October 2013 - Silver Chips Print

Montgomery Blair High School SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND

A public forum for student expression since 1937

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ZEKE WAPNER

October 3, 2013

Winner of the 2012 National Pacemaker Award

Blair gets tech update

Bus drivers C4 VOL 76 NO 1

‘Senior recess’

Tech Mod instituted, WiFi and laptops still being set up

By Emily Daly

amson, Blair English Resource Teacher.

The TV studio was modernized As a part of Tech Mod, an MCPS technology modernization as well with new Mac computers. program, Blair received more than Paris Bustillos, BNC leader and 700 new computers and 300 refur- teacher, put in an order for a new bished ones, new Wi-Fi, and 100 video switcher during the first new laptops among other technol- week of September. “The county looked at the need for creative ogy updates this past summer.

One-fifth of MCPS schools par- suites using Macs, and they filled ticipate in Tech Mod each year. it,” he said. The computers and Most schools received the same equipment were installed in the updates, but Blair received some TV studio on September 23.

Once Tech Mod is completed, additional technology specific to the school’s needs. One of these Blair will have 1,000 updated comwas the addition of ten mobile lap- puters, 70 percent of which will be top carts, totaling 100 new laptops. new. “There will only be three old Both the fine arts and technology computers left by the end of Tech programs received new Macintosh Mod compared to last June,” said computers because MCPS officials Peter Hammond, Blair IT Systems in charge of Tech Mod recognized Specialist.

Over the summer, MCPS electhat the specific software these programs use can only be accessed tricians installed Wi-Fi in Blair, on Macs, according to Vickie Ad- but kinks are still being worked out. It will most likely be available to staff before students, according to Hammond. There are separate networks for personal use and laptop use, and the laptop wireless is in process of being fixed.

Laptops are predicted to be fully functional and connected to the Wi-Fi by early to mid-October.

Although Tech Mod LEILA BARTHOLET is already well under-

TECH UPDATES Along with 100 new laptops, Blair received new desktops, an updated TV studio and WiFi.

see TECH MOD on page A2

COURTESY OF RENAY JOHNSON

MIMI SIM

SMOKY GLEN SPIRIT On Sept. 26, seniors celebrated their four years at Blair with a day of sports, music and barbeque at Smoky Glen Farm. Johnson innovated Senior Unity Day when she arrived at Blair in 2011. “It will allow students to do senior class business and to kind of bond and have fun and to get to know each other,” she told Silver Chips in 2011. This year, her tweets said it all: “Engaging with my Seniors today.”

BLISS to begin paying after-school interns All clubs suspended, must resubmit constitutions

By Rebecca Naimon

Blair’s peer-to-peer tutoring program, Blair Leaders Interning for Student Success (BLISS), has expanded to include an option for student tutors to be paid, funded by the Blair Sports Academy. BLISS students who wish to tutor during ninth period study halls can opt to receive either money or internship credit on their transcripts.

While the majority of BLISS tutors will remain unpaid, the directors of BLISS hope to expand the afterschool component to include more students, although it is not yet decided how much student tutors will be paid.

BLISS, created last year by Tommy Raskin and Peter Adler Asch (’13), is a school program that allows upperclassman student tutors to assist their fellow students with academics within the classroom.

The new payment model, first implemented on Sept. 16 with two student tutors, aimed to provide athletic teams with improved academic help during time already allotted to schoolwork, according to Vice Principal Dirk Cauley. “I felt this would be a good way to enhance the effectiveness of the athletic study halls,” he said.

As coaches already had study

halls, Cauley thought it made sense to unite the study halls with knowledgeable and experienced peer tutors. “[The tutors are] being trained, they know the material, and can work with students,” he said.

While the new program currently involves only two paid tutors, who help the football team, there are hopes that it can be adapted for other sports teams as

see BLISS on page A4

By Landon Harris After-school clubs at Blair have been suspended until they apply for re-registration. In order to be officially recognized by Blair administration, each club must turn in a constitution including a statement of its purpose and goals and a signature from a teacher sponsor. Once these documents are re-

viewed, a club may resume meeting, but until then it is considered inactive.

All clubs are subject to the renewal process, even those established in previous years with returning teacher sponsors. “The only way to get back is to submit

see CLUBS on page A4

Thinspo, fitspo: blogging off the pounds

By Kelsey Gross

ZEKE WAPNER

TUTORING BLISS Tutor and senior Yohannes Sium, left, interns in an Algebra 2 class, helping students learn math.

NEWS A2 OP/ED B1 SOAPBOX B4

Pictures of girls with prominent collar bones, thigh gaps, ribs, spines, and thin, hollowed out faces fill out the website, separated only by quotes about weight loss and willpower in bold words and eye-catching fonts. Becomingweightless-perfection.tumblr.com is not a typical weight loss blog – this blog is meant to inspire someone to reach their extremes, both mentally and physically.

Recently, Tumblr and Instagram “thinspiration” and “fitspiration” accounts have quickly made their way into the online blogging communities, infiltrating what was once a safe, creative outlet for self-

expression, with unhealthy obsessions about achieving the “perfect” body.“Fitspiration” or “fitspo” blogs share pictures of often scantily clad, muscular people, workout plans, and inspirational quotes about health and fitness.

“Thinspiration” takes this similar phenomenon to the next level, providing tips, quotes, and pictures meant to inspire extreme weight loss and eating disorders.

Although these blogs provide inspiration for their owners, there is a greater force driving more and more teenagers to make them – the “thinspo” and “fitspo” communities.

see THINSPO on page C1

FEATURES C1 ENTERTAINMENT D1 CHIPS CLIPS D6 LA ESQUINA LATINA E1 SPORTS F1

A2 News

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Tech Mod from TECH MOD page A1

FEATURES

C7 ENTERTAINMENT

way, the process of determining what the school needs and ordering it has been more rushed than it has been in comparison to previous years. The process, which usually starts at the beginning of the predating school year, was not started until June of last year. Computers are still being set up, and not all new equipment is here yet according to Hammond.

Teachers attended a training on how to use the laptops in the classroom, and the laptops have been divided between Blair’s academic departments. Three carts of laptops are going to the English department, three to Social Studies, one to Special Education, one to Math, and the remaining two will be kept in the Media Center to be loaned out to other classes. Julia Smrek, a Blair Social Studies teacher, is upset that there is no longer a Social Studies computer lab, but hopes the laptops will work out. “It will make our lives easier when it works,” she said.

In addition to the technology modernizations, Blair’s internal system has been updated. The school’s computers domain has been collapsed, meaning that all Blair computers are now registered to one domain. In the past, Blair operated with three domains, which led to document sharing and general access problems.

The storage space in each student’s computer account has been increased by 50 percent, but Hammond speculates this will probably not be enough of an increase to satisfy all students. “We may still have to tell kids to clean out their documents for storage reasons, but hopefully not as soon or as much,” he said.

Promethean boards will now directly connect to cable and MCPS channels so there is no need for the old TVs. In addition, the TV Studio now has Final Cut Pro 10 editing software, which has better editing capabilities.

Students have gained access to one WiFi network, and have been sharing the password through social media. “I got the password through a guy who got it from someone’s older brother’s friend,” said Annaleigh Baremore, Blair junior.

October 3, 2013

Blair security policy updated Security team makes modifications

By William Zhu Blair has made many changes to the security team and security policies at the beginning of this year, including adding a new member to the security team, adopting several new policies and gaining a permanent school resource officer.

Carlos Hernandez recently joined the security team at Blair. As a security officer, Hernandez works to patrol the hallways, keep out trespassers and investigate thefts at Blair in an effort to ensure the safety of all students at Blair and keep a safe learning environment. “[I want to] make sure you guys are safe,” Hernandez said. He anticipated a very exciting year working with the security team at Blair.

Hernandez chose to be a security officer at Blair because he loves helping out adolescents. “I like working with young kids.

You guys are the future,” he said. This isn’t Hernandez’s first time working with youths.

“I did volunteer work with the boy scouts, girl scouts and police explorers” he said. In addition to his volunteer work, Hernandez served in the Marines and went on a tour of duty in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Along with a new member of the security team, Blair’s school resource officer (SRO), Christina Splaine, has been permanently assigned to Blair after arriving last year in February on a temporary assignment. According to a memorandum to the Montgomery County Public Safety and Education Committees in April 2013, school resource officers are police officers who are stationed at schools to provide security and crime prevention outreach to the community.

This switch is emblematic of an overall trend towards having more School Resource Officers county wide. The memorandum also stated that there are a total of 14 School Resource Officers in Montgomery County and that the county also plans to add six more School Resource Officers at an additional $584,931 to the budget.

KYRA SEIGER

SECURITY The new security guard, Carlos Hernandez, supervises the lunch lines.

Not only has the security team changed, but Blair has changed its electronics policy to allow students to use their electronics between classes in addition to the previously allowed times of lunch, before and after school. However, students are still prohibited from using their electronics in classrooms. According to security assistant Adrian Kelly, this means that enforcement of the policy has shifted mostly to teachers instead of security staff members.

Kathleen Greene, the security team leader, supports this new electronics policy and says that this policy gives students more accountability. “It gives kids more responsibility,” she said. Greene stated that the previous electronics policy was changed because it was ineffective due to students constantly breaking the rule. “Every other person was abusing it anyways,” she said.

Purple Line allocated extra funding tion states that Light Rail has a lighter carrying capacity than Metro rail. Light Rail is also sometimes referred to as “tramway” or Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley an“streetcar”. The Purple Line plans to use the nounced an additional $400 million in fundlight rail to minimize its impact to the enviing to the already $2.2 billion Purple Line Light Rail construction project at the beginronment. ning of August. When comThe Purple Line is facing probpleted, the Purple Line will be lems in construction. To make room a 16 mile light rail transit line for a station in Bethesda, planners that runs east to west along are considering tearing down the the Capital Beltway. The $400 Apex Building, which contains the million was part of a larger $1 Regal Bethesda 10 Cinemas due to billion transportation package the building’s location near CSX given to Montgomery County tracks acquired for the Purple Line. for infrastructure improveDespite the increased funding, ment. According to the Marythe additional money O’Malley gave land Department of Transpormay not be enough to complete the tation (MDOT), the project project. MDOT and the Maryland aims to reduce travel time for Transit Administration announced area residents. that the Purple Line would need a In a speech, Governor public-private partnership to obtain O’Malley stated that the Purple enough funding. According to The Line will benefit both MontGazette the Purple Line may need gomery and Prince George’s $400-$900 million in private funding. counties. “It is an investment MDOT hopes that the Purple Line that will bring Montgomery construction will spur economic deand Prince George’s County tovelopment around the Beltway and gether,” said O’Malley. create more jobs for the region.

The Purple Line was first Despite the promises of the Purple proposed in the late 1980s Line, Blazers have mixed reactions to but many years of delays and the project. Freshmen Edwin Albeno budget cuts have pushed the supports the Purple Line but he beCOURTESY OF MELINDA ESTRIDGE project back repeatedly. Aclieves he won’t use it. “I wouldn’t cording to the Maryland Tran- METRO MAP The projected path of the Purple Line, pictured use it that much. [The Purple Line] sit Administration’s website above, will connect the red, green, and orange lines of the may be useful to other people,” said purplelinemd.com, the Purple Metro.

Albeno. Sophomore Mark Overton Line will provide rail transit feels that the Purple Line would profrom Bethesda in Montgomery vide a much faster means of travel to County to New Carrollton in Prince Georges run 50MPH trains where children play and Prince George’s County than Metro. “They County. “The Purple Line would connect the walk to school” states their website www.sa- should build it because the green line and major central business districts and activity vethetrail.org. The group protested the trail yellow line take a long time,” he said. centers of Bethesda, Silver Spring, Takoma/ by holding various events and distributing Another rail construction project in the Langley Park, College Park and New Car- signs. They are not alone in the opposition area is the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Projrollton,” states the website. to the project; according to The Gazette, the ect. It is also referred to as the “Silver Line”.

The website also said that the Purple town of Chevy Chase planned to delay con- According to the Metropolitan Washington Line once completed will connect already struction due to the possibility of private Airports Authority, the project is divided existing Metro, MARC and Amtrak stations property being taken for rail construction. into two phases. The first phase connects along the Beltway to allow for a faster comThe Purple Line is a light rail project, East Falls Church to Wiehle Avenve and is mute. The Purple Line is planned to run which differs from conventional rail in due to be completed later this year and the alongside the Capital Crescent Trail, howev- terms of location and carrying capacity. The second phase plans to connect Dulles Air-

By William Zhu

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SPORTS

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tal Crescent Trail opposes the construction of the Purple Line. The group believes that the Purple Line will negatively impact the Trail. They are concerned with the potential safety, noise pollution and congestion issues caused by the Purple Line. “It is unsafe to

October 3, 2013

News A3

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Green rooftop installed at Weller Road County pushes environmentalism through projects

By Mallory Rappaport

Anderson explained that MCPS’s green roofs vary in size, with some of the green roofs covering smaller Weller Road Elementary School spaces such as the tops of gymnabecame the most recent Montgomsiums. ery County Public School to conAccording to Kirchman, green struct a vegetative rooftop after rooftop installations were inspired its renovation this summer. These by new regulatory requirements in vegetative or “green” rooftops are the National planted with Pollutant vegetation that Discharge is designed to Eliminaabsorb rainwation System ter and control (NPDES) water runoff in Stormwater a county-wide MS4 permit push to be more program. environmentalAnderson ly-friendly. attests that C u r r e n t l y, this change there are 21 in regulation Montgomery favors green County schools roofs as the that have inmethod of stalled green capturing rooftops, two storm wamore with projter over the ects currently previouslyunder construcused undertion and five ground cisothers involved tern system in the planCOURTESY OF THE GAZETTE that caught ning process rain waof getting roofs GREEN ROOF Weller Road Elementary School planted gardens on the top of ter in large of their own ac- the building in order to absord rain and control water runoff. containcording to Hillers through ary Kirchman, program manager for the county’s struction. Despite the large size drainage ditches. “[Green roofSchool Energy and Recycling Team of Weller Road’s green rooftop, tops] capture storm water by more (SERT).

Weller Road, located in Aspen Hill, has one of the largest green roofs in the county with roughly 50,000 square feet of coverage according to Kieran Anderson, Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) manager of con-

natural means as opposed to huge concrete underground tanks,” said Anderson.

In addition to the environmental benefit of having a green rooftop, the gardens also benefit the school by reducing energy consumption, said Michaele Simmons, principal of Weller Road. “Usually school roofs [are built with] asphalt which makes the roof [more vulnerable to cold] and requires more energy to warm it in the winter,” said Simmons.

Despite the listed benefits of these green roofs, Anderson argued that there are several drawbacks to the additions. “There was initially a push to put make schools more solar energy-oriented, but [with green roofs] there’s a conflict since there’s not enough room to put solar panels. Ideally in time there will be a way to configure both,” said Anderson. She explained that that the green roofs need to be maintained, which requires extra resources. “These are living plants, so they need to be weeded and sustained, especially in periods of drought,” she said.

Regardless of its drawbacks Anderson realizes that this push towards environmentalism is an evolving field. “It’s important to handle water runoff, and we’ll see plenty of new ideas in the future,” said Anderson.

Government shuts down, ACA begins Obama’s Affordable Care Act implemented on schedule

By Alexis Redford and Silver Chips News Staff The federal government shut down at midnight on Tuesday, October 1, when Congress failed to pass a budget for the 2014 fiscal year, largely as the result of a congressional disagreement over the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The Senate rejected the House of Representatives’ fiscal budget bill, which included an amendment delaying the implementation of the ACA, commonly known as Obamacare, by a vote of 54-46. As a result, the federal government has ceased funding for all government programs deemed nonessential, furloughing most federal employees.

Despite the stop in funding, many of the elements of the ACA will be implemented on schedule. The individual mandate, or requirement that all Americans have insurance, will go into effect, along with federaly funded programs helping provide insurance on Jan. 1, 2014 and on October 1, the online health insurance exchanges were opened, with about 2.8 milion people visiting the federal website, according to the government. In a speech on September 30, President Barack Obama emphasized that the exchanges would go into effect despite the then-possible shutdown.

“An important part of the Affordable Care Act takes effect tomorrow, no matter what Congress decides to do today. The Affordable Care Act is moving forward. That funding is already in place. You can’t shut it down,” he said.

Since the government shutdown does not impact mandatory spending parts of the healthcare law that are not discretionary spending, it will remain open.

Both subsidies that will help people buy private health care and funding to help states expand Medicare are mandatory spending and have not been impacted by the shutdown, according to contingency plans published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Obama explained that other key elements of the law, many of which GRAPHIC BY DESIREE ALEIBAR impact high school students have already AFFORDABLE CARE ACT The ACA, commonly known as Obamacare, will be gone into effect. implemented despite the federal government shutdown. Online exchanges, which “[It’s a] law that opened on Oct. 1, have been designed to help low-income families find healthcare. is already providing benefits $26,952 for a family of three. This lege. “It will give me the option to millions of Americans in the form of young new characterization means that to take opportunities I otherwise people staying on their parents’ many more people will be able to would not be able to. If I get out of plan until they’re 26, seniors get- qualify for Medicaid, though the school and want to travel, I don’t ting cheaper prescription drugs, Supreme Court struck down the have to worry about finding a job making sure that insurance com- part of the bill that would require with health benefits,” she said.

Another change in the act is panies aren’t imposing lifetime states to extend Medicaid to all the prohibition on insurance compeople living below the poverty limits when you already have health insurance, providing re- line. While exact income data for panies’ previously legal practice bates for consumers when insur- students at Blair is either private of excluding people with preexistance companies are spending too or unavailable, the MBHS web- ing medical conditions. Students much money on overhead instead site reports that 35.4% of Blair like freshman Miles White have of health care. Those things are al- students qualify for Free and Re- already benefited from the ACA. ready happening,” he said in his duced Meals (FARMS), indicating Miles, who was diagnosed with that some of these same kids will type II diabetes when he was 11, Sept. 30 speech.

Americans with a middle in- now qualify for discounted health explains how his insurance company had to compensate some of come will get discounts on their insurance. his medical costs after the impleWith the implementation of the insurance and if they are low income they will qualify to receive ACA, children can stay on their mentation of PPACA. “Obaminsurance covered by Medicaid. parents’ health care until the age acare has helped me so far beThe legislation defines low-in- of 26. Junior Dana Hunter ex- cause the insurance company had come as annual earnings of less plained that this specific change to pay us back [for overcharging than $15,856 for an individual, and will most likely help her after col- in the past],”he said.

According to US Legislation, “low income” is defined as an annual income of less than:

$15,856

for an individual

$26,951

for a family of three

Newsbriefs MCPS still using Edline

Despite previous announcements to the contrary, MyMCPS will not be replacing Edline this school year, and it is uncertain when MCPS plans to make this transition, if at all. Currently, MyMCPS is an all-encompassing database just for teachers, which stores information such as student grades, school registration information, and parent emergency forms. The system also has a social media aspect, allowing teachers within the county to connect with each other and share lesson plans.

Talk of a transition to a new system began in early 2013. In February 2013, Silver Chips reported the anticipated switch to MyMCPS, quoting former Student Member of the Board John Mannes saying that MyMCPS would be ready for use at the start of the 2013-2014 school year. However, Blair Librarian and Edline Supervisor Andrea Lamphier says she was not expecting a transition to MyMCPS.

Gay marriage legalized in NJ

State judge Mary Jacobson ordered the legalization of same-sex marriage in New Jersey on Sept.

7. Jacobson argued that prohibiting same-sex marriage would be a denial of First Amendment rights.

Prior to legalization, New Jersey passed a bill allowing civil unions in 2006. Jacobson contended that civil unions themselves denied benefits, especially regarding health care and financial issue.

Jacobson’s verdict was strongly opposed by Republican Governor Chris Christie, who vowed to appeal the case and take it as far as the Supreme Court. According to Michael Drewniak, a Christie spokesman, the governor has always believed in allowing voters to determine same-sex marriage legislation in New Jersey and has called for the bill to be put on the ballot next Election Day. Last year, Christie vetoed a bill passed by the New Jersey legislature that would allow gay couples to marry.

9:30 Club manager dead Josh Burdette, night manager and bouncer at the 9:30 Club since 1997, was found dead in his home in Kensington, MD on Sept. 1. According to the office of Maryland’s chief medical examiner, Burdette died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Burdette, 36, was recognized by many for his large physical presence, enormous stretched piercings and tattoo sleeves and was known to many people as “That Guy” from the 9:30 Club.

After the news of Burdette’s death, an impromptu memorial service was held at the 9:30 Club on Sept. 2. Luke Steele , lead singer of the featured band, Empire of the Sun, dedicated the show to Burdette, remembering him as a “golden man” with “a heart as big as heaven.” 9:30 Club owner Seth Hurwitz released a statement the same night, remembering Burdette as “one of the wisest people you would ever meet” and that “every word he spoke was from one of the kindest, most thoughtful and well-centered folks you could imagine.”

