February 2016 -- Silver Chips Print

Montgomery Blair High School SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND

19

7

. Silver Ch

sex

ealth

SP EDIECIAL TIO N

February 5, 2016

C3 _ C6

Winner of the 2015 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker

VOL 78 NO 4

Blair closes after snow

By Dawson Do MCPS closed schools from Jan. 22 to Jan. 29 following a snowstorm that blanketed Montgomery County with an average of 26 inches of snow. A state of emergency was declared in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia after the large winter storm was projected to hit the midAtlantic on Jan. 22.

Twenty-two inches of snow covered Four Corners, and prevented pedestrians from navigating the area and students from attending school. According to Principal Renay Johnson, building service staff arrived on Jan. 25 and 26 to start clearing the parking lot and building exits. With the help of county services and equipment, the roads and most sidewalks were cleared for students by the time students returned from their ten-day break.

According to Johnson, PTA leaders went out into the community and notified the Board of Education and county council members of the conditions to ensure that students could safely commute to school. Even when the snow stopped falling and many roads were clear, MCPS still closed schools to students because of unsafe conditions. “I’m really pleased that MCPS listened to constituents, staff, parents, and community members and [said] ‘It’s not safe,’” Johnson said.

MCPS has not yet made a decision about whether the school

year will be extended. According to Johnson, MCPS schedules 184 school days to account for snow days and still meet the 180 instructional day requirement of Maryland. Because the entire state of Maryland was closed for a state of emergency, Johnson said she thinks it is unlikely days will be added to the end of the school year. “Historically, we’ve gotten waivers because the entire state is shut down,” Johnson said.

Many teachers have to cut out parts of the curriculum to account for the late start to the second semester. With AP tests starting in about two months, AP Language and Composition teacher Christopher Klein feels pressured to condense certain topics. “We are going to have to be more selective about our content and our instructional delivery,” Klein said.

AP Chemistry teacher Eric Prange has adjusted to shortened years in the past. “I’m not that stressed about it because in the past few years, we lost like ten snow days in each year,” he said.

After the end of the first semester, many students were free of academic responsibilities and could enjoy the break. “I spent the weekend shoveling snow with my friends and making extra money,” junior Eyobed Beyene said.

Even Johnson enjoyed her time off in the snow. “I love snow − I’m one of those people who still go out and play in it,” she said.

Sankofa

GRIFFIN REILLY

FINISHING TOUCH Senior Haja Kalokoh and fellow performers sing, act, and dance as they rehearse for Sankofa, an upcoming show celebrating Black history.

Deportations and raids begin in MD

By Luisa McGarvey and Grady Jakobsberg Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources.

GRIFFIN REILLY

SNOW DAYS A heavy snowstorm on Jan. 22 kept MCPS students and teachers out of school for a whole week.

Some apps stretch truth

By Georgina Burros and Alice Park Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources.

“Have you ever been adjudicated guilty or convicted of a misdemeanor, felony, or other crime?”

Warren stares at his computer monitor. His cursor hovers over the two answer choices: “Yes” or “No.” Warren knows his response to this one simple question could have a considerable impact on his chance of admission to the colleges that read his application. His mind wanders to the citation on his record and his numerous run-ins

NEWS A2

with the law. “Colleges don’t need to know this,” Warren thinks, justifying to himself what he is about to omit.

Shrugging his shoulders, he clicks, “No.” For seniors like Warren, responses on a college application can make or break their chances for higher education. Last year, the University of Maryland received nearly 28,000 applications for a class of just 3,975. With increasing pressure to stand out from the crowd, some seniors are willing to take the risk of lying on their applications.

see COLLEGE page C1

.

20 1 6

reprod & u h ctive

s ip

silverchips

3

A public forum for student expression since 1937

The Department of Homeland Security implemented a plan to use U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to target undocumented immigrants that entered the country after May 1, 2014 for deportation, starting in early January.

According to PBS, this nationwide campaign gives ICE the ability to detain adults and children who have standing deportation orders from a U.S. immigration judge. Although these raids have not occurred in Montgomery County, local officials have shared their disapproval of the deportation of families fleeing violence in Central America.

The campaign gives ICE agents authority throughout the whole nation, but raids have not been reported everywhere. “Right now there have only been raids in Georgia, in Texas, in Maryland, although it’s a nationwide program,” Robert Asprilla, the lead field organizer at CASA, said.

CASA is a Latino advocacy and assistance organization. Although, there have been raids in Baltimore and Owings Mill, Maryland the raids have yet to reach Montgomery County.

According to a statement released by the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, ICE raids are designed to take undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country after May 1, 2014 into custody. However, Asprilla believes that is not always what occurs. “[ICE is] saying they are targeting people they are looking for, but that’s not the whole truth,” Asprilla said. “So initially they are looking for somebody, but once they are let inside a house, they start getting everybody else that is there if they are undocumented.”

According to junior Richard, these raids have led to fear in his

neighborhood. “I feel scared about what is going on around me because of the ICE raids. We can’t feel safe walking on the streets. We stay at home instead of going out,” he said.

According to Claudia Quinonez, education organizer at CASA, the organization hopes that these waves of raids will not cause undue fear. “The previous thought the community had was to be afraid of the police, to be afraid of ICE, but now we have changed our tactics. Now we tell people to stand up for their rights even if they are undocumented,” Quinonez said.

see ICE page A2

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

VIGIL Community members gathered in front of the Supreme Court to advocate for immigrant families’ rights.

insidechips

CALEB BAUMAN

Life skills

Veg out

Prostestantes

Boys’ basketball

Students need to be taught everyday skills to succeed in the future.

Chips takes a look at the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants.

Luchando por los derechos de los inmigrantes.

The team has been working on their offensive strategy as they prepare for the playoffs.

B3

OP/ED B1

CALEB BAUMAN

FEATURES C1

D2

ENTERTAINMENT D1

COURTESY OF CASA

E1

CHIPS CLIPS D6

GRIFFIN REILLY

F3

LA ESQUINA LATINA E1

SPORTS F1

A2 News

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids begin in Maryland Recent surge of Central American undocumented immigrants targeted car Izara. “On the contrary, we Latinos have the mentality of becoming successful in the United States. We are not all criminals.”

CASA is focused on informing According to the Washington the Latino immigrant community Post, the Obama administration members on what they should had been considering the impledo if they are apprehended. “We mentation of the plan for months have been holding a series of and were fueled to execute it due rallies and marches with the imto the recent surge of illegal immigrant community, with the unmigration caused by the increase documented community to show of violence and poverty in Central them that they have rights and America. The Secretary of the Dethey should stand up and fight partment of Homeland Security, back,” Quinonez explained. AcJeh Johnson, has long stated that cording to many of their employimmigrants not granted asylum ees, one of CASA’s main goals is will have to face deportation. to educate and empower the LaCASA held several demonstratino community. tions to protest the raids, including a vigil in front of the Supreme Court on the night of Jan. 8. At the vigil, protesters chanted “yes we can” and “here we are, we aren’t leaving, if they kick us out we are coming back.”

Executive director of CASA, Gustavo Torres, wants to send a message through the vigil and CASA’s other protests. “We are trying to send the president a message that he is committing a big mistake, deporting Central American families, in particular El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, because they are not immigrants, they are refugees,” he said.

CASA has also been organizing and supporting marches and proCOURTESY OF DONALD DE ALWIS tests that advocate for FRIDAY NIGHT VIGIL Shortly after the ICE raids began, community members the president to grant came together for prayer and music on Jan. 8 in an event supported by CASA. undocumented Central American immigrants The Montgomery County ever, in a story done by National temporary work permits. “TPS Board of Education is attempting Public Radio, a Prince George’s ‘Temporary Protected Status’ is a to educate people that the raids County principal said that the temporary state that is given to are only targeting undocumented school has seen the attendance people when there is a crisis in immigrants who arrived in the of about 120 students who came their countries of origin,” Torres United States after May 1, 2014. to the school in the last year drop explained.“That is the reason why “The thing is that people need to from 92 percent in 2015 to about we are we are mobilizing.”

CASA is educating the imbe clear about is that this is not 50 percent in 2016.

The threat of raids are also migrant community on what to just a wholesale effort to deport immigrants. This is a very specific causing many undocumented do if ICE officials do show up at category that they are apprehend- immigrants to stay at home. Acing,” Jill Ortman-Fouse, a member cording to Esther Yu Hsi Lee of of the Montgomery County Board the news blog Think Progress, Latino-heavy areas such as Wheaton of Education, said.

Ortman-Fouse stresses to fam- have been experiencing less foot ilies that MCPS is not involved traffic, negatively affecting local businesses. in the depor“Mercedes tations. “We Rodriguez has are doing our owned a popubest to let our lar Mexicanfamilies know El Salvadoran that there restaurant in have not been Wheaton for 18 any raids in years,” wrote the county Lee. “Usually, and that we close to 300 paare not in a trons come in position to on a daily batalk to anysis — but now, body about she’s only seeany student’s ing an average immigration of 20 people a status,” Ort— Oscar Izara day.” man-Fouse Freshman said.

“We Diana Nieto want all of our students to feel safe and wel- describes that she heard about ICE invading Latino communities come in our schools.”

Larry Bowers, Interim Super- in an effort to find undocumented intendent of Montgomery County immigrants.“In supermarkets like Public Schools, echoed this senti- the Mega Mart they told everyment in his January 14, 2016 mem- one that immigration was waiting orandum to staff. “School staff outside the premises,” Nieto said. should avoid asking students or “[ICE] also put roadblocks on the their family about their immigra- streets and went to apartments to tion status because such actions knock on doors.”

The raids have induced fear in may discourage participation in the Latino community as well as education,” Bowers said.

WUSA9 reported that Mont- an overall feeling that these efgomery County officials have forts to deport them are unfair. spoken out against the raids with “I think it is unjust because the a warning to the Obama admin- people in power like congressistration. “Local police will not man and presidential candidates cooperate with new immigration like Donald Trump think we are raids to deport women and chil- all delinquents,” said junior Os- SLATE AND U.S IMMIGRATION AND CUSTON ENFORCEMENT

from ICE page A1

dren who fled violence in Central America,” reporter Bruce Leshan wrote.

Asprilla said that ICE has never entered schools to arrest students in any state because it is seen as a violation of the constitution. “Students who are undocumented and are going to school in Maryland and in other states, they are safe,” Asprilla said. According to Ortman-Fouse, MCPS employees cannot legally ask students about their immigration statuses.

Ortman-Fouse also said that MCPS has not seen any differences in attendance numbers compared to this time last year. How-

COURTESY OF CASA DE MARYLAND

RALLYING CALL Gustavo Torres, executive director of CASA, speaks about the ICE raids and deportations at a rally on Dec. 30. their house. “Number one is if the border patrol comes to their door, please don’t open. Border patrol is not allowed to open if you say no.

If they have a deportation order or court order they should place it under the door,”Torres said. According to sophomore Ruth, she has already been taught what to do if ICE officials show up. “Don’t open it, ask for a warrant signed by a judge,” she said.

Asprilla said he believes that President Obama has authorized the raids in an effort to pass the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival/Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DACA/ DAPA) case through the Supreme Court. Asprilla said he thinks that Obama is allowing the raids because he wants the Supreme Court to believe he is hard on immigration. Then the DAPA/DACA executive actions which benefit certain undocumented immigrants by granting them deferred action status, would be allowed through the court. “It’s crazy, it’s immoral and its politically unsound, what he is doing, and it looks bad for him, for Hillary Clinton and any other Democrats

running for office,” Asprilla said.

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O’Malley have all expressed disapproval with the raids. According to the Huffington Post, Clinton has called on Obama to stop the raids arguing that they evoke “unnecessary fear and disruption.”

Multiple news sources wrote that Virginia’s Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart has advised undocumented immigrants in his county to leave and go to Montgomery County. “If Montgomery County wants illegal aliens who are committing crimes, we’ll be happy to encourage them to move there,” Stewart said in the Washington Post, January 11, 2016.

Ortman-Fouse was shocked to hear that Stewart and Prince William County had taken such a stance. She made it clear that MCPS holds a different opinion.

“Our staff is committed to the success of every student and will welcome every family into our schools no matter their background,” Ortman-Fouse said.

“We Latinos have the mentality of becoming successful in the United States.

We are not all criminals.”

REVA KREEGER

News A3

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Two seniors named finalists in Intel Science Talent Search

Arnold Mong and Josephine Yu win scholarships and all-expenses-paid D.C. trip

for their school. Forty of the semifinalists are chosen as finalists who attend a weeklong sciBlair seniors Arnold Mong and ence fair in Washington, D.C. in Josephine Yu were announced as March and compete for the top finalists in the Intel Science Talprizes. Those prizes include first ent Search (STS) on Jan. 20. The place with $150,000, second place students were selected as two of with $75,000, and third place with the 40 finalists from a pool of 300 $35,000 for three different categosemifinalists, nine of which were ries of research.

Blair seniors.

Along with a guaranteed The Intel STS is a program of $7,500, each finalist will travel Society for Science and the Public to Washington, D.C. and interact and is a competition designed to with other young scientists and experts in the field. “It’s a lot of money, but in addition to that, the finalists get the experience of an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C.,” magnet research coordinator Angelique Bosse said. “They get some special opportunities to meet scientists and to share their work and see things in D.C.” Senior Josephine Yu, a finalist, did her research on the formation of bi-layer graphene, a two-atom thick material that is very thin but very strong. The other finalist, senior Arnold Mong, did a physics project at University of Maryland in which he extended an argument for a three particle state of quantum entangle so that it could apply to any number of CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA particles.

Yu said that she is looking INTEL-LIGENCE Seniors Arnold Mong and Josephine Yu are two of 40 finalists out of the approximate 1,800 applicants from across the nation. forward to the possibilities

By Cole Sebastian

recognize and reward high school students who have conducted innovative and important scientific research and who show promise as future leaders of the scientific community.

Each year, approximately 1,800 American high school students submit to the competition, according to the Intel website. From those applicants, 300 are chosen as semifinalists who each win $1,000 for themselves and $1,000

of the Intel convention. “It’s really exciting, I feel like there are more opportunities to talk about my project because lots of people have to listen to me,” she said.

“We do interviews and presentations and things like that… you set up a poster and everything, you have props, you talk about your project to people.”

While the finalists are being judged to determine who will win the grand prizes, they will interact with guest scientists, according to the Society for Science and the Public. The winners will be announced during a gala at the National Building Museum on Mar. 15.

Senior Brian Morris, a semifinalist, said that his win goes further than the cash reward. “It definitely has helped in terms of like putting my name out there with people and then also giving me a very nice thing on the resume,” he said. Morris modified an algorithm for a photon detector which counts photons in pulses of light.

In order to submit to the Intel STS, each applicant must complete a comprehensive research project and detailed application that gives the judges insight into the scientists themselves. “It was like a college application. So [there were] teacher [recommendations], essays, test scores. It’s not just a research paper project, or a

competition, it’s kind of a holistic view of who you are,” Noah Fang, a semifinalist who found clusters of galaxies for his research, said.

Bosse thinks that the Intel STS judges try to find people who are successful all-around students and scientists. “They’re looking at the whole student, the whole person, not just the research project, but it’s important to look at their passion for their science work, their knowledge, their enthusiasm for being a scientist or mathematician,” she said.

It can be more difficult to advance in the competition for those who do math-oriented research.

“I was surprised my project was selected mainly because when you do physics and math it’s hard to come up with something worth reading,” said Mong.

There has been a strong connection between Blair and the Intel STS for many years. “It sort of has a tradition for Blair students to enter,” Bosse said. Thirty-three Blair students entered the competition this year.

Blair has a reputation for success in the Intel competition. “We do very well every year. Since students have been entering the competition… we’ve been one of the top schools in the country for semifinalists and finalists,” said Bosse. “We’ve averaged about 10 semifinalists the past few years.”

Muslim Student Association hosts forum to discuss Islamophobia Students respond to misconceptions of Islam throughout school and the community

By Georgina Burros Blair’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) led a public forum to clear misconceptions about Islam and Muslim Americans on Dec. 21. According to junior and MSA member Suad Mohamud, the forum was prompted by two Muslim students reporting to the MSA that they were subjected to offensive comments and bullying about their religion.

According to Principal Renay Johnson, Muslim students have been increasingly subject to bullying following the recent shooting in San Bernardino and Islamic

bullying, multiple clubs decided to collaborate on hosting an educational forum. “Right after we [the MSA] heard about the students getting bullied, then we were like we definitely got to do something about it,” Elham said. “We got a few members from the MSA to lead it. We collaborated with the French Honors Society, the Youth Ambassadors for Community Service, Global Culture Club, and No Labels Diversity Club.”

The No Labels Diversity club partnered with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The ADL brought in a trained outside facilitator to monitor the discussion.

COURTESY OF RENAY JOHNSON

OPEN FORUM Members of the Muslim Student Association discuss their religion in an open panel with fellow students in the media center.

State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) attacks in Paris. “I had watched some things on the news that were very prejudiced and how they [Muslim Americans] were being treated on like the metro bus and subways, so that morning [following the shootings in San Bernardino], I checked in with two [Muslim] girls,” Johnson said.

“They told me, ‘Mrs. Johnson, I’m so glad you checked in with us because we have been stared at and looked at differently and called names ever since the shootings.’”

Following these instances of

“The outside facilitator really helped the discussion because he emphasized the point we were making of promoting acceptance and tolerance towards everyone,” Elham said.

Students on the panel discussed their views on Islam. “ISIS believes that fighting and violence is ok, while Islam completely condemns it and does not believe it’s a right thing to do,” Mohamud said. Mohamud says that Muslim Americans, despite their efforts to constantly publicly condemn the acts of terrorists, are automatically

subjects of suspicion.

Many of the panelists answered questions about the core values of Islam, emphasizing the importance of prayer, charity, and peace.

They also discussed their personal experiences of Islamophobia at Blair. One panelist told students at the forum about walking down the gym hallway in freshman year when a male student held his fingers up in a gun shape to her head and said, “Boom. I hate Muslims.”

Those who attended the forum engaged in an activity where panelists recited general statements about Islam or Syrian refugees, such as the belief that Syrian refugees should not be let into the United States. The forum participants then shared and discussed their opinions on the statements.

The organizing clubs also created a petition urging Governor Larry Hogan to welcome Syrian refugees to Maryland. This was in response to Hogan’s Facebook post that asked the federal government to halt their admittance to the state. The petition was circulated during the panel and signed by hundreds of Blazers.

Throughout the forum, panelists explained their religion and the various aspects of prayer that they follow. “The most effective part of the forum for me was the panel of Muslim students at Blair who walked the audience through the basics of their religion and shared some of their experiences,” junior Sophia White said. “It helped to encourage communication and eliminate some of the misunderstandings that people might hold about Islam.”

Many participating students did not have prior knowledge about Islam. “I thought the forum was incredibly important because it allowed for me and other students to be more educated on the foundations of Islam and its usage of the Quran,” freshman Ruby Santana said.

Following the forum, Mohamud was able to see a direct impact of sharing her experiences

COURTESY OF RENAY JOHNSON

PROMOTING ACCEPTANCE The MSA, No Labels Diversity Club, French Honors Society, Global Culture Club, and Youth Ambassadors for Community Service all sponsored the December 21 forum. as a Muslim American. “I was approached by a couple of people I didn’t know prior to the forum, who came up to me and actually thanked me, thanked us as a whole for conducting this,” Mohamud said. “They had a couple of questions they were afraid to ask that were answered in the forum.”

The MSA plans to continue educating Blazers about Islam,

through the Muslim Interscholastic Competition (MIST) and a hijab wearing event. “We...want to do an event… where people can try on the hijab, or the Islamic headscarf that Muslim women wear, and understand why we wear it,” Elham said. “It’d be nice for people to see and feel how it is to wear it. The MSA has a lot of events and activities that we, hopefully, want to do in the future.”

soapbox Have you experienced or witnessed Islamophobia at Blair?

“I have witnessed Islamophobia at Blair, even though those responsible may have thought of it as casual or playful. My opinion is that any form of bullying or Islamic prejudice is hurtful and unjust.”

— Francisco Levanthal, junior

“No, I have not witnessed Islamophobia. From what I have seen, people here are very tolerant. Blair tends to pride itself on it’s diversity.”

— Daniel Jacobson, junior

A4 News Newsbriefs Long Branch-Wayne Local Park to be renovated The Long Branch-Wayne Local Park, located at 509 University Boulevard East between East Wayne Avenue and Glenville Road, is undergoing preliminary steps toward renovation, according to the Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC).

Along with overall park improvement, the project will also try to identify and improve parts of the park that are non-compliant with the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, an updated version of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, a bill that was designed to make all facilities, both public and commercial, more accessible to people with disabilities.

The M-NCPPC is holding its first community meeting on Tuesday, February 9th at Oakview Elementary School to gather ideas and opinions from the public about the upcoming renovation project. According to their website, the M-NCPPC plans to renovate the park through a set of phases.

The first phase will include “at a minimum, the renovation, expansion, and possible relocation of the existing playground.” The MNCPPC plans to start renovation on the park in the spring of 2017.

Blood drive stays on schedule despite Winter Storm The SGA is planning to hold its second blood drive of the year next week on February 11th. The blood drive, which is usually held in March, is being held in February this year due to the limited availability of the drive’s blood provider, Inova. The Blood Drive is typically held in one of the gymnasiums, but it will be held in the auditorium for the first time due to scheduling conflicts with P.E. classes.

Despite being a bigger space, SGA advisor Christopher Klein says the auditorium may bring new issues. “It is a larger space overall, but it is a smaller space in terms of workspace,” Klein said. “You’re really limited to putting the beds where the students have to lay back and get their blood taken on the stage, so it is going to be a bit more complex.”

Despite the change in location, Klein hopes that it will not prevent them from reaching their donation goal of 200 units of blood.

Art hallway leak damages music equipment An art hallway leak has damaged many instruments in the music room. According to music teacher Michelle Roberts, the leak started around Tuesday, January 19th and subsequently damaged a large number of instruments and equipment. The damaged instruments and equipment mostly consists of drumming equipment and piano benches.

The music department is not unfamiliar with leaking issues, as they have dealt with a smaller leaking issue for a long time. “It’s been going on for the ten years I’ve been here,” Roberts said.

“But I’ve never seen it this great.”

Roberts and fellow music teacher Raife Oldham plan to configure a list of all the damaged equipment and submit it to principal Renay Johnson. Roberts and Oldham have no estimation of the damage costs.

Newsbriefs compiled by Christian Mussenden

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Blair alum Sebastian Johnson running for BOE

2006 graduate to take advantage of SGA experience

By Julian Brown Sebastian Johnson, a 2006 Blair graduate, is running for the atlarge position on the MCPS Board of Education. The election will take place on Oct. 18, 2016.

According to Johnson, the Montgomery County Board of Education has eight members: seven of these members are adults and one is the student member of the board (SMOB). Of the seven adults, there are five members that represent each district and two atlarge members who represent the county as a whole. Johnson is running for one of these at-large positions against the incumbent, Philip Kauffman, and another challenger and former Paint Branch principal, Jeanette Dixon.

Johnson said that he, as a board member, will try to make use of his experience as both an educator and as a politician. “I was a former [SMOB], I previously taught third grade in Massachusetts to primarily Latino students, and… I have a strong background in policy and politics, and I think that makes my perspective more valuable as well,” he said.

As a relatively recent MCPS graduate, Johnson feels he has a connection with the MCPS students that is lacking in the current Board. “I grew up in Takoma Park raised by a single parent, which is the reality for a lot of our students.

So I know what it’s like to come from that environment, and that’s a perspective that I can offer on the board,” he said.

Jonathan Jayes-Green, Johnson’s campaign manager and current administrator for the Governor’s Commission of Caribbean Affairs, says Johnson is the right

man for the job because of his experience and passion. “Sebastian is really passionate about supporting providing opportunities to succeed to all of our students, with an emphasis on our growing immigrant student population and closing the achievement gap,” said Jayes-Green.

Johnson studied economics as an undergraduate at Georgetown

Blair with making the person that I am today,” Johnson said. “The experience of being involved in student government taught me a lot about public service and taught me a lot about working with others even people whose opinions who I don’t necessarily agree with.”

Current Blair social studies teacher Rondai Ravilious was the SGA sponsor during Johnson’s

COURTESY OF JONATHAN JAYES-GREEN

MAKING A STAND 2006 Blair alum Sebastian Johnson aims to reduce the achievement gap and grow immigrant student population. then government as a graduate at Harvard. He currently works as a policy analyst at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

Johnson attended Blair from 2002 to 2006 and, during that time, served as the freshman class president, a member of the SGA executive board, the student body president, and, in his senior year, the SMOB. Johnson recalls his Blair years as some of the most influential of his life. “I really credit my time at

time in student government and when he was SMOB. “[Johnson was] very bright, intellectually curious, always excited, interested in what he was learning and interested in learning,” said Ravilious.

“He was very interested in policy in both SGA and when he was SMOB and in understanding the reasoning for why policy was put in place, trying to come to terms for why it was appropriate.”

Johnson, a Communication Arts Program (CAP) graduate,

said he does not fail to recognize the impact CAP has had on him over the past decade. “[CAP] is a wonderful program. I had a lot of great experiences and a very strong, rigorous academic experience,” he said. “I want to make it so that every student can look back on their career in MCPS and feel as grateful as I do.”

Ravilious also recalls his emphasis on student representation as well as his fair decision-making skills. “He took his responsibility as a student government representative both on the Board of Education and in the school very seriously, but also was unusually mature in the way that he looked at all sides of an argument, even though he wasn’t always happy with the answer that he came up with,” said Ravilious.

Johnson added he is also grateful for his time as the SMOB as it gave him a firsthand look into the county’s issues and the possible solutions. “When I was on the board, we talked a lot about the achievement gap and how we could improve the performance of students in our elementary schools and middle schools, and it’s been 10 years and we’re still having those complications particularly in the achievement gap,” he said.

Philip Kauffman, the current incumbent on the Board of Education, expressed his appreciation for all of the SMOBs he has worked with. “I have not met Sebastian, but I am always impressed with the Student Members of the Board I have had the privilege of working with over my last seven years on the Board,” he said. “I look forward to the campaign.”

Jeanette Dixon, another challenger, declined to comment.

Girl followed home in the latest of several incidents Student reports being tailed and approached on Colesville Road

By Sarah Hutter Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources.

On Dec. 22, a Blair freshman was followed home from school by a stranger in the Woodmoor area, marking the latest of two similar incidents that reportedly occurred earlier in the school year.

Charlotte, the freshman, said she was walking home along Colesville Road at approximately 3:30 p.m. when she realized someone was trailing her. “I noticed this guy following me past CVS,” she said.

According to Charlotte, the man continued following her until she was halfway home, at which point he stopped and asked her for her number and for a picture. “He said I was beautiful and asked if he could call me sometime,” said Charlotte. She described the man as tall, black, and wearing sweatpants. “It looked like he hadn’t shaved in a while,” said Charlotte.

Charlotte said that after the man stopped her, she quickly got away. “I started backing away and ran until I couldn’t see him anymore,” she said.

Once the man was out of her sight, Charlotte said she called her mother, who told her to wait at CVS until she was picked up. “She made me write down everything I remembered,” Charlotte said. “She called the

police and then emailed a bunch of parents in the neighborhood.”

