Montgomery Blair High School SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND
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COURTESY OF DYLAN CROSSON
June 3, 2014
Study abroad C3
Winner of the 2013 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown Award
VOL 76 NO 7
SGA conducts Softball plays in states second election Team goes to state semi-finals for second time in program history I think they came in thinking it was going to be an easy win based on our last performance and it
when Danielle Stewart smacked a 2-run triple to give Chesapeake a After a long, successful season, 2-0 lead. However Blair responded the Blair Softball team when Pietanza laced a (19-3) fell to the ladies single up the middle to of Chesapeake High drive in a run. School (17-6) in the The Blazers would Maryland 4A West hit the ball hard State Semifinals. throughout the game, With the game but many times right highly advertised at Chesapeake players. throughout the week, The Cougars showed Blazer Nation arrived their rock solid dein swarms, casting fense and played pretty the Blair cheering secmuch error-free softball tion with a sea of red. throughout the game. The electric crowd The game settled was loud and alive into a defensive strugthroughout the game, gle until the top of the and fans certainly got Chesapeake order came their $6 worth in this up again. This time, the rematch of the 2012 Cougars put runners state semifinal. on for power hitting In 2012 when these catcher Deja Sutton, teams met, even one and Sutton responded COURTESY OF JOANNE PIETANZA of the best Blair softin a big way crushing ball teams in recent A STATE SWING Junior Camilla Arias hits the ball a monster 2-run triple memory was no match at the state semifinal match-up against Chesapeake. over the head of Blair for the Cougars. This left fielder Megan Houtime around, however, lihan. the Blazers pushed wasn’t,” said senior captain Annie The Blazers would continue to Chesapeake to the brink in a hotly Pietanza. battle, though. In the final inning, contested showdown. “It felt good The Cougars flexed their ofsee SOFTBALL page F3 to get our revenge on Chesapeake. fensive prowess in the first inning
By Jack Estrin and Leila Habib
The SGA found that 73 percent of the total junior class voted and The Blair Student Government 75 percent of the sophomore class Association (SGA) administered voted. Because of this, they decida reelection for junior and senior ed to hold a reelection for the two class presidents due to a computer presidential positions. “There was one where glitch in the it was aboriginal elec73% of juniors & solutely too tion on Apr. Apr. close to call 30. 75% of sophomores 30 and one Followvoted in SGA election where it ing the elecwas mathtion, the 99% of both classes May ematically SGA totaled possible the number 23 voted in a re-election to have of votes and made a compared CLASS PRESIDENT: difference, them to the 2015 and we alnumber of TIGIST TADESSE lowed all of students in those caneach class. didates to “We looked CLASS PRESIDENT: run again,” at the elec2016 Klein said. tions and the FOLANE ZELEKE The first results and KELSEY GROSS election said, in fairyielded difness, since normally one hundred percent get ferent results than the final electo vote, are there any elections that tion for one position, which junior could have been affected by not ev- Tigist Tadesse, an SGA member, ateryone getting a chance to vote?” tributes to not everyone being able SGA Sponsor Christopher Klein said. see SGA page A3
By Emily Daly
Blair hosts county summer school
Marching forward
By Aditi Subramanian Blair will be hosting the Regional High School Summer Program from June 23 to August 1 this summer for the first time in many years. The program is open to all students in the county who are interested in either completing a course for the first time or retaking one they previously failed. Summer school runs Monday
to Friday from 8:10 AM to 1:00 PM. Traditional year-long classes are condensed into two eighteenday long semesters and students are only allowed to take one class per semester. “The students learn one subject for four hours a day, so in each day they learn as much as they would in a whole week of school during the regular year,” said Blair secretary Roxanne Fus.
see SCHOOL page A2
Elementary evolution By Blue Keleher
PHUONG VO
MEMORIAL MARCHING Veterans, soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coastguardsmen march in the National Memorial Day parade in Washington, D.C., the most well attended Memorial Day event in the country.
NEWS A2
Close your eyes and whisk yourself back a decade or so to what you, most likely, consider “childhood.” We’re talking second, third grade. The heart of elementary school. Walk yourself down those narrow, well-worn hallways (they seem smaller now, don’t they?), and pop your head around a doorjamb. Most of it should look familiar: the cubbies; the big, trapezoidal tables; the reading carpet… but hang on. What happened to all
the chalk, and why is there a big, plastic screen in front of the board? “When I was in elementary school, Promethean Boards were not a thing,” says Michelle Steinberg, a Masters of Education candidate from the University of Maryland who has interned in the art departments at Blair and Fallsmead Elementary School. Steinberg glances over at the white screen that dominates the front of Ms. Armstead’s art room. “Teachers used overhead projectors. In a
see KIDS page C2
insidechips Puzzlepalooza:
Working blazers:
Summer concerts
Juniors and seniors from all different social groups gather together to solve puzzles
Blair students work to help support their families and themselves
Arcade FIre, Avicii, and The Neighbourhood are coming to Maryland this summer
A2
OP/ED B1
FEATURES C1
ENTERTAINMENT D1
More food and more fun: stadium adds to their menu for 2014
D1
C1 KYRA SEIGER
KYRA SEIGER
Guide to Nats Park:
COURTESY OF STONEY ROAD
CHIPS CLIPS D6
F2 ZEKE WAPNER
LA ESQUINA LATINA E1
SPORTS F1
A2 News Newsbriefs All MCPS high schools to receive police officers The final MCPS budget was approved this month, allowing for all 25 High Schools in the county to have a School Resource Officer (SRO) on campus for the 2014-2015 school year. Due to tight budgetary concerns, this environment hasn’t existed anywhere in the county in over ten years. In fact, during the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in December 2012, MCPS had only SROs in its budget. This event, along with others, led to the rapid increase in SROs. The budget pays not only for officers to be on campus, but also to properly integrate them. All officers will now receive specific training for working in school environments, and their responsibilities will be more specifically outlined. County officials have been pleased with police presence in schools and expect this change to be beneficial.
Bottle bomb explosion in PG County theater PG County police are still investigating an explosion that occurred inside a Largo movie theater at 1:40 AM on Sunday, May 25th. According to Assistant Fire Chief Paul Gomez, the explosion was caused by a chemical reaction which created massive amounts of pressure inside of a bottle, making an explosion. The theater, which was showing X-Men: Days of Future Past, was evacuated immediately and there were no reported injuries. There have been no declared suspects in the investigation. This is the second local “bottle-bomb” incident to take place recently, with another one having taken place just a week earlier with two soda bottles in AMC Tysons Corner during “Godzilla.” Police have yet to provide any leads and theater security has not commented.
June 3, 2014
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Puzzlepalooza diversity increases By Leila Habib Puzzlepalooza, a puzzle tournament held during the week of the Maryland High School Assessment (HSA) and created by magnet teachers at Blair, increased its diversity this year to include more academy students, which contributed to the record number of 324 total students who participated in the competition. According to IT Support Specialist and puzzle creator Peter Hammond, there were 62 participants from academies other than the Communications Arts Program (CAP) or Magnet Program, compared to 42 students last year, totaling to about a 50% increase, while the CAP numbers remained about the same. “The rest are Magnets who are required to come to school and either do Puzzlepalooza or study hall, and therefore amount to the largest group,” Hammond explained. Senior participant Ihtesham Chowdhury believes that transportation is one of the most important reasons that the game is dominated by Magnet students, as many of them live farther away than the majority of Blazers. “If you come in the morning, you might as well participate. It’s mostly Magnets and CAP students that face this issue,” Chowdhury said. James Schafer, one of the Puz-
zlepalooza coordinators, attributes the d i s p ro p o rtionate numbers of previous years to the lack of advertising. “The staff members who are primarily associated with Puzzlepalooza are closely tied to the Magnet Program, and as a result there KYRA SEIGER tends to be END GAME Puzzlers gather in the gym to study a map to help them solve the final a large representation of puzzle (left) and the winning team plays with their huge prize on the stage (right). Magnet students. But we welcome any and ing a bunch of Magnets and CAP one else doesn’t,” she said. In addition to helping solve the all Blair juniors and seniors who students wearing crazy costumes.” are up for the challenge,” Schaefer Chowdhury also decided to puzzles, Nono believes that one of said. participate after hearing about the most important benefits of the This year, however, the annual his friends’ experiences last year. newfound diversity is the ability tournament was featured on Info- “It seemed like a lot of fun and I to meet new people. “Blair’s so big Flow, and many students accred- thought it would be a good way to that the Magnets don’t really inited the increase in non-Magnet end my senior year. I like problem teract with regular kids,” she said. and non-CAP students to the ad- solving and so I assumed puzzle “Doing Puzzlepalooza is going to vertising. “The videos on InfoFlow solving would be similar. It feels help students that rarely interact make it seem fun and not only for good to overcome something that and talk to each other have something in common to talk about.” Magnet and CAP people,” junior is mentally tough,” he said. Despite the growing diversity, participant Anne-Olive Nono said. A team’s diversity has a major Senior partici- impact on its success, according there are still a large number of pant Andrea Bravo to Schafer. “The puzzles follow no students who do not participate in agrees that adver- particular pattern and pull from a Puzzlepalooza, partly due to the tising contributed variety of topics, so the more ideas desire to catch up on their rest. “I to the diversity, but and perspectives that team mem- liked sleeping in,” junior Irsa Gonalso attributed it bers have, the more likely they zalez said to justify her decision to the enthusiasm are to be successful. Teamwork is not to participate in the tournaof participants last a critical component to a success- ment. Regardless of the numbers, year. “I decided to ful Puzzlepalooza team,” he exdo Puzzlepalooza plained. Bravo agreed with that Puzzlepalooza coordinators have because a bunch of sentiment. “Diversity is always always sought more participants. junior and seniors a good thing. I do think it’ll be “This is a truly unique opportuin my class were easier to solve problems because nity and a fun-filled event. Studoing it last year, there’s a whole spectrum of minds dents who participate overwhelmand it seemed su- in one team. I’m not saying CAP ingly enjoy the experience and, per fun,” she said. and Magnet kids aren’t creative or for many, they look forward to the “What made it smart, but there is always some- competition all year long. Plus, the seem fun was see- thing a person knows that some- prizes are huge!” Schafer said. NAOMI WEINTRAUB
Summer school moves to Blair this year Takoma Park Middle School Eighth Grader Nikita Singh correctly spelled her second, and third round words in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The bee, held at the Gaylord National Resort in Oxon Hill, Maryland, is the highest-tier spelling bee in the nation. Her second and third round words were “hartebeest” and “plangency”, respectively. Singh lives in Rockville and is sponsored by the Meakam Group of Bethesda. To arrive at the National Bee, she had to win her school competition and her regional competition. If Singh continues her success, she may pass through the semifinal round and qualify for the finals, which will be held Thursday night on ESPN. The final winner will earn a trophy and a $30,000 dollar cash prize.
Newsbriefs compiled by Leigh Cook and Wesley Hopkins
Students from all of Montgomery County will attend summer program from SCHOOL page A1 said Blair secretary Roxanne Fus. Veteran summer school English 12 teacher Ivey Jacobs said the shorter time frame lends itself to more productivity. The four-hour day allows the class to focus on one subject but compensates for students’ attention span because it is not as long as a regular school day. “In one day, we can read a section of a novel, go through a lesson, discuss in groups and take a quiz. It would take a week for me to do that with my students during the year,” she said. Only classes that fulfill graduation requirements are taught including English, mathematics, science, social studies, technology and health. The cost of one halfcredit, semester long course is three hundred dollars, but this fee can be waived depending on family income. For general summer school courses, a student whose family makes less than $30,560 or makes between $30,561 and $43,568 can pay 85 dollars or 120 dollars, respectively. For ESOL classes, however, anyone who falls within these income brackets can
take the class for free. what they are used to. “At Blair, nority,” she described. One of the stereotypes about Over the summer, the school is we don’t allow hats in school but run by a variety of staff from Blair some students might challenge summer school is that it is filled and neighboring schools. Assis- this because they can wear hats at with only truant students, but Jacobs wants to dispel that miscontant principals Dirk Cauley and their school,” Addison explained. ception. While most of William Currence are the students are retaking two of the seven sumclasses, there is a populamer school principals tion that comes for various that will be working 00: the 3 reasons. “I had a pregnant in rotations of two or $ of one g it st n girl one year who was due three at a time. In ado l o w c lf-credit Ho s to learn at the beginning of her sedition, security guard a h e nior year. Since she was Carlos Hernandez urse at tak week of o c me e going to be out of school, will be one of three r n s c hool m o tent at su she was finishing her Engworking during the n l o o h co mer sc lish credit over the sumsummer. Staff from m u mer,” she said. And even across the county are those who are making up included in the profailed classes are more gram so that students motivated the second time who normally attend around. “They are comdifferent schools will EMILY DALY AND ALEX FRANDSEN pelled to do their work in see familiar faces. “We order to graduate on time. have staff from all over the county because it’s more Jacobs also expressed concern I usually see good results,” said Jacomfortable for the students,” said about the potential discomfort of cobs. She hopes that more teachBlair secretary Carrie Addison. the few upper-county students ers will be encouraged to apply Summer school differs greatly attending the summer school. “If for a summer school job. “When from the regular school year be- you walked the halls, you would I told people I was teaching, they cause students from various high see predominantly black and His- laughed at me. But I had a positive schools are learning together. panic kids. Once, I had a Cauca- experience. Just because some stuConflicts often arise when stu- sian student from an [upper-coun- dents didn’t do well before doesn’t dents must act in accordance with ty] school who actually expressed mean they can’t or won’t be able to Blair policies that that vary from to me that he felt uneasy as a mi- learn,” she said.
AY: D 1 s
TPMS student passes through third round of National Spelling Bee
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June 3, 2014
Blair SGA conducts a reelection after low turnout from SGA page A1
everyone being able to vote. “People were turned away, and those votes were the ones that mattered because the election was close,” she said. There was no reelection held for sophomore class president because the win margin was significant enough that the remaining population who did not vote could not have changed the results, according to Klein. The elections for SGA offices were originally held in the Media Center, along with the Student Member of the Board (SMOB) elections, during students’ English classes. At some point during the day of voting, the county computer system crashed causing students to not be able to vote for SMOB, which resulted in the library becoming overcrowded. Students were sent back to their classes without being able to vote, though the school-wide election computer program was still working. SGA members attributed this to miscommunication. “The SMOB election site crashed, the library got filled up with students and it was overwhelmingly clogged. It was sort of an administrative decision to send everybody back to class,” Klein said. The revote was held roughly three weeks later in English classes on May 23 by paper ballot. SGA chose not to use computers in an attempt to prevent another glitch. However, junior Jordan Schneider, co-writer of the website that Blazers used to vote for the school-wide election, affirmed that the glitch was not related to the school’s program. “It was the SMOB website that crashed and it had nothing to do with me. I couldn’t touch it even if I wanted to, which I don’t,”
for her twice. “There was a 30 percent chance that my opponent could have won, so of course I was nervous because you never know,” she said. The general student population, in contrast, was not bothered by voting again. Junior Rowan Afflerbach said that she did not mind voting twice. “It wasn’t a big deal,” she said. Tadesse, however, was happy with the reelection because it gave her a chance to reach out to more voters. “The reelection gave me the opportunity to talk to more people. When it’s a reelection it’s PHUONG VO final. There’s no redo on SGA REELECTION From left to right, juniors Angela Zhou, Lizzy Machielse and Connie Xu fill a reelection,” she said. All of the student out paper ballots for the reelection. The previous results were deemed too close to call. government positions for next year are as follows: the SGA President he said. Schneider plans to use the president since the vice presidensame program next year. Once he tial and SGA presidential elections is junior Blossom Jiang, SGA Vice graduates, he wants to hand down were deemed to be fair from the President is junior Julia Audet, the job to the current sophomores original election. Although Klein Senior Class President is Tigist Taso they can eventually update it to encouraged all of the candidates desse and Vice President is Sammy a more well-known computer lan- to run again, some did not put Wichansky, Junior Class President their names on the ballot again. is Folane Zeleke and Vice President guage, he said. The reelection was open to all of Sophomore Folane Zeleke, who is Nazea Khan. The Sophomore the candidates who were running won the reelection, said she was Class President is Daniel Jones and for either junior or senior class nervous that people had to vote Vice President is Hana Bekele.
soapbox How did you react to the reelection? “There wasn’t any new information on the candidates so I just voted for the same person.” - Sara Heilig, junior “I was very sure of my decision the first time around so I picked the same person next time.” - Dagemwet Kebede, sophomore
New marjiuana bills signed into law by the Governor Possession of small amounts of marijuana decriminalized By William Zhu Governor Martin O’Malley signed new bills into law Apr. 15 that decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and expand the use of medical marijuana. The laws will take effect on Oct. 1 2014, making Maryland the 18th state in the country to decriminalize marijuana. According to the current Maryland law, the possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana will result in 90 days of incarceration and incur a maximum penalty of $500. The new measure will get rid of the jail sentence and reduce the fine to $100 for first offenders and $250 for second time offenders. The press release from O’Malley’s office stressed that the recent increase in heroin overdoses highlight the need to redirect drug enforcement to more harmful drugs and decriminalize marijuana possession. “Such an acknowledgement in law might even lead to a greater focus on far more serious threats to public safety and the lives of our citizens,” stated the press release. Although jail time is no longer a punishment, anyone charged with possession is still able to contest the fine in court, where lab tests and officer testimonies will be used to determine whether the substance in question is marijuana. The new law makes possession of less than 10 grams of mar-
ijuana a civil offense instead of a criminal misdemeanor. A criminal misdemeanor often prevents individuals from applying for certain jobs or possessing firearms. Civil offenses are primarily violations of administrative matters and are no considered crimes. Since it is still an illegal substance, Blair’s policy towards marijuana will remain the same.
