March 2014 - Silver Chips Print

Montgomery Blair High School SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND

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Cosplay C3-C4 March 17, 2014

Winner of the 2012 National Pacemaker Award

PARCC to replace HSA, MSA

VOL 76 NO 5

School year extended

Swingin’ Sounds

By Kelsey Gross

By Naomi Weintraub

Maryland schools will implement the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessments for the 2014-2015 school year, replacing Maryland School Assessments (MSA) and High School Assessments (HSA).

A newsletter was sent out to Blair students on Mar. 7, explaining that MCPS students in grades 3-8 will take the MSA in reading and mathematics for the final time this year, though a random sample of students in each school will take the PARCC assessment as a field test this March. The newsletter explains that federal law requires the state to administer the MSA therefore this will be the last year it is taken by MCPS students.

PARCC is a consortium of 18 states that created a common set of K-12 assessments in English and math. The tests are geared towards

ZEKE WAPNER

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY On Mar. 2, Blair’s Music Honor Society celebrated its annual community service and outreach event, Swingin’ Sounds. Blazers and local senior citizens gathered in the SAC to enjoy the music and dance. During the event, the Honor Society’s Jazz band performed with Jazz Lab while Tri-M members volunteered at the event, danced with the senior citizens, and helped raise money at the bake sale.

see HSA page A3

MCPS officials currently plan to extend the school year by five days to June 19 in order to make up for the nine snow days Montgomery County has had this year, unless the county is granted a waiver from the Maryland State Department of Education. If granted a waiver, the county would only be required to extend the school year one day to June 12.

The MCPS 2013-2014 school calendar, which has 184 scheduled school days, allows for four school cancellations due to inclement weather while still adhering to state law which requires that school is in session for 180 days each year. Since there have been nine snow days this school year, MCPS must add five instructional days to the calendar in order to follow this rule, unless it receives a waiver.

MCPS applied for this waiver on Mar. 13, and released an official statement on Mar. 14. “Under the plan submitted to the state, MCPS would extend the school

see SNOW DELAYS page A2

College Board plans to modify SAT PTA lobbies in Annapolis

By Grace Woodward The College Board announced on Mar. 5 that it will be overhauling the SAT in 2016, implementing various changes including making the essay optional, ending the current penalty for incorrect answers, abandoning obscure vocabulary words, and focusing more on the academic skills covered in high school curriculum.

Other major changes will include reverting back to a score out of 1600 possible points, as was policy prior to 2005, and scaling back to two sections, a new math section and an “evidence-based reading and writing” section, each worth

800 points. The new SAT will have an optional essay with a separate score.

The new reading and writing section will change the current vocabulary words, using fewer unusual words and more that are common in college courses, such as “empirical” and “synthesis.”

Some questions will ask students to not only select the right answer but to also choose a quote from a text that supports their answer.

There will also be changes to the math section, with certain parts no longer allowing the use of a calculator and including a wider variety of mathematical concepts.

The new problems will place more emphasis on more functions, linear equations, and proportional thinking. The test will also be offered on both paper and computer. The College Board will announce more details about the new sections of the exam on Apr. 16.

Last year, College Board president David Coleman announced plans to alter the SAT, claiming his disappointment with various aspects of the test. Coleman became the president of College Board in 2012 after working to help design the Common Core curriculum, which created standards that

see SAT page A4

Wetlands: filled in but not forgotten

When the county built Blair, the wetlands quickly declined. Well, sort of.

By Alanna Natanson Legend has it that the land on which Blair stands was once filled with vast fields of deep green foliage and enough forest animals to create a live-action Bambi movie.

The earth was a sponge, absorbing pollutants before they reached the Chesapeake Bay. Then, in an act of man-made cruelty, the county paved over the verdant forest to create Montgomery Blair High School, leaving only a tiny strip of wetlands between the baseball diamond and the football stadium to make up for the environment destroyed in the building process.

Let me tell you, the legend is wrong.

In an age when ‘development’ is Montgomery County’s middle name and only 0.9 percent of U.S. land is still untouched, according to a study by the Wildlife Conser-

vation Society, it’s easy to believe that the wetland on which was Blair was built was the victim of a heedless development-happy county. But the story of the wetlands in our backyard is a tale of wetlands that aren’t really wetlands, an environmental crusade that wasn’t all that environmentally-oriented, and the journey to answer one question: what do we do to keep the wetland from turning to wasteland?

A shady walk in the woods Cross the immaculate turf of the football field to the left, slide down a muddy slope, sneak through the baseball dugout, slide down more muddy slopes, dodge spindly barren saplings and trip over the tall and reedy grasses slowly decaying until you reach frozen banks. Under the water and soil, there might

be dinosaur bones, or pottery from an early settler. More likely, only golf balls lie under the mud pit.

Welcome to Blair’s wetlands.

In the 1940s and ’50s the land on which Blair now sits was a golf course, part of the Indian Springs Country Club, notes former Horticulture teacher Leslie Backus. Environmentally speaking, it wasn’t a hole-in-one. “Golf courses, up until very recently, used tremendous amounts of chemicals and tremendous amounts of pesticides and fertilizers because they had to keep the grass a certain way,” she says. “So this area was never a very healthy ecosystem.”

Then, in 1955, construction began on the Capital Beltway. By 1959, the Beltway formed a triangular area along with Colesville Rd. and University Blvd., Backus

see WETLANDS page C1

MCPS community asks state lawmakers for additional construction funding

Board of Education Phillip Kauffman testified before the House of Members of the Montgomery Delegates throughout the day on County PTA along with several March 6. county leaders, including SuperCounty school busses transintendent Dr. Joshua Starr, lobbied ported members of PTAs from lawmakers and rallied outside of across Montgomery County to the Maryland General Assembly Annapolis for the annual Maryon the evening of March 6 in an land PTA Night, an event in which effort to draw PTA members attention to from across the the county’s state gather request that together and the state prodeliberate. vide it with Last year, Balgreater fundtimore County ing for school received a construction c o n s t ru c t i o n and revitalizafunding deal tion projects. from the state Montgomsimilar to the ery County one Montgomis asking for ery County over 200 milis requesting. lion dollars in Recognizing state money that an event in order to like this would help fund the be an opticounty’s Capimal venue for tal Improvedrawing atment Plan, a tention to the 2.2 billion dolcounty’s recent KYRA SEIGER lar investment request for that includes the increase LOBBY MCPTA members sport plastic in a planned refunding, v i t a l i z a t i o n hard hats at a PTA night in Annapolis, the Montgomof over 60 as they lobby for construction funds. ery County schools and PTA elicited the constructhe support of tion of 17 additional elementary around 100 teachers, executives, schools. The Maryland General parents and students to rally and Assembly is currently holding lobby prior to the official PTA hearings on proposed budget meeting. “The tactic is to meet amendments and county officials with senators and delegates from including Ike Leggett and Presi- other counties and let them know dent of the Montgomery County see ANNAPOLIS page A2

By Langston Cotman

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MCPS requests state funds for construction from ANNAPOLIS page A1

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head of the Silver Spring International Middle School PTA. During the rally, other chosen attendees who had been prepped with specific talking points tried to lobby members of the General Assembly in their offices, however various groups had difficulty finding an audience because the lobbyist failed to make appointments prior to arriving and many politicians were out of the office. “The problem is the timing of the sessions. Staffers are usually there, but the perfect solution would have been to have appointments,” said Powers.

The efforts drew attention from news reporters and according to Ray Leone, the President of the Maryland PTA, hearings throughout the General Assembly came to a halt as delegates took time to look in on the PTA gathering.

According to Leone, there was slight animosity from the other counties because of the spectacle Montgomery County made at the meeting. Leone explained that all counties need increased construction funds from the state, but that Montgomery County gets the majority of the attention because it is the wealthiest county and has more voices to draw attention to its needs. “Montgomery County gets the lion share because they can put more money into it,” said Leone.

Since 2000, Montgomery County public schools has increased local spending on school construction from $63 million to $210 million in 2014 according to an MCPS report Capital Budget Expenditures and Funding Sources (1995-2014). Over this period, conversely to county spending, state funding for MCPS construction has fallen from $50 million to $35 million.

Since 2003, as state funding for construction has decreased, the MCPS student population rapidly increased. During the 10 year period between 2003 and 2013, student enrollment increased by 12,000, enough to fill 16 newly constructed elementary schools to capacity levels, according to the MC Board of Education. The new enrollment numbers

This lack of funding combined with increased enrollment has manifested itself in the increased use of portable classrooms throughout the county. According to parent and PTA member Nate Conroy, there are 62 portables in use in the Down County Consortium alone. His son Benjamin, a fifth grader at Arcola Elementary School, felt that having class in a portable was a hassle and an impediment on his learning experience. “I missed classroom time trying to go to the bathroom [inside the school],” said Conroy. He also noted that the added portables have taken up space on the blacktop and have conflicted with outdoor recess activities.

Inside the Lawyer’s Mall, the plaza outside the State Capitol dedicated to Thurgood Marshall, a crowd of Montgomery County parents, students, and prominent county and state legKYRA SEIGER islators made an effort to SELFIES AND SIGNS (Top) PTA members from Blair take rally their audience. “It’s a photo before going into lobby. (Bottom) Students hold cold in Annapolis but the up posters advocating for additional construction funding. PTA’s are hot,” shouted Maryland District 19 Senator Roger Manno. He conare higher than those of Howard, Frederick, tinued to touch on the Charles, and Anne Arundel County com- crowd’s concerns about lack of funding and bined. Montgomery County officials have overcrowding in the county. “We have no argued that receiving increased funding room for our kids and they deserve to be from the state is a matter of equity. Multiple in in the best buildings we can build,” said lobbyists drew attention to the statistic that Manno. while MC holds 17% of the state’s public school students, it only receives 11% of the state’s construction. “We deserve or fair share,” said Starr. “We deserve our commensurate. We know other counties need, but we want our share.”

Special education changes

New curriculum designed to align with Common Core

By Aditi Subramaniam

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March 17, 2014

Montgomery County implemented Curriculum 2.0 for special education in elementary schools this past January, with middle and high schools set to follow suit next year.

The new curriculum, which aligns with the Common Core standards, has a greater emphasis on academic components while retaining life skills education.

Previously, special education followed the Fundamental Life Skills (FLS) curriculum, which focused on community-based learning. According to Dr. Erick Lang, associate superintendent of MCPS Curriculum and Instructional Programs, the goal of FLS was to prepare students with cognitive disabilities to succeed in their lives. “Community-based instruction is designed to provide students with opportunities to apply their knowledge that will enhance their quality of life; for example, learning to travel, shopping and work experiences,” said Lang.

The new curriculum has been changed to align with the Common Core, a set of standards for mathematics and English language arts education. Special education programs will now hold their students to the same Maryland State College and Career Readiness goals as the rest of the county’s students, and will shift from communitybased instruction to subject-based learning.

“Students with disabilities participating in the general education environment will be expected to work toward the attainment of the same rigorous standards as their nondisabled peers,” said Lang.

While Maryland supports the Common Core, many states who currently adhere to the standards are reconsidering and may opt to abandon them because they are unsatisfied with their implementation. According to Dennis van Roekel, president of the National Education Association, seven out of ten teachers believe the implementation in their schools has gone poorly so far.

The Office of Special Education and Student Services provided professional development for instructors in special education programs in order to ease the transition to

Curriculum 2.0. Due to increased similarities between the general and special education curriculums, teachers from both sectors were also encouraged to consult one another. “Special education teachers must receive on-going professional development and support to enable them to understand the demands of the curriculum. It is also important for general and special education teachers to collaborate to enhance the quality of co-teaching practices and ultimately the delivery of instruction,” said Lang. These training processes will be ongoing, as Curriculum 2.0 will not be completely phased in until the fall of 2016.

However, students at Longview and Stephen Knolls, two of the county’s five special schools that service students with disabilities from birth to age twenty-one, have already been learning under this curriculum for about two years. Longview coordinator Michelle Mach partnered with the staff at Stephen Knolls to implement what is now Curriculum 2.0 for special education.

“Longview began collaborating with Stephen Knolls to address [how to] meet the intense special needs of our profoundly disabled, medically fragile students and still provide access to the general education curriculum. We were able to do this because of a [state department] grant that allowed teachers four-and-a-half days to work on the transition,” explained Mach.

Teachers at Longview said that they had to be creative in adapting lesson plans to follow the new curriculum while still appealing to their students. Their lessons needed to introduce core concepts while allowing students to interact with their environment.

In English class, for example, teachers developed the “books in a box” technique, where sensory objects are placed in a box and students can then connect the objects to a book.

The Longview staff has found it difficult to find existing instructional supplements for their students. “There is not a lot out there for this population and what is out there is very expensive. We end up adapting books or making materials ourselves, which is time consuming,” Mach admitted.

BOE applies for state waiver from SNOW DELAYS page A1

year by one day—to June 13, 2014—and four of the snow days would be waived, meaning these days would not have to be made up,” stated the press release. Students and parents were advised to expect five additional school days at the end of the year until the county receives a response to its proposal.

“We have to have 180 days of instruction. If we don’t get the wavier, students will be in school until June 19,” said Dana Tofig, Public Information Officer for MCPS, on Mar. 6.

According to another MCPS public announcement, it is more likely, but still not guaranteed, that a wavier will be granted for the snow days on Feb. 13 and 14 than for the other three extra snow days since Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley also declared a state of emergency on these days. “Of course I do not want the school year extended. But at least, we should get the two days waived that were declared state of emergencies,” said Robin Platky, Blair secetary.

Kauffman is uncertain about whether the state will grant the county’s request to limit the extension of the school year. “It’s really hard to say. They’re going to take a pretty hard line on requests this year,” he explained.

According to Kauffman, the state is more likely to grant waivers to school systems that take other measures to make up for missed hours, such as cancelling professional days or cancelling parts of spring break. In previous years, MCPS has successfully used these methods to get the state to agree to a waiver. “[In the past], we’ve done things like extend the school day to make up hours,” he said.

However, Kauffman said MCPS will only consider these other options in the event of additional snow days.

According to Blair Assistant Principal William Currence, MCPS will construct a committee of high school principals who will decide whether to push back the exam schedule in the event of the an extended school year. “My assumption is [that this decision will be made] after the extension of the school year is finalized,” said Randy Aleshevich, the MCPS testing unit coordinator.

Kauffman said it is likely that the exam schedule will ultimately be pushed later in the year. “County exam [dates]…are likely to be changed,” he said.

News A3

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March 17, 2014

New Youth Blair students travel to Switzerland Senior students visit the European Organization for Nuclear Research Cruiser cards go into effect Metro switches to plastic for students

By Alex Frandsen Montgomery County’s Ride On Bus system is set to eliminate the paper Youth Cruiser passes in favor of new Youth Cruiser SmarTrip cards. The old paper passes were phased out on Mar. 1.

The new Youth Cruiser SmarTrip cards will operate similarly to regular SmarTrip cards. They can be used on Metro buses and trains, in conjunction with Ride On transportation. The only stipulations are that the card holder must be a county resident, and the holder must be under the age of 19.

The new passes can serve as monthly or summer passes. The monthly pass provides unlimited rides per month for $11, while the summer pass allows the cardholder unlimited rides from June 1 to August 31 at a cost of $18 dollars.

According to Ride On media consultant Esther Bowring, the main benefit of the switch will be an overall upgrade in convenience. “The new cards will just make it so much easier for everyone. It’ll be easier to add value, and easier to actually use Ride On and Metro,” said Bowring.

This change is also part of a system-wide transition. “All of Metro and Ride On are trying to use primarily cards, and this is just part of that,” she said.

To obtain the new Youth Cruiser card, proof of age and county residence must be brought to a TRiPS Commuter Store, along with a two-dollar cost for the card itself. The stores are located in Silver Spring, Friendship Heights, and on Rockville Pike.

Once purchased, the Youth Cruiser cards can be reloaded at any Commuter store, along with designated Giant and CVS pharmacy stores.

working there,” explained Studt.

Finnish and American groups of four students each worked on an individual research project they started weeks before in preparation for the trip and which they presented at the end of their stay in Geneva. “Each school had some sort of final project…that synthesized all the information that we gathered from the experience. It was all hyper-focused on what was going on at CERN so that while we were there, the students had practical questions,” said Schafer.

the Standard Model, a theory that seeks to explain the behavior of elFour Blair students traveled ementary particles in their interacwith Magnet teacher James Schations with each other. The theory fer to Geneva, Switzerland to is partially based on research convisit the European Organization ducted at particle accelerators like for Nuclear Research (CERN), the one at CERN; for example, the the world’s largest particle physdiscovery of the Higgs boson plays ics laboratory, in late January. a key role in the Standard ModThe four seniors, Alex Bourel in explaining why many other zutschky, Avikar Periwal, Jessica elementary particles have mass.

Shi, and Gabby Studt, met with The papers also included histostudents from four Finnish schools ry and future sections that sumin Geneva. The group departed marized other not yet proven asJan. 26 for four days and toured pects of the Standard Model. “One CERN’s facilities as part of the of the sections I worked on a lot Trans-Atlantic in the paper Science Schools was the fu(TASS) proture – what gram, which discoveries was founded we’re hopby Schafer and ing to make several Finnin the future ish colleagues and what two years ago. weird theoAccording ries exist now to Schafer, the that we hope TASS program may turn out is a multinato be true,” tional coopersaid Studt. ative learning In spite experience that of the diveraims to expand sity of the COURTESY OF TASS.MBHS.EDU the students’ their backk n o w l e d g e SCIENCE Blair students pose with their new Finnish friends. grounds, of physics cultural while also ind i ff e re n c e s troducing students to new culSchafer also stressed that the proved not to be much of a barriture. “The goal is to show that research component of the proer, according to the students. “We these students benefit from gram helped to enrich the tour made a lot of friends. Although being together and learning of CERN, and that the TASS [when] we were talking to them from each other,” said Schafer. program was designed to make during the US-Finland [OlymSchafer and company spent the the facilities immediately relepics] hockey game, it was a litfirst three days visiting individual vant to the students’ learning. tle… rough,” admitted Periwal. laboratories at CERN and talking “We didn’t want the students Though the Finnish schools have to scientists. Several of the facili- to just show up at CERN and been taking students to CERN for ties they visited had been recent- go, ‘Oh, this is cool,’” he said. several years, this was the first year ly involved in groundbreaking Studt explained that the exthat Schafer brought US students research, such as the discovery pertise of the tour guides lent a to join them. He and his Finnish of the Higgs boson, a fundamen- lot to the overall experience. “I colleagues plan to expand the protal subatomic particle. “We got to had…a lot of specific questions gram in the coming years. “Some go down a hundred meters and about, for example, the groups of our hopes are to involve more see the Compact Muon Solenoid of particles in the [Large Hadschools both from Finland and the detector, which actually found ron Collider], and the manner US and then to start branching the Higgs boson,” said Periwal. in which they move around. It out to other countries and get an The tour of CERN was con- was really nice to be able to ask a even more diverse group togethducted by some of the researchers question that I probably couldn’t er. Right now we’re in the infancy themselves. “The tour guides were have found an answer to in a of the program, where we’re just very, very knowledgeable about textbook or online,” she said. showing that bringing students toeverything because of course they Blair students at CERN collabgether has a benefit,” said Schafer. were scientists and engineers orated on a research paper about

By Blue Keleher

Exams change to satisfy new Core Curriculum from HSA page A1 college and career readiness and were developed in conjunction with Common Core. The PARCC tests are designed to be delivered electronically, and will also aim to support teachers by giving more information on specific developmental techniques to address students on a more individual level.

“The [previously used] standard tests teach and the PARCC exams assess students’ critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills, all of which are valued by employers. There is also a quicker delivery of test scores with the new online assessments,” said Henry Johnson, Assistant State Superintendent for Curriculum, Assessment and Accountability for Maryland and managing personal for the administration of PARCC exams.

Maryland is transferring from the MSAs and HSAs to PARCC assessments in order to fulfill the newly-adapted Common Core curriculum expectations. “The new exams will align completely with the new College and Career-Ready standards that were implemented

in all Maryland schools this past fall [which] will allow educators to better understand student achievement,” said Bill Reinhard, Media Relations at Maryland State Department of Education.

The new exams aim to allow Maryland students to better meet international standards of educational success. “The Maryland College and Career Ready standards are not a curriculum but a higher set of standards. Local educators developed new curriculum and lessons to enable students to meet the higher, internationally benchmarked standards for what they need to know and be able to do when they graduate from high school in order to be successful in college or career without remediation,” said Johnson.

Maryland school systems were chosen from the PARCC consortium to take the PARCC field test this spring. The field test is a practice PARCC assessment being used to to predict success of the exams, and to accustom students to the new test format. “The field test will provide exposure to teachers and students on the new test platform and the new style of tests that dif-

fers greatly from the Maryland State Assessment for elementary and middle school students and the High School Assessments for high school students,” said Johnson.

Reinhard predicts that student performance and scores will initially go down from previous years’ because new standards come along with a new exam.

“The assessments are more difficult, and the standards are relatively new. It will set a new baseline for scores, which could well be lower than what the results on the MSA have been,” said Reinhard. According to Reinhard, thus far, school systems have been very supportive, but future field testing in the spring should reveal a larger overall response.

A Montgomery County 6th grade math teacher that prefers to remain anonymous believes that the switch to the new exams might pose issues for math courses in which the Common Core has not yet been fully implemented. “[Since] Common Core has not been rolled out to all math courses, next year, students taking Math 7, Pre-Algebra, IM, and

any HS math class above Geometry will be taking the PARCC but will not have experienced Common Core Standards in their math classes,” said the teacher.

PARCC exams are designed to be administered electronically, but according to Starr, many schools in Montgomery County lack the technology to efficiently administer the tests. He explained that the county is hoping for state grants to help fund technology updates. In the event that schools are unable to update their technology, the tests will be administered at a slower pace having students rotate through existing technology eligible for the test.

Blair has just undergone tech mod, a scheduled five year technology update. The new technology will enable the school to better administer the PARCC electronic exams. Reinhard believes that the electronic element of the PARCC assessments is an effective innovation. “The developers of the new test are including questions that go well beyond the paper and pencil bubble tests students have been used to for the past decade,” said Reinhard.

Newsbriefs Wheatonites rally for historical preservation

Wheaton residents rallied against the county’s potential “historic” designation of the Wheaton recreation center at a county council meeting Feb. 25. The council, which was originally planning on demolishing the 50-year-old recreation center and rebuilding it, is considering designating the center as “historic,” requiring the county to preserve the building’s original structure. Wheaton residents at the meeting argued that the building’s derelict structure will stand in the way of the new building the community needs.

The county planning board, which already approved the designation, argues that a new building can be built that can serve the county’s needs in addition to preserving the old building. However, protestors argue that building an additional building will reduce the recreation center’s green space for outdoor activities.

New animal services and adoption agency opens

Montgomery County opened a new animal services and adoption facility in Derwood on Jan. 2.

The Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center, at the intersection of Muncaster Mill Road and Airpark Road, is 49,160 square feet and contains animal adoption, holding and treatment areas as well as a sally port, classroom, conference room and office space. The facility, which is owned and operated by the Montgomery County Police Department Animal Services Division, will serve as a community educational resource and an adoption center and will also house all Animal Services functions. The building will replace the Montgomery County Humane Society Animal Shelter in Rockville, which will continue to run until the end of March. All new animals will be sent to the Derwood animal shelter, which has the resources to house reptiles and livestock in addition to traditional house pets.

Bill approved to ban “revenge porn”

The Maryland House of Delegates approved a bill to criminalize the spread of private photos or videos to harass someone after the end of a relationship, otherwise known as “revenge porn,” Feb. 28.

The bill, drafted by Montgomery County delegate Luiz R.S. Simmons, passed in a 130 to 0 vote and will now move to the Maryland Senate. Under the new legislation, those who cause “serious emotional distress to another by intentionally placing” an identifiable photo or video on the internet will face a fine of up to $5,000 and up to two years in prison. This legislation applies to anyone who posts a malicious photo or video of someone else online, whether the person in the image is naked or clothed.

New York, Virginia, Florida, Missouri and California legislatures have proposed similar bills, and Simmons said he hopes the new law will “become a model for legislatures across the nation.”

Newsbriefs compiled by Kelsey Gross

A4 News Newsbriefs Boy dropped off at wrong school bus stop A seven-year-old student was stranded in Laurel after a Montgomery County school bus driver dropped him off at the wrong stop on Feb. 25. According to the Bel Pre Elementary School student Tyrone Evans’ mother, Robin Godfrey, Evans told the substitute bus driver that he had dropped him off at the wrong stop and asked to use his cell phone, but the bus driver refused. Evans walked along Contee Road for almost three hours before Godfrey found him. Evans has received treatment from urgent care and is expected to recover. MCPS spokesperson said the school is investigating the “unacceptable” situation.

Holocaust survivor died in car crash A 91-year-old Holocaust survivor died Feb. 26 after being hit by a school bus in Silver Spring. Elia Miranski was crossing Columbia Pike at Tech Road at about 2:20 p.m. when a bus contracted by Howard County Public Schools struck him The bus was returning to Hammond Middle School in Laurel after field trip to the White House. No students were injured.

According to police reports, speed is not believed to have been a factor, the bus had a green light, and there is no indication that the crosswalk sign malfunctioned. Miranski’s parents were killed by Nazi soldiers, and he and his brother escaped from a ghetto.

Newsbriefs compiled by Kelsey Gross

March 17, 2014

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College Board announces changes to the SAT 2016 SAT will have optional essay, new scoring system, new vocab from SAT page A1 outline the content students are expected to know at each grade level.

The revised SAT plans to focus more on allowing students to showcase the skills they learned in high school that College Board believes matter the most for college readiness. “We are redesigning the exam to be focused, useful, open, and clear, and we’re linking it to [students’] most challenging classes, so [that] the best way to prepare is by taking rigorous course work and doing your best,” said Carly Lindauer, Senior Director of College Board’s external communications.

To determine what material will be on the redesigned SAT, College Board spoke to teachers. “We listened closely to teachers and their feedback has helped guide the evolution of an SAT that is strongly linked to the best of classroom instruction. The redesign is based on an extensive review of current research that identifies the skills and knowledge that contribute most to readiness and success in college and career,” said Lindauer.