Charlotte said she never spoke directly with the police. “They emailed my mom a couple of times saying they might’ve found him, but I don’t think they ever did,” she said.

The incident is not the first of its kind to occur this year. According to Charlotte, a seventh-grade friend of hers was also followed home from school by a stranger. Kathleen Greene, Blair’s security team leader, said a similar incident occurred with a female Blair student in August.

According to Greene, the student was walking home late when she felt like she was being followed. The student called her parents from the Woodmoor shopping center.

Greene said

that the police and the school were notified, but there was little they could do. “Nothing ever came out of it,” Greene said. According to Sergeant Tocarah Hargrove, who supervises Montgomery County Student Resource Officers, the police are not aware that students being followed home is a recurring problem. “That has not been on our radar,” she said. Hargrove believes that if the incidents were significant and repeated, her department would know about it.

“I believe we would have been notified,” she said. “We take anything like that seriously.”

However, according to Blair’s Student Re-

CANDIA GU

source Officer, Sharese Junious, the school is not necessarily notified if an incident occurs off school grounds, unless it is reported to the school. She advises students to report incidents to school security as well as the police.

“When they come to school the next day, [they should] let school security know,” said Junious.

While school security cannot regulate much of what occurs off school grounds, Greene encourages students to walk with caution around the area.

“We just advise people to be safe when they’re walking,” she said.

According to Charlotte, being followed home took a significant toll on her emotionally. “I was very distraught for the next, like, week,” she said. “I’ve been walking home since fourth grade, and I was pretty comfortable with it, and then all of a sudden I wasn’t.”

Charlotte’s feeling of safety in school was also affected in the days following the incident. “Walking in the hallway was very complicated,” she said. “Whenever somebody touched me, I got very freaked out.” She added that it was difficult to walk without the urge to turn around and check to see that she was not followed.

Now, Charlotte has altered her route home so that she walks through a residential neighborhood rather than taking Colesville Road. She also no longer wears headphones while walking home. “I’m more cautious now,” she said. “People talk about how safety is the number one thing, and I didn’t really take that seriously until it happened.”

News A5

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Blair alumnus develops cancer diagnostic test Neil Davey wins silver medal in Collegiate Inventors Competition

By Joshua Fernandes Harvard University sophomore and 2014 Blair alum Neil Davey developed a method to diagnose cancer using a blood test. He won the silver medal in the Collegiate Inventors Competition on Nov. 17, 2015 for his patented diagnosis technique.

The blood test Davey developed finds cancer cells and replicates their DNA to help diagnose and identify the cancer. “The big issue right now with cancer diagnosis is that the circulating tumor cells that are in the blood are very rare and very heterogeneous,” Davey said. “The research that I did was to capture cancer cells from the blood stream for the purpose of early diagnosis.”

Davey conducted his research at Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences under mentor David Weitz.

He began his work during the summer of 2013 as a rising high school senior. “The summer between my junior and senior year focused mainly on using drop-based microfluidics to encapsulate cancer cells in the blood and then using something called PCR to amplify cancer genes into detection,” Davey said.

This summer, as he entered his sophomore year in college, Davey continued with the same topic of early disease diagnosis, but worked on applying his research to a clinical situation. “It’s been a lot more about cutting costs, making this useful in a point of care setting, how I can use it in the field,” he explained.

According to Davey, this technique will likely become a commonplace medical practice in the coming years as it is made more effective and more affordable.

“Microfluidics and detection and diagnostics has been a huge breakthrough in the past couple years,”

Davey said. “I think in the future they can apply to,” Bosse said. research that they might be doing what people are focusing on is “Then, the bulk of students in the because they get the foundation how to make cheaper microfluidic SRP program…do their research in for how to do a research project devices and how to manufacture the summer between their junior and they have resources, not only and senior year.” In the second se- at school, through me, but through them at larger scales.”

This fall, Davey entered the mester of SRP, students compile their mentors and the people they Collegiate Inventors Competition, their research, often applying to meet in the research environment,” which highlights college students competitions where they explain Bosse explained. developing technology, and he their research and its significance.

The change in focus of Davey’s placed second research paralfor his projleled his shift ect. “There’s to an applied a big focus mathematics/ on patenting economics maand intellecjor from chemtual property, ical and physiso I do have a cal biology. “I patent on the think beyond technology just the health along with issue, there’s some other all these issues people in my of cost, public lab,” Davey health policy, said. “Because implementaof that, as tion technolwell as the reogy,” Davey search itself, I said. “It’s rewon the silver ally cool to be award for the at the intersecundergradution of both ate category.” my interests in He decidbiotechnology ed to apply to and also ecoCOURTESY OF NEIL DAVEY the competinomics.” tion after his DIAGNOSIS Davey’s new blood test could revolutionize cancer detection.

In the fuexperiences ture, Davey in high school said if he were Davey said that SRP prepared to continue his research, he would research competitions. “At Blair…

I found out about Intel, Siemens, him for success in the Collegiate In- approach early detection technoland I participated in a lot of those ventors Competition, given its sim- ogy from an economic rather than competitions and I wanted to find ilar format to high school competi- biomedical perspective. “I definitesomething equivalent in college,” tions. “[In the Collegiate Inventors ly would consider getting more inCompetition] you present a Power- volved in the start-up space where Davey added.

In high school, Davey joined Point and then there’s a Q&A. I had you can make biomedical devices the Harvard lab, which he found already done that and I was pretty and technologies and figure out through Blair’s Senior Research well-versed in it because of a lot of how to license them to other peoProject (SRP), a two-semester the high school competitions that I ple or how to manufacture them at course taught by biology and in- did,” Davey said. larger scales and make them affordBosse, too, said that she able,” Davey said. “I don’t know terdisciplinary teacher Angelique Bosse. “Students start in the spring thought that Davey’s success like- how much more I would like to do of their junior year, finding a men- ly stemmed from his experience on the biology side, but I would tor. I assist them with that process, during high school. “[SRP] really definitely be interested in the margiving them leads on programs does prepare [students] for future keting and engineering aspects.”

Montgomery County simplifies student loan refinancing

New legislation could help college graduates manage their debt

By Niki Patel In an attempt to bring recent college graduates to Montgomery County, lawmakers are planning to pass a new bill that will make it easier to refinance student loans in order to incentivize recent graduates to move back to the county.

Bill MC 27-16 gives Montgomery County the power to refinance student loans and decrease their interest rate. According to a PNC bank representative, refinancing can be defined as a process used to help pay back student loans in a more efficient manner. “What refinancing a student loan means is basically trying to reconstruct the loan you have now into lower payments or a shorter amount of time that you would like to pay off the loan. So paying off means basically being done paying back the amount that you borrowed,” he said.

This bill would reduce the burden of paying back student loans for recent college graduates after they move to Montgomery County.

The PNC banker also said that refinancing a student loan entails decreasing its interest rate. “You would come in and sit down with a financial advisor and we’ll sit down and see what the current interest rate we can offer is,” he said. “If it’s lower than the current interest rate that you’re getting now, then we would process an application [using] the applicant’s creditworthiness [to] de-

termine your interest rate and the refinance option.”

According to Montgomery County Councilmember Tom Hucker, student loans pose a large threat to the future financial stability of many people. “Students and recent graduates are generally not allowed to refinance student loans,” he said.

Hucker also said that high interest rates on student loans are negatively impacting the quality of education for some people. “Far too many Montgomery students, recent graduates, and working families are using a huge percentage of their income on i n -

Hucker and the majority of the Council members are in support of the bill. “We recommended to the County Delegation that they pass it,” Hucker said.

Throughout the nation, many local and state governments have passed similar bills in order to attract recent college graduates. According to an article published in The Washington Post, Minnesota, Maine, North Dakota, California, and Connecticut are among these states.

MC 27-16 gives Montgomery County the power to lend money, give grants, and refinance or consolidate students’ other financial obligations that have built up over time. According to a memo released by the county, the proposed law would also give Montgomery County the power to borrow or Would give Montgomery County lend money, issue the ability bonds, and sell loans to other institutions, both public and private.

This memo also states that MC 27-16 would authorize the county to “create WINNE LUO a Student terest on education loans,” he Loan Refinancing Authority as explained. “Young people are de- a ‘public instrumentality of the ferring the opportunity to get the County’ to perform the ‘essential education that they need to get be- public function’ of financing postcause the interest rates on student secondary education for County loans are too high, and they need residents.” According to Hucker, to be much lower.”

Montgomery County does not au-

Bill MC 27-16

to refinance student loans

$ $ $ $ $ $ $

tomatically have the power to do so. “Under federal law, states have the power to refinance loans and counties don’t,” he explained. “Enabling legislation [like MC 27-16] enables a county to do something that it wasn’t previously allowed to do. In this case, it grants the county the authority... to refinance loans.”

Hucker also explained that the bill would encourage recent graduates to move to Montgomery County. “I think this will be a great enhancement to Montgomery County’s competitiveness as our high school graduates are deciding whether to live in D.C. or whether to live in Montgomery County or whether to live in Prince George’s County,” he said. “The idea that they’ll be able to refinance their student loans if they live in Montgomery County would be a real draw, so the same kind of educated recent graduates and educated professionals that we’re trying to seek in Montgomery County would come here. This, I think would give us a great advantage over other counties.”

According to the memo, Vice President Councilmember Roger Berliner, and Councilmembers George Leventhal, Sidney Katz, Marc Elrich, Nancy Navarro, Tom Hucker, and Hans Riemer are all currently in support of MC 27-16.

Council President Nancy Floreen is the only member who has currently taken a position against MC 27-16. Councilmember Craig Rice has not taken a position at this time.

Newsbriefs MBHS team wins Science Bowl

Blair’s science team won the 2016 Regional National Science Bowl Competition on Jan. 16, securing a spot at the National Finals in Washington, D.C. The victorious team is composed of junior James Vinson, senior Arnold Mong, senior Eric Lu, junior Alex Miao, sophomore Elliot Kienzle, and Coach Tran Pham.

According to the National Science Bowl, the format for the competition was fast-paced questions and answers, where participants had to answer problems that tested various science skills. These technical questions were based on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, physics, and math.

The regional Maryland National Science Bowl Competition is one of 116 regional competitions that took place across the country. The Blair team will compete in the final round of the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. from April 28 to May 2.

Renwick Gallery takes over social media

Many Blair students took advantage of the week off of school as a result of Storm Jonas and visited the Renwick Gallery. Student participated in the social media takeover of the tag #renwickgallery by posting pictures documenting the trip. The tag took over Instagram especially, with many students posting pictures of them standing next to the instillations. According to the Renwick Gallery website the art museum has nine installations in their exhibition titled WONDER, with every installation set up in a separate room. Senior Nesha Ruther was among the many Blair students that visited over the break. “[The installations] were all really interesting and centered on using commonplace objects in different and creative ways, which I thought was super cool. And visually, the installations were amazing,” Ruther said.

Progress on the Purple Line

The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled on Jan. 16 in support of the Purple Line in a property battle, according to the Washington Post. The ruling of the case is a significant shift towards progress with the Purple Line project because it sets the precedent that homeowners can no longer claim ownership of land that is part of the planned Purple Line trail.

In this case, Chevy Chase homeowner Ajay Bhatt was cited for having a fence that extended 14 feet over his property line. Bhatt claimed ownership to the 14-foot expansion of the land in his backyard that was part of the Purple Line trail. He argued that there had been a fence on that part of his property for at least 20 previous years and therefore was his possession.

The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled against Bhatt and decided that this land was part of public property intended for public use.

Montgomery County has now ordered about 80 property owners to remove their fences, sheds, and other structures from the trail’s shoulders by April 30. This affects around 84 property owners who have built fences, sheds, decks and other structures behind homes that back up to the trail.

Newsbriefs compiled by Brianna Forté

B1 Opinions

silverchips

Montgomery Blair High School 51 University Boulevard East Silver Spring, MD 20901 Phone: (301) 649-2864 Winner of the 2015 National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker Winner of the 2015 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Crown

Editors-in-Chief: Eleanor Harris and Amanda Wessel Managing News Editors: Reva Kreeger and Anna O’Driscoll Managing Op/Ed Editors: Winne Luo and Maris Medina Managing Features Editors: Camille Kirsch and Emma Soler Managing Entertainment Editors: Marty Jiffar and Luisa McGarvey Managing Sports Editors: Sam Butler and Camille Estrin Ombudsman: Camille Kirsch Newsbriefs Editor: Daliah Barg Executive Business Director: Maddie Boyer Business Staff: Gerrit Antonisse Marianne Benyamin Elizabeth Cove Rudi Elien Joe Estrin Anna Hukill Joe Maher Susanna Maisto Anna Reachmack Adina Rombro Christine Wan Ariel Zhang Page Editors: Julian Brown Georgina Burros Dawson Do Joshua Fernandes Brianna Forté Sarah Hutter Grady Jakobsberg Alexandra Marquez Christian Mussenden Alice Park Niki Patel Teague Sauter Cole Sebastian Aditi Shetty La Esquina Latina Editors-in-Chief: Camila Fernández Mario Menéndez Gisell Ramírez La Esquina Latina Writers: Emily Barrero Karla Blancio Alisson Fortis Carlos Fuentes Ilcia Hernandez Odalis Llerena Andrés Pérez Managing Photo Editor: Chimey Sonam Photographers: Caleb Bauman Ben Doggett Chaminda Hangilipola Siddhartha Harmalkar Cadence Pearson Griffin Reilly Brennan Winer Managing Art Editors: Candia Gu and Victoria Tsai Artists: Edgar Blanco Kendall Delile Lindsay Harris Nazea Khan Kevin León-Matute Odalis Llerena Shivani Mattikalli Alexandra Mendivil Meghna Sambathkumar Rosemary Solomon Nahom Tedla Angel Wen Puzzle Editor: Julian Bregstone Copy Editors: Ari Goldbloom-Helzner and Ethan Holland La Esquina Latina Advisor: Dianette Coombs 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 5, 2016

An unintelligent, dumb, positively hopeless way to teach

Teachers who call students ‘stupid’ have something to learn

By Camille Kirsch An opinion Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources.

As Victoria remembers it, everything started with a joke.

“The student just laughed,” says Victoria, a freshman. Her laughing friend could sometimes be a class clown—right now, he’d made a wisecrack in the middle of a lesson. At first, Victoria’s teacher seemed to be going along with his joke. But then it stopped being funny.

“She was just cursing this other kid out. Just cursing him out,” Victoria says. “She started using f-words, b-words.”

That day, Victoria’s teacher shouted profanity at her students. She called them “stupid”, “dumb”, “annoying.” It wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. Nor was this an isolated incident.

Throughout Blair, across lines of department and gender, race and grade level, teachers are using language that belittles their students’ intelligence. They may not intend any harm; such comments can be meant as jokes, or just slip out in the heat of the moment. But words hurt. If we want all Blazers to feel at home in our school, we as a community need to stop the slurs.

“Stupid” and similar words are far too common at Blair.

Nearly every student I spoke to while researching had an experience to tell about a teacher using “stupid”, “slow”, “dumb”, or “retarded.”

There is Ana, a sophomore, who had to record a conversation with her science teacher after

his repeated remarks about how “dumb” she was left her in tears.

Then there is Rose Mulugeta, a sophomore, who was taunted by other students after her English teacher told the whole class that she was not smart enough to pass the exam. And there is Alfredo Garcia, a junior, whose teacher called him “irresponsible” for saying that he could not come in after school to take a test because he had a job.

And there’s more.

One of my teachers repeatedly called students “retards”; another tore up a student’s paper in front of the whole class. From my experience and that of those I have spoken to, it seems like a substantial minority of Blair teachers regularly belittle their students’ intelligence. This negativity harms students’ selfworth and academic achievement, and it has to stop.

Former teacher and current University of Maryland (UMD) education professor Linda Valli says that students often internalize their teachers’ negative language. “Individual students can start to think they are stupid, or slow, and… stop thinking that they can succeed in school,” she says. Other students project their negative feelings onto school as a whole.

Ana’s experience bears this out. After her teacher called her ‘so dumb’, she lost interest in schoolwork. “I used to love learning. And now… I hate coming to

school,” she says. “There’s just so many teachers who are verbally abusive. There’s no point.”

So what can Blair community members do to turn classroom language in a more positive direction? The first thing is to open a constructive dialogue between students and staff. Most teachers,

ANGEL WEN

even those who throw around words like “stupid” and “retarded”, genuinely want to help students and do not know that they are doing something wrong.

“I would say that it oftentimes is done without thinking, or in

jest, or just to let off steam,” says Valli. “People don’t even realize they’re using it or don’t realize the impact it has on others.”

Even the best teacher can accidentally call a student “dumb”, and students recognize this. The problem is that too many teachers neither apologize nor change their behavior when they find themselves using the “s-word.”

When students see that a teacher habitually uses slurs, they should speak to a counselor, administrator, or department head with their concerns. And administration should take these concerns seriously.

Additionally, teachers need to police themselves.

“We have a responsibility to help… stop that behavior,” Valli says. She’s right. When teachers turn a blind eye to their colleagues’ hurtful language, they are complicit in harming students.

Teachers have a hard job, and sometimes they are going to slip up. But that is no excuse for accepting slurs. We need to tackle our school-wide climate of inappropriate language, together.

Only then can Blair be truly welcoming, to students and staff alike.

soapbox Have you ever been insulted by a teacher or heard a teacher use a slur?

“Freshman year, a teacher told me that I couldn’t grasp things well enough, but kinda said it under her breath and walked away from me and didn’t think I heard her.”

— Hana Bekele, junior

Schools need a new approach to educating girls in STEM

All-girls classes demonstrate how to effectively close the gender gap

By Aditi Shetty An opinion “Now we have a in terms of x, and we know that we can solve for a.” Senior Patrick Chao turns to face the Computer Team, a group of about 15 boys and three girls assembled in a third floor classroom. The group is meeting to discuss algorithms for generating functions.

After about 15 minutes, Chao circles his answer: xn = n+1.

“That’s a pretty nice answer for a seemingly complicated problem,” he says. But this club has another complicated problem on its hands: the lack of girls pursuing computer science. This braintwister is trickier to solve.

The underrepresentation of girls in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is not specific to Blair’s Computer Team. It is visible in high school science classes, at career fairs, and in the distribution of college majors. “[It] breaks my heart,” says computer science teacher and Computer Team sponsor Vickie Wright. And it should

NATIONAL STUDENT CLEARINGHOUSE RESEARCH CENTER

break yours, too.

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, in 2014, only 18 percent of computer science majors were women. To make it worse, the proportion of women in STEM majors is declining in most fields, including computer science, mathematics, and the physical sciences.

The educational system is clearly doing something wrong.

To solve this problem, schools need to change how STEM is taught. One educational setting has been particularly successful in empowering girls in maledominated fields: single-gender classrooms. Incorporating some lessons learned there into coed teaching spaces may help to amend the current gender gap.

Research suggests that one of the biggest contributors to the dearth of girls in STEM is lack of confidence, often brought on by stereotypes that boys are better at these subjects. This phenomenon, which can lead to lower test performance among female students, is known as stereotype threat. According to a report by

the American Association of University Women, these prejudices can “lower girls’ aspirations for science and engineering careers over time.”

While separating the genders in STEM classes may sound counterproductive, women and girls who have experienced single-gender classrooms report increased confidence and are more likely to pursue STEM. Blair alumna Katie Billings, a freshman at Bryn Mawr College, an all-women’s school in Pennsylvania, feels the difference between coed and all-girls STEM classes.

“At Blair, a lot of the harder math and science classes are majority guys,” she says. “[But] sitting in the class [at Bryn Mawr] surrounded by other women that are all taking the same [level of] math as you are, it does inspire a bit of confidence.”

Researchers have also observed the benefits of single-gender classrooms on girls in STEM. Bettina Hannover and Ursula Kessels of the Free University of Berlin randomly assigned 401 eighth grade girls to single-gender or coed physics classrooms for a year. They found that after the year, students in the all-girls classroom were more interested in the subject and were less likely to agree with stereotypes such as “physics is for boys.”

All-girls classrooms are probably not practical in MCPS, and forcing students into single-gender classes would marginalADITI SHETTY

ize gender-nonconforming and transgender students. However, many lessons can be gleaned from trends in girls-only STEM classes.

First, curricula should be adjusted to expose girls (and boys!) to successful female scientists, engineers, and mathematicians.

Female role models will help inspire girls to succeed in STEM fields.

Second, in classes like math and computer science, teachers must emphasize a growth mindset. This means affirming the fact that intellectual skills, like arithmetic, are not inherent, but can be learned and improved upon over time. With a growth mindset, girls become more confident about improving their abilities and are less likely to be negatively affected by stereotypes.

Third, teachers should educate students about stereotype threat.

Girls-only classes are one way to limit the influence of stereotypes, but research shows that simply discussing stereotype threat in a coed environment reduces its effects as well. Girls in coed settings need to learn to stop relying on archaic stereotypes, and to continue to challenge themselves if and when they fail.

If the U.S. is serious about increasing its number of STEM workers, we need to eliminate gender disparities at their roots in middle schools and high schools.

Science and innovation are critical to the country’s success in the global market, but we are unlikely to make much headway until men and women are taught and encouraged equally to succeed.

Opinions B2

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Should colleges use race-based affirmative action in their admissions process?

YES:

GRIFFIN REILLY

Alexandra Marquez

Diversity enhances everyone’s education.

In 2008, Abigail Fisher was denied acceptance to the University of Texas at Austin, a public university that considers race as a factor in its admissions process. After learning of the admissions decision, Fisher sued the University of Texas and alleged that the university’s affirmative action policies violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees all citizens equal protection under the law.

Now, the case has reached the U.S. Supreme Court for the second time. Although the Court has previously struck down measures that enforce race and gender quotas on college campuses, it would be a grave mistake to abolish the affirmative action policies that grant students of color equal opportunities to gain a higher education.

Affirmative action is necessary to ensure diversity on college campuses. The sharing of ideas and experiences among people of different backgrounds, races, and ethnicities is essential to a valuable college experience.

In their report Does Diversity Make a Difference?, the American Council on Education and the American Association of University Professors explain that although affirmative action policies initially sought to counter the racist ideologies of the past they have grown to ensure representation of all kinds of people in the classroom. The study advocates for affirmative action because the lack of diversity is still a problem within seminar courses, despite the efforts to integrate classes with students of varied backgrounds.

Diverse student populations are important to higher education because they accurately represent the changing demographics of the U.S. population that all students will encounter after graduation. The National Conference of State Legislators reports that college affirmative action policies have doubled or tripled the number of non-white college and university applicants and have made colleges more depictive of their surrounding communities.

Shannon Gundy, director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Maryland explains that a diverse population of students encourages strong class discussions and open mindedness among students. “Diversity is critically important … because we want our students to get the best education they possibly can. That cannot happen in a homogenous environment.”

Besides realizing the need for an education that includes a healthy mix of all races, genders, and ethnicities, affirmative action aids minority students of lower socioeconomic classes who lack the same opportunities as wealthier applicants. Poverty rates among people of color are significantly higher than those among whites due to years of systemic segregation and dis-

“No, race doesn’t matter over community service and academics.”

crimination in areas of employment and education.

The Leadership Conference, a national civil and human rights coalition, reports that the poverty rate for blacks is almost triple that of whites, and that blacks and Latinos still earn less money than white people. They found that black men only make 75 percent of what white men make, and for every dollar white men earn, Latinos make 56 cents.

Yet affirmative action policies cannot simply be drawn on socioeconomic lines, because minorities still face discrimination from educators that hold them back from their full academic potential. A study conducted by Vanderbilt researchers Jason Grissom and Christopher Redding found that black and Hispanic elementary school students are less likely than white students to be assigned to gifted programs in math and reading, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Their results correlate with data from the U.S. Department of Education which reports that although black students make up 16.7 percent of the total student population, they make up only 9.8 percent of students in gifted courses and Latino students make up 22.3 percent of the student population, but only 15.4 percent of students in gifted programs.

The same study found that black students with test scores eligible for gifted programs were less likely to be recommended for the programs by teachers of other races than by black teachers.

The findings reveal that minority students are recommended for and enrolled in gifted programs and upper-level classes at much lower rates than whites, despite earning the same test scores. The lack of registration for these gifted programs effectively decreases their college admission competitiveness.

Although it was initially established to aid the integration of minority students into college campuses for the first time in history, affirmative action has evolved to become a necessary tool that promotes diverse encounters for college students each day. Without it, universities would lack an important exposure to the growing number of minorities in the U.S. and severely hinder the ability to gain a successful college experience – for all students.

NO:

Race-based decisions rely on unfair assumptions.

When applying to college, students must present test scores, grades, teacher recommendations, and college essays. All of those components influence the final admissions decisions.

But achievements, reputation, and skills are not the only factors colleges take into account. Admissions officers also look at race – something that students have no control over.

The intention of affirmative action in college admissions is to provide disadvantaged minority groups with an opportunity for higher education. However, the implementation of race-based affirmative action completely ignores the educational and social barriers that exist for individual applicants.

First, the ambiguity in each racial category conflate drastically different trends of very diverse ethnic groups. The “black or African-American”, “Asian”, and “white” categories blanket more than 50 countries each. Even the subcategories provided by The Common Application, such as “African” or “Caribbean” for “black or AfricanAmerican”, lump dozens of countries together. The “disadvantages” thought to be provided to any one group are far more comVICTORIA TSAI plex than this categorization takes into account; for example, according to the 2014 Census, Nigerian Americans have a median household income of about $61,000 whereas Somali Americans have a median income of $18,000. Both groups, despite the large difference in socioeconomic status, are categorized as “African.”

The racial categories are too blurred and arbitrary to hold significance in determining any trends. Someone who has checked off “white”, or even more “accurately”, “Middle Eastern”, on their college application can be Egyptian, or they could just as likely be Jordanian.

The two countries have vastly different cultures, yet they are marked as the same on a college application. Racial categories do not provide an accurate representation for enrollment discrepancies.

The disparity between races for college enrollment rates has started to close in recent years, but the gap still remains large between different income levels.

According to the Institute of Education Sciences, the difference between black and Hispanic enrollment rates and white enrollment rates is only about 11 percent.

However, the gap between students from high-income families and low-income

voicebox

Dawson Do

families is 33 percent. An individual’s race is less effective identifier for actual environmental exclusions such as unavailable or unaffordable educational opportunities which would result in lower enrollment rates.

Using race to infer information about a student’s background is inherently problematic. The categories not only lump vastly different groups together but also associate specific groups with “disadvantages.” If the goal is to achieve diversity, colleges should look at individual characteristics instead. It cannot be assumed that all individuals from a racial group think a certain way and only they can add certain perspectives or ideas.

Not all applicants within a racial category lack access to beneficial social networks or high quality education. Black, Hispanic, and Native American students are threatened with stereotypes when they are put into the racial categories that affirmative action intends to help. The study, The Threat of Stereotype, by psychologist Joshua Aronson reveals that being aware of negative expectations causes minority students to be afraid that they will confirm insulting stereotypes in the eyes of their peers and themselves. Worrying about stereotypes make minority students more apprehensive and ultimately begin to question whether they truly belong in a rigorous academic environment.

Not only are students faced with looming self-doubt, implementing race-based affirmative action also creates issues within the student body. Because the exact level of influence it has is always ambiguous, affirmative action undermines everyone’s achievements and success.