Everett said he supports the bill because it reduces the amount of people in prison, minimizing the burden on taxpayers. “[The law] decreases the number of inmates in jail and it decreases our taxes,” said Everett. He said that with teens, it is the job of the parents to prevent drug use. “It is up to their parents to enforce whether or not they use marijuana,” he said.
they suffer and this helps them,” said Tchienga. Some Blazers agreed that decriminalizing marijuana will not lead to an increase in marijuana use among teens. Freshman Edwin Alveno stated that teenswho have been exposed to marijuana would be more likely to use it, and that the legal consequences that are in place do not do much to prevent drug use. “If they were already influenced by marijuana, it would have already happened,” said Alveno. In addition to decriminalizing marijuana, Maryland also passed a law that would expand the legal use of medical marijuana in the state from select research facilities to physician prescription for pain relief. The bill summary written by the Natalie M. LaPrade Medical Marijuana Commission indicated that the law would allow phyWILLIAM ZHU sicians to prescribe medical marijuana to aid patients in Others believe that marijuana pain. “The bill encourages the compossession should still be treated mission to approve physician apas a crime. Freshman Anita Acha plications for chronic debilitating said she doesn’t support the law diseases or medical conditions that because it doesn’t promote public result in a patient being admitted health. “I think that if you have into hospice or receiving palliative marijuana it is not good for your care,” stated the summary. health,” said Acha. However othThese laws may only be a step er students such as, freshman Ines on the road towards legalization. A Tchienga, see this law as a way to recent Goucher poll reveals that 51 help drug users with their addic- percent of Marylanders support the tions by keeping thing out of pris- legalization of marijuana. On top on, which often exacerbates the of that, analysts predict that mediissue at hand. “I have friends that cal marijuana will be prescribed in go in drugs, they do drugs because Maryland after 2016.
22,043 people in Maryland were arrested for marijuana possession this year.
According to Kathy Greene, Blair’s security team leader, students caught with marijuana will face school punishments as well as a police referral. “You have a police consequence and a school consequence,” she said. The standard punishment for marijuana possession in school is suspension. “It’s gonna be an automatic 5-day suspension from school,” said Greene. Blazers are generally supportive of the new state law, but expressed mixed opinions on how the law is beneficial. Sophomore Christian
News A3 Newsbriefs Youth cruiser SmarTrip cards more versatile and easily accessible The Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card is now accessible at 21 County libraries and 21 schools for customers 18 years of age and younger. Ride On is continuing to work with public and private schools in Montgomery County to add more purchase locations. The Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card, which costs $2.00 will also be available for home-schooled students. The County Council also approved extending the hours of Kids Ride Free by an additional hour Monday through Friday, from 2 to 8 p.m. Students currently need to present photo identification, but the new Ride On initiative will only require a Youth Cruiser pass by the end of the school year. In order to obtain a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card, students are required to present proof of age and proof of County residence when applying.
Two Montgomery county startup companies receive $100k each
The two startup companies, Brain Sentry and ClickMedix, participating in the InvestMaryland Challenge from Montgomery County were each granted $100,000 by Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley. The InvestMaryland Challenge is a national business competition that offers nearly $1 million in cash to participating companies. The Maryland Venture Fund and the BioMaryland Center funded the grand prizes. Brain Sentry, a Bethesda-based company, won the Life Sciences category and developed a helmet-mounted sensor to help identify athletes that need to be tested for a concussion. ClickMedix, a Gaithersburg-based global mobile health social enterprise that was founded by students from the Massachusetts Institution of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University, won the Information Technology category. The enterprise aims to increase physicians’ and health organizations’ ability to serve more patients.
Silver Spring fifth grader to participate in the Google Doodle competition
Shashi Arnold, fifth grader at East Silver Spring Middle School, is a finalist in the Doodle 4 Google competition on April 29. Arnold is one of 50 finalists in the competition. If she makes it to the top five, she receives a scholarship of $5,000. The finalist of the competition receives a $30,000 scholarship. The first Doodle 4 Google contest was held in the United Kingdom in 2005 and is held annually. In addition to selecting Arnold to participate in the competition, Google gave every student at Arnold’s school a t-shirt with her doodle on it. Arnold’s doodle is titled “Imagination Transportation” and features three children flying in cardboard boxes. This year’s theme is “If I could invent one thing to make the world a better place.” The doodles are judged for artistic merit, creativity and theme communication
Newsbriefs compiled by Leigh Cook
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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 2013 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown
Editors-in-Chief: Alex Frandsen and Kelsey Gross Managing News Editors: Emily Daly and Leila Habib Managing Op/Ed Editor: Landon Harris Managing Features Editors: Alexis Reford-Muang Muang and Grace Woodward Managing Entertainment Editors: Alani Fujii and Naomi Weintraub Managing Sports Editor: Jesse Broad-Cavanagh Managing Design Editor: Grace Woodward Outreach Coordinator: Aditi Subramaniam Ombudsman: Naomi Weintraub Distribution Supervisor: Liza Curcio Fact Checks Supervisor: Leslie Chen and Leigh Cook Extras Editor: Aditi Subramaniam Newsbriefs Editor: William Zhu Public Relations Director: Kalanzi Kajubi Executive Business Directors: Liza Curcio Jackeline Portillo Business Staff: Liza Curcio Kalanzi Kajubi Jackeline Portillo Page Editors: Jesse Broad-Cavanagh Milena Castillo-Grynberg Leslie Chen Leigh Cook Emily Daly Alex Frandsen Alani Fujii Kelsey Gross Leila Habib Landon Harris Wesley Hopkins Blue Keleher Alexis Redford-Maung Maung Aditi Subramaniam Naomi Weintraub Grace Woodward William Zhu Editorial Cartoonist: Tory Tsai Managing Photo Editors: Kyra Seiger and Zeke Wapner Photographers: Phuong Vo Managing Arts Editor: Elizabeth Pham and Ben Safford Artists: Andrea Brown Simone Gracia-Perez Amanda Gross Shivani Mattikali Elizabeth Pham Ben Safford Angel Wen Spanish Page Editors: Milena Castillo Cindy Monge Puzzle Editor: Jesse Broad-Cavanagh Copy Editors: Ross Cohen-Kristiansen and Katherine Murtha 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.
Opinions B1
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June 3, 2014
De facto segregation is crippling MoCo schools
Racial and socioeconomic divides shouldn’t be ignored any longer By Landon Harris An opinion There was once a time when whites lived with whites and minorities lived with minorities. White students went to white schools and minority students went to minority schools. Of course, at the white schools students benefited from better funded buildings and superior educational resources, while at the minority schools, students were relegated to inferior facilities and rendered second rate school supplies. That’s just how it was. Or should I say that’s just how it is. Because the sad reality is that the time I’m referring to is right now. Brown vs. Board of education decided 60 years ago that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” Yet segregation in schools remains a prevalent issue today, even in districts as reputable as Montgomery County. MoCo has historically been a predominantly white, middle class school system, but over the past 20 years the county has experienced a significant change in demographics. Today Montgomery County is minority majority, with 42% of its students having once been on free and reduced lunch programs (FARMS). This demographic change has not been distributed evenly among schools, however. The racial and socioeconomic contrast between the vaunted W schools – Whitman, Wootton, Walter Johnson, and Winston Churchill – in western MoCo, and the schools in the county’s Northeast Consortium and Downcounty Consortium is staggering. The fact that Whitman, a school that is 70% white with less than 5% of its students on FARMS, is in the same county as Wheaton, a school that
a suspension rate of less than 3%. Northwood on the other hand, located right up the street from Blair, has a 13% dropout rate and an 8.5% suspension rate. While Churchill graduates 95% of its students and has nearly 95% of its students meeting University System of Maryland entrance requirements, Northwood has a below county average graduation rate of just over 80%, and has 20% less of its students on Kennedy Racial Demographics par with the University Whitman Racial Demographics System of Maryland entrance requirements than Pacific American Pacific Islander American Islander White Indian Churchill. Indian Black While there are fac<5% <5% <5% <5% Multiracial <5% tors outside of the MCPS Asian <5% school system’s control 9.4% 5.3% that contribute to the Latino achievement gap, the de 9% Black facto segregation is cer36.1% Latino tainly widening it. If white Asian 48.7% White and minority students are 12% 70.1% separated into different schools, with different socioeconomic backgrounds, how can they be expected <5% to perform at the same acMultiracial ademic level? A small, but critical step towards reLANDON HARRIS ducing this gap would be for the county to simply acknowlschools. This is a self-fulfilling neighborhoods are assigned to a edge the prevalence of de facto select few schools in the wealthier prophecy because as higher segregation in its schools. As long income families move to schools part of the county, while minorias county officials taut the school in higher income areas, they ties from poorer neighborhoods system as one of the most diverse bring further financial resources in the eastern part of the county the country, the issue of racial to already wealthy communities, are clumped together at the same and socioeconomic clustering while depreciating the socioschools. The median sales price within its schools will continue to economic status of the regions of a home in the Whitman cluster fly under the radar. The county was $860,000 in 2012, over double containing what are considered less reputable schools. It’s a classic obviously can’t tell people where that of the median figure of to live nor can it decide how much $330,000 in the Northeast Consor- case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, and there money individual families postium and $322,000 in the Downsess. But turning a blind eye to the is no doubt that it is an expocounty consortium. As a result problem’s existence is preventing nential factor in the achievement of this socioeconomic disparity, the conversation of how to adschools in the county’s western re- gap between white and minordress it from even getting started. gions are able to supplement pub- ity schools. Winston Churchill, located in Potomac, Maryland has lic funds with financial resources from the surrounding community, a dropout rate of less than 5% and is over 90% minority with over half of its students on FARMS, is hard to believe. The issue begins with how the county assigns its students to high schools. Like most public school systems, school assignments are determined based on where a student lives. Problem is, because of the way consortium lines are drawn in Montgomery County, rich white kids from rich white
while schools located in areas that could use the most money are stuck getting by on solely on what the county gives them. Compounding the problem is what is sometimes deemed the “white flight”: white middle class families moving from areas in the Northeast Consortium and the Downcounty Consortium to West MoCo so that their kids can attend what are considered higher-class
Determining the line between consent and coercion By Leigh Cook An opinion Although sexual abuse and rape have been prevalent since the beginning of time, no one has questioned the educational system that has so negligently refrained from teaching students about consent and prevention. While the physical effects of rape and sexual abuse are severe enough to render extreme physical pain, the psychological effects are enough to elicit suicide. The significance of rape culture in U.S. high schools and colleges is colossal. According to Child Trends, adolescents and young adults are two to three times more likely to be sexually assaulted than people age 25 and older. Approximately one in five high school students report having experienced rape. This past year, reported cases of sexual assault at colleges and universities have skyrocketed. Roughly one in five women were victims of completed or attempted sexual assault. What’s startling, however, is that on average, only five percent of sexual assault cases are reported. A New Republic article describes colleges’ efforts to amend punishment guidelines and education programs as “notoriously campy, to the point where many students regard them as humorous entertainment,” and there is speculation about whether more can be done to teach students about sexual assault and consent before they reach campus. The importance of consent is ubiquitous. In every instance of sexual assault, expressing aversion may be a prohibiting factor and a step towards prevention. The National Conference of
State Legislatures provides an encompassing list of sex education policies for almost every state in the U.S. The only time the word “consent” is mentioned is in reference to the parental or written consent that is necessary for students to learn about sex. In Minnesota, sex education is defined, among other things, as “education in grades six through 12 that contributes to healthy relationships and prevention of sexual violence.” Iowa provides instruction on domestic abuse and the description of Washington’s sex education encompasses that it “includes information on preventing sexual abuse and violence.” Even the few state policies that reference sexual abuse do so vaguely. Currently, sex education focuses primarily on contraception and pregnancy or STD prevention. Even abstinence presides under a bigger spotlight than consent. However, the psychological effects are often equivalent in magnitude if not greater than the effects of pregnancies and diseases. Other than the physical impairments of sexual abuse, victims are often afflicted with stress disorders, depression, and anxiety. Consent in curricula tends to target victims, oftentimes girls. Victims of rape also become victims of ridicule and instruction. It is more important to teach prevention and to discourage students from committing the crime than it is to reprimand and regulate the decisions of those susceptible to rape. The question becomes this: How we can teach consent and prevention within the classroom? It is important to instill moral values in young children to promote
consent and prevention, but this tible to sexual assault. must be done at the most basic It is vital that students are level. Children may be taught to urged not to rape or commit ask permission, create empathy, sexual assault. Many students are and to assist others in trouble. already exposed to mediums deThey must picting the never be horrors and forced to psychologicome into cal effects contact with of rape, another perand while One in five high school son. Older these may students report being raped children be effecshould be tive ways encouraged to prevent to notice individuwhether als from someone is committing uncomfortsexual asOne in five college girls able. Adults sault, they report being sexually should are insufassaulted teach ficient children to many. how their Negative behavior portrayals affects othof rape can ers. These even trigger standards the desire One in twenty sexual assaults should be to commit that occur are reported implementthe crime. It EMILY DALY ed silently, is necessary in order to instill them in the to present students with facts and subconscious of children, within statistics about the penalties and and outside the classroom. criminal ramifications of sexual Explicit education about assault. consent should be taught at the If parents are hesitant to talk to high school level. Education must their children about sex, they will include lessons on appropriate be even less likely to talk about a contact, talking about potentially sensitive topic like rape. Sexual dangerous situations, and talking assault is predominant in the teenabout sex. Furthermore, while age and young adult community, girls are at the liberty to wear and the education currently being what they desire, it is important provided does little to diminthat they are aware of situations ish the negative aspects of rape that increase the likelihood of culture. Consent is imperative sexual assault. Being in the wrong when it comes to prevention, and place at the wrong time may be educating students in elementary, pivotal and despite misconcepmiddle, and high school is the tions about clothing, provocative most fundamental way to stop dress may make one more suscep- sexual assault from happening.