Newsbriefs compiled by Leigh Cook and Aditi Subramaniam and Edited by Emma RoseBorzekowski

A4 News Newsbriefs Marching band enrollment drops Blair’s marching band saw a drop in membership this year from 32 students last year to 23 now. According to marching band sponsor Adam Stephens, this decrease is due in large part to the number of seniors in last year’s group. “We had a lot of seniors [in the band] last year, but the drop [in numbers] is not that significant,” said Stephens.

The band partially offset the loss of nine seniors this year with the addition of three freshmen.

Sophomore trumpet player Julian Bregstone says they are not trying very hard to recruit new members because it is not crucial. “Like Mr. Stephens said, the drop [in numbers] is not that big of a deal,” said Bregstone.

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Club meetings postponed until further notice SGA demands more paperwork before activities are cleared from CLUBS page A1 those forms to the main office, get it approved, and then basically we can have our club back,” said junior Ishaan Parikh, a student leader of Blair’s Model United Nations club. In order to get approved, the club registration forms must

go through a multi-step renewal process. “There is going to be a group of student leaders, as well as administrators and myself, that are going to convene to review applications,” explained SGA coordinator and English teacher Christopher Klein.

The call for club renewal is due

Muslims push for holidays off The Maryland chapter of the Council of American Islamic Relations and the Equality for Eid Coalition held a press conference on Sept. 23 during which speakers pushed for Montgomery County Public Schools to close on Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, two important religious holidays celebrated by Muslims.

One of the speakers advocating for school closures on these days was Northwest High School senior Anhar Karim, who argued that Muslim students in MCPS face a hard decision every year, forced to either miss school or miss the celebration. Montgomery County Board of Education member Philip Kauffman said that the school system can close only when the number of student and staff absences is enough to impact classroom instruction and that studies conducted during the last few years have not shown a “discernible trend” in the number of absences. Currently MCPS recognizes the holidays by declaring that tests cannot be given on those days and that Muslim students can get excused absences.

Common Core now being implemented This year, MCPS began implementing Maryland’s Common Core State Standards in its curriculum. The Common Core initiative, developed by the Obama administration, aims to establish a set of standards for what students are expected to learn regardless of what school system they are in. The ultimate goal is to better prepare students for success in college and the workplace. “It helps students learn how to problem -solve and teaches them how to really think,” said Celita Davis, head of Blair’s math department. Maryland is one of the first states to adopt Obama’s Common Core Standards curriculum. “[We] were the first state to develop indicators. Those are spreading across the nation, making Maryland a leading state with the Common Core,” said science department head Summer Roark Thiero.

Newsbriefs compiled by Leslie Chen

October 3, 2013

KYRA SEIGER

NO CLUBS A student looks at the sign for Blair’s Green Club. The club was officially disbanded before the school year and to exist will have to refile several forms including their constitution. Other signs exist around Blair, advertising currently non-existent clubs

D.C. charter schools introduce testing in preschool classes Experts say students are not ready for standardized testing

By Alexis Redford D.C. charter schools launched a new standardized testing program in their preschools this September. According to the D.C. Charter School Board, the goal of this new initiative is to track the children’s progress and provide a basis for quantitative comparison of the various preschools in D.C. Sara Needleman, Professor of Teacher Training for the University of Southern Maine and an Educational Specialist for Jump Rope, a national organization that promotes standards-based-evaluation, believes that testing is misplaced for students who should be learning social skills, not academic subjects. “The pre-K years are valuable for teaching social and emotional skills such as learning how to get along, sharing, working in groups, listening, and selfsufficiency,” says Needleman, “not about reading and math”. Needleman explains that learning these skills will ensure the future success of the children. “Testing will make it so there will be less time teaching of social skills, which are necessary so that kids can be effective in later years,” she says.

Kate Alcamo, a child psychologist, explains that, due to the quick growth and development of kids three to four years old, testing will not be a good indicator for the children’s progress. “It is difficult to obtain valid assessments for kids in preschool because their

development is so rapid and influenced by experience,” she says.

She believes that the tests would be flawed particularly for some demographics. “The tests would not provide very accurate information for kids that young or that come from diverse backgrounds,” she says.

The proponents of the program cite the ability of tests to track progress. Both Needleman and Alcamo agree that this is necessary, but feel that the approach the D.C. Charter School Board is taking is not effective. “Students do need to be assessed, “ said Needleman, “but standardized tests have a hard time proving what’s actually been taught in the classroom. With these measures testing is not done effectively.” Alcamo also explains that testing is helpful, but a different approach should be taken to address all students with different backgrounds. “I think it’s beneficial in terms of evaluating school programs as long as the tests are culturally sensitive and take into account how experience influences young children,” says Alcamo.

Ally Zevin, a preschool teacher at Takoma Park Elementary School, has not heard any discussion of mandatory standardized testing coming to Maryland. She also explains that she does asses her students, but for different purposes than those of the D.C. School Board. “I administer three tests in math and reading per year, and it’s only for my own purposes and information,” said Zevin.

to the county’s concerns about the legitimacy of some clubs and the supervision of the adults sponsoring them. “The way it was posed to me by the administration, is that every so often we need to know which teachers are in our classrooms with which students,” said Klein, “that way we can tell which clubs still exist, and which clubs may not exist because [they were] sponsored by a previous staff member.” Any uncertainty on whether a club has a staff member supervising them could pose legal problems. “If there is a student group that does not have a staff member, that’s a liability issue for the school,” said Klein. “We live in litigious times.”

The biggest priority is student safety, and by making sure there are certified teacher sponsors for each club, the school aims to ensure that clubs are a secure environment. “If everyone has to go through this process of submitting their constitutions, then we’ll know who’s in our classrooms with our students,” Klein said. “It’s not to be a pain in

anyone’s posterior, it’s to ensure student safety and I think people understand that.”

Even so, club leaders have said that the renewal process has been an inconvenience for many clubs trying to get started. Model UN is one of many clubs that plan events early in the year, and need time to prepare for them. “It’s kind of frustrating because we have a big conference coming up in November and now this issue comes where we can’t meet for a couple weeks,” expressed Parikh.

Klein is sympathetic to the club leaders’ exasperation and assured that efforts are being made to make the ordeal as quick as possible. “We have recognized the need that certain clubs have events that are very soon and need to meet, and due to that we are trying to be as responsive and quick with the application process as possible,” he said. Still, he maintained that student safety presides over all interests. “We’ve had some grumblings but I think overall people recognize that student safety is the priority,” he said.

Tutoring program plans to pay interns Interns receive course credit or compensation for volunteering from BLISS page A1 well. “We’re trying to see if it works out well and trying to expand it,” said senior Mekdes Sisay, BLISS liaison and extracurricular activities coordinator.

Cauley also hopes to employ students to be paid tutors in the Media Center after school, although the Media Center expansion is yet to occur. “We’re just trying to get everything started,” he said.

According to Cauley, much of the new program’s potential for success lies in whether it can convince students in need of tutoring to stay after school to receive help, and whether these students have conflicting obligations that would interfere. “It depends on how much the students want to work after school,” said Cauley. “Some students need to go home to support their families.”

Even though a few tutors will

receive a paycheck, most BLISS tutors will continue to provide academic support to their fellow classmates for free. “I don’t think [payment] will ever be the intent of the program,” said senior Brieanna Iyomahan, co-director of BLISS. According to both Iyomahan and Sisay, the idea of peer-to-peer tutoring is to allow students to develop a trusting relationship with their tutors, making it easier to ask questions when needed.

“We’re trying to form a connection between students who are struggling and students who are more advanced,” said Sisay.

If you are a student interested in tutoring other Blazers in math, science, social studies, English or a foreign language, see Mr. Cauley in the main office for more information on how to get involved in the BLISS program.

ZEKE WAPNER

BLISS Student tutors assist their peers with classwork through the student-run internship program.

October 3, 2013

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36-F Maryland Ave. Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 610-0005 redhueboutique.com

B1 Opinions silverchips 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 Features Editors: Desiree Aleibar, Langston Cotman and Jenna Kanner Managing News Editors: Emma Rose Borzekowski and Mallory Rappaport Managing Sports Editor: Kyle Desiderio Managing Op/Eds Editor: Isaac Jiffar and Evan Morris Managing Entertainment Editor: Kenyetta Whitfield Production Manager: Kyle Desiderio Managing Design Editor: Desiree Aleibar Outreach Coordinator: Kenyetta Whitefield Ombudsman: Langston Cotman Distribution Supervisor: Alanna Natanson Fact Checks Supervisor: Rebecca Naimon Extras Editor: Aditi Subramaniam Newsbriefs Editor: Emma Rose Borzekowski Public Relations Director: Maya Habash Executive Business Director: Allie Fascione-Hutchins Jared Collina Business Staff: Liza Curcio Mattan Berner-Kadish Elana Rombro Ian Jackson Jackeline Portillo Ismail Nur Page Editors: Jesse Broad-Cavangh 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 Alana Natanson Alexis Redford-Maung Maung Aditi Subramaniam Naomi Weintraub Grace Woodward William Zhu Editorial Cartoonist: Eva Shen Managing Photo Editors: Leila Bartholet Zeke Wapner Photographers: Leila Bartholet Mimi Sim Kyra Seiger Phuong Vo Zeke Wapner Managing Arts Editor: Eva Shen Artists: Katrina Golladay Maggie McClain Elizabeth Pham Ben Safford Eva Shen Puzzle Editors: Jesse Broad-Cavangh Wesley Hopkins Copy Editors: Paul B. Ellis Professional Technical Adviser: 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.

October 3, 2013

silverchips

Eyes up here: addressing the dress code Public school dress codes target females in more than one way

By Leslie Chen An opinion No tops that have a low neckline. No shorts shorter than your fingertips. No halter-tops.

No backless blouses. No leggings.

These types of clothing, according to school administration, are all too suggestive to be worn in the school environment.

They expose too much 15 in of the body and, according to the Mount Vernon High School dress code, “[draw] attention away from the educational process.”

Not only does the dress code make many unnecessary restrictions, the rulebook of what is prohibited seems to be made exclusively for girls.

Dress codes implemented across many schools nationwide have banned various types of clothing, that are often aligned with typical styles worn by females, labeling them as inappropriate.

The code of MVHS, in Arlington, Virginia, states that “sexually provocative” clothes are prohibited. But what does that mean, exactly? The term is so vague that it is possible for anything to fit in that category. Using such a subjective term to define what can and cannot be worn means that any school staff member could determine whether the clothing is appropriate.

Most of the clothing that is deemed inappropriate, such as

tube tops, is only pertinent to girls. The guideline about the length of shorts or a skirt also mainly affects girls, as boys don’t

The main reason, provided by school administration and their dress codes, for having these regulations is that girls’ clothing could

5 in

At Mt. Vernon High School, skirts, dresses and shorts may not be shorter than 3 inches above the knee.

10 in

DESIREE ALIEBAR

wear short shorts nearly as often.

Phrases such as “sexually provocative,” which are not a clearcut definition, cannot be used to determine what clothes meet dress code.

The ambiguity of the restrictions allows staff to label clothing that is perfectly acceptable in a school environment as inappropriate. Some might think that showing shoulders is “too provocative”. Would short-sleeved shirts be allowed, or do they show too much skin?

Last time I checked, this was a public high school, not a convent.

be “distracting” to the learning environment.

The dress code is essentially saying that because others can’t handle looking at a little bit of skin or the silhouette of a body, girls have to abide by numerous rules and regulations for what they can and cannot wear.

Maybe we should consider the possibility that it’s not really the responsibility of the girls to help the boys to focus in class, but rather the responsibility of boys themselves.

If a girl wants to wear leggings, she should be able to wear leg-

gings. Everyone else just needs to be able to pull themselves together and pay attention to the teacher long enough to learn something from class. Yet, every morning when they dress themselves, girls have to keep in mind the dress code that tramples their freedoms and rights to selfexpression.

Not being able to wear clothing that advertises violence makes sense. It’s understandable that T-shirts promoting illegal drug use are prohibited.

But other rules take it a little too far. It is not only unfair, but, frankly, also a little abhorrent to females to equate their bodies to illegal substances.

Honestly, how much damage will it do to wear leggings?

Judging by policy changes, this article of clothing is obviously the biggest issue that our high school education system is facing today, far more important than standardized testing or the achievement gap.

For some, clothing is a form of expression. It is a way for students to display their unique styles and embrace their differences.

However, that expression for girls is confined because schools want to create a sheltered learning environment.

In an extreme oversimplification of the situation, it appears that the school systems are putting the education of boys over the rights of girls.

Does that sound like gender equality to you?

Skip the prep classes Money doesn’t buy higher test scores

By Aditi Subramaniam An opinion After a long school day and exhausting sports practice , the last place you’d want to spend your night is in a stuffy SAT prep classroom.

Somehow, between frequent glances at the clock, you manage to feign interest until you hear those two magical, blissful words: “class dismissed.” You tell yourself, “It’s ok.

This class is supposed to increase my test scores.” But, often times, it seems like that’s not really the case .

During the two months leading up to her test date, senior Arnelle Kodjo was going to her test prep class two nights a week, doing everything she was supposed to.

But at the end, she came away feeling that it was a waste of money and time.

“I spent two months going to class and it didn’t really help me at all,” she says.

Every year, two million students bet their money on a test prep service’s secret formula for producing higher SAT scores.

This could mean handing over anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple thousand dollars. But the reality is that there is no secret to success on the SAT. The surefire way to get a high score isn’t by excessive spending, but through sheer self-motivation.

Prep classes are immediately devalued because they use materials that students can already access on their own. Most classes use prep books and practice tests that are available to students via the College Board and other companies at a much lower cost.

Former SAT instructor Jennifer

Kim disclosed in her May 31, 2007 USA Today article that the company she worked for “just read straight out of [a prep book] in class.” Paying money for this kind of service is wasteful. Prep books cost about $15 new, but can be bought used for a couple of dollars. Better yet, students can rent books from the library or borrow from a friend for free.

Attending an SAT prep class might still seem like a good idea for the student who wants to be taught the topics on the test, but even so, the cost of a prep class is still an unnecessary expenditure.

According to its website, the College Board uses the SAT to “test your knowledge of…subjects that are taught every day in high school classrooms.” \This means that a good portion of the test will cover topics students have seen before.

More importantly, there are plenty of ways to get help with studying new or difficult material at a much lower cost.

Students can turn to parents, friends or teachers for assistance; attending a few sessions with a peer tutor is another low-cost option.

Not only are these alternatives cheaper, they allow students to spend time focusing solely on the skills they are having trouble with.

Prep classes, however, need to cater to a group of students and are not as efficient in addressing any individual student’s personal needs.

Junior Ben Segal felt that the time spent at his SAT class was not very productive. “It was a waste of time,” he says. “They don’t really teach you much and it was just boring.”

MAGGIE MCCLAIN

The most disappointing aspect of SAT prep classes, though, is that they often do not even live up to their advertised score increases.

Most prep services claim to raise scores by at least 100 to 150 points, but the reality is much bleaker. Companies offer practice tests that are harder than the real SAT to fake improvement.

In a Wall Street Journal article, John Hechinger highlights the experience of Jonah Varon, a student who scored a 2060 on the practice test he took with prep company Revolution Prep but went on to get a 2400 on the actual SAT. Over a dozen of Varon’s classmates had a similar experience, exposing false advertising by prep companies.

In fact, University of Colorado at Boulder Professor Dr. Derek Briggs wrote his dissertation on the effectiveness of SAT coaching and found that attending a

commercial prep class would only raise a student’s score by a maximum of 20-34 points.

Briggs does not think this is cost-effective at all. “I think there are much better ways to spend $300 to $1000,” he says.

As Kodjo learned, sometimes the best practice is just work you do on your own. “I read an SAT book and took some practice tests the day before I took the SAT. The practice I did on my own was way more helpful than two months of SAT prep,” she says.

Of course, if students choose to study on their own, they must be motivated to use the materials available to their advantage.

But it can be done. With the number of resources available for little to no cost, students can certainly get the SAT score they want – without having to pay the exorbitant amounts that prep classes are charging.

October 3, 2013

Opinions B2

silverchips

With today’s technology, is traditional classroom learning becoming obsolete?

NO:

YES:

ZEKE WAPNER

Wesley Hopkins

Educators need to better acknowledge the availability of information online.

Every day, the world around us is becoming more reliant on technology. We see it completely reinventing the way we live on countless levels. In the past decade alone, the music industry has gone almost completely digital, our primary news sources have shifted from the paper to the screen, and an actual letter through the mail has become an amazing occurrence.

Yet, even as the technological revolution spreads to all aspects of our lives, the education system has largely resisted it.

Yes, many schools- Blair included- have adopted a few new toys such as smart boards and laptops, but the basis of institutional learning has remained essentially the same since its early beginnings. Most teachers still lecture students extensively and then test them on how many facts they can remember from these lectures.

Before the information age, this strategy worked well to create knowledgeable students that would become valuable members of the workforce.

But now it is 2013 and it is time to wake up to the fact that there is information online to answer almost any question one could have. Even Joshua Starr, the MCPS Superintendent, recognized this fact on August 27th when he tweeted, “If you can google it, why teach it.” To continue to spend hours memorizing facts that are merely a Google search away is about as relevant to today’s workforce as getting a college degree in repairing typewriters, yet this continues to be the reality for public schools nationwide.

In addition to schools’ emphasis on facts and memorization, they also have a tendency to promote solitude and individual work. Students are expected not to talk during lectures or work together on assignments. Collaboration is often called cheating, and trying to collaborate on certain assignments or tests can result in major penalties and consequences.

On the contrary, today’s workforce is hugely dependent on an ability to collaborate. A 2012 study by the Corporate Executive Board found that 60% of Americans in the workforce are expected to collaborate regularly with more than ten of their coworkers.

The study also found that employees’ ability to collaborate effectively declines

yearly, with 9% fewer people reporting effective collaboration in their workplace in the past year alone. Perhaps there is a link between this erosion of the ability to collaborate and schools’ stances on the matter.

These examples of modern education’s fallacies are no secret, and the reality is that these issues cause much dissatisfaction among students. According to Politic365, in today’s colleges and universities over 46% percent of students drop out and do not graduate within six years- and this percentage is growing every year. This may also be due in part to the enormous cost of a full college education, which CollegeCalc has found to have grown by an average of 104% in the past ten years alone.

Students are questioning why they should go into enormous debt to learn things that can easily be learned on their own. “College prices are way too high,” says Junior Alex Alia. “I would definitely consider learning online as a way to save money.”

Today, 34% of college students are enrolled online for a much cheaper price, compared to 11.7% in 2003 (BlackBoard, 2013). This number may continue to grow to a point where classroom education becomes obsolete and all students learn from home in the virtual world.

In order to keep students in the classrooms, educators need to let go of some of their traditional theories and just modernize.

Instead of taking away cell phones, teach kids how to use them as a learning tool; instead of suspending kids for talking during tests, encourage them to share knowledge to conquer problems; instead of nightly monotonous textbook assignments, try some online research explorations.

The idea of all students learning from home would be a big and intimidating change as a central location for learning provides socialization and community integration that simply cannot be replicated online.

This is why change within schools are so imperative. If education is unable to modernize soon, the world may become a dying society of recluses.

MAGGIE MCCLAIN

Traditional classroom education promotes better learning and analysis.

Rows of cold, colorless computers now line labs all over Blair. Schools are hastily modernizing, sometimes struggling to stay with the times, even as students remain at the forefront of the technology age. Even at home, students educate themselves through sources ranging from bizarre BuzzFeed lists to peculiar Wikipedia articles.

To many, this is the dawn of a new era of free online education, but the rash impulse to follow the tech trend and revamp our education system ignores the longstanding contributions of extraordinary schools and teachers, who have the capacity and potential to provide a more valuable education than is possible solely through inhuman sources.

The problem with Google, YouTube and Wikipedia is that online sources too often provide answers without context, support or even factual basis, denying students the opportunity to think critically and learn for themselves.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joshua Starr’s controversial Aug. 27 tweet seemed to advocate that Googleable concepts shouldn’t be taught. “If you can google it, why teach it,” Starr asked his followers.

Although he later clarified that he was referring to the redundancy of memorization, the nonsensical view that a restrictive diet of technology constitutes a comprehensive education is becoming way too common.

An online compilation of teaching videos, Khan Academy, made headlines last year for its unorthodox method, sending struggling students sprinting for their laptops and smartphones, but as Principal Renay Johnson keenly observes, Khan Academy alone is not a sufficient education. According to Johnson, it should be “one of many online tools.”

In the midst of this technological frenzy, teachers are too often thrown to the wayside. We forget that teachers can make or break a learning experience. Throughout school, teachers are role models, advisors, educators and even our friends.

Face-to-face instruction from a teacher is personalized in a way that a video, article or even a long-distance online professor can never be. Yes, sometimes a teacher and a student don’t click, but that’s a problem

ZEKE WAPNER

Rebecca Naimon

with the implementation of the system, not with the system itself.

The online classroom also eliminates the interaction between peers that results from being together for six hours each day. Other students in school are our study buddies, lab partners and our friends, and people who push an online-only educational model seem to forget that sometimes we just want to enjoy the presence of the people we like. As Johnson says, “Sometimes, you just want to talk to people.”