Minority students with significant achievements are often seen by peers as accepted to a school because of affirmative action instead of merit. In fact, a survey conducted by the University of Illinois showed that about 25 percent of minority students reported that people did not take them seriously in their classes and marginalized their contributions because of their race. And on the flip side, Asian Americans and whites feel as if they are victims of affirmative action, which promotes resentment.

Despite its intentions to improve the educational system for disadvantaged groups, affirmative action facilitates even more discrimination. Taking special notice to an individual’s race during a competitive admissions process is racist. It unfairly groups together students who may be completely different.

There is no way for admissions personnel to tell whether an applicant needs affirmative action based on one box being checked off. More significant educational discrepancies exist among income levels and racial affirmative action only covers that up.

“No, a college should want you for your intellect, not your race.”

“No, it should be about how good a student is, not who they are physically.”

“Yes, a person’s opportunities are closely tied with their race.”

CHIMEY SONAM

“Yes, having a diverse population is healthy for college campuses.”

BRENNAN WINER

Christy Canjura Sophomore

Hermela Mengesha Sophomore

Saajid Farooq Senior

Joe Scorza Freshman

Serena Debesai Sophomore

B3 Opinions

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Bursting the bubble: the dangers of narrow socialization Living in a liberal area is problematic, and not just for conservatives

By Teague Sauter An opinion

We don’t typically picture conservatives when imagining the “silent minority”, but at schools like Blair that’s exactly the case.

At Blair and other overwhelmingly liberal schools there is often a “right” and “wrong” answer when it comes to controversial topics like gun control, abortion, and gay marriage. A “wrong” answer in the classroom or among peers can lead to the shaming and judgment of whoever dared to share it.

When exposed to this environment over the course of years, students are discouraged from wanting to explore the other sides of issues.

In addition, figures like Donald Trump have changed the public image of people with conservative ideals into arrogant, ignorant individuals. One of the accusations that I have received when voicing a conservative viewpoint is that I am close-minded or intolerant. However, this sentiment is highly hypocritical because many students on the other side of the spectrum often refuse to acknowledge when the opposing side of an issue has any merit.

When much of the school follows promises of political revolution from Bernie Sanders and other left-wing personalities, the door is effectively closed on

intellectual debate for many key issues; it is very difficult to have an argument when everyone is already in agreement beforehand. Personally I have found that the most heated political discussions take place outside of the classroom where the pressure to sound “politically correct” isn’t present. In social studies classes, moderate students like me will often have to “play” the conservative in order to bring about healthy debate.

School is supposed to prepare students for the real world. If we are not exposed to different viewpoints, then we will be in for a big reality check when we do decide to venture out into our big, bad nation. The truth is that the rest of the country is not nearly as “tolerant” as the residents of our little liberal bubble.

A large part of the issue is the

SHIVANI MATTIKALLI

fact that teachers in the area are just as liberal as the demographic would predict. According to Verdant Labs, Federal Electoral Commission data shows that 87 percent of high school teachers are Democrats. While this is not

where the direct issue lays, it sometimes stifles the voices of conservative students.

Students believe that if a teacher says something, more often than not it must be true. So how should students feel when teachers preach something different than those students’ beliefs?

Naturally, those students are usually going to think that they are wrong and that the teachers must be right.

While students in high school are more readily able to distinguish their own thoughts and beliefs from their teachers’ than when they were younger, students’ views on government and history continue to take shape through high school.

If students are to receive a truly comprehensive education, then teachers need to listen to diverse perspectives and promote open discussion in the classroom rather

than holding narrow-minded conversations in which everyone is essentially arguing the same points.

However, teachers are not the only influencers of political views in students’ lives. Parents often play a much bigger role in the socialization of their children.

One of the largest contributors to Blair’s student population is Takoma Park, the eighth most liberal town in the United States according to the Washington Post.

When kids grow up surrounded by “Jamie Raskin For Congress” signs on the lawn and Toyota Priuses on the streets, it is only natural that many develop into left-wing social activists.

For those who differ from their parents or were born to a rare pair of non-liberal parents, the effects of their surrounding environment and peers are sure to suppress whatever conservative inclinations they might form.

The only way to solve this issue is to develop a system of both speaking out and listening.

Individuals with different views need to be able to make sure they are heard, and the only way that this is possible is for others to greet these views with open minds rather.

An effective learning environment needs students with different opinions to speak up in the classroom, and for the majority not to silence them.

In the game of life, high school students are prepared to lose

Schools need to teach the life skills that are necessary to survive adulthood

By Alice Park An opinion During their four years in high school, students master all sorts of information, from the cell cycle to Supreme Court cases. This knowledge may be invaluable to people interested in pursuing biology or law, but most of the information acquired in high school will not be as useful in everyday life.

All students, however, will someday need to know how to cook a decent meal on a budget and change a flat tire in a fix.

While academic classes provide a foundation of knowledge for whatever path teenagers decide to pursue, current high school education neglects to teach students life skills necessary to succeed in the real world.

Leaving home to live on a college campus brings freedom that most teens dream about—no more parents, siblings, or chores!

However, the responsibilities that accompany this newfound independence can be daunting for students who have never done their own laundry or paid for their own living expenses, according to Blair resource counselor Jane Godwin. “When you go off to college, you’re on your own and [you] have to know how to manage your money [and] organize your time,” she says.

A life skills course in high school would help teens transition into adulthood by specifically targeting the ins and outs of budgeting, banking, communicating, handling emergencies, doing laundry, and cooking, all skills they will need in the future.

Whether or not teens leave home after high school, becoming an adult brings new financial obligations. Adults must pay income taxes and manage their own expenses, like weekly groceries or

a monthly cell phone bill.

However, most students leave high school without any financial literacy education, which makes money management even more stressful. A 2012 study by Inceptia, a division of the National Stu-

reading and math skills.

Students interested in learning more about managing their money can take the Quantitative Literacy Mathematics class at Blair, which focuses on financial literacy and mathematical decision-making.

Blair’s administration should take the initiative to incorporate lessons about financial literacy into homeroom classes in the meantime, so students graduate with an essential background in money management.

CALEB BAUMAN

COOKING UP Sophomore Emmett Adler uses skills he learned to cook a meal at home. dent Loan Program, found that 60 percent of first-year college students did not create a budget for the school year and 37 percent said that finances are a significant source of stress. To avoid confusion and major mistakes as adults, high school students should build a foundation in financial literacy just as they learn fundamental

However, the course covers two semesters and is only available to seniors, which may deter some students from signing up.

A comprehensive one-semester life skills class would be a more pragmatic option that allows students to learn the information they will need as adults while still fitting into their schedules.

In addition to financial literacy, life skills classes target another essential subject that remains largely uncovered in high school: job preparation. Whether students attend college or enter the workforce, they will need to prepare a resume, pass a job interview, and interact with co-workers.

Effective communication is

necessary to succeed in any career, yet students receive no formal instruction on career readiness in high school. The Career Center at Blair does assist students in drafting resumes and practicing college interviews, but a required life skills class that caters to communication would extend this information to all students, not just those actively seeking it out.

Most life skills would ideally be taught at home, but students come from unique backgrounds and home lives. According to Jeanne Salvado, a social studies teacher piloting a life skills class at Wheaton High School, these crucial skills should be taught in the classroom, especially considering some teens may not learn about money management and interpersonal communication at home.

“I don’t think those conversations go on at home,” Salvado says. “I think in a classroom setting, you send one message to students.” A mandatory life skills course in high school is a surefire method to ensure all teens are ready for life after graduation.

The advantages of teaching life skills in the classroom go beyond just reaching all students. Classes that offer information with clear real-world applications are likely to keep students engaged.

Junior Aaron Boris took Family and Consumer Science at Takoma Park Middle School, a home economics class, and enjoyed learning culinary skills hands-on.

“My favorite part was actually cooking and getting to eat what we cooked,” Boris says.

By incorporating enjoyable but practical lessons, like cooking and budgeting money, life skills classes will guarantee that teens are prepared to tackle every day without having to worry about whether their credit card is maxed out.

Opinions B4

silverchips

February 5, 2016

In the digital age, the only thing to fear is the fear of missing out Avoiding the anxiety from misleading, exciting posts on social media

By Julian Brown An opinion Everyone has experienced it: You are having a good time talking with your friends, until someone says something about last night’s party and everyone starts laughing—except for you, because you don’t get it, because you “had to be there.” This kind of situation is what creates the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO).

In 2013, the word “FOMO” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, defined as the feeling of “anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere.” However, even though the term was made official just three years ago, people have been suffering from it since the advent of social media and mass communication.

On any given Friday night, a person stuck at home can go on Facebook or Twitter or Yik Yak or Instagram or any other social media site and see hundreds of pictures of party animals doing their party animal things. But these photos are more than likely going to be a skewed representation of what is actually happening.

People at parties, no matter how mundane the party actually is, will try to make it seem better and more “lit” in order to make themselves seem cooler and happier in the eyes of everyone else. No one will take a selfie of themselves in handcuffs, getting arrested for underage drinking because everyone knows going to jail is not cool. But will you see photos of people with their red

solo cups, having a good time? Of course you will.

This misinformation will inevitably be seen by someone whose parents made them stay home or who did not get invited and that is what creates the feelings of anxiety and jealousy that make up FOMO. Ignoring these posts, however, can

not be accurate representations.

No matter how much you try to convince yourself that wanting to be “cool” is idiotic and irresponsible, many people will still become nervous and jealous when they see a new party picture.

For such people, perhaps the only solution is to go on full

participants use no electronic technology for 24 hours straight.

One Blair teacher, Kevin Shindel, has even turned this idea into a project. At the start of the second semester, his Communication Arts Program (CAP) research classes spend one week recording their technology use. The following week, they use no technology (i.e. social media, texting, calling, and other Internet activities) with the exception of school work and emergencies. Yes, this means no snapchatting pictures of your dinner, no tweeting your deep, philosophical discoveries, no flaming

ANGEL WEN

neutralize FOMO and help you lead a calmer, happier life.

Of course, for many people this kind of fear and worry is hard to eradicate even with the knowledge that the social media images may

technology lockdown. This means shutting down your computer and turning off your phone and just relaxing. Ironically, this idea has great success on social media with the #notechnologyday, where

your friends in your favorite group chat, absolutely no technology. The purpose of this activity, according to Shindel’s letter to parents, is to “have students (and perhaps parents as well) critically

reflect on their usage/reliance/ dependence on cell phones and digital communication. “ In respect to curing FOMO, a whole week might be unnecessary.

However, limiting technology use on just one night could be enough to help you relax and help you focus on having your own good time. Some groups of friends even implement these digital downtimes when hanging out, allowing them to appreciate what they are doing—not what they are missing.

Of course, sometimes FOMO is not just in your head. If your friends really are always hanging out without you, it might be time to join some new clubs and reach out to new people that share your interests and your schedule, like maybe the girl you have always liked or the boy you are too shy to talk to. With new friends to hang out with and talk to, you will soon stop feeling left out. While this is the most extreme solution for getting rid of FOMO, it may also be the most healthy and most permanent.

So if you take with you nothing else from this article, just remember: The people you see partying and having a good time on social media have the same anxieties and worries about being cool that you do, and they will undoubtedly skew their posts and pictures to make themselves look better.

Try blocking out those pressures and if that does not work stop using social media on weekends altogether. Lastly, try to have a good time with your friends but if you are being left out by them, try to make new ones who share your interests, respect your schedule, and appreciate you for you.

B5 Opinion

THEN: 1970

silverchips

February 5, 2016

My Blair: Personal Column What it means to be me

By Laura Espinoza Guest writer

COURTESY OF SILVER CHIPS ARCHIVES

LEARNING CHOREOGRAPHY Student choreographer Nancy Lewis leads Mark Gorin, Ervin Grinberg, and Steve Middleton in a dance rehearsal for “Guys and Dolls.”

& NOW: 2016

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

POMS PRACTICE The poms team runs through the drumline segement of its routine in preparation for the upcoming Counties competition on Feb. 13.

My last name is Espinoza. My parents aren’t American in the traditional sense. But when people look at me, they see a white girl with tanned skin. My background isn’t revealed through my appearance; no one can judge me based on preconceived notions about race and ethnicity. I can be whoever I want to be, except for who I am.

Being a Latina and part of the Hispanic community is an enormous part of my identity and my culture.

Spanish and Portuguese, together, were the languages I spoke until I was almost 3 years old, but people are surprised when they see me speaking them. Whether it’s hearing me speak rapid fire Portuguese on the phone with my mother or asking me where my family is from, people seem to think less of me when they find that I am not white.

Microaggressions have been directed toward me ever since I experienced racial judgment for the first time. In elementary school, I was put into an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program because of where my parents came from, despite being advanced enough to enter kindergarten a year early. The school system does this to countless other Hispanic students and takes time away from important class time to review a language many are already fluent in.

In middle school, people made naive, racist jokes that belittled my family and my culture. I felt ashamed of my ethnicity.

It was a major turning point in my personal identity that could have turned me away from my culture completely.

Now, people tell me how lucky I am to be Hispanic because I will easily get

into colleges. This devalues my academic achievements and attributes any success I may encounter to my parents’ countries of birth. It makes being Hispanic seem like I have a disability that others are trying to make up for.

The image of the Hispanic population in the United States has been under fire since as long as we’ve lived in this country. A study done on an old game show, the “Weakest Link”, showed that the show’s contestants were more likely to discriminate against Hispanic people than African Americans or women, two very large minorities in the U.S. The prejudice was based on the contestant’s ideas that Hispanics were unintelligent and weak.

A 2012 poll released by the National Hispanic Media Coalition showed that more than 50 percent of non-Hispanics CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA believed the term “welfare recipient” described the Hispanic population very well. Donald Trump, a current presidential candidate, has spoken out against our community by calling many Hispanic people “rapists” and “criminals,” effectively furthering the notion that we, as a people, are inferior.

We have more to offer than burritos and guacamole. We are people like Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, and Sonia Sotomayor.

We are intelligent, capable people who have so much to contribute to society. We are Hispanic.

Want to submit a personal column? Email it to silver.chips.print@gmail.com The Editorial Board will read through all submissions and determine a selection.

Up and Coming February 15

February 5-6

Sankofa

President’s Day

February 12 Symphonic Orchestra Joint Concert

February 26

Early Release

Student & Teacher Awards & Honors The Science Bowl Team, composed of seniors Arnold Mong and Eric Lu, juniors James Vinson and Alex Miao, and sophomore Elliot Kienzle won first place at the Maryland Science Bowl.

Seniors Eric Chen, Noah Fang, Yaelle Goldschlag, Amy Li, Raymond Lin, Arnold Mong, Brian Morris, Josephine Yu, and Rona Yu were named semifinalists in the 2016 Intel Science Talent Search. Arnold Mong and Josephine Yu were named finalists.

Senior Marco Salgado received the 2016 Honorable Arthur Dorman Scholarship at the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Annual Awards Program.

Senior Kelly Mayo signed with the University of Rhode Island Division I girls’ soccer team.

Sophomore Christian Benny was featured on ABC7 News as a member of the Blair bocce team.

Freshman Daniel Zhu won first place in the 2015 University of Maryland Mathematics Competition. Sophomore Guangqi Cui and senior Eric Lu tied for second.

Editorials B6

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Sex education, revisited Chips explains our special issue

Abstinence, contraception, sex. You have probably learned about these topics in your health education class, but whether the dialogue that took place was truly open and devoid of judgement is another story. Sex is hard to talk about, especially since teen sexuality can be stigmatized by parents, public figures, and even teens themselves.

Whether we talk about it or not, teenagers have sex. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 47 percent of high schoolers reported having had sexual intercourse. Whether or not you approve of their behavior, extensive research has shown that informing teens of the risks and realities of sexual activity results in safer sex practices and fewer teen pregnancies.

Data from the National Survey of Family Growth revealed that teens who received comprehensive sex education were 50 percent less likely to experience pregnancy than those who received abstinence-only education. And a study by the National Campaign to End Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy found that more than two-thirds of comprehensive sex education programs led to reductions in unsafe sexual activity among students who took part in the program.

In contrast, according to Advocates for Youth, “no abstinence-only program has yet been proven through rigorous evaluation to help youth delay sex for a significant period of time, help youth decrease their number of sex partners, or reduce STI or pregnancy rates among teens.” Clearly, talking frankly about sex is good for adolescent health.

Silver Chips is committed to providing its audience with accurate, unbiased information. We see a need for such information in the field of reproductive health education. Far too much misinformation and propaganda populates the realm of sex advice. Curious teens watch the latest hit TV show or click on the first link Google

shows them, absorbing the distortions of sex that these mediums often facilitate.

From the gendered double standards that treat girls as sluts and guys as studs, to the complete omission of birth control in most TV sex scenes, we are just not getting the whole picture.

This special issue of Silver Chips hopes to combat the spread of such harmful misinformation. We are fortunate to attend school in a district that offers evidencebased comprehensive health education.

However, just as valuable as offering such education in schools is conversation that reveals the blind spots of our current sexuality curriculum. Open discussions can only be beneficial for the safety of all engaged parties; that is why we have three articles this cycle dedicated to shedding light on different aspects of sex.

After consulting Blazers from all walks of life, we chose to focus on three content areas which seemed particularly relevant to students’ lives.

On page C3, reproductive health and sexuality education experts answer questions from Blair students about sexuality and relationships. In our centerspread, we explore modern notions of traditional virginity. And on the final page of our Features section, Silver Chips investigates Blazers’ relationships to Planned Parenthood, the controversial organization that provides reproductive health services—including abortions—to people across the nation.

Clearly, Blair students still have questions about sex. As a paper dedicated to informing and empowering our readership, we want to help them find answers.

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

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

ELEANOR HARRIS, CAMILLE KIRSCH, AND VICTORIA TSAI

Interested in writing for Chips? Take Journalism!

Freshmen, register by Feb. 12 to take Journalism A/B (course code: 1150/1151) next year. Journalism is a prerequisite to write for Silver Chips, as well as a valuable and exciting class. Students learn the basics of news, features, and editorial writing.

After completing Journalism A/B, students are qualified to apply for any of Blair’s publications. We strongly encourage all freshmen to consider Journalism.

Nameless but very real: The paper’s anonymous sources When, why, and how we grant anonymity to the people we interview

By Camille Kirsch Who is Dan? Or Lena, or Tai? When readers see the italicized tagline “where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources” at the beginning of Silver Chips articles, they may be confused about the origins of our quotes or doubt the reliability of our reporting.

However, we at Chips know that anonymity is an essential protection that lets our paper function at its best.

There are three degrees of anonymity.

The first, and most common, is “on the record.”

These sources allow us to use their names and identifying information and to quote freely from interviews with them. Silver Chips, like most reputable news organizations, strives to use on-record sources when at all possible.

The second degree of anonymity, “on background,” is what most people think of when they think of anonymous sources. Silver Chips agrees to print quotes from these sources under an assumed name.

Reporters for Chips always encourage

sources to go on the record instead. However, if a source has reason to fear repercussions from the police, the school’s administration or their parents, he or she may be granted anonymous status and given a pseudonym.

Changed names are generally selected by interviewees themselves. If an anonymous source does not have a name preference, the reporter picks a name that is consistent with the source’s gender and ethnic background. To keep names secure while safeguarding against fabrication, the reporter writes the source’s real name on a slip of paper and seals it inside an envelope with the altered name written on its front. This envelope goes to one of Silver Chips’ two Editors in Chief for safekeeping. The envelope will not be opened unless the GRIFFIN REILLY reporter is accused of inventing sources, and the name inside will never be seen by anyone other than that reporter and the Editor in Chief.

The final degree of anonymity is when a source goes “off the record.” Nothing that an off-record source says to a reporter can be printed in the paper. Interviews with these sources are only used to give the reporter a better understanding of her subject.

Off-record sources will never be named or

Ombudsman Camille Kirsch

quoted.

Our reporters take precautions when using anonymous sources because we recognize the potential for gossip and fabrication inherent in allowing sources to remain unnamed. When properly implemented, however, anonymity allows us to cover sensitive topics.

Some students understandably fear academic, social, and even legal repercussions if they speak on the record about their behavior. For example, this cycle’s article ‘[college lies]’ (from page A1), contains quotes from anonymous Blazers who say they falsified their college applications. If their names were revealed, these sources could be in danger of having their college acceptances rescinded or being rejected by schools that have not already made their admissions decisions.

College admissions officers and others with a vested interest in application truth-telling may argue that these students

deserve to face the consequences of their actions. Chips does not take a position on this. We do not promise sources anonymity because we agree with what they did; we promise anonymity so that they are willing to speak with us about some of the most important, controversial issues that affect the Blair community.

We believe that our readers deserve to know if their peers are lying on college applications or driving under the influence of marijuana, if they are being assaulted at homecoming or struggling to keep up with schoolwork in a household without computers. But as an unbiased paper devoted to informing the Blair community, our job is to expose these behaviors, not to judge them.

Judgement is the reader’s prerogative.

Comments or concerns?

Email the Ombudsman at ombudsmansilverchips@gmail.com

Corrections: December 2015 In the A2 article “Student clubs collaborate to host voter registration drive,” the Maryland voting registration age was misprinted as 18. The actual age is 16. In Takoma Park, the registration age is 14.

A caption on page C1 reported that sophomore Grace Grestchel identifies as atheist. The caption should have read agnostic.

On page F2, the photo in the article “Two-time Super Bowl champion returns to roots” was misattributed to Chimey Sonam. The photo was taken by Griffin Reilly.

On page F3, the photo of a basketball player was misattributed. It should have been attributed to Griffin Reilly.

In several articles, editors’ comments were included in the text. Silver Chips apologizes for any confusion these errors may have caused.

B7 ADs

February 5, 2016

silverchips

TERP YOUNG SCHOLARS JULY 10-29, 2016

HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO TRY US ON.

For rising high school seniors, juniors, and sophomores, the summer of ‘16 is your opportunity to experience college life at the University of Maryland.

Introduction to Forensic Sciences Discovering Architecture Creative Writing Biopharmaceutical Production How Do Innovators Think?

Environmental Biology Computer Science: A Hands Off Approach Public Speaking: Speak Up! People, Publics, and You Economics: Thinking Like an Economist Introduction to Materials and their Applications Fire Protection Engineering American Government International Political Relations Mobile Media Design and Culture (Honors Course) Journalism: Introduction to Mass Communication Introduction to Kinesiology Mock Trial Philosophy: The Art of Thinking Social Psychology Introduction to Archaeology Engineering Design

• Earn three university credits • Explore your academic interests and career opportunities • Live on campus or commute • Take part in workshops, seminars, and social activities • Enjoy University of Maryland’s dynamic campus life

Learn more at ysp.umd.edu or e-mail ysp@umd.edu.

OFFICE OF EXTENDED STUDIES 0132 Main Administration Building | 7901 Regents Drive College Park, MD 20742 | 301.405.7762

Features C1

silverchips

February 5, 2016

In applications, a fine line between honesty and exaggeration Some seniors stretch the truth to improve their odds of college acceptance from COLLEGE page A1

An implied truth One portion of the Common Application, an online application form that is accepted by many colleges and universities, asks students to share their interests and list any activities they participate in. This section is intended to give admissions officers a more holistic view of each student.

However, the selfreporting aspect of this component allows some students to get carried away when describing their level of involvement, leadership positions, and number of weekly hours spent in activities.

Warren included what appeared to be an extensive community service record on his Common Application resume. “I work at summer camp—I got 200 hours from that, but that’s at the bottom of my list,” he says. “At the top, I’m like ‘Oh, I work in all these food kitchens,’ and I started listing them all off even if I only did it once or twice. It looks like I got lots of hours from that.”

Warren is not the only student who boosts his resume with untruthful claims.

“I have most definitely heard of people embellishing their involvement with clubs,” says Hakim, a Blair alum currently in college. “There were some kids who showed up twice to Robotics [Club] and never again, but listed it as the full year on their resume.”

“I suspect that most dishonesty in the process stems from students seeking to pad their resume.”

— Andrew

Flagel, Brandeis University Senior Vice President Seniors generally try to present themselves as well-rounded candidates who balance academics with several other hobbies and extracurricular activities. However, according to Andrew Flagel, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment at Brandeis University, schools may place greater weight on students’ level of commitment to their activities. “I suspect that most dishonesty in the process stems from students seeking to ‘pad their resume,’” he says. “Our focus is much more on the quality and depth of student engagement, so such efforts are high risk for very little, if any, impact.”

Checking the facts Many seniors believe that admissions officers do not verify most of the information students include. “I don’t think they actually [fact check] because if you think about it, thousands and thousands of people are applying to these colleges, and they don’t have the time,” says Kevin, a senior.

Stephanie, a senior, agrees that embellishing involvement with sports and clubs poses a low risk. She says her counselor even confided in her that students can write whatever they want on their applica-

tions as long as they are comfortable with lying. “[My counselor] was like, ‘Would you guys be able to go to sleep like that?’” recalls Stephanie.

According to Blair counselor Jennifer Taylor, the counseling department rarely receives calls from colleges to check that

is often asked to read his students’ college essays, believes these prompts sometimes compel students to exaggerate the impact of life events in order to stand out to admissions officers.

“I think for a lot of teenagers… most of your life passes, and you’re not really thinking about it that much,” Anderson says. “How are you going to make yourself stand out if every other person you know is writing the exact same stuff? Well, you’re going to exaggerate it and lie.”

Helping a friend

information on students’ applications is correct. “[Colleges] don’t call often because… they’re looking at thousands and thousands of applications,” she says. “But if there’s not consistency between what the student says and what the counselor says, that’s going to set up red flags.”

Jennifer Ziegenfus, an admissions counselor at Towson University, says Towson’s admissions department contacts school counselors if they suspect dishonesty in a student’s response. “Having reviewed thousands of applications, each of our counselors [is] trained to identify items that appear misleading,” says Ziegenfus.

If the college does find untruthful information on an application, admissions officers reach out to the student and school involved before making a decision on the applicant’s acceptance. “We have a conversation with the student, guidance counselor, and guardians to find out why the information was provided,” says Ziegenfus.

At the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), dishonest applications seem to be uncommon. According to Dale Bittinger, Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Admissions, Orientation, and School Partnerships, generally one student out of an estimated 2,500 applicants is denied admission annually for applying with false information.

Finding an authentic voice Many college applications primarily require definitive responses, but the essay portion gives students the opportunity to convey their personality and voice. Essays allow applicants to write about virtually any topic and present themselves in the most favorable light.

Kevin admits to overstating the impression a community service project left on him in one of his essays. “I kind of… extended it and talked about how much of an impact the [project] made,” he says. “I talked about how it formed a foundation for reform, which it really didn’t.”

According to Kevin, exaggerations come instinctively when trying to write an essay focused solely on oneself. “Sometimes it takes a while for you to really know exactly who you are and what you like to do,” he says. “But once you start going, it kind of comes naturally and you just… start exaggerating a little bit.”

Essay prompts tend to ask applicants, who are typically just 17 or 18 years old, to reflect on significant experiences in their lives. English teacher Keith Anderson, who

While most seniors simply consult their peers or parents during the college application process, some students ask their friends for a helping hand.

Warren’s friends, for instance, pay him to write their college essays.

Warren considers his service no different than going to a tutor or VICTORIA TSAI teacher for advice.

