la escuela. Igualmente, ella cree firmemente que todos los vegetarianos y todas las vegetarianas de Blair deberían unirse y levantar sus voces si quieren mejorar la situacion. “A decir verdad, alguien tendría que decir algo sobre el tema cuanto antes,” afirma Karla, “Si de verdad te interesa el tema, y quieres dedicarte a abogar por estos cambios, no dejes de hacerlo.”

Cupido flecha corazones con amor y ganancias para todos Por Cindy Monge En este febrero, cupido esta flechando corazones por todo Blair, como es costumbre. La escuela se baña de rojos y blancos representando el día de San Valentín. De igual manera en estas fechas, los estudiantes le pregunta a la chica que les gusta la pregunta del millón, “Quieres ser mi Valentín?”

Esta es una tradición que muchos comparten y que deja algunos sorprendidos por la cantidad o calidad de regalos que puede recibir.

Esta fecha no solo trae felicidad a las parejas y amigos, sino también a los bolsillos de grandes cadenas de compañías como target y a tiendas más locales. Pues el amor se demuestra a través de detalles como rosas, chocolates, y para los que verdaderamente quieren sorprender, joyas.

Las tiendas se convierten en jardín de arreglos florales, montañas de peluches, y chocolates. De acuerdo con un artículo publicado en CNN, este ano se calcula que en total los estadounidenses gastarán $18.6 billones de dolares en el dia de San Valentin. Parte de esta cifra son los estudiantes de Blair, que en general gastan entre $10-15 dolares en golosinas y uno que otro detalle para su pareja.

Dulces en cantidad Los chocolates se convierten en fugitivos perseguidos por ansioso compradores que buscan minuciosamente por la caja de chocolate perfecto. La mayoría de ellos regalan dulces y chocolates para sus amigos y seres queridos. Andrea Morales, estudiante del doceavo grado, dice que ella regala golosinas a sus amistades. “[yo regalo] paquetitos de chocolates [para cada amigo] si son varios amigos.” Detalles tan pequeños como estos en un día donde se expresa el amor y la amistad son los que fortalecen los lazos de relaciones interpersonales.

También estima que este ano se gastará

madre les gustan ciertos tipos de chocolates, y a mi padre le comprare cupones hechos en casa para que alguien pueda reemplazar los quehaceres de la casa.”

Brillantes detalles Aunque algunos llenan de dulzura otros se inclinan por deslumbrar a sus seres queridos con lujosos FOTOGRAFIAS POR CINDY MONGE regalos. Shemar estudiAMOR La floristería Hoover-Fisher, ofrece a los estudiantes varias opcio- Fingol, ante del doceavo nes para el día de San Valentín, como arreglos florales, chocolates, tarje- grado, tiene un tas, peluches entre otros. reluciente sorpresa para su novia. Él le regalara un un promedio de $1.6 billones de dolares en dulces. Pues los chocolates varían en costo, lujosos collar con dos gemas. “Le voy a repueden empezar en un precio comodo hasta galar un collar con nuestras dos piedras de una extravagante suma de dinero. Andrea re- nacimiento y nuestros nombres engrabados cuerda que la golosina más cara que compró en ellos,“ Dijo Fingol. Este collar esta espefueron unos chocolates exclusivos europeos cialmente hecho para ella y le costará a él un como agradecimiento a una maestra. “[Fue] promedio de $100 a $200 dolares en K Jewelun exclusivo paquete de chocolates italianos ers. Él también le tendrá otra sorpresa a su y se lo di a una profesora de mi escuela ele- novia, y va a aprovechar la ocasión para inmental que me caía muy bien,” dijo Morales. vitarla a salir a prom con él. “Ojalá ese misPues el amor se demuestra en diferentes mo día le preguntaré al baile,”dice Fingol.

Aunque Shemar decisión regalarle formas y hacia diferentes personas. Andrea comenta que también en su lista de “Com- un collar caro a su novia, este tipo de repras para San Valentín,” incluye a sus pa- galos es algo un usual para estudiantes dres. Este año dice ella compra chocolates de Blair. Este año se estima que las perpara su madre y a su padre le comprara una sonas gastarán un promedio de 4.4 biljuego de pases con el cual el puede asignarle lónes de dolares. Compañías como Maalguna quehacer de la casa a Andrea. “A mi cy’s, JCPenney y K Jewelers se benefician.