The changes being made to the SAT are the result of a prolonged effort. “The process to redesign the exam began over a year ago and the development process is well underway. Among other things, all items are pre-tested to ensure they are effective, fair, and valid,” said Lindauer.

Coleman supported the need for testing to provide more avenues for success. "What this country

needs is not more tests, but more opportunities. The real news today is not just the redesigned SAT, but the College Board's renewed commitment to delivering opportunity," said Coleman in a College Board press release from Mar. 5.

Some of the new changes being introduced will make the SAT more similar to the ACT, including the optional essay, having no penalty for incorrect answers, and at least one science related passage.

The ACT, based more on current high school curricula, has slowly eclipsed the SAT as the most-taken college admissions exam. In 2013, 1.8 million students took the ACT, while only 1.7 million students took the SAT. The SAT, along with other college admission tests, has also faced trouble with its reception by teachers, as recent surveys have shown that only 20 percent of classroom teachers believe the college admission tests are a fair measure of student achievement.

One of Coleman’s main goals in revising the SAT was to lessen the mass amounts of expensive tutor-

ing that often give an advantage to wealthier students. “It is time for the College Board to say in a clearer voice that the culture and

practice of costly test preparation that has arisen around admissions exams drives the perception of inequality and injustice in our country. It may not be our fault, but it is our problem,” Coleman told The New York Times in an article published Mar. 5.

In an effort to help low-income students, the College Board will partner with Khan Academy in the spring of 2016, offering free instructional videos and practice problems online before the new exam is introduced. “For too long, there's been a well-known imbalance between students who could afford test-prep courses and those who couldn't. We're thrilled to collaborate closely with the College Board to level the playing field by making truly world-class test-prep materials freely available to all students,” said Sal Khan, founder and executive director of Khan Academy, in College Board’s Mar. 5 press release.

College Board will also give qualified students fee waivers to students that allow them to apply to four colleges for free.

“We can cut through so much red tape and hesitation by giving students the admission JENNA KANNER fee waivers they need, information they understand and the encouragement they need to apply more broadly. This is only possible through the support and generosity of our member colleges," said Coleman in the press release from College Board.

March 17, 2014

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

Silver Chips is a public forum for student expression. Student editors make all content decisions.

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

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

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March 17, 2014

Drawing the line through our online social circles Students and teachers need to have boundaries in their online interactions

By Kelsey Gross An opinion From Edline to your cell phone, technology and the Internet continue to change the shape of the educational sphere. Thanks to the development of new forms of social media like Twitter and Facebook, we are now confronted with a world where the ability to contact our teachers and administrators anytime, anywhere is at our fingertips. At the click of a button, we can unlock the door to details of our teachers’ lives outside of the classroom. Whether your intent is innocent or malicious, it’s always tempting to take a little peek...

Stop!

For the sake of both students and teachers, this is a door that needs to remain shut.

When it comes to Facebook, we’ve heard this admonition time and time again: don’t friend your teachers. For most students, this should seem intuitive by now.

Your Facebook timeline has an abundance of posts you have been tagged in that range from the corny status updates of your cringe-worthy middle school days to pictures from last weekend’s party. As much as we’d like to believe our teachers live in their classrooms, their timelines most likely show a pretty similar scenario (scaled up 20 years).

When you friend your teachers, you are giving each other access to look at these posts and photos from your personal lives out-

side of the classroom. Ultimately, both student and teacher lose the once-treasured privacy of having a personal Facebook account.

With Twitter, however, things start to get trickier. Many teachers and administrators make professional Twitters, and encourage students to follow them and even to

ELIZABETH PHAM

tweet them.

It’s your own call, but be careful – once you follow them or retweet one of their posts, your teachers will be able to read your Twitter unless you set it to private. The idea of giving teachers access to their personal tweets is certainly daunting to some students. “That’s where the line between school and personal life is crossed. It’ll cause them to dislike certain kids and pick favorites,” senior Yikalo Yohannes says.

Students should always be careful about what they post online. Even so, we often use social media such as Twitter as an outlet to complain about the challenges involved with school life and teenage existence. “Let’s be honest, we all complain at some point about [our teachers] on Twitter,” junior Tigist Tadesse says. Even those teenagers who keep their complaints off the web still use

twitter as a method to joke and communicate with friends, and the way they present themselves online may differ greatly from how they present themselves in the classroom. As appropriate as students’ tweets may or may not be, some tweets are simply not meant for teachers’ eyes.

Regardless, some teachers really do tweet, “snapchat”, or friend their students, and one major reason could be a lack of explicit, well-defined rules.

As new forms of social media pop up, the rules must adapt accordingly, yet there is no mention of the mater in the Student Rights and Responsibilities handbook or our agenda books, and the PowerPoint presentation from the Jan. 6 Blair staff meeting merely labeled “inappropriate social media relationship with students,” “social communication unrelated to classroom activities,” and “texting/personal phone calls” as “unprofessional behaviors from staff to students.”

Without the establishment of clear boundaries for teacher-student online interaction, we are left to decide for ourselves what should be considered appropriate. Occasionally, this can lead to trouble.

These days, most forms of social media have a private messaging aspect, and this makes communicating with teachers over social media not only uncomfortable and unprofessional, but dangerous as well. Having a Facebook message, Twitter direct message, or Snapchat exchange with your favorite teacher may seem harmless, but it can quickly escalate. In April 2013,

Oregon City High School teacher Alexander Taylor was arrested for allegedly exchanging inappropriate photos with a sixteen-year-old student over Snapchat, an app which allows users to send and receive pictures that disappear after 10 seconds. There are plenty of innocent teachers and students who would never act this way, but once you give someone access to send you a private message, anything is possible. To stay out of murky waters, the solution for both students and teachers is simple – don’t do it.

Now, though I am cautioning against allowing communications between students and teachers to infiltrate the world of social media, I’m not advocating a return to the pre-Internet dark ages of the 1990s either. Email and websites like Edline have undoubtedly enhanced our educational experiences. There is nothing wrong with using the Internet to contact teachers for educational purposes.

However, things start to smell fishy when “educational purposes” involves students and teachers being able to look at each other’s photos, read each other’s tweets, or send each other vanishing, ten-second pictures.

Teachers are not your friends, and as the Internet evolves, we need to keep our social media boundaries between our personal and professional lives clear.

As you happen upon your teacher’s Facebook page, the door is wide open. The “Add as Friend” button is right in the corner. For your own sake, resist the urge. Back away, close the door, and snapchat your friends instead.

School extended: finding ways to make up for snow days

By William Zhu and Isaac Jiffar An opinion Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! This year, the gleeful chant of a chorus of schoolchildren around the country has been answered handsomely by a heavy helping of the white stuff.

Elementary-schoolers frolic in the snow and we high-schoolers hibernate and sip hot chocolate, (and yeah, probably frolic a little, too) grinning ear to ear at how Mother Nature has cheated the system. In the meantime, though, Dr. Starr and the other adults in suits making the decision to close school are probably a little less than pleased.

In the last couple of months we have seen an unprecedented amount of winter storms that have forced nine closings, and have put a lot of teachers in a position where they have to worry about how they will get through all the material in their curriculum. It is hard to blame the school district however. In an area that is so unprepared for these levels of snow, keeping school open on

some of those days would probably have resulted in a lot more harm than good. In order to ensure that everything that needs to be covered is covered, therefore, teachers need to embrace creative methods of continuing instruction without classroom time.

The school district’s last attempt at “toughing it out” through the snow on February 26th didn’t end to well. Instead of closing or at least delaying the school day, schools opened on time despite the snow, resulted in a fiasco. The Beltway seemed like a warzone jammed with cars and emergency vehicles tending to accidents.

The resulting standstill forced kids to sit in the freezing cold while buses inched through the traffic, and it was impossible for some students to arrive on time.

Most importantly, though, their safety was jeopardized. One bus coming to Blair got involved in an accident as a car slid into the back of it due to the ice on the roads. It was nothing short of a miracle that no students for teachers were hurt.

As a result, we are left in a bit of a dilemma.

One can debate the

merits of each individual closing, but the harsh winter we have had has forced the county to close school a lot more often than they would like in order to ensure the safety of students and teachers. At the same time, however, schools also need to, well, educate students.

The solution being tossed around currently is an extension of the school year by a full week as a compensation for the lost days of instruction. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?

Well, the problem is the only thing that will be pushed back is the beginning of summer. AP exam dates are unaffected by the snow days, so those classes are not going to get any more time to cram in information before the AP tests.

Similarly, the dates that seniors get out is set, regardless of the number of days we miss. Under the current policy, the final exam dates are set and won’t be pushed back in the event of an extension, but right now that is being challenged by the Board of Education.

If the policy remains unchanged, that means essentially, grades will be finalized, a n d f e w s t u dents o r teache r s will have the motivation to continue instruction. And even if final exam BEN SAFFORD

dates are pushed back, we still have the problem of teachers with exclusively seniors or AP classes having nothing to do. For this reason Montgomery County Public Schools is currently appealing to the state in order to get this requirement waived.

There is no magic bullet that is going to save us in this situation.

The only real solution is hard work and creativity. Students are going to need to do more work at home, and teachers are going to need to either condense lessons, skip material, or come up with inventive ways to make up lost class time.

One math teacher has taken matters into his own hands. William Rose, who teaches Analysis 1A in the magnet program, decided to make up for lost time by filming lectures on Calculus and posting them on YouTube so that students can watch at home. He says that videotaping lectures is something he has thought about before, but the missed days this year has given him the push he needed to explore the medium further.

He says that he was amazed by the sound and video quality he could get, and some students were telling him that when watching the video they felt like they were there. This is not perfect, of course, and he admits there were students who were frustrated because they could not ask questions during the lectures, but at least he is doing something to deal with the snow days proactively.

In an absence of other solutions, this kind is the kind of innovation we are going to need to get through a slightly abbreviated instructional period.

March 17, 2014

Opinions B2

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Should schools reward academic success?

NO:

YES:

ZEKE WAPNER

Leigh Cook

Students don’t receive enough support outside of school.

While one student’s parents are getting their child a new phone for the B’s and C’s he or she received, another student is being reprimanded for not making straight A’s.

For the latter child, privileges are revoked and electronics are confiscated. Anything less than perfection when it comes to grades warrants automatic punishment.

Schools and parents put such a tremendous amount of pressure upon students to get good grades that many kids are just about ready to crack under the weight of expectation. The day report cards come home, many students arrive to parents who are eager to see their grades, but less eager to congratulate their child for his or her performance. To these parents, good grades are an expectation. No tangible reward comes with making straight A’s. Other students come home to guardians who are somewhat apathetic about their child’s transcript. For the students who do not receive encouragement at home, the rewards provided by schools are the only kind of positive recognition that is offered.

In 2012, Steven D. Levitt, John A. List, Susanne Neckermann, and Sally Sadoff performed a study that tested the correlation between students’ grades and monetary rewards. According to the study, students who were offered a $20 bill upfront were more motivated than those who were promised a $20 check in the mail. If the reward is delayed, motivation deteriorates. It is ineffective to tell students that staying in school pays off in the long run. Many students are unable to grasp the importance of education in the present because the incentive is delayed. However, when an immediate reward is offered to students who perform well, they are compelled to do better in school.

This gives reason to believe that immediate, tangible rewards such as pizza can be effective tools to motivate these kids who are not affected by the long term promises of a good education and a stable career.

The study also revealed that rewards were more successful when posed as a loss rather than a gain. Students felt compelled to do well if teachers presented them with a reward and then said they would take it away if the student did not excel. If schools offer students pizza parties, dances and video games in advance, students will feel more possessive of these incentives.

At Eastern Middle School, the incentive to get better grades includes a party,

EVA SHEN

Material rewards encourage segregation and miss the point of achievement.

a DJ, pizza, soda and a game room.

The rewards themselves may not be incredibly valuable, but at least they symbolize appreciation for the efforts of the students on the receiving end. The triviality of the incentive makes the rewards harmless to the students who are not being rewarded. These students are not missing out on something essential or meaningful to their lives. They are solely being encouraged to work harder The students with lower grades who are not permitted to attend dances and pizza parties may feel left out, but any exclusion is harmless and temporary and hardly hinders the confidence of the students. These kids watch their peers with better grades eat pizza, but once the pizza has been eaten, it is forgotten. The key to these rewards is that they strike this balance. They are significant enough to serve as a form of encouragement and appreciation without being so significant that they create a divide between the “winners” and “losers” in the minds of kids.

Fulfilling the pizza-eating desires of pre-teens and teens creates a positive correlation between school and fun. When students are allowed to play video games in school, they feel more partial to school itself. When there is free pizza and soda involved, their affinity for school will increase even more. According to an employment study by Peter Reilly, people tend to be more motivated when they are encouraged through the use of rewards and praise, and are discouraged through punishment. Reilly references renowned psychologist B.F. Skinner, the innovator of radical behaviorism, and states that learning only takes place through external positive and negative reinforcement.

Many middle schoolers see no merit in getting good grades. They do not receive encouragement from their parents nor do they understand the importance of transcripts. Even if their grades do not follow them to high school and beyond, their performance forges habits and routines that will stay with them for years to come. It is therefore vital to provide an immediate incentive to the students who cannot grasp the longterm gratification of a good transcript.

There’s no question that U.S. schools put value on grades. Academic achievement makes you more appealing to colleges, which in turn can open up future job opportunities and so on. But school grades aren’t the only measure of success. More importantly, using them to divide students might do more dividing than we’d like. Even the rewarded “high-achievers” might not benefit in the long run; if, for all your life, “achievement” is synonymous with “getting free stuff,” what happens to your motivation when you realize that life doesn’t work that way?

Though this is an age-old discussion, it has flared up again recently in Montgomery County with the advent of Eastern Middle School’s “Academic Achievement Celebration.” Intended to celebrate students who achieved high grades at the end of a quarter, the “celebration” included excusal from the last period of the school day, free pizza, games, and dancing.

Okay. That’s fine. So some kids get pizza… we already divide kids up by grade, right?

Right. Grades exist for a reason, and reflect talent and effort. It’s the overemphasis on the division between levels that’s problematic.

At Eastern, the straight-A students got first dibs on everything, and then after school the B’s and C’s got to partake, while anyone with lower grades was completely excluded. This feels like a small-scale class system, where the students at the bottom are separated from the top by multiple levels of… what? Worth?

Controversy over the event has also interrupted the school’s plan to distribute wristbands to distinguish “high-achieving” students from the… well… not.

If I were a straight-A student at Eastern, these exclusive privileges might puff up my ego. But if I’d ended my last math class with a D, heading home while my peers attended a dance would only emphasize the perceived rift between myself and this “elite” group. Worse yet, imagine walking through a hallway where you could pick out the “good” and “bad” students just by looking at their wrists. Eastern’s plan to identify students who met grade criteria doesn’t just make academic achievement more recognizable – it makes academic failure obvious.

Skill and hard work deserve to be rec-

ZEKE WAPNER

Blue Keleher

ognized. Newcomers to a sport shouldn’t net varsity spots out of “fairness.” But academic achievement is another thing entirely, encompassing not just one skill but – if we believe the propaganda – the entire realm of intelligence and potential.

If you don’t make varsity basketball, it just means you’re not the next Kevin Durant; if you’re identified as sucking at school, society tells you that that’s who you are, and you’ll never amount to more.

And if this dramatic split happens as early as middle school or before, you might be stuck with this dismal self-image for much longer than one quarter.

Some educators argue that opposition to separating kids into categories like this is “coddling” them, but in reality it is this kind of material reward system that gives students a warped view of the real world.

Outside of high school, you can’t expect that good work will net you pizza, DJs, and gold stars. Achievement should be its own reward, independent of the bling.

Students who are conditioned to excel only for the promise of material rewards not only miss the point of education, but are also in for a shock when they enter the adult world.

And most importantly, this is all assuming these types of material incentives actually motivate us. But do they really?

In response to an investigation on Eastern Middle School’s new policies, Barbara Marinak, a professor of education Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland, told the Washington Post that “we’ve got 30 years of research that says extrinsic rewards do little to nothing to nurture any kind of intrinsic motivation.”

Competition is inherent in our society.

No matter how much we might wish it, people are never equal in all respects.

Montgomery County even prides itself on the prevalence of magnet and “gifted and talented” programs in its schools. With all these existing divisive programs, how can we justify encouraging more separation, especially at such a young age?

Adolescents already face enough pressure to be “good enough” for society. Material rewards like this don’t act as beacons to pull all of us – “good” and “bad” students alike – toward the realm of high achievement. They just pull us farther apart.

voicebox “Yes, because it motivates kids to do well, they won’t do it themselves.”

Saron Bizuayehu Senior

“No, the ways of rewarding are innefective and it is a waste of resources.”

“No, other people will feel left out.”

“No, school should not be a competition .”

“Yes, it provides incentive to get good grades.”

KYRA SEIGER

Ryan O’Connor Senior

Andrea Vo Junior

Bradley Dayhoff Freshman

Elizabeth Cove Freshman

B3 Opinions

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March 17, 2014

UMD: The University of Missing Data Colleges and universities should prioritize the protection of student and staff digital information

By Evan Morris An opinion

When you write your social security number into a college application, they are always sure to remind you that it’s a secure connection. But then they have your information in some database, and you have to trust that they know what they are doing in keeping you safe. The problem is, it is increasingly clear that many colleges and universities don’t.

On February 18th at 4:00 AM, a cyber-attack was launched on the UMD servers that resulted in the theft of nearly 300,000 personal records. Not only were current students and faculty affected, but those long-gone from the school were exposed as well. Anyone issued an ID card from the College Park or Shady Grove campuses since 1992 was placed at risk.

The potential for identity theft due to insufficient security measures looms over the heads of millions every year. Many of these breaches occur at colleges and universities, where students are rarely given a choice on who is allowed to keep their information or how safely it is stored. These places are also prime targets for attacks, as they are hubs of so much personal information, given their number of students and faculty.

This negligence is not excusable. These organizations gener-

ally have enough money to invest in the safety of their affiliates, as it doesn’t take much to increase security with the standard, widely available methods used today.

When it is a question of safety, it is alarming that more organizations have not made this a priority.

It isn’t as if they don’t know where to start. On the Social Security Administration website for Maryland and surrounding states, they clearly explain guidelines for avoiding identity theft caused by security breaches.

Among a list of precautions, they suggest data encryption as a best practice.

On what not to do, they warn against storing SSNs on unprotected computers and against sending them anywhere in an electronic format.

They also encourage organizations to inform their members on what measures are being taken to protect their security.

But at UMD, even basic organization seems to be an issue. In the time since the breach, administration has made a lot of promises for the future that should have been standard procedure in the first place. A week after the attack, the affected were notified by the

school that they were beginning a “full investigation into all computing and information systems.”

Their first initiative? To “scan every database to find out where sensitive personal information might be located.”

Where information might be located? If we can’t rely on our schools to have even a basic understanding of where our essential information is stored on their own system, it is not such a leap to as-

DESIREE ALEIBAR

sume that it will be accidentally passed into the wrong hands.

According to Maryland’s administration, when they do find sensitive data, it will be purged or protected more carefully. This begs the question: how were they protecting it in the first place?

On this point, the university has

been very cryptic. The university’s president, Wallace Loh, commented on how they are flabbergasted that their “sophisticated, multi-layered security defenses” was somehow bypassed, but he made no explanation as to what happened on Maryland’s end of things. And the problem with their reasoning is that, usually, hackers don’t target a specific place. Instead, they exploit whatever weak points they can find, wherever those happen to be located.

Had UMD really been so meticulous in defending information, a breach like this should not have been possible. With standard algorithms with which to encrypt data, as the Social Security Administration suggests, stolen files should not be such a threat to the confidentiality of their contents. When these methods are used properly, anyone not permitted access to these protected files has no way in, so the data is useless. Furthermore, a server storing sensitive information should not ever be connected to outside networks like the internet, keeping the information local and

much harder to steal.

Because the university will not release much information, no one knows the specifics of what measures they did or did not have in place. But that doesn’t excuse the fact that, even before, it was clear that their security was not enough. Loh explained, “There are thousands of databases throughout the campus, many created years ago when the environment for cyber threats was different.”

But it wasn’t on the eve of the attack that they realized that their security was out of date. The environment has been changing since it was created, as it will continue to do in years to come. This is no excuse.

With most other decisions, people can choose whom to trust with their secrets and personal information. It is likely that most would not choose a complicated bureaucracy to keep track of their safety. Students are not given that choice. No matter where they choose to go to school, they will almost certainly be asked to give up control of their information so that it may sit in some database, waiting to be poached. The opaque nature of security procedures makes a decision nearly impossible. Students have no good way of knowing who really protects them versus who dresses up their mistakes with phrases like “fiendishly skillful cyber-attack,” as UMD chose to do.

Bringing back recess to high school: a modest proposal

We, the people of Montgomery Blair, need our chill time, whether we realize it or not

By Alex Frandsen Humor I was a Shark Boy once. And proud of it, too. My fellow gang members and I would spend the entirety of our first grade recesses running away from the dreaded Lava Girls, desperate to maintain our oath to never, ever, contract cooties. Yet, memories such as these are faded, tucked away into the furthest depths of my mind. We high schoolers have been deprived of recess for many years now, and we have forgotten the joy and exercise it brought. That thirty-minute block of beautiful freedom is long gone, and we think nothing of it. But we need it. We need tag and pick-up basketball games. We need chill time. We need Shark Boys and Lava Girls. Recess needs to be brought back to Blair.

Yeah, okay. We sort of have “recess” now. Students are basically free to do whatever they want during their precious lunch period, and the fields are all ours to frolick in. But is that really recess? I would argue no.

The essence, the soul of recess just isn’t there. There aren’t any kickball games going on. No toilet tag. No nothing, except a few scattered Frisbee tossers. To truly live, recess needs its own separate block in the day.

But what would we do during

recess? I know most you are thinking that very question. After all, we high schoolers like to think of ourselves as grown men and women, who no longer have time for silly games. But I promise you this: One game of capture the flag will revive the recess aficionado within you. There could be kickball tournaments, playground sets could be installed, and we could even try to scoop some slides from a neighboring elementary school (the kindergartners have more than enough of ‘em). Maybe we could even get one of those jungle gyms, which were the absolute illest back in the day. Yeah, it would take a little while to warm up to, but that’s to be expected when the recess portion of our brain has been dormant for so long. But once we got rolling, the benefits would pile up. Cliques could be bridged together, friends could be made, and rivalries could be reconciled. The magic of recess knows no social or racial boundaries.

And who knows? If recess is successful enough, maybe we could see it implemented as an official class. Intro to Recess

would be a core class for freshmen, and sophomores could take either Advanced Recess or Recess with Apps. And if you really stuck with it, your junior and senior years could be spent taking AP Recess I and II. Studies show that the field of Recessology has been growing at a steady rate of over 324% over the last five years, and it’s our school system’s responsibility to enable students to take advantage of this opportunity.

There is, however, one potential obstacle in the mission to reclaim fun: kids who hate fun. We all know them.

They’re the ones who hate the idea of running around, who have nightmares of tag games gone wrong. They’re the ones who tattle on you for sneaking a peek at your phone. But, I have a solution for these sticks in the mud: The Recess Police—a specialized task force of recess experts from across the nation.

Blair could hire them to overlook our soon-to-be burgeoning recess program. Their mission would be to spread fun, and they would be heavily trained to spot students who aren’t putting in the enthusiasm recess demands. If they find one of these poor souls, the offender would immediately be put in recess jail, a morose place of sadness and misery. During their period of internment, the criminals would be subject to horrors such as compiling book reports on the dictionary or writing rhetorical KATRINA GOLLADAY analyses of the student rights and responsibilities handbook.

And if that doesn’t work? A mandatory principal-parent meeting would be arranged. Only once they truly repented for their crimes against frivolity would they be allowed out.

Granted, it may be hard at first to convince administrators and teachers of the merits of this revolutionary proposition.

But after just a couple weeks, they would see immediate academic improvement. All the daydreaming and restlessness would fly out the window, and the overall attitude of the student body would skyrocket.

Yes, there would be a few bloody knees to deal with. But a couple band-aids are well worth the increase in student morale.

Really, it’s not even a debate. We need recess,

whether we realize it or not. Having thirty minutes a day to run around, play, and cavort with fellow students would be invaluable. Maybe we’re past the point where we play Shark Boys and Lava Girls, but the logic remains the same: we’re still kids at heart, and we should be able to act like it. And for the students who don’t like it? Well, there’s always the Recess Police.

March 17, 2014

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Opinions B4

Confronting the stereotype and stigma behind feminism

The women’s rights movement faces unwarranted and unjust opposition

By Grace Woodward I am a feminist.

There, I said it. It’s out there. Does this mean that I hate all men and wish they would disappear from the earth’s surface?

Actually, no. When someone identifies as a feminist, he or she is simply saying that he or she believes in the social, economic, and political equality of the sexes. Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with that.

“You are such a feminist.” These words, spoken as an insult, were what first introduced me to the stigma behind feminism.

As a 12-year-old, I wasn’t entirely sure what being a feminist entailed, but I knew that – correction, I thought - it wasn’t a compliment. This was, of course, reaffirmed by the typical “straw feminist” I saw in countless television shows and movies. The “straw feminist” trope is the laughable, irrational woman who fights male conspiracies rather than help equality efforts, a character who was put into the story to mock, discredit, and de-legitimize feminism (see the Power Puff Girls’ Femme Fatale).

Today, the archaic perception of feminism as a radical concept is still present throughout our culture. This view perpetuates the stigma behind feminism. The idea that feminism is radical stems from various opinions: some believe that feminism, especially in the developed world, is outdated and unnecessary, while others believe all feminists are angry, hairy women, who rail against the patriarchy, burn bras, and cry for the downfall of all men. However, these views are detrimentally misguided.

Let’s start with the false assumption that feminism is an antiquated belief that is no longer needed in society. If you’ve ever heard someone claim that “women have it the same,” or “women have a hard time in other countries, but it’s not like that in the United States,” allow me to give you a little ammo right now that you can use for retaliation. The current problem in our society is that gender has become a way to prescribe how we should be rather than a way to recognize how we are. The cold, hard truth is that women face numerous forms of oppression that affect them throughout their lives.