“It’s like tutoring, but focused entirely on a college essay…

I write a lot of it, but the ideas—you can’t come up with personal ideas about someone else,” he says.

According to Andy Flowe, Rockville site director at educational consulting group Capital Educators, admissions officers can compare a student’s application to an essay from a standardized test like the SAT and ACT if they are suspicious of an author’s authenticity. “If [colleges] are skeptical that you wrote your college essay, then they’ll look at your writing sample that they know is really [yours] because you had to show your ID that day,” he says.

Although Warren writes his friends’ essays in exchange for money, he says he would not take the risk of distorting the truth on his own essays, which are meant to reflect his unique experiences. “Lying would, in my opinion, be worse for you because it’s so much harder to write about stuff that hasn’t actually happened to you, especially in an essay that’s supposed to focus on your personal growth,” he says.

A sticky situation Dishonesty can take the form of omitting information as well as fabricating it.

When Warren clicked “No,” he left out information about his run-ins with the law. “I chose not to because [my arrest] wouldn’t have been on school record at the time I was applying to schools… and the legal

record gets expunged when I turn 18,” he says.

Towson University has a strict policy for ensuring honesty on applications in regards to a student’s legal record. “Students are 100% required to disclose information about their legal history,” says Ziegenfus.

“We have a judicial committee who reviews all of these cases individually.”

At UMBC, students who answer,“Yes,” to the questions on the Common Application regarding their legal record are contacted by the Office of Undergraduate Education for an in-person interview. After discussing the student’s judicial history, which can include anything from school suspensions to run-ins with the law, the external department makes a recommendation to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions of whether the student should be selected.

What’s in a lie?

Claiming false leadership positions, exaggerating the impact of a life experience, and overstating participation in clubs all qualify as lying. However, some may argue that on an application that requires students to present themselves in the best possible way, some exaggerations and embellishments are acceptable.

In Ziegenfus’ eyes, the only gray area where the truth may be hard to differentiate from lying is the essay. “Many students embellish information on their application, especially within the essay. All other areas are fairly black and white in terms of a lie or not,” she says.

Anderson is hesitant to deem some exaggerations in a college essay as lying because of the vague writing prompts.

“I would say there [are] two kinds of lying here. There’s overtly claiming you did

“Each of our counselors [is] trained to identify items that appear misleading.”

— Jennifer Ziegenfus, Towson University admissions counselor

something which you did not and there’s also a lie that in a way the college prompt forces you into… A lot of the time [colleges are] making you say that something was significant that either really wasn’t or [making] you have to invent a reason why this thing… was more important than it was,” he says.“I’m not even sure if I’m comfortable calling that lying.”

Although Warren recognizes that his responses were dishonest, he does not believe his embellished college application reflects his true character. “I think I’m a good person,” says Warren. “I don’t think I’m going to be that detrimental to the school just because I have a record.”

soapbox In your opinion, is it okay to exaggerate on college applications? If so, what is the line between exaggeration and lying?

“It is never okay to exaggerate on college applications. If you need to do so, you don’t deserve to get in there anyways. If your exaggeration is discovered, you’ll lose your good name.”

- Noah Friedlander, junior “It is okay to use and display yourself to get the full, real extent of one’s character, but when students make up things that are not true, that is lying.”

- Isabel Emsfield, junior

C2 Features

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Some sage advice from the weathered and wise Silver Chips seniors share some tips on the chaotic experiences of high school

By Grady Jakobsberg Ever wondered how everyone else has survived the trials and tribulations of high school? Senior Silver Chips staff members Camille Kirsch, Sam Butler, and Marty Jiffar give some insight as to how to navigate these hectic four years.

Is there anything you would like to tell underclassman based on your specific experiences at Blair?

Camille Kirsch: Yes—for God’s sake, walk on the right! So many hallway traffic jams could be avoided if everyone figured that out.

In all seriousness though, one thing that a lot of Blazers don’t realize is how lucky we are to go to such a big school. There are a ton of opportunities at Blair that other high schools just don’t offer. Take advantage of that! Pick the weird-sounding course. Sing at the open mic. Join a few clubs. Buy a copy of the literary arts magazine. Come to a Blair concert.

You’ll meet cool people, and you’ll have a lot of fun doing it.

Marty Jiffar: Don’t take a lot of classes that you don’t want to take just to appease colleges. I did a lot of that in junior year and

that made things harder than they had to be. Blair has a lot of fantastic teachers and courses—you can definitely find ones that will challenge you in an enjoyable way!

What is the best way to conquer or avoid stress in high school?

CK: If you want to enjoy high school, procrastination is your enemy. Of course, not procrastinating is a lot easier said than done. You know that diet advice, where you’re supposed to cut down on foods rather than ban them entirely? That’s the way to go with procrastination. Give yourself permission to watch your favorite Netflix show or browse Buzzfeed aimlessly, just make yourself do an hour of homework first.

were discussion based, with few restrictions and a lesser emphasis on grades. So needless to say, my favorite class was “Lunch,” which I actually wound up taking all four years of high school.

Would you recommend getting a job or internship during high school?

What is the best show on Netflix to binge watch while avoiding homework?

CK: I swear by “Gilmore Girls”! There are tons of episodes, it’s funny, and it doesn’t require too much attention to detail. Basically, it’s the perfect show to give your brain a break.

SB: Watch any Netflix original drama.

Even if you hate watching dramas, you’ll seem a lot smarter to people if they think you like watching them.

What was your favorite class that you think everyone should take?

MJ: Honestly, I think Sociology should be a required course. Blair has a lot of selfsegregation, but people with all sorts of backgrounds take Sociology—it’s a great way to have important conversations about society with a diverse group of people who you might not have met otherwise. Also, Mr. Smith is an amazing teacher—he’s nice, funny, and he challenges everySeniors, what do you wish you had one to look at known as a freshman? things in a different way.

“I wish I knew [that] so many scholarships are Sam Butler: My faavailable to freshmen, that you can get [them] as vorite classes freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors, so throughout you’re not just doing them all senior year.” high school - Sean Munroe, senior were the ones where you learn “Take the SAT early, take the right AP’s, try out skills you know for sports your freshman year if you’re will help you for the rest of interested, and join SGA.” your life. I loved - Tsion Bizuayehu, senior classes that

to conduct yourself as an employee is an important skill. It’s also important to get in the habit of depositing paychecks regularly and maybe starting a savings account; making money is always a plus.

SB: Absolutely. Homework, projects, studying for tests, it’s really not enough. By getting a job or internship you’re not only showing colleges you can go the extra mile, but also that you didn’t enjoy a single moment of your high school experience.

How much sleep is too little?

soapbox

NAZEA KHAN

MJ: I would recommend getting a job over the summer or maybe even after school. I tutor after school two days per week, and it’s very convenient for me. Learning how

CK: It all depends on you. Some people need a ton of sleep, some thrive on just a few hours. The right amount of sleep is the amount that makes you feel—well, probably not refreshed, but at least a little less dead. Doctors say teenagers should get eight and a half to nine and a half hours of sleep, but that’s not realistic for most of us. I try to get seven hours every night.

When I find myself feeling especially lethargic or getting headaches easily, I sleep a little more.

SB: There is no such thing as “enough sleep.” So any amount of sleep is too little.

MJ: I don’t stay up very late to do homework anymore. It made me stressed, sad, and tired in previous years when I would stay up until ungodly hours and even pull all-nighters to get things done. If you don’t feel well-rested the next day, you’ve gotten too little sleep, and you need to get more so that you can be productive.

From lesson plans to manuscripts, these teachers have it covered

Blair teachers have been working double time as published writers

By Brianna Forté It is pitch black outside as a shrill alarm pierces the air at 4 o’clock. Counselor Daryl Howard turns it off, slopes out of bed, and seats himself at his desk. He starts to type, but instead of typing about students and schedules he starts adding to a compilation of essays he has been working on for the past two years.

In his spare time, Howard works on writing and editing his own works. Howard has already published his book “Complex People”, making him one of a few teachers at Blair who have published their own works. From collections of essays to fictional romances, these Blair teachers have been working double time.

American president… so I wanted to capture my thoughts in writing,” says Howard.

The process Howard says he set time aside every

our existing already publications and adding some new things. So, I wrote one of the chapters and edited the whole thing and got other authors to contribute chapters,” Manuel says.

Blair teachers have written all different types of books, from realistic fiction to essays to textbooks.

English teacher Sarah Fillman contributed a chapter to the English textbook “Engaging Adolescents in Reading”. “It was close to 100 hours of work. Because you have to do the research, and you have to pull the research together and organize it, and you have to create a template or an outline for the things you’re going to talk about in your chapter and get that approved and get feedback,” Fillman says.

The impact of writing

These teachers have applied their experience in writing and publishing books to their primary job BEN DOGGETT of teaching, including Adamson. THE COLOR OF LOVE Vickie Adamson drew Some of Blair’s published “I think about myself as a writer, teachers get inspiration for my process as a writer. We’re all from her personal experiences to write her book. their books from things that different and students are different. they are already familiar with.

BEN DOGGETT Vickie Adamson used her COMPLEX PEOPLE Counselor Daryl Howard holds up his If I can tap into what excites them about have advice to help. Manuel recommends writing, then I can get them to write,” that students write about a topic that they are past romantic experiences to book which he worked on every morning for over two years. Adamson says. passionate about, while Howard suggests that guide her story of an interHoward uses his book Complicated students keep a blog so that they will be able racial couple’s complicated relationship called “The Color of Love”. “I morning before school to work on his book in People for a final activity in his class at Prince to build an audience and receive feedback. made most of [the story] up but I certainly order to finish it in two and half years. “When George’s Community College. “I’ll have them With writing blogs, “there is a record of what drew from inspiration in my own life… I’ve you’re writing independently, you have to set read certain chapters out of the book and you’re doing, but you’re also building an auheard a lot of writers say that we draw from those deadlines yourself and be disciplined they’ll have to present on the chapter that they dience of those who have an interest in what with making sure that you’re making prog- covered and they have to bring in articles that you’re writing about,” says Howard. what we know,” says Adamson.

Adamson says she recommends that support or refute the ideas that I suggested in Howard’s recently published book is a ress,” says Howard. students practice writing as much as they History and Human Rights teacher Anne the book,” says Howard. collection of essays about his experiences as can, in whichever form works best for them. an African American in today’s society. “Right Manuel co-wrote the book “El Salvador’s “I think the more you write and experience Advice for aspiring writers around the time that President Obama was Decade of Terror”, which is a compilation of writing, and just do some experimentation, elected, I was feeling excited, I was feeling research and reports from the human rights For students who want to pursue writing then you’re setting yourself up for success,” anxious, I was feeling optimistic about the organization American Watch. “I was sort of era that we were getting with the first African in charge of organizing this project, of taking... for fun or as a career, Blair’s teacher-authors says Adamson.

The basis for books

Special C3

By Aditi Shetty Let’s talk about sex.

Health classes cannot possibly answer all of the questions students have, parents seem impossible to approach, and it can feel like there is no alternative, reliable source of information. To help you out, we collected questions from Blair students about reproductive health and sexual activity, and we asked three experts to respond.

Dr. Kathleen Morrell is the Director of Family Planning at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York and advocates for women’s reproductive health care.

Al Vernacchio is the Upper School Sexuality Educator at Friends’ Central School in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. Vernacchio has been a sexuality educator for over 20 years and has given three TED Talks, published sexuality-related articles, and hosted workshops on sex ed around the country.

Dr. Robert Blum is the Chair of the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

control pills when taken every day as prescribed are highly effective (more than 99 percent); however, the catch there is in the statement “when taken as prescribed.” One of the big problems is that it is not uncommon for young people to forget to take their birth control pills, thereby decreasing the effectiveness.

Dr. Morrell: Condoms are about 85 per-

Q: How come non-virgin gay people cannot donate blood? – grade 12 Dr. Morrell: Men who have had sex of any kind with another man used to never be able to donate blood due to concerns for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) acquisition.

In December 2015, the American Red Cross in conjunction with the Food and

. Silver Ch

sex

reprod & u h ctive

ealth

.

20 1 6

A Q&A on sexuality and reproductive health

7

s ip

The birds and the bees: The Talk, part two

3

silverchips 19

February 5, 2016

SP EDIECIAL TIO N

C3 _ C6

have a problem helping his sexual partner have an orgasm.

Q: Can you contract an STD from a homosexual experience? – grade 10

Dr. Morrell: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs or STDs), including HIV, can be passed to or from an anal sex partner, so using condoms is always a good idea. Women who have sex with women can also contract STIs through skin-to-skin contact, mucosa contact (e.g., mouth to vagina), or sharing fluids.

Q: Who likes sex more, men or women? – grade 12

Vernacchio: There is no right answer to this question. What makes someone enjoy a sexual experience is not defined by their gender. Good sexual experiences are consensual, mutual, cooperative, communicative, equally pleasurable, and benefit the people involved equally. If that’s the case, both people should COURTESY OF ROBERT BLUM COURTESY OF KATHLEEN MORRELL COURTESY OF AL VERNACCHIO enjoy the experience the same SEXPERTS Dr. Robert Blum, Dr. Kathleen Morrell, and Al Vernacchio (from left to right) amount. If someone is enjoying a Q: Is there a chance that having sex answered student questions about contraception, relationships, sexuality and more. sexual experience more than their in high school would make your repartner it’s probably because one lationship last? – grade 10 of the qualities I mentioned above cent effective in preventing pregnancy with Drug Administration changed their policy. is missing.

Vernacchio: What makes a relationship typical use. Condoms hardly ever break if Now, a man can donate if it has been more than 12 months since his last sexual encoun- Q: My health teacher back in elementary last is not “having sex” or “not having sex.” they’re stored and used correctly.

When used perfectly, the pill, 3-month ter with another man.

What makes a relationship last is trust, reschool told us that after birth, the woman spect, good communication, compromise, shot, patch, vaginal ring, intrauterine devichas a constant period for 3 months. Is this commitment, humor, and equality. If sexual es and arm implant are all more than 99% Q: Do most people clean themselves before true? – grade 10 sex? – grade 11 activity takes place in a relationship with effective.

In reality, though, because women are those qualities, the relationship will likely Dr. Morrell: After giving birth, women do Dr. Blum: Good hygiene is both a good experience vaginal bleeding but the length last, not because of the sex but because of human beings and can be forgetful, the intrauterine devices and arm implant are the idea and critically important whether or not of time is variable. It usually occurs for a few the other qualities. most effective because there is nothing to one is having sex.

Q: If you wear two condoms is it more ef- remember.

It will refective than wearing one? – grade 11 Q: Why do girls have to be so pressured to duce your risk of non-sexDr. Morrell: Wearing two condoms at the have sex? – grade 10 16% 15 ually transsame time is a huge NO-NO! It causes the Vernacchio: I’m not exactly sure what mitted infeclatex to break down from the friction. Wearthis question is asking, so I’ll answer it in a tions, reduce ing one is more effective than wearing two.

33% 16 couple of ways: odor, and be First, let’s be clear. Pressuring anyone, more pleasQ: How often do high schoolers have sex? guy or girl, into having sex is sexual assault. ing to people – grade 12 No one should be pressured into sex at all! around you 48% 17 Second, if the question is asking why whether or Vernacchio: According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute (a well-respected organi- girls seem more reluctant to have sex than not they are zation that collects and reviews scientific boys are, I think that’s a myth. Some girls your sexual 61% 18 research on topics related to human sexual- and guys are reluctant to enter into sexual partner. relationships for all kinds of reasons, and ity), “16 percent of teens have had sex by age Q: How come 15, compared with one-third of those aged some girls and guys are not.

There are a million factors that can impact guys have 16, nearly half (48 percent) of those aged 17, 19 71% 61 percent of 18-year-olds, and 71 percent of why someone would or would not want to trouble givengage in sexual activity with someone else. ing girls an 19-year-olds.”

0% 80% – The average age at which a young per- Now there’s no doubt that girls bear the ad- orgasm?

GUTTMACHER INSTITUTE ditional burden of pregnancy as a result of JOSHUA FERNANDES grade 11 son in the United States has sexual intercourse for the first time is around 17. How unprotected sexual intercourse, and that’s Vernacchio: A lot of people think that weeks, but three months would be unusual. much sexual activity adolescents have var- certainly a good reason to be very selective ies greatly. I don’t know of any studies that about when and with whom to become sex- men have orgasms more easily and more Q: Do you think virginity is a social conquickly than women do, but that’s not nec- struct? – grade 11 track how frequently high school age stu- ually active.

Third, if the question is why girls feel like essarily true. Some men and women reach dents have sex. they have to be sexually active to be popu- orgasm easily, others take longer or may not Vernacchio: Virginity is absolutely a soQ: What is the effectiveness of female birth lar or accepted or to keep a relationship, I reach orgasm at all. cial construct, and its roots are pretty sexist. would point you back to my first answer.

Orgasm is our body’s reaction to intense Our current definition of virginity, like our control? – grade 10 Healthy sexual activity is first and foremost and prolonged sexual stimulation. People definition of “having sex,” is problematic. fully consensual. The people involved have have orgasms because their body gets the Guys get praise for losing their virginity Dr. Blum: to be completely free to say yes or no. Saying right kind of stimulation in the right amount while girls get criticized. Guys are studs, The answer yes because you’re worried that someone at the right time. depends on girls are sluts. And the definition of virginwill leave you if you don’t, or because you If someone is not having orgasms it may ity as it exists has to be weirdly twisted to two things: think it will make you popular is not being be that they are not getting enough sexual apply to people who aren’t straight. That’s a) type of completely free to stimulation, or not getting the right kind of completely unfair, sexist, and heterosexist. birth consay yes or no. sexual stimulation, or not mentally or emotrol, and Virginity as an important aspect for tionally in a place to be able to process that women goes back to the time when women b) how Q: Is it possible stimulation. well it is were considered property and marriage was for girls to have sex However, I actually think sexism has a lot a business arrangement rather than about used. So, without protection and to do with the answer to your question. Our being in love with someone. for examnot get pregnant? – society, in general, does not know about, ple, birth A father could get a higher bridal price grade 10 respect, and value women’s bodies and for his daughter if she was a virgin. Let’s women’s sexual pleasure as much as men’s. be clear, this wasn’t done out of care for the Dr. Blum: Yes. In the Just because a man may know how to give woman, it was so that the man buying/marmedical profession we call himself an orgasm does not mean he knows rying her would be getting the “best goods.” that “being lucky”. The same how to give someone else one, especially If virginity is an important concept then it question could be asked about someone whose body looks and functions should be equally important for everyone, playing Russian roulette: “Can differently than his. no matter what their gender or sexual oriyou pull the trigger and not get A man who understands women’s bod- entation. killed?” The answer there is yes ies, who is a caring and attentive sexual too, but why would anyone be partner, and who is as concerned with his For more on virginity, see C4. Interviews CANDIA GU so foolish as to risk either of those? partner’s sexual pleasure as his own will not have been condensed and edited for clarity.

Age

Percentages of teens reporting that they are sexually active

Special C4/C5

silverchips

A VOW OF PURITY

Some teens choose to wear purity rings to showcase their abstinence.

28

out of 100 teens

REGRETTED THEIR FIRST TIME HAVING SEX

of teens say that they agree with the statement,

“I think being a virgin in high school is a good thing.”

44% 31% & of boys of girls SAY THAT THEY WANTED TO GET THEIR FIRST TIME OVER WITH

Do you want to stay abstinent until marriage?

YES NO

19

sex

reprod & u h ctive

ealth

.

SP EDIECIAL TIO N

C3 _ C6

Examining common notions of virginity

Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources.

92%

. Silver Ch 20 1 6

LOSING it

7

s ip

3

February 5, 2016

37% 63%

one

in two teens say if you have had oral sex you are not a virgin

Source: A Kaiser Family Foundation survey of 15-17 year olds from

Kate quietly shut the front door and treaded down the walkway.

Snow glistened on the ground around her. Satisfied and calm, Kate had a “happy glow” that would stay with her for the next few days.

She had been nervous before, yes, but it had been with someone she loved. She was content. As she opened the door of her brother’s waiting car, Kate knew she would never forget losing her virginity.

According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2013, 47 percent of U.S. high school students reported having engaged in sexual intercourse. Despite this, health education teacher John MacDonald says that virginity is only briefly mentioned in Blair’s health curriculum.

“The term virginity is very rarely discussed,” he says. “It’s more something that’s made fun of than something kids are proud to be.”

The term “virgin” is derived from religious and historical tradition. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the first recorded definition of the word virgin dates from the 13th century. Then a virgin was an “unmarried or chaste woman noted for religious piety and having a position of reverence in the Church.” Today, a virgin can mean something different for each person, but perceptions are often influenced by the old definition. Blazers’ opinions about the importance of virginity—and whether it exists at all—vary.

The first time Many Blair students consider a virgin to be a person who has not had penetrative sex with someone of the opposite gender. Christina, a junior, and Kate, a senior, agree with this conventional definition.

Christina says, “sex obviously is when there is, like, penetration.”

Christina was 14 when she first had sex, and Kate was 15. Both girls has sex with boys that they were not in serious relationships with.

Kate says that she considers losing one’s virginity to be a somewhat significant step in maturing. “[Losing your] virginity is… an important spot in your life that helps you grow up,” she says. “Losing your virginity is a big thing, but it’s not a huge thing.”

Christina says that she first noticed “the guy” in the hallway. She eventually got his number, texted him, and met him in person at a basketball game, where some flirting occurred. “He was just like... ‘I think you’re attractive, you think I’m attractive.’” she says.

“The guy was like, ‘So, are you a virgin?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I am. Why?’ He’s like, ‘I mean, if you’re down to do it, I’d totally be down,’” she says. Christina’s opinion on her own virginity changed once she met the guy. “My mom is always telling us like, ‘Don’t lose it until you get married.’ So, yeah. I was like, ‘I won’t do it until I get married,’” she says. “As soon as I saw that person, I was like, ‘Well, I think I can just get rid of everything that I thought.’”

In the weeks leading up to her first time, they hung out and talked. Christina says she was excited, but had reservations beforehand.

“I was like, ‘Okay, what am I doing? Would he be mad if I backed out?’” she says. Despite her apprehension, Christina went through with the act.

Kate’s first time was in a casual relationship with a boy two years older than her. “We were together, but it was always on and off,” she says. Her first time having sex was not completely planned or a complete surprise, she says. “All the times we were hooking up it built up to that moment.”

Even Kate’s mom knew that her daughter was reaching the moment she would lose her virginity. She dropped Kate off on the day she first had sex and she later told Kate that she was suspicious that Kate was going to lose her virginity. “[My mom] said, ‘I had a feeling.’ I was like, ‘If you had a feeling, then why would you drop your daughter off to a house where you know she’s about to lose her virginity?’”

Kate says the guy was nervous because of their age gap and because of her inexperience, so her first time didn’t go as smoothly as expected. Still, she says, “I had a little glow, like a little happy glow for a few days.”

Therese Shechtner is a filmmaker who explores the medical legitimacy of virginity and various definitions of the term in her documentary How to Lose Your Virginity. She says that the idea of having sex for the first time is overly sensationalized. “There’s no one magic moment that changes your body, and your soul, and your future and your past,” she says.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey, 28 percent of teenagers ages 15-17 said they regretted their first time having sexual intercourse. Christina and Kate experiences corroborate this statistic; however, Christina’s remorse was short-lasting while

Kate’s has stayed with her.

Christina says that she waited for two years after her first time before having sex again, but that she no longer feels bad about it.

She now has a more skeptical perspective. “Everyone thinks sex is supposed to be like this magical thing and butterflies and angels and everything… I guess it’s fun but it really just hurts and it’s really nothing special.”

Kate’s experience was positive at the time. However, she later learned that the boy who she thought she was in a relationship with had been seeing other girls behind her back. “He kind of played me,” she says.

Choosing abstinence Many young people decide to abstain from sex until marriage, for religious and non-religious reasons. According to KFF, 37 percent of teenagers ages 15-17 who have not had sexual intercourse said that they wanted to wait to have sex until they are married.

Juniors Daniel Jones and Jack Russ are among these young people; their Christian faiths have inspired them to save their virginities for their wedding nights.

Russ considers male-female sexual intercourse to be when virginity is lost and believes it is best to only have one lifelong sexual partner. “You should lose your virginity to the only person you’re ever going to have sex with for the rest of your life—which would be your husband or wife,” he says.

Jones is also waiting until marriage but defines virginity differently. “I perceive virginity as [abstaining from] anything sexual… involving private parts,” he says.

Religion has been the largest influence on how both Russ and Jones think about virginity. “I’m Catholic and that’s the teaching of the Catholic church,” says Russ. Jones says that abstinence until marriage was “drilled into his head” while he was growing up.

According to Russ, abstaining from sexual activity is about being committed to God and to your future spouse. “It’s a sin… If you have sex before marriage and then you try to be married and be united to that one person, you’ve already given part of yourself to a bunch of other people,” he says.

Many abstinence educators feel similarly. Coleen Kelly Mast, author of the Sex Respect education program and Catholic talk show host, likens premarital sex to giving a friend a half-eaten cake. “If you have a birthday cake, you want the whole birthday cake…

When you give yourself to a person in marriage, you want to give your whole self to that person, not just whatever piece is left.”

While Russ and Jones have both sworn off sexual activity, they have not abstained from romantic relationships—although abstinence can complicate dating. Jones says that a few years ago he had a girlfriend who was not understanding of his decision to wait until marriage. “She was actually kind of pissed,” he says. “But, at the end of the day, I know that there are going to be people out there who are going to look down on me.”

Still, Jones says that he is sometimes tempted to engage in sexual activity. “It definitely is hard because there are times where you want to do that. I’m not going to… say I don’t want to,” he says.

To minimize temptation, Jones tries to avoid situations in which he might want to go further. For instance, he avoids being in his current girlfriend’s room because the privacy could make it easier for him to break his promise. “If, one day I… go up to her room, I’ve told myself we’ll have a open door policy because I find it’s also kind of disrespectful to her parents,” he says.

“What do I need privacy for in their house with their daughter?”

Russ says abstinence helps him to respect his significant other. “It’s forced me to think about the person more highly and made me constantly have to work towards not seeing them as an object, or someone who’s there just for my satisfaction,” he says. “In those situations where you are kissing or something, making sure that you’re not doing it for your own pleasure and making sure that you’re still in control… it increases your respect for the person,” he says.

Pam Stenzel, founder of En-

lighten Communications, an abstinence education program, has attracted media attention for her controversial talks in high schools.

She says teens should understand the health risks associated with sex before losing their virginities. “STD [sexually transmitted disease] infection is directly related to number of partners. The higher the number of partners, the more likelihood of a STD infection.”

MacDonald believes that health education programs that fail to discuss contraceptives and disease prevention are ineffective because they can alienate sexually active students. “You cannot be an abstinence-only education program at the high school level because you have a lot of kids experimenting with sex and if you claim to be abstinence-only, you’re losing half your population in all reality,” he says.

The validity of virginity Today, rising acceptance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community has sparked criticism of the traditional male-female idea of virginity. According to Adam, a junior who identifies as bisexual, any penetrative sex (meaning anal or vaginal sex) would result in losing your virginity.