Technology proponents tend to ignore an underlying element to online education: Internet access. Even as access spreads, lowerincome people are the ones left in the dust, with only 50.2% of households earning less than $25,000 per year connected to the Internet, compared to 95.2% of households earning over $150,000.

The Internet is supposed to be “the Great Equalizer,” but it is far from equal when those most in need of a leg up are denied opportunity to the same standard of learning. Internet access as a prerequisite to online education only further restricts opportunities to those with money.

Even in traditional schools, students rely too much on technology to look things up and make arguments for them. Johnson knows that the instant gratification of Google searches leads to fewer nuanced opinions. “With something like global warming, [students] will Google it and say, ‘This is how we’ll solve global warming,’” she says. It’s teachers who can take students the step further toward academic exploration and say, “‘Here’s how it is, and here’s how to think about it from multiple perspectives.’”

Dr. June Ahn, assistant professor at the University of Maryland in the College of Information Studies and the College of Education, points out that we have to be mindful of where technology is best used. “The key is to recognize what technology is good at and what technology is not good at,” says Ahn. A machine only used to churn out unsophisticated answers is useless. We cannot simply fling some motherboards at every difficulty and expect solutions to drop on our heads.

Instead, we must learn from other human beings how to face our problems with the complex reasoning that is our unique facility as thinking people, and learn to use the gift that computers do not yet grant us.

voicebox “No, I think you need the classroom experience to grasp concepts.”

“It leaves it up to the student to determine what they’re engaged in.”

“No, technology creates less connection between teachers and students.”

“Kids need traditional learning style because not everyone learns the same.”

“Classroom learning is just changing and now you have easier access to material.”

KYRA SEIGER

Emma Roberts-Vaurio Senior

Brandon Neves Freshman

Brianna Moreno Sophomore

Rachel Ederer Junior

Brendan Mayer-Marks Sophomore

B3 Opinions

October 3, 2013

silverchips

Are you there, school pizza? It’s me, a vegetarian.

A hippie snob forgets her lunch and meets a sassy slice. The tomato sauce flies.

By Alanna Natanson An opinion You should try talking to a pizza, too.

The day I forgot my lunch and had to buy it instead, I happened to choose the slice with the big mouth. I was craving my organic peanut butter on buckwheat-oat bread sandwich (with the crusts cut off), and my organic freerange, quinoa-fed carrots, and my MSG, GMO, NBA-free grapes.

The pizza, apparently, read my mind.

Pizza: I heard that.

Me: (looking around, because, last I checked, pizzas don’t have mouths, let alone ears) what?

Pizza: Yeah, I’m talking to you.

I heard you thinking I was gross.

Me: Why not? I’m (sniff) a vegetarian. My parents went to Woodstock. I eat organic peanutbutter-sandwiches— Pizza: Yeah, yeah, GMO-free grapes, blah blah blah. News alert: I’m meat-free too. MCPS includes a vegetarian entree on its menu every day.

Me: Says who?

Pizza: Says Marla Caplon, Director of Food and Nutrition Services for MCPS. The law doesn’t require having a vegetarian or vegan option on the menu, but the school system makes it its policy to appeal to all customers.

Me: Look, it’s just that vegetarians like me don’t eat school foods like you.

Pizza: Just because you’re a hippie doesn’t mean every vegetarian is. There are 7.3 million vegetarians in America, according to a

study by the Vegetarian Research Group. That’s more than the population of Los Angeles. Do you think every single one of them is a Greenpeace-loving flower child?

Me: Um.

major school systems. On a report card assessing vegetarian options at public schools, the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) gave MCPS an 86 percent. Milwaukee Public School System got a D.

ZEKE WAPNER

Pizza: Exactly. In fact, a Gallup poll found that five percent of Americans identify as conservative vegetarians, only two percent behind liberal vegetarians. So what do you have to say to that?

Me: Okay, so vegetarians can be anybody, I get it. But MCPS could be doing more for vegetarians, couldn’t it?

Pizza: Well, it’s doing better than 55 percent of the nation’s

Me: A D? Pizza: Yeah. Plus, the improvement the PRCM suggested was “making more vegan options available on the elementary school menu.” Nothing to do with you rotten apples.

Me: Rotten apples? No offense, but you’re cheesy. (Sopping up excess grease) And oily.

Pizza: Well, I just got served.

Me: Look, I just want fresh

vegetables and meat-alternative foods, and I’m sorry, but it’s hard to get them at Blair.

Pizza: What the duck are you talking about? Morningstar soy chicken nuggets and soymilk have been on the menu for five or six years, according to Caplon. Erin Kvach, the Food Services supervisor for Blair, says the school offers the nuggets as alternate menu items for students who ask.

Me: But I’ve never seen them, or many other non-meat hot entrees. And when I asked for the soy chicken nuggets in the Blair lunch line, the staff said the nuggets are not in Blair’s kitchen.

Pizza: There aren’t that many students who order the soy products, so MCPS doesn’t buy a lot. Caplon says that for every truckload of soy chicken nuggets, there are five truckloads of fried cheese sticks.

Me: Well, what about the fresh vegetables? Do you have any vegetables that don’t come in a can?

Pizza: Can I get a kale yeah.

Me: Really? That was so lame.

Pizza: Our vegetables come frozen or fresh, not canned. For instance, you know those boxed salads? We make them fresh every day, using grape tomatoes, fresh cucumbers, fresh onions and lots of fresh lettuce.

Me: But I only see chicken salads!

Pizza: Some schools have salad bars where you can make your own.

Me: But not Blair. And the cold sandwiches always have meat.

There are hummus and pita chip combos at the beginning of fifth

period lunch, but those disappear and aren’t always replaced by sixth period. If you come during sixth lunch, there’s only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bagels.

Pizza: Well, you just have to ask.

Me: But I’m trying to get through the line quickly. When I’ve already waited a long time to get to the food station, I’m not gonna wait around for a specially requested item. So I’ll be stuck with junk food like you.

Pizza: I heard that.

Me: Look, in general, I agree with you. We need to reassess our judgment of who a vegetarian is, and clearly MCPS has a relatively progressive policy for feeding vegetarians. But at a huge school like Blair, implementation can sometimes get inconsistent. The non-junk food vegetarian options that are supposedly available aren’t displayed prominently. The vegetables are limited to cold salads or potato sides. Yes, my view of vegetarians and vegetarian options in MCPS is narrow, but I’m not the only one who needs some change. Blair should make sure its options are prominent and don’t run out.

Pizza: Um. Me: What, you don’t have a sassy retort?

Pizza: I guess you’re right.

Me: Oh. Well good.

Pizza: Congratulations.

Me: Thanks.

Silence.

Me: How about “yolo-gurt”?

Pizza: No. Fail.

Me: Sorry.

Montgomery County’s math masquerade

Final exam policy covers up serious problems with curriculum comprehension in MCPS

By Isaac Jiffar An opinion 71%. That’s the percentage of kids that failed their Geometry finals in MCPS last June. 71. I’ll let that sink in.

For years, Montgomery County Public Schools has been known as the jewel of Maryland’s school districts, which in turn have been recognized as the best in the country. In the latest school rankings from US News, schools in Montgomery County accounted for the top six schools in Maryland, and took seven of the top 10 slots.

But even as Montgomery County is inundated with accolades from every education analyst and their uncle, reports are coming out of more and more kids failing their math finals. And though Geometry has the most shocking numbers, there are plenty of other math courses in which students aren’t exactly passing the final with flying colors. Algebra 1: 68% failure rate; Algebra 2: 54. At Northwest High School in Germantown, 48 students took the Bridge to Algebra 2B Final and 48 students failed the Bridge to Algebra 2B final. Another 13 just didn’t even bother showing up.

But a closer look at the numbers leads to a disturbing theory as to why we could be seeing these failure rates year in and year out (and this has been going on for years). Even though no one passed the Bridge to Algebra 2B final at Northwest High School last year, only 18% of them failed the course. Meaning everyone else is eligible to take Algebra 2 now. And I’ll venture a guess that most of them are currently enrolled in that class.

This problem is not just limited to math

either. As noted in a Washington Post article by Donna St. George, students are failing finals at an alarming rate in a number of subjects. According to the article, published in May, the first semester of last school year saw students failing exams in droves in subjects ranging from Modern World History (51%) to Biology (40%). Math is by no means the worst, but it is the only problem This isn’t some-

for only 25% of a student’s grade. That means in many cases, a student can fail the final and still pass the class. Just take a look at the hallowed chart drilled into every MCPS student’s brain. I’m talking about the one outlining final grades for different combinations of quarter and exam grades.

A quick glance shows it’s not easy to fail a class in this most admired of school systems. Out of 125 possible combinations, a student will only

thing we can just explain away by saying “MCPS students are bad at math.” It’s time to face the harsh reality that the grading system in our county is fundamentally flawed.

The problem is that the final exam counts

strike out with 4 of them. D-C-E? You’re moving up. D-D-E? You’re still fine. And if you get a C first quarter? You don’t even have to bother showing up to the rest of your classes. Just catch up on sleep and when the time comes, sign up for the next

EVA SHEN

level. Rinse and repeat.

If all you’re looking for is a diploma, this is a perfectly feasible way to get through the Montgomery County school system, and it looks like that’s what a lot of kids are doing.

If students aren’t already inclined to work hard in school, MCPS’s flimsy, “move everybody up” policy isn’t going to motivate them.

Fine, MCPS. You can keep the rule that the final exam only counts for 25% of your grade. As a general principle, I think it’s good not to have any one test count too much. But when there are classes where almost ¾ of kids are failing the final, it’s time to add a simple caveat: if you fail the final, you don’t move up.

In most classes-and this is especially true for math classes-the final is the only test that assesses student’s knowledge of several topics covered throughout the duration of the course. Teachers don’t have time to give cumulative tests in class. They just test the current unit, and once that is over a student can forget everything they learned until it’s time to cram for the final. Except when the final doesn’t really count.

In these kinds of classes, a final exam grade is often the best quantitative measurement of how thoroughly a student understands and remembers all the material that was covered.

Blair math teacher Erik Lodal recognizes that the chance for students to move on without knowing the material from the previous course is a major cause of this continual problem with poor performance in math. “I think that’s absolutely going on,” says Lodal. “If you’re going to say there is a main problem; that is the main problem.”

And I don’t care what the US News rankings say about MCPS. When this many kids are failing their math finals, something doesn’t add up.

silverchips

October 3, 2013

Chips Pics:

Soapbox B4

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: PHUONG VO

#SATprep

ZEKE WAPNER

#vegetarian

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT OF HUMANITIES

#50years

280 people visit National Parks every year There are 3.3 billion Google searches per day

Do you think the increased security at Blair was necessary?

see page A2

“I think Blair’s increased security is a good precaution, because at Blair, something always happens.”-sophomore Tsion Bizuayehu @tbizzy_ “I do not believe increased security is necessary. I feel like there is too much security as it is.” -freshman Johnny Pietanza

The Nationals’ win percentage is currently 0.536 There are 1,090 bus drivers in Montomery County

994 Blair students are part of the FARMS program 406 Blazers play fall sports There are 4,560 videos on Khan Academy Chips Index compiled by Aditi Subramaniam with help from Michelle Hao, Keana Hutton, Mariam Jiffar, Winne Luo, Sasha Tidwell, Kalin Vassilev, and Jesse Webber

Have SAT prep classes been helpful to you? see page B1 “Yes, although they are expensive and time consuming.” - junior Paul Lathrop “My scores went up by 10 points but that’s it.” -sophomore Evan Gresser

Do you think the cafeteria has healthy food options for vegetarians?

see page B3

“No. Even if they did it would still be fake food.” -junior Margaret Crosson “No, not really. Only fries are available from what I can see.” -freshman Ben Daggett

Do you think the dress code is too strict for girls? see page B1 “Yes, way too strict. There are no shorts you can buy at stores that fit the dress code.” -sophomore Amalia Chiapparino “Nah it’s fine. Guys can hardly focus already.” -senior Wynston Reed @WynstonReed “Definitely! It makes a shoulder seem like a ‘private part’ that shouldn’t be exposed.” -senior Selam Kubrom @slmkbrm “No, because some girls would take advantage if there weren’t any rules and girls still expose their belly buttons.” - freshman Allison Fortis

“As a vegetarian, there definitely are not enough options altogether, not just healthy ones.” - senior Neil Dalal @NeilDalal96

What do you think of iPhone 5C vs iPhone 5s? see page D5 “I think the 5C is actually really smart and innovative. People are always complaining about how iPhones are so vulnerable so a plastic case is really smart to invent.” -sophomore Maris Medina “The 5S is cool because it has a fingerprint scanner and has the A7 chip so it has more features, whereas, although the 5C is at a lower price which will appeal to more customers, the only thing changing is the appearance.” -junior Julia Audet

B5 Opinions

THEN:1963

October 3, 2013

silverchips

My Blair: Personal Column

A word from our advisor Silver Chips’ new advisor writes in

By Jeremy Stelzner Staff Advisor

COURTESY OF ABC NEWS

HISTORY IN THE MAKING Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. waves to marchers when giving his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial.

& NOW:2013

COURTESY OF USA TODAY

COMMEMORATION Marchers celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the famous March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial in August 2013.

What is the conflict in Lord of the Flies?

Hands rocket up as eager eyes look back at me anxious to offer an answer.

How is first person narrative voice significant in Catcher in the Rye? The class collectively salivates to respond.

How does the setting influence characters in Of Mice and Men? Can anyone identify a literary device in the Robert Frost poem, The Road Less Traveled?

The students in front of me know these answers. I know they know the answer because they have been asked to respond to similar questions in their English classes for the last six years.

Then seniors walk into honors English in the fall and find themselves up to bat against a formidable opponent, the question of “why?” “Why are we here? What is our purpose?”

You could spend a lifetime studying the world’s most renowned philosophers, physicists and theologians and still never arrive at a semblance of an answer.

Just last week we posed a similar query to the greatest philosopher of our time, Apple’s SIRI, hoping for a response that could ease our minds. “SIRI, why do I exist?” I posed.

She thought about it for a while and replied, “that’s a really good question.”

That was it? If cutting edge Apple technology and Google searching can’t tell us why we are here, then how are we ever supposed to reach any tangible conclusions?

I was approached after class and informed by a student that it is a complete waste of our time to explore a question that cannot be answered. I didn’t get angry with him for challenging the curriculum. I honestly couldn’t blame him. It was easy for me to understand the young man’s trouble with such a prospect.

We have been conditioned to give answers. As a high school student I spent months studying for the SATs and had nightmares where I forgot how to completely fill in the circle with a thick and heavy mark.

I regularly struggled with the NY state Regents exams because, once again, the answer lay in one of four bubbles. I can attest to the fact that the majority of my years in a classroom were focused on get-

ting the right answer at any cost.

But sometimes there really is no right answer. Sometimes there is no answer at all. This is a frustrating concept that students struggle with. Yet, it is a concept that all of us will wrestle with at one time or another in our lives.

Teaching existentialist literature to seniors here at Blair has been the highlight of my career thus far. I am fortunate enough to experience looking at these monstrous questions with fresh and enthusiastic eyes each year.

It is my students who have suggested that maybe the most important questions are the ones that lack a concrete answer.

Perhaps there is greater value in the search. Or maybe it is the question and not the answer that is actually what is most important.

I was reminded of my fear of getting the answer wrong last spring when I was provided the opportunity to step in and replace long time Silver Chips advisor Joseph Fanning who was leaving us for Paint Branch High School. It was an unexpected honor that came along with a crippling panic that I have not felt since my first day in a classroom.

Many of us (including myself until a few months ago) fail to realize the rich tradition and history that accompanies Silver Chips. This is a student newspaper that has been in existence for over seven decades and annually receives national recognition for their outstanding achievement. I worried that with such success in the past my leadership could only lead to ruin.

However once I began the advising process and was introduced to the staff my fears were eased. They take great pride in their stories as they help to mold informed, active participants in our community.

Like my English students who explore philosophical themes, the Silver Chips journalists understand that the topics that they investigate may only lead to dead ends. The weeks they spend researching and interviewing may reap no rewards.

I feel extremely lucky to be advising such dedicated and caring individuals who continually work to ask difficult questions. These questions may have no answers. But that is what makes them so important.

Jeremy Stelzner is a 12th grade English teacher at Blair.

Up and Coming October 4: Silver Quill Open Mic

October 16: College Readiness Day

October 12: Homecoming Dance

October 31: Halloween & Open Mic

October 14: Columbus Day Open House

November 3: Daylight Savings Ends

Student & Teacher Awards & Honors Seniors Sabrina Bradford, Ivan Reimers, Sadie Isakower, and Jared Collina were named College Board’s 2013 National Hispanic Scholars.

Junior Gabby Studt received an Honorable Mention Award at the recent Math Price for Girls Competition.

8 of 20 students were named National Achiemevent Scholarship semifinalists from Blair and 36 students were named National Merit semifinalists.

Annie Piatanza and Briana Villa received House of Delegate award for making the AllGazette Softball Team.

Blair’s Silver Quill literary arts magazine won first place and a Special Merit Award from the American Scholastic Press Association.

Sophomore violinist Stephen Loh was selected for the National Youth Orchestra Fellowship Program.

October 3, 2013

Editorials B6

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Calling attention to another crisis in Syria

Education system suffers as world’s focus remains on politics On Friday, Sept. 27, as the sound of the clock ticking towards the impending government shutdown crescendoed with the voices of a disconcerted nation, the United Nations Security Council reached a rare moment of harmony. For the first time since the conflict in Syria began, the security council came to a unanimous decision: a commitment to eradicate chemical weapons from Syria.

Two days later, that harmony was shattered when a Syrian government airstrike targeted a high school in the rebel-occupied northern city of Raqqa, killing ten students under the age of eighteen.

The fight between the Syrian government and opposition forces has been raging for over two and a half years, and the latest allegations of chemical weapons have only caused it to snowball, getting other countries into the fray. But while we’re weighing our options in order to decide where we stand on the debate, we must also recognize that the Syrian people are wholly left without the luxury of choice. This is their experience, this is their everyday life.

While our personal opinions will not directly affect change, each of us can fulfill our civil duty to get involved in the humanitarian efforts that are fighting to protect the lives and rights of Syrian youth.

Since the civil war began, The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) reports that almost two million Syrian children have dropped out of school, comprising 40% of elementary-and middle-school-aged students. Many have been displaced to Turkey or Lebanon in search of a safe environment.

Those that are still attending school in Syria are in constant danger.

Many kids are forced to flee Syria for their own safety and in order to get an education. UNICEF runs a program in Lebanon called Back to Learning which allows child refugees from Syria to continue their education, attempting to place them in the most conducive learning environment possible.

It was originally called Back to School, but they don’t have enough resources to actually send all the kids to school anymore.

According to a September article in The Independent, a UK newspaper, there are currently 400,000 school-aged Syrian kids who are refugees in Lebanon. This is more than the number of Lebanese kids in school, and there is no way for Lebanon to accommodate that many children. The result: hundreds of thousands of kids displaced from their homes, fearing for their lives, and unable to maintain even the facade of a normal

life. Some of them aren’t even old enough to understand what’s going on or why they have to suffer.

In Turkey, the situation is even worse. An estimated 1.6 million school age kids from Syria were forced to take refuge in the country. The New York Times recently chronicled the experiences of those students in unofficial schools for Syrian refugees on the border.

These schools have popped up in response to the struggles of the Turkish government, similar to those of the Lebanese government, to deal with the influx of kids. And there’s one thing all these schools share in common: extreme poverty.

Because they are not recognized or funded by the government, most of these schools are essentially broke. They are running on donations and volunteers. The teachers aren’t being paid, there is no money for basic supplies, and there is no means of providing any kind of organized transportation to and from the school for the scattered students.

Before this destruction, Syria had high literacy rates and a solid, secular education system. Now, the learning environment is in shambles with the rest of the nation.

Instead of focusing all our attention on highly risky militaristic initiatives (no one knows how that will turn out) we can take some small steps that are guaranteed to help to improve the lives of the innocent civilians of Syria; particularly the displaced children.

Malala, a 16 year-old Pakistani education activist lobbied world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly for donations to help the Syrian kids in Lebanon go to school. Malala rose to prominence last year after being shot in the head in an assassination attempt by the Taliban for her stance on equal education opportunities for women. At the assembly, she joined with other youth activists in an effort to raise $175 million for the Syrian refugees.

Other voices, such as YouTube celebrity Hank Green have called for individuals to help Syrian children through donations.

Who’s to say whether or not it’s right to invade Syria? Of course the use of chemical weapons is indefensible, but it is never an easy decision to send troops into a foreign country and try to take control of their af-

EVA SHEN

Corrections Junior Jasper Saah’s name was misspelled in “Sophomores win C-SPAN contest award” on the front page.

Sophomore Camille Kirsch was misidentified as a junior in “Takoma Park lowers voting age to 16” on page 3.

Junior Sebastian Rubinstein’s name was misspelled in Soapbox on page 9.

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

E-mail the editors at silver.chips.print@gmail.com fairs, especially when we don’t have all the facts. We could save thousands of lives or we could start another Iraq war. But one thing that hopefully everyone can agree on is that these children need to be helped. And that’s something we can do with our wallets, not our guns.