B2 Opinions
silverchips
June 3, 2014
Should 16 year olds be allowed to drive?
YES:
NO:
Regulation is key, not prohibition
Law changed, lives saved
BEN SAFFORD
ZEKE WAPNER
ZEKE WAPNER
Wesley Hopkins
William Zhu It is 2:42 AM and a group of teenagers are driving home from a party. The driver, inattentively, veers into the opposite lane and slams into an oncoming truck. The car spins out of control and crumples like an aluminum can, paralyzing the driver and killing the other passengers. Stories like this are used by critics of the current 16 year-old driving. Although it is important that we prioritize the safety of teen drivers since they are most at risk of getting into an accident, preventing teenagers from driving altogether is an illogical and sloppy way of dealing with a critical problem. Being a teenager is a turning point in
“Inexperience kills, regardless of age.” life and the new ability to drive represents much more than a new way to get around; it’s a teen learning to become an independent and responsible adult. It’s true that teens are more likely to get into a crash, but that doesn’t mean that they get into accidents because they are merely teens. Critics are falsely associating correlation with causation. A prohibition on any 16 year-olds from driving is a lazy attempt at solving the problem. In the 1920s, the government didn’t want to deal with the issue of alcoholism and decided to ban it altogether. Will this work with teen driving as well? No. Not a bit. Teen drivers need close regulation so that they can gain the experience needed to be a responsible driver. Driving is a useful mode of transportation that is both faster and more convenient than mass transit. It is a grave mistake to assume that teens only travel to and from school. If this were the case, public transportation should suffice. However teens volunteer, work and socialize outside of school and if they don’t live in a bustling metropolis with a well-funded public transportation system like New York or the District of Columbia, they are reliant on cars. Public transportation in Montgomery County is too unreliable and too slow. In New York City the time in between each bus ranges from 4-12 minutes and subway stations are on every other block. The nearest metro station to Blair is Forest Glen station, yet the 16 minute bus ride to Silver Spring station is almost 2 times shorter than the trip to Forest Glen. Once on the Metro, one would be at the mercy of delays, track work, and trains going out of service. One might as well walk – at least it’s free. Why do most adults drive to work?
Because it’s easier and quicker. Teens are expected to act like responsible adults when it comes to academic choices. Why shouldn’t they also be given some of the privileges of adults? The root of the problem is not that some drivers are not legal adults, but that many do not yet fully grasp the consequences of bad driving. States with mandatory driver’s education programs often have lower teen driving death rates. The US Department of Transportation and Erie Insurance rated New York as the state with the second lowest teen driver death rates and Wyoming with the state with the highest teen driver death rates. The difference between the two is that the New York DMV requires all new drivers take a mandatory driver’s education course while Wyoming has no such requirement. The use of the graduated drivers licensing system has also lowered teen deaths by allowing teens to slowly accumulate experience before they are able to obtain a full-license. Teens and adults fulfill the same requirements to become licensed however the only difference is that teens are all inexperienced drivers. Inexperience kills, regardless of age. A study by the National Institutes of Health showed that during the first 6 months of getting a license, drivers are eight times more likely to die from a crash. Moving the legal driving age up to, say 18, will only result in an increase in fatal crashes among 18-year olds. Learning to drive early gives teens extra experience to help them drive better when they are older. Stricter requirements should be imposed for everyone, teens and adults, when applying for a license. In conjunction with more comprehensive drivers education courses, teens can be better trained at a younger age, and will grow into even more experienced adults and make the roads safer for everyone. After all, what is education for?
You faked all the hours in your driving log, but doesn’t everyone do that? Your mom says you can’t drive other people for the first five months, but come on, has anyone ever been caught driving a few friends around? You only went on the highway to practice once or twice with your dad when you had your permit, but it can’t be that hard, and you’re a good driver, right? Wrong. You’re the worst driver that’s ever driven and here’s why. Our society really doesn’t allow for much freedom among “children” under 18. We aren’t allowed to vote for our national government, decide where to live or who to live with, drink certain things, eat certain things, and we aren’t even really given the rights to our own bodies. Yet, when kids turn 16 (or 14 and a half in North Dakota), they are suddenly trusted with the enormous responsibility of driving motorized vehicles which cause over 30,000 deaths per year. As long as you’re of this age, can see out of both eyes (or just one in some states), and can pass a driving test on a given day, then BEN SAFFORD you’re free to drive anywhere you want whenever you want with whomever you want. It wasn’t always this way. In 1906, when Pennsylvania became the first state to require a minimum driving age, they set the bar at 18. However, throughout the next three decades, a sort of peer pressure system began among the states to push that age down. States did not want to seem less attractive to potential taxpayers, especially those wealthy enough to give cars to their 16 year old kids. So, the minimum age was gradually moved to the 16 that most states are familiar with today. The statistics surrounding these young drivers are not pretty. 16 and 17 year olds are consistently shown to be the riskiest of all groups. According to the most recent data from the Journal of Safety Research, 16 year olds are involved in 35 crashes per million miles traveled, as opposed to just
14 crashes for 18 year olds. Drivers a mere two years younger have more than twice the likelihood of getting into an accident. 16 and 17 year olds are much more accident prone than even the oldest drivers, those 85 years and older (14 crashes per million miles). So, the next time you get mad at that old lady for driving so slow, remember that you’re the one who’s more likely to get in an accident. And, if these teenage drivers aren’t risky enough by themselves, they’re dramatically worse when carrying passengers. Kids love to drive their friends, and even if it saves gas, it does not save lives. With a full car of three or more passengers, 16 and 17 year old drivers are four times as likely to get in a crash. In fact, more than half of all deaths in the crashes of 16- to 17-year-old drivers occur when passengers younger than 20 are being transported and there is no adult in the vehicle. All this danger might be justified if there was really an important reason for the kids to drive. But the fact is that there’s just no need. In Montgomery County, millions of taxpayer dollars go to the school bus system that is required to transport all students more than “walking distance” (between one and two miles depending on age) away from the school. Even students that live way on the other side of the county are
“You’re a good driver, right? Wrong. You’re the worst driver that’s driven and here’s why.” offered transportation through magnet and gifted/talented buses. And, for students that have activities that aren’t school sponsored, the county’s two public bus providers, RideOn and MetroBus, both offer free service to students with their school ID. Admittedly, these services are not quite as comfortable, convenient, or impressive as driving your own car to school. But is that comfort really worth the price of your life? So quickly, everything can change. One minute you’re on top of the world with the windows down, music up, and all your friends in your backseat. But look away for a second, make one mistake, react a little bit too slow, and everything is gone. Cars are dangerous enough when they’re driven by adults. Kids don’t need to be part of the equation anymore. Raise the age: it’s just not worth it.
voicebox “I think it’s fine the way it is. I think it is a good use for teens to drive.”
Tia Bremmer Freshman
“It’s already inconvenient enough that it’s 16.”
Emily O’Brien Junior
Ruben Deleon Junior
“Yes, I want to drive when I am younger and get out of the house.”
“No, I believe that as long as we get the education, it doesn’t matter the age you are.”
“I like it now because I am almost 16.”
PHUONG VO
Annesh Goswami Sophomore
Scott Gahart Freshman
Opinions B3
silverchips
June 3, 2014
THEN:1981
My Blair: Personal Column
A flower blooms in a melting pot By Fiona Lachman Guest writer My first day at Montgomery Blair was, in one word, terrifying. Even though the freshmen were the only ones there, the freshly cleaned halls reverberated with nervous chatter and rambunctious, attention-grabbing shouts from tweens. I have always been notorious for my god-awful sense of direction, and that first day was hard even for good navigators. To be completely honest I still get turned around in the halls at least once a week this year, my senior year. But by lunch I was a nervous wreck – so many new faces, voices, personalities, directions; at that point I was still very shy. Stepping into the SAC for lunch that day felt like when the security guards point those blinding flashlights in your face at school dances: panicked and mortified. I was clutching the handle of my metal lunch box, kind of my trademark nowadays, for dear life. Not a familiar face. Eventually I timidly asked some students I recognized from my previous period, Biology, if I could eat with them that day. It was an awkward lunch for me. I ended up staring at the floor, eating my sandwich and feeling like I was imposing. Now I know every person that was at my table that first day, and I am friendly with all of them. Although incredibly intimidating at first, the huge size of Blair is probably one of the best things about it. Every time teachers and administration talk about how amazing Blair is, they repeat, “diversity, diversity, diversity!” We hear it so much and roll our eyes whenever they say it now, but it’s something that students definitely take for granted. Not only the ethnic and cultural diversity of the students, but Blair’s intellectual diversity is great as well. I pride myself on my close circle of friends, which includes people from all walks of life, from white CAP kids, to Eritreans, to artists, to writers; from Hispanic journalists, to poms, to basketball players, to actors, to cheerleaders from Cameroon. I’m also friendly with a good number of magnets, and was so tickled when some of them came up to me and said they had voted for me for prom queen. There is a bit of separation between the magnets and myself, seeing as I am just not cut out for the number-crunching life (unless it’s pi day). But even so I admire their intelligence and I think I have earned their respect through our collaboration in the fantastic Puzzlepalooza. There are so many opportunities to meet the biggest variety of people if you take advantage of them. Another amazing thing about the miniature melting pot that is Blair is that there
COURTESY OF SILVER CHIPS ARCHIVES
COURTESY OF FIONA LACHMAN
isn’t a sole definition of popular. There POINTING IT OUT Marshall Runkel and Curtis Maier performed a scene in the Blair isn’t really social climbing and cattiness, production of “The Shoemaker’s Wife” in that year’s Thespian Showcase. and if there is, you have the luxury of being able to make new friends. I don’t have just one group of friends – I have three or four. The teaching staff, for the most part, is excellent, especially the English department. This combination of wonderful, dynamic people and a caring, enthusiastic staff shaped who I have become in my four years here. At Blair I have transformed from an introvert to an extrovert, each year opening up a bit more until now, completely comfortable being myself around almost everyone. I have learned that we are all unique, and in being unique we are all the same. We may have different stories and strengths, but we all feel the same emotions, and although we may take different routes, we all feed and grow off of each other. When asked to write this reflection piece I was not going for sappy. But taking a step back and evaluating my experiences at Blair, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. At my time here I complained as much as the next person, but I do have to acknowledge all of the good, which outnumbers the bad ten-fold. My experience at this school inspired me to choose a big school for college, U-MD College Park, and I can’t wait to take what I’ve learned here and apply it there and continue to grow. As I move on to the next step, my only KYRA SEIGER piece of advice would be this: have some OFF IN THE DISTANCE Junior Molly Beckett, freshman Callie Gompf-Phillips, and juspirit, people! Spirit weeks are some of the nior Ravyn Malatesta act as construction workers on a lunch break in Blair’s One Acts. most fun at school, especially if others do it with you. Embrace your weird like I do, and go full out on whacky tacky day. Spice it up, kids, make it live. There’s a lot to be spirited about!
& NOW:2014
Up and Coming June 4-5 Final Exam Review Days
June 10 Graduation, No School
June 6-12 Final Exams
June 13 Last Day of School for Students
Student & Teacher Awards & Honors Junior Dennis Yang won top honors in the 8th Congressional District in the 33rd annual Congressional Art Competition.
Sophomores Donald De Alwis, Gabriel Cote, and Ajay Kharkar won first place C-SPAN’s 2014 StudentCam documentary competition.
Seniors Adela Armstrong-Spielberg, Callie Deng, Alex Epstein, Adrianne Kehne, Jared Lichtman, Rebecca Naimon, Huey Shih, Clare Singer, Benjamin Sklar, and Gabriella Studt, and were awarded National Merit Scholarships. Senior Isaac Gastelum wins Outstanding Edison Carpentry Student of the Year.
Senior Alexander Bourzutschky and junior Michael Winer were selected for the 2014 US Physics Team. Junior Ben Fineran won the 2014 National Peace Essay Contest from Maryland and was awarded a $1,000 academic scholarship.
Silver Chips writers junior Leigh Cook, senior Kenyetta Whitifield and senior Isaac Jiffar each won awards in the Youth Journalism International Excellence in Journalism Contest for their articles written during 2013.