De última hora Para los blazers que deciden comprar regalos de última hora, Hoover-Fisher Florist se convierte en un aliado. Lo cual causa un alboroto caótico dice Michelle, una trabajadora de la floristería Hoover-Fisher Florist,que esta justo a una cuadra del escuela. Es por eso que la floristería ofrece descuentos a compradores que no esperan hasta el último minuto para pasar por la tienda y recoger algún regalo. Para los estudiantes de Blair, tienen arreglos florales a un precio especial.

También ofrecen opciones como comprar una rosa a un bajo costo, todas la ofertas son plusvalía para estudiantes de Blair.

Solamente un cinco por ciento de los estudiantes compran rosas para el dia de San Valentín. Otros estudiantes com es el caso de Katie Gage estudiante del doceavo grado, celebran en grande. Ella y su mejor amiga Sabrina Mendoza tiene una manera muy excéntrica de celebrar. “Todo empezó en el séptimo grado, cada año nos regalamos algo a cada una,” dice Gage.

Ella explica ellas se dan un ano le toca a una de las dos regalar en grande y cada ano se alternan los turnos. “Cada otro ano le toca a una de las dos regalar algo sorprendente, este ano me toca a mi regalarle a ella,” explico.

Katie comenta siempre regala flores y chocolates pero este ano sorprenderá a sabrina con algo aún más especial. “Este ano le dare como siempre, flores y chocolates, además le hare un album de fotos con todas la fotografías que tenemos juntas.”

El programa “InDesign” utilizado para realizar el periódico de la escuela, está diseñado para la lengua Inglesa. Con tal propósito, Silver Chips ofrece disculpas por cualquier error gramatical que tengan las páginas de La Esquina Latina después de haber sido intensamente editadas. Gracias.

F1 Sports

silverchips

February 6, 2014

Snatching gold at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi U.S. sends a record 230 athletes to participate in this year’s Games

By William Zhu

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ith the 22nd Winter Olympic Games set to begin on Feb. 7 in Sochi, Russia, Team USA is in for an exciting year at the Olympics. At the end of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, the U.S. won 9 gold medals, 15 silver medals and 13 bronze medals, placing first overall with a total of 37 metals. This year the U.S. Olympic Committee (UNOC) will send 230 athletes to Sochi, making it the largest team for any nation in the history of the Winter Olympics. Combined with the help of veterans from the 2010 Vancouver Games, Team USA is faster and stronger this year and is ready to claim gold. n Vancouver, both the U.S. men’s and women’s hockey team lost the gold medal game to Canada. After a close defeat of 2-3 in 2010, Team USA’s men’s ice hockey team hopes to avoid this same outcome and win gold this year. The men’s hockey team will have 13 players with Olympic experience as opposed to the Vancouver games, where only 3 players had Olympic experience. Among the players returning this year is goalie Ryan Miller. Miller was named the MVP of the 2010 winter games and had 139 saves during the Vancouver Olympics, more than any other goaltender at the games. The team’s roster includes 2 other goaltenders, 14 forwards and eight defensemen. The addition of veterans will be an advantage the team did not have at Vancouver.

The U.S. women’s hockey team is also going for gold this year after losing 0-2 against

place winner who will be participating as an alternate, was highly disputed. The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) reportedly selected Wagner due to her consistent success during the past years. Wagner was the 2012 and 2013 U.S. national figure skating champion and the UNOC takes past competitions

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HOCKEY Both mens’ and women’s teams are going for the gold in Sochi.