Editors’ note: For more information on the ongoing educational crisis in Syria or to donate to UNICEF’s Back to Learning program, please visit its website: www.unicef.org.

The Washington Post enters a new age after sale to Amazon’s Bezos

By Langston Cotman As the staff members of a printed high school newspaper, we at Silver Chips would love to believe that the print journalism industry is alive and thriving, but the bodies are piling up much too high to be ignored. The Tucson Citizen, the Baltimore Examiner, and the Cincinnati Post have all ceased publication, while papers like the Detroit Free Press, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and the Seattle PostIntelligencer have all reduced distribution or moved to an online format. Even major newspapers have taken massive hits over the past decade, with papers like The Washington Post watching their average number of subscribers plummet from 832,332 in 1993 the current average of 474,767. Coupled with seven consecutive years of declining revenue and massive layoffs, the woes of the former giant of print journalism came to be too much. On August 5, the Graham family, owners of the paper since 1933, sold The Washington Post for an ungenerous 250 million dollars to CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos.

The Washington Post, the revered journalistic enterprise that broke the Pentagon Papers and

whose investigative reporting was the catalyst for the Watergate Hearings, is no longer a family owned paper, but is now in the hands of a man whose company invented the Kindle, the kryptonite to the printed word. It’s obvious isn’t it?

Journalism is dead.

Well, not so fast. Print journalism is in a critical state right now, there is no denying that. That’s probably because journalism is in a period of transition, a period of expediency. Facebook, Twitter, and iPhone notifications have ushered in an era where the public demands breaking news when it breaks.

Putting Bezos at the helm of the Post is ushering the paper into this period of expediency. Bezos has mastered expediency, with his one day shipping at Amazon and allowing kindle users to have a book in their hands with the few clicks of a button or smudges on a touch screen. Bezos plans to recreate the famous Washington Post bundle and that feeling of sitting down with a cup of coffee and reading the paper for online and tablet interfaces. To do this, he plans on implementing many of the techniques that transformed Amazon from a start-up in 1995 to the company that recorded 61 billion dollars in

sales in 2012. “We’ve had three big ideas at Amazon that we’ve stuck

LEILA BARTHOLET

Ombudsman Langston Cotman with for 18 years, and they’re the reason we’re successful: Put the customer first. Invent. And be patient,” said Bezos in his first interview after purchasing The Post.

“If you replace ‘customer’ with

‘reader,’ that approach, that point of view, can be successful at The Post, too.” Bezos’ experience in helping to create innovative products, along with his mission to put the reader first will translate well with Post fans. Post readers love the paper because of its hometown roots and reliable reporting. As long as Bezos sticks to his mantra and maintains this image, he will be able implement the innovations he desires while also keeping The Post’s devoted following.

Though it was comforting that The Post was in the hands of a Washington based family, the Grahams’ understood that they could not make The Post the easily accessible, technologically savvy paper that this new age in journalism demands. “The Post could have survived under the company’s ownership and been profitable for the foreseeable future,” said Post Co. Chairman and chief executive Donald Graham of the sale to Jeff Bezos, “But we wanted to do more than survive. I’m not saying this guarantees success, but it gives us a much greater chance of success.”

The Grahams did not want the paper to become a novelty, and that is what The Post and other print newspapers will become if they do not make the transition to

easily accessible online content.

During the transition, The Post must also to remember the high quality reporting made it a respectable paper. There is a frightening trend in journalism where papers, in order to save money, are laying off large portions of their newsrooms, in particular investigative reporters. Investigative reporting is a slow, costly process that is struggling to stay relevant in this age of instant news. As seen during the Boston Marathon bombings, there is a competition among news outlets to see who can publish information the fastest, whether or not it is factual.

It is important that The Post, in its transition to an online paper, retains its investigative reporters and the essence of credibility investigative pieces like those Watergate and Edward Snowden have provided the paper. Bezos has the initiative and the means to make The Post a profitable and respectable online paper, but it is important the he doesn’t sacrifice factuality for expediency.

Comments or concerns?

Email the Ombudsman at silver.chips.print@gmail.com

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October 3, 2013

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Civil Rights: an evolving movement 50th anniversary of March on Washington calls attention to change

By Naomi Weintraub Bold signs float above the crowd at the 50th celebration of the March on Washington, just like the ones that waved above the crowd in 1963. These calls of protest, still held up by a slender plank of wood, hold different calls of anger and different questions of concern, but picketers still exhibit the same passion.

The fight for racial equality has changed over time. It has transformed from a fight against concrete, unjust laws to reform toward social expectations.

Kenneth Smith, teacher of African American studies at Blair, believes that in 1963 forms of racism were more obvious. “Jim Crow laws made discrimination more systematic, it was more obvious what we were fighting for,” says Smith.

In his class, he teaches his students about the patterns of injustice still going on in education and employment. Civil rights remains relevant today, but the areas of concern evolved as time went on. The civil rights movement has moved focus from issues of segregation in the classroom and injustice on the bus, to racial profiling and voting disparities.

REMEMBERING MLK AS A Leader Among Many Everyone deserves their vote to be counted for as it should be,” says Johnson.

The fight for civil rights is constantly changing and evolving. As some take steps forward, others take steps back. 50 years ago these steps turned into a march, and that march has continued on today, in an America where having a black president is a normality. “The next generation has an innate consciousness that will push them to make change,” says Smith. Commenting on the anniversary of the March on Washington, Adamson feels that the need to march for racial equality and against social injustice is very much still prevalent today, “There is a reason this needed to happen. We are still fighting. It’s not over.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior was an important leader of the civil rights movement. He called upon all Americans to make change in their communities and end injustice they see around them. “Injustice anywhere is a treat to justice everywhere,” he stated in his famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”. Many see King as the epitome of the civil rights movement, neglecting to remember the other important front-runners that also led for change. Kenneth Smith, teacher of African American studies at Blair, believes that society has the tendency to glorify the work that King did. “It’s dangerous to put King on a pedestal,” says Smith.

Smith claims that King wasn’t asking to be

a symbol of the peaceful movement he was advocating for, he merely wanted to pull attention to his ideologies. Smith says that being a figurehead was not in King’s agenda. “He [King] was just a human being riding a tidal wave of support,” says Smith. In his curriculum, Smith focuses more on the silent leaders of the movement, the leaders that influenced more than they are credited for. In doing this, he says that tries to inspire his students to be advocates for what they care about. “In my class I talk more about women involved, unheard people,” says Smith. “I try to relate it to my students and teach them they can make change as well, and actualize their dreams.”

Symbols for Assumptions Trayvon Martin, a black teenager shot and killed in Florida, has become a symbol for many youth who fight against racial profiling. Vickie Adamson, Blair English department chair and Sankofa sponsor says her son still deals with racial profiling frequently. “Even around here, my son [who is bi-racial] gets suspicious looks,” says Adamson.

Some Blair students also believe that stereotyping of racial groups is still relevant today, and that Trayvon was the wake-up call to the nation. “Racial profiling is still a problem we have now,” says senior Shelly Rollins. “Trayvon wasn’t the first time this has happened, he was just the boiling point.”

Sophomore, Patrick Chao agrees with Rollins, “Trayvon was a jumpstart, showing we need to address this now.”

Many see Martin as an example of the way black men, especially in their youth, are treated discriminately. According to Smith, Martin justifies these assumptions.“Trayvon Martin represents how black males are perceived as dangerous,” he says.

According to the N.A.A.C.P, African Americans and Hispanics comprised 58% of all prisoners in 2008, even they make up approximately one quarter of the US population. These statistics reflect a disparity in the legal system between the assumption and the whole truth. Black men are not interchangeable, this assumed profile does not serve as a reflection of all.

Voting Disparities Plastered across dozens of signs being held at the anniversary were statements questioning the Supreme Court recent decision in June to strike down Section Four of the Voting Rights Act. Removing the law stopped states with a history of voter disparities from having strict regulations and restrictions. Previously, Section Four ensured voting safety and fairness for all registered voters.

Supporters believe that abolishing this law shows that racial discrimination is no longer relevant in this country, and that America is ready for this step. Freshman, Matthew Kiefhaber, believes that racism is no longer relevant in reference to voting freedoms, “I think we are ready, voting discrimination is not common anymore,” says Kiefhaber.

Civil rights advocates believe that removing these laws amount to taking steps backwards in having a fair and just America. They believe that minority voters in historically prejudiced states will be vulnerable to voting discrimination and that disparities will occur.

Senior A.J. Johnson believes that striking down Section Four leaves black voters in these states exposed to unfair treatment of their rights, “Without that sections of the law it could go back to the way it used to be.

TOP: THE NEW YORKER, BOTTOM LEFT: THE OBAMADIARY, BOTTOM RIGHT: SEATTLE TIMES

FIFTY YEARS LATER Civil rights advocates marched for jobs and freedom in D.C. in 1963. In 2013, D.C. proved that King’s original dream is still alive.

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October 3, 2013

Thinspo and Fitspo: Craving the Perfect Body Teenagers turn to “thinspiration” and “fitspiration” blogging for online support from THINSPO page A1

factors….It’s important for parents to open up a dialogue with their children, emphaWhere only first names appear, names were sizing a healthy lifestyle and taking care changed to protect the identity of sources. of one’s body,” she says.

“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” During the past decade, eating disorders, which were once privately suffered in solitude, have seeped online through community support groups. One of the first groups began in the mid-2000s with the emergence of PrettyThin.com, a young woman’s private weight loss blog. Her friend James Watson, who now runs the website, says he took it over and turned it into “an online support community of support for those with an eating disorder, a place for understanding, recovery, and alternatives to the standard ways of looking at this important issue.”

Some went to this website for recovery support, but others who suffered from eating disorders connected on the website’s forums and posted pictures of emaciated models as “inspiration.” In the late 2000s, “thinspiration” grew and moved to xanga.com, a photo blogging and social networking website.

In the past couple of years, the “thinspo” has moved to Instagram, Pinteest, and Tumblr.

Anja, 19, knows the online “thinspo” community all too well. At age 13, “after googling how to lose fat, I came across pro-ana[rexic] websites which [really spoke to me],” she says. “I registered at a forum [and] set up my blog[s],” she says. Anja used Blogspot and Polish blogging websites.

Soon, “thinspiration” meant much more to Anja than looking at pictures of extremely thin people. “I soon gained followers and found friendships. I got higher in the hierarchy and became an administrator. I was respected- the more weight I lost, the more they would admire me. Of course, no-one saw through, as I was dying. Soon, I wanted to commit suicide and all they would do was just say ‘don’t do it…’”

Looking back on her experience after deleting her blogs and forum account, Anja can see how toxic her “thinspo” experience was.

“I think my anorexia started before then but the more I was into those websites, the more severe it was.”

“Waking up thin is worth going to bed hungry.”

“Coffee, smokes, and diet cokes, that’s what pretty girls are made of.”

Quotes like these are typical components of most thinspo blogs on Tumblr and Instagram, along with pictures of gaunt girls, diet tips, and even personal updates on weight loss results. Anja was initially “relieved” to be a part of a community where this type of activity was the norm, but didn’t realize how much it affected her. She says she didn’t realize “it was one of [her] biggest triggers.”

Caileen Jiminez, 20, a recovering bulimic, has a different point of view. “Whenever I used to look for thinspo…I never saw a picture and thought, ‘Hmm, maybe I’m supposed to look like that....’ Instead, I made up my mind about how I wanted to look and sought out the thinspo that most closely resembled [the way I wanted to look],” the former member of the PrettyThin.com forum explains. “This is why, personally, I don’t believe thinspo tells people how to look. I think people already have these ideas stored away in their subconscious minds…

It was not forced into their head – it was brought out.” Jiminez runs Disordered Eating Education Project, a Facebook page that attempts to increase awareness surrounding eating disorders and mental illnesses. She also blogs and post videos on youtube under the user C.J., providing her commentary on different issues surrounding eating disorders and attempting to dispel some common misconceptions about them.

Dr. Laura Kushner is a clinical psychologist who treats eating disorders at Potomac Psychiatry in Rockville, Maryland. She believes “thinspo” has the potential to be an influential part of a person’s eating disorder. “It could go either way,” she explains.

“Like any mental illness, eating disorders are complicated and caused by a number of

“I would rather be covered with sweat at the gym than covered in clothes at the beach.”

Claire believes her blog does just that.

The Michigan tenth grader’s Instagram blog, @that_tall_fittie, chronicles the volleyball player’s journey to fitness with inspirational quotes, healthy food, images of colorful workout clothes, skinny, muscular people, and periodic progress pictures, usually selfies taken in a bathroom mirror. However, the posts aren’t truly

or make the recipes,” she says. Sophomore Claudia Allou agrees. “I like them for the most part because they inspire me to want to get more fit,” she says.

Claire’s blog promotes fitness, including both exercising and eating right. “Being a fitspo and all, I know that you have to eat, and eat right! Otherwise, it will be merely impossible to achieve your goals.” Sometimes, the right inspiration for Claire is a picture of someone else. “When I see very thin girls with a lot of muscles…it makes me want to keep pushing myself. I use it as a motivation technique.”

Although many accounts may provide helpful advice and motivation to achieve fitness, even “fitspo” blogs may have their dark side. “I do object to the extremely low

orexia aren’t necessarily related. ‘Healthy’ doesn’t look a certain way either. Health and sickness both go deeper than appearances.”

For some, “fitspo” blogs may be no different from “thinspo,” but for others, the blogs may serve as strong motivators to live healthier and more active lives. “There is nothing inherently wrong in blogging about [fitness and] healthy options,” Dr. Kushner weighs in. However, she cautions that teenagers may be extra susceptible to what they view online. “Images can definitely influence self-esteem…it’s really important for young people to get a balanced perspective and talk to someone they trust about their goals,” she warns. “Don’t follow just one person’s advice…it’s one of many possible options.”

Go Ask Alice

endorse

endorse

For Blair sophomore Alice, losing weight is the only option. Suffering from anorexia nervosa since seventh grade, Alice has a “competition with [herself] to be the smallest [she] can be,” checking her scale multiple times a day. After losing 30 pounds in seventh grade, she had an intervention. “I didn’t realize that it was bad; I thought it was good that I was losing so much weight,” she explains. Since then, she has been seeing a counselor once a week to talk about body image. “Some people wanted to be really, really, really thin…I wanted to be regularly thin, but I just kept going and going.”

Alice knows firsthand the high quantity of “thinspo” content on blogs. “Tumblr is a terrible, terrible thing for anorexics,” she says. “People romanticize it. So it’s like, ‘OMG, beautiful bones…’ It’s not beautiful.”

Although Alice does not like “the whole emaciated thing,” she still finds inspiration in “thinspo” and “fitspo” blogs. “Fitspo is a big one because they’re pretty, and they’re tan, and they can wear size zero.”

Alice knows firsthand the impacts of taking the blog posts too far. “I think it’s really bad, actually. The thing is that people don’t realize that if you don’t eat enough your hair starts to fall out, and your bones get really brittle…I broke my finger. I used to do karate and I accidentally broke my finger when I hit it on the side of my foot. I didn’t even hit it hard at all, but it just broke because my bones were so brittle.”

Despite her experiences, however, Alice still goes back to look at “thinspo” and “fitspo.” “I like the little blogs, and they have the writing, and it’s like ‘Things to do if you want to lose weight,’ or ‘Anorexia tips and tricks.’ Those are the best.” She also recognizes her dependence on the blogs. If they suddenly disappeared, “I’d be stressed… they’re just always supposed to be there. It’s like whenever you want to eat but you know you’re not supposed to eat it’s like ‘oh, no.

These girls did it, so I can do it.’”

For Alice, although it may sometimes fluctuate, the eating disorder never ends, and “thinspiration” may always be her “inspiration.” After all, she says, “Everyone wants to be thin.”

CUTTING OFF JENNA KANNER

what keeps Claire interested in fitspo. “I feel that talking with other fitspos keeps me motivated,” she says. “I love how it’s just a whole community of people doing the same things as me and looking for the same results. We’re honestly just one big family!”

“Fitspo,” the new, healthy “thinspo” spin-off, has only recently gained prominence on Tumblr and Instagram in the past couple of years, and is gaining popularity in the walls of Montgomery Blair High School as well. Junior Julia Audet follows over 30 fitspo Instagram pages. “They are a really good way to find new ideas for workouts or healthy food options, especially now with [Instagram’s] video feature [since] I can actually see how to do the workouts

bodyfat levels portrayed in a lot of fitspo, because it’s unrealistic and physically harmful to try to obtain and maintain competition level bodyfat in everyday life,” Alex, a 26 year old who has suffered from anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, and compulsive exercise for seven years, says. “For example on Men’s Health and Fitness magazines they’ll show a muscular man with extreme muscle definition and a six or eight pack. Yet he only looked that good for the few hours of the photo shoot… that picture is supposed to represent the ultimate in health and fitness when the truth is you cannot look like that every day.”

Jiminez agrees. “Fitspo is not really any different from thinspo,” she says. “Anorexia doesn’t have a ‘look,’ so thinspo and an-

Recently, websites have been taking action to censor “thinspo content.” For example, Instagram released a statement saying it will ban any content “dedicated to glorifying, promoting, or encouraging self-harm.” It also made hashtags such as “thinspiration,” “probulimia,” and “proanorexia,” no longer searchable.

Tumblr added this language to its content policy: “Don’t post content that actively promotes or glorifies self-injury or self-harm. This includes content that urges or encourages readers to cut or mutilate themselves; embrace anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders; or commit suicide rather than, e.g., seek counseling or treatment for depression or other disorders.”

#ana #mia #fat #thinspo #bones #depression #alone #collarbones #hips #thighgap # skinny #fitspo #fit #hungry #fasting #purge #bulimic #fat

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October 3, 2013

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October 3, 2013

5:45 am

6: 10 am

John Klein arrives at Blair every afternoon before 3:00, and awaits the hundreds of students that pour out of the school when the last bell rings. Of these hundreds, roughly forty sprint to catch Klein’s bus, which is one of the first to take off. The first student hops on the bus and blows past Klein without any acknowledgement. The second student follows, less energetically, and also refrains from greeting him. Dozens more board Klein’s bus. Some say hello, others do not. Klein waits patiently. He closes the doors and prepares for takeoff. As he starts the ignition, a final student comes running towards the closed doors, out of breath. Klein reluctantly opens the doors and lets the child on the bus.

Klein fills in for many of the absent parents who are too busy to transport their children to and from school. Americans live in an industrial society with one of the lowest rates of paid leave. Most Americans’ working hours exceed far beyond the nine-to-five “regular hours” that were established decades ago.

Undesirable to some In today’s work-obsessed environment, parents have little time to raise their kids, let alone trek them around. Long before American adults established such a ravenous preoccupation with their jobs, bus drivers were around to drive their children to school.

In Montgomery County, bus drivers work approximately seven hours a day – three or four each morning and afternoon – with a midday break between shifts.

Maybe this is why drivers are never idolized and are hardly praised for their work. After all, their hours encompass a fraction of most employees’ hours, and they get a “lunch break” nearly four times as long as the average bureaucrat, doctor, teacher or retail worker. Many students and parents realize that bus drivers are essential in their academic lives.

However, their awareness does not always extend to gratitude and ap-

2:10 pm

6:35 am

preciation. Students know that bus drivers have always been around and always will be. If their bus driver is on leave or retired, it hardly matters, because the bus driver will in turn be replaced.

Most students said they would never consider being a bus driver.

“Bus drivers probably don’t get paid very well,” voices sophomore Sam Bilsky. His nonchalant tone suggests that he has already thought it over. Sophomore Teague Sauter seems to agree. “I bet they probably have a night job or something,” he adds.

Other students had different responses. “When I think of my bus driver,” says sophomore Max Foley-Keene, “I think, ‘You must have ID! No profanity! Ladies first!’ My bus driver’s a funny guy.”

Sophomore Eleanor Linafelt feels that the job is too difficult to take on. “It’s gotta be hard to work with kids,” she says, “and they have to get up so early. It’s too stressful.”

An early start Alma Carpenter wakes up before sunrise every morning so she can precede the kids that ride her bus. Carpenter began her career with Montgomery County on November 8th, 1982 when she became a bus driver. She chose the path because her friends encouraged her to join them. This school year will be her last of 31 years driving a school bus.

All the friends who prompted her to become a bus driver have now retired or passed away.

Before Carpenter starts the engine, she makes sure everyone on the bus is sitting down. Her short frame extends upwards as she peers into the gigantic rear-view mirror that adorns the inside of every school bus. Beneath her glasses, her eyes narrow towards the back of the vehicle.

“You boys need to sit down before I move this bus! No one is going anywhere until you all are seated.” The kids in the back take their

2:40 pm

6:50 am

seats immediately. Carpenter turns the ignition to make the trip she has made countless times before.

A lot of the kids on Carpenter’s bus perceive her as a strict person.

She adheres to every precaution. She does not allow students to eat or drink on the bus, nor does she let any unfamiliar students aboard without a note.

Carpenter has children and grandchildren of her own, and many of the students who ride her bus are unaware of how much they mean to her.