B4 Editorials
June 3, 2014
silverchips
Pledging allegiance to political skepticism
At Blair, patriotism is the courage to ask questions
Patriotism is dying at Montgomery Blair High School. The proof lies all around us. The Pledge of Allegiance elicits nothing more than a quick annoyed glance at the intercom. Blazer Facebook newsfeeds have become littered with posts “smhing” America. Vocal pride of the red, white and blue is becoming the exception, not the rule. But perhaps the most timely reminder of this fact is the recent passage of Memorial Day. After a winter that dragged on far longer than the groundhog’s six-week projection, and a rain-
drenched spring that brought with it a slew of standardized tests, Memorial Day serves as a prominent marker in the year. As pools open and summer clothing breaks out, the day is essentially a national sigh of relief: we made it. Summer has arrived. Yet, something is missing from this national celebration. Not only does Memorial Day mark the informal beginning of childhood freedom, it also marks the start of the American period of national pride. From Memorial Day to Independence Day to Labor Day, the summer months are the patriotic prime of the United States calendar. With that sentiment in mind, we took a look at our community in recent years and noticed a major attitude change. Whether it’s a trend or here to stay, it’s become unquestionably true that patriotism is running low. But why? The simple explanation is a shaky recent national ELIZABETH PHAM
track record. Economic downturns, unwanted wars, a divided government, and mediocre educational rankings have weakened our national pride. Thank god for the Olympics, because otherwise this country would probably be facing an inferiority complex greater than our debt to China. The war-winning, money-making, technologically-pioneering United States of the past is slowly being caught up to, and sometimes even surpassed, by the rest of the world. So much of our patriotic nature is built upon our dominance and leadership on an international scale. When those essential characteristics begin to lessen, it only follows that patriotism would decline as well. But here’s the thing: there’s actually still a glimmer of hope hidden in our “boo, America” sentiments. Each haranguing post or complaining tweet about some American policy shows one presiding fact about the Montgomery Blair political community: we’re active. And we care - a lot. If patriotism is taken to mean an unquestioning sense of pride and loyalty, then yes, we’re lacking in that department. But if we apply a different definition to the word, one less glowing and fraught with nostalgia, then a very different picture
emerges. Blazers understand what’s wrong with our country, and accept that we are not a perfect place. We pick apart and critique and analyze our national shortcomings because we want the United States to be the very best it can be. We don’t want to be known as the world leader in Big Macs consumed; we want to be known as the progressive nation that’s helping advance the rest of the world with us. And if we were to blindly pretend that we’re still the international ass-kicker of the mid-20th century, then we would be risking a stagnation in progress. Yes, there are many wrongs in the world, some of which our country has exacerbated. But we don’t take this knowledge and use it as an incentive to back away into a dark corner of cynicism and political apathy. We Blazers take to the world, participating in protests, activism, or simply initiating conversations about political causes with each other in real life and through social media. So maybe patriotism isn’t dying after all. It could be possible that it’s just evolving. The best way to show love for our country is no longer through a blind declaration of unconditional American pride. It’s certainly not to declare our hatred and shame at some of our
nation’s failed policies, either. We show our love by realizing that America can do better, and should do better. We hold our government accountable by prolonging conversations about political issues with each other and in the media, because the best way to make something happen is to keep it in the forefront of our official’s minds by showing that we care. Being a Blazer is a privilege because you get to be part of a community that is diverse, progressive, and bold. People are not afraid to voice their opinions, even when they may not paint our country in the most flattering light. And yes, that may clash with our great-grandparents’ interpretation of patriotism. But in the end, our reluctance to accept the US as an unquestioned figure of superiority will only bring positive change. So keep protesting, keep questioning and keep up the skepticism. Although it might not kill you to stand up for the Pledge every once and a while. Do you have any feedback or see any mistakes? Let us know. E-mail the editors at silver.chips.print@gmail.com
You be the judge: Addressing the misconceptions of the Pro/Con By Naomi Weintraub Judge Judy sits pointedly in front of the defendants. She raises a finger and begins to contemplate the evidence. The silver scale of justice hangs next to her. Judge Judy looks over her glasses at the defendant and adjusts her white lace collar under her legal robe. After slamming her gavel, she confidently decides the verdict. Judges are required to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of a verdict, something we writers here in Silver Chips like to call: Pro/Con. The Silver Chips opinion section aims to advocate changes relevant to the Blair community. The Pro/Con, a tradition published every cycle for years, is where Silver Chips writers battle it out. A typical Pro/Con story poses a question to the Blair community, with two writers assigned to tackle the issue - either supporting (Pro), or opposing (Con) the issue. Pro/Con provides two sides to relevant, debatable topics. From whether marijuana should be legalized to the value of standardized testing in education, Silver Chips has discussed a number of the controversial topics that have ever graced your high school classrooms. The Pro/Con is a place where Silver Chips hopes to bring instrumental issues into the minds of students. Teenagers are often criticized for being inarticulate and indecisive; Pro/Con is our way of combating that. Walking down Blair Boulevard on a newspaper distribution day, you can see students laughing
the cycle’s challenging crossword puzzle. Unfortunately, you can also see a great number of students puzzled at the opinions that their fellow students and Silver Chips staff writers are taking
ZEKE WAPNER
Ombudsman Naomi Weintraub within the Pro/Con story. This is the misconception within the Pro/ Con that I, as your trustworthy Ombudsman, am here to clear up. Each cycle when we choose which Pro/Con question to cover, two Silver Chips staff writers are assigned to conquer the challenging article. At Silver Chips, we try to do the best we can to avoid students writing in opposition to their personal beliefs by finding students that are comfortable writing on either side. Including an anecdote explaining that positions taken do not reflect personal beliefs of the writers might take away from the credibly and overall strength of an argument, but
may be a necessary tool for the future. Now, you might be asking, why does Silver Chips force students to write against their actual beliefs? Well curious Blazer, Silver Chips wants to challenge its writers and help them grow as journalists by encouraging students to take on positions that they do not personally agree with. However, this eagerness for skill can cause personal issues. Last cycle I was assigned to take on the Pro/Con with my fellow staff member Grace Woodward. The article argued whether or not contraceptives should be available to students in public high schools. I was randomly assigned the Con position. I was forced to argue against my personal views on the matter in order to take my stance. This kind of intense writing challenge pushed me as a writer and helped me strengthen my original point of view by fully understanding the counter argument. The downside to this forceful Pro/Con dance is that ultimately, my picture and my name were printed under an opinion I did not honestly hold. Blair students, being a primarily liberal community, were puzzled by my proclaimed opinion and many of my teachers even asked me why I argued for something that seemed so out of my typical feminist values. Do you think students should have to present themselves as holding opinions that contradict their own? If you want to continue this conversation you can email us or drop by the Silver Chips classroom. Pro/Con is the section of the paper where Silver Chips gets to play Judge Judy for the day but with just a little less legal flare. Comments or concerns? Email the Ombudsman at ombudsmansilverchips@gmail.com
BEN SAFFORD
Corrections The Inside Sports art on F3 should have been credited to Ben Safford. The art for “A Spring To-Do List” should have been credited to Elizabeth Pham. Hueyjong Shih’s name was misspelled in the Student & Teacher Awards & Honors Section. The photo on F1 was miscredited to Zeke Wapner. It should have said courtesy of Miguel Lopez. The photos on A1 in Inside Chips were not credited. From left to right they should have been courtesy of the MSA, Zeke Wapner, courtesy of the 9:30 club and courtesy of Katie Sebestian. The drawing of Chile on C5 should have been credited to Kelsey Gross.
June 3, 2014
Specials B5
silverchips
Remembering Maya Angelou
Blair teachers reflect on the author’s passing By Sandra Jacobs Ivey
By Pamela Bryant
I have been moved by such poems as Still I Rise and Phenomenal Woman. However, all of Angelou’s work is saturated with messages about self-autonomy, advocacy, grace and gratitude, and they have struck a chord in my spirit. I have felt compelled to give back to the world those lessons imbedded in the messages. In fact, many of my “Quotes of the Day” that I share with my students are Angelou’s sayings. Angelou’s life can be summed up by one of her most famous quotes: “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” Indeed her gift to humanity will stand the test of time, and as long as I walk this earth, I will share what I have learned which multiplies the effect which she had envisioned. I am an insomniac. I often experience difficulty describing what that plight is like and Angelou’s poem, Insomniac, accurately captures the nightly nuances I go through. I am sure there are millions who can relate to this poem.
In my classroom there is a framed poster of Maya Angelou surrounded by African designs with the poem Still I Rise featured in this colorful tableau. I bought this poster a long time ago on a trip to California, knowing I would use it to decorate my room, and in doing so, hopefully, enhance the knowledge of my students. She is there to remind me each day of triumph over adversity and that it is on the backs and shoulders of such like her that I stand today. Maya Angelou epitomizes the Great Mother, the Wise Woman, the Elder of the community. And in taking on these roles she has expanded the definition of community to include the global community. She is a model of noble humility with a vast resource of life lessons which she has shared with us in her 30 publications of memoirs, poems, and essays. She is, undoubtedly, a woman for all seasons and has moved through the seasons of her life with grace and aplomb. I admire her because she embodies the “phenomenal woman” she writes about in the poem of the same name, and yet, her words offer that same level of conscious phenomenality to every woman who reads them. She’s just awe-
Insomniac There are some nights when sleep plays coy, aloof and disdainful. And all the wiles that I employ to win its service to my side are useless as wounded pride, and much more painful.
BEN SAFFORD
some that way. I never had the pleasure of meeting her, but I saw her once in “concert” – more of a lecture format. She recited poetry, but mostly imparted through conversation, her wisdom of having lived a long and prolific life. I honor Maya Angelou as a model for us all of how to journey from a cavern of fear and self-imposed silence, to a mountain top of love and a voice so loud and clear that it touches millions in its echo and embrace.
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C1 Features
June 3, 2014
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Blazers juggle education and employment
For some students, the work doesn’t just end at school By Grace Woodward Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources. Some quotes in this story have been translated from Spanish to English. Electrician. Carpenter. Mechanic. Cleaner. Roofer. These are just a few of the numerous jobs Manuel, a freshman, has had over the past nine months. Manuel, who has to support himself financially, carries heavy responsibilities every day – responsibilities that many of his fellow high school students don’t have to bear. Manuel works full time, providing for himself while managing to keep up with his schoolwork.
At most companies, anybody working over 35 hours a week qualifies as a full-time worker. Manuel works between six to eight hours a day, every day of the week, setting him well above this standard. He goes to school in the morning, starts one of his various jobs as soon as the school day is over, and finally returns home by 10:00 at night. Working as a student isn’t unusual, but very few high school students work the same long and demanding fulltime hours Manuel does. According to the United States Census Bureau, the majority of high school students who are employed work less than 20 hours a week. An American Community Survey Brief, released by the Census Bureau, also found that more than a quarter of students attending high school work part-time. However, the Bureau found that only one percent of high school students work like Manuel, work-
ing full-time, and year-round. For Manuel, and many other students, working is not a choice; it is a necessity. “I have to work, to pay rent, to buy food and to pay any of my other expenses,” Manuel says, illustrating why it’s so important that he works. Making a sufficient income is not the only responsibility Manuel has, however. “I live by myself, I have no family here,” Manuel explains. “I have to sign my own paperwork and do a lot of other stuff for myself.” Living on his own has introduced a variety of individual responsibilities to Manuel that many other high school students don’t have. “I know other people who work, but I don’t know that many other students who have to take care of themselves,” Manuel
gage in negative behaviors, have lower academic and career aspirations, and are less likely to hold leadership positions, engage in extracurricular activities, and attend or stay in college,” say Marsh and Kleitman in their analysis. Marsh and Kleitman attribute this to students spreading themselves too thin when they work over 15 hours a week. Manuel works over 40 hours every week, greatly exceeding the time a student needs to work to be academically successful. Despite the challenges he faces because of the combination of a full school day and his work schedule, Manuel has been fairly successful finding a balance between the two. “Working affects my schoolwork a little, but I’m used to it. I do most of my homework either on the weekend, when I have more time, or during class,” Manuel explains. However, many students have more difficulty finding a good balance between work and school. This is where Blair can step in. Under certain circumstances, such as when students are unable to keep up with their schoolwork because they have to support themselves, Blair GRACE WOODWARD will extend certain privileges to help these stustates. dents. Julio Castro, for example, Some educators and organi- delivers packages every day after zations, such as College Board, school to make money to support argue that a job can teach stu- himself and his older brother. Bedents about time management, cause of his work, Castro began independence and accountability to fall behind in his classes, to the while offering valuable experi- point that Blair allowed him to ences. Because of these aspects take two study halls to help stay many high school students are en- on top of his coursework. Castro’s couraged to get jobs by their par- story is an example of the ways ents, encouragement that comes Blair can help students cope with from very different motivations the pressures of both work and than Manuel’s. In an analysis of school. research from the National CenAccording to a research analysis ter for Education Statistics, Her- done by Charlene Kalenkoski and bert Marsh and Sabina Kleitman Sabrina Pabilonia with the Bureau found that these positives, such of Labor statistics, this aid is not as the ones aforementioned by unwarranted – their study found College Board, are met with very that a job in high school is likely few drawbacks in regards to stu- to drop a student’s grade from an dents who work part-time (less A- to a C-. “Students’ high school than 35 hours a week), but the GPAs increased up about 15 hours more a student works, the more worked per week, but declined as negative consequences they face. hours worked exceeded 15 hours,” “As students work longer hours, say Kalenkoski and Pabilonia in they achieve at lower levels aca- their paper. Karen Shilling, an ESOL teacher demically, are more likely to en-
at Blair, notices the effect working long hours has on students in her classes. “Often students who work are very tired. Some on them do their homework during their lunch period or in [the ESOL] homework help room, and some of them don’t have time to do their
“Sometimes working [at Chipotle] hurt my school- work. Some days, I would get out of work at midnight then I would have class early the next morning, and then in class I would fall asleep.” - Chelsi Lee homework,” Shilling says. Working at the Chipotle near Blair to help pay her personal expenses, Chelsi Lee, a senior at Blair, experienced first-hand the difficulties that came with having a job while being a student. Lee works between six and eight hours a day for five to six days every week. She
almost immediately noticed the adverse effect this had on her alertness in class. “Sometimes working [at Chipotle] hurts my schoolwork,” Lee says, “Some days, I would get out of work at midnight then I would have class early the next morning, and in class I would then fall asleep.” Lee also realized that working long hours impeded on her homework time. “When I worked late I normally wouldn’t do my homework because I was already too tired. That affected me in the long run because I’d wait a week to do homework that was due the work before, which set me back in some of my classes,” Lee explains. Along with diminishing the quality of schoolwork, Kalenkoski and Pabilonia say jobs with long hours have the potential to limit opportunities to build friendships and explore extracurricular interests. Part-time jobs, however, can have just the opposite effect. Eric Kalala, a junior, who has a parttime job as a host at Sir Walter Raleigh’s Inn in Greenbelt, works to pay for the extracurricular activities he participates in such as wrestling, football and track. “For the most part, I work because I have to pay for all of my extracurricular activities, like sports fees and uniforms,” Kalala explains. Working part-time has taught Kalala the importance of being on time, working with others, and other valuable skills, without a large drawback on his coursework. “My work doesn’t affect my schoolwork that much,” Kalala assures. Kalala also finds that working requires a unique determination. “If you really need to work, you can, but it’s about drive. You have to try hard to do your best,” Kalala advises.
KYRA SEIGER
CHELSI AT CHIPOTLE Senior Chelsi Lee is hard at work during her shift at the Chipotle in Woodmoor across the street from Blair, where she has worked throughout the second semester of her senior year. Lee uses some of the money she makes at her job to pay for various cheerleading costs.
SERVING STUDENTS AT SWEETFROG Dairda Watson, a junior at Blair, works at the sweetFrog frozen yogurt shop in Woodmoor after school, providing numerous customers with a much craved snack.
June 3, 2014
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Paving Pavingthe theway waytotocollege college
By Leslie Chen By Leslie Chen
BEN SAFFORD
Taking a trip down memory… hallway?
A look at the evolution of elementary schools over the past 12 years from KIDS page A1
way, I think they were limited by the number of transparencies they could make and the time and effort it would take to make posters. Now, you can go in and literally take three seconds to type stuff up. It’s a lot easier.” Promethean Boards are not the only technology that has entered elementary classrooms. Today, you can find tablets, smartphones and laptops as well. In 2012, the Los Angeles United School District even shelled out $50 million to provide students with iPads starting as early as kindergarten. New curricula increasingly provide provisions for technology; for instance, MCPS’ latest curriculum changes include “an all-electronic platform for disseminating curriculum” according to their mission statement. Educators across the country have realized that electronic technology no longer just belongs to students who are adolescents and older. “These are not the same 21st century early learners we came to know during the first decade of the new millennium,” writes Nancye Blair of the National Association of Elementary School Principals in an article about increasing technology integration. “For student performance to approximate student potential, students need access to a constantly evolving array of technological tools and activities,” says Blair. As Guernsey Lisa of the Education Commission for the States describes, “until recently, most educators envisioned early learning as story time and hands-on activities with no technology in sight.” Now, many educators acknowledge, it’s almost impossible to keep technology out of the classroom. “Tech-savvy educators are incorporating technology in [elementary school] lessons and experimenting with new channels of communication,” Lisa says. But as much as this is a story of budding technology, it’s also a story about education reform.