Adam’s first time having sex was with a boy he did not know well. Adam says he had sexual relations with the boy previously but eventually felt like he was ready to take it to the next level. “I was like, you know what? I want to have sex with this person. Then I did it. That’s it.” Afterward, he says, he felt “cocky” but no different than before.

Adam says he expected his first time to be more significant than it was. “I thought I would become a different person afterward, or I would feel a different way about things… I thought that like angels would descend,” he says.

However, Adam says that sexual experiences that are not penetrative are also significant. “People, especially gay people, have sexual interactions, but they aren’t necessarily penetrating...but they still are sexual interactions.”

The religious and historically sexist roots of virginity have caused controversy over the validity of the term. Junior Willa Murphy says that she thinks virginity is simply a social construct. “It’s a thing we’ve made up to… make a woman a representation of her family’s honor, which is based in her ‘purity’ and her willingness to wait for the right man,” Murphy says.

Murphy did not always feel this way. She grew up going to an “itty bitty Catho-

lic school” without a health class. However, Murphy says that as she grew up, she began to question this absence of education and started to use the internet to learn about sex and virginity.

Murphy says that through talking to friends that are a part of the LGBT community, she has noticed that ideas about virginity have begun to evolve. “I’ve seen more of a progression, not just saying [virginity] doesn’t exist, but to thinking that it exists in a less heteronormative way,” she says.

Losing virginity means reaching “a higher level of intimacy that you wouldn’t necessarily have with someone in a platonic relationship,” for junior Niarah Jackson. According to Jackson, who identifies as pansexual, there is a wide range of perceptions of virginity among those who are not straight. “I feel like in the LGBT community, it’s different for everybody,” she says. “What people would normally think of as virginity, what is the standard definition, is not necessarily that important.”

Abiola Abrams, advice columnist and self-described “empowerment specialist,” says that each person’s definition of virginity might be different. “It’s really up to each of us to define virginity for ourselves… Someone could consider themselves a virgin because they have never had male penetration, sexual intercourse. For someone who is a lesbian, with that definition she would be a virgin for her entire life.”

Shechter agrees that the traditional idea of a tangible virginity is invalid. Her documentary explores how virginity is fluid and can be different for each person. “We generally talk about virginity like it’s a concrete thing that can be measured or tested, or proven. In fact, virginity is a very abstract concept,” she says.

Shechter says that in conversations with teenagers, she has recognized the beginning of an evolution of thought. “Young people are starting to really think about sex in a more complicated way, and not creating their own definitions based on whatever show they streamed last night or porn they downloaded,” she says.

But that initial sexual moment is still important to some. “I’ll never forget the first time I had sex,” Christina says.

Story by COLE SEBASTIAN & EMMA SOLER Design by MARIS MEDINA & EMMA SOLER Photos by CALEB BAUMAN

LOVE GLOVE When used perfectly, male condoms prevent 98% of unplanned pregnancies.

SOURCE: CENTER FOR YOUNG WOMEN’S HEALTH

Special C4/C5

silverchips

A VOW OF PURITY

Some teens choose to wear purity rings to showcase their abstinence.

28

out of 100 teens

REGRETTED THEIR FIRST TIME HAVING SEX

of teens say that they agree with the statement,

“I think being a virgin in high school is a good thing.”

44% 31% & of boys of girls SAY THAT THEY WANTED TO GET THEIR FIRST TIME OVER WITH

Do you want to stay abstinent until marriage?

YES NO

19

sex

reprod & u h ctive

ealth

.

SP EDIECIAL TIO N

C3 _ C6

Examining common notions of virginity

Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources.

92%

. Silver Ch 20 1 6

LOSING it

7

s ip

3

February 5, 2016

37% 63%

one

in two teens say if you have had oral sex you are not a virgin

Source: A Kaiser Family Foundation survey of 15-17 year olds from

Kate quietly shut the front door and treaded down the walkway.

Snow glistened on the ground around her. Satisfied and calm, Kate had a “happy glow” that would stay with her for the next few days.

She had been nervous before, yes, but it had been with someone she loved. She was content. As she opened the door of her brother’s waiting car, Kate knew she would never forget losing her virginity.

According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2013, 47 percent of U.S. high school students reported having engaged in sexual intercourse. Despite this, health education teacher John MacDonald says that virginity is only briefly mentioned in Blair’s health curriculum.

“The term virginity is very rarely discussed,” he says. “It’s more something that’s made fun of than something kids are proud to be.”

The term “virgin” is derived from religious and historical tradition. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the first recorded definition of the word virgin dates from the 13th century. Then a virgin was an “unmarried or chaste woman noted for religious piety and having a position of reverence in the Church.” Today, a virgin can mean something different for each person, but perceptions are often influenced by the old definition. Blazers’ opinions about the importance of virginity—and whether it exists at all—vary.

The first time Many Blair students consider a virgin to be a person who has not had penetrative sex with someone of the opposite gender. Christina, a junior, and Kate, a senior, agree with this conventional definition.

Christina says, “sex obviously is when there is, like, penetration.”

Christina was 14 when she first had sex, and Kate was 15. Both girls has sex with boys that they were not in serious relationships with.

Kate says that she considers losing one’s virginity to be a somewhat significant step in maturing. “[Losing your] virginity is… an important spot in your life that helps you grow up,” she says. “Losing your virginity is a big thing, but it’s not a huge thing.”

Christina says that she first noticed “the guy” in the hallway. She eventually got his number, texted him, and met him in person at a basketball game, where some flirting occurred. “He was just like... ‘I think you’re attractive, you think I’m attractive.’” she says.

“The guy was like, ‘So, are you a virgin?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I am. Why?’ He’s like, ‘I mean, if you’re down to do it, I’d totally be down,’” she says. Christina’s opinion on her own virginity changed once she met the guy. “My mom is always telling us like, ‘Don’t lose it until you get married.’ So, yeah. I was like, ‘I won’t do it until I get married,’” she says. “As soon as I saw that person, I was like, ‘Well, I think I can just get rid of everything that I thought.’”

In the weeks leading up to her first time, they hung out and talked. Christina says she was excited, but had reservations beforehand.

“I was like, ‘Okay, what am I doing? Would he be mad if I backed out?’” she says. Despite her apprehension, Christina went through with the act.

Kate’s first time was in a casual relationship with a boy two years older than her. “We were together, but it was always on and off,” she says. Her first time having sex was not completely planned or a complete surprise, she says. “All the times we were hooking up it built up to that moment.”

Even Kate’s mom knew that her daughter was reaching the moment she would lose her virginity. She dropped Kate off on the day she first had sex and she later told Kate that she was suspicious that Kate was going to lose her virginity. “[My mom] said, ‘I had a feeling.’ I was like, ‘If you had a feeling, then why would you drop your daughter off to a house where you know she’s about to lose her virginity?’”

Kate says the guy was nervous because of their age gap and because of her inexperience, so her first time didn’t go as smoothly as expected. Still, she says, “I had a little glow, like a little happy glow for a few days.”

Therese Shechtner is a filmmaker who explores the medical legitimacy of virginity and various definitions of the term in her documentary How to Lose Your Virginity. She says that the idea of having sex for the first time is overly sensationalized. “There’s no one magic moment that changes your body, and your soul, and your future and your past,” she says.

According to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey, 28 percent of teenagers ages 15-17 said they regretted their first time having sexual intercourse. Christina and Kate experiences corroborate this statistic; however, Christina’s remorse was short-lasting while

Kate’s has stayed with her.

Christina says that she waited for two years after her first time before having sex again, but that she no longer feels bad about it.

She now has a more skeptical perspective. “Everyone thinks sex is supposed to be like this magical thing and butterflies and angels and everything… I guess it’s fun but it really just hurts and it’s really nothing special.”

Kate’s experience was positive at the time. However, she later learned that the boy who she thought she was in a relationship with had been seeing other girls behind her back. “He kind of played me,” she says.

Choosing abstinence Many young people decide to abstain from sex until marriage, for religious and non-religious reasons. According to KFF, 37 percent of teenagers ages 15-17 who have not had sexual intercourse said that they wanted to wait to have sex until they are married.

Juniors Daniel Jones and Jack Russ are among these young people; their Christian faiths have inspired them to save their virginities for their wedding nights.

Russ considers male-female sexual intercourse to be when virginity is lost and believes it is best to only have one lifelong sexual partner. “You should lose your virginity to the only person you’re ever going to have sex with for the rest of your life—which would be your husband or wife,” he says.

Jones is also waiting until marriage but defines virginity differently. “I perceive virginity as [abstaining from] anything sexual… involving private parts,” he says.

Religion has been the largest influence on how both Russ and Jones think about virginity. “I’m Catholic and that’s the teaching of the Catholic church,” says Russ. Jones says that abstinence until marriage was “drilled into his head” while he was growing up.

According to Russ, abstaining from sexual activity is about being committed to God and to your future spouse. “It’s a sin… If you have sex before marriage and then you try to be married and be united to that one person, you’ve already given part of yourself to a bunch of other people,” he says.

Many abstinence educators feel similarly. Coleen Kelly Mast, author of the Sex Respect education program and Catholic talk show host, likens premarital sex to giving a friend a half-eaten cake. “If you have a birthday cake, you want the whole birthday cake…

When you give yourself to a person in marriage, you want to give your whole self to that person, not just whatever piece is left.”

While Russ and Jones have both sworn off sexual activity, they have not abstained from romantic relationships—although abstinence can complicate dating. Jones says that a few years ago he had a girlfriend who was not understanding of his decision to wait until marriage. “She was actually kind of pissed,” he says. “But, at the end of the day, I know that there are going to be people out there who are going to look down on me.”

Still, Jones says that he is sometimes tempted to engage in sexual activity. “It definitely is hard because there are times where you want to do that. I’m not going to… say I don’t want to,” he says.

To minimize temptation, Jones tries to avoid situations in which he might want to go further. For instance, he avoids being in his current girlfriend’s room because the privacy could make it easier for him to break his promise. “If, one day I… go up to her room, I’ve told myself we’ll have a open door policy because I find it’s also kind of disrespectful to her parents,” he says.

“What do I need privacy for in their house with their daughter?”

Russ says abstinence helps him to respect his significant other. “It’s forced me to think about the person more highly and made me constantly have to work towards not seeing them as an object, or someone who’s there just for my satisfaction,” he says. “In those situations where you are kissing or something, making sure that you’re not doing it for your own pleasure and making sure that you’re still in control… it increases your respect for the person,” he says.

Pam Stenzel, founder of En-

lighten Communications, an abstinence education program, has attracted media attention for her controversial talks in high schools.

She says teens should understand the health risks associated with sex before losing their virginities. “STD [sexually transmitted disease] infection is directly related to number of partners. The higher the number of partners, the more likelihood of a STD infection.”

MacDonald believes that health education programs that fail to discuss contraceptives and disease prevention are ineffective because they can alienate sexually active students. “You cannot be an abstinence-only education program at the high school level because you have a lot of kids experimenting with sex and if you claim to be abstinence-only, you’re losing half your population in all reality,” he says.

The validity of virginity Today, rising acceptance of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community has sparked criticism of the traditional male-female idea of virginity. According to Adam, a junior who identifies as bisexual, any penetrative sex (meaning anal or vaginal sex) would result in losing your virginity.

Adam’s first time having sex was with a boy he did not know well. Adam says he had sexual relations with the boy previously but eventually felt like he was ready to take it to the next level. “I was like, you know what? I want to have sex with this person. Then I did it. That’s it.” Afterward, he says, he felt “cocky” but no different than before.

Adam says he expected his first time to be more significant than it was. “I thought I would become a different person afterward, or I would feel a different way about things… I thought that like angels would descend,” he says.

However, Adam says that sexual experiences that are not penetrative are also significant. “People, especially gay people, have sexual interactions, but they aren’t necessarily penetrating...but they still are sexual interactions.”

The religious and historically sexist roots of virginity have caused controversy over the validity of the term. Junior Willa Murphy says that she thinks virginity is simply a social construct. “It’s a thing we’ve made up to… make a woman a representation of her family’s honor, which is based in her ‘purity’ and her willingness to wait for the right man,” Murphy says.

Murphy did not always feel this way. She grew up going to an “itty bitty Catho-

lic school” without a health class. However, Murphy says that as she grew up, she began to question this absence of education and started to use the internet to learn about sex and virginity.

Murphy says that through talking to friends that are a part of the LGBT community, she has noticed that ideas about virginity have begun to evolve. “I’ve seen more of a progression, not just saying [virginity] doesn’t exist, but to thinking that it exists in a less heteronormative way,” she says.

Losing virginity means reaching “a higher level of intimacy that you wouldn’t necessarily have with someone in a platonic relationship,” for junior Niarah Jackson. According to Jackson, who identifies as pansexual, there is a wide range of perceptions of virginity among those who are not straight. “I feel like in the LGBT community, it’s different for everybody,” she says. “What people would normally think of as virginity, what is the standard definition, is not necessarily that important.”

Abiola Abrams, advice columnist and self-described “empowerment specialist,” says that each person’s definition of virginity might be different. “It’s really up to each of us to define virginity for ourselves… Someone could consider themselves a virgin because they have never had male penetration, sexual intercourse. For someone who is a lesbian, with that definition she would be a virgin for her entire life.”

Shechter agrees that the traditional idea of a tangible virginity is invalid. Her documentary explores how virginity is fluid and can be different for each person. “We generally talk about virginity like it’s a concrete thing that can be measured or tested, or proven. In fact, virginity is a very abstract concept,” she says.

Shechter says that in conversations with teenagers, she has recognized the beginning of an evolution of thought. “Young people are starting to really think about sex in a more complicated way, and not creating their own definitions based on whatever show they streamed last night or porn they downloaded,” she says.

But that initial sexual moment is still important to some. “I’ll never forget the first time I had sex,” Christina says.

Story by COLE SEBASTIAN & EMMA SOLER Design by MARIS MEDINA & EMMA SOLER Photos by CALEB BAUMAN

LOVE GLOVE When used perfectly, male condoms prevent 98% of unplanned pregnancies.

SOURCE: CENTER FOR YOUNG WOMEN’S HEALTH

C6 Special

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Planned Parenthood’s impact on a local scale Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources.

All Chelly knew was that she needed help. She had a 72-hour deadline and asking her parents for advice was not an option. If she missed it, the morning after pill would lose its effect and she could be faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Then suddenly, amidst an internal panic, a friend solved her problem with two words: Planned Parenthood.

Chelly, a senior, is one of many young adults who have relied on Planned Parenthood, a health-services clinic, when she had no one else to turn to. The organization has become a battleground political issue, with supporters arguing that it provides essential services to one in five American women every year and dissenters saying that the abortions provided by Planned Parenthood are reason enough for its federal defunding.

As divisive as it is, abortion only accounts for three percent of Planned Parenthood’s services. The other 97 percent include sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing and treatment, cancer screening and prevention, and contraceptive education and distribution. Sixteen percent of Planned Parenthood’s health care patients are age 19 or younger and, just like the general population, most teens seek services other than abortion.

Real students, real help High school students commonly visit Planned Parenthood for STD testing, birth control prescriptions, and emergency contraception, which prevents pregnancy after unprotected sex. The organization offers these services for free and, in most cases, does not notify parents.

Chelly visited Planned Parenthood twice for emergency contraceptives and later obtained a prescription for regular birth control. She chose Planned Parenthood because a friend recommended it as a simple, cheap option.

“I actually found out from a friend when I was really concerned and needed Plan B. I was like, ‘What do I do? I need help,’ and my friend was like, ‘There’s a clinic downtown,’” Chelly recalls.

Senior Keegan Vernon-Clay received STD testing from Planned Parenthood because it was convenient and only cost her $100. “I knew that it was cheaper than getting it done somewhere else,” she says, “And I wouldn’t have to make an appointment with my doctor [and] tell my parents.”

Freshman Catrina Calingaert also received STD testing and emergency contraceptives from Planned Parenthood. However, she chose to receive the birth control pill from

“They were comfortable and really nice…They made you feel like you were not insignificant.”

—

Catrina Calingaert

her primary care provider. “I’ve gone in to get tested twice and I was going to get birth control from there, but I ended up not doing it just because I got it from my own doctor instead,” Calingaert explains.

Calingaert chose to visit Planned Parenthood because it was the only clinic she knew of that would give her help for free. “[I chose Planned Parenthood] because I had no money and no other option or place to go,”

3

19

sex

reprod & u h ctive

ealth

.

20 1 6

By Joshua Fernandes and Alexandra Marquez

. Silver Ch s ip

Many Blazers rely on the nationally-debated organization

7

SP EDIECIAL TIO N

Calingaert says.

C3 _ C6

The Planned Parenthood atmosphere Chelly says she was nervous the first time she went to Planned Parenthood, but that she found that the employees were kind and helpful. “I was actually expecting it to be awful and I was terrified, and I had all these butterflies going in,” she remembers. “When I got there, it was all gone. They were all very sweet and understanding, clearly they all have patients that are like me all the time so they knew how to handle me being nervous.

They just helped and it was super positive.”

Calingaert, too, was impressed by the care and respect with which the employees treated her. “If you go to a normal gynecologist, and you’re not a grown woman, everyone looks at you and judges you. But when you went [to Planned Parenthood], you didn’t feel judged,” she recalls.

Calingaert says she especially appreciates that she was not treated condescendingly.

“They were comfortable and really nice to me without making me feel like a little kid…

They made you feel like you were not insignificant,” she says.

Vernon-Clay was not nervous about going to the clinic, but was surprised by the protective measures she encountered. “The security was noticeably heavier, which was the first thing that struck me,” she says. “All the people working there were behind plastic shields.

You had to talk to them through that and they passed you things

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

SUITE 450 Discreetly located in an office building, Planned Parenthood’s Silver Spring location aims to privately offer its reproductive health services to clients. which Maryland law allows.

Until recently, Calingaert avoided telling her parents that she had received help from Planned Parenthood. She says that while they were upset at first, they eventually came to support her. “[My mother] was initially angry,” Calingaert recalls. “[Later] she was like, ‘I’m proud of you for going to that and taking care of what you needed. Even though it’s not exactly what I would’ve liked, it’s something you had to do and it’s a good thing that you did it.’”

Chelly says she was scared to ask her parents for access to birth control and emergency contraceptives because she knew they would not approve of her being sexually active.

Initially, she was not sure Planned Parenthood would give her contraceptives without parental consent, but she found it easy to gain access to the services she needed. “I went in and it was incredibly easy. They asked me all of these questions and were really friendly and I got the [birth control] prescription that day,” she says.

EDGAR BLANCO

through this little tiny window underneath...The door locks automatically and you have to buzz in.”

Opposition Positive patient testimonies sometimes fail to sway critics of Planned Parenthood. Many, like sophomore MeiJade Hsu, call for the defunding of Planned Parenthood because the organization is the largest nationwide abortion provider.

“I believe that abortion is the killing of a child,” Hsu says. “People argue that it’s the woman’s right to control what goes on in her body, but that right does not eclipse the right of her unborn child—the right of her unborn child to live. Especially since it did nothing wrong, absolutely nothing wrong.”

Hsu argues that Planned Parenthood’s high number of abortions is reason enough to defund it, despite the other services they provide. “Planned Parenthood does provide a lot of services that are useful, but at the same time, they are the nation’s largest provider of abortions, and you can’t discount the fact that they did abort about 328,000 babies [in 2012]; about that much every year,” she explains, “So I would say yes, defund Planned Parenthood.”

On the other hand, Hsu does believe that young adults need access to sex education and other health services. “There needs to be an organization that provides birth control, contraceptives,” she says. “Sex education is very important because we need to educate people on making good choices so that they don’t need to have abortions.”

Parental permission Regardless of their opinions on Planned Parenthood, parents can have mixed reactions when their teens access reproductive health services. Many students prefer to receive the services without their parent’s permission,

“A vitally important organization”

Other supporters are more cynical about the opposition. Vernon-Clay thinks that even if Planned Parenthood ceased to provide abortions, opponents would still find reasons

“They provide a lot of really important services for people who can’t get them otherwise.”

—

Keegan Vernon-Clay

that it should be defunded.

“It’s just blind hatred,” she says. “Even if they knew how Planned Parenthood works and all the services that they provide, there’s no guarantee that they wouldn’t then just come up with more reasons why [Planned Parenthood] is evil.”

Vernon-Clay says she hopes that Planned Parenthood will continue to function even against pressure from its opposition. “They provide a lot of really important services for people who can’t get them otherwise,” she says. “It’s a vitally important organization for young people who need to take care of themselves without their parent’s knowledge… and then generally just people who can’t afford the health care that they need.”

Most of the Blazers who use Planned Parenthood support the organization and the services it provides. Calingaert believes that ignorance is the root of the controversy.

“I think that if…people knew that abortions were actually pretty rare and it’s mostly just education and giving you whatever you need, [then] opinions would be very different,” says Calingaert.

Taylor, a junior, agrees and thinks that men, Other women, and Services teenagers in 1% p a r t i c u l a r, would not be able to get the health services they need without Planned Parenthood. “A lot of the services are like Contraception testing to see if you have 34% cervical cancer, or STDs, and all of this s t u ff t h a t ’ s really important. Without it, women wouldn’t be able to 9% be aware of any kind of health risks Cancer Screening and it would and Prevention just be really unsafe,” she says.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Planned Parenthood Services Abortions 3%

STI/STD Testing and Treatment 42%

11% Other Women’s Health Services

ALEXANDRA MARQUEZ

February 5, 2016

ADs C7

silverchips

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

D1Entertainment

silverchips

February 5, 2016

After the ball drops – a fresh start or more of the same?

Students reflect on the value of their New Year’s resolutions

By Daliah Barg Getting in shape, eating healthier, reading more – we’ve heard it all. Every year, the hopeful reformer gets out of bed on Jan. 1 and swears that this will be the year that he or she will change. This year, they say, they will follow their New Year’s resolution all the way through instead of stopping halfway through January. This year will be different. Some Blazers have also decided to partake in this annual frenzy, from getting organized and reducing their spending to buying a pet or, shockingly, resolving to accept their same old selves.

“I’m not going to lie. I haven’t used my agenda book in a while. But I feel like when I write stuff down, it’s a lot easier to remember what I have to do and not look at the clock,” Nuressa says.

Junior Patrick Kam is taking a slightly less academic, but just as serious, approach to his New Year’s resolution. Kam has resolved to stop buying shoes so that he can save his money, instead of blowing $1,000 on new sneakers, as he did in 2015. “I have like 15 [pairs of shoes],” Kam says. For Kam, who occasionally sells and trades his footwear, shoes are the ultimate expression of personality and

Setting goals Senior Debissa Nuressa’s resolution for 2016 is to rid himself of a terrible ailment known as ‘senioritis.’ A common plague that hits most seniors even before second semester, senioritis affects everyone, claims Nuressa. “All seniors have it. If any senior says they [don’t], they’re lying,” Nuressa says. “The thing’s more contagious than yawning. You know how one person yawns and everybody starts yawning? Senioritis: one person catches it and it affects the [entire senior class].”

To stay away from this contagious disease, Nuressa plans to focus on organization by reminding himself of the threat of doom for all seniors: the rescindment of a college acceptance. “You got to realize that colleges can still drop you... There’s always the threat of getting rescinded,” he explains.

He plans to stay focused by utilizing the agenda book, one of the most precious resources to help Blazers manage their time.

CANDIA GU

style; he can never have enough.

“When you’re buying the shoes, it feels worth it, but then you’re like, ‘Oh damn, I don’t have any money left,’” he says. Money management is not a unique problem among high schoolers, who often work after

school to earn money for going out and buying mountains of food. “I have poor money management, that’s honestly the problem,” Kam acknowledges.

Another road people go down with their New Year’s resolutions is attempting to revive childhood dreams, as senior Cindy Solano demonstrates with her resolve to buy a pet in 2016. “Specifically, [I want] a pet turtle because I’ve grown up with those and they’re my favorite animal,” Solano explains. Over the years, she has had many turtles, ever since her first one died when she was eight years old. “I’ve had like 12… And I had a bird -- I gave that a shot, but I opened my window and it flew out,” Solano recalls.

Solano is considering other options for pets including a beta fish or a leopard gecko. “[Beta fish] last a really long time. And there are these really cool little tanks that you can mount on your wall… [And] I’m debating whether I want a turtle or a leopard gecko, but you kind of have to order those online, but I’d go through the struggle,” she says. Having pets teaches responsibility, explains Solano, and she is ready to take on the task once more.

Resolutions: The counter opinion Although many jump on the band-wagon of rejuvenation come Jan. 1, some Blazers do not see the value of setting a goal sole-

ly because the calendar date has changed.

Sophomore Marc Monteil says that most resolutions are short-lived. “It’s just something people do cause it’s New Year’s… but in reality they just give up a week later,” she explains.

Senior Kebron Mihrete echoes this viewpoint of doubt. “If you want to make a change in your life, just make that change now. You don’t have to wait till the New Year,” she says.

However, not having a fixed resolution – like vowing to do 50 squats every day or telling yourself that you will stop drinking delicious, sugar-filled Starbucks coffee – can open up the door to a general positive outlook for the New Year. “My goal is just to be the most awesome person ever,” Mihrete says. “[I’ll] just make my dreams come true and work hard and go get ‘em.”

With graduation coming, Mihrete is changing her attitude as she moves closer to a life post-high school. “I’m realizing I’m reaching adulthood and it’s like, I got to get down and nasty to get where I need to be,” she says. Once a Blair alumna, Mihrete plans get down to business with fulfilling her dreams. “I’m going to focus. I’m going to eliminate all the distractions in my life, [which are] bringing me all that negative energy. I’m going to rock out! I’m a rock star,” she quips.

While the most typical resolutions involve hauling butt to the gym, choosing kale and spinach over carbs for snacking, or vowing to start homework earlier than 9 p.m., resolutions can also be vague and ambiguous. Many do not make resolutions at all, supporting the idea that change in your lifestyle can come at any time of year. Mihrete’s plans for the New Year show that you do not have to get into specifics to rock’n’roll in 2016.

Get ready to sing, dance, scream and shout: Sankofa is back Under new direction, the student show celebrates black history

By Alice Park and Aditi Shetty As the singer’s soulful voice fades away, the rhythm of the bass and the drums fills the auditorium. In front of a bright pink backdrop, the silhouettes of two dancers strut across the stage, shimmying to the beat of Duke Ellington’s “Satin Doll.”

From Ellington to John Legend, musical icons abound in Blair’s production of Sankofa, a collection of various performances tied together by a single narrative.

The idea of “Sankofa” is derived from the Akan people of Ghana. Literally translated, it means “it is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot.” In that spirit, each year, students seek to honor their history in their own optimistic and vibrant Sankofa production.

The show, written by English department head Vickie Adamson, features the works of historical black artists and activists. This year, English teacher Michelle Edwards and student director Brianna Moreno, a senior, lead the cast of around 50 students.

‘An immersive experience’ According to Edwards, Sankofa is a celebration of black culture to commemorate Black History Month. “Instead of just doing a traditional or standard show where people present African-American facts, we make it more of an inclusive, immersive experience,” she says.

Moreno recalls seeing Sankofa for the first time as a freshman, which inspired her to audition the next year. “I had never seen anything like it,” she says. “It was great to see a sense of unity and black culture represented and celebrated in such a beautiful show.”