If she did not love her job or love being with the kids, she would not have stuck with it for more than three decades.

“There have been so many nice people, nice students, nice parents,” Carpenter recounts, “It’s just awesome. I’m sure going to miss it when I’m gone.”

The absence of the students will definitely have an impact on Carpenter. Since the death of her husband in December of 2012, she has mostly kept to herself. She lost a granddaughter shortly after in January of 2013.

She lives alone, unless she is staying with her children or grandchildren.

“I prefer to be a loner,” Carpenter says, “I don’t like to gossip. Some of the other bus drivers gather on one bus in the afternoon just to talk about things I’m not interested in. At this point all I want to do is keep to myself.”

Carpenter typically uses her vacation time to visit her family in Pennsylvania. She has found another family, however, much closer to home.

Over the years, Carpenter has become close to the parents of Montgomery Knolls students. In the very beginning of her career, she drove kindergartener Fran Moran to school in the morning and afternoon. For the next 13 years, through elementary, middle and high school, Moran rode Carpenter’s bus every day. “She’s been a dear friend of mine since the mid-80s!”

Moran says. After graduating, Moran became an elementary school teacher at Montgomery Knolls. One of Carpenter’s most memorable passengers, the two remain in touch to this day.

3:25 pm

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story by leigh cook graphics by desiree aleibar & jenna kanner photos by zeke wapner & kyra seiger More than a bus driver

Fifty minutes after Carpenter pulls out of Blair’s parking lot, John Klein parks his bus and waits for the next shift of kids to end their school day. He wears a pseudo-Hawaiian button down and tinted not-quite-sunglasses as he drives the bus. Like Carpenter, Klein is also a soon-to-be retiree of the Montgomery County Transportation Department. Though he has not been in the field nearly as long as Carpenter, he will be retiring six months earlier, as soon as winter break begins.

Junior Bennet McGlade has been riding Klein’s bus throughout high school.

“He’s pretty cool,” Bennet says, “He buys us pizza sometimes.”

Caitlin Miller, a sophomore, claims that Klein knows all the kids who ride the bus and likes to tease and joke with them.

Klein had just retired from the fire department in 1991 when he decided to become a bus driver. “I did it so I would be able to pick on kids,” Klein jests with a smirk. Picking on kids hardly describes the extent of his job. After three decades as a firefighter and an EMT, Klein transferred his life-saving abilities to his career as a bus driver.

Klein attended Annandale High School in Virginia, then the University of Mary Washington for a year and a half prior to being drafted into the navy. After four years of welding and plumbing as a ship footer in the navy, he joined the fire department, where he stayed for the following 32 years. His father was a fire chief, as well as his father’s father, but Klein only ever made Lieutenant.

“I got a 100 on every test and went up for an interview five times, but they never let me get one in,” Klein recalls bitterly, “I guess I just wasn’t a good enough ass kisser.”

Klein grimaces when he talks about the hierarchy of the fire department, but lightens up when he thinks about the rest of his experience as a firefighter.

4:10 pm

In his last 15 years with the fire department, Klein was an EMT. He attended to countless numbers of broken bones, prevented deaths and delivered three babies.

“Saving lives was part of the daily job,” Klein says sternly, “It was all normal stuff. I really don’t want to sound like I’m bragging because it was my job. The only thing I’m proud of is my three deliveries, because those were very difficult.” Klein recalls that one of the mothers whose baby he helped deliver was a raging alcoholic and very difficult to cooperate with.

Klein has five children, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He spends holidays with his family and goes on a cruise with his wife every couple of years. On weekends he often goes to the race track to play the horses or works on his garden at home.

Klein spent 32 years saving lives as a firefighter, and he is about to end his bus driving career of 22 years, every minute of which he held the lives of students in his hands. As he said about firefighting, it’s just his job.

It’s a job that seems monotonous enough on the surface, but both he and Carpenter, as well as hundreds of other drivers in Montgomery County, make the most of it. Every single driver is accountable for the lives of students.

There is purpose behind putting up “STOP” signs when the bus makes a stop, training to be a bus driver and obeying the county’s policies to ensure students’ safety. Bus drivers care for students the way many of them care for their own families and children. They are not simply responsible for providing students with transportation, but for ensuring the students’ safety and security for the many hours that they are in the hands of the driver.

4:20 pm

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5:45 am

6: 10 am

John Klein arrives at Blair every afternoon before 3:00, and awaits the hundreds of students that pour out of the school when the last bell rings. Of these hundreds, roughly forty sprint to catch Klein’s bus, which is one of the first to take off. The first student hops on the bus and blows past Klein without any acknowledgement. The second student follows, less energetically, and also refrains from greeting him. Dozens more board Klein’s bus. Some say hello, others do not. Klein waits patiently. He closes the doors and prepares for takeoff. As he starts the ignition, a final student comes running towards the closed doors, out of breath. Klein reluctantly opens the doors and lets the child on the bus.

Klein fills in for many of the absent parents who are too busy to transport their children to and from school. Americans live in an industrial society with one of the lowest rates of paid leave. Most Americans’ working hours exceed far beyond the nine-to-five “regular hours” that were established decades ago.

Undesirable to some In today’s work-obsessed environment, parents have little time to raise their kids, let alone trek them around. Long before American adults established such a ravenous preoccupation with their jobs, bus drivers were around to drive their children to school.

In Montgomery County, bus drivers work approximately seven hours a day – three or four each morning and afternoon – with a midday break between shifts.

Maybe this is why drivers are never idolized and are hardly praised for their work. After all, their hours encompass a fraction of most employees’ hours, and they get a “lunch break” nearly four times as long as the average bureaucrat, doctor, teacher or retail worker. Many students and parents realize that bus drivers are essential in their academic lives.

However, their awareness does not always extend to gratitude and ap-

2:10 pm

6:35 am

preciation. Students know that bus drivers have always been around and always will be. If their bus driver is on leave or retired, it hardly matters, because the bus driver will in turn be replaced.

Most students said they would never consider being a bus driver.

“Bus drivers probably don’t get paid very well,” voices sophomore Sam Bilsky. His nonchalant tone suggests that he has already thought it over. Sophomore Teague Sauter seems to agree. “I bet they probably have a night job or something,” he adds.

Other students had different responses. “When I think of my bus driver,” says sophomore Max Foley-Keene, “I think, ‘You must have ID! No profanity! Ladies first!’ My bus driver’s a funny guy.”

Sophomore Eleanor Linafelt feels that the job is too difficult to take on. “It’s gotta be hard to work with kids,” she says, “and they have to get up so early. It’s too stressful.”

An early start Alma Carpenter wakes up before sunrise every morning so she can precede the kids that ride her bus. Carpenter began her career with Montgomery County on November 8th, 1982 when she became a bus driver. She chose the path because her friends encouraged her to join them. This school year will be her last of 31 years driving a school bus.

All the friends who prompted her to become a bus driver have now retired or passed away.

Before Carpenter starts the engine, she makes sure everyone on the bus is sitting down. Her short frame extends upwards as she peers into the gigantic rear-view mirror that adorns the inside of every school bus. Beneath her glasses, her eyes narrow towards the back of the vehicle.

“You boys need to sit down before I move this bus! No one is going anywhere until you all are seated.” The kids in the back take their

2:40 pm

6:50 am

seats immediately. Carpenter turns the ignition to make the trip she has made countless times before.

A lot of the kids on Carpenter’s bus perceive her as a strict person.

She adheres to every precaution. She does not allow students to eat or drink on the bus, nor does she let any unfamiliar students aboard without a note.

Carpenter has children and grandchildren of her own, and many of the students who ride her bus are unaware of how much they mean to her.

If she did not love her job or love being with the kids, she would not have stuck with it for more than three decades.

“There have been so many nice people, nice students, nice parents,” Carpenter recounts, “It’s just awesome. I’m sure going to miss it when I’m gone.”

The absence of the students will definitely have an impact on Carpenter. Since the death of her husband in December of 2012, she has mostly kept to herself. She lost a granddaughter shortly after in January of 2013.

She lives alone, unless she is staying with her children or grandchildren.

“I prefer to be a loner,” Carpenter says, “I don’t like to gossip. Some of the other bus drivers gather on one bus in the afternoon just to talk about things I’m not interested in. At this point all I want to do is keep to myself.”

Carpenter typically uses her vacation time to visit her family in Pennsylvania. She has found another family, however, much closer to home.

Over the years, Carpenter has become close to the parents of Montgomery Knolls students. In the very beginning of her career, she drove kindergartener Fran Moran to school in the morning and afternoon. For the next 13 years, through elementary, middle and high school, Moran rode Carpenter’s bus every day. “She’s been a dear friend of mine since the mid-80s!”

Moran says. After graduating, Moran became an elementary school teacher at Montgomery Knolls. One of Carpenter’s most memorable passengers, the two remain in touch to this day.

3:25 pm

3:40 pm

story by leigh cook graphics by desiree aleibar & jenna kanner photos by zeke wapner & kyra seiger More than a bus driver

Fifty minutes after Carpenter pulls out of Blair’s parking lot, John Klein parks his bus and waits for the next shift of kids to end their school day. He wears a pseudo-Hawaiian button down and tinted not-quite-sunglasses as he drives the bus. Like Carpenter, Klein is also a soon-to-be retiree of the Montgomery County Transportation Department. Though he has not been in the field nearly as long as Carpenter, he will be retiring six months earlier, as soon as winter break begins.

Junior Bennet McGlade has been riding Klein’s bus throughout high school.

“He’s pretty cool,” Bennet says, “He buys us pizza sometimes.”

Caitlin Miller, a sophomore, claims that Klein knows all the kids who ride the bus and likes to tease and joke with them.

Klein had just retired from the fire department in 1991 when he decided to become a bus driver. “I did it so I would be able to pick on kids,” Klein jests with a smirk. Picking on kids hardly describes the extent of his job. After three decades as a firefighter and an EMT, Klein transferred his life-saving abilities to his career as a bus driver.

Klein attended Annandale High School in Virginia, then the University of Mary Washington for a year and a half prior to being drafted into the navy. After four years of welding and plumbing as a ship footer in the navy, he joined the fire department, where he stayed for the following 32 years. His father was a fire chief, as well as his father’s father, but Klein only ever made Lieutenant.

“I got a 100 on every test and went up for an interview five times, but they never let me get one in,” Klein recalls bitterly, “I guess I just wasn’t a good enough ass kisser.”

Klein grimaces when he talks about the hierarchy of the fire department, but lightens up when he thinks about the rest of his experience as a firefighter.

4:10 pm

In his last 15 years with the fire department, Klein was an EMT. He attended to countless numbers of broken bones, prevented deaths and delivered three babies.

“Saving lives was part of the daily job,” Klein says sternly, “It was all normal stuff. I really don’t want to sound like I’m bragging because it was my job. The only thing I’m proud of is my three deliveries, because those were very difficult.” Klein recalls that one of the mothers whose baby he helped deliver was a raging alcoholic and very difficult to cooperate with.

Klein has five children, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He spends holidays with his family and goes on a cruise with his wife every couple of years. On weekends he often goes to the race track to play the horses or works on his garden at home.

Klein spent 32 years saving lives as a firefighter, and he is about to end his bus driving career of 22 years, every minute of which he held the lives of students in his hands. As he said about firefighting, it’s just his job.

It’s a job that seems monotonous enough on the surface, but both he and Carpenter, as well as hundreds of other drivers in Montgomery County, make the most of it. Every single driver is accountable for the lives of students.

There is purpose behind putting up “STOP” signs when the bus makes a stop, training to be a bus driver and obeying the county’s policies to ensure students’ safety. Bus drivers care for students the way many of them care for their own families and children. They are not simply responsible for providing students with transportation, but for ensuring the students’ safety and security for the many hours that they are in the hands of the driver.

4:20 pm

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Well, Mr. Broverman was right: good students do make good schools. And that’s why grades matter.

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ACT or other standardized tests, remember that they are an act (granted, an important one). Your grades are your habit. You want to work to get good standardized test scores that reflect your strong grades. You do NOT want to divert effort from grades such that (grades falling) the two meet in the middle. Determine – before senior year – which tests are right for you and when you should take them.

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faculty and the dollars in its endowment. It is the character and caliber of the student body.

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Now, grades may not be everything, but they are a lot. As the great philosopher Aristotle observed, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Your grades, then, are the record of what you have done day after day, week after week, year after year. They reflect homework, class work, essays, quizzes and tests.

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October 3, 2013

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Features C7

National Park Seminary: finding the world in your backyard Local treasure’s reinvention in the 21st century attracts residents

By Alani Fujii A Japanese pagoda stands nearby an English castle… and an Italian villa… and a Dutch windmill… and more. It seems like an international night is taking place, only, this international night has been around since the late 1800s. This culturally-rich collection of buildings was part of an all-girls school-turned-Army rehabilitation center during World War II. Hidden in a Forest Glen neighborhood, National Park Seminary has been tucked away from the spotlight of Montgomery County, until now.

At Linden Lane, the Grand Ballroom of the Seminary is one of the most famous attractions. Spacious and glossy, it is reminiscent of a scene from Beauty and the Beast. Deep chestnut roofing supports sprawl across the ceiling, with sunlight bathing inside through an uncountable number of windows. Two floors of interior balconies surround the main floor, as if someone is always watching the events going on below.

The Dutch windmill is hidden behind mossy trees and green overgrowth. Its pale blue structure holds a small balcony at the top, a door hidden among the many white windows allowing access to it. Very nostalgic, it hints of Dutch fairytales coming to life in an American city.

The Seminary is home to many other buildings that exhibit cultural richness.

National Park Seminary is in its “fourth life,” says Bonnie Rosenthal, Executive Director of Save our Seminary. National Park Seminary was first Ye Forest Inne, a short-lived hotel from 1887 to 1894. In that last year, it was transformed into an all-girls private school, which adopted the name “National Park Seminary.” The school was then closed with the start of World War II, when the U.S. Army received the property under the War Powers Act in 1942. The U.S. Army possession proved to be the longest “life” of National Park Seminary, lasting from 1942 to October 2004. Though the Army owned the property, they did not maintain it after leaving in the 1980s. Since then, National Park Seminary has been going through a reinvention, a “fourth life,” in recent years: turning the Seminary into usable housing.

The idea of a historic living community came from county proposals after Montgomery County acquired the prop-

PHUONG VO

WORLD CULTURES National Park Seminary is filled with buildings representing the culture and styles from around the world. erty in 2004. At the time, Rosenthal and other members of Save our Seminary, a local nonprofit created to protect the historic integrity of the Seminary, created a list of criteria that the county had to keep in mind when determining a use. “Our criteria were to preserve as much of the buildings and grounds as possible, to have minimal impact on the community, and we wanted a financially viable and feasible reuse, something that would survive the times.”

Since then, 90 townhouses, 60 apartments, 50 condominiums, and 12 single-family homes have been developed. Even the Japanese pagoda, a crimson and black three-tiered structure, has been bought by a private buyer. The full development of National Park Seminary’s living community will be finished in one to two years.

Unfortunately, National Park Seminary is unknown to many Blazers. When asked if she knew what National Park Seminary was, junior Lul Mohamud responded, “Is

it a graveyard?” Rosenthal hasn’t seen an influx of young people visiting, but when they do, most like to take pictures.

“Usually when I see younger people, they are often taking pictures because the buildings are very interesting.” But she has noticed that teens are attracted to abandoned buildings the most. There have been instances of trespassing in the Seminary’s less-developed buildings.

The site has so many buildings, statues and landscapes to explore, including a beautiful ballroom, theatre and more. Each piece of the seminary has its own social and historical background to learn about. The cultural diversity and various architectural designs make the Seminary memorable and unique, says Rosenthal. “I just love the old buildings.

They’re intriguing, enchanting, they’re beautiful.”

The National Park Seminary is open to the public every day during daylight

hours. Save Our Seminary hosts $5 tours March through November on the fourth Saturday of the month, and one Sunday.

First Interest Bonnie Rosenthal became interested in the National Park Seminary after passing by it in her car. She had always been involved in preservation work for historical sites, so she was very intrigued by the Victorian-styled buildings she was able to see at first glance. At the time, Save Our Seminary was just beginning to be formed (1988-1989), so she joined. She has been a part of the organization ever since.

She cares so much about the National Park Seminary because to her, it was such a special place that should be saved so that other people could come and enjoy it as well.

PHUONG VO

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October 3, 2013

Entertainment D1

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New Indie Film Shakes Up Takoma Park Blazers star on screens at Sundance Film Festival and theaters nationwide

By Milena Castillo The resounding toll of the first bell announces the beginning of David Andalman’s last year at Montgomery Blair High School. A small symphony of chattering voices turns into a booming orchestra as a wave of jean and plaid-patterned silhouettes flood the hallways. A cluster of smiling cheerleaders smoothly maneuver their way through the crowd, decked out in high ponytails and Timberland boots w i t h oversized sweatshirts

it him as one of the most likely to succeed).

He’s bringing gangster back Now, nearly sixteen years later, Andalman has revived his legacy in the area as a film director with the release of his new movie “American Milkshake.” The movie is actually set in Takoma Park in the mid-’90s and centers around a dorky magnet kid who desperately wants to become a part of the “gangsta” culture at his school. In the wake of his senior year, the protagonist, Jolie Jolson, finally decides that he’s been invisible for long enough and decides to make himself noticed by (drumroll, please...) trying out for the school basketball team. Of course he makes it in, ensuing a series of hilarious and uncomfortable scenes where Jolie tries everything and anything to fit in.

Watching Jolie make a fool of himself while tagging along with the Maple Avenue crew, viewers almost begin to feel bad for the poor guy, until they remember he’s cheating on his already-pregnant social reject of a girlfriend with a psychotic, bulimic cheerleader, who he’s also just gotten pregnant. The movie only gets weirder from here.

scenes.” Getting a bunch of free food wasn’t a bad deal either.

Lights, camera, action!

It was a typical after-school basketball practice for Blair junior Justin Johnson, until the casting directors showed up. Johnson was just shooting some hoops with friends at the Long Branch community center when Alderman approached his group and asked

son was eventually asked to play a member of the Maple Ave. crew and got assigned some lines as well. As the movie progressed, Johnson began spending more and more time on set. “One day I was filming from seven to one in the morning the next day,” says Johnson, “It was pretty intense.”

Johnson says that despite his inexperience with acting, he loved working with both the cast and crew. “Being in that movie was so dysfunctional but it was still amazing,” says

Rolling with the homies

ELIZABETH PHAM

thrown o v e r t h e i r matching uniforms.

The girls wave and giggle as they approach Andalman in the hallway and he gives them a big wink before continuing on his way to class. Yes, 1997 was undoubtedly an amazing year for David.

The star of the basketball team and practically a straight-A student, everyone knew that David was going places (Although strangely enough, the yearbook didn’t cred-

Although he comes off as a bit of a selfcentered jerk, there is still something about Jolie’s desperate search for acceptance that we can all relate to. The fact that the movie is filmed in the area and stars many Blair students also brings the story even closer to home. Those students who did take part in the movie certainly loved it and are very excited to see themselves onscreen. “It’s a cool thing getting to see people and places you know featured in a movie,” says Alex Michell, a junior at Blair and extra in the movie.

As soon as the search for extras reached the local neighborhood listservs, students began showing up on the set by the dozen.

One of these such students is sophomore Deo Cramer who got to be an extra in several basketball game scenes of the movie alongside some of her close friends. “It was really cool,” explains Cramer. “You sort of had to go through this woman who checked your clothing to make sure there were no labels or anything, but after that you were in.”

On the set, Cramer and her friends excitedly waited around for a couple of hours before the director was ready to shoot the scene. “There was a lot of sitting around, but I got to meet some really interesting people,” says Cramer. In between basketball games, extras were asked to change their clothes or tweak something about their outfits so that it would look like a new day at school. “It was my first time on the set of a movie so seeing the whole ‘behind-the-scenes’ process was amazing since I’m also interested in cinematography ,” enthuses Cramer.

Meeting the producers and directors was like a dream come true for her. “It was really cool,” says Cramer, “I’ve always wanted to be in a movie and it was incredible to meet some of the people that work behind the

COURTESY OF IMPAWARDS.

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TECH UPDATES “American Milkshake,” directed by David Andalman and Mariko Munro, stars Blair students Justin Johnson, Dio Cramer, Remzi Hazboun, and Alex Michell.

It debuted on January 20th at Sundance Film Festival, and is now available on iTunes. if they were interested in being in ‘American Milkshake’. Though Johnson was excited, he says he was surprised by the lack of enthusiasm in his teammates. “I was like, ‘heck yeah!’” exclaims Johnson. “But no one else seemed to be interested except for this one other guy. After that I showed up at the set consistently.”

Because of his undying dedication, John-

Johnson.

Order up

In the end, all the cast and crew’s work payed off. “American Milkshake” was nominated to be a part of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and has been available on iTunes and Comcast on Demand since September 6th.

KATRINA GOLLADAY

D2 Entertainment

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Discovery Roundup

October 3, 2013

Planes, trains and interfacing brains

by Grace Woodward Humans have come a long, long way from our homo neanderthalensis predecessors. As a species, we have created life-altering and innovative technologies that have expanded our capabilities beyond what we ever thought possible. Scientists work night and day to develop advances for the future, which keeps the modern world changing at every turn.