Enter 2007’s Common Core State Standards, the largest nationwide education curriculum initiative ever proposed. The standards establish requirements for students’ progress in math and language arts for each year between kindergarten and 12th grade and delineate complete, more-structured lesson plans for teachers. According to its mission statement, the project aims to “develop
more rigorous standards that [educators] all agree are fewer, clearer, higher and competitive with any other country in the world.” The Common Core has also influenced state- and county-wide reforms such as MCPS’ Curriculum 2.0, which is tailored specifically to deeper learning before 6th grade. Initial reactions from teachers to the CCSS were mixed, with 57% of teachers surveyed by Scholastic and the Gates Foundation believing that the standards will have an overall positive effect on students. Months after the roll-out, teachers and parents have come forward with very specific critiques, forming groups like “Parents and Educators against Common Core Standards” on Facebook and other social platforms. Comedian Louis C. K.
is one such parent, publishing tweets like their heads together at group tables, CCSS “My kids used to love math. Now it makes directs their attention back toward the board, them cry” on behalf of his elementary-age electronic or otherwise. daughters. The Common Core seeks to make educa“In broad strokes, there are aspects of the tion in different school systems comparable CCSS that I think are very beneficial to stu- across the country and establish a more dents,” says Jennifer, an elementary school solid foundation in core subject areas during teacher who has worked in Montgomery elementary school. “The general trend in County for the last 10 years. She cites the education now is moving towards standardstandards’ emphasis ization,” says Steinberg. She admits that deo n d e e p e r u n d e r- pending on the situation, that could be good standing and flexible or bad. “If you have a teacher who is going thinking as potential to teach a whole gamut of things, like a wide strengths. “Asking range of media and cultures and skill, then students to under- this trend won’t necessarily be beneficial. But stand, demonstrate, if you have a teacher with just one comfort and apply skills such zone, it forces the teacher to expand.” as ‘flexible thinking’ According to Jennifer, implementing more and ‘metacognition’ rigid classes is problematic for other reasons. is going to help [them] “There is a real push to accelerate students to think more deeply,” a level that is developmentally inapproprishe says. “However, ate,” she says, “[and] I worry about the ap[CCSS] was rolled out propriateness of high stake tests for students too quickly [and] there with heavy challenges [such as] ESOL or are many contradic- learning disabilities.” tions.” Practices in education are constantly For instance, in evolving, but ultimately educators have their c e r t a i n w a y s t h e students’ best interests at heart. As Jennifer VICTORIA PHAM new standards try to says, “individuality and competition need change the shape of to take a step back if we want to succeed and classroom learning. “My colleagues and grow up to be healthy and happy community I have always taught via small groups. members.” However, the materials are written for whole group soapbox instruction… there are few, Do you think elementary schoolers are overchallenged if any, wellfor their age? considered lessons for “They put kids in math classes two years ahead and the difficulty catches up small groups,” with them in high school.” - junior Dylan Goldvale says Jennifer. Whereas be“No, I think pushing them harder in elementary school creates a harder fore students working mentality for middle and high school.” - sophomore Sean Munroe may have s p e n t m o re time with
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June 3, 2014
Adventures abroad: the world is your classroom For junior Colman Welles, a spur of the moment decision would drastically change the rest of his high school education. Growing up, Welles heard the stories of his father’s educational and life-changing experiences while living and studying abroad in France. These memories stuck with him and prompted his startling dinner table announcement on an otherwise regular evening: “I think I want to live in another country next year.” The decision
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Welles oleman pain. C E R S CULTU ves in OCAL a, where he li L E H ING T madur ENJOY flag of Extre he holds t
Welles chose to study abroad to learn another language. With the goal of learning Spanish, he chose to spend his junior year studying abroad in Spain. However, the desire to learn a foreign language isn’t the only factor influencing students to change their surroundings and study on another continent. Dylan Crosson, a senior who attended Blair for three years, kept the future and integrity of his education, and the possibility of attending college in Europe, in mind when deciding to spend a year in Italy. “Studying in Italy for me was a decision I took keeping in mind that European universities offer great academics at a lower cost, without the hypocrisies of American colleges and universities from social and economic points of view.” Blair junior, Lily Fuji, plans to study abroad in Taiwan her senior year to find out more about her culture, background and character. “I always loved to travel and [an exchange program] was something I knew I wanted to do. Taiwan was my grandpa’s home under Japanese control, so once he left he never got to go back. I wanted to see his home and learn more about my family and myself,” explains Fujii. The experience Like one would expect, transitioning to another country can be very difficult, such as when Welles got
served pig ear by the family he was living with. He explained that the differences between America and Spain were initially an obstacle, but once he altered his approach, his experienced changed. “It started out hard; everything was different. In the beginning, I revolved my life completely around school, and that was bringing me down. So I started to not to be so oriented around school, and so far it’s been amazing,” states Wells. For Crosson, adjusting to a new country was easier because he has relatives living in Italy. “I’m fortunate to have family in Italy that supports me through everything. Studying abroad has been a rewarding experience so far. I’ve experienced a lot of new things. Travelling has given me the opportunity to discover my true interests and to compare cultures.” Not only have Welles and Crosson experienced the differences in language, culture, people and lifestyle, but both were introduced to different styles of education and school systems. According to Welles, the biggest difference between Blair and the school he attends now is the students. “The biggest difference is diversity and shear number of people at the school. They just don’t understand how diverse Blair, and all of America, is. It’s something I have tried to explain, but they can’t wrap their heads around it.” On the other hand, Crosson says the things that differentiate the most between the two schools are the assets and means that are available for extracurricular activities. “The main difference is the amount of resources dedicated to making school not only a place for academics but also for socializing. The facilities are set up only for academics, seeing as theater, sports and music are extracurricular activities sponsored by the local government or clubs.” The differences in the two schools has made Wells appreciate American schools like Blair. “Here everything, literally everything, they learn is straight from the textbook and only geared for an exam called The Selectivity. The note from the exam is actually the most important thing in their lives; it decides what they can do in their lives,” explains Welles. Cros-
son explains that his experience differs from Welles’ in that he appreciates what his current school offers and emphasizes. “School here is divided by specialization and then academy. I go to a school geared towards having proficiency in at least two languages besides Italian and am in a social-economic academy that permits me to take law and economy, anthropology and philosophy”. Even though Welles has not particularly enjoyed the educational aspects of studying abroad, he appreciated the overall experience and recommends studying abroad to everyone else. “I highly recommend studying abroad to everybody. It’s a great experience. Not only do you learn about another way of life, you also learn crazy stuff about yourself. Studying abroad is just incredible. You can learn a different language, understand a different way of thinking and you get a second family. Also, [it] might give you a leg up on other people when applying for college,” states Welles. Like Welles, Crosson has thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated his experience in Italy. “Both opportunities have been crucial to my personal growth, because I’ve learned ways of being that have enabled me to be more objective and open-minded. It’s also been fundamental for me socially because learning the ins and outs of another culture is not an easy task, and travelling has given me the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills,” says Crosson. The alternative Although studying abroad may be the most beneficial way to completely learn about a new culture and way of life, some other options are not as demanding. One option for studying abroad for a short period of time is the French Youth Ambassadors exchange program. “Last year, a year before, and one other time French students came here for a two week program. This coming year, nine students at Blair have the chance to go to France from Nov. 30 to Dec 14 for a two week program. The first they will be in Paris, and the second week they will be divided into different groups and go to three
different regions. The goal is to encourage social mobility, intercultural dialogue and meaningful efforts in civic activity and diversity,” says Andrea Lamphier, the program’s coordinator. Noelle Mason, a junior, is attending a program where she will learn about Arabic culture and language without going to a different country. “It’s total immersion, so I can’t speak, read or write anything but Arabic. It is four weeks at Pomona College in California. I’ll be taking classes and doing activities, but it’s all related to Arabic culture,” says Mason. Some Blair students have done service trips where they go to a different country for just a couple weeks, as opposed to a full year. Junior Dana Hunter, who travelled to Costa Rica during [month] 2013, explains that she enjoyed her experience learning about and helping another country. “It was an amazing trip where I was able to learn with other kids my age about Costa Rican culture while helping the communities around me.” Like Hunter, junior Meg McPherson values her service trip, where she spent seventeen days in El Salvador. “It was definitely beneficial to me and the community. We built a running toilet system, laid concrete for a community building and did some painting,” says McPherson. Phalia West, Blair’s College and Career Center Coordinator, explains that studying abroad may set students apart when applying for college. “It would show that you have a different perspective of the world and that perhaps you make have learned or built upon a new language.”
LIVIN G his au IN ITALY nt in R Dylan COUR TESY ome, OF DY explo Crosson sp LAN C ROSS ring th e ON n d s e the t im e city’s with landm arks.
“Travelling has given me the opportunity to discover my true interests and to compare cultures.” - Dylan Crosson
COURTESY OF LILY FUJII
EMBRACING THE CULTURE Junior Lily Fujii holds the Taiwanese flag with exchange student Simon Hsieh.
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June 3, 2014
Adventures abroad: the world is your classroom For junior Colman Welles, a spur of the moment decision would drastically change the rest of his high school education. Growing up, Welles heard the stories of his father’s educational and life-changing experiences while living and studying abroad in France. These memories stuck with him and prompted his startling dinner table announcement on an otherwise regular evening: “I think I want to live in another country next year.” The decision
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OLEMA
Y OF C
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Welles oleman pain. C E R S CULTU ves in OCAL a, where he li L E H ING T madur ENJOY flag of Extre he holds t
Welles chose to study abroad to learn another language. With the goal of learning Spanish, he chose to spend his junior year studying abroad in Spain. However, the desire to learn a foreign language isn’t the only factor influencing students to change their surroundings and study on another continent. Dylan Crosson, a senior who attended Blair for three years, kept the future and integrity of his education, and the possibility of attending college in Europe, in mind when deciding to spend a year in Italy. “Studying in Italy for me was a decision I took keeping in mind that European universities offer great academics at a lower cost, without the hypocrisies of American colleges and universities from social and economic points of view.” Blair junior, Lily Fuji, plans to study abroad in Taiwan her senior year to find out more about her culture, background and character. “I always loved to travel and [an exchange program] was something I knew I wanted to do. Taiwan was my grandpa’s home under Japanese control, so once he left he never got to go back. I wanted to see his home and learn more about my family and myself,” explains Fujii. The experience Like one would expect, transitioning to another country can be very difficult, such as when Welles got
served pig ear by the family he was living with. He explained that the differences between America and Spain were initially an obstacle, but once he altered his approach, his experienced changed. “It started out hard; everything was different. In the beginning, I revolved my life completely around school, and that was bringing me down. So I started to not to be so oriented around school, and so far it’s been amazing,” states Wells. For Crosson, adjusting to a new country was easier because he has relatives living in Italy. “I’m fortunate to have family in Italy that supports me through everything. Studying abroad has been a rewarding experience so far. I’ve experienced a lot of new things. Travelling has given me the opportunity to discover my true interests and to compare cultures.” Not only have Welles and Crosson experienced the differences in language, culture, people and lifestyle, but both were introduced to different styles of education and school systems. According to Welles, the biggest difference between Blair and the school he attends now is the students. “The biggest difference is diversity and shear number of people at the school. They just don’t understand how diverse Blair, and all of America, is. It’s something I have tried to explain, but they can’t wrap their heads around it.” On the other hand, Crosson says the things that differentiate the most between the two schools are the assets and means that are available for extracurricular activities. “The main difference is the amount of resources dedicated to making school not only a place for academics but also for socializing. The facilities are set up only for academics, seeing as theater, sports and music are extracurricular activities sponsored by the local government or clubs.” The differences in the two schools has made Wells appreciate American schools like Blair. “Here everything, literally everything, they learn is straight from the textbook and only geared for an exam called The Selectivity. The note from the exam is actually the most important thing in their lives; it decides what they can do in their lives,” explains Welles. Cros-
son explains that his experience differs from Welles’ in that he appreciates what his current school offers and emphasizes. “School here is divided by specialization and then academy. I go to a school geared towards having proficiency in at least two languages besides Italian and am in a social-economic academy that permits me to take law and economy, anthropology and philosophy”. Even though Welles has not particularly enjoyed the educational aspects of studying abroad, he appreciated the overall experience and recommends studying abroad to everyone else. “I highly recommend studying abroad to everybody. It’s a great experience. Not only do you learn about another way of life, you also learn crazy stuff about yourself. Studying abroad is just incredible. You can learn a different language, understand a different way of thinking and you get a second family. Also, [it] might give you a leg up on other people when applying for college,” states Welles. Like Welles, Crosson has thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated his experience in Italy. “Both opportunities have been crucial to my personal growth, because I’ve learned ways of being that have enabled me to be more objective and open-minded. It’s also been fundamental for me socially because learning the ins and outs of another culture is not an easy task, and travelling has given me the opportunity to develop interpersonal skills,” says Crosson. The alternative Although studying abroad may be the most beneficial way to completely learn about a new culture and way of life, some other options are not as demanding. One option for studying abroad for a short period of time is the French Youth Ambassadors exchange program. “Last year, a year before, and one other time French students came here for a two week program. This coming year, nine students at Blair have the chance to go to France from Nov. 30 to Dec 14 for a two week program. The first they will be in Paris, and the second week they will be divided into different groups and go to three
different regions. The goal is to encourage social mobility, intercultural dialogue and meaningful efforts in civic activity and diversity,” says Andrea Lamphier, the program’s coordinator. Noelle Mason, a junior, is attending a program where she will learn about Arabic culture and language without going to a different country. “It’s total immersion, so I can’t speak, read or write anything but Arabic. It is four weeks at Pomona College in California. I’ll be taking classes and doing activities, but it’s all related to Arabic culture,” says Mason. Some Blair students have done service trips where they go to a different country for just a couple weeks, as opposed to a full year. Junior Dana Hunter, who travelled to Costa Rica during [month] 2013, explains that she enjoyed her experience learning about and helping another country. “It was an amazing trip where I was able to learn with other kids my age about Costa Rican culture while helping the communities around me.” Like Hunter, junior Meg McPherson values her service trip, where she spent seventeen days in El Salvador. “It was definitely beneficial to me and the community. We built a running toilet system, laid concrete for a community building and did some painting,” says McPherson. Phalia West, Blair’s College and Career Center Coordinator, explains that studying abroad may set students apart when applying for college. “It would show that you have a different perspective of the world and that perhaps you make have learned or built upon a new language.”
LIVIN G his au IN ITALY nt in R Dylan COUR TESY ome, OF DY explo Crosson sp LAN C ROSS ring th e ON n d s e the t im e city’s with landm arks.
“Travelling has given me the opportunity to discover my true interests and to compare cultures.” - Dylan Crosson
COURTESY OF LILY FUJII
EMBRACING THE CULTURE Junior Lily Fujii holds the Taiwanese flag with exchange student Simon Hsieh.
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Take a trip to tweetland: The blazer twitter takeover Blair students create their own twitter culture that crosses from online to offline By Alani Fujii April 14 – An average day in the Montgomery Blair Twittersphere. Freshman Roxanne Ulloa (@itsroxyyy): Can someone please help me with algebra 2 tonight. Like hmu. I need help. Sophomore Susana Perez (@_sperezzz): “I don’t understand what we did last class at all!!!” @itsroxyyy: “I know! I literally looked at the review sheet, scanned the problems, and thought, well, I tried.” @_sperezzz: “Does anyone understand it?” @itsroxyyy: “Idk but shoutout to anyone who understands it, help us please.” With a majority of Blazers using Twitter, it is no wonder that Blair has cultivated its own Tweet-land culture. From ranting about yesterday’s math test to posting detailed photos of this morning’s breakfast, Twitter allows students to stay constantly updated with each other’s lives. With the accessibility of Twitter on smartphones (connected to Blair’s Wi-Fi of course), school hours do not stop the massive amounts of tweets, retweets, and hashtags that are spread within the community. Controversy within the community One tweet can become a sensation – an overnight online confrontation can teleport straight to Blair Boulevard. Even some Blazers without Twitters know the contents of the subtweet in question by the time the school bus pulls in by the SAC at 7:25 A.M. Senior Erica Adarkwa doesn’t use Twitter, but finds out about controversial tweets at school. “I know Twitter is the source of beef, and I don’t even use it. I find out from my
friends what went on online,” she says. Take free speech, mix it in with a free social media site, add a dash of pent-up frustration, and it creates a space for students to say whatever they want. “Twitter allows people to address their views,” says junior Anne-Olive Nono (@saynotwotimes). But Adarkwa sees a detrimental factor to this: the 140 character limit. “Controversial stuff may be said, but there’s no real way to solve it. It’s just people yelling at each other. [The character limit] doesn’t allow in-depth debates,” she says.
school year, but still to this day, both have not talked outside of the digital world. “People talk to each other so much on Twitter, but never make eye contact at school. It’s so weird,” she says. But Blair Twitter hides a darker side,
How to make friends Despite the onslaught of daily arguments, there always remains an aura of friendliness throughout the Blair Twittersphere. Senior Lonnie Feldman (@lonnieeeeeeee) notes that “Blair people are friendlier” than tweeters from his old school, Kennedy. Junior Daniela Toni (@gtfmom) has another viewpoint on the friendships that are made through the social media site. “It really breaks the barrier between groups at school. I’ve met so many people through Twitter and [have] become friends with a lot of them,” she says. This friendliness, however, doesn’t always translate from the twitter feeds to the hallways. Senior Andrea Bravo (@andreafantastic) became friends with another student through Twitter at the beginning of the
one that is all too familiar among students. When dangerous events break out, such as fights, Twitter is used to facilitate and spread the news among students. “Stuff spreads fast,” says Bravo. “Like if there is a fight, it spreads on Twitter so fast, with videos and pics within seconds.”