The U.S. Census Bureau, which tracks annual wages, found that women are routinely paid less than men for the same quantity and quality of work. Currently, the Bureau’s official statistic states that, in the United States, women who work full time and year round make 77 cents for every dollar men earn.

It’s also important to realize that, ac-

cording to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, out of every single country in the world, the U.S. is 80th in the amount of women in the national governmental body. Women are an extremely underrepresented social group in the U.S. government, making up 51% of the population while compromising only 17% of the U.S. Congress. At this rate, women won’t reach parity for another 500 years.

The inequalities continue with the portrayal of women. In the media, television, movies, and music increasingly define women by their looks, which contributes to the rise in pressure women and girls feel about their bodies. The University of North Carolina School of Medicine found that 53% of 13-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies, that by the age of 17 that number increases to 78%, and that in the U.S. 65% of women and girls ages 25-45have disordered eating behaviors. 65 percent. I’ll let that sink

in.

Women are also forced to conform to a man-centric world, being sexually objectified while simultaneously being encouraged to feel shame about their sexuality.

This exemplified by the rampant slut shaming that is prominent throughout our culture. Studies have also shown that girls

that being a feminist is a bad thing. Let’s just be glad we have Beyoncé to remind us that being feminist is actually the best thing. Queen Bey, of course, never fails to disappoint.

Beyoncé is an example of the type of woman people need to see, exemplified by her recently released visual album. Women

WOMEN’S RIGHTS Seniors Mekdes Sisay, left, and Maggie Sauber, right, plan future Advocacy Club events at Blair to help discuss the stigma behind feminism. are less willing to speak out about their opinions in a classroom atmosphere.

The list of inequalities goes on and on.

Now let’s tackle the misconceptions about what characterizes a feminist. The idea that all feminists are unfeminine, hateful, bitchy, and only into feminism because they either couldn’t land a man or are lesbian is just so wrong and off base. In life, feminists come in all different shapes and sizes. I’m not trying to tell you that feminism doesn’t have its extremists – any ideological group does. I know this is complicated, but bear with me, the problem comes when society continually defines and perceives feminism by the beliefs of its most extreme members, and not the beliefs of its majority. This definition and perception undermines the movement, weakening and delegitimizing feminism’s goals. At its core, feminism is about equality, but sadly this simple principle is not what is reflected in society’s view of feminists. Perhaps this has to do with previous waves of the feminist movement, such as the one present through the 1960s and 1980s, which featured a rise of radical feminism.

But, our culture shouldn’t stereotype a group based on that group’s actions in the past.

Kim Allen, a researcher from the London Metropolitan University, describes our culture, which has made feminism such a negative word, as “a ‘post-feminist’ culture, which penalizes women and girls for daring to object to misogynistic views or gender discrimination.” Women who point out the continuing problems in our society are made to feel like nuisances whose views are unimportant and unjustified.

Even if they hold feminist views, women are continually pressured to disassociate themselves with feminism. Katy Perry exemplified this sentiment during her acceptance speech when she won Woman of the Year at the Billboard Women in Music Awards. “I’m not a feminist, but I do believe in the strength of women,” Perry exclaimed.

I’m sorry, what? What does that mean?

I’m confused. Oh wait, I get it, Perry is just another victim of the societal misconception

who proudly accept their role as feminists show women everywhere that being a feminist is nothing to be scared or ashamed of. Look at, women who are influential in the political sphere, like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Minority Leader of the House Nancy Pelosi, and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Women writers like poet Maya Angelou, novelist Arundhati Roy, and journalist Laura Ling. Women who hold powerful positions in the business world like PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer, and Kraft CEO Irene Rosenfeld. There are multitudes of other positive female role models I could include, all of whom constantly help feminism progress and work towards the end of the feminist stigmatization.

Women need this reassurance to counter set of the outrageous stigma surrounding feminism. Rush Limbaugh, who coined the outrageously offensive term “femi-nazi,” has argued that feminism was established “to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream of society.” Sadly, Limbaugh’s backwards views are popular among far too many. It is completely heartbreaking that we now live in a society where people believe it’s not socially acceptable to call yourself a feminist.

Having more power in government, making more money each year, and monopolizing media, in a terrifyingly literal way, men rule the world. Yes, it is understandable why that patriarchy was present in various societies long, long ago, when what mattered for survival was physical strength. Luckily, we’ve evolved over time and the person more capable of success is now often the more creative, intelligent, and innovative person: attributes which have nothing to do with hormones.

Despite this change in the world, it seems that our ideas of gender have not changed enough.

Furthering the way our culture tells women to bend over backwards for men are the common stereotypes about masculinity, ones that tell men they must always be tough and strong. This can result in the creation of fragile male egos to which women are expected to cater. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie describes how society teaches girls to behave for men in her TEDX Euston talk. “We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller. We say to girls, ‘You can have ambition, but not too much. You should aim to be successful, but not too successful, otherwise you would threaten the man,’” she says.

Our society continually teaches girls shame. Shame of their capabilities, shame of their bodies, shame of their sexuality, shame of their opinions. This shame and guilt grows with girls and presents itself in women as fear of speaking out, speaking up, and sharing what they believe in.

Silencing women is perhaps the most detrimental thing society does to hurt equality.

Another obstacle feminism runs into is the difficulties people face when discussing gender.

People often believe that they don’t think “like that,” like a big sexist pig, and to be fair, many of them don’t. However, while not thinking women are inferior is definitely a positive, there are also problems with people who do not actively think about gender. The truth is, if you’re not actively tryWomen’s ing to find a solution, then you’re part of the problem.

The inherent difficulty that comes with discussing gender has resulted in various ways that people try to shut down the dialogue surrounding gender.

Some bring up evolution; claiming that in the animal kingdom, for example, male apes are superior to female apes. Okay, that’s sort of true, for some species of apes.

In case it’s escaped your notice, here’s the biggest catch: we are humans, not apes.

Once again, intelligence and creativity are far more important to success in the human sphere than raw strength. Others bring up different forms of oppression in an attempt to divert the conversation. But does the fact that there is discrimination against other groups take away any legitimacy from the struggle women must fight for their own rights? Surely not. At the same time, it is important to understand that the fight for equality is universal. Feminism has realized this, introducing intersectionalism, the idea of working together with all the different movements for equality.

It is understandable that discussing gender inequalities can be uncomfortable, but the point of these discussions is not to attack men. It is to try to help them understand. To understand that socialization exaggerates the differences between boys and girls, creating stereotypes that people feel forced to conform to. These stereotypes create a self-fulfilling process that does damage to all genders. Feminism is a powerful movement that shouldn’t have to be bogged down by a stigma and that feminists – male or female – are nothing to be afraid of.

PHUONG VO

B5 Soapbox

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Chips Pics:

March 17, 2014

Want to be featured in the next Soapbox?

Follow @Silver_Chips on Twitter and respond to any of our #soapbox questions in full sentences. If your response is creative or interesting, your tweet could be picked for the next cycle’s Soapbox! We will credit you with your name, your grade and your Twitter handle.

Chips Index: COURTESY OF FIBANI.COM

COURTESY OF MICHAEL GOLD

COURTESY OF NATIVEX.COM

#flavoredsmoke

#marchmadness

#flappybird

The video game industry makes 66 billion annually On average there are 8 slices of pizza per box

Who do you think is going to win March Madness? see page F2

The Blair campus covers 42 acres

“Florida. Defense wins championships, and Billy Donovan has done it before.” - senior Mattan Berner-Kadish @MatBerKad

There have been 9 snow days this school year

“Syracuse!!! #CuseNation” - freshman Kendall Douglass

Blazer Ji Hyuk Bae earned a Flappy Bird high score of 132

“Kansas has a long history of winning and has one of the best coaches in college basketball.” - junior Austin Yuan

26.6% of Blazers have tried a hookah pen

“Michigan - GO BLUE! ” - freshman Alex Sarri-Tobar

Will the increased Ride On/Metro fares deter you from using public transportation? see page A3

53% of Blazers consider themselves feminists

Chips Index compiled by Aditi Subramaniam with assistance from Ayame Garrett, Michelle Hao, Eleanor Harris, Mariam Jiffar, Brian Le, Winne Luo, Brianna Moreno, Greer Turner, Kalin Vassilev and Arthi Vijayjumar

Would you smoke a hookah pen?

see page C2

“No. It will allow Metro to provide better service and hopefully they will be able to pay their employees more.” - junior Sara Heilig

“I probably would but I wouldn’t want to make it a habit because hookah is really bad for your lungs.” - sophomore Amelia Langer

“No, because I take the Ride On/Metro everywhere. I would just be salty every time I ride it.” - sophomore Karlyena Cruz

“No, I would not. If the vapor contains nicotine then it has the same addictive capacity as cigarettes. Even if it does not contain nicotine, hookah pens support the culture of smoking.” - sophomore Aaron Szabo

“I would bike instead.” - sophomore Lara Shonkwiler “If I have to take the bus then I would use my school ID.” - senior Lara Coombs

Would you interact with teachers on social media? see page B1 “If teachers saw things that students post on social media, they might start treating those students differently in class.” - junior Vadim Petrov “I would interact with teachers because you never know when you would need their help.” - junior Erin Guzman “I think causally interacting with your current teachers is blurring the line between teacher and friend too much. But if it’s for instructional purposes I’m all for it!” - senior Fiona Lachman @Just_fizzle “It would be crossing the professional line.” - sophomore Kelly Mayo

“I would smoke a hookah pen because it is just flavored vapor. It’s not a drug; you are just smoking steam. ” - senior Hadiya Campbell

Are there any frustrating iPhone games that you are addicted to?

see page D2

“I’m addicted to Sims and if I don’t play for a while, my people die.” senior Fortune Abor “Continuously failing Flappy Bird pushes me to keep on playing until I get a high score.” - junior Helen Kebede “During lunch, in the bus, in the library and before bed - I’m always crushing candy.” - junior Eunice Muchemi “I’m addicted to Subway Surfer. Even though it drains my phone’s battery, I still think it’s worth playing.” - sophomore Eljoy Tanos

silverchips

March 17, 2014

My Blair: Personal Column

The trade off

By Blossom Jiang Guest writer Today is any other school day; school just ended, and I’m waiting for my mom to pick me up. The weather is pleasant; slight breeze and just the right amount of heat, so waiting for my mom isn’t too bad. The only times my mom picks me up from school are if she worked at home, or needs to go grocery shopping. Today, the reason was both.

It’s not hard trying to spot my mom’s car; it is a huge silver Toyota Sienna and you can tell it’s my mom because she always causes a jam getting in and out of the parking lot (she gets very confused with all the turns). She pulls into a parking spot and I walk towards her, somewhat embarrassed. I put my stuff in the back of the car and give my mom a hug before we pull out of the space and try to get out of the parking lot.

We finally make it out of the parking lot, and begin driving towards Costco. On the drive there, she does the whole mom routine: “How was your day?” “Fine” “How did that test go?” “Ok” “When do you get it back?” “Next week” and of course my mom has an accent, so it’s harder for her to speak to me in English than Chinese.

“Are we picking up the other two today?” I’m asking about my sisters and thankfully, the answer is no. A thing about my sisters; they are like the twin siblings who aren’t really twins. They are a few years younger than me, and so it’s their job to bother and annoy me. I don’t mean I don’t like them; it’s just I like my quiet time every now and then.

The drive to Costco always makes me scared because my mom gets so distracted by the radio that she misses the entrance and tries to go through the exit.

I know stereotypes aren’t always true but when it comes to my mom, she does fit the “Asian women are bad drivers.” She doesn’t speed or cut people off, but she is a bad parker and being aware of her surroundings (which is why I didn’t ask her to teach me how to drive… but that’s another story). Today, she is much better: she had turned into the correct lane and I don’t have a panic attack of going head on into another car. But her parking skills still aren’t the greatest. We get into the spot, but she’s the driver who always parks a bit slanted.

I love going to Costco because there are always samples (makes me seem like a bit of a fatty) and afterwards we always stop to get a smoothie and some food.

We make our way all the way around Costco and my mom finally buys everything she needed, plus a few snacks I put in. Now we head towards the checkout.

No matter what day it is, I feel like Costco is always crowded. We finally find the shortest line and start putting our stuff up.

I love the way the lanes are set up because it’s easier than having to lift everything in and out.

We pay for everything and we head to the food lines. It’s always busy but the service is so quick. I order two berry smoothies and two slices of pizza. My mom and I love their smoothies and pizza. Every Friday night that my mom is late from work; we can expect a Costco pizza.

We finish our food and begin exiting

the store. “Could you grab one of those recipe books for me?” I get one and follow behind her.

Now you know how people have the same car as you and you decorate yours somehow to tell it’s yours? Well my mom doesn’t decorate our car in anyway, but you can always tell by her parking. Well, turns out some people may have similar parking skills as your mom. I walk to the spot and there are two Toyota Sienna’s parked side by side. Both slanted. I think, “it’s because my mom had parked slanted,” so I get into the first one thinking it is mine. I sit in shotgun and buckle up waiting for my mom to get in.

I have the radio up and am relaxing for a bit, my “mom” gets into the car and we drive out of the Costco parking lot. To get home from Costco, I have to go on the highway (quicker) but the route my “mom” is driving is the local way. I’m not too concerned until I see my “mom” drive further than usual. I turn around, “Hey mom, where are we going?” to find out I’m not sitting in the car with my mom. I’m sitting in the car with a strange woman who has a similar car to my mom.

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! What am I doing here? Where am I? What is going on?” I’m freaking out; I had gotten into a car that wasn’t mine.

And the reaction of the women is far worse than mine. You would think she would say “calm down, it’s going to be ok.” Instead, “Oh crap, I kidnapped a girl! What am I going to do? I can’t believe I just drove! What am I going to do?”

After 10 minutes of both of us freaking out, I call my mom and she calls her daughter to find out they had just gone through the same thing. We drive back to Costco and I return to my mom while the woman gets her daughter back.

Both moms apologize profusely to each other and we go on our way.

“I’m so sorry for taking your daughter!”

“As am I.” “No misunderstandings right?”

“None.”

“Mom, do you know her?”

“No I don’t.”

I get into my mom’s car to find out I have ballet, “Oh by the way, you have a class in an hour, so I brought your stuff in case and I’m going to drop you off now.”

“Sure, uhh today sure has been weird.”

The weirdest thing isn’t even the trading; it’s what happens at ballet. My mom drops me off, and as I’m entering the building, you won’t believe who I see. The girl from Costco, who “traded” spots with me? She has just joined my class.

We both laugh when we see each other and walked into the building.

Now, I’m super attentive to my mom’s car and where it is parked to avoid such a thing.

Jiang is a junior who won the Silver Chips Personal Column contest.

Awards and Honors Math teacher Ty Allen became a Doctor of Education on Feb. 9.

Blair’s Math Team won the County Math Championship on Feb. 12.

Freshman Willa Murphy placed fifth in the county for poetry in the Forensics competition on Feb. 22.

Junior Alex Wiebe won third place at the American Birding Association’s 2014 Young Birder of the Year competition Mar. 4.

Blair sophomores Donald De Alwis, Gabriel Cote and Ajay Kharkar won first prize in the 2014 C-Span StudentCam High School East Divison Competition for their documentary about water pollution on Mar. 5.

Senior Shaun Datta won tenth place nationwide in the Intel Science Talent Search on Mar. 10. Datta was also named a 2014 Top Teen by Bethesda Magazine on Feb. 23.

THEN:1970

Opinions B6

ALAN GOLDSTEIN

FROM THE TOP Annual show choreographer Nancy Lewis leads Mark Gorin, Ervin Grinberg and Steve Middleton in a dance rehearsal for “Guys and Dolls,” to be performed March 5, 6 and 7 [1970].

&NOW: 2014

KYRA SEIGER

TAKE IT AGAIN Senior Vera Belaia, left, teaches the cast of The Gondoliers a dance routine. The Gondoliers, opening March 28, follows the adventures of Italian soccer players.

Up and Coming Monday, March 17 St. Patrick’s Day Thursday, March 27 End of third marking period Friday, March 28 Professional Day, no school March 28-April 5 School Musical: The Gondoliers Wednesday, April 9 Report cards distributed

B7 Editorials

silverchips

March 17, 2014

There’s always a way to contribute Silver Chips seeks Blazers from all academies and programs to join us on staff

By Langston Cotman The preponderance of CAP students on recent Silver Chips Print staff is well-documented. Out of the 14 members of the current senior writing staff, all but two completed the Communication Arts Program. We at Silver Chips acknowledge and respect the common perception of our paper as an exclusive institution that lacks diversity amongst its staff. As a communal institution with a mission to inform and represent the entirety of the Blair family, it is troubling and frustrating that this paper maintains the reputation of a biasedly selective club that is disconnected from the rest of Blair.

We want to fix this. We want all Blazers who are interested in writing for one of the best high school papers in the nation to have the opportunity to do so.

As a CAP student, I was pitched on the possibility of writing for Silver Chips from early on in my freshman year. Journalism class is a required CAP course in 10th grade, and taking it allowed me to learn the fundamentals of journalism and build up a substantial and eclectic portfolio to present during my application in the spring of my 10th grade year. CAP did not guarantee me a position on Silver Chips, but being

in a program that required me to take Journalism class gave me an advantage.

Last month, a group of Silver Chips staff members and I went around to 9th grade English classes and encouraged students to sign up to take Journalism class during their sophomore years, making them eligible for a position on the writing staff. The response we received was extremely positive, and we were thrilled with the number of 9th graders from both specialty programs and academies interested in joining Silver Chips.

Based on the feedback we received, it became clear that many Blazers were in the EMMA HOWELLS dark on the process of becoming a member of this staff.

We provided all the information we could in the short amount of time we had to pitch the paper, but we are sure that there are some questions that went unanswered. To address all Silver Chips application inquiries, I will now provide a synopsis of the process that all potential candidates must partake in.

Much like an athlete or a math student, a writer must know the basics of the subject in order to truly succeed in journalism. That is why all Silver Chips writing staff applicants are required to have taken Journalism class at Blair prior to applying to the pa-

Ombudsman Langston Cotman

per. It is in this class that writers are taught how to construct the various types of articles found in a newspaper, from hard news stories to witty opinion pieces. These classes also emphasize journalistic ethics, and teach students about their rights as reporters and how to respect the rights of their sources.

We require our writers to come in with a clear understanding of these essential tenets of journalism because we simply do not have enough time to teach these concepts while EVA SHEN simultaneously putting together the high- quality reporting for which Silver Corrections Chips is renowned. New staff members are expected to be able to “hit the The Inside Chips page jump on A2 should read D1, not D5. ground running” and contribute to the paper from the first cycle on. We stress The feature “Maryland’s last good knight” by Langston Cotman on the importance of signpage C5 should read “a girl in a Prince George’s County school, was ing up for the Journalism able...” class because we would hate for a student with a passion for journalism to find out in the middle of their sophomore year that ing. Our need for more Copy Edithey will have to wait an has both a Photography Staff and tors is especially great seeing as extra year to be on Silver Chips an Art Staff that are currently our only Copy Editor, the convenwriting staff simply because they accepting submissions. More tions aficionado Paul B. Ellis, is a failed to take the Journalism elecinformation about the submission tive. We strongly urge all Blazers, requirements can be found in each senior and will be departing and the end of the spring. especially freshmen, to sign up staff’s respective folder outside of There are so many ways to for the class and at least have the room 158. For those with more of contribute to Silver Chips, and we luxury of being eligible for a posian interest in the financial aspects would like to emphasize that any tion on the writing staff regardless of running a newspaper, we are qualified student who is driven of whether or not you decide to also accepting Business Staff apand passionate about contributing apply. plications; more specifics on the to this paper, regardless of what Of course, there are Blazers job of the Business Staff and subscholastic program they happen to who might want to contribute to mission requirements can also be be in, has a place in our family. this paper, but aren’t interested in found in a folder outside of room being writers. Silver Chips offers 158. Finally, for those students a plethora of positions that require who are sticklers about grammar, no writing and therefore have no Silver Chips is also looking for Comments or concerns? prerequisite of completing a JourCopy Editors to catch any gramEmail the Ombudsman at nalism class. For students who matical errors that slip unnoticed ombudsmansilverchips@gmail.com are artistically inclined, our paper despite our many stages of edit-

Armchair activism: leading the march from the comfort of our homes Why protest on Capitol Hill when you can share a picture of protesters getting arrested instead? Why make picket signs when you can express the same message in a clever hashtag? #slacktivism is trending around the nation, and while the dissemination of information is certainly important to any social movement, we need to be cautious of falling into the trap of considering a Facebook status an adequate substitution for active civic participation.

With the spread of social media has emerged a tendency for people to use Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to post about the cool things other people are doing to fight for their civil liberties or protest economic inequality. But as we, in our laziness, attempt to utilize social media to help us in our quest to take the “active” out of activism, we must remember that our re-tweets are only one small part of a very large process.

The prevalence of online social awareness campaigns has ushered in a new phenomenon of absentminded activism. Friends and promotional pages like Upworthy update news feeds regularly with articles drawing attention to the plethora of injustices that plague this planet. Pictures of war-torn villages and excessive poverty have become commonplace, to the point of desensitization.

Recently, a video entitled “Most Shocking Second a Day Video”, which depicts a young British girl’s traumatic experience in a warzone, has garnered attention on social media sites and racked up over 25 million YouTube views.

Meant to simulate the experience of Syrian citizens caught in the midst of civil war in a way that is relatable to a Western audience, its graphic depictions of war are moving and disturbing, but emphasize the spectacle of war.

The notion that it would even take a manufactured and dramatized reenactment of a civil war to galvanize support for a human rights campaigns, rather than a straightforward examination of the current conditions in Syria, is disconcerting. A simple post on an issue is starting to mean less and less. It simply doesn’t stand out amongst the slew of online campaigns jockeying for attention.

That is why more drastic measures are necessary to shock the public into action.

Of course, it is true that any movement requires general awareness in order to be successful, and that the more the public cares about an issue, the more likely it is to receive attention from lawmakers in any democracy. But it is too easy to make a Facebook status voicing support for a policy. When you actually put the necessary effort into

staging a protest, or even getting signatures for a petition, it is a much stronger signal to those on Capitol Hill that you (and anyone who participates with you) are actually passionate about the issue in question.

The dynamics necessary for a movement to succeed today are a combination of internet-based and conventional activism. The Arab Spring is a perfect example of the modern revolution. One of the first events that pushed dissatisfaction in this movement over the tipping point came in summer 2010. Wael Ghonim, a 29-year-old born in Egypt and living in Dubai made a Facebook page to honor Khaled Mohamed Said, a 28-yearold who had been beaten to death by police officers in Egypt. The page soon grew in popularity, amassing over 250,000 likes in three months, according to a New York Times article by Jose Antonio Vargas. As anger grew, so did civil unrest, and the protests eventually culminated in the ousting of 30year President Hosni Mubarak.

According to a University of Washington study that analyzed the connection between the revolution and popular social networking sites, the rate of tweets about political change in Egypt spiked from only 2,300 a day to about 230,000 a day in the week preceding Mubarak’s resignation.

As the bug of revolution spread,

young adults from around the region took to Twitter and other social networks to express their disillusionment with their governments and militaries, and eventually citizens in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen all deposed their heads of government. All-out civil war is still going on in countries like Syria.

The immediacy of this issue is not just one that is felt on the other side of the Atlantic, but here in our own neighborhood as well. Living so near D.C., it is especially relevant to us Blazers. Recently, many students got off their computers and headed down to Georgetown in order to protest the Keystone Pipeline Project. This proposal endeavors to build a pipeline from Alberta, Canada to Southeast Texas which is supposed to serve as “a critical infrastructure project for the energy security of the United States and for strengthening the American economy,” according to the Keystone-XL project. There is a vocal opposition, however, which paints a less rosy picture of the effects Keystone may haveparticularly on the envoronment.

Students from universities around the country came out to the Washington, D.C. protest in an attempt to discourage the Obama administration from approving project many fear has the potential to lead to massive oil spills, destruction

of Native American lands, and a furthering of our dependency on fossil fuels. In additon to the D.C. event, rallies have erupted across the United States. There is even a website called xldissent.org, which gives information about the issues protesters take with the pipeline and offers the opportunity to make donations or organize bus rides to get to demonstrations in big cities. Again, an example of how organization through the internet can enhance, though not act as a susbstitution for, a movement that also has boots on the ground.

The bottom line is that the real activists are the people on the front lines of protests and marches, the people planning sit-ins and acts of civil disobedience. Without the willingness of these people to give their time and sometimes risk their safety for the purpose of change, no movement can succeed. So go ahead, share that video of police brutality. But remember that slacktivism is not an end unto itself. The ultimate purpose of raising awareness in this manner is to spur the real protests that are usually still necessary to affect meaningful change.

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

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

March 17, 2014

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ADs B8

C1 Features

silverchips

March 17, 2014

How the wetlands were won (and then lost) from WETLANDS page A1 reports. “The triangle was called the Kay tract, named for the family who owned it,” she says. The Kay family had no use for the golf course. “It was an abandoned lot,” she sighs, “with some scrub trees of no particular worth.”

As the Kay tract grew more dilapidated, its reputation grew shadier. “It was the kind of place where kids would go to get themselves up to no good,” says social studies teacher Robert Gibb. “There were trash and beer bottles everywhere.”

“There was a lot of drug use,” adds Backus. “There were homeless people camping out in the middle.”

And next to all that, there was water. As Backus explains, all of the water that collected on the Beltway went straight to the Kay tract when it rained or snowed. “The wetlands were formed by runoff,” she explains.

“There was a pipe that runs under the Beltway, and the wetlands were from that water that no longer had a place to go to.”

Kit Gage, the Chair of the Stormwater Committee for the Friends of Sligo Creek, defines the wetlands as a low-lying area where water tends to accumulate. “Often there is standing water, and even when there is not standing water, the soil is soaked,” she explains.

There’s only one problem, then: Blair’s wetlands aren’t always wet. “There’ve been years when it’s so dry that the dead pig the Forensics class buries down there doesn’t even decompose,” laughs science resource teacher Summer Roarke. “We don’t have a filtration zone, and it’s not attached to a tributary. We just get away with calling it a wetland.”

director of Educational Facilities Planning and Capital Programming, according to the Board of Education’s notes from August 4, 1992.