Science today is painting the reality of tomorrow, and recently the world of science has been abuzz with three scientific leaps toward the future.

A whale of a time

EVA SHEN

Flash back to 50 million years ago: the first whale ancestors were fourlegged omnivore covered in hair. Over the next 5 million years, whales evolved into an amphibious species, losing their hind legs. Eventually, the ancient animals adapted to water environments, beginning to resemble the modern sea mammals we know today.

While searching the Ocucaje Desert in southern Peru, paleontologists unearthed a 40 million-year-old whale fossil in early September. As the oldest whale fossil ever found in South America, the skull may bring researchers closer to fully understanding the connection between whales and their ancestors. This discovery marks the second ancient whale fossil found this year, after the first was found in August near the banks of the Potomac River in Virginia.

At 800 miles per hour, it’s the future of transportation For those who have a need for speed and are ready to forget painfully long drives, there’s hope. Elon Musk, the founder of Space and Tesla Motors, and the co-founder of PayPal, has created designs for what he’s dubbed the Hyperloop, a high-speed form of transportation that plans to shoot people through a pneumatic tube. The Hyperloop will transport passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in as few as 35 minutes, a trip that would normally take six to eight hours by car and over an hour by plane. Ideally, the Hyperloop’s path will almost directly follow the route of Interstate 5. It will not, however, follow its speed limit, as the Hyperloop can potentially reach speeds of up to 800 miles per hour. The number one problem facing the Hyperloop right now is that no companies have stepped forward to turn Musk’s plan for the new form of transportation into a reality. My guess is that the estimated budget of 6 to 7 billion dollars may have something to do with that.

Paging Mr. Spock Imagine communicating with your friends faster than a tweet. It might soon be possible. University of Washington (UW) scientists Rajesh Rao and Andrea Stocco have accomplished what they’re calling the first noninvasive human brain-to-brain interfacing. The project, which started in 2011, gained full steam in 2012 when both Rajesh and Stocco put aside other research and committed more time and focus to the effort. On Aug. 12, they demonstrated the technology using a simple video game in which Rao had to press a button to win. Simply by thinking about pressing the button, Rao sent a signal from his own brain through the Internet into Stocco’s brain, causing Stocco, who was blindfolded and wearing noise cancelling headphones, to move his hand the way Rao had imagined. Stocco’s reaction occurred fewer than 15 milliseconds after Rao sent the signal. In an interview with The Seattle Times, Stocco compared the feeling to that of a “nervous tic.” Although Rao and Stocco’s experiment is only a small step in linking two human brains, the researchers are already looking at a two-way system for a telepathic link with back-and-forth communication. Despite the project being in its early stages, Rao believes that, with time and more research, the project will be widely beneficial. “[The project] might have direct benefits for the paralyzed and the disabled in restoring communication and movement,” he said. Rao and Stocco are also looking forward to the possibility that their technology might help cross the language barrier. “In the long-term, brain-to-brain interfaces may allow nonverbal communication and cooperation between humans who don’t share a common language,” Rao said.

Stars in space Everyone’s dreamt of soaring among the stars, and some have even dreamt about soaring with the stars. A commercial venture is working to make that possibility a reality. Reaching an impressive altitude of over 69,000 feet above the earth, the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo completed its second successful test flight on Sept. 5. The test took place at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, making history as the highest commercial passenger suborbital spaceflight. The owner of the craft, Sir Richard Branson, who also owns Virgin Atlantic Airlines, proudly announced the achievement in a Virgin Galactic press release. “We couldn’t be more delighted to have another major supersonic milestone under our belts as we move toward a 2014 start of commercial service,” he declared.

People are itching for spots on the SpaceShipTwo, which will have room for six passengers on each flight. Passengers will experience approximately six weightless minutes in a two-hour end-to-end flight. Cheap in comparison to the 20 to 35 million dollars other space tourism companies are charging, Virgin Galactic is currently selling tickets for 250,000 dollars. As of August, around 640 people have signed up for a suborbital space flight with Virgin Galactic. Branson, who is no stranger to celebrities, has garnered a list of potential passengers that reads like a movie poster: Tom Hanks, Stephen King, Katy Perry, Ashton Kutcher, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt all have their spots reserved for a flight.

EVA SHEN

October 3, 2013

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Taking a wrecking ball to the Disney image When enough just isn’t enough: child stars transition to adulthood

By Blue Keleher Picture it: you’re walking down the hallway of your middle school, people passing in a blur of blues and grays, and all of a sudden you see a flash of bubblegum pink. On closer inspection, it’s the beaming portrait of “Hannah Montana” looking up at you from a girl’s themed backpack. Even if Miley Cyrus’ good-girl-with-a-secret persona didn’t feature in your childhood, you noticed her around you; she was the shiny pop idol of a young generation.

Maybe that’s why the Miley of today is such a shock. Gone are the gentle brunette waves and dainty little pink frocks. As she proved at the MTV Video Music Awards on August 25, present-day Miley is made of… well, different stuff. Blond pixie cut, provocative outfits, and – dare I say it? – twerking.

But, as with her peers, why she did what she did is much more interesting than what she actually did.

media scrutinizes everyone who is anyone 24/7, everyaction is magnified tenfold. The average transition from angsty teenager to responsible adult is already messy and tear-stained enough. Try struggling through your period of self-discovery on a stage flooded with spotlights, knowing that your every mistake will be captured and archived for the world to see.

When you think “rough transitions,” chances are Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan come to mind. Lindsay, who starred in Disney’s “The Parent Trap” before numerous brushes with the law, jail time, and stints in rehab, is the classic example of a young woman going off the deep end in the attempt to adjust. And who can forget Britney Spears’ 2007 shaved head meltdown extravaganza? Even Shia LeBoeuf, another

pressure the public places upon them.

Pointing fingers It’s easy to look at limelight personalities like Miley Cyrus, in the throes of their earlylife crises, and call them failures. Tabloid headlines describe such celebrities as oncepromising stars who have since “crashed” or “gone off the deep end.” Just because Miley’s new brand of publicity stunts isn’t PG13 doesn’t mean she’s a disaster: a glance at her whopping net worth of $150 million will instantly change your mind. But the fact remains that something affected the drastic change we see. The question is: what?

Some would say the fault lies with the parents. Any child will be influenced by the examples around him, regardless of wheth-

Catering to the customer

Not a child anymore Like many other Disney Channel child stars, Miley rose to fame long before she had a chance to mature. It’s all very well to have millions of adoring pre-pubescent fans, but what happens when you outgrow that role? You can gradually fade out of the spotlight, letting your celebrity career peak in your teenage years, or you can reinvent yourself as someone new and exciting who the world will get to discover, praise and criticize, love and hate all over again.

That’s exactly what Miley Cyrus has done. Her latest single, “Wrecking Ball,” aches of insecurity, heartbreak, and tragedy – heavy topics left largely untouched in her young roles. She’s tried to avoid being type cast as “that upbeat singing girl” (“You have no idea how many musicals show up on my door!” lamented the singer in an interview). Her ‘adult’ performance personality is so at odds with the “Hannah Montana” character that her old role hardly seems to associate with her current persona, which is probably just what she wants. Every interview, concert, and public appearance sets her farther apart from the one-dimensional child celebrity she used to be.

Living life on a bigger scale One of the biggest issues with fame as a child celebrity is that it infiltrates every aspect of your life. Let me explain: because the

Timberlake, Ashley Tisdale, Zac Efron, Kyle Massey, and many other now-successful actors and actresses got their start with the massive corporation.

Disney accepts into its maternal bosom hundreds of new, ambitious youngsters every year, which makes its irresponsible attitude toward its charges all the more worrisome. Marsh, in a statement last year, did express some concern for the trend of Disney-associated stars “going off the rails.” He did describe the weight of fans’ demands and marketing pressures as “nearly impossible.” And he did concede that the life of a star with Disney, is, by design, a brief one.

And yet, despite the meltdowns, the scandals, and even the suicides (most recently Lee Thompson Young, twenty-nine), Marsh speaks for Disney when he says they are “not responsible.”

Of course, the stars themselves must shoulder some, if not all, of the responsibility for their actions. However, in looking for a cause for their rocky transitions, there is a final possibility: us.

The sad, sad truth is that scandal sells.

Would we even be discussing Ms. Cyrus had she not flashed us her derriere, implied unseemly acts with a foam finger, and flaunted her questionable use of AfricanAmerican back-up dancers at the VMAs? No, we would be denouncing the runnerup in the publicity stunt shock value contest. As a culture that feeds on disaster, defamation, and intrigue, we leave those whose salaries depend upon us – namely, people in the entertainment industry – no choice but to inspire criticism. Miley Cyrus, in order to stay in the people’s good graces, must make them hate her.

Addicted to fame

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HANNAH MONTANA: THE REMIX Miley Cyrus has been receiving significant media attention for rapidly, and publicly, changing her image from sweet to spicy.

Disney contemporary who has successfully leapt into the dog-eat-dog world of big-buck Hollywood with franchises like “Transformers” and “Disturbia,” went through a rough period where he was arrested several times for DUIs and assault.

Teenagers in America may experience similar obstacles in the transition period of their lives; the temptation of drugs, drinking and driving, breakdowns and emotional upheavals, but for young celebrities, each and every transgression is blown wildly out of proportion, and i t only serves to amplify t h e

er they’re surrounded by paparazzi. When child actors and actresses make it big, as Miley Cyrus and countless peers before her have done, they become more than children: they become products. This heightened sense of value, and the strange inversion of familial dominance, can dramatically increase tension in a household. Lindsay Lohan’s parents, for example, have fought a vicious, public, and ongoing battle since their daughter’s notorious breakout. Mrs. Lohan, who accused her husband of abuse and rape, also insisted that he was the reason Lindsay is “so screwed up.” In response, Mr. Lohan claimed that his ex-wife is simply covering up for setting a poor example for the budding star.

Others find fault in the industry. After she checked herself into rehab for “emotional and physical issues,” Demi Lovato’s father told NBC News that “there are a lot of pressures … that is one of the things I worried about when she signed with Disney.” What tipped him in favor of letting her sign after all? The fame and the glory; the film opportunities and advertising contracts; the potential for the ridiculous salaries. DisKATRINA GOLLODAY ney markets itself as a “launch pad” to stardom, according to Disney Channel President Gary Marsh, and we can see its justification in Hollywood: Joseph GordonLevitt, Ryan Gosling, Selena Gomez, Justin

As the saying goes, any publicity is good publicity.

Miley’s VMAs stunner recently became the number one most tweeted about event in history. Even if the majority of the comments were criticisms of her ‘dancing’ and hyper-sexualized gestures, they all contributed to her name featuring in headlines around the country. ‘Cyrus’ was the most searched term on Google for days after the infamous event. But once you’ve reached those lofty heights, where do you go?

Miley, again, gives us the answer: if you want to stay relevant, you can only go up.

Instead of risking a gradual disappearance from Google search results and, in turn, the minds of the masses, she made her “Wrecking Ball” video even more shocking than her near-nude twerking onstage. Cue the Twitter storm. Brace for the interviews. Prepare yourself for even more attention.

It’s a vicious cycle; a dangerous, snowballing effect. Celebrity status is not a static thing: it’s constantly shifting as stars push in and out of the spotlight. Once famous, you cannot keep in the same vein. You need to be new and exciting, all the time. That’s why up and coming performers’ shows grow more and more wild, extravagant, or obscene over time; that’s where we get ‘leaked’ sex tapes and nude photo hoaxes (Adrienne Bailon, I’m looking at you); and that’s why, once you start, you can’t stop.

The child stars Disney Channel is famous for grooming begin their careers with a distinct disadvantage when compared to actors and actresses who come to prominence as adults. By the time they put children’s roles behind them and make their way toward Hollywood, their snowball has already had years to grow. A woman like Miley Cyrus who already has a history with the media must go to greater lengths to design her new image, and that is what we see today: a fame-addled victim of the media, struggling to redefine herself.

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Sliding to unlock a new social status

Apple debuts two classes of iPhones: the 5S and 5C

By Maya Habash Microsoft.

Apple.

Google.

Facebook.

The products from these companies have become staples in our culture by changing the face of communication and –most importantly—keeping us plugged in. We, the “internet generation,” have grown up with computers, televisions and cell phones, all luxuries that most of our parents sadly grew up without.

The cell phone has evolved from a brick-like object with keyboard-sized buttons on it and a skyscraper antenna to a lightweight mini tablet with infinite possibilities. And the staple of our culture that has taken the cellphone market by storm is the simple and sleek Apple iPhone.

The newest models On September 10th, eager iPhone fanatics were excited to find out about Apple’s newly-unveiled products: the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C. The 5S has all the features of the classic iPhone we know and love, along with a fingerprint identity sensor, a dual LED flash, a faster camera, and an operating system built specifically for 64-bit. While the greatness of the iPhone 5S has many tech fanatics cheering over their #teamiPhone status, the 5C seems to have received closer to 15 seconds of fame. While it does come in five fun colors, the plastic phone doesn’t exactly scream “sophisticated” the same way its big brother, the 5S, does.

The two phones have more than just a letter difference: they represent two differ-

vice. It’s all about being ahead of the game.

ent worlds of consumers. The 5S starts at $199 and can go up to $400, depending on how much data a customer buys. On the other hand, the 5C comes with a ticket price of only $99 and, even with special features, doesn’t range much past $200. The cheaper iPhones will give Apple a competitive edge in the fastest-growing smartphone markets, such as India and China. Though the iPhone is the most popular smartphone in the United States, winning 51 percent of sales, Androids are a close second.

Samsung has also taken a bite out of Apple’s sales on a global scale. So, Apple did what it had to do; it created a phone for the everyday man in order to climb its way to the top of the competitive ladder.

Picking teams

6 million iPhones are active in the United States

Stock market slumps Even though the excitement of two shiny new phone models should dazzle smartphone fans worldwide, many claim that the cheaper looking phone at a cheaper price won’t win Apple a number one spot.

In fact, Apple’s stock has dropped 11 points since the company debuted its new iPhones.

A phone is a phone

Thera are around 245 million in the world

Funky v. sophisticated Because the iPhone 5S is notably more expensive than past models, the difference between the 5S and the 5C goes beyond appearance and into the realm of class identification. The 5C’s branding as a fun and trendy new toy is obviously different than Apple’s attempts to make the 5S look mature, sleek, and modern. Apple’s approach to the 5C is that this is the phone for expressing personality, for declaring a certain level of individuality. And while the 5C

In the fight of cumbersome plastic versus modern metal, modernity always wins.

Society has already pitted the two phones against each other in a battle versus thecheap and the expensive, creating not only a potential status barrier among the phones, but also among the owners. “iPhone 5C. For the colorful.” “iPhone 5S. Forward thinking.” These are the exact words Apple uses to adverstise their products on their website. The term “colorful” makes it appeear as though the target audience for the 5C is simple and shallow, especially when compared with the target audience of the 5S, who is taking the cosmopolitan approach of “forward thinking.”

JENNA KANNER

has many of the same features as the 5S, the 5S is being advertised in a different light. Instead of being for the purpose of ex pression, rather it is for the purpose of owning a meticulously crafted and top notch de-

Looking back at the awkward and brace-faced years of the pre-pubescence, we remember getting a first cell phone as a shining highlight. Sending that first text and snapping that first selfie were the most important things, not the phone that was used to make them.

Whether consumers prefer the 5C or 5S, both are hot new cell phones for the new wave of teenagers, who in turn will look back on them in five years and laugh at the simple functions.

Most importantly, they will also recall the memories attached to the phone.

Apple users shouldn’t be alienated because of how much they decide to spend on a phone, instead they should feel fortunate to be able to afford to be a part of team iPhone.

D6 Chips Clips College Confidential

by Becca Sausville

Release the Kraken

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October 3, 2013

Across (abbr.)

47. “__ and dangerous” 49. Vacation to Cambridge?

55. Sultan’s domain 56. Blink 182’s “__ of the State” 57. To kill a dragon 58. To stick together, like blood 59. Type of race 60. Viva __ Vegas 61. Internet mark 62. Blank slate, Tabula __

1. Caribbean pirate 5. Messy person 9. Doctor of rap 12. Apple gift card?

14. Title, in French (abbr.)

15. TV show “__ or No __?”

16. Steps 17. Italian appetizer 19. Intimate group in Ithaca?

21. Uncredited movie role 22. Suffix of pea- and coco23. Swelling sickness 25. Writer Harper 27. Polite contraction 31. To lessen 32. No other 33. Nigerian Yoruba O’__ People’s Congress 34. Drove 36. Place where human bones are kept 38. Belgian town 39. Chinese monster 41. Nucleotide sequence 42. Woodworking tool 43. Explosive 44. Gleeful giggling 45. “Swing, Swing” group

Down 1. Compact ___ 2. Exterior prefix 3. Former “The Tonight Show” host 4. Soiree in New Jersey 5. Spoiled 6.16th president 7. Eight in Venice 8. Belonging to Spears?

9. Lucy’s husband 10. “___ it on a scale of 1 to 10” 11. Electric ‘70s supergroup 13. Big wisher

Sudoku: Hard

Sudoku: Easy

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15. Cafe in Hanover?

23. Not-so-subtle killer 24. Dried fruit 26. North Carolina school 28. Proverb 29. Multiple energy fields 30. Ancient Mesoamerican civilization 31. Love (Spanish) 32. Norse god 33. Opposite of pan 34. Slow, musically 35. Opening 37. Pittsburgh player 40. “___ ___ ___ much” (3 words) 44. Rites of Spring, e.g.

46. Actress Gardner 48. He doesn’t give a damn 49. Hawaiian dance 50. Exclamation of woe 51. Follower of eme- and ge52. Hip-hop group ___ ___ Soul (2 words) 53. You love (Latin) 54. “Divine Secrets of the ___55. ___ Sisterhood

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March of the Machines

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Today’s Tourism

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October 3, 2013

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La Esquina Latina

Silver Chips 3 de Octubre de 2013

La universidad: al alcance de los jóvenes latinos Blair ofrece una variedad de recursos y programas para los estudiantes interesados

Por Marisela Tobar Esa época del año ha llegado. Para muchos estudiantes del grado doce es el tiempo más ansioso pero emocionante de toda su carrera escolar. Se incrementan las visitas a los consejeros, además de la lista de “quehaceres”, ya que es el momento donde los estudiantes empiezan el proceso de aplicaciones para la universidad. En los últimos años el número de estudiantes hispanos que asisten a la universidad ha aumentado a un 22 por ciento, como lo indica el Departamento de Educación. Aún con estas cifras positivas, muchos estudiantes hispanos se desaniman por la necesidad de ayuda financiera que se requiere para asistir a la universidad.

Daniela Velásquez, una estudiante hispana cuya meta es eventualmente estudiar medicina y así convertirse en una doctora latina productiva e influyente, también enfrenta su preocupación sobre la ayuda financiera. “La ayuda financiera es extremadamente esencial en mi familia. Todos luchamos hoy en día y toda la ayuda que pueda encontrar me ayudará” expresa Velásquez. Por esa razón así como Velásquez hay muchos estudiantes a los que les interesa mucha la ayuda financiera que le brindan las becas. Desgraciadamente lo que le pasa a muchos de estos estudiantes es que muchos no encuentran recursos necesarios

para buscar las becas y la ayuda financiera que necesitan. La Sra. West y todo el equipo del Career Center ofrecen muchos recursos que muchos estudiantes hispanos le restan importancia. “Dedicamos una lista de becas específicamente para estudiantes Hispanos.

También tenemos un programa nuevo llamado ACES dirigido por el Sr. José Medrano en Montgomery College” informa la Sra.West. Además del listado de becas disponibles a estudiantes hispanos, el Career Center ofrece información no solamente en inglés pero también en español. Esta información incluye, folletos de universidades, explicación sobre ayuda financiera federal y otros materiales asociados con la escuela.

Andrea Morales, una estudiante del grado doce que ha buscado mucha información sobre ayuda financiera con su consejera al igual que buscar información sobre becas en College Board, reconoce que ser una estudiante hispana es muchas veces una ventaja cuando se solicitan becas. “Veo que ser parte de una minoría es positivo para las becas y hay muchas posibilidades de que encuentre becas específicamente para mi. Hay muchas becas para Hispanos/Latinos pero solo necesitamos encontrarlas,” reflexiona Morales. Pero a pesar de que muchos estudiantes hispanos tengan disponibles estas ayudas para poder alcanzar el estudio universitario, hay una población estudiantil que aún con sus sue-

Su educación continúa en EEUU Por Cindy Monge Blair se caracteriza por ser una escuela increíblemente diversa. Cada año aumenta más el número de estudiantes debido a varios aspectos, como el nivel de educación y la gama de programas educacionales que ofrece a los estudiantes. Este año Blair le ha dado la bienvenida a muchos estudiantes del noveno grado, pero en especial a la creciente población de estudiantes latinos. Muchos de ellos quienes recientemente han ingresado al país. Dentro de la enorme población del noveno grado, se encuentra este grupo de chicos del Programa de Educación Multidisciplinaria, Capacitación y Apoyo, conocido por sus siglas como “METS”. Este programa educacional tiene como propósito el, “satisfacer las necesidades lingüísticas y académicas de los estudiantes que están aprendiendo inglés que han tenido educación limitada,” de acuerdo con el resumen publicado por el portal de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Montgomery. Este programa también le brinda ayuda a estudiantes cuya educación haya tenido brechas educativas.