Personality diversity In a community where students are constantly on social media, Blair Twitter becomes a reflection of our pool of different personalities. Junior Amanda Flores (@amandatoospooky) likes to tweet about the everyday things that entertain her. “For me, Twitter is about sharing meaningless thoughts I have throughout the day,” she says. All personalities are welcome, even personalities which might seem contentious. “People on Twitter tend to have weird senses of humor. Sometimes a lot of people make jokes that most people would find offensive,” says Toni. May 20 - Senior Alec Fields (@Turtlphilsopher): Shout out to softball for being the best team Blair had this year, 4th round playoffs in mind blowing. Amazing job. Despite the disagreements that float around in Twitterland, Blair sports are something the entire community LESLIE CHEN can agree upon Retweeted by: junior Masongo Ogora (@GreenwoodxFultn), senior Deborah Olawuni (@DebO_Ola), senior Tatiana Sindass (@CurlsForDays_), senior Sarika Ramaswamy (@ Saltthatsnail), junior Amanda Flores (@ amandatoospooky), senior Annie Pietanza (@pietanza22), and senior Briana Villa (@brianavilla_).
Summer sounds: Bands provide beats for the heat By Aditi Subramanian
The Neighbourhood (@ Echostage on July 9) The Los-Angeles based quintet The Neighbourhood is approaching their third anniversary this August while on their El Tour Blanco tour. In three short years, the group has risen to fame with their first studio album, I Love You, peaking at twenty-fifth on the US Billboard charts. The Neighbourhood is composed of five friends who grew up in the same neighborhood near Los Angeles. It is mainly the brainchild of vocalist Jesse Rutherford, who aspired to be a musician since he was young. “When I was a kid, I had goals: a record deal with a big old record company, playing Coachella and these cool shows,” says Rutherford in an MTV interview. The remaining four members include guitarists Zach Abels and Jeremey Freedman, bassist Mikey Margott and drummer Brandon Fried. But the Neighbourhood’s image is defined not by a scarce backstory but by its unique sound. The rock group dips into hip-hop and pop beats resulting in a dark, moody flavor. Fans can bob their head along to poppy songs like their hit single, “Sweater Weather,” jam to a more traditional rock style with “Afraid,” or turn to Rutherford’s soothing voice in, “Everybody’s Watching Me (Uh Oh)” and “How”. Their mysterious style carries over to the visuals as well. The band shoots all their music videos in black-and-white and prefers all pictures of them to be taken in the monochromatic tone, including a black and white stint on Letterman. Fried explains that their steadfast adherence to this theme is an important part of their presentation. “That’s just our thing…[a lot of bands] had the whole package and we’re trying to bring that back. The visuals are just as important as our music is,” he states in an MTV interview.
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Avicii (@ Jiffy Lube Live on June 29) Midway through his set at Ultra Festival in Miami last year, Swedish DJ Avicii brought bluegrass musicians, a guitarist and singer Aloe Blacc, on stage to accompany his debut of “Wake Me Up”. Fans expecting traditional house music were initially confused by the live set, but the song became a smashing radio hit. The single is part of Avicii’s first studio album, True, which he released last fall. While his initial claims to fame, “Levels” and “Seek Bromance,” were typical electronic dance music songs embodying the image of the ecstasy-popping festivalgoers, the DJ strayed from this scene to experiment with everything from pop to funk vocals. His goal in doing so was to extend the genre past the beat-dropping tracks. “A lot of dance music has gotten more and more repetitive – too focused on the dirty drop. I was always interested in the melodic part of house music… It’s a way to advance the genre so it doesn’t get stuck,” he says in a Rolling Stone interview. The album features Oklahoma singer Audra Mae’s soulful voice in “Addicted to You,” powerful strings in “Heart Upon My Sleeve” and a country twang in “Hey Brother”. The producer, born Tim Bergling, has stylistically come a long way from his teenage days of messing around with sounds on his laptop. He now performs three hundred nights a year at venues across the world, was the first DJ to headline at the infamous Radio City Music Hall in New York City and received a Grammy nomination both for “Levels” and “Sunshine,” his collaboration with David Guetta. Looking ahead, Avicii will embark on his latest venture, his #TRUE tour, this summer. “I love DJing, I love everything that comes with it; it’s fun and kind of glamorous,” he admits in a GQ interview.
Arcade Fire (@ Verizon Center on August 17) Three years after their Grammy award winning album, The Suburbs, Canadian indie-rock band Arcade Fire has released Reflektor, featuring the group’s reoccurring theme of isolation and a new Haitian vibe. The Haitian influences stem from married members Régine Chassagne and Edward “Win” Butler’s trip to Chassagne’s homeland. Taken by the island’s rara music, the couple steered the band in a new direction, making Reflektor vastly different from their first album, “Funeral,” whose solemn sound lives up to its name. “[Going to Haiti] just really opened me up to this huge, vast amount of culture and influence I hadn’t been exposed to before, which was really life-changing,” Butler explains. The band also infused sentiments from the 1959 film Black Orpheus and Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard’s essay “The Present Age” in their lyrics, specifically citing themes of isolation and reflectiveness. References to the myth of Orpheus can be seen in “Awful Sound (Oh Eurydice)” and “It’s Never Over (Oh Orpheus)”. In Reflektor, Arcade Fire has taken elements from the past rock bands, specifically U2, and merged them with an energetic new voice. “Playing with these Haitian percussionists live…just does miraculous things to the rhythm section. I think everyone has really grown in their musicianship,” Butler reflects.
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Female artists shake up the hip-hop scene By Naomi Weintraub Amethyst Kelly, better known by her stage name, Iggy Azalea, bounces across the stage, flipping her hair from side to side. She struts with one arm waving over the crowd and the other tightly gripping a microphone. Shouting into the microphone, Azalea dances on stage, catchy lyrics flicking off her tongue. Dozens of girls and boys cheer as Azalea swishes her butt above the crowd, as they bob their heads to her electrifying, sugary music, at the Fillmore Concert Hall in Silver Spring. Azalea inherited her rule from a long line of female hip hop royalty. The role of women in hip hop has had groundbreaking influence and symbolism. Take this as your guide through our headphones for the day.
Kickin’ it Old School Flashback to 1988: amongst the rapidly growing male-dominated growing hip hop and rap scene emerged MC Lyte. Lana Moorer, known as MC Lyte on stage, was one the first female rappers and emcees to make a significant breakthrough in mainstream hip hop and rap music. In 1988, MC Lyte released her debut full-length album Lyte as a Rock and followed up a year later with Eyes on This. Both albums are characterized for their daring lyrics and catchy rhythms. AllMusic.com accurately describes these two albums as giving, “the proverbial middle finger to a male-dominated game.” Riding this female empowerment wave, the legendary Salt-N-Pepa emerged, the first all-female rap crew. Salt-N-Pepa are known for their powerful anthem-like lyrics and impressive pop style. The dynamic crew included three powerful emcees and rappers, Cheryl James, known as “Salt”;
Hip Hop dissected Turn on a radio and you’re bound to hear a wide variety of music styles. From soulful, activist based lyricists like Hill to poppy, erotic rappers like Nicki Minaj. Senior and rapper Ismael Oates believes that artists in hip hop can often fit into two spheres. “There are two types of rappers: Conscious and Nasty,” said Oates. Senior and fellow rapper, Joshua Briggs, explained that Conscious rappers often focus on world awareness and have free-spirit philosophy, like Nas or Erykah Badu. Nasty rappers, most prevalently seen in current music, often focus on sexuality and material wealth, for example Nicki Minaj COURTESY OF HIGHSNOBIETY.COM and Lil’ Wayne. Nicki Minaj dove into the music GIRL POWER Iggy Azalea has launched into the hip hop stratosphere head first with her volworld with her unique style and personality. taic lyrics and playful hooks. She is Sandra Denton, known as “Pepa”; and known for being extremely theatrical, usDeidra Ropa, known as “DJ Spinderella.” ing different personas to embody characters The height of their career hit in 1994, when within her songs. In “Super Bass” Minaj featheir famous singles, “Shoop” and “Whatta tures one of her many iconic personas: BarMan,” brought their newly released album, bie. The catchy, summer anthem sold over Very Necessary, into the top ten. 4,000,000 digital downloads in the US alone, More recently, in 1998, Lauryn Hill, mem- the first time that a female rapper in a solo ber of the soul hip hop group the Fugees, reached such sales. released her solo album The Miseducation Critics believe that Minaj has ruined the of Lauryn Hill, which sold 422,624 copies in potential she had to be a role model for its first week. This was shortly after singer- other women artists because of her degradsongwriter Erykah Badu released her first ing and “Nasty” lyrics. Spoken Word artist solo album, Baduizm, in 1997. The album Jasmine Mans calls out Minaj for her role was given the Triple Platinum award by the in the hip hop and rap world in her poem, Recording Industry Association of America. “Nicki Minaj.” In the poem, Mans asks for Today, hip hop heads and neo-soul addicts Minaj to act as the role model that modern are still listening to Hill and Badu, whose women have been waiting for in the hip hop names have gone down in history. world. “We have been waiting centuries
for a woman like you to carve your stiletto in history,” says Mans in a now viral slam video of the poem. Sophomore Kebron Mihrete thinks that Nicki Minaj should not be expected to be a role model because she is simply expressing herself as an artist. “When artists are trying to be role models they will say that, and make it clear. Nicki Minaj is not trying to touch hearts. She’s an adult; she can do what she wants. At the end of the day it’s all about feeling, and the music,” said Mihrete.
The show must go on
Iggy Azalea is making her way up in the music industry. Her song with John Legend, “All of Me,” took the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 this month. Azalea moved from Australia to America to make it big. Her hit song, “Work,” describes the struggle that she went through trying to land a record deal. The catchy repeating hook, “No money, no family. 16 in the middle of Miami,” symbolizes where Azalea started. Sophomore Cadence Pearson admires her dedication to music and her natural confidence. “She is very confident about her body and herself, which is a good image to put out, many girls need that kind of confidence,” said Pearson. XXL Magazine, a hip hop and music oriented publication, puts out their “Freshman Class” every year of all the best and most promising new young rappers of the year. This year’s “Freshman Class of 2014” did not include any women, despite the largely growing number of female rappers and artists who emerged this year. There is no time to wait - women need to finalize their place in hip hop music. Even the Blair music scene is primarily dominated by males—ladies, it’s time to take center stage.
Looking back on a more innocent MCPS 1950s document sheds light on past Montgomery County etiquette
By Blue Keleher
BLUE KELEHER
June 3, 2014
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It’s All Uphill From Here by Julian Bregstone
Across
46. Fence gap
11. Blood letter
1. Boxing practice fight
47. Extinct car make; __mobile
12. A whole lot
5. Blair lunch hall; plural
48. Foul odor
14. Heavy cries
9. Hocked a loogie
50. NCAA eligibility metric
21. Italian region
13. Shades of color
52. Melancholy Scottish monster
22. No difficulty
15. Wind instrument
59. Track event
27. Multiple Dr.Starr’s; abbr.
16. Scraggly fella
61. Texas celestial orb
28. Animal doctor times three
17. Playground retort
description
29. Protective envelope
18. Capable
62. Nettle plant
31. Borrows for money
19. Superhero material
63. Got one to pick
32. To no __
20. A return payment
64. BIG __!
33. Salami type
23. School of thought suffix
65. Advantageous
37. Enterprise
24. Alamo cyborgs
66. KD’s favovorite insect
39. Plant genus
27. Editing term (let be)
67. Irish Met fan
43. D.C. college; plural
30. A boastful remark
68. Cupid’s Greek counterpart
47. Decorated 49. I don’t know why you say
34. Modern Family hot
Down
goodbye, I say __
35. Dead person container
1. Twinkle twinkle
51. Inca homeland
36. Deep respects
2. Citrus fruit without the lo
53. Living, bed, class
38. Design measurement
3. Prefix of the longest word
54. Initial bet
unit
4. 67 Across again
55. I wanna be the very __
40. Ludicrous
5. Eagle action
56. High title in Muslim
41. Auditory organs
6. ABBA typo
world
42. Emergency procedure
7. Jermaine’s world description
57. Corn storage place
44. Curry’s pick-and-roll
8. Appears
58. Views
mate
9. Knee bone’s connected to it
59. Business degree
45. To plant again
10. New Orleans water landing
60. Long time
mama
2014 Is Sick
Sudoku: Hard
Sudoku: Easy
ANDREA BROWN
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Chat Trap
Wayne’s World
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Deprevation: Ruining Our Education
Angel Wen
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La Esquina Latina
Silver Chips 6 de junio de 2014
La educacion esta mas alla de asistir a la Universidad Estudiantes optan por tomar opciones que se adaptan a sus circumstancias Por Allison Fortis
tudiar gratuitamente. Otros estudiantes, como Anthony Leiva, Muchos asumimos que la única alter- un senior de Blair, están considerando sernativa para cualquier estudiante después vir en el militar en lugar de continuar sus de completar la escuela secundaria es ir estudios. “Desde que tenía 11 años quería directamente al college, pero lo cierto es ingresar en la Marina,” que existe un número comenta Leiva “Por considerable de estudiun lado es que cuanantes que, por diversas do salga de la Marina razones, decide tomar puedo conseguir un un camino diferente. trabajo, y si no puedo Algunos lo hacen quedarme por el resto por razones económide mi vida.” A Leiva le cas; otros porque quientusiasma esta idea y eren concentrarse en su familia lo apoya. un trabajo más tecnico Para Douglas Heny deciden ir a una esriquez, otro estudiante cuela de capacitación aquí en Blair, el alto para obtener una licencosto de asistir a un cia que les permita incollege es un obstácutegrarse al mundo lablo para continuar sus oral en un corto plazo, estudios. “La univery otros porque no están sidad es problemática seguros de lo que quiepara algunos porque ren estudiar y prefieren toma mucho tiempo tomarse un par de años aplicar y mucho dinero para trabajar y explorar para hacer,” explica las diferentes opciones. Henriquez, quien está CORTESIA DE COLLEGEBOARD.ORG Por otro lado están considerando la posibiaquellos estudiantes lidad de buscar trabajo que sienten deseos de tomarse un año libre en alguna de las compañías donde ya trabapara viajar, hacer trabajos en en otras partes jan sus amigos, o completar algún programa del mundo y tener experiencias diferentes de estudios técnicos que le permitirán incorantes de comprometerse a completar cuatro porarse al mundo laboral. “Para ir a la uniaños de estudios en el college. Algunos es- versidad necesito tener dinero y si no tengo tudiantes consideran entrar en las Fuerzas un trabajo bueno nunca lo voy a tener,” conArmadas para servir al país a cambio de es- cluye Henriquez.