Junior Yuchabel Sanon, a performer in the show, was struck by the wide range of opportunities in the production when she joined the cast during her freshman year. “If you don’t know how to dance or sing or even like reading a poem, you can act. You can do stage crew. There are so many things you can do,” she says.

With music, dance, and poetry, Sankofa weaves traditional cultural elements, like spiritual numbers and poems, with modern pieces to create a compelling show.

The show revolves around a grandmother, played by Sanon, who teaches her grandchildren (senior Anoa Hawkins, sophomore Niyah Jackson, and Moreno) about the importance of returning to their roots by learning about black history.

Although the plot stays relatively constant, the show incorporates new performances every year. “The different poetry selections change, the songs that are featured change, the dances change,” says Edwards.

New direction

Edwards and Adamson co-directed the show in the past, but this year, Edwards, as lead director, has chosen to highlight different artistic elements. “I’ve added more poetry… There’s going to be a little more emphasis on dance because that’s one of my strengths,” says Edwards.

Sankofa also includes a medley of three Negro spirituals as well as more recent songs, such as a go-go version of Adele’s “Hello.”

GRIFFIN REILLY Moreno particularly looks forward to the show’s grand finale. “My FEELING THE BEAT Kimberly Symba rehearses the choreography to a traditional African favorite part… is always the fash- dance while the rest of the cast works to make sure that the show is ready for opening night. ion show where we all wear Afrisic too instead of just hearing,” he says. will be a success. Despite not feeling comcan clothing at the end,” she says. pletely prepared in the week leading up Last year’s show featured live muThe show must go on to the performance, she says that being on sic for the first time, and this year the the stage changes everything. “[During] directors have expanded its role. The Although the cast missed over one week the first show, maybe because of the audiband sits on the wings of the stage and accompanies many of the songs. of practices due to snow days, Edwards ence, we’re on top of it, we know everySenior Noah Dagne, the bass player decided not to postpone the performance. thing. It’s amazing how everything comes in the band, believes incorporating live “I really have a lot of faith in the show be- together,” she says. “I have high hopes.” music adds a new dimension to Sanko- cause we have such strong students, and See Sankofa on Feb. 5 and 6 at 7:00 p.m. fa. “If you have a live band, the audi- they’ve been really motivated,” she says.

Sanon is also optimistic that the show Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for adults. ence is engaged and looking at the mu-

February 5, 2015

Entertainment D2

silverchips

Southern fried chicken becomes southern fried chick-un

Reviewing the best local restaurants for vegetarians to chow down

By Niki Patel Growing up as a vegetarian, there were many different foods I could not eat. Whenever I would go grab lunch with my friends, they would constantly marvel at my dietary self-restraint or deride my efforts to avoid meat.

Being vegetarian is not as difficult or extraordinary as some people seem to think it is; there are plenty of options and many of them taste pretty good, too! Here is a guide to a few local vegan or vegetarian restaurants, whether you have been vegetarian all your life or just want to try out a couple vegetarian meals.

The evolution of vegan cuisine Walking under the dark green awnings and into Evolve, Takoma’s newest vegan restaurant, you are hit with a sense of hominess. The beige and green walls extend upward for what seems to be miles until they meet the dark orange ceiling. Natural sunlight floods through the expansive front windows and Caribbean music can be faintly heard in the background.

I was greeted at the door by a talkative and friendly waiter and seated immediately.

After being inside for only a few minutes, I could see that the interior design of the restaurant was very aesthetically pleasing.

The service was great, so I couldn’t figure out why it seemed to be so vacant. Once the food came, though, the empiness made more sense.

Everything came in good proportions, but that was the only good thing about it.

The food tasted strangely different than anything I had ever eaten before.

The macaroni and cheese was served in a cube, smothered in a little too much of the restaurant’s signature vegan cheese. The pasta itself was not bad, but the cheese sauce covering it was a bit too rich for my personal taste.

Eggplant parmesan was a dish that I was familiar with. As a matter of fact, it tasted almost exactly like what my mom would try to call eggplant parmesan when she would attempt to cook, attempt being the key word. It was not awful — a bit over-baked, yes, but not inedible. The eggplant had a

CADENCE PEARSON

GREAT SAGE, GREAT AMBIANCE The inviting, warm environment of this Clarksville restaurant is cultivated by the fun arrangements of delicacies in the front, the glowing, round lamps hanging from the ceiling, and the friendly serving staff. very strange, almost slippery texture that made it a little hard to keep down.

The southern barbecue tempeh sandwich, on the other hand, came about as close as it gets to inedible. The cucumbers, tomatoes, and green peppers tasted really refreshing and natural, but the grilled barbecue tempeh and spicy vegan mayo did not complement the veggies at all.

The ginger kale salad and yams were amazing; they both tasted really natural and fresh. The Southern Fried Chick-Un, a dish of crispy soy served with a side of BBQ sauce, was very filling and fit what I have been told real chicken tastes like perfectly.

The food was very affordable and the service was great. The vegan cuisine, on the

CALEB BAUMAN

MAC N’ CHEESE? NO, PLEASE. Evolve’s southern fried chick-un served with BBQ sauce and a side of macaroni and vegan cheese did not measure up to expectations.

other hand, was subpar.

Evolve Vegan Restaurant is located at 341 Cedar Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20012. Food prices range between $6-$11.

It’s more than amazing spices…

Great Sage is part of a group of adjacent eco-friendly businesses in Clarksville. Walking into Great Sage, I could immediately tell that not only was it environmentally friendly (they use energy-saving LED lights and organic ingredients), but it was also a restaurant that cared greatly about every customer that walked through the door.

The decor was inviting and intricate.

The red and green walls created an aura of warmth and the hanging circular lamps created a warm glow all around the room.

It was a little crowded at dinner time and I could see what was drawing the attention: the food appeared incredibly tasty.

The adult mac & cheese was everything that Evolve’s wasn’t. The vegan cheese was not too heavy, the casserole was baked well, and the cauliflower, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes complemented it perfectly.

The smoked chickpea and arugula salad was spicy, but not unbearably so. Everything tasted very natural. Made up of smoked chickpeas, sweet potatoes, pickled red onion, shaved celery, dried cranberries, and arugula, topped with a cranberry balsamic vinaigrette and roasted pumpkin seeds, it is a dish that is hard not to love.

The only things I did not enjoy were the vegetable buffalo bites and samosas. The buffalo bites were over-breaded and had the unpleasant, mushy texture of cauliflower inside. In addition, the lack of dressing made the dish bland.

As for the samosas, which were slightly undercooked dough stuffed with zucchini, chickpeas, and peppers did not quite hit the spot the way I thought they would. They were also way too spicy to handle and left me with a runny nose and watery eyes for the next five minutes.

However, everything turned back around when I tried the cargado quesadilla.

Normally, when I make quesadillas, they are just some tortillas with shredded cheese that typically end up a little bit burnt. Great Sage gave the word quesadilla a whole new meaning. A slightly toasted tortilla filled with vegetarian ‘chicken’, black beans, peppers, and corn did not sound like it would taste anything other than ordinary, but the crisp tortilla filled with seasoned vegetables was zesty, and the tangy sauce it was topped with completed it perfectly.

The last meal of the night was a chocolate lava cake, recommended by the waitress as a ‘customer favorite’ and she was right — at least about this customer. Chocolate

cake with a ‘molten chocolate truffle center’ sounds amazing as it is, but actually tasting the gooey chocolate melt in your mouth was a different experience entirely. Topped with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge, the cake remained warm while the ice cream on top balanced it out with its cool and creamy texture. It was the perfect way to end the evening.

Overall, there was great service, a lovely environment, and very delicious food. Great Sage is the place to go if you are looking for great vegetarian cuisine.

Great Sage is located at 5809 Clarksville Square Drive, Clarksville, MD 21029. Dinner entrée prices range between $16-$18.

Incredible vegetables

The moment I walked into Vegetable Garden, I was surrounded by people talking, laughing, smiling. I was immediately immersed in a positive, happy environment.

I had never eaten Chinese food before this, so I decided that it was finally time to try it out.

I was quickly seated at table near the back of the restaurant, and a kind, quiet waiter came to take my order. As I waited for the food, I could not help but notice the charming blue and pink lights that bordered the ceiling. The cute black centerpieces held different spices and sauces and giant wooden frames with intricate blue paintings inside surrounded the room.

My food came, and for the most part it was pretty tasty. There were a few dishes I was not a fan of, like the pan-fried veggie dumplings, which were a little bland even with the spicy sauce on the side, and the sesame “beef” taro root, which tasted too much like wheat bread.

The steamed white rice was not anything out of the ordinary, but the asparagus with mushrooms and bean curd tasted earthy and savory. However, the brown sauce it was served with was sweet and gave it a unique twist.

The dish that really caught my attention was the eight-treasure eggplant. Filled with diced eggplant, red peppers, mushrooms, yellow squash, tofu, cranberries, cashews, and a mildly spicy sauce, this dish contained multiple flavors — from smoky to sweet to savory. Furthermore, it was sufficiently filling.

The portions were perfect and it is easy to see that the menu provides lots of different, healthy options for people of all ages. It is a family-friendly restaurant that offers plenty for vegetarians to enjoy.

Vegetable Garden is located at 3830 International Dr. Silver Spring, MD 20906. Main entrée rices range between $11-$18.

D3 Entertainment Blazers of Note

silverchips

February 5, 2016

A perfect Valentine’s Day for you and bae

Tips for the best romantic (or non-romantic) holiday

By Brianna Forté Humor

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and with this holiday comes many unrealistic expectations. Here are a few helpful hints of what you can do to show your sweetheart some love if you are in a relationship… or make yourself happy if you are single.

just kick it breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies.” If you do not get this reference you should probably skip the Galentine’s Day festivities and instead spend the day at home having a Parks and Rec marathon.

Like Leslie Knope, you can tell your friends that you love them, and send them candy grams. Just letting someone else know

Major keys to success COURTESY OF SHYAER PARVEZ

Shyaer Parvez JUNIOR Last May, junior Shyaer Parvez and his band, Throwing Wrenches, won first place in the second annual MoCo’s Got Talent.

Four years ago, Parvez, along with Quince Orchard senior Jacob Elder, Walter Johnson sophomore Nick Morper, and Magruder junior Ian Aleman formed their alternative modern rock band and started out playing covers of popular songs.

Going from a garage band to the winner of MoCo’s Got Talent was a long journey for Parvez and his bandmates. After years of practice, the band has become skilled, allowing Parvez to focus on writing original lyrics and Elder to compose his own tunes instead of doing set rehearsals. “We stopped having to practice as vigorously,” he says. “We could [write] original songs instead.”

Parvez finds songwriting therapeutic, allowing him to express himself. “Instead of having to bottle in my feelings, I can just write a song and every time I sing that song, it gets a little bit more off my chest,” he says. Parvez and his bandmates also appeared on ABC 7 and NBC 4 after being contacted through Facebook. “Being recognized for making something that someone can relate to and actually enjoy is pretty cool,” he says.

By Dawson Do

What you should do on Valentine’s Day really depends on what type of relationship you are in. Focus on doing something that will make your partner happy. This can include going to a nice restaurant (or a nice-ish restaurant that doesn’t cost too much, if you are tight on cash), doing a fun or romantic activity (like ice skating or taking a walk), or going on a date somewhere you have never gone before (anything from a new park to a new state: you decide!).

If you want to live up to the single-person cliché, you can opt for staying at home in your pajamas, watching romantic movies, and crying while eating ice cream—whichever genre and flavor float your boat. You can also go in the complete opposite direction and watch anything but romcoms, like war documentaries or Christmas movies like Elf. Elf is just as entertaining in February as it is in December, and Will Ferrell can help anyone laugh their way out of V-day blues.

However, there are also things you can do with your friends. You can channel your inner Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation and host a Galentine’s Day. In the wise words of Leslie Knope, Galentine’s Day is when “lady friends leave their husbands and their boyfriends at home and

ALEXANDRA VILLA

that you love them can make you feel better and make them feel a little less lonely.

Don’t play yourself While it is important to know how to have fun on Valentine’s Day, you also need to know what to avoid at all costs. First and foremost, do not try to break up with someone on Valentine’s Day. As improbable as it sounds, it has happened to people before.

On the other end of the spectrum, refrain from saying, “I love you” for the first time.

It is too unoriginal and super corny, almost like you are giving in to the pressure of the holiday.

Another thing – definitely do not propose.

Picking the perfect gift is probably the trickiest part of Valentine’s Day. Gifts are hard to pick out, and there is a wide range of options. You could embrace the V-Day go to gifts of chocolate, teddy bears, jewelry, and roses. Also flowers, you can never go wrong with bouquets of flowers...unless your partner hates flowers and has no soul. Or they are allergic to pollen.

If you want to stray from the norm, you can be original with various homemade gifts. Cards are always adorable; heartfelt letters melt people’s hearts, along with basically anything else made by hand as long as it is love-related or heart-shaped. Even if you are not particularly crafty and are in a bind with money, you can always write a love poem. There is an app specifically for this purpose called The Love Poem Generator which could definitely come in handy.

Whatever you end up doing on Valentine’s Day, take this advice to heart and try not to stress too much. With these tips, you can fill your day with romantic, platonic, or self love and feel like a champ regardless of your relationship status. And, perhaps most importantly, don’t forget to enjoy the sweets!

Actors of color forge a path for more representation onscreen

By Sarah Hutter An opinion

COURTESY OF OLIVIA GONZALEZ

Olivia Gonzalez SOPHOMORE

By Alice Park

Tie it with a bow

Making progress toward truly American television

Turn on the TV (or log into Netflix) and you are bound to find brand-new seasons of smash hit shows you have probably heard of: Empire, How to Get Away with Murder, Jane the Virgin, or Aziz Ansari’s new comedy, Master of None. What do all of these shows have in com-

While some students just complain about the school’s spotty Wi-Fi or unhealthy lunch options, sophomore Olivia Gonzalez is running to be the next Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) to enact tangible changes.

As a candidate, Gonzalez advocates for various improvements, including better mental health support for students. “I think we need to do more to support students with mental illnesses because how else are students expected to perform well academically?” Gonzalez says. “Other things I support are later start times, stronger Wi-Fi in schools, pushing the 2016-2017 start date to after Labor Day, semester exams rather than quarterly exams, and stronger support for arts programs in schools.”

Gonzalez is currently building her campaign on social media and reaching out to students. She believes her work ethic and unique background will enable her to be an effective SMOB. “There are currently no Latino members of the Board of Education even though MCPS is 30 percent Latino,” she says. “I think it’s important to have a Latino SMOB so that those students’ voices are represented.”

I mean, do not propose in general as a teenager, but especially not on Valentine’s Day. And last and most importantly: do NOT forget the holiday altogether. You should at least acknowledge your partner on this special day and show them how much you (hopefully) appreciate them. Also, avoid going on first dates on Valentine’s Day. That is just an awkward situation all together.

The expectations surrounding Valentine’s Day lead to awkward and unfortunate first dates, regardless of who you are with.

mon? In what marks a drastic a n d much-needed change from widespread, white-dominated programming, these shows feature people of color (PoC) in leading roles.

In 2011, Mindy Kaling became the first Indian-American to star in a leading role on television in the U.S. with the premier of her show The Mindy Project. Since then, the number of shows with people of color leads has gradually increased.

How to Get Away with Murder, a legal drama from well-known producer Shonda Rhimes, premiered in September 2014 and star Viola Davis has won a primetime Emmy award for her role as Professor Annalise Keating. She was the first black person to win an Emmy for lead actress in a drama.

Jane the Virgin, a satirical romantic-comedy-style sitcom, also premiered in fall of 2014, starring Latina actress Gina Rodriguez as Jane, a woman who accidentally becomes pregnant through artificial insemi-

nation. Soon afterwards, in January 2015, Fox launched Empire, a drama series which brought black actress Taraji P. Henson fame as the notorious Cookie. And this fall, Netflix debuted Indian-American comedian Aziz Ansari’s new show Master of None.

These shows not only feature strong nonwhite leads, but also supporting casts made up of people of color. This is a necessary and welcome step forward; the American populace is not all-white, so our television shows should not be either.

Shows focusing on people of color are necessary to reflect America’s diversity and they are important for young people to see. Many young people find role models in their favorite TV characters or actors and having more people of color on screen allows everyone to establish role models that look like them.

While introducCANDIA GU ing TV shows with non-white leading actors is a seemingly small step forward, it is an important one.

Senior Sofia Sandoval believes television is a medium through which everyone should be able see themselves and their culture represented. “Lately I’ve seen a small but steady increase in the amount of television with PoC [in] leads,” says Sandoval. “It’s important because it provides an amazing platform for constant representation that isn’t being used very often.”

Until now, most popular TV shows featured all-white casts, such as that of Friends and How I Met Your Mother. If people of color were included in these shows, it was usually as minor characters of little importance.

People of color in these shows were usually given stereotypical characters such as the classic trope of the “sassy black friend,” (think Angie from 30 Rock or Dionne from Clueless) or the lesser sidekick of the white lead. “There are two main issues; no repre-

sentation and negative representation,” says Sandoval. “Often, PoC just don’t seem to exist within the world of the show, and if they do, they’re usually portrayed in a very onedimensional (often negative) way.”

American television has a very broad audience – according to a study sponsored

by California State University, 99 percent of American households own at least one TV and 56 percent of Americans pay for cable television. The actors on screen should represent the makeup of the audience.

For Blair’s multicultural student population, shows with PoC leads offer more protagonists that students can relate to. People of color in leading roles allow young people to have a diverse set of role models. “Personally, it’s nice to see fully-developed characters that look like me on screen,” says Sandoval, who identifies as Latina. “It makes me feel more comfortable in my own skin and in my own identity.”

Featuring diverse casts on screen is a simple way to represent different groups and American experiences. Senior Zachary Williams hopes that shows starring people of color will help break down stereotypes about minorities. “Media has a huge effect on our culture as a whole,” he says. “If minorities aren’t viewed as some ‘other,’ we can counter a lot of the biases we have toward minorities.”

Sandoval explains that wider representation will allow for more tolerance and understanding of different cultures and ethnicities. “Shows with PoC leads are often considered niche, but if more exist then it’ll be easier to communicate our stories and experiences with others,” says Sandoval.

While television has made some progress towards representation, we need to see more. “I think we’re generally moving in the right direction, [but] that’s not to say the issue is fixed, though,” Williams says. Shows such as Master of None and Empire have brought more PoC to the entertainment industry, but we are still far from having programming that accurately and consistently reflects our country’s diversity. The majority of TV shows out there still feature predominantly white casts, but the more we support shows that highlight minorities’ voices, the more likely we are to see even more people of color on our screens in the future.

February 5, 2016

Entertainment D4

silverchips

While the runway evolves, menswear fails to keep up

There is more to men’s fashion than tradition, utility, and detail

By Dawson Do An opinion When I want to dress professionally or formally, what do I wear? As a guy, the answer is easy: a suit or maybe just a simple collared shirt and tie.

If a man wants to stand out or make a lasting impression, though, that is another story.

Ties can be fat or skinny, jackets can be slim or broad, and maybe the color can change from bland workplace shades to brighter hues. All these variations are reasonable, but compared to the wide range of acceptable womenswear, men’s fashion is disappointingly limited.

Men’s fashion is polarizing: it either falls into the realm of boring or bizarre. There’s no acceptable middle ground where ideas are pushed and expanded. Menswear designers can either rehash the same sweater, shirt, and chino pants every season, or they can push beyond boundaries to the point that garments no longer even look like clothes.

Most runway fashion designs get flack for being unwearable and frankly, that is true.

Runway outfits are not meant to be worn in any other setting – they are artistic designs that use clothes as a medium of expression.

Unfortunately, weird and abstract designs offer almost no lead for a more casual or traditional interpretation.

The two distinct categories that most of men’s fashion can be put into – unwearable couture or boring “staples” like the button up shirt – cause many men to be indifferent toward fashion. On one side, the clothing is too ridiculous to even consider, and on the other, it’s so monotonous that little thought and effort is needed to look presentable. In the end, you are still wearing a three-piece suit, and people still think you look good.

There is no desire for new interpretations in men’s fashion because the scene garners so little attention. New York Fashion Week has

been held by the Council of Fashion Designers of America for more than 20 years, but men’s fashion only received its first dedicated week last July. Womenswear gets significantly more attention and because of that, no designers want to make a name for themselves in men’s fashion – it is not as marketable and profitable.

Menswear does not offer the fluidity and flexibility of women’s fashion; it tends to be stagnant, and some aspects can even be called archaic.

The accepted norms of men’s fashion simply do not change as fast as women’s fashion. King Charles II introduced waistcoats, a staple to most modern suits in the 1600’s, and the look has barely changed.

And you are not supposed to button the bottom. Why? Well, nobody really knows; the most popular explanation is that Edward VII was being too fat to button it in the 1800’s.

It is not just formalwear that has not changed. Business casual attire has always been a collared shirt and pants. You have the liberty to add a sweater if you are cold, but not much else. In the same event where a suit would be acceptable, you could also see blouses, sundresses, skirts, or business

dresses on women.

There is not as much room for variation or reconstruction in menswear as there is for womenswear, which causes many male designers to flock towards

described as forward: street style. This is where our lord Yeezus comes in. Street wear is gaining popularity within the younger audience as it is beginning to be pushed by mainstream celebrities. Street wear offers a wider range of colors, patterns, and layers and it can be heavily influenced by high fashion designers without looking too avant garde.

However, it comes with the downside of generally not being accepted as men’s fashion. It falls into a niche category of fashion that nobody would dare wear to a job interview.

That is where the problem lies. The only widely-accepted forms of men’s fashion are variations of traditional outfits. Men’s fashion is traditionally influenced by sportswear and military uniforms with an emphasis on utilitarianism and functionality.

Everything carries the aspect of practicality in menswear. There are a wider range of options available, but nobody can really try them unless they are in very specific, accepting environments.

Times are changing, and the perception of men’s fashion should change, too. A suit and tie MEGHNA SAMBATHKUMAR will always be timeless but there women’s collections. Raf Simons was is plenty of room in our wardrobe for more the creative director for Christian Dior’s choices. Women’s fashion evolved to allow women’s collection, and Rick Owens designs for shorter dresses and skirts back in the 50’s, his own women’s line accompanying his so it’s about time men’s fashion loosen up its men’s collection. Men’s fashion just doesn’t own restrictions. offer the creative outlet that women’s fashion For now, menswear still has a long way does. to go before there’s enough variety to have Despite the dismal state of most men’s men’s-only boutiques and designers. fashion, there is one subgenre that can be But hey, at least we have pockets.

Student snoozing: A quest to find the best school napping locations From the library to the third floor, the best places to nap are not the most expected

By Christian Mussenden In first person Every Blair student can probably agree on one thing: the school year is exhausting.

We go to school for over 180 days of the year and our brains are expected to be at their peak functioning capacity from 7:45 a.m to 2:30 p.m. We are supposed to achieve the highest grades possible while balancing all different kinds of extracurricular activities.

The continuous schooldays can wear you down, and at some point, you might need an in-school nap.

Most students acknowledge this, but they settle for sleeping in the middle of class in terribly uncomfortable conditions. Silver Chips decided to seek out the best and most accessible places for a quick snooze that will leave you recharged for the rest of the school day.

Sleeping in Blair’s Times Square The beanbag chairs in the library are one of the most popular napping locations, so it was one of the first places I thought to check

UNDISTURBED SLUMBER The third floor and peaceful sleeping area hidden away

out. However, after careful napping consideration, I would advise you to stay away from them.

The beanbags are in an open and busy place, so it is usually hard to find an available one. On top of that, I found it really uncomfortable to know that people were watching me while I slept. As a result, my nap was not particularly restful. The beanbags may seem like a comfortable place to rest, but after about ten minutes, my back started to ache, and I found myself becoming increasingly fidgety.

Although the library beanbags look like they would be the site of a fantastic in-school nap, the inconvenient location and the surprising lack of comfort makes them one of the worst places to nap in school. Therefore, I am giving it a low rating of 6/10.

The Arctic wasteland The next place I decided to try was the health room. What makes the health room so enticing is the isolation and the prospect of a bed. I needed a pass to go to the nurse’s office, which was slightly annoying but manageable. Once I arrived, I had to answer a few of the clinician’s questions about my “illness.” Then she led me into a room with four beds.

When I sat down, the beds were comfortable, but I was quickly confronted with the health room’s largest problem: unbearably cold temperatures. Even sleeping outside in summer clothes at the height of a CALEB BAUMAN Canadian winter lockers offer a private would have been from Blair Boulevard. better. Since I was

not well prepared, I found myself shivering throughout my snooze.

Plus, when I finally got comfortable after twenty long, frigid minutes, the health aid came and sent me back to class.

The health room would not have been that bad if I had dressed accordingly. Since I did not, I am forced to give it a low grade for the brutal climate and the quick patient turnover. If I went with a thick winter jacket then I would have had a good sleep and given it a 7/10.

However, with normal apparel on, a student will be subjected to one of the worst naps of their life, which is why I am giving it a 4/10.

Into the unknown

The last place I tested was the third floor lockers. I know this may seem like the absolute worst place to take a nap – you have to sleep on the floor and it is far from private CALEB BAUMAN – but, surprisingly enough, it was KNOCKED OUT Students resort to the library to here that I got the best nap.

When you go up there and lay catch up on sleep before school and during lunch. down, the floor is not as uncomfortable as one would think. I used my backpack Finding the perfect spot for a nap in as a pillow and I was able to completely drift school is harder than it seems. I realized that out of consciousness – a feat that is quite dif- it is very hard for anyone to get the ideal ficult when trying to fall asleep during the comfort and solitude from an in-school nap, school day and something that I could not but if needed, the third floor is the place to attain in the two previous locations. go.

When I woke up from my nap, I felt completely refreshed. I would give this place a What are the best napping spots at Blair? perfect score, but the unusual loca“The locker room.” tion and the small Ahkeila Wilkins, sophomore possibility of a security guard com“The best napping places have to be in the library. ing by forces me There are places where no one really goes.” to detract from the grade and give it a - Christina Delgado, junior solid 8/10.

soapbox

D5 ADs

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Chips Clips D6

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Snow Day

by Julian Bregstone

Across

48. Old English word for before

20. A mobile liquid container

50. The bottom

22. To set in the right place

5. To have consumed food

51. Used to move snow

25. John _____: an Italian explorer

8. Cut from the surface

55. Someone who found success

26. Green or black pitted fruit

needed urgently

14. White powdery precipitation

59. Spanish for wolves

28. Doing something weirdly

15. Peninsula west of Japan

60. Purple Asian fruit

29. Food used to entice an animal

16. Run away

62. Chocolate sandwich cookie

31. Out of the way

17. An S shaped line

63. To bring together

32. A Greek scientist who per-

18. Slightly wrong

64. Shaggy oxen

19. Able to be defended

65. ____ and tear

33. Give a certain amount

21. To satisfy

66. Consistent Threatening

35. Sixth month of the Jewish

23. A device used to extend human

67. Acronym for Estimated Time

Down

25. To desire (3rd person present)

40. Where one grew up

1. Not firm to the touch

45. To give up time or resources

30. A long heroic story

2. A story

47. Clamps on guitar necks

34. A notification of danger

3. ____ Hut!