Canada in the gold medal match. Out of the 21 team members, 18 are from the U.S. women’s national team and 11 have prior Olympic experience. The U.S. Women’s National Team beat Canada 3-2 in the final international competition before the Olympic Games, giving the team a huge boost of morale going into Sochi. Meghan Duggan will be leading the women’s hockey team as team captain at Sochi. Duggan brings her much needed experience of winning silver from the 2010 Games. The men’s hockey team is scheduled to play Slovakia for their first game on Feb. 13 at 7:30 am and the women’s hockey team plays Finland on Feb. 8 at 4:00 am. uring the 2010 games the U.S. only won two medals in Figure Skating and was beaten overall by China. The U.S. suffered a heavy defeat in the Ladies single event, and failed to win a single medal. This year, the U.S. will be sending three skaters, Polina Edmunds, Gracie Gold and Ashley Wagner and to help team USA redeem itself from its losses. Edmunds, who started skating when she was 20 months old, will be one of the youngest members of the Team USA at age 15. Edmunds won silver at the 2014 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and if she wins gold at Sochi she would be one of the youngest U.S. Olympic figure skating champions. Gold, who placed first in the Figure Skating Championships, will be joining Edmunds and Wagner in skating for victory.

This year’s selection of the Women’s Singles is not without controversy. The decision to include Wagner, who placed fourth, into the team instead of Mirai Nagasu the third

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FREESKIING The Olympics this year will add Freesking to the skiing events. into as well as the qualifying competition in account for selection to the U.S. team. As a result of this decision, Wagner has received online hate mail regarding the decision.

However winning gold will not be easy for team USA. Mao Asada, a silver medalist from Vancouver representing Japan, will be returning to Sochi to defend her title and possibly win gold. Asada is a highly capable opened and she has won gold at the past two Grand Prix Finals and she is the Guinness World Record holder for being the first women to land three triple axel jumps in one competition. Team USA will also be facing a newcomer, Julia Lipnitskaia. At the age of 15 years, Lipnitskaia is the youngest women to ever win the European Championships.

On the men’s side Jason Brown and Jeremy Abbott will be skating for Team USA. Brown, age 19, finished second at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Brown’s skating blends well with the music and often the audience cannot help but clap in unison to his performance. This makes Brown not only liked by the judges but an audience favorite. The YouTube video of his skating gained nearly two million views in under a week’s time, making him not only popular with judges but with audiences across the internet. Abbott won first place overall at the Figure Skating Championships and winning his fourth U.S. title and placed ninth in the 2010 Olympics.

A new addition to the Ice Dancing category is Alex and Maia Shibutani. Alex and Maia are siblings who have skated as a pair since 2004. This Olympics, figure skating will also include a team event in which the score will be determined from the overall team score combined from several events.

During this team event, 10 countries that qualify will compete and enter a male and a female skater, a skating pair and an ice dancing couple for the individual skating events. The scoring system is similar to the system in gymnastics, the skaters will compete in individual events and each win will be ten points added to the total team score.

After the first round, the top five teams will proceed to the next round. The inclusion of a team competition has come as a surprise to many and, many countries have kept the composition of these teams a strict secret.

Coaches will most likely choose skaters strategically so that they would not be overwhelmed by their events. his year, the U.S. has a record 94 athletes participating in the skiing and snowboarding events. The U.S. Alpine Ski team will be missing a crucial member, Lindsey Vonn, at this Olympics. Vonn suffered a torn ACL in her right knee during the 2013 World Championships in Schladming Austria and reinjured the knee on Dec. 21, 2013 taking her out of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Despite Vonn’s absence, the Alpine ski-

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ing event is where the U.S. will truly shine.

The 20-member team will be led by five time medalist Bode Miller. After winning gold at Vancouver in the Super-G Combined, Sochi will be Miller’s fifth Winter Olympic game and he will be the oldest U.S. Alpine skier to compete. Miller’s biggest competitor is Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway. Kristofferson won in the World Cup men Slalom in January 2014, upsetting the other Olympic favorites. In the women’s events, 18-yearold Mikaela Shiffrin will hopefully replace Vonn. Shiffrin has high chances of winning gold in the slalom event after winning the world championship title. However Shiffrin will have to watch out for Slovenia’s Tina Maze trying to take Vonn’s Olympic titles.

Maze won gold in the Super-G, Giant Slalom and Combined in addition to first place overall at the 2013 World Cup. The skiing category is divided into Ski jumping, Freestyle, Alpine, Cross Country and, a new category just added this year, free skiing. Freeskiing is a relatively new sport which involves skiing in course that is very similar to snowboarding. The two events in Freeskiing are Halfpipe and Slopestyle, which is where the contestants aim to complete the most amount of difficult tricks while staying in the air as long as possible after jumps. The youngest member of the U.S. ski team, Maggie Voisin, 15, will be competing in the slope style skiing event.