METS ayuda a los estudiantes a obtener el mismo nivel lingüístico que el resto de los estudiantes. De esa manera se les ayuda a progresar en otras áreas de la educación como la literatura y las matemáticas. La Sra. Alexiou, quien es la maestra de recursos en el departamento de ESOL, comenta que para poder tomar esta clase los estudiantes deben tomar una serie de exámenes y luego son asignados al programa. “Ellos son examinados en inglés y matemáticas,” explica. Después de eso, los estudiantes son calificados basados en sus propios conocimientos y son colocados en el nivel y la clase correcta. Los estudiantes reciben un horario con clases que deben tomar para aprender y dominar el inglés como su segundo idioma. Aunque en algunos casos estos estudiantes no tienen las habilidades de su primera lengua completamente desarrolladas, Blair les ofrece otros programas que ayudan a los estudiantes a continuar su educación. Ellos cuentan con el programa de Español para Hispanohablantes. Dividido en niveles, este programa entre otras cosas,

es para estudiantes que hablan español pero que tienen lagunas en otras áreas del idioma y se usa como base para que los estudiantes de METS logren fortalecer su lengua nativa y utilizarlo como recurso para aprender inglés.

Existen estudios donde se ha comprobado que dominar el lenguaje nativo acrecienta el aprendizaje y dominio de un segundo idioma.

La Señora Coombs, quien es la maestra de la mayoría de los estudiantes de METS, nos dice que ella se siente muy satisfecha al tener la oportunidad de trabajar con estos estudiantes y hacerlos sentir como en casa. “En inglés aprenden.. todo es en inglés. Al entrar aquí ellos rapidito me entienden,” dice sonriendo.

La Sra. Coombs explica que la clase de español para los estudiantes hispanohablantes como es el caso de los estudiantes de METS, es de gran ayuda para el manejo de inglés y español. “hay estudios que comprueban que cuando un estudiante fortalece su primer idioma.. se le hace más fácil adquirir las destrezas en un segundo idioma, “ dijo la Sra. Coombs.

Alexander Romero del noveno grado comenta sobre su entusiasmo de estar en la escuela y de todo lo que los maestros le están enseñando. “Me siento bien [de estar en Blair], me gusta y quiero aprender inglés para buscar un buen trabajo.” Alexander es uno de treinta y tres estudiantes nuevos en Blair que forman parte del programa METS. Rejinaldo Vásquez quien también cursa el noveno grado nos cuenta que él se siente agobiado por la complexidad de aprender un segundo idioma, pero se mantiene optimista. “[es] un poco frustrante, por el idioma.” dice Vásquez, añadiendo que, “La clase de inglés es difícil pero lo voy a lograr.” Por su parte el estudiante de noveno grado Brian López, comenta que sus padres le brindan todo el apoyo que él necesita y lo motivan para graduarse de escuela secundaria. “[mis padres están] felices, me dan apoyo y me dicen que siga adelante.” Los padres latinos entienden la importancia de la educación y es por esa razón que ellos impulsan a sus hijos a seguir educándose. Mientras ellos impulsan a sus hijos Blair les provee todos los recursos para seguir educándose.

ños de llegar a la universidad se encuentran estancados. Su estatus migratorio les limita a recibir la ayuda financiera accesible para ellos. Estos soñadores, también conocidos

“22% de los estudiantes hispanos asisten a la universidad.”

-Departamento de Educación como “Dreamers” se enfrentan con la difícil tarea de encontrar becas que no requieran que el estudiante sea ciudadano o residente permanente de los Estados Unidos. “Para un estudiante indocumentado será muy difícil encontrar becas porque muchas veces hay ciertos requisitos que limitan al estudiante indocumentado que aunque sea muy inteligente y trabajador este sea ignorado en el proceso” comenta Morales.

La realidad es que el proceso de encontrar ayuda financiera es más difícil y hasta requiere más tiempo pero no significa que la ayuda no existe. Las oportunidades de ayuda financiera pueden ser muy limitadas pero lo importante es buscar más información la

cual se puede encontrar en el Career Center.

“Las universidades están disponibles para los estudiantes indocumentados y hay algunas becas disponibles. Albeit’ el proceso de planear, aplicar y pagar por la universidad está involucrado. Pero aconsejo que lleguen al Career Center para más asistencia y que hablen a la oficinas financieras de las universidades que les interesen” recomienda la Sra. West.

Aunque los estudiantes indocumentados encuentran con muchos obstáculos, hay oportunidades que hacen que el sueño de poder ir a la universidad se convierta en una realidad. El Career Center también impulsa a que los estudiantes indocumentados aprovechen la oportunidad de solicitar al MC Scholars y el Macklin Business Program, que son becas completas para estudiar dos años en Montgomery College. De la misma manera que en la primavera apliquen para el MCPS Foundation Scholarship y Catalyst Scholarship que existen y están disponibles para los estudiantes de Blair sin importar su estatus legal. Es esencial que en cualquier situación todos los estudiantes que aspiran en llegar a la universidad busquen la ayuda financiera necesaria. “El dinero está allí, pero todo recae en la responsabilidad del estudiante a disciplinarse y solicitar todas las becas posibles” destacó Velásquez.

El esfuerzo académico recompensa ACES guía a la minoría estudiantil con el proceso universitario programa. “Recibo mucha ayuda en la aplicación y en encontrar la universidad específica Las escuelas públicas del condado de para mí,” expresó Reyes.

Los estudiantes que ya forman parte del Montgomery juntamente con Montgomery College y las universidades de Shady programa están dando un buen ejemplo en Grove colaboraron para hacer un programa que se pueden cumplir sueños si te lo prollamado: Alcanzando la Excelencia Colegial pones. Además, demuestra que no tener los y el Exito, conocido en sus siglas en inglés fondos suficientes no es un impedimento para como “ACES”. Este programa está diseñado poder asistir a instituciones y obtener estupara enfocar a los estudiantes sobreslientes dios avanzados. Mientras que el programa ACES no está diseñado del undécimo hasta para ser un programa el duodécimo grado y que tengan buenos “Recibo mucha ayuda en la de becas, el Condado de Montgomery, Montfundamentos acagomery College y las démicos para llegar aplicación y en encontrar la uniUniversidades de Shady a la universidad. versidad específica para mí,” Grove están trabajando Este programa es este momento para conadecuado para los -Rebeca Reyes, duodécimo grado seguir fondos para becas estudiantes que son en un futuro que podrá los primeros de su ayudar y favorecer los familia en asistir a la universidad. ACES apoya a las diferentes participantes del programa que califiquen. razas, afroamericanos e hispanos, así como a Algunos de los criterios que busca el prolas familias de bajos ingresos. Este programa grama en la selección de estudiantes es que los apoya y motiva a mantenerlos en un buen vaya a unas de las escuelas del Condado camino para poder asistir a la universidad y de Montgomery, que tenga la capacidad de carácter y sensatez, sin problemas de asistenlograr el éxito en la profesión que elijan.

Existen ciertos pasos a tomar para preparar cia escolar y potencial académico.

La consejera Johnson dice que el programa a los estudiantes a que reciban su licenciatura.

Cada estudiante que esté en el programa cuenta con un buen número de estudiantes. tendrá un asesor y mentor que les ayudará “Hay sesenta estudiantes del once grado, a aclarar sus dudas. La mayoría de los estu- y sesenta estudiantes del doce grado que diantes se gradúan de la escuela secundaria están en el programa,” dice, añadiendo los y tienen el deseo en seguir en la universidad siguiente, “El señor Medrano va a trabajar indecisos de que carrera escoger y con nece- con ellos y apoyarlos con la ayuda de los considad de ayuda financiera. Los encargados sejeros también. El programa está disponible del programa les darán asesoramiento que a todos los estudiantes pero... Es específico para [estudiantes] sobresalientes,” dijo la Sra. les ayudará a despejar las dudas.

Rebeca Reyes una estudiante de Blair en Johnson. Es un privilegio que los estudiantes el duodécimo grado comenta acerca de su tengan este tipo de ayuda y que pertenezcan a experiencia en el programa. “Sí, el programa las escuelas mencionadas porque así el apoyo me está ayudando mucho en cómo aplicar que les brindan será desde el undécimo hasta para las universidades y también me está el duodécimo grado para poder orientarlos en ayudando en buscar becas,” dijo. También, todas las materias. Ellos estarán listos para la que una cosa que le gusta del programa es la universidad y sobresaldrán en lo que decidan cantidad de ayuda y recursos que ofrece el prepararse teniendo así un futuro prometedor.

Por Jackeline Portillo

3 de octubre del 2013

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La Esquina Latina E2

Cine mexicano triunfa en Hollywood

Eugenio Derbez cautiva a la audiencia y a la crítica Por Karen Tituana

Hollywood suele conquistar el cine en países de Latinoamérica. Pero ahora, la comedia mexicana “No se aceptan devoluciones,” como se la conoce en español, está logrando el éxito que muy pocas películas de habla hispana logran en los Estados Unidos; convertirse en un éxito taquillero.

Fuentes de la industria reportaron que esta comedia dramática, dirigida y actuada por Eugenio Derbez, la cual abrió sus puertas el 30 de agosto, se ha convertido en la mejor cinta hispana en la historia de los Estados Unidos.

Éxito total

En las estimaciones preliminares de lunes a viernes y el fin de semana de la celebración del Día del Trabajo, la cinta con la que Eugenio Derbez debuta como director, se llevó el tercer lugar con casi 10 millones de dólares, lo que ninguna cinta latina ha podido lograr recaudar en su debut.

Aunque la película solo se estrenó en 347 cines, tuvo el mejor promedio de asistencia por sala con 21.6 dólares, más de tres veces del promedio que obtuvieron las otras cintas con mayor ingreso, pero con más salas de proyección.

Este éxito ha sorprendido a muchos espectadores. Pero para las personas que han seguido a Derbez en su trayectoria, el éxito de la película ya era algo esperado.

Litzabeth Mejía, una estudiante de noveno grado, dice que ella corrió al cine a ver la película con su familia en la misma noche que se estrenó y le encantó. “El director fue capaz de adaptar esta película a su público, el cual la mayoría son las mismas personas que han visto Univisión en los últimos, digamos, 10 años,” comenta Mejía.

Sin duda, este éxito se debe a los fieles seguidores de la televisión hispana. “[Derbez] supo cómo consentir a la audiencia hispana, con el uso de frases muy regionales a los países latinoamericanos, el hizo de la película un hogar muy familiar,” cuenta Litzabeth, “¡No hubo un solo momento en el cual mi abuelita no se estuvo riendo!” añadió.

Historia trascendente “No se aceptan devoluciones,”, narra la historia de un hombre mujeriego que sirve como guía de turistas en Acapulco. Este hombre tiene una aventurilla con una turista estadounidense, la cual regresa inesperadamente de los Estados Unidos para dejarle la bebé la

cual, fue “fruto” de esa relación pasajera.

Este cambio inesperado obliga al protagonista a madurar como padre y consolidar una historia de amor de padre e hija.

En la película mexicana, e-xisten muchos factores con los cuales los latinos fácilmente se pueden identificar. La película cuenta, con un pie plantado en México y el otro en Estados Unidos, una experiencia de dualidad que muchos latinos han experimentado. La película también aborda el tema de la separación de la familia, otro de los temas con que muchos latinos están íntimamente familiarizados.

La cinta es un esbozo de los mexicanos que cruzan la frontera para encontrar mejores oportunidades de trabajo, un camino que el mismo director y actor de la película ha seguido en los últimos años de dejar su lugar familiar en la televisión mexicana para triunfar en la televisión estadounidense.

El tema de la inmigración es un aspecto de la película visto cuando el protagonista, Valentín llega a los EE UU en busca de la mamá de la niña.

Pero, por cosas de la vida, Valentín termina convirtiéndose en un hombre económicamente triunfante. Desde luego la audiencia nunca más es recordada del estatus de inmigrante del protagonista, eso solo termina siendo secundario. “La inmigración es sin duda un tema importante en la película, sin embargo la gente quiere aspirar y a menudo no quiere recordar su estatus migratorio,” dijo Litzabeth.

El tema central de la película es el amor de un padre por su hija. Para Mejía la magia que logra esta película fue motivar a la audiencia a luchar y triunfar en los Estado Unidos. “Como audiencia a mí, me gusta que me hagan llorar, reír, pero sobre todo que me ilusionen y esta película tiene todos esos elementos”, añadió Litzabeth.

Cambiando perspectivas Por otro lado, la película también ha logrado sobrepasar los típicos estereotipos que Hollywood ha implicado a la comunidad latina.

La estudiante de undécimo grado, Irsa González, está experimentando un poco con el teatro en este nuevo año escolar, y dice que algún día tal vez le gustaría producir en el cine. Irsa dice

estar orgullosa con el nuevo papel que la comunidad latina está teniendo en el cine estadounidense, “me encanta ver lo diverso que es Estados Unidos y este efecto definitivamente se está comenzando a ver más en las producciones cinematográficas de hoy en día,” comenta González.

El cine norteamericano tiene una gran influencia en la difusión de estereotipos sobre las culturas extranjeras. Es decir que la in-dustria cinematográfica tiene el suficiente poder para divulgar las imágenes de otros y ser usadas como única representación de esas culturas o etnias. Muchas veces los latinos son representados como personas poco agradables en la sociedad.

Irsa González, expresa que esta película es un buen comienzo para que esa imagen que es proyectada de los latinos cambie, pero aún queda un largo camino. “Sin embargo, todavía existen los estereotipos raciales, no me han molestado mucho los estereotipos en comedias, pero llega un punto en que la gente se debe dar cuenta que estos estereotipos muchas veces no son verdaderos, son demasiado exagerados y a la vez ofensivos,” explica González.

“No se aceptan devoluciones” hizo a un lado los estereotipos negativos sobre los mexicanos y latinoamericanos en general, a su vez se han transmitido imágenes y virtudes positivas como amor, triunfo, pasión y valentía. Esto muestra que existe toda una comunidad de personas latinas que se han establecido en los Estados Unidos y que se han sacrificado durante décadas para que sus hijos ocupen puestos de importantes y especialmente de que vayan a la universidad.

Irsa comenta que es justo destacar esas cualidades de latinos luchadores y dedicados y que ya se están empezando a reflejar en el cine gracias a películas como esta. “Sería increíble seguir viendo más figuras hispanas haciendo de protagonistas con papeles principales; desde dirigentes, presidentes de corporaciones, empresarios, millonarios, en vez de los típicos papeles de siempre,” comentó González.

Por lo mismo, la cinta “No se aceptan devoluciones” muestra todo lo contrario; un hombre mexicano que con esfuerzo y sacrificio, logra trabajar como un doble muy famoso y exitoso de Hollywood, el cual vive muy cómodamente a lado de su hija. Algo que se refleja en las personas en Estados Unidos hoy en día - el deseo de que algún día sean completamente apreciados por la sociedad estadounidense.

Es indiscutible que la película ha unido a varias comunidades latinas para celebrar una sola causa; el orgullo de ser, ¡Latinos!

Y tú, ¿Qué piensas? ¿Cómo te ha parecido el éxito de los latinos en Hollywood?

“El éxito de ellos es muy bueno.”

-David Paniagua Décimo grado

“En mi opinión me parece fantástico el éxito de ellos.”

-Alfonso Catacora Onceavo grado

“No sé pero las modelos son muy hermosas.”

-Danny Onceavo grado

Revisitando sus raíces: estudiantes visitan sus países Por Milena Castillo y Cindy Monge Al igual que muchos inmigrantes en Estados Unidos, los estudiantes latinos de Blair extrañan sus raíces. Este verano, muchos estudiantes de Blair fueron muy afortunados de poder viajar a sus tierras nativas. Algunos se relajaron en las bellas playas de República Dominicana, mientras otros pasaron por los pueblos rústicos en El Salvador. Independientemente del itinerario de sus vacaciones, todos estos estudiantes disfrutaron de un viaje inolvidable.

Una gran parte de la felicidad que viene de volver a tu país nativo surge del poder visitar a tu familia. Star Ramírez, estudiante de Blair en el onceavo grado, dice que estar separada de su familia por tanto tiempo se siente raro.

“Fue increíble poder pasar tiempo de nuevo con la familia de mi papá. Inclusive tuve la oportunidad de festejar mi cumpleaños con ellos,” dice Ramírez. Este verano, Ramírez viajó a El Salvador y pasó mucho tiempo celebrando con la familia de su padre.

Ellos pudieron caminar por las playas y hasta participó en un desfile comunitario. Pero con tanto, su parte preferida del viaje fue visitar a las boutiques y tiendas locales. “Me encanta el estilo único de ropa de ahí,” exclama Ramírez.

Ella dice que este estilo de ropa único es uno de los componentes más importantes de su cultura

y algo que ella trata de imitar.

La mayoría de los estudiantes latinos de Blair que viajaron a sus países latinoamericanos este verano también disfrutaron de poder encontrarse con viejos amigos.

Marjorie Martínez, una senior en Blair quien pasó dos meses en El Salvador con su familia, dice que ella todavía trata de quedarse en contacto con sus amigos aunque no tiene la oportunidad de verlos en persona muy seguido.

“Me siento triste porque ya no estoy con mis amigos,” explica Martínez, “todos llevaron diferentes rumbos, unos en una escuela otros en otra. Pero siempre nos mantenemos contados por Facebook.” Afortunadamente, Martínez tuvo la oportunidad de encontrarse con amigos en la quinceañera de su prima que justo coincidió con su visita.

Aparte de estar planeando para la fiesta, Martínez tuvo tiempo de visitar la playa y viajar a San Salvador por dos días donde gozó de comer las pupusas y el pollo campero que tanto había extrañado.

En San Salvador, ella se quedó en la casa de sus padres la cual se sentía muy familiar. “Todo estaba igual como cuando lo dejamos,” dice Martínez. Al final, llegó la hora de volver a los Estados, pero Martínez nunca se olvida las memorias de este verano. Aunque para algunos estudiantes visitar a sus países es solamente una

diversión y pasarla bien, Charina Rodríguez del décimo grado, quien viaja a la República Dominicana para visitar a su madre y a sus hermanos.

Ella nos comenta que cuando se reúne con su mama y familia se vuelven inseparables, pero saben que ella tiene que volver a Maryland después de las vacaciones. “Voy a ver a mi mamá y a mi familia. Es muy emocionante cuando estamos juntas no nos queremos separar pero tengo que venir aquí [a los Estados Unidos],” dice Rodríguez.

Para ella en la República Dominicana la vida es mucho más pintoresca. “la cultura y la libertad, porque nuestra cultura es más linda que la de acá y se vive más,” dice ella. Añadiendo que,“la playa Boca Chica, es una de las playas más bonitas de mi país.”

Pues no solo los bellos paisajes son los que la llenan de melancolía, pero también le encanta deleitarse de comida típica dominicana. “el sancocho hecho por las manos de mi madre,” comenta ella. Añadiendo que,“la playa Boca Chica, es una de las playas más bonitas de mi país.”

Ella explica que este sacrificio vale la pena ya que ella está obteniendo un mejor nivel de educación. “me encantaría vivir en mi país,” expresa Chanira. Pero ella vino a este país para tener una mejor educación.

“No sé tanto de los latinos en Hollywood pero sé que son gente talentosa.”

-Iris Miranda Décimo grado

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.

F1 Sports

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Short sports reports Blazers kick off a fall sports season

SAMUEL PINCZUK

JUKED Quarterback Raymond Burtnick eludes a tackler.

October 3, 2013

By Landon Harris and Leila Habib Football

Notorious for its futility, Blair football (2-2) has historically entered the season with low expectations. However, change may be on the horizon for the Blazers, who have opened this fall as impressively as anyone could have hoped for.

With a dominant 25-0 shutout of rival Kennedy, Blair has kicked off the year with a win for the first time in several years. A strong balance between offense and defense was evident, as the Blazers put up enough points to build a solid lead and were stout enough defensively to keep it from being challenged. Senior Raymond Burtnick returns at quarterback, and is a dual threat who can hurt opposing defenses both through the air and on the ground. He had three total touchdowns in the opener, two passing and one rushing. Burtnick is flanked in the backfield by senior running backs Darron Cumberbatch and Gage Hack, and armed with electrifying receivers in junior Daymon Anderson and senior Darryl Blue.

The defense is anchored in the middle by inside linebackers junior Yonis Blanco and senior Edwin Buruca-Ramos. The two linebackers commanded a defensive unit that forced five turnovers against Kennedy.

Although it’s early, the team just seems to have more swagger, and new head coach Andrew Fields has instilled a culture based on team unity and preparation. “They changed the culture, meaning how we practice, how we play, our attitude, and how we present ourselves,” said Cumberbatch. In practice, both the starting offense and defense match up against scout teams who imitate the playing styles of next weeks opponents. “The way we practice is as if we were going to be playing Sherwood, or Kennedy, or Northwood the next day,” explained Cumberbatch.