49. To restore

35. A short wise saying

4. Places to see a production

50. A loose garment worn by

37. The most profitable Indian tree

5. Snow _____

38. The ideal place for a snow day

6. Foot digits

51. Lump in yarn

7. Female sheep

52. To refine

8. Glide on ice

53. Japanese Sashes

9. Colloquial word for friends

54. Dirty animal place

42. To hold in high regard

10. An accompanied solo

56. Piece of space

43. A cowboy contest

11. A sleeveless coat

57. 500 sheets of paper

44. To have a certain behavior

12. To move gently

58. To rip in the past

46. To use force to open something

14. Unaccompanied flights by a

61. CIS Star Wars tank

41. Acronym for Original Video Animation

many Muslim women

Sudoku: Hard

Sudoku: Easy

WWW.WEBSUDOKU.COM

SUBMIT YOUR ART OUTSIDE ROOM 158

Rabbit Therapy

Doggy Dream Catcher

Average night with your dog

39. To forcefully banish

28. ___-Wan Kenobi

thrill

DALIAH BARG

calendar 36. A way out

68. Word to identify someone

24. Bruce ___

Maryland Weather

formed surgery on himself

of Arrival

ability

GUEST ARTIST KATHRYN MUSSENDEN

27. Extreme vegetarian

quickly

13. A promise

Blazer Box

pilot

47. Strong grey material

1. Used to signify something is

WWW.WEBSUDOKU.COM

ROSEMARY SOLOMON

MEGHNA SAMBATHKUMAR

One minute without your dog

Five minutes without your dog

E1 Spanish

silverchips

5 de febrero del 2016

La Esquina Latina

Silver Chips 5 de febrero del 2016

Redadas de inmigrantes dividen a hogares hispanos

Inmigración deporta a cientos de hispanos en este año nuevo Por Camila Fernández y Andrés Pérez

LaVoz

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

Enyi Villagran Décimo grado

“Es injusto porque hay más hispanos en este país. Las tiendas y los supermercados están llenos de hispanos trabajadores. Es injusto que nos quieran deportar.”

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

Ruth Serpas Noveno grado

“A pesar de todo, los latinos se deverían de sentir orgulloses de donde vienen. Todos somos iguales y todos merecemos las mismas oportunidades.”

En los primeros días del 2016, cientos de indocumentados fueron extraditados de sus casas debido a la acción ejecutiva del presidente Barack Obama, la cual tomó el 20 de noviembre del año 2014.

Esta acción ejecutiva permite que el servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE por sus siglas en inglés) con ayuda del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS por sus siglas en inglés) deporte a aquellos inmigrantes centroamericanos que hayan entrado al país durante los años 2014 y 2015 de manera ilegal.

Las prioridades de ICE al momento son deportar a aquellas personas que son consideradas una amenaza a la seguridad nacional. Su prioridad también es deportar a personas que no solo califican como inmigrantes ilegales, sino que también mantienen un récord criminal y las personas con una orden final de deportación.

Estudiante Pamela Umanzor del noveno grado opina que hace falta transpa- rencia en esta decisión, “dijeron que iban a deportar a los inmigrantes ilegales que fueran criminales o tuvieran órdenes de deportación, pero la verdad es que están deportando a todos aquellos que no tienen papeles.”

CASA de Maryland está para ayudar a aquellas personas que se encuentren en una situación en la que sus derechos estén siendo violados. Gustavo Torres, director ejecutivo de Casa de Maryland, dice que ellos son una institución dedicada a informar. “Para las personas que no tienen documentos, tenemos nuestra página de internet y nuestra pagina de facebook CASA.” En esta página las personas, “pueden encontrar mucha información, pero también pueden venir personalmente a nuestras instalaciones para conocer más sobre sus derechos como inmi-

DONALD DE ALWIS

mos tanto. La mayoría de personas creen que van a ser deportados y nadie quiere trabajar ya.”

Para asegurarse de que todo se está haciendo de manera correcta, Gustavo Torres recomienda actuar con cuidado si inmigración llega a su hogar. “Si llega [migración] a su puerta, por favor no abra.

Ellos tienen que presentarle una orden firmada por un juez para poder entrar a su casa. En caso de que le presentaran una orden de deportación, pídales que la deslicen bajo su puerta para evitar que entren.”

Torres recomienda que los inmigrantes indocumentados tengan planes de respaldo en caso de que los intenten deportar.

“Mantenga el contacto de un amigo o familiar de confianza a quien pueda llamar

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

Pamela Umazor Décimo grado

“Los hispanos vienen aquí a trabajar y les ayudan, pero esas cosas no las ven. Apoyan más otras cosas que no vienen al caso y que no ayudan en nada. No quieren ayudar a las personas que necesitan ayuda.”

CHAMINDA HANGILIPOLA

Diana Morán Nieto Noveno grado

“Antes de todo necesitamos solidaridad. Las redadas son un problema que afecta a toda la comunidad latina, pero pienso que vamos a sobrepasar este obstaculo.”

DONALD DE ALWIS

grantes indocumentados,” dijo Torres.

Claudia Quiñonez, exalumna de la clase del 2013 y quien trabaja para CASA de Maryland, dice que las redadas han sido una sorpresa ya que Maryland es considerado uno de los estados más seguros para los inmigrantes indocumentados gracias a su posición geográfica. “En este estado fue pasado el Maryland Dream Act. Se ofrecen licencias de conducir a inmigrantes indocumentados y hay cientos de organizaciones como Casa que existen para ayudar a los inmigrantes.”

Un gran problema con esta situación es que ya corren rumores que crean un ambiente de temor en las personas. Un estudiante que decidió mantenerse en anonimato opina que dichos rumores interfieren con la vida de su familia. “Nos quedamos en la casa en vez de salir, cosa que antes no hacía-

en caso de que la migra venga por usted.

También, prepárese para pedir un abogado en el momento que le empiecen a pedir información, es importante que no responda ninguna pregunta hasta que le den un abogado, ya que todo lo que diga puede ser usado en su contra.”

Para Claudia Quiñones, para que esta situación se resuelva pronto, es necesario crear conciencia por medio del ejemplo y la popularización de los eventos. “Nosotros le recomendamos a que las personas defiendan sus derechos, incluso si son inmigrantes indocumentados. De parte de CASA hemos organizado reuniones y marchas con la comunidad hispana inmigrante para demostrarle a las personas que ellos también tienen derechos que merecen ser protegidos.”

Otro aspecto clave en esta situación es

que muchos ignoran que las licencias que han sido dadas a inmigrantes indocumentados pueden ponerlos en riesgo de caer en manos de ICE en algunos casos. “Algo que aconsejamos a todos aquellos que tienen cortes pendientes o que han pasado por procesos de deportación en el pasado es que se no obtengan una licencia. MVA tiene todos sus datos personales y migración puede tener acceso a esa base de datos y utilizarlos para deportarlos.”

Recientemente CASA, con ayuda de ciudadanos de nuestra comunidad, protestaron en la Corte Suprema por los derechos de los inmigrantes y los programas DACA (Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia) y DAPA (Acción Diferida para Responsabilidad de los padres). Los programas DACA y DAPA benefician a las familias de hispanos ilegales en el país. Robert Asprilla cree que la razón detrás de la legislación pasada por el presidente Obama para autorizar las deportaciones de inmigrantes fue un intento para poder hacer realidad estos programas.

Estos no solo benefician a menores de edad que entraron al país ilegalmente, pero también a los padres ilegales con hijos nacidos en los Estados Unidos.Estas protestas fueron realizadas en frente de la Corte Suprema ya que el caso judicial de DAPA y DAPA tenía que ser aprobado por ellos antes de que decidiera el destino de estas órdenes judiciales.

Docenas de personas se reunieron el 8 de enero afuera de la Corte Suprema de los Estados Unidos en Washington DC pro testando. Esto fue hecho para que los jueces se dieran cuenta que al no pasar estos programas que beneficiaría a miles de inmigrantes, docenas de familias tendrían que ser separadas. Después de protestas en las mañanas y vigilias en la noche el dia 15 de enero, los jueces de la Corte Suprema accedieron revisar el caso.

En los últimos días, la situación se ha apaciguado un poco y ya hay un poco más de calma entre la población de inmigrantes.

A pesar de esto, es importante siempre estar alerta y preparado para actuar rápidamente en caso de que las redadas sean reanudadas.

CASA tiene un número de emergencia al cual las personas que son detenidas por las redadas de ICE pueden hablar. El numero es 240-491-5783.

Esta historia esta acompañada por un video hecho por; Chaminda Hangilipola y editado por BNC. Para ver el video escanea el codigo en la izquierza con una applicacion de codigos de QR, o usa el enlace de abajo.

WWW.VIMEO.COM/SILVERCHIPS/INMIGRACION

Español E2

silverchips

5 de febrero del 2016

El voto latino es necessario Nuevos deportes en la Tu voto puede hacer la diferencia primeravera en 2016

Por Andrés Pérez

A través de las elecciones primarias el pueblo estadounidense decide qué candidatos representarán a sus respectivos partidos en las elecciones presidenciales. Tal como en años anteriores, la carrera presidencial ha recibido una cantidad masiva de atención por parte de los medios de comunicación. Es imperativo notar que no todo lo que publican es cierto.

Para todo votante registrado, es importante saber identificar la diferencia entre un reportaje informativo y uno que simplemente busca causar sensación.

Lastimosamente, el último tipo de reportaje es el que más abunda en los medios de comunicación y redes sociales. Estos tipos de acciones deshonestas ponen en riesgo el rumbo político de la nación y esto se debe al aumento de usuarios de redes sociales. Gracias a diversas personas y grupos, se ha logrado popularizar material no corroborado o incorrecto sobre varios candidatos presidenciales.

Antes de tomar la decisión de votar por un candidato, es importante que los votantes se informen de manera detallada sobre el historial de los diversos candidatos. El informarse antes de votar crea un ambiente político más seguro para todos, ya que al saber más sobre la realidad de los candidatos, es más fácil para que una persona tome una decisión educada que represente de manera objetiva sus propios ideales y no los de los medios de comunicación.

Las redes sociales y los medios de comunicación no son los únicos que a veces difunden falsedades. En muchas ocasiones, los mismos candidatos manipulan la verdad para acomodarla a sus propuestas y objetivos. Es importante recordar que cada candidato intenta crear una imagen positi-

va dirigida a un grupo específico de la población con el objetivo de obtener su apoyo y asegurar su voto en las elecciones. Un ejemplo de esto es el candidato democrático, Bernie Sanders, quien ha propuesto hacer que los primeros dos años de la universidad pública sean sin costo alguno o costo mínimo para atraer el voto de los jóvenes adultos de la nación. Otros candidatos han planteado propuestas para reformar el sistema de inmigración reconociendo que no quieren irse por el camino de una amnistía para convertirse en ciudadanos legales sino que un proceso que conlleva el pago de una multa, demostrar que han pagado impuestos y que han aprendido inglés. Estos son ejemplos de las estrategias a las que recurren los candidatos para asegurar nuestro voto. Hay que tener la astucia de poder discernir lo que es una promesa de campaña vs. algo que honestamente creen y quieren lograr.

El año pasado, la población latina del país alcanzó los 57 millones y se estima que cada año, un millón de latinos alcanzan la edad para votar.

Este hecho nos clasifica no solo como la minoría más grande del país, sino también como la que más influencia puede ejercer. Cada voto representa la voz de un ser humano, por ODALIS LLERENA lo tanto, como latinos, es clave convertir ese voto en una voz que comunique efectivamente nuestros puntos de vistas y una visión de progreso en este país. Al momento de votar, cada persona debe de pensar en sus objetivos, sus creencias y su identidad como ser humano, y basar su voto en esos estándares. Esto solo se puede lograr de manera efectiva si están informados.

El conocimiento es poder y en estas elecciones presidenciales es importante tener un conocimiento básico de las políticas, propuestas y promesas de cada candidato para poder tomar una decisión objetiva e inteligente.

Las primarias presidenciales en Maryland serán el 26 de abril y las elecciones son el 8 de noviembre. Estas se encuentran a la vuelta de la esquina, pero nunca es tarde para informarse.

Por Ilcia Hernandez Cada año escolar hay muchos eventos y organizaciones para todos los estudiantes. Es importante que todos los estudiantes participen en al menos una actividad extracurricular que incluye los deportes, clubes y organizaciones.

Esto trae beneficios, ya que existe evidencia que el estudiante que participa proactivamente en la vida escolar tiende a obtener calificaciones más altas en comparación a los que no se unen a clubes.

En la primavera, el sol comienza a calentar más y la temperatura es favorable. Para los que tienen interés en los deportes, en Blair hay actividades deportivas como competencias de p i s ta y campo, beisbol, voleibol, gimnásticas y softbol. Para los que quieren tratar de entrar a algún equipo, pueden registrarse a finales de febrero. Alex Mendivil, una estudiante del grado once, va a regresar al equipo de voleibol este año. Ella cuenta, “ser parte de un equipo en la escuela es algo muy emocionante. Lo que me gusta más del voleibol es que es un trabajo hecho en equipo porque se toma la participación de todos para anotar un punto.” Los deportes dan un sentido de unidad y responsabilidad.

Al igual como los trabajos de escuela, los deportes también requieren responsabilidad porque hay otros compañeros de equipo quienes cuentan contigo. Los deportes también pueden tomar mucho tiempo del día y por eso es importante el organizarse para tener tiempo para hacer otras cosas como trabajos de la escuela, comer y lo más importante, dormir y descansar.

Mendivil agrega, “a mi me encanta el voleibol y pienso que el tiempo que yo paso practicando es muy valioso. Entre las dos horas que pasamos practicando todos los días durante la temporada, yo he podido hacer nuevas amistades, y eso es lo que más me gusta.” Para poder ser aceptado a un equipo en la

escuela, los estudiantes deben tener buenas calificaciones durante todo el año con un promedio mínimo de 2.0 y no tener ninguna E en las calificaciones. Los deportes se pueden tomar en serio, pero también pueden ser solo un pasa tiempo. Todo depende del nivel de interés haya.

Otras actividades incluyen clubes, las cuales se reúnen después de la escuela. Uno de los clubes en Blair es Key Club. Este club está dirigido por los estudiantes quienes llevan a cabo trabajo voluntario en la escuela. Los que participan tienen la oportunidad de ganar horas de servicio voluntario, que es beneficioso porque para graduarse de la escuela secundaria se necesita al menos 75 horas comunitarias. En el club se planifican dife- rentes eventos para recaudar fondos para organizaciones que lo necesitan.

La presidenta del club, Gloria Portillo del doceavo dice, “es una buena manera de integrarse a la comunidad.

Nosotros estamos en el proceso de encontrar lugares en donde podramos ser voluntarios. Cuando lo hacemos es una experiencia maravillosa. También trabajamos en fortalecer nuestro carácter y desarrollar el liderazgo.”

Key Club es una actividad extracurricular que tiene muchos beneficios personales y académicos porque se puede aprender más de sí mismo y a la misma vez ganar horas de servicio comunitario. Finalmente, Portillo dice, “¡todos pueden unirse al club! Las reuniones son todos los jueves y comienzan el 28 de enero.”

Hay muchos diferentes clubes que se reúnen después de la escuela. Por ejemplo, está el Club Verde, en la cual planifican actividades para ayudar el planeta, y Blazer Ragers, en la cual los estudiantes traen espíritu a eventos deportistas. Estos solo son unos de los 60 o más clubes que hay en Blair.

La integración en la comunidad estudiantil es algo muy beneficioso.

¿Se les debería abrir las puertas a refugiados de Siria?

Por Emily Barrero Recientemente, los medios de comunicación han estado llenos de noticias sobre los acontecimientos que están ocurriendo en el medio oriente. A causa de una guerra civil, uno de los países que está siendo más afectado es Siria. Miles de personas están tratando la manera de huir de los enfrentamientos violentos y sangrientos.

El conflicto es entre el grupo de extremistas ISIS, conocido como el Estado islámico de Irak y Siria un grupo de extremistas musulmanes que buscan unir a todas las naciones musulmanas en una sola y exterminar a todos aquellos que se opongan a sus creencias religiosas extremistas. También se oponen a las fuerzas armadas del ejército Sirio, que cuentan con el apoyo de países como Francia y los Estados Unidos.

Se han registrado más de doscientas mil muertes en Siria debido a esta guerra brutal que podría ser categorizada como una de las peores crisis humanas en la historia.

En un último intento por supervivencia, muchas de estas personas han buscado el refugio en países europeos cercanos.

Uno de los grandes problemas es que estos países no están dando a basto para recibir a tantas personas al mismo tiempo y por eso han pedido el apoyo a otras naciones como los Estados Unidos y Canadá.

Muchos jefes de estados y altos ejecutivos del gobierno se encuentran indecisos sobre si se les debería permitir la entrada a estas miles de personas. Es de extrema importancia demostrar liderazgo entre los jefes de gobierno y que se llegue a un acuerdo mutuo sobre este tema y le den una solu-

ción rápida a esta crisis humanitaria. El tomar una decisión es de extrema urgencia ya que hay miles de inocentes que sufren día a día.

Familias tienen que enfrentar estos grupos sanguinarios y viven con el miedo constante de ser una víctima más de estos extremistas.

Estados Unidos está en la posición de brindar ayuda a los refugiados proveyéndoles un hogar, trabajo y así poder obtener una mejor calidad de vida. Al llegar a este país, a estas personas se les dará una segunda oportunidad para salir adelante y la opor-

empeorar la situación, los ataques en San Bernardino, California pocos días después de lo que sucedió en Francia dejaron como resultado 14 muertes de gente inocente.

Estos ataques generaron el aumento en la decisión que cuestiona si se debe permitir la entrada a miles de ciudadanos sirios.Otra preocpación que los ciudadanos tienen es que se repita un hecho en comparación con lo que pasó el 11 de septiembre del 2001. El temor es tan grande que también está generando tensión en la

Refugiados Sirios Admitidos en el Pais Refugiados Sirios Admitidos 10,000 2012-2015

El Presidente Obama indicó que los E.E.U.U. aceptaría porlo menos 10,000 Sirios en el 2016.

7,500

92,991 1,854 Estados Unidos

5,000 2,500

Alemania

CORTESÍA DE NEW YORK TIMES

tunidad de reponerse el daño psicológico y económico que esta guerra les ha generado.

Esta polémica ha generado temor ya que terroristas se han infiltrado entre los refugiados para cometer actos como lo que sucedió en Francia en noviembre del año pasado.

Se presume que entre los refugiados iban integrantes de ISIS, los cuales propiciaron este sangriento ataque en el que resultaron muertas más de 130 personas. Justo para

0

10,000 1,682 2016

105 2014

36

31 2012

CAMILLE ESTRIN Y SAM BUTLER

comunidad estadounidense y muchas personas están siendo acusadas injustamente solo por practicar la religión del Islam.

Un punto clave y que es importante resaltar es que no todas las personas que practican el Islam son extremistas como ISIS. Son estos tipos de generalizaciones hacia estas personas que ocasionan señalamientos injustos y son inconstitucionales. Estos actos violan la primera enmienda de la consti-

tución de los Estados Unidos que especifica la libertad de practicar cualquier religión.

Entre los beneficios que pueden existir para todos estos refugiados si se les permite entrar al país, es la oportunidad de mejores condiciones de vida. Son un poco más de mil refugiados en suelo estadounidense que han sido relocalizado en diferentes estados ya que tienen que pasar por un estricto proceso de evaluación.

Esta polémica se incrementó cuando el presidente Obama sugirió que el país aceptara a por lo menos 10,000 refugiados. Esta declaración inmediatamente desató inconformidad en el país. Muchos jefes de gobierno propusieron aceptar solo los refugiados cristianos, una declaración señalada como injusta que al mismo tiempo hace crecer el repudio y la intolerancia hacia este grupo musulmán. No solo se puede clasificar esta propuesta como discriminatoria, sino que también viola la primera enmienda, el derecho a practicar cualquier religión. Otra de las ideas presentadas por las autoridades es hacer una revisión de antecedentes a todos aquellos que piden el asilo estadounidense. El problema es que esto toma tiempo, algo con el que no cuentan estas personas. Tomaría meses para poder realizar el proceso de registro y no todos pueden que califiquen.

Mientras los medios de comunicación están llenos de noticias sobre el terror que ISIS está generando a nivel mundial, el gobierno de los Estados Unidos le está bloqueando la entrada a los refugiados de Siria. La esencia de esta controversia es que hay una crisis humanitaria que necesita atención inmediata en este país.

E3 Español

silverchips

5 de febrero del 2016

Es hora de escoger los cursos que tomarás el próximo año Es momento de seleccionar nuevas clases y seguir nuestra pasión Por Odalis Llerena Es momento de empezar a escoger las clases para el próximo año escolar. Montgomery Blair ofrece muchas opciones de clases pero hay que tomar en cuenta que hay requisitos para poder graduarse. En Enero 27 los estudiantes tendrán acceso a la página web donde podrán escoger sus clases para el año escolar 2016-2017, basados en sus intereses y recomendaciones hechas por sus maestros de este año. Es de gran importancia escoger clases para el semestre A y el semestre B. En adición, cada estudiante recibió una transcripción para verificar los créditos obtenidos y los necesarios para poder graduarse al igual que el número de horas comunitarias completadas de las 75 horas requeridas al final del doceavo grado.

Es también de gran importancia incluir en la hoja de registración amarilla la información de contacto personal del padre o encargado ya que los consejeros pueden que necesiten contactar al estudiante o familia para discutir posibles conflictos o cambios necesarios. La firma de un padre o encargado verificará que han revisado tus selecciones.

drán elegir sus cursos para el próximo año usando un Chromebook en sus clases de estudios sociales. También, los estudiantes del onceavo grado irán a la oficina de consejería para reunirse individualmente con sus consejeros. Se espera que los estudiantes ya hayan escogido sus selecciones de clases en

¿Por qué debería de tomar una clase de español cuando ya hablo español?

Requisitos de Graduación

4.0

=

créditos

inglés

4.0

créditos

matemáticas

3.0 ciencias

1.0

créditos

estudios sociales

10

crédito

s

Selección electrónica de clases Después de escoger las clases para el próximo curso escolar es iniciar una sesión en la página web: scheduler.mcpsmd.org.

El número identificación estudiantil servirá de nombre de usuario y la contraseña de la computadora que usas diariamente en la escuela será tu clave. Al iniciar tu sesión, deberás seleccionar las clases que tus maestros han sugerido o que tú has escogido. Podrás cambiar tus selecciones las veces que quieras en el mes de febrero.

Hasta la segunda semana de febrero, los estudiantes de noveno y décimo grado po-

un resumen de las selecciones finales a cada estudiante. No se podrán hacer más cambios a menos de que haya un error o hasta que el próximo año escolar comience.

tecnología

arte

educación fisíca

CORTESÍA DE MCPS

scheduler.mcpsmd.org. De ser un estudiante que no tenga acceso al internet, podrás usar las computadoras de la biblioteca o podrás entregarle el formulario con tus selecciones al consejero cuando se reúnan. Es importante no tener miedo de hacer preguntas al consejero durante el proceso, ya que su labor es ayudar con cualquier problema o duda que se tenga. En la primavera la escuela enviará

La Señora González, profesora de español para h i s - panohablantes nivel 2 y AP español lenguaje y cultura, explica que “es tan importante que los estudiantes hispanohablantes tomen clases de español como lo es para los estudiantes norteamericanos tomar inglés.” La misma obligación de aprender y mejorar el inglés lo requiere el español. Tomando clases de español ayudará a que puedas cumplir fácilmente los requisitos de lenguaje y a la misma vez mejorar tu español.

Las clases de español que Blair ofrece

Al escoger hacer tu programa de completación estudiando un idioma deberás COLE SEBASTIAN tomar en cuenta las siguientes sugerencia (a menos que decidas no tomar clases de español, se requieren 2 créditos de otro idioma o 2 créditos de tecnología para poder graduarte). Es importante notar que a las universidades les gusta ver cuatro años de estudio del mismo idioma. En Blair se ofrecen tres niveles de español para hispanohablantes. Los cursos de español para hispanohablantes niveles 1 y 2 son para estudiantes que tengan un ni-

vel básico o promedio del dominio del idioma en las áreas de lectura, escritura y entendimiento del idioma. El curso de español para hispanohablantes nivel 3 es un curso riguroso y avanzado. Se considera como un curso pre-AP. Se prefiere que los estudiantes tomen clases de español para hispanohablantes hasta el nivel 3, a tal punto que la escritura del estudiante este refinada y tengan un nivel de entendimiento de lecturas más complejas. También se ofrecen dos cursos AP en español: lenguaje y cultura al igual que literatura y cultura. Como requisito para tomar clases AP en español, se requiere que se haya tomado clases de español para hispanohablantes nivel 3 o español 5.

Las clases AP son de nivel universitario y de aprobar el examen ofrecido por el College Board podrías obtener créditos universitarios de idiomas o humanidades. Los cursos AP ofrecen la oportunidad de tener la experiencia de un curso con el rigor y nivel de dificultad que se verá en clases universitarias.

Si estás en el grado once o doce este año y no has tomado ninguna clase de español para hispanohablantes, no estás tarde. Los estudiantes que deseen refinar su dominio del idioma español deberán tomar un examen de colocación que consiste la habilidad de poder comunicarse por escrito y el nivel de comprensión de lectura. El resultado de este examen indicará el nivel más apropiado de español para hispanohablantes para cual te deberás registrar. Para tomar este examen, tienes que comunicarte con una maestra de español. Todo estudiante tiene el derecho de expresar su deseo de tomar cursos de interés. ¡Esto es de máxima importancia si deseas tomar clases más avanzadas! Las universidades quieren ver que has puesto empeño en estudiar clases avanzadas y rigurosas. ¡Es hora de planificar las clases que vas a tomar para el 2016-2017!

Guía practica para la vida post-segundaria de estudiantes Las universidades no son las únicas opciones, hay infinitas posibilidades Por Emily Barrero y Karla Blanco La vida después de terminar la escuela secundaria es un periodo de tiempo en que los estudiantes tienen que tomar decisiones importantes que pueden definir su futuro. Entre las opciones más comunes al salir de la escuela están los internados.

Por un periodo de tiempo, los jóvenes pueden trabajar sin devengar un sueldo y a cambio, obtienen una gran experiencia académica. Otra opción viable son las escuelas técnicas o vocacionales en las que los jóvenes aprenden un oficio en diferentes áreas desde jardinería hasta arte culinario. Estas son opciones muy factibles porque son mucho menos costosas que una universidad. Algunos jóvenes optan por tomar un año de descanso en el que pueden dedicarse a viajar si es que cuentan con los recursos económicos.

Si este no es el caso, pueden trabajar y ahorrar dinero para seguir con la universidad el próximo año. Algunos jóvenes optan por unirse al servicio militar para poder ayudar a su país pero también devengar un sueldo. El unirse al servicio militar puede traer beneficios buenos incluyendo seguro médico para la familia del adolescente y los gastos de la universidad pagada. Muchos solicitan trabajo en diferentes lugares hasta poder encontrar un trabajo que se enfoque en la carrera que ellos han optado por seguir. Otros prefieren organizar sus propios negocios en cualquier campo laboral. Este país ofrece muchas oportunidades y el estar determinados en las metas que queremos cumplir permite que tomemos provecho de esto.