The Kay tract’s neighbors protested.

“Many of the people who lived in the area did not want the school built here,” Backus explains. There were mutterings about the traffic a school would cause. But Backus also suspects part of their reluctance was racially motivated. “At that time, the Four Corners area was not very well integrated. Some of the people were probably speaking from the panic at having a lot of the diversity, the minority students that Blair has always had.”

But the community couldn’t outright say, “we don’t want minority kids in the area,” so the community groups looked for any excuse to prevent the construction of the school. “They discovered there was this wet area in the corner,” Backus says, and demanded an environmental study. That delayed the school’s construction for five years, she estimates. Backus lets her face scrunch up and mimics the neighborhood community. “‘Ooh the wetlands! The wetlands! Maybe there’s some species in there that’s endangered!’” All of a sudden, says Backus, the dumping ground for old mattresses and broken beer bottles became the environmental Garden of Eden.

The dumping ground’s new status led to a compromise with the environmentalists in the community, explains Backus. “They would build Blair, but keep the wetlands intact,” she recalls. In her testimony, Briggs suggested remediation efforts, or efforts to restore the area to its natural environment following the construction of the school.

“They have enough acreage to replace the wetlands by creating a new pond,” she explained.

With community concerns about the wetlands addressed, the county acquired the land to build a school in September 1994, and the school opened in 1998. The wetland was still on the campus; the only question was, who would care for it? “At that point,” says Backus, “they approached me and said, ‘as the Horticulture teacher, you might be interested in the wetlands.’ And I said, ‘well, no. We grow plants on purpose. If you leave me in charge, I’m not going to leave it native.’”

Instead, when the school opened, the Department of Parks in Montgomery County took responsibility for the land, says Douglas Stephens, the Water Quality Manager at the Montgomery County Department of Parks. “In December of 1995 approximately 11 plus acres of the 40 plus acre Blair property was designated a park and recreation area by the covenant recorded among the Land Records of Montgomery County,” he explains.

Maintenance mishap If a tree fell in Blair’s wetlands, it certainly wouldn’t make a sound over the roar of eighteen-wheelers chugging their way down the Beltway. Other than the constant sigh of passing cars, the wetland is silent: no birds interrupt the dry crack of feet on dead foliage, no squirrels leap between giant milkweed stalks. From the baseballs in various states of decay on the ground, one would think the Blair team hit home runs every inning. Vibrant wrappers and soda cans adorn the baseballs. Even in this pocket of nature, Blair has made its presence known.

Blair is in the soil, notes AP Environmental Science teacher Chris Brown. “The soil that’s in there now is the kind that’s runoff from the construction of Blair, which is mostly not very permeable,” he says. “The water hits the wetlands and flows off of 495 and into Sligo Creek.”

Part of the reason for the runoff is the lack of native species. “If there were native species, the topsoil would be held in place. The plant species would be waterland species, so they would survive waterlogged soil,” he says.

Both Backus and Brown note they’ve never seen anybody preserving the wetland.

“It’s no one’s formal responsibility in the school,” says Backus. “An urban wetland by definition is kind of neglected.”

Stephens explains that the only treatment the wetland receives from the Department of Parks is trash removal when necessary.

“This wetland is not an official stormwater wetland for Montgomery County parks, so there is no official maintenance schedule for the wetland,” he says. If it was, it would receive more consistent grooming. “Regulated

wetlands have trash removed monthly, dam embankments are mowed at a minimum twice yearly, and the low flow/outfall pipe is cleared as needed.”

Now, that doesn’t mean the Parks Department has exactly abandoned the land; it’s just that preservation is difficult in such an undeveloped area. “They can be hazardous for staff to operate in, even for trash removal,” Stephens says. “Staff must be very careful due to the soft ground and water present in the wetlands. Also, access for wetlands is usually difficult due to the natural areas they are located in.”

And then there are those pesky invasive species. “Aquatic invasive plants are difficult to control once established in wetlands because they generally require the use of herbicides and in a wetland environment, herbicide use should be done sparingly,” notes Stephens.

Technically, says Gage, there’s nobody enforcing preservation of the Blair wetland.

“I don’t think there are requirements that you maintain it, but there are requirements that you don’t destroy it,” she says.

So for most preservation, the wetlands are on their own. “If they were going to tear it down,” says Roarke, “no one would come to protect it. No one but us.”

Healing earth

Saving the wetlands, notes Gage, will involve creating as many barriers as possible so polluted water doesn’t hit the wetlands.

“You plant trees or shrubs because it slows the dropping of rain onto the ground, because when you have tree over soil, the rain doesn’t hit the soil as hard, it hits the tree.

You don’t have as much rubbing and runoff,” she says.

Grass battles Furthermore, the wetland would need somebody to analyze the origins of the runA couple miles away, the Blair High off. “You look at what’s happening to the School on Wayne Ave. had over 3,000 sturoof water, you look at what’s happening to dents and the buildings were filled with the parking lot water,” explains Gage. leaks. “The old Blair was falling apart,” reBrown envisions a full reclamation for the calls Backus. land. “It would have to be dredged. Take out So in April 1992, the Board of Educathe backfill,” he exclaims. “It would have to tion and the County Council made plans to be cleared of all invasive species and the namove the school to the Kay tract. “It is the tive species would have to be restored.” The only remaining large piece of property in hitch of course, says Brown, is the cost. the Down-County area,” said Ann Briggs, But the land would be worth the work.

“The wetlands have different plants, different animals from those living in the creek,” she says. “It allows for a different biome,” notes Gage.

Most of all, says Brown, we should preserve the wetland because it can have much larger consequences “downstream.” “The more development we have—the more parking lots and sidewalks and football fields we have— we’re reducing our ecosystem’s ability to filter the water,” says Brown. “We’re losing that natural service.

And we’re going to end up paying for it in the long run.”

The legend has two beginnings, but only one end: there’s a tract of land that’s turned into the graveyard for weeds, for native roots, for golf balls and chip bags, for debate and LEILA BARTHOLET diplomacy.

SLEEPING BEAUTY The wetlands are still waiting to be restored as promised by the orignial constructors of the new Montgomery Blair High School building. The space It’s buried under is currently littered with trash and decay (as seen above), standing in the shadow of its former glory and patiently waiting for springtime to come again. its own silence.

March 17, 2014

Features C2

silverchips

Hooked on hookah pens Electronic cigarettes called “hookah pens” creep into Blair student culture

By Wesley Hopkins Where only first names are used, names have been changed to the protect identity of sources.

Miles scratches his head as he wanders around a local mall, searching high and low for a directory to help him find the right store.

He nervously passes two mall police officers who are stationed in the hallway. They could help him find the store, but considering what he’s looking to buy, he would rather avoid anyone with a shiny badge.

He’s been here before plenty of times, but still can never remember which way to go.

“I’m usually not in the right frame of mind to remember where I’m going,” he hints with a broad smile. After a few more minutes, he

which Miles glows with excitement.

“You’re gonna love this one,” the clerk promises. “That’ll be $37.10.” Miles pays and starts to walk out, eager to try out his new toy. He asks for a receipt, to which the clerk furrows his brow as if he’d never been requested of such a thing before. After a few seconds he produces a shady piece of paper torn at the top adorned with randomly assorted numbers and some symbols that might remind you of Microsoft Word’s Wingdings font. Once outside, Miles starts refilling his pen after scanning the area for the pesky mall police.

Pretty popular Hookah pens, a type of electronic ciga-

who also identifies as a frequent user, claims that hookah pens aren’t popular because they’re addictive, but because they’re convenient. “What’s so intriguing about it is that you can get these awesome milky hits like you’re smoking, but they’re just so stealthy and they don’t smell at all,” he explains. “I can really do it anywhere; in the street, in my room with my parents home, or even in school.”

School safe?

Unlike Miles, Bolgiano is careful not to bring his habit into the school environment.

“I don’t like to risk that. Even if it’s technically legal, I don’t know how teachers or security guards would react,” he explains.

ZEKE WAPNER

VAPING Senior Sam Bolgiano exhales from his mechanically modified hookah pen, whose atomizer he rebuilt in order to enhance the vapor’s “milkiness.” Bolgiano uses both nicotine and non-nicotine liquid, but prefers the nicotine. arrives at his hidden gem.

He goes inside and walks right past the meat of the store: the “Cool story bro, tell it again” t-shirts, the hoodies that read “Don’t hate me ‘cause you ain’t me”, even the hats embroidered with Angry Birds characters.

He’s not here for the clothes.

Miles arrives at a small display case in the back of the room. Drug paraphernalia of all sorts splays out in the transparent cube: decorative glass pipes, large bongs, various rolling papers. He stares wide-eyed at the contents as the store clerk greets him.

“What’s up, dude? Anything I can help you with today?” says a short and stocky man well into his thirties.

“Yeah, I’m tryna buy a new hookah pen.

The refillable kind.”

The man reaches under the counter and takes out an apparatus, placing it on the counter next to a printed label that reads “Must be 18 to purchase. Have ID ready.”

Miles is a barely-17-year-old junior who might be judged to be a year or two younger, but is never asked for his ID. “So I assume you already know how to use these, since all your friends probably have them,” says the clerk eagerly as he takes the device out of its packaging. Miles nods in agreement, but the man does a demonstration anyway, putting his lips on the narrow rod and inhaling as he presses a button. He promptly exhales several milky white rings, to

rette, are quickly gaining popularity among teenagers. A National Youth Tobacco Survey found that 10% of high schoolers in 2012 had tried e-cigarettes, more than doubling from only 4.7% the year before. It also showed that over a quarter of the kids who had tried ecigarettes use them on a regular basis.

Senior Sam Bolgiano is 18 years old. His use and purchase of electronic cigarettes is legal and he doesn’t have to resort to sketchy head shops to buy his products. Instead, he frequents a nearby store in Wheaton Mall called DC Vapor. “[Miles’ store] is really only good for the disposable pens, which are just too expensive for the amount that I use them,” he explains.

Bolgiano can’t estimate the number of times per week that he uses to e-cigarettes. Even for a daily number, he hesitates. “Man, I use it a lot,” he admits before a long pause. “I’ll use it on the way to school, in the parking lot, on the way home, in my room while I’m doing homework, on the street if I have to walk somewhere… It’s pretty much an all-day kind of thing.” Bolgiano sheepishly admits the degree of his use, but is confident that it hasn’t gone too far. “I mean I have a habit, but it’s not like I get withdrawal or anything. I recently ran out of the liquid refills and didn’t use it for a few days, but I felt pretty much the same,” he says.

Miles,

In the Blair code of conduct, it states that for a student’s first time caught in possession of a tobacco product, he or she receives a minimum of one day of In-School Suspension (ISS) along with entry into a smoking cessation program. This is a steep difference compared to the school’s policy of an automatic 5 day out of school suspension for alcohol possession and a 10 day policy for marijuana. But Principal Renay Johnson admits that the tobacco punishment may not even be as harsh as the handbook says. “I’m gonna be real honest, if a student is in posession of tobacco, I would just confiscate it, may send them to ISS, and definitely call their parents,” she admits. “It just doesn’t really disrupt the operation of my school. Alcohol or marijuana can impair your judgment, you could walk into the street and kill yourself, so it’s a much bigger deal.”

Johnson says she is aware that e-cigarettes have been making their way into schools, although she hasn’t yet spotted them at Blair. “I actually received an email from the principal at Edison about those,” she says. “He sent it to me and five other principals saying that he’s been seeing lots of e-cigarettes lately and wanted to know if we’d seen them too, which I haven’t.”

Head of security Ms. Green agrees with Johnson that the pens have been out of sight so far. “None of us have seen any e-

cigarettes pulled out and in use on campus, but we have been on the lookout. If we caught someone with them, it would be treated as a cigarette and we would confiscate it right away,” she says.

Healthy habit?

“They’re nothing like cigarettes,” promises Miles after leaving the store. “It’s really just flavored vapor. I mean, they might have nicotine in them, but as long as you don’t get addicted that doesn’t really mean anything.

I’ve done some research, and they really don’t damage your health.”

Maggie, a more social user of hookah pens, says her friends told her the same thing. “I smoked hookah pens with a few friends one night,” she accounts. “I sort of felt pressured into doing it, but they weren’t aggressive about it, they were just kind of like ‘do it’. I really didn’t know if it’s bad for me, but they told me it wasn’t, so I tried it.”

Eric Lindblom is a Senior Advisor at the Center for Tobacco Products at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He and his team have been doing what research they can to get facts about these new devices. “The expectation is that they’re safer than cigarettes, but we don’t really know that,” Lindblom admits.

“Just the nicotine, to start with, isn’t a benign substance. It’s not just addictive, it’s actually poisonous on its own. I’ve also read that the particulates involved in e-cigarettes’ ‘vapor’ are actually aerosol, which is much smaller than vapor particles, which means they can penetrate your lungs and body in ways that vapor can’t.”

More than anything, Lindblom says that he is afraid of the unknown factors that surround e-cigarette use. “The biggest problem with e-cigarettes right now is the lack of data,” he explains. “They’ve done a few studies, but it’s so early that we really don’t know how it affects people in the long term.

Decades after we started testing cigarettes, we’re still constantly finding new diseases caused by smoking. It’s totally possible that new diseases could be discovered that are correlated to e-cigarette use.” “We also don’t know whether e-cigarettes might increase youth initiation into tobacco use or reduce the number of adult smokers who fully quit.”

Studies have shown that Lindblom’s worries about youth initiation into tobacco use might be valid. In fact, the National Youth Tobacco Survey found that a staggering 80.5% of regular e-cigarette users in high school are also using tobacco cigarettes.

“At the beginning of high school I thought I would never smoke a tobacco product, but then it changed to never smoking an actual cigarette,” Miles says.

“Then I essentially said f**k it and changed to only smoking cigarettes on weekends, which I’ll probably break if I haven’t already.” He pauses, then adds “but even though it sounds like a naïve broken record, I truly believe I have the selfcontrol to not get addicted.”

March 17, 2014

Features C3/C4

silverchips

Every spring locals flock to the nation’s capital to see colorful floats cascading in pink and white blossoms make their way down Constitution Avenue during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival parade. Five years ago, amidst this flurry of flowers, a nine-year-old girl was more intrigued by the Japanese Sakura Matsuri market nearby, suddenly finding herself coming across people covered in costumes from head to toe and dynamic anime displays. And thus, current freshman Jessie Nelson discovered cosplay.

Cosplay, short for “costume play,” is a performance art involving costumes and, at times, roleplay. “Cosplay is dressing up...as a character, usually anime, but can be anything or person,” explains senior cosplayer Kerri Bailey. Nobuyuki “Nov” Takahashi, publisher of Japanese magazine Studio Hard, coined the term “cosplay” in 1984 after he attended a cosplay convention in Los Angeles and wrote about it in Japanese science-fiction magazines. Since then, the art form has spread rapidly worldwide, recently growing in the Blair community as well. Yet, bring up the subject of cosplay in a conversation among a group of friends and you’ll likely be met with confused looks and puzzled inquiries.

Cosplay at Blair Although many Blazers do not know about cosplay, there is still a significant co splay community present around the country. Large hubs litter the United States as places such as San Diego, Los Angeles and Boston that are well known for cosplay, contributing to the nation’s over 200 anime conventions held every year according to Japan’s Wochi Kochi Magazine. Los Angeles is home to the Anime Expo, the largest convention in the country, marking its highest number of visitors at 120,000 in 2011. Cosplay also holds wide popularity around the Montgomery County area and Maryland in general. “There’s a very big cosplay community in the D.C. and Baltimore area,” explains junior cosplayer Stephanie Renich. “It’s a great place to get into it.”

With a student body of well over 3,000 kids, it seems Blair would be a great place to find a wide variety of cosplayers. However, That’s far from the case. “I don’t really know if it’s gaining popularity at Blair,” admits junior Peter Ho, “but I do know a few students who do it.” But for the selection of Blair students who avidly participate in cosplay, it has become a center point of their lives.

Senior Tammy Sidel first started enjoying cosplay when a close friend of hers convinced her to try it out. “I had such a good time making the cosplays and then going to the convention that I knew I couldn’t stop,” remembers Sidel. Most cosplayers, like Sidel, get introduced to the fun by having a close friend or relative who already participates. Others, like Renich, pick it up by having an interest in a certain comic or character. “I started out when I started reading a webcomic called Homestuck,” explains Renich. “There’s a very active cosplay community around Homestuck, and it looked awesome so I wanted to try it.”

The aesthetics of cosplay also intrigued Nelson at the 2009 Cherry Blossom Festival. “There were some cosplayers there, and that made me want to try it since it looked so cool,” she reminisces.

Costume design and creation are a crucial part of cosplay for these Blazers.

“It’s so cool to see how people can turn fabric into these really elaborate costumes that look so much like characters from TV shows or books or movies,” praises Sidel.

However, depicting these characters takes a lot of skill, as Nelson learned firsthand.

The 2012 Otakon Convention, the second largest anime convention in the country, was just her first cosplay experience, and, she recalls that her amateurism was apparent. Nelson’s heavy, draping costume caused her to trip frequently, and her makeup artistry was subpar. “Looking back at my costume, I basically hate it,” she admits. “I guess cosplay skills have to develop over time.”

Although some participants order their costumes online, many find making their own costumes to be more fun. It can take anywhere from days to weeks to make a worthy costume, but commitment is the key to creating a costume that is as life-like as possible. “People put a lot of effort into their cosplays because they really enjoy the character or the series and their love and dedication to what they do makes everything so lovely,” emphasizes Sidel. Nelson says that her effort paid off at the recent Katsucon Convention, as she avoided the mistakes she made in preparation for previous conventions. . Rather than dressing in a long costume, Nelson chose an airy pink and white dress, complete with a bright pink wig and carefullyapplied makeup.

Conventions Whether it be their love of crafting detailed costumes, embodying a specific character, or having a secret identity behind which to hide, a wide range of people have been attracted to the community that is cosplay. “Usually people are there for the community, to show off, and participate with their friends,” described Renich.

In a typical high school, maybe not as diverse as Blair, a student might not expect to find other people that share such an interest as cosplay. In this case, Nelson says that attending local conventions with hundreds of other cosplayers, (despite the threehour line she endured at the Otakon Convention), provides reassurance through a community where people have similar hobbies and interests. “Some of my friends I don’t really get to see that often because we have different schedules, but we go to conventions together and we cosplay from the same show,” she says.

Cosplay conventions are typically centered around a specific genre, such as Japanese anime, comic books, or science-fiction, which creates more distinct fandoms.

Regardless of the type of convention, most gatherings have masquerades where cosplayers form groups and perform a skit for the audience. of judges who give out awards such as “Best Costume” and “Best Performance.”

Conventions are also sure to be filled with photographers constantly taking

shots. Many cosplayers set up their own photo shoots at the gatherings, but must practice their poses in order for them to match their characters. “The photographers are a big part of it,” explains Renich. “Mass photoshoots and private little shoots are everywhere.” These photos serve as trophies of sorts for the cosplayers, a way to show off and remember the hard work spent on a successful costume.

Cosplay conventions often provide workshops as a means to encourage guests to explore certain topics related to the art of cosplay. At Katsucon, the most recent convention in the D.C. metro area, the organizers held Voice Acting workshops aimed at helping participants improve their knowledge of the art. Other activities typically present at the conventions include Cosplay Chess, the Hall Costume Contest, and a Formal Ball. At each of these events, cosplayers are judged by their attire and given awards for what they wear, whether it be for the creativity and accuracy of a costume at the Hall Costume Contest, or for the formality of the participants’ clothes at the Formal Ball. “Everyone has their own favorite thing to do, but there are so many options,” explains Renich.

The part of these conventions that varies the most from place to place are the interactive panels. These panels, made up of well-known artists, voice animators and creators in the cosplay world, who field and answer questions and provide layers of insight. “Panels are made up of people who talk about certain aspects of the culture,” explains Renich. The largest convention centers in D.C. and Baltimore allow for a wider variety of cosplay “celebrities.” “Bigger conventions usually have bigger names,” explains Renich.

Every convention, no matter the size, is a great place for participants to pick up cosplay merchandise. Booths line convention center halls selling souvenirs related to certain comics or shows. This merchandise tends to include posters and other smaller items that represent certain author’s works, but larger gems such as plushes and weapons are easy to find. “I actually bought a sword at Katsucon,” admits Ho. For some participants, the whole reasoning for attending these massive conventions is to purchase these items. “Not everyone is dressed up at the conventions,” Renich explains. “Some go for the experience and the products.” Obtaining these souvenirs only helps participants get closer to the characters and works they cherish so much.

Connotations Although this art form demands a high level of skill in its participants, many Blazers still see cosplayers as some form of a stereotypical nerd. “More people are familiar with the concept of a comic book nerd dressing up as Superman than they are of a true cosplayer,” says Renich. Other participants at Blair feel the same way.

“There is a stigma that most cosplayers are some form of nerd or dweeb that has no social skills,” adds Ho. As cosplayers come from all sorts of backgrounds and participate for equally diverse reasons, characterizing the whole community as one type of person couldn’t be further from reality. “Cosplay is far more constructive and layered than that,” asserts Renich.

While leaving the Cherry Blossom Parade, the same place she discovered her love for cosplay a few years earlier, to go to a restaurant near the crowded Verizon Center, Nelson was ridiculed by many passersby who pointed out her wig and outfit. “I wish people were more educated about cosplay,” she says, hopeful.

Students say cosplay is a great way to express oneself, and Blair is an open environment where cosplay participants can grow. “People might shy away from commitment, but it’s a wonderful creative outlet for enthusiasm,” remarks Renich. Some students see cosplay as fitting only for a certain crowd, but Ho believes that isn’t to discourage anyone from trying it. “If people gave it a chance they would really enjoy cosplay,” exclaims Ho. In order to introduce cosplay to a wider audience, Nelson believes that utilizing Blair’s numerous clubs would be effective. “If you want to make your own costume, you have to know how to sew, you need to know how to style wigs, and a whole bunch of other stuff,” she explains. “I know they have small clubs at Blair like the Sewing Club, but if you merged it all together, you could attract more people.”

Sophomore Christine Gao, on the other hand, believes that having a spirit week day dedicated to cosplay would showcase people’s talents. “It can show some of the creativity in people who don't want to go out to buy fancy items. It can also show the talent of some people with makeup,” Gao explains.

For those who are indeed conscious of the existence of cosplay, its participants may still seem bizarre and peculiar. “Most people frown upon it,” senior Elias Gonzalez observes, “They begin to picture the people who dress up as anime characters and they believe that people who would do that in public are weirdos.” He believes, however, that these assumptions are unacceptable due to their generalizations.

“Prejudices are never justified,” Gonzalez says.

Sophomore cosplayer De’Jia Long Hillie echoes Gonzalez’s observations, coming from a far more personal level. “I myself have been ridiculed by a number of ignorant, insensitive humans simply because it's out of the ordinary. They will look you straight in the eyes and say all kinds of hateful things,” she says.

Gao is more concerned with the many people’s assumption that cosplay only deals with a limited amount of genres. “There are people at conventions who dress up as Hogwarts students based on the Harry Potter series, Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney princess and cartoon characters,” Gao lists eagerly. “When you cosplay, you can dress up like anyone and it's your freedom to choose who you'd like to be.”

People outside of the cosplay community may be quick to judge, but those within it say that there’s nothing they’d rather be doing. Cosplay is all about expression, and for those who participate avidly it’s more than just a simple pastime. “It’s an art form,” begins Renich. “You make these elaborate costumes to bring things to life, you make art out of your body and what’s on it.”

March 17, 2014

Features C3/C4

silverchips

Every spring locals flock to the nation’s capital to see colorful floats cascading in pink and white blossoms make their way down Constitution Avenue during the annual Cherry Blossom Festival parade. Five years ago, amidst this flurry of flowers, a nine-year-old girl was more intrigued by the Japanese Sakura Matsuri market nearby, suddenly finding herself coming across people covered in costumes from head to toe and dynamic anime displays. And thus, current freshman Jessie Nelson discovered cosplay.

Cosplay, short for “costume play,” is a performance art involving costumes and, at times, roleplay. “Cosplay is dressing up...as a character, usually anime, but can be anything or person,” explains senior cosplayer Kerri Bailey. Nobuyuki “Nov” Takahashi, publisher of Japanese magazine Studio Hard, coined the term “cosplay” in 1984 after he attended a cosplay convention in Los Angeles and wrote about it in Japanese science-fiction magazines. Since then, the art form has spread rapidly worldwide, recently growing in the Blair community as well. Yet, bring up the subject of cosplay in a conversation among a group of friends and you’ll likely be met with confused looks and puzzled inquiries.

Cosplay at Blair Although many Blazers do not know about cosplay, there is still a significant co splay community present around the country. Large hubs litter the United States as places such as San Diego, Los Angeles and Boston that are well known for cosplay, contributing to the nation’s over 200 anime conventions held every year according to Japan’s Wochi Kochi Magazine. Los Angeles is home to the Anime Expo, the largest convention in the country, marking its highest number of visitors at 120,000 in 2011. Cosplay also holds wide popularity around the Montgomery County area and Maryland in general. “There’s a very big cosplay community in the D.C. and Baltimore area,” explains junior cosplayer Stephanie Renich. “It’s a great place to get into it.”

With a student body of well over 3,000 kids, it seems Blair would be a great place to find a wide variety of cosplayers. However, That’s far from the case. “I don’t really know if it’s gaining popularity at Blair,” admits junior Peter Ho, “but I do know a few students who do it.” But for the selection of Blair students who avidly participate in cosplay, it has become a center point of their lives.

Senior Tammy Sidel first started enjoying cosplay when a close friend of hers convinced her to try it out. “I had such a good time making the cosplays and then going to the convention that I knew I couldn’t stop,” remembers Sidel. Most cosplayers, like Sidel, get introduced to the fun by having a close friend or relative who already participates. Others, like Renich, pick it up by having an interest in a certain comic or character. “I started out when I started reading a webcomic called Homestuck,” explains Renich. “There’s a very active cosplay community around Homestuck, and it looked awesome so I wanted to try it.”