Freeskiing has great potential for newcomers like Voisin to win gold. Overall, the largest source of medals for U.S. will be from the Alpine Ski Team which is stronger and more experienced than ever and the U.S. should dominate most of the competition in this event. or speed-skating, there are primarily two categories, long track and short track. Long track involves timing athletes that skate in an indoor track that is similar to an outdoor running track. For men, skaters skate 500, 1500, 5000 and 10,000 meters. Short track speed skating is very similar to long track, but the races are held in a much smaller rink, where 4-6 competitors race at the same time. At the 2010 games the U.S. only won one gold medal in speed skating after encountering strong competition from China, South Korea and Canada.

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SPEED SKATING The U.S. looks to improve against powerhouse South Korea.

Speed Skating is one of the most competitive sports in the Olympics and the U.S. faces a formidable competition this year.

With the most decorated Winter Olympian, Apolo Ohno, retiring after the 2010 Winter Olympics, John Celski will be the most experienced member of the U.S. men’s team.

Celski won two bronze medals in the 2010 Olympic Games however he will face the Olympic champion Charles Hamelin of Canada. During the 2010 winter games, Hamelin won gold in both the 500m and the 5000m relay. This Olympics, Russia’s Viktor Ahn will be a threat to both Canada and the U.S. Ahn won three gold medals and one bronze during the 2006 games in Turin and won the 2014 world championship in Dresden. In addition Ahn will have home advantage over the other teams. However, the U.S. men’s team has a good chance of winning

a medal and even clinching gold in Speed Skating.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the women’s team. With the retirement of silver medalist Katherine Reutter the U.S. women’s short track is left with 3 athletes and failed to qualify for the team relay. China is expected to be a fierce adversary like in 2010 where they dominated the women’s short track competition, winning all four gold medals. Zhou Yang, two time gold-medalist from the 2010 games will be leading the Chinese along with several other experienced skaters. China’s biggest competitor will be South Korea in the relay. Shim Suk Hee has potential in the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 races but more importantly she could lead here teammates to gold in the relay. he sliding sports of the Winter Olympics which are Bobsled, Luge and Skeleton are one of the most hazardous and adrenaline filled events. Bobsled involves either a two or four person team sitting in an enclosed sled, which slides down a premade track. For the women’s competition, there are only two-person bobsleds involved. Skeleton is related to Bobsled where

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COURTESY OF TEAM USA

BOBSLED Bobsled events are divided into two-person and four-person sleds.

competitors slide on a track, but in Skeleton the individuals lay face-down head first on a sled and experience up to five times the force of gravity. Luge is similar to Skeleton but the competitors lie down feet first instead and exceed speeds of 80mph. This makes Luge is the most dangerous of all the sliding sports. In a testament to that fact, in 2010 at Vancouver Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia died when his luge crashed during a training run. Officials at Sochi have added three inclines in the track so that competitor’s speeds will not exceed 85 mph.

The U.S. has high hopes for its Bobsled team. Steven Holcomb representing the U.S. in bobsledding will be defending its gold medal in the four-man bobsled event. The women’s team led by Elana Meyers will be going for gold this year after losing both silver and gold to Canada and winning bronze in 2010. However competition will be tough since Canada’s Kaillie Humphries will be returning to defend her previous win at Vancouver while reigning as the two-time world champion in bobsledding.

Luge and Skeleton are a different story.

Luge is primary dominated by Germany in both the men’s and women’s events. In the men’s event, Felix Loch is expected to win gold for Germany again this time, but there is a glimmer of hope for team USA in the women’s event. Kate Hansen will be competing for the U.S. and she recently won the first Luge World Cup – something that hasn’t happened for 16 years. The U.S., however, will not see the same hope in skeleton.

Martins Dukurs of Latvia will be ready to seize gold in the men’s Skeleton event after winning the 2014 Skeleton world cup. The United Kingdom (UK) will also attempt a repeat of the 2010 Winter Olympics surprise gold medal win in the women’s Skeleton event. With the retirement of Amy Williams, Lizzy Yarnold, the 2014 Skeleton World Cup winner will be ready to take gold for the UK.

Watch Team USA compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics from Feb. 6 to Feb. 23 on any NBC channel, or online at NBCOlympics.com.

