silverchips A public forum for student expression since 1937 Montgomery Blair High School
November 14, 2019
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SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND
VOL. 82 NO. 2
Arts advocacy assembly faces backlash
INSIDE CHIPS Decline in MCPS performance
By Sarah McKinzie Khushboo Rathore Staff Writer & Senior Writer
Graduation rates at the lowest since 2013 page A3
Blair students and faculty hosted Los Angeles-based organization High School Nation (HSN) on Oct. 10. The event took nearly two hours of the school day, cutting classes in half. Multiple activities were planned, including a question-and-answer session, concert, dance classes, and snacks. Though
Free speech vs free protest The balance between the right to assemble and the right to speak
page B3
High School Nation offered Blair a donation of roughly $10,000 in equipment in exchange for hosting the event.
Pollo peruano Una evaluación de los pollos peruanos más ricos del área page C3
Hydration nation A Blair perspective on the Hydro Flask craze
page D4
students had the choice of either attending the event or going to the media center, many students left campus before or during the event. There was also backlash in the weeks leading up to and after the assembly. The supposed headliner never showed up to the event and the turf was left destroyed.
From puzzling to programming How a Blair alumnus ended up at google
page E3
Triple threat
Approval and misinformation
Brady Mason’s talent extends beyond a single sport
arts resource teacher Jacqueline Armstead-Thomas at the end of the 2018-2019 school year. In the email, HSN offered Blair a donation of roughly $10,000 in equipment—including audio interfaces, mics, and a range of musical instruments—in exchange for hosting the event. Principal Renay Johnson made sure to check the contract thoroughly, contacting MCPS before signing. “Every time we have a group come, there’s a contract involved. Sometimes my business manager Mr. Funk… [will] review the contracts for me and he’ll let me know if there’s anything I need to be aware of,” she said. “In this case, we decided to send it up to [the] MCPS legal office and they reviewed the contract, [made] some changes, and I signed it.” The county approved the event in early September. The Blair administration informed teachers about the event in mid-September and Blair families were notified a week before the event. Johnson sent an email to parents on Oct. 2, describing the event as an “assembly [that] will introduce students to opportunities in music, arts, and media.” HSN is a for-profit organization that hosts music festival pop-ups at high schools across the country, featuring artists like the Plain White T’s, Silento, and Drake Bell. Pop artist Sofi K, who performed at Blair, said she believes
HSN first offered to host the event at Blair in an email to fine
page F3
see HSN page A2
Blair student passes away By Oliver Goldman
Staff Writer
LADY BLAZERS MAKE FANS PROUD Varsity Cheer competes at the DCC regional competition. Girls soccer wins the regional title to advance to the state quarterfinals. Girls volleyball, which boasts a 10-4 season record, huddles during their game against Magruder. For more fall sports coverage, check the back page (F5). news A2
op/ed B1
Photos (top to bottom): Delia Moran, Lucy Martin, Yuri Kim, Lucy Martin
La Esquina Latina C1
features D1
Senior Moses Hailom passed away on Oct. 21. The cause of his death has been kept private. Hailom’s teachers and peers remembered him as a curious and artistic individual. Isabel HernandezCata, who taught Hailom in her Piano 1 class, recalls his curiosity and devotion to piano. “I thought he was just a true individual and absolutely unique,” she said. “He had this marvelous, preternatural ability to pick things up really fast.” Hailom was new to piano when he first enrolled in HernandezCata’s class, where he developed a keenness for the keys. HernandezCata said Hailom stood out from the rest of the students in the class and was impressed by his growth. “He had a very different relationship with music, and the more I think about it, I think there was a lot of beauty in it,” she said. Hailom was especially captivated by one particular piece, and acquired a nickname for that reason. “I called him the PhD because [usually] I have people study
culture E1
a piece, get what they can out of it, and move on. Instead, he took this one piece, ‘Maple Leaf Rag’ by Scott Joplin, and just interpreted it in 95 different ways,” HernandezCata said. “He was keen, brilliant, and also quite funny. He’s just like no other student I’ve ever had and I’m going to miss him terribly.” Senior Evan Hu met Hailom during his time working with students in Hernandez-Cata’s Piano 1 class as an AP Music Theory
“I thought he was just a true individual and absolutely unique.” - Isabel HernandezCata, Music Teacher
student. Hu also recalls Hailom’s curiosity about music. “It’s something I’ve never really seen before,” he said. “What was really interesting about him was that he wanted to analyze music from a technical point of view. [When most people]
see OBITUARY page A3
chips clips E5
sports F1