The new approach has Blair football confident for the first time in a long while. “Last year we sort of had an idea of what the other team was going to do. This year, every week we’re going to go into the game knowing we can win,” Cumberbatch asserted. The old cliché is “attitude is everything,” and for Blair football, it just may hold true.

Girls’ Soccer Girls’ Varsity Soccer (2-5) is determined to improve last season’s 8-5 record, but the team started off slowly with a loss to B-CC. Last season, the team made it to the playoffs, but lost in the first round to Wootton in penalty kicks. It was the first time in six seasons that the team didn’t get at least 10 wins.

However, the girls’ long practices paid off as the Blazers defeated Kennedy with a score of 4-0. “We have been spending a lot of time in practice trying to get our front line to connect and finish plays,” senior captain and defender Briana Villa said. “Our outside defenders also had a chance to join in the attack, which is good because it allowed them to create plays, put more pressure on Kennedy’s defense, and add more support to our offense.”

The team lost several leading scorers, so head coach Robert Gibb is observing the current players. “It’s a question of, can somebody step in and fill the void?” he stated. Gibb has noticed skill in new players such as freshman striker Joelle Nuluw.

Nuluw scored the winning goal in the first scrimmage against St. John’s. “She was on a fast break and ran all the way down the field,” Gibb remembered. “That shows she’s got what it takes.”

In addition to emerging talents, the team’s twelve seniors bring leadership and drive. “We have a lot of experience, and a lot of players who want to finish out their soccer careers at Blair with the best possible team,” Gibb said. The new talent and experienced seniors have instilled hope in the team. The disappointing end to last season has motivated the team to work hard to win the division back. “It puts us into this season with almost a feeling of unfinished business,” Gibb said.

Emma Howells

ON THE MOVE Benamna charges past a defender.

Boys’ Soccer Boys’ Varsity Soccer (5-1) has high hopes for this season after beating two top ranking schools, Gonzaga College Prep ranked 9th in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of Americain the preseason, and Bethesda-Chevy Chase in the regular season. Kennedy, on the other hand, proved to be a harder team to beat, resulting in the Blazers losing 2-4.

The boys’ two victories, however, help uphold the team’s high standards that were reinforced last year with a 10-2 record. “We had double digit wins,” head coach John Haigh said. “When you’re talking soccer with only 12 regular season games, 10 is a lot.”

During the B-CC game, the Blazers didn’t have senior captain Donald Benamna, their leading scorer. The team also lost senior captain Alex Epstein, the center back, to an injury in the first ten minutes. Benamna and Epstein are key players, says Haigh, so winning the game without them on the field was a great accomplishment. “We were still able to beat a very strong team,” he said, despite the losses.

The team attributes their wins to the fact that most of the athletes are friends both on and off the field. “They really look out for each other and that really translates to the field,” Haigh said, “Everyone wants to work hard for one another.

They don’t want to let each other down.” Wako believes the boys’ chemistry helps their performance. “We know how to play with each other,” he said, “We don’t get mad at each other on the field.”

This season, the team would like to fulfill their goal of winning states, and Wako believes this is only possible if the team learns how to finish and work as a team. “We’re going to do great if we play as a team and work hard,” he said, “We could actually go further than the playoffs and win more games.”

SAM HOWELLS

COVERING GROUND Delia Trimble runs down the field.

SAMUEL PINCZUK

MIMI SIM

A HELPING HAND Johnson strides up the court.

Corollary Team Handball Corollary Handball (2-0) enters its second year of existence looking to maintain the high standard set in its inauguralseason. The team is coming off an undefeated season, and although they have played only a few practices, all indications point to a similarly successful season this year. “We’ve had practice and everyone who was there was working really hard, seemed to like it, and picked up the game pretty quickly,” said Coach Mattan Berner-Kadish, a senior at Blair.

Although the team lost some key experience and leadership in last year’s senior captains Johnny Scott and Josh Schmidt, the return of some of last season’s stars and the arrival of new talent has Coach Berner-Kadish optimistic. “We got back a bunch of our really important players. We also got a few key recruits,” Berner-Kadish said. “There’s still tons to learn for everyone,” he admitted, “but we’re looking really good.”

Two of the returning players that strengthen this year’s squad are sophomore Nico Smith and junior Justin Johnson.

Smith brings back the quickness and strong arm that made him a contributor last season. Johnson’s great length and cannon of an arm give him the tools to be a top goal scorer in back to back seasons. If there was one drawback to last year’s perfect season, Berner Kadish believes it was the lack of postseason play. “I would have liked there to be a playoff,” he said, “This year there is a playoff system, we’ll see what happens.”

“We’re attempting to treat this like a varsity sport, we’re gonna take it seriously,” asserted Berner Kadish. Even so, the team realizes the importance keeping the sport fun, as opponents are sometimes mentally or physically handicapped.

“In that case, our goal is to have a good time, for them to have a good time, and for this to be a sport that’s accessible, exciting, and fun for everyone,” assured Berner-Kadish.

OOH KILL EM Amy Yan serves the ball for Blair.

Girls’ Volleyball

Girls’ Volleyball (3-3) may not have won its opener against Seneca Valley, but by fighting to keep the match close throughout, they showed competitive promise that was not present last year. The team followed up the close loss with back to back victories over Rockville and Kennedy, and is off to an encouraging start to the season.

Even so, after a disappointing 4-10 campaign last year, there is certainly room for continued improvement this fall.

A lot of these improvements must come in the mental facets of the game, according to players on the team.

“Last year we didn’t go onto the courts like we expected to win or with the right attitude,” confessed junior captain Angela Zhou. “We got to work for it,” junior co-captain Jade Liu added. Honing physical skills is a priority as well. “We’re trying out some new drills in practice to see if they improve us in any way,” said Zhou.

The biggest factor in determining girls’ volleyball’s success this season may be how quickly the young team can gain experience. Volleyball lost eight seniors, which will be difficult to overcome. There is hope, however, with the influx of new talent from last year’s junior varsity team. “We lost a lot of experience, but we have a lot of good JV players and strong athletes,” claimed Zhou.

Although they are raw experience-wise, youth and athleticism are two important traits to build upon. Zhou envisions a promising future for the team if they put in the effort, “We have potential, we just need to keep working and polishing our game,” she said. For the Blazers, this season is all about a new beginning. “This year we’re starting over again,” said Zhou.

see SPORTS UPDATE on page F3

October 3, 2013

Sports F2

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Nationals fall short of fan expectations

After last year’s successful streak, Nats decline

By Alex Frandsen The Washington Nationals don’t suck. If there’s any consolation to take from this season, that would be it. With a .517 winning percentage, they’re almost certain to become just the second team in franchise history to notch a winning record. But when the 2013 MLB season comes to a close, the only emotion most Washington fans will feel is disappointment.

There will most likely be no playoffs this year in D.C., and after last year’s breakthrough, that’s really the only barometer of success.

Once you’ve tasted October baseball, anything else is bitter.

It’s safe to say that the city had a fully-blown crush on the team heading into the season. And after a 98-win season last year, it was completely justified. With stud muffins like Bryce Harper, Ian Desmond, and Ryan Zimmerman patrolling the field, expectations were exceptionally high. Not only was talk of going to the World Series widespread, it was realistic, too. The pitching staff looked outstanding, the offense seemed strong, and the bullpen was solid.

But then, unfortunately, the season started. The Nationals played average baseball for the first three months of the season, and followed that up with an awful July, coming

out with a dismal record of 11-16.

By the time the month ended, they were 11 and a half games back in the division, and fourth in the wildcard race. August and September were much more successful, but the hole was too deep.

It’s hard to blame the performance of the team on just one thing in particular. The offense became one of the more mediocre units in the league, and former contributors like Drew Storen and Danny Espinosa suddenly lost the ability to play baseball. The top three starters in the rotation were solid, but the other two spots were sketchy, as Dan Haren and Ross Detwiler suffered from either being terrible or being injured, and sometimes both (Detwiler managed only 13 starts this year, and Haren needed a hot streak to get his ERA below 5). But perhaps the most important factor that fan’s disappointment this season was simply having ridiculously high hopes. In the past five years, only three teams have improved upon a season of 95 wins or more, and those teams are the Red Sox, Phillies, and Yankees. Not only are those some of the classic franchises in baseball, they have some of the most experience, too. The Nationals are the fourth youngest team in the MLB, and although that’s a blessing in many ways, it’s also a

curse. Much of the Nationals core group of players is still developing, including Bryce Harper, probably the most talented player on the team. He’s not even allowed to drink legally yet, and if he were a normal human being and not some creature made in a lab to play baseball, he’d still be in college right now.

With youth like that on the team, a few speed bumps can be expected.

The season was not a complete disaster, even if D.C. fans act like it.

In all likelihood, the 2013 Nationals will finish with the second best record in franchise history, and there were a number of bright spots on the team. Outfielder Jayson Werth’s play has been nearly as dazzling as his facial hair since returning from the disabled list in June, and he’s currently fourth in the league in batting

average. Shortstop Ian Desmond has quietly solidified himself as one of the premier offensive shortstops in the game,

KYLE DESIDERIO

with 20 homeruns and 71 runs batted in under his belt. And Denard Span, after a disappointing first couple months with team, is in the midst

of a 23 game hitting streak. Although Harper has missed a significant amount of games to injury, his presence and swagger have been impressive. Plus, he’s kept the teenage girl (and boy) audience tuned in through the rougher stretches of the season.

For the ridiculously optimistic fans out there, there’s still some hope (“Some” being generous). The Nationals aren’t technically out of the race for a playoff spot, but barring some miracle from the baseball gods, there won’t be any playoff baseball in Nationals Park this fall. And while that’s disappointing, it shouldn’t dampen the mood of any fan for too long.

With another year of experience, the young core should improve next season, and there’s an entire offseason to address team needs.

Missing the playoffs is a downer, but chances are that the Washington Nationals will be back in the postseason sooner rather than later.

They weren’t absolutely awful this year, and that’s more than we Nats fans could say just three seasons ago.

Fall sports teams: 2013 season update from SPORTS UPDATE page on F1 Field Hockey Varsity Field Hockey (2-2) is confident after their 9-5 record last season. The team carried this self-assurance into their first game against Northwood, winning 5-1, and after suffering a two-game losing streak against Clarksburg and Walter Johnson, the team recovered with a win against Bethesda-Chevy Chase.

The girls demonstrated their adaptability to unfavorable conditions during their season opener.

“They adapted to the field, which wasn’t so great,” head coach Candace Thurman said. The Blazers’ chemistry was also pertinent to their success.

“We’re very close,” senior captain Susannah Merrill said, describing the tight-knit team, “and we know how to communicate.”

The Clarksburg game emphasized the team’s need to learn to make quick decisions using their tactical skills, HOCKEY Allison which would have come to use when Clarksburg scored with three minutes left in the game. “We need to score more often with pressure and work on switching fields,” Merrill said, emphasizing the importance of knowing how to pass the ball to and from

different sides of the field. Thurman, on the other hand, believes the most pressing problem is field awareness. “We need to work on positioning and having a greater visual of the field,” she said.

In addition to the necessary improvements, the team must deal with the loss of a few key players, such as middle Zoe McCarthy and goalie Mattie Cohen, who both graduated last year. “Zoe in the middle was a real sparkplug, and we had a very observant, mature goalie, Mattie,” Thurman praised.

The senior losses worried Merrill, but, as the season has progressed, she has seen skill in her teammates, such as sophomore forwards

vance far into the playoffs after being eliminated during the first round against Blake with a score of 0-2 last season. “I really want to get past the second round,” Merrill said. However, every two years, the schools’ schedules are realigned, which added high-ranking schools such as Clarksburg, B-CC, Good Counsel, and Wootton to Blair’s schedule. Thurman admitted that the new schedule will be more challenging. “We have a tough schedule,” she said.

At the very least, Thurman says she would like the girls to match their record from last season. “I’m hoping to equal our record, which might be very hard,” she admitted.

“We might have a record that isn’t as good, but we will be going against better teams.”

Cross Country

Chen dodges a BCC defender.

Anna Reachmack and Madeleine Boyer, and senior midfielder Jenna Kanner. “Anna and Maddie score a lot, and Jenna is a very good, fast midfielder,” Merrill said.

By making the necessary improvements, the team is hoping to ad-

Despite an opening loss, Blair’s Cross Country team (1-1) enters the new school year riding on the momentum gained from last season’s end, in which both the girls’ KYRA SEIGER and boys’ varsity squads posted winning records. The girls (5-0) dominated the competition while the boys (3-2) secured their first winning season in several years.

Expectations for this season are high, as the Blazers strong performance at counties last

fall resulted in the team getting bumped up a division, from D II to D III. Junior captain Jack Murphy acknowledged the challenge of running in an elevated division. “The teams in Division II are much better than in Division III,” he says. However, he believes the team can handle the competition. “We’re just going to try and run well and stay competitive in most of our races,” Murphy said.

Much of the Blazers’ success this season is dependent on whether they adhere to principles from last year. Great teamwork during races accounted for many of the team’s victories in the previous season.

“We did a really good job last year running as a pack, staying together, and pushing each other in races,” said Murphy, “so we want to carry that through this year.”

Although Cross Country consists of individual runner’s competing, it takes the collective efforts of an entire team to win a race.

Fortunately, maintaining the team chemistry from last year should not be difficult for the Blazers. The team lost few seniors and returns the same two head coaches. “We were lucky we didn’t have that many seniors that left,” Murphy said. The biggest changes for the team comes through the acquisitions they’ve made. Jeremy Gagnon and Laura Shonkwiler are fast incoming freshman to watch out for, and star sophomore Alex Mangiaifico is healthy after missing a majority of last season due to injury. With prior success and new talent, Blair Cross Country is poised for another big season.

Crew Blair’s Crew Team is optimistic

about how the team will perform this season due to improvements they have made since last fall.

The focus of the fall season is conditioning, rather than rowing, in order to build strength and power for spring. In addition, the recruitment that occurred throughout the year has resulted in a large number of varsity rowers, who have allowed the team to enter many boats in competitions.

“The big pool of varsity is going to let us create the best lineups,” senior captain Cailyn Keely said.

The coaches and captains have attributed the large team to the rowers’ welcoming character. “They’re very inclusive,” land coach Jodi Gail said, “They want anyone who wants to join to come give it a try.”

The adaptability of the team also contributes to the team’s growing progress.

“When things go wrong, we don’t panic. We can work through any problems that might show up,” senior Grant Tipton said.

However, in order to make progress, the rowers must attend practice regularly. The captains and coaches recognize that this does not always happen, so they emphasize the importance of attendance. “We want to see all the rowers showing up to all the practices,” Keely said.

The captains have been observing the new varsity rowers, and say they have seen a lot of potential in junior Emily O’Brien and sophomore Andrew Fuchs due to their strength, power, technique and commitment.

The team plans to record themselves while rowing in order to improve their technique enough to send some boats to Nationals.

F3 Sports

silverchips

silverchips.mbhs.edu/section/sports

October 3, 2013

Vikings outlast Blazers in field hockey battle Whitman’s constant offensive attack too much for Blair defense

By Kyle Desiderio BLAIR STADIUM, SEPT. 26— A stellar Whitman (4-4) offense outmatched the Blair field hockey team (34), scoring early and never looking back before eventually winning 3-0. Despite big changes to the Blazers’ approach on offense, the Vikings’ defense was able to hold the team scoreless.

The Whitman offensive barrage began early in the first when forward Allie Boyan scored the first goal. This would set the tone for the rest of the half, with Whitman constantly attacking, rarely giving the Blazer defense a break. Despite that Whitman maintained nearly constant possession for the first 10 minutes of the game, Blair was able to hold the team to just one goal, including two clutch saves by the defense after back-toback penalty corners.

However, the defense was eventually unable to hold back Whitman’s constant attack and gave two consecutive goals again by forward Allie Boyan and forward Ellie Gill. “We didn’t play as well on defense as normal,” head coach Candace Thurman claimed. The offense struggled in the first half, with Whitman collapsing on any Blazer with possession.

Whitman collapsing on any Blazer with possession.

Due to a lackluster opening half, the Blazers came into the second half with major changes to their approach. “We put some different players up front and back,” Coach Thurman said. Senior Temi Ibirogba was switched from forward to her traditional defensive position in the second half, which added a needed speed element to Blair’s defense.

“It really made a difference,” Thurman claimed.

In terms of offense, the second half was a completely different game for the Blazers, with several breakaway attempts in

Suited Up

the first few minutes. Despite these early attacks, the Viking defense highlighted by goalkeeper Kate Goldberg was able to keep the Blazers scoreless for the rest of the game.

Despite the loss, Coach Thurman appreciated the teams’ ability to adapt and stay determined after a less-than-ideal start. “The midfield picked it up,” Thurman said highlighting players such as junior Liza Curico. Thurman also feels that if the Blazers entered the second half tied “we would have probably scored in the last few minutes and won.” Ultimately, Thurman believed, “we just need to play more consistently.”

The Girls’ varsity Field Hockey team’s next home game is against Good Counsel High School on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m.

PHOTO BY MIMI SIM

A SPECIAL THANK YOU Football players chose staff members to wear their jerseys.

insideSPORTS Fall Sports Update see page F1

The fall sports season is in full swing, read up on your favorite Blazer team!

Not good enough see page F2

The Nationals won 86 games, but can the season be called a success?

PHOTO BY KYRA SEIGER

SLAP STICK Maddie Boyer maintains possesion over the ball at Wheaton.

ART BY KATRINA GOLLADAY

Blair dominates Northwood in the Battle of the Boulevard Senior Darron Cumberbatch leads the way in double digit blowout

By Abel Chanyalew BLAIR STADIUM, SEPT. 21 — On a chilly, rainy day, the annual Battle of the Boulevard between the Blair Blazers and the Northwood Gladiators did not dampen the spirits of Blair fans. The student section, filled with mainly juniors and seniors, was in full throat for four quarters, displaying the kind of liveliness in the stands that had been missing in games preceding this season. Despite the weather conditions, loyal fans stuck it out until the final whistle in order to watch the Blazers (2-1) crush the Gladiators (0-3), 28-6.

Though it was a much hyped game for both the Blair and Northwood communities, head coach Andrew Fields and his team had a different opinion.

“We felt like we were the better team but we didn’t brag about it,” senior captain Darron Cumberbatch said, “We just let the final score do all the talking for us.”

Northwood, led by quarterback Charles Hennessey, was coming off back-to-back losses by 30 points or more, and while they didn’t give up quite as many on Saturday, Hennessey and the Gladiators were thoroughly dominated. Early

on, however, the game didn’t appear that one-sided. After receiving the opening kickoff, Northwood came out on offense with some creative sets and play calls, but penalties derailed the drive.

But the Blazers were not immune to mistakes either. Quarterback Raymond Burtnick threw an early pick to Northwood’s Kyon Giles, but fortunately for Blair, the Gladiators were unable to capitalize off the turnover. Both teams got off to slow starts, and the first quarter ended in a scoreless tie.

In the next quarter, the Blazers began to get in gear. Defensively, Blair locked up on defense in the second quarter, and for the third straight game, they did not allow a single point during that 12 minute period. The Blazers began their offensive onslaught with a deep pass down the sideline from Burtnick to wide receiver Sal Sei that put the offense inside the 10 yard line. They capped off the drive with a red zone touchdown to receiver Malcolm Williams. After an additional touchdown by running back Yonas Blanco and a two-point conversion, the Blazers took a 14-0 halftime lead.

Northwood had few big plays and no one for the Gladiators could really help out their quarter-

back. Blair, however, had no lack of playmakers. In this game, Cumberbatch was the workhorse back.

He broke off several long runs during his 151 yard, one touchdown performance, and gave a lot of credit to the big guys up front.

“The offensive line is the key to everything,” he explained, “without those big guys blocking and doing the dirty work, I won’t be able to do anything.”

Even with his big day in the running game, Cumberbatch’s most important play may have been on special teams. Cumberbatch took the game into his own hands and essentially put the Battle of the Boulevard out of reach when he returned the opening kick of the second half 82 yards for a touchdown. His score put Blair ahead by 21 points, sealing the Blazers’ second win of the season. Fellow captain Gage Hack ran in another touchdown to give Blair four touchdowns on the day, and then Northwood’s late score made the final score 286.

But the football team wasn’t the only winner of the Battle of the Boulevard. Blair principal Renay Johnson made a bet with Northwood principal Mildred Charley-Greene over the outcome

of the game. The losing school’s principal would have to wear the gear of the winning school. But while this game had high stakes attached to it for a lot of people, Coach Fields was adamant about the meaning of this rivalry.

“This game is just like any

other. There is no special preparation,” he said, “Northwood will never beat us. You can put that in your headline.”

The Blair varsity football team will play its next home game on Oct. 11. against Wheaton High School at 6:30.

PHOTO BY ISABEL HENDRIX

LOCKED IN Blair’s offense, led by seniors Raymond Burtnick and Darron Cumberbatch, got rolling in the second quarter.