La tendencia a optar por opciones alternativas a la universidad han venido en aumento en algunos sectores de la población estudiantil. Según un informe reciente realizado por Buró de Estadísticas Laborales, menos del 66% de la clase del 2013 se inscribe en la universidad el pasado otoño. Esto se debe en parte a que la economía está mejorando y hay más posibilidades de encontrar trabajo. Los estudiantes que no van al college tienen la posibilidad de encontrar empleo y contribuir a la economía de sus familias. La disparidad racial también es un factor a tomar en cuenta; según informes, solo el 60% de estudiantes de origen Afroamericano y de origen Hispano de la clase del
2013 ingresaron a la universidad en el otoño, comparado con el 67% de los estudiantes blancos. A pesar del aumento del costo de atender la universidad, los programas universitarios de 4 años de duración han aumentado su enrolamiento, mientras que los colegios comunitarios o de medio tiempo registran una caída en el número POR ELIZABETH PHAM de inscripciones. Esto demuestra que hay un mayor número de graduados, los cuales solían atender este tipo de programas, que esta optando por sumarse a la fuerza laboral en vez de continuar estudiando. Es importante entender que aunque existen muchas ventajas en completar los estudios superiores,como mejor paga y más oportunidades de avanzar profesionalmente, no todos debemos seguir el mismo camino por que existen opciones para aquellos que deciden no hacerlo, o que quieren tomarse un tiempo antes de tomar esta decisión. Por otro lado, no es necesario comenzar la universidad inmediatamente al terminar la secundaria A veces tomarnos un año libre antes del college puede resultar en un apren-
El adios inevitable que nunca paso por mi mente hasta ahora
Blair fue el hogar que me acojio y me hizo madurar como persona y estudiante Por Cindy Monge
Nunca pense que llegaria a crecer tanto como he crecido en los últimos cuatro años. Empecé a asistir a blair como una tímida freshmen, dedicada en cuerpo y alma a estudiar. Mi único enfoque era aprender, mantenía los ojos enterrados en los libros de literatura y mis almuerzos o pasaban en clase de geometría quebrandome la cabeza, porque me habia empeñado con sacar una tona decente. Casi no tenía amistades y despues de escuela me dedicaba a hacer mis tareas por horas y a los quehaceres del hogar. Este fue mi primer año en blair, el edificio era como un monstruo espantoso y extraño. Tanta gente que recorría los pasillos me causaba frustración. Corría entre medio de los estudiantes para llegar a clase. Mis maestros tenia simpatia asi a mi. Era una buena estudiante, más interesada en aprender que en los chismes de pasillos. Al final del ano conoci a una chica de china, que se convirtio en un gran amiga. Ella me comento que habia una clase de periodismo, que se ofrecía a estudiantes que no estaban registrados bajo el Programa de Arte & Comunicaciones, conocido como CAP. Pense que era una buena oportunidad para aprender algo nuevo. El segundo año escolar, decidí que era momento de aventurar en materias nuevas para mi. Ese año opte por tomar el curso de Periodismo. Mi primera impresion de la clase fue que era demasiado difícil Y que yo no daba la talla para estar allí. Me sentía fuera de lugar. Pero
con una clase de seis o siete estudiantes. Eso creo un ambiente familiar y íntimo entre nosotros. La Sra. Edwards, dejo de ser simplemente una maestra, y se convirtio en una motivacion, como esa tía a la cual acudimos para contarle nuestras penas y quien es la unica que esta dispuesta a escucharte, y darte unas palabras de aliento. En esa clase aprendí a soltarme socialmente con las personas. Aprendí que cada persona tiene una forma única de escribir. También supe que la perseverancia te lleva a la mejorar. Luego al entrar a mi onceavo grado, habia sido aceptada para escribir el Silver Chips, el periódico de Blair, esto yo no lo podia creer. Este periódico selecionaba a sus estudiantes en una lista de casi cincuenta solamente quince eran elegidos. Yo nunca pense que me aepatrian por que mi vocabulario no era amplio y yo no era una estudiante de CAP, pero lo logre. Asi empece a formar parte de Silver Chips. Empecé como escritora en la sección de Inglés y luego escribí para espanol y ingles. Me fui encariando con la escritura y el diseno de paginas me parecía fantástico. Me di cuenta que al escribir en espanol mis palabras simplemente se derramaban sobre el papel sin parar. Ademas, el espanol es mi primera lengua y se me hace mucho más facil escribir en ella. Aunque también me siento cómoda escribiendo en espanol. Fue así como me pase a ser parte de la Esquina Latina. Tuve una muy buena experiencia trabajando con la Sra.gonzález, quien trabajó conmigo editando
artículos y guiándonos por el proceso de elegir temas sobre los cuales escribir que fueran relevantes para los estudiantes latinos. Aparte de ser escritora en la página la cual ella patrocinaba, fui su estudiante. Estar en su clase destapo una perspectiva diferente de quien yo realmente soy como persona, como latina y como estudiante. Aqui fue donde aprendí que el estar en este país no debe cambiar mis valores familiares ni mis tradiciones. Me di cuenta que como latina tengo un gran potencial y mucho que ofrecer al país. Este pais esta lleno de oportunidades que no llegan a tocar nuestras puertas, sino las cuales debemos salir a buscar. Como maestra, la Señora Gonzalez es excepcional, como dicen: “algunos nacen para ser maestros”. Pues ella es el ejemplo de eso, ella logra que en su clase exista esta armonía entre estudiantes y una inclusividad entre diversos grupos. Gracias a ella logre unas amistades con alumnos que nunca hubiera tenido de no haber tomado su clase. Ella ha sido el motor que me ha llevado a seguir adelante y a creer en mi misma. Fue en mi año de junior, que tuve las experiencias de más influencia en mi vida durante estos cuatro años en Blair. Apesar que estos años estuvieron repletos de estres y muchas tareas. Debo decir que fue el
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año en el que yo me sentí finalmente plena y satisfecha. Comoda en mi propia piel. Ese año, di lo mejor de mi, como estudiante y persona. Me convertí en la “Sofía Vergara” (solo porque la se imitar muy bien) de mis amigos, quienes gozan al oirme hablar con ese forzado y fuerte acento latino al hablar inglés. Estoy inmensamente agradecida con toda la facu;tad de Blair porque son todos una bellas personas. Le quiero dar gracias a la Señora Nadal por que gracias a ella he seguido adelante con mi visión y una sonrisa en la cara. También le doy gracias a el Senor Cauley, por que me cumplio el capricho de establecer un grupo de chicas latinas en el cual podremos compartir nuestros pensamientos y hablar de temas importantes para las Latinas. Gracias inmensas a la Sra. Coombs, quien no deja de repetirme que nunca deje sonar y que no importa
que tan imposible parezca ahora, lo voy a lograr. Le agradezco por la oportunidad de poder ser sus asistente en sus clases de Espanol. Eso me dio la oportunidad de estar en el programa de BLISS, en el cual estudiantes son tutores en clases y ayudan a otros estudiantes a enter mejor las lecciones. Mil Gracias a mi consejero el Sr. Burwell, por ayudarme, escucharme y motivarme. Blair a sido un hogar para mi. Gracias Mrs. Harvey, por mantener mis pies en la tierra. Sra. Ravilious, gracias por preocuparse por mi. Gracias infinitas a todos mi maestros y staff por creer en mi, por ayudarme. Nunca pense que llegaria el dia de decir adios. Se siente tan raro saber que uno no volverá al lugar donde ha ido por cuatro años. Esta ha sido una experiencia única y muy enriquecedora que me ha hecho crecer como persona y estudiante.
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Montgomery County Public Schools Calendar 2014-2015 Friday, July 4, 2014 August 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 Monday, August 25 Monday, September 1 Wednesday, September 24
Thursday, September 25
Friday, October 17
Friday, October 31
Tuesday, November 4 Monday and Tuesday, November 10 and 11 Wednesday, November 26 Thursday and Friday, November 27 and 28 Wednesday and Thursday, December 24 and 25 December 26, 29, 30, 31
Thursday, January 1, 2015 Friday, January 2 Monday, January 19 Tuesday, January 20
Monday, February 16 Friday, February 27 Friday, March 27
Friday and Monday, April 3 and 6
2014
Independence Day Professional days for teachers First day of school for students Labor Day Tentative early release for all students—planning/grades/interims No school for students and teachers (Note: Yom Kippur and Eid Al-Adha is Saturday, October 4, 2014) Maryland State Educators Association Conference—no school for students and teachers Professional day for teachers (no school for students)—planning/report card preparation and duty day for designated 10-month employees for professional development activities Maryland State Gubernatorial Election Day Early release days, K–8 (parent conferences) Early release, K–12, prior to Thanksgiving Holiday Thanksgiving Christmas Winter break—no school for students and teachers
2015
New Year’s Day Winter break—no school for students and teachers Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday Professional day for teachers (specified 10-month employees work)—no school for students Presidents’ Day Tentative early release for all students—planning/grades Professional day for teachers— no school for students
Good Friday and Easter Monday
June 3, 2014
June 3, 2014
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It’s pretty hard to determine how well you’ll fit into campus life if you’re visiting an empty campus, so think about taking advantage of your spring Whether your tour experience was good or bad, break week to see colleges when they are bustling. it’s best to think of it High school breaks generally as an introduction, do not coincide with college and not the full story. check out our website breaks, which means that college Tours, by definition, For more educational planning and students will be on campus. Try only give an overview. test prep information visit us at www. attending a class to see if it is lively They try to dazzle you prepmatters.com or dull, if students are engaged or with campus beauty, daydreaming, if the work seems learn more their sports program, manageable or scary. Try talking or their latest and Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or to students you meet on campus YouTube for more tips, important greatest architectural dates and free seminars. to see what they have to say. Pick wonder. That’s fine so up a newspaper and see what far as it goes, but it only take a test they’re concerned about. scratches the surface. To schedule a free diagnostic ACT, SAT, or subject test: call 301-951-0350 or email frontdesk@prepmatters.com
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June 3, 2014
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From buckets to skates: NBA & NHL Finals Preview Silver Chips takes a closer look at the seminal sports events in June By Landon Harris NBA Finals: Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs (Rematch!) Why the Heat will win: The Heat have an incredible on/off switch. Although the team won over 50 games again this year, it was often evident that Miami was coasting through the regular season. But when Lebron and Co. do decide to flip the switch to “on”, they are nearly impossible to stop. Miami has really turned up the heat on its opponents in the playoffs, especially at home where they are yet to lose this postseason. James, Wade, and Bosh have all had big individual moments and are clicking better than ever heading into the Finals, particularly Bosh who’s jumpshot really emerged towards the end of the Pacers series. What makes the Heat truly formidable however is no longer just the individual greatness of James, Wade, and Bosh, but the materialization and growth of its role players. Whether its Ray Allen’s sharp shooting, Shane Battier’s basketball savvy, Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers ball pressure, or Chris Andersen’s energy, Miami has a lot of different weapons in its arsenal to pair with its superstars. The Heat beat the Spurs once, and with another year of developed chemistry, what’s to stop them from winning again? Why the Spurs will win: Every year the consensus is that the Spurs are too old. Every year the consensus is wrong. The trio of Duncan, Parker, Ginobili is still very much intact and each
brings a different element to the game: Parker, the one man fastbreak, Duncan, Mr.Fundamental in the post, and Ginobili, the argentine flair off the bench. The act is familiar but that doesn’t mean it’s not still effective. And although Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili have aged individually, the notion that the Spurs as a whole are too old is a misconception, because the team extends far beyond just its familiar faces. Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili are franchise cornerstones, but just as important to the team are players like Kawhi Leonard, one of the few defenders in the league with the tools to guard Lebron, and Danny Green, the 3 point specialist who was nearly last year’s Finals MVP. The Heat have good role players, but what’s unique about the Spurs is that any given player can explode on any given night. Boris Diaw had 26 points in ELIZABETH PHAM the series clincher against the Thunder. The Spurs organization is more like a high powered basketball machine than an NBA franchise. Plug in the pieces and watch it churn out the wins. Just last year the Spurs had the Finals all but wrapped up until Ray Allen’s miracle shot. Don’t be surprised if they push the Heat to the Brink again. Bottom Line: As highly efficient as the Spurs are, at the end of the day, Miami has
Lebron James and San Antonio doesn’t. Heat in 7 (again). NHL Finals: New York Rangers vs Los Angeles Kings Why the Rangers will win: The Rangers are the team of destiny. Everything about their postseason is tailor made for the next inspirational sports movie. First year head coach Alain Vigneault lead the team into the playoffs as the 5 seed after an up and down regular season. The team got off to a rocky start in the postseason, taking 7 games to scrape by an inferior Flyers team in the first round. Things got even more turbulent in the next round against the Penguins, as a struggling Rangers team fell into a 3-1 hole in the series. Then team capt a i n Martin ELIZABETH PHAM St.Louis mother passed away. The team rallied around St.Louis, growing closer together and approaching the game with new passion. Despite the tragedy, the club was able to pull off a crazy comeback to defeat the Penguins in 7 games. New York was once again tested in its next series against the Montreal Canadiens. Starting center Derek Stepan broke his jaw in the third game of the series but fought through severe pain to return after just a one game absence. In Game 6, Rangers center Dominic Moore, whose wife tragically passed last year of liver cancer, scored a game-winning goal to advance New York to the Stanley
Cup Finals. It must be mentioned that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Rangers last Cup win. A movie made postseason deserves a movie made ending. And what better ending could there be than the Rangers bringing the Cup back to New York. Why the Kings will win: The Kings are the clutchest team in hockey. Not just now but ever. They came back from being down 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks in the first round, dominating the last four games of the series with an average margin of victory of over 3 goals a game. They won the first two games of their next series against the top seeded Anaheim Ducks, but quickly dropped three straight to face the brink of elimination again. As per usual, the Kings pulled through to win the final two games, making a statement with its 6-2 Game 7 victory on the road. Another round, another Game 7 it was for the Kings against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Kings were actually in control of this series, up 3-1, before the Blackhawks won two in a row to force a Game 7. On the road for an unbelievable third Game 7, the Kings came up big in crunch time yet again, winning the game 5-4 in overtime. This isn’t even the first time the Kings have done something like this in the playoffs. Just two years ago, the Kings rolled through the postseason as an 8 seed to claim the Stanley Cup. This year they seem to be on a similar run. Bottom line: The Kings can only win 7 game series. I reckon this one is going to last 6. Rangers win by default. Disney already bought the movie rights.