February 6, 2014

silverchips

Out of the closet and onto the field

Sports F2

Gay athletes find acceptance and success on Blair sports teams and clubs

By Rebecca Naimon

Blair crew is one big wacky family, according to junior Maddie Palmieri, who rows crew as stroke seat (eighth seat) or bow seat (second seat). They even have their own inside terms only they understand. In addition to, or perhaps as a function of its familial togetherness, crew is also notable for its enthusiastic acceptance of its gay athletes, managing to deftly defy some stereotypes about sports.

Crew, as a club sport, functions differently than most varsity sports—there are no tryouts, and almost nobody has experience in rowing before joining the team. “There aren’t people who’ve been rowing since first grade. You learn together,” says Palmieri.

The learning process contributes to the team’s cohesiveness. “By junior year, we’re all just a big family,” Palmieri adds. And it seems that along with that cohesion comes acceptance of the team’s multiple gay, lesbian and bisexual athletes.

In the public eye Other sports, especially those in the public sphere, cannot always say the same. Even in circles where gay athletes are out, the acceptance and treatment of those athletes are not always equal.

When Brittney Griner, number one WNBA draft pick for 2013, officially came out as lesbian on April 17, 2013, the initial media coverage was eclipsed by the media surrounding NBA player Jason Collins fewer than two weeks later on April 29.

Jason Collins was touted as the first active male professional athlete in a major American team sport to come out as gay.

Why so many qualifiers?

Collins wasn’t the first professional athlete to come out, and he wasn’t the first active professional athlete to come out, and he wasn’t the first active professional athlete in a major team sport in North America to come out. He was the first male athlete in a highly commercial and publicized league to come out before retirement. As a result, he was the one to garner the most mainstream media attention.

Men’s professional sports, especially the Big Four of the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL,

remain some of the most resilient bastions of traditional masculinity in North America.

And in many people’s eyes, traditional masculinity for men requires heterosexuality, so any step outside of that box is both significant and newsworthy. Collins’ coming out was a milestone. Griner’s coming out was also a milestone, but was anticipated.

It’s a home game, too In high school sports as well, gay athletes are aware of the stereotypes that pervade sports culture.

Junior Molly Beckett was on Blair crew as coxswain for two years before shifting her focus to theater. While she admits that she doesn’t always pay attention to mainstream higher-level sports, Beckett is aware of the surprise when male athletes come out as gay. “I feel like it’s more of a shock when men come out in sports.”

Beckett attributes the reduced media coverage of lesbians in sports to the different stereotypes associated with gay men and lesbian women. “Sports are viewed as masculine, and lesbian women are more viewed as masculine than [are] gay men,” says Beckett.

Junior varsity baseball player John Ramsey’s explanation for the media’s lower level of coverage of lesbians in sports also focuses on the perception of sports—and lesbians—as masculine. “The nature of sports is to ‘be masculine.’ When a female says she’s lesbian, people take that as being more masculine. It’s not as big a deal in sports where masculinity is a big thing. I’m not saying this is the way it should be, but that’s just how people see it.”

Ramsey will play first base on Blair’s varsity baseball team, which went 7-6 last spring.

Ramsey remembers that before he came out as gay, he held on to worries about others’ reactions, but now, he has no regrets.

“For me, I always assumed the worst was going to happen, so I held back from telling people. [But there’s] not a better decision I could have made.”

On his team, the response when he came out was short, to the point and positive. “A few congratulations from players and that was it.”

Palmieri’s coming out as bisexual was relatively incidental. “It was not so much a coming out as [it was just] people saying, ‘Oh, you’re dating a girl,’” says Palmieri.

Beckett did not ever need to formally come out as lesbian.

“I’ve just always been out.

ZEKE WAPNER It’s just been MAKING A SPLASH Senior Andrew Snail, on both crew and swim a given,” she team, cuts through the pool during a swim meet. says.

Beckett is critical of the culture, particularly in sports, and crew, has yet to decide whether he will that makes coming out both a necessity and continue to pursue higher-level sports in a possible hardship. “I think it’s stupid that college, but knows that his decision will be people have to come out in the first place independent of his sexual orientation. “I’ve in sports because it’s assumed that they’re seen what college-level sports are like, and straight. And the fact that, if they do come it’s a big leap from high school. But sexuality out, that it can affect their careers, is really would not have a factor in that,” he explains. [expletive] up,” says Beckett.