The aesthetics of cosplay also intrigued Nelson at the 2009 Cherry Blossom Festival. “There were some cosplayers there, and that made me want to try it since it looked so cool,” she reminisces.

Costume design and creation are a crucial part of cosplay for these Blazers.

“It’s so cool to see how people can turn fabric into these really elaborate costumes that look so much like characters from TV shows or books or movies,” praises Sidel.

However, depicting these characters takes a lot of skill, as Nelson learned firsthand.

The 2012 Otakon Convention, the second largest anime convention in the country, was just her first cosplay experience, and, she recalls that her amateurism was apparent. Nelson’s heavy, draping costume caused her to trip frequently, and her makeup artistry was subpar. “Looking back at my costume, I basically hate it,” she admits. “I guess cosplay skills have to develop over time.”

Although some participants order their costumes online, many find making their own costumes to be more fun. It can take anywhere from days to weeks to make a worthy costume, but commitment is the key to creating a costume that is as life-like as possible. “People put a lot of effort into their cosplays because they really enjoy the character or the series and their love and dedication to what they do makes everything so lovely,” emphasizes Sidel. Nelson says that her effort paid off at the recent Katsucon Convention, as she avoided the mistakes she made in preparation for previous conventions. . Rather than dressing in a long costume, Nelson chose an airy pink and white dress, complete with a bright pink wig and carefullyapplied makeup.

Conventions Whether it be their love of crafting detailed costumes, embodying a specific character, or having a secret identity behind which to hide, a wide range of people have been attracted to the community that is cosplay. “Usually people are there for the community, to show off, and participate with their friends,” described Renich.

In a typical high school, maybe not as diverse as Blair, a student might not expect to find other people that share such an interest as cosplay. In this case, Nelson says that attending local conventions with hundreds of other cosplayers, (despite the threehour line she endured at the Otakon Convention), provides reassurance through a community where people have similar hobbies and interests. “Some of my friends I don’t really get to see that often because we have different schedules, but we go to conventions together and we cosplay from the same show,” she says.

Cosplay conventions are typically centered around a specific genre, such as Japanese anime, comic books, or science-fiction, which creates more distinct fandoms.

Regardless of the type of convention, most gatherings have masquerades where cosplayers form groups and perform a skit for the audience. of judges who give out awards such as “Best Costume” and “Best Performance.”

Conventions are also sure to be filled with photographers constantly taking

shots. Many cosplayers set up their own photo shoots at the gatherings, but must practice their poses in order for them to match their characters. “The photographers are a big part of it,” explains Renich. “Mass photoshoots and private little shoots are everywhere.” These photos serve as trophies of sorts for the cosplayers, a way to show off and remember the hard work spent on a successful costume.

Cosplay conventions often provide workshops as a means to encourage guests to explore certain topics related to the art of cosplay. At Katsucon, the most recent convention in the D.C. metro area, the organizers held Voice Acting workshops aimed at helping participants improve their knowledge of the art. Other activities typically present at the conventions include Cosplay Chess, the Hall Costume Contest, and a Formal Ball. At each of these events, cosplayers are judged by their attire and given awards for what they wear, whether it be for the creativity and accuracy of a costume at the Hall Costume Contest, or for the formality of the participants’ clothes at the Formal Ball. “Everyone has their own favorite thing to do, but there are so many options,” explains Renich.

The part of these conventions that varies the most from place to place are the interactive panels. These panels, made up of well-known artists, voice animators and creators in the cosplay world, who field and answer questions and provide layers of insight. “Panels are made up of people who talk about certain aspects of the culture,” explains Renich. The largest convention centers in D.C. and Baltimore allow for a wider variety of cosplay “celebrities.” “Bigger conventions usually have bigger names,” explains Renich.

Every convention, no matter the size, is a great place for participants to pick up cosplay merchandise. Booths line convention center halls selling souvenirs related to certain comics or shows. This merchandise tends to include posters and other smaller items that represent certain author’s works, but larger gems such as plushes and weapons are easy to find. “I actually bought a sword at Katsucon,” admits Ho. For some participants, the whole reasoning for attending these massive conventions is to purchase these items. “Not everyone is dressed up at the conventions,” Renich explains. “Some go for the experience and the products.” Obtaining these souvenirs only helps participants get closer to the characters and works they cherish so much.

Connotations Although this art form demands a high level of skill in its participants, many Blazers still see cosplayers as some form of a stereotypical nerd. “More people are familiar with the concept of a comic book nerd dressing up as Superman than they are of a true cosplayer,” says Renich. Other participants at Blair feel the same way.

“There is a stigma that most cosplayers are some form of nerd or dweeb that has no social skills,” adds Ho. As cosplayers come from all sorts of backgrounds and participate for equally diverse reasons, characterizing the whole community as one type of person couldn’t be further from reality. “Cosplay is far more constructive and layered than that,” asserts Renich.

While leaving the Cherry Blossom Parade, the same place she discovered her love for cosplay a few years earlier, to go to a restaurant near the crowded Verizon Center, Nelson was ridiculed by many passersby who pointed out her wig and outfit. “I wish people were more educated about cosplay,” she says, hopeful.

Students say cosplay is a great way to express oneself, and Blair is an open environment where cosplay participants can grow. “People might shy away from commitment, but it’s a wonderful creative outlet for enthusiasm,” remarks Renich. Some students see cosplay as fitting only for a certain crowd, but Ho believes that isn’t to discourage anyone from trying it. “If people gave it a chance they would really enjoy cosplay,” exclaims Ho. In order to introduce cosplay to a wider audience, Nelson believes that utilizing Blair’s numerous clubs would be effective. “If you want to make your own costume, you have to know how to sew, you need to know how to style wigs, and a whole bunch of other stuff,” she explains. “I know they have small clubs at Blair like the Sewing Club, but if you merged it all together, you could attract more people.”

Sophomore Christine Gao, on the other hand, believes that having a spirit week day dedicated to cosplay would showcase people’s talents. “It can show some of the creativity in people who don't want to go out to buy fancy items. It can also show the talent of some people with makeup,” Gao explains.

For those who are indeed conscious of the existence of cosplay, its participants may still seem bizarre and peculiar. “Most people frown upon it,” senior Elias Gonzalez observes, “They begin to picture the people who dress up as anime characters and they believe that people who would do that in public are weirdos.” He believes, however, that these assumptions are unacceptable due to their generalizations.

“Prejudices are never justified,” Gonzalez says.

Sophomore cosplayer De’Jia Long Hillie echoes Gonzalez’s observations, coming from a far more personal level. “I myself have been ridiculed by a number of ignorant, insensitive humans simply because it's out of the ordinary. They will look you straight in the eyes and say all kinds of hateful things,” she says.

Gao is more concerned with the many people’s assumption that cosplay only deals with a limited amount of genres. “There are people at conventions who dress up as Hogwarts students based on the Harry Potter series, Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney princess and cartoon characters,” Gao lists eagerly. “When you cosplay, you can dress up like anyone and it's your freedom to choose who you'd like to be.”

People outside of the cosplay community may be quick to judge, but those within it say that there’s nothing they’d rather be doing. Cosplay is all about expression, and for those who participate avidly it’s more than just a simple pastime. “It’s an art form,” begins Renich. “You make these elaborate costumes to bring things to life, you make art out of your body and what’s on it.”

C5 Features

silverchips

March 17, 2014

Students embark on the county’s campaign trail SMOB candidates participate in a demanding process leading up to election day

By Alexis Redford Maung-Maung While most seniors in Montgomery County are working towards getting their college applications in by the January deadline, a few students are working on a different sort of submission. Applications for Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) are also filed in January. Any sophomore or junior who lives in Montgomery County and attends an MCPS high school is eligible to run for SMOB. According to Dahlia Huh, a junior at Clarksburg and one of this year’s candidates, the SMOB gets to sit in on closed board meetings and vote on issues that affect students in day-to-day life. “The Student Member of the Board of Education is one of eight board members that makes important decision on everything from curriculum, to technology integration in classrooms, to ‘hot button’ issues like changes in bell times,” says Huh. Ultimately, the SMOB is responsible for representing the voice of all MCPS students.

“Not some, not a few, but all,” states Huh. SMOB applications are usually filed in January. Once the filing period has ended, and the official candidates have been sub-

mitted, there is a mandatory meeting where the candidates are educated on the official campaign protocol and process. Campaigning starts in February, as candidates prepare for the Nominating Convention on February 27. Junior Christina McCann was a SMOB candidate last year and says that the process is extremely difficult and strenuous. “It’s just a lot of pressure, when you think about it. You’re running against other candidates who all know so much, if not more than you do. If you say one wrong thing, people don’t forget it,” states McCann.

Not only is campaigning demanding, it is also very time consuming and detracts from school and extracurricular activities.

“I definitely wasn’t prepared for the amount of time it was going to take. That was the source of most of my stress. I wasn’t in school very much because I was visiting schools and attending meetings, and I didn’t get the help I should’ve pushed for in my classes.

My grades suffered as a result,” McCann explains.

Calvin Yeh, a junior at Poolesville and one of this year’s candidates, started getting ready for the challenges very early. “The

process of preparing for the campaign and the responsibilities of the SMOB begins much earlier. For me, I first got involved with the SMOB back in 7th grade. While naturally I didn’t make the decision to run back then, the extended process of working with our SMOBs one-on-one and serving the students of MCPS has brought me to this point,” says Yeh.

The Nominating Convention

curriculum and the top environmental issues.

After the convention, the delegates select the two candidates that will proceed onto the general election. “The nominating convention is not the only factor in becoming one of the final two candidates; what you do leading up to the convention plays a large role as well,” McCann says.

The last steps

The Nominating Convention that took place on February 27is the last step in selecting the two final candidates. At the Nominating Convention, students from Montgomery County schools are able to listen and talk to the candidates. “Representatives from all of the middle schools and high schools get a chance to hear speeches, debates and engage in a question-and-answer session,” explains McCann.

At this year’s convention, some of the questions posed to the candidates asked about the first things they would do upon election, how they would be able to represent all Montgomery County students, what past experience they have garnered, the new math

The general election, when both middle and high school students vote, will be held on April 30. Students vote for the next SMOB after they have watched the Meet the Candidates video, which will be filmed on March 10. Once the winner is announced, the SMOB-elect attends board meetings before the school year ends, and he or she is sworn in over the summer.

McCann believes that SMOB is an overwhelmingly stressful and time-consuming job. “You have to have a grasp of county and state politics, especially those that affect the youth. You have to represent all of the thousands of students in MCPS to a board of adults and to others outside of the Board of Education. I would say that it is as difficult as a full time job,” explains McCann.

However, the SMOB and candidates are working for a rewarding cause and a better school system. “I seek to create a better Montgomery County and offer a brighter future for our students,” says Yeh. The SMOB only sits on the Board for a year, so he or she has to make the most of each day. “The SMOB has only 365 fleeting days to create meaningful improvements for MCPS; it is imperative that we’re represented by a SMOB with PHUONG VO real experience, passion, and SMOB Candidates must go through an extensive process a vision. MCPS has been to become a student representative on the Montgomery consistently ranked among the top educational systems County Board of Education. Christina McCann calls the pro- in America,” explains Huh.

cess “as difficult as a full-time job.”

Balancing two worlds: finding harmony between cultures

By Alani Fujii For the first five years of his life, junior Aaron Liu did not know his parents. Not too long after his birth in New York City, his parents sent him to live with his grandparents in China. In 2002, Liu moved back to the United States because his parents were able to earn enough money to support him. Legally, he is an American; however Liu is constantly influenced by Chinese culture. Like Liu, many Blazers balance multiple cultural identities that in the end influence their everyday lives.

In 1997, the U.S. Bureau of Census determined that immigrant children and American born children of immigrants are the fastest growing segment of the United States population of children under eighteen. Blair has been known to be the “label” school for student diversity. Along with a major student body of immigrants, many Blazers come from homes with immigrant parents.

Within cross-cultural families, it can be hard to find balance. Growing up in America, while trying to keep up with heritage can be a challenge for students and parents alike.

Assimilation into American society, especially through language, is assumed to come quickly for immigrants from their families back home. Cultural differences and similarities between parents and students can create the perfect concoction of a unique American experience, or an uncomfortable friction.

Coming to America For Liu, the challenge began immediately after he was born. Born in New York City, his parents had to send him back to China because of financial issues. “Since, my parents came without much money, they had to send me back to China to live with my grandparents,” says Liu. Two very hard-working immigrants started the journey of saving enough

money to support their family. At the age of five, Liu returned, and started school with his new American peers. He didn’t know any English. “At first, I couldn’t understand them. I had no idea what was going on most of the time,” he says.

Junior Maria Novitskaya also came to the U.S. later in life. Born in Russia, Novitskaya immigrated to the United States when she was about seven years old. “In Russia, we lived in the city, and I remember my mom would always take me to see plays or go to museums. It was actually really fun and there was always something to do,” she says.

Assimilation and aculturalization Even though growing up cross-culturally can have its challenges, it also has amazing benefits. Novitskaya’s family celebrates both American and Russian culture. “My family tries to combine the two cultures, so we celebrate a lot more holidays and many fun traditions,” she says. Other benefits most people can agree are very important in a culture are food and language. Both these elements contribute to mainstream culture, as seen in the United States and its celebrated diversity. Like Novitskaya, sophomore Michelle Hao was born and raised in another country as well: China. “I love my mom’s cooking, and just knowing another language is convenient,” says Hao. “But I am starting to forget some Chinese now, even though it’s

my first language.”

Though junior Daniella Monreal is from Mexico, she feels closer to American culture.

“I can just relate to it more because of my surroundings,” she explains. However, during lunch, Monreal is encircled by many others of Hispanic descent. “But of course, my heritage does sometimes influence who I hang out with,” she adds. Liu also said how being Chinese influences who he hangs out with. “Most of my friends a re A s i a n . I feel more connected because we all can relate back to KELSEY GROSS the same background.”

Cultural identity can become a challenge to come to terms with. With many different ideologies between students and immigrant parents, sometimes finding consensus on self/cultural identity can take a long amount of time, or none at all. “I identify as Asian American...I don’t know,” says Hao. “I guess I identify as Russian-American because leaving out either one wouldn’t really express who I am,” adds Novitskaya.

Difficulties with parents Differences between parents and kids can be a common occurrence for many who grow up cross-culturally. The dynamics of both cultures intertwined does not always mix well together. Monreal also experienced, and still does experience challenges with the

dynamic of her family. One challenge embraces education. “My parents want me to go to college, but they can’t help with college at all,” Monreal remarks. Junior Amanda Flores, whose family comes from El Salvador, added, “They don’t realize that they don’t have fifty grand to just spend on me.”

The language barrier that some parents face in the United States also affects their English-speaking children. For Liu, every day brings a new task from his parents. “Every day, I need to translate for them. And there are some things I just can’t explain in Chinese,” he says. When Monreal and her parents argue sometimes, she can get away with arguing in English too. “Some things, they can’t understand,” she says, “So, they ask me to explain, but you know.”

A balancing act

Students have found ways to balance out both cultures in the long run. The everyday challenges and pleasures shape students to find a unique harmony in their families, and within themselves. Novitskaya likes to keep her Russian heritage alive, and enjoys American culture as well. “I think it’s important to spend time with people from both cultures.

You definitely start feeling more connected.

I also like to re-watch movies and TV shows I loved before I came here, it brings back good memories.” Hao doesn’t have too much trouble in fusing both Chinese and American culture together. “Everything just merges together.” Flores adds that it really depends who you are with at a specific time. “Depending on who you’re hanging out with, you can embrace a culture more.” Monreal quickly adds, “It’s not like you’re going to just whip out your culture to anyone just randomly you know.” To Flores, growing up cross-culturally is a unique experience. “It’s the best of both worlds.”

March 17, 2014

Features C6

silverchips

From blazing red shirts to uniform plaid skirts Silver Chips investigates the academic and social dynamic at a local private school

By Emily Daly Harper Kaufman understands the struggles of getting down Blair Boulevard between fifth and sixth lunches. She remembers the shoving, pushing, shouting that occurs daily as students frantically try to get to their next class. She also remembers mornings at Blair.

Casually getting off of her bus, she would stroll down the hallway, chatting with friends and hanging out before class. “I used to walk around and go talk to all different people. It was so social,” she says.

Now, at her new school, she and all the other students in her grade sit in their cars and wait to make an entrance until the last possible second. “We come to school in sweatpants with coffee and most people get there, like, right before the bell rings,” she adds.

Kaufman, who attended Blair for her first two years of high school, transferred to the Academy of the Holy Cross (AHC) this fall.

Most Blazers probably assume that our school day is just like any other student’s in the county.

Silver Chips set out to see if this is really true. We spent a day at Holy Cross to try to get a feel for the school – and the people inside it – to see what the major differences are between public and SPIRIT private school.

From the outside, Holy Cross seems different than Blair in almost every way possible. Located in Kensington, AHC is a private all girls’ Catholic school with just about 600 students in the high school. The multi-level school is built in the shape of a square, with four hallways connecting to form an outdoor courtyard in the middle of the school where girls can often be found eating lunch and relaxing in the warmer months. The hallways are narrow, as are the staircases. Most everything is painted white, which makes the school feel bright and open. There are 28 acres of beautiful rolling grounds which feature multiple athletic practice fields and a parking lot for students. The parking lot is necessary because there are no school buses, and most upperclassmen drive themselves to school.

Diverging diversity Despite the size, Junior Paula Nahn thinks that the people at the school are the main difference. “I think that difference between both of them is diversity,” she says. Kaufman agrees. “There’s a real sense of family between everyone at Holy Cross, but it’s a lot less diverse [than Blair],” she says. According to the AHC website, the school strives for diversity, but that task can be harder to accomplish when there are so few people.

To put it in perspective, Holy Cross’s entire student body is less than the population of the Blair senior class.

Race is not the only consideration in the diversity of the school. AHC students are probably of a more similar economic bracket as a whole than Blair. Tuition at Holy Cross is almost $20,000 a year, which can be tough on some families. Nahn thinks this contributes to a possible lack of diversity. “I don’t really understand why parents would decide to have their children go to private school when there are public schools that don’t cost any money,” she states. AHC does offer scholarships to promote a student body of all income levels.

Kaufman says she likes both AHC and Blair, but there are plenty of differences between the two. At Holy Cross, students walk calmly to and from lunch without running into hordes of people. The majority of the kids actually eat in the cafeteria and the school lunch is appealing to almost everyone.

Students do not have to rush from the 160s hallway all the way up to the 320s hallway in just six minutes, but instead leisurely amble to their classes. Every classroom has a crucifix hanging somewhere in the corner, and most of the white walled rooms have a flat screen TV as well.

The girls stream into school in the morning at 7:40, which, though just fifteen minutes later than Blair’s start time, feels much more reasonable. Each student is clad in the school uniform of a green and navy plaid skirt, white-collared shirt and either a navy sweater, sweater vest, or sweatshirt. They

Projects, something every senior at AHC is required to do. The Senior Project entails setting up an internship for the end of senior year in order to culminate the high school experience, similar to the Capstone project at Blair. The intent of both is for students to showcase the skills they’ve learned throughout high school.

After this speech was over the girls began to talk among themselves.

Almost everyone was wearing a gray pullover sweatshirt with purple writing on the back, which was presumably a school sweatshirt. As the Senior Dean came forward and began to speak, it became apparent that this gray sweatshirt, different from the normal navy sweater or sweatshirt requisite as part of the uniform, was a special “senior privilege.” The Dean admonished the girls because some were abusing this privilege by wearing either a t-shirt underneath that was not the correct color or a different gray sweatshirt that just looked similar. It’s hard to imagine that happening at Blair, where students are more likely to get in trouble for wearing inappropriate clothing, such as shorts that are too short or a t-shirt printed with foul language. Renay Johnson, Blair’s principal, says that the dress code exists to be sensitive to other people at the school.

“Schools are government buildings so we align our policies with them in order to not offend people of other cultures,” Students cheer on the Tartans at a pep ralley. she explains.

In fact, being required to wear a uniform is one of the biggest differences very strict no cell phones policy throughout that Blazers see between public and private the school day. “If they see you with your schools. Senior Emanuel Ceron does not like phone out at all you get two detentions,” says the idea of being forced to don a uniform. “In private school everyone has to wear a uniAHC senior Taylor Pasquariello. form, which really limits how much you can express about yourself,” he asserts. Kaufman, however, says that the uniform is one of Classes and scheduling the things she really A few things that people might not realize likes about private Blair has in common with Holy Cross include s c h o o l . “ S o m e the majority of its class options. Right after times I miss being the first bell rings, Kaufman moves swiftly able to dress howdown the halls to her classes such as English ever I want, but I or math, just like she would at Blair. Holy actually really like Cross offers AP classes and International having a uniform.

Baccalaureate (IB) classes as well; students It’s one less thing can either choose to take a few of the IB to stress about and classes or join the IB program. According to everyone looks the junior Margaret Capizzi, the hardest classes same so there’s no are probably AP U.S. History, IB Precalculus pressure to look and IB Spanish, though she adds that “other cute,” she explains.

At Holy Cross classes are difficult as well, depending on students must what type of student you are.”

Kaufman thinks the classes at Holy Cross wear their uniform are challenging, but the teachers make it every day, except worth it. “The classes I’m taking are definitely for rare free dress hard, but it’s easier to concentrate and partici- days, which are pate then it was at Blair for me. The teachers scheduled on holiare a lot more engaged and they really want days throughout you to do well,” she adds. The class size at the year. Just as a Holy Cross is smaller than at Blair, averaging club at Blair may at about twenty students per class while Blair choose to have a is closer to thirty. “I feel like we know our fundraiser where teachers a lot better at Holy Cross,” Kaufman students can pay money to wear declares.

While most of the classes seem pretty their hats for a day, similar to those offered at Blair, there is at AHC clubs someleast one major difference. Being that it is times sponsor free a Catholic school; students have to take a dress days. Accord- FAITH The school year different religion class each year. Juniors, for ing to the student example, take Moral Theology, which looks at handbook, these the ethics of religion. There is more freedom uniform rules are because “neatness in dress for the teachers to discuss what they want, and appearance is a sign of respect and proincluding the Catholic doctrine as it relates motes seriousness of purpose.” Kaufman to abortions and premarital sex. In public adds that she doesn’t care about the uniform. school there are rules which prohibit teachers “It’s an all-girls school so appearances don’t from talking about topics such as abortion no really matter,” she says. matter what the circumstances are.

All female environment Scheduling is also similar between Blair and AHC. Both run on a block schedule, and The environment at Holy Cross isn’t just many AHC students admit thinking that they were the only school to do so. Unlike Blair, influenced by the uniform. The biggest difhowever, they have scheduled advisory three ference, and perhaps the most obvious, is times a week, and occasionally more often that it’s all girls. The absence of boys gives than that if there are special events going on. the AHC girls an opportunity to speak their minds without fear of being labeled as ‘too Uniformity in Uniform?

On a recent Thursday morning at AHC outspoken,’ ‘nerdy,’ or ‘pushy’ by the opthe bell rang signaling advisory, and the se- posite sex. In most classes girls can be found niors poured into the auditorium for a senior eagerly answering questions and engaging in meeting. The Holy Cross auditorium, though discussions with their peers. There seemed smaller than Blair’s, is just as beautiful. It has to be a lack of intimidation among them a broad stage with half stair cases leading to answer questions, even if their answers up to either side. The walls are paneled with might be wrong. Kaufman says that she feels wood which serves to improve the acoustics. no need to hide her opinion in class at AHC. The girls filled up the auditorium’s seats “It’s a lot less intimidating to participate, and and prepared to hear a lecture about Senior I definitely participate more now than I did stop at their lockers, chat with the secretary who seems to know every student, and make their way to their first period class.

Students at Blair are accustomed to hearing Infoflow pop on at the beginning of third or fourth period and half-listening to the announcements while they either talk to each other or casually look at their phones in their laps. At Holy Cross, the announcements start the school day and lead off with a morning prayer. Every girl stands to recite the prayer and the following Pledge of Allegiance without so much as a second thought. There is a

COURTESY OF THE ACADEMY OF THE HOLY CROSS

at Blair,” she discloses. Holy Cross senior Tiffany Strong attributes her ease in the classroom to the smallness of the class. “It’s easier to participate because we’re all completely comfortable with each other,” she says.

Some girls, however, said they don’t find single sex education all it’s cracked up to be.

“Since we go to an all-girls school we aren’t around boys a lot so we don’t know what to do and they definitely judge us more,” senior Kristyn Gaines says. The school’s website boasts that girls’ schools tend to produce a multitude of accomplishments including higher SAT scores and a higher academic self-confidence. Gaines does concede that an all-female environment has its benefits. “It’s easier to be yourself – everyone has a friend here, even the weird girls,” she laughs.

The lack of males does lead to a few other major differences, including no football team or any male sports teams. At Blair, many students’ social lives in September and October revolve around going to football games.

Students generally crowd Blazer Stadium on Friday nights to watch football, cheer for the team, and have a good time with their friends. Even though AHC doesn’t have a football team, the girls’ still have opportunities to show their school spirit, students said.

“We have a spirit week and Catholic Schools Week, which are fun,” says Capizzi. Instead of football, the school does have a rugby team, which she’s a part of. “I guess it’s not really the same, but it’s cool,” she adds.

School is school One of the requirements for graduation from MCPS is to have completed 75 service learning hours between middle school and high school graudation. Although this may sound like a lot, MCPS students receive ten hours for every year of middle school, and most students find a way to earn those last 45 in the seven years before high school graduation. At Holy Cross, service works a bit differently. Each q u a r t e r, s t u d e n t s must complete 10 hours of service: five general hours doing whatever they want, and five hours dedicated to a specific cause. This adds up to 40 hours each year, or 160 by graduation.

The girls say they sometimes complain about ‘service,’ but don’t think that the requirement is that extreme. “I always forget and then have to do it all at the end,” confesses junior Katie Aumiller.

Whether you’re a student at AHC or at Blair, it’s still school.

You still have to go to class, eat lunch, and do the other munstarts with a mass. dane things that we students end up dedicating thirteen years of our lives to. And it seems that in every school—whether one like Blair with 2,800 students or like AHC with around 600, people find a way to divide themselves into groups.