Comenzamos un año nuevo y estamos a mitad de camino para terminar este año escolar. La mayoría de los alumnos de escuela secundaria están listos para terminar

la escuela y finalmente graduarse. Muchos están preparados para ir a trabajar y otros están preparados para ir a la universidad. Para los que optan por continuar con estudios universitarios, es muy importante pensar en opciones para sufragar los gastos de la carrera deseada.

Aveces, muchos de los estudiantes que -tienen miedo de pensar en los costos de asistir a la universidad o colegio comunitario.

En realidad, al ver los costos, estos pueden ser aterradores causando el desánimo. Muchas veces esta es la causa por la cual muchos estudiantes no saben qué hacer con sus vidas después de la escuela secundaria y por lo tanto prefieren ir en busca de un empleo. ¡No hay que p re o c u p a r s e !

El que busca puede encontrar maneras en cómo financiar los estudios post-secundarios. El primer paso es llenar el documento FASFA. Este documento es una solicitud gratuita de ayuda federal para estudiantes que aspiran ir a la universidad o colegio comunitario. El proceso para poder

someter la solicitud empezó el pri- mero de enero. Casi todos de los estudiantes del grado doceavo están preparándose para solicitar su aplicación para obtener ayuda financiera. Todos los años se ofrecen más de $150 mil millones de préstamos y fondos para programas de estudio. Los que pueden cumplir con el criterio pueden llenar la solicitud para po- der ver si pueden obtener ayuda financiera.

Este p ro g r a m a es solo uno de muchos que existen para ayuda financiera federal al igual que de fuentes privadas.

La cantidad de programas pueden ser abrumadores y al buscar hay que tener mucho cuidado porque como en cualquier otra cosa, se pueden encontrar engaños en la búsqueda. Ciertamente, FASFA es un sitio donde garantizan que para solicitar, no se envuelve ningun costo alguno. Lo importante

“Es necesario estar consciente que aunque es un proceso que puede intimidar, en Blair, los estudiantes tienen a una facultad de maestros... y consejeros disponibles para ofrecer orientación para que los estudiantes puedan salir adelante.”

es no darse por vencido y continuar buscando y orientándose mediante consejería.

Es de gran importancia notar que no solo los alumnos que han nacido en los Estados Unidos pueden obtener ayuda.

Hay becas y ayuda financiera para estudiantes que son indocumentados, siempre y cuando tengan una identificación. Los extranjeros tienen el derecho a participar, pero deben ser capaces de proporcionar pruebas provenientes del Servicio de Ciudadanía e Inmigración de los Estados Unidos. Tienen que poder probar que no se encuentran en el país por un motivo temporal, y que pretenden convertirse en ciudadanos o residentes permanentes del país. No hay duda que el completar la solicitud FAFSA es un paso en el proceso de solicitar ayuda económica para sufragar gastos universitarios que no se puede ignorar. ¿Qué esperas?

Blair tiene la suerte de tener al Sr. Medrano quien es una fuente de asesoría e información para quienes tengan preguntas particulares. Él puede ayudarte con el proceso de solicitar ayuda económica, o solicitar a universidades y colegios comunitarios. Él puede encontrarse en la biblioteca y es una persona confiable que te puede ayudar en cualquier situación académica que estés. ¡Decídete y no te arrepentirás!

Eso es lo que muchos han hecho y han logrado lo que nunca hubieran imaginado. Ahora disfrutan de sus estudios presentes que los llevará a un futuro mejor.

Es importante recordar que existen muchas opciones después de la escuela superior sin importar el estatus migratorio de los estudiantes. Es necesario estar consciente que aunque es un proceso que puede intimidar, en Blair, los estudiantes tienen a una facultad de maestros, consejeros y administradores disponibles para ofrecer orientación para que los estudiantes puedan salir adelante.

February 5, 2016

silverchips

ADs E4

Gravity Teen Glass Glass Studio: Guild

art glass » Make this summer!

Week-long programs for teens grades 7–12

how to: » Learn - Safely cut & break glass - Kiln-fire art glass objects - Have fun and be creative in a professional artist’s studio

located » Conveniently in downtown Silver Spring details on Facebook » Get Facebook.com/teenglassartSS a spot today! » Reserve For a studio visit, workshop dates & tuition info contact Jon Lickerman glassguild@icloud.com

F1 Sports

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Dear Kirk Cousins doubters: You non-believers like that?

Despite playoff loss, Cousins can be credited as this season’s savior

By Grady Jakobsberg Does anyone remember the end of the 2013 football season when Robert Griffin III was pinned as the savior of the Redskins franchise? Or when, at the beginning of the 2015 season, fans were calling for Washington’s coach, Jay Gruden, to be fired after naming Kirk Cousins the starter?

I am sure most ‘Skins fans do. But I am also sure that they remember when Cousins led the team to the playoffs, ending the season with a four game win streak. Even though the team did not advance in the playoffs after a first round loss to the Green Bay Packers, a lot has changed. And behind it all, Cousins has sparked a new beginning for the Redskins.

Kirk Cousins has always had a bad reputation. Fans used to think that he could never perform under pressure, that he was an interception machine at exactly the wrong moments. Then when Cousins was named the starter over RGIII, a lot of ‘Skins followers just thought Coach Gruden had gone mad.

Attempting to get better in the shadow of RGIII and with an unappreciative fan base probably has not been easy for Cousins, but after his performance this season, he should not be getting any criticism. He was the savior of the Deadskins this year and is now the future of the franchise.

Some football fans still think that had RGIII not gotten hurt, he would be a better option than Cousins, and others are still not convinced that Cousins has the necessary abilities to be a good quarterback. If you are someone who holds these opinions, then just look at the stats.

This season, Cousins led the NFL in completion percentage with a completion rate just under 70 percent and was within the top five in quarterback rating. He also broke

a number of different franchise records, the most significant of which was passing yards with 4,166. This is more than Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidates like Cam Newton and the 2014 MVP, Aaron Rodgers.

In 2013, RGIII’s sensational rookie season brought the team to the playoffs with an end of the year win streak, just like Cousins did this year. However, when you compare the best seasons of the two, Cousins takes the cake against RGIII in most passing related statistics. Cousins threw for approximately 1,000 more yards, 100 more completions, and 10 more touchdowns. All in all, Cousins

has been the better passing quarterback.

RGIII fans might say that RGIII’s running ability is what makes him a better quarterback. To this I say that RGIII definitely has more running ability than Cousins, but Cousins knows when to use his legs. Essentially, Cousins is the smarter quarterback.

For one thing, Cousins ran for five touchdowns making his touchdowns per rushing attempt ratio about one in five, while RGIII ran for seven touchdowns over 120 rushing attempts, making his ratio approximately one in 18. Cousins made himself a huge redzone threat, more so than RGIII. He is not afraid to take off and run the ball in, but also has the passing ability and vision to find the open man. Also, a quick look at RGIII’s injury history will show how sustainable a scrambling quarterback is (hint: not very).

RGIII has always lacked the ability to read coverages and to find the open man as well, making him unable to become a good pocket-passer. As Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post writes, “RGIII had little knowledge of reading defenses and playing within the confines of a structured and complex NFL offense.”

In other words, he hasn’t developed the skills that a NFL quarterback needs to succeed. Cousins may lack the athletic advantages that RGIII has, but RGIII lacks the passing abilities of Cousins.

Football character is a player’s commitment to the sport, their desire to get better through whatever means possible.

Cousins has displayed an abundance of such character while RGIII has been said to lack it.

According to Gabriel, RGIII breezed through his college career without much work and therefore ALEX MENDIVILL

hasn’t developed this character. “[RGIII] is not the most liked person in the locker room and by all accounts he has very questionable work habits,” Gabriel writes.

Cousins, on the other hand, possesses a work ethic that has been referred to as “almost anal” by Coach Gruden. According to Liz Clarke of The Washington Post, starting in the offseason, Cousins has seen a chiropractor and kinesiologist weekly, a personal trainer six days a week, and a private throwing coach.

He also developed a spreadsheet that divides his days in 15 minute color-coded blocks in order to manage his time in the most productive way possible. It’s fair to say that the man is committed.

Lastly, Cousins is a team player and works towards building friendships with his teammates. According to Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post, a good part of the team has gotten very into the Lord of the Rings trilogy and they drop references to each other all the time. Steinberg wrote that, over the offseason, some of the team found out that Cousins hadn’t watched the series, so they coaxed him into watching the movies with them so that he could join their group. “[B]ound by friendship and love, Cousins carved out time for Gandalf and Frodo,” wrote Steinberg.

The Redskins might have lost in the playoffs and Cousins did not play as well as he could have, but it is to be expected as the team is new to the high pressure situation of the playoffs. The Packers have been to the playoffs seven straight years, so they have the necessary experience to succeed under the pressure.

As Thomas Boswell of The Washington Post says, “Someday soon, Washington may be the tough, calm, tested group.” And when this does happen, with Cousins at the helm, Redskins fans can look to any doubters and say “You like that?!”

A shoutout to high school sports’ biggest supporters: The parents Involved parents can motivate, organize, and cheer on their student-athletes

By Christian Mussenden “Let’s go Blazers!” junior Wellington Uzamere’s mother, grandmother, and sisters yell while in the stands of Blazer Stadium on a crisp fall night. Uzamere’s family members are his biggest fans and they try to do anything to support him in football. Like Uzamere several other Blazers attribute their athletic success to their supportive parents.

This scene is common for many sporting events: a parent giving their unconditional support to their kid while they are playing.

Parents like to be involved in their child’s sport in some way and they need to be too, especially at the high-school level. Athletes need to be driven to and from practice, equipment needs to be bought, and athletic fees need to be paid.

A lot of parents are not involved in their teens’ sport, but some students’ parents participate in a variety of ways, from cheering loudly in the stands to having influence in the sport program itself. Inevitably, this creates a new dimension to the “parent-child” relationship.

Fans of family football Uzamere’s family tries to support him in football by coming to every game and doing other tasks while there. His father walks around on the sidelines taking pictures of Uzamere in action. His mother, grandmother, and sisters sit in the bleachers, loudly

cheering on the entire team.

Although his family is always present, Uzamere says his family’s visible support never affects his play on the field. “Before a game I just block everyone out and focus on the game, focus on the opponent,” Uzamere says.

Uzameres’ family tries to be as involved as they can, something Uzamere greatly appreciates. “I feel great about it, knowing that they’re always going to be there for you just feels great,” Uzamere says. “I’m just thankful to have parents and family that care for me and support me.”

Mother knows best Sophomore Samantha Grant swims for Blair’s co-ed swim team and her mother gives her swimming advice as well as transportation and support. Like Uzamere, Grant is thankful for her mother’s involvement. “I feel fortunate because not many people have as supportive parents,” says Grant.

At the same time, Grant feels as if her mother’s presence can occasionally become a bit too much. “It can get a little annoying, because she gets overwhelmed by it and becomes a little too supportive.”

Although she may be a little peeved, Grant says her mother’s tips on the way to meets and enthusiasm during competition keep her swimming. Without her mother’s involvement, Grant does not know if she would be swimming today. “It definitely makes me want to swim more. If she wasn’t

soapbox How involved should parents be with their children’s athletics?

“As long as you’re helping the kids do what they want. I don’t think they should force them to do a sport they don’t want to, or go to practices they don’t want to go to.”

— Johannes Temm, freshman “Parents should be involved in student-athletics as much as possible.”

— Jesus Hernandez, junior

as supportive I probably would’ve quit by now but her support makes me more engaged.”

involved in their child’s sport. Some parents may have to adjust their schedules to drop

Parental control

Gus Ramsey first got involved with Blair Baseball when his recently graduated son, John, and John’s friends entered Blair as freshmen. “Those guys had been playing together in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade against and with each other and when they got to the end of that I just funneled them into the offseason baseball program and I got involved in it that way,” Ramsey says.

As his son grew older, Ramsey’s role grew as well. Ramsey quickly developed a close relationship with the head coaches and soon started channeling Blazers into competitive summer leagues and arranging winter workouts. “I think there COURTESY OF SARA MORRIS were a lot of things that needed to get done and BONDING THROUGH BASEBALL Gus Ramsey (seated) it would be easier for and son, John, share a moment during a game last year. one person to do them,” Ramsey says of his role.

Ramsey’s presence in the baseball pro- off or pick up their kid from practice, they gram gave him an opportunity to connect might be forced to break the bank in order with John on a whole different level, some- to pay for their kid’s equipment, and many thing he would not have been able to do if he will emotionally support their kid as their did not get involved with baseball in the first child tries to become the best athlete they place. “I think that it gave the two of us an can be. opportunity to have a relationship that a lot For parents like Ramsey, the reward for of parents may not be able to have with their being an involved parent is irreplaceable. kids. To me that is a once in a lifetime thing Sports can give parents the opportunity to and extremely important and I think it was develop a new part of their relationship with important for him too,” he says. their kid, as well as showcase the love and Some parents make huge sacrifices to be support they have in a different way.

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Sports F2

Teachers relive athletic glory from their student years

Alumni-turned-faculty describe their high school sports experiences

By Julian Bregstone Montgomery Blair has a diverse staff that comes from all over the country and the world. However, some teachers grew up right here in the Silver Spring area and attended Blair themselves. Among those teachers are social studies teachers Peter Cirincione and Kevin Moose, who used to suit up for some of our school’s athletics teams.

Finding a new passion Cirincione graduated from Blair in 2002 and was part of the first class of freshmen at the new University Boulevard location. He played on the very first Blair lacrosse team starting in the 1998-1999 season. The team took all of the freshmen who tried out and was a varsity only sport.

Growing up, Cirincione had participated in recreational soccer and baseball leagues but had not played lacrosse until high

excitement, the whistle blowing. I think I like the idea of one on one competition so I just got sucked right into it,” he says. “I’m not even sure why, psychologically it just appealed to me as something I wanted to do.” After wrestling at the Boys Club for a few years, Moose joined the Blair team as soon as he could.

Moose also took up running cross country in order to be in the best shape possible for the wrestling season. He did genuinely like running but his main goal was to become the best wrestler he could be. “I loved to run. I still love to run to this day.

The reason I did it was vital. It got me in great shape for wrestling,” he says.

Cross country became very important to Moose’s wrestling success. “A lot of wrestling matches, very often the competitors are very evenly matched. The guy that wins is the guy that is in better shape,” he explains.

Memorable moments

The newly formed lacrosse team had to make up ground against established programs. During Cirincione’s four-year tenure, the team went from a group of inexperienced, struggling players to an actual contender. “We were terrible my freshmen year. We were bad my sophomore year. We were O.K. my junior year. My senior year we were competitive with the better teams in our division,” he says.

There was one game in particular that COURTESY OF PETER CIRINCIONE stands out as a great achievement for Cirincione and his team. “Our freshmen EAST REPRESENT Blair alumnus and teacher Peter Cirincione (middle) stands with — Peter Cirincione year Whitman beat us at home I think 22 two other Montgomery County All-Stars during the 2002 All-Star lacrosse game. to nothing. It was embarrassing and depressing and deflating,” he explains. After that...you wanted to do the best you could,” the fun and the excitement.” The two teams school. “I played a number of sports when I working hard every year after that game to Moose explains. Thomas was not related to knew each other well because of the proxwas young. I grew up in this area so I played try to improve, Blair’s team was set to play Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas. imity between the schools and that added to Takoma Park neighborhood youth sports,” Whitman in the second round of the playAs a 105-pound junior, Moose won the competition. offs. At half, Whitman was shutting out Blair his first county championship title in the Cirincione says.

When he got to high school he was not 6-0. “It felt like this was a repetition, that we Whitman field house. “Probably one of the Broader influence proudest moments of my life was... to be quite talented enough to make the soccer or really had not improved,” he describes.

After half time, things changed. “We able to go over and shake coach Thomas’s the baseball team but he saw an opportunity Cirincione found a more diverse group of with the lacrosse team. “When the lacrosse started to rally and we came back,” Cirinci- hand as one of his county champions,” he friends on the lacrosse team than he did in team opened up, it was an opportunity to one says. Although Blair lost the game 7-6, it recalls. Moose vividly remembers the match, the Magnet program. Winning, losing, and the cheers from the crowds, and his oppo- working hard as a team fostered a bond bepotentially play a sport that wasn’t very was clear that the team had made progress.

“It felt like we had won – that we showed nent, Bruce Backer from Wootton. popular, that looked interesting that maybe tween the athletes, regardless of where they The lessons he learned from Coach came from. “The nature of having to come I could play” he says. Cirincione wanted to that we could play with them, that we be able to represent his school and be a part showed that we weren’t this other class of Thomas would stick with him for years. together, practicing, doing something and team that could be walked over,” he says. Coach Thomas stressed the importance of trying to get better together brings people of a team.

Thirty years earlier, a scrawny sixth grad- “It was the last game I got to play and it felt hard work and said that being a good stu- together and forms relationships,” Ciriner walked into the Silver Spring Boys Club at the end that we had made some progress, dent and a good person should be every- cione says. “Being on the team helped me one’s first priority. during a wrestling tournament and was im- that we had accomplished something.” meet people I would not have otherwise inMoose’s most triumphant memory was Another memory is the rivalry with teracted with.” mediately hooked. “I wasn’t even sure what it was I just knew that I liked it,” says Moose. not only winning the county champion- Northwood. “They called themselves the He also found that with hard work, he He went on to wrestle for Blair’s wrestling ship, but also making his coach proud and wild bunch,” says Moose. Northwood could get better at something. Cirincione team and eventually became a teacher here. being able to shake his hand afterwards. would come out of the locker rooms wear- had only picked up a lacrosse stick two Moose started wrestling in seventh grade in His wrestling coach, Clarence Thomas, was ing their unconventional black and white weeks before tryouts but by his senior year a league called the Capital Area Junior Wres- also the football coach and a counselor at pinstriped uniforms, blaring Born to Be he was pretty good. “I started from zero and Blair. He was the first black football coach Wild by Steppenwolf. “In the mid seventies, by my senior year I wasn’t great but I was tling league.

From then on, Moose fell in love with in Montgomery County. “He was the kind Northwood was the first team to play music good enough that I was one of the senior the competitive aspects of wrestling. “I’m of coach who never yelled, never screamed. to get the wrestlers fired up, to get the crowd all stars for Montgomery County,” he says. not sure exactly what attracted me, just the He was such a nice guy. Such a great leader fired up,” Moose says. “That just added to “Learning that I could get better at something if I worked really hard even if I had no particular skill at the beginning, is something that is really valuable.”

In college, Moose was struggling at George Washington University until he found motivation through the wrestling team. Moose had already dropped out of Notre Dame and was stumbling through college at George Washington, unsure of the path he wanted to take.

“I was hanging out on a bench outside the Smith Center [GW’s Department of Athletics] I saw a kid walk by with a pair of wrestling shoes and I said, ‘Hey do we have a wrestling team here?’” Moose joined the team and wrestled for two years until he graduated. He became captain and made good friends, including his coach who had actually wrestled for Clarence Thomas in the sixties at Northwood.

Moose found structure in the practice schedule and was motivated to go to class.

He returned to the values that had gotten him an ROTC scholarship and a county title.

“Looking back on it, it probably kept me in college,” he says.

Both Cirincione and Moose learned that hard work pays off while playing sports at Blair. For Cirincione, the memory of being a proud senior walking through the halls of Blair is still fresh. Moose’s memories of high COURTESY OF THE MONTGOMERY JOURNAL school are a little further back, but the values GRAPPLING Blair alumnus and social studies teacher Kevin Moose (front) wrestles against a Wootton student in the 1974 his coach instilled in him are still present in Montgomery County wrestling tournament. Moose won the match and finished the tournament with the 108-pound title. his life.

“Being on the team helped me meet people I would not have otherwise interacted with.”

F3 Sports

silverchips

February 5, 2016

Silver Chips takes an inside look at the indoor season

Winter sports finish off their final games and head toward playoffs

By Daliah Barg Silver Chips asked six Blair sports teams about their winter season. Here is the inside scoop on MBHS athletics.

Varsity girls’ basketball

and Magruder, but in our biggest games – Springbrook, RM [Richard Montgomery], Kennedy – we have really played well,” explains Nosal. “We really need to work on playing the brand of basketball that we want to play and not playing down to our opponents,” he says.

Additionally, the team is working on improving their offensive strategy. “We need to work on being more efficient on the offen-

teacher and co-Coach Colleen McGurkin.

During the season, the team focused on team spirit and ball placement. “We [needed] to work on our accuracy and ball control,” says Terry. McGurkin explains that the team sometimes let losses affect their mentality. “We [needed] to work on our mental state and staying in the game, like when we’re losing matches we’re depressed and out of it,” she says. Overall, the coaches stress that the team enjoyed the chance to play. “We’ve been having fun… and we appreciate the school’s support,” says Terry.

find success during this season. “The coach is doing a good job of making it so players are getting equal playing time, and despite the loss of our seniors we’re on track for playoffs.” The team still stands a chance of making the playoffs, currently in the second place of their division. “I’m optimistic about the season,” says Williams.

After last year’s season, the girls’ varsiRecord: 7-1-2 ty basketball team’s composition has imKey Players: Alex Cudd (Northwood), Jake proved with a more verZastar (Northwood), Reid Williams satile group of players. “I Remaining games: 2/5 vs. Northwest, Poolesfeel like we’ve improved ville, Quince Orchard, Seneca Valley (NPQS) at a lot this year because we Hockey Dynamics Inc. have a very big variety in the types of players that Record: 2-2 Co-ed varsity indoor track we have. We have some Key Players: Marcos Hanriquez, new players, we have Diondre Roane, and Christian Although, as a team, co-ed varsity indoor some young players that Benny track is not accumulating many points, there have moved up from JV, Remaining Games: none are many strong individual runners perwe have some good post forming well this year. “Track is both a team players who keep getting Co-ed varsity swimming sport and an individual sport, so as a team better, so I feel good about we don’t put up that many points, but a lot it,” says junior captain Despite the loss of many se- of our individual athletes do pretty well,” Lauren Frost. nior swimmers from last year, explains senior captain Evan Gresser.

The team is hoping to the co-ed varsity swim team As a whole team, all the athletes have continue improving in is looking forward to success varying skill levels, but individually, each the remaining games and in the regional and state com- is improving at their own pace. “As athletes focus on their skills and petitions, according to senior individually we’re all getting better we’re team dynamic. “As the GRIFFIN REILLY captain Kaden Sukachevin. “I all progressing, we’re all moving up, we’re season has progressed, think we’ll win regionals and all finishing faster, and our times are getting we’ve gotten a lot better, PLANNING THEIR MOVE First year Coach Carlos Smith then place highly so I feel very optimistic talks to players during a timeout at a Blazers home game. at states. And then about how the rest of the we always do well season is going to go,” at metros,” he says. says Frost. “We really need to just work on sive end and getting down the floor quicker Since last year, the swim our efficiency on the court, finishing easy so the other team can’t set up their defense,” team has cohesively improved shots and stuff like that so that we’re scoring Nosal says. as a result of gaining some more,” she explains. freshmen swimmers.

“We The team has been practicing for and Record: 8-5 looking forward to the postseason. “I feel Key Players: Max Burke, Jared Williams, Tucker have some more fast, younger swimmers, so even though we like by the time we get to playoffs we’re Nosal, Jarrell Jones, Jordan Cobb, Julius Cobb going to have a very good chance of going Remaining Games: 2/5 at Magruder, 2/9 vs. lost some of our faster guys we pretty far as long as we keep improving,” Kennedy, 2/12 at Northwood, 2/19 at B-CC, have some good people coming through the season,” Suksays Frost.

2/22 vs. Churchill achevin says.

Even though swimming is Record: 8-7 Bocce an individual sport, the team Key Players: Lauren Frost, Alexis Moses, Camille Estrin The bocce team finished their 2015-2016 is working on improving team Remaining Games: 2/5 at Magruder, 2/9 vs. season with a 2-2 record. The fifth game, spirit and mentality. “We need Kennedy, 2/12 at Northwood, 2/19 at B-CC, originally planned for January 29, was can- to work on cheering more because we can get anywhere as 2/22 vs. Churchill celled because of the snow.

Last weekend, the bocce team was excit- long as we have the heart,” says Varsity boys’ basketball ed to participate in the divisional playoffs. Kaden. “We’re a close knit team “The regular season is just for practice, the and I feel like that goes a long With a seesawing season so far, and five playoffs are what matters,” says Melvin Ter- way in terms of how we pergames left before the playoffs, the varsity ry, one of the team’s coaches and a paraed- form in meets.” boys’ basketball team is striving to be on ucator at Blair. The five game season determines a team’s Record: Team 1-4, Boys 0-5, Girls seeding in 3-2 the playoffs, Key Players: Thomas Brown, but the three Hanna Kannan, Sammie Grant, rounds of Kaden Sukachevin, Madison playoffs deter- Waetcher, Teague Sauter GRIFFIN REILLY mine whether Remaining Meets: Metros 2/5, a team makes 2/6 at Germantown Aquatic Cen- DRIBBLING DOWN THE COURT Senior captain it to States. ter, States 2/20 at the University Tucker Nosal keeps the ball away from the defense.

Blair bocce of Maryland Eppley Recreation was seeded Center better,” says Gresser. third for diviHockey Only one returning runner made it to sionals. Since states last year, junior Thierry Siewe Yanga, the teams in After making it to the state champion- but Gresser is optimistic about the future Blair’s division are evenly ships last year, the hockey team – comprised of the team. “[The new runners are] doing matched, the of Blair, Northwood, and Einstein students – pretty well for freshmen. If they stay around COURTESY OF NICHOLAS FECHNER-MILLS seeding does lost a lot of senior players. “We have a good for all four years they’ll definitely be dusting first line, but we’re not a very deep team,” people out there,” he says.

DIVE IN Blair’s co-ed swim and dive team is preparing for metros. not determine says current senior captain Reid Williams. a state title.

“We only play “We’re just not as good, and the competition Key Players: Thierry Siewe Yanga, Ty Cao, Evan Gresser, Christopher Butler, Susanna Maisto, the rise, according to senior captain Tucker five games, [so] it’s not long before you’re has stepped up,” he says.

According to Williams, most games that Grace Olawnui, Ponce DeLeon Nosal. “The season has been pretty up and back in the mix with everybody,” explains the team has lost have been due to dropping Remaining Meets: States 2/16 at PG Sports and down, as we started off 4-1 and then haven’t Terry. been able to put a streak together since, but Unfortunately, the team was forced to the lead in the final minutes. “We could’ve Learning Complex we have been steadily improving,” he says. forfeit the first round of divisionals because won all of our games… We’ve been the lead The team is working on going into every they did not have enough players to par- in the third period for all the games, but Lauren Frost is a staff writer for Silver Chips Online. Teague Sauter is a staff writer for Silver game with the same competitive mindset. ticipate. “We played the game just for fun. we’ve blown it twice,” he explains.

Even though many seniors left last year, Chips Print. Camille Estrin is an editor for Sil“We have a tendency to play down to our Ironically, our players had the best game of competition, for example, we lost to Einstein their lives in our forfeited game,” says math the team was still able to recuperate and ver Chips Print.

insideSPORTS Alumni athletes

Involved parents

Kirk Cousins

Blair alumni-turnedteachers throw it back to their high school sports days.

Students reflect on the value of having supportive parents in the stands.

A once-doubted quarterback led the Redskins to the playoffs.

VICTORIA TSAI

CANDIA GU

VICTORIA TSAI