Even with all of his subsequent positive Starting the cycle media attention, Jason Collins only came out near the end of his career. He then beAs for high school sports, Snail is anothcame a free agent, and has not been signed er extoller of the open atmosphere of crew. since. Opinions are divided as to whether “Everyone on crew’s really accepting and his sexual orientation is a factor in remain- friendly and all that,” he says. ing unsigned, or whether it’s solely the However, he doesn’t think that crew’s result of his advanced age for a basketball status as a club sport affects its culture of player, at 35 years old. acceptance. “It’s not based on the level; it’s based on the people.”

What, then, caused such a phenomenon?

Future college careers And how might other teams emulate it?

It may be a ‘chicken or the egg’ question.

Sean, a senior, is considering continuing his athletic activities in college, going so far Which came first, the family or the accepas to talk to a few coaches who might want tance? Is crew’s familial atmosphere a result him on their teams. He recognizes college as of welcoming each member with open arms, a turning point in the level of publicity that or did its culture of acceptance develop beathletes’ sexual orientations receive. “[Col- cause it was already a supportive family?

In Palmieri’s opinion, there’s a simple lege is] where you start off, decide to become professional or not. And if you decide formula that teams can follow to become to come out, it follows you in your profes- close-knit. “Sports as a whole are a really sional career as an athlete until you die,” he good way to create a friend group, and the more accepting [the people] are, the more of says.

Senior Andrew Snail, on both swim team a family they are.”

Seahawks nearly shut out Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII Denver suffers early setbacks and is unable to recover, ending in a 43-8 loss

by Wesley Hopkins This year’s Super Bowl was one of the most anticipated games in NFL history. It was expected to be the clash of the titans; the game of the year between the best offense and the best defense in the league.

At kickoff, according to the Nielsen Company, the game had about 112 million viewers, making it the most watched television program in history. However, these millions of viewers were soon disappointed by the incredibly lopsided result.

The very first play quickly set the tone of the game, when Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning stepped up toward the line just as center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball. It flew right past Manning into the end zone, where running back Knowshon Moreno dived on it for a safety. This two-point advantage earned a Super Bowl record for the fastest score in history, after a mere 12 seconds of playing time.

After the early safety, Seahawks’ kicker Steven Hauschka began to open up the lead with a 31-yard field goal for 5-0 and a

33-yarder for 8-0. Then, the NFLleading defense began to show their talent.

On the next Broncos drive, safety Kam Chancellor picked off a third-down pass by Manning and returned it to the 37-yard line, leading to an easy touchdown by running back Marshawn Lynch, raising the lead to 15-0.

A few plays later, Seahawks linebacker and Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith made an interception and returned it for an incredible 69 yards, scoring without the help of the offense.

On the Broncos next drive, Seahawks defensive end Chris Clemons cut hopes of a first-half comeback, casually swatting a 4thdown pass from Manning a mere 19 yards from a touchdown.

The declining interest in the game recovered at halftime, when Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers delivered the mostwatched halftime show in Super Bowl history, attracting 115.3 million viewers. This was the highestrated part of the whole game.

However, things calmed down again as the game picked back up.

score of 43-8.

Some had anticipated an abnormal game as a result of temperature, as this is the first Super Bowl to be held outdoors in a coldweather city. However, this was hardly a factor in 49-degree New York City.

The real factor, according to star Broncos receiver Wes Welker, was the noise in the stadium. “That’s the way the start of any Super Bowl is going to be. It’s going to be loud,” Welker said. “Fans are going to be yelling. I don’t think they even know why they’re yelling. It’s just the start of the Super Bowl. We didn’t prepare very well for that and it showed.”

Regardless of reasons or excuses, this year’s Super Bowl was one of the most lopsided in history, and the Seahawks’ “12th men” can remember this one proudly, even if the rest of the COURTESY OF BLEACHER REPORT country might remember SUPER BOWL Quarterback Russel Wilson, who lead the Seahawks to their it with some disappointment and apathy. first ever Super Bowl, holds up the Laumbardi trophy.