At Blair there are people of different races, income brackets, and areas of the county, and whose parents have all different levels of education; students tend to hang out with those who are most like them. Holy Cross may not have the same level of diversity, so students may seek out less obvious differences in order to differentiate themselves, but it seems like many of them still find ways to separate themselves from the crowd.

Kaufman has experienced both schools, and has seen the differences between public and private. She loved Blair and the friends she made here, but she likes Holy Cross as well. It was tough for her to switch schools, but it worked out for her in the end. “It was hard because they’re two completely different environments, and by junior year everyone has already formed friend groups and stuff,” she says. “But luckily I made some really awesome friends..”

COURTESY OF THE ACADEMY OF THE HOLY CROSS

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March 17, 2014

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Jesse Dinkin takes gamers on an ‘Adventure’

Entertainment D1 Blazer Book Club

Video game design as a hobby, academic interest and future pursuit structs students whose career goals lie in the game industry. According to Olano, the students who enter the Game DevelWords scroll across the screen like the Star opment tTrack tend to be sure of themWars opening crawl, and the adventure beselves in their chosen future profession. gins. Or, rather, “Adventure,” an old school “In theory, you could decide to do the role-playing game (RPG) begins. Its creator, track anytime until about your junior year, senior Jesse Dinkin, presents it excitedly, eathough most students who do it know they ger to show off the results of his hard work want to from the beginning,” says Olano. to anyone he can plausibly drag in front of Game developers, as a rule of thumb, start a computer screen. Not that it takes much young and have fun while they’re at it. It’s dragging, because his computer games, are not just something to do as a paid job, accorda sight not only to be seen, but to be played. ing to Olano. “Most everyone I know who The video game industry is enormous: is a successful game developer has a string 58 percent of Americans play video games, of little games and projects they have done and in 2012, consumers spent $20.77 billion on the side over the years,” Olano explains. on the gaming industry . The creation of the However, after college, many aspiring arcade game Pong in 1972 and the subsegame developers end up making more quent start of Atari Computers were some pragmatic career choices that are less about of the famous early steps of the fledgling gaming and more about gaming industry, which has steady employment. “I don’t since grown to profitable have hard numbers, but I’d maturity. But it’s not just guess it to be about a quarall about the money. The ter end up in game developpeople who create these ment, about half end up in games range from artists, to related careers (many end programmers, to writers, to up at defense companies, everyone in between, and who pay better and have they are a dedicated group. better hours for the same Dinkin aims to be one of skills you need for game these venerated creators, development), and about and doesn’t plan to go small. a quarter go on to grad“I do want to work in a high uate school,” says Olano. end game studio; a Triple A Those who do make it game studio. Either work in all the way to the game deone, or be the head of one.” velopment companies are His game design hobgenerally hired by the game by began as a freshman, MIMI SIM as either artists or programonce he learned enough of the Java programming HARD AT PLAY Senior Jesse Dinkin, a member of the STEM academy, mers, according to Olano, depending on whether they language in his computer began applying his programming knowledge to games in 9th grade. were in the Animation and programming class to make Interactive Media program, a quick, simple RPG he called “Battle,” which consisted of a series the player must dodge the meteors inexpli- or in the programming-heavy Game Deof popup windows asking for the player’s cably plummeting out of the sky, and a com- velopment tTrack. “On the programming choices in the face of a conundrum. “Battle” plex game of chess that took him three weeks side, we’ve had students hired as graphwas soon followed by two more similarly of constant toil to program. “It’s probably the ics engineers, gameplay programmers, primitive RPGs., and they weren’t the end, hardest game I ever wrote,” Dinkin admits. tools programmers, UI programmers, and Unfortunately, Dinkin can’t distribute any probably some others as well. These poby any means. “At first, I just made them in class because I was bored. Eventually, I of his existing games for money without the sitions are all entry-level art or programgot addicted to it. [Now], most of the work potential of being prosecuted. “Given that ming jobs, but part of the core game team.”

Before college, Olano suggests, the best I do on them is at home,” explains Dinkin. ‘Adventure’ has copyrighted content, that Dinkin, a member of the Science, Technol- would have legal implications,” he explains. plan of action is simply to practice game His future games are another story design and to develop the interest. “Try ogy, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Academy, freely acknowledges the cru- entirely. Dinkin plans to attend the Uni- it!” urges Olano. “I learned to program by cial effects—and necessary limitations—of versity of Maryland, Baltimore County making simple games in high school. There Blair’s computer science courses on the (UMBC) this fall, and intends to enter the are amazingly good free tools available now to make that possible.”

Computer Science Game Development development of his game Dinkin is eager to design skills. “They’re spread his fascination what introduced me with game design and to [game design]. Still, programming to the unthey definitely didn’t initiated of the world. teach me everything; “It’s not too hard to most of the design of make a game better the games themselves, than Flappy Bird. You I learned from playcan start lower and ing games,” he says. work your way up,” he Dinkin’s home school says confidently, most is Einstein, but he can likely also reflecting on attend Blair because of his own game progresthe Downcounty Consion from rudimentary sortium (DCC) high text box interfaces to school Choice choice 3D maneuvering and process that allows stumore complex RPGs. dents who live withDinkin’s competiin DCC boundaries to tive streak drove a fair rank their preferred portion of his game high schools and attend design.

He created schools other than their his fully-operational home schools. Dinkin chess game program recognizes and thanks only once he saw anthe system that allowed other student’s fancy him to attend a high graphics for a program school where high-qualthat solves the famous ity computer science JESSE DINKIN “knight’s tour” probclasses are available.

“It’s a good thing that GOING TO BATTLE Dinkin’s self-designed video game, “Battle”, is a simple lem, in which a knight must use its L-shaped I’m at Blair, where we’ve and easy-to-play RPG, in which the player responds to a series of popups. movement pattern to got one of the best comvisit every square on puter science programs in high schools,” he says plainly. Tracktrack, a specialized track in UMBC’s the chessboard a single time. “I thought to Now, Dinkin maintains a prolific rep- computer science department that fo- myself, I could do better, so I programmed ertoire of all the games he’s made, in- cuses on game design and development. the whole chess game,” he remembers.

From traditional board games all the Professor Marc Olano , director of the cluding a collection of “Adventure”-like games, each one individually quirky Computer Science Game Development way to the modern age of the computand heavily story-based. Their game- eTrack at UMBC, regularly guides and in- er, dedication is the name of the game.

By Rebecca Naimon

play is a fusion style of two of his favorite games, Pokémon and Dragon Quest.

The collection inevitably builds each time a class assigns him a creative project.

At the end of the second quarter of English 12, Dinkin created another RPG game entitled, “Hope Is Lost.” The game follows a man named Kaeon, who is searching for his wife, Hope, but throughout various twists, turns and encounters with a pixelated-yet-terrifying demon, the player only becomes more and more confused.

“This game is supposed to be my existentialist project, so a lot of it is intentionally not explained,” Dinkin says, in defense of the game’s ambiguous and frustrating ending. (You will find no spoilers here.)

Dinkin’s other creations include a beautifully-rendered 3D survival game in which

Junior Francis Gerard is buried in a book containing a series of short stories written

by Jorge Luis Borges. Each of the short stories is layered with meaning that is hidden to the reader during the first read. “In even his simplest stories there are layers upon layers of meaning,” said Gerard. “The first time you read one it may be about a traitorous revolutionary. But by the third or fourth time, the story seems to have transformed into a much more poignant allegory for guilt or cowardice.” Despite the many philosophical themes present in Borges’ short stories, Gerard notices that Borges never presents an obvious idea or topic. Instead he plays into the fact that the reader starts the story with his or her own beliefs and then makes the reader question his or herself. “He really was hyper aware of how people would react to his writing, and it shows in the cryptic and enigmatic manner in which he tells these stories,” says Gerard.

Despite the complexity of the book, Gerard highly recommends the book of short stories to all who like rlooking for meaning within books. “I would recommend this book to anyone who really enjoys literature especially those rare people who enjoy obsessing endlessly over the meaning behind every word of a text,” says Gerard.

Sophomore Will Cook is engrossed in the dark humor young adult novel Going Bovine by Libba Bray. The story is about a teenager named Cameron Smith’s struggle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Variant BSE, or mad-cow disease. The prion disease is incurable and death is certain in all cases. “It’s about a guy who gets diagnosed with mad-cow disease,” says Cook. Smith doesn’t however doesn’t accept his death and attempts to find a way of surviving and making the most of his life. “He learns to live while dying,” explains Cook. Smith’s chance of living comes in the form of a hallucinated angel giving him tasks to do in exchange for his life. “He is given a proposition that he is cured if he does certain things,” says Cook. Smith has to “find Dr. X to find a cure and save the universe.”

Cook points out that the novel is not something one would usually find but still appeals to a vast range of readers due to its wide reaching themes and the author’s unique writing style. Cook praises the “author’s ability to use small details to get bigger points.” Cook emphasizes that, “It’s not a sci-fi thriller. It’s kind of a mixture of everything. It’s really about living.

It’s really something anybody can relate to.”

Written by William Zhu

D2 Entertainment

March 17, 2014

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Mardi Gras and St. Pat’s Day: Beyond the beads and beer

By Maya Habash Mardi Gras. The term itself brings about thoughts of colorful beaded necklaces flying everywhere, drunk people in funky costumes and masked faces dancing throughout the streets of New Orleans.

And St. Patrick’s Day. A holiday associated with people decked from head to toe in green attire, shamrocks and leprechauns, all while parading through bars and pubs. Most people see these holidays as celebratory and upbeat—full of crazy nights, friends, and of course, drinking. A tweet by @MardiGras_ Probs reads, “The post Mardi Gras lifestyle choices evaluation #WeDrinkALot.” If you search “St. Patrick’s Day” on Twitter, you get results like, “almost the best holiday around!” with emojis of beer cans, or, “looks like it’s time to shamrock! #stpatricksday,” with pictures of glasses of wine and shots.

Though everyone has an idea of what they think these holidays are for, most people don’t know their origins or why people celebrate them.

Mardi Gras, which translates from French as “Fat Tuesday,” is a week-long culmination of carnival activities leading up to Ash Wednesday. Though many view it as a huge party, it’s actually rooted deeply with the Christian calendar. It is essentially the “last hoorah” before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is why all the festivities end promptly at midnight on Tuesday.

The idea of a last celebration helps explain Mardi Gras’ drinking culture—people have their last “big bang” before they have to give something up for Lent. Hannah Jo Mounty-Weinstock, a Blair alumna of the class of 2012 and current student at Tulane University in New Orleans, was there to celebrate Mardi Gras this season. She says that the drinking culture stems from the idea of sinning before you repent.

“There’s this shirt that I saw that said, ‘Sin. Repent. Repeat,’” she says.

However, Mounty-Weinstock also says that though drinking may be inherent to the holiday, it isn’t necessary in order to have a good time.

Mardi Gras was introduced to North America by Paris, France, where it has been celebrated since the Middle Ages. Impromptu horseback riding parades have been going on in New Orleans for years, but the first krewe was established in 1857. A krewe is

a private group with semi-mythological namesakes that organize thematic parades.

The all-male krewe, Rex, whose leader is known as the “King of Carnival,” established green, gold and purple as the official Mardi Gras colors. New Orleans Mardi Gras, although introduced by the French, also has Caribbean influences. The Caribbean influences stem from Carnival, a traditional from Caribbean festivity originating the Catholic people hundreds of years ago. It is filled with song,

sic, mudance and costume. The word “Carnival” is made up of two Latin words: carne, meaning flesh, and vale,, meaning farewell. So traditionally and with similar intentions as Mari Gras, Carnival is celebrated on the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.

Carnival gradually spread to regions all over the world, especially European nations such as France, Italy and Spain, and one of the biggest Carnival events takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

People of all ages participate in Mardi Gras, especially the natives. “I saw the oldest people I’ve ever seen in my life and I saw babies,” Mounty-Weinstock says. Rachel Robey, a Blair alumna from the class of 2013 and also a current student at Tulane, believes that Mardi Gras is genuinely a great time. “Every parade has a special throw.” (A throw is something that the people in the parade throw, the most common being beads.)

“The floats will come by, and each parade is

themed. Everyone on the floats are covered in decorations and masks,” she explains.

The people on the floats are all members of different krewes. People in krewes have to pay membership to the krewe, and all the members on the floats go straight to the ball.

The Mardi Gras Ball is one of the greatest and oldest traditions. The King and Queen of each krewe, whose identities are kept a secret until the night of the ball, work tirelessly throughout the year to organize the spectacular event. Some krewes have individual balls, but they all also gather together for the grand ball.

They are typically very formal events that consist of dancing and dining with New O r leans’ finest. In the past, the k re w e s — w h i c h were often highly private and exclusive organizations—held equally-as-private balls each Mardi Gras. These balls were closed to the public until 1992, when the city council passed an ordinance that required krewes to be more inclusive. “You can go to the ball if you are in a krewe, or if you’re invited,” Robey explains.

St. Patrick’s Day: the one day a year when green becomes everyone’s favorite color, if only to prevent being pinched. A day when the “kiss me, I’m Irish,” mentality explodes. Though modernly affiliated with beer, drinking, and more beer, St. Patrick’s Day’s roots also lie in religion. St. Patrick was born in Britain in the 4th century, but was kidnapped and enslaved by Irish raiders as a child. Six years later, he escaped, and became a priest in England. As a teenager he chose to return to Ireland as a missionary, with the intent to spread the teachings of Christianity. Irish folklore says that he used the shamrock to explain the idea of Trinity to the people. Though he was continuously

faced with flack from pagan leaders, he continued to evangelize Ireland for the next thirty years.

Although it was where he was captured, St. Patrick decided to forego bit- terness and help the Irish people.

St. Patrick’s Day continued to be celebrated throughout Ireland but was introduced to the U.S. in 1737. There was a large influx of Irish immigrants to the East Coast of the U.S., in cities like Boston, New York and Philadelphia. These immigrants came to the US in the mid 1800s when Ireland took a hard economic downfall during the Irish Potato Famine. These immigrants came looking for job opportunities, and were able to find several in the police and fire departments. These Irish people continued celebrating their holiday on March 17 each year, introducing it to the American people. This is why each year, especially in cities such as New York and Boston, there are huge parades sponsored by police and fire departments like the NYPD. One St. Patrick’s Day tradition is to eat a traditional meal. Many times this meal consists of corned beef and cabbage. The Irish also embrace their cultural symbols such as the shamrock—the shamrock originally symbolized the rebirth of spring, and by the 17th century grew to symbolize the emerging Irish nationalism. However, because drinking is a big part of the Irish culture, and Americans are aware of this, St. Patrick’s Day is associated with drinking.

Both holidays are celebrated with happy and high spirits—and are seen as chances to let go and enjoy life. Going out with friends for a few beers decked in colorful clothing and crazy accessories is often an exhilarating experience. But while you raise your glass to the holiday, just remember where it came from.

EVA SHEN

iPhone obsessions: Tapping, flapping and finally snapping For some reason, we just can’t stop playing these addictive, time-sucking games

By Landon Harris Flappy Bird is a stupid game.

The storyline is nonexistent. The graphics are reminiscent of 1980s Nintendo. The only control is to tap the screen. And worst of all, it’s infuriatingly difficult. There are much more productive uses of time than trying to fit an 8-bit bird between two green pipes. Yet so far this year, Flappy Bird has been by far the most popular app among iPhone users. The baffling popularity of such a basic game is nothing new, however. In 2013 it was Candy Crush. In 2012 it was Temple Run. Every year there is some new random game that emerges out of nowhere to take the App Store by storm. But it’s never the games with the most in depth features, developed characters or lifelike visuals that compete for game of the year. The most addictive iPhone games are rarely the most intricate. So just what is it about Flappy Bird and games like it that make us want to play again and again and again?

The key to the success of an

iPhone game is in its simplicity.

The simpler the game, the easier it is to play, and the more frustrating it is to lose. Take Flappy Bird as the latest example of this phenomenon. Keeping a bird afloat between two pipes is not a complex task.

All you have to do is tap the screen a few times. It should be really easy. But it’s not, and our failure to accomplish such a simple task is what drives us to keep playing. We don’t play Flappy Bird because it’s fun. We play to prove that we’re not incompetent. Because if you can’t succeed in something as straightforward as fitting a bird between some pipes, what can you succeed in? There are few things more demoralizing than opening the app with ambitions of soaring to new heights, only to immediately come crashing down with a score of five.

Nothing is worse than trying to get a score of five and not even making it past the first pipe.

The widely successful Temple Run features a similar simple to play, yet difficult to win mold. The controls are to swipe up to jump, swipe down to duck, swipe left to

turn left and swipe right to turn right. More complex than the one touch controls of Flappy Bird, but not by much. Much like Flappy Bird, the rudimentary controls coupled with the simple task of avoiding obstacles make Temple Run seemingly easy. However, as the game progresses and your character starts running faster, it becomes comically easy to confuse up with down and left with right.

A mistake is inevitable, and when it happens, it’s fatal.

Deaths in Candy Crush are perhaps the most frustrating because you only get a certain amount of lives for a set amount of time. The game, of course, is simple in principle. All you have to do is line up the candy icons with the swipe of a finger. There are different challenges to complete, but the core task of lining up candy is constant.

The catch is that you only get five chances to do it. If you fail to complete the challenge in any of your five lives, it’s game over. You’re done. You don’t get to play again.

Well, at least for another half hour as the game forces you to wait 30

minutes before continuing to play.

The wait is excruciating because you can’t just go like that. You’ve got to redeem yourself and the half hour wait only builds up anticipation for the next run.

Losing in general delivers the harsh reality to players that despite these games obvious simplicity, they’re extremely hard and it’s not really clear why. Whether it be the lag, the outside distractions, or the

incessant ads blocking the screen, there always seems to be some arbitrary reason for our failure.

But while there are a multitude of excuses for why the bird flapped too high or the runner turned the wrong way, none of them are quite substantial enough to provide us the necessary closure for losing. So we play on, desperately reaching for a respectable score.

MAGGIE MCCLAIN

March 17, 2014

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March 17, 2014

Cutting loose while keeping in line Glen Echo Park offers an exciting way to stay active and make new friends her first time contra dancing. “The older If there’s one thing us teenagers are good men were reat, it’s constantly complaining about how ally nice and there’s absolutely nothing fun to do. I mean, helpful, espeall of your friends and your friends’ friends cially to begindo it too, and even Ferris Bueller is bored ners like me,” out of his mind when he’s not crashing local she says. Once parades or stealing Ferraris on his day off. you’ve learned I’m not trying to sound like the countless a dance, you adults who’ve told you that you just need to and your partbe more open minded (because we all know ner move adults have no clue what they’re talking down the line about), but...come on now guys. of dancers and Believe it or not, beyond the five mile radialternate beus of your house, there’s endless adventures tween different to be had, you just have to know where to couples. After look. The problem really is a simple matter each dance is of attitude. The people who find excitement over, you may in their lives are those who aren’t afraid to COURTESY OF DOUG PLUMMER choose to find a say yes to life and step out of their comfort AMUSEMENT Glen Echo has been around since 1904. Having prenew partner or zones once in a while. Remember that we sit down to take viously been in use as both a reservation and an amusement park, it are only limited by our own imaginations. a break. Since now serves as a gathering place for the culturally diverse community.

One such place to let your imagination run contra dancwild is at Maryland’s very own Glen Echo ing is a massive workout and requires your too long to share here unfortunately.

Park, the old amusement park turned into a Although they are not quite as old as full concentration, a break once in awhile is current day arts and cultural center. some of the dancers there, some students at probably a good idea.

Glen Echo Park hosts an incredible variEither way, you are bound to end up Blair have been contra dancing their entire ety of activities for an even more incredible having an incredible time and promising lives and enjoy it immensely. Junior Erin variety of people. Some of the activities are yourself to come Nolan has been doing it from a very young family-oriented, like back again soon, age. “Contra dancing is a part of me just betheir puppet shows because let’s face cause I’ve been doing it all my life so I have and famous Dentit, contra dancing that connection. I really like being part of zel carousel rides; is awesome. Not that folksy community.” Ben Miller, another but they also have only that, but junior, also has a history with contra dancother events, like it’s, in my opin- ing. “I’ve been doing it pretty much all of plays, film shows ion, a one-of-a- my life since my partners were introduced and art tours that kind experience to it by some family friends when I was realare suitable for visithat can’t really ly young. I’ve been around that atmosphere tors of older ages. be matched by as long as I can remember,” Miller says.

All of these events Even after having danced for so long, an other kind of are enhanced by the dance out there. however, Miller still remembers how long it astounding comThis is because took him to actually get a hang of the dance. bination of artistic contra dancing Although this may have been in part due to and natural beauty creates an open the young age at which he began dancing, that surrounds the environment that Miller uses his experience as an example to park. Since it served allows for endless encourage people not to immediately give as an amusement social interaction, up on contra dancing. “I would say to peopark about 40 years a quality which is ple ‘stay open minded’ because I definitely ago, the center of only enhanced by didn’t get it until going many many times. I Glen Echo is filled the fact that con- didn’t like it for awhile and I wouldn’t expect with bright lights, tra dancers tend many people to their first times, but it can colorful signs and to be incredibly be really fun, especially if you have a group an overall cheerinteresting and of young people you can go with. That can ful environment. friendly people. definitely spice it up,” advises Miller.

Mixed in are bountiCOURTESY OF CONTRATOPIA.COM Contra dancing is offered at Glen Echo example, ful clumps of trees, SWING YOUR PARTNER A five person band sets up to play music for the night. Dancers For among some of twice a week on Friday and sometimes Sunrushing creeks and young and old gather to groove on the dance floor in the main ballroom. my partners the day nights from 7:30-11:30pm so that everyaccessories like artsy first time I went one has a chance to dance. The fee for anyone birdhouses and dirt mounds for pottery-making that call out to constantly be switching partners through- contra dancing were a pregnant lady, an ex- under seventeen is $5 and $10 for everyone the hippie within us all. The space inside of out the night. In fact, by the end of the night convict, a blind woman and a repeated ex- else, but you get a free entry pass your first the different buildings around the park is you’ll probably have danced with every sin- tra on the show “Breaking Bad.” My friends time. So what are you waiting for? Get off also lovely. Especially notable for its bright gle person in the room at least once, unless and I also danced with several older couples your computer, put on your dancing shoes, and spacious appearance is the Grand Span- it’s particularly crowded. Junior Zoe Roth- who shared some helpful advice for the fu- and prepare for a night of well-deserved, ish Ballroom, originally built to accommo- berg says that she was surprised at how con- ture along with their fascinating life stories, good old-fashioned fun. You won’t regret it. date over 1,800 dancers. Nowadays, the ball- tra dancing focused on having many partroom is used to host many of Glen Echo’s ners rather than just one like in traditional weekly dances like their Thursday blues, dances. “It’s kind of like partner speed datSunday tangos and most importantly, con- ing because you dance with so many people tra dancing. Surprisingly, the most popular for such a short amount of time. It’s very dance among teenagers is contra dancing. fast-paced,” explains Rothberg.

For at least your first couple of dances the Although this may be partially due to its convenience and regular occurrence, it also caller (a person who guides you through has a lot to do with the particular dance the different dances by announcing steps and keeping you on beat) will recommend style and the environment it creates.

In general, Glen Echo dances are a won- that you find a partner without a blue butderful resource for the community because ton, meaning that they’ve already had some of how accessible and inexpensive they are. experience contra dancing in Glen Echo.

But contra dances are particularly appeal- I recommend taking this advice as it will ing because they are open for participation significantly decrease your chances of endto anyone, regardless of their age, gender, ing up sprawled on the floor or throwing background or previous dancing experi- up in the bathroom from motion sickness. ence. The dance itself brings a diverse group If you have a good partner, they will check of people together and encourages them to with you first before they attempt any fancy try new things and get to know each other. moves and tell you to stare into their eyes The complete lack of alcohol within the es- while spinning, not because they’re about to tablishment definitely contributes to the en- propose you spend the rest of your life with vironment by eliminating the bar scene and them, but because it prevents dizziness.

Having an experienced partner can also encouraging honest, sober fun. This means, COURTESY OF DOUG PLUMMER fortunately, no creepy men or women will be make it easier to get the hang of dances trying to pick you up while you try to dance, much faster, which is incredibly satisfying. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Contra dancers spin their partners in time with the upbeat Junior Andrea Brown agrees and says she is music. Their graceful, synchronized movements astound onlookers in the ballroom. and everyone there is fairly coordinated.

When you first walk into the ballroom on glad she chose more experienced partners

By Milena Castillo

contra night, it can be pretty overwhelming. Depending on how early or late you arrive, there will already be a group of dancers skillfully maneuvering around the floor with seemingly impeccable grace. If you’ve never gone before, you’ll probably have a small voice in the back of your head telling you to turn and run in the other direction as fast as possible by this point. Ignore that thought, refuse to be intimidated, grab your blue “first time dancer” button, and make your way to the floor. In general, if you’re a female, you will likely be asked to dance by some gentleman within your first fifteen to thirty seconds on the floor so don’t sweat it if you didn’t bring a partner. For you males out there, don’t worry about it either; there are plenty of lovely ladies who would be more than thrilled to dance. Again, this is speaking in general terms, women may also ask men to dance and people are free to dance with others of the same gender. It’s a very open and accepting environment.

Now, once you have found a partner, you two will find a place in one of three or four lines alongside another couple. Unless it’s some rare circumstance, everyone in your quartet will be super smiley and immediately introduce themselves. If this is not the case, it won’t matter for too long since you’ll

March 17, 2014

Entertainment D5

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Piecing together the perfect pizza pie

By Desiree Aleibar

Before leaving high school, there’s one thing every teenager should know. It’s not what they want to be when they grow up or whether or not they want children. It’s what pizza will get them through those and dreadful long-all-nighters. Though it may seem easy, picking the perfect pizza for you is a stressful task. The choice takes selfreflection, discovery, and a whole lot of eating. Are you a fan of the classic cheese, the party favorite pepperoni, or perhaps the daring vegetarian? If you don’t know the answer, the task may seem daunting at the least. Luckily, the Silver Spring area offers an array of pizzerias that can tame even your deepest pizza cravings.