Tumbling down the Boulevard: A cheerful story Several Blair cheerleaders moving on to University of Maryland teams By Leslie Chen “Red and White, Go Terps!” “U of M, Turtle Power!” Fans roar along with the cheerleaders. Sporting small tops and short skirts, cheerleaders line the side of the field during collegiate games. While getting the fans pumped, they put on a show filled with jumps, tosses and a choreographed dance. Blair alumna, Kayla McCaw, has loved her experience on the University of Maryland team. “There’s so much energy and school spirit on game days it makes it fun and exciting to cheer,” said McCaw. These cheerleaders, like the athletes, are all college students that are broadcasted on televisions all across the nation. Next year, three of Blair’s seniors will join the University of Maryland cheerleading team and we will be able to see their faces on TV as well. Many of the cheerleaders find that their experience as a part of the Blair team is an enjoyable one and, despite the huge time commitment to the team, they have stuck with it since they first joined. Some decided to join cheerleading because of previous experience, while others were inspired by watching the team. “I began cheerleading around the end of my sophomore year, but was interested in joining ever since I saw them first preform at a pep rally,” said senior Emanuel Cerón, one of the three seniors who will be join-
ing the UMD cheer team in the fall. intensive on stunting if you were middle of her feet. The girls were Having enthusiasm for the sport is a guy.” Guys needed to at least also required to have more skill what can motivate these compared to at the high cheerleaders to continue school level. Elite level flytheir cheer careers. ers need to have a standing One major differtuck, where the cheerleadence between college er bends to push off and cheerleading and high flips around backwards, or school level cheerleada back handspring, where ing is that at the college the cheerleader leans backlevel, there is a lot more wards and flips their feet partner stunting, which around to land. Aside from is between a base and a cheerleading skills, fitness flyer. “We have a lot of is also an important factor guys, so at the camp that to join the team. “When I run, we work on partwe return for the start of ner stunting. Spending summer tryouts, girls must time on that can help to also run under an 8 minute prepare them for college mile, while the guys must cheer,” said Blair cheerrun under a 7 minute mile leading coach Sarah to be eligible to cheer at the Fillman. Another stunt first football game,” said that Blair cheerleading, Lily Gates. unlike other schools, Tryouts at UMD took works on a lot is basket place on a weekend and tossing, where two basonly lasted two days. es throw a flyer high in However, both days had a the air. Besides stunts, specific schedule and lastcheerleaders have to ed about four hours each. work on conditioning, Cerón said, “The Saturday tumbling and strength was dedicated to learning as well, which are all the dance and cheer, tumimportant for those who bling and stunting. Sunday ZEKE WAPNER want to cheer for colwas the formal tryout in lege. front of the judges.” Since SPIRIT Seniors Emanuel Cerón and Lily Gates will Both the boys and be cheering for the University of Maryland cheerthe UMD All-Girls team girls needed a higher leading team at College Park this upcoming fall. won first place at the Dilevel of ability to be vision 1 national champiable to join the UMD onships, the expectations team. Senior Bryan Chung, an- be able to do one man stunting, for the cheerleaders are pretty other of those joining UMD cheer, where the base throws the flyer up high and there is more competisaid, “[tryouts were] a lot more as high as possible and catches the tion. Gates knew of these expecta-
tions and thus had to push herself harder because she really wanted to join the team. “I am not too experienced as being a flyer because for Blair I was mainly a base. I was so nervous surrounded by experienced cheerleaders and the coaches close by, but all I had to do was keep tight and remain confident,” said Gates. Like athletes, cheerleaders also have to be able to manage their academic work along with their practices. At UMD, cheer practices are four days a week and three hours long each time. “The commitment level for college cheer is almost the same as high school,” said Chung. Cheerleaders obviously have to go to the games to support the teams and may get the chance to travel with the teams if those they go far enough into the playoffs. When the UMD women’s basketball team reached the Final Four of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, the cheerleaders got to travel with them. “I cheered for football and women’s basketball, [and] the women’s team made it to the Final Four, so we got to travel to Nashville and Louisville to cheer for the tournament,” said McCaw. Fortunately, this group of Blazers will not have to face college level cheerleading alone. Not only does McCaw already know Cerón from SGA and Lily Gates from the gymnastics team, these three cheerleading Blazers from the Class of 2014 also have each other.
June 3, 2014
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The greatest part of a national pastime Nationals Park adds new food options for 2014 By Jesse Broad-Cavanagh Thick smoke wafting up from barbeque grills in left field, concession stands covered in steaming hot dogs on every level, grills filled with seasoned patties varying in meat from cow all the way to crab. You’re going to Nationals Park to watch a baseball game, but the astounding food selection might make that a bit hard. Sure, it’s fun to watch your favorite team score some runs and win a game. But it’s nothing without a drink in one hand and a tray full of food being supported by the other. Since opening in 2008 and replacing RFK Stadium, Nationals
your eyes and completely smothered in a spicy barbeque sauce that lingers on the palate, they definitely are a must have. If the ribs aren’t enough by themselves, you can get the combo platter, which adds a hefty portion of jerk chicken to the dish. Each selection also comes with the choice of coleslaw, rice and beans, or potato salad, and if the spices of the meat are a bit overwhelming, then these sides do your mouth justice in providing a refreshing break. Although Jammin Island also offers a rather large salad bowl, there are better vegetarian options around the rest of the park. This vegetarian selection in-
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RIGHT OFF THE BONE Jammin Island Barbeque at Nationals Park sells uncommon baseball fare, from jerk ribs to filling salads. Park has offered all of the classics that we’ve come to expect at baseball games. The park offers your everyday hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken tenders, and fries, but of course you can pretty much get any of these items at your local fast food place. These options, along with a small handful of other miscellaneous stands, have been stadium staples for the past few years when it comes to food. Luckily for every person ever planning on attending a Nationals game this year and in the near future, Nationals Park has stepped up its game. There isn’t time for a moment’s rest once you enter the stadium. If you enter from the main entrance, the center field gate, you’ll be quick to smell the spicy smoke coming from Jammin Island Barbeque located right outside of the right field seats. Options here include the tender jerk ribs, which are quick to come right off the bone. Pulled off the pit right in front of
cludes the newly added, and cleverly named, Field of Greens on the third base line. As the first completely meat-free stand at the park, they offer a wide variety of salads and vegetarian versions of other food. They take a traditional approach to a Greek Salad that works out in being just about the best salad you’ll find in the entire stadium. More adventur-
ous options here include a vegetarian cheesesteak with caramelized onions. It doesn’t look all that appetizing, but along with the grilled Portobello sandwich, it’s able to avoid the all too familiar vegetarian food problem of being bland. Fan-favorite concession stands, including Ben’s Chili Bowl and Hard Times Café, are also back for 2014. Although both are well known for their chili-doused items, each has its own specialty. At Ben’s, the obvious choice is of course the original half smoke, that’s absolutely drenched in chili. It might be wise to bring along an emergency fork, but the juicy sausage mixed with the thick, smoky chili is a beautiful combo of flavor. Hard Times also offers a chili dog, but a better option here is the chili nachos. If you go to the stadium looking for one dish that will fill you up, look no further than here. The chili isn’t quite as thick or spicy, but still allows that piquant taste to linger. Toppings including hot peppers, sour cream, and shredded cheddar bring the entire dish together. The traditional crab cake has of course always been a hit at Nationals Park and the surrounding DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. This year, however, Chesapeake Crab Company stepped it up, bringing a stand to the lower level of the stadium. Of course you can still get a nice comfortable lump crab cake on a roll, but why stop there? The Crab Co. also brings their own variety to nachos, as they cover their crisply fried chips with a crab, corn, and tomato topping that is insane. They continue to amaze with their crab grilled cheese; two slices of sourdough bread sandwiching together the perfect combination of crab meat and melted cheddar. Summer time in Maryland means crabs, and you can be sure that there’s no shortage here. With all these new and unique food options popping up across the stadium, it may seem like the traditional options are getting run out ALANI FUJII of town. For many,
Ben’s Chili Bowl “Half-smoke”: $5.95
Shake Shack “Shackburger”: single - $6.50 double - $9.50
a good day at the ballpark means a familiar meal of hot dogs and peanuts. But don’t worry, Nationals Park isn’t forgetting about you. The Senators Sausage booths
unfortunately, it’s still very apparent at Nationals Park. At most places, a single meal item and a small soda will run you up close to $20. Avoiding and ignoring the
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around the stadium offer up a selection that includes an Italian sausage covered in grilled onions and peppers. Nats Dogs take up more than a few corners of the park as well, and their hot dogs are about as run-of-the-mill as they come. With the new high-end booths popping up everywhere, these traditional stands do the justice of offering less expensive options. And the monthly $1 hot dog nights only add to the fun. When it comes to desserts and sweets in general, Nats Park hasn’t changed much. Frozen Rope still offers large waffle cones or min-
food will simply never work out, and you can be sure the smells and sights of other people’s selections will be too hard to overcome. But don’t worry, there are a couple easy ways to fix this. For one, Nationals Park is one of only a small handful of professional sports venues to allow visitors to pack their own meal. A small backpack with peanuts and perhaps a candy bar will do wonders keeping you busy while you watch the game. Another option is buying food outside the center field gate entrance. Vendors there are surely going to
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iature baseball helmets filled to the brim with soft serve ice cream and Dippin Dots and Dolce Gelato stands across the stadium offer other familiar treats. Fluffy Thoughts by the right field foul pole does offer some variety with their many cupcakes, brownies, and rice krispie treats, but the portion size leaves a lot to be desired for how much you’re going to be paying. Of course, vendors do still charge up and down the stands offering cotton candy, frozen lemonade, and other familiar ballpark treats. Considering how long the lines are for the few dessert stands across the ballpark, this is your best option. The pricey food issue is something that has plagued stadiums and arenas across the country, and
offer the best deals in the vicinity, including $2-3 hot dogs and snack food that’s half the price of what it is inside the stadium. A penny-pinching fan could even save dessert for when the game is over, and get a much cheaper option for the journey home. Although many of the options can be pricey, Nationals Park has set up quite the culinary experience. By trying to redefine the narrow view of basic “ballpark food”, they’ve created section after section of incredibly varied food. They truly do their best in having concession stands that aim to fill the needs of every ticket holder that passes by. Although you can’t be sure of the outcome of the game, you can count on a breathtaking variety of food at every visit.
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June 3, 2014
Softball loses in Maryland state semi-finals to Chesapeake
Blazers fall 5-2 to Cougars despite the team’s best efforts in late game push the Blazers mounted a 2-out rally. Blair brought the tying run to the plate in the just as the Cougars looked ready to ad- bottom of the 7th inning, however they vance to the state championship yet again, were not able to capitalize, and the Cougars advanced to the 4A state championship where they will face off against the undefeated Sherwood Warriors. The Blazers felt prepared going into the game, and were confident during the season. “We didn’t necessarily prepare specifically for the state semifinal game because we wanted to treat it like just another game,” said Pietanza. “Our motto was take it one game at a time,” explained head coach Louis Hoelman III. Instead, the Blazers focused on strengthening other aspects of their game. “We did a lot of menCOURTESY OF JOANNE PIETANZA tal training to prepare for the post season so GROUND BALL Senior shortstop Michelle McGhee scoops we could stay mentally tough throughout a ball out of the dirt on a throwdown from the catcher.
from SOFTBALL page A1
entire games,” Pietanza explained. Senior captain Briana Villa believes one of the team’s weaknesses during the game, and in the season overall, was that the team wasn’t consistent with their batting. “We left a lot of runners on base in some games,” she explained, “Sometimes it cost us the game.” Despite the loss, Villa insisted the team was well prepared for the state semifinals. “We all worked very hard throughout the entire season,” she said. Most importantly, she highlighted the team’s strong attitude. “Unlike most sports, softball is mostly a mental game so being able to stay strong through certain situations helped us a lot,” Villa said. Senior captain Michelle McGhee agreed, citing the pivotal game against Magruder High School. “Even though there were a lot of opportunities for us to break down, we stayed COURTESY OF JOANNE PIETANZA strong mentally and dominated the game,” McGhee explained. Although Villa is graduating GETTING READY Senior outfielder Susannah Merthis year, she awaits a lot of effort rill warms up before the game against Chesapeake. from the remaining softball players for next season. “I hope the team has their eyes set on another successful seateam will be able to continue to work hard son next year. “We’re very deep, and I’m excited and reach all of their goals,” she said. The to see all of our players play,” said Hoelman.
Play-offs bring a bittersweet end to spring sports
Blazers wrap up a tumultuous season with successes under their belt
By Leila Habib Baseball Following a first round bye and a second round win against Richard Montgomery (6-12), the Blair baseball team (13-5) lost to Whitman High School (11-3) in the third round of playoffs. Senior captain Nick Bratton said the Blazers had an exceptional performance in all but one inning. “Our pitchers walked a few too many players, and their guys stepped up when they needed to. We just couldn’t make up for that one inning,” he reflected. Bratton believes the greatest weakness lies in the boys’ depth of pitching. “We have great starters that are extremely effective, but we don’t have strong relievers. Their confidence isn’t the best, which is a real problem when you’re trying to chip away against a team in the late innings,” he explained. Aside from the pitching, Bratton was satisfied with the ability of the athletes to make do with what they had. “We can always manufacture runs. We may not have huge innings like Whitman did, but we can always chip away and score,” he said.
Track & Field After a rough start to the season, both the Girls’ (3-1-1) and Boys’ (2-3) Track teams performed well at the 4A State Championship, placing in the top nine in most of their events. Despite the team’s success at states, senior captain Stephen Varella, who placed thirteenth in the boys’ 4x200 meter relay and ninth in both the 100 meter hurdles and 4x400 meter relay, believes they could have performed better. “In our heat, we blew everybody away but we were in one of the slower heats. We could have done better if we had more competition in the heats we were in,” Varella said about the 4x400 relay. In addition to the relays and hurdles, seniors Gwladys Fotso and Wynston Reed placed sixth in the High Jump, and Fotso also placed eighth in the Long Jump. Fotso applauded the team’s drive. “We took every practice seriously. We were focused and had quality workouts,” she said.
Junior Yvann Tientcheu, a member of the boys’ 4x400 and 4x200 relays at states, highlighted the team’s improvement since the beginning of the season. “We didn’t start off strong, but we’ve all dug deep and found what we can really achieve,” he said. BOYS TRACK: 2-3 GIRLS TRACK: 3-1-1
BASEBALL: 13-5
SOFTBALL: 19-3 ALLIED SOFTBALL: 8-0
BOYS LACROSSE: 9-5 GIRLS LACROSSE: 8-6
Allied Softball Blair’s Allied Softball team (8-0) successfully finished the season undefeated and earned the titles of Division and County Champions. LEIGH COOK The team faced Clarksburg High School (7-0) on May 13 for the County Championship game. “We got to that game by winning our division and playing Clarksburg, the other division winner, who also had zero losses going into the championship game,” Coach Peter Craft said. The athletes came into the championship game after an outstanding performance in the divisional game against Sherwood High School (6-1). The Blazers did not start out strong, falling behind 3-0 in the first inning, but were able to win by a score of 5-4 during overtime. “It was the first and only time we trailed all season. Our team showed great resilience battling back,” Craft said. Craft attributed the team’s success to the athletes’ drive. “The commitment level of the team was the best I have seen. We believe that hard work and putting aside any
differences would lead to victory, and it did,” he said.
Boys Lacrosse The Boys’ Lacrosse team (9-5) lost to Sherwood High School in the regional semifinals, bringing an end to one of the best seasons the program has had. In order to reach the regional semifinals, Blair came back with five straight goals, after being down 5-1 at halftime, to beat Springbrook. “It was a huge game and a huge accomplishment for the guys,” Coach Christopher Brown said. In the Sherwood game, however, Blair did not have all of its players due to injuries. “We were down a lot of players, and gave up a lot of goals in the first half, and just couldn’t come back,” senior captain Nate Goodin said. Regardless of the final game, the team is satisfied with both their offensive and defensive performance this season. “Our defense were all monsters,” Goodin said. Brown attributed this to the stable defensive members. “We had the same personnel the entire season which was huge for working with communication and improving as a defensive unit,” he commented. The team also had a dominating offense. “We had the best firing power that we’ve ever had. All these guys that could score lots of goals could score from anywhere so instead of a team having to focus on one of our threats, they had to focus on many of our threats,” Brown said. .
Girls Lacrosse After defeating Blake High School (5-8) in the first round of playoffs, Blair’s Girls’ Lacrosse team (8-6) lost to Sherwood High School (13-1) in the second round. Coming into the game against Blake, the team was unsure of what they would be facing. “We had beaten them earlier in the season, but we happened to play them on a day when they were missing two of their three best players, so the outcome to this game was up in the air,” senior captain Clare Singer said. At the start of the game, the girls did not begin aggressively, but found a way
to fight back. “We didn’t come out as strong as I would have liked, but after about ten minutes, we really started to pull away and had many unanswered goals,” she Singer remembered, noting that having a firm start is something the team needs to work on for next year. “We often went down in the first few minutes of our games,” she added. In contrast to the Blake game, the Sherwood game proved to be a harsh end to the season. Blair lost with a score of 21-2 as the Sherwood Warriors scored goal after goal. The team graduated 12 seniors this year, but Singer was not greatly concerned about the team’s fate next year. “We’ve prepared the sophomores and juniors really well,” she said.
insideSPORTS Maryland Cheer see page F1
Three Blair seniors plan to continue cheerleading at UMD.
Nats Park see page F2
Nationals Park adds new eateries to their stadium.
SHIVANI MATTIKALI