Regardless of what was said in the Broncos locker room as an attempt to change things, little was done differently in the second half, as Seahawk Percy Harvin delivered an incredible 87-yard kickoff return to tear open the lead to 29-0,

mere seconds into the second half.

The rest of the game continued to be a landslide despite Demariyus Thomas’ touchdown to round out the third quarter. Two more touchdowns by the Broncos finished the game with a merciless

F3 Sports

silverchips

February 6, 2014

Quest for the Series: The 2014 MLB Offseason

By Landon Harris The road to October begins in the winter offseason. The four short months between the end of the regular season and beginning of the next spring training are a time for teams to re-up, retool, and revamp their squads for the upcoming season. This MLB offseason has featured big time trades, free-agent signings, and even rule changes that could alter the landscape of the league in 2014 The biggest deal of the offseason was the Seattle Mariners signing of former Yankee second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano was arguably the best free agent on the market, as the five time AllStar hit 27 homers and knocked in 107 RBI’s and was fifth in AL MVP voting last season. His 10 year $240 million deal with the Mariners is tied for the third largest contract in MLB history. For the Mariners, Cano may be worth the cash. He provides much needed star power to a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs in over a decade.

Cano was not the only big name free agent to leave the Yankees this offseason. Outfielder Curtis Granderson lost his pinstripes, but remained in New York, signing a four year $60 million contract with the Mets. The three time All-Star hit over 40 home runs in both 2011 and 2012, but struggled through an injury riddled 2013 season.

Turning 33 in March, Granderson’s potential is capped, but if he can return to the 40+ homerun guy he was before the injuries, he could emerge as a steal for the Mets. The Yankees did soften the blow of losing two key players by lulling star center fielder Jacoby

Ellsbury away from the Boston Red Sox. Ellsbury’s seven-year $153 million contract is a hefty deal, but money has never been an issue for the Yankees, and Ellsbury is one of the league’s elite defenders at a premium position in centerfield. The Yankees also shelled out the big bucks for Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, signing the overseas pitching sensation to a seven-year 155 million dollar deal. Tanaka was a highly coveted Japanese pitching talent, and with the Rangers 2012 deal with Yu Darvish serving as the most recent precedent, Tanaka could soon become the Yankees next ace.

The Rangers also had a busy offseason. The Rangers had a disappointing 2013, falling just a game short of an AL wild-card berth. The franchise is actively attempting to right the ship in its offseason acquisitions. The Rangers made the trade of the offseason sending second baseman Ian Kinsler to Detroit in exchange for Tigers slugger Prince Fielder in November. Fielder is a power-hitter who could improve a Rangers offense that took a step back in 2013. The Rangers also added outfielder Shin Soo Choo, a five tool player who can hit for both power and contact, in free agency.

2013 was similarly disappointing for both the DMV area teams.

Both the Orioles and Nationals failed to return to the postseason in last year. The offseason however has treated the Nationals and Orioles very differently. Washington made a shrewd move in the offseason, acquiring starting pitcher Doug Fister from the Detroit Tigers for virtually nothing. Fister is by no means an ace, but he is a

solid starter and strengthens an already strong Nationals pitching staff. The Nationals also agreed to a one year deal with Stephen Strasburg to avoid arbitration with the young star.

The 2014 Nationals pitching staff now features Stephen Strasburg, Doug Fister, Gio Gonzalez, and Jordan Zimmerman, a formidable rotation for any opposing batters to face. While the Nationals bolstered one of league’s best pitching staffs, the Orioles lost pitchers from a rotation that already lacked depth. Baltimore dealt closer Jim Johnson to Oakland for infielder Jemile Weeks. This is a huge blow to the Orioles rotation as Johnson led the majors in saves last season and was an All-Star in 2012.

The Orioles also lost rotational pitcher Scott Feldman to the Astros in free agency to augment the problem. If anything holds the Orioles back in 2014 it’s going to be their pitching deficiencies.

The league itself seems poised to make changes this offseason as well. Two rule changes have been proposed this offseason. The first of which is banning home plate collisions. Under the new rule, base runners will be required to slide if there’s any play at home plate. Catchers blocking the plate without the ball will be called for

KYLE DESIDERIO AND JENNA KANNER

Largest MLB Contracts (over 10 yrs.)