Saturday night: me, myself, and my pizza We’ve all had one of those nights. 8 o’clock on a Saturday and you’re curled up watching reruns of ‘90s shows on TeenNick. With slim pickings in the refrigerator, it looks like there is no choice but to order pizza. Instead of Googling the best pizza places in the area, frantic to taste melted cheese, try Armand’s Pizzeria. Located at 1909 Seminary Rd. in Silver Spring, Armand’s is as close to Chicago style pizza as you can get. Whether you’re dining in the cozy, dim-lit restaurant or calling in for delivery, the service is always excellent and the food always reaches you in a timely manner. Armand’s offers an extensive selection of reasonably priced personal pizzas including their one- to fivetopping specialty pizzas. If you’re looking for something simple yet satisfying, try

their small Deep Dish Margherita crafted delicately with tomato sauce and mozzarella and topped with olive oil, sliced tomatoes and basil. At $10.99, the price is a bit steep, but you and a friend could split the cost. For those looking to be ambitious, try The Hammer, topped with almost everything and anything a pizza lover could imagine (pepperoni, sausage, beef, ham, bacon, green peppers, mushrooms, onions and black olives, just to name a few). The pizza, which combines both the entire produce aisle and deli section, starts at $15.95. A dining experience at Armand’s wouldn’t be complete without trying their Original Garlic Bread; an Italian roll brushed with garlic butter and smothered with mozzarella cheese, its small but satisfying treat for only $3.99.

Most likely to take home to mom and dad Whoever coined the saying “Family First” was wrong. Absolutely, 100% wrong. Gone are the days of settling for pepperoni pizza on family nights when you really wanted a supreme with extra sausage. No longer will you have to argue with your siblings about who gets the last slice of pizza. Located on 1302 East West Highway with additional locations in Gaithersburg, Bethesda and College Park, Mamma Lucia offers a large selection of affordable pizzas that are sure to satisfy everyone in your family. At Mamma Lucia sharing is not an issue, as the familyoriented restaurant dishes out portions guaranteed to take you up a pants size.

The restaurant is spacious and brightly lit, mimicking the big flavors of their thin, hand tossed New-York Style pizzas. Sa-

vory sauce and a generous amount of cheese accompanies every slice. A slice of classic cheese pizza starts at $2.75. Meat lovers should try Mamma’s Special: a thin crust pizza topped with pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, ham, mushrooms, onions, green peppers & black olives. Pizza is sold by the slice until 5pm, after which you can only get whole pies starting at $14.50.

If you’re not in the mood for pizza, you could always try their Antipasto Italiano Salad: prosciuttini, salami, provolone, capicola, artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers served over fresh greens tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette for $10.50. Or even their Salsicce alla Napoletana which includes penne pasta with sliced Italian sausage in a light marinara sauce with parmigiano cheese for only $14.50.

A true taste of Italy While Mama Lucia’s offers a taste of New York, Pacci’s Neapolitan Pizzeria, located on 8113 Georgia Avenue will most definitely bring Naples to your dinner table. Surrounded brick and warm yellow walls, Chef Rosario Granieri and his crew transform soft balls of dough into, thin, crisp, authentic Neapolitan Pizza. Their pizzas are crafted with three main ingredients: Caputo flour, buffalo mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes. The staff then generously adds multiple ingredients from Luganega sausage to gorgonzola cheese.

However, before satisfying even your deepest pizza cravings, pizzas are placed into a 870 degree red-tilled, oak fueled oven imported from Italy. No sauce? No problem. Pacci’s has tons of white pizza’s, from their Paisana, crafter with mozza-

rella, prosciutto, arugula, parmesan, basil to their Mast’Nicola made up of provola, roasted peppers, sausage, parmesan, and basil. The menu also includes many different types of breads like bruschettas, panini’s and an assortment of salads which are all generous enough to share. If For those who are ambitious, try the Padrino, crafted with San Marzano tomato sauce, and topped with ricotta, spicy salami, Luganega sausage, parmesan and basil for $14. While the more conservative type may want to try the Margherita made with San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil priced at only $13.

These Neapolitan pizza pies range from 12 to 15 dollars, making it the perfect spot if you’re looking to go to a nice dinner with your family.

Afterschool special After a long weekend of personal pizza parties and family fun nights Monday has to roll around. After the 8th period bell signals at 2:10, you’re free, hungry and ready to eat anything insight. Grab a hungry friend and satisfy both your bellies by going to Pete’s. That is Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza located on 962 Wayne Avenue. Every Monday, this sleek, chef-driven Italian style restaurant specializes in classic New Haven style 14” and 18” pizzas for half off, making it the perfect spot for an afternoon snack. What’ make Pete’s pizza so unique is the thing, oblong, New

Haven style crust, characteristic charring and graciously chewy texture and limited use of melted cheeses. So don’t hesitate to try their Boula Boula crafted with Housemade Meatballs, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, hot cherry peppers for $20 or even their Elm City: a white pizza, delicately topped with fontina cheese, grilled chicken, sautéed wild mushrooms, caramelized onions for $20 . To mix things up try Sorbillo’s Original, an elegant pizza turnover filled with ricotta, salami and mozzarella and topped with tomato sauce and a basil for $8.

D6 Chips Clips Luck of the Irish

by Jesse Broad-Cavanagh

Robotics Issues

silverchips

March 17, 2014

Across 1. Room under roof 5. Starr’s domain 9. 2012 Fab Five member 14. One Direction: This __ __ 15. Jefferson’s song, Movin __ __ 16. Put on TV 17. 2013 Mendela Star 18. Galaxy tablet 19. Puts effort forth 20. Luckier version of three 23. Caps Michael 24. Valuable rock of minerals 25. Healthy food option 28. Beginning of every search 30. The countries little france 34. Large group of people 35. Purse of aroma 37. Common Blair footwear 38. Cause and effect statement 41. Sun Devils 42. French suffix 43. Silver Spring’s newest burger 46. Shedin’ tears 48. Vowels without you 49. Annapolis academy 51. Hollywood studio

52. Pet Insurance 54. Boston’s monster 56. Somewhere 62. Spanish existentinalism 63. Name before a password 64. Strong impulse 65. Bowl for washing 66. Night to meet the teachers 67. Cup of fruit in lunches 68. Parks and Rec star 69. Changing structure in 2016 70. Female sheep

Down 1. As gladly 2. Norwegian capital 3. Urban streetwear label 4. Russian monarch rule 5. Artistic Claude 6. The President swears on 7. Method of getting healthy 8. Oil coordinator 9. Tebow alma mater 10. Wall tunnel 11. Soft French cheese 12. Barley beverage 13. Football measurement 21. Scottish young man

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22. Runs with bounding stride 25. Under water activity 26. To battle verbally 27. Spanish achievement 29. Backwards standarized test 31. Follows direction 32. West coast fib 33. CIA operative 36. Cell brains 39. Of the loom 40. __ ands or buts 44. Gollum command 45. Substance taken in 47. What a streaker did 50. Forcefully take custody of 53. Winner of chips basketball game 55. Makes profit 56. The Wire stick-up man 57. Mastercard rival 58. Centers of activity 59. Above eye hair 60. Stare with sexual desire 61. Expression of enjoyment, plural 62. American Board of Pediatrics

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BY JESSE BROAD-CAVANAGH

Angry Birds

Calculator Games

BEN SAFFORD

Dress Code

KATRINA GOLLADAY

ELIZABETH PHAM

March 17, 2014

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ADs D7

E1 La Esquina Latina

17 de marzo del 2014

silverchips

Tormentas invernales prolongan el año escolar

Tras retrasos por causas climáticas el calendario de MCPS será extendido Por Jackeline Portillo

Este ha sido el peor invierno que hemos tenido en los últimos años.

Montgomery County ha tenido un total de cincuenta pulgadas de nieve y hielo este invierno. Las tormentas invernales han afectado mucho a todo tipos de sectores y especialmente a los sistemas escolares del condado de Montgomery County, Arlington, Prince William County, Washington, Y Fairfax.

Varios distritos están considerando reducir las vacaciones de primavera o convirtiendo un día dedicado que los maestros ocupan para hacer los informes provisionales a un día escolar regular.

La estudiante Angie Mejia del noveno grado comento, “No estoy de acuerdo con la extensión de la escuela porque es injusto para los estudiantes que ya han hecho los planos de verano. Yo no creo que es necesario extender el año escolar, los maestros sólo deben reorganizarse.”

Las escuelas han sido cerradas por lo menos cinco días, y otras nueve días dependiendo en el condado donde las tormentas allan afectado. El profesor Mr. Lindsey comentó, “Los días de nieve han afectado a la programación a lo grande, y como resultado, creo que el día escolar se extenderá por lo menos una semana resultando en que salgamos más o menos el 19 de Junio, “ Dijo Lindsey.

Quien va decidir si el año escolar se extiende será el ministro de educación de las escuelas públicas del condado de Montgomery County.

Una cosa que se debe tener en mente es que los profesores estan muy atentos en que la clases no tengan más retrasos que otras para finalizar el año con buenos resultados.

La señora Selman dijo, “Hemos tenido que ser flexibles para continuar con el plan de estudios y estar atento de las tareas, y hemos estado acortando los planes de estudio.”

Cambios que han tenido que ocurrir en clases a causa de las tormentas invernales, es en enseñar ciertas lesiones más rápidamente sin pasar mucho tiempo, en solamente una cosa y asignar capítulos que iban a ser leídos en clase, que sean leídos en casa como forma de tarea.

Después que cae la nieve helada, el resultado es carreteras resbalosas y repletas de hielo, el problema de limpiar, y llega un momento en que la sal no funciona para descongelar el hielo porque la temperatura esta muy baja. Muchos peatones se han resbalado porque las aceras no han sido debidamente limpiadas.

Lo primero es limpiar las carreteras principales pero también hay que acordarse que es importante limpiar las avenidas de las zonas residenciales para que las personas puedan salir a trabajar. Se ha puesto una gran cantidad de recursos para la limpieza de los caminos pero deja que las personas limpien las

aceras y las vías de peatonaje. Especialmente cuando los estudiantes vuelven a la escuela, las aceras deben estar despejadas para evitar algún percance.

Otra problema que causa el mal tiempo es la cancelación de los vuelos. Los pasajeros tienen que dormir y esperar en el aeropuerto para que les digan cuando es su próximo vuelo, hay pasajeros que se han tenido que permanecer hasta 3 dias para poder salir.

Hay muchas áreas donde trabajadores que dependen del transporte público fueron afectados porque suspendieron los buses y tomaron el riesgo de perder el trabajo porque fueron obligados quedarse en casa. Pero por otro lado ellos prefieren cancelar el servicio de autobuses por el mal tiempo porque no son seguros y prefieren la seguridad de las hentes.

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Para el metro las interrupciones de servicio ocasionaron una gran pérdida de un solo dia de trabajo de 480.000 dólares en las tarifas, la agencia cuenta con cerca de 1,500 autobuses y 318 ruta, segun el Periodico de el Washington Post.

Los funcionarios de metro primero se aseguran con los meteorólogos y otras agencias del área para asegurarse del estado de las carreteras y ver si es necesario suspender el servicio.

Los supervisores también consideran todos los conductores de los autobuses para ver si estan listas

para que los buses circulen. Era claro que desde el domingo pasado metro anunció que el servicio iba estar cancelado para el lunes de la mañana.

En muchas áreas hay jóvenes que no tienen trabajos y ofrecen sus servicios para limpiarle la nieve a muchos residentes que los contratan para remover la nieve de sus casas, especialmente los señores. Este invierno nos deja un mensaje que debemos estar más preparados y tener otras alternativas de salidas más en los programas educativos.

¿Dónde están los derechos humanos de los venezolanos?

Por Cindy Monge Guerra cobarde, libera a los estudiantes!, guerra cobarde libera a los estudiantes!,” Estos son unos de los cantos que jóvenes venezolanos exclaman en las calles. Los valientes jóvenes, se enfrentan a la muchedumbre de oficiales con pancartas y banderas. Aunque son reprimidos, pisoteados y amenazados, ellos siguen bloqueando carreteras principales y alzando sus voces contra el gobierno del actual presidente Nicolás Maduro. Estas son unas de muchas imágenes que se pueden observar en los anuncios comerciales de YouTube entre otras redes sociales.

Venezuela sigue sufriendo un conflicto interno entre los chavistas y la oposición.

De acuerdo con fuentes de BBC News, a lo largo de este mes de protestas, veinte y cinco personas han muerto. La ola de violencia aumenta, así como también aumenta el movimiento social de derechistas. Con el apoyo de líder en la oposición Leopoldo López, quien fue arrestado y encarcelado a finales de febrero por hablar en contra del gobierno venezolano. Además, se le acusa de conspirar contra el mismo gobierno para dar un golpe de estado. Los derechistas cuentan con el apoyo de María Corina Machado, quien es la diputada que lidera el movimiento.

Pero este no es el único problema que enfrenta Venezuela, según las fuentes del programa “Al Punto,” por el periodista Jorge

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Ramos, indican que el país está transitando un grave problema de inflación, devaluación del bolívar venezolano y la escasez de los productos domésticos que no están siendo proveídos. El periodista quien ha seguido este evento desde sus inicios comenta que las únicas vías para salir de la crisis gubernamental son permanecer bajo el control del actual gobierno hasta que la situación económica mejore o dar un golpe de estado, que sería la opción más difícil.

En un artículo reciente del periódico el Universal, la líder del movimiento derechistas Delsa Solórzano dijo que en el transcurso de las protestas pacíficas, al menos 75 mil jóvenes fueron detenidos de una manera injusta y muchos de ellos fueron golpeados. Solórzano desmiente las declaraciones del canciller Elías Jaua dejando en claro que 90 porciento de las protestas son en zonas populares y no en sitios de cierta clase social.

En el artículo la líder dijo, “en prácticamente todos los casos con decisión, los jueces otorgaron medida de libertad condicional con prohibición de manifestación, cuando esa sanción no está prevista de forma expresa en la ley, y viola un derecho consagrado en la

Constitución”.

Los derechos más básicos de los ciudadanos están siendo violados. Eber Parada, estudiante del noveno grado comenta que la situación que el pueblo venezolano enfrenta es lamentable, ya que muchos de los derechos constitucionale están siendo violaciones. “están utilizando la fuerza contra civiles desarmados, no permitiendo que protesten, quitándoles el derecho de estar en un grupo [organizado] y [invadiendo] su libertad de expresión,” comentó Parada.

La profesora de la clase de Derechos Humanos en Blair, Sra. Manuel, comentó que son los mismos venezolanos quienes tienen que actuar contra su gobierno y defender sus derechos. “los venezolanos tienen que empujar, investigar y enjuiciar el gobierno venezolano. mientras que algunos manifestantes han arrojado piedras a la policía, no hay ninguna justificación del gobierno de utilizar municiones,” expreso Sra. Manuel.

Pues el constante uso de violencia para reprender las marchas, ya a cobrado la vida de muchos protestantes, aunque la mayoría de los fallecidos son líderes estudiantiles. El periódico el País asegura que entre el grupo de protestantes se encuentran los llamados “Colectivos” chavistas quienes están asesinando a protestantes mientras el tumulto toma lugar. Aseguran que la muerte de un líder estudiantil, Daniel Tinoco ocurrió en medio de un altercado entre los

agentes policiacos y los protestantes, fuentes desconocidas declararon al País que estas personas son aliados del gobierno.

Eber comenta que el uso de violencia en contra de los estudiantes es demasiado severa tomando en cuenta que las protestas son de manera pacífica. “Solamente están protestando por un país mejor. Así que, ¿por qué los golpearon y lanzaron bombas de gas a sus caras? No es ético, moral y sobre todo no está bien. El gobierno venezolano no tiene derecho a usar la fuerza,”dijo el estudiante.

El movimiento derechista sigue, aun después que el presidente Maduro allá puesto algunas condiciones a los protestantes. Según el periódico el País, el presidente prohibió que las protestas se extendieran a la capital del país caracas. El presidente dejó muy en claro que la única forma de protestas permitidas serían protestas pacíficas. También recalcó la presencia de lideres opositores en la Conferencia Nacional de Paz. Los protestantes deben enfrentar al gobierno por no respetar los derechos de estos ciudadanos inconformes con el actual gobierno.

La Sra. Manue, quien expresa su frustración por lo que está ocurriendo en venezuela dijo, “Ellos tienen el deber de hablar!”

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CHAVISTAS El presidente Nicholas Maduro, sigue en su lucha por mantener el legado de su susesor Hugo Chavez.(Izquierda) Maduro en una conferencia por la paz en Venezuela. (Arriba)

LA OPOSICION El líder Leopoldo Lopez, se expresa ante los medios de comunicación en contra del gobierno Venezolano.(Izquierda) Portestantes son golpeados por la policia nacional. (Arriba)

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La Esquina Latina E2

silverchips

17 de marzo del 2014

Igualdad para los sexos: no somos las culpables

Las sociedades latinoamericanas deben reevaluar sus doble estándares Por Milena Castillo Cuando los conquistadores de España llegaron a las Américas en el siglo dieciséis, implementaron dos métodos inmediatos para establecer su supremacía: matar a los hombres, y violar a las mujeres. Desde entonces, la idea que la sexualidad de una mujer se debe manipular para ejercer poder sobre ellas se ha seguido manifestado en muchos aspectos la cultura latinoamericana. . Desde las leyes locales hasta la división del trabajo, en Latinoamérica persiste la tendencia a poner a las mujeres en una posicion de sumisión desde el momento en que nacen.

My disgusto particular hacia este tema empezó a manifestarse a una edad temprana cuando mi vecino me comentó casualmente que las mujeres no deben quejarse de ser violadas porque obviamente hicieron algo para provocar al hombre. Esto fue en respuesta a una articulo que habia salido sobre una mujer que fue brutalmente violada cuando corría por un parque temprano en la mañana.

Luego me enteré que otro vecino mío, cada vez que visitaba El Salvador sin su esposa, pasaba el tiempo en casa de una de sus amantes que vivia alli. Los padres de mi vecino viajaban con él, y no solo conocían esta situación,sino que ademas lo animaban a hacerlo. Para ellos era un orgullo y una prueba de la hombría de su hijo que este tuviera tanto éxito con las mujeres. Desafortunadamente, estas actitudes son muy comunes entre las sociedades latinas A parte de la objetificación sexual de las mujeres, la sociedad en su totalidad es culpable de reprimir la sexualidad femenina. Esto ayuda a crear un doble estándar muy injusto. Mientras se espera

ques las mujeres se mantengan vírgenes hasta el casamiento, a los hombres se los incentiva para que empiecen a tener relaciones sexuales los más jóvenes posible y con el mayor número de mujeres.. De hecho, en algunas culturas, se celebra la transición de chico a adulto de un varón llevándolo a visitar un prostíbulo.

Este doble estándar trae a mente un poema por Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz que decía, “Hombres necios que acusáis a la mujer, sin razón, sin ver que sois la ocasión de lo mismo que culpáis.”

Sor Juana, quien era una gran feminista de su tiempo, en este poema esta criticando a los hombres por tener la noción ridícula que las mujeres deben complacerlos, pero una vez que estas ceden a sus deseos la desprecian por considerarlas “fáciles” o impuras.

El concepto de la mujer pura y virtuosa viene en parte de la noción religiosa de la Virgen Maria; una figura muy importante en la religión católica. Las mujeres deben permanecer virtuosas y puras como lo fue la Virgen María, mientras los hombre tienen la libertad de hacer lo que les complace.

Desafortunadamente, estas expectativas hacen la vida muy difícil para las mujeres. Aunque los tiempos han cambiando, y la sociedad ha relajado un poco más sus reglas, la fascinación de los hombres con la pureza de la mujer, asociada a suvirginidad sigue siendo muy

prevalente en la cultura hispana.

A través de esta represión, los hombres establecen control sobre las mujeres, asignandoles un rol

EVA SHEN

sub-sirviente. Desde el nacimiento, el concepto de la separación de los sexos empieza a formarse en

la mente de los jóvenes de manera inconsciente.. Mientras los varones jóvenes tienen la libertad de ir y venir como más les place, sin tener que dar mayores explicaciones, las jóvenes estan bajo la supervisión estricta de sus padres o de sus hermanos mayores. Normalmente, ellas se tienen que quedase en casa ayudando a sus madres con las tareas del hogar los fines de semana, mientras sus hermanos salen a fiestas o a divertirse con amigos. Las niñas aprenden muy rápido que su función es servir a los hombres. Ellas están encargadas de prepararle la comida a los hombres de la casa, recoger sus cosas y estar a su disposición para lo que ellos necesiten..

El hecho de que estas ideas se les están enseñando a los chicos desde una edad tan joven es problemática, porque no solamente degrada a las mujeres sino que también abre la puerta a actos de violencia contra las mujeres. Desafortunadamente en los países hispanos la violencia doméstica es bastante común. Al ver que sus padres les pegan a sus madres o como las maltratan constantemente, los ninos asumen que este es el comportamiento normal en una relación hombre-mujer y lo terminan repitiendo cuando son más grandes.

En estas situaciones,la mayoría de las mujeres sufren en silencio porque ellas también han aprendido

que son inferiores a los hombres, y que estos tienen derecho sobre ellas.

Aunque pidieran ayuda, es probable que no la recibiera, porque en estas sociedades machistas, la mujer suelen sen percibidas como las culpables de todo lo que les pasa.

Este odio internalizado por las mujeres también es evidente en el alto porcentaje de femicidio en estas sociedades. Recientemente salió una noticia sobre una joven mujer peruana en los Estados Unidos, casada y madre de una niña. La mujer estaba sacando un masters en la universidad, tenía un buen trabajo y todo un futuro por delante. Pero tenía un esposo la golpeaba y maltrataba a menudo, y finalmente, tal vez temeroso de que su mujer fuera a independizarse o a dejarlo, acabo por matarla.

Este tipo de ocurrencias son mucho más comunes de lo que te imaginas, y es por eso es que esta forma de tratar a las mujeres no puede continuar, ni en latinoamérica ni en ningún otro lugar del mundo.

Es importante educar a las mujeres para que comprendan su propio valor y aprendan defender su derecho a ser respetadas y tomadas en cuenta Las mujeres latinas estan entre las más trabajadoras más abnegadas y más fuertes del planeta.

Así como todas las demás mujeres, ellas también merecen tener respeto y autonomía. para decidir sobre sus propios cuerpos y sus propias vidas. Pero esto solo ocurrirá si , las mujeres se educan a sí mismas para y luego educar a sus propias hijas, enseñándoles desde pequenas a auto-valorarse para que en el futuro sepan que no tienen por que soportar ninguna forma de abuso o maltrato de ningún hombre.

Entonces unámonos todas las mujeres para que así podamos pelear por nuestro derecho a la igualdad. ¡Vamos hermanas!

El SAT promete ser menos rígido y más flexible El College Board hace cambios para mejorar su examen unversitario Por Cindy Monge Nuevos cambios en el examen del SAT fueron anunciados ayer por el presidente del College Board, David Coleman. Los cambios entrarán en efecto en el año 2016. Coleman dijo que esta idea será implementada por que los estudiantes prefieren tomar el ACT en vez de tomar el SAT. Aparte de esto tiene que ver con la gran dificultad del contenido del examen. De acuerdo con un artículo en el New York Times, dice que trece estados ya están administrado el SAT a sus estudiantes y otros estados planean hacer lo mismo.

La impopularidad del SAT se debe a muchas de las trampas en las cuales el examen está estructurado. Muchos de los estudiantes alegan que el SAT no está basado en el currículo estudiantil. Sin embargo la mayoría de los estudiantes toman el examen, y algunos estudiantes se le es más difícil sacar un buen puntaje en el examen por que el examen se basa en vocabulario peculiar que no es conocido ni utilizado en sus clases.

Bianca Benítez, estudiante del doceavo grado, dice que los nuevos cambios beneficiaran a los estudiantes a estar mejor preparados. “El SAT rediseñado va ayudar a los estudiantes porque les pedirá aplicar una profunda comprensión de las pocas habilidades y [se concentrara] en áreas de contenido más importantes para la preparación universitaria,” comento Benítez.

El nuevo formato de este examen eliminara el proceso de penalidad en el cual el estudiante contesta una respuesta incorrecta le deducirían ¼ de un punto

por haber fallado la respuesta correcta. Esto dice Bianca podría ser una arma de doble filo, ya que puede causar que el puntaje del estudiante baje si no logra sacar la mayoría de respuestas correctas.

Bianca está de acuerdo con eso y dice

que ella cree que esta es una gran ventaja y desventaja a la vez. “El hecho que el nuevo SAT no penalice a los estudiantes por contestar preguntas incorrectamente puede ayudar o hundir la puntuación del estudiante.”

Pero eso no es todo, el SAT también hará el examen escrito opcional, dándole la elección al estudiante de tomarlo. Esta nueva implementación tiene a mucho estudiantes menos ansiosos a la hora de examinarse.

Benítez dice que este cambio le vendrá bien a estudiantes que no se sientan cómodos con el su capacidad en escritura. “debido al ensayo es opcional, eso aliviará la tensión los estudiantes pueden tener al escribir un ensayo de cinco párrafos en cuestión de minutos que tienden a ir en forma rápida.”

Ya que el examen escrito también formaba parte del sistema de puntaje de 2,400 COLLEGEBOARD.ORG puntos. Este sistema sumaba la puntuación de tres secciones: Lectura, matemáticas y escritura.

Cada sección tenía un máximo de 800 puntos. Ahora, el examen solamente tomara en cuenta la puntuación de Lectura y matemáticas, en una escala de

1,600 en vez de la actual escala de 2,400.

Varios de los cambios que el SAT tendrán son: Menos preguntas con un mayor análisis en profundidad de los contenidos. El área de matemáticas tendrá concentración en tres temas: análisis de datos, algebra y matemáticas avanzadas.

Aparte de eso, los problemas presentados en el examen tendrán que ver con situaciones reales de la vida. Además, no se permitirá el uso de calculadoras al tomar la sección de matemáticas.

La sección de lectura va eliminar las oraciones de para completar. El enfoque va a ser en literatura, estudios sociales, e incluirá un pasaje basado en ciencias.