Alex Rodriguez (NYY) $275 mil.

Alex Rodriguez (TEX) $252 mil.

Robinson Cano (SEA) $240 mil.

Albert Puljos (LAA) $240 mil.

Joey Votto (CIN) $225 mil.

obstruct i o n .

P l a y e r s could face possible fines and suspensions for violating the new rule.

The other rule change expands the use of video replay. The new replay rules would allow nearly all calls, except for balls and strikes, to be reviewed by relay umpires working out of New York. Similar to NFL coaches, managers would get one challenge a game.

If the original call is reversed, the manager would get a second challenge. If the original call is upheld, then the manager is out of challenges for the rest of the game.

This rule change would enable the MLB to join the other major US sports in implementing video review after game-changing calls.

It would be impossible to discuss the 2014 offseason without mentioning Alex Rodriguez in some regard. Although his saga has little impact on actual play this upcoming season, it has been

the perhaps the most intriguing story of the offseason. The drama began when the MLB reduced Rodriguez PED use suspension from 211 games to 162 games. But just days later in an interview with 60 minutes, Anthony Bosch, founder of an anti-aging biogenesis clinic in Florida, presented physical evidence of Rodriguez’s steroid use in the form of text messages from Rodriguez asking Bosch to administer PED’s to him. Augmenting A-Rod’s infamy is his current suit of the MLB players union for a failure to properly represent him in court. It has been reported that many angry players now want Rodriguez to be kicked out of the union. It’s been a while since baseball fans looked upon A-Rod favorably, but this offseason has seen him grow into one of the biggest villains in all of sports.

Blair swim and dive splashes Quince Orchard’s hopes Blazers ends the season on a high note with senior night victory

By Martha Morganstein Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center, Jan. 24 For the Blair swim and dive team, both the girls (2-4) and boys (1-5) beat the Quince Orchard Cougars boys (4-2) and girls (1-5) in the last team meet of the season, 212-130.

The boys won by a substantial amount, finishing with a score of 116-55, while the girls squeaked out a win by a score of 96-75.

The win, however, was somewhat expected for the Blazers, as they compete in Division I, while Quince Orchard competes on a lower level. “The meet went really well, but it wasn’t completely unexpected because we went out of division for this meet,” head coach Emily Rawson said.

Despite going up against a team from a lower division, many Blair swimmers still

called the meet a success, especially with the accomplishments of “Metro” times. The Washington Metropolitan Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships (Metros) is an upcoming competition which swimmers qualify on a time-based standard.

“It was spectacular, we got first in many of the events and we got some Metro times,” senior co- captain, Michael Katz said.

Blair placed first in most of the events, including girls’ 50 freestyle, boys’ 100 butterfly and boys’ 100 breaststroke. The Blazers also finished top two in the boys’ 500 freestyle, girls ‘100 backstroke and boys’ 200 freestyle.

During the last lap of the boys’ 400 freestyle relay, the arena roared as the boys got first and second in the race by a very close margin.

Being the last team meet of the season, Rawson was slightly disappointed in the team’s overall record. However, she is hope-

ful for the larger competitions coming up.

“We definitely had the potential to be 5-0, but I think it will be better at Divisionals,” she said.

The top three swimmers of every event from each team in Division I qualify for Divisionals. Though some Blair swimmers agree that the season could have gone better, they realize some positives came out of the season as a whole. “We didn’t win as many meets as we could have, but the ones we lost, we only lost by a small margin every time,” Katz said.

Being senior night, the seniors on both teams were celebrated. As each of the Blair seniors’ names were called, they ran through an archway of their teammates’ hands and cheers. Each of the Blair graduating swimmers received a balloon as they all posed for a group picture. It was the last time most of those seniors would be competing with the entire Blair team.

BLAZERS SWIM AND DIVE Freshman Ilcia Hernandez swims freestyle as she races to the finish line (right).

Both Blazers and Cougars compete in their last meet of the season (top).

insideSPORTS Super Bowl see page F2

A look into the Seattle Seahawks obliteration of the Denver Broncos 43-8 at Superbowl XLVIII

Sochi

see page F1

A preview into the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia

CONNOR SMITH

EVA SHEN