Coleman dijo que el College Board también ofrecerá videos y tutoría gratuita por medio de su página de internet para de esta manera ayudar a estudiantes de bajos recursos.

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

F1 Sports

March 17, 2014

silverchips

Sweat and tears lead the path to Division I

Senior athletes commit to play at the next level in college

By Leslie Chen

After spending seven hours a day in school, along with having homework to do and tests to study for, it can be hard to find time for other things, such as sports practice.

However, six Blair senior athletes have dedicated enough time and commitment over the past years to take their respective sport to the next level: playing for a Division I college team.

To achieve this high level, it takes years of long hours of training week after week. Senior Jake Rozhansky, who recently committed to the University of Virginia for soccer, says, “My [soccer] team [Bethesda-Olney Academy] trains five to six times a week during the season…but when I have days off I like to train by myself, run, and go to the gym.”

Because Rozhansky’s goal was always to play at a high level, he spends almost every day of the week playing soccer or working out. “College soccer is definitely something I desired, but my ultimate goal is to go pro,” says Rozhansky. Similarly, senior Michael Thomas, who will swim for the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, has always had high goals for his swimming career. “It has always been one of my goals to compete at the Division I level and hopefully at the NCAA championship,” Thomas said. To get there, he practices about eight times a week, Monday through Friday in the afternoon

with before school practices on Wednesday and Friday, as well as Saturday mornings.

Together, the practices add up to about 20 hours of swimming a week.

Although senior Donald Benamna, who will be playing for San Diego State University in the fall, did not always plan on competing in college as Rozhansky and Thomas did, his almost daily soccer practices with his team, ASA Milan Blackhawks, led him to college-level soccer. “Just last year, I started to think of playing in college and I didn’t quite [expect to] but I knew I could get there if I just kept my confidence,” says Benamna.

A large part of the role of a student-athlete is being able to balance the “student” and “athlete” identities. Senior Briana Villa, committed to Delaware State University for soccer, also plays softball at a competitive level. Balancing her practice and tournament schedule while maintaining good grades is often a demanding task, she says, but she has developed strategies to handle the challenge. “I like to write down my schedule for the week, so when I get homework I can try to plan out when it would be best to get it done. I also sometimes get ahead on homework during the day,” Villa explains.

As she continues her soccer career through college, Villa will continue to learn how to perfect the balance between school and sports. Although it may be a daunting task, she believes that her teammates and peers will provide her with the support that

she needs.

Several times a year, National Signing Day occurs, which is when seniors sign a National Letter of Intent to officially commit to the athletic program at the college of their choice. This day is most typically known for high school seniors signing with college football programs, but there are National Signing Days for every NCAA sport. For soccer, this day is February 5, while swimming holds an early signing period from November 13 to November 20. Leading up to Signing Day, athletes participate in a long recruitment process that can begin in sophomore or junior year. Villa and senior Delia Trimble, who will play soccer for Temple University began contact with coaches last fall, while Rozhansky and Benamna first started hearing from coaches in their sophomore years.

In order to decide on a program, the student-athletes have to research the schools’ academic and social culture, often through a visit.. Thomas, who choose between UNCW, Delaware and UCONN, explains, “You can take five official visits, where the school funds your visit, and as many unofficial as you would like.” Trimble’s list also included UNCW and William & Mary, but in the end she found Temple to be the best match for her. “I really wanted to be in the city and liked the academic rigor that the Honors College at Temple seemed to pose.

The girls on the team also seemed like a

good fit for me,” Trimble says.

After dedicating their formative years to their respective sports, these student-athletes have spots on Division I teams to look forward to in the fall. “Getting the phone call from the coach asking if I would be willing to play for them left me speechless,” says Villa. “I’ve always wanted to continue playing through college, but I never thought it would actually happen, especially at a Division I level.”

Villa and the other athletes are some of the high school student-athletes who will able to stay with the sport at the highest level of college athletics. “I’m feeling really excited and thankful for the opportunity to continue playing soccer for the next four years at the college level,” says Trimble, “but also feeling nervous about what is in store.” This is not the end of the hard work and training for these student-athletes, as they must progress into becoming more advanced players in order to succeed at the next level of competition. “I think [college] will help me develop as a player. I have a great relationship with the coaches at UVA and they are putting together a great team which will definitely be able to compete against the best schools in the country,” says Rozhansky. The pressure is certainly rising for Blair’s D1-bound seniors, but while they prepare to enter the next stage of their life, one factor remains constant: they will continue to play the sport that they love.

Physically demanding and mentally exhausting Blazers challenge Warrior Dash and Tough Mudder events

By Alani Fujii Two event series have overtaken the United States: Warrior Dash and Tough Mudder. Muddy waters, live electric wires, more mud, and extreme heat and cold are only some examples of the obstacles participants have to face.

Across the finish line, bodies caked with mud, sweat, and tears take their first deep breaths of relief.

While the names might leave you scratching your head, both competitions push the human body and mind to their limits.

Tough Mudder is an impressive ten-to twelve-mile obstacle challenge that has accumulated over 1 million participants worldwide. Designed by the British Special Forces, this obstacle course tests strength, endurance, mental toughness, and teamwork strategy.

With elements such as the “Arctic Enema” and “Berlin Walls”, its challenges attract many adventurous people and are designed to play on human fears; fears that many might think are impossible to overcome.

Many Blazers have participated in Warrior Dash, coined “The World’s Largest Obstacle Race Series.” Warrior Dash is a 5K Mud Run that has graduated nearly 1 million participants since its inauguration in 2009. Junior Jamie Gilkeson participated in his first Warrior Dash in September 2013 in Virginia. “I actually got involved in Warrior Dash as part of a birthday celebration for one of my neighbor’s birthday,” he says.

John Giles, a Blair math teacher, has participated in Warrior Dash as well. “I’m a pretty active runner and I have several friends who have run the Warrior Dash before.

I signed up after Mr. Schafer mentioned he had signed up,” says

Giles. and the course got backed up as I For both events, physical train- think they oversold the race. I was ing is necessary for success, un- forced to wait in lines at several less one is already in ideal physi- obstacles,” says Giles. “ I am a bit cal condition. Tough Mudder has created the “Tough Mudder Boot Camp” in order to help prepare all types of participants, from the not-as-fit beginners to the superfit enthusiasts. They Crab Run provide a recomMarch 24, 2014 in Cambridge, MD mended preparation program, and allow Ocean City Marathon participants to customize their April 26, 2014 in Ocean City, MD own. In general, each training Iron Girl Marathon prep session includes a jogApril 27, 2014 in Colombia, MD ging warm-up, multiple Potomac River Run high-interval circuits, May 4, 2014 at the C&O Canal Towpath such as calisthenics, and ZOOMA Marathon a cool-down. Warrior May 31, 2014 in Annapolis, MD Dash offers pre-run training tips on its website, Tough Mudder recommending pull ups, September 27&28, 2014 in Washington, DC chair dips, and of course, The Color Run running. Gilkeson did some September 28, 2014 at the National Harbor of his own preparation for Run or Dye the upcoming Warrior Date TBA in Cumberland, MD Dash. “I went on a couple of practice runs, but kept mostly to my regular workout for fencing.” Some form of training competitive and wanted to is a must in order to finish either stay on the move. The Warrior event; only 78 percent of Tough Dash is only three miles, but the Mudder participants go on to com- Tough Mudder [11 miles] is probplete the course. Giles says he kept ably a better fit for me.” An inteto his normal routine as prepara- gral yin and yang of physical fittion for the event. “I didn’t really ness and mental toughness have to do anything special. I run a lot, so I be put into action for the first time, just kept doing that.” working together to create the effiOn race day, participants are cient obstacle challenger. Gilkeson finally put faces to the statistics of also found challenges throughout the other racers. With both events the race. “The hardest part was attracting thousands of people, keeping up my pace for the whole the sheer volume of participants 5K; keeping up that level of speed can influence how the race un- was a challenge.” folds. “I was a bit frustrated durLori Nickel, a reporter from the ing the event. They send waves Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Senof people out every 30 minutes; tinel, reflected on her time at Tough we were in one of the later waves Mudder after recently finishing her

first event. After completing the “Electric Eel” (army crawling in water and mud under 10,000 volt live wires), Nickels felt the exhaus-

tion and became more aware of the intensity and potential dangers of the event. “That was just the third obstacle with 15 to go – not counting the pre-start wall and nearly a dozen other knee-high ditches full of mud and water - and after that my whole attitude changed. Every obstacle became a bargain with God,” writes Nickels.

So this leaves the question: why would anyone ever do this to themselves? The physical effort is immense, and the mental challenge can be mind-boggling.

Tough Mudder even has one fatality behind its name. In April 2013, Avi Sengupta, 28, died after attempting “Walk the Plank,” a jump into muddy water from a 12-foot

platform. He sustained a concussion, but died later from his injuries after being taken off life support. But the thrill of adventure, the promise of a challenge, and the emphasis on teamwork still attract the numbers of people who sign up. Giles says that he did enjoy the overall experience of participating in the Warrior Dash. “It was a nice experience and it is a fun activity to do with a group of friends. If I did it again, I would try to sign up for the earliest wave to avoid waiting at the obstacles. If you don’t really care about your time and just want t o

play in the mud, [The Warrior Dash] is a lot of fun,” he says. “I would definitely try a Tough Mudder.” Gilkeson also says he would participate in a Warrior Dash again. “I would definitely do it again! I’ve been trying to convince some of my friends to try it with me,” he says.

As runs like the Tough Mudder and Warrior Dash increase in popularity, they will continue to attract more participants and spawn more events for thrill-seekers all over the country. “I’ve definitely gained a sense of pride for having finished the event without dropping my run,” adds Gilkeson.

March 17, 2014

Sports F2

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March Madness: A Guide to the Big Dance

By Landon Harris

Who wants to be a billionaire? If you’re looking to get rich in a hurry, look no further. Warren Buffet, the fourth richest person in the world, is giving away $1 billion dollars to anyone who fills out a perfect bracket for March Madness. Everything you need to know to be the lucky winner is right here:

The Frontrunners: Teams expected to win Florida Gators The Gators are playing better than anyone else in the nation right now. They haven’t lost since early December, and are currently on a 22 game win streak. There’s nothing to suggest the Gators can’t keep on rolling through the tournament. Most of this run has been accomplished without talented freshmen Chris Walker and Kasey Hill, whom the Gators got back recently.

The über-athletic Walker provides Florida with another front court weapon, while Hill is a strong ball handler and distributor that can aptly fill in relief of starting point guard Scottie Wilbekin. Forward Casey Prather leads the Gators in scoring and is a strong SEC player of the year candidate, but the most dangerous player on the team may be Guard Michael Frazier II. Their three point specialist has come on strong of late, recently exploding for 37 points and a Florida school record 11 three pointers against South Carolina.

Wichita State Shockers Perhaps the only team on a more impressive streak than Florida is the undefeated Wichita State Shockers. Still yet to lose, the Shockers became the first team to finish the regular season undefeated since Saint Joseph’s in 2004. Wichita State’s 31 regular season wins are the most by any undefeated team in college basketball history. As impressive as the Shockers’ season has been, their level of competition has to be noted before making any bold tournament predictions. Playing in one of the nation’s weakest conferences, Wichita State has faced very few quality opponents, and hasn’t played a single ranked team. Almost every team that makes the tournament will be of higher quality than any of Wichita State’s regular season opponents. Unlike the Shocker’s regular season schedule, the tournament will be no cake walk, and the team could fluster at the first sign of adversity.

Kansas Jayhawks

Forward Aaron Gordon hasn’t garnered the same degree of attention as other highly touted freshman, but has been quietly productive averaging 12 points and 8 rebounds a game. TJ McConnell’s unselfish point guard play and leadership has been instrumental in the team’s success. He ranks third in the Pac-12 in both steals and assists. A concern about the Wildcats is there depth though. The team only goes about seven deep, with only six active players averaging over 10 minutes a game. So far the Wildcats have been able to cope with the loss of starting Forward Brandon Ashley to season ending injury, and have not let it impact their season too much. However, Ashley’s absence could become more problematic once the tournament starts, when Arizona will need as many guys as possible to come in and contribute against stiffer competition.

The Dark Horses: Good teams that could surprise Michigan Wolverines Not even Michigan fans could have predicted a Big 10 regular season championship for the Wolverines three months ago. The team lost its two best players from last year to the NBA, including the 2013 National Player of the Year, current Utah Jazz Point Guard Trey Burke. The player expected to be the Wolverines best this year, versatile Forward Mitch McGary, only played in eight games all season. Michigan was predictably up and down to start the year, and heading into conference play the Wolverines weren’t even ranked. Then everything clicked. Guard Nik Stauskas emerged as Wooden National Player of the Year candidate, Guard Caris Levert developed into a nightmare penetrator, and Forward Glenn Robinson III began to show flashes of his NBA potential. The Wolverines ripped off an eight game win streak to begin

conference play, a streak that included three consecutive wins against top 10 ranked opponents. The team has since cooled off a bit, but during that stretch we saw just how good the Wolverines high-octane offense could be. When Stauskas drills threes, Levert attacks the basket, and Robinson III uses his elite athleticism in transition, there is no team that can stop the Wolverines. How far Michigan goes in the tournament is entirely dependent on whether they can maintain this high tempo against teams determined to slow them down and grind them out.

Iowa State Cyclones Iowa State is another offensive powerhouse that could make some noise this March. The Cyclones have the nation’s seventh ranked offense and average more assists per game than any other team in the country. Iowa State features a trio of scorers, Forward Melvin Ejim, Guard Deandre Kane, and Forward Georges Niang, each averaging over 15 points per game. Ejim is also second in the Big 12 in rebounds per game, and exploded for 48 points and 18 rebounds earlier this season in a win against TCU. Deandre Kane is one of the most multifaceted guards in the nation. He leads all Big 12 guards in rebounds per game and is tied for the conference lead in assist. The Cyclones have been challenged all year by the multitude of talented teams in the Big 12 and should be ready for the high quality teams they will face in the tournament. Win or lose, Iowa State will at least be entertaining to watch.

Cincinnati Bearcats On the other end of the spectrum is the defensive minded Cincinnati Bearcats. The Bearcats have the nation’s fourth best defense, allowing just under 60 points per game. The catalyst for the team’s defensive intensity is Forward Justin Jackson, who ranks top five in the American conference in rebounds, blocks, and steals. Cincinnati is not nearly as brilliant offensively, but they do possess a talented scorer, Guard Sean Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick puts the ball in the basket about as well as anyone in the nation, leading the American conference in scoring while averaging over 20 points per game.

Depending on just one player is never an efficient offensive strategy, but if Kilpatrick can get hot down the stretch, he could carry Cincinnati’s offense through the tournament.

The Cinderellas: Teams that could come out of nowhere Green Bay Phoenix

Green Bay is going to be one of the tournament’s most intriguing teams. The Phoenix’s dynamic big man little man duo of 5’11 Guard Keifer Sykes and 7’1 Center Alec Brown is going to give opposing defenses fits. Sykes is a fearless guard with a scoring mentality that leads the team in scoring at an average over 20 points per game. As Sykes attacks, he also has the ability to set up his teammates averaging about five assists per game as well. One of those teammates is the towering Alec Brown, a skilled seven footer with three point shooting range. Brown is also a factor on the defensive end, averaging over three blocks a game for the second best shot blocking team in the nation. Green Bay has already proven it can compete with the big boys earlier this season, defeating ACC regular season champ Virginia and coming within three points of upsetting Wisconsin.

The Phoenix will look to take down more giants come tournament time.

Harvard Crimson

Harvard flirted with a Cinderella run last year, upsetting third seeded New Mexico in 2013’s tournament. Don’t be surprised if they do something similar this march. The team recently earned its third consecutive Ivy League championship and will enter the tournament for the Big Dance for the third straight year. At this point they’ve got to be considered experienced underdogs.

Playing in the Big 12, arguably the best conference in college basketball this year, Kansas has had its share of big wins and tough losses. The team may not have the best record of the top seeds, but make no mistake, top to bottom Kansas is the most talented team in the nation. The Jayhawks feature two potential number one overall NBA draft picks with freshmen phenoms Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid. Wiggins admittedly hasn’t lived up to the hype of being the next Lebron, but he still leads the team in scoring and is just scratching the surface of his potential. Every bit as tantalizing a talent is Jayhawks Center Joel Embiid.

Embiid is exceptionally nimble for a seven footer, and is particularly impactful on the defensive end where he leads the Jayhawks in both rebounds and blocks per game. Kansas is much more than a team of freshmen though. Forward Perry Ellis provides a polished offensive presence in the post. Point guard Naadir Thorpe is third in the Big 12 in assists per game and brings experience to an otherwise young backcourt. There are too many times where Kansas will try and get by on talent alone, but when the Jayhawks are playing their best team basketball, you’d be hard pressed to find a team that can beat them.

Arizona Wildcats Arizona has a little bit of everything.

Their best player, combo Guard Nick Johnson, is the team’s leading scorer and one of the best perimeter defenders in the country.

BEN SAFFORD

F3 Sports

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March 17, 2014

Sochi 2014: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

By Kyle Desiderio Coming into the Sochi Olympics, there was a lot of stigma surrounding the games.

“Will my hotel be completed?” “Can Russia afford an Olympics?” “Will Putin come and kill us all?” cried journalists up until the opening ceremony. Then, magically, all the complaining stopped. No more Buzzfeed posts titled “Top 10 grossest things in Sochi” or social media users trying to make #SochiProblems the next big pop-culture Twitter trend. Come February 6th, it was all about the sports. But just in case you were induced in a coma or living under a rock for the ensuing two weeks, we got you covered. Here’s Sochi: The good, the bad, and the ugly (from a completely biased American view. USA! USA! USA!).

The Good Anything on Snow: Yes, once again, this was America’s year for the 20 different ways humans have found to slide on snow.

We absolutely dominated the brand new Slopestyle events, where athletes slide down a course with three rail sections and three

big-air sections. American snowboarders Sage Kotsenburg and Jamie Anderson both won gold in Slopestyle, while the U.S. also swept the Men’s Ski Slopestyle and got silver in the Women’s Ski Slopestyle. We were also able to net gold in both men and women’s Ski Halfpipe and women’s traditional (snowboard) Halfpipe. The men’s Halfpipe, though, was a little more disappointing (more on that later).

No Terrorist Attacks! While many of the concerns and complaints with the Sochi Olympics were sort of (okay, very) ridiculous, the threat of a terrorist attack wasn’t.

Not only did a series of attacks rock a train station in Volograd two months before, but many threats by extremist groups around the Olympic Park had the media and the government concerned. At one point, the Russian government even advised athletes not to bring family members to events, assecurity and safety were a real concern. Luckily though, thanks to some help from surrounding police districts, the body count was able to remain at zero. It wasn’t all luck, though.

The government’s decision to ban all forms of protesting and (add?) heavy surveillance on the region in the lead-up to the games certainly was an important factor. Any more detail on what exactly Putin did to ensure a safe Olympics, though, is probably better we don’t know.

The Bad Figure Skating Judges: One of the consistently most popular events in the whole Olympics is Women’s Figure Skating. This year, the sport also did not disappoint. The event started off on a great note, with 15 year-old Russian skater Julia Lipnitskaia rocketing herself into international stardom after an incredible performance in the Short Program in the team event. However, it was during the individual event that controversy arose. In the Ladies’ Long Program, Russian skater Adelina Sotnikova beat-out defending gold medalist Yuna Kim from South Korea, despite landing on two skates in one of her more complicated elements. Kim, on the other hand, had a much cleaner (some have even said perfect) run. Unfortunately, since Kim’s degree of difficulty was lower than Sotnikova’s, the Russian was able to beat her out. This, however, did not sit well with couch-crusaders and two-week figure skating experts all across the world, who immediately created a petition which calls for a re-judge and has amassed nearly two million signatures. Now, to be fair, these claims of judgment corruption are not without some reason. The Olympic skating world has been marred by corruption and score-inflation over the past few years. A vast majority of

the judges in the event were from eastern bloc countries, which many claim helped give the Russian an advantage. One judge on this year’s panel was even caught trying to fix an event in 1998, yet was allowed yet again to judge in the freakin’ Olympics.

Furthermore, another judge on the panel is married to the head of the Russian Figure Skating Federation. Conflict of interest, perhaps? However, until the International Olympic Committee releases an official statement (which they probably won’t), it’s hard tO judge whether these claims are valid.

Olympic Veterans: To put it lightly, this was not the Olympics for well-known returning Olympic athletes. Out of the four most famous U.S. Olympians - Shaun White, Bode Miller, Lindsey Vonn and Shani Davis -only Miller was able to scrape away with a bronze medal. Now, this isn’t to take anything away from these athletes’ great careers.

They are well-known for a reason and have had incredible success in their respective sports, but on the world’s biggest stage, they just weren’t able to produce. To be fair, Lindsey Vonn wasn’t able to compete at all due to a knee injury. Despite all of this though, our stars were expected to bring home a lot of hardware, and it came as a disappointment to everyone involved when they didn’t. Shaun Whiteseemed poised to win his third straight gold medal in the Halfpipe after an amazing quarter-final run. However, due to mistakes in both of his runs in the final, a three-peat was not in the cards. Bode Miller was absolutely tearing up the Sochi Rosa Khutor mountain in his practice runs, finishing first in nearly all of them. Like White, though, a few costly mistakes kicked him off of the podium when it counted. Bode was able to earn some slight redemption with a bronze in the Super-G, but the downhill event was his to lose. Shani Davis, though, is probably the most disappointing out of everyone.

He was part of the U.S. speed-skating team, which got shut out in the Olympics for the first time since 1984 (more on that later). He appropriately coined these Olympics the “Worst Olympics Ever” á la Simpsons Comic Book Guy. The Ugly Anything on Ice: Notice how there really was only one truly ugly event to happen at the Olympics (but in the grand scheme of things, this wasn’t even that bad). That just shows how good these Olympics really were. However, this one ugly thing is really bad (in that totally hyperbolic way).

Between figure skating, Hockey, and Speed Skating, the U.S. really had a hard time staying upright. Figure Skating was the most successful out of the three events, as the U.S. was

JENNA KANNER

Even a valiant effort could not earn Blazers a playoff win

By Sam Popper Nelson H. Kobren Memorial Gymnasium, Mar. 6— In a regional semifinal playoff matchup, the Boys’ Basketball Team (20-3) finished their season with a courageous effort in a 60-48 loss to the Whitman Vikings (19-6).

The game started poorly for the Blazers, who surrendered an early 12-4 lead to the Vikings. After a bucket and foul by senior forward Raymond Burtnick and a drive in the paint from senior guard Damar Bess, however, the Blazers had suddenly cut the lead to just three points. Following two more Blazer steals, the score was tied at 14 after the first quarter with Blair on a 10-2 run.

The second quarter was very well played on both sides. Senior guard Trey Wainwright hit two consecutive layups over Whitman defenders to give the Blazers a three point lead midway through.

Then the Vikings started to rain threes after the Blazers struggled to close out defensively. The scoring run put Whitman at a five-point advantage before a three pointer from junior guard Danny Canary led a second Blair run to tie the game at halftime

with the score even at 26 points apiece. did not look back. Blair lost some key reIn the third quarter it was more of the bounds and lost offensive continuity until the game was suddensame for the Blazers. ly away from them Whitman opened the with a 53-44 Whitman half on a 13-0 run to lead and just 1:41 retake a huge lead and maining in the game. yet again the Blazers The Blazers were put together a comethen forced to foul, back. A Wainwright and ended up losing three pointer sparked the game 60-48 in a the run, putting new valiant effort in which life into the Blazer fans the game itself was who were the loudest much closer and more they’ve been all season. exciting than the final Head coach Damon score would explain.

Pigrom acknowledged It’s been a memothat although it was a rable season for the nice run, it shouldn’t Blazers overall, as they have had to be done won the division for in the first place. “I’m the first time since 2002 glad we responded LEILA BARTHOLET and put up a 20 win so well but I just wish season. Even after such we hadn’t dug up such ENDING WITH A FIGHT Blazers fina big hole for our- ished their season with a 60-48 loss. a tough loss, Pigrom was able to see the sucselves,” Pigrom said.

After the comeback, Blair was down just cess his team had. “Right now you know two points with 6:29 left in the game. The there is a lot of pain going on but this seaBlazers eventually tied the game at 44. son was a great success,” Pigrom said. “We At that point Whitman took control and do have a lot of great things to celebrate.”

able t o net a gold o f f of Meryl Davis and Charlie White’s perfect performance in Ice Dancing and a bronze in the team event, which pretty much summarized America’s ability in figure skating these Olympics. Really, none of the individual members was outstanding, and the reason the team was able to make it to the podium was by riding on the backs of Davis and White’s perfect ice dancing.

Without those two, the U.S. most likely wouldn’t have earned any medals in figure skating, and this disparity in skill showed through in the individual events.

Speed Skating was another blunder, with no member of the U.S. team finishing better than 7th in long track and only one winning silver in short track. We sent a team of 17 athletes, including star Shani Davis, expecting to bring back around 5 medals. We couldn’t even crack the top 5 in any event in long track. At first, the media thought that the drag in performance was due to the new Under Armor suits. After replacing those to no change in performance, others started to question the training regiment, where our athletes would usually train in high-altitude places, different from Sochi’s sea-level skating arena. Regardless of what’s really to blame, the athletes didn’t perform and need to do a lot of soul-searching in the next 4 years in preparation for 2018. The good story out of this, though, is that the Dutch team amassed a mental twenty-three medals in long track. They finished with 24 medals total, which put them fifth in the total standings. Their lone other medal? Short track speed skating, naturally.

Finally, these Olympics will forever be known to both U.S. hockey teams to what could have been. The women’s team was heartbroken after Canada obliterated their two goal lead with only four minutes left in the gold medal match, and eventually sealed the deal in overtime. The men, riding off a great shootout win against powerhouse Russia, similarly faltered against Canada. The men lost 1-0 in an extremely close semi-final match, but exhausted both mentally and physically the next day; they couldn’t push off Finland for bronze.

insideSPORTS March Madness see page F2

Read about how to create the perfect bracket for the NCAA tournament.

Local challenge races see page F1

Learn about obstacle courses in the area.

MAGGIE MCCLAIN